family

Copycat Recipe: Souplantation Cheesy Garlic Foccacia Bread

Abby H.
It’s so good, it practically evaporates.

When my big kid found out that Souplantation (or Sweet Tomatoes, depending on where you live up) had closed permanently due to the pandemic, he cried.

When you have food texture aversions, you rely a lot on your favorite standby foods and restaurants. I was on a mission to try and recreate one of his Souplantation favorites, which was the Cheesy Garlic Focaccia Bread.

I started with my pizza dough base (the recipe can be found here). And here’s where it gets crazy (and by crazy I mean this is not super healthy, so don’t eat it daily). The remaining ingredients are:

  • 1/2 cup melted butter (that’s 1 stick)
  • 2T. granulated garlic
  • 1t. of each of the following: dried rosemary, dried tarragon, dried oregano, dried basil
  • 2cups+ Italian cheese

Directions:

  1. Make dough as directed here. I only let it rise once for this recipe.
  2. While dough rises, combine melted butter, garlic, and herbs. Set aside.
  3. Once the dough is down rising, turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead for about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
  4. Separate dough into two pieces and roll out to fit onto your pizza pan (I use a cookie sheet that is covered in tin foil and sprayed with spray release).
  5. Spread half of the herbed butter onto the dough, top with cheese. Repeat for the other half of the dough.
  6. If there is any butter left, drizzle it over the bread.
  7. Bake at 450 degrees for 11-14 minutes.
  8. Remove from the baking sheet and slice into long skinny pieces to mimic the Souplantation feel.
The garlicky, herby, buttery goodness….
Cheese and more buttery goodness. Into the oven it does!

7/5/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgYesterday we saw family and friends we haven’t seen in over a year. There were lots of hugs and the kids played (and shot archery). There was a lot of good food, and homemade cider. Today is a holiday here in the US. It’s the observance of Independence Day, so there are a lot of places that are closed (including banks and post offices).

The kids have been digging the free school lunches- It’s a great way to encourage them to try new foods. That’s great because the price of groceries has gone up exponentially over the past few months. We’ve been eating less meat to save money, and I’m leaning more on stores that have good deals like Grocery Outlet, and using my cashback apps like Fetch Rewards. I’ve been cashing out Fetch rewards for Target Gift Cards. I’ve been combining the Target Gift Cards with grocery sales and deals in the Target app, and picking up via curbside pick up. It’s a great option if you’ve got kids and you’ve got a busy summer.

And I’ve been getting a lot of really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

We usually get a CSA box on Mondays, but I am skipping this week. We still have a lot of veggies and fruit from last week, and I’ll be using the fruit up this week in a fruit salad, and the veggies will be in our Chef Salad, and the pasta bake (which I’ll be posting a recipe of later this week).

Veggies and fruit are delivered each Monday by Yasukochi Family Farms CSA. For $25, it’s a great deal. I don’t have to pick anything, go to the store, or carry it upstairs. I can’t go to the store and get the same amount we get weekly for $25. Seriously. It’s a deal. I spend about an hour on Monday afternoon cleaning and prepping veggies for the rest of the week.

I’m doing some meal prep today: A batch of cookies, roasting veggies, and cooking bacon in the oven.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste. If you are looking for a kitchen inventory printable, I have made my own and I’ll be posting them for sale in my Etsy Store later this week.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids.  The kids are nuts about pancakes. The Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

Lunch: We pick up free school lunches during the summer for the kids, I also have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags.

Dinner: Usually, I do a crockpot meal on Mondays, but now that we are home all the time, we’ve been having an odd combination of fully home-cooked, scratch meals, and frozen entrees and veggies. I have been posting our meal plans on Instagram too- As well as pics of stuff we are doing to keep busy.

  • Sunday: Family BBQ/potluck dinner.
  • Monday: Chef Salad (We’ve got a lot of salad fixings to eat up)
  • Tuesday:  Breakfast for Dinner (Waffles, bacon, eggs, and fruit salad)
  • Wednesday:  Nugget night: Nuggets, crackers, cheese, fruit
  • Thursday:  Baked Pasta- I’ll be posting the recipe later this week.
  • Friday:  Takeout Night
  • Saturday: Leftovers, fruit, salad

Please stay safe you guys!

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?

Tryazon: Positive Coloring T-Shirts by Doodle Tees

Abby H.

We’ve been participating in Tryazon events for three+ years. We’ve gotten to try all sorts of fun toys, games, and food. You can learn more about Tryazon here.

Let your kids’ creativity shine with this new Tryazon Featured Party opportunity, sponsored by DoodleTees!  Doodle Tees is an Interactive Apparel company for kids. They have t-shirts and onsies which come in five different positive designs to encourage self-expression and creativity. Get creative, colorful, and spread joy!

Tryazon has 50 hosting spots open for this opportunity!  Those chosen will receive a party pack with 10 Doodle Tees shirts to showcase, color, and share with friends and family!  Learn more and apply here: https://www.tryazon.com/doodle-tees-spread-the-joy-party/ 

7/2/2021 Friday Freebies and Deals

Abby H.
bright boxes

Good morning!

This week has been ok, lots of stuff going on behind the scenes. There will be some posts with more info next week.

As summer is upon us, here are a few freebies to keep your kiddos occupied and fed this summer:

If you are looking for birthday freebies, fret not! I put together a list new for 2021- Check it out here.

Most of these freebies and deals are online. While the State of California is open, I’m not recommending that we all pile into the car and hit the mall. Please remember that most states have not yet reached herd immunity rates. Be safe, be careful.

Freebies:

Free SOS Hydration Electrolyte Drink
Free Slurpee at 7-Eleven in July – Starts Today
Sam’s Club – 50 Free 4×6 Prints
Free GURU Energy Drink at Whole Foods
Free Evil Foods Plant-Based Meat
2021 Ford Essence Festival Tote
Free Carolina Herrera Good Girl & Bad Boy Fragrances
Free Eylure Eyelash Product
Free Multiple Journals
Free Medium Fries w/ Any $1 Purchase at McDonalds – Every Friday
Free Farberware Espresso or Coffee Machine
Free Movie Download
New FREE Personalized Book from Beans & Sparks
Free MyHeritage Ancestry Tools
Phantom Fireworks – Free Pack of 6 Gold Sparklers
Free Bagel at Panera if You’re Vaccinated – Starts Today
Free Paco Rabanna Fragrances
Verizon Up Rewards – Free $3-$5 Amazon or Starbucks Gift Card
Possible Free $125 Groceries Research Study
Free Mini Fridge
Free Beer, Seltzer or Non-Alcoholic Beverage with Vaccine Goal
Free Bubbies Mochi Ice Cream after Rebate
Free Doodle Tees Spread Joy Party
Free OLLY Sleep Gummies Sample
Possible Free Flamin’ Hot Doritos Locos Taco at Taco Bell

Deals

Sedona Cast Iron Mini Skillet & Griddle Set ONLY $9.99 (Reg $30)
Kate Spade Rowe Medium Top Zip Satchel ONLY $89 (Reg $399)
Limited Edition Space Jam Box + Free Double Box
The Everything Kids’ Science Experiments Book $4.99 (Reg. $10)
Electric Hair Trimmer for Men ONLY $20.40 (Reg $50)
Disney Princess Animator Doll ONLY $13.40 (Reg. $27)
Tommy Hilfiger Bath Towels ONLY $5.99 at Macys (Reg $18)
Elite Gourmet Personal Blender ONLY $29.74 (Reg $44)
Save 50% on Little Tikes Mighty Blasters at Target
Save 65% on Muk Luk Sandals + Extra 15% Off at Checkout
Save 70% on Fave Fragrances + Extra 15% Off at Checkout
$9.99 Swim Sale at Victoria’s Secret
Victoria’s Secret Sports Bras are $9.99 (reg $39.50) Semi-Annual
Etch A Sketch Classic Monopoly Edition ONLY $7.99 (Reg. $20)
Mirabal Queen Sheet Set ONLY $23.67 (Reg. $119)
Benefit Roller Lash Curling & Lifting Mascara ONLY $13 (Reg $26)
Intex Twin Inflatable Air Mattress ONLY $9.97 at Walmart
Dash Smart Store Compact Hand Mixer ONLY $9.99 (Reg $20)
Tie-Dye Throws ONLY $9.99 (Reg $34)
MUK LUKS Women’s Boardwalk Stroll Sneaker $27.99 (Reg. $55)

Sweet Deals and Samples from Kabrita!

Abby H.

** This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I love sharing all about Kabrita. Earlier this week they sent me a package with some of their porridge and a cookbook that had tons of recipes to use their products in new and different ways. I love that they are always innovating!

If you have a kiddo that has a sensitive tummy, check out this post where you can score a free sample kit of their products. Their puffs are really tasty, even if you aren’t a kid.

I’m making porridge muffins this morning, the recipe looks a bit like the Malt O Meal Muffins I’ve made in the past. The Kabrita website has really great recipes to use their products too!

Free Food Resources for July 2021 (San Diego County)

Abby H.

A new month means that it’s time for the monthly update of free food resources in San Diego.

You can still find resources here for Central and East County, and Here for North County.

If you are located outside San Diego County, call 211. If you are not familiar with 211, here is their website and it can point you in the right direction.

San Diego Food Bank Distributions for July 2021 can be found here. Enter your address (or just your zip code) and the map will show you all of the distributions in your area or closest to you. You can filter by the days of the week to find food when you are available. If there is an income requirement/limit to participate, each location/listing will say such.

Neighbor distributions are intermixed with the San Diego Food Bank Distributions, however, they have no income requirements, and you come as you are. These Distributions are primarily fruits & veg, however, some locations may also distribute canned goods, dairy, and bread.

Super Pantry Locations can be found here (this listing is countywide). The San Diego Foodbank website also has resources for Diaper banks, free food resources for seniors, and more.

Here is my 2021 Free Summer Lunch for kids post. It’s got all sorts of great info on where and when to pick up free lunches for kids all summer long.

If you know of other resources, please leave a comment! And feel free to share this post with anyone you may know in need.

Tryazon: Unlock You and Your Kids Curl Potential

Abby H.

We’ve been participating in Tryazon events for three+ years. We’ve gotten to try all sorts of fun toys, games, and food. You can learn more about Tryazon here.

Now you and your kids can have happy, healthy curls with Tryazon Featured Party opportunity, from Curl Keeper. Kinder Curls is all your child needs to detangle, define and soften curly hair. Curl Keeper products are designed for every curly head, in all weather and conditions. Curl Keeper products moisturizes, defines and cleanses hair to keep your gorgeous curls for 3-5 days straight without having to re-wash hair!

Tryazon has 100 hosting spots open for this opportunity! Those selected get to receive a party pack valued at $125+ with a variety of Curl Keeper products to share with friends and family!

Learn more and apply here: https://www.tryazon.com/kinder-curls-mommy-and-me-party/

 

Family Recipe: DIY Salad Bar

Abby H.

The post is dedicated to Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes… RIP.

One of our family favorite restaurants pre-pandemic was Souplantation. So many great veggie and salad options all in one place. This summer I’m trying to find easy, simple lunch options for the family, so this week I’m making a salad bar.

It might sound like a lot of work, but I spend about an hour a week prepping veggies as soon as the CSA box arrives, so it’s just a slightly different prep this week.

First I got out our Rubbermaid reusable containers and lids, and I chopped the various ingredients. At lunchtime, I’ll set all of the containers out, and put the salad greens in a large bowl that is nestled in a baking dish full of ice to keep the greens crisp.

If you are having a salad bar for your July Fourth celebration, consider using a cold ingredient caddy like this one.

It keeps the components cold and at their preferred temperature for an extended period of time.

Here are just a few of the ingredients that we’ll be featuring in our DIY salad bar:

  • Salad greens (spinach, romaine lettuce, butter bibb lettuce, mixed greens, kale)
  • Radishes
  • Brocolli
  • Cauliflower
  • Carrots
  • Cucumbers
  • Celery
  • Red onions
  • Green apples
  • Strawberries
  • Beets (raw or pickled)
  • Bell pepper or other sweet peppers
  • Pickled veggies
  • Capers
  • Nuts
  • Dried fruit
  • Hard-boiled eggs
  • Cheese cubes (or crumbled feta or goat cheese)
  • Diced ham or diced turkey breast lunchmeat
  • Croutons
  • Salad Dressing- I like this vinagrette, and this one, and this ranch.

What do you like on your salads?

Have Your Hot Girl Summer on a Budget

Abby H.

I’m sure by now everyone has heard the phrase “Hot Girl Summer”, but do you know what it means? The phrase can be traced back to a Megan Thee Stallion song a few years ago.

On Twitter, she explained: “Being a Hot Girl is about being unapologetically YOU, having fun, being confident, living YOUR truth, being the life of the party, etc.”

A couple of my friends have embraced it, and I think that it’s a pretty amazing outlook to have, especially since last summer was, well, Sad Trombone Noise? I know the kids are looking forward to having fun, more adventures, and getting out of the house. Here are a couple ways I’m bringing Hot Girl Summer (and sharing it with the fam).

New Bathing Suits. Kids grow, but what about me? Well after having the same swimsuits for 3 years, it’s time. Especially since we swim daily.  I bought a few new suits from Amazon. Since I’m fair-skinned I picked up one with long sleeves, the kids tease me about working at SeaWorld. This is just one of the many suits I’ve got. It’s perfect for prime sun time.

 

New Pool Bag and New Pool Toys. Every Summer it seems, we need new pool toys and a new pool bag. The Chlorine wrecks our bag (which is mesh- this helps the pool toys dry quickly), and daily use of toys leaves them.. wrecked. Dollar Tree has a great selection of sturdy pool toys, including inflatables for kids (We have a cool cookie ring that has a “bite” taken out of it). For me, I picked up a sweet inflatable float pool chair. 

Plans to meet up with friends. Now that most people have access to the vaccine, getting together with friends is a lot more feasible. We are still limiting ourselves and staying away from large gatherings where we don’t know everyone, but dinner and drinks with friends sound amazing. I’m hosting dinners a couple times a month over the summer for a few reasons: 1. To keep all of our costs down (Dinner out with drinks costs $$$ these days), and honestly, I don’t feel super safe going out for dinner all that often, especially now that there are no mask regulations in our state. And I’m having a weekend getaway with some girlfriends in a few weeks. I am really looking forward to a weekend away in a vacation rental doing a whole lot of nothing!

Take Advantage of the season: What does that mean? Summer has all sorts of fun advantages: Long days, Amazing fruit and veggies are in season, nice weather. Spend time outside (poolside, at the beach, exploring nature), enjoy a big bowl of fruit salad, make a huge salad! Community events are starting to come back (with limited event sizes), and there are lots of free events throughout the summer. EventBrite is a great place to find community events.

Make Time for You: I know… So many blogs and social media tell you to get self-care time and spend time doing things that you love, but as a parent, it can be hard without staying up late or waking up before dawn. Finding a sitter can be tough too. It’s ok to lean on family and friends. The past year has been exponentially tough on parents, and you need time to yourself. Swap child care with friends, or if you want to have a night out, split the cost of a sitter. Your kids can hang out together, while you and your friends get some time away.

Take Care of Yourself: And I don’t mean the stereotypical self-care of putting on a mud mask and drinking water with lemon slices. That’s fun, but I mean the simple acts that we often overlook as caregivers.

  • Sunscreen for your face and any exposed areas when you’ll be outside for more than 10 minutes during peak sun hours (usually 10am-4pm). Don’t forget the tops of your ears. Being super fair-skinned I also wear a sun hat too. Not super sexy, but I don’t want skin cancer.
  • Take something to drink with you. I know most of you pack snacks for your kids when you leave home, but take a few extra minutes to make yourself something that you like (bonus if it’s a snack that your kids do not like- No sharing!), and fill your water bottle. This is the water bottle I use. If you like fruit-infused water, bottles like this are great.  You can also opt for an infuser to go into your favorite bottle or insulated cup.
  • Find Something to Keep You Occupied.  Besides your kids. Pick up a book, grab a craft kit (I like embroidery- it’s easy and portable), Craftsy has some cool online classes to get you started.

I’d love to hear about how you are bringing Hot Girl Summer. Leave a comment below!

 

 

 

6/27/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThis week have some fun afternoon plans: Swimming, hanging out with friends, a trip to get fro yo, and our weekly library trip. We’re working our way across the county libraries.

The kids have been digging the free school lunches- It’s a great way to encourage them to try new foods. That’s great because the price of groceries has gone up exponentially over the past few weeks, so I’m leaning more on stores that have good deals like Grocery Outlet, and using my cashback apps like Fetch Rewards. I’ve been cashing out Fetch rewards for Target Gift Cards. I’ve been combining the Target Gift Cards with grocery sales and deals in the Target app, and picking up via curbside pick up. It’s a great option if you’ve got kids and you’ve got a busy summer.

And I’ve been getting a lot of really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

The CSA Box comes tomorrow AM, but they send out a preview email over the weekend. It is very helpful for menu planning.

Veggies and fruit are delivered each Monday by Yasukochi Family Farms CSA. For $25, it’s a great deal. I don’t have to pick anything, go to the store, or carry it upstairs. I can’t go to the store and get the same amount we get weekly for $25. Seriously. It’s a deal. I spend about an hour on Monday afternoon cleaning and prepping veggies for the rest of the week.

I’m doing some meal prep today: A batch of cookies, roasting zucchini, defrosting and marinating chicken, and defrosting ground beef so tomorrow I can make a big batch of red sauce.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste. If you are looking for a kitchen inventory printable, I like the kitchen inventories here. They are great printables.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids.  The kids are nuts about pancakes. The Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

Lunch: We pick up free school lunches during the summer for the kids, I also have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags.

Dinner: Usually, I do a crockpot meal on Mondays, but now that we are home all the time, we’ve been having an odd combination of fully home-cooked, scratch meals, and frozen entrees and veggies. I have been posting our meal plans on Instagram too- As well as pics of stuff we are doing to keep busy.

  • Sunday: Pulled BBQ chicken, rice, salad.
  • Monday: Spaghetti with red sauce (I am making some without meat for my vegetarian kiddo).
  • Tuesday:  Breakfast for Dinner (pancakes, bacon, and fruit-probably melon)
  • Wednesday:  Nugget night: Nuggets, crackers, cheese, fruit
  • Thursday: Italian Herb and Lemon chicken, rice, salad, roasted corn
  • Friday:  Takeout Night
  • Saturday: Leftovers, fruit, salad

Please stay safe you guys!

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?