Real life with Lar

New Holiday Series Starting this weekend It's officially fall!! I love this time of year with it's crisp cool mornings and gorgeous colors all around. Holidays are just around the corner and that means LOTS of baking, comfort food, and family time.  I wanted to give you a rundown of the series I am planning for the next few months. My hope/goal is to make the holiday season less stressful and more enjoyable for you and your loved ones.  The Great Pumpkin always visits Baba & Papa's house In October we will be preparing and getting organized for the holidays. Of course that starts in the kitchen. We will take it week by week, preparing our kitchen for the cooking and baking that's about to "go down" this holiday season. (I feel I should shout 'Lets get ready to rumble!!') 😉 I will also be sharing various fall recipes that your family will love and are easy to make.  Thanksgiving desserts! In November we will

Baba's "Mary Poppins" Bag :) or what's inside my diaper bag? One of the best things I ever did when becoming a new g-ma, 2 years ago, was to have my own diaper bag. We watch our grandson (I'll call him A) several times a week. (He is one of the biggest blessings in our lives.)  Having my own diaper bag also makes it easier for my daughter. She doesn't need to worry about packing anything for A when we get him. Also, I know that I have everything I need for our adventures out; no matter where we go. What one keeps in their diaper bag is really tailored to the child.  My family calls my diaper bag my 'Mary Poppins bag'. I truly feel I have everything I need. I've added and removed stuff over the years. For example, A is your typical toddler, so bumps and bruises are the norm. I now carry Neosporin spray and band aids. I didn't need that when he was a baby. But like I said each diaper bag is different and this blog post is just f

Chicken Tetrazzini In 2003/2004 I joined an online forum called 'Happy Housewives'. I met some amazing women that I am happy to say I'm still friends with to this day. One of the ladies that I admired (and still do) is named, Dawn. She is an amazing cook and is one of the inspirations for my passion for cooking. (I'll be mentioning other inspirational women in future blog posts).  One day on the forum I was complaining about cooking and how much I felt it was such a chore. Dawn told me to "Look at cooking as an act of love, not a chore." Just that little change in attitude made me look at cooking in a different way. I saw how much my family enjoyed eating together. I developed a passion to become more skilled and creative in the kitchen. I'm not perfect by any means but I now view my cooking as an act of love to my family and a creative outlet for me.  As you would imagine, my family loves it. This recipe was first given to me by Dawn. She

Hot Dogs!!! Everyone loves a good hotdog and everyone has their favorite way of topping a hotdog. I am going to give you our family's top 3. There really isn't a 'wrong' way to top your hotdog. It's all by personal preference BUT if you are looking to mix things up a bit here are a few  alternatives. Also, I want to add that a good, quality hot dog is key to having great flavor! The Classic Chili Cheese dog kicked up a notch ... Being from Southern California we love a little heat in our foods. So take your grilled hot dog and... Place thinly sliced jalapeño and finely chopped onion on the dog  Top with your favorite chili (my homemade chili is a favorite but we ate it already so canned it is).  Instead of shredded cheddar try shredded pepper jack.   Place under broiler for a couple minutes till cheese has melted. Keep a constant eye on it so the bun doesn't burn. This has so much flavor and a nice, spicy kick from the jal