Mini Pies

Ingredients

• Pillsbury Funfetti® Frosting 
• Keebler Ready Crust Mini Graham Cracker Crusts
• Cool Whip

Directions

1. Combine the frosting and cool whip in a mixing bowl.
2. Fold in the cool whip and mix until frosting is light and airy.
3. Spoon frosting into graham cracker crusts and top with sprinkles.

Enjoy the warm weather this season. Get outside and hike, bike or maybe even start a garden. While you are indoors, hop into the kitchen and make this delicious treat that the whole family will just love.

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As the temperatures start to drop and it starts to actually feel like fall, what better way to ring in the “ber” months than some delicious hot chocolate. I always like to add some flair to the basics so when I stumbled on the idea of doing a green hot chocolate, I knew that I could use this for all the upcoming holidays! If you’re like me and like to add a little fun to your get togethers this hot chocolate is for you as well!

Supplies:

• Crock-pot

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of Heavy Whipping Cream
• 2 cups of Whole Milk
• 12 oz of White Chocolate Chips
• 14 oz of Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 Splash of Vanilla
• Green and Yellow Food Coloring

Directions:

1. Add milk, whipping cream, chocolate chips, and vanilla to crockpot.
2. Stir.
3. Set the crockpot for 2-3 hours on low setting.
4. Stir every 30 minutes until the chocolate chips are melted.
5. Add green and yellow food coloring a little at a time until desired effect is reached!
6. Add toppings.
7. Keep on warm setting, serve, and enjoy!

Notes:

• There are so many fun variations for this recipe. I made it for Halloween, Christmas, and even St. Patricks day.
• There’s a lot of ways to customize this with fun toppings, candy, and sprinkle options!
• The options are endless with this one.
• You could also change the coloring to match whatever “theme” you’re going with!
• The flavor is really good, but very rich. I would definitely stick with whole milk or 2% milk, because it helps bring out the full flavor. You can also double the recipe if serving a lot of people.
• I’m also a big fan of adding in homemade whipped cream as a topping for this one.

So stop by your local Commissary and grab the ingredients for your next holiday party!

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Between the post-PCS haze, new school routines that don’t feel routine, and the usual layer of dog hair that’s become part of the décor, this season is already full. Still, we’re showing up—maybe a little scattered, definitely tired, but all in with heart and probably a leash in one hand. 

In our house, “somehow making it work” looks like: 

• Healthy snacks in almost every diaper bag/ backpack. 
• Dog hair on every piece of clothing I own. 
• Dinner that may or may not involve chicken (again). 
• Letting go of the picture-perfect and leaning into what’s authentic.

Look, I know it’s easy to feel like you’re the only one fumbling through this season. Social media will have you believing everyone else’s house smells like fall candles and not wet dogs, but here’s the truth: you’re doing better than you think.

Your dogs don’t care that your hair’s in a bun for however-many days in a row. Your kids won’t remember if dinner was chicken almost every night this week. What they will remember is that you showed up. That you were there. That you made a space for love and laughter, even in the middle of the mess. 

So, if this season feels like survival mode with a side of Fruit Rolls and dog drool – same. You’re not alone, friend. We’re all out here figuring it out one fur-covered day at a time. 

However, when you do have a minute to catch your breath? Treat yourself to something that makes life easier (and maybe saves you some money too). Find Out More with My Military Saving and check out our Food & Drink section to find something besides chicken—because this season’s hard enough. Let’s not make it harder. 

As we all gear up to send our kiddos back to school, what better way to celebrate than a twist on a beloved classic! I always love looking for fun breakfast ideas for my kids and this one for sure hit the mark! So, grab your favorite pie crust and come along while we make our own version of the beloved toaster pastry!

Supplies:

• Parchment Paper
• Baking Sheet
• Sprinkles
• Rolling Pin/Glass

Ingredients:

• 2 Pie Crusts
• Strawberry Preserves
• 1 Egg
• Sprinkles of your choice
• 2 cups of Zero Calorie Powdered Sugar Substitute
• 3 Tbsp Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• Natural Food Coloring (Optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grab your parchment paper and roll out both of the pie crusts and cut into a rectangle. Place the bottom crust on your baking sheet.
3. Whisk an egg with 2 TBS of water. Brush on the outside edges of the pie crust.
4. Spread strawberry preserves on the bottom of the crust. Ensure you leave about an inch on all sides.
5. Cover the first pie crust with the second pie crust. Push down the edges with a fork. Also, poke the top of the pastry to allow air to escape while baking.
6. Brush with remaining egg white mixture.
7. Bake for about 20 minutes until pastry is golden brown.
8. Cool and make icing.
9. Combine 2 cups of powdered sugar substitute with 3 TBS of milk.
10. Add vanilla extract and Food Coloring (optional). Mix until smooth and well combined.
11. Pour over cooled pastry.
12. Add sprinkles!
13. Cut and enjoy!

Notes:

• You can use any kind of filling that you please! This would be fun to customize with different flavors of jams or preserves. You can also use Nutella or nut butters!
• I am currently in my PCS era so I used a glass/heavy metal tumbler to roll out the pie crust.
• My kids requested pink icing so I chose to use dye free food coloring to jazz the pastry up!
• You can also use regular powdered sugar if you don’t prefer the taste of the sugar free substitutes!

My kids had a blast with this recipe and I can’t wait to try it again with different flavors! This is a great way to close out summer with a back to school celebration or would make an amazing birthday breakfast for your breakfast pastry lover! Add some candles for extra fun! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did and have a lot of fun finding the perfect flavor combination!

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Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a small baking tray with parchment paper.
3. Thaw frozen meatballs.
4. Slice the rolls horizontally and separating the buns from each other, but them close together.
5. Put the bottom buns on the prepared baking sheet
6. Spread 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce on top.
7. Place the meatballs on top of the sauce, so that each roll will have its own meatball or two (depending on size).
8. Pour the remaining sauce over the meatballs.
9. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the meatballs.
10. Place the top rolls on top the cheese.
11. Bake for approximately 15 mins. until the cheese melts and the topping turns golden brown.
12. Carefully remove individual sliders to plate.
13. Serve.

Notes:

• While the original recipe is great, we like to flavor it up a bit!
  • Combine melted butter and garlic salt.
  • Brush over the sliders.
  • Sprinkle additional cheese on top before baking.

These sliders are super simple, but so yummy! Our family loves this delicious recipe and hopefully yours will too!

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Ingredients:

• Chicken
• Baby Potatoes
• Spice Mix
  • Smoked Paprika
  • Garlic
  • Onion Powder
  • Salt
  • Pepper
• Olive Oil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Make a spice mix from the smoked paprika, garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper.
• Rub the chicken with olive oil and the spice mix.
• Put the potatoes on a pan and drizzle with olive oil.
• Place the chicken on the pan.
• Bake for an hour or until the internal temp of the thickest part of the breasts are at least 165 degrees.
• Remove from oven and let items rest for 10 minutes.
• Serve & Enjoy!

Notes:

• I love a good one pan meal and this is no exception.
• You can use whatever spices you want to create your spice mix.

Now that we have everything plated up, I let the boys in on a little secret…we are going to eat with our hands! They totally flipped and I may have just become the coolest mom ever!! As a reminder…make sure you have LOTS of napkins ready to go! You are going to need them!

Next up, I made a delicious spiced wine for the adults. This is super easy to make and a tasty adult beverage to SPICE the fun fare up a bit!

Ingredients:

• Red Wine
• 2 Cups Pomegranate Juice
• Orange Zest
• Sliced Oranges
• Knob of Ginger
• Cinnamon Stick
• 1/4 – 1/2 Cup Sugar (optional to taste)

Directions:

• In a large stockpot, combine all ingredients.
• Simmer the spiced wine for 30+ mins.
• Pour into your favorite wine glass.
• Enjoy!

Notes:

• You can let this simmer all day as it smells amazing!!!
• I LOVE my Rachel Ray stockpot and I know you will too!

We had a blast eating dinner with our hands and laughing our heads off while going through a TON of napkins. Maybe next time we’ll add some good old fashioned jousting after dinner. So, to all me Lords and me Ladies, we hope you will all enjoy this savory fare with your family and friends!

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Supplies:

• Small Water Guns
• Tempera Paint
• Canvas Panels

Directions:

• Water down the paint in a small bowl and mix well.
• Using a small funnel, slowly pour the paint mixture into your water gun.

• Head outside.
• Prop your canvas up on a tree or other allowed surface or lay them flat on the ground.
• Have the kiddos start shooting at the canvas to make their creations.

• Allow your creations to dry.
• Display them proudly.

Notes:

• I discovered using a frosting tip was the perfect size for a funnel to pour the mixture into each gun, since I did have the right size of funnel available.
• Some of the paint was a little thick so I would recommend adding more water if you run into any misfiring issues.
• You can put them in a frame or hang them without one. Awesome!
• The water guns were so cheap, I did not feel bad for throwing them away. There’s no way I have the patience to clean them all out!

Didn’t they turn out so cool? I was really impressed with their own color choices and styles. They had a blast squirting the canvas to create their own masterpieces, and with it being outside, clean up was a breeze! These bad boys do need to dry overnight before hanging them up. I just love how each of their personalities show through in their work! The kids REALLY got into it. It was so much fun! All in all, this was a complete success! Happy crafting, y’all!

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I don’t know about you, but I love to have parties during the summer, and laying out a snack bar for everyone to help themselves can alleviate quite a bit of stress in finding everyone’s favorite foods. My husband’s go-to snack is always popcorn, and it’s a great snack to use as a base in a mix! However, mine is homemade ice-cream. I love a cold bowl of ice cream on a hot summer day! In the summer, I always mix ice cream with different types of candy like my absolute favorite, Sour Patch Kids! Whether it is making an ice cream bowl mixed with candy or another type of snack mix, there is always one for everyone. Here is a great mix to make below that I just recently made for my family that I’m sure you’ll love!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of air-popped popcorn
• 1 pack Bite Size Cookies
• 1 cup extra small mini pretzel twists
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup mixed jumbo raisins

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
• Mix well.
• Serve & Enjoy!

This simple recipe only calls for five ingredients and all you have to do is combine them together – that’s it! It’s also the perfect on-the-go snack if you are traveling for vacations or family get togethers. This popcorn mix is an easy snack to make and you can throw it into a baggy.

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BBQ/Picnic

If you want to have a backyard barbeque or picnic, you can bring the festive vibes for sure with some colorful dishes and drinkware.

Make some mocktails and serve them in fun glasses that all your friends and family will love.

Water Fun

Head to the community pool, your nearest beach, or get a kiddie pool for your backyard! Then, grab some outdoor toys like water balloons, pool noodles, and fun floats to make your own unique island oasis experience!

Safety First, But Fashionable

Don’t forget to dress up in some cool gear that is perfect for the season! Protect your eyes with some sassy shades! Grab a wide-brim hat to TOP off your look, and of course, don’t forget the sunscreen!

Backyard Fun

Hanging out in the backyard can get even better with things like water guns, sidewalk chalk, a bat & ball and of course, don’t forget the bubbles.

Enjoy your summer while only spending a few bucks. Don’t forget to check out our Amazon Storefront section Outstanding for the Outside to find some more great summer fun items!

***Fun Fact: All the items highlighted in this post only cost a whopping $15.00 before tax from our local dollar store.***

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While we laze through our summer days, I don’t want the kids to completely forget what we have been learning all year long. We are slowly working on a few things still, but they have not caught on quite yet! I love that they are still learning, and enjoying it too.

As we drove across a few states for a family get together, we were listing off different birds, flowers, and more fun road trip games. Occasionally I would ask them to spell a certain word or throw a math problem into the mix. They were having so much fun with the trip that they answered without even thinking about it! Total mom win!

Summer days are all about fun, and while we are having lots of fun, the kids can still learn! We spend a lot more time at the library these days, and there have been some great adventures through so many book pages.

We have really had a great time with the movies. There are some really great classic films that we have worked through already. We like watching different musicals, and I have discovered that my kids really enjoyed White Christmas and Singing in the Rain. We love to watch the old John Wayne movies, and Rio Grande is by far my favorite, but my kids really love the World War II pictures that he did. Ready for this???  Once they watch the movies, they want to know more about the battles and the history, so where does that lead us? The library!

Summer is meant to be fun, but that does not mean that learning completely stops. We can learn anywhere we are, no matter what we are doing. Just take the summer, have some fun, and see what you can learn along the way! You might be just as surprised as the kids as to what you can pick up without actually really having to officially teach anything.

Share with us what you are doing this summer to “learn” as you go! Have you seen our Summer Bingo game?

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