April 2014 – Makin' it Mo'Betta

Let’s get loco with Doritos Taco Bake

Kim

With Cinco de Mayo right around the corner I thought I would get in the spirit with this taco casserole. It’s kinda like a Doritos Locos Taco in casserole form, but with enchilada sauce…because I couldn’t decide between tacos and enchiladas, but I knew I wanted the Doritos…so yeah, this is what I came up with! I’ve made different versions in the past, and they always go over well with the kiddoes. Because, duhhh, it has Doritos!

Doritos Taco Bake

1 lb. lean ground beef (or turkey)

1 packet taco seasoning (plus amount of water called for on packet)

1 (10 oz.) can Enchilada Sauce

1 (10 oz) can cream of chicken soup (I like this homemade version)

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)

2 cups Mexican Blend cheese, shredded (or your favorite cheese)

approx. 3/4 of 11 oz bag Doritos, coarsely crushed

Pre-heat oven to 350.
Cook ground beef in skillet on medium high heat until cooked through, breaking into small pieces as it cooks.
Drain hamburger if needed and combine with water and taco seasoning and cook as directed on packet.
Once the seasoned meat is done, add 1 cup of cheese, the cream of chicken soup, yogurt, and enchilada sauce to the meat. Stir to combine.
In a lightly sprayed 9 x 13 casserole dish, add the meat mixture. Top with remaining cheese and cover with crushed Doritos.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Remove cover and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes. (This is optional, I just like to have the Doritos nice and crispy on top.)
Serve with desired toppings such as lettuce, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, etc.

You may also like Dorito Chicken Taco Bake, Chipotle Taco Bake, or Ghetto Tacos. What can I say? We like Doritos around here!

I may be linking up at any of the following – (Monday) , , , , , , (Tuesday) , , , ,,, , , (Wednesday) , , , , ,, , (Thursday) ,, , , (Friday) , , , , , ,, ,, , ,, , (Saturday) ,

Menu Plan Monday

Kim

I actually have our family’s meals all planned out for next week! It’s very unusual for me to be this ahead of the game, but I thought I would share it. With T-Ball and Softball practice going on next week, I knew I wanted some crock-pot meals and the other days are based on what I have on hand.

Monday –

Oven Baked Tacos – it will be the first day back to school and regular routine after Spring Break, and I know we will need something quick and easy! Throw some lettuce on there with a side of fruit and dinner is done.

Tuesday –

Easy Crockpot Beef Stroganoff – probably with some type of potato or mac n’cheese instead of rice and green beans for sides.

Wednesday –

Spaghetti and salad. I’m going to play around with this sauce recipe…I’m thinking turkey Italian sausage, red wine…I’ll post a new version if it turns out.

Thursday –

Bourbon Chicken – one of my favorite meals! I’m going to attempt this in the crock-pot with boneless, skinless thighs. I have the chicken and sauce already prepped and in the freezer, along with brown rice (cooked and frozen separately). I was industrious the other day!

Friday –

Pizza! This may turn into a frozen pizza by the end of the week, but we’ll see how it goes 😉

I’m also planning on trying this this week, trying a new version of Overnight Oats, and even though we don’t need it – No Bake Meyer Lemon Pie, b/c it’s awesome.

I’m linking this up with Menu Plan Monday at

Growing Family Time with Miracle-Gro {#sponsored}

Kim

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of for . All opinions are 100% mine.

I am so excited to finally have some SPRING weather!! *happy dance* It has really gotten me in the mood to start planning my garden. Since I’m not sure how the soil is where I live now, and we have bunny rabbits in abundance, I plan to keep it small this year. I am thinking I will just do some cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, basil and cilantro. We’ll see how things go. I’m looking forward to getting seeds in the ground with the help of my kiddoes, b/c when they are involved from the very beginning, they get excited to watch the seeds sprout and watch the plants grow. And they really get excited when it’s harvest time! My kids will eat whole cucumbers just like you would an apple! Any gardening tips you have regarding sandy soil, and keeping away the bunnies will be appreciated.

A small garden is not the only family project I have in mind however. On a even smaller scale, the kids and I are going to fill these…

My children decorated these pots for me last year for Mother’s Day, and it’s time to refill them. It will mean a lot to the kids that I want to use them again, and it will be fun to pick out what we are going to plant together. It will also give them an opportunity to get nice and dirty and play in potting soil…and what kid doesn’t like that?! It’s small things like this that mean a lot to kids, and will be something they remember doing together.
Do you have any outdoor projects planned with your kids/grandkids this spring and summer? Go share it with everyone at !

One thing I know for sure is, all my “growing projects” will involve . My Grandma always swore by it, but I have been made a believer. When my grandmother passed away a year and half ago, I ‘inherited’ some of her plants. I have 2 ferns and a geranium. I also do NOT have a green thumb. However, things were going along pretty well until we had an early frost this past Fall. I was not prepared, and had left all my plants outside. The next day, I realized what had happened and rushed them all into my sunroom, but over the next few days, they all looked dead. Like brown, dry, very d-e-a-d. I was heartbroken! But, I remembered my grandmother always talking about Miracle-Gro, so I fed the plants with it, kept them protected in our sunroom, and just hoped they would bounce back come Spring. Imagine my surprise when my brown, dead looking geranium did this…

Not only did it produce nice green leaves, but it bloomed!! *Another happy dance* The ferns are looking much better too. I think Grandma would be proud, and would say “I told you so” 🙂

Random Friday {in pictures}

Kim

It’s been a while since I’ve done a totally random post, but here goes!

Spring = Pollen = Allergies = Asthma. Boo.

My is preggars *insert big cheesy grin* so I picked this up for her. It’s not bad, a little sweet, but not bad.

My Dad gave all of us one of these key chains. You can read a little about his cancer story in this post. I am thrilled to say that he is doing well!! Unfortunately, a friend of mine just lost her mom this week to breast cancer.

Disclaimer — Purex sent me this to try out…it really does smell ‘fabulously fresh’! Purex Crystals is probably my favorite fabric softener b/c the scent lasts a long time (true story). Purex also has a sweepstakes going on where you could win a $1,000 shopping spree plus a year’s supply of Limited Edition Purex Crystals Fabulously Fresh. Check it out if interested.

Helloooo?! Is this not the coolest kid on the block? I love this picture. (For 2 days, my son insisted on wearing his hair in a ‘faux hawk’.)

And aren’t the best pictures usually the ones you didn’t plan on?

Easy Homemade Toaster Strudels and a prayer request

Kim

If you follow me or other food bloggers on Facebook, you may have heard about the terrible accident another blogger’s daughter was in yesterday. The little girl was apparently walking to school and was hit by a car. She is in ICU in a medically induced coma due to her injuries. I don’t know details, and really, it’s none of my business since I don’t know the family personally, but as a parent my heart goes out to them. When you follow someone’s blog for a period of time, you start to feel like you know them! So, please take a minute and say a prayer for this little girl and her family. Thanks!

These homemade toaster strudels were very easy, very quick, and VERY awesome!

I have them posted today over at (where I am a contributing writer for those of you who may not know.) I’d love for you to pop over and check them out!

Zarbee’s Seasonal Relief Project {#sponsored}

Kim

I participated in a campaign on behalf of for Zarbee’s Naturals. I received a promotional item and a product sample as a thank you for participating.

Spring is in the air! (Finally!) The flowers are blooming, the trees are blossoming, the grass is growing….and while everyone is enjoying all those lovely things, some of us are also experiencing watery eyes, itching, sneezing, copious amounts of mucous….yep, fun times! Our church was filled with flowers on Easter Sunday and it was gorgeous, but within 10 minutes my eyes were pouring and I was sneezing and then the congestion started.

Can you relate to seasonal suffering?! I’ve been trying natural remedies over the years to help combat my symptoms so that I don’t have to take so much medication. One of the best things I’ve found is doing a sinus rinse. This can be done with a Neti-pot or with a squeeze bottle (I use a bottle, but my mom uses the pot). It is simple to do (albeit a little awkward feeling initially) and it helps rinse out the irritants in your sinus cavities. I first tried it when I was pregnant and didn’t want to take medicine, and I’ve been doing it ever since. Most recently, I’ve learned of Zarbee’s Naturals which is made with natural Butterbur to help combat congestion.

I just received my sample, so I haven’t had the opportunity to try it yet, but I am looking forward to it. Zarbee’s Naturals is a natural supplement that is free of dyes and gluten, and Butterbur is a natural plant extract that has had very good results in clinical trials. It is available over the counter at CVS and Target and if you visit the website, you can receive tips to help with seasonal congestion and sign up for a free product sample. Zarbee’s Naturals is intended for children 12 years of age and over.

Every time someone visits the website to share how Zarbee’s Naturals’ Seasonal Relief with Butterbur worked for them, the brand is donating to four causes that support exposure to and the protection of fresh air, including , , , and .

What are your tried and true remedies for seasonal congestion?

Zarbee’s is a dietary supplement and statements regarding the efficacy have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Got Ham? Quick & easy meals using leftover ham

Kim

I hope everyone had a nice Easter weekend and I know for many of us, the kids are on their Spring Break this week. For others, you may be getting back into the groove from the kids being out last week. Whatever you have going on, you may be facing your fridge thinking “what am I going to do with all this leftover ham?!” because how many of us cooked a ham for Easter? {Hand raised here} Well, I’m big on ‘re-purposing’ leftovers so I have round up a few of my family’s favorite recipes using leftover ham.

A favorite of my kids would be this Ham and Cheese Biscuit Pull Apart Casserole –

It is fast to put together, uses a few basic ingredients and it’s very kid-friendly.

My husband really likes this Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole, and it’s a great way to use up ham AND chicken or turkey (and bread, if you wanted to make your own croutons for the top!)

My personal favorite is this Sausage, Ham and Cheese Quiche . This dish made me fall in love with quiche, and they are so versatile that you can throw in all sorts of leftovers or whatever is in the fridge. I have made this a few times, each time changing up the ingredients based on what was on hand.

Another one of my favorite things is…

Monte Cristo Sandwiches. I am really wanting one of these now, and I think it just made the menu for this week!

Do you always end up with a lot of leftover ham after the holidays? What’s your favorite way to use it?

I may be linking up at any of the following – (Monday) , , , , , , (Tuesday) , , , ,,, , , (Wednesday) , , , , ,, , (Thursday) ,, , , (Friday) , , , , , ,, ,, , ,, , (Saturday) ,

Citrus Blueberry Loaf with Meyer Lemon Glaze {quick and easy version!}

Kim

Krusteaz provided me with complimentary product to help facilitate this post. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own.

I don’t know about where you are, but Spring was here. It was awesome! And then it left….but hopefully by the weekend it will be back. (Fingers crossed!) The warmer temperatures and amazing sunshine really put me in the mood for everything citrus! Lemon, lime, orange…you name it, and I’ve probably pinned it in the past couple of weeks. The only problem with having a huge list of things on my “to bake” list is finding the time to actually make them. The kids have had sports, then they got sick with all the pollen and stuff floating around, my little guy’s asthma acted up…the list goes on. SO, enter the quick and easy recipes that I love so much – like this one!

This bread starts with a mix and has a hint of citrus from lemon and orange zest. Then it is topped with a glaze made with Meyer lemons that really gives it a pop of sweet lemon flavor that makes your taste buds do a happy dance!

Glaze is good. Am I right, or am I right?

Look at that gorgeous color! Mother Nature may not be screamin’ spring where you are, but this is! It gets the rich yellow color from the eggs, and I used farm fresh eggs (for the first time ever) and was amazed at their vibrant color. If you follow me on you probably saw a pic.

Citrus Blueberry Loaf with Meyer Lemon Glaze

1 package Krusteaz Wild Blueberry Muffin Mix (you will need the pouch of mix and the can of blueberries that comes in the box)
1/3 cup water*
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest (I used the zest of one orange and one Meyer lemon)

*I used the juice of my orange, plus enough water to equal 1/3 cup

Meyer Lemon Glaze

1 cup confectioners sugar
approx 1 T. Meyer lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease or spray an 8″ loaf pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, blend together the muffin mix, water, oil, eggs and zest.
Drain and rinse blueberries and gently fold into batter.
Pour batter into loaf pan and bake 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then place on wire rack.

Glaze – Mix powdered sugar and enough lemon juice to reach desired consistency. Pour over warm cake.

Recipe adapted from

The only thing I would do different is to add some additional fresh or frozen blueberries. You could also skip the glaze or use orange juice in the place of the lemon juice. For more quick and easy recipe ideas, check out the website. They have several recipes using their mixes as a base, which is pretty darn convenient. They even have a special section for ! Next on my list… made with their Country White Bread mix. My kids looovvveee cinnamon rolls!

Copycat Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs {Recipe Repeat}

Kim

Even though Easter is coming later this year, it is still coming too fast for me! I think the weather is partly to blame for my lack of Easter prep…it hasn’t felt like Spring! But with the Easter Bunny arriving this weekend, I better get myself in gear. One thing that is a ‘must have’ around here, as far as Easter candy goes, are peanut butter eggs. Chocolate covered, peanut butter filled, shaped like eggs….yes, please.

Lucky for us, (lucky being a relative term here), I discovered how to easily whip these up at home with just a few ingredients, and no BUTTER. Don’t get me wrong, butter is awesome. However, I don’t want to eat it when it’s not necessary…you know, the whole ‘moment on the lips, lifetime on the hips’ thing. I’m not saying these peanut butter eggs are healthy, but there are no weird ingredients, no added butter, and they taste awesome.

The filling is only 3 ingredients and then it’s dipped in chocolate. In my experience, regular peanut butter works better than natural peanut butter, but natural peanut butter can be used if you chill the dough well (the filling get’s soft and hard to dip otherwise.) I also recommend doubling the posted recipe, because they are that good! HERE is the link to the original post. Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Stromboli – Dinner in under 30 minutes

Kim

Spring is here, and so are the extra curricular activities for my kids. We have just finished volleyball, soccer is ending soon, and softball and T-ball are beginning. Not only does that mean I’m doing a lot of running around, it also means that dinner time is usually something that can be done quick, fast and in a hurry! With someone having practice almost every night of the week, I’ve been trying to make things with little prep time AND something they all will eat. Which is almost an impossible task. However, things involving bread and cheese are usually winners. Enter the Quick and Easy Stromboli!

Next time I’ll add a little more filling, but my kids aren’t big on meat or veggies, so my options were limited. You can always add more cheese. Mo’cheese is mo’betta 🙂

Excuse the next few pics. They were taken in my gloomy kitchen with my cell phone. This was one of those ‘come on and let’s go’ nights!

All you need is some pizza dough. I used this recipe because I actually thought far enough in advance that I could make it in my bread machine on the dough cycle. Since that doesn’t happen often, a store bought pizza dough is fine. And if you use a prepared dough, this meal can be made in under 30 minutes! Spread it out in a rectangle and fill it with your favorite things – or do what I did and clean out the fridge…I had partial bags of different cheeses, some turkey pepperoni, and Canadian bacon. You could also add peppers, onions, sausage, etc. Make sure you leave about an inch or so border.

Starting with the long side, roll up your dough, like making cinnamon rolls. (Which, by the way, can also be made using pizza dough!) Brush the top with butter or olive oil. Add some Italian seasoning if desired.

Bake, slice, eat, run out the door! At least that’s the way it works here.

Quick and Easy Stromboli

(1) homemade or store bought pizza dough

Meat, cheese, veggies of choice

1 T. melted butter or olive oil

sprinkle of Italian Seasoning

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Roll out pizza dough into a rectangle shape onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it fairly thin, because it will rise while baking. Mine was a little thick.
Place toppings evenly over the dough, leaving a one inch border around edges.
Roll dough, starting at long edge, pressing the seam together at the end.
Place rolled Stromboli, seam side down, on a baking sheet or hot pizza stone. (I used a pizza stone)
Brush dough with melted butter or olive oil, and sprinkle on seasonings.
Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and the dough is cooked through.
Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice.
Dip in marinara or pizza sauce if desired.

Served with a side salad and some fruit, you have a fast and easy meal covering all the food groups!

I may be linking up at any of the following – (Monday) , , , , , , (Tuesday) , , , ,,, , , (Wednesday) , , , , ,, , (Thursday) ,, , , (Friday) , , , , , ,, ,, , ,, , (Saturday) ,