Recently in Mom Snob Quickies Category

I'm not the type to sit and watch infomercials, ever! But I happened upon HSN while channel surfing and was immediately mesmerized by this pressure cooker. I make home cooked meals from scratch every day, so I am always looking for solutions to reduce my kitchen time. And this promised to do just that so I was hooked. Wolfgang promised baby back ribs in 25 minutes. No way, I said! Soup can be done in 15 minutes and rice cooked in 6 minutes. OK, I had to give it a try. I got this 2 weeks ago and I have not been able to live without it. I swear, baby back ribs - 2 giant slabs, one stacked on top of the other, cooked in 25 minutes!! Tender and falling off the bones. I could not believe it. I made spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes and crumbled sausages in 20 minutes but it tasted like I simmered it for 2 hours (which I usually do!!). I am huge on chicken stock, I use it instead of oil to saute vegetables which tastes much better and obviously much healthier. One chicken, 60 minutes, zero attention, and DONE. My weeks worth of stock. I made stews, turkey pot pie, braised chicken and even dessert! You can leave the lid off and brown meats before you start the pressure cooking, it actually gets pretty hot. The pressure and high heat is the secret to the quick cook time but another huge benefit of the pressure is that the flavor that is infused by cooking in this way. It's not just about being fast, everything has a richer and fuller taste. It's electric so there is no guess work or scary visions of exploding food, you set the time and let it go without having to watch over it. The pressure dissipates when the cooking cycle is complete and the lid will not come off until all pressure is released. Super easy to use. Comes in turquoise or orange, at HSN for $109.90 plus Shipping & Handling of $12.96.

UPDATE: Just made rice with this, it makes the most perfect rice you have ever seen. Japanese sushi chefs spend years perfecting rice making, it took me 6 minutes and zero grief =)

I have been sharing this recipe with all my girlfriends and it has been a huge hit! But more importantly, it is super easy and FAST!! I make this for my daughter's lunch and she always finishes it. It literally takes 10 minutes and can be made the night before. It is so good I serve it to grown ups as a side dish, for picnics or for lunch. Use the recipe as a guideline, you can add or substitute any of the ingredients.

2 Cups Cooked Penne Pasta (or any type, but not long pasta, i.e. spaghetti, linguine, etc.)
1/4 Cup Deli Turkey, cut in squares (or roast chicken or ham)
1/3 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, cut in halves
1/4 Cup Frozen Peas, thawed (I just soak it in hot water for a minute)
2 Tbsp Good Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

While the pasta is cooking, cup up and mix all the other ingredients together in large bowl. When pasta is done, toss in bowl and serve. Seriously, could it be any easier? Enjoy!

No time to clean the floor? Don't worry, just slip on these Evriholder Slipper Genie Microfiber Cleaning Slippers and clean your floor as you run back and forth chasing your tot around the house. OK, it's not the cleanest cleaning, but hey, it's better than nothing. Every little bit of lint and dirt you pick up is icing on the cake! If there is one thing mommies are good at, it's multi-tasking. Plus, the chenille slippers are pretty comfortable. When you're done, throw them in the washing machine. Comes in women's and men's sizes, for equal participation. At Amazon for $11.97.

I was not a new mom when I started Tot Snob so I never thought to do this but now that there is a newborn in my life again, my nephew, I realized that this is something that can be very helpful for new moms with mommy brain. We have all left the house without the one critical necessity (diapers, wipes, formula!). If you're in a familiar city, it is as easy as stopping at the nearest store, but if you're traveling, it could mean disaster! I have made a checklist with all the essentials. Click here to download the PDF file for your convenience. Make multiple copies or laminate one for your diaper bag.

This Bobbi Brown palette has been in my bag for a month now and I have decided that I can't live without it. All I need for a complete makeup on the go is this, mascara and lipgloss. The nudes are easy to just swipe on without precision but even if you want dramatic smokey eyes, you really do have all the tools you need - use the dark brown shadow with the small tapered brush for application above the lash line and the darker taupe shadow with the floofy end of the brush to blend. You use the light shimmer to accent the brow bone, right below the eyebrows. The tapered brush is great for the brows, you use the edge for the ends of the brows and the wide part for the rest of the brows. You can also use it to lightly line your eyes for a perfectly natural look. Voila, serious make up all in one little palette! I do not leave home without it =) Bobbi Brown Basic Eye Palette at Nordstrom for $40. Receive a full-size Sparkle Eyeshadow in Mica with a $75 Bobbi Brown purchase. $24 value, online only.

I am not particularly organized (or at all!) so apparently this genetic trait got passed down. My tots' arts and crafts table is pretty sad, they hardly have room to do anything. I've tried boxes, buckets, and special trays. So now I'm trying this, the Boon Stash organizer. It has different "cups" to organize various tools and crayons, etc. But that is, of course, it is used properly. If this does not work for my tots, I am going to (clean it and then) use it to organize my makeup! Or actually, I might just get another one for myself. I can put brushes in one, mascaras in another, lip glosses in a couple of them, tweezers, lip liners - I can list everything but you get the idea =) The Boon Stash Amazon for $24.99.

You are good at multi-tasking so why shouldn't your appliance be as well? I am all for the type of cooking that does not require me to stand over and watch it cook. Yeah, we all are! Like baking, crock pot and now this rice cooker / steamer! The Aroma Sensor rice cooker comes with a steam basket that fits over the rice pot so you can cook other things along with the rice. And it is not just rice you can make, you can do soups, stews and pasta sauces as well. Or if you don't want to cook rice at all, you can just use it as a steamer. Breathe a sigh of relief for convenience! Oh yeah. Here is what I have tried, chicken and vegetables on the steamer while the rice is cooking, not only is it an easy one step process but the rice absorbs all the yummy juices from the meat so you get super flavored rice! And healthy!! You can also steam fish but I do not recommend cooking rice at the same time when doing that. The rice will get fishy and yucky. If you are doing pasta sauce, I recommend using cut up link sausages or pre-made meatballs instead of raw ground meats because you will not be able to stir it while it is cooking. But just throw in all the ingredients and start it up. For soup, because it is full of liquid, any type of raw meats you add will be perfectly fine. Make sure you only cook with liquid in the pot, it will burn and overheat if you have only dry ingredients. This has been quite the time saver and is now a must have for my kitchen! At Aroma ARC-940SB 10-Cup Cool Touch Rice Cooker, Stainless for $48.75.

Malene Birger Bobly bead necklace; Lanvin Crystal Flower necklace

Look effortlessly chic and actually have it be effortless. All you need is good statement jewelry that will make a huge impact and be the centerpiece of your entire outfit. You will be the envy of all your mommy friends as you saunter around in a t-shirt and jeans or a casual solid cotton dress but looking like a million bucks. All of these pieces actually work better with casual outfits for an edgy feel, you do too much with these and you will look overdone. What that means for you is, the easier the better and we can all use more of those opportunities! But don't feel you need to spend serious cash for this look, take these as examples and shop around for similar pieces within your budget.

Malene Birger Bobly bead necklace at Net-a-Porter for $230.

Lanvin Crystal Flower necklace at Net-a-Porter for $2290.

DANNIJO Cyndi Multi Chain Necklace at Shopbop for $216.

Lee Angel Jewelry Anik Beaded Necklace at Shopbop for $352.

Impress your family with this one pot recipe that is full of flavor, healthy and deceptively easy. It takes 40 minutes to braise but the prep takes no longer than 10 minutes, I promise. You will need a La Crueset or similar French oven pot to bring out the flavor, it also speeds up the cooking time because it makes everything very hot inside. If you don't have one, seriously consider investing in something that will make your life easier. They are pricey but it is on sale at Amazon for $109.96 (from $160). You can also check stores like TJ Maxx and Home Goods as they sometimes carry these at a huge discount. And check your favorite outlet centers for La Crueset stores.

1 Chicken, cut up. You can also do all drumsticks or thighs.
1 Can of chopped tomatoes
2 Cloves garlic
1 Onion
3 Carrots
2 Potatoes
1/2 cup of red wine (any type will do but the drier the better)
1/2 cup of water
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon of Thyme or Sage (optional)

Wash the chicken and place in the pot. Salt and pepper the chicken (add your herbs at this time if you're using them). Pour in canned tomatoes, wine, water and throw in the whole peeled garlic cloves. Chop all the vegetables in large cubes and place on sides (you can buy the already peeled baby carrots and pre-cut potatoes to save more time). Put on the stove at high until boiling, then cover on medium for 40 minutes. Serve the whole pot on the table or if you have very small tots, move it to a large serving platter to be safe as the pot remains very hot. This is an entire meal on its own but you can serve it with rice, couscous or pasta. Your family will think you slaved over this home cooked meal with all fresh ingredients.

If you're having one of those mornings and can't seem to get yourself together, you can still get your fabulous face on in only a few minutes. When I interviewed Heidi Klum's makeup artist Linda Hay, she gave me tips for a 3 minute look and a 5 minute look. Now, we all have that to spare no matter how crazy our day is!

In 3 minutes, you only have time for concealer, bronzer, mascara and lip gloss. But you would be surprised how much that will do, especially the bronzer or blush because it suddenly makes you look flush and awake.

The Sue Devitt Triple Touch Light Reflecting Bronzer ($30 at Barneys New York) has 3 shades to give your cheeks a full spectrum of sun kisses all in one swoop. You can swish some on your eye lids for a quick touch of color in seconds.

And to make the few quick strokes count, get a mega mascara like the Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes Mascara, $27.

We all have a favorite lip gloss, mine is Lipfusion $50, it plumps, moisturizes and glosses!

Go to the next page for the 5 Minute Look!