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. Peanut Butter Blossoms are a timeless cookie that has been enjoyed by generations. They’re easy to make and require no fancy ingredients, making them a perfect recipe for beginner bakers. One of my favorite flavors, as you are well aware, is peanut butter. What better way to…
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…
A few weeks ago, an Etsy ad jumped into my Pinterest feed pushing a faux gingerbread house to me. These weren’t just any old gingerbread houses. These were dollhouse-sized replicas of historical homes. They were gorgeous and way out of my price range. But they gave me an idea. Can I make these in real life? And then I saw a video of someone making faux gingerbread houses on Pinterest.…
A previous version of this post for Chocolate Chip Cookies was published in June 2014. We took new photos and updated the recipe. Have you ever had some Pot Belly chocolate chip oatmeal cookies? Wow. Just wow. Soft, warm, and delicious. Not that our recipe would replace the real thing, I think I got this recipe close to Pot Belly’s. When we made our large chewy chocolate chip cookies, I thought they tasted…
I cannot believe this is our fifth year celebrating Halloween as a family…and it’s Blair’s first Halloween! We (I) got so many new Halloween decorations to display around the house. This year, Liam was adamant about being Spider-Man. I did not put up a fight because that meant we could reuse his birthday costume. Lilies and Loafers has affiliate relationships, so we may get a small share of revenue from…
This weekend, we caught up with a close friend over homemade brunch. We had fresh fruit, made sweet potato hash, pumpkin brioche french toast, and enjoyed an apple cider mimosa…or two. We have plenty of apple cider recipes on our blog: sangria, donuts, loaf cake, and margaritas. We might have more apple cider recipes than pumpkin! Surprisingly, we didn’t have one for an apple cider mimosa. Apple Cider Mimosa Let’s…
What are Boo Baskets, you ask? They’re like Easter Baskets. Instead of a ‘bunny’ delivering them, a ‘ghost’ delivers these baskets. Boo Baskets are just another excuse to fill something up with candy and goodies to give to kids. This year, I was feeling extra festive and wanted to send my nephews and niece some goodies for Halloween. Target’s Halloween pails were only $1 and we found a lot of…
After the success of our summer crafts for kids, I needed to continue arts and crafts for Liam, but themed for the fall and Halloween. Our son has been loving the arts and crafts sessions we do on weekends, school holidays, and rainy days. We get to practice cutting, gluing, taping, and working our imaginations. But my main goal is for these projects to be fun. Here are some of…
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I love the lead up to Halloween even more. I think it’s just the whole autumn vibe I love about this time of year: the cozy lattes, crisp and cool air, carving pumpkins, leaf colors etc. Oh, and the decorations. On our YouTube channel, we started a new series called Unboxing Halloween! Lilies and Loafers has affiliate relationships, so we may get a…