Chicken Stew with Sausage and Beans

Printable Recipe

Chicken Stew with Sausage and Beans
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lb chicken breast
12 oz cooked andouille sausage, sliced
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, diced
2 cans white beans (15 oz), rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic salt

Heat oil in a large pot. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste and add to pot. Cook chicken until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate, let rest for 10 minutes and then cut into small pieces.

Add sausage to the pot and cook until browned; remove. Add carrots, celery, and onion to the pot and cook until tender, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sausage, chicken, and beans to the pot.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and stir for 1 minutes. Slowly add chicken broth. Bring to a boil and stir for about 5 minutes and then transfer to the pot. Stir in salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Simmer until ready to serve.

Serves 6-8

Recipe adapted from Picky Palate

Creamy Chicken Ala King

Printable Recipe

Creamy Chicken Ala King
2 Tbsp butter
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/4 cup hot water
1 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup frozen peas, rinsed in a strainer
hot rice

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk, hot water, and chicken bouillon. Increase heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until sauce thickens. Stir in chicken and peas and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Serves 6

Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs

I have always loved deviled eggs. Adding bacon and jalapeño takes it over the top! They're not spicy with the jalapeños, it just gives it some extra flavor and crunch. These eggs are so delicious! Definitely a favorite!

Printable Recipe

Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs
12 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
3/4 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp sugar
2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
6 pieces of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
paprika

Slice hard boiled eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks, place in a mixing bowl and mash. Add mayonnaise, rice vinegar, ground mustard, and sugar to yolks. Stir until combined. Mix in jalapenos and bacon. Place mixture in a large ziploc bag. Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag. Fill each egg with the mixture. Sprinkle with paprika. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe from Real Housemoms

Barbie Birthday Party

Last weekend I threw a Barbie birthday party for my 6 year old. It was a simple party but so much fun! I actually did the same party for my older daughter 3 years ago so this time it was just a repeat. So that made it super easy!

 We served cupcakes, fresh fruit, and Nail Polish Bites.

 

The Nail Polish Bites were definitely a favorite of all the girls. They were super easy. It was just marshmallows dipped in colored chocolate with a tootsie roll on top. 

The girls were all turned into Barbies by getting their hair and nails done. 

Then I took a picture of each of them in the Barbie box. The Barbie box was pretty easy to make but a little time consuming. That's why I saved it and used it 3 years later! 

To make the box, I used a large box (the box our tv came in) and cut out a hole in the center. I wrapped it with pink wrapping paper and used black & white polka dotted wrapping paper for the inside background. I printed some Barbie logos that I found online and glued them to the box. Super simple! I'm kind of craft challenged so if I can make this anyone can!

While the girls were waiting to get their hair and nails done, they either played outside (I'm so glad the weather was nice) or they colored Barbie pictures. I just googled Barbie coloring sheets and I found a ton of pictures for them to color.

It was such a fun, simple party. The girls had a blast!

Nail Polish Bites

This weekend I threw a Barbie birthday party for my 6 year old. They girls got their hair and nails done and then I took a picture of each of them in a life size Barbie box. It was so much fun! I made nail polish bites for one of their treats. They turned out so cute. Don't they look like real bottles of nail polish? They were so easy to make and I thought they turned out adorable!

Printable Recipe

Nail Polish Bites
1 bag of large marshmallows
colored white chocolate (I used Wilton Candy Melts)
tootsie rolls

Melt colored white chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals until melted, stirring in between. Using two forks, dip each marshmallow into the white chocolate until fully coated, letting the excess chocolate drip off. Place on parchment paper. Immediately set a tootsie roll on the top of the marshmallow. Let set completely.

Chicken Pot Pie Crumble

My kids love chicken pot pie. I think they would eat it every single day if they could. This has the same great flavor of a chicken pot pie but it was just a little different. I loved the ratio of crumble to pot pie. It's definitely not fat free but maybe that's why it tasted so good.

Printable Recipe

Chicken Pot Pie Crumble

Chicken and Sauce:
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts
2 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup carrots, sliced
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup frozen peas

Crumble Topping:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
6 Tbsp butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup half & half

Place the chicken and broth in a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until just done, about 10-12 minutes. Transfer chicken to a bowl. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup and reserve. Return the pot to the stovetop.

While the chicken cooks, preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Sprinkle butter pieces on top of flour. Using your fingers or a pasty cutter, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles course crumbs. Stir in the parmesan cheese. Add the half & half until just combined. Crumble the mixture into irregular shaped pieces onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until fragrant and it starts to brown, about 15 minutes, tossing halfway through. Set aside.

For the filling, heat olive oil in the now-empty pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 5-8 minutes. While veggies are cooking, shred the chicken into bite size pieces. Transfer the veggies to the bowl with the shredded chicken; set aside.

Over medium heat, melt the butter in the empty pot. Stir in the flour and cook one minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally until sauce thickens. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Remove from heat and stir the chicken, vegetables, and peas into the sauce.

Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Scatter the crumble topping evenly over the filling. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8

Recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

BBQ Meatballs

There is just something so wonderful about meatballs and mashed potatoes. It is the ultimate comfort food. So yummy!

Printable Recipe

BBQ Meatballs

Meatballs:

1 1/2 lb ground beef

3/4 cup quick oats

1 cup milk

3 Tbsp minced onion

1 1/2 tsp salt

ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup all-purpose flour

canola oil

Sauce:

1 cup ketchup

2 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp vinegar

2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

4 Tbsp minced onion

1 dash of tabasco sauce

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine meatball ingredients and mix well. Roll into 1-2 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes. Remove from freezer. Dredge meatballs in flour. Heat oil in a large skillet. Brown meatballs in hot oil until just browned. Place in a 9x13 baking dish.

Combine ingredients for sauce. Pour over meatballs. Bake for 45 minutes.

Serves 6

Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman

Save Up to 25% on Rooms at Walt Disney World

Have you thought about going to Disney World? Now is a great time to go. If you stay between March 15, 2016 and June 11, 2016, you can save up to 25% on select rooms at Walt Disney World Resort hotels when you book by February 28th. Plus, when you add a ticket package with minimum 4 day theme park tickets, you can get one more ticket day for FREE! This is such a great deal. Some rooms start as low as $110 per night!

If you're interested in booking a vacation package to Walt Disney World, contact Mandy at thetravelingcircus39@gmail.com or 801-859-8970.

Top Posts of 2015

Here's a list of my most popular posts from the last year.

Costa Vida Sweet Pork Burritos

Green Chile Enchiladas

Universal Studios-Islands of Adventure

My Favorite At-Home Workouts

Pepper Jack Mac & Cheese

White Chocolate S'mores Gooey Cake Bars

Cuban Street Tacos

Costa Vida Sweet Pork Salad

Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake Cupcakes

Disney World Tips

Oreo Truffles

These truffles are so amazing! They're very rich but so good. Definitely one of my favorite Christmas treats. I found a few different recipes for Oreo Truffles so I combined them and came up with this. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Oreo Truffles

1 pkg Oreos, ground in blender or food processor
1 1/2 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Reserve 1/4 cup crushed oreos for topping. Combine remaining oreos and cream cheese. Beat together until mixed well. Form into small balls (about 1 inch) and refrigerate for a few hours until firm. Melt milk chocolate in the microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Dip half of the truffles into milk chocolate and place on wax paper. Immediately after dipping, sprinkle reserved oreo crumbs onto truffles. Press down so it sets into chocolate. Repeat with white chocolate. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

makes about 50 truffles

Favorite Christmas Recipes

I love this time of year! I especially love all of the yummy food that we get to eat at Christmas time! I've made a list of my favorite Christmas recipes. Enjoy!

Christmas Treats:

Andes Mint Cookies

Chocolate Orange Brownies

Andes Mint Fudge

Caramel Brownies

Peanut Butter Truffles

 Christmas Breakfast:

Buttermilk Syrup

Christmas Side Dishes:

Chantilly Potatoes

Christmas Salad

Ground Beef Stew

Printable Recipe

Ground Beef Stew
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
3 cups beef broth
2/3 cup half & half
4 tsp dijon mustard
2 lb unpeeled yukon gold or red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 Tbsp fresh parsley or 2 tsp dried

In a large pot, brown ground beef with onion; drain. Stir in salt, pepper, and flour. Add mushrooms and cook for about 3 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix together beef broth, half & half, and dijon. Stir into beef mixture. Add potatoes and carrots. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook covered for 15 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Stir in parsley. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6-8

Recipe adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

4x Fuel Rewards on Gift Cards at Smith's (Nov. 18- Dec. 8)

For the next 3 weeks (Nov. 18- Dec. 8), Smith's is offering 4x fuel rewards on gift cards. 

If you bought a $50 gift card, you would earn 200 points which is equivalent to $.20 off per gallon of gas up to 35 gallons. When you fill up, make sure that you bring two cars to maximize your savings.

So stock up on all the gift cards that you'll need for your Christmas shopping. Or stock up on gift cards to all of your favorite restaurants. This is the perfect time to buy gift cards!

*If you live outside of Utah, check your local Kroger store to see if they're participating.

Creamy Chicken and Noodles (Crockpot)

Printable Recipe

Creamy Chicken and Noodles (Crockpot)
2 cups sliced carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp dried parsley
1 bay leaf
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup water
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup frozen peas
1 pkg egg noodles, cooked

In a slow cooker, place carrot, onion, parsley, and bay leaf. Place chicken on top of vegetables. In a medium bowl, stir together soup, water, thyme, salt, and pepper. Pour over chicken and vegetables. Cover and cook on low heat for about 5-6 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred. Discard bay leaf. Stir peas into mixture. Add chicken; heat through. Serve over egg noodles.

Serves 6

Christmas at Disneyland

It's time for the holidays at Disneyland!!!

November 13- January 6

Celebrate the most wonderful time of the year at the happiest place on earth!

I love Disneyland at Christmas time. The whole park is decorated for the holidays and they have special parades and fireworks that you can only see this time of the year. You might even get to meet Santa Claus! It really is so magical. It's one of my favorite times of the year to go to Disneyland!

If you would like to plan a trip to Disneyland for the holidays (or anytime after), contact me at thetravelingcircus39@gmail.com.

Chicken Tikka Masala

If you love Indian food, you'll love this recipe. So yummy!

Printable Recipe

Chicken Tikka Masala

Marinade:

1 cup plain yogurt

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp fresh ginger or 1 tsp dried

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

Masala:

1 Tbsp butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1 cup half & half

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients for the marinade. Pour over chicken and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Cook in a large skillet or on the grill. Discard marinade. Let chicken rest for a few minutes and then cut into slices.

In a large skillet, melt butter. Add garlic and jalapeno and saute for 1 minute. Season with paprika, cumin, and salt. Stir in tomato sauce and half & half. Simmer until thick, about 20 minutes. Add chicken and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.

Serves 6

Recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Saving Money on Christmas Shopping

It's November and you know what that means... Christmas is right around the corner!

I love Christmas! I love everything about it. The music, the lights, the parties, the treats, EVERYTHING!!! I especially love Christmas shopping and finding awesome deals. My kids know they're not getting what they want unless I can find it for a good deal. When they open their presents, they sometimes ask how much I paid for it because they know I wouldn't have bought it unless it was a good deal. They've learned to really appreciate a good deal!

So I'm going to share my tips on how to get more for your money at Christmas time. There are a lot of really great sales out there and you don't actually need to go shopping on Black Friday to get those sales.

First, decide what your budget is going to be for Christmas gifts. Then have your kids make a list of everything they want. You can make it a running list and add things and take things off because kids sometimes change their minds. Check different stores online to find out how much each item will cost and write it down on your list. I usually check Amazon, Walmart, and Target and that gives me a pretty good idea about how much each thing will cost. Then check the websites frequently to see if the price drops. If the price drops significantly, buy it. If you can get everything on your list for a lower price you'll be able to save a significant amount or maybe even get more for your money.

When the Black Friday ads come out, check the ad for each store. The ads should be coming out in a few weeks and you will be able to view them online. Decide if there's anything that is worth going shopping for on Black Friday. You might find something that's worth going to the store for but keep in mind that you might have to go early and wait in line. It also might cut into your time with your family on Thanksgiving.

If you find something in the ads that you really want, check around online. You may be able to find it for the same price before Black Friday.

Here are some things that I have learned about different stores:

Amazon
Amazon is very competitive with their prices. If there is something advertised at another store, there is a good chance that Amazon will lower their prices to match it. Right now Amazon has their Countdown to Black Friday sale and you can get some awesome deals. They also have a Holiday deal page with lightning deals. If you're not familiar with this you need to check it out. I've used this multiple times and scored some amazing deals. How it works is each day there are specific items that will go on sale at certain times. The price won't be listed until the sale is live. Once it goes live, you can buy it for the sale price but the quantities are limited. I've seen things sell out in less than five minutes! If you're an Amazon Prime member you can have access to certain deals a half hour early.

I would recommend checking the Lightning Deals page every morning to see if there's anything you want. If you find something, go back to that page at the designated time and buy it. But you have to hurry because it can go quick.

Here are the links:
Lightning Deals 
Toy Lightning Deals

Walmart 
There are some great deals at Walmart on Black Friday but that place can be a madhouse! I know because I've been there on Black Friday! Did you know that some of the items advertised in the Black Friday ad are also sold online for the same price on Thanksgiving day? Last year I got on the Walmart website at midnight before Thanksgiving when the sales went live and I was able to get many things that I wanted without having to go to the store and fight the crowds. Just remember, the more popular items will sell out fast and if you can't get it, you might have to go to the store during the Black Friday sale.

Kohl's
Sometimes I feel like I have to get a little creative when I shop at Kohl's. A lot of their prices are higher but when you combine the 20-30% off coupons and the Kohl's cash, you can get some great deals. They also let you stack coupons which I think is great! Kohl's also has a rewards program Yes2You Rewards. You earn 1 point for every dollar that you spend and once you've reached 100 points, you'll get a $5 reward certificate. This is in addition to all of the other deals that they have.

Kohl's also sells a lot of things online for Black Friday prices and their sell starts a few days before Thanksgiving. So there really is no need to even go to the store. Plus, around Thanksgiving, they usually offer $15 in Kohl's Cash for every $50 you spend which is a great incentive!

Target
Target is also very competitive with their prices. Right now they are offering free shipping on all purchases made online until Christmas. No minimum purchase required! They also have a Cartwheel app that is awesome. If you pay attention to the Carthwheel app you might be able to score some great deals. Some of their deals are available one day only so you have to go to the store early because they run out fast!

You can also shop online at Target for Black Friday. The sales usually go live at midnight before Thanksgiving.

*When shopping online don't forget to shop through Ebates and earn cashback! It's a great way to earn some extra cash. I've earned about $120 just by shopping online!

Mickey's Halloween Party

We recently went on a trip to Disneyland and while we were there we attended Mickey's Halloween Party. 

This is a separate ticketed event and tickets cost about $69 per person and that includes parking. The party goes from either 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm or 7:00 pm to 12:00 am depending on the night of the party. With your ticket, you can get into the park 3 hours before the party starts. Everyone comes dressed up in their costumes. They close the park early to those without a ticket so it's a lot less crowded than normal because they only sell a certain amount of tickets. Those tickets sell out so you have to make sure to buy them early. 

Here are some highlight from the Halloween Party:

Trick or Treating

How many people can actually say they went trick or treating at Disneyland? So much fun! To be honest, I wasn't super excited about trick or treating. Who needs more candy, right? But this was actually my favorite part! Even the adults got to go trick or treating! They had trick or treating stations all over the park. In each station there were about 5 candy stations. They passed out handfuls of candy or you could choose a healthy snack like carrot sticks, apple slices, crackers, popcorn, and pretzels. We left with so much candy! We also stocked up on snacks and we took them to Disneyland the rest of the week while we were there. 

Parades and Fireworks

They have certain parades and shows that are specific to the Halloween Party. This year was a little different because of the Diamond Celebration. The parade was the Diamond Celebration electrical parade but the fireworks were Halloween themed and really cool. They also have a dance party but we didn't participate because my kids just wanted to ride rides.

Shorter Lines for Rides

Because there's so many different things going on, the lines for the rides are a lot shorter than normal. We were able to ride a lot of different rides during the Halloween Party and that's what my kids like best!

The Villains

During the Halloween Party, you can meet some of the villains that you never see at Disneyland. Unfortunately, the line to meet them was about an hour and a half and we just didn't want to wait. But that was at the end of the night. The line might be a little shorter at the beginning of the night.

The Characters Dress Up For Halloween

This is the only time that you get to meet Mickey and Minnie and other characters in their Halloween costumes. If this is a priority for you, definitely do it! Keep in mind that the lines will be a little longer than if you just met them in their normal attire.

Halloween time at Disneyland

This is such a fun time of year at Disneyland when the park is all decorated for Halloween. You can still see the park decorated if you go at Halloween time and you don't go to the Halloween Party. But they bring out a few more decorations for the Halloween Party and they also play Halloween music. We were at Disneyland all week and there was definitely more of a Halloween feel at the Halloween Party than just a regular day at Disneyland.

You also get to experience Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy and The Haunted Mansion Holiday. They converted both of these rides for the season and they really did a great job! If you don't go to the Halloween Party you can still experience these rides.

We had a really great time at Mickey's Halloween Party! If you're a Disney fan, this is definitely something that you should experience at least once in your lifetime!

If you're interested in booking a Disney vacation, contact me at thetravelingcircus39@gmail.com.