For some reason, making bread scares me.  It totally has to do with waiting for the yeast to rise.  I tend to be a cook who just throws ingredients into the pot as I'm cooking...which you can't quite do with baking.  Now, breakfast breads...that's my jam. This banana bread recipe is AMAZING!

I happened to find a recipe for Naan on Pinterest one day and I was shocked at how easy it seemed.

That recipe bombed and even Rambo was confused if it was food or a Frisbee.  (#pinfail)

Second round, I wasn't expecting much either but it turned out AMAZING!  It is almost as tasty as Olga's bread, which I wasn't expecting.  This naan is light and fluffy, yet doesn't get soggy when you use it for wraps or pizza.  Score!

Best part?  You can freeze either the dough or the prepared pieces of Naan.  Double up your recipe and save even more time and money.

When you buy Naan at the grocery store, it runs from at least $2.50 for 4 pieces.  You can make it for MUCH cheaper.

What do you do with Naan?  I love to make individual pizzas, wraps or break it off for a soup dipper.

As you saw earlier, I like to make Tzatziki sandwiches at least once a week.

I found this recipe from Budget Bytes and I made some changes.  I used Grapeseed oil (I'm a new fan) and I used our Ultragrain flour from Costco.

Love Pompeian!  Always look for the great 50% off sales at Meijer!

Ingredients

• 2 tsp dry active yeast 
• 1 tsp sugar 
• 1/2 cup warm water 
• 2.5 cups flour (I like Ultragrain or 1 cup whole wheat and 1.5 regular), plus more to sprinkle
• 1/2  tsp salt 
• 1/4 cup Grapeseed Oil (or Olive Oil)
• 1/3 cup 0% Greek yogurt 
• 1 egg

Directions:

1. In the bowl of your Kitchen Aid (or regular bowl, if mixing by hand), add yeast, sugar and water.  Stir and allow to dissolve and get frothy...about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in yogurt, oil and egg.
3. In a smaller bowl, mix together flour and salt.  
4. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time.  You may need more flour if it ends up sticky.  Kneed for 3 minutes.  (Your stand mixer might jump...no worries!) 
• If you are mixing by hand, kneed until no longer sticky (at least 3 minutes)
5. In the end, the mixture should be smooth and NOT sticky.  Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for 45 minutes (should double in size).  Punch down and break into 8 pieces.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pieces until they are very thin (about 1/8-1/4 inch thick)
7. Heat a skillet over medium-low heat, spraying with Olive Oil spray. Place one piece in the pan at a time.  Cook until golden brown on each side. Bubbles are okay!  
8. Finish by brushing with butter or garlic oil and seasoning with herbs of your choice.

Once you try this recipe, it gets faster once you know the process.  I tend to double the batch (making in 2 separate bowls) and cook up 8 pieces, freezing 8 pieces of dough.  You must let the dough rise BEFORE freezing.  

Whole pieces of cooked naan can be frozen, I like to use the Perfect Portion bags for individual pieces, then put 2-3 in a gallon sized freezer bag.

How do you like to eat your Naan?

Like this recipe? Make sure to check out my Facebook page for more recipe & money saving updates!

Obsessed with Dannon Oikos Dips! {Giveaway}

If you follow me on Instagram, you can immediately see what foods I'm obsessed with.  My ultimate favorite right now is the new Dannon Oikos Greek yogurt dip.  These low calorie dips are packed with flavor.

I first discovered these dippers at BlogHer Food.  Since I was a volunteer at the registration desk, I would have time to roam the Expo area while everyone else was in session.  If I needed a quick (healthy) snack, I would know to head over to the Dannon booth.

This dip comes in four flavors:

• Roasted Red Pepper 
• Cucumber Dill
• Veggie
• French Onion

I have been playing around with these since June and I have come to love the Cucumber Dill and Roasted Red Pepper varieties best.  The veggie dip has made a few appearances at BBQs we've hosted as well.  As I am typing this, I just thought to add the French Onion on a burger with swiss.  YUM!  There are endless possibilities!

Instead of sour cream, use this dip for a cool topper for your fish tacos!

Stay tuned for the homemade Naan recipe!

I used to make my own Tzatziki dressing, but this tastes the same and is much easier!  If you want to go the meatless route, mix the dip with white beans or garbanzo beans.  I top the sandwich with cucumbers, tomato and spinach.  Quick lunch!  

I buy Veggie Mediterranean burgers and top with the dip.  Another quick lunch or light dinner!

Are you itching to try this awesome new dip?  Enter to win 4 FREE coupons, plus a $10 Walmart gift card to shop with! I would love to know what you come up with!

To enter: leave a comment below stating which dip you would like to try or any creative way you would use the dips.  I will use random.org to pick a winner on August 7, 2013. 

Slow Cooker Southwest White Chicken Chili

Sometimes, you magically come up with a great recipe by mistake.  Don't you love when that happens? Since I've been trying to only do one big shopping trip a month, by the end of month we are at the end of our freezer and pantry supply...which is perfect and hard at the same time!  It forces you to be creative!

One day, I was craving white chicken chili, but we were out of chicken breasts.  I did happen to have some ground chicken in the freezer.  Voila! This recipe was born!

I have this amazing new Ninja cooking system (another swag item from BlogHer!) which is an oven, slow cooker AND a stove-top in one.  I KNOW!  It seems too good to be true, but I am in LOVE! I can even steam and make CUPCAKES in this thing.  It is so fun to play with!

I was able to saute the ground chicken first with some onion, then I just started cleaning out the pantry: beans, chicken stock, tomatoes, green chilis and a packet of White Chicken Chili seasoning. At first, I wanted to add sour cream, but we were out.  Alas, I used plain yogurt (Greek would be even better!).  I had some fresh corn I added during the last 20 minutes of cooking, but canned or frozen would work too!

This chili has a mild heat that is  perfect to load up with toppings: especially lime, avocado and some cilantro.

Yes, I do realize it's summer still...but I love soup!  Served with a salad, this is still the perfect dinner to beat the heat!  And it's quite healthy!

Ingredients

• 1.25 lbs of ground chicken (lean) or 93% ground turkey
• 1 can of Great Northern Beans, 1 can Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (regular or Greek)
• 1 can (5 oz) chopped green chiles
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1 cup fresh, frozen or canned corn 
• 1 cup reduced sodium chicken stock
• 1 packet McCormick White Chicken Chili mix
• 1 can of diced tomatoes, drained (the ones with chilis add heat!)
• Optional: Perfect Pinch fiesta citrus seasoning
• Topping suggestions: green onions, jalapenos, cilantro, Mexican blend cheese, avocado, tortilla chips, lime

Let's (Slow) Cook!

1. Cook the ground chicken with the onions before adding to the slow cooker, season with the Fiesta Citrus seasoning, if you want!
2. Add everything else to the slow cooker, except toppings.
3. Cook:
• High: 3-4 hours
• Low: 6-7 hours
4. Top with whatever you want and enjoy!  If it seems thin, mash the beans up a bit.  It's great with another dollop of yogurt!

What are your favorite toppers for chili?

My dog is quirky {Finding the perfect treat for my crazy dog}

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client.

We've had Rambo for almost two years now and he is completely a part of the family.  He's fit in since day one.  He "protects" the house and keeps an eye on the girls, especially Gabby.  Yes, he has some habits that drive me crazy, but he is a great dog!

Treats are one way we show him some love.  He also gets them to help with some of his little quirks.

Thursdays are a dreaded day in this house.  Why?  Rambo hates garbage trucks with a passion.  Not quite sure how they differ from all other trucks that pass, but he barks allll day long!  I love that we have many garbage options in this city, but all five company trucks come through the neighborhood on Thursday. To help with the barking, we give him a few extra treats to keep him happy.

When we moved into the house, the previous owner forgot to give us their ADT code for the door alarm.  Every time the door opens, it chirps.  SO annoying.  Rambo thinks so too!  It's also great because someone on Real Housewives has the same lovely chirp and he barks at the TV when he hears it too. When I know people are coming over, I make sure the treats are ready to go so he doesn't scare away our company!

The final quirk that Rambo has is that he likes to "nose through the trash" (a little Christmas Vacation reference for you...).  If I don't put the garbage in the bathroom when we leave, we come home to a lovely mess.  To help him behave and not get into the rest of the kitchen pantry area, I make sure to reward him with treats when he behaves.  It has been working!

I found my Nudges at Kroger!

There are a million treats on the market, most smell disgusting and are filled with who knows what!  I bought one brand and I couldn't feed it to Rambo.  It smelled like smoked garbage.  I'm sure he would have gobbled them up anyway, but I want to make sure he stays healthy!

Over the winter, the girls started doing chores and one was to feed Rambo every night.  Let's just say, Rambo gained a few extra pounds!  Since summer, he's getting back to his slimmer 100 pound weight thanks to plenty of walks and chasing the girls around.

Nudges are all natural chicken jerky treats for dogs.  When I first picked them up, I was afraid they would be too large for Rambo to eat.  They break easily for dogs of all sizes and Rambo has been very happy with them!  I really admire that they have created a safe, healthy dog treat without fillers for us to buy at a great price.  We will definitely be switching!

If you would like to try them, here's a coupon!

Rambo's cousin, Diamond, liked the Nudges too!

To celebrate summer, Collective Bias has issued a digital magazine which gives you some fun ideas for the season.  I especially want to try the tequila melon balls!  Nudges is a part of the magazine too!  You can check it out below.

To see more details about my shopping trip to pick up the Nudges at Kroger, check out this Google+ album !

Does your pet have any "quirks"?

{Guest Post} Decorating on the Cheap: Bathroom Re-Vamp

Today we have a guest post from Kate!  I love her decorating ideas and the green color she chose is great!  If you are interested in guest posting, send me an email or FB message! 

I love decorating my home.  O.K, I may be borderline obsessed with it.  But for me, it’s not about putting up appearances for others.  It’s about making our house comfortable, fun, and pleasing for our family.  We love home.  The problem is, we don’t exactly have piles of extra money lying around (if you do, hooray for you!)  So I have had to figure out ways to do this on the cheap.  For this article, I will show you how I redecorated my bathroom for around $100.

This bathroom had some very nice things going on to start with.  It just lacked a little oomph.  

I found some fabric that I LOVED at Hobby Lobby, and that served as my inspiration piece (always a good way to start when re-doing a room).  I used a 40% off coupon (these are always available in the Sunday paper or can be printed online), so the fabric (which I was using for a new window treatment) was less than $5.  

I then picked up a make-your-own window shade kit at Meijer for about $6.  This was my first experience with making a shade, and it was pretty easy and turned out well.  

Next I picked out a wall color that I pulled from the colors in the fabric.  I decided the bright green would be nice with the white wainscot.  Do NOT skimp on your paint—it’s not worth it!  My personal favorite is the Behr Ultra (paint and primer in one).  It covers SO well!  It’s expensive, but it’s worth it.  My gallon of paint cost around $30.

Next up—something to go on the walls.  I found a pair of ugly brass mirrors for $2 each at goodwill and painted them in a bright cherry red.  

I then found a small square mirror (also at a thrift store) for $1 and painted it yellow.  I also found some cute simple bird and tree silhouettes for 50 cents each (also thrift).  Finally, I found a super cute soap dish clearances out at Bed Bath & Beyond for $4 and I glued it in a frame I already had.  Tah-dah, it’s art!

For the mirror, I found a framed picture at Hobby Lobby and replaced the picture with a mirror.  The frame was about $10 and the mirror cost about $5.  

I already had the storage cabinet, but found some cute knobs at Hobby Lobby to dress it up for $2 each.  I purchased a Closetmaid storage shelf for around $20 and found some cute fabric storage bins for around $5 each.  This is a great way to add color and hide the things nobody needs to see!

Breakdown:

Window treatment- $11

Paint- $30

Wall décor- $10

Mirror- $15

Knobs- $4

Storage shelves- $20

Fabric bins- $15

So there you have it—a room makeover for around $100!  Happy decorating!

On the MOOve with Stonyfield Smoothies! {Giveaway!}

Nice refreshing snack for the little ladies!

No matter what time it is, or how long ago they ate, my girls are always searching for a snack.  I'm lucky they gravitate towards healthy options.  I still cannot figure out where all of the food goes on their tiny bodies!

Did you know they always have great coupons available on their site? They are also now found in the Sunday paper. You know I'm all about coupons! To be able to get a great organic product for the same price as other non-organic yogurt is a great feeling!  Our favorite is the Banilla quart (Banana + Vanilla).

As a Mama trying to keep her kids healthy, I love how my kids can quickly get some great nutrients in their system with these smoothies.  Organic milk, puree of fruits & veggies PLUS 1/3 daily calcium serving all in one 3 oz smoothie.  Can't beat that!

This summer it seems we are always on the go.  I like to stick a straw in the smoothies and give them to the girls in their carseats.  I don't like to give them too much liquid before driving, as they aren't quite always the best at going potty when they need to.  (Anyone else have kids that LOVE public restrooms? Ew!)

Want a chance to WIN some Stonyfield goodies?  Enter in the Rafflecopter below to win 4 coupons for FREE packages of Stonyfield Smoothies & a fun deck of cards "52 Things to Do in the Car" (Hello summer road trips!).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AMF Summer Unplugged: Free bowling for the kids!

See if your local AMF is participating!

Disclosure: I participated in this campaign as a member of One2One Network and am eligible for a prize drawing. All opinions stated in this post are my own.

I love summer, I really do.  But I am exhausted!  I feel like I spend the whole day trying to make sure the girls have something to do. (Hello, Pinterest).  Five minutes after stepping outside to play, I hear the dreaded: "I'm boooored!".  

If you know my family, you know that we are not good in the heat. I have passed on those genes (and curly hair!)...we turn into sweaty, frizzy, grumpy girls when it's hot and humid out.  Free activities in the heat are slim to none.  I love the library, but we can only go so much!

When I heard that AMF was doing their free bowling program again this summer, I got really excited!  Kids get to bowl for free all summer!  I am thinking we are about the age for bumper bowling for the twins, don't you?  Yes, you do have to pay for shoes, but that's not a huge fee. For the parents, they have a summer pass which is $34.95 and you can bring up to 3 guests with you!  Not too shabby!


More facts:

• This program runs from May 13- September 2 (Still plenty of time for free bowling!)

• Each day, you can use 2 FREE games! 

• If you want to play more games, it's $1.49 per game after

• You can register up to 6 children

• No coupons needed, just state your name!

What's your go-to free activity to beat the heat?