Friday Favorites

Here are a few of my favorites this week...Take some time and check them out. 

 
Cake Batter Pancakes from How Sweet It Is...LOVE this idea for a fun birthday breakfast!


With all the flu going around right now this Virus Killing Soup from Eat At Home might be just what the doctor ordered.  The name doesn't sound very good but it sure looks like a good recipe.  I'll be trying this one very soon!

   I like this idea For Prayers over at Dukes and Duchesses.

I liked checking out all the creativity from bloggers who linked up their projects using their crafty cutters at Amanda's I {Heart} My Crafty Cutter Party.  I don't have one of these things but they sure are neat.  I love all the fun projects.

And last but not least, I just loved reading The Nester's take on How To Cure Thrift Store Shopping, I Hate To Pass Up a Great Deal-itis Disease Syndrome.  She wrote 3 posts on it this week.  All were a great read.  I think know I suffer from this syndrome...do you?  Check out all 3 posts and see what you think.


I hope you enjoy a wonderful weekend!

Chicken Primavera with Pasta (new product)

Have you seen the new Philly Cooking Cremes?  Have you tried them?  If you are some of my fellow Harris Teeter shoppers you may have been able to score this for free last week during Super Doubles.  I did and was very anxious to try it. 

Each container comes with a recipe, which is good since I really wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it.  Plus, there are many more recipes on the Philly website.  I decided to start with the Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme and the recipe for Chicken Primavera with Pasta.  It is a quick and easy recipe (my favorite kind!).  I like using these convenience products, especially during the week when we have pottery/dance/scouts/baseball in the late afternoons or evenings.  It certainly makes getting a good dinner on the table a lot easier. 

In my rush to oversee homework and get the food on the table fast so my husband and son could get out the door for scouts, I neglected to take any pictures of the food prep or final results.  So, I am borrowing the photos from the Philly website. 


Chicken Primavera with Pasta

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

2 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables (such as broccoli, carrots, red peppers, snow peas, etc)

1 tub (10 oz.)PHILADELPHIA Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme

2 cups hot cooked fettuccine

Cook and stir chicken in large nonstick skillet on medium heat 5 to 6 min. or until done. Add vegetables; cook 2 to 3 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
Add cooking creme; cook and stir 3 min.
Stir in cooked pasta.

The results?  A great tasting meal that was quick and easy to prepare.  I served this with a salad and we all loved it.  I think next time I will add some sun dried tomatoes for an extra flavor.  I actually made a double batch of this and the leftovers dried out a lot more than I expected so I'm not sure how it will be for my lunch tomorrow but made fresh tonight it was great. 

The Philly Cooking Cremes come in Original, Italian Cheese and Herb, Santa Fe Blend, and Savory Garlic.  Be sure to check out the website for all sorts of ideas for each flavor.  Next on my list to try is the Easy Chicken Enchiladas with the Santa Fe Blend.  You'll see that recipe very soon, I'm sure : )

I am linking this recipe to...
It's A Keeper
Full Plate Thursday


*I was not asked to write this post, nor compensated in any way.  I just wanted to share a new product with you.  All opinions are 100% truthful and my own.

Free 8x10 Photo Collage Thursday, 2/24 Only

I love photo freebies so I was excited to see another offer from Walgreens this week.  They are offering a different photo deal each day but Thursday's deal is the freebie. 

You'll be able to get a FREE 8x10 photo collage Thursday only.  Check back tomorrow for the code needed at checkout!

It is easy to do.  Register or sign in HERE.  Follow the simple instructions to upload your photos.  Choose the 8x10 photo collage.  Be sure to select in-store pick up to make this a completely FREE deal! 

I am working on my photo layout today and will share it tomorrow. 

Do you take advantage of these free photo offers? 

Easy Chicken Alfredo Pizza

I like pizza but sometimes get tired of the same old kind.  Last week we played around with some convenience products to make a chicken alfredo pizza.  We all loved it and made it again just yesterday!  Hope you enjoy it too...



Easy Chicken Alfredo Pizza

pizza crust (we used a pizza dough ball from the grocery store bakery but you can use your favorite store-bought or homemade.  We wanted to try this dough ball and it made a really good crust!)
jar of Alfredo sauce (We used Bertoli 'cause I got a deal on it but use your favorite brand)
grilled chicken (Hubby grilled chicken earlier in the week and I saved some for the pizza.  Grilled with a little salt, pepper, and oregano)
spinach  (either fresh or frozen works just fine)
mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese (we added a bit of provolone cheese with the mozzarella 'cause I had some on hand.  It made it extra cheesy and good!)
minced garlic, oregano


Spread the alfredo sauce on the pizza crust (the size of your crust will determine how much to use.  We made several small pizzas and used about half the jar all together).

Add the sliced chicken and spinach and minced garlic.  Cover with cheese.  Sprinkle with oregano. 

Bake according to your dough/pizza crust directions.  For our dough, we baked it at 400 for about 12 minutes.

This week I am sharing this recipe here...
Melt In Your Mouth Monday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Tasty Tuesday
Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now
Ingredient Spotlight: Spinach at Eat At Home

Menu Plan Monday

    I've been MIA for the last week.  Sorry.  I got a little busy with life and didn't pay any attention to my blog.  But I am back this week and ready to share a few things. 

Here's what I am planning for dinners this week...

Monday...grilled chicken & veggies with angel hair pasta
Tuesday...chili & rice
Wednesday...Chicken Pasta Primavera  (recipe will post later this week)
Thursday...spaghetti, salad
Friday...Dorito Chicken, potatoes, salad  (chicken recipe will post later this week)
Saturday...out for a cub scout banquet

Friday Favorites

Here are a few neat things I found to share with you this week.  Hope you all enjoy a wonderful weekend!

  Valentine *Conversation Heart* Chocolate Bark from Bake at 350

 Paint Chip Wall Art from Jennifer at Life, Crafts and Whatever.


No Sew Pillows by Kaitlyn at The Birds Nest...right up my alley since I don't know how to sew!

 mmmm, Strawberry Cobbler from ingredients, inc

A Little Touch of Love...And a New Table!

I don't decorate with much for Valentine's but I do like to have a few little touches of love around our home.  My favorite right now is in the foyer.  We've lived in our house for 5 years and I've always wanted a table in the foyer.  It's always been a matter of not finding what I wanted or not having the money to buy it.  So, for five years our entry was empty and blah. 

 Not anymore!

A couple of weeks ago, on a whim, we hopped in the car and headed to Home Goods.  I was so excited to find a table in there that I loved...and that I could afford!  So, we added it to the foyer, found a great deal on a lamp at Kirklands and propped up a big metal star in a frame that we already had (from Old Time Pottery).  I'm not so sure I'll keep the star there but I'm happy with it for now (and I don't have the budget for buying anything else for that wall right now!). 

As for my touches of love, I kept it very frugal.  The red flower topiary was a Goodwill find (thanks to my mom), the LOVE print in the frame is a printable from Wannabe Betty Crocker (I just printed a small version on some brown paper I had on hand and added it to the frame I already had).  The printable has 1 Corinthians 13 (the love chapter) in the background with LOVE in red.  I just took the easy way out and printed it on the computer rather than anything fancier.  The red candle is a clearance find from Target a long time ago, and the scrabble tiles are from our game in the playroom :)

Happy Valentine's!

Blogger Awards...Thank You!!

Within the last week I have received a few blogger awards and I was surprised and tickled with each one.  I am so amazed that these ladies thought of me and my little blog when choosing who to spotlight. 

For those of you who are new to blogging, or who don't blog, these awards are a way for bloggers to share the love and spotlight fellow bloggers who we feel should get some extra attention. 

So, I am sending a BIG THANK YOU to Kim at Moonlight Dreams, to Kaitlyn at The Birds Nest and to Ellen at A Season For All Things.  I've recently found these three ladies and am enjoying each of their blogs.
Please take a few minutes to stop by and visit them!

Now, to pay it forward to others and follow the rules of the awards.  I am to tell you 7 little things about me and I am to pass this along to 15 bloggers.  So, here it goes...

**I am a 30something wife and mom living in North Carolina.  I'm a native North Carolinian, which is rare    these days as we seem to have LOTS of folks from NY and NJ moving in.
**I love coupons, shopping clearance racks and thrift stores.
**My favorite food is ice cream.
**I'd wear flip flops year-round if my feet didn't get so cold.
**I love to get lost in a good book.
**I used to decorate ice cream cakes at Baskin Robbins (MANY years ago!!).
**I cannot snap my fingers no matter how hard I try.

Now, here is my list of 15.  Some are new-to-me and some are not but I love them all.  Please take some time to stop by and visit these great bloggers.  You might just find a new favorite blog to follow :)

*Mandy at Serving While Saving
*Tanya at FrouFrou Britches
*Amanda at Serenity Now~A Mommy's Solution To Staying Sane
*Traci at Ordinary Inspirations
*Leanne at Organize and Decorate Everything
*Brandie at The Country Cook
*Nanci at Willow House with Nanci
*Leslie at Goodbye House, Hello Home
*Kristin at A Guide To Living Graciously
*Paula at Sweet Pea
*Stacy at She's {kinda} Crafty
*Tiffany at Eat at Home
*Carmella at Southern Fried Dreams
*Becca at Home Is Where My Story Begins
*Jo at Smile Monsters

Again, thanks to Kaitlyn, Kim and Ellen!  Now I get to share the love with the bloggers on my list : )

Let me know if you discover a new favorite blog from my list!

Polka Dot Cookie Recipe

Here's a quick and easy sweet treat...They didn't turn out very pretty but they tasted yummy :)

Polka Dots

1 package fudge brownie mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup white chocolate chips

Combine the first 3 ingredients, stir well.  Stir in the white chocolate chips.  Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. 
Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. 
Let the cookies cool on the sheet for a couple of minutes.  Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

I'm sharing this recipe here...
Tuesdays At The Table
Tasty Tuesday

Menu Plan Monday

Here's what I'm planning for our dinners this week...

Monday...grilled chicken, loaded baked potatoes, green beans
Tuesday...spaghetti, salad
Wednesday...Honey Pecan Chicken, mashed potatoes, corn  (chicken recipe coming soon)
Thursday...Breakfast Night = eggs, bacon, fruit salad
Friday...Chicken Alfredo Pizza and salad  (pizza recipe coming soon)

I also have a couple of sweet treats planned so stay tuned for those recipes this week.

Friday Favorites

I've been discovering all sort of new blogs recently.  You name it and there is probably a blog all about it somewhere out there.  My favorite types of blogs are centered around home decor, cooking and crafting.  I am amazed at the talented ladies out there and the inspiration I am finding. 

I found lots of cool stuff the past couple of weeks.  Here are just a few of the neat things I came across...

Learn to make your own Tin Craft Stars...From a Cake Pan at Choose To Thrive.

I am LOVING this new-to-me blog!

German Chocolate Caramel Gooey Bars at Ordinary Inspirations

Need I say more?

This is also a new-to-me blog that I am loving!

I love this Playroom Art Gallery Wall at Centsational Girl

Check out her blog...love it!  And she was on the Nate Berkus Show yesterday (he's such a cutie!)

I hope you all enjoy a wonderful weekend!

Taco Soup

I've seen quite a few variations of Taco Soup recipes.  This is one I've tried recently.  It is quick and easy...pretty much just dump the stuff in a big pot.  The last time I made this recipe I doubled it and froze several containers to have on hand for quick and easy lunches or dinners. 

Sadly, my picture does not do it justice.  But do you notice that my bowl matches the one in the cookbook?  I love my Gail Pittman polka dot bowls!

Taco Soup

taken from Southern Living Ultimate Quick & Easy Cookbook

1 pound ground beef

2 cups water

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

1 (16-ounce) jar medium picante sauce

1 (16-ounce) can pinto beans, undrained

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (11-ounce) can yellow corn with red and green bell peppers, undrained

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained

Cook meat in a Dutch oven (or big pot!), stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink; drain.  Return meat to your pot.

Add 2 cups water and next 6 ingredients; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Serve soup with tortilla chips.

Garnish with some shredded cheddar and sour cream, if desired. 

I am sharing this recipe at...

Recipe Swap Thursday

It's A Keeper

Pizza Dip Recipe

I've posted this one before but thought I'd pull it out again in preparation for the big Super Bowl Weekend.

This is such a quick and easy dip to throw together.  And it is always a crowd-pleaser...who doesn't like pizza, right? 
Hope you enjoy...

Pizza Dip

1 (8oz) package cream cheese
pepperoni slices (I usually quarter these so they are very small bite size pieces in the dip)
pizza sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
oregano or Italian seasoning

Spread cream cheese in the bottom of a pie plate.  Arrange pepperoni slices on top (I just eyeball enough to cover the cream cheese).  Spread a layer of pizza sauce (I eyeball this...usually half a jar or a little more).  Top with mozzarella cheese, spread to cover the whole thing.  Sprinkle oregano or Italian seasoning on top. 

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

Linking to...
Super Bowl Party Food at Make Ahead Meals For Busy Moms 
Tasty Traditions at Coupon Cookin'