31 Days of Simply Homemade Recipes and Meal Plans {Day 1}

The Nester is hosting a party called 31 Days of Change. The challenge is to write 31 days of posts on ONE topic.

Holy cow.

This certainly seems like quite a daunting task, but when you think about it, when you are passionate about something, how hard can it be to write about it?

So, for those of you who followed me at Betty Crocker Wannabe, you know that I love to cook. I have been HORRIBLE at this lately. What's that? "I don't feel like cooking, but we have corndogs in the freezer." Or, "Hmm, spaghetti again!" Or. "It's late, better just drive through McDonald's!"

I have spent way too much money on eating out lately, and I need to make a change. I need to start being more intentional about what I'm feeding my kids, get back to creating simple recipes and making more healthy meals and snacks. I also need to start taking better advantage of my crockpot.

So, for 31 days I am going to plan meals, and actually follow through with them. I'll be pulling out a few of my favorites, as well as sharing new recipes. As you can see by the title of this blog, I'm all about simplicity, so my recipes will be too!

Here are my goals for the next 31 days:

• Feature the meal plan for the week every Sunday.
• Share at least one snack/baked good every week.
• No more than once a week eating out.

Now, I'm great at making goals and coming up with ideas...just not always so great at the follow through. That's where YOU come in! This blog is a great way to keep me on track and to help keep me focused and accountable, and your comments and suggestions are what fuels me! Be sure to visit each day and see what we're cooking up!

Now I'm off in search of inspiration. What's your favorite recipe? I may just have to try it...

31 Days of Simply Homemade posts:
Day 2: Hamburger Soup
Day 3: Meal Plan for the week
Day 4: Simple Pancakes
Day 5: Lasagna Soup
Day 6: Pumpkin Marshmallow Pops

Day 7: Vietnamese Style Chicken Soup
Day 8: Grilled Chicken Tenderloins
Day 9: Menu Plan
Day 10: Ladybug Birthday Party
Day 11: Cupcake Tips
Day 12: Whoopie Pies
Day 13: BBQ Chicken Melts
Day 14: Super Easy Garlic Chicken
Day 15: White Chocolate Popcorn
Day 16: Menu Plan & Blog News
Day 17: Pizza Pockets
Day 18: Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
Day 19:Amazing Pork Tenderloin
Day 20: Halloween Treat Mix and Printable
Day 21: Pork Fried Rice (leftovers option)
Day 22: 25 Minutes Mini Meatloaves
Day 23: Menu Plan
Day 24: Halloween S'Mores Teacher Gift and Printable
Day 25: Chicken Noodle Soup
Day 26: Mexican Chicken Casserole
Day 27: Arroz con Pollo (Chicken and Spanish Rice)
Day 28:
Day 29:
Day 30:
Day 31:
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My Favorite Things About Fall: A Printable

I love so many things about fall. I love the cozy feeling of pulling on my warm boots and a snugly soft sweater. I love sipping my favorite Pumpkin Spice Latte (have I mentioned that before?). I love our trips to the pumpkin patch.

I haven't had a new printable in a while so I'd thought I'd make one for fall with all of my favorite things about the season.

Sorry for the dark photo, had to take this at night and my flash wasn't cooperating.

I added it to my fall mantel. If you like it, feel free to take it! Just click on the image below, then right click, copy, and paste. Size is 8" x 10".

For PERSONAL USE ONLY. Not to be claimed as your own or sold for profit. Thank you.


Do you have a suggestion for a printable? An inspirational saying, a seasonal suggestion? Let me know in the comments, and your idea might be my next free printable!

We're off to the pumpkin patch this weekend for the first of at least two trips we will take (we LOVE the pumpkin patch!). For those of you who are local to the OC, check out the Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch.


I'll be linking up to these parties:
Under the Table & Dreaming
Beneath My Heart 
Dittle Dattle 
DIY Show Off 
Polish the Stars
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
The Shabby Nest
Funky Junk Interiors
Tatertots And Jello
Be Different Act Normal 
Blackberry Vine 
French Country Cottage
At the Picket Fence


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Butterfly Italian Pasta Salad

I've had a few inquiries to my recipe for Italian Pasta Salad, so I thought it was time that I share it with you! This is my favorite go-to salad for potlucks and parties (I made it here, here and here). It's a cold pasta salad that is refreshing on a hot day and comforting on any day. It always gets rave reviews!

Italian Pasta Salad
1 box of pasta, cooked to al dente (any pasta will do - I've used linguine, rotini and farfalle)
1/2 bottle of your favorite Italian salad dressing
1 pint Grape or cherry tomatoes
1 can black olives
2 Tbsp McCormick Salad Supreme seasoning
Fresh grated Parmesan Cheese

Mix cooked pasta salad dressing and Salad Supreme seasoning. Add tomatoes and olives and gently mix. Add grated Parmesan cheese for garnish (you can also mix it in the salad).

I always make this a day ahead to let the flavors blend, if possible.

For those of you who, like me, had no idea what Salad Supreme seasoning is, it's found in the seasonings aisle of your grocery store. It looks like this:

I have to give credit where credit id due - I actually got this recipe from a friend several years ago. She and I both make it for parties and it's always a hit!!
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Cooper's Buggy 4th Birthday Party!

I. Am. Exhausted. Now, I'm going to warn you up front, this is going to be a long post, but I have so many fabulous photos I have to share them all!!

Yesterday was my son's 4th birthday party. For months he's been asking for a "bug party" and I was determined to make it happen for him!

Here's the invitation:

I didn't want a "cutesy" bug theme, but more like "nature." I purchased artificial grass at Home Depot. It was enough to cover three tables and cost me just $12. The burlap, also from Home Depot was just under $4 for each 80" x 80" sheet. I added a few potted mum plants and a whole mess 'o plastic bugs, snakes and lizards.

For the food table, I utilized the same tablescape design. The Happy Birthday banner was created in photoshop and the flash card garland was from a Target Dollar Spot pack of insect flash cards.

The menu was my favorite part:

Cricket Nuggets (chicken nuggets)

Snail Shells (Turkey Rollups)

Butterflies (Italian bowtie pasta salad; recipe here)

Caterpillars & Cheese (Mac 'N Cheese)

Antenae (Carrot sticks)

Ants on a Log (Celery with cream cheese and raisins)

Roly Polys (Black grapes slice in half lengthwise)

Wings (potato chips)

Bug Juice (Lemon Lime Hawaiian Punch)

My friends and I had fun coming up with silly bug themed names for all of the food! I really wanted to float some gummy worms in the punch, but it didn't work (note the red figure at the bottom of the container!).

The dessert table:

Cupcakes and matching rice krispie treats made by my good friend Diane. I also added some white chocolate dipped marshmallows.

Who needs birthday "cake"? Cooper isn't a big fan of cake/cupcakes so he asked for Worms in Dirt for his birthday dessert. I think he just wanted the worms!

In my online searching for party inspiration, I came across a party that had featured Steve the Nature Guy. We hired him for the party and he was awesome! He brought a scorpion, lots of lizards and snakes, a tortoise and a frog!

 At first Cooper was unsure, but he warmed up pretty quickly!

The kids all got to take a photo with this albino boa which they thought was pretty cool.

 I, however, did not.

Cooper enjoyed the presentation so much that he was playing "Steve the Nature Guy" all evening!

Each of the kids got take home a goodie bag with a bug catcher as well as their own set of insect flash cards.

They also got a bug hat (which I made with construction paper, black pipe cleaners and puffy balls and hot glue),

and a bug coloring book (can't find the photo) that I made in photoshop.

If you made it all the way though this post, thank you! I had so much fun putting some creative touches on this party. We all had a really great time!



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Birthday Celebrations at Goofy's Kitchen!

Cooper's favorite place to be in the whole world is Disneyland, so it's only fitting that his annual birthday celebration is at Goofy's Kitchen!

This year we decided to have lunch instead of the usual dinner, and then venture into Disneyland Park afterward. Bad idea...lunch was just not as good as dinner! We did get several character interactions though, so it was a success in my son's eyes!

I knew luck was not on my side when I pulled up and noticed our traditional photo-op was missing.

This photo was taken last year for his third birthday. We also have a photo from his first and second birthdays. Alas, Mickey is gone this year making way for new "Magic." So we had to find a new icon for Coop to "grow" with.

I'm amazed at just how different he looks in these two pictures. But I would probably be even more amazed if I could see how much taller he is...sigh...

Ok, we took lots of pictures so I'll stop rambling and just let the photos speak for themselves...

 

So that was our big annual family birthday celebration with Cooper. Riley's birthday will be at Ariel's Grotto (Disney's California Adventure) surrounded by Princesses! She will be in heaven!!!
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