It’s no secret that I have a love affair with cream cheese. I share it often on my Instagram. One cream cheese brand I like is Philadelphia Cream Cheese because of its creaminess and how many different options there are. Since we are mid fall, there are so many recipes you can use that capture all the fall vibes. They have a pumpkin spread that I have been meaning to try! Over the past month, I have used them to create a breakfast toast, a snack and even pasta. That’s pretty much all the best things right?
Summer reminds me of a lot of things: bbqs, the pool, street festivals and my mom’s egg salad. It’s something I grew up eating as a kid and I had a serious craving for it this past weekend (yes, those pregnancy food cravings have hit). I wanted to share the recipe with you guys! It’s got a lot of crunch, which I like and haven’t tasted anything like it. I hope you like it as much as I do.
I love tacos, pizza and margaritas like no other, but realistically, I can’t eat like that everyday. Too much unhealthy stuff ends up making me feel not the best. Honestly, Monday through Thursday, I really try to cook, meal plan and prepare every meal during the week. It makes our lives so much easier and prevents us from ordering out (and saves us money too). Anyone try to do this? I know our intentions are always good, but life does get in the way sometimes and we just need a burger, you know?!
I am sharing 5 healthy meals that we have often in my house during the week. Plus, they are easy and only require a few ingredients and time. Which are some of the two most important things while cooking during the week, am I right?
I know not everyone wants a mocktail, but in my case, being pregnant this summer, it’s the only choice I have! I miss my wine and margaritas, but with the help of a few other bloggers, I collected a few simple ideas for us non-drinkers! I hope you guys enjoy it. They are easy and you most likely have the ingredients in your fridge. No cooking, no shaking, just simple ingredients for refreshing drinks. Cheers 🙂 And click on the link to follow their pages and blogs for more detail.
The Kirby Hotel made Lavender infused water, blackberries, and served in a champagne flute
This is one of those recipes I have just thrown together a few times. How did it come about? Honestly, from throwing things together from my fridge and trying to get Noah to eat more veggies. He is in the prime toddler years and veggies are not his favorite (you can read more about that here). It’s also a vegetarian meal, but you could always add a protein like chicken or shrimp.
It’s really fast and a great weekday meal when you need to put dinner together in a rush. Just ready in 15 minutes! Let me know what you guys think…
I am going to be honest with you guys. Last year I lost the baby weight when Noah was around one years old and somewhere towards the end of the year, I gained some of it back. I didn’t feel comfortable, my skin wasn’t the best and my confidence was low. I made it a 2018 goal to get my health back on track. I find it difficult to get back to eating right and working out after a long holiday, but I want to share a few tips that seem to help me refocus after a break.
I am sharing some workout ideas, snacks and “healthier” recipes now! Continue reading →
Before having our son, my husband and I rarely went out on Valentine’s Day. It’s so much more fun to stay in and cook a big meal of all our favorites (and also a lot cheaper!). Now with a toddler, we still celebrate with a home cooked meal, but it’s slightly different. If you are staying in with your family, I put together an easy meal for you with a fast cleanup that you and your family to enjoy together this Valentine’s Day.
Drink- Shirley Temples
One of my favorite drinks to order as a child was a Shirley Temple. I always felt so grown up. To be honest, I occasionally still order them. This makes the perfect Valentine’s Day drink because kids love it, it’s festive and adults even make it more “adult” like if they’d like 🙂 I prefer using tall plastic SOLO cups because really, kids and glassware just don’t mix.
Ingredients
1(12 ounce)bottle Grenadine
Ice
1(2 Liter)bottle lemon-lime soda
Maraschino cherriesfor garnish
Instructions
Pour 1 ounce Grenadine over ice in a glass.
Top with 8 ounces lemon-lime soda.
Garnish with maraschino cherries.
Main Dish- Pizza with Heart Shaped Pepperoni
Heart shaped pizza is such a fun Valentine’s Day dinner, but to save time on making it, why not just buy your favorite pizza and make heart shaped pepperoni? It’s easy and you can do it together.
You can use a cookie cutter, but I just used scissors and cut the pepperoni into heart shapes.
Heat it up and serve on SOLO plates. These can later serve as crafts for your kids to color and make their own hearts!
Dessert- Cake “Fondue”
Now, for the best part, dessert. Instead of the traditional cheese fondue, replace the cheese with frosting. This cake “fondue” is so fun to dip your mini cake pops into different icings and everyone customize their own Valentine’s Day treat.
Ingredients
1 box Funfetti cake and cupcake mix
Sprinkles of your choice
Cookie sticks (quantity depends on how many you want to make)
Cream cheese frosting
Fruit of your choice (I like pineapple with cream cheese frosting!)
Mini chocolate chips
Pink, purple, red and white gel food colors
Mini cupcake liners
SOLO bowls with lids
SOLO plates
Instructions
Bake the mini cupcakes according to the instructions on the box
While baking, make your frosting colors in the SOLO bowls.
Let the cupcakes cool for 10-12 minutes.
Place the mini cupcakes on the cookie sticks
Dip away!
For the leftover frosting, stick a lid on the bowl and place in the fridge.
Enjoy your Valentine’s Day meal with your loved one!
Until next time,
Christine
This post was sponsored by SOLO cup however all opinions and experiences are my own!
Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love cheese? It is one of my favorite things to eat and create some really fun dishes with. Since cheese is always such a hit, I decided to throw a cheese party for my friends (and for my son because it’s his absolute favorite). And why not a MAC N’ CHEESE BAR?! I have a few vegetarian friends and this would be perfect. Everyone can customize their own mac n’ cheese bowls and we can celebrate National Cheese Lover’s Day!
Setup
Since the holidays, I have been kind of entertained out. Over doing the dishes, the clean up, etc. I also have a toddler running around, so something fast and easy is preferred. I decided to minimize the dishes and use Solo Cup Products to make my clean up easy and less complicated. They are completely disposable, recyclable and really durable. I knew this would be the best option, but still keeping my party looking right.
They have write on cups that are perfect to label all the toppings. It looks clean and organized in your setup. Everyone can make their own mac n’ cheese bowls with lids Whatever they don’t finish, the bowls serve as to-go plates. Lastly, the paper plates serve for meat and cheese platters. It’s perfect and fuss-free.
Mac n’ Cheese Bar
And for the best part: the MAC N’ CHEESE. Honestly, you could make it from scratch or get a pre-made box. Whatever makes your life easier. From scratch, I like recipes like this. But you can grab a box and totally add in your own ingredients. I took a box of mac n’ cheese, added mild cheddar cheese, bread crumbs and baked it at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. It turned out DELICIOUS!
Toppings
Cheese is so versatile. It can be paired with so much. Here are the toppings I used:
hot dogs
salumi
bacon bits
cheeze its
broccoli
spinach
jalapenos
green onion
cubed cheese
Extras
The more cheese the better right? For an appetizer, I made a meat and cheese plate with salami, cheddar and pepper jack cheese with pita crackers. Really, anything would work; spinach artichoke dip, cheese dip, etc.
For the drinks, the best wine to pair with macaroni and cheese all depends on how fancy and cheesy your mac and cheese is. With a regular, old-fashioned recipe, you might just want a simple glass of white wine. An unoaked Chardonnay might be your best bet for an original recipe or even a dry Riesling. If you got a little fancy and added truffles to your recipe, champagne pairs perfectly. No wine drinkers? Cider pairs well with cheese too.
A party that will please everyone with an easy clean up? To go cups already set!
Doesn’t get better than that!
Until next time,
Christine
This post was sponsored by SOLO cup however all opinions and experiences are my own!
Like everyone else, I completely overindulged in December. The holidays get me every year. Not only the holidays, but I gave birth 6 weeks ago, so my body and mind are both in need of some extra love these days.
This January, I have decided to do a complete “reboot” of my life. My mind, body, home, and LIFE. It isn’t just about losing weight and setting unrealistic goals, but hitting the refresh button in all areas of my life. Once the holidays were over and my daughter turned 6 weeks, I wanted to start to change some bad habits I developed over the past few months. When I eat poorly and indulge in too many sweets, my sleep and overall mood was impacted. I was still eating like I was pregnant! Late night snacks, staying up too late and not working out. And honestly, I’m already on a few hours of sleep a night, so I just want to treat my body right again. Time to give it some love! Continue reading →
With school starting back up and families looking to get back into the routine of things, meal planning can save so much time. I know I am always looking for ways to make our mornings a little easier. Especially with Noah in school two days a week now, these egg cups are perfect on the go.
Ingredients
