October 7, 2016 by Krista

Triple Bean and Chicken Stew You Don’t Have to Clean Up

I pulled the blanket around my neck tighter and tucked my feet up under me a little farther. “This is ridiculous!” I thought. And then I remembered that it had, indeed, snowed just a few days ago. Here. In the desert. In October. It’s kind of a toss-up whether we’ll get a white Christmas every year, so kicking off October with snow is pretty much unheard of. Furthermore, my boys were snuggled under blankets too, sitting just down the couch from me. Then I heard it. The heater kicked on and began filling the house with warm air. “Is it really that cold?!” I wondered. “Okay, stew for dinner it is!” And that’s how this Triple Bean and Chicken Stew was born.

I unwrapped myself, stood up and tossed the blanket back on the couch. As a result, my boys promptly began to tussle over it. “Okay, guys, it’s not that cold. Just share it,” I said as I pulled it from them, grabbed the corners and flipped it up in the air and laid it back down over both of my little miniature wrestlers because then they’d stop fighting over it, maybe.

THE BIRTH OF TRIPLE BEAN AND CHICKEN STEW

I hustled to the kitchen, got out the slow cooker and began pulling out ingredients and setting them on our cream colored, slightly stained island. I opened cans, drained and rinsed the beans and began placing things in the slow cooker. As I added the spices, their rich aromas wafted into my nose. I inhaled and smiled. “This is gonna be good.”

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Triple Bean and Chicken Stew

Triple Bean and Chicken Stew is hearty and will warm your insides and fill your belly. Author: Krista Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 4 hours Total time: 4 hours 15 mins Serves: Serves 6-8 A hearty stes that will fill you up and warm you up. Perfect for chilly Fall days!

Ingredients

15.25 oz can of black beans
15.25 oz can pinto beans
15.25 oz can white beans
15.25 oz can corn
2 chicken breasts
12.5 oz can chicken broth
4.5 oz can diced green chilies
½ large red bell pepper
½ medium yellow onion
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp rosemary
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp sage
1 cup sour cream
mozzarella cheese (for garnish)
green onions (for garnish)

Instructions

Open cans and rinse beans.
Pour chicken broth, green chilies and canned corn with juice into slow cooker.
Add beans and stir until evenly mixed.
Place chicken breasts in slow cooker.
Chop pepper and onion and add to slow cooker.
Add spices.
Cook on high heat for 2-3 hours or until chicken breasts reach 165ºF.
Remove chicken breasts and shred. Return shredded meat to slow cooker. Stir until evenly distributed.
Cook on low heat for an additional hour, if desired.
Stir in sour cream. Garnish with cheese and green onions.

And it was. It was delicious and hearty. In addition, it filled our bellies and warmed our insides. Most of all, it pleased the whole family. It was one of those dinners that make you just wanna snuggle in for the rest of the night…

But that wasn’t an option. We had leftovers. This was too good to waste; furthermore, there’s nothing wrong with leftovers! I reached for the new Reynolds™ Disposable Heat and Eat Containers. I like the idea of these containers, most of all that there’s no need to clean Reynolds™ Disposable Heat and Eat containers. No dishes? Yes, please.

NO DISHES WITH REYNOLDS™ DISPOSABLE HEAT AND EAT CONTAINERS

It says right on the containers that Reynolds™ Disposable Heat and Eat containers are a great alternative to plastic. Additionally, I would agree, in most cases. I really like that they are made with plant fibers and contribute less waste. Hence, a disposable container that I can feel good about. And I love that Reynolds™ Disposable Heat and Eat containers are perfect for the microwave. As a result, Mr. Napping can take leftovers to work and I don’t have to deal with his dirty dishes that have been sitting around all day (or longer!).

You can find these Reynolds™ Disposable Heat and Eat Containers at Walmart with the plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Our trips to the store are more like a traveling circus sometimes… As a result, my photos are often blurry. Oh, these two.

I opened up my Reynolds™ Disposable Heat and Eat Containers and filled them up. These are super easy to use and I love that you can put the lid underneath the container while you eat; therefore, it’s no fuss, compact and you just toss it when you’re finished. Definitely my kind of leftovers.

Mr. Napping loved the ease of these leftovers and I loved not having to clean out his Reynolds™ Disposable Heat and Eat Container when he came home. Consequently, we both love the simplicity of leftovers now.

Get ready to make some yummy Triple Bean and Chicken Stew on your next chilly day; also, don’t forget to pick up Reynolds™ Disposable Heat and Eat Containers at your local Walmart. Finally, Grab a coupon so you can save $1.00! You can find them in the food storage aisle by the Reynolds Wrap.

May 31, 2016 by Krista

Chocolate Caramel Poke Cake

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CelebrateWithM #CollectiveBias

Hey, I’m thrilled you’ve stopped by today! So… I have a question for you… Do you have a sweet tooth?

Did you say yes? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Especially if you have a thing for chocolate and caramel. Or sweet and salty. This will tickle your taste buds into ecstasy.

Here’s one more question… Have you ever made your own caramel? I used to help my grandma when I was little and what I remember most are the arm cramps I got from stirring the pot. I really had no desire to make caramel without my grandma…

… Until this barely-stir recipe entered my life. It’s absolutely amazing and super simple. It takes a little bit of time, but you can totally just set it and check on it every so often. There’s no heavy arm work!

If you’re in a rush and don’t have time for homemade from scratch, that’s ok! I’ve got a quick and easy version for you too. Check that recipe out down below.

HOMEMADE FROM SCRATCH CHOCOLATE CARAMEL POKE CAKE

CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

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Chocolate Cake

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: Approx 20 servings

A not-too-sweet chocolate cake that is moist, light and fluffy and perfect for poke cakes.

Ingredients

1 c. white sugar
3 eggs
2 c white flour
1 c milk
¼ c butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking soda
6 tbs cocoa

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13" glass pan.
In a large mixing bowl cream together sugar and butter.
Beat in eggs.
Add vanilla.
Combine flour and baking powder. Mix well.
Stir in milk until batter is smooth.
Pour into pan. Lower oven temperature to 325°F and bake for 28-32 mins.
(This is the perfect time to get your caramel started. See recipe below.)
Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 mins.
Use a butter knife to poke holes in the cake. The more holes you make, the more caramel will soak down inside. Poke your knife into the cake and give it a little twist to make the holes bigger. The caramel will soak in better.

CARAMEL SAUCE RECIPE
(I originally found this recipe on leafytreetopspot.blogspot.com a few years ago and I LOVE it. I tweaked it slightly to fit my needs for this recipe. You can see the original recipe at the link above.)

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Caramel Chocolate Poke Cake

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Serves: Approx 20 servings

The perfect sweet and salty dessert that will leave your taste buds wanting more!

Ingredients

- ¼ Cup butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 Cup light corn syrup
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 Cup whipping or heavy cream
- 2½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

** If you're in a hurry or don't want to mess with making your own caramel sauce, just use a jar of your favorite caramel sauce from the store and skip to step 11.
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat on the stove.
Increase heat to medium-high. Add sugar and corn syrup and mix until well blended.
Add the salt and combine with a spatula.
Slowly stir the mixture until it comes to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium low and let boil 4 minutes without stirring.
Remove from heat and slowly stir in the whipping cream. Be careful and don't pour too much in too quickly. It might spatter and could burn. Stirring nice and slow will help get the cream mixed in smoothly as well.
Return to medium low heat and continue cooking without stirring until mixture is 245°F on a candy thermometer.
*Note: This makes the caramel a firm chewy candy. You'll probably have to cut the caramel on the cake with kitchen shears, but I love the chewy texture. For most people, a caramel sauce will be more to your liking. There's lots of recipes, but I've never tried any and don't have a favorite to point you to. You can even add sea salt to the sauce and make it salted caramel sauce if you'd like.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Pour caramel over the cake (recipe above). If your cake is domed after you bake it, you can use a spatula to pull the caramel back to the middle as it soaks in and cools down.
If desired, sprinkle caramel with sea salt before it cools too much. If the top has already started to firm up, you can gently press the salt into the caramel with the palm of your hand. Be careful, the caramel will still be hot!
Allow to cool completely (2-3 hours). Slice and serve topped with whipped cream, pretzel sticks and M&M's® Red, White & Blue Milk Chocolate for the perfect sweet and salty ode to America.

This cake is super moist, not too sweet and the perfect blend of sweet and salty. I wanted to add some patriotic love to this cake and the M&M’s® Red, White, & Blue Milk Chocolate were perfect. They also have M&M’s® Red, White, & Blue Peanut that compliment the sweet and salty of the cake just right.

Maybe you’re more a Skittles® fan? Well, there’s Skittles® Red, White, & Blue too! I’m not sure I’d eat them with the chocolate caramel cake, but they are pretty tasty little treats.

Right now MARS/Wrigley is showing appreciation of our troops by donating M&M’s® to the troops for every bag purchased at Walmart. Select stores will have representatives sharing more information about the “1 For You, 1 For the Troops” campaign exclusively at Walmart.

Did you know that M&M’s® were originally created for the troops? Keep the tradition going and buy M&M’s® at Walmart or Walmart.com.

Supporting the troops is definitely something I can get behind. America has always held a special place in my heart. I truly love this country, despite any flaws she may have.

When I met my husband, he was a soldier. We have lived the life of a military family and I had a love-hate relationship with the military, for many reasons. But, I will be forever grateful for and to the courageous and selfless men and women who defend our freedom. The brave people who leave their families to stand against and protect our rights and privileges. I admire and respect the families that are left behind, the single parents who hold their homes and families together while the one they love most is thousands of miles away, often in mortal danger.

The men, women and families who make up our armed forces are some of the strongest, bravest, courageous and selfless people I have ever had the privilege to know. I am so grateful for the time we had among those heroes. I will always respect, admire, and love those who have, who do and those who willingly sacrifice holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, time with their families, their health and even their lives to protect this country and all those within her borders.

If purchasing a bag of M&M’s® or Skittles® can help lift a service member’s day with a small treat, it’s the least I can do. Help support our troops and grab a bag (or two!) at Walmart today. And check out more fun patriotic recipes for your celebrations this summer!

I hinted at the quick and easy version earlier; but, as promised, here’s the recipe. This is a little different consistency and flavor, but still really yummy.

QUICK AND EASY
CHOCOLATE CARAMEL POKE CAKE

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Chocolate Caramel Poke Cake

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: One 9x13" pan

Quick & easy chocolate caramel poke cake ready to serve in 45 minutes!

Ingredients

1 Family-sized Chocolate cake mix box (should bake in a 9x13" pan)
12 oz bottle Caramel ice cream topping
Sea salt to garnish (optional)
Whipped cream
Pretzel sticks
M&M's® Red, White, & Blue Peanut

Instructions

Mix and bake the cake according to the directions on the back of the box.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 mins.
Use a butter knife to poke holes in the cake. The more holes there are, the more caramel will soak in. You can give the knife a twist after you poke it in the cake to make the holes a bit bigger.
Pour half the caramel over the cake and let it sit and soak in for 10 minutes.
Pour the other half of the caramel on top and let it soak in.
Slice and served topped with whipped cream, pretzel pieces and M&M's® candies.

April 28, 2016 by Krista

Better-for-You Snacking on-the-go

Hey, there! I’m happy you’re here!

Let’s talk about snacking. It can be hard to make good snacking choices when life is busy, right?

You’re a busy go-getter, bouncing from running errands to play dates for the kids and then on to piano, dance, soccer and that meeting at the kids’ school.

Or maybe you’re chasing a toddler and balancing a newborn between keeping the household smoothly running.

What about work responsibilities? Maybe there’s a day job in there somewhere. Or you work from home. And being a stay-at-home mom is definitely work too!

Add in your other activities, meetings, and schedules for the whole family; things get crazy quick!

SNACKING FOR MORE ENERGY

You need energy to keep up with your kids, work, life! And snacking can be a great way to do that.

If you make good snack choices.

It can be really easy (and delicious) to reach for candy and other junk. But it won’t give you the energy you need. You need quick and easy, grab-and-go snack options!

You’re in luck! I’ve done the work of figuring out what to eat! I’m going to share ten better-for-you, take on-the-go snack options for you AND the kids!

BETTER-FOR-YOU, ON-THE-GO SNACK OPTIONS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

We like to pair our snacks with Capri Sun Organic juice drinks.

1. Apple slices and peanut butter

2. Cucumber spears and fat-free ranch dip

3. Fruit salad
4. Veggies and hummus

5. Tortilla roll-ups
6. Pita strips and hummus

7. Graham crackers with peanut butter and bananas

8. Whole-grain crackers with fat-free cream cheese and a veggie slice

9. Meat and cheese spears

10. Avocado deviled eggs

It’s important to me that my family eats a balanced diet, even when we’re really busy. Snacks I can take on-the-go are a must-have in our household. I love that all of those snacks can be made ahead of time, stored in the fridge or cupboard and eaten when hunger strikes.

My kids are impatient and want snacks NOW. By having better-for-you options ready to go, they are more likely to choose better snacks. And they still feel like they get to choose their snacks – not me. It’s much less of a fight when my kids make the choice to eat better snacks.

Capri Sun Organic offers a great drink option for better-for-you snacking. Capri Sun Organic is way to give your kids the taste they love with a simpler ingredient list. Sweetened with 66% fruit juice and no artificial flavors, preservatives or colors, Capri Sun Organic is a wholesome drink option you can feel good about. Each pouch has a full serving of fruit* and provides 100% recommended daily value Vitamin C. And there are four great flavors to choose from: Tropical Punch, Fruit Punch, Apple and Grape.

Capri Sun Organic fits into busy schedules perfectly. They are perfect for picnics, day trips, road trips, and on-the-go snacking. Kids love them; they taste great and are the perfect size for little hands to hang on to. Parents love them; the ingredients are simple and few. Let Capri Sun Organic help you on your way to better-for-you snacking!

*Each pouch provides 1/2 cup of fruit juice, which is one serving of fruit according to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

April 4, 2016 by Krista

Crunch O’s Snack Mix

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CerealAnytime #CollectiveBias

Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here today!

Do you love a good snack mix? Me too! Today, we’re gonna mix up a fun and delicious snack mix that will satisfy everyone. Post’s Honey Bunches of Oats Crunch O’s cereal inspired me to put something together that would satisfy a variety of taste preferences.

There’s a little bit of everything you could want:

Sweet
Salty
Crunchy
Chewy
Cereal
Fruit
Nuts
Chocolate

It’s a perfect mix and it’s super easy to mix up. So you can make it to enjoy now or make it in advance. Take it out with you or enjoy it during your next Netflix session. It’s great for the kids too! Although, mine did pick through and eat out all the sweets first. Typical, right?!

CRUNCH O’S SNACK MIX

I used Post’s new Honey Bunches of Oats Crunch O’s and Berry Colossal Crunch cereal to inspire my mix and then added some of our favorite extras for a great flavor mix that will rock your taste buds. There’s also new Kung Fu Panda Po Power Crunch at Walmart that my boys were excited about; but, we settled on the Berry Colossal Crunch instead. I think it was the big bag and pretty colors that won them over.

We love cereal for breakfast, but my three boys are snackers. They are always rummaging through the cupboards and the fridge, looking for the next snack. Cereal is one of their favorites to munch on long after the breakfast dishes are done. It’s so easy to take on the go! Of course, they love the sugary sweet cereal; but, they reach for the wholegrain cereals just as often. There are definitely worse things they could be snacking on and I’m more than happy to let them nosh on cereal all day long.

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Crunch O's Snack Mix

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 5 cups

A snack mix with a variety of flavors that will treat your taste buds to a little bit of everything!

Ingredients

1 cup Honey Bunches of Oats Crunch O's cereal - I used the Honey flavor
1 cup Berry Colossal Crunch cereal
1 cup mixed dried fruit and nuts
1 cup blueberry pecan granola
1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

In a large bowl, dump the Honey Bunches of Oats Crunch O's into the bowl.
Add the cup of Berry Colossal Crunch cereal.
Pour in the chocolate chips.
Add the dried fruit and nuts.
Pour in the granola.
Mix until evenly combined through out.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Honey Bunches of Oats Crunch-O's Snack Mix with Crunch-O's

I picked up all the ingredients at Walmart on my last shopping trip. It was a piece of cake to throw this all together and my boys gobbled it up. They loved it… even after the Berry Colossal Crunch cereal and the chocolate chips had all been picked out. Boys…

Definitely a winner and we will be making it again soon! It packs up great in the diaper bag! Check out the other great flavors of Post’s NEW Honey Bunches of Oats Crunch O’s!

March 16, 2016 by Krista

24 Favorite Easter Recipes

One of my favorite things about Easter… the food! It’s almost as good as Christmas! Here are 24 awesome recipes that will rock your Easter Sunday Dinner! That’s right, 24 Easter recipes – main dish, side dish and desserts are all included! Just try to make it through this list without your mouth watering, I dare you.

Easter is nearly here and that means it is time to start thinking about your menu. The Easter weekend gives us plenty of opportunities for feasting whether it’s appetizers before the big Easter Sunday meal or family brunches during the weekend. Several bloggers have gotten together to bring you our Favorite Easter Recipes. From delicious brunch, dinner and, of course dessert recipes you’ll be sure to find something to add to your Easter menus.