Food Fun Family

Easy Irish Colcannon and Cooked Perfect® Fire Grilled Chicken

Lolli — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 20:04:35 +0000

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cooked Perfect® Fire Grilled Chicken for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

St. Patrick’s Day is approaching fast, and as someone with a lot of Irish blood flowing through my veins, I love to celebrate each year in two ways. First, I wear lots of green (nobody wants to get pinched!) and second, I make some fun St. Patrick’s Day themed food. It’s easy to make green desserts for the kids, but dinner time can be a little trickier. This year, I was on a mission to find a meal that everyone would LOVE (and eat!) that didn’t take me all day to plan or prepare.

I hit the jackpot!

I think the BEST compliment I received after serving this delicious St. Patrick’s Day dinner was from my husband. Everyone loved the Cooked Perfect® Fire Grilled Chicken (Bourbon BBQ Wings!) and they were polished off pretty quickly. When my son wanted more chicken, I offered to heat some more up. My husband said that we’d finished it all, but I disagreed. I pulled a second bag of wings out of the freezer, and my husband said, “What?! That was frozen chicken? I totally thought you’d made those from scratch.”

Mission accomplished!

Because pre-dinner time is the busiest time in our house, I love finding meals that take some of the meal prep off my hands…especially when they taste THIS good. I grabbed two bags of the Bourbon BBQ Wings at the grocery store the other day (we have a big family – and teenagers – so I wanted to make sure we had plenty!).

Cooked Perfect Fire Grilled Chicken comes in a variety of tasty flavors, and you can choose a variety of cuts as well, such as wings, tenders, drumsticks, thighs or chunks. I was drawn to the Bourbon BBQ because it’s a flavor I know everyone in the family already likes, but I could have easily gone with any of the other flavors, like Buffalo Ranch, Wildflower Honey BBQ, Lemon Herb, Zesty Herbs and Spice, Szechuan, Korean Style, or Classic Style.

Seriously, my mouth is watering!

The best thing about Cooked Perfect Fire Grilled Chicken is that it is super flavorful, convenient and easy to prepare, and perfect for serving as-is with delicious sides. I decided to serve our Bourbon BBQ Chicken Wings with a side of broccoli and Irish-style mashed potatoes, or Colcannon.

Did I mention that this meal was a hit? Our colcannon side dish was so tasty, and I got it ready while the chicken was in the oven.

Colcannon, or Irish-Style Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
1/2 a head cabbage, shredded
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 Tbsp butter
3 green onions, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1 cup milk (I used 2%)
4-6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:
1. Fill a large saucepan about 1/2 full with water; heat to boiling. Add chopped cabbage and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer cabbage until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set cabbage aside, leaving the cooking liquid in the pan.

2. Add the potatoes to the hot water; add additional water if needed to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook until potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes, then return them to the dry pot.

3. Meanwhile, heat butter and green onions in a medium saucepan for 2-3 minutes at medium heat. Add salt, pepper, parsley, and milk. Stir until heated through. Add bacon crumbles.

4. Stir hot milk mixture into drained potatoes. Add reserved cooked cabbage and mash together until mixed and smooth.

Serve hot with Cooked Perfect Fire Grilled Chicken for a perfect St. Patrick’s Day meal! I promise your family will not be disappointed!

Cooked Perfect Fire Grilled Chicken is found in the frozen foods aisle of your favorite grocery store, and is easy to prepare in the oven or microwave. We tried both methods and loved them both! find a store near you! Want more ideas? Browse Recipes & Save $1.50

St. Patrick’s Day Green Treats – Delicious Dishes Recipe Party #106

Lolli — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 12:00:12 +0000

I can’t believe it’s March! How crazy is that? My youngest daughter has a birthday at the end of the week (every birthday makes ME feel older!) and we have altogether too much stuff going on. Concerts, parties, trips, camp outs, performances, you name it.

It’s a busy time, but at least I’m finally fully over that nasty flu!

This week, my fellow hostesses and I noticed LOTS of green treats that our readers had shared in the linky party, so we thought it would be the perfect time to share some green and St. Patrick’s Day appropriate recipes that stood out to us!

Welcome to Delicious Dishes Recipe Party! In case you’re new to the party, here’s what you need to know:

Delicious Dishes is a weekly link party where bloggers can share their most delicious recipes while checking out the amazing recipes that other bloggers are sharing.

Each link you share here will be seen on each of the hostess’ blogs listed below >>

Food Fun Family – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

She Saved – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Walking on Sunshine Recipes – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

5 Minutes for Mom – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

This Mama Loves – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Clever Housewife – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Bunny’s Warm Oven –Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Each week we will be featuring our favorite recipes from the week before and pinning them to our Delicious Dishes Pinterest board.

We hope you’ll have fun with our party…we know we will!

The Recipes with the Most Clicks Last Week Were…

#1: Lil Leprechaun Snack Mix from Marilyn’s Treats

#2: Homemade Banana Frozen Yogurt from The Unprepared Mommy

#3: Brownie Cookies from Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt

Delicious Dishes Party Favorites from Last Week:

These are the recipes that the hosts loved the most…

I loved Lime Sherbet Floats from Home Cooking Memories

Lois loved Chocolate Covered Leprechauns from The Monday Box

Brett loved Rainbow Jello Frosted Grapes from Must Have Mom

Susan loved Grasshopper Pie from Clever Housewife

Keri Lyn loved Awesomely Green Recipes from Easy Holiday Ideas

Emily loved St. Patrick’s Day Mocktails for Kids from Play Dates to Parties

Mary loved Guinness Cupcakes with Sweet Cream Chocolate Frosting from Kelly Stilwell

Follow us along on our Pinterest board. We pin a ton of recipes that are shared to our linky party each week. So get your recipes ready. We can’t wait to see what’s cooking in your kitchen this week.

Now let’s get this party started!

An InLinkz Link-up

Festive St. Patrick’s Day Recipes – Delicious Dishes Recipe Party #59

Lolli — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 12:00:23 +0000

Hi guys!

How in the world did we make it to the end of February? The first two months of the year have FLOWN by. I suppose a lot of it has to do with the fact that I’ve been crazy busy!

This week, my fellow Delicious Dishes hosts and I decided to feature some recipes from YOU guys that would be perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, since we realized it would be here before we knew it. Here are some of my St. Patrick’s Day-friendly recipes:

Each link you share here will be seen on each of the hostess’ blogs listed below >>

Food Fun Family – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

She Saved – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Walking on Sunshine Recipes – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

5 Minutes for Mom – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

This Mama Loves – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Clever Housewife – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Bunny’s Warm Oven –Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Cooking in Stilettos – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Each week we will be featuring our favorite recipes from the week before and pinning them to our Delicious Dishes Pinterest board.

We hope you’ll have fun with our party…we know we will!

The Recipes with the Most Clicks Last Week Were…

#1: Mini Coffee Cake Muffins from Brooklyn Farm Girl

#2: The Best Wheat Bread Recipe from Twelve on Main

#3: Veggie Breakfast Cups from Just 2 Sisters

Delicious Dishes Party Favorites from Last Week:

These are the recipes that the hosts loved the most…

I loved Minty Shamrock Cheeseball from Juggling Act Mama

Lois loved Mint Oreo Trifle Recipe from Teaspoon of Goodness

Brett loved Irish Coffee from Tikkido

Susan loved Easy Key Lime Pie from She Saved

Aly loved Mint Julep Cupcakes from April GoLightly

Keri Lyn loved Bunny Tail Munch from Cookie Dough and Ovenmitt

Emily loved Mint Chocolate Chip Oreo Truffles from More than a Mom of Three

Mary loved Lucky Charms Cupcakes from Coupons and Freebies Mom

Follow us along on our NEW Pinterest board. We pin all your amazing recipes!

Now let’s get this party started!

An InLinkz Link-up

St. Patrick’s Day Glass Map Necklace

Lolli — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 05:38:11 +0000

I had a hard time figuring out a St. Patrick’s Day craft to make this week, but I was determined that I would stick with the challenge! My 17-year-old daughter helped me brainstorm with some supplies I had on hand that I thought *could* be awesome for St. Patrick’s Day (namely a TON of green and clear flat-backed marbles). We came up with a super easy and fun St. Patrick’s Day necklace. I’m loving this St. Patrick’s Day-friendly homemade jewelry! Not only is it festive and green, but it has the added touch of showcasing a cool map of Ireland. I love maps, so this is something I would totally wear (regardless of the time of year!). I love that it’s festive without being overly “shamrocks and leprecauns.”

Note: Amazon affiliate links are used in this post to point you in the right direction for the supplies we used.

How to make a glass map necklace

Supplies:

Clear glass flat marbles
Green glass flat marbles
Suede cord
Mod Podge
Foam brushes
Hot glue gun and stick
Map of Ireland (this is the map that I printed out)
Scissors
Wax paper

Directions:

Use the marbles to trace circles highlighting some of your favorite places on the map. Cut the circles out (you’ll want to cut on the inside of the line that you’ve traced because they paper should be slightly smaller than the flat end of the marble).

Working over a sheet of wax paper, spread a thin layer of Mod Podge over the flat end of each marble and attach the cut out map circles so that the map shows through the marble. Press firmly and “seal” edges of paper by running your finger over the edges. Let the marbles dry face down on the wax paper.

When the first layer of Mod Podge is dry, spread a thin layer on top of the paper on the back of each marble, sealing the edges down again if needed. Let the marbles dry face up on the wax paper. Repeat with another coat.

Measure a length of suede cord that is slightly longer than you want the necklace to be. Fold the cord in half and make a small mark with pen to designate the middle of the cord. When the marbles are completely dry, use a thin strip of hot glue to attach a marble to the middle of the cord. Press firmly. Repeat with the rest of the beads you are using.

After the hot glue has dried completely, you can run some additional hot glue on the back of each of the marbles to make sure they don’t fall off of the cord. This is optional.

To wear, simply determine how long you want your necklace/where you would like it to hang and tie a knot in the back. Super simple!

Be sure to press your luck, and see all the other fab St Patrick’s Day projects

Rainbow Bobby Pins – Style on Main
Pot of Gold Crochet Cup Cozy – Busy Creating Memories
St Patrick’s Day Printable Cupcake Toppers – Diana Rambles
Lucky Mini Terrarium – How Was Your Day?
Shamrock Emoji Pudding Cups – Cutefetti
St Patrick’s Day DIY Slime – Views from the ‘Ville
Easy St Patrick’s Day Centerpiece – Upstate Ramblings

St. Patrick’s Day Cupcake Toppers

Lolli — Sun, 06 Mar 2016 13:00:54 +0000

I was feeling creative the other day, and my daughter was in the mood to bake, so we put our efforts together and made the most adorable and yummy St. Patrick’s Day mini cupcakes ever!

She baked, and I designed these little festive cupcake toppers on Canva.com. And since treats are better when you share, I’m offering the cupcake toppers that I designed for you guys to download for free.

The baking part is up to you!

Years ago, I blogged about my secret to making the perfect cake. No, it’s not a magical secret family recipe for cake. And not the decorations, either.

No, the secret to making the best cakes and cupcakes ever is in the frosting.

The fact is, I usually use a cake mix. Cake mixes are easy and they tend to turn out lighter than cakes I make from scratch.

What you need to make these St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes:

Note: Amazon affiliate links are used

A cake mix (plus any ingredients that the cake mix calls for)
Buttercream frosting (recipe to follow)
Green food coloring
Green sprinkles (optional)
Mini muffin tin
Green mini cupcake liners
A ziploc bag
Paper for printing the toppers
Scissors and tape
Toothpicks

All you do is…

Mix up your cake mix and pour your cake batter into a mini cupcake tin lined with green mini cupcake liners. Bake according to package directions.
While the cupcakes are baking, head to your printer and print off these CUPCAKE TOPPERS. Cut each circle out. Tip: you may want to print on cardstock for a sturdier topper.
While the cupcakes are cooling, tape a toothpick to each little circle you’ve just cut out.
Mix up the frosting recipe, adding a few drops of green food coloring, and spoon a bunch into a ziploc baggie. Cut a small hole into one corner of the bag.
When cupcakes are cool, use the baggie filled with green frosting to add a swirl of frosting atop each cupcake. Sprinkle with green sugar sprinkles while frosting is “wet.”
Stick a cupcake topper on the top of each cupcake.

That’s it! St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes accomplished!

Now that you’ve got the cake toppers, do you want my FAVORITE buttercream frosting recipe? This is THE recipe I use on all of my cakes. Once you make frosting THIS EASY and THIS GOOD, you’ll never want to use that canned stuff again.

17 Delicious St. Patrick’s Day Desserts

Lolli — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 22:52:41 +0000

Hi guys!

I am so glad you’re here today! I’ve been having one of those headachy, hard-to-focus days and all I wanted to do was curl up on my couch with a bunch of chocolate and Pinterest. Ever had one of those days? I know I’m not alone here.

I’ve been drooling over all of the amazing St. Patrick’s Day desserts on Pinterest and blogs and so I felt compelled to share a few of the BEST recipes that I found.

Hopefully my obsession with all of these green and minty and rainbow-y treats can benefit more than just my own belly.

And what better way to celebrate the days leading up to St. Patrick’s Day than with 17 St. Patrick’s Day treats? See where I’m going here? There is a recipe for every day in March leading up to St. Patrick’s Day. That way, you’ve got plenty of green things to enjoy all month.

Because, really, WHY WAIT until St. Patrick’s Day to indulge in these goodies?

17 St. Patrick’s Day Desserts

Here are 17 days of St. Patrick’s Day treats from my own blog and several of my fellow blogger friends. Enjoy!

St. Patrick’s Day Mint Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats
Leprechaun Bark
Andes Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Homemade Gummy Candy from This Mama Loves
Grasshopper Pie from Clever Housewife
Green Kool-aid Milkshake from Homemaking Hacks
Leprechaun Samoa Ice Pops from Homemaking Hacks
Lucky Charms Treats from Midwestern Moms
Mint Oreo Cookie Bark from Frugal Mom Eh!
Rainbow Bark with Pretzels from Life Love Liz
Luscious Lime Cooler Bars from Frugal Family Home
St. Patrick’s Day Muddy Buddies from Glue Sticks & Gumdrops
No-bake Oreo Cheesecake from Sugar Spice and Family Life
Shamrock Shake Cupcakes from Baking Beauty
Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes from Baking Beauty
Chocolate Mint Shamrock Parfait from Fancy Shanty
Chocolate-covered Irish Potatoes from Giggles Gobbles and Gulps

What are your favorite GREEN treats? Feel free to leave me a link so I can check them out!

St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt

Lolli — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 06:00:08 +0000

I’m so happy you’re here. Are you excited to celebrate all things Irish and Green and Lucky with me?

Do your kids love doing scavenger hunts? I’m excited to share this St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt Printable for kids! Did you see last month’s Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt? I’ll be bringing you a NEW, seasonal scavenger hunt each month, all year long!

(Click HERE or click the image above to download the PDF version of this scavenger hunt!)

How to use this St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt Printable

Whether or not you’ve got some Irish heritage like we do (from both sides, in fact!), your kids will love searching for green things and getting in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit! The best thing about this scavenger hunt is that it can be played many different ways – use the printable list as a guide and make the game your own. Simply print off as many sheets as you need, and then go have some fun!

Print:
PDF version of St. Patrick’s Day scavenger hunt
Jpeg version of St. Patrick’s Day scavenger hunt

Single-player game: race against the clock! See how many of the items on the list you can find in 5, 10, or 15 minutes. Look in the house for as many items as possible, or find things that aren’t at home in a magazine or book.
Group scavenger hunt: If you have enough players, divide into 2 teams. Each team works together to find the items on the list. Reconvene at a specific time to compare what each team was able to find.
Get creative! Some items are easier than others to “collect” as participants search for things on the list. Let the kids think of alternative methods of “collection” such as taking a picture, drawing a picture, or having an adult initial next to an item on the list. See ideas for gathering clues below.
Broaden your search area. With parental permission/supervision, teams can ask neighbors for help gathering scavenger hunt items. Maybe you don’t have a cupid at home, but a neighbor does. Make sure that kids know to only go to houses where they know the people that live there, and always bring a buddy along.

Methods of gathering “clues:”

Each person or group has a small bag and collects as many items inside the bag as the can in a set amount of time. At the end, everyone shows off the item they’ve collected.
Each person or group has a digital camera (phones, ipod, etc) and snaps a picture of each item they find.
Simply check off each item on the scavenger hunt paper as it is found or have another person act as a “witness” and initial the paper to verify that an item was found.
Use your imagination! Let the players decide the rules!

For more St. Patrick’s Day entertainment, visit a few of my favorite bloggers:

Books About Irish Hauntings You Need to Read by In Our Spare Time
Fun Movies to Watch for St. Patricks Day by philZENdia
Great Movies Set in Ireland by How Was Your Day?
5 Irish Non-Fiction Books for St. Patrick’s Day by Mom Does it All
St. Patrick’s Day Books for Toddlers by Mom on the Side
How to Plan an AMAZING Last Minute St. Patrick’s Day Party by OurFamilyWorld
5 Beautiful Adult Celtic Coloring Books by Pretty Opinionated
Printable St. Patrick’s Day Word Search by MommaDJane
Movies that Induce Irish Catholic Guilt by The Guavalicious Life
Get Your Irish on With These Bands by Day by Day In Our World

St. Patrick’s Day Lucky Rustic Wall Hanging: A Paint Stick Craft

Lolli — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 06:00:24 +0000

Looking for a paint stick craft for St. Patrick’s Day? It’s your LUCKY day!

Way back in December, a friend of mine gave me a bunch of paint sticks – you know the 12-inch paint stirrers you can get by the handful in the pain section of your local hardware store? She had picked up more than she needed for a craft she was doing for Christmas, and didn’t want to hold on to them any more, so she passed them on to me. It took me 2 months to figure out a project to use them on, and even then I really struggled to figure out how to make something I liked. This project went through several stages, but once I looped my husband into the madness and we were able to brainstorm together it all came together, and I was so happy with how it turned out.

How to make a rustic wall hanging paint stick craft for St. Patrick’s Day

OK, I fear that I’m not going to explain these steps very well, but I assure you – this project is SO easy! It basically consists of painting the sticks, weaving them together with twine and gluing the letters on top of the sticks. Seriously easy (for some reason, writing out the steps made it seem so much more complicated than it is!

Before I start with the steps, I have to tell you the crazy process I went through to figure out how I wanted my final product to look. I tried several different designs (starting out with a wall hanging that was 12 paint sticks tall, drawing a message on one of the sticks with a Sharpie, cutting out a cute shamrock, and more) but it finally came together when my husband and I played around with the supplies that I had on hand.

Here’s what you need to get started (most of these supplies were things we had on hand. PS – I used Amazon affiliate links to link to some of the products below):

1′ x 12′ paint sticks (I used 8 in my finished project, but you can make your sign any size)
Green acrylic paint – I mixed colors (see my notes in the post)
Paint brush (I used a foam sponge brush
Twine (I used two 25′ pieces of twine)
Wooden craft letters: L-U-C-K-Y
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Fine sand paper

Note: It’s important for the design of this project that you use paint stirrers that have the groove on one side (kind of like a handle). The alternating groove helps the twine have somewhere to rest and hold it all together.

Ready to see how you go from this….

…to the finished craft? Continue reading to see the step-by-step instructions (including printable instructions):

DIY Wood Shamrock Magnets

Lolli — Tue, 10 Mar 2015 17:21:39 +0000

I’ve got another Craft by Lisa to share, and it’s perfect timing! This quick St. Patrick’s Day craft is easy to put together to give away as a gift for a friend or to add a little St. Patrick’s Day charm to the fridge this week.

The steps are easy, and all you need are a few simple and inexpensive supplies: a small block of wood, printed paper, mod podge, a magnet, and then supplies like a pencil, a pair of scissors, a sponge brush, and a hot glue gun. I was excited that I already had everything I needed to make a set myself.

Ready to get started? Lisa has put together simple step-by-step visual instructions to make it as easy as possible!

How to make a Shamrock Magnet for St. Patrick’s Day:

While the mod podge is drying, get another set of 3 hearts ready (same size as the first set, but in a contrasting paper).

And that’s it! Now go get crafty and have fun making Shamrock magnets for St. Patrick’s Day!

DIY St. Patrick’s Day Tissue Box Make-Over

Lolli — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 16:59:24 +0000

I wish we didn’t need to use so many tissues this time of year…but it’s March and tissues just seem to be a fact of life right now. My resident crafter, Lisa, came up with the cutest way to make that boring tissue box a little more fun for St. Patrick’s Day with this quick tissue box make-over.

All you need are paper, glue, and a few embellishments. Feel free to show off your box and share some tissues…but keep those germs to yourself!

Here are the step-by-step instructions for making your own embellished tissue box for St. Patrick’s Day. Of course, you can decorate your tissues for any holiday or any decor based on these instructions. Have fun with it and make it your own!

Supplies used:

Tissue box
Brown paper
Glue sticks
Buttons
Burlap
Hot Glue
Twine
Miscellaneous paper embellishments

How to make-over a tissue box for St. Patrick’s Day

One more little tip: If you love your tissue box but end up emptying the box too fast (hey…when your nosy is runny, what can you do?), you can carefully open the decorated box back up and insert a fresh stock of tissues from another box, seal it back up and be on your way.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed that none of us will need all of those tissues. We can hope, right?