When I was in Atlanta, I had dinner with my good friend and Savvy Blogging co-conspirator, Crystal from The Thrifty Mama. As dinner came to a close, she mentioned how much she wanted to stop by Costco and create a list of the prices on some of their organic products. Well, I had nothing better to do, so I went with her (and her 2 kiddos) and wrote down the prices of all the … [Read more...]
Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
When I was in Chicago last week, my sister-in-law took me to a favorite bakery in her neighborhood, Bake°. It is adorable, cozy little spot that reeked of butter upon opening the door. And when I say, reeked...I mean it in the most delicious way possible. I don't do much baking with real butter. So the smell of the buttery baked goods was deafening. (That is, if a smell can … [Read more...]
Reviving Dry Carrots and Dehydrated Celery
(Please pardon the iPhone photo.) A little trick I learned back in my early cooking days in the Dominican Republic... When you see baby carrots, carrot sticks, and celery stalks starting to dehydrate or go limp, all they need is a little water to revive them! Simply place them into a container with some water. When I have baby carrots or cut carrot sticks go … [Read more...]
Beef Tamale Skillet Dinner
This recipe is part of the latest 21 Gluten Free Meals from Costco Plan. The original recipe has been updated to include the ingredients from the Costco list, such as green pepper (pictured) for red pepper. The recipe is written as ONE skillet dinner. I would not freeze this recipe as is, but you could freeze it before adding the tortilla strips. Then reheat and add tortilla … [Read more...]
Healthy Eating…On the Road
In the past 5 weeks, I have logged over 4,000 miles in the car. A trip to Texas. A trip to Georgia. And a trip to Chicago and Minneapolis. 4,000 miles. (Just typing that makes my rear end hurt.) So while I was logging all these miles, I burned approximately 2 calories per hour. Except for the hour that I was driving "white knuckled" through some snow showers in Wisconsin. … [Read more...]
Mompreneur – Segment on FOX and Friends
A few years ago, I started a blog. A few years ago, I started advertising on this blog. A few years ago, I signed a couple of cookbook contracts. A few years ago, I turned this blogging hobby of mine into an official business. A few years ago, I became a mompreneur. When I started this here blog, I had absolutely no idea that it would transform my life in so many … [Read more...]
Gingered Pear and Blueberry Cobbler
First up in this year's Dessert of the Month... Gingered Pear and Blueberry Cobbler! I've made a number of cobblers and crisps in my day. I thought I'd stick to a baking concept that I was familiar with and experiment with flavors. I've never made one, or tried one, with these 3 flavor combinations. I bought 4 pears at the store last week, not really intending to use them … [Read more...]
Tangy BBQ Chicken Wings
With five kids under six it can be pretty difficult to find quick, healthy meals that everyone will actually eat, but these Tangy BBQ Chicken Wings are a family favorite that we can all agree on. Although not much beats the joy of watching everyone eat the same meal without complaint, I also love that this versatile dish can be used as either an entree or an appetizer, and … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Curried Chickpeas and Chicken
This would be one of those recipes that evolved as I put it together. I started out making chickpeas in the slow cooker with a tomato based curry sauce. I set the slow cooker on high. And 4 hours later, when it was done...I decided that I should add some chicken, as I didn't think that Ryan would eat any of it...and he needed some protein. I found a bag of batch … [Read more...]
What to Make When…Chicken Thighs
What to Make When Chicken Thighs are on Sale! Chicken Thighs are a highly underestimated cut of the chicken. They bring the flavor to the table with their darker meats. They can be purchased bone-in or boneless skinless. The best sale price for the bone-in chicken thighs is around $1/lb and the best sale price for boneless skinless is around $1.79-$2/lb. So next time … [Read more...]