sara lee Archives

Sara Lee Snack Cakes Giveaway

August 13, 2013 by Beeb 100 Comments

Sara Lee

Samples received for taste-testing!

It’s always a good day when you get sweet treats in the mail! I recently received some fun packages from Sara Lee, which included a delicious sampling of their new line of Snack Cakes and some useful kitchen items, like a water bottle and insulated lunch tote. I actually used the lunch tote this weekend to pack clothes with me for an overnight trip – now how’s THAT for packing light! 😉

Something that impressed me about these snack cakes I received was how fresh they tasted. Usually, you think of pre-packaged snacks like this to be a little more on the stale side, but the Sara Lee cakes which I tasted were very spongy and soft. Of their offerings, we tried the following varieties:

Crumb Cakes: These are delicious little treats that reminded me of a nice coffee cake. I took to eating one for my breakfast because they were oh so good with my morning cup of Joe!
Buttery Sunshine Cakes: I am not normally a fan of pound cakes, but I found myself really enjoying this because it was so airy and light, with a great flavor. Jai especially loved these ones!
Cheese Topped Crumb Cakes: Jai sampled this one and said it was most tasty – he’s a big fan of this type of buttery cake.
Devil’s Food Créme Cakes: This was absolutely delicious – a chocolate cake with a fudgy center and a white cream filling that was as soft as a marshmallow. Mmm!

Sara Lee Snack Cakes

Each of these pre-packaged cakes are just the right size to pack along in a brown bag lunch. We would have taken these along for our trip last weekend, if we hadn’t eaten them all before we left – haha!

For more on these new snack cakes, check out the Sara Lee Snacks Facebook fan page! You can also print off a money saving coupon while you’re there.

Enter to Win:

One reader will win a Sara Lee Snack Cakes SnackStakes gift package, just in time for packing those back-to-school lunches! The prize consists of the following:

– 1 Sara Lee lunch bag

– 1 Sara Lee water bottle

– 2 boxes of Sara Lee Snack Cakes

This is open to residents of the continental US and ends on August 19th at 11 PM PST – a Rafflecopter giveaway

click here to see our giveaway rules.

Pound Cake Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe Using @SaraLeeDesserts

February 25, 2013 by Momstart 4 Comments

March 4th is National Pound Cake day and in honor of Pound Cake Day Sara Lee sent me some coupons to create a few different recipes. I’m also going to host a national pound cake day giveaway on March 4th so be sure to come back to experience the great giveaway.

Making Pound Cake Chocolate Chip Cookies was simple, quick and very tasty.

I cut pound cake into 1 inch squares

Placed the squares on a cookie tray

Then placed cookie dough on top of the pound cake

Cooked them in the oven and viola out came delicious Pound Cake chocolate chip Cookies

Pound Cake Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Ingredients:

Sara Lee Pound Cake

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Directions:

Cut out 12 1 inch cubes from Sara Lee pound cake

Place on a tray 3 inches apart

Place a 2 inch – 3 inch circle of cookie dough on top

Cook according to cookie dough directions

Cool on a wire wrack and then enjoy

For inspiration to make your perfect pound cake creation, check out their new Pinterest page or saraleedesserts.com – they’re both loaded with fun tips, tricks and recipes. Of course, our Facebook and Twitter pages are full of tasty ideas, too.

Heart Healthy Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad Recipe

February 12, 2013 by Momstart 2 Comments

Some good news for American Heart Month, Sara Lee has recently announced that it’s taken additional steps to further improve and build upon there deli product offerings as they now contain:

· No added hormones

· Zero grams trans fat

· No MSG

· No gluten

· No fillers

· No artificial flavors

Here is another recipe they created using their Chicken.

Cilantro-Lime Chicken Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Makes: 4 servings (about 2-1/2 cups each)

Ingredients:

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Salad:

8 cups fresh baby mixed salad greens

1 cup frozen corn, cooked, drained

2 medium tomatoes, seeded, chopped

1/2 cup black beans, rinsed, drained

1/2 lb. piece sliced-to-order Sara Lee^® Lower Sodium Oven Roasted Chicken Breast, cut into thin strips

2 corn tortilla, cut into 1-inch strips

Cooking spray

1/4 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese blend

Directions:

1. For dressing: Combine lime juice, oil, cumin and red pepper; mix lightly. Set aside.

2. For salad: Combine salad greens, corn, tomato, black beans, green onion and chicken; toss lightly.

3. Spray small fry pan with cooking spray. Cook and stir tortilla strips over medium heat until crispy.

4. Toss salad with dressing; sprinkle with cheese and tortilla strips, before serving.

Nutrition per serving: serving size:1/4 salad, Calories: 280, Fat: 9g, Sat Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 35 mg, Carbohydrates: 29g, Fiber: 8g,Sodium: 620 mg,

Protein: 21 g

Heart Healthy Sara Lee Chicken Gyros Recipe

February 11, 2013 by Momstart 3 Comments

In time for this monthly call-to-action to pay attention to heart health, Sara Lee Premium Meats has JUST announced that its turkey, ham and chicken deli meats, found at the deli counter, now feature the American Heart Association Heart-Check Mark and they have created some recipes using their products. Try this Chicken Gyros recipe for example:

Chicken Gyros

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 container (6 ounces) plain no-fat Greek Yogurt

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons reduced fat feta cheese crumbles

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

2 whole wheat pita bread, cut in half

4 torn Romaine lettuce leaves

1/2 lb. piece sliced-to-order Sara Lee^®Deli Oven Roasted Chicken Breast, cut into thin strips

1/2 cup chopped cucumber

1/2 cup chopped seeded tomato

Directions:

1. Combine yogurt, onion, feta cheese, lemon juice, garlic and oregano; mix lightly.

2. Fill pita bread halves with lettuce, Chicken breast, cucumber, tomato and yogurt mixture.

Nutrition per serving: serving size: 1 filled pita bread half, Calories: 180, Fat: 1.5g, Sat Fat: 0.5g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 30 mg, Carbohydrates: 24g, Fiber: 3g, Protein: 19g, Sodium: 260 mg

Ham & Basil Pinwheel Recipe

November 28, 2012 by Momstart 13 Comments

Here is a delicious low carb recipe that both adults and kids will love these holidays. Combining a lower sodium option of Sara Lee Deli honey ham with tasty cream cheese, the recipe is complimented with basil, cucumber and a red pepper for a tasty pinwheel to serve to guests at parties or even on-the-go during the busy season.

Ham & Basil Pinwheel Recipe

Ingredients

· 1 thick slice Sara Lee® Lower Sodium Honey Ham

· ½ slice Provolone Cheese, cut into 2-inch by ¼-inch by ¼-inch pieces

· 1 tablespoon Whipped Cream Cheese

· 1 whole fresh basil leaf

· 2 very thin slices of peeled cucumber, patted dry

· 4 red pepper strips – sliced thin

Directions

Place the ham on a flat clean surface or cutting board.
Carefully spread the Whipped Cream Cheese on the ham slice being careful not to tear the meat.
Top with a basil leaf and a single layer of the cucumber rings. Top with pepper strips and Provolone Cheese strips.
Roll to make a tight cigar-shaped roll. Using a sharp knife, cut the sticks into 2” pieces and serve with toothpicks.
Makes one pinwheel.

White Chocolate Petit Fours Recipe (Sara Lee Pound Cakes “Share The Sweetness” Recipe Contest)

November 26, 2012 by Momstart 11 Comments

Enjoy New Sara Lee Pound Cakes and Enter the “Share The Sweetness” Recipe Contest

We like to entertain and have impromptu dinners with friends so having Sara Lee desserts in the freezer is always handy when company stops by. I especially enjoy having Sara Lee pound cake on hand since is it is always a convenient treat to enjoy on its own or fancied up with fruit, pudding or chocolate. However, I have found that having these pound cakes in the freezer can be such a temptation anytime I crave something sweet. I can never obey the recommended portion size when I’m slicing into a yummy Sara Lee pound cake. Now, thanks to Sara Lee Pound Cake Slices, I can now enjoy a special treat in perfectly sized portions. Each box comes with 6 individually packaged slices and can be enjoyed in either the Original pound cake or double chocolate.

But this isn’t the only newly added item to Sara Lee’s line of pound cake, you can also find:

Sara Lee Lemon Pound Cake – The newest loaf variety in more than a decade, made with real lemon juice. This one is especially good with raspberries and whipped cream!
Sara Lee Butter Pound Cake – Same classic, buttery taste with an updated recipe to be more moist. I used this original pound cake for a special tea-time treat with my daughters (recipe below.)
Sara Lee Light & Dreamy Pound Cake – Reduced-fat alternative that contains 80 calories per serving with 100 percent less cholesterol and 55 percent less fat than Butter Pound Cake. I’m looking forward to having this one on hand after the holidays when I’m back to watching those calories!

Over the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, my daughters and I decided to make some special petit fours for a holiday tea party. We used Sara Lee Butter Pound Cake straight from the freezer and two other ingredients: white chocolate chips and vegetable shortening.

To begin, I took the frozen pound cake loaf and cut off the rounded edges to so that my petit fours would be uniform in size and shape. My daughters happily saw that the scraps did not go to waste and snacked away while I continued to cut the cake into slices and then into cubes. After creating 12 pound cake cubes (which could have been stretched to 18 if I cut them a bit smaller) I put them back in the freezer while I began heating up my double boiler.

As soon as I had a rolling boil in the lower pan of the double boiler I turned the heat down so it would gently simmer. In the top pan, I added the entire bag of white chocolate chips (minus two small handful thanks to my little taste testers) and 3 tablespoons of vegetable shortening.

In a matter of minutes, I had smooth melted white chocolate ready for dipping my pound cake cubes. I found that it was best to use a fork to drop one cube at a time into the melted chocolate and then toss around gently with the fork to coat all sides. When removing the pound cake from the pan with the fork, a little tap on the side of the pan helped remove the extra white chocolate.

After each pound cake had a little bath in the white chocolate, I placed them on a cooling rack with a sheet of waxed paper below. My daughters added some festive sprinkles just before the white chocolate set. In about 15 minutes, our petit fours were cooled and ready to enjoy at tea.

Sara Lee would love to hear what special creations you enjoy making with their pound cake products. Check out Sara Lee’s “Share The Sweetness” recipe contest on their Facebook page and enter your best recipe for a chance to win great prizes, the grand prize being a $500 VISA gift card and Sara Lee desserts for a year! The contest runs through the end of December, so be sure to include Sara Lee pound cake in your holiday treat planning and share your recipe! If you’re looking for a little inspiration, Sara Lee has plenty of recipes to browse on their website or visit their new pinterest page for additional ideas.

Disclosure – This product was provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the writing of this review; however, opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

About Emily:

Emily is also very active in the local MOMS CLUB. She raises chickens and has 2 shih tzus. Her daughter Caitlyn attends Montessori school and she hates housecleaning, loves wine and enjoys dining out. She would love to find a cure for the depression and anxiety she has dealt with on and off over the past 10 years, just like me. She is an amazing mom and friend.

Sara Lee Iron Kids & Thin Style Buns

October 2, 2011 by Momstart 473 Comments

Sara Lee makes good bread and they keep making it better. We just recently tried the Sara Lee Iron Kids bread that offers a more nutritious white bread option for kids by containing as much fiber and more than four times the calcium as 100% whole wheat bread per two-slice serving. I’m always low on iron myself and looking to increase it in small doses as large once give myself a tummy ache. Eating the Sara Lee Iron Kids bread does not affect my stomach. Additionally, Sara Lee Iron Kids bread contains added Vitamin D. Another much needed perk living in the land of no sun.

We used the bread to have some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on one day, and turkey and cheese the next and then we also used it to make some really yummy egg toast. We’ve already almost made it through one whole loaf in a matter of two days.

Another product we are going to try really soon is the Sara Lee Thin Style Buns. The Sara Lee Thin Style Buns provide whole grain nutrition, with just 100 calories per bun and no high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors or flavors. Sara Lee Thin Style Buns are a delicious yet less-filling way to enjoy your favorite sandwiches.

Also be on the look out on the Sara Lee Bread Facebook page. They are currently hosting a Family Fun Sweepstakes. The winner will receive a supply of a free Sara Lee Iron Kids bread, as well as a $500 VISA gift card to use for their family.

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winner, Tabathia B.

All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

We received samples from to facilitate this review. All opinions are our own.

Blogger Approved Grilling Tips & Grilling Days of Summer Sweeps

June 3, 2011 by Momstart 83 Comments

You all must know by now that I have a very soft spot for Sara Lee and the products they make. Even before I started blogging, one of the brands we purchase from most often for food products has been Sara Lee. They make bakery products, frozen desserts, Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farms, not to mention Ball Park, my husband’s all time favorite hot dog brand. Actually, the whole family enjoys Ball Park all beef franks. YUM!

I’ve heard that you haven’t had a hot dog until you’ve had one in New York, well, I went to New York and somehow I missed out. Ball Park Franks is helping make it easier for hot dog lovers to indulge in the authentic New York deli taste right from their own backyard with the launch of their NEW Deli Style Beef Franks!

The Ball Park Deli Style Beef Franks contain great tasting, high quality beef with no artificial colors, no artificial flavors, no by-products and no MSG added. Available in two varieties, Ball Park Deli Style Beef Franks and Ball Park Bun Size Deli Style Beef Franks, they make for a quick and easy meal option for the entire family – whether they’re grilled, boiled, microwaved or steamed.

Ball Park also asked for grilling tips from bloggers like me. So if you’re planning on grilling this summer, and most red blooded Americans do at least once here are some really great grilling tips:

Here are your blogger approved grilling tips:

• When grilling fruit make sure to use the cooler parts of the grill – fruit does best with a lower temperature.
– Louise Bishop from Mom Start

• Use an onion cut in half to clean your grill. Heat up the grill, hold the onion by the “stem” and then rub the onion all over the grates.
– Courtney Solstad from My Crazy Savings

• No topping is too unique for a hot dog. After grilling the franks, place them in a bun and top them with some of my favorite items (not necessarily together!): Crumbled Potato Chips, French Fries, Bacon Crumbles and Chili.
– Tésa Nicolanti from 2 Wired 2 Tired

• Make sure you turn your hot dogs over on all sides equally and once you see a bit of blistering on the outside that means the hot dogs are grilled enough to eat.
– Melissa Chapman from The Staten Island Family

• I love this grilled vegetable recipe! Thinly slice peeled potatoes and onions and place on the center of a piece of foil. Add a few tabs of butter, kosher salt, cracked black pepper, and anything else you like, such as chunks of bell peppers or crushed garlic. Wrap into a package and toss on the grill for smoky, delicious potatoes!
– Angela Williamson from Fab Find Foodie

Ball Park Franks is hosting a “Grilling Days of Summer” Sweepstakes for Ball Park Facebook fans to have the chance to win the ultimate 4^th of July Bash by sharing a photo of their family and friends grilling out and enjoying the warm weather along with a caption about how they celebrate the summer.

It wouldn’t be MomStart without a little giveaway so one winner will receive:

3 Ball Park Frank Free Product Coupons

To Enter:

Tell me your grilling tip in the comment section

This giveaway ends June 20th. All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

Sara Lee’s Buns are Hot Hot Hot! Summer Fun Sweepstakes & Giveaway

May 28, 2011 by Momstart 530 Comments

School’s Out for Summer!! At least it’s out for the Midwest that is. We go to school until June, but with the sunshine in the sky all we can think about is grilling and playing outside. Every night you can smell someone’s dinner outside. Did you know it’s National Hamburger Month? We’ve had hamburgers three times in the last month, and I’m already craving them again. Oh and when it comes to buns, I love them toasted. My mom uses the hamburger grease to get the buns wet and then throw them in the oven to toast em. OH yum, but not so healthy. So it’s good to start off with bread that’s healthy!

Sara Lee Bakery offers a variety of delicious and nutritious hamburger and hot dog buns that will satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. For example, Sara Lee Soft & Smooth Wheat Buns Made with Whole Grain have the soft texture and great taste everyone loves, while also providing some daily whole grain nutrition. They are also a good source of calcium and Vitamin D. In trying to keep the bread healthy for my own children, we now toast the buns in the toaster and put some mayo or mustard on them. Still a good way to make the bread crusty! MMM

Be sure to celebrate the warmer weather on the Sara Lee Soft and Smooth Facebook page with a Summer Fun Sweepstakes. It’s free and it’s super easy to enter – the winner(s) will receive a $500 gift card good towards new patio furniture and/or accessories, as well as a summer’s supply of Soft & Smooth Buns! To Enter click on the Sweepstakes tab.

Enter to Win:

5 free product coupons (2 winners)

To Enter:

Tell me what you like to have on your buns?

Extra Entries:

Tweet or RT this post and include the link to the post

RT @MomStart: Sara Lee’s Buns are Hot Hot Hot! Summer Fun Sweepstakes & #Giveaway http://bit.ly/mlCVXb

Enter to Win 5 Packages of Sara Lee Soft & Smooth Buns Grilling Party #Giveaway http://bit.ly/mlCVXb (2 winners)

Subscribe to MomStart
Comment on any non-giveaway post
List this giveaway on any giveaway site, dig, stumble, like or share on Facebook (or use any of the share options listed below)
Blog About this Giveaway (10 extra entries, linking to the giveaway)
Follow me on twitter tell me your twitter ID
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This giveaway ends June 13th. All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

Disclosure: I received 10 free product coupons so I can stock up my local food bank with Buns this summer!!! Thank you Sara Lee!

Tasty Treat Thursday Apple Pie Bread Pudding Recipe

February 24, 2011 by Momstart 12 Comments

By Summer,

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

I wanted to take two of my husband’s favorite things and combine them. Since Louise had some Sara Lee coupons for Mom Start from her recent post; she gave me some and I used them to purchase 2 large pound cake loaves. I don’t mind making treats semi-homemade (I’m not Wonder Woman!). Sara Lee’s All Butter Pound Cakes are made with high fructose corn syrup, and I’ve eliminated high fructose corn syrup from our home; but FYI, these cakes contain it. I doubled this recipe to send to work.

Oh and this is another great way to celebrate Pound Cake Day on March 3rd.

WARE
CorningWare 3-qt Oblong Baking Dish (9×12)
large mixing bowl
small mixing bowl
large plastic or wood stirring spoon
small sauce pan (2x or wash and reuse for pudding and sauce)
whisk (2x or wash and reuse for pudding and sauce)

INGREDIENTS
– PUDDING –
1 loaf (16oz) Sara Lee’s All Butter Pound Cake – Cut lengthwise in quarters, in half height wise, and in desired sizes widthwise.
¼ cup Sun-Maid Organic raisins
2 cup chunk cut apples, desired size – I used apples from my trees in the backyard and don’t know what kind they are, but use what you like. Also you can peel your apples; I kept the peels on for some nutrition.
1 cup brown sugar
1¾ cup milk – I use local. For me (in the Seattle area) that’s Smith Brothers Farms… so good!
¼ cup butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¹/₈ teaspoon (or a pinch) ground cloves
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
– SAUCE –
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup milk
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350^oF (175^oC). Grease CorningWare Dish.
2. PUDDING – In a large bowl, combine pound cake, raisins, and apples.
3. PUDDING – In a small saucepan over medium heat melt together butter and brown sugar. Stir milk slowly to create a smooth caramel sauce. Pour over bread mixture in bowl. Pour bread mixture into prepared dish.
4. PUDDING – In a small mixing bowl, whisk together cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, vanilla, and eggs. Pour over bread mixture.
5. Bake in preheated oven 40-50 minutes; or until center is set, apples are tender, and top is golden brown.
6. SAUCE – While pudding is baking, mix together sugars and butter on medium heat until well combined. Stir in milk slowly. Bring to a rolling boil then remove from heat. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla.
7. Remove pudding from oven and serve directly from the cooking dish. Pour desired amount of sauce over pudding.

About Summer:

Summer is the President of our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living.