Friday, January 31, 2014

Game Day Recipe Round-Up & #GetHimFed Fridays {No. 20}

Welcome to #GetHimFed Fridays {No. 20}! We've got a few new faces {co-hosts} joining this week, so make sure to check them out and say Hi. :) Hope everyone has a good weekend!


Thursday, January 30, 2014

Spicy Beer-Cheese Dip with Bacon


The best part of Football season is all the recipes for Appetizers online. I think I may have mentioned this before, as the thought pops in my head every football season. I could live off appetizers, so it's certainly my time of year. Plus, I am so sick of sweets from the holiday season that all I want is something savory, preferably with a beer to wash it down. So - in honor of the big game on Sunday and all of the wonderful appetizers {snack foods, finger-foods, etc.} that will be enjoyed across America, I present you with Spicy Beer-Cheese Dip with Bacon.

It's what your wildest dreams are made of. Plus, you'll have some leftover beer to help wash it down. {this is my kinda dish!}


Big shout out to that beer too. Lagunitas Brewing Company Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale. Oh me oh my. I've tried a lot of beers and keep coming back to this one. I would describe what it tastes like but I am far from a beer connoisseur and would probably just sound like a jack-ass. {speaking of Jack Ass, just saw Bad Grandpa the other night and was crying from laughing so hard. just a psa for all you Knoxville fans!} What I can tell you is that if you buy some and don't like - you always got a place to take the leftovers. {me.} ;)


I promise that you need want both the Spicy Beer-Cheese Dip with Bacon and the Lagunitas Sumpin' Ale in your life. I'm am not saying this is the best dip ever, I'm just saying that I was eating it off the spoon. {shameless, I know.}


Spicy Beer-Cheese Dip with Bacon
{PRINTABLE RECIPE}
Ingredients
8oz Cream Cheese, softened
¼ cup Ranch dressing {I used Newman’s Own}
2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
¼ cup beer {I used Lagunitas Brewing Company Lil’ Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale}
⅔ cup cooked & chopped bacon
2 green onions
Directions
1. Beat cream cheese and ranch dressing with mixer until well blended.
2. Add sriracha sauce, cheese, beer, bacon and onions. Mix until incorporated.
3. Let chill in refrigerator for a couple hours until chilled.
4. Serve with crackers, pretzels, sliced baguette. Garnish with additional cheese, bacon and green onions.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Geeky Date Night In #ad

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. #CollectiveBias #KYdatenight
Geeky Date Night In #KYdatenight #ad

My husband has owed me a date night for the longest time. Not just any date though. A date at-home with a homemade meal. Chicken tacos to be exact. I won't say our first date was botched, I would just say that it didn't go according to plan... I was getting off work late-ish so instead of rushing to make a table at some restaurant my future husband offered to make me dinner whenever I made it over to his place. I had barely walked through his front door when his mother called. Yes, his mother. She had spotted a truck that was exactly what he had been looking for and was giving him the details. He had just sold his truck and was needing a new one ASAP, so she was just helping. I asked if he wanted to go look at it. He asked me if I was really ok with that. I said yes, wouldn't have offered if I wasn't. On the way to the truck I found out his parents were going to be there as well. Oh me oh my. Meeting parents on the first date? Who was this guy? lol We got to the truck and he loved it. (guess Mother Knows Best, right?) So then the ol' test drive came up. He again asked if it was ok, not wanting to make this more awkward for me than it may have already been. I said it was fine. So me and his Mom stood there making small talk, waiting for him and his Dad to return with the truck. This may have been the most awkward moment of all, but it passed quickly-ish. The dealership wasn't processing anymore sales but said they could hold the truck until the morning for him, so we were back to our agenda of dinner. His parents asked where we were going for dinner and at that point we didn't know. Both hungry and eager to get this date started, we really didn't care. When we got back in the car to get going he got a call from his mother. Yes, his mother. He hung up and told me that she had asked him if we would want to go to Black Angus with the two of them - no pressure, just being nice. (or maybe trying to scope out this girl who is interested in their only son... haha) I said yes (lol, I really am easy-going, it's just when I really want something that the claws come out!) and we were on our way to going to dinner with his parents. On our first date. Who does that?!?

6 years later we are still together - so the dinner couldn't have gone too bad. ;) But he still owed me chicken tacos... and I decided to help him finally make good on that debt. I took the kids to Grandma's house, stopped by Walmart on the way home and picked up all the ingredients he would need to make me us dinner. While I was there I decided to pick up a few items for our date-night and ended up making him us a Geeky Date Night kit. Well, it started out being for him, but it's not like I am going to let him enjoy all these goodies by himself!

Geeky Date Night In #KYdatenight #ad

I am happy to report that he made good on his chicken taco debt. He also plated them oh-so-lovely - scoring major brownie points. ;)

Chicken Soft Tacos #ad

Now about that Geeky Date Night kit... My geeky husband was so stoked on this gift, he couldn't wait to get our date night started!!

Geeky Date Night In #KYdatenight #ad

Geeky Date Night Kit

1. Coffee - Any true geek has an affinity for caffeine. Plus, my bedtime is around 9pm, so I was going to need some caffeine to make this a late-night endeavor.
2. Geeky Container - I used a Sterilite Mini File Crate. It will totally get re-used in our home office!
3. Something Sweet & Salty - Ever heard of Chocolate-Covered Bacon? It's a geek thing! I chose Pepperidge Farm Milano Slices Salted Pretzels.
4. Reese's Pieces - Are my husband and I the only ones who think of E.T. when they see these? Had to throw them in, especially since we are watching a movie.
5. Bow Chicka Wow Wow - It's date night y'all! I think geeks and non-geeks alike can agree that putting a package of K-Y Yours+Mine Couples Lubricants in any gift pack let's the recipient know what you have in store for the night! ♥
6. Puzzle Book - Geeks like to use their brains, plus solving problems together strengthens your bond. I chose a Word Search, but there are countless options out there!
7. Geek Movie - No chick-flicks here! I chose the first Star Wars trilogy since it's our fav geek movie series and we've yet to watch them on Blu Ray.

We started off the night by solving a couple word searches over dinner. The tacos were amazing and the company wasn't half bad either. ;) Then we started up a pot of coffee and popped Phantom Menace into the Blu-Ray player. We cuddled up together on the couch and munched on our geek snacks - totally geeking out together. It was an awesome night not to mention that it was totally needed! We have 4 kids under the age of 5 so "Mommy-Daddy Time" doesn't happen but once in a blue moon around here. I seriously need to plan these Geek Date Nights more often!

K-Y Date Night Offer on Package #KYdatenight #ad

There is also a deal included with the K-Y Yours+Mine Personal Lubricants that would be a disservice to not share. For a limited time there is a K-Y Date Night worth $40 that includes dinner & a movie. The dinner is from Plated {which I have been dying to try!!}, which is Chef-designed recipes & fresh ingredients delivered to your door. The movie is from VUDU, who distributes full-length movies over the Internet to television via Smart-TVs and other capable devices. Such an amazing deal, there is no way I could keep it to myself!! I found my box of K-Y Yours+Mine at Walmart and you can find a retailer that carries it near you at the K-Y Product Locator page.

K-Y Date Night Offer on Package #KYdatenight #ad

Friday, January 24, 2014

20 Man-Food Recipes & #GetHimFed Fridays {No.19}

Welcome to #GetHimFed Fridays {No. 19}! This is the first edition of the year so we have decided to share a round up of 20 delicious Man-Food recipes that y'all shared with #GetHimFed in 2013. Hope your having a Happy New Year!!

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Grave Digger-Inspired Cheesecake and a Monster Jam Show

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows.
Grave Digger-Inspired Cheesecake

A few days ago I wrote about our excitement for Monster Jam coming to Sacramento - my family are huge fans and we were counting down the days until the show. Well, last night was our night! We attended the first Monster Jam show of the weekend at Sleep Train Arena and had a BLAST!! It was loud, destructive and exciting - everything I could ask for out of a Monster Jam show.

Our kids love playing with their many Monster Jam die-cast trucks, but nothing compares to the excitement of seeing their favorite trucks in person. They were so amped up about the show that it was hard for them to stay in their seats - sometimes not being able to. It was so much fun seeing my 3 & 5 year olds cheering on their favorite trucks and marveling at the special events. As any parent can relate, seeing their kids happy is a joy all on it's own {unless it's happiness from drawing on the wall with permanent pen...} - and Monster Jam filled my kids with happiness.

Grave Digger-Inspired Cheesecake

For myself, I thought the Monster Jam show was awesome! The lines to get into Sleep Train Arena moved quickly, the guest services for lower level seating was extremely polite, the emcee was extremely engaging with the crowd, the trucks were spectacular for the area they had to work with and the special events were so much fun!! This was the first time I had attended a Monster Jam show at Sleep Train Arena {formerly Arco Arena} and was quite pleased with all of the elements. I was a bit worried about the size of the arena as every other show I have attended has been in a larger venue - but it was still a great show! We had a wonderful time as a family, plus it was great seeing so many other families enjoying time together.

If you are in Sacramento, there are still a couple shows left - so make sure to check out Ticketmaster.com for tickets. If not, check out MonsterJam.com for upcoming shows in your area!!

Grave Digger-Inspired Cheesecake

After hearing about Monster Jam from my kiddos all week I decided to make something Monster Jam-themed. I've been craving Cheesecake lately, so I decided to indulge myself a little and make a Grave Digger-Inspired Cheesecake. Awesome, right? My kiddos thought so!! {major brownie points for me. :)} It's a regular cheesecake with chocolate chips and green food dye added - then a berry sauce poured over the top. For the crust I used crushed chocolate sandwich cookies to resemble dirt. Now I am thinking I need to make a cheesecake for all of our favorite drivers - such a fun themed idea!!

Friday, January 17, 2014

9 Fun Facts about Monster Jam®!

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows.

Monster Jam® returns to Sacramento for more engine-roaring thrills and car-crushing monster truck action!! Tickets are on sale now for three (3) shows at the Sleep Train Arena from January 17 – 19, 2014 including two "Party in the Pits" pre-show events. Buy tickets now at Ticketmaster.com

9 Fun Facts about Monster Jam®
  1. Monster trucks are approximately 12’ tall, 12’ wide, 20’ long and weigh around 10,000 lbs. {they’re huge!!}
  2. Monster trucks have a fuel capacity of 22 gallons and a fuel economy of 7 gallons per mile. You read that right - 7 gallons to go 1 mile!!
  3. Each truck has a Remote Ignition Interrupter (RII) so that track officials can shut off a truck at any time.{safety first!!}
  4. Typical monster trucks cost $600,000 yearly to build, staff, compete, transport and maintain on the Monster Jam® tour.
  5. Monster truck race teams travel over 45,000 miles by land each year to attend events. {it’s only 3,200 miles from California to Maine to put that in perspective!!}
  6. Gravedigger has been around since 1982. {32 years old this year!}
  7. More than 4,000,000 {that’s four million!} Monster Jam® fans attend events each year worldwide.
  8. The average number of cars crushed at Monster Jam® each year is 3,000. {that’s a lot of crunching!!}
  9. Those 3,000 cars {as well as vans, buses, motor homes, airplanes and ambulances} are obtained from local junkyards and then returned after each event. 
Hope to see you at the show!! If you are not from the Sacramento area, make sure to check out www.MonsterJam.com for upcoming shows in your local region.

    Wednesday, January 15, 2014

    Minion Munch Chex Party Mix {with a Despicable Me 2 Giveaway!!}

    The information & prize pack have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

    Ok, I think it's fair to say that if you know what a Minion is - you love them. Right? I mean, I can't really trust a person who doesn't like a twinkie-shaped, banana-loving, butt-joke-telling little creature! They are cute, helpful and obscene which is a perfect combination for my personality and sense of humor. :) So when I heard that there was a Chex Party Mix that was Minion-themed - I jumped all over it. I knew I needed this recipe in my life!!

    As soon as I got my hands on the recipe for Minion Munch Chex Party Mix I was at the store throwing the ingredients I needed into the cart. This recipe happened ASAP as I was in need of a Minion-fix!!


    Minion Munch Chex Party Mix
    Ingredients
    2 cups Honey Nut Chex® cereal
    2 cups Chocolate Chex® cereal
    2 cups Banana Nut Cheeerios® cereal
    1 cup dry-roasted peanuts
    ¼ cup butter or margarine
    ¼ cup packed brown sugar
    ¼ cup peanut butter
    1 cup freeze-dried banana chips
    ½ cup candy-coated chocolate candies

    Visit Betty Crocker for recipe directions!!

    Now about that giveaway... 

    This is too cool for school! It's the three General Mills cereals used to make Minion Munch Chex Party Mix plus an adorable recipe card for Minion Munch Chex Party Mix, a copy of Despicable Me 2 on Blu-Ray and an amazing Minion US B Flash Drive. {it makes my heart pitter-patter!}


    Wait, did that register? A Minion USB Flash Drive. You love it, right? 4GB of raw, cute power. :)

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    Monster Jam® Coming to Sacramento!!

    I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows.

    If you know my family {the Hungry Harps} you know we have a slight obsession with Monster Jam®. We are hooked to the roar of the huge engines, the spectacular stunts and explosive demolition! But it's not only the amazing trucks and their drivers that keep us faithful fans, it's also the fun, family atmosphere each show brings. Monster Jam® shows are family-friendly, y'all! Big powerful trucks, smiling kids and stadium food - this is seriously the stuff I live for.

    So, you can guess that I was a bit excited to find out that Monster Jam® is coming to town. Sacramento to be exact, at the Sleep Train Arena on January 17th, 18th and 19th for three shows of breathtaking stunts and awesome power of the world’s most popular monster trucks. Think we are excited much? We’ve been gearing up for the big day with lots of Monster Jam® die-cast play and more than the usual watching of Monster Jam® videos. We are revved up for the show!!

    Each Monster Jam® show has different trucks in attendance and I am stoked for the round-up coming to Sacramento! Gravedigger® {one of our absolute favorites!!} is one of EIGHT trucks making an appearance at Sleep Train Arena this weekend, you'll also be able to see Batman™, Bounty Hunter, Iron Outlaw, Destroyer, Playin for Keeps plus Captain USA and Double Trouble. This is going to be an awesome show!!

    Event Details
    WHAT: Monster Jam® Returns to Sacramento for more engine-roaring thrills and car-crushing monster truck action!
    WHEN: 
    Friday, January 17th
    Show Time - 7:30PM
    Saturday, January 18th
    Pit Party* – open from 5:00PM–6:30PM
    Show Time – 7:30PM
    Sunday, January 19th
    Pit Party* – open from 11:30AM–1:00PM
    Show Time – 2:00PM
    *Day-Of Event ticket and Pit Pass required for entry each day
    (Pit Pass purchase price $5 for Kids; $10 for Adults)

    WHERE:  
    Sleep Train Arena
    One Sports Parkway, Sacramento, CA 95834
    TICKETS:
    Ticket prices start as low as $20 Adults; ticket prices range from $20 - $50
    Kids tickets (ages 2-12) are only $5 each for select seating (limit 4 Kids tickets per Adult ticket purchase)
    Pit Passes will be available to purchase for $10 Adults / $5 Kids (ages 2-12) 
    Tickets & Pit Passes available for purchase online at Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster retail
    outlets, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or at the Sleep Train Arena Box Office.
    **Above ticket prices are advance purchase only; all tickets are $2 more day of show. Market pricing applies to all tickets; rates may fluctuate based on supply and demand. Tickets subject to convenience, service and handling fees.

    Thursday, January 2, 2014

    Ad: Pesto-Chicken Crostini with Sun-Dried Tomatoes {recipe}

    I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

    #ad Pesto-Chicken Crostini with Sun-Dried Tomatoes #NatureRaised #shop #cbias

    My family {the Hungry Harps} is a pack of meat lovers. We chow down on beef, pork, seafood and all types of poultry - but nothing compares to our consumption of Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts. I love how versatile they are to cook with, my husband loves how much protein he is getting with each serving and my kids love to make cluck-cluck noises during dinner. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts are a win-win-win in our house!

    For a quick lunch {who wants anything but?}, I recently decided to jazz up some Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts and make a batch of Pesto-Chicken Crostini with Sun-Dried Tomatoes. My husband and I are both fools for finger foods and our kiddos love how the Crostinis resemble small pizzas. I needed a couple items for my recipe, including Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, so I headed to Sam's Club for the goods. I spotted a new brand of all natural chicken that was nearly sold out. If there is anything I know - if something is sold out, or close to, it's worth checking out.

    #ad NatureRaised Farms Chicken at Sam's Club #NatureRaised #shop #cbias

    The brand is NatureRaised Farms and I am their newest fan!

    First off, there are no antibiotics given to the chickens, ever. This is a huge deal to a Momma trying to keep her family healthy. If a chicken is given antibiotics and then you eat the chicken - you guessed it, you are putting that antibiotic into your bloodstream. It's not a pretty thing but thankfully more consumers and companies are jumping onto the "No Antibiotics" bandwagon and it's going mainstream. Plus, NatureRaised Farm chickens are fed 100% Vegetarian meal {no animal protein or bakery by-products (which could include eggs)}and are raised cage free. They are not raised on huge factory farms but on farms run by independent owners and families. In a nutshell: NatureRaised Farm Chicken is freaking awesome and has me hooked.

    #ad NatureRaised Farms Chicken in Package #NatureRaised #shop #cbias

    And I am loving the packaging it came in at Sam's Club! Each pack of chicken was divided up into 4 packets - making it easy to store in the freezer and saving me time from having to divide it up myself after I'm done shopping.

    #ad NatureRaised Farms Chicken in Package #NatureRaised #shop #cbias

    I am not one for photos of raw chicken - but you gotta admit, these are some good looking raw chicken breasts. {seasoned with garlic salt and ground black pepper for grilling}

    #ad Raw NatureRaised Farms Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts #NatureRaised #shop #cbias

    And I couldn't just leave you hanging with a picture of raw chicken - check it out after being grilled!

    #ad Grilled NatureRaised Farms Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts #NatureRaised #shop #cbias

    Ok, so let's get to these Pesto-Chicken Crostini with Sun-Dried Tomatoes - they're what the cool kids are eating these day. {well, my kiddos are pretty cool...} The recipe is a breeze to make, all of the ingredients can be stored in your pantry {um, not the chicken} and it's healthier than any drive-thru your thinking about going to! Oh yeah, and it's so delicious that you'll slap your Grandma. {so make sure you got your running shoes on!}

    #ad Ingredients for Pesto-Chicken Crostini with Sun-Dried Tomatoes #NatureRaised #shop #cbias

    Mix together chicken, olives, pesto sauce, fresh oregano and sun-dried tomatoes, then let chill for a couple hours. I used this time to kick-back and relax {not really} and get the Crostini bread ready {true story}. Heat oven to 350, slice some baguette bread, brush olive oil on both sides and add salt & pepper to taste. Bake the bread for about 10-15 minutes or until they start to turn a golden-brown. Let cool before adding the Pesto-Chicken mixture.

    When the Pesto-Chicken Crostini with Sun-Dried Tomatoes were finished being prepared we enjoyed them as a nice little lunch, with fruit as our healthy side dish. Wish I would have thought of Crostini for lunch before - it was a hit with everyone!

    #ad Pesto-Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes #NatureRaised #shop #cbias

    Pesto-Chicken Crostini with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
    (PRINTABLE RECIPE)
    {yields 3 cups Pesto-Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes}
    Ingredients
    2 cups cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts {I used NatureRaised Farms chicken}
    ¼ cup chopped olives
    ¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
    ½ cup pesto sauce
    1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
    Directions
    1. Mix all ingredients together.
    2. Chill for at least 2 hours to let flavors marinade.
    3. Serve on top crostini bread, garnish with leftover fresh oregano.

    #ad Pesto-Chicken Crostini with Sun-Dried Tomatoes #NatureRaised #shop #cbias

    If you are wanting a free taste-test, there will be demos for NatureRaised Farms Chicken this Saturday {1/4/2014} at participating Sam's Clubs across America. I would totally recommend checking it out! Or if you are just in search of delicious chicken recipes, check out #NatureRaised on Twitter & Facebook, where they are sharing wonderful ideas all the time!