*I wrote this post as part of my participation in a blog tour for KFC and received compensation to thank me for taking the time to participate. However, all opinions expressed are my own. As I've mentioned before on Tough Cookie Mommy, game night is extremely important to our family because it allows us to spend time together and to enjoy each other's company away from the hustle and bustle of the week. We are working parents and our boys are involved in a variety of extracurricular activities which make it challenging to get that quality time in as a family on a regular basis. We think game night should be a weekly routine and KFC is now helping us make that happen! Not only is the guesswork taken out of figuring out what I'm going to make for dinner that night, but I also get to engage in one of my favorite activities which is promoting reading and writing in our home. As a Literacy Specialist, I'm all for activities that promote literacy skills in our … [Read more...]
Rekindle Your Romance With Date Night! #BestLobsterfest @RedLobster #Giveaway #Ad
*This is part of a sponsored campaign with Being Latino and Red Lobster. However, all opinions expressed are my own. I can't even tell you guys how long it has been since I had a romantic date night with my husband. It seems like every time we plan to get some alone time together, life happens and we never get around to it. Many of you can probably relate to this since you also juggle many roles including that of a parent, spouse, employee, business owner, etc. Lately I have been trying to really get serious about spending some special time with my sweetheart. In the past, when we have had more time to regularly have a date night, we really enjoyed going out for dinner and seeing a movie. There is just something so romantic about sitting to eat with your love at your favorite restaurant and locking their gaze from across the table. In our case, one of our favorite places to frequent and to rekindle our romance is Red Lobster. During Lobsterfest, all of … [Read more...]
Tips For Planning A Dinner Out With The Family! @RedLobster #BestLobsterFest #Ad
*This is part of a sponsored campaign with Being Latino and Red Lobster. However, all opinions expressed are my own. One of my favorite things to do with my family is to go out to dinner. Due to our busy schedules, we plan regular dinner dates to reconnect with one another and to enjoy each other's company. My boys really like going out to eat and I also use the opportunity to reinforce good table manners as well as the proper way to behave when out in public. We enjoy frequenting some of our favorite restaurants during these dinners and one of the restaurants at the top of our list is Red Lobster. Having grown up in a fishing town in Spain, I know what good seafood tastes like and I like to enjoy it with my husband and my boys. Now that Red Lobster's Lobsterfest event is back, we can enjoy some our favorite lobster selections from their new and classic dishes. In addition to guest favorites like Lobster Lover’s Dream® and the Ultimate Feast®, there are three new … [Read more...]
#LetFreedomBloom And Declare Your Independence This July 4th! #BestMates
*This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Outback Steakhouse. All opinions are 100% mine. Today is the 4th of July and, while many of you are planning family barbecues or having gatherings with your loved ones, it's important to remember the significance of this special day for this country. It is the birthday of our great nation and a great way to celebrate it is by letting freedom "bloom." Outback Steakhouse is honoring this special day by "letting freedom bloom" and offering a FREE Bloomin' Onion to share with your family and friends at the table when you visit any participating Outback location within the 50 states. All you have to do to get this great deal is to tell your server to "Let freedom bloom!" Content and/or other value provided by out partner, Outback Steakhouse. Outback has been supporting out troops, who safeguard the freedom we celebrate on this day, through Operation Homefront. For more than three years, they have donated over two … [Read more...]
Celebrate Autumn By Pairing New Veggie And Meat Dishes! #HormelFamily
Now that Fall is upon us, it is time to make the transition from preparing warm weather meals to foods that are now in season with the winter months ahead of us. Sometimes, pairing your meat dishes with seasonal vegetables can seem like a daunting task. September and October are great months to experiment with seasonal root vegetables. The new cool weather conditions are ideal for the growth of such veggies as broccoli, squash and cauliflower. It is important to keep a few things in mind when pairing meats and seasonal veggies. Here are some tips for planning and preparing seasonal meals for your family: * Root vegetables gain some sweetness when they are roasted and taste delicious with pork. One option is to pair a Hormel Always Tender roast flavored pork roast with carrots or a sweet potato as a tasty side. * Vegetables can be paired with different meats for slow cook dishes in the form of soups, stews, chili, and more. You can try mixing Herb-Ox chicken or beef … [Read more...]
Make Your New Year’s Dinner Party More Delectable With Gourmet Gift Baskets!
We love to get together for holiday dinners as a family. I always make sure to put out a spread of snacks that everyone can enjoy while they are hanging out waiting for dinner to be served. The problem is that it is not always so easy to put together a variety of finger foods that everyone will love and I usually have to be very creative with the items that I choose. This year I had the opportunity to review the Christmas Gift Basket™ Classic from Gourmet Gift Baskets and I was thrilled that the basket would come already put together with all of the pre-dinner foods that my family loves to eat and that I would not have to go crazy running around to get all the items. This particular gift basket boasted that it contained "a variety of award-winning gourmet snacks that appeal to a wide variety of tastes." We couldn't wait to try all of the yummy snacks. Some of the gourmet snacks that were included in the gift basket were chocolate covered cherries, dark chocolate … [Read more...]