Food & Party Buzz

Photo by Becca2020

Moms in the Stay at Home Moms Group (private group) have been posting photos of their fabulous wedding cake toppers.

My favorite is this one from Becca2020. Isn't it great?

I had a really simple cake with only a few flowers on top. That's why I love to see CafeMom's unique versions.

If you have a photo of your own wedding cake topper, please post it below! We'd love to see it!

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Unfortunately, I'm still reeling from the holiday madness and haven't had a chance to cook any new one-pot meals. But I do have some news for all the die-hard one-pot fans out there: The new addition of Elizabeth's Yarnell's Glorious One-Pot Meals is finally available! Check out Elizabeth's guest blog on CafeMom; then order your copy of the book.

Photo by rockerchic

I was fascinated by Delaneysmom07's journal entry about bringing food to her SIL's house after she had a baby girl. She said she wished someone had done this for her when her own daughter was born and hoped to start this tradition in her family.

I always thought that the best thing you can bring to a new mom is food. Therefore, whenever my friends and relatives have a baby, I always visit with a present and baked pasta dish that they can just warm up in the oven. But as it seems from Delaneysmom07's journal, every family has different traditions for after a new baby is born.

Do you bring food to a new mom who's just had a baby? If so, what do you bring?

Photo From Annabel Karmel.com

It's difficult to get our kids to eat healthy when junk food like chicken nuggets and burgers with super-sized fries is so readily available—and so very tempting. With this in mind, I set off on a search for healthy "junk" food recipes and came up with these three winners for lean burgers, baked chicken fingers, and un-fried fries. They'll help you keep your family from craving bad-for-you food.

Photo From Oprah.com

Did you watch Oprah yesterday?

Cafe Kristen mentioned in Healthy Living Buzz that Oprah was going to talk about getting back on the weight loss wagon, so I made sure not to miss it. One of Oprah's strategies for losing weight in 2009 is to stick to a weekly meal plan that focuses on small, healthy, frequent meals.

Popcorn is a fun, healthy snack that the whole family can enjoy. But sometimes the packaged microwave varieties—especially those with added oil, butter, and salt—aren't as nutritious as you might expect.

How do you make sure that popcorn is a healthy snack for you and your kids?

Photo by The-Autism-Mom

Are you good at remembering birthdays? I am awful about remembering people's birthdays—whether it's my baby nephew, my best friend's little girl, or (gulp!) sometimes even Mr. Cafe Kim! That's why one of my New Year's resolutions is to stop forgetting these important events. I found just the thing to help me along...

Photo from RealSimple.com

If you resolved to eat better in 2009, then don't pass on this healthy recipe from RealSimple.com.

I made these chicken teriyaki meatballs, and they were delicious! It's cheap and easy to make and an added bonus: The recipe claims to be kid-friendly—but I'm not convinced given that it calls for edamame and snow peas. Do your kids like these veggies? Good thing meatballs are always a hit!

Chocolate cake in three minutes? There goes my plan to eat less dessert in 2009! Your kids will love making this super quick recipe in the microwave. Just mix all of the ingredients in a microwave-safe coffee mug, and watch as the cake rises over the rim as it "bakes."

Photo from KraftFoods.com

Yesterday, I wasted a lot of minutes in the grocery store searching for Velveeta cheese product in the refrigerated section. Silly me! Velveeta doesn't need to be refrigerated. It's located on the shelf with crackers and ketchup and other products with a shelf-life of three years and counting.

There are a whole host of dishes to make with this indestructible ingredient. Here's a tasty recipe for Velveeta queso and a not-so-tasty recipe for Velveeta fudge (have you ever heard of such a thing?).