Picnic Fun and On-The-Go With Bigelow Tea #AmericasTea #shop #cbias

Here in the beautiful Northwest, our summers are glorious but not very long. My family and I try to pack as much outdoor fun into those three months as possible.

My daughter Samantha and I have begun taking day trips with her children, and we try to go someplace different every week. This week we went to a wonderful little park that was on the beach, and we had a great time.

We took along a picnic, and a delicious drink that I made with Bigelow Tea. I have been drinking Bigelow for many, many years, and I love making iced tea with it in the summer. Bigelow Tea comes in so many different kinds and flavors, and it truly is a family favorite.

I went shopping at Walmart for Bigelow Tea, and brought home some Lemon Lift. I found a recipe for Lemon Citrus Tea Coolers on the Bigelow Tea website. The recipe is super easy, and I absolutely loved the delicious tangy, citrus flavor. It was the perfect drink to enjoy at our picnic. I made it the night before so that it was very cold when I put it in the cooler to bring.

It was a beautiful day for our picnic. My daughter loved the Lemon Citrus Tea Cooler, too. I enjoy plain iced tea, but sometimes it's just more fun to whip up something special. Bigelow Tea makes it so easy, and I try to keep plenty of pitchers of tea on hand for these warm summer days.

Bringing along our drink was super easy. I just put it in this plastic pitcher that has a tight fitting lid, and then popped it into the cooler. I like using cute things for picnics, and just because you aren't at home doesn't mean you can't eat or drink with style.

Transporting the kid's food was easy in these cute little plastic containers. Sandwiches are always so easy to bring, and we had egg salad this time.

All the kids loved the Lemon Citrus Tea Cooler. We didn't give any to my granddaughter, but she grabbed this glass on her own.

I promised the kids a special treat, so I picked up a box of Red Raspberry Herb Tea. The kids love slushies, and these were easy to make, and bring along. You just combine four cups of brewed, cold tea, one cup of Almond Milk, and three cups of mixed berries in the blender. I pored the mixture into a freezer bag and froze it over night. I set it out for about fifteen minutes before the kids were ready to eat it.

I squeezed the freezer bag to mix it up a bit, poured it into cups, and topped it with whipped cream. We all loved it, and it really was delicious.

You can get creative with Bigelow Tea no matter what season it is, and there are even ways to cook with it. Bringing Bigelow Tea along on vacation, a trip to the beach, or other fun outing is always a great idea.

My grandchildren thought it was great to have fruit slushies after their lunch. It was so easy to just toss the bag of frozen fruit mixture and a can of whipped cream in the cooler.

After lunch we went down to the water. Even though the day was very warm, the water in Puget Sound is always cold. The boys had a good time looking for things, and tossing rocks in the water. In the end though, they did take off their shoes and socks and wade into the water. So did I!

Being a grandmother is a very large and important role for me. I never knew either of my own grandmothers, so I feel very lucky to have four little grandchildren of my own.

It's wonderful summer picnics like this that help me build close bonds with them.

I can't wait to go on our next outing, and I'll be sure to bring along Bigelow Tea again for all of us to enjoy.

If you would like more summer tips and ideas, check out this great Summer E-Guide.

You can see my shopping trip for Bigelow Tea on my Google+ Photo Album.

You can also connect with Bigelow Tea on Facebook and Twitter.

Making Summer Treats, Blueberry Sour Cream Popsicles

When my kids were growing up, I made them a zillion popsicles during the summer months. They were pretty basic, using orange or grape juice or lemonade.

Now I'm making popsicles for my grandchildren, and I'm being more creative. These Blueberry Sour Cream Popsicles were easy to make, loaded with tasty blueberries, and the kids loved them.

Recipe for Blueberry Sour Cream Popsicles

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup regular sour cream
3/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons sugar
4 popsicle molds, 4 ounces each

Directions:

Lightly mash berries to release some juice. Whisk together milk and sour cream.
Stir in vanilla extract and sugar. Add blueberries, stir.
Spoon mixture into molds.
Freeze overnight, or at least 8 hours. Run warm water over molds to release popsicles, or leave them out until they easily come out of the molds.

Makes 4 popsicles.

Making Chicken and Avocado Salad Sandwiches For A Quick and Easy Lunch

Summer is my favorite time to cook and entertain family and friends. I just love the fact that you can make entertaining as elaborate or as simple as you please, and the fact is I am a big fan of simple!!

That's why summer salads are one of the things I like serving because so many of them can be made ahead of time, and put together just before your guests arrive.
This chicken and avocado salad is super easy to make and I love it. It makes a terrific sandwich on yummy bread, in a pita pocket, or even as a wrap with tortillas.

I needed to use up a few avocados I had, and this salad is a yummy way to do that. The lime juice really gives it some zing. I recommend tasting it and adjusting the seasoning to your liking.

The red bell pepper gives this some healthy crunch. If you are a big bell pepper fan, you can easily add more than what the recipe calls for and it will taste great.

I love this chicken avocado salad on healthy, whole grain bread. I let the salad sit in the refrigerator for about an hour so that the flavors have a chance to deliciously blend.
I'm sure you and your guests will love this easy, great tasting salad, and it's also a great way to use up leftover chicken, too.


Recipe for Chicken and Avocado Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 large avocado, cut in to pieces
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
4 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder


Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, refrigerate for about an hour, so that flavors can blend together.
Give it a big stir, than use it for a filling on bread, pita bread, or tortillas.

Summertime Inspired Tyson Chicken Avocado Salad and Lipton Iced Tea #MealsTogether

This is the time of year that I really start looking forward to summer. I have had enough of the cold and rain, and want to start having some warm weather meals out on the deck.

We have had some sunshine here in the Pacific Northwest recently, and it inspired me to make one of my favorite summer inspired meals, a delicious salad and a glass of iced tea.

I love making this fabulous chicken and avocado salad. Everyone loves it, and there is always requests for seconds. I always use breaded chicken in this salad, and I made a trip to Walmart to buy my very favorite brand of chicken, which is Tyson chicken. Tyson comes in so many different kinds of chicken, and tastes so great that I use it for my cooking all the time.

Walmart and Tyson Chicken frequently have demos nationwide, and are available in most local stores. I was hoping to attend a demo for Tyson Crispy Breast Fillets, but it wasn't happening this week. Demos are always a great way to taste new products and get some tasty recipe ideas.

The avocados in this salad always reminds me of growing up in Southern California, where my family ate avocados all the time. They really are a delicious addition to this salad. My recipe calls for one avocado, but if you really love them, you can add more. You can also add a little more chicken if you like, too. Whatever you want to add more of, this recipe adapts well to it.

I love Tyson Chicken, because there are so many ways to use it in salads, whether you use breaded or regular chicken. I like to make the dressing first for this salad so that the flavors have a chance to blend while I am cutting up my salad ingredients.

What is a delicious summer inspired meal without iced tea?? My family has been drinking Lipton Tea for generations, and a pitcher of it is always in the refrigerator during the summer months.

I was so excited to find this new tea, specially made for brewing iced tea. It's really delicious, and I already know I have to go back and pick up some more for the summer months ahead. I love my iced tea with a little bit of lemon.

I think a summer inspired salad just calls out for a glass of iced tea to go with it. My Tyson chicken avocado salad paired perfectly together with this delicious Lipton iced tea. The flavor of the tea and the flavors in the salad complimented each other very well.

I can't wait for warm weather so that I can make other kinds of salads too, and enjoy eating them outside with my family. This is one of the reasons I enjoy the summer months so much.

This salad was perfect for my daughter and I for lunch. The recipe serves two. But you can easily double it to make more, and add a delicious crusty French bread and have it for dinner. It really is one of my all time favorite salads, and I eat a lot of salads.

I didn't find the Tyson Crispy Breast Fillets that I had come shopping for to make my salad, but I did find these great tasting Southern Breast Tenderloins. They worked perfectly, and really gave the recipe some wonderful flavor.

There is such a big variety of quality Tyson Chicken products, you are sure to find them a great addition to your cooking.

Recipe for Tyson Chicken Avocado Salad 

Ingredients:

3 large pieces Tyson breaded chicken, cooked and at room temperature
1 bag of lettuce, your choice
1 ripe avocado cut into small chunks
1 large tomato, cut up
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup feta cheese crumbles

Dressing:

1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl, set aside. To make the dressing, whisk all ingredients together, and toss well with salad. Serve immediately. Serves 2.


If you would like to see my shopping trip to Walmart for Tyson Chicken and Lipton Iced Tea, check out my Google+ Album.

You can also connect with Tyson Chicken on their website, Twitter and Facebook page. 


I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and Tyson. #cbias #SocialFabric #MealsTogether