YUMMommy

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  • 2015 YUMMommy Reader Survey

    Hi YUMMs,
    With 2016 being less than two months away, I want to make sure that I’m giving you all content that you want to read and find valuable.  Therefore, I created this reader survey to help me give me an idea of what you all want to see around these parts and how often you want to see it.  My goal for 2016 is for us to get to know each other better and to grow together.  That means that there will be a few changes, but I’d love your input beforehand.
    This survey is completely anonymous.  I’m not asking for your name or email address.  So, you can be open and honest with your answers.  I’m looking forward to hearing what you have to say.  This survey will close on November 30th at 11:59 PM EST.
    [googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”forms/d/1CrzbDIz3BPGXqwpMe2R4IkL7LosO6nvhG9Fx5VxltA8/viewform” query=”embedded=true” width=”760″ height=”500″ /]
    Thanks for your feedback!

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  • NaBloPoMo Week 1

    Hi y’all!  Although this Monday has been absolutely gloomy with nothing but dark clouds and bucket after bucket of rain, I’m feeling happy.  Why?  Well, it’s Day 9 of #NaBloPoMo and I’ve made it an entire week of blogging.  Yes, this is something to celebrate because I usually don’t blog at all on the weekends.
    I’m so proud of myself for knocking out Week 1.  NaBloPoMo is a lot to take on when you’re not a daily blogger.  Plus, did I mention that I was also participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)?  That’s going good as well thanks to my NaNo writing buddy.  She’s absolutely amazing and we’ve been meshing well together so far.
    Anyways, I started off NaBloPoMo announcing that I was going to participate in the challenge to blog everyday in November.  After what’s a challenge without a little bit of accountability?  Plus, sharing is caring, right?  I’ve been seeing so many other bloggers on social media talk how they’ve never heard of NaBloPoMo until stumbled across other bloggers announcement posts.  I’m glad that I could do my part and help spread the work about this challenge and look forward to all the new bloggers joining in next year. 
    Also, last week I shared my desire to become a better photographer.  No, I’m not looking for a career switch or move.  I’ve just come to understand that my photography skills need a bit of work.  I feel like I’m not capturing so many things and people properly.  There’s no greater frustration than when you’re trying your best and it still leaves a little bit lacing
    Because Turkey Day is coming up, I thought it’d be good to share my unofficial Thanksgiving menu with you all.  And while we’re on the subject of Thanksgiving, I can’t wait to share my upcoming post of yummy recipes you’ll want to add yours.
    I talked to you all about how decided to through my excuses in the trash and get serious about spending time doing things that I really want to do.  I’m determined to make time for what matters most to me (and my family).
    What would a week over here on YUMMommy be without my weekly Thankful Thursday post?  I love being able to look back over my week and reflect on all the great things that I have happened for us.  I’ve said this many times, it’s easy to get caught up in focusing only on the negative.  Thankful Thursday is my way of keeping the darkness away or bringing out the sun on a rainy day. 
    Blogging hasn’t been all roses.  Starting YUMMommy has definitely had it’s charming times.  And when you’re almost ready to throw in the towel, I think it’s a great idea to remind yourself of all the reasons you love blogging.  I did!
    I ended the week with a tasty new recipe brought to YUMMommy readers by Pillsbury.  If you haven’t checked out my Frosted Pecan Faux Doughnuts recipe, then I suggest you get on it.  I’m also giving away PayPal Cash too.

    And that’s it for my Week 1 posts.  I have even more awesome posts in store this week and next week.  So, what about you all?  Are you participating in NaBloPoMo?  How was your first week?

     Let me know in the comments below how you’re enjoying this challenge so far!

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  • Our 2015 Holiday Bucket List

    Ready or not, there’s no denying that holiday season is here.  Thanksgiving is around the corner and Christmas is coming up in a little over a month followed closely by the New Year.  Of course, the YUMMommy household couldn’t let the holidays roll by without creating a list of fun holiday activities we hope to accomplish this holiday season.  After all the holiday isn’t just about spreading cheer, giving thanks and celebrating the birth of our Savior, but making memories along the way as well.

    Our 2015 Holiday Bucket List

    Attend Thanksgiving Parade

    For as long as I’ve been in the Queen City, I’ve never been to a parade.  That’s awful considering I’ve been living here for about eleven years.  Not to mention, there are more than a handful of parades that happen here.  Last year and the year before last year we had planned on attending the Thanksgiving/Christmas parade, but didn’t.  The Mr had worked the night before which meant I was left doing the cooking and watching the kids.

    Also, the year before last we decided to use one of those disposable turkey pans since our rental didn’t have a dishwasher and I didn’t want to spend all Thanksgiving washing dishes.  Bad mistake because our pan ended getting a hole in it somehow during baking.  That led to the juices from the turkey splattering on the bottom of the oven and almost caused a grease fire.  In the middle of taking the turkey out of the oven to move to a new pan, the bottom gave out and hot grease and turkey juices splattered on my foot.  So, no parade because I had to spend Thanksgiving with an ice pack on my foot to take down the swelling from the light burn.

    This year we’re determined to make it.  I’ve invested in a real turkey roasting pan and I plan on starting my cooking earlier so that I won’t be up all night.  Unfortunately the Mr still has to work the night before and probably won’t be joining us at the parade.

    Take Holiday Pictures

    My kids might not believe in Santa, but we still love tradition of taking Santa pictures.  Well, Moo does.  JJ has not been a fan of Santa.  Hopefully, that will all change this year since he’s made so much progress with therapy and responding better to strangers in general.

    In addition to Santa pictures, I’m in the process of trying to schedule our family holiday pictures.  We will be booking our pictures with Portrait Innovations.  I’ve talked about them a few times on the blog already.  Again, Moo is over the moon about getting to dress up and pose for the camera.  I’m excited to because we haven’t had professional pictures taken in a while.

    Put Up Christmas Decorations

    We’re halfway through with this to-do on our bucket list because we’ve already put up our Christmas tree.  It’s our tradition to put the Christmas on November 1st.  Some years it’s gotten put up a few days late, but this year we got it up on time.  I don’t go all out with tons of Fall decorations and I don’t like having turkeys everywhere for Thanksgiving.  We did put out pumpkins for Halloween, but those are packed up now.
    I still have to find hooks for our stocking so that they will stay hanging on the mantle.  Also, I need to find a Christmas/Winter wreath for the front door.  My mom gifted me one of her Christmas china sets that she had since I was little.  So, I want to find a cute table cloth, runner and napkins to really do the table up after Thanksgiving passes.  Also, we need some Christmas figurines to decorate the top of the mantle and clings to decorate the windows.

    Watch Holiday Movies

    Hallmark has already started playing a variety of Christmas and Thanksgiving movies.  Plus, ABC has released their 25 Days of Christmas watch list.  So, I’m hoping that we’ll be able to watch a new holiday movie every night starting next week.  I’ve been working on putting together a list of holiday movies on Netflix too for those days we can’t find a family appropriate holiday movie on cable.

    Family Holiday Date Night

    Remember my list of activities I want to start making more time for that I shared last week?  Click here if you missed it.  One of those activities was family date nights.  Since the Mr probably won’t make the Thanksgiving parade, I’m working on planning a Christmas related family date night for one of his days off next month.  Right now I’m trying to decide between dinner and a movie or dinner and going to see the lights in Christmas Town USA aka McAdenville, NC. 

    Serve The Community

    Of course, the holidays is a great time to teach the kids more about compassion.  Helping those in need is a cause that is very near and dear to my heart because I grew up poor.  My mom held down multiple jobs at once and sometimes we still needed assistance with things like bills and food.  One Christmas we were nominated to be adopted by this church in a nearby town.  They drove over an hour on Christmas Eve to surprise us.
    It was hands down one of our best Christmases. It wasn’t because of the gifts, but because of the kindest of these strangers.  They were driving one of those vans that holds twelve to fifteen people and the back rows were filled to the brim.  At first we thought we were getting one or two things and that they had another family to deliver to, but everything in the van was for us.  I think everyone’s eyes almost popped out of our heads.  
    I can’t afford to go all out like that yet, but I do know that we will be giving back to our community in some way.  Somewhere out there some family needs our kindness and generosity. 

    Make Holiday Treats

    Food makes the holidays extra special.  Food is definitely my love language and something that I’m passionate about.  During the holidays I do find myself baking more and this year we want try to make a different holiday treat every week until the New Year.  There will be a bit of challenge to finding recipes that meets everyone’s food allergy restrictions, but we’re up for the challenge.  
    Realistically though, some treats will probably be just for me and the Mr though.  I actually got a headstart on that with my Frosted Pecan Faux Doughnuts that I made on Saturday.  They were delicious.  And you can even sub the regular crescent rolls for gluten-free ones if you can find them as well as leave off the pecans for just frosted faux doughnuts.

    Do An Advent Calendar

    I saw so many families doing advent calendars last year that I just had to try it this year.  Moo has her own Barbie advent calendar that she will be getting for her birthday.  I’m still on the hunt for one for JJ and I’m looking into Bible/Couple related advent calendar to do with the Mr.

    25 Days of Jesus Bible Study

    Also, this year I want us to read the story of Jesus starting December 1st to his birthday on Christmas Day.  I’m working scheduling out what scriptures we’ll read day.  More than likely I’ll share that schedule here on the blog with a free notes printable for anyone who wants to join in.
    Now that I’ve shared our bucket list, I can’t wait to hear about what’s on your family’s list this year. 

     Leave me a comment below with one thing that you hope to cross off your list this holiday season.

    Happy Holidays,
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  • Frosted Pecan Faux Doughnuts

    Thanksgiving is steadily approaching.  Earlier this week, I shared my unofficial Thanksgiving dinner menu and mentioned that we would be having Pillsbury Crescent Rolls.  Well I got to thinking about how I could transform those crescent rolls into a tasty holiday treat.  Behold my Frosted Pecan Faux Doughnuts were born!
    They’re the perfect sweet holiday treat.  While I do enjoy cooking from scratch, making doughnuts from scratch can be time consuming.  The last thing I want is to be stuck in the kitchen longer than I have to be for Thanksgiving.  Pillsbury’s Original Crescent Rolls are make a wonderful, easy and delicious substitute for doughnut dough.   
    Most importantly it will cut down on my time in the kitchen and maximize my time around the dinner table with my family. I hope you all enjoy this recipe.  Check it out below and be sure to share it with your friends.

    Ingredients

    2 cans of Pillsbury Original Crescent rolls (each can makes 4 doughnuts)
    1 can  of Pillsbury Funfetti Icing with Sprinklers
    1 can of Fisher Ice Cream Toppers Cinnamon Pecans
    Vegetable Oil

    Directions

    In a medium sauce pan heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees on medium to medium-high heat.  While oil is heating place sprinklers, half of frosting and cinnamon pecans into separate dipping containers.  Then, open crescent rolls and roll out each sheet on a lightly floured surface.  You will notice that each sheet has eight triangles.  
    Break the triangles into groups of twos.  You should have four rectangles made of two triangles for each can of crescent rolls.  Pinch together the perforated seams of each rectangle.  Then roll each rectangle into a tube.  Pinch together ends of your dough tubes like the picture below to form your doughnut.
    Once the oil is heated, drop in one doughnut at a time.  Brown lightly on each side.  Be sure to watch your Pillsbury Crescent Roll doughnuts as they will brown quickly and could burn.  Turn down the heat if yours start to brown too fast.  Once your doughnuts are browned on both sides drain on a wire baking rack or plate covered with paper towels or a brown lunch bag.
    When all of your doughnuts are finished, dip each into the icing, followed by the sprinkles and then the cinnamon pecans.  If you have a nut allergy, feel free to leave off the nuts.  You can substitute with crispy bacon, crunched pumpkin seeds or whatever your favorite crunchy holiday dessert topping is.
    And here you have it, Frosted Pecan Faux Doughnuts that are sure to be a hit at Thanksgiving dinner.  They’re sweet, crunchy, light and easy to make.   Want to try this recipe out for yourself?  You can save money by taking advantage of the following deals on Pillsbury’s refrigerated baked products at Publix:
    Nov 1st-30th: Save $1 when you buy any 3 Pillsbury Refrigerated Baked Goods Products (Get the coupon here)
    Nov 12th-18th: Purchase 3 Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits for $5 (3 for $5)
    Nov 19th-25th: Purchase 3 Original Crescent Rolls for $5 (3 for $5)
    Also, you can enter for a chance to win $10 in PayPal Cash (thanks to the folks at Pillsbury) to help you purchase your ingredients, by using the widget below.  This giveaway is open to US residents 18 & older. 
    What is your favorite holiday dessert?

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  • What I Still Love About Blogging

    Photo: CreateHER Stock
    YUMMommy has been my baby for almost six years.  No worries, it will continue to be my baby for many more years to come.  I first created this blog to have a place to reach out to other moms (and dads).  At the time, I was single mom who felt alone in her journey of trying to parent a child in modern times.  As with anything in life, I’ve had my ups and downs with this blog.  Here’s why I’m still in it for long haul to keep sharing my journey, tips and more.

    What I Still Love About Blogging

    The lovely ladies of Blog Charlotte enjoying Mom’s Night Out at Chick-fil-A

    Building Community & Friendships

    Before starting this blog I was a severe introvert.  Now, I’m still very much an introvert, but I’m a functioning introvert with people skills.  I love that I’ve built a community on here and through my social media channels.  What I love even more are the friendships that I’ve cultivated through this world of blogging that have transcended beyond the computer.  
    It’s refreshing to have others who can relate to struggles, frustrations and successes that come with owning and maintaining a blog.  Writing and blogging can be lonely at times because we spend a lot of time in front of our computer screens, but our supporters and fellow blogger friends make it all worthwhile.  I love you guys enjoy sharing your stories with me either in the comments here on the blog, through an email or via social media.
    We’re here to support each other.  Kids or no kids, everyone needs to have village, community and friends they can go to.  We all need that place we can go to and be surrounded by people who get us and understand what it is we’re going through.  And for me, YUMMommy has become and continues to be that place.

    Creating A Legacy

    Most of us want or desire to create some sort of legacy to pass down to our children.  This blog is my legacy that I will pass down to Moo and JJ.  I first realized that I was creating a legacy with YUMMommy when I was working on a post one day and Moo came to sit on the couch with me.  She’s been fascinated by the fact that I’m blogger pretty much since was old enough to comprehend what a blog is.
    That day she asked if she could have/take over my blog when she became a mom.  My first thought was “you want to be a mom?”  Isn’t that what all little girls want to be at some point?  I didn’t.  The thought of being a mom when I was her age terrified me and it took me a long while to decide that I wanted to have kids.
    However, Moo’s always known that she’s wanted to be a mom like me.  And now she wants to be the future YUMMommy.  I told her that yes, I would pass the blog down to her and that she’d have to find a way incorporate her brother and other future siblings.  Since then, she’s been just as involved in this blog as I have.  She tags along to blog events, she’s always giving me ideas of things that I “should” talk about and she asks a million and one questions on how blogging works.
    It’s heartwarming and delightful to see her learning and trying to learn the lay of this land in preparation for her future takeover.  I have no doubt that if you’re still reading YUMMommy once your children have children, y’all are going to love her and her stories as much as you love mine.

    Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone

    On stage at the Charlotte Southern Women’s Show for the Food Lion Frugal Cookoff

    One of the things I love most about blogging is that it’s giving me several opportunities to step outside of my comfort zone and conquer my fears.  For example, I’ve wanted to be onstage in front of a live audience.  However, the thought of actually going through with it terrified me and I never sought out opportunities to do it.
    This year the opportunity actually came to me when I was asked to participate in Food Lion’s Frugal Cookoff.  The event was being held our annual Southern Women’s Show here in Charlotte.  There are thousands of people who come out to this event.  I was going to be onstage, cooking a meal that I had no clue what the ingredients would be beforehand and was going to be judged by professional chefs, Food Lion reps and even a professional food critic.  Did I mention that I was also going up against a group of my blogging friends?
    At first, I was going to say no because I was just too afraid that I was going to have a panic or anxiety attack in front of the audience.  But then I decided to overcome my fear by stepping outside of my comfort zone.  The event was a success, I tackled my fear and my team won!  I went on from there to appear on a live taping of the Charlotte Today Show and it was amazing as well!
    Blogging has been such a blessing for me (and my family) in so many ways.  I’m forever grateful that I gathered up the courage to start YUMMommy and look forward whatever the future holds.  Thank you guys for coming along for this ride!
    Do you have a blog?  What do you love about it?
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  • Thankful Thursday

    “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.”
    – Proverbs 25:11

    Happy Thankful Thursday!  I’m thankful we’re getting closer and closer to Thanksgiving Day.  I can hardly wait.  What about y’all?  I’m about to burst from the excitement of not having to get up early because it’ll be Fall break and I can just be surrounded by my family for a couple of days.  Of course, I’m excited about the food!  If you haven’t already check out my Thanksgiving menu for this year.
    Also, Moo started riding the bus to and from school this week.  The struggles of being a family with only one car.  Thankfully, her bus driver has a good handle on the kids and makes it her business to become familiar with the parents.  I like that if she sees a problem brewing she will point it out to parents and ask for their help in resolving the conflict.  Having worked in the school system, I respect school staff who try to get parents involved with their kids in any way possible and work together to not only make sure our children are getting a good education, but so that they can be kept safe as well.
    JJ is continuing to make great progress.  I’m so grateful that he’s finally catching up developmentally to other kids his age.  We’ve been working hard and it’s showing.  He can count to ten (sometimes 12), he knows all of his primary colors, he can now pronounce everyone’s names properly and he’s popping new phrases everyday.  His phrase for today is posted below.

    Most importantly, I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to have a pretty serious conversation with a trusted friend.  I confided in her about a few of major personal stresses that are going on behind the scenes, some frustrations about being a WAHM and the blogging world and how I felt like the walls had closed in on me.  I’m grateful not only for her listening ear, but for her words of encouragement and support.
    What are you thankful for this week?
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  • 5 Activities I Want To Make More Time For

    Have you ever found yourself wishing there were more hours in a day?  I guess twenty-four of them isn’t already plenty enough, right?  Wrong.  As I get older, I’m learning to get my priorities together.  When it comes feeling like I “need” more time to do the activities that I really want to do more often, I’ve decide to cut out the fluff/extra that I can do without.  Instead, here are five activities that I plan on indulging in on a more consistent basis.
    Source: CreateHER Stock

    Travel

    Traveling and exploring new areas have always been a passion of mine.  I remember going to visit my mom’s family up North at least once a year when before I hit my teenage years.  One of my favorite trips is when we drove straight to New Orleans to pick up my older sister from college for Christmas break.  We had stopped at a hotel halfway there because of a storm, but the room we had rented was so filthy, my mom demanded her money back.
    We were six deep- two adults and four kids- in my mom’s trusty and faithful burgundy minivan cruising the highway with a hurricane advisory out.  However, my mom was determined to get to her oldest baby and we did.  What stands out most for me on that trip are all the laughs we had, the wonder of seeing several states and cities for the first time and how God watched out for us.  We avoided several twisters on the way back home and had to dodge more than one fallen tree.
    Traveling for me is about uncovering new adventures, making memories and bonding with those I love.  I want to my kids and watch the wonderment on their faces as we discover new places together.  I want them to experience different cultures and see that what the world has to offer.

    Crochet

    My love for crochet started when I was about nine years old.  My mother is uber crafty.  She can draw, she can paint, she’s can sew and she can crochet.  I remember watching her make a granny square blanket and I wanted to so badly to be able to crochet.  She tried teaching me, but for whatever reason, I couldn’t get the hang of it.  A few years later I stumbled across some holiday craft books (from Good Housekeeping, I think) and they had step by step picture tutorials on how to do single crochet.
    I found my mom’s yarn stash and some old crochet hooks.  She was out of town on a business trip for a week.  I was determined to be crocheting by the time she returned.  Night and day I sat for hours with those books, my yarn and crochet hooks.  Guess what?  I had made my first scarf by the time she came home that Sunday evening.
    I’ve been getting busy on my hooks ever since.  Last year, I upped my skills and taught myself how to make graphghans!  Crocheting relaxes me and it helps me to feel close to my mom now that I no longer live at home.  It’s something that we can do together whether we’re together or not.  Not to mention, there are tons of crochet groups on Facebook and I’ve formed some wonderful bonds within those groups.

    Family Date Nights

    Family means more to me than anything.  I’ve witnessed what happens when family bonds aren’t cherished, celebrated and valued.  When my dad split, I admired my mom’s commitment to keeping up our Family Date Nights.  She purchased board games, took advantage of movie rental discounts and saved enough money that we could eat out at least once a month.
    One our links might have been missing, but our family chain stayed strong.  I looked forward to these nights, especially during the rough spots.  It’s during these nights that we each let our guards down and allowed ourselves to be vulnerable.  There is a lot to be said about the effect that making time to have fun together as a family unit can have on children as well as parents.   
    I want my kids to know that relationships between parents and kids isn’t all about who bosses who.  It’s finding joy in spending time together, making memories, showing support, having fun, and loving without conditions.
    Source: CreateHER Stock

    Local Blogger/Creatives Meetups

    Can be honest and say that blogging and writing have left me feeling really lonely this year.  While I have made some AMAZING blog friendships, none of those people live remotely close to me.  I’m not ashamed to say that I don’t feel like I’ve found my blogging tribe locally.  There are a few local groups that I’ve dabbled in, but I end up feeling like the Black blogger out.

    It’s been a struggle to find and connect with other bloggers of color in my niche that live in my area.  However, my mama didn’t raise a quitter.  I’m dusting myself off, stepping up to plate and taking action.  My goal is to attend more local blogging/creative events and next year I’m going to make time to host a few meetups of my own.  Sometimes you’ve got to put out the call (like a bat signal) and see who answers it.

    My goal is to find a few partners in crime that I can meet with monthly or whenever to brainstorm, network, pitch brands and just support each other in anyway possible.

    Christian Fellowship

    One of the major aspects of my life that keeps me grounded is my faith.  I can’t even begin to tell y’all how many times I’ve heard people say they believe in God, but they don’t need to go to church or be around other Christians.  And that’s cool.  To each her/his own.  We all have to make our own choices including those involving our faith journeys.

    However, I’m firm believer that birds of a feather should flock together.  The same way you would hang out with Oprah if you’re trying to become a business mogul, is the same way you should put in the effort to surround yourself with people who share your same beliefs/faith.  I can’t speak for other Christians, but  I want the kind of Christian fellowship talked about in Acts 2:42-47:

    “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
    Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.  And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
    To be breaking bread, growing, making a difference in the world and having favor sounds pretty awesome to me.  This year I’ve slacked on going to church and being involved in church.  I’m not one of those holier than thou types, but I do recognize my need to have consistent fellowship with other young Christians.  In a world full of temptation, danger, doubt and hate, I need that recharge and faith renewal that comes from a gathering of two or more with God in the midst (Matthew 18:20).  
    I need to be surrounded by people I can trust to pour into the right things when my tank is low.  Likewise, I want to be of service and be able to pour into others when their tanks are low.

    So no more excuses.  No more wasting time on non-important stuff.  I’m making the time for these activities because at the end of the day they matter.  They all play a crucial role in my happiness, my purpose and my well-being.
    What’s one thing that you want to start carving out time or more time for?
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  • What’s On My Thanksgiving Menu

    Twenty-two.  That’s how many days we have before the Thanksgiving holiday arrives.  While we should display gratitude on a daily basis and I do post my weekly Thankful Thursday posts here on the blog, Thanksgiving Day for me and my family is day to reflect back over our year and the things that we’re MOST thankful for.  Let’s face it, there are bigger moments that stick out more than others.  
    Another reason, I look forward to Thanksgiving every year is the food!  It’s no secret that I enjoy being the kitchen (and eating) and whipping up tasty meals.   Usually I keep things simple, lite with a hint of Southern flavors.  However, the holidays give me an excuse to go a bit over the top.  So, today I’m sharing my unofficial (because there may or may not be more dish additions later) Thanksgiving dinner menu.

    This year I wanted to try something different and actually serve our Thanksgiving meal in courses.  Our past tradition has been to pretty much stack everything one plate, plop down in front of the television and watch all the different parades.  Then, once the parades end and the Hallmark movies start, we refill our plates with seconds.  I’ve heard that change is good and want to switch it up a bit by trying a traditional sit-down-at-the-dinner-table style meal minus the television this year.  Now let’s talk about the eats!

    Appetizers

    I chose the garden salad as our appetizer because it’s one dish that we can all eat.  Not to mention, Moo and I LOVE salad like nobody’s business.  A few years ago we actually took a 30-day salad challenge where we substituted one meal a day for a salad.  Plus, I’ll feel better about us pigging out on an appetizer that is actually healthy.  I’ll be having cheddar cheese on my salad.  Moo will more likely have a veggie Parmesan cheese on hers.
    JJ has sensory issues with certain foods (lefty greens being one of them), but I’ll let him try some salad and see how it goes.  He’s made good progress with other foods, I’m hoping we’ll have good luck with the salad on Thanksgiving.  I’m also toying with the idea of making my own Italian dressing this year.  Originally, I wanted to be out of the box and go with onion rings for an appetizer, but I couldn’t think of anything else that met all the kids’ food allergies restrictions to pair with them.

    Entrée

    What would a traditional Thanksgiving dinner be without a nice juicy turkey?!  I haven’t completely worked out the ingredients for my turkey seasoning, but I know I’ll be combining herbs and lemon juice.  Moo and the Mr can’t have Thanksgiving dinner without their mashed potatoes, collard greens, or stuffing.  Those are items they HAVE to have every year.  The cheddar mac is for the Mr and I.  I might make a mini batch of gluten-free soy mac for Moo if we can find a good soy cheddar that she likes.

    There’s a brand that my mom gets from the Walmart back in my hometown that Moo likes, but they don’t carry it on a regular basis there or here.  We’ve experimented with a few others and they were just okay.  I don’t really want to her settling for okay cheddar mac because macaroni is one of those dishes you really have to do right or not do it at all.  So, I’ll be hitting up Publix this week and checking out their soy cheese selections.

    Cornbread muffins (gluten-free) are a must for the kids.  The Mr and I will be having crescent rolls or biscuits in addition to the muffins.  I still haven’t decided.  Either way there will be no shortage of breads come Thanksgiving.  You may have noticed that there’s no cranberry sauce on the menu.  It’s not a mistake.  I just can’t get down with canned cranberry sauce and I’m not a pro at making it from scratch.  So we don’t bother with it.

    Dessert

    Making sweet potato pie from scratch together with Moo is another Thanksgiving tradition we’ll be continuing.  I treasure my moments in the kitchen with her.  She’s learning a valuable skill that she will one day pass down to her children along with all of my secret ingredients.  And I get to bond with her.  You’d be amazed at the things you can learn from your children once they get to chatting.

    Cooking has by far been one of the best ways to get Moo to let her guard down and let the conversation flow freely.  We’ll be getting fancy this year serving it with our favorite vanilla flavored soy ice cream.

    Well that’s it for our Thanksgiving menu for now.  Stay tuned to the YUMMommy Facebook page to see what the final menu will be on Thanksgiving Day.  I’m sure I’ll be posting tons of pictures as we cook Thanksgiving Eve.  

    What’s your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
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  • 5 Things I Want To Photograph Better

    Who doesn’t love beautiful photos?  I do.  However, capturing the “money shot” has always been something I’ve struggled with.  I feel like no matter how many photos I shoot, getting a gorgeous shot is always more of a hit and miss situation for me.  As a blogger and a someone who genuinely wants to be good at photography this is beyond frustrating.  In 2016, here are five things that I want to get better at photographing.

    My Family

    When I was little, my mom was very rarely without one of her cameras in tow.  And on the rare occasions that she had forgotten her cameras at home, she didn’t hesitate to stop by Walmart to pick up a three pack of disposable ones.  (Man disposable cameras were dirt cheap during the ’90s.)  Like me, my mom is a creative.  However, unlike me, she always seemed to be able to snap the perfect pictures of us.
    Even today, she will make us pose and repose a million times to capture the perfect photo on her iPhone.  She’s also the master of taking beautiful candids as well.  Being a mom and wife, I want to fill picture books with gorgeous photos for Moo, JJ and their future siblings to look back on when they’re older.  So capturing better photos of us as a family is definitely at the very top of my list for next year.

    Food

    If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been doing a lot of food blogging lately.  It’s so awesome to share my recipes and more of my passion for cooking with on this space.  But I’m going to be honest and say that my food photography skills suck big time.  My dishes always come too dark.  Then there’s whole styling aspect before you even pick up the camera.
    Once I feel like I have that nailed down as best I can, I struggle with what angle to best shoot from.  I’m determined though to get the hang of photographing my dishes because I don’t want to stop sharing this side of me with y’all.  Part of what I love about being a Southerner is our love for food and how we share that our loved ones.  Food down here is used to show so many things- compassion, sympathy, appreciation, etc.

    Nature

    Being from the country, I learned to appreciate being surrounded by nature.  When I first came to live in the Queen City, I had to get used to being surrounded by more concrete than trees and open fields.  I grew up used to seeing deers, rabbits and even a few bobcats run through our yard.  My childhood home was surrounded by trees in the back and in the Spring, wild flowers would pop up in the front. 
    It wasn’t unusual to go to someone’s house and see a mini farm in the back.  Several of my great cousins and one of my uncles had their own farms.  There this one time we went to my great uncle’s house and we chased his chickens until they finally got fed up and started chasing us back.  It’s one of my fondest memories and a reminder of how carefree nature has always made me feel.  I want to be capture the beauty that nature is and hang those photos throughout my home.

    Selfies

    I’ve said on here a few times that I’m camera shy, which is crazy considering how photos I’ve posed for as kid and that once dabbled in modeling.  I think I started to become camera shy and avoiding being in front of the camera because I never mastered the art of taking great selfies/self portraits. But I don’t want to look back down line at all the photos of everyone else and regret not being in more of them or having more pictures of just me.  If I’m going to work hard to get better at capturing the beauty around me, shouldn’t I work on capturing the beauty within in me as well?

    Products

    Product reviews are another thing that I do quite a bit of on this blog.  As the holidays draw nearer, more and more companies start to send out pitches.  And for the most part, I enjoy doing them.  What’s not to like?  I get free products for myself and sometimes my family.  We try them out and I get to share my experiences and recommendations here for other families.  The part I’m not so nuts about is, you guessed it, photographing the products.
    Again, I often struggle with finding the right angles or staging.  Other times, it’s trying to find decent lighting.  Needless to say, I want to make sure I’m putting my absolute best foot forward and making the best possible impression when I’m working with brands.  So, bringing it when it comes to my product reviews photos is a must for me.
    There you have it.  I know that I have my work cut out for me when it comes to becoming a better photographer, but I’m more than up for the challenge.  I’m not one to shy away from learning a new skill or working on the areas that I have weakness in.  Stay tuned to my NaBloPoMo posts because I’ll be talking more about my photography quest later on this month and sharing what steps I’ll be taking to be improve my skills.
    When it comes to photography, what is your favorite subject/thing to photograph?

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  • Happy NaBloPoMo

    November is officially here!  I can hardly believe it.  It feels like this year sped by.  With the New Year so close, I know that it’s only to go by even faster now.  Besides Thanksgiving, one of the things that I really look forward to in November is National Blog Posting Month aka NaBloPoMo.
    NaBloPoMo is where bloggers commit to blogging every day for the month of November.  This challenge is great for bloggers for many reasons.  It helps us to get into the hang of posting to our blogs on a regular basis, it improves our writing skills and allows to connect more with our readers.  Last year I took a little break from NaBloPoMo.  I’m back this year and I’m confident that I can make it through.
    I’m really looking forward to getting my blogging groove back and connecting more with the community I have here on the blog.  So, if you’re a new face here don’t be shy.  Feel free to introduce yourself in the comments and stay for a while.  See y’all tomorrow!

    If you’re a blogger, are you participating in NaBloPoMo?

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