Ginger Casa

Tyler, TX blogger - parenting, cooking, DIY-ing, crafting, sports, and life with three boys!

Gena is the mother of three boys, wife to DFW Dad, gardener, cook, crafter, DIYer, former teacher, and more! They live in the Tyler, Texas area.

“Wrapped Up in Christmas” out October 1st from Hallmark Publishing! 

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Sponsored by Hallmark – all opinions are mine

Are you a lover of all things Hallmark? Well, you are going to get excited about this one! Hallmark Publishing has released Wrapped Up In Christmas, a book based on a Hallmark Original Movie. 

A gift of warmth 

to heal two hearts… 

Sarah Smith in Pine Hill, Kentucky has had her heart broken in the past. She pours herself into her work at church and into special projects—like making a quilt for a wounded warrior. 

Bodie Lewis is lost. All he’s ever wanted was his career as an Army Ranger, but he was injured in an explosion that killed his brothers in arms. In the hospital, he receives a handmade quilt. Later, he sets out on his final mission: to find and thank its maker. 

Bodie expected Sarah to be an elderly lady, not a lovely young woman. When she mistakes him for a handyman, he doesn’t immediately set her straight. Instead, he sets about repairing the home she’s turning into a bed and breakfast. Sarah’s presence and the spirit of the small town bring Bodie something he thought he’d left far behind on the battlefield: hope.

About Hallmark Publishing

The Hallmark stories we all know and love are now available as books! Heartwarming romances and intriguing mysteries are here to give as gifts and spend nights relaxing! In addition to companion novels to beloved Hallmark movies, you will discover brand new novels to brighten your day and leave you feeling great about life. Hallmark is bringing new characters, relationships, romances, and mysteries, too!

To make these books even more fun, there are recipes inspired by the story included! 

Available in paperback, e-book, and audiobook. Visit Hallmark Channel – Wrapped Up In Christmas for more information! 

 

Halloween Craft Time: Sparkly Spiderwebs

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Halloween Craft Time: Sparkly Spiderwebs was first published in 2012. Updated in 2019.

sparkly spiderwebs

One day when I was home with my then 3.5 year old, he wanted to do a Halloween craft. I had no idea, so of course, I went looking on Pinterest and found many crafts to make with black paper and white paint. I did not really feel like heading to the store with a 3.5 and 1.5 year old, so I searched for “homemade white paint.” I had black paper, but needed white paint! I kept seeing lots of recipes for Epsom salt paint, so we went with that, and it turned out nicely. And as a bonus, the “paint” even sparkled, so that day we made Sparkly Spiderwebs!

Check out some of the cute crafts on my Halloween board!View Post

Sony Noise-Canceling Headphones Are The Gift He Wants!

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sony noise-canceling headphones

Sony noise-canceling headphones brought to you by Best Buy

Is it too soon to start talking about holiday gifts for men? Once October hits, I feel like I am making mental lists, thinking and re-thinking what to buy the men in my life. I have a pre-teen and a husband that are really into technology. I love listening to music, too, but these two watch a lot of sports games, movies, Netflix, and also play games and listen to music. They are audiophiles by every sense of the word. They love music gadgets, the latest speaker systems, and they are never satisfied with just listening to something on the phone. No, it has to be connected to some high powered speaker system or headphones for superior sound quality. Even while working out, they are listening to music!

I am SO thrilled that I have THE perfect gifts for all lovers of high quality audio. Sony Wireless Noise Canceling Extra Bass Headphones and True Wireless In-Ear Noise Canceling Headphones are what men (and women!) want, without a doubt. They both provide clear, crisp sound that is true to the Sony name.View Post

Instant Pot Tomato Soup – Add This Recipe To Your Fall Soup Lineup!

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instant pot tomato soup

Ahhh Fall… the leaves falling, the acorns crunching under my feet, the cold fronts that blow through…who doesn’t love Fall? Sure, Summer is gone and the holidays are approaching, but it seems like Fall is the calm before the storm. I love adding cool weather recipes like this Instant Pot Tomato Soup to my lineup. It is SO good and really good for you! Serve with cornbread, garlic toast, grilled cheese…or just serve alone. It is simply delicious.View Post

Give Mom Some “Me Time” with Sennheiser ‘s NEW M3 Momentum Wireless Headphones

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This Sennheiser MOMENTUM headphones post was brought to you by Best Buy.

Is it too early to start thinking about Christmas? I do not think so, but I definitely know it’s not even on my husband’s radar right now. I wanted to introduce the NEW M3 Momentum Wireless Headphones from Sennheiser, however, because these WILL be a hot gift for the 2019 holidays! For busy moms such as myself, I know this will be a much appreciated gift, because these are noise cancelling, which allows Mom (or anyone!) to enjoy their favorite song or podcast without added noise.View Post

The Best Air Fryer Calzones and the First Range with Air Fry!

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Thank you Frigidaire for sponsoring this post.

best air fryer calzones

I have been using an air fryer for awhile now, and have found a few favorites that we love. I wondered for a long time…what is the best air fryer for my family? The model that I first bought was on sale, so I went with that one and while that has served us well, it does not hold much food at ALL, and definitely not a whole meal for an entire family!

best air fryerView Post

12 Delicious Date Night Dinners

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12 delicious date night dinners

While going out to a restaurant with your spouse or signifiant other is great, sometimes it is just better to stay in. Especially on busy nights like Valentine’s Day, (or Friday…) it just becomes more of a hassle to fight the crowds, talk over the noise, and spend time with each other.  

It’s nice just to stay in and enjoy a meal, just the two of us.  Sure there is cooking involved, but cooking is a labor of love for me.  I absolutely love being able to cook something that I know we will enjoy!  And cooking together is a great idea, too. If you have kids, just send them off with grandma or the neighbor family and dedicate a couple of hours to just spending time together and talking. And pin this list for Valentine’s Day, because I guarantee this is better than going out on the busiest day of the year for restaurants!

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Pumpkin Pie Granola and the Keurig® K-Duo Essentials Single Serve & Carafe Coffee Maker

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pumpkin pie granola

I received this product for free from Moms Meet to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links. Pumpkin Pie Granola and the Keurig® K-Duo Essentials Single Serve & Carafe Coffee Maker

September is here and that means two HUGE things for our family. 1. pumpkin everything and 2. lots of birthdays, holidays, and visits from guests are on their way. We have three boys and all of them have a fall birthday. All three boys are in sports and having recently moved further away from family, I anticipate more overnight stays, if we are lucky, from family members and friends. Both of these things are exciting to me because I LOVE the fall, I love pumpkins and pumpkin spice everything, and I LOVE having company. The thing about having company, however, is that sometimes we have different preferences in coffee and even coffee makers. My dad is a decaf drinker, my mom drinks cappuccino or nothing at all, and then other members of the family have their preferences, too.

Pumpkin Pie Granola and the Keurig® K-Duo Essentials Single Serve & Carafe Coffee Maker

Sometimes we all need to be out the door by 8 for a early morning soccer game and a single serve coffee machine is only so fast. I like to brew a pot of coffee for all the caffeinated coffee drinkers, but where does that leave those who prefer decaf or another variety of hot drink? The Keurig® K-Duo Essentials Single Serve & Carafe Coffee Maker is THE perfect solution for this issue. Make a pot of coffee on the left side, and that leaves the single serve option available for anyone who needs to use it. And on days when it is just the hubby and I drinking coffee, we each can have our favorite blend in a single serve mug and we are good to go. I love that the carafe coffee maker is always readily available and there is ONE Keurig for all of our coffee and hot drink needs!

What goes best with coffee? Well, I think it’s a nice bowl of Pumpkin Pie Granola! I made a batch of this delicious stuff and it’s been so good to have with almond milk, on top of yogurt, or just by itself. It has a home by my Keurig for those busy mornings, too! (Scroll to the bottom for this yummy recipe!)

keurig pumpkin pie granola

I love how not only convenient the Keurig K-Duo Essentials Coffee Maker is, but they budget-friendly cost is impressive, too! Available at Walmart, this is going to be a well received holiday gift this year and it’s under $100! 

Keurig® K-Duo Essentials™ Coffee Maker

The K-Duo Essentials Coffee Maker comes with a 12 cup glass carafe, along with a heating plate, to keep your coffee warm. If you love hot coffee throughout the day, this is a great option for you! It also features a Pause & Pour feature, which allows the coffee maker to be paused for 20 seconds mid brew, so you can pour your coffee right away and not have to wait!

The huge 60 oz. single reservoir is shared between single serve and carafe brewing and makes refilling easy. The Keurig can also adapt to travel mugs and can brew multiple sizes, such as 8, 10, or 12 cup carafe and an 8, 10, or 12 oz cup.

Keurig® K-Duo Essentials™ Coffee Maker

 


 

pumpkin pie granola

Coffee + pumpkin pie granola = a perfect fall morning for anyone! Grab this recipe and then head to your local Walmart for this great Keurig!

Pumpkin Pie Granola

Pumpkin Pie Granola

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

This delicious, crunchy pumpkin pie granola is the perfect breakfast or snack food for Fall or year round!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups oats
  • 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1 cup pecans
  • 1/2 cup walnuts 
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients together.
  3. Mix the maple syrup, molasses, and coconut oil together.
  4. Pour liquid mixture over dry mixture and mix well.
  5. Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes and stir gently.
  7. If the granola is golden brown, remove from oven. If not, continue to bake it until it reaches that golden brown color.
  8. Remove from oven and let cool. (Granola will become crispy as it cools.)
  9. Enjoy with milk, yogurt, or a big ol' slab of pumpkin pie!
  10. Store all leftover granola in an airtight container.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 276 Total Fat: 18g Saturated Fat: 6g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 11g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 64mg Carbohydrates: 27g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 4g Sugar: 12g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 4g
The writer is not a doctor or nutritionist and this nutritional information is just a guideline. Please consult your doctor or nutritionist for more accurate information.
© Gena

Chicken Salad Deviled Eggs

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Blue Plate Mayonnaise. All opinions are 100% mine.

chicken salad deviled eggs

Deviled eggs are a staple at potlucks and bbqs, but they are a welcomed addition to any party, meal, or celebration. These Chicken Salad Deviled Eggs take the traditional deviled eggs up a notch and turn it into a delicious side item OR meal!

chicken salad deviled eggs

I love seeing chicken salad sandwiches on a menu when we go to delis and hometown restaurants. Every restaurant has their own special touch to their recipe, and I just love it. These chicken salad deviled eggs are my latest special touch!

chicken salad deviled eggs

When I make chicken salad at home, I can use all of my favorite ingredients, like dried sugar free cranberries, pecans, and Blue Plate REAL Mayonnaise. Blue Plate Mayonnaise is made from a simple, time-honored recipe of oil, vinegar and only the egg yolks, making it extra rich and creamy.  Voted #1 Mayonnaise by Epicurious, it blends well in this delicious recipe!

chicken salad deviled eggs

See how I elevated Macaroni and Cheese!

Find the product near you and Find recipes using Blue Plate Mayonnaise here

Chicken Salad Deviled Eggs

Chicken Salad Deviled Eggs

Elevate traditional deviled eggs with these delicious Chicken Salad Deviled Eggs!

Ingredients

  • 7-8 hardboiled eggs
  • 1 cup cooked chicken
  • 1/2 cup Blue Plate Mayonnaise
  • 1 TBSP mustard
  • 2 TBSP dill pickle juice
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup chopped dill pickles
  • 1/8 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
  • 1/4 dried cranberries

Instructions

    1. Peel hard boiled eggs when cool and place on a paper towel to remove any excess water.
    2. Using a sharp knife, hold the egg longways and cut a tiny bit off of one end of the egg, so it can stand up.
    3. Cut about 1/3 off the other end and discard the tips.
    4. Using a small knife or spoon, remove the egg yolks carefully and place them in a bowl.
    5. Mix together half of egg yolks, Blue Plate mayo, mustard, salt, chicken, and pickle juice, 1/2 tsp at a time, until desired consistency is achieved.
    6. Add in cranberries and chopped pecans, if desired, and stir gently.
    7. Gently spoon chicken/egg salad into eggs and overfill.
    8. Sprinkle with paprika.
    9. Serve and enjoy!
© Gena
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EASY Ham Bowtie Pasta for A Quick Lunch or Dinner!

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easy ham bowtie pasta

School has started and so far, it is off to a great start! I made sure to make a run to the grocery store to stock up on lots of essentials that make school so much easier. I found a few new lunchbox containers that make transporting the boys’ favorite foods super simple, too! This little blue cup with lid and spoon is perfect for a serving of Ham Bowtie Pasta for their lunchboxes!View Post

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