February 10, 2016

MOM DINNER HACKS & FREEZER COOKIE DOUGH RECIPE

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MangiaTonight #CollectiveBias

Family dinners are something that are important in our home. Zach’s schedule is so busy that he is rarely home between church callings, work, soccer games, and other things. Sitting down to eat as a family is really the only time that we have to spend together. It is something that we strive for every night if possible. However, King makes it really hard to be able to make a good yummy meal. I have found a few hacks to having a delicious meal ready for when Zach comes home and also not to get frustrated with King while I am trying to get dinner ready. 

Mom Dinner Hack #1 – Don’t be afraid of the freezer section and mixing up your dinners every once and awhile to make them more fun and memorable! It can be so fun to change things up a little bit and make an Italian night around the table. Since it is the only time that we really have as a family, I like to go all out sometimes with things. Sometimes you just need to“Mangia” or eat, the Italian way.  This to my little family means that we spend the time together doing things that are simple, but out of the ordinary that will make memories. Our time together very small with such busy schedules, it is so important to us to make the little time together we have to eat dinner memorable and fun especially with King. We had an Italian night for dinner with the yummy Bertolli Chicken Carbonara and I made Zach talk with an Italian accent the entire time we ate. We played Italian music, dance, and had so much fun.  It created so many memories for our little family in such a small window of time that we had together. Zach couldn’t believe that I had spent so much time making such a yummy pasta dish, little did he know, I just snagged it at Smith’s while I was grocery shopping. Shhh don’t tell him though! It can be our little secret. 

We sat and giggled as a little family over our Italian accents and King couldn’t figure out why we were talking like that, but it created so many memories between Zach and I. Family memories don’t have to be things that you spend hours on, don’t get me wrong, those are great, but it can be the little things too. Things like switching dinner up, playing in blanket forts that you make spontaneously, or even just bedtime giggles as a family. 

Mom Dinner Hack #2: 

FROZEN COOKIE DOUGH! Yes, this dough freezes so so well and when you bake them they don’t dry out like some other dough when you freeze it. I really can’t believe that I am sharing this little secret with you. When I have everything done and have a minute during nap time, I make a double or sometimes a triple batch of this chocolate chip cookie dough and freeze it. Then when I need to take cookies to a friend, dessert to a family, or anything else I can just pull them right out of my freezer, bake them, and give them away. So easy and it also makes having dessert with dinner so easy because we can pull out 6 little cookie dough balls, cook them, and not have a whole batch of cookies to eat. Perfection right? See why it is my mom dinner hack #1?

Gather all ingredients, mix together ingredients as outlined in recipe above. 

Make all the dough into about tablespoon size balls, place in an air tight container for when you are ready to bake them up! When you bake them after they are frozen, let them unthaw and then bake as directed in recipe below.

Find Bertolli items at some of the lowest prices of the year in a Kroger or Kroger banner store near you. Kroger banners include Fred Meyer, Smiths, Frys, Dillions, King Soopers, City Market, and QFC. Find a store near you here. Enjoy a fun, non-stressful night of dinner babes! XO