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Get Warm & Cozy with these Delicious Fall Soups!

November 12, 2018 by Jessica Leave a Comment

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Get warm & cozy with these 20 delicious fall soups to enjoy on a chilly day! These recipes include traditional soups to the super creative! There’s something for ever soup lover!

The days are officially shorter and the weather is just going to keep getting colder. It’s the perfect time of year to celebrate soup season! Who doesn’t love to warm up with a big bowl of soup on a chilly day? There’s really nothing better than a hearty, homemade soup.

My husband isn’t much of a soup eater, but I love cooking up large batches, portioning them out, and keeping them in the freezer. That way, I can have soup for lunch whenever I want! Most of my favorite soups are loaded with veggies. I used to hate chunky soups, but soups – like this Tuscan Meatball and Bean Soup – have quickly become a favorite of mine!

Warm up this fall with these 20 cozy and delicious soup recipes! There’s a different soup for everyone! Maybe even my husband!

Copycat Panera Autumn Squash Soup Recipe – CincyShopper
Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Chickpeas – Busy Being Jennifer
Stuffed Cabbage Soup – Mama Loves Food
Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup Recipe – Eating on a Dime
Greek Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe – A Spicy Perspective
Easy Chicken Dumplings Soup with Pumpkin Recipe – Raising Whasians
Instant Pot Beef Stew – Tasty Galaxy
Cheesy Italian Sausage Potato Chowder – A Night Owl Blog
The Best Creamy Butternut Squash Soup – Pass Me Some Tasty
Roasted Apple & White Cheddar Soup – 4 Sons R Us
Creamy Roasted Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup – Little Sunny Kitchen
Smoked Sausage, Kale and Potato Soup Recipe – Diethood
Instant Pot Creamy Taco Soup Recipe – Eating on a Dime
Chicken, Wild Rice & Mushroom Soup – Simply Stacie
Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup – Busy Being Jennifer
Roast Pumpkin Soup – Eat, Little Bird
One-Pot Tomato and Basil Tortellini Soup – Gal on a Mission
Creamy Bacon Spinach Tortellini Soup – Small Town Woman
Acorn Squash Soup – CopyKat
Chicken Parmesan Soup – Closet Cooking

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What’s your favorite kind of soup to enjoy on a chilly, fall day?

Sparkling Cherry Cosmopolitan Holiday Cocktail

November 9, 2018 by Jessica Leave a Comment

This post is sponsored by Sparkling ICE but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

You’ll be making spirits bright with this Sparkling Cherry Cosmopolitan Holiday Cocktail made with Cherry Limeade Sparkling ICE!

Overwhelmed. That doesn’t even begin to explain the way I’ve been feeling lately. In case you need another reminder, Thanksgiving is now less than two weeks away and Christmas is not far behind! I must admit that I’ve been feeling a bit “Bah Humbug” lately. There’s a ton of work to finish, holiday shopping to be done, plans to be made, and that’s just this month alone.

I’m trying not to let it all get to me. I really do enjoy that warm and fuzzy feeling about the holiday season. I look forward to stuffing my face at Thanksgiving, welcoming the holiday season by putting up my tree the next day, and spending December being as holly and jolly as possible.

Despite the stress of the approaching holidays, I know one thing’s for sure – everything that needs to get done will somehow get done in time. There’s no reason to sit around and worry about it.

Make your holiday sparkle with this Sparkling Cherry Cosmopolitan Holiday Cocktail!

Here’s the thing – sometimes when we’re so caught up in all of the jolly holiday hustle and bustle, we tend to forget to take a moment for ourselves. And that’s when we lose our spark. So instead of letting your spark dim, let’s add a little sparkle this holiday season. Take a little time out to enjoy yourself. If you like listening to holiday tunes, turn on the tunes. If you like baking cookies, bake those cookies. I won’t even tell you to share them!

For me, nothing makes me feel more peaceful than sitting by the light of the Christmas tree, enjoying the quiet of a cold night, and pouring myself a festive holiday drink. I think I’ve already found my signature holiday cocktail for this year – this Sparkling Cherry Cosmopolitan Holiday Cocktail. This isn’t your average Cosmo. I turned that fabulous pink drink into a festive red and green cocktail.

Cut calories and sugar when you use Sparkling Ice in your holiday cocktails!

Traditional Cosmos are made with cranberry juice, lime, Triple Sec (or other orange liqueur), and vodka. It’s the holidays, guys. Let’s cut corners where we can. I already drink Sparkling Ice on the daily. But did you know that it makes a fantastic cocktail, too?

This cocktail is made with Cherry Limeade Sparkling Ice. Not only does it give this cocktail a great flavor and gorgeous red color, it has zero sugar, zero calories, and it’s packed with vitamins and antioxidants. I’ll definitely raise a glass to that!

Yum

Sparkling Cherry Cosmopolitan Holiday Cocktail

Serving Size: 1

Sparkling Cherry Cosmopolitan Holiday Cocktail

Ingredients

2 ounces vodka
1/2 ounce Triple Sec
1/2 bottle Cherry Limeage Sparkling ICE
1/2 lime, juiced
Ice
Optional: slice of lime, for garnish

Instructions

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
Add the vodka, Triple Sec, and lime juice.
Shake and strain into a glass.
Top with Cherry Limeade Sparkling ICE (1/2 bottle).
Garnish with a fresh lime slice and serve.

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This sparkling holiday cocktail is full of fun, fizzy flavor. I love the cherry twist and that pop of lime! Plus, it’s nice to have a cocktail that’s low calorie and low sugar. Especially when I’ll definitely be stealing a few Christmas cookies from the baking tray before storing them in tins! Can you really blame me?

When the holiday rush gets you down, remember to take some time for yourself. Turn on your favorite holiday movie, put on some comfy clothes, and shake up a Sparkling Cherry Cosmopolitan!

You can find all 16 flavors of Sparkling Ice on Amazon. Save 15% plus get free delivery with Subscribe & Save as a Prime member! And don’t forget to make your holiday season sparkle!

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What’s your favorite holiday cocktail?

The Best Christmas Books for the Littles on Your List

November 7, 2018 by Jessica 2 Comments

I received Usborne books in exchange for this post. No other compensation has been received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Give the gift of imagination and holiday magic with these fun and colorful Usborne Christmas books! They’re a perfect gift for the kids on your holiday list!

Guys, it’s already the second week of November! If you haven’t started thinking about holiday shopping, it’s about time that you do! Especially since all of the holiday joy begins this month! As much as I love Halloween, there’s something completely magical about the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sure, it’s a little stressful. All of that cooking, shopping, preparation, and traveling. But there’s no need to stress about the littles on your shopping list this year.

Is there anything more fun than shopping for kids? As the aunt of two nephews and three nieces, I’ve done my fair share of shopping! One of my absolute favorite gifts to get for kids is books. Nothing makes me happier than having my nieces ask, “Aunt Jess, can you read this book to me?” Even the stories we’ve already read about a hundred times!

Books allow kids to soak up all of the wonder hidden within the colorful pages of books. They allow them to open up their imaginations and expand their creativity. A good book never goes out of style at any age, but they’re always so much fun for kids!

Quality books that allow children’s imaginations to soar!

A couple years ago, I was introduced to Usborne Books. I was immediately drawn into the large variety of affordable books available for all different age groups. Since then, I’ve purchased Usborne books for holidays, birthdays, and even manage to snag a few coloring books for myself!

There are story series, box sets, and a ton of activity books to choose from! The activity books are my favorite to buy. They encourage kids to play and what kid doesn’t love to draw, color, or play with stickers? So I was excited to get a few Christmas activity books in the mail from my friend, Rachel.

Rachel and I met online in the early 2000s. It was somewhere between LiveJournal and other social media and journaling site called KiwiBox. I’ve always enjoyed Rachel’s creative side. It’s been fun to watch her connect with her daughter through art and other imaginative activities. It was only fitting that Rachel started selling books that encourage hands-on learning through the pages of colorful Usborne books!

Christmas Doodles

Like most kids, my nieces love to draw and color with crayons, markers, and a small stack of blank paper. This Christmas Doodles book is a fun way to let kids draw with holiday doodling prompts. Kids can decorate trees, add snowflakes to wintry scenes, and much more! This book is recommended for ages 6 and up. Gift this book with a pack of crayons or washable markers!

Little Sticker Dolly Dressing Christmas

I’m already familiar with the Little Sticker Dolly Dressing books. I got my niece the Mermaids book for her birthday last year. It was an immediate hit as she worked through the pages adding sticker mermaid tails and more to the pages.

The Little Sticker Dolly Dressing Christmas book is going to be just as fun! Decorate the dolls in the pages with Christmas outfits, stockings, toys, and more! This easy peel and stick book is recommended for ages 4 and up.

Fingerprint Activities Christmas

I was so excited for this book! The Fingerprint Activities Christmas book looks like so much fun! There are simple prompts throughout the pages to help kids create shapes and scenes just with their fingers!

The book comes with a stamp pad attached to it in seven different colors. It’s one of the best activity books I’ve ever come across! This book is recommended for ages 6 and up, but I think with a little guidance, kids younger than six will be able to enjoy this book, as well.

All of the books I’ve shared are under $20. In fact, the Christmas Doodles book is only $5.99! Check out all of the Christmas books that Usborne offers here. They’ll make great stocking stuffers or gifts for the kids on your Christmas list!

Rachel is a NYC Mama with a 1 year old little girl who has just started working with Usborne books in her “spare” time. An early childhood educator who has come across many awful children’s books, Rachel believes in quality literature (enter Usborne books!). You can check out her Usborne shop here and if you fall in love with the books, check out Rachel’s VIP lounge on Facebook for frequent giveaways and deals.

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Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Soup {SoFabFood Post}

November 5, 2018 by Jessica Leave a Comment

There’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of chicken soup! This Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Soup is full of hearty vegetables and Italian flavor! It’s slow-cooked all day so you can grab a bowl and warm up on a chilly night!

Ah, soup season! There’s nothing like sitting down to a warm bowl of comforting soup. And there’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of chicken soup! Except, of course, maybe this chicken soup! I’m giving traditional chicken soup an Italian style twist with this Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Soup recipe!

This soup recipe was initially just a way to clean out some veggies in our fridge. These days, it’s one of my favorite soups to make in the slow cooker! It starts with a tomato base made with diced tomatoes and chicken broth. Chicken thighs are browned and thrown into the slow cooker along with onions, garlic, green beans, baby spinach, and potatoes. Throw in some Italian herbs and seasonings and, badda-bing-badda-boom, you’ve got yourself one tasty chicken soup!

Head to SoFabFood.com today for the recipe! It makes a really big batch, so it’s a good freezer soup! Or a good soup to share with family, like I did!