The Caitlin Moss Blog

Whether you’re a working or SAHM mom, dinner time can be a struggle. After a day filled with the busyness of life, getting a hardy and healthy meal on the table for pallets young and old can be challenging. Thankfully, there is always spaghetti. Everyone knows how to make spaghetti. It’s the ultimate easy, cheap comfort food. And I must say my spaghetti sauce has turned into something pretty spectacular. And, of course, it’s super simple and made in the crock pot – something I use more often than my black, stretchy pants. Here is a simple and healthy gluten-free meal the whole family will love that begins and ends with a crock pot. Spaghetti Sauce: 2 cans tomato sauce 1 can diced tomatoes, drained 1 can tomato paste 1 lb. cooked ground Italian sausage (I use mild but sweet or spicey works depending on your preference) 1 lb. cooked ground beef (or another pound of Italian sausage) **be sure to drain the excess oil from the cooked meat 1 tsp. Basil 1 tsp. Oregano 2 cloves o...

Rain, rain. Go away. I'm someone who just so happens to love the rain. The sound. The smell. The fact that I don't have to remember to water my flowers. Rain, in my mind, is great. But I do understand that rain...constant rain...can be a problem when you have kids. Not only is going outside an important part of development but getting out of the house provides a level of stimulation that tires my kids out enough to have a quiet afternoon, which something (as I'm sure you can relate) I need . Here in Washington, we get plenty of rain. Especially during January - April. These are honestly tough months (and this is coming from someone who prefers living in Washington over Southern California). But if there's one thing I've learned as a mom, it's how to improvise. I've used Pinterest to get some great rainy day indoor activities (many of which are fabulous) but sometimes (or most of the time) I just need to get out of the house before I lose my ever-loving m...

Of all the meals I did for the round of 30 gluten-free meals , this one I was the most nervous about. Mostly because I had never made it before and also because my husband isn't a big fan of quinoa. (I know, I know. Shame on him.) Anyway, when I tried it out this last week, we were all pleasantly surprised and satisfied. Whether you observe meatless Fridays during Lent, are a vegetarian or simply are looking for a meatless, protein-packed meal, this dish is just the ticket. Simple. Tasty. And made in the crock pot. INGREDIENTS: 2 cans tomato sauce 1 can diced tomatoes 1 can corn 1 can kidney beans 1 can black beans 1 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 tsp. Chile powder 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes Approx. .75 lbs. uncooked and RINSED quinoa (this was actually WAY too much quinoa. I forget how much quinoa doubles...er, quadruples in size when cooked. 1/4 lb. when have worked fine!) **Be sure to rinse the quinoa well! If you don't, I hope you enjoy eating sand. Also, rinse your be...

Our family loves pizza. Who doesn't though? More than anything, we love making pizza dough from scratch. Anytime I can get my littles in the kitchen with me is a blessing. They love it and I love it. This recipe is easy enough to where their little hands can easily help. I've compared my pizza dough recipe to a few of my friends and they're all basically the same. Here's mine: 1 cup warm water 1 packet active dry yeast 1 tsp sugar 2 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp salt 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil 1. Mix the dry yeast and sugar in the cup of warm water. Place aside. 2. Mix the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. 3. Add the water/yeast/sugar mixer to the bowl along with the olive oil. 4. Mix until it becomes evenly doughy. (I use my hands) Place a damp towel over the top of the bowl and let it rise for 30 minutes (or more). Roll out on a pizza tray. Now for the good stuff... 1. Spread barbeque sauce of your choice evenly over the dough. I usually use 1/4 - 1/2 cup. 2....

This recipe is one of my absolute favorite side dishes to make. It requires minimal prep effort and time, is extremely versatile, can feed a crowd, and tastes great (even to tiny pallets). I started making this with only red potatoes, then I switched to sweet potatoes, then I started adding veggies, and now I make it with all kinds of potatoes and whatever vegetables I have on hand. RECIPE: 4-6 red potatoes, washed and cubed 2 sweet potatoes, washed, peeled and cubed 2 cups broccoli florets (I used frozen but raw works great too) 1 zucchini, sliced 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil (approximately) 2 tsp. sage 3 cloves of garlic minced Set the oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet, hand toss the potatoes and vegetables in the olive oil until everything is evenly coated. Sprinkle the sage and garlic and toss again. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. This was the version I made this week. I love this recipe because it doesn't matter if you don't have an ingredient. You can use wh...

This recipe is from the 30 gluten free meals I did last week and it is so good. And way too easy to be this good. RECIPE: 1 pork loin (mine was approx. 2 lbs.) Rub the loin with 1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar and 1 Tbsp. of Smokey Mesquite BBQ seasoning *Optionl - add a few red pepper flakes if you like it spicey Wrap the seasoned loin with half a package of bacon (or more if you need or wish) Add half a cup of chicken stock or broth to the crock pot for cooking Cook in the crock pot on low for 8 hours. It's the perfect combination of sweet, savory and incredibly juicy. The meat literally falls apart, as does the bacon. The leftovers are great for sandwiches...if you have any. Enjoy!

My birthday was a few weeks ago. Upon its approach, my husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday. Being that I've become very comfortable in my ordinary and budgeted life, I said, "I don't know. Nothing really. Maybe some more yoga or stretchy pants." He simply said, "No." "Why not? I use them more than anything," I said. He laughed and took me into my closet where he showed me my stack of black stretchy/yoga pants. "Because you don't need anymore." This was the pile he was referring to: He caught me...black panted. (ha ha!) And do you want to hear a confession? I have more black yoga, stretchy, work out pants than you see here in this pile. I have loose fitting ones, tight ones, running ones, and bleach-stained ones. I love them. I'm convinced they make me a better mom. I where them all. the. time. And I don't feel bad about it. There's a wave of intense pressure (mostly by the media and things like Pinterest) t...