I love fall. Besides the beautiful colors, crisp air, and spicy smells, fall is also the beginning of comfort food time. This incredibly easy vegetable beef soup is one of my go-to comfort foods because I almost always have all the ingredients on hand and it's quick to make. My girls are super picky eaters but this is one meal they gobble right up (and usually ask for seconds!) I don't think they even realize how many vegetables they are eating. Bonus! My husband loves it because it's hearty despite being a soup. Exchange the rice for small cubed potatoes and it's even heartier. To make this easy vegetable beef soup you'll need: 1 lb hamburger or ground turkey cooked and crumbled 1 package of frozen mixed vegetables 1-2 cups cooked rice 32 oz beef broth Dried basil, parsley, and oregano to taste Salt and pepper to taste Mix all the ingredients in a large soup pot and cook until vegetables are thawed and soup is warm. My family likes to eat this … [Read more...]
Taco Rolls
What's for dinner? It's the question I dread every single day. Some weeks I meal plan, other weeks I plan dinner an hour before I need to put it on the table. This week is one of those weeks that I plan last minute. I came up with these taco rolls as I was staring at the contents of my refrigerator. I thought I was being cleaver with this recipe but it turns out taco rolls are not a new idea. As I was typing in keywords for this post, taco rolls popped up so I decided to Google them. Sure enough, someone came up with the idea before me. Oh well, I'm still going to give you my recipe because I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who didn't know about them. Plus, they are SUPER easy to make and my family LOVED them. You'll need: 2 tubes of crescent rolls ground hamburger or ground turkey taco seasoning cheddar cheese any taco toppings you want 1) Brown the hamburger or turkey, drain the fat, and add the taco seasoning according to the directions on the … [Read more...]
Hard Rock Cafe’s Food and Drinks
I few weeks ago I had the opportunity to try out Hard Rock Cafe's new food and drink menu at the Mall of America. The only thing I can say is, wow. Hubby, I, and fellow bloggers were treated to an 8 course dinner. Yes, eight courses! Talk about trying nearly everything on the menu...I think I'm still full (and a bit tipsy as everything on the menu also has an alcoholic beverage that pairs with it)! Our dinner started out with appetizers--Spinach Artichoke Dip, Tupelo Chicken Tenders, and Balsamic Tomato Bruschetta along with Magical Mystery Mojitos (so refreshing!). While the dip was good, hubby liked the chicken tenders and I liked the bruschetta. There was definitely something different about this bruschetta than most that I've had. Next came an Air Mexico starter with three signature mini margaritas and a personal portion of chips and salsa. Cucumber margarita was my favorite, mango was Hubby's favorite. Grilled Chicken Arugula Salad started our main meal. Lemon … [Read more...]
Pizza-Style Manicotti–Pinned it, Did it!
I'm always on the hunt for easy, kid-friendly, but delicious dinners for my family. When I came across this Pizza-Style Manicotti recipe from Taste of Home I pinned it and knew I had to try it! It only takes 8 simple ingredients and your kids can easily help you make it. My 4 year old (oh wait, almost 5 year old!) had so much fun "making this dinner herself" as she poured the sauce in the pan, rolled the string cheese and stuffed it into the shells herself. She even wanted to take her own photo of the finished dinner... ...guess she's not as good at photography as she is at "baking"! Anyway, my family gave this recipe a huge thumbs up and we'll definitely be eating it again! Next time, however, I think I might need to make two pans of it! … [Read more...]
Back to School Meals Made Easy with Relish (Sample recipe included!) #Spon
Last year we told you about meal planning made easy with Relish! We enjoyed them so much that we're here to remind you that your back to school meals can be easy with them too!! What is Relish? Here's how they describe themselves: A weekly menu planner aimed to help busy families put wonderful meals on the table every night. No sloppy casseroles or expensive kitchen blunders. Instead look for everyday food...with a gourmet twist. We can vouch for the fact that their meals are easy, made with normal, fresh foods, and definitely taste gourmet (even though they don't take the gourmet time or skill to make). As far as the planning part of it goes...It takes me 15 minutes to come up with a menu for the entire week including a detailed grocery list broken down by store aisle!! With slightly extra time, I can make a menu full of freezer meals for busy weeks. That's how easy Relish! makes menu planning! Vegetarian family? No problem. Picky kids? No problem. Having … [Read more...]
Mexican Stuffed Shells–Pinned it, Did it!
I often pin recipes on my personal Pinterest account but never actually make them. Pinned it, Did it! is the perfect excuse to start trying some of those recipes I've pinned. Mexican Stuffed Shells was one that I had all the ingredients for on hand except for the shells. I made a trip to the store for the pasta then got to work... I quickly discovered that these tasty shells are super easy to make and one that the girls could easily help with if you let the meat mixture cool a bit. (Tottie wanted to help me stuff the shells with the meat but I didn't have time to wait for it to cool.) I WILL be making this recipe again! They were so good and my whole family loved them. They aren't exactly quick to make, but they are easy, which makes up for the time it takes to stuff all the shells. Don't they look good to you? … [Read more...]
