Midwest Family Food and Fun

The 2018 Cleveland Autism Speaks Chef Gala Is Coming to Town

2018-07-19T13:24:00.000-04:00

Photo Courtesy of Northeast Ohio Autism Speaks

As many of you know our family, as with so many other families, has been touched by Autism. My youngest child, Joel, is on the Spectrum. I told you a little bit about his story in April in my post Why I Light It Up Blue Today. We try to turn is struggles into triumphs everyday. We have been lucky to find great medical professionals, friends, family and community to support us with these steps along the way. We are always looking for ways to spread awareness and support the community that has supported us. That is why I am so happy to be spreading the word about the Cleveland Autism Speaks Chef Gala taking place on Saturday, July 28, 2018 at The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Exploring Lorain County's Here's the Scoop Ice Cream Trail

2018-07-16T12:35:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't like ice cream? It's what summer dreams are made of. Right?!? Ice cream is one of our family's favorite treats all year round. So when we heard about Visit Lorain County's Here's the Scoop Ice Cream Trail, we couldn't start it fast enough!

Four Reasons We Are Excited to Be Returning to Fort Wayne

2018-07-12T12:31:00.000-04:00

Last summer, we were so honored to be invited by Visit Fort Wayne to come spend the day with them during their Family FAM trip. It was such a neat experience that we had to tell everyone about our Family Fun in Fort Wayne! So when Visit Fort Wayne asked us if we wanted to come back again this summer for two nights, we couldn't say "YES" fast enough! We will be packing up for the family fun filled road trip next week and we hope you follow along with us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Until then, we thought we would tell you our top four reasons we are excited to be returning to Fort Wayne and how you can win your very own Summer Getaway to Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Simple Pineapple Salsa

2018-07-01T16:03:00.000-04:00

I love entertaining and I love cooking. But sometimes combining the two is more stressful than it is enjoyable. That's why I am always on the lookout for recipes that are quick, easy and pack a powerful punch of flavor. My simple pineapple salsa recipe does all that. Plus, it is pretty good looking if I do say so myself!

Magical Moments Made with Memory Maker at Walt Disney World

2018-06-28T13:34:00.000-04:00

We always have the most amazing time visiting Walt Disney World. From the spectacularly themed attractions to the tasty treats (did someone say Dole Whip), we love it all!! This time we took advantage of one of the Disney PhotoPass Services, Memory Maker, to make sure we captured all of our most memorable moments.

Top Three Reasons To Visit Walt Disney World In May

2018-04-05T09:46:00.000-04:00

Top Three Reasons To Visit Walt Disney World In May

We are going to Walt Disney World. Yay! There has been a lot of behind the scenes planning going on around here. As you can probably imagine we are extremely excited! We love everything Disney. One look at our social media feed and the secret is out! We have been pretty loyal to Disney Cruise Line for the last few years, so we thought it was time to take another trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth. And since we love to share, we thought we would give you our top three reasons we are choosing to travel to Walt Disney World in May (other than my birthday and Mother's Day).
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Why I Light It Up Blue Today

2018-04-02T11:12:00.000-04:00

Why I Light It Up Blue Today

We all think that we have the most perfect children. I am no exception. My two boys are wonderful, sweet, caring, loving, rambunctious, energetic balls of excitements. In some ways they are so similar, but in others they are worlds apart. You see my youngest baby is on the Spectrum. We are not alone. Autism now affects 1 in 68 children and 1 in 42 boys. Autism prevalence figures are growing. So if your family is not personally touched by Autism, I am almost certain a close friend is. April 2, 2018 is World Autism Awareness Day. Joined by the international community, hundreds of thousands of landmarks, buildings, homes and communities around the world, light up blue in recognition of people living with autism. Even more wear blue in support!

Whipped Topping Dyed Eggs

2018-03-30T00:34:00.001-04:00

Whipped Topping Dyed Eggs

Are you looking for a fun way to get the kids in the kitchen and dye some eggs this Easter? Whipped Topping Dyed Eggs are a great kid friendly activity. They are quick and easy. But I'm not going to lie, things could get a little messy!

Four Reasons You Should See Sherlock Gnomes

2018-03-27T11:42:00.000-04:00

Sherlock Gnomes

If you follow us on social media you would have seen that we had a lot of fun last Saturday morning! We were lucky enough to be invited to a screening of Sherlock Gnomes by our friends the Ed Huck Team. It was such a cute movie that we wanted to give you four reasons to head to the theater and see it yourself! Rest assured this is a brief review with no spoilers and I can assure you no gnomes were smashed in its creation.
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Why I Became an NYR Organic Independent Consultant

2018-03-06T14:48:00.000-05:00

I try to live the most organic lifestyle that I can. I believe in knowing where the food and products I eat and use come from. So when I came across NYR Organic, I was more than intrigued. Their philosophy is simple, “transforming people’s lives, educating and empowering them on how to live more healthy through the power of nature.” What more can you ask for in a company?

Family Fun At Spangler Candy!

2017-08-31T18:38:00.000-04:00

Have you ever heard of Spangler Candy? Well you might not know the name, but if I was a betting person I'd say you've had their candy! Headquartered in Bryan, Ohio, Spangler is the manufacturer of Dum Dums®, Saf-T-Pops, Circus Peanuts and Spangler Candy Canes. In fact they are the only candy cane manufacturer that still manufactures their candy canes in the United States!

Why I'm Entering The Disney Parks Moms Panel Search 2018 And You Should Too

2017-08-23T20:12:00.000-04:00

Photo courtesy of the Disney Parks Blog @Disney

How I discovered the Disney Parks Moms Panel

Disney is in my blood and it has been from a very early age. I love everything about Disney and strive to learn as much as possible about the Walt Disney Parks and Cruise Line, movies, products etc. I can remember when I was planning our first trip to Walt Disney World as a family. I already knew a lot about the parks because I had traveled there several times as a child and as an adult without children. This however was my first trip with kids and I wanted to know it all so I didn't miss anything! This is when I stumbled upon the Disney Parks Moms Panel and fell in love all over again!

Celebrate National NonProfit Day By Voting For Kids In Flight

2017-08-17T14:11:00.000-04:00

August 17th in National NonProfit Day. Here is a quick and easy way to celebrate and help out a great cause! Have you heard of Kids in Flight? Kids in Flight was founded in 2003 and is a non-profit organization that uses aviation related activities and airplane rides to give children with serious illnesses or disabilities an opportunity to escape by soaring above their crises, complications and struggles. The organization serves children and families that mostly reside in the Cleveland and Akron areas or are served by a local hospital.

Kids in Flight is a finalist for a $25,000 grant from State Farm Insurance Neighborhood Assist. They are one of 200 finalist. 40 finalist will be awarded the grant in September. This grant amount covers the entire annual budget for Kids in Flight's Wings of Wonder (WOW) event, which is their pinnacle event of the year. For 10 years now, WOW has provided 750 children with terminal illnesses and their families the unique experience of flying in a private plane over the city of Cleveland. The funds are used to provide food, entertainment, and insurance on the event as the volunteer pilots fly the families at no charge in their private planes with the child co-piloting the flight.

This is where you come in! In order to win one of the grants, public votes in support of Kids in Flight will be counted by the State Farm Neighborhood Assist voting link. 10 daily votes from a legitimate e-mail address may be cast each day for the 10 days the voting is open from August 16th through August 25th. Click here to vote! It's that simple! A couple of clicks can mean so much to a seriously ill child and their family! So please take the time to vote and share this with others so they can also help Kids in Flight!

Would you like more family fun activities, travel ideas, projects, recipes and more? Check out and follow Midwest Family Food and Fun on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and Bloglovin'!

Ice Cream Rolls Come to Town At Sweet Freeze

2017-08-16T20:10:00.000-04:00

I was so excited to learn that ice cream rolls and liquid nitrogen ice cream were coming to my little neck of the woods in North Olmsted, Ohio! Sweet Freeze opened on Saturday, August 12th at Great Northern Mall and from this point forward I will never look at ice cream the same way again! It is the smoothest and creamiest ice cream I have ever tasted!!
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Family Fun in Fort Wayne

2017-08-10T19:53:00.000-04:00

We were so honored and excited when we were invited by Visit Fort Wayne to come spend the day with them. We knew it was going to be a blast! What we didn't realize is how much there really is to see and do in Fort Wayne, Indiana. If you follow us on social media, you've gotten a sneak peek of all the action. It really is a perfect family fun and friendly town.

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Mexican Hot Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

2017-08-01T10:04:00.001-04:00

It is the peak of summer in the Midwest and if you are a gardener that means zucchini season. It is around this time every year I begin my search for recipes to use up the abundance of the bounty of zucchini my garden provides. My oldest son loves chocolate in any way shape or form. My youngest likes things spicy. So this recipe for Mexican Hot Chocolate Zucchini Muffins combines the best of both worlds!
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San Francisco in the Summertime

2017-07-29T10:40:00.000-04:00

If you follow us on social media, you know that last weekend we had a fun filled holiday in San Francisco. We lit up Instagram with our adventure. Four days and 20 miles by foot later (yes we walked 20 miles over the weekend), we are back. And after a brief moment to recuperate and soak my aching feet, I am ready to tell the tale.
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We Love Disney Cruise Line!

2017-07-17T15:35:00.001-04:00

We love all things Disney. It's in our blood. I remember how special my first trip to Walt Disney World was as a child. Stepping into Magic Kingdom and seeing Cinderella Castle for the first time was indeed a magical and life changing experience. Having such great memories, I started indoctrinating my children to Disney early on in life. Well in truth, they were probably still in the womb. From the rides to the resorts and everything in between, it's the best. In fact, I didn't think I could find anything better than a trip to Walt Disney World. Then we were introduced to Disney Cruise Line and took our first cruise in 2012. Now we're hooked on the best vacations ever on Disney Cruise Line!

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The Akron Zoo Has Become Sensory Inclusive!

2017-07-12T22:00:00.000-04:00

*Photo from courtesy of the Akron Zoo*

Our family has always loved the Akron Zoo. We have appreciate how they are so family friendly and customer focused. They have now added another wonderful feature that will allow even more people to enjoy the zoo!! The Akron Zoo is now sensory inclusive. In fact they are now the first zoo in Ohio and the second zoo in the country to be sensory inclusive.Yeah!!!
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New Look, Same Great Blog!

2016-02-22T20:38:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our new look! If you have visited our site in the last couple of weeks you may have noticed some changes going on. We've been updating the look and feel of the site to make it easier to read and more fun to visit! We hope you like the changes. Feel free to comment and tell us what you think!

The site isn't the only thing that has been moving and shaking! If you follow us on social media you've seen that we been a busy crew. We've been in the kitchen cooking up a storm. We have created some great DIY projects. Our family has been out and about and sporting along. And yes, we even traveled to the Caribbean with a very famous mouse! Stay tuned for all the details. You know we love to share and can't keep a secret for long!

So as usual we invite you to visit often. We hope to keep the love flowing. Don't forget to subscribe to our emails to stay up to date with all Midwest Family Food and Fun is up to!

Pumpkin Pecan Praline Dip

2015-11-25T17:33:00.002-05:00

I love the taste of Fall. One of my favorites is pumpkin. Pair that with pecans and I'm in heaven. Below is my recipe for Pumpkin Pecan Praline Dip. It is not too sweet with the addition of Greek yogurt, but it’s full of of fall spice! It is super easy to make and great to take to a gathering of family and friends. They will love it! For some other creative ways to use Greek yogurt, be sure to check out some of Chobani’s great holiday recipes!
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Try Neutrogena® Naturals Purifying Makeup Removing Cleansing Wipes for a Great Cause!

2015-05-14T12:22:00.000-04:00

I recently joined Influenster and I have been loving it! What is Influenster you ask? As it states on their website, "Influenster is a community of trendsetters, social media hotshots, and educated consumers who live to give opinions of products and experiences." Join them, attach your social media accounts, answer surveys and question and wait to qualify to try some fabulous new products for free, Then all that you have to do is tell all your friends about them.

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Wishes in Flight: Help Make-A-Wish by Donating Air Miles Today!!

2015-04-14T12:07:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I asked for you help for Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana to vote for them for the “Tip the Hat Award" from the Lids Foundation.Your votes helped them win the grand prize and the $125,000 grant. Yeah!! This will help there efforts so much, but there is still more work to be done and more ways to help this wonderful organization!

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Inspiralize the Spring with Tuttorosso

2015-04-02T11:17:00.000-04:00

Tuttoroso has teamed up with Ali Maffucci at Inspiralized for a great Spring Promotion on Facebook, Inspiralize the Spring. Based in the Midwest,Tuttoroso is proudly grown by Red Gold, which is a third generation family-owned and family-run company. Here at Midwest Family Food and Fun we love the fact that the tomatoes are carefully grown in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, where the climate and soil are perfect for tomatoes!

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Oh comes HOME!

2015-03-23T20:27:00.000-04:00

Thanks to gofobo and Regal Theatres we got a sneak peek of the movie HOME. Such a cute movie. HOME is a DreamWorks Animation, 20th Century Fox production. With a cast full of stars including Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin ans Jennifer Lopez how can you go wrong.
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