Southern Holiday Memories + the Best Salted Caramel Pecan Pie

Southern Holiday Memories + the Best Salted Caramel Pecan Pie

Sunday, December 24, 2017

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This post was written in partnership with Southern Kitchen.  As always, opinions are 100% honest and my own.

There is nothing like the holidays to bring back memories of your childhood.  The smells, the traditions and of course, the food.  Especially my favorite-dessert....pecan pie!

My grandmother has a pecan tree in her back yard and I remember growing up and getting excited about going over and helping her pick pecans.  We would get to crack them open, sneak a couple in my mouth and the rest would go to making some yummy, southern dessert recipes like divinity, fudge and my still to this day favorite, pecan pie.

I was able to make the trip from Florida to Texas this year to visit my family for Thanksgiving and one thing I knew, was that I was going to help my grandmother make pecan pie and this time my two little girls could join in on the fun!  It was a blast watching them help her pick pecans like I used to with her.

Watching my girls bond with their great-grandmother and love on each other was definitely the best part.  When we got ready to head back to Florida, my grandmother gave us two huge bags full of pecans to take home.  I have been backing like crazy for Christmas and decided to put a listed Southern twist on our traditional pecan pie recipe this year.

Y'all, I have made this Salted Caramel Pecan Pie THREE times already within the month.  It is delicious, gooey and full of pecans (from Texas).  You are going to love it and it's the perfect dessert if you still can't decide what to make.

One of my favorite things about baking, other than the memories, are the beautiful bake-ware that I can find.  I came across Southern Kitchen and fell in love this pie dish.  I love the white, but it comes in different colors and the handles are such a great touch.  I've really been obsessing over all of Southern Kitchen's bake-ware, but this pie dish has been my favorite so far.  I definitely thinks the Salted Caramel Pecan Pie helps ;)

Be sure to sign up for Southern Kitchen’s emails to receive special deals, recipes, entertaining tips from Southern Kitchen.  You can also use coupon code 'Welcome10' for $10 off your first purchase of $50 or more!

Merry Christmas!!

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A unique gift for Christmas that the special man in your life will love!

A unique gift for Christmas that the special man in your life will love!

Thursday, December 7, 2017

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About a year ago, I got my husband a wood watch from Jord and he absolutely loved it.  Since then he has been on the search for a dark colored watch, but hadn't been able to find one that he loved.  He's a bit watch obsessed. 

I knew how much he enjoyed his original Jord wood watch, so I was super excited to surprise him with a new dark wood watch for the holidays.  Seeing his face when I gave it to him did not disappoint.  I had no doubt that he would love it, but the anticipation is always exciting.  Of course, in natural Michael fashion, he had no trouble modeling the watch for me either.

Why your special guy will love this wood watch as much as mine does:

1. It's unique (just like him) and he will get complimented all the time.  Who doesn't love a good compliment?

2.  It goes with everything.  Seriously, my husband has been able to wear both of his watches with all of his outfits.  It's casual enough for a night out to dinner and dressy enough to wear with the right suit for work.

3.  It's lightweight.  This is one of my husband's favorite features.  It isn't heavy like other watches can be and he isn't bothered by it.

4.  It's sleek and simple.  I would consider this watch for the everyday modern man, but I love that Jord offers a unique watch for every style.

So, for Christmas this year I would definitely get the special man in your life a watch to remember.  You both won't be disappointed.  I may have a women's wood watch on my list too!

What better time to grab a Jord watch when you can get 25% off your order?!  The last day for USPS Priority Christmas shipping is December 19th, so don't wait! Click here for the discount code.

The Littlest Funk was gifted this watch in exchange for review.  As always, my posts are 100% honest and my own.
Wooden Wrist Watch

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The Perfect Snack for Holiday Gatherings

The Perfect Snack for Holiday Gatherings

Friday, December 1, 2017

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Pagoda®. The opinions and text are all mine.

I love hosting get togethers at my house during the holidays.  From Friends-giving and Favorite Things Parties to easy Asian inspired dinners, it's something that both my husband and I enjoy doing and have been doing since we starting dating almost 6 years ago.

A huge part of those gatherings are, of course, the food!  Sometimes I love going all out and making things from scratch, but sometimes I find a great deal at Publix that I just can't pass up; like these Pagoda® Vegetable Egg Rolls and Pagoda® Pork Potstickers.

Right now, Pagoda products are part of the Publix digital coupon deals and you don't want to miss out on this. 

Now, if you caught my last post, then you know that I'm doing a little something called "No Cook November" and I haven't cooked all month.  One freezer meal that I went to when having company last week was chicken fried rice.  It was the perfect meal for all of us and the Pagoda Vegetable Egg Rolls and Potstickers took our meal to another level!

The Pagoda snacks were easy to prep, which meant I could continue with my "No Cook November" plan by just putting them in the oven to warm up.  They're made with fresh-cut veggies, from-scratch wrappers, and 100% white meat chicken.  It takes just 20 minutes to go from freezer to plate.  Super easy!  They came out hot, crunchy and delicious.  Seriously, my 3 year old ate two egg rolls and the pot stickers were gone in minutes!

Made with no MSG, no certified artificial dyes, no trans fat, no PHOs, no high fructose syrup and no preservatives, I feel good about snacking on them and will definitely add them to future gatherings just for the Sweet Chili Sauce alone. So good!

You can find Pagoda products in the freezer aisle at your local Publix.  Don't forget that right now you can also get $1 off using Publix digital coupons.  You are definitely going to want to add these on your holiday grocery list this year!

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NO Cook November + what we've been up to

NO Cook November + what we've been up to

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

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These last few months have seriously flown by faster than I thought they would.  I haven't blogged (with the exception of yesterday's post) in almost a month.  The reason for that has been on purpose.  I think it's important, at least for me, to take a break from posting every now and then.  If I'm being honest, since my miscarriage in late July, I had been trying to keep us all busy.  It finally caught up with me and I needed some time to focus on other things and really find balance again with my day to day.

Part of that being spending a couple of days making some of my favorite freezer meals.  I have officially gone 14 days without cooking, with the exception of the occasional macaroni and cheese for my girls and throwing corn dogs in the oven for my daughter's 2nd birthday party last weekend.  I am calling it No Cook November and it has been amazing!  I plan on making a list of what's on our menu this month in another post soon :)

Here's what else we've been up to since my last post in October: 

My husband left out of state for work for a week, so it was fun and mostly exhausted having Mommy and Daughter(s) time.  We spent half a day at the Glazer Children's Museum in Tampa with some friends and then I came home and made a delicious vegan meal for all of us.  I'm not a vegan, but this recipe is really good.  My youngest was shoveling it in her mouth!

We had a super fun Halloween Art in the Park with my local mommy group and went to Busch Gardens.  Busch Gardens is easily becoming my girls favorite thing to do and I love that they are big enough to ride the rides.

 





 

















I got to enjoy a night out with a friend when my husband got back home.  We went to the Junior League of St. Pete's Fashion Show and had a blast!

I've been able to catch up around the house the last few weeks and really enjoy hanging out with my girls!  We even celebrated my youngest daughter's 2nd birthday last weekend a little early (I can't wait to share those details with you)!
 

Minnie Mouse & Daisy Duck-Halloween 2017

Marvel Universe Live Blog Event with She Just Glows

Charlotte's Carnival Birthday Party

Thank you to everyone who continues to read my blog and follow my little family even after we go a little MIA!

 

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5 Benefits of Elderberry Syrup + GIVEAWAY

5 Benefits of Elderberry Syrup + GIVEAWAY

Monday, November 13, 2017

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We all know it's cold and flu season, which means as a mom I am trying to do all that I can to prevent my two toddlers from getting sick.  We personally, as a family, do not get flu shots.  It's not because of religious reasons or any holistic reason.  I just think my girls are too little for them and it's not something I want to get, so I don't give it to my girls.  It's just a personal preference.  I really try to find other ways to prevent them getting sick and so far, we have been pretty successful.  

One way we are keeping our immune system up is with Williams Organic Elderberry Syrup.  My girls absolutely love this syrup and call it their "Princess Juice", which makes it much easier for them to take.  If you have boys, you could call it "Superhero Juice".  Isn't that such a fun way to make them take their "medicine"?!

Em telling Char how this turns her into a princess :)

I had never heard of Elderberry syrup before a friend in my mom's group introduced it to me.  I love that it is made with all natural and organic ingredients, so I couldn't wait to try it.

So, what is in Williams Organic Elderberry Syrup? It's filtered water, elderberries, raw vitamin C, raw local Florida honey, ginger root (not powdered), cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, peppercorns, echinacea, crushed garlic cloves, oregano, turmeric, and whole rose hips.  What's NOT in your syrup? Preservatives of any kind, additives, stabilizers, thickeners, emulsifiers, dyes or any other filler. 

Here are five benefits of Elderberry syrup and why you should give it a try too!

1. It's safe to give to children one and over.  It is made with Raw honey, which is not recommended for children under one.  However, Natasha, the owner of Williams Organic Elderberry Syrup, takes special requests and can make batches without honey.  I love small shops that care about their customers!

2. It is an anti-inflammatory and helps ease allergies.  My girls definitely take after their dad in the allergy department and although they have rarely gotten a cold, they  do get the congestion.  I have found that the Elderberry syrup has helped a lot with this!

3.  It if full of antioxidants and encourages healthy skin.  I could use all the help I can get in this department, especially with my girls who keep me running around and exhausted most days.  

4.  It is a natural diuretic.  Elderberry syrup has been shown to help regulate urination and bowel movements.  I don't know about your kids, but mine have their good days and bad days when it comes to getting enough liquids and the right nutrition.  This helps keep them on track, so I don't have to worry about constipation. 

5.  It lowers blood sugar.  The elder-flower extracts help stimulate glucose metabolism and the secretion of insulin, which lowers blood sugar.  This is great if you have high blood sugar and want to try a natural way to lower it.

I also love that you can add this syrup to smoothies, tea and even Greek yogurt!  Have you tried Elderberry syrup before?  If you have, I'd love to know what you thought in the comments!

Be sure to follow Williams Organic Elderberry Syrup's Facebook page and head to The Littlest Funk's Facebook page for the giveaway!

 **As with all supplements, vitamins, and medications it is best to check with your pediatrician or primary care provider for dosing instructions. Remember some supplements have interactions with prescription medications. **Elderberry and vitamin C can cause loose stools (diarrhea). If this happens back off the elderberry syrup and make sure to stay hydrated. 

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"Girls Night" Out with my Favorite Toddlers | Sesame Street Live

"Girls Night" Out with my Favorite Toddlers | Sesame Street Live

Monday, October 23, 2017

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This post was written in partnership with Feld Entertainment & Disney on Ice. We were provided with complimentary tickets for review. As always, opinions are 100% honest and my own.

As a stay at home mom, I spend all day, every day with my girls.  I mean, that sounds a little dramatic...I do get an occasional few hours break to myself, BUT most weeks are adventurous for us with bible study, play-dates, and indoor activities, so taking my girls out during the evening unless my husband is with us doesn't happen often.  

Friday, we had the chance to go see Sesame Street Live at the Mahaffey theater and it ended up being a fun night out, just us girls!  My husband wasn't able to make it and we weren't going to miss the show!  I was a little nervous taking my 3 year old and 23 month old by myself, but Sesame Street Live was made for them!

If you are thinking of taking your little ones to any type of show, you have to take them to Sesame Street Live.  It was a blast!  It was extremely interactive and I love that it was still educational.  They loved every minute of it!

We got to see Big Bird, Grouch, Elmo, the Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby and even Grover made an appearance.  We learned all about the letter C and Community and most importantly teamwork.  There were tons of bright colors, singing, dancing and a lot of smiles and laughter from my girls.  Emma literally fell out of her seat with excitement when Elmo showed up and she kept telling me how funny the Cookie Monster was.  Charlotte couldn't stop dancing (and eating cotton candy)!

I think our favorite part of the show was getting to have a "snowball" fight and then it started snowing in the audience!  Butterflies also flew above us, which was a pretty neat experience for my girls.  It ended with confetti falling from the sky and it's really hard not to have a smile so big your cheeks hurt after all of that!

Be sure to check out Sesame Street Live on Facebook to find out when there is a show coming to you!  We can't wait to go back again! 

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How I Save at Publix + Creamy Alfredo Garlic Chicken Pizza

How I Save at Publix + Creamy Alfredo Garlic Chicken Pizza

Thursday, October 5, 2017

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of RAGÚ® Pasta Sauce.  All opinions are entirely my own.

There are a lot of things that make me happy, but Thursdays and saving money are two things that are at the top of my list.  I look forward to Thursdays because that is when the new Publix shopping ad comes out and that means new BOGO (buy one get one free) offers!  I get so excited about this and can't wait to create my meal plan and grocery list for the following week.

I have a couple of days to plan it out since I do my grocery shopping on Sunday afternoons.  It's so much fun to see how much money I can save and the deals I can get on some of my favorite products, including RAGÚ® Pasta Sauce, which goes BOGO now through Wednesday, October 11th.   

I love how easy Publix makes it to plan my meals for the week and this week I will be making Creamy Alfredo Garlic Chicken Pizza using RAGÚ Cheese Creations Classic Alfredo Pasta Sauce.  My toddlers can be a bit picky sometimes, but they love this!  It's seriously a big hit in our family.

RAGÚ Cheese Creations Classic Alfredo Pasta Sauce now comes in family size, so I can make an additional pizza to freeze. Mom Win!

What you'll need:

Start with your dough.  Sprinkle flour on a flat surface and roll out your dough.  It's best at room temp.  I love that I can just grab this at my local Publix and it's ready to go!

Mix together the RAGÚ Classic Alfredo Pasta Sauce with parsley and spices.  Spread evenly over the dough.  This makes the perfect white pizza sauce because it is thick, creamy and packed with Parmesan and Romano cheeses full of flavor!  It is made with real cheese and fresh cream.  It can be found on the pasta sauce aisle at Publix and comes in 16 oz. or 21.5 oz family size jars.

Now, my favorite part...adding the toppings.  Sprinkle shredded chicken and cheese over the sauce.  This would also be great with spinach layered on the bottom and I added red onions to the top.  My girls will eat any vegetable if it's baked into a pizza.

{Mom hack --> Cook 3-4 chicken breasts on low in a crock-pot.  Use a hand mixer to shred the chicken when cooked through.  You'll have chicken on hand for easy week day meals or you can freeze for another time!}

Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes!  I'm not going to lie, as soon as I finished taking photos, I inhaled two slices of this pizza in record time.  So good!

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