Happy Cinco de Mayo!

What are you doing today? Will you be celebrating Cinco de Mayo?

Today is not Mexico's Independence Day, it actually celebrates a battle from 1862 when a small group of the Mexican army defeated the French in Puebla.

My husband's ancestry is Mexican and we will be celebrating tonight and this weekend (holidays on Tuesdays are the pits!)

I have a free printable for you! You can quickly download and print for your holiday display. This would be a great discussion starter for children interested in Mexico's history.

Tonight I will be getting together with my stitching group and I plan on making these churro cupcakes from Desert Chica. Don't they look so amazing?

And of course some fresh margaritas. I made these last weekend and they were insanely good. You can find the recipe on The Pioneer Woman (take her advice and add a bit more sugar in the blender unless you want them tart.)

Dipped S'mores Cupcakes - Oh My!

If you know me, you know I have a love affair with S'mores. I may go camping as much as I do just as an excuse to have them. The toasted marshmallows, the sweet chocolate and crunch of graham crackers. Oh my!

And you will also I know that I loooove cupcakes, but not such a fan of cake. Go figure.

This past week I made dipped s'more cupcakes that had my family and friends in tears of joy.
Want to make them?

This is not completely original, so I'm going to send you where you need to go for the recipes and give you the steps, ok?

1. Bake lots and lots of mini cupcakes (These are a big mouthful - eating a normal size cupcake would be crazy! Trust me on the mini size.) I used Hershey's Perfect Chocolate Cake recipe. And it is soo perfect! This made several dozen mini cupcakes. Bake and cool.

2. While it's cooling you can make the toasted marshmallow butter cream frosting. Don't use fluff - gag. Make it from scratch and you will be amazed by the difference! I used Cookie and Cups recipe. Now I won't lie - this is a messy endeavor, but way worth it! Frost the cupcakes high and mighty with a star tip.

3. Place frosted cupcakes in the freezer for 1 hour. While they are freezing, smash a few graham crackers. Take out the week's frustration on them with a mallet!

4. Now you will need 2 bags of Wilton's candy melts in the S'more flavor. I am not a fan of artificial flavor, it usually fails horribly. However these are so good - I could eat the bag of wafers all by myself. You need to slowly melt these either in the microwave or double boiler.

5.Take out your cupcakes, dip the tops in the melt and sprinkle crushed graham crackers on top. Allow to rest on the counter for a few minutes and you will see them magically harden.

6. Eat allll the S'more cupcakes!!!

Yummy! Hope you try these <3 p="">

The Babe Frittata

I love bacon. Doesn't everyone love bacon? Actually before I was pregnant with our son, I didn't eat pork. I don't think I touched it for over a decade. Pigs are super intelligent creatures and I didn't want to eat them. But you know, pregnancy cravings are a strong force to deal with and this baby boy wanted bacon. And so I caved..

My frittata recipe today is an homage to the delicious barn yard animal. There maybe a day I return back to my no pork ways, but for now.. yeah, I love bacon.

Babe Frittata
5 pieces of bacon, chopped
1 sweet potato - peeled and mandolin sliced with the 3mm blade
2 zucchini - sliced thinly (I peeled, but you could leave it on)
1 white onion, diced
6 large eggs
1/4 cup almond milk
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375
1.) Cook bacon in a large stock pot over medium heat until crispy - about 5-6 minutes. Pull bacon out and set aside.

2.) In the same stockpot, saute the sweet potato slices in the bacon grease. Cook for 7-9 minutes, or until the potato slices are a golden brown and soft to the touch. Pull potato slices out and set aside.

3.) In the same stockpot, cook zucchini and onion in the remaining bacon fat. If your veggies are sticking to the bottom of the pot, add about 1/8 cup of water to loosen the yummy bits. Cook for 6 minutes or until veggies have softened.

4.) Toss the bacon, potato and veggies into a 9" pie pan.

5.) Whip up the 6 eggs with the milk and pour into the pie pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to preferred taste.

6.) Place frittata in oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until eggs are set.

Enjoy! This is a delicious fall frittata. When I created this for dinner, I served it with a fresh butternut bisque. It was enjoyed by everyone - including the baby!

Paleo Carrot-Date Mini Donuts

In our family, Sunday means Catholic Mass first thing in the morning and Sunday School for both girls. The girl's favorite part? The donuts after! Eek! As much as I love supporting our Parish's Women's Group, regular gluten full donuts taste fabulous in my mouth and then my stomach cries for the rest of the day. But who wants to give up donuts? Not me!

I made these mini doughnuts with a Babycakes Nonstick Coated Donut Maker (affiliate link) that my daughter received as a gift. It's kind of like a George Foreman grill, but with doughnut shaped molds. If you would prefer to bake doughnuts over frying in grease, this is well worth your money!

Paleo Carrot-Date Mini Doughnuts
Recipe makes 2 dozen mini doughnuts

3/4 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
4 tbsp of ghee (what's ghee? check out what Alton Brown has to say)
4 tbsp maple syrup or honey
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup of raisins
1/4 cup chopped dates (don't get the ones covered in powdered sugar - just chop whole, pitted dates)
1/2 minced ginger

1.) In a medium bowl combine almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
2.) In a separate bowl whisk eggs, ghee, maple syrup, carrot, raisins, dates and ginger.
3.) Gently fold the mixed dry ingredients into the doughnut batter.
4.) Fill each mini-doughnut mold with 1 1/2 tbsp of batter. This doesn't sound like much, but 2 tbsp will overflow. Trust me.. I know
5.) Bake for 4-5 minutes and then enjoy them hot! These are sweet, buttery morsels that need no glaze. My kids wouldn't stop asking for more.

Healthy doughnut? Check!

Magic Mike Frittata - Mostly Paleo..

Folks, this recipe started with the most innocent of beginnings. We are nearing the end of our groceries and I was scrounging around to see what I could make for dinner. This family expects dinner every night - crazy, I know. I had one glorious butternut squash and  I started searching on Pinterest, looking for some tasty inspiration. I wasn't sure what I was going to make yet, but I knew it started with a oven roasted butternut..

And I guess my picture on Instagram.. Looked suggestive..

I started thinking that healthy food can be sexy! Eating right doesn't mean a life of cardboard for dinner, it can be hot and yummy. And you'll find that once you are eating right and exercising, that area of your life will actually improve. It's awesome to be able to eat a delicious dinner and not feel bloated for the next two hours.

This frittata is probably only semi- Paleo. Is chorizo Paleo? I don't know.. Is cheese Paleo? Nope, but it is a very small amount and can easily be left out. This is a very spicy meal and your kiddos will probably want a 44oz water to go with it.. you may want to make them something different for dinner.

Magic Mike Frittata
1 butternut squash
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 lb of chorizo sausage
1 white onion, chopped
4 cups of baby spinach
7 large eggs, whisked
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 avocado, sliced
2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds

1.) Preheat oven to 350. Slice butternut in half and scoop out seeds. Foil a cookie sheet and spread the coconut oil around. Lay the squash down and bake for 1 hour.

2.) Let squash cool, peel and chop into large chunks. Place 3 cups of cubed squash into a 9" pie dish, any remaining squash can be used for another recipe.

3.) Raise the oven temperature to 400.

4.) In a large saucepan, brown the chorizo and drain excess fat - there will be a ton! Toss in the chopped onion and spinach. Cook until the spinach is nice and wilted, then gently add to the butternut squash in the pie pan. Add whisked eggs to batter.

5.) Sprinkle cheese on top of frittata batter (or leave out if you are dairy-free). Top cheese with a circle of avocado slices and toasted pumpkin seeds.

6.) Bake for 20 minutes or until the eggs have set.

Enjoy! Your dinner will be delicious and leave you feeling satisfied..

Fall Abundance Muffins

After every birth, it takes me awhile to get back into good eating habits. What can I say? When I'm pregnant I let the cravings rule me and when I'm nursing/pumping I enjoy that fudge room. After baby #3 though, my weight didn't fall off quite as easy (I'm still struggling). I don't worry about the numbers much anymore, but I do want to be healthy. I want my children to understand that eating clean is a vital, daily practice. We shouldn't diet to fit into a certain dress, we should honor our bodies and protect ourselves from disease. 

Our family has moved back into a semi-Paleo way of eating. The kids cry when I make cauliflower "rice", so now I make the real thing. But we no longer have pasta in our life, I've hooked everyone on zoodles. It's this balance I'm always trying to achieve. My husband and I still have our weekend nachos with plenty of beer. I've rationalized this in my head that health is balance of happy body and soul -- nachos feed my soul.

With the holidays right around the corner, I know it will be harder to achieve this balance. I want to drink and eat all things pumpkin. My children want to plow through the holiday sweets. And all that soul happiness will make us sluggish and open to sickness. Balance, balance, balance. I've decided to return to creating recipes. I don't have much free time now with homeschooling three kiddos, but they do expect to eat every day! 

This "Fall Abundance" muffin is my second attempt and I could easily tweak it some more. Have fun with it. Use it as a base recipe and come up with some of your own. I think I may try a cinnamon apple mix-in next week. It's pretty much completely Paleo - well at least as Paleo as we get. All the ingredients should be there in your local grocer - nothing out of the norm. It is not a sweet Starbuck's cupcake pretending to be a muffin. This is a powerhouse of protein that will energize you on that chilly morning!

Fall Abundance Muffins - makes 1 dozen muffins
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3 large eggs
3/4 cup pureed pumpkin
1 tsp almond extract
3 tsp maple syrup
1/8 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup unsweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 tsp nutmeg

1.) Preheat oven to 350F and prepare a regular sized muffin tin.
2.) In a medium bowl combine almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
3.) In a separate bowl mix eggs, pumpkin, almond extract and 1 tsp maple syrup. Gently add to the dry ingredient bowl and mix until they are well combined.
4.) Heat a small pan on low, tossing the slivered almonds and nutmeg together. Warm the seasoned almonds for about 5 minutes or until they've become aromatic.
5.) Carefully add the dried cranberries and remaining 2 tsp of maple syrup. The syrup may splatter in the pan, so please keep little ones away from the stove during this step.
6.) Fold the almond and cranberry mixture into the muffin batter. Fill your muffin tins about 2/3 up - these muffins do not rise.
7.) Bake for 25 minutes and then enjoy!

Again - these are not super sweet. They won't replace your favorite pumpkin chocolate-chip loaf, but they are so healthy for you and such a yummy bite of fall!

Spicy Chocolate Brownies Recipe

When Kiddo was just a baby, I had an online bakery and kept busy entering culinary contests. I've always loved to be in the kitchen and in my younger days, I dreamed of becoming a pastry chef. However, the hours are long and the stress is high - not my ideal profession. I do not create recipes nearly as often these days with the three children at my feet, but I know one day I'll return to this passion. This brownie recipe is one that I created a few years back and actually had for sale. One of my clients made this into a regular dessert at their restaurant. It's spicy, full of chocolate and deliciously rich. It is the perfect treat to make for Valentine's Day (which is just a little over a month away!!)

Kick You In The Pants Till You're Nutty Brownies

* 1 cup butter, softened

* 2 cups of white sugar

* 4 large eggs

* 1 tsp. vanilla extract

* 1 1/4 cups flour

* 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

* 1/2 tsp. baking powder

* 1/2 tsp chipotle or chili powder

* 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

* 1/4 tsp. salt

* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts OR slivered almonds

Frosting:

*1/2 cup butter, melted

* 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

* 2 cups powder/confectioner sugar

* 1/2 tsp. chipotle or chili power

* 1 tsp. vanilla extract

* 2 tbsp. milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13" pan.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and chipotle powder. Gradually stir into the butter mixture until incorporated. Spoon into greased pan and gently spread mini chocolate chips on top. Bake for 35 minutes.

To make the frosting, beat butter, cocoa, powder sugar, chipotle powder, vanilla and milk in a large mixing bowl at medium speed until ingredients are moistened. Spread over the baked brownies and top with nuts.

Enjoy!

I know you will love these and would love to hear if you make them.

Happy New Year!

XO,
Jenny

Cold Porcelain - Recipe, Tips and a Christmas Ornament

When I first began searching Pinterest for clay ideas, I ran across one called "cold porcelain" a few times. For some reason, the name kind of rubbed me the wrong way and I didn't pay it too much attention. I think I randomly categorized it as a child's clay or a play-dough alternative. And well, it can be those, but it is also an amazing air dry clay that you can create for just a few dollars and it is very versatile! I created the mended heart in the ornament above from it. I'm going to tell you how to make it and give you some tips along the way.

To make cold porcelain you need:

1 cup of corn starch

1 cup of school glue 

(if measuring glue sounds fun, let me spare you some messy grief.. you basically need 2 full bottles of the regular sized glue as show below)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp mineral oil, or baby oil, or a kitchen oil

(i was given a ton of baby oil with all three of my babies and i never use it on them - so that is what i used)

Lotion - for kneading

*This is a microwave version, you can absolutely cook it on the stove over low heat. Whatever utensils and/or pots that are used, please use them for crafts only and do it use them for food.

1.) In a microwave safe container, mix the glue, oil, and lemon juice together with a disposable spoon. Then add the corn starch and carefully mix together until well blended. It will resemble something like curdled cream.

If you have children that love to help, this is the best step for them to be involved.

2.) Place the mixture in the microwave and heat for 30 seconds. Quickly take it out and mix it well with your spoon. You will do this a couple of times.

How long? Well.. a number of recipes I found on the internet gave me all sorts of intervals and it always undercooked my clay. Here is my advice, you need to pay more attention to what the clay is doing rather than how many times it has been in the microwave. The clay will be ready when it is pulling from the sides of the container, it will have a matte sheen and hold a stiff peak. It roughly takes me 2 minutes total, but please pay more attention to the clay then time.

3.) Once the clay is well cooked, it will be super duper hot. Like Hades hot.. and you have to knead it. Don't let the kiddos help with this. Cover your hands well with lotion - this help the clay from sticking to you and it helps with the intense heat of the clay. Knead, knead, knead. You can do it on a lotioned up piece of saran wrap as seen below. Your clay will have a delightful, slightly elastic texture to it. Wrap it up in the saran wrap and place in an air tight container. Let it rest overnight in the fridge and you can play with it tomorrow!

Since this is an air-dry clay, you must try to keep it wrapped up tight. It can last for several weeks if well protected.

It will dry completely in 24-48 hours. Don't try to manipulate it during the drying process or it will become vulnerable to cracks and breaks.

It will be a translucent cream when dry unless you add pigment to it. You can color it with acrylics, oils or chalks. You can also paint it after it has dried. The heart I created was painted after the drying process.

Since this is an air-dry clay, there is considerable shrinkage during the drying process. I've never had a piece crack or break, but your optimum minimum thickness in my opinion would be 1/8-1/4" thick. Definitely something to consider if you like to use an armature. I am happiest with its use in molds or moldings without armatures.

It is a great clay to play with and because it is so relatively inexpensive, this is a great clay to use with children. I think it has amazing potential for more sophisticated art pieces as well.

I hope you will give the recipe a try and please let me know if you have trouble. My first batch was a messy, gigantic failure that occurred right before the baby woke from a nap. FUN! And if that happens to you, just try again. The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to really mind the consistency changes of the clay during the heating process. You want it matte, pulling away from the container and stiff peaks!

Happy holidays!
xo,
Jenny

Easter Cupcakes!

Mmm... Easter treats by far are my absolute favorite! I love the colors, I love chocolate and honestly I do enjoy nibbling the ears off milk chocolate bunnies. I've been searching Pinterest for some cupcakes to knock my socks off. I love single serving desserts -- helps me with portion control and it's really easy to ship the rest off with my husband to work the next day.

As I was searching on Pinterest, I mentioned these Cadbury Egg Cupcakes to my hubby and he was literally drooling before I could finish my sentence. He's a Cadbury Egg maniac! Well my short search was over, I don't think I would be allowed to make anything else. These amazing creations were created by Pizzazzerie - head on over for the recipe.

Now what color to decorate them with?? 

Hungry Quilter #5 - I Saw Elvis Eating Overnight Oats!

Have I yet to convince you that overnight oats are amazing? I know I'm kind of harping on them, but I can't stop thinking of new ways to create them. I love starting my morning with a healthy meal, it really sets the tone for the rest of my day. When my best Bestie, Karen - aka Desert Deals Diva, requested that I try a peanut butter mixture, I instantly thought of the King's favorite.. peanut butter & banana sandwiches. With that, I humbly present..

I Saw Elvis Eating Overnight Oats

1/2 cup old fashion oats
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (you can substitute with any type of milk you prefer)
1 1/2 tbsp peanut butter (any nut butter or sesame paste will work)

1 tbsp chopped peanuts
1 tbsp chopped banana

2 tbsp chopped dates
1 tbsp chia seeds
dash of banana extract
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1.) In a mason jar gently combine oats, milk, peanut butter, peanuts, banana, dates, seeds, and banana extract. Seal the lid and pop it in to the fridge.
2.) In the morning it will be a tad dense. Add the yogurt and stir till combined.
3.) Enjoy! Try not to be alarmed if your hips start swinging and you break out in a 50's musical.

The Hungry Quilter #4 - Tropical Overnight Oats

I am completely obsessed with the overnight oats right now. It's a beautiful thing! It's low cost, healthy, and I promise you that it tastes sooooo much better than that over processed, fake oatmeal (and I used to LOVE that!) 

The key for me is to remember the night before to make it.. This tropical version is my all time favorite so far!! I tried a pumpkin/apple that was okay, but not worthy of recreating. But this tropical one..oh yeah, baby it's worth making - you will love every bite..

Tropical Overnight Oats
1/2 cup old fashion oats
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (you can substitute with any type of milk you prefer)
2 tbsp chopped cashews
2 tbsp dried tropical fruits (papaya, pineapple, mango)

2 tbsp chopped dates
1 tbsp chia seeds
dash of banana extract
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1.) In a mason jar gently combine oats, milk, cashews, tropical fruit, seeds, and banana extract. Seal the lid and pop it in to the fridge.
2.) In the morning it will be a tad dense. Add the yogurt and stir till combined.
3.) Enjoy your quick to a tropical island..

The Hungry Quilter - #3 Blueberry Crumble Overnight Oats

I've always been a fan of a breakfast. I wake up hungry! Kiddo doesn't seem to need to eat till the afternoon, but Baby wakes up starving too. I've been on the look out for more clean eating recipes for breakfast as there are only so many egg whites I can happily eat. I've been seeing lots of overnight oat recipes and thought I would create one of my own. It is scrumptious and was devoured by my kids quickly!

Blueberry Crumble Overnight Oats
1/2 cup old fashion oats
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (you can substitute with any type of milk you prefer)
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
2 tbsp dried blueberries
2 tbsp chia seeds
dash of cinnamon
dash of agave
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1.) In a mason jar gently combine oats, milk, walnuts, blueberries, seeds, and cinnamon. Seal the lid and pop it in to the fridge.
2.) In the morning it will be a tad dense. Add the dash of agave and yogurt, and stir till combined.
3.) Enjoy the deliciousness and healthy start to your day!

A Sweet Easter

Happy Easter! Sorry for the late post, but I've been enjoying this beautiful Sunday with my sweet family. Did you have a wonderful day? We sure did! I love Easter- I love dyeing eggs, hiding them for my kids to find, the delicious candy, the beautiful little dresses and bonnets, and a Mass full of promise.

We dyed our eggs last night, nothing like waiting till the last minute. Right now though, Kiddo is the only one old enough to really help dye and her attention span is.. well that of a 4 year old.. I think we were done in about 30 minutes.

And the blurry picture below, yeah that about sums up our morning (and yes Kiddo is in Christmas pajamas and Baby is in Thanksgiving pajamas.. that's how we roll). It actually was one of the sweetest mornings ever. My husband and I awoke to the sounds of Kiddo squealing with delight and gathering the eggs as fast as she could. Luckily Baby awoke soon after and was able to grab a few eggs as well.

We quickly rounded them up and headed off to Mass for a sweet sermon and yet another egg hunt. 

And one more picture of my Kiddo with the Easter Bunny.. Baby was sobbing in Daddy's arms.

I didn't even come close to eating clean today. I adore Easter candy and have been looking forward to my brunch at the Market Street Grill. It was a yummy day! To top it off, I made the Hubby and I some martinis. We had a ton of grapefruits and not sure what to do with them. I don't particular enjoy eating them, but I have issues with wasting food. The answer? Pink grapefruit martinis!

Pink Grapefruit Martinis
2 oz Absolut Citron
2 oz ginger ale
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh grapefruit juice
1/2 tablespoon grenadine
sugar cube

1.) Place a sugar cube at the bottom of a martini glass.
2.) Fill a martini shaker with ice and remaining ingredients, then shake-shake-shake and pour.
3.) Enjoy.. mmmm

Well yeah it didn't make a dent in our grapefruit supply, but it sure was yummy!
Happy Easter!

The Hungry Quilter - #1 Tropical Mock Lara Bars

Some background...
I've decided to add a new segment to the blog called "The Hungry Quilter". I've always been a cooking enthusiast and for quite some time I had planned on becoming a pastry chef. I had a small bakery on Etsy while Kiddo was an infant and entered into countless cooking contests before Baby was born. Now I cook just for fun and well because the family expects dinner every night!

Last year I researched clean eating and feel in love. I lost weight quickly and in a healthy manner. It was amazing to see the impact on my family as well. My eldest daughter's digestion issues were radically improved in just a week and my husband enjoyed dropping the pounds without trying. It was easy for me to stay on track since I was training for a number of athletic events. When you are spending precious time training, you really don't want to eat garbage. Then our winter hit and I had a bad experience running.. I stopped exercising and enjoyed junk food for about 6 months. My weight went up 15#'s, my mood was not nearly as positive, and I watched sadly as both of my daughters return to suffering from reflux and other digestion issues.

Enough.
It's spring time, it's time to train again for events, and it's time to permanently change our eating habits. I'm hoping that the more clean eating recipes I learn and create, the more likely I am to stay on track. My regular quilt/crochet/life posts will continue in the mornings with the food related ones in the evening. I hope that you will be inspired to try clean eating and see what a difference it can make in your life. I promise the food will taste good. I loooove food and won't eat something that doesn't taste delicious.

I love Lara bars! If you look at their ingredient list, you will recognize every one listed. There are no harmful chemicals or junk. My only complaint is that at $1/bar (and our family loves them!), they quickly make a large dent in our grocery budget. The answer? Make your own!

I didn't come up with the basic recipe, if you Google for Lara bar recipes you will find plenty! Here is my take on a tropical bar.

Tropical Mock Lara Bar
2/3 cup chopped dates (plain dates, not dipped in sugar or anything like that)
1/2 cup dried mango slices
2/3 cup plain cashews (again..plain..no extra salt or anything)
a dash of unsweetened coconut flakes
a smaller dash of banana extract (probably not "clean", but it's a teensy insy drop)

Steps
1.) In a food processor, chop up the dates and mango slices until it forms a gooey paste. Remove from the processor and set aside.
2.) In the same processor (but you don't have to bother cleaning it first), chop up the cashews until they are good and small.
3.) In a medium bowl, mash the date mix with the cashews chunks. Sprinkle in just a pinch of coconut flakes and just a drop or two of the banana extract. Mash it up until it is well blended and sticks together; I use my hands for this step.
4.) Roll out the mixture and slice into bars. Wrap the individual bars with cellophane and toss into the fridge.

I love these for the super rushed mornings when I know I'll be tempted to stop for an artery busting breakfast sandwich. The kiddos love them too and are pretty sure they are a treat!

My Sweet Bumpy Road Pie

Where Women Cook has a call open for “pieographies” – to tell your life story through a pie. My pie? My Sweet Bumpy Road – a yummy spin on a rocky road pie. Rocky road is one of my favorite taste combinations and it is a fitting description for our family.

What is life like while juggling aspirations to be a designer, raising two adorable daughters, and keeping the home fires alive? It is a sweet and chaotic life. Each day is full of laughter, tears, ups and downs. Each day I am thankful for the blessings I have and work hard to keep it all together.

I am awful at balance though it is something I strive for. There are times when I’m convinced that I have mothering down to a science and minutes later I’m pretty sure I’m the meanest mom on the block. I’m not Supermom, but I do try to be my daughters’ hero. I want them to know that even though their mom spends hours of the day working instead of playing with them, I’m working for them. I want them to remember the sweet moments of their childhood. I want them to realize that even though life is not fair, the sweetness outweighs the struggles we face.

Our lives are bumpy and fraught with obstacles, but each and every day I see my children smile and hear them laugh.

Everyday is sweet.

My Sweet Bumpy Road Pie

(2) packages of chocolate pudding/pie filling

2 cups of milk

(1) 8oz. container of Cool Whip

1 cup of mini marshmallows

15 graham cracker squares

1/2 cup pecan pieces

1.) Beat the chocolate pie filling with 2 cups of cold milk for about 2 minutes.

2.) Gently fold in 1 1/2 cups of Cool Whip and 1 cup of mini marshmallows.

3.) Crush the graham cracker squares into the bottom of pie dish.

4.) Fill the pie dish with chocolate pudding mixture.

5.) Swirl the remaining Cool Whip over the pie.

6.) Top the pie with the pecan pies.

7.) Refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight.

Another Recipe Without a Video

This past week was the final week

for Philadelphia's Cooking Creme Challenge.

And alas, I did not have time to submit.

I figured I entered the first two weeks, so that gives me a decent shot.

I really try to not let my cooking and craft contests

interfere with my family or Etsy work.

But we all gotta eat, right?

So I did come up with a recipe for the final flavor, Santa Fe.

It's not fancy, but it's pretty tasty

and it's quick (about the length of time a baby will happily sit in a swing).

Here is my

We All Gotta Eat - Santa Fe Pasta

*1 Tbsp. EVOO

*8 ounces of spiral pasta

*1 medium white onion, chopped

*1 tsp red pepper

*1 lb. lean ground beef

* 1 tub Philadelphia Cooking Creme - Santa Fe Flavor

* 14.5 oz can of chopped tomatoes

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to directions on package

(boil water, drop in, cook, drain..you know the drill)

2. While your pasta is cooking, in a large stockpot

heat EVOO over med-high heat.

3.Add onions to the pot, and saute until softened.

(about 5-7 minutes..don't scorch them!)

4. Add ground beef and red pepper to the pot.

Cook until browned.

5. Mix in Cooking Creme and chopped tomatoes.

Cook until heated through.

6. Toss in pasta and mix until well combined.

7. Enjoy!

I'M PUBLISHED

I know my ethusaism may be hard to read,

but I'm SUPER EXCITED!!

((Doing goofy happy dance!!))

I didn't even rank, but Taste of Home named

my pub onion rings as a honorable mention!

I received my free TOH Cookbook yesterday which was a happy surprise,

but TODAY,TODAY,TODAY

I got my complimentary issue of the magazine..

With MY recipe in it..

There is the mag

And there is my name and recipe!

As I mentioned.. I'm only slightly excited..

It is my first ever *cooking* related publicized mention.

After doing this for less than a year with a large maternity break,

I'm pretty proud.

OK..

tooting of horn is completed.

Back to my normal schedule of poopy diapers, ungrateful toddlers,

and large stack of dishes..

P.S. Did I mention I was in a magazine??

Time Out For Cookies

I take my Holiday cookies seriously.. very seriously. I have all this coming Saturday blocked out to bake and watch my favorite holiday flicks: "A Christmas Story", "It's A Wonderful Life", and "Elf".

My daughter is still a little too young to make sugar cookies with, she's barely 21 months. I really wanted to find a way to include her in one of my favorite holiday activities. As if Twitter read my mind, I came across this posting about pie crusts cookies. And in my freezer I have an obscene amount of pie crusts, why I do not know..but I do!

This is the *perfect* baking activity for a toddler! It's low mess, quick, and a great way to introduce your littlest baker into the kitchen.

(recipe courtesy of Rachel Hobson over at Craftzine)

1. Leave pie crusts out till the are room temperature. Roll out very thinly on a lightly floured

surface. Pre heat oven to 350.

2. Cut out fun holiday shapes with cookie cutters.

3. Brush cookies with melted butter.

4. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

5. Bake for about 17 minutes & enjoy!

** 10% All Etsy orders till 12/15 - enter code "Cookies" in the notes to seller. **

Insane Goodness

While surfing the Internet today for new ideas,

I came across this recipe/tutorial that could only be defined as a gift from the Gods!

Pie in a jar

Go to their site.. right now.. Did you go?

Do you have buckets of drool on your keyboard now?!

This is my primo family project for December. I'm thinking some kind of apple cobbler for the weekend we drag out the Christmas decorations and set up the first fire.

Hope you enjoy - now go wipe your mouth!