Name: Apple Cider - Kid Friendly Recipe for Cool Nights!
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 1 64oz bottle of Apple Juicy Juice 100% juice; 3 cinnamon sticks (plus additional for garnish); 2 whole oranges, peel included; 10 cloves

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.

Home Beverage Fridge – Why Every Family Needs One!

By Gena Leave a Comment

Have you ever considered if your family needs a home beverage fridge? There have been many days when I wanted to chill a bottle of water or juice and there was simply NOT any room in my refrigerator. Do you ever have that problem? Some days I wish for another fridge all together!

This post was brought to you by NewAir. All opinions are mine.

Our family loves drinks. We do not keep a lot of soda, but we for sure keep juice, sparkling water, and sparkling juice! All of this hydration is good, but the fact that we ALL have our different favorites is problematic for our family. And when we have guests, well, there just simply is not any more room!

Get some ideas for family friendly holiday beverages!

Use code “GINGERCASA” for 7% off of this beverage fridge on the NewAir website!

When we have soccer games or practices the next day, I can easily chill some reusable water bottles that will be nice and cold when we need them. I like that this beverage fridge can hold 90 cans and the racks can be removed and customized for any size beverages that you may need to chill.

Another fun feature of this beverage fridge: it has a lock and key! So, if your kids try to sneak drinks, lock it up! If you choose to store adult beverages in it, lock it up! Simple and easy and SAFE! I love this feature!

This has been a great addition to our kitchen and has freed up a lot of space in the big fridge! It can be used in a residential or commercial setting. The compact design holds 90 cans and the freestanding design requires no special installation. There is also a light that can be left on and a set-and-forget-it thermostat.

What would you keep in your home beverage fridge??

Apple Cider – Kid Friendly Recipe for Cool Nights!

By Gena Leave a Comment

This Apple Cider recipe post was brought to you by Juicy Juice, but all opinions are mine!

My kids love Juicy Juice apple juice, but I wanted to introduce them to apple cider! I was looking at the Juicy Juice website because it has lots of fun crafts and recipe ideas, and I saw a recipe for Juicy Juice Apple Cider and I knew we had to try it!

It was super simple to make and minus the cutting of the oranges, the kids would be able to help make it.

We love the flavor of this drink, and I know it will be delicious on a cold winter day! Juicy Juice apple cider is a delicious holiday drink for the whole family!

If you prefer your drinks cold, try my Spiced Apple Iced Tea!

Juicy Juice 100% Thankful Teacher Contest

If you need even more reason to love Juicy Juice, check out their 100% Thankful Teacher Contest! Head over to the site and vote for the teacher that you think is the most deserving!

10 servings

Apple Cider - Kid Friendly Recipe for Cool Nights!

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Make this delicious homemade apple cider for the family nights when it's cool outside!

Ingredients

1 64oz bottle of Apple Juicy Juice 100% juice
3 cinnamon sticks (plus additional for garnish)
2 whole oranges, peel included
10 cloves

Instructions

Wash oranges in cold water and chop into fourths
Add cinnamon sticks, oranges, cloves and Apple Juicy Juice 100% juice in a saucepan
Simmer over low heat for ten minutes, never letting the mixture boil
Remove oranges and allow cider to cool for 5 minutes
Serve in a mug with a cinnamon stick for garnish
Pour the remaining cider in a pitcher and store in the refrigerator for later

How to Clean A Grill

By Gena Leave a Comment

This shop has been compensated by Inmar Intelligence and Colgate-Palmolive® and Scotch-Brite®. All opinions are mine alone. How to Clean A Grill #GreatTeamEasyClean

We live in Texas, so there is not really a specific “grilling season” or “BBQ season.” The only time you cannot grill in Texas is when it is stormy outside, and even then, some may argue with that. Some of our favorite meals are made on the grill, from chicken wings, to fajitas, to of course, hamburgers and hot dogs! I love grilling because it is all contained into one cooking area, instead of dirtying up different pots and pans, the oven, and different parts of the kitchen.

Being that the grill grates are the cooking surface, they can get really dirty really fast. And if you just close the lid and forget it until the next time you use it, you likely have a gross buildup that needs some tough cleaning action. This is what my grill looked like before I started this deep cleaning:

When I decided to clean my grill, I simply opened up the Walmart app and added Palmolive® Ultra Oxy and Scotch-Brite® Advanced Scrub Dots Non-Scratch Scrubbers to my online cart for grocery pickup. It was a breeze, as always! The combination of Palmolive® and Scotch-Brite® is the perfect solution to clean up any type of mess!

Next, I located a shallow plastic tub that I had in the garage and ensured that the grill grates would fit nicely inside. I then filled it about 3/4 of the way full with water and about 1/4 cup of Palmolive® Ultra Oxy. Next…I let it set for a few hours so it could get to work on the grease before I cleaned it with the Scotch-Brite® scrubbers.

During the wait time, I use the Scotch-Brite® scrubbers to clean the grill itself. It is really obvious, but also amazing how dirty a grill can get, both inside and out. I used the soft side to clean the outside of the grill, and the scrubbing dots side to clean the parts with stuck on residue.

When I checked on the soaking grill grates, I could instantly see that some work had been done for me by the Palmolive® Ultra Oxy. The water was VERY dirty and I could see a greasy film on top of the water. I used the Scotch-Brite® Advanced Scrubber to scrub off the residue on the grill grates. Most of it came off easily, but there were a few stubborn areas in which food had been burned onto over time. No problem, though, I just put in a little more gentle elbow grease and it came off! I was really amazed at how clean these grates were becoming! Scotch-Brite® Advanced Scrub Dot Scrubbers and Palmolive® Ultra Oxy is the WINNING TEAM!!

I love that the Scotch-Brite® Scrub Dots are non-scratch and didn’t cause any damage to the grill grates, but yet it was effective in removing the stuck on food. It delivered the trusted scrubbing power that we know from the Scotch-Brite® Brand! Powerful Scrubbing. Rinses clean.

The Palmolive® Ultra Oxy was just what these grill grates needed to attack the grease. This formula, with oxygenated cleaning action, cleaned efficiently! I love that it was soft on my hands and I did not need to wear gloves.

I could talk all day about how well these products worked to clean my grill…but let me show you the pictures! These grill grates are SO INCREDIBLY CLEAN! We have used this grill for at least four years and these grates look brand new, almost!

Just look at that gorgeous old grill!!

Click the image below to add these products directly to your Walmart Online Grocery cart:

Have you been avoiding cleaning your grill? Now you do not have to with this easy tutorial on how to clean your grill with Scotch-Brite® and Palmolive® Ultra Oxy!

Chicken Enchilada Sliders

By Gena Leave a Comment

Easy meals that the whole family will love are my favorite. These chicken enchilada sliders will be a family favorite of yours soon!

Okay, so it’s true. My family loves enchiladas. You may have seen my recipe for air fryer chicken enchiladas. If not, you should add that to your meal plan, too! If there’s something that the men in my house love equal to enchiladas, it’s sandwiches. This recipe for Chicken Enchilada Sliders combines both worlds and makes delicious mini sandwiches that would be great for a busy family dinner or a finger food at a sports party.

The chicken for these sliders can be made in a few different ways. You can use thighs, quarters, or breasts. You can cook your chicken in the Crock Pot or oven (or Instant Pot, really, if you are short on time.) You can also use rotisserie chicken and cut the cooking out all together! It’s a great meal idea for those busy nights!

These sliders are full of flavor and even come with some vegetables. You know, so my kids can pick them off and stuff. HA! But really, the veggies add to the delicious flavor!!

You can, of course, switch it up by adding jalapeños, hatch chiles, or even use green enchilada sauce or pepper jack cheese. Anything goes, and these are delicious no matter what!

>>Try my recipe for authentic cheese enchiladas and instant pot mexican rice!<<

Chicken Enchilada Sliders

These Chicken Enchilada Sliders are easy to make and will be a new family favorite!

Ingredients

1 package sandwich rolls
2-3 cups shredded chicken (see step 1 for options)
1 cup shredded cheese
1 tomato, chopped
1 sweet bell pepper, chopped
1/4 red onion, sliced thin
1/2 black olives, sliced
1/3 cup butter, or more as desired

Instructions

To make enchilada chicken, place 4 large chicken quarters or chicken breasts and 1 32 oz can of enchilada sauce in a glass dish and cook in the oven for 1 hour at 400 degrees OR in the crock pot on high for 3 hours. Also, you could use rotisserie chicken and enchilada sauce, warmed on the stove for a quick dinner solution
To make sliders ... Preheat oven to 350F
Line a 9” x 13” casserole dish with parchment paper.
Lay the bottom half of the sandwich rolls in the casserole dish.
Layer on the shredded chicken, shredded cheese, and chopped veggies.
Cover the sandwich fillings with the top of the sandwich rolls.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
Pour the butter over the sandwiches, using a pastry brush to ensure even coating.
Cover the casserole dish with tinfoil and bake for 15-20 minutes, until butter is fully absorbed and sandwich tops are lightly browned.
Slice and serve

Notes

You can add other favorite ingredients like hot sauce or green chiles to the crockpot to give your chicken even more flavor.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 426Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 147mgSodium: 358mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 39g

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.

Pumpkin Spice Churros – Make in the Air Fryer or Oven!

By Gena Leave a Comment

Yes, boys and girls, pumpkin spice season is here! But, who am I kidding? Pumpkin spice season is year ’round and I’m not even going to apologize for it. These air fryer pumpkin spice churros are easy, delicious, and a great way to celebrate the best spice that every existed. You can also make them in the oven if you are not in the air fryer world yet.

air fryer pumpkin churros

The pumpkin spice churros are easy to make, with only five ingredients. If you prefer bite sized churros, just use a pizza cutter to make smaller bites. Either way you slice it, they’re yummy!

air fryer pumpkin spice churros

Make my air fryer churros with Mexican chocolate sauce, too!

air fryer pumpkin churros

These churros make a great breakfast, snack, or dessert. Add some ice cream or whipped cream and you have a real treat! If you don’t have crescent roll dough and have pie crust, try making my pumpkin pie pop tarts in the air fryer!

8 churros

Pumpkin Spice Churros - Make in the Air Fryer or Oven!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 6 minutes

Additional Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes

Pumpkin spice churros are delicious and great in the air fryer or oven!

Ingredients

1 8 oz can refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 cup pumpkin purée
2 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP pumpkin spice
3 TBSP melted butter

Instructions

Preheat the air fryer to 330 degrees or the oven to 350.
In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cinnamon.
Unroll the crescent dough onto a cutting board and separate it into 4 rectangles, pressing perforations to seal.
Spread a thin layer of pumpkin purée on to only two of the rectangles.
Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of the pumpkin.
Top the cinnamon sugar pumpkin rectangles with the other two rectangles.
With a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut each rectangle stack into 4 strips.
Twist each strip and place in air fryer basket or on to a baking sheet.
Cook in the air fryer for 5 to 6 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. If cooking in the oven, cook for about 10-15 minutes.
Brush the churros with the melted butter and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture on top.
Serve and enjoy!

Air Fryer Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts

By Gena Leave a Comment

I love Fall. It is THE BEST time of the year, by far. Pumpkins, falling leaves, cooler temperatures, and pumpkin pie spice make it my favorite! I made these Air Fryer Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year! (sorry, Christmas fans!)View Post

Teacher Gift Basket for Back to School

By Gena Leave a Comment

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. Teacher gift basket for back to school.

School is back in session or will be soon all across America. Whether your family is doing in person school, virtual learning, homeschooling, or another variety of schooling, I believe that every teacher deserves a little teacher gift basket at the beginning of school. Yes, even if the parent is the teacher!

What should go into a teacher gift basket?

When I taught kindergarten, I liked to stock up with essentials before the school year began. A great option is to gift teachers with things that they can use in their classrooms, school supplies, an immune support dietary supplement like Sambucol®, and of course, fresh flowers! Other ideas include: gift cards for stores that sell school supplies, bottled drinks and snacks, restaurant gift cards for easy curbside pickup on those first days of school, and for the 2020 school year, fun face masks for teachers to wear!

Sambucol Elderberry Products

Sambucol® is the original Black Elderberry extract. Strong immune system support is provided to families stay healthy throughout the year. Sambucol is a unique black elderberry extract rich in immune supporting flavonoids. Black elderberries contain more antioxidants than blueberries or cranberries! These products are great to add to your arsenal to build up the immunity of not only yourself, but the entire family.

offer natural immune support
Black Elderberry is high in antioxidants and has been used for thousands for years.
Sambucol gummies are pectin based, sweetened only with pure cane sugar, and contain no artificial flavors or colors.
They are gluten, nut, soy, dairy, and egg free.
The gummies are suitable for vegetarians and vegans and can be used by adults and children from four years old.
There is only 1 g of sugar per gummy.
One 30-count bottle of Sambucol Black Elderberry Gummies typically retails for $12.99 and a 60-count bottle for $24.99. Purchase Sambucol products at Amazon, Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, GNC, The Vitamin Shoppe, Ralphs, Vons, Safeway, and Kroger. To find a store near you, visit the Sambucol page.

My family has used Sambucol gummies before, but this daily immune drink powder was new to me. You simply mix it with water or another beverage and it becomes a great tasting immunity drink! This is a great way for a busy teacher to hydrate and also build up his/her immunity during the school day!

I think gifts for teachers are a great way to encourage our hard working teachers at the beginning of each school year. They work SO hard and being a former teacher and also a child of two teachers, I know that they and their families, too, make many sacrifices to educate kids every single day. Every single gift teachers get, no matter how big or small, and every word of appreciation are encouraging and help them realize how much they are loved!

Consider making a teacher gift basket for your child’s teacher, a friend who is a teacher, or even your spouse if they are the teacher in your home! I hope everyone has a great school year!

August is Exciting at McAlister’s Deli – Sweepstakes, Rewards, & More!

By Gena Leave a Comment

This post was sponsored by McAlister’s Deli. All opinions are mine.

My family and I have all been fans of McAlister’s Deli for years. They have a wide variety of menu items and we all have our favorites! Sandwiches, spuds, soups, desserts, and of course, McAlister’s Famous Tea™. This summer, we have gotten McAlister’s take out a bunch of times and even had a fun family picnic!

McAlister’s has a few fun things in store for August!

McAlister’s Deli’s Free For You & Me Sweepstakes

This month, McAlister’s Deli is launching the “McAlister’s Deli Free for You & Me Sweepstakes” where 10 lucky McAlister’s Deli app and rewards program members will have the chance to win FREE McAlister’s Deli meals for a year! If that doesn’t make you super excited like me, then you haven’t had McAlister’s lately!

To enter: simply download the app on iOS or Android and sign up for the reward program. You will automatically be entered for a chance to win free McAlister’s Deli for an entire year and will also receive a free sweet tea! Find the full contest rules HERE.

The BEST part of the sweepstakes is that the ten winners will also have the opportunity to gift the same prize to a person of your choice! What a delicious way to spread the love!

I have been using the McAlister’s app and enjoying racking up the points in the rewards program. After every purchase, customers get points in their app that are redeemable for rewards and benefits.

App Rewards:

Points: Earn 10 points for every $1 spent
Reward Thresholds: Any beverage or kid’s item (500 points), any side or soup or dessert (1,000 points), and any entrée – spud, sandwich, choose 2, salad (1,500 points)
Bonus User Rewards:
- Welcome Reward: Free Tea just for downloading and signing up!
- Birthday Reward: FREE COOKIE

Limited-time Bonus Member Rewards for August:

New Member Bonus: From August 5-12, all new sign-ups receive a FREE Kid’s Meal plus FREE tea!
Back to School: From August 17-23, receive double points on all Kid’s Meals.First-Time Delivery Orders: From August 24-30, receive 1,000 bonus points for first-time McAlister’s Delivery orders through the app.

What’s your favorite thing to eat at McAlister’s Deli?

How to Make Strawberry Icing!

By Gena Leave a Comment

How to make Strawberry Icing!

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My husband and sons have many things in common, but their love of strawberries is a strong bond that they all share! I love strawberries, too, but I prefer them paired with chocolate like in my Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake recipe. We have poundcake or angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream often, but my kids really love homemade strawberry cake with homemade strawberry icing. It’s always a winner! And when you let the kids add their own preferred amount of icing…well, it’s a win. ha!

Do you have kids that prefer different things? One of my kids would eat the cake alone, the next would put too much icing and a little cake, and then the other would spread a little icing and a lot of cake! This is why icing your own piece is a good idea for us!

And if you would rather just eat the icing…well, that’s okay, too, right?

This recipe whips up really quickly and the results are so yummy! All you need is a blender, a mixer, strawberries, butter, vanilla, a little salt, and powdered sugar.

If you have leftover icing, then the sky is the limit! It would be great for stuffed strawberries or a pancake topping, too!

Enjoy!

How to Make Strawberry Icing!

Delicious homemade strawberry icing is easy to make and can be used on cake, cookies, or even waffles!

Ingredients

1 cup strawberries, chopped
1 cup butter, room temp
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch or two of salt
milk, if needed to thin icing

Instructions

Wash and cut the stems off of strawberries and chop.
Add strawberries to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
Drain water off of puree and add to a mixer.
Add softened butter and mix.
Add vanilla and salt.
Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time.
Beat until well mixed and creamy.
If icing is too thick, add milk, a TBSP at a time, until the proper consistency is achieved.
Use icing on your favorite cake, waffles, cookies, etc! It's so good!

Easy Homemade Pork Sausage Recipe – Perfect with Potatoes!

By Gena Leave a Comment

Easy Homemade Pork Sausage Recipe – Perfect with Potatoes!

homemade pork sausage recipe and potatoes

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We have done Whole30 a couple of times now, and I have loved discovering how to cook clean, delicious foods that nourish the body. This recipe for homemade sausage is Whole30 approved as long as you leave out the maple syrup. It is delicious with or without, so no need to worry there. You can also adjust the amount of spice in the sausage to fit your family’s tastes. Spicy or mild, this pork sausage recipe is a winner!

Serve it with potatoes, as I show you in the recipe below, or in breakfast burritos or breakfast pockets. It freezes well, too, so make a batch to keep on hand at all times! I never like the ingredients in store bought sausage, so this is a great, clean alternative.

I prefer to get my pork sausage from Butcher Box because they have heritage breed, humanely raised, vegetarian fed pork that are never given antibiotics or added hormones.

Sign up for Butcher Box here.

This sausage can be formed into links or patties, but I prefer crumbles because they’re so versatile and quicker to cook!

Easy Homemade Pork Sausage - Perfect with Potatoes!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

This easy, homemade pork sausage recipe is so versatile! Use it with potatoes, breakfast burritos, breakfast pockets, and more!

Ingredients

1 pound of ground pork
1/2 tsp ground sage
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
olive oil
1-2 TBSP maple syrup, optional

For Potatoes

2 cups yukon gold potatoes, washed and quartered
2 cups chicken broth
olive oil

Instructions

If cooking potatoes, drizzle a little oil in the bottom of a pan or cast iron skillet. Turn stovetop on high.
Add in potatoes and stir slightly, and salt to taste.
Pour in chicken broth and let boil until most of the liquid is gone.
While the potatoes are cooking, prepare your sausage.
Place all sausage ingredients in a bowl and mix well with your hands.
If you want to form links or patties, go ahead and do so, otherwise, skip to step 7.
Drizzle a little olive oil in a cast iron skillet or pan and add in sausage.
Cook on medium-high until done.
When potatoes and sausage are all done, combine and serve together with cheese, tomatoes, salsa, or your other favorite topping.

Notes

I get my pork at Butcher Box!

Get some ideas for family friendly holiday beverages!

Use code “GINGERCASA” for 7% off of this beverage fridge on the NewAir website!

What would you keep in your home beverage fridge??

Juicy Juice 100% Thankful Teacher Contest

Ingredients

Instructions

Recommended Products

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

How much did you love this recipe?

Have you been avoiding cleaning your grill? Now you do not have to with this easy tutorial on how to clean your grill with Scotch-Brite®​ and Palmolive®​ Ultra Oxy!

Easy meals that the whole family will love are my favorite. These chicken enchilada sliders will be a family favorite of yours soon!

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

How much did you love this recipe?

Ingredients

Instructions

How much did you love this recipe?

What should go into a teacher gift basket?

Sambucol Elderberry Products

Consider making a teacher gift basket for your child’s teacher, a friend who is a teacher, or even your spouse if they are the teacher in your home! I hope everyone has a great school year!

App Rewards:

What’s your favorite thing to eat at McAlister’s Deli?

How to make Strawberry Icing!

Ingredients

Instructions

Recommended Products

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

How much did you love this recipe?

Easy Homemade Pork Sausage Recipe – Perfect with Potatoes!

Sign up for Butcher Box here.

Ingredients

For Potatoes

Instructions

Notes

Recommended Products

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

How much did you love this recipe?

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Have you been avoiding cleaning your grill? Now you do not have to with this easy tutorial on how to clean your grill with Scotch-Brite® and Palmolive® Ultra Oxy!