Mommy Has to Work

Southern Living – Comfort Food Made Easy

April 3, 2014 By Anne

Love to cook? Check out Southern Living’s New Cookbook – Comfort Food Made Easy. I received this new cookbook along with a jar of LouAna’s Coconut Oil. As soon as I received this I started using the coconut oil in my recipes. I made cupcakes and replaced vegetable oil with the coconut oil and no one could tell the difference. I’ve also replaced my margarine with this when I fry up my green beans.

There are so many delicious recipes that it was hard to just choose just one to make. But I knew desserts would go well with my family so I made Oatmeal Cookies, page 273. It calls for pecans and toffee bits but I used chocolate chips instead.

Very easy to make and a bit different than the oatmeal cookies I’ve made in the past (from the box).

Oatmeal Cookies

Recipe Type: Desserts

Author: Southern Living

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 4 dozen

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups uncooked regular oats
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
optional –
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/1/2 cups toffee bits

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375. Beat butter at medium speed with electric mixer 2-3 minutes or until creamy. Add sugar, beating well. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until blended.
Combine oats and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture, beating juts until blended. Stir in chopped pecans and toffee bits. ( I added my chocolate chips here)
Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto lightly greased baking sheets. ( I used parchment paper instead.)
Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

All the recipes in this book contain a “Make It Easy” tip. For this recipe the tip was to, “Microwave the butter for 20 to 30 seconds on medium heat to soften it.”

Would you like this cookbook and a jar of LouAna’s Coconut Oil? See details below.

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Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Disney Quest Indoor Interactive Theme Park

April 2, 2014 By Anne

Thank you to Disney for proving us tickets to Disney Quest.

During my trip to the Type A Bootcamp in Disney this past weekend, my family and I were able to attend Disney Quest. Disney Quest is a five story, indoor, interactive theme park. We visited Disney Quest about 4 years ago, but now that my daughter is older I thought she would like to revisit it. And what teenage boy doesn’t like video games?

We arrived in Orlando, Friday early afternoon and checked into our hotel. Then we took the bus over to Downtown Disney. It was a bit of a walk to Disney Quest but after being in the car for 2.5 hours, it was nice to walk around.

It’s located at Downtown Disney West Side, this 5 story, 100,000 sq. ft. attraction houses some of the most cutting edge technology, mixed with the very best concepts from Disney’s imagineers.

We received our tickets from Will Call and were told we could come and go as we please up until closing which is 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. When you enter, you immediately take the elevator to the third floor. From there you can take the stairs or elevators to any of the five floors to play and play and play.

Right on the third floor we got to see a giant Wreck It Ralph. A great photo opp, right?

From there we walked around and found lots of games to play…

My son’s favorite games – football and basket ball.

My favorite section was the Replay Zone. They had all kinds of classic arcade games like, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Frogger, Space Invaders, Centipede, Asteroids, Q-bert and Mario Bros. It I love Q-bert!!

My daughter loves to dance and was able to try her moves.

She also tried some pinball. I LOVE pinball! I played a few games my self. After an hour of playing we were hungry. So we headed upstairs to floor five and had a bite to eat. My husband and I shared a hamburger, made with real hamburger and fries. My son had the chicken basket. It had a lot of real chicken pieces in there.

My daughter and husband found Buzz Lightyear’s AstroBlaster. You could see it from a floor above and it looked really fun. Unfortunalty my daughter was 2 inches shy to play. She cried a little but then we went on to other games. The buzz Lightyear’s AstroBlaster is kind of like bumper cars. The cars roll over and suck up foam balls (“asteroids”) on the floor. By doing so, the asteroids will be sucked up into the cabin where players can then load them into a cannon and shoot at the other cars. If hit in the correct spot, one’s car may spin around uncontrollably for ten seconds. Usually there are two players to a car; however, it is possible for one person to pilot and shoot at the same time. Hopefully next time we go she will be tall enough!

My daughter and I took a look at the Create Zone. There were many areas to “create” art or music. My daughter drew Donald Duck. The picture though is terrible, my picture not hers. My phone added a huge flash. It’s pretty dark in there.

Other Zones to explore:

•EXPLORE ZONE: You’ll be transported to another world as you experience the Virtual Jungle Cruise while shooting the rapids. Aladdin’s Magic Carpet Ride sends you through Agrabah as you race to release the Genie. Go in search of hidden treasure on the Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold.
•SCORE ZONE: Become a superhero as you Ride the Comix! in a 3D comic book battle. Your crew visits other planets as you go on a rescue mission in Invasion! An Alien Encounter. The Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam puts you in the middle of the action.
•CREATE ZONE: Express yourself in this artistic center. At the Living Easels you can paint a live masterpiece. Create and ride your one of a kind rollercoaster at CyberSpace Mountain. Toy Story fans will love Sid’s Create-A-Toy where you can assemble and take home your own toy. Become a Disney animator at the Animation Academy. Budding musical stars can create their own CD by choosing from over 20 styles and 1000 vocals at the Radio Disney SongMaker.
•REPLAY ZONE: Classic games and rides with Buzz Lightyear’s AstroBlaster pitting you against your competitors in a zany bumper car race. Mad Wave Motion Theater gives you a choice of riding a fantasy coaster or steering a high speed race car. The Dance Zone offers the latest dance video games and KidQuest is designed for kids ages 2 – 7. Custom Redemption Games require the purchase of Disney Quest Game Play Cards. Points can be used to redeem prizes.

So we left after a few hours. Had we started in the morning we would have gone back. But we were ready for some rest and night time was coming soon.

If you are heading to the parks and want to try something new, check out Downtown Disney and Disney Quest!

There are a few games that require additional money but most of the games are “free” with your ticket into the park. Prices are Children $35.00 (3-9) adult $40.00 (10 & up).

Anne

The Devil Walks in Mattingly – by Billy Coffey

April 1, 2014 By Anne

When I was younger I use to read a lot of Stephen King and Dean Koontz books. But as I’ve gotten older I’ve gotten away from them. I’d have to compare The Devil Walks in Mattingly by Billy Coffey with books written by my long-lost favorite authors.

The book took me a while to get into and the more I read the more bizarre it became. I couldn’t stop reading it even though it freaked me out a bit. I would love to check other books by Billy Coffey. He write’s a great story and really gets you involved in the book. if you like King or Koontz, I’d say check this one too!

For the three people tortured by their secret complicity in a young man’s untimely death, redemption is what they most long for . . . and the last thing they expect to receive.

It has been twenty years since Philip McBride’s body was found along the riverbank in the dark woods known as Happy Hollow. His death was ruled a suicide. But three people have carried the truth ever since—Philip didn’t kill himself that day. He was murdered.

Each of the three have wilted in the shadow of their sins. Jake Barnett is Mattingly’s sheriff, where he spends his days polishing the fragile shell of the man he pretends to be. His wife, Kate, has convinced herself the good she does for the poor will someday wash the blood from her hands. And high in the mountains, Taylor Hathcock lives in seclusion and fear, fueled by madness and hatred.

Yet what cannot be laid to rest is bound to rise again. Philip McBride has haunted Jake’s dreams for weeks, warning that he is coming back for them all. When Taylor finds mysterious footprints leading from the Hollow, he believes his redemption has come. His actions will plunge the quiet town of Mattingly into darkness. These three will be drawn together for a final confrontation between life and death . . . Between truth and lies.

See other review on this book:

http://litfusegroup.com/author/bcoffey

About the Author: Billy Coffey’s critically-acclaimed books combine rural Southern charm with a vision far beyond the ordinary. He is a regular contributor to several publications, where he writes about faith and life. Billy lives with his wife and two children in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.

Learn more about Billy at: http://billycoffey.com

Win a Kindle HDX!

The Devil Walks in Mattingly Billy Coffey

Anne

Sophia the First – The Floating Palace – DVD 4/8/14

March 31, 2014 By Anne

Set sail on a magical full-length adventure under the sea with Sofia in SOFIA THE FIRST: THE FLOATING PALACE out on Disney DVD April 8, 2014. Witness Sofia transform into a mermaid with the aid of her amulet to help save her new mermaid friends from danger! The DVD includes a very special appearance by Princess Ariel, three bonus episodes, plus FREE exclusive friendship bracelets!

I saw this with my daughter back in November and we both loved it! We had on TIVO for awhile so we have seen this several times. Sofia the First is such a cute show and I like the fact that she was a normal little girl who became someone special. She’s so kind and sweet and caring.

Do YOU believe in mermaids? You will – when you set sail on a magical full-length adventure under the sea with Sofia the First! After Sofia helps a young mermaid named Oona, Sofia’s amulet grants her the power to transform into a mermaid and visit her new friend’s secret underwater kingdom. But when Cedric (disguised as a sea monster) plots to steal Oona’s enchanted Mermaid Comb, danger surfaces for both worlds. With a little help from special guest, Princess Ariel, Sofia embarks on an adventure to rescue Oona. Overflowing with oceans of song-filled fun – plus three more exciting episodes – Sofia the First: The Floating Palace proves that when families and friends work together, they can weather any storm and save the day!

Starring: Ariel Winter (ABC TV’s “Modern Family”) as Sofia; Sara Ramirez (ABC TVs “Grey’s Anatomy”) as Queen Miranda; Wayne Brady (TV’s “Let’s Make A Deal”) as Clover; and Tim Gunn (TV’s “Project Runway”) as Baileywick

Have you seen the Floating Palace? What did you think?

Anne

Fresh Express 30 Swap Challenge

March 27, 2014 By Anne

I was given information and coupons to create this recipe.

I love to eat, I admit it. I love salad too so I try to get a good salad when we go out to eat. But at home, I just get the basic salad or eat the stuff I’m not supposed to.

So when offered to receive some coupons for Fresh Express and share with my friends, how could I resist? I checked out the Fresh Express 30 Day Swap and so they had so many salads I wanted to make. But I choose to make a Bacon Cheeseburger Salad. So instead of indulging in a juicy bacon cheeseburger, I made a healthy Bacon Cheeseburger Salad.

A Bacon Cheeseburger has 1000 calories
A Bacon Cheeseburger Salad has 420 calories

Here is what you need to make this delicious salad.

Ingredients:
1 package Fresh Express Italian, roughly chopped

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 onion, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 cup aged cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup dill pickles, chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup bacon bits

Dressing – 1/4 cup of your favorite reduced Thousand Island Dressing

Instructions
1. To make the burger balls combine ground beef, minced onion, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a bowl. Then using a teaspoon, form mini balls, set aside.
2. Over medium heat add the olive oil to a large skillet sauté pan. Then working in batches, carefully place the burger balls in the sauté pan. Cook each side approximately 1-5 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Make sure to carefully turn the balls so that are heated throughout. Once all the balls are cooked, place them on a plate and top with cheddar cheese. ( Make sure to add the cheese while the burger balls are hot so it will melt.)
3.In a large bowl, add the romaine, pickles, tomatoes and dressing. Mix well. Place salad on 4 separate plates and then top each plate with 4 burger balls. Then garnish with green onion and bacon bits.

Let me tell you it was delicious! I had invited a few friends over to try it and they all agreed how good it was!

If you’re wanting to eat healthier but not sacrifice flavor, check out the Fresh Express 30 Day Salad Swap. It’s all about: eating smarter, eating better. Feeling better, too.

And you’re going to love Fresh Express’ unrivaled selection of fresh salad mixes, complete salad-making Kits with dressings and toppings, and wholesome organic products. Because they’re the just the tools you need to make delicious, nutritious meals for you and your family.

The Fresh Express 30-Day Salad Swap lets you recreate the flavors of your favorite higher calorie foods, like cheesy pizza and creamy pasta, in lower calorie salads. Swap one meal a day for a month and you’ll not only feel better, you’ll earn money-saving coupons along the way. Watch the video to find out how to get started.

Facts about Fresh Express:

Fresh Express salads are thoroughly washed, rinsed, and gently dried, then sealed in patented “Keep-Crisp®” breathable bags to keep their just-picked freshness, without preservatives.

• Fresh Express has a wide variety of products, including refreshing mixes and ready-to-eat kits. They also have a special USDA-Certified Organic line.

• Fresh Express salad mixes can vary in price, depending on the retailer, but typically cost between $2-$4 per bag

A little history on Fresh Express:

Fresh Express is the market leader in delivering great-tasting, nutritious, fresh products to health-conscious people like you. They’ve been doing it since the 1920s, when they started packing and shipping fresh iceberg lettuce from California’s bountiful Salinas Valley to all of America. Over the years, their produce caused people’s hunger for fresh, healthy salads to grow, and in 1989, Fresh Express fed that hunger by producing the very first ready-to-eat packaged Garden Salad. This pioneering, innovative effort is responsible for “greening up” dinner tables nationwide. Their ongoing dedication to freshness, quality, and creative culinary combinations has made them one of the most popular salad brands in the U.S.