Deep fried bliss

Ok, so I do not own a deep-fryer, for very good reason. If I did, I would be making things like I ate last weekend- deep fried pickles and deep-fried burgers! Yes...an artery clogging, deep fried burger, topped with sour cream and jack chesse. Let me back up a little here...

A good friend of mine was getting ready to leave for the summer, so a few of us got together to grab some drinks and a bite to eat last weekend. We went to a local place known for their burger menu, so naturally, most of us tried something new in that department. Myself of course, chose the ever popular deep-fryer burger. All it is really, is a hamburger and fix-ins covered in a tortilla wrap and flash-fried, then topped with sour-cream and cheese, and let me tell you, it was D-E-L-I-S-H. Mind you, I could only eat close to half of it, since I was also enjoying some french fries and my pickles.

Now, lets get to the pickles. If you like dill, you will love these. Imagine a large spear of pickle, deep fried in a crunchy Italian like batter, along with a ranch like dipping sauce and fresh dill. Sadly, we hoed into the pickles so quickly, I forgot to snap a pic to show you :( I did however, grab a pic of the burger for your viewing pleasure, so without further a due, the deep-fried burger.

Dreaming of Cake

Ok, so I think I have a cake problem?! Last night, right before bed, all I could think about was cake, and icing, mounds of mounds of buttercream icing! Right before I went to sleep I was talking cake with Construction Man, so maybe that's why it stayed in my head all night. Regardless, my thoughts are still consumed with cake this morning so I thought I would share some decorating ideas with you.

Since I love to bake, I plan on making my own Birthday cake next month. If you have not had a chance to check out the Blog "I am Baker" then you really should, that is where I picked my design for my soon to be Birthday cake.

 

The inside has vertical layers :)

So there it is, isn't it a beauty? I can't wait to try it out and take some pics to share with everyone. There is also a similar version of the Rose cake done Neapolitan style that I also want to try.

I guess we will just have to wait and see how much energy I have on my Birthday, but one of these ladies is going to be all mine, well, I guess I will share. Check out the "I Am Baker" blog for more decorating ideas and recipes http://iambaker.net/

A healthy Triple Chocolate Muffin? Yes please :)

If you are anything like me, than you LOVE chocolate. I'm talking about the can't get you out of my head, true heart's desire, kind of love. This can obviously be a problem....so when I pinned a recipe for healthy chocolate muffins, I was excited to get in the kitchen.

The only thing I did not enjoy about the recipe, was that it used a cup of sugar substitute, which I am not a fan of, but hey, you win some, you lose some. The rest of the recipe calls for simple, healthy ingredients like apple sauce instead of oil and cocoa powder instead of mounds of actual chocolate. But don't fret, there are a few chocolate chips in the recipe for good measure.

Overall, the taste was pretty great considering the lack of un-healthy ingredients. They were Superkid approved and judging by how fast they were consumed, I believe Construction Man was a fan too. They will definitely be something I make again because they are almost guilt-free for me, and I like that when it comes to my chocolate! Next time you have the urge to bake healthy, give this one a try. The recipe can be found here : http://healthyisalwaysbetter.tumblr.com/post/6583755120/lessthan300kcal-triple-chocolate-chunk-muffin

Toddler Times- what Superkid is up to now!

On a day-to-day basis, I find myself in awe of how much my little Superkid knows and learns. Construction Man and I have always thought she was the smartest most beautiful little girl in the whole wide world, but obviously, we are her parents and we are biased, of course.

At any given time, like most toddlers, she is surprising us, changing with every blink of an eye and it all happens so fast. From first steps, to big-girl beds and potty training, I am always wondering what will be our next big milestone, but she never makes me wait to long to show me something new she can accomplish.

Here are some of the things Superkid is up to now, at 27 months:

• Mommy Mocking- Saying things like "Bless you Heart" when someone sneezes or calling her little friends "Sweetie".
• Strong Decision Making- When asked which Blizzrd flavor she prefered a few weeks ago, Mom's Midnight Truffle or Dad's Strawberry Cheesequake, she didn't choose but replied "I like both".
• Book Memory- We get a slew of books each week from the library, which we burn through in no time, and Superkid after one read, can usually recall and help finish sentences from the pages.
• Puzzle Building- Over the past week, she managed to teach herself to put together her 10 ft, 28 piece Alphabet puzzle, on her own. This is a new favorite and she does it multiple times a day.
• Personal info- If Superkid is ever lost, we can rest assured if asked, she could provide the following information: Her full name, address (including street number), hair and eye color, and parents first and last names.
• Surroundings- We noticed she has a keen eye for her surroundings, always asking what so and so place is or what the name of this and that is. She can now easily rhyme off many landmarks around our area including the Library, Grocery store names, big-box stores like Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire, and resturants like Boston Pizza and Eastside Mario's, to name a few.
• Music-We listen to a lot of music via the radio and YouTube in our house, and Superkid listens to our music as much as her own kid stuff. She loves to sing and has been asking for specific songs and singers in particular which is really cool.

As a mom, I could go on and on for days with the list, but I will cap my Mommy bragging right there for now.  I have to admit, I could not be any prouder and I'm sure you can tell. I can't wait to see what Superkid will show me next; only time will tell.

Happy Friday

There is no better day of the week than Friday, its just special. For me, its the day I slack on cleaning because I hope to not be in the house much during the weekend anyways. It's also a day when I get to think about what I want for a little weekend treat, which is usually something I bake.

We spent our morning grocery shopping and hitting up the library for some quality mommy/superkid time, which is something I make a point to do every week. We have been going since Superkid was about 3 months old and she really has a love for books!

The rest of my weekend is shaping up nicely with a possible play-date this afternoon and a get together with friends tomorrow evening. I will also be hitting the local pool with Superkid this weekend for the 1st time in a while, which will be fun. Throw in a campfire in the backyard and life is complete.

With no real theme for this post I will leave you with what I think is a very fitting "Happy Friday" pic, enjoy :)

Beat the heat with easy ice-coffee

We have been getting some really warm temperatures the last  week or so and one can not complain about that. However, if there is one thing I know, its that the sunshine makes me crave cold, icy, drinks and at take-out prices, you can really rack up a bill. For instance, a Grande Cookie Crumble Frap from Starbucks will cost you just about $6, besides the zillion calories that come with it. I must admit, I did indulge in one while finishing off the Hunger Games Trilogy last weekend and it was worth every penny, but in moderation of course.

A healthier do-at-home ice coffee is as simple as two ingredients: Almond Milk and your fav Coffee :) Simply freeze you cooled down coffee in ice cube trays, and pop a few in a glass of almond milk for a delicious drink when your feeling the heat. These are quick and easy when you are entertaining during the summer months too and it won't break the bank.

Finger Painting Fun

If you are looking for something super fun to do on a rainy day, make your own finger paints! Ok, so maybe the process of making them is not super fun, but your little ones will have a great time playing with them and that will make it worth it. Besides, its pretty quick and easy and you probably have the supplies on hand.


My advice is not to let it thicken to long or that can end up making Vaseline like texture paints, which happened to me the first time I made it. Other than that, have fun with it and experiment  with different colors.




Here is what mine looked like!                                                           Here is Superkids lovely Artwork

                                            

Back at er'

Sadly, the long weekend is over and Construction Man is back to work, which means Superkid and I are back to our regular routine. I have to say, with the beautiful weather and fun activities we had planned, we really had the best three day weekend ever!

Saturday, we spent the day in Halifax on the waterfront, which was really fun for Superkid because it was her first time. Sunday, she had her very 1st Ponyride at Hatfield Farms and we went into the Petting Zoo. And yesterday, we spent our last day of the weekend at the Oaklawn Farm Zoo in Aylesford :)

In between all that fun, I also had time to bake a whole bunch which included my Pink Lemonade Layer cake and some cupcakes which were not on my list. For my first time making this cake it turned out pretty decent. You have to be a lemon lover to enjoy because there is a strong lemon flavor as expected due to the lemon zest/pink lemonade combo.

Here is a look at the cake and the various cupcakes, enjoy!

Victoria Day Weekend Bake Fest?

Bring on the long weekend people!!! Construction Man is off at 4pm today and not due back at work until Tuesday morning, what does that equal= One Happy Mommy! This weekend will be pretty low-key for us, Superkid goes to Little Gym on Saturdays and I tutor on Sunday afternoons, but in between those, we plan on utilizing our new backyard firepit, trying out some new drinks, enjoying the company of friends visiting from New Brunswick and of course, BAKING :)

The plan is three fold, make some Protein bars for moi, Playgroup Granola Bars for Superkid, and a Pink Lemonade Layer Cake for company and fun. The Protein bars are made with the Body By Vi shake I drink and they are delicious.

Recipe: 1 cup natural organic peanut butter
             1/2 cup of honey
*Mix together and microwave 30 seconds
            Add 3 scoops of Vi shake mix (or any protein powder)
           Then ass 1 1/2 of rolled oats or steel cut oats
            Press into pan and chill.


The playgroup granola bars are great for the whole family and we have made these before. They are a perfect snack and a great on the go breakfast if you need something quick. Plus, you can play with the recipe and add different dry fruit and nuts based on your preference.

Recipe can be found at the Cooking With Mrs. Sea Monster blog:

http://mrsseamonster.blogspot.ca/2010/10/playgroup-granola-bars-variation-2.html





And lastly, the Pink Lemonade Layer Cake I have yet to try, but can not wait to get my hands on. Sounds summery and perfect for the weather forecast we have for the long weekend which is hovering around 20 degrees.

Recipe for the cake can be found on my "Cakes and Cupcakes" pin-board on Pinterest.










Enjoy the long weekend friends, I will let you know how the cake turns out!

Cruel and Unusual Punishment?! I think so.

In my "Achieving a goal" post a few days ago, I mentioned that I would be starting some Aqua Zumba classes with a friend this week, and I am pleased to report that "Operation Get Fit" has begun!

I managed to get to two classes so far this week and hope to get another one in before the week ends. The first one we went to was the Aqua Zumba class and it was so much fun. There is a great down-South feeling from the music that made me feel like I was on a little vacation and I totally felt happy to be there. The second class I went to was called Belt Up and Boogie Down, and it was a deep water class. This one did not have the fun energy that the previous did, but it was still a great core workout and I can't wait to go back.

Now, lets get to the cruel and unusual punishment side of things, shall we? Note the picture above. Typically not something one wants to see while they are working out, or after they finish a workout, or at all for that matter if you are trying to moderate such things, am I right? Well, after my second class was over, as I was walking up the stairs to exit the building, I notice a poster size DQ ad, similar to the one above, including pictures of the PB Parfait, Banana Split and Chocolate Dip Cones!!!!! I know the Sports Stadium has a DQ, so I totally understand the ad side of things, but placement people.....is it really necessary to put such temptation in the stairwells just after exiting the pool? Let's keep it to the lobby folks. After finishing my workout all I could think about was a Blizzard.....wah, I had advertising:(

Anyways, I'm over it...ok, totally not over it yet. Maybe my Aqua buddy will join forces with me next week and go on a little mission to remove this temptation permanently?? Jenny??

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Shortbread---need I say more?

This may just be the greatest combination of ingredients there ever was. These little short-breads are extremely addictive and as soon as I tried one I knew I had to get them out of my house as soon as possible, which was not a problem. One rarely has a problem getting rid of baked goods and if you have stopped by my house, you likely have eaten a cookie or slice of cake on more than one occasion.

You can find the recipe for these delicious babies on my "Indulgence" Pinterest board if your interested in giving them a try.

 A few words of advice, do not overcook them, it can be tricky with short-breads because they do not really brown, so just keep your eye on them. Also, they are more of a plan ahead cookie. You will not be making them last minute because you have to let the dough set in the fridge for at least two hours. I promise they are melt in your mouth yummy and so worth the wait though.

My 1st Campaign as a BzzAgent

A few months ago when I was reading my favorite savings blog (Savebiglivebetter.com) I noticed a post about BzzAgent. In a nutshell, if you sign up and do some surveys, you have the chance to be picked, based on your survey answers, to try a campaign. The survey's are quick and easy and can range from Food to Pets and Allergies.

What do I mean by a campaign? I was chosen for the new Claritin campaign, and today when I went to my mailbox, I was happy to see my package was there, including  a 10 pack on the new Rapid Dissolve Claritin and a book of eight coupons, each with $6 off the product, to share with other allergy suffers. I also got a little Official BuzzGuide book to tell me more about the product, and a letter explaining what I have to do. The best part, it was absolutely free to me, no shipping or anything.

The catch? Well, there is none really. I am supposed to try the product and give my honest opinion about it to others, share the coupons, and write a review of the product to share with BzzAgent to tell them what I thought. They are big on wanting you to give your honest opinion of the product because that is the only way for the whole idea to work.

I think I was pretty lucky to get a campaign so quick because you have to be chosen and not the other way around. I noticed on the website a lot of people wait a long time to get their 1st campaign or quite a wait between campaigns, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got an email with my offer .

From what I can tell they have lots of different products to test, I even saw a Burt Bee's box filled with goodies that other people were posting about. I'm looking forward to seeing what new campaigns will launch soon and hope to get picked for another one. If you want to check it out visit bzzagent.com.

A Heathy Alternative--Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps

If you are sick of the same old beef tacos or looking for a way to make them a bit more lean, this recipe is for you. The only trouble I had with the recipe, was getting my lettuce leafs off in one piece to wrap the taco's in, which is not that big of a deal really. I worked with what I had and you can do the same.

Essentially, the Turkey Taco Lettuce Wrap, is like a beef taco, minus the shell and beef and swap that for lean ground turkey and spices, wrapped in a lettuce leaf. Fill with your ordinary fix-ins and you are good to go.

Both Construction-Man and I loved these and I will be making them again for sure!

For ingredients and directions, see below:

Ingredients:

• 1.3 lbs 99% lean ground turkey
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 2 tbsp bell pepper, minced
• 3/4 cup water
• 4 oz can tomato sauce
• 8 large lettuce leaves from Iceberg lettuce

 Directions:

Brown turkey in a large skillet. When no longer pink add dry seasoning and mix well. Add onion, pepper, water and tomato sauce and cover. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

Wash and dry the lettuce. Place meat in the center of leaf and top with tomatoes, cheese and salsa or whatever you prefer.

*Full recipe @ skinnytaste.com

Happy Mother's Day

The best gift in the whole wide world is to be a Mom. I have been blessed with the opportunity to be a Stay-At-Home-Mom for the last two plus years and it has been something I cherish more than anything. I owe a lot to my remarkable husband who works so hard so that we can make it work.

So today, on my day to sleep in, I tossed and turned at 7am hearing my family upstairs playing, ready to get up and see what they had in store for me. I must say, I was surprised and thankful for the thought Construction Man put into the day ahead!

I was handed my "itinerary" in bed, and proceeded to check the first things off the list:

• Open Card from Daddy & Superkid---check

• Get ready to head to Cora's for Breakfast----check, and may I add, SWEET! 

• Head to the park for a morning walk in the trails----beautiful! 

**Added bonus- During the walk, Construction man ducks into the woods and pulls out a beautiful bouquet of multi-colored roses he cleverly hid early that morning to surprise me.

 What a great morning, I was sad it had to end, but keeping to my regular Sunday routine, I had to head home and get ready to tutor for the beginning of the afternoon. As soon as that was done, we picked up where we left off. Next on the list:

• "Lunch in the sun with some alcoholic fun"---we had a good laugh during this so I must explain. Firstly, lunch was great, broccoli salad and a sandwich, simple and delish. Let's get to the alcoholic fun part. Construction Man went to the NSLC and asked the lovely sales lady to help him pick out something summery and fun for me (can you tell he is a non-drinker?). The lovely sales lady, without asking what flavors or alcohol I prefer, simply pointed him in the direction of a Bottle of Mohito. Which would be fabulous, that is, if I didn't have a seriously traumatic experience with Rum when I was 17 and thought I could shoot a quart strait. Good thing we had some spare Sarasota mixed up in the fridge from the previous night to save the day!

Impromptu trip to DQ for Blizzards followed lunch, which we ate bare feet on the dash, in the car, my favorite! Back to the list:

• "Break & small gift"---intriguing, yes! What did I have in store for me? A bubble-bath, complete with a Lush Bubble Bar, my favorite, a few new magazines to read while in the tub, and chocolate! This could not get any better.

•   "Supper-no idea yet?!?!" --there is the man I know and love....this was totally fine since we were still filled up from all that 4pm Blizzard Love at DQ.

• And lastly, "A massage with Lush Massage Bar after Darts" (which he attends on Sunday night every week). I am anxiously awaiting this one!

So, was I spolied? clearly! Surprised? Yes. What a perfect day. The best part was just feeling important and recognized for the job, I try to hard to be perfect at. We all know there is no such thing as an absolutely perfect mom. But, having an amazing child, sure makes you want to try as hard as you can to be just that. Thank you again babe, you outdid yourself xoxo

Baked home-fries with all the flavor of the fryer....

A long, long time ago we ditched our deep-fryer. At the time, I think it was more of a "Im to lazy to change the grease" decision, than a "Let's get healthy" one. But nonetheless, no deep-fryer makes life a little boring sometimes, especially in the french fry department.

There are tons of different recipes out there to make home-fries, but mine never turned out crispy enough and there was always something missing, so we stuck to McCain fries most of the time to keep it simple. That was until I found the secret ingredient to french fry success, cornstarch. This made all the difference in giving the fries a crispy coating without have to dunk them in oil.

My "Healthy Living" board on Pinterest has the complete recipe, but olive oil, garlic, sea-salt, fresh pepper, garlic salt, cayenne pepper and cornstarch is all it takes to make these babies! I didn't have the cayenne, so I left that out, and no complaints here. These are something you could make to go with any meal, or a great snack for a weekend movie date. Enjoy!

Achieving a Goal

Six months ago today I made a promise to myself that I would stop treating my body like a punching bag and start watching what I put in my mouth. What that meant for me, was no more two or three trips a week to McDonalds for BigMc's, or Wendy's to grab a JBC to hold me over until I could get home to eat a meal. No more sending Construction Man out to the store at 9pm during the week for a bag of sour candy, a can of Pepsi and a bag of Doritos either.

On top of that, I traded in my coffee and bagel breakfast for a meal replacement called Body By Vi and vowed to insert more fruit and veggies into meals and snacks for the whole family. Essentially, Body By Vi is a protein shake filled with lots of vitamins that you mix with milk or water and some fruit or flavor packets to suit your taste.

Everybody has to find something that works for them and for me, my shake helped with my sweet cravings since it has flavors like Chocolate Cheesecake and Neopolitan. It is also super quick and easy which is great if you have kids or have to get out the door to work in the morning. I also found it to be extremely fulfilling, I looked forward to having it every morning when I woke up and loved creating new shakes to try during the week.

Does it work for everyone? Well, of course not. Nothing works for everyone, but I know a lot of people who have been successful with it, and more importantly, it did what I wanted it to do; changed my eating habits (not to mention, dropped that 18lbs of BigMc and junkfood off my waistline). Most of the weight I lost in the first 3 months or so, since then I have been maintaining it, which has been going great too.

The next part of my journey is the getting fit part, so I am happy to say my gym pass is purchased and I will be starting some Aqua Zumba classes with a friend of mine next week :) Let's hope I am this enthusiastic about it when I am working my butt off in the pool next Monday night! Either way, today, I am happy that I did something for me, and saw it through like I said I would.

Evenings in the Park

On nights when Construction-Man gets home from work before superkids bedtime, we love to get out of the house for a bit before we call it a night. What better way to spend some quality time together than at the park? The one that we go to is great because it has lots to do, a playground, grass and picnic tables, a sandy lake and walking trails. You even get to see some cute little duckies, but feeding them will cost you a big ol' fine of over $200, which kind of sucks the fun out of that.

Either way, there is nothing better than getting outside and having some uninterrupted family time, without the phone ringing, or Toopy and Binoo singing through the tv speakers. Oh, and the fact that it pretty much guarantees to wear out superkid and give her a great nights rest doesn't hurt either. We plan on heading back soon and having a little picnic. Sounds like a great way to fill up some time on Mother's Day....hint, hint, Construction-Man!

Cookies so good, you can gift them!

Lately I have taken a liking to trying different cookie recipes as a break from caking, and man, am I glad I did!!! I think I may have stumbled upon the best chocolate cookie recipe ever written thanks to Pinterest (my one true love).

These cookies get nice and crisp on the outside but still manage to keep a rich gooey center that will rock your world. As I said in the title, these are truly something you could put in a cute box and give as a little gift, which is what I did the first time I made them. From the feedback I got, they were very well received, in fact, I think the hostess had to grab a few and hide them away for herself before the other guests finished them off.

If you are going to attempt to bake them I would make sure you have a good stand mixer because the dough is really tough. You should also have will power or friends who will help you eat them, because you will be tempted to sit down and devour the whole batch all by yourself. You can find the recipe, along with many others on my Pinterest "Indulgence" board. Happy Baking!

Bird Feeder Flop

I was talking to my Mom on the phone the other day and she gave me the great idea to make a Bird Feeder with Superkid. The local library in Sydney set up this activity for little ones a while back and it was a big hit, so without a doubt, we went to Bulk Barn to pick up some birdseed and away we went.

The idea was to toast a piece of bread (or almost burn it actually) and then coat it in PB, followed by a covering of birdseed. Sounds easy right? And it was! However, no little birdies came to eat our treat, which sat hanging on our deck until a Raccoon took a good chunk out of it, and the rest blew into our neighbors yard....yikes!

So, the process was fun and Superkid loved watching for the birds to come, but it was a little of a let-down. Anybody have any other ideas to make this work for us? A friend of mine said she tried doing the same thing but with a pine-cone instead of the toast idea. What do you think?

Let it grow!

In the hopes that planting some Spring flowers would trigger warmer weather, we set off to Farmer Clem's to pick up some flowers to plant last weekend. What I did not expect, is that Superkid would be so excited to head out every day to water them with her little hippo watering can and check on their progress. It is the little things like this that make being a mom so much fun. 

Hello out there

So here I sit, on my "break" until superkid toddles out of bed, writing my first post to whoever is out there reading. I am a young(ish), stay at home Mega Mommy who loves to cook, bake and make creative things to keep my growing girl busy! What is a Mega Mommy you ask? Or maybe you didn't because you figured it was pretty self explanatory.....either way, here goes:

Mega Mommy- One who tries WAY to hard to make a perfect, happy home, which includes, but is certainly not limited to.....**insert gigantic list here**

If nothing else, I am sure to give you some great dinner and dessert ideas, as well as some great craft and learning opportunities for the superkids in your life. Maybe even a few laughs inspired by mine, who seems to always be up to something. Until then, this Mega Mommy has some business to tend to (i.e. housework).