Love my new #frostyvoxbox

For the last year I have been a member of the Influenster community.  It's a free website to join and you build your "score" by sharing opinions and experiences.  Every once in awhile they will send you a complimentary box of goodies to test and share your opinions on.  I was recently chosen to receive the #frostyvoxbox.   It was packed full of awesome products.

The box included:

* No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Serum  #getadvanced

* NYC Expert Last Lip Color in Sugar Plum  #sugarplum

* Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane Decaf Green Tea  #celestialtea

* EcoTools Hair Brush  #lovemyecohairbrush

* Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover  #rimmel

* Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner  #rimmel

* McCormick Gourmet Thyme  #mccormickgourmet

* Fruit Vines Bites  #sweetside

So far my favorite item in the box is the EcoTools Hair Brush!  It is AMAZING! I feel like it makes my hair so much softer and straighter when I blowdry it.   My Fruit Vines Bites bag looks like its full, but it was empty within about 5 minutes of opening up the box.  My hubby and kids DEVOURED them. 

 If you would like to join @Influenster and have the chance to receive complimentary items to test and review, you can sign up here.

Pumpkin Cookies

Call me crazy...I hate pumpkin pie (it reminds me of baby food).  But, I love anything pumpkin if there is chocolate involved.  Which means I LOVE pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.  There is the crazy easy recipe of just using a spice cake mix, chocolate chips and pumpkin.  But, I decided to embrace my inner Betty Crocker and make some from scratch (don't worry the pumpkin came from a can...I'm not that good).  I was a little concerned my kids wouldn't eat them, especially my super picky eater (monkey #2).  But, they both gobbled them down.  I had to put a couple away in a bag to save for daddy when he comes back from being out of town tomorrow.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 c shortening                                               1 1/2 c pumpkin
1 1/2 c brown sugar                                          2 1/2 c flour
1/2 c sugar                                                       3/4 t baking soda
2 beaten eggs                                                   1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla                                                          1 t cinnamon
1 t ginger                                                          2 t baking powder
3/4 c raisins (opt)
1/2 c nuts (opt)
chocolate chips (LOTS)

Cream shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Add remaining ingredients.  Drop on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. 
                                                                       
                                                      

I'm in L.O.V.E.

This is a sponsored blog post. Influenster provided me with complimentary Victoria's Secret products to test and review as part of a contest. But the opinions are all mine.  @influenstervox  #vssporttester  #vssportsbra

I'm not gonna lie, I've always loved my old sports bra.  But, I have a NEW love!  I was so excited when I was chosen for this Influenster VoxBox and the complimentary Sports Bra and Workout Pants.  I have been wanting to try the new Victoria Secret sports bras for awhile, but have a hard time spending that type of money on something without trying it out first. 

I'll admit I was skeptical when I first tried on the sports bra.  I told my husband I don't know if this is going to work out for running.  I felt like I was just a big ball of cleavage.  But since then, I have gone running and done kickboxing.  And I am a true believer!  Victoria Secret managed to make their sports bras sexy and supportive for any kind of workout. 

I received the 'Incredible' bra.  It has:

• Maximum Support for High Impact Activities
• Breathable padding with wicking liner to keep you extra dry
• Concealed wire for cushioned support (VERY COMFY)
• Padded Straps and bonded, seamless technology that eliminates irritation
• Super-soft elastic band for comfort & movement
• Cushioned, adjustable back closure
• Body-Wick to keep you cool & dry

I love this bra!  You can tell it is high quality and it comes in several great colors. 

In full disclosure, I did go to Victoria Secret to buy another one and while there I tried on the zip-front Incredible.  I was NOT a fan.  I had the hardest time getting them to zip.

So in the end, I decided to stick with the no-zip Incredible and picked up a cute green one.  I would recommend the Victoria Secret sports bras to everyone, no matter what kind of workouts they do.  They are comfy, sexy, and high quality bras and definitely worth the money.  There's never a better time for a #sportsbrabreakup!

Meal Planning

I finally had some quiet time to sit down and blog and plan out my menus for next week.  But then I looked at my calendar and realized that the hubby and Mas are going to Utah for half the week, so I might not want to cook for just Mads and I.  Luckily, there isn't much grocery shopping needed so I can use stuff I already have at home (I love it when that happens).  I'm hoping it can make the 5 meals & leftovers last for 2 weeks of dinners.

Here is what's on the agenda (almost all were found on Pinterest):
Creamy Spinach Tomato Tortellini - made this a couple weeks ago and Madison asked for it again.  Already posted the recipe on the blog.
Easy Ranch Parmesan Chicken
All American Skillet Goulash
Chicken Enchiladas - family recipe (I'll post later)
Orange Chicken (w/ brown rice)
Baked Chicken Fajitas - I made these a couple weeks ago and they were a HUGE hit!  Already posted the recipe on the blog.

It's Birthday Time!! Happy Birthday Mads!

August is a big month at our house.  It's BiRtHdAy month!
This little angel turned 6 on August 18!

She has only been counting down to this day for the last year. 

 (had to get a picture of her last day as a 5 year old)

 

With both birthdays super close together, we celebrate the birthday parties together.  We had an action packed fun day and loved all our time with family.

*Breakfast at Dennys

*Belmont Park with cousins

 *Mission Bay Beach Fun with cousins

*Cake and Presents

*Corvette Diner

 



Some of her favorites things are:

*Pink & Purple

*Anything fairy, princess, mermaid, and Barbie

*She is an amazing reader

*Her and Mason are inseparable

*Her best friends are her cousins -- Mariah & Rachael

*She is a great swimmer

*When she grows up she wants to be a Sea World Dolphin Trainer & a teacher

 

 

BEST Snickerdoodles EVER!!!

These are the best fuhhhhreaking snickerdoodles ever!  I found them on pinterest and have been making them for the last year or so.  They are soft and taste just like Mrs. Fields.

Snickerdoodles (adapted from here)
Yields: 16-18 cookies

1/2 c butter (1 stick), softened  ---  I used Crisco today when I made them.
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 t vanilla
1 1/2 c flour
1/4 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t cream of tartar

For rolling:
2 T sugar
1 t cinnamon

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with an electric mixture on high speed.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.  In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar.  Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.  Preheat the oven to 300 while you let the dough rest for 30-60 minutes in the refrigerator.  In a small bowl, combine the sugar with the cinnamon for the topping.  Take about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the dough and roll into a ball.  Roll this dough in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and press it onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Repeat for the remaining cookies.  Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes and no more.  The cookies may seem undercooked, but they will continue to develop after they are removed from the oven.  When the cookies have cooled they should be soft and chewy in the middle.

Peach Cobbler

The peach cobbler I made was a huge success.  Hubby LoVeD it!  Here is the recipe I used (it was from a ward cookbook).

1 c sugar
2 T flour
1/4 t nutmeg
4 c peaches, peeled and sliced (this was about 3 1/2 peaches for me)

Topping:
1 c sugar
1 c flour
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/3 c cold butter
1 egg, beaten

In a bowl, combine sugar, flour, and nutmeg.  Add peaches, stir to coat.  Pour into a greased 11x7x2 pan (I used 8x8).  For topping, combine sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.  Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.  Stir in the egg.  Spoon mixture over peaches.  Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden.  (Always good when served with ice cream)

Hubby has been hinting at some more cobbler, so I'm sure I will be making this again in the near future.  I love peach season!

Baked Chicken Fajitas

A week ago my sister shared these on facebook, and after looking at the recipe I was sold.  A mostly clean dinner that's incredibly easy.  PERFECT!  I found this recipe here...

Ingredients

• 10 to 12 chicken tenders or 3 to 4 chicken breast, thawed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbs minced garlic
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 red bell pepper, washed and sliced into thin strips
• 1 green bell pepper, washed and sliced into thin strips
• 1 small sweet onion, sliced into thin strips
• 1 can (15 oz) organic diced tomatoes, drained

Instructions

Combine lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper and pour over chicken in an airtight container. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. For best results, marinade for 2 hours rotating the container every 30 minutes to coat each chicken piece in marinade.  Preheat oven to 400.  Lightly spray 9x13 baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.  In a large bowl, combine bell peppers, onions, and diced tomatoes. Pour chicken and marinade over and stir well. Pour contents into baking dish.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until chicken is no longer pink. Serve on warmed tortillas with fresh salsa. 

My family (and niece that ate over) LOVED these.  And I was surprised by how easy they were.  I will definitely be making them again.  I was wishing I had some guacamole to put on top.  And just make sure to drain them a little when you are spooning them into the tortilla.  My mixture was pretty runny. 

When I put the excess in a Tupperware, my husband mentioned that the leftovers would be really good on rice.  So if you made these and were out of tortillas, you could definitely eat it on a big pile of brown rice.

I also made a peach cobbler from a recipe I found in my new ward cookbook.  We haven't eaten it yet, since I'm waiting for hubby to get home from a church meeting.  But, if we enjoy it, I'll share the recipe tomorrow.

Creamy Spinach Tomato Tortellini

After taking Monkey 1 to to the dentist today to get some cavities filled, she was told to eat only liquids.  So I decided to try out the Creamy Spinach Tomato Tortellini recipe I found on pinterest.  I figured I could cut it small enough for her to eat or 'gum' enough to swallow.  Monkey 2 is so dang picky he wouldn't even try them, but the rest of us loved it.  I thought it was a fairly easy recipe, comes together pretty quickly.  The only downfall is everything has to be done really quickly.  You are stirring practically the whole time and that makes it hard if you don't have the stuff ready when you are making it.  I will definitely be making this again.  The only thing I did differently is I didn't have any plain diced tomatoes, only diced tomatoes with chiles(and it gave the pasta a little kick) (I really liked the change...as did the hubby)

Creamy Spinach Tomato Tortellini

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 5 - 1 cup servings

Ingredients

• 1 (20 oz) pkg three cheese tortellini (preferably the refrigerated kind)
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 1/4 cups milk (I used 2%, anything but skim works fine)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 1 1/2 cups (packed) chopped fresh spinach
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 2 tsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp dry)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 Tbsp finely shredded parmesan, plus more for serving
• Red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)

Directions

• Cook tortellini according to directions listed on package.
• Meanwhile, in a large and deep skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds, then add flour and onion powder and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in milk and cream, then whisk until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to simmer, then add tomatoes, spinach, basil and oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook several minutes longer until sauce has thickened and spinach has wilted. Add parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat.
• Toss prepared and drained tortellini into sauce mixture (note that as the pasta rests, the sauce will seem thicker and it will sort of soak into the noodles. So, if you won't be serving it for 10 minutes or so you can stir in some pasta water, milk or cream to thin it out if desired). Serve warm sprinkled with additional parmesan cheese if desired and optional red pepper flakes.

Recipe Source: adapted with some changes from Cooking Classy

Menu Planning

Last week I decided I really needed to sit down and plan meals.  So I opened up an excel sheet and made my own planning spreadsheet.  I included the meal, where to find it (pinterest, blog, etc), all the ingredients, and then the ingredients that I needed to buy.  It definitely made grocery shopping a lot easier.  And you can also plan according to stuff you'll have left over (i.e. leftover green bell peppers, ground beef, etc).

I will be posting some of the recipes as I make them and giving mine and my families 2 cents about it.

The meals this week will be:

Baked Chicken Fajitas
Lasagna (family recipe)
Easy Ranch Parmesan Chicken
Creamy Spinach Tomato Tortellini
Taco Casserole

Monkey 1 and Monkey 2

When we were in Utah last month, my mom wanted to go get family pictures done.  Because of the husbands schedules, we couldn't get one of everyone so we chose to do just the grandkids and grandparents.  They turned out adorable.  Here are some of my favorites.  Photos taken at Camera Shy in West Jordan, Utah.  They were amazing with all the kids and I would go back in a second. 

 



When she was taking the above picture of the "best friends", Mason heard her and ran in the picture because he is Madison's best friend.  It was so cute, and I'm so happy she caught the shot.  Then Ella didn't want to be left out, so she jumped in.  They were perfect.

I can't believe how great all the colors matched for the kids.  Since we were living out of a suitcase, we just told everyone to come in summer colored dresses...and this is what we ended up with for these 4.  They couldn't have matched ANY better!

 

New Beginnings

After a couple year break from blogging, I've decided to get back to it and start a new blog.  Last year we moved from Utah to San Diego and we are enjoying the sun, fun, and "just living the dream!"  Even though we've been here for over a year, I'm still trying to adjust to staying home full time with the kids. 

Hope you enjoy the random ramblings of Mama Lou...where I'll ramble all about recipes, running, losing weight, and the crazy things my kids do.