I love the Scentsy Family

On Wednesday I went to Scentsy Family Spring Sprint

HEAVEN!! It was every Scentsy nerds dream.

I learned so much about the company and have never been so excited about my business.

For those who don't know I sell Scentsy and Grace Adele.

Scentsy [for those who don't know] is a wickless candle [and amazing] company

Here is a sneak peek at one of the new warmers from the Spring/Summer 2013 catalog!

Grace Adele is an amazing line of purses and accessories. There are many, many, MANY possibilities of purse/clutch combinations [once my new purse comes in I will post pictures of it]

I am in LOVE with this Grace Adele clutch [now I just have to find where Princess #1 hide it]

Chicken Pot Pie Cups

I have been trying to be better about cooking real meals and not just throwing hamburger helper on the stove

A few nights ago I made chicken pot pie cups [a big hit with the family]

What you need

1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1 cup diced cooked chicken

1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup

1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Flaky Layers refrigerated biscuits 

What do do

1 Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, combine vegetables, chicken and soup; mix well. 

2 Press each biscuit into 5 1/2-inch round. Place 1 round in each of 8 greased regular-size muffin cups. Firmly press in bottom and up side, forming 3/4-inch rim. 

3 Spoon a generous 1/4 cup chicken mixture into each. Pull edges of dough over filling toward center; pleat and pinch dough gently to hold in place. 

4 Bake at 375°F 20 to 22 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from pan.

[I decided last minuet to put some cheese on top, its totally optional and just put it on 3-5 mins before they are done]

Princess #2 clearly enjoyed them haha

Interesting facts about sugar

Who doesn't enjoy a nice cold drink once in a while? What do you reach for to quench your thirst? In this house it's typically milk or water and after what I read today I am glad those are our choices.I'm sure that most of you have never heard of the book Fighting Invisible Tigers; Stress Management for Teens by Earl Hipp[I had never heard of it until it was mailed to me for a class I am taking]. I'm sure I will post about it more because even though its geared towards teen [bigger font and pictures] it is full of great information on stress that anyone can benefit from. 

 Once upon a time, humans got almost all of their calories from what nature put into food. That changed with the advent of cheap sugar, and then cheaper high-fructose corn syrup. Sugar is in lots of food we eat, sometimes in foods we don't even think about [Ketchup, Tomato Sauce, Cereals, Pasta, Mac and Cheese, Flour Tortillas...how many of you are about to check you nutrition labels?]. Sugar is also hidden by different names including glucose, sucrose, fructose and corn syrup.Our bodies absorb sugar fast and we get a sugar high. Why? Well our pancreas is surprised but all the sugar we just ate so it secretes insulin to absorb the extra sugar, but if it releases too much insulin it can make our blood sugar drop too low [most call it crashing]. So when you start to crash what do you do? You get a snack but if you just grab a candy bar or chips you are starting the processes all over again, like a roller coaster up and down, up and down. 

•  The average American consumes 225 POUNDS of sugar every year
• 1 can of pop [soda] contains the equivalent of half a sandwich baggie of sugar
• Americans consume 50 MILLION GALLONS of pop [soda] every year
• Drinking sugary drinks has been linked to tooth decay, obesity, diabetes, bone disease and heart disease
• Soft drinks are actively marketed to children and teens, they are key consumers of sugar-sweetened beverages. 

 As a mother of 2 I want to give my kiddos a balanced diet, am I perfect? Heck no we each have a big sweet tooth, but at least I know that not letting them have pop [soda] is a step in the right direction. I for one am going to be better about reading labels while in the store. For more information about sugary drinks and their effects you can check out this study from Harvard

Hamburger Casserole

What you need

3 cups uncooked rotini pasta (8 oz) 

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef 

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup) 

1 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained 

1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce 

1 tablespoon sugar 

1 cup shredded American-Cheddar cheese blend (4 oz)

What to do

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

2 Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, cook beef, onion, garlic powder and salt over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain.

3 Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar and pasta. Pour into ungreased 8-inch square (2-quart) baking dish.

4 Cover dish with foil. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until bubbly around edges.
5 Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

We served it with rolls and salad 

Crock Pot: Beef Burgundy

What you need

Crock Pot

1.5 pounds beef stew meat

1 can (10.75oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 cup red wine [I used Pinot Noir]

1 small onion chopped

1 can (4oz) sliced mushrooms

1 pk (1oz) dry onion soup mix

1 Tbs minced garlic

What to do

Combined all ingredients in (4.5 qt) Crock Pot

Cook on low 6-8 hours

Serve with fettuccine or egg noodles