The Winning Game Plan for Game Day - 3 Easy & Delicious Dishes!

This post is sponsored by Tyson Foods, Inc, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

In our house, Game Day is a BIG DEAL. We get pretty into it.

I mean, let's get real, though...  it's only partially because of the game. I'm not even joking when I tell you, we're all about the snack-y goodness in our house and game days just give us the chance to share & enjoy our favorite dishes with our family and friends!

Speaking of which, we had a busy day watching the game, playing around, and snacking with our buddies recently. From playing football with my favorite little gal to quickly throwing together some of our foodie MVPs, the day was perfect.

Interested in our "game plan" and the snacks we served up... here's the low down:

We had delicious little Buffalo Wyng & ranch sliders, tasty Hillshire Farm®  Salami & mozzarella antipasticks, & sweet n' savory bacon-wrapped Lit'l Weenies! Each super simple to make and so amazing your friends will be begging for your recipe... so don't forgot to pin this tasty goodness and tell them to as well!

As far as the recipes go, I've made this easy... below you'll find a photo for each recipe, with the ingredients listed - just below each photo I've included simple step by step directions to make each dish!

To make these delicious Tyson Boneless Buffalo Wing & Ranch Sliders, you'll simply follow the directions on the Any'tizers packaging, drizzle a little bit of ranch across the bottom of a slider bun, place 2 pieces of the cooked chicken wyngz and top with some Mozzarella, place the top of the bun... and enjoy!

This simple treat is the perfect mixture of savory and sweet! You can whip this up quickly and let these yummy treats bake while you work on something else for a second. All you need to do is preheat the oven to 400 degrees, cut your bacon into thirds, and wrap the bacon around weenies. Secure with a tooth pick and drizzles Brown Sugar across it all, to add the perfect sweet little touch.

Another recipe that is bound to be your MVP is this Antipastick deliciousness. To make these sticks of goodness, you'll simply chop your grapeseed tomatoes in half and place a toothpick in them. Next you'll top with folded pieces of Hillshire Farms Hard Salami, a tiny chunk of avocado, and a little mozzarella ball.

Now it's time to enjoy!

Are you planning your own game day extravaganza? Don't fret, you can get all the goodies for these recipes at Walmart! Oh, and before I forget, be sure to click here to find out how you can buy, collect, and score with the Walmart Winning Lineup Rewards Program... because who doesn't want to score on game day?!

Gourmet Four Cheese Chicken Pasta

While we're all kind of battling a cold in my house, life has actually been pretty good lately. We're embracing the chance to slow down and really savor life. As we all know, being sick is never fun, but it has meant for some good quality family time... and I'm not gonna lie, we've spent the last handful of nights snuggled up on the couch, with a good movie and definitely enjoyed it.

Luckily, we're all finally feeling a bit better today, so we decided to reward ourselves and our taste buds with a flavorful dish... because what's better than a delicious meal once you finally have kicked a cold? Ummm, let me tell ya... pretty much nothin', especially when it's a plate of delicious cheesy pasta made with Stella Cheeses.

That's right, today in celebration of my family and I finally feeling better, I'm dishing up the recipe for the most delicious Four Cheese Pasta... possibly ever! Are you ready?

For this recipe you will need:

2 slices of bacon
1 lbs of chicken breast, sliced into four pieces
3/4 cup Stella Fontinella Cheese
1/4 cup Stella Italian Cheese Blend
Handful of Stella Shaved Parmesan
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp unsalted butter
Seasonings: Italian Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Salt & Pepper, Thyme, Rosemary, Onion Powder, Parsley, Paprika, and Red Pepper Flakes
1 box of thin pasta, cooked as directed

First we're going to start on the saucy deliciousness that makes this dish pop -

In a large sauce pan, melt butter on medium-high heat. Add in 1 cup of cream and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.

Add in 1/2 tbsp of garlic, 1 tbsp italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp red pepper to taste. Stir in Stella Fontinella Cheese and Stella Italian Cheese Blend slowly allowing them to melt, then remove from heat.

Now, for the chicken -

Take the four chicken breast pieces and season - Sprinkling the first side with onion powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and rosemary, then sprinkling the other side with garlic powder, salt, pepper, thyme, and paprika.

Lightly coat a pan with butter and add chicken over medium heat, flipping every five minutes until cooked through - then set heat to low, just to keep warm.

Next, you'll microwave bacon (as per package instructions), crumbling and using about one piece on each plate your preparing.

The final step, plating -

Add your pasta in a bowl, topping with sauce, adding in the chicken, then garnish with Stella Shaved Parmesan cheese... and Bon Appetit!

Want to make everyday and every meal a little more gourmet? Learn more about Stella Cheeses.

Super Simple DIY Sushi Roll Costume for Baby

Who would have thought? We're o-fish-ally on day 19 of Delainey's 31 days of Halloween (give or take a few days because she's one and not always willing to take photos...) and it's starting to become difficult for this mama to come up with a costume idea each day especially since this little gal has such a "tempura". I mean 31 costumes is A LOT for one mama and baby to take on.

While it's been challenging, I will say it has also been a LOT of fun...

As I discussed before, it's actually really educational and rewarding for D and since I'm having to get creative and use my crafting skills, I feel like it's been a bit of a learning experience for me as well.

I mean, a good challenge is almost always rewarding - just like mastering the art of taking photos of toddlers or making perfect little sushi rolls.

That's right - today this little chumaki-chunk dressed up as one of our favorite foods... and I maki-d her costume. Ha. Get it? I'm so punny, right? 😂

If you like the way we roll, then check out the details on this oh-soy-cute costume:

I made the little rice, fish, and veggie pieces out of felt and cotton balls. I just cut little scraps up to look like a piece of "raw fish", a few pieces of cucumber, and some avocado then glued on some "rice" cotton balls.

Once it was all dry, I used a spot of hot glue and attached it to her black The Baby Bird Boutique romper [use the code DelaineyBird to save]!

I could have stopped there but, I mean, no roll would be truly complete without a little bit of smelt roe, so I just had to add that as well...

And on that note, you can't have sushi without the basics... so we had to accessorize with a custom Bloomology Wasabi and Ginger bow!

So tell me, does anyone have any soy sauce? Cause that's all we're missing from this super scrumptious little costume and I'm ready to dip her in and just eat her up!

In all seriousness though, isn't this costume the cutest? It makes "miso" happy!

Weaning at One Year Old & Six Reasons to Choose Munchkin Grass Fed Milk

  This post is sponsored by Munchkin.

Now that I officially have a one year old, things are changing in our house! She is learning new things on the daily and with that we are implementing new rules. It's an exciting stage in all of our lives, especially hers... and I'll be completely honest, she's got the energy of a fire ball, the curiosity of a kitten, and the wit of a genius - I am definitely in trouble y'all.

While we may be in for it in the future, I need to acknowledge a huge milestone we just hit... it's official, we made it to our ultimate GOAL! We went one whole year with mama milk, but now we can officially start to wean and I'm seriously doing a little happy dance with all my free time ( on the other hand, I have to admit I may be crying a little too... my itty-bitty baby is so big now)!

This bittersweet moment is one that I looked forward to during all of our rough patches - you know, the newborn stage, the sleepless nights, the teething spells, all of it was tough. But I will say - nursing her (on demand) until one year old feels like it was the right thing to do for our family... and while I'll miss that bonding time, it also feels like now is the right time to start encouraging her to wean. While I want her to learn to be a little less focused on mama milk, she still needs another source of nourishment to help her grow... and that's where Munchkin's Grass Fed Toddler Milk Drink comes into the picture.

You may be asking yourself, why this Grass Fed toddler milk? What makes this one the right choice?

Here are SIX reasons we decided to make the switch... and if you're in the same "weaning off the breast" boat we are, I think you'll want to take notes and grab a can of this goodness for your babe!

My number one reason for choosing Munchkin Grass Fed Toddler Milk is in the name, it's grass fed! I became a huge fan once I learned it's made with 100% grass fed milk from New Zealand! You may be thinking... what exactly is the benefit of grass fed milk? It provides high levels of Vitamin A & E and a proper balance of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids. Meaning your baby's tummy will not only be full, but happy and healthy... The way every mama wants their baby to feel after a bottle!

The second reason I decided on Grass Fed Toddler milk is the amazing Lactoferrin, included in every bottle. It's the same immunity booster in breast milk. 

Speaking of breast milk, the third reason I chose this milk over others is the fact that it's Lactose based, just like breast milk. While other toddler snacks and drinks tend to use syrup solids or corn syrup, I love that Grass Fed is lactose based providing D a more fulfilling milk just like her mamas!

My fourth reason is that the milk is free of GMO, rBGH, grain, and antibiotics! I'm a big fan of keeping all of those out of her system so I jumped on the chance to grab some of this delicious, healthy milk for her.

That's enough about the things this milk doesn't have in it... I'm excited to share the fifth reason we chose this milk is the fact it contains DHA & ARA to support her brain!

While this wasn't a reason for ME to make the switch, this giveaway is a FANTASTIC way to get brought over to the Grass Fed side of life! It's simple to enter and you could win a ONE YEAR SUPPLY of Munchkin Grass Fed Milk and $1,000 to stock up on all the toddler stuff your heart could desire! Click here to enter!

Disclaimer: Compensation was provided by Munchkin via MomTrends.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Munchkin or Momtrends.

6 Unexpected Items Every Mom of A Toddler Should Bring to The Beach

I remember the days when heading to the beach meant just putting on my swimsuit and heading out the door with a towel in my hand. Now-a-days, going to the beach practically entails packing an overnight bag.

Today I want to share 6 items you wouldn't normally think to bring to the beach... but their absolute necessities for keeping both you and baby comfortable.

1. Extra pair of your sunglasses just for baby - That's right, I said it, I'm guilty of giving in on this one. I bought D her own pair of my sunglasses for the beach. Why? So I don't have to fight her to keep mine on all the time.

2. A baby sized chair - I guess it probably doesn't surprise you, but D definitely has to have her own chair at the beach now. The independence it offers her she likes and I honestly appreciate not being coated in sand each time she wants to sit for a second. I'm sure other beachin' mamas understand what I mean.

3. Snacks for all - I bring Dannon yogurt drinks for mama and pouches and water for baby. I know others usually think of bringing sandwiches and other snacks like chips and the like to the beach, but we aren't about that life. Neither of us much care for sand in our food so literal sandwiches are a no-go here.

Instead we pack our cooler with sweet smoothie like drinks from Dannon for the adults and delicious little pouches of food and water for D. I opt for Mixed Berry flavors, D usually wants a blueberry pouch... like mother, like daughter.

Why do I chose Yogurt Drinks over other snacks? Not only are they convenient and easy to take with me to the beach (or anywhere for that matter), their also an excellent source of calcium, vitamin D and protein, which contains 9 essential amino acids every body needs. With zero added sugars and 4g of fiber, I know it's a snack that I can gulp down quickly while chasing after this crazy little child with no guilt about breaking my diet.

Wanna try these delicious yogurt snacks from Light & Fit and/or Oikos? Use this Ibotta offer to get a little bit of cash back on your purchase from Walmart!

4. Variety of toys - I know, almost everyone that has kids brings sand castle building toys and a shovel or two to the beach. But this is a little PSA -do not just bring sand toys, a baby gets bored with those rather quickly.

We make sure to bring a variety of goodies for D. From her soccer ball to her favorite dolly, we let her choose what she wants to bring with us that day and it's her special job to look after it at the beach.

5. A Battery Operated Fan - While you can't bring the comfort of air conditioning with you to the beach, you can bring a breeze. Whenever D is with us, we are sure to bring our fan to keep her cool. We love this one because we can spritz her and let her feel like the little princess she is while she soaks up the sun a little.

6. Accessories - The last item on my unexpected list of beach items is certainly one of my favorites... a girl always needs accessories, especially for a day at the beach! We're always sure to bring D a cute bow to match her swimsuit. It may sound silly to you, but these precious photos are some of my favorites so I want to be sure she looks as adorable as she always does.

With that said, what items do you take to the beach with you that you would consider unexpected? I'd love to hear in the comments below!