“Here we are, Marv. New York City. The land of opportunity!” ‘Tis the season for Christmas classics, including Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. And if you really want to make the season memorable, you can book a special package through The Plaza Hotel that lets the whole family recreate your favorite movie moments.
Your exclusive stay starts with checking into a luxurious guest room, followed by a private four hour limo ride around New York City. You’ll be treated to a hot cheese pizza and visit all the top sites as you relive Kevin McAllister’s tour. Along the way you’ll see the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Central Park, Radio City Music Hall and much more!
Once you’re back at the hotel, it’s time to enjoy a giant Home Alone sundae. It’s 16 scoops of ice cream, whipped cream, maraschino cherries, M&Ms, brownie bits, chocolate, caramel and raspberry sauce. It’s definitely Kevin approved, just grab a few extra spoons!
You can purchase the “Escape to New York” offer year-round and the hotel website states that you can book up to three days prior to check-in. Blackout dates apply and rates vary depending on room type. If you’re going to the Big Apple, might as well do it big!
You have endless ways to customize your Starbucks Frappuccino off the menu. But if you are looking to add a special seasonal twist, we’re sharing a hack that turns your cup into Candy Corn goodness. Read on for the details!
Totally the Bomb has plenty of Starbucks hacks and the latest creation is perfect for that stretch between Halloween and Thanksgiving. To get started, order a Grande Pumpkin Cream Frappuccino with one additional pump of pumpkin sauce. Then, ask for some caramel drizzle at the bottom of the cup. Finally, request plain whipped cream with no pumpkin powder. Simple as that!
Totally the Bomb
Supposedly the finished product tastes like Halloween candy mixed into frozen coffee. But you’ll have to order it yourself to find out! And if you need one more excuse to head back to Starbucks, holiday cups are out now for your shopping enjoyment.
With summer weather in full effect, now is the perfect time to get your grilling gear in order! Whether you prefer the purity of a charcoal grill or you go for a trendy Traeger, these grilling accessories have you covered from prep to serving. Bonus: they make great gifts as well!
Grilling Essential Bundle from Brandless
If you're not familiar with Brandless, let us tell you that you are going to love everything about this company that values quality and affordability. Get your grilling started with their essentials kit that includes grill tongs, spatula, grill brush, spice jars and more. It makes a great gift for the griller in your life.
These new spices from over-the-fire cooking expert Derek Wolf will definitely bump up your grilling game to a whole other level. $13.95 each.
Bourbon Prime is a rich, smoky and spicy bourbon-infused blend that redefines traditional prime rib rubs with innovative flavor notes of mushroom, butter, Worcestershire and even seaweed.
Lemon Chili Rye is a smoky, slightly bitter and rye-infused blend that finishes with an approachable heat and perfectly balanced acidity.
Smoked Chipotle Mezcal brings a peppery citrus aroma that emulates the experience of sipping mezcal with a citrus back.
Sweet Teriyaki Sake - With notes of sweet, spicy and fermentation from the soy, this sake-infused blend brings a delicious sweet heat to practically any protein.
Melinda's All-Natural Pepper Sauce
Add this one to the list, for sure! Made with real peppers and all-natural vegetable and fruit bases sourced from Colombia, Melinda’s products are non-GMO, gluten-free, Kosher Certified and Keto-friendly. The griller in your life will love adding them to meats on the grill and sides in the oven. The black truffle hot sauce is our favorite on fries and the mango pepper sauce goes great with a breakfast burrito.
BBQ Sauce in a Can (Made with Beer!) from Rufus Teague
Rufus Teague, a leading independent maker of craft BBQ sauces and rubs is once again partnering with Boulevard Brewing Company to expand on their beloved Can-O-Que barbecue sauce. The unique Can-O-Que barbecue sauce is made with Boulevard beer and packaged in an actual beer can.
You'll love getting this grilling box shipped right to your door as it is the perfect option for weekend grilling, or to take with you on your next camping trip. You provide the buns, Porter Road provides the pasture-raised sausage (bratwurst and hot dogs) and Cleveland Kitchen provides the Classic Caraway Kraut and Roasted Garlic Kraut. It's pretty much a match made in grilling heaven.
When you need the perfect oil for grilling, check out Chosen Foods avocado oil. It's high smoke point makes it ideal for grilling and the mild flavor works well for salads and marinades as well. Their lemon garlic dressing is our favorite for summer salads and the avocado oil mayo is the burger fave.
Save yourself the guesswork of knowing when your meat is ready and snag a digital thermometer. This one is instant read so you won't let all the heat out waiting for your temp.
This ultra-affordable knife set has everything you need to thinly slice that flank steak, chop those onions and debone a salmon. Your griller will love the knife blade covers for bringing them along when camping or grilling on the go.
How fun is this sampler that gives you a six pack of beer-infused rubs that are perfect for your next grilling soiree? Resealable lids are included. The Jalapeno Pilsner Lime Rub gives you a fruity, crisp and slightly hoppy kick while the Hickory Peach Porter Rub has chocolate, caramel and toffee tones.
If steak is your thing, this spice set it the ultimate as it comes with everything you need for a steak taste test. Try the top seller Black & Bleu Rub that is a perfect blend of Cajun blackening spices mixed with creamy bleu cheese for the spicy cheesy flavor of your dreams. We also loved the Cowboy Crust Espresso Chile Rub that give you Thomas Hammer Fireball Espresso mixed with chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, and a touch of cayenne.
Ready or not, the school year is almost here. That means busy schedules and much-needed hacks to keep the fam fed as you ease back into the academic year.
Thankfully, Pillsbury is dropping brand new products that give parents quick fixes in the kitchen! Say hello to pull-apart bread kits, mini pizza crusts and our personal fave, edible Cookie Dough Poppins!
Satisfy your sweet tooth with Birthday Cake or Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Poppins that are safe-to-eat right from the package. We also think they make a great dessert topping (think: piled on top of ice cream!)
Also new, Pillsbury is making that side dish of garlic bread and dessert Monkey Bread even easier. The pull-apart kids come with pre-cut dough and sauce to whip up both items in a flash.
Not to be missed, you can also snag new Mini Cinni Stix and Mini Pizza Crusts from the shelves. Both items mean dinner and dessert are on the table, stat, and in perfectly-sized portions.
All new Pillsbury products can be found wherever you do your weekly shopping and range in price from $3 to $5 each.
During lockdowns, because of COVID, both parents seem to be more accessible at home because a lot more people are working remotely. But what does this mean for the future of child custody battles? Turns out, according to Jacqueline Newman, author of The New Rules of Divorce, it could impact custody battles a lot more and here’s why:
“Truth be told,I think that there has been a shift, at least the beginning of one, already, before COVID struck. The every other weekend and Wednesday dinner custody schedules were already becoming a thing of the past. Many more non-primary custodial parents were asking for more and more time. Maybe it was not always 50-50 because of the work schedules, and because of the fact that they were not as involved in the day-to-day routines of their child, but it was pretty close.
But now, after COVID? I think the shift is going to be much more extreme. We are 100% at a point where the question is now asked, “Why isn’t it 50-50?” One of the big claims that the primary custodial parent would often make would be that the non-primary custodial parent did not know the day-to-day routines of the child. They did not know that Sally only drew with purple crayons, and Bobby would only eat sandwiches if they were cut in perfect circles. They did not know these little idiosyncrasies of their child because they just were not home all of the time to learn them.
However, now, for the last year and a half, many parents have both been home. Now we have many parents that might have previously traveled a lot or had to work late and attend work dinners that did not do that during COVID—everybody was home. So, now, both parents are so much more involved in the daily routines of their children. They both know that the math homework is due on Tuesdays, that Cindy does not like her social studies teacher, and that the Sami only likes her pasta without sauce—they know all the little ins and outs. People have been having family dinners together again. I will speak for myself—pre-COVID, my husband and I, would often not be be home for dinner with our children every night. We are both attorneys and often at least one of us would be working a late night. But now, for the last year and a half, we have basically eaten dinner together with our children every single night. And it is something that I did not give nearly enough credit to as being such valuable family time previously. However, I do now.
The fact is, now, when we are moving forward in custody battles, I think a lot of the historical arguments of, “He/She doesn’t know everything,” or “Hasn’t done it before” is just going be thrown out the window. Now you are going have parents that have both done everything. Everyone is changing diapers, everyone is doing sugar cube igloo projects and everyone is more attuned to the likes and dislikes of their children.
Now, I think when both parents want 50-50, I think that the question will be “Why not?” I also think it is going be a very hard pill to swallow for certain parents that may have sacrificed careers, and/or have dedicated their entire lives to their children as being the primary caretaker, to be told that the other parent is going have possible 50% of the parenting time is going be very upsetting. It is also important to note that in many states, the amount of days you have with a child can impact child support (not in New York). Therefore, the repercussions are not just the emotional but also have financial implications.
2022 is going to be a very interesting year when it comes to custody litigation and I expect there will a significant shift in terms 50/50 parenting time.”
Jacqueline Newman is a divorce lawyer and matrimonial law expert. As managing partner of a top-tier 5th Avenue Manhattan law firm focused exclusively on divorce, her practice runs the gamut from prenups for high net worth people contemplating marriage to high conflict matrimonial litigation in dissolutions.
Once the temperature heats up, our Crock Pot tends to be a little neglected—after all, no one wants heavy soups and stews when it’s 90 degrees outside! But it’s time to dust off the slow cooker and whip up a light, summery meal that won’t leave you stranded at the stove for hours. Still not convinced? Scroll through the slideshow below to discover 23 no-fuss slow cooker chicken recipes perfect for summer.
With only six ingredients, this honey lime chicken is perfect for sandwiches, tacos, salads and more! Get the recipe from Sweet Peas and Saffron.
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
The Flavours of Kitchen
The key to this succulent chicken is in the orange sauce, enhanced with brown sugar, soy sauce and fresh ginger. It’s easy to remix this recipe too—you can substitute chicken breast or different veggies if that’s what your crew prefers. Grab the recipe here.
This slow cooker recipe from The Seasoned Mom is sure to find a place in your meal rotation. There are lots of ways to remix it—serve it with pasta or rice, or make it into a cheesy sandwich. Plus, if you’re an Instant Pot fan, it can be put to use with this recipe.
Chicken salad in the slow cooker? This recipe from The Dinner Mom is so genius we wish we’d thought of it ourselves. It’ll be delicious when freshly made, and works well as a packed lunch, too.
Chowder isn’t just for winter, and this version from A Zesty Bite is sure to become a summer staple. If you’ve got fresh corn on hand, this is the perfect dish to use it in (and if not, frozen works great too!). Click here to get the whole recipe.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Your Crock Pot doesn’t have to gather dust in the summertime, thanks to this fantastic recipe from The Nerdy Chef. It’s full of veggies and spices and packs a big punch of flavor. If you’re short on time, you can put everything in the pot at once instead of searing the chicken first.
This Hawaiian chicken recipe screams summer. Kids will love the blend of sweet, tangy and savory flavors, and parents will love that it's easy to cook up! Head over to Averie Cooks for the recipe.
For an easy dinner, nothing beats relying on your Crock Pot. This Crock Pot dinner recipe—from Phyllis Good’s new book, Stock the Crock—is truly a slice of heaven. Convenient, delicious and adaptable to Paleo diets, we’re betting this recipe will soon become a part of your nightly rotation. Grab the recipe by clicking here.
We love this lightened-up version of classic buffalo wings from Domestic Superhero. Shredded chicken is bathed in a mouthwatering sauce, then wrapped in butter lettuce. Click here to get the recipe.
Shredded Chicken Tacos
Food Fanatic offers this take on Mexican food that couldn’t be easier. Just pop chicken and taco seasoning in the Crock Pot in the morning, then pile on toppings like salsa, sour cream, cheese, and lettuce for a complete meal.
Mango Chicken Stuffed Peppers
This tasty recipe from Worth Cooking makes use of your Crock Pot to cook a combo of chicken, mango, and spices. Then, after the chicken’s done, just pop the mixture in some red bell peppers and bake for a few minutes.
Skip the takeout the next time you’re craving Chinese food—this crispy chicken recipe from Crockpot Gourmet is much healthier, and it’s sure to be a hit with even picky kiddos.
Put a twist on your usual quesadilla recipe with kid-favorite ingredients like barbecue sauce, pineapple, and (of course) lots of gooey cheese. Get the recipe over at Prevention RD.
Summer Chicken Chili
Who said chili was just for wintertime? Check out this summery take on the dish from Back to Her Roots.
Barbecue Chicken Coleslaw
Combine two well-loved barbecue foods into one awesome dish. This recipe from A Sunshiny Day is a surefire hit for your next summer party.
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
For a fancy hors-d'oeuvre or a fun weeknight meal, whip up these buffalo meatballs from Damn Delicious.
Honey Mustard Drumsticks
Think of this recipe from Kitchen Trial & Error as a classed-up version of chicken nuggets with a honey mustard sauce. Pair the drumsticks with an apple slaw for a tangy and savory combo.
Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches
Whip up these delish (and super simple!) barbecue chicken sandwiches from Fearless Homemaker. Kiddos will love the chicken on sandwiches, mixed into mac and cheese, or stuffed in enchiladas—the sky’s the limit!
Butter Chicken
Try out Brittany’s Pantry’s lightened up version of butter chicken, an awesome way to treat your fam to Indian food without packing on the calories.
Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
Throw these no-fuss sandwiches together in no time thanks to Apple of My Eye’s simple recipe.
Shredded Chicken Barbecue Baked Potatoes
Baked potatoes take on a whole new meaning in this recipe from A Sunshiny Day. Pile ‘em high with barbecue chicken, shredded cheese, and green onions for a super satisfying meal.
Chicken and Artichoke Pasta
Pasta-loving kiddos will go crazy for My Cup is Full’s creamy chicken and artichoke pasta.
Picky eating will be a thing of the past when you break out these new, tasty pepperoni treats from Uncrustables. Pizza fans will love the Uncured Pepperoni Bites, made with bread wrapped around marinara sauce, uncured pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. Pop two in the microwave and in less than 60 seconds you have a delicious meal to satisfy a hangry child.
For the ultimate in convenience, the Uncured Pepperoni Roll-Ups just need to be thawed, not microwaved, so they’re perfect for your kid’s lunchbox, or for tossing in your bag for an on-the-go snack. The roll-ups are made with a flavorful flatbread rolled around uncured pepperoni and provolone and Neufchâtel cheeses with seasoning.
Both sandwich options feature natural uncured pepperoni, meaning the meat is minimally processed with no artificial ingredients and it contains no added nitrates or nitrites except for what naturally occurs in celery powder.
The Pepperoni Bites are available nationwide, and the Pepperoni Roll-Ups can be purchased at Kroger and Target now, and retailers nationwide in October. The Smucker’s Uncrustables line also features BBQ Chicken Bites, Turkey and Colby Jack Cheese Sandwich Roll-Ups and other foods kids love.
—Eva Ingvarson Cerise
Featured images courtesy of The J.M. Smucker Company
Have you ever been eating a delicious bowl of Kraft Mac n Cheese and wondered how you could make it even better? Forget the hot sauce, bread crumbs or bacon. Say hello to Macaroni & Cheese ice cream!
That’s right, two of your childhood favorite foods have combined for a potentially delicious (or disastrous) treat. Thanks to Brooklyn-based Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, you can try the new flavor starting tomorrow in honor of National Macaroni & Cheese Day. You can order it at $12 a pint online or Instagram it in person at Van Leeuwen stores across the country, while supplies last, of course.
“As big fans of Van Leeuwen, we knew they’d be the perfect partner to create this ice cream with us. Not only does it taste delicious, but it’s also made with high-quality ingredients and contains no artificial flavors, preservatives, or dyes just like our Kraft Macaroni & Cheese,” said Emily Violett, Sr. Associate Brand Manager for Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.
Of course, the color of the ice cream is nearly identical to those familiar blue box cheese packets. The real question: does a sweet, cold version of your kid’s favorite pasta actually taste good? Or is it the stuff of gastrointestinal nightmares? The verdict is out…for now!
We have four words for you: Crunchwrap Supreme Pool Float. Thanks to Five Below’s new partnership with Taco Bell, you can claim one for your summer fun—for only $5!
If you’d rather set sail on a giant packet of hot sauce or a hard shell taco, you’ve got options. The full line includes three floats to choose from (four, if you count the two different hot sauces) for ages 12 and up. Taco bout the perfect way to spice up your water play!
They’re only available at Five Below, the retailer that offers fun family items starting at $1. And since each one is five bucks each, you might want to snag them all before they sell out. Good luck choosing your favorite!
One caveat: maybe don’t take your actual Taco Bell order into the water. A soggy taco is a sad taco. Save the food for the shore, then Live Mas with these floats!
Why celebrate National Donut Day with a boring ole glaze or powdered treat, when you can sink your teeth into something with sustenance? That’s where the DiGiornut comes in.
The pizza and donut combo is everything you want in a mashup: mozzarella cheese stuffed and topped with DiGiorno sauce, cheese and toppings. Now you don’t have to pick savory or sweet to satisfy that craving!
photo: Courtesy of DiGiorno
Kimberly Holowiak, DiGiorno Brand Manager at Nestlé, “At DiGiorno we like to push the boundaries of what’s possible for pizza, and the DiGiornut is something we’ve been dreaming about for a while. At the same time, we’ve seen out of the box thinking from our fans on social media – connecting pizza with donuts. So we thought, why not have some fun and make this mashup a reality to celebrate National Donut Day.”
If your tastebuds are firing on all cylinders, then you’ll want to keep reading. The only way to get the DiGiornut will be through a Twitter sweepstakes on National Donut Day which is this Fri., Jun. 4. To enter, just reply to @DiGiorno’s tweet with #sweepstakes for a chance to score a half-dozen box!
