Maneuvering Life and Motherhood with Twins Plus One
Get some great 30 minute recipes and organic food recipes to feed your family on a budget and in a jiff. Karie shares some of her classics and easy recipes for your family.
Maybe you recall a science experiment in grade school regarding acids and bases, mixing some vinegar with baking soda? Well take these two fun ingredients, some water and a touch of essential oil, and voila! Chemical free fabric softener. The recipe is really very simple and I mixed the ingredients down to only about one-eighth of the full recipe, that way I could test a small batch and the results were amazing! Continue reading “DIY Fabric Softener Recipe”
As a working mother I don’t have time to clip coupons. I have tried, and I cannot keep up with the growing time consumption of clipping coupons and comparing to the weekly grocery ads in order to save money on my grocery and or paper goods bill. So I was told about a great new way to save money without a whole lot of hassle, plus I can use my essential oils while eliminating toxic products from our home. Not only do I make my own bath soap, which is made from all organic vegan oils which is fantastic for my children’s delicate skin, but now I can make my own laundry soap with this great DIY laundry soap recipe. Continue reading “DIY Laundry Soap Recipe”
The other day while perusing Facebook a friend of mine had shared a great video for an awesome recipe for guacamole. An easy and awesome recipe for guacamole, literally five ingredients or less. I could not resist having this recipe, making said recipe and sharing with my family. Then exploiting the awesomeness with each of you. I digress. This recipe was like no other and looked exceptionally tasty and did not require roasting hot peppers and hours or dicing and mashing. Continue reading “Easy Guacamole Recipe”
Welcome to the Eat In Challenge Sponsored by
BACON! Meat candy and secret addition to any awesome dessert, adding a bit extra salt and a smokey flavor that is sure to be pure decadence. Put your meat candy to work with bacon grease instead of shortening. You can spice up the flavor an extra notch with bacon grease. I have done three dessert treats with bacon grease and they were to die for. Here is my gluten free, Boston Cream Pie cupcake recipe that is sure to be a hit!
Light Yellow Cake:
3/4 c. cooled, solid bacon grease
2T. butter (for a less rich cake, increase the butter and decrease the bacon grease)
1 7/8 c. sugar
2 large eggs
2 3/4 c. flour (I love my Pamela’s gluten free)
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 c. milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Cream filling:
2 c. milk
5 T. cornstarch
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp. fresh vanilla bean
Chocolate Ganache frosting:
1 package chocolate chips
1 c heavy cream
1 tsp brandy
So Summer is here and we as moms need to figure out what to do with the kids. With Summers comes BBQs, potlucks, and other great events and many times we need to bring a dessert. Let the Love Cooking Company help with their Mrs. Fields Bake N Stuff Cupcake Pan. This pan lets you create one of a kind cupcakes that will be remembered for years to come.
Cupcakes are the perfect single serve sizes. Create a masterpiece cupcake with candy inside! The unique two-part Mrs. Fields’ Bake N Stuff Cupcake Pan allows you to make hollow cupcakes that you can fill with your favorite small candies! Simply pour in the batter, lock down the lid and bake. When they’re done, you’ll have the tops and bottoms for six 3-inch cupcakes. Then just fill and decorate, and get ready for some fun!
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Disclosure: The bloggers participating in this event have NOT been compensated for this post. Networking Perks provides honest opinions, beliefs or experiences on products reviewed. Networking Perks is not responsible for prize fulfillment; The Love Cooking Company will be responsible for prize fulfillment. This event is in no way associated with, sponsored, administered, or endorsed by Twitter, Google, Pinterest or any other social media. If you have any questions or would like help in promoting your own product please contact Karie@TheFiveFish.com or Joie@NetworkingPerks.com. The disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Last year I had the blessing to stay home with my kids and keep them occupied over the summer. Charades, swimming and bike rides can only fill so many hours and minutes of a kids day. So this summer we are taking fun up a notch. With my love of food, grilling, cooking and baking, the kids started to catch on. Along with their desire to help, we had a winning combination. So I took advantage of my love of baking, their help, and a new way to bond as a family. I also had a great guide that was driven more for their audience so I could cater to their needs as kids in the kitchen. Continue reading “Baking with Kids”
Food is such an integral part of our lives. As a conversation piece, comfort and of course sustenance. For new moms, feeding your infant and or toddler can be worrisome, frustrating and concerning. Am I giving them enough options? Am I feeding them the right foods? Should I feed them these foods? When I had my twins I threw the traditional thoughts out the window and gave them everything. Brussels Sprouts were my favorite when they were teething, as were apples, bell peppers, the whole gamut of different fruits and vegetables. From the time they could sit up unassisted and gnaw on foods, I experimented on them. With G-man I was more concerned on being the perfect mom, giving him the “right” foods and never rocking the boat. I wish I had this book with my oldest, First Bites: Superfoods for Babies and Toddlers, so I had some sort of compass and guide to tackle simple struggles like picky eating.
Picky Eaters
I’ve been interviewing experts about dealing with picky eaters for years and there are times when all that I have learned goes out the window! Do your best and when all else fails, take a deep breath and let it go. Don’t get up and make something different, let your child take ownership and decide not to eat, they won’t starve to death if they skip dinner one night. Allow them to have some of the control, it will empower them believe it or not they will (almost always) come around.
Try to:
Try not to:
(Photo and excerpt from FIRST BITES: Superfoods for Babies and Toddlers with the permission of Perigee/Penguin. Copyright Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, 2015.)
Today I do one of the “try not to” with my kids, but they are now 7,7 and 12 so having them finish their plate usually consists of did you at least eat all of your vegetables on your plate? When I was growing up I was limited on my exposure to foods, fruits and vegetables. I wasn’t even aware of farmers markets, local farmer co-ops, or the like. At the young age of 17 I was exposed to artichokes and capers. I never looked back. My children were a fraction of my age when they were exposed and that is one of their all time favorite requests, including asparagus, roasted Brussels Sprouts, stuffed bell peppers, bok choy, spinach, mushrooms, onions and kale.
What I found with my oldest is just as Dana suggests, have your kids take ownership. I let my kids rummage through the fridge when they were toddling and we discussed the different fruits and vegetables and I let them try. I also tried. I stock my fridge to this day with an assortment of foods. Such an empowering feeling to have your children try and share and tell others about the foods they like.
Seth defined that moment and humbled me as a parent when at his Boy Scout den meeting he explained the various foods on his plate as part of a nutrition project. Mind you, my little gem is barely six at the time and he explained grilled chicken or salmon as his protein, quinoa or brown rice as his grain, broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, asparagus and green beans (because he clarified those are his favorite) as his veggie, strawberries as his fruit and Gouda was his choice of cheese (dairy) but he also likes almond milk. His dessert, of course, was my gluten free, dairy free, caramel apple cake. Of course, a meal would be incomplete without dessert!
When his den leader and The Chad shared this with me I felt so proud. I felt like we crested a hump. A pressure was relieved regarding the work I put into my kids to ensure they are eating the right foods and are educated about proper nutrition.
However I know I am truly blessed because my children do not lack a food allergy. Many children these days have or develop food allergies which can make meals tricky and tough to navigate, First Bites: Superfoods for Babies and Toddlers helps provide helpful tips and insightful information on how to ensure we as parents are maximizing our children’s diets. The book release and copy could not have come at a better time as a friend from church was experiencing her own frustrations and concerns as a new mom. Her post on Facebook immediately prompted me to provide her with my copy of the book, to give her the tools I wish I had when I was a new mom, the tools I just figured out with having twins. If you are facing some of these struggles: food allergies, picky eaters, maximizing a vegetarian/vegan diet, or food transitions First Bites: Superfoods for Babies and Toddlers should be in your arsenal of tools in the kitchen and your home. First Bites was released on February 3rd and is available nationwide and on Amazon, get your copy today and take the frustration out of navigating meals and foods for your child with amazing meal options and friendly recipes sure to transform even the pickiest of eaters.
While February is synonymous with Valentine’s I am happy to share if you despise Valentine’s as much as myself we have a new, much more celebrated day to rejoice. National Drink Wine day is on February 18th and gives way for a new way to celebrate the second month of the year.
The folks at Tandoor Chef are helping to kick off the festivities by sharing some of their favorite food, available at your local Safeway grocer, and wine pairings. If you were to ask me, I would have to say just about any Coppola Diamond label is sure to be an excellent choice, white or red, with any food. Personally, I am a fan of red and stock up on Malbec’s and Petite Syrah’s when my fancy strikes.
So the other evening when The Chad was on travel, the kids were at their bible study life groups, I was able to enjoy a warm meal (albeit from the microwave) uninterrupted with a glass of wine. I enjoyed the Palak Paneer which is spinach with a cheese sauce. I love spinach so this was something for me to nosh on in peace and sip my Coppola red blend.
Tandoor Chef has a tool that pairs wine and Indian food, I took a gander at the various wine (and beer) pairings to see what would taste well with each option. While the Palak Paneer indicated a pairing of a Riesling, I opted still for a red. However you might opt for their pairing based on your tastes, and the best part about the pairing tool is the opportunity to win $250 in wine!
Find Tandoor Chef at your local Safeway grocer, or other local grocers near you, and find them online for great meal ideas and deals.
Disclaimer: No purchase is necessary to enter. One entrant per household, per address. Void where prohibited by law. Winner(s) will be contacted by email. This giveaway is being sponsored and conducted by Tandoor Chef and is responsible for product shipment to winner of this contest. This event is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook and/or Twitter, Google, Pinterest. TheFiveFish did receive payment for consumption and promotion of this product, but in no way were influenced or control the contest. Contact karie@thefivefish.com if you have any additional questions or comments.
National holidays and obscure national holidays seem to be all the rage. National Pancake Day, National Donut Day and National Pizza Day have all generated a devout following for food holidays. Some sanctioned, some adopted by the masses to celebrate…well because they can. So this January 2nd we are celebrating National Hot Sauce Day to really heat up the winter. Hot sauces around the world will be heating up kitchens as they flow onto our favorite foods as one of our popular condiments.
We were blessed to help celebrate this honorary day of spice and heat with a complimentary bottle of Tabañero. Our normal hot sauce of choice is Cholula, Tobasco, and or my own homemade recipe, we put hot sauce on just about everything, including our already spicy foods like enchiladas. I am not sure if because we live in the southwest, but hot sauce is just a way of life for us. The bottle of Tabañero was calling my name and I couldn’t wait to try it on my eggs and spinach for breakfast. Oh baby! Was I so glad this was my meal of choice because this Yucatan Peninsula inspired concoction was absolutely divine!
My kids were all about the sauce. They had some with cheese crisps, enchiladas, eggs, whatever they ate Tabanero went atop. We are THAT serious about our sauce. The name is deceiving because of the Habanero but this picante style hot sauce has a wonderful smokey flavor which is all part of the pepper and spices used to make this amazing condiment. Simplistic and gorgeous on your pallete with the fewest of ingredients: select Habanero peppers, carrots, onions, key lime juice, agave, garlic, salt and grapefruit seed extract. Basically it was awesome in a bottle in our house. Then it was gone.
Yes, that is the dead soldier.
Empty.
Tabañero couldn’t even live to see the grand day of celebration with festivities happening online and onsite in Los Angeles with giveaways (win a year’s supply), trade-in programs where you surrender your current hot sauce for a bottle of Tabañero and take advantage of special anniversary recipes inspired by and containing The Most Flavorful Hot Sauce in the World.
Where did Tabañero come from? The back of co-founder Kevin Peake’s car as he launched Tabañero for sale in 2011. Tabañero Hot Sauce is firmly rooted in its humble beginnings and is committed to giving back a portion of its proceeds to the Tabasco region of Mexico where their journey began. Tabañero is a very unique hot sauce made from all-natural ingredients from Tabasco, Mexico, situated on the exotic Yucatán Peninsula. Taking a clue from the Mayans (who occupied the Yucatán Peninsula thousands of years ago and were one of the first civilizations to use peppers to flavor their native cuisine) the Tabañero Hot Sauce team, in 2007, began to utilize the fertile crops of the area to design the first recipe of the future award-winning hot sauce.
Whether you are a hot sauce aficionado, foodie, fan, or want to live on the edge and try a little something new, Tabañero will help you celebrate this holiday with some spice. Or spice up your Sunday Funday with Tabañero bloody Mary mixes! Gluten free and mild enough for even those who prefer ketchup as their condiment of choice. So go out and get spicy my friend, Happy National Hot Sauce Day.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary bottle on behalf of Tabañero, I make no claims about how spicy this may be on your wimpy mouth.
January is the month of new challenges, goals, adventures and reboots with our lives. The Five Fish is happy to announce the launch of Networking Perks and their blogger program. With that being said, we are promoting their launch by sharing a great dinner recipe as part of the #EatInChallenge to encourage healthier meals, family time and money savings. Below are the details of the giveaway as well as a wonderful crock pot roast beef dinner recipe to share in your home.
Networking Perks is challenging more families to eat at home with the Eat At Home Challenge. Sitting down and eating together as a family is important; we take this time to disconnect from all the daily noise, technology, and social media, while reconnecting as a family. Meal time is also important that we provide delicious and nutritious meals to eat. Finding the balance between work, day-to-day activities, and meal planning isn’t easy, which is why we at Networking Perks want to start 2015 with the Eat At Home Challenge.
Enter to WIN a $25 Amazon Gift Card while at the same time building your recipe archive with delicious meals. Make 2015 the year of the family. a Rafflecopter giveaway
Winter is in full swing and temps are only dropping further into January. We reach for comfort foods
that are warm, soothing and in some cases are not the best for us health wise. Cold weather does not have to be the bane of our waistlines, this dinner recipe is sure to be a hit and guarantee leftovers for days. Think warm sandwiches.
Roast beef is one of my favorite dishes as it is so tasty and versatile for a variety of meal options. Beef is also easy to prepare and packed with protein and low in fat if chosen under the proper cut. I made this roast in the crock pot and it was divine! Your ingredients are even easier.
Preparation of the meat is what really makes this dish. Pat dry the roast and then season with salt and pepper and let sit for about 30 minutes to reach room temperature. This allows the blood to settle into the meat and keeps the roast extra juicy.
If your roast still has the fat attached, score it. Criss-cross score the fatty side to ensure that the fat is browned and can maintain the tenderness and taste of the meat.
Heat a pan on medium heat with oil and brown each side, focusing on the fatty side. Once the meat is browned place into your crock pot. Sprinkle the gravy mixture over the meat. Pour the entire contents of the tomatoes can into the crock pot over the meat. Add in the vegetables minus the potatoes, cover and allow to cook for 3-4 hours on high heat, reduce heat the last two hours and add potatoes.
Serve with bread and butter for that true comfort food feeling. Leftovers for days, make a wonderful roast beef sandwich, get creative!
We served our roast beef accompanied with mashed cauliflower and sided with fresh baby spinach. Enjoy! Please be sure to enter the giveaway for a $25 Amazon Gift card.
Are you looking to incorporate more veggies into your diet with a new year? Here is a great starter recipe for you meat lovers that are on the fence about changing up your diet with more veggies. Vegetables do not have to be boring, tasteless, and dirt like. My husband had this same vision of vegetables, he was an anti-veg type of guy due to the horrific experience he had as a child. Sharing the terror of how his mother would cook vegetables to the point where they could be transformed to baby puree. Gross. Lifeless. Tasteless. Uninspiring. Damaging.
Overcooking vegetables results in the overall loss of nutrition content and pointless to eat other than pure aesthetics to your plate.
New Years goals and resolutions are a great way to get started taking control of your health and diet. Our waistlines are controlled by 80% of what we put into them and 20% what we do to them (proper sleep, exercise, stress, etc). My family was the family that had basic vegetables in the house: green beans, broccoli, carrots, corn. Super exciting. One day I made the radical decision to cut the crap. In that same breath of a decision I also decided to join a CSA which is a food coop with local farmers. By joining the CSA we began to transform the way we ate and how we ate food. Eating seasonal foods, foods that we had never tried before, vegetables that looked and sounded less than tempting to eat.
As we began to transform the way we ate, we wanted to know if we could still accomplish a “meat” type vegetable. A former employee of mine was a vegetarian and reformed meat eater. His diet helped to evolve my own foods and my family. One of our favorite dishes contains no meat products at all and is the most easy and flavorful meals I enjoy making.
Portabello Burger
One of the most delectable fungi I have had the pleasure to cook with. Meaty and universal to pretty much anything you want to cook. Mild in flavor and truly a hearty addition to any dish. Portabello mushrooms can be purchased pre-packaged (which are more expensive) or you can purchase them loose and by the pound which run about $3.99 per pound.
I have grilled, sauteed, and eaten these babies raw, they are magnificent. Not as much as they are when made into a burger. Here is how you can have an all veggie burger without sacrificing taste or texture (serves 2):
1 zucchini, sliced length wise into 1/4 inch sticks
1 Portabello Mushroom, sliced length wise into thin slices, not too thin
1/4 red onion sliced
1 red bell pepper (you can add any other bell pepper but the red tastes best)
1 TBSP coconut oil
1/4 avocado, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Favorite bread item – This dish is EXCELLENT on ciabatta, we have had on Dave’s Killer Organic and English muffins. Also amazing on a salad.
Warm the pan over a medium heat and allow coconut oil to melt, toss in the onions and mushrooms first as they will soak up most of your oil. Cook for 2 minutes before adding in remaining veggies. Toss in pan to equally cook and coat. I like to use a lid to hold in the moisture and create a great browning and crunch to the zucchini. Be careful not to overcook, this is a saute type dish, cook the mushrooms and onions enough to be soft without being mushy.
While the vegetable medley is still warm serve atop your bread of choice with sliced avocado and cheese if you so desire. Provolone is excellent as is Swiss or a smoked gouda.
If you are feeling exceptionally edgy with your vegetables add in some thinly sliced eggplant for a truly mind blowing meaty flavor and taste to your vegetable medley burger. Eggplant is a savory, delicate veggie with a robust amount of meat.
Embrace your inner vegetarian. Even though you are a meat lover does not mean you cannot have a love affair with veggies. Vegetables do not have to be dull, lifeless and boring. Moreover veggies are not all about salads. You can create amazing smoothies, sides and full meals with the right veggies. Find some great meal ideas in our recipe section and spice up your meal ideas this year.
