• Chicken - Lunch - Recipes

    Bar-B-Que Chicken

    May 21, 2015 - By 

    The other night I had planned to make Buffalo Chicken wraps, but then I realized I was out of Buffalo sauce. I had already cooked the chicken and had already shredded it, so I was kind of left to figure out what to do with the shredded chicken. I had a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce waving at me from the pantry and then I got super excited. I also had some buns that needed to be eaten. It was a meal of destiny that ended up being a family favorite. Servings: 8 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking…

  • Recipes - Sides

    Strawberry Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

    May 20, 2015 - By 

    Starting earlier in the year, I have been craving strawberries like nobody’s business! So now that it’s finally strawberry season, I’m a happy girl. I’ve also wanted to try my hand at making my own vinaigrette. This strawberry vinaigrette was the bomb! Amazing! I’m going to have a hard time buying store-bought dressing after making this. Servings: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 0 minutes Ingredients: 1 bunch of spinach, chopped/remove stems 1 lb. sliced strawberries 1 container of feta 1/4 cup walnuts Dressing 2 tbs. Evoo 1/4 cup Apple cider vinegar 1 tbs. sugar or 2 tbs. honey…

  • Chicken - Dinner - Lunch - Recipes

    Pretzel Breaded Chicken Fingers

    May 19, 2015 - By 

    A couple weeks ago I posted the Cheez-It Breaded Chicken and it was so good, so now I’m on a quest to try all sorts of different breading. This Pretzel Breaded Chicken is crunchy and flavorful. My family loves pretzels and go through several bags of pretzel every month, so I was pretty sure this recipe would be a family favorite and it was! They were begging me to make it again the next day. Servings: 4 Prep Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 2 lbs. of chicken Breading Ingredients 2 cups of pretzels 1 tbs. garlic 1…

  • Life

    Crayon Crunch – A Personalized Adventure Book for Every Child

    May 18, 2015 - By 

    Doesn’t every child deserve to go on an adventure? I am excited to announce that Crayon Crunch is launching a Kickstarter campaign to be the first personalized children’s book that is inclusive to every ethnicity and special need. While most personalized books allow the reader only to customize the lead character’s name, Crayon Crunch is taking personalization to a new level.The printed picture book is filled with beautiful illustrations and allows readers to fully customize the lead character’s appearance. Including the name, facial features, eye color, hair color & style, skin tone and clothing. They even allow readers to add…

  • Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
    Recipes - Sides

    Bacon Wrapped Green Beans {Savory}

    May 15, 2015 - By 

    I’m constantly on the lookout for easy sides, because more often than not I’m guilty of throwing some canned corn or green beans in a pan and heating them up to go along side some of my favorite entrees like my Tangy Pork Tenderloin or this Chicken Cordon Bleu. So if you’re in need of an easy side that your family will love give these Bacon Wrapped Green Beans a try. Servings: 6 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: soy sauce garlic powder 1 lb. of fresh green beans bacon Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 375°. 2.…

  • Life

    Walking down memory lane…

    May 14, 2015 - By 

    I don’t write a ton of personal stuff on here anymore, but I’d like to. Often I have all these thoughts and just can’t get them into coherent sentences. I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately. Today is always a day I really reminisce, because today is my Granddad’s birthday. He lost his battle with congestive heart failure in May 1999, so May is really a time he’s on my mind a lot. I’ll never forget the dreaded 2 a.m. phone call from my uncle. I listened to the answering machine just praying it was a wrong number only to hear my…

  • Beef - Dinner - Recipes

    One-Pot Cowboy Chili with Cornbread

    May 14, 2015 - By 

    Lately I’ve really been thinking about one-pot meals. Who doesn’t love making dinner and just dirtying one, single pot or pan? I know I do. This One-Pot Cowboy Chili is quite simple and with a house full of guys I need lots of food. This meal is one that has them pushing back from the dinner table full and happy. What more could you ask for! Servings: 6-8 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: Chili: 2 lbs. ground beef 1 medium onion, diced 1 tbs. garlic 1/3 cup of Chili Powder 1 can of Black, pinto, or…

  • Dessert - Recipes

    Strawberry Pudding

    May 13, 2015 - By 

    Since May is Strawberry month and it’s strawberry season, I’m sharing several strawberry recipes this month. If you missed my Strawberry Crumble recipe, you need to go check it out! I’ve also been craving these Chocolate Chip Strawberry Cookies. Today, I’m sharing a recipe that is so easy and mouth-watering. I took the idea of Southern Banana pudding and altered it a bit for this Strawberry Pudding. Servings: 8 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 0 minutes Ingredients: 1 lb. of strawberries, sliced 2 boxes Vanilla pudding 1 box Strawberry Jell-O graham crackers 1 tub Cool Whip (12 oz. container)…

  • Travel

    Naples, Florida

    May 12, 2015 - By 

    After leaving Sanibel Island, we continued south for a stop in Naples. Naples has lots of metered parking along the streets as well as some parking lots. We probably drove around for a good 30 minutes looking for a spot as well as gawking at the beautiful homes. We were about to bale when we found a spot in front of Oh! Oh! Shoes on 12th Avenue, which was perfect because we were not far from Naples Pier. This area where we parked was filled with upscale shops and restaurants. Beautiful area with gorgeous landscaping and clean streets. It was…

  • Mexican - Pork - Recipes

    One-Pan Mexican Hashbrown Pie

    May 11, 2015 - By 

    Sometimes, I come up with the best recipes, when I have ingredients that I have in the fridge that need to be used before going bad. I had some Chorizo that was nearing its expiration date, so I decided to try it in a breakfast dish. This One-Pan Mexican Hashbrown Pie was really easy to make. If you’re not a fan of Chorizo, it would be good with regular breakfast sausage or even hamburger meat. Servings: 6 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes Ingredients: 1 cup finely chopped onions 1/4 cup finely chopped jalapenos 1 small can of…

  • Life

    Happy Mother’s Day

    May 10, 2015 - By 

    Today is Mother’s Day, so I’d like to say Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. I’d like to say a special Happy Mother’s Day to the sweet lady that gave birth to me. My Mom is one of those cool Moms, who is not only a Mom but a best friend to her 3 kids. If asked how to describe my Mom, I would describe her as loving, generous, unselfish, caring, playful, silly, and just all around awesome! She never puts herself first. She’s willing to give up the last dollar in her pocket for someone who…

  • Chicken - Dinner - Recipes

    Stuffed Pepper Soup with Chicken

    May 9, 2015 - By 

    The other day we had some amazing steak kabobs out on the grill, so I had about 3 peppers left over. I knew I needed to use them soon, and I was wanting to do something in the crockpot. I decided to chop up the peppers and some grilled chicken that I had, throw it in the crockpot with some other ingredients and call it Stuffed Pepper Soup with Chicken. It turned out so delicious. It’s no doubt one of my favs now. Servings: 6 Prep Time: 20 minutes (cook chicken and rice) Cooking Time: 6 hours Ingredients: 3 bell…

  • Appetizers & Snacks - Mexican - Recipes - Sides

    Spicy White Cheese Dip

    May 8, 2015 - By 

    One of my family’s favorite thing to get at restaurants is Spicy White Cheese Dip, but paying $8 a bowl gets pretty costly. I have been trying to come up with a recipe similar to what we get and this is the it! I love that I can make it for half the cost, which means we can have it more often. Servings: 4 Prep Time: 0 minutes Cooking Time: 5-10 minutes Ingredients: 1 cup Monterey jack cheese or American cheese 4 ounces green chilies 1⁄4 cup half-and-half 3 jalapeno peppers, chopped fine sprinkle of salt Directions: 1. Put all…

  • Chicken - Dinner - Lunch - Recipes

    Buffalo Chicken Paninis

    May 7, 2015 - By 

    Here’s another Recipe Remix with the Buffalo chicken. Yeah, so I’m a little obsessed, but really, who doesn’t love making something one night and then being able to pull it out the leftovers (that you made on purpose) and you them in a new recipe! These Buffalo Chicken Paninis are so yummy, easy, and different that you and your family will just love them. My family was totally stocked that I used bagels instead of hamburger buns or bread. Servings: 4 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 5 minutes Ingredients: Bread/buns/bagels (I had some bagels that I needed to use…

  • Pork - Recipes

    Sausage Muffin Bites

    May 6, 2015 - By 

    I’m always looking for easy breakfast ideas that can be made ahead of time. These Sausage Muffin Bites are easy and so yummy. I love that I can warm them up in the microwave and eat them in the car on the way to work. Servings: 24 muffins Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 35 minutes Ingredients: 2 cups shredded cheese (I used Mexican Blend) 1 lb. ground sausage (browned and crumbled finely) 1 cup bisquick baking mix 1 cup of milk 2 eggs 1/2 finely chopped onion Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to °350. Spray mini-muffin tin with non-stick…

  • Travel

    Sanibel Island

    May 5, 2015 - By 

    We arrived at Sanibel Island and we were starving. We wanted to stop at a local place so we ended up at the Sanibel Cafe, which is in the Tahitian Gardens Plaza on Periwinkle Way. You could already tell we were visiting an island that has as abundance of shells, since all the table were nicely decorated with glass covered tops with shell designed underneath. We enjoyed a nice breakfast. Pictured below is the Pina Colada French Toast, which is what Rob got. Here’s the Breakfast Menu Page 1 Page 2 After leaving there with bellies full and spirits high,…

  • Mexican - Recipes

    50 Cinco de Mayo Recipes

    May 4, 2015 - By 

    Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo and since my favorite kind of food is Mexican, what better way to celebrate than by collecting great Mexican recipes. A couple of my favorite Mexican recipes of my own, that I didn’t include in this list are Chimichangas, Guacamole, and this easy Restaurant Style Salsa. Here are 50 amazing recipes to choose from tomorrow when you’re celebrating. Salsa Verde Enchiladas Spicy Shrimp Tacos Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas Barbacoa Mexican Corn Casserole Black Bean Roasted Poblano Enchiladas Taco Bell {copycat} Enchirito Skinny Sunrise Cocktail 20 Minute Healthy Chicken Burrito Recipe Carne Asada Homemade Tortillas Roasted…

  • Dessert - Recipes

    Strawberry Crumble

    May 3, 2015 - By 

    May is National Strawberry month and I’m super happy about that. I hope to take full advantage of that and try to roll out several easy and yummy strawberry recipes this month. I haven’t met too many people who don’t love strawberries. I know my family can’t get enough of them. One of the recipes on my Recipe Bucket List is a Strawberry Crumble. I found a recipe on Popsugar that looked easy and delicious. I just altered it a bit and increased it to make enough for my family. Servings: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 27 minutes…

  • Travel

    Alex’s 1st Camp Out as a Boy Scout

    May 1, 2015 - By 

    Family Friday A couple weekends ago Alex attended his first Boy Scout campout without Rob or us as a family. Boy Scouts is quite different from Cub Scouts in that campouts don’t include parents unless they are certified leaders. Drew, of course, was there. They went to Cumberland Caves in McMinnville, TN. Here they are before leaving. Here are a few pictures provided by the leaders on the trip. Not only did they enjoy the typical educational walking tour through the cave while learning about stalactites and stalagmites, they also got a true spelunking experience. They covered their heads with…

  • Memories of the Month - Taking time to document the important memories from January.
    Life

    Memories of the Month {4.2015}

    April 30, 2015 - By 

    This month I was happy about: that something miraculous happened and now my blogs are working normally. *fingers crossed* This year I’m going to rate the books & movies. Here’s my rating system: ♥ ♥ = Love it! A must read/see! ♥ = Really good! Highly recommend. ✓ ✓ = Good, not great ✓ = Not much to talk about X = Awful. Total waste of time Movies I watched were: Flight – X – It’s rated high, but we were totally mislead by the reviews. This is a move about addiction and very little of it is about the…