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 are all about learning at our house.  We value learning through exploration, play, and especially curiosity.  One of the best ways to foster a love of learning is to foster a love of reading so we provide lots and lots of books for our boys.  There are book shelves full of books in all of their rooms.  Plus the weekly library bag full of books in the living room.  We highly limit screen time in our house so the boys reach for books.  

Which such avid readers in the house, it is often challenging to provide new reading material.  It hasn't been difficult for the younger boys yet, but it has been challenging to keep up with my oldest.  He is a voracious reader.  He will consume entire books in less than a day if given a few hours to himself.  He has read and reread most of his books multiple times.  His favorites are classics like "Swiss Family Robinson" and "Where the Red Fern Grows" and anything survivalist or adventurous in nature.  It has become hard to find new books for him that are both his reading level and his age level.  As his reading level has increased, the selection of books appropriate for his age level has become harder to find.  I was thrilled when he became interested in "Explorer Academy: The Nebula Secret" and the best part...there will be more!

All three of the older boys are hooked on this new National Geographic Explorer Academy series.  I have been reading "The Nebula Secret" aloud to them before bed and one night my oldest decided to continue reading it on his own after story time.  He finished it the next day and then told me he loved it and had read the beginning of the next book "The Falcon's Feather" at the end of the book and was ready to read it next.  Yeah!  A new series!  

One fun aspect of this book which helps keep the younger kids engaged is the illustrations.  There aren't illustrations on every page since it is more of a middle grades (ages 8-12) book, but there are some dispersed throughout the book which peak interest and even help illustrate some scenes.  

Our boys are inquisitive and LOVE facts so the new "National Geographic Kids Almanac 2019" is right up their alleys.  This book is fun because you can pick it up and learn something new about an entirely different topic every time you read it.  The front cover says, "Everything you always wanted to know about everything" which I think is a pretty accurate description.  The boys love the animal facts, but I think my favorite part is all of the maps.  There is so much in this book!   It will be nice to have along on long car rides as a boredom buster since you really can learn about everything.  

This little guy is ready to get in on the reading action too (board book style)!  

​You could win a once-in-a-lifetime trip! To celebrate the launch of Explorer Academy, one lucky family will experience a spectacular ship-based expedition, just like the students at Explorer Academy. The grand prize is a family trip for four to Alaska’s Inside Passage from National Geographic Expeditions. Enter the sweepstakes at exploreracademytrip.com.

Where to purchase?  National Geographic Kids Almanac 2019 and Explorer Academy: The Nebula Secret are available to purchase on Amazon, Target, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Hudson Booksellers, IndieBound, Powell’s, or wherever books are sold.

I find it amazing that in 11 years of hosting kids birthday parties, this is the first time that we have done a Star Wars party.  We have been so busy, that we literally planned this party in less than a week. We decided it would be fun to show a Star Wars movie on the barn and planned the party around that. A quick email invite, late night on pinterest, amazon prime order and of course some effort and we had a party.  

These pool noodle light sabers were a huge hit and made great party favors.  In fact, our kids have been playing with them for days.  My husband made most of the light sabers for the party, but the kids have been making things all week with the extra supplies.  They even made an elaborate shield.  

I bought the light saber supplies at Walmart.  All you need are pool noodles (which are unfortunately seasonal), duct tape, and electrical tape.  My husband got really creative and made all different kinds including a pair of numb chucks.  For most of the light sabers, he used a half length of pool noodle, but made some of different lengths too.  

I always make a meal for our parties, but don't usually make theme food.  This time I made some things with a Star Wars theme.  There were so many great ideas online and it was fun to bring the theme into the kitchen.  My husband formed this Jabba the hummus out of some store-bought hummus and peppers.  It was adorable and delicious too.  

We served with fresh cut vegetables for something healthy since we had sugary cookies and cupcakes. Gotta have some balance or the kids will bounce off the walls, LOL.  I always make guacamole so I served some with chips.  I saw some creative Yodamoles online, but didn't try to sculpt a Yoda out my guacamole.  We can only do so much...

I didn't get the best picture to represent what these are, but these are cheese and cracker tie-fighters. I used some port wine cheese spread to "glue" hexagon shaped crackers to small slices of cheese sticks to make the tie-fighters.  The only crackers I could find in this shape, were these small gluten free crackers which broke easily when handling, but they were delicious and a fun food for the party.  

Pork carnitas has nothing to do with Star Wars, but it's one of our favorite meals and has become our party go-to main dish.  So we served our favorite pork carnitas.

I wanted something really simple for the cake because with four kids I don't have time to do anything elaborate.  I bought yellow cupcake liners at Walmart, made simple cupcakes in vanilla, chocolate, and lemon from cake mixes, and frosted them in homemade buttercream frosting tinted black,  

I ordered yellow star candies and light saber cupcake toppers on amazon.  Also, if using a cake mix, the Betty Crocker Original Recipe is my favorite, although it is getting harder to find in my local stores.  It is the old fashioned fewer ingredients version and tastes more like homemade.  I may have to order some to have on hand for cake emergencies, ha!  Although, from my link it looks like its $15.99 a box!  Yikes!  I will have to see if I can find a better source.  I used extra star candies as a decoration scattered on the black tablecloth on the food table.  

I decided to make Wookie Cookies, but wanted to keep them pretty simple.  I used one of my favorite recipes adding cocoa powder to make them brown and eliminating the nuts and chocolate chips in the cookies.  I melted chocolate chips to make the bandoliers and used white chocolate chips to finish them.  I ran out of brown sugar so I used coconut sugar which works well too.  I used this recipe because we love them and because the coconut and oatmeal would give them a bumpy texture like hairy Chewbacca.  Wookie Cookies were a big hit at the party.

I doubled this recipe for the party.  

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter softened
¾ cup packed brown sugar or coconut sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk
½ cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 cup  old fashioned oats
Chocolate chips (for melting)
Raisins (for the eyes)
White chocolate chips for the bandoliers

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder in a bowl.  Set aside.  

4.  Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy.  Beat in egg.  Gradually beat in flour mixture and milk.  Stir in, oats, and coconut.  

5. Drop by rounded tablespoons on parchment lined baking sheets.  

6.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are crisp but centers are still soft.  Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; press raisins onto warm cookies for the eyes.  Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

7.  Melt chocolate chips in the microwave then pour melted chocolate into a plastic zipper seal bag.  Seal the bag and cut one corner so that the chocolate can pour out like from an icing bag.  Draw a bandolier in a diagonal line across the cookie with the melted chocolate.  Then place white chocolate chips on the melted chocolate to finish the bandolier.   

Makes 2-3 dozen cookies.

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.

I have been using Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics for over a month and I feel great.  I did get a cold that was going around, but my digestive health remained stable.  In fact, I had to take antibiotics and using these probiotics helped keep my digestive health in tact even while on the antibiotics.  

The capsules come in these convenient blister packs that are easy to throw in your purse or suitcase so you can stay healthy on the go.  

Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics Original Formula contain a unique blend of:

• Prebiotics: Culture Medium: fermented vegetables and mushrooms that nourish the probiotics

• PRObiotics: friendly bacteria that help you digest food and support immune response

• POSTbiotics: pH balancing organic acids along with naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids to support digestive function and improve whole health.

It is amazing how powerful these little capsules are.  Since I have been taking them, I have not experienced any gas or bloating and feel that my digestive health is in fact very healthy.  

Need a little more convincing?
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states probiotics work with your good gut bacteria to reduce sugar cravings and help keep your blood glucose in the healthy range if you do eat sweets. Probiotics can help with sugar cravings too and keeping blood glucose levels healthy.  This might explain my lack of interest lately in my old nightly  ice cream habit.  I still eat ice cream, I just don't crave it all the time like I used too and I eat less of it.  

You can find Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics on Amazon.

Disclosure:  I received products to facilitate this post.  All opinions are honest and are my own.

You're probably wondering why this is the third cranberry recipe I have posted in the last two weeks. To be honest I never really cooked with cranberries very much except for at Thanksgiving.  But when Cape Cod Select sent me these gorgeous frozen cranberries, I was inspired and kept coming up with delicious ways to use them.  

See...gorgeous!  Fresh frozen right from the freezer when inspiration hits.

These little gems are delicious!  Flaky layers of puff pastry filled with homemade cranberry sauce and anything else that inspires you.  I made half of these with brie cheese and half with pork sausage.  My favorite were the cranberry brie bites, but the males in the family (which is everyone else) preferred the cranberry sausage bites.  Ok, more ideas please!  What else would you put in these?

These look and taste amazing, but they are really easy to make since you can buy frozen puff pastry from the grocery store.  Simply thaw dough according to package directions and cut into squares.  I cut each sheet of dough into three long sections and then cut each section into three squares making nine squares of dough from one sheet.  There are two sheets of dough in a box so you can make 18 cranberry puff pastry bites from one box of dough.  

Simply place a small slice of brie or a T. of cooked crumbled sausage on half of each dough square. Then top cheese or sausage with a spoonful of cranberry sauce.  Next you fold the puffed pastry over to make a small triangle and pinch edges to seal.  Bake until golden and serve warm.  

These delicious morsels are perfect for fall gatherings and I know it seems far away, but Christmas will be here before we know it.  

Cranberry Puff Pastry Bites:

Ingredients:
1 box frozen puffed pastry, thawed
1 small wedge brie cheese or 1/4 lb. cooked crumbled pork sausage
2 C. Cape Cod Select frozen cranberries
1/2 C. orange juice
1/3 C. real maple syrup
1/3 C. sugar

1. Bring Cape Cod Select cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, and sugar to a boil, stirring occasionally.  
2.  Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes until cranberries pop. 
3.  Cut puff pastry as instructed above (a pizza wheel works great)
4.  Place puff pastry squares on parchment lined baking sheet.
​5.  Simply place a small slice of brie or 1 T. of cooked crumbled sausage on half of each dough square. Then top cheese or sausage with a spoonful of cranberry sauce.  
6.  Next you fold the puffed pastry over to make a small triangle and pinch edges to seal.  
7.  Bake at 400 degrees F. for about 15 minutes until golden and serve warm.  

Use this store locator to find Cape Cod Select frozen cranberries in a store near you.  You can also order frozen cranberries from Cape Cod Select.

You can find Cape Cod Select on Social Media:
Facebook
Cape Cod Select Premium Cranberries
Instagram
@CapeCodSelect
Twitter
@CapeCodSelect
Pinterest
www.pinterest.com/capecodselect
​

Linking up at Inspire Me Monday

Disclosure:  I was compensated for this post. This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

For all of your greeting card needs head over to your local Dollar Tree store for the best deals on Hallmark cards.  While you're there take a look around the party supplies area too.  I always find great deals on gift wrapping and all the little things I need when planning a party.  You can also check out www.DollarTree.com  where everything's $1!  

Disclosure:  I received products to facilitate this post.  All opinions are honest and are my own.

It's that time of year again.  Time to start thinking about slow cookers and warm, comforting party food.  Tailgating season is upon us and it won't be long before the holiday season is too.  These delectable cranberry barbecue meatballs are perfect for entertaining!  

Delicious as an appetizer or the main course.  They will be the hit of the party or your family dinner.  My kids kept asking for "more meatballs, please".  We just harvested some sweet potatoes from the garden so I served the meatballs with mashed sweet potatoes and the cranberry barbecue sauce is so good on mashed sweet potatoes.  It's the perfect compliment of sweet and savory.  

To make the cranberry barbecue sauce I first make a simple cranberry sauce using Cape Cod Select frozen cranberries.  It's as simple as bringing cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, and a little sugar to a boil, then simmering for about 10 minutes until the cranberries pop.  

The best part other than how incredibly delicious these are is that you can use store bought frozen (thawed) or fresh meatballs.  I used store bought fresh turkey (Italian style) meatballs and they were amazing!  I used 2 lb. of meatballs and we only had 3 meatballs left after our four boys heartily devoured them.  If making for a party, I would make at least 3 lb., depending on how long the guest list is.  

Slow Cooker Cranberry Barbecue Meatballs

Ingredients:
2 C. Cape Cod Select frozen cranberries
1/2 C. orange juice
1/3 C. real maple syrup
1/3 C. sugar
1 C. barbecue sauce
2 to 3 lb. frozen (thawed) or fresh meatballs

1.  Bring Cape Cod Select cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, and sugar to a boil, stirring occasionally.  
2.  Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes until cranberries pop. 
3.  Place meatballs in a slow cooker.  
4.  Pour barbecue sauce and homemade cranberry sauce over the meatballs.
5.  Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.  

Use this store locator to find Cape Cod Select frozen cranberries in a store near you.  You can also order frozen cranberries from Cape Cod Select.

You can find Cape Cod Select on Social Media:
Facebook
Cape Cod Select Premium Cranberries
Instagram
@CapeCodSelect
Twitter
@CapeCodSelect
Pinterest
www.pinterest.com/capecodselect

Linking up at Inspire Me Monday

Hello old friend.  I can't believe it has been a month since I have written a blog post.  It has been a busy month.  I finished up another grad class, we went on a 12-day European vacation with extended family (I promise to share pictures!) and as soon as we got back, the kids started school and my husband was back to teaching at the University.  I actually had to go out and buy school supplies the day we returned.   Our vacation was amazing and it was really great spending so much time with family, but it has been a whirlwind of a month and I am glad to be home and back into a routine again. 

I just came up with this recipe Sunday.  I had some chicken thighs and I thought wild rice and cranberries sounded really good with chicken.  Turns out, it's a delicious combination and the slow cooker works really well with this.  

So this is not one of those easy dump everything into your crockpot recipes.  You have a few steps to follow, but these steps make it taste amazing and since you are cooking it in the slow cooker, you can do most of the work ahead of time.  

I am always on the lookout for interesting dishes for food photography so I was excited to bring back this pasta plate from the Delft factory in Holland.  We toured the factory, learned how they make the pottery and a little about the history and popularity of Delft pottery.  This plate is part of a new line they have that is supposed to be for everyday use.  It was still kind of expensive, but more affordable than traditional Delft pottery.  Traditional Delft pottery is much more elaborate with hand painted detail so it is more expensive, but I love that this piece is so simple.  My favorite part is the rough edges around the rim of the plate, giving it a rustic, modern look.  

​Enjoy the recipe!

Slow Cooker Chicken with Wild Rice and Cranberries
Serves: 6-8
Prep time 30 minutes or less
Slow cooker time 5-6 hours

Ingredients:
2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh ground salt and pepper
1/4 cup cooking sherry
3 cups vegetable broth
​2 cups wild rice blend (I use a blend with Texmati white, brown, wild, and red rice)
1 1/2 cups frozen cranberries

1.  In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat the butter and olive oil at a medium high heat.  
2.  Add diced onion and cook stirring for a few minutes to start to caramelize the onions.  
3.  Add chicken and garlic to the onions to lightly brown the chicken, turning it to brown both sides.  Salt and pepper while cooking on both sides.  
4.  Do not cook the chicken through, just brown it and then remove it to place it in a large slow cooker.   
5.  Turn the heat off the skillet.  Then add cooking sherry to the skillet to deglaze the pan and pour the onion/sherry mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker.  
6.  Next pour vegetable broth over the chicken in the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. 
7.  After cooking for 4 to 5 hours, add the rice and cranberries and continue to cook on low for another 45 minutes to an hour until rice is tender and cranberries are soft.  You can add more fresh ground salt when adding the rice if you like.  Make sure you wait until the end to add the rice and cranberries so they don't overcook and get mushy.  They need less than an hour to cook.  

​
Here is what it looks like in the slow cooker when done.  It is easy to serve.  Just scoop out large spoonfuls of chicken, rice, and cranberries.  

We have had a great season in the community garden so far this summer!  We have been so busy and traveled quite a bit that it has been challenging to use up or preserve all of our garden harvest.  Good problems, I know, but still challenging.  We have been able to share some of our surplus produce with friends which is always nice and it has been wonderful to see the boys working in the garden and realizing the fruits of their labor.  

I started making this Caprese pasta dish last summer when we had lots of cherry and grape tomatoes to use.  It is one of our favorite ways to use an abundant tomato harvest.  

I know that balsamic vinegar is an integral part of a good caprese salad, but I don't use it here and I still call this a caprese pasta because of the tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil, and olive oil.  You can always add a little balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze if you like, but it is good on it's own.  

We love this dish with all the wonderful flavors that compliment each other and the sweet Italian sausage is amazing, especially with fresh sweet basil.  You can use plain Italian sausage if you like, but we prefer the subtle sweetness of sweet Italian sausage which is more kid-friendly.  Our kids think regular Italian sausage is on the spicy side, but love the sweet.  

I have made this pasta dish with orzo and with ditalini pasta and both are delicious.  You could use any small pasta.  Here is a picture from a pan made with orzo and fresh cubed mozzarella.  

I have used fresh and frozen spinach when making this dish and don't think it makes a whole lot of difference.  Usually it comes down to what I have on hand.  

Enjoy this delicious summer pasta!  Need more meal ideas?  Here are a few of my favorite dishes for using fresh garden produce.  
​Stuffed Pepper Casserole
​Butternut Squash and Sausage Casserole
​Easy Weeknight Chicken Fajitas

Italian Sausage Caprese Pasta
 
Ingredients:
Olive Oil
1 lb. ground Italian Sausage (we like sweet Italian sausage)
8 oz. Ditalini or Orzo pasta
1 package 6 oz. fresh Spinach or 1 box 10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed
1/2 to 1 lb. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Cubed fresh mozzarella or shredded mozzarella
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh basil leaves, torn or sliced (optional)
 
1.  Heat a saucepan of water to boiling to make pasta.
 
2.  Heat skillet to medium.  Drizzle hot skillet with a little olive oil.  Brown Italian sausage in skillet until cooked through.
 
3.  While sausage is cooking, cook pasta according to package directions.  Once cooked, drain pasta. 
 
4.  Next add spinach to skillet (with sausage) to wilt.  If using thawed frozen spinach you can add it here too.  Add a drizzle of olive oil if needed.  Then add cooked pasta. 
 
5.  Stir in tomatoes and cook for a few minutes to soften the tomatoes slightly.  Salt and pepper to taste.
 
6.  Top with some fresh mozzarella or shredded mozzarella if you like.  
 
7.  Remove from heat and garnish with fresh basil leaves. 
 
 
 
 

Linking up at Create with Joy

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.

To be honest, I am usually not that happy with my hair.  I have tried all kinds of shampoos and conditioners over the years, some natural, some expensive salon products, and lots of average products from the drug store.  No matter what I use, my hair usually seems lackluster and frizzy.  In more recent years, I have been using more natural products, especially when pregnant and nursing. After trying several natural shampoos and conditioners and not getting the results I wanted, I went back to expensive salon brands.  They worked better for me, but still didn't give me the results I wanted.  

​

So ​apparently I have double chins when I take selfies, ha ha.  But in all seriousness, I have been very happy with Dessert Essence Anti-Breakage shampoo, conditioner, and hair mask.  I have been using Dessert Essence products for about a month and have noticed that my hair feels softer and is more manageable.  Even in the high humidity of June and July in Kentucky, I have noticed my hair looking shinier and less frizzy.  

A few years ago, after my second son was born I decided to stop coloring my hair, partly to save money and partly to avoid the chemicals in hair color.  To my surprise I really liked my natural color without hi-lights.  Now I am adding Dessert Essence natural shampoo and conditioner to my regular beauty routine for healthier, stronger hair.  

Dessert Essence Anti-Breakage products are infused with an exclusive blend of Country Life Maxi-Hair® plus Biotin, formulated with Keratin and Pro-Vitamin B5  to help reduce breakage up to 61%.  It is also rich in nourishing Jojoba and coconut oils, aloe, and saw palmetto, which smooth and fortify hair cuticles, and revitalize hair strands to minimize breakage. The botanical oils and radish seed extract provide incredible shine. The aloe and moisturizing shea butter in the Anti-Breakage Conditioner help detangle and condition hair.   

I love the Dessert Essence line and have used the smoothing products too.  They are all great products that I will continue to use for healthy, beautiful hair.  

Desert Essence Anti-Breakage Shampoo and Conditioner is available to purchase at Natural Grocers, Luckys Market, MOM’s Organic Market, and many other local natural food stores. To find Desert Essence Anti-Breakage Shampoo and Conditioner in your area, visit: desertessence.com/store-locator. 
​

Take 20% off Anti-Breakage and Smoothing Hair Care Products on desertessence.com with the promo code DELovesMomsMeet

When I think of summer food, I think of grilling and one of my favorite things to grill is kabobs.  I love kabobs because you can easily grill so many wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables along with flavorful morsels of meat.  

Our favorites are onion, pineapple, and cherry tomatoes, but you can use any combination you like. Another favorite is  mushrooms, red, yellow, or green peppers and onion.  Zucchini and squash rounds would also be delicious.  You could even try skewering small wedges of cabbage with onion, although they would probably take longer to grill.  

And the marinade!  Wow is it good!  A simple teriyaki made from just 5 ingredients, olive oil, honey, soy sauce, pepper, and garlic.  I love using honey in marinades.  It gives it just the right sweetness.  It takes a little longer to mix in the honey, but it is so worth it.  

Yuuuummm!  The flavors of summer slowly roasting on the grill.  What more could you want?  Maybe a glass of wine and a babysitter?  Sounds good to me!  

​Actually, one of the best things about grilling is eating on the patio.  When the kids are finished we usually let them play and we get a minute to ourselves to enjoy a glass of wine and a quiet moment together.  

 Honey Chicken Kabobs​
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
4-6 boneless chicken breast halves, cubed (Use as much or as little chicken as you need for your family. I would use approximately one chicken breast per person.)

An assortment of fruit and vegetables:  

Onion, cut into wedges
Mushrooms
Red, yellow, or green bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces
Canned or fresh pineapple chunks (I don't marinate pineapple)
Zucchini or squash rounds or chunks
Cherry tomatoes (I also don't marinate the tomatoes)

Metal or bamboo skewers (If using bamboo, soak them in water for a couple of hours before assembling.)

1. In a large zipper seal bag or covered container combine oil, honey, soy sauce, pepper, and garlic.

2. Add the chicken and vegetables and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours or more. 

3. Skewer the meat and vegetables.

4. Preheat the grill and lightly oil the grill grate.

5. Grill until chicken looks done and juices run clear.