Frosted Pecan Faux Doughnuts

Thanksgiving is steadily approaching.  Earlier this week, I shared my unofficial Thanksgiving dinner menu and mentioned that we would be having Pillsbury Crescent Rolls.  Well I got to thinking about how I could transform those crescent rolls into a tasty holiday treat.  Behold my Frosted Pecan Faux Doughnuts were born!

They're the perfect sweet holiday treat.  While I do enjoy cooking from scratch, making doughnuts from scratch can be time consuming.  The last thing I want is to be stuck in the kitchen longer than I have to be for Thanksgiving.  Pillsbury's Original Crescent Rolls are make a wonderful, easy and delicious substitute for doughnut dough.   

Most importantly it will cut down on my time in the kitchen and maximize my time around the dinner table with my family. I hope you all enjoy this recipe.  Check it out below and be sure to share it with your friends.

Ingredients

2 cans of Pillsbury Original Crescent rolls (each can makes 4 doughnuts)

1 can  of Pillsbury Funfetti Icing with Sprinklers

1 can of Fisher Ice Cream Toppers Cinnamon Pecans

Vegetable Oil

Directions

In a medium sauce pan heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees on medium to medium-high heat.  While oil is heating place sprinklers, half of frosting and cinnamon pecans into separate dipping containers.  Then, open crescent rolls and roll out each sheet on a lightly floured surface.  You will notice that each sheet has eight triangles.  

Break the triangles into groups of twos.  You should have four rectangles made of two triangles for each can of crescent rolls.  Pinch together the perforated seams of each rectangle.  Then roll each rectangle into a tube.  Pinch together ends of your dough tubes like the picture below to form your doughnut.

Once the oil is heated, drop in one doughnut at a time.  Brown lightly on each side.  Be sure to watch your Pillsbury Crescent Roll doughnuts as they will brown quickly and could burn.  Turn down the heat if yours start to brown too fast.  Once your doughnuts are browned on both sides drain on a wire baking rack or plate covered with paper towels or a brown lunch bag.

When all of your doughnuts are finished, dip each into the icing, followed by the sprinkles and then the cinnamon pecans.  If you have a nut allergy, feel free to leave off the nuts.  You can substitute with crispy bacon, crunched pumpkin seeds or whatever your favorite crunchy holiday dessert topping is.

And here you have it, Frosted Pecan Faux Doughnuts that are sure to be a hit at Thanksgiving dinner.  They're sweet, crunchy, light and easy to make.   Want to try this recipe out for yourself?  You can save money by taking advantage of the following deals on Pillsbury's refrigerated baked products at Publix:

Nov 1st-30th: Save $1 when you buy any 3 Pillsbury Refrigerated Baked Goods Products (Get the coupon here)

Nov 12th-18th: Purchase 3 Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits for $5 (3 for $5)

Nov 19th-25th: Purchase 3 Original Crescent Rolls for $5 (3 for $5)

Also, you can enter for a chance to win $10 in PayPal Cash (thanks to the folks at Pillsbury) to help you purchase your ingredients, by using the widget below.  This giveaway is open to US residents 18 & older. 

Pillsbury $10 PayPal Cash Giveaway

What is your favorite holiday dessert?

What's On My Thanksgiving Menu

Twenty-two.  That's how many days we have before the Thanksgiving holiday arrives.  While we should display gratitude on a daily basis and I do post my weekly Thankful Thursday posts here on the blog, Thanksgiving Day for me and my family is day to reflect back over our year and the things that we're MOST thankful for.  Let's face it, there are bigger moments that stick out more than others.  

Another reason, I look forward to Thanksgiving every year is the food!  It's no secret that I enjoy being the kitchen (and eating) and whipping up tasty meals.   Usually I keep things simple, lite with a hint of Southern flavors.  However, the holidays give me an excuse to go a bit over the top.  So, today I'm sharing my unofficial (because there may or may not be more dish additions later) Thanksgiving dinner menu.

This year I wanted to try something different and actually serve our Thanksgiving meal in courses.  Our past tradition has been to pretty much stack everything one plate, plop down in front of the television and watch all the different parades.  Then, once the parades end and the Hallmark movies start, we refill our plates with seconds.  I've heard that change is good and want to switch it up a bit by trying a traditional sit-down-at-the-dinner-table style meal minus the television this year.  Now let's talk about the eats!

Appetizers

I chose the garden salad as our appetizer because it's one dish that we can all eat.  Not to mention, Moo and I LOVE salad like nobody's business.  A few years ago we actually took a 30-day salad challenge where we substituted one meal a day for a salad.  Plus, I'll feel better about us pigging out on an appetizer that is actually healthy.  I'll be having cheddar cheese on my salad.  Moo will more likely have a veggie Parmesan cheese on hers.

JJ has sensory issues with certain foods (lefty greens being one of them), but I'll let him try some salad and see how it goes.  He's made good progress with other foods, I'm hoping we'll have good luck with the salad on Thanksgiving.  I'm also toying with the idea of making my own Italian dressing this year.  Originally, I wanted to be out of the box and go with onion rings for an appetizer, but I couldn't think of anything else that met all the kids' food allergies restrictions to pair with them.

Entrée

What would a traditional Thanksgiving dinner be without a nice juicy turkey?!  I haven't completely worked out the ingredients for my turkey seasoning, but I know I'll be combining herbs and lemon juice.  Moo and the Mr can't have Thanksgiving dinner without their mashed potatoes, collard greens, or stuffing.  Those are items they HAVE to have every year.  The cheddar mac is for the Mr and I.  I might make a mini batch of gluten-free soy mac for Moo if we can find a good soy cheddar that she likes.

There's a brand that my mom gets from the Walmart back in my hometown that Moo likes, but they don't carry it on a regular basis there or here.  We've experimented with a few others and they were just okay.  I don't really want to her settling for okay cheddar mac because macaroni is one of those dishes you really have to do right or not do it at all.  So, I'll be hitting up Publix this week and checking out their soy cheese selections.

Cornbread muffins (gluten-free) are a must for the kids.  The Mr and I will be having crescent rolls or biscuits in addition to the muffins.  I still haven't decided.  Either way there will be no shortage of breads come Thanksgiving.  You may have noticed that there's no cranberry sauce on the menu.  It's not a mistake.  I just can't get down with canned cranberry sauce and I'm not a pro at making it from scratch.  So we don't bother with it.

Dessert

Making sweet potato pie from scratch together with Moo is another Thanksgiving tradition we'll be continuing.  I treasure my moments in the kitchen with her.  She's learning a valuable skill that she will one day pass down to her children along with all of my secret ingredients.  And I get to bond with her.  You'd be amazed at the things you can learn from your children once they get to chatting.

Cooking has by far been one of the best ways to get Moo to let her guard down and let the conversation flow freely.  We'll be getting fancy this year serving it with our favorite vanilla flavored soy ice cream.

Well that's it for our Thanksgiving menu for now.  Stay tuned to the YUMMommy Facebook page to see what the final menu will be on Thanksgiving Day.  I'm sure I'll be posting tons of pictures as we cook Thanksgiving Eve.  

What's your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

Thankful Thursday And Happy Thanksgiving

HAPPY THANKSGIVING YUMMs!  This Thanksgiving a little bit bittersweet in light of everything that's happen in the  Mike Brown case and Ferguson.  It's hard for me and my family to not be affected by these situations.  And of course, all of the media craziness doesn't help.  My heart goes out to all families who are having to mourn the loss of a loved one, especially a child, this holiday season.

I know their pain.  I've loss people very close to me and that first holiday without them is always the hardest.  I wish I could say that the next year gets easier, but the truth is that it could take years before it gets easier.  So, my request to y'all is that you'll keep these families in prayer.  Whatever your religion, just send up a prayer or put a positive thought out into the atmosphere for these families.

That brings to me the thing that I am most thankful this week.  Usually when Moo wakes up in the mornings, her first request is something to eat.  What can I say, my child loves to eat.  Well, this morning her first request was to pray.  She wanted to pray that everyone in the world had a great Thanksgiving today.

I swear her compassionate spirit always amazes me!  She's teaching me so much about how to be selfless and truly caring.  Others, even strangers, are always on her mind.  I definitely pray that she always keeps this trait as she grows up because this world can really change you.

I'm also thankful for all of the answered prayers I received these past few days.  I had been in prayer on some stuff for months and God opened up some doors.  He may not be there when we want Him or think He should be, but He's always right on time.  We just have to remain steadfast and patient in our faith.  Also, we have to understand that He knows better than us and sometimes, the answer to our prayers will be a resounding NO.

This week and I grateful for the opportunity I had to volunteer at Moo's school.  Someone from the school district reached out to me and asked if I would like to read to a few classes and I said yes.  While I was there a little boy asked me why I and the other volunteers had come out to read them.  I simply told him it was because we cared about them.  He got a confused look on his face like he was trying to figure out why a group of strangers would care about him and his classmates.

So, I took it a step forward and told him that he was important.  His face lit up like that was the best thing he'd ever heard in his life.  That brief interaction both melted and broke my heart.  What kind of world have we created where kids don't think others would care about them or think that they are important?  For me this is the root of the issue in cases like Mike Brown, Trayvon Martin and Jonathan Ferrell.

We have to do better.  If nobody else tells your child that they care about them or that they are important, as their parent, you should make it your mission to tell them on a daily basis.  I don't want to hop on my soapbox in this post, but y'all the lip service has got to stop.  Time for putting our monies and time where our mouths are is now.

I started today off with my sink being clogged thanks to my ancient garbage disposal.  It does not actually chop as finely as I'm used to garbage disposals chopping.  So, last night Moo had stuffed some of peels from the potatoes down in there and of course, I wasn't exactly going to stick my hand down in there.  I turned it on thinking clearly, it should be able to chop peels, but no.  It ended just flushing them to sink and down the drain to create a clog.  Thankfully, I got it out!

As much as I complain about my husband always working, I'm grateful for his job nevertheless.  A young lady from one of my Facebook groups lost her job yesterday.  Yes, her boss fired her the day before Thanksgiving and she's seven months pregnant!  I wanted to be upset, but she explained that business had been incredibly slow and since she was one of the last employees hired, it only made sense that she would be the first one to get fired.  Pray for her and her family.

I personally plan on reaching out to her and seeing if she would be okay with me putting together a gift basket of baby things and some stuff for her toddler son.  It won't be much, but I can't stand by knowing times are about to get really tough for her, her husband and their children.  Too many people have been an angel for me when I was in need for me to turn a blind eye.

Lastly, I'm thankful for you guys!  You've been rocking with me for almost five years now and I'm out of words to express how awesome I feel to have have had your support and I hope that you will continue to supporting me in the years to come.  Speaking of support, I recently converted the Young Urban Modern Mommies Facebook page into a general community page.

When I first started blogging, YUMMommy was taken.  I checked last weekend on a whim and it was available.  So, I snatched it up and that's the official page for this blog from here on out.  I'd love it if you would stop by the YUMMommy Facebook page and give it a like!

What are you giving thanks for this Thanksgiving?

Hi November

Is it really November already?  Someone pinch me because I can hardly believe that we have less than two months left in 2014.  I'm starting to reflect and take stock on this year.  Considering that I spent much of last month with patchy internet, I didn't do too bad with my October goals.

I'm very proud of myself for picking up my camera a lot more than I had been.  I actually took the picture above on Halloween.  My sister was here to visit and the kids wanted to go on a little walk.  So, I pulled out the double stroller and off we went.  Now on to my goals for this month.

Holiday Prep

The holidays are always a busy time.  The stores and roads get more and more crowded the closer it gets to Thanksgiving and Christmas.  So, my goal for this month is to finish up all of my holiday prep for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Thankfully, I've already gotten a head start on this goal.  Most of Thanksgiving dinner was purchased this weekend including the turkey and I've already been wrapping gifts as I buy them.  I'm looking forward to being able to just sit back and enjoy celebrating with my family.

Blog Sponsors

This year was a great year for YUMMommy in terms of sponsors.  And I'm looking forward to making next year even greater.  This month I'll be re-evaluating some of the sponsorships that I currently have and deciding which companies I'd like to continue working with.  Also, I want to start reaching out to a few more of my favorite brands and seeing what kind of projects we can collaborate on in 2015.

NaNoWriMo

This is my second year doing NaNoWriMo and I'm super excited.  Last year, I failed miserably.   There was so much going on that I could barely concentrate on day-to-day happenings less more writing a 50k word novel.  However, I'm in a much better place and I have already gotten off to a decent start.  Also, something that I'm doing different this year is that I've joined a few writing groups and have been interacting more with other writers.  Some are moms like me and understand how hard it is to juggle motherhood and trying to create a great body of written work.  I'll leave you guys with a look at my current book cover.

I'll be doing weekly NaNoWriMo diary posts and sharing a few excerpts from this Surviving You as well Forever Branded here.  Hope y'all will stop by!  And if you're doing NaNoWriMo be sure to add me as a Buddy.

Home Life

While Moo is doing great in school, there are a few things that her teacher asked me to work harder with her on.  So, this month I really want to make sure we get on top of those things and nail it.  Also, I'll be working with JJ on learning how to communicate using full sentences.  Right now he speaks mostly using random phrases or just one word.  I think he's up for the challenge and I'm on the lookout for fun activities that will help us with this.

We've been in our new place since the end of May and I feel like we haven't quite personalized it yet.  So, I've been pinning a few DIY and craft projects that I want to try to spruce this plain canvas.  I've been keeping my eye open for some awesome curb finds, too.

Faith

Sadly, we haven't been to church in a minute.  We've been catching the Joel Olsteen telecasts on TV.  While that's all good and well, there's nothing like going to church and being surrounded by your church family and pastor.  I feel awful for missing as much church as we have considering we're back close to the church we had been going to and have at least three churches in our neighborhood.

My goal is definitely to make it to church at least 2 Sundays this month.  Moo has been asking when we're going back and I don't want her to get discouraged.  We've been doing our morning and nightly prayers as well as bedtime devotions.

What are your goals for this month?

Thankful Thursday And Happy Thanksgiving Too

Happy Thanksgiving y'all!!  I hope everyone got to spend time with their loved ones.  It's late here (after 11 PM), the kids are in bed (JJ is sleeping, Moo's still wide awake) and all the dishes have been done and all the food is put away.  It's in these few minutes of Thanksgiving that I just want to take the time to truly reflect on all that I have to be thankful for.

First off, I'm thankful to just be alive and that my family is alive.  There's been so much loss lately.  I think that often times we go to sleep at night thinking that waking up the next day is something that's automatically guaranteed.  The reality is that it's not.  Cherish the moments you've been blessed with and don't forget to give thanks for each more you get to open your eyes!

I'm thankful for my husband's job.  Although, he had to work today, we're blessed that he has a steady stream of income.  I'm beyond thankful that he makes enough to afford me the privilege to stay at home with our two beautiful children.  He never complains about it.  Providing for us is just something that comes naturally for him.

I'm thankful for having a roof over our heads.  Even though these last two apartments have come with their flaws and not so good landlords, we have some place to lay our heads, use the bathroom, eat and have privacy.  This the time of year when I really get a look at just how many people here in the QC are homeless.  You see the homeless people sneaking into the turnstile doors of big buildings Uptown to have a place to escape from the freezing temps.  You see them gathered in boxes under bridge ways.  It breaks my heart and I wish I had hotel or some place big enough to take them in.

I'm thankful for my wonderful family.  We're not perfect by any means and have our issues like any other, but we're always there for each during an emergency.  We don't stand for outsiders causing problems.  We have each other's backs.

I'm thankful for this blog.  It's been such a wonderful outlet to share my experiences as a woman, mother and wife.  I've met so many amazing people.  Some of you have touched me in ways I can't even put into words.  For that alone I am eternally grateful.

I hope that as your Thanksgiving is coming to an end that you are taking the time to think about all the blessings you have in your life.

What was your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

Thanksgiving Menu 2013

What's the most important part of Thanksgiving?  Besides spending time with family, friends and reflecting on all that we have to be thankful for.  The FOOD! Duh!  You see, food and I have a special bond.  I strive to cook healthy meals for my family throughout the year, but Thanksgiving is the one time of the year that I throw that out the window.

Another thing about Thanksgiving dinner that I've come to realize is that it's pretty much gluten-free!  And with two kids with food allergies.  Luckily, for Moo and JJ aren't a big fan of dressing or gravy which both have gluten in them.  Anyways, here's what will be on our Thanksgiving menu this year.

Source

Almost Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Menu

-Turkey (We use Jennie-O because its gluten-free!)

-Collard Greens w/ Ham Bits 

-Mashed Potatoes

-Brown Gravy (We're trying a gluten-free version this year)

-Green Bean Casserole (Moo gets a dairy free version)

-Macaroni and Cheese w/ Bacon (Me & the Mr only)

-Yam Patties 

-Biscuits (gluten-free)

-Dressing (The Mr is the only one who eats this)

-Pumpkin Pie (Using gluten-free crust)

-Homemade Fruit Punch (I'll post the recipe later)

What's on your Thanksgiving menu this year?

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Playing Catch Up

This whole time change thing has my body out of sorts.  The clock says 10 PM but to my body says it's 11 PM.  Throw in the fact Moo has been staying up late every night, JJ has been extra cranky during the day and I feel like I'm a doing a million things but not seeing any fruits from my labors and you get me spending today play a game of catch up.

While I haven't completely neglected my novel, the only time I have to really work on it is at night after I finally get Moo down.  By that time I'm so drained my creative juices feel nonexistent.   And I meant to finish the chapter I was working on last night but I fell asleep.  Friday, I did make a little bit progress, but ended up falling asleep on top of my glasses and bent over the laptop.  I'm so glad that screen on this thing folds all the way down because I would have broken it.

I did manage to push the top of one of my lens out.  And now I can't get it to go back in.  I've tried pushing it back in and almost snapped my frame.  So, now I have to fit in a visit to the eye doctor.  Some of my friends have already finalized their Thanksgiving menus, taken recipes for test drives and more.  I just started looking at turkey prices.  I do have my menu finalized though. (Look for a post about it this week).

I also caught up on some reading this morning.  In January, I set a goal to read 150 books this year.  Sadly, I haven't even read 50.  I've even been slacking on reading to the kiddies.  So, the plan is read at least book every night.  And for me, I'll be completely a minimum of two books a week.  I'm determined to at least finish this year out with 50 books read and yes, I'm including the books I read to the kids.  A book is a book.

I caught up with a cousin of mine and found out he's been living here in the Queen City for 8 years!!  8 year y'all and I didn't even know it until today when he told me on Facebook.  He actually thought I had just moved here.  The truth is I've been here longer than he has.  I haven't a clue how we haven't run into each other at the mall or the movies.

Do y'all know how much stuff and how many important events went down in these past 8 years that he could have been a part of.  He missed out on being at my college graduation, visiting me in the hospital after I had the kiddies and hanging out for the holidays.  All because we didn't the other person was here.  I've never been more thankful for Facebook than I am today.  

We've exchanged numbers and I'm looking forward to the kids meeting him and reconnecting.  He's 4 years older than me, but we grew up together and always had fun with my other cousins and siblings at family cookouts.  Then he went off to college and we lost touch.  Looking forward to reuniting though.

I'm also catching up on my Bible study because tomorrow is Monday, which mean my Bible 365 post needs to be done.  Well, I'm off.  See y'all on Monday!

What have you been catching up on this week?

Thanksgiving Hangover

I'm sure many of us woke up suffering from a Thanksgiving hangover this morning.  I know that I did.  And I think Moo did too because she didn't get up at usual time.  Not complaining about that though.  All I know is that when the Mr woke me up to tell me he was headed out to barber's, all I could due was throw up the peace sign.

To say I was feeling sluggish would have been an understatement.  My body felt like it weighed a million pounds.  All I could do was snuggle up next to my JJ and sleep my hangover off.  Thankfully by the time the Mr got back, I was able to make it out of the bed.  He had braved the long Black Friday lines still at Walmart and picked up a few gifts for the kids.  So, I wrapped and threw a few bows on those while I waited for our brunch to cook.

Of course, Moo was up by this time and tried to sneak a peak at the gifts.  I was quick covered everything up before she could see it.  Sadly, my baby can't keep a secret sometimes because she would have surely told JJ what his gift was.  I know it wouldn't have been a big deal because he would have been clueless as to what she was talking about but still we're going to have to work on the whole keeping gifts a secret concept.

I decided to stay inside.  No braving the Black Friday madness for me.  Instead, I curled up with my Vampire Empire series and Fifty Shades Freed.  It felt good to enjoy a good paperback as opposed to reading books with my Kindle app on my phone or laptop.  Something about physically being able to turn the pages that heightens the experience for me. 

Yeah, I'm a nerdy bookworm like that.  *Shrugs* And now I'm enjoying some more snuggle time with the kiddies while we wait for Frosty The Snowman to come on.  Oh the joy of the simple things!

Did you participate in Black Friday or were you suffering from a Thanksgiving hangover too?

Thankful Thursday: Thanksgiving Edition

It's official folks. Thanksgiving Day is here!  Today also happens to be Thankful Thursday here on the blog.  So, let's get this ball rolling.

Today, I'm thankful that I got to wake up surrounded by my family.  A lot of people didn't get to do this.  There are so many people still displaced due to Hurricane Sandy, in nursing homes, homeless or in hospitals. I don't take having the chance to be with my husband and kids for granted one bit. I've seen how quickly the people you love can be taken away from you.

And while we're talking about family, I'm thankful that my blogger friend Rebecca from Let Them Eat Cake got a special Thanksgiving surprise today.  Her baby boy was able to come home after having been in the hospital since she delivered him earlier this month!  We had been praying for them that he would be home for Thanksgiving and definitely home before Christmas. It's an amazing feeling when you find out that your prayer has been answered.  Join us in continuing to pray for them and their baby boy that he stays strong and healthy.

Moo and I (mostly I) slaved away in the kitchen today to make a nice feast for the family today.  Happy to report that this may just be the best Thanksgiving dinner I've ever cooked.  We had my lemon herb turkey, baked macaroni and cheese, dressing, green casserole (Moo kept trying to eat the French's onions), collard greens with smoked turkey neck, corn bread muffins, brown gravy and sweet potato pie. Haven't had seconds yet, but I did have a pretty good nap with JJ.

Thankful that the little ones got up in time to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade with me. I thought that Moo was going to sleep in since she didn't get up at her usual time.  However, JJ sounded the wake up alarm and she got up.  We watched in our pjs on the couch.

I'm thankful that JJ didn't completely unwrap the Mr's Christmas present. He got a hold of it while I went to bast the turkey.  Thankfully, he just ripped off the bow.  I can glue it back down and cover up the hole in the wrapping paper.  Y'all know I'm all about being Green and frugal.  If the hole would have been bigger, I had every intention of just sticking more bows on it. LOL.

I'm thankful that we're now enjoying A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.  It's just not Thanksgiving without loved ones, turkey and of course Charlie Brown!  Most importantly, I'm thankful for you-all my YUMMommy readers and supporters. Thank you for riding with me and holding me down!  Many of you have become like family to me.  From my family to yours

Lemon Herb Turkey Recipe

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I know that many of us are getting a head start on the food by cooking our turkeys tonight.  So, I thought I'd share my recipe for lemon herb turkey.  After all the turkey is the star of the meal.  This recipe is simple and easy to make.  Most of the ingredients you'll probably already have on hand in the kitchen.

Ingredients

1 Turkey, rinsed & patted dry

1 tbsp Ground Sage

1 tbsp Parsley

2 tbsp Poultry Seasoning

1 tbsp Paprika

1 tbsp Seasoned Salt

2 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Ground Blk Powder

1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened

1 cup chicken stock or water

1 lemon

1 cup Homemade Stuffing

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  While oven heats up mix sage, poultry seasoning, paprika, salt, garlic powder, pepper and parsley and butter in a small bowl.

Zest lemon lightly.  Then juice lemon and add to butter. Mix well.

Using a rubber spatula separate the skin and breast meat of the turkey.  Then stuff with butter mixture.  Spread evenly over turkey breasts using your fingers.   Save about 25% butter mixture and brush over outer skin of turkey.  Stuff with homemade stuffing.

Pour chicken stock or water into roasting pan.  Add turkey.  Tent with foil and bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or longer if you have a larger turkey.

Bast turkey in 30 minute intervals.  When done, let rest for at least 15 minutes.  Then slice and serve!

Happy Turkey Cooking Everyone!!

Mini Sweet Potato Pies Recipe

Since Thanksgiving is coming up on Thursday, I thought I would share the recipe for my mini sweet potato pies.  It'll be a nice treat for your guests and family in lieu of making traditional large pies.

I'm sure your crusts will be prettier.  I had a 3 yr for my helper.

Ingredients

Filling

20 oz can Sweet Potatoes

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup Granulated Sugar (optional)

3 tbsp Light Brown Sugar

1 Egg

2 tbsp Butter

Crust

1 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour

1 Egg

2 tbsp Granulated Sugar

7 tbsp Butter, softened

Directions

In a large bowl, mix flour and sugar for crust.  Add butter and use your hands or rubber spatula to work mixture until butter is fully incorporated.  Then add in egg and mix well.

Roll out dough to your desired thickness or 1/4 inch.  Use a cookie cutter (or cup) to cut out circles large enough to line muffin tins.

Bake crusts for 10 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven.

While crusts are baking, in another large bowl add all ingredients for filling.  Using a potato masher or your hands, mash ingredients together.  Be sure to mash the sweet potatoes really well.

Fill pie crusts will filling. You can sprinkle extra brown sugar on the tops of the filling if desired.

Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Once cooled you can top them with whipped cream or even a scoop of ice cream!

Lazy Saturday

Today was a lazy Saturday.  I didn't answer any business emails or take any calls.  I've been feeling like I'm burning the candles at both ends lately.  And that just can't happen.  So, I took some time to just focus on relaxing and enjoying time with the kids.

We enjoyed some time at the library.  The kids got some cool Thanksgiving books.  Moo's favorite is Nate the Great Talks Turkey.  I picked up a few books too.  I'm trying to diversify my reading list.  And I was pleasantly surprised that the book above is actually turning out to be pretty interesting.  I've already submitted a request for books one and three.

And I also took time out to make biscuits from scratch for both breakfast and dinner.  The Mr was very impressed because I don't often make scratch biscuits.  Plus, I think the few times I have made them he's always been at work or I was out of town at my mom's.  I think this is going to be something I do on a weekly basis.

I feel a little recharged.  Let's hope this feeling lasts until Monday because that's Turkey and Ham Shopping Day!

Tried out the heart shaped cutter from my CCLP conference goodie bag.

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful that we're at the one week mark for Thanksgiving!  I'm super excited to be staying home and celebrating with the Mr this year!  And he's happy have us home this year. We're really looking forward to being in the kitchen together as a family and cooking dinner together then settling down for a little football, the parades and Christmas movies.

Speaking of Christmas, I'm thankful that JJ has toppled over the Christmas tree yet.  It's been up for three days and I think he's finally getting use to it.  We didn't put on the glass balls this year because we didn't want him getting hurt in case he dropped one. So, right now we just have lights, tinsel garland and a few non-glass ornaments up.  We're going to go check out some shatter-proof Christmas balls this weekend.

I'm thankful that I have been rocking this NaBloPoMo challenge.  The month is almost half over and I haven't missed a day of posting yet.  Proud of myself because challenges like these really help to shape me into a better and more disciplined writer.

I'm thankful to once again be a part of the Old Navy Style Council.  Be on the lookout for another shopping post about my favorite store.  It's truly a blessing to have this chance to work with one of my favorite brands again.  It's even more of a blessing that I'm get the opportunity to do something related to fashion and use my degree.

And I don't think I've mentioned this but JJ is teething again.  He has one tooth coming in on the bottom and one coming in on the top.  I'm thankful that this teething session is going better than others.  I guess since he's eating table food that helps to scratch his gums and he hasn't been sick which usually happens with teething.  He's had a light fever here and there but nothing serious.

What are you giving thanks for this week?

Thanksgiving Is In The Air

Thanksgiving is officially in the air over here folks.  After a long day of cleaning with the Mr, I had a craving for some sweet potato pie, turkey, ham and all the other Thanksgiving Day fixings.  However, seeing that Turkey Day is a week away (give or take 24 hours) and the fact that we still haven't purchased a turkey there was no way that I was going to do all that cooking.  Not to mention, I would have been starved and ready to pass out by the time I would have finished cooking it all.

So, I compromised with myself and decided to make some mini sweet potato pies or tarts as Moo referred to them.  My little mini chef and I were elbows deep in flour as we made pie crust from scratch and then mashed up our yams and other ingredients.  By far patting out the dough was Moo's favorite part of the process.  In fact, she asked to make more today.

We dusted the tops with brown sugar before baking. Delish!

Then this morning we decided to head to the library.  We were suppose to be going to storytime, but of course we were late.  So, by the time we got there it was almost over.  No worries though, I picked up the Thanksgiving books I had put on hold for the kids.  Then we took advantage of the empty play area.  

Moo and JJ had a blast enjoying the computer center.  They had this really cute ant jellybean maze where you had to navigate the ant across a picnic blanket to eat up all the jellybeans.  Not going to lie, I played that game twice.   Then another mom came and they had a little friend to play with.

While at the library we got to enjoy the lovely fall colors taking over the trees.  This is by far my favorite part of fall.  

Well, we've read Nate the Great: Turkey Talk and I'm enjoying New Moon. Yes, I'm a Twilight fan. And I'm stoked about Breaking Dawn 2 coming out tomorrow. (They're having a 10 PM showing here.)  Looking forward to seeing it on Friday!!

Is Thanksgiving in the air at your house? Are you going to check out Breaking Dawn 2?

11 Days

Why didn't someone tell me that there were only 11 more days until Thanksgiving?  Here I was posting about how I'm excited to be celebrating Thanksgiving with the Mr this and I didn't even realize it'll be here next Thursday!  For some reason I was thinking that Thanksgiving wasn't until the 29th and it's really the 22nd.  Needless, to say I haven't been looking at turkey or ham prices.

Thankfully, I happened to be glancing at the calendar this morning while making breakfast.  I quickly through together a shopping list since I already had our menu made out and posted on the frig.  I skimmed a few sales papers and flipped through my coupons.  Then after the kids and I finished eating we got dressed and hightailed it to the stores.

Moo was super excited to be going food shopping.  What can I say, my kids love to eat!  And Moo loves to cook and be out of the house.  She's an adventurous spirit, which is why her first name suits her.  Plus, she loves the feeling of being mommy's little helper.  It makes her feel like such a big girl and special because JJ is too young to do it.

Today she was really great at making sure I got everything on my list.  Every time I put something the buggy she would ask "Is it on your list Mommy?"  And she was better at resisting the huge to throw a million and one snacks into the buggy.  Instead, she asked if her chips were on the list.  They weren't but I put them on there and said yes so she wouldn't be sad.

Her response was "Oh thank you, Mommy!"  My heart melted a little bit because as of lately she's thanking me for a lot of little things like doing her hair, making her favorite dinner or taking her to the library.  I'm telling you we adults can learn a thing or two from our mini mes.   What made today even better is that I was able to get everything I needed for Thanksgiving except the turkey, ham and collard greens for under $40!!  Yep!

Don't be afraid to shop multiple stores.  And don't sleep on the dollar stores either.  They carry a few name brand products that are cheaper than the grocery store.  Plus, their store brand products often tastes equal or even better than big name stuff and is half the cost.  Overall, I'm glad I was able to get everything and now I can focus on watching these turkey and ham prices drop.

I wish we had a deep freezer because I would buy two turkeys and two hams and save one set for Christmas.  Oh well, maybe I can keep my eye on those too and hope a find a good deal on one.

Have you done your Thanksgiving dinner shopping yet?

Mind Right Monday

I've never been more happy to see a Monday! We're getting closer to my favorite holiday-Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'm definitely getting giddier and giddier like a kid in a toy store. So, it's a good thing I have Mind Right Monday to help me keep track of everything I need to get accomplished from week to week. 

This week my goals are:

1. Blog everyday (I'm taking the NaBloPoMo Challenge)
2. Go visit my friend (Her mom passed away yesterday)
3. Spray paint my decorative storage baskets
4. Look for a location for Moo's birthday party
5. Wrap more Christmas gifts
6. Start buying food and ingredients for Thanksgiving dinner
7. Steam floors
8. Join new playgroup (our current one just isn't working out)

I am grateful for:

• A loving husband who always has my back
• The special bond that I have with my baby sister
• The ability and strength to let go of negative family members (Blood is not always thicker than water)
• Reconnecting with friends
• My iPhone and its wonderful selection of apps
• My friends and family surviving the devastation that was Hurricane Sandy

What's on your goal list this week?

Thanksgiving Recap

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I know that I did.  It got to a rocky start because my mom's car broke down the night before Thanksgiving Eve.  It was just a whole lot of stress that I didn't really need or want.  Anyways, the situation got worked out.

I ended up cooking a full Thanksgiving dinner that consisted of a small turkey (lemon & herbs seasoning), mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, corn bread, stuffing, apple pie and a sweet potato pie complete with a scratch made crust.  Let me just say that my first attempt at making a pie crust did not turn out too well.  I think that I didn't put enough flour in it.

Thankfully, my second attempt was a success.  Moo enjoyed playing in the flour and kneading the dough.  She's really been taking an interest in helping me cook.  I'm thinking about getting a little step stool and apron for her.

My brother and baby sister spent the night Thanksgiving Eve.  We had a blast catching up and telling funny stories while I finished the pies and wrapped up Christmas presents for the kids.  It had been three months since I'd seen my brother and one month since I last saw my sister.  We do enjoy being spread out in different cities but we miss being in each other's company too.

Thanksgiving day was fun.  We went to my younger sister and her husband's apartment for dinner.  Moo was beyond happy to see her Grandma and my niece.  JJ wasn't too thrilled to be away from his bouncer seat.  Not to mention, with all his teething, he just wasn't having it.

We made back home in time to see the Mr off to work.  I hated that he had to go but it's life.  That's the one thing I don't miss about working in retail. Working on the holidays.  And I'm looking forward to the day when my husband won't have to either.

I didn't even bother going out for Black Friday.  It's not what it's cracked up to be.  I can personally say that half stuff that was on sale will be cheaper after Christmas or after New Year's.  When I worked in retail I loved being able to give my family and friends a heads up on what stuff to wait on.  I think that a lot of people just blow Black Friday out of portion.

You had grown people behaving like rabid animals for some video games, toys and clothing.  That to me is just plain disgusting.  Especially, when some of those people know they can't afford any of the stuff they got and will end up returning or pawning it.

Anyways, I'm glad that my family and I are able to keep the holidays in perspective.  I'm looking forward to Christmas and being with my loved ones again.

How was your Thanksgiving?

Like A Turkey

Well, Thanksgiving is literally a little over 24 hours away!! Aren't you excited?  We are!!  We're having house guests.  My brother and baby sister will be crashing here at my spot since we're doing Thanksgiving at my younger sister's place.

I'm also running around like a turkey with my head cut off trying to clean up and make sure that everything is straight.  I'm also getting together all my ingredients for the dishes that I'm making.  I have to hunt down a recipe for a pie crust and finish cutting up my collard greens.  While we're on the subject of collard greens, how come the ham bits seemed hella expensive this Thanksgiving?  Anyways, I will still be having some pork dripping to season my greens with.

Source

We're planning on going Black Friday people watching.  I don't buy into the whole savings scam.  You'll find the same things you're getting enticed into buying will be even cheaper the week before and of Christmas.  When I worked in retail, I used to try to share this with my friends who I knew would be racing to store to get something.  A lot of stores will say that they won't get those items back in stock but that's just another ploy to get you to shell out big bucks.

But that doesn't mean that I can't check out the craziness that will be surely going down.  I also have a lovely gift card from Starbucks that I won over at Mrs. AOK's blog.  I will be using it to enjoy some yummy coffee and a cheese danish.

Oh, I enjoyed my few days of being unplugged from the internet.  I had a blast spending time down at my mom's house with her and my niece and seeing the Christmas parade.  And did you all notice the Holiday Gift Guide Posts from last week?

What are you running around like a turkey doing last minute?

About That Time

This week is coming to a close and it's about time for families to get together and break bread, carve turkey and prepare for all those Black Friday sales.  I'm especially excited because my baby sister and younger brother will be crashing at my spot.  Yeah, it's going to be a tight fit but we always have a bomb ass time when we're together.  I'm talking about laughing to our stomach hurts over funny stories from the past and present.

There's no denying that being around my family brings me great joy.  I hope that my kids will have an even stronger bond than I have with my brother and sisters.  I'm looking forward to capturing some memories to go in the scrapbooks.  It's not often that we get together since we all live in different cities now (and states too).

Anyways, I'm hoping to wrap up my food shopping tomorrow.  I'm responsible for doing pies, mashed potatoes, gravy and a homemade punch.  Not sure what kind of punch yet but I've got a few recipes flowing through my mind.  Then of course, I'm cooking something for husband because he has to work.  Booo..... but that's just the way it is.

Source

His job is important and he's contributing to making society a better place.  So, I won't complain.  I decided to skip the midnight showing of Breaking Dawn and wait to see it with my brother and sister when they get here.  It'll be JJ's first movie theater experience.  Hopefully, he'll do well I won't have to watch the movie from the door.  Moo will be fine. All she needs are some snacks and a soda juice to keep her quiet.

Have you gotten started on your Thanksgiving plans, menu, etc?

Dressing Up For The Holidays

If you're like me and didn't have time to hunt through racks and racks of Halloween costumes for yourself this year, fear not.  You don't have to wait until next Halloween to get dressed up.  The lovely people over at Halloween Mart have wide selection of costumes to choose from for just about every holiday.   And of course, would could make your Thanksgiving more festive than you and your family dressing up in one of these cute costumes?

And why not ditch the traditional holiday wear for Christmas?  Instead, you can have a party and ask guests to get creative by wearing costumes.  It'll not only set for a less formal  mood but the kids will get a kick out of seeing Santa, Rudolph and elves!!

Even the pets can get in on the action.

And for those just looking to stay ahead, get a start on Halloween 2012 by checking out the amazing selection of kids Halloween costumes.  And don't forget about yourself again.  They have a great adult Halloween costumes too.

Happy Holidays!

Disclaimer:  This post is brought you by our friends over at Halloweenmart.com.