Toddler approved meals

I have a lovely toddler who is not into eating a lot of vegetables. As of late I have decided to try and find ways to get her to eat her veggies without her even realizing it. This recipe portions and freezes well for make ahead meals (which is great for me since baby #2 is almost here and cooking meals will be out the window soon), and it is pretty delish even for adults.


Broccoli and Spinach Pasta
1 TBL butter
1 TBL flour
1 cup milk (for a lighter sauce, use skim)
1/2 cup grated cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cooked pasta of choice, about1 cup uncooked (I recommend wheat or fortified pasta)
Vegetables of choice, chopped finely

Melt butter and stir in flour. Once it is smooth slowly add in the milk, using a whisk to get rid of any chunks. Bring to a light boil so that it thickens. Reduce heat, add in cheese, salt and pepper, and voila! Sauce is ready.
Add in vegetables of choice to your sauce and keep on low heat so they get soft. **If you are doing a lot of hard vegetables like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc I would recommend steaming them quickly in the microwave beforehand to save time.**
Add in cooked pasta and you're ready to go. With the extra pasta (if there is any) divide it into plastic bags portioned for your toddler and freeze. It reheats in about 1 min, stir after 30 seconds.

The nice thing about this recipe is that it is simple, completely flexible, and healthy! I know that the makers of baby/toddler foods have the best intentions, but this is preservative free and way cheaper than buying pre-made food.

Party Planning

This is an ode to my mother who may be the best party thrower ever! Here are some preliminary tips on party planning...

The beginning stages

1. Pick a theme. My mom is already planning, purchasing, and scheduling her Halloween Party. She has been in the works for quite some time, I'd say a good six months. Not all parties need this much advanced planning, but hers does. The theme this year is like an Old Hollywood/ celebrity theme. Once the theme is narrowed down it makes it super easy to start collecting decorations, invites, etc. 
2. Start Collecting. Nothing is worse than falling in love with the last xyz at a store, then to find out that it can't be ordered in time. For Julia's birthday party I found the cutest little gift boxes at a garage sale in April as well as themed cupcake decorations at a post-Easter sale. If I had waited until June to get these things I probably would not have found what I was looking for or I would have had to of settled for the next best thing. I also purchased all of the table clothes, cups, plates, decorations a month in advance just to make sure we had it all and I didn't have to stress last minute. Seasonal items also tend to be available in greater supply months before the actual holiday.
3. Make your guest list. Even having a tentative idea in your mind of how many people are coming will help with small last minute details. Try and send out a Save The Date card, text, FB invite, etc so that people have plenty of time to get work off so they can be there. This is especially important at catered events, like our Halloween Birthday party 2 years ago, or say, a wedding...
4. Make a tentative menu. Start collecting recipes, advice, ideas, etc to help make food planning and preparation a breeze. I had my menu made about a month in advance for Jackson's baby shower and I was able to tweak it accordingly. I didn't have to stress about food...one less thing.

I will stop here. These are the first 4 steps to a great party, but trust me there are more to come.