Gumbo Schumbo!

The above are the before and after photos of the sad little pepper. I was chopping veggies for the gumbo recipe that I will get to later and Laura of course wanted to help. I handed her a cheese spreader which I THOUGHT could do no harm, but just look at that little pepper. Oh well go thing it was still edible. After that she was demoted to.....

dishwasher!

She loves to play in the sink so it was a win-win situation for her (not for the pepper though). Anyways, onto the recipe! I call this "Gumbo Schumbo" because it isn't really gumbo but it somewhat resembles it. I took out all the yummy spice that adults love but kids sometime won't touch and added other goodies.

Gumbo Schumbo

2 chicken breasts cubed

2 links of apple and onion sausage or sweet sausage diced

1 small onion chopped

1 red pepper chopped

2 celery stalks chopped

1 tsp of thyme

1 tsp of oregano

1 tsp of garlic powder

1 tsp of onion powder

1 tsp of salt

1 8oz can of tomato paste

3 roma tomatoes diced

2 1/2 cups chicken stock

2 bay leaves

Any amount of cooked rice to go with the gumbo once finished

1. Add meats to the slow cooker and set to low for 6 hours.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients excluding the rice.

3. About 30 minutes before the slow cooker's timer goes off, start cooking the rice. Brown rice takes between 30-40 minutes, but basmati only take 15-20 so it just depends on what kind of rice you choose.

4. Serve over the rice!

Chocolate Chip Almond Yummies!

No she isn't sneezing or about to dive face first into the batter. I said give me the most surprised face you have, and this is what I got. :) Cute little thing....hehe She is wearing the jersey to hopefully bring some luck to her daddy's team! Anyways, on to the post---

If there are three things I love it is butter, brown sugar, and babies (there was another one, but she was attached to my leg therefore not show on camera). We made these cookies from a variation of my grandmother's chocolate cookie recipe. These key is to take them out a little early so that they are nice and mushy and gooey in the middle. Pete prefers them crispy so we mix it up every now and then, but if you ask me, gooey is the way to go! Laura agrees!

Gram's Chocolate Cookie Recipe (with added Mommy and Laura pizazz)

1 bag of semi-sweets

1 1/2 sticks of sweet cream butter

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp almond extract

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup plain sugar

1 cup slivered almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 350, then cream the butter and both sugars together until completely combined (this is the part that Laura and I can't stand because it is too tempting to not taste).

2. Add eggs and vanilla and almond extracts and continue to beat on medium until completely combined.

3. In a separate bowl add your dry ingredients EXCLUDING the chips and almonds-they go in last.

4. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry, blending with a beater on low (so it doesn't make a mess, but if you have a fancy kitchenaid then blend away! :))

5. Lastly, add your chips and almonds and stir by hand until fully mixed. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for about 8-10 minutes (11 minutes make them crispy).

ENJOY!!

Cute in Corduroy!

Ok I know that the top picture has nothing to do with the rest of my posting, but come on, her funny face is pretty funny. :) Today I whipped up a market skirt in navy corduroy. Laura has dinner plans with her pals Mav and Jackson, and of course "sister baby" as she calls her. My mom got her these adorable striped tights with a teddy bear on the tushi! We needed a cute skirt to go with them.

I got the idea from Dana over at Made. I had made Laura one last spring in purple seersucker with a white ruffle, and although that one was much for fun and flouncy, this one will be great with leggings and tights. To top it off it is super warm! The fabric is from fabric.com and only costs $4.17 a yard, which is nice because this skirt definitely didn't even take 1/2 a yard so it was super cheap to make. Happy Skirt Sewing!

A New Year, A New Do--Hair-do that is!

I saw these adorable felt flower head bands and barettes in a gift shop down the street from my parents house. They were so sweet, that I thought I would try my hand at making one before I handed over 12 bucks for one of theirs.

Like my hair model?? Well she is also the clothing model, baking model, and basically an all around good gal to know :).

What you need:

Hot Glue Gun

Barette Clip

Pinking Shears

Different Colored Felt

1. Cut eight petals. 4 using a one inch diameter and 4 using 1 1/2- 2 inches in diameter.

2. Also, cut one circle for the center and arrange your flowers on a piece of paper or counter top before you start gluing.

3. Glue starting with the largest petals on to the clip and follow along with your smaller petals and finally the circle in the center.

The whole thing from start to finish, including drying--took about 20 minutes!

Cupcakes and Yoga Pants!

Happy Holidays People!! Above is a picture of my girls in their Christmas dresses. For more pics of the babies check out my mom's blog, Nonni's Munckins @ blogspot.

My appreciation of yoga pants has grown deeper during the past month. As the amount of cookies and cupcakes in my house has increased, my yoga pants has gotten a lot of wear; with their dark color and stretchiness, it's really all I need..hehe. Anyways, in addition to my love for comfy pants, I also love these yummy little jewels that are great for parties or playdate. You'll wow your friends with your "gourmet goodies" but they are very easy to make!

Banana Spice Cupcakes and Maple Buttercream Frosting

1 box of Spice Cake Mix

2 bananas mashed

2 1/2 sticks of real butter

2 cups of of maple syrup (the darker the better grade, but Mrs. Butterworth's will do if that is what you got!)

6 egg yolks

1. Prepare cake mix as the box instructs, however sub half the oil for the banana mash (you'll still get that moist flavor).

2. After your cupcakes have baked (about 20 minutes) let them cool on a rack, and start the homemade frosting!!

3. Separate 6 egg yolks and beat with mixer on high for 4 minutes until fluffy.

4. Heat maple syrup in microwave for 2 minutes and then add to eggs. Continue to beat on high for another 2 minutes.

5. Finally cut the butter into small cubes (it is easier to beat that way) and beat on high until pretty and fluffy! Wa-la! Tasty Treats!

6. Sprinkle nutmeg or cinnamon on your mini-cakes!

Enjoy the New Year!!!

Pigs like PB&C!

Today we made cookies....peanut Butter and Chocolate cookies to be exact! I think that it is truly hard to bake with peanut butter and NOT include chocolate. Anyways, here is the recipe, but I'll tell ya the process was better than the cookies! Haha!

1 Cup Flour

1/2 Cup PB

a 20 second long squeeze of honey

1 egg

about a 1/4 cup of brown sugar

1/2 bag of chocolate chips

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Bake at 375 for about 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Getting her licks in...shh don't tell daddy...

Hey Momma, am I gonna get any of that action??

While we wait for the cookies to bake, a quick tutu change so that I can......

torture the little sister....oh poor Caroline!

Anyways, the cookies were yummy!

Mama Pig is Saving Money!

I know that it has been a very long time since my last post but what better way to welcome myself back then with money---lots of it! For all you mamas in the DC metro area-you should run, not walk, to Harris Teeter today because tomorrow their sale ends.

I have some friends from my MOPS group that swear by Harris Teeter because they accept all competitor's coupons and occasionally will double coupons. I coupled those two perks, along with their weekly specials to get two weeks of groceries---yes two weeks-- for $103!! That includes two packs of diapers, two huge bags of frozen chicken breasts, organic baby food, oodles of dried fruit and pasta and much, much more!! Here are some of my best deals. I will also include where I got the coupon and remember they double the coupons until tomorrow so some items end up being FREE!!!

Item Reg Price Sale Coupon Final
Huggies Size 4 Little Movers 10.99 8.99 2.00x2 4.99
Pampers Size 4 Extra Dry 10.99 8.99 1.00 x2 6.99
Barilla Pasta 1.50 Buy 2 get 3 1.00 2.00
Craisins 3.25 Buy 2 get 3 0.50 x2 5.25
Yo Baby Yogurt 2.99 0.50 x2 1.99
Organic Homestyle Beech Nut 0.99 10/6$ 6.00
Gain Dishwashing Liquid 1.29 0.99 0.50x2 FREE
Fresh Blackberries 3.99 Buy 1 Get 1 3.99
Frozen Chicken Breast 2.5lb bag 9.99 Buy 1 Get 1 9.99
Raw 51/60 Shrimp 17.98 $10 off 7.98
Peet's French Roast Coffee 9.99/lb 1.50 x2 6.99


These are just some of the deals. Most of my coupons came from the bottom of the junk draw so they are for Safeway and Giant but I also found some at these wonderful places online:

www.momslikeme.com
www.coupons.com
www.shopathome.com
www.couponmom.com
Budget Mom