Yucky 10.

30 Jan posted by

I don’t like a lot of foods.  Some are more common- like mushrooms, olives, raw onions.  Lots of people love them, lots of people hate them.  But some things I don’t eat seem to be everyone’s favorites but mine.  Here’s a list of my top ten icky foods.

  • Raisins.  I guess when I was little I ate them all the time, but now I really hate them.  Don’t put them in my bagels, cookies, or trail mix please.
  • Shrimp (and all other seafood really).  The only thing I’ll eat is a tuna sandwich and I have to be in the mood and there has to be a significant amount of mayo.
  • Fruit Pies.  Pumpkin and apple are the only exceptions.  Strawberry, cherry, lemon, blueberry- all gross.  I think it’s the mushy cooked fruit that turns me off.
  • Dr. Pepper/Mt. Dew.  I don’t know why so many people drink these two kinds of soda- they are both nasty to me.  Dr. Pepper tastes like carbonated prune juice and I don’t even know what Mt. Dew reminds me of.
  • Bananas.  I think it’s the texture and the stringy things.  I don’t have a problem with banana flavored stuff like candy or bread.
  • Hummus/Chickpeas.  I just don’t like the flavor.
  • Jelly. UGH.  It’s the squished fruit again.  I hate jelly.  I won’t eat jelly donuts, or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Nasty.  It reminds me of the flavor of cough syrup and that triggers my gag reflex.
  • Thin Mints/Peppermint Patties/any mint & chocolate combo.  Don’t you dare mess with my chocolate by adding toothpaste.
  • Sushi.  I know it’s seafood, and I covered that above, but so many people just adore it and the thought just grosses me out.  Not only is there fish, but there’s nasty sticky rice and icky seaweed.
  • Nutella.  I just don’t get it.  It’s so gross.  Yet there are like a million recipes pinned on Pinterest devoted to it and it’s got this cult-like following.

What foods do you hate that everyone else seems to love?

Nutella banana crepes- shudder. Just shoot me now.


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Filed Under: about me, food

Valentine’s Day BakePops!

28 Jan posted by

Right before Christmas, I was sent the BakePops pan- I’m sure you’ve seen the commercials.  Unfortunately with everything that was going on, I was unable to take the time to play with it until recently.

I’d tried making cake pops awhile back for Mia’s birthday without the pan, but it was a disaster!  They tasted great, but I could not get the pops to stay on the stick, especially when dipping them in the coating. It was really frustrating and I gave up.

I was excited to try the BakePops pan because not only are the cake balls uniformly sized, but the pan also comes with reusable sticks and they are shaped differently than the traditional lollipop sticks used and I think it really helps!

Super thick batter

I followed the instructions for the cake that came in the kit- they recommend using a box mix with some differences- add an extra egg, use about half of the water called for, and instead of actually using water, they suggest milk.  They also say it helps to add a box off instant pudding.  These changes make the batter nice and dense so that they stay on the sticks and dip easily.

The pan is actually two pans- this is the bottom one and the top is the other half of the circle.  The top also has holes in it, to allow extra cake to bake up and out.  There are also two little clips to keep the pans closed tight while baking.

After letting them cool, I melted some white chocolate and used it to anchor the sticks in the pops.  I just used a brick of baker’s chocolate and microwaved it, stirring every 30 seconds until it was melted.

Once the white chocolate hardened, I remelted it and began the dipping process.  I found using the baker’s chocolate MUCH easier than the Wilton’s candy melts that I’d tried to use last time.  It melted way better and it went on super smoothly.

On some of the pops, I added sprinkles right away, before the chocolate dried.  For others, I waited until it started to solidify and drizzled another color on to them.  I’d also melted some milk chocolate, so some pops were dipped in that.

The boys definitely approve and love them!


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Filed Under: 1featured, baking, food, Review

Playtime and After School Snacks #TysonGoodness #CBias

10 Jan posted by

It’s been a super mild winter here in North Carolina.  In fact, today it was 65 degrees out!  I had a doctor’s appointment, and Aaron took the boys for a walk in the wagon to the PX where he got their hair cut.  After their trek, they really could have used a nap since it was that time of the day- but they were so thrilled to be outside we just let them play for the rest of the afternoon.

There was some 4-wheeling, some soccer, and lots of playing with what used to be our little solar lights.  They love rearranging them and taking them apart.  At one point, they started pointing them at each other and yelling ‘pew pew!’ like they were weapons.  I know Aaron and I haven’t taught them that, it’s amazing what they’ll pick up.  And I am pretty sure they didn’t get it from watching Bubble Guppies!  I swear it’s ingrained in the male DNA.

We were outside so long that before we knew it, the girls were home from school!  Mia and Aaron went inside for a bit, but Lili, the twins and I stayed outside.  The boys decided it was hysterical to chase Lili around and around the yard.

With all the activity and early lunches, the kids were starving at about 3:30.  We decided they couldn’t weight for dinner, and could use an after school snack.  Aaron and Mia microwaved some Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwiches that we had picked up on a recent Walmart shopping trip.   In just a few minutes, all four  kid were happily snacking and sufficiently held over until dinner time.

Right now you can receive a $5 Walmart gift card when you purchase 2 packages of Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwiches.  You can find out the details about this offer by clicking here.  Just a quick  note though- not all Walmart store carry them, so double check on TysonGoodness.com to make sure yours does before you make the trip.  You can also follow the conversation on twitter by using #TysonGoodness.

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias


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Filed Under: 1featured, daily life, food, Kids, pics, spon

I can mash potato, I can do the twist

12 Dec posted by

Do you have any food prep mental blocks?  For example, despite how easy it is, I only seem to make green bean casserole for Thanksgiving.  Another food that suffers from the ‘holiday only’ curse for me is mashed potatoes.  They aren’t as infrequent as green bean casserole, but I tend to only make them on holidays and when we have meatloaf, despite the fact all of my family loves them.

Recently however, I was introduced to Bob Evans refrigerated mashed potatoes.  Microwaveable, they are made with real milk and butter, and taste just like homemade without all the peeling and boiling!  They are the perfect side dish solution to busy meal times.

The other night, we’d thrown some chicken breast and barbeque sauce into the crock pot and planned on serving it on hamburger buns for a quick easy meal.  We weren’t sure when we’d get home to eat it, which is why we decided on a crock pot meal.  However, we hadn’t even thought about sides.

But fortunately, we had a package of the Bob Evans Original Mashed Potatoes on hand, and we served them up along with a tossed salad.  The whole meal was a hit, and it was so simple and fast to prepare, thanks to the ease of the refrigerated microwaveable potatoes.  We found them perfectly seasoned, with no need to add any salt, pepper, or butter to make them tasty.

What quick, easy side dish staples does your family keep on hand?


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Filed Under: food, Review

The perfect gift for just about everyone on your list!

8 Dec posted by

This time of year is all about gift giving.  But sometimes it’s so hard to find an appropriate gift for someone- some people are just so hard to shop for.  While you could go the gift certificate route, sometimes it feels so impersonal.

A great gift that appeals to almost everyone is food- and when it’s packaged up nicely already for you, like with Hickory Farms gift baskets, it also saves you time!

Hickory Farms gift baskets are also an excellent item to keep on hand for a couple of reasons.  They are perfect to serve to company if you have unexpected guests.  Many don’t need refrigeration, so you can just store them until needed.  And because they are loved by so many, keeping a couple on standby for when someone gives you a present and you hadn’t expected it.

Right now, you can receive 3 day shipping for $3 from Hickory Farms, so it’s also a fantastic option for sending to out of town friends and family this holiday season.  They even offer free shipping on many of the gift boxes when shipped to an APO/FPO!  That means a lot to us military families!

Additionally, this holiday season Hickory Farms is donating $5 to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign when customers purchase the Party Planner gift box!  You can learn more about that by reading here.

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Hickory Farms and received a product sample to facilitate my review.


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Filed Under: food, spon
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