April Fools Dinner: Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato Frosting

Are looking for a way to make this April Fools Day extra special for your family? Consider a fun recipe instead of the typical prank or joke! Nothing beats dessert for dinner-unless it is actually a delicious savory meal in disguise...

Ingredients: *Makes 12 servings*

Meatloaf-
2 eggs (beaten)
2 lbs. ground beef 
1 cup of breadcrumbs (seasoned or unseasoned)
1 small onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped or pressed
2/3 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mashed Potatoes-
6 large potatoes peeled and cubed 
1/4 butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk (adjust depending on desired consistency)

Instructions: *You will need a regular sized cupcake tray and cupcake liners* 

Meatloaf-
1. Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees and place cupcake liners into tray.
2. In a large bowl mix all of your ingredients together until they are well combined.
3. Evenly divide your mixture among the cupcake tray. Make sure you press mixture firmly into each liner.
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Meatloaf will be golden brown on top. Or until your meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.
5. Let your Meatloaf Cupcakes cool slightly before piping potatoes on top. (This will prevent your potatoes from becoming too soft and sliding off.)

Potatoes-
1.In a large saucepan place cubed potatoes into lightly salted cold water.
2. Bring water and potatoes to a rapid boil.
3. Once rapid boil is reached-reduce heat and cook until potatoes are fork tender.
4.Remove potatoes from stove and drain. Once drained place them back in your saucepan and return to stove.
5. Add your butter, milk, salt and pepper. Mash or whip until smooth. 

Here comes the fun part...

1. Remove your Meatloaf cupcakes from your tray.
2. Place your potatoes into a 10 inch decorating bag.
3. Starting from the outside of each Meatloaf Cupcake pipe your potatoes in a circular motion until you reach the center.

*You can also add a Cherry Tomato to the top of each cupcake for more fun* 

Serve and enjoy the smiles this meal is sure to bring!

Wishing everyone a Happy April Fools Day this Sunday! Do you play pranks on your family?

Sunday Supper...

 Sitting down to enjoy a family dinner is so important. With all the running around we do, being able to enjoy our families and a good meal is something I really want to make time for each week. I have decided that every Sunday we will sit down, relax, turn off the tv and video games, and really connect! Without further ado I give you Sunday Supper...

Because I can not have you all gather around my table each week(although I would love to have you) I will share what we enjoyed that week with you...

This week we enjoyed pork loin, green beans, white rice, and grilled french bread. Mommy also had a nice glass of red wine. Yummy!

Do you make time each week to sit down for at least one big family dinner? What are some of your favorite things to make?

Slugs and Bugs {review}

I have a really cute review today from Slugs and Bugs.

Slugs and Bugs is an adorable array of children's music that is sold within Family Christian stores.

The first album Slugs & Bugs & Lullabies was created by Andrew Peterson & Randall Goodgame. 

It is absolutely cute with a great message for young children. Little Diva just loved it! 

The second Slugs & Bugs album is called Slugs & Bugs Under Where?

This album was created by Randall Goodgame. You may recognize his name...as he has written songs for Veggie Tales! Slugs & Bugs Under Where? comes out on October 25th!

Little Diva really enjoyed both of the albums! If you have a little one who loves music as well, and you are looking for age appropriate music that contains a sweet message, Slugs & Bugs may just be for you!

You can find Slugs & Bugs being sold at Family Christian stores. Randall Goodgame also tours with his live show (which sounds so fun). You can visit the website here and look for a tour date near you! You can also find videos of the live shows on Youtube. 

If you are looking to connect with Slugs & Bugs you can find them here:

Website: http://slugsandbugs.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/slugsandbugs

YouTube: http://youtube.com/slugsbugslullabies

Disclosure: I received a free download of these albums to conduct a review. No other form of compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own and were not influenced in any way.

Tips for helping to keep your family cold and flu free...

Fall is most definitely blowing it's way through our hometown. This means it is the time of year when our children and families are most susceptible to coming down with the flu or a cold. I can not tell you how important it is to teach our children (and sometimes our hubby's) to follow a few simple steps to keep ourselves germ free so that we can enjoy the season!

Here are a few of my personal tips and tricks:

1. Make sure you teach your children to cover their coughs and sneezes. While covering your mouth and nose with your hands will suffice, it is best to teach them to use the inside of their elbows. This way they won't be temped to use their hands afterwards, spreading more germs!

2. Wash wash wash! I really drill my kids about the importance of hand washing! They are encouraged to wash before and after every meal at home and at school. As well as after playing on the playground at recess. 

They have a step stool in their bathroom giving them the freedom to wash on their own!

3. Put a small package of tissue in your child's backpack. Last year I dropped into my sons classroom to only see they had run out of tissue. Their only option was paper towels. Most kids chose their hands and shirts instead, ewwww!

4. Ask your child's teacher if it is acceptable to send a small bottle of hand sanitizer to school. You can even donate a HUGE bottle, ensuring the children all have the chance to use it. I like to keep it in my purse, the car, and next to the sink!

5. If you are comfortable with the idea, you can have your family receive the flu shot. 

6. Teach your children that while it is always nice to share with your friends, germs are something we want to keep to ourselves. This means no sharing drinks, chapstick, etc. 

7. Give your child a multi-vitamin everyday. 

8. As a Mommy, I also take precautions around the house! I constantly wipe down the counters, tables, and toys. Light switch's and door knobs are also places germs love to hang out. Take the time to wipe them off, or give them a daily spray with Lysol (one of my favorite products)!

There really isn't anything I wouldn't do in order to keep my kids cold and flu free. My son suffers from asthma, and something that starts as simple a small cough can really escalate to him being very sick, very fast! I hope you have found my tips and tricks helpful. Of course I would love for you to leave me a comment with anything else you can think of. 

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Lysol blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here

Protecting your Family Nest!

Did you know that half of Americans claim to be under insured? To me that is an astonishing number, I can't even begin to imagine where my family would be without the right insurance. For my family being insured is an absolute must! I am a stay-at-home mommy, which means that my husband is our primary bread winner! Not to mention his line of work puts him at a greater risk for injury, which down right scares the you know what out of me! I know that in this economy most people think that they or their partner won't need the insurance, that it is just an added cost each month that they can't really afford. But it is actually more affordable than you may think, it can be as low as $20 a month in some cases. Looking at the BIG picture it isn't very unreasonable at all. Ask yourself, where would you be without life insurance? I know I would be at a complete loss of funds to cover any medical expenses, funeral costs, not to mention pay my mortgage! Here are a few tips to help you protect what means the most to us:

*Insure yourself and you spouse! As horrible as the thought of losing a loved one is, it is a reality and it is better to be financially prepared. Life insurance is a must for me!

*Start a saving account! My hubby and I always put money away each month. Even if it is only $20. Every little bit helps. You never know when or why you will need it.

*Make sure you have a good retirement plan! These days most people are extremely lucky have a stable job, so set your self up for the future! It is a shame to work so hard now and not reap the benefits once you retire, right?

*Start a college fund for the kids! By starting when they are very young you can put a little away each month, or even once a year around tax time! Education is so important, and I want to make sure that I give my kids the best opportunity possible.

*Open a saving account for the kids! Both of my children have had savings accounts since the time they were born. Every holiday and each birthday they both receive a few checks here and there. We just deposit them and let it collect the interest. We have decided that we will give them the option to use it towards a car when the time comes or just continue to save it for a rainy day!

*Have a family plan! Make sure everyone knows what to do, and where to go during an emergency! I know that most of us have very young children, so making sure they know what to do in any emergency is key! Being a stay-at-home mommy I always worry about something happening to me and my kids not knowing how to get the help we need. Take the time to teach them! Accidents do happen!

I hope that I was able to give you some ideas to keep your Family Nest safe and sound! I would love for you to leave me a comment with any other ideas you may have! We can never be to safe!

Disclosure:“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Allstate blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”