Pinterest Recipes Put to the Test Featured on Good Morning Texas

Food Fridays:

I was so privileged to be spotlighted this week on two different shows this week, Good Morning Texas on WFAA and D: The Broadcast on KTXD. We put some great Pinterest Dessert finds to the test with a celebrity tester and then I had another celebrity talk mom tips for creating cool tips for healthy lunches.

A lot of you have asked for the recipes I made on GMT for easy and delicious Texas-themed desserts:

Apple Enchiladas

1 (21 ounce) can apple pie filling (Cherries or peaches can be substituted for apples.)

6 (8 inch) flour tortillas

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butte

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1.       Spoon about one heaping quarter cup of pie filling evenly down the center of each tortilla.

2.       Sprinkle with cinnamon; roll up, tucking in edges; and place seam side down in prepared dish.

3.       In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, white sugar, brown sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes.

4.       Pour sauce over enchiladas and let stand 45 minutes.

5.       Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes, or until golden 350 degrees. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Pink Lemonade Pie

Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (one packet)
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter

1. Mix the crumbs, sugar, and butter in a nine inch pie pan or spring form pan.  Mix until the crumbs have absorbed the butter and the mixture is uniform. 
2. Press the crumbs across the bottom of the pan and up the sides. 
3. Bake for ten minutes at 350 degrees. 

Filling

1 8-ounce packet of cream cheese, softened
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup pink lemonade concentrate (not mixed with water)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
red food coloring as desired

1. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft.  Add the sweetened condensed milk and beat until smooth.
2. Add the lemonade concentrate and lemon juice and continue beating until smooth.  Color with red food coloring as desired.
3. Poor into the pie shell and place in the freezer while you mix the topping.

Topping

1/3 cup shredded coconut
Several drops of red food coloring
1 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Place the coconut in a small bowl with several drops of food coloring and rub until the coconut turns pink.
2. Whip the cream until stiff, adding the sugar and vanilla in the process.
3. Spoon the cream over the pie filling and garnish with the pink coconut.
4. Freeze the pie until firm.

Margarita Pie

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (12 squares)

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/4 cup frozen (thawed) margarita mix concentrate

1 pint (2 cups) lime sherbet, softened

1/3 cup frozen (thawed) margarita mix concentrate

3 tablespoons tequila, if desired

2 cups vanilla frozen yogurt, softened

1.       In small bowl, mix cracker crumbs and powdered sugar.

2.       Stir in 1/4 cup margarita mix until crumbly.

3.       Press mixture firmly against bottom and side of 9-inch glass pie plate.

4.       In large bowl, mix sherbet, 1/3 cup margarita mix and the tequila.

5.       Gently swirl in frozen yogurt. Spoon mixture into crust; spread evenly.

6.       Cover; freeze 4 to 6 hours or until firm.

And for some of those great items we featured on the D: The Broadcast, you can find the following: 

Lunchboxes: The Container Store (including that cute Lego box and Lego Man Thermos.

Go Go SqueeZ, squeezable natural fruit: Whole Foods, Walmart and Target (Target even has a great $2/4 special right now.) 

Bolthouse Farms Shakedowns, carrots with seasoning mix: Walmart in Dallas (they are still launching in other areas around the US!)

Sabra, Spongebob Squarepants Hummus: Kroger 

Foodles, healthy, Mickey-shaped snack packs: Walmart

Let's Get Back to School!

Last-Minute Back-to-School Discounts

To-do Thursdays:

While my kiddos are already back in session at Spanish Schoolhouse, most of North Texas will start another school year come Monday morning. With only a few days left, now is still a great time to get those school supplies and BTS wardrobe needs with some special opportunities available for a limited time at area Staples, Office Max and Grapevine Mills.

See? It does pay to procrastinate (some of the time.)

Staples: 
Save a bundle when you purchase a  Back-to-School Savings Pass for $10 and get 15% off  on school supplies until Sept. 21. (All eligible products can be found here.) 

Office Max: 

If you haven’t started your back-to-school shopping, then it’s time to to bag it with OfficeMax – at least until this Saturday, Aug. 24.  You can get 20% OFF everything that fits inside a brown paper bag during OfficeMax’s 20% OFF Brown Bag Sale Event, including tablets, eReaders, must-have school supplies from backpacks to paper, calculators, printer ink and more (some exclusion do apply.)

OfficeMax's 20% OFF Brown Bag Sale Event is available in-stores only. Brown bags can be found in Sunday’s paper. While you are there, make sure you also take up on their rewards program, Office Max Perksfor 5% back in rewards with every purchase plus some other great goodies! 

Grapevine Mills: 
Grapevine is known for trying to offer a little bit of everything for everyone and for Back-to-School this is certainly the case at Grapevine Mills. Here are just a few of the great discounts you can take up on for a limited time: 

• Receive 15% off when you show your student ID at Forever 21.
• Nautica Factory Store and take an additional 30-50% off storewide.
• Taking advantage of 10% off with a student ID at the Tommy Hilfiger Company Store. 
• Spend $75 or more at G by Guess and receive a free messenger bag.
• Buy one, get one 50% off at Stride Rite/Keds/Sperry Outlet

You can check out other deals on their deal page on the Grapevine Mills website. 

Happy Shopping!

"Cool Tips for Healthy Lunches" on KTXD TVs D: The Broadcast

Wow Mom Wednesdays:

Going back to school is a hard transition -- and so is getting back to the routine of making lunches for the kids. However, did you know it's possible to make healthy lunches that kids will love to eat and not spend all night making them? Yep, you can with three easy tips and a few examples I shared today with the amazing Pat Smith on KTXD TVs D: The Broadcast today. She's a mama of five kids with Dallas Cowboys great Emmitt Smith and runs her own busy non-profit for women called Treasure You.

She's an amazing woman, so I was so excited to share a little time in the spotlight and give her a few tips I think might help you, too!

Do you have any healthy lunchbox tips to share? 

Also, you can check out my other TV appearances here!

Six Things to Know for Your First Schlitterbahn Experience (#ReoRoadTrip – Part 4)

Travel Tuesdays:

After relaxing in the lazy river at J.W. Marriott San Antonio, we knew it was time to brave our next adventure on our Texas Hill Country experience: Schlitterbahn New Braunfels. I had actually never been before either, so like two little kids, my kiddo and I were ready to take it down. However, without my mom, a veteran go-er, there are a few things that I wish I had known just to give us a good lay of how things happen at Schlitterbahn. So I put a few helpful tips together for you just in case you're trying to get a trip in before the end of the summer (they actually are open throughout the month of September, so there's still time!)

1. Know Where You are Going.

You’re never gonna pass Schlitterbahn just driving down the road. It’s in a nice little neighborhood in New Braunfels, so unlike our local Hurricane Harbor in Arlington, you aren’t just going to stumble upon it. Thankfully for the GPS in the Toyota Highlander, I was able to find the address and “Nancy” led her right to it from the J.W. Marriott.

2. Map Your Route

Schlitterbahn is actually four different adventures within the park.  The Original Schlitterbahn: uses spring fed water from the Comal, so river water sources this section. There are three other areas you can also visit including Surfenburg, Blastenhoff, and Tubenbach (which includes several no-wait attractions).  There’s also a bus that shuttles you around as well.

While we only were able to visit the original, I’d definitely consider a second visit to check out Tubenbach. I didn’t map out anything for our day at the park and we missed several things that I wish we could have experience including the Christmas Shoppe. So make sure to take a look at the Day Planner online so you can get a lay of the land and figure out what rides you might really want to ride.

3. Bring your water shoes and cheap sunglasses.  

While I saw plenty of bare feet around the place, summers in Texas are hot and therefore, so is the pavement. Standing in line or running from one ride to another makes it hard to just stand when its 100 degree plus in the Texas summer, especially on little people’s feet. And make thing easy on yourself and wear water shoes and not just flip flops.  I’ve done the flip flops and it’s doable, but water shoes are designed to stay on when you’re in the water. (I found ours at Walmart.)

While you are at Wally world, make a $5 investment on shades just in case you lose them on one of the rides then you aren’t so upset that you lost your favorite pair. Sunglasses are a must with several hours in the sun, so protect your eyes just like you do your skin.

I won’t even talk sunscreen. Sunscreen here is a no-brainer and reapply often.  

4. Spend the money on a locker and a money bracelet.

You can take your own snacks, but make sure to get a locker and a bracelet. The locker allows you to put your essentials away while you’re hanging out in the water. Best of all, you don’t have to keep returning to your locker for snack and drink money when you opt to load up funds on a bracelet. Just flash it for your purchases throughout the day and if you have anything left over, you can have it refunded back to you before you leave. Convenience is right at your wrist!

5. If you have a kid 0-3, make sure to pick up your baby a tube at the Tube Hut.  

There are rafts all over the park to pick up and take on a ride. However, if you have a little one, 0-3 years old, they actually have tubes with a net underneath so you don’t have to worry if your little one is going to fall out. While I’m not saying you should put your newborn in a tune, understand that you can’t ride any of the rides together in one tube. So don’t make the mistake like I did to not read the sign, sit in line for 30 minutes, get to the front of the line and then not get to ride. While the tubes can be found within the park, you can get the special kids’ tube at the front of the park, so make sure to get it first before getting too far into the park.

And don’t fret, they have life jackets for everyone in the case you have a weak swimmer.

6. Be Flexible.

What I actually should say is, be ready to flex those buns if the water is low at least at the original section. Basically if the river is low, the water is lower at the park too, so there were some times if I hadn’t picked up my buns, they would be dragging on the slide and standing still. That’s no fun for anyone so just be ready to help things along without getting out of your tube.  But flexibility also means just be ready to go with the “flow” and not to try to stretch out the day too long or get to everything. Otherwise, you won’t have fun and enjoy what the day offers without a packed agenda.

And of course, there’s always tomorrow. Or you could make a weekend of it and stay at the Resorts of Schlitterbahn. 

Spaß haben!

And if you want to get caught up on our road trip adventure in the Toyota Highlander,check out our first adventure in West, How to See Austin in Two Hours with a 5-year old and Experience Hill Country Hospitality at the JW Marriott.

When That Twilight Star Ate My Margarita Soup Pie on TV {Recipe}

Me Mondays:

Today's been a big day for the fam. Baby girl turned two, little boy had his first day of kindergarden, daddy enters his last day of law school and oh, yeah, mama was on TV. 

If you missed my segment on WFAA's Good Morning Texas where I have been lucky to be on a few times, here you go. However I do have to preface a few things for you first. 

1. The margarita pie is made mostly out of sherbet, frozen yogurt and margarita mix. 
2. TV studios are hot. Very hot. Especially in August. In Texas. 
3. Ice cream melts.

And if they fun in watching my pie turn into soup isn't enough to make you watch it, check out the cutie from Twilight, Vampire Diaries and Nashville (love that show), that makes a sneak appearance at the end to taste the soup...I mean pie. Thankfully, once we were off air, I was able to redeem myself with the apple enchiladas which he at least made me think were tasty (and he swallowed them with a smile.) So I'm good with it. What do you think? 

Make sure you stay close to your TV this week! I've some great news for you! 

A Real Mama Challenge: My Baby Girl Turns 2 and Mama Won't Be There

Mama Mondays:

Today's my little girl's 2nd birthday...unfortunately, I won't be there to wake her up in the morning since mama will be off early to WFAA Victory Park Studios to share a real "mama challenge" from Good Morning Texas. I actually have spent the weekend trying out the three Pinterest desserts that seem "too good to be true" are really good or really not true. 

And while the moment is bittersweet since I won't get to see her beautiful eyes open on her special day or take her to her first day of school, at least I know that I'm doing my best to set an example that when life gives you an opportunity, you take it and are thankful for it. 

...And then as long as one of these desserts actually work out, we'll share a slice together in honor of her special day when I pick her up from school. 

To make it worth it for both of us, if you are in front of a TV at 9 AM on ABC WFAA 8, I'd love for you to tune in to see how these three Texas-themed Pinterest recipes work! 

• Margarita Pie
• Pink Lemonade Pie
• Apple Enchiladas

And of course, I'll be these babies on Pinterest later, too (if they are good!) 

Give Me Some S'more, Please {Recipes}

Food Fridays:

Disclaimer: I was provided a Camper's S'mores Grill from Coghlans for purposes of this review. However, all the comments and photos are my own. 

Yesterday I was reminded of the fun my son and I had on our recent vacation at the JW Marriott San Antonio making smores together. There's just something so wholesome and sweet about it. And of course, there's the whole chocolate and marshmallow thing that just makes it good. So we we decided it was time to make them at home (and by that I mean not in the microwave like normal.) 

However, I'm lazy and hoped we could just make these babies in one step. And that's exactly what the Camper's S'mores Grill does. Able to make three smores at a time, this paddle-shaped, chrome-plated steel grill let's your put together your component pieces, take it straight to campfire or fireplace and then in no time, have a perfecly cooked s'more - in one step!

While a little Hershey's, Honeymaid and Jetpuff s'more cannot be replaced, every once in a while you want to change it up a little. So here are a couple of ideas to changes up your recipe for s'mores. 

PB& J S'mores
Graham Crackers
Berry Jam (your favorite) 
Chocolate squares or Nutella spread
Peanut Butter

Elvis S'mores
Graham Crackers
Sliced Bananas
Chocolate squares 
Peanut Butter

Rocky Road S'mores
Graham Crackers
Thinly sliced almonds
Chocolate squares 
Peanut Butter