Hot Mama In The City

If you have children, then you most likely have a cabinet full of snacks for them to munch on in-between meals. Our fridge and pantry is always fully stocked with snacks that I don't mind the kids digging into whenever hunger strikes them. I have everything from fresh fruit, yogurt, nuts and granola bars on hand. I also try to always have snacks with me for those times that we are out and about. Those hunger cravings don't stop just because you're away from your kitchen. If you're anything like me, you probably always have snacks in your purse and in your car. And when we head out to our local playground, amusement park or take a trip to the zoo, I always pack more on-the-go snacks to bring along. A quick snack in-between meals helps keep us all in better mood and I’m not tempted to grab some high calorie fast food to keep us satisfied and fed. Since I’ve become a mom, individually wrapped snacks has become one of those items that I keep in my bag that I never leave the house without.

Mini pumpkin pie desserts are a fun and cute way to serve a traditional dessert for the holidays. These small sized portions are great for small and large gatherings. No need for dirty dishes or cutting tools, just grab and munch.


Ingredients:

• 1 box of ready made pie crust
• 1 can (30 oz) Easy Pumpkin Pie Mix
• 2/3 cup Evaporated Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon of Pumpkin Spice

Mix all ingredients together to make your pie mix.

If you're someone who’d rather be doing something else, almost anything else than heading to the grocery store like me, you have to get on board with Shipt. Get your groceries delivered right to your doorstep. If you’ve ever been to busy to make it to the grocery store before closing, then Shipt is for you. If you've ever been to sick to get out of bed, then Shipt is for you. Or if you just rather do something fun rather than taking a trip to the grocery store, then Shipt is for you. Whatever you’re reason, Shipt is like having your own personal shopper for your groceries. Shipt and HEB have recently partnered in San Antonio to offer this amazing grocery delivery service.

Groovy Joe: Dance Party Countdown is a newly released book, the second in the Groovy Joe series created by bestsellers Eric Litwin and Tom Lichtenheld.. And recommended for ages 3-5 but fun for the whole family! Groovy Joe: Dance Party Countdown merges music and early literacy together and a great way to read and sing with your little ones. The kids and I had fun reading this over-sized and colorful book together. The easy rhyming and counting helped make the story really come to life. We all took turns singing the lyrics and adding up all of Groovy Joe’s friends. The story and math equations were a perfect fit for my beginner reader. He was very excited that he could almost read the entire book on his own. We also had a great time visiting http://groovyjoestories.scholastic.com to read along in both English and Spanish, perfect for bilingual speakers and readers.

Why read with your kids?
Reading along with your children is important when learning and developing language skills. It helps your children pronounce words and visualize how the word is spelled. Reading can help your child with their knowledge of grammar and help them become articulate communicators. Bottom line, reading is another great and effective tool to teach young children a new language.

Halloween Bark is an easy and fun recipe to make. If you love chocolate, you'll love this Halloween Bark! It's a fun recipe to get the kids involved in every step of the way. Choose your candy and colors and you're on your way to creating a delicious Halloween treat for everyone to enjoy.

I'm always looking for easy ways to get creative in the kitchen. I've realized that it's easier to get my kids to try new foods and dishes when I present them in a fun way. My kids already love fruits and yogurt, and FAGE Total is a favorite in our home. Having fruits and yogurt in the house at all times has made it very convenient for them to grab a quick snack and because it’s a healthier snack option, I’m not concerned with how often they snack. This week we wanted to try something new with our favorite berries and FAGE Total yogurt. We made delicious yogurt fruit-sicles! These yummy frozen treat only took just a few minutes to make and was gone in seconds. The kids enjoyed the variety in taste with the three different flavors and loved the colorful look of the treats.

The first total eclipse of the sun to span coast to coast across the U.S. mainland in almost a century will be visible Monday, Aug. 21, for people in Portland, where eclipse coverage will reach 99 percent.

This rare celestial event is a spectacular occurrence; however, there are precautions people should take to help maintain their eye health while witnessing the spectacle in its full glory. Looking at a solar eclipse without proper protection can cause serious eye damage, including blurry vision that can last months, or even permanent problems.

The most important tip is to have proper eclipse-viewing glasses, which are heavily tinted – much more so than regular sunglasses – to protect your eyes as you look at the sun. Certified eclipse-viewing glasses will enable you to see the moon track across the orb of the sun until it creates a total eclipse, revealing the sun’s brilliant corona.

Texas is known for its friendly people and Texas sized appetites. And with Skinner Pasta being the #1 pasta in Texas, Skinner wants to help you celebrate friendship. Did you know August 6th was National Friendship Day? A great pasta dish can help bring friends together or help you make new friends.
When I moved to Texas 13 years ago, I had no friends in Texas. I can now say that I’m surrounded by great people and friends. The people that I have met since moving to Texas are some of the kindest people I’ve ever met. Great food has helped me met and build friendship with some fellow Texans. It’s hard for many Texans to say no to a delicious meaty meal like spaghetti and meatballs.

Chuck E. Cheese's is getting a makeover! Don't worry though! It's still going to be a great place for the family to grab some delicious pizza and enjoy a variety of games and entertainment. The new design highlights the pizza-making process and introduces more of a restaurant atmosphere for mom and dad, while not taking away from the fun and games that has made Chuck E. Cheese’s the place where a kid can be a kid for 40 years. We were recently invited to attend the re-grand opening of our local location here in San Antonio. This San Antonio location is the first in the country to be redesigned. It was a very exciting day for us to be one of the first families to explore the new and improved Chuck E. Cheese's.