Archives for August 2016

Summer Vegetable Baked Ziti

08/05/2016 By Jenn 17 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.

I love using fresh summer veggies in the summer in a lot of dishes I make. We only live a few miles from an amazing farmers market, I try to take the kids once a week during the summer. Summer squash and zucchini looked really good that day so I decided to make Summer Vegetable Baked Ziti that night for dinner. If you guys have follow me for some time you know a good pasta dish is a staple in my house bc I have a picky eater, well he loved this!

I love using my go to Ragu Homestyle pasta sauce to make quick and easy pasta dishes that I know my family will love!

Since the Ragu Homestyle is their thickest sauce it soaks into the pasta making for the perfect bite every time. Plus I love that they don’t use artificial flavors, artificial colors or high fructose corn syrup. It tastes fresh and homemade just what I look for in pasta sauces. Best part I do not have to slave all day cooking it since Ragu pasta sauce has done that for me.

Summer Vegetable Baked Ziti

Ingredients:

16oz box of Ziti Pasta
2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley
1 egg
15oz. Ricotta Cheese
1/4c. Parmesan cheese
2 cups Mozzarella Cheese (divided)
1 jar Homestyle Thick and Hearty Traditional Sauce Ragu Homestyle Pasta Sauce
3 cups chopped summer squash and zucchini (I used 1 1/2 cups each)
Salted for pasta water

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350
Bring your salted water up to a boil and drop your ziti
Cook your pasta until al dente (about 9-11 mins)
While the pasta is cooking wash your veggies and dice the summer squash and zucchini (set aside)
Finely chop your parsley
In a bowl mix together the egg, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, 1 1/2c mozzarella cheese and parsley
Drain your pasta and place in a large bowl
Mix the pasta and summer veggies with your Homestyle Thick and Hearty Traditional Sauce Ragu Pasta Sauce
Combine the cheese mixture into the pasta until well blended
Add your Summer Vegetable Baked Ziti to a 9 x 13 baking dish lightly sprayed with cooking spray
Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top
Bake at 350 for 45 mins or until golden bubbly
ENJOY!

Don’t forget to check out all the new Homestyle Thick and Hearty Traditional Sauces Ragu has to offer! And for more delicious recipes from Ragu Traditions Pasta Sauce.

Summer Vegetable Baked Ziti

This simple Summer Vegetable Baked Ziti is a summer time twist on a classic favorite.Great for summer time pot lucks or BBQ's.

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Ingredients

16 oz box of Ziti Pasta
2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley
1 egg
15 oz. Ricotta Cheese
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
2 cups Mozzarella Cheese divided
1 jar Homestyle Thick and Hearty Traditional Sauce Ragu Homestyle Pasta Sauce
3 cups chopped summer squash and zucchini I used 1 1/2 cups each
Salted for pasta water

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350
Bring your salted water up to a boil and drop your ziti
Cook your pasta until al dente (about 9-11 mins)
While the pasta is cooking wash your veggies and dice the summer squash and zucchini (set aside)
Finely chop your parsley
In a bowl mix together the egg, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, 1 1/2c mozzarella cheese and parsley
Drain your pasta and place in a large bowl
Mix the pasta and summer veggies with your Homestyle Thick and Hearty Traditional Sauce Ragu Pasta Sauce
Combine the cheese mixture into the pasta until well blended
Add your Summer Vegetable Baked Ziti to a 9 x 13 baking dish lightly sprayed with cooking spray
Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top
Bake at 350 for 45 mins or until golden bubbly
ENJOY!

Marriott Singer Island 3800 Ocean Restaurant Review

08/04/2016 By Jenn 1 Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.

Disclosure: I was provided the mentioned products to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed are 100% mine.

Celebrating our anniversary a few weeks ago we got the opportunity to stay at my favorite resorts, the Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort and Spa. This hotel impresses me more and more each time we go! The hotel and views are amazing, the perfect spot for families and a romantic weekend like we had.

You can read about my review on the Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort and Spa and check out the amazing room pictures.

Not only were we able to stay the night but we got to dine at their onsite 3800 Ocean restaurant, for a nice quiet dinner for 2.

3800 Ocean offers spectacular views! We got to look out over the Atlantic Ocean while dining on delicious dishes and had a long overdue no kids conversation. It was nice not to not be trying to talk over kids for a change.

At 3800 Ocean they offer indoor and outdoor seating which is nice plus its right next to the pool so if you need a quick bite you can just hop over and order lunch or a snack.

Their room service is AMAZING as well! We ordered that up to the room the next morning before we had to sadly leave.

Not only is the food good but the fun and recreation is all onsite too, you truly never even have to leave the resort!

The Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort and Spa offers:

Water sports: Want to learn how to surf? They offer surfing lessons as well as rentals of surf, paddle, skim and body boards and snorkeling gear. Plus you can rent pedal boats and kayaks for their own use or for personal kayak and pedal boat tours of nearby Burnt Bridge. Motorized water sports can be arranged through the resort too.

Lagoon Pool: Ideal for families, this grotto-style, heated outdoor pool features a two-story waterfall and water slide, plus live entertainment on Saturday afternoons. Big-screen Dive-In Movies are held every Friday and Saturday night. Big hit with the kiddos!

Infinity Pool: Overlooking the ocean, the heated Infinity Pool offers a more tranquil environment. The pool area includes a whirlpool, chaise lounges and cherry red cabanas stocked with a lounge bed, two lounge chairs, television, towels, fruit plate, sodas and water. This one is my favorite to relax all day!
Yoga and meditation classes in the mornings
Bicycle rentals
Beach volleyball

The Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort and Spa 3800 Ocean Restaurant is located:

3800 North Ocean Drive, Singer Island Riviera Beach, Florida 33404

Rates start at $504 to make reservations online or call them at 561-340-1700

Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort and Spa Review

08/04/2016 By Jenn 10 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.

Disclosure: I was provided the mentioned products to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed are 100% mine.

The Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort and Spa is one of my favorite resorts to visit. Even if we did not live only 20 minutes from this beautiful hotel resort we would make the trip for a week! My husband and I have stayed there many times over the years and every time is better than the last.

We recently celebrated our anniversary and spent a night at the resort. The staff is always has exceptional service and they went above and beyond to make it special.

The Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort and Spa is is the only all suite beachfront hotel in Palm Beach.

Offering its own private beach on Singer Island and the beautiful Intracoastal Waterway on the other side. The views from every part of the hotel are breathtaking!

With 21 stories filled with 193 one and two-bedroom guest suites, this resort is perfect for family vacations, romantic getaways and business travel. The rooms are stunning! They all have massive windows to take in their amazing views of the Atlantic Ocean or the Intracostal. It is so relaxing to sit on the balconies that every suite offers and take in the view.

Plus they come packed with many comforts of home and some amazing extras to make it nice to relax such as:

Fully equipped kitchens with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and European cabinetry

Spacious, well-furnished living rooms

Private balconies – we had the this beautiful ocean view

Beds with luxurious down comforters and duvets and cotton-rich linens

Marble bathrooms with a deep soaking tub and separate shower

In-suite washer and dryer
High-speed wired and wireless internet access
Flat-screen television with DVD player and premium movie channels
Bose stereo and CD player, iPod dock
Coffee/tea service
Complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access in all public spaces
Concierge service
Room service available from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Valet parking
Car rental desk on site
Laundry
Valet dry cleaning

Attention Parents

You can escape off to their beautiful award winning spa called the SiSpa while you send the kids to the KidsClub! You can check out my review of the spa when Bri and I went for a relaxing Mother’s Day.

The resort offers a great deal for parents if you have kids ages 4-12 they can have some kid time with customized daily activities such as crafts, sports, and seasonal adventures from sand art and hair braiding to water balloon games, treasure digs and sea shell expeditions. Sessions are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, with Parent’s Night Out on Fridays and Saturdays, 6 to 10 p.m., including dinner.

Be sure to check out my post on all the fun activities the hotel has to offer such as their stunning pools and our dining experience at their on-site restaurant 3800 Ocean too!

The Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort and Spa is located:

3800 North Ocean Drive, Singer Island Riviera Beach, Florida 33404

Rates start at $504 to make reservations online or call them at 561-340-1700

12 Ways to Make this School Year Easier on Your Child

08/03/2016 By Jenn Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me in behalf of I SeeMe. However, all opinions are 100% my own.

Can you believe how quickly this school year approached us? Some children have a hard time adjusting to back to school.

As a parent, there are some things you can do to make the school year easier on them.

#1. Write a lunchbox note daily.

Your child needs to feel special on a daily basis and writing a lunchbox note is the perfect way to make them feel special.

#2. Ask your child how his or her day was consistently.

Children want to feel loved and like they are special. Always ask your child how their day was.

#3. Make sure they have everything they need.

The perfect personalized lunchbox, back pack or special first day of school outfit will make them feel special and start the new school year off with confidence for them.

#4. Make sure items are ready the night before.

There is nothing worse than trying to find items in the morning. Encourage your child to get everything ready for school the night before.

#5. Ensure your child is going to bed at a decent time every night.

Keep in mind how you feel when you stay up to late and have to be somewhere the next morning. Kids need boundaries and bedtimes.

#6. Listen to your child when they have something to tell you.

Listen to what your child has to say now, so that they’ll tell you the important things later. Listening to what your child has to say is one of the most important things you can do as a parent.

#7. Keep an open communication line between the teacher and yourself.

It can be hard to know “what’s next” when it comes to your child’s education. However, you can avoid confusion and make your child’s education a lot easier by communicating regularly with your child’s teacher.

#8.Get them excited for reading.

Reading is a big part of school for kids. Make sure they are ready with personalized books that encourage good reading habits. It will help their confidence in school.

#9. Spend one-on-one time with your child when possible.

Although your children are spending a good portion of time away from you on a daily basis, it’s still possible to find time to spend with them. Spending one-on-one time with your child is a must!

#10. Avoid allowing your child’s schedule to get to overwhelmingly busy.

When schedules get too busy, families get cranky and life gets stressful. Help make this school year easier on your child by keeping their schedule as simple as possible.

#11. Allow your child to try new things throughout the school year.

Sometimes children get curious and want to try new things. Although you have the ultimate authority, this might be the year your child tries something new at school.

#12. Stay organized, so that there’s no last minute scrambling around.

Whatever you do this school year, try to stay organized. When your child feels as though you are organized, it makes life much easier on them.

What are some tips you have for making this school year easier on your child?