An Opera Singer in the Kitchen

"Sneak Some Veggies" Spelt Lasagna

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I love being able to focus on making meals now that I FEEL like I am getting a hang of having two babies in our household. I thought I would never feel like cooking again, but I have been inspired to make quick 30- minute or hour meals the last few weeks.

A huge confession to all moms out there but I am not a great meal planner. I get all these emails giving me ideas but I never use them because in reality I need to be inspired.

My husband asked me how I came up with this recipe and well I have to say that this time I was inspired by another website. I really enjoy visiting and reading Lauryn's website called Vintage Mom. She is part of the social group I belong to here in Philly and have recently been able to spend some time with her.

As I read her recipe for her Fresh Vegetable and Pork Lasagna, I felt like I needed to make a version of it. Many know that I was vegan before my first daughter was born so I really focused not eating a lot of dairy. After I became pregnant I could not muster following the vegan diet and started incorporating dairy in the form of cheese, sour cream, and ricotta. Lately though I just have not been able to do it anymore.

I have always been lactose-intolerant but I have been able to do just cheese in moderation. I had been staying away from making lasagna because despite all the cheese and ricotta or cottage cheese, I knew I would have a hard time with my tummy.

In comes my version. The beauty of this recipe is that I got to SNEAK my favorite vegetables: squash! My husband does not like it but I believe I won him with the recipe since he could not taste it. (Or else he was being nice. LOL)

My toddler even loved it and she also got a dose of veggies too! I left out the eggs, ricotta, cottage cheese and only used a cup of mozzarella. It gave it the perfect amount to bring this dish together. It was not dry at all and I believe that where the veggies came in.

Enjoy!

"Sneak Some Veggies" Spelt Lasagna

by Noelle Kelly

Prep Time: 20-25 min

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients (4 servings)

8-ounce box Vitaspelt Organic Whole Grain Spelt Lasagne
1/2 pound lean ground beef
2 small onions, diced
1 large zucchini, shredded
1 yellow squash, shredded
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Italian Seasonings
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup part-skim milk mozzarella, shredded

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil and saute' onions. Add ground beef, garlic, and Italian seasonings after 5 minutes and cook for 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil pasta according to box directions. Drain and semi-cool. Add the marinara and shredded veggies to the meat and cook for another 5 minutes.

Using a 9x9 glass dish, add 1/4 cup of the meat sauce to the dish, and add 2 1/2 lasagna strips. Add another 1/4 cup sauce and sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese.

Repeat the process twice and end with some sauce and cheese. Bake for 30 minutes and serve.

MorningStar Farms Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers + Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:25:00 +0000

Disclosure: I was given the same goodie bag and was not compensated. This review is soley my opinion.

I have a mid-week giveaway for you! I was recently contacted to try MorningStar Farms newest veggie burgers called Mediterranean Chickpea Burger. It has 70 percent less fat than regular ground beef and 110 calories and a good source of protein, making it a great addition to summer eating.

I have not tried grilling it yet but I made it as a burger with no buns. I used the patties as the bun and filled the middle with tomatoes, olives and a little mustard. It was scrumptious! I also had a nice green salad on the side too.

MorningStar Farms wants someone to get a chance to try this new veggie burger so they will be sending someone with a nice goodie bag.

Do you like chickpeas? I really like them alot and this burger certainly tasted very delicious. There were pieces of bean within the patty that wasn't a turnoff. Consider trying this new product during a family BBQ or GRILL night. It is nice to have a veggie alternative for guests too!

So here is what ONE person will win:

· MorningStar Farms coupon

· Greek-inspired grilling apron

· Mediterranean hummus cookbook

· Chickpea tote bag

Â· MorningStar Farms coupon Â· Greek-inspired grilling apron Â· Mediterranean hummus cookbook Â· Chickpea tote bag

Rod Stewart New Album Review #TimeWithRod

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:00:00 +0000

As you know I am a musician and have been for a long time. I love listening to new music and new artists all the time. I have my husband ask me what type of music such and such artist on my Pandora station all the time. I can also be pretty random with my music interests and choices.

When I got a chance to review Rod Stewart I thought I would take a chance and listen. I listened to some of his previous albums so I could have a better perspective of his current album. Here are the titles of his songs to his current CD:

Time Track Listing:

1. She Makes Me Happy

2. Can’t Stop Me Now

3. It’s Over

4. Brighton Beach

5. Beautiful Morning

6. Live The Life

7. Finest Woman

8. Time

9. Picture In A Frame

10. Sexual Religion

11. Make Love To Me Tonight

12. Pure Love

I had a real hard time getting into his music. Rod Stewart has a unique voice and while he is a rock star his same style comes across in this album even after 20 years! If you love his music then you will enjoy this new album. He has spent four decades being a rock star, three being a parent, and has a new album's worth of rollicking stories to tell. Time is his first album of new material in almost 20 years.

Eleven of the twelve songs on the CD were written and produced by Rod Stewart which was released on May 7th. In addition to this new CD, Stewart will embark on the European leg of his Live the Life tour on June 1st, while American dates with Steve Winwood will kick off October 17th.

Do you know someone who is a big fan of Rod Stewart's music? But it off iTunes or Amazon.

Disclosure: I participated in this campaign for One2One Network. I received a free copy of the CD to facilitate my review. All opinions stated are my own

Spicy Seafood and Veggie Penne Pasta + West Elm Store Opening

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Last week I was given the opportunity to see a preview of the new West Elm store opening at the King of Prussia Mall and I have to say that I had heard of the store before but I had never been to one before. I was really glad I was able to attend because I have a new favorite store I want to visit when I go to the mall.

The store reminded me a bit of a sophisticated Pier One and Anthropologie thrown into one and made more elegant. I was first drawn to the kitchen area where I refrained from buying fun summer bowls and dishware.

The silverware with twig handles really caught my attention as well as the food products. Since the summer is almost here the focus and display was arranged for a cook-out. The fish rub caught my eye, so I decided to purchase it.

There was also some yummy food being passed around as people shopped and viewed the newest collection. I loved the color schemes in the store. It made me want to sit and stare and decide what I wanted to purchase the next time I came around.

As soon as I got home, I thought of ways to use my purchase of the evening.

I made a seafood dinner last night using the fish rub that was so delicious. It really did not heat up the kitchen too much and it made for a quick weekday dinner. I used sea bass and large scallops for my meal and tossed with penne pasta. Luckily the baby was asleep and my husband had taken our sleep-deprived toddler for a walk while I finished dinner.

The fish rub was definitely a unique flavor. I loved it and was happy that I did not have to add too many more spices to the meal to amp up the flavor. The rub had lots of spices including cardamon and coriander! What a combination but it all worked out. It was a bit spicy but it had the perfect bite. Our toddler skipped the pasta and enjoyed the fish tremendously! She kept asking for "MOORE." This is always a good sign.

I look forward trying other food items from West Elm Market as well as some kitchenware soon!

Spicy Seafood and Veggie Penne Pasta

by Noelle Kelly

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (2 servings)

Fish mix

6 ounces of large scallops or 6 Large scallops
12 ounces sea bass, cut in 1-inch cubes or 4 large fillets
4 teaspoons Staurt & Co. Flatbush Fish Rub
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Veggie mix

1 red onion, sliced
4 red radishes, julienned
2 tomatoes, diced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced

2 cups penne pasta, cooked

Instructions

Heat a cast iron skillet with 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.

In a medium bowl mix the lemon juice with the scallops and sea bass. Add the fish rub and mix well. If you do not have the rub, add a little crushed coriander, cardamon, sumac, garlic powder, mustard powder, kosher salt, and cayenne pepper.

Add the fish to the cast iron and cook for 5-7 minutes. Remove from pan and add 1 more Tablespoon of olive oil.

Meanwhile cook the penne pasta.

Add the veggie mix and saute' for 10-15 minutes. Add the fish and basil and finish cooking for 5 more minutes. Add the penne pasta to the fish and veggie mixture.

A Saturday in Lancaster, PA

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I am finishing the last set of posts from a trip our family took a few weekends back. When I look back I smile and thank God for the area we live around. We have so many great towns in our near vicinity we have already started talking about all we want to do this summer! If you are looking for ideas for your family this summer, continue reading how much fun our little family had.

We had a whole Saturday to visit three sites starting with The Amish Village which houses an authentic Amish farmhouse. We had a 25-minute tour of the inside of the home. We learned a lot of the way the Amish people live, wear and farm.

We explored the area and enjoyed watching our toddler waving and petting the animals in the farmhouse. They even had a nice playground in the shape of a barn.

There were all sorts of animals and a garden to really show what Amish living is all about. There is also a nice picnic area where you can eat along with a shop and market to purchase food and crafts. We almost bought a bonnet for both our girls. :-)

We next got to enjoy the lovely The Choo Choo Barn –Traintown, U.S.A.® – located in Strasburg, PA, features more than 150 animations and 22 operating trains, this 1,700 square foot handcrafted, work-of-art is packed with small-scale local landmarks and detailed scenes from Lancaster County.

It kept our toddler engaged especially while in her stroller. We were really floored by the way this whole display is cleaned. There was especially a fun scene that showed an fire truck pull to a house on fire and put the fire out. It was very entertaining!

We ended our afternoon by stopping at the Strasburg Rail Road. Even though our day had started around 10am, our babies were managing pretty well. We really tried to minimize the use of our strollers so we could get a lot done which made for happy babies. We have made it a point to try to travel as much with our children despite their young ages which is why our toddler loves being outdoors. That being said, the Strasburg Rail Road offers a lot of kid-friendly activities.

There is a pint-sized miniature steam train and a pump car too! We especially enjoyed the 45-minute train ride. There was a vintage baseball game happening on a stop the train made but we skipped it since our kiddos were getting tired.

There are options to ride First-Class, Coach, Open-Air, and Dining Car on the train so next time we hope to try the Dining Car. We really loved riding the train with the windows open. Right now there is a summer special called the Summer Pass that provides unlimited rides on Coach and the Fun Extras plus more! Valid May 25 through September 2. Thomas the Train will also be around starting June 15th through the 23rd along with some times in September and November.

We really enjoyed the weekend especially since it was a perfect sunny weekend. We hope to return soon to take another train ride. There is also so much more in the area in addition to these sites.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored media trip. All of my thoughts and opinions are based on my own personal experience.

----SoftFlex™ Natural Nurser™ and Bottle Brush ---- {Baby Product Review}

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Can you believe my little one is 3 months old today? It is pretty crazy to me how quickly time has flown by. When I received the Nurser Set I knew I could try getting my little one on a bottle in case the daddy needed to feed her.

We started our oldest on a bottle when she was a month and half old so I started later with the baby.

She has not embraced the bottle too well even with the previous ones I had. She is definitely a little more finicky than my oldest. She finally took this nurser and consumed the pumped milk but it took her a bit and she fussed. We will continue to try.

I definitely liked the shape of the nipple, which was definitely different to other brands. It was very easy to clean with the bottle brush. The bottle brush also came with a nipple cleaner but I have not been able to open the opposite end to reveal the nipple brush. We'll see how it comes apart.

The Bottle Brush can be purchased at Kohls

The Natural Nurser set can be purchased on Buy Baby Direct and K-Mart

Follow Nuby on Facebook and Twitter

Discovering New Music #SeHablaMusica

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Target.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in partnership with Target. However, all opinions are my own.

When I was asked this week how I discovered music I did not know where to start. The Latin culture has been a part of me since infancy despite living in the states. I grew up speaking Spanish at home and English when I was out of the house. As I was growing up I always liked music because my mother had introduced it to us at an early age. Did you know that Latin music was not a big part of our lives? I mean my sister and I sang duets in Spanish but they were mostly Spanish Christian songs.

When did it all change?

College.

Yes, I became part of my Spanish club in college and headed up a talent competition. I knew I always liked Latin music. Every time we would visit our family in Mexico, I would hear the dance music blaring and I could not help but think of how I could and when I could dance. Ha! That did not quite happen until later.

Back to the talent competition. I headed up a merengue and salsa number and hired a dance teacher so that the 6 couples dancing in the group could convince the judges we had talent. We won in our category that year! Woohoo!

After that it all just stayed under wraps until I discovered Zumba. Oh yes. I loved aerobics and movement classes but after a while that all grew very monotonous. Zumba allowed me to discover new music while I worked out. So let me continue to say that I have been slightly obsessed with Zumba and the music that comes with it. I am not a club attender but I love to dance so why not do it while exercising and making a little of a fool of myself. Ha!

Every time I would attend a class and hear a song I would ask the instructor to share the artist so that I could compile my own list. I would add it into YouTube, Pandora, iTunes, and/or Playlist until I could find the artist. I have now been doing this for almost 9 years with the hope that one day I will become an instructor with a crazy compilation of music.

My favorite way, though, of finding new music is listening to my Zumba playlist on Pandora. I am constantly placing "thumbs up" on the songs I like so then I can work on making separate playlists. It is pure madness but this is what I do.

How does this work with an opera singer who performs with certain genres and styles? Well the Latin culture is spreading within the opera world. I was not able to attend while I was in Houston but a NEW opera has been making headway into the opera scene. I have two opera friends who have been making a name for themselves in the world's very first mariachi opera. Is that not amazing? You have to watch this clip:

It is quite exciting to listen to Latin music in our daily lives because it educates and it also makes people move at the same time.

Who are some of my favorite Latin artists? I like Shakira and Pitbull at the moment.

What about you? How about telling me for a chance to win a gift card?

Giveaway

To celebrate Latin music, Target has also graciously offered one of my readers a $25 Gift card. Please follow the instructions to enter to win.

$25 Target Gift Card

Bird-In-Hand Family Inn and Restaurant {Review}

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Disclosure: This is a sponsored media trip. All of my thoughts and opinions are based on my own personal experience.

Two weekends ago our family was invited to visit the Lancaster area. We stayed in the Bird-in-Hand Family Inn and Restaurant for one night. After a while day of visiting area attractions we were looking forward relaxing with our kiddos and resting.

After we dropped our belongings in the room we decided to continue to take advantage of the sunshine. The front desk personnel were very friendly and showed us all the activities available to the guests. Well what immediately caught my attention? The petting zoo!

Julianne was so excited to see goats, chickens, rabbits, and even a llama. The inn provided us with some food for the children to feed the animals. It was real exciting to see how entertained my girl was. It was also relieving to see some hand sanitizer too!

Ryan was happy to be showing her the ropes too! In addition to the petting zoo the Inn also includes the following:

Complimentary 2-Hour Amish Farmland Tour
Fitness room
Game room
Indoor pools/hot tub
Outdoor pools
Picnic pavilion
Tennis & basketball courts

We did not get a chance to do the 2-hour tour but it was great to know we could keep it in mind.

The view around the inn was very pleasant. There was a nice pond and walking trail that was nice. There were lots of people walking. We wished we had bread to feed the ducks that were around.

After that some of the moms sat around as the spouses played with the kids. The playground was very big and it also included swings for both toddlers and grown kiddos. The only thing that was not too safe were the slides. They were geared more to older kids.

How about the food? Bird-In-Hand also boasts a great restaurant and Smorgasbord offering Amish favorites. What was the verdict? Both of us could definitely skip the Smorgasbord. It tasted more like any other country buffet. We wondered how it would be to order off the menu. At least the cherry crisp was a nice finish to our meal. ;-) Baby girl had a roll! Not.

What about the Inn? Here are the amenities:

125 clean comfortable Guest Rooms
Family Suites & King Rooms
Complimentary Wireless Internet
Complimentary Tour of the Amish Farmlands
Two Heated Indoor Pools
Hot Tub
Outdoor Pool with unique walk-in entrance
Lighted Tennis Courts
Playground & Game Room
2 18-Hole Miniature Golf courses (fee to play)

We were not able to visit a lot of these because, well we had little ones and bed time was calling our names but it was nice that we were able to enjoy what the outdoors provided.

The rooms were nice and it seemed like they had been renovated. The inn provided us with a crib that was perfect for our family. The beds, well. Let me just say that it was not our best night's rest. We could feel the coils in our beds and we woke up sore. Perhaps we got a fluke room.

After our night's rest we woke up early to head home and enjoyed a nice breakfast buffet. There was a variety of food that filled us and we definitely enjoyed it a lot more.

All-in-all, the Bird-In-Hand Family Inn is a very family-friendly place. There is lots to do in the area and there is a lot to see. If your family gets to visit make sure to try all the nice amenities.

Bird-In-Hand Family Inn

2740 Old Philadelphia Pike

Bird-in-Hand, PA 17505

800-537-2535

Bird-In Hand Restaurant and Inn on Facebook

Bird-In-Hand Restaurant and Inn on Twitter

Michael Bublé Album Review

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Disclosure: I participated in this campaign for One2One Network. I received a free copy of the album to facilitate my review. By posting, I am eligible for incentives. All opinions stated are my own.

It has been a while since I have done a music review. After all I am a singer but I do not review just opera or classical. In fact, I listen to a VARIETY of music genres. I was really happy to get to preview Michael Bublé's new CD that was released on April 23rd. I have been a long-time fan of his voice and albums so I was real interested to hear new music.

After I heard the entire album I was a bit amused. It took me a bit to register every track because well, the album mixes different styles. Bublé takes several popular standards and gives it his own interpretation. I immediately loved Come Dance With Me. Bublé has such a relaxed style that makes you want to sing along or even dance anywhere!

Even though Bublé has three tracks with a contributing artist, I simply enjoyed Something Stupid. I have heard that track performed by different artists but it never gets old. It is nice to hear Reese Witherspoon sing again. If anyone has seen Walk the Line, Reese Witherspoon performed all her songs and it was so refreshing to see and hear an actress do her own singing. Obviously Bublé likes her singing too!

There are four original songs on this album that were co-written by Bublé and of the four my favorite is It's a Beautiful Day. In general I really like when Bublé sings really upbeat songs with full orchestra. It is his best work which leads me to say that this album is not my MOST favorite. I like his 2005 album It's Time and 2009 album Crazy Love the best. Somehow the standards on those albums caught my attention a lot more that on this album. It really does not strike a chord with me.

That said, that is just my opinion. I told my sister-in-law, who is a big Bublé fan, to give me her opinion because sometimes others feel differently.

Go and listen to the album and give your opinion of this popular crooner. He has sold out shows he will be performing starting at the end of June. You gotta love him!

Media Links:

Links To Buy Album:

To Be Loved Track Listing:

1. "You Make Me Feel So Young"

2. "It's a Beautiful Day"

3. "To Love Somebody"

4. "Who's Lovin You"

5. "Something Stupid" (featuring Reese Witherspoon)

6. "Come Dance with Me"

7. "Close Your Eyes"

8. "After All" (featuring Bryan Adams)

9. "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" (with Naturally 7)

10. "To Be Loved"

11. "You've Got a Friend in Me"

12. "Nevertheless (I'm in Love with You)" (featuring The Puppini Sisters)

13. "I Got It Easy"

14. "Young at Heart"

ION Audio Giveaway {Film 2D Scanner}

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:55:00 +0000

Do you have negatives from long ago that you wish you could have on an SD card or on your present hard drive but did not know how to transfer? How about slides? We are talking old school material before digital photography became popular. Check out what this scanner can do for all those lost pictures you have in photo albums or pictures never printed.

The Film 2 SD Scanner transfers your images directly onto an SD card so you can enjoy your old pictures with the latest technology. One of the great features is that you don't even need a computer, you can load them onto an SD card to view on digital picture frames, televisions, mobile phones, computers, and other portable devices. Make sure to check out The Review Wire's full review on the Film 2 SD Scanner.

Features:

High-resolution 5MP scanner and large color LCD
Scans color and black & white 35mm slides and film negatives
Transfers your slides and negatives directly onto the included SD card
Allows viewing of pictures on your iPad®, digital frames, TVs with SD, and more
Includes adjustable Rapid Slide Feeder (fits 1.1 to 3.0mm)
Works with SD and SDHC cards up to 8GB
No computer needed; optional USB connection for Mac and PC
Automatic exposure and color balance controls
Video output for viewing on an external video monitor

ION Audio Giveaway

2 Winner's will each receive a Film 2 SD Scanner from ION Audio {RV $152.97 each} See form for Entry Details. Open to U.S. You must be 18 years old to enter to win. Ends 5.24.13 INSERT GIVEAWAY FORM

Disclaimer: An email address is required to enter. The winner will be chosen randomly through Giveaway Tools and contacted via email. A reply to the winning email is required within 48 hours before a new winner is chosen. One person entering per household please. U.S. only. This giveaway ends at 11:59 PM EST on May 24, 2013.

This event is sponsored by ION Audio and hosted by The Review Wire. Opera Singer in the Kitchen is not responsible for prize fulfillment. I was not provided with product for this review. I was provided a link on the form in exchange for helping to promote. Companies and bloggers, if you would like to participate in group giveaway events like this one, sign up to be emailed about future events hosted by The Review Wire.

Entry -Form

Mother's Day at Longwood Gardens

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:41:00 +0000

Photo from website

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. In exchange for posting, I was given a membership by Longwood Gardens. As always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Do you need ideas for Mother's Day? How about going to Longwood Gardens with your family? The flowers will be in full bloom and there are plenty of paths to meander through the gardens.

There will a beautiful concert on Saturday from 12-3pm which will be repeated on Sunday which will be held in the Conservatory.

Photo from website

Even though the forecast does not look promising for outside walking it could always change. There is a chance of 40% of showers on Saturday and 20% on Sunday but who has let rain stop anyone?

The special music will be a flutist and violinist and will be indoors so the rain should not prevent anyone from bringing their mothers.

Photo from website

What else could intrigue you to bring your mother to Longwood Gardens? Well there will be a fantastic Mother's Day Buffet from 10am to 5pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

If you are interested here is the info for the buffet:

Buy tickets online or by calling 610-388-1000 (additional fees apply for phone orders).

$60 Ages 12+

$49 Members ages 12+

$32 Ages 5–11

$26 Members ages 5–11

$5 Ages 1–4

Free for infants

Tickets limited. Sell out likely.

Prices include Gardens admission. Alcoholic beverages not included.

Photo from website
Tickets

Please note that timed tickets are required for admission to the Gardens. Buy tickets online or by calling 610-388-1000 (additional fees apply for phone orders). Tickets limited.

Even if you and your family are not able to make it to the gardens how about gifting your mom with a year membership so she can enjoy the grounds anytime?

Check out the website for more info on how to purchase a gift membership.

Mini Vegan Banana Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:11:00 +0000

I am back this month working with Secret Recipe Club. I was assigned Hobbie Lobbie and even though there were so many recipes to chose from I had to choose a breakfast recipe since I had some ripe bananas calling my name.

Trisha lives in Mumbai, India and is a full time baker! I was really excited to see some traditional Indian food which I have bookmarked for later. As I ease into my life as a mother of 2, I am making easier recipes for now.

I chose to make Trisha's Banana Muffins which were only egg-less but I chose to make them completely vegan. They were fun to make and the toddler liked them too!

Look at how she savors them! Next on my baking list are the Puran Poli on Hobbie Lobbie.

Mini Vegan Banana Muffins

by Noelle Kelly / adapted from Hobbie Lobbie

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (24 mini muffins)

3 over ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup spelt flour
1/4 cup So Delicious coconut yogurt
1/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped
1/3 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and grease a mini muffin mold.

Mash the bananas in a bowl and add the oil, yogurt, sugar and vanilla and mix well.

Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Mix well.

Add the mashed banana mix and fold it into the flour till incorporated. Don't beat the batter.

Add the pecans and finishing mixing. Spoon the batter into the muffin mold.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Toddler-friendly

Speculoos Cookie Butter Pecan Rolls --So Delicious® Dairy Free 2013 Recipe Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Thu, 02 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

May I invite you for breakfast or brunch? I believe I finally realized I enjoy making cinnamon rolls. Is there a cookbook out there that is dedicated to making all different varieties of cinnamon rolls and not only any kind but VEGAN cinnamon rolls?

I enjoy drinking and cooking with So Delicious coconut milk so when I heard there was a contest for the best recipe using this coconut milk I jumped at the opportunity to create a NEW recipe.

Even though it was not required to create a NEW recipe I knew I wanted to. I have been baking with So Delicious for a while and I feel comfortable subbing regular milk with coconut milk.

I adapted my recipe for my popular Pumpkin Pecan Cinnamon Rolls to make these tasty rolls. The rolls are smaller and ideal for a brunch or breakfast party.

Anyone else like Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter Spread? I do and I simply had to join my now new favorite things together: rolls and spread. Who needs to spread cookie butter when you can enjoy it with every bite within every roll?

Yum.

I will need your help voting for my recipe, so go and make it, like NOW and then check out my recipe on the

So Delicious® Dairy-Free 2013 Recipe Contest board on Pinterest and LIKE my recipe. Thanks!!

Speculoos Cookie Butter Pecan Rolls

Prep Time: 90 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients (24 rolls)

Roll Dough

1/4 cup warm water (not hot, about 110 degrees)
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
2/3 cup warm So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk
1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp water (equals 1 egg)
3/4 cup Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter Spread
3 cups (approximately) All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Filling

3/4 cup Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter Spread
1 1/4 cups pecans, chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Icing

1/2 cup Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter Spread
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tablespoons So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk

Instructions

In a large bowl, stir yeast into water to soften. Let rest for 5 minutes before stirring. Mix flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes. Add milk, cookie spread, 2 cups flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon to yeast mixture. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.

Gradually add remaining flour, a little at a time, until you have a dough stiff enough to knead. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead, adding flour as necessary, until you have a smooth, elastic dough.

Put dough into an oiled bowl. Turn once to coat entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface, and pat or roll it into a 16" x 12" rectangle. Spread softened cookie spread over dough and then sprinkle with cinnamon and pecans.

Roll the dough into a log the long way; it'll stretch to about 20" long as you roll. Using a very sharp knife, slice the log into 24 slices. In order to cut down on drag, it helps to rinse the blade in hot water, and wipe it off, between slices. Place slices in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan (or in two 8 or 9 inch round cake or pie pans). Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 375°F oven. Bake the rolls till they're brown around the edges and beginning to turn golden brown across the center, about 20-30 minutes.

While rolls bake, prepare the icing. Add the cookie spread, vanilla, milk to a small food processor or use an immersion blender. Blend until smooth and combined. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, blending in between, until well mixed and desired consistency is reached.

Frost warm rolls with the icing and serve immediately.

Koru Creamery-Style Yoghurt {Review + Giveaway}

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Disclaimer: Koru Yoghurt provided me with samples of their yoghurts and free coupons to give away.

A few months ago I was given the chance to try a new product called Koru Yoghurt. Even though I have focused on non-dairy yoghurt I have started adding dairy back in my life before the birth of my second baby. I was craving dairy and this was a delicious new product.

Koru creamery-style yoghurt is owned by Land O' Lakes company and has been working to bring very unique products to the yogurt shelves in supermarkets.Even though there are currently available in the Northeast and Great Lakes areas you can request this product to be at your local grocer.

Why the "h" in the yoghurt? Well, not only does it look elegant but it makes the product look unique.

The company currently sells 5 flavors. Strawberry and Goji is not shown in this picture but I was given a nice cooler filled with these yoghurt goodies plus a nice plastic cup to drink on the go.

Here is what I thought of these flavors:

Pomegranate + Cherry: Cherry flavors are my favorite so it was great to see this paired with pomegranate.It was fresh and flavorful.

Mango: Tropical flavors and perfect with a muffin. There were chunks of fruit and delicious.

Passion Fruit: This is definitely not a fruit flavor one sees on the shelf so I was excited to try it. It was SO good and full of flavor.

Peach: This was a unique flavor with chunks of fruit. It was nothing too exciting.

Strawberry + Goji: I love super fruits and this was a great combination. I heard first hand that the company is going to expand the yoghurt line with more super fruit flavors. How wonderful!

Which was my favorite? Passion Fruit all the way!

Even though I got to share this with my husband, he did not particularly like this product because there was not enough fruit on the bottom. I did not agree since the cup size was only 5.3 ounce it was the perfect amount.

Some people prefer mixing the yogurt with the fruit on the bottom but I personally liked eating the yoghurt and then eating the fruit on the bottom. The fruit is lightly sweetened with honey, sugar and delicious fruit.

This is not greek-style yogurt but a creamy and smooth snack or dessert. Each container costs $1.79 which is a little more expensive than the other brands out there. I personally will not buy this anymore since my lactose issues returned after having the baby, but I would like someone to enjoy.

How about having a chance to win some free coupons?

Two people will have a chance to each win 5 coupons to try this product for FREE. Thanks to Koru for providing these coupons.

Want to find out where this product is sold? Check out the product locator to see if you are eligible for the giveaway.

Koru Yoghurt Coupon Giveaway

A Blogger and Family Weekend in Lancaster County

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:29:00 +0000

If you think this weekend was nice and sunny wait till you hear what I'll be doing with my family next weekend. My family and I were invited to experience different activities in the Amish Country. It is incredible to think that we live so close to this beautiful countryside.

Even though we have only lived in the area for only 8 months we have gotten to see a lot of our area and the city. What about Amish country? I remember taking a family trip after I graduated from high school with 8 family members in a mini-van. It was a long trip but I remember going through Pennsylvania and going through Amish country. It was memorable, but I could not really tell you exactly where we were. I am happy to be visiting the area with my own family this time around.

Where will be staying?

We will be staying at the Bird-in-Hand Family Inn that also includes a restaurant. We arrive on May 4th and meet the other families involved in the event. The inn boasts a lot of amenities and activities for families. Can we swim? Why, yes, of course since this place has an indoor and outdoor pool.

The Family Inn also offers complimentary Amish Farmland Tour too! At the end of the evening we will get a chance to try out the restaurant where they offer foods that are traditional Amish recipes from several generations back.

Here are the three sites we will get to visit during our weekend:

The rail road is one of Pennsylvania's leading family attractions and I would say so since they offer a 45- minute ride in different parts of the train, like the Dining car, Coach, Open-Air, or First-Class. I cannot wait to take the family on this!

What about the Choo Choo Barn? Well, it is also known as Traintown, USA and it boasts a handcrafted work of art that spans 1,700 square feet of 150 animations and 22 operating trains.

Look at the tiny details! It features small-scale landmarks and details of Lancaster County. I cannot wait to see this!

I think the best of all places will be The Amish Village which is located at the heart of Dutch country in Pennsylvania. The village is 12-acres large with real Amish working around the vicinity. They hold a 25-minute guided tour of how the Amish live. We will see first-hand how families live unplugged from the rest of the world.

Hopefully we will get a chance to roam around the area with our 2 little ones and that the weather permits this. Stay tuned for a recap of all the great experiences the following week!

Have you ever visited any of these places?

Jewelry Creations {coming soon}

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:51:00 +0000

Happy Friday! I am so happy it is here already. We do not have many plans but it will be filled with quality family time for sure!

Something I have been working on recently is posting my jewelry creations. I have had an Etsy shop for a while but I have not had the time to upload and post them in order to sell them. I love working with stones, beads, sterling silver and more.

Be on the watch for these postings on Etsy. A percentage of the sales will go to friends in the mission field. I love doing things for a cause in my daily life but I have not expressed this to my online life.

Which necklace piques your interest?

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo with Family and Friends / Tomatillo Black Bean and Mushroom Nachos

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Anyone have plans for Cinco de Mayo? It falls on a Sunday but who said you cannot celebrate it? We decided to invite some church friends to come over after church for some delicious comida. I am slowly getting back into the kitchen, wait, I am actually quickly getting back into the kitchen and creating. The recipes are flowing too fast with the little time I have to post. What did I decide to make for this Cinco de Mayo?

Well, what about a little recap on what Cinco de Mayo is all about? Here is what Wikipedia says:

"It originated with Mexican-American communities in the American West as a way to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War,^[8]^[9] and today the date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride."

We have not always celebrated Cinco de Mayo even though I am half Mexican, but this year I was inspired. It is, of course, another day to have delicious food especially when you have people over to share it with.

What recipes did I have in mind? Well I have a slew of them and Food Network Celebrity Chef of Simply Delicioso has a few to share as well! She is coming out with a new cookbook called Latin D'Lite and here is one she is sharing with us.

Photographer: Andrew Meade

Turkey Nachos

Makes 4 servings

pico de gallo:

4 small ripe tomatoes, diced

1 small white onion, diced

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped

½ cup packed cilantro leaves, chopped

¼ cup fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

filling:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound ground lean turkey breast

1½ teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon sweet paprika

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

¹∕8 teaspoon salt

¼ cup water

nachos:

4 8- to 10-inch whole-wheat or whole-grain tortillas, each cut into 6 wedges

cooking spray

1 8-ounce bag shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

½ cup ripe black olives, sliced

1 Hass avocado, peeled, halved, pitted, and diced

low-fat sour cream or nonfat plain Greek yogurt (optional)

2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped (½ cup)

1. To make the pico de gallo, combine the tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, cilantro, lime juice, and oil together in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

2. For the filling, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and the chili power, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, and salt. Cook, stirring often, breaking up the turkey with the side of a spoon, until the turkey begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the water and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the turkey is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with aluminum foil.

4. Spread the tortilla wedges on the baking sheets and spray with the nonstick spray. Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven.

5. Spray a large, shallow baking dish with nonstick spray. Spread half of the tortilla wedges in the baking dish, and top with half of the cheese, half of the turkey mixture, half of the beans, and half of the olives. Top with remaining tortilla wedges, and repeat with the remaining cheese, turkey mixture, beans, and olives. Bake until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and sprinkle with half of the pico de gallo and the avocado. Spoon a large dollop of the sour cream on top of the nachos. Sprinkle with the scallions. Serve immediately, with the remaining pico de gallo on the side.

Recipe from Ingrid Hoffman’s new cookbook called "Latin D'Lite

Even though I am planning on having fajitas on Cinco de Mayo we also like eating nachos and I decided to make a recipe to share with you all. It is vegetarian but can be easily made vegan.

These were so delicious and healthy since the chips were baked and the tomatillo sauce was fresh.It makes a great appetizer or a main meal for all to enjoy. I loved using mushrooms as the faux taco meat and using tomatillos instead of regular red salsa.

Here is the recipe:

Tomatillo Black Bean and Mushroom Nachos

by Noelle Kelly

Prep Time: 30-45 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (2 servings)

Homemade Tortilla Chips

18 corn tortillas
olive oil spray
kosher salt

Tomatillo Salsa

1 1/2 lb. fresh tomatillos (green tomatoes with husks)
1 large jalapeno, seeded
1 can diced green chiles
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Salt to taste (1 tsp)
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp sugar

Mushroom Taco Faux Meat

16 large white button mushrooms
3 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika

2/3 cup shredded cheese or vegan cheese

4 Tablespoons sour cream or vean sour cream

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 cup Bush's seasoned black beans or homemade black beans

Instructions

Homemade Corn Tortilla Chips

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

9 corn tortillas makes one serving. Cut the tortillas in wedges or triangle shapes. Spread evenly over a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake at 425 for 12 minutes. Repeat with the next 9 tortillas.

Tomatillo Salsa

Rinse tomatillos under warm water and cut in quarters. Slice and partially seed jalapeno. In a food processor, liquefy tomatillos, garlic, jalapeno, and green chiles.

Heat olive oil on medium skillet. Add sauce to hot oil and add lime juice, water, salt, sugar, vinegar and cumin. Boil the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes minutes. Add cilantro at the end and set aside.

Mushroom Taco Faux Meat

Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan. Place the quartered mushrooms and garlic cloves in a food processor and pulse until the mushrooms looks like meat. Place in the pan and add the seasonings. Mix well and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes or until the water in the mushrooms has evaporated.

Assembly

Add the chips to each plate and add 1/2 cup black beans and 1/2 the mushroom mix, then add 1/4-1/2 cup of tomatillo sauce and top with 1/3 cup cheese. Melt under the broiler. Top with 2 Tablespoons of sour cream and red onion.

Are you in the Philly area and want ideas?

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta in Kennett Square

Celebration of Mexican culture from noon to 5 p.m. Includes authentic Mexican food, music, entertainment, and children's activities.

PHILLY'S CINCO DE MAYO BAR CRAWL-12PM - 2AM

For more fun ideas on

how to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at home

with your family, visit

http://www.mycokerewards.com/cocacola

How about ideas for activities for your children?

Need more ideas for recipes? Here are a few dishes that are meat-free and delicious!

Mexican Sopes and Watermelon Margaritas

Vegetarian Tostadas

Portabella Poblano Fajitas

Flautas with Tomatillo Salsa and Pine Nut Crema

Spicy Black Bean Enchiladas

How will you be celebrating?

Disclaimer: The Cinco de Mayo Blogger Campaign was sponsored by the Role Mommy Writer's Network but all my opinions are my own.

Manayunk StrEAT Food Festival {Review}

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:10:00 +0000

It was a lovely Saturday two weekends ago, perfect for a lovely trek to Manayunk for their bi-annual StrEAT Food Festival. I had something else going in the morning in downtown Philly so we tried to fit two events in one day. If the sun is out one can do everything, right?

I had the fun opportunity to cover this event and boy was it entertaining!

As we arrived in Manayunk we were under the impression that Main street would be shut down for the festival, but it was not. The whole street was open for all traffic while the curbs were crowded with various food trucks and long lines waiting for food.

I was kind of stressed we arrived at 3:30pm thinking we would not get a chance to try anything at all. Seeing we have only been living in Philly for 7 months, I am getting used to the fact that there is traffic EVERYWHERE! The festival had started at 11am and ended at 5pm. Do you see how nervous I was?

Luckily we were able to catch a few goodies. We first stopped at Local 215 food truck where a lot of their menu items had already been sold out. It did not stop us from trying the last 2 items available: their vegetable tempura and their strawberry cucumber cooler.

I loved the color scheme of the truck and we loved the flavors of the food served. The tempura was lightly breaded and the strawberry cooler was different but delicious! Food trucks are quite new to me. Back in Michigan, I only visited one local food truck that was a farm to truck food truck. :-)

As a family of four, winding the streets with a double stroller was challenging. Julianne did pretty well because as along as she saw people and activity she was happy. Oh, and as long as you also gave her food she was also VERY happy. She is definitely our child.

Our next stop was Zea May's. They too were all sold out of their items except for their strawberry soup which was delicious! I loved the fact that all menu items were inspired by Native American cuisines and that most of their menu items were vegetarian and vegan. I simply need to visit their truck in the city at some point!

Our favorite truck (because it was the truck that had not completely sold out) was Farm Truck. We ordered both of the sandwiches they offered and we wept when we saw that their Chocolate Strawberry Brownie was all gone. I NEED that recipe.

The guys operating the truck have only been open for 2 months and they are the nicest. Can I also say that they make AWESOME sandwiches???

Ryan and I shared the sandwiches so we could give our full opinion and we simply liked both. One was a vegetarian sandwich while the other was not since we ordered the Pesto one with prosciutto.

I am sad we did not get to try many other items due to extremely long lines but we definitely want to come again later this year. It was challenging having the kids in the double stroller but it made for a fun outing filled with sunshine and entertainment. There was live entertainment in one street and a small market for local businesses.

Since we did not get a chance to try many food truck foods we stayed in the area and ate dinner with our little family. We dumped the stroller in the car and used our carriers and it was MUCH simpler. I believe we should have gone that way while visiting each food truck.

If you have never attended this festival, try to keep it in mind since the city will be rolling it out again later this year. We will definitely be there!

Lush: Fresh Handmade Cosmetics {Review + Giveaway}

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:37:00 +0000

Strawberry Feels Forever

Lush has been around since 1995 and has only been in the United States since 1996. I remember seeing Lush stores but I never bought anything because the smell of the soaps and products were so over-powering. This only happened to be an issue because I had a lot of allergies to certain scents. Fast forward to 2013.

My neighbor and I are shopping at the King of Prussia mall before I had baby #2 and she took me into the Lush store. I tried one of their body butters and I simply had to continue trying other products while I was in the store. My neighbor treated me to a bath scrub bar and I bought and eyeliner and lip gloss.

Lush creates and believes in 100% against animal testing so 100% are vegetarian and 83% are vegan. 60% percent are preservative-free and 38% are packaging-free. They use only products from fresh organic fruits and vegetables, the finest essentials oils and safe synthetics.

I am personally VERY sensitive to lots of make-up and beauty products so I was very interested in seeing how this product line would be.

I have been using the Independent eyeliner for a couple of months now as well as the eye shadow called Sophisticated.

The make-up comes in 0.2 ounce glass container and is packaged very nicely with tags describing each color. I love the fact that all colors are labeled with a wonderful adjective which could describe how the buyer purchases, based on their mood or how they want to be perceived.

Passionate

Take the lip make-up in Passionate and Decisive, it was not my husband's favorite but it made me feel great. I felt what the colors described and they were exciting!

While I was in Houston in March, I purchased a Body Bar with a sweet strawberry scent and I asked to sample another lip color. I LOVE the fact that you can ask to take home samples before purchasing because after I 've been wearing this specific color, in Perspective, I cannot wait to buy the bottle.My husband even mentioned how he liked the color! Score!

What else was not popular around this house? Well, the folks at Lush sent me this lip gloss that reminded my husband of children's Tylenol. I placed it on my lips thinking it smelled nice and delicious, but I came to kiss my husband and he was not thrilled. Whoops! Looks like I will be using this to kiss my kiddos. LOL

Therapy Massage Bars

Lush's massage bars, body butters and shower scrubs are AMAZING!!! They were lifesavers to a certain extent when I was pregnant. The last couple of weeks of my pregnancy were pretty awful. I was itching intensely when I found out I had cholestasis. I was scratching constantly and I was using the shower scrub bars to ease the scratching and to soothe the dry skin and I was using the massage bars to keep the skin moisturized.

While they did not alleviate the itching 100%, the bars helps and it made me smell nice. They are great for travel too!

This might not be the best lip job but as I continue trying to apply my lip color on better, I will continue to enjoy Lush cosmetics for a long time. I cannot wait to try other colors because I am adventurous.

Tea Tree Water

The last product I will tell you about is this toner water I use in the morning. After I wash my face, I spray this on and let it dry and then I put on my morning cream. I do not feel that my skin is oily and it keeps it healthy looking.

Find Lush Cosmetics on the following social platforms:

Instagram

Pinterest

Facebook

Twitter

Want to try some Lush Products?

I will give away a Bath Bomb and an eyeliner to ONE lucky winner, courtesy of moi!

Lush Cosmetics Giveaway

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post but was sent products to test and review for free of charge.

Stuffed Calabacita Squash with Red Pepper Marinara

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:09:00 +0000

I finally have a recipe for you all! This after all a food blog and all I have done is review products. Kind of boring, eh? Well, hopefully not!

I love shopping at our local produce store called Produce Junction because they have such great fruit and veggies. Granted it is not organic or through a CSA (which I hope to do soon) but it is great for the meantime for this veggie- and fruit-loving family.

A member of our family does not really care for squash but I simply could not help but buy these Mexican squash called Calabacita squash. I think that my husband just challenges me to make recipe that he will like. I of course want our children to love ALL veggies.

Does anyone not cook a certain veggie because some member of your family dislikes it with a passion? I take breaks but I do not eliminate it from our daily menu. Peas are the only DESPISED veggie in our home. LOL

As I get used to being home with my little babies I am getting used to thinking about simple meals I could prepare. I am not one to solely rely on a crock pot even though I know it will be a lifesaver some days.

I looked in my pantry and realized I had 2 more bottles of this fantastic local marinara made by Rose Romano's. I knew immediately what I was making: stuffed squash. Yum!

This was my first time making it and it took 30 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to bake. It was fast and it was all prepared while I was wearing the baby in my Ergo baby carrier. It was awesomse!

I used a paring knife to remove the center of each squash then I rubbed the squash halves with kosher salt, pepper and olive oil. I placed all of them in a 9x13 pan where I had poured both bottles of marinara.

If you are looking for a gluten-free and low-carb meal this is it. I only had 6 squash but this recipe would work with 8 small squash and feed 4 people.

Was my husband convinced with this meal to love squash? Not really but he was a trooper and said it was tasty but not his favorite. Oh well. I loved it especially with a side of French bread to dip in the marinara.

If you do not buy this sauce you can use 32 ounces of your favorite marinara. For carb lovers, you can add some spaghetti to this dish.

What is you least favorite veggie?

Stuffed Calabacita Squash with Red Pepper Marinara

by Noelle Kelly

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients (3 servings)

6 Calabacita squash, halved and centers removed
olive oil
kosher salt

Filling

4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound ground beef
1 cup button mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup brown rice, cooked
2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 bottles of Rose Romano's Marinara Sauce

Topping

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Start with cutting the ends of the squash. These run small so do not cut too much. Cut each squash lengthwise and carefully remove the seeds with a paring knife making a squash boat. place the squash halves in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle kosher salt and black pepper.

In a 9x13 glass dish, pour the two jars of Rose Romano's sauce. Place the squash halves in the dish. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil, and place the onions, mushrooms and ground beef and brown for 10-15 minutes. Add the garlic, seasonings and brown rice and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.

Remove baked squash from oven and fill each squash boat with 1-2 Tbsp of meat. Sprinkle the whole dish with Parmesan cheese then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Bake for another 15-20 minutes. Serve with French bread.

The Happiest Baby Guide to Great Sleep {Book Review}

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

A few months ago I became involved with one2one Network and was sent a copy of Dr. Harvey Karp's new book, The Happiest Baby Guide to Great Sleep: Simple Solutions For Kids From Birth to Five Years.

Dr. Karp is well known for The Happiest Baby on the Block and The Happiest Toddler on the Block. I was excited to review this book since I had to read The Happiest Baby on the Block for my first baby. I was having problems getting her to rest and sleep and then I realized she had lots of colic. I did not know how to calm her despite those symptoms. The techniques and suggestions written by this nationally celebrated pediatrician worked most of the time so I was happy to read this new book to see how I could help my toddler sleep better and to get more information in case I started having more sleep issues with my second baby.

Right off the bat I learned a lot with The Happiest Baby Guide to Great Sleep. It gave me greater insight on the typical sleep cycles that babies and toddlers go through as well as the different stages of sleep that babies go through. We have all heard about REM, but have you ever heard of NREM? NREM is the most restful sleep where the eyelids are still whereas REM deals with lighter sleep and the eyelids flutter and move.

Light sleep and deep sleep happens all through the night with an infant. It was fascinating getting all the inside information on my little one. I have loved focusing on her eyelids as she drifts off. I even get a small smile and have even gotten some laughter!

There is another chapter in this book where Dr. Karp focuses on the 5 S's: Five Ways to Turn on the Calming Reflex. These are the five steps that he talked about in the first book I read. It focused on swaddling, placing baby on the side, shushing, swinging and sucking.

I love swaddling because I had always read, even in this book, that there is a fourth trimester. The baby needs to feel safe, secure and snuggled. Their reflexes are not controlled. I LOVE seeing my newborn flail her arms when something alarms her. It was also written that a baby feels like they are falling when they flail their arms out that way. My newborn has started crying several times after something or someone startled her. Swaddling is therefore encouraged even until 6 months. He also focuses on a section when to wean an infant from swaddling.

Another chapter talks about the dangers of co-sleeping and bed-sharing. While I agreed on the dangers, I knew how hard I had it with my first baby. When I had my mother-in-law stay with us for a month, I happened to mention to her that I felt a lot more rested with this baby than with the first. We then realized that it was because I was bed-sharing. The baby would sleep with both of us in bed and whenever she woke up I would feed her and she would fall back asleep. Granted my sleep was not quite as deep because I was aware of her presence. We had our first baby in a bassinet in our room when she was first born. I felt so exhausted because I was getting up every time, and very often, when she cried or need to be fed, despite being swaddled.

We have only co-shared the first 6 weeks and now we are implementing Dr. Karp's points for great sleep. Another beautiful and helpful tip were all the charts he included in a lot of chapters showing the sleep cycle of a typical newborn and toddler. They are pretty much on target.

Kathleen, our second born child, falls asleep for the night at 9:30pm. Even though, I should wake her up around 11pm or 12am for a last feed for the night, according the Dr. Karp's pointers, she really does not wake up for me so I let her sleep until she wakes up for her "dream feed" at around 2am or 3am. She then sleeps until 6 or 7 am. I feel like I have a great sleeper! Before I put her to bed, I make sure she is awake so she can lull herself to sleep. So far she has been doing really well.

How has this new book helped me to understand my toddler's sleep schedule? Julianne is 17 months old and I have found that every day is a new day when it comes to naps. Some days she will have 2 naps or 1 nap, but then some days she will boycott both. I figure some of that has to do with her teething and sometimes it has to do with being a spirited and passionate toddler. She takes after me. I love the fact that Dr. Karp describes different types of personalities that toddlers have. I might has one spirited child and a quiet spirited baby. We'll see.

I might be in denial, but Dr. Karp has charts showing when most toddlers go from 2 to 1 to 0 naps. He even states how every day might be different which is what I think we go through in our household. Julianne is such a high energy toddler that if she had it her way, she would never sleep. She does not want to miss any events or activities around her. I have tried a technique that the Dr. talks about which is to go outdoors before the first nap. Our family likes the outdoors which is not a problem. Julianne goes to the front door often and exclaims "OUT!" Sometimes it helps her take her first nap and other times it continues to give her energy until after lunch.

The best thing I took from the book is Chapter 10 where Dr. Karp talks about "Six Fun Steps to Boost Patience and Cooperation". Whew, this is much needed in our home now. Even though I have the sweetest toddler, patience is lacking. I know it comes with age but some days it is hard having her just WAIT. Mornings are usually the most trying cause she wakes up so hungry. EAT! She has lots of words and EAT is the most important to her throughout the day. She gets impatient waiting for her fruit and cereal. Even though the cereal is prepared in advance I am just not quick enough for her. Ha!

The six steps that the Dr. talks about has help me better communicate with Julianne. Even though she is still young it is AMAZING how much she understands but it all depends how I communicate with her. Shorter phrases with simple words will help her understand and it has. I try to understand the feelings. There are other steps that will continue to help as Julianne get older.

Thanks to Dr. Karp because I will continue to use this book to help with any future issues. Want to check out more about what others are saying about this book? Check out this link for some media options.

Disclosure: I am participating in a book review campaign with One2One Network. I received this book from Harper Collins for the purposes of reviewing it. I have not received compensation. My participation in the campaign enters me into a drawing for a gift card. All opinions stated are my own.

Friday Family Fotos

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:44:00 +0000

Photos in Spanish is spelled Fotos so I decided that I would use it to have a cute title. Does it work? I am not big on using Spanglish anywhere in my world but I thought for this occasion it suited the day. Right?

The girls and I have been having lots of fun around the house. It has been a challenge giving enough attention to my toddler having a newborn but every day is a new day with new challenges and I embrace them.

The great thing about my Julianne is that she loves having fun and being silly. She is learning to entertain herself a lot more but I also try to keep her thought process going by asking her questions, having he repeat words back to me and more.

She is starting to talk a lot more and she is also screaming a lot too. I was talking to some moms at a park. One had an 18-month old and another a 16-month old and they were both saying how all of a sudden their toddlers were screaming either expressing frustrating, happiness, or just because.

How crazy is it that these kids and my Julianne have this in common because it comes with age? Well we are trying to help her not do it as often because she is scaring me and the baby.

Julianne loves playing with her sister but I have to be watch her because she loves feeding her fun snacks like raisins or bunny crackers. Whoops! Kathleen loves smiling at her sister and she has told me she cannot wait to play with her little sister. :-)

Kathleen is a dream. God has blessed my with a quiet spirited baby for now. She laughs, smiles, and is a great sleeper and eater. This gives me a break with my very spirited and passionate toddler. Whew!

I mentioned on my Facebook that I can no longer leave anything on edges of tables or counters cause Julianne is grabbing them and consuming them. You'd think I was not feeding this child but she is constantly saying "eat, eat."

On this occasion, Julianne grabbed a bowl of spiced butternut squash she had not wanted to eat for breakfast. I was distracted and feeding the baby and next thing I see is Julianne eating her puree in the middle of the living room. Sigh...not too much of a mess but still. She keeps me on my toes.

She loves pictures if you had not noticed. Here she is showing off her necklaces. Mardi Gras anyone?

Here is Julianne being silly looking likes she has some teeth missing after eating a bowl of blackberries.

What are some challenges you have with your kiddos and how do you deal with them?

Appetites on Main Restaurant {Review}

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 20:41:00 +0000

I have not done a restaurant review in a while so I decided I should get back to them seeing that I am not able to make as many dinners. My planning has to get better now that there are two little ones on board.

Ryan and I had been talking about how we had not been able to find a local restaurant that was a nice pub and that had nice outdoor seating.

We had Dusty's Tap Room and The Peanut Barrel in East Lansing, MI which were both GREAT for outdoor seating in the summer. Well, now that Pennsylvania has jumped from winter to summer, we have been craving for some outdoor dining. I remembered going by Appetites on Main in Exton where I noticed some great outdoor seating. I promptly looked online and noticed that they said that it was kid-friendly and great for dogs too!

We met after work and realized we had to wait for the outside seating. Well we could do it since it was a great evening!. We ordered the Buffalo Chicken Dip with pita, chips, and celery. It was spiced as mild and was very delicious. Julianne asked for some "BRED please."

We make sure we bring prepared meals for her since she tends to get antsy now that she gets hungry. She keeps saying "EET, EET!" Once our food comes out we tend to share with little bits.Is this photo not the cutest?? She is growing up!

Our baby Kathleen was getting hot in her carrier so I took her out but then I realized she wanted to be fed. Well, at least I got some appetizer so I decided to feed her before our main meals came out. It did not work out as planned. She was getting too hot from under my cover. I had to calm her while I fed her so then Ryan ended up eating first.

He chose the Bacon Philly Cheese Steak with Shoestring fries, which looked just like regular fries. They were delicious and seasoned perfectly. I chose the Reuben sandwich as my splurge with their house chips. I had to wait to eat my food so I snacked on chips as I fed the baby and then ate the sandwich while Ryan held her.

The chips were delicious and perfectly crunchy and hardly oily at all. The Reuben was delicious but messy. I wished I had ordered it as a wrap.

Julianne is enjoying some pita and celery with my homemade butternut and yellow squash puree. YUM!

Look at this little one. She looks like she is in pain but seriously we ALL enjoyed our time sitting on their large and spacious patio. There was music playing in the background and there were lots of families and friends with their dogs.

We will definitely be back. It took use 15 minutes to decide what we wanted to eat because the restaurant has such an extensive list. Ryan definitely said he thought we found our pub. Good thing because it is in our area and it is a quick drive.

If you are in town for a visit it is worth a try!

Little Green Pouch Giveaway {Reusable Food Pouches}

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:03:00 +0000

The Little Green Pouches have been my favorite product by far when it comes to the feeding the baby. Even though I buy some food pouches at the store for travel, these come in so handy, even more so now that I have a nifty baby blender.

I use a funnel to place the food in the pouch and close the seal and voila, the food pouch is ready to hand over to the baby. The pouch has a nifty seal like a ziplock to close the top section where the food has just been poured.

If you like leaving food prepared you can put your child's name on the back of the pouch and leave it with the babysitter or childcare personnel.

Even though these pouches cannot be microwaved, the pouches can be placed in warm water to heat the food or the food can be placed in the pouch warm already.

My toddler still loves her pouches ESPECIALLY when she is teething. She does not particularly like chewing on food but will normally eat if I hand her a pouch of food. I caught her on a good day with the following recipe.

I cooked some quinoa with vegetable broth and then I blended it with sauteed onions and butternut squash and placed it the the pouch. It was consumed rather quickly! Yay!

Want a chance to win a 4-pack of these pouches? I will include some successful recipes that I have used and prepared for my little one. The Little Green Pouch has some great recipes on their site as well for future reference.

Little Green Pouch Giveaway

My first week ALONE with two babies

noreply@blogger.com (Noelle) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:13:00 +0000

Who won the So Delicious coupons? Check your emails!!

I figured it has been a while since I really blogged about how I have been feeling since I have been a little busy, but I have been meaning to write this for a few days.

Last week was my first week with my 6 week old baby and my 17-month old toddler. I have to say that I was BLESSED to have family to help for a WHOLE month, but boy do I feel the difference. The week started really great but by Wednesday I felt a little stressed and tired.

Why?

Well, I have always pushed myself to be the person who could do it all. I mean, everything. I prided myself in being the expert multi-tasker, but I realized that when it came to having multiple kids, it meant something completely different.

For example. I happened to be Skyping with a friend. I was breast-feeding my infant and Julianne was watching my friend and kids on the computer. Within 10 minutes the doorbell rang. I had forgotten someone was dropping food off. I told my friend to hold on. I answered the door holding my infant, covered, still breast-feeding. I showed our church friend to the kitchen and then thanked him. I was also making sure I was not going to run over my toddler. Oh, did I mention I had just gotten home from a quick trip to the grocery store? Whew....it was a lot and yet I managed to keep the baby feeding.

It is a whole different experience having two kiddos. It is a little overwhelming even though I feel blessed to have my two little girls. I wake up thank God for them and also dumbfounded that I am 34 with TWO KIDS!

Do you sometimes wake up and realize that your life is not about you anymore. LOL For that matter, have you ever woken up amazed that all of sudden there are children in your life? I find myself thinking about these facts. It is amazing how much children change your lives. I think I might have had my mother tell me how much it would be different but people do not actually sit you down and give you a heart to heart conversation telling you how challenging it will be.

I am thankful to know that I am not the only woman and mother who feels the same way. I have to rely on God's strength and Scriptures to empower me because I KNOW I cannot do it on my own. I have had people already tell me that this stage where both babes are small can be hard but it is for a little time.

Here is something I want to ask though: ADVICE!

If you are a mother of two or more, how do you manage?

What are things that have worked for your family?

If you work from home how do you balance your daily life with these babes?

Thank you for taking time to answer but any advice would be helpful. I know that I am currently in transition but I know that nothing comes out of asking from others who have been in it longer. I love my girls and I want them to have a somewhat sane mother who knows what is going on, at least some of the time. :-)