Urban Suburban Mommy – Page 9 – Parenting at 50ish

How Pinterest Saved My Life(Style)

Like many moms, I need help getting dressed in the morning. Not “one leg at a time” help, just gentle redirection so that I can put together an ensemble that doesn’t scream “poor you” or “laundry day.” When I was ready to go back to work after my second and last mat leave, I turned to social media for help. I decided to start a Pinterest board to help me find my style and get my general groove back.

Unfortunately, there were no boards titled “Outfits for Cray Mombies” or “What to Wear When You’re Currently Covered in Poop”, so I settled on “Casual Mom Outfits”. I’ve learned a lot about conserving time and money when trying to piece together a wardrobe on a budget. Here’s what Pinterest has taught me about fashion, style and sanity:

I pick out my clothes the night before. I’m not kidding. You will save precious minutes getting dressed if you’re not standing in front of your closet with your mouth open trying to figure out what to wear. In fact, if possible, pick out your outfits for the week. One less thing to stress about, and you’ll avoid reaching for the same 10% of the closet that you always wear.

I now work with what I’ve got. I have neither the funds nor the patience to start my wardrobe from scratch. Oh pretty please, can I stare at myself half-dressed and sweaty in a dressing room while garbage music thumps through the speakers, causing an aneurysm and resetting my heartbeat? The good news is that I have have a “tabula rasa” closet –full of neutral (black) pieces and endless possibility. Pinterest helped me pull together items I already had and reassembled them in new ways. For example, I saw this:

So I thought: Well, I have jeans and I have 500 black shirts. Add some fancy bracelets and a pair of flats and voila! It looks like I got dressed without having to smell my clothes first!

I stopped spending tons of money on trends. Remember parachute pants? Shoulder Pads? Yeah, I’m still trying to forget. Trends can quickly become fads. And honestly, who can keep track? I’m still wearing a side ponytail. Rushing to keep up is a waste of time and money. Consider too that not every trend is right for every body type. Recently, I tried to rock the whole raw hem with ankle boots thing. It’s supposed to look like this:

I looked like a hobbit in dirty shrunken pants. Now, I keep trendy items to accessories.

I skip sales. Unless you’ve found the one – that item you’ve been dying to get and has finally come out of the stratosphere and into your arms in your size and at an incredible discount – you won’t wear half of what you buy on sale. Volume is not value. If you figure out the cost per wear, you’ve actually spent more on a $10 shirt worn once than on a $100 sweater that you’ve worn a billion times. I used to do 85% of my shopping in January and July – the in-between seasons where everything is heavily discounted – and routinely wound up with things that were out of style by the time I got around to making those purchases useful. Now, I avoid Boxing Week like the plague and only shop Cyber Monday if there’s something I’ve had my eye on for more than 3 months.

I know my digits. Not just my size (which varies from retailer to retailer) but my actual measurements. In addition to being a sadistic torment, knowing my bust, waist and hip measurements will ensure that I order the right size if (when) shopping online, especially if items are listed in European sizes (for example, a size EU37 translates to “Ha ha you wish” in its US equivalent.) It also prevents an accumulation of crap I can’t unload, and I hate returning online items.

Most moms have a decision threshold – after a certain amount of time, our ability to make decisions – good ones anyway – is drastically depleted. It’s called “decision fatigue”. For me, I can’t make executive decisions past 10:00 a.m. (lunch time is usually whatever I can find between the couch cushions.) It might sound corny using social media to dress myself, but if I can offload one more task, why wouldn’t I? If people can pin vision boards or outfits for their cat, why can’t I designate a board for personal style? I’ve become a better dresser and a better shopper, and that’s major value.

Super Bowl Sunday – what you need to know.

Posted on February 2, 2017 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Urban Suburban Mommy .

There are three types of mamas – you either LOVE football and Super Bowl is the best day of winter; football’s not your favourite, but you’ll jump on the bandwagon for the party (mmmmmm 7 layer dip – and can’t turn down the opportunity to buy a cute sports shirt once a year); you hate football and Super Bowl Sunday is the one Sunday a year Costco isn’t a zoo, so grab your membership card and go!

Me, I enjoy football. I grew up with a football dad. And I really do love Super Bowl Sunday. I have a a system for picking teams – the team with the best butts. My husband always laughs at me, but it’s a pretty accurate system.

What you need to know:

Super Bowl LI This year is the New England Patriots vs the Atlanta Falcons. The game is being held in Houston. New England is favoured by +3.

New England Patriots

Colours: Red, white and blue – they’re the Patriots, after all. They’ll be wearing their whites on the field – they’re the visiting team.
Quarterback: Tom Brady He’s won 4 of the 6 Super Bowls he’s played. He’s married to supermodel Gisele Bündchen. What more do you really need to know?

Atlanta Falcons

Colours: Red and black – they’ll be wearing their reds on the field, they’re the home team.
Quarterback: Matt Ryan. The Falcons have been to the Super Bowl just once, and lost. Matt has never won a Super Bowl, but he’s been having a good year. He’s married to Sarah Marshall, who, while not a supermodel is a pretty impressive athlete and was a point guard on her Boston College basketball team.

Now you might know Super Bowl for the friendly get-togethers and the food. What’s Super Bowl Sunday without guacamole, chips, dip, chilli, chicken wings, meatballs, barbecue and, of course, beer (and indigestion!).

photo: Dogo

But a big part of the game is the gambling. They bet on EVERYTHING. This is big money and big fun.

I know nothing about Super Bowl gambling, so I went straight to the source to learn. If you don’t know how to gamble, you’re going to find this FASCINATING. I spoke with Joe Gagliano. He made the news in a big way in the 90s. He’s the man behind the biggest point shaving scandal ever to hit ASU basketball. It’s known as the biggest fixing scandal in sports betting. It involved millions of dollars and paying off 2 players – to the tune of $50,000 each a game. They didn’t just throw the game, they made sure that the points spread for the game wasn’t made.

When you bet on a game, it’s not just Win or Lose. One team is always a favourite to win, so they create a points spread. For example, this Super Bowl, New England is favoured by 3. That means even if they win by 2, anyone who bet on them still loses – they must win by at least 3 points. Joe’s ballers made sure only to win by two, in this scenario.

If you’re going to dabble in betting, you generally have 3 options – a bookie, an online gambling site or betting with friends. You can go high stakes or keep it friendly. When I asked Joe where to go to make these high stakes bets he told me that serious gamblers would know where to go.

I’m a rookie. That was a rookie question.

Coming from a man whose gambling career saw big bucks, I’m going to share his best advice: Pick the 50/50 bets. They’re the most likely to pay out. The main ones are betting who will win, and betting on total points. This game is expected to go into high scores. The game total is 59.5. You can bet whether the total scores will be over or under that number.

There are other 50/50 bets:

The coin toss at the beginning of the game.

The outcome of the first half of the game (point spread is New England favoured by 1.5)

Which quarterback will throw the first touchdown pass.

The length of time the national anthem will take to sing.

Yes, how long the national anthem will be. In fact, there are even bets on what Luke Bryan will be wearing when he sings it. Joe said there was even a year when the singer held the final note and hit the exact time being bet on, making him wonder if even the singers can be bought for purposes of fixing a bet.

There are a lot of bets that will seem completely bizarre to the uninitiated. Joe had me laughing, so I looked it up. Sure enough, you can bet on what colour Lady Gaga’s hair will be for the half-time show, how many yards will be run, and even what type of penalties will occur. CBS Sports put together the comprehensive list here.

It was fun finding out about the serious money that goes on behind the Super Bowl. I could have talked to Joe all, day – and that’s precisely why he wrote the book. If you never thought about picking up a sports book to read, check out No Grey nogreyareas.com. I would never have picked it up, but after speaking with Joe, it’s on my nightstand. It’s one of those too-crazy-to-believe, high stakes stories, with a movie also in the works.

I found this vide of an interview with Joe if you’d like to learn more about the ASU point shaving scandal. This isn’t a promoted post and we received no compensation from – or have any ties to – Joe Gagliano, the book or the movie – what started out as simply trying to learn about Super Bowl betting turned into one of the most intriguing interviews I’ve ever had the pleasure to conduct!

Eco-wellness

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in The Best You .

As we near our the end of our 30 days of wellness, we wanted to explore the concept of eco-wellness. We had the pleasure of speaking with fellow mom blogger and eco-expert Sara Vartanian of Green Moms Collective. Sara has some pretty enlightening thoughts as well as some easy tips to start living a greener and healthier life.

1. What does wellness mean to you?

Wellness means being mindful of the choices I am making for my mind, body and spirit. I am aiming to do the best I can at the time, making progress from where I am right now rather than seeking perfection.

2. How has living green contributed to you & your family living well?

It seemed that once we began making greener choices (e.g., reusable diapers, cleaner products, organic when possible food, organic mattress/bedding etc.) that we tuned into our lives more. We became more mindful about everything including how we spend our time as a family and even the decision to live in a log home lakeside for a year. We’ve always been fairly minimal when it comes to clothing and ‘stuff’ around our home but living green meant that the things we’ve bought have been more intentionally purchased such as saving up for a set of organic king-sized bed sheets or adding to our collection of reusable containers every year. We now have enough for leftovers and school lunches!

3.What are 3 easy things parents/families can do around their home to contribute eco-wellness?

Open windows when cleaning whether you are using green or conventional products. Yes, even in winter. We spend a lot of time in our homes so it’s important to keep our indoor air healthy.
Babies and children spend a lot of time on the floor playing and crawling around to explore their environment. Leave shoes at the door of your home. Wearing them around the house tracks in all sorts of yuckiness like waste, renovation dust and winter ice salt…which you breathe in and your children play on.
Swap out a personal care product you use multiple times a day for a cleaner alternative. It’s the items that we use daily that can really contribute to our wellness. My guide to green beauty can help you figure out what to switch but I recommend starting with replacing plastic soap dispensers for a natural soap bars. Bars are the ultimate in minimal waste as you use every last scrap of soap and they have less packaging than their pump counterparts.

4.What should parents look out for shopping for green or eco products?

A good starting place when shopping for cleaner products is to look for a simple and easy to understand ingredient list. Also, if you aren’t sure if the scent in the product is a synthetic or natural fragrance, than opt for unscented. Synthetic fragrances can cause breathing problems, headaches and a build up of VOCs (products that off-gas chemicals) in our homes.

I aim to avoid these ten ingredients when shopping for natural beauty products since we use personal care items daily which can really impact our health.

ABOUT SARA:

Sara Vartanian is a mom of two boys, who recently moved back to the city after spending a year living lakeside amongst the trees. She is the founder of Green Moms Collective, a Canadian website dedicated to helping mothers live a green and mindful lifestyle. Sara works with wellness and education businesses to manage their social media and outreach programs. If she’s not on Instagram sharing all things green mom, she can be found wiping green smoothies off her children’s faces or shopping at a farmer’s market.

http://www.greenmomscollective.ca

FB: https://www.facebook.com/GreenMomsCollective/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/greenmomsco/

Pin: https://www.pinterest.com/GreenMomsCo/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/greenmomsco

One Pan Wonderful Meal (30 minutes or less)

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Danielle Reid Posted in Delicious Dishes .

Meet Danielle Reid, Mother of 4 and Urban Suburban Mommy’s food contributor. She’ll be bringing you wonderful meal ideas that are fast, easy and healthy for the whole family! Here is her first recipe and you’ll love it!

This meal is STONEsational for you, crazy busy families. With a busy schedule and minimal time, this is the perfect recipe for you to incorporate into your Meal Planning schedule.

It’s simple, easy and well balanced. I use a Stone Sheet pan (a.k.a Large Bar Pan) in my Kitchen, and I’m sure many of you also own one that you “never use”. WEll pull that guy out! If you don’t have a Stone Sheet Pan (a.k.a Large Bar Pan), grab your sheet pan of choice. This meal still works just as well for you too! If you’re a large family 5 or more, you may want to double this recipe and use 2 Sheet Pans. I am a Double Sheet Pan person myself.

The best part about this recipe is you can tailor it specifically to your families likes and dislikes… AH-HA!!!!!

What you need: **For one pan (if using 2 pan, remember to double)

2 Large Baking Potatoes
1 Zucchini
1 Red Pepper
1 Onion
1 cup of Mushrooms
2 Garlic Cloves
4 tbsp of Olive Oil
3/4 Panko crumbs
1 tsp of your favorite seasoning/rub i.e. Rosemary, Lemon Pepper, or Bell Pepper
1 tbsp of shredded Parm Cheese
1 egg
Salt and Pepper

What You Do:

Pre-set oven to 425°F

Cut potatoes and zucchini into 1/4″ slices
Wedge the Onion and Red Pepper
Mix Potatoes, Zucchini, Onion, Red Pepper, Mushrooms, Olive Oil, Minced Garlic, Salt and Pepper in a large bowl, stir to evenly coat all veggies.
Arrange Veggies around the outside of your pan, leaving the center open
If you have Coating trays, grab them here, or use bowls or plates. Lightly beat the egg and place in one tray. Combine the Panko, some salt to taste, Parmesan Cheese, Rosemary (or seasoning of choice) in another bowl.
Dip the Chicken into the Egg Mixture then into the Panko mixture, coat completely and place the chicken in the center of the Pan (the space provided earlier)
Bake at 425°F for 22-25 minutes, or until the Chicken is done (no longer pink in the middle)

Danielle Reid

Meal Planning, Meals in Minutes and Independant Consultant for the Pampered Chef

www.facebook.com/daniellespamperedkitchen

Danielle’s Pampered Kitchen..Healthy Meals in Minutes

WEBSITE: www.pamperedchef.biz/daniellereid

Chef Calvo’s superstar Super Bowl tailgate chili

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Delicious Dishes .

Know what one of the most searched recipes on the Internet might be?

Yup, chili.

But why search away, when award-winning Chef Adrieanne Calvo has shared hers with us! And with Super Bowl LI this weekend, we’ll make you the superstar of the tailgate party with this one.

The not-so-secret ‘secret ingredient’ in this chili recipe is short ribs, and Chef Adrianne’s short rib recipe made Thrillist’s list of the “50 things you need to eat before you die”. They’re not wrong.

“I have always been a huge fan of watching the Super Bowl with my family and friends,” says Chef Adrianne. “This year, I was inspired to create my very own take on chili; something everyone would be dreaming about long after the game. ”

Bringing her short ribs into the chili mix is just one over-the-top meal waiting to happen. Super Bowl LI demands this kind of extraordinary dish! But it’s not just the dish, Chef Adrianne has given us the most mouth-watering tailgate meal: Maximum Flavor Short Rib Chili + Candied Cornbread + Corn Jalapeño Relish + Chili-dusted Onion Rings

Chili – What you need:

– 3 lbs Short Rib (boneless), trimmed of excess fat
– 1 yellow onion, chopped
– 1 green bell pepper, chopped
– 8 garlic cloves, chopped
– 2 tablespoons chili powder
– 2 teaspoons cumin
– 1 teaspoon oregano
– 1/4 cup brown sugar
– 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
– 1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes
– 1 can tomato paste
– 1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes
– 1 cup dark beer
– 2 (16oz) cans Red Kidney Beans
– Kosher salt and pepper to taste

What you do:

Place all ingredients in the slow cooker on the low heat setting. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Candied Cornbread – What you need:

– 1 loaf cornbread, (can be store bought)
– 1 tablespoon butter, melted
– 1 tablespoon honey

What you do:

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Crumble the cornbread into a mixing bowl and toss with butter and honey. Place mixture onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Corn Jalapeño Relish – What you need:

– 1 cup Corn kernels
– 1/4 cup red onion, minced
– 1 tablespoon jalapeño, minced and seeded
– 1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
– 1 tablespoon lime juice
– Kosher salt and pepper

What you do:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Chili Dusted Onion Rings – What you need:

– 1 yellow onion, sliced into 1/2 inch thick rings
– Milk for soaking
– 1 tablespoon cornstarch
– 1 teaspoon chili powder
– Kosher salt and pepper

What you do:

Preheat fryer to 400°F.
In a mixing bowl, add milk and soak each individual onion ring for 15 minutes. In another mixing bowl, combine cornstarch, chili powder, salt and pepper. Dip each ring into powder and fry immediately.

To serve up a dish, top each bowl of chili with candied cornbread crumbles, corn jalapeño relish and top it all off with an onion ring and some shredded pepper jack cheese.

Adrianne Calvo is the Executive Chef and owner of Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar, Host of Maximum Flavor Live on NBC’s 6 in the Mix, author of four cookbooks: Maximum Flavor (2005); Chef Adrianne: Driven by Flavor Fueled by Fire (2008); #MaximumFlavorSocial (2014); and Play with Fire (2015), and founder of the Make it Count Foundation. Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar opened in 2007 and offers a varied and rotating menu with something for everyone. Monthly, the restaurant holds its signature event, Dark Dining, where guests are blindfolded for a sensual experience eliminating one sense in order to enhance another, providing maximum flavor.

www.chefadriannes.com

Chef Adrianne

Chef Adrianne Calvo

Win a Live Clean Prize Pack

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Sponsored Post .

As you may already know, we absolutely love Live Clean products. You can check out some of our favorites here. As we near the end of our 30 days of wellness, we thought what better way than to end with an awesome contest! Our friends at Live Clean have put together an amazing prize pack consisting of:

Vanilla Oatmeal Soothing Body Wash and Liquid Hand Soap

Vitamin Multi Boost Shampoo and Conditioner

Fresh Face Refreshing Facial Wipes, Foaming Daily Cleanser and Soothing Daily Moisturizer

Live Clean Baby Gentle Moisture Tearless Shampoo & Wash

+ Calming Bedtime Bubble Bath and Wash

Here is what you need to do to enter:

Like this post on our blog. Leave a comment in the blog post about how you and your family live well. Like and comment on our social media for more chances to win.

Why Choose Live Clean?

Every day more of us are concerned about what we’re applying to our skin – and our children’s! – and what the products we use are doing to the environment. At Live Clean we strive to have as little environmental impact as we possibly can. We use only plant and natural sourced or non-petrolatum ingredients that are renewable and sustainable. We don’t use anything that will deplete our natural resources. We’ve formulated all our beauty and personal care products without the still commonly used chemical ingredients – like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Diethanolamine (DEA) and silicones. And our products are free of parabens and other harsh preservatives.

That’s not all: Live Clean is completely vegan/vegetarian, plant and natural based, with no animal products or animal by-products used in the formulations. Live Clean is also cruelty-free; none of the products or their ingredients have been tested on animals. In its sensitivity to the environment, Live Clean is also free of phosphates, known contributors to water pollution. And our packaging, of course, is eco-friendly.

Just as important to you, we know, our products have to work! Our eco-friendly formulations haven’t sacrificed product efficacy and pleasure of use. We believe every Live Clean product is exceptional in every way.

Contest Rules and Regulations:

One Live Clean Prize Pack will be awarded to one winner.
Contest is open to residents of Canada only.
Contest opens January 30, 2017 at 12PM EST and closes February 6, 2017 at 12PM EST.
One winner will be selected by random draw on February 7, 2017.
Winners will be contacted via social media.
Prize has no cash value and must be accepted as awarded.
Urban Suburban Mommy is not liable for any loss or damages associated with this contest.
This contest may be ended or discontinued at the sole discretion of Urban Suburban Mommy.
All decisions are final.
All rights reserved.

Consider a Plant-Based Life and Live Longer

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in The Best You .

In our continued quest for wellness this month, we had the pleasure of speaking with fellow mom and A Plant-Based Life Cookbook Author Micaela Cook Karlsen. She shared her take on why plants trump meat in the quest for a healthier lifestyle. She was even kind enough to share some delicious recipes to prove it. You’ll be fascinated by the benefits of leading a plant-based life – it’s good for the whole family. You’ll want to pick up a copy of her new book to learn more.

1. Why did you choose to lead a Plant-based life?

In the very beginning, around age 16 or 17, a couple of my friends were vegetarian, and I wanted to give it a try! I felt drawn towards eating more healthfully, but since I had struggled with feeling overweight for some time, I think the goal more in the forefront of my mind was to lose a little weight and maintain what I felt was a comfortable body weight for me. Over the years, my goals have shifted to be more focused on health for me and for the planet at the same time – and it’s nice that now that I’m so much more knowledgeable about a truly health idea, it’s very easy to meet both of those goals at once!

2.Why do you think it is important for people to consider living a plant-based lifestyle?

So many people in Westernized countries are facing either chronic illness or overweight. (Most people have heard that 2/3 of Americans are overweight and half those are obese.) As someone who has cancer, heart disease, and rheumatoid arthritis in the family, I’m concerned with living well into my old age, not just living longer. And as someone who struggled with weight and feeling comfortable in my body for many years, I feel so much compassion for anyone trying to lose weight unsuccessfully. As far as healthy weight goes, a whole food, plant-based diet is absolutely the easiest, most straightforward path to success because you can eat until you’re full without worrying about calories. I do believe with all my heart that important to accept yourself and your body wherever you are and whatever you look like. At the same time, for me, that’s balanced with my experience that when I finally got to a healthy weight for a woman my height, I started to feel so comfortable in a way I never had before! It’s easier than most people realize with plant-based eating.

3.How do you respond when critics say that a plant based lifestyle doesn’t taste good?

Many people mistakenly believe that tastes are fixed – almost as though your taste preferences were part of your personality. We enjoy what we are used to – so what we’ve eaten over the last few months, few weeks, few days, and even from morning to evening shapes what we want to eat and what we enjoy. Most people can recognize this with sugar – don’t eat it for a long time, and the attraction fades, but eat syrupy waffles on a Sunday morning and you’re probably in the mood for dessert that evening. People who say plant-based eating doesn’t taste good are simply accustomed to eating heavier animal foods and foods with added salt, sugar, and fat. If you switch to a plant-based diet without telling yourself you have to stick with it forever, if you can just stick with it for a few weeks, you’ll notice yourself starting to lose interest in some of the old foods. This means everyone has the ability to train themselves to genuinely enjoy healthy food!

4. What is your favorite plant based dish?

There are so many! Like most people who eat this way, I felt like diet expanded my diet rather than the reverse. Right now, one of my favorites is my own recipe Interstellar Lasagna in A Plant-Based Life. It’s a food I could eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

5. How do you recommend parents introduce a plant based lifestyle to their children?

It really depends on whether you are introducing it when they are little or older and have already established their own eating preferences. The second can be much more challenging. As parents, it’s inevitable that our children will exercise more and more free will as they get older. I think the best strategy is to help them develop good judgement, make sure they don’t feel judged for their eating habits, and then engage in a lot of dialogue with them about your own reasons for eating this way and your hopes that they will also choose a path of healthful eating – because, of course, you care about them! The biggest bang for your buck is cooking together. Let them choose plant-based recipes they are interested in, go shopping together, and then let them cook and experiment with minimal assistance from you. The more experience they have in the kitchen, the more empowered they’ll feel and the more ownership they’ll take over the food. Of course, make sure you keep delicious options on hand yourself in case what they’re making doesn’t turn out well!

6. What are the benefits of living this kind of lifestyle?

The benefits are many – you can easily achieve your ideal weight, you lower your risk for all types of chronic disease, and you can even arrest or reverse certain chronic diseases such as heart disease or diabetes. You’re doing something good for the planet, as a plant-based diet has been identified as the most environmentally sustainable choice we have. And of course, you’re living a compassionate lifestyle which millions of animals will appreciate.

ABOUT MICAELA COOK KARLSEN

Micaela Karlsen

MICAELA COOK KARLSEN is a founding employee and former Executive Director of the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies. A contributor to the New York Times bestseller Forks Over Knives and the creator of www.PlantBasedResearch.org, a free online database of research on plant-based nutrition, she holds an MSPH in Human Nutrition from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and is a PhD candidate in Nutritional Epidemiology at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She is the author of A Plant-Based life: Your Complete guide to Great Food, Radiant Health, Boundless Energy, and a Better Body (AMACOM). She lives in Boston.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Plant-Based-Research-303384226459892/

Blog: http://micaelakarlsen.com/blog/

Website: http://plantbasedresearch.org/

Interstellar Lasagna from Micaela Cook Karlsen

Posted on January 29, 2017 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Delicious Dishes .

A Plant Based Life Cookbook Author Micaela Cook Karlsen shares her delicious and nutritious recipe for lasagna with Urban Suburban Mommy. Read our full interview with Micaela here.

Interstellar Lasagna

“I finished perfecting this recipe the week that NASA’s Kepler Mission found a new Earth-like planet, 452b, so I named it in honor of the discovery,” she said.

Ingredients:

Layer 1: 1 medium onion, 1 16-ounce package firm tofu (drained), 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 ½ teaspoons white miso , 1/3 cup nutritional yeast, 1/3 cup packed fresh basil leaves

Layer 2: 1 medium onion, 1 10-ounce package cremini mushrooms (stems trimmed), ½ cup frozen spinach, ¼ cup pine nuts, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, salt to taste

Additional components: 1 10-ounce box whole-grain lasagna noodles and 3 to 4 cups of your favorite tomato sauce (or try Chef AJ’s Quick Sun-Dried Tomato Marinara)

Toppings: 1 medium tomato, sliced thinly, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, Salt to taste

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Make layer 1: Place the onion in a food processor, and pulse until it is finely chopped. Add the tofu, garlic powder, miso, and nutritional yeast and blend until everything is evenly mixed. At this point the mixture will be like a dry puree—grainy and not too wet. Add the basil leaves and pulse until the basil is chopped into small bits and evenly distributed in the mixture. Transfer the contents of layer 1 to a medium bowl.

Make layer 2: Place the onion in a food process and pulse until it is finely chopped. Add the mushrooms, spinach, pine nuts, Italian seasoning, and salt and blend until everything is evenly mixed.

Assemble the lasagna: Divide your noodles into three equal piles, to correspond with the three noodle layers in the final dish. Cover the bottom of a 9 x 13–inch glass pan with ¾ cup tomato sauce and ½ cup water. Use a spoon to mix the two and evenly distribute the liquefied sauce. Place one layer of lasagna noodles on top of the sauce-water mixture. Cover the noodles with 1 to 1 ½ cups tomato sauce, using a spoon to evenly distribute it. Add the mixture for Layer 1 to the pan. Cover layer 1 with the second layer of noodles. Add the mixture for Layer 2 to the pan. Cover Layer 2 with the third/top layer of noodles. Cover the noodles with 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups tomato sauce using a spoon to evenly distribute it.

Add the toppings: Place tomato slices on top of the sauce evenly around the pan. Sprinkle each slice with a bit of salt for added flavor, if desired, then sprinkle the nutritional yeast evenly on top of the tomatoes.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes, then remove cover and bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until the top surface has developed a skin. Serves 6-8.

Micaela Karlsen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Plant-Based-Research-303384226459892/

Blog: http://micaelakarlsen.com/blog/

Website: http://plantbasedresearch.org/

Me and my mid-century modern!

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Urban Suburban Mommy .

This week from The Modern Curator: Mid-century modern lighting, for a steal!

Seeing this little miss at the table, hard at play melted us! She’s got the perfect mid-century modern setting to get the creativity flowing.

Sputnik-Inspired Chandelier from Costco in stores.

Recently, my husband and I went shopping for a new light for our dining room. Our goal was to find something mid-century modern inspired with an artistic touch. I’m not sure if you have been lighting shopping lately, but we suffered from a bit of sticker shock when we discovered some of the prices! Then, we stumbled across the sputnik-inspired chandelier from Costco… of all places! We couldn’t believe the price was only $129 (easily $200 in savings, compared to other stores). We are thrilled with our purchase (and savings!) and find it’s the perfect art/light installation for our space. Here are seven more lighting options (some from places you might not expect!) that will add a hit of mid-century modern to your space and won’t break the bank.

Elise Ceiling Pendant from Canadian Tire

Bentwood Pendants from West Elm

Swedish Ball Pendant with White Glass by Hampton Bay from Home Depot

Large Mobile Chandelier from West Elm

Knappa Pendant Lamp from Ikea

3-Light Drum Pendant by TransGlobe Lighting from Wayfair.ca

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The Modern Curator

The Modern Currator

Look (sort of) rested with mombie-approved concealers

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Alexis Nicols Posted in The Best You .

Generally, I don’t think I ask much from my cosmetics – simply erase all signs of age, time and fatigue.

Easy peasey, right?

In reality, if I can look like I didn’t spend the night covered in small children who treat nighttime as an MMA championship, I will consider going outside. One product I won’t leave the house without is concealer.

The right product can make you look refreshed and rested. Not “Before Kids” rested, but definitely “hit the snooze button” rested.

Trust me when I say that I have tried every product on the market; high-end, low-end, pan, wand, brush, cream, stick and everything in between. I based my selections on the following criteria:

Coverage – Since I haven’t found a concealer that mimics the effects of a paper bag over my head, I look for concealers that cover what they’re supposed to (dark circles, sun spots and those adorable laugh lines) and endure throughout the day. If makeup doesn’t last past my first coffee or my toddler whipping a toilet brush at my face, you don’t get my money.

Skin tone – My skin has an interesting hue, the result of Middle Eastern/Eastern European heritage. I need a concealer with yellow undertones. As a result, I’ve never been able to use most drugstore brands. Most of them have a pink/peach payoff that looks, at best, mismatched and at worst, completely cray.

Make-Up Atelier Fluid Concealer: Oh, how do I love thee. Makeup artists and beauty insiders can’t get enough of this concealer. The pros favour its performance and shade range, and everyone loves that it’s cruelty-free. The texture is light and silky but not thin. Blends seamlessly into skin and is perfect for every day use.
($18, beautylish.com)

Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream Eyes: When I first went looking for this at Shoppers Drug Mart my shade was sold out. When I went online, it was also sold out. This isn’t a coincidence or a failure to order enough inventory – they just can’t keep them in stock. This product is a game-changer for tired eyes – a concealer with an added BB component means that imperfections are concealed and the eyes actually look brighter and less droopy. It could only be more perfect if it were available in a bra. ($29, beautyBOUTIQUE.ca)

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick: Full disclosure: my very first concealer was a Max Factor foundation stick. After Max Factor was purchased by Procter & Gamble, I couldn’t find it anywhere. I had no suitable replacement until I found Bobbi Brown’s Skin Foundation Stick. Don’t let the title fool you – it’s so creamy and blendable that it has become my favourite go-to concealer. The thicker consistency offers medium to full coverage without feeling greasy or heavy. And talk about longevity; I can endure a full day of parenting/working/feeling like a failure/cooking/cleaning/nursing/ordering in/watching four straight hours of Caillou/drinking wine in my closet.
($55, bobbibrowncosmetics.ca)

When all else fails, remember that a huge pair of sunglasses and an even bigger coffee will work just fine.

Momologist, Alexis Nicols

Alexis Nicols, our resident Momologist, is a marketing specialist, actor and freelance writer. She lives in urban Toronto with her husband and two sons, but is definitely suburban at heart. She regularly dodges the slings and arrows of parenting boys, considers herself a connoisseur of stretchy pants and hopes that the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t a train.

For more musings from a mom who wonders when everything below the neck went National Geographic, visit her blog: stopstopcomehere.ca

Let them eat lobster

Posted on January 24, 2017 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Delicious Dishes .

It’s expensive, it’s a delicacy, it’s butter-laden and indulgent, and you’re probably thinking I’m crazy when I say “Let them eat lobster.”

But hear me out: 15 minutes from start to finish. Yes, dinner ready in 15 minutes!

Plus, lobster is perfect for our 30 days of wellness. Lobster is actually really good for you. Yes, this luxurious indulgence is quite healthy – it’s known to be one of the healthiest sources of protein around (a 6 oz serving has about 30 grams of protein, no carbs and less than 2 grams of fat).

What you need:

– 1-2 pounds of lobster or a few claws and a few tails
– salt
– butter
– garlic

What you do:

Set the oven to broil and put a ramekin half full of butter into the oven to melt. While the oven is heating, place the lobsters or pieces of lobster on a broiling pan. Get out a cracker or sharp knife. If you have tails, slit the shell in half and expose the meat. If you have claws, make slits or cracks in each segment of the shell. I am not going to explain how to kill the lobster – Google it. I panicked and had the fish market kill and prep it for me.

Place all the pieces on the broiler pan

Put cracks or slits into each piece and open the shell

After 5 minutes, take the butter out of the oven now that it’s melted and add some garlic (I used powdered but you can also use fresh, just put it to the garlic press and add it to the butter), and add a bit of salt. Brush all of the lobster meat with the butter and put it into the oven to broil – for about 10 minutes.

Could be 8 minutes for small pieces, or up to 12 or 13 minutes for bigger, thicker pieces. If you have a 4 pound lobster it will be more like 15 or 16 minutes. It’s done when the flesh is opaque white and just ever-so-slightly starting to brown.

Take it out of the oven and serve with the melted butter for dipping.

Done!

So. Good.

Yes, it can be expensive, but it’s not an everyday meal. You need to mix up the dinner routine and you need a treat once in a while. Splurge on lobster. You may find it’s actually not as expensive as you think, depending on how close to the ocean you are and what time of year it is. Frozen tails are also another option.

Funny story – the reason I’m even writing this all started when we went to a steakhouse last week for my husband’s birthday. I ordered lobster. The boys tried it – and loved it. They ate half my dinner. A few nights later my 6 year old asked for lobster for dinner. I said no. His response? He grumbled “That’s preposterous!” as he walked away.

But he didn’t give up asking, so a couple of days later we went to the fish market to buy some.

If we’d gotten there early I could have just asked them to steam the lobster for me, but we were too late. As we tried to select our dinner in the big tank, I realized I… just… couldn’t.

Instead, the guy laughed at me and came out from the back with a tray of 4 claws and 2 tails. At $20, it was a steal.

So go for it, let them eat lobster, and feel good about it.

photo: Tom Thai

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