Tag Archives: Smarty Pants Mama

Coffee filters, whether you buy them at CVS, Publix, Target or Family Dollar, you probably won’t spend more than a few dollars for a few hundred!  Beyond the obvious use of the filters, I’ve recently learned of these 25 other ways of using them!

Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.
Clean windows, glass, mirrors, chrome. & more! Coffee filters are lint-free so everything will sparkle.
Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.
Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.
Protect a cast-iron skillet.  Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
Apply shoe polish.  Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.
Recycle frying oil.  After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
Weigh chopped foods.  Place chopped …

Well I’m a Smart Mama of 2 now!  This week we start our postpartum healthy eating routine!  Gone are the days of endless bowls of ice cream, chips and dip and spoonfuls of peanut butter!  Tom has been a great pregnant spouse…he put on weight as I did throughout the last 9 months!
Our 1st phase of returning to normal, healthy eating begins with dinners this week.  We’ve decided to try a different SkinnyTaste.com recipe each day, as we have learned through experience that her recipes are always delicious and healthy.  I began by looking through the circulars to see what the protein deals were for the week, (chicken, pork chops and shrimp) and I searched throughout Skinny Taste for recipes to use our proteins!
Monday:
Pork Chops with Dijon Herb Sauce
Pork chops are one of our favorites and there’s nothing like a good …

You know those frantic last weeks before your baby’s due date.  Like those days when you are going crazy trying to get it all done because you know that the moment the baby arrives, life will do a complete 180.  You attempt to get the nursery done, last minute home remodeling and even more important, spending quality time with your children who may quickly begin to experience a bit of jealousy as your attention is shared with their new sibling.
I just experienced this.  We recently welcomed the birth of my daughter Cecilia!  My older daughter, Isabella, who couldn’t be more overjoyed with her new little sister, certainly has appreciated the special occasions we have spent together before and after the baby’s birth.  A few weeks ago, Isabella and I sat down together to look through her baby photos and unpack boxes of her baby clothes that she would soon be …

I’m exhausted.  Yes, as a mommy of a newborn (just 9 days old) and a 4 1/2 year old my energy and time on hand is very limited!  Dinner these next few weeks must be simple and not complicated.  I’m also trying not to break the bank by ordering out every night – you know that is what I really want!
Monday was the 1st day of really being a stay at home mom of 2.  My husband was off at work.  I had the girls, with one at least in school for half the day.  I picked up the house, I napped and enjoyed my girls!  Again, with limited time I needed to cook up the London Broil that we bought over the weekend at Target.  I needed an easy recipe, one with limited ingredients and steps.  I searched and came across some great ones but …

This Smart Mama household is now plus one more!  We’re now officially Smarty Pants Mama & Dada plus 2!  Last week we welcomed the latest addition to our family, Baby Cecilia!
Cabin fever set in right away, as I found myself going from a few days in the hospital for the birth to the next days cooped up indoors keeping the baby in a clean environment.  My husband took over most of the shopping as I wrote out list after list of things he needed to get each time he went out.  I was so jealous.  I wanted to go up and down the aisles myself!  Thankfully Nana & Lolo came to my rescue by babysitting on Saturday for just the amount of time we needed to escape.  We had very limited time – an hour max my mom requested so we knew we had to shop smart.  …

Have you spotted Smarty Pants Mama on the screen at http:///www.Facebook.com/ragusauce? Be sure to visit the Mom’s the Word on Dinner app to see me share my insights on these videos:

Is your dinner online of offline?
What are your go-to veggies?
What was your funniest dinnertime moment?

Simply Join the Conversation and scroll through the 9 videos available!  Which is your favorite?  Which one relates to you & your family the most?  Leave a comment here or there to share your own insights!  Let’s use this time to share stories and tips with moms just like us!
Disclosure:  This post & videos were created in connection with my appointment as an Ambassador in Ragú® Mom’s the Word on Dinner Program.
 

Got stains?  I’m sure!  What home doesn’t?  We’re covered in grass, ketchup, paint and general “what on Earth is this” markings here!
Wondering what this Smart Mama uses?  I recently tried and fell in love with Stain Solver!  This organic powder cleaner, available at StainSolver.com, can be the lifesaver for not just your clothing stains, but for general laundry, tile & grout, kitchen areas, carpets and outdoors like your patio and more!
I used it on my daughter’s lunch box that has been through the war & back, and I am so impressed with what just 2 hours of soaking accomplished!
Stain Solver is hosting a Spring Cleaning Sweepstakes! The grand prize winner can win a $1000 gift card to Bed Bath & Beyond! Be sure to head over to StainSolver.com to enter!
I received a complimentary sample of Stain Solver to aid …

Finding great breakfast choices in Miami isn’t too hard, there are some great one’s to pick from!
We love Sunday mornings.  With a child in our house and one arriving any day now (I’m 37.5 weeks preggo,) waking up early isn’t much of our choice.  On Sundays, we get out the door by 8, head to church and then typically head out to breakfast.  I grew up going to church around noon each Sunday followed by lunch at a local restaurant, Leo’s in Garden City, NY, for much of my life.  It’s a tradition that I now maintain with my own family.  Since we are far earlier risers than I guess my parents and I were, breakfast/brunch is our weekly meal rather than lunch.  I also must admit that not only do I love our yummy family breakfast; it also tends to be a little …

A quick lunch before the movies is something this Smart Mama house loves!  Just this past weekend we headed over to Burger King for a yummy lunch filled with hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and my daughter’s favorite, chicken tenders!

The latest Burger King chicken tenders are delicious; this was evident through my picky eater who engulfed them far faster than the sandwich I made her the day before!

Our Burger King outing was part of a promotional event by Burger King to introduce these new yummy tenders.  The crowd was great, filled with families all enjoying a Saturday lunch together.  My daughter and her cousins had a blast!
After our tummies were filled up, we all headed out to a local movie theater, Sunset Place, to see the adorable movie Hop!  It was such a cute …

 
We’ve all seen the commercial, come across the ad in coupon circulars and more for the Hidden Surprise Easter Egg Treats using Kelloggs Rice Krispies cereal!  You watch it, especially with kids, and you have the instant desire to make them.  They look adorable and they don’t look to difficult to make!
Well for a “nothing thankfully planned on this Thursday afternoon” type of day, I stopped by Target and picked up the ingredients.  My daughter was ecstatic when I picked her up from pre-school with the news of what we would be doing!
The first steps are your standard Rice Krispie Treats recipe….melt the butter, add the marshmallows and stir in 6 cups of cereal.

 
 
Now it got a little more challenging!  We took out 2 larger sized plastic eggs and began to stuff them each with the mixture.  This is when we realized that the direction to butter …

This week I shared 5 games that we play in the car. http://smartypantsmama.com/2011/04/smart-home-5-car-ride-games-to-occupy-the-time/
My daughter’s favorite is #2 The Humming Game (just like the classic Name That Tune).   Here’s some video proof of the made up songs she hums and tries to get me to figure out!

 
Do you think she’s an aspiring songwriter?  LOL!

Car rides, even most short ones, are often filled with “Are we there yet?” and more. My 4 ½ year old daughter is a chatter box, and yes I take full responsibility on that one!  The moment we’re buckled into the car, she’s ready to converse about anything.  Gone are my days of a quiet, car radio listening morning!  I promise I try promoting the “Quiet Game” as often as possible, with no such luck!  I’m sure someone can relate!
With the necessity to fill her need to chat, we’ve come up with some car games that aren’t too much on this Smart Mama’s tired brain!  None of these games are out of the world great, but they do pass the time!
1.       ABC Outside: Starting with the letter A, we take turns finding items outside that begin with the letter. This game is a challenge, …

It’s been some time!  Here’s our yummy menu for the week!  Please understand that I’m nearly 35 weeks pregnant so my cravings are in full force!
Monday:
Pollo Tete
I’ve shared this recipe a few years ago.  It was given to me by 2 cousins at my bridal shower.  They each wrote up the recipe not knowing their sister was writing up the same one to share with me.  It’s that easy and good!  I’m serving it with rice and sautéed zucchini.
Recipe:  http://smartypantsmama.com/2008/04/free-for-me-friday-yummy-chicken/
Tuesday
Skillet Chicken Nachos
I subscribe to the Betty Crocker Dinner Made Easy newsletter.  This past weekend a recipe for Chicken Nachos popped up.  I haven’t stopped thinking about them since!  (pregnancy mind!)
Recipe:  http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/skillet-chicken-nachos/9bf0c3be-09dd-4b1b-8cf4-a9cfa979b232?WT.dcsvid=MzI1ODgzNTg5MAS2&rvrin=34BA3A72-8369-4CFC-A090-F58ECF284E25&WT.mc_id=Newsletter_DME_04_10_2011
Wednesday
Braised Pork Chops with Mushroom & Onions
Here’s another recipe I received at my shower.  Another one that’s super easy and yummy!

2 tsp. olive oil
2 large onions, halved & sliced thin
1 …

My daughter is a riot, who can drive me a little bonkers at times.  Dinnertime is always an event.  I’m sure you all can relate.  This event can be productive, humorous or in reality, more often than not, frustrating!
Let’s think about those more humorous times.  You know, the ones where you mumble, “I can’t believe she just said that!” or “I can’t believe he just did that!” which have you red and laughing as you try to maintain order at dinner!
I recently sat down with moms Mindy Roberts (http://www.themommyblog.net) and Vicki Howell (http://www.VickieHowell.com) to converse about our funniest dinnertime moment.

This Ragú® Mom’s the Word on Dinner episode is also available for you to watch at Facebook.com/RaguSauce!  Be sure to visit Mom’s the Word on Dinner and “Join the Conversation” by posting your funniest moment!  I’m sure there are …

Cool Mom (http://www.coolmom.com) , Daphne Brogdon, got down with Dawn recently, and I am certain you Smart Mamas can relate! The ever so annoying clean up after a pot luck got a little more bearable for Daphne because of Dawn Hand Renewal with Olay! Enjoy her rather humorous account of the clean up!

Disclosure: As a Momversation panelist I was compensated for my time in this project. All opinion are my own.

How do you create instant excitement with 2 four year old little girls? Just mention popcorn, candy, movie and a game and you can image the reaction!  I recently had a Pop & Win Popcorn Party Playdate for my daughter and niece.  The afternoon was such fun!
We opened a new box of Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn and started off with the excitement of microwaving the popcorn.  You know how kids are so fascinated by watching and hearing popcorn pop!  To add to the excitement our popcorn was a Pop & Win bag!  All you have to do is pop a bag to reveal a heat-activated code and see if you’ve won.  One in six bags is a winner so we were hopeful!  You should have seen their anticipation as we watched the popcorn bag rotate in the microwave; they tried …

Peas. Carrots. Broccoli. Corn. Sometimes Cauliflower. Red pepper when cooked.
That would be the huge assortment of vegetables that my 4 ½ year old will eat without much protest.  Dare I introduce anything new, it would certainly be a fight.  You see my daughter is in that stage where “I don’t like it,” is stated BEFORE she even tries it.  I don’t understand.  “How do you know you don’t like it if you haven’t even tried it?”  All along I’m thinking if someone offered me beef tongue for dinner I would respond just like her!  She’s in ways nervous to try something new and prefers her “comfort” veggies.  Better that than nothing.  Right?  I’m still not trying beef tongue though!
In a recent conversation with moms Kim Tracy Prince and Daphne Brogdon as part of Ragú’s Mom’s the Word on Dinner, I was quickly reassured that I am …

I love trying new recipes.  Most of you have learned that about me.  I especially like recipes that are not only yummy, but fairly easy to follow.
On a recent trip to Publix, my local supermarket, I used my SmartPhone, to find a recipe for pork that I found on sale.  (You also know I love to buy things on sale!)  Now, I do use my phone a lot when I shop.  I have several recipe apps that are great resources when I’m trying to figure out what on earth to make for dinner that week.  The app I used on this visit was a little more unique than the standard recipe databases.  This recipe collection, Hormel EZCook made my “what can I do with this pork” dilemma end in seconds.

This web-based application, accessed at http://m.hormelEZcook.com showed me a list of Hormel …

TV on? Phone within reach?  One eye on your Facebook feed?  Do you twitch when you hear the chirp on your smart phone that a text has arrived?
As a mom, is your dinnertime online?  Are you still “attached” to the online world while you dine with your family? That’s what Ragú® Mom’s the Word on Dinner is asking moms today!
We all know what the “Super Mom” answer is…, “Of course not.  I would never allow my family to watch television during dinnertime and all phones are shut down and not accessible.”
Ha. Ha.  I know the truth!  Even Smart Mamas face a BIG challenge when we sit for dinner and the ding-ding on our phone is heard letting you know that text has come in, maybe one you’ve been expecting all night.  What do you do? Do you ignore it until all the peas and carrots are …

Already 29 weeks pregnant and boy have I had every excuse in the book to not move this growing belly.   I go on walks, maybe not as often as I should.  I chase my 4 year old, certainly more than I should.  Plus I’ve recently moved, so I like to consider each box I unpack as a workout!
A few months ago I was walking through South Miami, a great area of town with fantastic restaurant shops and more. I stumbled across a storefront titled The Bar Method.  Did some research online and found out that this is the latest way to burn some calories and get a great workout!  My third trimester of pregnancy prevents me from joining any type of gym or new exercise program, especially when the fellow gym rats are six-pack bearing moms!  I’m sure you understand!  I then came …

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!  Yes, Dr. Seuss’ Birthday is approaching; it’s actually tomorrow, March 2nd!  What does that mean to you?  For some of you, not much!  But for many, especially you Smart Mamas, it means another excuse to read with your child!  Dr. Seuss has grown to be the mentor of many authors, particularly those in the kids section.  His writing style and art have made his books classics from nearly the start.  We’ve all enjoyed stories such as Green Eggs and Ham and One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish .   They are books with rhyme, books with a great beat and often a cute, silly storyline! Celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday (it would be his 107th) can be done in many different ways!  It could be as simple as reading an extra book before bedtime, a Dr. …

Week of February 14, 2011
It’s Valentine’s Week!  Yes, we are already in the middle of the 2nd month of the year!  Wow, time is flying by!  Below is the menu I’ll be cooking and serving this week.  Yesterday during breakfast we discussed as a family what we were each in the mood for this week.  The menu is a compilation of everyone’s requests!  Let me know which recipes you try!  I really hope some of you try out the homemade pizza for Friday.  It actually has you make the dough and all!  We did it about a month ago and it came out delicious!
Monday: Happy Valentine’s Day! My big valentine picked Country Style Ribs and my little valentine picked corn!  I’ll serve the ribs with some basic roasted potatoes and corn on the cob!
Ribs recipe:  http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/bbq-country-style-ribs/Detail.aspx
Tuesday
Baked Chicken Parmesan
Of course a SkinnyTaste.com recipe has to …

What does hockey have to do with diapers?  Diapers and ice hockey typically don’t go hand in hand until now!  This month the NHL has teamed up with Huggies and Every Little Bottom with Hockey for Huggies. Throughout February, the 30 National Hockey League (NHL) teams will host diaper drives at their arenas during a designated home game!  The diapers collected will be distributed to local social service agencies and will be covering baby bottoms in no time!
Just recently Grey’s Anatomy star, Ellen Pompeo, shared her support of Hockey for Huggies!  See the YouTube clip: Ellen Pompeo Promoting Hockey for Huggies!
What can you, the very Smart Mama, do to support “Hockey for Huggies?”

Attend your local team’s designated game with a pack of diapers in hand!

o   To see the dates and times of diaper drives check out: 

PAM Baking came to the rescue last week when Isabella and I attempted to make mini blueberry muffins WITHOUT paper cups!  My daughter got frustrated the last time we made her favorite breakfast treat, when the muffins got stuck on the cups.   I knew that the next time around I would need to do something to keep a tear from her eye when she baked and ate her muffins!
I discovered the solution….PAM Baking. This solution is so simple, that I roll my eyes at myself for not thinking of it sooner.  According to http://www.Pam4You.com, PAM® Baking combines the unbeatable no-stick power of PAM with real flour. It’s specially formulated to reach every nook and cranny of even your most intricate bakeware. PAM Baking is the secret to your baking success. It is no-stick where you need it most.
Our “intricate bakeware,” the mini-muffin tin, …

Below is this week’s dinner menu at this Smart Mama home.  This week is a little crazy in the here, we’re moving!  Not far, just 4 miles away…but honestly the distance isn’t the challenge; it’s the packing, moving and unpacking. Add to the situation that I’m 5 months pregnant making it a wee bit more of a pain!  So here’s the menu, taking in mind that we are cleaning out our cupboards, fridge and freezer with this week’s recipe!
Week of January 31, 2011
Monday:
Pork tenderloin, Cuban black beans and rice
Pork recipe: I’m making life easy with this one.  I’m going to season the pork with salt, pepper, lime and onion and bake it at 425° for 25-30 minutes.
UPDATE:
Just finished eating our dinner tonight and the pork came out delicious! I ended up adding a diced onion, juice of half a lemon, a little olive oil …

Below is the dinner menu at this Smart Mama home this week.  I typically do this each Sunday night, but last night I was a bit distracted with the football games.  I have found pre planning each week’s dinner menu saves me time throughout the week.  I hit the grocery on Mondays to purchase the items that I need to complete the dishes.  I also let my husband and daughter pick two of the night dishes.  This week my husband asked for hamburgers & macaroni & cheese (not together) for my daughter.
Here’s the menu with links to the recipe I’ll use.
Week of January 24, 2011
Monday: Hamburgers with caramelized onions, corn and Mashed Maple Squash (I’m using delicata squash)
Squash recipe:  http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/mashed_maple_squash.html
Tuesday
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
This is a friend’s recipe that is super simple.  I actually made it last week and had so much leftover that I …