Family Size Meals for Easy Holiday Entertaining #PlanAhead #shop #cbias

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. All opinions are honest and are my own.

With the sudden news of my husband's new job and our lightning fast move to Arkansas this month, I think it's safe to say this is going to be a holiday season like no other! However, I am hoping to have the kitchen unpacked for Thanksgiving, and Lynzie and I are looking forward to checking out NW Arkansas' Black Friday deals! 

Every holiday season, I'm reminded of the story of Mary and Martha---well, my 21st century version, anyway. While Mary's hanging out with the guests, Martha's slaving it away in the kitchen. While it's nice to cook a great meal and make lots of fun holiday treats, I also really enjoy having something to pop in the oven quick while I spend time with the important people in my life. Nestle frozen foods help make this possible with some delicious family size selections that we all enjoy.

This past week, as we've been frantically tying up loose ends and organizing the house, I've taken advantage of some of these party-sized entrees to get a hot meal on the table without having to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I bought Stouffer's Party Size Lasagna with Meat & Sauce and Stouffer's Party Size Macaroni & Cheese. We'd never tried either of these varieties before and were super impressed. Paired with a couple of sides, the lasagna was hearty and filling, and the macaroni & cheese was an excellent base for a newly-developed recipe.

I featured this Mac & Cheese Breakfast Casserole earlier this week---check it out. My kids really enjoyed it and the recipe made a lot. I'm planning on making it again for a holiday morning breakfast. It's an excellent choice for feeding a large crowd and much of it can be prepared the night before.

As for the lasagna, I served that with veggies and my garlic cheese bread. It was one of those meals that warms you up from the inside. The sauce was flavorful---and there was lots of it! 

My cheese bread is super simple to make. Just roll your bread dough into a rectangle (if you're using refrigerated dough, slice the roll down the middle but not clear through, spread it open, and roll out a bit). Then spread fresh garlic, cheese, and herbs (basil, oregano, whatever) all over it. Roll it back up and bake according to directions with the seam side down. When it's done, slice it up and enjoy!

One of the most wonderful gifts to man, in our opinion, is pizza! There are times when nothing will do but a hot, cheesy, saucy, yummy pizza. We usually buy three Digiorno Rising Crust pizzas and serve them with salad. 

I think I probably serve pizza to guests more than any other meal. It's almost expected that when there are extra family members or friends in the house, pizza is on the menu! Of course, my husband often ends up taking any leftovers to work the next day---sometimes as his breakfast!

Is there a treat more wonderful than ice cream? It's debatable. I remember having ice cream together as a family when I was growing up. My parents would wait for it to go on sale and then they'd go buy several flavors. My Dad always wanted Maple Walnut, my Mom liked Butter Pecan, and my favorite was Mint Chocolate Chip. 

Did you know that Dreyer's has a couple of new flavors out for the holidays? I absolutely love the Peppermint Wonderland, and Jamie is looking forward to trying A Very Merry Eggnog when it hits Walmart this week. Just typing out their names makes me feel festive! I like to make my own hard shell topping to drizzle on top. Just melt down some chocolate or butterscotch chips and stir in some shortening. Once it's all melted, pour on top of your ice cream and it will instantly begin hardening!

Planning ahead for the holidays can make a huge difference in how much you and your family enjoy this short and special time. I hope each one of you has a relaxing and joy-filled holiday season!

Visit Nestle for meal ideas, product information, and special offers:

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#PlanAhead

Zesty Tuna Cucumber Bites with Ocean Naturals Wild Premium Tuna #OceanNaturals #shop #cbias

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. All opinions are honest and are my own.

When I found out I'd have the chance to taste test naturally delicious Ocean Naturals Premium Tuna, I immediately started thinking about some creative ways to prepare it. Providing a healthy lunch for my family, while making sure I'm not always making the same kind of thing, can sometimes be a challenge. I think I nailed it this time, though!

Tonight I put together these delicious Zesty Tuna Cucumber Bites with Ocean Naturals Skipjack Tuna, and was really impressed with how well they turned out. My kids are going to love these for lunch tomorrow!

Zesty Tuna Cucumber Bites

6 oz. can Ocean Naturals tuna, drained
1/4 c. plain yogurt
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 TB diced pimientos
1/4 tsp. oregano
pinch of salt & pepper
1 cucumber, sliced
paprika to garnish

Mix up all ingredients except the cucumber. Scoop mixture onto cucumber slices and garnish with paprika. Chill until ready to serve.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with nutritious food choices? Families like us, who are beginning to make the switch to more healthier meals, can sometimes struggle with making the healthiest decision. I really appreciate the simplicity of Ocean Naturals' three key attributes: Good, Good for You, Good for the Planet.

I was really surprised by the quality of this tuna when I opened it up. I immediately noticed that there seemed to be more meat and less liquid than I am used to with other brands. In addition, the tuna looked fresh---and it looked like real fish! No stringy mush in this can! Ocean Naturals packages their tuna with a dash of salt, and nothing else but water or oil, to bring you healthy freshness without fillers or additives.

Not only is Ocean Naturals tuna dolphin safe, it is also harvested using responsible methods that minimize impact to natural ecosystems. I appreciate the straightforwardness of the brand's website and their willingness to explain to us what is being put into their products.

Another thing I think is neat about this brand is that I can find out where my specific tuna came from by visiting the Ocean Naturals site and entering the code on the can. Very cool!

Are you interested in trying it out for yourself? Check out the Ocean Naturals Tuna Tuesdays Facebook giveaway and enter to win a free product.

Connect with Ocean Naturals online and on Facebook to keep up with the newest products and recipes. Plus, please check out our Pinterest board for more great ideas for healthy tuna treats!

$400 Amazon Gift Card Holiday Giveaway!!

I can't tell you how excited I've been to share this giveaway with my readers! My closest blogging friends and I have teamed up to bring one of our readers the ultimate in awesome holiday giveaways!

We were trying to decide: should we giveaway something you can use? Something for the kitchen? And then we decided---how about cash!

So here it is. The very best giveaway I've done on the blog yet! I must say, to each and every one of you, I HOPE YOU WIN!!!

Giveaway runs Nov. 1st-Nov. 8th, 2013