Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and Dole Packaged Foods, LLC. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

I seriously run around like a chicken without a head. Every single second of my day is jammed packed with something to do. I long for extra time to spend with my son since he is on summer vacation and his days are being spent here in the house. Sometimes I just have to stop working, put my phone away and have some one on one time with my baby boy (well he’s not really a baby, he’s about to be 4). I’ve been thinking of different ways to pass our time together in the scorching heat. I signed us up for swimming lessons, and have several big outings planned for the warm weather…. everything from road trips to amusements park adventures, but what should we do on the days when I just need a moment to bond with him? Here’s what I came up with and how I came up with it…..

My son loves popsicles and asks for them every other minute throughout the day, especially in the heat, and I don’t necessarily want him to have all that sugar. He was asking for another popsicle the other day and as I opened the freezer door about to grant him his request,  I saw a Dole Fruit Squish’ems frozen on the top shelve of the freezer… the light bulb went off. I realized he and I could eat the delicious all natural Dole Fruit Squish’ems as our summer bonding treat. He’ll be happy that Mom gave in to his frozen treat whim, and I’ll be thrilled knowing I’m giving my son a BPA, GMO, and Gluten Free snack that is kinda like a frozen slushy. He’ll have his pick of all natual Apple, Mixed Berry, or Strawberry-Apple, and I’ll have the pleasure of squishing him in my arms all summer long!

Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and Dole Packaged Foods, LLC. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

Eating fruit at it’s peak in the season is the best gift Mother Nature provides.  This luxury of sweetness can only be found in a piece of fruit at the height of it’s ripe/maturity.  Right now the spotlight is shining brightly on Cherries! Whole Foods Markets are celebrating their 3rd Annual Cherry Fest by bringing the best cherries to their stores for us customers to sink our teeth into. When this type of opportunity is conveniently placed at your fingertips you take it and run.  I bought several bags, around 6 pounds worth.  I thought “I can eat them all by myself or I could be a friend and invite some pals over for a Cherry Social.”  I decided to do the latter.  We enjoyed some in their natural glory and with the other I created a few dishes to serve at my gathering of friends.  The Cherry Menu:  Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding, Chicken Cherry Salad Sandwiches and Cherry Watermelon Sangria!

Run over to Whole Foods Market, grab a few bags of cherries in their peak season sweetness and make these recipes.  I promise you won’t be disappointed.

For the Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding, I bought all the ingredients at Whole Foods Market.  WFM makes my all-time favorite store bought cookie sold in their amazing bulk section, Amaretti Cookie.  I love the flavor sooooo much I incorporated it into the bread pudding thinking Cherry and Amaretto work wonderfully together and boy was I right. Hee-hee!  I also used their chocolate pound cake and Greenlee’s Best Cinnamon Bread (also sold in store).  This Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding was made in a pyrex dish then spooned into cupcake holders to serve individually.  Topped with a fresh cherry.  Enjoy.

Ingredients for Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding:

1o – Amaretti cookies (crushed)

5 – cups chocolate pound cake (cut into 1 inch cubes)

5 – cups Greenlee’s Best Cinnamon Bread (cut into 1 inch cubes)

2 – cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1 – cup sliced almonds

2 – cups fresh cherries (pitted and cut into 4 pieces)

1 1/4 – cups sugar

4 – eggs

1 – teaspoon cinnamon

1 – teaspoon almond extract

1 – teaspoon vanilla

3 – cups half and half

1 – cup whole milk

5 – tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and brought back to room temperature) plus a little extra to butter your dish.

 All photos taken by Nicole Presley

Preheat oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit.

Crush Amaretti cookies and cut pound cake and cinnamon bread into cubes.  Combine all in a big mixing bowl.

Next add in chocolate chips and sliced almonds.  Mix well.  Set to the side.

Wash cherries and pitt them all.  Then slice each cherry into 4 pieces.  Set to the side.

Generously grease a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish, now take 6 cups of  bread cubes and place in baking dish, arrange neatly to make your first layer.  Then add all cherry slices.

Place remaining bread cubes mixture on top of cherries and press down to compact dish. Set to the side.

With a electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs together on high for 4 minutes.  Next add cinnamon, almond extract, vanilla, half and half, milk and butter.  Beat for 2 minutes.  Carefully ladle egg/half and half mixture over prepared bread cubes.

Once egg/half and half mixture is poured in, gently  press down on bread cubes with both hands to make sure they are soaked in egg/half and half mixture.

Now in a large baking dish or roasting pan (15 x 10 inches) fill 1 inch deep with hot water to create a water bath, then place the 9 x 13 inch prepared bread pudding dish in the middle of the 15 x 10 water bath (you want the bath to go halfway up the side of the 9 x 13 inch dish) and place in oven for 1 hour.

As soon as the bread pudding is ready, remove from water bath and and let it cool for 1 hour.

Spoon bread pudding into cupcake holders for individual servings.  Top with a cherry and sprinkle with Amaretti cookie crumbs if you have any left. 🙂  Place in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours or overnight.

Scroll down for the Chicken Cherry Salad Sandwiches!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Whole Foods Market. However all opinions and recipes are my own. I genuinely love Whole Foods Market. 🙂

Summertime goes hand in hand with Sangria.  They meet up year after year like best friends on holiday.  A crony of mine told me Beringer White Zinfandel on ice was his favorite way to enjoy a summer night.  I invited him over for my Cherry Social, and wanted to make sure he really enjoyed his White Zinfandel that evening, so decided to take it up a notch and make it into a Sangria.  I might as well have served him liquid gold…. He loved it.  Everyone else at the gathering loved the Sangria as well.  The cherries sweet-tart flavor and the White Zinfandel blend together perfectly, and the candied sweetness of watermelon pushes this Sangria to a new height.  Enjoy it this evening for a taste of summer on holiday.

Ingredients for Cherry Watermelon Sangria:

3 – cups of chopped watermelon

2 – cups Whole Foods Market cherries (pitted and sliced in half)

2 – liters of lemon lime soda

4.5 – liters of Beringer White Zinfandel

In a large jug add watermelon and cherries.

Then pour in lemon lime soda.  Top with White Zinfandel.  Mix well.

Pour over ice and enjoy

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Whole Foods Market. However all opinions and recipes are my own. I genuinely love Whole Foods Market. 🙂

I hear the word ‘party’ and my eyes light up.  I don’t need a reason to celebrate, something as easy as a game day with some friends is reason enough for me.  I instantly go into food mode, start craving all the fiesta foods that are not usually on the table.  Dishes that only a celebration can bring on.  Stuff that is reserved for a small serving but at a party can be a divine indulgence.  Now it’s an absolute necessity to have a party…. Let’s Spring into Summer with a game day.

Food: I wanted something easy to prepare and could be left on the table for the guests to help themselves.  In order to invite some zesty-ness into the menu I would have to use my beloved RO*TEL.  The vine ripened red tomatoes blended with green chiles and a savory mixture of spices always brings out the PUNCH in dishes.  I knew it would knock the socks off my guests.  I decided to make mini shredded beef tostada bites, creamy cheesy corn dip, and turkey chorizo chili beans to top our hot dogs off with!  The bounty of finger foods was a SMASH!

Ingredients for mini shredded beef tostada bites:

3 – tablespoons olive oil

1/2 – teaspoon chipotle powder

1/2 – teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 – teaspoon salt

1/4 – teaspoon black pepper

24 – mini corn tortillas

5 – cups shredded beef (I cooked a small roast in a crock pot, then shredded it)

fresh lime juice from 2 limes

salt and pepper to taste

2 – cans of original RO*TEL (drained)

Preheat oven to 375  degrees fahrenheit.

In a small bowl combine olive oil, chipotle powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.  Then take a corn tortilla and lightly brush with oil mixture. Place in a muffin pan, and continue till all are done. Bake in oven for 15 to 17 minutes or until crisp.  Set to the side.

Then in a dish combine shredded beef, lime juice, salt, pepper and RO*TEL. Mix well and serve with tostada cups. Top with cheddar cheese or guacamole.

And the guests were hungry… After a long day of playing horse shoes and cards we were ready to eat.  Some of my friends had never tried RO*TEL before and were surely happy to discover it. 🙂

Would you like to have a game day with friends and RO*TEL snacks yourself?  I have a gift set for two lucky readers.

• Two cans of RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chiles
• Recipe Cards
• Chip-and-dip serving bowl
• Green chili string lights
• Outdoor game set

How to win the Summer Party Kit:

Like Presley’s Pantry on Facebook!

Follow Presley’s Pantry on Twitter!

Like RO*TEL on Facebook!

Tweet:  I just entered to WIN a @ro_tel Summer party kit via @PresleysPantry !  Wanna win one? Enter here! #FiestaROTEL http://wp.me/p1mJLS-1cW

You can have up to 4 total entries each; however, please note that you have to comment back and let me know which of the actions you took, so that I can keep track of them.

Open to U.S. Residents only.  No PO Boxes, please. Must be 18 years or older to enter.  Contest ends May 31, 2012 at 11:59 PM, PST and two (2) winners will be randomly chosen from all entries through random.org.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.  All opinions and recipe are my own.