Plan Your Summer Menu with Musselman's Apple Butter {Review & Prize Pack Giveaway} #AppleButterRecipes

As temperatures have been heating up day by day, it's time to enjoy the beautiful weather as much as possible. Open the windows, take an extra walk, go for a picnic — the opportunities are endless!

Along with simply heading outside to enjoy the sunshine, it's also time to give our culinary skills an outdoor workout by pulling out the grill and incorporating the sweet fruity flavor of summer into recipes whenever possible.

Which is why now is the perfect time to create all sorts of tasty recipes for your cookout menu with the rich flavor of Musselman's Apple Butter.

A gluten-free, dairy-free, highly concentrated form of applesauce, apple butter can be used individually as a yummy spread or in any number of dishes to give a rich apple zing. This unique, versatile ingredient is just the thing to reach for to celebrate summer!

While Musselman's offers so many great recipes to get you started (or to inspire you to create your own), once I looked over the three options that they had sent to me, I knew immediately which one I wanted to try first.

How in the world could I pass up the Caramel Apple Crumble Bars when they sounded so yummy?

After all, these bars looked extremely easy to make, very delicious to eat, and something that the whole family would enjoy munching on whether eating indoors or out. Let's get baking!

Caramel Apple Crumble Bars

Ingredients

1 box (18.25 oz) yellow cake mix
½ c butter, softened
¾ c Musselman's Apple Butter
1 egg
1 pkg (14 oz) vanilla caramels, unwrapped (I couldn't find vanilla caramels so I used traditional caramels instead)
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp Musselman's Apple Butter
⅔ c walnuts, chopped
⅔ c flaked coconut
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9" baking pan. Beat cake mix and ½ cup butter with electric mixer on low speed until mixture is crumbly. Spoon out 1 cup of the mixture into medium bowl; set aside. To remaining mixture, add ¾ cup apple butter and egg. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Spread evenly into pan. Bake 20 minutes or until starting to brown and top is set.

Meanwhile, unwrap (great task for kids!) and place caramels, 2 Tbsp butter, and 3 Tbsp of apple butter in a microwavable bowl. Microwave on High for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth and melted.

Combine walnuts, coconut, and 2 Tbsp melted butter with reserved cake mix mixture. Mix until crumbly.

Pour caramel mixture evenly over partially baked crust. (If caramel has cooled and set, microwave 1 minute until it is very soft and pourable.) Break up and sprinkle topping evenly over caramel. Some of caramel will show through.

Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until topping is starting to brown. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

I have to admit that I was slightly skeptical when these bars came out of the oven and looked a bit like all of the ingredients were just mashed together.

But once I let them cool and cut them up, it only took one bite before I was hooked.

I'm telling you, I'm addicted!

I love the way that the rich apple flavor of Musselman's Apple Butter is throughout the entire bar and the way that the softer, more cake-like bottom complements the crunchier, chewy top.

Plus, with the layer of caramel in the middle, it just holds it all together perfectly! Simply add a tall glass of milk and just try to stop yourself from going back for seconds or thirds or...

When it comes time to prep for an outdoor cookout or simply to incorporate a mouthwatering product into your summer meals – whether cooking, baking, spread on bread or more – Musselman's Apple Butter can add an unexpected, flavorful kick to your favorite recipes, dips and sauces.

Be sure to visit Musselman's recipes to see all of their delicious summertime ideas that are sure to be crowd pleasers for the whole family and all of your guests. You can find a yummy bottle of Apple Butter in the jam/jelly aisle of your favorite grocery store, while also connecting with Musselman's on Facebook so that you'll never miss information, recipes, products, coupons and more.

Plus, thanks to their generosity, one person will soon be prepared to give their BBQ a tasty treat as well, because...

One lucky person will win a Musselman's Apple Butter Prize Pack*!

*Prize Pack includes (1) jar of Musselman's Apple Butter, (1) sauce mop for BBQing and a recipe card.

Entry-Form

A big thank you to Musselman's for providing a prize pack for me to review as well as for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

Protect Your Skin From the Sun While Looking Good with Dorfman Pacific's Tropical Trends Women's Hat {Review}

While I have always been very diligent about putting sunscreen on my children and making sure that they have on a hat when heading out into the sunshine, I have to admit that I have never been all that good at taking care of myself.

I'll remember sunglasses, simply to avoid the pain of squinting, but putting on sun protection seems to always be more of an afterthought rather than a purposeful act.

But did you know that May is Melanoma Awareness month? One in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of their lifetime, with Melanoma as one of the most serious forms, so now is a perfect time to focus on just how important it is for all of us to protect our skin.

For me, one small step was completed in the form of finding a fashionable hat that can provide a good level of sun protection while still remaining stylish: the Tropical Trends Women's Hat LP157 from Dorfman Pacific.

As one of the largest full-line, in-stock headwear companies in the world, Dorfman Pacific knows what it takes to send me smiling out into the sunshine as I head outdoors with this floppy style brimmed hat.

Right away I was attracted to the wide, 4" brim of the LP157 and the four different color options of the trim. By combining the natural color of the main hat with black, tea, turquoise or fuchsia, I could picture this accenting such a wide variety of summer outfits!

Opting to go with a very general color (although I was really leaning towards the turquoise for quite a while!), when the Tropical Trends Women's Hat with Black Trim arrived, I felt as though I was pulling a vacation out of the package along with this headwear.

Once I had the LP157 out of the bag, I was impressed with the lightweight feel and how very well this hat "bounces back" to its original shape when rolled, twisted or flattened. What a perfect hat to store in a beach bag or suitcase for my next trip!

As well as taking this hat along the next time I'm going to be kicking back in a lounge chair on the beach, the overall casual, well-made styling (it is handmade paper braid construction) makes it a great choice simply for heading out for a walk, bringing my kids to the park, playing in the yard, gardening and more.

Pair it with shorts, capris, sundresses, skirts, jeans and a tank top... pretty much anything you pull out of your closet can be accessorized with this hat for a fashionable, safe result. Plus, not only will the wide brim shade your face, the LP157 actually carries the UPF sun protection factor of 50 plus so that you know that you're really protected!

Whether rolled up for travel or dropped into a handbag for daily use, Dorfman Pacific has created the Tropical Trends Women's Hat as a great option for protecting your skin while still looking great. This handy hat (one size fits all) is available now from Hartford York for $25 and is sure to be one that I reach for year after year.

Find out more about this and all of Dorfman Pacific's beautiful stylings by visiting their website and connecting with them on Facebook and Twitter.

Other than the LP157 hat I was provided by Dorfman Pacific in order to facilitate my review, I was not compensated or enticed to do this review in any way. This post is solely my honest opinion about this product.

The Backstreet Boys are Back! "In A World Like This" Album and Tour {Pair of Concert Tour Tickets Giveaway!}

While some fads have thankfully faded into the distant past (anyone else pinch-roll their stonewashed jeans?), one that continues to thrive is the Boy Band.

That's right, no matter if you were a member of the fan clubs or you scoffed at the choreographed dance moves, having a group of 3 — 5 guys crooning together is one thing that is going to make girls squeal no matter the decade.

For many people, myself included, music from particular bands provide the soundtrack to certain time periods in my life and the original boy bands rank right up there. Don't tell me that you don't look back on high school and college and suddenly have I'll Never Break Your Heart or I Want It That Way running through your head!

If you do, however, then you might just be excited to find out that one of the biggest names in the original world of boy bands, Backstreet Boys, are back and are set to release a brand new album and embark on a 24-city North American tour!

For the first time in a decade, all five original members of the Backstreet Boys are back together and their In A World Like This album release on July 30th and the tour will kick off on August 2nd.

If you've been missing Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Litrell, AJ McLean, and Kevin Richardson, you're not going to want to miss seeing the way that In A World Like This impressively showcases the group's preeminent pop mastery with a collection of indelible tracks that surely rank among their biggest and best hits.

Find out full information about the new album and tour at the official press release, and get a glimpse of the Backstreet Boys video rehearsal to head out on tour to get your toes tapping!

Tickets for the upcoming Live Nation-produced tour are on sale now at LiveNation.com and Ticketmaster.com (click here for tickets!) and tour dates and stops are as follows:

8/02 Chicago, IL

8/03 St. Louis, MO

8/04 Toledo, OH

8/06 Montreal, QB

8/07 Toronto, ON

8/08 Detroit, MI

8/09 Cincinnati, OH

8/10 Cleveland, OH

8/12 Boston, MA

8/13 Wantagh, NY

8/15 Holmdel, NJ

8/16 Camden, NJ

8/17 Virginia Beach, VA

8/20 Raleigh, NC

8/21 Charlotte, NC

8/22 Atlanta, GA

8/23 Tampa, FL

8/25 West Palm Beach, FL

8/30 Dallas, TX 

8/31 Houston, TX

9/5 Phoenix, AZ

9/6 Irvine, CA

9/7 Las Vegas, NV

9/8 San Francisco, CA

As one of the most successful groups in music history, with countless #1 hits, record-setting tours, and worldwide sales in excess of 130 million, the Backstreet Boys are also among pop's most influential. You're not going to want to miss revisiting their groundbreaking dance-pop sound that first made them international superstars.

In A World Like This features classic BSB, bursting with big hooks, unforgettable melodies, and high-energy rhythms that both highlights the group's classic sound and vision while also placing it squarely in the here and now. Get your tour tickets today and be sure to pick up the new album on July 30th!

Plus, thanks to the generosity of Live Nation, one person will be prepared to celebrate with the return of the Backstreet Boys in person, because...

One lucky person will win (1) pair of two (2) tickets to ANY* stop on the Backstreet Boys In A World Like This tour!

*Tickets are extremely limited for each city and, in the event that a show is sold out, the winner may have to choose an alternate city, if applicable. Tickets will be mailed to the winner before the tour date specified.

Entry-Form

A big thank you to Live Nation for providing a pair of "In A World Like This" tour tickets for me as well as for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

Restaurant.com Helps Make Bellini Italian Restaurant Delicious and Affordable {#ReviewCrew}

As is common when it comes to parenthood, deciding to eat out can be much more of a daunting task than I would have ever thought.

Is the atmosphere family-friendly (yet not too loud and crazy)? Will there be food that the kids will eat? Are there items on the menu that my husband and I will enjoy as well? Is the service fast enough that I won't have to listen to whining and complaining while we wait?

After tackling all of those questions (and more), it shouldn't come as a surprise that we often opt to just stay home (or stick with one of our proven few options) instead. Besides, it can get awfully expensive to bring the entire family out to eat to try somewhere new, right?

Actually the answer is no. Thanks to Restaurant.com, it is easy to eat at a variety of different, tasty local sites at incredibly affordable discounts!

The trusted and valued source connecting diners, restaurants, businesses and communities since 1999, Restaurant.com offers savings at more than 18,000 restaurants nationwide with more than 45,000 gift certificate options.

When it comes to getting a great deal at a restaurant, it only makes sense to head to Restaurant.com and pick up one of their gift certificates! Which, with my recent membership as part of the Restaurant.com Review Crew, my family was excited to do.

For the first in our four-part series of restaurant reviews, we were excited to visit Bellini Italian Restaurant in downtown Madison, WI.

Built in 1897, the landmark church that houses Bellini is one of Madison's most beautiful buildings. Right away the whole family was amazed with the unique and beautiful atmosphere both inside and out and the way that this one-of-a-kind setting can provide such a warm, relaxed environment.

While we had already checked out the menu on the Bellini website before arriving, we were still happy to arrive and see the variety of tasty options for adults as well as kids. As a big added bonus, we were eating on a Sunday when, unbeknownst to us, kids eat free!

Our friendly server was quick to bring us our drinks and a loaf of freshly baked bread as we waited for our appetizer, salads and entrees to arrive.

These two were extremely impressed with the folded napkins, which might be an indication of how seldom we take them to eat at restaurants with cloth napkins.

As much as we were impressed with the fresh bread dipped in oil, it was only few minutes later that our garlic bread appetizer and dinner salads arrived, which made our mouths water even more.

Although I was already feeling as though I had eaten a full meal, when my Manicotti Pomodoro arrived, I suddenly had much more room to fit in more delicious food.

Yum! I was nearly digging right in before I realized that my husband's Lasagna Angelina, Big Sister E's Cool's Pizza and Little Sister B's Bajo's Green Pasta looked just as fresh and delectable.

I was extremely happy with my meal but, as with the rest of my family, I was unable to finish it due to all of the previous tasty items I had eaten... which just meant that I was able to take some manicotti home to enjoy again for lunch the following day!

All in all, everything from the homemade salad dressings (gluten-free!) to the locally made pasta made our meal at Bellini a positive one for all of us. All of the staff that we interacted with were very pleasant and I appreciate that the restaurant is accommodating when it comes to varying diets — they state that may of their dishes can be prepared gluten-free (including pasta and pizza) and that their skilled staff is happy to work with customers on any special dietary needs.

By using our Restaurant.com gift certificate ($10 bought a $25 gift certificate!) we were able to feed the whole family for a reasonable price and, considering how happy we all were with our various plates, I have no doubt that we'll be returning again!

For more information about Bellini Italian Restaurant, visit their website and connect with them on Facebook. To find out about all of the money-saving options that Restaurant.com has to offer in your area (or in an area that you are planning to visit), head over to Restaurant.com as well as on Facebook and Twitter. Buon appetito!

As a member of the Restaurant.com Review Crew, I have been provided gift cards and compensation in order to facilitate my reviews. However, all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.