We went on our first family vacation via a plane! We were anxious, excited, and we’re mentally prepared to parent in a different city. We were excited mostly for the destination: Disney World! As the family trip planner, I set up everything, including a special surprise for everyone. I gave everyone a Disney vacation goody bag. This trip was to celebrate Liam’s 5th birthday. A big milestone. Huge! So part…
It’s been a minute since we added a new margarita to our line up. We have Disney to thank for that. Yes, you read that right. We’re fresh off a Disney vacation and we cannot stop thinking about the rose gold margaritas we were sipping poolside at the Polynesian Resort. Overall, the food in Disney was meh. There were a few hits, but otherwise, it was not a great selection.…
My new favorite salmon dish is here. It’s light, yet satisfying, savory, and flavorful. Who knew that a blackened salmon with corn salsa would slap? Blackening the salmon is the hardest part, mostly due to the smoke it causes (just us?), then everything else is really easy. Whenever my sister-in-law visits, we’re always trying to figure out what hearty vegetarian dish to make. We usually stick with salmon or some…
A previous version of this post for Meatball Pizza was published in July 2012. We added some word content as this was just a picture post — not sure what we were doing in 2012, ha! In the first few years of living together after college, Fatima and I lived on meatballs and pasta, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and cereal. Not only were we busy with work, we were just…
I just had my wisdom teeth removed. On the oral surgery scale, it’s like the least troublesome. But any small disruption in my daily routine is like the end of the world haha. I knew that I’d be limited to certain foods in recovery, so I planned my surgery in an off time of the year; between holidays and right before summer. Once I got through the first few days,…
We love a taco night. Who doesn’t? Fatima and I had one of those weeks where we wanted the best, dirty-delicious takeout food. We were stressed, our kids were sick, and all we wanted was Smashburger, Taco Bell, nachos, and every fried blooming onion I could find. Instead, Fatima whipped up these cheesy gordita tacos to keep our cravings at bay. If you don’t know, you buy cheesy gordita tacos…
As we grew the blog, I needed to elevate our photography mis en scene. Since you eat with all your other senses before you taste food, our photos needed to look good. Eventually, we bought some backgrounds. I love them, but I could not justify their cost when I wanted to change them out. So I made these DIY food photography boards; some with wallpaper and some with paint. I…
You guys, we started another YouTube Channel called Liam’s Train Time! It’s a family-friendly channel for you and your kids. It’s focused on all things toy trains (and some of his other toys). Liam loves his Thomas and Friends track layouts. He loves building them with me, and I love building them with him. We have so much fun together. Sometimes, we just build layouts and clean them up! That’s…
If I could eat out every day I would. I can’t think of anything better than having a spotless kitchen and zero dishes to wash all the time. I could not survive without a dishwasher. However, eating out is not sustainable for us; too many mouths to feed. So, if there are two people who will try to remake a favorite restaurant or takeout meal, it’s us. One too many…
We cannot believe Blair is now a toddler! It truly feels like yesterday we were just bringing him home from the hospital. Alas, here we are; newborn-less and two kids chasing each other around the house. Here’s a look at Blair’s First Birthday! It is so unlike me to not take photos. I was so busy setting up and then having fun, I forgot to capture our decorations in the…
When we lived in New York City, you could get a really good gyro in Queens. We lived around the corner from two really great spots. We loved them so much, we started making our own. Whenever I go grocery shopping for these, I always forget flatbread. Doing so, led me to make these chicken gyro bowls. These are super easy to make. How are they different from our chicken…
Around Christmas every year, we’d have my Nana bring her box of handwritten recipes to our house and we’d bake all sorts of things for everyone in my family. Christmas cookies, fudgy bars, pies; if sugar was the first ingredient, we baked it. I had my parents over a few weekends ago to do the same. It brought back so many fun memories. I am happy to continue this tradition…
A previous version of this post for DIY Cookie Jar was published in February 2013. We took new photos and adjusted the recipe. Valentine’s Day (and the week leading up to it) gives us a sweet excuse to make delicious treats. This DIY cookie jar is a perfect gift to hand out to your friends and loved ones. Although Fatima and I would love to hand out jars of MarquisRitas, we…
A previous version of this post for Peanut Butter Blossoms was published in December 2012. We took new photos and adjusted the recipe. One of my favorite flavors, as you are well aware, is peanut butter. What better way to celebrate the holidays than to mix peanut butter and chocolate? These peanut butter blossoms are really easy to make *cue eye rolls* trust me, they are! Remember when I tried…
A previous version of this post for Authentic French Toast was published in May 2013. We updated the recipe with new photos. For Mother’s Day Fatima and I made a delicious breakfast for my mom. She only had a few requests for the menu, one of them being french toast. I love french toast. Rather than making the same egg mixture for her, I wanted to try something new. Enter Martha…
A previous version of this post for DIY Chalkboard Ornament was published in December 2013. We took new photos and updated some of the written content. Here’s a thought, let’s make a chalkboard ornament! Take all that chalkboard paint you bought earlier this year and spray your ornaments. We got these ceramic ornaments from Michaels for about $1. Let them dry and write a message or draw a picture! This…