Food Family Finds | Illinois Mom Blogger and Foodie
Recipes | Parenting | Reviews
9ASEX4D7XABH In all the years I've been eating fried mush, it never occurred to me that it wasn't a common breakfast food for everyone else. When I was chatting about food on Facebook one of my friends asked the question, "what is mush?" ... color me stunned! What is mush? You mean you've never heard of it? Oddly, a few days later the same thing happened to me when someone suggested I use okra in one of my recipes. Okra? Umm... never had it. … [Read more...]
In an effort to drop the 25 lbs I've been hanging onto after having three babies I'm making a real effort to pay attention to how many calories are going into my body daily. I won't lie, it's a struggle ... a big one! The first day I started tracking I went over by 600 calories because I didn't have the willpower to put down the Devil's Squares. But today, I only went over by 81 calories and I'm going to hop on the elliptical to take myself back … [Read more...]
I know Valentine's Day has become this highly commercialized, Hallmark holiday but it doesn't mean it's any less worth celebrating. No, we don't need a day to tell everyone we love how much we love them, but it's still nice to take that day and spread some extra love. If pancakes are something you often make for your family, you can make them just a little extra special on Valentine's Day by shaping them into hearts and adding a little … [Read more...]
It was 11:30 am and I was in the kitchen whipping up some eggs for breakfast ... yes, breakfast at almost noon. Clearly we're still on winter break time around this house with everyone sleeping in well past the usual 9 or 10 am. It's pure bliss. Except for the part where we miss half of the daylight hours. So I'm the kitchen with those eggs thinking I'll once again attempt an omelette. It's the one dish I've never been able to master, even … [Read more...]
In our house, you'll find it's a very rare occasion when there is leftover mashed potatoes. Aside from my potato loving self, my daughter Kaydence is a mashed potato fanatic. Her potato cravings have gotten so ridiculous that when we all sat down to watch a movie the other night, instead of reaching for the bowl of popcorn my husband popped, she ran in the kitchen to grab my bowl of leftover mashed potatoes from dinner and proceeded to finger dip … [Read more...]
McDonald's is on my short list of fast food restaurants I eat more than I should but for only two reasons, the french fries and the Egg McMuffin. The rest of the menu ... bleck. My only problem is everyone in this house typically sleeps past McDonald's breakfast hours which forces me to get my fix in other ways. I've been making my own Egg McMuffins for quite some time now but I could never get the egg right. Then I ran into a blog post (which … [Read more...]
This morning I woke up more tired than usual, I'm guessing from the crazy assortment of dreams I had. For some reason, a night of visiting Jamaica in a glass house with my husband and discovering a hand eating virus on my computer is exhausting. I swear I'm not on drugs, these are probably the least crazy of the dreams I have. Anyways, I did manage to drag myself out of bed, get the girls their chocolate milk and work my way into the kitchen … [Read more...]
During the school week, breakfast is a meal that is often rushed and sometimes even overlooked. I have to find ways to provide a nutritious meal without my son missing the bus, even if that means forgoing a sit down meal. Instead of begging my child to chug a glass a milk and scoot out the door, I've created a smoothie recipe that packs a lot of flavor and nutrients, including DHA a nutrient that belongs to a category of healthy fatty acids known … [Read more...]
Every day I wake up, walk outside and look at my vegetable garden growing in the backyard. And every day I'm more in awe than the day before. For the first time in my life I can retire my "brown thumb" and say, I grew this! These amazing vegetables and herbs are all mine and I did it! Some may think of this as a bit of an exaggeration but the feeling of accomplishment and awe (for me) is comparable to the growth and birth of my children. When … [Read more...]
I suppose I should actually rephrase that to the perfect pancake topping because I can't make a decent pancake to save my life. If it's not lopsided, egg shaped or slightly burnt, then someone else made it. What I can make incredibly delicious is the pancake topping! Years ago my husband and I took a little trip to Jamaica where the breakfast buffet included this insanely delicious banana syrup for the pancakes and french toast. If I remember … [Read more...]
