If You’re Looking For My Husband, He’s at Hossome Hamburger Fest

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hoss’s Steak and Sea House. All opinions are my own. When it comes to restaurants, I prefer a place with lots of option — including some healthy ones — and a nice, juicy steak. My husband, on the other hand, likes a good burger and a good buffet. And our daughter just wants french fries and a soft serve ice cream cone. There aren’t many places that offer all six of those things, but we did manage to find one, and it’s become our new favorite family restaurant. That restaurant is Hoss’s Steak & Sea House, and we’ve actually been going there pretty regularly for a while. Those who live in Pennsylvania probably know Hoss’s for its family-friendly dining atmosphere and its famous … [Continue reading]

Momma’s Spaghetti Sauce (Plus 15 Common Pasta Mistakes)

Pasta is a beautiful thing. Quick and inexpensive to make, it’s a quintessential, classic meal. Now, I don’t doubt that you already have a delicious pasta sauce recipe, or perhaps you really do love jarred sauce (Some of them are really good!), but nothing compares to a homemade sauce. There are so many misconceptions about making pasta and sauce though. Pasta sauce should have a rich tomato flavor with subtle undertones of spices and herbs. It shouldn’t be overly acidic or sweet. I’ve been working on this recipe for over a year, and now my “former spaghetti-hating” daughter requests spaghetti at least once a week. This sauce is easy to make. Although, it does take some time, it freezes beautifully for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. … [Continue reading]

Start School Like a Champion: Buy One Product, Get One Free Book!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company, Kellogg Company, J.M. Smucker Company, and The HERSHEY'S Company. All opinions are mine alone. #StartSchoolLikeAChampion #CollectiveBias My daughter LOVES reading, and I love that she loves it! Nothing makes me happier than to see her curled up on the couch with a book in her hands. So, when I found out that I could earn books by buying some of our favorite food items at Walmart, we were both happy. By the way, I’m not talking about those “send in 50 box tops and get one book” offers, either. I’m talking about a program that gives you one Scholastic book for EACH participating item you buy. Item’s like Kellogg’s cereal, Pop Tarts, Coca-Cola products, … [Continue reading]

Kids in Bed? Five Steps to a Simply Pure Night of Rest and Relaxation

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #IDSimplyPure #CollectiveBias When you’re the mother of a five-year-old, “me time” is rare. So, when you get it, you have to make the most of it. That’s why, in today’s entry, I’ll be sharing my fool-proof five-ingredient plan for how to relax and unwind after the kids are in bed. As a coffee lover, the most important part of that “me time” routine is a hot cup of decaf dark roast. And, as a lover of all things tasty and simple, my go-to creamer is International Delight Simply Pure. I picked mine up at recent trip to Walmart.   You’ll find International Delight in the refrigerated dairy section, with the milk and … [Continue reading]

Best Dinner Ever? Freschetta Pizza and My Famously Easy Garlic Parmesan Knots

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #RealTasteForRealLife #CollectiveBias I'm a big believer in the power of pop-in-the-oven pizza. My family loves it because it's delicious and I love it because it's easy. But as easy as those meals may be, I do sometimes feel a little guilty about how effortless it is (I’m lying, I don’t feel guilty), which is why I like to add a little something extra to pizza nights by making a fun side dish to go with the main course. That’s exactly what I did recently when I made my famously simple Easy Garlic Parmesan Knots to go with some Freschetta pizza. The garlic knots are made with just three ingredients: ready-made buttermilk biscuit … [Continue reading]

How SToK™ Iced Coffee Helped to Turn My Husband Into the Ultimate Treasure Hunter

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SToKCoffee #cbias #CollectiveBias To call my husband a "coffee lover" would be an understatement. He's never met a coffee shop he didn't like and he's never met a cup of Kona Blend he didn't love. He's also a fan of iced coffee (mainly after noon, when he tried to avoid hot coffee). So, when he found out that we were asked to try out some SToK™ Cold-Brew Iced Coffee, he was pretty excited. SToK™ -- pronounced like “stoked,” as in “My husband was stoked to try this new iced coffee!” – is an iced coffee that’s cold brewed, slow brewed, and strong enough to fuel whatever creative fires you might need to keep burning. It’s available … [Continue reading]

How to Make Your Own Cat Toy and Feed Your Cats Well With Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Cat Food

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NutrishCatCrafts #CollectiveBias I’m a big fan of Rachael Ray for her simple, everyday recipes for my family, but I’m also a fan for what she’s done to help me feed my three cats, Harley, Bocca and Cupcake. Most people know Rachael for her skills when it comes to making people food, but she knows a thing or two about healthy pet food, too. In 2007, Rachael began working with a team of pet nutrition experts to launch her line of Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® pet foods. The foods are made with simple, wholesome ingredients like real chicken and fish (which is always the number one ingredient). Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® cat foods are … [Continue reading]

Microwaves, Kill-A-Watts and Grillin’: The Top Tips From My Project Envolve Journey

This is a sponsored post written on behalf of PPL Electric Utilities. All opinions expressed in this post and blog are my own. #ProjectEnvolve #GetEnvolved Has the past year been one of the craziest years of our lives? Yes. We found out just a few months ago that we’re expecting our second child (it’ll be a boy!). We’re also in the middle of the insane process of selling our house, followed by the hopefully less insane process of buying a new one. Amidst all of that (mostly happy) madness has been one of the energy-savingest years in recent memory. I owe that savings to the folks at Project Envolve, which is sponsored by PPL Electric Utilities. They chose me as one of the lucky bloggers to bring you all sorts of energy-savings tips in … [Continue reading]

12 Cleaning Tips for the Lazy (Or Busy)

I hate cleaning. It's my least favorite activity, right up there with balancing the checkbook and eating glass. Plus I'm lazy (and busy). With a rambunctious 5-year-old, husband and slobbery dog, it seems cleaning is a never ending job. Although I should say my husband helps clean and all that jazz (shock collar training works!). So I'm back with 12 cleaning tips to make it a little less painful, quicker and less daunting (by the way, wine and music also help). If you follow some organizational tips as well, it will make cleaning much easier, because it's kind of hard to clean around random shoes, scattered toys and stacks of mail. Wipe it up - Keep a container of wipes in each room. That way you can spot clean. Toothpaste on the … [Continue reading]

Meatloaf Cupcakes

Ok. They're not cupcakes with meat. They're meatloaf in the shape of cupcakes. Let's get that straight first. And they were delicious! I think the topping really takes the cake (so to speak). And the meatloaf was very juicy. BONUS: Cook time is only 30 minutes. That's right. Half an hour. I love the smell of things baking, but it KILLS me to wait so long to taste the food wafting from the oven. INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey 1 large egg 1 sweet onion, chopped 1 cup milk 1 cup dried bread crumbs or tear 2 bread into tiny pieces Salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons prepared mustard 1/3 cup ketchup 8 slices of provolone cheese DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to … [Continue reading]