turkey target game

i wanted to share this cute little game i made for our son's thanksgiving party last year. the kids loved it and i actually left it for the older kids to play it after their teacher saw it. my inspiration drew from a similar game that we played at his valentines party in preschool called cupids arrow.  in place of the circle it was a heart.  so really make this however you would like to fit your event. 

super simple and fun!!

here is the list of supplies and i got them all at michaels

1- styrofoam ring 

3-4 - pieces of brown felt 

1- pack of feathers

brown, yellow,  red, white & black card stock 

glue gun and glue sticks

1- box of straws

1- box of cue tips 

wrap the felt around the ring and secure with the hot glue.

secure feathers with the hot glue 

draw the turkey head and facial accessories and glue to the turkey

give each child their own straw and 3 or 4 new cue tips 

let them try and shoot through the center of the turkey 

peanut butter chocolate protein bars

my son and husband have quite the sweet tooth...so i found a healthy alternative for them. these protein bars mimic no bake cookies and are much healthier. i have altered the recipe to make it how they like it so i will  post both recipes. the original recipe came from my arbonne girl. 

ours is a little more peanut buttery which makes them more of a creamy fudge consistency. and the original recipe is more firm and more like a no bake consistency.

i have also done this with and without the oats...sometimes my little prefers no oats. by omitting the oats they do not set up as firmly so you can play with it and add less honey or peanut butter. 

ingredients

2 1/2 cups of peanut butter 

3/4 cup of honey

2 1/4 cups chocolate protein powder (i love arbonnes pea protein)

2 cups of oatmeal

mix all ingredients together. i use a spatula to fold them all together. the mixture will be thick. once mixed i pour into a square container with a lid and press the mixture out to the edges. then refrigerate. 

original recipe with same method

2 cups peanut butter 

1 1/4 cups of honey

2 1/4 cups protein powder

3 cups of oatmeal

enjoy!!

avocado cucumber tomato salad

salads are one of my favorite things to eat...i never get sick of eating vegetables like i do chicken so i am always trying new ideas for not so average salads.

i was having some friends over for an essential oils class and although i had a few not so healthy options (beer bread and dip, chocolate pound cake) i wanted something light and healthy too. 

most of the ingredients i did have on hand and this was super easy to throw together!

ingredients:

1/2 of a medium red onion

2 lb. roma tomatoes

2 english cucumbers or 6 mini cucumbers

2 firm avocados 

large handful of of cilantro chopped

2-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 lemons - juice from 1 whole lemon (2-3 tbsp) plus a little extra for avocados 

1-2 teaspoons of course ground sea salt

2-3 turns of freshly ground pepper from a pepper mill

method:
1. chop all ingredients and place the onion, tomatoes, cucumber and cilantro in a large salad bowl. as soon as i chop my avocados i toss them in lemon juice to help stop the browning effect. i also make sure that the avocados are more firm than i would usually purchase for other recipes. this also helps with slower browning and gives the salad a nice texture.


2. drizzle the salad with olive oil and lemon juice then gently combine. just before serving add the salt and pepper. doing this just before serving is best otherwise the salt will draw out a lot of juice form the vegetables and could make the salad a little mushy. 

feel free to add more lemon juice to taste or even a freshly pressed garlic clove to your olive oil. looking for a little more protein...grilled shrimp would be amazing in this salad! 

also, fresh dill could be substituted for the cilantro

enjoy!!

super yummy sloppy joes

sloppy joes are great for parties and easy to whip together last minute. i prefer sloppy joes but i am a little picky about the flavor. i do not like too sweet or sweet at all really and i enjoy a little kick. 

here is my little twist on sloppy joes…

ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of ground sirloin or ground turkey 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1/4 cup brown sugar

2-3 tablespoons of your favorite steak seasoning 

2 cloves pressed garlic

1 medium onion chopped 

1 small red bell pepper 

1-2 tablespoons worcestshire sauce 

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 1/2 to 2 cups tomato sauce (depending on how sloppy you want them)

2 tablespoons tomato paste 

1/4 teaspoon or pinch of cayenne pepper (depends on taste)

crusty rolls (your favorite buns or rolls)

directions

1. heat oil in a large skillet and add meat. break up the meat and continue to brown over medium-high heat. 

2. stir together the brown sugar and steak seasoning. add the sugar/steak seasoning mixture and press the garlic cloves into the meat and stir while meat continues to brown.

3. once the meat has browned, add the onions and red peppers. add the red wine vinegar, worcestershire to the mixture and continue to cook onions and peppers. 

4. add tomato paste and sauce to the pan, stir into the meat mixture let to simmer 5-10 minutes.

enjoy!!

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home made chex mix…one my husbands favorites

my husband asks me to make home made chex mix every year around the holiday season. it's one of our favorite and festive snack foods. once you make it yourself the store-bought bags just do not cut it. i use the chex mix recipe on the back of their box as my base but as you all know i always make recipes my own based on the flavors we enjoy…so a little more worcestershire sauce, more garlic powder and of course more butter. kids love to help with this and its so easy to get them involved. 

ingredients

4 cups of corn chex

4 cups of wheat chex

4 cups of rice chex

2 cups of mixed nuts

2 cups of pretzels 

2 cups of garlic flavored bagel chips broken up

2 cups of regular flavor cheerios (sometimes i add these too they are optional)

16 tablespoons of butter (2 sticks)

4 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce (maybe more)

1 1/2 teaspoons of season salt (my favorite is tastefully simple)

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon of onion powder 

method

1. in a very large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips. in a secondary small microwaveable bowl melt butter for about one minute or until melted. Stir in all seasonings well. Pour over dry mixture and ensure an even coating. i use my hands to fold and toss the cereal. it will seem wet and maybe even some slightly soggy pieces but don't worry it dries out in the oven roasting process. 

2. you can microwave on high for 5-6 minutes in a microwave safe bowl stirring about every 2 minutes but i choose to roast ours in the oven. place the mix into 2 or 3 roasting pans or i also use shallow bar pans to make sure it all gets roasted. sprinkle each pan of mix with a little garlic powder on top. set oven temperature to 200-250 degrees bake for one hour stirring very 15 minutes. then lay out the chex mix on paper towels to cool before placing in an air tight container. 

the flavor is bold so feel free to decrease or add more of your favorite flavors!

enjoy!!

our fall session with jen…from jenexpo photography

she has a sparkly personality, such a sweet spirit and we clicked pretty quickly the evening we met…simply stated this girl is beautiful inside and out.
i wanted to introduce you to jen.  we met a few years back at a thirty-one party where i was the consultant and she was a guest of the hostess.  it was one of the most fun parties i had ever done. i met some amazing women that night and jen was definitely one off them. over the years i have had the opportunity to meet her family and friends…she has 2 absolutely adorable children and a loving supportive husband. i was so excited to hear that she was starting her own photography business. i love supporting small businesses and especially businesses started by moms like me. : )

jen expo photography  was launched 2 years ago after her passion and success with photography started coming together. jen's love for photography actually started as a child when she received her first film camera (remember those…i do), and over the years she has studied and worked hard at learning all about photography. while she was learning, she began shooting for family and friends...this is what started building her "brand".  of course there were ups and downs though out her journey thats the part that makes us who we are but launching her own business was one of the best things she has ever done.  she now offers on location photography in multiple counties as well as a personal studio in her home. i love seeing people make their dreams come true...

now for a little q&a with jen…

where do you get your inspiration?   my clients 

confession time…funniest photography blooper? funniest blooper…being pooped on 3 times at a newborn shoot. yes…3 times

camera of choice? i always shoot with a canon

favorite lens? i love the 50mm

favorite spot to shoot? i love to shoot at quail hollow (hartville) and springfield bog metro park 

if you could be invisible for one day with your camera what/where would you shoot? i would take pictures at the park , just people watch to capture sweet moments with couples, parents and kids. 

favorite quote? "what if i fall? oh but darling what if you fly" (one of my personal favorite as well) 

favorite movie or film? white christmas 

where will we find you after 7pm on a friday night? i will be relaxing with my hubby, sweet son and daughter at a family movie night on the couch. 

five words your friends would use to describe you? oh my, this one is tough…should i ask my friends? lol

where/who have you learned the most from? i have learned so much from my parents on how to love and treat others and also how to see positivity in any situation. 

i hope you enjoyed getting to know jen a little bit better 

jen offers fair prices to stay competitive in today's market and her customer service is beyond what you would expect. with no additional fees she will become your own personal consultant. she will sit down with you and help you plan out ways to decorate your home with your new photos. if you have questions about prints, canvases or even gift ideas she is able to give you her expert advice all included within your session pricing.  although life has been so crazy i haven't had the time to order our photos yet,  but i love the online ordering option she offers to her clients. you can view and order your photos directly from her website as prints or canvas and the prices are are extremely competitive. these photos are printed on photo quality paper using photo quality ink. 

my family recently had our own shoot with jen just a few weeks back and we had so much fun! she is so easy to work with…she brings her own great ideas as well as welcomed ours. take a look at a few of my favorite shots…i haven't shared them all but will feature some in the future. thank you jen for making our fall session ofhttp://www.jenexpo.com family pics so amazing!!

(i sure love our little family)

thanks again jen for capturing moments for us

connect with jenexpo photography on:

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website 

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heath bar cream cheese apple dip

so do not look at the apples and think this is healthy…it is not. but i can say it sure is yummy! this is a great time of year to whip this up for a party or family gathering it is always a hit and i have never had leftovers. this recipe is so easy and most of the time we have all of the ingredients on hand to whip it up for last minute guests.

ingredients 

1-8 ounce package of cream cheese softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 package of mini heath bars frozen then finely chopped
3-4 tart apples or i use my favorite honey crisp

1. mix the softened cream cheese, sugars and vanilla in a bowl until well blended. sugars may give the cream cheese a slightly gritty texture until it sits for a bit and dissolves completely. place the mixture in a round serving bowl or plate. i used the pampered chef collapsable bowl for this party and it actually worked perfect.

2. sprinkle the chopped heath bar chips on top. then wash and slice the apples.




enjoy!!