This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx

I live for hosting parties for my family and friends! My favorite part is the theme and of course the food. Hosting homegates is something I enjoy because it’s fun and easy to do. The snacks are what make a homegate party a hit and I want to share some easy options with you all. 

SABRA HUMMUS 

For me a party must have is Sabra Hummus. It’s versatile and easy to add to the center of a charcuterie board. The dip pairs perfectly with pitas, corn chips, and any fresh veggies. If you come to my home and open our refrigerator you can bet that Sabra Hummus will be there. My kids love the classic hummus and I’m a huge fan of the spicy hummus. Sabra Hummus fits all lifestyles. It is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, and kosher making it the perfect food option for any party! 

ROLAND FOODS

Another party must for me is to do a second charcuterie board with fruits, crackers, cheese, and meats. The key to this food board is adding Roland Fig Jam and White Truffle Oil. Roland Fig Jam has a light and fresh honeyed fig flavor and contains 5 simple ingredients. It makes a great spread for crackers and cheese. Roland Organic White Truffle Oil is an extra virgin olive oil that is infused with a truffle aroma. 

ACT II

Popcorn is always a crowd favorite at a homegate party. ACT II Hot & Spicy microwave popcorn is something different you can serve. It has a bold, spicy flavor and is made with 100% whole grain popcorn kernels. 

BANQUET 

If you have family and friends who have a hearty appetite Banquet Country Fried Chicken MEGA Meal is a perfect option. It is full of country flavor, with two fried chicken patties, southern gravy, and bacon Mac and cheese. It has 30 grams of protein and only takes minutes to serve. Serving Banquet frozen meals will give you more time to watch the game and enjoy your company. 

Thanks for stopping by the blog.

Ashlee 

This blog post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx. All opinions are my own.

It is now back to school time and that means our weekday schedules are jammed packed! Hudson and Everett have soccer 3 times a week and Winter has gymnastics. Roman isn’t involved in any activities yet but, he can be a handful. Then there is homework that often needs to be done and the kids always want me to help them. I am left with very little time to prepare and cook dinners for our family of six. Since my time is so limited, I usually dread the what’s for dinner question. Thankfully, I was sent some great products that have helped me make dinner time easier. I want to share them with you all. 

Jus-Rol 

We love homemade pizza as a dinner option. Each person in our family has a different taste so, adding our own toppings makes it more fun! I could never find a dough that was easy to work with, didn’t make a mess, and tasted good. Then came along Jus Rol. A refrigerated dough that is rolled on parchment/baking paper. You literally roll the dough on a baking pan and then add your sauce, cheese, and favorite toppings. Then, you bake it in the oven for 20 minutes and it’s ready to enjoy. No mess or prep involved. The best part is Jus-Rol tastes great and the products are made in the USA, Non-GMO, include no artificial colors or flavor, or bleached flour. They also have a dough for pie, pastries, and flatbread. Jus-Rol is available in the refrigerated dairy case.

I love to do tomato sauce, sweet peppers, basil, and cheese on our pizza. Another option I love is using the flatbread dough. I spread out some hummus dip over the dough and add on arugula, tomatoes, and olives.

Farin’ UP

Farin’UP French Crepes Mix is a breeze to make because you just add milk to the ready to pour mix! I add some fresh fruit and cinnamon to the top of the crepes and the kids go to town on these! You can also serve them up with ham, sausage, bacon, and/or scrambled eggs.

Farin’UP also makes a Protein Balls Mix. I was blown away by the fact that these no-bake protein balls took me 1 minute to make! You pour the package into a bowl, add water, and honey and then you stir it all up and roll into balls! These plant based and gluten free protein balls are great for an after school snack or dessert! If you have children who want to help in the kitchen Farin’ UP products are great to work with. My youngest loved rolling the balls with me.

Use code: BTS22INF01 (Valid from Aug 20 till Sept 22, 2022) For 15% Off sitewide shop here https://www.farinup.com/

Minute Rice

One side we usually have at least 3 nights a week is rice! We love to make rice bowls with Minute Rice. I add chicken (can do steak, shrimp, or fish) over rice and add: avocado, corn, black beans, cilantro, and fresh squeezed lime over top. I love this rice because it’s done in a minute! 

Minute Rice Cups make a great flavor-filled side. You can serve them with any fish or meat, add to soup instead of using noodles, or make fajitas and add the rice as an extra topping.

Minute’s Chicken & Herb Seasoned Rice Cups are great because you can pop them right into the microwave. The cups are BPA-free and 100% recyclable.

I hope these back to school weeknight dinner ideas helped you stress a little less about what to make for dinner! I know our time is limited and we rather spend it with our kids making memories than cooking and cleaning up. 

Ashlee

This blog post is sponsored by Jus-Rol. 

The best way to bring my family together is by cooking and baking! It’s a great way to connect with each other after a long day. One of our favorite foods to make is pizza! I have found that it can get messy with 4 kids, especially when you have to make the pizza dough.

Now that we use the refrigerated dough from Jus-Rol, there is hardly a mess! Total mom win. Jus-Rol is easy to prepare because it’s rolled on baking paper for a simple prep and very easy clean up. 

Jus-Rol has 5 amazing products. In today’s blog post, I am showing you how we used the Jus-Rol Family Size Pizza Crust. It easily unrolls to fill a rectangular baking sheet. It was literally a breeze to open the package and unroll the dough on the baking tray. You can also place it on a pizza stone and remove the baking paper if you prefer.

The kids added the pizza sauce, cheese, some fresh sweet peppers, and red onions. We then popped the tray in the oven, let it bake for 20 minutes and the pizza was ready. There was hardly any mess to clean up! 

If you love a traditional round, thin, and crispy pizza Jus-Rol Round & Thin Pizza Crust is available, too. Another pizza option is Jus-Rol Flatbread dough which has a rectangular crust and requires less baking time. It’s great for a family dinner or for appetizers. You can remove the baking paper and throw it on the grill too.

I want to make the kids pinwheels soon with the Puff Pastry. You can make simple pinwheels by adding Mayo, ham or turkey, and any cheese your family loves. You simply roll the dough back up, slice, and bake! 

If baking is your thing you need to check out Jus-Rol Puff Pastry Dough. It’s flaky and layered and ready to bake.

I am taking the kids to go strawberry picking soon and when we return home, I want to bake them a strawberry pie. I am not the best baker, but using the Jus-Rol pie crust will be easy enough for me! It’s as easy as opening the package, placing the dough in a baking pan and filling it with fresh cut up strawberries. 

All the Jus-Rol products are made in the USA with the highest quality ingredients. They are Non-GMO, have no artificial flavors/colors, or bleached flour. They are available in the refrigerated dairy case in your local grocery stores. To learn more visit their website www.jusrol.com

Thanks for stopping by

Ashlee 

This blog post is sponsored by Friendly’s. All opinions are my own.

I recently took my 4 children to our local Friendly’s to have lunch off their Fan Favorite’s menu! The kids love going to there because they get to eat a filling lunch and then have ice cream!

I got the Buffalo Chicken Salad with Buffalo chicken tenders, celery, green pepper, red onion, and shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar over a bed of leafy greens. It was very good.

The kids enjoyed the Vermonter Burger with melted sharp white cheddar cheese over a juicy beef patty, and stacked with crispy maple pepper bacon in a golden-brown ciabatta roll, topped with lettuce, tomato, and Mayo. They also got the Hot Honey SuperMelt with crispy chicken tenders, hot honey glaze, cheddar, pickle chips, and coleslaw. We finished the meal with the new Superman ice cream sundae, and a banana split sundae.

Taking my kids to Friendly’s is like a walk down memory lane, because when I was a kid I loved eating there with my family. The best part was always the ice cream sundae! It is fun to see how excited my kids get when their sundaes come out! I remember acting the same way. Their new spring menu includes six NEW fan favorite meals you can get a meal and a sundae all starting at $11.99. You can stop by your local Friendly’s location to check out their new spring menu or you can order from Friendly’s.olo.com for pick up or delivery.

Ashlee

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx on behalf of Arnold Organic Bread. All opinions are my own.

Almond Butter Banana Honey Toast- An easy, delicious, nutritious meal!

I personally believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day for my children. When they start their day with a nutritious and filling breakfast they tend to snack less throughout the day. The almond butter banana honey toast is a fun easy breakfast (lunch or even snack) to make for your children.

I love using Arnold Organic White made with Whole Wheat Bread featuring Disney’s Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. My daughter who out of my 4 children is the pickiest eater loves seeing Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse on the packaging. Once she sees something she loves on food packaging she is more likely to eat it and enjoy it. As a mother I am thrilled to know that the bread is USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, and is sustainably baked with renewable wind energy. I know that when I serve this bread to my children, they are getting a good source of Vitamins A, D, & E. I always check the ingredients in foods I give my children and make sure they do not contain high fructose corn syrup, artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors. Arnold Organic White Bread with Whole Wheat contains none of that which is a total mom win!

Making the toast is easy: I let my daughter help by having her put the Arnold Organic White made with Whole Wheat Bread in the toaster. Once it is ready we spread the almond butter together (you can use sunflower butter if your child has a peanut allergy or cashew butter for something different) ,then we drizzle some honey over the almond butter. Next I have my daughter add the sliced bananas over top. (Blueberries or strawberries can also be added). We then sprinkle some chia seeds over the banana slices if I have them on hand. She loves this breakfast and so do my boys. I love that Kids White made with Whole Wheat is an easy option for my kids to help me make it, and it is organic plant-based bread. Arnold Organic is a company who believes in taking care of the Earth for future generations!

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Thanks for stopping by,

Ashlee

When it comes to your baby eating you want the process to be fun and enjoyable. It’s a learning experience and you should encourage your child to explore with their foods. I am a huge fan of baby led weaning (BLW). I think it makes life easier and helps the baby to develop great eating habits. Let me explain what exactly BLW is in my own words. Basically you give the baby whatever you are eating and you let them go to town on their own! All 4 of my children did BLW so, I like to think I have some experience on this topic.  

How do you know when your baby is ready for food? Here are the signs:

1. 6 months of age or older

2. Can sit up on their own and has complete neck control (can turn their head from side to side to see something).

3. Starts to show interest in your food, grabs, whines, and drools when they see you eating something.

4. Brings objects to their mouth during play time.

5. Can grasp objects with their fingers.

6. The tongue thrust reflex is gone.  

BLW food ideas:

– Hard broiled/or scrambled eggs

– Avocado slice

– Whole banana break it in half though to it’s less messy. Add peanut butter to it for an extra treat

-Whole apple peeled

-Whole pear peeled

-Mango slices

-Watermelon slices cut long ways

-Toast with coconut oil or mashed chick peas (hummus), avocado

-Pancakes or waffles cooked in coconut oil. Add berries to batter.

-Veggies steamed and given whole -green beans, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, parsnips

-Cucumber slices, sweet potato slices, pumpkin slices. (sliced long ways)

-Chicken cooked in chicken broth shredded

-Ground turkey meat

-Beef or turkey meatballs add some veggies to the balls (carrots)

-Steak in small pieces

– Noodles with coconut oil can boiled in bone, veggie, or chicken broth for extra flavor

-Steamed rice mix in some veggies

– Steamed fish

-Cooked legumes

-Grated shredded cheese (cheddar)

-Peanut butter balls or peanut butter in the food feeder

-Greek yogurt with strawberry slices

-Quesadillas with cheese. Add pieces of chicken and avocado.

Baby Meal Time Products I have loved over the years:

Highchair ORIBEL and JOOVY NOOK

Food Feeders

Utensils Ryan and Rose and Grabease

Plates and Bowls EZPZ Mini Mat and Re-Play

Sippy Cups

Bibs

Meal time should be fun and an enjoyable learning experience for your baby. Don’t worry about the mess and let them explore, learn, and enjoy their foods!

xoxo

Ashlee

My husband’s side of the family has Welsh roots and what I am about to share with you below is an authentic family recipe. It has been argued over the years with some people preferring different levels of thickness of the cookies and some debating the use of raisins vs. currants, but overall this recipe has been agreed upon.

These best welsh cookies are easy to make for the beginner baker and are fun. The largest amount of time spent is for the cleanup (if you are allowing your children to help) because there is usually flour all over my kitchen. You are looking at about 20 minutes of prep, 30 minutes of cooking, and about an hour of scrubbing the floors. Thanks kids! haha

Ingredients (yields about 2 dozen thick cookies)

~4 cups of flour

~1 cup of butter

~2 teaspoons of baking powder

~1/4 teaspoon of baking soda

~1 1/2 cups of sugar

~ 1 1/2 cup raisins (feel free to substitute currants)

~1 teaspoon of nutmeg (I used 3 drops of Vitality nutmeg Essential oil by Young Living)

~ 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

~2 eggs (I usually prefer more)

~ 1/3 cup of milk

~a pinch or more of salt

The Process

1. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and butter until the dough is crumbly.
2. Add in the raisins (or currants) and mix again
3. Beat the eggs with a fork and slowly mix together
4. Add the milk
5. Finally roll out the dough to a very generous 1/4 inch depth.
6. Use medium heat and a greased skillet
7. Cook about 2 minutes per side
8. Remove and let your kids sprinkle them with extra Cinnamon and Sugar at your discretion.

Side note*** Everyone has a different style when it comes to cooking and baking. I tend to add extra eggs and milk and work with a very wet and sticky dough. When I am rolling out the cookies I add a substantial amount of extra flour to the rolling pin and the flat surface in which I am rolling the cookies out. I like these best welsh cookies extremely thick and my family seems to agree that slightly under cooking them is best.

Enjoy

Ashlee

If you enjoyed this recipes, check out some of my other recipes here!

Do you enjoy salads? Do you enjoy seasonal fruits and vegetables? If you answered yes, then look no further. This festive salad is seasonal and versatile. You can use the core ingredients and enjoy this as a side, or add a chicken breast and it becomes a satisfying meal. Kale’s leaves become sweeter after a frost or two so this dish is optimally delicious in the colder months.

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped kale

2 pomegranates

2 apples

1 pear

1 cup almond shaved/sliced

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

Step 1

Add your kale, pomegranates, apples , and pear to your plate or bowl and mix.

Step 2

Add your olive oil to a skillet with the temperature below medium heat. Once the oil is warm ( approx. 60 seconds) add your almonds to the pan for another 90 seconds. Add the balsamic and honey and turn the temperature to low for the last 60 seconds. Stir and your dressing is done.

Drizzle the top with swirls of honey to suit your taste

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The best part of this dish is that it is adjustable. I’m obsessed with pomegranates and wait all year for them to be in season, but maybe you prefer grapes. I live in the northeastern part of the United States so apples are cheap and abundant during the colder months, but maybe you prefer cheese. The versatility of this dish is what really makes it one of my favorites. This is the season of parties and gatherings, so be sure to add this to your menu if you are hosting.

Thanks for stopping by

Ashlee