USA Inspired Party Pleasers

As many people prepare for company this weekend, it is time to share my favorite USA inspired snacks that I have come across. Inspirations that will take us all the way through Labor Day.

We can all do the red, white and blue fruit kabobs, and while always a favorite, this haute mom goes for savvy, smart and creative. Of course, it doesn't hurt that they are about as simple as boiling water.

A Sweet and Patriotic Treat

This idea is pure genius and sure to be enjoyed by everyone. Blog Room to Inspire hit the jackpot with some Red Vines and a bit of patriotic scrapbook paper.

• Cut the paper in strips
• Wrap the strips around a bundle of Red Vines
• Secure with double stick place. 

Easy even for a kitchen rookie like me!




Red and Blue With Flavor

This is at the top of my list because it involves, you guessed it, no cooking what so ever!

Note: This can also be mixed up with regular chips (hello blue potato and regular chips) as well as probably a hundred other yummy possibilities.

• Purchase patriotic paper cones or make some with scrapbook paper. 
• Toss in red and blue tortilla chips, colored potato chips or any other colorful combo of snack items!

The other thing that makes this straight from the smarty pants brain is that it cuts down on cooties. Nobody likes all those hands in the community chip bowl.

Patriotic Sugar Wafers

You had me at wafer. Everyone loves a little something sweet and is it just me or are cakes and cupcakes a little over done? Besides, none of us moms want our kids chowing down on that..I mean, hellooooo...can you say HYPER? I think these are the perfect size, simple to make (way more than baking) and who doesn't love a wafer?

You will need:

1. 1 package each of colored chocolate candy melts (found in the cake decorating aisle)

2. 1 package vanilla sugar wafers

3. Assorted sprinkles

• Melt half the colored candy melts according to instructions
• Lay out a sheet of parchment paper and dip each wafer into the chocolate
• Place the dipped wafers onto the paper and cover with sprinkles
• Allow to dry

Place in an airtight container so they don't go stale!

What a fun dessert thanks to Southern Made Simple! Perfect for kids to help with!

Here is to a great weekend of family, friends and love as many gather together in honor and thanks to those that have served and are serving our country.

My Kids Live on Goldfish - Barriers to Being a Healthy Chef

Every mother dreams of being able to prepare and deliver amazing, healthy meals to their families. Visions of plates full of fresh fruits and vegetables and roasted (skinless, of course) chicken dance through all of our heads. And we watch with pride as our children gobble it up and politely ask for seconds.

Ha! As if! 

Please tell me why nobody pulls us aside when our kids begin eating solid foods to tell us the reality of what feeding our littles is like. Even IF we had the time to prepare those yummy meals, would they even eat it? You all know the answer to that.

The truth is, for me, that my kids live on Goldfish crackers. Well, Goldfish crackers and chicken nuggets with some apple slices thrown in here or there. Do they eat ANYTHING healthy? Of course! With some serious crying, whining, threatening and bribing that may or may not take place.

If I am being honest here, being that role model chef, is not all that it's cut out to be, is it?

There are many barriers that us moms face when preparing meals for our families. And those barriers alone are enough for most of us to throw in the oven mitt and pull out the hot dogs.

Common barriers that all moms face:

Time - Who HAS the time? Most families have erratic schedules. Whether you work outside of the home or are a stay at home mom, it is nearly impossible to have set meal times. Between your and your spouse's work schedules, kids' homework, practices and lessons and meal preparation, who can get dinner on the table by a decent time?

Budget - Fresh fruits and vegetables and trendy "health" foods like quinoa and coconut oil are expensive! The most budget friendly foods we can find include those that are canned, frozen or come out of a box. While not the poster children for healthy foods, these types of food answer a lot of our prayers, cheap, kid-friendly and easy to prep.

Lack of Resources - Coupon clipping, recipes, the ins-and-outs of meal prep and all things every mom wants. But a lot of us don't have these tools! Yes, Pinterest is awesome, but who has the time? Yes, I would love to make steel cut oats for breakfast, but how do you make them? Meal prepping on Sundays would save so much time during the week but how is it done? Do we have to eat the same thing every night because ain't no child in my house is going for that unless it's fries and chicken fingers.

These barriers are the exact reason why we find ourselves buying the same four things as the grocery store or inventing family nights like "Pizza Tuesday" and "Mac 'n Cheese Monday". But it DOESN'T have to be this way. No it doesn't!! Stay tuned for the solutions to these common mom problems and let's get our family food habits back in track!

In the meantime, share YOUR biggest barrier!

Lazy Sunday ~ Oscar Fun

I remember, pre-baby days, some of our funnest nights used to be during a big awards show.  The Grammy's, Golden Globes, Oscars always provided a reason to get together, open some booze, and get some good eating in.  We used to even have dinner parties where we would have a pool and try to guess who was going to win the big categories.  I never won.

Tonight is the Oscars and I am embarrassed to say that I haven't seen ANY of the movies that are up for awards.  The closest I have come is hearing about how wonderful The King's Speech was and hoping to see The Black Swan.  Actually, our nanny watched Toy Story 3 one night on our Pay-per-view.  Does that count?  I guess this year, the party will be taking place at someone else's house and hubby, Stella and I will be creating our own new, tradition for awards shows.  I mean, it really is about what everyone is wearing, isn't it?

Here is a fun recipe (courtesy of The Food Network) for the whole family to enjoy while you sit at the television and see your favorite movies win.  Or if you are like us, while you sit and gossip about who is wearing what.  It's a haute play on the favored movie snack, popcorn!

Pepped Up Popcorn

Ingredients

Cheesy Popcorn:

1 (3.5-ounce) package natural microwave popcorn (not the buttered kind)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Kosher salt

Directions:

Pop the popcorn according to package instructions. While hot, carefully open package and dump into a large bowl. Drizzle oil over the popcorn, and toss the popcorn with your hands to coat. Add the cheese and toss again. Season, to taste, with salt. Cool. Transfer to a sealed container or serve immediately.

Sweet and Spicy Popcorn:

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 (3.5-ounce) package natural microwave popcorn (not the buttered kind), popped

Directions:
Put the sugar, butter, and chili powder in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave on medium (50 percent power) until butter melts, about 1 minute. Stir to dissolve sugar. Drizzle over freshly popped popcorn; and toss to evenly coat. Cool. Transfer to a sealed container or serve immediately.

Rocky Road Popcorn:

1 (3.5-ounce) package natural microwave popcorn (not the buttered kind)
1 cup mini or regular chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup salted peanuts, optional

Directions:
Pop the popcorn according to package instructions. While it's still hot, carefully open and dump into a large bowl. Add the chips and marshmallows.

Return popcorn to the microwave. Cook on high until the chips and marshmallows get gooey, about 1 minute. Add the peanuts, if desired, and toss with a spoon until all the popcorn is coated. Cool until chocolate hardens, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a sealed container or serve immediately.

Lazy Sunday - Who Wants Pizza?

Something that we always tend to crave on a lazy Sunday is pizza. Whether it is lunchtime and your family is sitting around or dinner time rolls in and you are looking for a quick and easy meal, pizza seems to be the cure all. Now that I am back to my happy weight, pizza is definitely not welcome around my house. Although I am all for enjoying things in moderation, I have no self control around pizza and the intent of one or two pieces turns three or four. This may even mean pizza for breakfast the next day because I just can't help myself.

I found this great recipe from Dana Angelo White who is all about fast and healthy. She has created a very doable pizza recipe that will meet all the requirements of a good pizza. It is good, it is quick and easy, and the best part, it is healthy...at least healthier than your normal delivery pizza which can pack over 200 calories and 11 grams of fat in just one slice of plain cheese. I hope I didn't ruin it for you all.

This recipe is a heathy alternative for that staple Sunday pizza. I was thinking how much fun it would be to let your kids or guests make their own pizzas too - you could just supply the toppings! Or what about having a pizza potluck?!

Serves: 8

Version 1: Vegetable

Ingredients

• 2 whole wheat English muffins, sliced
• 1/4 cup marinara sauce
• 1/4 cup diced bell pepper
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives
• 4-5 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375F. Place English muffins on a baking sheet lines with aluminum foil. Top with marinara sauce, bell pepper, olives and basil. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 12-15 minutes until cheese is melted.

Nutrition information per pizza:

Calories: 130; Total fat: 4.5g Saturated fat: 2g; Carbohydrate: 16g; Protein: 7g; Sodium: 390mg

Version 2: BBQ Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 whole wheat English muffins, sliced
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 medium scallion, finely chopped
• 3 oz grilled chicken breast, diced
• 1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375F. Place English muffins on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Top with barbecue sauce, scallion and chicken. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 12-15 minutes until cheese is melted.

Nutrition information per pizza

Calories: 160; Total fat: 16g; Saturated fat: 2g; Carbohydrate: 16g; Protein: 13.5g; Sodium: 428mg

Lazy Sunday - Perfect Pasta for Winter

Happy Sunday everyone. I have another super easy recipe for your laxy Sunday and this is courtesy of Giada at the Food Network (can you tell I LOVE her?). This is a perfect recipe to add your own touch to. I think adding whole wheat pasta and some ground turkey would make a perfect meal. I was even thinking about adding some veggies to it to get our daily servings in. And I didn't see cheese in the recipe but you can bet I will be adding that as well!

Pasta all Formiana

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing dish
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 pound (8 ounces) mezze penne or other small pasta
• 1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1/4 cup dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 to 5 very ripe, extra-large or beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

Directions

1. Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish. Set aside.

2. In a food processor, blend together the crushed tomatoes and garlic. Pour into a medium bowl and add the uncooked pasta, 1/3 cup olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Toss until all the ingredients are coated. (Honestly, you can skip to food processor and just add your favorite jar of tomato sauce if you like.)

3. Line the bottom and sides of the baking dish with tomato slices. Pour the pasta mixture into the pan and spread evenly. Arrange the remaining tomato slices in an overlapping layer on top of the pasta mixture, making sure the mixture is completely covered. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake until the tomatoes are slightly crispy and the pasta is cooked, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Watch Giada as she makes the recipe. She looks so much better than I do! :)

Lazy Sunday ~ Another Easy Recipe!

This recipe is from one of my very good friends and fellow haute moms.  She promises me that this is an easy one and she knows how I am in the kitchen so it's gotta be a good one!  There are also a lot of healthier substitutions that can be made, for example, chicken sausage instead of the andouille sausage.  My girlfriend says she subs shrimp for the turkey but I am actually considering getting a cooked chicken from the market and peeling it to use for this recipe and then finding turkey sausage to sub in as well.  So many possibilities...
I am going to serve it up tomorrow night - it looks so easy! Watch how it's done!

Turkey Jambalaya

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)


Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups shredded cooked turkey
6 ounces andouille sausage, chopped
2 tablespoons sliced green onions

Preparation
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in bell peppers and next 5 ingredients (bell peppers through black pepper); sauté 1 minute. Add rice; sauté 1 minute. Stir in broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Add turkey and sausage; cover and cook 5 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions.

My mouth is watering!  Bon Appetit!

Lazy Sunday - It's Casserole Time

Today there is a severe need for an easy, lazy Sunday dinner recipe.  The hubby and I went to a wine tasting dinner party last night and aside from being a little, uh, dehydrated today, Stella and I are sick.  Stella has the worst of it with a runny nose and fever, that is hopefully due to teething but only a visit to the doc on Tuesday will tell for sure.  Of course, my hubby was already wondering what we were going to do for dinner before lunch was even put on the table. 

I am always a big fan of casseroles and crock pot recipes because I like being able to prep dinner when I have time and then just leave it and let it simmer, bake, or stew for the afternoon.  I found this yummy recipe for Beefy Mac and Cheese from The Food Network that fits perfectly into the easy, winter casserole category.  And it's from Paula Dean's sons, Jamie and Bobby so you know it is going to be good!  Since I have lost the baby weight, I am not going to ruin it with a fattening meal so I am going to substitute ground turkey for the beef and use low fat cheese.  I like that fact that you can put your own touch into this dish as well.  Check it out!

Lazy Sunday Cocktails!

After a stream of holidays parties, I was thinking about how a fun, festive drink at a party seems to make things come together. We all get tired of the old wine and beer selection and personally, I am not an egg nog fan (we won't even go there with it's calories now that I am back into my pre-preggy jeans). Sometimes my family has been known to whip up a cocktail on the holidays, especially on Christmas day while we enjoy noshing on snacks and opening our gifts.

I looked up some holiday concoctions but so many of them, although look amazing, take almost as much prep as cooking Chrsitmas dinner! Drinks are supposed to help you relax not add one more thing to the list. I found a very easy holiday drink that is fit for drinking morning, noon, or night (it's 5:00 p.m. somewhere) and easy to make. Giada di Laurentiis is behind this one and how can you go wrong from a chef that looks like she does, right haute moms? She calls it the Blissini and it is a fun, festive spin on a mom's best friend, the mimosa. Cheers!

Lazy Sunday - Easy Dessert with the Holiday Leftovers

This is a day late but I couldn't help but share this recipe that is perfect for Lazy Sunday.  The thing I like about this is that it uses stale croissants which we always seem to have on Sundays - the last two lonely croissants left over and stale from the week.  What better way to use them then in this easy dessert that is as delectable as any holiday dessert can be!

The recipe is courtesy of  British chef Nigella Lawson and serves "2 greedy people".  Love it!



CARAMEL CROISSANT PUDDING

 Prep Time : 25 minutes

Ingredients

2 stale croissants

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons bourbon

1/2 cup whole milk

2 eggs, beaten

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Tear the croissants into pieces and put in a small gratin dish; I use a cast iron oval with a capacity of about 500ml/ 2 cups for this.

Put the sugar and water into a saucepan, and swirl around to help dissolve the sugar before putting the saucepan on the hob over medium to high heat.

Caramelize the sugar and water mixture by letting it bubble away until it all turns a deep amber colour; this will take 3 to 5 minutes. Keep looking but don't be too timid.

Take the pan off the heat and add the cream - ignoring all spluttering - followed by the bourbon and milk. Whisk to mix, then still whisking add the beaten eggs.

Pour this quickly over the croissants and leave to steep for 10 minutes.

Place in the preheated oven for 20 minutes and prepare to swoon.

Lazy Sunday...pudgy Sunday!

You may notice that I am always moaning and groaning about my weight. My sweet, skinny Taverniti pre-pregnancy jeans just stare at me from across the room now...waiting...judging. I have decided in this month of October, this oh, so much candy, time of yea,r that I am going to embrace my sweet mommy curves and enjoy the month of sweet treats! This lazy Sunday I am bringing to you a yummy recipe that will take your tummy to heaven with minimal work. Rocky Road Chocolate Cake cooks in the crock pot and is courtesy of Southern Living. It is delish and only 15 minutes of prep time!


ROCKY ROAD CHOCOLATE CAKE


Prep: 15 min. Cook Time: 3 hours 40 min. Stand: 15 min.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.



Ingredients:

• 1 (18.25 oz.) package German chocolate cake mix


• 1 (3.9 oz.) package chocolate instant pudding mix


• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten


• 1 cup sour cream


• 1/3 cup butter, melted


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract


• 3 1/4 cups milk, divided


• 1 (3.4 oz.) package chocolate cook-and-serve pudding mix


• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (you can use almonds instead)


• 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows


• 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels


• Vanilla ice cream (optional)
  

Directions:

1. Beat the cake mix. next 5 ingredients, and 1 1/4 cups milk at medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Pour batter into a lightly greased, 4 qt. slow cooker.

2. Cook remaining 2 cups of milk in a non-aluminum saucepan over medium heat. stirring often, 3-5 minutes or just until bubbles appear. Do not boil.

3. Sprinkle cook and serve pudding mix over batter. Slowly pour hot milk over pudding. Cover and cook LOW for 3 1/2 hours.

4. Meanwhile, cook the pecans in a nonstick skillet over medium-to-high heat, stirring often. 3-5 min. or until toasted and fragrant.

5. Turn off slow cooker and sprinkle cake wtih pecans. marshmallows, and chocolate morsels. Let stand 15 minutes or until marshmallows are slightly melted. Spoon into dessert dishes, and serve with ice cream, if desired.

Lazy Sunday

So as I sit here in this 95 degree weather and listen to my husband ask me what we are having for dinner, I can't help but imagine a life with a maid and full-time chef. Lord knows I would be happier and skinnier. To say I am no Betty Crocker is putting it lightly. My take on cooking dinner equals ordering out. I have had two jobs for years and the last thing I want to do after a 12 hour day is cook. So how, I wonder, am I supposed to cook now with a four month old who loves to be held (and when I say loves, I really mean screams if she is not picked up at least once every 15minutes or so). We can talk about spoiling issues later. I do want to attempt to cook more, now that I am staying at home until December and want to eat healthier to try to lose some pregnancy weight. How exactly am I supposed to cook with a baby? There are very few receipes that would allow me to start in 15 minutes and then revisit for another few mintues at a later time. I need few ingredients, low preparation, and health rolled into one! Well, I found one and I am going to try it out - Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken! It is even friendly with this heat wave we are having since I don't need the oven or the stove for very long. Try it out too...and let me know how it turns out or if you came up with any creative variations!
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=141491