Homemade Dinner Baby Food! [FOOD, MOMLIFE]

Ingredients:

Avocado

Rice

Chicken

Broccoli

Milk

Purée the first four ingredients in a blender sparingly with milk. Add milk little by little until smooth.

Baby loved this! I got a small, personal-cup-sized blender this weekend and baby will be eating what we eat (as often as I can), going forward.

This made about 1 cup of food and she ate almost all of it. Super impressed. She's growing. So fast that I'm hoping this will stick in her belly to make it through the night :> xo

Homemade Philly Cheesesteak [RECIPE]

Dinner is always a challenge. Not the actual cooking of it but concepting what to cook.

Baked chicken, steak, pasta, tacos, and baby back ribs are some of our go-to's. 

We had chicken and pasta the night before so didn't want either tonight. Beef was the likely option and, as much as I love a good steak, I wanted to try something different, so I took a little more time to browse what Trader Joes had on their shelves. 

Near the salads, they have fully cooked, heat-and-eat meals, like chicken piccata, turkey and mashed potatoes, and beef stroganoff. Been there, done that, and don't want to again.

Further down, next to the raw meat, they have fully cooked meat, like the above-mentioned baby back ribs we like and some uncooked seasoned and unseasoned meats in vacuum-packed packaging.

An unseasoned, uncooked, thinly sliced, vacuum-packed sirloin beef caught my eye. On the front of the packaging it said it was good for tacos, cheesesteaks, and Korean barbecue.

I wanted a philly steak the night before when we did takeout but my 4yo wanted our usual, her favorite, chicken piccata so we had that instead. 

So, tonight, it was my turn and I decided to try this thinly sliced beef and make a philly cheesesteak of my own. 

To keep it simple, I just got a green bell pepper and a baguette. If I wanted to put a little more effort into it, I would have included sliced crimini mushrooms for depth and some onions for flavor.

For cheese, I used sliced havarti, since that's what we have at home. Mozzarella or provolone would be just as good.

The recipe is super simple, fast, and great for novice and seasoned cooks alike. Tag me (@mdesenna) if you try this! xo

Ingredients:

- Beef, very thinly sliced, patted dry

- Bell pepper (any color), julienned

- Cheese, sliced, havarti 

- Bread, slightly toasted

- Salt and pepper

- Cooking oil

1. Heat oil in pan and add peppers. Toss and coat with oil. Cook until slightly softened.

2. Push peppers to edges and add a little more oil to pan. Let the pan heat up again-- you want it to be hot.

3. Add beef. Sprinkle on salt and pepper. Break up the beef so it's getting as much surface-area contact with the hot pan but do not stirfry it-- you want to get it to brown/caramelize a little, which it will if it stays in continuous contact with the hot pan.

 

4. Once brown on one side, flip it over and turn off the heat. The pan will still be hot and this prevent the beef from being overcooked. Now is the time to mix the beef with the peppers. 

5. Add sliced cheese on top and cover pan partially with lid to help the cheese melt. Once melted, add mixture to bread and enjoy!

Happy healthy juicy homemade cheesesteak! xo

Lazy Tacos Packed With Flavor [FOOD]

Lazy tacos. And by lazy I mean no taco shells (or all the fixings).

I don't always understand tacos. At least not the kind with a crispy shell, which I prefer. They break the second you take a bite or, even worse, when you fill them. And there you have a mess in your hands.

So, instead, and also as a quick alternative, I just use chips instead. I think they taste better, too, as there are so many different kinds to choose from these days. Tostitos Cantina Style is my favorite.

If you're looking for something a little quicker, I also recommend just prepping/cooking key, high flavor ingredients for the filling. This is completely customizable. Choose the ingredients YOU love. That's the beauty of cooking at home.

And if you're looking to add more vegetables in your diet, turn this into a salad. This plate over chopped romaine tossed in a citrus vinaigrette would taste amazing and refreshing, perfect for the summer months ahead. 

Share your version of this fast homemade meal with me on Instagram! @mdesenna xo

Starbucks' Almond Croissant Review [FOOD]

This is Starbucks' new almond croissant, which I assume is their attempt to bring La Boulange's to stores. 

It was a nice try and would have been nice to be able to get a La Boulange almond croissant at any Starbucks but unfortunately this isn't one of them.

Not as buttery moist (or heavy), it's dry and lacks the saturated almond topping of the real thing. That said, it's chain-quality and there are worse.

Have you tried it? How would your taste buds rate this? xo

Turkey And Muenster On A Poppyseed Hard Roll [FOOD]

I went to our local supermarket to pick up a quick lunch, knowing they had a sandwich counter. I didn't realize how expensive it was though. (It's probably not really expensive but when you're unemployed, everything seems to be.)

So, instead, I picked up ingredients and saved myself the labor costs. I kept it really simple and without leftovers. And though it didn't have fixings, like lettuce and mayo (or cranberry sauce), it hit the spot.

So here's a quick tip when you're on a tight budget: head to the supermarket for lunch (if you didn't prepack one and bring it with you). Check out the deli meat counter and fresh bread section to make your own sandwich. And if you have a little more to spend, see if they have an olive bar-- you can get add-ons like roasted red peppers and marinated bocconcini (fresh mozzarella) that can really flavor up your handheld meal. xo

Garlic Roasted Chicken And Brussel Sprouts! [FOOD]

I thought I might never like chicken again after my last pregnancy. I had the worst morning sickness and just the smell of it triggered the nausea. Same happened during my first pregnancy and my feelings toward the meat never fully recovered-- it's not my favorite.

Finally, though, after 3 months postpartum, I'm able to voluntarily suggest having it. It's pretty simple to make and, for a meat, it's the most cost-effective source of meat protein.

I was craving brussel sprouts, which pairs nicely and you can stick them in the oven along with the chicken. Best part of a meal like this during this cold weather season is the warmth of the oven warms up the house. xo

Breastfeeding Problems - Donuts! [FOOD]

If I were to admit I have cravings, it wouldn't be when I was pregnant but after. 

Pregnancy was hard in that I had a rough first and second trimesters with really bad morning sickness. The last trimester, as the baby took up more space, I didn't have much room for a whole lot of food and steered clear of foods, like fried (fatty) ones, that would sit in my stomach and take long to digest.

Postpartum, on the other hand, has been a different story. Producing milk simply requires more energy. And while I thought I might not be into doughnuts anymore, I am whole-heartedly (pun intended) back in the game once again. 

And if you ask me my favorite kind, they're not just donuts. Bring on the cronuts! 

Tip: day-old cronuts? The glazed kind are still delicious as ever after they're baked in the toaster oven for a few minutes between 350-400degF. Tastes like they're just out of the fryer. Just keep an eye out for them so the sugar doesn't burn. xo

Cheesecake Factory Classic Cheeseburger [FOOD]

Chicken And Roast Pork Fried Rice + Broccoli [FOOD]

There's a whole lot of yum going on in this bowl. 

My love of homemade fried rice dates back to childhood. A simple, one-dish meal, quick and easy-to-eat, good and good for you. The kind you get at chinese restaurants are nothing to compare, laden with oil, msg, and never enough of the dish's gems.

Fried rice is a great way to make use of leftovers and easy way to incorporate veggies into a meal. 

We really love our vitamins and fiber (not to mention added flavor), so did add some broccoli to the side, though it could have been mixed in as well. xo

Chicken And Roast Pork Fried Rice + Broccoli [FOOD]

Counter Burger - My Go-To Make-Your-Own Order [FOOD]

They're pineapples are fresh and grilled! That's a summer must-have in my book :>

Other than that, I'm a pretty simple gal— no bun, organic baby greens, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, curly carrots, sliced pickles, and melted cheddar.

What's your favorite Counter Burger order? Or, way to eat a burger? Share in the Comments below, we've love to hear! :> xo

(Not pictured— they're cheddar cheese fries, which we always get, without fail :>)



Despite being past Labor Day and past the middle of September, we've had several warm days/evenings. Dining al fresco? Probably one of my favorite things to do in this state. So, I took advantage of the lighting and beautiful girl I was with, as we waited for our burger and munched on our cheese fries :> xo

Carrot-Shaped Party Favors Using Goldfish Crackers! [HOW TO/DIY]

If you're looking for a fun party favor, this is a fun one, though admittedly time-consuming.



Oops, I forgot to take a photo of the carrot stem! Fold the streamer four times about 1.5" wide, and it snip off the roll. Cut strips in the streamer without cutting all the way through. Wrap the still-folded, slitted streamer around the stem and tape.

If you try this, tweet or Instagram me (@mdesenna) your final product! Would love to see it! xo

. . .

Birthday month continues and since my due date is so close to Nui Nui's birthday, we've been prepping in advance and strategically planning to celebrate early.

First up: School.

Nui Nui's school has a pretty strict policy about birthday celebrations. They only really allow 'healthy' foods for celebration. Alternatively, you could bring in small favors like stickers or pencils, or come in and read the class a book. I didn't find out about these alternative options until tonight so didn't have the opportunity to consider them.

Now, I'm a nutritionist. Well, at least by education I am. And, as I always say, I'm a believer of everything in moderation, which includes cake (or sweets) for celebrations. So I asked what they meant or consider 'healthy' for snacks. They listed fruit, yogurt, crackers, cheese, and goldfish. So I went with the goldfish.

Last year for Valentine's Day, I made some favors using goldfish. I knew I could do the same thing or try something else. I searched on Pinterest for ideas and pursued what you see below. I debated whether the idea was 'appropriate' for the occasion, since it does make more sense for it to be used as an Easter party favor but thought the idea was cute and fun, and kind of represented 'healthy', right? :>

I came up with a pun-y message, more for my kicks than for anyone else, and that was that. Nui Nui loves the favors and is just SO EXCITED to share these with her new friends tomorrow.

She also did the cutest thing tonight. The cone-shaped bags came with 'Thank You' stickers, which I didn't use, so Nui Nui took them for herself. As I mentioned in a recent video, she's very into stickers. Then, she came up to me with a bag in which she stashed these stickers and told me she wanted to give me something. She whipped out one of these Thank You sticker sheets and told me she wanted to give me one for making these party favors. She gave another sheet to her grandma for taking care of her earlier, as I attended a back-to-school night.

My baby's growing up and she's making me very proud to see what kind of woman she's becoming. xo