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Great Gift Ideas From Best Buy This Christmas

December 5, 2014 by amy 16 Comments

I am not completely sure that I have processed the fact that it is already time for CHRISTMAS! Have you? I guess whether I’ve processed it or not, I have to get ready for it. And I’m ok with that, because I LOVE Christmas. The magic and joy that it brings to everybody’s heart. The cookies and milk. Cocoa by the fire. It’s all so cozy and warm and it’s hard to be down during the holidays.

However, with all that said, it can be stressful figuring out what to get everyone. There is some good stuff out there this year. It keeps getting better and better doesn’t it? From the tablets to the coolest new toys for the kiddos, there is so much to choose from. And I am a big fan of shopping online. I like going into stores to get my hands on things and hold them. Read their box and all that fun stuff. But there is something to be said about sitting on my couch in my pj’s with a cup of coffee and having my purchase shipped to me!

If you’re still working on some ideas for gifts, I have got some awesome ideas for you! Best Buy always has the latest and greatest gift ideas and at at an affordable price.

Hang onto your seat while I stun you with a few killer gift ideas..

With Expert Service and Unbeatable Price these top gifts are on my list this Holiday and here’s why they should be on yours:

Xbox ONE

Xbox One is the place for games.

What is Xbox One?

Xbox One was built by gamers, for gamers. With the best exclusive titles (Halo, Sunset Overdrive), the biggest blockbusters (Assassin’s Creed and Call of Duty) the hottest sports franchises (Madden 15, FIFA 15, NBA 2K15) and top family titles (Fantasia: Music Evolved, Just Dance 15, Skylanders) Xbox One takes gaming to a whole new level.

In addition to being a great gaming console, Xbox one connects consumers unlike any other device. Xbox One enables access to the latest TV shows and movies through your favorite apps. With Xbox One all of your media is at your fingertips when you want it.

Many of the bundles are $50 off right now and on sale. Perfect time to check them out! Find all the Xbox One deals here.

JBL Speakers and Headphones

JBL Charge 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

These are definitely on my list. Between the twin passive radiators for deep bass, the massive 6000mAh battery and the hands-free conference speakerphone the key benefit is the Bluetooth Social Mode which allows up to three different users to take their turns to play their own playlists on a single speaker.

You can use these anywhere! Take them outside when you’re washing the car. Take them to the beach when you’re getting your tan on. Set it out during your Christmas party. My portable speakers are a must these days.

JBL Flip 2 Wireless Portable Stereo Speaker

Aside from the dual performance-tuned JBL drivers and a built-in bass port, the key benefit of the JBL Flip 2 is the SoundClear echo and noise cancellation combined with the state-of the art microphone system to pick up calls on the speaker.

Such an awesome gift idea. I hope my hubby is reading this. I really want one of these! 🙂

JBL Reflect Earbud Headphones

Now THESE are cool. You can walk up to 40 FEET away from your device while wearing these. Sweat proof ergonomic design. With a 5 hour rechargeable battery and a reach of about 40 feet, the JBL Reflect BT’s key benefit is the design of the ergonomic eartips along with the built-in magnets which keep your buds on standby without loose cables.

Find all of the JBL holiday gift ideas at Best Buy here.

Garmin and TomTom

Both Garmin and TomTom have some stellar GPS options. Perfect for a gift this holiday season. Who DOESN’T want to not get lost? Ok, that is a bit confusing sounding. Who WANTS to not get lost? Oh, you know what I mean…

There are 3 GPS devices that I want to highlight for you. Each has it’s own specs. Check them out below.

Garmin 52LM

5.0” display
Maps of 49 U.S. states, plus lifetime map updates1
Lane assist with junction view
Displays speed limit and accurate arrival time
Easily find addresses and millions of points of interest
Spoken turn-by-turn directions

Garmin 2597LMT

5.0” display
Maps of 49 U.S. states, plus lifetime map updates1
Lane assist with junction view
Displays speed limit and accurate arrival time
Easily find addresses and millions of points of interest
Spoken turn-by-turn directions

TomTom Go 50s

Lifetime TomTom Traffic: Drive with TomTom Traffic for the lifetime of your device
Lifetime Maps (US, Canada, Mexico): Always drive with the latest map
3D Maps. See buildings and landmarks in stunning 3D
5″ touchscreen with advanced lane guidance

You can find all the Garmin and TomTom GPS devices at Best Buy here.

I’m still crossing my fingers hoping that my hubby is reading this. After all, it’s #HintingSeason! Be sure to check out Best Buy!

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

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Filed Under: Deals and Coupons, Holiday, Sponsored Tagged With: Best Buy, Best Buy deals, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Speakers, Christmas Gift Ideas, Gift Ideas, Gifts, GPS, Headphones, Speakers

#DisneyKids Preschool Playdate!

November 17, 2014 by amy 5 Comments

I received free products in order to host the Disney Kids Preschool Playdate. The opinions are 100% my own.

Now that school is back in session, playdates are at an all-time low. At least around here. Even if my preschooler isn’t going to school tomorrow, her sister is and that makes it a school night. My youngest doesn’t need school as an incentive to waking up early though. Noooooo, she wakes up like clockwork around daybreak. Keeps mommy on her toes!

…and full of coffee!

My preschooler, most of the time, is very independent. But she really likes to be around others. She likes to pretend with others and do puzzles. She likes to read books. You know what else she likes?

Princesses!

I was recently chosen to host a Disney Side Disney Kids Preschool Playdate and I was stoked. I’m sure that my little one would have been too, but I chose to keep it a secret until the very day of! This turned out to be a fantastic decision. She was completely surprised!

I was sent a HUGE box of amazing Disney decorations, treats, and fun for the kiddos to enjoy. This was her with the Kinetic Sand. This stuff is SO cool y’all.

It’s kinetic meaning it sticks to itself and not to you! It oozes, moves and melts right before your eyes. It flows through your fingers like a slow-moving liquid, but leaves them completely dry. Kinetic Sand stimulates children’s creative skills allowing them to create anything they can imagine over and over again. Kinetic Sand never dries out and is gluten free. This soft and stretchy sand easily cleans up while delivering non-stop fun! It’s squeezable sand you can’t put down. Feel the difference with Kinetic Sand! Made for kids ages 3+

I must admit that I had almost more fun with it than her, but I promise I shared.

They couldn’t stay away! It’s so smooth and molds to whatever shape you want to make. And the Kinetic thing, it’s awesome. To watch it ooze out of your hand and fall it’s almost therapeutic.

With the majority of decor we received being Sophia The First, I decided to make these cupcakes to match! Knowing that these were preschoolers, I decided to go easy on the frosting, keeping naptimes in mind.

They turned out cute, didn’t they!

By the time that I unpacked all the goodies, it looked like a grand princess affair! All the kiddos were so excited and their eyes lit up when they walked in to find this waiting on them. It was magical!

We did a few fun activities that were provided and they loved this “Which Disney Junoir Character Are You” Fortune Teller game. The name says it all. Guess who I was EVERY time? Handy Manny! The girls were so happy when they got Sophia The First!

We also made an edible craft! Which when you’re this with preschoolers, you should know that there is more edible-ness happening than crafting. We used licorice laces as the string and Lifesaver Gummies and Froot Loops as beads. They suggested mini marshmallows, but we couldn’t make those work.

So we just ate them!

Here’s my sweetie and her bracelet! (Eaten seconds later)

As if they needed more sugar, we breaked for snack time! I was provided with these cute Disney Princess placemats which helped to keep cupcake crumbs contained.

After snack time, we all put on our tiaras and played Twirling Tiaras. It’s basically a freeze dance where you play music and freeze when the music stopped. It was so much for everyone that we had to play twice!

We had an incredible time at our #DisneyKids Preschool Playdate y’all. Much needed for my preschool princess. She is still reeling from the fun she had and still plays with her Kinetic Sand and Mega Bloks toy!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

This post was brought to you on behalf of Walt Disney World Resort and MomSelect. All opinions expressed are 100% mine. I was provided with free product in exchange for this post.

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Filed Under: Blog Stuff, Party Ideas, Reviews, Sponsored Tagged With: #DisneyKids, Disney, Disney Preschool Playdate, Disney Side, DisneySide, Playdate, Preschool, Preschool Playdate

More Love For Your Loyalty!

October 21, 2014 by amy Leave a Comment

This post brought to you by Luvs®. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Pennywise Cook.

Luvs_logo_zps3ce3f248

Let’s cut the crap. Or contain it anyways. Like inside a diaper. A good one.

I remember when I was a new mom I had absolutely NO clue what a good diaper was. There were so many brands, price points, absorbency options, sizes, stretches, and the list goes on. How in the world is a mom really supposed to pick a brand? For me it all came down to 2 things:

1) Price. You know me. I’m all about the best quality at the best price.

2) Quality. That’s something that you just can’t skimp on when it comes to diapers. I mean, who wants to be awoken in the middle of the night with a screaming baby who is flooded in pee? Not me!

So with those two things in mind, I obviously went to the experts to help me decide. It wasn’t commercials. It wasn’t coupons. It wasn’t my baby book that suggested a great diaper. It was OTHER MOMS! They are the ones deep in the diaper-changing trenches trying them all out to find what works for them. Most of the ones that I talked with agreed that Luvs® were the best! They ticked both of my boxes. That’s where my luuuuuuuv for Luvs® began. I became what you might call a loyal Luvs® lover. Both of my girls are Luvs® babies. They are super absorbent. No joke. We have had some doozies at my house. For real.

What about you? Have you tried Luvs® before?

Do you know about The Luvs® Club Loyalty Program? Well, let me just tell you about it in case you haven’t!

It’s FREE to join.
Members receive the latest Luvs® offers and savings (coupons!).
They also have baby-related news, helpful tips, and articles for your parenting enjoyment and info.
You will be entered into the Luvs® Club Sweepstakes for a chance to win a $1000 gift card!

I signed up and it took me literally about a minute! Register for the #LuvsClub so that you can be entered the Luvs® Club Sweepstakes and be entered for a chance to win a $1000 gift card! Think about all the diapers you could buy with that.

The drawing will be held April of 2015.

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Filed Under: Mommyhood, Sponsored Tagged With: absorbent, babies, baby, diapers, loyalty programs

Family Christian Dress Like A Veggie Event

October 18, 2014 by amy 1 Comment

I cook with them quite often, but I must admit that I’ve never dressed like one. If the “you are what you eat” thing were true, I would most definitely be an edamame bean.

Or a cob of corn.

Or broccoli.

Honestly, I would probably be a new breed of veggie. Like a tomcobbrocame. This would be pronounced: Tom-cob-broc-ah-may. I’m so good at this that I could start a new language. Veggie language! YES!

Let’s move on shall we?

I know you guys are always looking for a good deal and also for a FREEBIE so I wanted to share this awesome contest happening through Family Christian stores! This may take some creativity so put your thinking caps on.

We are huge VeggieTales fans around here. I have been since I was young. I sound like an old fart referring to when I was young, don’t I? I’ve been a fan for a long time, but not too long if you know what I mean. ANYWHO! Family Christian is proud to announce their Dress Like A Veggie Event at ALL of their locations!

Here are the details:

When: Friday, October 31st 2014
Where: At ALL Family Christian Stores (find a location near you)
What to do: Dress like a veggie, take a photo in-store, post it to their Twitter and/or Instagram using the hastag #FCVeggies and tagging @FamilyChristian

The grand prize winner will receive a $250 gift card to Family Christian. FIVE runner ups will receive $50 appreciation certificates.

Your child does NOT have to dress like a VeggieTales veggie, just any veggie to qualify. You must have at least ONE child dressed up to enter the contest.

And ALL children that stop by during the Dress Like A Veggie Event will receive small goodies!

You can find some great costume inspiration on this Pinterest board. I know you guys are creative so see what you can come up with! This is so exciting, I know my girls are going to be stoked.

They’ve always wanted to dress up like a cucumber you know…they just never knew it.

This post is written by me on behalf of myself and Family Christian Stores. All opinions expressed are 100% mine.

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Filed Under: Deals and Coupons, Freebies, Kid-Friendly, Random Blurbs, Sides and Vegetables, Sponsored Tagged With: christian, Family Christian, veggie, Veggies, veggietales

Fun and Easy Crafts With Olives!

September 10, 2014 by amy 1 Comment

My oldest has only recently figured out that she likes black olives. It was by mistake that she realized that she did, but I’ll take what I can get. She grabbed a big handful of “grapes” only to come tell me “momma, those aren’t grapes”. Thanks honey for letting me know. I fully expected her to leave them on my plate while saying the everso common “I don’t liiiiiiiike it”. To my surprise, she ate every one of them. Small victories people. Small victories.

I haven’t done just a lot to foster her new relationship with black olives, but somehow it’s blossomed. She now gets them on her sub sandwiches and even requires them on her pizza. I just grin ear to ear when I hear her telling anyone about her love for olives. My husband can hardly believe it.

I got to pick up some California Ripe Olives in order to create to super duper cute little characters. I was just thrilled at how easy and adorbs they turned out. But I honestly think that the very best part was eating the creations. There is just something about cheese and olives man. A match made in hors d’oeuvres heaven. The versatile California Ripe Olive is the ideal ingredient for home chefs and food artists. Not that I consider myself a chef or a food artist even, but they are pretty versatile and are something easy I can add to most meals.

California Ripe Olives are kid-friendly and the perfect option for creating tasty and creative food art for the back to school season. Think about lunch boxes and after school snacks. How cute would it be to put one of these little bumble bees in your kiddos lunch box? Sweet surprise at the lunch table. These may have been my favorite olive creatures.

California Ripe Olives provide a pop of color, texture, and flavor to a variety of dishes—including fun and delicious food art. Like these penguins for instance. Kids won’t even realize that they are eating healthy! These little guys were so easy to make and even tastier to eat! California Ripe Olives are the perfect pantry staple. They are good right out of the can, but mixing it up with little guys like this makes them even more fun.

California Ripe Olives are grown on over 1,000 multigenerational family farms that crisscross the warm inland valleys of California and processed by two family-owned canneries. I love knowing that what I’m feeding my family came from just another family. There’s just some kinda comfort that I get from family-owned companies. Aren’t these little spiders so cute? Perfect for Halloween since it’s just right around the corner!

There is a nifty sweepstakes happening and you’ll want to enter before it’s too late! The California Ripe Olives Back-To-School Sweepstakes runs August 18- September 12th. Follow California Ripe Olives on Facebook, visit the custom tab, and enter once per day for the chance to win an Amazon Kindle Fire HDX!

Want to make the cute little olive art from above? Here’s how:

California Ripe Olives Spiders

2014-09-10 13:43:58

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Ingredients

California Ripe Olives
Cream Cheese
Round Crackers

Instructions

Spread a little cream cheese (or dip of your choice) onto a cracker.
Cut an olive in half and place one half on the cream cheese.
Using a knife, cut the other half into 8 small thin pieces.
Place the small pieces around the "body" olive on the cracker.
Tah-dah!

Notes

This one is super easy and they taste amazing! Perfect for Halloween!

Pennywise Cook http://www.pennywisecook.com/

California Ripe Olives Penguins

2014-09-10 13:41:39

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Ingredients

California Ripe Olives
1 Big Carrot, sliced
Cream Cheese

Instructions

Cut a small wedge out of the carrot and set aside.
Cut an olive just to the middle creating a small gap. Fill with cream cheese.
Take your small carrot wedge and poke it into a new olive.
Assemble your penguin but sticking a toothpick first down the olive with the beak (carrot wedge), then through the cream cheese filled olive, and then into the leftover carrot slice.
Tah-dah!

Notes

This one can get kinda messy with the cream cheese involved, but after assembling you can use a paper towel to wipe off the excess cream cheese.

Pennywise Cook http://www.pennywisecook.com/

California Ripe Olives Bumble Bees

2014-09-10 13:35:34

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Ingredients

California Ripe Olives
Cheddar Cheese Slices
Provolone Cheese Slices
Cream Cheese

Instructions

Slice your olives into 4-5 sections.
Using a small circular object, cut out circles to place between the olive slices.
Place your cheese circles between the olive slices and then stick a toothpick down the middle to keep it all together.
Using the same circular object, cut out circles from the provolone cheese.
Place a small dab of cream cheese on the back of the top slice.
Stick the provolone circles to the back like wings.
Tah-dah!

Notes

I just used things that I had on-hand to cut out the circles. I believe I used the bottom of a piping tip and it was just the right size.
It doesn't have to be perfect! This is your creation to look however you'd like!

By Amy Edmiston

Pennywise Cook http://www.pennywisecook.com/

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Healthy, Kid-Friendly, Sides and Vegetables, Sponsored

Effortless Back to School Meals

August 18, 2014 by amy Leave a Comment

I love to cook. A good old fashioned meal made with love, straight from scratch is one of my most favorite things to create. It sometimes can even relieve stress from my day. As long as no one is up in my kool-aid if you know what I mean. And if you don’t, it really just means- up in my kitchen. I gotsta have an empty and fairly clean kitchen to cook in y’all!

Around here, school just kicked off the first few days. All the moms rejoice! It’s been a fairly short summer it seems. Though the last two weeks have been a bickerfest at our house so that made it feel like a very looooong summer.

You know it’s time for school to start when you pray that your children do not cause each other bodily harm!

The school year can be all over the place for us. There are weeks when we have it all together and I cook those fantasy family meals like I described above and there are weeks when I’m really doing good to lovingly create a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. More the latter than the former…

If we’ve got a lot of church events or practices, chances are that we’ll eat things quick and easy. I’ve partnered with The Coca-Cola Company to talk about Effortless Meals at Walmart. It’s nice when I’m in a pinch for dinner to be able to grab a meal like the picture above to rescue me from peanut butter and jelly.

If you are a My Coke Rewards member, you can unlock bonus points for picking up Effortless Meals at Walmart! They’re effortless and affordable really. My pizza meal was less than $10.

Head over to My Coke Rewards and login.
Have your UPC and My Coke Rewards code ready.
Enter them to unlock bonus points for purchasing an Effortless Meal bundle at Walmart!

I grabbed this Effortless Meal for a quick lunch for hubby. Even though I didn’t make him an old fashioned, from scratch lunch, he is much obliged at the offer of an Italian Hero Sub. What man would turn that down?

Their rotisserie chicken Effortless Meals make any weeknight a breeze. Or heck, if you need something to bring to a get together, they’re the perfect save.

The next time you’re in need of a quick weeknight (or weekend meal, hey no judging here), consider checking out the Effortless Meals at Walmart and be sure to unlock your bonus points at My Coke Rewards!

Thanks to the Coca-Cola Company for providing compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are 100% mine.

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Filed Under: Kitchen Tips and Tricks, Random Blurbs, Reviews, Sponsored Tagged With: back to school, coca cola, coke, effortless meals, meals

Father’s Day Gift Idea: Omaha Steaks!

June 7, 2014 by amy Leave a Comment

I received an Omaha Steaks Exclusive Pack for The Home Depot & compensation for the purpose of this review. This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own.

Every year about the time blooms start to form on all the trees, men everywhere begin to get excited. Excited about summer, sun, and fun? Maybe. Excited about vacations? Could be. But mostly because…it’s grilling season. Ah yes, the time when testosterone gets to run wild while the burgers, dogs, and steaks grill to perfection on a warm summer’s day.

It’s quite the thrill. I gotta admit, the take over of dinner gives me a break so I’m not complaining! Hey, I might even do the dishes. We love to grill. I’m pretty sure that just the mention of that word gets my husband so excited that he could frolic through the wildflowers. Is that true for all men? Pretty sure that’s a yes.

The picture above is the epitome of successful meal during grilling season. Aside from a big, tasty steak of course.

I was so lucky to be able to try out this super yummy Omaha Steaks package. I’m telling you, this is the ultimate idea for Father’s Day seeing as it has everything a dad would want for summer grilling.

When you order the Omaha Steaks Exclusive Pack for The Home Depot, this is what’s included:

2 (8 oz.) Boneless Strips
2 (5 oz.) Top Sirloins
8 (3 oz.) Polish Sausages
8 (3 oz.) Italian Sausages
4 (4 oz.) Omaha Steaks Burgers
4 (3 oz.) Gourmet Jumbo Franks
$3.oo Coupon off Kingsford Charcoal at Home Depot
PLUS, one $10 Home Depot Gift Card

That is a lot of meat. Like, a lot. It’s regularly $175, but is on sale for $69.99! Savings of $105.01. Plus, they arrive in 3-5 days so even if you’re shopping for dad last minute you can still get in on this.

Father’s Day is June 15th, 2014!

Ordering was really easy. The whole process took me less than 5 minutes and my package arrived just 3 days after ordering!

The coupon for Kingsford Charcoal at Home Depot is a nice touch since many men prefer the taste of charcoal grilling. You can buy Kingsford Charcoal at participating Home Depots. You can check here for a list of participating stores.

Now better than ever, Kingsford® Charcoal features Sure Fire Grooves®. These deep, wide and long grooves mean the briquets light easier and heat faster — while burning just as long as before. As always, each briquet is made with natural ingredients and real wood, resulting in the authentic smoky flavor that Kingsford has long been known for. Visit grilling.com for additional recipes.

The contents of the Omaha Steaks package were all packaged very well. They come in the cooler you see above wrapped with dry ice to keep them frozen for a long period of time. It’s best to freeze them pretty quickly after they arrive so try to make sure you’ll be home on the estimated delivery date.

One of my favorite things about ordering from Omaha Steaks is that they vacuum seal their packages. They are SO easy to thaw. We got all ready to grill out today and realized that they were still frozen. Then I remembered how easy it was to thaw these and I was instantly relieved.

I placed the burgers (still in their vacuum-sealed packages) in cool water for about 35 minutes and we were ready to go! If you’re using charcoal then it might take that much time to prepare the grill! We did this with the humongous jumbo franks we got too and it worked for them as well.

After thawing them out, they grilled up beautifully.

We had some leftover macaroni and cheese that combined with the burgers, made for such a tasty lunch! There’s nothing like a good grill out!

The quality of the meat Omaha Steaks offers is really good in my opinion. We’ve always liked their burgers and steaks. Mom tested and dad approved!

If you’d like to grab one of these Omaha Steaks packages for dad this Father’s Day, head over to OmahaSteaks.com/HomeDepot and grab not only some fabulous meat, but also a Home Depot gift card and discount on Kingsford charcoal!

I received an Omaha Steaks Exclusive Pack for The Home Depot & compensation for the purpose of this review. This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own.

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Filed Under: Deals and Coupons, Holiday, On the Grill, Reviews, Sponsored Tagged With: Burgers, fathers, fathers day, fathers day gift ideas, Gift Ideas, Grilling, grilling season, omaha, omaha steaks, steaks

Simple & Sweet Chili Mac

March 12, 2014 by amy Leave a Comment

In our penny-wise minds, there are few dishes that scream frugal more than macaroni and cheese. Don’t you agree? Some nights there just isn’t enough energy or even time to give to a full-on, oven-baked, gourmet dinner. And some nights you just bust out a box of the mac.

It’s ok. I promise, I do it too.

And if you aren’t one of us closet macaroni makers, then you are way ahead of the game and I need you to teach me your ways!

I’m a big fan of taking simple recipes and throwing in a little of this or a little of that to make them a little bit different. You can call me inventive if you’d like. One of my recent inventive meals was a little twist on Ragu’s Family Favorite Chili Mac. It honestly is already so yummy like it is, but a big favorite with my girls is corn sometimes in our chili so I thought why not add a little sweetness?

This entire recipe has only 5 ingredients and can be whipped up before you can say Bob’s your uncle.

It’s really easy to use Ragu Old World Style Traditional Sauce to create the base for the mac. You simply season it to create whatever flavor you going for and in this case, it’s chili mac!

Each jar of Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce is made with 11 juicy tomatoes making it its richest, thickest recipe. Ragú® has the Authentic Italian taste American family’s love and a variety of great tasting, quick and easy to make family favorite recipes.

And of course if you aren’t a huge fan of corn in your chili then you can leave that out. But I really like the sweetness that it adds to the kick of the chili powder!

You can visit Ragu’s facebook for additional quick, easy and delicious recipe ideas too. And be sure to enter the Ragú Better and Better Sweepstakes for a chance to win great Authentic Italian themed prizes and a grand prize trip to Venice for a family of four!

Simple & Sweet Chili Mac

Recipe Type: Main Dish, Pasta

Cuisine: American

Author: Adapted from Ragu’s Recipe

As easy as macaroni and cheese, this chili mac takes the cake!

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground turkey or beef
1 jar (1 lb 8 oz) Ragu Old World Style Pasta Sauce
1 and 1/2 tbsp chili powder
8 oz elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
1 can (15 oz) whole kernel corn, drained

Instructions

Cook ground meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned.
Stir in pasta sauce and chili powder. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes.
Stir in macaroni and can of corn and heat through.
Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream, if desired!

Abbreviated Sweepstakes Rules: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Legal residents of the 50 United States (D.C.) 18 years and older. Ends 5/6/14. To enter and for Official Rules, including odds, alternate method of entry, and prize descriptions, visit www.RaguSweeps.com. Void where prohibited.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Ragu brought to you by Yummly. All of the opinions expressed are 100% my own.

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Filed Under: Kid-Friendly, Main Dishes, Sponsored Tagged With: Chili Mac, Easy Dinner, easy recipes, macaroni, macaroni and cheese, Pasta, Pasta Sauce, Ragu, Ragu Old World Style

Easy Spasagna

February 19, 2014 by amy 1 Comment

It’s been an awfully crazy last few months here in the Pennywise Cook household. You may have noticed by my lack of posts. I’ll catch you up soon.

In the meantime, I have managed to create a really tasty spin on an original Ragu recipe that I wanted to share with you guys. I made a few changes to this recipe for Ragu No Boiling Lasagna that was a huge hit at our house. At one of our favorite restaurants around here, they have this dish that is a mix of lasagna and spaghetti and it is absolutely to die for. It has something to do with the way the noodles are mixed with the cheesy goodness that makes it so amazing.

You know me. I like a challenge.

If we’re being honest here, and I’m not ashamed of honesty, I kinda made it up as I went. And you never know if things like this will actually be edible so it was a 50/50 situation. This one made it in our Hall of Fame for yummy dishes!

Side story: As I’m preparing to take pictures of this tasty dish (and trying my darnedest not to eat it), there wasn’t enough light inside so I took my Spasagna outside on the balcony to take pictures. My 2 year-old comes outside and shoots a very inquisitive look my way. Then in a very puzzled tone says, “Momma, why are you taking pictures of macaroni?”. I died laughing!

You know you’re a food blogger when….your 2 year-old asks why you’re taking pictures of macaroni! I won’t even get into the conversation I had with her informing her it wasn’t macaroni, but “spasagna”. Talk about a really confused toddler.

Back to the recipe! This one is SUPER easy. It uses Ragu Old World Style Traditional Sauce so you know it has to be simple. I love that stuff. I used the meat flavored kind since I didn’t plan to add any meat. Each jar of Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce is made with 11 juicy tomatoes making it its richest, thickest recipe. It’s affordable (especially with coupons, y’all!), tastes great, and makes any recipe a breeze. Ragú® has the Authentic Italian taste American family’s love and a variety of great tasting, quick and easy to make family favorite recipes.

Besides that, there are just 4 other ingredients in this recipe. And it isn’t very time consuming either. That’s a big thing for us these days. My girls have no patience and neither do I!

Easy Spasagna

Recipe Type: Main Dish

Author: Pennywise Cook

Spaghetti never tastes so much like lasagna! This twist on a traditional lasagna is an easy go-to meal for the family.

Ingredients

1 package whole wheat spaghetti noodles
1 jar Ragu Old World style Pasta sauce
1 15 oz Ricotta Cheese
1 and 1/2 c mozzarella cheese
2 eggs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°.
Prepare 1 package whole wheat spaghetti noodles according to package directions.Be sure to season the water with a little salt before dropping your pasta!
Once cooked, let cook in strainer.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine tub of ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, and 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
Mix cheese mixture with cooled noodles and flatten into a greased baking dish.
Sprinkle with 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese. Bake 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and pour entire jar of Ragu over noodles. Bake an additional 10 minutes.
Cut into squares and serve!

Notes

You can use regular noodles, but I prefer whole wheat for added nutrition!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Ragu brought to you by Yummly. All of the opinions expressed are 100% my own.

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Filed Under: Healthy, Kid-Friendly, Main Dishes, Sponsored Tagged With: Easy Lasagna, Lasagna, Noodles, Pasta, Pasta Sauce, Ragu, Ragu Old World Style, Spaghetti, Spasagna

P.F. Chang’s For The Holidays

December 20, 2013 by amy Leave a Comment

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of P.F. Changs for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

How many times is it date night and you have absolutely no idea where to go? For us, it’s many. And no matter how many times we have gone on a date, there is always the conversation that goes a little something like this:

Says the hubby, “So where would you like to go?”

Myself in reply, “I don’t care, wherever you would like to go”.

And then just imagine that very conversation happening in repeat for about 20 times. It wouldn’t be date night without the endless cycle of no one making a choice!

If you’re ever in the same boat, especially this holiday season, you might want to check out P.F. Chang’s! Not only do they have their incredibly famous lettuce wraps (yum!), but did you realize they have some awesome desserts and holiday drinks, too? The picture above is over their new Peppermint Mocha Cappucino and Vanilla Bean Milkshake. Oh heavens they look amazing!

Or check out these handmade Sweet Vanilla Cheese Wontons! Woah. They also offer Chocolate Raspnerry Wontons as well. You know, in case you’re a chocolate fan. Who isn’t?

I’ve always considered P.F. Chang’s for the lettuce wraps and Asian-American inspired dishes, but seeing these desserts gets my sweet tooth excited!

Have a date night planned or just want to take a break from holiday cooking? You might just check out P.F. Chang’s and their new fall menu and holiday items. You can Follow @pfchangs and also Follow P.F. Chang’s on Pinterest to keep up to date with them!

So which new menu item are you most excited about trying? Leave me a comment!

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Filed Under: Sponsored Tagged With: Date night, Dessert, Holiday desserts, Holidays, milkshake, P.F. Chang's

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