Chicken Cordon Bleu w/ Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwiches #TysonGoodness #CBias

My daughter has always loved sports but this year we decided it was time to get her into some school sporting events so she can be on a real team. We love team school sports because it has taught her so many life lessons that yes, she already knew but now she is putting them to use.

I have notice though that when she's done playing she is exhausted. She is running off of adrenaline for a bit but then she crashes like a coffee addict. I've had to get pretty creative to make her a snack because things that used to fill her up don't do the job anymore because her appetite is much bigger. On a recent trip to Walmart I was jumping for joy when I saw at these new chicken sandwiches. The Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwiches are the perfect size for kids with breaded chicken on a soft bun.

It took me a while to find them since I thought they would be in the meat dept. where I always see other Tyson products but nope, they were located in the back by the frozen pizza and ice cream. I bought two boxes of the regular chicken sandwiches (they also can be bought with cheese on them) because for a limited time you can earn a $5 Walmart Gift Card when you mail in two UPC box codes and your Walmart receipt! If you want to get in on your $5 Walmart rebate gift card go buy some sandwiches then click on the link.

The Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwiches are not available in all Walmart’s right now. If you visit Tysongoodness.com to find a Walmart near them (and you'll see my pretty picture there too, hehe).

Once I was home with my sandwiches I had to get to work because it was almost time to pick M up. To cook the Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwiches you place one pack of 2 in the microwave for just 45 seconds, flip over and heat for about 35 seconds more and they are heated through perfectly. I was honestly thinking, "Great, this is going to taste disgusting and she won't eat it. I wasted my money". Boy was I wrong, they were delicious!!
So to add to the goodness I placed a piece of ham and mozzarella cheese in the microwave for a few seconds then I put that on the chicken for a Mini Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich! You can check out my full purchase to eating path by checking out my Google+ Story here!!

I wrapped them up and look them to M and after practice she ate 1 and 1/2 of the sandwiches right now! She said they were so good but she was full. I'm glad I have found an after sporting event snack that gives her the much needed protein and natural energy that she just lost.

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All the opinions are of mine and my family's #TysonGoodness #CBias

imemories saved our vhs tapes! #preservingmemories #cbias

So tell me, how many old VHS tapes do you have in the attic? A lot? Yeah, me too. Well recently I was asked to send in those old tapes and I could get them made into DVD's!

iMemories is a new service provided by The UPS Store.

To start the process we had to find some old movies. The hubby dug these up. To be honest, we couldn't even tell you what is on these tapes since it's been that long since they were watched. We don't even own a VHS player so there was no way to even check them out. With today's technology changing at a rapid pace you have to keep your valuable memories up to speed or they will be lost forever. I don't think anyone takes pictures and videos of friends and family with the thought that they can't view them in X-amount of years.

Of course we want to preserve those memories for a lifetime for generations to come and that's where iMemories comes in!

Getting started is so easy. There are 4 ways to get your memories safely to the iMemories team. After you choose which option you are going with you print the special shipping label and you're good to go!

I chose The UPS Store route so once I had my shipping label filled out it was time to head to The UPS Store with my tapes.

Once I got to the store no one there had heard about iMemories and the guy had no idea what to do with my tapes, lol. I was pretty clueless on the whole thing so I was definitely no help to him. The manager called iMemories and after a brief 1 minute conversation everything was figured out. Since I already had my shipping labels all The UPS Store had to do was pack up my VHS tapes and order form then secure the label to the box. Simple.
You can check out more of my path from The UPS Store-home by checking out my ThisMoment story.

About 4 days later I received an email that my tapes arrived safely at iMemories! Then about 2 days later I received another email saying that my tapes had been converted to digital form and I could view them online.

Each tape you send in is $9.99. The $9.99 pays for iMemories to convert your tapes to digital form. Once your memories are digital you have 30 days to sort, edit and make a label for your tapes. If you'd like to have your tapes shipped to you on a DVD you simply pay another $9.99 and in a matter of days you will receive your old VHS tapes and a pretty DVD!

Viewing them online was so exciting because we found out that the tapes were amazing family memories. One tape was my husband's first day at Kindergarten, 1 tape was lots of family footage of my husband when he was 2 years old. This tape really got to the hubby because his dad (his dad passed away 3 years ago), grandma (passed away 5 years after this video) and great grandma (passed away within 3 years of the footage being shot), and grandpa (passed away shortly after the footage was shot) was on his tape. So many memories he doesn't remember but all people he dies to remember about.

The last tape was a surprise since it was footage from a Christmas in the '60's with my husband's mom and uncle when she was 4 (he wasn't born yet) and then when she was 7 and he was 2.

We ordered two DVDs of each VHS tape and we are planning on sending these to my husband's mom for Christmas. We know she will be thrilled to see all this footage.

The whole iMemories process took about 2 weeks from start to finish and about $100. But now we have 6 DVDs and I ordered 2 day shipping so we would see them at home quicker!

I definitely think iMemories is a great way to preserve memories for so many years to come.

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias #CBias. All opinions about iMemories are my own. :)

orzo w/ sausage, peppers & tomatoes #gourmetcreations #cbias

So I've been doing this monthly meal plan thing for almost a week now and I love it! It has helped my sanity since I already know what we're having for dinner and I have all the ingredients in the house. Last night I made orzo with sausage, peppers and tomatoes.
I didn't use just any ol' sausage though, I used new Hillshire Farm Gourmet Creations Sausage. Can you say "yum"?

I found 4 different flavors at Walmart but went with the Sweet Italian style since I have to have sweet sausage and John is Italian so "that's all we can have in the house" haha. I've made a Google+ story to document my shopping experience so check it out! :)
Other options were Beef & Bacon, Beef & Jalapeno, and Chicken Apple.

Each flavor option is made with premium meats and no artificial flavors, no artifical colors or by-products. I hardely ever buy sausage because I never know what meat is actually in it. I was glad to purchase this sausage because the first ingredient was pork.

Slice (or chunk like I do) red peppers and soften in olive oil for a few minutes then set aside on a pate. In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock, water, and salt to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes is pretty perfect.

While the pasta is cooking: In a large skillet (I used the same one I cooked the peppers in), heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the Gourmet Creations Sausage and saute until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the peppers, tomatoes (drained), and red pepper flakes, if using, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the liquid, and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the sausage mixture, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss well to combine all ingredients, adding reserved liquid, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Serve.

INGREDIENTS
2 red bell peppers

1 pound orzo pasta

3 cups chicken stock

3 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 package (4 links) Hillshire Farm Gourmet Creations Sausage

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias #CBias. All opinions about the yummy sausage I tried are my own!

chicken fajitas with hillshire farm #grilledessentials #cbias

Recently I was sent out to make a dinner meal using the new Hillshire Farm Grilled Essentials chicken breast.
It was chicken fajita night and instead of slicing up boneless skinless chicken breast I went shopping for this easy to use chicken. I was pretty nervous especially after I read that to heat this 2-pack of chicken up you pop it into the microwave for just 60 seconds. How good could it taste right?

I found the Grilled Essentials right next to the packaged lunch meat section of my local WalMart. I wasn't sure which flavor sounded better so I grabbed both the Hardwood Smoked and the Italian Style. Other flavor options are Grilled (plain), Lemon Pepper, and Garlic & Herb. All options are just 120 calories per serving and 19 grams of protein!

Tonight I went with the Hardwood Smoked Chicken Breast

Like I said, cooking the chicken was simple. I popped it in the microwave (unopened) for 1 minute and the self ventilating packaging does the magic for you.

Do you see how juicy the chicken is?! It was seriously so moist and so flavorful. I could not believe how tasty it was.
So as you can see I sliced up some red pepper and a yellow onion. I let them sweat in a pan of EVOO and black pepper for a few minutes till the onions were caramelised and peppers were softened.

After slicing up the chicken breast add the onion and red pepper to a tortilla, top with (lots of) cheese and pico de gallo and enjoy!

Using Hillshire Farm Grilled Essentials gave me a quick and delicious meal idea for dinner (and lunch) that I will continue to use!

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias #CBias. All opinions about the yummy chicken I tried are my own!

tailgating on football sunday #cheapgas #cbias #tailgating

Unless you live in a cave then you know it's football season. If your family is like mine every weekend revolves around football and who is playing. If one of John's teams are playing then we can't run errands or do family outings or we have to wait till the game is over. It's crazy.
We cook out, have lots of friends over, nap schedules are thrown off.
Yesterday was no different. We watched 3 different games and I took pictures of the whole thing and my pre-game trip to Murphy Express which I put up on Intersect!

Murphy USA (walk up outside store) and Murphy Express (inside store) is a great stop to shop at for propaine, gas, snacks and lots of drinks at amazing prices! I can feed the whole army of John's guy friends for super cheap.

My first stop was to Murphy Express. I needed to refill our propane tank, get some gas and of course stock up on snacks and drinks.

Can't beat these prices and deals! 

I picked up Pepsi products for 99cents each, 2-$2.22 Coke products and king size candy for 2-$2.50!! I love shopping at Murphy Express and Murphy USA for snacks and drinks especially when I need to pick up a lot.

 

Our 2nd game of the day was the Dallas and Lions game. The Lions were getting their butts kicked.

We had such a great time yesterday and you bet you will catch us doing the same thing every weekend!



so tired at the end of the night.



This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias. All opinions are my own! We love football and Murphy USA!

candy corn bars with m&m's white chocolate candy corn icing #mmsgetcorny #cbias

A few days ago I told you that WalMart just started to carry the brand spankin' new M&M's White Chocolate Candy Corn candies and now I cannot wait to show you how I used them... beside eating them all by myself! Halloween is one of my favorite times just because Fall is my favorite season and what's better then all the Halloween candy? Uh nothing!

Candy Corn Bars with M&M White Chocolate Candy Corn frosting!

First to make this yummy treat you want to line bottom and sides of 9-inch square pan with foil; spray foil with cooking spray.

For the ingredients you want to cream butter, and granulated sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Next stir in flour and baking powder just until mixed.

Now the fun part! Stir in yellow food color until well mixed.

Spread about 1 1/2 cups yellow batter in pan. Place pan in freezer about 15 minutes or until batter is slightly firm to the touch. This is very important if you want the layer effect... which of course you do since we're making it look like candy corn :)

While the yellow is freezing you want to add red coloring to the remaining yellow batter untill you reach the desired orange color. Remember the brighter the better but be careful not to go completely red.

Gently pour the orange mix on top of the yellow, being extra careful not to disturb the yellow mix beneath.

Bake for 48-55 minutes @ 325*

FROSTING:

To make this delicious frosting follow these steps.

1. In medium bowl, beat softened butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar until well blended. Beat in milk, and vanilla until smooth and spreadable.

2. Fill the bottom part of the double boiler with water. Set on the stove, and turn the burner to medium. Pour the M&Ms into the other pot. Put it on top of the first pot. Stir the M&Ms constantly to prevent sticking and burning as they melt. As the M&Ms candy gets softer, use the spoon to crunch the shells. Once melted remove from heat and slowly mix into frosting. Spread frosting over cooled cake.

To serve, remove cake from pan, using foil to lift. Remove foil. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows; cut each square diagonally in half. Top each triangle with 1-3 M&M White Chocolate Candy Corn candy.

they can't all be winners :( Here are some pieces that got mixed up in the cooking process. Totally cool if you ask me!

Want more of my story and how I made this recipe? Check out my ThisMoment story!

Recipe contest on the M&M's Get Corny website starts on October 7th-21st so I hope you all will vote for me! :) Prize is a $150 giftcard to WalMart and that would be amazing everyone!

BATTER

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
4 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 drops yellow food color
3 drops red food color

FROSTING
2 1/2 cups sifted powder sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine (softened)
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package White Chocolate Candy Corn M&M's

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias. All of the opinions of the product are strickly my own and I was not influenced to produce a positive review or recipe.

member's mark 4x probiotic *update* #digestivehealth

So a couple weeks ago I told you that started taking this probiotic by Member's Mark. Well I am happy to report a happy tummy and a happy mommy. After just a couple days I already noticed a difference in how my body was reacting to the Member's Mark 4x Probiotic.

In my previous post I told you a little about my tummy problems and they are definitely gone now. I tested my stomach by eating something I just knew would keep me in the bathroom. Well turns out I didn't have any issues at all. No more bloating or (shhh) gas and definitely no more constipation. If you don't have those issues then you have no idea how life changing it is but lemme just tell you that it changes everything!

I am not a huge pill taking person so it was hard for me to swallow these. They are about the same size as your average multivitamin but to me that's big. I can barely swallow pain reliever.

Taking the Member's Mark 4X Probiotic has been a challenge and on the days I accidently skip I feel a difference.
To really test my body and see if it was all just a fluke I stopped taking the pills for about 4 days. What happened? Well the bloating instantly came back. My jeans were tighter and I felt so icky and just run down. After the 4th day I was done and day 5 I took my pill. A couple days later I was happy again.

I am happy that the box is a 3 month supply so I wont run out any time soon.

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are 100% our own and yours may vary; I’m not a Dietician, Doctor or any kind of Specialist. My post is about how my body reacted to said product. You may experience sometyhing completely different.

white chocolate candy corn m&m's? yes please! #mmsgetcorny

You heard me right! Mars has made all of our chocolate-halloweeny dreams comes true by combining the best of the best. White Chocolate. Candy Corn. And M&M's!

For a limited time Wal-Mart stores will carry this deliciousness.

We have been looking every. single. day but no luck but the heavens opened up just three days ago when I decided instead of driving everyday I should call my Wal-Mart, so I did and they told me "yes we have them" YES!

So go out and search for them because they should officially be in all Wal-Marts this weekend.

Want some even better news? On September 28th @ 9pm EST there will be a #MMsGetCorny twitter party! So RSVP HERE and join the fun and you can even win some gift cards to buy all the M&M's (or food, whatever) you want!

getting healthy with probiotics #digestivehealth #cbias

Have you noticed I'm on a big health kick recently? Well I am. A while ago I noticed I wasn't feeling so hot, always tired, you know. So I started taking a multivitamin, a supplement (if you read my post yesterday) and now I started a probiotic supplement.

It's from Sam's Club and it's called Member's Mark 4X Probiotic. I'm super excited to start this probiotic because digestive issues have always been something I have. Probiotics are good bacteria that can even be found in yogurt. I know that as we age the number of microflora is reduced as well as stress and diet. So adding more Bifidobacteria is always a good thing.

When I say "digestive health" I'm sure you think, "I dont need to take probiotics... I can go to the bathroom just fine." Well those types of tummy troubles aren't the only thing that probiotics help. There are nerves in your stomach that are connected to your brain. So when you're nervous and get that butterfly feeling or feel sick to your stomach when stress happens? Those issues have to do with digestive health too and I strongly believe probiotics can help minimize some of those feelings.

Each box of Member's Mark 4x is a 3 month supply but I'll be updating you in about 2 weeks with my review on how I have been feeling!

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All thoughts included are my own.

bathroom makeover #cbias

I've been talking a lot of giving our whole house a makeover in the past few months. One place I neglected to mention was our guest bathroom, or the girls bathroom really. We decorated it nice and I loved the creamy yellow on the wall but we never that much to it.
This weekend we decided it was time so we ran to Wal-Mart to purchase Glidden Better Homes & Gardens Collection paint to bring a whole new look to the dark bathroom.

Our current shower curtain is green and brown and fairly new so we thought we'd leave it and just get paint to match.

After putting the pop out paint circle on the wall back at home we decided green wasn't a good idea. We liked the brown though. We chose a darker brown and John then suggested blue.

The blue was way too dark (the color on the right) once we saw the test spot on the wall so to keep the room from feeling too small we added white to it so it would lighten up a bit. I promise the blues don't look as "slate-y" as they do in these pictures.

We also decided to add to hardware in the room. I was surprised to see that Better Homes & Garden made their own line.

Here was the bathroom before

And here is the bathroom now!

We still have some things to add but I just wanted to get this post up to show you the paint job we did!
We took it from a yellow cream base to dark brown with a blue accent wall. The brown is called Aromatic Coffee and the blue is Bluebird's Egg (with a little white added to it) and of course both paints are from Glidden's Better Homes & Gardens Collection.
A see through shower curtain helps bring a ton more light which we love.
To see more pictures of the finished bathroom check out my ThisMoment story. There you can see the accessories better.

We are so happy with our new bathroom paint and Glidden! There was barely any odor what so ever, it is washable so when we made tiny mistakes on the tile or mirror it came right off when it was dried!


This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are my own and we did all the hard work using our Glidden paint.