Eric's Protein Pancakes

Hi Blog.  It's me, Siri, your Maker.  I used to be very involved with you... we were practically in a relationship.  We would go out on a date almost 5 times a week.  It was a magical time full of exactly that: TIME.  I don't know why I have less of that valuable commodity now?  As a parent, you're always thinking things will get easier as your kids get older but that's not exactly the case.  Sure, you don't have to wipe their butts (as much) or buckle their seat belts, but other needs emerge that feel just as - if not more - demanding.  LIKE SCHEDULING THEIR CARPOOLS.  That could be a full-time job, I swear.  Any given week I have 10 different text chains with 10 different sets of moms for 10 different sets of activities.  It's exhausting.  Of course, carpools aren't solely to blame for my lack of dating you, Blog.  In truth, it's a combination of things: picky eaters, priorities and ever-growing social media platforms to name a few.  I'm just one person and I can't do it all!  

So it's not you, Blog, it's me.  I still love you, and I still want to talk about pancakes. 

So let's talk about pancakes!  (You're like, thank god, enough of this rambling nonsense.)  I grew up as a pancake kid.  My mom and dad both made excellent ones and they were always a go-to on the weekends.  I could eat 10 in one sitting, no joke.  (Sigh... I long for a time when eating that many pancakes would never cross my mind as excessive... but I digress.)  Nowadays I'm much more of a savory breakfast person, but I think that's why I love these pancakes so much.  They're full of protein with a touch of sweet, and you can control how sugary you want them to taste with your toppings (peanut butter and maple syrup being my favorite).   

This recipe belongs to my friend's husband, Eric - hence the name - and I was recently treated to them in Minnesota at their lovely home.  They have this method down to a science and mostly eyeball measurements, so I did my best to guess what the specifics were... but after making them myself at home, I think I got pretty close!  The beauty is, you can really make these your own.  Want thicker pancakes?  Cut back on the milk and egg whites.  Not feeling the spinach?  Add mashed bananas instead.  Want something extra?  Fold in nuts, chocolate chips or apples.  So.  Many.  Options. 

When Eric and his wife Meghan make them, they do so in bulk and the recipe yields about 40 pancakes (which they eat all week long).  When I made them at home, I cut the recipe in half so that's the recipe I am going to post.  But again, play with this... you can't go wrong.  

Eric's Protein Pancakes

Yields: about 20 pancakes

Printable Recipe

5 eggs

1 1/2 (heaping) cups oats

1 (heaping) cup spinach

1 cup cottage cheese

1 tsp vanilla

4 oz. egg whites

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup milk

Cooking spray

Toppings (optional): maple syrup, butter, whipped cream, peanut butter, nutella, berries, bananas

Place all ingredients in a blender.  Blend until everything is smooth (a couple of minutes).  Heat pancake pan or griddle to medium heat and spray with cooking spray.  Pour out desired-size pancakes onto griddle and cook a few minutes per side, flipping carefully (test to make sure sides are done by gently inserting spatula underneath pancake).  Top with optional toppings and enjoy!           

Ricotta-Stuffed Squash Blossoms

If you follow my Instagram Stories (also referred to as compete-and-utter-nonsense) then you know I recently grew a pumpkin plant that rival's Jack's giant beanstalk.  Well, it didn't quite reach the sky, but it did coil itself around every other living thing in my front yard and crept its way towards our porch door.  Because it wanted to come inside.  And live with us.  And eat my children.  

  

No, no, I kid...this was not a scary pumpkin plant!  It was my friend!  Every morning I would sit beside it with a cup of coffee, and we would chat.  Or, I would chat, and it would listen.  The chats led to songs, which led to me deciding I should share my morning ritual with the Internet World.  Was that a good decision?  Hahahahaha.  Hahaha.  I mean, what even is a good decision, am I right?

Anyway.  Then one day I cooked my plant and murdered it, The End!

FINE.  I'll tell you more than that.  Over time, the plant bloomed blossoms.  Is that a sentence?  But there were no pumpkins.  I turned to the Internet World once more, and asked them where my pumpkins were.  7913 answers later, I came to the conclusion that my blossoms were NOT, in fact, going to produce pumpkins for me this year.  I confirmed this with a professional, and thhheeennnn I cooked my plant and murdered it.  The End Again!   

For those curious about the method I chose to make my stuffed, fried squash blossoms... 

I followed this recipe.  They were delicious, but next time I might try a tempura batter instead of using bread crumbs.  See below for more things I learned along the way... and thank you for joining me on my pumpkin plant journey!    

1. If you fry a cheese-stuffed shoe it will probably taste good.

2. You can have a black thumb and still grow a pumpkin plant.

3. All of my Instagram followers are pumpkin experts.

4. Regina Falange lives on.

5. My neighbors don't mind me singing to nature.   

Happen Bakers: Michelle Rosen

Today, I'm introducing a new series called Happen Bakers, where I will feature young, female bakers in an attempt to shine a new light on not only the craft, but the people who call it their passion.  

I hope you enjoy it!    

When I was young I loved to bake, but while I did so at home frequently, there wasn't much to inspire me outside of my own kitchen.  Junior competition shows did not exist on television, and there were no YouTube channels full of baking tutorials to follow.  Celebrity chefs weren't what they are today and basically, I didn't have a role model other than my own mother and grandmother.  Thankfully this didn't stop me, and I learned what I could from family, cookbooks and trial and error!    

Nowadays, it's very different for aspiring bakers.  There seems to be inspiration everywhere you look, and not only that, the entire attitude around baking (and cooking) has changed.  For women especially, what perhaps was once viewed as a domestic task is now a creative accomplishment.  I've been particularly interested lately in our youth (for now I am an old person), because with so much negativity in the world I think it's important to focus on the hope of our future.  This quest led me to Michelle Rosen: a 17 year-old girl living in Long Island, New York.  She just finished her junior year of high school, is researching colleges with an interest in communications and media, and in between doing regular teenage things, happens to be a gifted baker!  

She is, in pun speak, a Happen Baker.  BAM.

Michelle came over and made these Apple Cider Cupcakes with a Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream, and they were perfection.  Honestly, none remained by the end of the day!  She traveled with her own piping tools and even taught me tips along the way (for example: insert your piping bag into a tall glass which will help you to easily fill it with frosting).  At one point, I felt like I was watching my younger self in the kitchen which made me feel happy and ancient at the same time.      

Check out Michelle's YouTube Channel, where she posts new videos every Tuesday.  Did someone say, S'Mores Dip??  Yep, I'll be making that at some point this summer (or in 5 minutes).  You can also find her on Instagram.  And, I interviewed her below... so read on to learn more about this incredible young woman!  I can only hope my girls grow up to be as focused, bright, creative and kind as Michelle.  She inspires me, and I know she'll do the same for you.            

When did you start baking?

I started baking when I was three years old.  My mom and I would bake our Christmas Cookie Cutter Cookie every year.  This recipe really started my love for baking.  My mom really inspired me and she encouraged me to take an advanced baking class on the weekends when I was 12.   

How did you learn?

I learned so much from my advanced baking class.  I learned so many different cake decorating techniques and learned how to make many difficult recipes such as breads and pies from scratch.  I've also learned so much from watching bakers on YouTube such as Rosanna Pansino.  

What do you love most about it?

First of all, I love anything sugary!  I love getting to eat everything I bake.  But I also love the creativity involved, especially when it comes to cake decorating.  

What's the most challenging thing you've attempted?

French Macarons.

What's your dream dessert?

The type of cake I get every year for my birthday...it's a vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream frosting and a vanilla custard filling with pretty fondant designs on top. 

Name 3 celebrities you'd like to bake with...

I would love to bake with Rosanna Pansino, Ethan and Grayson Dolan (aka The Dolan Twins) and Shane Dawson.   

Most epic kitchen fail?

Once when I was making French Macarons, I wrote down the wrong measurements for the sugar and the cookies kept coming out flat.  They looked like wafers!  I also forgot to beat the meringue until it reached stiff peaks.  My merengue was at soft peaks which also ruined the cookies.  I tried this recipe about three times and kept trying to film it for my YouTube channel, but it took me all that time to realize I was putting in the wrong amount of sugar.  

Any favorite songs you listen to in the kitchen?

Any Kid Cudi song, Billie Eilish, Logic... it all depends on my mood.  

Favorite food site or YouTube channel?

Rosanna Pansino!

When you're not baking, you are...

Playing Fortnite with my best friend, spending time with my family, playing tennis, drawing, painting and reading.  

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I would hope to have a successful YouTube channel with millions of subscribers where I can inspire and teach my craft to the world and be a positive role model for young kids who watch me.  I hope that my YouTube videos can bring happiness to people's lives.  I hope to have a beautiful house with a white kitchen, a pool, and a tennis court!  I would love to travel to as many places as possible - I would really love to go to Australia!  And maybe even go on a world tour to meet subscribers of my YouTube channel!

*I'm excited to introduce more young bakers to you as I continue this series!  If you would like to submit yourself or anyone you might know, please email me: siri@siriouslydelicious.com

The Book is Out!!!

It's here!  It's here!  

I wrote a book and it's here!  

Check you local bookstore!!

Or, you can still find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble... 

(and I've always wanted to say this phrase)

"...or wherever books are sold!"

For a sneak peek, check out these videos.  I talk about the book, and I make some recipes from my favorite chapters... It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere and Sweet Treats (obviously).     

This process has been an insane, emotional journey and I'm full of gratitude for everyone that worked so hard to help make it happen... including YOU.  You are my favorite :)  

M&M Piñata Cake

Hey party people!  My son turned NINE last week.  NINE.  NINE TIMES.  (Bueller, anyone?)  That's so old.  As Carson pointed out, he's halfway to 18, at which point he'll leave us forever (orrrr, maybe he'll go to a local college and live in our basement until his 40's...I'm okay with that, I think).  We celebrated on Thursday, his actual birthday, with an Italian dinner out and then cake at home.  Since he's getting older and a Yo Gabba Gabba cake will no longer suffice, I had to get creative.  I've been curious about these "piñata" style cakes for awhile now - the ones that are sliced open to reveal an inside full of candy - but I wanted him to think it was just a regular old cake...

...bwa ha ha.  Bwahahahahaha.  That's my evil, sneaky laugh.

So I baked it while he was at school, following this tutorial, and it was pleasantly easy to pull off!  I followed a recipe from MY BOOK for my favorite yellow cake (you TOO can have this recipe when the book comes out on April 17th!!!), and sliced each layer in half, resulting in four layers.  I cored out two layers using a large, circular cookie cutter, and then placed them all on top of each other with the cored layers in the middle, icing in between each.  One of the layers broke apart, but I was able to use frosting to glue it back together.  Problem solved!  We filled the center with mini m&m's - but you could use sprinkles or bite-sized candy bars... anything your heart desires!  

Explosion!!!

It's like a barfing candy cake, or something that sounds more appetizing.  

Two thumbs up!!

Cookbook Cover and Pre-Order NOW!

I humbly introduce you to the cover of my first cookbook:

Hi Barbie!  (Look closely.)

I think I'll just sit here for awhile, and wait for this to feel like real life...  

Ok, since it may never will, I'll keep going.  This whole process has been a dream come true and yes, a lot of work.  However, it's impossible for me to consider developing recipes, taste-testing creations and writing about food 'work' as the word is defined.  I've loved every minute of this job, and I can't wait to share the book with you on April 17th.  Which brings me to more breaking news...

It's available for pre-order NOW, simply CLICK. THIS. LINK!  I'm on Amazon.  NBD. 

Oh, and I'm also at Barnes and Noble, NO, BIG, DEAL. 

I may be biased, but I think it would make a great Mother's Day gift :)   

This book is for people who, simply put, love food!  It is an approachable, relatable and fun collection of simple recipes, divided into 6 chapters (Happy Hour being my favorite, obviously)...  

...and it is designed to demonstrate how I get through my busy days.  

I've never been a fan of intimidating recipes, and my philosophy has always been that cooking should not be taken so SIRI-ously.  Do you see what I did there?  My hope is that the recipes in this book becomes go-to, family favorites in your own busy lives!  

Before I go, I want to thank you for your continued support and encouragement.  There is no doubt in my mind that I wouldn't be here without YOU, and I appreciate this blogging community more than I can express.  Cheers!  xoxo   

Chorizo Hash Breakfast Burritos

Rainbow Popsicles 

Corn and Avocado Salsa

The lyrics, "back to life, back to reality" have been playing in my head all morning long as I pack up five weeks worth of STUFF we've accumulated in California over the summer.  We've been away from home for a long time.  There has been a lot of sweet family moments mixed with extreme sibling rivalry, large home-cooked dinners mixed with lots of take-out, busy packed days mixed with endless hours of summer boredom.  Now that it's all said and done, I'm ready to get back to routine.

Also, I'm not ready.  I've had moments of sheer panic over the past few weeks.  Moments where I've questioned just about everything in my life.  Is my middle child really ready for kindergarten?  Do they all have "cute enough" back to school clothes?  Did I sign them up for enough activities?  Did I sign them up for too many activities?  Am I volunteering enough?  Am I blogging enough?  Posting enough on Instagram?  Am I keeping up with my cookbook writing?  Am I going to fail?  Am I keeping up with my friends while I'm gone?  Am I planning enough things for September?  Am I planning too many things in September?  Am I neglecting my husband?  

Are you sick of these questions yet?

Then, as if she knew I needed it, a friend sent me this article, titled "What if All I want is a Mediocre Life?"  It's written so beautifully.  She writes, "what if I am most happy in the space of in between, where calm lives?"  I have to remind myself, it's okay to not have the answers to all of those questions above.  It's okay to take baby steps, each and every day, towards a life of balance.  It's okay that this lovely, refreshing, deliciously simple Corn and Avocado Salsa is the only thing I've posted in weeks.  Right?  Tell me it's okay.  (Recipe HERE)  

Now I'm ready to get back to my mediocre life, my mediocre reality. 

(And I'm ready for school to start...)

Some HUGE news...

I'm beyond thrilled to tell you that I am writing my first cookbook, titled Siriously Delicious.

I'M WRITING A COOKBOOK!

Sorry for shouting at you, but this is the type of news that requires the caps lock button, and happy dances, and celebratory handfuls of chocolate chips (which I guess are different than my regular handfuls of chocolate chips?).  Even to say it out loud, or to see the words on paper, makes me feel giddy.  I am writing my first cookbook, and I am so excited to finally share this news with you.

I am working with TimeInc Books, and the process has been incredible so far!  From recipe development, to taste testing (hard job), to our first photo shoot last week... it has been one pinch-me moment after another.  One of the most incredible was having the gloriously talented Ellen Silverman shoot our lifestyle and cover shots (the magical force behind some of my favorite cookbooks).  

Here she is at work...

Mr. Photobomb...

I can't wait to share more of the process with you as we move forward, so continue to check in here or on Instagram or Twitter.  And come back tomorrow for a perfect summer pasta dish!  Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go eat more chocolate chips, and I think you should too.  

Glowing Skin Green Smoothie

Did you know we are old?  I don't mean to collectively group "us" together, because I know "we" are all different ages.  But whatever that age is, it's older than you used to be (what up, Debbie Downer!!?).  I'll never forget the day I realized that I was older than the fictional characters in The Baby-sitters Club books.  It was mind blowing.  There was just no way I could be as cool and mature as Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia and Stacey, and don't get me started on Dawn from Cali (sigh).

That sudden awareness of my age still happens as I get even older.  Like when college students suddenly look like babies (and it's even possible you could be the incoming freshmen's mother).  The day you realize professional athletes are actually much, MUCH younger than you.  Or even that mom friend you see every day and you just assume you were born on the exact same day because you both have kids and then you realize she's not even in her 30's yet.  And so on, and so forth.

My point is, I feel young, which is good I guess!  But sometimes I'll have those long, stare-at-your-face in the mirror, somber moments and it will again occur to me... I'm older than I used to be.  One of my new year's resolutions was to take better care (or ANY care) of my skin.  I'm usually so tired by the end of the day that I'm lucky if I brush my teeth.  But I keep vowing to wear some masks, exfoliate, put on night cream, I don't know, something.  Anything!  Enter, this smoothie.

I have to admit something: I am not a smoothie person.  Or a juice person.  I like to chew my food.  I like to chew it reeeeeal good.  It has always seemed like a lot of work to make a smoothie in the mornings when toasting a bagel requires little to no effort.  Alas, as I slowly become a Golden Girl, I've decided I need to embrace all of the different ways of the world, like the smoothie ways.  And I'm glad I did!  This took me MINUTES to make, using mostly frozen fruit, fresh avocado (which we always have on hand), a handful of spinach and coconut water.  Best part?  It's supposed to make my skin glow, so my goal is to try one for breakfast every day this week.  Check out my Instagram for the before pic... and next week I'll post a transformed photo in which I look exactly like Dawn from The Baby-Sitters Club.      

You can find the recipe HERE.

p.s. This kept me full for HOURS, which is Breaking News in my world.  

Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer Cake

When is your birthday?  Is it lumped next to another holiday, like Christmas or Halloween?  My mom's birthday is Cinco de Mayo, which always lands relatively close to Mother's Day.  When we were kids, our neighborhood held a block-wide garage sale, and so just as my mom was attempting to rid her house of junk, we went to other people's homes and bought her junk... for her birthday and Mother's Day... one big lump of junk.  Happy Mothers-Birth-Day!  She really deserves an Oscar for her thank you speeches.  Similarly, Carson's birthday is June 22nd, which usually falls extremely close to - if not on - Father's Day.  I think I have guilt over buying my mom someone else's hand soaps, or worn tennis t-shirts for 75 cents, so I make an EFFORT to separate the two for my husband.  I capitalize "effort" because it's not always easy.  This year for certain reasons we had to celebrate both in one weekend, so I knew I needed to bake an epic cake.    

This cake, THIS CAKE!!!  (Imagine I'm violently shaking your shoulders and shouting in your face.)  It is just absurdly good.  It's my friend Audra's recipe (Audra, it's cool that I call you my friend even though we've never met, right?) and she basically NAILS IT as my son would say.  If you like the chocolate and peanut butter combo, then you will die over this cake.  The chocolate cake layers are perfectly moist, and in between each is a layer of thick chocolate ganache and peanut butter frosting.  Nothing is overly sweet, but it is rich and indulgent and a chocolate lover's dream.  Please bake this for the next lumped celebration in your life, or... for no reason at all.      

Recipe HERE.

Spinach and Shrimp Risotto + TODAY

Ohhhh, here we are again.  Morning time.  For those of you with kids, when you hear that pre-6am "mama, mama, mama, mama," do you ever think, hmm, maybe today the breakfast fairy will whisk them out of bed and change their diapers and prepare a meal and I will be able to sleep for another 20 minutes.  Do you ever think that?  Yeah, me neither, that's weird and silly.  Anyways...

We're up!  And it's all good.  I actually needed to get up early to prepare for Father's Day weekend, which is also Carson's birthday weekend, so tonight I'm baking him a cake and I can't wait to share it with you next week.  In the meantime, if you missed my Father's Day segment with Carson on the Today Show yesterday, you can find all the recipes here.  Easy surf and turf... our kind of meal!

p.s.  That is a risotto my mom made while she was visiting last week.  IT WAS DELICIOUS!  She followed this recipe but added peas and pancetta (the latter she cooked in the beginning and added at the end).  I hope you all have lovely weekends celebrating the dads in your lives!  Go dads!  

Cauliflower Topped Shepherd's Pie

Happy March!  I was REALLY looking forward to this month, mainly because our February was taken over by all sorts of sicknesses.  I thought, we just need a new month... a month that signifies the beginning of spring, perhaps?  Then we will ALL be healthy and well and bursting with energy!  Right.  Last night both of my daughters had high fevers and kept me up all night long.  Thanks, March the First, thanks a lot.  

Oh well, I will not let this get me down.  I will be positive!  I will decorate my house with tulips and shamrocks and easter eggs!  (Who am I kidding, those decorations have been up for weeks.)  So in honor of these upcoming holidays, particularly the one where we all wear green and pretend we're super Irish, over the weekend I made a Shepherd's Pie that I've made before here, only this time instead of topping it with mashed potatoes I covered it with Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower.  Want to know a secret?  I'm eating it for breakfast.  Want to know why?  Because all of the photos I took over the weekend turned out blurry and I needed a shot for this post.  

The things I do in the name of blogging.  

However, it's a delicious breakfast, and it was a delicious dinner, too!  I really don't miss the potatoes, and I don't think you will either.  I do miss healthy kids, though, come on March...   

Veggie Burgers on TODAY

Hello Blogging World!  I have been SIRIously absent, as I'm sure you've noticed.  February has been a month of highs and LOWS in our house.  It started with Carson getting the flu, BIG time: low.  Then there was my 35th birthday: high!  Err, I guess?  Then our middle child had a 6-day fever: low.  Aaaaaand, then the baby got it: low, low, low.  After that, we flew to Pebble Beach, California to watch Carson play in a golf tournament: major HIGH.  During which, I came down with a really bad cough: low (imagine me on the golf course - a very silent setting - ducking into the forest with the deer trying to suppress a coughing fit).  I think I even cracked a rib or two from all the hacking!  Low!  Valentine's Day: blegh.  Now our son, who seemed to escape all the sick, has gone down: lowwwww.  Too many lows.  Anyone else ready for spring??

But this morning, I was at the Today Show: high!!  I made two different veggie burgers and some rutabaga fries (recipes here) and it felt so great to be back in the kitchen.  Once I knock this jet lag, I plan on making all the things I've been dreaming of these past few weeks.  So come back!  Don't forget about me!  (Photos by Samantha Okazaki)   

Wedding + Cake

This blog has been quiet as of late, but it's because I've been gorging myself on food and drink, spending time with a house full of family and GETTING MARRIED!  After 10 years and 3 kids, Carson and I surprised our moms with a tiny Christmas Eve "Eve" wedding, and it was perfect.  Thank you all for the nice wishes you've posted on Instagram and Twitter!  

So now that I can finally TALK about it (my GOD that was a hard secret to keep), let's discuss how for the longest time I convinced myself I was going to make my own wedding cake.  I was all, OMG I'm totally going to do it and it will be a challenge, but also super fun, and I'll blog about it and YAY! Then the date crept closer and closer and oh, SO DID CHRISTMAS, and I became a ball of stress trying to finalize last minute wedding details while shopping for gifts.  I wisely decided, along with the advice from my new husband, that in fact making my own cake would not be fun but would be TERRIBLY HORRIBLE.  So I turned to a pastry shop in Long Island and requested a wintery three-tiered cake with three different fillings (white chocolate, fudge and cannoli).  The only major bummer was the cake topper I ordered never came, so here's my mom holding up an image of what it should have looked like...  

Perfect, right?  These photos were snapped after our photographer left, but all the black and white images that have been posted online were shot by the INCREDIBLE Pete Thompson.  What a great and immensely talented guy, I can't say enough good things about him.

So, that's where I've been, I will be back to blogging regularly after New Year's.  Until then, keep eating, drinking, and have a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Dress and jewelry were J Crew, hair was done at Dry Bar and makeup was done at Sephora :)

Cookie Stacking and Other Things...

Hello Internet People.  I'm sorry I've been a little absent, but this has been a busy and emotional week.  Therefore, I present to you this scatterbrained post of odds and ends...

Many of you have been curious about the infamous "cookie stacking" Instagram post (infamous, really Siri?).  The origin of this layered dough can be found in this recipe for Peanut Butter Honey Cookies.  I was instantly intrigued to see if by stacking two blobs of dough on top of each other, the result would be a cookie that spread less, as suggested.  Well, perhaps I did something wrong, but my cookies just ended up looking like butts, so... delicious recipe, however.  Honey?  Peanut Butter?  Yes.

Last Thursday I was all set to appear on the Today Show, and you may have caught a glimpse of me even, however, breaking news about the Pope's whereabouts interrupted my segment.  Of course, I didn't mind in the slightest, and it was actually very exciting to witness... yet another reminder of how surreal it is to be a small part of a news institution like Today.  If you're interested in the recipes I was planning on preparing, you may click here: Buffalo Chicken Dip and Ultimate Queso Dip. 

Last night, I was very honored to be a part of the launch of Keurig Kold, a revolutionary new drinkmaker that brews perfectly chilled beverages like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and so, SO much more.  It is available for purchase today on their website... check it out!

And finally, I wanted to repost this recipe in honor of a great woman, Lucy.  If you've been following my blog for awhile then you probably know this sandwich, but to have known the woman behind it was something else.  The heavens above gained a beautiful soul.  Team Lucy forever!

Weekend Things...

Once upon a time, I made homemade Girl Scout Cookies (Tagalongs and Samoas).

Black Bean Brownies... should I try?

These I KNOW I should try: Cookie Dough Cookies.

Last minute Easter crafts.

If you don't know about this accidental selfie prank, it's very wonderful.

Finished this book recently and couldn't put it down.

I want all of these Avocado Toasts in my belly right, now.

Cake. Pies. Candy. t-shirt you should probably buy.

And finally, some weekend reading about how I sucked my thumb until I was nearly 10 years old, and if you enjoy the article, please vote for it!  

Today Parenting Team!

Are you familiar with the Today Show Parenting Team?  It's a community in which anyone can join and share their parenting advice, stories, photos and wisdom.  There are monthly topics and challenges that have spewed such wonderful articles, like this one (she's my hero).  It's really fun, and if you're a parent or grandparent or godparent or auntie or teacher or you have, like, a thousand cats... you should join.  We're in this together people!

I recently wrote an article about "letting go of stress" - because I am NEVER stressed.  Nope, not me, I'm perfect.  Click here to read, it's called: Teenagers Don't Wear Diapers!  If you enjoy the read, would you consider voting for me?  And sharing it with your friendly friends?  Thanks!!

Back later with a delicious Salmon + Garlicky Mashy Peas recipe...