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October Currently 2015

Currently

I am linking up again with Anne and Jenna for their monthly Currently linkup.  I am currently:

Pizza Casserole                    Butter Brickle ice cream

Eating: Just ate this Pizza Casserole for dinner last night.  The kids both had playdates with their friends at our house yesterday afternoon and this meal was super quick and easy to throw together!  And for dessert…..ice cream.  Since the Weekend Chef has stopped eating sugar and the kids keep losing their treats, I get to continue to enjoy this Turkey Hill Limited Edition Butter Brickle ice cream all to myself!  It’s really good!

Exploring:  Not much. With a jam packed schedule, it’s hard to find time to explore anything!  I am looking into possible pizza recipes to make for our pizza-themed Supper Club next month.  Unfortunately, we will have to start exploring new car options, as we will need to replace one of our cars soon.

Wearing:  Currently sitting here typing this post in my pajamas while watching Netflix!  However, during the day, jeans and long sleeve shirts/blouses are my current go-to. It is definitely feeling like fall around here!  However, the cooler weather hasn’t deterred my son from continuing to wear shorts and t-shirts!

Fall Mums

Admiring:  All things fall including my mums (which sadly do not look like this anymore!) and the leaves changing colors.  I’m also admiring my daughter’s perseverance practicing her saxophone.  She’s having difficulty with it and getting frustrated, but she continues to keep practicing.  And finally, I’m admiring my husband’s dedication to his new diet and healthy eating habits.

Box Tops

Collecting:   Box tops for the kids school, and magazine and nut/candy orders for my daughter’s Girl Scout fall product sale.

**And on a side note, NY Foodie Family is finally on Facebook!  Please feel free to stop by and like our page!

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Feta Poblano Corn Muffins

Feta and Poblano Corn Muffins

As the weather gets cooler, soups and stews are on my mind.  As much as I enjoy a nice bowl of soup, it’s not a meal to me unless it’s accompanied by something else – a salad, bread, or as on recent soup nights, a savory muffin.  When I first saw this recipe I wasn’t sure if the kids would eat these.  My daughter doesn’t like feta and I thought the pepper might be too spicy for both kids.  The original recipe called for a roasted jalapeno.  Would you believe that the grocery store was out of jalapenos the day I did my grocery shopping?!!  Poblano peppers are pretty mild, so I used one of those instead.  These muffins smelled amazing while baking.  And taste-wise?  These were delicious!  Between the roasted poblano, the feta cheese crumbles, zucchini and spice topping, these muffins were bursting with flavor.  And yes, the kids ate these and liked them, roasted poblano peppers and all!  These muffins accompanied Crockpot Potato, Cheddar and Ale Soup to make a delicious meal!  I was able to enjoy the leftover muffins for breakfast and even froze some extras for another day!

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Feta Poblano Corn Muffins
Recipe adapted from Living The Gourmet

Ingredients:

Corn Muffins:
1 ½ cups cornmeal
1 ½ cups flour
½ cup sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 roasted poblano pepper  – chopped without seeds
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup almond cashew milk
½ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup crumbled Basil & Tomato feta cheese
2 eggs – lightly beaten
Spice Topping:
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. paprika

Butter for sprinkling on top of each muffin

Directions:
1. Preheat Oven 375 degrees.  Place muffin cups/cupcake liners in muffin pan or butter/spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2.  In a large bowl combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder and sugar and mix together.

3. In a separate bowl combine the eggs, zucchini, oil, almond cashew milk, feta and poblano; gently mix all together.

4.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring to combine.  Fill each muffin cup ¾ of the way then top each with a sprinkle of the spice topping. Place a little pat of butter on top of each muffin.

5.   Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.  Let the muffins cool before removing from pan..

 

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Turn It Up Tuesday

I am happy to be guest cohosting Turn It Up Tuesday at Epic Mommy Adventures for the month of October.  Last week we had over 400 entries in our link-up!  Please join us this week and link up a post!

We had an amazing, no phenomenal, week last week, and it’s because of all of you. We love having you stop by, enjoying the party, and joining us in the Turn It Up Tuesday 2-year Anniversary Giveaway! We’re still celebrating this week, and we hope that you take advantage of the opportunity to win $200 Paypal cash! Enter to win below!

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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!1

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(from the top – left to right)

Natasha from Epic Mommy Adventures | Stacey from This Momma’s Ramblings | Cathy from A Peek Into My Paradise | April from April Noelle | Tina from The Happy Creations | Tiffany from MrsTeeLoveLifeLaughter | Cindy from Mom Maven | Melissa from The Coupon Chronicles | Kelly from Making-More | Silvie from My Silly Little Gang | Mari from Living in Mommywood | Tenns from Bliss & Faith | Kimberly from Being a Wordsmith | Nancy from Afro-Chic Mompreneur | Kimberly from Keystrokes by Kimberly | Kelly from Mum-bo-Jumbo | Elaine from Ramblings of a Bad Domestic Goddess | Zografia from Bisozozo | Ginger from Does Your Sister Have Normal Hair | Free from Couponin Diva | Kori from Just Another Mom | Minnie from The Country Cooking Queen’s Weight loss and healthy eathing blog | Bev from Eclectic Red Barn | Dawn from Pretty Shabby UK | Anuja from All I Do | Tina from Kidz Activities

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 How To Can Apple Juice With An Electric Juicer from Lou Lou Girls. “I know you can, can many foods, but did not realize apple juice could be one of them!”

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Kayla chose 21 Things You Need to Buy at The Dollar Store from Fun Money Mom. “I can really relate to this one! I buy many things at the dollar store, anything to save money is a big plus for me!”

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Tina chose Tic Tac Halloween Wrappers from Caseperlatesta. “Another wonderful Halloween idea!!I love the flying bats decoration. With a template to download this project is fabulous.Thanks so much for sharing!”

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Dawn chose Homemade Lego Costume from Crystal & Co. “OMG – this costume is seriously cute. I have to make my son this for Halloween.”

2015 September Rusty Can Lantern profile pic

Dawn chose Project Challenge: Rusty Item from Little Brags. “I love this idea… making new cans look old….. I simply love the evening photo with the fairy lights, how gorgeously rustic.”

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Nancy chose 10 Handmade Days! from Busy Being Jennifer. “I applaud Jennifer for taking on a challenge like this! Plus I love the collection of crafts, many of which seem doable for a beginner crafter like myself!”

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Nancy chose 10 DIY Projects Under $10 from No Small Life. “I am always trying to attempt DIY projects and I like that this collection of projects seem easy to do and are cheap!”

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Anuja chose Paleo Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Fries from Sweet C’s Designs. “Sounds Healthy and Yum! I doubt they will be as crispy as french fries.. but well.. will have to try to make sure :)”

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Anuja chose Savory Baked Apples with Sausage Stuffing Recipe from Growing Up Gabel. “Looks amazing! I am going to experiment with a veggie version of this.”

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Donna chose Homemade Toddler Skeleton Costume from Living on Grace.

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Donna chose Washi Tape Pumpkin from Made with Happy.

Monster-Cookies

Tina from Kidz Activities chose Monster Cookies from Tornadough Alli. “It looks so easy to make (kids will love to decorate these!) and the decor really does the job at making it look like scary monster cookies.”

Stacey also chose this post. “Monster cookies are so much fun to make and eat! I love the adorable little eyeball addition, making them a perfect Halloween treat! Thank you for sharing!”

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Tina from Kidz Activities chose Pumpkins and Ghosts and Spiders! Oh My! Halloween Garland from Growing Up Gabel. “I love that this is a no sew project. She makes it looks so easy to make!”

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Mari chose Oreo and Caramel Covered Apples from Busy Being Jennifer. “Apples covered in Oreos and Caramel! Jennifer stopped me on my tracks and can’t wait to try these over the holidays.”

Stacey also chose this post. “Caramel apples, are one of my favorite fall treats! With the addition of the oreo’s, these sound amazing! Thanks for sharing!”

Can-People-Really-Change

Mari chose Can People Really Change? from No Ordinary Days. “Angela’s share was very personal to me because of all the changes I’ve gone through in the last few years. Anyone can change if you set your mind to it and have a healthy approach. We are all changing daily. We all have the potential for growth if we just are willing to learn and stay open to all of lives possibilities. Great share.”

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Bev chose Fence Board Pumpkins from Marty’s Musings. “Love the rustic look of these wooden pumpkins. A simple and easy project with great results. I need a pumpkin patch of them.”

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Bev chose Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting from Spoonful of Flavor. “Love these little pumpkin chocolate chip cookie cups. I love desserts that are little so you don’t feel guilty eating one , if you can stop there.”

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Lyn chose Life Doesn’t Stop for Renovations from Lemon Thistle. “Her pictures made me smile because it reminds me so much of MY home! Renovations are a huge part of a DIYer’s life, but most of the time we are afraid to show off the “during”. Her tips on how to minimize the chaos are spot on.”

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Lyn chose Chocolate Covered Banana Ghosts from One Little Project At A Time… “They were a Pinterest fail but love the story that goes along with it. BTW, they don’t look THAT bad =)”

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Ginger chose Pack Your Travel Makeup Bag Like a Pro from Fit Chick Nextdoor. “I love that this includes a little checklist. I am going on a trip this month and it will really come in handy!”

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Ginger chose Six ways to use Peppermint from Alba Rosa Artisan Soap & More. “Peppermint is one of my favorite flavors and essential oils. These are some great tips on how to use it.”

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Tiffany chose Easy and Simple Fall Front Porch {And Our New Front Door!} from Worthing Court. “I love this because I am looking for a simple decor for my front porch that can carry not only through Halloween but perhaps Thanksgiving as well and this is perfect! Thanks Suzy!”

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Tiffany chose Healthy Halloween Treat Recipes from Tidbits of Experience. “Most times Halloween treats are candy or something coated in candy. These are the perfect balance of healthy and spooky! Thanks so much for sharing Stephanie!”

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!

Epic Mommy Adventures

And the Best of the Best goes to…

Monster-Cookies

Monster Cookies from Tornadough Alli

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Six ways to use Peppermint from Alba Rosa Artisan Soap & More

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!

Epic Mommy Adventures

We are celebrating Turn It Up Tuesday’s 2-Year Anniversary!!!!

Join us in celebrating this momentous occasion by participating in the giveaway! We have a great group of co-hosts for our 2nd year anniversary! Celebrate with us, and enter to win $200 Paypal Cash!

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Natasha at Epic Mommy Adventures | Angie at God’s Growing Garden | Cindy at The Mom Maven | Ce Ce at A Chicago Mom | Mionna at Just Mi! | Bev at Eclectic Red Barn | Ginger at Does Your Sister Have Normal Hair? | Lexi at Thoughtful Lens | Heidi at Heidi’s Wanderings

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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!

Epic Mommy Adventures

 

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.**

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.

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Weekly Meal Plan {Week 14}

October weekly meal plan

Happy Monday everyone!  Hope you all had a great weekend!  Our weekend was jam packed with birthday parties, supper club and shopping.  You still have time to enter the $25 Target gift card giveaway from my Saturday Spotlight feature at My So-Called Chaos.

Sorry for the not so great food photos below.  It’s getting darker earlier and I’m losing my natural light to take pictures.  I’ve been resorting to using my camera phone with not great results, as seen in the last few pictures below!   Here is a look at this past week’s menu:

Saturday:  We had homemade pizza.

Sunday:  The Weekend Chef made spaghetti and meatballs at the request of our daughter.

Maple Bacon Beer Burger

Monday: I made these Maple Bacon Beer Burgers from Iowa Girl Eats and served them with fries.  I didn’t actually put the beer in the burgers – only because the recipe called for just 1/4 of a cup.  I’m not a big beer drinker and the beer would most likely be flat by the time the Weekend Chef got home.  I also substituted ground turkey for the ground beef.  The maple syrup added a nice sweetness to the burger and who doesn’t love bacon?!!

Skillet Pork Chops with Mushroom Sauce

Tuesday:  We had Skillet Pork Chops with Mushroom Sauce from Simply Gloria.  I served these with mashed potatoes.   I don’t make pork chops very often and making this dish reconfirmed that I’m just not a big fan of pork chops.  The sauce was flavorful though with the mushrooms, spinach and onions.  (Sorry for the blurry picture above.  It didn’t appear blurry when I was reviewing on the camera!)

 

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Zucchini Cheddar Corn Muffins

Wednesday: I made Broccoli Cheese Soup from Gimme Some Oven and Zucchini Cheddar Corn Muffins from Two Peas & Their Pod.  With the arrival of fall and the recent cooler weather, I’ve been on soup and muffin cooking kick recently.  This meal was our meatless meal of the week.  The soup was tasty and easy to put together.  I had made the muffins earlier in the afternoon but they weren’t too difficult to prepare.  I think that they accompanied the soup nicely.

Breakfast Pull-Apart Bread

Thursday:  I made Breakfast Pull-Apart Bread from Very Culinary.  I was able to use up the rest of the package of bacon in this recipe(say what?!  Bacon twice this week?  Oh yes!).   We ended up eating late because I first cooked the bacon in the oven and then the bread needs to bake for 25 minutes.  My son first started eating and commented that “this is interesting!”  The kids love breakfast for dinner.  Plus, they get to eat with their hands?  Double win!  I served this with yogurt and fruit.

Garlicky Pasta with Tuscan Chicken

Friday:  The Weekend Chef got home from work early and made Garlicky Pasta with Tuscan Chicken from Pink Parsley dinner.  The Weekend Chef noted that this was easy to make.  This was extra tasty, probably because I didn’t have to make it! The arugula and lemon gave the pasta nice flavor and the chicken was moist and flavorful.

What was one of your favorite meals this past week?

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Friday Favorites {Week 32}

Friday Favorites

Happy October!  It is really starting to feel like fall around here with cooler temperatures.  We also finally got some much needed rain this week and are expecting some more this weekend.  Highlights of this weekend include our daughter going to a sleepover, our son going to a birthday party,  and the Weekend Chef and I going to our monthly supper club.  Here are some highlights of this past week:

Constitution Marsh
1. Chaperoning a field trip:  I chaperoned my daughter’s first class trip this year to Constitution Marsh.  It’s an Audubon Center and Sanctuary right on the Hudson River where we did a water study, went on a hike through the marsh and went on a bird watching hike.  It was a fun and educational day!

2.  Favorite bookmarked recipe of the week:  Blackened Broccoli Pasta with Charred Lemon and Goat Cheese because goat cheese, of course!

Piano Books

3. Piano Lessons – Not for me.  Been there, done that!  But my daughter just started piano lessons and is off to an amazing start!  We inherited our piano from my parents when they sold their house.  She is playing on the same piano that me and my siblings grew up playing on.  She’s flying through the first set of books and loves playing!

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4.  Watching this week:  I borrowed Season One of The Affair from the library and have been binge-watching it this week.  It’s not available on Netflix and I was curious after hearing that it had won the Golden Globe Award for Best Drama Television Series.  Ruth Wilson also won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Television Series.   I’m almost through the first season and let me warn you this is a dark and depressing show!  Yes, it’s about an affair, told from the two perspectives of the main characters, Noah and Alison.  Have you seen this show?

Puppy with Bullseye

5. A Giveaway!  – Angie from My So Called Chaos is featuring me tomorrow on her Saturday Spotlight!  Stop by her blog tomorrow to find out a little bit more about me and enter to win a $25 Target gift card!

Not so Favorite:
I’ve only had Chick-fil-A twice now, the latest being on our recent road trip to Disney World.  They have great chicken sandwiches.  I can’t complain about that.  However, I just saw this article on Yahoo! Finance via Business Insider regarding a promotion they are running.  In honor of the opening of their new Manhattan location, the chain is giving away free Chick-fil-A for a year to 100 people.  The catch?  Selected “winners” have to sleep on the selected NYC street corner and have a valid government-issued ID.  I agree with some of the critics, NYC has enough homeless people involuntarily sleeping on the city streets.  How about giving some free food to them?!

ICYMI:  This week on the blog-

Our Weekly Meal Plan for some meal plan inspiration!
I’m guest co-hosting this month at the weekly Turn It Up Tuesday at Epic Mommy Adventures.  Stop by every Tuesday and link-up your posts!
I also posted this Ravioli with Lemon Butter Basil Sauce.  It’s a quick, easy weeknight meal!
The Weekend Chef posted some of his September monthly favorites.
I also posted our Children’s Monthly Entertainment Review.  Check it out to see what our kids were watching, playing and reading this month!

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

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Children’s Monthly Entertainment Review {September Edition}

Children's Monthly Sept

Happy first day of October!  The days are flying by!  Yesterday the Weekend Chef shared some of his September favorites. Today we thought we’d share what our children were reading, watching and playing this past month.  With school and activities starting, there has been more reading going on and less movie watching and playing with electronics!

Movies:
All of these movies were borrowed from the library and watched on DVD.

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The Descendants – Summary from Disney: A present-day idyllic kingdom where the benevolent teenage son of King Adam and Queen Belle offers a chance of redemption for the trouble making offspring of Disney’s classic villains: Cruella De Vil (Carlos), Maleficent (Mal), the Evil Queen (Evie) and Jafar (Jay).   This is a musical film which the kids loved!  The movie focused on the children of classic Disney villains.  They have been singing songs and watching music videos from the movie ever since they watched this.  I’m not sure how we had missed hearing about this when it first debuted on the Disney channel this past July.   I enjoyed the lessons from this movie that you don’t always have to follow in your parent’s footsteps and that you can make your own decisions and be your own person.  The kids and I talked about this after watching the movie.

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Lemonade Mouth – Summary from IMDb: Five high school kids, Olivia, Wendall, Stella, Charlie, and “Mo”, meet in detention and start a band based off the lemonade vending machine outside the detention room. This is another musical drama that had originally premiered on the Disney Channel in April 2011.  The kids were excited to see Bridgit Mendler starring in this, as they are familiar with her from the Disney Channel show Good Luck Charlie.  While the kids enjoyed watching this movie, their favorite of the month was definitely The Descendants.

The five Guardians, sporting various weapons, arrayed in front of a backdrop of a planet in space.

Guardians of the Galaxy – Summary from IMDbA group of intergalactic criminals are forced to work together to stop a fanatical warrior from taking control of the universe.  Our son had been asking to see this movie but we had said no, due to the PG-13 rating.  Several weeks ago, the Weekend Chef watched the movie (yes, on his own, this is one that I wasn’t interested in watching!).  Besides some bad language and fighting, he deemed it okay for the kids to watch.  On their most recent day off from school they watched this and liked it.  And yes, I sat there on the couch with them (reading) while they watched.  I had no clue what was going on, but the kids enjoyed the movie.  My daughter did note that she didn’t like Rocket Raccoon because, “he used a lot of bad language.”

Apps/Video Games:

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Crossyroad (ipod app) I’ve mentioned this app on a Friday Favorites when my son first got into this game.  Weeks later and he is STILL obsessed with it!  It’s basically a modern version of the classic Frogger game where you try to get your character to cross the road without getting hit.  There are a lot of different characters that you can collect, with different characters having different scenery.  His highest score is 259 and he’s really proud of himself!

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Minecraft  (ipod app)- This past Valentine’s Day we got the kids Minecraft for their ipods.  Yes, we were late to the Minecraft game and they have been making up for it!  This is still a favorite game of theirs.  While I was a bit hesitant in the beginning, not knowing much about it, I am seeing the educational benefits of this game.  This game reinforces creativity and problem-solving.  My son has created amazing worlds with portals and buildings that even have me impressed!

Wipeout The Game (Nintendo Wii game) –  The kids sporadically play the  Nintendo Wii.  Way back when we still had cable television, we used to DVR Wipeout and watch it together as a family.   What’s more fun than watching contestants embarrass themselves attempting ridiculous obstacles?  At a recent visit to a local, used children’s clothing and toy store I found this Wipeout game for the wii for only $5.  The kids have been having lots of fun playing this game.

Books:
My kids are constantly reading!  Neither they nor I track all the books that they read…..but I know it’s a lot!  This is a summary of mostly picture books that we’ve read together at bedtime or chapter books that both my son and I have read.  My daughter is reading multiple books at any one time and there would be too many to list here!  The below ratings are out of 5 stars.

These books have been borrowed from either our town library or the school library.

Picture Books:

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Blown Away by Rob Biddulph (3 Stars) This picture book, told in rhyme tells the story of a penguin who is taken on a journey when he is blown away by a kite.  He ends up in the jungle but eventually makes his way back home.  This was an okay read for us.

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The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt  – (4 Stars)  This is the sequel to the picture book The Day The Crayons Quit, which is also worth checking out!  This book is told through postcards and letters and contains humorous illustrations and text.

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Fright Club by Ethan Long – (3 Stars)  A new Halloween book in which the Fright Club is practicing their scare plan for Halloween night.  When some “cute” little critters try to join Fright Club they must prove themselves to the veteran members. This was an okay Halloween read.

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Monster Day At Work by Sarah Dyer – (3 Stars)  Monster is going to work with his dad.  The colorful, humorous illustrations add to this story which overall was an okay read.

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New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer – (4 Stars) This picture book deals with segregation during the 1950’s when Ella Mae goes to get new shoes but can’t even try them on because she’s African American.  She and her cousin Charlotte come up with a plan to make buying shoes easier for the members of their community.  The Weekend Chef and I enjoyed this story as much as the kids.  I didn’t realize that during the Segregation period African Americans couldn’t try on shoes before buying them.

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One Word From Sophia by Jim Averbeck – (4 Stars)  Sophia wants a giraffe for her birthday and in this book tries to convince different family members why it’s a good idea.  I enjoyed the racially mixed family, the colorful illustrations that include Sophia’s drawings and charts, the advanced vocabulary (that is defined in the story and in a glossary at the end) and the surprise ending!  A cute read worth checking out!

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The Perfect Percival Priggs by Julie-Anne Graham – (4 Stars) Percival and his parents are perfect.  One day, Percival makes an error and worries that his parents won’t love him.  His parents help him realize that it’s okay not to be perfect.  I enjoyed how this book taught the lesson that you should do what you enjoy and not worry about being perfect.

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Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova by Laurel Snyder – (4 Stars)  This book told the story of dancer Anna Pavlova through beautiful pictures and text.  While younger readers probably won’t enjoy the beauty of either, this book is a treat for adults!

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Tell Me a Scary Story by Carl Reiner (3 Stars) A father tells his son a scary story about a little boy who meets his neighbor Mr. Neewollah and has an adventure.  Our book came with a CD in which Reiner reads the story.  While I was unfamiliar with comedian Carl Reiner, my husband is a fan.  This was another okay Halloween story.

Chapter Books:

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The Escape of the Deadly Dinosaur (Secret Agent Jack Stalwart #1) by Elizabeth Singer Hunt (3 Stars) I am always on the lookout for new books for my son.  This is the first of fourteen books in the Secret Agent Jack Stalwart series.  This chapter book stars Jack Stalwart, a 9-year old secret agent.  This particular story involves Jack being assigned to find a missing dinosaur bone.  Readers must remember this is a sci-fi/fantasy book for entertainment purposes, when they read about all of Jack’s secret agent gadgets and a dinosaur coming to life.  The book interested my son enough that he’d like to read the next book in the series.

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Race The Wild #1: Rain Forest Relay by Kristin Earhart (4 Stars)  See our full review of this book here.

 

The Weekend Chef’s Monthly Favorites- September 2015

Weekend Chef Favorites

Weekend Chef here. This is this first in a series of monthly posts of a few things that are coming soon or I have been enjoying recently.  Let’s see how this goes…

 

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah– I’ve been watching The Daily Show since it was hosted by Craig Kilborn going on 20 years ago. When Jon Stewart took over in 1999, the show took a much more political turn and he interviewed some of the top names in politics and show business alike. His 16 year reign is going to be nearly impossible to compete with. Trevor Noah took over this past Monday and only time will tell how he fares over the long haul, but I’m excited to find out.

 

Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It by Gary Taubes– Nancy picked this book up at the library and I’ve been reading it over the last week. I didn’t have high expectations as one nutrition book seems just like the next. However, respected science author Gary Taubes takes diet and nutrition recommendations as we know and throws them out the window. The short answer as to why we get fat, supported by hundreds of years of science, is easy according to Mr. Taubes. Stop eating all sugar and carbohydrates and get back to eating fatty meats. He supports this with an admirable amount of data and science and the book is a little dry to that end. But getting through the pages may prove to be rewarding with renewed health. The science would seem to support Atkins and Paleo diets.  More to come on this…

 

The return of musical video games– Guitar Hero and Rock Band are returning to consoles in living rooms everywhere. Both games had sold millions and then died off as an old trend a few years ago. Just like anything, old becomes new again and Guitar Hero Live and Rock Band 4 are hitting the shelves in October for PS4 and Xbox1. Granted our family does not have either of those consoles. We’re still enjoying Rock Band 3 on our Wii. But I’m glad that there may hopefully be some renewed interest in music and instruments. I’ve always thought that these games encourage playing and enjoying of music in real life.

 

Have any of you tried the new Daily Show? Please share your thoughts in the comments. I’ll meet you back here in a month with more favorites.

-The Weekend Chef

 

 

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Ravioli with Lemon Butter Basil Sauce

Ravioli with Lemon Basil Butter Sauce

This recipe is for those super busy weeknights when you have to get dinner on the table but are short on time….or for those nights that you want to order takeout, but really shouldn’t!  I was pleasantly surprised at how quick and easy this dish was to prepare.  I mean, you could just cook the ravioli and throw a jar of spaghetti sauce on it or you can whip this dish together in a matter of minutes!  Plus, I was able to use some of my home grown basil!  The kids really enjoyed this dish.  I served it with a salad to complete the meal!

Ravioli with Lemon Butter Basil Sauce
Recipe barely adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

Ingredients:
24 ounces frozen cheese ravioli
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped basil
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Additional basil for garnish

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook ravioli according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

2. While the ravioli is cooking, make the butter sauce. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until tender, approximately two minutes. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and basil. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

3. Pour the ravioli in a serving dish. Pour the lemon basil butter sauce over the ravioli and stir gently to combine. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and extra basil, if desired. Serve immediately.

 

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Turn It Up Tuesday #106

This month I am excited to be guest hosting Turn It Up Tuesday!  So come and link up your favorite posts!

It’s time to start the party with us at Turn It Up Tuesday! We had a great week last week, but we have an even greater week planned this week! We are celebrating Turn It Up Tuesday’s 2-Year Anniversary Giveaway, where the prize is $200 Paypal cash! Enter to win below!

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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!1

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(from the top – left to right)

Natasha from Epic Mommy Adventures | Stacey from This Momma’s Ramblings | Cathy from A Peek Into My Paradise | April from April Noelle | Tina from The Happy Creations | Tiffany from MrsTeeLoveLifeLaughter | Cindy from Mom Maven | Melissa from The Coupon Chronicles | Kelly from Making-More | Silvie from My Silly Little Gang | Mari from Living in Mommywood | Tenns from Bliss & Faith | Kimberly from Being a Wordsmith | Nancy from Afro-Chic Mompreneur | Kimberly from Keystrokes by Kimberly | Kelly from Mum-bo-Jumbo | Elaine from Ramblings of a Bad Domestic Goddess | Zografia from Bisozozo | Ginger from Does Your Sister Have Normal Hair | Free from Couponin Diva | Kori from Just Another Mom | Minnie from The Country Cooking Queen’s Weight loss and healthy eathing blog | Bev from Eclectic Red Barn | Dawn from Pretty Shabby UK | Anuja from All I Do | Tina from Kidz Activities

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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Elaine chose Want to Breathe A Little Easier? The Best House Plants For Improving Air Quality from Urban Naturale. “Great information and detail on what toxins each plant helps to remove.”

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Elaine chose Apple & Gouda Grilled Cheese from Just Us Four. “What a great combination. Never thought of putting gouda with apples.”

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Tiffany chose Three Lasagna Roll-Ups from Typically Simple. “I love lasagna and this recipe is super easy and from the pictures which already have my mouth watering it looks super delicious too! I can’t wait to give it a try!”

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Tiffany chose The joys of hot coffee and bathroom breaks alone from Life, Kids and a Glass of Red. “We’ve all been there. The knocks, yells and sudden panic when we try to use the bathrooms alone. I had such fun reading how Emma has gotten bit of that time back after starting an in office job recently. I’m still working on keeping my coffee hot :)”

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Mari chose Finding Your Voice in Life from The (mis)Adventures of a “Born Again” Farm Girl. “I loved Mindie’s share. So many people have lost the ability to press the stop button that what they end up releasing to the world is toxic. Be it Blogging or just everyday living we should Always be mindful of what we produce. Our words, our actions, our content. Mindie thank you for such a mindful share and read.”

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Mari chose What To Do With Your Old, Used Candles?… from Sparkles in the Everyday. “Then I ran into Barb’s candle how to and I loved the easy way to deal with all the tiny left overs. I usually just scrap and cut into bits and drop in a bowl like Potpourri but this share was great.”

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Dawn chose How To Make a Twirl Dress from Denim Bibs. “This is so amazingly cute, i did not realise how easy it would be to make this. My daughter “Princess” Chloe would love this.”

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Dawn chose How To Create Your Own Media Kit from The Krafty Owl. “Love this article. So informative…”

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Stacey chose Oreo Fudge Brownies with Oreo Frosting from Carmela Pop. “Oh, there is nothing more decadent than oreo’s and brownies, together. I know that my kids would devour these. Thanks for sharing!”

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Stacey chose Cinnamon Applesauce {make it yourself} from Seasonal Family Fun. “Applesauce is definitely one of my kids’ favorite things to eat and homemade is always better. Thanks for sharing!”

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Silvie chose Fool Proof Apple Tarte from Lou Lou Girls. “I chose this post because I love apple tartes, yet I’ve never tried cooking one because I’ve been scared to mess it up. This recipe looks like one that I can manage. I’m definitely give it a try.”

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Silvie chose Easy Halloween Pumpkin Painting (With old Nail Polish) from our very own Anuja from All I Do. “I would have never thought to use nail polish to decorate pumpkins. This is such a cute idea!”

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Tina from Kidz Activities chose DIY Fall Owl Magnets from Ella Claire. “This is such a cute craft for kids! I love the colours and the cute owls!”

Tina from The Happy Creations also chose this post. “Super cute owl magnets. I’m an owl and magnet lover so this creation ticks all the boxes. Beautiful fall decoration idea, thanks for sharing.”

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Tina from Kidz Activities chose Monster Candy Boxes from Made with Happy. “I love these fun monster box designs! Great for Halloween or a party giveaway.”

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Laura from Laura’s Little House Tips chose Easy to Make Pizza Ring from Typically Simple. “I love Pizza and Fun ways to serve it. This looks fun enough for the family and elegant enough for company.”

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Laura from Laura’s Little House Tips chose Leaf Bowl {DIY} from Made with Happy. “I loved this and how fun it will look when decorating for Fall. I love you can do this with the family but also cool enough for apartments too.”

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Bev chose Peach Cobbler Bread from Lou Lou Girls. “This peach cobbler looks amazing. My stomach would be doing a happy dance having this for breakfast, snack time or dessert.”

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Bev chose Spider Web Doily Bunting from The Scrap Shoppe Blog. “I love this simple but dramatic use of doilies for Halloween. Easy and inexpensive. Lots of uses for this garland.”

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Tina from The Happy Creations chose Ghost Chocolate Cream Pie Bites from Sugar & Soul. “What a wonderful and easy to make halloween treats.They look fabulous. I love the idea,thanks so much for sharing.”

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Natasha chose 7 Ways to Keep Blogging When Life Gets Overwhelming from A Dish of Daily Life. “It has been so difficult for the past couple of months to keep up with blogging. Life just completely takes over and there is no time left in the day. These are some great ways to find time to blog when life gets real hectic. Thanks for sharing!”

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Natasha chose 5 Tips to fight the Mommy Guilt from Velvet-Rose.net. “Mommy guilt is so real, and we all go through it. These are some great tips to dealing with it!”

77 Ways to Get Traffic

The post with the most views is 77 Ways To Get More Traffic To Your Blog for Free 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!

Epic Mommy Adventures

And the Best of the Best goes to…

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Oreo Fudge Brownies with Oreo Frosting from Carmela Pop

77 Ways to Get Traffic

77 Ways To Get More Traffic To Your Blog for Free from Pretty Shabby UK.

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!

Epic Mommy Adventures

We are celebrating Turn It Up Tuesday’s 2-Year Anniversary!!!!

Join us in celebrating this momentous occasion by participating in the giveaway! We have a great group of co-hosts for our 2nd year anniversary! Celebrate with us, and enter to win $200 Paypal Cash!

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Natasha at Epic Mommy Adventures | Angie at God’s Growing Garden | Cindy at The Mom Maven | Ce Ce at A Chicago Mom | Mionna at Just Mi! | Bev at Eclectic Red Barn | Ginger at Does Your Sister Have Normal Hair? | Lexi at Thoughtful Lens | Heidi at Heidi’s Wanderings

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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!

Epic Mommy Adventures

 

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.**

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.

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Weekly Meal Plan {Week 13}

September Meal Plan

This past week again was filled with slow cooker meals and quick and easy dinner options.  Before and after school activities have started and we need quick and easy dinners!

Saturday – We were at our local Town Day and ate the usual fair foods for dinner (sausage & peppers for the adults, cheeseburger and hotdog for the kids).

Crockpot Sweet and Spicy Ground Turkey and Sweet Potato Stew

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Sunday – We hosted our monthly Supper Club.  Since one of our member’s is lactose intolerant and usually needs to take several Lactaid tablets throughout our dinners this month’s theme was “Dairy-Free.”  I made CrockPot Sweet and Spicy Ground Turkey and Sweet Potato Stew.  This was a tasty dish that I’ll be posting on the blog soon!  It’s definitely worth making again!  The Weekend Chef made Kale-Apple Salad with Maple-Walnut Dressing.  This was a nice light, refreshing, seasonally appropriate salad.

Crockpot Potato, Cheddar and Ale Soup

Feta and Poblano Corn Muffins

Monday – I made Crockpot Potato, Cheddar, and Ale Soup from Pink Parsley.  I also made a variation of these Feta and Jalapeno Corn Muffins from Living the Gourmet.  My kids might be a little spoiled with me cooking different dinner recipes every night when my daughter commented, “Haven’t you made this before?” when I told her the soup we were having for dinner.  Yes, I believe I actually did make this soup once before and it was as good this time as it was the first.  My son, who rarely asks for seconds of anything had a second bowl of this soup.

Shredded BBQ Chicken Burgers

Tuesday – I made Shredded BBQ Chicken Burgers from What’s Gaby Cooking.  This was made in the slow cooker and was more like a pulled chicken sandwich, rather than a “burger.”  I had regular hamburger buns which were not very sturdy once the filling was piled on.  These became more of a “sloppy chicken sandwich” than a burger.  It was tasty and did not need the guacamole, which I could hardly taste.  I served these sandwiches with fries.  This meal was another winner with the kids.

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Wednesday – I made Chicken Bacon Swiss Spaghetti Pizza from Melanie Makes.  I am a big fan of Melanie’s recipes and have made several from her blog.  They are always tasty.  However, like this recipe, they are not always “quick and easy.”  Between shredding the swiss cheese and cooking the pasta, chicken, bacon and mushrooms and onions, there were a lot of steps and a lot of dirty dishes!  The kids were intrigued by the spaghetti “pizza” though and after taking off the mushrooms ate this right up!

Thursday – I made Quick and Easy Lentil Quesadillas from Pinch of Yum.  This recipe reminded me a lot of the Slow Cooker Lentil and Brown Rice Tacos that have become a regular on our menu.

Friday – The adults had leftovers and the kids had pizza at a neighbor’s birthday party.

What was your favorite meal last week?