Chicken Bacon Kebabs

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, INC. and The Coca-Cola Company, all opinions are mine alone. #IceColdSummerMoments #CollectiveBias

There's nothing quite like sharing an ice cold Coca-Cola™ with family and friends during the summer! A lot of my family will be camping in their fancy trailers and tents this summer, so I decided to put together a "cool" camping-themed gift basket filled with all kinds of goodies to help them enjoy their summer adventures to the fullest!

Share a Coke is back with 1,000 new Share A Coke names featuring first AND last names this year! I was able to find all the names I needed (and more) for our "cool" camping gift basket. I also grabbed a Coca-Cola Zero™ with my husband's name on it so he didn't feel left out!

We found everything we needed for our "cool" gift basket at Target, including the Share A Coke bottles! I'm always so excited to see all of the fun and colorful items you can add to the cooler (including awesome cooler designs) in the summer displays in Target.

When you purchase Coca-Cola from Target, be sure to check use the Cartwheel offer to save 20% on 20oz Share A Coke bottles! 

We're also going to include a recipe card and ingredients to make Chicken Bacon Kebabs for our friends to make while their camping this summer!

Cut a chicken breast into 1-inch pieces. Place into a bowl and pour about 1/4 cup over the chicken and stir until the chicken is coated. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes. You can also cover and place in the refrigerator overnight to let it really absorb that Coca-Cola flavor!

To assemble the skewer, first stick the end of a slice of thick-cut bacon onto the skewer. Place a piece of chicken, then fold the bacon over it and skewer it as well. Keep repeating until you get to the other end of the bacon.

*Feel free to also incorporate vegetables, pineapple, and other meats onto this kebab. My husband is allergic to most fruits and vegetables, so we kept things simple with just the chicken and bacon.

Place the skewers onto the preheated grill and cook for about 5-8 minutes per side, or until completely cooked through. Enjoy immediately, or brush lightly in a barbecue sauce and place on the grill for another couple of minutes.

I think these kebabs will be perfect for Memorial Day, Father’s Day, and Fourth of July. Actually, they are great for really any occasion you can make up to grill: think summer pool parties, graduation parties, camping, random weekdays... The point is, you just need to try them!

Chicken Bacon Kebabs

Makes 4-5 kebabs

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breast

5 strips thick-cut bacon

1/4 cup Coca-Cola

Optional - vegetables, pineapple

Directions

1. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces.
2. Place chicken into a bowl and pour about 1/4 cup Coca-Cola over the chicken. Stir until the chicken is coated. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
3. To assemble the skewer: stick the end of a slice of thick-cut bacon onto the skewer. Place a piece of chicken, then fold the bacon over it and poke it through with the skewer. Keep repeating until you get to the other end of the bacon. (If adding optional ingredients, incorporate those into the skewering pattern)
4. Preheat the grill on high and place skewers directly on the grill.
5. Cook for about 5-8 minutes per side, or until completely cooked through.
   *To cook in the oven, bake at 400º for 10 minutes, or until completely cooked through.

This awesome cooler is the perfect size for holding everything you'd need for a picnic or for camping goodies to enjoy on summer adventures. We filled the cooler with Share A Coke bottles, ingredients for chicken bacon kebabs, skewers, cute bags of popcorn, and more!

No matter which variety you prefer, you can never go wrong with sharing an ice cold Coke with a friend! Be sure to visit Coca-Cola to find more summer inspiration!

Who will you be sharing an ice cold Coke with this summer?

Chicken Teriyaki Pizza

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Conagra Brands. All opinions are mine alone. #SimpleSecret #CollectiveBias

Chicken Teriyaki Pizza is a delicious meal loaded with Asian flavors and made with just a few ingredients!

This Chicken Teriyaki Pizza recipe is a family favorite with NEW P.F. Chang's® Home Menu sauces found at Walmart, chopped chicken, crisp salty bacon, fresh pineapple chunks, and scallions.

Right now you can find the P.F. Chang's® Home Menu sauces at your local Walmart. You will see the sauces in the Asian Food section in the condiment aisle. Making Asian food at home is easier than ever with these sauces in your kitchen!

Let's talk about ingredients. My pizza dough recipe is one of my favorites because it's literally mix-and-go! Fry up some bacon, chop some scallions, and open a can of chopped pineapple and your pizza is ready to assemble.

P.F. Chang's® teriyaki sauce is the "simple secret to extraordinary flavor"​. It's packed with the teriyaki flavor you love without the work of making a sauce from scratch. Just pour it straight from the bottle onto the dough and add the toppings for the perfect pizza.

Add extra flavor to the chicken by marinating it in P.F. Chang's® teriyaki sauce beforehand, and cook the chicken with a little more of the sauce to keep it moist and flavorful.

Add the rest of the pizza toppings and bake according to directions. This pizza isn't your typical Asian dish, but it certainly brings those flavors together in a simple way that saves you time and is a recipe even kids will love!

Chicken Teriyaki Pizza

Makes 12 inch pizza

Pizza Dough:

2 1/4 cup flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1/4 cup butter (room temperature)

Directions:

1. Mix dry ingredients together.
2. Add in milk and butter and mix until it becomes a dough. Do not overmix!
3. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

Pizza Toppings:

P.F. Chang's® Home Menu Teriyaki Sauce

1 cup chicken, cooked and chopped

8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks

1/4 cup scallions, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
3. Place pizza crust on baking sheet.
4. Spread teriyaki sauce evenly over crust, leaving a 1/4 inch border around edges.
5. Marinate and cook chicken with P.F. Chang's® teriyaki sauce and chop into small pieces.
6. Top pizza dough evenly with chicken, bacon and pineapple. Sprinkle cheese and scallions over the pizza. 
7. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.

This is one of our newest favorite family recipes, and I can't wait to create more with P.F. Chang's® Home Menu sauces! Don't forget to enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to Scottsdale, AZ (home of the first P.F. Chang's® China Bistro) and to find more Asian recipe inspiration!

What’s your favorite Asian cuisine dish?

Cheerios Breakfast Gift Basket

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Cheerios. All opinions are my own.

Put together a Cheerios Breakfast Gift Basket for friends and family!

Gift baskets are a lot of fun to put together, and this breakfast-themed basket works for all occasions. Cheer up a friend, family member, or even a new neighbor with a box of Cheerios and some other breakfast essentials so that they have at least one meal that they don't need to worry about! I've even included a free printable card for you to download and add to the gift basket when you're done filling it up with your favorite breakfast items.

By participating in the buy a box, give a box promotion you can give the gift of Cheerios to your loved ones! Find your code inside specially marked packages in Walmart stores and enter it on http://wm6.walmart.com/Gluten-Free-Cheerios to send a coupon for a free box of Cheerios to someone that matters. There are a variety of Cheerios to choose from that are part of the promotion, so there's something for everyone! We grabbed a box of regular Cheerios and some Honey Nut Cheerios to share with friends.

Along with the cereal, I wanted to include a few breakfast essentials. Cheerios taste amazing with sliced bananas and strawberries, so I picked out some of each to add to the gift basket. I also found some fun bowls and spoons, because a meal is just a little more fun when your dishes are cute!

Arrange the cereal, fruit, bowls, and spoons in a basket. I lined the bottom with some tissue paper sheets and a colorful cloth napkin. Finding ribbons in coordinating colors also help to bring the gift together. For example, I used a thin ribbon to tie the spoons together, wrapped some tulle around the jar of strawberries, and tied a large red ribbon around the basket handle.

Every gift needs some kind of a card, and I've created the perfect one for this Cheerios Breakfast Gift Basket! An adorable Cheerio sits on the front, waving his little hand, and greeting you with a "Cheerio!". For best results, print the card on a heavy cardstock and use a scoring tool along the center of the card to get a clean fold line.

Download Free Printable Cheerios Card

Some things you should know before downloading:

*Artsy-Fartsy Mama printables are for PERSONAL USE ONLY.

*You may NOT modify, re-sell, redistribute, or claim the design as your own.

*Please do not remove the credits/watermarks.

*If you'd like to share this project, credit must be given to Artsy-Fartsy Mama & linked back to this post.

I'm excited to see my friend's reaction when she receives this Cheerios Breakfast Gift Basket. It was a lot of fun to put together, and I'm looking forward to sharing a lot more Cheerios with the the buy a box, give a box promotion!!

Who would you share a box of Cheerios with?

Easily Blend Colored Pencils with Baby Oil

I have been compensated by Johnson's® Baby for this post; however, I am sharing my own thoughts. All opinions are my own.

I have always enjoyed coloring and creating with colored pencils. It wasn't until recently that I discovered a new technique of using baby oil to take my coloring to a whole new level! In fact, I am kind of obsessing over it and have been SO excited to share this awesome hack with all of you. So without further ado, here is how you can easily blend colored pencils with baby oil!

Besides your image to color, you will also need a few other supplies. First, you will need some colored pencils. My favorite brand is Prismacolor because of the quality and vibrant colors. However, you can use any brand of colored pencils with this trick.

You'll also need some baby oil. I grabbed some Johnson's® Baby Oil at Walmart in the baby products aisle right next to the baby wash and body lotion.

Last, but not least, you'll need some precision tip cotton swabs. They are perfect for blending your colored pencil projects because the pointed end is shaped just like your pencils. You can also find these at Walmart in the beauty aisle or near the regular cotton swabs.

Download and print the cactus printable at the end of the post. You will need to print on a laser printer for the baby oil hack to work. Using a print from an inkjet printer or water soluble ink will bleed and ruin your project. You will also need a high quality cardstock for best results. Paper texture will also make a difference. A smooth paper will result in smooth color, while a rougher surface will show lots of texture.

Now that your image is printed, you can use any technique you want to color your picture: color lightly or press harder for a more saturated color, stipple (dotting), crosshatch, or just scribble to your heart's content. Like any skill, the more you practice with colored pencils, the better you'll get.

Coloring lighter to darker and layering colors will also give the illusion of shadows and depth. I used 3-4 shades of green on each cactus, but in different orders and areas to get a slightly different look on each one.

Once the picture is colored, it's time to get blending! Grab some cotton swabs and pour a small amount of baby oil into the cap or a small container. You may also want to keep a paper towel on hand.

Dip the tip of the cotton swab into the baby oil. Start with the tiniest amount, because a little goes a long way. Blot on the paper towel if you pick up too much. The trick is to use just a little bit of oil, otherwise it can leak through the paper and cause it to rip.

Hold the cotton swab like a pencil, and rub it on the colored area with the same amount of pressure that you use to color. The colored pencil strokes will immediately begin to smooth out and blend together like magic!

My best tip is to work slowly and start small with the oil. You can always add more. You can re-dip the colored cotton swab into the oil if you need to "reload". You'll notice you need more oil when the colored pencil isn't blending as easily.

To show you the difference the oil makes, I only blended half of this cactus. The left side is smooth and vibrant, with an almost watercolor-like look. The right side is the unblended colored pencil with 3-4 different colors.

Use a different cotton swab for each color so you don't accidentally blend them together. By using a small amount of oil, I didn't have any problem with oil leaking through the paper. If you happen to over-do it on the oil, don't panic. You can sandwich your image with paper towel and a heavy book on top overnight and it should absorb some of the extra oil from your paper.

The image dries almost immediately, and you can frame it that day! Pour the extra baby oil back into the container to use again next time.

I think I may have a new obsession with this colored pencil and baby oil technique! I just love the way it looks, and it's so unbelievably simple!!

You can print out this image, along with one other cactus image to color and frame in your own home. I have also included both images on one sheet in smaller sizes for you to practice on if you'd like to.

Download Free Printable Cactus Prints

Some things you should know before downloading:

*Artsy-Fartsy Mama printables are for PERSONAL USE ONLY.

*You may NOT modify, re-sell, redistribute, or claim the design as your own.

*Please do not remove the credits/watermarks.

*If you'd like to share this project, credit must be given to Artsy-Fartsy Mama & linked back to this post.

Go grab some Johnson's® Baby Oil and try it out. You're going to love it! While you're at it, check out these other Johnson's® Baby Hacks for more creative ideas!

If someone is reporting an adverse event or a product quality complaint, please tell them to call the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) North America Consumer Care Center at 800-361-8068 during normal business hours of operation: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. After normal business hours, they can report adverse events or product quality complaints through www.jnj.com Contact Us page.