Creamy Cucumber Bacon Salad #GameTimeClean #ad #cbias

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GameTimeClean #CollectiveBias

Fall is in full swing and it's time to break out the comfort food! I love making warm and hearty dinners for my family when it's chilly out. Still, sometimes it's nice to set off the rich and meaty with something cool and refreshing. That's what this Creamy Cucumber Salad is---crisp, fresh, and full of zesty flavor. Fall is also the season for game time and this salad is an excellent tailgating take along. You can make it ahead of time and it's easy to transport in a covered container.

My whole family loved this salad when I served it last night and Jamie said he was excited for lunch time today so he can enjoy some leftovers! It was super easy to prepare and clean up was simple with Viva Vantage paper towels. I tend to have really sensitive skin so lots of water irritates it. I love using paper towels during cooking because I can use them to mop up messes during the prep process and then wash the counters once at the end with soap and water. These ones are cloth-like; soft and strong and textured so they scrub well without ripping.

I found this 6-pack of Viva Vantage paper towels at Walmart in the paper products section of the grocery side. This pack is a great size for our large family. 

I love using these high-quality, super absorbent paper towels for soaking up bacon grease. After this bacon drained, I lifted the towel and the plate below was dry. I love that!

For this recipe, I removed the seeds and excess juice from the tomatoes to keep the salad from getting soggy. The towel captured all the juice, leaving me with no mess.

Creamy Cucumber Bacon Salad

3 cucumbers

2 large tomatoes

6 slices of bacon

1/2 c. mayonnaise

2 TB. horseradish mustard

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

salt & pepper, to taste

Fry the bacon and set on a paper towel to cool. Slice the cucumbers, tomatoes, and bacon into bite-sized pieces. Whisk mayo, mustard, and seasonings in a separate bowl, then mix in with the cut ingredients. Stir well and chill until you're ready to serve.

If you're looking for easy clean up from a strong paper towel, give Viva Vantage paper towels a try. What are some of your favorite tailgating and potluck dishes? Let me know in the comments below!

Super Simple Smoky BBQ Chicken Pot Pie #FullnRichFlavor #Pmedia #ad

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group®, Birds Eye®, and Farm Rich® but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #FullnRichFlavor  http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

With our busy schedules, it can sometimes seem like a deliciously flavored dinner is trumped by the quickest and easiest solution. I'm excited to share one of our family's favorite simple homemade meals, made with a couple of great products from Birds Eye and Farm Rich® Smokehouse. Whether you're strapped for time or have all afternoon to put together dinner, you'll love this smoky homemade pot pie!  

I found Farm Rich® Smokehouse Dry Rub Smoked Chicken and Birds Eye Barbecue Sweet Corn at Walmart in the freezer section. There are lots of flavors of both products to choose from. I love that these are already flavored for me. That's one less step and a few less ingredients I have to worry about on a busy night.

For a limited time, earn $0.75 on Birds Eye Vegetables and unlock $1.00 off one Farm Rich® Smokehouse product with Ibotta, while supplies last. If you haven’t used Ibotta, first download the app available on iOS and Android. Before you shop, be sure to unlock the rebates for both Birds Eye Vegetables and Farm Rich® Smokehouse. Then, shop! Buy the products that you’ve unlocked at major retailers. Finally, verify your purchase by scanning your barcodes and submitting a photo of your receipt!

I've been making various versions of this chicken pot pie for several years and it's always a hit. This recipe makes two pie pans but the filling freezes well. If two pies are too much for one dinner at your house, make one for now and save one for another busy week night! Just be sure to freeze only the filling portion and then continue on with the crust instructions on the night you plan to bake it.

I started by pouring my corn and peas into a bowl to partially thaw on the counter while I cooked the chicken. This ensures they're nice and hot when the pie is finished baking. If you'd like to prepare this corn as a side dish, you can steam it right in the bag in your microwave.

After the chicken was finished cooking, I mixed it in with the vegetables and some grated pepper jack cheese. Then I mixed in the soup and poured into the prepared pans. I topped it with the crust batter and let it bake.

This delicious Smoky BBQ Chicken Pot Pie is a great meal for any evening, but we especially love it on cool autumn evenings. This is comfort food at its best!

Smoky BBQ Chicken Pot Pie

Filling:

16 oz. Farm Rich® Smokehouse Dry Rub Smoked Chicken

10 oz. Birds Eye Barbecue Sweet Corn

12 oz. frozen peas

8 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese

26 oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup

Crust:

2 c. flour

3/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

2 TB melted butter

4 eggs

2 c. milk

Preheat oven to 375º. Pour the frozen corn and peas into a bowl to partially thaw on the counter. Bake the chicken according to package directions. When chicken is done, add to the bowl with the vegetables, and stir in cheese and soup. Pour mixture into two pie pans, 1 13x9 pan, or individual ramekins. In a separate bowl, mix dry crust ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into the bowl you mixed the filling in and whisk until mixed well. Add to dry ingredients, stir well, and pour on top of filling. Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes until the batter puffs up and turns golden brown.

DIY Camera Case & Purse Pouch Made From Recycled Materials #BringingInnovation #ad #cbias

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BringingInnovation #CollectiveBias

In a family with nine tech-loving children, you can imagine the batteries we go through! Recently I picked up Energizer® EcoAdvanced™batteries, a choice I've made before. I love it that I can purchase recycled batteries for my kids' electronics and know that I'm making less of a stamp on our environment. Our big family is on a mission to improve the world we live in by recycling and being creative with the resources we have. This morning, I made this cute camera pouch for my purse. It took about 10 minutes to put together and it's made entirely of materials I had around the house.

We found Energizer® EcoAdvanced™batteries at Walmart near the electronics section. These are the first batteries to be made with recycled materials. These AA and AAA batteries from Energizer® are their highest performing alkaline batteries. When we use longer lasting and reliable batteries, we use fewer batteries. This creates less waste to impact our environments.

I started the project with a french fry box, some duct tape, and scissors. 

First, I cut open the box along one side and across the bottom.

Then I cut about 1/2" off the top of the front of the box all the way to the side seam.

Then I applied the duct tape to both sides of the box. Using duct tape keeps the pouch moisture and bump resistant. I applied tape to one side, then cut off the excess before applying the second side and cutting off the excess. This made it easy to follow the outline of the box.

Finally, I taped up the side and bottom with strong clear packing tape and adhered a button and string to keep it shut.

Learn more about Energizer® EcoAdvanced™batteries here. I'd love to hear about your latest DIY project!