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It all started with the Elf... Starting when McKinley was little, Sparkle the Elf would hang around the house for a few weeks before Christmas. Last year, in an attempt to surprise Dakota - Sparkle retired and sent Bubble Gum. Well, after an apparently very confusing letter from Sparkle - the girls took the new elf as Bubbles. Bubbles was great... she was way better than Sparkle in the previous years. But that didn't matter because when November 30th rolled around this year, McKinley and Dakota started chatting and convinced each other that both, Sparkles and Bubbles were coming this year. Why? Well, because that what the YouTuber kids have... their own elf. Yeah, Right. That wasn't happening. And, at 11:00pm on November 30th, no elf was coming in the morning because after 341 days, Bubbles hid so well we couldn't find her. One Word. Husband. (11:15pm - Me, ordering target delivery with one eye open... good news - elf will be here by 9am) So, anyway... the three girls were left a cute new Santa Mug with a note that said "I am Tinsel the Elf & I am so happy to be here. Bump up your Christmas Spirit and I will be back.... in the meantime, I thought you might like these for your cocoa bomb." Cue the meltdown for poor little Dakota, Tinsel was not here. She cried, and after convincing her that if we did something Christmas-ee that Tinsel would be back! Off to school she went, heart broken and a super guilty feeling mom. Target Delivery to the rescue, though! Dakota rolled home from school, played around and started screaming - Tinsel was here! "Silly me, I didn't look hard enough for her this morning!" Dakota Christmas Spirit had been saved - and so had I! Anyway... back to what you are here for... Christmas Crack with an obscene amount of sprinkles. It was our way of listening to Tinsel and "bumping up our Christmas Spirit" Ingredients: 1 Sleeve of Saltines 1 Cup of Butter 1 Cup of Brown Sugar 1 bag of Chocolate Chips Directions: Cover a cooking sheet with parchment paper. Line your saltines edge to edge into a square/rectangle. Melt your butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar and bring to a boil. Stir & heat until it starts to rise up and bubble. You want it to bubble and froth for a little bit to ensure the brown sugar is fully melted. Drizzle butter/brown sugar mixture over the saltines. Carefully spread around. Quickly add the chocolate chips on top. Give them a few seconds to start melting and then spread the chocolate around to create a top chocolate layer. Add sprinkles to "bump up your Christmas Spirit" Let it cool and then BREAK IT APART! I took a lot of heat on social media for using a pizza cutter. Literally every person told me I was supposed to break it apart. But you do you! And for the record, the picture is a double batch!!! Now... Wait, that's not it... I am here for all variations. Cracker Variations: Graham Crackers? Yes, Please! Club House? Yes, Please! Topping Variations: Toasted Pecans? Yes, Please! Heath Chunks? Yes Please!

Josh started a tradition with the girls that when I would go out of town for a girl's weekend he would take the kids to an apple orchard. After year two, I put a halt to that. No more going with out me! So now every year we both take the girls and the same things happen every year... the girls jump on Josh's shoulders to pick the highest apples, they all try climbing the trees (including Josh - Shh... don't tell anyone) and the girls taste test more than a few. We come home with a huge bag of apples of all different sorts. I have no idea what we pick and that's ok! The first few years I just made apple sauce and then, sadly the apples got tossed. Seriously, I know - it's terrible. This year I am bound and determined to use every apple. And...sometimes that means making a triple batch (shown below) of apple crisp bars to bring to Grandma Boot's to share! Shortbread Crust: 10 T. of butter, softened 2 T. white sugar 2 T. light brown sugar 1 tsp. Vanilla extract 1 1/4 C. all purpose flour 1/4 tsp. Salt Apple Filling 4 Jumbo Apples, peeled and cut into small chunks* 2 T. All purpose flour 4 T. light brown sugar 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon *you need a decent amount of apples - don't skimp on them! If you have smaller apples up the quantity! Crumbly Crust Topping 3/4 C. all purpose flour 1/2 C. light brown sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp ground cinnamon 8 T. butter 1/4 C. rolled oats Start with making the shortbread crust: preheat oven to 350 Line or grease an 8X8 pan Mix sugar, high brown sugar and butter & vanilla until its combined Slowly fold in flour and sugar until you get a crumbly dough. Press dough into bottom of pan Bake for 12-14 minutes. You want the crust to be lightly brown. You don't want it undercook because when its slightly crunchy it adds a great texture to the bars! Prepare Apple Filling: Peeling and dice apples in small-ish chunks Combined apples chunks with flour, light brown sugar & cinnamon in a bowl. If you let it sit a few minutes while the crust bakes, you going to start to get a delicious syrup developing in the bottom of the bowl! Once shortbread layer is ready, spread the apples of the shortbread layer Prepare Crumbly, Crisp Topping: Put all the ingredients into dish and cut in butter until crumbly using a pastry cutter. Once, nice and crumbly, evenly spread the topping over the apples Bake for 45 minutes or until the top because golden. Serve warm or cooled. And optional, well... not really, top with caramel ice creaming topping and whipped cream. Or, get a little more wild and top with vanilla bean ice cream!

Texas Caviar or Cowboy Caviar - I have no idea the difference or if there even is one. I decided on Texas and now we are rolling with it.... Pinterest has a million Texas Caviar recipes. That's great right? But how do you know which one is the best? So my idea...take a bunch of recipes and combine the ingredients together. This is what I came up with and it's delicious.... Oh, and a few tips - this feeds a crowd! If your crowd is small, don't worry it saves really well. Use it through out the week on salads, eggs, grilled chicken or a quick snack! And... it gets better the longer it sits, so make ahead it the night before you wanna dive in! Strain & diced all of the following ingredients and toss them into a large bowl 1 Can of Corn, strained (I always prefer the sweet) 1 Can of Black Eyed Peas, strained (can't find? that's snag a different bean, or double up on black) 1 Can of Black Beans, strained 1 Medium onion, Diced 4 Roma Tomatoes, Diced 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, Diced 1 Orange Bell Pepper, Diced 1 Jalapeño, Seeded & Diced (can add more depending on your desired heat level) Sauce time! Toss the following in a mason jar, throw the lid on and shake away. Or, whisk in a bowl! 3/4 Cup good Olive Oil 1/3 Cup White Vinegar 1/4 Cup Sugar, Start with 1/4 and if you think it needs more toss more in! A Handful of Cilantro Chopped Now, this is where I get technical... A Jumbo dash or two of: Garlic Powder Chili Pepper Dehydrated Garlic (or a couple real cloves) Finally, Large Sprinkle of Salt and Pepper Once the sauce is mixed, pour over caviar! Gently mix it and you're done!

When I purchased bundt cake pans from pampered chef, I was the hunt to find the best bundt cake recipe. With a few easy tweaks, hit the jackpot of all bundt cake recipes on the first try - how often does that happen? To top the jackpot... it was a basic recipe just waiting for me (and now you) to switch it up! Then... when it was time to mass produce cupcakes for McKinley's birthday party, I skipped the bundt pans and went straight to cupcake forms. I mean... is there really a difference? No. Well, other than cupcakes show off my lack of frosting skills but whatever. When the cupcakes are this good, no one will remember your frosting. I promise. Cup Cake Ingredients: 1 package of vanilla cake mix** 1 package (3.3 oz) of cheese cake pudding mix** 1 cup sour cream 4 large eggs 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup oil 1 1/4 cup white chocolate chips** **Now... remember when I said this was a basic recipe just waiting for us to switch it up to make it our own? Well, go crazy and swap out the flavors of the cake mix, pudding mix and the chocolate chips. Tried and true switch up combos: Strawberry cake, cheesecake pudding & white chocolate chips Confetti cake, cheesecake pudding & white chocoalte chips So... you can see, I love cheesecake. But... the possibilities are limitless! Frosting: 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup butter, softened 3-4 cups of powder sugar (depending on your taste) 2 tsp vanilla extract Again... this is a basic frosting recipe. When I did the switch up combo with strawberry cake, cheesecake pudding & white chocolate chips I added about a quarter cup of strawberry jam to my frosting and it was delish. Seriously, get wild and try new things! Directions: Using a mixer on low-medium speed, mix together all the ingredients except for the chocolate chips. Stop mixing when everything has combined - you don't want to over mix. Add in your chocolate chips and stir until they are evenly mixed it. Cook at 350 until tooth pick comes out clean. For a cake check at 25 minutes and for cupcakes check at 15. (all ovens are different, so check often - you don't want to overcook this goodness). Snot Cake Ok... Bonus notes. If you're like me you investigate the pictures. Yes, there is a cupcake with heath on it and there is no mention of heath above. So, what is it you ask? It's snot cake turned into a cupcake. Still unsure, here is the low down: Ingredients: 1 box of chocolate cake, and all ingredients listed on the box 1 can of sweet and condensed milk 1 jar of hot fudge 16 oz. container of cool whip A bag of Heath Bits Cook the chocolate cake according the package - in cake form, cupcakes or whatever floats your fancy. Take it out of the oven, let it cool a bit and then jab holes all over! The perfect whole jabber is a handle of a wooden spoon! Then... slowly pour one whole can of sweet and condensed milk (yes, one whole can) into all of the holes and all over the cake/cupcakes. Next up, do the pouring all over again except use the the whole jar of warmed hot fudge. Once the cake has completely cooled, top it with cool whip and top it with heath. Simple & Delicious! And... of course, easy to make your own. Like vanilla cake? Ok, use that. Like Caramel instead of hot fudge? Ok, use that. Like butterfinger? Ok, use that.

The price tag on these are a little higher than your average Amazon find. But that's because Legendary Whitetails is a well known outdoor brand. The quality is top notch and you know it's meant to last. Plus... check out the ratings on Amazon, nothing comes below an almost five! So... here are a few finds that you can snag through Amazon (hello, Prime!). Open Spaces Flannel Dress Open Country Plaid Shirt Jacket Quilted Vest Saddle Country Shirt Jacket (Green and Black Buffalo Check) Stitch back Wrap Don't roll your eyes at the hat. I want nothing more to be a hat person (I am really trying), but these hats are freaking adorable and a fall must! I just bought the oatmeal one! Belt Buckle Wide Brim Wool Hat

Ok, ok, ok.... if you're not ready for the actual weather for sweaters yet - that's ok. But, you can be prepared for when you have no option but to embrace it. Check out my favorite Amazon Sweaters below. Oh, Ps... Don't forget to check the links for different colors. You know Amazon wrecks what seams like an easy purchase by giving you a million great color options! Top Row (left to right) Soft Chunky Knit Sweater Gray with Animal Print Patchwork Distressed Sweater Long Sleeve Burgundy Ruffle Neck Sweater Overside Batwing Pullover Middle Row Striped Color Block Hoodie Bottom Row (left to right) Black Long sleeve Knit Turtle Neck with Shoulder Buttons Turtle Neck sweater with Block Striping Chunky Pullover Turtle Neck Sweater (Green)

Not all cookbooks are created equally. I am super picky about them, but that's for another post. Katie Lee's, It's Not Complicated is a 10/10. I love Broccoli and my kids are finally coming (back) around to it, so I was excited to try this. Dakota said it was the best meal we've ever made (she was a big helper) and when I told McKinley we were eating left over she said ok - which means she liked it too! Ingredients: 4 heads of broccoli, cut into nice bite size pieces 2 T Olive Oil 8 oz. Sliced Mushrooms, I think I doubled this and I wasn't mad about it 2 tsp. Salt 1 tsp. Cracked Black Pepper 1 tsp. Onion powder 1/4 C. Butter 1/4 C. Flour 2 C. Milk - I used Heavy Whipping Cream 1 C. Crushed Crackers - Ritz all the way baby 1 C. Cheese - who actually measures cheese? Directions: Preheat Oven to 400 degrees. Butter an 8-inch baking dish (I skipped this) Bring 1 inch of water to a boil over medium high heat with a steamer basket and lid. Add broccoli to the steamer basket, cover, and steam for 4 to 6 minutes - or until tender, but still crisp. Remove broccoli and place on a plate until later Heat the oil in large sauce pan. Add mushrooms and cook until they have released their moisture and have started to brown. Add salt, pepper, onion powder and butter. Stir until butter is melted. Notice the black pepper, it's Penzey's Cracked Pepper - the best! Sprinkle in the flour and cook until a paste forms. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes,, until the paste is golden brown and has a nutty aroma. Slowly pour the milk into the mixture a little at a time, stirring as you pour. Once the milk is combined, bring to a simmer and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes., until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and add the broccoli, tossing to coat. Transfer to a greased baking dish. Put the butter crackers and cheese in a food processor - I used this magic tool from Pampered Chef. Once you have ground the crackers and cheese into a fine crumb mixture, sprinkle on top of broccoli. Oh.. and side note, do you know how much better cheese is when you grate it yourself? Yes... it's amazing - give it a shot and use this grater from Pampered Chef. Bake for 20-25 minutes (if you steamed your broccoli) or for 30-35 minutes (if you did not steam your broccoli). Once it's nice brown and bubbly (and you've stabbed a broccoli for a tender check), take it out and let it rest for a few minutes. Then serve up & enjoy! Also, I feel like I should say with my two Pampered Chef plugs that I am no way affiliated with them other than being an obsessed customer :)

Ok... so this post is really about a Jalapeño Ranch Dressing I stumbled upon. While in Nashville, we ate at Chuy's Tex Mex. My girlfriend, Jade, told us about their Creamy Jalapeño Ranch. They serve it with warm tortilla chips and salsa. We were all hooked & became instantly obssessed. Because we don't have any Chuy's in Wisconsin, I have only had it one other time and that was in Chicago while on a Christmas shopping trip with my mom and aunts. And... I am not ashamed to say that I purchased a tub and brought it home. When I found this recipe, I couldn't skip over the slight chance I could have some Chuy's Creamy Jalapeño Ranch whenever I want. And obviously, because I am sharing it... it hit super close to what I remember! Ingredients: 1 Cup Mayo 4 T. Ranch Seasoning 1/2 Cup Sour Cream 1/2 Cup Buttermilk 1/2 Cup Salsa Verde 1/4 Cup Jarred Jalapeños with Juice 1 Lime, Juice off (I actually skipped this because I didn't have a lime) 1 Bunch of Cilantro, about 1 cup. (you can increase/decrease based on your liking) Salt and Pepper to Taste Directions: Throw all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend. Once everything is smooth (no cilantro chunks) - you're good to go! Chill before serving. Now...moving on to the Naked Chalupa from TB. I've had it once... and it was delicious. If you don't know what it is...it's a thin piece of fried chicken made into the shape of a taco shell. They then fill it with lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese and avocado cream sauce. I always "supreme" things, so mine also had sour cream. And, no shame here, but I also always add nacho cheese - so mine had that too. When I made the Jalapeño Ranch...my mind instantly when to the green sauce on the Naked Chalupa - not an avocado cream sauce, but a better substitute! So I started looking at how to make a dup Naked Chicken shell at home - I was out the minute I realized I would have to batter, fry and then finish it off by baking it over a pan to get the shape. Count. Me Out. But, Duh... it's fried chicken so why not make a salad! Ingredients: Shredded Lettuce Diced Tomatoes - I used quartered Cherry Tomatoes Shredded Cheese Crispy bacon (not on the originally TB Naked Chalupa - but I don't think I need to further explain why it's a perfect fit) Fried Chicken Breast (can you say, frozen chicken breast meets air frier) Sour Cream Nacho Cheese Jalapeño Ranch Pile it all up - Lettuce, Shredded Cheese, Tomatoes, Crispy Bacon, Chopped Chicken and a dollop of Sour Cream, Nacho cheese and a heavy drizzle of Jalapeño Ranch. This is where I started, but the possibilities are endless. Add some corn, black beans, left over shredded chicken... I mean I could go on for ever. Make it your own!

My girlfriend Bailey brought this salad over to our house one night and now...it's forever called the Bailey salad. Even at a restaurant when there is a salad similar on the menu, McKinley says "I want the Bailey Salad." Disclaimer: I never called this a recipe. I do not have nor use exact measurements. So, go with it! Ingredients (that I use): Romaine Lettuce - 2 heads works perfectly for our family, 3 for a small gathering Lots of Sliced Strawberries Red Onion, Diced Glazed Pecans Golden Raisins - I have used regular, but Bailey would yell at me Wonton Strips Croutons Shredded Parmesan Cheese, Roughly a Cup Olive Oil Balsamic Glaze Salt and Pepper Bonus Ingredients used by Bailey Sesame cracker things that I cannot stand but somehow tasted great in the salad when she made it. Shredded carrots, I never take the time to do this Directions: Chop your romaine lettuce up. And when I say chop, I mean chop it. Nobody wants a big ol' piece of lettuce. Plus, it's great when everything is roughly the same size. Now... grab a giant bowl - you're gonna need the space! With the romaine in the bowl, add the rest of your ingredients - sliced strawberries, diced red onion, glazed pecans, golden raisins, wonton strips, croutons and shredded parmesan. Drizzle a decent amount of olive oil over the top of everything and toss it all together. Add salt and pepper to taste, and toss again. You want everything coated really good. Then add some balsamic glaze and toss again. Transfer to your pretty serving bowl and do a final drizzle of balsamic glaze on top. Here's your chance to make it look pretty folks. And... best news yet, don't toss the left overs. The salad taste bomb the next day!

Ok. I know, I know...this doesn't sound typical for salmon. But, just trust me, after trying this you will totally agree this the best combo. Ingredients for Salmon: You favorite salmon fillets Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar for Drizzling Salt and Pepper to Taste Balsamic Glaze for finishing Ingredients for Strawberry Salsa: 1 1/2 C. of diced Strawberries (about 1/2 pint) 1/4 C. of chopped basil A few tablespoons of diced red onion (or however much you like) 2 T. Olive Oil 1 T. Balsamic Vinegar Salt and Pepper to Taste Directions: Lay out your salmon filets and drizzle with a little olive oil followed by some balsamic vinegar. Bonus points if you have a strawberry infused vinegar! Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake (375 degrees), grill or smoke (250 degrees) until the salmon reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees. If you are baking, I bake until they are almost done (130ish) and then broil until they are finished (165). The broiling gives them the nice, glazed finish so don't skip that! While the salmon is baking, toss the salsa ingredients together. Once the salmon has finished, top with the strawberry salsa and finish with a pretty drizzle of a balsamic glaze (or a homemade balsamic reduction).

I love fall, but I am trying my hardest to stick with Summer. After all, if time continues to do it's thing...fall will be here before we know it. I've been really trying to get into bras without underwire. The purpose of underwire is to contour your breasts and help life them up. Can't we have that with out underwire, too? Why...well I find underwire to be uncomfortable and two, did you know that underwire actually blocks the drainage of lymph fluid from the bottom of your breast? What is are a couple of the major components in lymph fluids? Ok. Ok. I swear I had no plans of including that. Anyway... This True and Co Body Scoop Adjustable Bra is a winner! Super comfortable and in fact, does a great job lifting without underwire! To the right, to the right... ha, just kidding. Sort of. Next up, this fun Sun Visor for only $12. Cover your face people, you skin with thank you. This is super cute and comes in a few different shades! The whole Dang Outfit on the Right... This Long Sleeve V Neck Blouse is to die for. Now... you already know I am a sucker for animal print (which it comes in), but I was trying to stick to the summery vibes and got this blue one! Next...I paired it with the comfortable Destroyed Blue Jeans. But, the look isn't complete until you add in some fun summer earrings and this great summer clutch Back to the left! I found this square neck body suit after receiving a tank top with the same neck line from Stitch Fix. I loved the different neck line, but of course, looked to Amazon for a less expensive version! And, all aboard the animal print train. Sorry, I am not sorry. This adorable Animal Print Skirt not only looks like an Abercrombie Dup, but it comes in a butch of patterns! Think of how cute this would be carried into fall with some high boots? Meanwhile, in the summer pair it with a fun pair of cork wedges! Lastly, I got this cute pink dress as a part of Amazon haul that I was doing for Try Ons. And... of course, like a lot of the "try on" clothes, I had to keep it! Again, comes in a bunch of colors. The simplicity of the black or the tan clutch pair perfectly with it!!

I got Jessie James Decker's Just Feed Me cookbook from a girlfriend last year on my birthday. Can I just say how amazing it is to have friends that you know...like know, know you and get you. If you don't have these types of friends you doing it all wrong. Anyway... this creamy ground chicken pasta is worth every thing. The pasta hang over may be real but you won't regret it. Nervous to chance the carbs? So easy to throw over some spaghetti squash! Side note: Looking for a solid low carb pasta noodle. Hit me up in the comments with your recommendations. Pro Tip: Before you get started...I have to tell you, I doubled the sauce portion because. Why? For starters, I didn't measure the amount of noodles and two, I do not want a pasta that has minimal sauce. The more sauce, the better. Ingredients I doubled: chicken broth, half-and-half and flour. Ingredients 10 ounces of spaghetti noodles (other than looking for a box in last months garbage, I have no idea how much this is... just throw a bunch in) 2 tablespoons of olive oil 8 ounces of pancetta, diced (can't find it? that's Ok, use bacon. You will get the same affect!) 1 cup chopped yellow onion 1 cup sliced bottom mushrooms (or any kind that you have) 3 cloves garlic, minced (there's no such thing as too much garlic... go crazy, I insist) 1 pound lean ground chicken 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup half-and-half 2 tablespoons all purpose flour Fresh ground pepper (I have regular pepper, its fine. ok) 2 generous handfuls of arugula (I didn't do this, my family is too picky) Freshly grated parmesan cheese (like a block, it's the Wisconsin girl in me). Get it going: Boil pasta in water until its done to your liking. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add pancetta (or bacon), onion and mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes - or until it smells amazing. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or until it's soft. Burning your garlic happens quickly, so keep an eye on it! In a separate skillet, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil. Cook ground chicken until browned. I like using my pampered chef Mix 'N Chop to really break the chicken. But you could also go easy on the chicken and have larger pieces for a more rustic pasta. Reduce the meat to medium. Add the broth, half-and-half, flour and stick until thick - like five minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Fold in the drained pasta and arugula. Best part, just like any other pasta, the left overs are just as good or maybe even better! Jessie James Decker's Just Feed Me cookbook: http://bit.ly/JustFeedMe