A new year, a new blog.

I am still in a bit of a champagne fog from last night’s festivities (read: mustache party and game night with Big Ry and in bed by 10) and my hair looks like one of the male cast members from Jersey Shore (you know, the tan one), but good morning 2012!  Mamaknowszest is my new home to dish about all the glamour that comes along with being a new mom (and the wine that is consumed as a result).  I also will be sharing a little about my addiction to all things homemade, simple (read:  easy), and delicious. Here’s to a new year and a new blog to gossip about . . . . I get to vent, you get a recipe, so why not?  But first things first, a girl’s gotta post her New Years Resolutions.

Top 5 “I Will Not” New Year’s Resolutions:

1.     I will not post on Facebook that I have a husband for sale, no matter what he does.

2.     I will not justify that a glass of wine counts as a serving of fruit as it is made from grapes.  Especially if I have had more than one glass.

3.     I will not buy my 2 year-old (from here on out known as Madame President) a $5 balloon every time we go to the grocery store (even if she is perilously screaming in the check-out line).  But if someone insists on buying one for her, that is okay and I will thank them profusely.

4.     I will not cringe when it is my husband’s turn to make dinner and it consists of fish sticks and cereal.  I will eat it and enjoy it because I did not have to make it.

5.     I will not judge the Kardashian sisters.  They have feelings too.  Even if they don’t look like it because their faces don’t move.

 Top 5 “I Will” New Year’s Resolutions:

1.      I will go to Zumba once a week, even though I look like an injured bird trying to take flight in my attempts to belly dance.

2.     I will take balloons out of our family budget (see # 4 above).

3.     I will actually clean the couch instead of just flipping the cushions over every few weeks.

4.     I will get off my dang iPhone and pay more attention to my kid and husband.

5.     I will smile, nod, and muster a positive response when people say crazy, inappropriate things in passing conversation (instead of wanting to wring their neck and then gossip about them for the rest of the day to my poor husband).  This frees up time to bake something I shouldn’t be eating.

And, as promised, here is a recipe for a yummy and easy appetizer to bring to any lingering after-holiday parties you may have on your calendar.  Thanks for reading the long-awaited first post of mamaknowszest. . . . See you in a couple weeks!

 Sausage Stars

• 1 pound cooked crumbled turkey or pork sausage
• 3 cup grated Colby jack cheese (or any cheese you may have on hand)
• 1 cup Ranch dressing
• 1 (2.25 ounce) can chopped ripe olives
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 package fresh or frozen won ton wrappers

Blot sausage dry with paper towels and combine with cheese, dressing, olives and red bell pepper. Lightly grease 2 muffin tins and press 1 wrapper in each cup and bake 5-7 minutes at 350 degrees until golden. Remove won ton cups from tins, place on baking sheet and fill with sausage mixture.

Bake 5 minutes at 350 degrees or until bubbly.  Makes about 4 dozen.