Life, Family, and Home - Simplified & Sweetened
Yesterday we had a lovely afternoon: a sunny sky and temperatures in the upper 60s. I’m definitely looking forward to more days like this! It gives my husband and I the chance to just sit on the front porch or the backyard deck and watch the world go by! Of course, this scene would not be complete without a cool, refreshing drink in our hands! Just last week I picked up some Simply Juice Drinks for this very purpose. [Read more…]
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #EasterEssentials #CollectiveBias
With all the cold weather we’ve been having, I am SO ready for spring! The warmer weather gives us an excuse to get out of the house and it brings so many opportunities to entertain. Last weekend I jump started the season with a small family get together, and today I’m sharing just a few of my ideas and Easter party solutions. I hope it gives you a little inspiration.
When it comes to parties, the most important thing is the food! Last weekend I used a variety of products from DiGiorno and Nestlé. [Read more…]
I love good comfort food, especially hot soups and chilis. As the weather’s been colder here the last few weeks, it’s definitely put me even more in the mood for something warm and hearty. A while back my husband and I collaborated on this Salsa Chili. It’s the perfect chili recipe, as the tomatoes, onions, and peppers are right in the salsa, which means no peeling, chopping or dicing is required! And best of all, it’s delicious! [Read more…]
Valentine’s Day is this weekend! Will you be eating something sweet with your honey? I used to love Valentine’s Day for the heart-shaped boxes of chocolates it would ultimately bring to me, but since I already have a supply of chocolate (including some left over truffles from Christmas), Valentine’s Day now puts me more in the mood for a baked delight. If you’re looking for something sweet to serve your honey this Valentine’s Day, but you don’t want to spend all day long in the kitchen, look no farther! I have the perfect recipe for you: Caramel Apple Dumplins!
This dessert is an old-time classic favorite, and it is so warm and comforting to eat during the fall and winter months. And beyond that, this version is oh-so-easy and made with ingredients that a lot of you likely already have on hand! (That’s my favorite kind of recipe!) Check it out! [Read more…]
I’m an absolute FIEND when it comes to frozen treats. I especially love ICEES and milkshakes. Chocolate has always been a classic favorite of mine, but I never pass up the chance to try a new flavor. A few years ago around Christmas time, Burger King had a Gingerbread Cookie Milkshake. Oh my goodness! That thing was SO good! Every fall and holiday season I hope they will bring this yummy treat back, but so far I’ve been out of luck!
Finally I did some searching and found a few different recipes for gingerbread shakes and other treats. And I finally made my own Gingerbread Cookie Milkshake at home! The secret ingredient (besides these adorable little Pepperidge Farm Gingerbread Cookies) is a little molasses! I have to admit, when I first looked at all the different cookie and shake recipes calling for molasses, I was really thrown! Even as I was making the milkshake, I tasted a tiny bit of molasses and thought, “Ugh! How is THIS going to taste good?”
But amazingly it totally WORKS! The shake turned out absolutely perfect! It met my expectations and so much more! So if you like gingerbread cookies and you like milkshakes, you simply have to try this recipe! [Read more…]
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #McCafeMyWay #CollectiveBias
I’m generally a very happy and cheerful person, but I HATE getting up in the mornings! I always have! On days when I don’t have to wake up at a certain time, I’m good, but when that clock radio jolts me awake in the morning, it’s like one of the worst feelings on earth! To paraphrase what my husband has said, “I definitely need a few minutes to get myself together when I first wake up.” So I take my “few minutes to get myself together” while Noah eats his breakfast and gets ready for school. Then we drive to school, and since I work from home, it is oh-so-tempting to just jump right back in bed after I come home from dropping him off! (And okay…sometimes when there’s nothing pressing to do or I have a migraine or haven’t slept well, I may do just that!) But most days I need to stay up and get things done, and then I need my morning caffeine fix! Enter McCafé!
Disclosure: This post is part of the blogger program by Naturally Fresh® and The Motherhood, who compensated me for my time and the development of this recipe. Opinions, experiences and photos shared here are my own, and I hope you enjoy them.
Super Bowl Sunday is almost here! Who will you be rooting for? Regardless of who is playing, I’m always cheering for good food! One item that will definitely be on my football party supply list is Naturally Fresh Salad Dressing. Naturally Fresh offers a variety of salad dressings, dips, and other products. A couple of my favorites include their Classic Ranch and Bleu Cheese (also available in Lite versions). Naturally Fresh puts real, wholesome ingredients in their products; for instance, their Bleu Cheese dressing includes real chunks of aged bleu cheese and buttermilk, along with real herbs and spices. And you’ll definitely taste the difference!
Apart from using natural and fresh ingredients, the brand sets themselves about from others by not using artificial flavors, flavor enhancers, colors, thickeners, preservatives, or MSG. As such, you’ll find their product not with other dressings and condiments, but in the refrigerated section, alongside the produce. [Read more…]
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BigGameSnacks #CollectiveBias
It’s hard to believe football season is almost over! But with one more game still to go, there’s still plenty of time for Big Game Snacking. Last weekend we enjoyed a small football party with family and friends and an array of food, decorations and fun!
Finding party decor and activities is as easy and affordable as 1-2-3. I used a great set of printables from Dazzle Expressions for the table decor. And for kids, there are a lot of free printable activity pages like this Football Bingo Game from Pretty Providence. My friend Ami of AliLily also has a great post of 42 Football Party Ideas which includes a great collection of party games and activity sheets, as well printable decorations. And then I just got a simple green table cloth and few other party supplies from Walmart to decorate the table. Easy peasy!
As for food, I make parties easy with a couple of savory appetizers or main course items. Last week we had a pizza and some Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Subs. But on other occasions, I’ve served chicken tenders, wings, meatballs, little sausages, cheese sticks, and other tasty appetizers. And then apart from that, I MUST have at least kind of dip to serve. And where there’s dip, there has to be something to eat with the dip. Enter Cheez-Its and Pringles!
Our pantry is always stocked with various flavors of these tasty snacks. Not only does our son love them, but so do my husband and I. And both snacks are very affordable! [Read more…]
Happy New Year! (Again!) As a blogger, it seems to have become quite customary to take the interim period between Christmas and New Year’s Day to look back over the year’s work and then re-share some of the highlights. So I’ve been looking back at everything over the last few days, and today I have a fun round-up of posts for you: my 25 Delicious Must-Make Recipes from 2014!
I can honestly say that I enjoyed making and EATING all of these, so I hope you will check them out and decide to make few of these for yourself (especially the chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes….just saying!)
And as always, I welcome your comments on this and any of the recipe posts featured here, especially on my photos. In 2014, I worked on improving my photo staging and editing, but I was still limited by not having a DSLR camera (not to mention, the lighting was not always ideal!). However, I’m really proud of the improvements I was able to make throughout the year, and I am super excited because I….I mean, Santa, just got me a DSLR camera for Christmas, so I cannot wait to make things look even better here in 2015! [Read more…]
Disclosure: Thanks to Nestle Toll House for sponsoring today’s recipe post. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Today we’re doing holiday baking with a new “secret ingredient.” The secret ingredient, which I’m about to reveal to you is Nestle Toll House DelightFulls. As I was shopping for baking ingredient last week, I found these little jewels and just had to try them out! Imagine your favorite baking chips, then imagine them a little bigger and with a special surprise inside! [Read more…]
