Dump It Cake

My mother-in-law introduced me to "Dump It Cake" on Easter. It is a super-easy cake prepared with a few simple ingredients. The best part is you just throw it all in the casserole dish and bake for an hour. So quick and easy! She made it with pineapple and cherries...I tried it last night for the first time but used apples instead. The result was great! Ingredients: Yellow Cake Mix, chopped pecans, two cans of apples (I used one apple pie filling and one apples in water), one stick of butter sliced. That's it! We topped it off with vanilla ice cream and caramel syrup. So good!

Mom Date 6/9/10

Last Wednesday night, I organized a Mom Date at my house. My husband left to play poker and us girls took over our house! I invited Christina (who I know from high school and haven't seen in years) and her almost three-year-old daughter Ellie and Jessica (a friend of a friend) who is pregnant. Jessica also has a daughter named Emma who she didn't bring with her this time. I made bruschetta, seven layer dip, chocolate chip cookies, and french vanilla cake with strawberry and vanilla filling...and of course homemade frosting! Jessica also brought some strawberries, grapes, and cream cheese dip. Our first Mom Date was a success! We sang "Happy Birthday" for no reason, laughed at our silly kids, and got to wear something besides workout clothes for once! I bought some cute note pads for favors. We just relaxed, chatted, and compared stories. I think this was a much needed break for us all...it was so nice to socialize for a few hours! I am planning on making this a regular thing, maybe once a month or every two weeks. I can't wait until the next Mom Date!!

Bare Minerals

For the last three years, I have been wearing Bare Minerals makeup and I want to share it with you all. I tell a lot of people about it anyways (I should work for Bare Minerals)! The first time I tried the makeup, I hated it. But after going back to it, I fell in love! You just have to know how to use it. Make sure to go into Sephora or ULTA and have someone help you. They will match your foundation color and show you the proper application techniques ("swirl, tap, buff"). It is a little pricey at $25 per compact, but it lasts a really long time. It is great for your skin since it is mineral makeup, and they advertise that you can even sleep with it on! They also say that it actually improves your skin. It is a little messy since it is a loose powder, but I bought a new compact yesterday and they have redesigned the compact to lock...so it is not NEAR as messy as it was! The result is a glowing complexion with great coverage (the longer you buff it on, the more coverage you will get so keep on buffing to cover flaws). I LOVE LOVE LOVE it and I hope you will give it a try! The only thing I would change is I just wish I would have come up with this makeup myself so I could be a gazillionaire!

Memorial Day

This Memorial Day, we went out to the lake for some sun, fun, and patriotic food! We had a great time with family and friends! I made the usuals: my mac & cheese (as always requested!) and the flag cake. I also tried some new things: a strawberry and blueberry trifle, patriotic Rice Krispies Treats, and pasta salad. It was all a hit! We also had homemade vanilla ice cream!!

No Fart Zone

I hate farts. I don't know why...I just do! Mine and my husband's bed is one of two "No Fart Zones" in our house (the other is my daughter's room because it's just so darn pretty!). A few days ago, my daughter was hanging out in bed with us since my husband had the day off. We were just having wonderful family time, having fun and playing around. Macy was face-to-face with Mike with her butt in MY face and (you know what I'm about to say) FARTS in my face! How dare she?! Fart in her loving mother's face in the No Fart Zone?! She's lucky I love her! :)

Mommy's Day 2010

Since this was my first Mother's Day as a mommy, I wanted to have a "nice" lunch at our house for myself, my mom, and Mike's mom. My brothers, husband, and daughter were all here too. It turned out to be so nice and very delicious! I was impressed with myself!! For an appetizer we had crab and artichoke spread on pumpernickel bread. For lunch I made Chicken Saltimbocca, pasta salad, and mandarin orange Asian salad. I got a little carried away with the desserts: Tiramisu, truffles, and lemon cake with vanilla and strawberry fillings! I made EVERYTHING from scratch and everyone loved it all! I highly recommend it all!

Love Comes First...

Life with a new baby is so wonderful, but it does not leave much time for mommy and daddy. Since my daughter is six months old now, we are putting her to bed earlier (between 8 and 9). This has provided a time for just the two of us to hang out and it is awesome! I feel like we are two teenagers sneaking around the house! We have time for a movie, DVR'd TV shows, and even a glass of wine every once in a while. We also have fun as a family. Last night we had "Fry Night," a vacation from our commitments to eating better. We opened the doors to the backyard, turned on the music, and cracked open a couple of beers. We fried shrimp, fries, and crab rangoons while Macy played. It was so much fun. And it is so important to incorporate this quality time in! P.S. Chocolate Overload cake from Publix is life-changing...all 290 calories per serving of it!!!