Tastefully Simple Tuesday

This week I'm going to talk about a sauce mix that I have never tried up until this week, Mama Mia Marinara Sauce Mix.

I ordered myself a sample when I first started selling Tastefully Simple but have yet to try it. I kept forgetting that it was there and well.... our family is a Prego family. It works for us and tastes good.

The picture to left had me thinking it came in a jar with the tomato sauce. Imagine my surprise when it was spices in the little sample pack! Score! I love spices. So many uses in one little packet!




So last Wednesday it was just Connor and I grocery shopping and getting stuff for the rest of the week. I realized I had no idea what we were going to do for dinner when we got home. I picked up a pizza making kit. Fast and easy. Done.

Well..... as we were putting the sauce on the pizza I looked over and the sample packet caught my eye. We spread out the sauce and then I sprinkled the Mama Mia Marinara Sauce mix over the pizza sauce. Then we put the cheese on the pizza and I did one last sprinkle of the sauce mix over the cheese.

It gave what is normally (to me) a bland cheese pizza a bit of a kick and flavor. I was impressed.

 

 

 

 

 

Homemade pizza kit with Mama Mia Marinara Sauce Mix

THEN this weekend I was making grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. I like to fancy up my grilled cheese sandwiches a bit. I was spreading butter on the bread in preparation for the pan and the left over sample packet caught my eye. I sprinkled some of the sauce mix over the buttered slices of break and then cooked the sandwiches. The mix cooked right into the bread. It was aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamazing.

Grilled cheese sandwiches with Mama Mia Marinara Sauce Mix

I'm coming up with so many different ideas for this sauce mix and I haven't even tried it in a marinara sauce yet! I made sure I placed myself an order of the whole container last week! Next on the Mama Mia adventure is meatloaf!

Check out more Tastefully Simple products at my website! http://www.tastefullysimple.com/web/asachs2

Leaps and Bounds

We had Connor's 3 year old Well Visit this morning. He turned 3 the begining of this month but due to being sick he couldn't get to his Well Visit until... he was well!

He got a doctor's kit for Christmas and has spent a lot of time giving us check ups and we've spent a lot of time giving him check ups. Good thing, so he knows what to expect.

He fought us on the hearing test but passed the vision test. He's such a character with people it blows me away. He's trusting, silly and can make almost anyone laugh.

The doc said he's pretty much average, healthy and one happy little boy. Connor left the office with two Lightening McQueen stickers and a lollipop. Life was good.

Where did my baby go? He's growing up month to month with learning new things by leaps and bounds. He's asserting his independence more and more. Doing things on his own, not wanting help. Soon he'll be too busy for snuggles and books before bed.... then what do I do? Facebook stalk him? Twitter Feed watch him? Endorse him on Linkedin. Sigh.... so not ready for him let go of my hand. Thankfully we're not quite there yet.

Edit.... His height is 36.5inches... not 3.5ft. Totally heard the nurse wrong!

Encouraging Reading

Yesterday I took Connor to the library to get his first library card. I was super excited and imagined us picking out books together and reading and talking about what we were reading.... how it really went....

In the car on the way to the library
Me: Connor, when we get inside we have to be quiet. We have to be quiet in the library.
Connor (whispering): Ok.

He whispered alllll the way there. As soon as we got into the library. Lots of loud talking and noise came spewing out of his mouth while we took care of paper work for his card. He also had lots of fun swinging the ropes that help define the lines back and forth and back and forth. Sigh.....

So we get the card, the Librarian hands Connor a sticker and we head over to the children's section.

Me: Connor why don't you pick out a book?
Connor: Um, no thanks.
Me: You don't want to read a book?
Connor: Yes.
Me: Then pick one out.
Connor: No you do it.

Sigh.... eventually he picked out a book and we read it before he got distracted by the table with the bendy wire that you can push beads around on it.

While he played I walked around and picked out two books to go home with us.

Me: Connor do you want to read another book?
Connor: Yes.
Me: Pick one out.
Connor: Um, no thanks. You do it.
Me: No. If you want a book you pick it out.

He picked out another one. We read it and added it to the take home pile. He proudly carried his books up to the front desk while yelling, "Hey lady! Scan my books and card." Sigh....

He sure is proud of that library card though!

"Shhh... quiet mommy we're in the library."

Tastefully Simple Tuesday

I've mentioned in my previous blogs that I am now an Independent Tastefully Simple Consultant! I'm hoping to start posting recipe ideas of what I'm doing with the products!

This week I am going to cover Oh My! Chai.

Oh My! Chai is not JUST a drink mix. It can add just the right amount of yum to your baking, breakfast or dips.

When its rainy, cold or snowy outside I love to make myself a cup of Oh My! Chai while Connor is napping and enjoy the quiet while I get a quick 10 - 20 minutes of relaxing time in. It can be made with milk or water... or both! There is also frappe directions on the container as well.


One simple quick way to turn plain Cool Whip into an even better topping for ice cream, cake, brownies or a dip for fruit is to add Oh My! Chai. This past week I did this for Book Club and a small get together we had for the Raven's Game on Sunday. We dipped fruit in it and I also added it the dip on top of Chocolate Ugly Cake after I was done with eating fruit.

Twice now I have incorporated Oh My! Chai into French Toast! I swapped out cinnamon with the Oh My! Chai. Usually cinnamon floats along the top and only the first couple slices of bread get the cinnamon before I find myself adding more into the mix. Oh My! Chai dissolves into the the egg mixture! Each slice of bread is getting some of the flavor! It gives my usual French Toast a little pick me up!

Here's my recipes:

Oh My! Chai Cool Whip Dip

This one is pretty simple. One regular sized tub of Cool Whip and add three spoonfuls of Oh My! Chai. Mix well.


Oh My! Chai French Toast

Ingredients:
3 Eggs
Splash of Milk
Splash of Vanilla Extract
3 Spoons of Oh My! Chai
8 - 10 slices of bread (any kind you choose)

Directions:
Whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Add Oh My! Chai and mix together until dissolved. Dip slices of bread into egg mixture and cook on a griddle until both sides are golden brown. Serve with butter, confectioner's sugar or syrup.



Do you use Oh My! Chai an a different way than a beverage? Post your ideas here! Visit my site to order Oh My! Chai today!

A New Year

So wow. Long time no see. Soooooo how are you? We're doing fine.

A new year is here and I can't wait to share with everyone what we've been up to and our future adventures.

Let's see... since we've been gone... my parents visited from AZ, I turned 30, Christmas came and left in a whirl and Connor turned 3.

Lots and lots.

Check it out!

I turned 30 and we had an awesome birthday party for me. The decorations were adorable, the cake was yummy and cute, and I had my favorite people around me for a crock pot cook-off. Later in the week my mom and step dad took me out to dinner and the theater to see Billy Elliot.

This was the first Christmas where there was finally Santa magic. The whole thing clicked with Connor this year and he excited and happy waiting for Santa and waking up every morning to the elf on the shelf.

Sigh.... my little baby is becoming a big boy super fast. Jan 2nd he turned 3 years old. How did that happen?! How did time go so fast? He's so smart and witty it blows our mind. His cuteness can be just too much and his love for Lightening McQueen and his gang is stronger than anything.