Monday, November 18, 2013

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 11/18/13


Hastily thrown together plan this week - I have been called up for Jury duty so plans may change at any moment! The only other time I received the notice about it, I was in college in another state, so it was an easy out. Now, if I get called in, I am hoping they will let me go because I have nobody to watch the kiddo for an extended period of time.I don't mind doing my duty, but things are so complicated when you throw a kid into the mix! So who knows if this meal plan will pan out or not.

Monday: Crock Pot Pizza Casserole (from last week)

Tuesday:  leftovers

 Wednesday:  Crock Pot Chicken and Dumpling Soup (combo of this recipe and this recipe)

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: pizza delivery

Saturday and Sunday: whatever you can rustle up! We are decorating for Christmas this weekend :D

Dessert of the Week: need to make cookies for a cookie exchange! Not sure which ones yet


Find more meal plan at orgjunkie.com!




Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Graco Little Lounger Review #Graco15ForMe


Graco Little Lounger in Astoria. Picture from buybuyBaby.

When Emmett was little, we had a Graco Pack N Play that we loved. We used it to change him, for him to nap in and to corral him when he got older! The biggest downfall was that when he was napping, I was pretty much stuck in the living room, where the Pack N Play was. Those days are over, thanks to the new Graco Little Lounger.


Graco Little Lounger ready to rock!

Little Lounger is two products in one: a rocking seat and a vibrating lounger. In rocking seat mode, you can calm your baby with the gentle rocking motion. If you flip down the Rock Locks, the seat becomes a vibrating lounger with 2-speed vibration.


Rock Locks are down
The ingenious seat has multiple recline positions, so that it's easy to find just the right position for baby's comfort, and it also has a 3 point harness. When you're not using it, Little Lounger folds compactly to store or travel, and a cute toy bar will keep baby occupied.

 If I had a Little Lounger when E. was a baby, I wouldn't have felt confined to one room while he was napping. It folds up quickly and is not too heavy so it is very portable. I could easily take 15 minutes for me while he was hanging out in the Little Lounger. We always used the Pack N Play's vibrating feature to help him sleep, so that is a HUGE plus to the Little Lounger.

The Little Lounger folded up.

Another thing I like is that the patterns are subtle and gender neutral. No loud neons or sweet baby colors. Little Lounger will fit into your decor. The pattern in my pictures is the Astoria pattern, which is a buybuyBaby exclusive. Other patterns include Caraway, a Babies R Us exclusive and Dakota, a Target exclusive. You can see all of the patterns (there are more than these three!) on Graco's Web site.

I was lucky enough to go to a Graco sponsored party to see the Little Lounger in person. The party included a professional chef who showed us a great way to take advantage of the 15 minutes of me time - by cooking quick, healthy and delicious meals. How will you take your #Graco15ForMe?

Here is the menu
Szechuan chicken and bok choy
Banana Flambe

The Little Lounger retails for $79.99. you can connect with Graco on their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/Graco or on Twitter @GracoBaby - https://twitter.com/GracoBaby




Disclaimer: I was compensated for this post by Graco in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 11/10/13



No menu plan last week... it was an insane week. The week of Jeff's show, and I had a bunch of things to do as well. Overall it wasn't too bad dinner-wise, but I am looking forward to cooking real meals this week!

Monday: Smashburger!!

Tuesday:  Parmesan Chicken and Rice

 Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: Crock Pot Pizza Casserole

Friday: hot dogs, possibly in mac and cheese

Saturday: Fashion show at church - includes dinner


Sunday: family dinner out

Dessert of the Week: Pumpkin Crumble

 Find more recipes at orgjunkie.com!




Sunday, November 10, 2013

Smashburger opens in New Hyde Park

smashburger - New Hyde Park, NY


Here is my Smashburger story (what, doesn't everyone have one?)... In July, E. and I visited my parents in CO. We arrived very very late at night, got up early to go to church then went to Smashburger! My parents were soooo excited to introduce it to me. And yes, my burger was delicious! (There is a picture of it at that link)

I didn't think there were any on Long Island (but did I check no.... of course not!) but there are - Smashburger just opened its 4th Long Island location. This Smashburger is at 1600 Marcus Ave in New Hyde Park.

Hidden deliciousness

Menu is posted outside

Situated in a strip mall, the Smashburger looks like an ordinary burger joint. Once you step inside, you can tell right away that it is not ordinary! First, they have color changing panels to separate the dining room from the line, and the decor is chrome and wood. The menu board is a screen, And the menu choices include different fare such as veggie frites, Haagen-Dazs shakes and malts and an avaocado burger. They also sell beer!

menu board

the seating area is to the left, behind the color changing wall

Unfortunately Jeff is crazy busy at work so it was just me and the kiddo. (I did promise Jeff that we would go after things slowed down!). It did not take me long to decide on the BBQ, bacon & cheddar burger with sweet potato fries. I wasn't sure about E - he wanted a grilled cheese, but the kids menu did not mention grilled cheese. However, one of the signs on the menu board was aimed at kids and mentioned grilled cheese. I just got him a hot dog, though. It came with fries, and I did not see a healthier alternative. The drink was extra, which seemed a little ridiculous to me. I'd rather the meal cost more and include the drink. The prices themselves seems comparable to other burger places, and as I mentioned they go have a very big and unique menu.

food is brought to your table

mmmm, milk!

haystack onions, BBQ sauce. bacon...  Yes please!!

hot dog grilled on the grill!!

I did not get to see the smash part of Smashburger's claim to fame - they take a ball of raw hamburger and smash it on the grill. It makes a thin patty with the yummy crispiness of the grill. My burger was delicious - ther patty itself has a great taste, and the bbq sauce added some sweet and sour taste. Both types of fries were delicious. In fact, E., who does not like fries, gobbled his up! I also liked that his hot dog was split down the middle and grilled. My only complaint was that my fries were WAY too salty. You can see in the picture below how much salt was left after I ate the fries.


the paper says it all...

TONS of salt!

The restaurant was very clean. I saw several employees making sure the condiment area was stocked and the tea jug filled. They were all very nice a friend;y with my 2 year old - and did not seem to mind him running around the store like a crazy person when we were trying to leave!

free refills and several types of tea. Like the hand sanitizer too.

seating area
I remember how amazing the burger I had in CO was, and I am so glad that my memory actually served me right!I can't wait to introduce Jeff to the Smashburger scrumptiousness.






Disclaimer: I was given coupons for Smashburger in exchange for my honest review.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 10/28/13



Happy Halloween week! We are not huge fans of Halloween around here, but I do loved making themed meals! E. will be trick or treating for the first time. Can't wait :D He also has two parties to go this week. yes, my 2.5 year old has more of a social life than me LOL!! Hope you all have a safe and happy Halloween!


Monday: Ranchy Crock Pot Chicken (from last week)

Tuesday: leftovers

 Wednesday: Halloween party at J's school, so dinner will be from the freezer.

Thursday: Ghost of Monte Cristo Sandwiches, Pumpkin Crumble (from Our Best Bites Cookbook)

Friday:  Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie

Saturday and Sunday: Saturday we are going to a brand new Smashburger!!! I am sooooo excited, and I will have a review up for you guys next week!

Dessert of the Week: Pumpkin Crumble and leftover Halloween candy ;)

Find more recipes at orgjunkie.com!



Monday, October 21, 2013

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 10/21/13




 I am so glad that I chose to make last week a light week, since we all came down with bad colds! it has been so hard to function, and here it is, 2 p.m. when I am writing this, and I can't stop yawning!! This week and next Jeff is working late (his play is Nov 7 and 8!) and it is supposed to get cooler, so I am thinking more crock pot and stew recipes are on the way. Also as we get closer to Halloween the craziness of the season goes into full swing!


Monday: BBQ Chicken Stuffed Potatoes, using shredded chicken from the freezer

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese

 Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: Halloween Party (see Dessert of the Week!)

Friday:  Dinner out

Saturday and Sunday: Ranchy Crock Pot Chicken (and leftovers on Sunday)

Dessert of the Week: Bringing something to the Halloween party... either Fudge Candy Corn or Simple Slice and bake Candy Corn Cookies or maybe some candy corn cake balls. So hard to decide!!!

Find more recipes at orgjunkie.com!



Monday, October 14, 2013

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 10/14/13


We just came back from a birthday party, so I am STUFFED and not really into thinking about food right now! I think this is going to be a pretty light week, cooking-wise. Starting to get into using up the leftovers in the freezer mode.

Monday: leftovers

Tuesday: Easiest Ravioli Bake

 Wednesday: BBQ chicken pizza

Thursday: leftovers

Friday:  We are going to a wedding!!! yay!!

Saturday and Sunday: something from the freezer


Dessert of the Week: Pumpkin Spice Donut Muffins - pumpkin is on sale this week!

More menus at OrgJunkie's Menu Plan Monday!



Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Radical Review Wednesday: Smoogy Frozen Cheesecake Cookie Sandwich

The Smoogy in Original Lemon

My husband and I are suckers for just about any food competition program on TV. So when we heard about Supermarket Superstar - where home cooks competed to get their product onto supermarket store shelves - we had to watch! It was a pretty good show, and the winner was the Smoogy, an ice cream sandwich made with a flavored cheesecake filling instead of ice cream.

When I saw it in this week's Waldbaum's ad, I knew we had to try it!


Smoogy is a good size with a lot of filling

The first thing I noticed was the size. I thought it was comparable to to other ice cream sandwiches. It also had a lot of filling. I also noticed that the filling was off  center, with a lot more on one side than the other. They are individually wrapped in the plastic you can see in the picture above.

A bite of Smoogy-ness

The is a definite cheesecake taste, with a good lemon aftertaste. However, they also taste a little bit chemically. The cookie is the best part -  a good size that tastes like a spice cookie. I did find the Smoogy difficult to eat, though, because where the cookie touches the cheesecake filling, it hardens, thus making it difficult to bite then chew tthe cookie. The edges stay nice and soft. I have not had that problem with other ice cream sandwiches.

Smoogy nutrition info
Looking at the nutrition facts, Smoogy is slightly worse than the tubs of ice cream I had in my freezer - however, ice cream's serving size is 1/2 cup, and I know that I have more than that at one time! So it seems more of less like a wash to me. But, $3.99 (on sale) for three servings makes these expensive, and I just don't think the taste justifies the price. I would not buy these again.

If you want more information, there is a Web site - smoogycookie.com/ but that doesn't really have too much info on it!



Monday, October 7, 2013

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 10/7/13


Another uninspired week, I blame the overcast skies! By the end of the week, it will HOPEFULLY be cold enough to make some soup. I am so tried of wearing shorts in October!!!

Monday: grocery shopping day, so something from the freezer (again!)

Tuesday: Italian Chicken Roll ups

 Wednesday:  chicken pot pie cupcakes - by request of the kiddo!

Thursday:  leftovers

Friday:  slow cooker potato and corn chowder

Saturday and Sunday: leftovers, and a birthday party on Sunday!

Dessert of the Week: Pumpkin Spice Donut Muffins - if pumpkin is on sale!

More menus at OrgJunkie's Menu Plan Monday!



Friday, October 4, 2013

The Long Island Fair 2013

I grew up near an AWESOME county fair. It had rides, big name acts, animals, tons of displays, crafts, fun fair food. It was the best. So I was a bit sad when I moved to Long Island, where this no fair. But much to my surprise, I found out last year that they DO have their own little fair! It is not really the same as a real county fair, but it is still really cool!

Here are some pictures from this year!

There are pumpkins and apples for sale

Agriculture displays

Big John Deere display

This is where the food, crafts and other home type items were displayed
Carrousel for the kiddies

Petting zoo for the kids - moments after I took this photo, this goat licked that little girl!
petting bunnies

Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders are on hand!

Old timey band



literal pig sty!
 There is alot of stuff to do that i did not get a picture of! The fair is held at the Old Bethpage Restoration at the nd of September. Here is the info from this year's fair:

Hours: Friday, September 20 and 27 - 10:00 - 4:00 Saturday and Sunday, September 21, 22, 28 and 29 - 10:00 - 5:00
 Admission Prices: DOLLAR DAYS ARE BACK - Saturday 9/21 and Sunday Sunday 9/29. $1.00 for everybody. Otherwise: Adults - $12.00 Children (5-12) and Seniors (over 60) - $8.00 Children (under 5) - free

form ore information, visit lifair.org