Feb 152013
 

Bubbles’ birthday party is next weekend and I’ve been working on our menu.  Most of the party ideas I found earlier were for sweets and decor; only one of them was for something to go with the meal.  And while Minnie Oreo pops and cupcakes sound delicious, I think our guests might also like something savory.  Appetizers, dips, and finger sandwiches all came to mind as they’re usually easy to throw together and people can graze while they talk and hang out.

My husband makes a great cheesy sausage dip that we often have for family gatherings and tailgating but I thought maybe for this party we’d have something just a bit different.  I don’t want to serve my guests anything I haven’t tried before, though, so for the last few days I’ve been cooking up small batches of dip to sample.  One that I found that I like is the Pleasing Pizza Dip submitted by Jennifer Crsip to Gooseberry Patch’s new cookbook Slow Cooking All Year ‘Round.

Slow Cooker Recipes: Pizza Dip from Gooseberry Patch's Slow Cooking All Year 'Round

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Feb 102013
 

Suggestions for Valentine Crafts, Recipes, and DIY

Valentine’s Day is this week but there is still plenty of time to make or bake some treats if you’re feeling crafty.  I hope to have one more craft tutorial for an easy gift and one more quick recipe for you before the big day.  Until then I wanted to share some of my favorite Valentine’s ideas from both Pinterest and some fellow bloggers.

(Really, what did we do for inspiration before Pinterest?)

Valentine’s Recipes

Heart Cupcakes from A Helicopter Mom

Valentine recipes

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Valentine recipes

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Jan 242013
 

Quick and Healthy Chicken Recipes With Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken

Quick & Healthy Chicken Recipes - White Cheddar Chicken Broccoli Mac & Cheese

Bubbles is a lot of things: sweet, loving, kind-hearted.  (The list goes on but I won’t; I’m pretty sure you didn’t stop by today to read 300 words on why I love my sweet pea.)  Two things she is not, however, is a very good sleeper or a very good eater.  She does pretty well at breakfast (yogurt and a fruit pouch or yogurt and toast, usually) but lunch and dinner are a different story.  When you ask her what she would like to eat her response mashed potatoes, pizza, or mac and cheese.  These foods can be very healthy but I wish they had more protein.

I was trying to think of ways I could dress up her favorites to be even more healthy and protein-packed.  I make her homemade white cheddar mac and cheese about once per week and I decided that I could mix in broccoli (a veggie she likes) and cooked chicken.  Honestly if it’s covered in cheese she’s probably going to eat it (let’s not lie: if it’s covered in cheese I’m probably going to eat it, too). Continue reading »

Jan 142013
 

I love quick and easy recipes that also make great gifts and these chocolate covered pretzels fit that bill!  Packaged in an easy DIY Valentine’s Day Treat Bag with stickers, they make a cute gift for Valentine’s Day.  They’re also really easy for kids to help make.  Bubbles helped me make a batch yesterday and she had a great time mixing, sprinkling, and dipping.

Easy Chocolate Covered Pretzels for Valentine's Day

If you have a child in elementary school these might make a nice Valentine for their friends. Just add their names for a personalized Valentine’s treat.  Even junior high- and high school-aged kids like to give valentines and these could work for them too.  Personally, I wouldn’t mind receiving a bag of these either. Continue reading »

Jan 022013
 

Top Posts and Recipes of 2012

I think everyone takes a look back at the passing year at the start of a new one.  It’s good to see where you’ve been and where you want to go.  In the near future I’ll be sharing some of my 2013 goals, but right now, as I look back on 2012, I wanted to share with you our Top 5 Views and Top 5 Recipes in case you missed any of them!

These are the five posts that were visited the most often last year.

2013 Top 5 Posts and Top 5 Recipes

Top 5 Posts of 2012

Spring Cleaning Ideas

Birthday Party Suggestions

Free Printable Activity Sheets From Disney/Pixar’s BRAVE

DIY Felt Christmas Tree Activity for Kids

Spring Cleaning Checklist (Part 1)

And for you foodies, here are the top five recipes from 2012.  Expect to see a lot more this year!

Top 5 Recipes From 2012

Top 5 Recipes of 2012

Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes

Chicken Piccata

Peanut Butter Buckeyes

Pizza Casserole Bake

Red Velvet Cheesecake

Which post or recipe was your favorite from 2012?  What would you like to see more of in 2013?