Red, White, and Blue Trifle Cake

Happy birthday, America!

I hope you all have a great day today and enjoy celebrating the birth of our great nation! I'm so very proud to be an American and am greatly looking forward to today's festivities!

It's been a while since I shared a recipe here on the blog, so I'm going to do so today. This one is a red, white, and blue trifle cake that works great for any holiday celebrating the American spirit (Memorial Day, 4th of July, Veterans Day, etc).

Red, White, and Blue Trifle Cake
Adapted from: Skinny Taste

Ingredients:

• 2 pints of Strawberries, sliced
• 2 pints of blueberries
• 10 oz of angel food cake cut into 1 inch cubes
• 6 tbsp of fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla flavoring
• 1 1/2 cups of cold water
• 1 4oz package of white chocolate instant pudding mix
• 12 oz of frozen whipped topping  
• Trifle bowl (not a necessity but it's pretty for showcasing your beautiful dessert!)

Directions: 

Rinse and drain strawberries and blueberries. Slice strawberries and trim off tops.

Prepare and bake angel food cake as instructed on packaging. (If using a store bought angel food cake, skip this step.)

Whisk the wet ingredients together in a bowl - condensed milk, vanilla, and water. Once mixed, add white chocolate pudding mix and whisk until combined. Let stand 2 minutes, then fold in whipped topping.

Cut angel food cake into 1 inch cubes.

Begin arranging ingredients in trifle bowl as follows: start with half of the angel food cake followed by blueberries and strawberries on top. Gently spread half of the cream mixture over the layer of fruit. Layer the remainder of the angel food cake next followed by another layer of strawberries and blueberries. Top off with remainder of the cream mixture and sprinkle blueberries and strawberries on top.

Chill for 2 hours in fridge.

Serve and enjoy!

Ingredients

Cream mixture

Ready for layering!

Beginnings of the layering process

 All done!

So tasty!! I seriously can't wait to make this dessert again! If you try it, I hope you enjoy!! :)

Have a safe, happy, and blessed 4th!

Disney Themed Dinner at Home

This past weekend was my last at home before returning to work from maternity leave. In order to make it a special and memorable one, my husband and I cooked up a Disney themed dinner from the comfort of our home and it was delicious! Ohana is my favorite restaurant on property and that's what inspired our menu!

For dinner and dessert, we enjoyed:

• Ohana Marinated Chicken
• Pot Stickers
• Fried Rice
• Grilled Pineapple
• Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake (recipe from Liberty Tree Tavern in the Magic Kingdom)

Keep reading below for the marinated chicken recipe, inspired by Ohana at the Polynesian! 

 

This dinner was so delicious, we'll definitely make it again! 

I had no clue you could purchase pre-made pot stickers from the grocery store! Watch out...I'm in trouble now!

Since we had a pineapple in the fridge from our recent Bountiful Baskets order, we decided to cut it and toss it on the grill, too! 

Dessert was made from a recipe I've shared here on the blog in the past - it's called Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake and is straight from the Liberty Tree Tavern lunch menu. Add a little Blue Bell ice cream and caramel sauce and you're in heaven! Y'all...although this stuff is incredibly unhealthy, it's SO amazing!

 As for the Ohana marinated chicken, this was our first time to have it and we were unsure of what to expect! It was really good and we will definitely make it again! 

Ohana Marinated Chicken

Adapted from: Clover and Thyme

Ingredients:

• 1 tbl. garlic, minced
• 1/8 cup malt vinegar
• 1/8 cup lemon juice
• 2 dashes tabasco
• 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (this was my twist to the recipe - you could do 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper if you'd rather that instead)
• 1/8 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4-5 chicken breasts

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a blender/magic bullet and blend until mixed well.
Slowly add olive oil and continue to blend.
Thaw chicken breasts and punch holes in meat with a fork.
Place chicken in a bowl.
Pour marinade on top of chicken to coat.
Cover and cool in fridge for 12-24 hours to marinate.
Grill/cook as desired.
Serve and enjoy!

Blending away!

Ready to chill in the fridge!

Post-grilled yummy goodness!

That's all there is to it! If you try this recipe, I hope you enjoy!! :) Have a great day!

Have you ever attempted a Disney recipe at home? If so, what did you make?

Bountiful Baskets & A Recipe

Bountiful Baskets...ever heard of them? I hadn't until just a few weeks ago. Someone in my town began a sign-up list to bring them to my area...it worked...they've delivered twice so far....and I can tell you, they have been a huge hit! We also have a local farmers market, but this is completely separate.

What is Bountiful Baskets? It's basically what it sounds like...a basket full of fresh fruits and vegetables at a relatively low cost! During each pickup, the baskets are different so you never know what items to expect. Add-on items are also available for an extra fee.

How does all of this work? 

Well, about a week before the pickup date, I went on the Bountiful Baskets website to register for a basket. (This date and time was predetermined by Bountiful Baskets for my area.) Pre-registration is required so they know how many items to ship for pick-up. The baskets on the registration site go fast, so I even put a notice in my phone as a reminder! I missed the first round of baskets because I was about an hour late in registering...sound familiar to any runDisney fans out there? Hah! 

Our area's pickup date/time was on Saturday at 1 p.m., so I made my way to the pickup location to check it all out!

When I arrived, there was already quite a line for pickup. Volunteers were still placing items in the baskets, so they weren't quite ready yet.

I was excited to see all the offerings inside!

I also noticed that everyone in line had some form of bag or basket in their hands. What did I miss?

Next time, I need to read the fine print. Yep, I was supposed to bring my OWN basket. Oy.

Thankfully, I located a couple of empty boxes and was able to load my stash inside. However, I know better for next time!

On my way home, I stopped by the Dollar Store to purchase my own basket for the next delivery. :)

 Items included in the basket:

• Pineapple
• Acorn Squash
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes
• Apples
• Cantaloupe 
•  Japanese Plums
• Bananas
• Green Onions
• Zucchini
• Mango
• Pears

The one downfall to this co-op is the fact that there's no pre-determined set of fruits/veggies that you will receive, it's different every time. 

For dinner that evening, I came across a recipe on Tasty...you know, from one of those really delicious looking facebook videos? After reviewing the ingredients, I realized I actually had pretty much ALL of the ingredients I needed, even fresh produce thanks to my recent basket purchase!

The tasty recipe was chicken teriyaki stir fry and tasted oh so amazing! So good in fact, I'm sharing the recipe with you today!

Teriyaki Chicken and Rice Adapted from: Tasty

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken breasts, thawed and sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger (I used 1/2 tsp of spiced ginger)
2 cups
1/2 cup white rice and 1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoon sriracha
1 cup broccoli
3 small zucchini, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper (this was the only ingredient I didn't have fresh on hand, so I used frozen)
Scallions for garnish

 

Directions:

 

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot on medium heat.
2. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 8 minutes
3. Add garlic and ginger, sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
4. Add 2 cups of water and the rice and stir.
5. Cover the pot and bring water to a boil.
6. Uncover, stir, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
7. Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and Sriracha. Stir to combine. 

8. Add all vegetables and stir to coat. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes until vegetables are desired consistency.
9. Garnish with scallions (optional) and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Interested in Bountiful Baskets? Check out the list to see if they are available in your area! 

I did not receive any of these items for free, nor am I being compensated for this review - this is just a neat idea and I wanted to share it with all of you! :)

Does your area offer anything similar? 

Random Thoughts Tuesday

Good morning and happy Tuesday! I've had a few random thoughts floating throughout my brain lately so I thought I would share them here! :)

Three Ingredient Waffles

On Saturday, I was hungry for waffles. After browsing Pinterest for recipes, I finally decided on a three ingredient one...

-1 ripe banana (mine was super ripe and frozen)
-2 eggs
-1/2 tbsp cinnamon

Mix ingredients together, pour on waffle iron, serve and enjoy! This made 2 mickey sized waffles and...well, I ate both. No sharing, sorry. 

By the way, I didn't burn the waffle - the cinnamon made the waffle appear dark. :)

Gilmore Girls and Fuller House Reunions

Umm hello and YES! The excitement is building and I can't hardly contain myself! Fuller House premiers on February 26th and I cannot wait! I might even have that date marked in my calendar on my phone. Only the important stuff makes it in there, obviously.

This week, I had a super strange dream about Mary Kate and Ashley (pregnancy hormones, people).  I dreamed they were cousins to a friend of mine and came to town to visit.....and we all hung out of course! SO. ODD.

I've also been re-watching the entire series of the Gilmore Girls over the course of the past year and I'm almost to Season 6! This article I read last night about the reunion really heightened the excitement!!

Third Trimester Woes

WHY on God's green earth do people feel like it's ok to share their feelings about the size of a pregnant woman's body with her...especially a pregnant woman in her third trimester? HELLO! What woman in her third trimester do you know that's not big?! I certainly haven't seen many if they do exist. The rude comments haven't come my way often - just once, but it totally rubbed me the wrong way. Yes, I'm probably going to have a bigger baby - both Jason and I were in the 8 pound range and a lot of the men in my family are bigger guys...BUT, it's not reassuring when a random person tells me how big my baby is going to be (in a rude manner) because in just a few weeks, I have to deliver this baby and I'm already freaked out about that process as it is. Rude comments don't help. Honestly, on an every day normal basis, it's not ok to make rude comments to people...so why do people feel as if it's ok to make rude comments to women who are creating, growing, and forming a new life inside of them? Do I need to brush the comment off? Sure I do...but that's easier said than done.

I know it's just beginning and I still have 8 weeks to go, but seriously people....if you have an opinion about the size of my body or how big you think my baby is going to be, please just whisper it to your friends and don't say it to my face (or any pregnant woman's face for that matter...cause no one wants to hear that....we see ourselves in the mirrors every day and already know what we look like without anyone else's opinions jumping in). Please think before you speak. Thanks.

Back to happier topics...

My puppies

My sweet girls are excited for the arrival of their brother...at least they pretend to be! It's going to be interesting when he does arrive - I'm curious to see how they will respond to him! :) I think Pixie (the yorkie) will be the jealous one and Madalynn (the cocker) will be the one trying to take all of his toys. We've had MANY talks about the difference between Madalynn's toys and baby brother's toys...so we'll see how well those stick. HAH! :)

Hope you all have a great Tuesday!

What's your favorite "short list" ingredient dish to make?

Spread Cheer This Holiday Season With Betty Crocker

With all of the traveling Jason and I have done over the past few weeks, little time was left for Christmas and holiday preparations. Between parties, baking, family time, shopping, preparing gifts, mailing packages, etc - just the thought of my never ending to-do list made this momma-to-be tired!

When faced with the challenge of baking cookies (with just a little over an hour to spare) for an upcoming Christmas party, I almost panicked. Lucky for me, I had the help of WalMart, Betty Crocker®,  and a good friend! Problem solved!

Betty Crocker® easy to bake cookie mixes are available in a wide variety of flavors, but I narrowed down my choices down to Sugar Cookie and Peanut Butter. At a low price, they are budget friendly, too! Want to spread Christmas cheer with a simple surprise? This is a great way to do so - read on to find out how!

As I mentioned before, I was short on time so my friend Melissa and I got right to work on the cookies! Baking is always more fun with a friend, anyway!

One of my favorite things about the Betty Crocker® cookie mixes was the simplicity of use. Each package only required a few ingredients (usually items that would be stocked in a pantry or fridge anyway)! I even forgot to check the ingredients before leaving the store but lucky for me, all ingredients were on hand at home!
 

While Melissa prepped the peanut butter cookies for baking, I was busy rolling out dough for the sugar cookies.

Although baking time for each type of cookie was different, we were finished in no time! 

Cutting out Christmas shapes in the dough was fun, too! 

After baking was complete, we enjoyed a cookie (or two...ok or maybe three...).

Spending time with Melissa was a great way to enjoy a little girl time while calming the pre-holiday jitters. We also shared a few of the cookies with our husbands and enjoyed spreading a little holiday cheer in the mean time!

I can't wait to bring these cookies to my upcoming Christmas party! They're so tasty, no one will believe how easy they were to bake! I didn't add any icing or sprinkles to the sugar cookies because we enjoy eating them as is - however, these would be fun to decorate with icing, sprinkles, and anything else you can imagine (and would also make a fun Christmas activity for the kids). I'm looking forward to a few of these "traditions" in the upcoming years! :)

How are you spreading cheer this holiday season?

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Betty Crocker.  The opinions and text are all mine.

Recipe: Silk Almond Milk Smoothies

The weather is warming up outside, we are seeing sunny (and rainy) days, and spring is officially here. Smoothies are a great way to combat the heat, and I love having them for breakfast in the spring and summer months!



Over the past two weeks, I’ve enjoyed a smoothie for breakfast almost every morning. I tossed around several recipes and came up with a few I think you’ll enjoy, too!

This was my first time to use Silk’s brand of almond milk and I have to say that I really enjoyed the texture – it’s creamier than other almond milk brands I’ve tried in the past.

To begin, all of my smoothies call for a ripe (or very ripe) frozen banana. They also call for ice and a creamy base – in this case, I used Silk Almond Milk. All three recipes are Paleo friendly, too (if you consider processed almond milk paleo…some things you just can’t help…) and are also all around 275-300 calories a piece!  (I also liked using Silk almond milk as an alternative to dairy milk because it contains fewer calories.)

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“Elvis” Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Silk Almond Milk
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ripe frozen banana
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 1/2 cup ice
• 1 tbsp honey

Blend together in a blender, serve, and enjoy!



This smoothie is very chocolate-y and rich. If you would like to change it up a bit, only adding 1 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder would work, too!

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Banana Cream Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Silk Almond Milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 ripe frozen banana
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup ice
• 1 tbsp honey

Blend together in a blender, serve, and enjoy!



If you know me, you know I love banana flavored anything! This was definitely a favorite of mine out of the three! :)

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Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Silk Almond Milk
• 1 ripe frozen banana
• 1 cup of frozen pineapple chunks
• 1/2 cup ice
• 1 cup of halved fresh strawberries

Blend together in a blender, serve, and enjoy!





So refreshing on a warm morning!

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Almond Milk isn’t the only product produced by Silk! In fact, they also offer products such as soy milk, cashew milk, dark chocolate almond milk (umm…yum!), coconut milk, even yogurt…the list goes on!

• Interested in more recipes? Visit Silk’s Smoothie Solution Landing Page where you can find a ton of great ideas for smoothies with a variety of ingredients!
• Want to know where to find Silk? Check out their product locator to find a Silk distributor near you!
• Would you like to save a little money while trying out this product? Sign up for Silk newsletter and receive a coupon!
  

What’s your favorite type of smoothie/favorite smoothie ingredients?


Disclaimer: This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine. Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.

Recipe: BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

On Saturday night, I decided to be adventurous with dinner. I found a recipe that called for crock pot pulled pork and it sounded delicious – two problems…I didn’t have time to let anything sit in a crock pot for four or eight hours and I didn’t have any pork on hand.

That’s when this recipe came about…BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. It’s super delicious and not too bad in health terms, either!

BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Adapted from: Skinny Mom

Ingredients:

5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 medium sized sweet potatoes
1 cup of frozen chopped onions (or fresh, your choice)
1/2 cup of reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup of BBQ sauce (check the sugar contents to make sure you’re using a sauce that’s not terribly high in sugar)
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

In a large pot on top of the stove, combine chicken broth, onions, and chicken breast. Chicken broth will not cover chicken breasts, so add enough water in pot to cover.  Add seasoning as desired (I used a few dashes of Cajun seasoning aka Tony’s). Heat to boiling, then cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes (until middle of chicken breasts are cooked).

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Wash sweet potatoes and pierce each one with a fork several times. Place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake x 45 minutes. Flip halfway through baking.

While chicken and potatoes are cooking, prepare seasonings in a small bowl. Mix chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Also prepare BBQ mixture – in a separate bowl, combine BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce.

Once chicken is cooked, remove from pot and drain. Sprinkle half of the seasoning mixture on top of chicken. Allow to cool so the chicken is easy to handle with your hands. Once chicken has cooled, shred each piece with a fork and knife on cutting board. After chicken is shredded, sprinkle remaining seasoning on top and stir to coat.

In a smaller pot on stove, combine shredded chicken and BBQ sauce mixture and heat until warm. (Save a little bit of the BBQ for the final step.)

Slice each sweet potato and fill with meat mixture.

Drizzle remaining BBQ sauce over each potato.

Serve and enjoy!

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Chicken, onions, chicken broth, Tony’s Cajun seasoning, and water.

Sweet potatoes ready for baking!

Half of the seasoning mixture sprinkled on chicken….allowing chicken to cool before shredding.

Shredded chicken with remaining seasoning sprinkled on top.

BBQ sauce mixture

This dinner was really delicious! I can’t wait to make it again!

Servings: 4

Click here if you’d like to see the original, slow cooker pork recipe.

Have you ever tweaked a recipe, then really enjoyed the results?