Hi everyone! Happy Holidays!

We are leaving in about an hour to catch a plane. We will be on that plane for what will feel like 3,145 hours. Normally such a trip requires Nate and I spending hours the night before getting movies and shows added to the iPads, stressing about storage space and who gets what shows. No longer…

Enter Netflix Downloads!

I am so excited about this new feature from Netflix that I am stopping my packing to spend 5 minutes telling you about it so those of you traveling can also partake. It is that awesome.

So, what is this download feature? Basically there are a bunch of titles on Netflix that you can download to your device to watch offline. Just make sure you have your Netflix app updated, then click on the navigation menu on the left of the screen. You’ll see two magic sections: “My Downloads” and “Available to Download.” Just click to see what is available, download the titles you want, then come back when the device is offline to watch! My kids are all busily choosing things to watch while I pack. It’s so much easier than Nate and I messing with the iPads for hours. Sweet relief! Also, the file sizes are about a quarter of the size of movies and shows that we normally store on the iPad through the regular “TV” app. Which means we’re not filling the devices in 2 seconds and the kids have more to choose from. This plane ride just got a lot shorter. 😉

Thank you, Netflix. Now, back to packing!

I have another guest post for you! AND it’s from another one of my favorite, funny friends AND she just so happens to be besties with Rachel, who is today’s other guest poster (which was totally coincidence). And she and I have the same name. And so do our husbands. So, what I’m saying is, this post is meant to be. Jane and I scoured her company’s  products and came up with this list of 7 amazing tabletop gifts that give back. (Click here to find out why Jane’s company To The Market is so awesome.) It’s time to spend money and make a difference!  Also, there are a few sale items and a secret discount buried in the post below, so get reading, clicking and shopping!

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The name Jane is the best name ever. My friend other Jane and I both share it. This post is about how we met on Ancestory.com.

HOLIDAY CHEER KIT ($40)

From the table to the tree, the holiday cheer kit is a festive holiday accessory. These cute little holly leaves are exactly what your table needs for that extra pick-me-up! These are made by artisans in Mexico.  This purchase helps the makers improve their lives, their children’s lives, and their communities through the dignity of work.  

HEART SHAPED WOODEN CUTTING BOARD (Regularly $40, Now $30 with custom TWFD code YUM10)

Who doesn’t love this heart shaped cutting board? Use it to cut your food on in the kitchen or to serve some tasty food during your holiday party! This was handmade in Guatemala and helps to employ vulnerable communities.

VANILLA HONEY CANDLE ($26.99)

A warm scented candle is an essential during the cold winter months and vanilla honey is a classic. These hand poured soy glass candles are made by vulnerable women in Chicago. This candle helps a young mom provide for her children by giving her the confidence to chase her dreams.

TAY IKAY TABLE RUNNER ($120)

Simple yet chic, this table runner is a clean statement piece. Go for an even bigger statement and add a white vase with some fresh flowers! This table runner is carefully handwoven and naturally dyed in Guatemala. This purchase supports sustainable livelihoods and traditional weaving.

OVERDYED KANTHA-STITCH PLACEMAT & NAPKIN SET IN CRANBERRY (Regularly $65, On Sale Cyber Monday for $45.50)

Deep rich cranberry is such a lovely color for this time of year and this placemat and napkin set will make your tableware pop! This is truly a unique set that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. Your dinner guests are guaranteed to love the detail of this sari napkin and placemat set made by women in India. A purchase of this table set helps women rediscover their dignity, independence, and creativity in a financially rewarding way.

SAFINA BANANA FIBER BASKET ($38)

This small basket can hold anything from fruit to bread to popcorn! This light neutral is not only a safe bet for the holidays, but it can be used year round for all kinds of gatherings. This basket is named after the sweet woman who makes it! She’s an uneducated HIV+ widow. Since becoming involved in basket weaving, her outlook has improved. She wants you to know “I love you very much. I reach out to say thank you for buying.”  We love her too!

HAND-PAINTED BATIK BONE BOTTLE OPENER ($22.99)

Made in Kenya, this hand-painted bottle opener is an ideal hostess gift  for your favorite bartender.  Pattern design vary for each piece, making this truly one of a kind!

Happy Shopping!

Hello! I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving filled with the best food! We did…and we’re still swimming in leftovers. My family has informed me they are done with Thanksgiving food, but I beg to differ. We shall see…

Today’s guest menu is fun and different than anything we’ve ever had on the blog. It comes from my friend Rachel Faucett, the founder of the blog and company Handmade Charlotte. Rachel and I initially bonded as roommates on the ONE-Heifer trip to Malawi I took a few years ago (here’s proof). My connection with Rachel is something for which I will be forever grateful. There is seriously no one on this planet like Rachel. She has boundless energy and creativity and is hysterical to boot. When I was asking friends if they wanted to write a guest menu for my blog, she was the first to jump in, immediately responding with ideas and inspiration for dinners, crafts and music. I told her to run with it and now here we are. Grab yourself a cup of coffee, sit down, and enjoy a trip through Rachel’s meal planning brain, which is unlike any meal planning trip you will ever take.  Thank you, Rachel, for creating a menu that is just so you.

MONDAY

EAT:

This ricotta ravioli looks so beautiful and so deliciously inviting!

SURF:

I adore this Sailing Ship Kite! I think I may try to sail away to Neverland on it. Will you join me?

GROOVE:

Chill out to Yo La Tengo – My Little Corner Of The World while you enjoy your delicious dinner.

MAKE:

This is such a great fall crafting project.

FLIP:

Flip through this cool magazine.

VIBE:

All good vibes here! http://butdoesitfloat.com/

TUESDAY

EAT:

Soup meets glorious bread bowl in this brilliant combo!

STYLE:

WOW! I’m in love with everything from this shop!

MAKE:

How fun and adorable! Let’s make these hair ties with Lunch Lady magazine!

WEDNESDAY

EAT:

Dinner is a walk in the garden with these gorgeous pizzas!

MAKE:

J’adore everything about these DIY Parisian Dolls!

DIG IT:

We love everything about Winter Water Factory and painted our studio a pattern from their fall collection!

GROOVE:

Listen to Come On, Come Over by Jaco Pastorius

THURSDAY

EAT:

Order in from your fave take out place!

MAKE:

Sew Patches All Over Your Clothes! Check out these Etsy finds:

• Fruits
• Carousel Horse
• Sequin Owl

FRIDAY

EAT:

Mix it up and eat breakfast for dinner under your table! Try these awesome Fried Eggs and Garlic Toast and this Potato Skillet Bake! And for dessert? This Blackberry Slab Pie will be gone in seconds.

WATCH:

Watch silly home videos, or make some new ones!

MAKE:

Draw silly pictures. Can you sketch a silly portrait of your siblings or parents?

SATURDAY

EAT:

Nosh on these melt in your mouth grilled pimento cheese sammys!

MAKE:

Rock out with these DIY Rock Candy Magnets!

GROOVE:

Get your groove on with this cool Putumayo jam!

SUNDAY

EAT:

Make some Stuffed Butternut Squash for dinner!

MAKE:

Marbled Mugs! One for each person in the family! Fill them with Hot Cocoa afterwards!

GET COZY;

Fill your crafted mugs with the most amazing Hot Chocolate ever!

AS USUAL…please share your dinner plans in the comments! And, in honor of Rachel, share something that inspires you in addition to food!

I love it when Thanksgiving is a little early because then there’s more time in between Thanksgiving and Christmas but HOLY CRAP HOW IS IT ONLY ONE WEEK UNTIL THANKSGIVING?

Just letting you know I’ve tagged all of my Thanksgiving goodness on the blog. Simply click HERE to scroll through it all. You’ll find all kinds of goodness, including from-scratch green bean casserole that is to die for, cranberry slush, SERIOUSLY THE BEST WAY TO COOK TURKEY EVER and so much more. (Did I mention the turkey? Oh, yeah, okay, I did, but really, check out my turkey roasting technique.)

Happy Thanksgiving prepping!

Happy Monday! Now that the week is started I think we need a dinner plan!

This week our meal plan comes from Katie Goodman Kick from the food blog Good Life Eats. When I very first started this blog, Katie was one of my earliest and most loyal weekly commenters, always sharing her menus and great ideas. She has since built her own beautiful food space on the Internet with her blog Good Life Eats. Katie is talented and I love the recipes she shares – delicious but approachable and with ingredients that I regularly use. This week’s menu is a great example: Katie shared a ton of awesome recipes with us, and yet the ingredients list is not overwhelming. That’s my kind of cooking. Katie is a sweetheart (she once carefully brought a giant bag of homegrown tomatoes from her garden on the plane for me!) and I am so happy to be able to share her awesome meal plan with you this week. Thank you, Katie!

MONDAY:
– Italian Sausage and Kale Soup
– Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day
– Salad

TUESDAY:
– Honey Mustard Chicken
– Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Balsamic
– Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlic

WEDNESDAY:
– Fall Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin with Honey Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
– Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

THURSDAY:
No kids home – Date Night! Here are a couple of our favorite places to go!
– Community
– 24 Carrot Bistro

FRIDAY:
– Homemade Build Your Own Pizza Night (click the link for tips for making totally awesome pizza at home)
– Italian Mixed Greens Salad with Prosciutto and Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
– Easy Homemade Fudgy Brownies with Caramel Sauce

SATURDAY:
– Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Chile Gravy Sauce (with Crockpot Mexican Chicken and Guacamole)

SUNDAY:
– Indian Butter Chicken
– Homemade Naan
– Salad

Click here or on the image above for a FREE printable PDF of this week’s menu, complete with recipe links and ingredients list.

You know the drill! Share your own dinner plans in the comments! We need your great ideas!

Happy Sunday! It is finally feeling like fall here in San Diego, just in time for a perfect Halloween with the kids! Today I’m making apple pie with Anna (using apples shipped by my mother-in-law from New Hampshire!) and all in all getting into the autumn spirit.

I have another guest menu for you this week. Barbara Schieving from the food blogs Barbara Bakes and Pressure Cooking Today is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. She was one of the first people to read my blog and was always so kind of supportive. It has always made me happy that she also jumped into food writing. She’s just plain awesome. Here second cookbook The Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook comes out very soon on November 14. Click here to learn more about the book and if you want to pre-order the book, click here! The new book includes 50 of the most popular recipes on her blog as well as 150 new recipes you can only get in the book. So excited about your book launch, Barbara! Congratulations!

Barbara has created a great weekly menu for us, including a BUNCH of her favorite pressure cooker recipes. Seriously, if you’ve been wanting to get more into pressure cooking, Barbara is an amazing resource and this week’s menu is a great launching point!

MONDAY:
– Potato Cheese Soup  (Click here for a FB video of the recipe!)

TUESDAY:
– Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Rice

WEDNESDAY:
– Lighter Chicken Parmesan

THURSDAY:
– Grilled Chicken and Couscous

FRIDAY:
–Beef and Broccoli  (Click here for a FB video of the recipe!)

SATURDAY:
– Spicy Chicken Soup

SUNDAY:
–BBQ Baby Back Ribs (Click here for a FB video of the recipe!)
– Potato Salad (Click here for a FB video of the recipe!)
– Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Okey, dokey, you guys know the drill…time for YOU to share your dinner plans for the week in the comments! Can’t wait to see what you’ve all got cooking!

Click here or on the image above for a free printable PDF of this week’s menu, including links to recipes and the ingredients list!

Have a great week everyone!

Happy Halloween Week!

I have another guest menu for you today, this time from Robyn Stone of the food blog Add A Pinch. I’ve known Robyn for years and love every chance I get to see her in person. She is the sweetest, but she is also an excellent food writer to boot! Robyn’s work has been featured in Southern Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Redbook, and online at the Huffington Post and Food Network. Robyn’s cookbook, Add a Pinch: Easier, Faster, Fresher Southern Classics, was published in 2017 and it is beyond lovely, filled with delicious and approachable recipes. Robyn lives in Georgia with her husband, Bart, their son, Sam, and their two golden retrievers, Ranger and Annabelle. I can’t wait to share Robyn’s menu with you today. Here you go!

MONDAY:
– Cashew chicken
– Broccoli

TUESDAY:
– Halloween Soup Buffet

WEDNESDAY:
– Skillet Lasagna (Recipe can be found in Robyn’s beautiful cookbook!)
– House salad

THURSDAY:
– Sheet pan teriyaki salmon with green beans

FRIDAY:
– Shrimp scampi

SATURDAY:
– Leftovers!

SUNDAY:
– Pulled pork sandwiches
– Coleslaw
– Classic pound cake

I am loving this menu from Robyn, so many wonderful ideas and surprisingly simple recipes. Thank you so much, Robyn! Click here or on the image above for a free printable PDF of this week’s menu and ingredients list!

You all know the drill! SHARE YOUR MENUS! Please pretty please! We don’t care how fancy or simple your dinner plans are, share no matter what!

Have a great week! Happy Halloween!

Hello, friends. I have a veritable grab bag of things to share with you today, including a recipe, deodorant, Netflix and car talk. Yes, totally random. But also fun! 😉 Let’s start with the food!

Pumpkin Spice Butter Spread + Homemade Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

Last week LAND O LAKES treated me to a surprise package, complete with a shiny new Chemex coffee maker and everything I needed to make Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer using their Limited Batch Pumpkin Spice Butter Spread. We are loving the Pumpkin Spice Butter (seriously, I had to cut Cate off…she would have eaten a loaf’s-worth of toast just to consume the butter), so I felt like I needed to tell you about it! Plus, I did in fact make the Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer and it was delicious. I am now sharing the recipe with you!

Show and Tell, Grab Bag Edition! Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer, Deodorant, Netflix Birthday Fun & Car Envy

 

Print

Author: LAND O LAKES

Ingredients

• ½ cup half & half
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons LAND O LAKES Pumpkin Pie Spice Butter Spread

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Microwave, stirring occasionally, 30-45 seconds or until butter spread is melted and sugar is dissolved.
2. Beat with hand mixer for 90 seconds or until mixture is frothy. (Note: I whisked by hand.)
3. Store in refrigerator in a container with a tight-fitting lid up to 1 week. Shake well before each use.

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Native Natural Deodorant

Years ago I wanted to switch to natural deodorant but had a bad experience (read: Hello, Stinky Lady!) and gave up. but the fact I’ve been smearing aluminum on my body every day for over 30 years has always nagged at me. Well, my sister-in-law Cora recently demanded that I try Native deodorant. She was insistent. She pretty much made me buy it. Well, I must admit that I am grateful Cora was so bossy! I LOVE NATIVE. So, so, so, so much. I have the Coconut & Vanilla, Coconut & Shea and Apricot & Peach scents and I love them all. Note: the scents are seasonal, so a few of those flavors aren’t currently available, but there are a bunch of new ones that sound great!

Why do I love Native so much?

• First and foremost, the deodorant actually works. I have less body odor than I did with anti-perspirant and my clothes are picking up less scents, too. Cora (and the website) said that I would need about 2 weeks for my body to adjust and for the deodorant to work well. I started using the deodorant during a heat wave and loved it from Day One. But please, if you try it, give it at least 2 weeks to kick in (in case you are not lucky like I was). Also, if you need to freshen up later in the day, just re-apply and magically things smell better.
• Native’s customer service is amazing. AMAZING. I originally ordered the summer scent pack and did not like the floral scent that came with it. Native made an exchange beyond easy. Plus, even before needing customer service support, I loved their email communications. They do a great job every step of the way
• I really like the scent options they have. The deodorant just plain smells good without being overpowering.
• For those with baking soda allergy, they also have a sensitive version that does not contain baking soda.

I must admit I thought it was a little funny how excited Cora was about her deodorant. I mean, how can someone be that happy about deodorant. But here I am. On the Native bandwagon and happy to be here. I’m in all the way! Thanks, Cora!

Netflix Birthday Fun!

Did you hear about the new birthday messages for kids on Netflix? They launched the birthday messages just in time for Owen’s birthday last month and he loved them. Owen’s birthday party involved taking eight 5- and 6-year-old boys to the LEGO Ninjago movie, followed up with a dinosaur cake at the park. Having the LEGO Ninjago friends and the Dinotrux friends sending birthday wishes his way totally made Owen’s day!

To find the messages, simply type “birthday” or “birthdays” into your Netflix search bar and all 15 birthday message video options will appear. Definitely a cute way to kick off your little one’s special day!

Why I Wish We Weren’t So Frugal and Had Bought a New Prius

Nate has been driving a Prius for over 3 years and has been very happy with it. When his lease was up this past spring, we decided to be frugal and buy the car he was driving rather than start a new lease with the latest Prius. I was perfectly happy with that decision until 3 months later when Toyota lent us a new 2017 Prius for our east coast trip. I love the new Prius. We shouldn’t have been so responsible after all! What were we thinking? 😉 I am grateful I had the chance to try the Prius out for a month (thanks, Toyota!), but now I totally have Prius envy. Here are a few of the things I loved about the car:

• The car basically drives itself. The radar cruise control works beautifully. I used it ALL THE TIME. For example, when we drove from Cape Cod to New Hampshire, I followed my sister-in-law using cruise control. The system detects the speed of the car in front of you and adjusts accordingly, so Jess was basically doing all the driving. There is also a lane departure alert system, pre-collision and pedestrian detection system, and the car can park itself.
• Even better gas mileage. I got over 50 miles per gallon the entire trip.
• For such a small car, there  is a ton of storage. The back is roomy, and there is a net you can use to store smaller items. The storage was great for short and long trips alike.
• I’ve mentioned this before about Toyota, but I love their remote lock system. It’s just awesome.
• There was also a spot for doing that fancy cordless phone charging. My phone doesn’t have that capability, but I was sure wishing it did! I also like how the middle console is set up better in the new Prius versus previous models.
• The navigation system worked better than my Google maps app on my phone. Impressive! And the car told me what the speed limit was at any given time, which is especially handy on those east coast back roads!
• The one thing I did not love was the SofTex synthetic leather seat material. It is more eco-friendly than other synthetic leather materials and does not use any animal-based material, but if I had to choose I would go with fabric or real leather. I just didn’t love the feel of the seats or how they looked when inevitably sand and other stuff got into the seams.

Phew! I think that’s all I have to share for today. As usual, Show & Tell is for the whole class! Feel free to chime in with your own finds and recent loves in the comments!

Please note: I have a relationship with Netflix as a member of the Stream Team, which means they don’t pay me a dime but do send me cool fun stuff occasionally. Toyota provided me with the Prius for our trip. Land O Lakes provided me with product. I have no official relationship with Native deodorant.

Hello! It’s time for another weekly menu already? Where do the weeks go???

This week’s guest menu planner is Cadry Nelson. Cadry is the writer, photographer and recipe creator behind Cadry’s Kitchen, a vegan food & lifestyle blog. Cadry makes vegan eating approachable and incomplicated with her wonderful recipes and weekly videos. Plus, she is hilarious. Cadry is one of those people I really wish lived in my neighborhood so we could hang out all the time and just laugh and laugh. Anyway, I was really hoping Cadry would say yes when I asked her to pull together a weekly menu because I think it’s super cool to mix things up with some vegan recipes. Seriously, though, how delicious does her menu look?

MONDAY:
– 3-Bean Chili

TUESDAY:
– Artichoke Pesto Pasta with Roasted Chickpeas

WEDNESDAY:
– Bulgogi Tofu Bowls

THURSDAY:
– Taco Pizza

FRIDAY:
– Double Hummus Wraps
– Israeli Couscous Salad

SATURDAY:
– Taco Salad with Spicy Black Beans

SUNDAY:
– Mini Vegetable Pot Pie
– Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Cadry, thank you so much for sharing some of your favorite vegan recipes with us!

Click here or on the image above to download a free PDF of this week’s dinner plan and ingredients list. 

You know the drill – share your menus in the comments, vegan or not! 😉 Have a great week!

Owen’s birthday was last week and I have yet to share his birthday cake with you all. I love making fun birthday cakes for my kids and my kids really look forward to planning out their cake each year. For his 6th birthday, Owen decided he wanted a dinosaur birthday party. He and I sat down and scrolled through Pinterest together to find the perfect dinosaur birthday cake. Owen picked out a few options, kept changing his mind about which cake he wanted, and then learned about chocolate candy that looks like rocks. Once he knew that candy existed he was hooked on making what turned out to be the easiest dinosaur birthday cake ever. Thanks, Owen!

So, how do you make the easiest dinosaur birthday cake ever?

1. Make a 2-layer round cake. Frost with chocolate frosting. Be generous with the frosting, especially on the top as those dinosaurs need a nice layer of mud to sink their feet into so they can stay standing!
2. Buy chocolate candy that looks like rocks/pebbles. (I found the candy at Cost Plus World Market. They have pebble candy on Amazon, too, although the candy at Cost Plus were cuter and cheaper.)
3. Place said candy on top of the cake.
4. Pick out 3 of your child’s toy dinosaurs, stick them on top of the cake. (Dinosaurs should be relatively small – the big ones tip over.)
5. YOU ARE DONE. You’re welcome.

I used Matthew Mead’s chocolate cake recipe, which you can find at the end of this blog post. I made a chocolate buttercream frosting for the outside of the cake – recipe below!

Click here for the the inspiration for this cake!

Click here for the other easy dinosaur birthday cake idea (hello, cutest fossils ever) that I was totally trying to get Owen to choose. I had him convinced for about 2 hours, but then that rock candy ruined everything. Except it didn’t because Owen’s cake was super awesome.

That’s Owen’s “I knew the rock candy cake would be as cute as the fossil cake, Mom” face.

Here is how I made the chocolate buttercream frosting. Once again, people who usually do not like cake loved my cake. These recipes are winners. Also, use HIGH QUALITY cocoa powder. I’m telling you it makes a difference. Promise.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

 

Print

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) salted butter, room temperature
• ⅔ cups cocoa powder
• 6-7 cups powdered sugar
• 6-8 tablespoons milk or cream

Instructions

1. Beat butter with a mixer (I use my KitchenAid with the paddle attachment).
2. Using a fine mesh sieve, add the cocoa powder to the butter. (The sieve prevents the cocoa from getting lumpy.)
3. Gradually work in the powdered sugar, alternating with the milk/cream and beating well after each addition. I put a range for the powdered sugar and milk/cream measurements. Start with 6 cups and 6 tablespoons each, then add more powdered sugar if the frosting is too thin, or more milk/cream if it is too thick. Frosting should be a spreading consistency that still holds its shape.

Notes

This makes enough frosting for a 2-layer 8- or 9-inch cake, with a little leftover.

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