Recipes – Page 4

Loaded Avocado Bar and Giveaway

October 13, 2015

This post is sponsored by Old El Paso but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Growing up in the state of Alabama, you are forced to choose between Auburn and Alabama at birth. The parents choose for you and that is the team you pull for for the rest of your life. You are raised to strongly dislike the opposite team and their redneck tendencies. The Iron Bowl is the biggest game day of the year. Not the super bowl. Winner accepts bragging rights until the next Iron Bowl and the losing team can be found looking at their shoes for the rest of the year. It’s a really big deal.

Most football Saturdays are spent with family and friends. I love to have easy snacks around the house and I enjoy serving my favorite game day recipes. Whether I serve my Mexican Layered Dip or Frankenstein Guacamole, you can usually bet Avocados from Mexico will be served up in our favorite appetizers. This past week, we celebrated our 4th anniversary. I was reminiscent on one of my favorite parts of our wedding – the loaded potato bar! It was delicious and everyone’s favorite. I thought it would be fun to set up a Loaded Avocado Bar as a healthier alternative for our game day Saturday! I ran to Publix to pick up my Avocados from Mexico and other toppings. I love shopping there because they have the best coupons and deals!

Included on our Loaded Avocado Bar:

Avocados from Mexico
Shredded Cheese
Sour Cream
Bacon Bits

Other Delicious Options:

Salsa
Cheddar and Chives
Pea Dip
Bacon and Blue Cheese or Ranch

I recommend using very ripe Avocados and a spoon or chips!

We had fun eating our loaded avocados and watching Gameday on ESPN before we went to Birmingham! It was such a fun and relaxing way to spend our Saturday. I loved setting up this loaded avocado bar and I am looking forward to doing it next time we entertain guests! It’s a fun twist on our wedding favorite!

Enter to win $10 Paypal Cash in the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Do you eat Avocados? What is your favorite way to eat them?

10 Ways To Enjoy “Me Time”

October 6, 2015

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group®, Sara Lee®, and Hershey’s® but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #SweetTreatDessert http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

If you’ve snooped around my blog for a while, you know that I am a big fan of sweet treats and all things chocolate. Have a new dessert idea? I want to hear about it! Ice cream? Candy? Pound cake? Give me all the desserts! One of my absolute favorite ways to spend my very special alone time is to sit down with a sweet treat in hand and book or remote in the other! Here are five ideas on how to spend your oh, so rare “me time.”

1. Sip a cup of coffee and start a fire.

2. Indulge in your latest novel.

3. Enjoy a Sweet Treat. Last weekend, I ran out to Publix for some milk and came back with Sara Lee® Frozen Desserts pound cake and Hershey’s® chocolate syrup! It was one of the better choices I’ve made lately. So delicious and not one ounce of regret.

4. Take this time to spend reading your bible and do a devotional. This is my favorite way to enjoy some quiet time in the mornings because it makes you focus on what’s important and refreshes your spirit.

5. Watch a movie and grab some popcorn.

6. Binge watch you latest Netflix obsession.

7. Go for a walk: bonus points if you grab your camera and take it with you.

8. Take a nap.

9. Write in a journal. I used to do this all the time, but I haven’t done it as much recently. It can be so much fun to just sit down and write. You never know what you will learn about yourself in just a few moments of free writing.

10. Head out to the mall or your favorite store and buy splurge of a gift for someone (or yourself). You could make somebody’s day!

Receive a FREE 17-24oz Hershey’s® Syrup when you buy any ONE (1) Sara Lee® Frozen Dessert item now thru 10/09/15 while supplies last.

How do you enjoy your “me time?”

How to Spend More Time With Your Family During the Busy School Year

September 29, 2015

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group®, Birds Eye®, and Farm Rich® but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #FullnRichFlavor http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Now that kids are back to school and heading back to soccer practice or dance classes, it is difficult to schedule that quality family time that is so important. Growing up, dinner time was our family time. A lot of that has changed in today’s culture because everyone is so busy and constantly on the go. No one takes the time to sit down every night for dinner anymore. My husband and I are trying to establish dinner time as our family time at a young age for our children. I want them to grow up knowing that dinner time is sacred. It is a time when we come together as a family to pray, enjoy a wonderful meal and discuss our lives with one another.

During the busy back-to-school time, it can be difficult to get into a routine of making dinner and still having time to spend with your family. Cooking a full meal takes a lot of time and energy. Why waste all of that time and effort when you can opt in for an easy dinner recipe that is still just as delicious and doesn’t sacrifice nutrition or flavorful taste?

Growing up in the south, BBQ was something we did every time our church came together for a big meal, or our entire family got together to celebrate an occasion. BBQ was what everyone wanted. I love that I can carry on this southern tradition with Farm Rich® Smokehouse BBQ Pulled Pork. It is so easy to make and really quick. When paired with Birds Eye Flavor Full Vegetables, it is the perfect meal. While shopping at Walmart the other day, I grabbed these products because I was running short on time and desperate for a quick and easy dinner. It is really important to me that our meals not just taste good, but be healthy as well. That is exactly what these products offered me. I saw the Birds Eye Teriyaki Broccoli and was immediately intrigued. My son and my husband are not broccoli fans, so I thought that the Teriyaki flavor would get them to eat their vegetables, and it was a success! I guess kids and husbands will eat anything when it is smothered in Teriyaki sauce!

Here are some ideas for spending more time with your family during the busy school year:

– Save time on dinner by using quick and healthy dinner recipes from Farm Rich® Smokehouse and Birds Eye!

– Lay the kid’s clothes out for the entire week on Sunday.

– Schedule time for homework and keep it all very organized. Work with your kids on their homework. They will appreciate the help and you will be spending time with them.

– Plan something fun for the entire family on Saturday mornings like going to the farmer’s market together or going to the pumpkin patch this fall.

If you enjoy saving money and you use Ibotta, you can earn $0.75 on Birds Eye Vegetables and unlock $1.00 off one Farm Rich® Smokehouse product for a limited time while supplies last.

If you haven’t used Ibotta, all you have to do is:
-Download the app available on iOS and Android.
-Unlock the rebates for both Birds Eye Vegetables and Farm Rich® Smokehouse.
-Buy the products that you’ve unlocked at major retailers.
-Verify your purchase by scanning your bar codes and submitting a photo of your receipt!

How do you schedule time to send with your family? Have you tried Farm Rich® Smokehouse and Birds Eye Vegetables?

Garlic and Lemon Chicken Pasta

September 24, 2015

It’s no secret around here that I’m not a great cook, however, since beginning my challenge of trying at least one new recipe a week, I feel like I’ve gained a lot of knowledge and more experience in cooking. Now, I still have a long long lonnggg way to go, but I’m getting there! This week, I’m sharing yet another pasta recipe with you all. It was too good not to share it! Seriously, it was a huge hit with my husband AND my (almost) 2 year old! Meaning: It will be a staple recipe in our household.

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 pound of boneless chicken breast chopped up into cubes
1 teaspoon of salt and pepper
2 teaspoons of minced garlic
2 cups of chicken broth
1 cup of water
2 cups of penne pasta
1/4 cup of lemon juice
3/4 cup of shredded parmesan
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

Directions:
Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil over medium high and brown your chicken breasts. lower the heat and add the minced garlic. Cook for one minute with the chicken. Add the chicken broth, water and uncooked pasta to your mixture. Bring to a boil and then cover and turn down the heat to low. Cook covered for 15 minutes and then cook uncovered for five to seven minutes. Add lemon juice, basil and shredded parmesan cheese. Mix it well. Add a little pepper to taste and garnish with fresh cut lemons if desired.

Enjoy!

Do you have a great recipe that I can’t live another day without trying? Leave it in the comments below!

Frankenstein Guacamole Dip

September 14, 2015

This post is sponsored by General Mills. Opinions are my own.

Fall is my favorite time of year and Halloween is my favorite Holiday. Growing up, my mom went all out for every holiday, but we had extra fun with Halloween. Some of my favorite memories as a child are from Halloween nights. Whether it was hiding in the bushes and ~~scaring~~ handing out hotdog weenies to our neighbors or winning the best Halloween costume contest at our family’s Halloween party (okay, so normally that’s my brother, not me), we are always having so much fun this time of year. I decorated my mantel the last week of August (too soon?) and have already been brainstorming ideas for our trunk-or-treat decor. I am really getting into the spirit which brings me to this:

Let me start off by saying that I had a serious case of writer’s block a couple of weeks ago and ran out to Michael’s. That’s what everyone does when they have writer’s block, right? I found the Taste of Home Halloween issue and bought it immediately. I brought it home and found a similar dish to this titles “Frankenguac.” I knew that I had to make a rendition of this for our Halloween party this year. To give it a try, I gave it the tried and true taste test that is my toddler. Hampton loved dipping the pretzels in this guacamole dip. He wasn’t crazy about the taste of it, but I was! It is delicious! You can either make your own fresh guac dip or do like I did and buy store bought for a quick dish and add a few Avocados from Mexico for extra decor and garnish. I used pretzels for the scar and mouth, sour cream and chip pieces for the eyes, olives for the nose and bolts and black bean chips (that are the bomb) for the hair.

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I’m thinking this dip is going to go over well at this year’s party! What do you think?

Progresso Bread Crumbs Pasta

September 7, 2015

This post is sponsored by General Mills but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Happy Labor Day! In some ways it feels like summer just began but on the other hand, I am tired of 95+ degree weather! Bring on the fireplace weather! This fall semester, I am challenging myself to cook one to two new recipes every week. I have really been wanting to challenge myself and step out of my comfort zone in the kitchen and I have decided I will share a few of my favorite with all of you! After all, fall is about cozying up by the fire with a good book, cup of coffee and food. Lots and lots of food.

Ingredients:
Progresso bread crumbs
2 1/2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 tsp. Minced Garlic
8 oz. Linguine Pasta
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:
Cook pasta according to directions on the package. While pasta is cooking, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a pan over medium heat and add the minced garlic. Stir constantly for 30 seconds and take off of heat and let stand for about 5 minutes. Drain pasta and pour pasta into a large bowl. Toss in all ingredients and serve immediately.

I added a side dish of salad with Kraft Italian Dressing and shredded cheese to complete our Italian meal! It was easy, quick and delicious. Even our toddler loved it! That is an A++ recipe in my book.

Now you can win $10 to try these products for yourself! All you have to do is visit Progresso or Kraft and leave me a comment telling me which recipe you’d like to try! Enter in the Rafflecopter below! Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check back here or on Twitter for an amazing coupon starting September 10th! Coupon details here:

• $2.00 off Publix Produce with the purchase of Any Four (4) participating products
Participating products: select Old El Paso items**, Ro*tel Tomatoes, Hunt’s Tomatoes, Kraft Natural Shredded Cheese, Avocados from Mexico
**Items include Dinner Kits, Seasoning Mixes, Enchilada Sauce, Refried Beans
• $2.00 off Publix Chicken with the purchase of Any Four (4) participating products
Participating products: Progresso Bread Crumbs, Progresso Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth, Kraft Salad Dressing, Kraft Natural Shredded Cheese, Hunt’s Tomatoes
• $1.00 off Any Five (5) Ro*tel Tomatoes (10 oz.)
• $1.00 off Any Five (5) Hunt’s Tomatoes (14.5 oz.)
• Save $1.00 on Avocados from Mexico when you buy three (3) Old El Paso products (1-31 oz.)
• Save $1.00 on three (3) Betty Crocker casserole potatoes (4.5-5.1 oz.)
• Save $1.50 on two (2) Betty Crocker Cookie Mixes (12.5-17.9 oz.)

3 Cheers for Breakfast + Giveaway

August 17, 2015

This post is sponsored by Cheerios but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

I used to never eat breakfast. Give me a cup of coffee and I was good to go. Lately, however, I have been eating breakfast and lighter dinners since I have been trying to lose my baby weight. I have grown so used to eating breakfast that when I don’t, I am starving and grumpy by the time lunch rolls around. When we went on our cruise, we ate really big breakfasts. It was amazing and I was in heaven.

Aside from the delicious French toast, scrambled eggs and bacon that was given to us on the cruise in unlimited quantities, my go-to breakfast is usually cereal. I have even passed this habit down to my son who loves his Cheerios. When I say love, I mean it! “Cheerios” was one of Hamp’s first words. As soon as he could talk, he found a way to ask for his Cheerios. He prefers them to waffles and almost any other breakfast foods (other than fruit and yogurt).

Cheerios are the perfect snack for kids. They taste great, come in so many delicious flavors now and have wonderful health benefits. Guess what!?! Publix is even offering a BOGO coupon for Cheerios!! Be sure to snag it while you can!

I recently discovered that people make so many other delicious recipes using Cheerios that go far beyond cereal! I’m talking muffins, ice cream bites that are making my mouth water and so many more! Check out all these delicious recipes here! Talk about mixing up your breakfast!

Giveaway Time!! Win $10 by:

1. Visit Cheerios and leave me a comment telling me which new flavor or recipe you’d like to try!

2. You even get a bonus entry for printing the BOGO coupon! Just leave me a separate comment letting me know you did!

I will pick one winner in 3 weeks! Good luck!

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?

Easy Dinner Ideas That Are Great Leftover

August 11, 2015

This post is sponsored by OId El Paso but the easy dinner ideas and opinions expressed here are my own.

Be sure to grab some of these great coupons from Publix!

I have been extremely busy the last few months. It is just part of being a mom, I suppose. My son has kept me going non-stop between birthdays, doctor appointments, play dates, etc. Because we stay so busy and on the go, I love to plan ahead for everything – including dinner. I am all about saving time on mundane things like cooking. We have been eating at home a LOT more and have been able to save a lot of money that way. Sometimes, I don’t feel like cooking lunch and dinner. It gets tiring. That’s why I love simple meals that taste great leftover! I like to overestimate when I cook so that we will have plenty left over for lunch the next day! Here are a few easy dinner ideas that taste great left over:

Tacos: We love taco night in our house! I especially like to keep the fiesta going though lunch the next day by buying plenty of beans, tortillas, lettuce, Avocados from Mexico, etc. It is so easy to warm up the left over beans and pull out the other ingredients from the fridge to make a delicious taco. Bonus points: my son loves them! I love buying the hard and soft taco kit from Old El Paso because it comes with taco seasoning as well as the shells! They are delicious and the perfect amount for our family.

Chili: My husband loves eating chili in the winter. We make a huge crock pot full of chili and eat on it all week long! It is wonderful leftover.

Soup: Soups are great because you can heat them up and they are ready to go! The only down side is that soup isn’t easy to pack up and can sometimes be messy. Especially with children.

Pasta: Also, very easy to heat up. Whether it is Mac and Cheese for my little man or Spaghetti for my hubby, it is easy to transport and great leftover!

Grilled Chicken: I love to make extra chicken so that I can cut it up and throw it on a salad for lunch the next day!

Giveaway Time!
Check out these great recipes and leave me a comment telling me which is your favorite! I will randomly choose a winner in 2 weeks! Good luck! (for a Bonus Entry, follow me on Instagram and leave me your handle in the comments!)

What are your favorite foods leftover?

15 Ice Cream Recipes

July 17, 2015

With National Ice Cream Day being Sunday, I thought it would be fun to do a round up of my favorite dessert! I love ice cream so much…even in the winter. I know, I’m weird. I found a few of my favorite recipes from some of my favorite bloggers and put them all in one place for you guys! I hope you enjoy these recipes and try some of them this weekend. I know I will!

Homemade Ice Cream // Hall Around Texas
Peach and Vanilla Ice Cream // Whole Food Bellies
Triple Peanut Butter Ice Cream // Little Dove Creations
Sugar Cookie Ice Cream // Chocolate Covered Katie
Cold Stone Creamery Cake Batter Ice Cream // CopyKat Recipes
No Churn Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream // Like Mother, Like Daughter
Toasted Almond Ice Cream // Little Dove Creations
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream // Spoonful of Flavor
Wine Ice Cream // My Big Fat Happy Life
Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream // A Happy Food Dance
Peach Ice Cream // The Dean’s List
Chai Chocolate Chip Ice Cream // Nourishing Simplicity
Cookie Dough Ice Cream // Nourishing Simplicity
Banana M&M’s Peanut Sundae // At Home With Sweet T
Java Chip Ice Cream // Oak and Oats
Lemonade Ice Cream // I Heart Naptime

What is your favorite flavor of Ice Cream?