Another Heinz Gravy Recipe!

 After making the Quick Gumbo recipe with Heinz Homestyle Gravy, a reader sent me a recipe of another meal I should try. So I did! And I was impressed by how well the family took it. So I'm sharing it here.

You know I don't have a name for it....

So here is what you will need:

Cooked rice to serve it over

Ground beef 

1 jar of Heinz Homestyle Gravy (beef flavored)

1 small onion, chopped finely

Now, let's get cooking! 

Make small patties with the ground beef. Think slider small. Fry them up in butter until they are browned through. 

Saute your finely chopped onions while those are cooking. Once those are nice and softened, add them to a sauce pan with the gravy on low. Add the beef patties once they are finished. 

Serve that mix over some rice. 

Enjoy! 

Super simple recipe. But filling and good. This recipe was something my great grandmother used to make. She grew up during World War II, when meals had to be creatively made due to ingredients being hard to come by. Her recipe would have included a homemade gravy, but this works just as well. Especially with time being short and busy for so many. Hope you like it!  This recipe cane feed up to 6 if you do single portions per person. My teenage son had 3 bowls alone, so I have to double the recipe at the very least.

Trying a variation

You can also just cook up the ground beef, mix with the gravy and pour over the rice. Works just as well and skips the forming of patties. My family loved this variation just as well. This time, when I cooked up the ground beef, I added some Worcestshire sauce and minced garlic too. Great addition to the flavor!

Let's Get Cooking With Heinz!

Ripple Street has come through with an offer I couldn't refuse. A cooking party! You know me. I love trying new things. I was so happy to be chosen to work with Heinz Homestyle Gravy. But get this, they are thinking about just any recipe. They want me to make a gumbo! With jar gravy. Now... let's back up on this. I need to explain why this is so big. I'm Cajun. I have been making a recipe that has been passed down in my family for quite a while. And now I'm about to see if theirs is better. Say it isn't so! 

Let's see how it stacks up, shall we? For this party opportunity, I will be making 2 gumbos. The one from our family recipe and the other from Heinz. We will see how my guests to both. And we will see which earns higher praise. 

*Disclaimer: I was sent some things to make this recipe and host the party. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed. All opinions are strictly our own.*

Before you get to cooking with me, however, you need to know what gravy to look for at your local store. I know Walmart carries it.  And I found it at the HEB as well. Look where the sauces are.

Let's get cooking! 

I'll just share the video that my daughter helped me make of the Heinz gumbo. I hope it is clear enough. But just in case, I'll scan in the recipe. Let me know what you think!  

This was the gumbo from the family recipe I have. I have made this countless times before. Only a couple of my kids aren't a fan. Either because it has onions and bell peppers, or because it is served with rice. 

And this is the Heinz gumbo - what do you think just from the pictures?

I had a mixed bag of results on this. My son who doesn't like the bell peppers and onions said it was good. He told me he would eat this all the time if I removed the peppers and onions. My oldest son said it was good and that the bell peppers need to stay as they added to the flavor. He normally doesn't like gravy, but said that in this meal it was great! Another guest said they only kinda liked it and that they thought it had a smoky flavor to it.

There was an elf in my kitchen today! And it truly was all gravy, baby!Let me know your thoughts. I'd love to hear about what you think of the recipe.

Simply Mixology to Rescue Us From the Heat!

The heat here has been well above normal. Consistently hitting over 103 on any average day. We have made several jokes about looking forward to the 90's again. Maybe around Thanksgiving if we are lucky?? 

Which is why I was so happy to be chosen to test out the Simply Mixology juice mixer.  I'm not one for alcohol. But a good mocktail is refreshing and fun around here. I typically make them for our family for fun events. This one, makes a great break from the overwhelming heat. 

I call it my Nerdy Unicorn Mojito Mocktail! Yes, I used the unicorn    ice in it. It was fantastic. 

*Disclaimer: I was sent the mixer in exchange for trying it out. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed. All opinions are strictly my own.*

Gather what you need:

Sprite

Simply Mixology

Fruits of your choice

Ice

Not many things needed to make this great drink. And you don't even need the fruit if you don't want it. We did it to add a little color and make them fun. As for the ice, you can even skip this step too. We don't really use ice around here. It melts too quickly, causing our drinks to be watered down. But it was fun to use the shaped ice pieces in the drinks. The kids really liked it. 

How do you do it? 

Glad you asked! If you are using ice, put them in the cups first. Then pour in your Sprite (or you can use 7Up). One part Sprite to 4 parts Simply Mixology. As you can see, I had multiple sizes to work with here. Next we add the Simply Mixology. We chose the Strawberry Guava Mojito because it sounded good and was the only one we found at our local Walmart. The other one is a lime flavored mixer. Now you can add in the fruit. You can throw in little chopped pieces of fruit or just garnish the cup. 

My family really enjoyed it! We aren't fans of drinking it as a stand alone juice. (Yes, we tried it that way too - out of curiosity.) 

This product is made my the CokeCola company. That was an interesting find! 

What do you think? Is this something you'd try? Let me know in the comments below! Stay fresh out there, guys. 

Ana's 8th Mermaids and Unicorns Birthday Party

 I wasn't going to let my daughters birthday be marred by the pandemic. I knew she wouldn't have many people over, so I wanted to make sure I poured as much love into as I could. I determined that I was going to plan out some fantastic surprises for her. And here they are for inspiration in making your mermaids' day. 

Every princess needs a crown! 

The first project I undertook was 4 days ahead of her birthday. I saw an idea on Pinterest from Disney for making adorable mermaid crowns. I added my own twist to it as I knew both girls would want to have unicorns incorporated in them. Creating a portal to the fun.

For the doorway, I decided to create this and make her entrance to a house fully decorated just that much more magical! All you need are streamers and tape. 

Decorating as though everyone is showing up!

I hung decorations everywhere for her. Even if her friends and other family won't be here, we can still make it look like a true party. This day is hers. And she should feel like that. When she entered the rest of the house, I wanted her excitement to raise to the roof. I wish the table cloth had been thicker, but I added gems and pearls to make it better.

Breakfast should always start the day, but more so today!

We tell our kids to start the day right. To enjoy a good breakfast. So making her something special for that day is important. There were these pancakes for breakfast. Perfect way for a princess to energize!

Let the hunt begin!

And then I had set up the scavenger hunt to find all the gifts! Okay not all. I left the larger ones to be opened later in the day. I took some little ones my mom had sent her and used those in the scavenger hunt. My daughter loves mystery packs of just about anything. And that is what I wrapped up. I wrote out little clue cards as well as a letter of introduction. I didn't want anyone but her going around, finding surprises. 

Let's play BINGO! 

A party is way more fun with games. So I found this free printable unicorn bingo game that I laminated so that we can use it again later. This gave her and her siblings some fun before her party. In addition, they won prizes! Pokemon and Yugi-Oh cards, glow sticks, whatever we had in our 'Chore Store'. 

What's for dinner?

She got to choose her dinner. And homemade pizza was that choice. I made it just the way she likes it! And after dinner comes.... 

CAKE!

Last, but certainly not the least, was cake and ice cream with her Nona and aunt. They came to celebrate with us. 

If you need more ideas, I have a bunch! 

I can't do everything, but that doesn't stop me from creating a Pinterest board just for the Mermaid Party ideas. Who knows if she or her sister will want another? So if you need more ideas, check it out! 

Behind the scenes look....

My husband likes to tease that I'm an overachiever. I can't just do a little thing. Apparently, when I do something, I go all out. And it looks like a mess until completion!

Light and Fluffy Cookies that Won't Kill Your Diet!

I've been working hard on cutting out sweets and eating less. My goal before Christmas this year is to lose 40 pounds. Not easy to say the least. I love sweets! I've been reading the Eat This, Not That books lately. Trying to get ideas of what I need to switch to. What foods are better to eat. The latest one I got from the library was Cook This, Not That: Kitchen Survival Guide. It had an amazing assortment of recipes. The first one we decided to try was cookies. Of course. In my defense, I've been jonesing for one. The recipe makes about a dozen cookies. 190 calories, 8g fat, 16g sugars. 

Enjoy! 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Make it!

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until creamy. Stir in eggs and vanilla until well incorporated. Add the baking soda, salt and flour and mix until the dough comes together, being careful not to overmix. Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Drop the dough onto a baking sheet in balls about 3 tablespoons in size, leaving at least 3 inches between cookies. 
• Bake until the edges are golden and the middles are just barely set. Remove from the sheet and cool on a wire rack. You can sprinkle with a bit of flaky sea salt if you like as well. This draws out the flavor.
  

Low Sodium Italian Pasta Salad

I found another great recipe. Kids didn't like it much, but my husband and I did. I highly suggest eating it as soon as you cook it as it dries up a bit during being stored in the fridge. We ended up adding a little Italian dressing to moisten it up, but that adds to the sodium. 

Happy eating! 

Italian Pasta Salad

4 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup bell peppers
4 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons Mrs. Dash tomato basil garlic seasoning blend (I mixed my own spices)
1 package of rotini pasta
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes

Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse and drain, do not cool. Combine olive oil, vinegar and Mrs. Dash® Tomato Basil Garlic Seasoning Blend in a large bowl; mix well. Add remaining ingredients; stir in warm pasta. Cool to room temperature, serve or chill for 1-2 hours.

Desperate times calls for creative recipes!

Flashbacks of living in a hotel with 3 kids for 4 months, while eating ramen and peanut better sandwiches every day have begun to hit me. Its been about 4 weeks since I lost my job. I only just received my final check from my last employer. Received one weeks payment from Unemployment. And Food Stamps won't reload with money until the 11th of this month. So I've had to get very creative with what we get from WIC and a few dollars well spent. From these hard times, I've created quite the magnificent dinner. My fiancé has dubbed it, Emily's Frankenstein. My kids ate it up. I'll share it with you, and I want to know what your family thinks about it. Enjoy!

Emily's Frankenstein

Double batch of 6 serving boxed mashed potatoes or the equivalent of what your family would eat
Pepperoni (however many your family would deem enough)
Canned corn (just half was enough)
onion, bell pepper, green onion to your taste
Half a package of cream cheese
Salt, pepper, garlic (or whatever seasonings your family likes)
2 cups of shredded cheese

Make your pot of mashed potatoes. Sauté the pepperoni (and/or sausage works), onion, bell pepper, garlic. Mix that, the cream cheese, and canned corn (I only used half a can as some of my kids don't like too much of it) with the mashed potatoes. Add your seasonings. Spread into your greased baking dish, sprinkle the top with cheese, and cover with aluminum foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. You really just want the cheese melted and everything warmed up.

Serve with green beans on the side if you like. Especially if you have several cans in .the pantry... Its simple, its quick, its fairly cheap. And our whole family loved it!

I would love to hear from you all. What crazy mash up have you used when money or ingredients were limited? How well did it go with the family?

3 Ingredient Nutella Cookie recipe

I love baking. But some things take up too much of my time. So I like finding simple recipes. A buddy of mine had sent me this recipe from an iFunny post.

They are made of 3 ingredients, super quick to make, and taste delicious! I’ll add in my modifications though. The one from iFunny was a little too dry. So technically you might need a fourth ingredient – water. You can also stuff these with Oreo cookies for an even better treat.

What you will need:

1 egg

1 cup of flour

1 13 ounce jar of Nutella (1 cup didn't seem enough)

Water as needed

Simply mix all ingredients until you have a good batter. Water may be needed to help moisten it. These are easy to roll into 1 inch balls.

Bake at 350 degrees. They should only take 6-8 minutes. Take them out when they are a little moist to make them soft.

The first time I made these, I used the Hershey spread instead.

They make a richer chocolate cookie but come out just as good!

Always keep an eye for the deals. I got mine at Target on sale with a coupon! Sometimes they also have Cartwheel deals. This time around, the coupon and the offer had different sizes.

Olde Westport Spice and Trading Co review

Being a part of the US Family Guide Mom bloggers gives me the chance to try all kinds of things to write reviews on. My most recent and favorite one is the Olde Westport Spice and Trading Co spices that were sent to me.

They have mixes that make various dishes easier. Takes the guess work out of what spices to use together. 
The first one I used was the Championship Chili Spice Blend. Its gluten free and had a great chili recipe on the back. It had a mild flavor when you compare it to normal Texas chili spice. 

Definitely has a strong chili pepper flavor though. I loved how bold it was. It's a great family meal that won my children's approval. I did prefer mine with hot sauce though. 

Olde Bill's Favorite Chili

You will need: 
2 lbs of lean ground beef (or turkey) 
15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 can of water
1 package of Chili seasoning
16 can of beans, drained and rinsed (red, black or pinto work best)

In a saucepan, brown the ground beef, drain well. Stir in tomato sauce, water and seasoning pack. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring often. Lower heat, cover, simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans. Simmer an additional 10 minutes or until heated through. Add salt to taste. 
I also added bell pepper, onions, chopped tomatoes and green onions. 

Three Rivers Chili Verde had an excellent recipe that complimented a plate of rice to the fullest. It was amazing. Creamy, tangy and new. The kids weren't a fan, but I'd love to make this again for guests. It's quick and easy too. You can serve it with rice, pasta or even a baked potato. 

Easy Creamy Green Chili Chicken Soup

What you need:
1 (26 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 (11 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 (13 oz) cans cooked chicken breast meat, drained
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk (1 1/2 cups 2% milk)
2 (4 oz) cans diced green chili peppers (1 cup)
1 package Olde Westport Chili Verde Mix

Add all ingredients into a heavy saucepan, stir until smooth. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, lower heat, cover, simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

I modified this recipe just a bit by adding diced tomatoes. 

They also sent me the Garlic Shake and the Mesquite seasoning. I made some pan fried pork chops.

They were delicious! Each kind was flavorful. The garlic shake was the perfect blend for a casserole I made too. 

I mixed it with the chicken first. 

Definitely worth checking out if you're a foodie looking for a perfect mix. 

After school snacking made easy

I spent the day getting stuff done. But the kids are done with school and in the midst of being overwhelmed, I have to get a snack ready so I'm not hearing "Mom, I'm hungry" every 5 minutes before I make dinner. 

Today's choice is cupcake pizzas. It's quick and tasty. 

You will need: 

1 can of pillsbury biscuit dough

1 pack of pepperoni 

Shredded cheese

Pizza or even spaghetti sauce

Remember, you're making pizza. You can add whatever you like. 

Pop open your dough. Knead it out in your hands until you have a flat round piece. Lay it out in your muffin pan.

Once each on is flattened and laid out, it's time to put sauce in each one. Spread just enough to cover the muffin circle like you were making a mini pizza.

Add your toppings and put them in the oven to bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes until the dough is a golden brown. Even if you don't want them in cupcake shape, you can flatten the dough and make mini pizzas. My kids preferred the pizza shape but still weren't that into them. 

Which brings me to another alternative in the snacking realm. Mediterranean Snacks! They sent me another case of their latest product, the Beanstalks.

My kids and I love these! Three flavors of crunchy that are packed with fiber.

These are straw-like chips made from beans! Extra crunchy with that salty flavor that is still better than your leading brand chips. Plus the beans give these snacks added fiber value which is better for your digestion. You won't have colorful fingertips for your kids to decorate the furniture or their clothing with either. They use cannellini, green and pinto beans to make these. There are three flavors; BBQ, cheddar, and sea salt.

My kids definitely devoured the BBQ and cheddar ones first. I love the crunchy and flavorful addition they bring to our snacking habits. They have 50% less fat than regular chips. This is how its put when you pose the question, Why beans? 

"Beans have been a staple in the Mediterranean region for centuries, packed with protein and nutrients our bodies crave.

This modern day super food, allows us to create better-for-you snacks with simple, ancient ingredients."

So check them out and look for them in a local store as there are many that carry the Mediterranean Snacks. 

The best rolls I've ever made!

I was scrolling through posts on the Krazy Coupon Lady blog when I came across one that had 10 of the Best Copycat recipes. One of those recipes has now become a family favorite that my kids beg me to make over and over. Its for the Texas Roadhouse Rolls.

My honey cinnamon butter never comes out just right, but the rolls are always divine. Bakerette.com came up with the recipe so I won't copy it here but the link is above and pictures of mine are below. Enjoy them! 

The Amazing Triple Dessert Recipe

I don't have a name for it but this is absolutely delicious! And it's a quick one to throw together. 

What you will need:

2 packs of refrigerated cookie dough

Your favorite candy bar cut or premade in bite size (I used Reese's peanut butter cups) 

Brownie batter mix (boxed or homered, your choice) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mash cookie dough into the bottom of your greased cupcake pan. 

Put the candy piece on top. 

Add brownie mix on top of that. 

Bake for about 18-20 minutes until you can see that the brownie mix is cooked through. Then enjoy your delightful treat! 

Cheesy Rotini and Tuna recipe

I’m trying new recipes with the family this week. Tonight I putt this recipe from Kraft to the test. If it had passed my picky eaters approval, we would have had another favorite. My two youngest children didn't go for it. Tuna doesn't seem to be their thing. Remember this is going to be modified from the original recipe to fit my family. So if you want the actual recipe, it’s here.

What you will need:

1 bag of pasta (I used the tricolor rotini)

2 cans (5 ounces each) tuna in water, drained and flaked to get rid of clumps

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained

4 ounces 2% milk Velveeta, cut into ½-inch cubes

½ cup sour cream

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

How to make it:

Cook the pasta as you would normally. Meanwhile, combine all remaining ingredients in a large microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 2 minutes; stir. Microwave again 1-2 minutes or until heated through, stirring after each minute.

Drain the pasta. Add the tuna mixture; mix lightly.

I had to change a few things. I separated a part of it since my husband doesn't like broccoli.

He ended up trying some with the broccoli and agreed it was good. So if you have someone like that, just omit that part. I also added bell pepper and hot sauce to mine.