Picky Eaters & Family Fun Pizza Night

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Hi friends!

Do any of you do family pizza night? We do, every week! It is a great way to spend time as a family and reconnect after a long week. Even now that most of us have moved out of the house, we still do our best to get together at my mom's house every week. Sometimes we order delivery, and sometimes we pop something in the oven. Pizza is a great way to feed a large group, but it can get expensive! I'm so glad that there are yummy choices like #DiGiorno in the freezer section!

Who here has a "cheese only" kid? Everyone, right? Aren't we always hearing that getting kids involved in making their food will help with picky eating? Well, DiGiorno nailed it! These #designapizza kits will get your kids excited to put all sorts of things on their pizza. Pepperoni? Yep. Chicken? Yep. Veggies? Bring 'em on!

So, we headed off to Walmart and grabbed a couple pizzas from the freezer section.

I think she's a little excited, what do you think? Excited about peppers? That's a start! 

Here's what we ended up with. Two pizza kits, and a plain cheese (just in case!)

All of the toppings come in these little trays. No dishes! Woot!

Then you get to decorate. Is there anything a newly 5 year old girl likes to do better than decorate things? She started out wanting to make flowers...

Then Noni jumped in to help make a smiley face, complete with hair and cheeks!

Now, pop that artwork into the oven. While you wait, cut up some fruit and veggies. Pizza night should be easy! We love having fresh choices to pair with our pizza.

Ding! Pizza's done!

Now, the moment of truth...

She looks happy with her pizza, but this wouldn't be the first time that she changes her mind at the last minute...
Side note: Do you see Owen eyeballing that pizza? This kid.

:deep breath:

Success!! She ate the entire piece, complete with pepperoni, sausage and peppers! I call it a win!

Thanks, DiGiorno and #collectivebias!

How do you encourage your kids to try new foods?

Be blessed,

Heather

DIY Juicy Lucy Bar

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

Hi friends!

It's Memorial Day today here in the States. A chance to remember lost service members, and spend time with family. Parades, spending the day outside, and barbecues are standard fare.

This is what you want to do at your barbecue. I promise.

For those of you who may not know, a Juicy Lucy (or Jucy Lucy, depending on your history) is a midwest thing. More specifically, a Minneapolis thing. Basically it is a cheese-stuffed burger, with cheese on top. Yes, please!

Now I don't know about you, but Kraft is the first name I think of for cheese, and you want good cheese for this. Walmart has all sorts of choices, but I went with Sharp Cheddar, Italian 5 Cheese and Mexican 4 Cheese. I grabbed some barbecue sauce and mayo while I was there, too.

Confession: I typically fall on the Miracle Whip side of the aisle, but for this mayo was perfect. I don't like mayo on its own, but I love it mixed with other things! Tonight it was sriracha and pesto. Yum!

OK, now lets get down to business!

Ready, Set, #SayCheeseburger!

Here is what you need:

• Ground meat (1/3 lb per person)
• Cheeses
• Toppings: bacon, lettuce, tomato, etc...
• Sauces: Mayo, BBQ sauce, ketchup, relish, mustard, whatever else you like
• Buns

Start by portioning out your meat of choice. We used beef, but you could easily do this with turkey, too! I season my burgers with a generous helping of my favorite garlic/sea salt grinder. Easy peasy. We went with 1/3 lb burgers, with a smaller one for my daughter.

Now get that cheese ready!

Remember making pinch pots in Kindergarten art class? Do that with your burger. Then fill your pot up with your cheese of choice!

Pinch it up, squish it into a patty, and toss that baby on the grill.

Try not to drool too much as the cheese inside gets all melty and gooey.

Once your burgers are cooked, it's time for the fun part. Toppings!

Cheesy bacony goodness? Yes.

BLT with pesto mayo and cheddar? Yes and yes.

Marinara, pesto mayo, and oozy, melty mozzarella? Yes, yes, and YES!

Bananas? Also good.

We kept our toppings pretty basic this time, but you could go as exotic as you want to. Have a crowd that likes spicy food? Layer on those peppers! Mexican night? Guacamole burgers! The possibilities are endless! This is also great when you are cooking for a crowd because everyone ends up happy, even the kids.

Thanks, #collectivebias!

Want even more burger ideas? Check out the ideas that Walmart has!

How would you top your burgers?
Are you a wild topper or a classic burger builder?

Be blessed!
Heather

Mother's Day Cards & Blessing Packs

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

Hi friends!

Did you have a nice Easter? We couldn't have asked for a better day! We had an amazing worship service, had lunch with all of our local family, and spent the day playing outside! It was perfect.

It's crazy to think about, but we're already rapidly approaching the next holiday, and it's a good one. Mother's Day!

I'm lucky enough to have 3 mothers to celebrate on Mother's Day. One mom, one mother-in-law, and one stepmother-in-law. If you've seen my goals lately, you know that we're trying really hard to pay off our consumer debt this year. I love to give gifts, but we have a pretty tight budget for a while. As much as I would love to shower the mother's in my life with jewelry and flowers, it's just not in the cards this year.

Now cards, however...those I can do! (see what I did there? Ha!)

I am a firm believer in the idea that a small, thoughtful gift can be just as meaningful, if not more so, than a huge, fancy gift. Something with a sweet note, and a treat you know they will love. Hallmark to the rescue! At Walmart they have so many beautiful Mother's Day cards. 

There is something for every mom. Sweet ones, sparkly ones, ones that will make her laugh, and ones that might make her cry.

 Once I had picked out cards for everyone, I headed over to the candy aisle. I was on a mission to find the perfect little treat for each of my mothers.

Cadbury for my Mother-in-law who grew up in England.

Classic milk chocolate for my Stepmother-in-law. She's a classic!

And dark chocolate with sea salt for my Momma. It's her favorite!

I get to deliver my mom's gift in person, but my mother-in-law and stepmother-in-law live out of town. They'll have to get their gifts by mail. One more simple way to dress up this gift? Washi tape!

Add a little to the card envelope...

Then add some to a padded shipping envelope. Who doesn't love getting pretty mail?

Seal it all up and pop it in the mail! Simple blessings for the mothers in your life!

Want even more great ideas and goodies? Make sure you check out connectionsfromhallmark.com to sign up for Hallmark Rewards, and to see great content from other bloggers. Join in the #MothersDayCards conversation on Twitter with #collectivebias!  For every 5 Hallmark cards you buy you'll earn a reward. Sweet deal!

What are your favorite simple gifts?

Any plans for Mother's Day?

Be blessed!

Heather