Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids, Meals and Recipes

Friday Favorites {#144}

Hello and Happy Friday!

This week was super busy, but it did include a snow (icy) day! Now, I think we have milder temps on the way.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites of the week:

Hadley and I baked a cake last Friday. We’re trying to make a cake a month, and this was our first one of the year. Hadley did most of the work, including decorating it. We made this Chocolate Chip cake, and it was really good.

On Saturday morning, we went to my nephew’s basketball game. He did such a good job, and his sister did some cheers at halftime!

My brother gave my niece his phone, and then sent me this selfie she took. Too funny.

On Sunday, Hayden had an indoor track meet in Louisville. With basketball going on, he has only been running a couple of days a week, but still had a PR in the mile.

Of course, my household was super excited with the Chiefs big win! We are close to Bengals country, so that made this win even more exciting. We can’t wait to cheer on the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Snow day pancakes on an icy Tuesday morning hit the spot!

Hayden’s basketball team is off to a solid start. They had two wins this week!

Fave Mom Meme:

This made me laugh…but it also reminded me that I want to pick up a couple of things for the kids for Valentine’s Day.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

With Hayden’s basketball season starting up, I love this 3rd grade throwback to these two cute ballers. This is the year that Travis coached Hadley’s team to the championship victory! Hayden was on a team with a great group of kids too.

Weekly Recap:

Well, I continued with Bloganuary on the weekends, so I have a full week of posts:

I guess my blogging streak of 33 posts is coming to an end. I enjoyed tackling some Bloganuary posts on the weekends this month. Honestly, I have a bit more time to blog on the weekends, but readership is down on the weekend, so obviously, Monday-Friday blogging makes the most sense. Who knows, maybe I’ll throw in a random weekend post every now and then.

What are your weekend plans? Hadley has some fun planned with her friends tonight, and Hayden has basketball this weekend. I’m not sure what else we’ll do. See you back her Monday for my Amazon purchases this month.

Have a great weekend!

Posted in Meals and Recipes, Weekend Top 5

Weekend Top 5

Hello and Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend. Ours sure seemed to go by so quickly.

Today, I’m linking up with Sarah and Holly for Hello Monday

to tell you about my:

Here’s a peek at our weekend:

It’s probably a lame #1, but the fact that I was able to come home straight after school on a Friday with no errands or other things to do was a highlight of my day. I was home by 3:45 and had time to workout, tidy up, and get ready for the weekend. The kids had an after school activity, and I picked them up at 5:30. While we were out, we went ahead and picked up dinner to eat at home. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to watch a movie as a family because Travis worked really late. Instead, the kids and I ate dinner and watched a few episodes of The Goldbergs. We’re almost caught up with last season. Anyway, it was just a great way to start the weekend.

The weather on Saturday was perfection, and there were touches of fall everywhere.

I had a few minutes to eat lunch after running some errands and decided to sit out on the front porch and get some fresh air. I had the best fall view.

It was the state cross country meet in Paris, Kentucky on Saturday. Travis had a long day because his 6th graders ran in the morning, and then the 7th and 8th graders ran in the afternoon.

Hayden hurt his IT band while playing on the beach, and he’d been to PT and stretching all week. He didn’t feel 100%, but he felt good enough to run. While Hayden was disappointed with his finish, he still had a PR for the 4k and scored points for his team. The boys finished in the top 10 in the state which is so amazing. They’ve worked so hard, and Travis has done a fantastic job training them this season. I’ve loved watching Travis coach Hayden and the team. We had a fantastic group of 8th grade boys that we’ll miss next year! Overall, it was an amazing season.

Hayden will continue to rehab his injury and run in the post season with Travis as one of his coaches. (More on that, I’m sure as that season gets going!)

We made it to the pumpkin patch yesterday. The weather was overcast, but we headed there right after church and beat the rain. The kids went straight to get hot apple cider and apple cider donuts.

Then, they picked out their carving pumpkins before we headed home.

I remember when we used to spend hours at the pumpkin patch, so they could run around and do all the activities. Now, we probably spend more time in the car getting there than wandering around, but I’m still glad we can make this tradition happen.

Besides the memories, the second best part of the pumpkin patch is picking up the apple cider donuts. Ugh…I had two yesterday, but they were worth it. Back on track today!

This week, I’m trying three new recipes, so I thought I’d go ahead and share those too!

  • Amy inspired me with her lasagna cups. I used to make an appetizer (recipe courtesy of a friend) that used wonton wrappers, and thought I’d give a new recipe a try. I found this Muffin Tin Lasagna Cup recipe on Pinterest, and we had it last night for dinner. They were delish!
  • I saw this soup recipe on Instagram, and I’m going to make it tonight or tomorrow.
  • On Wednesday, I’m going to make Andrea’s One Pot Bow Tie Pasta recipe.

This week’s meal planning feels a little “carb heavy,” but ’tis the fall season.

How was your weekend? Let me know a highlight! Also, what are you eating this week?

I hope you have a good one!

Posted in Holidays, Meals and Recipes

Pumpkin Everything

Hello!

Well, well, well…it’s officially my favorite month of the year.

This is now my screensaver on my phone….it makes me so happy.

Ashton creates on Instagram

In honor my favorite month, which always makes me think of pumpkins, I’m sharing some of my favorite pumpkin recipes.

Pumpkin Faves:

When I think of Thanksgiving, I think of pumpkin pie. That being said, I try to at least make a pumpkin pie two or three times in October and November.

I’m team cold pumpkin pie (with a dollop of Cool Whip)…what about you?

Hadley loves to bake as much as I do, and we make these Pumpkin Sugar cookies.

I just buy a tub of icing and then sprinkle some pumpkin spice on the cookies.

Hadley and I made Pumpkin Crinkle Cookies recently, and they hit the spot!

If a kid hands me a fundraising sheet, and I see a Pumpkin Roll, I’m done. Sign me up.

Kroger also has them which is dangerous!

I made Shay’s pumpkin cake the past couple of years. Unfortunately, I can’t find the recipe to link up, but I’m pretty sure I used spice cake mix as the base…and a tub of frosting with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.

Pumpkin Sausage Penne Pasta is a family favorite in the fall for sure.

Trader Joe’s:

Of course, Trader Joe’s as all kinds of fall goodness, but my two “must haves” in the fall are:

Trader Joe’s muffin mix. It comes in so handy for pumpkin bread…

…or muffins.

The kids and I devour these for breakfast this time of the year. I love a pumpkin muffins with a cup of coffee on the weekends.

For as long as Trader Joe’s has them in stock, you’ll find Hadley having a pumpkin bagel and pumpkin cream cheese for breakfast. I usually have half a bagel a couple times a week for a snack!

My mom told me she’s tried this butter, and it’s so good.

I’d like to try:

I “pin” recipes on Pinterest pretty often, and have a “fall recipe” board. A few recipes I’d like to try over the next couple of months are:

What are your favorite fall or pumpkin recipes?

…at least that’s my motto πŸ˜‰

I hope you have a great week.

Posted in Meals and Recipes

Monday Meals

Hello and Happy Monday!

How was your weekend? We had a good one. There’s no tired like back to school teacher tired! I was in my pajamas by 5:00 on Friday. The weather was nice all weekend; I hit the pool for a bit on Saturday. Both kids went to birthday parties on Saturday, and then Hadley went out to dinner with Travis and me. Sunday, we went to church, Hadley went to volleyball, and Travis and Hayden went on a bike ride.

Now that we are back to school, I’m trying to get back in a cooking routine. When possible, I try to make something Sunday with leftovers for Monday. Then, Tuesday is usually something quick followed by Wednesday’s meal with Thursday leftovers. I don’t always follow that plan, but I try.

Also, I had hoped to place a Kroger order for pick up Friday, but instead picked up Saturday at noon. I usually don’t get the chance to pick up groceries until Sunday, so I’m going to do my best to try for Friday or Saturday. It made Sunday so much easier just having that task crossed off my list.

Usually, my “Monday Meals” posts are recipes I make, but today I’m sharing what we are eating this week!

  • Sunday: Ground turkey pasta, Sister Schubert rolls and fruit
  • Monday: Shay’s Sloppy Joes and sweet potato fries
  • Tuesday: Gnocchi (from Trader Joe’s) with marinara sauce and green beans
  • Wednesday: Baked chicken, Bob Evans mashed potatoes, fruit
  • Thursday: Leftover chicken, bagged Caesar Salad
  • Friday/Saturday: carry out/eat out
Sunday dinner

Besides meal planning dinners, I also have to make a plan for my lunches. I hate packing a lunch, but I have done so for twenty years. Last week, I only needed lunches for three days, and I had prepped my ground turkey ahead of time, and had Cheeseburger Salad two days, and then leftover Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken on Friday.

I’m ok eating the same thing a few days in a row, so I think that will be my plan this year. Rather than meal prep a lot of things, I may just do one idea that I know I will eat at least three times knowing I should at least will have leftovers from dinner one night as an option.

Last week, and then yesterday, I went ahead an put grapes in baggies as well as my chips for the week. Last week, I took pretzels as my snack, and this week I am taking veggie chips. I liked just being able to grab grapes and chips to add to my lunch bag in the morning.

Over the weekend, I tried two new lunches that I think will be in the rotation this week.

I love this sandwich idea that Amy shared recently. I added sandwich thins to my Kroger order this week and then used Garden Vegetable Alouette and cucumbers to my sandwich. I love having an apple as a snack or for lunch at home since I prefer an apple cut up. Veggie chips are my fave.

I saw a reel shared on Instagram about turning these salads into wraps. The reel featured four Taylor Farms salads (all of which I eat pretty regularly): Dill Pickle (so good!), Buffalo Ranch (yum!), Caesar (classic!), and Avocado Ranch (delish!).

You just mix the salad together with the dressing and put it in a wrap. I love these salads, and usually one bag provides two to three lunches for me. That being said, sometimes I get tired of eating a salad, so this is a great way to mix things up.

I buy this Perdue chicken to use in the salads (as well as the kids’ quesadillas), and love these tortillas. Do you know what Hadley likes to do with a tortilla? (thankfully, not slap me! — I don’t think she’s seen the Tik Tok challenge. haha)…she likes to put peanut butter on a tortilla and fold it up to eat it. I do that occasionally too for a quick snack.

I used 1/3 of the dill pickle salad for my lunch yesterday; I added chicken to the salad mix. I actually put too much salad in the wrap, so just ate it as a side too. This was so good, and will definitely be another lunch or two for me this week.

I’m trying to keep meal planning and prep as easy as possible these first few weeks of school.

Let me know what y’all are having for dinner (or lunch!)…and that will help me plan next week. TIA πŸ˜‚

I hope you have a great week!

Posted in Meals and Recipes, Not Just a Mom, Traditions

Not Just a Mom: Family Food Traditions

Hello! How was your weekend? We got back late Saturday night, and I’m still up to my eyeballs in laundry, suitcases, and errands. I’m going to continue to chip away at that stuff today too.

I swear…after the 4th of July, the summer just really starts to slip away. It’s already the second Monday of the month, so I’m co-hosting this fun link up with some of my favorite bloggers.

So far this year, we’ve discussed:

This month’s topic is: family food traditions.

Today, I’m sharing the first few food traditions of ours that immediately came to mind.

Corned beef and cabbage:

My entire family looks forward to March 17th! They know this means we get to have corned beef and cabbage as well as Irish soda bread for dinner. I’ve shared those recipes before, and here they are again!

I grew up on these dishes around the holidays, and I’m glad to have carried the tradition on for my family.

Cookie cake:

We are big cookie cake people. Honestly, I think we started having cookie cakes around the time the kids were born. I remember picking a double stuffed one up at Sam’s Club for my brother’s birthday in 2010. Then, it just became a thing we do for birthdays, anniversaries (sometimes), Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

We always look forward to this sweet treat!

Christmas cookies:

Like many families, we make Christmas cookies every year. Again, I grew up baking cookies, and started doing that with my kids when they were little.

The kids always loved making the Hershey kiss peanut butter cookies, and when they were little, the best help they could be was peeling off the silver wrapper on the kisses. Now, they can make the cookies without any help from me!

Years ago, I added in the chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies I found on Pinterest, and those are our two main cookies. Sometimes, the kids will use cookie cutters on sugar cookies and then ice them, but we don’t do that every year like we do the other cookies.

My mom always sends us Christmas cookies, and then when we visit KC at Christmas, we make cookies as well. We make Spritz, Pfeffernusse, and Lebkuchen cookies as well as waffle cookies using the waffle iron that’s been in our family for well over 100 years.

Back to school:

Another tradition we have is our Back to School Breakfast. I started doing this when the kids were in kindergarten. I keep most of the supplies in a box and just bring them out the night before school starts. This is a fun tradition….

…that I tweaked last year. With the start of middle school, I decided to have a Back to School Brinner the night before the first day of school.

It was a success, and I think that will be the plan this year too. Honestly, it felt weird waking up on the first day already having that traditional meal over with, but it also was the perfect time for that transition.

Red plate:

Growing up we had the “You are Special” red plate. My mom served us dinner on it for anything from getting a good grade on a test to passing our driver’s test!

She gave one to us maybe four or five years ago for me to carry on the tradition with the kids.

The kids get it after report card time, after a game/performance/sports season, for being extra helpful and more.

So…those are some of our traditions. I’m sure I’m forgetting some, but those were the first to pop up in my mind!

What food traditions do you have in your family? I’d love to hear!

Next month, our topic is binge watching tv shows. Considering in binged all six seasons on Schitt’s Creek in the past month, I know that will be the first on my list!

If you have a blog, we hope you’ll link up with us. There are always so many great posts to read too!

I hope you have a wonderful Monday.

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Posted in Family, Friday Favorites, Meals and Recipes

Friday Favorites {#114}

Hello and Happy Friday! It’s our last Friday of the school year, and we are ready for the weekend.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

Favorite Moment(s)

My dad came to visit this past weekend. His birthday was on Tuesday, so I encouraged him to come see us, have some cake, and watch the kids’ last regular season track meet on Monday.

On Sunday, we grilled out steaks and had lemon Bundt cake for dessert. The weather was great, and we were able to spend some time outside.

Monday was the kids’ last regular season track meet. They’ve improved so much and had such a great time this season. Both of them have set PR’s in their events, and the last meet was only for 6th graders. Hayden ran the 1600, 800 and one relay. Hadley ran 100m and two relays. They had quite the cheering section!

On Wednesday, they had their last track practice where they celebrated the season with ice cream and awards. Hayden earned a silver medal for finishing second place (he lost by a fraction a second) in the 6th grade mile while Hadley earned the two bronze medals for third place finishes with her relay teams. That meet was a great way to cap off the season.

Hayden’s 4×800 relay qualified for state in a couple of weeks!

Favorite Pic(s):

The kids baptism was one year ago, and this week I randomly received the professional photos that were taken. The kids look both the same and older to me one year later. I hope that their faith remains strong and that their hearts always guide them.

Favorite Food(s):

We grilled out for my dad’s birthday, and I made two of our favorite summer dishes for sides.

This pasta salad is so easy and so delish. My favorite part is the bits of mozzarella!

My kids even request these asparagus fries. They are so good!

Favorite Mom Meme:

Relatable!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

This throwback from May 2014 is so sweet. We loved pool days then, and we can’t wait for pool days now. The pool opens up next Wednesday!

Weekly Recap:

This week, I’ve shared a recap of the weekend, teacher gift ideas, and summer Amazon faves:

What are your plans for the weekend? The kids are running in a post-season track meet tomorrow and have youth Sunday at church. We have a few other things going on, but I sure hope to have some time to read and catch up on my tv shows!

See you back here Monday.

Posted in Meals and Recipes

Aldi

Hello!

I know y’all are used to my Trader Joe’s hauls, but today I’m sharing something different…my recent trip to Aldi.

We have an Aldi in Lexington, but I rarely shop there. Honestly, when I do, I always wonder why I don’t go back often. I guess I’m just used to my routine of Kroger and Trader Joe’s but Aldi has lots to offer.

Some Facts about Aldi:

  • Aldi is known having a basic layout and “no frills.”
  • Bring a quarter because that’s how you get your cart. When you return your cart, you get your quarter back.
  • Bring your own bags because there are no Aldi bags at checkout. There are often a few boxes that you can use to bag your purchased items.
  • Speaking of bags, you do the bagging yourself!

Some Aldi purchases:

Well, this past trip all started with a ham. My Gma was visiting, and suggested picking one up to have an early Easter/Palm Sunday supper. She shops at Aldi, and says they have the best ham for the price, so that’s where we headed to get our supper planning started.

I think she found the biggest ham in the bunch.

Since I hadn’t been to Kroger yet, I decided to pick up some things I knew we’d eat for the week.

  • Oven roasted deli meat
  • Grilled chicken breast strips

I would have picked up the deli meet and chicken strips at Kroger anyway, so I thought I’d give these a try.

  • Bagel Skinnys – I had one of these with turkey and cheese that I picked up at Aldi. Very good!
  • Mini Bagels – I picked these up for Hadley. I got up something similar at Target a few weeks ago, and she loved them.
  • Crackers – We got these to go with a goat cheese log for an appetizer.
  • Mini quiche- We put these in the air fryer to have as another app, and they were so good!
  • Mini bear grahams: I thought the kids would enjoy these for a school snack.
  • Honey Crisp apples: I started buying a similar pack at Trader Joe’s because I like how small the apples are. The ones at Kroger are always too big for one person.
  • Chex Mix: A fave for all.
  • Bob Evans mashed potatoes: Of course, these are at Kroger too, but I snagged them for a side dish to serve with the ham.

Aldi has a huge cheese and meat selection as well as charcuterie options. Some pre-packaged ones included meat, cheese, olives, nuts, dried berries and more!

  • Gouda – to go on the crackers or sandwiches
  • Goat Cheese (Cranberry Cinnamon) – This goat cheese (served with crackers) was SO good. I would go to Aldi just to pick it up!
  • Caramels – My Gma said how great these chocolate covered caramels are, and they didn’t disappoint.

I didn’t do a ton of price comparison, but I do feel like most everything was a bit cheaper.

The thing about Aldi is I don’t feel like I can go in with a specific list. Of course, I know they will have cheese, crackers, meats, etc., but, for example, if I want Sparkling Ice drinks, those are at Kroger. Kroger really is one stop shopping whereas Trader Joe’s and Aldi have specific finds that make them unique.

That being said, one of the things I like about Trader Joe’s is just going in there to pick up whatever looks good or something knew I’d like to try. I can do that at Aldi too.

Do you have an Aldi near you? Do you shop there? I hope to stop in there more often now that I have a few faves from there!

Thanks so much for reading,

Posted in Meals and Recipes, Not Just a Mom

Not Just a Mom: What’s for Lunch

Hello! How was your weekend? We had a great one with quite a bit of downtime. We have family visiting, so we hung out at my brother’s on Friday night, and we all went to lunch on Saturday. Travis and I went to a concert with friends on Saturday night, and then Sunday’s weather was beautiful. It finally felt like spring.

Today, I’m co-hosting our NJAM link up with these awesome bloggers:

So far this year, we’ve discussed:

Last Monday, I shared some easy dinner ideas, and today I’m talking about: What’s for Lunch…

I’ve a few Let’s Lunch posts in the past…

….and an easy lunch idea:

I have a love/hate relationship with lunch. Somehow it always gets brought up with my students, but in 20 years as a teacher, I only buy the cafeteria lunch once a year for the Thanksgiving meal! That means, I pack my lunch the other 175 days in the school year…

It’s not even that I get bored with lunches, I just hate having another task like packing a lunch.

I often make something that will at least provide two lunches for the week like shrimp fried rice or a salad. Otherwise, I will pack cheese and crackers, a chip (pretzel, popcorn), carrots and hummus, a hard boiled egg, or fruit (strawberries or grapes). I typically pack a protein shake as well. Sometimes, I will include a small sweet bite like a Built bar or granola bar.

Lately, my “go to” has been a Cheeseburger salad. It’s delish.

If I’m home, I love to make a “snack plate.” I’m not sure why, but it feels like a treat!

The kids often took their lunches in elementary school. Now that it’s middle school, Hayden buys lunch every single day, and Hadley brings her lunch every single day. She tends to eat the same thing every day in her Yumbox: an Uncrustable in the big section, Gushers or fruit snacks in the small middle circle, fruit or vegetable in one section, and then a chip in the last part. She typically packs a granola bar for a snack. She occasionally will pack something in her thermos and then bring a chip and other snack for lunch.

What are some of your “go to” lunches?

We hope you’ll join us next month when our topic is: go to gift ideas.

If you are a blogger, we hope you’ll link up with us today.

I hope you have a great week. We have lots going on, but I hope to post pretty regularly.

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Posted in Meals and Recipes

Monday Meals

Hello and Happy Monday. Well, *sigh* it’s the Monday after break which always proves to be difficult.

My friend sent me this yesterday and it’s very relatable!

That being said, today also marks the downhill slide to summer!

After Spring Break really is our busiest time of the year. Nothing fills up a calendar quicker than baseball practices and games. Well, of course Hadley also has dance, and now both kids are doing track this spring with meets during the week as well. The good news is that our weekends will now be lighter, but the week days will be booked solid.

I’m sharing some quick and easy meals that I will turn to while making dinners these next couple of months.

I really do try to have something home cooked Sunday-Thursday. Even on a really busy night, I don’t want to do drive-thru if possible.

I’ve shared before that I try to cook something Sunday that will provide leftovers on Monday. Even if we don’t have much on a Monday, I rarely feel like cooking. Tuesdays tend to be Mexican theme, and then Wednesday is often pasta or something can make leftovers on Thursday. This isn’t always my schedule. If don’t have leftovers to serve, I often will do pork loin, brinner, or soup and sandwiches.

With our schedule filling up on week nights, I’m sharing a few meals that I turn to in order to get dinner on the table as quickly as possible.

A few “go to” meals:

  • Andrea’s Creamy Beef Casserole: This meal is a family favorite. We definitely eat this more in the colder weather months, but it’s such a great hearty meal to eat all year long.
  • Lazy Enchiladas: These are so easy and delish. All you have to do is cook taquitos as directed. Then, you pour a bit of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish, put the taquitos on the sauce, cover the taquitos with sauce and shredded cheese. Then, you bake them at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. That’s it!
  • Trader Joe’s Carnitas: I make these at least once a month. Put the carnitas in the slow cooker, cover with salsa verde, and cook on low for 3-4 hours. I then put the meat on half of Trader Joe’s Southwest Chopped Salad while the kids and Travis will put the meat on hard or soft taco shells.
  • Cheeseburger Salad: I actually have been eating this quite a bit for lunch lately. It’s so good!

I brown the turkey in a skillet and then add some taco seasoning and water to let it finish cooking. I add chopped lettuce to the bowl, top with cooked ground turkey, add chopped pickles, a sprinkle of shredded cheese, and then a drizzle (1 Tblsp) of this awesome sauce from Trader Joe’s.

*I get at least three salads out of 1 lb. of meat.

  • Shay’s Frito Pie: I’ve made this a couple of times, and it’s a family fave.
  • Baked Chicken: I’ve shared this recipe many times, and it’s such a good one. I always get two nights out of it, and the chicken is easy to pair with bagged salad or Bob Evans mashed potatoes.
  • Brinner: Who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner?
  • Pork loin: I often buy the Smithfield brand that you just cook in the bag. There are a few flavors, and my family loves these. The only thing is that they do cook for about 45 minutes, so I just need to remember that as far as timing goes.
  • Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken – I’ve been making this for years! It’s so easy, delicious, and makes so much!
  • With the warmer weather, we’ll grill out when we can.

Other time savers:

  • Rotisserie chicken

Sides:

  • Bob Evans microwave mashed potatoes
  • Bagged salad – Dole chopped Caesar is a fave!
  • Fruit
  • Biscuits or Jiffy cornbread

I’ve been picking up this Bisquick mix recently, and it’s perfect for making a few biscuits quickly.

Shay‘s Simmers cookbook is a perfect resource for having meals ready right when you get home.

What we are eating this week:

Other meals I want to try soon:

I keep tabs open on my phone with recipes I see that I want to try. Then, if I think I will make it again, I will write it on a recipe card.

What are some of your quick “go to” meals? I’d love to add to my list. Sometimes I feel like I’m in a cooking rut. Not to mention, the grocery store can be hit or miss with what they have in stock. I swear, lately my Clicklist order has felt like March 2020. My order this past Saturday had 14 substitutions and 3 items not in stock at all. Also, the most random things are hard to find…cotton balls, for example!

At the start of break, knowing we were headed out of town, I didn’t go to the grocery and it was nice not having to plan for food. It was all fun and games until Friday when the kids complained we were out of food. haha

I hope you had a great weekend! This early alarm on a Monday morning hurt. Ouch.

See you back here tomorrow for Prime Purchases!

Posted in Holidays, Meals and Recipes

St. Patrick’s Day Foods

Hello! With St. Patrick’s Day only a couple of days away, I’m sharing a few food ideas.

Listen, we take St. Patrick’s Day very seriously…I’m only like 2% Irish, but I can drink green beer with the best of them! #college

Seriously, I grew up knowing about my Irish and German heritage, but I finally took an Ancestry DNA test only a couple of years ago only to find out that I don’t have much Irish blood!

That being said, I still look forward to the traditional corned beef, cabbage, and Irish soda bread meal that I always grew up enjoying.

Breakfast:

Last year, I made the kids some green pancakes and sprinkled some Lucky Charms marshmallows on top with the syrup. I plan on doing the same this year as well.

Dinner:

I shared about our traditional meal last year, so make sure to check out that post again. I always use two slow cookers to cook two corned beefs because my brother’s family always comes over for dinner too. The Irish soda bread is probably my favorite part! It feels like it’s going to be a lot of work, but really it’s not…and it’s so worth it anyway.

Dessert:

Amy shared some fun St. Patrick’s Day ideas, and I loved the lime sherbet and Ginger Ale idea. I think the kids will love it, so I’m going serve that as an after dinner treat.

This year, I think I’m going to make the traditional feast on Saturday. We’re too busy on Thursday, and I’d rather choose a day where I know we can sit and enjoy the meal.

Go Green:

I guess it’s another thing they’ve kind of outgrown, but I always loved dressing the kids up in green (so they don’t get pinched, of course!)

2015

Do you have any St. Patrick’s Day traditions?

May your troubles be less and your blessings be more. And nothing but happiness come through your door.” ~Irish blessing

Take care,