Insanity Is Not An Option - Page 2 of 232

Life-Altering Spinach Artichoke Dip

This Life-Altering Spinach Artichoke Dip is heaven on a cracker, baguette, or by the spoonful. With just seven simple ingredients, you can make this cheesy, creamy, spinach-y, artichoke-y, restaurant-style dip at home!

I tend to have a flair for the dramatic. I don’t hide that fact and I kind of really love it. My life, my stories, my everything is just a little more fun because of my love for dramatic tales. However, when I tell you that this Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe is life altering, believe you me, I’m not being dramatic…at all! It’s just that good!

Life-Altering Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe

You know that fancy-pants restaurant spinach artichoke dip you get when you go out? Yea, that’s got nothing on this. NOTHING! OK, maybe something, but this is so much better. Plus, you only need seven ingredients and a little bit of time to make this version…so there’s that too. I’m calling this a win and I want you to join my team. Stay home, save money, wear your jammies while you ~~gorge~~ eat your restaurant-style dip at home. No judging here!

Whether you’re tailgating, just enjoying a day of appetizers and small bites instead of a big meal, or headed to a pot luck, this recipe is for you! All of this cheesy, creamy, spinach-y, artichoke-y goodness dipped on a cracker or smeared on a baguette is simply irresistible. Plus, spinach + artichokes = healthy snacking, no? Maybe not, but it’s OK to treat yourself from time to time and this is the treat I choose!

Life-Altering Spinach Artichoke Dip

Author: Christy

Recipe type: Dip / Party Food

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Ingredients

2 cups Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 10-oz box/bag frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and liquid removed
8 oz (one block) cream cheese, softened
⅔ cup sour cream
2 tbsp light mayo
2 tbsp minced garlic

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375ºF.
In a large bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, artichokes, and spinach. Stir to combine making sure to break up the spinach to avoid clumps.
Add softened cream cheese and stir to combine completely.
Stir in sour cream, mayo, and garlic.
Transfer to an 8x8" or round clear baking dish and bake for 25 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the top is starting to brown.
Serve with your favorite crackers, pita chips, or baguettes.

That simple, that good, and no need to get dressed up or spend a lot of money. Enjoy this dip for all of the special (or not so special) occasions in your life. When you serve this Life-Altering Spinach Artichoke Dip, every day’s a party. Enjoy!

What’s Your Outdoor Christmas Decor Theme?

By Christy Leave a Comment

What’s your outdoor Christmas Decor theme? Christmas is the season of magic. Make that magic special for everyone in your family by letting them all have a part in the decorating this year! Just so you know, I did receive fun decor from Oriental Trading® to facilitate this post, but all opinions are entirely my own.

Last year, we lost a lot of our outdoor Christmas decor to four nasty storms in a row blowing through (hello, island living!). It wasn’t very magical, but I was determined to rebuild (dramatic much, Christy?). I pretty much figured since I was starting from ground zero that I could actually create a theme outdoors and I set out on a mission. Inside? I stand my ground. White and blue lights, a well-organized tree, a mantel that I love, an elf that moves while we sleep…the whole nine. Why not do that with my outside Christmas decor theme as well? It all started with a Santa, and surely it would come together as neatly and as perfectly as the indoor decor always does, right?

WRONG! This year (and it was about time, I might add), I decided to include the babies in my decor shopping experience. I’m frugal so I like to bargain shop. Oriental Trading Company is one of my favorite go-to online shops (because I don’t have to leave my house or jammies to shop and it’s affordable) and that’s where I found the inflatable Santa (PS – he can not only hang from the gutter as shown, but he also comes with stakes and can stand up in the yard). From there, I thought we’d stay Santa themed. Bug’s “Letters to Santa” box was a good local find. Then we picked up a flamingo and you can probably see where this is going.

We had Santa up on the rooftop (or falling off, you can look at it as you like), we had the mailbox locked and loaded, and then…a flamingo? Wait, this wasn’t the plan at all!

This is kind of where the madness began.

In the form of a 9′ lighted, animated dragon (his wings really FLAP), a redneck Santa in a pickup with penguins hanging out the windows and stuff (OK, that was my pick to be honest), a daschund for every season, and so much more. Basically, my yard is now a hodge podge of Christmas magic of the most unorthodox (and totally fun to come home to) kind.

Bubby kind of put the icing on the totally-random-I-have-no-theme-to-my-decor cake – so to speak – when he made a plea (OK, he begged) for the narwhal. We all know my favorite Christmas movie is Elf, so I quickly caved and now there’s a narwhal swimming in the ocean (it’s green grass, but you know…it counts). Byyyeee Buddddyyyyy!

So, if you ask me what my Outdoor Christmas Decor Theme is this year, I’m just gonna have to admit…it’s a hodge podge of mismatched, inflatable, fun nonsense, but it works for us, and it truly makes me (and the babies) smile every night. To H. E. double toothpicks with perfection this year. The world’s a mess. Let’s all throw caution to the wind and just have fun again. I’m enjoying seeing my not-so-planned-out decor every day and so can you. Oriental Trading® can help. I’m starting a hot-mess of a movement, who’s with me?

Spark the Magic of Christmas with Santa’s Help

By Christy Leave a Comment

Let them be little just a little bit longer. Spark the magic of Christmas in the hearts of your little ones when they receive a Package from Santa this year! You’re never too old to believe in magic! For the record, Bubby did received a Silver Package from Santa to facilitate this post, but the opinions are entirely my own!

I’ve said it time and time again (stay tuned because I’ll say it another time or two before Christmas comes and goes), if you don’t believe, you don’t receive. The end. I want my kids to receive, most of the time they deserve to receive. But that pesky believe thing comes into play now and again and it’s time we all combat the negativity in today’s world and help our kids believe in magic again. Even in today’s society (PS I hate it too), there’s a way to spark the magic of Christmas in your kids’ hearts thanks to Package from Santa!

If you hurry, and you use the code FAMS17 at check out, you can still get your package delivered to your little one from the big guy before Christmas rolls around at a 25% discount – but you have to act by 12/14/17 to get it in time! If you have a little one that you’d just like to thrill or an older child (be still my heart…when did Bubby turn nine?) that you need to bring back to the light side (because elementary school kids are totally ready to grow up and ditch the magic these days), this is the gift you want to give!

The silver package we received delivered an almost instant video to my email box. We loved it! Just a few short days later came a package in a North Pole official envelope with a letter from Santa personalized just for my Bubby, with facts that only Santa (or a doting mom) would know. He loved it. After he read the letter (he literally was pretty mesmerized with the detail), he dug deeper and found more!

He found his nice list certificate. Not a single one of us was surprised. Are you?

A personalized, autographed photo of Santa, the big guy himself!

And the absolute cutest signed photo of Rudolf from when he was a baby. Warms the heart, no? Well, it did mine and it did Bubby’s, and it’s sure to warm the heart of your little too.

What are you waiting for? Need to make a believer out of your little one for just a little bit longer? Hurry up because you only have a couple of days. Visit Package for Santa, follow the simple steps (it really doesn’t take any time at all), enter the code FAMS17 at checkout, and bam, insta magic for Christmastime. Elf status reinstated. Just.like.that!

Merry Christmas, y’all. I hope you all have a season full of love, togetherness, and most of all…magic!