This post is sponsored by HomeRight, but all ideas and opinions are 100% my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Dutch Oven Cooking

I make chicken and veggies a lot since it is yummy, filling, and uses up produce from the garden. I pulled some carrots, onions, and potatoes for this dish.

I like to use briquettes for dutch oven cooking. The Electro-Torch is perfect for getting the briquettes started without any added lighter fluid. Hold it close to the briquettes and press the button. In less a minute or two, you will have flames!

I used a whole roasting chicken in the dutch oven along with the cut up veggies. Rainbow vegetables make for a prettier dinner!

Sometimes I add herbs to butter and add it under the skin of the chicken, but I am trying to cook healthier so I skipped the butter this time. You can also coat it in olive oil and then add seasonings and herbs.

This time I just salt and peppered it and added thyme and rosemary from my herb garden.

I added 10 coals to the bottom and 10 coals to the top. I let it cook for almost 2 hours. The meant literally fell off the bones! So yummy!

I wish you could smell it! The combination of the smoky coals and the dinner made me feel like I was in the mountains.

I decided to make dessert for the kids. Apple pie is a favorite of theirs and it felt very Fall-ish :) I used my FAVORITE pie crust recipe that I have been using since college. I have the recipe down below.

I use this crust not only for dessert pies, but for quiche and chicken pot pie!

I have a full video on instagram and TikTok.

I am curious, what is your favorite pie?

I had heard about the "diet" called Keto early last year and started to read a ton of information on it. I tend to research the crap out of pretty much anything before I take a plunge. Vacations, products, etc. Basically it is a no sugar, no grains lifestyle. It is also a low carb diet. The idea is that since you are not eating very many carbs, that your body will burn the fat instead. While eliminating my stomach pain was my main goal and motivation, I do have some extra weight I need to drop. I figured if I could tackle both with the same change in diet, then it was a win, win.

Tips For Eating Keto

Questions about Keto

I'm going to answer some questions I have received real quick and then I am going to share my favorite recipes and resources with you. I hope those of you considering this will find it helpful in making your decision.

Why didn't you just count calories to lose the weight?

I kind of already answered this one, but for those of you who skim (it's okay, I'm a skimmer too!), I will talk about it again real quick ;) My main goal was to eliminate the things that were irritating my stomach. I knew there was a good chance it was gluten and possibly sugar. I decided to cut them out and see if things improved.

How can you survive not eating sugar?

I am addicted to sugar. I didn't know how long I could actually go without it. On Keto, you not only cut out refined sugar, but things like honey, maple syrup, and most fruits. But there are natural sweeteners like Stevia and Monk Fruit that have come to my sweet tooth rescue! Swerve, and Lakanto Monk Fruit blend are my favorite.

It was really hard the first few days but I got over the craving faster than I thought I would. While I do miss some candies (black licorice!) I have enough other options that I do just fine.

What is the Keto Flu and did you get it?

Some people experience what is called the Keto flu in the first few days. Mild flu like symptoms can happen 3-5 days after eliminating sugar and gluten. This is just your body adjusting. Or going into withdrawal. I am not sure if I experienced it or not to be honest. I had had "the runs" and stomach aches for almost two years so I didn't notice a difference. After a couple of days though, no more stomach pain!

So what CAN you eat?

Lots! While everyone is different, the general guidelines are that 75% of your diet is healthy fats and vegetables. 20% of your diet is protein like meat and dairy. The last 5% of your diet is carbohydrates. Almost every single dinner recipe I made in the past I can still make. Some require modifications, but it was more seamless than I thought it would be. And because the natural sweeteners have no carbs, I can eat dessert too!

(image source)

Are you going to do this forever?

I, like most people, consider Keto to be somewhat temporary. I had originally planned to do this for 6 months and then re-evaluate. Partly because I didn't think I could last that long. This Keto journey has been so much easier than I thought and I don't mind it at all. I am almost to the 6 month mark and will be just fine to do another 6 months.

When I reach my goal weight, I plan to stay off gluten and sugar but add more carbs back into my diet like black beans, rice, fruit, etc. I will start slowly so I can see if any of those irritate my stomach. I will also lower the amount of fat. Eating this way is often called "lazy Keto". I see this as a very sustainable way of eating for me.

How much have you lost? And do you have to exercise?

I have lost 23 pounds in a little over 5 months. While not jaw dropping, it is the most weight I have ever lost. When Shane and I had a gym membership, we went to the gym 3-4 days a week together and even hired a personal trainer for a year. In a year and a half I had only lost 15 pounds. Ugh. Also, I am okay with losing the weight a little slower because it is healthy to go at a slow and steady pace and hopefully my skin won't sag as much (please tell me that is true!).

I do exercise most days. They key to fat loss is to keep your heart rate from getting too high. My activity of choice is going for a brisk walk for 3-5 miles. We have lots of hills in our neighborhood so I hit them all. This winter, on days that are too cold for a walk,  I have been doing the stationary bike and my new rowing machine (which was inexpensive and I LOVE). It hardly takes up any space, especially when folded up and stored upright.

To get my goal weight I still have to lose about 30-ish pounds.

What is the biggest downside?

It is relatively expensive. I say "relativity" because I am cheap. I am a bargain shopper and it is hard for me to spend $25 on a big bag of natural sweetener when I could get the same size bag of refined sugar for $4. There are also a lot of ingredients that I never bought before that are now staples like xanthum gum, almond flour, coconut flour, etc.

The second downside is that it is more time consuming because you have to make everything. No more opening up a bag of tortillas. Nope. You have to make the dough, roll them out and then cook them. Convenience, for the most part is gone. I already made most everything from scratch but for those who do not cook every night, this could be a challenge.

Where do I start?

Do your own research. Don't just take my word for it. Also, everyone is different so it may not be a good fit for you. If you have any health concerns, please see a doctor and discuss this with them. I have a full physical in a couple of months and I am hoping to see good updates from my tests.

I printed off Keto food lists so I could have a list of foods to avoid. I like to have a carb count chart too of most the common foods. I just googled "keto food list" and then looked at all the images and picked one I felt had the info I needed. There are a ton to choose from!

I wrote down a list of every meal I normally make and decided what alterations to the recipe I needed to make. For example, if a recipe called for a rue (butter, flour, milk) then I use xanthum gum or heavy whipping cream to thicken it.  If you aren't sure, head to Pinterest and search (like "keto pizza crust").

What is the best way to keep track of how much of each category you are eating?

I use My Fitness Pal. It is an app and you can log your food each day. There is a section where you can add your own recipes and it will figure out the nutrition info for you. It was a huge pain to manually enter all my go-to recipes but I only had to do it the one time. It was worth it to know exactly what percentage was fat, protein, carbs, etc. It is so easy to eat more carbs and calories than you thought you ate, especially if you snack a lot. Even if you don't use this app, you need to keep some sort of food journal.

Favorite Recipes and Products

BREAD

Overall, I have been surprised that I do not miss bread. There are times though, when a sandwich sounds good. This is my favorite bread recipe I have found. I have tried several and this one uses less eggs than the others so tastes less eggy.

COOKBOOK

I bought this cookbook that a friend suggested and have really liked all the things I have tried. I use her "noodle" recipe to make manicotti and lasagna. I have changed up her granola recipe a tiny bit but even without the changes it is amazing. You HAVE to try the walnut cinnamon streusel muffins. They are to DIE for! The beginning of the book is my favorite because she gives so many important tips and information. There is hidden sugar in so many things we buy. Ketchup, BBQ sauce, mayo, etc. It is shocking how many things have sugar! Speaking of sauces, she has great recipes for no sugar versions!

TREATS!

I still have a sweet tooth. The good thing is that instead a giant bag of peanut butter M&Ms, a small handful of sugar free chocolate chips totally curbs my craving. It still blows my mind. I was so addicted! Here are my favorite treats.

CHOCOLATE

I talked about this in my "favorite things" post. Choc Zero tastes just like regular chocolate. It uses monk fruit to sweeten it instead of sugar. The little bars are about the size of a credit card and so dang good!!! You can buy all the flavors of the bark on Amazon. They also have chocolate chips and syrups on their website. We have the caramel, maple, and chocolate and I want to try the coconut.

Sometimes I can't wait the week or so for Choco Zero to ship so I run to my local grocery store and get a bag of Lily's chocolate chips. They only have dark chocolate but they are still really good. I'm a milk chocolate gal...

ICE CREAM

Rebel ice cream tastes just like regular ice cream! This brand of ice cream is specifically made to be Keto. Harmon's carries the most flavors in our area and Smith's (Kroger) has a pretty good good selection too. You can check their website to see all the grocery stores that carry it.

BERRIES & CREAM

Berries are the only fruit you can have while on keto. They happen to be my favorite fruit so I am good with that. I add a little cream and some sweetener and it is awesome!

DESSERTS

There is a local company called Keto Cakes that make cheesecakes and cupcakes and cookies (Oh my!) They are amazing!!! But don't worry, even if you don't live in Utah, you can still have some. They ship!

SODA

My sister-in-law who has a lot of diet restrictions introduced us to this soda long before Shane and I started keto. Zevia only has carbonated water, stevia, and natural flavorings. It pretty much has a version of every kind of soda you can think of. While some do not taste good to me (I'm a root beer snob and only like A&W), some are really good! My favorite is the grapefruit one that tastes like Fresca and Squirt. I have found them at Walmart and all the other grocery stores in our area. Health food stores tend to carry more flavors. Walmart only has a few. You can get on their website and put your zip code in and it will show all the stores in your area PLUS the flavors at that store.

PASTA

Of all the gluten filled food items, I miss pasta the most. I did find this yummy recipe that totally works!

TORTILLAS

My favorite recipe I have found though has got to be this tortilla recipe. I like them better than regular ones. I bought this tortilla press since we make these all the time. Best $25 bucks I ever spent. We use these tortillas for fajitas, tacos, wraps, and we cut them up and bake them to make chips!

I've added all the keto recipes I have tried and liked to a Pinterest board. I'll keep adding to it as I try new recipes.

Keto Pinterest Board

 This post has been so wordy already, and I feel like I covered most everything but if I missed anything that you were wondering about, comment below and I will do my best to answer. And if you have also tried keto, I'd love to hear your tips for eating keto!

Canning Tips for Beginners

Tip #1

Don't be intimidated! Even if you don't think you can handle using a pressure cooker, there are still plenty of things you can bottle using the water bath method. High acid foods like tomatoes, fruits, and pickles can be done in a water bath canner. Start out using the water bath method and then work up to using a pressure cooker for meats and veggies.

Tip #2

Check Your Jars. Most of mine are hand-me-down. If you can find some at garage sales or even better, free from a relative or neighbor, go for it! Just make sure to check the rims for nicks and chips. Those can't be used for canning since you wouldn't get a seal. Also, don't reuse the lids. You can reuse the rings, but the lids need to be purchased every year.

Tip #3

Read up on it! Just like any new skill, a little research goes a long way. The National Center for Food Preservation is an awesome resource. The USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning is also a must read.

Tip #4

Use only approved recipes. This one can be a hard one for people because they really want to use their grandma's salsa recipe from 1956. I get it. I have a pickle recipe from my sweet grandma written in her handwriting. It is the recipe my mom used. It may or not be okay. The tricky thing with canning is that you need the right amount of acid for water bath canning, and proper processing times. It is better to use recipes that have been approved by the USDA and have gone through testing. Better safe than sorry!

Tip #5

Some things need to be peeled before you can bottle them and blanching will become your new favorite thing. A blanching pot is a great thing to buy even if you aren't going to can. It has an outer pot and it has an inner pot with drainage holes that you can easily lift out. Fill it with water, heat it up, put in some peaches (or tomatoes, or pears, etc) and let them cook for a few minutes. Pull out the inner pot and dump the peaches into the sink filled with cold water. You will be able to easily peel of the skin. Sometimes it even comes off in one piece.

This is my kids' favorite job. It is pretty satisfying! Even if your just making a cobbler, this is so much faster then trying to peel them with a knife.

Tip #6

Have your pressure cooker checked out every year. You can take you Pressure cooker places that will check out your rubber ring and the pressure gauge for free! Extension offices and health departs are two places I have gone. Search online for your area to find a place you can take yours. And if you need to replace them, they are not expensive.

Tip #7

When canning, your kitchen can get hot and it will be tempting to open windows near you. But be careful! When taking out very hot jars, if a cold breeze hits them, it can crack from the sudden change in temp. Open window in other areas or crank the AC up a bit.

Tip #8

After filling your jars, before you put the (warmed up) lids on, use a damp paper towel to wipe the rim of the jar. If there is any residue on there the lid won't be able to seal properly.

I think most of my other tips are included in the canning guides. They really are good to read before starting this adventure! And if you have any questions I would be happy to answer them for you too.

Supplies Needed for Canning:

*Links are affiliate

Water Bath Canner & Rack

Jar and Lid Remover & Funnel

Blanching Pot

Quart and Pint Jars (Best price I have found is at Walmart)

Pressure Cooker

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I made some lemon blueberry muffins the other day and they were so delicious I decided to make it in cake form in our dutch oven for dessert. If you have never tried Dutch oven cake, you are missing out!

Getting briquettes to light without using a gallon of lighter fluid is near impossible. Plus, I hate using all those chemicals when it is for cooking food. I was so impressed the first time I used the HomeRight ElectroLight. I have partnered up with them again to show you how easy it is, and to giveaway one to one of YOU!

It heats up quickly. Then you aim it at the briquettes and the Electrolight will blow very hot air. In no time at all the briquettes are glowing! I actually put my older son in charge of this while I was inside mixing the cake up.

The recipe I used is from the blog Let's Dish.

Once the cake batter is in the Dutch oven, add half the coals to the bottom and the other half to the top. Also, maybe don't put your 14 year old son in charge of watching and checking the cake or he might get distracted and over cook the cake a bit. But if that happens, this recipe will still taste delicious. It is hard to mess up food in a Dutch oven, even Dutch oven cake.

What is you favorite summer time dessert?

Now is your chance to win an ElectroLight to try for yourself! Enter below using the Rafflecopter widget.

You must be at least 18 years old to enter. You must be a resident of the USA to enter. The giveaway will go from July 17, 2018 to July 24, 2018. A winner will be chosen by random.org and will be notified by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be chosen. The shipping of the prize is the responsibility of the company, in this case, HomeRight.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post was sponsored my HomeRight but all the opinions and experiences are 100% my own.

Cami wrote this book with her equally talented sister, Marci. The photography is stunning!

Well, I was considering it and Cami said she prefered the Fagor brand to Instapot so I contacted Fagor and they sent me a 6qt cooker to try. When the cooker and the book arrived, of course the first section I looked at was the dessert. Oh my goodness! It looks like I need to get a spring pan!

There is everything from breakfast, to dinner, to sides, to sauces.

I'm not going to lie, even though I have used a regular pressure cooker, I was a bit nervous to give it a go so I decided to try something simple for my first time. I had just winterized the garden and had dug up the rest of our rainbow carrots. I LOVE steamed carrots with lots of butter so I knew that was what I was going to do first.

Fagor 6 quart electric pressure cooker

Oh my goodness! It was SO EASY and SO FAST! I think I will need to get rid of my steamer because all my veggies are getting cooked this way from now on. Not only is it fast, but it locks in the flavor and color. They were so yummy!

The next thing I am going to make is this cranberry applesauce. We are having family over the day after Thanksgiving for turkey sandwiches and other leftovers. I think this would be the perfect addition to that lunch :)

Rumor has it you can cook frozen chicken breasts in about 10 minutes. WHAT!? Now every time I realize I don't have a dinner plan at 5pm I can still whip up a great dinner. Let's be honest, that is most nights.

Giveaway!

Cami is generously offering to give away a copy of her book. It would make the perfect Christmas gift too!

Comment below telling me your favorite meal to cook your family.

Giveaway ends November 28, 2017. Must be a US resident and 18 years or older to enter. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted via email.

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I was given the book and the electric pressure cooker to review. The opinions were 100% my own :)

My kid's favorite way to eat them is to make homemade fries :)

After scrubbing them like crazy, I peel them and rinse them off again. We like thin and crunchy fries so I cut mine thin-ish. Too thin and they will be too hard to eat.

As I cut them I put them in a bowl of cold water. Once they are all cut, I drain them and dry them off with a dish cloth.

Coat a cookie sheet with your choice of oil or with butter. I have one of those spray pumps for oil and I also spray the potatoes. After I coat them with oil, I sprinkle salt on them. If you don't have a way to spray the oil, you can also add them to a gallon sized baggie and mix them around.

I bake them at 425 degrees until they start to brown. The time will depend on the thickness of the fries and your oven but it is usually around 15-20 minutes.

We like to eat them with fry sauce and of course, burgers. This burger is a yummy black bean burger that I shared the recipe for the other day. You can also read how I make the southwest style fry sauce.

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Do you ever make your own fries? Do you deep fat fry them or bake them in the oven? 

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Shane tried a black bean burger the other day at a restaurant and has been talking about it ever since. He started looking up recipes online to see how they were made. Once I knew the basics that were needed, I threw in what I thought would sound good and what we had on hand already. They turned out really yummy and they were pretty simple to make!

I chose to use black pepper, cumin, and chili powder. You can customize yours with whatever spices you would like. The eggs are like the glue for the burger since it helps hold it all together.

After you mash the black beans, add the red pepper and onions. I had a medium red pepper so I also added a small green pepper from my garden.

After you add the egg mixture pour in the bread crumbs.

I was really surprised how much this mixture felt like ground beef. It was really easy to make the patties! It made 8 patties.

Here they are all cooked :) I have heard you can also bake them in the oven.

We use black beans all the time in burritos so I thought that an avocado spread would be yummy on these burgers. I just added a little mayo and lime juice to the food processor along with the avocado.  We usually make pink sauce (mayo plus ketchup) when we have burgers so I made some of that as well but added a little canned chipotle peppers to it for a southwest kick. I like the La Costena brand of chipotle peppers  that is in a adobo sauce.

Is there anything better than a grilled burger eaten outside on a cool evening? I will have a post about the purple fries tomorrow. My kids love them!!!

I had never had a black bean burger before but I really liked them. I was surprised that my kids all said they loved the burgers. I thought for sure one or two would have a so-so review (especially my youngest) but they all wished I had made more. If I had to pick between a juicy meat burger and a black bean burger I would choose the meat, BUT I will be adding these bean burgers to our meal planning rotation for sure. And for the record, Shane would pick the black bean burger over the real thing.

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Would you ever try a black bean burger? Or if you have, do you like them? What do you put in yours?

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When we make homemade pizza, I always add artichoke hearts to mine. It is good, but I wanted to make it taste even more artichoke-y. That is where this concoction came from. It was born out of my undying love of artichokes and boredom one afternoon.

Tell me I am not the only child who "invented" recipes. When I was 10 I was bound and determined to invent a brand new salad dressing. For days I blended things in my mom's blender that had no right to be mixed together. Needless to say I never came up with the next big thing in salad dressing. A part of that child is still in me and for once in my life, blending things up in the blender had a yummier outcome.

This makes enough sauce fo either two batches of cheesy bread or a cheesy bread and a pizza. I feed five guys at my house so I opt for the 12 ounce bottle. If you need to make less, use the 6 ounce bottle of marinated hearts and reduce the other ingredients by half.

My favorite brands for marinated artichoke hearts (don't buy the canned plain hearts) are Napoleon and Reese.

Like I sad, I made this to go on pizza, but one day decided to put it on cheesy bread sticks. It was a HUGE hit with the kids. They like it better than regular garlic spread. We may have had it with dinner three different times last week....

I always add feta before topping it with mozzarella.

I use the same recipe for the bread sticks as I do for pizza. I shared my 30 minute pizza dough recipe HERE.

Do you make homemade pizza or breadsticks? 

My mom used to make this hot drink for us in the winter. She found the recipe and started using it for when we had a sore throat or our chest was congested.  But it tastes so good that we ended up making it all the time to warm us up on cold days. I've already made it at least 6 or 7 times this year.

This drink is very easy to make and you can simmer it all afternoon and your house will smell amazing. You can even make it in your slow cooker.

PUR recently sent me a faucet mounted filter to try out and this was one of the first times I had a chance to use it. I have used the pitchers in the past but have never tried the faucet ones. I have to say I might have acted like a 5 year old and played with it all day switching it from regular to filtered, back and forth.

This recipe calls for 2 quarts of water.

Add lemon juice and orange juice. The original recipe called for 2 cups of orange juice but I like to add more (full recipe posted below).

Don't mind my scuffed up pot. It is from when we were first married and has cooked quite a few meals. When you photograph a recipe you all of a sudden become acutely aware of how old all your kitchen things are :)

You can use regular sugar but I like to use honey. I think because it goes back to the home remedy of honey and lemon juice. You can also use a combination of sugar and honey like I had to today. Too many PB& honey sandwiches for my boys lately and I need a trip to the store.

At the end you will add vanilla and almond extract.

I've really enjoyed having the PUR filter and will be giving away a PUR prize pack next week. It took less than 5 minutes to add to the faucet and get this, it removes over 70 contaminants including 99% of lead, 92% of pesticides and 96% of mercury.  You can learn more about them at PUR.com .

Is there anything better than sitting around a fire with your family?

Several years ago my SIL requested a camping type cake for her my niece and we came up with a giant s'more cake. I came up with a recipe for homemade graham crackers that taste pretty darm close to the real thing. I made the same recipe but this time made regular sizes crackers for our s'mores.

*OPTIONAL*

Right after you take them out and they are still warm you can use a tooth pick or kabob stick to poke holes so they look like the real thing.

Whether you choose to make them soft or crispy, they make great s'mores!

Since it is November the temperatures have dropped here in Utah. We snuggled up in some cozy blankets. I bought these because they looked so soft and also because I have a plan for a new boys bedroom in our basement in these colors. They are from the BHG line at Walmart.

These are the blankets I chose although there are a ton of different colors, patterns, and textures to choose from.

(red and grey plaid, grey cable knit, red plush)

I get to give away a $100 gift card to Walmart so you can get your home ready for guest this holiday season!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post sponsored by Better Homes and Gardens products at Walmart. All opinions and projects ideas are my own. Catch up with the BHG Live Better on Facebook,Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram.

One of the things I did for the party was make a milk and cookie bar for the guests and after having planned and executed it I think I have some useful tips for those of you who might want to do one for your next event.

Have the milk and other beverages on a separate table.

I ran out of room so I needed to grab another table anyway, but I was also worried about it spilling. As luck would have it, one of the drink dispenser had a loose valve and milk spilled all over the table. Instead of having to redo the whole dessert bar, we only had to fix the small drink table.

Also by having more than one dispenser I wasn't in a bind when one needed fixing.

Make a cookie cake!

I wanted a naked cake under a glass dome, you know the ones without frosting other than what is in between the layers, ( it's totally a thing, I swear) but my glass done was just smaller than a cake pan. My solution was to make giant sugar cookies and stack them like a cake. It added a centerpiece to the table while still sticking to the whole cookie theme.

Make milk ice cubes

One of my concerns with having milk was that it would get warm. I wasn't sure if the dessert bar would be inside or out on the patio at the gardens. Nothing is worse than warm milk in my opinion. Okay, there are a few things... Like floaties in your warm milk.

I remember my sister used to put ice cubes in her milk growing up. I considered that but didn't want to water it down. Then it dawned on me that I could simply make ice cubes from milk.

This shows Shane putting the ice cubes in. We froze them ahead of time and put them in a gallon sized bag. It worked like a charm!

Use varying heights

I could have simply laid out all the plates and platter of cookies but that would have been really boring. I chose to have varying heights to display the cookies. And since my book is all about decorating with nature, I of course used some stumps. Also, if you remember, I had a few crates left over from sending out my book. I wanted to tie that into this as well so I used them on the table. I just love crates!

I ran out of the stain I had doing the 30 other crates but luckily Minwax had also sent me some staining wipes. Have you ever used them before? They are awesome for smaller projects like this!

They even come with gloves which is perfect since I ALWAYS forget to grab some. This way I didn't show up to the party with stain under my fingernails.

Label the Cookies

Yes, for some cookies it may be obvious what they are, but you should label all the cookies for continuity. It looks better if they all have tags instead of just the "gluten free" ones. Plus it adds another decorative touch. I bought these little chalkboards from Joanns Fabric. The 3 packs were less than  a couple of bucks each. They were in their "all things chalkboard" isle. I think they were suppose to be ornaments but I ripped the string loop off of them.

You could also create tag with a fun font and print them out.

Add Flowers or Greenery

Maybe it was because we were at the beautiful conservation gardens, but the comparison of landscaping came to mind. You don't want all hardscaping. You need some plants to soften it up and add color. The same goes with this. They add that final layer.

I also added some pine cones for good measure.

Don't Try To Bake Them All Yourself!

I originally thought that if I started a few days ahead that I could totally bake all the cookies. But my sweet husband (who is very aware of my flaw of thinking I can do more than I actually can in a small amount of time) suggested we get help. I enlisted the help of anyone who was kind enough to offer. I also ordered some through the local university catering company. I am not sure if all universities have this service but BYU has amazing food and desserts for killer prices. As in $4.25 per dozen for the biggest, softest cookies ever. I ordered the most common types and baked the ones that were not listed as options like my Raspberry Kisses. I think we had in the neighborhood of 600 cookies total with 11 different types.

Have you ever had a cookie bar at an event? Do you have any tips that I left out? I would love to hear!

I received product and compensation from Minwax for this post but the ideas and opinions are all mine.

I usually double the recipe. It makes 3 medium or 2 large pizzas. After I have it all spread out, I add my favorite sauce.

Then I added some shredded mozzarella, chopped red pepper, chopped basil leaves, diced marinated artichoke hearts, and feta cheese. The Neapolitan brand artichokes are my favorite. To help the basil not get burned and crispy, I add more mozzarella cheese to the top. Plus, who doesn't love extra cheese?

In the summer it gets so hot and turning on our oven is the last thing we want to do. We discovered grilling the pizza last summer and it was a game changer!

Don't let the grill get hotter than 400 degrees and check it often. It will cook faster than your oven.

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I probably should have been embarrassed. But I didn't care. It was the one time a year I got to eat it and I am totally a dessert first kinda girl anyway. If you had tasted it, you would have eaten ten. So really, I had quite a bit of self restraint when you think about it.

I haven't had it in soooo long. While we were in New Orleans though, I had some at dinner one night. It opened the floodgates of temptation and I have been thinking about it non-stop since.

(I have a giveaway at the end so make sure and read to the bottom and enter!)

I have never made it from scratch before. I ordered a mix online once and it was pretty good. But for some reason the thought of making it intimidated me. When I finally (out of sheer desperation) looked up how to make it, I was surprised that it wasn't that hard.

I got this recipe from The Food Network site. It was basically the same recipe I saw on a bunch of other sites. There are only 4 ingredients so there really isn't much room for variation :)

You can see the real vanilla bean specks in the cream!

Apparently separating yolks is not my forte since only 3 didn't break.

I have heard you need a rag in the bottom of the dish and I have heard that you don't. I put on in just in case. These square dishes were a little larger than normal ramekins so only two fit per baking dish and I had to bake them longer.

Now when I have made this using the mix I ordered online, the one thing that never turned out was the melting of the sugar. It suggested using the broiler setting in your oven if you didn't have a torch. I either did it wrong or it is not the best way of doing it. If you are like me, then the crusty sugar is kind of the make it or break it part of a good crème brûlée.

I had an epiphany while I was waiting for them to bake. Why not use my heat gun?

As an ambassador for HomeRight, I had been given a heat gun and I have had all sort of fun with it making an abstract plexiglass bowl, icicle ornaments, and even "knock off" Anthropologie charred bookends. Why not use it to melt some sugar?

It worked like a charm!

Since I work with HomeRight, I also get to giveaway these fun tools of theirs. So today I am giving away a digital HEAT GUN!

You will love it. The uses are endless.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter below using the rafflecopter widget. Give it a sec to load. Sometimes the old gal is slow.   *Must be 18 years or older and a resident of the USA at the time of the contest. Giveaway will run from May 23, 2015 until May 30, 2015. The winner will be chosen via random.org and notified by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. HomeRight will be responsible for shipping the prize to the winner.

And in keeping with the full disclosure, I have not been very good since coming home. I have been stress eating. Swedish Fish to be exact. When you go on vacation, there are no magical fairies getting your work done while you are gone. It piles up. Weird, I know.

But I vow to do better starting with these kabobs I grilled for dinner. Have you ever made kabobs?

They are a favorite of ours. I grew up making them with my family but Shane had never had them before meeting me. We chunk up what we have in the fridge such as onions, peppers, mushrooms, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, pineapple, chicken and beef. I usually buy the stew meat because it is already cut into the perfect sized pieces.

I soak my skewers in water  before adding the food to them . I'm not sure if that is a real thing that you are suppose to do, but it makes me feel better about putting wood sticks on the hot grill.

I like BBQ sauce on mine but lemon or lime juice with pepper is also really good.

What are some other thing you have added to your kabobs? I think we will be making these more often now that it is grilling season and I would love some variations :)

PIN for later!

Shane and I have been eating more "lean and green" meals in an effort to be healthier and more in shape. We teamed up with Medifast and have been their brand ambassadors for the past couple of months.

I wanted these to be as simple as possible in case I ended up making a ton of them. I cut plywood that I had on hand into 24 inch by 18 inch pieces. The cushions were about 17 inches wide so that is why I made them a tiny bit bigger.  For every seat you want, cut two boards.

The I primed them with a tinted primer I had on hand. White primer would be fine as well. I primed them because plywood is SO porous and soaks up a lot of paint. I didn't want to go through a million cans of spray paint.

I used hinges to attach the two boards together. I used two hinges per seat. Thicker plywood is best for this project for the fact that the screws will go all the way through the board if it is too thin.

I had some 1x2 that I cut to fit on the inside of the boards. I cut two pieces per seat. I screwed them onto the inside of the bottom. I then screwed a 5 inch screw all the way through the 1x2 piece. These get pushed into the ground to make sure the seat doesn't move when you lean back on it. There were four (one on each bottom corner) per seat.

Then I painted the 1x2 piece as well.

And because you can't have a movie without popcorn, I made a family favorite....

Almond Joy Popcorn!

Pop some popcorn, add some unsalted almonds, and then drizzle melted chocolate over it. Then add some unsweetened coconut flakes. If you are doing a small amount of popcorn, make it in a bowl. If you are making a large batch, spread the popcorn and almonds on a cookies sheet and then add the chocolate.

For even more coconut flavor, add coconut flavoring to the chocolate!

Now you are ready to enjoy it during your outdoor movie!

Does your family ever have outdoor movies?

Our family loves lemonade. Sometimes we use the powder mix and but most of the time we juice real lemons. But there is one thing we all don't agree on, and that is the perfect kind of lemonade. My husband loves strawberry, my sons love raspberry, and I like it plain and on the sour side. Although lately I like it with a bit of mint. I came up with an idea for a lemonade drink table with different add ins. It kind of like and adult lemonade stand :)

Usually when we make lemonade with added berries, we puree them. You could blend them up and add the puree to the different dishes with cute labels.

I noticed while taking pictures that I had a cute uninvited guest.

Are you excited to start entertaining outside again? What are your favorite types of get togethers? 

Beverage Dispenser / Appetizer Bowls / Spoons

This post sponsored by Better Homes and Gardens products at Walmart. All opinions and projects ideas are my own. Catch up with the BHG Live Better on Facebook,Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram.

Not drinking enough water has been linked to all sorts of health issues including dehydration, kidney problems, achy joints, exhaustion, dry & aged skin, constipation, and stomach problems.

Here are some of the things I have done to help myself drink more water. And if you have any tips that have worked for you, let me know in the comments! I need all the help I can get :)

Do it With Someone

Wrangle someone into setting water drinking goals with you and help each other out. Text reminders to each other to help keep each other accountable.

Grab a Water Bottle.... Or Three

Either carry a water bottle around with you or (if you are like me and forget to grab it as you go) set a few around in the different areas you spend the most time. I put one by my computer, one in the kitchen, and one in the living room. Shane has one by his desk and another in the car. When he gets home we have some by the couch for when we read or watch TV.

Set Reminders

Whether it is on your computer or phone or another device, set reminders to go off throughout the day. My phone is my brain :) I am sure there are also apps out there that can help you keep track of your water intake. There's an app for everything!

Drink when you are hungry

Drink a glass of water every time you eat. I know this sounds like a no brainer, but I always just grab things and eat quickly and forgo a drink most of the time. Also, when you get the afternoon munchies, drink water first. Your body may just be telling you that you need more water, not more food. Sometimes those signals get messed up. If you drink before you snack and eat meals, it may also lessen how much you eat which if you are trying to lose weight, can be a good thing!

Add some flavor

Even though I love the taste of cold water, sometimes I want to change it up a bit. I sometimes add lemon essential oils to my water. I also sometimes add fruit. My kids especially love the flavored water drops you squeeze in your water. There are also Crystal Light packs for individual water bottles too. How ever you do it, adding flavor can make drinking water not so blah.

In order for a recipe to be considered a success, we not only have to love the flavor, but it needs to fill us up. Maybe not the "gorge yourself to the point of unbuttoning your pants" full like on Thanksgiving, but not leaving us feeling like "wanting to naw off the other person's leg out of sheer starvation" either. This recipe, just like the Spicy Shrimp recipe from a couple of weeks ago, is from the Lean and Green cook Book by Medifast.

What are some of your favorite healthy meals?

.                                                     .                                                        .                                                        .

I got this recipe out of the Lean and Green cook book from Medifast.

Shane loves shrimp more than I do. I prefer it deep fat fried. I prefer everything to be deep fat fried. Or at the very least, covered in a cream sauce. But I was surprised how much I liked this. Shane LOVED it. It makes 3 servings so guess who gets the leftovers :)

The spice blend was awesome! I use to flavor and cook everything with butter. But I have slowly been learning over the last few years to use spices instead of adding unnecessary fat.

I didn't taste the lime at all so I added a little more. I quite liked the "noodles" which surprised me since I am such a pasta girl. They were so long! Next time I am going to try and cut them or something. But I guess it is a personal preference kind of thing.

I didn't have fresh tomatoes on hand so I used canned. It was fine but I think fresh would taste better.

This is definitely a meal we will be making again!

I asked a some other bloggers what are their go to healthy treats were and Carissa from Creative Green Living suggested a fruit and yogurt parfait. You can see her full post for how she makes hers.

I used plain greek yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, and organic granola. Be careful when buying granola. Some can have a TON of sugar in them even if they are all natural or organic. I need to get in the habit of making granola from scratch again. Homemade is the best! Another option would be to put plain toasted oats on the top instead of granola. Maybe even toast the oats with cinnamon on them.

Awhile back I posted about these "mousse" desserts. I had heard about using coconut milk to make whipping cream and then these were born. You can read all the instructions in the original post.

One was chocolate. YUM!

And one was strawberry flavored :)

I have seen recipes floating all over claiming to be healthy versions of Wendy's frosties so when Shane brought home a recipe he found online for us to try I was all over it. I have to say that I was not a big fan. I may be a tiny bit picky about things that are chocolate. My kids loved them. I WANT to like them. I was mentally prepared for them to be either the wrong flavor or the wrong texture. I would have been ok with one or the other but it was wrong on both. Maybe the recipe I have is wrong. I'll list what I used and if you know a better recipe PLEASE leave it in the comments. I love me some frosties!

¾ cup almond  milk

15 ice cubes

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ tablespoon cocoa powder

⅓ of a banana

Dana from This Silly Girl's Life suggested apple chips. Our family LOVES apple chips! I normally make them in the dehydrator but decided to try them using the oven like Dana does. To see her full instructions visit her post. I added cinnamon to mine. If you want your house to smell AMAZING make some of these! And if you cut them from the top to bottom then you get a heart shape which is perfect for Valentine's day!

I found this strawberry and banana "ice cream" on Skinny Mom. I have made fruit sorbet for years but I have never added bananas because I have never been a fan of bananas. I am trying to like them because they are in a ton of healthy recipes as a natural sweetener. So I gave this one a try. I added more strawberries than they did and it was super yummy! I didn't have to add honey or anything.

I make these in the summer but since it is currently almost 70 degrees here in Utah I thought I would add these blueberry bars as well. They are super easy to make!

I asked Shane to run to the store to get some granola for the parfaits I showed earlier. When I reached in the cabinet I saw this. I have never seen it before at the store but it looked good so I gave it a try. I loved it! I am not sure if it is a seasonal thing or not. The serving size is ¼ cup so I stuck to that and just ate slowly. That has been my biggest stumbling block...portion sizes! I have found eating slowly and measuring out the food helps a lot. Otherwise I reach my hand in the package and just mindlessly eat.

You could probably make this yourself. Dehydrate some berries and add dark chocolate baking chips to it. Sprinkle some cocoa powder in it as you mix too!

Other things we have done:

*Strawberries dipped in dark chocolate

*Fruit sorbet in a variety of flavors (orange, peach, pineapple, strawberry, and mixed berry) sweetened with honey if needed

*Small bowl of berries with coconut cream on top

Even though these thing are healthier options, you still need to be aware of portion size. Make sure you eat these sparingly :)

PLEASE share with me your favorite treats and dessert ideas in the comments below. I would love to hear what works for you. I have such a sweet tooth and I would love to have as many options as possible.