Celebrate #Oatober with Peanut Butter & Co.

Just in time for Halloween, and all the sweetness that goes with it, I've teamed up with my good friends at Peanut Butter & Co. and Bob's Red Mill to transform October into "Oatober"!

I've got something that the little ones can not only enjoy for an after school snack, lunchbox treat, or Halloween party dish, but can also help make! They will love getting their hands sticky and messy, and then maybe even licking them when done!

So many schools don't allow homemade treats at classroom parties, but if yours is okay with it, these would be perfect! So yummy and a perfect little sweet bite.

We love peanut butter. Like eat from the jar with a spoon love, so the double peanut butter punch in these, with the Reese's candies, makes them extra special.

If you're looking for something fun to make with your kids, or maybe something to feed all those little goblins and witches that come to your big Halloween bash, I've got you covered!

No Bake Halloween Balls

2 1/2 c. old fashion oats ( I used Bob's Red Mill)

1 c. creamy peanut butter (I used PB & Co. Smooth Operator)

1/2 c. honey

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

1/2 c. Reese's pieces

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Roll into balls. Chill for 30 minutes to set. Store in fridge in airtight container. *NOTE* When rolling, some of the candies will want to fall out. Just keeping pressing. 

Shared at Weekend Potluck

Disclaimer: As part of Yum Squad I received product in exchange for this post. All thoughts, opinions and the recipe are all mine.

More Football (Or Busy Night) Food

Does anything say football food more than chicken wings? I don't think so. But let's face it, those little suckers are a little labor intensive. Sure, there are short cuts; but to do them right is to do them the way God intended, and quite frankly, I don't have that kind of time. But what I do have time for is a fun little sandwich that has all the same flavors, and cooks itself in my Crock Pot.

Sliders scream armchair quarter backing! When we are screaming at the refs and leading a team down the field in a 2 minute drill, we can't be bothered with some huge sandwich! But a tiny, hands friendly one, with huge flavor...we can all get on board with that! 

Oh, and let me add, if your schedule is as hectic as ours, these also make a terrific weeknight supper too! I served them with some cut veggies/dip on the side and sweet potato fries. The meat cooked all day while I was busy doing other things and then dinner came together in almost no time!

Football food can easily be turned into every day food when we utilize our favorite kitchen assistant, the Crock Pot! And these are so tasty, even non-football fans will show up, just to eat!

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders

2 lbs. boneless chicken thighs, extra fat trimmed
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
Garlic Powder, to taste
Salt and Pepper, to taste
12 oz. bottle hot sauce
2 TBS butter
Slider Buns
Blue Cheese Crumbles

Grease Crock Pot. Lay chicken in bottom. Sprinkle with ranch dressing, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour hot sauce over. Cook on HIGH for 1 hour. Reduce heat to LOW and cook 3 hours more. Remove and shred. Add back to Crock Pot. Add butter and stir. Cook on LOW 30 minutes. Serve on slider buns with blue cheese crumbles.

Shared at Weekend Potluck

Slow Cooker To Go! {A Review and Giveaway}

Ya'll! I am so excited to be typing this post! I can not wait to introduce you to your new best friend for not only in your kitchen, but for on the go as well! 

We all love our slow cookers. Can't get enough recipes for them. Adore the convenience and easy of cooking with them for everything from our every day meals to parties and holidays. But what if I told you our favorite kitchen appliance just got even better??!!! Not possible? Oh, but it is with the Hold & Go Slow Cooker from BeraTek Industries! 

This 5 quart slow cooker is not only portable but comes with a no-spill locking lid for your on-the-go lifestyle. The single handle makes it your new best friend for tailgating, family gatherings and more! The handle also doubles as a handy place to prop the lid while serving!! (My favorite feature of all!)

I LOVE this slow cooker! I am never going to another "hey bring this dish" party again without it! No more having to worry about spilling in the car, or holding it, burning my legs while Mr. E drives. This thing is the best thing to happen to slow cookers since they went oval! 

And the great news? My friends at BeraTek Industries not only provided me with one of these awesome slow cookers, but they have one for you too! That's right, ONE lucky EMM reader will WIN one for their very own. How? It's easy! 

******GIVEAWAY******

To Enter: Leave me a comment HERE telling me the first thing you would cook in your new slow cooker. 

Bonus Entry: Like BeraTek Industries on Facebook. Leave me an additional comment HERE when you have.

Leave an email address so I can find you!

Open to US Residents 18 years older ONLY.

Contest Ends: October 10, 2015


Disclaimer: I received a free slow cooker in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own. 

Weekly Menu Oct. 4-9

*New Recipes

Links to Recipes on Blog

Sunday

Crock Pot Cabbage Roll Soup*

Pumpernickel bread

Monday

Turkey Veggie Bagels*

Sliced Tomatoes

Waldorf Salad

Tuesday

Baked Mac n Cheese

Green Beans

Mandarin Oranges

Wednesday

Ham Steaks

Stuffing

Acorn Squash

Applesauce

Thursday

Copy Cat Cracker Barrel French Toast

Bacon

Sausage

Friday

Tomato Soup

Grilled Cheese

Fruit 

Cincinnati, Here We Come

Last weekend was a whirlwind of activity in our house...kind of like the rest of September was. We had yet another Tae Kwon Do tournament, and since this one was in Cincinnati, we decided to make a weekend getaway out of it!!

So, Friday around noon I retrieved little man from school, Mr. E got off work early, we loaded up the car and we started making our way south about 3 hours. I love road trips. I love family time. I love getting away and making memories. What I don't love? All the work that happens when you return!!

We had an amazing couple days finding fun things to do, yummy places to eat, winning trophies (Yep, my little ninja warrior brought home a 1st and 2nd place trophy!) and just being together.

But when I awoke Sunday morning, after getting home at 1:45 a.m., I truly felt like I had been run over by a semi! I was exhausted, with a capital E. The boys were the same way; and when we all looked around at the bags to unpack, the mess to clean up, the laundry to do, the dishes, etc, we really considered moving and starting from scratch, just to avoid it!!

Okay, not really, but when I looked at all that, and remembered I was still on the hook for supper, I was so glad I had planned ahead and new it would be the perfect day for a crock pot full of soup that I barely had to put any energy into.

Talk about the best way to warm up on a chilly fall day, or some of those bitter cold winter ones that aren't too far off. Creamy potato soup with bites of ham...it is sure to make you smile and fill you up at the same time.

I am so thankful we have the opportunities we do to have family time and make memories to last a lifetime. And when those are over, I'm also thankful for simple recipes for when I'm dog tired and starving! 

Crock Pot Ham and Potato Soup

1 (30 oz.) bag frozen shredded hash browns

1 lb. diced ham

1 medium white onion, chopped

1 (32 oz.) box chicken broth

1 (5 oz.) can evaporated milk

4 oz. cream cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Chopped Chives

Allow frozen potatoes and ham to come to room temp for about an hour, so they are partially thawed. Combine potatoes, ham, chicken broth and onion in Crock Pot. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well. Cook on HIGH for 2 hours. Reduce heat to LOW and cook 4-5 hours more. Mash potatoes to desired thickness. Add milk and cream cheese. Cook 30 minutes extra. Garnish with chives (I like dried). 

Shared at Weekend Potluck