Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt

We have a few Valentine's Day traditions in our house...one of them is a Scavenger Hunt. The kids enjoy reading the clues and going from room to room which leads them to the Valentine's Day Surprise!
These are pictures from 2009 (my kids have changed so much!)--I must not have taken pictures during the hunt since then (and this was way before I ever thought I'd have a blog)!!

 Clue's were typically easy! Here are a few examples to get you thinking:

• We don't wear shoes in the house, this is where we should put them. (shoe closet)
• ZZZZZZ this is where you find dad snoring. (parents bed)
• The only purple room in the house. (Hailey's bedroom)
• Crunch and munch, this is where you find the snacks. (pantry, snack bin)
• Shhh....mom's relaxing. (whirlpool tub)
• Craftiness happens here. (craft room)
• Splish, splash Carson is taking a bath. (kids tub)
• Brrr...it's cold in here! (freezer)

At the end of the hunt they find their little treat bag. Something small and simple. 

Our other tradition is making heart-shaped pizza's for dinner. Each kid makes their own! Such fun!

So, what kind of Valentine's Day traditions does your family do?

If you like what you see, comment, pin and follow along!

Cindy

Tasty Tuesday--Pizza Muffins

A few weeks back, my husband left for a week to go hunting down in Missouri with his dad. That week just happened to be crazy with work, doctor appointments and sports. Meals had to be simple and quick! This meal came together with items I already had in the freezer and fridge! (BONUS!!) I'm sure there are other combinations that would work really well, too! The possibilities are endless. Here's a little background on the leftovers I used to make this meal:

Every summer we spend many evenings out by our campfire ring in the backyard. One tradition is to make dinner in the fire. That dinner is usually Pizza Pie-dies. We use hamburger that is browned, mix in pizza sauce and Italian seasonings. Then we take buttered bread and put them in the pie iron, a spoonful of the pizza mix, some mozzarella cheese and pop that into the fire for a few minutes. Then for dessert, we do the same but substitute the pizza mix with cherry and/or apple pie filling! It is amazing!

Well, this summer when I made the Pizza Pie-dies, we had extra pizza filling, so I put it in a freezer safe container for later use. The week my husband was gone, those leftovers came in handy! I had an extra can of biscuits from the Apple Cinnamon Monkey Bread I made and we always have mozzarella cheese on hand. That's all we needed to make these Pizza Muffins!
First, make sure your pizza mixture is warm to ensure you don't have a cold center when you eat these! Next, press the biscuits into the muffin tin, trying to stretch it up the sides a bit. Spoon in the warmed pizza mixture and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake according to the biscuit directions. I think I added about 2 more minutes on top of the directions to brown the cheese a little more.

I scored two thumbs up for this easy meal that was on the table in 20 minutes! I steamed some broccoli in the microwave and served it along with the Pizza Muffins. Yum!

Pizza Muffins

Ingredients

Pizza Mixture (1/2 lb browned hamburger mixed with pizza sauce and Italian seasoning)
1 Can Biscuits ( I used regular, you could also use the "Grands" version, too)
Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:
Line muffin tin with biscuits, stretching the biscuit up the sides of the tin. Spoon pizza mixture in the biscuit, top with cheese. Bake according to the biscuit directions or until heated through and cheese is melted. Serve warm.

I've got another very busy week ahead, but I'm hoping to post a few projects I've done recently! Have a great week!

Cindy

Tasty Tuesday--Grilled Tomato & Basil Pizza

Grilled Tomato & Basil Pizza

What a simple and fun summer dinner! In our hectic lives, I'm always trying to find quick and healthy dinner solutions. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Here's what you'll need:

Pizza Dough (I used dough from our local UBake, but you could use your own or one from a tube)
Olive Oil
Sliced Fresh Garden Tomatoes
Fresh Basil Leaves
Mozzarella Cheese
Fresh Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Chopped Garlic (I just used the jar garlic)

Follow the instructions for preparing your pizza dough (I had to have mine rise, which I did while I was at work). Roll out the dough to your desired thickness.

Preheat the grill --ours is gas, so it took about 5 minutes. I brushed olive oil on both sides of the dough and the grill.  Turn down the heat of the grill to about Medium. Now your ready to put the dough on the grill. Let it cook for about 3-5 minutes, watching it closely. When it starts to puff up and bubble a bit and is golden down on the bottom, flip it over. Working quickly, put a bit of chopped garlic down first, then the tomatoes, basil and topped it off with the cheeses. Close the grill and wait about 2-3 minutes. I turned my pizza a few times around various spots on the grill so that it would cook evenly;  about 2-3 more minutes. Carefully take the pizza off the grill, slice and eat! It was delicious. I also made a turkey pepperoni one for the kids. They both tried this one and said it was surprisingly good. Not sure what that meant, really, but I'll take it!

Have you ever grilled pizza? What's your favorite toppings? I'm looking forward to doing my ultimate favorite pizza--BBQ Chicken! Can't wait!

Cindy 
Linked up at Wonderful Food Wednesday at @Home Take 2.

Tasty Tuesday--Pizza Pasta Salad

We had a family picnic over the weekend to celebrate by hubby's Grandma's 87th birthday. We are so blessed to have her--not only is she the sweetest person around, but earlier this year she was diagnosed with stomach cancer, had surgery and WON! It was a nice family gathering with delicious food! 
My hubs decided which recipe I should make (well, I narrowed down the choices) and this is what he picked! Its super easy and very delicious!

Pizza Pasta Salad 

 

 

serves 10 (or more)

3 cups penne pasta (or your favorite pasta), cooked & cooled
3 small-medium tomatoes, chopped
15 slices hard salami, finely chopped
1 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded, cubed or how ever you want it)
1/2 cup fresh basil, sliced
1/2 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup light balsamic vinaigrette dressing
salt & pepper to taste   

Make it:

Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl. Refrigerate for one hour to let the flavors combine. Serve and enjoy!

Original recipe inspiration came from here. I adapted it for our tastes and what I had in my frig!

Next time, I think I will substitute turkey pepperoni for the hard salami.

Try it and let me know what you think!

Cindy