Melissa Kaylene: April 2015
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Thursday, April 30, 2015

Captain America Cookies + Shortcake Surprises

 This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AvengersUnite #CollectiveBias
Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad

Yesterday Noah and I did something a little bit different. It was a gorgeous day outside and I had recently bought a half of flat of strawberries, knowing that I was going to make strawberry shortcake soon.

Noah had been wanting me to play with him for quite a while, but I've been so busy lately that I unfortunately hadn't taken a couple hours out of my day to just play pretend with him – and I felt bad. 

Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad
Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad
Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad

I don’t ever want my kids to think that I was too busy or didn’t have enough time to play with them, and I know just how fast these years when they love playing pretend fly by. One thing led to another and I decided that Noah and I could surprise his sisters with a tasty afterschool treat: Strawberry Shortcake topped with a Captain America cookie.

Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad
Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad
Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad

You see, I bought Noah a Captain America costume at Walmart last week, along with a toy and snacks, and he has been begging me to play Avengers with him – all of the excitement for the new MARVEL's TheAvengers: Age of Ultron movie has got him all into role playing new characters.

Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad

So after Noah’s preschool I told him to hurry up and put his costume on, and then his eye lit up when he saw the table outside!  

Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad
Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad
Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad
Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad

We spent the next hour and a half snacking on Avengers Cheez-its and cookies while we decorated them. I even decided to do something that I’ve wanted to do for quite a while to see if it worked: making whipped cream in a mason jar. 

Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad
Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad
Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad
Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad

Noah thought it was awesome and it really was just as easy as I had heard! All you do is pour in some whipping cream into a mason jar (I used half a pint) then add a couple tablespoons of powdered sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla. You screw the lid on and shake for less than a minute and voila! Homemade whipped cream! It’s way easier than getting out the mixer!

Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad
Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad
Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad

We placed our fun creations in the refrigerator and had two VERY happy girls when they discovered what we had made them – and my little Captain America was so proud of what he accomplished. 

Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad
Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad
Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad

Are you excited to see MARVEL's The Avengers: Age of Ultron? What characters are your kids’ favorites?

Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad

Right now there is also a fun App that is available in the iTunes and Google Play store!

About the APP: Avengers fans, it's time to Assemble again. With Super Heroes Assemble, turn your phone into a portal to exclusive Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron content. Keep up to date with the latest movie and behind-the-scenes action. Plus, scan Avengers displays at Walmart and Walmart.com to become your favorite Avenger, explore a Hulkbuster training facility in a cool 360 degree interactive space and to bring Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron characters to life with augmented reality.

Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad
Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad
Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad
Captain America Cookies and Strawberry Shortcake (with whipped cream made from a mason jar!) #AvengersUnite #ad

~Melissa

Zesty Taco Dinner Party

                                  Compensation was provided by ConAgra RO*TEL via Mode Media  
Photos from a beautiful and festive Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp

You might remember by now that I've been attempting to do a themed dinner once a month with the family – it’s something that I thought I’d do to make meal times a little more memorable, and last week I made a simple Zesty Taco buffet dinner with all of the fixings, black beans, cheese, lettuce tomatoes, and RO*TEL’S  Rockin’ Guac. There’s just something about a fun little table spread that makes mealtime so much more exciting.

Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp

In addition to the taco fixings, I also had a delicious fruit torte that I purchased as well as beverages like Bud Light’s Lime-a-Ritas. Right now, more than ever, since it’s springtime and nearly Cinco De Mayo, I love big and bright colors so I placed a black tablecloth on and let all of natural ingredients take center stage with their beauty.

Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp

A few weeks ago I made RO*TEL’s Rockin’ Guac for the first time and the family loved it – they ate it up pretty quick (we are big snackers around here!) I also found out that Emma LOVES avocados – she can sit there and eat a whole one by herself!

Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp

To make RO*TEL's Rockin’ Guac all you need is:

3 pitted and peeled avocados
1 can of zesty RO*TEL Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, drained
½ cup chopped onion
A squeeze of lime juice
All you do is:
Mash the avocados in a bowl, stir in remaining ingredients, then season with salt and pepper. The recipe can also be found on the RO*TEL website, which has a how-to video and other great tips!

RO*TEL's Rockin’ Guac is great to use for a dip, as a spread on sandwiches, or to top off tacos!

Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp

Sometimes little things like taking ten minutes to set up a table before a meal can really make a big difference as well as a lasting impression on friends and family. They will remember the extra love you used to create not only a tasty meal, but a fun atmosphere as well.

Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp
Photos from a beautiful and colorful Zesty Taco Dinner Party #Zestyinadash #sp

Life is meant to be celebrated – what are you going to do this week to celebrate yours?



~Melissa
Zest up your fiesta with RO*TEL’s Rockin’ Guac and Bud Light’s Lime-a-Rita.
Bud Light Lime-A-Rita® is a registered trademark of Anheuser-Busch.
ConAgra Foods, Inc. All Rights Reserved.