Is it just me…or is a little hard to believe the holidays are over? This has definitely been such an unusual period (so strange, in fact, that sometimes I have a hard time remembering what time…
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Last Day for $7.99 YUCKY PUPPY Sets!
My 5 Favorite Things About Cozy Season
This post is sponsored by Campbell’s®, Kraft®, and Pepperidge Farm®, but all opinions are my own.
You guys are well aware that this isn’t exactly my favorite time of year weather-wise, but I have made a vow this year to embrace the coziness of the chillier seasons. In fact, in an effort to really focus on the positive, I decided to find inspiration from my gratitude journal (if you don’t keep one of these, I highly recommend it), and make a list of all of my favorite things about keeping comfy and cozy during the winter. I thought it would be fun to share this list with you, and maybe if you’re usually a warm weather person like me, it can bring a little contentment to the colder, darker days.
1. A Warm Fireplace
It’s winter’s biggest cozy cliche, but seriously, who doesn’t love the feeling of a warm fire on a cold day? My little ones and I love snuggling up by the fire, reading books, eating snacks, and just hanging out. Honestly, even just looking over at the fireplace brightens my mood. We light a fire almost every evening this time of year.
2. Campbells® Tomato Soup, Grilled Cheese, and Crackers
There is no meal that says cozy season deliciousness to me like a bowl of piping hot Campbell’s® Tomato Soup, paired with Pepperidge Farm® Goldfish® Cheddar Crackers, and a grilled cheese made with Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse® Hearty White Bread and Kraft® Singles American Slices. The ultimate cold weather comfort food meal! Campbell’s® Tomato soup is full of farm grown ripe tomatoes, is and absolutely delicious made with water or creamy milk. A true classic! Pepperidge Farm® Goldfish® Cheddar Crackers (aka my son’s all-time favorite snack, as anyone who knows him is aware) adds the perfect crunch to the soup, and is baked with real cheddar cheese without any artificial flavors or preservatives. Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse® Hearty White bread is crafted from small batch recipes, and tastes just like the bread from our favorite local bakery. And Kraft® Single American Slices melt like no other with the creamiest, perfect-for-grilled cheese texture.
I make this yummy pairing as an after school snack for the kids a lot during this time of year, and it’s a favorite for lunch and dinner as well. It only takes a few minutes to prepare, and it’s perfectly soul warming on a cold day. Best of us, you can grab all of the ingredients on your next trip to Walmart or via Walmart.com.
3. Blankets and Books
We have a big basket of blankets in our family room, and the whole family loves to cuddle up together under them and read books together. It’s one of my favorite things to do all year, but during this season, it just feels extra comforting. Now that my daughter can read and enjoys reading to us, it’s even more fun. And when we combine a reading session with our favorite cozy comfort food pairing of Campbell’s® Tomato Soup, Pepperidge Farm® Goldfish® Cheddar Crackers, and grilled cheese made with Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse® Hearty White Bread and Kraft® Singles American Slices, we’re basically in hygge heaven.
4. Sweaters and Hoodies
My closet is admittedly mostly full of summer sun dresses, but there is definitely something to be said for the comfort that comes along with a favorite sweater or hoodie during the chilly month. We pretty much live in them (along with fuzzy socks) this time of year.
5. Family Time
It’s the busiest time of year, but it’s also the season when we intentionally carve out time to just be together. We snuggle up on the couch and watch movies as a family. We sit by the fire and tell dumb jokes. (My husband’s dad jokes are something else. Wow.) We have family game night. And we enjoy meals together, our very favorite being – you guessed it – our beloved grilled cheese, tomato soup, and crackers. (Thank you Walmart for making it so easy to grab Campbell’s® Tomato Soup, Pepperidge Farm® Goldfish® Cheddar Crackers, Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse® Hearty White Bread and Kraft® Singles American Slices!) I work a lot (like, a lot) during November and December, but I always make sure to devote the weekends to this cozy family time. Nothing is more important.
What are you favorite things about cozy season? And in case you missed it above, you can grab all of the delicious food goodies I’ve shared here at your local Walmart store on Walmart.com.
Thank You, Happy Holidays, and See You Next Year!
What a year. I mean, where do I even begin? I think I’ll just keep it short and sweet and say Happy Holidays, and thank you. Thank you for being here, engaging, and allowing me to share pieces of my life along with products and services I love. I know there has been a lot of sponsored content here and on Instagram over the past two months. Since mid October, I have been working 80 hour weeks. My husband has been out of work since the live music industry shut down in March, and I am grateful beyond words for the campaigns I have gotten and the ability to support our little family. I am also extremely burned out and exhausted, and looking forward to spending the next week and half with my husband and kids (who have been asking a lot why mommy has to work so much).
I’ll be back here after the New Year, and because I just don’t know how to completely turn off, I’m sure I’ll be popping in on Instagram.
However you celebrate (or don’t celebrate!), I wish you the happiest of holidays and a New Year that is better than whatever this crap just was. Love and peace!
Merry Christmas!
All of us at doggies.com and breeders.net wish you and yours a safe, happy, and blessed Christmas.
200+ Movie Dog Names and the Dogs Who Portrayed Them!
Are you a movie buff with a new barking buddy? Why not name the dog who has landed a starring role in your life after a dog seen on the silver screen? From classics to today’s Hollywood hits,…
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Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken
This post is in partnership with InnovAsian, but all opinions are my own.
I will just come right out and say that this is one of those semi-homemade recipes, because, well, that’s how I operate. But every time I post one of these recipes (or more accurately, hacks), I get an overwhelmingly positive response. We’re all busy, man. Most of us don’t have time or energy to create lavish meals from scratch every night. And that’s why I share these.
I also post almost exclusively vegetarian recipes on here, because, well, I’m a vegetarian and have been most of my life. But both of my kids and my husband enjoy eating meat, and if I can whip them up something they truly love that isn’t vegetarian for once, they’re stoked.
All of this is why I have been so into InnovAsian foods lately. My kids and my husband all love sweet and sour chicken, and tend to choose that when we order Chinese take out. So I decided I was going to surprise them and make it at home. Then, because I am realistic in terms of my kitchen accomplishments, I shifted gears and did a little research on frozen versions instead. My research led me to Walmart and the InnovAsian products in their frozen aisle. I’ll talk more about their awesomeness in a minute, but for now, here is my recipe/hack!
Easy + Fast Sweet and Sour Chicken
Serves 3-4
INGREDIENTS
1 18 oz bag InnovAsian Sweet and Sour Chicken
3 cups (1 bag) InnovAsian Sticky White Rice
3 cups broccoli, chopped
scallions
1 orange, wedged
Prepare InnovAsian Sweet and Sour Chicken according to package directions. I prefer the oven preparation, but the pan-fry method is faster and can be done in less than 10 minutes! While chicken is cooking, place the bag of sauce from the package in a bowl of warm water to thaw. Place self-venting bag of InnovAsian Sticky White Rice with proper side up in microwave and and heat on high for 5 minutes. Steam the broccoli florets for 3-5 minutes until tender (but not mushy). Chop scallions. When chicken is fully cooked, place in a bowl (or leave in pan if you pan fried), and stir in sauce with chicken (heat an additional 2 minutes if pan fried). Stir in broccoli. Plate rice, then pour sweet and sour chicken over it. Top with scallions and garnish with orange wedges.
And there you have it! A fancy sweet and sour chicken dinner in less than 15 minutes. My kids and husband rave about how delicious this is (okay, Emmett picks out the broccoli and scallions with all sorts of dramatic whines but I’ll take what I can get), and I love that it (and all InnovAsian meals!) are filled with protein at a great price. InnovAsian also makes a delicious Vegetable Fried Rice that I love to pair with pan fried tofu and hot sauce. They’re also great on their own without any of these little “upgrades.” Best of all, they save time, energy, and money, which these days all feel more precious than ever.
Grab yourself some InnovAsian products from the freezer section the next time you’re at Walmart, or order online with Walmart pick up, and let me know what you think! I’d love to hear from you if you try this recipe hack as well.
2020 AKC Humane Fund ACE Winner: Uniformed Service K-9 / Stella the Bloodhound
“K-9 Stella” is a three-year-old Bloodhound working for the Tallahassee Police Department Special Victims Unit as a Scent Evidence K-9 with her handler, Paul Coley, CEO of Scent Evidence K-9 and former FBI Forensic Canine Operations Specialist. Stella and Coley have been working cases for their department as well as several federal, state, and local … Continue reading 2020 AKC Humane Fund ACE Winner: Uniformed Service K-9 / Stella the Bloodhound
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Tagged 2020, Bloodhound, Fund, HUMANE, Service, Stella, Uniformed, WINNER
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