I hate February…

And I hate how I always find myself in a giant funk this time of year. It’s ridiculous. After 41 years of February’s and recognizing how they make me feel for at least half of those, I should do something about it to prepare myself. But every, single year, February comes along and hits me like a freight train. And I get in a bummed, could give a care less about anything, mood.

So I’ve had a month… nothing bad at all has happened. In fact, if I would step back and look at things, it’s been a great month. But still, mood over matter, and bad mood wins.

I was in the car yesterday when the song “I Lived” by One Republic came on. I’ve heard this song hundreds of times. But yesterday, I really heard it for the first time. It’s like the lyrics were screaming at me…”Wake up and listen, Kristen!” And so I did, and it woke me up….

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The post I Lived…Goodbye February Blues For Good appeared first on Dine and Dish.

February is the month for love, and with Quaker that means starting with our hearts… as in heart healthy. February is American Heart Month and Quaker is celebrating by donating $1.00 to the American Heart Association for each current Facebook fan and every new person who “likes” the Quaker Facebook Page during the month of February (up to $250,000). The money donated by Quaker will benefit the AHA’s new program My Heart. My Life., which helps bring healthy cooking curriculum to after-school organizations across the country –> and you know I love that! Stop what you are doing right now and take two seconds to go and “like” Quaker on Facebook. Then come right back here… I’ve teamed up with Quaker for a heart healthy giveaway worth approximately $250!

How are you keeping your heart healthy?

Diet and exercise are integral to heart health and starting your morning off with a great heart healthy breakfast, like a bowl of hot Quaker oatmeal, can help your heart to keep on pumping for a long time to come. More importantly, when we set an example for our children about the importance of a healthy breakfast each morning (like my mom did for me when I was growing up) we help them to start taking care of their heart at an early age.

How about a heart healthy giveaway? My friends at Quaker want to share an Amazing Heart Kit with one lucky Dine & Dish reader! Included in this giveaway:

Quaker oatmeal bowl and products, a yoga mat, Dr. Nieca Goldberg’sComplete Guide to Women’s Health, Quaker Oats heart-healthy recipes and a heart rate monitor. (ARV: $250).

Isn’t that a great giveaway? Enter to win by leaving a comment on this post letting me know what actions you are taking to keep your heart healthy.

Wait – you can do a couple more things to win too!

1. Hopefully you’ve done this already, but make sure you head over to the Quaker Facebook page and give them a thumbs up. Once you have “liked” them, come back over to this post and leave a separate comment letting me know you’ve done that. If you already “like” Quaker on Facebook, that’s great. Just leave a comment here letting me know.
2. Follow @QuakerOats on Twitter. Once you have done that, leave a separate comment on this post letting me know.
3. Tweet the following “Do you care for your heart? Like Quaker’s Facebook page & they’ll donate $1 to the AHA! Visit http://on.fb.me/g46BCc #Quaker” Come back here and live a comment on this post with a link to your tweet!

Entries will be accepted until noon CST on Friday, February 11th. I will then use Random.org to select the lucky comment number!

Please note, this is a sponsored post. The giveaway items are being provided by the lovely people at Quaker. All opinions are my own.

Curious about the muffins in these pictures? You should be! They are delicious Applesauce Oatmeal Streusel Muffins from the Quaker website. Just another great way to incorporate Quaker Oats into a great breakfast for your family.

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Quaker Amazing Heart Giveaway {Recipe: Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins}

These yummy muffins are another great way to incorporate healthy Quaker Oats into a great breakfast for your family.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 22 minutes minutes

Total Time 37 minutes minutes

Author Dine & Dish

Ingredients

• Topping:
• 1/4 cup Quaker® Oats quick or old fashioned, uncooked
• 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon margarine or butter melted
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Muffins:
• 1-1/2 cups Quaker® Oats quick or old fashioned, uncooked
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 egg white lightly beaten

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• For topping, combine the first four ingredients -- oats, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon -- in small bowl; mix well. Set aside.
• For muffins, combine oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in large bowl; mix well. In medium bowl, combine applesauce, milk, sugar, oil and egg white; blend well. Add to dry ingredients all at once; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not overmix.)
• Fill muffin cups almost full. Sprinkle with reserved topping, patting gently.
• Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool muffins in pan on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Serve warm.

The post Quaker Amazing Heart Giveaway {Recipe: Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins} appeared first on Dine and Dish.