Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BrightMind #CollectiveBias Recently I shared some awesome memories with our family dog, Chopper, and some of our concerns and hopes for him as he gets a little older. We've recently made the switch to Purina® Pro Plan® BRIGHT MIND dog food for large breed dogs, and we were looking forward to seeing visible results within 30 days. So we've been playing close attention to Chopper ... continue reading...
Most Recent Posts
Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Bites
Disclosure: This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sara Lee. The opinions and text are all mine. #UniquelyYours This is that time of year where I have to really work on my time management. The lazy days of summer are over where the kids would sleep in during the week and stay up late at night. No more impromptu visits to the beach or having friends over on a weeknight to barbecue and watch movies. Now that the kids are all in school and we have a strict schedule so that our ... continue reading...
Fresh Produce Delivery, Right to Your Door!
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Farm Fresh to You as part of the Mom it Forward Blogger Network. As always, all opinions are my own. In this house, there's one thing we can never have enough of. Quality fruits and vegetables. From on the go snacks, to side dishes and ingredients for a main meal, they are always in high demand around here. With three older kids that eat as much as my husband and I combined, and two younger children that we are trying to teach ... continue reading...
Making Every Day a Bright Day with Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind dog food
Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BrightMind #CollectiveBias Lately I've found myself reminiscing over old photos (thanks Myspace!) and remembering when our family life was a bit different. I found an old album on my Myspace account that dated back to when we first got Chopper, back in 2008. We welcomed him into our home on December 4, 2008 when he was seven months old and he's been a part of our family since. I ... continue reading...
PB&J Sundae Snack
I believe I've mentioned my six year old son's obsession with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before, but I think it's worth mentioning again. Did I tell you he's obsessed? He would have a sandwich with every meal if he had things his way, which means that this little combination is on my mind often too. Sometimes I'll make PB&J inspired treats, quite often actually! When I tried these Fiber One Peanut Butter cookies recently, I just knew I had to try to capture that delicious ... continue reading...
Fried Ravioli with Marinara Sauce
Sometimes I go to a restaurant with my family and I only want items from the appetizers portion of the menu. Does this happen to you too? Whether it's because I'm not in the mood for a big meal, or I'm just in the mood for some finger foods, sometimes a little appetizer is the way to go. After all, mozzarella sticks were one of my favorite indulgences as a child! I actually decided to whip up these fried ravioli when I picked up this Mezzetta Napa Valley Homemade Marinara Sauce. It's made in ... continue reading...
Caramel Coffee Cake Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Glaze using Gevalia Iced Coffee with Almond Milk
Disclosure: I participated in an Ambassador Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Gevalia Iced Coffee with Almond Milk. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation. As difficult as it is to believe, summer is dwindling down and Autumn is upon us. We've enjoyed a long season of backyard barbecues, trips to the beach, creative play at home and late nights spent together. We're getting ready for more structure, but this ... continue reading...
Chili Lime Grilled Pork with Watermelon Pico de Gallo
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The National Pork Board and the #GrillPork campaign. As always, all opinions are mine alone. You may or may not know that we are a football family. My husband played football all the way from elementary school through college and may have gone further had he not gotten an injury that prevented him from continuing. Our oldest two sons played football since they were small and now lil G is a junior in high school and already ... continue reading...
Peanut Butter Chip Cookies Dipped in Chocolate
Every time I get a new cookie idea I go to my old faithful cookie recipe and use that as the base. My no-fail cookie recipe for chocolate chip cookies is seriously the best. I love a good, thick cookie with a slightly crispy edge and a soft middle. That's perfection for me, and this recipe always delivers that perfect cookie every time. So it's only natural whenever I'm dreaming up new cookie flavors that this is the base recipe I use. When I created my cherry chip pizookies, this was the recipe ... continue reading...
Spicy Gazpacho
The very first time I tried gazpacho was a few years ago when I traveled to Texas during the hot summer months. It was early in the summer so the weather really wasn't much warmer than what I'm used to in the hotter parts of Northern California. My hair would tell you otherwise because it couldn't decide if it wanted to be frizzy and big or flat at the roots. I ended up fixing my hair about 5 times a day just to be prepared for any photo opps, but that's another story for another time. I had ... continue reading...
Cheese Stuffed Chipotle Pork Burgers Topped with Bacon and Jalapenos
Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #VivaLaMorena #CollectiveBias When the seasons warm up to triple digit weather my taste buds seem to change. I tend to prefer fresh ingredients, easy to put together foods with lots of colors and I tend to have a preference for foods of the spicier variety as the heat warms up to unbearable temperatures. In the colder months I tend to crave comfort foods and some of my favorite ... continue reading...
Steak Arepas with Mozzarella, Tomato and Avocado
Disclosure: I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Influence Central for P.A.N. Cornmeal. I received product samples as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation. Over the summer I've made a few recipes that include one of my favorite pantry staples, P.A.N. Cornmeal. I shared a delicious dessert recipe for a nectarine and plum cobbler using cornmeal that was a twist on a classic dessert. I also shared a fun breakfast recipe for cornbread battered breakfast bites ... continue reading...
Have You Tried the New Save Smart App for Save Mart? {Giveaway}
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post created in connection with my partnership with Save Mart Supermarkets. As always, all opinions are mine alone. If you're local to Northern California, then you are probably familiar with Save Mart and their family of stores; Save Mart, S-Mart Foods, FoodMaxx and Lucky stores. Did you also know that there is now a Save Smart app that helps you navigate weekly sales at Save Mart and also clip coupons to add to your Save Smart Rewards Account? It's super easy ... continue reading...
Cornbread Battered Breakfast Bites with Sausage and Egg
Disclosure: I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Influence Central for P.A.N. Cornmeal. I received product samples as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation. Having two smaller children in the house can make some meals interesting. If I'm not careful, they will have nothing but cereal, waffles, yogurt and sandwiches to eat all day long. Not that any of that is bad, but I do try to get lots of colorful foods in my kids diets and a variety of flavors, colors ... continue reading...
Chili Cheese Grilled and Stuffed Bell Peppers
This post is sponsored by VELVEETA® . All opinions are my own. At the beginning of the month we made it official and furnished our backyard. We've been spending so much of our time outside, whether gardening or grilling, so why not make it as comfortable as possible? Since then we find ourselves gravitating to our backyard more often. Whether it's in the mornings to enjoy our morning coffee or in the evenings after dinner just to get some fresh air. We've also been grilling a lot more often ... continue reading...
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Honey Bunches of Oats. As always, all opinions are mine alone. I'm such a snacker in the summertime, I could eat a variety of hors d'oeuvres as a meal anyday. Well, maybe that's not just reserved for the summer, but I do prefer lighter foods and tastes in the warmer months. One of my favorite appetizers is stuffed mushrooms. Oh, I'm a lover of all things mushroom, and these babies are just so tasty. There's such a variety of ways ... continue reading...
Gevalia Iced Coffee with Almond Milk – A Delicious Treat!
Disclosure: I participated in an Ambassador Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Gevalia Iced Coffee with Almond Milk. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation. I don't know about you, but most mornings I hit the ground running. Every day I have so much to do, from writing and testing recipes to taking photos or editing them, as well as answering emails and everything else that being a food blogger entails. I have ... continue reading...
Campfire Tex-Mex Nacho Fries
This post is sponsored by VELVEETA® . All opinions are my own. Now that our youngest kids are getting older, we are beginning to plan more adventures for our family. One thing we look forward to is going camping together as a family. I think our boys would have a blast and would love to do fun things like build a tent, fish, and tell some spooky stories around the campfire. Something we're also looking forward to is fun campfire meals like these Tex-Mex nacho fries. They're super easy to put ... continue reading...
Garlic Butter Shrimp Over Cucumber Radish Salad
Lately I've been doing a lot of cooking outdoors. We've really been enjoying the weather and our backyard, but today I decided I wanted something quick and simple to eat. I had picked up some fresh shrimp from the deli at one of my favorite stores and I'd received some Pure Irish Butter and Blarney Castle Cheese from Kerrygold as a part of their Loyalty Program, so I figured I'd try my hand and combine everything to create the perfect salad for dinnertime. I used the salted butter with some ... continue reading...
Grilled Boneless Pork Chops with Chimichurri
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The National Pork Board and the #GrillPork campaign. As always, all opinions are mine alone. If you've been around for a while you could probably guess that I prefer boneless meats to bone-in. I'm aware that the bone-in meats tend to be juicier and tastier, but for me I like to cut into my meat without a bone getting in the way and having to cut fat out. I know I have issues, but judging by the popularity of my first boneless pork ... continue reading...
