Melissa Kaylene: #foodie
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Showing posts with label #foodie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #foodie. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Butterscotch Irish Cream Iced Coffee

butterscotch Irish Cream Iced Coffee

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I've never really celebrated too much on St. Patty’s Day –as far as going out or anything, but I do make the traditional corned beef and cabbage (it’s simmering as we speak) and will have some sort of beverage for fun.

Today actually hasn't been to terribly busy – just the normal chauffeuring kids around half of the day and house cleaning, but I’m totally okay with a day like that! I’m counting down the days to Spring Break though – no schedules, sleeping in… I’m pretty excited!

butterscotch Irish Cream Iced Coffee
butterscotch Irish Cream Iced Coffee

 Anika has her first soccer practice this evening, and unfortunately we aren't sure whether or not she will actually be playing this season… apparently they are still short two team members and haven’t had any new ones sign up! She is crossing her fingers that she will be able to still somehow play. I was hoping that by switching her to this “club” last year it would eliminate this kind of unorganized stuff, but it almost seems worse than the Parks and Rec that she went through before. It’s only slightly frustrating!

butterscotch Irish Cream Iced Coffee
butterscotch Irish Cream Iced Coffee

After we get back from practice we’ll eat our St. Patty’s Day dinner and I've got a little coffee cocktail that I will make afterwards for Wayne and I. It’s really easy and although sweet, not excessively thanks to the coffee (although you can hardly taste the caffeine!)

butterscotch Irish Cream Iced Coffee
butterscotch Irish Cream Iced Coffee

Butterscotch Irish Cream Iced Coffee

1 cup of coffee – chilled
½ cup of O’Mara’s Irish Country Cream
1 ounce of Butterscotch Schnapps
½ cup of Ice cubes
Whipped Cream

Pour the ice cubes into your desired mug, adding the coffee, Irish cream, and schnapps. Mix and then top with whipped cream. 

butterscotch Irish Cream Iced Coffee
butterscotch Irish Cream Iced Coffee

We are seriously flying through the holiday’s this year! It’s crazy to think that Easter is only a couple of weeks away already…it kind of makes me sad. I am working on some fun stuff to share with you soon though!


Melissa

Thursday, February 5, 2015

25 Must Try Chocolate Recipes

Check out 25 Must Try Chocolate Recipes
by Melissa Kaylene at Foodie.com
Check out 25 Must Try Chocolate Recipes
by Melissa Kaylene at Foodie.com

Hey everyone! How are you? Today I've been slowly trying to get my house back together after last month’s crazy busy schedule. Everything is in dire need of organization and I am definitely someone who gets easily overwhelmed! I've been fighting a head cold that’s been going around too, so my energy level has been less than it should be lately.

The kids have been busy at school this week and today we went to Emma’s school and attended Family Math night. The girls are also going to do a little cheer-leading clinic tomorrow and will perform before the High school girls’ basketball game next Tuesday.

Speaking of sports – my little Emma has told me she doesn't want to do soccer this spring. Am I shocked? No. but it will definitely be a little slower kind of spring. Anika wants to do soccer, but I’m still trying to figure out when her club will start. Emma did tell me that she really wants to do T-ball, which is fine with me because I’m pretty sure Anika will not play softball this year. Poor Noah on the other hand is just itching to start something, and I’m sure he’ll begin playing sports this year.

Oh the life of a mom. J

In other news, Valentine’s Day is coming up soon! Have you begun filling out your cards yet? We've been slacking but I've got to make that happen this Sunday. When I think of Valentine’s Day the first word that comes to my mind is: chocolate. I love it. In fact, I made a yummy chocolate mousse last night (I’ll share the recipe next week!) and while I was looking for recipe inspirations I decided to make a new Foodie collection…and ended up collecting 25 different chocolate recipes that I really want to try and make sometime.

25 must try chocolate recipes #foodie #foodiebymode #foodiebyglam #sp

What are your favorite chocolate recipes? Do you prefer milk or dark chocolate? (Or perhaps white?) I personally used to dislike dark chocolate, but I guess maybe it’s because I’m getting older, but I’m really getting into a little more of a dark and bittersweet taste vs. extra sugary.

Are you making any chocolate treats for Valentine’s Day?


~Melissa
Compensation was provided by Foodie via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Foodie”

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

25 Scrumptious Smoothies

Check out 25 Scrumptious Smoothies
by Melissa Kaylene at Foodie.com

Check out 17 Scrumptious Smoothies
by Melissa Kaylene at Foodie.com

Hey everyone! So I've found myself kind of on a roll on here the past 24 hours sharing stuff with you! I think it’s because I know that the next 72 hours I’ll be busy working my “other” job and won’t be at my computer quite as much.

In the summer time one thing I love to do is make smoothies. I know we are still quite a ways away from the warm weather, but with all of the extra hours I've been working at my ‘real’ job the past couple of months, I've been thinking that I really should be making more smoothies now too! (I’m talking about the kind with the protein powder and vitamins, not the rum!) J I’m not a huge breakfast person and on busy or early mornings it would come in handy to just have a big smoothie to drink for extra energy.


I love smoothies because they can become a healthy meal, or can turn into a delicious treat (or cocktail!) I've been browsing at Foodie.com for some smoothie ideas and I’m thinking about taking a couple different smoothie recipes and measuring out all of the ingredients and putting them in a zip lock bag so all I have to do is add the ice and liquid portion of the smoothie to the blender, making it even easier to create.  Have you ever done something like this? I’m thinking it would obviously work better with some recipes versus others, but it sounds like a good idea anyways.

I've collected 25 different delicious looking recipes that I wanted to just pass along and share with you (there are even a couple of my own smoothie recipes that I create a couple of years ago in there). If you have any smoothie recipes of your own please feel free to share them and link them in the comment section! I love to see everyone else’s favorites.

Okay, off to bed for now, 5:15 comes way too early!

~Melissa
Compensation was provided by Foodie via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Foodie”

Monday, December 15, 2014

The Best Christmas Cookie Recipes

Check out The Best Christmas Cookies
by Melissa Kaylene at Foodie.com
Check out The Best Christmas Cookies
by Melissa Kaylene at Foodie.com


Good morning! I just dropped the girls off at school (we have a late start Monday which I LOVE because I get one more day to sleep in!) and Noah is sitting next to me at the kitchen table, both sipping our ‘coffee’ and planning for our day. My day is going to include a trip to turn in recycle and donating a bunch of old toys and outgrown clothes. I’ll clean the house a bit more and then get an early dinner ready so we can all eat before Anika's choir and band program at 7 pm. She is pretty nervous (as anyone would be!) but I’m excited because this is her first performance in middle school.

Before Noah and I head out to run errands though, I’m browsing around online collecting Christmas cookie recipes so I can pick up any extra ingredients I may need in town today. I love making holiday cookies every year and I’m planning on starting my baking frenzy tomorrow. There’s something so pretty about handmade and hand decorated treats, each one a different flavor and color. 

I like to have a variety of cookies, from intricate ones that take me a bit of time to make, to easy ones that the kids can pretty much do themselves – like the Rice Crispy Treat Trees I found while looking at Foodie.com. We are definitely making those together!

Different shapes and sizes are another thing I take into consideration – I love a good chocolate chip cookie or sugar cookie, but I don’t want all of the cookies to look the same! Thumbprint cookies are fun to make because they are visually different, as well as macaroons or snow ball cookies – after all I think cookie boxes should be little works of art, right? J

The Best Christmas Cookie Recipes #foodie #sponsored

Lastly I want to make sure I have multiple flavors when I give my holiday cookies – not too much chocolate or too much peppermint. I like a good balance between traditional holiday flavors and a few surprises like orange or raspberry flavors.

So, here are a few cookie recipes that I’ve found so far, and I’ll be looking for a bit longer before heading out. Are there any Christmas cookies that you just can’t live without? How many different kinds of cookies do you make each year?

~Melissa
Compensation was provided by Foodie via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Foodie”

Friday, November 21, 2014

15 Festive Appetizers

Check out 15 Festive Appetizers
by Melissa Kaylene at Foodie.com

Check out 15 Festive Appetizers
 by Melissa Kaylene at Foodie.com

Happy Friday everyone! I can't believe it's the final weekend before Thanksgiving and the official start of the holiday season! This year has to have flown by faster than any other year I can think of. We will be celebrating Thanksgiving a little early, opting for a family dinner at my Dad's house this Sunday and then at my Mom's house on Monday. They both live 3-4 hours away so we don't travel down to see them very often with the kid's busy school schedules. 

I'll still be doing most of the cooking, and then on Thanksgiving we will be back up at home and have been invited to my friend's house to feast - and I'm planning on bringing a variety of appetizers to snack on, so I've been collecting recipes on Foodie.com. Who doesn't love munching on meats and cheeses? Appetizers are sometimes my favorite thing from a holiday feast! 

15 festive appetizer ideas from #foodie #sp

There are a several staple ones that I make every year, like the bacon wrapped Lil' Smokies and meat and cheese pickle wraps, and of course a big meat and cheese platter, but then I like to find a couple of others to serve as well - I make the stuffed sweet peppers one year and it was a huge hit! Sometimes I feel that everyone is so busy prepping for the 'big' meal that appetizers get a little bit forgotten, and they shouldn't be! I think it's because in some cases they are tiny bites of art pieced together into a pretty presentation.

What are your go-to appetizers to make? Do they differ during the holidays versus the rest of the year? (More festive?) I'd love to hear!

~Melissa
Compensation was provided by Foodie via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Foodie”

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Halloween Snacks Idea + A Chocolate Orange Cake Recipe!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SpookySnacks #CollectiveBias
Halloween Snack Ideas / Spider Snacks / Oreo Bats / #SpookySnacks #shop #cbias

Hey everyone! Yesterday I had the luxury of staying home all day (with the exception of taking kids back and forth to school) and so I got a little creative and made a few Halloween Snacks. I seriously can’t believe it’s only a couple days away!

I started off making some after-school appetizers for the kids – some spooky spider Wheat Thins snacks and they were a big hit! They’re super easy to make, all you need is 3 ingredients:

Halloween Snack Ideas / Spider Snacks / Oreo Bats / #SpookySnacks #shop #cbias

Spider Appetizers 

What you need:

Wheat thins – any flavor you’d like
Black Olives
Spreadable cheese

Directions:
  1. Spread cheese on desired amount of crackers. If you feel like playing trick or treat a bit you can use a few of the Spicy Buffalo and mix them in with the original flavors
  2. Slice olives in half lengthwise (one olive = one spider) Place one half of the olive on the cracker and then slice the other half lengthwise into strips, and then cut the strips in half. These will make the spider legs. I ended up only putting 6 legs on my spiders because I think it fits better on the Wheat Thin, but you could put 8 on there if you want to.

Voila! Easy spider snacks for Halloween.

Halloween Snack Ideas / Spider Snacks / Oreo Bats / #SpookySnacks #shop #cbias
Halloween Snack Ideas / Spider Snacks / Oreo Bats / #SpookySnacks #shop #cbias
Halloween Snack Ideas / Spider Snacks / Oreo Bats / #SpookySnacks #shop #cbias
Halloween Snack Ideas / Spider Snacks / Oreo Bats / #SpookySnacks #shop #cbias
Halloween Snack Ideas / Spider Snacks / Oreo Bats / #SpookySnacks #shop #cbias

And if you're pressed for time you can add edible eyes to almost anything to spook it up! I also made a simple kid-friendly snack platter with Wheat Thins, spreadable cheese, smoked sausage, and sliced apples.

Halloween Snack Ideas / Spider Snacks / Oreo Bats / #SpookySnacks #shop #cbias
Halloween Snack Ideas / Spider Snacks / Oreo Bats / #SpookySnacks #shop #cbias

 Next up I made a homemade cake…do you know how long it’s been since I made one from scratch?? It seems like I only take the time to do it when there’s a holiday, and then the cake is gone in like a day! I made a chocolate cake with orange frosting and decorated it with a chocolate “Boo” sign and Oreo bats. The recipe is one that I modified slightly from one of my cook books (Chocolate Birthday Cake; Celebrate by Sheila Lukins) only because I didn't have the exact ingredients – and it still turns out amazing!

Chocolate Cake

What you need:

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter – room temperature
2 ¼ cups dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 ¼ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup almond milk
1 cup of boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla 


  1.  Melt the chocolate over a double broiler and set aside.  In a large bowl cream the butter and brown sugar using a mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, and then slowly mix in the melted chocolate.
  2. In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, and salt.
  3. Begin pouring flour mixture into the chocolate mixture, and then alternate with almond milk until everything is mixed well. Mix well, and then add boiling water and vanilla slowly until mixed completely.
  4. Pour batter into greased and floured cake pans, and then bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes. 

Halloween Snack Ideas / Spider Snacks / Oreo Bats / #SpookySnacks #shop #cbias
Halloween Snack Ideas / Spider Snacks / Oreo Bats / #SpookySnacks #shop #cbias

Orange Frosting

6 cups of powdered sugar
1/3   cup of milk
2 teaspoons of orange baking emulsion
½ cup of softened butter
  1. Mix butter and powdered sugar together, then slowly add milk and flavoring until combined.

Halloween Snack Ideas / Spider Snacks / Oreo Bats / #SpookySnacks #shop #cbias

Oreo Bats

6 oz. dark chocolate
Black sprinkles
Candy eyes
Oreos – use the Halloween orange ones to make them extra festive!

  1. Melt the chocolate over a double broiler and then pour into a disposable pastry bag. Pipe bat-shaped wings onto parchment paper and then cover with black sprinkles. Set aside until dry.
  2. Carefully insert a wing into each side of the Oreos. Using frosting, attach eyes to the Oreos.

You can also pipe letters out to later add to the cake. 

Halloween Snack Ideas / Spider Snacks / Oreo Bats / #SpookySnacks #shop #cbias
Halloween Snack Ideas / Spider Snacks / Oreo Bats / #SpookySnacks #shop #cbias
Halloween Snack Ideas / Spider Snacks / Oreo Bats / #SpookySnacks #shop #cbiasHalloween Snack Ideas / Spider Snacks / Oreo Bats / #SpookySnacks #shop #cbias
Halloween Snack Ideas / Spider Snacks / Oreo Bats / #SpookySnacks #shop #cbias

After the cake is baked and cooled, cover in orange frosting and then set inside the refrigerator to let the frosting set.  Before serving attach the bats on with a little frosting, and carefully press letters into the cake.

Whew! And there you have it! My version of a Chocolate Orange Bat Cake! The Oreo bats are of course just as fun to eat on their own too.  You can find all of the supplies, including the Halloween Oreos at Walmart in the snack aisle!

Halloween Snack Ideas / Spider Snacks / Oreo Bats / #SpookySnacks #shop #cbias
Halloween Snack Ideas / Spider Snacks / Oreo Bats / #SpookySnacks #shop #cbias

What Halloween #SpookySnacks are you making this year?

~Melissa

Halloween Snack Ideas / Spider Snacks / Oreo Bats / #SpookySnacks #shop #cbias

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

14 Fun Halloween Treat Ideas

                                                 Check out 14 Fun Halloween Treats
                                                  by Melissa Kaylene at Foodie.com

Hey everyone! Today is a VERY rainy day in Oregon.... the rainiest day we've had in a long time. Luckily for us we have no plans this evening and I've already got my sweats on, cozy socks on my feet, and a apple cinnamon candle burning on the table. The kids just got home from school and I still have no idea what we are having for dinner tonight because I've been happily looking up Halloween things to help get me in the spirit of things. Can you believe that its only 9 days away?

Ever since Anika was born I've loved Halloween. We never celebrated it when I was a kid, but I think it's fun to let the kids dress up and create crafts and treats - we don't do much spooky stuff around here (yet!). I've still got to buy candy and make trick-or-treat bags for all of the little ghosts and goblins that visit our front door. If you've followed along for a while now you know that we get a whole lot of trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood. It's one of the nice things about living in a small town, everyone knows your neighborhood, all of the kids know each other, so it's almost like a big block party. I'll be making 300 goody bags this year. 

I'm also working on a little cake project that I'm going to share on here next week, and I needed a bit more baking inspiration so I collected 14 different Halloween treats from Foodie.com and decided to share them with you too in case you needed a little more inspiration yourself!



What I love about all of these treat ideas is that they are all so simple to make and the kids would be excited to see any of them out for a party! (Okay, maybe I would too!) 

Tomorrow I'll continue my October celebrations by attended not one, but two Pumpkin Patch field trips with the kids. At least they overlap and are at the same Pumpkin Patch so the day isn't split up. Time to break out the rain boots and hats - I think it's going to be a wet visit! 

What are your plans for Halloween this year? Are you having a party? I'd love to see Halloween food or party ideas that you've done - if you want you can link up your photos and posts in the comment section! 

Until tomorrow -
~Melissa
Compensation was provided by Foodie via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Foodie”

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

12 Fun After School Snack Ideas

Check out 12 Fun After School Snack Ideas
by Melissa Kaylene at Foodie.com


Today the girls headed back to school - in opposite directions. Anika headed off to 6th grade at the Jr. High and it's Emma's first year of school all day in 1st grade. I, along with thousands of other moms out there, was full of mixed emotions. Happy. Sad. Excited. Scared. Noah doesn't start preschool for one more week, so this week the two of us are buddies. He goes from 9-11:30 three days a week, so this will literally be the first time in my adult life that I have 2 1/2 hours to myself routinely - and next year Oregon will be making Kindergarten mandatory all day, so it will be a huge change for me to have so much time without the kids right by my side. I'm not quite sure what to think yet...except that I'm going to cherish this last year with my little man as much as possible. 


I know yesterday I was on a cleaning kick and talked about ideas on keeping the house picked up quick, but today I'm trying to organize my brain around after school snacks. I've never been too good at actually making school snacks and having them prepared - my kids just usually raid the snack cupboard, but I'm feeling pretty Suzy-homemaker lately and would like to start making certain snacks to have ready for them when they get home, and some that are easy to take for the evening when we have games or practice.

If my kids had their way they'd sit down and eat a box of graham crackers every day when they get home! I can think of worse things for them to eat, but I do feel like there should be a bit of variety for them, so I've found 12 after school snack ideas that I'm going to try and make them this year - and I'm going to keep my eye out for more.

12 Fun After School Snack Ideas #sp #foodie #foodiebyglam

 In addition to these, some things I think make great snacks are:

String Cheese
Carrots and Ranch
Popcorn
Cheese Quesadillas
Honey Butter Toast

...and that's about all my brain can think of right now. How about you? Do you have any awesome snack ideas that your kids love? 


                                                                                                                                             ~Melissa
Compensation was provided by Foodie via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Foodie”

Friday, August 1, 2014

12 Quick Weeknight Family Meals



Things have been so busy this past week with the county fair going on that I seriously didn't even realize until I sat down last night that August is already here – and that means school is already just right around the corner! I can honestly say that this summer has flown by faster than any other summer that I can remember and I’m honestly quite sad. I’m not ready to get back into the full swing of routines and schedules with the kids.

12 easy weeknight meals #foodie #sp

One of the things that I have been slacking on a lot lately is having a dinner plan ahead of time and prepping meals before, oh like 5 pm! I have always done a pretty good job in the past, but lately you’re lucky if I know what we are eating an hour before dinner! I know that I can’t keep doing that when school starts back up and soccer season begins, so last night I began searching through new recipes at Foodie.com to get some inspiration for new quick weeknight dinners that weren't just the same thing that I get bored with making.


Yes, I know, I should have been in bed asleep. If it’s any consolation though, we did have an amazing thunder and lightning storm around one am that was quite a show – so I just listened to it while searching for recipes. J

There are a few recipes on here that you could make a double batch and freeze half of it for another weeknight meal too. I try to do this quite often because sometimes I feel like I don’t even have 30 minutes to make dinner, so I can take out the meal in the morning and then warm it up in the evening.  Enchiladas, mini meat loafs, fajita mix, and some pastas work really well.  I’m hoping to take one afternoon this month and just cook up a bunch of meals and then freeze them for September. I've been talking about doing it again but really just need to schedule one day a month and do this again. When I've finally got it all figured out you’ll be the first to know!



What are some of your favorite quick dinner recipes to make for your family?

~Melissa
Compensation was provided by Foodie via Mode Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Foodie”

Sunday, June 29, 2014

12 Delicious Drinks You Should Be Sipping on This Summer

Check out 12 Delicious Drinks to Sip on This Summer
by Melissa Kaylene at Foodie.com

I love making cocktails. Years ago it started out with an obsession for Pina Coladas. Then I transitioned into Strawberry Daiquiris. Last summer I finally tried my hands at making a Mojito (which was delicious!!), and many times you'll find me shaking up a Lemon Drop or two. 

12 Delicious Summer Drinks #FoodieByGlam

Last Sunday I created a Marion berry Green Tea Arnold Palmer that I still have to write up and share with you, but today I thought I'd share some of the most delicious looking drinks recipes that I've collected at Foodie.com to create at least once this summer!

Fruit flavored cocktails are a must in the summer and I tend to lean towards berries and citrus flavors. Some of my favorite drink flavors include:

  • Raspberry
  • Strawberry
  • Lemon
  • Orange
  • Blueberry
  • Mint
  • Coconut
  • Peach
  • Mango

12 Delicious Summer Drinks #FoodieByGlam
Source
Everyone has different tastes, but I think that a light refreshing cocktail is a must for summertime, and I prefer to use vodka and rum for liquor bases, and a Prosecco or Riesling for a wine based drink. Those are just my personal favorites.

12 Delicious Summer Drinks #FoodieByGlam
Source
What are some of your favorite summer time drinks? Do you get stuck in a rut (like me) and tend to stick with a staple drink for periods of time before becoming adventurous?

~Melissa
Compensation was provided by Foodie via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Foodie”

Saturday, May 31, 2014

15 Frozen Desserts on a Stick


 Hey everyone! How is your weekend going so far? Last night we took the kids down to our city park where they are holding a Friday nights event every Friday through Labor Day. The restaurants have specials, there's a cruise in, music in the park, and it's just a fun gathering where kids play in the park and games of basketball and eat ice cream cones and cotton candy. I love small towns.

Afterwards Anika's best friend stayed the night and then this morning we had a t-ball and softball games back to back. Wayne left to work for a few hours and I've been puttering around the house... getting excited for summer. All of the neighbors are working in their yards and we even had an ice cream truck drive by, playing the nostalgic music down the road.

One of the best things about summer is the summer food. BBQ's, salads, cold beverages and sweet treats are some of my favorite things. Last month on Foodie I shared 12 Scrumptious Salad Recipes, and the month before that I shared 16 Sunday Dinner Ideas to Serve. This month I'm sharing 15 Frozen Desserts on a Stick - 15 recipes that I've collected to try this summer. From Popsicles to ice cream bars, these all look simplify delicious for hot summer days!

15 frozen desserts on a stick #foodie #foodiebyglam @Melissakaylene

The best part with frozen desserts on a stick is the sheer combination of flavors you can create! The sky's the limits. I know personally I get stuck in a Popsicle rut - eating the same strawberry, orange and lime ones. Even though I love those flavors, I'd like to try and make a bigger variety to have on hand!

What are your favorite frozen treats in the summertime?

~Melissa
Compensation was provided by Foodie via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Foodie”

Monday, May 26, 2014

#ad Easy Grilled Chicken BBQ Pizza

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.#ad #TysonMovieTicket #shop

I can’t believe the Memorial weekend is already nearly over. Anika had such a fun time yesterday at the Seattle Mariners game with our family friends (even though they lost), and the rest of us have enjoyed a much needed low – key couple of days at home.

#ad #tysonMovieTicket #Shop

With things so busy lately, I've been finding myself hurrying to get meals of the table, some night even more so than others. I have also been trying to get the girls to help me with dinner preparation more often since they are getting older. Last night Emma helped me make scalloped potatoes and a few days ago Anika helped me make one of our family’s favorites – grilled chicken BBQ pizza. We use premade bread dough for the crust and Tyson Grilled and Ready Chicken for the meat – it tastes great and really cuts down on the prep time. You can find them at Walmart; the larger bags are in the frozen chicken section and there are also smaller bags in the refrigerated meat section.

#ad #TysonMovieTicket #shop

Right now on specialty marked bags there is also a #TysonMovieTicket promotion going on where you can receive 2 FREE movie ticketsto the movie Blended when you buy two bags! If you haven’t seen the trailers yet, it stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, so it’s sure to be a fun one to check out!

Anika’s getting old enough that I think she would love to go see a “big kid” funny movie with me on a mother/daughter date night. With the hustle and bustle of our lives right now, I sometimes have a hard time remembering to spend time with each of the kids individually – and I know how important it is to do so.

#ad #TysonMovieTicket #shop

Plus, I think it would be a great reward for Anika helping me out with dinner. I certainly would trade and make dinner one night in exchange for a movie night any day!

#ad #TysonMovieTicket #shop

This recipe literally takes 30 minutes or less from start to finish!

Grill Chicken BBQ Pizza

Ingredients

1 package of frozen or refrigerated bread or pizza dough
6 oz of Tyson Grilled and Ready diced oven roasted chicken breasts
½ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (or a blend of what you like)
¼ cup diced pineapple
Finely sliced red onions (optional)

  •   Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough out until it fits onto a 12” pizza pan. (You can use a cookie sheet and make a rectangle pizza if you don’t have a pizza pan.)
  • Spread BBQ sauce evenly on dough. Sprinkle ½ cup of the shredded cheese on the dough, then add chicken, pineapple, onions, and then top it with the remainder of the cheese.
  •   Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Slice and enjoy! Makes approximately 8 slices of pizza. 
#ad #TysonMovieTicket #shop
#ad #TysonMovieTicket #shop
#ad #TysonMovieTicket #shop

Thanks #CollectiveBias for another amazing opportunity to share my recipes and a glimpse of our life with you!


~Melissa