Incredibly Easy Homemade Tortillas

I have had making homemade tortillas on my to-do list for a long, long time.  Someone once told me it was easy but I apparently wasn't convinced enough to try.  We use tortillas a lot around here for sandwiches, quesadillas, and tacos so I'm not sure why it too me so long to brave the task!

Last night my husband was unexpectedly home early for dinner so I wanted to come up with something to make other than leftovers.  I had some ground turkey, shredded cheese, lettuce, homemade salsa, taco seasoning, nacho chips, and ONE tortilla.  Tacos?  My motivation to have tacos was high but my motivation to go to the store was low!  Desperate times call for desperate measures so I took to Pinterest to find a tortilla recipe and chose this one.  It's funny.  Even when the recipe told me it would be easy, I still didn't believe it.  But, I told my 3 year old to get ready to work, grabbed the ingredients (everything I had on hand, and you probably do too), and got started.

Friends, this may have been the EASIEST thing I have ever made!  It was so easy that I kept doing that  whole "apology in advance" and "no promises" thing to my husband.  In the back of my mind I was coming up with back-up plans.  This had to be too good to be true... But it wasn't!  Please hear me when I say that I will never, ever pay a PENNY for tortillas again.  These were easy, delicious, fresh, and cost me nothing.

I love finding new treasures right in my cabinets that I never knew I had.  And I love finding things that I can make myself and add to my "never buy in the store again" list!

Perhaps the best part of this project is that sometimes tasks seem even more daunting when I think about doing them with a 3 year old.  I love having her help me in the kitchen because I know that I'm encouraging really good things in her when I do.  But, I have to be honest and say that some things just are going to be more complicated with little curious, excited, and sometimes reckless hands involved!  This recipe was absolutely perfect for 3 year old hands and it actually was a help to have her!

Anyway, here's how to do it!

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 5 tablespoons shortening
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup very warm tap water

Directions:

• Mix flour and salt in medium bowl (you could get away with a medium bowl but I recommend large if you're mixing with a 3 year old!)
• Add shortening to the bowl and mix together with your hands to work out all the clumps (you'll be done when there are no more large clumps of shortening)
• Pour in very warm tap water
• Use a fork to stir until a dough forms
• Put the dough on the counter and knead until you have a soft dough (the original recipe said 10-15 minutes, we probably did a little less, but this is SO fun for your little one, it's like squishy playdough)
• Roll the dough into a log and separate into 12 equal pieces
• Roll the pieces into little balls 
• Put the little pieces in a zip lock bag in the fridge for 20 minutes - 2 hours
• After removing from fridge, flatten a ball in your hand and then roll out on a floured surface into a thin round tortilla (flip and turn as you roll to make an even circle, doesn't have to be perfect)
• Place tortilla in a heated frying pan (medium heat, you will know it's hot enough because it should sizzle a little when it hits the pan)
• Leave the tortilla in the pan for 30 seconds and then flip (it will bubble a little the first time, but try to push it down flat with a spatula after you turn it over so it cooks through)
• I had to play around with the heat a little bit to keep from burning, but you'll get into a rhythm after the first or second one 
• Remove from pan and place in aluminum foil to keep warm

Enjoy!

You can find the original recipe here with extra tips and pictures!

Premama Review & Giveaway

Are you in the market for prenatal vitamins but could do without swallowing gigantic horse pills?  If so, keep reading!  Who wouldn't love an alternative option for easily taking in all the nutrients to make you a healthy mommy... while easing some prenatal discomforts along the way?

I was recently asked by the team at MomSelect to review Premama Prenatal Vitamin Mix and was provided a 30 day sample for my honest review.  I was so excited!  I never would have thought to try something like this on my own, but after the first day, I was sold!

Premama Prenatal Vitamin Mixes are packed with all of the vitamins and nutrients suggested for mommies before, during, and after pregnancy to support healthy baby development.  It helps keeps you and baby healthy at the same time that it soothes symptoms like morning sickness and minimizes constipation.

Now, let me tell you the most exciting part about the Premama formulas...  they come in little packets of powder that you simply mix with your favorite non-carbonated cold beverage or soft food and enjoy!  Even oatmeal!  All of you pumping and nursing mommies who are trying to boost that milk supply by eating oatmeal can fill up on your vitamins at the same time!  You can get the powder in either a taste-free or a light citrus flavor alternative.  Premama eliminates the huge pills.  I am sipping some fruit punch as I type and although I can't taste it, I know I'm filling myself with lots of healthy vitamins with each sip!

Premama comes in two varieties, Premama Essentials and Premama Plus and both are sold in 30 day supplies.  You can purchase them through the Premama website, amazon, or in a store near you!  There is also a great feature on the Premama website where if you refer a friend, you will both earn money toward the purchase price... and there is no limit to how much you can earn, so the more friends you refer, the better!  You can also ask your doctor to request a coupon code for additional savings, or subscribe for monthly automatic delivery.  If you'd like to try Premama first, there is an option to request a sample as well.  All of the details are on the website.

MomSelect and Premama have provided me with the opportunity to offer a giveaway of a 30 day supply of Premama for one of my readers!  You can enter the giveaway below.  A winner will be announced one week from today on Monday, October 21.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to review this product and share it with you through both the review and the givewaway!  Thanks MomSelect and Premama!

If you'd like more ways to connect with Premama, check out their social media links below!
http://facebook.com/Premama
http://twitter.com/drinkpremama
http://pinterest.com/drinkpremama
http://instagram.com/premama

Pampered Chef Creative Cutters Set - a Yumbox must-have!

Anyone who has read this blog knows that I am a HUGE Yumbox fan.  I am also a HUGE Pampered Chef fan.  Most importantly, I am a HUGE fan of the Pampered Chef Creative Cutters Set for making my Yumbox sandwiches!

These little cookie cutter gems are the perfect size for the little sandwich pieces you can fit into your Yumbox.  They are stainless steel and strong enough to very cleanly cut through your sandwiches and they come in a variety of shapes so you can switch things up as you wish!

My daughter is a huge "pb & j star and heart" fan but we've branched out to "pb & j apples, leaves, and pumpkins" this fall.

We have a lot of different cookie cutters at our house but these ones are my far the best quality.  They are small, clean up super easily in either the dishwasher or by hand, and DO NOT RUST!  I use these daily, if not multiple times daily, and they are still as good as new.

If you are looking for a solution for small sandwiches (or cookies, fruits, cheese, etc), I highly recommend this set!

If you'd like to order some for yourself, I'd love it if you'd use this link to the online party I'm currently hosting, but certainly don't feel obligated to do so.  You can type "Creative Cutters" in the search box on the right.  You can order there through 10/26/13.  There are tons of other fantastic products that you will love and enjoy and wish you'd had for a lifetime.  The turkey roasting pan with a lifetime guarantee is another of my all time favorites!

If you're curious about the Yumbox, you can read my blog post here.  They sometimes sell out quickly because they are so amazing but I think they are up and shipping on amazon right now!

 

Keep your eyes on the blog in the coming days because I have a couple of very fun reviews to share including a giveaway for new and expecting mommies!  

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com