For Entertainment Purposes

If you know me, I'm about as OCD with cleanliness as it may get, my car would disagree at the moment, but hey I didn't say I was perfect. I'm just one of those moms that likes to feed the baby/toddler to avoid any messes. And by messes I mean applesauce on the floor, walls, windows, and under the booster seat that's hidden for weeks until you decide "oh hey maybe I should check under there" ...I would just rather avoid "those messes". But against - what I like to think is - my better judgement, I decided to let my 16 month old feed himself these last few days for the sake of, well, being a kid! Ha. It was surprisingly less messy than I expected, but then again he just kept the mess all in one place... his face/body. 

Photos to elaborate...

Day 1: Applesauce. I was sadly unprepared for this new "wear my food" stage. So this is all I was able to capture.

Day 2: Yogurt. Lucked out on this one! I just so happened to catch almost every second of his experiment with this new freedom. 

Who needs a spoon?

Well that was fun.

Day 3: Mac & Cheese. I'm still a little confused by this one. But it still made the cut, because really? How does one manage this?

And then that "let's wear the placemat on my face until that gets boring, and just throw it on the floor" moment. 

My anxiety may have been on hiatus during each one of these moments, but I shall learn to just let my kids be kids because every moment of this was hilarious and priceless.

#toddlermom

Sweet Potato Chips

Well it's been awhile since I've been here!! Missed my "2 Year blog-anniversary" and all. Life's been just shy of a little crazy ------ tired of that excuse yet?? My apologies. While it was on my mind I hadn't posted in awhile, I dove into a new recipe and thought to share the glory! Ha. 

I'm not a huge chip fan and can usually go without them on any occasion, but THIS was fun for the fam and great when you just want a little crunch on the menu. And let me just tell you the celebration I had when discovering they were much simpler than expected! *happy dance* ....these are also easier with a mandolin if you have one, but if you don't you'll manage! Just get them as evenly thin as possible. 

Sweet Potato Chips

1 Sweet Potato, peeled

1/2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp Rosemary leaves, diced

dash of sea salt

Preheat over 425 degrees.

Cut sweet potato into 1/8 in thick. Place the slices on a foiled baking sheet, drizzle the olive oil, add Rosemary and salt. 

Bake for 15-18 mins! Yes that time is random, but those last two or three minutes were crucial in my own oven. Just keep an eye on them after 15 mins, because it won't take too long for them to burn ..... let them cool before serving. They'll become a little crisp after they cool down! 

Hope you enjoy these as much as we did!! 

Ticket for Two

Since my husband's demanding work schedule crashed our daughter's spring break week, we decided to "crash" his work week! Two plane tickets later, we were on our way to Miami!! {disclaimer: the baby was not left home alone. He stayed with Gigi & Pop!}

Long traveling day + walking + 5 year old + 11pm arrival = complete and utter exhaustion! And if you've ever been to MIA airport, you may be familiar with the long haul from the terminal to the car rental side. So this was our solution. Whatever works!

Nonetheless, we got our beauty sleep and was ready to take on the week!! Let the activities and mommy/daughter bonding begin! Silly breakfasts, quiet poolsides... couldn't ask for anything more. 

That was until my good friend, Daniel, came through and completely changed the game! ;) Here's a look book to how the rest of the week took off!! A day at the beach, seaside lunchin', shopping, patio dining, you name it. 

We even spotted a children's museum! So on Chris' day off, we took complete advantage!

And then there was the food; deserving of its own look book. 

And not to leave out any details of the week, one of her favorite things to do - every time we arrived back to the hotel - was riding up and down the escalator because it was "so pretty". Really? :) 

From what would have been a lonely week without dad, I would deem this a true success. Although we missed our little man, this was a nice exclusive trip for big sister! She's such a trooper when it comes to sacrificing because "baby needs to nap; needs to eat; needs to... you name it." I believe siblings are blessed to have one another (this coming from an only child) but it's still very important - as parents - to acknowledge their individuality and significance. :)

Spring Break 2015, in the books!

{{guilt free}} Chocolate Cake

Last week we celebrated "My Special Day", which is like a second birthday, so bring on the treat meals and desserts!! ;) Howeeeevvveeerrr, because I've been doing my newest program - 21 Day Fix Extreme - with an accountability group I wanted to stick to my guns and try my best to stay on track!! ....yea yea, I know. But a friend of mine shared this recipe, so  no worries, I still had my chocolate!! And today I wanted to share it with you!

Original Ingredients: 

3/4 scoop Chocolate Shakeoloy 

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp coco powder

1/4c milk

Handful chocolate chips

1 tbsp peanut butter

Alternate ingredients:

3/4 scoopChocolate Shakeology

2 tbsp oat flour

1 tsp coco powder

1/4 unsweetened cashew/almond milk 

1 tbsp chocolate chips

1 tbsp PB2 

Mix all ingredients together in a coffee mug or small round dish (similar to mug size). Microwave for 1 min 30 secs! ...but wait! While it's cooking, mix together your  PB2 as directed - or have the regular peanut butter set aside - and dollop that goodness right on top of the cake, right out of the microwave. 

Whether you try the original or alternative, it's a healthier alternative to the high calorie/fatty/sugary/carby (<--??) chocolate cake. ;)

You're welcome! 

CLEAN Turkey Chili

We have been on a big turkey kick lately - from turkey balls to turkey chili - and I'm telling you I could live off this stuff for days!! It felt a bit selfish not to share, so I thought I'd do the kind thing and... well share. Here's one of our latest favorites!

Ingredients: 

1 lb. lean ground turkey

1 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion 

3 cloves of garlic

1 bell pepper

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (for taste)

2 cans (15oz) black beans

1 can (15oz) diced tomatoes

{note: genius here did not have black beans, so I substituted by pouring the turkey chili atop brown rice}. 

Directions: 

Heat oil. Throw in turkey meat, garlic, onion and bell pepper. Cook until turkey meat is no longer pink. Add cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 min. 

Add tomatoes (with liquid) and beans (without liquid). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low until thickened.

Final product should look something this {below} ...but with beans. Ha! Like I said, brown rice was a good enough substitute. So although it was a fail, it was a DECLICIOUS fail, nonetheless. ;)

Bon apetite! 

Chicken Salsa Bake

This dish is so easy the kids could even make it themselves, other than the fact that it involves a knife, raw chicken, and an oven. Every ingredient I use for this recipe is usually on hand at all times, so this can become an easy go-to meal. 

Ingredients:

3 whole chicken breasts

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp garlic salt

1 tsp crack pepper

1 1/2c salsa

3c spring mix leaves

Butterfly your chicken, which will leave you with 6 pieces {they should fit snugly in a 9x11 pan}. First, I like to season the chicken with the olive oil, garlic salt and pepper. I keep it simple since we'll be adding additional ingredients into the pan. 

Foil your pan, then place the chicken {as shown above}. Top it with the salsa, saving some salsa juice on the side. Add spring mix. Then use the salsa juice to drizzle over top. This helps keep them from drying up. 

Bake uncovered at 375, for 30-35 minutes. Finished product should look something like this.

Plate the chicken, topping it with some of the excess ingredients in the pan. Add some brown rice, and green beans to complete a nice hearty meal. Boom! {I like to season my green beans with a little sesame oil and sesame seeds. So good.} 

Bon apetite!