October 2015 - NY Foodie Family

Friday Favorites {Week 36}

Posted on October 30, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Happy Friday before Halloween! Let’s get right to some of this past week’s favorites!

1. Trunk or Treat – This was the first year that we took the kids to our local Trunk or Treat event. It’s sponsored by our school education foundation so the money being raised is for a good cause – the students in our school district! Some families go all out in decorating their cars. As my daughter noted, “Mom, you would never do that.” She knows me too well! After trunk or treating (my son is Rocket Raccoon from Guardians of the Galaxy and my daughter is a vampire princess) we now have the above pictured plastic pumpkin filled with candy and the kids haven’t even gone trick-or-treating yet. I have a bunch of recipes saved for using up leftover Halloween candy. I may need to break some of those out in the next couple of weeks!

2. Favorite bookmarked recipe of the week – These Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Pancakes with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting from Closet Cooking. Can I even make this for “breakfast for dinner” or does this fall into the dessert category?!!

3. Turkey Hill Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream – And speaking of pumpkin, the kids and I have been enjoying this ice cream all week. It’s pumpkin ice cream with a cinnamon graham cracker swirl. Of course, the graham cracker swirl is my favorite part. After this ice cream is gone….no more. I need to take an ice cream hiatus! The Weekend Chef is being so good with his diet and I really need get more serious about eating healthier.

4. Free Fresh Fruit and Veggies – Every Saturday morning I volunteer at a local food pantry. Since my son’s soccer season started, I can only usually stay for an hour, in which I help set up by bagging produce and bread deliveries that arrive. This past Saturday, the Weekend Chef’s Tae Kwon Do class was cancelled, so I was able to volunteer at the pantry for the full shift. After all the families have shopped and we’ve cleaned up, any leftover produce is offered to the volunteers. Most of the produce is locally grown. This past week I brought home a bag of pears, two of which are pictured above, as well as a bag of mixed purple and orange carrots and two bags of swiss chard. While I’m not a pear eater, the Weekend Chef and my son enjoyed them, noting how ripe and juicy they were. As the growing season is pretty much ending now, there won’t be much fresh produce for the next couple of months. As the Weekend Chef noted, my volunteer time at the pantry is paid for with fruit and vegetables!

5. Behavior Modification Charts – Once a special education teacher, always a special education teacher! When we got an e-mail from our son’s teacher that he was being disruptive and talkative, I immediately pulled out a behavior modification chart. The rule is that if he does not come home with a smiley face each day we go all out on consequences – no treats, electronics, playdates, etc. If you noticed, there is only one so-so face (where he just lost his treat for the night) and the rest are smiley faces. When I e-mailed the teacher about using the chart she was totally on board with it and happy that we were being so supportive. If all goes well and he comes home today with a smiley face we are hoping to phase out the chart for next week and he will get a special treat over the weekend for having five smiley faces in a row. While you don’t want a child to be dependent on a behavior modification chart, it’s a great visual reinforcer. I’m just happy that it’s worked and that his behavior is so much better!

ICYMI here on the blog:
Monday I posted our weekly meal plan.
Tuesday I posted a link-up that I was guest co-hosting for the month of October.
Wednesday the Weekend Chef reviewed Ernest Cline’s newest book Armada.
Thursday I posted about my first experience with Jamberry nail wraps.

Have a great weekend and have a Happy Halloween! If you are trick-or-treating with kids, stay safe and enjoy the treats!

Linking up with Tif @ Bright on a Budget, Amanda from Meet @ The Barre and Andrea @ Momfessionals!

I tried Jamberry Nail Wraps

Posted on October 29, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

I am a very low maintenance girl. I can count on one hand the number of times that I’ve gotten a professional manicure. My nine-year-old daughter has probably gotten more manicures than I have, since my mom sometimes takes her for some granddaughter bonding time. I do love nail polish though (sidenote: possible dream job is coming up with the nail polish color names!). I can paint my nails pretty well on my own. However, the Weekend Chef will often paint my nails while we catch up on Netflix (sidenote: sadly, this is our married with kids, weeknight bonding time)!

I had heard of Jamberry nail wraps but had never tried them until now. I actually won the Apple Cider Jamberry nail wraps pictured below from a giveaway that Della hosted along with Jamberry consultant Becky. I loved this design and received many compliments! (Please note that the below picture was taken after the nail wraps had been applied to my nails – thus the missing wraps!)

The wraps came in a pretty pink envelope along with a set of directions for applying and removing the wraps.

I like that you receive a variety of sizes, so you can pick the wrap that best fits the size of your fingers. There is also enough wraps for at least two applications. I believe there’s definitely a learning curve to applying the nail wraps. Yes, the Weekend Chef applied these for me. After choosing the correct size for my nail, he cut the strip in two pieces (for matching fingers on each hand), peeled the backing, applied the wrap to my nail, used the hair dryer to help adhere and soften the wrap to my nail and then trimmed the excess with nail clippers. He then filed the edges smooth with a nail file. He found this process easier than painting my nails but it still took about a half hour this first time to apply the wraps. He tells me that he can apply the next set much quicker now that he knows what he’s doing.

So, here is picture of the nail wraps after application. You can see on my middle finger there’s a little piece of wrap hanging off that needed to be filed down.

And here’s a picture of the nail wraps nine days after applying the nail wraps (please disregard my dried out, paper cut-ridden fingers!). There was some nail growth and although hard to tell from the photo, the wraps were looking a little ragged.

Removing the wraps were really easy. I stuck each finger in a capful of nail polish remover for approximately 25 seconds and then wiped them off with a paper towel. There was some adhesive residue that I removed with a cotton ball doused in nail polish remover.

Overall, I am a fan of Jamberry nail wraps. I loved the color and design of the Apple Cider wraps. These would be especially nice for glittery designs since glitter nail polish is such a beast to take off. It appears that most nail wraps are $15 per sheet. However, there is usually some sort of sale or deal going on. Since I can get a bottle of nail polish a lot cheaper, nail wraps are not something that I’d use often. However, after trying them now, these are a product that I would use again, most likely for a special occasion!

Becky was nice enough to include some samples of other Jamberry nail wrap designs. I actually plan on using these on my ring finger as an accent nail, with the other nails painted in a solid nail polish color. With all of the designs and styles, there is definitely a nailwrap for everyone!

If you would like to try Jamberry nail wraps please feel free to check out Becky’s site!

Have you tried Jamberry nail wraps? What’s your favorite design?

Armada: Attack of the Video Games

Posted on October 28, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Armada by Ernest Cline is the second book from an author who showed a promising start with Ready Player One. Nancy and I both read and enjoyed his debut. Apparently, a bunch of folks did as it was a bestseller and has already been developed for a movie by Steven Spielberg. I had high hopes for Mr. Cline’s second effort. He has a knack for blending video games and popular culture into a fun adventure. Would he be able to recapture the excitement?

In a word, somewhat. Armada is packed with some great elements: fast-paced intergalactic space battles, underdog antagonists, and a regular flow of big twists and surprises. The pacing for me was way off. There entire story occurs mostly in a few days which is just too fast for my liking to develop the story and to immerse yourself in rise and fall of the characters on the page. The characters, as a whole, just don’t have me hoping and cheering along the way. And the fun elements of Ready Player One really felt forced and fell flat for me this time around.

The main character Zach Lightman is a high school senior on the verge of graduation when some abnormal things begin happening in his sleepy town. It seems as though an alien invasion is upon them but the real surprise is that the alien spacecraft looks exactly like the enemy ships in Zach’s favorite video game. His mother and friends and the wider world are dragged into the conflict. It’s difficult to say much more about the book without some level of plot ruining. Let me just say that Zach gets the chance to be the classic (played-out?) reluctant hero. How does the fast-paced arc of the character from bored teen to space pilot play out? I do recommend Armada as a worthwhile read. I wouldn’t consider it a compelling page-turner, but perhaps it would be an advantage to those of you who haven’t read the first book to read Armada first instead. Then you won’t feel compelled like me to keep comparing the two unfavorably and go in with a fresh mind. Please chime in if you’ve read either book and share in the comments section.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Turn It Up Tuesday #110

Posted on October 26, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

This is the last week that I am guest cohosting Turn It Up Tuesday at Epic Mommy Adventures. Last week there were over 340 participants in the link-up! This week is the Halloween Edition! We’d like to wish you all a spooky Halloween with loads of family fun! Feel free to share all of your Halloween-inspired posts, old or new, with us this week! We can’t wait to check them all out!

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We had a spectacular time reading all of your posts last week – and we welcome you to share some more amazing posts this week!

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Turn It Up Tuesdays is all about being happy, excited, energetic…and having fun! Link up all of your favorite posts (old or new) and meet some awesome bloggers in return! Link up your funny stories, DIY posts, recipes, mommy moments — anything at all. We want to laugh, be entertained, be inspired, and have a good time! Thanks so much to everyone that joins us each week and makes this link party the best that it could be!

SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Our sponsor for October is Humbird.

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HumBird is located at the base of the bavarian mountains in Germany and is a mother-daughter creation which began in 2010. We currently make 3 different types of wool covers; boiled wool, merino wool interlock, and upcycled. Along with sewing I enjoy hiking, running, and gardening. Free shipping on all orders $25 or more.

All month, Turn It Up Tuesday partygoers will receive 10% off all orders using the code Epic10.

Are you looking to get your blog or website in front of numerous people per week? Do you enjoy Turn It Up Tuesdays? Interested in having your blog or website featured for an entire month? Then, sponsor Turn It Up Tuesday for a month by clicking here!

Welcome the lovely ladies of Turn It Up Tuesday!

(from the top – left to right)

And welcome our awesome guest hosts for October!

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(from the top – left to right)

Kayla from Scatterbrained Mom | Lyn from Mid Michigan Mom | Donna from Two Chicks and a Mom | Nancy from NY Foodie Family | Glenda from Mommies Point of View

Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?

Complete the form here! Monthly guest hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis.

Here are the Featured posts from last week!

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Kayla chose Nickelodeon TMNT Costume and Spooktacular Extravaganza at Party City from Logan Can… “My Nephews LOVE, The Ninja Turtles, made me think of them when I seen this!”

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Kayla chose Totschool: Baking with Toddlers from Year Round Homeschooling. “Always looking for ways to get my little girl involved in things at home! This is terrific!”

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Mari chose 15 Mason Jar DIY’s – Halloween, Christmas from Mom ‘N Daughter Savings. “I love DIY projects with Mason Jars so Jody’s share was a nice treat to add to my Must try collection.”

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Mari chose Pumpkin French Toast Bake from Annie’s Noms. “My sweet Annie got me again with this yummy looking French Toast dish that I can’t wait to try!”

Lyn also chose this post. “This recipe couldn’t have come at a better time. I have fresh pumpkin puree that I need to use!”

Melissa also chose this post. “Annie had me at Pumpkin, but Pumpkin French Toast… YUM!! I love that this recipe is a bake, making it look pretty easy to put together all in one dish!”

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Kelly chose Strawberry Watermelon Infused Water from The Not So Creative Cook. “Drinking water is so much healthier than sugary drinks, but I strongly prefer flavored water options.”

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Kelly chose Free 25 Page Thanksgiving Printable Pack! from The Multi Taskin’ Mom. “I love this Thanksgiving printable set. I love having things for the kids to do on Thanksgiving while I am finishing up dinner.”

Lyn also chose this post. “What a fantastic printable package for the upcoming season”

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Bev chose Pumpkin Napoleons from A Sprinkle of This and That. “Wow, these pumpkin napoleons look absolutely fabulous. The puff pastry makes them light and fluffy with a nice pumpkin pudding filling and the caramel drizzle. Let’s eat!”

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Bev chose Fan Repurposed Into Industrial Mail Holder from Redo It Yourself Inspirations. “What a great reuse of a fan. I think everyone will be on the look out for broken fans to make their very own mail holder.”

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Stacey chose Keeping Organized with your Life from 2 Chicks Blogging. “Some days, I feel so completely unorganized, between kids, school, and regular day to day life. Maybe I need to incorporate some of these amazing tips. Thank you for sharing!”

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Stacey chose Easy Brown Sugar Pinwheel Cookies from Do It All Working Mom. “These cookies look so quick and amazingly easy. I can’t wait to give them a try. Thanks so much for sharing!”

Silvie chose How to Easily Make Ghost Boogers with Homemade Gummies from Heaven is Smiling Above. “My boys picked this one, all 3 agree that this recipe is awesome!!!”

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Silvie chose Hello Kitty Halloween Tote Tutorial from Eclectic Red Barn. “I love Hello Kitty and this tote is super cute!!”

Donna chose DIY Halloween Bat Candy Holder Tutorial from Lou Lou Girls.

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Donna chose No-Carve Family Halloween Pumpkins from Five Marigolds.

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Tina (Happy Creations) chose Want to Help Your Child Have Fewer Hard Times? from Spoil My Family. “Wonderful post,very informative and helpful,I’m sure many mommies can relate to this:) Thanks so much for sharing!”

Halloween

Tina (Happy Creations) chose DIY Halloween Candy Cat Party Favors from Mid Michigan Mom. “I love this project,easy to make and great for kids favors-table decorations!Thanks for sharing this lovely project with us.”

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Natasha chose 6 Classic Scary Movies To Watch This Halloween from Ramblings of a (Bad) Domestic Goddess. “What a great list of scary movies – thanks for sharing!”

Natasha chose Forget Zombies and Haunted Houses: 12 Things That Scare You If You’re A Mom from Fun Money Mom. “I just love this post! It’s so true! Thanks so much for sharing with us!”

3 Reasons why your blog doesn’t make any money.

The post with the most views is 3 Reasons Why Your Blog Doesn’t Make Any Money from Pretty Shabby UK.

Stop by and show some love to our featured bloggers this week! I’m sure they’d all appreciate it!

If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!

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And the Best of the Best goes to…

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Pumpkin French Toast Bake from Annie’s Noms

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Easy Brown Sugar Pinwheel Cookies from Do It All Working Mom

Show some love to our Best of the Best bloggers this week!!!!

Best of the Best Bloggers – make sure to showcase the button below on your blog!

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So now that you’ve seen all that we have to offer in this week’s Turn It Up Tuesday,

let’s get started!

– Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back. – Link up as many posts as you’d like! The more, the merrier! – Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends! – Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!

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Link up your posts, make some friends, and earn the chance to be featured or become the Best of the Best on Turn It Up Tuesday! We will feature the favorite posts each week! **Disclaimer: Adding your link to this link party gives permission to Epic Mommy Adventures, along with co-hosts, guest hosts, and participants of Turn It Up Tuesday, to share your posts and pictures via social media and as features, roundups, etc. with an explicit link back to the original source.**

An InLinkz Link-up

Interested in reading all of our favorite posts on Turn It Up Tuesdays – past or present? Or do want to know if your post was featured before we go live next week? Follow Natasha Peter’s board Featured on Turn It Up Tuesdays! on Pinterest.

Weekly Meal Plan {Week 17}

Posted on October 26, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Happy last week of October! We have another weekly meal plan for you today! We used the crockpot twice this week because quick and easy is what we need these days. You can take a peek at our meal planning process to see how we plan each week’s menu.

Saturday – The Weekend Chef was with my son at a cub scout overnight camping trip. My daughter and I had Panera for dinner.

Sunday – The Weekend Chef’s family was over and we went out to “linner” at Applebee’s. We never used to be a fan of the restaurant chain, but they’ve revamped their menu and we’ve enjoyed some tasty meals there.

Monday – I made Chicken, Bacon, Avocado Salad with Roasted Asparagus from Pinch of Yum. This recipe uses deli cold cut chicken so there was not a lot of cooking. I roasted the asparagus and cooked the bacon at the same time in the oven. My kids first were like, “just a salad for dinner?” But this salad was tasty and filling and we all enjoyed it.

Tuesday – I made Cauliflower Chowder from Damn Delicious. I’ll be honest, this wasn’t my favorite soup and I won’t be repeating it. I was surprised that the kids ate it without complaint though! I served this soup with Trader Joe French rolls.

Wednesday – I made Crockpot Thai Chicken from Iowa Girl Eats. The slow cooker chicken part of the recipe has three ingredients so it ranks high up in the easy category. I couldn’t find the Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette that Kristin used in the recipe so I used a Peanut sauce that I found at HMart, an Asian grocery store.

Thursday – I made Slow Cooker Italian Breakfast Casserole from The Seasoned Mom. I precooked the sausage Wednesday night, so Thursday morning all I had to do was dice the onion and pepper and prepare the casserole. We haven’t had too many egg type dishes in the slow cooker. This wasn’t bad and was nice that it was made in the slow cooker. However, I prefer the taste of egg casseroles baked in the oven.

Friday – I made homemade cheese pizza. An easy, tasty dinner that the kids helped make.

What was cooking in your kitchen this week?

Friday Favorites {Week 35}

Posted on October 23, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Happy Friday! This felt like one of the busiest weeks ever. Add in several schedule changes for the kids and a last minute meeting and my organized, structured self was not happy! Oh, and who doesn’t like to start off their day with their front door latch breaking and getting locked out of their house after putting the kids on the bus?! Yeah, that was me Wednesday morning. Luckily, the Weekend Chef was able to call a locksmith and I didn’t have to be at work until 1 PM. Nothing like helping the locksmith break into your own house! Fun times, people, fun times! But, it’s Friday and everything’s better on Friday. It looks like this weekend will have some relaxing time (after getting a new door latch) – score! Here are some favorites from this past week:

1. Last weekend the Weekend Chef and my son went to a Cub Scout event and then camped outside overnight. Yes, last weekend, when it was like 30 something degrees here in New York. While they were roughing it in the cold, my daughter and I spent the afternoon shopping at the mall. After perusing Claire’s and Justice and actually making purchases at Gap and Gap Kids, she of course requested a pretzel and lemonade snack at Auntie Anne’s. Later that night we ordered dinner at Panera Bread and brought it home and watched episodes of Girl Meets World. We had a great Mom-Daughter Day.

2. Favorite bookmarked recipe of the week: This Skillet Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Grits Breakfast Bake from Peas & Crayons. I’m not Southern, but sometimes think I was in another life. I love Southern food! Grits, collard greens, biscuits and gravy…..yum!

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3. Reading: Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling. I may have to read her first book Is Everyone Hanging Out With Me? again, because my goodreads rating says I only gave it 2 stars! I am loving Why Not Me? I am a fan of The Mindy Project and as I’m reading this book, I am imaging Mindy’s voice reading it. Funny and entertaining, I should have this book finished this weekend.

4. Cold Bibimbap from HMart – My new job is right near a Trader Joe’s and an HMart (a very large Asian supermarket that has a food court as well). I am in trouble! Or as the Weekend Chef notes, “there goes your paycheck!” The other day I went to HMart and got their cold bibimbap for lunch. Bibimbap is a traditional Korean dish meaning “mixed rice.” As seen above the dish includes vegetables, a fried egg, usually meat and rice served with a chili pepper paste over rice. You mix it all together and it’s delicious! Normally, it’s served hot in a stone bowl (which is how I prefer it). However, HMart only serves a cold variation. Either way, this was a super tasty lunch!

5. The Mets – I grew up as a Yankees fan. But, thanks to my brother-in-law, the past couple of years our family has had the pleasure of an annual trip to Citi Field to watch the Mets play, all from the comfort of a suite. Regardless, the Mets have just won their first pennant since 2000 and will be playing in the World Series. To say that New York fans are a bit excited is an understatement! Unfortunately, we don’t have cable television, so we will have to figure out a way to watch some of the World Series.

ICYMI, here’s what was on the blog this week:

Our weekly meal plan
Tuesday link-up that I’m guest hosting this month (and it’s not too late to add your post!)
The Weekend Chef’s book review of Why We Get Fat

Linking up with Tif @ Bright on a Budget, Amanda from Meet @ The Barre and Andrea @ Momfessionals. Have a great weekend!

Weekend Chef’s Book Review: Why We Get Fat

Posted on October 21, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Book Review- Why We Get Fat: And What To Do About It by Gary Taubes

I included this book in my September favorites post a few weeks back. Nancy picked it up from the library and asked me to read it for a post. I thought I would battle through it as it certainly looked like a fad diet book, one which I had little interest in reading. I was certainly surprised to find that the format of the book is historically driven and scientifically backed, both good things. And it’s really not a diet book at all. Gary Taubes is a journalist and merely reports the facts as supporting evidence to a larger truth. He had previously written Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health. As I understand, the book was as long and dry as the title suggests. He was inspired to cut the book down so more people could access the valuable information he presented. The first book was just too much for most people to dig through.

The follow up, Why We Get Fat supports the same basic argument: carbs and sugar are the root of obesity and a host of illnesses. He provides the science behind this claim and looks to dismantle the arguments against it: Eating less food and increasing exercise is a popular however frustrating way to try to lose weight because it chemically just doesn’t work, eating fat has never been proven to increase belly fat, the list goes on. I know it all sounds pretty crazy. Just eliminate starch, carbs and sugars of all kinds and eat as much of the correct foods as your want, no calorie restrictions. The book has really hit home for me. After getting back from Disney World in August, I really felt like a mess and I blamed it on the excess calories as we’re taught to do. What I think the real problem was, in hindsight, was the desserts at every meal including the doughnuts at breakfast. My mom is diabetic and it’s a path that I’m trying to avoid. Looking back, she always had ice cream every night and started using Weight Watchers to get back on track 20 years ago.

The one ask I have is for everyone to read the book and make their own decision about food and the science of what really makes us fat. In an upcoming post, I’m going to share some of the book-inspired changes that I’ve made to my diet for the long term, not as a quick fix. A little preview: I’m missing chocolate and ice cream but unlimited bacon makes up for it.

Please share any of your thought or experiences in the comments section.

-The Weekend Chef

Turn It Up Tuesday #109

Posted on October 19, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Once again it’s time for Turn It Up Tuesday where I am guest hosting for the month of October. Come link up your favorite posts from the past week! It’s been fun reading through everyone’s posts each week and I can’t wait to see what you are sharing with us this week.

As promised, we are announcing the winner of the Turn It Up Tuesday 2-year Anniversary Giveaway this week. The winner is…

Christy D.

Congratulations go out to Christy for winning the giveaway! She was super-duper surprised, grateful, and extremely happy. Her response was so heart-warming!

Please be sure to congratulate Christy with a comment below!

Last week, we had an amazing time linking up and reading all of your posts – it’s always great to see so many cool ideas all in one place!

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SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Our sponsor for October is Humbird.

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All month, Turn It Up Tuesday partygoers will receive 10% off all orders using the code Epic10.

Welcome the lovely ladies of Turn It Up Tuesday!

(from the top – left to right)

And welcome our awesome guest hosts for October!

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(from the top – left to right)

Kayla from Scatterbrained Mom | Lyn from Mid Michigan Mom | Donna from Two Chicks and a Mom | Nancy from NY Foodie Family | Glenda from Mommies Point of View

Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?

Complete the form here! Monthly guest hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis.

Here are the Featured posts from last week!

DIY-Comic-Book-Letters

Donna chose DIY Comic Book Letters from Mom’s Messy Miracles.

Nancy also chose this post. “My son love super heroes and comics. This is a great DIY project that he can help me with to decorate his room.”

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Donna chose Post 57: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread from Ariel Louise.

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Dawn chose DIY Body Cream {Whipped} from Little Miss Dexterous. “There is nothing nicer than getting out of the bath and popping on some beautiful smelling body cream. This would even make nice Christmas presents for the family. Thanks for sharing xx”

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Dawn chose Mummy Meatballs Recipe- Halloween Snack for Kids from Serendipity & Spice. “What a fantastic idea. I will definitely be serving these up for a Halloween snack for the Gruesome Twosome. Thanks for sharing xx”

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Lyn chose How to Make a Link Party Tracker from Purfylle to Embellish. “It can be so confusing to keep track of which posts have been linked to where. This method is a great tool to stay organized…and it doesn’t require another password and login.”

Bev also chose this post. “Trying to link up to parties and keep track of which ones you posted to is daunting. This is a great way to keep track of all the details.”

This post also had the most views this week!

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Elaine chose Crockpot Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake from Intelligent Domestications. “Pumpkin streusel is my fall indulgence and if it can be baked in a crockpot it shoots to the top of my bake this now list.”

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Tina (Kidz Activities) chose 25 Sweet and Spooky Halloween Treats from Crystal & Co. “I love this list of Halloween treats! A mix of cute, spooky and awesome ideas.”

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Tina (Kidz Activities) chose Halloween Trick or Treat Bags: An Easy DIY Idea from Kenarry. “I love DIY projects for kids and this is a useful one for the Halloween season.”

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Lyn chose Rock Your Subscriber Opt-In and Email Newsletter from Earning & Saving with Sarah Fuller. “Great tips on gaining subscribers! Something that most bloggers want =)”

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Kayla chose Potato Soup from Fitness Food Diva. “Love potato soup, Its A big dish made during Thanksgiving for my family!”

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Kayla chose Halloween Candy Bark and Creating the Perfect BOO Basket from Delightful E Made. “A great Idea for all that candy the kids can’t have…but mom can!”

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Mari chose Caramel Apple Pudding Cups: A Sweet Treat for Fall from Kenarry. “Carrie’s pudding cups look so yummy can’t wait to try. Great combo too!”

Stacey also chose this post. “These look wonderful! Caramel apples are on of my favorite Halloween treats and these look so fun to make with the kids. Thanks for sharing!”

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Mari chose Candy Corn Recipes from The Jenny Evolution. “Loved Jennifer’s share because ever since I could recall I have loved candy corn. There is a bag of mini ones from Walgreens in my car as a matter of fact lol!”

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Nancy chose 31 Favorite Casserole Recipes from Intelligent Domestications. “Casseroles feel like comfort food to me, which is perfect for the cooler weather that has arrived. This is a great collection of all kinds of casseroles.”

Black-and-White-Halloween-Pumpkin-Tower

Bev chose Stacked Halloween Pumpkin Tower from Flamingo Toes. “Love this Halloween tower with the black and white pumpkins. The hat on the black bird is adorable.”

Tina (Happy Creations) also chose this post. “What a wonderful Halloween decoration. Chic and beautiful,black and white looks fabulous. Thanks for sharing your creativity with us.”

Halloween-Eyeball-Sugar-Cookies

Stacey chose Halloween Sugar Cookies from A Pretty Life. “What an adorable Halloween idea! And sugar cookies are always a light tasty treat. Thanks so much for sharing!”

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Tina (Happy Creations) chose DIY Spider Family Halloween Wreath from Pastels & Macarons. “A simple easy to make Halloween DIY. Ribbons and spiders make a beautiful wreath. Thanks for sharing your creativity with us.”

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Silvie chose Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Muffins Walnut Streusel from Fitness Food Diva. “This post had me at “Cream Cheese”! These muffins look so delicious and I can’t wait to try this recipe.”

Stop by and show some love to our featured bloggers this week! I’m sure they’d all appreciate it!

If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!

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And the Best of the Best goes to…

PartyTracker

How to Make a Link Party Tracker from Purfylle to Embellish

25-sweet-and-spooky-halloween-treats-

Show some love to our Best of the Best bloggers this week!!!!

Best of the Best Bloggers – make sure to showcase the button below on your blog!

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So now that you’ve seen all that we have to offer in this week’s Turn It Up Tuesday,

let’s get started!

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An InLinkz Link-up

Weekly Meal Plan {Week 16}

Posted on October 19, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Here is a look at what was on our menu last week. You can read all about how we meal plan and hopefully get some inspiration and cooking ideas from these weekly posts!

Saturday – My sister and her family were visiting and we ordered Chinese takeout.

Sunday – We went to my parent’s house for dinner and had Spaghetti with Meatballs and Sausage.

Monday – The Weekend Chef was off from work for Columbus Day and made a Slow Cooker Whole Roasted Chicken which he served with homemade French Onion Soup and Buttered Egg Noodles.

Tuesday – I made Creamer Potatoes with Sausage and Peppers from The Cookie Writer. Except, I didn’t use creamer potatoes. I used Eastern potatoes that I had in a bag in my pantry. This dish wasn’t difficult to make but it took awhile to cook everything. Overall, we found it just okay. I wouldn’t bother remaking this one.

Wednesday – I made Slow Cooker Cola Barbecue Beef from Melanie Makes. We don’t eat a lot of beef and this was my first time cooking with a chuck roast. Even with me adding the ketchup to the slow cooker and not making the recommended sauce, this came out really great! The meat was really tender and flavorful. I served this with mashed potatoes and veggies.

Thursday – I was going to make Pierogis a la Sobieski Voda from Living the Gourmet. However, I realized that I didn’t have the cream for the vodka sauce. I was tired and lazy, so I threw a can of tomato sauce with some Penzeys Pasta Sprinkle over Mrs. T’s Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Pierogies and voila, dinner was served. I had never thought of pairing a tomato based sauce with pierogies before, but I think the flavored pierogies worked really well with the tomato sauce. My son, who’s not a huge pierogi fan even enjoyed these!

Friday – I made Apple Cheddar Turkey Burgers from Rachael Ray Magazine, August 25, 2008. This is a recipe repeat, meaning that I’ve already previously made these before. It was several years ago, but regardless, they are good and worth repeating. I served these with fries.

What was cooking in your kitchen this week?

Friday Favorites {Week 34}

Posted on October 16, 2015 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

I know I’m probably saying this every Friday, but where did the week go?! Last weekend flew by with my sister and her family visiting from out of state. Having Monday off seemed to throw off our entire schedule. But here we are again, having survived another week! Some favorites of this past week:

1. Apple picking – Even though my son went apple picking yesterday on a class trip, we still decided to make a quick trip to a local orchard. We went while my sister was up visiting and our kids loved picking apples with their cousins. And of course it wouldn’t be apple picking without stopping for some cider doughnuts and apple cider. It was ridiculously crowded and we waited in line for over an hour to get doughnuts. They were good, but they weren’t even hot! Definitely not worth the long wait with antsy children. We have been enjoying eating the apples, which are almost all gone. I’m hoping to bake some type of treat with a few of the ones we have left.

2. Bike Riding – Our son, who has been fighting learning to ride his bike for what feels like forever, finally learned to ride his bike! We all had off from school and work on Columbus Day, so the Weekend Chef had wanted the family to go on a hike. The kids were not into it at all and our daughter suggested instead that they go bike riding (since the Weekend Chef and I don’t own bikes!). We have a local park near us that has a track that is perfect for bike riding. After a couple of shaky laps, our son finally got the hang of it and was riding like a pro! It was very exciting. And of course, the boy who complained about not wanting to go bike riding didn’t want to leave to go home!

3. Favorite bookmarked recipe of the week – This Buffalo Chicken Shepherd’s Pie from Cupcakes and Kale Chips. I think I’ve mentioned a few times that I love all things buffalo chicken. This sounds like a perfect cold weather comfort dinner that will be making it onto our weekly meal plan soon.

4. Netflix – The Weekend Chef and I have just finished watching the last episode of The Killing on Netflix this past week. I know I’ve mentioned in previous Friday Favorites that we’ve enjoyed this show. This show kept us up much later than I had planned on several nights because an episode would end on a big cliffhanger and we’d have to start the next episode to see what happened next.

5. NYCC – a.k.a. New York Comic Con. My brother-in-law’s company is in the process of creating two comic book series. He was in town with my sister and her kids since he had a booth at Comic Con to promote the comic books. He had an extra ticket, so the Weekend Chef spent pretty much all day Saturday in the city, helping at the booth. He did get a chance to walk around a bit and saw lots of people in costume and displays like the ones pictured above.

I’m linking up with Tif @ Bright on a Budget, Amanda from Meet @ The Barre and Andrea @ Momfessionals! Have a great weekend!