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  • Recipes

    Rice Krispie Easter Egg Nests

    Easter is a great time to create some pretty amazing candy creations, but they don't have to hard or time consuming!  These Rice Krispie Easter Egg Nests are going to be perfect for your next Easter celebration!

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  • Recipes

    The Best Tasting and Softest Homemade Caramels

    Caramels are a favorite candy for so many people and yet making them seems to be so intimidating. I’ll admit, the process takes a LONG time, but the end result is so worth it. If you are patient then the result will be the softest, chewiest and best tasting caramels. Your mouth will be happy. I’ve tried my hand at making caramels a couple times and this recipe, by far, knocks all others out of the water! It takes a few simple ingredients and just patience. LOTS of patience! Here’s how you can make your own chewy caramels! The ingredients for these caramels are very simple – butter, sugar, Karo…

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  • Crafts/DIY,  Recipes

    Rudolph Rice Krispie Treats DIY – 15 minutes!

    There is nothing I love more around the holidays than creating FUN treats that the kids enjoy making and sharing.  These Rudolph Rice Krispie treats are just that!  FUN to make and share! It’s a simple staple recipe that just has a few additions to create these adorable Rudolph’s complete with the red nose! Here’s how you can make your own Rudolph Rice Krispie treats! Supply list: 3 tablespoons butter 1 (10 ounce) package miniature marshmallows 6 cups chocolate crisp cereal (like Cocoa Pebbles) Red gumdrops (1 for each treat) Large candy eyes (2 for each treat) Miniature pretzel twists (2 for each treat) ½ cup milk chocolate morsels Now…

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  • Crafts/DIY,  Recipes

    15 Christmas Mason Jar Gift Ideas

    Christmas can be a time of stress and budget busting and Mason jar gifts are a fun way to create cheap and unique gifts for friends, co-workers, neighbors or relatives that we don’t see very often. I’ve scoured the internet and am bringing you some of the the best and cutest Mason Jar Gifts that I could find!  These are all going to be easy on your budget and easy for last minute gift-giving! Check out how to make some Mason Jar Gift Sets of your own for EVERYONE on your list!   Debbie Doos created the most adorable snowman ever!  You can fill this with treats or you can put…

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  • Recipes

    Christmas Tree Cookies with Royal Icing SECRET

    It’s not the Christmas season until you are huddled in the kitchen making cookies and other holiday treats!  I have lots of memories of Christmas baking with my mom and grandmother.  Our tried and true cookie was always the cookies that we made with the cookie press.  I LOVED being able to turn the knob on the metal cookie press and make all kinds of designs to decorate!  Amidst all of the baking that I have done through the years, I have always wanted to try my hand at royal icing but have always been too intimidated.  That was until these beauties!!! These sugar cookies are a showstopper! But lean…

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  • Crafts/DIY,  Recipes

    Make & Give Home Apothecary with FREE RECIPE

    Making and giving handmade gifts is one of my favorite things to do!  I try my best to make sure that they are truly something that the recipient will enjoy.  When I got the Make & Give Home Apothecary book from Stephanie Rose, I KNEW that I had to add some of these to my ideas for gift-giving.  Gifts that promote self-care and encouraging a person to take care of themselves are some of my favorites.  I am a new user to essential oils and so these are perfect! Find out how you can make your own with the FREE recipe below! Each recipe is made using herbal and botanical…

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  • Recipes

    Grilled Pork Tenderloin Roll-ups

    Pork tenderloin doesn’t have to be boring!  We tend to eat a lot of pork and poultry in our house and coming up with new ways to use cuts of meat makes dinner times a little more interesting.  I truly don’t think our kids realize how thankful they should be that they don’t eat a lot of processed food.  I guess that’s one of the things that they’ll come to appreciate later in life when they are parenting of their own. When I was growing up, I only knew that pork tenderloin was a sandwich!  I remember my mom beating and tenderizing these cuts of meat, coating them in egg…

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  • Recipes

    Elf Maple Popcorn

    Popcorn is something that is fun to play with and add different toppings.  The options are endless when it comes to cooking with popcorn!  This Elf Maple Popcorn is not only delicious, but it’s a FUN project to do with your children or grandchildren! Here’s how you can make your own Elf Maple Popcorn! Ingredients 12 cups popped popcorn, salted ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter ½ cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon maple flavored extract 1 cup marshmallows 1/2 cup candy covered sunflower seeds, optional, or other multi colored candy 2 cups Bugles Original Crispy Corn Snack Green candy melts Pink candy melts Yellow candy melts Red candy melts Create…

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  • Recipes

    Favorite LOADED Smothered Fish

    When is say this will make you a LOVER of fish, I AM NOT KIDDING!  I am not a fan of fish or seafood of any kind and this dish is nothing short of delicious!. My hubby has a passion for cooking and he hit it out of the park with this dish! This Smothered Fish recipe will have you wanting more AND making sure that it’s on your menu all the time! Don’t worry, the kids love it too! Since our kids are not huge fans of fish either, we use Swai fillets.  They are very mild and don’t have a “fishy” taste.  It’s the perfect starter fish! Here’s…

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  • Recipes

    Old-Fashioned Dusty Miller Sundaes

    When I was a little girl, my grandparents owned property at a local lake and I would remember visiting on the weekends throughout the summer.  On our way home, my grandpa would stop at a local ice cream shop and we would get Dusty Miller Sundaes!  I wanted to create something for my kids since I LOVED them as a child.  My grandpa is no longer with us and so this treat is extra special for me to share with my kids. With a few simple ingredients, you can make your own Dusty Miller!  Having this as a special movie night or holiday treat can be the perfect new tradition…

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  • Recipes

    Rotel Chicken Casserole

    Having a go-to casserole dish is a MUST have as an adult!  I mean think about all of the events that you go to where you need a DELICIOUS dish to share?  OR, a dish that just provides all of the comfort of food! This Rotel Chicken Casserole is the perfect dish for just those things!  And even better; it takes basic simple ingredients! Here’s how you can make your own TONIGHT! I LOVE grilled chicken with this Montreal Chicken seasoning from McCormick!  It is a staple in our house that we use all the time.  For this recipe I like to use chicken things. While your chicken is grilling,…

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  • Recipes

    Quick and Easy Halloween Drinks

      Halloween isn’t all about the treats!  Sometimes some of the best goodies are the DRINKS that you can make and share!  I’ve scoured blogs from some of my bestest friends to bring you some of the most amazing drinks that you can create for your BIG and LITTLE ghouls!! These drinks will be sure to please or SCARE any goblin that comes your way! The first two are sure to make your little monster scream!  Check out these Halloween Mocktails and White Hot Chocolate.  The hot chocolate can be dressed up for Halloween for those ghouls who like things a little more traditional. https://sparklelivingblog.com/2017/10/halloween-mocktails-for-little-monsters/ White Hot Chocolate Artsy Fartsy…

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  • Recipes

    The Ultimate Sweet Pickle

    Sweet Pickles Banner

    Let me start by saying, I am NOT a fan of sweet pickles!  I’ve never found a brand or style that I liked.  But my husband LOVES them.  So I was on a mission to come up with a recipe that pleased him AND me!  That’s a tall order on a typical day.  We are the epitome of “opposites attract”. I SCORED THOUGH!!  These refrigerator sweet pickles are the ultimate in ALL pickles!  Yes, I am claiming that 🙂  These are not your typical canned pickles though.  I haven’t ventured into the world of “real” canning yet, so these will only last in your refrigerator for about three weeks.  They…

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  • Recipes

    Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies with a SECRET Ingredient!

    You can scour the internet and find a MILLION chocolate chip cookies that claim to the be the best tasting ever!  I’m going to encourage you to try these Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies and claim them for yourself as your go-to recipe! I’m sure you can recall a time in your childhood that you gathered in the kitchen with your grandma baking cookies or other desserts!  When my son tasted these he said “You know grandma’s make the best cookies and these are the best!”  I guess it took me getting to the grandma stage to perfect the recipe.  This is one that I will make time and time again…

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  • Organization,  Recipes

    EASY School Lunch Ideas and FREE Printable Lunchbox Notes

    With the start of school, many parents are dealing with the packing of lunches every morning and having EASY school lunch ideas makes all of our morning go a lot smoother. Our school offers hot lunches but kiddos prefer to take their own everyday.   And let’s face it, my oldest is 15 and at 6’3″, the hot school lunches never seem to be enough, coupled with the fact that they would spend so much money on ala-carte items to make up for it.  School lunches were getting to be SO expensive for things that in my opinion wasn’t worth it. Buying, packing and getting lunches ready for the day can…

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  • Recipes

    Football Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing

    Football Cupcakes with Buttercream icing

    It’s time to break out all things FOOTBALL and these Football Cupcakes are the perfect addition to any party you are hosting!  I’m going to show you a super simple way to make these cupcakes sure to make anyone swoon!  And the best part – it’s super easy! If you’ve followed me long enough, you know I use boxed cake mixes in almost all of my baking.  Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker have perfected it so why recreate something that isn’t broken.  Typically I just add or replace a couple ingredients along the way making it “mine”. For this dessert you’re going to need the following! Any cake box mix…

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  • Recipes

    Heavenly Margarita Cupcakes

    I love me a good margarita!  And when there is cake involved, that’s even better! These Heavenly Margarita Cupcakes are perfect for your late night indulgences or for entertaining a group of friends!  It’s always a good time for Margarita’s in my mind. When it comes to the world of baking, I believe that Pillsbury and Duncan Hines have it figured out.  I mean why mess with the best!  In 99% of my baking, I use a boxed cake mix.  You CAN make a boxed cake taste homemade! Mix the cake mix according to the directions on the box and then mix in 2T of lime zest. MIX, MIX, MIX!…

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  • Recipes

    EASY Summer Bacon Pasta

    Having a dish like this Easy Summer Bacon Pasta to make during the long hot days makes cooking dinner and pleasing your family so easy!  And it has bacon – that makes everyone happy doesn’t it?! We are a family that has boys that play ALOT of competitive baseball and once March hits, I really don’t know what day it is pretty much through July!  It’s intense and makes dinnertime so challenging!  This recipe is perfect because it’s quick and EASY! Here’s how to make your own Easy Summer Bacon Pasta! Ziti Noodles – or any noodle that you prefer 1 pound of bacon – fried and chopped Red Peppers…

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  • Recipes

    Quick and Easy BBQ Chicken Nachos

    When you have a dish that is quick to make, doesn’t cost a lot of money, and the kids ask for it – you make it a staple in your family!  These BBQ Chicken Nachos are ALWAYS a hit in my house with the boys, especially when they have friends stay the night.  It is so easy to make a lot.  When you’re feeding teenage boys, that’s a huge plus! After your chicken is grilled, you can have this dish ready in 15 minutes! I like to batch cook – although it doesn’t always get done.  We tend to eat a lot of chicken in our house and so taking…

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  • Recipes

    Lemon Pound Cake

    There’s something about the taste and smell of lemons that makes me think of warmer days and happiness!  Are you the same way?  This Lemon Pound Cake is the perfect treat to make for a small get together or to package up for gift giving.  Want to greet new friends to the neighborhood?  Give them this delectable treat! Treating friends and family with food is a love language I’m sure everyone appreciates.  Especially when it’s as good as this lemon pound cake. Here’s how to make this deliciousness! Cake Ingredients 1 stick unsalted butter 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs 1 ½ lemon juiced and zested 1 ½ cup flour…

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  • Recipes

    Quick and Easy Pizza Bruschetta

    I love taking a traditional recipe and using it in a slightly different way just to keep dinner time exciting and a little different.  This quick and easy pizza bruschetta is perfect for just that!  There’s something about taking a meal that you normally eat with silverware and making it into finger food that makes everyone enjoy it just a little bit more.  My boys loved these as a quick bit on the way out to baseball practices and games.  And it doesn’t take any extra time than you would normally spend on making spaghetti! Here how you can make your own Quick and Easy Pizza Bruschetta! Using any kind…

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  • Recipes

    Easy Turkey Sausage Hash

    Turkey Sausage Hash

    I’ve got a recipe for you that isn’t fancy but it’s delicious!  I made this sausage hash and my hubby was in AWE!  He couldn’t believe it was so simple when I told him how it was made!  This is the meal you need when you’re running short of time and need something that will keep little bellies full 🙂 This is the secret ingredient that makes it OH SO TASTY!  Lawry’s Cesaro Total Seasoning!  This is my go-to seasoning when I am cooking about anything.  CLICK HERE to buy from Amazon.  It is also sold at MOST retailers. Dice your potatoes (I use gold potatoes) and brown them in…

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  • Recipes

    Easy Chinese Kung Pao Chicken

    I am a picky eater when it comes to anything Chinese and we’ve never been able to create a dish at home that was something we wanted to make over and over again!  So when we got this jar of P.F. Chang’s Kung Pao sauce from Influenster to try out, I had high hopes!  And let me tell ya – it delivered TENFOLD!  They sent us a sample recipe to try (which you can download HERE) but with the hubby being a self-made chef, he wanted to try his hand at something that was “his own”.  He knocked it out of the park, ladies!! P.F. Chang’s Home Menu line has…

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  • Recipes

    Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole

    Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole

    Mixing cinnamon rolls and french toast creates a marriage made in heaven! In comes the Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole!  Whether it’s a busy holiday or a lounging weekend – this will be sure to please everyone! I prefer the weekends of lounging.  But being a family of boys that play lots of sports, many of our weekends are spend traveling to another town and spending many long hours as games and tournaments.  When we do have a FREE weekend – this momma’s heart sings!  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE watching my boys play baseball – it’s one of my favorite things – but sometimes it can WEAR…YOU…OUT! THIS…

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  • Recipes

    2017 Annual Christmas Cookie Round-up

    It’s time for our annual Christmas Cookie Round-up!  Check out these goodies that some amazing ladies across the web have been creating!  I’ve gathered some pretty unique cookie recipes for you this year that I think you’re gonna love! Amanda over at Domestically Creative made these healthy LOW CARB snickerdoodles!  YES, you can eat around the holidays and stay on your diet! Low Carb Snickerdoodles Stephanie over at Parenting Chaos shared with us this adorable coal cookie!  My kiddos would love creating these! http://parentingchaos.com/coal-cookie-recipe                   Lisa over at Snappy Gourmet shared these mudslide cookies!  They even have some added Kahlua and Bailey’s…

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  • Recipes

    Butterscotch Marshmallow Pumpkin Tart

    During fall and winter, it is all things pumpkin!  In our house there is never a shortage of pumpkin anything and every year I try to create a new recipe!  In comes the Pumpkin Marshmallow Tart!  I made one of these for a get-together I was hosting and let me tell you – one was not enough!! It takes SIX simple ingredients!  The only thing you really have to do it mix the sugar and the pumpkin pie mix.  The rest is just assembling and baking. These three treats right here is what is going to make this over-the-top AMAZING!!! Set out your pie crust to come to room temperature. …

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  • Crafts/DIY,  Recipes

    Holiday Slime DIY

    If you have a kid, this is one of the DIY Slime best crafts to do with them!  Even as an adult, it’s enjoyable to make slime – and the added glitter makes it extra cool! I searched many DIY slime recipes online and tweaked a few of them to make this one.  All it takes is a few simple ingredients that most everyone has on hand.  The only thing I had to buy (minus the glue) was the contact lens solution. Here’s how to make your own DIY Slime Elmer’s Glitter Glue and Clear Glue – (used two bottles just because of the amount I wanted to make for…

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