A Bun in the Oven!!!

Pizza Stuffed Buns {Bun Week}

This is one of my absolute favorite stuffed buns, so it is perfect as we wind down bun week.

First: pepperoni pizza.

Second: the pizza is nestled in a light buttery bun.

To. Die. For!!!

You’ll notice that the recipe calls for fresh mozzarella, but really I mean the mozzarella that you buy in a ball in the deli section of the grocery store as opposed to cheese sticks.  Cheese sticks work in a pinch, but they don’t melt as nicely as the spendy stuff from the deli.

So go, make these this weekend.  You can thank me later!

Ham & Cheese Buns {Bun Week}

Day 4 of bun week!!

Today’s recipe doubles as a fantastic freezer meas for those busy nights.

It’s a simple homemade ham sandwich taken to the next level!  Easy. Make ahead. Crowd pleaser.

You can’t go wrong!

Breakfast Stuffed Buns {Bun Week}

I love having a quick easy breakfast ready at my fingertips!

This Bun Week addition is perfect for those busy school mornings.

I would imagine that these would also freeze well, but honestly, mine didn’t last long enough to freeze!

This is another extremely versatile recipe.  You can really add any of your favorite scrambled egg extras instead of or in addition to the spinach and bacon (I can see breakfast sausage, ham, and any veggie combo as possible options).

The bread is also versatile.  I usually use my favorite bunrecipe for anything and I also thing the whole wheat version would make for a great balanced breakfast.  But in this case, I actually used some leftover pizza dough I had sitting in the refrigerator needing to be used!  And if you’re totally phobic about using yeast, you can always use frozen bread dough instead!

Bacon & Cheddar Cloverleafs {Bun Week}

Okay, confession time.

This recipe is from a year and a half ago when I made them for Bacon Night.

I never shared them because, while delicious on an epic scale, I wasn’t thrilled with the photos.

So I made them again in October.

And still never posted them.

I’m so ashamed!

Good thing such lapses can be fixed by Bun Week!

These buns are truly a masterpiece, I mean bacon and cheddar?  Come on, you can’t go wrong!   And the best part is: if you don’t feel like splitting them into cloverleafs, you can totally just stuff the bacon & cheddar into a full sized bun.  Epic win.

Cheese & Herb Buns {Bun Week!}

For the last few weeks of summer, I took a mini bloggy break and cut back to posting once per week, so I could squeeze those last few summertime moments with my boys.

And now that I’m back (school started last week here and I already miss my kinder-kid like crazy!!), I realize that I’ve been on a bit of a bun kick lately.

Yep, I have made quite a lot of different bun recipes, so you know what that means?

It’s bun week!

Easy Chicken Quesadillas

I shared this recipe as a guest post earlier this summer, but here is is again in case you missed it!

As school starts up again and fall sports schedules take up more and more time, I don’t always have a ton of time to spend on dinner.

So on those busy evenings, I love a quick, easy, fresh, fall back recipe like these easy chicken quesadillas!  They come together in a flash, and use fresh, healthy ingredients the whole family will enjoy!

Huge #BacktoSchoolWeek Giveaway - One day left!!

Have you entered for a chance to win all these great #BacktoSchoolWeek prizes?

 

Don’t wait!

Enter now!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more info, check out the Giveaway Post

Carrots & Hummus – a FUN After School Snack #BacktoSchoolWeek

I’m going to be completely honest here…

I’ve had this idea pinned for ages, but I never actually thought it would get my kids to eat hummus (they’ve usually been pretty good about carrots.)

But when I received some great snack bags of carrots from Cal-Organic Farms, I knew it was time to give this a whirl.

And you know what?

My kids LOVED it!  They were both so excited about their little flower pots that they ate their snack bags of carrots and more!

Don’t miss all of the great #BacktoSchoolWeek giveaways!!!

And don't forget to join us for our PinChat on August 25th for a chance to win more great prizes!

Here's how it works:

1. Go to the #BacktoSchoolWeek pin board on Pinterest here. It will be full of fun Pin graphics with questions about back to school. You can re-pin the questions, answer questions in the comment section of the pins and pin crafts/recipes to the board as answers to questions {only the comments on the question pins count as entries to the PinChatLive giveaway} How fun is that?!? {**Only ONE comment per question pin per person, please. Pinterest views multiple comments from the same person on the same pin to be spam}
2. Go to the YouTube video that will be happening during the PinChatLive from 6-7 pm EST Sunday Aug 25th. We’ll be chatting about back to school and doing a play-by-play of the pinning. You'll be able to see and hear the hosts of #BacktoSchoolWeek and some of the participating bloggers! Comments on the video count as PinChatLive giveaway entries!
3. You'll be able to watch/listen to the YouTube video while you see the PinChat unfold on Pinterest. Cool, right? 

Hope you can join us, it's going to be a Pin-tastic time!Cool, right? 

Italian Bean, Potato, and Kale Soup #BacktoSchoolWeek 30 Minute Meals

I love a quick nutritious meal on busy school nights.

This delicious vegetarian soup whips up in just 30 minutes!  It’s perfect after a busy day filled with school and chilly soccer practices without taking all day long like other soups!

The best part is - it makes a large batch that tastes even better left over!

Don’t miss all of the great #BacktoSchoolWeek giveaways!!!

And don't forget to join us for our PinChat on August 25th for a chance to win more great prizes!

Here's how it works:

1. Go to the #BacktoSchoolWeek pin board on Pinterest here. It will be full of fun Pin graphics with questions about back to school. You can re-pin the questions, answer questions in the comment section of the pins and pin crafts/recipes to the board as answers to questions {only the comments on the question pins count as entries to the PinChatLive giveaway} How fun is that?!? {**Only ONE comment per question pin per person, please. Pinterest views multiple comments from the same person on the same pin to be spam}
2. Go to the YouTube video that will be happening during the PinChatLive from 6-7 pm EST Sunday Aug 25th. We’ll be chatting about back to school and doing a play-by-play of the pinning. You'll be able to see and hear the hosts of #BacktoSchoolWeek and some of the participating bloggers! Comments on the video count as PinChatLive giveaway entries!
3. You'll be able to watch/listen to the YouTube video while you see the PinChat unfold on Pinterest. Cool, right? 

Hope you can join us, it's going to be a Pin-tastic time!Cool, right? 

It's Back to School Week {HUGE Giveaway!} #BacktoSchoolWeek

I am so excited to be a part of #BacktoSchoolWeek hosted by Rachel from {i love} my disorganized life and Kelley from Miss Information. This week will help take the stress out of Back to School.

Each day, bloggers from around the country will post their favorite Back to School crafts and recipes. We also have some really AWESOME prizes from some AMAZING Sponsors. You can enter to win on any of the Blogs that are participating in #BacktoSchoolWeek. {Please scroll to the bottom of this post for prize details and entry form}

These wonderful ladies will also be hosting a TweetChat and a PinChat {more info to come} during #BacktoSchoolWeek, with prize giveaways during those as well!!!

(search for hashtag #BacktoSchoolWeek to follow along. Use the hashtag in 

tweets during the chat to enter to win.)

1) One TweetChat winner will receive a set of two Might Handles. Mighty Handle is the easiest way to carry more grocery bags across a parking lot, walking in a neighborhood, up a flight of stairs or from your car into the house. The patent pending handle and anchor design system distributes weight evenly allowing consumers to carry up to 50lbs of bags in one hand. {Follow on Facebook & Twitter} 2) One TweetChat winner will receive a 6-piece set of Cuisinart storage containers.The cabinet-friendly, modular design of Cuisinart’s new Fresh Edge™ Food Storage System is only one of the practical conveniences it offers. In addition to their space-saving stack ability, the dishwasher-,freezer- and microwave-safe units have a simple, two-step sealing process that creates a vacuum to preserve food. {Follow on Facebook & Twitter}

3)  One TweetChat winner will receive a set of Keycals from Kidecals. It's the fun way to organize with these stickers, labels and decals. {Follow on Facebook & Twitter} 4) One TweetChat winner will receive a Mini Cooler and a Personal Cooler from PackIt. PackIt keeps its contents cooler longer – up to 10 hours in fact – and it eliminates completely the need for ice or gel packs. {Follow on Facebook & Twitter}

NOW, for the RAFFLE! We are so grateful to have such an AMAZING group of sponsors for #BacktoSchoolWeek! They have all provided us with WONDERFUL raffle pizes for you!

One raffle winner will receive a prize pack featuring Cal-Organics/Grimmway Farms Swag { Grimmway Farms Speaker Cooler Bag, Cal-Organic T-shirt, Cal-Organic Hat, Cal-Organic Visor Clip, Just Crunch Em Tumbler Cup, Carrot Snack N Go Container} AND  a Portable blender/smoothie maker from Cuisinart so you can take it with you on the go.  Get more veggies at home and at work and on the go. {Follow on Facebook & Twitter}

One raffle winner will receive the Cuisinart 3-in-1 Cook Central. The 6-quart Cook Central simplifies combination cooking, letting home cooks bypass the stovetop by browning ingredients right in the unit before switching to Slow Cook.  Preset function buttons and time and temperature controls offer easy-to-use Brown/Sauté, Slow Cook and Steam options.  A 24-hour timer and automatic Keep Warm setting promise a fresh-cooked meal, warm and ready whenever consumers are sitting down to dinner. {Follow on Facebook & Twitter}

One raffle winner will receive The Keurig® MINI Plus Personal Brewing System. It's what you need when a little space is all that you have. Small kitchen spaces, vacation homes or home office desktops. The compact Keurig® MINI Plus Brewing System delivers the perfect cup in just two minutes. {Follow on Facebook & Twitter}

Two raffle winners will each receive a Mooney Family Story gift box from Mooney Farms. Their signature box is filled with some of their most premium items including; Bella Sun Luci sun dried tomatoes in olive oil & herbs, julienne cut in olive oil & herbs, sun dried tomato pesto, sun dried tomato risotto blend, Tomato Artichoke Pasta sauce, Sun Dried Tomato Julienne Cut, Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil and imported Italian Pasta. {Follow on Facebook & Twitter}

One winner will receive a $75 surprise box from Pick Your Plum, where they delicately slap prime-o pricing on crafting, clothing, baking supplies, home decor and other fabulous finds. They sell it til it's gone or time is up. Get it before your neighbor does. *Contents may vary. {Follow on Facebook & Twitter}

One raffle winner will receive a set of two Might Handles. Mighty Handle is the easiest way to carry more grocery bags across a parking lot, walking in a neighborhood, up a flight of stairs or from your car into the house. The patent pending handle and anchor design system distributes weight evenly allowing consumers to carry up to 50lbs of bags in one hand. {Follow on Facebook & Twitter}

One raffle winner will receive a Mini Cooler, a Personal Cooler and a Shop Cooler from PackIt. PackIt keeps its contents cooler longer – up to 10 hours in fact – and it eliminates completely the need for ice or gel packs. {Follow on Facebook & Twitter}

One raffle winner will receive a gift certificate from Kidecals. It's the fun way to organize with these stickers, labels and decals. {Follow on Facebook & Twitter}

One raffle winner will receive from Kizmos The Grant Life’s Passe Passe Kizmos Kit {Be sure to visit The Grant Life on 8/21 to see how Kelley uses this kit!} which contains the Get Happy Spatula, Get Happy Spoonula and the Get Happy Ice Cream Scoop. {Follow on Facebook & Twitter}

One raffle winner will receive from Kizmos the Crazy Cool Crafty’s Banana Muffins Kizmos Kit {be sure to visit Crazy Cool Crafty on 8/24 to see how Cassie uses this kit!} which contains the Get Happy salt and pepper shakers, Get Happy nesting Measuring cups, and the Get happy measuring spoons. {Follow on Facebook & Twitter}

One raffle winner will receive from Kizmos the Kleinworth’s Kid Command Center Kizmos Kit {be sure to visit Kleinworth & Co. on 8/20 to see how Gina uses this kit!} containing the Get Happy Magnet Set, the 7 assorted Bag Clips & the Get Happy 2 qt & 5 qt colanders. {Follow on Facebook & Twitter}

One raffle winner will receive from Kizmos the Lemons for Lu Lu’s Fruit Salad Kizmos Kit {be sure to visit Lemons for Lulu on 8/19 to see how Tanya uses this kit!} containing the 2 1/2 quart colander, the spatula, the measuring cups and measuring spoons. {Follow on Facebook & Twitter}

One raffle winner will receive a prize pack from DecoArt containing a variety of craft paint and stencils. {Follow on Facebook & Twitter}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cookies 'n Cream Brownies: SRC

Welcome to this month’s Secret Recipe Club!

This month, I was assigned Danielle’s blog, Mostly Food and Crafts.  Danielle is a stay at home mom of two who enjoys cooking and crafting with her children. 

Danielle also has so many fantastic recipes on her blog!  I actually have several others on the menu for this week, but the one I decided to share is a delicious sweet treat!

I’ve been wanting to make Cookies ‘N Cream Brownies for quite some time, but never got around to it.  Then, the very day I received my SRC assignment in my e-mail, I just happened to have some leftover cream cheese frosting in the refrigerator (from this Dresden Files Birthday Cake) and a box of brownies in the pantry.  It was very serendipitous!

The brownies were just as delicious as I thought they’d be and a perfect use for that leftover frosting.  Thank you, Danielle for a delicious recipe!

Shish Kabobs

Shish Kabobs are another recipe from my mom.  This recipe is the absolute best!  I’ve tried other marinades and they just don’t cut it!

This recipe yields incredibly tender and flavorful meat that will leave you begging for more!