Delicious and Easy Pasta Salad

Last week, one of our friends had an impromptu get together, and everyone brought a dish. We ate whatever everybody brought. It was a perfect idea for food, and all types of dishes were covered! The only problem is, I have a really hard time deciding what to bring to these kinds of things. I'm always afraid I'm going to mess up whatever I decide to make, plus the cheap side of me just wants to throw something together we already have.

Well, I got brave for this one. Using only food we had in the house, I was able to create a pasta salad that everyone raved over. I even had people asking for the recipe, and I couldn't really give them measurements. I felt bad, because whenever I ask my grandma for recipes, she can tell me all of the ingredients but has no clue how much she uses! So, I figured it out for you.

Block Party!

My in-laws have been visiting for the past week, and it's amazing how quickly time passes! They are able to visit us twice a year, and we haven't been able to travel up to see them because of the difficulty with two little ones. Luckily, in the spring we will be making our first trip north for my brother-in-law's wedding!

While they were here, I was able to throw together a block party. I was lucky enough to be chosen for MorningStar's House Party! This was an awesome excuse to invite old and new neighbors over to the house. They were calling for rain, but it ended up being a gorgeous evening. We set up some games in the backyard, visited with each other, and enjoyed great food.

Easiest Meal Ever

There are many days when I don't feel like cooking dinner, or I'm getting home late and don't have time to get a nice meal on the table before bedtime. I found a perfect solution through BzzAgent. On one of those nights, I stopped by Kroger's deli counter and picked up an 8-piece chicken dinner. To keep it really simple, I also got chips and a drink.

Our Growing Gardens

Our gardens are in full bloom, and I am so excited to get food from them soon. Last summer, we built raised beds for vegetables, fruits, and herbs. If you missed them, you can see them here and here. 

The cucumbers were calling my camera, so I had to take some pictures. This is what we have to look forward to...

These are our cucumber plants growing up the trellis. Ryan chose regular and pickling varieties so that we can can (hehe!) our own pickles this year. He made some a couple years back, and they were so good. Since I've taken these pictures, we have some that are almost ready to pick. I can't wait!

Here are some of our other spoils.

Burgers Not Made of Meat?

Our family got to try a {MorningStar Farms} product through {Bzz Agent} recently.  We previously bought some MorningStar veggie burgers from Costco and enjoyed those, so I was excited to try some different flavors.  I chose Tomato & Basil Pizza Burger, keeping my boys in mind as I looked at the assortment of products.  I have to say, I was very impressed with the variety of items MorningStar has available.  I did not expect to have such a selection.

Preparing the veggie burgers was simple.  It required putting them in a pan over medium heat for about 10 minutes.  The house smelled very good as they cooked!  We also made some homemade fries as a side.

I presented the burgers in the same fashion I would a regular hamburger so that I could get the family's true reaction.  My husband knew what we were having, but the boys didn't.  Ryan is all about eating healthy when we can, so he was all for it.

They were really good!  I loved the flavor I chose, and it went really well on the bun with ketchup. I questioned in the beginning what to add to the buns with the tomato basil flavor of the patty!  The boys also both ate more than half of their burgers without any begging from us or hanging dessert over their heads, a rare occurrence.  MorningStar added some mozzarella and provolone cheese to the other ingredients, which helped seal the deal with their taste buds!

It was also very filling, which was another concern of mine.  I wasn't able to finish all of mine, so I had great left-overs for lunch the next day.  Even reheated, it was delicious.

I would definitely recommend the Tomato & Basil Pizza Burger we had, and our family looks forward to trying other products from MorningStar.

Super Bowl Sunday

Super Bowl Sunday is almost here!  Since the Patriots are no longer in it, the excitement has kind of died off.  That's my husband's team, and you would have been very entertained if you were with us when they were playing the Ravens.

Needless to say, I'm sure we will still be watching the game.  Since we've got little guys and have to go to work early the next morning, we make a night of it in our own living room.  Last year, I made little football sandwiches and put them on sports plates for the boys.

Not a big fuss, just deli meat and lettuce on dinner rolls.  I took shredded mozzarella cheese and created the football laces on the top.  This was all made with things we had on hand at the house.  It doesn't take much to be festive!

Even better than that in the boys' eyes was the fact that we let them sit on the floor of the living room to eat.  Since they aren't allowed to eat in there, it has become a special treat.

I always love an excuse to have a little extra fun!

What special treats are you planning for the Super Bowl?  Please feel free to link up posts.

The Budget Challenge

If you saw {this post} the other day, you know our family has started a new budgeting program.  It officially went into effect on the 15th when we received a paycheck.  I created spreadsheets based off of Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace and calculated everything out.  My mom also has a book by Suse Orman, but I haven't read that one to compare.  If you want to start a budget, I recommend picking one system and just going with it.  If it works, great.  If it doesn't, move on and try something else until you find what you like.  Make sure you give the programs a try, though, before you give up.  It might take a little while to see the benefits.

The biggest adjustment we're having to make is the use of the envelope system.  I went to the ATM yesterday and withdrew the amount we designated for groceries.  I then proceeded to Costco to pick up some staples we were lacking and had the lowest bill EVER in the history of our trips to Costco.  It was $11 and some change.  We typically can't get out of there without forking over $100 or more!  If you belong to Costco, BJ's, or Sam's Club, you probably know exactly what I'm talking about!  Forking over that cash, though, and knowing that once I spent it all, we weren't replacing it made me fight the urge to look around.

We're still in the process of figuring out exactly where all of our money goes, so we'll be making a lot of adjustments to the amounts for each category.  It already feels so gratifying to have our money designated and know what we have left over each month to put into other categories.  I will keep you posted!

Eco Friendly Products from Custom Earth Promos

There are many ways to save the environment and keep it in the best possible condition. One of the best ways to keep the environment in the best possible shape is to buy eco friendly products. These products include bags, lanyards and bottles. By purchasing these things you will be able to use valuable things for everyday use while allowing the environment to stay clean, safe, and sanitary. When looking to purchase eco friendly products you can go to one retailer that is among the best around. This retailer is known as Custom Earth Promos. At this retailer you will have the ability to purchase these environmentally safe products and therefore get what you need to carry out your daily activities as well as ensure that the environment remains in good standing.

When it comes to purchasing eco friendly products one of the first things you can get is {Custom Earth Promos} cute eco friendly shopping bags. These are bags that a person can use when looking to carry various items while they shop. Instead of having to carry numerous plastic bags around, consumers can just use this one bag to carry all of the merchandise they purchase at any given time. Since these bags are made out of natural materials you will be sure to get a quality product that is also very healthy for the environment. If you are looking to get an eco friendly bag then you can go to Custom Earth Promos to purchase one.

Another unique product that you can get that is environmentally friendly is {eco friendly lanyards}. This type of product is sort of like a necklace. A lanyard is made out of eco friendly threaded materials that make up something that you can attach to a whistle. This product is very handy for physical education teachers and also athletic team coaches. It is a great product to use for sporting events as well. Fortunately you can get this product from the retailer previously mentioned. You can simply purchase it online at their website and start enjoying the benefits of this product and all of the other products available too.

This is a sponsored article.

UNREAL Candy

I was able to try {UNREAL candy} through {BzzAgent} recently. The best part about these candy bars is that they've taken out all of the "fake" ingredients.  My husband and I had fun trying the different kinds, which includes  nougat bars with and without peanuts, small chocolate candies with and without peanuts, and peanut butter cups.  I got ours at CVS, and they are becoming more widely available, including Kroger, Michaels, Staples, and Walgreens.

Once I got over the fact that they weren't going to taste like the traditional candy I'm used to eating (The m&m's threw me off the most.), I really enjoyed it.  Ryan also liked the taste.  We went through the 5 types we got in about a day!  Can you tell we like chocolate in our house?  That's why I especially like that they've taken out the ingredients that aren't so good for you.  I won't mind sharing these so much with our two young boys, who also have mommy's sweet tooth.

Have you tried UNREAL candy?  What do you think?

Fisher-Price Playdate

My mother-in-law sent me a link to {House Party}, which I had never heard of before, with an opportunity to host a playdate with a bunch of {Fisher-Price} toys.  I investigated the site and thought at first there was no way I would be picked.  I decided to go through the steps to be chosen, and was lucky enough for an invite!  A few days later, the packages arrived.

 The toys just kept coming and coming out of the box!

 Fisher-Price also sent goodies for all of the guests.

 In order to receive the materials from Fisher-Price, I agreed to host a playdate for children to come over and play with the toys.  What a great excuse to invite the boys' friends over!  
Fisher-Price provided some decorations and other resources for the playdate.

I made some fun food and drinks for everyone and set up the toys.

The finger foods and punch were a hit with the kids!  I don't think they even realized it was all good for them. 

We received the {Rev 'n Go Stunt Garage} and the {Imaginext Eagle Talon Castle} sets.

The kids had a blast playing with each other and the toys!

Thanks Fisher-Price for this awesome experience!  The best part is that I can continue to sign up for other opportunities to host parties and receive products through House Party.  It's very easy to do, and there are all kinds of parties.
Have you hosted a party through House Party or something similar?  How was your experience?

Linked with: Dirt and Boogers, One Perfect Day, Play Activities, Taming the Goblin, The Golden Gleam

Football Season

I know we are well into football season, but there's still time for a great cake!  My son's school had their first home game last Friday.  He's in Kindergarten, and his school is K-12.  They have Senior buddies, so they met up with them to cheer the football team onto the field.

To help get the Kindergartners excited about the evening, I brought in a football cake for Jackson's class.  I happened to buy a football cake mold at a {yard sale} a while back knowing that with two boys I would have a chance to use it.  This was one of my first "fancy" cake-making sessions, and it turned out to be fun!  The boys even enjoyed helping and licking the icing out of the bowl :)

I checked with Jackson's teacher to make sure it would fit into their schedule and was able to bring it in after I volunteered in their library.  Here it is:

 The kids loved it!

You might find me linked with Project: Inspire, Melting Moments, The Artsy Girl Connection, Confessions of an ADD Housewife, The NY Melrose Family, Someday Crafts, The Dedicated House, Adorned From Above, Organize and Decorate Everything, Six Sisters' Stuff, I Heart Nap Time, Positively Splendid, Heatherly Loves, Kayla Creations, Debbiedoo's, A Stroll Thru Life , The Thrifty Home, Beyond the Picket Fence

Quick and Easy Dinner

I was lucky enough to be chosen by {Bzz Agent} to try the new Progresso Recipe Starters.  I received what looked like a soup can that contained their Creamy Portabella Mushroom flavor.

What was different about this can was that it included a simple, easy to make recipe right on the label.  In addition to that, there is one of those square things you scan with your phone.  (I'm new to the smart phone, so I don't know what it's called!)  You can also go to {progresso.com/recipe-starters} to find over 30 recipes for their five flavors.

I am not a fan of mushrooms, so I knew I would have to find a recipe that hid them.  I also wanted to find something that included ingredients I already had on hand.  I was in luck!  There was a recipe for Mushroom-Swiss Burgers that we were able to try.  This was perfect, because we had just bought a batch of {ground turkey} I needed to prep for freezing.

I made a few simple adjustments to their recipe, and we were good to go.  I cooked them on the stove instead of grilling them.  I also stirred some oil into them instead of spraying them with cooking spray.

The burgers got rave reviews from my family!  That's saying a lot from my picky eaters.  Jackson gave me two thumbs up, and this picture of Brady says it all:

Dinner was quick and easy to make.  Only being around $2.50 a can makes it well worth it for a quick meal.  I'm sure with it being new, there will be plenty of {coupons} floating around for it!  Look for it on the soup aisle if you want to try it for yourself.

Veggie Stir-Fry

This is an easy one!  We had a bunch of vegetables from {Ryan's garden} that we had to use.  I always think that I'm going to get creative and make something fancy.  I wasn't feeling it tonight, so I just chopped, threw it all in a big pan, drizzled olive oil over the veggies and cooked them up.  The vegetables included orange and green bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, okra, and onions.  The onions were the only thing we don't grow.  I added some thyme from {my herb garden} after reading that it pretty much goes with anything.

I served the veggies with baked sweet potatoes, also from Ryan's garden, and marinated chicken.

We quickly learned that okra shouldn't be cooked this way!  Everything else was delicious!!

Dressing Up Pizza

One of our staple dinners for Friday night is PIZZA!  We save money buying frozen pizzas and making them ourselves.  For less than the price of one take-out pizza (about $10), we get four frozen cheese pizzas from Costco.

The pizza alone is really good, especially for the price.  But I'm always looking to add fresh produce to our meals for a few reasons:

• They're healthy for us.  
• I want the boys to be exposed to new foods.  
• It makes the pizza a little more filling with extra toppings.

The most common topping we do in our house is tomato slices, fresh basil, and extra mozzarella cheese (I love cheese!).  I chop up the basil, because the boys are less likely to eat it as whole leaves.

Yum!  Some other variations we do include adding fresh oregano, chopped and sprinkled across the top.  My husband also likes adding bell peppers with the tomatoes and basil.  

The best thing about these toppings is that they all come from our {vegetable} and {herb} gardens!

You might find me linked with Melting Moments, The Dedicated House, Adorned From Above, Organize and Decorate Everything, Six Sisters' Stuff, I Heart Nap Time, Positively Splendid, Heatherly Loves, Kayla Creations, Debbiedoo's, A Stroll Thru Life , The Thrifty Home, Beyond the Picket Fence