...one pot ONEderful!

afternoon all! It has been a busy week here in CT. My mother in law was down for a few days which meant ALL techy things must be limited! (not that she would say anything, but she is super granola and does not even have television...I know she hates when my son watches too much Mickey lol) So the hubs and I made sure to not be goofing off online as much as possible. You know, just to avoid the conversation on the way to the airport where she hints to us that internet, cell phones and tv are ruining people. She's right for the most part! We just don't need to hear it lol.

Anyways, I wanted to share a recipe that I made the other night for dinner that was pretty freaking awesome. I mean, I am Italian so pretty much anything with pasta I'm loving...but even if it's not in your genes...this was damn delicious and OH so easy to make!! I haven't shared a recipe in a while, so I thought this was perfect!! When you have littles at home and time is limited, these types of recipes are perfect. It will look gourmet on the plate but you know it literally cooked for minutes before you served it. Since making it, I have pinned a bazillion one pots on my pinterest page.

ONE POT SAUSAGE PASTA

Ingredients:

*1 lb spaghetti
*1 (12oz) pkge smoked andouille sausage (thinly sliced)
*1 large onion, thinly sliced
*3 cups halved grape tomatoes
*2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
 *4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
*kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
* 1 cup grated Parmesan









The easy part!!

Once everything is sliced and ready toss all
BUT the Parmesan into a large pot



Add 4.5 cups of water to the pot and
season with salt and pepper

Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until the
spaghetti is fully cooked and the liquid has reduced.

About 8-10 minutes.

Stir in Parm

Serve and chow immediately!!!

The photo does not do it justice...I was freaking starving and wanted to eat right away:)

For this recipe I chose chicken sausage over the pork for a little healthier meal. I mean the spaghetti and cheese still make it quite the comfort food lol but like I said...Italians just don't care! At least this one doesn't.

I highly recommend trying these one pot creations. Great for SAHM who have children tuggin on their clothes 24/7, or great for working moms who have to rush to get dinner ready when they get home. I'm all about quicker cooking these days lol.

Enjoy!!

xo

picky little kids are picky!

seriously...my son is 2.5, when he was starting foods he ate everything. I suppose it was because his taste buds were developing at that point, but I mean...he ate any veggie I gave him, he ate chicken and turkey, eggs, you name it! I was pretty pumped because my husband is an excellent eater. There is not much he wont eat, with the exception of mushrooms. I thought my son was going to take after his daddy. BOY was I wrong. I have the hardest time feeding this boy. If he had his choice he would live solely on yogurt and "cackahs." I will give him credit, he loves his mamas homemade pasta sauce! Probably the only proof that there is some of me in him somewhere. He looks and acts like his daddy, at least we know he has the Italian in him. Other than that, I can try all I want to make the healthiest meal for him, he will push it away and ask for crackers. It is not like I make him a gourmet meal of like salmon and asparagus or something. I will do something simple like grilled chicken (seasoned) with a side of sauteed broccoli and some cut up strawberries or something. He wont touch it. I know broccoli is a long shot, but the way I make it is so freaking good. I just offer it at random hoping once he will try it. I dont even bother asking him to try a "tree" because honestly, he is too smart for that. The struggle is real mamas. Toddlers SUCK to feed. HOWEVER once in a while you find something that works and you want to praise the all mighty that your child ate it and had no idea it was good for them! I wanted to share a recipe I tried (thank you pinterest). My son ate these for breakfast 4 days in a row and you know what? I dont care! I highly recommend these to any other parents that have a picky eater on their hands. The best part is you can tweak the ingredients to your liking which is what I did for some of it.  So, here goes:

photocred:superhealthykids

Ingredients I Used:

*1.5 medium organic carrots shredded
*1 whole semi ripe medium organic banana
*1/4 c homemade applesauce
*1/4 c organic strawberry yogurt
*1/2 organic zucchini shredded
*2 large organic eggs (thank you my dear chickens!)
*1tsp 100% pure vanilla (none of that artificial stuff)
*1/2 c sugar
*1/4tsp cinnamon
*1/2tsp salt
*3/4tsp baking soda
*1 cup all purpose unbleached white flour
*1 cup 100% whole wheat flour

(By the way....using organic products is my choice, you certainly do not need to use those. This recipe works with any type of fruit or veggie:)


1. preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 2. Mix your flours, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together and put to the side. 3. Soften your butter. 4. Mix together sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla. 5. If you have a food processor this part can go quickly...combine your fruits and vegetables with the applesauce until mixed through. 6. Now combine the puree with the yogurt and your wet ingredients, beating until mixed. 7. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined and wet. 8. Add your muffin papers to your pan OR spray your muffin pan with a cooking spray. (I prefer the muffin paper b/c I dont like the taste of the sprays). 9. Fill each paper about 3/4 full. Bake 20-25 minutes. Tops should be a bit springy and lightly browned. 

It seems like a lot of work, and yes I always make a mess when I cook. But it was worth it to me b/c my child ate these up. You can also freeze these!! 

The original recipe is on the Super Healthy Kids website if you want to find it. And like I said, you can use different veggies and fruits or just omit what you dont want. I was going to attempt broccoli but decided against it assuming once he saw it in there he wouldnt touch the dang things haha. We have to take our wins as they come! 

Enjoy!
xo

Happy Earth Day! / Tuesday Ten

Hey all! If your a Zulily user (or if youre not you might want to be!) Head over for some really great Earth Day savings!! From natural cleaning products, to DIY cleaning materials and natural baby care...its all there! I myself am taking advantage of Seventh Generations deals. A pack of 54 diapers comes with 350 wipes for only 28.99! They are also offering a set of four 25oz containers of dish washing liquid for only 12.99. Such a steal!! There is much more, so please check it out! 

Once it warms up today, my little one and I will be headed up and down our road to pick up any trash we see on the side of it. Honestly this should be done more often, maybe now that Spring has finally "sprung" we can make it a point to get out there and keep up with it. We need to show Mother Nature she is appreciated. I hope everyone takes time today to do even one small thing for her:) 

Tuesday Ten

Ten ways you can show Mother Nature you love her!

1. RECYCLE!!! This is a given...though when out and about I still see people throwing things in their garbage that can easily be recycled and reused. At my house I have a bin for Glass, Plastic, Cardboard/paper and cans. Inexpensive to do, and helps our planet. If you do this already, thank you!!

2. UNPLUG. You may not realize it, but things like phone chargers, appliances, etc...still generate electricity even when not in use. Give them a break and unplug them, even just a few hours will make a difference. If you do this weekly, it will make a difference in your electricity bill over the year. Turn your computer off when you're not home, unplug the coffee maker, etc. Let your home have a break from frequency:)

3. COMPOST. All those food scraps take up way too much space in your trashcan. Composting is the best way to get rid of all of that, as well as a way of recycling. If you grow a garden, like my husband and I do, this is the absolute BEST thing for the soil. We compost year round. There are all sorts of gadgets out there to make this convenient to do. In our house, we simply have a large glass bowl we toss vegetable and fruit scraps in, coffee grounds, the coffee filter (yes that can be composted!) etc.. Once its full we toss it out back in the pile and every weekend my husband goes out and mixes it with dirt and hay. The breakdown of organic material creates a wonderful fertilized soil, perfect for growing our garden. For a list of things you can compost click here!

4. PLANT SOMETHING. Plant a tree! Plant something that comes back every year:) Not only is this a GREAT way of giving back to Mama N what we take from her each year, but it can be pleasing to the eye! (We planted a flowering crab apple tree a few years ago when we got married.) 

5. USE NATURAL/ECO FRIENDLY CLEANERS. Everyone knows that harsh chemicals are, well..HARSH! By using plant based cleaners or even making your own using essential oils and simple ingredients you are reducing the amount of chemicals in the air around us. Not only is it healthier for people but its healthier for the planet. There are a lot of DIY recipes for house hold cleaners, but if you don't have the time to make your own...there are a lot really good brands on the market.

6. WALK OR RIDE YOUR BIKE. If you are not traveling too far a distance, consider taking a nice walk or riding your bike instead. This reduces carbon emissions being polluted in the air. If you have to travel far, try carpooling! This saves on gas money as well when everyone takes a turn driving:)

7. GO ORGANIC. The amount of pesticides/insecticides that are used every year in the production of things we eat is outrageous! The best way to combat this is to buy as much 100% organic items as you can. Most importantly  vegetables, fruit, dairy and meat. Yes, the cost to purchase these items is typically a little more costly than conventional, but in my opinion for health reasons it is worth it. These days however it seems that stores are lowering the costs on their organic brands in competition with each other. Do your research though, because not all who claim to be organic truly are.

8. GROW YOUR OWN. If cost is an issue, what better way to eat healthy than to grow your very own foods! Utilize that compost! By growing your own vegetables or fruit you are aware of exactly what is going on and into the foods you eat. No guessing games. As well as the health benefit, there is a sense of accomplishment knowing you are eating a salad with the very vegetables you cared for and grew yourself! This really benefits you more than Mother Nature, but I'm sure she would rather her soil be used for things like this rather than ripping out her trees and building more shopping plazas!

9. BE MINDFUL OF LIVING THINGS. We are not the only beings who rely on Mother Nature to live. Small things like putting up a bird feeder are little ways we can help other critters live happily. I love seeing what new birds show up in our feeder! Sometimes on a weekend my husband and I will sip coffee and just watch them come for breakfast and then go on with their day. It is fun for us. Along with birds, bees are important to take care of as well. You may be thinking...WHY?! Well, for example...my in-laws own an Apple Orchard here in town. They have to bring in bees every year, because every blossom on the apple trees has to be pollinated by multiple bees or they will not fruit. No bees = no fruit = no money for anyone living off Orchard pay. You can do things to bring bees around. (Does not mean you have to go near them haha) But you can buy or make bee houses and that keeps them local, which helps anyone growing fruits! Here is an example of a bee house I found on Pinterest...BEE HOUSE

10. LIGHTS OUT. Along with unplugging, If it is day time and the sun is shining, there is no need to have lights on in your home! Open those shades and let the sun shine in! Not only is the sun a mood enhancer, but this will keep that electric bill down too!

There you have it, My Tuesday Ten. Mind you, these are all my own opinions. Please form your own when reading any topics I write about.

Hope you have a wonderful day!!

xo

Tuesday Ten

April showers are happening here in East Connecticut! It has been pouring all day. Mother Nature has sure been a tease this spring. My husband just came though the house with arms full of wood for the wood stove. I was hoping we would be finished burning wood by now. Oh well, maybe next week :)

Today I decided I wanted to write a "Tuesday Ten" for you all. I must have seen that idea elsewhere online, though I can't pinpoint. I think it's a good way to break up the blog during the week.

Today's TEN are 10 of my favorite websites/apps to kill time

1. Pinterest. Of course, who doesn't love this site:) I have many boards that I utilize, like recipes, helpful things, health related pins, and DIY fun. Some boards are just randoms I love and my fantasy closet lol. Pinterest is perfect for rainy days at home, or if you just need a time kill! Free for download.

2. All Women Stalk. This is a new site that I love and has quickly become a favorite.  There are different topics that are posted in every day by free lance authors. Topics range from health, to finances, to celebrity and even teens. My favorite topics are Cooking, Gardening, Inspiration, and. Health. They are quick little write ups, usually giving you 7-10 tips in each topic. You can save them as favorites so you can refer to them any time you want. The last topic I saved was, " 7 Ways To Attract Birds To Your Yard." Another good site when you have nothing to do. Check it out! Free for download.

3. Etsy. When I got married Pinterest did not exist yet. So I was forced to be creative all on my own haha. I had a style in mind and found a good amount of items for my wedding off this site. A couple things like my card box and my cake knife/server were hand made to match my theme. They were so beautifully done. I have also ordered handmade, all natural soaps of this site, as well as many Christmas gifts.  You can find all sorts of items for sale on Etsy, vintage, handmade, bulk items ( like the antique blue mason jars for my center pieces) etc...even when I can't afford to shop I will still browse this site when I have the time . Free for download.

4. Instagram. This one is an app too which I'm sure most people know. It was actually the very first app I downloaded like 6 years ago when I got my first iPhone. It was fun at first because it was all your friends photos you saw, but now companies and celebrities are getting on board and making their own accounts. I love to follow Seveth Generation, Lauren Conrad, Sprout Organics, etc...( I have two Instagram accounts. My personal and one strictly for blog) Find me on Instagram at ANATURALAPPCT

5. Lauren Conrad. If I were to have a woman crush for WCW it would be her. I love everything about her style. Her website is simple and elegant with all sorts of different and fun things to look at. From her recipes to her latest fashion collections, even a book club you can be a part of, I thoroughly enjoy looking through her website. She also has a Pinterest page where a lot of her posts end up as well. I will be honest, I never watched her on MTV because I am not a fan of those shows, and I figured the girls on there were probably a little fake for the sake of TV, however Lauren is anything but. I adore her and her website.

6. Groupon. I get constant emails from this site with deals on everything you can imagine. Once the warmer weather starts sticking around I plan on using as many as I can. If you sign up and add your location ( I live in Eastern CT but am close to Hartford, Worcester, Boston and Providence) you can receive deals to your inbox around any of your local areas. From things like zip lining, to golfing, baby food, to mineral makeup...there are a ton of really great discounts waiting to be used. If you don't have an account, it's one to definitely check out!

7. Seventh Generation. This is something I am very passionate about as I'm sure you know by now, and I love reading new information that this company puts out. They talk a lot about toxins in our every day products. They are part of a big movement in using safer chemicals for our health and the health of our children. I absolutely love their products. They always have coupons available too which makes spending money a bit easier. If you are into natural and organic like I am, check out their site. Good articles, cute videos, and a lot of products to choose from:)

8. YOS Forever. This is also an app that I love,  that focuses on Organic and Natural Health, DIY, and Beauty. Every day there are new postings and by clicking on them they take you to the link where the post originated. You can favorite things like on AWS. Example: I have found a few work outs through this app that I love. They are quick but you really feel them when you're through. Topics range from fitness, health, remedies, recipes, and what's hot. One of my favorites is a DIY Natural Coffee Under Eye Cream Recipe for puffy eyes. Yet another reason for coffee to be in my life lol. Download the app and start scrolling!

9. Zulily. Yes it's an app too! They make it easy for us don't they! This is a shopping site and it's great. Every day there are new items added to look through. Categories include women, girls, boys, baby/maternity, toys/play and home. I bought a few Christmas gifts off this site last year. How it works is you add to your cart and pay for the items you want. There is a closing date, once the date is reached they take all the orders placed for those items and ship them out at once. The closing dates are fairly quick, it's not like you pay and then wait months for your item ( unless it's back ordered) but once you pay it will tell you when the order will ship. I believe mine shipped a week or two after placed. It's basically a bulk order they do instead of shipping every time the item is bought. If they receive 12 orders of the the same shirt, it all ships the same time. Make sense? I won't confuse you further lol. Great deals and great products. I love their home decor the most. Give it a try if you haven't yet!

10. Organic Deals. This is actually a site that serves a bigger purpose for me other than playtime. As you know I do not work and have to budget with one paycheck. However as I've stated before when it comes to healthy living we don't mind allowing a little extra cash to be spent in order to do so.  If you buy organic you know the Sunday paper rarely if ever has coupons for those items. Which makes it tough to try and save while shopping. Every week I pull my local flyers and write down sale items, then clip the coupons that I will use from the paper. For products that I do want Organic or All Natural, I will visit this site to look for deals and coupons. You have to search, but they do exist! There are printable coupons, links to other coupon sites, links to organic brands with their own deals, etc... For dairy I can usually find a lot of coupons, for household products I find a lot as well. Sometimes there will be coupons for brands of meat I buy also. There's something new every day, you just have to remember to check.

There you have it. My top 10. Please feel free to share if you have any other interesting sites or apps we should know about!

Enjoy! ( I do realize this is posting today..(wed)..I wasn't able to finish last night due to an over tired baby)

Xo

Product Review Friday

A recent experience prompted this idea for a weekly post. As you know, I am a stay at home mom to my first baby.In the beginning I was convinced I was going to be making all his baby food at home, using nothing but organic/good for you fruits and vegetables. I did do this for the first few months when he started solids, and once in a while I will still whip up something from scratch. However, now that he is older and can eat more than just one fruit or one vegetable at a time, it is much easier to buy mixed foods for him. Some of these brands on the market have such yummy looking mixtures! I honestly know that I will never puree an apricot to mix with pureed plums and rice haha. My son is getting more active and the time allowance for making baby food on the regular is limited. There are a few brands of baby food that I purchase, but the one I want to mention today is one of my favorites.

Sprout Organics is one of the more affordable brands of Organic baby food in stores and online right now. Their ingredients are simple, with no added preservatives or anything artificial. My son loves their fruit and veggie blends. Pear Kiwi and Spinach along with Carrot Mango and Apple are two of his favorites. I always taste test everything he eats and I have to say...its delicious!

 Along with a great taste, comes affordability. With only one income, I have to budget as best I can. We eat mostly Organic in our home and we feel that spending a little extra for something that is good for you is well worth it. Sprout makes this a bit easier on our wallet. There are constant sales at my local grocery store as well. So I am a frequent buyer.

The other day I had a question about something pertaining to a meal I had tried with my son. I sent a message via Sprouts facebook page. and I had a response that very day! They were incredibly kind, helpful and informational. I had tried to contact another company a while back with a question and it took about a week for a response and when I did get one, all it said was to "please direct questions to this phone number." I did not bother. I don't purchase their product anymore.

Today I contacted Sprout over facebook again to mention that I wanted to add a blurb about them in my blog. They were happy to be a part of it, even though I did warn that I am new to this. They even asked about

sending out some different types of meals for my little one to try. Which I gladly said yes to, and will review when they come in! I will post some photos of my baby boy testing it out.

So in my opinion, if you are looking for a healthy alternative to making your own baby food, or just looking for something extra on the side or on the go, I highly recommend this brand. Not just because its affordable, or because the ingredients are simple and Organic, but because the people behind Sprout seem just as pleasant as the taste of their yummy baby foods!

xo