Easy Peasy Holiday Entertaining

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

A few months back, we made the decision that since our house hunt hadn't led us to the right house for us, that we would enter into the project of updating the kitchen. Originally, we were focused on getting a quote and planning to wait for spring to start the project Then, as luck would have it, the cabinets that we had selected were on a special. We decided that we should take advantage of the discount and get the cabinets. We didn't want to pay for cabinets and not install right away, so we decided to move the whole project up. We chose a start date, knowing that with a 4 week timeline, we would be without a full kitchen on Thanksgiving, but anticipating that we would be back to normal in early December.

Unfortunately, some quality issues with a cabinet, some unexpected water pipes in a wall we removed that had to be rerouted and an issue with the counter top led to an extension to our timeline. I wasn't too worried about this, other than the holidays. We had gotten rather adept at using our bar kitchen and our oven, which was operational most of the project time-frame, to keep ourselves fed. As the holidays approached, I started to worry. I rely on baking to provide gifts to the kids' teachers, my team at work, our neighbors and family. I also have various holiday parties that I attend, where I need to bring a dish to share. All of these things are more challenging without an operational kitchen.

Fortunately, I like to think outside of the box and came up with several things that I could make that provided great flavor and could be made without a kitchen.

For the holiday food day at work, I turned to my crockpot and LLOYD’S® Pulled Pork.

The product is very flavorful on it's own, but since I was planning to warm and hold in my crock-pot I added our favorite barbecue sauce. I grabbed some slider rolls on the way to the office and voila, I had a great dish to share at lunch.








For a holiday gathering with my women's club, I turned to the microwave and Hormel Snackers dips. I took a bag of tortilla chips, some sliced baguette,

two containers of the HORMEL® SNACKERS® Cheesy Bacon & Jalapeño Dip and two of the HORMEL® SNACKERS® Spinach & Artichoke Dip.







Of course, Hormel Gatherings snack trays would have been another easy solution.

With precut cheese, meat and crackers, it is ready to go and be part of your party in no time.

As for my holiday baking, I fortunately had a counter top and sink installed and reconnected in time to spend a weekend baking. I made over 30 batches of biscotti and one batch each of cut out cookies, Italian Christmas cookies, fudge and bruchtel bars.

How do you entertain at the holidays? What are your favorite snacks to take and share?


No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product samples for my family to try. I also receive thought starters, information and photos that can be used in a post.

LLOYD’S® Babyback Pork Ribs #hormel

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

We are doing a little bit of update work in the kitchen. As a result, we don't have any space to prep, but do still have use of the stove and oven. We also are relying on just our utility sink in our laundry room for clean-up. This has resulted in us having to be a little more creative with meal planning, looking for ideas that don't require much in terms of preparation or clean-up.

One night for dinner last week, we went with ribs and baked potatoes. Since we had a package of LLOYD’S® Babyback Pork Ribs, the preparation was easy.

Simply wrap the ribs in foil and bake for about an hour.

Even though you have to cook the ribs for an hour, I would say that these ribs are quick prep and best of all, you get the taste of slow cooked ribs in just about an hour.

The ribs are so tender and bones come out easily and clean.

The ribs are seasoned and you can enjoy them as is, or add your favorite barbecue sauce.

The ribs were very tender and moist. The flavor was great even without sauce. Both of the kids really enjoyed them. With about 2 pounds in the package, we had enough for the family and a little bit for leftovers. The leftovers will be repurposed for pork quesadillas, another low prep, easy and tasty meal that we can enjoy while under construction.

Have you tried making ribs at home?

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product samples for my family to try. I also receive thought starters, information and photos that can be used in a post.

"H" is for Halloween

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

I am a big fan of the fall. I enjoy cool evenings, crisp days, hayrides, bonfires, and the tastes of fall. Our schedule seems to dictate to what extent we get to enjoy all of those activities. The best part is that they are family activities that allow us to spend time simply being together.

Last weekend, the kids asked if we could make an apple pie. I had some apples that I had picked up at the orchard, as well as some that were leftover at the swim meet concession stand, so the three of us made a pie. It was the first time my son had helped make a pie. It was fun to teach him about cutting in the shortening and tossing it gently with water to give a nice flaky crust. My daughter helped measure out the flour, sugar and seasoning to add to the apples. And my son measured for the crumb topping. I got to peel the apples and told the kids how my grandma and grandpa could peel the entire apple in one continuous piece, creating a spiral of peel. I showed them that I couldn't do the full apple, but was getting close.

This weekend we are hosted a slumber party to celebrate my daughter's birthday. We did a build your own pizza bar. I made a homemade crust and set out individuals crusts for each girl. The toppings included pizza sauce, regular and mini pepperoni, two types of shredded cheese, browned sausage, and diced peppers. It was a fun time by all building their pizzas.

For Halloween, my daughter requested to be a cat. So, we headed to the store to find fur to make the tail, ears and patches. We found a black hoodie and leggings to be the foundation of the costume. We planned out the patches, the tail and ears and I did the cutting and sewing. My son was in the uncertain phase this year, so he is recycling a convict costume that we had in the basement. Historically, we have made his costume as well. Recent selections have been a baseball card, a Lego Minifigure and a vending machine. This may be the last year that we head out to trick or treat as a family. It is always a good time, catching up with others in the neighborhood. There are families that gather on a driveway with a bonfire and one year a family had a food truck that was serving sample size soups and coffee to the parents.

How will you celebrate Fall and Halloween?

“H” is for Halloween: With fall officially in full swing, Hormel Foods is introducing the "ABC's of Fall" on the Hormel Foods Recipes Pinterest page! Encourage your readers to check out new seasonal posts, and share with us their favorite fall recipes, “spooky” snack ideas, and ways they use classic fall flavors using the hashtag #ABCsofFall and #HormelFamily.

· “M” is for Mummies:

Hanging out in cemeteries isn’t the only place for these scary creatures – turns out they like pizza too! That is, in these Mini Mummy Pizzas. To make your own, top half an English muffin with pizza sauce, add Hormel® Pepperoni Minis, sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese and add two sliced black olives for eyes. Viola!

· “S” is for Spooky: Make a “Spooky Chili” this Halloween for a fun and filling time! Use Halloween-shaped cookie cutters to cut shapes out of cheese slices and place the cheese shapes over a bowl of hot Hormel® Chili with Beans. Pair it with this spooky Halloween dip

featured on the NATURAL CHOICE® Pinterest page, which uses a variety of Hormel Foods products!

· “W” is for Weekends: Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so use the whole weekend as an excuse to indulge in some of your favorite fall treats!

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product samples for my family to try. I also receive thought starters, information and photos that can be used in a post.

Rediscovering Quesadillas

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

We have a new favorite, quick and easy meal or snack at my house - Quesadillas. They are so simple to make from whatever you have on hand. I am completely surprised by families sudden enthusiasm for quesadillas. When they were little, my kids would always turn their nose up at the option of quesadillas when we went out for Mexican. The good news is that they ate Mexican food and didn't just ask for the hot dog or chicken nuggets.

Anyway, back to the quesadilla explosion. It all started one day with leftovers. We had grilled some chicken the night before and had some leftover. Most of the chicken was eaten as a topping for salad, but there was a small amount left and my husband asked for a quesadilla. We took the leftover chicken and chopped it up, placing it on one tortilla in a small skillet and then added peppers, onions and cheese and warmed it up to melt the cheese. Since that day, they have become a go to request for a leftover or grab what you want type meal.

I generally have some tortillas on hand because soft tacos are a popular go to menu option, but lately I have had to add tortillas (Chi Chi's tortillas are our go to brand) to my 'pantry' shopping and make sure that I have an extra pack on hand, so that we don't run out.

I think my favorite part is how versatile a quesadilla can be. You can chose to have no meat or whatever meat you have on hand (typically leftovers) - chicken, ground meat, sausage, pepperoni. You can use any type of cheese - cheddar, mozzarella, goat. You can add a variety of vegetables - onions, hot peppers, bell peppers, squash. You can serve it with any number of dips - sour cream, salsa, queso, ranch, pizza sauce. Essentially, you can make it your own and everyone can have their own variety with ease.

My small skillet is the perfect size to fit a soft taco shell. It's non-stick and the quesadilla only takes a few minutes to warm over a medium heat. I also like that it is easy for the kids to make their own too. It may just be a phase, but for now quesadillas are a quick, easy snack or meal option for our family.

What is your go to snack? How do you repurpose leftovers?

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product samples for my family to try. I also receive thought starters, information and photos that can be used in a post.

Dinner Planning Funk - Dinner Solved!

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

I have been stuck in a dinner planning funk. On the plus side, the family is still eating three meals a day. On the down side, at 5 pm, as I am wrapping up my work day, I have no idea what I am going to come home and prepare for the family. This is a little stressful and limiting in the sense that somethings require advance prep or at least advance defrosting.

It's times like this that I am glad that I generally have some convenience items in my pantry and a set of staples (at least to us) in my refrigerator. The other night, when the decision of what to have for dinner was still unanswered, I opened up my pantry looking for inspiration and saw that I had a jar of Herdez Mexican Cooking Sauces - Traditional Chipotle. This was all the inspiration that I needed for a quick, flavorful and balanced meal for my family.

I pulled some already grilled chicken out of the freezer, along with two slices of already cooked bacon and set it in my saute pan to warm it up. Once it was warm, I added in part of the jar of the Traditional Chipotle sauce. I grabbed a bag of shredded Mexican style cheese, a bag of salad, sour cream and a package of Chi-Chi's Flour Tortillas out of the fridge. Also, from my pantry, I grabbed some rice and a can of pinto beans and prepped both. From the garden, I had the kids grab a couple of tomatoes and an onion, which I diced up.

In a matter of about 15 minutes, I had prepared a flavorful dinner. Some ate it more like a salad or bowl, others prepared soft tacos with beans and rice on the side.

How do you handle those unplanned dinner nights? I just checked out their recipe page and I discovered a number of recipes that I could have also used for a quick meal.

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product samples for my family to try. I also receive thought starters and information that can be used in a post.

Top Your Dog - National Hot Dog Month #Hormel

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

Did you know that July is National Hot Dog Month? Not only can you celebrate all month long, but there is even a specific day dedicated to the love of hot dogs - last Thursday (July 23rd) was also National Hot Dog Day (now why do Mom's get just a day and Hot Dogs get both a day and a month?). Here are some fun facts about hot dogs to get you started:

- Americans are expected to eat at least 7 billion hot dogs this summer, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (http://www.hot-dog.org/)
- Ten percent of annual retail hot dog sales occur during July
- Sausage consumption is on the rise with sales reaching $2.5 billion in 2014

Depending on where you grew up, the way you enjoy your dog may be very different (who knew?). When I was a kid, my preferred way to eat a hot dog was very plain. I preferred it just zapped in the microwave. If it was grilled or cooked on the campfire, my primary request was that it was still mostly pink. As for toppings, ketchup was sufficient to meet my needs. As I have gotten older, my tastes have changed. After trying stadium mustard, I decided that it was my preferred 'plain' dog topping and now I skip the ketchup. But, I also like to dress it up too!

For a long time, adding some chili and cheese to it was a great way to enjoy a hot dog. Used to be that I reserved chili dog consumption to eating out, but now I know that I can simply use a can of Hormel chili (no beans variety for me) to create this flavor at home.

Then, we tried this local hot dog shop that dresses their dogs in so many varieties that I would never have considered. It was here that I found another favorite - the Greek Hot Dog. Top your hot dog with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, kalamata olives, green onion and feta cheese. It is amazing how good that combination tastes.

Of course, corn dogs were always a favorite when we were at the fair. I found a quick and easy way to prepare them at home as Corn Dog Muffins, and they are portable...perfect for taking to the kids' baseball or softball games.

Now, switch that dog up for some sausage - the standard variety or for even more range of flavor chicken sausage - and for me, at least, it opens up many additional ways to dress the sandwich. I am a big fan of topping my regular sausage with a bit of mustard and some sauerkraut. Or, topping it with some grilled onions and peppers.

I was exploring the Hormel Recipe Site and their Hot Dog Pinterest Board and found some other really interesting sounding hot dog recipes that I will have to try. How about Mac n Cheese Dogs?

Or Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs?

Hosting a cookout? Why not keep the menu simple, and the possibilities endless by setting up a toppings bar. Fire up the grill and prepare for your guests some hot dogs and some sausage (I recommend a chicken sausage to mix it up). Maybe even wrap a few in bacon for added flavor. You can go for some plain hot dog buns or get New England Style with their top split. For your toppings bar, use a variety of bowls to hold your toppings. I would include the following - ketchup, mustard, diced onions, pickle relish, Mac and Cheese, chili, shredded cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, cucumbers, kalamata olives, green onions, jalapenos, salsa, grilled peppers and onions.

What other toppings would you include on your toppings bar?


No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product samples for my family to try. I also receive thought starters and information that can be used in a post.

Dinner in a Hurry: Burrito Bowls

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

At our house, summer is punctuated with a variety of sporting events for the two kids and many times, the events overlap. The net result is that having a family dinner is increasingly more challenging, but since family dinner is something that I strongly value, I find creative ways to make it happen and to try to keep it reasonably healthy.

One thing that we have turned to this summer has been Burrito Bowls. I can prep most the night before and we can simply assemble and enjoy for dinner.

Ingredients:
Rice, prepared
Pinto and/or Black Beans, prepared
Pork, Chicken or Beef, prepared
Shredded Lettuce
Sour Cream
Shredded Cheese
Salsa - Mild, Hot, Verde

Assemble bowl, with desired ingredients, starting with the rice, the beans and the meat. Then top with the lettuce, sour cream and cheese.

Finish with desired salsas.

We love the Herdez Salsa Casera and the Herdez Salsa Verde as toppers for our bowls. They also make great dips for a side of tortilla chips. Sometimes, I even get ambitious and make some guacamole.

The last time we made bowls, I found a great product to help make the prep work even easier. I used Lloyd’s pulled pork for this. It’s this new variety I haven’t seen in store yet, but hope I do soon!

I love that it has no sauce. It makes it perfect for use in the bowls and it also allows more flexibility in my family where everyone likes their pulled pork a little different - more or less sauce, more or less spice.

What is your family's go to meal for a quick family meal during busy times?


No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product samples for my family to try. I also receive thought starters and information that can be used in a post.

Memorial Day Weekend

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

Memorial Day weekend was always a weekend of parades, picnics, the top 500 on the radio (in honor of the Indy 500) and the indicator that school would soon be out. I can remember sitting at my stereo with my fingers ready on my tape deck in hopes of catching my favorite song and recording it - of course, there was always that risk that the dj would talk over part of the song...but at least I had the song captured. It really is funny to think about now. I can remember fast forwarding and rewinding through those random radio tapes to find the right song. Then, I got a new stereo that had two tape decks and then (wow!) I could make a mix tape of the best of what I captured from the radio. That way, I could take my walkman and listen to my tape while I was out and about. Ah, but I digress...

Memorial Day has changed for me over the years. Now I can choose to buy a song or an album online and not worry about 'catching' my favorite one on the radio, besides which the radio stations I listen to featured a flashback to the 80s weekend this year. We only go to the parade if the kids are marching in it with one of their teams or scouts. We always loved to host a picnic, but with a busy baseball tournament weekend, we can't 'commit' to a time for a picnic because the schedule comes out a few days ahead for pool play and the playoff brackets aren't determined until the night before play and you play until you lose (not necessarily consecutive games, but close enough that coming home isn't always an option). And, when we are invited to a picnic, there isn't as much time to plan.

As much as I have always been a fan of homemade, there are times like this where convenience rules.

Want to bring a quick and easy main dish? Simply prep a couple packs of hot dogs in water in a standard crock pot. Prepare a can of Hormel Chili No Beans in a small crock pot (I have one of those dip warmers that works perfect). Grab a couple bags of buns and some shredded cheese. Voila! You have tasty and easy, Coney Dogs. (you can find a 'recipe' for chili dogs and more on their webpage.)

For a quick bleacher snack, grab a Hormel Gatherings Party Tray. We always bring a cooler with us to the game and the snack pack size gives us an option for a snack that is more than just chips or candy (which seems to be what my kids want to buy at the concession stand) and one that is easy to share with fellow fans. When ready to enjoy and share, open the crackers, cheese and pepperoni and place into the tray and serve. You can even keep the lid in place to help prevent the baseball field from becoming part of your snack - have you seen the amount of dust that the kids kick up when they slide into the plate? Of course, the Hormel Gatherings Party Tray is also great for an impromptu post game gathering to celebrate too. When the kids are done playing, they are usually hungry and a quick picnic or evening gathering is a high potential.

Of course, if you have time for a traditional picnic, that doesn't mean that you want to spend your time in the kitchen prepping, so I still recommend a coney dogs and cheese trays.

We had fun at our tournament this year. We went 1-1-1 in the tournament; even though we should have done better, the boys still enjoyed it. My daughter had a soccer game and the team won. We even found time to picnic at a friend's house on Monday.

How did you spend your Memorial Day?

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product and some of the information for this post.

Easter Traditions

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

It is so hard for me to believe that it is already Easter. I have always associated Easter with the start of spring. The start of new life (and renewed life). The weather here is finally turning and I am hoping that the warmer weather is here to stay.

Holidays seem to be a time of tradition for me. When I was a kid, I can remember my grandparents taking us to an Easter egg hunt. Of course, coloring Easter eggs is a fun activity that is typically reserved to Easter. I can remember getting a new spring dress and shoes for Easter, and even on a few occasions a new hat too. Easter menus include ham and scalloped potatoes (although, I don't eat those, so I'm not sure why I would associate that) and of course, colored eggs. Easter morning always included the hunt for the Easter basket and the yummy chocolates and chocolate eggs.

We colored our Easter eggs just yesterday. The son has gotten 'too big' to color eggs, but my daughter still enjoys it. Of course, she wants to color a lot of eggs, but I am the only one that eats the hard boiled eggs, so we have to balance the desire to color with how many eggs I can eat! We enjoy using a white crayon to write a message that magically appears when the egg is colored.

The menu for Easter has evolved over the years. This year it is just the four of us at home. Of course, I can't go without ham, but since, as with eggs, I'm the only one in the house that generally eats it, I go with a small one. Fortunately for me, there is a quarter ham version of the Hormel Cure 81 Brown Sugar Boneless Ham. I place it in a covered dish with a bit of soda (instead of water) and warm it in a low oven while I prepare dinner for the family.

Here are a few tips for you that Hormel previously shared with me when it comes to ham:

Know your Numbers: When purchasing ham for a large crowd, such as Easter dinner, count the number of guests scheduled to attend. It's a good idea to get about a pound of ham for every 3-4 people. Don't forget to estimate a little extra for unexpected guests, and everyone's favorite - leftovers!"
As Simple as Heat & Serve: Hams are typically sold as a fully cooked product, so when preparing, all you need to do is heat it until the ham is hot throughout. A good gauge is when the ham reaches about 140-145 degrees. It's a simple protein solution when you are pressed for time.
A Ham for Every Occasion: In recent years, various cuts and flavors of ham have been introduced, making it a great option for entertaining or a weeknight family dinner. Hormel Cure 81 ham items are available pre-diced or pre-cubed for an easy addition to your morning omelet, or in ham steaks that are great to throw on the grill.

How do you celebrate Easter? Are there recipes that you make every spring?

Have leftovers from your Easter celebration? There are some great recipes that you can try on the Hormel Cure 81 page.

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product and some of the information for this post.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick's Day has always been a 'fun' holiday. How can it not be? There are parades, rivers are turned green, there is food, there is beverage, there are Irish jigs.

When I was a child, I went to St. Patrick's Elementary School - I had a connection from a young age. I remember wearing green and people having buttons and shirts that said "Kiss Me I'm Irish".

There are some traditions that many consider to be part of St. Patrick's Day.

• You always wear green on St. Patrick's Day.

• You always have green beer on St. Patrick's Day.

• There's always a parade on St. Patrick's Day.

• You always have corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day.

I never was a fan of beer, let alone green beer, so that is one tradition that hasn't stayed with me (although I gave it the old college try, back in my college days).

I have limited green clothes in my closet, but I make an effort to wear green.

I don't live in a community with a parade and aside from getting stuck in some parade traffic in a nearby community last year, usually don't head out to see one.

I do usually make an effort to get some Corned Beef on St. Patrick's Day. I really enjoy Corned Beef Hash and Reubens or straight-up Corned Beef sandwiches. I prefer my Corned Beef Hashed crispy, like my bacon. I think it really pulls out the flavor.

Unfortunately, I'm the only one in my family that really enjoys Corned Beef, so I am generally on my own. I've never made homemade Corned Beef Hash, but have found that the HORMEL® MARY KITCHEN® Corned Beef Hash is a great way to enjoy it at home. You can enjoy it prepared as is, by simply frying it up in a skillet, or check out one of the recipes featured on their website - Sunshine Hash or Cheesy Corned Beef both sound good to me.

Do you have St. Patrick's Day traditions? Is there a family favorite Irish dish you enjoy on St. Patrick's Day?

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product and some of the information for this post.

Getting Ready for the Big Game #Hormel

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

I love themed parties and themed dishes for those parties. Whether it is making a cake for the kids, customizing the invitations or having a party for the football game, I love the challenge of the theme.

This is one of my favorite party serving pieces, that I pull out for any football themed gathering:

I fill the middle with chips and the two ends with dips. This year, it will be tortilla chips with Wholly Guacamole on one end and a chipotle dip on the other.

This year, I also decided to dress up the cheese and pepperoni tray (I have an addiction to cheese, crackers and Hormel Turkey Pepperoni). I had seen something similar posted by a friend.

Do you theme your gatherings? Are you having/attending a party for the game?

No compensation was received for this post. Product samples and thought starters are provided by Hormel through the Hormel Extended Family Blogger program, in which I participate. All opinions are my own or that of my family.