No One Can Debate the Importance of Gun Safety #iftheyfindit

When it comes to the safety of your kids and other people's kids, there is no debate that gun safety is a conversation that needs to be had and a conversation that we can all agree on. No matter the side of the fence you are on when it comes to gun rights, what matters is how to protect our kids, educate our kids and educate gun owners on the practice of gun safety. Evolve has created a PSA (Public Service Announcement) that sends a very strong message on the importance of gun safety and kids. I think that after you watch this you will agree that no one can debate the importance of gun safety. 

*Before you click 'PLAY' please make sure that your kids are not around. There is nothing scary or gory on this video but the video does have an adult message and I'd hate to open up a box of worms at your house.*

'If they find it, they'll play with it' is such a genius message! We can teach our kids to not touch guns and not play with guns but in reality, a child's mind does not stop fully developing until sometime in their twenty's. Kids are kids and if something looks fun to them, if they are curious about it or sadly if they are told 'not to touch' something then their curiosity will get the best of them. 

If you can take the time to lock up your personal files in your file cabinet then why not take the time to lock up your guns so that your kid's, your kid's friends and your grand kids can be safe? As I stated above, no one can debate the importance of gun safety. 

Written by: Aimee Fauci

Black Bean Enchiladas

My husband and I love Tex Mex and since we live outside of San Antonio we have so many places to choose from to eat at, but on this day I decided to save money and create my own Tex Mex dish. We are striving to eat healthier each day so I decided to put a healthy spin on a Tex Mex dish and make Black Bean Enchiladas. Not only are they delicious and simple to make, but the are pretty healthy. 

If I had corn I would have added it for a touch of sweetness. In addition, I would have like to have added sauteed onions. 

The Black Bean Enchiladas are very simple to make. As you are browning the meat, add the peppers, cilantro and garlic. After the meat has cooked, add the beans and tomatoes, but if you are using canned beans and tomatoes make sure to rinse them before adding them. This gets the 'gunk' off of them and makes them a bit healthier. Mix everything up and simmer. 

Bake the Black Bean Enchiladas at 350 degrees for around 13 to 18 minutes; only you know your oven so keep your eyes on them. I served this dish with my Mango Salsa and my husband's world famous 'Hotter Than Hot' hot sauce. I hope you enjoy. 

Written by: Aimee Fauci - Mom of House of Fauci's

'Finish This' Week 30

This week's 'Finish This' segment is about fashion. For those that know me or have read my blog, I am not a fashionista. There are 6 fashion questions that are presented during this week's 'Finish This', so let's see what I can come up with. Before I start, I found a funny little quote:

1. I like wearing... clothes that make me feel skinny! Shirts that are not overly loose but loose enough so that my foopa does not poke out and pj bottoms so that my gut does not hang over the belt line and I can breath! Breathing is very important. 

2. My most memorable style was...pre pregnancy when I used to work in the corporate world. I wore cute skirts and dresses and fancy heels.

3. I dress to impress when... I'm going on a date out with the husband. Date nights are few and far between in our house, so it's nice to look pretty, cute and confident. 

4. The best style tip I ever received... was from my husband before he was my husband. I used to wear baggy work pants, I think they were in style at the time. He made sure to tell me that I needed to stop wearing my potato sack pants and wear fitted pants since I had a good body. He was right. 

5. 3 wardrobe staples in my closet... Oh goodness, don't judge this WAHM mama, but they are flip flops, crocs, fake Uggs, pj bottoms, sweat pants (cute ones), tank tops and tee's. I take care of kid's all day so I am bending and stretching and squatting down. 

6. 3 words that describe my style... comfortable on my days home, tight fitting jeans w cowgirl boots on my going out days, and free spirited with a tee, shorts, and flip flops with my hair in a bun on grocery store/ errand runs. 

Join us next week for another 'Finish This'. Meet a group of fabulous people, connect and enjoy how other bloggers 'Finish This'.  http://nicoleandkevin.wordpress.com/

Lexi's Awesome Sauce

When our 9 year old found out that her dad was grilling chicken, she spoke up quickly and said that she would be making the sauce that goes on it. She knew exactly how she wanted to make it and she even gave it the name of 'Lexi's Awesome Sauce'. Lexi allowed me to share with you her 'Awesome Sauce' recipe and I must let you know, it is really good and I am not just saying that because I am her mama. 

There is not exact measurements to this sauce, but to give you an idea here is how Lexi made it:

Mix- 8 tablespoons of brown sugar, a few shakes of cayenne pepper, onion powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper and then a few squirts of ketchup, agave, and mustard. Mix it up and then add around 1/4 cup of water to liquefy. Taste and then add more of what you think makes it taste better. Lexi's Awesome Sauce had a sweet taste with a tiny bit of pepper.  

'Lexi's Awesome Sauce' can be topped on almost anything. We topped it on our chicken, corn and then the next day we topped it on our cheeseburgers. It's such a wonderfully sweet sauce with a bit of tang. 

Duff Tie-Dye Cake Mix - A 'House of Fauci's' Product Review

My girls attended a birthday party last year and when I went to pick them up I saw the most awesome home made cake by a non professional baker ever! The cake was tie dyed and it was perfect! The colors were bold and bright and did not bleed into one another. I just knew this mom had used a recipe off of Pinterest and probably put tons of hours into making it; I was wrong!  She said she purchased the Duff Tie-Dye Cake Mix from Target and she said it was simple; so with that said I had to try it out. 

This kit comes with everything that you need; cake mix and food coloring. 

My girls were really excited when they found out that I purchased the Duff Tie Dye Cake Mix kit. They were very eager to help and I was excited to let them learn how to make a tie dye cake. 

Mixing the cake was just like mixing any other cake. The detailed part was mixing the color but even though it was detailed, it was so simple.

I will admit that I had to concentrate when mixing the colors. It was easy but I had to focus on the color count. In addition, I ran out of yellow so I had to grab my personal yellow food coloring to finish the mix. 

I have to say how impressed I am with the Duff Tie-Dye Cake Mix. It was not only easy to make but it tasted great. My daughter has already requested one for her birthday ... in December. 

'Finish This' Week 29

It's back!!! I skipped last week's 'Finish This' because I was just not 'feeling it'. Guess what? I am definitely feeling it this week, so let's 'Finish This'!

I add spice to my life by...drinking hard liquor. I'm not kidding. I've been married a long time and liquor is my new best friend when I need to add some spice to my life. Okay.. you can giggle, but I am not kidding. 


Bacon is... everywhere! It's on clothing, socks, band-aids, in chocolate, wrapped around chicken, and most everywhere else you can think of. It's amazing and I have to wonder if pigs are pissed about this. 

The perfect meal... is a meal that is 'down home country cooking'. I'm talking chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes with white gravy along with a side of green beans and a slice of pecan pie. Oh my goodness, if I was only 23 again and had a high metabolism. 

My favorite food to grill is...meat! To be honest, I do not grill but my husband does, so with that said.. my favorite grilled food is anything he chooses to grill. 

I beat the heat by... staying inside my air conditioned house. I do not do the heat very well. If I get too hot I become grouchy and moody, quite similar to a 3 year old. 

Link up next week! Go to http://nicoleandkevin.wordpress.com/ and link up! Next week's questions can be found there. Join in on the fun! 

The Best and Freshest Southern Peach Cobbler

I have a love for Peach Cobbler and since it is the season of fresh peaches, I thought 'Why Not'. Of course I immediately went to my favorite resource Pinterest and found a recipe called 'Fresh Southern Peach Cobbler'. I looked over the recipe and decided that it was simple enough and I had all but one ingredient; it was lemon juice and I decided that my recipe could live without it. This dish turned out not only beautiful but amazingly delicious. I decided to rename it 'The Best and Freshest Southern Peach Cobbler', because it is! 

The ingredients are pretty simple, however as I stated above, the original recipe calls for lemon juice but since I did not have any I decided to exclude it. The recipe calls for 9 peaches, I think that if you have 8 peaches you will be fine but no less. 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel peaches. In a bowl, combine cut up peaches, 1/4 c white sugar, 1/4 c brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch. Stir to coat evenly. Pour into a 2 quart baking dish and bake 10 minutes.  

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, 1/4 c white sugar and 1/4 c brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Blend in butter with your fingers or a pastry blender. Stir in hot water. Once the peaches are removed from the oven, plop the flour mixture throughout the peach mix. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon and sugar. 

Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Let cool a bit before serving and serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

Heavenly Brownies

Often times our grocery store will have a meal deal that offers extras when you purchase a certain product. On this day, our extra was Kraft's Marshmallow Creme. When I was a kid I would make peanut butter, marshmallow creme and banana sandwiches, but I was not sure that my kids would appreciate this sandwich like I did. I decided to mix it up with some brownie mix and turn it into my version of Heavenly Brownies. 

Bake: Follow the baking directions on the brownie box. The main thing you will need to watch for is the time frame in which you cook the Heavenly Brownies. If the box says to cook for 25 minutes, I would cook for 25 minutes but be ready to add extra time and keep a close watch. The marshmallow creme has a tendency to make the brownies take longer for the center to cook, but once they are finished.. they are Heavenly! 

Cinnamon Banana Muffins

Instead of using my standard Chocolate Chip Banana Muffin recipe that I normally use; found here by the way. I decided to do a Pinterest search for regular Banana Muffins. I decided to use the 'Banana Recipe' found at 'Mama Chocolates' blog, but I decided to rename it to 'Cinnamon Banana Muffins' since the spice of cinnamon is so amazing and should be recognized. 

For this recipe you will need ingredients that you most likely already have in your pantry. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your muffin trays with muffin liners or non stick spray. 

Once everything is mixed up, pour the batter into your prepared muffin pan. Fill the muffin cups halfway. 

Bake at 350 degrees for around 25-30 minutes. Once they bounce back and the toothpick is clean once inserted into a muffin, you will know they are done. 

ENJOY!!!

Orbeez Mood Light

My girls have always wanted me to buy them Orbeez. For those moms and dads that don't know what Orbeez are, they are little balls that expand after being soaked in water and then have different ways you can use them. I vowed to the high heavens that I would never allow this product in my home for the fear of my anxiety level rising from the tiny little Orbeez balls bouncing everywhere, but when we were at Kohl's and my girls had money burning in their pocket I couldn't say no. In addition, the Orbeez Mood Light was marked 1/2 off so it was a win and my girls were really excited! 

They decided to make an 'Orbeez Mood Light' toy review VLOG. 

From my girls 'three thumbs up' I believe that we will be buying more Orbeez products in our future! Right now you can purchase them from Amazon.com by simply clicking here. 

*House of Fauci's uses Amazon referral links, so when you shop through the Amazon links on this page you support The House of Fauci's at no cost to you*

Written by: Aimee Fauci

John T Floore Country Store - A 'House of Fauci's' Review

One of my favorite things to do is to drive through small towns and find interesting shops and eating establishments. On this day we were in Helotes, Texas; a small city right outside of San Antonio, Texas. As we entered the city I saw the coolest country store that had an awesome truck parked outside of it and signs, all kinds of signs posted on and around the building. I knew we had to stop; so we did.

My husband had previously read that John T Floore Country Store was listed in the 2001 Texas Monthly as one of the '50 Things Every Texan Should Do'. I am happy to say that over the weekend, 5 Fauci Texans did and it was fabulous. On a side note, this establishment is not only an eating establishment but also a bar that plays live music with some pretty amazing artists. Now since we had the girls with us, we were not able to enjoy the night life but we were able to enjoy the food that was served during lunch. 

As you enter John T Floore's Country Store you are stopped in your tracks by the inside decor. I was loving the outside decor but the inside was crazy cool! After we ordered our food, my husband and I just walked around and studied all of the signs and pictures and everything else that made this place so awesome. 

The menu looked delicious! I was not very hungry but I knew I wanted to eat. My husband ordered the pulled pork bbq nachos with a side of cole slaw and I went ahead and ordered the pork tamales; why not, right, they raved about them on the signs outside. My girls, as usual, split a kid's cheeseburger meal with french fries. 

After we ate our amazing food we decided to walk around outside. John T Floore Country Store has 2 stages, one inside and one outside. The one outside is so Texan (aka freaking awesome) and there is so much seating outside. I will be trying my hardest to pick a day and find a sitter for the girls and see what the nightlife at John T Floore Country Store is all about. I hope I get to see Willie! 

If you visit San Antonio or if you live in San Antonio or in the surrounding area, you should definitely visit this country store. Either stop by for a bite to eat or come on down for the night life. I know we will be back and this time I will be hungry! (SN- if you bring your kids, tell them not to wiggle in the chairs, they are cool chairs but not too sturdy. My sweet Bell took a backwards dive, but hope this will teach her a lesson ;-) ) 

Wilton Giant Cupcake - 'Pin It or Forget It'

I was perusing the kitchen items at the local Goodwill the other day when I discovered the Wilton Giant Cupcake pan. I hit the jackpot! Not only was it only $4.99 and in great condition, but I love all things Wilton. It is my go to brand when I purchase baking products. Since I have never made a giant cupcake before, I decided to visit the Wilton website and see if their instructions would give me a 'Pin It' or if I should 'Forget It'.

Since it was the 4th of July I thought it would be fun if I got creative and made a 4th of July themed cupcake. 

I enlisted some help from my girls. I think they were as excited as I was! 

We followed the directions perfectly! After we pulled the cakes from the oven the colors were so pretty. I will admit that the blue looked green, but I was okay with that. 

After the cakes were cooled, we iced them. We made sure to use more food coloring and pretty sprinkles to liven up the cake even more! 

We then carefully placed the top of the cupcake onto the bottom of the cupcake. After it was securely placed onto the bottom of the cupcake we stood back, scratched our head, looked at each other and just laughed! What the heck did we just create? Did we create a mushroom or maybe we created a rocket?! I am not a professional baker but the instructions seemed easy enough. Sadly, we had 3 adults working on this project and none of us could make it work.