TriadMommies.com

Wordless Wednesday: Valentines

noreply@blogger.com (Heather (hollysmom)) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:15:00 +0000

Homemade valentines given out by naturebaby's children

Learn a New Language During Cultural Awareness Month

noreply@blogger.com (The Mommies Network) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Bonjour! Ciao! Hola! Have you been checking the National Chapter and participating in Cultural Awareness Month? In our Multicultural Mommies forum, we’re talking about foreign languages and discovering fun facts about different cultures. Join the celebration, and add some new words and phrases to your linguistic repertoire!

Do you have something to add to the conversation? Share your knowledge with other moms who are learning a language with their children. Go global with TMN as we highlight the many languages and cultures that make our world wonderful!

Menu Monday: Butternut Squash Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Heather (hollysmom)) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:49:00 +0000

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced celery
2/3 cup diced onion
4 cups cubed butternut squash
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
4 to 6 cups of vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add carrot, celery and onion. Cook until vegetables have begun to soften and onion turns translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add butternut squash and thyme. Stir to combine with vegetables. Stir in vegetable broth and season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until squash is fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree soup. Alternatively, let the soup cool slightly and carefully puree in batches in a traditional blender.

Serving Suggestions:
Serve immediately or reheat and enjoy for leftovers!

Additional Comments:
Easy way to get a good serving of vegetables & SO yummy!

This recipe came from the TMN Recipe Database. Have you checked the database lately?

This Week With the Mommies

noreply@blogger.com (TriadMommies) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Check out all the fun events our mommies have lined up this week! For details and to RSVP, visit the calendar. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Monday, 2/13:
Mocha Monday coffee meetup at Earth Fare in Greensboro
Blended Families pizza meetup at Little Vito's Pizza in Kernersville

Tuesday, 2/14:
Meet and greet at Biscuit Factory in High Point

Wednesday, 2/15:
Indoor swimming at Greensboro Aquatic Center

Thursday, 2/16:
Bowling at Countryside Bowling Lane in Kernersville

Friday, 2/17:

Coffee and conversation at the Harris Teeter Starbucks in Kernersville

Would you like to see a playdate or other meetup on the calendar? Consider hosting an event yourself! Contact a Moderator or Manager for details.

Help Us Win the 2012 Mom's Choice Awards!

noreply@blogger.com (TriadMommies) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000

TriadMommies is a finalist in the 2012 Mom's Choice Awards!

Sponsored by Triad Moms on Main, the 2012 Mom's Choice Awards is your chance to share the best businesses and organizations in the Triad. Winners are published on the website and in the newsletter. If we win, we will receive a choice of either a free daily blog banner for one month or a free Saturday blog post.

Voting is open until Feb. 29, so what are you waiting for? Show your support by voting TriadMommies the best local blog or website in the Triad!

It's Shy Girl Social Time!

noreply@blogger.com (TriadMommies) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:07:00 +0000

This Week With the Mommies

noreply@blogger.com (TriadMommies) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:47:00 +0000

Check out all the fun events our mommies have lined up this week! For details and to RSVP, visit the calendar. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Monday, 2/6:
Mocha Monday coffee meetup at Earth Fare in Greensboro

Tuesday, 2/7:
Shy Girl Social in Greensboro

Wednesday, 2/8:
MNO at J. Pepper's Southern Grill in Kernersville

Thursday, 2/9:
Meet and greet at McDonald's in Kernersville
Coffee meetup at Beans Boro in Greensboro

Friday, 2/10:

Adoption playdate at McDonald's in Kernersville

Saturday, 2/11:
Valentine's Day Storytime in Winston-Salem
Valentine breakfast at IHOP in Greensboro
Breakfast at Cracker Barrel in Greensboro
Valentine's Day at Feeney's in High Point

Would you like to see a playdate or other meetup on the calendar? Consider hosting an event yourself! Contact a Moderator or Manager for details.

February Is Cultural Awareness Month!

noreply@blogger.com (The Mommies Network) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:23:00 +0000

February is Cultural Awareness Month at The Mommies Network, and we're thinking globally! Share a love for foreign language and different cultures with your child in our Multicultural Mommies forum on our National Chapter. Each week, we'll feature several languages and cultural tidbits. You may also participate and strengthen your language lingo in a special webinar. Additionally, our sponsor will provide information on how you can continue your language-learning experience after the month is over.

According to Associated Content, brain research shows that children are at an optimal age for language learning. Although language study is effective at any age, some studies suggest that the human brain is more open to learning a foreign language from birth to preadolescence. Fortunately, researchers have not found an age in which the language window closes completely, especially in the areas of grammar and vocabulary.

Take advantage of this opportunity to think globally, and join us as we learn about foreign languages and different ways of life during Cultural Awareness Month at TMN!

Menu Monday: Ham Swiss Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (TriadMommies) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:22:00 +0000

Ingredients

1 pack of dinner rolls with 2 sets of rolls in the pack

Instructions

While trying to keep rolls intact, cut them in half to make sandwiches.

Spread: Mix 1 cup of softened butter or margarine, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 spoonful of poppy seeds, and half of a small onion, finely diced.

Put the spread on the top and bottom halves of the dinner rolls. Lay down Swiss cheese and slices of boiled ham.

Cover in foil, and toast on 325 degrees F until cheese is melted.

— Melissa (PurpleBunni)
This is Melissa's signature dish. What's yours? Join the conversation in our Domestic Goddesses forum!

This Week With the Mommies

noreply@blogger.com (TriadMommies) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Check out all the fun events our mommies have lined up this week! For details and to RSVP, visit the calendar. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Monday, 1/30:
Mocha Monday coffee meetup at Earth Fare in Greensboro

Tuesday, 1/31:
Open bounce at Kernersville Bounce House
Lunch at Feeney's in High Point

Thursday, 2/2:
Groundhog Day at the Natural Science Center in Greensboro
Meet and greet at Krispy Kreme in Greensboro

Saturday, 2/4:
Breakfast at Cracker Barrel in Greensboro

Would you like to see a playdate or other meetup on the calendar? Consider hosting an event yourself! Contact a Moderator or Manager for details.

Minivan Mafia

noreply@blogger.com (TriadMommies) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

A few months ago, my Dazzling Husband brought home a new-to-us minivan. If you had told me 10 years ago that I would love owning a grocery-getter this much, I would have mocked you for such foolishness. But now, friends, let me share with you just why I was so wrong in youth and enumerate the awesomeness that comes with joining the Minivan Mafia.

Now, we've already established in previous installments that I drove my mom's maroon '89 Pontiac Bonneville in high school—not exactly a pimp sled. So, I don’t have a history of driving precision instruments of speed and aerodynamics. And I'm a mom with messy kids. It should come as no surprise, then, that I got a family vehicle instead of joining the waiting list for the Mercedes F125 with those DeLoreanesque gull-wing doors. But that’s just the beginning …

The ride is so luxurious, I sometimes mistake it for a cruise liner. I often expect to find a washcloth folded to look like an animal on my seat. Sadly, the cabin steward was not available for our model.

I'm not the only one who loves her van. In chatting with friends, I've been privy to some of the other unexpected perks. Take, for instance, my friend, Betty. She finds long drives boring, so whenever she and her Dashing Husband go on a road trip, she comes down with a headache or a case of carsickness and gets to take a nap, fully horizontal, in the backseat. And with all that space between the kids, he never has to hear the incessant "he's on my side" arguments.

My other friend, Betty, had convinced her then-boyfriend that she was the outdoorsy type, despite her irrational fear of fresh air. She had all kinds of unique excuses to avoid camping trips until they finally got married and bought a van. Now she happily packs everyone up for a Great Adventure in the Woods. As soon as everyone is asleep, she sneaks back into the van and catches up on her DVD rentals. Naturally, she is also first to rise and credits "the best night’s sleep" for her morning pep.

Now, Betty was once stuck in some awful traffic with her little ones. The bladder situation was reaching critical levels, and her working-on-potty-training son just couldn't hold it any longer. Seizing the opportunity to throw it in park and tend to her offspring's crisis, she climbed into the back and relieved herself in a to-go cup and thanked the Lord Above for tinted windows.

When The Girls get together for a night out, Betty is always first to volunteer her roomy vehicle. She's got space for everyone to ride comfortably. And since she is generously providing the transportation, she requires someone else be the Designated Driver. The gas money everyone throws in also helps pay her tab.

Sometimes my neighbor, Betty, admits that she just doesn't feel like cruising around town in a vehicle big enough to double as a staircase for small aircraft. So she sends the kids to her parents' house, and to make things easy, trades the van for her mom's sporty, retirement coupe. Yeah, changing car seats is a real pain.

My new van may never be considered an elite class of luxury vehicle. Some may even scoff at the sheer uncoolness of it. But these days, the only thing I think it's missing is one of those limo divider screens so I can block the kids out when they are going berzerk and throwing tater tots at my head.

— Ashley (00tedsgirl) is the proudly frazzled mom of two beautiful kids. Between cutthroat games of Chutes and Ladders and spontaneous dance parties, she spends too much time on TriadMommies to keep up a regular blog.

From Piedmont Parent: Be More Like Gordon Ramsey: Your Kids Will Appreciate It!

noreply@blogger.com (TriadMommies) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:19:00 +0000

Think your kids won't eat salmon? Can't get them to put broccoli past their lips? Maybe it's all in the presentation! I never heard of "plating" until I started to watch "Hell's Kitchen." While I'm not a gourmet chef, it might be one of the most practical things Gordon Ramsey passed on to me as a parent. It turns out that researchers have found one way to get kids to eat more fruits and vegetables is to make them more attractive on the plate. Kids aren't little adults, and their preferences in plating vary greatly from ours. For example, most adults prefer a plate with three colors on it, but kids preferred six colors, with seven different components.

Honestly, I don't think I could come up with six different colors of food for each meal. But I'll definitely try harder! And the research also proves something that parents have known for a while. When it comes to kids and eating, presentation is everything. It's one of the tips in Piedmont Parent’s article "How to Get Kids to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables," and it's something parents have been practicing for years, from cutting sandwiches into shapes with cookie cutters to adding raisin faces to peanut butter toast.

This research just gives us a nudge to be a little more creative on an everyday basis, with some of the less desirable foods. Planning salmon and broccoli for supper? Maybe the broccoli could serve as hair for their little hunk of salmon. Draw a face with the tartar sauce, and voilà! Appealing. Add a few carrot sticks for a little more color, a lemon wedge to squirt on the fish, and all of a sudden you're up to five colors.

For some out-of-this-world inspiration, check out "45 Ways to Arrange Food to Entertain Kids," from the Curious Funny Photos blogger.

To get kids excited about eating more colors, you can check out the Sesame Street monsters' puzzle book, "Eat Your Colors!"

Another helpful hint: Give your kids a big plate like yours. That gives you a little more room for creativity, as well as space to make sure foods can be kept separate if needed.

So get a little creative, start thinking in colors, and have fun with dinner!

— Provided by Karen Alley, Web Editor, Piedmont Parent Magazine. This blog was first published on Monday, Jan. 9, in the “Daily Post.”
http://www.piedmontparent.com/community/Blogs/blogs.php

Menu Monday: Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

noreply@blogger.com (TriadMommies) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:41:00 +0000

I've been wanting to post this recipe for a while now. I considered creating a new blog for recipes, but I can't even keep up with this one, so I'll post my few random recipes here instead!

I love cooking and baking. If I had to choose one, I'd probably choose to bake, however, because I love cake and cookies! But cooking is enjoyable as well. I usually find a recipe that interests me and then change it as I see fit. Some of my favorite recipe sites are from Food Network, MyRecipes (Southern Living and Cooking Light), and random food blogs around the Web and on Pinterest. I also have a ton of cookbooks.

If I remember correctly, my Creamy Tomato Basil Soup recipe is inspired by two or three different recipes from around the Web: Ina Garten's Roasted Tomato Basil Soup, as well as from this blog, originally found on Pinterest! I think there might have been an original Weight Watchers recipe for inspiration, as well! This is a Weight Watchers–friendly recipe, as it is only 1 points-plus for 1 cup! Also, this recipe makes a lot of soup! Go big or go home right? Well, be prepared to freeze some, or just cut the recipe in half if you don't have a lot of soup eaters in your family.

With my own spin and twist, here it is! I do plan to enter it in a contest one day. How the heck do I copyright this recipe?!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 medium leeks, chopped (white parts only)
3-4 medium garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
6-ounce can tomato paste
12-ounce can tomato sauce
4 26-ounce cans whole tomatoes
8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 26-ounce cans diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
Fresh chopped basil (1/2 cup or to taste)
2 12-ounce cans fat-free evaporated milk
1 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a VERY LARGE POT: professional chef right here, baby!
Add chopped leeks, and saute until soft, about 5–10 minutes. Add chopped garlic, and saute a few more minutes. Add cans of whole tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break down, about 10–15 minutes.

Add broth, bring to boil, and reduce to simmer, cover, and let cook 15–20 minutes. Remove from heat, and remove bay leaves. With an immersion blender, blend until smooth. If using a food processor or regular blender, let cool completely before pureeing mixture to avoid burns.

Add soup back to pot if needed. Add cans of diced tomatoes, and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer, and let cook, uncovered, until soup reduces some—professional chef strikes again—anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours or longer! Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add a teaspoon of baking soda before adding the evaporated milk to avoid curdling. Simmer to heat milk through. Remove from heat. Add as much, or as little, basil as you like. I LOOOVE the taste of basil, so I add A LOT! I have used both fresh, chopped basil, as well as a tube of chopped, fresh basil herb blend by Gourmet Garden. I used half the tube! I've added the tubed basil before adding the milk as well—whatever floats your boat!

Big pot

And that's it! Feel free to garnish with additional thyme or basil. Serve immediately, or refrigerate/freeze until ready to eat! Enjoy!

My yummy soup

Next month, I may try out a new French onion soup recipe! Yum, yum!

— Brianne (bribugg13)
Recipe originally posted Jan. 9, 2012, at Brianne's personal blog, Momma Needs Coffee!

Ring in the New Year with TMN

noreply@blogger.com (The Mommies Network) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

The New Year's parties may have ended, but our sponsorship promotion hasn't! We're still ringing in the New Year at The Mommies Network with an incredible deal that will have you reaching for your noisemakers.

Moms may have the greatest buying power, sharing business experiences and trends with one another. And since women make more than 80 percent of all purchasing decisions and control two thirds of the nation’s disposable income, targeting this group benefits your company. Resolve to reach this influenial portion of the population by taking advantage of this limited-time promotion.

With all new/renewed sponsorship agreements, your business will receive a complimentary blog feature (advertorial to include logo/product image and 500 words). Prepaid agreements receive a 5 percent discount and a complimentary two months on one sponsorship listing. Sponsors also receive 20 percent off event sponsorships. Offer expires Jan. 31, 2012.

The end of the month is just around the corner, so what are you waiting for? Celebrate with TMN by taking advantage of this amazing deal.

For more details on how your business can ring in the New Year with moms across the nation, please contact Jessica Van Dyke at Jessica.VanDyke@TheMommiesNetwork.org.

Wordless Wednesday: Stringing Lights

noreply@blogger.com (TriadMommies) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:03:00 +0000

Photo by Brianne (bribugg13)

Notable Quotes: Martin Luther King Jr. Day

noreply@blogger.com (TriadMommies) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:02:00 +0000

I really like this quote that First Book, a nonprofit that provides quality reading material to needy children, posted on its Facebook page:

"Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love." — Martin Luther King Jr.

Who do you serve?

— Kendra

TMN Weigh-In Challenge News

noreply@blogger.com (The Mommies Network) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hello, and Happy New Year to everyone!

My name is Karen Skidmore, and I am the owner of Completely Fit, a personal training and fitness company located in Mount Airy, Md. I am a team leader for one of the groups in The Mommies Network Weigh-In Challenge.

All my team members have started off strong and are working very hard to accomplish their goals. They were asked to fill out a detailed questionnaire about their current nutritional and fitness habits, and answer questions about what changes they wanted to create. Based on that information, I have helped each person come up with a detailed action plan that will not only help to accomplish her goals, but more importantly, help to improve her lifestyle.

If you are looking to make a change in your life but are not a part of the Weigh-In Challenge, you too can do it with just a few small changes at a time.

If your nutrition is off track, start by taking away one unhealthy food once a week and replacing it with a healthy food.

If your exercise routine is off track, start by finding something you really enjoy doing — walking, biking, or swimming — and adding 10 minutes of that exercise to your day. Before you know it, exercise will have become a daily routine.

Be sure to track your results, as we do much better when we can see our progress.

I am very excited to be a part of this group and team, and I look forward to reporting our successes back to you each month. — Karen Skidmore, Completely Fit

This Week With the Mommies

noreply@blogger.com (TriadMommies) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Check out all the fun events our mommies have lined up next week! For details and to RSVP, visit the calendar. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Monday, 1/16:
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Mocha Monday coffee meetup at Earth Fare in Greensboro

Tuesday, 1/17:
Storytime at High Point Public Library
Playtime and dinner at Chuck E. Cheese's in Greensboro

Wednesday, 1/18:
Preschool storytime at Kernersville Branch Library

Thursday, 1/19:
Coffee meetup at Beans Boro in Greensboro

Friday, 1/20:
Club 35 Trip to SciWorks in Winston-Salem
Paws to Read storytime at Children's Museum of Winston-Salem

Saturday, 1/21:
Barnes and Noble No Name-Calling storytime and lunch/snacks in Greensboro

Would you like to see a playdate or other meetup on the calendar? Consider hosting an event yourself! Contact a Moderator or Manager for details.

Wordless Wednesday: Brothers

noreply@blogger.com (TriadMommies) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Photo by Megan (MommaofTwoBabyBoys) of M.Gioeli Photography

Epiphany

noreply@blogger.com (TriadMommies) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

One thing I love about being Catholic with small children is the chance to start new traditions in our domestic church. On Friday, we had our first Three Kings Tea Party (with lots of inspiration from the Internet).

Epiphany, the 12th day of Christmas, is the day we celebrate the arrival of the Magi, or wise men, or kings, at the stable in Bethlehem. It's not just their arrival that’s important. This is the day when Jesus' divinity is revealed to the world. In many homes, this is The Big Day. Gifts are exchanged, and special meals are prepared.

So here's how one mom and a houseful of little ones ~~faked her way through~~ spent the afternoon.

We began with a blessing of our home. C, M, and B represent both the names of the Magi (Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar) and Christus mansionem benedicat, "May Christ bless the house."

Then we prepared crowns for the kings. I cheated on the traditional kings' cake because A) these kids don’t need any extra sugar, and B) it was faster and easier.

Take a sheet of puff pastry from the grocer's freezer. Set it on the counter to thaw. When pliable, cut lengthwise into three equalish strips. Spoon filling near one long edge. I used apple butter because I had it. I omitted the almond or baby inside since these are individual-sized cakes, and everyone there was King for the Day.

Roll these strips into long tubes, sealing with a little water. Place them seam side down on a cookie sheet, and form into circles, tucking one end into the other.

Sprinkle with gold, green, and purple sugar (or blue with red added, in my case). Bake according to the package instructions.

Here's the full spread, complete with china.

The biscuits represent Bethlehem, house of bread. I love Mimi's Company Biscuits recipe from Dot Frank http://dotfrank.com/MIMIS_COMPANY_BISCUITS.html.

Tea is for the hospitality of the innkeeper.

To that we add sugar, representing Mary, "Our Sweetness." It’s supposed to be white sugar to also reflect Mary's purity, but we use the raw stuff around here.

Joseph comes to our feast in the form of milk. The cool milk protects us from the hot tea.

These "Babes in the Manger" are just Pepperidge Farm ginger men on top of haystacks. Melt a bag of butterscotch chips with 3/4 cup of peanut butter. Add a big bag of chow mein noodles, and coat. Spoon out, and allow to cool. Some people add a Necco wafer to the ginger men for a halo and royal icing to make swaddling clothes, but again, these kids don't need that much sugar.

Before digging in, the kids got to decorate crowns with crayons and glitter glue. I found free crown printables here http://www.firstpalette.com/tool_box/printables/princesscrown.html.

The day probably meant much more to me than it did the kids. 00boy is still learning the finer arts of hospitality. But our guests seemed to enjoy a real tea party before venturing into the backyard for their own journey.

— Ashley (00tedsgirl) is the proudly frazzled mom of two beautiful kids. Between cutthroat games of Chutes and Ladders and spontaneous dance parties, she spends too much time on TriadMommies to keep up a regular blog.

This Week With the Mommies

noreply@blogger.com (TriadMommies) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:06:00 +0000

Check out all the fun events our mommies have lined up next week! For details and to RSVP, visit the calendar. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Monday, 1/9:
Mocha Monday coffee meetup at Earth Fare in Greensboro

Tuesday, 1/10:
Meet and greet at Biscuit Factory in High Point
Meet and greet at Hanes Mall in Winston-Salem

Wednesday, 1/11:
"Brrr ... let's have chili/soup for lunch!" meetup at Panera in Greensboro
Natural Science Center meetup in Greensboro

Thursday, 1/12:
Meet and greet at McDonald's in Kernersville

Friday, 1/13:
Afternoon coffee meetup at Beans Boro in Greensboro

Would you like to see a playdate or other meetup on the calendar? Consider hosting an event yourself! Contact a Moderator or Manager for details.

Menu Monday: Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (TriadMommies) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:47:00 +0000

Ingredients

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups salsa

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

5 burrito-size flour tortilla shells

Instructions

Mix your shredded cheeses together, and set aside 1/2 cup of mixture. In a medium-sized bowl, use a large spoon to mash the black beans into a paste. Add the ricotta, 3/4 cup of the salsa, and the 1/2 cup shredded cheese mixture you set aside. Stir together to form the filling. It should be a creamy paste.

Spray a 13x9-inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Prepare your tortillas by stacking them on a paper plate with a wet paper towel between each one, and microwave for 1 minute. This will soften the tortillas and make them easier to roll.

Spoon about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the filling onto the tortilla, and spread it on the middle. Wrap the tortilla, and place in baking dish, seam side down. Once all five tortillas are placed in the dish, cover with remaining salsa and shredded cheese mixture. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 325 F for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes to melt the cheese.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with your favorite rice or Mexican-style side dish. This goes well with yellow rice and corn on the cob.

Note: Since you are getting protein in the black beans, this can be used as a vegetarian dish, or you can add a meat to it (e.g. shredded pork or chicken, or ground beef).

Submitted to The Mommies Network recipe database by Heather M.

Happy New Year From TriadMommies!

noreply@blogger.com (TriadMommies) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:52:00 +0000

Happy New Year from all of us at TriadMommies! Have you thought about your resolutions? Consider resolving to become more involved in your local chapter by checking the Help Wanted forum for open positions. Make a difference, and join the Leadership or Management team!

This Week With the Mommies

noreply@blogger.com (TriadMommies) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 14:38:00 +0000

Check out all the fun events our mommies have lined up to start off 2012! For details and to RSVP, visit the calendar. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Monday, 1/2:
Mocha Monday coffee meetup at Earth Fare in Greensboro
Moms on the Clock family night at Moe's in Greensboro

Thursday, 1/5:

Music and Movement at Walkertown Public Library in Kernersville
Meet and greet at Krispy Kreme in Greensboro

Would you like to see a playdate or other meetup on the calendar? Consider hosting an event yourself! Contact a Moderator or Manager for details.

A New Year’s Revolution

noreply@blogger.com (TriadMommies) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Are you a tired mom? Have you lost the desire to battle endless crowds of people whose clothes do not have baby spit or peanut butter on them just to count down from 10? Is a clean pillowcase more appealing than a midnight kiss? Prefer warm pajamas to a cocktail dress and toe-pinching heels? Well, I have an idea that's going to revolutionize the Dec. 31–Jan. 1 transition for you.

We here on the East Coast of the United States are not, in fact, the first people to see the calendar page flip. Billions of people in lands to our east beat us to it. Now is the time for solidarity, my friends!

This year, I am going to select a city in some foreign land and adopt their new year celebration as my own. I'm not so much an early bird that I plan join those first people at 5 a.m., local time. But perhaps I'll join my sister in Korea and swing a noisemaker around 10 in the morning. If I'm feeling particularly festive, I'll throw in a countdown with Londoners after dinnertime. Maybe I'll pop a cracker with my kids for each waking hour.

So join the revolution! Pick an hour. Count down. Ring a bell. Kiss someone special. Act like a fool for a few minutes. It doesn't matter when we celebrate or how. The important thing to remember is that while hordes of sweaty people get sprayed with champagne, we'll be snuggled up cozy, comfy, and warm in our own beds when that clock strikes midnight.