Heeeey guys, happy first day of winter break!
My kids are already driving me crazy. Shocker, right?
It’s crazy cold right now and nobody wants to go outside and run off their energy. So far we’ve gone a movie, taken the dogs to see Santa, decorated cookies, watched Home Alone 4 times, and eaten 3 batches of my mom’s Christmas mix.
Please send ideas.
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Thanksgiving Leftovers Shepherd’s Pie – layers of turkey, gravy, veggies, stuffing, and mashed potatoes! The perfect way to use those Thanksgiving leftovers!
You guys.
My kid looked at me yesterday morning and said, “Only 6 days of school left before Thanksgiving break!”
Wait, what?
I know we all say this every year but, seriously, how are we less than 2 weeks from Thanksgiving?! I swear it was just July.
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Meatball French Bread Pizza – perfect for pizza night! French bread with pizza sauce, homemade meatballs, and lots of cheese. Easy and delicious!
Heeeey guys, happy Friday!
Do you guys do pizza on Friday night? We usually do but we’ve been off our usual routine this summer and I’m trying to get back into it. School starts in, like, a week and a half here. Ugh.
I took them school shopping the other day. I don’t wanna talk about it.
ANYWAY.
Our babysitter got my oldest kiddo really into cooking a few months ago. Like, I would come home at night and find pancakes in the fridge for the next morning or brownies on the counter with a note that said they were just for me. Every time I went out, they would make something together.
So now, he really enjoys being in charge of pizza night. He loves for me to buy the pizza dough from Trader Joe’s or French bread for pizzas like this Meatball French Bread Pizza. And then I always serve my really easy Cheesy Breadsticks on pizza night.
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This post has been sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Heeeeey guys, are you loving summer?!
I, as I am every summer, am in love.
I know everyone is complaining about how hot it is but this is what I live for.
I have the top off the Jeep, I’ve been hiking several times a week, my tan is looking amazing.
Why can’t it be summer all the time?
Just kidding, I live in central Texas. It IS summer all the time.
Except that one month last year when the Jeep’s window zipper was broken. That month was cold.
Very cold.
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Heeeey guys, how’s the week been?!
This is the last week of school for us so we’ve been crazy busy. Fat baby (who is neither fat nor a baby at this point) graduated from kindergarten:
And we’ve had award ceremonies and parties and everything else that comes with the end of the school year. Pretty excited to force my children to go for hikes a few times a week for the next 3 months.
Also? Stupid excited to not have to pack school lunches anymore. I am so over it at this point.
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This post sponsored by Jennie-O. All opinions are my own.
Enchilada Stuffed Spaghetti Squash – all the flavors of enchiladas in a spaghetti squash! Healthy, low carb, and so delicious!
Hey guys, happy almost Friday! I hope your week has been fab!
My kids have a half day at school today. Isn’t it weird to have a half day on a Thursday? I will never understand it.
Like, the beauty of a half day is that it’s supposed to kick off the weekend. Right? But nope, they have to get up on Friday and go to school.
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This post sponsored by Green Giant. All opinions are my own.
Cauliflower Tots Shepherd’s Pie – a healthier twist on shepherd’s pie! Ground turkey and veggies in gravy with cauliflower tots on top!
I feel like every year around this time, my house gets super busy. It’s like, January hits and all of the sudden all my kids have a million activities and it’s made worse this year because I have a forever long list of things I want to do here before we move. So we are never home anymore.
I mean, it’s great and fun and all but it means we’re rushing to eat dinner, do baths, finish homework all in, like, an hour before bedtime. It’s not always easy to cook something healthy in that time so I wanted to share a delicious and healthy shortcut I’ve discovered.
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Okay, guys.
It’s this week. Days away. Nobody panic but, like, have you gone to the store yet?
Tip: go in the middle of the night if you have to go this week. It’s the only way you’ll survive it.
Have you made your minute by minute timeline of the day?!
JK Do people that don’t live on Pinterest actually do that?
Anyway, I’ve got a no stress turkey option today that you guys are going to love!
I’ve never made a turkey on my own. Ever. I wouldn’t know where to start.
Lucky for me, Jennie-O makes it idiot proof with their Jennie-O Oven Ready Cajun Style Turkey. You literally just remove the outer packaging, slice some slits in the top of the oven bag, and roast it for 4 hours. (How to cook it video here!)
That’s it. No basting. No fuss.
Aaaaand it has a gravy packet that you just pour into a pot and simmer until hot and thick.
They turkey turned out perfectly juicy and the cajun spices were a nice change from the usual turkey. (Pssst, they have a regular turkey, too!) My kids came home from school the day I cooked it and said, “Why does it smell so good in here?!”
The Jennie-O website is where you should head if you need any Thanksgiving help. They’ve got several menus, a thawing calculator (you better do that one today!), and tons of recipes for side dishes!
If you happen to have leftover turkey, lemme suggest you make this uhhhh-mazing Cranberry Turkey Salad. There’s this grocery store in my hometown that makes the best chicken salad with grapes and pecans and, like, sometimes I dream about that chicken salad. So I kind of wanted to do that but switched the chicken for turkey and the grapes for dried cranberries.
It’s so good and even better on a croissant.
True story: was so excited to have an excuse to buy croissants and my evil husky ate the 3 remaining croissants while I was at the gym!
This post sponsored by Jennie-O!
Butternut Squash and Turkey Chili – serious comfort food! Turkey chili filled with butternut squash, black beans, tomatoes, and lots of spices.
Is everyone obsessed with squash right now or is it just me?
I feel like every post I’ve put up this month has been squash.
I have 5 varieties in my pantry right now. And as soon as I cook one, I run to the store to replace it. Just in case I have an emergency and need a sweet dumpling squash right now.
I can’t get enough.
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Happy Wednesday guys!
We made it halfway through the week! And I’ve got the most delicious dinner idea for you today!
Also, tomorrow is September 1. How?!
How is August over already?! Where did it go?! This year has flown by! I can’t even believe it and I’m not ready for September.
Anyway, tostadas!
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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PickedAtPeak #CollectiveBias
Grilled Stuffed Peppers – quick and healthy dinner! Stuffed with ground turkey, rice, fresh corn, and zucchini!
Big news, guys!
I have figured out how to turn my grill on!
Yep, had that grill for, like, 6 years and I just now figured out how to work it.
Next challenge: the smoker.
Anyway, I haven’t stopped using it since I figured it out. I’m obsessed.
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Monday! Woo!
No?
Ugh, I’m with you. I’m not ready for today. I meant to get so much done this weekend.
But what did I do?
Got a really awkward sunburn and then watched all of the 3rd season of Young and Hungry.
Productive? Nope. Fun? Yep.
But now that means that I have a ton to do this week. So pizza for dinner!
My current favorite way to do pizza is with naan bread.
How much do you love naan bread? I’m not much of a bread eater but I could eat garlic naan bread after garlic naan bread and never get tired of it.
If you’ve never tried it, it’s kind of like pita bread but softer and without the pocket in the middle. And it has these puffy bubbles on top that make it really, really hard to resist.
So for this Sausage and Kale Naan Pizza, you just cook some turkey sausage with kale and garlic and then pile it on top of naan bread. Then you add some of those cute mozzarella balls on top and broil until the cheese is all melty and delicious.
Seriously easy. I’ve made this several times for lunch the past couple months and it takes me no time at all!
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Okay.
I’ve been trying not to talk about Big Brother too much because I feel like the viewership gets smaller every year (I don’t blame you) but man, this has not been my year.
My faves are all gone already.
I’m still obsessively watching the live feeds and reading updates when I can’t watch the feeds but I just don’t like any of them. None of them. I keep hoping Big Brother will come over the speaking and “You all suck – we’re canceling the show so that the 5 people still watching can return to their lives.”
That said, I’m officially on Team Jackie now. Which means she’ll be evicted next week.
Ugggghhhhhh.
Anyway, that meal plan I posted over the weekend inspired me to not only plan stuff to cook this week but to also make sloppy joes! I always forget how much I love sloppy joes until someone mentions them and then I can’t stop thinking about them.
You really can’t beat how fast and easy they are. Seriously, there’s nothing easier than browning meat, stirring together a sauce, and putting it on a bun.
These Maple BBQ Sloppy Joes are scrumptious! I love my sloppy joes a little bit sweet and the maple gave just the right amount of sweetness. Plus, for whatever reason, the cheddar on top made them even yummier. Maple and cheddar? Idk, it worked.
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Breakfast Stuffed Acorn Squash – healthy and delicious breakfast! Roasted acorn squash filled with sausage and topped with an egg!
I am forever looking for new breakfast ideas for myself. I’m not really into typical breakfast foods first thing in the morning (but I love a cinnamon roll in the afternoon or pancakes for dinner) and a girl can only have so many breakfast salads before she starts to lose it.
This Breakfast Stuffed Acorn Squash is my new favorite and I’m going through withdrawals right now because Trader Joe’s was out of acorn squash the other day and I’m refusing to go to any other grocery stores until the excitement of TJ’s wears off.
Life is rough.
And I know you think I’m nuts and you think squash for breakfast is a horrible idea.
But trust me, this is so good.
It’s just cooked acorn squash with turkey breakfast sausage, onion, garlic, and an egg on top. And then when you’re ready to eat you mash it all together and dump a ton of sriracha on top and you’ve got a healthy, delicious breakfast that’s full of protein and good carbs. Plus, it’s just fun to eat straight out of a squash!
I prepped this one night while binge watching Once Upon a Time (which I always thought sounded super lame but I’m addicted) and it was so nice to wake up the next couple of mornings and not have to worry about breakfast. I just popped a half in the microwave and sat down to eat!
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Enchilada Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Butternut Squash and Crab Bisque
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Zesty Turkey Roll-Ups – deli turkey, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and taco seasoned mayo rolled up in a spinach wrap! Perfect for lunchboxes!
Summer lunches have been interesting so far.
One day last week my 4 year old requested a vienna sausage sandwich.
Yeah.
Vienna sausages on bread.
With mayo.
Even my husband – who could live on fried bologna sandwiches – gave that one a “WTF” when I told him about it.
I just have no interest in cooking actual meals at lunch time. So it’s microwavable mac & cheese cups and hot dogs most days.
With an occasional vienna sausage sandwich thrown in.
What do you do?
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