The Caitlin Moss Blog

A while back, I read an article about how no mom does it all. It was an encouraging article for all moms that basically said, look, no matter how things look on the outside, no mama does everything all the time. There are always holes, things left undone, and days where you feel like all the walls are caving in on you and you want to hide in the pantry with a cookie and a glass of wine. I totally agree. No mama does it “all” but you know what? We do ALL that we do and that is a lot. Not only is it a lot, it is enough. So when someone asks me, “How do you do it all?” I don’t blush and pretend my life is perfect. I also don’t give a list of all my failures and deflect a compliment (because some days I really just need a compliment). If someone asks me that question, I take it as they see me doing something well and could maybe use a few tips on how they could do it too. At least that’s how I feel toward other moms when I ask the question. Like any job (and let’s face it, pare...

Greek Meatballs on Pitas This meal is one of the greater successes with our kids. They love meatballs. This style of meatball tastes fresh and sweet with a bit of tang. This recipe is modified from Rachael Ray's version and we love making them (especially because they freeze so easy). Meatballs: 2 lbs. ground beef (or ground lamb) 1/4 cup feta 2 T flour or bread crumbs 1 tsp oregano 1 bunch mint chopped 2 tsp cinnamon 1 egg Salt & Pepper Hand mix. Roll into meatballs. I typically divide this into two bags and freeze. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Serve on pitas with tzatziki (how do you spell this word??)  sauce. Tzatziki Sauce: 1 cup plain greek yogurt Zest of 1 lemon ~2-3 shakes of dill 2 Tbsp. chopped cucumber Salt and pepper to taste Enjoy!

Memphis BBQ Pulled Pork on Pretzel Rolls This is one of our favorite meals. I love that it freezes easily and is a great go-to meal if we'll be having company for dinner. I'm also pretty notorious for bringing this to new mamas after having a baby. (It's like a push present. You're welcome.)   3 lb. pork butt OR pork loin 1 packet Memphis BBQ rub 1/4 cup brown sugar if you like it sweet, or 1 tsp red pepper flakes if you like it spicey Add 1 cup of water upon cooking. 8 hours on low in the crock pot. When done, shred and serve on pretzel rolls with BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's is our favorite). This is also the pulled pork I use on top of my BBQ Mac & Cheese . Enjoy!

When I made this round of list of meals, I just couldn't steer clear of the comfort food no matter how hard I tried. It's fall, y'all! And I take no issue making some season favorites every night for dinner. I also added a few dishes/meals that are great for parties and football games. Let's get started... Menu | 1 queso dip/nachos 1 Buffalo Chicken Dip 1 Beef Stroganoff 1 Carne Asada Fries 2 Sweet & Sour Meatballs 2 Chicken 'n Dumplings 2 Roast Beef Au Jus/French Dip 2 Butternut Squash Chili 2 Chicken Pot Pie 2 Pulled Pork (because we always love this) 2 Spaghetti Sauce (because the kids will always, ALWAYS eat this) 2 White Chicken Enchiladas 2 Greek Meatballs on Pitas 2 PF Chang's Copycat Lettuce Wraps 1 Caribbean Jerk Chicken Grocery List | Produce: 1 bunch celery 1 bag carrots 2 red bell peppers 2 orange bell peppers 1 bunch mint 2 lemons 2 butternut squashes 1 bunch kale 4 red potatoes Dairy: 1 block velveeta 24 o...

So here's something awesome. And delicious. I was out at Hop Jacks with some friends over the summer and a friend ordered the BBQ Mac and Cheese. It is Mac and cheese topped with bacon, topped with pulled pork, and then smothered with BBQ sauce. I could make that! So I did. I served this at Maci's birthday party and it was a huge hit. So I'm passing on the awesomeness to you. Bacon Mac & Cheese 8 oz sour cream 1 can cheddar cheese soup 2 cups shredded Monterey jack and cheddar cheese 1/2 stick of butter Salt Pepper Garlic Powder Milk 1 box elbow macaroni Cook macaroni, strain and dump back in pot. Stir in milk and cheese and cheddar soup until melted. Add 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp pepper and 1 tsp garlic powder. Place in a baking dish, top with a thin layer of shredded cheese. Cook and crumble bacon and sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Pulled Pork 1 packet Memphis BBQ rub 1 cup water 2-3 lb pork loin Place ingredients in crock pot on l...

"Mom, this is my most favorite chicken ever." -Isaiah I know, sweet boy. It is delicious. We love chicken at our house and this my version of "healthy" fried chicken. I use quotations because, hello, fried. Start with the dry rub: 1/2 c whole wheat flour 1/2 T Smoked Paprika 1/2 T Garlic Salt 1/2 T Mustard Seed Powder 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper 1 tsp Chili Powder 1/2 t Cumin 2 T Brown Sugar 1 T seasoning salt Mix ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl. Gently toss chicken tenderloins or breasts (cut into strips) in the rub. This recipe should be enough for at least 6-7 tenderloins or 3-4 chicken breasts. I like to cut chicken breasts into strips because it cooks faster and it's easier to for kids to dip and eat. Heat a large saucepan to medium heat and melt about 1/4 c of coconut oil. Place coated chicken in the pan and flip about every 3-5 or until chicken is cooked through and the outside is brown and crunchy. Don't over crowd the ch...

Since we moved into our house 4 years ago, I have been dying to do this to our front room. The room has 18 foot ceilings and I wanted to add batten & board to the lower half (about 8 1/2 feet tall) to ground the room, add dimension, and help rid our house of that "cookie cutter"/"builder's grade" look. We finally did it! (And by we, I mean my husband. He is a rock star.) Level of difficulty: Easy but very tedious Time Length: It took us probably 4 whole days (though we spread ours out over 4 weekends so it seemed to take a long time since the room remained in shambles.) Cost: $150 What you'll need: 2 sheets MDF 2 cans of liquid nails 1 can caulk 1 box All-Purpose Joint Compound 1 gallon Kilz primer 1 gallon white semi-gloss paint Cost of the above items: $150 Tools: Table Saw Miter Saw Nail gun Caulk Gun Plastic spackle knives Paint Brush Paint Roller Painter's Tape Level Stud Finder Step 1: Prime walls with one c...