Post Honey Bunches of Oats #Morning Energy + Twitter Sweepstakes!

ABCD Diaries was given samples for review purposes only. We were in no other way compensated. The opinions expressed in this post are ours and ours alone. 

"Check out these New Honey Bunches of Oats Morning Energy varieties! The new varieties come in two delicious flavors: Chocolatey Almond Crunch and Cinnamon Crunch. Both are packed with protein, whole grain and fiber, but don't sacrifice on taste to deliver a nutritious and wholesome breakfast. Chocolatey Almond Crunch includes delicious chocolatey morsels and almonds, while Cinnamon Crunch is made with sweet, crunchy cinnamon clusters. In fact, to help keep fans energized, Honey Bunches of Oats Morning Energy is hosting a Twitter Sweepstakes, Monday, March 10, 2014.

So, how do you enter?

1.    Follow @HBOats on Twitter

2.    Tweet @HBOats, letting them know what you would do with more energy in the morning.

3.    Be sure to use the hashtag #MorningEnergy with your tweet and you could win a $1,000 VISA Giftcard! 

It's It's that easy – Tweeting @HBOats could win you $1,000! (Please note, when you submit your tweet, it must have the hashtag #MorningEnergy to qualify for the sweepstakes. The sweepstakes is one-day only on Monday, March 10, 2014.)

You can also get energized with these Honey Bunches of Oats Morning Energy recipes.

The first recipe, Morning Energy Mocha  Balls, combine Chocolatey Almond Crunch with walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, maple syrup, cranberries and espresso powder in a energizing morning fix you can take on the road.  

Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 cups Honey Bunches of Oats Morning Energy Chocolatey Almond Crunch cereal
• 1/2 cup walnut halves
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon flax seeds
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 4 Tablespoons almond butter
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2 Tablespoons dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons espresso powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1/4 cup toasted unsweetened coconut for rolling (optional)

Directions

1. Place the cereal in bowl of food processor.  Process until finely ground.
2. Add walnut halves, chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, almond butter, honey, maple syrup, cranberries, vanilla, espresso powder, and sea salt to bowl and process until well blended and mixture forms a stiff dough.
3. Remove dough and form into a compact ball with your hands.  Form dough into 1-inch balls and roll in toasted coconut, if desired.
4. Place balls on a wax-paper lined sheet and let stand for an hour or so, then transfer to a tin or container with a tight lid. The power balls will keep for at least a week at room temperature, or they can be chilled.

The second, Cinnamon Breakfast Squares with Yogurt and Berries, uses Cinnamon Crunch to create breakfast squares and tops it with Greek yogurt to provide a delicious breakfast you and your family will love.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Honey Bunches of Oats Morning Energy Cinnamon Crunch cereal
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk
• 2 Tablespoons melted butter, cooled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 container (6 ounces) Greek yogurt
• 3 cups fresh berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries) or
• favorite fruit of choice
• Honey, for drizzling
• Nutmeg or Cinnamon, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly butter and flour an 8-inch square pan, or coat lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a mixing bowl, stir together the cereal, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cinnamon. While stirring, slightly crush the cereal using the back of the spoon or rubber scraper; set aside.
3. In another bowl, beat eggs until well blended. Add milk, melted butter and vanilla, and mix well. Combine egg mixture with flour mixture. Pour batter (it will be thin) into prepared baking pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until it is set when lightly touched in the middle. Remove from oven and set on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
4. To serve, cut into 6 equal-sized bars and place on serving plates. Top each square with a dollop of Greek yogurt, surround with fruit, and drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with nutmeg or cinnamon and serve immediately

What we thought:  We have really been enjoying these new "Morning Energy" cereals.  We love Honey Bunches of Oats cereals and now we have two more flavors to choose from when we pick out our cereal!  As a general rule, we try to stay away from the brightly (artificially) colored, sugar-filled cereals.  So Honey Bunches of Oats is on our acceptable list:)  These two new flavors spice things up a bit...the first with real chunks of chocolate and almonds and the second with delicious cinnamon clusters!   Both are great for filling us up and keeping us going all morning.  As an added bonus, both are kid-approved in our household:)  ABCD Diaries gives Honey Bunches of Oats new "Morning Energy" cereals an A+!

Don't forget to enter the Twitter contest!  Good Luck!