Book Review: National Geographic's Cook Books.

I love cook books. I can't help but browse each one I come across and more times than not, they end up on my shelf at home. Now that I'm a mom and meals are more important than ever before, I try to offer the best, healthy food I can to my family. It's funny how motherhood makes you second guess everything.

For me, it's not just putting a well balanced meal on the table. It's about flavor, budget, health and planning smart. Every time I turn around there is an article, a new piece or television doctor throwing another food at me touting it's health benefits. It is all quite confusing. I searched, with disappointing results, for one resource that had each food listed with what it provided. That is why I really like the National Geographic cookbooks I received. National Geographic has dedicated this year to "The Future of Food," exploring issues surrounding how we eat today and we can provide food for all as the world's population grows. And, since National Geographic is a trusted company, I don't have to worry they are trying to sell me snake oil in the form of the latest fad fruit.

OtterBox Case Review and Giveaway

OtterBox Case for iPhone, iPad or iPod

If you have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch and kids, you really need to get an OtterBox. Heck, even if you don't have kids, you need one of these cases. True, I have never stood on my phone, like my child regularly does to the iPad mini, but I have put it thru the wringer. I've dropped it out of the car (and of course it tumbled right under to the farthest possible point so that I had to get down on my hands and knees in a grocery store parking lot to retrieve it!), dropped it into various crafts we were working on and slimed it up while taking pictures of recipe/meal prep. I once even dropped it in my oatmeal and still don't know how that happened.

Happy Thanksgiving! What Are You Thankful For??

Paige:

There are so many things I am thankful for. First and foremost, God for all the things he has provided me with. I am thankful for my boys, they are the air I breath! Watching them grow and blossom is amazing, and I cannot even begin to imagine where I would be in life without them. My husband is incredible. He is very sweet and caring, and an incredibly hard worker and awesome dad. I am fortunate enough to have my Mom as a best friend, and I had an amazing Dad for the first 25 years of my life! Together they taught me to be independent and self reliant, but to also be caring of others. I am thankful for this blog, and for my readers. This blog has been my outlet for over five years now, and has kept my shopping addiction somewhat at bay. Thank you for reading this blog for the past five years, without you, I would have no reviews to do! I am thankful for a home. After losing our home to defective drywall, it is nice to have a place to call our own after apartment living for three years. I have an amazing group of friends, including my fellow blog girls!!  I am thankful for my health, and the health of my loved ones. I could seriously go on and on, but you get the point, I am just thankful for MY LIFE! It's a good one, and I am happy it is mine! Happy Thanksgiving, friends! 

Jamie: 

It is that time of year again where we are reminded to take a look around and be thankful.  I have SO much to be thankful for this year.  This time last year we were waiting to get Eli in with a specialist for evaluations and we were still struggling to communicate with Zack.  It is amazing to see how much progress my boys have made in a year.  Eli has an amazing support team of teachers, therapists and counselors.  I am thankful for them.  For the people who are in his life that take the time to help him get through his days.  Like Eli, Zack also has an amazing support system of teachers and speech therapists.  Eli is thriving in kindergarten, which was a huge worry for me last year.  Zack is talking up a storm.  I am not even kidding, this child talks nonstop.  I am so very thankful to hear the little simple things that come out of his mouth.  I am one lucky mama to have 2 amazing little boys.  I am thankful for the good health my family has had this year.  I am so thankful for the wonderful hubby that I have. He stands by me in everything and is my rock.  We will be celebrating 10 years together this December.  We went on our first date on December 15, 2003.  I am also blessed for the friendships I have.  I have some amazing friends.  Some are online or some I only get to see a couple of times a year. And then some I get to hang out with and talk to almost every day.  I am so thankful for these relationships, as they have gotten me through a lot of hard times.  What an amazing year! I have been BLESSED.  

Katrina: 

What am I thankful for? Well I will start with the obvious… I’m so thankful for God. It was he that allowed me to be a mother of two awesome girls. I have had very poor health this past 2 years and am grateful for my husband who has been by me every step of the way. No matter what crazy plan I have he is supportive. From having gastric bypass to going back to school. I am very thankful that my husband has been there for me.I have a few very close friends and family that have been my rock through all the hard time. It is so nice knowing that when you need someone they will be there for you.I’m also grateful for the opportunity to be on this blog. It has been so much fun over the past 2 years and I hope many more to come. I hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving and your able to share it with the ones you love.

Michelle:

I'm thankful for my husband, even when I want to strangle him. We've had a difficult few months recently, some financial issues and my recent health issues. He's been really patient regarding my health problems and I’m so grateful to have a partner that is there to support me 100%. I love that we can just sit there and joke back and forth and laugh so hard our sides hurt. -My beautiful daughter, who is so bright, funny and just defines amazing. She's a little spitfire like me, with a temper that's beyond the terrible twos (that’s not from me lol). She has brought me to a life path that I never thought I'd be on, led me to beliefs I never thought I'd hold, and has given my life a purpose that is so deep and peaceful that I have such a difficulty when trying to put it into words. -My great job, which has taught me so much about my profession in the past six months, more than I could have ever imagined that I would learn in a setting other than school. And I’m ever grateful to the fantastic patients (kiddos) that have taught me more patience and more about life than I ever could have imagined. -I’m thankful for my family, who loves me no matter what beliefs I’ve come to have and the person I’ve become, who always has my back, no matter what. -I'm thankful for friends who have grown into my family and whom I love and return that love me no matter what, even if one of us disappears for a while and pops back in, but know that I always think of you all often. -I’m thankful to my dear blogging partners, Paige, Katrina, Rebecca and Jamie- you girls have become such great friends. I know things have been rocky, but everything great has growing pains. We’ve blown this blog up, and I see it blowing up even more next year. Let’s make this crazy! -I’m thankful to my bloggy friends that I’ve met via various online support groups, who have taught me SO much and have helped me to gain self-confidence in my ability to branch out on my own and give my own blog a little focus. -I'm thankful to the ladies in my support groups from WLS- these ladies have supported me throughout my journey (4 years post op now!) and continue to support me. You're not just friends, you've become my family. I'm so grateful to each of you. Through these support groups, they have pushed me towards and helped me find an additional calling, helping to support of ladies that are post-operative bariatric surgery patients that are trying to conceive, are expecting babies and/or breastfeeding or trying to- and helping some accept and come to terms with it if it’s just not in their cards or just not physically possible. This last year has had ups and downs, but I am so absolutely blessed, I have to thank the one who has made this all happen for me, and that is the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Rebecca:

My cursor is blinking…and blinking…and blinking. What am I thankful for? It’s not that I am not thankful, because I am! Very! But how do I narrow it down? 
I am thankful for a man who loves me and who still rocks my world, even after 16+ years and two kids. I am thankful for two beautiful children that medical science had dismissed as a possibility for me. I am thankful for my parents, who gave me a loving, confident and strong upbringing. I am thankful for my siblings and more than that, I am thankful for the friends they have become. I am thankful for my home and the love inside it. I am thankful for my in-laws and they man they raised. And I’m thankful for the little things; flavored coffee creamer, fuzzy socks, cool sheets, the smell of rain, the crunch of the leaves, the unconditional love of a pet, perfectly ripe watermelon, home-grown summer tomatoes, catching my favorite song on the radio at the beginning, poetry, movies that make me cry, ones that make me laugh, holidays with friends and family, laughing so much it hurts, smells that bring back sweet memories and I’m thankful for the mercy God gives to me each day. 

Review: ChapStick Holiday Tins

ChapStick Holiday Tins

Like me, do y'all call all lip balm ChapStick? It's just synonyms with lip balm. There are a few brands like that. Ya sneeze; ya get a Kleenex. You want steak sauce; you get A-1. Lips chapped; you use ChapStick. 

Happy Halloween!

We wish you a safe and fun Halloween!! 

Your Friends,

Paige, Jamie, Katrina, Michelle and Rebecca

and our kiddos! 

Tasty Thursday: Turkey Enchil-lasagna (roll-over meal from turkey and stuffing meat loaf)

Enchil-lasagna 

I love love love short cuts in the kitchen with big pay offs. This, my friends, is one of them. 

Remember my promise to share a roll over meal to make with the left over meatloaf from last week's post? Turkey and Stuffin' Meatloaf recipe from last week Well, here is it. 

Tasty Thursday: Turkey and Stuffing Meatloaf and Gravy And a Bonus roll-over meal!

Turkey and Stuffing Meatloaf  

 

  The name alone should be enough to draw you in. If that doesn't work, take a look at this picture.   And when I tell you this is a meal that you purposely make more of so you can have role-over meal, you should be adding this to your menu as you read the rest of this blog.

Tasty Thursday: Smoked Sausage Pasta

Ok, let me give you the ingredient list first. I always like to see how many and what ingredients are used before I get too excited about making something. :o)

nopin="nopin" 1 package of smoked sausage, sliced into coins
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups chicken broth (or more to taste)
1/2 cup cream
8oz short cut pasta (like elbow, pene etc)
2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella, Monterrey, cheddar, it's your food!)
2 green onions (tops and bottoms/green and white), sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Tasty Thursday: Slow Cooker Roasted Whole Chicken

Slow Cooker Roasted Whole Chicken

 

     When Paige and Katrina first asked me share a recipe for the blog I was excited and jumped at the chance. Then, fear and anxiety set in. What should I pick? What do people want to see? What if they don't like what I pick? So, I figured the mommies (and daddies) who visit this blog are probably pretty much like me. You want something quick, cheap, easy and yummy.  Slow Cooker Roasted Whole Chicken. Check! Check! Check! And...Check!