Traditionally, New Year’s Eve is the last time to indulge before you get back to eating right, exercising and losing those extra holiday pounds. So why not make the last party of 2010 a little healthier by adding some fresh, frozen and dried fruit from Sam’s Club?

I’ll explain my ideas for healthing up some traditional New Year's Even party fare like champagne cocktails and stuffed dates below. But first I want to share with you Sam’s Club’s Twitter contest that will get you cooking more healthfully in 2011.

Get a #jumpstart with Sam’s Club “New Year’s Eve Resolutions” Twitter contest

What resolutions are you making this New Year’s Eve? Share your New Year’s resolution on Twitter with Sam’s Club from December 27, 2010 to January 1, 2011 for a chance to win a 14-piece Cuisinart Cookware Set (valued at $149.98) from Sam’s Club. It’s a gorgeous cookware set that should inspire you to cook more healthfully in 2011!

Here are the details on how to enter the contest:

• To enter, you must become a follower of Sam’s Club Twitter page.
• Then tweet your response to the contest question: “What New Year’s Resolution Have You Achieved?” use the hashtag #jumpstart. You MUST mention @SamsClub in your tweet to be counted as an Official Contest Entry.
• One entry per person.
• Each contest entry will be judged based on the clear relationship between the tweet and the following criteria: Originality (40%); Pertinence to Theme (40%); Difficulty (20%).
• The Sam’s Club “New Year’s Eve Resolutions” Twitter contest starts at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (“EST”) on December 27, 2010 and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on January 1, 2011 (“Contest Period”).
• There will be ONE winner selected from readers of the four participating blogs:
  • The Hungry Mouse
  • Weekly Bite
  • This Mama Cooks! On a Diet
  • Culinary Concoctions By Peabody
• Read the official rules here. (PDF document)

Health up your New Year’s Eve with fruit!

As a Sam’s Club food ambassador, I was asked to highlight their Cook’s Brut champagne. After all what isn't more traditional for New Year's Eve but champagne?

Depending on the liquor laws in your state, you can probably buy Cook’s at your local Sam’s Club. At my Sam’s it was $5.99 per bottle – very affordable if you’re expecting lots of people at your party! Since it’s not an expensive champagne, have fun by adding some healthy goodies to your glass.

(Note: you can also do this with Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider, which is sold in four-packs at Sam’s Club. This is a perfect way to make “mock-tails” for the kids and designated drivers attending your New Year’s Eve party, too.)

I used a Shannon® Crystal Four-in-One Cake Dome, which is available at Sam’s Club for $19.91, to serve the champagne and fruit. You can turn it upside down, fill the dome with ice, and use it as a champagne bucket. Then place the sliced fruit, pomegranate arils, berries, mint and sugar cubes in the upside down pedestal. Purchase a second Shannon Crystal and use it for traditional New Year's Eve party fare like chips and salsa, popcorn, or sliced veggies and dip.

Some champagne cocktail bar tips:

• I “sugared” the mint with some stevia. Rinse the mint leaves and shake off the excess water. Sprinkle the mint with the stevia (keep piling it on!) and let dry. Add a sugared mint sprig to your glass and pour in the champagne. Let sit for a few minutes before taking a sip. Not only is it pretty, but it’s pretty delicious, too.
• I used frozen berries and Dole’s frozen sliced strawberries and mixed fruit since it was cheaper than the fresh fruit Sam's had on sale. (Fresh fruit is fine, too, especially since Sam’s has gorgeous strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries available at many of the Clubs.) You can also use the frozen fruit to make smoothies (with or without alcohol) for your New Year’s Eve party. Or make a smoothie the day after your party for a healthy drink with some yogurt or protein powder. Note: frozen fruit gets a little “juicy” so you may want to defrost it at room temperature, pour off the juices, and then put it out for champagne cocktails.
• My Sam’s Club was selling pomegranate arils (the little seeds inside the pomegranates). These are so pretty in a cocktail glass with champagne, sparkling cider or seltzer water.
• Sugar cubes – I know, I know, not healthy. (Wish I could find stevia in cube form!) However, sugar cubes soaked in bitters is how you make a traditional champagne cocktail. I served the sugar cubes plain, but you can include a bottle of bitters on the side so guests can “bitter” their own sugar cubes. Using vanilla or almond extracts to add to the cubes could be fun, too!

Stuffed Medjool Dates

One way to health up your New Year’s Eve is serve small bites and portions at your party. Sam's Club has a lot of traditional dips like guacamole and hummus to serve up with crackers, chips or sliced vegetables. You can also do "small bites" with the gorgeous Medjool dates that are sold at Sam’s Club this time of year.

Make the stuffed Medjool dates a day or two ahead of time – just store in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before the party. They’re so easy to put together that you can get your kids to help make them, too.

Take a pairing knife and gently slice the side of the date to remove the pit. Then open up the date and gently stuff with cheese or something savory like prosciutto. I used Athenos Feta, slices of Via Del Gusto Parmesan from Wisconsin, Salemville Amish Blue Cheese Crumbles, and a small knot of Fiorucci Riserva Prosciutto – all of which I purchased at Sam’s Club. (Your club may have different brands of similar styles of cheeses and meats.) I also used Haystack Mountain Applewood Smoked Chèvre, which isn’t sold at Sam’s. (It's one of my favorite local Colorado cheeses.) Sam's does sell other types of chevre, however. You could also use cream cheese and add a walnut, almond, pecan or cashew for a little crunch.

Each date is so large it’s actually two bites. And while these aren’t low fat with the cheese and meat, the pairing of sweet and savory is worth every calorie - and they really fill you up!

A take on the traditional - healthy party appetizers

Here are some more ideas for traditional party appetizers - all with a healthy twist!

• Caramelized Pear and Onion Flatbread
• Healthy yogurt based party dips
• Holly Clegg’s Feta Crumble Dip
• Shrimp in Pepper Rings
• Curried Deviled Eggs
• Avocado and Yogurt Deviled Eggs
• Blue Cheese Deviled Eggs
• Shrimp Cocktail Margaritas
• Grilled Shrimp and Scallop Kabobs
• Grilled Tofu Kabobs
• Caramelized Onion & Fig Mini Pizzas
• Smoked Salmon on Flatbread

Connect with me and Sam’s Club this week on Facebook!

On December 28th, I’ll be on Sam’s Club Facebook page answering your questions about healthy New Year’s Eve party ideas. Hope you’ll drop by and ask some questions!

For more information and club locations visit samsclub.com. For recipes, instructional videos, daily tips and deals, visit the Holidays Made Simple site  or download the Sam’s Club mobile application to your iPhone, Android or BlackBerry. You can also find Sam’s Club on Facebook or on Twitter @samsclub and @samsclubdeals.

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Disclosure: as a Sam’s Club Food Ambassador I receive compensation for my time and efforts. Please note that prices and product availability will vary per store.

A healthy New Year’s Eve with Sam’s Club’s New Year’s Eve Resolutions Twitter contest is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

It’s a hectic time of year for most moms. You’re trying to get everything done from cookie exchanges to sending out the yearly family newsletter. Finding time to exercise, eat right, and stay on your diet is almost impossible. Yet, with a little help from Sam’s Club, you can make some holiday side dishes that are healthy and delicious.

Sam’s Club makes eating healthy easy!

Last week as I perused the aisles of my local Sam’s Club to get some holiday menu planning inspiration, I was pleased to see how the store encourages you to eat healthfully this holiday season. There are palettes stacked with fresh berries, fruit, vegetables and lettuce. You can make a healthy spinach salad with raspberries and a light vinaigrette or a fresh fruit salad. For a warm side dish, you can roast vegetables, steam or roast asparagus, or make a sweet potato mash. You can even check the freezer section for some heat and serve frozen vegetables. The healthy choices are limitless!

This year I’m making a Salt-Crusted Leg of Lamb for Christmas, and wanted to make side dishes with dark green vegetables. So, I chose Brussels sprouts and broccoli – both available in the fresh produce aisles of my Sam’s Club.

First healthy side, Brussels sprouts

This recipe from Rozanne Gold’s gorgeous new cookbook, Radically Simple: Brilliant Flavors with Breathtaking Ease, finally gave me an excuse to buy a box of Medjool dates. You can use the leftover dates for a healthy snack, as a topping on oatmeal or yogurt, or when baking up some healthy muffins.

I’ve doubled the recipe since Sam’s Club sells Brussels sprouts in two pound bags. I’ve also cut back on the olive oil and used dried herbs, which eliminates a special trip to the store to get fresh ones.

This recipe is so easy and quick to make (about 30 minutes total) that you can cook it on a weeknight as a healthy side dish for a Sam’s Club rotisserie chicken.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Medjool Dates

Serves 8

Nutritional information

• Calories 171
• Calories from Fat 80
• Total Fat 8.9g
• Saturated Fat 2.1g
• Cholesterol 6mg
• Sodium 272mg
• Total Carbohydrates 19.9g
• Dietary Fiber 5.4g
• Sugars 10.4g
• Protein 6.6g
• Vitamin A 18%
• Vitamin C 161%
• Calcium 12%
• Iron 11%

Nutrition Grade A from CalorieCount 

Weight Watchers POINTS = 3

Second healthy side dish, broccoli

This recipe is also from Radically Simple: Brilliant Flavors with Breathtaking Ease, which would make a wonderful Christmas present for anyone who loves to cook or drool over Quentin Bacon’s gorgeous food photography.

What makes this dish so easy is that Sam’s Club sells precut, washed broccoli florets in three pound bags. I also purchased a bag of sweet red onions and the blue cheese at Sam’s Club.

My local club sells Salemville Amish Blue Cheese Crumbles that are, according to the package, “produced with sustainable agricultural practices.” Any blue cheese will do, of course, like Mario Batali’s Mountain Gorgonzola or a Maytag Blue – both of which are available at select Sam’s Clubs. However, if you’re not a blue cheese fan, you could substitute Athenos crumbled Feta Cheese that is sold at Sam’s Club, too. (Your local store may carry different brands. Contact a club manager if you’re looking for a particular brand of cheese.)

Broccoli leftovers can be used with healthy dips for New Year’s Eve parties. You can also caramelize a large batch of the red onions and freeze for later. Finally, leftover blue cheese crumbles can be used on salads or on top of baked potatoes. Remember, use cheese as a condiment and not a main course to keep your portions – and calories – reasonable!

A few notes: The mint paired with the blue cheese in the original recipe is interesting, but may not appeal to kids or picky eaters. You can eliminate it or serve it on the side and let people sprinkle some on themselves. I’ve also cut back the amount of olive oil from the original recipe. You may also wish to caramelize the onions in a low saturated fat spread like I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter instead of olive oil.

Nutritional information

• Calories 152
• Calories from Fat 89
• Total Fat 9.9g
• Saturated Fat 4.5g
• Cholesterol 16mg
• Sodium 329mg
• Total Carbohydrates 10.3g
• Dietary Fiber 3.4g
• Sugars 3.1g
• Protein 7.6g
• Vitamin A 20%
• Vitamin C 133%
• Calcium 18%
• Iron 9%

Nutrition Grade A from CalorieCount 

Weight Watchers POINTS = 3

Connect with me and Sam’s Club this week on Facebook!

On December 17th and 18th, I’ll be on Sam’s Club Facebook page answering your questions about healthy side dishes. Hope you’ll drop by and share your thoughts!

For more information and club locations visit samsclub.com. For recipes, instructional videos, daily tips and deals, visit the Holidays Made Simple site  or download the Sam’s Club mobile application to your iPhone, Android or BlackBerry. You can also find Sam’s Club on Facebook or on Twitter @samsclub and @samsclubdeals.

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Disclosure: as a Sam’s Club Food Ambassador I receive compensation for my time and efforts.

Healthy holiday side dishes with a little help from Sam’s Club is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Last night, I stopped by the Holiday Taste of Sam’s Club event to create a “perfect Thanksgiving meal” with the $50 gift card Sam’s Club sent me. I decided to do ham instead of turkey (everyone does turkey!) And I tried to keep the meal as healthy as possible - but a little indulgent, too. I also wanted to have an easy and convenient meal, so I chose to make the ham in a crock pot.

Here’s what I purchased (prices at your Sam’s Club may differ):

• Member’s Mark Boneless Spiral Ham – $14.24 for nearly 5 pounds of ham
• Member’s Mark All Natural Mashed Potatoes - $6.86
• 5 pound bag of sweet potatoes - $3.49
• 2 pound bag of Brussels sprouts - $4.97

Subtotal - $29.56

And then there was dessert

Dessert was a hard decision. Pricewise there were many affordable choices as most of pies, cookies, cakes and cheesecakes were under $15. However, due to my daughter’s nut allergies and my mother-in-law’s sensitivity to gluten, most of the desserts weren’t a good fit for my family. No pecan pie, no tiramisu, no baklava (my fave) and no red velvet cake for us. Boo!

My gluten free mother-in-law can have cheesecake (she cuts off the graham cracker crust) and the ones in the Sam’s Club bakery were gorgeous and very tempting. But cheesecake didn’t seem very Thanksgiving-ish to me. I checked out the Cheesecake Factory pumpkin cheesecake in the freezer section, but it was full of ingredients I wasn’t comfortable with, like high fructose corn syrup. Plus both were HUGE. Since there will only be five of us this year, I didn’t want to buy a too much dessert. I don’t mind indulging on Thanksgiving, but I don’t want to keep stuffing my face with treats for days afterwards.

A healthier dessert option

It was the fresh fruit and berries in the produce section that caught my eye - persimmons, pomegranates, kiwi, Cuties mandarin oranges, several types of apples, Driscoll’s raspberries and blackberries, and several varieties of pears. But I wanted a decadent treat, too. Then it hit me – a cheese and fruit dessert plate. Perfect!

• A big wedge of Devon Squire White Stilton with Cranberries - $12.23
• 4 pound box of petit sugar pears - $5.98 (I tried these when I visited Sam’s Club headquarters last September. Really delicious with a unique almost wine-like flavor.)

Grand total: $47.77

A pretty fancy meal for a great price!

Nutritional information per serving:

• Calories 415
• Protein 51 g
• Total fat 13 g
• Saturated fat 4.4 g
• Carbs 18 g
• Fiber 1 g

Weight Watcher POINTS = 9

This Mama’s tips

• You’ll need to make sure that your slow cooker is big enough – or your ham small enough – to use the lid. If it doesn’t quite fit, you can cover the top with aluminum foil instead.
• If you cannot find chutney at your local supermarket, use a cup of mild mango salsa plus a cup of peach or apricot preserves instead.
• Crockpot ham is terrific for potluck events like Super Bowl parties.
• For a roasting rack, I use two small, round cake racks in my crock pot.
• Use the leftover ham in soup, quiche or a stir fry.

Connect with Sam’s Club

To locate a Holiday Taste of Sam’s Club event, visit samsclub.com. For more recipes, instructional videos, daily tips and deals, visit the Holidays Made Simple site  or download the Sam’s Club mobile application to your iPhone, Android or BlackBerry. You can also find Sam’s Club on Facebook or on Twitter @samsclub and @samsclubdeals.

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Disclosure: as a Sam’s Club Food Ambassador I receive compensation for my time and efforts.

Crock Pot Ham, the perfect Thanksgiving meal from Sam’s Club is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

It’s time for Sam’s Club annual Holiday Taste of Sam’s Club event, happening nationwide this week from Friday, November 19 to Sunday, November 21 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at more than 600 Sam’s Club locations across the country. This is not an event to miss! (Not a member? Maybe it’s time to join!)

The best foods of the holiday season

When I visited Sam’s Club headquarters last September, I had a chance to preview all the amazing goodies they were offering. Here were some of my favorites:

• The Boneless Spiral Ham - Half Ham with Honey Glaze was delicious and at $2.98/pound much cheaper than from that other spiral ham place. 
• If you’re traveling to a relative’s house, Member’s Mark All Natural Mashed Potatoes are super portable – just heat it when you get there. I really liked that the mashed potatoes weren’t highly processed and the ingredient list was natural. And at $6.86, you may want to keep one or two in the freezer on those nights you don’t feel like making mashed potatoes from scratch.
• Cheese! It’s going to be hard to pick just one. I recommend Kerrygold Dubliner and Devon Squire White Stilton with Cranberries.
• Some of the healthier food choices at Sam’s Club include fresh clementines, pomegranates, blackberries, raspberries and pineapples. Fruit trifle anyone?
• Sam’s Club also features Member's Mark® Cooked Jumbo Shrimp, which are farmed sustainably and responsibly produced.
• And the desserts? It’s hard to pick just one! If you’re going off the healthy eating bandwagon this holiday season, I recommend any of the Cheesecake Factory desserts, especially the Red Velvet Cheesecake (exclusively at Sam’s Club) or the Pumpkin Cheesecake. Either one is worth the indulgence!

More than just food

Additionally, Sam’s Club will host a Trim-A-Tree demonstration workshop for members to learn affordable and creative decorating tips on personalizing their trees and homes for the holidays. Each member will receive a complimentary 20 page booklet (while supplies last), too!

When I was at Sam’s Club headquarters, they had a whole room decorated for us. Really cute stuff!

Go to the Sam’s Club website for an online preview of the Holiday Taste of Sam’s Club event. You can also check out the More Feast, Less Fuss holiday entertaining guide.

And if you’re worried gaining weight from all those delicious treats, stop by Sam’s Club’s video game section for some Wii fitness games like Just Dance 2, EASports Active or EASports Active More Workouts (my current favorite). All of them make great holiday gifts, too!

Connect with Sam’s Club

To locate a Holiday Taste of Sam’s Club event, visit samsclub.com. For more recipes, instructional videos, daily tips and deals, visit the Holidays Made Simple site  or download the Sam’s Club mobile application to your iPhone, Android or BlackBerry. You can also find Sam’s Club on Facebook or on Twitter @samsclub and @samsclubdeals.

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Disclosure: as a Sam’s Club Food Ambassador I receive compensation for my time and efforts. Ham picture courtesy of Sam’s Club.

Join me at Sam’s Club holiday sampling event November 19-21 is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

In my Planning a party? Cook up some healthy appetizers with Sam’s Club cheeses post, I showed you how to use cheese in a healthy way to flavor a dish instead of making it your main course.

If you’re into retro Mad Men parties, you could try some healthy deviled eggs. Below is another version of the classic, but this time with using one of Sam’s Club new blue cheeses. Even with the added cheese, they’re only 1 Weight Watchers POINT per half egg.

My 10-year-old son, Nathan, said these were pretty good, but they’re more of an adult indulgence due to the strong blue cheese and Tabasco flavors.

Blue Cheese Deviled Eggs

From the DeviledEgg.org

Ingredients:

• 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled
• 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled – try a Blue Stilton, a Maytag Blue or even Gorgonzola
• 2 tablespoons lite or low fat mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
• 5 drops Tabasco
• 1 tablespoon minced green onion
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

1. Cut peeled eggs in half length wise.
2. Place yolks in a mixing bowl, set the whites aside.
3. Mash the yolks with the back of a fork and add blue cheese, mayonnaise, parsley, Tabasco, green onion, salt and pepper. Mix well.
4. Spoon or pipe the filling back into egg white and sprinkle tops with paprika.
5. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving. 

Nutritional Information

• Calories 51
• Calories from Fat 35
• Total Fat 3.9g
• Saturated Fat 1.3g
• Cholesterol 96mg
• Sodium 94mg
• Total Carbohydrates 0.6g
• Protein 3.4g

Nutrition Grade B- from CalorieCount 

Weight Watchers POINTS = 2 per whole egg

This Mama’s Tips

• Serve them with some Mad Men: retro shrimp appetizers or Mad Men inspired Bloody Marys.
• Everyone likes to hard boil their eggs in a different way. I prefer the following method:
  • Place eggs in a small sauce pan and fill with warm water.
  • Bring water to a boil.
  • Cover and turn off heat.
  • Cook for 10 minutes.
  • Remove from stove top.
  • Remove lid and place in sink. Run cool water into pan until eggs are cool enough to handle.
  • Lightly tap egg to break shell to remove it.

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Disclosure: as a Sam’s Club Food Ambassador I receive compensation for my time and efforts and samples of Sam’s Club products.

More healthy appetizers: Blue Cheese Deviled Eggs is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Last week I visited Sam’s Club headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas where I was dually impressed by Sam’s quality demands on their food partners and the extensive product taste testing they do. Along with their sustainability efforts – from their stores to their headquarters – I have a new appreciation for the company.

While I was there, I had the opportunity to try out their new food offerings for the holidays - and for every day. As a newly hired Sam’s Club Ambassador, I’ll be sharing with you delicious and healthy food ideas and product news from their clubs in the next weeks and months.

Sam’s Club International Cheeses

Their latest offering is an amazing selection of 24 internationally acclaimed cheeses, like three of Mario Batali’s that are sold exclusively through Sam’s Club - Mountain Gorgonzola from Italy’s Lombardy region, an organic Parmigiano Regiiano, and an Iberico that is made from cow, goat and sheep’s milk. (The Iberico is to die for though the Gorgonzola is amazing, too.)

Sam’s Club is also selling cheeses like Maytag Blue, Fromage D’Affinois (an delectable double cream cheese similar to Brie), Kerrygold butter (a favorite of many bakers) and DaVinci Gouda.

These amazing cheeses are being rolled out over the next few months at select clubs all over the US. You can learn more about the cheeses (including wine pairings and recipes) on the Sam’s Club “Tour de Fromage” Facebook app. The more you take the cheese tour, the more you have a chance to win a trip to Paris! Other prizes include gourmet cheese baskets and the cookbook, Italy: The Country and its Cuisine.

Also, check out Sam’s Club Fall Harvest site, which includes articles like Pairing the perfect wine and cheese, Tips for storing and serving cheese, Oktoberfest beer and cheese pairings, and oodles of recipes.

Use cheese as a condiment, not a main course

Now I know that cheese may be your Achilles Heel, and something you avoid when you’re trying to lose or maintain a healthy weight. (Me, too!) However, there is a healthy way to indulge in cheese. Instead of eating it by the piece, use it to flavor your cooking!

A perfect cheese to do this with is Kolios Barrel Aged Greek Feta. Feta is a full flavored cheese that will add a special zing to any dish. I love using it in Watermelon and Feta Salad or on a Spinach, Tomato and Feta Pizza.

My friend, Holly Clegg, author of the cookbook, Too Hot in the Kitchen, suggests serving her Feta Crumble Dip on crackers, in sandwiches or on chicken or fish. I like serving it on precooked whole wheat pizza crusts as a healthy party appetizer. Just spread a thin layer of no fat Greek yogurt, add the dip, slice the pizza into bite sized pieces and serve!

Directions:

1. In bowl, combine all ingredients - except feta - mixing well.
2. Toss with feta, refrigerate up to one hour, serve.

Nutritional information

• Calories 80
• Calories from fat 73%
• Fat 7g
• Saturated Fat 2g
• Cholesterol 5mg
• Sodium 193mg
• Carbohydrate 3g
• Dietary Fiber 0g
• Sugars 1g
• Protein 3g

Dietary exchanges: 1/2 lean meat, 1 fat

For more recipes, visit www.hollyclegg.com

Weight Watchers POINTS = 2 for 1/4 cup

This Mama’s Tips

• To reconstitute sundried tomatoes, pour hot water over them and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain.
• If you can only find sundried tomatoes in oil, rinse them in hot water and blot with a paper towel to remove as much of the oil as you can.

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Disclosure: as a Sam’s Club Food Ambassador I receive compensation for my time and efforts and samples of Sam’s Club products.

Planning a party? Cook up some healthy appetizers with Sam’s Club cheeses is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!