Easiest Easter Ever

My husband and I decided to have our first holiday dinner this Easter. Sure, we've done the big holiday feasts with family but we wanted to have a quiet meal together with our son this year. But, since we were planning to skip dinner, that meant we'd have to visit our families and come home to prepare dinner. That chaos usually calls for a fast food run or whatever you can find in the fridge.

After some searching, I found a super easy recipe (which I slightly tweaked) that helped our holiday be the Easiest Easter Ever! You can never go wrong with a crock pot meal! I prepped everything Saturday night so all I had to do Sunday before we left for the Easter Egg hunt was to put it all together and push the "Start" button!

Ham and Potato Au Gratin
- 4 lbs peeled, sliced potatoes
- 1 - 1 ½ lbs cooked ham sliced into ¼ inch strips (size of matchsticks) 
- 2 cans of Cheedar Cheese condensed soup
- ½ onion, minced
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 tsp pepper

Peel the potatoes with a mandolin slicer to easily slice your potatoes. Chop the ham and mince the onion. Throw them all in the crock pot and give it a good stir so everything's evenly distributed. Combine the two cans of soup with the milk and pepper. Pour the soup mixture over the potatoes. Set the crock pot on 6 hours and enjoy your Easter!

This meal went great with fresh rolls and green beans! It was truly one of the most relaxing and non-rushed holidays we've had in a while! One little variation you may want to try if you like the potatoes crispy like I do. Once everything's done (and provided your crock pot is oven safe), Add some shredded cheddar cheese and a little bit of bread crumbs (dampened with butter of course) on top and put the entire pot into the oven under the broiler.

Kellogg's FiberPlus Bars Review & Giveaway

I was recently approached by a representative of Kellogg's to taste their FiberPlus snack bars. You've probably seen the commercials boasting the rich, decadent flavor of these high-fiber snacks. Kellogg’s™ FiberPlus™ Antioxidants Bars let you treat yourself to better nutrition with 35% of your daily fiber needs, plus antioxidants Vitamin E and Zinc. But there’s so much more. They have 7 grams of whole grains, plus a tasty chocolate drizzle, and are a good source of your daily calcium needs.

That tasty chocolate drizzle perfectly balances the flavor of these treats! If you're a mom on the go like I am, you probably tend grab whatever is fast and portable. I feel good grabbing this snack. One of the most important things about this snack is that it's satisfying! There's nothing worse than being in a car, in a meeting, or at the grocery store (especially) when that hunger strikes! This little bar is powerful and satisfies my hunger perfectly! And believe me... I can eat! And, if I can pace myself and indulge in each delectable bite, this snack is just as satisfying as dessert!

This product comes in three tasty flavors: Chocolate Chip, Chocolatey Peanut Butter, and Dark Chocolate Almond. Each flavor is just the right amount of rich chocolate to balance the satisfaction of the fiber. This Mad Mom feels good in knowing that my afternoon snack tastes like I'm cheating on my diet but is actually good for my diet!

The representatives of Kellogg's would like to give 2 lucky readers a chance to try each flavor! Here's how to enter to win! 

Initial Entry:

How do you usually snack on the go? Healthy or not so much?

1 Extra Entry:
Follow my blog or subscribe to the RSS feed. Please leave a separate comment that you did!

1 Extra Entry:
Follow @MadMomMission on Twitter (comment here with your Twitter ID)

1 Extra Entry:
Tweet this giveaway, include @MadMomMission and a link to this giveaway, and post a link to the Tweet here. (limit once per day)

1 Extra Entry:
Become a Fan of The Mad Mom on Facebook. Leave a comment that you did so.
 2 Extra Entries: Blog about this contest with a link back to this Giveaway! Don't forget to put a link to your post here! Giveaway ends Friday, April 16, 2010 at 7:00 pm EST. Thanks for entering and good luck!

Chunky Bling Giveaway: Swarovski Ring

They always say diamonds are a girl's best friend- but what about crystal? Swarovski crystals are considered the highest quality cut crystals and beads in the world. This crystal also holds a special place in my heart because these beautiful beads adorned my bridal gown just a few years ago. The jewelers at ChunkyBling.com use these glistening Swarovski crystals to craft chunky jewelry, including Swarovski crystal and bead rings, which you can win here at The Mad Mom Blog! 

So what's so special about a Swarovski crystal? The Swarovski name means high quality. Swarovski uses a special compound in the crystal which creates maximum sparkle and creates a delicate palette of crystal colors. Using 3D computer simulations, they optimize each crystal design, positioning of the hundreds of facets to create maximum light reflection. And their precision cutting machinery allows for perfect facet juncture cuts—meaning each facet juncture meets at precisely the same point. These crystals glisten! 

Swarovski makes pearls?! Yes, and they are exquisite! Swarovski pearls are finely crafted using the heart of the finest Austrian crystal which has been finished with layers of highly luminous pearlescent coating. The crystal core and evenly applied coating give these Swarovski pearls a balance, luminosity, and luster similar to that of real pearls. To the touch, Swarovski pearls provide the same sensual experience valued by pearl enthusiasts. And like natural pearls, Swarovski pearls adjust to the temperature of the skin. Swarovski pearls are more durable than natural pearls. They are abrasion proof and resistant to UV light, scratches, perspiration, and perfume. They will not be damaged by washing or dry cleaning which works for me because many a time has my husband found a piece of my jewelery in the washer! (Oops!) Which makes them perfect for the Swarovski Pearl ring you can find at ChunkyBling.com! 

The jewelers at ChunkyBling.com are providing one lucky reader with a lovely prize of either a Swarovski Crystal ring or Swarovski Pearl ring! Enter to a ring that gives you the Swarovski luxury without a hefty price tag!

Here's how to enter! Don't forget to leave a comment for each entry!


Initial Entry:
Jump on over to ChunkyBling.com and participate in the Name That Bling contest. Leave a comment here with your entry and name.

1 Extra Entry:
Follow my blog or subscribe to the RSS feed. Please leave a separate comment that you did!

1 Extra Entry:
Follow @MadMomMission on Twitter (comment here with your Twitter ID)

1 Extra Entry:
Tweet this giveaway, include @MadMomMission and a link to this giveaway, and post a link to the Tweet here. (limit once per day)

1 Extra Entry:
Become a Fan of The Mad Mom on Facebook. Leave a comment that you did so. 

1 Extra Entry: 
Become a Fan of ChunkyBling.com on  Facebook

 2 Extra Entries:
Blog about this contest with a link back to this Giveaway! Don't forget to put a link to your post here!

Giveaway ends April 19, 2010 at 7:00 pm EST. Thanks for entering and good luck!