I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.

We have been fans of PACT Organic clothes for several years.  Their socks are my absolute favorite!  In fact I have giftedPact Organic Christmas sock gift packs several times to family members.  

Two things I love about PACT Organic is that the fabrics are super soft (you will notice the softness when you wear them) and their clothing is better for both us and the environment.  I wrote more about it a few years ago which you can read here.  

These pajamas are made of soft, breathable, 100% organic cotton that is made without toxic chemicals and with 91% less water than conventional cotton.  Did you know that organic cotton uses 91% LESS water than conventional cotton when produced?  I think that is amazing!  

PACT Dream Big Pajamas are available in kids’ sizes 18 months to 10.  My 9 year old is wearing a size 10 and my 4 year old is wearing a size 5.  I ordered up in size so they had some growing room and could get more use out of the pajamas.  They are a little loose on my slender boys since I ordered up in size, but they stay on nicely.  

These pajamas provide a snug fit for safety, with a pull-on waistband and banded cuffs at the wrists and ankles.  They are also made with a tagless label on the back to prevent discomfort and skin irritation.   The fabric is prewashed and shrink resistant.  They wash well and are so snuggly and soft when they come out of the dryer.  ​

These pajamas are tough too.  They hold up to all the wrestling and tumbling in our busy house of four boys.  

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Have you ever baked with 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil? I love to sauté and roast with it, but haven't used it a lot in baking, except to bake bread.  For the Flavor Your Life Campaign, I made this delicious olive oil apple cake which is a new family favorite.  
​

This olive oil apple cake is an Italian classic.  A light cake batter infused with apple slices and made with extra virgin olive oil.  

Le Stagioni d’ Italia means “the seasons of Italy” in Italian.

• Le Stagioni d’ Italia’s short, fully traceable supply chain is guaranteed sustainable and the great care they take with processing creates exceptional taste.
• 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the first cold pressed olive oil from the first round of extraction of fresh, intact olives.  It has not been heated during processing, so it retains its full nutritional value.
• Harvested in Italy, it is vegan, gluten free, and contains no additives or preservatives.
• It has a robust flavor of artichoke and almond, with a medium bitter and spicy aftertaste, as well as a green, ripe, fruity aroma with a leafy feel.
• 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil typically retails for $19.99 for a 500 mL bottle.

With hints of citrus and cinnamon this olive oil apple cake is moist, delicious and perfect served warm or room temperature with a dollop of ricotta cream.  

• Extra virgin olive oil is made by pressing olive oil, without heat or chemicals; it’s known as the first cold pressed olive oil.
• Olive oils are tested for peroxide values. Lower values indicate fresher oil and more rapid processing.
• Extra virgin olive oil is virtually free of acidity, below 0.8%. If the percentage of oleic acid (fatty acid) is too high, it indicates improper production and rancidity.
• A panel of trained, expert tasters tests for taste defects and the presence of positive attributes of fruitiness, bitterness, and spiciness. If the oil doesn’t have the signature fruity taste and harmonious balance, it won’t receive an Extra Virgin rating.
• Extra virgin olive oil has a high smoking point of 400°F, so it is suitable for cooking and baking.
• Between use, store your oil somewhere dark and cool (around 57°F, if possible), not on the counter or near a stove, and never in the refrigerator. Keep the lid screwed on tight, and use your oil within six months of opening.

• Experiment with different oils for different occasions.
• Use delicate oils for salad dressings or as a condiment over mild foods, like vegetables, fish, eggs, or potatoes.
• Pair robust oils with hearty foods that can stand up to the intense flavor, like steak or spicy soup.
• With a high smoking point of 400°F, extra virgin olive oil is suitable for cooking and can enhance any dish by drizzling on as a finisher.

Olive Oil Apple Cake with Ricotta Cream

Recipe Notes:  This recipe is adapted from a recipe provided by Flavor your Life.  Since it has European origins, the measurements and instructions are different than what I normally publish.  I noticed a few discrepancies in the original instructions and reconverted the measurements to the U.S. system.  I weighed dry ingredients as needed and then measured them to get accurate U.S. equivalents.  The original recipe listed 80 ml as = to 4 Tbsp., however when converted it is actually 5.41 Tbsp. or 16.23 tsp.  For this reason, I would measure Extra Virgin Olive Oil using the metric system if possible or measure just under 5 1/2 Tbsp.  The original recipe also calls for 1/2 cup ground hazelnuts for which I substituted 1/2 cup almond flour (affiliate link). 

Cake Ingredients:  
5-6 medium apples (any variety)
1 orange
1 cup, 1 Tbsp., and 2 tsp./150 grams all purpose flour
1/2 cup/50 grams almond flour (affiliate link) 
1/2 cup/100 grams brown sugar + more for sprinkling on the cake
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp./10 grams baking powder
2 large eggs
80 ml/5.41 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp.milk

Ricotta Cream Ingredients:
8 oz. ricotta cheese
1 Tbsp. clear honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-3 Tbsp. milk

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. /180 degrees C. 
2.  Butter a 10 inch springform cake pan.
3.  Peel apples and slice thinly, about 16 slices per apple.  
4.  Zest and juice the orange.  
5.  Set the zest aside and toss the apples in the orange juice.  
6.  In a large mixing bowl, combine all purpose flour, almond flour, brown sugar, salt, cloves, cinnamon, and baking powder.  Mix well with a whisk.
7.  In another bowl, mix the eggs, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, vanilla extract, orange zest, and milk.  Beat until thoroughly mixed.  
8.  Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir briefly to combine.  
9.  Fold in the sliced apples.  
10.  Spoon the cake batter into the prepared pan.  Smooth it out with a spatula.  
11.  Bake for 35-45 minutes until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  
12.  Let cool in the pan on a wire rack.  
13.  If desired, sprinkle the top with extra brown sugar.  
14.  Remove from the pan and place on a serving platter.

To make the ricotta cream combine the ricotta cheese, honey, vanilla extract and 1 Tbsp. milk.  Check the consistency and if desired add 1-2 Tbsp. more milk.  We prefer it thicker with only 1 Tbsp. milk.  

Serve the cake with a dollop of ricotta cream.  

You might also like these easy and delicious bread machine breadsticks which I make with 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 

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Strawberry pie, with layers of juicy strawberries surrounded by sweet glaze on a crispy crust must be the quintessential summer dessert.  I remember bringing home a strawberry pie from Shoney's restaurant when I was a kid and thinking it was the best thing ever.  ​

When your husband goes to a farm auction and brings home a gorgeous tray of strawberries, you make strawberry pie or easy strawberry chia seed jam.   These strawberries were so sweet on their own, the boys literally ate half of them before I could make anything. 

*Fresh picked strawberries are sweeter and juicier than strawberries that are picked before they ripen to go to grocery stores.  If using fresh picked strawberries that are naturally sweet, use less sugar to make this pie.  If using store ripened less sweet strawberries, you may want to use more sugar.  The recipe below has a range in the amount of sugar so that you can adjust depending on the sweetness of your strawberries.  ​

This pie is both delicious and simple.  I love using homemade glaze made with common ingredients. No artificial dyes or flavorings that you would find in packaged store bought glaze.  The best part is that making homemade glaze is really pretty easy.  

1.  Crush about 1/2 lb. strawberries with a meat chopper (pictured below) (affiliate link) or a potato masher.  

2.  Cook the mashed berries and 1 cup water at medium high heat for about two minutes to help break down the strawberries.  

3.  Sieve the cooked berries to get the juice.  Discard the berry pulp.

4.  Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan.  Gradually stir in berry juice.  Cook stirring constantly till thick and clear.  

5.  Line pie crust with a layer of sliced strawberries.  Drizzle slightly cooled strawberry glaze over berries.  Layer on more sliced strawberries and pour remaining glaze over berries.  

6.  Refrigerate until serving time.  Serve with whipped cream.  ​

Strawberry Glazed Pie
Ingredients:
2 lb. fresh strawberries
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar*
1 Tbsp. and 2 tsp. cornstarch (I think this amount works nicely to thicken it, if you want it extra thick like jello when chilled, use 2 Tbsp. cornstarch.)
Cooled, baked pie shell

1.  Crush about 1/2 lb. strawberries with a meat chopper or a potato masher.  

2.  Cook the mashed berries and 1 cup water at medium high heat for about two minutes to help break down the strawberries.  

​3.  Sieve the cooked berries to get the juice.  Discard the berry pulp.

4.  Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan.  Gradually stir in berry juice.  Cook stirring constantly till thick and clear.  

5.  Line pie crust with a layer of sliced strawberries.  Drizzle slightly cooled strawberry glaze over berries.  Layer on more sliced strawberries and pour remaining glaze over berries.  

6.  Refrigerate until serving time.  

Serve with whipped cream.  

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Just in time for Father's Day, TV Store Online (affiliate link) has an amazing promotion right now, buy 1, Get 2 for free!  Pick three items, get two for free.  Use code BUY1GET2.  Free shipping on orders over $50 in the USA.   The Buy 1 Get 2 promotion includes items in this collection.  (affiliate link)

Here are some of my favorites from the buy 1 get 2 collection.  (affiliate link)

TVStore Online has offered my readers a chance to win a giveaway of one product of winner's choice.  

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I did not plan on writing a blog post for this easy mushroom and onion hamburger recipe.  It almost seems too easy to warrant a recipe post, but when I created a story pin and typed the ingredients and instructions into the pin, I decided there was enough content to actually write a post.  So here ya go...Fancy Sautéed Mushroom and Onion Burgers!  

Hamburgers are one of our busy day staples, but sometimes we like to take it up a notch with sautéed mushrooms and onions.  They add so much flavor and texture and truly make a mouthwatering burger experience.  

Make this burger even more memorable with a toasted bun or if you are eating low carb, skip the bun and enjoy it with a knife and fork.  

I sauté mushrooms and onions in olive oil and butter in a separate skillet while cooking the burgers.  I always add some fresh ground salt and pepper for flavor.  You could use just olive oil or just butter, but I like the combination of flavors from both fats.  

One of our favorite sides and condiments with hamburgers is sliced ripe avocado with fresh squeezed lime juice and fresh ground salt.  

Add some healthy fat and lots of flavor by putting sliced avocado right on the burger.  

I like to keep things simple when serving hamburgers. 
Here are a few of our favorite sides:

Baked beans (you can use your favorite store bought beans)
Onion rings (We love store bought frozen onion rings)
Corn on the cob or when not in season, frozen corn
Sliced tomatoes or when not in season, canned stewed tomatoes
Sweet Potato Chips
Pickles
Potato salad
​Simple side salad
​Asian crunch shredded Brussels sprouts salad

Fancy Mushroom and Onion Hamburgers
Serves 4

Ingredients:
•1 Tbsp. Butter
•Drizzle olive oil
•1 onion, sliced
•8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
•1 lb. ground beef
•1-2 avocados
•1 lime
•Creole seasoning (affiliate link to the one I use)
•Fresh ground salt and pepper
•Hamburger buns

Optional condiments:
•Sliced cheese (Swiss, cheddar, colby-jack, etc.)
•Lettuce
•Sliced tomatoes
•Pickles
•Mustard
•Ketchup
•Mayonnaise

1. Sauté mushrooms and onions in olive oil and butter over medium heat.  Season with salt and pepper. Cook while burgers are cooking. When burgers are almost done, turn up heat to medium/high to caramelize the mushrooms and onions.

2. In another skillet cook ground beef in patties. While cooking, salt, pepper and add a little creole seasoning.  Make sure to use beef with some fat in it. I like 80/20 or 85/15 for making burgers.  Save the lean beef for recipes and casseroles. Season both sides as you are cooking. You don’t need to grease the skillet if your meat has some fat in it.  Cook until burgers are cooked through.

3. Slice avocados, drizzle with lime juice, then salt.

4. If you like toast buns in buttered skillet.
​
5. Assemble burgers to your liking.

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In honor of the new Justice League movie streaming on HBO Max, TV Store Online sent me this cool Superman shirt which my oldest loves.   For size reference, he is wearing an adult small.  

TV Store Online has offered my readers a chance to win a super hero or Justice League item of their choice?  Winner can choose any item from TV Store Online pertaining to the following characters:  Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, The Joker, Lois Lane, Hawkman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Mera, and The Flash.   Enter to win on the rafflecopter form below.  

I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.
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Did you know that COVID-19 has increased screen time for kids by 500%?  Nearly half of American children spend more than six hours a day in front of a screen.  Add in remote learning and this number gets even higher.  ​

I know it can be hard to monitor screen time, especially with so many of us working from home and trying to manage distance learning at the same time.  Luckily my kids are back in school, but we went through many long months of them working at home to complete school assignments and attend zoom meetings with their teachers.  I found it difficult to monitor three school-aged children and their younger brother when I had my own work to complete and they could easily distract themselves with video games or YouTube videos.  I am glad to have Circle Home Plus now, but wish we would have had it then.  If the boys go back to remote learning for any reason in the future, Circle Home Plus will be a lifesaver!  

Circle Parental Controls (affiliate link) is the simplest way for families to manage screen time and filter content on all their Internet-connected devices, from tablets and smartphones to gaming consoles and smart TVs.  I am not the most tech savvy person so I was a little intimidated to set up the Circle Home Plus device, but it was really easy.  Once I downloaded the app, I was able to follow the step by step onscreen instructions (which are also included in printed form with the device) to set it up.  
​

​
Circle Home Plus ​​(affiliate link) has so many useful features.  
• Age-appropriate filters for different websites and apps (or block content all together)
• Time limits for both individual apps and categories of content
• Bedtimes that automatically disconnect devices from the Internet
• Pause/temporarily turn off Internet-connectivity for a single family member or everyone at the same time
• Focus Time to restrict access to certain sites for specific periods of the day—a perfect tool to keep distance learning or homework time on track​
• Rewards:  Reward your child with more screen time or a later bedtime, at the touch of a button
• History:  Check out visited and filtered sites from the day's activity
• Track usage for yourself and your family.  This information is insightful if trying to reduce screen time or stay on track with projects for work and school.

• With the Off Time feature, you can set up Off Times when internet is restricted to selected devices for important family times like dinner and game nights.  ​

​Circle Home Plus typically retails for $69 for a three-month subscription, $129 for a one-year subscription, or $299 for a lifetime subscription (all plans include the Circle Home Plus device and Circle App access).

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This Asian Crunch Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad has all the wonderful flavors you would expect from a good Asian slaw/salad, but without the high carb ramen noodles.  This salad gets its crunch from fresh shredded vegetables, pistachios and almonds.  

Tossed in a homemade peanut, ginger, sesame dressing, this salad is full of flavor and freshness.  

We are big Brussels Sprouts fans and usually eat them cooked, but love the fresh crunch they add when shredded in this salad.  My neighbor grew beautiful Brussels Sprouts last year, so I am trying to grow some this spring.  I'll keep you posted.  (My instagram account where you can see more of the day to day.)

I think it comes down to personal preference as to how fine, thin, uniform, etc. you want vegetables to be in homemade salads and slaws.  It is certainly easiest to use a food processor to process vegetables, but if you want larger pieces, you may prefer slicing and shredding by hand.  I like to do a little of both, using my food processor for some vegetables and slicing some by hand.  
​
​If you have a food processor (amazon affiliate link to the one I have), this salad is a cinch to make.  I use the slicing blade to shred the Brussels Sprouts in my food processor which is easy to do and produces thinly sliced sprouts that are perfect for this salad.  I also shred the carrot in my food processor with the shredding blade because it is so much easier than shredding it with a box shredder.  

The cabbage pictured was cut by hand, but it is a little on the thick side, so you may want to use a food processor for cabbage too or slice it thinner.  I like to dice the pepper and onion by hand to give it more crunch and thickness, but again this is my personal preference.  I also chop the pistachios by hand since they are so easy to chop on a cutting board and we are only using a few in this salad.  

To make the dressing, put the dressing ingredients in a food processor, blender, or emersion blender (amazon affiliate link) and blend until creamy.  I use my food processor to blend the dressing since I already have the appliance out.  
​​

To make this dressing, I use Tamari soy sauce which has a richer, milder, more complex flavor than regular soy sauce.  It is made from 100% soy and does not contain wheat like regular soy sauce making it a good choice for those avoiding gluten.  It tastes less salty than regular soy sauce and is more complex which makes it a nice choice for Asian salads.  I included an affiliate link in the ingredient list, but it is less expensive if you can find it in the Asian section of your local grocery store or in your local Asian grocery store.  

Toasted sesame seeds and almonds add so much flavor to this salad, but you may need to toast them yourself.  My almonds were pre-toasted when I bought them, but my sesame seeds were not.  Also, use sliced almonds in this salad, whole almonds would add too much bite and texture.  

​Put a small amount of sesame seeds in a skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally for a few minutes until golden brown and fragrant.  You can do the same with sliced almonds too. 

I think this Asian Crunch Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad has the best color the day it is made so if I were making it to take somewhere, I would make it fresh that day.  You could pre-cut the vegetables, store them in the fridge and put the salad together later.  It will stay crunchy and delicious for a few days in the fridge, but will loose some of its pretty color and look more wilted.  My husband really likes this salad so it has never lasted more than 2-3 days in the fridge. 

​This recipe makes a lot and will easily serve 10 making it a perfect choice for summer gatherings.  If you do share with others, make sure and let them know it has peanut butter and nuts in it for those with nut allergies.  

 Asian Crunch Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad
​
Servings: 10
Ingredients:
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper diced
½ small head of red cabbage, shredded or sliced small by hand
1 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded
1 carrot, shredded
½ cup red onion, diced
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
¼ cup pistachios or cashews, roasted, salted and chopped
 
Dressing:
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup toasted sesame oil (amazon link)
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter, (I use no sugar added)
2 Tbsp. Tamari soy sauce (amazon link) 
1 1/2 Tbsp. coconut sugar (amazon link)
1 clove garlic minced
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, optional
 
Optional garnish:
Toasted sesame seeds
Green onions, sliced      
 
1. Mix salad ingredients in large bowl. 
 
2. Blend dressing ingredients in food processor, blender, or emersion blender. 
 
3.  Stir dressing into salad.  Salt and pepper to taste.
 
4.  Garnish with green onions and toasted sesame seeds if you like. 
 
 
   

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Since my husband and I have been following a low carb diet again, this baked keto crack chicken has quickly become a family favorite.  Your entire family will love this.  It is kid friendly with all the cheesy goodness and bacon.  My boys love it.  One of them even used the word exquisite to describe this chicken which is pretty cute coming from an 11 year old.  

Why is it called crack chicken?  

​Crack chicken is a common name for this style of ranch flavored cheesy chicken because it so good, you will want more.  When I make this 8 serving recipe for my family of 6, we don't have any leftovers.  

Can you double this recipe?

​I have doubled this recipe for company and it's pretty easy to double since everything goes in the oven at once.   I brown the chicken in the skillet in batches and then assemble everything in the pan.  If on the other hand you are only cooking for two, you can easily halve this recipe and still have plenty plus maybe some leftovers for lunch the next day.  

What sides would you serve with Low Carb Keto Crack Chicken?

To keep the whole meal low carb, I would serve with a large salad like the BLT salad pictured or some steamed broccoli.  A fresh spinach salad or wilted spinach would be nice too.  Grilled cabbage is always one of our favorites and since you are already using the oven, you could just roast some cabbage wedges with olive oil, salt, and pepper in another pan while cooking the chicken.  If you really want to impress, you could make some crispy bacon wrapped asparagus which is in season now and requires the same oven temperature as the chicken.  

​Low Carb Baked Keto Crack Chicken
 
Serves 8
 
Ingredients:
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 ½ -3 lb. total)
6 oz bacon
8 oz. block cream cheese
2 Tbsp. Ranch flavored dressing mix (amazon link)
¾ C. shredded sharp cheddar cheese plus extra for topping
Salt and Pepper
 
Optional toppings:
Sliced green onions
Diced Roma tomatoes
 
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 8 thinner chicken breast slices. 
3. Cut bacon into small pieces (I use kitchen shears) and fry in a skillet until crisp.
4. Set bacon aside.
5. Mix ranch dressing into cream cheese then mix in ¾ cup shredded cheese. 
6. Brush some of the bacon grease in a large baking pan to grease it or use oil of choice. 
7. In the same skillet brown chicken breast halves in bacon grease for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Salt and pepper each side while cooking.  
8. Place chicken breast halves in baking pan. 
9. Spread cream cheese mixture on top of each chicken breast.
10. Top with extra shredded cheese and bacon crumbles.
11. Bake for about 15 minutes until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through. 
12. Optional to top finished dish with diced Roma tomatoes and sliced green onions.

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