by Anola Trott
My favorite recipes are the ones that make it look like you worked really hard, but you didn't. I use these mostly for Sunday dinners - which are important in my household. Sunday dinner should be the best meal of the week! My husband and I don't get to see each other much during the week and often do not have dinner together, but Sunday dinner is always guaranteed. I always want to make something special, have a glass of good wine, and just enjoy each other! 

I often see restaurant remakes on pinterest and I decided to try Alice Springs Chicken from Outback because (a) it looked delicious, (b) used ingredients I already had or could easily find, (c) had mushrooms {which my husband is obssessed with} and (d) would not take much time at all.

Directions
Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside. ***Do not discard grease.*** Season chicken and saute in the bacon grease for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned. Place chicken in a 9" x× 13" casserole dish or pan.
To make the Honey Mustard: In a small bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayonnaise and dried onion flakes.  Spread 1/2 of the Honey Mustard over each piece of chicken, then layer with mushrooms and crumbled bacon. Place the other 1/2 of the Honey Mustard over the top and the add the shredded cheese.
Bake in a 350° oven for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and chicken is done.

I'm obviously not one to follow recipe directions to the tee... I really don't think it's essential unless you are baking. Add your own twist and enjoy! My husband loved this and so did I. I will definitely be making this...  2 (or 8) more times!

If you haven't heard, Let Mommy Sleep and Mission Sleep are two of my favorite mommy-supporting organizations in Northern Virginia. Cheers to my (smokin' hot) friend, Denise, who is the founder of both organizations.

Let Mommy Sleep provides overnight baby nurse care to families transitioning from hospital to home with their babies.  "We are there to build parents’ confidence by providing evidence based, elite newborn care by RN’s and LPN’s."    

Denise started Let Mommy Sleep after delivering her twins...
"I had my twins when my son was 18 months old.  I was a high risk for having a stroke, my c-section stitches burst and my husband did not have paternity leave.  Our family was suffering, and when we found help for some of the overnights, that experience showed me very simply that Let Mommy Sleep was my destiny.  While bringing home baby is a naturally stressful time, it’s simply not okay for parents to bring home baby and be scared, hurt or feel like a failure." 

We asked Denise a few questions...

Describe yourself in three words: 
Luckiest person ever.

What do you consider your greatest professional achievement? 
Being featured on NBC and WTOP for our non-profit, Mission Sleep which offers free, overnight care to parents of deployed, wounded or deceased spouses.

What are your professional goals for the next six months?
To grow the non-profit Mission Sleep so that we can provide free overnight care to ALL families with a partner on deployment, a spouse who has passed away and  Veterans bringing home newborns in the DC Metro area and to continue our expansion into Baltimore.

How does your company stay connected through social media?
We LOVE social media and connecting with other businesses and families. Since the nurses work overnights, we encourage our families to use #asklms on Twitter when they have those middle of the night questions.  Additionally our Facebook is a resource to bring families evidence based education as well as the opinions of our nurses.  We want newborn education to be accessible to everyone.

Internally we communicate using LMSLive, an App created and designed for us to access family files through the night and provide real-time documentation. This allows us to share data internally and collect our own pool of data with which we use to make recommendations to our families.

What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?
Professional chef for sure.  It’s art, health and creativity that would be used every day! 

How do you maintain a work/life balance? 
I’m really terrible at it.   Petula Dvorak at the Washington Post coined the phrase “midnight moms” where she describes working til midnight or 1am as the new normal for moms trying to be present for the kids during the day, and then catching up on everything else after the kids go to bed.   That’s me for sure.

What websites do you visit every day? 
Facebook, SupernovaMommy.com, RHONVA, AP and HuffingtonPost.  My family is one of the proud who gets the actual Washington Post delivered every day!

What is your favorite drink – and where can you find it in Northern Virginia?
Dirty Martini – Carmello’s in Manassas

What are your top 3 favorite people/places/things in Northern Virginia? 
1. Besides Andrea/NOVAhousewives., SuperNovaMommy is my favorite resource and person.  Such a pure, honest heart working for the community.
2. HUGE fan of Jammin Java in Vienna.  Places to hear local music are becoming few and far between and Jammin Java is the perfect place to experience music.  Plus they do kids shows every morning!
3. Occoquan, VA – It is such an eclectic little town of independent shops, crazy stories and fantastic people.

What is your goal for retirement?
To just have a simple life without worries.  Right now each day is a race to check off the giant to-do list.  I think it would be nice to stop running. In terms of business, I would like to mentor other women business owners.

Do you have any advice for women who would like to start their own company?
Your company must be in your heart -you cannot succeed unless your company is your passion.  Also, please, please value yourself and your service--- too many of us don’t value our services enough. 

Friday, Sept. 28: A Laughing Matter End a long week with a few laughs as the Workhouse brings comedian Nick Vatterott, from Comedy Central, to the stage. Vatterott, who has appeared on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" and "Conan," has toured with Chicago's storied Second City comedy theater and performed his standup act around the world, from Caroline's in New York City to Istanbul's Taksim Square. Ages 18 and above are welcome. Limited seating; advance reservations strongly recommended. 8 p.m. Workhouse Arts Center's W-3 Theatre. $15/person. For more information call 703-584-2900. 

Also on Friday:
Goodnight Walk - Owls: Learn to recognize the calls and features of local owls, make a craft and enjoy a night hike with a naturalist at Hidden Oaks. Participants age 4 and above are welcome. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult.  7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Hidden Oaks Nature Center. $5/person. Register online. For information call 703-941-1065.

Basic Gardening: Grow Lush Ferns: Is your yard surrounded by tall trees and an abundance of cool, shady areas? You have the ideal setting for growing ferns. The fern's lush beauty and grace adds interest to the landscape and provides a refreshing, woodland atmosphere.  Learn more about growing ferns from a Master Gardener and walk through the garden to see them. 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Green Spring Gardens. $10/person. Register online. For information call 703-642-5174.

Saturday, Sept. 29: Fall for the Book!
What began as a two-day literary event in 1999, has expanded into Fall for the Book, an exciting week-long, multiple-venue, regional festival. Readings by renowned authors, book sales, panel discussions and more. Featured on Saturday are Marc Tyler Nobleman, author of "Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman" and "Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman," Eugenia Kim, author of "The Calligrapher's Daughter," the Friends of the Burke Library Book Sale and more. Complete information on Fall for the Book is available on the festival's website.

Also on Saturday:
For That Which Returns: This performance piece draws inspiration from the classic myth of Demeter and Persephone, when three women inhabit a 15-foot-tall metal weathervane while exploring the connection between mothers, daughters and the seasons. This is an innovative collaboration between two companies on the forefront of aerial performance: Baltimore's In-Flight Theater and Arachne Aerial Arts, and features an original script by Mara Neimanis. 8 p.m. Reston Community Center. $30/person ($15/ Small District 5 residents.) For information call 703-476-4500.

Full Moon Canoe the Marsh Tour: Discover one of the area's finest wildlife habitats while gliding over the water in a canoe, by the light of the full moon! Experience the beauty of Pohick Bay's marshes and see bald eagles, osprey, fish and other wildlife. This will be a unique tour exploring nocturnal animals as well as diurnal animals. For adults and youth age 16 and above. 6 to 10 p.m. Pohick Bay Regional Park. $30/person. For reservations (required), directions and other information call 703-528-5406.

Safari Saturdays: Hands-on activities teach kids about nature and science. This Saturday’s topic is rocks and minerals. For children ages 3 to 7. 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Hidden Pond Nature Center. $6/per child. Register online. For more information call 703-451-9588.

Invasive Plant ID and Native Alternative: It’s time to remove those invasive plants and plant native species we can all enjoy, but first you need to know how to ID them. Curatorial horticulturists Kristen Sinclair and Brenda Skarphol focus on invasive plant identification both in the classroom and in the field and provide native alternatives.  9 a.m. to noon. Green Spring Gardens. $35/person. Register online. For information call 703-642-5174.

Sunday, Sept. 30: Mind Your Peas and Carrots…
Enjoy trying samples from the garden and talking with Master Gardeners about growing vegetables in Northern Virginia, with a special emphasis on planting fall crops and overwintering vegetables in this area, during the Taste and Tour at the Organic Vegetable Garden. The garden is a demonstration garden of the Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Potomac Overlook Regional Park. Free.  For information call 703-528-5406.

Also on Sunday:
Blacksmith Demonstration: See the blacksmith fire up the forge at Colvin Run Mill and listen to the ring of the hammer as it strikes the anvil. There is no admission fee for this activity. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Colvin Run Mill Historic Site. Free. For information call 703-759-2771.

Tea at Downton Abbey: The spellbinding “Downton Abbey” portrays the intertwined lives of Edwardian aristocrats and their servants during a period of changing world order. Hear about life upstairs and downstairs at Downton Abbey: the fashions, food, manners and social customs and how each character is a study in a portrait of their time. 1 to 3 p.m. Historic Green Spring. $27/person (includes a full English tea.) To make a reservation call 703-941-7987.

via Fairfax County Newswire. Information was correct at time of publication.  Please contact individual event sites to confirm programs are being held as scheduled.  The Fairfax County Weekender highlights a selection of county events taking place each weekend. A complete list of county calendars is also available online.

4 fresh tomatoes, 1 red onion, 1 bunch cilantro, 1 jalapeno, 2 cloves garlic, fresh squeeze of lime. rough chop in food processor. salt and pepper to taste.

by Brooke Nunley
This past Saturday, I attended the Frizzles of Springfield Fall Fete and had an AMAZING time! Special shoutouts to Valerie for the invitation and great hospitality, and to Barbara for transforming me from blonde to redhead just in time for fall! Be sure to check out all the great Frizzles staff and services at frizzlessalon.com!

More great event pictures can be seen at Mynd's Eye Photography with the access code 'Frizzles'!

Save the date!  The 3rd annual Funville will be held at  Dulles Town
Center on Saturday, September 29th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Join Washington Parent for a day of exploration, education and entertainment at Funville, a  parenting fair now in Northern Virginia.  Head to Dulles Town Center for live entertainment, interactive demos, information booths and plenty of activities for the kids.  Stroll through Activity Avenue, Arts Alley, Baby Block, Resource  Road, Healthy Highway and more to learn about amazing resources. 

Saturday, September 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Dulles Town Center 21100 Dulles Town Circle, Dulles, VA 20166   

by Sarah Festa
I love pinterest for a variety of reasons—one of which is certainly the recipes. It has helped me be much more creative with my meal choices and has helped me introduce my 14 month old to lots of new and exciting foods. This week I decided to try out the Toddler Muffin. It’s basically a cross between banana bread, carrot cake and zucchini bread. How could I deny that cute little face of those yummy things?! I couldn’t. So, during nap time I ventured into the kitchen and whipped some up.

This recipe made 24 mini muffins and 6 regular sized muffins. I will definitely be freezing some of these—I love having great food tucked away. I decided to go the extra step and top each mini muffin with a raisin. My little one loves raisins and it just seemed to fit!

The results? These are a big hit. The form factor of the mini muffin makes it just perfect for little hands! They are just a little sweet, which is good, and they are jam packed with stuff that’s good for you. I could see experimenting with cutting back on the butter and adding some applesauce, but let’s be honest…butter makes everything better!

Check out the latest giveaway from Baby Blossom!

The Pixi highchair is freestanding when folded into a slim compact position. Great if you want to store away between meal times.

Pulls up to the table at mealtimes - just remove the tray and clip to the front of the highchair legs to keep neatly stored but still at hand when not in use.

Easy wipe clean the Pixi highchair includes a removable tray with cup holder.

Age range:  Approx 6 Months to 3 Years.

*winner must pick up item from Fairfax or Reston Baby Blossom location.

Check out the hottest new store to hit Fairfax Corner - Belle Mode Intimates!

Belle Mode caters to woman of all ages and sizes. Celebrating the uniquely feminine shape, they carry sizes ranging from 28AA to 50K, with and without wire, as well as soft and molded cups.

Belle Mode strives to make their clients' experience comfortable, informative, and fun! The moment a client walks in the door, they are greeted by a professional and are offered a one on one personal fitting. Since studies show that 85% of women in America are wearing the wrong size bra, I recommend that you take full advantage of this offer! Once your size is determined, the fun begins...  Belle Mode will then bring you an assortment of bra’s that are flattering and functional for your particular body shape. You will instantly be surprised at how easy it is to bra shop when someone else is doing all the work for you!

Enter below to win!

https://www.facebook.com/BelleModeIntimates

super easy. semi-healthy. super cheap. most of all... delicious!

Every fall, I whip out my arsenal of seasonal recipes that involve pumpkin and spice. My go-to is pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. I usually make these from scratch - until last year I forgot the baking soda (or baking powder? whichever makes these puppies rise) and it was a flop. Literally.

My mom makes a 2 ingredient pumpkin spice cake with just a can of pumpkin and a white cake mix (Weight Watchers recipe maybe?). I thought I'd try something similar for these cake-like cookies.

This is seriously the easiest recipe you will ever make. Only three ingredients. No oil, water, or eggs.  Pre-heat the oven to 350 now... or else you'll be sitting around waiting for it to heat up long after the batter is put together.

Ingredients:

One cake mix. I used a spice cake mix, but you could use white or vanilla.
One can of pumpkin. 15oz.
One bag of your favorite chocolate chips/chunks/morsels. I used dark chocolate morsels - I'm sure milk chocolate chips would be equally as delicious.