Ramen. It’s delicious. It’s cheap. I practically lived on it in college. Sometimes, I still do. Oddly enough, between all of my baking, it’s still one of my favorite comfort foods. But sometimes warm noodles get boring… but there’s another way to eat ramen that is way more exciting! Hello, Oriental Ramen Slaw. Read more
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake
If y’all have been around the blog a day or two, you know I love the chicken, bacon, and ranch combo. They’re flavors that were just made for each other! So, when it came time to make dinner the other night and I had no idea what to make, I needed to see what I had in my pantry and fridge. I came up with a few items that made a big impact, and it all started with the chicken, bacon, and ranch I had on hand.
Handling and Explaining Global Tragedies to Your Kids
It’s all over the news. Yesterday, a commercial flight was shot down over a very volatile zone. The thing that is traumatizing and scary about this is that a normal activity– flying on an airplane–is once again linked with tragedy. While of course, there’s danger in flying over a zone that’s essentially at war, it’s a flight path that a lot of planes were taking. This event just happened to be an anomaly, and it isn’t the first major tragedy kids have heard about on the news.
Life Lessons I’ve Learned from Parenting a 3 Year Old
My sweet son turned 3 on Saturday. It’s been one heck of a ride, this past 3 years. A lot has changed, he’s grown, he’s developed such a silly personality, but a lot has stayed the same.
In the era of the Pinterest Supermoms, where every small celebration from a first tooth being lost to the first flush on the big boy potty becomes a celebration worthy of a giant theme party complete with theme food and drinks and decorations and more, I knew that his third birthday would be a big deal. I even tentatively put a post on my long-term blog idea list to tell you all about the thrilling birthday and exactly how to copy it, complete with drool-worthy photos you’d be anxious to share on Pinterest.
And then my 3 year old hit me with a doozy.
Reese’s Addict Brookie Ice Cream Sandwiches (And Bonus Whoopie Pies, too!)
So up until recently, I hated the name Brookie. I mean, it sounds like some overly-likable cookie you went to high school with (if, you know, it was the food world and everything). The popular cookie who was good at literally everything– good at being a brownie, good at being a cookie, just fit in with everyone because, yeah, why not? I’d always been partial to terms like “Layered brownie” or “Brownie cookie” or other terms that are kind of a mouthful.
But then I found some mixes and made these ice cream cookie sandwiches. And they live up to the name, because they really are good at everything… they’re good at being brownie, being cookie, being peanut butter chocolate goodness, and they’re just perfect at being an ice cream sandwich. Because what person doesn’t love an ice cream sandwich chock full with peanut butter cups? (I mean aside from the people with devastating nut allergies, of course!)
If you don’t have a nut allergy, though, these. These are the cookies you need to try. Because they’re really delicious. Reeses+Brownie+Cookie+Ice Cream Sandwich=the Best Darn Brookie Ever, and yes, it deserves to be called a brookie.
Oh, and if you’re horribly weird and don’t like ice cream (love you, mom!), stick around, because there’s another brookie sandwich with NO ice cream in it in this post, too.
DIY Chalk-Rubbed Sand Art
“I’m bored.” It’s July, so surely you’ve heard this at least a million times, because it seems to be a pretty universal phrase in the summertime.
We’ve had a nightmare of a summer week here; it’s been the hottest week of summer so far, and our city’s aquatic center has been closed due to a broken pump. Repairs have dragged on, and while it’s set to open today, it didn’t spare us all of the boredom of not getting to go to the pool. Because really, if I have to watch Frozen one more time instead of splashing in the water, I’m going to lose my mind. Olaf’s Summer song is so not as fun when it’s that hot in reality!
Luckily, I had the perfect craft to keep Zach entertained for awhile… DIY Sand Art that took white sand and turned it all kinds of pretty colors with one simple outdoor craft item– Chalk! The best part is the craft is so affordable if you have chalk and glue on hand already (and even if you don’t, it’s still pretty darn cheap!), and it’s so much fun.
Campfire Favorites: Beef and Veggie Hobo Packs
Not too long ago, a rule was made that my brother had to pitch in with dinner sometimes. Now, my brother is a pretty good cook, but like all of us, he likes easy, and a lot of times, he sticks to the tried-and-true. So much so that we quickly realized that any nights where it was Jeffrey’s turn to cook, we either got waffles, or we got hobo packs. I started watching him making the hobo packs (as we affectionately call them, but apparently foil packet meal or foil packet dinner also works), and realized why he loved making them so much. They were easy. They were delicious. And most of all, they were versatile. With a family full of picky people, versatile is important.
A Global Perspective: How Foreign Exchange Programs Shaped Our Family and Changed Our Lives Forever
It was Kindergarten, and Jeffrey’s teacher was speaking to geography. With a map of the USA, Kansas City area centered, she asked the students “Where does someone you know live?” Many kids listed off nearby towns. A few listed other states, where grandparents lived. Then my brother raised his hand and said “I know someone from Germany.”
The teacher needed to get a new map.
I was blessed to have a great cultural experience in high school. Jeffrey was lucky in that he grew up with that cultural experience– from the time he was a small child, family around the world was a part of his everyday life.
It all started really quickly. My mom and I were working out at our old gym, winding down in the cool down area and saw a flyer about hosting a foreign exchange student. We skimmed over it and saw the descriptions of the great students who were available, so we decided to write down the number. On the way home, we laughed and said “Man, wouldn’t that be fun?” We knew dad would shoot down the idea, so we didn’t get our hopes up too much, but we considered it, thought about which room she would take, and wondered if Jeffrey would be too young for us to host a student. Would it be worth it for him?
Alabama’s Best Kept Secret: The Beach Destination You Should Know About
I don’t think Alabama necessarily intends to keep their best-kept beach getaway a secret, but somehow, it’s quiet, hidden under the shuffle. In fact, it’s so calm and perfect there that I almost didn’t want to share it. After all, if I spill the beans and let you know about my favorite beach vacation, what’s to keep you all from rushing there? But then I realized that a good beach vacation spot is just too good not to share.
For being a secret, Dauphin Island really isn’t too much of a secret at all. After all, it recently ranked in the top 8 Southern Islands You Should Be Visiting This Summer by Huffington Post and that isn’t it’s first time receiving a similar nod. But somehow, tucked away between Florida beaches and the Orange Beach/Gulf Shores area that everyone’s familiar with, Dauphin Island is the perfect quiet getaway, especially for families.
After nearly a decade of summer vacations spent at Dauphin Island, I’ve made a list of the absolute most important things to do, see, and enjoy on the Island, as well as a few reminders that the best part of the island is the fact that you can just sit and relax.
Enchilada-Style Ham and Cheese
Everyone loves comfort food, right? From dumplings to chicken and noodle soup, comfort foods keep us happy and make us feel… well, comforted. One of my favorite comfort foods growing up was grilled cheese with tomato soup for dipping. Who doesn’t love rich, hearty tomato soup with a hot, gooey, melty grilled cheese sandwich?
I remember the first time that it occurred to me in my first apartment that, while making a grilled cheese on my George Foreman, I could add ham to make it better. Obviously, that’s nothing new. Hot ham and cheese sandwiches are pretty standard, but it blew my mind at the time.
The other day, I picked up a can of tomato soup at the store and realized I could combine a few of my favorite things for something unique, and that’s how this recipe sort of came about… it’s the best of comfort foods with a special twist.