A Quick Recipe: Mini Cuban Sammies

I'll be changing out my March blog banner this weekend. I can hardly believe Easter is almost here.This year is flying by already!

I'm just popping in quickly today to share another easy recipe.

I had a girl's dinner out last night, so the boys had to fend for themselves for dinner. Well, not exactly. I prepared sandwiches for them ahead of time, all Brian had to do was pop them in the oven to heat up and serve them with a veggie. Hmmm... I wonder if he remembered to serve them with a veggie. I'm thinking, no.

Anyhow, here's the quick & easy recipe for Mini Cuban Sammies:

Ingredients:

 One package of King's Hawaiian Rolls

One package of Curly's Sauceless Smoked Pulled Turkey (you could use pork instead if you can find it without sauce)

Sliced deli ham (Boar's Head if you can find it)

Swiss cheese

Yellow Mustard

Mojo marinade

 *Pickles (my boys don't eat pickles, but if you want these to taste more like real Cubans, I would also include dill pickle slices.)

 Directions:

1. Line a pan with non-stick foil and leave enough to wrap over the top of the sandwiches

2. Cut each Hawaiian roll in half and place bottom halves in pan

(Place the tops aside for now)

3. Remove the pulled turkey from it's packaging and place in microwave-safe dish, or in a saucepan on the stove. Pour 1/4-1/2 cup of Mojo marinade on top and stir. Heat through.

4. Assemble sammies: Put some yellow mustard on bottom of roll, then a 1/2 piece of cheese, then a piece of ham, then some of the marinated pulled turkey, then top with more cheese (and a pickle slice if you are using them).

5. Replace the tops on the rolls and cover with foil.

These can sit in the fridge overnight or be baked immediately, whatever your timeline is.

6. Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake 20-30 minutes or until heated through.

Enjoy!

P.S. This would also be a super easy appetizer to bring to a party!

Some pictures I forgot...

I'm not sure how it happened, but I seem to have forgotten to post some fun pictures from last week. (Maybe it was the baby being sick and me losing my mind for a couple of days). Anyhow, in no particular order, here they are:

Brian & Payton were invited to go to the Tampa Bay Lightening hockey game with some good friend's of ours. And as if sitting on the club level - with unlimited ice cream sundaes - wasn't enough...

THEY GOT TO RIDE THE ZAMBONI!

 I'm not sure whether Payton was more excited about the Zamboni, or hanging with his friend Michael, but either way, the boys had a great time.

I also forgot to post this cute picture from last weekend of me & my Mom with Parker outside of Cracker Barrel. 

 And this one of my Dad & Payton cracks me up! Boys and their electronics. :

 And last but not least, I had to share this LEGO creation that Payton made. He did it all by himself! That child never ceases to amaze me.

 Okay, that's it for now. Enjoy the rest of your week!

Meal Planning & A Recipe

I'm a planner by nature. I never just wake up in the morning and say, "Gee, I think I'll head to the beach today." No, if I'm going to the beach, it's been planned well in advance. The car is already packed the night before, sandwiches made, snacks laid out, swimsuits cleaned and ready and everything set for the day.

I'm a planner.

This personality trait definitely comes with it's bonuses, but it also comes with a lot of downfalls. I miss out on a lot of last-minute fun because I "didn't plan on it." It almost makes me nervous to be spontaneous. My husband helps me with this, but still, I struggle.

Anyhow... back to the positive things about being a planner. :)

One positive thing is, that I plan our meals out a week in advance.

Now, I don't always stick to it 100%, but for the most part, we do. It eliminates the stress of trying to figure out "what's for dinner tonight?" And it also saves us a lot of time and money by purchasing things that are on sale, and not running to the grocery store several times a week.

I did a post about meal planning once before, you can check it out here if you want more details on how I do it. But once again, I just want to encourage all you mommies to plan out your meals for the entire week, hit the grocery store with coupons in hand, knowing what you have at home already, and do your best to save where you can (BOGO!!!). 

Here are some tips:

1. Buy beef & chicken when it's on sale. The regular chicken at our Publix goes on sale for $1.99/lb about once a month. I buy at least 10 packs when it goes on sale and stick them in the freezer. This is a HUGE money saver, considering chicken is usually $3.99/lb. or more. (The organic chicken also goes on sale if this is your preference.)

2. If the fresh chicken isn't on sale, buy frozen. Publix has their own brand of frozen chicken that comes in a bag. But I prefer the Target brand. They have plain, garlic & herb, and lemon pepper. They are all wonderful and WAY cheaper than buying fresh.

3. Check your pantry/freezer before you shop. You might be amazed at what your find! I often can come up with the whole week's side dishes without purchasing anything. I stock up on rice, veggies, biscuits, etc. when they are BOGO and then I have them on hand when I need them.

4. Don't be afraid to cook a vegetarian meal. Yes, I know the hubbies won't be thrilled, but they can hang for one night. Black beans & rice, pasta primavera, fettuccine Alfredo with veggies, stuffed baked potatoes, or even grilled cheese with salad - they all make healthy, filling dinners.

5. Go back to your roots. Remember those casseroles your mom used to make? Don't be so quick to overlook them. Tuna casserole, beef & macaroni casserole, Shepherd's pie; a lot of these options are less expensive and can be made using frozen veggies or canned soups.

6. Utilize your Crock Pot. I use my crock pot at least once a week, if not more. Especially on nights when I know I'll be flying home with not a minute to spare before dinner. It is SUCH a time saver and there are millions of recipes online for just about any type of food you are interested in.

Bottom line: Yes, it's nice to make a fancy meal for your family. And trust me, when I bust out my homemade chicken Parmesan, it's expensive and time-consuming... but man, it rocks the house!!! But on a day-to-day basis, I make well-balanced, kid/husband-friendly, easy-to-assemble meals. I don't need any more stress in my 5 o'clock hour, so creating these kinds of menus makes my evenings run a lot smoother.

Okay, now, to show you that I practice what I preach, I have a SUPER easy recipe!

Baked Garlic Chicken with Tomatoes & Olives

4-5 Frozen Target Brand Garlic & Herb Chicken Breasts

(1) Can diced tomatoes

(1) Can Black Olives

(1) Packet Seven Seas Italian Dressing Seasoning

Parmesan/Mozzarella cheese

Garlic

*Preheat oven to 375

1. Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray & place chicken in pan

2. Drizzle chicken with olive oil, salt & pepper & a few Tbs. of garlic

3. Pour can of tomatoes on top

 

 4. Drain olives and pour on top of tomatoes

5. Sprinkle entire thing with Italian dressing seasoning (I used 1/2 a packet)

 6. Cover with foil & cook for 30-40 minutes

7. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven for 10 minutes.

 I served this tonight with rice (which I had on hand) and a frozen veggie medley that I heated up and tossed with some Parmesan. The boys loved it!

Give meal planning a try for 3 weeks and see how it goes. You may hate it the first week. But once you get used to it, I promise you'll love the time & money you save!

Just think about where else you could be using that money. :)

Sunday

Today was a pretty typical Sunday. 

Woke up early. Spent time with the family. Made breakfast. Walked dog. Got ready for church.

I got to sing today at church, which was awesome. I love the Worship Arts team at Church at the Bay. They are so extremely talented.

Parker got to bounce in the bounce house after service, which he LOVES.

He's crazy, have I mentioned that before???

After church, Parker napped and I jumped at the offer from my hubby to go get a pedicure.

You know you have to jump quickly at these opportunities, right?

I think he said, "Yeah, you should go." And before the word "go" came out of his mouth I had my keys in hand and was walking out the door. :)

But it's good to have some "me time" as I call it. I get to unplug. Sit in a chair for an hour and read magazines that I would never pay to subscribe to. It's therapeutic for me.

And when I get home, I am excited to see my little family. It gives me time to miss them.

So, today when I got home, we played. A lot.

Mostly outside today since it was such a gorgeous, breezy Spring day.

Brian pulled out some lawn chairs, the cornhole boards, the kiddie slide and put on some Pandora tunes. We were ready for some outdoor fun.

This is Parker's new favorite thing. He likes to look at me upside down. And then he laughs hysterically... which makes me laugh hysterically.

Of course typically it's not balancing on a lawn chair while he does this move. I prefer him to do it on the ground, but boys will be boys...

 After playing in the front yard for a long time, we decided a bike ride was in order. We headed up to Starbucks and the little shopping Village by our house.

 The boys both got cake pops, and Brian and I got coffees (tall, nonfat, iced vanilla latte, of course!). :)

Then we walked over to the fountain and let the boys play there for a while.

 Parker was happy just looking at the fountain for a while. But then big brother put his feet in and well... he decided there was more exploring that needed to be done!

Of course he couldn't have been happier once he was side-by-side with Payton.

After a quick trip to the Village Market for a bottle of wine for dinner, we biked home and played some cornhole in the backyard before cooking burgers on the grill.

Overall, amazing family day. I love chill days like these!

Family Weekend

As eluded to earlier, we've been dealing with a sick baby around here the past few days. Fortunately, he perked up a bit today when both sets of grandparents came into town for Payton's baseball game.

[Side note: I realized today that it doesn't always take a big event like a birthday party or a baptism to make great memories. Sometimes it's just those little moments in life when you can sit back and watch what's happening around you and say, "this is so fulfilling." That happened for me today. Just sitting on some rocking chairs outside a busy restaurant watching my kids being loved by their grandparents. It was a picture that I will forever have in my memory. Something I will always treasure.]

Okay... back to the post!

Payton had another fabulous baseball game today. We continue to be shocked, amazed, and so proud of him. He had two really great hits and scored twice. He was so, so happy that his "entourage" got to see him in his prime. :)

 After the game, we headed to Cracker Barrel for lunch (yum, by the way). The kids love that place. Then again, what's not to love? A whole toy store to play with before the meal, awesome steak fries and Southern cooking for the meal, and rocking chairs and checkers on the way out. Perfect family meal.

 

 Parker says he plays checkers best when he's barefoot.

How handsome are these two???

Then once we got back home, there was another baseball game that started in our backyard.

 Look at that form!

 It was so special for Payton to play a little baseball with his Grandpa.

 Shortly after, all the grandparents left, and the house was quiet again. Almost too quiet.

We sure loved having everyone here for the day.

This is what life is about.

Making memories.

Having family come to Little League games and cheer on your child.

Going to lunch, and lingering long after on rocking chairs talking about life and watching your kids play in the cool breeze of the afternoon.

We know we are so incredibly blessed to have both sets of parents who live so close.

And we are so very thankful for that.

Some wonderful memories were made today.

And I will treasure them forever.

Yuck... and a boring post

Yuck.
That's how I feel when one of my kids is sick.
Especially when it's the baby.
He can't say, "Mama, my throat hurts and I want some ice cream."
He can't say, "I just want to go outside and breathe in some fresh air."
He can't tell me, "I'm so tired Mommy that I don't know what I want."
Instead he cries... a lot.
Then I spend hours trying to soothe him. Trying to guess what he wants. What he needs.
So, while I tend to a very uncomfortable, feverish little boy, I am going to publish this not-so-exciting post about up-cycling that I've had sitting in the queue for a while now.
Wish me luck on keeping my sanity and not snapping at anyone while trying to live on about 2 hours of sleep right now.
 

 Up-Cyling: A Quick Tip

I cleaned out my laundry room cabinets recently (more on this in another post) and emptied out this old Play-Dough canister:

 It has a great screw-on lid and I just knew I'd find a good use for it!

So, I cleaned it out real good, took off the labels and set it aside.

A week or so later, I was at one of my favorite toy stores that was having a "going out of business sale" (boo hoo!). They were selling their shopping carts for $2. Again, I just knew I'd find a good use for it!

So, I bought it, cleaned it up, took off the labels and set it aside.

 I re-arranged the playroom toys the other day and found the perfect spot for my "up-cycled" items!

I had a friend of mine make some vinyl labels for them, and voila! New toy containers for next to nothing!

 Don't be so quick to throw out good quality storage items. You just never know what you might be able to use them for!

Spring Break Wrap-Up

What a fun week we had!

We wrapped up the week with a trip to the beach, a date night, a St. Patrick's Day party, oh... and one more trip to the beach!

Let's start at the beginning.

On Friday morning, we headed out to Honeymoon Island, which is a beautiful state park only 20 minutes from our house. Both boys had a great time hanging with our neighbors.

 

 

Payton found an "abandoned" sandcastle and decided to take over and play there for the remainder of the day.

Of course my little man couldn't hang as long as the big kids, so I took him home for a nap while my sweet neighbor took Payton and her kids out for lunch and ice cream sundaes!

(can you tell she took these pictures with her awesome camera?)

 How cute is this kid?!?

That evening, I surprised Brian with a babysitter and a date night at a new local restaurant called Cafe Carmel. SUCH amazing food! And after a week of being run ragged by Payton, I need a calm, quiet night with my sweetie.

The next day, we celebrated St. Patrick's Day in several ways.

First, I made green pancakes sprinkled with Lucky Charms (e.g. packing in a day's worth of sugar in one meal):

 Then, we went to our community's St. Patrick's Day celebration... complete with a giant leprechaun. Yikes!

And men dressed in kilts!

And boys playing in the grass listening to the live music.

That evening, we had some friends over for a low-key Irish dinner. My friend Bethany made the most amazing chocolate cake with buttercream Bailey's frosting. OH MY! It was SO good! Sorry... no pictures of it. I think we all devoured it too quickly!

Sunday felt like we were falling back into our normal routine. Church, Sunday School, laid-back lunch at home, read the paper, etc. But then, at the last minute, we decided we just weren't quite ready to part with Spring Break quite yet. So we packed up the car, and headed out to the beach! Again!

 Payton & Brian built a sandcastle complete with a bridge that was "so strong you could walk on it!!!" He was so excited, he made me take a picture:

 My boys just love the beach.

 Who can blame em?

Once Parker made it clear to all of us that he was hungry and ready to go, we headed out for a cute little beach cafe for some burgers & beers.

 Not the best pictures of the boys, but they were having such a good time playing together & listening to the live music.

And let me tell you... after a week of doing theme parks, museums, beaches, play dates, sleepovers, and special surprises in between... we're all pooped!

We're ready for life to go back to normal. Well, some of us are at least. :)