Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Late night snack time

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is stay up late, watching cooking shows and eat snacks. Right now Masterchef and The Next Food Network Star is on, 2 of our favorite shows. The only problem is they make me hungry! I always want a snack when I watch an episode. Thank goodness for Hormels Snackers, that have saved the day in more than one occasion.

These are my 2 favorites. Spinach and artichoke dip with chips or bread. I like any of their queso's with tortilla chips too.
I highly suggest putting one or two of these in your secret mom snack stash!
In the spirit of full-disclosure, I’ve partnered with Hormel Foods as part of the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger Program. Throughout the year I’ll be receiving product, coupons, giveaways and promotions. However, no payment was given or expected for posting about the program, and as always, all opinions given here are fully my own.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

BBQ Pulled Pork

After a crazy couple days away from home we were so excited to get home. To sleep in our own bed, use our own stuff but mostly eat real food. I get so tired of eating out when I'm on the road. The hard part is I didn't have much groceries in stock. I was too tired to get back in a car and drive to the store too. I opened my fridge and was so relieved to find some Lloyds pulled pork and Hormel mashed potatoes.
I quickly made up so homemade BBQ sauce, Heated up the pork and mashed potatoes.I added some Parmesan cheese and garlic salt to the poatatoes to make it just that much yummier.  Oddly I had a small salad bag that hadn't gone bad. So I added some cheese and Hormel bacon bits. In the end it was nice to have a home cooked meal after eating out so much, and it didn't take a lot of time or work either.



In the spirit of full-disclosure, I’ve partnered with Hormel Foods as part of the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger Program. Throughout the year I’ll be receiving product, coupons, giveaways and promotions. However, no payment was given or expected for posting about the program, and as always, all opinions given here are fully my own.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Potty Stops for #22hourswith2manykidsin1car

We are on potty stop #5 after driving 10 1/2 hours. I tried to take a cute bathroom selfie like my friend does but it's more chaotic than cute 😂 12 hours to go!

Here's the videos for 2 of the potty stops!

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

#22hourswith2manykidsin1car

I decided to try adding a little vlogging to my blogging. Just in time to witness a ridiculous road trip. Keep in mind I have driven to New York City and back with several stops in between. This one is going to be epic! Why? Because this one is 13 people in 1 car for 22 hours! That's right 9 kids, 4 adults, 6 tires, 1 car and lots of potty stops. 

Priming our trip with a 4 hour car ride to pick up the other 7! 


Outdoor Twister with a Slippery Twist

I kept seeing posts for an outdoor twister, paint twister and shaving cream twister. I decided to combine the idea's into one. 

First I cut out a circle out of cardboard. Well as circular as I can get it, let's be real I failed cutting in school. 

Some tips. Watch your spacing. Too far apart and it's hard to stretch from one color to the last. Too close and it will be small. I made a double sized one since I had lots of people doing it at once. I suggest do a row of twister and make sure your arms spread from one row to to the last. Also my green paint in a little so you may want to try a more brighter green if trying to decide which one to use. 

Then I Moses shaving cream with food coloring. I bought the cheapest shaving cream at Walmart for $.98 a can. One can did about 8ish circles. 

Once the shaving cream is added be careful it can be very slippery. Then we just aged twister normal. When we were done I ran the sprinklers and the shaving cream washed away. The paint will stay for some fun twister games till it goes out. The kids live to play twister on just the paint with neighbor kids. 
You could buy paint and put a little on each circle as well. Hope you have fun this summer with this twisted game of twister. 

Cost:
 4 cans of paint $8.50
6 cans of shaving cream $6
Fun memories $Priceless

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Cinco de Mayo and Pineapple, Cucumber and Black Bean Salsa

I love Cinco De Mayo! Growing up my parents would always have a fiesta. I thought with today being Cinco De Mayo and this month being national salsa month I should post something with salsa!

How many of you use the Ibotta app? I have for probably a year now and have gotten over $50 back in rebates. This week you can get a rebate on a salsa! Herdez has some good salsa too. I have tried a few different kinds and like them all. I used their chile verde salsa for the recipe below.


This is something new I made today just for the fun of it. I don't eat cucumbers or radishes often, but in this its not even noticeable. 




  • 1 1/2  cups (or 4 - 1/2 inch thick) 
    pineapple rings
  • 1 (15-ounce) can 
    black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cups 
    radishes, stemmed and chopped
  • 2 cups 
    chopped and seeded cucumber
  • 1-2 teaspoons 
    chopped jalapeño
  • 1/4 cup 
    chopped cilantro
  • 1 1/2 cups 
    crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese, divided
  • 1/4 cup 
    fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup 
    extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup 
  • 1 teaspoon 
    kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon 
    fresh ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients and enjoy! Try it with chips, on eggs, on a taco, or even with some avocado would be so good! You could grill the Pineapple on a grill or in a sauté pan with some oil oil to help bring out the flavor as well!

If you follow this link to Herdez Website you can take a quiz about Cinco De Mayo and be entered to in some Herdez food or even a trip to Puebla, Mexico. Puebla, Mexico is the reason we celebrate Cinco De Mayo. It was there that the Mexican army beat the french trying to invade. This gave the Mexican army a much needed Moral boost and helped slow the french armies down. Puebla Mexico is also where Mole Poblano originated from. Crazy new things you learn today?!




In the spirit of full-disclosure, I’ve partnered with Hormel Foods as part of the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger Program. Throughout the year I’ll be receiving product, coupons, giveaways and promotions. However, no payment was given or expected for posting about the program, and as always, all opinions given here are fully my own.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

It's That Race Time Of Year Again

bling it on color run shine tour(1).jpg

Race season is upon us people. I know, I know real runners it's never off season. For those of us who have to train for 5K or  maybe 10K while you are training for wonder woman gazillion mile-ers (or that is what it feels like to us) we need a little help. Or should I say motivation, not help. For me once I have paid the money for something I then feel obligated to get as much of my monies worth as possible. For example I meant to buy a year family zoo pass for the longest time. Once I finally did buy it I went as much and as often as I could. I feel the same way with races. If I say I'll train for one then buy it I'll push it off. If I pay for the race then I'll start training right away so that I am ready for it.

So where do I start? What should my first race be? I suggest a fun one, like the the color run. I love the color run.  I have done one by myself, and one with my whole family. This year I am looking forward to my first race with just my husband and I. The Color Run, also known as the Happiest 5k on the Planet, is a unique paint race that celebrates healthiness, happiness and individuality.
Now the single largest event series in the world. I am super excited that this year the color run has a new twist as well. A new shiny twist. 

Here is what they said about the shine tour:


We're pumping up the 5k course and finish festival too! Look for a unique Sparkle Zone and killer photo ops on the course. At the finish festival, get ready for confetti cannons, shimmering clouds of color, and more. Everyone in 2015 will receive a limited edition Shine Tour Participant Kit, including: custom race tee, gold finisher's medal, tricolor headband w/ silver stitching, brand-new shine packet, and shiny tattoos. Talk about "bling" with benefits!


How awesome is that? I also have 2 cool opportunities. 1 is a $5 off code just for you! Hurry quick because this code expires May 15th! The next is a giveaway. I also have a giveaway for 2 entries for the color run! Make sure you read the rules closely on this one though! Since it is for any of their race's across the US, there are a few more rules than usual on my giveaways.
Screen Shot 2015-04-17 at 11.05.31 AM.png

$5 OFF code will NOT work on newly launched cities.



Giveaway Rules and Info:

Once you have won you must register with your code online asap, because the code you will be given won't last forever. You will not be admitted at the gate if you have not registered online with the free code.  The staff at the gate will not know anything about the giveaway and won’t be able to help you.  If your event that you want to attend is not open yet for registration, you will need to email the person I tell you to when you see it open as we can’t order codes for them until the event is open. The r ace you want to register for cannot be the upcoming weekend as the turnaround time for codes is at least a week. The race you want to register for cannot be sold out. You must respond to my email within 48 hours. Then It will take at least a week for you to get your code(s) for your free entry. List of locations can be found here: http://thecolorrun.com/events/ The giveaway closes 5/9/15 12:00 AM EST




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, April 27, 2015

Bacon Potato and Bacon Soup

I love soup. Any time of year it's my favorite thing to eat. I must get that from my mom, because she cooks soup a lot too. It's great for sharing recipes. Not so great when your baby brother comes over crying, "I'm so sick of soup, I can't eat any more soup."

Recently I made a baked potato soup. I love this recipe because I purposely bake too many potatoes just so I can make this soup.
Baked Potato and Bacon Soup
4 Tb Butter
1/4 C Flour
2 C Chicken Stock
2 C Milk
2-3 Bay leaves
1/4 Tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Salt
4ish Medium Cooked Potatoes
Melt butter then stir in the flour. Then whisk in the chicken stock and milk until smooth. Add all the other ingredients. When I do my potatoes I usually add them  half mashed and  half diced. It depends on how you like it. Do you want it chunky? Then dice them. If you want it smoother you can always throw it in a blender when you are done. Simmer for 10-15 until soup thickens. Then add add Hormel bacon or Hormel bacon pieces.
Other optional toppings are sour cream, cheese or green onions.



In the spirit of full-disclosure, I’ve partnered with Hormel Foods as part of the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger Program. Throughout the year I’ll be receiving product, coupons, giveaways and promotions. However, no payment was given or expected for posting about the program, and as always, all opinions given here are fully my own.

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Freetown Fun Fact Day 4


As a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints when I watched this I wondered, how many actors in this was also a member of the church.  One thing that many don't know when making lds films is that not all the actors are actually lds. Actors are hired to do just that, act. They hire people to act, look and sound like they are lds missionaries, but may or may not be. 


This movie had only a handful of individuals who were actually lds. Which they didn't even know till after that had been done casting. One funny story goes a little like this. When they were doing their first read through one of the actors approached Garret and said to him, If you want this to look authentic I'm going to have to shave. I actually served a mormon mission and missionaries are always clean shaven. They both had a good laugh when they both realized that they were both in fact LDS. They also assured him that he would have to shave when it came time to film. In the end there was 1 lds actor for every missionary companionship. 


There is still time to go see Freetown, visit http://threecoinproductions.com/films/freetown/ for more information.

Friday, April 10, 2015

Freetown Fun Fact Day 3

The weekend is here and what a great way to have a date night, by going and supporting Freetown. I know a lot of you have asked for more movies like this. If you want more movies like this than you have to go support movies like this. So grab some friends and go see Freetown this weekend!

On today's fact that I learned when I interviewed Garrett Batty and Adam Abel. Just like many of you I was curious how this movie came to be. After Garret Batty did The Saratov Approach he was asked by many of you to do another movie like that. "More high stakes yet faith affirming movies," is what Garret kept being asked to make.

One day he was reading some pioneer stories on lds.org. They were actually pioneer stories from people in other countries and culture. He then stumbled across this one. It was actually a bunch of letters from the missionaries to their mission president about their experiences trying to travel to a safer place in Liberia during their civil war. 

Garrett and Melissa Leilani Larson started writing the script in the fall of 2013, In May 2014 a few spent 2 weeks prepping and doing pre production needs in Africa.  Then they officially started filming end of August right after the release of Saints and Soldiers: The Void. 

That's a little bit about how the movie came to be. Hope you are enjoying this little facts and the movie Freetown!

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Freetown Fun Facts Day 2


Freetown came out yesterday, and I'm hearing nothing but good things. Here's what I promised, another fact about Freetown.
Since I've started acting I've been a lot more aware of some of the behind the scenes and how some stuff works. One thing I wondered when watching the movie was how much of the cast and crew were from the U.S. and how many were from Africa?
To answer the question only 6 of the crew members were from the United States. Everyone else was hired in Africa.  I know what you are thinking, wasn't the mission president white? Well yes, yes he was. He was one of the six that flew in and he was actually part of he crew. So it worked perfectly. 


Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Freetown Fun Facts Day 1

Have you gone and seen Freetown yet?  Make sure you get your tickets, before all you hear is how awesome it is and how much you missed out! Today is the first day of fun facts about the movie Freetown. I was able to interview the director Garrett Batty and producer Adam Abel. I found some fun things out about the making of the movie. So go see Freetown and come back here every day till Saturday to find out more.


Fun facts today in the movie Freetown is it was filmed in Ghana. Even though the movie was based in Liberia it wasn't actually Filmed there.  They recently released the movie in Ghana and it was very well received. They even found a way to go to one of the main villages that they filmed in to show it to the people. They got access to a projector and screen and everything. The villagers loved watching it and seeing their homes and themselves in it. They'd cat call and point out places or people of familiarity. It was a fun way to give back to the people after interrupting their usual life and allowing them to film in their village.

Go follow Freetown's Facebook page and come back tomorrow for more.

Monday, April 6, 2015

Freetown


I was super excited when given the opportunity to review the new film Freetown. I have been following and supporting the progress of the movie over the past few months and am so excited for the release this week. In fact it is so good I am bringing to you a week of Freetown! I have this review posting today (obviously) and then 4 more days of posts. I promise you are going to see this movie and then want more. More history of the facts, more history of  the making of the movie and more about the cast. So come back on April 8th and the following 3 days to see what cool things I learned about from speaking to Adam Abel and Garrett Batty! (and I'm ok with you being jealous that I interviewed them ;)





Freetown is a film similar to The Saratov Approach in the sense of missionaries going through struggles in life and relying on their faith to get through them.  It is also based on a true story.  The movie still has suspense, hope, and remarkable odds to be beat.  However this movie has its own unique story to be told.

It's is about a group of missionaries in Liberia during 1990 when they were in the middle of their own civil war. A group of missionaries set on a journey to save one of their own from the ultimate persecution.  The movies suspense is very come and go. Moments wondering what's around the corner, or are they go to make it through the next check point, will their car and budget allow them to be delivered to their mission home in Freetown? There are also lots of moments of breathing sighs of relief and laughs of comedy. There's a lot of scenes I love but one of my favorites is when the missionary takes some passed out guards beer and says, "what? I'm saving lives!"

I love historical fiction. It is one of my favorite things to read. So the story and history in this was fascinating to me. How even though this happened 15 years ago how common this is even in our world today. 

This movie grips you from the go. You are fascinated with the way the story unfolds. You find yourself fearing for and cheering for the characters instantly. I loved the cultural music, clothing and even scenery is fascinating. The shots of the little red car among the beautiful foliage of Africa makes me feel like I'm there watching it for myself. 

The importance of this movies success depends on how opening weekend does.  So please go see it this week! Request it at your local theater. Share the trailer. Share this review. Share Freetown.


Opens this week, April 8th. Here is a list of theaters it is currently available at:  http://threecoinproductions.com/theaters/ 


Go see it, share it, like it! #Freetown





Sunday, March 22, 2015

Sweet Salt Clothing

I love to support local companies. Especially when they sell clothes. Since I have gone back to work part time and I feel like I need new clothes for work I was thrilled to have another online clothing company brought to my attention. Sweet Salt Clothing sells modest and fashionable clothing. 


I loved scrolling through their many pages of options. hey have tops, sweaters, skirts, scarves, and more. They had a lot to choose from, however, don't make the same mistake I did when you first take a look. The first time I looked through the first page of options this is what I saw:


When I saw that the last row didn't have the same amount of options as the first few rows I assumed that, that was all there was to choose from. When I took a second look I noticed the bar at the bottom where the arrow is pointing. It is really light and I obviously didn't notice it at first. Once I did I was surprised with plenty of pages to view and decide.  So don't think you have hit the last page of clothes, there should more pages to view.

It took me a few days to decide on the perfect outfit. Not only did I want just the right thing, but I knew I would be showing it off to all of you. One issue I often have with my height is length when it comes to skirts. I can wear some maxi skirts as dresses, and some knee length skirts to my calves. I loved that this website had length in inches on them. Which ultimately helped me when I couldn't make up my mind between 2 skirts. I asked if the lengths were accurate regardless of size, and they said yes. Maybe a few skirts on the largest sizes would be slightly off, but otherwise they should be accurate (mine was, and yes I measured it.)




Another thing I loved was their return/exchange policy. Also because of my size I feel like I am between 2 sizes and I ordered the wrong size on this cute peter pan top. When I got my shipment in the mail it came with a return slip so I did't have to pay to exchange it. I just wrote down on the slip I wanted a different size and quickly got the correct one mailed back to me. It did come back with another slip to mail it back if needed, fortunately I didn't need it. You can check out their fabulous Quality Guarantee



In the end this is what I got. I love this peter pan top, because the sleeves are a little longer and not the girly cap sleeves. My hair covered up some of the detailing on the top, but you can see it better in the above picture.  I almost chose a cute polka dot skirt till I saw this one last minute. I saw this skirt on someone else recently and fell madly in love with it. Only I knew if I came across it, it would be way too long for me and I would have no hope in hemming it. So when I saw it would be the perfect length I couldn't resist. I added a chunky black belt and some black ballet slippers. Perfect for a day at the office, church or a date with my husband. 

Another thing they have that I couldn't resist are cute little girl shrugs. I don't have a picture yet cause I am saving them as gifts for my girls, but they have some as low as $2.99! I just noticed today they had some cute plain raspberry or black cardigans for  $3.99 as well, so go check out their cardigans for your daughters. A black sweater is a must in any girls closet if you ask me.

Go to sweetsaltclothing.com and sign up for their newsletter. Like their facebook page for deals and promotions, I promise you won't regret it. They have their spring cleaning sale going on right now too! Plus till the end of March you can use the code queenofchaos15  to save an extra 15% off any regular priced items!  

Friday, March 20, 2015

Life changer- Skippy Salted Caramel Peanut Butter

Yes I just said salted caramel and Skippy peanut butter in the same sentence. No you are not dreaming. It's real, I promise. 

What I struggled with is how else do I eat it besides just plain? It's so good I want it all to myself. In the end I decided to initially try 2 things with it. This morning I threw it in my proetein shake. Talk about starting your morning off right. 

My shake had milk (you could use regular, rice, almond, coconut, etc) 1/2 a banana, 2 ice cubes, 1 scoop chocolate protein powder and a scoop of Skippy's salted caramal peanut butter.  It was so good. It was also a nice change to my usual morning shake. Caramel after a workout isn't always that bad, right?!

Another thing we had was banana salted caramel peanut butter sandwiches. I spread the special peanut butter on bread and added sliced bananas. It was a fun change for the kids lunch and yummy treat snack for me.

Get your coupon and find out more at  http://www.peanutbutter.com

In the spirit of full-disclosure, I’ve partnered with Hormel Foods as part of the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger Program. Throughout the year I’ll be receiving product, coupons, giveaways and promotions. However, no payment was given or expected for posting about the program, and as always, all opinions given here are fully my own.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Mini Pizza Night

We usually do Friday night pizza night. Sometimes we go somewhere out to eat, sometimes we order it, occasionally I even make it. My kids favorite is when they help make it. Well help make their own mini pizza's anyway. They are easy to make and my kids enjoy making their own pizza, plus there is less complaining about what kind to get.


First I use English muffins. I cut them in half and let the kids spoon marinara or pizza sauce on them. Then they can put as much of what kind of cheese I have out on them. Then of course Hormel pepperoni is a must! Usually my kids are ok with just those 2 things on them. You could add just about anything else though. Then I broil them till the cheese is melted and the edges crispy. Super easy but always a crowd pleaser. Plus I am a big fan of kids helping make dinner.





In the spirit of full-disclosure, I’ve partnered with Hormel Foods as part of the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger Program. Throughout the year I’ll be receiving product, coupons, giveaways and promotions. However, no payment was given or expected for posting about the program, and as always, all opinions given here are fully my own.

Friday, January 30, 2015

5 Things that NEVER should be re-heated

Growing up I would definitely say my mom was a saver. Nothing in my house went to waste, especially leftovers. My mom can turn some leftover dishes into some pretty awesome meals, who do you think taught me this popular recipe switcheroo? However, she also would save and re-heat everything! Not just about everything, EVERYTHING!!! So I compiled a list of the top 5 things that I think should never even be attempted to be eaten a second time.
5. Scrambled Eggs



Would my youngest eat this re-heated no problem? Sure! Is it just gross and wrong, yes. There is something about re-heating scrambled eggs that just makes them rubbery, less flavorful and just gross! Trust me.

4. Chili Cheese Fries

I use to work at an A&W and loved their chili cheese fries... when eaten fresh. This is something that has to be eaten almost immediately after being made. Just  imagine eating it a day later and reheated in a microwave, its as gross and mushy as it sounds (I promise.)  I want to know if this can even be considered a french fry the next day? 

3. Oatmeal

Have you ever left oatmeal (or cream of wheat for that matter)  out too long and it's gotten that gross film across the top? Imagine eating that throughout the entire dish. I think I'll pass on the slimey leftover hot cereal today, thanks. 

2. Hamburgers


Enough said.
1. Macaroni and Cheese

I don't know what it is about this dish, somehow it's just not the same re-heated. I don't have a problem with other pasta dishes, or even Mac and cheese from scratch, just this one. If there is ever any left over in the pan, it always goes straight to the garbage and not to a tupperware container!
Bonus-



I almost didn't do a bonus this top 5 series but I obviously changed my mind. Besides at this point I almost have to, since every other top 5 has a bonus thought. 

My husband hates soggy bread, he is very sensitive when it comes to wet bread. For example we went to a family members house who served us 2 day old subway sandwiches once, I almost became a widow that day, he seriously almost died. So I will say in our house my husband does not care for not only left over sandwiches but anything that could involve soggy bread, such as enchiladas, burritos, french toast and sometimes even pizza.
What can you not stand re-heated? 

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Wholly Guacamole and Nacho Night

I have to say how much I love the Wholly Guacamole cups. I recently went back to work part time and this last week they have come in so handy.

One day at work I needed a healthy pick me up and this creamy cup of goodness and some chips hit the spot! They come in this cute 100 Calorie cups now too. I keep a few at the office and a few in my freezer just in case I have a guacamole craving (which is a lot ;) If you click this link they even have a coupon right now you can print from home.

One night we had tacos for dinner and it was a great compliment to them. I used turkey meat for the taco meet, diced some tomatoes, cut up some lettuce and shredded some cheese. Then I just threw the corn tortillas on the griddle and added my Wholly Guacamole. It was a great healthy family meal. 

Then the next day for lunch I had some taquitos in the freezer and this made that quick meal that much better. The possibilities for this Wholly Guacamole cups are endless!




Then we had one of my favorites last night- nachos! I took the leftover taco meat and toppings and opened a jar of Chi Chi's Salsa Con Queso and Voila- yummy quick nachos. This is great cause no matter what you have on hand it makes a great meal. As long as you have chips and the queso you can add, green onions, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, guacamole, meat, sour cream, the list goes on and on. I always keep a jar in my pantry for when I need a quick meal. So next time you are at the store grab a jar or 2 of Chi Chi's Salsa Con Queso for a fun family build your own nacho night!



In the spirit of full-disclosure, I’ve partnered with Hormel Foods as part of the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger Program. Throughout the year I’ll be receiving product, coupons, giveaways and promotions. However, no payment was given or expected for posting about the program, and as always, all opinions given here are fully my own.