Recipe: “Skinnier” Pumpkin Bars

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‘Tis the season for pumpkin everything. Lattes, candy, candles and even body wash (yes, I can’t believe it either). Way before pumpkin became a trend, I’ve always liked pumpkin pastries, especially in the morning. Many are filled with sugar and lot’s of artificial junk. Although this does have some sugar, it’s a lot less than other pumpkin pastries I’ve had. I experimented with these skinny pumpkin bars a few times and think I have found perfect balance.

skinny pumpkin bars recipe for fall

These bars are a great treat and toddler approved. Whether a pre-dinner snack or a dessert, these pumpkin bars are delicious.  They are not overly pumpkin and the chocolate chips are a great addition, but could be supplemented with sliced almonds too. My son devoured three in one day and I am not going to even tell you how many I ate….. Continue reading →

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Pregnancy Update: Hello 3rd Trimester

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As I am sitting here while Noah naps, I really can’t believe how fast this pregnancy is going compared to the first. I heard that when you have a toddler, the second pregnancy flies by. No talking or singing to the belly anymore, knowing what weekly ‘fruit’ you are, no more reading the pregnancy books and blogs…so on. I would say part of that true, but Noah has been giving so much love to her these days. It really warms my heart! But lately, there is so much happening every day, time just seems to get away. But we are slowly getting ready for her (mentally too!) and we are so excited for her arrival.  Continue reading →

Tips for throwing a kid friendly football party

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NFL is officially back! I actually love watching football on Sundays, one of the best parts of fall. The food, friends and watching my oh-so-sad Chicago Bears. Before kids, my Sunday Funday would be spent out at brunch with bottomless mimosas and greasy food, but time has changed all that. Now, we usually have families here with kids and a few less mimosas. But it’s still so much fun, I look forward to it every week.

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The “All American Family” Portrait with HP

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When HP reached out looking for our aspect on what the American Family was, I felt two things. One, I was like, YES! I would love to share our family, our values and so on. What a cool experience right?! Family is one of the most important things in my life, in the world really. I couldn’t pass that up. And two, HP is an amazing company. It’s actually the computer I do all my blogging on. I got rid of my Mac a few years ago and have only been using this HP Envy Computer and just love it.

After a few rounds of interviews, a video submission and questionnaire, we made it in. I didn’t really know what to expect from the video shoot except I knew it was going to be a long day of filming with other families from the Chicagoland area. HP American Family campaignHP American Family campaign Continue reading →

Blogging: Transition from a food to lifestyle blogger

Posted in Coffee with Christine, motherhood by

This is kind of a rare topic for me. I don’t typically write about blogging or my process, which I can if that’s interesting, I just don’t think anyone would really care to read about it! (but please message me if you think differently!)

When I first started the Instagram account in 2015, I mainly focused on food. At that point in my life, it was just Manny and I. We dined out all the time, trying new restaurants, traveled and enjoyed being married, but as our family grew, things changed.  Continue reading →

Turkey Black Bean Sloppy Joe Recipe

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I woke up with a serious pregnancy craving last week. I needed Sloppy Joe. It’s a childhood classic and I knew I had to make it for dinner. This recipe is a little lighter than the traditional recipe, but still very kid friendly (Noah devoured it). It’s also made with San Marzano tomatoes, but can easily be swapped out for tomato sauce.

turkey black bean sloppy joe recipe

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My Thoughts on Amazon Fresh

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 I will admit it, I love grocery shopping. Like, a lot. I plan out our meals for the week in advance and shop based around the menu we have planned. But there are times when life happens and getting groceries delivered is a lifesaver. It’s also one of the best registry gifts for newborns (we registered at Buy, Buy Baby and Amazon. I recommend it to everyone when they ask, “what do I get a mom with a newborn?”. Groceries, Grubhub, really anything delivered is always helpful for new moms.

When Noah was an infant, we got groceries delivered a few times and it helped so much. It was winter and there were weeks we couldn’t leave the house. This past week, it was  busy, I had an Amazon gift card, so I decided to try Amazon Fresh for the first time. Why not?!

Amazon Fresh review groceries deliveredAmazon Fresh review groceries deliveredAmazon Fresh review groceries delivered

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My Mom’s Egg Salad

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Summer reminds me of a lot of things: bbqs, the pool, street festivals and my mom’s egg salad. It’s something I grew up eating as a kid and I had a serious craving for it this past weekend (yes, those pregnancy food cravings have hit). I wanted to share the recipe with you guys! It’s got a lot of crunch, which I like and haven’t tasted anything like it. I hope you like it as much as I do.

egg salad recipe, easy, home cooking
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Where I would make dinner reservations in Chicago

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Let me first say that we don’t get out too much these days, but when we do decide to get out for a date night, we try to make it nice (who got that Housewife Dorinda reference?!). We get all dolled up, hit the town, and home by 9pm :). These restaurants below not only have incredible food, but the atmosphere make great date night spots or perfect of towners.

chicago dinner reservations

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