Ramblings Of A Wannabe Writer

Wordless Wednesday-Tea For Two

2012-01-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

Making Tuesday Tasty-Game Day Muffaletta

2012-01-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

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

2012-01-23T20:46:00.001-07:00

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

2012-01-18T23:33:00.001-07:00

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

2012-01-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Making Tuesday Tasty-Corned Beef

2012-01-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

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

2012-01-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

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!

Wordless Wednesday-Swinging

2012-01-11T03:00:00.000-07:00

Making Tuesday Tasty-Low-Fat Scalloped Potatoes

2012-01-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a lower in fat recipe for scalloped potatoes. It makes a great side and Gruyere adds such a lovely flavor to the potatoes, it's definitely a treat! Enjoy

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
Kosher salt
3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup low-fat milk (1%), at room temperature
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup grated gruyere cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 3-quart baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the potatoes and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return to the pot.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon to make a paste. Cook, stirring, until the paste puffs slightly, about 1 minute. Graduallywhisk in both milks and simmer, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the nutmeg. Pour the sauce over the potatoes and gently toss to coat.

Transfer the potato mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the gruyere. Bake until heated through, about 10 minutes. Switch the oven to the broiler setting and broil the potatoes until browned on top, about 5 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

*recipe courtesy of foodnetwork.com*

Mama Share Mondays-Birthday Parties

2012-01-09T19:49:00.000-07:00

I will be the first to say that I don't spend a lot on my kids Birthday parties. Besides the fact that I am notoriously under funds, I don't think it needs to be like a wedding each Birthday they have. I also am the kind of person that loves having family over and making it low key. My daughter just turned 5 and I am planning on doing a little something for her day at a Tea House but, that's pretty low key and affordable. There are some really cute ideas for party planning though, so please share your creative ideas with me in the comment section.

Birthday/Party Ideas

-Make your child a special cake or dessert that they really like. Make it special by decorating with candies, sprinkles, or colored frosting. You can even make a "tradition" and give them the same dessert every year. So far this is working for me by making Sprinkle's recipe strawberry cupcakes.

-Create adorable invitations using a theme of your choosing. The craft stores sell all kinds of embossing, stamps, stickers, colored stock paper, and embellishments.

-For older kids create a fun treasure hunt and hide a present or a little treat.

-Tea parties are really fun for little girls and very girly.

-Make a special meal like a breakfast or their favorite food for dinner.

Please leave your ideas in the comment section below!

Wordless Wednesday-Baby's First Christmas

2011-12-28T03:30:00.000-07:00

Making Tuesday Tasty-Brie En Croute

2011-12-27T22:27:00.002-07:00

Here is a simple but, tasty way to serve up a party appetizer for guests. In a few short days will be New Years parties galore! Enjoy.

Ingredients

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, pre-packaged
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup walnuts
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (8-ounce) wheel Brie
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
Crackers, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Defrost puff pastry for approximately 15 to 20 minutes and unfold.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the walnuts in the butter until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon and stir until walnuts are coated well. Place the walnut mixture on top of the Brie and sprinkle the brown sugar over the mixture. Lay the puff pastry out on a flat surface. Place the brie in the center of the pastry. Gather up the edges of the pastry, pressing around the brie and gather at the top. Gently squeeze together the excess dough and tie together with a piece of kitchen twine. Brush the beaten egg over top and side of Brie. Place Brie on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes until pastry is golden brown.

Serve with crackers.

*recipe courtesy of Food Network*

Mama Share Mondays-Potty Training

2011-12-26T22:18:00.000-07:00

These tidbits I want to share today are from my experience only, which means that there are plenty of ways to teach your children. Please share your own personal experiences and if you are getting ready to teach your children, then by all means glean from these experiences.

Naked training was a great tool I used with my own daughter. She didn't really catch on to the sensations of urinating and pooing until she was nude.
If you don't naked train, use regular training underwear or underwear. Pull ups are essentially a glorified diaper and most children don't see a change in feel and use them as a potty.
LOTS of praise. When I say lots, I mean it! Especially little ones, they love knowing that they can get you excited and like to "perform".
Teach them young. If you see that they are showing any signs. Try to ease them in. Children are less emotionally resistant when they are little, whereas after 3 they can speak their mind and refuse to do what you ask.
Incentive-I went to the dollar store and bought tons of stickers for my daughter. That was a great way to give her something special without doling out candy all day. You can pick something that you think will motivate you little one.
Ask them to go potty frequently. Every ten minutes to twenty minutes for sure. Watch them for cues that they need to go.
Be CONSISTENT. If you do this half-hearted, don't expect your child to be Gun ho about it and just do it. You need to follow through until he/she knows how to go potty.
Try to put your child on the toilet without the pressure of training at first. Some children fear the potty and so they don't want to get on it. I put mine on the potty many times as a game at first. I showed her that I went on it and put her on it to get a feel of what it was like. I let her get down when she wanted.
Practice makes perfect!
Don't be lazy. By that I mean, once they have it down at home, try to go somewhere close to home without a diaper on. Bring extra underwear and clothing just in case. Let your child get used to knowing they need to use the potty.
Lastly, HAVE FUN!

Merry Christmas And Happy Holidays!

2011-12-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Praying for peace and good health for the new year.

Wordless Wednesday-Crazy Lashes

2011-12-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

Making Tuesday Tasty-Super Easy Microwave Fudge

2011-12-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

My grandma gave me this recipe a few years ago. I just made some this year with a couple of different flavors and it's so easy and delish! I have also replaced the two cups of marshmallows with a 7 oz tub of marshmallow cream. Both are equally good.

Ingredients

1 stick of butter
2/3 C evaporated milk
2 C sugar
2 C mini marshmallows
1 tsp Vanilla
1 12 oz package of chocolate chips(or any flavor of chip you like)

In a large glass bowl melt the stick of butter in the microwave. (usually around a min or so). Add sugar and evaporated milk and mix well. Put in microwave on high for three minutes, take out and stir. Put back in microwave and cook on high for two minutes, then remove and stir. Put back in microwave for the last three minutes, stir thoroughly and add vanilla, marshmallows, and chips. Stir thoroughly allowing the chocolate and marshmallows to melt in the mixture. Once a creamy, thick consistency, pour into a cake pan and allow to cool. Cut into small squares and serve.

Mama Share Monday-Christmas Tradition Ideas

2011-12-19T16:59:00.001-07:00

When I got married I decided that I wanted to make a few new traditions for my own. I had no children of my own but, I got a step son in the deal and thought it would be nice for him and my own children to have a memory of each year. Below are some ideas on how to make a tradition for your own family.

Make a special Christmas card each year with the children's photos and add yourself if you want. They can see the progression of the family each year. Put it in a special album for the children to enjoy when they're older.
Sing Christmas carols together each year in a retirement home, or children's hospital.
Make a special cookie recipe together each Christmas.
Go look at Christmas lights together and play Christmas music on the radio.
Do a special handmade gift exchange for any of your family that wants to participate.

There are of course many different things that you can do to create a new holiday tradition for you and your family. It's so much fun to do together and your children will remember those with fond memories.

What traditions do you and your family have around the holidays? Please share in the comment section :)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-14T17:13:00.000-07:00

Making Tuesday Tasty-Peppermint Bark

2011-12-13T17:09:00.000-07:00

My husband and I love peppermint bark. I never realized just how easy it was. Here is a Paula Deen peppermint bark recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Crushed candy canes, to yield 1 cup
2 pounds white chocolate
Peppermint flavorings, optional

Directions

Place candy canes in a plastic bag and hammer into 1/4-inch chunks or smaller. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Combine candy cane chunks with chocolate (add peppermint flavoring at this point if desired.) Pour mixture onto a cookie sheet layered with parchment or waxed paper and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or until firm. Remove from cookie sheet and break into pieces (like peanut brittle.)

Mama Share Monday-Breast Feeding

2011-12-12T16:35:00.000-07:00

This mama share Monday is going to be just a few basic tips about Breast feeding for anyone who has ever wanted to do it or anyone that is preparing to do it.

Although it's natural, it's not as easy as it looks. It definitely takes a break in period where you and your baby literally "camp out" and learn to work together as a team! Practice definitely makes perfect for most moms and babies.
Buy a sports bra type of nursing bra while pregnant and get measured once the baby is born and your milk has come in. Your breasts change in size greatly and you will want a comfortable bra that fits you correctly. Trust me on this!
Get as much support as you can in the beginning. It can be very difficult for some mamas and if they don't have spousal support, family support, or friends, it can get frustrating and even make you want to quit.
Make sure you are sure about your desire to breast feed. Some Moms choose to breast feed for reasons other than wanting to give their baby the best start possible. They don't realize that it can actually get difficult for a bit and want to quit easily. Learn as much as you can about breast feeding and breast milks benefits. I was sold on the idea well before I got pregnant and so when I did have my hiccups in nursing my kids, I just worked through them.

What is your advice for starting a nursing relationship with your baby? Let me know in the comment section!

Wordless Wednesday-Baby cousins

2011-12-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

Making Tuesday Tasty-Eggnog Cream Pie

2011-12-06T21:23:00.001-07:00

I love eggnog and I love cream pies so I would say this is a definite WIN! I adapted my own a few times but, didn't use the eggnog I used milk. Not as intense a flavor. ENJOY!

Ingredients

1 (4.6 ounce) package non-instant vanilla pudding mix
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups eggnog
2 teaspoons rum
2 cups heavy cream
1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked
1 pinch ground nutmeg

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine pudding mix, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and egg nog; mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat, and stir in rum. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
In a medium bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks. Remove the cold pudding from the refrigerator, and beat until smooth; fold in whipped cream. Spoon into baked pie shell. Sprinkle additional nutmeg over the top for garnish. Refrigerate 4 hours, or until set.

*recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com*

Mama Share Mondays

2011-12-05T12:40:00.001-07:00

I'm thinking of sharing some regular mama advice as a new meme. We will see where it takes me. I know most of the things I share will not be new to most people but, they will be things that I have noticed or have helped me along the way.

I decided that my first mama share will be on meal planning. I've noticed many times over now that women suggest planning a menu for the beginning of the week or even weeks in advance. I know in some ways that can be very convenient but, it's not usually cost effective. If you choose to do this you should really either plan the meals with what you have in the freezer and cabinet or you should be planning them based on the sales in your ads.

With money being terribly tight for most families, you make do with what you have. I buy things that are on sale, especially meat and then look for recipes that will go along with them. I also have a recipe box full of recipes that are go to. Make use of your crock pot if you want ease, also your grill can be used year round for a quick meat and veg dish.

I know these things are "common sense" but, I think many busy mamas think it's too much of a hassle to plan ahead a little. Do this on a day off, it only takes a little bit of time and can save you lots of money.

In the comment section, please share any good mama share tidbits you might have for me! I would love to hear them!!

Carmex Healing Lotion and Healing Cream-Review And Giveaway

2011-11-30T16:56:00.001-07:00

It's time again to talk about some yummy new Carmex products. I received both full size and trial size tubes to try out and have used them for about a month now. I really wanted to see how they did on different areas of the body and how my skin reacted.

Both the lotion and the cream have a great smell. It's a little menthol and sweet like vanilla. It's not strong like the lip balms are but, it's noticeable. Initially you can feel the lotion on top of your skin but, it does absorb very quickly. The cream, as you would suspect is definitely thicker than the lotion. I've used it on dry skin and I've used it right out the shower. It works well with my skin after the shower and makes my skin feel soft.

Personally, this feels more like a protectant than a moisturizer. Often it seems as though it lays on top of the skin as a barrier. It's works for regular skin and for drier skin, you would probably have to apply it more often than once a day. The cream would definitely be a better choice for those with drier skin.

Overall, I'm really happy with this lotion and would buy it in the future!

Win It!

How would you like to win a gift pack? One winner will receive what I received. One full size Carmex Healing Lotion, One full size Carmex Healing Cream, One trial size Carmex Healing lotion, and one trial size Carmex Healing Cream. These would make great stocking stuffers!

Rules

Please tell me what your favorite Carmex product is! Leave your email so I can contact you if you win. That's it, so easy!

Extra Entries

Follow me on twitter @kaiasmommy and leave me a comment and your twitter info.

Contest ends December 6, 2011 at 11:59 PM AZ time.

Wordlesss Wednesday-Oxnard Beaches

2011-11-30T09:56:00.001-07:00

Making Tuesday Tasty-Creme De Menthe Paisley Chocolate drops

2011-11-29T22:21:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

About 42 HERSHEY'S BLISS Milk Chocolates with Creme de Menthe
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa or HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates. Cutting from corner to corner, cut each chocolate into four triangles; set aside.
2 Beat butter, sugar, water and vanilla in large bowl on medium speed of mixer until well blended. Add egg; beat well. Stir together flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating on low speed just until blended. (If necessary, refrigerate dough until firm enough to handle.)
3 Roll dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until cookie is set; remove from oven. Immediately place 2 triangle pieces on each cookie; allow candy pieces to soften. Using wooden pick spread only chocolate portion along outer edges of cookie to fill in surface edge. Swirl remaining creme de menthe center through chocolate to give swirled effect. Remove cookies to cooling rack; cool completely. About 7 dozen cookies.

*recipe courtesy of Hershey's.com*

Winner Chosen For Turkey Money Giveaway!

2011-11-21T22:19:00.001-07:00

Thank you to all that entered the Thankful $250 Turkey Money Giveaway

Sarah D is our WINNER (# 33651 confirmed & paid)

Congratulations Sarah - Happy Spending!

Pajama Program And A Decade Of Giving

2011-11-16T15:02:00.001-07:00

PAJAMA PROGRAM REACHES THEONE MILLION MARK

AS IT CELEBRATES A DECADEOF GIVING

“Call to Action” to the Nation’s Children toPay It Forward by

Holding Pajama Drives, Fundraising Events,and Bowl-a-Ramas for “Danger Season”

Suze Orman noted in her best-selling book The MoneyClass, “A friend recently made her five-year-old’s birthday party into apajama party, asking children to come in their PJs and to bring a new set ofpajamas instead of a gift. The pajamas were donated to the Pajama Program, acharity that gives new pajamas and books to children in need in the U.S. Ithought this was a great idea that created a real opportunity to teach smallchildren about our obligation to help those less fortunate.”

Orman’s notthe only one who thinks paying it forward is a great idea. Celebrating a decade of giving, Pajama Program isissuing a Call To Action to the nation’s children to payit forward by holding Pajama Drives and Fundraising Events to help thenon-profit reach its goal of serving 500,000less fortunate children by year-end.

This year a milestone was reached when the Pajama Program reached the onemillion mark. The non-profit has givenone million new pajamas and books to children in need across the country,helping them feel a little less lost and alone. And Pajama Program has inspired thousands of volunteers of all ages nationwide and bycelebrities ranging from Oprah Winfrey to Meredith Vieira, the non-profit has

In schools and communitiesnationwide, it is often children who have never experienced loss or desperateneed who work the hardest to gather as many donations as possible to help bringa smile and some comfort to their less fortunate peers. The Pajama Program’sCall To Action for “Danger Season” has the potential to make a difference inthe lives of all the children it touches.

Pajama Program’s missionbecomes more urgent during the period it identifies as “Danger Season” when the thermostat dips and the harsh winter months settle in.Starting October 1, Pajama Program works hard to heighten the public’sawareness of the need to keep these at risk children in warm, clean nighttimeclothing and with a bedtime book to allay their fears.

To raiseawareness of “Danger Season,” the non-profit is having its first-ever “Bowl-a-Ramasfor Pajamas” in bowling alleys nationwide on October 1st, asking families andfans of the popular American pastime to hold bowling parties to help collectnew PJ’s and new books for children in need. The goal is to help keep at least 50,000children warm and comforted at bedtime. http://www.pajamaprogram.org/bowling.html

Today the Pajama Program operates 79 chapters in 42 states andprovides new pajamas and new books to children waiting and hoping to be adoptedwhile living in group homes, shelters and temporary facilities. These childrenhave been through great upheaval and trauma, without exception. Some of thechildren are living with their families below the poverty level, in desperateneed of food, clothing and shelter. Too many have never enjoyed the simplecomfort of having a parent tuck them in at bedtime with warm, clean pajamas anda bedtime story.

“I couldn't believe what thestaff at some of the shelters I visited 10 years ago told me about the childrenwho were brought to them every day and every night. The stories of abuse andneglect were horrifying and heart breaking. I couldn't change what had happenedto these children but at least I could give them a pair of warm, clean pajamasto get them through the night,” explains Pajama Programfounder Genevieve Piturro.

The books the children read at bedtime go a long way in improvingtheir reading level as well. Most have been removed from school for longperiods of time and do not have access to books and their grade reading levelis far lower than their peers.

Chapter Presidentsacross the U.S. identify“Receiving Organizations” in their communities where children in need areliving. Together with volunteers, they organize drives and events to providethese youngsters with new pajamas and books. Thereare more than 500,000 children in the foster care system in the U.S. and morethan one million children who are not living with their birth parents. Manychildren who do have families are living below the poverty level, in desperateneed of food, clothing and shelter.

Thepopular children’s musical artist Laurie Berkner wrote a song titled “Open YourHeart” dedicated to The Pajama Program, and continues to perform it in all ofher concerts. The song has increased awareness of the non-profit among childrenand inspired them to get involved nationwide.

Incelebration of Pajama Program’s 10^thBirthday, Scholastic Book Clubs is issuing their third national “call forpajamas” and asking classrooms across the country to participate in theirannual PajamaDrive. Scholastic Book Clubs will match every pair of pajamasdonated with a book for a bedtime story and will donate a total of 100,000books in support of the Pajama Program’s 10^th Anniversary. Last yearScholastic classrooms collected 90,000+ new pajamas.

Carter’s pajama manufacturer is also a major sponsor forPajama Program’s 2011/2012 “DangerSeason” and Sprout,the 24-hour preschool television channel, is the Pajama Program’s nationalmedia partner for “The Great Sprout Tuck-In,” a pro-social initiative thatextends Sprout’s “good night” mission and encourages families to share in thespirit of giving.

The Pajama Program meetsthe Better Business Bureau's 20 charity standards, the highest ranking fornon-profits. For moreinformation visit the website: www.pajamaprogram.org

Wordless Wednesday-My boy

2011-11-16T00:43:00.001-07:00

Winner-Mary Kay Giveaway

2011-11-16T00:39:00.001-07:00

My random.org winner for the Mary Kay giveaway has been chosen.

Congrats to...

daveshir2005 November 12, 2011 10:38 PM 12

email subscriber daveshir2005@yahoo.com

An email has been sent!

Making Tuesday Tasty-Brussel Sprouts Gratin

2011-11-16T00:29:00.001-07:00

Here's an interesting take on a side that can be used for company coming over, Thanksgiving dinner, and to get your kids to eat brussel sprouts. I personally love them, so this is right up my alley. P.S. This got great reviews!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for the dish
Kosher salt
1 pound Brussels sprouts,outer leaves and stems removed
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated white cheddar cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and butter a 2-quart baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Drain the Brussels sprouts and coarsely chop. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and toss with the red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste, then spread out evenly. Pour the cream on top, sprinkle with the cheese and breadcrumbs and dot with the butter pieces.

Bake the gratin until bubbly and golden brown, about 15 minutes.

$50 Holiday Gift from Novica

2011-11-11T22:20:00.000-07:00

$50 Holiday Gift from Novica

Wordless Wednesday-Sedona Skyline

2011-11-09T01:16:00.001-07:00

Making Tuesday Tasty-Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes

2011-11-08T13:33:00.001-07:00

Here's a simple way to add some zing to your mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving or any time really. If you want to get more creative, add some french fried onions to the top! YUM.

Ingredients

3 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled
Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes and place them in a large pot. Cover the potatoes with cold water and add enough salt so the water tastes quite salty. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the potatoes fall apart easily when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan, making sure it doesn't boil. Set aside until the potatoes are done.

As soon as the potatoes are tender, drain them in a colander. Place a food mill fitted with a small disc/blade over a glass bowl. Process the potatoes through the food mill, turning the handle back and forth to force the potatoes through the disc. As soon as the potatoes are mashed, slowly whisk in enough of the hot milk/butter mixture to make the potatoes very creamy. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and the sour cream and pepper and whisk to combine. Taste for seasoning and serve hot.

*recipe courtesy of Ina Garten*

Mary Kay Meet And Greet With Giveaway!

2011-11-02T02:07:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I wanted to be the first to introduce you to a wonderful lady named Tammie Hertel. She let me in on a project she is creating from her own independent consulting business.

Tammie is a doer and a go-getter. I know this because I've known her personally for a few years now. She keeps active, she loves talking and interacting with people, and she loves giving. Tammie is combining these things now to give back to her community and beyond those reaches as well.

When she started this business up, she intended to use it for one goal. Her goal currently is to use ALL of her proceeds from the sales she receives to help others. This obviously is an independent consulting service and not a non-profit business, so how will you know what's going on with these proceeds?

Tammie has created a Facebook account, a twitter account, and she has a business email. With all of these outlets she will be updating all her subscribers on the things she is doing with her proceeds from her sales. She wants to be able to communicate and share what's happening. I'm sure you could even help her by suggesting some places you see a need from time to time.

Buy It

You can go to Tammie's page for all your Mary Kay skin care and cosmetic needs, she will be happy to assist you! Please consider giving to this cause by purchasing your Mary Kay through her site.

Win It

Would you like to win a product from Mary Kay? How about a Mini Night Restore and Recover Complex with Mini Microdermabrasion set?

Rules

Please go to Tammie's Mary Kay page and subscribe via email. Come back here and tell us the email you used to subscribe. Also, please make sure that you've left me a way to get in touch with you should you win, or it will be forfeited to another winner! Open to U.S. only. Contest will end at 11:59 PM November 14, 2011. You don't have to be a blogger to enter.

Extra Credit

"Like" Tammie's Facebook page and come back here with a comment telling me who you are on FB. You can use your last initial instead of your whole last name in this post. Tammie will probably be doing a giveaway on her Facebook soon, so don't miss out!

Wordless Wednesday-Kitty snuggles

2011-11-01T23:35:00.002-07:00

Making Tuesday Tasty-Braised Country Style Ribs

2011-11-01T23:28:00.002-07:00

I made these today and I must say, pretty tasty! This would be easily adaptable to a slow cooker as it is a braised meat. I cooked in a type of crock pot today and it was tender and lovely. I just prepped the meat and sauce per the directions and poured all of it in the cooker. As with all recipes, I like to alter from time to time to my liking. I changed out the cider vinegar to a cooking wine.(you could pair it with any you like for pork). The sauce had a nice bite with the acid and the red pepper flake. I thickened the juice instead of reducing it any more at the end, and strained the chunks of veg and garlic. I poured it over the meat after resting and used it for some potatoes too. This is also a chef that touts making dinners for around $10 dollars so, SCORE! I got my country style ribs today for $1.97 a lb. Very good price and really inexpensive dinner. Caveat, if you don't trim some of the fat off these ribs(which falls apart once done), you are going to have a super fatty sauce.

Ingredients

3 pounds bone-in country-style pork ribs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
divided1 onion,
chopped1 carrot
chopped1 stalk celery
chopped4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Pat the ribs dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the ribs on all sides, working in batches if needed. Remove the ribs and set aside. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the Dutch oven and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, to remove the raw flavor, about 3 minutes.
De glaze the pan with the vinegar, and then add the red pepper flakes and bay leaves.Add the ribs back to the pan and add enough stock to reach halfway up the sides of the ribs. Bring the pan to a simmer, cover, and place in the oven. Braise until the meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. During the last half hour, uncover to allow the liquid to reduce and the pork to brown.

*recipe courtesy of Melissa Darabian*

Thankful Turkey Money Giveaway!

2011-11-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

We are Thankful for our Readersand we would love for you to win $250
Ramblings Of A Wannabe Writer and 24 other bloggers are offering you the chance to win $250 Cash in our Thankful Cash Giveaway!!!
The cash giveaway is open to all worldwide and will be paid directly into your paypal account

What would you do with $250?

Put it towards your Thanksgiving Feast?Donate it to your favorite charity?Put it towards your holiday spending?

Splurge on a weekend getaway?
Check out the fabulous bloggers involved in this event
The Freebie Junkie

Children Teaching Mama

Retail Therapy Lounge Two Kids and a Coupon

Rockin Deals 4 You

The Shopping Duck

JBM Thinks Grandma Reviews

About a Mom

Traci66

Save and Share with Coupons

Longing For a Simpler Life

Our Jacobsen Family

MomFuse

Misadventures with Andi

Keenly Kristin Tethered Mommy Sonya's Happenings Arizona Mama

Heck of a Bunch

PS Mom Reviews

Libby's Library Maxwells Mommy The Mommy Times

Ramblings of a Wannabe Writer

To win the $250 Turkey Money Giveaway simply enter as many entries as you like in the rafflecopter form below

Sneak Peek Into the Thankful $250 Turkey Money Giveaway

2011-10-27T00:24:00.003-07:00

We are Thankful for our Readersand we would love for you to win $250
Starting Tuesday November 1st The Freebie Junkie and 24 other bloggers are offering you the chance to win $250 Cash in our Thankful Cash Giveaway
The cash giveaway is open to all worldwide and will be paid directly into your paypal account

What would you do with $250?

Put it towards your Thanksgiving Feast?Donate it to your favorite charity?Put it towards your holiday spending?

Splurge on a weekend getaway?

To enter the $250 Turkey Money Giveaway simply come back on Tuesday 11/1 after 12:01am to find the giveaway postSee who won the $200 Fall into Cash Giveaway

In the meantime check out the fabulous bloggers involved in this event
The Freebie Junkie

Children Teaching Mama

Retail Therapy Lounge Two Kids and a Coupon

Rockin Deals 4 You

The Shopping Duck

JBM Thinks Grandma Reviews

About a Mom

Traci66

Save and Share with Coupons

Longing For a Simpler Life

Our Jacobsen Family

MomFuse

Misadventures with Andi

Keenly Kristin Tethered Mommy Sonya's Happenings Arizona Mama

Heck of a Bunch

PS Mom Reviews

Libs Library Maxwells Mommy The Mommy Times

Ramblings of a Wannabe Writer

Wordless Wednesday-Mr. Blue Eyes

2011-10-25T22:56:00.001-07:00

Single Girl Power

2011-10-25T00:34:00.000-07:00

Single Girl Power

Guest post of the week by Moises Henderson

Being a single woman, it is assumed that I will live in apartments for the rest of my life. However, I am a single woman and just purchased then moved in to my dream home. I’ve been waiting for years trying to validate the cost of a home, and last week I decided to just go ahead and take the risk. Everyone keeps telling me that I should wait until I’m married to buy a house, but I can’t wait any longer for my life to begin. It feels silly to me that some women sit around and refuse to live life just because they are waiting on some man to come in to their life. They won’t buy their dream house, they won’t get a fun car, or go on vacation to Italy because they want to go with their future husband. I’m not going to fib-I lived like that for awhile until I realized that life is too short to wait on someone that may or may not be coming! I ended up purchasing my home and looking for security systems for it at business security. I’ll tell you what- even though I’m not married, I’m happier and feel more secure than ever before! I’m no longer waiting on a man for my life to begin. Even if that DOES sound very ‘girl power.’

Making Tuesday Tasty-Tiramisu

2011-10-25T00:25:00.002-07:00

Who doesn't love something a little decadent every now and then. Here is a nice Tiramisu recipe for you to enjoy. If you don't want to use rum, you could sub it with some rum extract, adding a bit at a time to taste.

Ingredients

*6 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 pound mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 cups strong espresso, cooled
2 teaspoons dark rum
24 packaged ladyfingers
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish

Directions

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Add mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of espresso and mix until thoroughly combined.

In a small shallow dish, add remaining espresso and rum. Dip each ladyfinger into espresso for only 5 seconds. Letting the ladyfingers soak too long will cause them to fall apart. Place the soaked ladyfinger on the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch baking dish, breaking them in half if necessary in order to fit the bottom.

Spread evenly 1/2 of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers. Arrange another layer of soaked ladyfingers and top with remaining mascarpone mixture.

Cover tiramisu with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 8 hours.

Before serving, sprinkle with chocolate shavings.

* Raw Eggs

*RAW EGG WARNING

*recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentis and Foodnetwork.com*

Got Hoodies?

2011-10-20T01:03:00.003-07:00

Christmas is coming right around the corner and our "cold" season is also coming(soon I hope). We pretty much wear only hoodies around my house because it never gets cold enough to warrant a coat, at least to most of us in the Phoenix metro area.

My step-son is a growing boy of course, and we need to get him a couple of boys hoodies for those chilly early mornings while he heads off to school. I was thinking about getting him a couple in some fun colors, and maybe even some different styles. He is in middle school now, so that means time to change up the wardrobe a little and make it a bit "cooler".

I love the zip up ones over the pull overs just because they seem to be easier to get on and off. I also like the hoodies with graphics. I've also seen some that are hood less or mock hoodies that look like a track jacket and fur lined ones for those with really chilly weather.

I guess I have a bit of time to pick out just the right one for Christmas but, probably should pick one out now for the mornings soon. So many choices, colors, and styles. Off to shop I go.

Amazing Giveaways!

2011-10-20T01:00:00.001-07:00

Mom Start is hosting a giveaway called Suzuki Junk in The Trunk. Get a bunch of goodies in this giveaway. Hurry ends Oct 31, 2011.

Wordless Wednesday-Monkey

2011-10-18T21:40:00.002-07:00

Making Tuesday Tasty-Rosemary Potato Frittata

2011-10-18T21:36:00.002-07:00

Want a yummy, easy way to make a brunch or dinner dish? How about a frittata. Protein, and any kind of combo of things you would like to thrown in there and voila! I would even call these a nice comfort food. Here's just one of many recipes you can find or play with to make your frittata.

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic crushed
1 pound baby potatoes
1 small onion
3 to 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk, half-and-half or cream
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

Heat oven to 450 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in medium heat-proof skillet over medium-low heat with the clove of crushed garlic. Let the garlic infuse the oil while you thinly slice the potatoes and onion; then remove the garlic. Add the potatoes and onions to the skillet and season with rosemary and salt and pepper, to taste. Raise the heat a little and cook for 6 to 7 minutes. Turn the potato/onion mixture over and cook for 5 minutes more. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Add the egg mixture to the skillet and move them around and under the potatoes to settle them. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until golden on top, about 10 to 12 minutes. Scatter the cheese on top, turn the oven off and let sit for another couple of minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

*recipe courtesy of rachael ray*

WINNER Uprinting Giveaway!

2011-10-15T00:10:00.004-07:00

My random.org giveaway winner for the 250 free Uprinting.com labels is...

Michelle Hagewood October 13, 2011 5:32 PM 3
I would love to use these for my Cinnamon Moose Crafts business my Aunt & I just started
boylaneely at hotmail dot com

Congrats and thanks so much for entering! An email has been sent.

Bright Starts Having A Ball Cluck and Learn Barn Winner

2011-10-15T00:04:00.002-07:00

My random.org winner for the Bright Starts toy is....

Lindsey October 14, 2011 8:42 PM 41
And I would also like the Pop n Roll Roadster. :)

Lindsey
ladyufshalott at yahoo dot com

Congrats Lindsey, an email has been sent!

Uprinting Labels Giveaway! Closed

2011-10-12T22:51:00.006-07:00

Uprinting.com is one of those printing companies that has the ability to create for the customer a number of options of quality products including Labels. You can get standard labels and roll labels to help you with your business or personal needs at really affordable rates.

Custom Labels are definitely an ingenious way to put your brand name out there on each product you sell or give away to the customer. You can put photos of your products, brand name, and quotes on your items.

OK all, I'm rolling out an amazing giveaway for those small business owners, crafters, bakers, etc. that need a little added oomph in their packaging!

Buy It

You can get The equivalent to what one person will win in my giveaway at Uprinting.com for a little over $40.

Win It

One U.S. winner will receive 250 labels, 2" x 3.5", 70lb label matte, front only printing, 4 business days turnaround. Limited only to U.S. residents, 18 years and older.

Rules

Please tell me what you want to do with these labels, be creative! Make sure you leave your email so I can reach you if you're my winner. Please don't enter this contest if you have won with Uprinting in the last 6 months.

Extra Entry

Follow me on GFC and tell me who you follow as.

Giveaway ends October 14, 2011 at 11:59 PM, Arizona time. Good luck

*This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive labels for hosting*

Wordless Wednesday-Cutie Pie!

2011-10-12T11:25:00.000-07:00

Making Tuesday Tasty-Fresh Pumpkin Pie

2011-10-11T15:55:00.003-07:00

OK, I'm guessing I'm pretty traditional here because I love the simple Libby brand recipe for their pumpkin pie. So I will reprint it here but, instead of their canned pumpkin switch it out for a fresh sugar pumpkin puree. You can bake it, or steam it and blend smooth. Drain excess water out of it so you have a nice, dense pumpkin puree for your pie.

How to make your pumpkin. Cut your small sugar pumpkin in half, take out seeds and strings and place inside down on a lined cookie sheet(foil or parchment paper). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 mins depending on your oven. Sticking fork or knife in there should go through and tell you it's done. Let pumpkin cool and put in your blender or food processor until smooth. Drain off any excess liquid and you're done.

Ingredients

1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
15 oz of pumpkin puree(just under two cups)
1 (12 fluid ounce) can NESTLE® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell.
Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. (Do not freeze as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.)

Pain Relief Possiblities

2011-10-08T15:26:00.003-07:00

Some people are dealing with pain on a daily basis. Whether it's disease related or injury related, a person can suffer terribly at times. There are a number of options on the market related to electrical pain therapy.

LGMedSupply can supply you with TENS units, and Muscle Stimulators if you're interested in this method of rehabilitation. There is also a combination unit called the LG-TEC Dual Combo TENS Unit and Muscle Stimulator which allows pain relief and muscle stimulation to enhance your rehabilitation efforts.

Visit LGMedSupply Online for your favorite LG med supply product, where you can find all the in stock items you need. Also, if you have any questions related to the items, you can visit their online customer blog.

Wordless Wednesday-First Thanksgiving

2011-10-05T05:02:00.000-07:00

My daughters first Thanksgiving. She was eleven months old.

Making Tuesday Tasty-Fresh Apple Cake

2011-10-04T21:46:00.003-07:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year!!!!!!!! Ha ha. Autumn is my favorite. I love the colors, the produce, Thanksgiving, and the crispness in the air that tells me there is a reprieve from the disgusting heat that comes from this city. Here's a great take and well received recipe for fresh apple cake. Enjoy friends!

Ingredients

Honey Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons milk
Apple Cake:
3 cups diced Granny Smith apples, about 2 apples
1 cup lightly toasted chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
3 eggs

Directions

Glaze: Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and stir until smooth. Set the bowl aside.

Cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a Bundt pan or tube pan.

In a bowl, mix together the apples, walnuts, vanilla, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Using an electric mixer beat the sugar, oil, and eggs in a large bowl. Add in the dry ingredients and beat until completely combined. Fold in the apple mixture.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Allow the cake to fully cool in the pan, about 1 hour, and then turn it out onto a plate.

Drizzle the apple cake with some of the honey glaze, serve and enjoy!

Bright Starts Having A Ball Cluck and Learn Review & Giveaway!CLOSED

2011-09-29T20:29:00.004-07:00

My baby is seven months old now. He is army crawling and trying to get at everything that looks interesting or pretty to him. I have a toy room that all the kids toys go into, and we recently added a new toy for him to play and grow with.

The Bright Starts Cluck N Learn Barn is a super cute toy suggested for ages 3 to 36 months. The head is a big chicken and it's attached to a barn below. The toy comes with three major buttons color coded and four brightly colored, character balls. The buttons have a setting for silly sounds and one for learning sounds.

My baby can't put the balls in the top just yet but, he LOVES to push the big colored buttons and make sounds come out. He plays with the balls individually and of course puts them right in his mouth. The balls are a large enough for babies and are made from a hard plastic so baby can't bite them.

What I really like about this is that there are repetitive learning sounds and there is an activity, not just pushing a button. The balls are put in the top and they drop out in different spots of the barn. This toy can also grow with my baby to toddler and that makes it a worthwhile purchase. There are plenty of toys that get shelved once a baby reaches toddler stage, etc. Ewan likes it so far and I'm sure he'll love it once he can get to all the features of this fun toy.

Check them out on their Facebook page for all their exciting products and up to date news!

Buy It

You can purchase your Cluck & Learn Barn at Toys R Us!

Win It

One lucky winner will win their very own Bright Starts Cluck & Learn Barn!

Rules

Follow me on GFC to the right and tell me who you are! If you already follow me, just say that you already follow.

Extra Entries

Tell me another item you would love to have from Bright Starts

Follow me on twitter @kaiasmommy

Please leave a separate comment for each thing you do, and make sure you leave me an email address so I can contact you if you win! Good luck!

Contest ends October 14, 2011 at midnight AZ time.

*Thanks Bright Starts for the Cluck & Learn review item*

Wordless Wednesday-Flower Headband

2011-09-28T12:05:00.001-07:00

Making Tuesday Tasty-Pumpkin Plum Tart

2011-09-27T00:21:00.002-07:00

OK, so I'm a pumpkin fan all the way! I love it in pretty much every type of dessert I've had whether it be pie, ice cream, drinks, you name it. Here is a spin on the traditional from epicurious. Can you say delish?!

Ingredients

Pastry dough
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin (not pie filling)
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup damson plum preserves

Equipment: an 11-inch fluted tart pan (1 inch deep) with removable bottom; pie weights or dried beans

Make tart shell:

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Roll out dough into a 15-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, then fit into tart pan. Trim any excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold overhang inward and press against edge of pan so pastry stands slightly above rim. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Lightly prick bottom of shell all over with a fork, then line with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake tart shell until side is set and edge is pale golden, 25 to 30 minutes. 3Carefully remove weights and foil and bake shell until bottom and side are golden, about 15 minutes more. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 30 minutes.

Make filling and bake tart:
Whisk together cream, pumpkin purée, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, and salt until smooth.

Put tart shell in pan on a baking sheet. Spread preserves evenly over bottom of tart shell, then pour pumpkin mixture over preserves.

Bake tart until filling is just set a few inches from edge but still slightly wobbly in center, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool in pan on a rack, about 1 hour. (Tart will continue to set as it cools.) Remove side of pan before serving.

Winner For Uprinting Postcards!

2011-09-26T11:55:00.002-07:00

My random.org winner has been selected....

mkjmc September 15, 2011 5:22 PM 7
GFC follower kathypersons

Congratulations! You will be sent an email to claim your prize shortly!

Thank you to all the people that entered the contest :)

Melanie

Wordless Wednesday-Fresh Outta The Oven

2011-09-21T05:42:00.000-07:00

Happy seven months to my baby boy! I love you :)

Making Tuesday Leek And Potato Soup

2011-09-20T09:27:00.003-07:00

Autumn and Winter are my soup making times. I love soups of all kinds, reminds me of growing up in Oregon. My mom made a lot of soups with lots of wonderful and fresh ingredients. Potato based soups are one of my faves so enjoy this version!

Ingredients

8 leeks, white part only, washed and medium juilenned
4 tablespoons salted butter or margarine
5 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
3 quarts chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
3 1/2 pounds Red Bliss potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled, and medium chopped
6 medium carrots, peeled and medium chopped
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Garnish: 1 teaspoon finely chopped curly parsley
print a shopping list for this recipe

preparation

1. Heat the butter in a medium skillet and sauté the leeks over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for 1 minute more. Set aside.

2. Heat the chicken broth in a large stockpot over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, carrots, reserved leeks, dill, salt, and pepper to the broth and continue to simmer the soup, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender but have not lost their shape, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.

4. Purée the soup in batches in a food processor fitted with a knife blade. The soup will be smooth, colorful, and thick. Return the puréed soup to the stockpot, blend in the reserved marrow, and season to taste. Reheat over low heat and garnish with parsley.

*recipe courtesy of epicurious.com*

Fisher-Price Little People Zoo Talkers Review

2011-09-18T22:38:00.007-07:00

Fisher-Price Little People are a brand that many parents of small children know about. My daughter has a few Little People sets and loves to role play with them. Getting a chance to check out a new set was something I was very interested in. My daughter loves them, and my son will love them too once he gets a little bigger.

The set I received is Zoo Talkers, which is a little animal habitat with a Gorilla, Lion, Polar Bear and, Zookeeper. The set has some assembly required, mostly it's just popping things into each other. You need a screw driver for a few things and (3) AAA batteries (not included) for the sounds. You do have the option to add more cute animals later if you would like as well.

I let the baby play with it a bit, he really loves holding the animals and they are safe for him to chew on since they're big enough for little guys like him. My daughter loves playing with all the features. She can put the animals in the swing, she can make them slide, and she can also put each animal on the platform to hear about them and the sounds they make. This little habitat set is perfect for kids just learning about animals and what they do. It's very engaging and interactive which allows them to use their imagination! I love toys that teach a child while they're playing. Also, the set comes with a DVD with four little short movies related to the animals in the set. My daughter wanted to watch that right away and loved seeing the Little People in action.

Both my kids really enjoy this Little People Zoo Talkers set and I'm sure will be playing it for a long time to come since my son is an infant right now. It's honestly one of our favorites.

Buy It

This set retails for about $39.99 at major retailers and Fisher-Price.com

You can also enter a sweepstakes to win 10,000 here, directly from Fisher-Price, contest ends 11/30/11.

*Thank you Fisher-Price for letting us review this super fun play set!*

Postcard Giveaway From Uprinting!

2011-09-14T22:06:00.008-07:00

The world of marketing has really changed a lot from what it used to be. Now you can use so many tools to get your point across, which makes it nice to personalize your message for your business!

One thing I'm seeing more and more whether it be at my house, car, or inserted in things I've purchased is postcards. What a great way to spread the word about your business, or to advertise a sale, etc!

Of course, you don't have to do only business related postcard printing. You can do lots of personal things like address changes, party invitations, and something to display your art. The bonus is this is online printing so you can order, verify, and pay all in one place without having to leave your home. I love it!

Win It!

Would you like to win a set of postcards?

Uprinting is offering one lucky winner a chance to win 100 postcards!

5x7 14pt Card stock Gloss, no folding, front only printing, 2 days business turnaround, and free shipping to U.S. residents 18 years and older.

Rules

Please tell me what you would like to use these for in your comment and enter your email address along with it so I can tell you if you won!

Extra Entries

-Follow my blog for one entry

-Follow my twitter @kaiasmommy for one entry

Contest ends September 25, 2011 at 11:59 AZ time.

Wordless Wednesday-Push up time!

2011-09-14T00:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry this is a bad picture, camera phone! :)

Making Tuesday Tasty-Chicago Steakhouse Sandwich

2011-09-13T13:23:00.002-07:00

I am a sandwich person. This is one of the foods I could eat every day. Of course with sandwiches the possibilities are endless so that helps a bit! ;) Here is a recipe I came across today that I would eat in a heartbeat! Great reviews too. Enjoy

Ingredients

Steak:

One 20-ounce boneless rib eye steak
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sauteed Garlicky Spinach:
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Three 10-ounce bags fresh spinach, washed and stemmed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing:
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh dill
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Sandwich Build:
1 fresh loaf crispy French bread, cut into 8-inch segments, buttered and grilled

Directions

For the steak: Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until very hot. Sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt and pepper. Place the steak in the hot skillet, reduce the heat to medium and sear until well browned, about 4 minutes. Flip the steak and cook until medium/medium-rare, about 6 more minutes. Set aside, loosely covered with foil, and let rest before slicing.

For the sauteed garlicky spinach: Heat the oil and sliced garlic in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the garlic is golden brown and crispy. Remove the garlic and set aside on a paper towel to drain. Add the crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach and stir to combine with the oil. Cover and let cook over medium-high heat until the spinach is wilted but still bright in color, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and toss with the garlic chips.

For the buttermilk blue cheese dressing: Mix the mayonnaise, buttermilk, blue cheese, dill, mustard and pepper together in a bowl and set aside. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

For the sandwich build: Slice the rested steak against the grain into 1/4-inch slices, removing any non-rendered fat. Place the steak slices on the bottom bun, top with the spinach and schmear the top bun with buttermilk blue cheese dressing.

*recipe courtesy of Foodnetwork.com*

Wordless Wednesday-Big Sister, Little Brother

2011-09-07T04:59:00.000-07:00

Making Tuesday Tasty-Parmesan Thyme Crackers

2011-09-06T20:46:00.002-07:00

Ingredients

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 ounces grated Parmesan
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix until creamy. Add the Parmesan, flour, salt, thyme and pepper and combine.

Dump the dough on a lightly floured board and roll into a 13-inch long log. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the log crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices. Place the slices on a sheet pan and bake for 22 minutes.

*recipe courtesy of Ina Garten*

New Carmex Click Sticks-Review & Giveaway!CLOSED

2011-09-05T14:47:00.008-07:00

I grew up in Oregon for most of my childhood which meant some pretty cool weather, and my family has notoriously dry lips. One of our staples was the original Carmex lip balm in the pots. The balm soothed my dry cracked lips with moisturizing ingredients and a little menthol.

I got a chance to try out some new goodies from Carmex which included a Vanilla and Lime Twist click stick. I really wanted to try these out because let's face it, it is easier to use a stick to apply your balm(no messy fingers), and the flavors both seemed mellow enough for me to like.

Both go on very smooth, no waxy at ALL! This is a bonus because I absolutely hate some of the famous stick brands for this very reason. My lips were shiny, lightly scented, SPF 15 protected, and felt moisturized in a very short time. The lime twist is probably my favorite but, that's because I like citrus flavors and scents. So, if you're curious how they work and you really like the original I think you should try one of them. It goes on lighter than the original balm but, just as moisturizing!

Buy It!

You can get these great products at Walgreen's, Walmart, and CVS.

Win It!

Would you like to win the awesome kit that I got to check out? It will include one lime twist click stick, one vanilla click stick, and one super cute picnic blanket!

Rules

This is for a few hours only so hurry quick! Tell me which Carmex click stick you would like to try. Please leave your email for me to reach you....And go!

Contest ends 6 p.m. AZ time on Sept 5, 2011.

*Thank you Carmex for letting me try out the click sticks and the cute picnic blanket*

Congrats to my winner, Mary!

Back To School 2011

2011-08-31T00:09:00.004-07:00

My step son has recently started school again as a...Seventh Grader! He is at an all new to him, middle school and was apprehensive. He is somewhat introverted and tends to keep to himself. He wants to make new friends but, is very quiet at times and can be a little shy.

One thing he is really awesome at? Reading! Yep he loves diving into subjects that interest him. He reads mostly fiction but, he also loves educational books that tell him how something works, how to make something, scientific finds, etc. He is an avid reader, even reading all through the Summer. I know most moms wouldn't be able to say that about their child but, it's very true! When he wants to relax after playing hard with our four year old, he goes into his room and relaxes with a good book.

He is currently checking out the new Time book, That's Incredible. This book is full of colorful pages and loaded with facts. The photos and illustrations are attention grabbing and modern. We have a number of fact based books and this one is new and up to date. I'm so glad he is still interested in reading and getting to know the world around him. Crossing my fingers for a fantastic school year!

*Thank you Time, for providing the book to read*

Wordless Wednesday-Baby Kisses

2011-08-30T22:16:00.000-07:00

Making Tuesday Tasty-Chicken Madeira

2011-08-29T17:46:00.003-07:00

This is supposed to be a copy of chicken madeira served at Cheesecake factory. I'm making it tonight so we shall see. Either way, these ingredients are all delish together!!!!!!

Edit: I made this tonight so here is my take. You should really pound/tenderize the chicken because it makes it soft and most like the one served at Cheesecake factory. The second is that it definitely took longer than 20 minutes to reduce the sauce, so keep that in mind when you're making your meal. Also, I used provolone cheese and it was lovely with the sauce, so you can definitely play with that. The sauce had too much wine in it to taste. It calls for more wine than broth and though the madeira wine has a distinct, yummy flavor, it also is very acidic and was a little more than I would have liked. I think I would go with 2 cups of the madeira and 3 cups of the broth next time I make it. I served this with mashed potatoes which is how they serve it at CF(roasted garlic mashed). If you don't like asparagus, I think this would be really yummy with some spinach sauteed in butter and garlic. So yummy!

CHEESECAKE FACTORY CHICKEN MADEIRA

CHICKEN:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
8 asparagus spears
4 mozzarella cheese slices

MADEIRA SAUCE:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
3 cups madeira wine
2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat up 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cover each chicken breast with plastic wrap then use a mallet to flatten the chicken to about 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle each fillet with salt and pepper.

Sauté the chicken fillets for 4 to 6 minutes per side, or until the chicken has browned just a bit. Remove chicken fillets from the pan and wrap them together in foil to keep the fillets warm while you make the sauce. Don\'t clean the pan. You want all that cooked-on goodness to stay in the skillet to help make the sauce.

With the heat still on medium, add two tablespoons of oil to the skillet. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for about two minutes. Add the madeira wine, beef stock, butter and pepper. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until sauce has reduce to about 1/4 of its original volume. When the sauce is done it will have thickened and turned a dark brown color.

As the sauce is simmering, bring a medium saucepan filled about halfway with water to a boil. Add a little salt to the water. Toss the asparagus into the water and boil for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus spears. Drop the asparagus in a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking. The asparagus should be slightly tender when done, not mushy.

Set oven to broil. Prepare the dish by arranging the cooked chicken fillets on a baking pan. Cross two asparagus spears over each fillet, then cover each with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Broil the fillets for 3 to 4 minutes or until light brown spots begin to appear on the cheese.

To serve, arrange two chicken breasts on each plate, then spoon 3 or 4 tablespoons of madeira sauce over the chicken.

Servings: 4

*no source named on the recipe*

Wordless Wednesday-My Boys

2011-08-23T22:23:00.000-07:00

Scruffy daddy and his boy! I love them :)

Making Tuesday Tasty-Peach Crisp

2011-08-22T23:30:00.003-07:00

Peaches are coming into season and I love peach pie, peach crisps, and peach cobblers. Here is one take on a peach crisp. Please tweak to your liking though because some people like more spice than others, etc. Enjoy

Ingredients

For Filling:
8 cups fresh sliced peaches
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons flour

Topping:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all of the filling ingredients in a large bowl and gently mix.

Pour the filling ingredients into a 9 by13-inch baking pan and set aside while making the topping.

In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles large peas. Distribute the topping evenly over the peaches in the baking pan. Bake for 40 minutes.

Breastfeeding Did You Know Part Three

2011-08-22T23:01:00.002-07:00

If your baby develops an eye infection or closed tear duct, massage the inner eye skin and drop a few drops of breast milk into the affected eye. The milk contains immunological benefits and can clear it up.(I know because I did it with my son)

That a woman who adopts a baby can induce lactation in order to feed and bond with her baby if she chooses?

That in AZ a woman is entitled to breastfeed in public and not part of indecent exposure law.

Breast milk fights disease in your infant. It can protect your baby from lower respiratory infections, asthma, and necrotizing enterocolitis(an disease that affects the intestinal tract).

Breast feeding stimulates a mother's oxytocin levels which helps milk flow and affects the mother's mood to calm her and give her a bonding experience.

Breastfeeding is linked to lower incidences of type 2 diabetes, breast and ovarian cancers, and postpartum depression.

That a baby cannot be allergic to it's mother's milk since it's species specific, it can be allergic to something mom ingests though.

More Breastfeeding Did You Know's

2011-08-17T20:02:00.003-07:00

Did You Know?

Usually, formula's containing Soy or lactose free formula's contain high fructose corn syrup which is an artificial sweetener and known to cause obesity. Lactose is the primary carbohydrate in breast milk and milk based formula's, it's necessary for brain development.
Formula's are now containing DHA which is found in breast milk and essential for brain development and formation BUT, it comes from algae or fish which can contain mercury which is passed into the formula.
A Mother's germ antibodies are passed to the baby to protect them from getting sick.
Vitamin's in a Mother's milk are absorbed more completely than the vitamins in formula.
Breast milk contains digestive enzymes and is rich in hormones. With formula the processing kills the cow hormones and the digestive enzymes.
Breastfeeding saves a family $600 to $2000 a year and that number could go up if the child is seeing the doctor often due to illness. Nursing mother's that have to work miss less usually as a general rule as well.

Wordless Wednesday-Playing

2011-08-17T01:39:00.002-07:00

August Is National Breastfeeding Month!

2011-08-16T23:55:00.004-07:00

National breastfeeding month is something dear to my heart. It makes me happy that breastfeeding is getting acknowledged as a valid and necessary start to a baby's life. I have had a wonderful bonding experience with both of my children while nursing them. My daughter for ten months and now my son who is almost six months old. Each of them were unique in their feeding habits and each has posed it's own set of challenges. It was something I always thought I would do and I have fulfilled that goal with happiness. The road wasn't always easy but, it was attainable.

I will try and post some facts about breastfeeding in a few posts so that moms who are curious about nursing can see for themselves why breastfeeding should be a goal, at least for a few months of their baby's life. Not all moms can breastfeed but, the majority can. It's important to educate yourself on anything you choose to do for you and your family.

Did you know?:

Formula isn't sterile?
Formula contains Formaldehyde
A Mother's breast milk is constantly changing as her baby grows to provide the exact type of nutrition the baby needs.
Breast milk is species specific and is the perfect nutrition for your infant.
Adults who were breastfed as babies often have lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and lower rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Here is a short video to give a general guideline of how nursing takes place in the beginning. Enjoy

Making Tuesday Tasty-Sausage And Black Bean Burritos

2011-08-16T01:34:00.000-07:00

I have an amazing one dish meals cookbook from Food And Wine magazine that I love! Here is one from the book. Enjoy, I know you will!

Ingredients

3/4 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 2/3 cups drained and rinsed canned black beans (one 15-ounce can)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound Monterey jack or cheddar, shredded (about 2 cups)
1 tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice (from about 1 lime)
1 red onion, chopped
4 9-inch flour tortillas
Lime wedges, for serving

Preparation

Heat the oven to 350°. In a large frying pan, cook the sausage over moderate heat, breaking it up with a fork or wooden spoon, until cooked through and just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pan and reduce the heat to low. Add the beans and salt and cook, mashing the beans with the back of a wooden spoon, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Most of the beans should be broken up, but don't mash them to a puree. Remove from the heat and stir in the sausage, half of the cheese, the tomato, lime juice, and onion.
Spread one quarter of the bean mixture in a line just below the center of each tortilla. Put the remaining cheese on top of the beans. Roll up the burritos and put them seam-side down in a small baking dish. Bake until the cheese is melted and the filling is hot, about 15 minutes. If the tops begin to brown too much, cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil. Serve the burritos with lime wedges.

Winner Milk Nursing Wear!

2011-08-15T01:22:00.002-07:00

Congratulations to my winner of the $40 gc for Milk Nursing Wear. You have 48 hours to respond to my email.

Random.org winner is....

Deanna said

tweet
http://twitter.com/#!/dlw447/status/102137465225220097
deannalw47 AT hotmail DOT com
xoxoxo

Wordless Wednesday-First Bath Together

2011-08-11T13:51:00.003-07:00

First bath with squirmy baby Brother. My cuties

Making Tuesday Tasty-Banana Cream Pie

2011-08-11T13:44:00.002-07:00

I'm behind on my posts this week and Blogger was unavailable for a bit so I guess it's tasty Thursday instead ;). I just had some seasonal banana cream ice cream that was yummy so I wanted to post a banana cream pie recipe too. I love banana cream pie! Enjoy

Crust

2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup mashed banana
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 large egg yolks
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 pounds total), peeled, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
print a shopping list for this recipe

preparation

For crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and mashed banana in large bowl to blend. Add unsalted butter and stir to moisten evenly. Press onto bottom and up sides of 10-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
Bake crust until set and pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.
For filling:

Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Gradually whisk in whipping cream and whole milk, then egg yolks. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add vanilla bean. Whisk over medium-high heat until custard thickens and boils, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in unsalted butter and vanilla extract. Discard vanilla bean. Transfer custard to large bowl; cool completely, whisking occasionally, about 1 hour.
Stir custard to loosen, if necessary. Spread 1 cup custard over bottom of prepared crust. Top with half of sliced bananas, then 1 cup custard, covering bananas completely. Repeat layering with remaining bananas and remaining custard. Chill banana cream pie until filling is set and crust softens slightly, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day. Cut pie into wedges and serve.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Banana-Cream-Pie-107728#ixzz1UkuLjJHy courtesy of epicurious.com

Friday Blog And Stalk Hop!

2011-08-05T13:47:00.002-07:00

I've linked up today over at Mrs. Marine for the Friday Stalk Hop and at Home Grown Families for the Friday Blog Hop! I'm excited to get to know more bloggers in the "community" and see what they're sharing! Just link up your blog, FB page, Twitter account, Blog feed, Networked blog and even Blog Frog over at the hop.

Please come by and say hi by leaving a comment and feel free to enter my giveaway if it's up your alley! Thanks everyone! And LINK up by following my Twitter, Facebook, and GFC to the right of the page.

Wordless Wednesday-Swim Lessons

2011-08-03T01:57:00.001-07:00

Big girl doing her swim lessons! Enjoy the rest of your Summer everyone.

Making Tuesday Tasty-Chicken Cutlets W/Herb Butter

2011-08-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

Can you say, yum? And easy peasy is always a favorite for moms! Have fun and make sure to invite me too. :) And if you don't want to use wine, you can always omit or substitute another acid like lemon or a flavored vinegar.

Ingredients

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
8 thin chicken cutlets (1 1/2 pounds total)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley or mint (or a combination)

Directions

Place flour in a shallow dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Working in batches, cook chicken until browned, 1 to 3 minutes per side, adding more oil to skillet as needed. Transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil.

Add wine and accumulated juices from chicken to skillet and boil until liquid has reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add chicken and turn to coat. Remove skillet from heat and swirl in butter and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

Milk Nursing Wear Review And Giveaway!CLOSED

2011-07-29T12:40:00.006-07:00

I am nursing my second baby and pretty much hate that I have to have a wardrobe that's dictated by breast feeding. I plan on nursing for the full first year at least so that means a whole lot of tank tops! I find that nursing tops can sometimes be unflattering, too expensive, and often times not very cute.

I found this modern and chic nursing top through Milk nursing wear called Sleeveless Crossover Nursing top in cerulean blue, and really wanted to try it out! I love V necks and crisscross style tops that are flattering. I am a short woman with a large bust so I need something to elongate my neckline. This sometimes poses a problem because if the V neck is too plunging I'm showing a lot of cleavage. With this nursing top, the lining is just enough to cover that and easy enough to move aside for nursing exposure.

What I love most of course is that with a nursing top like this, you are able to keep most of your body covered. You open the V part and move the lining aside, it's really simple and you don't have to pull your shirt up and expose your belly. A big plus with this nursing wear store! One more thing I really love is it's wash ability, it washes nicely and comes out wrinkle free and has maintained it's color over a few washes.

Would you like to win? I'm sure you do! See below and good luck!

Buy It!

You can buy a variety of nursing apparel like nursing tops, dresses, and bras at milknursingwear.com.

Win It!

One US resident will win a $40 certificate to purchase something they want from Milk Nursing Wear! Aren't you excited?

Mandatory Entry

Please go to milknursingwear.com AND find an item you like and would like to win. Grab the link and tweet it.

EX: "Check out this beautiful nursing top http://www.milknursingwear.com/store/pc/Everyday-tie-front-top-2p2112.htm". Post your tweet along with an email address I can contact you at and you're entered!

You do not have to be a blogger to enter this contest, but you do have to have a twitter account.

Extra Entry

Follow Milk on their twitter and leave your twitter name here for an extra entry.

Good luck every one! Contest ends August 14, 2011.

Growums.com Review

2011-07-28T20:51:00.006-07:00

Do your kids hate veggies? My daughter does pretty well but, there's definitely some that she hates and will try to avoid at all cost. I think she would do better to see and taste food from her own "garden" of veggies and herbs. I believe that by seeing how things grow and some of what goes into the process, she will be proud to eat her veggies!

Growums.com has the cutest little veggie packs ever. Can you tell I'm a mom? ha ha. I called Veggies cute. There are a number of different items a child can pick from to plant and tend to like a taco garden, salad garden, and herb garden. Isn't that cool? She thought it was really fun to be able to see little characters associated with vegetables. The Growums are characters created to associate children with different veggies. With names like Frank Cilantro, Eggbert Eggplant, and Regan O. the oregano plant. They each give a little description of what the veggie is and how it grows.

When you order your veggie pack, you get "cocoa pellets" that contain your soil, you get seed packs, and you get tags for each of your seed types. The instructions ask you to add water, and your seeds, and then register your garden online. If your child is big enough you can register them and yourself and help them interact online about their garden and it's growing stage.

I love that even though we live in Phoenix metro, we can still have a little garden for the kids to grow and tend. I grew up with gardens every Spring/Summer and loved the fresh from the garden taste of veggies. I actually always loved veggies and it's hard for me to choke down hot house food. With so many people and children not healthy in America right now, this is a perfect initiative to instill healthy choices in a child.

Winner Covillow Nursing Pillow!

2011-07-27T18:10:00.003-07:00

My random.org winner for the covillow nursing pillow is...

I follow you on google friend as well as K Rafoth :)

Love the Happy Blossoms!
krafoth@gmail.com

Congratulations! An email is being sent and you have 48 hours to respond. Thank you to everyone that entered!

Melanie

Wordless Wednesday-My Babies

2011-07-27T00:57:00.003-07:00

Making Tuesday Tasty-Pumpkin Ice Cream

2011-07-27T00:49:00.004-07:00

It's hot hot hot outside so here's a sweet recipe for my fellow pumpkin lovers. It can also help you dream about when it starts cooling down in the Fall!

Ingredients

1 cup milk (I used 1 1/2 %)
2 cups half-and-half cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
3 pita pocket bread (6-inch pitas)
cooking spray (Pam)
cinnamon stick (optional garnish)

Directions

Mix all ice cream ingredients in a bowl with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes, until sugar and honey are dissolved.

Turn on ice cream maker and pour ingredients into top. Let ice cream maker process for about 20-30 minutes and preferred consistency reached.

To make pita chips, heat oven to 350°F.

Mix together tbsp sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and 1/8 tsp ground cardamom.

Slice pita breads into 8 wedges each and place on cookie sheet.

Spray pita chips with cooking spray. Sprinkle sugar mixture generously over pita chips. Turn pita chips over. Spray other side with cooking spray and sprinkle with sugar mixture.

Bake in heated oven for 8-9 minutes.

To serve, scoop ice cream into dish and garnish with 2-3 pita chips and cinnamon stick if using.

*recipe courtesy of recipezaar*

Wordless Wednesday-My Nephew Is Here

2011-07-20T00:10:00.001-07:00

My nephew was born last week! Welcome to the world Joshua, your Aunty is happy you're here.

Making Tuesday Tasty-Roasted Potato Wedges With Lime Cilantro Mayo

2011-07-20T00:05:00.002-07:00

I love how creative people are about the grill. I currently have grill envy as I'm without a grill at my place and have actually gone over to my Sister's to grill my food ha ha. Here is a gourmet take on a side of fries and oh so yummy! I read somewhere recently that you can shave as much as 500 calories off your regular meals just by grilling and many people do it to lose weight. Basically the same idea as a popular indoor grill that's sold. ;) Lots of great Summer treats out there folks, have fun.

For potatoes:
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds baking potatoes (about 4 medium), each cut into 8 wedges

For cilantro-lime mayonnaise:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons grated lime 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
print a shopping list for this recipe

preparation

Roast potatoes:
Put a 4-sided sheet pan in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.
Stir cumin, oregano, and 3/4 teaspoon salt into oil in a large bowl. Add potatoes and toss. Arrange potatoes, cut sides down, in 1 layer in hot pan and roast, turning once, until golden, about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, make mayonnaise:
Stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro, lime zest and juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small serving bowl.
Serve potatoes with mayonnaise.

*recipe courtesy of epicurious.com*

Learning Link Technologies-Review

2011-07-18T00:07:00.006-07:00

I have a nephew that was diagnosed with ADHD when he was a young child in elementary school. He has struggled in a traditional school setting since before that time. As his aunt, I have been disheartened by the struggle I see not only in him not being able to perform certain requirements but, also by my Sister's frustration as well. This is a child that is smart and funny but, doesn't grasp things the same always as you and I do. He gets so completely frustrated, that he quits.

Learning Link Technologies is our last hope to help him while he is still in school to get the "tutoring" he needs to be successful. This review is slightly incomplete because I haven't used this system with him for a long period of time but, wanted to go over what I can with you so that you can see there is some hope out there! He has used these a few times and is slowly getting into a habit of using the patterns described in the DVD's. I am excited to see how this helps him with the new school year starting right around the corner.

If your child has any of these learning problems, please know that there is a way to help them at home. Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, ADD, ADHD, and some additional difficulties are addressed. The program was created to help a wide customer base and originated with Lisa Harp of Harp Learning Institute. There is also a free Dyslexia test and Dyscalculia testing.

I was very intrigued with the knowledge and understanding of these learning difficulties and how the brain works. How a child's brain is wired, is in turn how they will use it. Some children are even mixed dominance which causes them a number of problems "seeing" what they need to see and putting things together. Brain Retraining is what Learning Link does to assist children in reading, math, and other academics.

I am very impressed in the number of resources that they use, the number of years Ms. Harp has in experience, and the number of testimonials on the website there are about children that had a number of different learning problems and how they were helped.

If your child is struggling, please check them out and see if they are a right fit for you. This may be the answer you've been looking for and an end to many days, if not years of frustration for your child!

*Thank you to learning link technologies for providing DVD's for review*

Cold Seat-Review

2011-07-14T19:30:00.007-07:00

I live in AZ and we all suffer in the heat out here. I have a four year old and a baby that is four months old right now. He cries and cries when we get into the hot car and I feel so bad for him because the A/C in my car doesn't really do much for my kids in the back seat.

I have been trying to find something that would help with this, and came across Cold Seat. This is a seat designed by a mom for the very hot Summer days she has dealt with, with her own children. She developed this innovative design with the help of cold packs that are put into the freezer and used in coolers, etc.

I really loved the thought of this so I talked with her about it. I was sent a Cold Seat in the pink flowers design, and put it in the freezer right away. The next day, I took it out and used it in my sons seat while we were at church. The time lapse was just at three and a half hours. When I checked the cover, I noticed that all of the freezer packs were melted already and realized that the temperature was about 113 degrees F in the car. I wasn't really surprised because of just how hot it was and had been that day. After testing in this heat again, I would say the cool packs last about an hour to two hours. Definitely enough time to do some things like shopping, or going out to eat!

Likes

I like the patterns on the covers, there are masculine and feminine designs
I like the cool pack idea and that they are non toxic if ruptured
I like that it is easy to roll up and store in freezer
I love that it keeps the seat itself cool and prevents me from burning myself or my kids on the buckles!

Dislikes

The only downside to this really is that it doesn't last as long as I would like in the dead of Summer.

Wordless Wednesday-VCS 2011

2011-07-12T21:26:00.001-07:00

My daughter and her cousin singing at their Bible school program. I love that they can go and learn!

Covillow Nursing Cover-Review And Giveaway!

2011-07-11T23:40:00.008-07:00

I am nursing my second child right now and I have been playing around with different nursing covers. A few I have reviewed previously here on my blog. As I've said before I'm a modest nursing mama. I have no qualms with someone else nursing without a cover, I'm just uncomfortable doing it and only recently started to nurse my son in public with a cover.

I have the traditional cover that has the boning in the front so I can see baby. The strap goes around my neck and drapes down to the side of me. Those are great for quick nursing but, they tend to still show a little more than I'm comfortable with since my side and tummy gets exposed. So I found this awesome cover online called Covillow. I spoke to Candice Boehm the creator of this nursing cover and, she had the same thoughts about it that I did. She was motivated to create something that would give her full coverage as baby grows and tries to take off the cover. I know all nursing moms can relate to that! I chose a beautiful cover called Turquoise Dream and I'm really loving the softness of the materials and bold color to the cover.

So, why is this different than most nursing covers? Well, for me the obvious was the fact that it could be pulled over like a smock and covered my top half so baby could not pull it off of me. The other was the small pillow attached to the inside for comfort.

Likes

My experience with this nursing cover was very positive!
I loved the full coverage, I really liked the modern patterns that were available
I loved that the pillow could be used or removed and I saw a need for that as baby grows
I also loved that there was some light boning in the neck to allow me to see my baby and help him latch which is really difficult to do with many covers.
And, anyone that has read my blog knows that I'm all for the small mom run businesses that run our world!
They are handmade and 100% cotton!

Dislikes

The only dislike is unfortunately something that comes with the territory of my modesty and where I live(AZ), it can get pretty warm during a nursing session. It isn't the covers fault, it's just how it is.

Buy It!

You can purchase your own Covillow online in four great cover choices for only $59.95. Also, check them out on their Facebook.

Win It!

Considering breast feeding or already doing so? Want to win a beautiful nursing cover for your diaper bag? Covillow is allowing one winner to PICK their choice of nursing cover!

Rules

Go to Covillow and let me know which nursing cover you would pick. This is required and no other entry will be accepted if it's not completed. I need a way to contact you so you must leave your email in your entry so I can tell you you've won.

Extra Entries

Want to earn more entries? Follow me on Google Friend on the upper right corner. Follow me on twitter @kaiasmommy. Please leave a separate comment for all you do!

Contest ends July 26, 2011 at 11:59 pm AZ time. Good luck to everyone.

*I received a nursing cover to review and was not paid for my opinion*

Making Tuesday Tasty-Chipotle Pasta Salad

2011-07-11T22:44:00.002-07:00

I created an interesting salad the other day and it was so tasty that I thought I would write down what I made/what would have been super yummy in it. I am giving round about measurements because I think people should make things to taste. Some people like more cheese, tomato, adding corn etc. Have fun creating your own salad with this base recipe!

8 oz of elbow macaroni cooked

1/2 to 1 C of Kraft Chipotle mayonnaise

1 small can of mild green chilies

1/2 to 1 can of black beans rinsed

1 chicken breast cooked or 1 C of shredded chicken any form(I used rotisserie chicken dark/light meat)

1/4 of a red onion

6 to 8 oz of shredded cheese(I used Mexican blend but, you can use whatever)

1 tomato chopped if you like tomato

Preparation:

Boil elbow macaroni to al dente and rinse. Put into a bowl and add each of your ingredients except for the mayo. Blend well. Add 1/2 C of the mayo and stir in. Taste and if it's too dry continue to add mayo until it is the consistency that you want.

*I was not paid to reference this brand, it's what I found was tasty and used in the salad!*

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2011-07-05T23:31:00.002-07:00

Making Tuesday Tasty-Perfect Grilled Steak

2011-07-05T15:48:00.003-07:00

Steak! A lot of people love a great steak. Here are some tips for making your steak as perfect as you can. There are some great tips in this post that I gathered from jfolse.com. I loved them so I copied them to share with my readers. ENJOY!

RULES OF THE GRILL:

1. Choose the right steak.
The high, dry heat of grilling requires a tender cut of meat. It should be well-marbled (fat content within the grain of the meat). Thin (1 inch) is always better than thick (more than 3 inches).

2. Build the right fire.
Steaks need high heat to sear the meat and form a crust. To cook a thick steak such as a porterhouse or center cut rib-eye, you will also need a moderate heat zone to one side to finish the cooking without burning the outside. This is done by lighting your coals in the center of the pit. Once the coals are completely lit, rake a double thick layer over to one side of the grill and a single layer over to the other side. You should start cooking the steak when you can hold your hand over the hot zone for 2-3 seconds and over the moderate zone for 5-6 seconds. For gas grills, just turn one side down to medium.

3. Season to taste.
With steaks, you should keep the seasoning simple. Coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper from a mill and granulated garlic is best. However, some steaks such as flank or sirloin do well with flavorings such as herbs, soy sauce, Worcestershire, etc.

4. Know when and how to turn the steak.
Place the steaks on the grill at a 45° angle to the bars. Grill for 2 minutes, then rotate the steak 90° without turning over. This makes a nice crosshatch grill mark. You will know to flip the steak when you see tiny beads of blood beginning to form on the top, approximately 4-6 minutes for a 1" steak or 8-10 minutes for a 2" steak. The proper way to turn is with tongs or spatula. Never, ever, stab the meat with a fork, as this will cause all the juices to run onto the coals and create a flavorless, dry steak.

5. Never desert your post.
Remember, you're only grilling for a short time. Great steaks demand constant attention. Once they hit the grill, stay with them. Never forget the fact that, like polish on a mahogany table, a steak needs a pat of butter anointing it immediately upon leaving the grill. This rounds out the flavor, and it is a great time to re-season the meat with just a small pinch of salt & pepper. Try my herb butter for grilled steaks at the bottom of the page for a flavorful finish on the perfectly grilled steak.

6. Let it rest.
All steaks need to rest a few minutes before serving. The high heat tends to tighten the protein. Transferring the steak to a warm platter and letting it rest for 3 minutes will allow the juices to return to the center of the meat as it sits.

BEST STEAKS FOR GRILLING:
Rib-eye - Juicy and well-marbled.
Rib steak - A bone-in rib-eye, thicker than a normal rib-eye, but you all know how much more flavorful a steak on the bone can be.
Strip steak - Lean, meaty and firm texture.
Sirloin - Rich, red and meaty. Flavorful, but tends to be tough. Slice thinly when serving.
Porterhouse - Two steaks in one: a firm strip sirloin and a succulent tenderloin. Normally 2-3" thick.
T-bone - Similar to a Porterhouse, but the tenderloin is smaller.
Filet Mignon - Lean and tender; you can cut it with a fork.
Flank or Skirt Steak - From the underbelly of the steer. Highly flavorful, but tough and stringy. Cook medium rare; slice against the grain.

Z Curve Bow & Zing-Shot Launcher-Review

2011-06-29T15:39:00.003-07:00

My step son got a chance to have a great time with some new toys from ZING toys. He is eleven, almost twelve and loves to play with all sorts of things still. He definitely is a game console kid but, he also likes to play with his four year old sister and with his friends outside.

I showed him the toys and asked him what he thought. He thought they were "cool" and went outside to check them out. The Z-Curve bow and the Zing-shot launcher are all made with soft foam ammunition so these are safe for indoor and outdoor play. This is especially great for us these days as our temperatures go well above 100 degrees!

With the Zing-shot launcher the red "ammo" can shoot up to 45 feet with a quick load system designed for a friendly sling shot war between two active kids. He really liked the Z-Curve bow that enabled him to focus on a target and try to hit it. It's something he can do as target practice and something he can use to help with his aim. And of course, if he hits a person or animal by accident, no harm can come to them. That is something that I love as a parent!

One more thing I wanted to mention is that these are very affordable! The Z-Curve bow retails for $19.99 and the Zing-shot launcher retails for $9.99. Lots of Summer fun to be had.

Wordless Wednesday-New Friend

2011-06-29T01:37:00.003-07:00

Making Tuesday Tasty-Garlic Rosemary Pork Marinade

2011-06-28T00:54:00.003-07:00

I love grilling this time of year and I love some yummy garlic and herb marinades. Here is just one of many versions of this marinade. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 boneless pork loins
Mustard-garlic rosemary marinade:
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 cup minced shallots
5 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon minced lemon zest
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon chipotle chili sauce

Directions

Rinse the pork loin medallions, place in a bowl. Combine the marinade ingredients and coat the pork loin pieces evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours. Grill the loins for about 5 to 8 minutes on each side. As the pork cooks, brush with marinade. Transfer the pork to a heated dinner plate and serve at once.

*courtesy of foodnetwork.com*

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