{Pumpkin}

So I haven't posted in months! I know...ridiculous. And this post isn't going to be anything fabulous...sorry.

But I had to share this delicious, super easy recipe that is just perfect for fall.

Pumpkin Pancakes...YUMMY. The girl loves them and I have to say...I do too!

Hope you enjoy

Ingredients:

2 cups dry boxed pancake mix (I used Krusteaz whole wheat)
1.5 cups water
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
powdered sugar

Spray non-stick spray onto pan and preheat on medium/high heat.

Mix pancake mix and water until well blended. Add pumpkin and cinnamon and continue to mix. I also use a little bit of pumpkin pie spice (just because I have it) and just sprinkled a little in. If the mix is too thick you can add mater water until the right consistency.

Cook just like cooking a regular pancake.

When done, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Delicious! Such a fun way to enjoy fall. Now all we need is some fall weather :)

Recipe Quick and Easy Pumpkin Pancakes

{Yikes}

So it happened. Something that I never ever thought would happen to me. Not me. I'm way to prepared for this kind of stuff but well it happened.

I ran out of diapers.

I knew our diaper stash was getting low and was in need of a replenishment STAT. I knew I should have spent the morning heading to the store to stock up on those precious disposables for my unpotty trained dolly. I knew.

What I didn't know is what was going to happen next. What I didn't know is that when the girl awoke from her nap and I placed her very last diaper on her and proceeded to gather all of our belongs for a trip to the store was that she would do the unimaginable...POOP. That's right. Right there...in our very last no more to be accounted for anywhere diaper. And imagine my elation when I found out that it wasn't a very nice solid if you will but the other kind that you pray stays in the diaper until you rush said baby with diaper to the changing table. To top it all off...the stench was something that could parallel that of a dumpster trunk. Yikes.

So what did I do. Well I threw her in the car and ran to the store as fast as I could. Yes. We received many glares for what I imagine was a shocking site...a mom in sweaty gym clothes, afraid to take her sunglasses off for fear of being recognized and a daughter with a t-shirt and diaper on. Oh, and don't forgot the lovely fragrance that we were totting around with us.

Oh what a day. I guess it really is true that life is unpredictable. And that life as a mom will give you experiences that you never...in your worst nightmare...thought were possible.


On another note...tonight we are going to try this....Salsa Chicken Soft Tacos . I saw this recipe over on a friends blog and it sounds delish...not to mention easy :) That's my kind of meal. I'll let you know how it turns out!

{Chicken Pasta Salad}

So I've debated for awhile on whether or not to share this. You see this is one of my "signature" dishes and once the secret is out everyone will be onto me with how truly easy it is!

But I decided that it is so good that I just could not keep the secret from my friends any more. This makes such a great side dish for a BBQ, Baby shower, Bridal shower etc etc. And it is so very simply.

What you'll need:
1 bag Tri Colored Pasta (you can really use any pasta I just like this for the color!)
1 pound Boneless Skinless Chicken
1 bundle of Purple Grapes
1 Jar Mayonnaise (You will need about 15 oz. I like to use the light just to keep the calories down a bit :) )
Adobe Seasoning
Assortment of Seasoning (pepper, salt, oregano)

To start, season chicken with Adobe Seasoning and grill on stove. I like to use a little olive oil in the bottom of the pan. Set aside to cool.

Next, cook Pasta and drain. While pasta is cooking cut grapes into 4ths (cut more for large grapes). Then once chicken is cool cut into bite size pieces. I like to use my kitchen scissors for this. Mix the chicken, pasta and grapes in a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise (you may need to add more to taste). Finally, sprinkle with adobe seasoning and rest of the assortment of seasonings. This is really the only "tricky" part if you will and will only be tricky for those of you who really like exact measurements. I simply add the seasoning, mix and then taste. And add more seasoning as needed.

Place pasta salad in the refrigerator to cool and thats it! It is a delicious, refreshing and I think very summery salad. The secret is in the Adobe seasoning. It gives such a nice flavor! You can find it in your grocery store usually in the ethnic food isle.

Bon appetit!



I to like Share!
Bella Before and After
Tatertots and Jello

{Honestly?!?}

Ok so I feel it is necessary to prelude this post by stating that I know I am not perfect...I never plan to be perfect...nor do I care to be perfect...that's how we learn right? However, this I just find out of control.

I recently came across a family that had a two year old and I was able to watch their breakfast habits. The mother decided on oatmeal for her toddler....I thought to myself good choice. Nice, wholesome, non sugary breakfast for a toddler who is in a prime time of growing! What came next was just beyond me...That nice bowl of plain, wholesome, actually good for you oatmeal was turned into an awful, teeth rotting, makes my stomach hurt bowl of junk. Said mom added an entire cartoon of whole milk....which I know what you are thinking...what's wrong with that? Ok...well what's wrong with that is that on top of the sugar in the milk she also added not 1, not 2, not even 3 but 7 packets of sugar!!!! You read it correctly....7! And to top it off she handed her child 8 oz of whole strength juice! I cringed at the thought of Averee eating this. Not only would she probably be a beast from the extreme sugar high she would be on but the thought of the awful nutritional habits I would be teaching her at such a young age. Ahhhh...Makes me want to scream!

Now I am guilty myself of sweetening my child's food a little. I have been known to added a little honey or maple syrup to things to get her to eat them. But when I say little I mean a drop! A small, teeny, tiny amount. And whole strength juice....Ummmmm I can count on my right hand the amount of times Averee has had whole strength juice. Her typical drink consists of 7 oz of water with about 1 oz of juice. And this actually came to my advantage when she was sick last month because to help avoid dehydration I needed her to drink so I mixed her juice at 50% juice and 50% pedialyte...She downed it!

I am also a huge believer in breakfast. I believe it starts your day out and that this one single meal can really determine how you will feel for the rest of your day. I find it especially important with a child....so young...to have have a healthy start.

Would you like to know how I prepare Averee's oatmeal? Well I start with plain organic baby oatmeal. I add about 1 ounce of a baby food veggie and about 2 ounce of baby food fruit (yes I still buy Earth's Best Organic baby food just for this purpose). I add a little bit of warm water and mix it all up. She loves it and not only is she getting a fruit and whole grain serving for breakfast but she is also getting a veggie serving without even knowing it.

So please...whatever you do...remember that if you teach your children at a young age what food tastes like without all the "extras" you will be helping them to create a lifetime of healthy nutritional habits.

And now I shall step down from my soap box.

{Tomato Soup} Oh, the possiblities.

Tomato soup. I'm a fan. I always have been. I remember growing up and cooking tomato soup with a nice grilled cheese sandwich, dunking said sandwich until every last drop was gone. Mmmmmm.

My absolute favorite way to eat this delectable soup is served over a nice bowl of elbow noodles. Yummmmm.

It is a simple, hearty yet healthy meal. And guess what...Averee loves it too!

Here's are some of the great benefits of tomato soup...

• Lycopene. Tomatoes are packed full of this and the great part about that is it has been linked to helping protect the body against cancer!
• Chromium. Tomatoes contain this mineral which helps to regulate blood sugar.
• No saturated fat or cholesterol. Plus it is low in calories.
• Tomatoes help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.

When I make our yummy elbow (sometimes shells!) macaroni and tomato soup I add a can of fat free milk to the soup to make it a little more creamy while also giving us a nice dose of calcium. I then sprinkle some cheese on top for a bit of protein. And finally I add a little dash of crushed red pepper for some spice (of course I leave this off of Averee's).

Tomato Soup with Shells.

Yum.

She loves it so much that I couldn't even get her to smile. She was too busy bringing the spoon to her mouth for the next bite.

Not only is it yummy and healthy but it is very inexpensive too! For one can of soup and 1 box of noodles (which I usually can use that one box for about 3 meals) I spend around $2.50. Not too shabby.

Another rendition of this deliciousness is with diced tomatoes instead of tomato soup.

Bon Appetit!



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**I like to share**

{Alligator Cake} Tutorial

With it being Breast Cancer Awareness month and all I thought that it would be a great time to share my how to for making an AMAZING {Pink} alligator cake. I created this for Averee's first birthday because every little girl deserves a pink gator for her birthday!

Since a first birthday is essentially the last of a babies first (what you think I'm being dramatic?!?) I wanted needed something fantastic...something incredible...I mean my little girl was turning 1! This was my baby's right of passage into toddlerhood! We already knew that the theme was anything and everything Pink...which I really dont' think you can go wrong with. But I was stumped on what to do for her cake. Finally it hit me....her most favorite thing in the whole world is her stuffed alligator so it made sense that she needed an alligator cake and well the pink part was just an obvious. I went to about 1000000 bakeries to ask them to design this for me. They either laughed or said it would be at least $75. Yikes! So I figured what the heck...I'll give it a shot and worst case is it turns out awful.....at least Av wouldn't remember it!

To start you will need:

• 3 boxes of cake mix (any flavor)
• decoraters icing
•  Wilton 12-Inch Featherweight Decorating Bag
•  Decorating Tip-#1M Star
• bundt baking pan
• 9x13 baking pan
• mini marshmallows
• 1 package gummy fish
• toothpicks
•  Wilton 19-by-13-Inch Cake Board, 6-Pack
WILTON GEL ICING COLOR SET 601-5582

Mix boxes of cake as directed. I did this is 3 separate bowls so that I could precisely measure. Place one mix in bundt baking pan, one in 9 x 13 baking pan and use last one to make a batch of cupcakes. Bake and then let cool.

Once cake has cooled you can begin forming your alligator. Starting with the bundt cake cut it into 3rds. These 3 pieces will form the body of your cake. Place them together on the center of your board (I covered by board in aluminum foil first) to form a spiral (see photo below). Next take your 9 x 13 sheet cake. This is going to become your alligators head and tail. Cut cake into a triangle with a flat top (for the nose). Place remaining pieces aside. Place alligator "head" (the flat triangle) onto board. Use remaining pieces to form tail. I just kept cutting them down to create smaller pieces to finish the tail. I also used two small rectangle pieces to place on top of the alligator head to create a 3D effect for the eyes. Next take 6 cupcakes. Use 4 to create the legs and use 2 as the eyes. For the eyes use toothpicks to hold in place. Here is what your cake should look like once assembled (this is without the cupcake eyes).

Now comes the fun part! Take your decorators icing and coloring gel and mix your icing to desired color (our goal was bright pink!). Be sure to save some in plain white to create the eyes of your alligator. Now transfer pink icing into decorators bag with star tip. Begin icing! If you are like me I had never used a decorators bag before so I practiced on a plate first. It is honestly super easy!

After the entire alligator was iced I took my mini marshmallows and cut them on a diagonal. This makes the pieces pointy. I simply placed these around the alligators mouth, feet and face to create teeth, claws and nostrils.

Last, I look gummy fish and cut them down to make the alligators eye balls.

Here is the finished product in all her pink glory! Pretty awesome right!

And here's the birthday girl....I think it is safe to say that she LOVED her pink alligator! :)

(Photo courtesy of Lindsay F.)

I had so much fun creating this alligator for my daughter's first birthday and I am super excited about coming up with more cake baking ideas for her future birthdays! It was a little time consuming but a lot of fun (plus if you make your own cake you get to lick the bowl....and the icing! Yum!)

Here are a few tips:

When icing...be sure not to wear white. Or maybe actually I would recommend it...I was completely covered from head to toe in pink....including my white shorts...but I guess that's what bleach is for.

Freeze your cake prior to cutting or icing. This was the first time I tried this and let me tell you everyone LOVED it and couldn't get over how moist the cake was. The party was Saturday so I baked the cakes Thursday night, wrapped them in saran wrap and then foil and placed in the freezer over night. Friday afternoon I pulled them out and immediately got to work. It made the cutting process super easy because the cake did not crumble. And like I said....the cake was delicious!

If you have a large board available it will make transferring your alligator easier. The alligator was presented on the cake boards but I made the cake at my home and needed to get it to my parents home (where the party was at). My husband happened to have a large board in the garage that we slid the alligator/cake board onto and placed into the car. It made it so that we didn't need to worry about the cake board bending from the weight of the gator.

Have fun! If you haven't learned by now I find beauty in the "imperfect." I think that when something has a few flaws it is what gives that item it's character. So go ahead and try something out....if it doesn't work out oh well....at least you can say you tried!

I would love to know any ideas you have for creative baking!

This alligator can of course be made in any color you choose. I wish there were more photos but this was before I decided to start blogging my ideas. If you would like more tips or have any questions please feel free to contact me at Michelle _thereallifemom(at)yahoo.com. Thanks for stopping by!

Here are some places where I like to share:
Someday Crafts
Sugar and Spice at 733
My Backyard Eden
Paisley Passions
Somewhat Simple
Night Owl Crafting
Allie makes
Beyond the Picket Fence
Bella Before and After
Kojo Designs
Just a Girl
Frugal Fridays at the Shabby Nest
Fingerprints on the Fridge
The Girl Creative
Tatertots and Jello

{The Pumpkin}

I love pumpkins. I especially love the smell of anything pumpkin...Candles, pies, coffee...whatever it is I have never been disappointed when it comes to something pumpkin related.

As I was perusing the internet tonight searching for recipes on what to do with pumpkin insides (ya know the gross guts that we always throw out?) I came across this yummy deliciousness. Although it doesn't help me take care of those insides I can't wait to try it out! I'm thinking it is the perfect recipe for a Sunday morning Halloween breckie (ie breakfast :) ).

And according to Martha they are actually good for you? Apparently pumpkins are filled with carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin and alpha-carotene which in real people terms means it helps protect against eye disease (macular degeneration) and helps to prevent tumor growth!

Woo Hoo! Can't wait to get baking this weekend and do something good for my families health...Thanks Martha!

Ingredients:

Makes 12 muffins

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for pan
• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup turbinado sugar, plus 2 tablespoons more for sprinkling (Sugar In The Raw Turbinado Sugar)
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush 12 jumbo muffin tins (each with a 1-cup capacity) with oil; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flours, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk oil, pumpkin puree, yogurt, eggs, and 1 cup sugar to combine; add 1 cup walnuts and reserved dry ingredients. Mix just until moistened (do not overmix).
4. Divide evenly and spoon batter into muffin tins; sprinkle tops with remaining walnuts and sugar. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pan.

Seems easy enough to me! What's your favorite thing about the fall? And anyone have tips on what to do with those insides???

Don't forget about the great giveaway going on right now! Be sure to check out how to win some free Mary Kay products! You have until October 28th at midnight to enter. I mean it doesn't get better then free and it is so easy to enter!

And just for fun....here's some other pumpkin recipes that look divine!
Pumpkin Spice Waffles
Pumpkin Spice Fudge
Pumpkin Mousse

Photo and recipe courtesy of Wholeliving.com 

Here's some of the places where I like to share:
Market Yourself Monday @Sumos Sweet Stuff
Tatertots and Jello

{War} with the Kitchen

And well....the kitchen won.

I must say this was completely unexpected although looking back it probably shouldn't have been. I mean since we decided to crack down on our budget and eat strictly mostly at home I have been preparing most dinners. And I must say they are quite delicious (OK maybe not all of them but they are still edible and take care of the whole need for nutrition thing.)

Well tonight, being the first day of fall and all, I decided we need something yummy. Something rich. Something that I never ever make because it is most likely harmful to my waistline....Shepherd's Pie.....say it with me "Yuuuuummmmmmy!"

So I bust out the potatoes (luckily I had all the ingredients even though I was not planning on this type of meal this week) and started preparing.

I mashed and I mashed and I added some butter (yeah butter...shocking) and whole milk (another shocker) and then I mashed a little more. I added some salt and some pepper to make them just ohhhhh so tasty. And it was finally time. That moment when they were just mashed and it was time to taste (Score for me!) to make sure they were just right. So I grabbed a spoon and lifted it to my lips and what I got was pure heaven dreadfulness!!!!

Not what I expected! Oh no what did I do???

Can you guess? I dare you too. This just shows how easily ones mind can get distracted while attending to a 13 month old...

I. Forgot. To. COOK. The. Potatoes!!

No joke...that's why I had to do all of that mashing.


I mean honestly, this is just the kind of stuff that you cannot make up and I give you total permission to LOL (did I honestly just use that expression?).

So now that it was already heading towards 6 pm and I still did not have dinner on the table I was in panic mode....I had a screaming toddler (from pure starvation), potatoes who in my bit of furry I threw down the drain with their peeled skins which were now clogging my disposal and no food! What was I to do. Well what came next was just pure genies.

I decided to make a "light" form of Shepherd's Pie and I call it "The Little Shepherd" (well until I come up with a better name. Any ideas?)

I continued to make my Yorkshire pudding, got the gravy going and then took hamburger meat, frozen corn and canned new potatoes and started to saute them together. No butter, no oil, no milk. Just sauteed together with some salt and pepper. Once it was cooked I placed it on a plate drizzled a little gravy on top and we had an absolutely, melt in mouth, made you think you were at Grandma's home cooked meal.

Divine!

This one will go on the list for a simple, delicious meals to whip up in a hurry! Next time I plan to add some carrots and peas to the mix to add a little bit more nutrition. But it honestly satisfied every bit of my need to eat something hearty! And Averee loved it! Take that Kitchen! I think it's a win for the real life mom tonight!!!

Any hearty fall meals you would like to share?