Thanksgiving To Go

It is funny how many of my girlfriends don’t cook, or don’t like to cook. This makes no sense to me because I LOVE to cook; it is more of a creative outlet for me than anything else. So the idea of buying a precooked Thanksgiving dinner or going out to a restaurant is blasphemy. But plenty of people don’t like to cook, and for them, it must sound genius.

If you decide to forgo the standard tradition, or are making a new tradition, there are numerous vendors to choose from. Heck even the local grocery stores seems to carry the complete meal to go. If you are willing to make reheating your new turkey tradition, check out the following companies to prepare your festive meal.

HoneyBaked Ham (don’t let the name fool you) serves up The Big Feast for under $150 with some basic sides, but not a whole lotta fanfare. Check out all their combos online at HoneyBaked Ham.

Marie Calendar’s is cooking turkey too, and they seem to offer more of a complete Thanksgiving meal, and of course, they’re always serving up their delicious pies. And if you purchase $25 or more in Gift Cards you get a $5 gift voucher, would be a great idea to buy some gift cards, buy your Thanksgiving feast and save at the same time. Visit Marie Calendar’s online for more info.

Looking for organic, local goodness? Whole Foods, offers a similar feast to Marie’s, and you can pick up a great bottle of wine when you grab your dinner. They provide dinners for 6 with all the fixins, just turkeys and sides plus they provide re-heating instructions. Whole Foods ordering online makes it super convenient and quick.

Interested in eating out on Thanksgiving? Do you remember the scene from A Christmas Story? Apparently that is a thing of the past; everyone seems to be open this holiday. Again, blasphemy. I say let the restaurant industry spend their holidaysat home would ya? But alas, I am outnumbered. So if I had to go to a restaurant on Thanksgiving, I’d surely visit one with flat screens and the common sense to put on the games.

And while you are sitting at a booth somewhere surrounded by the culinary challenged. I’ll be lounging at my parent’s house, smelling the turkey, drinking mimosas, and watching football. And of course, I’ll be in the kitchen cooking comfort foods with my mama.

Trick or Treaters Wanted

Whatever happened to Halloween? And what the heck is “Trunk or Treat”? It sounds like something we should be doing with our significant others after the kids are asleep.

Seriously, does anyone else miss watching munchkins walk door to door, their plastic pumpkin heads filled with delicious goods? Spotting preteen Elvis’ and witches enjoying what may be their last year, carrying pillow covers sagging with loot. Do our children really have to settle for candy out of trunks in church parking lots and trick or treating at local malls?


And c’mon it’s not like you can trust everyone at church anyways. Yeah, I said it.

Let’s teach our kids we can have faith in our neighbors. And if you don’t want your kids to get overloaded on sugar, collect the candy and give it to charity. Or better yet, issue a snack out every once in a while, practice some control.

Let’s not make it so difficult. Look forward to Halloween, don’t be afraid, dress up your little pumpkins, grab some flashlights, sacks for treats and hit the streets.

Here’s the plan, pick the houses you want to visit, and don’t go to the scary ones. Spend time with your kids while you still can, they’ll be driving away in your SUVs before you know it. Have a Kit Kat and relax already, you’re gonna have a good time.
BTW trick or treating can be considered cardio.

Get in the spirit; throw on a funky hat or wig or something. Remember I’m not trying to change the world; just having a little bit of candy is all. It’s one night, enjoy it and get on with your life.

Save the real stress for Christmas, its only 70 days away and counting.

Most of the ladies I know do not look forward to football season. Now that we are in the thick of it, instead of loathing it, why not join the party? Coming from a girl who loves the sport, my goal is to encourage women to tolerate it at the very least, maybe even learn to love the game.

Women appreciate tasty hot wings, cold beer and cute guys, right? I’d say we’re halfway there. My suggestion is this, just try to look at football from a different angle -- the female angle; it’s a great way to meet men, tailgating is encouraged, and the football uniforms look pretty damn good from here.

I’m not asking you to learn what a “false start” is, or what the Tight End does, or even what a 2-point conversion means. I’m just asking you to look at football in a way you’ve never seen it before, through Gucci sunglasses and eyelash extensions.

Here are the top ten reasons Ladies should enjoy football season:

10. Mark Sanchez - sure he's a tad young, but he'll be around for a while.

9. For once, you may know where your boyfriend/husband is every Monday night, Thursday night and Sunday. Include Saturday too, if he’s a college football guy, and what self-respecting football watcher isn’t?

8. He won’t care if you go shopping as long as you stay out of the way of the TV.

7. Tony Gonzalez, even if he is married.

6. Football season only lasts around five months, six if you include pre-season, and that’s a helluva lot shorter than baseball season.

5. A great reason to start drinking early on a Sunday.

4. You can give your Swedish maid costume a break because your guy is totally involved in another fantasy.

3. He won’t actually drag you to a game unless you head to San Diego or Northern Cal; we’re still the largest metropolitan area without a football team. Didn’t the Rams leave like 16 years ago?

2. When a girl wears a football jersey it hides all of the squishy parts and boys think girls in sports outfits are awfully cute.

1. Did I mention Tom Brady?

So go forth ladies with your new outlook and celebrate the best tradition since turkey on Thanksgiving, or ham on New Year’s Day and yes, we all watch football on those days too. So throw your hair in a ponytail, grab a frosty one and join me and the boys, because it’s going to be another long, magnificent season.

Brought to you by MyOCMommy

I Love the Smell of Pumpkin in the Morning

Am I the only one who waits anxiously all year for pumpkin flavored treats to pop up again? Does anyone else possess a peppermint palate or a gingerbread gusto? 

Let's face it the old standards are around all year long; chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, carrot, lemon...and don't get me wrong, I'm a HUGE fan of these flavors. And clearly there is a reason they are in for the long haul. But there is something sweet about an old familiar essence arriving at my local coffee house or favorite bakery. Boy am I thrilled the wait is finally over.

For instance, this morning I tasted my first Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha and I was delighted, you can't get that at Eastertime. Admitting the free coffee postcard I received in the mail was addressed to a "Beata Cuffee", and she probably would have enjoyed the coffee as well as I did if she truly did exist. But as luck would have it, the card arrived at my house and my coffee nickname became "Bee" for the morning. 

I'm the type of person who will drift from milk chocolate in search of some seasonal savory. I'll pop an eggnog treat or two, and have even tried a fruitcake in the past. 

And I do agree that these periodic pals are more than welcomed, they are some of the scents and tastes that help define a season. Without the balance of nature, we'd be eating pumpkin muffins all year long and would have nothing to look forward to in the fall. I'll go along with it and I'll even raise my glass of spiked apple cider to prove it. 

Falling in Love with Fall

It’s fall again. My favorite time of the year. School, football and the holiday season are upon us.

I love the pumpkin lattes, the gingerbread Just a Bite Cake Pops and anything else with snowflakes or tinsel. This season always feels like family. It feels like a movie on a rainy Tuesday, or a football game on a Monday night. The tourists have gone home and I can reclaim my beach city. Nothing about fall isn’t delightful, except maybe the threat of California fires.

With that being said, this year was a bit different. I sent my eldest daughter off to Kindergarten. I miss her already. I miss knowing what she is doing, seeing who she is playing with and I miss having lunch with her every day. This may be a bit dramatic, but it seems like the beginning to a whole lot of not seeing her. She will be going to school for the next 13 years, and hopefully after that, she’ll be off to college. It seems like a long way off, but man, it seems like it’s just around the corner.

 

At least she's still young enough to enjoy crunching the leaves under her feet and picking out a costume for her favorite holiday. Maybe I'll order myself some Halloween Just a Bite Cake Pops and head off to the pumpkin patch while I still can, her little hand in mine.

Pretend City, Plum District & Just a Bite Cake Pops

We love events and we love kids, so being a part of the Pretend City Anniversary Party was a no-brainer. The festivities took place last Monday and there were over 400 Plum Moms and Families in attendance. We handed out pops by the handful. The kids enjoyed the museum while they snacked on vanilla and chocolate pops in an array of cheerful colors.

Pretend City has been a great addition to our community. They provide a safe learning environment for children, ages infant to 10 years, and their parents. Located at 29 Hubble, Irvine, CA 92618 the museum is open Tuesday - Sunday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Monday 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Your little ones will enjoy hours of fun in their pretend world, my girls loved going to see all the miniature shops and offices. And of course they loved eating their Just a Bite Cake Pops.

The event tickets were sold exclusively through Plum District. If you haven't heard of Plum District, it's the only daily deal site that caters to moms and families. Like Groupon, but for women like me and you, and any other moms or great girls you may know. Check out their daily deals and become a subscriber today.

We love being a part of local events, and if you or your company would like to provide our cake pops at your next gathering, hop on over to our website and order some today.

Healthy Snacking for Back to School

We may not all be parents yet, but even grown-ups like to take a snack break every once in a while. Why not make it a healthy snack? I’ve found ten great, new ways to snack healthy. Pack them in your kid’s lunchbox, toss one in your yoga bag, or throw them in your filing cabinet at work, either way snacking can be a healthy addition to your daily diet, just remember all you need is just a bite.


Late July Organic Dude Ranch Multigrain Snack Chips - 120 cal, 5g fat for 13
Made in a nut-free facility these chips pack omega-3 fatty acids and fiber. Some profits go to summer-camp scholarships. (http://www.latejuly.com/)

Tate's Bake Shop Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Cookies - 80 cal, 4g fat each
Tate's treats are made with healthy whole-grain flour and dark-chocolate chips. The cookie's size is just right. (http://www.tatesbakeshop.com/)

Frigo Cheese Heads Fit & Fun Lovers Natural Cheese - 60-70 cal, 3-5g fat each
String cheese is one of my all time favorites and I’m stoked to be introducing it to my kids, especially because my youngest won’t eat any meat. With high-calcium, reduced-fat string cheese you can try it both ways, white mozzarella and the speckled Colby Jack. (http://www.frigocheese.com/)

GoGo Squeez Applesauce - 50 cal, 0g fat each
My kids don’t necessarily like applesauce, but I sure do. I prefer the unsweetened versions and this pack is easy for one the go.

Dole Ready-Cut Fruit Strawberries, Peaches & Bananas - 70 cal, 0g fat per ½ cup
Smoothie ready fruit sounds like a no brainer for my family. Or keep it handy when the berries have gone out of season. Add it to low-fat yogurt and give them a whirl. (www.dole.com)

Seaport Edamame Soybeans in Pods - 90 cal, 3g fat each
It only takes a few minutes to heat up these single-serve packets of edamame. What a great snack and it is full of zinc, iron and protein. Makes you feel like you are having a fancy snack. (http://www.seapointfarms.com/)

Jamba Yogurt & Sorbet bars - 80-90 cal, 1-2g fat each

Who doesn’t love Jamba Juice? Now they are in the stores with these amazing sorbet and yogurt bars. Found in your local supermarket the pops have probiotics to help aid digestion. They will think they are having ice cream, and nobody needs to tell them any differently. (http://www.jambajuice.com/)

Tribe Origins Hummus, Tomato & Veggie - 70 cal, 6g fat for 2 Tbs.
Hummus is the snack of the year for us. We dip pita chips, tortilla chips and celery in it for a quick, healthy treat. I hear you can try it with pretzels too. (http://www.tribehummus.com/)

YoGreek Yogurt + Crunch - 140 cal, 1g fat each

My family loves yogurt and fruit with granola. This snack makes it easy to just add some chopped fruit for a healthy breakfast or even a dessert. With whole grains it will fill you up even more and is full of flavor. (http://www.yogreekyogurt.com/)

Remember to snack well and healthy. Kee your body going and your mind strong. Plus it doesn’t hurt if it rubs off on the little ones in your family or even on that guy sitting on the couch watching ESPN. And don't forget if you snack light, you will always have room for dessert – Just a Bite Cake Pops.