Mom Hacks, Tips & Tricks

It’s officially the fall season. With the cooler temperatures outside, my family knows that it’s also soup season in our household. My go-to is a one-pan recipe known simply as Taco Soup. It’s versatile in that I can use dried, frozen or canned vegetables. I can also utilize low-sodium or organic products in this recipe as well. The most fun I have with this recipe is the spice level. I like a little bit of spice but not too much to the point that I can’t enjoy a spoonful of this hearty soup. My husband and I joke with each other that I brought the spice into his life. When we dated, he told me he didn’t like to eat...

Move over pumpkin spice lattes and apple crisp macchiatos, Louisiana collides with fall with my favorite bread pudding recipes that the whole family will love! Pumpkin Bread Pudding Ingredients 1 16 oz loaf French bread 1/2 cup milk 1 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 15 oz can pumpkin 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 5 eggs 2 tsp vanilla 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg Instructions Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Cut bread into 1"-2" squares and add to large bowl. In another bowl whisk together your milk, cream, pumpkin, eggs, sugar, brown sugar vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and nutmeg until combined. Pour over bread and stir gently to coat, let soak for about 20 minutes. Spread into baking dish and bake in oven for about 50-60...

There are so many issues to consider for kids these days, from children’s mental well-being to food dyes and whether those matter to vaccines and when to get them. And that’s not even taking mom and dad’s health into account! Enduring a long NICU stay? We’ve been there. Looking for a great urgent care for children in Baton Rouge? Red Stick Mom has suggestions. We’ve talked about taking mental health days for kids, how to battle pesky molluscum, and arthritis in children. These are just a few of the health + wellness questions we’ve addressed on Red Stick Mom over the nine years we’ve served the community. In this blog post, you will learn about some natural methods for fighting those...

This week Louisiana woke up to “fall weather”. Mother Nature teasing us with nightly temperatures in the 60s and 70s this past week meant one thing in our house – comfort food for dinner! A family favorite is Creamy Tortellini and Spinach soup. This soup is easy to prepare, tasty, and comforting.  Below is my quick and easy recipe. Creamy Tortellini and Spinach Soup Ingredients: 1 TBLS vegetable oil 1 yellow onion – diced (fresh or frozen) 3 carrots – diced 4 cloves minced garlic 1 (15-ounce) can of petite diced tomatoes 1 carton of vegetable stock ½ tsp dried basil ½ tsp dried oregano ¼ tsp dried thyme Salt and pepper to taste 12-ounce bag of cheese tortellini ½ cup...

Does anyone love doing laundry? Maybe you have an organized system to stay on top of the daunting piles brought in by both children and adults alike. Until recently, laundry was a never-ending task for me. As soon as I thought I had a handle on it, shock overcame me as I peeked into the closets only to be met with overflowing bins! How can tiny humans produce such large piles of dirty garments? I decided to research local laundry services. I knew the concept existed; however, I did not know much about the process. Baton Rouge has many options available to meet your laundry needs. Whether you want to retire from the job completely or send out some of...