Candy Cane Pie with Stonyfield Yogurt (Recipe) This post is sponsored by Stonyfield Yogurt. All recipes and opinions are my own. We're right at one week away from Christmas and the spirit is flowing in our home. Cookies have been made (and mostly already eaten) and the candy canes are taunting us to create something yummy. What better way to use candy canes than in a festive candy cane pie! This is a very simple recipe and one that doesn't require too much planning or prep time. The only ingredients are Stonyfield Organic Greek yogurt (vanilla bean of course), cream cheese, whipped cream, and a pie crust! Oh, and don't forget the candy canes!! For a smooth consistency I used my electric mixer (referral link to Amazon for the mixer I use) to mix the whipped cream, cream cheese and yogurt. I added a few drops of peppermint extract to make the peppermint flavor more noticeable. Once the mixture is creamy and blended then you can stir in the crushed candy canes. Then you ... [ Read More ]
Sweet Summer Chicken Salad
This post is sponsored by Stonyfield Yogurt and Taylor Farms as part of the Stonyfield Yogetters Bloggers Network. Summer is in full swing in our house and I'm TRYING to eat more healthy. At the end of May I started a 21 Day Fix "diet" through a friend of mine to help me kickstart some weight loss. I hate the word "diet" because that makes you feel "fat" and I still don't feel fat even though I'm not my ideal weight. I've gotten into some bad eating habits and I really just needed to refocus my priorities and start making better choices. Our family is plagued with heart disease and I am not getting any younger. Plus my kids need to start seeing me make better choices so that they won't have to struggle so much as they get older. ....anyways.... For almost an entire month I've given up dairy, coffee (WOW), breads, pastas, rice, and processed foods. I've been focusing on whole fresh foods; which means a lot of salads. I've slowly started to add back some dairy in the form ... [ Read More ]
15 Bean & Sausage Soup Instant Pot Recipe
Unless you we've been living offline lately, you may have heard of Instant Pots. At the very least, you saw a bunch of people posting on Facebook that they bought on on Prime Day (July 12th). I heard about them several months ago and was intrigued, when they finally went on sale on Prime Day I picked one up on Amazon. A week later my journey to cooking with a pressure cooker began and my crock pot may get a little dusty. Pressure cookers cook things quickly under pressure (hence the name) and are great for rice, beans, soups, chili, and so much more. They are similar to slow cookers, but fast! The one that I have is electric and is super safe and easy to use. They are a little intimidating if you've never cooked with them before and you may have to adjust your slow cooker recipes a little. I'm finally starting to get more comfortable with my Instant Pot and I'm so happy that I made this purchase. Looking to buy an Instant Pot? I love this 6 qt version on Amazon (affiliate ... [ Read More ]
Summer Cravings with prAna and Stonyfield
This post is sponsored by Stonyfield Yogurt and prAna. Enter to win a pair of prAna Kara Jeans at the bottom of this post! Yesterday was the last day of school for the kids and it's officially summer break! We celebrated the end of the school year with a pool party for my kids and their friends; and the adults sat around and reflected on how fast they are growing up. Today we have relaxed around the house and haven't done much. I've had to work all day so the kids have been really bored, but I did stop for an afternoon swim and to make some yummy treats with them. Since it's hot outside and it's summer I decided we'd make some frozen yogurt bites for when they are done with their afternoon swim. I almost always have Stonyfield yogurt in the refrigerator. Stonyfield Frozen Granola & Yogurt Bites #SummerCravings Supplies needed: Stonyfield Whole Milk Greek Yogurt - Vanilla Bean Fruit Juice (your choice of flavors) Granola Muffin tin or mini-muffin ... [ Read More ]
Grilled Peep’ernutter Sammy
Do you like Peeps®? These marshmallow chicks have been my favorite since childhood and they keep getting better. Did you know that they have Sugar Free Peeps®? I had no idea until Peeps & Company® sent me a box filled with these sugar free chicks (thank you Peeps...yummy). While they are tasty on their own, it's always fun to find a new way to use Peeps® in a recipe or DIY craft project. The PEEPS & COMPANY® products, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by PEEPS & COMPANY®. I have been craving a good ole' fashioned Fluffernutter sandwich. My aunt and cousins in Ohio introduced this little treat to me when I was around ten and I think I lived on it for years growing up. You just slap some peanut butter on your bread and cover it with marshmallow fluff. Fast forward to 2016 and we don't even have peanut butter in the house today because my kids school is a nut-free school, but I do have sunbutter!! Introducing the Grilled Peep'ernutter ... [ Read More ]
Sweet Florida Strawberry Salad
A fresh salad with strawberries, avocado, and feta cheese is such a sweet treat that you'll feel like you're eating dessert instead of a salad; especially when served with organic girl lemon agave salad love dressing. It's February in Florida and I'm a sucker for strawberries. This is the time of the year that you can get strawberries at any market for a great price and my kids love to take them to school for snacks. Strawberries are great for smoothies, covered in chocolate, or just to nibble on when your sweet tooth calls. I don't think there is a wrong way to eat a strawberry! This colorful salad is a sweet treat that your entire family will love to eat as a side dish or as the main dish. A nice butter avocado adds an extra punch of protein to the fresh sweet pea shoots that are protein rich also (at 5 grams per serving). The red ripe strawberries paired with the organic girl lemon agave dressing bring the sweetness to the salad. I love the richness that the feta cheese ... [ Read More ]
R.W. Knudsen Cider & Spice Float {and Giveaway}
Sponsored by R.W. Knudsen It's finally starting to feel like Fall in Florida, and by that I mean it's only in the 80's for a high and we can pretend that it is Fall and slip on our boots again. The mornings are cooler and a tease of what Fall would feel like anywhere else, but our ACs are still on by mid-day! Last weekend we went to a pumpkin patch and corn maze about an hour north of Tampa and I may have come home with a sunburn on my shoulders. The kids were hot and sweaty but they did get a taste for fall with the apple cider, kettle corn, and pumpkins! As we get ready for Halloween night festivities I decided to try a twist on apple cider for those of us in warmer climates, a cider and spice ice cream float! It was super simple to make and only required R.W. Knudsen Cider and Spice apple cider, ice cream, caramel syrup, and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. To make it a little more fun, chill the mug (or mason jar) so it's nice and frosted for your little ... [ Read More ]
Stonyfield Southwestern Taco Dip featuring Late July Tortilla Chips
Post sponsored by Stonyfield Yogurt as a part of their Stonyfield YoGetters Blogger Program. We usually have a house full of friends for the 4th of July holiday, but this year is going to be very quiet. The hubs is working this year over the 4th and my daughter decided to go spend the weekend with my parents. That leaves my son and I to find our own excitement. I have absolutely no idea what we're going to do yet. We may invite a few friends over for an impromptu pool party before we head out to watch fireworks. There are so many fabulous places to watch the fireworks in Pinellas County, but we may stay close to home and head up to Tarpon Springs and watch the fireworks at Sunset Beach. You can find a list of all the local fireworks by county or city at Bay News 9, Fourth of July Fireworks schedule. Before our friends stop by, I made up a tasty treat to kick off the celebrations. I'm a sucker for a good taco dip and there are a million different ways to make it. I often ... [ Read More ]
Floridians add what to their coffee??
It doesn't matter how hot it gets in Florida, it's never too hot for coffee. I didn't start drinking coffee until after my second child was born and now I don't usually miss a day. There is something about the smell of that pot of coffee brewing in the morning to really kickstart my morning. A few months ago I finally ditched my K-cups and fell in love with my french press. If you aren't using a french press yet, you may enjoy this quick tutorial on how to get started (French Press 101). All it takes is some boiling water and coffee. Here in Florida though, we add a little bit of orange zest in the springtime to add a little sunshine to your coffee. Seattle's Best Orange Coffee Recipe 2 TBS Breakfast Blend Seattle's Best coffee 1/2 TBS Orange Zest 12oz filtered water Milk or half&half to taste Sugar or sweetener to taste If you're using a french press, add coffee grounds and orange zest directly to your press. Add boiling water, cover, and sit for 4 ... [ Read More ]
Simple Fruit Leather Recipe
What happens when you put GoGo Squeez applesauce in a food dehydrator? You get a super easy and incredibly tasty fruit leather recipe! My husband just bought a food dehydrator and I've been having some fun playing with different fruits and veggies for the past 2 days. Today I decided to have a little fun with fruit leather (aka: fruit roll ups). When I searched online for different recipes, most of them used pureed fruit or applesauce. That's when I heard "ding, ding, ding" in my head and this brilliant idea was formed. Instead of making fresh applesauce (because really, who has time for that) or running to the store for a jar of applesauce, I pulled out 3 pouches of GoGo Squeez. Our dehydrator came with the handy plastic trays specifically for fruit leather. All I did was pour out 3 pouches of GoGo Squeez applesauce (you can pick any flavor - or mix it up and have a LOT of fun) on the tray and spread evenly. I could have easily added 2-3 more pouches if I wanted a thicker ... [ Read More ]