It's Facon, not Bacon

Every week my Mom, a true Gawdsend, comes to hangout with our beautiful bambino.  For her it's absolute nirvana, for me a necessity so I can bolt for a couple hours, bobbing and weaving from meeting to appointment like a chicken with my head cut off.   Last week I decided to whip together a quick lunch for us, a Thank You of sorts, for the unconditional love she gives my baby and for truly being the best nanny, in her case, Nonie (that's what we call her) a girl could ask for.   What better way to show my appreciation than with....bacon, well actually, Facon.  For those of you who don't know, 1. We DON"T eat meat 2.  We DO eat Facon - a ridiculously good non-meat product...just like bacon, minus the slaughterhouse.  After throwing together some simple ingredients,  15 minutes later, lunch is served...It's an FLT Mom.  FLT?!  Yup, like a Bacon Lettuce Tomato - with a healthy (Facon) twist.  She took one bite and LOVED IT!  That day, she left with a full belly, HUGE smile and fistful of Facon.  And Wilbur is one happy piggy.

RECIPE:

1 OroWeat 100 calorie Wheat Sandwich Thins

2 Morning Star Facon Bacon Strips https://www.morningstarfarms.com/products/breakfast/veggie-bacon-strips

1 tsp Low Fat/Calorie Mayo

Handful washed Arugula

2 1/2 to 1 inch slices of Beefsteak tomatoes

Option to include Egg Whites for more protein.

Fresh Ground Pepper and Sea Salt - as much as you'd like

Toast the sandwich thins.  Spray Extra Virgin Olive Oil on pan and cook 2 egg whites until well-done.  Place to the side.  Use that same pan to cook the facon until golden brown (about a minute on each side)  Spread mayo on the lightly toasted bread, add eggs, tomato, facon and top off with arugula lettuce.  Add salt and pepper for taste.  ENJOY!

Homemade Face

The day you find out you're pregnant is also the day you discover all the things in life you can't have.  Sushi, Tequila, Coffee, Jacuzzi, Sauna, Botox, Lazer Hair Removal, and of course, many of our trusty little skin products that have become our closest confidants.  By striping our lives of our favorite things, it was clearly time to introduce new pleasures to bring us back to our happy place.  After some experimenting (online and at home :) we've uncovered a few 100% natural, homemade face masks that'll have you feeling like your old self in no time.  Bonus: They taste damn good too!

Nourish:  Banana-Avocado Mask

1/2 over-ripe banana 1/2 over-ripe avacado 2 Tbsp unflavored full-fat yogurt 1 tsp olive oil

Mash banana and avacado, combine with other ingredients, and mix well.  Apply to face and neck. Leave on for 20 to 30 minutes, then rinse with warm water.

Exfoliate: Tomato-Lemon Mask

1 over-ripe tomato 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp oatmeal

Put all ingredients in blender, puree until smooth. Apply to face, let soak 20 minutes, rinse with warm water.

Tighten: Peach Mask

1 ripe peach 1 egg white 1 tsp unflavored full-fat yogurt

Peel and pit the peach. Blend together with egg white and yogurt until smooth. Pat onto face. Leave on 30 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

Refresh: Cucumber-Parsley Mask

1 Tbsp unflavored full-fat yogurt 1 Tbsp chopped cucumber 1 Tbsp fresh parsley

Puree cucumber and parsley until smooth. Add yogurt and mix well. Apply mixture to skin, let sit 15-20 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

 

Moisturize: Chocolate Mask

1 Tbsp cocoa powder 1 Tbsp heavy cream 1 tsp cottage cheese 4 tsp honey 1 tsp oatmeal

Mix all ingredients in blender. Smooth onto face. Let sit 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

Baby Bumps and Bikinis

It takes a brave woman to strut her stuff in an itsy bitsy teeny weeny bikini...It takes a Goddess to strut her growing baby bump in that same barely-there-bathingsuit.  Here at Haute Moms Club, we think baby bumps and bikinis are sort of like peanut butter and jelly, Angelina and Brad, Tom and Jerry - they just friggin go together.  If you're on the fence about this trend, let's these lovely ladies prove to you, the bigger the bump, the more beautiful the bikini bod.

50 Shades of...Shades

If there's one accessory that's got every Hollywood star "covered" rain or shine, day or night, with or without child, it's the perfect pair of shades. Whether you're popping bottles or in this case, pumping bottles, a great set of sunglasses will have you looking your best even on 2 hours rest. When it came time for my push present, I opted out of Tiffany's (not that it was an option) and all-in for the darkest, chicest pair of kick-ass shades to A) shield me from the rest of the world B) shield the rest of the world from me.

I splurged, well actually, my hubby splurged - On a pair of over-the-top Chanel shades, perhaps a little too pricey but let's make one thing clear, I am one frugal bitch. You'll definitely find me strolling the aisles of TJ Maxx before Intermix.  That said, a few things are absolute musts, splurge-worthy, if you will:  Amazing heels, Amazing denim, Amazing bags and AMAZZZZING shades. That's not to say you need to spend next month's rent on a pair of Prada but these are items I wear day after day, so spending a little more goes a long, long way. Think of it as an investment if that makes you sleep better at night. Anyway, back to my point, here Haute Moms Club, If you want to look your absolute best, at your worst, it's all about the shades. Here are a few faves.

Patty Cake or Crab Cake: How bout both?

As a new mom, it's always a race against the clock.

8AM - Boob Time

9AM - Tummy Time

10AM - Entertain-my-2-month-old-the-best-way-I-know-how Time

11AM - Shower Time (yes, bathing is still a priority even if it isn't for some of my other mommy friends)

12PM - Emails....Email...Emails...Is it dinner yet?

And so it goes.  The day escapes me but I still try to maintain a balanced life as much as possible.  That includes sex definitely, ok, maybe and usually a solid meal...which by the way, I still enjoy tremendously.  But preparing a de-friggin-licious dinner BC (Before Child) is much different than AD (After Delivery) Less time means less ingredients but don't fret, I've found several recipes that may even trump Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals and pack a serious punch of flavor flav.  Enter, the Crab Cake.  This is not just any ol crab cake.  It's low carb, low fat, low calorie, low...what else is there?? But HIGH on my list of things to serve my family and friends if I'm trying to look like I've got it goin on, even a wee little bit.  Anyway, here's the recipe, try it out...lemme know what you think

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon chopped dill

1 1/2 tablespoons canola-based low fat mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 large egg

1/3 cup panko

1 pound lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed (best kind from Costco)

To Prepare, combine first 8 ingredients.  Add panko and crab, tossing gently to combine.  Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes

Fill a 1/3-cup dry measuring cup with crab mixture.  Invert onto work surface; gently pat into a 3/4 inch-thick patty.  Repeat with remaining mixture.

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil (I use Olive Oil) in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add crab cakes.  Cook 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden.  Carefully turn cakes and do the same on the other side for 4 minutes.

Done and Done!  ENJOY!