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What Are You Drinking During Social Distancing?
When my sister posed this question to me, my glib first response was EVERYTHING. This first week of social distancing has been really stressful in our household trying to meet the new homeschool requirements for our two kids while both Ryan and I continue to juggle the demands of our full-time jobs. Much less the anxiety around the largely unanswered questions of how to keep your family healthy and safe, how long is social distancing really going to last (have you seen this article?!?), and should I be stockpiling more food and household provisions. But, aside from my off-the-cuff response and the black and tan cocktail I had to celebrate…
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How We Are Entertaining The Kids During Social Distancing
Activity ideas are popping up everywhere as parents try to figure out how to entertain their kids for the unforeseeable future. Here is what is working for us at the moment: Baths Lego bath, Popsicle bath, car wash bath, shaving cream bath – you know name it. Baths kill so much time. They love all the fun kids soaps, bath crayons, and bath bombs too; Joey is getting these in his Easter Basket. 40+ Best Indoor Activities from Busy Toddler Busy Toddler is always a great place to look for relatively easy ideas. I stocked up on all the supplies she recommends from Amazon like blue tape, dot stickers, post-it…
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Rice Cake Lunch
We grew up loving peanut butter and rice cakes for lunch but everyone knows they are a pain to eat. Megan found these Lundberg Thin Stackers rice cakes that are so much easier to work with and the kids love them. We like to dress them up with different combinations with the kids help and it is always a hit; especially right now when every activity needs to kill as much time as possible! An easy item to have in your pantry that both you and your kids will love. We always buy the 5 grain variety but they have a ton of options to choose from. Here are some…
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Pesto Turkey Cauliflower Rice Bowls
This is one of the easiest/healthiest weeknight recipes in our rotation! Megan and Ryan even like it; they like to claim most of my cauliflower rice recipes are “too healthy”. Hope you love it as much as we do! Ingredients 2 Tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil for browning the turkey 1 pound ground turkey 12 oz frozen cauliflower rice 8 oz fresh or frozen spinach ¼ cup pesto (Trader Joe’s Vegan Kale Cashew Pesto or another clean Pesto) *I use the whole container of TJs Pesto 1.5 oz chopped sun dried tomatoes Directions In a large skillet, warm the oil and brown turkey, sprinkling it with just a little salt as needed. Add the…
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St. Patrick’s Day Ideas
We take full advantage of every holiday around here. Last year, we hosted a last-minute St. Patrick’s Day dinner party for another family from our kids’ school with Guinness potpies, rainbow fruit trays, and Lucky Charm sprinkled ice cream. Unfortunately, St. Patrick’s Day does not fall on a weekend this year, but I took some Irish-themed recipes for a test-drive and here is what I would make if I were hosting again this year: Drink Black and Tan 1 Guinness Stout Beer 1 Irish Lager Beer (such as Harp) Carefully pour half the lager beer (I used Harp) into a tall beer glass (let foam mostly subside). Place a large…
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Dueling Chicken Thighs
Last week we each tried a new chicken thigh recipe. Actually, I tried two but after my first bad experience with this recipe I had to really alter the second so I didn’t burn the house down. I do not like cooking meat on the stove top! It makes a huge mess, too much smoke, and I seem to always over cook or under cook it. So, for this Spicy Thai Chicken and Quinoa by Pinch of Yum, I decided to throw it in the Instant Pot instead which seems way easier than what the original recipe calls for. I also used Chili-Garlic Sauce instead of Thai style chili sauce…
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Baby Food Files
I feel like I am constantly trying to figure out what to feed Jack. Anyone else? With my oldest, Joey, I was terrified of choking and really just stuck to fruit and veggie purees until he was older. But give me a few years and my second child, while I’m still terrified of choking, I’m more comfortable with Baby-Led Weaning and offering him a wider variety of foods. At the same time, while I am not a nutritionist, I have educated myself on what things are most important for my baby to be eating. Healthy fat or Omega-3 fatty acid (ALA) play a big role in our babes brain development.…
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Are You in Need of a Pedicure?
Its finally getting to be that time of year when us Seattleites can start dreaming about wearing sandals and flipflops again. For me, that means I need someone to scrub off the remnants of last fall’s toenail polish and make my feet look presentable again. Where do you like to go to get a pedicure? I may have an idea for you! Recently, as a post-birthday treat, my mom, sister, and future sisters-in-law headed together on Saturday morning (sans children) to Frenchy’s Day Spa for manicures & pedicures (thank you to my brother Michael for the holiday gift certificates!). For years I was a Julep enthusiast, but since Julep closed…
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Ready for Rosé
Sun and Rosé go hand and hand for me. I’m ready for both. My favorite Rosé is the Tranche Pink Pape, but at $20 bottle it’s not something I am going to drink every night; it’s more of a weekend wine in this household. My favorite special occasion Rosé is the Karma Vineyards Pink bubbles. It is delicious, significant because Chris and I were married there and drank Pink on our wedding day, and sitting at Karma in the Summer and drinking their champagne tasting flight is one of my favorite things ever. So, if you are fancy, you should drink the Tranche or Karma anytime you reach for a…
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Chippy Chicken
Chippy chicken is my kids’ favorite meal – they love to eat it and make it with me. Even my daughter, who given the choice would not eat any meat, loves this recipe! We have a past nanny, Mantha, to thank for this one. Last night, in an effort to be a little more healthy, the kids made themselves chippy chicken and I made Liz Adams’ EBTB Chicken Tenders for Ryan and I for the first time. That recipe is also highly recommended for a more adult take on a chicken strip. But, if you are looking to have a little fun with your kids in the kitchen, here’s how…
