Life at a "Swell's" pace

Here in the Willamette Valley we have the best kept secret around......or so I thought. I have recently learned that there is Papa Murphy's moving into the southern part of the US now. I am actually pretty happy about that due to how addicting their pizza is.

Papa Murphy's is one of the best tasting pizzas due to their fresh ingredients and being able to take home the pizza and bake it in your own oven. We get pizza almost every Friday nights and this past Friday we did our normal routine and were introduced to a "kid-sized" pizza called a Mini Murph.

The Mini Murph is a small, single-sized pizza, just like the large, but in a petite size that is suited for kids. They get all the toppings, sauces, and even a small Papa Murphy's tattoo.

Of course, after seeing this, we just had to get it. They are priced at $5 each and after we gave it a shot, these little pizzas would be so fun for kid's parties or play dates.

We started by unwrapping the dough and pressing it into the bottom of the baking dish that was provided with the kit.

Then covered it in the pizza sauce.

Added cheese......

Added pepperonis......

Topped it with the remaining cheese......

Ate a few pieces.....

Wrapped it up as if it was coming from Papa Murphy's while the oven heated up.

Baked it.....

Then ate it! And applied the pizza chef tattoo.

Eco-Tip: If you drive a good distance to and from work, school, or town look into carpooling with others that are headed in the same direction. Carpooling can help cut down on the carbon emissions given off by multiple cars on the road. For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.

I am a bit tardy on this post, but St. Patrick's Day is one of those holidays that comes almost without warning anyway, so forgive me on the delay.

We have never been ones to have a party on this day, but we have gotten more and more into the holiday over the years. We cook St. Patrick's Day themed foods throughout the day, and even indulge in some of the traditions toward the evening. And the crafting part of the holiday is always my favorite. Here is a glimpse into what we did for St. Patrick's Day this year.

Of course you have to have a "Kiss me I'm Irish" sign some where in your home on St. Patrick's Day!

We let Skylar cover the front living room window with colored cellophane squares for the entire day. If you haven't done this craft with your kids, you should really try it. All it entails is dish soap, water, and cut cellophane. That's it! Afterward your window is super shiny and clean too! You can find the detailed project instructions HERE!

After one side was covered we decided to keep going and cover the entire window.

It was so fun and colorful.

We still have it up and will leave it up for the whole week of spring break.

I cooked Corn-Beef Hash, Sauerkraut and Sausage, and Irish Potato Soup, as well as green Lemonade (lemonade with green food coloring in it; FYI: I use India Tree Natural Colors), that we munched on and drank throughout the day.

Eco-Tip: When it comes to drinking milk, the human race is the only animal on the planet that still drinks milk after being weaned from the mother. But if you are among the many that still drink milk on a regular basis make sure you choose milk that is hormone and steroid-free. Look for milk brands that are organic and have backing when it comes to all natural and free of unnecessary additives in it. For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.