Wordless Wednesday-Tea For Two

Making Tuesday Tasty-Game Day Muffaletta

Here is a take on a classic Muffaletta, all ready to make up for a great game day eat!  Enjoy

• 2 boule or Italian round loaves, about 9 inches, sesame seeds on top preferred
• 1 pound thinly sliced aged provolone cheese
• 1 pound thinly sliced mortadella
• 1 pound thinly sliced genoa salami
• 1 pound thinly sliced hot capicola
• Olive Salad, recipe follows

Directions

Cut the loaves in half horizontally. Drizzle some of the olive salad liquid on the bottom halves. Dividing everything by two, layer the cheese, mortadella, genoa, capicola and then the Olive Salad on top. Cover with the top halves, and then cut into pie-shaped wedges and serve to the masses.

Olive Salad:

• 1 cup oil-packed black olives, pitted
• 1 cup green olives, pitted
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, drained
• 1/4 cup capers, drained
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Add the black olives, green olives, olive oil, roasted red peppers, capers, vinegar, crushed red pepper and sugar to a food processor and pulse until uniform but still coarse, about 10 times. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

*recipe from foodnetwork.com*

Mama Share Mondays-Picky Eaters

We've all been there. A child that may have eaten well and then started to strike. A child that has never wanted to try new things, etc.  Here's a few of my tips I've learned along the way. Please, share your own tips in the comment section!

• Give your child a variety of things starting young. They will develop a taste for these things as time goes on.
• Have your child eat what you're eating.  If they can't stomach it, don't force them.  Just keep having them eat socially with you and the things that you and your family eat.
• Do not give your child snacks after they have refused a meal.  This only adds to the pickiness.  A child should have at least some of each thing on their plate, and be encouraged to taste all of it.
• If a child only wants to snack, do not let them.  A really bad habit forms and a child loses their appetite for their meal.
• Put veggie purees in some foods if necessary and if you can, juice green juices for your kids. Sweeten it up with a piece of fruit like apple or pear.
• As often as possible, give your child clean proteins, whole grains, and fruits/veggies.  They will acquire a taste for them and think nothing of them eating them.  It is both nutritious and helps their palates adapt to variety.

Costumesupercenter.com Review

How many little girls between the ages of three and ten love dressing up?  I'd say a whole LOT!  There are costumes, and dress up outfits specifically geared for little girls.  My daughter, nine times out of ten will go for the princess costume!  She's just at that age, what can I say?

Costumesupercenter.com gave my daughter a chance to check out some of the princess costumes on their site. We were able to pick one and see how it looked in person.  We chose the Girls Red Heart Princess and were excited to see it in the mail.  The costume comes with a head piece, a scepter, and of course the dress.  I was expecting something a little thicker but, this particular dress was very much like your average costume as opposed to a little sturdier outfit that you would purchase for "dress up".

She love it of course with the bold coloring and red hearts.  She loves the scepters that come with the costumes and walks around flitting it in the air.  I love that for a very reasonable price, you can purchase year round outfits for your little ones to dress up in.  There's tons of costumes and accessories on this site and many are extremely affordable.  I definitely want to pick up some for my son so that he can play dress up right along with his sister, very soon!

To get the latest on all that costumesupercenter.com has to offer, check out their Facebook.

*thanks to costumesupercenter.com for providing us with a costume for review*

Wordless Wednesday-Big Eyes

Making Tuesday Tasty-Corned Beef

My mom used to make this once or twice a year. Usually when it was early in the spring since it's usually on sale for St. Patrick's day.

This Alton Brown recipe has gotten rave reviews. Check it out

Ingredients

• 2 quarts water
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons saltpeter
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken into several pieces
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 8 whole cloves
• 8 whole allspice berries
• 12 whole juniper berries
• 2 bay leaves, crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 pounds ice
• 1 (4 to 5 pound) beef brisket, trimmed
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

Directions

Place the water into a large 6 to 8 quart stockpot along with salt, sugar, saltpeter, cinnamon stick,mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, bay leaves and ginger. Cook over high heat until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the ice. Stir until the ice has melted. If necessary, place the brine into the refrigerator until it reaches a temperature of 45 degrees F. Once it has cooled, place the brisket in a 2-gallon zip top bag and add the brine. Seal and lay flat inside a container, cover and place in the refrigerator for 10 days. Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and stir the brine.

After 10 days, remove from the brine and rinse well under cool water. Place the brisket into a pot just large enough to hold the meat, add the onion, carrot and celery and cover with water by 1-inch. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and gently simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender. Remove from the pot and thinly slice across the grain.

Mama Share Monday-Sleeping Issues

Ahh here is one dear to my heart. My daughter was easily "sleep trained" and my son, well he is almost a year old and still not sleeping through the night completely. Below are some ideas on helping you get your little one to sleep.

• Put your baby down in a quiet, dark place when you can.  The dark helps their eyes to adjust and allows them to start feeling sleepy.
• If you can, put your baby down awake as often as possible. Your baby will start training themselves to go to sleep on their own.
• Start a routine as soon as you can. Do the same things each night that trigger your baby that it's time to go to sleep.
• Warm water makes babies relaxed and can help them go to sleep easier. If you're having trouble with this, try giving them a bath before bedtime.
• Give your baby/child something to help them soothe.  Whether it's a pacifier, a lovey, or a blanket it doesn't matter.  Often children need something of comfort if they aren't co-sleeping.
• Co-sleep. I know, I know, there's plenty of parents that would freak out if they read this!  Co-sleeping, if done safely, has been well known to help a baby through their first year of life. I have co-slept while nursing my babies from time to time and they don't still sleep with me(my son is ten months old).
• Read stories, give cuddles, say prayers, or do whatever it is you do to spend quality time with your child.
• Be consistent as much as possible! Changing up sleeping arrangements can be disturbing for a child. It can make it hard on them at bedtime.

Please share all your ideas in the comment section below. Thanks for coming by!