Thanksgiving Cupcakes How-to for the Busy Mom

Turkey might be the star for Thanksgiving but they sure could be upstaged anytime by sweet little treats in your children’s eyes.

If you’re looking for a special dessert to make with your kids this Thanksgiving (which is just three days away!), here’s something that’ll surely fly with the youngsters.

Gobble em’ up! Thanksgiving cupcakes!

Cupcakes can be made to look a whole lot interesting than the usual pumpkin or pecan pie and it doesn’t take too long to decorate. Because this recipe is intended for mothers who already have a plateful on their hands, we are skipping the baking part. Instead, we’ll go straight to designing.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Keebler’s Fudge Stripe Cookies

Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Autumn-Colored Pipecleaner

Do the following for each cupcake:

1. Cut a quarter of each cookie off.

2. Place cookie on the cupcake frosting upright to form the tail feathers

3. position peanut butter cups beside the cookie to resemble the body

4. Cut and bend pipecleaners to form the neck and head to your liking

5. Eat!

Image and recipe courtesy of nofussfabulous.com

Guilt-free Grub

As we continue our little quest towards a fitter, healthier you, of course we have to include guilt-free meals!

FitSugar.com is filled with healthy recipes that you can try at home. Here's a rundown of their recommended recipes that only have 350 calories and below!

CITRUSY SHRIMP WITH ASPARAGUS

Shrimp, packed with omega-3s, vitamin D, and vitamin B12, is paired with the earthy, nutrient-dense veggie for some serious guilt-free summer grilling. And who needs butter when citrus adds that summery kick?

Calories: 282

Ingredients:

2 cups water
1 cup dried couscous
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
3/4 pound raw large shrimp (about 18), peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 minced garlic cloves
Olive oil cooking spray
3/4 pound asparagus spears, trimmed
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup chopped chives

Preparation:

1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in medium saucepan. Remove from heat, and stir in couscous; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; stir in 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

2. Bring another pan of water to a boil.

3. Meanwhile, toss shrimp in 1 tablespoon each lemon and lime juice, 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, garlic, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Marinate for 5 minutes.

4. Preheat grill pan or grill. Lightly coat with cooking spray; grill shrimp, turning once, 3 minutes or until just cooked through. Cover and keep warm.

5. When water is boiling, add asparagus, and cook 3 minutes or until just tender. Drain, and cover.

6. Whisk together honey, chives, and remaining lemon juice and olive oil.

7. Arrange couscous and asparagus on serving plates, and top with shrimp. Drizzle with dressing.

More recipes here!

Image from www.fitsugar.com

Ooh and just because you might be missing our clippys this week, here's a little peek at our adorable baby gifts! We're all raving about our personalized clips and headbands! After all, once you're in top form, you may want to show off yourself and your little darlings. Dazzle them all with our Salena and Joss accessories:

Monogrammed Clips and Headwraps

Salena

Joss

Have a fun and fit summer!

Cheerios!
Rach

Ruby Tuesday!

It's time to paint the town--I mean--the interwebs RED again!

Ruby Tuesday is a fun carnival hosted by MaryT at Work of the Poet. If you have something ravishing red to share, join in!

Today, I'm sharing a refreshing new recipe I'm trying to learn. You see, when I think of Spring, I think of fresh fruits. So when I stumbled upon this super easy recipe, I just had to note it down and try making it on my own!

I know, I know, strawberry is not even in season yet, but looking at how luscious that photo is, you'll know this is a dessert recipe for keeps! I got it from KitchenCakes.com.

STRAWBERRY PARFAIT

Ingredients:

6 large fresh or thawed frozen strawberries
1/2 cup strawberry flavored yogurt
1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate
1 teaspoon firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut (optional)

Directions:
1. Place strawberries in a bowl; lightly mash with fork.

2. Spoon strawberry mixture into four long-stemmed wine glasses.

3. Combine yogurt, orange juice concentrate and brown sugar in a small bowl.

4. Drizzle yogurt mixture over strawberries and avocado and sprinkle with coconut.

Try it out for yourself and let me know how it turns out!

Cheerios!
Rach

Soup for the Soul

Pretty soon, we will be welcoming beautiful springtime once again. But for now, to cozy up in the freezing weather, here's what could possibly be the best chicken soup recipe ever. Or at least that's what the author says! Why not try it yourself and YOU be the judge? Whip up some warm lovin' and let me know how your family likes it!

BEST CHICKEN SOUP EVER

Ingredients:
1 (2-3 lb) whole chicken
3 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
1 pound baby carrots
2 onions, chopped
2 cubes beef bouillon, crumbled
1 packet chicken noodle soup mix
2 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 pinch dried thyme
1 pinch poultry seasoning
1 pinch dried basil
5 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 pinch dried parsley
1 (8 oz) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta

Directions
1. Place chicken in a large pot and cover with water. Place celery leaves in pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and place in a bowl until cool enough to handle.

2. Meanwhile, strain the cooking liquid, discard the celery tops and place the cooking liquid in a large pot. Place celery, carrots, onion, bouillon, soup mix and chicken broth in the pot and let simmer. Season with thyme, poultry seasoning, basil, peppercorns, bay leaves and parsley.

3. Bone chicken and cut up meat into bite-size pieces. Return meat to pot. Cook until vegetables are tender and flavors are well blended, up to 90 minutes.

4. Stir pasta into pot and cook 10 to 15 minutes more, until noodles are al dente. Serve hot.

Recipe and image from allrecipes.com.

Salad with a Twist

How about we welcome sunnier days (hopefully) ahead? This makes me in the mood for some salad! One of my favorites has got to be chicken salad: it's two thing I love basking gloriously together in one dish! What more can I ask for?

But recently, I did stumble upon a chicken salad recipe that made me fall for the dish even more. It's my fave salad but with a zesty Southwestern twist to it! What's more, it's super simple to make!

Try it at home yourself and let me know how it turns out! :)

SIMPLE SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN SALAD

Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped celery
chopped fresh cilantro to taste
1 (1 ounce) pack taco seasoning mix

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine the cubed chicken, mayonnaise, celery, cilantro and seasoning mix. Mix well.
2. Cover bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.

And voila! A super salad! How easy was that?

I found this recipe at allrecipes.com. Check it out for more recipes you can try!

V-Day with the Kiddos

Spend this day of hearts with the ones you love most (although sometimes they make it a bit challenging): your kids! Celebrate Valentine's Day by whipping up some sweet treats together!

In allrecipes.com there are loads of kid-friendly recipes that don't only look good, we bet they all taste real good too! We loved this one:

CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA MUFFINS

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ready in: 35 minutes
Servings: 16

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. In another bowl, combine the egg, oil, yogurt and vanilla. Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened.
3. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips.
4. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the muffins comes out clean.
5. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Have a sweet day! :)

Image from allrecipes.com.

Snuggle up to Hot Cocoa

What's the perfect way to cozy up on freezing cold winter days like these? A steaming mug of decadent hot chocolate, of course!


While it's easy to just grab a pack of instant cocoa from supermarkets and you're good to go, why not make it extra special by making it at home yourself? You add a touch of love to it by making it from scratch, plus, the extra time in the kitchen is sure to warm you up, too!

I recently found an interesting website chock full of baking and dessert recipes that can easily be done at home. In the Joy of Baking website, Stephanie Jaworski lets you try out her recipes for cakes, cookies, muffins, scones, pies, tarts, and so much more. Virtually every sweet treat is there, including this super rich hot chocolate recipe that you should definitely try!

What makes this site stand out from the others is the interesting bits of history about each recipe! Here are fun tidbits about the origins of hot cocoa:

"Drinking chocolate is steeped in history. Columbus is credited with being the first to discover chocolate. When he arrived in the New World (what we now think was either Mexico or Nicaraguan) in 1502 he found the Aztecs drinking a chocolate beverage made with cocoa beans from the tropical tree Theobroma which translates to "Food of the Gods". Although the Spaniards found the beverage too bitter tasting for their palates they were amazed to see the Aztec's emperor, Montezuma, consuming up to 50 cups a day. The Aztecs made the beverage by first roasting and then grinding the cocoa beans to a paste, and then adding the paste to water, along with chili peppers and vanilla. Columbus did take cocoa beans back to Spain but they were not well received. It wasn't until Hernando Cortez brought more of the cocoa beans back to Spain from his trip to the New World (sometime around 1520) that the Spaniards found a way to process the beans to make them more palatable. They did this by adding sugar and spices (vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, hazelnuts, almonds, orange flower water) to the chocolate paste. Once the paste was allowed to solidify it was added to water or milk. This drink immediately became popular with the Spaniards and eventually the beverage spread throughout Europe and eventually to North America."

Amazing, isn't it?

Now for the equally amazing recipe:

Hot Chocolate:
2 cups (480 ml) milk
3 ounces (90 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 ounce (30 grams) milk chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon granulated white sugar, or to taste (optional)

1. Place the milk, semisweet chocolate, milk chocolate, and sugar (if using) in a saucepan pver medium heat and whisk periodically until the mixture just reaches the boiling point.
2. Remove from heat and if more foam is desired, use a wire whisk or hand-held immersion blender to whip the hot chocolate.
3. Pour the hot chocolate into two cups and garnish with a dollop of whipped cream (recipe below) and a dusting of cocoa powder or grated chocolate if desired.

Whipped Cream:
1/2 cup (120 ml) cold heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated white sugar
grated chocolate or cocoa powder

1. In your mixing bowl, place the whipping cream, vanilla extract, and sugar and stir and combine.
2. If you have time, cover and chill the bowl in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. When chilled, beat the mixture until stiff peaks form. The whipped cream will keep in the refrigerator for a day or two.

Makes two 8-ounce (240 ml) servings.

Note:
- To make hot or iced mocha, simply replace 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk with your favorite brewed coffee. Proceed with the recipe.
- If you want it iced, let the mixture cool and then pour over ice cubes. Garnish with whipped cream and grated chocolate.
- Leftovers can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Reheat.

For more delightful and easy recipes, visit the website here.

Image from the Joy of Baking website.

Meatball Mania!

What's a holiday without holiday food? One of my favorites has got to be meatballs! They're yummy, easy to make and just about everybody loves it. It's kind of nostalgic, too, as I remember helping my mom to make these for Christmas when I was a kid. Of course, my mom's recipe is a huge family secret (We have all sworn to secrecy, sorry!) But I recently found a recipe in AllRecipes.com that approximates hers. Plus, it's even easier. Since this season is all about sharing and giving, try this out yourself and tell me how it turns out!




Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground veal
1/2 lb ground pork
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
1 1/2 tbsp chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 cups stale Italian bread, crumbled
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 cup olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Romano cheese

Procedure:
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Fry meatballs in batches. When the meatball is very brown and slightly crisp, remove from the heat and drain on a paper towel. (If your mixture is too wet, cover the meatballs while they are cooking so that they hold their shape better.)
2. Place cooked meatballs into marinara sauce and cook 15 more minutes.
3. Blend breadcrumbs into meat mixture. Slowly add the water 1/2 cup at a time. The mixture should be very moist but still hold its shape. (You may use about 1 1/4 cups of water).
4. Shape into meatballs. Combine beef, veal and pork in a large bowl. Add garlic, eggs, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.

Serve to starving guests and if the kids are around, pop in a DVD of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs :) Happy holidays!

Yummy Turkey

Yes, ladies, I'm still wide awake! Just to bask in the success of my Thanksgiving dinner for a little bit more... So how did you celebrate? Of course, no Thanksgiving's complete without some good ol' turkey. And I'm sharing with you an easy-breezy recipe that I recently tried that was a hit among my guests:

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 4 hours

Ingredients:

1 (18 pound) whole turkey
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 quarts turkey stock
8 cups prepared stuffing

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place rack in the lowest position of the oven.
   
2. Remove the turkey neck and giblets. Rinse the turkey and then pat-dry with paper towels. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Loosely fill the body cavity with stuffing. Rub the skin with the softened butter and then season with salt and pepper. Position an aluminum foil tent over the turkey.
3. Place turkey in the oven. Pour 2 cups turkey stock into the the roasting pan. Baste all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 to 2 cups at a time. Remove aluminum foil after 2 1/2 hours. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh reads 180 degrees F (80 degrees C), about 4 hours.
4. Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter and let it stand for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

Image and recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com