Filed under: Recipes | Tags: appetizer cookbook, easy appetizer for party, easy appetizers, easy recipes, family recipes, mommy blog, mommy blogger, papaya avocado salsa, Papaya-Avocado Salsa with Quesadilla Triangles
Ingredients
1 papaya, peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
1 red onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed, and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 2 limes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Asiago cheese
Preparation
Combine the papaya, avocado, onion, bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, and lime juice in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Lay 1 tortilla in the pan and add a generous sprinkle of cheese. Top with another tortilla and cook, turning once or twice, until the tortilla is crisp and cheese is melted, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a metal spatula, transfer the tortilla to a cutting board and cut into 4 triangles. Keep warm in a low oven while cooking the remaining quesadillas. Serve on a warmed platter, with the papaya-avocado salsa in the center or alongside.
From the book, 50 Great Appetizers, by Pamela Sheldon Johns
Filed under: Celebrity Moms | Tags: dina lohan, glee, gwyneth paltrow making fun of lindsay lohan on glee, gwyneth paltrow on glee, lindsay lohan, mommy blog, mommy wears heels, tmz.com
On the show, Gwyneth Paltrow played a Spanish teacher whose classroom lesson included the following: “Lindsay Lohan is totally crazy, right?” And, Gwyneth quizzed the class in Spanish, “How many times has Lindsay Lohan been to rehab?”
Sources say Lohan’s family thought it was tasteless.
Mommy Dina Lohan said, “Our lawyers are sending a letter to ‘Glee.’” Of course you are…
Source: TMZ.com
Filed under: Celebrity Moms | Tags: eric johnson, fast engagements, jessica and vanessa engagement rings, jessica simpson, jessica simpson engaged, joe simpson, mommy blog, mommy blogger, mommy wears heels, nick lachey, vanessa minnillo
So, does anyone else find it a little too “coincidental” that Jessica Simpson got engaged just days after her ex, Nick Lachey proposed to Vanessa Minnillo? Jessica and new fiancé, Eric Johnson, have been together for 5 ½ months, while Nick and Vanessa have been together for 4 years.
Now, I of all people can’t judge an engagement after such a short period of time… I was engaged to my hubby after 3 ½ months. But, a few major differences stick out. One, neither of us had ever been married. Two, I was not jumping from relationship to relationship, proclaiming to everyone that this one was “the one”. Three, my significant other was not separated (hadn’t even filed for divorce) at the time we met.
According to US Weekly, a source close to Ms. Simpson says many of her friends don’t trust Johnson. He “was never that successful in the NFL, but he’s always wanted the celebrity-lifestyle,” they said. “I believe that Jessica is his way to get famous. He’s using her.” Adds a second insider, “Eric doesn’t have a job, he just follows her around. Her friends do not trust him.”
Jessica seems to be brushing off other people’s opinions of her new fiancé, gushing “He definitely makes me happy and makes me very comfortable being who I am,” she said. “It’s nice to be with somebody who praises you for all the right reasons.”
Her family has publically stated “how happy she is” and that “Eric is a great guy that makes her happy.” I’m pretty sure Papa Joe is just excited to see his girl getting a little more press as of late. Wonder how much he’ll try to sell the wedding pics for? One thing is for sure, I’m sure dear ol’ dad will make Eric sign a pre-nup!
As for the rings, let’s just say I’m digging Vanessa’s 4-carat asscher cut bauble quite a bit more than the ruby and diamond ring Jessica has been sporting. I’m quite surprised Jess’s isn’t a little larger… considering she probably had to buy it!
Wonder who the first one will be to hear the pitter-patter of little feet?
Filed under: Recipes | Tags: easy appetizers, easy family meals, easy recipes, kid friendly recipes, nfl gameday cookbook, smoked cheddar baked potatoes, tailgating recipes, twice baked potatoes
Ingredients
4 large baking potatoes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
5 tablespoons butter, divided
2 bunches green onions, white and light green parts only, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup ½-inch cubes smoked Cheddar cheese
Paprika, as needed
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Wash the potatoes, poke a few holes in them, and rub them with the oil. Bake for 1 hour, or until tender. Let them cool for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile in a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onions are soft. Set aside. Slice the top off the potatoes and scoop out the pulp into a medium bowl. Set the skins aside. With a potato masher, crush the potato pulp. Add the onion mixture, cream, salt, and pepper and mix well. Add the cheese and fold gently until mixed well. Spoon the potato mixture back into the shells. Sprinkle lightly with paprika. Put the potatoes on a baking sheet and return to the oven for 15 minutes, or until hot.
Recipe taken from The NFL Gameday Cookbook
Filed under: Work/Life Balance | Tags: illegal interview questions, interviewing for a new job, interviewing for a new job and having a baby, interviewing for jobs, job loss and being a mom, mommy blog, mommy wears heels
As some of you know, I lost my job a few weeks ago. Since then, I have been networking like crazy, applying for positions and going through the interview process. I’m telling you, looking for a new job is a full-time job in itself! Now, I know I’m weird, but I actually don’t mind interviewing. It allows me to meet people, have an adult conversation and most importantly, gives me a reason to get out of my sweatpants for the day and put on a little make-up. Then last week I had an interview that took a bit of a wrong turn…
Everything was going well until (somehow) it was brought up that I have a nine month-old son. I know I am not in Human Resources, but I do know flat-out asking a question like that is illegal. I’m pretty sure the interviewer knew that as well, and that’s how he just gradually dropped it into the conversation. All of a sudden, our nice conversation about golfing with our significant others turned into “how was I supposed to travel for this position when I had a young child?” “Who was going to drop off and pick up my son from daycare?”
Needless to say, I was a little baffled. Last time I checked, it was 2010 and a man was allowed to do daycare duty and hold down the house for a few days if the woman of the house was out. In fact, it’s becoming the norm as more and more women are working outside the home and becoming the breadwinners of the family. This guy made it sound like I had to be home every night to cook dinner and change diapers.
In a matter of minutes, the job that I had such a good feeling about felt like it had been pulled away because this guy couldn’t fathom having a mom with a young child in the position. So, my question to all of you today is: Have any of you felt like you were passed up on a job or a promotion because you are a mom?
