Recipes
Halloween Dessert: Eyeball Cookie Pops Recipe
Receive the Smarty Pants Mama Newsletter for more FREE recipes, travel tips and home experiences! Spooky! This Eyeball Cookie Pops recipe is sure to spook the guests and satisfy the tummy! Although we’re not big into the scary component of Halloween, we do love to dress up! And I LOVE to get crafty in the […]
Cubans Don’t Know Tacos & Other Misconceptions in Hispanic Food
One of the most important components of culture is food. When we think of Italians, we think of pizza and pasta. When we think of Greeks, we think of gyros or hummus. What food comes to mind when you think of Cubans? Please don’t say tacos. There are misconceptions in Hispanic food. Hispanics may all […]
Moms Benefitting from Soybean Oil Recipes
Open your pantry. Pull out the oil. What do you see? Your bottle of vegetable oil – the best oil for frying and the base to many Hispanic foods – is likely 100% soybean oil! This oil provides a hearty dose of vitamin E and omega-3s, which may help reduce blood pressure and prevent heart disease. […]
Homemade Vegetable Soup Recipe
A good and easy homemade vegetable soup recipe is a must in your kitchen. Throughout the year the sniffles are bound to hit your home. Achoo! A warm bowl of soup is always a soothing treatment to warm up the cold sickies. This homemade vegetable soup recipe can be prepared in less than 1 hour, […]
Easy 4th of July Recipe Collection
4th of July often means picnics, BBQs or meals by the pool or beach. Whichever your location on the 4th, try out any of these easy recipes for friends and family. Each recipe is easy to make and delicious to eat! Chicken Chutney Spread – Perfect with crackers or a vegetable platter! This is a […]
Easy BLT Dip Recipe
Tis the time of year for backyard barbecues and vegetable gardens. This Easy BLT Dip recipe is a perfect addition to your next summertime hangout. It’s a simple recipe, that’s delicious! It’s also a great use of the fresh tomatoes from your vegetable garden! Plus, for all you bacon lovers out there, it’s got bacon! […]
How to Make Lentils
Lentils are considered a power food. They are loaded with fiber, folate, iron, protein, and other vitamins and minerals. The fiber in a 1/2 cup serving of lentils gives you 1/3 of your needed daily requirements. Plus 9 grams of protein are in that same 1/2 cup! That’s a smart food! That’s tremendous power! A few […]
How to Use Leftover Ham to Make Cuban Croquetas
Will you be serving ham this weekend? What will you do with the inevitable leftover ham? Yes, ham sandwiches are always satisfying, but in this house we love to make croquetas de jamón, ham croquettes. Croquetas are a common finger food with latins in South Florida. You find trays of croquetas at every birthday party […]
How to Bake an Egg
How to Bake an Egg Have you been wondering how to bake an egg, rather than boiling one? Did you even know that you could? I most certainly didn’t have any idea. One morning I read a Facebook post about baking eggs so I quickly asked how. I got the directions within minutes and knew that […]
Simple Kale Chips Recipe
We have heard from every magazine article, online infographic, TV show and more that kale is awesomely good for you. I have shared 3 nutritional reasons why you should wash and chop up kale for your next meal. Have you? A simple and tasty way to enjoy kale is to bake it. It reminds me […]
Quick & Easy Soybean Oil Recipes
Finding Soybean Oil You won’t believe where I found soybean oil! In my own kitchen? Yes, I spent a good 30 minutes in two different gourmet/healthy living supermarkets searching in the expensive/speciality oil section in search of soybean oil. I returned home defeated. No soybean oil anywhere. I opened my pantry to pull out the […]
How to Make Chicken Taco Tortilla Soup
Make Chicken Taco Tortilla Soup during National Soup Month! It’s delicious and simple! A warm bowl of soup – just the thought of it during chilly January sounds so comforting. Are you a soup person? I am and I love learning new soup recipes! Hormel recently shared their Chicken Taco Tortilla Soup recipe. It’s a pantry […]
A Recipe of Canned Corn & Canned Peaches
One of my favorite dishes to make around the holidays, particularly Thanksgiving, is a Corn Casserole. I received the recipe from my aunt at my bridal shower and have always treasured it because it is THAT GOOD and THAT SIMPLE. Go here to see the recipe. With the continued obsession of my 6 year old with all […]
What’s for Dinner? Mediterranean Soy Marinade
Soy para Soy! Translation, I am for soy! Are you? Tonight’s dinner is a family favorite. Chicken and rice. But, tonight I’m kicking it up a notch in flavor and health! I have marinaded the thinly cut chicken breast in an oil-based marinade, using Soybean Oil! Mediterranean Soy Marinaded Chicken Recipe Type: Marinade Cuisine: […]
3 Great Recipes Using Jarred Herdez Salsa
With a jar of Herdez salsa and pretty much any protein, a mom can have delicious dinner ready. I find salsa to be a great ingredient in cooking. There are many recipes that use salsa. I have some favorites. Do you? 1. Santa Fe Pot Roast – This recipe comes right from the kitchen of Herdez Salsa. […]
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! […]
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 […]
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 […]
Smart Food: Slow-Cooked Chicken Wine and Tomato
Another great slow-cooker YUMMY recipe for back to school days! I adapted this recipe from EatingWell.com. It tastes great with a serving of brown rice and salad. My daughter, the picky eater, LOVED it. The chicken comes out moist, which is a challenge for many of us when making chicken. Leftovers taste great, too. I […]
Smart Food: Pot Roast, a Back to School Favorite
As we get ready for the crazy back to school schedule, we need to stack our decks. We need to have plans in place to increase our chance of success. The slow cooker is a busy Smart Mama’s friend! It can be the sous chef that we have always longed for. Dedicating often less than […]
Hormel Chili with Beans Dip
My opportunity as a Hormel Extended Family Blogger is inspiring a little Iron Chef for Smarty Pants Mamas this week! Let’s try using an ingredient that is often a pantry staple. It’s used “as-is.” It’s used in appetizers, entrees and more. Think of ways you have or could use it. So, this week I put […]
Chilaquiles Recipe, Guest Post by Karen Boykin of La Cabeza Grande
I welcome Karen Boykin of www.lacabezagrande.com as a guest writer this week! You may remember her delicious sounding suggestion of making Chilaquiles when I asked readers to suggest ways to use leftover taco meat. Her idea is a perfect use of pantry staples, that’s nutritious too! Karen plans on devoting part of her blog to […]
Smart Food: 4th of July, Celebrating Independence and Menu ideas!
It’s nearly the 4th of July. I can’t believe it! What does the 4th of July mean to you? A reason to BBQ, head to the beach and enjoy a day off? That’s the answer for many of us. Let’s try to remember on this 4th, the reason we celebrate – our independence! The parties, […]
Smart Food: Harmony Valley Burger Challenge – Guest post by Smarty Pants Dada
This past week I had a very proud moment, I welcomed my husband Tom to the land of blogging. Drum roll please….here’s Smarty Pants Dada! He’s chock full of stories, advice and more that he hopes to share with you and the dads in your home! Head over the SmartyPantsDada.wordpress.com and take a look! Follow […]
Taco Meat Leftovers, Ideas by Readers!
Using leftovers can be a challenge. Serving them the same way can often be a bore. Earlier this week I made tacos for dinner, feeding my husband, father in law, 4 ½ year old & myself. The 2 pounds of ground beef proved to be much more than we needed. Does that ever happen to […]