This year we are going to enjoy a romantic date-night before Valentines and spend a fun evening together as a family on Valentine’s Day.  We love our babies and wouldn’t have a day dedicated to LOVE any other way.  The day will be packed full of love, as it will be just a typical Saturday of course!  Although, my boys will think they want their Saturday ritual which includes a stop at a favorite local restaurant for their bbq ribs to-go after an afternoon of football with Dad, however Mom has something else in mind….

Mom’s Berry Heart Healthy 
Valentines Dinner Menu

{Honestly, it is one of our family favorites around here, and not a single one of them will turn up their nose to dinner, and well, I impress myself every time I make it at home.  It is simple, easy, and looks + tastes fancy.}

Baked Salmon + Buttered Garlic Beans + Mashed Potatoes

with a Berry Vinaigrette Salad

>>> Strawberry Brownie Trifle <<<

I love to cook and I love simple recipes. When I look for recipes that inspire me to cook I look for 8 or less ingredients.  The goal is lots of flavor, simple real ingredients + simple easy to follow steps.  

This is a meal that can be prepped quickly and easily for any busy mom.  And you can easily make it extra V-Day special by setting the table and using the “nice” dishes and maybe skip the sippies!  And if your sweetie forgets to bring you flowers, pick them up for yourself at the market, why not?!  {Although I hope you do get flowers!}

Salad ::

Baby Spinach

Fresh Berries {Mix it up or just use your favorite berry!}

Raw Almonds {Chopped}

Berry Vinaigrette ::  makes about 3/4 cup

1/4 cup of oil

2-3  large strawberries

small handful of raspberries

a little bit of sea salt

2 to 3 tbs. apple cider vinegar

1 to 2 tbs. honey

3 tbs.  water

a little bit of dried or fresh basil 

Simply make a bed of spinach, sprinkle berries, chop almonds and sprinkle on top!

For the vinaigrette simply place all ingredients into a blender and give it a whirl!  

Baked Salmon :: 

I have a simple no-fuss cooking method for the salmon, or any fish of your choice, that takes only a few minutes to prep.  

Select a piece of salmon to feed your crowd 

Simply rub with oil, we like to use coconut oil, both the top and bottom

Place the filet with skin side on baking sheet

Add seasons  {Our seasonings of choice are :: old bay, sea salt, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, and pepper}

Add a few thin slices of lemon on top

If the filet is less than a 1/2″, 30 mins at 350 degrees should be perfect.  Add 5-10 mins. if filet is on the thicker side!  

You will know when the fish is done when it is no longer translucent and flakes with a fork! 

Buttered Garlic Beans ::

Sauteed 2-3 cloves of minced garlic in 2 tbs. of butter in a pan

Add washed fresh green beans and sauteed for about 10 mins. 

Sprinkle crushed almonds on top!  

Mashed Potatoes :: 

I don’t have any secrets here, I follow the same recipe my parents have used forever!  Peel, chop + boil potatoes for 30 mins., drain water, add 2 tbs. butter and a few tbs. of milk, season with salt + pepper, and mash it UP!  

I am looking at trying this healthy recipe!  Garlic Cauliflower Mash (Fake Mashed Potatoes)

Or making regular mashed potatoes in the crock pot and trying this recipe!  Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

For the LOVE of strawberries!  

A Simple Strawberry Brownie Trifle ::

Pull out a pretty trifle dish or any glass bowl and make a crowd pleasing dessert!  

Bake brownies according to directions 

Let brownies completely cool and slice into little cubes  about 3/4″

Sprinkle a layer of brownies on bottom of dish

Follow with a layer of cool whip

Followed by a layer of sliced fresh strawberries

Repeat!  

Finish the top with crushed almonds or pecans!

The evening will be full of LOVE, great food and board games!  Maybe we will finish it off with a cozy snuggle on the sofa watching a movie.  An evening surrounded by my boys sounds like perfection to me!  

Here is a snap-shot from Valentines 2014!  Oh, the shenanigans! 

XOXOX Happy Valentines Day!!  >>>>>

Seems everywhere you look lately mason jars are being used and not just in their intended purpose.  Now some may say I have a {SLIGHT} Mason jar problem… okay maybe I do… Ok ok, Hello my name is Brandi and I am a Mason jar addict. I use them for EVERYTHING! Drinking glasses, storage, décor, organization, party favors/decorations, and yes even for their intended purpose canning!

I love masons and masons love me! They make me happy, the colors {from true vintage blue to the new vintage blues and greens} the shapes and sizes! They remind me of my childhood trips to the south visiting family. Sunday afternoons after church sipping cold lemonade from mason jars, sitting on Great Aunt Barbs back porch snapping beans & shucking corn for supper. Running thru the sprinklers or swimming, waiting on Great Uncle Bud to come back with his catch of the day. Memories of a slower, simpler, sweeter time.

So why am I going on about mason jars on a frugal Friday post? Because so many people want to join the {Mason jar movement} but think they have to or could only buy them at grocery/big box stores for retail prices.

Let me be clear that is the furthest from the truth!! Not only have I found a million ways to use them I have found almost as many ways to acquire them for cheap or free!

Inventory and decide what you need ::

First and foremost you need an idea of what size you want or need and what you want to do with them. For example I want to make a soap dispenser for my kitchen. So I’m not going to use the short squatty pint size, you’ll want to use a taller and maybe antique one {if you trust your wet hands ;)}.

For other projects a newer possibly stronger may be a better choice. For instance the jars we use in the kitchen at home {storing leftovers, spices, salad, and drinking glasses} I use new(er) mason jars or ones I know where they have been!

On that note, getting used mason jars they should be handled with care, thoroughly inspected and washed with {my solution to everything} scalding hot water & Dawn dish soap.

Simple ideas of where and how to gather ::

I have been lucky on my mason jar missions! I have found hundreds for free on Craigs List and Freecycle {and these are the ones I handle with care and scrub incessantly with hot water and dawn}. Garage sales are also in the handle with care category. I have also learned with these free jars a lot of them may not be “actual” mason jars and may be recycled jars. These are great for many things and unless you are super or OCD {like someone, ahem, who must have all jars be MASON jars}, and can be used for most projects interchangeably.

Crafty advice :: 

Another time non-mason jars are nice is some of those adorable Pinterest projects that require a smooth surface. This is where some creative mojo can be used! If you are like me and LOVE that mason shape most craft and some big box stores have started selling “crafting” mason jars. This is where watching the sales and using coupons will truly benefit you. In all my searches I have only found these sold individually and tend to be pricey. So watch your local craft stores and learn to shop the sales and stack coupons when allowed. I have learned that some {Hobby Lobby} sales rotate on a bi/tri weekly sale rotation…watch the fliers and stock up when 50-60% off! Also try to use competitor coupons when you can! I forget this one and have a great cashier who reminds me 😉

All you need to do is ask :: 

My last suggestion is kinda silly and to some common sense… Ask around! You’d be surprised what you can get for free just by asking. I helped with a birthday party and put it out there I was looking for mason jars of all sizes and they came to me! I even had a friend call me to tell me to bring a big box she found hundreds of mason jars at the curb on a dirt road! I grabbed the kids and flew there, all sizes just sitting there for the taking! They needed a bath…bad! But that’s where my scalding water and dawn come in and not use them for food purposes unless I super clean them 😉 I’ve also been texted to run to an estate or garage sale a time or two for uber cheap jars even antique ones! Word of mouth still rules!!

Hope this inspires you to go hunt some jars, get your craft on and save you some $$! If I have missed any ingenious ways to acquire jars or save on them let me {us} know! I love new fun ideas and feedback! Toodles til next Frugal Friday!!

Enough, already!

On behalf of all moms, new mommies in particular: Can we all please STOP JUDGING?!

Good grief, I’m so over it!

(Deep breath.)

I’m a little scared to post photos of my daughter, Lucy, to any sort of social media right now because of the judgmental comments. The mall seems like a breeding ground for “baby experts.” Even friends and family can sometimes be overwhelming in terms of giving their “advice.”

I cannot tell you how many times a day I’m made to feel like an awful parent. And I know I’m not the only one who feels this way.

I posted a photo on my Instagram account recently (@cupcakeshannon, by the way!) of my husband, Andrew, making dinner in our kitchen with Lucy on his chest in the Baby Bjorn. Oh my goodness. Cue the SuperMoms and their judging.

“Those carriers are so bad for the babies hips and legs.”

“WHY would you ever subject your daughter to that thing?”

A pic of Lucy in her car seat with stuffed animal puppy strap covers?

The SuperMoms were in full force letting me know that strap covers are a “forbidden product” and I needed to read my car seat manual and take a safety class at my local hospital.

For the record, she was in her stroller, not the car. I put those on her when we’re going to be walking around for awhile so the straps don’t irritate her little neck. P.S. I took a Baby Safety class and yes, have even read my car seat manual, thank you.

I love putting Lucy in headbands. (She’s bald, so it helps people realize that she’s a girl, not a boy. Ha. Plus, I think they’re so cute!!!)

Well, SuperMoms are informing me that I really should stop doing that because she’ll be embarrassed later in life when she looks at her baby photos.

And comments on my post-baby body? I’m not even going to go there.

It’s so frustrating! We are all in this together. None of us are perfect mommies. And HELLO: We would never do anything to put our child(ren) in harm’s way. So just chill out! (Obviously, if you see a child in danger, speak up. I’m more so talking about the unnecessary comments and opinions here.)

I’m hoping I don’t sound like a careless, bitter, angry mama … because I swear, I’m not! I just know all about that little tingle of hurt that arises when people make comments. It’s stressful enough being a new mom and trying to figure out all of this “stuff;” The comments simply add another layer of anxiety.

I actually have a photo that I keep on my iPhone for moments when I need to step back and take that deep breath.

Encouragement is SO powerful at this stage in a woman’s life. It means so much to me when I’m complimented on how I’m parenting my daughter, instead of being made to feel like I’m doing everything wrong. Being a mom is such a beautiful, gratifying, amazing experience … Don’t ruin it for someone else.

I’m hoping that this little post will make us all think before we rush to judge another mom.

One more thing: You HAVE to watch this video that Similac did about this topic. I was dying laughing. They nailed it.