Category: Recipes

Beef is a source of protein that we eat a lot of in our home.  While costs of beef have risen over the years, I stock up on sales or skimp on other things so that it fits into our budget.  I get a lot of ideas for dinner from  BeefitsWhatsForDinner.com, which is a Beef Checkoff program that their contractor The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association manages. 

The temperatures have once again skyrocketed here in North Texas.  And we’re doing everything we can to cool down.  With a few trips on the horizon next month, I’m trying to not eat too many calories these days as I know I’m going to blow the calorie counts when I’m traveling. 

Did you know what the average 8 oz milkshake has in terms of calories?  256.  Yikes!  But I love them.

You can give your foods a flavorful punch with a simple, yet flavorful marinade using Holland House Cooking Wines.  Veggies (especially eggplant, zucchini, asparagus and mushrooms) and meats soak up the flavor and it’s as easy as letting them marinate and then tossing them on the grill!

Featuring 50 original cocktails based on the works of famous classic and contemporary authors like Charles Dickens and Dani Shapiro, Cocktails for Book Lovers by Tessa Smith McGovern is the perfect book to enjoy with a book club…or alone.

Whether you have a love for books, cocktails, or both, Cocktails for Book Lovers pairs them together in a chic way that is fun and delicious.

Here in our Texas community families are counting down the days until school starts.  August 25th.  That’s just a little more than 3 weeks!  And that’s when the chaos of early mornings, afternoon pickups, dance lessons, soccer games, homework, girl & boy scout meetings….well yeah ALL of that begins again.  Time is precious but there is only so much of it in our days and sometimes it’s just easier to have things prepared for us in advance.  For healthy snacking that’s already prepped for you, Chiquita Bites have you covered.

Growing up golden sponge cakes filled with cream were a huge treat that were only available to us at Grandma’s & Grandpa’s house. We’d help around the yard, in the kitchen and with various odd tasks, and then we’d get some money to head to the corner store to buy ‘dessert’ for after the dinner meal. When it was my turn to choose, I’d always get a package of them. Every time I take a bite of a Twinkie I relive those memories of simpler times.

So I’m actually getting a break this fall when it comes to that frazzled back to school time.  When you all are trying to squeeze in an extra hour everyday and wonder how in the world you’re going to get dinner on the table in 45 minutes or less between homework and swimming lessons, I’m going to be relaxing 😉   There are some perks to being an empty nester!  But I’ve been there and done that. 

I love Fruity Pebbles.  There I said it.  I am not kidding.  When my sister came to visit with her boys last year she was in my pantry and said “it was so nice of you to buy Fruity Pebbles for the kids for breakfast.”  Umm yeah, okay, I went along with it 😉

It all stems from when I was a kid.  You couldn’t get Fruity Pebbles in Canada (maybe you still can’t?  I don’t know!).  We would do our twice a year shopping trips over the border and my ‘treat’ was a box of Fruity Pebbles.  I would ration that cereal like it was gold.

S’mores are a favorite summer treat for most everyone, but if you want to switch it up a bit, a great way to do it is to add a banana to the mix.

Now I’m a big fan of bananas in any way, shape or form, but if you’ve never had grilled bananas before the texture might take a while to get used to.  The bananas do get soft, especially if they are at peak ripeness, plus as you probably know bananas get brown when they get warm.

VitaFrute™ Cocktails by VEEV® are the ultimate summer drinks for your summer picnics, BBQs and parties. VitaFrute is definitely a better way to celebrate because VitaFrute Cocktails helps you #PartyOrganically.

VitaFrute’s Cocktails are USDA certified organic, made from all-natural and premium ingredients and have a  low-calorie makeup with under 125 calories per serving.  That makes them the perfect drinks to serve at all your summer occasions.