Toad in the Hole

Toad in the Hole is a traditional English dish. It consists of sausages cooked in a Yorkshire Pudding batter. This recipe jazzes it up a bit by adding onions and grainy mustard to the batter. It's quite tasty and a little different than your average American dinner. It's also really cheap to make and really easy to make, which is always a plus. :)

Here's what you need:

8 sausages (about a pound total) *I used chicken sausages. You could use turkey sausages or sausage sausages. :P

2 onions, quartered *I used yellow onions because that's what I had on hand.*

2 tablespoons butter *If you're looking to make it healthier, use 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil instead.*

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt *Again, if you're looking to make it healthier, you can easily reduce or even eliminate the salt all together. You'll get plenty of flavor from the sausage and onions.*

2 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk

3 tablespoons grainy mustard *I used Grey Poupon's Country Dijon with coarse ground whole mustard.*

Here's what you do:

1) Cook the sausage. I put mine in a frying pan, covered them with water and let them simmer 10 minutes. Cook yours however you like. You could do the sausage and onions in the same pan if you wanted to...I was concerned about things getting too greasy so I opted to do them apart.

2) Place the sausages in a 13 x 9" baking dish. Melt butter in pan, add onions, cook them a few minutes, just long enough for them to get soft and start smelly yummy. Scatter onions over sausages in dish.

3) Next, whisk flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Whisk eggs, milk and mustard together in another bowl. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the batter over the sausage and onion. Bake @ 475 until puffy and golden for 30-40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes and serve it up.

I'm never sure what kind of vegetable to serve with it, so I go with raw carrot and celery sticks. 

This recipe serves 6 (at least). I averaged it out to about $1.00 a serving.

She's baaaaaaack...

I've been a bad, bad blogger...I haven't posted bupkis since September.

I'm going to make a concerted effort to get back in the blogging groove.

But not today.

Today was just a warning. 

Nickelodeon's Monkey Quest - Review & Giveaway

Since it's launch back in April, Nickelodeon's Monkey Quest (an innovative online game world for kids ages 8-12) has becomes one of the most visited kids virtual world sites, gaining over 3 MILLION registered users!!


Kids can create and customize a monkey avatar and chart their own adventures in the fantasy land of Ook, a cool and mysterious world where monkey's rule. Players join one of five tribes and band together against a dark force that threatens them all. Kids can benefit from the cooperative play as they need to work together to defeat enemies, solve puzzles and explore the ever changing world of Ook. As Nickelodeon has always been famous for, there is plenty of relatable goofy humor to keep kids entertained and engaged. 


What kid wouldn't like a game where you're a monkey jumping, swinging and battling your way through a new world? The level of violence (if you could call it that) is below mild, on par with what you'd find in a Mario Bros. game. I don't know about you, but I'd rather my child shoot bananas than guns in a game any day!

The best part about Monkey Quest is that it can be FREE to play. Kids can create their monkey, explore trails and play different levels of the game for free. If you find is already a serious gamer or you find that they really enjoy the game, there's a hybrid payment option in which you gain access to quests,unlimited trails, abilities, banana allowances and other elements of the game. Parents can choose a subscription plan or "pay as you go" through NickCash, Nickelodeon's online currency. 

I have a Monkey Quest Prize Pack to offer one lucky reader that includes a Monkey Quest tote bag, t-shirt and hat, as well as an Insider's Guide to help your child navigate the lank of Ook! All you need to do is leave a comment BEFORE 6 PM (EST) on Monday, September 12th and you're in the running! 


**In full disclosure, I received a free game card in exchange for sharing information about Monkey Quest with you here on my little slice of the web.**

Be sure to give Monkey Quest a "like" on Facebook too!

Another first under our belts...

"My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,

Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small

You never have to carry more than you can hold,

And while you're out there getting where you're getting to, 

I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too...

Yeah, this, is my wish." 

- Rascal Flatts

He woke up just after 7. He was in a good mood. He wanted to watch Little Einsteins and have some toast for breakfast. Sometime between the day before yesterday and today, the bread went bed, so I made him a bagel. It wasn't to his liking, so then I made him an english muffin, which by the grace of God, satisfied him. 

He built a pirate ship with his blocks. I got him washed and brushed and dressed. He insisted his shirt made him look fat, but didn't request a different one. He asked me 10,000 times when it was time to go to the bus stop. 


Sean was more than ready for his first day of Kindergarten. 

I was the one having major some issues.

I hated putting him on that bus, saying goodbye, knowing I wouldn't see him for the entire day. I've had the privilege of being with him every day, all day for the past 5 years. He went to preschool last year, but he was gone a total of 3 hours and even that was a huge adjustment.


Imagine walking around all day without your right arm. You could manage, you could get around ok...but it would be a challenge, it would be uncomfortable. That's how I felt all day today. A huge important part of me was missing and as crazy as he drives me at times, I found it hard to function without him.


I fretted all day about whether or not he was okay. If he'd have trouble in the bathroom, if he'd eat his lunch...if he'd find the smell of the chicken nuggets offensive and have a meltdown in the cafeteria. Maybe it's because I'm a control freak, but I hate not knowing what goes on in every minute of his day.

I managed not to start crying until after he was on the bus and driving away. Every fiber of my being wanted to scoop him up and bring him home.



Being a Mom involves a lot of goodbyes...from the moment your child leaves your womb until they grow up and leave your house, it's one goodbye after another. I feel like I'm saying goodbye to him everyday...with each new accomplishment I say goodbye to a little piece of him that was and meet more of the boy he's becoming. 

Dear God, it's all happening too fast. Help me to slow myself down and remember just how precious each day is.

Mat Kearney Young Love Album Review

"Hey Mama, hey hey Mama, don't want no drama, just a kiss before I leave..."

Now that I'm a Mama, music doesn't have the relevance in my life that it once did. There was a time when I knew the words to every hit song on the radio, now I'm lucky if I recognize the face of a current artist on a magazine cover at the check-out line. 

I was stoked to receive an advanced copy of Mat Kearney's new album, Young Love, to review. To have the chance to feel even a little bit hip and "in the know" in the music world. I hadn't heard of Mat Kearney prior to getting his CD in the mail. I thought this was his debut album, but after visiting his website, I learned it's his third. 

The album is quite diverse, each of the 10 tracks feeling like they'd be on a different album. Mat's voice is appealing, even somewhat soothing and it lends itself to somehow work for all the different genres you find on the album. The first track on the disc (and the first single) "Hey Mama" knocked it out of the park. It's catchy, the kind of song that gets you singing along and clapping your hands to the beat (the background beat in this song is clapping, but it actually works). My kids fell in love with "Hey Mama"! I had to play it 4 times in a row to appease them before I could continue listening to the rest of the album. :)


I was happy in the snappy, clappy, pop of "Hey Mama" and when I was finally able to move onto the second track, I found myself confused by white boy rap. As much as I try to like a white boy rapping, it just doesn't work for me. There's pop, alternative rock, dance, and yes...a little white boy rap...it's a unique album and definitely NOT boring. While the album was very different from what I expected it to be, I ended up falling in love with it in spite of myself. The more I've listened to it, the more I've liked it.

My favorite tracks? 1) Hey Mama, 6) Learning To Love Again, 8) She Got The Honey and 9) Young Dumb and In Love and 10) Rochester.

Mat will be at the TLA in Philly on 10/29...I would really love to see him live. :)

Check Mat Kearney out for yourself on his website and iTunes page and be sure to "like" him on Facebook.  


*In full disclosure, I received a free copy of this album as a member of the O2O Network in exchange for an honest review of it here on my blog.*

Fyrflyz Review & Giveaway

The kids are heading back to school next week, the fireworks of summer at the shore are done for the season, but there's another way to light up the night! 

If you haven't heard of them yet, allow me to introduce you to Fyrflyz, the hottest toy of Summer 2011! Currently Fyrflyz are only being sold at select Toys R' Us stores, but they'll soon be available at Toys R' Us nationwide. Look for them online and on the shelves at Toys R' Us next month.

So...what are Fyrflyz you ask? They are an awesome spinning toy that allow you to create amazing light shows in the palm of your hand! 

When our Fyrflyz arrived, I thought, "Okay, big deal, it's like a double ended yo-yo with a light in the middle." 

It's actually much more than that...and much cooler. It consists of a plastic center with multi colored LED lights, with two strings on each side attached to handholds. By tightening or loosening the tension of the strings on each side, you're able to create different light designs and patterns. The toy itself might not look like much at first glace, but the effect is really, seriously cool!

Take a look at some of the tricks you can master with Fyrflyz:  

Check out the Fyrflyz YouTube Channel to see them in action!

Fyrflz are available in 4 different colors and retail for less than $10 each. Here's what I absolutely LOVE about Fyrflz:

• They're fun for both boys and girls and fun for all ages, including Moms and Dads! We played with ours for an hour after we first opened it and the kids were fast asleep!
• There's no assembly required, Fyrflyz come ready to play!
• They're easy to operate. It took me about ten minutes to really get the hang of it.
• Fyrflz encourage creative play as kids try to master new tricks and create new light patterns.
• They give you an excuse to play outside in the dark!
• They encourage fine motor development and coordination.  

Want a Fyrflyz of your very own? Leave a comment for your chance to win one. Be sure to include your email address so that I can contact you if you're the  winner. Contest ends Tuesday, September 6th at midnight. Winner will be notified via email. Good luck!

Be sure to check out Fyrflyz on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

The Circus of The Scars...

It's that time of year again. You know the end of summer is drawing near when you start seeing signs staked in the ground around town advertising the coming of the Cole Bros. Circus. The Circus of The Stars. 

The Cole Bros. Circus, who boast they are the largest circus under the big top, has been rolling into Cape May County for as long as I can remember. I've been to the circus a number of times in my life, most recently this time last year when The Cole Bros Circus came to Rio Grande and I brought my boys to see it for the second year in a row. 

We had a fun family night the year prior and were looking forward to the boys being a little older and a little better able to appreciate and enjoy the circus experience more.

What ended up happening took me completely off guard. 

I started to feel really uncomfortable and not because of the heat and the stench. I started to realize that what we were watching wasn't entertaining at all. It was unnatural. And wrong.

I should tell you that while I love animals and believe they should be treated with love and respect, I'm not some big animal rights activist. True, I don't wear fur, not because of the death of animals, but because I cant' afford fur. I enjoy a good hamburger. I don't read the label of my shampoo to ensure it wasn't tested on rabbits. When I think of animal neglect and abuse I think mostly of house pets, dogs and cats. 

This was not my first time to the circus, but it was the first time I had given any real thought as to what was going on in front of me. They brought out a dozen or so tigers in tiny cages and I sat there and thought, "This is just wrong. An animal of that magnitude doesn't belong in a cage, let alone a cage that small." When it was time for the tigers to leave their respective cages, a circus hand used a long stick to poke the animal on the back side to signal it to move. If it didn't move, it was poked again. 

We watched as the tigers made their rounds, jumping up here, standing there. Each time a tiger hesitated, didn't do what it was supposed to do at the exact time it was supposed to do it, someone cracked a whip near it. Or poked it with a stick. Stacking tiger on top of tiger.

I started wondering what it would take to train a huge, powerful animal like a tiger to stand on another tigers shoulders and then let another tiger stand on it's shoulders. 

It became pretty clear that there was probably more going on behind the scenes than cracking a whip in the tigers direction or giving them a nudge with a stick. 

When they lit the ring of fire is when I really lost it. I watched the first of these magnificent wild creatures back away from the fire...and as soon as it did, someone cracked the whip. The tiger approached the ring again and then backed away again. Finally it jumped through.

There's a reason for this: Animals, by instinct, are afraid of fire. 

It occurred to me how wrong it was for all of us to be sitting there watching tigers jump through fire and be entertained by it. It suddenly felt wrong and weird and unnatural.  

If my neighbors were in their backyard, "training" their dog to jump through a ring of fire, I would not be okay with it, why should I be okay with it happening with another animal? I shouldn't. That's what I decided right then and there. I shouldn't be and I wouldn't be and we left.

Bears don't ride bikes, elephants don't go around balancing on one leg and tigers don't jump through rings of fire for shits and giggles. It just isn't right. And that isn't taking into consideration the training process used in order to achieve these results for performance or the traveling and living conditions these animals endure. 

Trainers often use whips, bullhooks, electric prods and other painful tools to force animals to "learn" tricks. When animals are not performing (which is the majority of the time, between shows and traveling between venues), they're kept in cramped cages with little monitoring. 

We won't be going to the circus this year. Or ever again. Like any Mom, I want to raise my kids to be strong, confident and compassionate. I want them to understand that the choices we make affect others in profound ways. I want them to understand that it's never okay to harm (or support others who harm) those who are defenseless. I want to raise my kids to have respect, for themselves, for other people and for animals.

If I want my kids to see some unnatural and just plain wrong things, we'll sit outside the Villas Wawa for awhile. Now that's entertainment!

My hope is that at least one other mother will be sitting in the crowd tomorrow night and suddenly realize the circus isn't where she wants her family to be. I'm glad it happened to me.