Less than fifteen minutes after jumping the broom, my oldest brother told my husband that he wants nieces and nephews.
I almost broke my neck to face him before the last syllable left his lips.
I’ve discussed kids in the past, but I can’t lie, it’s something that I’ve been thinking about more these days. That’s because everyone including my boss is trying to get me knocked up.
Truth is, coming from a big family, I never thought of having kids of my own. I’d like to say I’m still on the fence about it, but Tracey’s mentor made a strong case for why we should consider having at least one kid. I wish I could remember exactly what he said because it was so poetic, but he said something to the effect that it’s a way to pass on your legacy. It’s a way continue to growing, but not just getting older.
Ultimately, we decided to wait a couple of years before having the baby talk.
But.
It’s hard not to think about the type of mom I’d like to be.
The Type of Mom I’d Want to Be
I know for sure that I want to be a hands-on mom. The one who practices vocabulary words with her kids to ensure they ace their tests. The one who excitedly gets on the floor to color Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Disney princesses. The mom who organizes weekly game and taco nights just like my aunt did for me and my siblings. I know for a fact I’ll be the mom who sings to get her baby to sleep.
But more than anything, I want to be the type of mom who passes on her love of food to her kids. Some of my best memories involved helping my aunt in the kitchen. By the age of 10, I was already making apple pies with candied walnuts topped with caramel sauce from scratch for family events. I especially remember breaks when my cousins and I would try to end Donkey Kong, but being led downstairs by the sweet scent of homemade butter pecan cookies. Those are memories I will always cherish.
That’s the type of mom I’d want to be.
About The Invisible Chef
Jill McCauley and Terry Howard knows all too well what it’s like to want to be that mom, but just not having enough time in the day.
To give busy moms a hand, they created The Invisible Chef, a boutique line of gourmet breakfast mixes, quick bread, muffins and desserts. The line features more than 50 mixes allowing bakers of all skill levels to whip up fresh baked treats by simply preheating the oven and adding a couple of ingredients before serving.
“I remember nights when one of my kids would spring on me ‘oh by the way, I need to bring a snack to school tomorrow’” said McCauley. “Not wanting to be the mom who sent store-bought baked goods, I would dig into the pantry to see what I could put together at the last minute and I wasn’t always successful.”
In addition to simple instructions and minimal ingredients, each of The Invisible Chef’s baking mixes are made with wholesome all-natural ingredients.
“Since we are a small company, we wanted to produce premium products,” said Howard. “I grew up in California and my degree is in Food Science & Nutrition so I have always wanted to eat healthy. It just seemed like a given that we would produce products with the best ingredients we could. Given that even the big food companies are now realizing this and are following the lead of smaller boutique companies, I think we are on the right track.”
Recently, I tried The Invisible Chef’s Cinnamon and Ancho Chile Cake Mix.
Review of the Cinnamon and Ancho Chile Cake Mix
It’s a chocolate brownie that bakes as a loaf. They were simple to make and the box called for only three ingredients: 1.5 cups of sour cream, 1 egg and 4 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter. I swapped the butter for coconut oil, but that’s it.
After a little over an hour, the top had a noticeable crunch. As I cut into it, my knife glided into the moist center and release the spice from the ancho chilies into the air.
The brownie was semi-heat and as it worked in your mouth, you felt the noticeable heat. At first, I was apprehensive about the combination, but I liked that the mix gave my taste buds a little punch.
I paired it with vegan cinnamon ice cream and sandwiched it between two brownie chunks. The ice cream serves as a buffer adding a subtle sweetness and creaminess while enhancing the cinnamon taste.
How I Ate the Chocolate Cake Mix
After baking and cooling for a total of 70 minutes, the top had a noticeable crunch that excited me and worried me at the same time. But as soon as I cut into it, my knife easily sank into the moist center exposing the spice from the ancho chilies into the air.
At first bite, the brownie was semi-sweet and then as you worked it in your mouth a little longer, you felt the heat. While I was a bit apprehensive about the combination, I liked that it gave my taste buds a little punch.
But just in case the mixture was too spicy for me, I whipped up some vegan cinnamon ice cream sandwiching it between two brownie chunks. The ice cream served as a buffer adding a subtle sweetness and creaminess while enhancing the cinnamon taste from the cake mix.
The line can be purchased at Macy’s Herald Square, Wegmans, T.J. Maxx and other retailers. Products can also be purchased at the online store here.
