It’s always fun to start a new year here on ‘Or so she says…’ because I get to introduce to you a bunch of new and fabulous bloggers who have joined the blog team. There is sooooo much talent and creativity out there and my behind-the-scenes gals and myself work really hard to find our very favorites and slap a ‘she’ in front of their name. We’re pretty excited about these gals, both new AND the ones who are sticking around for another year. There will be oodles of blog posts and ideas coming your way. So be here, every day, yo. There’s always something new… recipes, parenting tips, travel ideas, crafts, gift ideas, and so much more!
Today I want to introduce you to Becky from Bite of Delight.
We all have a certain type of food blog that we’re attracted to, right?? My favorite ones are the ones filled with recipes that are simple, family-friendly, not too frilly, and of course, delicious. Becky’s blog, Bite of Delight, fits the bill EXACTLY. I’m so happy to have her contributing, so she can share some of her talent with you! Stop by her blog and you’ll be pinning like crazy… especially if you look at her Favorite Recipes tab. I want to try them all!
My name is Becky and I’m so excited to be a part of the Or So She Says team!
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I’m a Utah girl married to my best guy and together we have four little buddies. I love to cook and keep track of my kitchen adventures on my blog Bite of Delight. I spend more time in my kitchen than anywhere else in my house, and you can usually find me elbow-deep in my latest project! I love to bake, but I usually prefer a savory snack over a treat. Bread is my weakness, especially when it is hot out of the oven with homemade freezer jam. I also love to read, crochet, run half marathons, braid hair, go on dates with my husband, hang out with my family, and go out with friends.
If you’re gluten-free, rejoice! These cookies are flourless, so you don’t have to worry about substituting anything. Just stir together a few ingredients, and bake!
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My #1 most pinned post from 2014: This is not just my most pinned post from 2014, but my most popular post ever.
This One Pot Pasta is inexpensive, easy, fast, healthy & delicious. All the things I love in a meal! You can have it ready to go in about 20 minutes, start to finish. Win!!
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My #1 favorite book: This is a hard one for me because I LOVE to read. I have a favorite list for every genre I read, so choosing a favorite book is like choosing my favorite child…I can’t, they’re all my favorite!
Looking at this list, apparently I have a deep love for World War II stories! They are some of the most touching, emotional stories of bravery, hope and perseverance.
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My #1 beauty product:Coconut Oil! I use coconut oil in place of lotion, and just started using it to deep condition my hair. My hair is naturally wavy, and hard to tame! Coconut oil makes it feel healthier and smoother and I have fewer flyaways…plus my waves are curlier and more uniform. Hallelujah!
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My #1 favorite healthy recipe:Chipotle Copycat Guacamole! This is usually gone in 5 minutes every time I make it. It’s delicious and loaded with good stuff!
Place peeled and pitted avocados in a medium bowl.
Using a potato masher or fork, mash the avocados and lemon and lime juice. Leave it chunky.
Add in all remaining ingredients and combine thoroughly, careful to keep the chunky consistency. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips. Get some before it disappears!
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My #1 movie:Pride & Prejudice is my favorite movie! I’m a sucker for a happy ending, and this one gets me every time! (I love all the versions of this, but my absolute favorite is the loooong A&E version) After reading Pride & Prejudice in high school at my mom’s recommendation, Jane Austen is one of my heroes!
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My #1 family vacation: Our very favorite place to go as a family is Huntington Beach, CA. We can’t get enough of the sand, sun, water, pool, beach bike rides and food! We love to watch the surfing competitions, shop at the weekly Main St. street fair (the mini farmer’s market is to die for), and visit the amazing library (with the best children’s area we’ve ever seen, and the best used book sale that sucks me in every time). And oddly enough, the Dairy Queen there has the best Butterfinger-Snickers Blizzard anywhere. We always get one when we’re there! And no trip feels complete without a visit to Houston’s for the amazing Thai Steak & Noodle Salad. Can you tell we love food?! We also get a chuckle out of the inevitable stares from people (that literally stop what they’re doing and just stare) at the family with four little kids. Apparently two kids constitutes a big family in HB!
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My #1 place to spend money: I’d have to say Target, specifically the clearance and Dollar Spot sections! I love a good deal, so I always check the clearance items first. I love to shop a season/size ahead for my kids this way. Also, I think they should rename it the Thirty Dollar Spot, since it seems like you can’t get away from it without loading up on something!
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My #1 personal mantra: “In all of living, have much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured.” Sometimes I forget that we’re supposed to have fun too, and I love this quote that reminds me to lighten up!
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My #1 goal for the new year: I’ve thought about this a lot since the end of December, and I’ve decided on one word. TIME. I want to be more purposeful with my time. It’s so easy to waste time on distractions and unimportant things, or even spend too much time on important things. I want to spend more time on the things I love, like my children, projects for my home, and hobbies. We all have the same amount of time every day, and I want to give it more meaning in my life and to my family. I want to use it and utilize it, and not wonder where all my time went by the end of the day. This can be challenging with kids when so much of the day is filled with things that you can’t check off a list (like changing diapers and cleaning up lunch and doing puzzles), but I have a lot of room for improvement, so this is my year!
So fun to read about you! I love that you get lots of stares with 4 kids. 🙂 People think we’re a traveling circus when my family walks by with 6 kids! It’s pretty funny. All of your recipes sound amazing, I had to pin them all!
Thanks Mariel! My favorite story about big families is when my MIL’s friend was living in Chicago back in the 80’s, and she took five of her kids grocery shopping. A man stopped her and asked, “Are these ALL your children??” She smiled and said, “Oh, no. The other three are at home.” He must have died. I laugh every time! You have my TOTAL respect, because I think 4 is tricky enough!!
Great to meet you Becky! I’ve only ever been to Huntington beach once (I live in the UK, but have family in the LA area) and it was gorgeous!
I’m loving the tip on your blog for slicing sweet rolls with dental floss. I either use a knife and end up with squashed rolls, or cut the dough into strips before I roll it, and end up with wonky rolls. I’ll try it your way next!
Hi Nicky! I hope you like the dental floss trick! Not sure where I even learned it, but it’s a game changer! They turn out perfect every time.
Visiting the UK is on my bucket list, so I hope to make it out your way some day! (My husband did a London study abroad, and my mom lived in Scotland for a while, so I’ve always wanted to go!)
Hi Becky! I enjoyed reading your #! post! P&P is my favorite movie too! Susan
Hi Susan, thanks for reading! I just realized haven’t seen P&P this year…so I know what I’m doing tonight! 🙂
I love your book selections. I’m glad I’m not the only one out there who reads not only “grown-up” books, but YA literature as well.
I’m a sucker for a good YA book…fun, quick, low commitment. 🙂
So fun to read about you! I love that you get lots of stares with 4 kids. 🙂 People think we’re a traveling circus when my family walks by with 6 kids! It’s pretty funny. All of your recipes sound amazing, I had to pin them all!
Thanks Mariel! My favorite story about big families is when my MIL’s friend was living in Chicago back in the 80’s, and she took five of her kids grocery shopping. A man stopped her and asked, “Are these ALL your children??” She smiled and said, “Oh, no. The other three are at home.” He must have died. I laugh every time! You have my TOTAL respect, because I think 4 is tricky enough!!
Great to meet you Becky! I’ve only ever been to Huntington beach once (I live in the UK, but have family in the LA area) and it was gorgeous!
I’m loving the tip on your blog for slicing sweet rolls with dental floss. I either use a knife and end up with squashed rolls, or cut the dough into strips before I roll it, and end up with wonky rolls. I’ll try it your way next!
Hi Nicky! I hope you like the dental floss trick! Not sure where I even learned it, but it’s a game changer! They turn out perfect every time.
Visiting the UK is on my bucket list, so I hope to make it out your way some day! (My husband did a London study abroad, and my mom lived in Scotland for a while, so I’ve always wanted to go!)