make-ahead makes it easy

With Turkey Day around the corner we thought we'd feature one Thanksgiving-related recipe each food for thought friday before the big day. Today I've got a fabulous recipe for mashed potatoes, but these are ones you can make ahead and refrigerate for up to one week! This recipe gets passed around our neighborhood and among family and friends every year. The potatoes are absolutely delicious! Thanksgiving Day's busy enough with all that turkey basting going on, so this year try this recipe for your mashed potatoes and you may not have to slave all day in the kitchen!

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
5 lbs. potatoes, peeled and quartered (about 15 medium)
1 block of cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 T butter
2 egg whites, slightly beaten

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling water until tender. Mash until there are no lumps. Add cream cheese, sour cream, onion powder, salt, pepper, and egg whites; blend well. Cool slightly. Place in removable liner of crock pot. (NOTE: You might want to spray it with a tiny bit of cooking spray.) Refrigerate overnight or up to 1 week. Remove from fridge about 3 1/2 hours before you plan to serve. Turn crock pot on low. Dot potatoes with butter. Cook on low for 3 hours, stirring once or twice.

If you're like me you're always on the lookout for another great appetizer recipe to serve while said turkey is still roasting. Here's one of my favorites that I don't make often enough!

Tomato Bruschetta
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, sliced
2 cups chopped seeded tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried oregano or 1 1/2 tsp fresh
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup Italian three-cheese blend
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
5 fresh basil leaves, chiffanade
16 toasted bread slices (see below)

In a small skillet cook the sliced onions and garlic in the oil until softened. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, and pepper and heat through. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add the cheese, vinegar, and basil. Mound about one tablespoon on the oiled side of the toast and serve. Makes 16.

Toasted Bread
1 baguette
1-2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preheat broiler or grill. Cut bread crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Broil slices about four inches away from heat until browned. Turn over and brown other side. Remove to a dish and rub one side with garlic. Now brush that same side with some olive oil. Serve with bruschetta or eat as is! (NOTE: You can actually freeze and re-warm these as well--another time-saving recipe!) --Emily

And speaking of Thanksgiving, here's some food for thought from Winston Churchill:

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.

bite-size candy and sugar highs

Though it's officially November today's thankful thursday is still candy coated due to Halloween's sugar high. So sit back, grab a handful of candy corn, and count your own October blessings this November 1st. Here are mine.

• a child's imagination, something which children tap into everyday; you see it in all its glory on October 31st (perhaps we adults could exercise our imagination a bit more often)
• bite-size treats, the sweetest portion control out there (though I just use it as an excuse to eat a variety of candy in huge quantities...bite-size means calorie and sugar free, right?)
• BuyCostumes.com, a site with a huge enough selection of Halloween costumes so that I was able to find and therefore purchase a "cute" gothic costume for my had-to-go-gothic 10-year-old (hoping it's strictly a Halloween thing)
  
• Gymboree.com, a site with a puppy costume warm enough and cozy enough so my 2-year-old didn't have to wear a heavy coat while trick or treating (dang that Utah weather!)
  
• 62 days until the New Year, because that means the holiday eating has just begun and I have 61 days before making those New Year's resolutions

Though the sugar high is over and the sugar hangover has set in, we'd love to hear what you're thankful for this Halloween. And yes, you can name those bite-size candy bars individually... --Emily

flickr and free stuff

For today's wonderful web wednesday we're going with something fun, easy, and best of all, free. Love the letters I've used to spell "fun?" Then check out a site where you too can spell with flickr. I read this on Boutique Cafe a while back and have had a lot of fun with it. Use it to enhance your blog, website, or auctions. It's way easy and way free. Just type in a word and see what letter images pop up. Don't like the options? Just click on a letter to change it. When you're done copy the code and paste it wherever you'd like.

And I can't sign off without mentioning another great website, or blog rather--and I'm not just saying that because the woman behind the blog won freshly baked's first ever giveaway. Keeping my Fingers Crossed is a great blog for the contest hopefuls out there. Lace, the woman behind the posts, not only loves finding contests, giveaways, and great deals but loves sharing them with friends as well. She updates her blog every weekday, sometimes more than once a day, and it's chock full of great contests and giveaways. How she finds them all I'll never know, but I'm glad she does! She even posted about a giveaway she recently won...yes, that would be the fabulous gift bag from freshly baked! So if you enjoy keeping your own fingers crossed (along with everything else) then Keeping My Fingers Crossed is a must-visit blog for you. Good luck! --Emily

easy fashion trends

What is your fashion style? Not really sure? Try taking this fun fashion quiz at lifescript.com. Once you know what your style is--whether it's all about comfort and function, or if your the neat and chic type--you can make being fashionable as easy as raiding your own closet. fashion trend tuesday is focusing on the hot new trends that anyone can take advantage of.

1. Red Lips. Very sexy, very fresh.

2. Black tights. So slimming, who wouldn't love this trend?

3. Colorful shoes. Help make an outfit go from flat to fun, by adding a colorful kick! (sorry for the pun)

4. Classic slacks. Jeans will never be out, but slacks are so hip. (again, sorry for the pun)

5. Chunky knits. Everyone has their favorite comfy sweater, now it's fashionable!

Even if you're not one to hound all the latest fashion trends, it doesn't hurt to "sneak a peek" at what's hip, every once in a while. There's always something fun you can adapt to your own, unique style. --LeShan

no hidden agenda here

With a husband, four kids, a business, a blog, and a slew of extracurricular activities, if something's not written down it's not going to happen. That's why I love my momAgenda Desktop Planner and why I'm highlighting this product for mompreneur monday. Without it, art classes, cello lessons, play dates, doctor's appointments, and even the occasional date night would be long forgotten.

momAgenda has an entire line of fabulous products perfect for us moms trying to keep it all together (or at least trying to fake it). My favorite, their Desktop Planner, is a 17-month planner with a great week-at-a-view format and space for mom and up to four kids. You've got your overall view of each day at the top and separate spaces for others in the family. I use two of the spaces for my two oldest (thank heavens I don't have to schedule my other two just yet), and then one for a to-do list (or two depending on how many to-do's I have). I especially love the added space at the bottom for meal planning. Helps me to know just what day I'm fixing mac 'n' cheese so I can make sure it's well spaced from quesadilla night, which needs to be a day or two away from pancake night. And to keep you planning in style the Desktop Planner comes in five fun colors.

momAgenda also has a great Family Planner (see photo at top) that fits right on your fridge. It's large enough to fit everyone's schedule, which means no excuses for missing family game night. You can also stock up on notepads that cover everything from grocery planning to permission slips to babysitter's info. I need all the help I can get to stay organized and momAgenda makes it easy to do so. Check out their new Kitchen Folio, a great way to solve the paperwork problem by making it a cinch to organize--and therefore find--class lists, school schedules, sports schedules, menus, whatever it is you've got piled on the counter or in that junk drawer.

Hurry over to momAgenda and purchase a Fuschia Desktop Planner before October 31st. You'll not only be giving yourself peace of mind (and an organized mind at that) but also doing your part to help fight breast cancer. --Emily

t.g.i.f.

The chef in each of us is as different as our fingerprints. Some of us are very precise and follow the recipe to a T, while other's like to wing it...no recipe ever turns out the same twice. Either way, recipes are a reflection of our own unique personality, that's part of why sharing recipes is so much fun! Who doesn't have a recipe that reminds them of someone special, or that they hope will make someone special think of them?

Because this is the last food for thought friday in October I'd like to share one more pumpkin recipe and a family favorite. May you have a long, enjoyable weekend!

Pumpkin Soup

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 med. onion chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can (15oz.) pumpkin

2 chicken flavor boullion cubes

3 cups boiling water

1 cup light cream or half and half

4 oz cream cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

In 3 qt. saucepan, heat oil over med high heat and cook onion, garlic. Stir in boullion cubes with water and pumpkin. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 mins. Stir in cream cheese, and cream. Cook stirring occasionally, 5 mins. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Fun Tip: Serve this soup in mini-hollowed out pumpkins.

Scones
2 cups flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
8 Tbsp. butter (frozen)
1/2 cup fruit of choice (I use canned blueberries, dried cherries, or raisins, sometimes I like to omit fruit and add cinnamon).
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Grate butter into flour, use fingers to work in butter, stir in fruit. Wisk sour cream, and egg together. Add to flour, form into a ball. Flatten on floured surface to about 1-1 1/2 inches thick, and sprinkle with sugar. Cut into triangles, like a pizza. Bake for 15-17 minutes. --LeShan

our senses make sense

For thankful thursday I want to express my gratitude for the senses. I'm not just talking about the sense of sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound...but I'll get to that later. So here's the list in no particular order;

1) Sight. Okay, sometimes I could go without this one, like when I see the state of my house right now. On the other hand, here in Florida, we have the best sunrises and sunsets. It's a pretty great way to start and end the day.

2) Smell. My favorite scent in the world is the smell of a freshly bathed child. I love to stick my nose in the nape of my kids' necks, I could smell that all day, if only they didn't squirm so much.

3) Touch. A long hug from someone I love, it's like heaven on earth.

4) Sound. Listening to the birds chirping early in the morning, who knew such a small creature could have so much energy?! I'm just a bit jealous.

5) Taste. Almost any thing fresh is bound to be fabulous, fresh bread, fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh fish, you get the idea. Then of course chocolate...need I say more?

Then there's the other senses I am truly grateful for;

6) Common sense. This one is handy. It's what tells me to finally go to bed, so I won't be throwing tantrums that would put my kids tantrums to shame.

7) Sense-itivity. This one requires a combination of love and patience. I'm so thankful that my husband, kids, and best friend are gifted with this one!

8) Sense of Humor. Life would be very blah without this one! It's the only way I can handle the poopy diapers, the loud cell phone-talker in line next to me, or the extra 2 lbs gained while sleeping.

Yep, I am very grateful for all the wonderful senses!--LeShan

It's wonderful web wednesday and I've got a truly wonderful site for you. Of course you may have already discovered Etsy, but if you haven't then you're in for a real treat. Etsy is an "online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade." But "all things" definitely doesn't do this site justice.

Etsy has something for everyone, and I mean everyone. Categories include bags & purses, ceramics, clothing, jewelry, needlecraft, plants & edibles, toys, and vintage items--and that's only a sampling. You can search for products by color, geographic location of the seller, how recently they were listed, even by which seller's birthday it is that day. And if you're looking to sell the process is easy as pie. Sign-up is free, your own shop is free, and besides a small sales fee (3.5%) and listing fee (.20 per quantity) Etsy provides you with everything you need to start selling your own handmade items.

So head on over to Etsy and browse away, but be sure you've got a couple hours free and more than a couple bucks to spend. Browsing all those fabulous handmade items is very addicting and I guarantee you'll find more than one that'll tickle your fancy. Happy shopping! --Emily

your link to pink

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month...as though you didn't already know that! What could be more fashionable than sporting pink? So for fashion trend tuesday, I'd like to share some great links to to pink! I'm not one to go overboard with the color, but there's definitely something about pink that makes you stop and take notice, it's fun, showy, and all girl. You can shop till you drop--from pink scuba gear to pink mascara--you will never run out of pink paraphernalia to choose from. The best part is, it can all go to a good cause. Each time you look at your pink purchases it will remind you of a great cause that you support. Here's my top 5 favorites to get you thinking pink! (Click on the image to shop for that item.)

1. Pink Swiss Army Knife available from Swiss Knife Headquarters

2. by Ralph Lauren (I'm a real sucker for a tee)




3. Emergen-C Packets available at Whole Foods Market (okay it's not fashion, but it is fashionable to take care of yourself)





4. Sock Monkey Tee from CafePress.com








5. Marc by Marc Jacobs Breast Cancer Awareness Charity Charm Bracelet exclusively from shopbop.com





Curious how much of the proceeds goes toward the cause? Check out Think Before You Pink's website and see what companies are donating to breast cancer funds. --LeShan

pleasantly priced printing

Along the same theme as last week's mompreneur monday post we bring you a budget-friendly site for your printing needs. From business cards to letterhead to promotional items VistaPrint has quite possibly the best prices on the web. We've used VistaPrint for the insert cards we include in our packaging and the oversized postcards we use for mailing to retailers. Not once have we been disappointed on the pricing. You can even get free--though very basic--business cards by using one of their templates. Yes, I said free!

If you are interested in creating your own stationary or marketing materials VistaPrint allows you to upload your design for a small fee, but it's worth it if you want to create a consistent feel among your business products. Best of all VistaPrint has specials all the time, and I mean all the time. For example right now (as of my typing this tonight, October 21st) you can get 250 premium business cards free (normally $19.99) and 500 are only $10! And over in the postcards section you can get 100 standard postcards free or 100 oversized postcards for only $15. A black & white backside and glossy finish are thrown in for free as well. Sure, you have to pay for added perks like a color backside or, as mentioned before, your own design, but when you can get 100 oversized postcards with your own design, glossy finish, and black & white backside ready for mailing for $20 plus shipping I think it's something to get excited about. (Yes, I get just as excited about great printing prices as I do about software discounts. Sigh...it's a mompreneur's life. What can I say?)

VistaPrint also offers mailing services, creative services, and logo design. Not sure if those prices are competitive so shop around a bit. But visit VistaPrint and see if you aren't pleasantly surprised by their products and prices. It's a great site for business owners who have yet to find a money tree in their backyard. (Personally I think the previous homeowners took it with them...) --Emily

what can't you do with a can of pumpkin?

"There is no love sincerer than the love of food." -- George Bernard Shaw

And with those words of wisdom I bring you food for thought friday. With pumpkins popping up left and right I had to share two of my favorite pumpkin-related recipes. Mine of course revolve around dessert although the first one is actually a healthy version of my previous pumpkin cookie recipe. But trust me, healthy doesn't mean it's not tasty--it means you can eat twice as many (not true for the pumpkin bars...sorry!)

Easy Pumpkin Cookies
1 (18.25 ounce) spice cake mix
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients until well combined. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until set. Option: leave out chocolate chips and drizzle cream cheese frosting over the top.


Pumpkin Bars
4 eggs
1 2/3 c sugar
1 c vegetable oil
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
2 c flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Icing
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese frosting, softened
2 c confectioner's sugar
1/4 c butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 T milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour into an ungreased 15" x 10" x 1" baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely.

For icing, beat cream cheese, sugar, butter and vanilla in a small mixing bowl. Add enough of the milk to achieve desired spreading consistency. Spread over bars.

If you have a favorite recipe using canned pumpkin please share it with us. There are always more than enough cans of pumpkin in my pantry! --Emily

an attitude of gratitude

For this week's thankful thursday I really had to focus on the simple things. It was a hard week here at home with school projects, fussy babies, snotty noses, two-year-old tantrums (from my husband), and very little sleep. I needed this post today so I could refocus and readjust my attitude, so here goes! This week I'm thankful for...

• Weight-Watcher friendly pumpkin cookies because then I can eat twice as many and not feel twice as guilty (recipe to follow tomorrow)
• a two-month old who has given Mom smiles since week three and always lifts Mom's spirits even when Mom wants to stay grumpy
• a separate toy room downstairs so I can just close the door and pretend Toys R Us didn't just throw up in my basement
• late-night emails between friends--one of the cheapest and best forms of therapy
• cold, rainy days that justify staying in my sweats until I finally decide to shower (if I decide to shower at all)

I know most people don't comment on posts, but if you've had a week like mine, give it a try. Let us know the five things you're grateful for and see if it doesn't give you an attitude of gratitude. It worked for me (that and the ice-cold Diet Coke I just finished off). --Emily