dishing up creative goodness
My son is obsessed with bugs. So much so that he tells everyone that he’s going to be an entomologist when he grows up. And he’s serious. I totally believe it.
When we were deciding what to make or Valentine’s Day to pass out to his classmates he said he wanted to include gummy worms. They’re one of his favorite treats and pair perfectly with Hershey’s Kisses for our bugs and kisses valentines.
As soon as we had our idea it was so simple to put our valentines together.
[Read more…]
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Snack Pack. All opinions are 100% mine.
We’re always on the search for great snacks for the kids to bring in their lunches to school or to enjoy as an after-school snack. I try to steer clear of products with a lot of preservatives and high fructose corn syrup. Luckily we’ve found the perfect snack in Snack Pack pudding cups.
Not only do they come in a range of flavors that both the kids and I love, they also are made with real nonfat milk and fortified with as much calcium as an 8-ounce glass of milk*. [Read more…]
Looking for easy meal planning tips and ideas for busy weeknights? We’re sharing a few of our favorites + this delicious deconstructed chicken pot pie recipe!
While many people are making resolutions for the New Year, I’m continuing with some resolutions I made last year. One of which is to stick to our monthly budget and reduce the amount we eat out. Being a gazillion weeks pregnant – ok… 38 weeks – means that I’ve turned to take out quite a bit over the past few months.
This year we’re resetting ourselves and bringing out my easy meal planning tips to ensure that we’re making the most of our budget AND cooking delicious dishes that the whole family loves. Luckily I have some great help from my well-stocked pantry.
One of my favorite go-to’s for a busy week is this deconstructed chicken pot pie using a store-bought chicken pot pie flavored oven sauce packet. Not only is it delicious, I always have chicken breasts and mixed veggies in the freezer so I know I can simply grab everything and whip up a great meal.
And I only need 5 minutes to prep. I can grab all of the ingredients and put them together in the same time it takes for my oven to preheat. Simply add the chicken and veggies to an oven-safe dish and pour the sauce over everything.
Then I bake for 40 minutes. At the same time, I bake up some homemade biscuits to go with my deconstructed pot pie. Another easy shortcut? Refrigerated biscuits! Before I know it dinner is ready to go and I have a happy family.
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Valentine’s Day is going to be here next month and as always I wanted to create something special for my kids to hand out at school this year. I’m not a huge fan of my preschooler giving out candy for Valentine’s Day because I know kids will be getting a lot of that already.
This year I decided to go with one of my daughter’s favorites – colorful play dough. Play dough is perfect for boys and girls and can provides hours of enjoyment. To go along with this play dough is a custom made Valentine Card “DOH you want to be my Valentine?” You can use the printable linked below or simply use your Cricut machine to design one yourself so you don’t have to do any cutting.
I designed this printable through the Cricut design space and was able to get the perfect size hole sliced into my design for my play dough to fit perfectly. I made the machine do all of the hard work. How awesome is that? If you have a Cricut machine and want to recreate it, it’s really simple. [Read more…]
Valentine’s Day is a fun time for couples to show their love for each other. However, when you have kids, it can be a little tricky to teach them about what Valentine’s Day means without all the gushy mushy stuff.
I thought I’d take some time to talk about some fun things you can do for your kids this Valentine’s Day to make it extra special for them!
With a new baby due any day now (we’re about 2.5 weeks away from the due date) I wanted to think ahead and figure out easy ways to make this holiday special for the older ones. [Read more…]
It’s my favorite time of year! San Diego Restaurant Week 2015 arrives on Sunday, January 18th and will run through January 24th. I cannot wait to indulge and enjoy a new restaurant or two during this celebration of San Diego’s food scene.
My husband and I were invited to try the Grant Grill this past Saturday and I have to say that this is probably one of my new favorite restaurants in Downtown San Diego.
Not only does the menu change around daily, but for restaurant week you aren’t limited to a specific restaurant week menu! For $50 a person, you will be able to choose a starter, entree, and dessert of your choice from their regular menu. [Read more…]
As I quickly approach my due date (less than 4 weeks away!) I’ve started to look for quick and easy meals and snacks to make once baby gets here. With two other kids, both in school, this will be the first time I’ll have to be somewhere in the mornings to actually be wiht all three kids once my husband has to return back to work.
One of my go-to breakfasts for myself and the kids are smoothies. Not only are they quick to make, I can make sure that I pack in enough protein, fruits, and sometimes veggies to start the day off right.
Since I’ll be nursing, I knew I also wanted to incorporate oatmeal in the mix as well so I added some quick oats to my favorite peanut butter banana smoothie recipe to create the perfect smoothie to get me going.
The best part about this smoothie is that I always have all of the ingredients on hand.
Now normally when I’m trying to lose weight I’d include a fat free greek yogurt and 1% milk but because I’m not focused on losing weight, I stick with the full fat versions for the calories.
I do, however, save some calories with the inclusion of powdered peanut butter but regular peanut butter can easily be used as well.
Since I’ve skipped the sugar in a flavored yogurt I add in a packet or two of Sweet’N Low to the blender to add a bit of sweetness without the added calories.
A guilt free drink that’s the perfect way to start any day whether you’re a busy mom with a newborn or simply trying to watch the waistline.
This post featuring tips to clear out the clutter is sponsored by Close5. All opinions are my own.
If your house is anything like mine after the holidays then you’ll know why I’m at my wits end trying to get rid of the bomb that exploded Christmas day. While we didn’t go overboard for Christmas, the few things we did bring into the house are just enough to leave our house in a constant state of clutter.
So what’s a 36 week pregnant mom to do? Purge, purge, purge!!
And with the help of a few tips I have, I’ve been able to do just that. Just in time to try and find out where we’re going to put all of this new baby stuff… [Read more…]
One of our family favorites in this house is spaghetti. It’s the one dish I can get everyone to eat without complaining. But sometimes I’m just not in the mood for a meat sauce. I want a different flavor.
This dish is not only tasty, but it’s pretty healthy too! And the best part is that all of the ingredients are usually in my pantry or fridge at all times. Meaning I can have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes without having to make a special trip to the grocery store.
I used a bag of frozen cooked shrimp from Trader Joe’s instead of fresh but it worked great. And I can always keep some in the freezer so consider this an official staple meal in this household! [Read more…]
This time of year is filled with holiday baking in our home. And while cookies are usually center stage, I try and get in a few different goodies like these coffee truffles to balance out the dessert spread.
These truffles are also the perfect way to share your love of baking and making with friends and family! Simply grab a few tins and pack up some truffles to gift to those you love. [Read more…]
She enjoys sharing her family life in San Diego and features everything from delectable recipes to sharing DIY tips around the home and garden, what she's crafting and more.
