Do you just love that restaurant style coleslaw?  Well, this is definitely a wonderful version of it; however this one is homemade!

I made this coleslaw to go with our fish dinner; however, I think this may be a staple at cookouts from now on!  This recipe was adapted from the Sweet Slaw on All Recipes.

Enjoy!

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Photo Credit:  Cooking Connections

I would love to take a moment to invite each of you to join me this Thursday for the Delicious Summer Picnic Recipes cooking class hosted by Chef George Duran.  This is a completely FREE class that can get you headed in the right direction for summer picnics!

What: A virtual cooking school class called Delicious Summer Picnic Recipes. The class is part of the Cooking Connections series on The Motherhood.  You can check out great easy picnic recipes ahead of time on recipe website ReadySetEat here: http://bit.ly/IACHml

When: Thursday, May 17, at 1 p.m. ET.  It will last 30 minutes.

Where: The Motherhood – here is the link to the page where the class will be held: http://bit.ly/IAARlA

About the class: Who doesn’t love a summer picnic over Memorial Day, July 4th, and beyond? Chef George Duran will appear on live feed video to demonstrate how to cook up great picnic dishes and discuss easy-to-prepare recipes that will keep your menu filled with new tastes and flavors, and keep your picnics far from reaching a state of “same old, same old” by summer’s end.

Giveaway! We are also giving away a summer picnic gift basket for class participation – don’t miss out!  Here’s how to enter: Attend the live chat and answer the question, “Which picnic recipe from ReadySetEat are you most excited to try?”  You can check out the recipes on ReadySetEat here: http://bit.ly/IACHml

The class is sponsored by ReadySetEat.com and ConAgra Foods, and it is hosted by The Motherhood.  I’ll be there with nine other bloggers to co-host the class, and I hope you’ll join us:

Amanda, Parenting by Dummies http://parentingbydummies.com
Angie, My Four Monkeys http://www.myfourmonkeys.com
Devaki, Weave a Thousand Flavors http://www.weavethousandflavors.com
Jodi, Mom’s Favorite Stuff http://www.momsfavoritestuff.com
Kim, At Home with Kim http://www.athomewithkim.com
Kristy, Mommy Hates Cooking http://www.mommyhatescooking.com
Piera, Jolly Mom http://www.jollymom.com
Thien-Kim, My Cup of Creativi-Tea http://www.mycupofcreativitea.com
Wendy, Around My Family Table http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com
Yoli, Sassy Mama in LA http://sassymamainla.com/

See you Thursday to talk all things picnics!

I mentioned a few weeks back that I was heading to Broken Arrow Neighbors to deliver several Jennie-O products.  I was able to take nearly 20 lbs of meat to Broken Arrow Neighbors to help feed families in need.  The cost was just around $50 for that 20 lbs and that was without coupons!  If you would like to see my entire shop, head over to my Google + story!

Once I loaded up my car, I was ready to head on over to the food bank and drop off the food.  Jennie-O and Champions for kids are encouraging each individual to give up an unhealthy option and then take that money you are saving and replace it with healthy options or give back.

We gave up the trips to the gas station to pick up a pop and candy.  In doing this we can easily save about $30 a week between both myself and my husband.  That is over $100 a month that we can put toward blessing another family with healthy meals!

Broken Arrow Neighbors was happy to accept my donation.  They also offer many services to families in the area from medical to legal.  They do all that they can to get each family on their feet again!

I encourage each of you to continue on with this month’s service project and Make the Switch!

Be sure and find out more on the Champions for Kids Website or on Twitter and Facebook as well as the Jennie-O Website.

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™. #JennieOCFK #CBias #SocialFabric  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Last weekend, I headed to Key Biscayne, Florida to attend the Mom 2.0 conference.  I was sent on behalf of Johnsonville Kitchens.  It was an exciting conference full of brands to connect with and amazing speakers and sessions to learn more about growing my business.

I thought I would share a few pictures with you from the event, and yes we did have a little down time to check out the pool and the beach too!

This was the entrance to the pool and beach areas at the resort.  We stayed at the Ritz Carlton on Key Biscayne.  It was a beautiful resort, the food prices were beyond outrageous but the resort?  Beautiful!

At the main entrance we were also greeted with this gorgeous bouquet of roses.  I wish I could of taken those home with me!

We also spent a few hours out on the private beach.  It was so nice and peaceful!

This is me right before we headed to the white party.  I have to say everyone looked so beautiful all dressed in white!

My sister was able to join me too!  Her and I enjoyed laying under this cabana during the white party.  On a typical day, it’s over $400 to rent this cabana for a day from the Ritz!  I’ll pass, thanks.  I did have fun trying it out though!

This man was on stilts, then he was throwing flames.  He did drop one of those and gave us a scare, but he redeemed himself!

We also enjoyed a party at the Versace Mansion.  This is Cathy from Noble Pig and I.  We were both sent on behalf of Johnsonville Kitchens.

Overall, we had a wonderful time and went home with a massive amount of information.  I also connected with many companies and brands which I hope to develop into relationships where I can share more information about those brands with each of you.

Thank you to Johnsonville Kitchens for sending me!

Disclosure:  I was sent on behalf of Johnsonville Kitchens and they covered the cost and expenses of this trip in exchange as part of their blogger ambassador program.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The winner of the Actifry is:  Jennifer L.

I have emailed the winner.  Thanks to all who entered!

This past weekend, we headed out to Kmart to check out some of the wonderful furniture that I found in the Kmart Outdoor Catalog!  We have a fairly large patio area; however, our furniture was in desperate need of an update.

We host cookouts regularly throughout the year, most of them being in the summer, which meant we really wanted to get our patio in cookout shape!

We found that by using Kmart Layaway it is easy to get exactly what you are looking for without paying for it all upfront or charging it!  That was perfect for us.  They also only require a $5 service fee and no other charges unless you cancel.  Be sure and read all about the Layaway policy here.  If you would like to view my entire shopping experience head on over to my Google + Album.

As we shopped, we found these wonderful chairs for only $19!  The only problem was we needed 6 and they only had 3!  The sales associate was fabulous at calling other stores, but unfortunately they were out too.  We ended up buying the 3 that they had and ordering the other 3, we should get them just in time for Memorial Day.

We decided to refurbish our old table which was originally white and spray paint it black to match the chairs.  It turned out fabulous giving an updated look to an old patio set!  I am anxious to get rid of those old chairs, as soon as the other 3 come in…those are going away!

I also picked up a few accessories too.  I decided to get a few pillows to accent the chairs when we have company over.  We have to move them in when our dog is out or they will quickly become her chew toys.

One of my favorite finds was this ‘LOVE’ centerpiece that resembles pebbles.  We also bought a candle that repels bugs, or at least we hope so!

Our little man was especially happy with our new purchases since now he can actually reach the table!  The old chairs were so low that he could not reach his plate.

We spent the afternoon cooking out some steaks to test for Memorial Day, they were extra tasty!  Plus, we enjoyed spending the day with the family eating in our new chairs with our updated table!

Don’t forget to sign up for the Shop Your Way Rewards at Kmart as well, by doing this I saved money plus I got a $5 Gift Card!

We found even more sales as we left Kmart, be sure to check out these weekly deals!

• Kenmore 4-burner gas grill with side burner for $189.99, regularly $269.99
• Garden Oasis 2-seat swing with cushion and canopy for $99.99, regularly $169.99
• Garden Oasis Benton outdoor 5-pc dining set for $149.99, regularly $219.99
• 20% all patio decor
• 25% all patio cushions, umbrellas, and folding lawn furniture
• Save $20 on a deluxe full size charcoal grill
• Lock in today’s low prices for all of your upcoming events with Kmart layaway

Have fun updating your outdoor space just in time for summer cookouts and Memorial Day!

Find out more at the Kmart Website, Facebook, and Twitter.

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™. #CBias #SocialFabric  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The growth in our garden is largely surpassing last year!  I am most shocked by our corn, we used seeds to start that.  It was fairly small just a few weeks ago and now it is like it sprouted overnight!

I have to say though usually my mouth is watering for that fresh sweet corn; however, right now I am having aversions to veggies!  I hope that passes because I really want to eat what comes from this garden.  I should be out of this trimester just in time, I hope to have my taste back by then.

We also are growing tomatoes and already have buds.  I’m not sure if that is the appropriate term, but we can see them sprouting!

How are your gardens coming along?  For those of you just starting out, what are you planting?

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Today’s guest post comes to us from Wendy Webb of Single Mom Weekly.  She is going to tell us how to avoid that unwanted disaster in the kitchen!

Avoid Cooking Calamity: Tips for Fresh, Fab Fixin’s!

When it comes to cooking fresh, delicious meals for your family, organization is the key to keeping a safe and clutter-free kitchen. Do you ever wonder how those chefs on TV get such gorgeous goodies?  Read on to find out how you can get the same timeless, tasty results.

Savvy Salad Solutions

If you’re serving a salad with your meal, leave the salad dressing on the side for each guest. Different people like different amounts of salad dressing. If you allow them to add it themselves, you can avoid too much or too little. Try to also have different types of dressings to satisfy everyone’s tastes.

Rinse raw diced onions in cool water and dry on a paper towel before putting them in salads, sauces or salsa. Sulfurous gas is a property of fresh onions which can ruin the absolute best salsa recipe. Rinsing the onions allows the gas to be removed.

You can even make dried tomatoes from scratch for salad garnishes. Cut a large tomato into thick pieces. If you decide to use the smaller Roma tomatoes, cut them along their length. Lay the slices apart on a baking rack, cut-side up, and sprinkle them with sea salt.

Place a little aluminum foil under the baking rack and then place the pieces in the oven heated to 195 degrees. Leave for up to eleven hours. You can store your dried tomatoes in your deep freezer. You can also place the dried tomatoes with fresh seasonings in a jar with olive oil. If you store them in the refrigerator, these tomatoes will keep for a few weeks.

Perfect Preparations

You can prepare a number of things ahead of time to keep dinnertime stress to a minimum. You can easily cut up your vegetables ahead of time, pre-blend the sauce, or even prepare the meat marinade the night before. You will be much less stressed and more ready to cook the next day.

It is important to prepare your barbecue grill before you are actually ready to use it. About 30 – 45 minutes before you plan to cook, make sure your grill is ready. The coals need to be around medium heat and covered in ash. This lets you know the temperature is ideal to begin grilling.

Healthy, Clutter-Free Clues

Make sure your cooking utensils are clean before starting a new dish. It’s important to thoroughly remove any leftover tidbits on the utensils from the last meal you cooked to prevent contaminating the food you’re making now. This can also prevent the spread of pesky bacteria.

As you’re cooking, it’s a time saver to make it a habit to wash utensils and dishes immediately after using them. Fill the sink half-full of hot water and detergent and fill the other half with water for rinsing. If you wash them as you go, it will be easier to remove stubborn particles and leave you more space for meal prep.  This will give you more clean dishes available for use if you need them again.

For more great tips on cooking great meals and fast healthy breakfast solutions, read more at Need a Fast Healthy Breakfast. Wendy Webb is an expert contributor and marketing director at Single Mom Weekly.com.  She is a registered nurse and single mom advocate dedicated to helping others sharpen their entrepreneurial skills to achieve time freedom and live happier, healthier lives.