This is one of those posts I committed to writing before I decided to go on a blogging hiatus. Thought you might like to win a prize or two while I’m gone!

Lydia & Asa making a salad last night

I think I have established that I am not a chef. I totally love food. Obviously. But meal planning is not my forte. Hence my love affair with Once a Month Mom and E-Mealz. One thing I’ve always tried to do is make the kids part of cooking dinner. They love it! What is a chore for me is a special treat to them!

Last week I decided to make meatballs {Yes, my husband is still a vegetarian. We ate them for lunch!}. But I didn’t want to get my hands dirty. So I poured everything into a bowl and let the kids have at it. No, the meatballs weren’t evenly shaped. And yes, my almost-vegetarian daughter said, “I love the feel of meat in my hands!” But it got done!

So, as part of my back-to-school resolutions, I’m going to start involving them as much as possible with cooking–dinner AND packing lunches! It makes it (mostly) easier for me and the kids learn something new while contributing to our family! In fact, tonight, I didn’t let the kids help me with dinner and they were running around the house pretending to be cats. By the time dinner was finished, they had stuck homemade goo to the floor and been in trouble for whining. If they had been cooking with me, that may have been avoided! Plus, don’t you think cooking counts as a credit towards homeschooling or something?

What’s your Back-to-School Resolution? How ’bout trying making dinner as a family? It might be a fun one to conquer! Leave me a comment about dinner at your house or your Back-to-School resolution and win this FABULOUS prize pack from Nestle: a $25 MasterCard rewards card, $20 in school supplies, Stouffer’s VIP coupons, Tombstone VIP coupons, a Family Dinner Box of Questions (I have this box of questions & Lydia LOVES to do it at dinner!) and a Nestlé Family coupon booklet!

If you’d like an additional entry, leave a comment for each of the following:
1. Tweet: My Back-to-School resolution is to WIN A PRIZE PACK from @oohamanda! http://wp.me/p6p4p-2CJ
2. Like ohAmanda on facebook.
3. Visit Nestle’s Back-to-School site (there’s all kinds of great ideas PLUS a really great sweepstakes!)

Also (totally giveaway unrelated) join me on today on Nestle’s Facebok page to discuss Back-to-School resolutions! Next week Bridgette Duplantis from The Not-So-Blog will be sharing her resolution, too!

This is part 2 of a 3-part series with Nestle’s Back-to-School campaign. I’m being compensated to share MY ideas on THEIR topic with YOU.

Happy New SCHOOL Year Resolutions: Making Dinner as a Family (*giveaway*) is a post from: ohamanda.com
Happy New Year! Here are some of my favorite resources to help you make the most of 2012! One Bite At A Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler, an ebook by Simple Mom!
Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule, finally get your house under control!
E-Mealz, online meal-planning with shopping lists! {20% off with code SKINNY when you choose one of their healthy menus}
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This morning I ate the Cheeseball from Heaven {you want to make this, I promise} for breakfast. Yes, I did. For an afternoon snack I’m going to have Hello Dolly bars. And that, my friends is my favorite way to enjoy holiday foods. Yeah, I like them at a party or at Christmas dinner. But I love sneaking my favorite (and yearly) snacks during the day. It makes them feel magical. Am I the only one?

Our family doesn’t have tons of traditional Christmas recipes besides the two I mentioned above. I mean, my dad makes a mean version of Emeril’s corn. But besides that, we generally like all food. That’s probably why we don’t have anything traditional–we like to try new things and eat whatever Daddy likes to cook us!

The tradition Lydia wants to start this year is Christmas cookies. We have this cool Christms cookie jar and she is determined to fill it with actual cookies. I was looking through the Nestle Holiday Celebrations website and thought we could make some of these yummies:

Minty Mistletoe cookie

When we lived in Orlando, our church delivered cookies to all the first time visitors. (Tell me you wouldn’t wanna come back to our church after that?!) One of the cookies we delivered was homemade by one of our members—it was like a giant sugar cookie with an Ande’s candy inside. OH. MY. YUM. I have never ever found a cookie that has equaled it. But this one might do as a good substitute.

I also like cute little sleigh idea. Lydia and Asa would tear them apart of course, but it would be fun to make at first! And actually, now that I think about it–fun to tear apart!

But the one I really want to do is this Very Merry Cookie Wreath. Because first of all–if you use those break-and-bake cookies I think it would take like 10 minutes. I think I might make this for the Sisterchick Christmas Party! (What do you think, girls?)

What’s your favorite Christmas recipe? Do you have a traditional family food? Share it in the comments (or even a link to it on your blog) and you’ll be entered to WIN a baking package from Nestle including a VIP coupon/product for CARNATION Evaporated Milk, TOLL HOUSE Morsels, Refrigerated Cookie Dough and a $25 Visa gift card for other baking supplies. Hello! I hear a cookie party in the works!

I love all the comments on the Family Tradition giveaway—if you haven’t entered, what are you waiting for? I’m leaving it open till Saturday!

Cheeseball, Cookies & Recipes! (*giveaway*) is a post from: ohamanda.com
Happy New Year! Here are some of my favorite resources to help you make the most of 2012! One Bite At A Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler, an ebook by Simple Mom!
Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule, finally get your house under control!
E-Mealz, online meal-planning with shopping lists! {20% off with code SKINNY when you choose one of their healthy menus}
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Mandi and me posing with chicken nuggets.

This week I ground my own flour for organic apple muffins, let my kids eat Bugles, drove to a farmer’s market just so I could get their blue and green free range eggs, ate 2 cookies and a piece of cake in one night, refused to give my son the ultra-pasteurized organic milk from a restaurant and let him eat 3 Starbursts wrapper and all.

My healthy food journey is all over the place. I am totally convinced that eating organic, unprocessed, local food is the way to go–for your body, for the environment and even for our economy. But there is a disconnect when it comes to a party, a vacation or even going out to eat.

I don’t know how you can eat healthy ALL the time and still be a slightly normal person. I mean, there are times you have to eat out! There are times you have to eat a meal with someone and they serve something completely processed. You can’t get all holier-than-thou and not eat!

I’ve heard an 80-20 diet is acceptable–80% of the time eat healthy so 20% of the time you can eat whatever you want (and/or need to). So, if you eat 3 meals a day then a little over 4 meals could be “unhealthy”. I guess that’s not too hard. In fact, most of the time I only eat out once a week.

Last week, I was asked to eat out and try a healthy meal at Wendy’s. At first I thought, “Wendy’s? Really? Healthy?” But I decided to check it out because honestly, I have not been to a McDonald’s in 5 years. I haven’t opened the door of a Burger King in longer than that. The only fast food place I ever take the kids to is Chick-fil-a.

Me standing with Mishelle Lane at Wendy’s. And obviously, I look lovely.

Wendy’s is doing this new Pick 2 menu–with a half salad and a host of other sides. I met up with about 10 local bloggers to try out the menu and gab. I got there a little late and stood in line forever (they apparently didn’t know I was a famous blogger). By the time I got my food (and the kids’) almost everyone was done. I was shaking with hunger. Asa was sitting across from me eating chicken nuggets. When I got the 2nd bite of my apple-pecan-blue cheese salad in my mouth Asa began throwing up. Not just a little I-don’t-like-this-food, it was more like a heaving vomit. I run over to clean him up and suddenly hear Lydia whining/crying beside me. I turn to her aggravated like, “Your brother is vomiting! Do not make this about you!!” and then I look down, she has spilled her milk all over the table, the chair, the floor, herself and Evan (Mandi’s Evan was sitting next to her).

Mandi and the kids

Fellow ATL blogger, Lindsay rescued me with a  few napkins. But my magical get-a-free-healthy-meal-with-some-fun-bloggers experience was just a little less exciting after that. Actually, the salad was pretty yummy. The lettuce was crispy, there were big pieces of cranberries, tons of blue cheese (my fave) and the pomegranate dressing was awesome! I asked for mine without chicken but they put it on there anyway. And it was actually really good!

The only “eh” part was the sides—you could pick from all sorts of things that just didn’t seem super healthy (or exciting) to me: a hamburger, some kind of chicken wrap, a bottled water, a frosty, baked potato, etc. I got the baked potato and it was good–according to Wendy’s website, they actually cook it in an oven instead of a microwave. Anyway, for a healthy fast-food meal (oxymoron), that salad and baked potato Pick 2 was a good choice! I love the idea of a salad being your main portion and the hamburger, etc. being the extra. It’s much better to focus on the veggies over the meat!

So, what’s your healthy meal-unhealthy meal ratio? How do you do healthy on the go? Out to eat? To those of you that eat healthy 100% of the time, how do you do it?!

{visit my facebook page to win a Wendy’s giftcard!}

Gorgeous photos by the fabulous Secret Agent Mama, Mishelle Lane.

This was part of a paid opportunity with Wendy’s & The Motherhood. Opinions mine.

More On My Hypocrisy is a post from: ohamanda.com
Happy New Year! Here are some of my favorite resources to help you make the most of 2012! One Bite At A Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler, an ebook by Simple Mom!
Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule, finally get your house under control!
E-Mealz, online meal-planning with shopping lists! {20% off with code SKINNY when you choose one of their healthy menus}
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Step # 4 of our big healthy-living-journey is local veggies. The farmer I buy milk and eggs from also does a vegetable share. The new season started this week. And here’s my first haul. And yall? I don’t even know what most of it is! Anybody know?

Now, if only I can figure out how to eat healthy with memories of Disney Dining and crumbs of pirate cake on my counter plate…

My First Vegetable Share is a post from: ohamanda.com
Happy New Year! Here are some of my favorite resources to help you make the most of 2012! One Bite At A Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler, an ebook by Simple Mom!
Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule, finally get your house under control!
E-Mealz, online meal-planning with shopping lists! {20% off with code SKINNY when you choose one of their healthy menus}
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My vacations always center around food. Oh, I love a good adventure, or a nice relaxing afternoon at the pool. But really? I’m wondering where in the world I’m going to eat my next meal. So, when Disney had their Dining Plan for FREE (when you bought tickets & booked a hotel), we HAD to do it. Free Disney Dining is AMAZING. Each person gets ONE SNACK (that’s like a Mickey Mouse ice cream or a slab of fudge or a box of popcorn) and ONE COUNTER SERVICE (that’s like a hambuger, bbq or chicken fingers) and ONE TABLE SERVICE (that’s like a character meal or a fancy shmancy meal at a resort).

In a nutshell: WE ATE TILL WE COULD EAT NO MORE.

In fact, we ate so much I know we had one table service left over and probably 2 counter service and (are you ready for this?) 26 snacks left over. There was nothing we could do about the meals. But, the snacks? Well, on our last day I stopped at the nearest candy shoppe and bought 26 pieces of fudge. Yup, $109 worth of fudge. The guys in the store thought I was hysterical. (Or weird, one). I neatly packed it all in a cooler and planned to serve it at Asa’s party. (I mean, how cool would that be? Disney World FUDGE driven in just for the party?!) Alas, my cooler leaked and soaked all the fudge. *sniff*

Now. Where was I? Oh yes, the FOOD! We ate so many yummy meals. And for any of you thinking about Disney, especially with the Dining Plan, here are my suggestions for the…

BEST DISNEY WORLD RESTAURANTS

(Ok, the best ones we ate at!):

1. Kouzzina by Cat Cora {at the Boardwalk}

I ate here for breakfast with my Disney Moms. So, I didn’t know what to expect for dinner. First of all, the service at Disney is just outstanding. Waiters don’t run by and tap their foot while you order. They stop and make faces at your crying kids (who me?), they give details on every single entree and never say, “Oh, I’ve never had it.” {<—ugh! I hate that!} So, just sitting down at Kouzzina and talking to our waiter was like a vacation.

I took our server’s suggestion and had the Seafood Stew. This is something I would never order although I love seafood. It had lots of tails, shells and stuff in it. And oh, my dear lord, it was divine. I was clapping when it arrived. Clapping.

Les had a pork tbone and loved it so much that we made a late night reservation to go back later in the week (and I got the Greek Lasagna with cinnamon. Comfort food like you ain’t never had!)

The dessert was this delicious chocolate lava cake that had me using my finger to wipe up every single morsel.

But Asa liked the doughnuts best!

2. Liberty Tree Tavern {at Magic Kingdom}

This restaurant is right next to the Liberty Tree and the Liberty Bell in Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom. If you haven’t guessed it’s theme and decor, well…maybe you should pick up a copy of US History somewhere. Anywhoo, I just love walking into a restaurant when you’re in one of the parks. It’s like walking into another world–away from the hustle and bustle from the crowd, there’s a whole fun adventure in dining waiting for you!

We sat in the Betsy Ross’ room and had some typical American meals–pot roast and turkey dinner. But really? The thing that made our trip there yummy? Our dessert, the ooey gooey toffee cake:

Seriously. The Mickey Mouse sprinkles did it for the kids. But I loved it because of the toffee and chocolate.

3. Contempo Cafe {at the Contemporary Resort}

This is a quick service meal but we really liked it. We got so tired of the Quick Service meals at our hotel (All Star Movies) and when we took a ride on the monorail, we figured the Contempo would be a good one to try. (Mainly because you order on computer screens and that’s just fun.)

I got a mahi sandwich with slaw. I took it off the bun and it ate it with the dressing and slaw. It was delish.

Les had a flatbread pizza. We both ate it and loved it!

The kids had something that I don’t remember. BUT I do remember dessert: I got a cherry filled chocolate cupcake (same one from my Moms Panel training) and the kids got a dirt and gummy worm brownie. They thought it was the most entertaining and delicious thing they’d ever eaten.

4. Hoop Dee Doo {at Pioneer Hall in Fort Wilderness}

Oh, Hoop Dee Doo how I love you! This actually takes 2 of your Table Service credits but I think it’s worth it. This is a dinner show–but it’s interactive and hilarious and heart-warming and just–oh! I love it. You’ll be singing “Hoop Dee Doo! Hoop Dee Doo!” for days.

Oh, and the food’s not bad either: salad, cornbread, baked beans, fried chicken, ribs and strawberry shortcake for dessert!

5. Via Napoli {in Italy at Epcot}

This is one of the newest restaurants at Disney. I love new places. (Mainly because the bathrooms are clean.) This restaurant is not only clean, it’s be-a-u-tiful. The pizzas are wood-fired in the most adorable ovens ever. And look at my pizza:

And desserts?! Les had some kind of fruity ice cream soda…

the kids had an ice cream sandwich…

and I had FRIED RICOTTA BALLS…

Seriously. We loved every bit of it. Asa liked it so much he licked his plate.

6. Sanaa {at Kidani Village at Animal Kingdom Lodge}

I was totally excited to eat at this restaurant because I’d never been to the Kidani Village (the newer section of Animal Kingdom Lodge) AND because Boma (the other Animal Kingdom Lodge restaurant) is one of my favorite meals ever.

{my husband. he hates it when I take his picture.}

The decor is just amazing {they own the largest collection of African art in the country!} and the view is ANIMALS. Like zebras and giraffes. It’s just breathtaking.

We actually spent a little extra money here because I so wanted the appetizer (table service on the Dining Plan includes a drink, entree and dessert). It was 3 different flatbreads and 3 toppings/dips like hummus. I seriously could have just eaten that and been happy.

I ended up getting tandoori chicken while Les got the shrimp, scallops and sustainable fish. They have a great dessert sampler which included Chai-pudding-something-or-the-other and 2 others. The chai was my fave.

7. Akershus {at Norway in Epcot}

This was a Character Meal with the PRINCESSES! Lydia was dressed in her princess best and when we arrived we were swept to a photo opp with Belle from Beauty and the Beast! When we got to our table four other princesses arrived to speak with us–Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel and Sleeping Beauty. I think I may do a whole post on this because Lydia was literally in princess-heaven.

Now, the food. I liked the way they did this meal. It’s part-buffet, part hot-food-to-the-table. But no menu! So, as soon as you get to the table, they take your drink order and off you go to the buffet for fruit, pastries and cheese. Then a few minutes later your waiter arrives with a hot skillet full of sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs and some yummy cheese potato hashbrowns.

A big plus here is that we got a complimentary photo (rather, photos…about 5 copies) of the picture of Lydia and Belle. It was a special gift “to Lydia from Belle” and she loved it!

8. 50′s Prime Time Cafe {at Disney’s Hollywood Studios}

{photo has been pixelated to protect you from my tired vacation eyes, my horrific vacation hair and my no makeup vacation face}

This is one of my favorite themed restaurants. The first time I went I was in awe of the waiters because–well, because they yelled at me. They made me set my own table and introduced me to everyone else in the room because we were “family”! I think, though, that you have to provoke some of the waiters. When we were there this time, it was super busy and we were so tired that I think the waitress just did her best to be a good waitress. (And she was!)

I got the chicken pot pie. But the best part was the s’mores. Seriously. I’m not even going to tell you how much I ate of this thing.

9. Whispering Canyon {at Wilderness Lodge}

{that is a giant mason jar full of coke!}

This is another restaurant where the waiters like to be provoked. We didn’t do much provoking because we were there to see some of our bestest friends from Orlando. However, our waitress literally threw our napkins and straws at us. And brought us more food than we could ever eat in 2 lifetimes. Look at this all-you-can-eat yumminess:

10. Cape May Cafe {at the Beach Club Resort}

This is a yummy seafood buffet. SEAFOOD. BUFFET. We ate more crab legs than I’ve ever seen in my life. And then had saltwater taffy for dessert. How great is that?

And Lydia liked it, too. I don’t think she’s ever been to a buffet. She thought it was magical. Plus, you could write on the paper tablecloth. So, that was pretty special.

Other restaurants we ate at: Columbia House, Flame Tree Barbecue, Tusker House, Yak & Yeti Counter Service, Earl of Sandwich, Sunshine Seasons, Wolfgang Puck, Wolfgang Puck Express, 1900 Park Faire

Hungry yet?!

Want more Disney? See my most magical posts on earth!

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Wanna join our Top Ten {Tuesday} fun? Don’t be intimidated by my long-windedness! Your list can be about whatever you’d like and however long you like—as long as there are 10 of ‘em! Just WRITE a great post, then LINK back to me so others can play, PASTE the url to your post below and then start LOVIN’ on the rest of the participants by clicking, reading, commenting, stumbling, tweeting and liking their posts!

THANK YOU for all the participation and tweets and LOVE for the last 2 weeks! I wasn’t even here and we had the BIGGEST link up ever last week! Thank you for making Top Ten {Tuesday} so fun!

I am NOT a Disney employee. All thoughts are mine. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Disney Company. And if you are a Disneyphile, please don’t check my facts on this post. I may be a Disney Moms Panelist but I’m not perfect!

Best Disney World Restaurants: Top Ten {Tuesday} is a post from: ohamanda.com
Happy New Year! Here are some of my favorite resources to help you make the most of 2012! One Bite At A Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler, an ebook by Simple Mom!
Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule, finally get your house under control!
E-Mealz, online meal-planning with shopping lists! {20% off with code SKINNY when you choose one of their healthy menus}
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The following is a delicious guest post from my friend and cooking-hero, Tricia from Once A Month Mom!

Since Oh Amanda is gallivanting to places I have only dreamed of going, I agreed to give her a guest post. You may have heard Amanda mention me a time or two. Yes, I am the one that finds pleasure in moms across the country spending hours on end on their feet in the kitchen preparing freezer meals. It seems rather cruel, but in reality it is a blessing in disguise. Having a freezer full of meals as a “go to” so you don’t have to think through dinner time every night is a GOD send.

And since Amanda is a professed Once A Month Mom cook, I thought I would share with you a recipe. This recipe is one that I made while we were on vacation this summer. It is also simple enough to freeze and put together again. And I was so amazed at how good these were!

Author/Source:

Tricia @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• .5 pound of chicken, cooked and diced
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 green pepper, quartered
• 4 slices provolone cheese
• 4 buns (any kind)

Directions:

Cook the diced chicken by sauteing it in a skillet. Once cooked through remove and set it aside. In the same skillet, saute green peppers and onions. Once browned but still crisp, add in chicken. Lay slices of provolone cheese on top until melted. Remove from the pan in sections using a spatula. Add to bun. Serve. You may choose to add fresh lettuce and tomato if you so desire.

Freezing Directions:

You can freeze these fully assembled and then just reheat them in the microwave or in the oven. Reheating in the microwave may mean that the bread gets a little soft. You may also dice the chicken and place it in a pint size freezer bag. Cut the veggies, onions and cheese in a quart size freezer bag and freeze. Place both bags, chicken and vegetables into a gallon freezer bag to make sure they stay together in the freezer. To serve: Pull both bags to thaw, remove the cheese to a separate bag so that it doesn’t absorb water. Once thawed, follow cooking directions above. Drain any water off of vegetables before cooking them.

Servings: 4

Easy Chicken Philly is a post from: ohamanda.com
Happy New Year! Here are some of my favorite resources to help you make the most of 2012! One Bite At A Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler, an ebook by Simple Mom!
Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule, finally get your house under control!
E-Mealz, online meal-planning with shopping lists! {20% off with code SKINNY when you choose one of their healthy menus}
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