Cooking
Smart Mama recipes, food items and more!
3 Ways to Be Prepared to Add Heat and Fun to Your Next Parent Playdate Plus WIN a Coupon
We’re moms. Busy moms. Any moment we have to entertain, we’ll take. Often those moments are as simple and casual as having friends over, with kids, to kick back a relax. A parent playdate includes serving bite sized appetizers, opening a bottle of wine and letting the kids reek havoc in the playroom or run […]
Tips to Make Rice Krispie Easter Eggs
We learned through experience what to do when making the Rice Krispie Hidden Surprise Easter Egg Treats. These tips will help you keep this experience a tradition you’ll look forward to each year. Cooking Spray! Rice Krispie treat batter is sticky, very sticky! As you mold the eggs and press them in to the plastic […]
Really Skinny Classy Cocktails with Zero Guilt! A Mom Needs This!
A classy cocktail without the guilt. I love a great cocktail, but there are many times when alcohol can’t be part of the picture (preggo, sick…) or times where calorie content matters – when doesn’t it?). Making mocktails is the way to get the taste of the classy cocktail without the alcohol, but the calories […]
Irish Soda Bread Recipe for the Irish and Non-Irish Alike
Pinch me or Kiss me because I married Irish! I’m a Murphy! A nice big slice of Irish Soda Bread is necessary St. Patrick’s Day or any other day you’re in the mood for delicious bread! In our home we go all out with a dinner of corned beef, cabbage and potatoes with big slices […]
Make Green Popcorn to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!
Green popcorn on St. Patrick’s Day – why not? Adding some green to our traditional snack favorites is a great way to get into the spirit! Green popcorn is fun and sweet! Inspired by Skip to My Lou, I created the popcorn and devoured it with the family in no time! Happy St. Patrick’s Day! […]
Loyola, Michigan State and Baylor Fans Eat Green for March Madness
Show Team Spirit with Your Snack Foods on Game Day I’m going green. I’m actually going green and grey. My alma mater, Loyola University Maryland, has made it to the big dance for the 2nd time in its basketball history. The 1st time was my freshman year in college. I’m beyond ecstatic and proud. Showing […]
Pasta with Cauliflower – A Meat-Free Dish to Add to Your Lenten Recipes
Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent – the 40 days of reflection leading to Easter Sunday by Christians worldwide. Roman Catholics additionally share their reverence by fasting Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and abstaining from eating meat on all Fridays during Lent. Time to pull out the seafood and pasta dishes for the next […]
Chicken Chutney Spread – Easy Crowd-Pleaser!
The Super Bowl is approaching, and March Madness will be here before you know it. Chips and dips will be covering our coffee tables as we feed the sports fanatics in our homes. Using a large can of chopped chicken, such as the Hormel Chunk Chicken (a pantry staple in our home,) plus a few […]
KRAFT MILKBITE Milk & Granola Bars – Thumbs Up from the Taste Testers!
“Something yummy, Mom!” is what she wants. I gave them a taste test to see. I made her smile, even my dad, with the new KRAFT MILKBITE Milk & Granola Bars. Blindfolded, my 5 year old and in-his-70s dad sampled the chocolate and the strawberry bars. Isabella thought it was a candy bar and my […]
Going Skinny with Your Cocktails! Fabulous Cocktail Recipes that Won’t Stick to Your Thighs!
A cosmo, a delicious “skinny” cosmo…who’s interested? I know many of you are. Last weekend I hosted a BBQ and Cocktails night. Armed with a vat of Truvia, delicious cocktail recipes, and the martini & monogrammed double old-fashioned glasses that I received on my wedding day eons ago, I put together Skinny Cosmos and Raspberry Lojitos […]
Zingers Deli – NY Deli Hits Streets of Boca
Zingers Deli – NY Deli Hits Streets of Boca Living out of the NY tri-state area doesn’t mean depriving oneself from the delicacies we find in a quality NY deli. A Reuben, matzo ball soup, latkes, rugelach, and egg salad are staples in delis in NY but are often hard to come by, in good […]
#SmartMamaLUTION #8 – Simple Delicious Dining, 20-Minute Lemon Chicken
In our quest to live healthier lives in 2012, a good, new recipe is always needed. This is a 20 minute meal that’s so healthy, easy & delicious you’ll want to make it once a week. Because I use thin sliced chicken breast and tent my dish, this meal takes just 20 minutes and is […]
Portion Control Using Portioned Plates
A deck of cards, palm of your hand, length of your pinky… we use visualizations to help us with our portion control. It helps, but it’s not full proof! #SmartMamaLUTION – Adhere to your portion control by adjusting how you serve the meal. I recently made meatloaf in 4 mini-loaf pans. Each meatloaf was the […]
Canned goods, food bags and more! Finding ways to help end hunger!
Last month our church provided a list outlining the specific food needs of typical migrant families in South Florida. The church provides the food to a local mission who distributes the bags of food to the migrant families in need. When I saw the list in the back of the Sunday bulletin, including a basic […]
Black Beans and Rice, a Yummy Cuban Dish gets Bacon-ized!
Black beans and rice is one of the most served dishes in this house. Whether its canned black beans or made from scratch, our tummies love it! I am a 1st generation Cuban-American. I was raised in a bilingual home with a ton of Cuban influence through food and tradition. Our weeknight dinners were full […]
What’s Dinnertime Like in Your Home? Battles or Harmony?
Sticky fingers? Crumbs, big & small, on the floor? Spilt milk? Does your dinnertime resemble this? Ok, it’s not thaaaaaaat bad here. Well, now with Baby C on solids, she’s pretty much a disaster at dinner. Although I must say that it’s pretty darn cute! Dinnertime, just like any other time in our homes, is […]
Homemade Taco Seasoning – Easy and Cheap
Challenge: I want to make my own homemade taco seasoning! Thankfully, this is an easy and very affordable DIY to do! Solution: Make your own Homemade Taco Seasoning with common spices and a recycled spice container. Using spices that typically occupy our spice racks, a Smart Mama can make her very own taco seasoning. We are […]
Silly Pasta Shapes – Become a pasta designer! Win a $100 AMEX card!
Silly Pasta Shapes – Become a pasta designer! Win a $100 AMEX card! I get so excited when I hear, “Mom, can we have pasta and sauce for dinner?” I honestly feel like it’s a special gift from someone upabove who is trying to cut me some slack after a chaotic day. My husband […]
100-Calorie Snack – Guacamole by Wholly Guacamole! Recipe Included!
I have found a new obsession. It’s only 100 calories, so I’m not feeling guilty about it! GUACAMOLE – specifically Wholly Guacamole and their 100-calorie packs. I have always been a fan of guacamole. I love avocados but don’t always have the patience to make it or the appetite to eat an entire big container […]
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe Tis the season for chips and dips! Football season means easy foods to munch on as you’re watching the college game on Saturday or the Pro on Sunday! I have some favorites, including the Mexi-Melt of Beans – my father-in-laws favorite! Here’s another one that will have you wanting to lick […]
Ragú® Talks: No More Leftovers, It’s a Brand New Meal Now!
No More Leftovers, It’s a Brand New Meal Now! Meatloaf, roasted chicken, spaghetti & sauce…these are all common dinners in my home. I may serve meatloaf on Monday but will have enough remaining to serve it again. No problem for me, but I’ve been blessed with both a husband and 5 year old who might […]
Interview with Celebrity Chef G. Garvin – Shares ways to make dinner prep easier!
Interview with Celebrity Chef G. Garvin – Shares ways to make dinner prep easier! Chef G. Garvin’s experience as a great chef and a single father make him a true expert of dinner preparation with kids in tow. Last week I shared some of Chef’s great suggestions of using ground turkey as the base to many different meals. […]
Coca-Cola #FamilyNight with Celebrity Chef G. Garvin, Smarty Pants Mama & more! Giveaways! Tues., 10/11 7-8PM EST
Coca-Cola #FamilyNight with Celebrity Chef G. Garvin, Smarty Pants Mama & more! Giveaways! Tues., 10/11 7-8PM EST Using Sunday afternoon to prep for the week ahead is a Smart Mama strategy! I recently Skyped with Celebrity Chef G. Garvin of Turn Up the Heat with G. Garvin. He shared that being your own sous chef […]
Ways to Make After School Snacks Healthier!
Ways to Make After School Snacks Healthier! After school snacks can get junky and repetitive. Just as fast as our morning goes, we’re awaiting our kids at the bus stop before half the laundry gets done. Exhausted, yet wired, kids are ready for the afternoon. Hours of soccer, ballet and gymnastics cram our days and […]
Balancing the Dinner Budget – Ragu Mom’s the Word on Dinner Asks
Balancing the Dinner Budget – Ragu Mom’s the Word on Dinner Asks Moms An on-the-budget dinner isn’t always so easy. We’ve all done those last minute recipes where we spend an arm and a leg buying the ingredients at full price because our pantry was empty. I’ve learned, the hard way I might add, the […]
Smart Food: Potluck of Produce, Chili Vegetable Ragout
Fresh local produce is something a Smart Mama LOVES! I’m sure you all agree! Whether you’re at a local farmer’s market, partake in a farm-share or have a great produce department at your grocery store, the freshness of good produce is something we all want for our families. My near 5 year old has developed […]