I'm always looking for great, easy recipes to try on the weekends. I like to try my hand at fast new foods to add to my everyday arsenal; unfortunately, I end up finding more baking recipes than cooking recipes and we certainly don't need too many of those in this house. ;-) I did find one fun family recipe that I thought I'd share, especially for the upcoming holiday weekend! Gluten-free Raspberry Cheesecake Cupcakes: not only fast and yummy, but also a great recipe to let your little ones help with!
You’ll need about 45 minutes prep time.
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups sugar
24 oz. light cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
1 ½ cups raspberries (blueberries or strawberries work great, too, if you prefer them!)
For a topping:
An additional 8 oz. light cream cheese
Additional ¼ cup sugar
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Next, in a large bowl, mix your sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla together. Add your eggs to the mixture one at a time until thoroughly blended.
Line and fill your cupcake trays about ¾ of the way full with the mixture. Sprinkle your berries on top, evenly among the cupcakes. Put them in the oven and let them bake for 25 minutes.
Take your cupcakes back out and let stand for 5 minutes: a well should form in the middle of each cupcake.
Turn your oven up to 450 degrees now. In a small bowl, blend your cream cheese and sugar for your topping. Drop a dollop of topping into each cupcake, and put back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes. Remove them, let them cool down, and then put them in the fridge for an hour.
Then enjoy easy cheesecake deliciousness! I haven’t gotten a chance to try this recipe yet, but I plan to this weekend! Let me know what you think when you do, too.
I know not everyone is on the same page about the upcoming Fall season, but this girl is more than ready! The bug has hit me: I have apple candles burning, pumpkin spice coffee brewing, and a harvest desktop theme having me darn-near giddy for the weather to cool off and fall colors to pop up! One aspect I'm especially stocked about it the fact I get to plant my own Chrysanthemums this year! We're in a whole house with a real front garden this fall, and I plan on taking full advantage of it! If you are, too, here are a couple awesome facts about our beloved mums that I came across when checking out the possibilities.
I had no clue that there are actually two types of mums: the florist mums and the hardy mums. Although it may seem like a no brainer to pick the “hearty” mums, I can see why I'D get confused about which to pick at the store! Florists utilize a lot of mums in their bouquets because they have great longevity on top of their quintessential fall-time colors. When picking mums for your yard, though, these long lasting blooms aren't the best because they have a harder time as the cold weather hits. Hardy mums put out stolons, which help them become more sturdy and sustainable, whereas Florist mums only put out few to none.
Another awesome fact I found is that you want to be careful where you plant your mums because they’re "photoperiodic." This means that they cycle and bloom in direct response to the daylight patterns associated with shortening fall/winter days. If you plant your mums under any landscape lighting or street lights the artificial lighting will actually throw your mums for a loop and mess up the whole cycle (also messing up your plans for fall time hearty blooms).
One last important point, if you do love mums too, but don’t have the room to plant them, chrysanthemums actually do really good in a pot, as well! Make sure that they’re still someplace sunny (they need at least half a day’s light for a good bloom) and that they get a good watering 3x a week if you’re having a dry season.
At the end of the day, I think we all have one life goal that just about everyone can agree on; we all want to live as healthy of a lifestyle as possible, and we are all always striving to make ourselves healthier. One major roadblock for many people (myself especially) is a constant desire to overeat. I mean, come on, we have entire television shows, channels and networks devoted to nothing but food: we're a food crazed culture and it’s easy to crave and become obsessed. If you're like me and spend your days fighting the good fight against incessant eating, here are a couple tips that I've found to keep us both moving along.
Now, these aren't tips to help you lose weight or keep you from eating, all together: these tips are to help you eat smarter so that you stay full and won't be looking to pick throughout the day.
1.Avoid sugar wherever you can. Not because sugar isn't necessarily great for you health wise, but because it causes your blood sugar levels to skyrocket. Once you start to crash from a sugar high your body goes back into “hungry” mode. It thinks that your sugars are dropping too fast and is trying to replace them (even if they're only dropping from an unusually high amount.)
2.Fill yourself up on vegetable with and in-between meals. Vegetables are nutrition and fiber dense. When you have your fill of a rainbow of vegetables your body stays fuller for longer for those two reasons: they take longer to digest, due to the fiber, so you stay full longer, and your body doesn't crave food because it’s loaded with the nutrients that you took in.
3.When you’re eating focus on only that. Eating isn't just about filling your system; it is an activity that needs to be experienced to reach a satisfied state. When you’re reading, emailing, or working you're removing most of your senses from the task. You really don’t experience your meal so your body will send out signals that it’s not satisfied. Slow down and enjoy!
4.Make sure to get as much sleep as is healthy for you. When you’re tired and feeling run down your body craves energy in the form of food. When you get enough rest your body stops mixing up the signals that cause you to want those extra snacks.
5.Lastly, drink lots and lots of water! I know this one has been hammered in, but I’m guilty of ignoring or forgetting it, too! When you're thirsty it’s usually too late, you're already on your way to dehydrated. When you’re hungry, though, that’s often a mixed signal that you should really be taking in more water. Not only will if clear up those mixed signals, water also tends to help ward off and keep random cravings at bay. The next time you’re having random cravings in the middle of the day, grab a glass of cold water and see if that doesn't help elevate the situation!
Calling out Mommies-to-be! If you were thinking about getting a maternity shoot done to commemorate this special time in your life, but just weren't quite sure, then this little casting call may be for you!
Amanda Saldarelli of Amanda Saldarelli Photography is looking for 3 to 4 mommy-to-be’s who are currently between 27 and 30 weeks along to model for her stunning maternity photo-shoots. Here is what your casting call will involve (if you’re so inclined):
-Mommy must be able and willing to travel to Merrick for the session
-Mom must be comfortable with artful posing (may include dramatic lighting, implied nudity or underwear shots)
-Mom must sign a model release allowing Amanda Saldarelli Photography to use the images in her portfolio
-Mom will receive 10 high resolution files via electronic download
If you’re interested, or even just a little bit intrigued, contact Amanda directly at [email protected]. She’ll be able to answer any questions and make sure you’re the perfect fit for one another.
Enjoy!
With our phones constantly by our side (and in our hands, more often than not) why not put these smart devices to good use. What if you could detect whether or not that snack in your hand has tree nuts or other allergens in it by simply taking a picture of it? Even better, what if you could detect contamination, bacteria, or toxins long before they can ever enter your system? Well, we’re getting closer to being able to do exactly that with our favorite phones! (Smart, right?!)
Researchers at the University of Illinois have created a handheld biosensor that can do exactly that. They created a cradle to set your smart phone into and an app to run it all. What does this mean for us? It means that hopefully in the not too distant future you’ll be able to use that smartphone that’s always in your hand to help keep your body and peace of mind intact!
Would it be worth it to you? Do you think it would help make you feel safer when dining out or buying the unknown?
(Photo: Michael Conroy, AP)
There are very few things that make me melt. Amazing family photography is one of them, ESPECIALLY newborn shoots! Who doesn't melt at the site of a cuddly little smoosh! So when I’m having a glum day I make sure to peruse my Facebook for some of the photographers I have friended, and boy does it do the trick. I mean, how can you even handle all of this cuteness?!
(I'm only including a couple, check all of the cuteness out in the photographer section!)
(Photos by White Ink Photography)
(Photos by Janelle Brooke Photography)
(Photos by Natasha Beccaria Photography)
(Photos by Amanda Saldarelli Photography)
I found and wanted to share this little antibiotic ointment alternative! I haven't had the chance to make it yet, but will be soon! My SO is not one for using medical anything, and I'm lucky when I can get him to wash an abrasion off with some peroxide. He can't stand anything commercial or synthetic. Hopefully this will keep an infection or two out of my home, and yours too!
This is a quick and simple recipe for an antiseptic ointment that you can keep on hand for all of the scraps and cuts that come with life. All of your ingredients are:
1 ½ ounces of grated beeswax
1 cup of coconut oil
¼ teaspoon of vitamin E oil
½ teaspoon tea tree oil (antibacterial, antiviral, and antibiotic)
10 drops lemon essential oil (again; antibacterial, antiviral, and antibiotic)
20 drops of lavender essential oil (ditto plus pain relief)
In a double boiler or small pot, melt your coconut and beeswax together. Once it is fully melted, remove it from the heat source and add your vitamin E and other oils to the mix. Stir well. Pour your mixture into sterilized containers (2 oz mason jars work perfectly) and leave them someplace safe to cool and harden.
When you store your antibiotic balm in a cool, dark place it keeps for up to 5 years!
I have to share another book find, but on the opposite end of the spectrum! After sharing this children’s book recently with the LIF family, I thought I should share it with you guys, too! My new favorite is an adorable story named, “Nutley: the Nut-Free Squirrel” by Stephanie Sorkin. First off, I love absolutely any children’s books about squirrels (yes, I'm a huge “Scaredy Squirrel” fan) so from the start this book was a win. Then I actually read the story and understood the perspective it was taking, which I loved even more!
Nutley is an adorable squirrel who finds out he’s allergic to nuts: A scary reality that a lot of parents and their children (or aunts and uncles with their nieces and nephews) need to face every day. I loved that this book was not only fun and brightly illustrated, but also an outlet for children to understand a little more and to remember they’re not alone.
Best part of said lovable story? The author is donating 100% of her proceeds to FARE, an organization devoted to food allergy research and education. Check it out!
So I'm incredibly jealous because one of our awesome vendors is hosting another amazing contest that we're not allowed to enter! Head on over to this post to enter to win an iPad mini from Long Island Tech. How great are they: all the built in awesomeness of a full feature iPad in an adorably miniature shell. If I had known that they were going to exist I'd have waited before I got mine! Go head over and enter for me. ;-)
So here is where I absolutely love getting to have my own blog: I get to share all of my favorite topics and items with you guys! One of my absolute favorite pastimes is to read a good book, and I'm one of those people who will not just read a book once, but over and over if it’s an absolute favorite. That’s what I want to share today: a relative “oldy” but goody. I've shared it once before on the StoryBoard years ago, but I'm rereading it now and wanted to share it again: Brom’s “Child Thief.”
I fell head first into this novel, not really knowing initially what to expect other than “another Peter Pan adaption.” It is exactly that and so much more. It is very dark and far from the children’s story and movie that we’ve grown to love…but that’s exactly why I loved it. Peter Pan was NOT written for children. I love the original, too, and feel sorry that the author’s original intent was altered so drastically. When J. M. Barrie wrote the original Peter Pan, it was meant as a play and learning experience for adults.
Brom brought the adult aspect back to Peter Pan, but made him into a much less than endearing character (to say the least). The “hero” of lost and emotionally distraught youths; pulling them into a world just as dark as their own.
The "Child Thief" is not your typical weekend hammock or beach read, but is definitely worth your time if you’re willing to dig into it.
So, apparently, Fridays are going to be my awesome craft days! I’m more than okay with that. This was another super simple craft I found that made me just think, “Wow, that’s so cool and even I can do it!” It’s always great to have an extra idea or two in your arsenal to keep your children (or nieces and nephews or neighbors!) occupied and exploring outdoors. So what are this week’s antics?! Pebble Plaques!
For your decorations and designs on these mosaic-esque plaques first you'll need to collect as many shells, stones and pebbles as you can stand. The more pebbles the better. You're going to want to have plenty to not only create patterns with, but also to keep with whatever theme you may have going when decorating.
With all of your “shinies” collected, you’re now ready to make your super easy plaques. All you'll need from your kitchen is:
3 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 ¼ cups water (plus a little additional, as needed)
In an electric mixer, combine all ingredients at a medium speed until a ball of dough forms. If your mixture is going for a little while and still seems clumpy, not is when you should add a little extra water, ¼ cup at a time as needed.
Take your dough ball out and kneed it until it’s smooth. Divide it into three equal pieces and ball each section. Place each ball on foil and flatten it into a disk (not too thin, you’ll want it about ½ - 2/3 inch thick). Press your stones into the disks however you’d like.
When you’re done, just transfer your disks onto a cookie sheet and throw it in the oven at 275 degrees for about 2 hours. When you take them out, let them cool completely, and then check the pebble/stones/shells. If any seem loose, remove them and add a drop of sturdy glue beneath, before replacing them.
Craft idea and photo borrowed from Parents.
I don't know about you, but I’m always trying to find the “healthier” side of yum. I know that baked goods and sweet treats are bad for my waistline, but I just can’t find it in me to give them up 100%. So instead of feeling grumpy and deprived, I decided to search for a couple ingredient substitutions that I can utilize to minimize the calories, fat, and guilt associated with the occasional sinful snack. (I also only cut my baking back to once every month or so. That helps, too!)
One that I absolutely love, but never would have thought of, is to replace the butter or margarine in a recipe with the equal amount of mashed banana! Bananas have the perfect consistency and fat content to make your baked good just as decedent, but they don’t have the added saturated fats to weigh you down. If your recipe calls for ½ cup of softened butter simply replace it with a ½ cup of mashed banana, that simple. Just be sure to keep an eye on your oven as the substitution may decrease your baking time.
Another substitution that is just as mystifying (yet seems to work perfectly) is swapping out that baking staple, flour, for an equal substation of black bean puree. Yup, black beans. Not only will you reduce the calories in your backed good, but you’ll also add on some fiber. This will work especially well with your brownies and cookies.
Cut a large amount of the fat right out by replacing your oil with Greek yogurt. Although you’ll barely notice a change in the flavor of your baked good, you should notice that the end product is considerably moister with the yogurt replacement. For ever cup of oil you remove from your recipe, replace it with ¾ cup of Greek yogurt. This works perfect with cookies, breads and, especially, cakes.
My fellow chocolate buffs, another simple substation is replacing your usual chocolate chips with cocoa nibs! With no sugar and very little fat, cocoa nibs are a no-brainer. Just don’t try eating them by the handful…it may not be the chocolate sensation you were looking for.
Not so hip on replacing your sugar in baking with apple sauce or stevia? How about just reducing it, with the help of vanilla extract? I have to say, vanilla extract is probably my favorite secret weapon in the kitchen; add a little to any recipe to up the flavor. For a substation, however, you’ll be amazed how many calories you can cut out with a little vanilla! Cut the sugar in your recipe in half and add an extra teaspoon of vanilla. This cuts out tons of extra calories, without completely cutting the sugar out of your treats!
If there is one thing that I really need, it’s help with my “organization” skills in the kitchen (or lack thereof). My refrigerator is overflowing without any particular order or arrangement, almost guaranteeing that half of the food will end up lost and then thrown away. My freezer is covered in half empty boxes and cartons, random bags of veggies, and meat from…well, sometime this year. We could move on and discuss my cabinets, too, but everyone needs to start somewhere! I’m going to start with our perishable goods to see if I can start organizing that section of my life.
Here are a couple steps I’m starting to take, and you can take with me.
-First absolute necessity is to take an inventory of your fridge and freezer. Pull everything out, pill up what can stay and get rid of what has long needed to go! We might as well start with a fresh start, so more emptier equals more better.
-Now that we have a sleek, empty refrigerator (which is now hopefully clean as well); take this opportunity to move your shelves around to fit your foods best. If you've noticed that you can’t quite fit what you need on the top shelf, or never use your second shelf because it’s just too small to be functional, more them around. Move each shelf down or up a couple notches until you have a more desirable layout.
-Now it’s time to get your foods organized, this is especially important for your freezer. Create sections just for vegetable, for meat, and/or frozen pre-made foods. When you’re reaching for tonight’s protein, you don’t want to come up with random, left-over mixed veggies. A place for everything and everything in its place. Back in the refrigerator you may even want to organize by size. This will make everything visible, and stop the waste from smaller items getting lost from falling behind.
-Now you just need to make a pact with yourself to keep your fridge and freezer looking this good. I've read elsewhere that they recommend a “once a month” clean up, but you know what? If you don’t work on it in the meantime, you could be back where you started in a months’ time! Be sure to keep your organize system up every time you go grocery shopping. At the end of each week take an extra peek to see if anything is expiring or still around that isn't good anymore. Working on it pieces at a time will be quicker and turn it into habit.
Looking to add a little bit of love and life to your home or office? You really can’t ever go wrong with a good terrarium. Unlike a typical house plant, terrariums have a lot of character and environmental inspiration housed in their coffee table or desk worthy containers. There are two styles that you can DIY that I absolutely love: one for your little ones at home and one just for you.
For a project for your little one and you, there are two options available: you can choose to make their terrarium a living environment that they will be in charge of or a whimsical show stopper just to ignite their imaginations and not their responsibilities.
Choose a jar that will work well for your space. A large, clear canister or cookie jar gives you ample space to work with, as well as a lid to keep a cover on it all if you so choose. Then you will need to make the decision of whether you want to go with a living indoor plant or a variety of plastic aquarium/terrarium look-alikes. For living plants, you should then choose a potting soil that will work well for them (and maybe some living moss to lie around the plant, as well). For imitation plants you can choose any stone or crystal bedding that you’d like. For finishing touches you can either allow your little ones to choose favorite creatures to dwell amongst the plants or you can go with a theme (such as a fairy or gnome forest).
Here is where mom or dad is going to really need to help: you’re going to start by laying down the ground work for your terrarium. Fill up as much of the canister as you would like with your soil or stones, and then situate your plants so that they are centered and secure.
Now is the fun part! It’s time to set up your Jurassic park, fairy kingdom, or gnome forest. Bring your little one in to situate all of his/her new friends and companions wherever they see fit. Once complete it’s either time for your terrarium to get its first watering or just to find its new home. This makes a great centerpiece for a children’s play table or your coffee table, inviting them to interact with their little environment and respect/care for it.
Image and partial inspiration from National Geographic Kids.
Our second terrarium idea, my favorite, is much more simple and mesmerizing for you. All you'll need for your adult terrarium is a smaller container (mason jars, clear vases, etc), gravel or stones of choice, water, and, of course, your terrarium companion; a Marimo moss ball. (In addition: you may also decide to add shells, beach glass, or other focal points that you’d like to add for additional decoration.)
Marimo moss balls are a fascinating work space (or living space) companion. They're ancient Japanese moss balls that start as small as a pebble, but can grow to the size of your fist! All they need for care is a weekly/bi weekly water change to keep their water temperature cool. Marimo balls can be found easily online: mine came from EclecticZen on Esty!
Set up your terrarium by simply filling your container with as much gravel and decoration as esthetically pleases you. Fill it up with slow-running, cold tap water (so that your decorations don't get stirred up), and then add your Marimo ball companion. It’s really that simple. Your companion may float for the first day or so, but will sink to the bottom as it saturates with water. If properly cared for your Marimo should grow about 5mm a year and live up to 100!
I am one of those bleach freaks. To me, if it smells like bleach that means it’s clean. That’s all fine and good when it’s just you and your partner (if your partner isn't highly sensitive to the fumes bleach gives off…which mine is), but when you bring children or animals into the mix then the risks start outweighing the benefits. I think back to how burnt my nose and lungs used to get; after bleaching my kitchen and bathroom I couldn't smell anything but for 2 days, not to mention the bleach spots that use to burn straight through the clothing I cleaned in! I can just imagine how healthy it was for me. That’s why I’m always looking for a safer alternative that provides that same sense of clean without the harm to me and my loved ones.
One great bleach alternative that I found, that also seems to work great, can be made with ingredients probably already in your home! All you need to try a bleach-free life is hydrogen peroxide, water and lemon juice…that’s it! Oh, besides containers to hold your solution in!
You'll want to start with a large container/bucket. This recipe seems like a large amount, but if you’re going to use it in your wash, then it’s really only enough for about 4 loads (if you choose to also fill up a spray bottle for household cleaning purposes).
The recipe is: 12 cups of Water, ¼ cup of Lemon Juice, and 1 cup of Hydrogen Peroxide. That’s it.
Use 2 cups per load of laundry, or fill up your spray bottle for kitchen and bathroom cleaning.
LIFamilies
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