Brownies from Hungry Monkey Baking Company Are a Hit

My sweet tooth runs rampant most days and can sometimes be unstoppable.  When it comes to baked goods, I prefer chocolate over practically everything else.  You cannot beat a freshly baked warm chocolate chip cookie, or a slice of chocolate cake with perfectly creamy frosting.  Of course a decadent brownie would put a smile on anyone's face too.  I've passed my love of treats onto my two children who also cannot live life without something sugar based either.  Can you blame them though? 

Hungry Monkey Baking Company shares my philosophy of loving sweet treats too.  They create natural "crazy good" made from scratch treats that will make your belly smile.  You can choose from banana breads, triple chocolate thick brownies, and macaroons.  There are various treat boxes with varying contents available that make a perfect gift for anyone for practically any occasion.  Grandma's birthday? Check.  A care package to your niece at college? You bet.  The brownies are rich and dense and made in small batches with premium, all-natural ingredients.  How can you resist brownies chock full of dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, and cocoa? You cant, it's impossible.  There's always a perfect time for brownies, no matter what.  Don't forget an icy glass of cold milk to go alongside it. 

When the treat box arrived, I was ready to dig in.  The box is presented nicely with pink crinklies and is well protected while your chocolate squares of heaven are in transit.  Each pack of brownies contains 3 brownies.  These are not your average brownies by any means.  These beauties are large and in charge and so thick.  A care card is inside the box to tell you how to store your brownies (that is if they aren't attacked right away!) You can store in the fridge to eat within a few days or keep them in the freezer to enjoy at a later point.

I like to bake myself, so I am no stranger to whipping up from scratch goodies from time to time.  My ingredients are definitely not premium or all-natural, so it's nice to be able to sample treats that are.  Quality ingredients definitely take baked goods up a notch!

Of course I tried one of the brownies right away because if I didn't, then I think my husband would have thought I was dying or something was truly wrong! Upon first glance, they were just so beautiful.  I loved how thick they were as well as their gorgeous dark color.  These were definitely one of the thickest brownies I've ever tried.  I will say the cocoa flavor is very prominent upon first bite but mixes so well with the dark and semi-sweet chocolate.  What a winning combination to truly make anyone's belly smile.  A glass of icy cold milk would pair excellently with these beauties.  The brownies are sweet but not sickeningly sweet.  I'd say the sweetness level is just right.  I had no trouble finishing the entire thing.  If you love brownies, you'll definitely want to sink your teeth into one of Hungry Monkey Baking Company's brownies. 

I put the remaining brownies into the freezer for the future.  I have to make sure my kids don't go bananas (see that monkey joke?) and eat all of them.  I know they will love them when they sample them soon! If you choose to freeze yours, zap them in the microwave for a few minutes to wake them up.  If you REALLY want to amp up the dessert experience, a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of the warm brownie would definitely be heavenly. 

Keep Hungry Monkey Baking Company in mind for yourself or truly anyone else.  The holidays will be here in just a few short months and I can guarantee anyone would be delighted to see a box from them show up on their door as a Christmas present.  I will surely be recommending them to friends and family.

*DISCLOSURE* Thank you to Hungry Monkey Baking Company for providing product samples in order to facilitate this post.  All thoughts are strictly my own. 

Say YES to Little Bites Pumpkin Muffins

Can you believe Fall is on the horizon? Time just seems to fly by lately! What's your favorite thing about Fall? I'm looking forward to all kinds of holiday baking with my kids. We enjoy making soft snickerdoodle cookies, pumpkin muffins, banana bread, and many other delectable goodies.  I feel like when the temperatures start to drop it really puts me into a baking mood.  Fall not only brings a new season but beautiful foliage along with Halloween of course! 

Entenmann's offers over 100 tasty and scrumptious baked goods ranging from America's favorite crumb cakes, donuts, and cookies to danishes and cupcakes.  You can't forget Little Bites either! There's truly a dessert to please anyone's taste buds.  Their chocolate glazed donuts are outstanding and I always grab a box when I'm in the grocery store.  I am sure that everyone has tried at least one item from the Entenmann's line.  

If you're looking for a new seasonally flavored sweet treat to try this Fall, I have just the perfect pick for you.  How about Little Bites pumpkin muffins? They are baked moist and delicious and of course made with real pumpkin.  Parents will like the fact that they are available in perfectly portioned pouches for school lunchboxes or on-the-go snacking.  You'll be pleased to know that they contain no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial flavors or colors, making them a snack kids will love and a choice parents can feel good about. 

While Scarlett is normally my Little Bites taste tester, she's in school now.  Jack hasn't started preschool yet, so he's still home with me.  He's extremely interested in Little Bites and is very partial to the blueberry and chocolate ones.  I knew he'd be up for the job of helping me.  Jack definitely can recognize a Little Bites box as well as a big of them, so he knew exactly what was going down and he couldn't have been more pleased. Each pack contains 5 mini muffins which is the perfect amount to satisfy a sweet tooth.  

The mini muffins have a wonderful pumpkin flavor which isn't overly sweet.  The essence of pumpkin is there without being overpowering.  These are definitely a perfect way to welcome Fall if I do say so myself.

Jack devoured the muffins in about 5 seconds flat.  He barely took a breath in-between shoving them into his mouth.  I think it's safe to say the pumpkin flavor was a hit.  I can't blame him at all, I love them too!

Little Bites pumpkin muffins would pair wonderfully with a cup of coffee or hot tea for a mid-day pick-me-up.  Honestly, there's never a wrong time to enjoy Little Bites.  

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Fall!

Bring the Whole Family for a Fun Day at Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach

There is almost a five year age gap between Jack and Scarlett.  Since the gap is large, it sometimes makes choosing activities that they can do together difficult.  One thing that they do share a large love of is the aquarium.  The aquarium truly is a magical place that draws people of all ages in.  You can't outgrow seeing beautiful fish and sea life swim past you. The dimly lit breezy rooms with schools of fish all around are so relaxing and peaceful.  If you haven't been to an aquarium in many years, why not go to one near you?

Myrtle Beach is home to Ripley's Aquarium which offers 87,000 square feet of marine life! Stand face-to-face with one of the largest collections of giant sharks on the East Coast as you ride along a 330-ft underwater moving path.  The aquarium features hourly dive shows and a stingray petting area for those brave enough!  If you like premium activities you'll be delighted to find out there's a behind the scenes tour as well as a Swim with stingrays encounter.  The aquarium has so much to do and see make sure you take it all in! 

When we visited Myrtle Beach last summer, we did not visit the aquarium.  I am happy to report that I'm so glad we were able to fit it in on this trip! 

The aquarium is beautiful. It seems so clean and well-maintained. There is something to see at every corner, depending on what you're interested in. There's even a little playground and water play area for the tiny tots too.

The thing that I love about aquariums is that you're combining fun with education. This is always a win-win in my book. Children are captivated by fish but are also learning at the same time. 

Jack and Scarlett loved the jellyfish section as well as the amazing tunnel that you walk through to see sharks and all sorts of sea life. That was truly magical!

Scarlett and I took a 10 minute glass bottom boat tour to see and learn about sharks. I've never been on a glass bottom boat before but it was definitely memorable. It was incredible to glide across the little water area they had and see powerful creatures underneath you. The tour guides did a great job educating you and answering questions. 

We spent about 2 hours at the aquarium. The colors of the fish are just mesmerizing. I love the brightly colored ones like blue and red. This is definitely a place all ages will enjoy. You will hear no fighting among children here!

There's a gift shop to buy any kind of fishy toy or item your little one would love. 

If you haven't been to Ripley's in Myrtle Beach it's time to make a trip there!

*DISCLOSURE* thank you to Ripley's for offering tickets in exchange for coverage. All thoughts are strictly my own.