#ad Game Day Snacks & Tyson #SuperMoments #cbias

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

Although Daddy and his kids can get pretty silly about their Football food, there's one thing they're serious about: it's important to have good snacks for the Big Game. In fact, they actually have some pretty unique food traditions for game day. For instance, it's the only time of year we eat marshmallow circus peanuts!

Since game day is coming up, we threw a little sampling party ahead of time to get a good idea about what kinds of snacks we'll want to serve. Daddy and the kids always root for the underdog---that is, unless their favorite Minnesota team is playing! We went with our favorite team's colors for decorations and a couple of our favorite brands for snacks.

When I was shopping at Walmart earlier in the week, I picked up two varieties of Tyson Any'tizers: Chicken Fries and Popcorn Chicken. Next time you're in Walmart, make sure to check for the special messaging on one of the freezer endcaps. Selected Tyson Any'tizers will be on rollback for $5.98 for a limited time. 

 I also wanted to try out the lineup of Kraft dipping sauces I'd been looking at lately. I was hoping for a bbq version, as that's what Jamie loves best with chicken.

 Luckily, I found one hiding behind these little dressing bottles! Kraft BBQ Ranch---perfect! When you go to pick up yours, be sure to check for a tag on the bottleneck and a special playbook. These will be available for a limited time on participating products.

Tyson Any'tizers are easy and tasty for a quick game day snack. Our family loves their many chicken snack varieties. It's getting to the point where I'm having to come up with some pretty smooth strategies to make sure I can score a couple bites when Tyson's in the house. Sometimes I ignore strategy all together and just fight the kids for some.

I'm a pretty strict, no-nonsense Mom, but when Daddy's home, all bets are off. He's been known to encourage the kids to play with their food...

...and he's usually right there at the center of it all.

I love Tyson brand chicken snacks because the meat inside is so tender and fresh tasting. There's a big difference in biting into a Tyson Popcorn Chicken piece verses a fast food nugget. See---it really is chicken! No penalties for mystery meat here!

After the obnoxious chicken and sauce football game outside, the boys were still in the mood for some play time. Michael and Elisha were sure that big brothers would prevail, but Liam definitely made the interception!

Once I finally tackled the challenge of getting the chicken bags back from these football fans, it was time to cook up our dinner. I like using this large stoneware bar pan to cook all the chicken and fries at once. I can load it up and bake it all at 400º for about 30 minutes and it comes out great!

This shot right here is the ultimate testimony to quality chicken snacks. Kynthia has meat in her mouth and her plate is almost empty. Notice the abundance of food on the other kids' plates? Yeah, Kynthia's the Queen of the False Start! No penalties for her either though---she's way too cute!

Although these two players' uniforms would suggest they're on opposing teams, they definitely agreed that the BBQ Ranch was an excellent match for the chicken snacks.

Jamie thought so too as he scored a tasty touchdown with this chunk of popcorn chicken.

With 11 of us in the family, it can sometimes take some serious strategizing to score a bite to eat around here. But when it comes right down to it, family, food, and fun always equal a total win!

 Speaking of wins, I think we've found a perfect new game day snack tradition! Hmm...I wonder how marshmallow circus peanuts taste with BBQ Ranch sauce?

Want more fun game day ideas? Check out our Pinterest page to see what others are doing with their game day snacks!

Visit Tyson online:

Tyson's Website
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Tyson on Facebook

and...Check out these great #SuperMoments: 

Disney FROZEN Party -- All About Kindness #FrozenFun #shop #cbias

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

One of the best ways to promote good behavior is to make a special memory while teaching an important lesson. This morning, my daughter, Avalon, and I put on a Kindness Party featuring a few Disney FROZEN toys and an important lesson from the movie.

Last night, Avalon and I headed to Walmart, and, on the way, we planned out a fun blessing party that she could put on for her siblings. Our family is really looking forward to seeing the Disney FROZEN movie when it comes out on DVD this spring, so we decided to use that theme for the party.

We knew that we wanted to incorporate gift-giving into our party, so Avalon picked out a Toddler Anna doll for herself and a Baby Anna doll for her two year old sister, Kynthia. She also found a FROZEN puzzle for three year old Liam.

There were a few other cute FROZEN items in the aisle, including dress up clothes and an Olaf toy.

After our shopping trip, we stopped off at the Subway at Walmart. It's so convenient to have one of our favorite restaurants located inside one of our favorite stores! I had heard that Subway was featuring FROZEN merchandise in their Fresh Fit Kids Meal earlier this month, but they were all sold out when we got there. Still, Avalon got a delicious and nutritious meal made up of a roast beef sandwich, apples, and chocolate milk. Neither of us could resist the Raspberry Cheesecake cookies so we bought a couple of them, as well.

After a good night's sleep, Avalon woke up bright and early and got dressed in her favorite outfit. She came in my room to tell me she was ready to wrap the gifts she'd bought her brother and sister. She decided to wrap hers as well.

After we wrapped the gifts, we headed out to the dining room to set the table pretty for the party. We'd picked out purple and blue for the party colors since they matched the colors we saw on the FROZEN toy packages.

Next, it was time to put the cake out! Avalon picked out carrot cake the night before because she liked the little frosting carrots on the top. It was a perfect choice as they look just like Olaf's carrot nose!

We printed some FROZEN color pages from the Random House website. They have several fun games and color pages featuring the FROZEN characters. It's a legitimate place to get printables for lots of your favorite movies and books.

After the table was set, it was time to call everyone in. All the brothers and sisters gathered around the table and Avalon welcomed them, explaining why she was putting on the party.

She told her siblings how we had talked about the FROZEN movie and the important lessons it teaches about putting others first and loving others. In our home, we look to the Bible for instructions for living. The Bible also teaches us to love others and put them first, as well as to treat one another with kindness. Avalon shared a verse that she learned, "Be kind to each other" from Ephesians 4:32, and all the kids said it with her. We all talked a little more about the importance of putting others first---then it was time to put that thinking into action.

Avalon started by sharing her FROZEN gifts with the two younger kids. Liam was thrilled with his puzzle and Kynthia adored her new Anna baby doll. Of course, Avalon knew what was in her present, but it was fun to unwrap it just the same. She made sure to tell us that she was going last since she had just learned to put others first!

Then, during cake time, I noticed Elisha feeding Brenna her cake. I thought it was pretty sweet that he helped her enjoy hers before he ate his.

When the girls were ready to work on their puzzles and color pages, Selah got her crayon box out and said they all could share. That was a thoughtful thing for her to do!

While the girls were coloring at one end of the table, Cainan and Elisha helped Liam put together his new puzzle. In fact, these boys helped Liam put it together several times today! Nothing like a little patience practice, right?!

Our Kindness Party turned out better than we'd planned and I was so thankful to have these fun FROZEN themed toys and activities to bless my kids with. Have you seen FROZEN the movie? I can't wait!

 Linking with:
Winsome Wednesday @ My Daily Walk in His Grace
Whole-Hearted Home Wednesdays 
Encourage One Another @ Deep Roots at Home
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Homemaking Link Up @ Raising Homemakers
Home @ Rose Chintz Cottage  
Inspire Me Wednesday @ MamaBuzz
What's Working Wednesday @ NextGen Homeschool 
What's It Wednesday @ Ivy and Elephants 
Wednesday Link up at Adorned from Above
Home Link Up at Raising Arrows
Homemaking Party @ Hope In Every Season
Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner
Thriving Thursday @ Serving Joyfully
Homeacre Hop   
Think Tank Thursday @ Saving4Six 
Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home 
Create It Thursday
Open House @ Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 
Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Inspiration Friday @ Dear Creatives
Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home
Family Fun Friday @ Happy and Blessed Home
Fit & Frugal Family Friday
Faithful Fridays

BBQ Ribs for the Homemaking Party

A few nights ago, I made these wonderfully tender BBQ ribs. Everyone LOVED them--so, I'm sharing the recipe with you!

BBQ Ribs

fresh beef or pork ribs (appropriate amount for your family)
1/4 c. liquid smoke
1-2 TB. cumin
1-2 TB. seasoning salt
salt & pepper
1 bottle bbq sauce (I like Sweet Baby Rays); size will depend on how many ribs you're cookin'!

Boil ribs in a large pot of water on a roiling boil for 3 hours. Make sure to check them now and then to add more water. After 2 hours, add liquid smoke and seasonings. After 3 hours, place ribs in a greased baking pan and pour bbq sauce over top. Bake at 350º for about 30 minutes. Yum!

Thanks for stopping by the Homemaking Party! I'd love for you to share the party with your Facebook or Google+ friends!


Linking with:
Homemaking Party @ Hope In Every Season
Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner
Thriving Thursday @ Serving Joyfully
Homeacre Hop   
Think Tank Thursday @ Saving4Six 
Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home 
Create It Thursday
Open House @ Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 
Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Make Bake Create @ Hope In Every Season
Tasty Treats @Simply Helping Him
Winsome Wednesday @ My Daily Walk in His Grace
Whole-Hearted Home Wednesdays 
Encourage One Another @ Deep Roots at Home
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Homemaking Link Up @ Raising Homemakers
Home @ Rose Chintz Cottage  
Inspire Me Wednesday @ MamaBuzz
What's Working Wednesday @ NextGen Homeschool 
What's It Wednesday @ Ivy and Elephants 
Wednesday Link up at Adorned from Above
Home Link Up at Raising Arrows

Chicken Taco Casserole: Make Bake Create Party #39

A couple weeks ago, I was playing around and came up with a super yummy and super easy recipe for Chicken Taco Casserole. It comes together in minutes, cooks in minutes, and is a warm, tummy-filling recipe for these freezing evenings!

Awhile back, some of us were chatting on my Facebook page and I asked if anyone had ideas for shredding chicken. It's always been one of my very least favorite kitchen chores. Fellow Make Bake Create host, Vanessa, suggested using the paddle blade on my KitchenAid mixer! What?!  But yeah, check out that lovely shredded chicken! It just took a couple minutes in my mixer. I just stuck all the cooked chicken pieces into my mixer bowl and turned that baby on---Wonderful! A whole new world has opened up to our family!

This Chicken Taco Casserole recipe is so super easy---and versatile too! You can make it as written and have a delicious casserole dinner, or you can skip the chips and use it to fill tortillas instead. It would even make a great hot dip!

Chicken Taco Casserole

5 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves---cooked and shredded
1/4 c. taco seasoning (make your own with my easy instructions!)
13.5 oz. can Cream of Chicken Soup
13.5 oz. can Cream of Mushroom Soup
20-24 oz. salsa
3 c. white or Colby Jack cheese, grated
11 oz. bag corn tortilla chips, crushed in bag

Crush the chips in the bag and spread over the bottom of an oiled 13x9 casserole dish. Mix the chicken, taco seasoning, soups, and salsa together and spread over top evenly. Sprinkle cheese on top, cover with foil, and bake 30 minutes at 350º. If you'd like, fresh cilantro would be an excellent garnish on this.

Welcome to the Make Bake Create Party! 5 Blogs-1 party-lots of fun and creative ideas for you!

Please follow your hosts:

Hope In Every Season | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest 

Bubbly Nature Creations | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest 

Mommy Hates Cooking | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest 

The Creative Princess | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest 

Nessa Makes | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Follow the MBC Pinboard!

Linking with:

Homemaking Party @ Hope In Every Season

Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner

Thriving Thursday @ Serving Joyfully

Homeacre Hop   

Think Tank Thursday @ Saving4Six 

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home 

Create It Thursday

Open House @ Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 

Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson

10 Healthy Southern-Style Dishes

We've only been here in Arkansas about six weeks and I'm already trying out lots of new foods we've never eaten. I'm finding that, while we are loving traditional Southern food, I'm going to either need to back off a bit or lighten up! Luckily, Pinterest came to the rescue with lots of great ideas on cooking Southern in a healthier way. Here are 10 favorites I found. Let me know if you try any of them!

This Healthy Fried Chicken recipe uses nut flours and delicious apricot preserves for a lower fat, baked version of this favorite. 

I fell in love with everything on this website, but Live Simply's Perfectly Seasoned Collard Greens looked especially delicious! 

 I can't wait to try these Sweet Potato Biscuits from Slim Pickin's Kitchen. She offers Weight Watchers points too, which is really helpful.

This one looked so good that I actually took the time to double check the nutrition info on this very awesome Oven Fried Fish recipe. Sure enough, it has significantly less fat and carbs than traditional pan fried fish. YUM!

I don't yet understand the South's obsession with Macaroni and Cheese, but I'm sure willing to find out for myself! This healthy one from Castle Blake looks quite a bit tastier than the ol' boxed stuff, doesn't it?

Southern Girl Eats Clean posted this delicious recipe for Potato Salad that sounds so fresh and yummy! Can't wait to try it out! 

I like how the author of Week of Menus points out that ribs probably aren't all that bad---it's the sides we put with them that pack on the extra calories. These directions for Ultimate BBQ Ribs sound divine! 

Our whole family has really acquired a taste for sweet potatoes this year. I'm thinking these {not really candied} Candied Yams from A Dash of Soul are going to be a new favorite. Aren't they gorgeous?

Now I'll be honest. I really don't know if I can give up my sugary Sweet Tea. But, if I do, this is the one I'll try for sure. On The Way Home put up a great alternative to the sugar sweetened tea that I grew up on. I admit, it does sound absolutely wonderful!

Lastly, I found this great lower fat recipe for Turkey Chili---and even better, it's a crockpot recipe! Yum!

What are some of your favorite Southern-Style dishes? Do you have a great, lightened-up recipe to share?

Linking with:
Foodie Friday
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Craft-o-Maniac Monday  
Motivate Me Monday 
Modest Monday @ The Modest Mom 
Living Proverbs 31
Make the Scene Monday @ Alderberry Hill 
Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy 
Masterpiece Monday @ BoogieBoard Cottage 
A Round Tuit @ Creating My Way to Success 
Monday Funday @ C.R.A.F.T. 
Marriage Monday
Making Your Home Sing Monday
A Return to Loveliness @ A Delightsome Life
Cottage Style Party @ Lavender Garden Cottage 
Teach Me Tuesday @ Growing Home
Tutorial Tuesdays with Hope Studios
Women Helping Women @ Teaching What Is Good 
(Titus 2)s Days @ Time Warp Wife
The Scoop @Stone Gable

The Homemaking Party: Happy New Year!

Welcome to the Homemaking Party!  It's a New Year full of great possibilities. Make it a good one---only you can!

$600 Cash Giveaway

Who wants some after Christmas cash? I've teamed up with a great group of bloggers this month to offer you a chance to win $600 in cash! Check out the Rafflecopter widget below and enter to win!

He Calls Me Grace // Kate the Almost Great // Raising Reagan //Notes from the Nelsens

Play Party Pin // Behind Blue Eyes // We Do Fun Here  // Sew Crafty Angel

The Chef Next Door // Lovely You // Craft Dictator  // Bohemian Bunny
Hope in Every Season // A Peek into My Paradise // Crafts a la Mode // When in Doubt, Just Add Glitter
Busy Sweet Life // Paw Prints and Paint Brushes  // Cropped Stories // A Dash of Sanity

Thinking Outside the Sandbox Family // Nap Time Creations // The Weary Chef // A Kitchen Hoor
{createinspire} // Tikkido // Mother of Imperfection // Cuddlebug Cuties // Undecided Mamas
A Pinch of Joy // The Interior Frugalista // My Full Time Fit Life

Enter the Rafflecopter form below, or click here.

Come back as many times as you would like to complete the entries. Remember, they don't all have to be done at once. The giveaway runs the whole month of January.

  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Linking with:
Craft-o-Maniac Monday  
Motivate Me Monday 
Modest Monday @ The Modest Mom 
Living Proverbs 31
Make the Scene Monday @ Alderberry Hill 
Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy 
Masterpiece Monday @ BoogieBoard Cottage 
A Round Tuit @ Creating My Way to Success 
Monday Funday @ C.R.A.F.T. 
Marriage Monday
Making Your Home Sing Monday
Women Helping Women @ Teaching What Is Good 
(Titus 2)s Days @ Time Warp Wife
The Scoop @Stone Gable

Remembering Those Who Have Inspired Us

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about hospitality. When we were in Oregon, preparing for our move to Arkansas, friends would mention that “Southern Hospitality.” I’d think, yeah, maybe in grandma’s time. Nowadays I’m sure they’re just as hospitable (or not) as the rest of us.

Boy, was I wrong!

Today, I'm at Raising Homemakers talking about one of my New Year resolutions and the act of Remembering Those Who Have Inspired Us. Please join us there today and let me know your thoughts!

Linking with:

Inspiration Friday @ Dear Creatives
Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home
Family Fun Friday @ Happy and Blessed Home
Fit & Frugal Family Friday
Faithful Fridays
Motivate Me Monday 
Modest Monday @ The Modest Mom 
Living Proverbs 31
Marriage Monday
Making Your Home Sing Monday

The Homemaking Party

Welcome to the Homemaking Party!

Hope your Christmas celebration was wonderful and full of many great memory-makers! Today has been a day of kids munching on candy canes and playing with all their new things. What a peaceful, happy life. I'm so blessed!

Miss Brenna turned ONE last Saturday! We had a happy PINK birthday for her.

I'm excited to see what everyone else has been up to. Please link up your posts and visit some others to say hello!

Linking with:
Thrifty Things Friday @ The Thrifty Groove
Inspiration Friday @ Dear Creatives
Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home
Foodie Friday @ Rattlebridge Farm 
Beverly's Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound
Family Fun Friday @ Happy and Blessed Home
Fit & Frugal Family Friday
Faithful Fridays