Friday, September 16, 2016

National Stepfamily Day!

Today is National Stepfamily Day!  Did you even know there was such a thing??  My son,  Andrew, and I actually moved to Pittsburgh to begin our lives with my now husband and his daughter right around this date, nine years ago. We declared it our Family Anniversary back in 2007!


I so vividly remember when the two of us arrived at our new home in the wee hours of the morning in 2007. The air was crisp--so different than the Arizona air I was used to, my body was purely exhausted from our drive across the country, yet I was still excited, a little nervous, and just anxious for everything to go smoothly and comfortably for my son.  We decided to unload the car in the morning and just grabbed essentials in order to crawl into bed...

Read  the rest over at Pittsburgh Moms Blog!



Saturday, September 10, 2016

Homestyle Traditions with Ragu



It's true what they say.  Family and friends gather in the kitchen. Whether it be after school when everyone finally arrives home or a during a party, the kitchen is the place to be.  One of my favorite parts of being a wife and a mom is making delicious, nourishing meals for my family.

I am a woman who loves sentimental, tradition, and reminiscing.  One of my favorite things to eat from my childhood are my grandmother's meatballs.  I've loved them for as long as I can remember. My grandmother made them, my mom made them, and then I have continued as well.  I've tried to find one of "those" recipes that my family loves too other than my grandmother's meatballs--which they already love.  Finding Ragu's new Homestyle sauces absolutely fits right into those traditions for me. It's simply a taste of home.


I think I found it!  Crockpot Ravioli

What I love about Crockpot Ravioli is it's easy to make and makes a ton, so it's perfect for family gatherings and parties, and it's always a big hit!  Life is super busy these days where we have band, cheer, cross country, work schedules, so making something that's easy for me to make and my family loves is definitely a win win! Ragu's Homestyle Sauces makes it simple and remind me of that tradition and goodness that homecooked meals bring.

You can find lots of other recipes to try with Ragu's Homestyle Sauces here:  What to make!

For mine, even though I'm  "wing-it-as-I-go" when I cook, I've put together something for y'all to follow to try mine.

Ingredients:
1 to 2 lbs. lean ground beef
1/2 onion chopped
minced garlic (this is entirely dependent on your taste-- I often just use garlic salt)
1 to 2 jars of Ragu Homestyle Sauce
1 can italian style diced tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1tsp. Italian seasoning
salt/pepper to taste
10 oz of fresh spinach
16oz of bowtie pasta (more if you're making lots!)
1/2 cup parmesean cheese
1 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Brown the ground beef, onion, and garlic. Drain and pour into crockpot.




Add Ragu Homestyle sauce, tomatoes, and seasonings. Cook for 4 hours on high (6 on low).



Add spinach, cooked pasta, and cheeses the last 30 minutes of cooking and turn crockpot on high.



Mix it all up really well, then add some mozzarella on top to melt.  Serve with salad and bread!



Voila!

Friday, September 2, 2016

Bittersweet Back to School


Back to school is bittersweet for me for certain.  I love lazy days we get in summer sometimes, yet I also love the routine of school. I love school supplies and organizing and yes, even filling out forms! The end of summer seems like it swoops in and bam! it's over and we're back to school.  Part of that in my family, is our August is filled with band camp, cheer camp, and practices for other activities right before school starts.  This year our kids are a junior in high school, a new middle schooler, a first grader and a two year old who wants to go to school so badly!



You can read the rest over at Pittsburgh Moms Blog...