The process didn’t come without some growing pains this weekend. Can you believe THIS happened… not ONCE…

but TWICE…

… in one weekend?!?! And to the SAME print?

I cried. Seriously. It wasn’t pretty. How does this happen? (I could explain, but you would laugh at me and I’m just not ready for that.)

Wish us luck during nap time.  We might need it to calm all the excitement in this house!!

A few months ago I started reading the label on taco seasoning packets. When I couldn’t read some ingredients (or understand why they would be in taco seasoning!) and noted many packets contained MSG, I set out to find the tastiest homemade taco seasoning.  Lucky for you if you’re a taco fan… we have a winner!!  In addition to these seasonings likely already being in your cupboard, I bet no one in your family will notice the difference.  The great thing about this, too, is that between the cayenne pepper, chili powder and crushed red pepper, you can make this seasoning as mild or as hot as you like!  With Finn in the house, we go fairly mild, which the below recipe is, but feel free to spice it up as you’d like!

DIY Taco Seasoning:
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (can add more to taste)
2 tsp chili powder (can add more to taste)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp paprika
Dash of pepper
1/2 tsp salt
(Optional) Crushed red pepper to add spice (I add 2-3 good shakes)

Proceed just as you would if this were the little grocery store packet.  Add above seasonings to 1/2 cup-1 cup water (I use 3/4 cup) while your ground beef or turkey browns. Once brown, add liquid mixture and bring just to a boil. Lower the heat and let the meat simmer until the water is absorbed and spices soaked into the meat.

Taco night for me is more like taco salad night, where Justin love his shells.  In addition to the meat, I load up on romaine lettuce, black olives, a few crushed Food Should Taste Good tortilla chips, cheese, fresh tomatoes, corn and avocado (which I forget this week – shoot!). I mix a dip of sour cream with Amy’s Mild Salsa to add to the top like “dressing.”

As mentioned, the hubs does enjoy taco shells, so I buy shells for him.  He also adds black beans.

I have found a few recipes for homemade tortillas but haven’t had time to test them out.  Anyone have a tried and true homemade tortilla or taco shell recipe?  I’ll test those out in the months ahead.   Will let you know how they go over!

Happy, healthy taco seasoning nights from now on!

Have a great DIY recipe I must try?  Pass it along!  I’d love to try it!

1. Scoop
2. Dump
3. Stir

Oh, and don’t mind the scratch on my nose.  It’s my first real “boy” battle wound!  I wear it with pride!

I have such great memories of Friday nights from high school. I’d head home from school and veg for an hour on the couch (or gabbing on the mega-cordless phone) before getting ready to cheer on my Mustang football boys. As a late-90′s high school cheerleader, it was quite the process to doll-up, too… the higher the poof, the curlier the pony, the more glittery the make-up, the better off you were. Just fact. Erin or Megan and I would shovel in “Friday night pizza night” and then fly out the door to the field. Crisp fall air still conjures up great memories for me of high school!

Anyway… thanks to my pizza-loving husband, “Friday night pizza night” marches on! We used to buy a frozen pizza because we thought that was somehow healthier than delivery, but we’ve wised up and started a new tradition: homemade pizzas! And as any pizza connoisseur knows, a great pizza starts with a great crust.  Here’s our favorite, simplest recipie:

“Healthified” Pizza Crust
1 1/3 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk (cow’s, almond, coconut… your choice)
2 Tbsp olive oil

Heat oven to 400°F. Mix dry ingredients, then stir in milk and oil until the dough forms. If the dough is too dry, add a few more Tbsps of milk. Knead dough 10-15 times on a lightly floured surface. Ball the dough up, put it back in the bowl and cover it for 10-12 minutes. Flatten dough on an ungreased cookie sheet or pizza pan. The dough should roll out to a 12-inch round pie. Bake for 5 minutes before adding toppings.

Add toppings and bake an additional 12-18 minutes, depending on how “done” you like your crust.

For a basic Wise pizza, follow these instructions:
Once the pre-bake is done, brush olive oil over the dough.
Cover pie in sauce (sauce recommendation below) and lightly sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Chop up a clove of fresh garlic and sprinkle over the pie.
Add toppings. We go 1/2-1/2 here… I go simple with organic mozzarella cheese, fresh mushrooms and tomatoes. Justin adds cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, cheese, green olives, deli pepperoni and more cheese.

If you’re buying sauce, look for a pizza sauce with as few ingredients as possible, or at least all ingredients that you can read. Avoid any sauce that contains “high fructose corn syrup” and, if it’s an ingredient, try and ensure “sugar” isn’t one the first few ingredients. Our tried and true favorite is Gino’s. It’s local, it’s delicious, and it’s filled with a readable ingredient list!

With Finn’s allergies, we make him a small pizza using the above dough and almond milk. We top with olive oil, sauce, deli pepperoni, mushrooms and almond cheese. Even with allergies, Finn loves pizza night as much as we do. Plus, he has started helping make his own pizza which is a treat in itself!

Here’s to delicious pies all around!

When it came time for Christmas idea giving, I shared the idea with my mother-in-law.  The woman loooooooves gift-giving and always works overtime to find and buy the exact thing family members want.  I knew it was a long shot as I really didn’t even know how she would get something like this made, but if anyone could do it, my mother-in-law could!  And she would find such joy in doing it!

She called one night as I was on my way out to do some returning and shopping after putting Finn to bed.  ”Hypothetically, if you could have this board, but had to change 5 phrases, what are the phrases you would like?”  We discussed.  ”And hypothetically, what colors would you like for said board to be?”  We discussed.  Still, this is a long-shot and I hung up the phone thinking ‘there’s no way.’

Come Christmas I’d almost forgot about this plank board.  We all happily opened gifts (one-by-one at the Wise family Christmas – it’s tradition, you know!) and then for my last gift.  As tears welled up in my eyes, I knew what it was.  The BOARD!  Perfect for our family with all my sayings and the colors I wanted, even better than I could have imagined!  Hot damn, it was a CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!

We now proudly display our house rules in our living room.  It’s probably one of my favorite Christmas gifts ever, certainly my favorite from this year.  And our entire family gets to enjoy it everyday!

Do you have family rules or a code you live by with your kids?  What are they?

Thanks (again) to Pinterest, we have a solution! Behind the Stuido posted incredibly easy, step-by-step instructions using hot water, soap, and baking soda.

No need for me to retype Jayna’s great instructions, just hop over to her DIY post and follow the steps.

My stove was a hot mess! After the first soak, it looked alot better but still needed some love. It took letting the hot (think scalding) soapy water soak into the baking soda twice before it really cleaned up the mess, so don’t be alarmed if it looks like a little more elbow grease is in order after the first scrub. The result is well worth your time!

Happy Cleaning!

I was recently made aware of a 7-year-old girl who died at school due to a peanut reaction.  Daniella Knell, owner of Smart Allergy-Friendly Education, recently posted on AllergyKids about what many parents with allergic children feel.  She shared common anxieties for parents of children with life-threatening allergies, like a peanut allergy.  For those of you in the same boat, I wanted to share pieces of her article.  It certainly made me feel a little more “normal.”

• Will other adults in charge take his/her allergies seriously?
• Will the adults in charge see my child’s allergy as just an intolerance or sensitivity? Do they understand that ‘lactose intolerance’ is NOT the same as a ‘milk allergy’?
• Will the adults understand the difference between a mild vs. serious reaction? An itchy mouth may not mean the need for an epi-pen but multiple systemic reactions just may, ie, itchy mouth, hives, coughing or the obvious, projectile vomiting and/or labored breathing
• Will other adults be too quick to give an epi-pen? It’s always better to be safe than sorry, but these kids can be easily traumatized, especially the younger ones
• Will other adults be too slow to give an epi-pen? It’s a no-win situation, isn’t it?!
• Food exposure in the classroom and the cafeteria; let’s NOT forget the computer keyboards, doorknobs and playground equipment, for those whose children are allergic by ‘touch’
• The emotional toll of being so different, especially for those who have multiple food allergies
• Will my child be forced to sit at a table alone? Will they be able to participate in classroom activities or can they be included? Will there, again, be ingredients in the activities that they can’t touch?
• Will my child be made fun of by his/her classmates? by his/her classmates’ parents?

She goes on to share how these allergy children, and the friends of these allergy children, will most likely grow to be more tolerant and compassionate, certainly more so than many adults when it comes to this issue.  She concludes by thanking those who are helpful, who are kind, who are understanding of this sometimes frustrating, annoying and confusing epidemic:

On behalf of so many parents like myself, THANK YOU.

• Thank you, for your simple kindnesses, such as sending in treats ALL of the children can eat safely. This means a lot to kids who often can’t participate in school activities and bake sales because of their allergies.
• Thank you, for being so understanding as to why accomodations have been made to help keep ALL of our children safe in the classroom. We understand the concessions you have to make in possibly not being able to send in your very favorite treats to share!
• Thank you, for your phone calls late at night and early in the morning to let us know you will be sending in something so that we have time to also send in alternatives for our children.
• Thank you, for your compassion in NOT making fun of our children.

I echo her sentiments.  Thank you to those of you who get it and work with us all in this issue instead of rolling your eyes and thinking we are the “crazy parents!”  Your kindness is heart-warming!

Thanks to a shared recipe from my neighbor, now we can let our kiddos play assured some random non-editable toxic ingredient in some doughs won’t end up becoming mouth putty.  I am told the taste of this dough is so atrocious that once a child puts it in his/her mouth, he/she probably won’t be making that choice a second time.

Plus, it’s cheap.  Holla!

DIY Play dough

2 c flour
1 c salt
1 t cream of tarter
1 pkg Kool-aid (for color or could use 4-6 drops of food coloring*)
2 c water
2 T (or more) vegetable oil

Mix dry ingredients together.

Bring water and salad oil to a boil and pour over dry mixture.  Stir.

Knead when cool enough to handle.  Add more oil (not water) if dough is too dry.

* My neighbor told me the more a child plays with the play dough, the more intense the color will become when using food coloring. *