A new way to look at your ingriedients.

Anyone notice that Theresa from Real Housewives of NJ kept saying "ingriedientes" in interviews about her multiple cook books. It still cracks me up years later. Anyway. I find the images in this IKEA cookbook so enchanting.

exciting even.

 

I prefer to bake that day, not shop.

Thanksgiving idea, I would change it up though and do some pumpkin, some lemon meringue. maybe some tiny pecan pies too!
Whip up your family's favorite pumpkin pie, only this year, try it in chic miniature. Make baby versions by baking the pie in cupcake tins, then create the "pie crust" by piping frosting on the top.
Warning: following the link to my cupcakes board on Pinterest will make you drool, and then possibly go bake things.

more goodness here! 

Please, say hell no to GMO.

* credit for this image: labelgmos.org

GMO foods have been on my mind a lot lately. A few months ago I read a disturbing article accompanied by pictures of a pig's stomach insides that had been totally destroyed by eating GMO corn. It got me thinking. I eat pork, my kids eat pork and that pork may have been eating GMO feed while it was still a pig. Then, I started to look into which food in our pantry were okay and not safe. The first one that disturbed me was Cheerios as those are a staple in this house. My middle child will ask for them for two meals a day sometimes. I am guessing I will go search for an alternative at Wegmans or Whole Foods, maybe Trader Joes. I have not yet found an entire cereal company that I can trust with the exception of Nature's Path. Kellog's cereal is FULL of gmo. I am writing this post in hopes that you will read it and do some research of your own. I am scared for our country to be honest.

It's illegal to use GMO in any food products in Europe. What are we doing in the US? I have begun signing any petitions I can find that are urging companies to remove GMO ingredients or to at least properly label the packaging. It seems that these companies don't feel we have a right to know what we are consuming and giving to our families. That does not sit well with me.

In case you're not fully aware of GMO corn you should know that this is scientifically engineered corn that makes its own pesticides, so that when corn worms bite into it, their stomachs explode.

Think about that for a minute. You know, it's a fact that "round up" insecticide is spliced into the corn seeds so that the corn's tissue itself produces insecticide. Terrifying, no? Organic corn looks ugly, and has worms...true. But, it can be washed, and boiled and consumed without worrying what about the harm you're doing to your body.

Here is a disturbing fact for you. 95% of corn in the United States and Canada is GMO. Yes, ninety five percent. Scary, isn't it?

The more I look into it, it seems like nothing is 'safe'.

The biggest threats are found in: soy, corn, canola, sugarbeets and alfalfa. sugar beets are turned into syrups that are found in many, many foods.

Halloween class teacher gift.

In the end of 1998 I bought my first set of dishes with my ex in our first apartment. They were black stoneware from Ikea and at the time were totally the cat's meow. A few days ago I came across the very last piece of it that I had not free-cycled or donated and suddenly I was compelled to grab some supplies and start crafting. It's funny how and where inspiration can strike sometimes.

I decided it was destined to be a pumpkin.

First I thought I'd be all good just grabbing one of the kids orange tempura paints. That did not work out at all. It was way, way too transparent.  So, I went for the big guns. Mama's GOOD paint.

I began with orange and red and decided I had to kick it up a notch with the gold. It was not quite right as you can see from my first attempt below:

Then, BAM! I had it. beautiful golden orange like I had imagined.

 

Well, he's cute enough but then I saw an empty hard plastic container from some cotton swabs in one of my crafting drawers and again I was inspired that instead of holding some candy in cellophane this pumpkin wanted to be a pencil holder. With a pretty pattern

I had in my scrap booking paper stash. I get excited about things like this. I can't help it.

fruit snacks.

Most of the time when my kids ask if they can have some fruit snacks, I tell them to get a snack of fresh fruit while it's fresh. However, if you are looking for a way to give them a fresh, real snack (in a reusable bag of course, or in their bento for lunch) I'd like to share with you what I do. REAL FRUIT SNACKS.

 

Here we have strawberries, apricot slices and mango. The strawberry seems to always be the favorite, but I think mango is a close second. My favorite is the cored pineapple slices. chunks did not work for me, but rings work very well and dehydrate evenly.

I have a ton of mason jars in various sizes in my house that ALWAYS have a use, if you don't have any, I'd suggest getting some as they are so versitile and awesome. plastic food storage bins work for these, but the will not stay as fresh unless you use the air tight mason jars. Freeze dry bags are also great, you can store them in bulk or bring camping, on hikes, school trips, etc.

 Close up details of the strawberry and mango "fruit snacks". Yum. I think I may be salivating a little bit. Let's move on.

Unintentional smiley face of fruit.

Pineapple! Doesn't everyone love pineapple?

What else? New York.

Amy wanted to have brunch here, where Anthony Bourdain used to run the kitchen. It was enjoyable!! Bleh salad but EXCELLENT eggs benedict, french style potatoes and a mimosa.

Didn't know there was a mathematics museum nestled into Chelsea but there is! And it's called MO Math. love that.

Hilton hotel with Rare bar on the roof. We went. It was neat and my sister had this crazy vodka drink with cucumber and thyme and mint in it. I guess there is a whole 'nother world of drinks out there I need to try! I liked the view and couldn't do it any justice in a picture.