Whoa! Has it REALLY been that long??

So I'm looking at my last post and I see that it was nearly 1 1/2 years ago. Whoops! Well, I'm back. We have 3 children now, and we are also dealing with a coast-to-coast relocation which has left me as a single parent for 6 months now. Ok, so I'm done making excuses as to why I haven't blogged. It's just been busy :) I'm proud to say that I am still cooking "real" meals for my children, even though it would be SO easy to get away with chicken nuggets and grilled cheese. This week I only cooked twice and it lasted me 4 dinners. Here's how I started:

On Tuesday, I made shredded pork wraps in the slow cooker. This is by FAR the easiest meal. You need a 2 lb pork tenderloin, 2T corn starch and 1 cup of salsa. Mix the 2T corn starch with 1/4 cup of the salsa. Spread in the bottom of your slow cooker. Place the pork on top of that and pour the remaining 3/4 cup of salsa over the pork. Cook on low for 6-8 hours and shred with 2 forks when done. Serve with tortillas and any fixings your family likes. I cut up bell pepper and avocado and also served with shredded cheese and more salsa.

I discovered the beauty of the slow cooker bag this week!!! Omigoodness, where have I been??? I cooked the shredded pork in a slow cooker bag. When it was done, I lifted the bag out of the slow cooker and just shredded the meat while it was still in the bag. The only thing I had to wash was the slow cooker lid! I immediately went out and bought 2 more boxes of the bags so I'm sure to not run out :)

My next blog will be about how I turned the shredded pork into honey lime green chile enchiladas. YUMMY!!

Score!

I LOVE shopping. But I have zero tolerance for clearance racks. After my last find though, I think I should spend a little more time scouring. We are expecting baby #3 (another boy) and while I have saved my older son's clothes, if the seasons and sizes don't match up, I will pretty much have nothing for the first year or two. My first son was born during a heat wave summer, so he was only wearing onesies for the first few months. The past few summers have been pretty chilly though, so I have been keeping my eye out for long sleeve/warmer clothing for our new son. Here's what I found; and all for only $6!! My tip: shop off-season, and wait for for sales where you can stack coupons. Happy shopping!

Homemade Mac & Cheese

This is quickly becoming a recipe blog. LOL! But HEY I'm posting something! :)
I always make my kids homemade mac and cheese. They love it, and to me, it's just as easy if not easier than the boxed kind. And it's definitely better for them. Here is a very easy recipe for creamy mac & cheese:

1 box pasta (my kids love shells, but I use whatever we have. Rigatoni, penne and elbows have worked)
2 cups shredded cheese (whatever you have on hand is fine. Mild or sharp cheddar (depending on what your family likes) works the best, but I have also been in a pinch and used mexican blend cheese, or a mix of cheeses to get rid of those pesky bags in the fridge.)
1 can evaporated milk (you can substitute low-fat)
1 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, you can always dish out for the kids first and then add this in for the adults)

Boil pasta per instructions on box. Drain and return pasta to pot.
Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined.

* Like baked mac & cheese? Cook pasta al dente and follow instructions above. Add 1 egg to the pot. Put pasta into baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs. You can even dot with butter if you like. Bake at 350* until golden and bubbly. This is fun to do in individual dishes if you have them.

ENJOY! :)

Homemade Raviolis!

See, I told you I was going to be horrible at this blogging thing :) But I also promised to post things I thought you would enjoy. I made some homemade (ok, well "homemade" since I didn't make the pasta from scratch) raviolis that the family really enjoyed. Hopefully yours will too!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup frozen spinach (thawed and water squeezed out)
1/2 cup white kidney (cannellini) beans (drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
2 T shredded parmesean cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1 garlic clove
1 pkg won ton wrappers (we like the thick ones, but you can use any kind you like)

Combine ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth (1-2 minutes).
Place about 1/2 tsp of filling on the won ton wrapper.
Wet edges and fold in half and press edges to seal.
Boil gently for about 2 minutes. We take them out when they are floating, but it will depend on how you like it cooked.

You can eat as is, with parmesean cheese sprinkled on top, or serve with your favorite sauce. The kids love this and so do mom & dad. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

A couple of weeks ago I made cinnamon roll pancakes. My husband claimed them to be the best pancakes ever. I took a bite and was actually amazed that they tasted exactly like a cinnamon roll! I received many requests for the recipe, so finally, here it is! I found this recipe online, but I can't remember where, but I adapted it a little bit so here is my version:

Pancakes:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

3 T sugar

1 T cinnamon

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup milk

1 T maple syrup

1/4 cup melted butter

1 T vanilla

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 T melted butter

2 T milk

Combine all the dry ingredients.

Add wet ingredients and mix until combined.

Cook on preheated griddle. Pancakes are ready to flip when bubbly.

Whisk together glaze ingredients and pour on pancake stack. Enjoy!

(This recipe makes 3-4 servings)

* You can substitute with your favorite pancake mix. Just mix the pancakes as directed on the package and add sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup and vanilla to the batter.

Why hello there!

Hello there! My name is Jaime and I am a momma of 2. I have an almost 5.5 year old son and a 20 month old daughter. Like most parents, I also have a lot of stories, and a lot of requests to start a blog to share them all. I am finally doing it. I chose "Momma's the Word" because one day when I was nagging my husband, my son told him "Da, it would be so much better if you just listened to Mommy because she is aways right!" Smart boy isn't he? ;)

I don't know how often I will post here, but I can assure you it will not be daily ;) Today is 12/22. It is almost Christmas. Thank you for stopping by and whatever you celebrate, I hope this time of year is special for you and your family.

XOXO,
Momma