Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms

Fresh brussels sprouts & mushrooms are oven roasted until tender & caramelized & then topped with a rich & savory garlic Parmesan sauce in these Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms....

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Marzetti® Brand. 

All opinions are 100% mine.

Springtime has arrived! And with the arrival of spring also comes some of my favorite vegetables of the season- asparagus, green beans, sugar snap peas, fresh mushrooms, and of course, Brussels sprouts. Not only does the selection of fresh veggies at the local grocers expand during the spring, but the local farmers markets start to pick up around here offering locally sourced vegetables as well. 

When it comes to fresh, crisp veggies, I like to keep it simple and flavorful. My favorite way to cook vegetables is to just simply roast them in the oven. For these Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms, I roasted them in the oven until the Brussels sprouts were fork tender, but the outsides were nice and crispy and slightly caramelized. 

The earthy roasted mushrooms pair perfectly with the sprouts. And the finishing touch? A splash of rich & savory Marzetti® Garlic Parmesan Veggie Drizzle™ Finishing Sauce! :) New Marzetti® Veggie Drizzle Finishing Sauces are the easiest & quickest way to add more flavor to your favorite roasted, grilled, boiled, or steamed springtime vegetables...

Tropical Paradise Granola Clusters

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sunsweet Growers for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Need a mini escape to the tropics now? You can't go wrong with these crunchy Tropical Paradise Granola Clusters infused with sweet tropical flavors... 

It has been in the single digits & teens around here this week, and these cold, frigid January temps have me daydreaming of a tropical paradise escape. I mean, it has been so cold that it literally makes my face hurt. And to quote that popular meme, "Why am I living where the air hurts my face?" It could be worse... I could be living in Fargo, or in Buffalo bracing for lake effect snow, or even the Arctic, right? ;) So, I will just bundle up, bake up some tropical paradise inspired granola clusters, and dream that I am enjoying a big bowl of these while swinging in a hammock on a white sand beach.

These Tropical Paradise Granola Clusters are so simple & easy to make with a little help from the new Sunsweet Philippine Tropicals flavors- Philippine Green Mango & Thai Coconut Chip. And for good measure, I added in some of their dried Philippine Pineapple to the mix. ;) Sunsweet does want to help you Find Your Paradise with an amazing sweepstakes to win a tropical paradise getaway (more on that at the end of this post.) But if you happen to be stuck in the bitter cold of winter (like me) and need a mini escape to the tropics now, you can't go wrong with these crunchy granola clusters infused with sweet tropical flavors...

Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Dipping Sauce {+ a P.F. Chang's Date Night-In}

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of P.F. Chang’s Home Menu for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Although I try to meal plan almost every week, there always seem to be at least a few evenings each month when I don't have a dinner plan in place. Or I forgot to defrost meat for what I did have planned. 

Or what I did have on the meal plan for that evening isn't appealing to me that day for some reason. Or by the time 6:00 rolls around, I am out of steam for the day & just want something easy to make. 

For all of the above reasons, I try to have a few easy & quick dinner solutions tucked away inside my freezer. Meals that can be quickly defrosted or cooked or baked and that require minimal prep on my part. 

Recently I discovered P.F. Chang’s Home Menu items in the freezer aisle of my local grocery store (available in your grocer's freezer aisle nationwide), and I am smitten, folks. They now have a permanent place in my freezer as one of my new favorite quick meal solutions.

The other day I picked up the P.F. Chang's Home Menu Orange Chicken and their Chang's Cream Cheese Wontons. I decided to whip up a quick flavorful dipping sauce for the wontons. Golden honey and bold sriracha sauce come together in this delicious & quick Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Dipping Sauce. And though I call this a dipping sauce, it is also fabulous poured over plain rice... ;)

Snacking Made Easy with Campbell’s® Fresh-Brewed Soup®

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Campbell Soup Company. 

All opinions are 100% mine.

Being the mama to a teenager and a toddler, I hear "I'm hungry" and "I need a snack" on a daily basis. The oldest comes home from cross country practice famished, and dinner won't be on the table for another hour. Or my youngest will be begging me for a less than nutritious afternoon snack because she is so hungry, but I would love to offer her a different (ahem, better) option for snack time. And then there is the whole time factor. Being a work at home and stay at home mom, I am constantly doing something- developing a recipe, emptying the dishwasher, editing recipe photos, making the meal plan for the week, and the list goes with very little down time. Having a few go-to snack options on hand that are filling, easy, and quick is just a necessity around here. That is why I am loving the new Campbell’s® Fresh-Brewed Soup® Broth and Noodle Mixes...

Easy Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Soup

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Campbell Soup Company. 

All opinions are 100% mine.

Some of my favorite weeknight dinner recipes all have five things in common-

1. They are ready in 30 minutes or less, from start to finish.
2. They require 5 ingredients or less to make.
3. Need very little prep (if any at all) ahead of time. 
4. They are made in just one pot or dish (ahem- easy & quick clean-up!).
5. Everyone one in the family loves them.

Folks, this Easy Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Soup meets all five of those requirements. This has to be one of the easiest weeknight soups that I have ever served to my family, and it is all thanks to Campbell’s® Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Oven Sauce. It just so happens to be the secret ingredient in this simple & satisfying soup recipe... ;)

A Weekend Lunch Made Easy

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Campbell’s Soup Company.  

All opinions are 100% mine.

Being a full time food blogger, I usually end up doing quite a bit of cooking and baking during the week. The kitchen is my "office", so when the weekend rolls around I actually try to stay out of it as much as possible. ;) And weekend time also happens to be family time for me, so I still want to make a fun lunch that I can feel good about giving to my kids but that gets me out of the kitchen and at the table with them quicker. Cue one of my new favorite weekend lunch go-to's, Campbell’s® Organic Kids Soup! :)

Campbell’s® Organic Kids Soups are crafted from certified organic ingredients and contain no preservatives. (A soup that I can feel good about serving to my kiddos as part of a weekend lunch? Check!) And Campbell’s® nine delicious varieties of Organic Kids Soups can be ready in mere minutes. (A soup that gets me out of the kitchen and back to my weekend quicker? Check!)

Since my youngest is a huge fan of the movie Frozen, I decided to make her a special lunch this past weekend with Campbell’s® Organic Kids Soup featuring fun shapes from Disney's Frozen. And what better to go with a warm bowl of Frozen inspired soup than some snowflake shaped grilled cheeses to dunk in it? These snowflake grilled cheeses are so easy to make and so much more fun than boring ole grilled cheese sandwiches! :) You can even get the kiddos to help with making these (aka, even more quality family time together)...