5 THINGS TO DO AT HOME & ENJOY SOME 'ME-TIME'

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I want to share one of the best things about motherhood and that is having your kids take a nap. Sounds horrible! But it is a breath of fresh air. I feel all moms with kids at home this summer will agree we look forward to nap time. I basically everyday look forward to lunch time because I know soon after my little one will be out for a good while. 

Since nap time is a must and basically sacred to us all  I want to share 5 things you can do at home to enjoy some "me" time. Sometimes we have to skip the cleaning, washing, and leave the dirty dishes in the sink and simply enjoy summer time in any way possible.

• First thing coffee. I like to head to the kitchen and get my cold coffee. I have been an iced coffee lover for a very long time now. For many years I hated hot coffee and could not stand taking one sip. Pouring it with cold ice cubes or blending it with a mix of crushed ice was the way to go for me. It wasn't until last year that my husband got me hooked on hot coffee and I haven't looked back since. So now I am enjoying the best of both worlds. Iced or sizzling hot I love it 'cause I am all about needing my morning coffee to get me through the day. Some days, okay, most days I look forward to the kids early nap time to get some alone time and do some "me" time. I mean from the moment we are up it's constantly all about our mom duties and keeping up with the family. Making sure everything is clean and everyone is where they need to be. To be honest, there are some days when all I have managed to drink is coffee and as soon as my little one is down napping that's when I start prepping my first meal. I can't ever eat until I am alone. The struggles I tell ya!

•  Turn on the TV and watch your favorite TV shows. Okay there are some shows I don't like to press play on while my kids are around. It is just so much better when I can fully engage and listen to the show from beginning to end without pausing every two minutes and that's when I am alone. I have an addiction to reality shows and one of my favorites is the Bachelorette. I can catch up on it and enjoy the peace and quiet with the new Starbucks® Bottled Dulce de Leche Frappuccino® iced coffee is one of my best ways to relax on the living room couch. 

• Read a book. Right now I am addicted to Little Big Lies. I watched their miniseries on HBO and was hooked  since week one. I have heard the book goes in much more detail so I currently added it to my summer reading list. 

• Exercise. I know I sound crazy because I haven't been doing it myself. However right now I am about to have a big reality check as I need to fit into my bridesmaid dress next month for my best friend's wedding. With that said I am about to commit my kid's nap time into a 30 min workout. A little cardio and physical exercise is way over due for me and I know it will do my body good. 

• Find a new recipe. I think we are all finding ourselves searching through Pinterest in hopes of finding a new dinner recipe that the whole family will enjoy. This is usually the best time for me to browse the internet and pin new fun ideas and plan your grocery list for the week and don't forget to add your favorite Starbucks® Bottled Frappuccino® Coffee Drink

Right now Starbucks® Bottled Dulce de Leche Frappuccino® Coffee Drink is NEW at your local Walmart. You can find it in the coffee aisle as shown above. There is a special offer when purchased at Walmart. Buy 3 ready to drink products and receive 35 stars ( In- store only, receipt verification)  If you are a Gold Star Rewards member this is so convenient to fuel up and collect all your stars. With my purchased I also grabbed a Mocha which is also my all time favorite to take and blend at home with my Ninja blender, there is always a variety to choose from. 

*Starbucks® Bottled Dulce de Leche Frappuccino® Coffee Drink 13.7 oz Single Serve item only (not available in 4-pack) 

Now tell me when you get alone time what is your favorite thing to do to? I'd love to know in the comments below. 

Chicken Mole with Queso Fresco Pasta

 
As a child Mole has always been one of my favorite homemade meals. It brings great memories looking back of my family and I on the weekend when my dad was actually home, those were the times we all got to eat together with him and enjoy our time as a family. 

There are many recipes of mole and many of them have listed so many ingredients that it can make one nervous to even attempt making it. Which is why I did not even risk the chance. For us Mexicans Homemade mole is one of a kind but over the years my mom discovered a way to carry the tradition of making mole for us yet not invest too much time in cooking it. Because of her I now use DOÑA MARÍA® MOLE.

Call it the new generation but it is easy and delicious! Time have changed, no need to spend 12+ hour in the kitchen. I can say it has been a favorite at our place. My mom has been using it for years now. DOÑA MARÍA® MOLE is a thick paste made with all the ingredients you need in your Mole- fresh chili peppers, fresh herbs, and spices, roasted tomatoes, tomatillos, sesame seeds, cocoa, onion and garlic along with ground nuts or seeds for the thickening. 

So today I am sharing a quick way to make mole along with a side of pasta topped with queso fresco. It is perfect for a get together, family dinners, and birthday parties.
INGREDIENTS:

• Chicken Breast (Skinless & Boneless)
• 1 jar of DOÑA MARÍA® MOLE
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper
• garlic powder
• 1 tablet Nestle ABUELITA authentic Mexican chocolate 
• fettucini pasta
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 1⁄2 yellow onion
• 1 avocado, sliced
• queso Fresco "La Vaquita"
• fresh cilantro, chopped
• corn tortillas (optional for mole)

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Boil the chicken for 45 min. Start shredding the chicken once cooked

• To prepare the Mole sauce, empty the jar of Dona Maria into a saucepan. Slowly stir in 4 cups of chicken broth, add the garlic and ABUELITA chocolate. (for best results use the same broth you cooked your chicken in)

• Heat the sauce over medium/high heat, whisking occasionally to prevent lumps from forming. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir for 5 minutes or until boil

• Move cooked chicken into the pot of mole, mix, and cook on low, continue until sauce thickens

• For the pasta, cook the fettuccine according to instructions. Once cooked drained the fettuccine.

• in the blender mix 3 tomatoes, a clove of garlic minced, half of a yellow onion (chopped) and 1 cup of water to make tomato soup.

• Heat up a skillet with olive oil and butter. Saute the garlic until aromatic or slightly browned, then add the chicken broth and added blended tomato soup. Stir to blend well. Top the pasta with queso Fresco and a few chopped cilantro. Add sliced avocados on side (optional)   

Easy Easter Brunch with CUREMASTER RESERVE® HAM

Holidays are my favorite, I have so many memories as a child gathering with my family and enjoying a big feast. I always look forward to my mother's holiday food and Easter is no exception. This year my husband and I decided to get an early start and prepare our very own Easter brunch. We have never cooked ham before so this was what you can call- a first time practice.
For all the busy parents out there- this is what you need! The struggle to cook and prepare a holiday meal for the family in a demanding time frame can be crucial. But I got an easy solution for you guys today. No need to stress about hosting Easter brunch at home.
CUREMASTER RESERVE® will take care of it all. It is super simple, you place your order and it will arrive at your doorstep. You will find it in a secured and fresh package. All top quality sealed in a shipping cooler with ice packs along with it comes a jar of your choice of glaze and can't forget cooking instructions on how to prep it. 
(& an added bonus of a few recipes too)
I am not exaggerating when I say it is the best ham you'll ever have. I promise!

CUREMASTER RESERVE® secret is its superior quality, taste, duration of smoke and sophisticated yet approachable flavor profiles that you cannot get anywhere else. 

HOW IT WORKS: You select a ham and glaze. There is endless options of combinations available to chose from. There are 5 ham varieties and 6 glazes. CUREMASTER RESERVE® is confident enough to know that no matter what combination the customer chooses, it will be perfect for their special occasion.  And if you can't just pick one glaze you can upgrade it to three glazes of your choice. Once the ham + glaze is selected they'll deliver it right to your front door. 

If you aren’t already familiar with these options, CUREMASTER RESERVE® has these perfect Easter selections.

HAM OPTIONS:

• Brown Sugar (my choice)
• Vermont Maple
• Clover Honey
• Double Smoked
• Campfire Sugar Rubbed

GLAZE OPTIONS:

• Cranberry Chipotle (my choice)
• Brown Sugar Sriracha
• Crunchy Brown Sugar
• Pineapple Ginger
• Honey Dijon
• Apple Cider Bourbon

The Brown Sugar Ham + Cranberry Chipotle was an amazing combination for us. It was juicy, tender, tasty but not overly sweet and sliced gently off the bone. Perfectly baked just right. I couldn't even set the table and plates without our 3 kids surrounding us asking for more slices. I kept it basic and simple by serving it with soft dinner rolls. Perfect for kids to make mini sandwiches and the fun part is you can use the leftover ham with bone to make hambone soup. And there you have it, plenty servings for the next days to come. 

And to my readers CUREMASTER RESERVE® is offering a special discount code for $20 off your order. Just enter TRYCUREMASTERHAM20 at checkout 
and ENJOY!

HAPPY EASTER!

Strawberry Overnight Oats

My go-to breakfast as of lately has been overnight oats. It's simple and quick and delicious! Back when I was trying to lose my baby weight after having Elyse I would prep it at night and every morning I had a nutritious breakfast ready to go. Now that I am working out again and trying to focus more on my food choices and what I eat (most of the time) I have gone back to eating this and it really helps with those bad cravings. If you are not a yogurt fan I say give Greek yogurt a shot. Yogurt gives this overnight oats recipe a healthy serving of protein, which research shows it helps us stay full longer. Just under five minutes of prep work and you have a healthy breakfast waiting in the morning for you. You can either choose to eat it cold right as you take it out or add some more milk- put it in a bowl, mix it up some more and add more sliced fruits. 

Ingredients _____________________________________________

• 1 cup of Greek yogurt (strawberry or berry mix)
• ½ cup old fashioned oats (more can be added if desired) 
• 1 teaspoon of organic chia seeds
• ½ sliced ripe banana
• 3-5 strawberries sliced
• ½  cup unsweetened almond milk (almond/coconut milk is a must to try)
• 1-2 teaspoons of organic agave/raw honey
• cinnamon (optional)
• Granola (optional)

Combine ingredients as listed in a mason jar and refrigerate overnight. 

Top the next day with granola and enjoy.

Ground Turkey Pasta

This has instantly become one of my go-to meals this summer. I cannot deny that I am a big pasta lover especially when it's cheesy fresh pasta. I am by no means the most handy woman in the kitchen, as a matter of a fact I look forward to my husband cooking every night- if possible. But this meal is cooked in one skillet and ready in under an hour! And best of all its still healthy and let me tell you that you'll be hooked with this ground turkey as I have. This Jennie-O lean ground turkey is a must, it is all natural with only 8 grams of fat per serving and no gluten. This is for the nights when you don't want to eat out and expect to have left overs for the following day...

 Ingredients: 

• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound Lean Ground Turkey- Jennie-O 
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 RAGU traditional sauce (45oz or less), to taste
• 1 box (12 ounces) Gluten Free Penne Pasta or Fettuccine Pasta 
• 3 cups of water
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 
• chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large stove top nonstick skillet.
2. Add lean ground turkey meat;stir to crumble for aprox 14-16 minutes
3. Season with salt and pepper and stirring occasionally, until meat is browned on all sides.
4. Add half a cup of water and stir for one minute.
5. Stir in the tomato sauce, add as much to taste and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. 
6. Boil water and add the fettuccine pasta 
7. Stir to combine and cover with a lid
8. Preheat oven to 450F.
9. Continue to cook and stir the pasta with turkey meat and sauce, stirring frequently to avoid burning, until pasta is tender cooked. 
10. Remove from heat and taste for extra seasoning and adjust accordingly. 
11. Get your nonstick baking sheet ready and spray canola oil to the sides evenly
12. Move the mixed pasta (with the ground turkey) to the baking sheet
13. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top and transfer to oven.
14. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.
15. Remove from oven and let stand about 5 minutes. 
16. Garnish with parsley on top 
17. Serve and enjoy!

Oreo Cookie Shake

Banana Oreo Shake 

topped with whipped Cream 

Honestly this happen one day that it was super cold and I did not by any means plan to take the kids or myself out just to go through the Chick-fil-A drive thru for their delicious hand spun milkshakes they have with the gazillion calories it has to bring along with it. Basically I improvised with what I had at home in my kitchen and surprisingly it turned out to be a delicious success and my son loved it! SCORE!

Ingredients:

• 6 to 8 oreo cookies 
• 2 1/2 cups of milk (your choice of milk )
• 1 cup of ice 
• 1 or 2 bananas 
• 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream
• shake whip cream and top inside blender
• add chocolate syrup/ and a bit of caramel syrup 
• blend for a minute or until  shake is smooth

Ninja Blender Kitchen System


Here are some of my Valentine
 Shakes for holiday celebration 

Healthy Frittata

Healthy fully loaded Veggie Frittata

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes 

Ingridients:

• 4 large organic eggs
• 4 egg whites 
• 4 sliced  organic mushrooms
• chopped green onions 
• 1/3 cup of organic green beans 
• 1/2 cup of organic spinach 
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 meduim white onion, chopped 
• 1 zucchini, sliced 
• 1 fresh sliced tomato 
• 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 fresh tomatoes chopped in pieces
• Mozzarella cheese/ Cheddar cheese 
• 1 avocado (topping of choice)

Directions:

Beat eggs and egg whites together in a medium bowl. 

Add salt and pepper, mix to combine. Set aside. 

Place baking rack in top third of oven. Preheat broiler.

Preheat nonstick skillet over low medium heat. Heat oil, and then add garlic and onions, and cook for 3-4 minutes until mixture becomes aromatic. Add zucchini, green beans and cook for 3-4 minutes until lightly brown and add mushrooms, squeeze half of lemon for flavor.

Pour eggs into skillet and swirl to distribute eggs throughout the pan. Top with chopped tomatoes, spinach, green onions, and shredded cheese. Allow Frittata to cook until the edges and outer rim is cooked, about 5-7 minutes. (keep low heat)

Top with whole slice tomatoes on top, sprinkle black pepper and add more mozzarella cheese (optional) 

-And place skillet under broiler and cook for around 5 minutes (keep checking every oven is different) it should be ready once the center of the Frittata has been set. 

Transfer to plate and serve. The Frittata should slide out using a spatula. 

Ground Turkey Chili

In need of a good & healthy meal?

here's what you been missing out on 

                                  Ground Turkey Chili

*note: it can also be topped with sour cream,
 green onions, and sliced fresh tomatoes. 

Ingridients:

• olive oil
• garlic clove
• stewed tomato
• kidney beans (drained)
• sweet organic yellow corn (drained)
• traditional tomato sauce 
• crush red pepper
• chili powder
• black pepper
• cayenne pepper (if you want a spice kick to it)
• shredded cheddar cheese 
• organic ground turkey

Directions:

• Heat olive oil in a large nonstick, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add garlic cook, stir frequently until aromatic begins within minutes. (you can removed the garlic from the pan or leave inside) You will immediately add stewed tomatoes, drained red kidney beans and corn, tomato sauce and all the spices (chili powder, black pepper, red crush pepper, and cayenne pepper)
• Remember: Ground turkey should be cooking on a different pan aside 
• Increase the heat of the chili to high and bring chili to a boil, stir frequently and begin to add cooked ground turkey with it. continue to stir until chili is thick and last sprinkle with cheddar cheese once you are ready for a serve.