100% Natural Baby Products Alternatives + 5 Things to Leave OUT of Your Diaper Bag!

February 19, 2017 by Jenni 2 Comments

Are you looking for some natural baby products and alternatives to some of the products you’re using now?

I’m sharing some excellent ALL natural baby products and ideas with you! You need to put these things inside your diaper bag, vs. what’s typically packed inside!

100% Natural Baby Products Alternatives + 5 Things to Leave Out of Your Diaper Bag!

As a mom, you want to protect your babies from anything and everything harmful. Right?

{INSERT MOMMA BEAR ROAR!}

Did you know that some of the most toxic, poisonous, and harmful things that can affect our babies, are things that we splash on them often, every. single. day! It’s true!

Moms. Please know that I am 100% guilty of doing the VERY same thing! I know how you feel! I’m slowly learning that some of the products we use, seem safe and healthy – but they are truly toxic and even cancer causing. And I have them inside my home. Slathering these things on myself and my kid!

NO MOM GUILT ALLOWED!

No MOM guilt allowed, moms! EVER! You do what you do, because you love your children. Parenting and life in general, is a learning process. I just want to let you know that there are SAFE products that you can use. Empower you with information that is or can be, life-changing!

Never. Ever, ever, ever, ever — feel guilty about doing what you think is best for your kids! EVER! Deal?!

5 REAL – 100% Natural Baby Products Alternatives!

Below, are 5 products that are probably inside your diaper bag. These are toxic. You can actually google each product and/or the MSDS sheet for each and find out why! I’m sharing excellent alternatives that you can re-stock your home and diaper bag with right NOW!

1. Ditch Talcum Powder and/or Baby Powder (linked to ovarian cancer and lung diseases)

Switch to this talc-free, fragrance free 100% all natural baby powder HERE!

Why ditch and switch?! With t alcum powder being so recent in the news after a couple large lawsuits surrounding its use, it’s time to switch to something SAFE! This info. below comes from ConsumerSafety.org. You can also read more by clicking on the links above.

Talcum powder, a common ingredient in personal hygiene products, has been linked to life-threatening diseases and conditions, such as ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, and respiratory complications. The connection to the these health risks has been suspected for decades, but no action was taken to protect consumers. The lack of any type of product warning sparked a surge of lawsuits resulting in 3 major verdicts in 2016, and thousands more in the legal system.

2. Ditch Traditional Baby Oil (they limit skin breathability and toxin release!)

Switch to one of these all natural alternatives below! Viva Naturals is a great alternative, as well.

You can find these oils below, on Amazon…just by clicking on them.

Coconut Oil
Olive Oil
Almond Oil

Switching to an all natural oil like the ones listed above, guarantees that you’re moisturizing your babies with only goodness. Did you know that traditional baby oils are made from mineral oils that act like a “liquid plastic”. Imagine slathering liquid plastic all over you?! Right? Eww. Your skin cannot breathe and it doesn’t allow toxins to leave your body.

Also, most baby oils contain fragrances. Did you know that brands do not have to list in their ingredients lists, what the fragrances are made from?! Chemicals. That’s what those fragrances are made from. Nasty chemicals.

3. Ditch the Anti-bacterial Soaps and Gels (they contain triclosan, which is carcinogenic. Don’t believe me? Google it!)

Switch to an all natural product like Young Living Thieves Spray or Thieves Waterless Hand Purifier to clean and purify virtually everything!

I mean, let’s face it. I’m NOT going to clean my hands or a baby’s toy with something that could potentially cause cancer. Period. Thieves products are excellent for our immune systems. They contain clove, cinnamon bark, rosemary, lemon, and eucalyptus radiata essential oils.

4. Belladonna (found in teething remedies) – linked to seizures!

Switch to natural remedies like a chilled damp wash cloth, or pressure from your finger on their gums. Essential oils like Thieves and Copaiba have been used for thousands of years.

We all know the torment that comes with teething babies. I’m sticking to doing what my ancestors did. They had it all figured out, after all.

5. Fragrances (can cause respiratory, neurological, and skin damage. May lead to asthma!)

Switch to fragrance-free, organic, or sensitive products. Naturally fragrant products like pure, therapeutic grade essential oils – is the perfect alternative!

Look for the word “fragrance” in the ingredients list in your baby products. Did you know that manufacturers do not have to tell you what ingredients are used in their “fragrances”? You can bet that those fragrances are completely chemical ridden.

There are so many DIY recipes out there on the net that are 100% natural, using pure therapeutic grade essential oils as the fragrance component. If you’re looking to make something homemade with essential oils for you, your home, and your baby – just look online and find one that works for you.

I hope that you decide to Ditch & Switch some or all of these items in your diaper bag, and home! You’ll be SO glad that you did. It will give you peace of mind too, knowing that you’re doing something healthy and important in the long run. Years from now, your children will thank you!

Tell us, what products have you ditched and switched? We’d love to know!!

Disclosure: The infographic and some information was provided to me by consumersafety.org. This post was not compensated by them, in any way. I am however, a distributor for Young Living Essential Oils. All opinions are 100% my own.

How to Decorate the Rim of a Glass with Sprinkles + $25 Visa/Entenmann’s® Prize Pack Giveaway

February 10, 2017 by Jenni 60 Comments

Wanna learn how to decorate the rim of a glass with sprinkles? This is such a fun way to celebrate the small things with your kids. This post has been sponsored by Entenmann’s® Little Bites®. All cute and delicious opinions are 100% my own!

How to Decorate the Rim of a Glass with Sprinkles!

Do you celebrate even the smallest things with your family? Things like one of the kiddos losing a tooth? Getting an A+ on their spelling test?

Kids LOVE little tokens of appreciation. Even small things like chocolate milk. However, no ordinary chocolate milk though will do, so, I’m going to show you how to decorate the rim of a glass with sprinkles.

Why did we do this?! We celebrated Eli getting a 100% on his spelling test this week! I surprised him with some Entenmann’s® Little Bites® Chocolate Party Cakes and some FUN chocolate milk! Paired up with these delicious Chocolate Party Cakes really made for a sweet celebration!

How to Decorate the Rim of a Glass with Sprinkles!

You wanna know how to decorate the rim of a glass with sprinkles. It’s wayyyy easy to do, and is such a cute idea for anytime. So because it’s especially fun for parties, here’s how you do it.

What you Need:

Your favorite glasses or cups
chocolate chips
sprinkles

Instructions:

1. Pour chocolate chips into a small microwave safe bowl. One that is not too big, but large enough for the rim of your glass to reach into.

2. Melt chocolate chips according to package directions. How many chocolate chips you use varies according to how many glasses you want to decorate. You should be able to dip a few to several cups – using 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.

3. Dip rim into the chocolate, and then let excess drip off.

4. Pour sprinkles into a small saucer.

5. Dip rim with melted chocolate into the sprinkles, rim down and coat. Then turn the glass rim on it’s edge and turn to coat the edge of the rim as well so that all the chocolate is covered with sprinkles and not much, if any, chocolate is showing.

6. Set upright on the counter until the chocolate has dried and the sprinkles are set.

7. After the sprinkles are set, fill the glasses with your yummy chocolate milk or whatever you’re wanting to drink, and enjoy!

Portable for School Lunches!

I love that they come in these little packs, because it makes it easy to pack in his lunch bag for school. Portable snacks like this are perfect for car trips too, or after soccer practice! Right?!

These little scrumptious bites of chocolate heaven are SOOOO fresh and melt in your mouth. I’m not really sure – but I think that I may have eaten more than my kiddo did. Nom. They’re just too easy to pop in your mouth!

Check out these yummy details about Entenmann’s® Little Bites® Chocolate Party Cakes:

Guaranteed to pack a portable party on-the-go, the new Little Bites® Chocolate Party Cakes are the latest edition to Entenmann’s® Seasonal Favorites line. Overflowing with flavor to treat the taste buds of chocolate lovers everything, these new Chocolate Party Cakes are complete with rainbow sprinkles, similar to the fan-favorite original golden Party Cakes.

Entenmann’s® Little Bites® contain no high fructose corn syrup, are made with real ingredients, certified Kosher, and are less than 200 calories per pouch.

ONLY available nationwide for a limited time from 1/14/17 to 5/20/17.

Make sure to stay up to date and check out their website and social media sites below!

Entenmann’s® Little Bites® website
Entenmann’s® Little Bites® Facebook
Entenmann’s® Little Bites® Instagram
Entenmann’s® Little Bites® Pinterest

Valentine’s Day Ideas…

Valentine’s Day is almost here! Have a delicious Valentine’s Day! Pack-a-Pouch of Entenmann’s® Little Bites® Muffins with free downloadable Valentine’s Day cards. Pack-a-Pouch anytime and keeping Smiling Together. Get your free downloadable Valentine’s Day card here!

For some super cute fun DIY inspiration – what this video! This is such a sweet idea!!

READY FOR A GIVEAWAY?!

One lucky reader will win a $25 Visa gift card and (3) coupons for $5.00 off the purchase of any Entenmann’s® Little Bites®. Giveaway ends 2/15 at 11:59pm EST. Giveaway is open to US residents, age 18+. Good luck!! Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sweet Pennies from Heaven is responsible for this giveaway and Entenmann’s® Little Bites® is providing the giveaway prizes.

Tagalongs Peanut Butter S’Mores

January 29, 2016 by Jenni 49 Comments

Did you catch our Thin Mint Ice Cream Sandwiches post from yesterday? Yep! It’s Girl Scout Cookie time, and I wanted to re-share these ideas. I mean, Girl Scout Cookies are delicious on their own, right outta the package. But smushing things between 2 cookies. Well. Do I even have to explain how good that is?!

This post is an older one, but I wanted to update it and share it again because every home in America is being hit by the Girl Scout Cookie plague. You don’t wanna miss these……………….

DUN, DUN, DUUUUNNNNN.

Tagalongs Peanut Butter S’Mores.

Ohhhh, yes I did. Boy Howdy! I love smushing things between cookies. So – I hope you enjoy these.

IF you don’t have any Tagalongs, you can actually make Homemade Tagalong Girl Scout Cookies. My friend Andrea at Savings Lifestyle shows you how! Here’s a photo below of her yummy creation and the recipe is so super duper easy!!

Homemade Tagalong Girl Scout Cookie Recipe by Andrea at Savings Lifestyle

Whoops. Let’s try taking this photo again…

Little Man totally got away with that cookie!

You’ll need:

Girl Scout Tagalongs (or the Homemade Tagalongs recipe link above)
Regular size marshmallows
Baking Sheet (unless you’re roasting marshmallows outside)

How to Assemble:

Either roast your marshmallows outside (if it’s warmer weather) or you can roast them in your oven. Simply place enough marshmallows on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet, to make however many s’mores you want.
Turn the oven on broil (apprx. 500 degrees).
Put the pan with marshmallows in the oven and roast until just browned on top. Then pull them out and assemble your Tagalongs or other peanut butter cookie S’Mores.

*I kept my oven door cracked just a bit to keep a very close eye on them. They were ready in just a minute or 2.

**Don’t overbrown the marshmallows. I actually got mine a little bit TOO brown the first time around, but they were still sooooo good and gooey!

Enjoy!

4.9 from 8 reviews

Tagalongs Peanut Butter S'Mores

Author: Jenni

Ingredients

Tagalongs Girl Scout Cookies (or similar cookie)
Regular Marshmallows
Baking Sheet or Roasting Sticks (if roasting outside)

Instructions

Place marshmallows on aluminum lined baking sheet and place the sheet in oven on broil.
Take out just when they're starting to lightly brown.
Assemble S'Mores.

What are your favorite Girl Scout Cookies? Leave us a comment!! It’s always fun to hear from you!!

If you liked this post, here are some other ideas you might enjoy…

Thin Mint Ice Cream Sandwiches

January 28, 2016 by Jenni 58 Comments

Thin Mint Ice Cream Sandwiches

It’s that time of year! Girl Scout Cookie time has arrived and I wanted to send out this awesome post again, so that all of YOU can put these Thin Mint Ice Cream Sandwiches together!

These were so good and I couldn’t stop eating them. They’re pretty dang addicting. Are you ready for this super difficult Thin Mint Ice Cream Sandwiches recipe? Get ready, and take lots of notes. Juuuuuuust kidding. It’s really easier than peasy!

What You’ll Need:

Thin Mints Cookies (or any of these mint cookies will work if you don’t have Girl Scout Cookies on hand.)
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Cookie or Ice Cream Scoop

(The ice cream started to get soft, so I ended up sticking it back in the freezer before finishing the rest.)

Instructions:

Use a scoop to plop one dollop of ice cream on top of one cookie. Smush ice cream down with another cookie.
Eat.
Repeat steps 1 and 2.

See how simple that is? Plop, smush, eat, repeat! Plop, smush, eat, repeat!

Okay, now in all honesty…there are a few things I want to mention. Just to save you some time.

Before you begin to assemble these Thin Mint ice cream sandwiches, let the ice cream thaw JUST a little bit. Not too much. You want it thawed just enough that you can easily scoop it out. You still want the ice cream a bit firm, but easy to scoop.

When you smush the second cookie on top of the ice cream, just smush it till the ice cream starts to barely seep out the side and then stop! You don’t want to squeeze it so much that the ice cream starts coming out all the way. If it IS doing that too easily, you may need to stick your ice cream back in the freezer for a bit to stiffen back up.

After assembling them, place back in the freezer on a wax paper lined baking sheet, tray, or plate until it’s time to serve them. They’re actually too hard to eat if the ice cream is soft so you want them nice and frozen!

4.4 from 10 reviews

Thin Mints Ice Cream Sandwiches

Author: Jenni

Ingredients

Thin Mints (or any Mint cookies would work)
Mint Ice Cream
Scoop

Instructions

Place one scoop of ice cream on a cookie.
Lay another cookie on top and smush down to form a sandwich.
Place on wax paper and then refreeze them until ready to serve.

Don’t miss out on these!!! If you’ve got a box of Tagalong Girl Scout Cookies, then you’ve got to check out our Tagalongs Peanut Butter S’Mores post! These are just as easy to put together…and they’re JUST as addicting!

What Girl Scout Cookies are your favorite?

Toasted SMores Bars | Simple and Decadent with Layers of Ooey Gooeyness

January 27, 2016 by Jenni 1 Comment

Ooey Gooey Toasted SMores Bars

Is there ever really a time when SMores aren’t in order? I realize that it’s a camp-fire-y treat, and I realize that it’s nearing the end of January. I really don’t care. HA! These SMores Bars “mayyyy” be the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth.

Since I believe that S’mores never actually GO into retirement at any given time during the year, these happened. Please forgive me while I woo these bars in my kitchen. Woo them right smack dab into my mouth. And with a cold glass of milk to boot.

This is SUCH a simple dessert to make. You won’t believe how easy it is. These toasted Smores bars are perfect for anytime and I hope you and yours enjoy them as much as – uhh – “me and ours?” do! That made sense, right?!

I recreated this recipe from Shelly at Cookies and Cups! She uses homemade marshmallow fluff in her recipe. I totally cheated, and used store bought marshmallow cream which is good in a pinch – but I imagine that the homemade is SO much better!

You’ll need the following ingredients…just remember that you can use store bought marshmallow cream like I did if you don’t have the ingredients or time to make the homemade fluff. The store bought fluff isn’t as pliable and spreadable as the homemade fluff is, so I ended up swirling the top of mine a bit, into the fudge layer, and then toasted it. Mmmm….Have Mercy!!!!

Crust

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup butter, melted
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ tsp salt

Fudge layer

2 cups milk chocolate chips
14 oz sweetened condensed milk

Fluff Layer

¾ cup sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup water
¼ tsp salt
2 egg whites
¼ tsp cream of tartar
1½ tsp vanilla extract

Click HERE for the full recipe, complete with step by step instructions!

If you enjoyed this post, make sure to check out these other reader favorites…

Tagalongs Peanut Butter SMores

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls

Chocolate Peppermint Truffles

Easy Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Bark

Be sure to drop back by and leave us a comment, letting us know what you thought of these SMores bars and if you ended up making the homemade marshmallow fluff!! We’d sure love to hear!

Maty’s Natural and Organic Remedies + An Immune Boosting Tea for Cough, Cold, and Congestion

November 3, 2015 by Jenni Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Maty’s Healthy Products, however, all opinions on the yuckies and snotties are all my own. As well as my opinions on how incredible Maty’s products are!

Fall would be complete perfection, if it wasn’t for the allergies and yuckies that come with it. It never fails. Each and every fall, the family winds up sick. Thankfully, Maty’s sent us some natural and organic products in their line to try, and they couldn’t have arrived at a better time!

The side effects that accompany most OTC cold/allergy medications are worse than the symptoms I’m already dealing with. Most of them either make me sleepy, cause brain fog and even make my blood pressure go up – making me feel worse. Sorry – but I’m not giving these types of medications to my kiddo and my husband sure can’t function at work all day taking them either.

I know that colds and allergies just have to run their snotty courses – but thankfully we have natural and organic options to calm the symptoms and even get a good night’s rest. Maty’s Organic Cough Syrup has 10 immune boosters in every single spoonful and can be used for kiddos as young as 1 year old. Seriously, there’s nothing in the ingredient list that you don’t KNOW or know how to pronounce! It’s gluten free, dairy free and alcohol free. The honey in the cough syrup really soothes our sore throats and helps calm down a yucky cough.

I put 2 teaspoons of the Maty’s Organic Cough Syrup in my hot tea at night – with a squeeze of lemon. If your kiddo is opposed to taking cough syrup from a spoon (like my kiddo is) then you can do the same for them. They don’t even have to KNOW they’re taking cough medicine! We still had a few coughs here and there…but we both slept through the night without waking up!

Honest truth — this stuff doesn’t taste like cough syrup. At all. You can taste all of the ingredients in each spoonful. It’s very good and such a bonus to sweeten my tea with. With those 10 immune boosters in each spoonful, it’s not only a healthy product for just when you’ve got a cough. It’s a great spoonful of immunity each day! For our immune boosting tea, here’s what we did…

Fill your favorite tea cup or mug with boiling water.
Add 1-2 teabags of your favorite tea. Steep for 3-5 minutes.
Add 1-2 teaspoons of Maty’s Organic Cough Syrup.
Squeeze in the juice from half of one fresh lemon.
Stir, and enjoy!

The Maty’s petroleum free Vapor Rub is safe for the whole family as well. Recommended for kids 2 and up. Again, the ingredient list is ALL natural and includes the soothing eucalyptus, peppermint, and wintergreen oils. It feels so good when you’re dealing with tightness and congestion, and helps make breathing easier.

I apply the vapor rub several different ways. For myself, I rub on my chest and neck. I also put a dab behind my ears to relieve pressure and then on the bottoms of my feet before bed, and put socks on. This is an old fashioned tip, that really does work! For my son, I rub it on his chest and back, and on his feet too…before bed. Sometimes, all it takes is removing the lid and taking a good long sniff! Ahhhhhhh. To breathe again!

I just really love and appreciate that I have natural and organic options for my family. Especially for my son. Something to help the whole family breathe better, sleep better, and feel better. Maty’s created their line of products when their daughter, Maty, was born with severe heart defects. They were dedicated to finding and creating natural ways to get healthy.

You can find Maty’s Healthy products at most retailers, including Walmart – or you can shop online! I invite you to follow Maty’s on social media as well. You’ll find all sorts of great information on natural health and wellness. Follow Maty’s on Facebook, Maty’s on Pinterest, and Maty’s on Twitter!

Chocolate Peppermint Truffles | An Easy Holiday Recipe

November 2, 2015 by Jenni 1 Comment

This post brought to you by The Hershey Company. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Sweet Pennies From Heaven.

Chocolate Peppermint Truffles

It’s that sweet time of year. The time when the family gets together and makes yummy holiday treats! We spend hours in the kitchen, making our favorite family recipes. This year – I wanted to put a fun spin on one of our faves and I created these chocolate peppermint truffles!

Peppermint and chocolate just go together. Kinda like Lucy and Ethel. Don’tcha think?! I’m thinking Lucy is the peppermint (cause she’s a hot little number) and Ethel is the chocolate. Always consistent. Yeah.

Do you have any family traditions for the holidays? What fun family favorite recipes can you put a twist on? These chocolate peppermint truffles have been family approved, and devoured. They’re for sure a new treat tradition of ours for the holidays!

Since the holidays are the sweetest time for our family, my sister and I usually get together with a ginormous list of treats to create. We head to the grocery store, with lists in hand, and come home with bags and bags of goodies. You can’t plan on baking and treat makin’ without the time tested and ancestor approved baking products from The Hershey Company. They have stood the test of time. From the classic ingredients like Hershey’s Chocolate Chips and Hershey’s Cocoa – even to the iconic Hershey’s Kisses Chocolates.

Hershey’s products help make our treat traditions for the holidays fun and delicious! Take our lead, and let them help you start new sweet traditions with your family this year! If you’re on social media, chat about your new traditions using #NewTraditions! We’d love to see your sweet posts and photos in the kitchen!

Chocolate Peppermint Truffles Ingredients:

2 cups chocolate hazelnut spread
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
2 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
12 oz. bag of Hershey’s Kisses Candy Cane Mint candies
12 oz. bag of Hershey’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup shortening
crushed candy canes for dusting the tops of truffles (I used 3 candy canes)

Instructions:

1.) In a large bowl and using your hands, combine chocolate hazelnut spread, confectioners sugar, butter, and vanilla. Combine well. You want the “dough” to be able to hold together well enough to roll into a ball without crumbling. If it’s too dry, add more hazelnut spread. If it’s too moist – add more confectioners sugar.

2.) Scoop out enough dough to roll into a ball (roughly about 1 to 1 1/2 ” in diameter) using your hands. Place ball into your palm, and with your finger or thumb, press down into the ball to create a “pocket” for the Hershey’s Kisses Candy Cane Mint candies to sit into.

3.) Then press the dough up around the candies, and roll into a ball again. Lay them on a wax or parchment paper lined baking sheet.

** Tip: Have the Hershey’s Kisses Candy Cane Mint candies already opened and ready to go. It makes the process much easier. (wink)

4.) Melt the Hershey’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips according to the packages melting directions. Add shortening to the melted chocolate, and combine really well. You may need to stick back in the microwave for 15 seconds to finish melting. The shortening thins out the chocolate and adds a nice sheen to the finished product.

5.) Add candy canes to a zippered plastic bag and crush using a rolling pin. Place the candy cane dust into a shallow dish, for easy grabbing in a few minutes.

6.) Dip a truffle into the melted chocolate, using a fork. Roll it around to make sure the whole truffle is coated and then let the excess chocolate drip through the fork prongs. Use a butter knife to scoop the truffle off the fork onto another sheet of wax paper.

I have two baking sheets, so I just transfer them from one onto another. While the chocolate is still wet – sprinkle with candy cane dust. Repeat this process till all truffles are finished. Let dry on wax paper for a few hours or overnight. Yields approximately 2 and 1/2 dozen.

Storing Chocolate Peppermint Truffles:

You have a couple of options here. You can either leave out in an airtight container at room temperature or keep chilled in the refrigerator. I like them at room temp. but my husband likes them cold out of the fridge. The Hershey’s Kisses Candy Cane Mint candies stay hard when kept in the fridge. Make sure to include all of these awesome Hershey products to your shopping list to create your yummy sweet traditions:

Hershey’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Hershey’s Cocoa Powder
Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolate chocolates in red, green, and silver foils
Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips
Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits
Hershey’s Kisses Candy Cane Mint candies
Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Chips
Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Chips
Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder

What are your family holiday baking traditions?

Do you have any new traditions you’d love to create or recreate?

4 Tips to the Perfect Homemade Mashed Potatoes

September 28, 2015 by Jenni 32 Comments

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Campbell’s Soup Company . All opinions are 100% mine.

Homemade mashed potatoes. Sigh.

They’re buttery and creamy, dreamy and delish. Probably the most popular comfort food of all time. We eat them when we’re sick, sad, happy, or mad. When we celebrate holidays, there’s usually a ginormous bowl of mashed potatoes on the dinner table.

Whoever came up with the idea of mashing them and filling them full of butter, should receive some kind of award. For real. I usually make regular ol’ homestyle mashed potatoes but sometimes. Ohhhhhhhhhh. Sometimes, life just calls for something extra. Like roasted garlic mashed potatoes.

If you’ve always been a fan of instant (((GASPPP))) then there’s a reason. Probably because you’ve never perfected the art of homemade mashed potatoes. Well, come on now. Find that potato masher. I don’t care if it’s a hundred years old and covered in rust or dust. Wash it off and let’s get “bizayyyy”.

There are some tips to making the perfect homemade mashed potatoes though. If you’re not careful, sometimes they’ll get gluey and pasty and that’s just gross. These roasted garlic mashed potatoes are the BOMB (dot) com! Plus, they make your house smell AH-mazing! If you’re not a fan of garlic, then regular old buttered mashed potatoes are heavenly too!

Tips to making the perfect homemade mashed potatoes:

Boil potatoes in Swanson® Chicken Broth. Gives the potatoes SO much crazy flavor!
Use a potato masher, not an electric mixer. Mixers make them gluey and gummy.
Plenty of salt. Who likes salt-less potatoes. Gross.
Use half and half, evaporated milk or heavy cream instead of milk. Soooo much creamier!

After you’ve fine-tuned and perfected your mashed potatoes – you’ll confidently be adding them to your menu plan often! We have mashed potatoes on our menu plan, weekly!!

Do you need a Weekly Menu Planner for your fridge? These save SO much time, and takes the guess out of “What’s for Dinner?”

We’ve got one you can have! Just click below to get yours now!

Okay…so those are my tips. Our roasted garlic mashed potatoes recipe is up next! Just leave out the garlic if you’re not a fan and prefer just butter, salt and pepper. Ba-da-bing!

Ingredients:

5 lb. bag of potatoes (any kind you like)
32 oz. Swanson® Chicken Broth
1 stick of softened butter
3 heads of garlic, roasted (or 2-3 teaspoons of garlic powder)
1/4 – 1/2 cup of evaporated milk, half and half or heavy cream (milk will work too, just won’t be as creamy and dreamy)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Peel, rinse and quarter or dice up the 5 lbs of potatoes. I like a little potato peel in my mashed potatoes so I leave a little bit on the potato. Fill a medium to large pot with the Swanson® Broth. You want enough to cover the potatoes, so fill the rest of the way with water, to cover them. Boil for 15-20 minutes or until you can easily pierce them with a fork. Drain the potatoes and then put back in the same pot to keep them warm.

Mash potatoes with a potato masher until they’re all pretty smashed up. Cut in the stick of softened butter, and continue to mash. Add the roasted garlic (or garlic powder), salt and pepper. Continue to mash, and taste test…and mash, and taste test some more. Add a little more cream, butter, salt/pepper or garlic to taste as needed.

Top with a couple pats of butter – cause you know….there’s no such thing as TOO much butter! Serve hot — and watch your family and friends devour it!

5.0 from 4 reviews

4 Tips to Perfect Homemade Mashed Potatoes (With or Without Roasted Garlic)

Author: Jenni

Ingredients

5 lb. bag of potatoes (any kind you like)
32 oz. Swanson® Chicken Broth
1 stick of softened butter
3 heads of garlic, roasted (or 2-3 teaspoons of garlic powder)
¼ - ½ cup of evaporated milk, half and half, heavy cream or milk
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Peel and rinse the 5 lbs of potatoes. Quarter or dice potatoes up.
In a medium to large pot, cover the potatoes with Swanson® Chicken Broth. Add water if needed, to make sure the potatoes are covered.
Boil for 15-20 minutes or until you can easily pierce them with a fork.
Drain the potatoes and then put back in the same pot to keep them warm.
Mash potatoes with a potato masher until they're smashed up.
Cut in the stick of softened butter, and continue to mash.
Add the roasted garlic (or garlic powder), salt and pepper. Continue to mash, and taste test. Add more cream, butter, salt/pepper or garlic to taste, as needed.
Top with a couple pats of butter and serve hot -- and watch your family and friends devour it!

I keep Campbell’s NEW Swanson® Broth stocked for several of our fave recipes. It just adds so much flavor when you use it vs. water. The new packaging has an awesome measuring strip which is super handy for eye-balling your recipes. I also really like the new screw cap lid! It makes storing and re-using a little easier.

Campbell’s has some more really new and innovative products out that I’ll be sharing soon. They get it. They know that most moms and dads are just ready to drop into bed at the end of a busy day. We want something yummy for dinner, but we don’t want to spend forever in the kitchen making it.

Laundry, homework, ball practice – it all keeps us overwhelmed since we don’t have enough hours in the day. These new products from Campbell’s help us get a quick and delicious dinner on the table, stress-free! Visit @Swansonbroths on Facebook and the Campbell’s Kitchen website for these delicious Campbell’s recipes! I’ve got the Taco Pizza recipe from there on our menu plan for this week! Woot!!!

**What favorite recipe of yours could you swap out water for Swanson® Broth?**

How to Make Instant Iced Coffee + Peanut Butter and Chocolate Iced Coffee Recipe and Folgers GIVEAWAY!! (ends 7/9)

July 2, 2015 by Jenni 112 Comments

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Folgers. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Iced coffee. Mmmm. Sigh.

Is there really anything better?

The only problem is that it seems to take foreverahhhh to make it and who has that kind of time in the mornings?

Not me! And I’m willing to bet the farm that you don’t either!

Especially if you’re not prepared already, and you have to wait until your strong pot of coffee cools down enough to pour over ice. Pfft.

What would you say if I told you how to make instant iced coffee in the morning, in under a minute?

Unless you’re a slow-poke, then maybe 2 minutes! I tell you NO lies. Friends. I wouldn’t lie to you about coffee. Never, ever ever ever! I take coffee VERY seriously!

I introduce to you….drumroll, please….

Folgers Iced Café Coffee Drink Concentrates!

Always been a big fan of Folgers, we have. It’s the only brand my mom would ever buy and it’s definitely a brand we love. But get THIS. They understand the frustration of how you and I can’t just whip up a cold iced coffee in a very short time so they have added the Folgers Iced Café Coffee Drink Concentrates to their line of products.

Do you know what this means? PERFECTION – in a tiny bottle!

Instant iced coffee in no time flat, folks!

{{ Ooops. I missed the glass. Hey! It’s not easy trying to make iced coffee and taking photos one-handed at the same time! }}

Anyhoo, it’s a flavored concentrated coffee, with sweetener included – all conveniently combined in a tiny portable bottle. You can enjoy it ANYtime and ANYwhere! Pack it with you in your purse for work and on the go!

It’s made with 100% coffee extract, just five ingredients and no sugar or preservatives. It’s packaged in a portable 1.62 fl. oz. squeeze bottle and comes in 4 tasty varieties including:

Original Latte
Vanilla Latte
Caramel Macchiato
Hazelnut Latte

How to make instant iced coffee:

Add 2 squeezes of Folgers Iced Café Coffee Drink Concentrate into a glass of cold milk.
Stir.
Add ice.
Enjoy!

BAM!!!

Told you it was gonna be instant and easy!!

How to make instant Peanut Butter and Chocolate Iced Coffee:

Because I have a love for everything peanut butter and chocolate, I pushed things to another level and created a delish peanut butter and chocolate iced coffee. Took just another couple of minutes longer – but it was SO worth it!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Iced Coffee ingredients:

Folgers Iced Café Iced Coffee Concentrate: Vanilla Latte or Original Latte
Glass of cold milk
1 tablespoon of creamy peanut butter
1-2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup
ice

Instructions:

1. Combine peanut butter and chocolate syrup in a small bowl. Stir in enough milk to thin out the mixture well, making sure the peanut butter is all dissolved. If the peanut butter isn’t dissolved, you’ll end up with chunks of peanut butter in your iced coffee. I’m ok with that, but you might not be.

2. Squeeze (2) squirts of the Vanilla or Original Latte coffee concentrate into a glass of milk, and stir.

3. Pour the peanut butter and chocolate mixture in and stir well.

4. Add ice, and enjoy!

5.0 from 22 reviews

Instant Peanut Butter and Chocolate Iced Coffee

Author: Jenni

Ingredients

Folgers Iced Café Iced Coffee Concentrate: Vanilla Latte or Original Latte
Glass of cold milk
1 tablespoon of creamy peanut butter
1-2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup
ice

Instructions

Combine peanut butter and chocolate syrup in a small bowl. Stir in enough milk to thin out the mixture well, making sure the peanut butter is all dissolved. If the peanut butter isn't dissolved, you'll end up with chunks of peanut butter in your iced coffee.
Squeeze (2) squirts of the Vanilla or Original Latte coffee concentrate into a glass of milk, and stir.
Pour the peanut butter and chocolate mixture in and stir well.
Add ice, and enjoy!

My friend, Christie, at Saving Said Simply made a delish Orange Hazelnut Coffee Float using the coffee concentrate as well. Make sure to check her recipe out too!

Now, to celebrate the great taste of Folgers Iced Café and all Folgers Coffee products, you have a chance to win Folgers prizes on Facebook and Twitter all summer long in the #FolgersFridays promotion, through Sept. 4th 2015. Just visit their pages on Fridays to enter to win a prize basket of Folgers products (ARV: $200)! Visit Folgers on Facebook and Twitter. To enter on Facebook, answer in the comments section and on Twitter, send an answer in a non-private tweet to @Folgers – but be sure to include the hashtags #FolgersFridays and #PromoEntry.

Ready for a Fun Giveaway?

One lucky reader will win four bottles of Folgers Iced Café Coffee Drink Concentrates, one of each flavor.

Original Latte
Vanilla Latte
Caramel Macchiato
Hazelnut Latte

Just use the Rafflecopter form below to enter! US residents only, 18 or older.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest entrants are only eligible to win once per sweepstake, per household as part of a campaign sponsored by Influence Central.

Grape Jelly and BBQ Sauce Little Smokies

February 17, 2015 by Jenni 7 Comments

I’m so glad you’ve stopped by!

You’re needing a super quick and easy appetizer that you can whip up in no time, right?! This Grape Jelly and BBQ Sauce Little Smokies recipe is JUST what you need!

They’re always the first thing GONE at all of our parties! They’re gonna be the first thing gone at YOURS too! Guaranteed!!

You’ll love them so much – that you’re going to want to add them to your weekly menu plan when you’re having family game night, or when you’re having ANY kind of get together!

Need to take the stress and guess out of “What’s for Dinner”?!

Get my FREE printable & reusable Weekly Menu Planner to stick on your fridge!!! Just click below to get yours and I’ll deliver it INSTANTLY!

Click NEXT button below to get the recipe Right NOW!

Pages: 1 2

Bacon Wrapped Parmesan Crackers

December 31, 2014 by Jenni 31 Comments

Bacon Wrapped Parmesan Crackers

Everybody needs a little bacon in their life, right?! My neice introduced me to these bacon wrapped parmesan crackers a few years ago. Actually, her mother in law made them all the time and every chance I got – I’d swine a handful or two. Or three. They were always THE appetizer of all the family gatherings and since it’s New Year’s Eve I figured what the heck. I’ll make up a batch. They’re way too good not to share.

So I’m sharing the love.

And the fat.

And the calories.

P.S. The printable recipe is further down below if you’d like to print it off to stick in your recipe box. Now…..after I write this up, I have to go swat my husband’s hand out of these before they’re all gone!!!

Ingredients:

buttery crackers, we used Ritz
package of thin sliced bacon
parmesan cheese

Directions:

Lay crackers out on a baking rack that has slits in it, to allow bacon grease to drip. We used a broiler pan. You can use a cooling rack on top of a regular cookie sheet if needed. Just make sure the grease has something to drip on while in the oven.

Dump a teaspoon of parmesan cheese over each cracker. Some will fall off, that’s okay.

Slice bacon in half, right down the middle of the package.

Now’s the tricky part. Peel off a slice of bacon, then carefully pick up a cracker making sure not to lose too much cheese off the top. Just lay the bacon across the top of the cheese and wrap each end around the backside of the cracker. The ends of the bacon should meet. Just snugly press the ends together and then lay back down on the baking sheet.

Bake in a 250 degree pre-heated oven, for 2 hours. Take a peek around 1 hour and 45 minutes though to see if they’re done. Depending on how thin the bacon is, they could be done a little sooner.

DO NOT use thick sliced bacon. The end result is still okay, but they turn out more chewy than crisp.

5.0 from 8 reviews

Bacon Wrapped Parmesan Crackers

Author: Jenni

Ingredients

buttery crackers, we used Ritz
package of thin sliced bacon
parmesan cheese

Instructions

Lay crackers out on a baking rack that has slits in it, to allow bacon grease to drip. We used a broiler pan. You can use a cooling rack on top of a regular cookie sheet if needed. Just make sure the grease has something to drip on while in the oven.
Dump a teaspoon of parmesan cheese over each cracker. Some will fall off, that's okay.
Slice bacon in half, right down the middle of the package.
Peel off a slice of bacon, then carefully pick up a cracker making sure not to lose too much cheese off the top. Just lay the bacon across the top of the cheese and wrap each end around the backside of the cracker. The ends of the bacon should meet. Just snugly press the ends together and then lay back down on the baking sheet.
Bake in a 250 degree pre-heated oven, for 2 hours. Take a peek around 1 hour and 45 minutes though to see if they're done. Depending on how thin the bacon is, they could be done a little sooner.
***DO NOT use thick sliced bacon. The end result is still okay, but they turn out more chewy than crisp.

100% Natural Baby Products Alternatives + 5 Things to Leave Out of Your Diaper Bag!

NO MOM GUILT ALLOWED!

5 REAL – 100% Natural Baby Products Alternatives!

1. Ditch Talcum Powder and/or Baby Powder (linked to ovarian cancer and lung diseases)

2. Ditch Traditional Baby Oil (they limit skin breathability and toxin release!)

3. Ditch the Anti-bacterial Soaps and Gels (they contain triclosan, which is carcinogenic. Don’t believe me? Google it!)

4. Belladonna (found in teething remedies) – linked to seizures!

5. Fragrances (can cause respiratory, neurological, and skin damage. May lead to asthma!)

Tell us, what products have you ditched and switched? We’d love to know!!

How to Decorate the Rim of a Glass with Sprinkles!

How to Decorate the Rim of a Glass with Sprinkles!

Portable for School Lunches!

Tagalongs Peanut Butter S’Mores.

Ohhhh, yes I did. Boy Howdy! I love smushing things between cookies. So – I hope you enjoy these.

You’ll need:

How to Assemble:

Thin Mint Ice Cream Sandwiches

Okay, now in all honesty…there are a few things I want to mention. Just to save you some time.

What Girl Scout Cookies are your favorite?

Ooey Gooey Toasted SMores Bars

Click HERE for the full recipe, complete with step by step instructions!

Chocolate Peppermint Truffles

Chocolate Peppermint Truffles Ingredients:

Instructions:

Storing Chocolate Peppermint Truffles:

What are your family holiday baking traditions?

Do you have any new traditions you’d love to create or recreate?

Homemade mashed potatoes. Sigh.

Tips to making the perfect homemade mashed potatoes:

Ingredients:

Directions:

What favorite recipe of yours could you swap out water for Swanson® Broth?

Folgers Iced Café Coffee Drink Concentrates!

How to make instant iced coffee:

How to make instant Peanut Butter and Chocolate Iced Coffee:

Ready for a Fun Giveaway?

Bacon Wrapped Parmesan Crackers

More fan favorite appetizer recipes below:

What are your favorite appetizers?

Quick Links

**What favorite recipe of yours could you swap out water for Swanson® Broth?**