Food Fun Family

Cinnamon Pecan Crunch Cheese Log

Lolli — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 13:00:44 +0000

This post and cinnamon pecan crunch cheese log recipe is sponsored by Target. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Years ago, I was making plans for Thanksgiving dinner (I cook for 3 days straight to get ready for the holiday. I love Thanksgiving foods!) and I asked my family what dishes they wanted me to make. With so many delicious food options, I wanted to make sure that I made the recipes that each of my family members were craving. I was expecting requests for pies and turkey and side dishes, but I discovered that one of the most anticipated Thanksgiving recipes was my simple cheese log.

I was inspired during a recent Target run to try a sweet, cinnamon-infused version of our family’s favorite Thanksgiving appetizer. I found a few Archer Farms products that I knew would be the perfect compliment to a sweet cheese dip. What’s better is that this cheese log comes together in just a few minutes with 4 simple ingredients. With all of the cooking I have to do during the holidays, I really appreciate finding delicious recipes that don’t take much time out of my busy prep day.

The cheese log tastes incredible with Archer Farms cinnamon caramel apple pita chips, cinnamon and sugar sweet potato corn tortilla chips, or cranberry pumpkin crisps (my favorite were the pita chips). Or spread a little bit of cheese log on a slice of apple. Yum!

Cinnamon Pecan Crunch Cheese Log

See how simple this sweet cheese log is to make:

4.8 from 4 reviews

Cinnamon Pecan Crunch Cheese Log

Author: Lolli

Recipe type: Appetiser

Ingredients

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon cinnamon
⅓ cup crushed cinnamon glazed pecans

Instructions

Set cheeses out until they are room temperature and then mix cheeses and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
Spread crushed pecans on a large plate or cutting board.
Shape cheese into a log or ball and roll in pecans until covered. Wrap in foil and refrigerate for several hours.
Serve with pita chips or crackers.

Target has everything you need to make this the best Thanksgiving ever – from Butterball turkeys to side dish ingredients to home décor and kitchen supplies. Check out these delicious and easy recipe ideas for Thanksgiving from Target:

Save at Target this Thanksgiving:

During the week of November 15-21, shoppers will get a $10 Target GiftCard® with a $50 grocery purchase when they use the coupon below. Get the coupon by:
Text “FOOD” to TARGET (827438) Note: Message and data rates may apply. 1 message per request. See Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
Click this link (works best on desktop)

What’s your Target Run?

Tips For Packing School Lunches That Kids and Moms Will Love

Lolli — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 15:23:06 +0000

This post is sponsored by Target. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ahh. Back-to-school season. For moms like me, it’s a bit of a mixed blessing. When I have all of my kids at home all day, every day, it can be a little…how do I say it? It can be busy in our little town home. There are seven of us, after all. By the time we reach the end of August, I’m ready to have a few moments of peace and quiet to work or read or run errands alone or even clean. And the kids are eager to get back to their friends and their routine. We all thrive on routine.

But as much as we do love back-to-school season, it has its drawbacks, too. I miss the kids when they’re gone, not only at school all day, but then again in the afternoon for team practices, too. And the start of a new school year brings some added responsibilities, too – like waking up early, getting to bed early so we CAN wake up early, completing homework each night (or helping kids get through their homework in my case), etc. And then there’s the challenge of school lunches.

I’ve never been a bento-kind-of-mom. I’m all for simple sandwiches and boxes of snacks that make morning a little easier on all of us. Can you imagine making 5 bento-worthy lunches each morning? I’d rather not.

In the last 12 months, I’ve noticed something happening with my kids. As they’ve gotten older, they’ve automatically shifted toward wanting healthier options in their lunches, so I’ve tried to shift my habits on how I shop for their school lunches, too. As our needs and preferences have changed, I’ve noticed a few things that have helped us make better choices for lunches on the go.

Tips for Packing School Lunches that Kids and Moms Will Love

Healthy lunches don’t have to be fancy. Choose whole, real foods like raw veggies and real fruits. Cut them up the night before or in the morning for a great lunch side.
When you buy snack foods, check the labels. Look for products that don’t have high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and flavors, or trans fats. Pick foods that are high in fiber and Omega-3s. (see my note below about Simply Balanced products!)
Buy in bulk. Instead of buying everything pre-packaged in convenient serving sizes, buy large packages and proportion servings in baggies or reusable containers for lunches.
Bring left-overs. This is my kids’ new favorite thing. For example, I’ve been making large batches of rice dishes for the kids to take to school instead of a sandwich.
Make a well-rounded lunch. Some of my kids would choose to eat all fruits for lunch. Others might opt for all sweets. I try to monitor what they pack so that they’re getting a little bit of everything – a veggie, some grains, a fruit, etc.

What Is Simply Balanced?

Simply Balanced products are available at Target and are free of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives. They also don’t contain added trans fats or high fructose corn syrup.

What DO they contain? Many Simply Balanced products have the good stuff we’re looking for to provide our kids with the nutritional benefits they need, such as whole grains, fiber, Omega-3s or a serving of fruits and vegetables. See more details about what Simply Balanced products do and don’t contain here.

Simply put, Simply Balanced products are a perfect solution for better for you school lunches and after school snacks. They’ve got the flavors and the tastes that kids are craving, but the nutrition that moms are looking for.

We stocked up on Simply Balanced Chocolate Chip Granola Bar, SB Apple Berry Granola Bars, Blueberry Fruit Grain Bars, Organic Thompson Raisins 6pk, and organic fruit punch juice boxes. It was the perfect back to school week stock up trip to Target!

Note: Select Simply Balanced items will be 30% off using Target’s Cartwheel App during the week of Sept 13-19. You can learn more about Cartwheel here. Who doesn’t love getting a great deal on great food?

What’s your #TargetRun?

Crispy Treat Ice Cream Sandwiches

Lolli — Thu, 20 Aug 2015 13:00:12 +0000

This recipe for crispy treat ice cream sandwiches (perfect for summer evenings!) is sponsored by Target, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Last month, I shared a recipe for 15-minute grilled kabobs and mentioned that grilled foods were made for summer—and summer was made for grilled foods. But what about after-dinner desserts? If ever there was a dessert that was made for summertime, it was ice cream.

We are big fans of ice cream at our house, whether it’s homemade or store-bought, plain or topped with chocolate or caramel, cookies or candies. And this month, as the temperatures have gotten hotter (and have stayed hotter well past dinnertime) I’ve had more requests from family members to pick up some ice cream when I’m at the store.

This week, I grabbed a few of my kids to make a quick run to Target for a few essentials, as well as some ingredients for a special after-dinner treat. The kids had a blast brainstorming with me to find the perfect combination of ingredients for our treats.

I had been craving ice cream sandwiches ever since my husband and I were at a Toby Keith concert the previous weekend (there’s a vendor at the concert venue who sells the most amazing ice cream sandwiches) so I thought it would be fun to make some ice cream sandwiches of our own.

The kids and I set out to find the perfect cookies to sandwich ice cream in between. We scoured the cookie aisle, but I had a feeling that what we wanted would be from the bakery. We found ideal chocolate-chunk cookies (perfect size, perfectly chewy), but when I spotted the crispy-rice treats on the shelf above the cookies, I knew they were the perfect match.

We took our ingredients home and set about building our ice cream sandwiches so we could stick them in the freezer to be ready just in time for dessert. They were so easy to make and everyone LOVED them.

Yum

Crispy Treat Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients

8 Market Pantry Confetti Crispy Bars
Ice cream (4 heaping scoops)
Rainbow sprinkles
Wax paper
Plastic wrap

Instructions

Set ice cream on the counter to soften.
Gently roll out crispy treats between 2 pieces of wax paper so each piece is about ½-inch thick. Mine rolled out pretty easily, but if yours are hard to flatten, try heating them in the microwave on medium heat for a few seconds.
Place 4 crispy treats on a flat surface that can be placed in the freezer (I used a square baking dish).
Scoop ice cream on top of each of the 4 crispy treats and carefully spread to cover the whole treat. Top with the 4 remaining crispy treats and press gently so the ice cream is even.
Freeze for about an hour.
Remove crispy treat ice cream sandwiches from the freezer. Generously cover a plate with rainbow sprinkles and dip each side of the ice cream sandwiches in sprinkles. Wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap and return to the freezer immediately.
Freeze for another 1 to 3 hours, until ice cream is firm.

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I told my kids to enjoy their ice cream sandwiches outside—summer nights, messy faces, happy kids!

Here are the visual instructions so you can see just how easy these are:

Roll out crispy treats to flatten them:

Top 4 crispy treats with slightly softened ice cream:

Spread ice cream over the crispy treats:

Top with the remaining 4 crispy treats:

After freezing for at least an hour, dip sides of each ice cream sandwich in sprinkles:

Wrap in plastic wrap and re-freeze.

Note: Take my advice and don’t try to make these when your air conditioning is off.

Two things I learned: Be generous with the amount of ice cream you scoop onto each crispy treat. We wanted ours to be a little more full. Also be generous with the amount of time you keep your ice cream sandwiches in the freezer. We were anxious to eat ours as soon as they were put together, but they were really melty. Patience pays off with these treats!

What are your favorite summertime desserts? Homemade ice cream sandwiches are topping my list this year!

What’s your #TargetRun?

15-Minute Grilled Kabobs

Lolli — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 10:00:46 +0000

I’m so glad you’re here!

This recipe for easy 15-minute grilled kabobs is sponsored by Target but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m convinced that summer was made for grilling. Or grilling was made for summer. Whichever way you look at it, there’s nothing more perfect for a summer dinner than meats and veggies cooked on the grill.

This past month has been filled with road trips and lots of time hanging out with family. When we’re on the go all day long during the summer (who am I joking? We’re on the go all year long!), the last thing I want to do is spend precious together-time grocery shopping and cooking a complicated meal. With more mouths to feed, there’s an even greater need to find quick and easy dinners to make.

After a long day of hiking recently, I needed something easy to whip up for dinner. I had an idea, made a quick Target run to grab a few fresh ingredients, and dinner was on the table in a flash. I love that Target is filled with everything I need – from fresh vegetables to chicken and hot dogs to skewers for our kabobs – and I can find my way around the store, whether I’m shopping in Maryland or Utah or anywhere in between.

Our 15-minute kabobs on the grill could not have been a more perfect fit for a night when we were tired and hungry. All it took was cutting ingredients up into bite-sized chunks, adding them to a skewer, and throwing them on the hot grill.

Possibly one of the best things about this easy dinner is that it is easy to customize each skewer for each person of the family. If someone doesn’t like mushrooms, then you simply leave it off their skewers. Next time, I’m going to have everyone put together their own skewers.

Are you convinced yet? You NEED this recipe! Here it is…

Bridal Registry One Stop #TargetWedding

Annie — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 13:00:27 +0000

Note: This post and giveaway is sponsored by Target, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Target.

Eight years ago, I married my true love, Josh. And this year, my little sister is getting married to hers. And while her and I are totally different in almost every single way possible, we agree on one thing – Target is one of the best places to compile a bridal registry.

I remember that feeling of giddiness as I held the barcode scanner in my hand and strolled the aisles of possibilities with Josh. He pointed to a Kitchen Aid mixer and I paused, unsure of the need for one. (I was a naive 20 year old, I have since realized the error in my thinking). I wanted to create a beautifully decorated home with cute wall hangings, clocks, and coordinating linens. My husband, however, was more practical. Slow cookers, stand mixers, coffee pots and new dinner ware sets were on his list. Together we combined to create a dynamic couple – me the dreamer, him the realist. Target provided every item on both our lists from the beautiful to the necessary.

My little sister is the opposite of me. She is one of the most practical people I know! She is also quite the Type A personality. She enjoys registering for her wedding at Target because it is easy to shop at for every guest, it has everything she needs and it is simple to do!

Did you register at Target for your wedding?

How would you like to win a $25 Target Gift Card? Well, here you go!

Enter to win a $25 Target Gift card

Target has been so kind to offer one Better in Bulk reader a $25 gift card (and you don’t have to be planning a wedding any time soon, either!). All you have to do to enter is to visit the Target Wedding Catalog and tell me what gift you would love to give at your next bridal shower.

Enter on the Rafflecopter form below before 2/24/14 at midnight, when a giveaway winner will be chosen at random and notified via email. Good luck!

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From Bridal Shower to Rehersal Dinner #TargetWedding

Lolli — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 17:03:58 +0000

Note: This post and giveaway is sponsored by Target, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

It’s been a little while since I was the one planning my own wedding, but as a photographer I’ve been invited to have a special view of several couple’s big days. And I love it.

Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Target.

So much goes in to a wedding beyond the cake and the flowers and the “I do’s” – from the bridal shower to the rehearsal dinner. I am particularly fond of engagement pictures (they may, in fact, be my favorite type of photo shoot to do!) because of the soon-to-be-married couple’s excitement and eagerness…and willingness to be gushy and smiley in front of a camera for so long. There is almost always one half of the couple that is more comfortable in front of the camera and one half that wishes the photo shoot would be over more quickly. But it’s always a happy time.

Beyond the engagement pictures, my favorite pre-wedding function (that involves more than just me and the happy couple) is the bridal shower…and my favorite part of the bridal shower (except, maybe for the treats, of course) is the re-telling of the engagement story.

Don’t you love hearing the first-hand account of how a couple got engaged?

Every couple is unique, and every story is different.

And, inevitably, a few more stories are shared, because no one can resist a little love-story sharing.

I hate to admit that I am much closer to my own daughters’ weddings and bridal showers than I am to my own way back in 1995. As I think about what I would like to do (someday…not too soon!) for my daughters’ bridal showers, I realize that although they are each so unique, Target has the perfect gifts and supplies to make their wedding preparations perfect. I’ll definitely be taking them to Target to set up a Target Wedding Registry as soon as they’ve got dates set.

For daughter #1, who is very practical, I would get her started with a must-have set of Calphalon pots and pans.

Daughter #2 has been an expert baker for years, and would love her very own KitchenAid Mixer…in her favorite color – Green!

Daughter #3 is already following in her mom’s foot steps as a blogger and photographer, so the perfect bridal shower gift for her would be a brand new Panasonic Lumix camera.

Check out the Target Wedding Catalog for all of the incredible wedding products that are perfect for bridal shower gifts, weddings gifts….or gifts for someone who has been married for 18 1/2 years already and needs some freshening up around the house.

Enter to win a $25 Target Gift card

Enter on the Rafflecopter form below before 11/20/13 at midnight, when a giveaway winner will be chosen at random and notified via email. Good luck!

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I Heart Pampers and Target Baby Gift Pack Giveaway {$95 Value}

Lolli — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 19:00:50 +0000

Note: P&G gave me the product sample seen below (the giveaway prize) in exchange for hosting this giveaway, but all thoughts are my own.

As a mother of five kids, each born about 2 years apart, I estimate that I’ve changed enough diapers to qualify me for sainthood. As much as diaper duty was not my favorite thing about being a young mom, I was and still am endlessly grateful for Pampers. They made my life SO much easier!

{It’s hard to believe that my babies have gotten so big! The baby days seem like yesterday!}

When I was a brand new mom, I had no idea where to start, and one of the first things I asked my friends for advice on was what diapers I should buy. Almost without fail, they told me to get Pampers if I didn’t want constant leaking. While I am *mostly* out of diapers now (we’ve still got a night-time bed wetter), I have always loved Pampers’ quality.

Exciting changes happening at Pampers!

Pampers, the world’s leading diaper brand, is celebrating some major upgrades across its entire line of diapers, training pants and wipes. These new and improved Pampers are now available at Target to make your life as a mom a little easier! Here’s what’s in store:

Pampers Swaddlers, Pampers’ softest diaper and the #1 choice of hospitals, is now available through size 5.
Pampers Cruisers are now more absorbent and offer Pampers’ best fit for all the ways babies play freely.
Pampers Baby Dry is up to three times drier than ordinary diapers* and provides up to 12 hours of overnight protection and three layers of absorbency.

Hurry – Special deals on Pampers NOW!

Now through 11/2/13, receive a free $10 Target gift card with the purchase of 2 Pampers Super Packs at Target

Enter to win a Pampers Prize Pack

Pampers is giving one Better in Bulk reader this awesome baby gift pack (valued at over $95) that includes:

$50 Target Gift Card
Pampers Wipes (56ct)
aden + anais for Target Zooaroo Swaddle Wraps (4pk)
Skip Hop Zoo Malamine Kids & Toddler Tableware Set

Enter on the Rafflecopter form below before midnight 11/11/13. A winner will be chosen at random and notified via email. Residents of the US only are eligible. Good luck!

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One-Stop Halloween Shop #TargetHalloween

Lolli — Fri, 18 Oct 2013 10:00:45 +0000

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Target via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Target.

Halloween was easier on me as a mom when my kids were little and I could dress them up in whatever fit from the dress up clothes bin. Now that they are bigger, with opinions and ideas of their own about what they will and won’t wear, Halloween can be a little more tricky, a lot more time consuming, and harder on my wallet.

Most years, I avoid Halloween preparation as long as I can and throw whatever I can come up with together at the last minute. I can’t believe I’m admitting this to my blog readers.

This year, however, I decided to be different. Instead of waiting til the last minute to search for SOMETHING for the kids to wear, we’ve been planning ahead. My youngest two and my oldest knew exactly what they wanted to dress up as this Halloween…my two middle kids had no idea. I headed out to Target this week with my 16 year old (my best shopping assistant) with the goal to knock out at least two complete costumes in one stop.

Project: One-stop Halloween Shop!

My 10 year old daughter has been obsessed with Monster High for the last few years, so I wasn’t surprised when she wanted to dress up as Frankie Stein. She already has a Frankie Stein skirt so I set out to find tights (for her arms and legs), a black Sharpie and a wig to polish off the semi-homemade costume. I found the perfect color of tights in one of my favorite aisles at Target (near the shoes)…

I grabbed two pair in size small before heading over to the Halloween section.

KitKat, my 16 year old, immediately saw costumes that she loved, like the full-body suits in different colors or the banana costume (although she had already planned with friends to be one of the Ninja Turtles). My eyes went straight to the Monster High costumes, and it didn’t take me long before I convinced myself that buying the packaged costume would be a smart move (and so, so much easier!).

I even found a perfect Frankie wig so that we don’t have to worry about spray painting her hair on Halloween.

Just behind the Monster High costumes, I found something that I thought my picky 7th grade son might actually enjoy. I loved that the skeleton suit was simple, a fantastic price, and not TOO scary.

I threw in a skeleton hand trick or treating bag – a perfect fit for just $5 – and his costume was set.

By the end of our shopping trip, we had 4 of the 5 kids’ costumes set – one Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (a simple costume with a t-shirt and ninja mask), one Monster High student, one skeleton with a creepy-cool trick or treating hand, and one DIY outhouse. The ONLY thing I needed for our costumes that couldn’t buy at Target was a boy-sized cardboard box for our outhouse.

I plan on heading back to Target with the undecided child and let her pick a costume because Target makes it so easy.

We even threw a few candies in the shopping cart for good measure…

What are your kids being for Halloween? Have you found their costumes yet?

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Target via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Target.