dishing up creative goodness
We love quick and kid-friendly breakfast ideas in this house. So these sausage pancake bites featured on Someday I’ll Learn are the perfect solution as a bake-ahead breakfast option that we can just pop in the toaster oven, heat up, and go.
If you’re looking for more easy-to-make or make-ahead breakfast ideas, here are a few great options:
Even though I work from home, I need something quick and easy for lunch or else it’s 3pm and I’ve realized I haven’t eaten since breakfast. So when I saw a few salad in a jar ideas I knew I had to create a few of my own.
So when Fresh Express sent out a few coupons for me to test out their salads and partake in their 30-day Salad Swap challenge. Basically the challenge is to take mealtime favorites that are higher in calories and swap them for a delicious, lighter salad creation.
I just took the challenge one step further and put my salad creation into a jar for easy access and easy storage. Now I just have to grab a salad from the fridge and chomp away as I work without actually having to prepare anything! Win-win. [Read more…]
I am a member of the Collective Bias Social Fabric Community. This shop featuring growing communities and an #OreIdaHashbrown recipe is part of a social shopper amplification for #CollectiveBias and its advertiser.
While our community garden has brought our community together through growing food, it stays together as we share meals with one another and truly get to know each other. So when I considered how I could give back to my fellow gardeners, I thought it would be wonderful to share our first meal of the growing season together with a delicious Hash Brown recipe.
I invited all of the plot renters/growers to meet my family and me at the garden for a nice meal we could share. It would be the perfect excuse to get together between our community garden meetings and chat about more than what we’re growing. Plus I’d do all the cooking and clean up! Win-win, right?
By sharing these meals with one another we are truly growing communities and establishing strong roots in our neighborhood. I couldn’t imagine not having these wonderful people in our lives.
With Easter right around the corner we’re trying to figure out what activities we want to partake in around town. And that means one thing to the kids… Easter egg hunts! They absolutely love meeting up with friends and participating in some of the fun hunts going on here in San Diego.
From events at the local hotels, to great programs put on by Parks & Rec, there’s something for everyone to do in San Diego for Easter with kids. You just have to know about it!
So we’ve put together a fun list of a handful of ideas for you to check out. If you do check out any of these events please let us know! And if you have any more ideas, link them up in the comments below! [Read more…]
Learn how to grow carrots with kids and see how easy gardening with kids is! All it takes is some patience, sun, water, and love.
One of my kids favorite veggies is carrots. So figuring out how to grow carrots with kids was one of my top priorities when we started gardening.
Lucky for me, growing carrots is one of the easiest things to do. Not too many pests to worry about – unless you have four-legged critters like bunnies, squirrels, and deer – and take anywhere from 60-75 days to grow.
Plus, the kids LOVE watching the tops grow taller and I like how green and pretty it makes the garden bed look. [Read more…]
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Waterpik.
I’ve never been one for morning routines. Having children has changed things and everything I do in the morning as part of my routine just seemed like it was taking a lot of time. So I looked into how to make your morning routine easier and tried to implement it into my own morning routine.
The first thing I needed to do was consolidate whatever I could from my routine. Now normally I brush my teeth in the shower thinking that saves time… totally doesn’t save time. I also floss as I’m trying to dry off and using mouthwash as I’m brushing my hair. All this gets me is tangled up on the days I actually do shower, and with crazy hair on the days I don’t (I’m a mom. I work from home. Sometimes days go by…).
But I’ve finally done it. I’ve created an efficient morning routine that I can stick with. Even when I don’t shower. And I feel better about my ability to get things done before we head out the door. [Read more…]
I absolutely love multi-purpose kitchen gadgets. If it doesn’t do more than one thing, I don’t want it in my kitchen taking up space! When I was asked to check out the latest Zojirushi rice cooker and see how it fared compared to my smaller rice cooker I knew i wanted to find more ways to test it out than just make rice. So I figured out how to make oatmeal in a rice cooker. And I have to say… I’m pretty impressed!
I already loved the Zojirushi brand and own one of their bread machines (all the way back from when my husband and I first got married) and the smaller rice cooker so including this larger capacity rice cooker into our home was perfect. The Zojirushi NL-AAC10 is a great multi-use rice cooker. And I’ve not only made rice and oatmeal in it, but I’ve also used it to steam things as well. Hello delicious dumplings and pot stickers!
Making oatmeal in a rice cooker is a piece of cake! As simple as dumping the ingredients in, adjusting the settings for porridge, and letting it cook. The rice cooker does all of the work. Wait… did I just give that all away in the beginning of the post? Well let me just show you the pretty pictures and talk about this awesome machine.
Aided by microcomputer technology, this category of rice cooker takes having rice on your menu from “occasional” to “serious”. Basically, the microchip does all the thinking for you, as far as adjusting cooking times and temperatures according to the type of rice you are cooking, and timing the pre-soaking of the raw grains and the final “wait” period during steaming.
That means you’re left with perfectly cooked food that every family member will love! No more burnt rice on the bottom. And it also means that you can make a delicious breakfast, lunch, or dinner using the same rice cooker.
1. Add 2 cups of old fashioned oats into the rice cooker*. Then add in 3 cups of water (or milk if you prefer a creamier oatmeal). Add any mix ins or flavors and stir together to combine. I added 1 diced apple, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and a tablespoon of brown sugar.
*For this recipe I consulted my rice cooker’s manual to see if there was a minimum amount of oats I needed to use for this rice cooker. I also wanted to make sure I was using the correct amount of liquid. If you’re using steel cut oats, double check the manual to see what the minimum amount is as well as what the liquid level should be.
2. Using the menu button, set rice cooker to porridge setting (bottom right). Once the setting is selected, hit the start button. A melody should play letting you know that the rice cooker has started the cooking process. Sit back and relax as your food cooks.
3. When the rice cooker is done cooking the oatmeal it will play a melody again. Don’t worry if you aren’t immediately available – the rice cooker will go to the warm setting after it’s done cooking. When you’re ready to eat, open the lid carefully and scoop out your oatmeal.
This 5-1/2-cup rice cooker and warmer makes 10 cups of cooked rice and includes a variety of cooking functions including white rice/sushi, mixed rice, porridge, sweet, brown, steam, and quick cooking.
If you’re looking for a great rice cooker to add to your kitchen definitely check out the great line of Zojirushi rice cookers.
Love what you see? Try these recipes!
Vanilla Raisin Oatmeal Squares
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Smoothies
I was given a free one month subscription to Weight Watchers to try their new Simple Start plan and write about my experience.Though I was compensated for my time and commitment, all views, positive and negative, are my own.
Over the past two weeks I’ve jumped back in to the Weight Watchers lifestyle with the help of the Weight Watchers Simple Start app. And during these two weeks I’ve learned a lot about myself and what I’m capable of.
Now I’ve never had problems losing weight. it’s sticking with a weight loss plan/healthy lifestyle that I have trouble with. But luckily I’ve found over these two weeks that Simple Start is my answer to this problem.
Whenever I get tired of counting points I can simply switch to Simple Start for two weeks to reset myself and focus on eating until I am comfortably full and satisfied while still trying to get the good health guidelines in. [Read more…]
There’s one thing I’ve been obsessed about for months. Something that’s healthy for me that I actually crave at times. And you’ll think I’m crazy, but they really are good. What am I talking about? This green monster protein smoothie.
No, seriously… this protein-packed green machine is something I blend up in the morning and enjoy sipping until the very end. I have to thank the frozen banana and teaspoon of PB2 for that.
Haven’t heard of PB2? Well it’s basically powdered peanut butter and is much more calorie friendly than your typical jar of Skippy or Jif. You can find it on Amazon or on select store shelves. You can also find another version from Just Great Stuff that tastes very similar. And? It also comes in chocolate peanut butter form too!
I’ve spotted the Just Great Stuff brand at Target and Whole Foods but there are specialty stores around town that carry PB2 as well. And the protein powder? I pick up the Whole Foods generic brand, 365. It was recommended by a few people and I enjoy the taste.
Oh, and this whole huge 24oz cup? 6 WW+ points! How awesome is that? Definitely a breakfast I can dig before a workout. Then, when I have more time at lunch, I enjoy some scrambled eggs after my workouts. [Read more…]
This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Hawaiian Host, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #HawaiianHoliday http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO
Ever since I had my kids Christmas morning has been a time I dedicate to spending with them. No more driving from one relatives home to another. Instead we give an open invitation to any family members wanting to come over in the morning and then host Christmas dinner.
Since a few family members show up outside of our immediate family I love trying new brunch recipes and ideas. And since my dad and step-mom just got back from Hawaii over Thanksgiving I thought it might be nice to treat them to a little taste of the islands with this Hawaiian Host AlohaMac Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce for Christmastime. [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.
