Get Soaked This Summer with Old Navy!

So I was one of the lucky ladies chosen by Crowdtap and Old Navy Style Council to get a free bathing suit for me and one friend. This came just in time because we are headed to the beach soon and I needed a new bathing suit! I browsed online at all the suits they had to offer and I could not wait to go shopping!

 

I really wanted to try this one on but my store did not have it.

My stores selection was not very good, unless you were looking for a bikini. I personally like to have something to cover my belly since I have had 3 kids, but they only had a handful of tankinis and one-pieces. I was a little disappointed that the one piece suits were mostly plain solid colors. I did try on several and finally found one that I liked. My best friend Crystal also found one that she liked.

These two were my favorites that I tried on, I chose the one on the left because it fit the best, I had a hard time finding one with a top that fit me well. I also really liked the color of the one on the left.

Overall we had a great experience and it was nice to have a girls day out! 

Thank you Old Navy Style Council and Crowdtap for this opportunity!

Disclaimer: I received two coupons from Crowdtap and Old Navy Style Council for free bathing suits, the opinions in this post are mine!

Madagascar 3 Party

Have you seen Madagascar 3 yet? If not are you excited to see it?

I know we are super excited and can not wait to see it, especially after having our Madagascar 3 Circus Circle's Party sponsored by Crowdtap. My kids have been begging to go see it, so hopefully we will get to go soon!

So about the party, I was one of the lucky Crowdtappers that was picked to host a Madagascar 3 Party to get ready for the release of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. For this party I received a digital party kit that included: A recipe for a Marty Zebra Cake, A Pin the Tail on Gloria game, Character mask, a face painting guide, connect the dot coloring pages, and few other activities printouts.

At our party we had a few friends over to watch the original Madagascar movie and had a few snacks. After the movie the older kids played the Madagascar game on our XBOX while the smaller kids colored Madagascar pictures. They all loved playing pin the tail on Gloria, her tail ended up all over the place! Overall I think the kids had a blast and they are so ready to see the new movie.

Thank you Crowdtap for this opportunity!

Fried Rice

As I promised in my Chinese Chicken and Mushrooms post I will now share my fried rice recipe, now this was my first time making fried rice. I have watched my grandma make it a few times so I just kind of did it by memory. It actually turned out really good to me, and I think Bobby had about 3 platefuls, need less to say there was none left!

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked white rice (mine was cold)

3 TBS sesame oil

1 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed)

1 small onion, chopped (really small if you are like me and don't like onions)

2 TSP minced garlic

2 eggs slightly beaten

1/4 cup soy sauce

 

  On medium high heat, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok.  Add the peas/carrots mix, onion and garlic. Stir fry until tender. Lower the heat to medium low and push the mixture off to one side, then pour your eggs on the other side of skillet and stir fry until scrambled (You could do this in a separate pan but no need to dirty more dishes). Now add the rice and mix well with all the veggies. Now add the soy sauce a little at a time and blend together well. Stir fry until thoroughly heated! 

 

You could make this a meal by adding some chopped chicken, I am planning on making it like that soon!

I will be linking up to Newlyweds Blog and Successful Together

Chinese Chicken and Mushrooms

So Bobby has been stopping by a local Chinese Food Restaurant about once a week to get Chicken and Mushrooms so I thought I would give it a try. I searched the internet for awhile and the only recipe I found that looked even close to what he had been eating was this one at blogchef.net. I changed it up a little by omitting the zucchini. I had not ever tried the Chicken and Mushrooms from the Chinese Restaurant but I had some of mine and it was really good, Bobby said it tasted a lot like the "real stuff."

Ingredients:
1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
cornstarch  (for dusting)
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 TBSP sesame oil
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tsp ground ginger
1 package fresh mushrooms (I used sliced baby bellas)

Cut chicken into 1” chunks(next time I will make smaller chunks). Lightly dust chicken with a little bit of corn starch until lightly coated. Add vegetable and sesame oil to the wok and fry chicken pieces until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add mushrooms to the wok and stir fry for a few minutes. Add soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, minced fresh garlic, and ground ginger to the wok stirring to coat and stir fry until mushrooms and are fully cooked. Return chicken pieces to the wok and coat with sauce, heat thoroughly and serve.

 I also made homemade Fried Rice and I will share that recipe later, I will definitely be making this again!


I will be linking up to Newlyweds Blog and Successful Together

Menu Plan 5/6-5/12

So I am challenging myself to do a menu each week and along with this challenge I want to try a new recipe each week, most likely something I have found on pinterest.

Sunday-Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with potato salad

Monday-Fajitas, Rice and Beans (Cristian has a game)

Tuesday-Leftovers (M.J. has a game)

Wednesday-Chicken Fried Steak, mashed potatoes, corn

Thursday-Friendship Casserole with green beans and garlic bread

Friday- Round Steak Italiano with potatoes (this is my pinterest recipe for this week) (Both boys have games)

Saturday-?

Other: I will be making Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal

 

Orgjunkie.com

Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal

I have been wanting to try Baked Oatmeal and although I had never had it before I was almost craving it(could that really happen?). So I went to Pinterest and found a few I knew I had to try like Banana Nut Baked Oatmeal and Basic Baked Oatmeal but I had all the ingredients for this Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal. 
I knew as soon as I saw that I had all the ingredients I had to make it and let me tell you something I will be making it again, heck my kids are already asking when I am going to make the "Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie Thing" again.
I followed her recipe exactly, the only thing I may change next time is to cook it in a smaller pan, in the 9X13 it came out really thin (maybe that is how it is suppose to be, remember I have never had baked oatmeal before) and it kind of crumbled, I think if it was a little bit thicker more like a bar it would be a great on the go breakfast.

Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal (Baked Peanut Butter Oatmeal)
1-1/2 Quick Cooking Oats
1/4 cup Packed Brown Sugar
1/4 cup White Sugar
3/4 cup Milk
1/4 cup Melted Butter
1 Egg
1 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9×13 pan. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and stir well. Spread in to pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.

I had some leftover Chocolate Chips from something else I had made so I mixed those in as well, you could mix in just about anything you wanted to I am sure. Here is a picture of the pan about 10 minutes after I took it out of the oven!

 I am linking up to Newlyweds Blog Recipe Linky and Successful Together's Successful Saturdays

 

Menu Plan 4/16-4/20

Monday- Fajitas, rice and beans
Tuesday- Hamburger Helper and green beans (both boys have baseball games so I needed something fast!)
Wednesday- Popcorn Shrimp, Chicken Nuggets, okra and mac and cheese
Thursday- Chicken Fried Steak, potatoes and corn
Friday- Takeout (both boys have games so we will probably get Bush's Chicken)

What is on your menu this week?

Menu Plan Monday

Monday-Spaghetti, corn and garlic bread
Tuesday- Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos Verde with rice and beans
Wednesday-Mini Meatloaves with green beans
Thursday-Crockpot Italian Chicken served on buns
Friday- Clean out the fridge day or breakfast for dinner
Saturday-Chuck E. Cheese for Marissa's Birthday
Sunday- Not sure yet!

Menu Plan 1/8-1/14 2012

When I first started menu planning, I would make my menu and stick to it but it was stressful if something came up and I did not follow the plan exactly so I decided I am going to figure out what I want to make each week and just leave it open to whatever day it seems best. So with that said here are some of the meals we will be eating this week.

Pork Steaks and Sausage with Parmesean Noodles and Green Beans
Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Chips
Ground Deer soft tacos, with Spanish rice and beans
Deer Chicken Fried Steak with mashed potatoes with gravy
Friendship Casserole (from the freezer)

Do you menu plan? If so do you stick to the days or do you just decide what you are going to do for the week? Check out more Menu Plans at I'm an Organizing Junkie