Tips & Tricks: Super Bowl Foods

Can you believe that January is already half over? It has really flown by!

We are on the 3rd Tips & Tricks Linky Party of the year and this weeks theme is Super Bowl Foods! 

Last week's most pinned links were:

Emily at My Love For Words has some great ideas for getting your kitchen organized.

Yummy looking Paleo Chicken Noodle Soup from Kathy's Cluttered Mind

This week, share with us you ideas for your favorite football food and what goes over big with a large crowd.

Also, if you need an idea or two, here are a few amazing Pinterest boards to check out. They are loaded with some tasty looking recipes.

Follow BuzzFeed Food's board super bowl snacks on Pinterest.

Follow Real Simple's board Super Bowl Party Snacks & Recipes on Pinterest.


Also, don't forget to check out your fellow partiers, they may have that perfect recipe that you've been looking for!

Look ahead to upcoming parties and plan your link-ups accordingly.  Of course, if you don't have a project for a particular category, no worries, link to the Anything Goes section.

As always, be sure to follow each of your hosts on your platform of choice! 

Stringtown Home

Facebook/Bloglovin’/Twitter/Pinterest

Like Gramma’s House

Facebook/Bloglovin’/Pinterest

Fearlessly Creative Mammas

Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Bloglovin’

Kraft Mint

Pinterest/Facebook/Bloglovin’

Stl Motherhood

Twitter/Facebook/Pinterest/Instagram

A Fresh Start on a Budget

Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Bloglovin’

Gina’s Craft Corner

Facebook/Twitter/Google+/Pinterest/Bloglovin’

Controlling Craziness

Twitter/Facebook/Pinterest

Be Simply Better

Facebook/LinkedIn/Twitter/Pinterest

Trip Worth Taking

Facebook/Pinterest/Twitter

A Daily Dose of Del Signore

Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Google+/Bloglovin’/Instagram

Krysta Steen

Facebook/Pinterest/Instagram/Twitter

A Hooah's Housewife
Facebook/Bloglovin'/Pinterest

Now, get linking!

Tips & Tricks: Favorite 2013 Posts

Are you ready for a brand new line up of Tips & Tricks Linky Parties?

We have some great ones lined up and I know you won't want to miss out on a single one. 

With 13 blogs participating, you'll get plenty of exposure.  Tell your friends and please share your links on your preferred social media platform.

This week, we are looking for your Favorite Posts of 2013! Isn't that fun! Any post you had that got you a lot of traffic, or one that you loved but maybe needs a little lovin', link it up below.  But, no worries, if you want to link up anything else, there is always the Anything Goes section, too. 

Last week’s most pinned post was:

Crafty Journal’s post titled, “Turn Old Christmas Cards into New Treasures”

Every link is pinned to Pinterest (you can see last week’s board, here) and shared on a random social media site by one or several of our cohosts.  Rest easy – you’re getting lots of attention from linking to Tips & Tricks!

So, be sure to follow your cohosts, so that you don’t miss your shout out!

Stringtown Home

Facebook/Bloglovin’/Twitter/Pinterest

Prairie Girl to Southern Belle

Facebook/Instagram/Bloglovin’/Pinterest

Like Gramma’s House

Facebook/Bloglovin’/Pinterest

Fearlessly Creative Mammas

Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Bloglovin’

Kraft Mint

Pinterest/Facebook/Bloglovin’

Stl Motherhood

Twitter/Facebook/Pinterest/Instagram

A Fresh Start on a Budget

Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Bloglovin’

Gina’s Craft Corner

Facebook/Twitter/Google+/Pinterest/Bloglovin’

Controlling Craziness

Twitter/Facebook/Pinterest

Be Simply Better

Facebook/LinkedIn/Twitter/Pinterest

Trip Worth Taking

Facebook/Pinterest/Twitter

A Daily Dose of Del Signore

Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Google+/Bloglovin’/Instagram

Krysta Steen

Facebook/Pinterest/Instagram/Twitter

Anything Goes:

New Year-New Focus

I can't believe it's already 2014.  Where did the holidays go?

You may have noticed that there haven't been any posts in a couple of weeks. Did you? Well, I took a technology break for the weeks of Christmas and New Year's. I did read some books on my Kindle, but I don't really count that.  I was just reading, after all. I think I plowed through 3 books. It was awesomesauce.

We took in a couple of movies with the little guy, too.  Walking with Dinosaurs and The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty, both of them were so good.  I highly recommend them.

And, of course, there were all of the holiday festivities. Visiting family and opening huge mounds of gifts.

Everyone was happy with their swag that they got. I especially love watching the boys faces as they open their gifts.

I really raked in the goodies, as well.  I got some things for the house, and I'll show those things off later on. But, the absolute best gift I received was a brand new dining room table built just for me by my amazing husband.

Pine Dining Table with Weathered Gray Stain

I can't even tell you how much I love it.  Well, maybe I can.  I love it. A lot. Right now there are the same 6 chairs around the table, but this weekend there will be 8.  I have two more of the same chairs that have been waiting patiently in the garage until they were called up.  I felt so sorry for them. Just hanging out in the cold garage. Poor things.

Here is the dining room before:

{Note that these pics are unedited}

These were right after we completed the kitchen renovation.  In the top pic, we didn't even have 6 chairs finished, yet. Notice in the bottom two photos that the table legs are right in front of the chair? Yea. That made for a comfy seat for a meal. NOT.  

I did move the green bench that was in front of the window in the dining room.  We needed just a tad more room for comfort. 

I will be updating the photos on the Our Home page, soon, so stay tuned. 

Also, during the month of December and the Christmas break, I started making some "lifestyle" changes for my health.  I am not an unhealthy person, but some changes did need to be made.  I have suffered with migraines all of my life, and I have an autoimmune liver condition. I have been on a lot of medication for many years, and I felt the need to change that.  Is it scary? Absolutely! 

I was able to transition off of one of my medications and I am replacing it with supplements, diet changes, better habits.  I have added Advocare products to my daily regimen, to keep me hydrated, increase intake of certain vitamins and minerals, and promote all around well being.  

I hope you'll wish me luck for success! I'll be sharing about my my migraine regimen very soon.  I know that there are many people who suffer and feel so misunderstood.  

Tomorrow is the newest installment of the Tips And Tricks Linky Party and we are hoping that you will stop by and share your favorite posts from 2013!

Electrolux Live Cooktop Challenge

This post has been sponsored by Influenster. I have been compensated by the sponsoring entity. However, all opinions are 100% my own.

I don't know about you, but I think Kelly Ripa is just too cute.  And, she really makes me want to buy Electrolux appliances when I see her in the commercials.  Seriously.

I guess I'm thinking that I can be that cute, too. 

Ha!

There is a chance to WIN an Electrolux cooktop, though.

Next Wednesday, November 6th, at 1 PM EST someone will win one just by tuning in to watch and participate in the Electrolux Live Cooktop Challenge livestream on Food52.com.

Totally awesome, if you ask me. 

You can tune in and see celebrity chefs and learn a thing or two about cooking. 

Electrolux's Induction Cooktops boil water in 90 seconds (it only takes mine about 10 minutes...) AND you get the control of a gas cooktop in an electric range. The temperature control allows you greater accuracy, especially at low temperatures. You can melt chocolate more easily and keep foods warm without continuing to cook them. 

And, they're beautiful, too.

It makes me sigh, just looking at it. 

Their electric cooktops have Flex-2-Fit elements so that the burner will fit the size of the pot, instead of having to dig in the cabinet to find a pot to fit the size of the burner. Nice.

Also, if you notice in the above photo that there are no knobs. The burners have a Glide-2-Set control panel so you can just slide the temp up or down with the touch of a finger. The smooth surface makes cleanup a breeze. (Wish mine was a smooth top!)

I know you would love to have one as much as I would! 

So, don't miss out on the opportunity to win one! 

Remember to tune in to to the Electrolux Live Cooktop Challenge on November 6th at 1:00 PM EST (12:00 PM Central) to see your favorite celebrity chefs, get some great cooking tips and ideas and enter for the chance to win!

DIY: Utensil Artwork

Have your kids started school? Mine started today and we had a great morning!

I made homemade blueberry muffins last night and they started their day with a good breakfast, and it all went as smoothly as it possibly could.  

My 2nd grader is growing up, and I realized it when he didn't want to hold my hand when we walked in to the school.  **sad face**

He didn't want to hurt Mom's feelings, so he was going to do it, but then I told him it would be okay if he didn't want his friends to see him. He was slightly relieved!

My 9th grader started last week and has already had a ton of homework! And, has a test this week and a project already assigned.  He definitely hit the ground running!

I know that the 7th grader will have a great first day, as well.  Nothing really ruffles his feathers too much.

 About a week ago, I got the itch to add some artwork to the breakfast area, but didn't want to spend any money. I went out to the garage and found two boards that I had purchased at Lowe's for another project that never happened. (!) I racked my brain for about a minute and got busy.

Here's what I came up with:

DIY Utensil Artwork

It was so easy!

1. I started by painting the boards white with a paint and primer combo I had on hand. 

2. Then, I found two sets of utensils on The Graphics Fairy: {HERE and HERE}

3. I resized the images on the computer to the size that I wanted then I traced over the image with a pencil.  

4. Once I had the images traced, I laid them out on my board and rubbed the pencil lines onto the board.

5. When that was done, I used a black permanent marker to trace out and fill in the rubbed on image. 

6. Lastly, I slapped some paint over the image in yellow and aqua; sanded off some paint, and voila!

So simple and quick, and it really adds a lot to the look of the breakfast area.  

I am still going to create one more thing to go over the window to really finish off the look.

I have always struggled with decorating around these windows because of the angles on each side of the middle one, but this looks great.

Do you get spur of the moment creative sparks? Do you love to create on the fly? What have you created out of nothing?

Linking up:

Shabby Creek Cottage 

House of Hepworths 

The 36th Avenue 

Design, Dining, and Diapers 

Funky Junk Interiors 

Tatertots and Jello 

Six Sisters Stuff 

Skip To My Lou 

Craft-O-Maniac 

That's What Che Said 

The DIY Showoff 

Under The Table And Dreaming 

Flamingo Toes 

Thrifty Decor Chick 

SNAP! Show & Tell 

Someday Crafts 

Somewhat Simple 

Todays Creative
 Home Stories AtoZ 

The Owl's Skull 

The "PIN IT" Party @ Creative Geekery 

The Girl Creative Weekly Creative Inspiration 

Serenity Now 

The Best Blog Recipes
Live Laugh Rowe
Lolly Jane

Chef In Training

Sweet Potato Quesadillas, A Recipe

I want to share a delish recipe with you today! 

Sweet Potato Quesadillas

Ingredients for Sweet Potato Quesdillas

O.M.G! These are awesome. 

Especially if you like a little sweet and spice together.  

And, they are super easy to make.

Here is what you need:

2-3 medium sweet potatoes

tortillas

shredded cheese (I prefer Colby Jack, but Cheddar will work just fine)

1 Avocado

1/2 an onion chopped

Olive oil or Vegetable oil for sautéing

Red Pepper Jelly for serving

Sweet Potatoes and Onions

Prepare your skillet and oil by heating to medium high while you peel and slice your sweet potatoes very thinly.

Start the potatoes sautéing while you slice and chop the onion, then add it when chopped.

While they cook, chop the avocado.

Make sure to turn the potatoes and onions so that they brown evenly. 

When the potatoes are soft and are just starting to brown evenly, they are done.

Remove them from the heat and transfer the mixture to a dish lined with paper towels to drain.

Use a paper towel to remove excess oil from the pan. Lower the heat to medium.

Sweet Potato Quesadillas

Lay a tortilla on the pan and on one half, layer the potato mixture, chopped avocado, and shredded cheese.

Fold the other half of the tortilla over to close. 

Flip to brown on both sides.

Sweet Potato Quesadillas

Serve with a salad and it will make a great summer supper!

Don't forget the Red Pepper Jelly! It is the perfect addition to this delicious meal.

Enjoy!

Linking up!
Shabby Creek Cottage House of Hepworths The 36th Avenue Design, Dining, and Diapers Funky Junk Interiors Tatertots and Jello Six Sisters Stuff Skip To My Lou Craft-O-Maniac That's What Che Said The DIY Showoff Under The Table And Dreaming Flamingo Toes Thrifty Decor Chick 
SNAP! Show & Tell Someday Crafts Somewhat Simple Todays Creative Home Stories AtoZ The Owl's Skull The "PIN IT" Party @ Creative Geekery The Girl Creative Weekly Creative Inspiration Serenity Now The Best Blog Recipes

Stress Less and Live More

We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. Psalm 39:6

As you know, one of the reasons that I started this blog was to share about our changing lives and

priorities.  In that journey, I have learned a few things about what makes me feel stress and how to manage it in a better way. I will be starting a regular feature here about how to live with less stress, or rather, how to keep from creating more stress in your life. 

Don't get me wrong! I have plenty of stress and often let it get the best of me, but I am much more aware of what stresses me and how I can turn it down. And, you want to know what my secret is?

Organizing.

There, I said it. That word that is popping up all over the blogosphere with more speed than a teenager's acne.

This House Is Our Home-Kitchen

Ok, so once school started this year, I needed a project.  Yes, I know, a year like we had and I want a project?? I needed change. I needed to make something new. So, we went big and decided to remodel our kitchen.  WHAT?!?!

It was just a mini remodel.  We didn’t replace any appliances and didn’t change the arrangement at all.  We didn’t even have to re-do our flooring.  

I know you’re wondering, so what DID you do?

We took down a wall. This was pretty much a DIY sitch, and we took down a wall.

Here is a before:

 

There was a whole lotta country going on in this kitchen!