Don't Underestimate Mommy

This year I hosted a small Thanksgiving dinner for my parents, in-laws and out of town Aunt. I was excited to do this, especially because it was on a smaller level then our usual holiday hosting. I got off real easy, only having to do sides (which my mom helped with) and desserts. My MIL did the turkey and stuffing. As I searched Pinterest and my own "Gobble Gobble" Thanksgiving board, I decided I wanted to make traditional desserts, but with a little spin. So I decided to go with the mini apple and pumpkin pies. These recipes were simple and oh so good! Mini Pumpkin Pies Recipe found on Home is Where the Boat Is Ingredients-  makes 12 mini pies 1 package refrigerated pie crusts 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk 2 eggs 1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice 4 in round cookie cutter Step 1- roll out pie dough with pin. Cut mini pie crusts with cookie cutter. I did not have a 4 inch cookie cutter, so instead I used the m...

These days a lot of my cooking and creativity is inspired by Pinterest. I recently pinned and tried a recipe for Crispy Black Bean Fritters with Creamy Cilantro Dipping Sauce from  Mia's Domain . I was intrigued from the get go, but wasn't sure how the Mister or O would like. The good news is that the Mister loved them, the bad news, O did not touch them. Despite O not liking, I will still make these delicious fritters again. So here we go... Fritters- -3 cups of black beans, cooked  ( I used canned black beans drained) -1 large yellow pepper, seeds removed and chopped (I used a red pepper because it's what I had) -1 small white onion diced -2 garlic cloves, crushed (I used minced garlic) -1 large tomato, chopped into small pieces (I used diced canned tomato and drained them- I hate cutting   tomatoes) -3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (I used a cilantro herb blend by Garden Fresh, it's found in the produce section. I already had it in the fridge) -1/...

A friend of mine recently blogged about this subject and it inspired me to share my take and approach on what to do with all the kiddo keepsakes. You know what I am talking about... all of the handmade crafts, colored pictures and other pieces of "artwork" they bring home from school, play dates and make with you at home. Being that O is not yet 2 or in a full time program somewhere, I don't have piles of his artistic abilities laying around just yet. But I decided to be proactive and do something with the stuff we did have. Because I was not emotionally not ready to get rid of these keepsakes, I decided on the old school method of filing. I figured this system should work for a couple of years. Each year, a new file folder for that year will be created and items, pictures, etc. created that year will be placed in that folder. SIMPLE! I realized that eventually I will have to re-evaluate this method and may even move to a digital method of keeping these memori...

I have recently become a big fan of pesto. Yum-O. I am going to be completely honest and tell you that this recipe was inspired by the "Chicken Pesto Toasted Flatbreads" at Tropical Smoothie. I ate there for the first time last Friday and was blown away by the deliciousness of this flat bread. I knew that I would have to replicate it very soon...and I did just that tonight. What you'll need: -Chicken: I used cutlets since they were thinner and smaller. I actually oven baked my cutlets in foil pockets at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. -Flat bread: I found 5 Grain Foldit Artisan Flat bread in the deli section at Publix. It was delicious and the best part, only 90 calories! -Pesto: I was originally going to make my pesto, but then stumbled upon Monterey's Basil with Almonds and Pine Nuts Pesto. It was in the refrigerated section near the eggs and refrigerated pastas (at least in my Publix). - Mozzarella Cheese: I used Publix brand low fat. - Optional: lettuce, tomat...