I have one word for you.  Yummy.  If you have not tried anything from Hope, Faith, and Gluttony (and might I add quickly that I love the name of this company!) before, you are missing out on some of the best brownies and cookies.  They are so good, my kids are even sharing:

Yes, they are sharing one brownie.  We recently tried the Little Cherub pack (without the tin).  It had a brownie, an O-Bar, and 25 cookies.  Yes, the kids loved the cookies.  Bill and I tried a few too.  There were several different choices too:  Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, Sugar with Sprinkles, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chocolate Chip.  Of course, the kids wanted the Sprinkle Cookies first.  One of the first thing I noticed is that after the kids had finished over the sprinkle cookies is that I didn’t have a bunch of sprinkles all over the place.  That is normally an issue with that type of cookie, so I am impressed.  Next, the taste is sooo good.  Dare I say it, these taste homemade.  I am serious.  They are that good.  You could easily open these and put them out and not a soul would know that you didn’t cook them (not that I am thinking about doing that any time soon.  If you come to my house, I swear they are home baked cookies).  If I wouldn’t have cut everyone off, we could have easily finished this off in one sitting.  The cookies literally crumble right in your mouth and are just so good.  I wish I had the words to describe how good, but you seriously need to try them yourself.

I highly recommend ordering from Hope, Faith, & Gluttony.  These are some the best bought bakery goods I have ever had!  This would make a great present for any holiday or celebration or just as gift to yourself!

This easy to make recipe is take off of our well known french toasts. However, if you are looking for something a little different, definitely try out these french toast rounds.

I recommend using Wolferman’s English Muffins for this recipe for several reasons.  First, I love the size of them.  That is literally the first thing you will notice.  If you are like me, you are buying whatever is cheaper at the store.  However, cheap does not equal same quality.  Wolferman’s English Muffins are double the size of what I normally buy.  I also noticed right away that I didn’t have to slice these open.  With little ones, I try to use knives the least amount as possible.  These you just have to gently pull them apart.  These are super yummy too.  I cannot believe the taste difference.  When you open the bag, you immediately can smell the flavor.  The cinnamon and raison english muffins is one of the best scents.  Another favorite flavor for our house was the Apple Orchards (I liked the scent of this one too).  If you need english muffins, I highly recommend Wolferman’s.  Without further ado, here is the recipe:

4 Wolferman’s 1910 Original Signature English Muffins (you could also use the Honey & Oats, Cinnamon & Raisin, and Cranberry English Muffins)
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon until well blended. Heat a lightly oiled griddle to medium/hot. Dip both sides of the muffin halves into the egg mixture. Place slices on heated griddle. Cook until golden brown on both sides.

Both my kids and I liked this (hubby missed it due to being at the Chicago Bears game).  Let me know if you have a great french toast recipe I should try on our next bag of English muffins.

I’m lucky that my kids are still little, so they have no choice that we have family dinners almost every night.  However, I know many families that family dinners have fallen to the wayside to the activities of their children.  I love that Libby’s has teamed to together with Sara Evans to get families to eat together again in a program called Get Back To The Table.  This site is awesome to help you get your family back into doing family dinners.

Don’t know what to make for supper tonight (This is me every night - lol)?  Libby’s has a CANvenient Recipe Database you can check out and find some great dinner recipes.  There are also coupons, mealtime strategies, the 5 reasons you should be having dinner together tonight, and even a Q&A with Sara Evans.  Did you know that between her and her husband they have nine kids!!!

Make sure you also check out the Get Back To The Table site also because they are running an awesome contest.  You can win dinner backstage with Sara Evans!  All you need to do is tell them how you get your family around the kitchen table!  (And if you have some good tips and hints, make sure you let me know too!)

This is a very easy to make recipe!

2 Macaroni & cheese boxes
1 can pizza sauce (14 oz)
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 oz pepperoni

Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Cook noodles. Drain and put noodles in a 9×13 baking dish. Stir in pizza sauce, powdered cheese packets from the macaroni and cheese mix, 1/2 the mozzarella cheese, 1/2 the Parmesan cheese, pepperoni and any other pizza topping that you like.   Top with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

Again, these are all for the Chicago area.  If you’d like me to include your event, please leave a comment and I will add you to next week’s list!

taste Of Italy - Mario Rizzotti (one of the judges on Iron Chef America) will be having a cooking demonstration and tasting of extra virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars.  $30 tonight at 7 pm at Mezzaluna Italian and Cooking Classes in Wester Springs.  Please call for reservations at 708-246-6055.

Just Food - 20 area chefs are participating in the Chefs & The City befits for those affected by HIV and AIDS.  Tickets are $250 and $350 for the VIP event.  It is tonight at 7 pm at The Peninsula, 108 E Superior St.  Call for reservations at 312-948-2785.

Cooking at Green City - Paul LoDuca is teaching a demonstation class at the Green City Market, 1750 N Clark St for free tomorrow morning at 10:30 am.  For more information, please call 773-435-0280.

Tricks Of The Trade - Michael Foly shares menu ideas at a demonstration class at Bloomindale’s Home & Furniture Store, Medinah Temple, 600 Wabash Ave.  It is free and at 2 pm tommorrow.  For more information, please call 312-324-7678.

Cutting Edge - Stephanie Oesligle is teaching a hands on “sharp as a knife” skill class.  It is $53 and takes place August 18 at 6:30 pm at Two Kitchens, 2035 Washington St. Suite 155, Naperville.  For more information, please call 630-717-9630.

cheese course - Mary Rose teaches a class on cooking with Italian cheeses.  It is $75 and takes place August 19 at 7 pm at Cucina Della Rose Cooking School, 211 Park Ave., Barrington.  For more information, please call 847-650-9463

Healing Foods - Jeannie Burke shares tips in “Foods that Heal - taste and Learn about Easy Recipes the Fight Inflammation and Prevent Diseases”.  It is $30 and takes place at 7 pm on August 19 at A Movable Feast, 1641 N Alpine Rd., Rockford.  Please call 815-877-8696 for more information.

Culinary secrets - Ramiro Velasquez  is having a demonstration class followed by a 3 course lunch with wine pairings.  It is $65 on August 20 at 10:45 am at Carlos Restaurant, 429 Temple Ave., Highland Park.  For more information, please call 847-432-0770.