Heart & Home

Back to School Snacks and Hacks with Colleen Burns (sponsored)

Here we are again—it’s back-to-school season already! I like to keep things fresh with recipe tips and hacks to make this busy transition season easier, so I’ve been stocking my pantry with everything needed to make quick and easy meals for simple weekday lunches and dinner. I’ve always loved using Lee Kum Kee Sriracha Mayo for adding some extra flavor to whatever I’m making. I used it to spice up classic chicken salad, a deliciously simple recipe for school lunches, and now the Sriracha Mayo is made with cage-free eggs—I love that! Lee Kum Kee also has a full line of Panda Brand Ready Sauces to help you make restaurant-quality Asian food at home in just minutes. For this orange chicken recipe, I just diced up chicken, peppers and onion and added Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Sauce for Orange Chicken. It’s super simple to prepare and this quick dinner is perfect for when things are hectic. And when aren’t they? You can find Lee Kum Kee products in the Asian aisle at your local grocer. Click here to learn more.

Did you get onboard the baked feta pasta tik tok trend during the pandemic? I did! But you know what? I realized what an easy swap Feta is for every cheese! It’s lower in calories and fat than most cheeses and higher in calcium. Plus it has that great tangy, salty flavor. Athenos is the number one Feta brand, and that’s my go to. These cute feta and fruit skewers are great for lunch boxes or a snack, and these turkey burgers with crumbled feta are an easy and healthier dinner. Click here to learn more.

Our kids usually have vision and hearing screenings at school, but that’s not the same as comprehensive exams. For instance, school vision screenings can miss issues such as focusing problems and farsightedness, and we know that proper vision is so important for a kid’s success in and out of the classroom. So just like with regular dental visits, you should take advantage of your health insurance plan to check your child’s eye health regularly. UnitedHealthcare Vision covers comprehensive eye exams plus offers discounts for screen protectors and laptops that can help protect eyes from excessive blue light exposure. It is recommended that kids should have comprehensive eye exams at least every two years. Click here to learn more.

And what parent doesn’t want peace of mind? Installing indoor cameras has really decreased my stress level. And when I say install I really mean just plugging in this super user friendly indoor Cam P24 from Eufy. It records human and pet motion and no monthly subscription is required. Honestly the AI in this camera is amazing, following up to 360 degrees to capture motion and alerting you to things like crying babies. I can talk back in real time from my phone, so I can ask my kids about their day when they get home from school. Love this! Click here to learn more.