The Sensible Mom

Food, DIY, Chicago Mom Blogger

dipping sauces for appetizers

The Best Store Bought Pesto I’ve Ever Tried: Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto

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Thanks to Moms Meet for sponsoring this blog post for Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto. It’s so delicious.

The best store bought pesto

Do you like pesto? If you’re reading this blog post, you probably do and maybe you’re even looking for the best store bought pesto on the market.

Well, while I can’t say I’ve tried them all because, honestly, pesto really wasn’t a food on my radar until this past year when my husband started eating it, I can tell you that the best pesto I’ve tried thus far and loved is the Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto.

It’s creamy, flavorful and just delicious. It’s everything you want in a pesto and it can be combined with so many foods, it’s not even funny. You can add pesto to pasta, rice, veggies, salads and sandwiches.

Pesto makes mealtime more exciting!

best store bought pesto

My favorite way to enjoy pesto is with pasta and we eat lots of pasta. πŸ˜€

My son, David, will ask for pesto to be mixed into his pasta. He’s probably the most adventurous eater of our five kids, and I like that he isn’t afraid to try new foods to see if he likes them. When he tried pesto for the first time, he gave it a thumbs up and it’s now a food that he can eat with pasta when he doesn’t feel like having sauce.

I also like the Barilla Creamy Genovese pesto mixed into a bowl of peas, and if you watch my YouTube hauls, you know that I love peas and eat a CRAZY amount of them. Peas are one of my favorite foods.

Yes, I’m weird like that. πŸ€ͺ

barilla pasta with pesto

Because Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto is so versatile and doesn’t need to be heated before using, you can even use it as a dip for veggies or pita chips but I haven’t tried that because I’m afraid if I did, I’d eat the whole jar in one sitting. LOL

But when you’re mixing pesto into a bowl of pasta, grains, veggies or having it on a sandwich, a little bit truly goes a long way. I find myself only using a teaspoon or two on my food and being happy with the flavor.

In case you’re wondering, Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto is made with fragrant Italian basil and freshly grated Italian cheese. I think if you give it a try, you’ll love it, too. I can see this pesto becoming a staple in our kitchen because it adds a little more variety to our meals.

Now that we’re eating more plant-based, I look for new ways to infuse flavor into our meatless meals and this pesto hits the spot!

Do you like pesto? What’s your favorite way to eat it?


How to Make the Best Blender Salsa Recipe and a Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ Pro Compact System Unboxing

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I love using the Nutri Ninja because of its versatility and how easy it is to clean. I’m very thankful that the folks that work with Ninja sent me this kitchen item to review.

Hi, guys! In this video, I show you how to make the Best Blender Salsa recipe and a Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ Pro Compact System unboxing. I hope you enjoy the video! πŸ™‚

Here is the recipe for the Best Blender Salsa:

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Best Blender Salsa

Ingredients

  • 1 can (14 oz.) whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1/2 onion, peeled, cut in quarters
  • 1/2 jalapeΓ±o pepper, seeds removed
  • 1/2 chipotle chili pepper
  • 1/2 lime, peeled, cut in quarters
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients into the 40-ounce Blend & Prep Bowl in the order listed.
  2. PULSE to desired consistency.
https://thesensiblemom.com/2019/08/make-best-blender-salsa-recipe-nutri-ninja-auto-iq-pro-compact-system-unboxing/

Since I filmed this video, I’ve used the Nutri Ninja nearly every day to make smoothies for my family, and I’m very impressed with the Nutri Ninja, overall. It’s super easy to clean, and while the parts are dishwasher-safe (on the top rack), I personally like to just quickly hand wash the pieces that we use after I make our smoothies.

You can find this Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ Compact System on Amazon using the affiliate link here.

What are some of your favorite blender recipes? I’d also love for you to share your favorite smoothie recipes if you have any. πŸ™‚


An Easy Meal for My Hungry Crew (and a Recipe for Barbecue Sauce)

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Quick Snack Chicken

Over the last three weeks, we’ve drastically switched up our routine.

Between 4 and 5 days a week, my two oldest kids pack up their school necessities, and we head to our local library. They work on school, while I work on client projects and other business. We stay at the library for hours. This gives them a good amount of time to work on school in peace, which allows for more uninterrupted learning. Learning is never quite uninterrupted at home, when you have 1, 4, and 6-year-old siblings.

bre

This whole new routine is pretty amazing, and it’s working wonders for our family life. The only problem we’ve run into with our new routine is that after a few hours at the library, we want to rip the door off of a refrigerator we’re hungry. Essentially, my brain starts to shut down to the point where I have trouble concentrating on whatever I’m working on, and the kids start asking for food.

Chicken Snack

We’ve combated this problem by taking a snack break. We take a short break and eat foods like bananas, oranges, granola, tortillas chips, granola bars…pretty much whatever snack items I can find in the house that morning to pack for our trip to the library.

This tides us over for a little while, so that we can make it just a little while longer at the library. We get back to work after our break and then finish up our day at the library and head for home…hungry again.

kids

Shortly after we get home, my big kids want to eat. And they don’t want to wait forever for a meal. One easy meal that satisfies my hungry kids is Tyson Chicken Fries with easy, homemade barbecue sauce. They love it, and the homemade barbecue sauce is just right. There are a lot of dipping sauces for chicken, but I think barbecue sauce is one of the best. πŸ™‚

Dipping sauces for appetizers

The best part about my recipe is that it’s ready in minutes, and there’s no cooking required! You can even have your older kids or their friends whip up the barbecue sauce while the chicken fries cook in the oven.

Here’s my recipe:

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Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 1/2 cups ketchup
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

  1. In a medium-sized bowl, stir the ingredients together.
https://thesensiblemom.com/2013/04/an-easy-meal-for-my-hungry-crew-and-a-recipe-for-barbecue-sauce/

See how easy it is to make this recipe? And it’s delicious.

As a mom of five kids, whose appetites are growing as they get older, I’m thankful for easy, satisfying meals that my kids can enjoyΒ on busy days.

son

What are some of your favorite quick and easy meals?

P.S. You can visit Tyson’s Facebook page, and enter for a chance to win a family six pack to Six Flags! It’s easy to enter, and the total prizes are 6 family six packs and 200 single day general admission tickets. If you love Six Flags theme parks, be sure to enter!

If you’d like to see my shopping trip toΒ Sam’s Club toΒ purchase the Tyson Chicken Fries, then head on over to check out my Google+ story.

I am a member of the Collective Bias Social Fabric Community. Β This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study forΒ Collective Biasβ„’ andΒ Tyson. All opinions are my own.Β #ChickenFryTime #cbias #SocialFabric