That's Pinterest-ing - Food {Mainly Chicken}

Here is a review of a few recipes I've made from Pinterest.

THIS recipe for Pesto Cream Penne & Chicken was pretty great! I added some artichoke hearts, because I had them and I love them. We had a lot of pasta left over, so we ate it for lunch over the weekend - still great! Two thumbs up!

THIS was called "Man Pleasing Chicken" and was {surprisingly} made with Dijon Mustard & Maple Syrup. I was intrigued, but not that impressed with the outcome. I did use the leftovers to make a chicken & noodle casserole - and that was WAY better than normal, thanks to the added flavor on the chicken. Would I make it again? Probably not…unless I wanted to make an extra tasty Chicken & Noodle casserole.

{I am noticing that I make a lot of chicken…as I type this.}

THIS was a recipe for Beer Chicken that is made in the Crockpot {or as my Dad calls it - the "Crap" Pot…I will not elaborate}. I have a {not so} secret love affair with my crockpot and I have a feeling that "working mom" Kady is going to use it A LOT…so prepare yourself, husband. Anyway - Beer Chicken - tasty! I love that I had all of the ingredients in my fridge and most likely will always have them on hand - no beer shortage here. It's definitely a "go-to" recipe!

{YES, yet another chicken recipe} These Chicken Ranch Tacos were recommended by my friend Kelly Wright. She didn't disappoint. They were AWESOME! I made them for Tyson's birthday celebration with Nancy & Denny - and we all really enjoyed them! Actually Tyson told me I could make them once a week and he'd be okay with it. Again, it's a crockpot recipe (Ready? Chicken breasts, one dry packet of Ranch, one packet of taco seasoning, one can of chicken broth - cook on low 3 hr then shred, cook for another 30 minutes)…but you can also adapt for the stove and that recipe is HERE.

Okay - now for a couple desserts:

THESE were called Cake Batter Blondies. I made these for Tyson's birthday, too. Less impressive than the tacos. To be fair - I may have over-cooked them. I believe one of my children distracted me…which never happens {false}… If you try these and like them, let me know - because I haven't ruled them out yet.

Finally - the Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies. THIS recipe is usually my favorite. I {unfortunately} made them with whole wheat flour and they didn't taste as good as they normally do. I'm all for whole wheat…but not in my cookies. They tasted "healthy" and you all know how I feel about "healthy" desserts. Try it. You'll like it. {Yo Gabba Gabba, anyone?!?!}

That's Pinterest-ing - Kid Stuff

So this Pinterest post is all about things I've tried…and how they worked. Pinterest is great for new ideas, but sometimes the ideas are total failures {at least in our house}…

Case in point: 

THIS pin is a Pinterest hit…claiming to keep a toddler occupied for "an hour." To that I say - HA! I got all of the supplies ready and set up - thinking to myself, "if Jack really does this for an hour - I can cook dinner…" {I had a skeptical tone, FYI} So, how long did he last?

 about 5 minutes

FAIL!

For Tyson's birthday I wanted to do something to surprise him. I decided to try THIS recipe for Sidewalk Chalk Paint - to paint a message on our driveway. It was very easy…and looked great!

via Pink and Green Mama

I used regular size paint brushes and was really happy with the way it turned out!

SUCCESS!

That's Pin-teresting...

Today's Pinterest find was inspired from my sister-in-law, Gina. She made her hound, Hank, some very delicious (or so I heard) dog treats. She sent a couple to my pups and they RAVED about them (in the form of tail wagging & licking their lips).  I realized that I have been neglecting my duties as a "dog mom" - mainly because it's tough enough to be a "human mom." Regardless, I looked up the SUPER easy recipe on Pinterest and made some for my boys today.

You will need:
1 egg
1 can of tuna (preferably in oil...but mine was in water, so I added a little oil)
3/4 cup flour (or enough flour to make it the consistency of dough)

Microwave for 3-6 minutes. It will look like this:

And then you cut that into smaller pieces and your dog(s) will look like this:

I also pinned THIS recipe because Cooper & Tucker have a friend coming this weekend. Their buddy Floyd, the basset, is coming for a visit and I know how much he LOVES peanut butter. So I will be making a batch of these, too!

For the record, we still love our dogs...despite a lack of over-spoiling. They get plenty of attention and love. And they LOVE their new backyard because they can run like crazy and pretend to chase ducks! So I feel a little less guilty that they went from being our "fur-babies" to just being our dogs...because let's be honest, they have it prettttty good!

**I also like these treats because IF my toddler happened to get them, and IF he happened to eat them... he wouldn't be eating actual dog food. That makes me feel better.

That's Pin-teresting...

Pinterest is a great place to find ideas for parties! And we are looking forward to hosting a few in the next few months! So I've been pinning things that seem simple & fun for summer pool parties!

 I thought this was cute & easy!

And how adorable is this for a pool/lake party!?! They used these for a Nautical Themed birthday party, but it could also be used for a baby shower! Oh the possibilities. And just another reason I LOVE PINTEREST!

That's Pin-teresting...

Jack LOVES apples {wonder who he gets that from}. Subway sells some delicious apple chips that I buy him when we eat there. They're kind of pricey though. So I was super excited when I came across THIS recipe {from Delighted Momma} for homemade Apple Chips on Pinterest the other day.

I made a batch on Monday and they were gone after he woke up from his nap. HE.LOVED.THEM! So those will be made again soon...maybe today.  They are healthy and easy and it's true - they make your house smell delicious!

That's Pin-teresting...

So last week I talked dessert...this week it's veggies. And here's a little secret - I like them. Most of them, anyway.  And I'd like to thank Devin & Kristin for re-introducing me to brussels sprouts. The grown up version of me LOVED them (kid version? not so much)!

So I was excited to find this recipe on Pinterest! I know what many of you may be thinking (Dad, I know you're thinking this) - "Brussels Sprouts?!? EWWWWW. No thanks!"

Try them. They're delicious. I promise.

That's Pin-teresting...

This week - I'm introducing you to a dessert. I'll admit, I'm not always a fan of fruity desserts. Dessert, in my book, is delicious and unhealthy (otherwise it's not really dessert, duh.)

So I kind of surprised myself when I found a Blueberry Dump Cake on Pinterest. Not only is it delicious (and not healthy) - it's also SUPER easy! Super easy. We had ours with some vanilla ice cream.

You can see the recipe HERE. And you can feel free to make it for me anytime you want. Enjoy!

That's Pin-teresting...

So I'm kind of in love with Pinterest (as most of you know). My friend, Sarah, shares some of her favorite "pins" each Thursday and I thought I would start sharing one that I have tried (and loved).

This week it's a cleaning tip - since it's spring and cleaning seems to be popular.

Combine Dawn dish soap with vinegar for a stellar shower/bathtub cleaner! You can see the full instructions by clicking HERE. I have used this for the past few weeks and it's great at getting soap scum and rust out! I sprayed the showers and then left them for about 40 minutes. Then I came back and wiped them down and rinsed. Two thumbs up!

Will you be my Valentine?

Today is Jack's Valentine's Day party at school. It's not really his day to attend, but we are going...because who wants to miss the PARTY? I decided to use Pinterest to find some inspiration for Jack's valentines this year. I found this cute little number and added my own touch.

Of course, we added Swedish fish to them. They are Jack's absolute favorite treat, but we NEVER use them to bribe him. Okay, that's a lie. Swedish fish are amazing and Jack will do almost anything to get one. They are on the short list of "potty treats" when we reach that stage...which we have not...so don't ask. Jack has zero interest in using the potty and actually gets mad at me for suggesting it. NOT READY!

Anyway, enough about fish and bathroom habits. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! We love all of you!

XOXOXO,