Start Your Morning with NEW McCafé packaged coffee! #McCafeAtHome #IC

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for McCafé packaged coffee. I received product samples as well as a monetary promotional incentive to thank me for my participation.
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Exciting news people!!!  Coffee lovers you can now enjoy McCafé coffee (just like you get from McDonald’s) at HOME!

McCafé packaged coffee is made from 100% Arabica coffee.  It’s delish…I tried the espresso roast and it was so yummy.  I prefer a dark roast, but they also have a great breakfast blend.  Terence likes the Breakfast Blend…different strokes for different folks.  That’s what flavor choices are all about right?

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During the holidays everything is go, go, go!!!  I know I need a boost during the day…maybe a few times a day.  You all know my favorite way to amp up my day is with a cup of coffee 🙂  Growing up my Mom took us to McDonald’s as a treat, it’s always been a special place for us & so many families.  I was excited when they started making coffee in the restaurants, and now I am even MORE excited I can find it in the stores.

Connor knows his Mama starts off each day with a cup of coffee.  He loves the smell of coffee…wake up your kiddos people.  Ha ha! On our way to school listening to Christmas music 🙂 “Fa…la…la…la…la..la…”

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McCafé packaged coffee can be enjoyed by using K-Cup McCafé coffee, ground coffee, or whole bean varieties. McCafé packaged coffee comes in seven varieties at your local grocery store, such as Premium Roast, French Roast, Breakfast Blend and Colombian, and different flavors, such as French Vanilla and Hazelnut.

It’s the perfect way to start the day or unwind in front of the fire and watch a movie.  I’m so excited I can now find my favorite McDonald’s coffee in the store.  Yippeeeee!!!!

What flavor of coffee do you like?  Are you excited to get McCafé packaged coffee in the grocery store too?

We have a long trip home this weekend for the holidays & you better believe there will be coffee all the way home.

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Follow along for the latest and greatest on McDonald’s website & Twitter.

The Best Way to #SpreadCheer is to Bake it for all to EAT!

This is my favorite time of year and I love to give the gift of yummy goodness to friends and family.  A favorite recipe that my Mom used to make is peanut butter blossoms.  It’s a peanut butter cookie with a Hershey Kiss in the middle.  They are so easy and sooooo good!

This year making my peanut butter blossoms was even easier because I had help from a good friend named Betty… Betty Crocker that is!  Found at your local Walmart store 🙂

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All you need is a package of Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix and some Hershey Kisses.  Sprinkles too…if you desire!

Connor helped me make the cookies.  He likes to stir the bowl and crack the eggs.  He’s also a pretty good chocolate peeler too 🙂

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And a fabulous chocolate topper!  I just love having my little elf in the kitchen and making memories.  That’s what life is all about right?

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We got some cute cookie tins and then shared with our friends.  If there was ever a time to #SpreadCheer it’s now y’all!

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Our favorite part is sharing with friends.  This is Connor’s best friend Alek in Kindergarten- they are both CRAZY about Star Wars.  Don’t mind their chocolate covered faces 🙂

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Add the perfect touch to your baked goods this season with FREE #SpreadCheer downloadable printables.  You can print gift tags & cookie coloring sheets.

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Download you coupon HERE & enter to WIN $20 Paypal cash to make your own #SpreadCheer goodies!

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Spice up your Holiday Recipes with #PricesSouthernStyle

I’ve partnered with Price*s® to bring you this delicious snack idea, but all opinions are my own.

The holidays are in full swing and if there is one thing I like to do during this time of year it’s EAT GOOD FOOD!

I’m excited to share a couple of recipes with you today.  They are super easy to make and great for a family dinner or a night in 🙂

Both recipes contain Price*s® pimiento cheese tubs in Southern Style Original and Spicy Jalapeño.  These can be found at Walmart & trust me they are SOOOOOO good!  I’m a big fan of pimento cheese in general, and these are so yummy and are already made and ready to eat!

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Everyone loves a good twice baked potato.  Here’s my recipe for the easiest twice baked potato you’ll ever bake!

TWICE BAKED PIMIENTO POTATOES

3 large baking potatoes (I just got the ones you can microwave quickly)
1⁄2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Price*s® Southern Style pimiento cheese
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
3⁄4 cup grated cheese-for topping
2 green onions
1/4 cup bacon bits

DIRECTIONS

Microwave potatoes according to how many you want, or bake in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour.

Wash potatoes before baking

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Scoop out inside of potatoesBBP_2671

You have a nice little potato boat 🙂BBP_2673
When potatoes are done let them cool 10-15 minutes.

Mix all the ingredients with the potatoes you just scraped out into a bowl.

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Stuff your potato boats with mixture & top with cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutesBBP_2679

This is a super yummy & creamy potato perfect for any holiday meal!
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BUT WAIT!  I’M NOT FINISHED….

Another favorite recipe is Jalapeno Corn Bread.  This goes great with a warm cup of soup on a cold night, or as a side to any dish.

All you need is a box of “Jiffy” mix and Price*s® Spicy Jalepeno pimiento cheese.

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Make corn bread according to directions on the back of the box.  Add in 1/3 cup of Price*s® Spicy Jalepeno pimiento cheese.
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Bake for around 20-25 minutes until golden.BBP_2698

YUM.

This was super easy and all I did was add one ingredient to get my favorite type of cornbread!  Perfect way to add a little kick to a regular recipe!

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I’m so excited for the next few weeks and I can’t wait to share these recipes with family and friends!  It’s amazing how much you can “jazz” up a recipe with just ONE ingredient like Price*s® pimiento cheese.

Price’s pimiento cheese is sold at select Walmart stores in Texas.  To find your nearest location go HERE.

Acorn-Disclosure

Thanksgiving 2015

I know…I know…

I’m behind on catching up again.  Here we are almost to Christmas, but I didn’t want to forget to recap our Thanksgiving either.  I’ve been busy with work and photo shoots.  I’ll do a post soon with some of my favorite shots this fall.

We spent Thanksgiving with Terence’s family this year at his brother Paul’s house & ate ourselves silly!  I put some fun Christmas lights on our balcony and decorated our tree!  Early Thanksgiving morning we went to the park and took some family photos with our new friends that just moved here from New York, they have a son the same age as Connor and they just LOVE each other.  It’s Star Wars all day every day in their minds 🙂

These aren’t our Christmas card photos, a few outtakes.  Since we moved I’ve been trying to update everyone with our new address.  If you would like a card from us please email me at beckylbranch@gmail.com and I’ll send it to you!

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Terence and I got new cell phones right before black Friday.  Yay!  Ours were a few years old and I’m excited to have an updated phone with a better camera.

Connor and I ventured out for a tiny bit of Black Friday shopping.  We went to World Market.  The store we visited is moving so everything on the floor was on sale.  I got a $150 beautiful bar stool for $25 bucks!  I talked to the store manager and he let me have it for a steal 🙂

Did y’all find anything fabulous for Black Friday?

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I also went to a cookie decorating class my friend Bree was hosting.  It was so much fun!  I’ve always been intimidated by using fondant….but we had a great time just talking and decorating cookies.  I definitely want to try this again soon!

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I hope you all are enjoying this season.  It’s definitely my favorite and I get sooooo excited this time of year!  I can’t wait to go home and visit my friends and family in Arkansas.  I’m counting down the days!  My DVR is full of Hallmark Christmas movies….I know they are so cheesy, but I still can’t help but indulge in the cheesy romance of each story.  Ha ha!

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

The Process of Buying a Home: My Advice for You #CapitalOneHomeLoans

I remember when Terence and I bought our first home.  We bought it in late 2009 when the market was low and right before Connor was born.  I was so excited to finally be in a HOME.  After being in the military, living in several apartments, and even a 2 year stay with my in-laws….I was happy to have a place to call our own.

Our house was finalized in November and the first thing I wanted to do is put up a Christmas tree of course 🙂

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Fast forward about 5 years and now we are in the home buying boat again.  We sold our house in 2 days this past June and have been searching for a new house ever since.   To say the whole process has been daunting is an understatement.  We have put it 7-8 offers on homes & NOTHING.  The market has totally shifted right now and it’s been so hard to find a house y’all!  I’m the emotional one.  I start envisioning my furniture in there and decorating….only to not get the house and then I have a pity party. I know right?

Our last day in our old house, so many memories!

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I would tell any home buyer to be financially and emotionally prepared.  Don’t buy something you can’t afford, nobody wants to be house poor.  A home is what you make of it.  I didn’t envision us staying in our apartment for this long….but I know that God has a plan and hopefully come spring we will find the perfect house.

5 Things to Know Before Becoming a Homeowner

  1. Save, save, save!!!  Having a good down payment makes a big difference.
  2. Just because a house looks a certain way doesn’t mean you can’t change it.  Like that old wallpaper or avocado green oven in the kitchen.  Don’t let that deter you from buying a house you feel good about.
  3. Location is everything.  Like they always say…that’s the reason we moved.  Our child got older and we moved to get into a better school district.  You can’t change location, but can always change the house or decor.
  4. Get a thorough inspection before buying.  It’s so important because an inspector can see things you won’t & it could save you thousands in the future.
  5. Think about the future and where you want to be.  Is this a 5, 10, or 15 year home and what type of mortgage do you want?

Capital One Home Loans is a great place to start your research.  Capital One has launched a completely re-imagined, personal and digital home loans experience.  This new home loan experience allows customers to pre-qualify for a home loan in minutes from any device, apply online, upload documents and digitally track progress from application to closing. It also includes personalized service from a dedicated loan officer when a customer needs it.

The new tools allow customers to make adjustments (home price, down payment, mortgage type) to see how much they can afford – including estimated monthly payment and APR in real time.  This is one of many steps that Capital One is taking to deliver a next-generation banking experience and make the home loan process simply smarter for customers.
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To celebrate the launch of their new digital and personal experience, Capital One Home Loans is partnering with HGTV’s Love It or List It, Too (I love this show!) stars, Jillian Harris and Todd Talbot, to host a free and open-to-the public Open House event on Saturday, December 12 at the Stonebriar Centre mall in Frisco, TX.

During the event, they’ll share do-it-yourself tips and tricks for simplifying the entire home buying and owning process.

For more information, visit SmartHomeLoans.com

See if you qualify right now with the  Mortgage Loan Calculator

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

 

 

Christmas Appetizer: Tortilla Roll-Ups

This post is sponsored by Mezzetta.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It’s the holiday season and I sure do love to eat good food during this time of year.  We just finished Thanksgiving and I’ve got a little “turkey hangover” going on.  I love spending time with family and friends.  We also get to eat some of my FAVORITE foods during this time too!

One of my favorite recipes is tortilla roll-ups.  My Mom used to make these for everyone to snack on because you know it takes a good while for the turkey to cook.  You may plan to eat at noon and actually eat at 2 pm.  That’s why it’s nice to have appetizers and finger foods to snack on.

Here’s my recipe for Tortilla Roll-Ups:

Ingredients

  • 1 package (8 ounces) fat-free cream cheese
  • 1 package bacon flavored cream cheese or bacon bits
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
  • 1/4 C. chopped Mezzetta (Petite Blend) olives, pitted and chopped (These have great flavor, and the red and green colors are extra festive!)
  • 5 flour tortillas (10 inches), room temperature

Directions

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, olives, bacon, green chilies, & sour cream.

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Spread over tortillas.

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Roll up tightly and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate over night or until firm.

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Unwrap and cut into 1-inch slices.

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Serve with salsa

Find inspiration for your holiday entertaining and enter for a chance to win the holiday memories sharing pack HERE.

  • Grand Prize (1) – Instant Print Digital Camera plus an Ultimate Olive Lover’s Gift Basket including Mezzetta Olives, Olive Spoon, Cutting Board, Olive Bowl, Cocktail Napkins and Recipe Card.
  • Runner Up Prizes (10) – Ultimate Olive Lover’s Gift Basket including Mezzetta Olives, Olive Spoon, Cutting Board, Olive Bowl, Cocktail Napkins and Recipe Card.

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What’s your favorite recipe during the holidays?  I’d love for you to share 🙂