Cinnamon Butterscotch Popcorn, Candy Cane White Chocolate Popcorn, & Peanut Butter Chocolate Popcorn

Cinnamon Butterscotch Popcorn

2 packages of microwavable popcorn, popped

1 1/2 cubes margarine

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup butterscotch baking chips

3/4 cup party peanuts

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Heat oven to 250º F.  Line an extra large baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray.  Pour the popped popcorn into a large bowl; set aside.

In a medium sauce pan bring the margarine, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil.  Boil for one minute on medium high.  Remove from stove and stir in the baking chips, peanuts, and cinnamon.  Pour mixture over popcorn and stir with a large spoon.  Continue to stir until the popcorn is evenly coated.  Spread mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.  Allow to cool and harden.  Store in an airtight container.

Yield: 15 cups

*A few weeks ago I created a butterscotch popcorn in my head and decided that I must try it.  I started out by Googling butterscotch popcorn and discovered that it had already been created.  At that point I decided to make it anyway.  While making it my husband asked me if I had ever had cinnamon popcorn.  No, I had not...and I definitely had never had Cinnamon Butterscotch Popcorn either!  Thanks "Other Half" for the inspiration!  This one is my favorite out of all three recipes.  My other half cannot decide which is his favorite.  You could create many other combinations as well!  Have fun!

Candy Cane White Chocolate Popcorn

2 packages of microwavable popcorn, popped

1 1/2 cubes margarine
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup unwrapped and chopped Hershey®’s Kisses® Candy Cane flavored
3/4 cup walnuts

Heat oven to 250º F. Line an extra large baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Pour the popped popcorn into a large bowl; set aside.

In a medium sauce pan bring the margarine, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil. Boil for one minute on medium high. Remove from stove and stir in the kisses and walnuts. Pour mixture over popcorn and stir with a large spoon. Continue to stir until the popcorn is evenly coated. Spread mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Allow to cool and harden. Store in an airtight container.

Yield: 15 cups

Peanut Butter Chocolate Popcorn

2 packages of microwavable popcorn, popped
1 1/2 cubes margarine
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter

Heat oven to 250º F. Line an extra large baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Pour the popped popcorn into a large bowl; set aside.

In a medium sauce pan bring the margarine, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil. Boil for one minute on medium high. Remove from stove and stir in the chocolate chips and peanut butter. Pour mixture over popcorn and stir with a large spoon. Continue to stir until the popcorn is evenly coated. Spread mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Allow to cool and harden. Store in an airtight container.

Yield: 15 cups

Peppermint Gingerbread Dessert

Gingerbread Cup Cakes

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 1/2 cups sour milk or buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda (dissolved in sour milk or buttermilk)

Heat oven to 350º F.  Generously grease 36 muffin tins.  In a large bowl; cream sugar, butter, eggs, and molasses until smooth.  Add flour, cinnamon, ginger, sour milk, and baking soda.  Pour into muffin tins filling half way.  Bake for 12-16 minutes.  Remove from pans and place on wax paper.  Using a small plastic container (medicine cup) or water bottle cap press into the center of each muffin (pictured at the end of this post*).  Allow to cool. 

Peppermint Ice Cream

36 Hershey®’s Kisses® Candy Cane flavored, unwrapped

36 miniature candy canes, unwrapped

36 white chocolate gingerbread boys**

Powder sugar for dusting

On individual serving plates place a small scoop of peppermint ice cream.  Place the gingerbread cup cake face down on top of the ice cream.  Put a candy cane kiss on top of the cup cake.  Then, insert the candy cane and gingerbread boy.  Dust with powdered sugar.  Serve immediately.

**To make the white chocolate gingerbread boys I piped melted white chocolate onto wax paper in the shape of gingerbread boys and allowed to cool.  If you have a hard time free handing place a cut out under the wax paper to trace.

Yield: 36

To change things up vary the fun!  Put the gingerbread on the bottom as pictured on the left.  On the right I have filled the gingerbread with peppermint cool whip then topped it with chopped candy cane Kisses and broken candy canes.

*How to indent your gingerbread.

This dessert creation was inspired by my love for gingerbread people.  I decided that the world needed a dessert that was delcious, fun, fancy, and encompassed gingerbread and peppermint.  Voila!

Side Note- the gingerbread recipe I used was not my original.  It is a recipe I got from my mother who got it from her mother.

Princess Birthday Party

I threw a Princess Birthday Party a few days ago and thought I would share some of my original ideas. 

This is a picture of the overall table.  I thought it would be fun to put tutus around the chairs.  They would be a fun party favor if your little girl had a friend party.  We only had an uncle come and I don't believe he is in to tutus!

I used a pink bed sheet for the table cloth.  In the center of the table is a silver Christmas tree that I embellished with party favors.  I also put 4 silver and 2 pink candles on the table.

I used round silver treys for the charter plates that I bought years ago at the dollar store.  The plates are pink paper plates with silver glitter Polk-a-dots created with glue and glitter.

This is simply a pink paper cup which I spruced up with pom poms, cheap ribbon, rubber stamps and black ink, jewels (from the dollar store), and tiny rhinestones.  I have to say, it was the prettiest cup any of us had ever used!

Party Favor #1- These are the lovely crowns I made using foam, headbands, pom poms, and jewels.

Party Favor #2- I made magic wand pencils.

I used fabric, ribbon, and tape to create as well as hold it together.  To aid in rolling the fabric around the pencil I taped it to the pencil.  The ribbon was glued.  Each star was cut from craft foam.

I decided to create a castle cake that mimicked the cups.  Here it is!  It was 100% pink!  I used two boxes of cake to create the height I desired.  However, I only had one pink cake mix and one white.  So, I used half a box of pink jello to make the white one pink.  It worked and we actually liked the taste better than the original pink cake mix.  *Be careful not to add too much dry jello as it will cause your cake to run over the sides of the pan.  I was thrilled to see this work.  You could color and flavor a white cake mix with any box of jello your heart desires.

*This was a fun party to prepare.  After the dinner we took apart our cups and stuck the jewels to our bodies.  We had many laughs as we had a few extra piercings and felt very much bedazzled!

Peppermint Orange Thumbprint Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon orange juice

1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest

2 1/2 cups flour

1 (10 oz) bag Hershey®’s Kisses® Candy Cane flavored, unwrapped

Heat oven to 350º F. In a large bowl and with an electric mixer cream the butter, sugar, orange juice, and orange zest until fluffy. Stir in the flour. Roll dough into 63 balls and place on two ungreased baking sheets (cookies will not expand). With your thumb press gently into the center of each dough ball forming an indent. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until done. Quickly press a candy cane Hershey Kiss into the center of each hot cookie. Then, transfer immediately to a cooling rack. Allow cookies to cool until chocolate is re-set. Store in an airtight container.

Yields: 63 cookies

*As a child I loved sticking candy canes into oranges and through a lot of effort eventually sucking orange juice out of the orange through the candy cane. It takes a lot of sucking but eventually you create a straw with the candy cane. The combination of orange and peppermint is festive and somewhat refreshing. Enjoy!

Aquatic Kid Themed Room

Here are some cheap kid aquatic room ideas that could inspire thoughts for other themes as well.  For those not living in apartments I hope you paint your walls! 

This is a quilt that I made.  I loved the Pottery Barn quilts but couldn't afford them so decided to make my own version.  It is a basic 12 inch block quilt.  However, on the reverse side I chose just a few of the colors and sewed long strips together in case my child outgrows the top.  The blocks which contain images were made by drawing the images I desired on paper and then by paper piecing (quilting technique) each block.

This is a series of aquatic themed picture frames and anchors.  The upper left is a shadow box I painted red and filled with sea shells and craft fishing net (that was my mom's idea).

The window treatment was designed by my mother as well.  We took craft fishing net and taped the net above the window using glue dots.  Then, we secured star fish into the net.  The map is a must in every child's room and very appropriate for our theme :).

This shelf could be much better but works for now.  The containers to the left are peanut butter containers emptied out and filled with seashells.  These could be filled with a number of items depending on the theme. 

Can't forget the animal life!  A giant rubber duck!  The table runner is created with bamboo place mats from the dollar store and more of the craft fishing net.  The basket to the left is from Hawaii.  I also have three circular baskets on the floor filled with aquatic animals that I did not photograph.  Have fun!

Crazy Holiday Brains!

Happy Holidays!

My brain is on fire but I am at a loss as I only have two hands, two legs, two eyes, and half a brain :).  For Christmas this year I am going to ask for extra of everything so that I can move mountains!  I have at least 15 ideas that just need to be carried out, photographed, and posted and no time to do it.  I could really use a secretary that could extrapolate from my head all craziness.  Considering this blog is lower on my totem pole of chores than children, a husband, paying jobs, church callings, and other items I will have to post this month as I find extra minutes here and there. 

May you find yourself extra cheery and bright

this glorious time of year! 

Your Friend

7 Wonders of the World- for kids

To entertain a house filled with children I decided to create an activity centered on the 7 Wonders of the World.  First I looked up the 7 wonders on http://www.wikipedia.com/ and Googled some photos.  Then, I came up with activities that would help the kids remember each wonder and sent them on a scavenger hunt to find each one.  To begin, I gave them a small piece of paper with three words that helped them figure out where the first wonder was hiding in my house.  The clues led them to an envelope with a picture of the wonder inside and another word strip to find the next clue.  The words pertained to the actual wonder as well as where it may be found in my house. 

Each child stuck the picture of the Wonder found to a piece of paper lined with photo squares.

1.  Temple of Artemis- the envelope for this wonder was located on an object with a religious connotation.  We then read a bible story about temples.

2. The Pharos- (lighthouse) this envelope was located on top of a wooden boat.  We played a game where we learned the importance of light houses.  Using a blind fold we took turns telling each other how to get to a specific destination around the house without making physical contact.

3. The Pyramids at Giza- the envelope was found attached to the outside of the oven to represent the climate in which the pyramids are located.  For the activity we made paper pyramids and filled them with goodies and notes to give to friends and family members.

4. The Colossus at Rhodes- this envelope was taped to the inside of a lamp shade.  Using large sticks we had a javelin throwing contest in honor of Apollo.

5. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon- the envelope was in a house plant.  For the activity we made outdoor bird feeders using peanut butter, millet, and pinecones.

6. The Statue of Zeus- I hid the envelope next to a statue I had in my house.  We painted "statues" for our activity.  You could also mold statues using play dough.

7. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus- this envelope was hidden in our bathtub as that was the closest I could get to a tomb.  As far as the activity...it was TREAT TIME!  We re-created the tomb using circular cookies, large and small marshmallows, and pretzel sticks.

*The kids had a blast!  You could adapt this according to what you have available in your home.  I also had each kid draw pictures of the eighth and ninth wonder of their world.  Have fun exploring your world! 

Homemade Baby Food

I had a friend ask me to post this.  A few days ago I went to town making my own baby food.  This is not my original idea so you can take what you want from this post.  I do have a few pointers.  First, if this is something you are interested in doing I highly suggest buying Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron (she is not paying me to advertise :)).  She tells you how to cook and store every kind of fruit or vegetable imaginable!  She also tells you at what stage babies are ready for each food. 

I calculated the cost of homemade baby food versus store bought and came to the conclusion that store bought is about 3 times the cost where I live.  That can add up!  The nice thing about making your own is that if you over produce you don't have to send the leftover jars with your older kids to school (I love you mom!).  You can throw the veggie cubes into soups and the fruit cubes into smoothies...or what ever you wish.

I divide my cubes into two groups, fruits and veggies.  I store the fruit cubes together in a large freezer bag and the veggie cubes in another bag.  The bag on the left is the fruit bag and it contains prunes, pears, and bananas.  The veggie bag on the right contains green beans, peas, pumpkin, and carrots.  It took me about an hour and a half to make all this.  I have to say you feel quite fulfilled afterwards!  Have fun.

Ice Cream Peanut Butter Cake

1 (19.5 oz.) box of Brownies

Nutella®, chocolate hazelnut spread

1 (3.4 oz.) box of instant French vanilla pudding and pie filling
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 (8 oz.) container whipped topping, thawed

1 cup broken fudged striped cookies
2/3 cup chopped peanuts (I prefer salted)
broken chocolate pieces
Magic Shell®

Heat oven to 350º F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan; set aside. Grease the bottom of two 9-inch round baking pans then line each with waxed paper and grease again. Make brownies according to the instructions indicated on the box then divide batter between both pans. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until done. Peel the wax paper off then cool on a drying rack. Spread the top of both brownies with Nutella®. Carefully place one brownie section in the bottom of the springform pan; set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the pudding packet and milk with an electric mixer and beat on high for two minutes. Add the peanut butter and mix until smooth. Sprinkle the bottom brownie layer with the peanuts and then pour half of the pudding mixture on top. Next, place the second brownie layer and sprinkle with broken cookies. Pour the remaining pudding mixture and sprinkle with the broken chocolate pieces. Cover and freeze until solid, 2-4 hours. Drizzle individual pieces with Magic Shell®.

Yields: 16 Servings

*I love peanut butter and chocolate and was in the mood one day to create an ice cream cake with this combination. However, I was out of ice cream and not in the mood for a cake texture. So, I made up my own mock ice cream and substituted brownies for cake. I originally made this with peanut butter ball cereal but decided in the end that peanuts may be better. Enjoy!

Exploring Space and Halloween Fun

This idea isn't super wild.  I thought I would share it with those who are looking for Martian or alien food ideas.  For Halloween this year I decided to choose a lunch theme for the kids I babysit.  I decided to explore space so I created a Halloween menu centered on our un-known friends.

Our table setting did not have any alien element.  It was still fun.  I put a tiny pumpkin on each plate with foam stickers and candies.  Each child got to decorate a pumpkin while they waited for their food.  The candies were for consumption purposes only.  If I had all older children I would have put permanent markers on the table to aid in decorating.

For appetizers we had Cracker Spaceships.  Using a small cookie scoop I placed a dollop of onion dip onto the center of each circular cracker.  I used sliced black olives for the spacecraft windows.  I gave each child extra crackers in case they wanted to spread the dip out.

As of the main dish...I know this looks gross!  The kids loved it!  I found an idea like this years ago and cannot remember where I found it.  If anyone knows let me know so I can give due credit.  The original idea had green ramen noodles for seaweed and a hotdog octopus on top.  My creation is suppose to represent an alien attempting to take over the world...  To re-create- Slice a cucumber into 1/4 inch rounds and put dollops of ketchup for the eyes.  Insert toothpicks half way into the individual cucumber slices; set aside.  Then, cut the bottom 2/3 of each hot dog to represent tentacles.  Place the hot dogs into a pot of boiling water for 3 minutes or until the tentacles curl; set aside.  Cook ramen noodles as indicated on the package.  Drain and divide in half.  Mix 5 drops of green food coloring into one half of the ramen noodles and 5 drops of blue food coloring into the other half.  Place a portion of each color on to individual serving plates creating a circular world.  Take the cucumbers and insert the toothpick coming out the bottom into the top of the hot dog.  Stand the aliens upright on your plate.  *The longer the legs of the alien the better it will stand upright on the plate.  If it refuses to stand then assume it is taking a quick nap before it conquers our planet.

As for dessert we had alien pudding cups.  I used mini marshmallows and mini chocolate chips for the eyes which were glued on with white frosting.  The legs were made using pretzel sticks.

After lunch we designed alien aircrafts using paper plates.  I allowed each kid to stuff theirs with what ever object they desired.  I used a stapler to enlcose the items.  The kids used cars, leaves, bark chips, socks, and lentils.  We had competitions and learned a little more about physics.  The winner got a glorious prize.

Frozen Samoan

1 (16.5-oz.) Pillsbury® Create ‘n Bake Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

1 quart French vanilla ice cream (block form preferred)
2 ½ cups coconut, toasted* and divided
10 fudge covered graham crackers, broken and divided
14 hard macaroon cookies, broken and divided
1 cup carmel sundae syrup, divided
½ cup miniature chocolate chips, divided
Smucker’s® Chocolate Fudge Magic Shell® Topping

Heat oven to 350º F. Grease the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan. Spread the cookie dough evenly across the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350º F. for 18-22 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Spread 1/3 of the coconut, 1/3 of the chocolate chips, and 1/3 of the caramel on top of the cookie layer. Using a large butcher knife slice the ice cream block into 1-inch sections. Take half of the ice cream sections and spread evenly across the chocolate chip layer. If necessary, break ice cream segments up to make sure all gaps are filled. Layer half of the fudge covered graham crackers, half of the broken macaroon cookies, 1/3 of the chocolate chips, 1/3 of the coconut (press into the ice cream), and 1/3 of the caramel on top of the ice cream. Take the last half of the ice cream sections and spread evenly. Repeat the broken cookie layer, adding the rest of the coconut. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the freezer for 2-4 hours or until re-frozen throughout. Before serving let the pan sit out for 10-20 minutes to soften. Run a knife around the edges of the pan. Release the springform. Store covered leftovers in the freezer.

*Tip: To toast coconut, spread on cookie sheet; bake at 350º F. for 7 to 8 minutes or until light golden brown, stirring occasionally. Or spread in a thin layer in microwave-safe pie pan. Microwave on LOW for 4 ½ to 8 minutes or until light golden brown, tossing with fork after each minute.

Yield: 16 servings

*This is my FAVORITE dessert out of all my dessert creations!  I entered this in the Pillsbury Bake-off years ago.  If you love Girl Scout Samoa Cookies and are disappointed with the Samoa ice cream sold in stores this is sure to win your taste buds...not your thighs!  Enjoy!  It is best eaten with a fork. 

Jell-O Apples

red gelatin cups

pretzel sticks

green fruit leather

green candies

chocolate icing

Flip the gelatin cup upside down. Place the chocolate icing in a sealable plastic bag. Pipe a small dot onto the top of the gelatin cup and place half of a pretzel stick upright in the center of the icing.  Cut leaf shapes out of fruit leather leaving the plastic backing on as you cut (this will help with cutting). Try to leave a little corner of the plastic backing exposed so that it is easier to peel off. Peel off the plastic and stick the fruit leather leaf to the top of the cup. Cut the green candies in half and pipe two brown dots to represent worm eyes.  Attach the worm to the cup with a dot of icing. 

Cinnamon Butterscotch Streusel Cheesecake

Crust:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup butter

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/4 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350° F.  In a medium bowl, cut the butter into the flour and powdered sugar until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in the nuts.  Press mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until light brown; cool.

Streusel:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1/2 cup butterscotch baking chips

In a medium bowl, cut butter into the sugar and cinnamon until is resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in walnuts and baking chips; set aside.

Cheesecake:    
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add white sugar, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla.  Mix just until combined.  Don't over mix.  Pour mixture over the cooled crust.  Sprinkle streusel mixture on top.  Bake at 325° F for 40 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean.  The top of the cheesecake will still jiggle but will set eventually.  Don't over cook...unless you like dry crumbly cheesecake!  Placing a pan of water on the rack below the cheesecake can help give it a smooth silky texture.  Store in the refrigerator. 

*Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts.  I have made many varieties.  This creation sounded good to me one day when I was craving something divine!  I love the texture of the crust and topping.

Jell-O Pumpkins

orange gelatin cups

chocolate icing

green candies

green fruit leather (bright green would be fun!)

Flip the gelatin cup upside down.  Place the chocolate icing in a sealable plastic bag.  Pipe a small dot onto the top of the gelatin cup and place the green candy upright in the center of the icing.  Pipe vines all over the cup with the chocolate icing.  Cut leaf shapes out of fruit leather leaving the plastic backing on as you cut (this will help with cutting).  Try to leave a little corner of the plastic backing exposed so that it is easier to peel off.  Remove the plastic and stick the fruit leather leaf to the top of the cup.  Voila!

*The inspiration behind this idea came while I was sick on the couch.  The thought of food made things worse with the exception of jello.  It is amazing where one can find inspiration!

Raspberry Yogurt Granola Bread

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/4 cup raspberry yogurt

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

3 (1.5 oz.) crunchy granola bar packets

cinnamon and sugar

red food coloring

Heat oven to 375° F.  Grease two loaf pans.  In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar.  Beat egg until light and add to shortening.  Add yogurt, flour, salt, and baking powder.  Fold in raspberries.  Add red food coloring if desired.  Divided mixture between two loaf pans  and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Divide the granola bars between the two pans and press into the bread.  Bake for 35-45 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Store in fridge.

*I prefer this bread cold.  The inspiration for this recipe came on a crazy day when I was trying to make banana bread and I ran out of bananas.  So, I used lemon yogurt to make up the difference.  From that experience I decided it would be fun to make yogurt berry bread.  Often times when you have berry bread it is a plain bread with berries in it.  I thought berry flavored bread with berries in it sounded much more appealing.  You could try many variations of this with countless banana bread recipes and yogurt flavors.  Just replace the banana with yogurt.

Creamy Split Pea and Bacon Soup

6 cups water

1 1/2 cups green split peas, dry

1 oz. packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix, dry

Combine the first three ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 2-4 hours or until the peas are very soft. 

4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, cut in cubes

1/2 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled

Stir the cream cheese into the soup until it has melted.  Add the bacon.  Garnish soup bowls with French fried onions if desired. 

Yield: 4 servings

*Once again I am using a semi-drab food item and dolling it up.  Have you ever had a good split pea soup?  If not, maybe this will change your mind!  It is incredibly easy and super tasty.  For a healthier version use turkey bacon.  You could also blend the peas if you want a creamier texture.

Bed Time Fun

Do you want to put a little pizzazz into your bed time routine?  A few weeks ago after my kids bath I noticed my sons hair was getting super long.  Considering the kids were about to go to bed I decided to try out some new hair styles.  My son had a BLAST.  The next day he begged me to do it again.  From that day on when we comb hair at night time we get creative.  Both of my children love this time and look forward to it every night.  Some nights I allow them to be creative on their own.

Mo-Hawk Moe

Mrs. IT

This is a great subtle way to remind your kids you love them by spending quality time with them!  It also reduces tears from the sensitive girls with knots!

Box of Joy- Service Idea

I had a dear friend loose a loved one recently and was inspired to do something for her and her family.  I invited people around her community who wished to participate to contribute something to a "Box of Joy".  Contributions included gift certificates, new games, cookie cutters and supplies, books, craft projects, fun foods, fun stories, family night activities, coloring books, and money.  The purpose was to help this family feel an abundance of love from those around them and to give them something fun to look forward to.  Our prayers are with this sweet family.  We hope they can find joy in their new journey.

*It may be fun to individually wrap each item.

Baby Boy Picture Frames

Here is a set of frames my sister in law and I made for a friend who was having a baby boy.  We used $1 dollar wood frames you can find at Michaels Craft Store.  Drafting tape helped us in painting the fine lines.  I chose an assortment of ribbons that matched the babies room decor.  I did not permanently attach them in case she wanted to change the colors of her room.  My sister in law took the fabulous pictures we put in the frames which were meant to be temporary until the mother replaced them with her child's.  The mother liked them so much she left them in.  Have fun sprucing up your own home with this idea!

Catch the Rainbow!

While babysitting the other day I decided to theme our day around rainbows as gray skies are here.  I taught the kids about rainbows found at http://www.wickipedia.com/.  I then told the kids that we were going to go catch a rainbow!  They were excited and somewhat confused.  I gave each of them a plastic bag and off we went!  When asking them how we were going to accomplish our mission one child responded with "let's collect the colors found in the rainbow".  I had them collect leaves of all colors and varieties.  This could be done with flowers as well.

Then, we came back to the house and started gluing.  We had one colorful mess!  It brought a smile to everyone's face.

Of course we had to end our adventure with a treat...I am a little obsessed with food!  What better way to do this than to "Taste the Rainbow".  I decided to play the Skittle Game (I played a version of this as a child with different candy).  These kids LOVE Sour Skittles so that is what we used.

To Play: pour a pile of Skittles in the middle of a table.  Pick someone to start the game (a starter).  That person selects one Skittle without revealing his pick it to anyone else (select with your eyes only).  Then, going clockwise around the table two times (depending on the amount of players) each person takes one Skittle trying not to pick the one the starter selected.  If a player picks the selected one then he or she has to give all of their Skittles to the starter and the player to the starters left then acts as the starter.  If the selected Skittle is not picked while going around the table two times the player to the left of the starter takes over.  When all the Skittles are gone the player with the most wins the game.  This game would be great for those learning their colors.  You could use any combination of candy, raisins, nuts, money...be creative!

Batman Birthday Party

This last weekend we celebrated my sons birthday.  He chose a Batman theme.  I used black and yellow for my colors.

 

I wrapped his presents in black butcher paper to represent Gotham City.  The windows were drawn on white paper with permanent markers and filled in with gray crayon.  I did not have gifts to go inside each building so I put letters and pictures from family inside of some of the buildings.  I used my sons Batman action figures to help decorate the table.

For the cups I drew and cut out my version of the "bat" symbol.  I glued it onto an oval piece of yellow construction paper and outlined the oval with a black pen.  Then, I taped it onto the cup using double sticky tape.  As for the napkins I scalloped the edges and put them in the cup to represent bats.  My son thought they represented Batman's cape.  It worked!

I created a bat symbol spotlight using a Pringles can.  I copied comics off the internet from http://www.wickipedia.com/ and glued them onto the can using a glue stick.  I taped a bat image to the inside of the lid and placed a bright flashlight inside the can.  Because the flashlight was so bright and my ceilings are not very high the symbol did appear on the ceiling.  It would have been super fun to have multiple cans and turn off the lights during the birthday dinner. 

The cake was a double layer chocolate cake with yellow frosting.  I created the chocolate bat symbols by placing one of my cut outs under wax paper and piping chocolate over it.  It worked great!  The border around the cake is created with chocolate chips.  I made the bat cave out of cocoa puffs where I used a rice krispie recipe and stirred in chocolate chips to help keep the darker brown color.  I formed the cave around a small tupperware I covered with greased wax paper to get the opening to the cave.  I used crushed Oreos for the cave floor.  The buildings (Gotham) were made from chocolate peanut butter rice krispie treats.  I poured the mixture into a wax paper lined tupperware and then cut a variety of building shapes.  The windows were piped on with chocolate.  The flying bats were made by coloring cabob sticks with permanent marker (you could have dipped them in chocolate) and adhering two chocolate bats to each other using more chocolate.  We ate a lot of chocolate this weekend!

Here are two pictures of the party favor as I kept changing it.  The cans were filled with bags of peanut butter cookies that represented two sided coins.  One side of the cookie was dipped in chocolate.  I think Two-Face (a character in Batman) uses a coin???  I used the same emblem from my drinking cups on these party favors.  To curl the yellow pipe cleaners I twisted them around pencils and I bent the black pipe cleaners around a small bat cookie cutter to get the bat shape (I did accentuate the ears).  I had extra comics from my bat symbol spotlight so I wrote personal notes on them and placed one in each can.  It is always fun to send your guests home with goodies!

Halloween Date Idea

I haven't seen my spouse very much lately as his schedule has been crazy.  I decided that we could benefit from a relationship building exercise...a date.  We did this at home.  I bought two small pumpkins and pulled out our permanent markers.  First, I asked my other half if he had any genius ideas using a pumpkin and permanent markers.  I decided my original plan was best... :).  I told him that we were going to decorate pumpkins for each other using markers.  He could draw pictures, write notes...  Neither one of us had ever received a decorated pumpkin from another.  Our kids also love them and keep carrying them around the house.  I wonder if you could bake these considering that permanent marker is not non-toxic??  If so, you could revisit the date in a month when the pumpkins need to be thrown out, by making a pie!

Of course we had to have a treat!  I had little packets of Carmel dip that I heated up in the microwave.  I put crushed candy bars in one paper cup and chopped nuts in another.  We dipped away! 

*This date was intended for a park.  However, our children had issues 5 minutes before we left so the date was moved to our house.  If you need a filler for a date and are bored of the traditional dinner and a movie then plan ahead and pack a few spontaneous activities.  Don't forget to take a picture as the pumpkins will not last forever.

Ghostly Treats

1/4 cup margarine

4 cups mini marshmallows

5 cups Rice Krispies

30 mini chocolate chips

15 colorful popsicle sticks

15 circular pieces of waxed paper (~11.5 inch diameter)

15- 6 inch pieces of ribbon

Place the rice krispies into a large bowl; set aside.  In a medium sauce pan melt the margarine and marshmallows just until melted.  If you cook longer it will result in harder treats.  Stir in rice krispies.  Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes.  Form mixture into 15 balls (~1/3 cup each).  Stick two mini chocolate chips onto each ball forming eyes then insert a popsicle stick in the bottom.  Place a piece of waxed paper over each ball and gather at the base.  Tie each ghost closed with a ribbon. 

*The inspiration for this idea came from my other half.  I think he should re-consider his career path!

Spooky Spoons

Here is another cheap neighbor gift idea...or Halloween party favor.  A cup of hot chocolate in a festive package.  *You could replace the hot chocolate with a number of fun drink mixes.

To make the pumpkin spoon I used green Tic Tacs, melted white chocolate, melted milk chocolate, and a tinge of shortening (I added the shortening into the milk chocolate to keep it from drying out).  I used a toothpick to spread a little bit of white chocolate on the back of the Tic Tac then I adhered it to the top of the spoon.  For the face, I melted milk chocolate and piped it onto the back of the spoon to resemble a jack o-lantern.  Store spoons in an airtight container or bag until ready to use.

The ghost spoon was super easy.  I melted white chocolate and placed a drop on the back of two mini chocolate chips then stuck them onto the inside of a white spoon.  I used rubber stamps and black and white ink to embellish each cup.

Have fun being creative.  You could buy green spoons and make Frankenstien characters...  You could always dip white spoons into colored chocolate to avoid buying multiple spoon colors.  If you dye your chocolate with food coloring make sure you add the drop to the chocolate as you are melting it.  Otherwise it will solidify your chocolate...I speak from experience!

Candy Corn Krispies

6 tablespoons margarine, divided

6 full cups mini marshmallows, divided

7 1/2 cups rice krispies, divided

food coloring

butter or shortening

5 oz. white chocolate for dipping, optional

Measure 2 1/2 cups rice krispy cereal and place in a large bowl; set aside.  Grease one large and one small piece of waxed paper.  Line a large bread pan with the large piece, greased side up; set aside.  In a small sauce pan combine 2 tablespoons margarine and 2 full cups of mini marshmallows just until melted.  Stir in cereal until combined.  Press into the bottom of the bread pan; set aside.  Wash the small sauce pan.  Measure 2 1/2 cups cereal and place in a large bowl; set aside.  In the small saucepan combine 2 tablespoons margarine, 2 drops red food coloring and 3 drops yellow, and 2 full cups of mini marshmallows just until melted.  Stir in cereal until combined.  Press into the bread pan on top of the white layer; set aside. Wash the small sauce pan.  Measure 2 1/2 cups cereal and place in a large bowl; set aside. In the small saucepan combine 2 tablespoons margarine, 5 drops yellow food coloring and 2 full cups of mini marshmallows just until melted. Stir in cereal until combined. Press into the bread pan on top of the orange layer.  The mixture will not all fit in the bread pan. 

Place the small piece of wax paper on top of the krispie treat, greased side down. Flip the entire treat upside down to help form the top layer and place back into the pan to allow it to set for 1-2 hours or overnight.

Un-wrap the krispie treat.  On a cutting board slice the treat into three sections as shown in the picture.

Take each of the three segments and slice into triangles.  Dip the white portion of the treat into white chocolate or use a spoon to spread the white chocolate on.  Enjoy!

Our tree climbing, monkey tossing, banana adventure!

Our family fun day for the month of October was centered on monkeys. My son LOVES to climb trees so I decided to plan an event right up his alley! We began our adventure with a monkey themed picnic lunch.

Technically the soda was a "werewolf ".  However, I thought it resembled monkeys...and it was the cheapest.

As for the sandwiches I took a metal monkey cookie cutter and turned it over so that the sharper side was facing towards me.  Then, with a clean and dry towel I perforated the bread with the blundt side, pressing hard.  I finished it off by toasting the bread.  You could try this out with any cookie cutter for numerous occasions!

After lunch we climbed trees.

We also had a peel toss.  Who ever succeeded in tossing their peel over a low branch got 5 points.  Peels tossed over medium height branches got 10 points.  Those tossed over high branches got 15 points.  Peels that did not come back down lost the game...oops!

The kids had fun playing an old favorite, Barrel of Monkeys®.  I ran across another monkey related game called Bananagrams® that may be fun to check out.

After dividing into teams we had a monkey throw.  Using yellow pillowcases we tossed a stuffed monkey back and forth.  Who ever dropped the monkey lost.  The kids had fun but felt super bad for their monkey friend every time he was dropped.  I think our monkey friend has healed!

This was the favorite activity of the day!  We made a banana swing using a yellow bed sheet.  Good thing our kids don't weigh more than 45 pounds!  We even swung them in 360 degree circles.  What a work out!  Luckily we avoided severe head damage.  They LOVED this and begged us to do it over and over again!  We were forced to stop when our arms broke off our bodies.

To end our delightful day we had banana splits with homemade strawberry and pinneapple sauces.  I forgot the cherry on top...oops.  It certainly didn't stop us from gobbling them up!

If you want to copy this idea for a date or your family and need more to work off of here is a list of ideas that also work with this theme.

• set up a hammock

• build a tree house

• draw your dream tree house

• eat your meal in a tree

• drape ropes over a sturdy branch and swing away

• hang paper vines over a few branches and eat underneath for a jungle feel

• dress your kids up like monkeys

• get banana splits at a restaurant

• visit a climbing wall or go bouldering

• make a tree swing

• plant trees

• play a tree measuring guessing game (estimate the circumference and then measure)

• see how many times your kids can run around a tree without falling over

• using the word "monkey" allow each person to come up with a random activity that starts with the letter they get.

Cereal Encrusted French Toast

9 slices of bread
2 cups lightly sugared cereal, crushed (I love Honey Bunches of Oats® with Cinnamon Clusters)

2 eggs
3/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon butter
Cinnamon for sprinkling

Heat electric skillet to 350º F.  In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and eggs; set aside.  Place crushed cereal in a medium bowl; set aside.  Melt butter in the skillet.  Dip each piece of bread in the egg mixture and then into the cereal.  Place on skillet and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Cook 2-4 minutes or until golden brown and flip.  Sprinkle with cinnamon again and cook for an additional 2-4 minutes.  Serve immediately with maple syrup.

Yield: 9 pieces of French toast

*My sister-in-law told me about a bread crumb encrusted French toast she had once that was amazing.  It sounded intriguing.  Although, I felt like additional sugar was needed!  This is my version.  Enjoy.  Have fun exploring different flavors of cereal! 

Pineapple Fruit Roll-Ups

1 (#10, or 6 lbs 10 oz.) can pineapple chunks
Cinnamon, optional

Food dehydrator or oven

Drain the pineapple juice.  (Do not throw it away!  You can drink it or add it to another juice, freeze it in ice cube trays and use it for smoothies, pour it into popsicle molds and give them to your children...)  Puree the pineapple in a blender until smooth (yields: 8 1/2 cups of puree); set aside.

If you are using a dehydrator: Prepare your dehydrators fruit leather sheets by lightly greasing them.  Pour one 1 1/4 cup of the puree onto each sheet and spread evenly with the back side of a spoon.  Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.  Turn your dehydrator on.  Check every couple hours.  It may take 9-11 hours depending on your dehydrator.  The leather is done once it becomes dry to the touch.  Try not to over cook it!

If you are using the oven refer to the following website for instructions:  http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_fruit_leather/

*My mom taught me how to make apple and grape fruit leather.  While shopping at Costco one day I gazed down their #10 can fruit section and decided to give other fruits a chance.  We have also made peach, pear, and watermelon leather (don't forget to remove the seeds).  As long as you can create a puree you could make any leather your heart desires!  Our family favorite is pineapple.  I think it tastes like crystallized pineapple sugar.  Have fun and get creative in making designs or combining flavors.

"Monster Parts" - Goodie Bags

Looking for a healthier halloween gift idea?  For a date night a few nights ago I had my other half help me create these fun little critters.  We put the components for each character in a paper bag and gave them out to neighbors.  We included a wallet size photo of the monster in each bag to help everyone re-create the fun.  Of course you could encourage creativity and tell people to design their own monster using the parts given. 

Banana Ghosts.  Put the following ingredients in a "Monster Parts" goodie bag*:

1  green banana (it will ripen in the paper bag)

4 pretzel sticks

4 mini circular cookies

4 raisins

Dollop of white frosting in a small sealable plastic bag

Instructions: Cut the banana in half.  If the bananas do not stand by themselves cut additional banana off.  Peel the bananas 2/3 of the way.  Brake a little of each pretzel off and insert arms in between peels and into the banana.  Frost one side of each raisin and attach to the head for eyes.  Place the cookies under the peel to represent feet. 

Freaky Frankenstein. Put the following ingredients in a "Monster Parts" goodie bag*:

1 green apple

2 mini marshmallows

2 mini circular cookies

Dollop of chocolate and white icing in small sealable plastic bags

Instructions: *This monster is intended for older children who can use knifes for carving.  First, spread the dollop of icing on the top of the apple and using a knife create hair.  With a small knife carve Frankenstein's face.  Spread a little white frosting on one side of each marshmallow and adhere to apple for neck bolts.  Place the two cookies under the apple to represent feet. 

Cyclops Snail.  Put the following ingredients in a "Monster Parts" goodie bag*:

4 pretzels

3 mini circular cookies

1 mini marshmallow

1 mini chocolate chip

Dollop of white icing in a small sealable plastic bag

Instructions: Dip the pointy end of the mini chocolate chip in frosting and push into the marshmallow.  Frost the back side of the marshmallow and adhere to the top of a wafer cookie.  Break all the pretzels in half.  Place two wafer cookies on a plate side by side.  Cut the apple in half making sure you cut through the stem side.  Place the apple on top of the wafers, peel side up.  Dip the end of each pretzel in frosting and attach to the cookies creating legs.  Frost the lower portion, of the backside of the cookie with the eye and adhere to the base of the snail.

One Hairy Apple.  Put the following ingredients in a "Monster Parts" goodie bag*:

1 apple
3 tablespoons coconut
5 mini marshmallows
2 mini chocolate chips
3 wafer cookies
dollop of white frosting
dollop of honey

Instructions: Dump the coconut onto the counter.  Coat the apple with honey then roll in the coconut; set aside.  Cut a marshmallow in half.  Dip the pointy ends of the mini chocolate chips in white frosting and stick into the non-sticky side of the mini marshmallows.  Spread a little frosting onto the sticky side of the marshmallow and adhere to apple creating the eyes.  Dip one side of the remaining marshmallows into the frosting and stick two marshmallows onto the end of two separate cookies; set aside.  Break a small piece off of the remaining cookie.  Arrange cookies on a plate placing the legs next to each other and the third smaller cookie right above the legs.  This piece will help balance the apple.  Place the apple on top of the smaller cookie.  Smile...you did it!

Edible Claw.  Put the following ingredients in a "Monster Parts" goodie bag*:

1 apple

2 round cookies

dollop of frosting

Instructions: Frost the inside of one cookie.  Place the other cookie on top of the frosted side and place on a serving plate.  Slice the apple and arrange the cut pieces, peel side down, to represent claws.  Beware... this one may grab you as you eat it!

*"Monster Parts" Goodie Bag- This is the bag I put the ingredients in.  For my "Monster Parts" label I used an image from Microsoft clip art.  Have fun and be creative.  Don't forget to include a picture (wallet size is sufficient) of the monster, a copy of the instructions, and the ingredients in each bag!  Happy Halloween!

Yogurt Granola Cups

Cup: (This cup recipe is not my original recipe.  It is a family recipe for Oatmeal Cake.)
Mix and cool:
3/4 cups boiling water
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup oatmeal

Add:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Sift and add:
3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350º F.  Generously grease 30 mini muffin tins.  Pour cup batter into individual muffin tins filling half way.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Press tops of muffin cups with a floured mini tart shaper or an upside down disposable plastic water bottle.  Cool in pan for 5 minutes.  Remove cups from pans and place on a cooling rack.  *I have found that when wanting to remove or cut sticky baked goods (brownies, fresh rice krispie treats...) the best thing to use is a plastic knife!  For some reason the baked goods will not stick to it.

Filling:
1/2 cup raspberry yogurt
1 tablespoon raspberry jam
1/2 cup whipped topping, thawed

1/2 cup crumbled crunchy granola bars (i.e. Nature Valley® Granola Bars)
30 fresh raspberries
cinnamon for dusting

In a small bowl combine the yogurt and jam.  Fold in the whipped topping; set aside.  Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of granola into the bottom of each cup.  Then, put a dollop of yogurt filling on top of each cup.  Garnish with a fresh raspberry and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Store leftover yogurt cups in an airtight container in the fridge.  *It is best to keep the components separate until ready to use.

Yield: 30 cups

*I was just recently introduced to mini tart shapers.  They are pretty cool!  My brain started going nuts with the idea and here is one of the products.  If you do not have a mini tart shaper to make the indent in the mini cakes an upside down disposable plastic water bottle will work just fine!  Have fun! 

Lentil Sausage Soup

3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup lentils, dried
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1/4 small onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 pound Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
1 (15 oz.) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream for garnishing

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a slow cooker.  Cook on high for 2 hours or until the lentils are soft.  Puree in a blender.  Pour back into the slow cooker and add sausage, red peppers, spinach leaves, and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of black pepper!

Yield: 8 servings

*Have you ever had lentil soup?  What did you think of it?  I was never a fan growing up as I am sure most would agree.  I think the biggest turn off is the dry lentils and the boring flavors!  Nevertheless, over the years I have bought lentils regardless of their lovely history.  Well, one day I got smart and jazzed them up a little.  This is my re-make on a soup that was well over do for a do-over!  **If you prefer runnier soups add more chicken broth.

Marshmallow WAR!

Today we learned about Castles.  After learning all there was to know we designed our very own castles out of cardboard boxes (reinforced with popsicle sticks and staples).  I let the kids decorate them with crayons and clip art found in Microsoft Word. 

We made catapults out of plastic rulers, thread, and plastic baby food containers to prepare for WAR! We divided into teams (boys versus girls). I then divided up a bag of marshmallows and let the kids battle it out!

Marshmallows were flying everywhere and the kid's laughter was louder than ever!  They had a riot.  Towards the end the girls called truce as they claimed the boys threw too hard.  Good thing this wasn't an actual siege...marshmallows feel much softer than bricks or boulders!

To end the fun we made castles out of rice krispy treats, marshmallows, and flags.  I meant to save some larger marshmallows the kids could use to make towers from but accidentally threw them all into the ammunition pile.  Oops!  Regardless, they did not have problems using their imagination!

   

Cinnamon Butterscotch Bars

Bars:
1 box white cake mix, dry
1 cup sour cream
1 (4-serving size) box instant butterscotch pudding and pie filling
4 eggs
½ cup oil
½ cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Streusel Mixture:
½ cup cold butter
1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon
2 ½ cups dark brown sugar (light will work)
1 ¼ cup walnuts, finely chopped
1 cup butterscotch chips

Heat oven to 350˚ F. Grease a 9*13 inch cake pan; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the bar ingredients. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes; set aside. In a small bowl, combine the streusel ingredients with a fork until they resemble coarse crumbs. Pour enough bar batter into the pan to barely coat the bottom. Top with 1/3 of the streusel mixture. Continue to alternate layers until the bar batter and streusel mixture are gone. Bake 40-50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly place a sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the cake while baking. Refrigerate 2-4 hours. Cut into 16 bars and serve cold. *These can be served warm…I prefer them cold as it gives them more of a chewy texture.

Yield: 16 bars

*These did not come out like I had intended. However, after consuming a large portion of the pan I decided they must be alright.  Enjoy!  As I am typing this recipe in I am considering making another batch.  These would also be great served with a dollop of whip cream or a scoop of ice cream…but what wouldn’t be good served with extra sugar?!

Diaper and wipe boxes into baskets!

I am refering to the brown book containers located on the first shelf. 

Once again I am turning garbage into a precious commodity!  I wanted to re-do my shelf and couldn't afford to buy lined baskets.  So, I looked around, found a piece of trash, waived my magic wand and VOILA :).  In actuality, first I found boxes that would fit perfectly in the shelf and cut the flaps off.  I then covered each box using the inside of wrapping paper (or paper bags if you want brown.) and tape (regular and packing).  After selecting a piece of fabric I ironed the edges in and stapled it onto my box.  As for the bottom of the box I used packing tape to secure the fabric to the bottom.  I now have a usable box that will work until I am able to save my pennies for the real thing!  They are very sturdy.  My kids have pulled them off the shelf for years and they have never broke.

You could really spruce things up with a fancy piece of fabric.  Don't forget R.R.R...(do you remember what this stands for?  Reduce, Re-use, Recycle)!

Rainy Day Date Idea

The rain is here! My husband came up with a super fun date idea a few months ago. We went shopping for umbrellas. We chose a few stores that we thought would sell fun umbrellas and stopped in. Yes, we opened all of them inside (we probably totaled well over 100 years of bad luck...oops). It made us feel like kids again. We each purchased one by the end of the date.

If you are feeling super generous keep your eyes out for rain gear for your kids! I am sure they would love some fun rain boots, bright umbrellas, or a colorful new rain coat!

Don't forget to the end the date with a treat! Everyone needs a little sugar everyday to boost sweetness levels! Some days I need a little more than others :). You could stop by a coffee shop and get some hot chocolate and pastries. Or...if you are really on top of things pack a bag with a hot water thermos, mugs, and spoons and at the end of the date go to the grocery store and pick out a variety of hot chocolates. Then, find a park and sample away!

Rain boots could be pretty fun regardless of your age!

Black Pepper Shrimp Pasta

*We had some shrimp that needed to be used the other day and my husband always makes up the best shrimp dishes.  So I put him to work creating this masterpiece!

1 1/2 cups water
4 tablespoons corn starch
1 ½ lbs cooked shrimp
¼ cup lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
1 tablespoon dried basil
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan

3/4-1 pound noodles, cooked and drained

In a large skillet combine water and cornstarch. With constant stirring, heat mixture on Medium High until bubbly. Reduce heat to medium low and add remaining ingredients stirring thoroughly until the parmesan is melted. Serve over noodles of your choice.

Yield: 5 servings

Aztec Feast

This week I taught the kids I babysit about the Aztecs!  We decided to have a feast and incorporate what we learned.

I used a blanket from Mazatlan as the table cloth. I had each child decorate their own plate using non-toxic markers.  Using the window as a light source they traced images I found from www.dltk-kids.com/world/mexico/m-pottery.htm.  The napkins are folded in your basic triangular napkin fold that if opened would resemble a pyramid.  The plant was suppose to represent the jungle.  We gathered plants from all around the house and filled the entire kitchen with "jungle".

The paper pyramids are made out of construction paper. The suns were found on that same website. I put the kid's corn spears (we had corn on the cob) inside the pyramids. I wanted to put candy mummies inside each pyramid as it is close to Halloween but was unable to find any. Hershey kisses could have been cute (representing chocolate pyramids).

Each cup had a ring of feathers as the Aztecs would often decorate with feathers.

The Aztecs ate a lot of corn, beans, and tomatoes.  I decided to make burritos shaped like pyramids and allow each child to stuff their own.  We also had corn on the cob and corn bread with honey.

As for dessert we had hot cocoa.  Cocoa was a prized food item to the Aztec people.  We spruced it up with a scoop of ice cream...not that the Aztecs had ice cream.  However, it was a Mexican brand of ice cream! 

Side note- if you use your paper plates to eat off of you will most likely eat the marker as well. If you would like to refrain from in taking marker then you can place a glass plate over your paper plate. Have fun running wild with this concept! 

Creative Stirrings Rib Sauce

Photographed by my Brother-In-Law, Trey

1/2 cup steak sauce
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
dash of red pepper sauce
Cracked black pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients and smother!  Reserve a portion of the sauce if you like dipping sauce. 

Yield: 1 cup sauce

*I was making ribs one day and decided that just BBQ sauce or steak sauce was too boring.  So, I made up my own version that had more depth.  This can be used on a variety of meats (steak, chicken, pork).

Monsters and Muffins

Halloween is approaching and to celebrate the season I decided to create a fun family oriented activity.  So I created a Monster and Muffin party for the apartment complex I live in.  The party consisted of a nature walk, monster building using items found in nature, and muffin consumption!

As we waited for everyone to show up we drew monsters on the sidewalk.

Some came dressed up in monster costumes!  (Picture on the right)- For those who did not come dressed up we helped a little.  A friend of mine shared this clever idea.  Put tape on their arms so that the sticky side is facing outward.  Then as they find items in nature they can adhere them to their cute little bodies. 

I made bags for each participant so that they could collect their monster parts along the way (sticks, rocks, leaves...).  The kids as well as the adults really got into this!  Every time someone found an item they would get super excited and using their imagination would exclaim, "hey look I found a monster tongue, or monster arms..."  Side note- before the event I drew monster foot prints along the path we would be taking to add to the thrill :).

 

At the end of our nature walk we built our monsters using craft glue and toothpicks.  Here are a just a few monster creations.  I decided to get googly eyes in case there were a lot of younger children. 

           

    

To end the day we ate MUFFINS! I bought an assortment of monstrous sized muffins to munch. Everyone loved them! What's not to like about sugar?

Video Date

I came up with a date idea a few days ago that I thought was worth sharing.  Have a video date where you take turns asking each other a series of questions.  This would be a fabulous gift to your children in the future.  It may even be fun for the two of you to re-watch.  Haven't you ever wondered what your parents body movements or facial expressions were like when they were your age?  Record something now because you never know when the chance will be gone.  It should be fun! 

You could come up with your own questions or use mine.  Have fun and be creative! 

1. What was your home town like?
2. How well did you get a long with your siblings, parents, teachers?
3. If you could re-do anything from the past what would it be?
4. What were you like in grade school, junior high, and high school?
5. What are some of your happiest memories from your childhood?
6. List 4 dreams (2 practical and 2 fun)
7. List 2 fears
8. What are 2 of your favorite breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and desserts?
9. Name 3 hobbies.
10. How did you meet mom/dad?
11. Name three of your favorite traits of mom/dad?
12. List two of your favorite traits of each child or share your favorite memory of each child.
13. What is the craziest thing you have ever done?
14. What is your favorite color, animal, book, movie...
15. What is your happiest memory.
16. What was college like?
17. List three pieces of advise.
18. Anything else?

Bathroom Trasformation

To surprise my spouse I transformed our bathroom last year for less than $25.  I just thought I would share some of the ideas as they were very doable for those who have a tight budget.  I am a little embarrassed that I am sharing these photos...oh well.  Welcome to the world of college students!

The First Column contains the before shots and the second column contains the after shots.

 

First and foremost I decreased clutter!!  I also re-used items I already had.  On the top shelf I stuck some brown fabric inside the basket on the right to mimic a basket liner (I didn't want to make one).  I then used flowers from the dollar store that I already had in my collection.  I found the little green bowl in my closet and put pinecones inside as they are FREE and matched my decor!  All the baskets you see I already had and were from the dollar store.  They look better in real life.  I simply spray painted them using a mettalic brown spray paint.  I did make liners for the bottom four using old bed sheets.  (Making liners instructions- start measuring/sewing/cutting and eventually you will get a liner).  If you are not selling the liners then no need to stress if they are not perfect.  I can promise you most people will never notice!  On the second shelf I have rolled our assortment of bath towels.  I also changed out the candles (there is one on each side of the towel basket) to cream.  I originally had maroon.  Candles are pretty cheap!

I decided the card holder above the shelf needed to be moved as it was way too busy!  So I found an art piece at TJ Max in their clearance section for $9.  As for the top of the shelf I found a piece of fabric in my fabric collection and trimmed it down to help spruce up the lovely furniture and tie things together.  It is black with a fun metallic pattern. I sewed around the edges to make it look more professional.  I found the candle stands and the candles at the dollar store.  The candle holder on the right is from Ross and was $2. 

The lovely card holder which I could not seem to part with is now above the toilet.  I changed out the cards on it and included new cards (which do have notes inside to my sweetheart).  I also tied new ribbons to help tie the bathroom colors together.  As for the shower curtain which is very difficult to see, it was purchased with a gift certificate at TJ  Max for $12.  The curtain is sage green, dark brown, black, gold, and copper.  I used this piece to select all other colors.  I did not want to replace all items so I simply used the items I wanted to keep (bath rugs and towels) and changed my color scheme.  I could have done tons more with a little bit more money.  For now, it works and looks much better!

Chocolate Mint Cubes With Orange Cream

1 (4-serving) box instant chocolate pudding and pie filling
1 ¾ cup milk 1 (8 oz.) container cool whip, thawed and divided
2 cups crumbled mint chocolate cookies, divided

1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained Remainder of cool whip

In a medium bowl whisk together the dry pudding packet and milk until smooth. Fold in one cup cool whip; set aside.

Divide one cup of the cookie crumbs amongst the bottoms of three ice cube trays. Using a spoon divide the pudding mixture amongst the ice cube trays on top of the cookie layer. Sprinkle and gently press the remaining cookie crumbs on top of the pudding mixture. Freeze for 2 hours or until frozen.

Meanwhile, puree the mandarin oranges in a blender. Pour the pureed oranges into the remaining cool whip in the cool whip container and stir until combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Before serving allow the pudding cubes to sit on the counter for a few minutes. Then release the cubes as you would ice cubes into individual serving bowls. Add a dollop of orange cream to the side of the pudding cubes. Serve immediately. Store left over cubes in a Ziploc bag in the freezer.

*For added flavor add a few drops of mint extract to the pudding mixture and some orange zest to the cream. You could also garnish this dessert with orange zest or orange curls.

Yield: 9 servings

*I was trying to think outside the box by coming up with a unique way to showcase pudding. You could run wild with this idea! I have created many combinations such as:

1. Pistachio cubes with chopped pistachios, orange short bread cookies, and a pomegranate drizzle
2. Chocolate cubes and peanuts, peanut butter or chocolate cookies, and a peanut butter cream.
3. Vanilla cubes with granola and berries (a dash of cinnamon could garnish as well as top it off nicely!)
The list could go on!  Have fun!

Fishy Birthday

Happy Birthday!  For my daughter's first birthday I decided to throw her a fish birthday party.

This is what my brain came up with for a unique party favor.  I bought fish bowls at our local thrift store  which can also be found at the dollar store.  After sanitizing the bowls I filled the bottom with candy rocks.  I then made and decorated fish shaped ginger cookies (to match the colorful rocks), placed them in plastic bags and tied them with brown ribbon.  For fun, I wanted to hand them a real fish (in a bag with water) before they left but my husband decided it was cruel to the fish considering they probably wouldn't survive.

Here is my fishy table.  I used bamboo place mats from the dollar store which are currently decorating my child's aquatic themed dresser.  I think I have definitely gotten my use out of these :).  The fish net was bought at a craft store and is also on the aquatic themed dresser.  The sand pails are filled with fish crackers.

As for the plates I cut out orange, white, and black construction paper and glued it on to resemble a fish.

I re-used the same vines that I had used for the monkey party.  I cut them out of butcher paper.  I also hung strings of orange fish as if they were swimming through the sea weed.  The picture on the right is a blue jello with sweetish fish.  I found this idea in a Martha Stewart magazine.  I found the fish bowl at a thrift store and sanitized it for hours!!!

The cake was simple.  I borrowed a castle cake pan from my sister-in-law, added some graham cracker crumbs and flags and called it good.  Sometimes I really do run out of time and energy. :)

Digging For Gold

I babysit three older children three times a week so I am constantly trying to come up with fun activities that will keep all six children busy and happy.  This week I decided that we should all be archeologists.  I looked up some basic information on archeology to teach and thought up a goofy activity.  For the activity I made up a "secret" language using Microsoft Word (I will include it in case you would like to save yourself some time).  I then had each kid write a friend (who lives in our apartment complex) a note using the secret language.  The notes went something like this,

U   R   an  archeologist.  Look for gold under your window.

Then, we folded up the secret message, including a key (to decipher the language), and placed them in disposable cups.  I had each child bury their message in the cup with dirt and insert a spoon (for their friend to use for digging).  We labeled each cup with their friend's name then buried the "gold" (bags of candy) in the dirt under their friends windows.  Using sticks we placed an "X" on top of the place we buried the gold to help their friends locate the spot.  Then, after placing the cups on their friend's door steps we took off running.  Everyone had a blast! 

*Some of my children were not old enough to write the code by themselves so I wrote one and then photocopied it.  You could use this idea to surprise your sweetheart!  The kids would love to help.  Just don't let them give the end away too early!  Good luck gold diggers!

▬   A            ♠   N


☺   B            ♪   O


☼   C            ♯   P


◌   D           ▼   Q


®   E            ♫   R


◄  F            ►  S


◊   G             ♦   T


◘  H             ♣   U


▲   I            ﻕ    V


☻   J            ﯼ   W


▫   K              ﴾   X


∆   L              ﴿   Y


♀   M           ♂   Z

Mock Nacho Bean Dip

1 cup dry lentils
2 cups chicken stalk
1 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 (15 oz.) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon peper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 (4.5 oz) can green chilies
1/2 (15 oz.) jar roasted red peppers, chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

In a large crock pot combine the first ten ingredients.  Cook on high for 4 hours or until the lentils are soft and the veggies are tender.  Purée the mixture in a blender and return to the crock pot.  Add the green chilies, red peppers, and cilantro.  Serve over tortilla chips.  Add lettuce, avocado, sour cream, salsa, and what ever else floats your nacho boat!  Serve immediately.  Store leftovers in the fridge.

Yeild: 8-10 servings

*Originally this was supposed to be a lentil soup.  However, after tasting it my husband decided that it tasted similar to bean dip.  For fun we decided to try it out on guests.  It worked!  They had no clue it was actually lentils and vegetables. :)

Chose a Letter Date

Need a random date night idea that will keep things spontaneous?  Ask your date to pick a letter in the alphabet.  With that letter base all food, activities, dress, and conversations. 

For example if your date picked the letter A and to fulfill the Food category you could eat apples (find a unique way to cook them like grilling or baking), artichokes, drink ale (ginger ale), or go to Applebees.  Activity- you could incorporate astronomy, aliens (watch a movie, create some fake alien markings to trick your kids), do something athletic or artistic...  Dress- wear something your ancestors would, be naked and explore anatomy (just kidding), or wear something abstract (non-matching).  Conversations- talk about automobiles, apes, art, the army...

This date could very easily be done at home!  Feel free to use a dictionary.

Sweetheart Journal

Need a cheap gift idea for your sweetheart, newlyweds, or marriage veterans?  I heard about this idea from a dear friend who use to live close.  I decided that it needed a poem.  Keep in mind that I am not a poet.  However, if you are not a poet either then this just may do!

This first picture is the title page I decorated using scrapbook paper, and rubber stamps. 

Just in case you cannot read the words it says,

Sweetheart Journal

This little book has a purpose for you,

Its use should be shared between two.

Simply write a love letter, a poem, or note

To the one you adore, love, and often dote.

Then, hide this book for your sweetheart to find

And wait for a reply that will tickle your mind.

Remember, be creative and have fun

You have only your spouse's heart to be won.

Creative ideas could include: games (the dot game, tic tac toe), poems, letters, pictures, notes, comments about dates...

Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake Trifle

1 (17.5 oz.) can refrigerated Cinnamon Rolls with cream cheese icing
3/4 cup pecan pieces

2 (3.4 oz.) boxes Instant Cheesecake Pudding and Pie Filling
3 cups milk
cream cheese icing from cinnamon roll can
1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip, defrosted

1 lb. strawberries, chopped

Press pecan pieces into cinnamon roll dough before baking and bake cinnamon rolls as directed on can; allow to cool.  Once cooled cut into smaller pieces.

In a large bowl, combine pudding, milk, and icing with an electric mixer until combined.  Fold in cool whip. 

In a large glass bowl or individual parfait glasses layer pudding, cinnamon rolls, and strawberries.  Repeat layers until all ingredients have been used.  Serve immediately.

*The inspiration for this recipe came one day when I was trying to come up with a unique trifle recipe.  Here it is.  To decrease the sugar omit the icing.  Enjoy!

Thrifty Trends Date Idea

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Photographed at a local thrift store.  Yes, these are ALL games/puzzles.

Live it up!  Buy a new game, movie, book, or sporting equipment that you could use on your date all for under $10.  Visit a local thrift store (yes, they may stink) and pick up some new activities.  We have done this a few times and continue to benefit from our cheap purchases.  It is a great way to save money and Live it up! :)

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Fruit Cubes

Do you ever have an over abundance of fruit and wonder how you are going to eat it before it goes bad? Well...my mother gave me this great idea. Take your extra watermelon (I think almost any fruit would work well), remove the seeds and puree it in the blender. Then pour it into ice cube trays and freeze. Add these refreshing ice cubes into any juice your heart desires! Or throw them into a blender, add some fresh fruit and yogurt and make a smoothie. Enjoy! The combinations are endless.

A picture of the actual fruit cubes.

Happy BIRD-Day To You!

We spent my mom's 51st birthday in a rustic cabin in northern Idaho. It was beautiful, majestic, and super snowy. Since we were miles away from civilization and my brain never ceases to stop I decided she needed a fun themed birthday party! My mom has always loved birds so birds it was!

The cabin was super dark and the pictures reflect it. This is a picture of the plate settings. The silverware is folded inside napkins I made from fabric I have been storing for years. I found the wooden bird house sticks from a craft store on sale for $0.25 each. Since it was around Christmas I tried to get small bird houses that could double as ornaments, but I could not find any. I tied the napkin, a single feather, and the bird house sticks with blue ribbon. I garnished the plates with chocolate eggs of all sizes. The tablecloth is a twin bed sheet. The bamboo table runner is actually a collection of placemats I found at our local dollar store.

As for my colors, I chose blues, browns, and yellows. I gave my husband the task of cutting the pineapple to resemble a bird (the yellow thing on the plate). He did a fabulous job (don't forget toothpicks or kabob skewers to keep the pinaple bird together). For decorations on the table runner I bought a huge container of jelly bellies and sorted them by color (yes, it took awhile), then filled vases with colors that matched the table. I topped off the vases with fake bird's nests and fake eggs. There was a series of fake birds scattered around the table. In the center was a giant bouquet of flowers. It would have been better to cut the flowers down and make three smaller bouquets. That way guests would not have to look around the bouquet to talk to each other. Oh well :).

Our dessert was fun! I made a homemade macaroon cookie to represent a bird nest and topped it with a scoop of ice cream for a bird body. The tail feathers are made from Swedish fish. The eyes are mini chocolate chips and the nose is an orange tic tac. The chocolates on the plate represent bird turds. Just kidding! They are whoppers and raisinettes representing bird eggs. We placed a jar of hot fudge on the table for those who preferred a chocolate bird.

*F.Y.I.- All ideas posted on this blog are 100% me. If they are not my ideas (or what I think are my original ideas) I have indicated. Have fun exploring and creating! I do!

Mushroom Mystery Pizza

*Where are the mushrooms in the picture? It is a mystery… Just kidding! I happen to have an 8 oz. container of mushrooms one day and wondered how I was going to get my kids to eat them on their pizza. I figured it out… and they gobbled it up!

8 oz. container mushrooms
8 oz. can tomato sauce
¼ onion
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon salt

20 English Muffins or a 14-inch pizza crust
8 oz. grated CHEESE! (I used an asiago, parmesan, Colby jack blend), divided
Toppings of your choice (pepperoni, ham, onions, tomatoes…)

Heat oven to 425˚ F. Grease a large pan. Puree the first six ingredients in a food processor or a blender. Spread the pureed sauce onto the English Muffins or pizza crust. Top the pizza’s with half of the cheese. Divide the toppings between the pizzas. Add the remaining cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is toasty!

Star Gazers

From The Other Half,
This is a date my other half planned for us one summer evening. We both really enjoyed it and use it as the example our other dates should look up to. I didn’t know what we were doing that night so everything was a surprise. Here it goes.

I started the date by finding stars taped to the ceiling of our car (my other half likes to tape things to car ceilings, living room ceilings, kitchen ceilings, etc. etc. etc….). Then we headed up a nearby canyon. On the way up the canyon we were keeping an eye out for a great place to stop and have a bite to eat. We stopped by a little stream and my other half pulled out balsamic tomato sandwiches, star fruit, star shaped fruit pizzas, and my favorite Henry Weinhard's root beer! After the meal we finished our journey to the top of the canyon and my other half revealed several astronomy books, some about constellations, others about stellar happenings, and yet others with plenty of space facts (all checked out from the library). It was blast learning about and searching the heavens with my other (better) half! Oh, and bring some binoculars if you don’t have a telescope.

Creativity Strike!

Today has been one of those days.  So...we threw a paper bag over our kids heads and told them they were robots.  They were thrilled!  I think I could use a bag over my head today too :)!

French Onion Rolls

½ cup warm water (~125˚ F)
2 tablespoons yeast
1 tablespoons sugar

1 cup sour cream
1 cup butter, divided

4 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoon salt, divided
1 oz. package of dry Lipton Onion Soup Mix
2 eggs

1 (6 oz.) can French Fried Onions

In small microwavable bowl melt sour cream and ½ cup butter. Do not boil.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Add two cups of flour, 1 teaspoon salt, onion soup packet, and eggs. With an electric mixer gradually add sour cream mixture. Fold in remaining flour. Cover and either refrigerate over night or leave covered on the counter and allow to rise until dough doubles, about 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 375˚ F. Grease 9x13 inch pan. In small microwavable bowl melt ½ cup butter; set aside. Place French Fried Onions in small bowl and stir in ½ teaspoon salt; set aside. On well floured surface knead dough briefly, divide into 15 segments, and form into balls. Dip each ball in butter then French Fried Onions. Place in pan evenly. Using your hands press rolls down and together in the pan creating an even and continuous layer of roll dough. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 15 rolls

*I feel like there are not enough FUN yeast breads out there and so I decided to create some.  One day, I had a brillant idea to incorporate seasoning mixes into yeast breads.  This bread features Lipton Onion Soup Mix Packets.  I have already posted one with Ranch Dressing packets...stay tuned for more!

Lamp and Window Treatment

        

These ideas are not my own.  My mom told me about them and I just thought I would share.  We simply bought coordinating ribbon, lined them up, and then basted them (sew a straight line to connect all the ribbon at the top...it makes it easier to hang up).  Then, using glue dots we stuck them to the wall.  Got to love glue dots!!  We found the dragonflies and leaves at a craft store.  You could run with this idea!  You could hang all kinds of crazy things for a girl or boy room!  Have a blast!

Frozen Samoan

1 (16.5-oz.) Pillsbury® Create ‘n Bake Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
1 quart French vanilla ice cream (block form preferred)
2 ½ cups coconut, toasted* and divided
10 fudge covered graham crackers, broken and divided
14 hard macaroon cookies, broken and divided
1 cup carmel sundae syrup, divided
½ cup miniature chocolate chips, divided
Smucker’s® Chocolate Fudge Magic Shell® Topping

Heat oven to 350º F. Grease the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Spread the cookie dough evenly across the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350º F. for 18-22 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Spread ¾ cup of coconut, 1/3 of the chocolate chips, and 1/3 of the caramel on top of the cookie layer. Using a large butcher knife slice the ice cream block into 1-inch sections. Take half of the ice cream sections and spread evenly across the chocolate chip layer. If necessary, break ice cream segments up to make sure all gaps are filled. Layer 5 broken fudge covered graham crackers, 7 broken macaroon cookies, 1/3 of the chocolate chips, ¾ cup coconut, and 1/3 of the caramel on top of the ice cream. Take the last half of the ice cream sections and spread evenly. Repeat the broken cookie layer, adding the rest of the coconut. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour or until re-frozen throughout. Before serving let the pan sit out for 10-20 minutes to soften. Run a knife around the edges of the pan. Release the springform. Store covered leftovers in freezer.

*Tip: To toast coconut, spread on cookie sheet; bake at 350º F. for 7 to 8 minutes or until light golden brown, stirring occasionally. Or spread in a thin layer in microwave-safe pie pan. Microwave on LOW for 4 ½ to 8 minutes or until light golden brown, tossing with fork after each minute.
Yield: 16 servings

Mickey Mouse Lunch

My parents, who live out of town, had a four hour layover yesterday and I decided they needed a fun themed lunch. Everyone could use a themed meal once in a while to take them back to the good old days! I picked a theme that they adore and got my brain to crank out the ideas.

I chose red, black, yellow, and white for my colors.  I used a red and white polk-a-dot piece of fabric for the table cloth.  For the plates I simply stapled two different sizes of black paper plates together.  The vases are made out of cans of food that have been cleaned out (this would be a super cheap way of mass producing vases for a large function in which the budget is limited!).  I used black and white paper, my finger print and a black ink pad for the Mickey Mouse's emblems, and ribbon to decorate the vases.  There are black paper Mickey's all over the table that were simply punched out using various sized Mickey paper punches (which I borrowed).  I purchased all decorations at the Dollar Store.

Here was our drinking cup.  I used yellow cups, black cardstock, double sticky tape, ribbon, my finger print, and black ink to make each cup.  I decided to put the silverware and napkins in the cups.

Of course the food had to be mickey themed as well!  We had a cream cheese and bacon potato chowder with two biscuits resting on top for the ears.  You could rest them on the side of the plate if you wish.  On the left ear I have what I called "Mickey Stacks".  It is layers of giant round crackers that have a variety of Mickey mouse heads made out of carrots, cucumbers, pepperoni, and olives.  I put a dollop of ranch dressing in the yellow striped dipping cup to the right of the stack for dipping.  On the right ear I made a fruit salad.  You could use round fruits to create a Mickey head if desired.

For dessert I kept it simple.  We had giant scoops of chocolate ice cream and chocolate Oreo's.  What could be better :).

Grilled Garden Soup

2 large zucchinis or yellow squash sliced thin 6 large tomatoes cut into 4 slices
2 tablespoons minced garlic
½ cup chopped onion
olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups chicken broth
¼ cup grated parmesan
black pepper

Preheat an indoor (or outdoor) grill. Brush zucchini/squash and tomato slices with olive oil and grill until tender and grill marks appear. Remove from grill and place in blender. In medium skillet, sauté garlic and onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil until translucent. Remove from skillet and add to blender. Add salt and puree until smooth; set aside in a large pot. Add chicken broth to the pot until desired consistency is reached. Warm and serve. Garnish with grated parmesan and cracked black pepper.
Yield: 6 servings

From The Other Half,
This is actually my recipe, so eat at your own risk! It is our families favorite in the early fall, when we can get most of these ingredients from our garden. Oh, and this is pretty healthy, though it doesn’t taste it.

Greeting Card Date

Have you ever wanted to accomplish something productive while on a date? Do you send out birthday/anniversary/holiday cards to family members or friends? If so, go to the Dollar Store (all cards are $.50) and quickly pick out the total number of cards you need for the year. Don’t think about each card, make it random (i.e. giving a “Congratulations on your 90th Birthday” to someone your age or “You’re a special boy” to your dad). The more random the more giggles you will later have. Once at home assign a card to each person and file away. Have fun!

Turn Garbage Into Gold!

Feeling a bit desperate one day for a new vase I decided to get innovative! I took a Pringles or raisin container (I can’t remember which one) and spray painted it with a metallic bronze spray paint. I then took a rubber stamp and a white ink pad and stamped the image on. You may want to heat set the inked image as it may smear. Have a blast turning all your garbage into treasures!

From The Other Half,
Introducing the Creative Stirrings Recycling Program! 

Kid Directed Movie

I babysit three additional children every week and so I constantly have to think up creative ideas to keep everyone busy. This last week I decided we should film a movie. Everyone picked from the costumes we have been storing and I allowed them to write the script…I had to help connect their brain waves! After the script was written we started shooting. We live in an apartment complex and so there were many other children who wanted to be included. We allowed everyone be part of this grand production. We incorporated into the movie those who came out dressed up. The children who did not dress up were considered “Village Munchkins”. Everyone had so much fun we filmed a sequel.
Filming a family movie once a year could be a great annual way to capture individual personalities on video. One could adapt the special effects as the kids age (new stunts, film in reverse, etc.). Don’t forget to reminisce every once in a while over past movies! I am sure you will smile…at least once!

From The Other Half,
I remember doing this as kids.  We loved it and got many a laugh from re-watching our creations.  Unfortunately, as teenagers the movies were used very effectively as blackmail material...Watch out kids!!!

Zucchini Pancakes with a Peach White Chocolate Topping

2 cups shredded zucchini
2 cups pancake mix
1 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 squares white chocolate
1/2 cup peach preserves or
(mashed peaches if you want to reduce sugar)
2 Tablespoons water

2 Tablespoon butter

In hot griddle spread 1 tablespoon butter. Pour batter onto griddle for each pancake. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side or till pancakes are golden brown, turning to second sides when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry. Remove pancakes. Spread last tablespoon of butter on griddle and cook remaining pancakes.

In small microwavable bowl melt white chocolate squares stirring at 20 second intervals. Stir in peach preserves or mashed peaches and 2 tablespoons water; set aside.

To serve, stack pancakes on individual plates and drizzle with white chocolate syrup. Serve immediately. *Optional- for added flavor or texture add some nuts and or chopped peaches into the batter or on top of the pancakes.

Yield: 15 pancakes (~4 inch pancakes)

Random Word Date

At the start of your date ask your partner to come up with a random word. It can be as long or as short as they desire. Using the following list (or make up your own) take the word and assign each letter of the word to an item on the list. Do not change the order of the word or the items to keep it spontaneous! Then, come up with a way to fulfill each item that begins with the letter you assigned to it. For example if you partner came up with the word "tomato" you could wear (T) tunic's on your date or wear teal colored clothes. You could eat at a restaurant that starts with the letter "O" or eat something that starts with that letter. If the word your partner comes up with is longer or shorter than your list you could repeat an activity or take something out.

T O M A T O

What to wear? "T"
Eat at a restaurant or make your own food "O"
Visit a place "M"
Activity "A"
Conversational topics "T"
Treat "O"

From The Other Half,
Luckily I didn't go with my first word choice of 'antidisestablishmentarianism'.  That would have been a really expensive date!

Bacon Ranch Rolls

½ cup warm water (~125˚ F)
2 tablespoons yeast
1 tablespoons sugar

1 cup sour cream
½ cup butter

4 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 oz. package of dry ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix
2 eggs

1/3 cup chives, chopped
1/3- ½ cup bacon
¼ cup parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted and divided

In small microwavable bowl melt sour cream and ½ cup butter. Do not boil.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Add two cups of flour, salt, ranch packet, and eggs. With an electric mixer gradually add sour cream mixture. Fold in remaining flour. Cover and either refrigerate over night or leave covered on the counter and allow to rise until dough doubles, about 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 375˚ F. Grease 9x13 inch pan. On well floured surface roll dough into a 14x20 inch rectangle. Sprinkle with chives and bacon. Starting with the long side roll the dough up. Cut into 15 segments. Place in pan as you would a cinnamon roll. Using your hands press rolls down and together in the pan creating an even and continuous layer of roll dough. Brush tops of rolls with 1 tablespoon melted butter and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake 18-20 minutes. Brush with remaining butter.

Yield: 15 rolls

Bakery and Date in a Box Dates

Here are a few date ideas that are under $10. There are many more to come! I just need more time to enter them :)

1. Walk to a local bakery or cupcake shop. There is something about walking to a bakery with someone you care about…maybe because I am obsessed with food? If you do not live next to a bakery then surprise your sweetheart by parking a few blocks away and packing a back pack with a blanket, games, fun drinks... If you go to a cupcake shop make sure you get a few varieties and share them.

2. Date in a box. Pick a random box or container (you could decorate it if you are really ambitious). Put items in the box that you could do on the date (food, games, tickets, ideas…). After the date give the box/container to your partner and tell them that it is their turn!

Diaper Cake for a Baby Shower

I am sure you have all seen a diaper cake at various baby showers. Well here is one of my renditions. The entire thing is made out of diapers. I found how-to's on the web. Although, I have to say using little girl hair rubber bands (my idea) is much easier than tying bazillions of knots and bows. Have fun being creative. I did make a boy version as well. If I ever find a picture of it I will post it! I suggest going to a craft store and buying some of their cheap $1 ribbon, then choosing your flowers based on the ribbon. The dollar store has cheap flowers!

Monkey Birthday Party Bash

Here are some glimpses of a birthday party we threw for our son a few years ago. I got the idea for the monkey cups out of a Martha Stewart birthday party idea books. I stuffed them with homemade dried fruit and fruit leather and gave them away as party favors.

Carved Wood Picture Frames

We carved and painted plain solid wood frames (purchased for $1 each at Michael's Arts and Crafts) to be given to friends as a wedding gift. I drew the designs onto a piece of paper which I then taped onto the frames. I imprinted the design into the wood by using a sharp metal object. I removed the paper, carved out the images, painted the frames green, and let the paint dry. I then filled in the carved design with brown paint and used a cloth to smudge a bit of the brown paint over the green surface to antique it a bit. I finished it off by painting all of the edges brown and spraying the whole frame with a glossy clear acrylic. I am proud to say that even after a year of marriage our friends still have these picture frames prominently displayed.

Hoedown Fun

We all had a riot on our Hoedown adventure. We all got geared up in cowboy gear mounted our horses (play stick horses) and took off for the Wild West (a nearby park). While there we ate BBQ (*use a large cookie cutter to cut out cowboy themed bread for the sandwiches), salad, spicy chips, and fruit. After the grub was gone we had a shoot-off. We filled water guns with water (dye red and wear white shirts if you really want some fun). Stood back to back; took 5 steps, and then turned around and blasted our partner as fast as we could. The kids giggled like crazy. The survivors of the deadly soot-off played horse shoes. To end the night we visited a local restaurant called “Cowboy Grub” where we had pie and hot wings (daddy couldn't resist the hot wings). They have a fun horse merry-go-round and fake bucking horse the kids can ride for free. What a wild night.

Reverence Team “r”

RANDOM!

We have been having some reverence issues lately during church and so decided to establish a plan. We created the “Reverence Team” during a family night. Our symbol that we use to remind each other is made by taking your pointer finger and creating a lower case “r”. The rules consist of

1. Bum on the bench,
2. Lips locked, and
3. Treats for the team, after the sacrament is passed.

They have improved remarkably! I am sure we look silly!

Easter Dinner

Here are some pictures of an Easter table I set a few Easters back. I gathered items from around my house. I am sure you could have really spruced things up if you put a little more money into it! I used an old vintage bed sheet for the table cloth (don't tell the guests), bamboo placemats, an assortment of tea cups, cloth napkins folded into bunnies (I found the idea from a Martha Stewart Magazine), and chocolate candies! Around Easter time you can buy fake chocolate bunnies at the dollar store! I used real ones. I had http://addphotography.blogspot.com/ photograph the dinner. Ignore the background in the pictures we live in a tiny apartment :).

Save The Worms

This picture is not the best! I ran out of time. I would pipe on the umbrella handle with chocolate pudding. For the month of June we Saved the Worms! Not really. Our theme was to save the worms based on all the rain we have been having but there were no worms to save. Instead we went puddle jumping. I wish I could have captured their excitement when they watched me jump into a puddle first. They both yelled, “moooommm…!!” Then squealed with delight and joined me. We splashed each other until the kids were sopping wet. It was fun! We also made a tie dye rain craft, and ate fun treats (umbrellas made out of oranges, dirt/cookies, worms/candy, and had paper umbrellas in our drinks) all under a giant beach umbrella. They were really excited! In fact they kept hugging me telling me what an amazing idea this was. I need to remember their words as someday the excitement may vanish a bit.

Yellowstone Adventure Bags

I gave the kids Yellowstone adventure bags to play with while in the car at Yellowstone. The bags contained homemade binoculars which other tourists loved and couldn’t help but comment on (they were made from toilet paper rolls). At one point we let the kids look through our legit binoculars where they decided ours must be broken as theirs were a lot more clearJ. The bags also contained plain paper plates (I had them color them and then I cut them into snakes), supplies to make sock puppets, animal cookies, a homemade coloring pad with pictures of animals throughout, crayons, coloring pages, bags of paper stars (to tape on the roof of the car…or where ever their short little arms could reach), stickers, a map of wolf packs throughout the park, and a ball of string which we called a “spider web” (the kids created spider webs in the back seat using the string). They loved this game, and I certainly got my fill of un-doing knots so we could re-create the fun over and over and over. We also put aquatic bug catching nets in each bag. While in the park we pulled off along Antelope Creek and caught some bugs. This was our favorite activity! The meadow next to the creek was gorgeous; there were no mosquitoes, lots of shade, and the perfect amount of water for little people to explore! Overall, this was the kid’s favorite part of Yellowstone! I guess we could have saved on hotel stays and fulfilled this at home.

Pirate Adventure

Ahoy Matey! The other day we plundered a store for meat, sailed the seven seas, and found buried treasure. It was a busy but profitable day! In actuality we had a family fun day with a pirate theme. It began with a treasure map showing up on our front door. The kids were excited as were we. So we geared up in pirate attire for an adventure to remember. The map took us through a tree tunnel to store which sold meat on bones (fried chicken). We landed our vehicular vessel (The Silver Bullet) in a park west of Red Butte Gardens. Then, we tied our scurvy by drinking orange pop and root beer in glass bottles, eating chicken on bones, potato, César, and fruit salad. After our guts were filled to their brims we fastened our eye patches, strapped on our bandanas and followed the map to the river. I made tiny pirate ships for all to sail. The kids loved them and panicked when we told them we were going to leave them in the river. So… brave daddy risked all to save the beloved pirate vessels. Finally, we found the treasure. It was filled with bubble gum, toys, and of course treasure. The estimated value of the loot was $3. We divvied the bootie, partook of some bubba gum, took some pictures and headed home to put our sleepy junior pirates to bed. At this point we resumed normal speaking voicesJ.

Tomato, Olive, and Feta Pasta Salad

3 cups rotini pasta, cooked, drained and cooled
1 cup tomato and basil feta crumbled
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
½ cup kalamata olives, chopped
½ cup balsamic vinaigrette
Fresh parsley for garnishing

Combine all ingredients. Store in refrigerator.  *Add pepperoni for added kick!

Yields: 8 servings (~1 cup each)

Chocolate Strawberry Dessert Cups

1 (15-oz) refrigerated pie crust
1/2 cup almonds sliced, toasted*
½ cup chocolate sprinkles
1 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (nutella®)
22 strawberries, diced
cocoa powder for garnishing

CREAM
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar

3/4 (8-oz.) container whipped topping

Heat oven to 450º F. On a lightly floured surface roll each pie crust into a 12 inch circle. Using a 3 ½ inch cookie cutter or a glass, punch out 22 circles. Place circles into un-greased muffin tin pans pressing the dough against the edges and bottom to form a cup. Using a fork make hole marks on the bottom and around the sides of each cup. Bake at 450º F. for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Let pans cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. **
In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Fold in the whipped topping. Spoon mixture into a large sealable plastic bag and cut the tip off of one corner; set aside. (If you have extra topping it can be mixed into pudding for a fun treat)
Place the chocolate sprinkles in a small bowl. Remove each pastry cup with a fork. Using a dull knife gently spread chocolate hazelnut spread around the rim of each cup. Dip the rims into the chocolate sprinkles making sure to coat the chocolate. Fill the bottom of each cup with: (in order indicated) 1 teaspoon almonds, 1 ½ teaspoons chocolate hazelnut spread, 1 ½ tablespoons strawberries, and pipe 1/8th cup of cream mixture on top of each cup. Dust the top of each cup with cocoa powder and garnish with three small strawberry pieces.

*Tip: To toast almonds, spread on cookie sheet; toast at 375º F. for 5 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown, stirring occasionally.
**Tip: Pastry cups can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container.

Yield: 22 servings

Spicy Red Pepper Dipping Sauce

1 (8 oz) cream cheese
1 (15 oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained
1 ½ tablespoons jalapenos, chopped
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in food processor. Serve with Lime Chips, vegetable sticks, or on my Bean and Barley Salad. If you cannot find Lime Chips add 1 teaspoon lime zest to the recipe. Store leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge up to one week. (If you do not like heat decrease the jalapenos and add to taste)
Yield: 1 ½ cups

Bean and Barley Salad

1 cup uncooked barley
1 (15 oz) can red beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups frozen corn, steamed and drained
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients. Serve warm or room temperature with a dollop of my Spicy Red Pepper Dipping Sauce.
Yield: 7 cups

Ham and Swiss Soup with Garlic Croutons

6 cups chicken broth
(or 6 cups water and 4 chicken bouillon cubes)
3 ½ cups swiss cheese, grated and divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¾ teaspoon pepper
2 cups cooked ham, cubed
1 cup cooked chicken, cubed
3 (15 oz) cans Great Northern Beans, drained
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons flour
Garlic croutons

Combine the broth, 3 cups cheese, and seasonings in a large pot. Do not boil. Heat until tiny bubbles form and the mixture is smooth. Add the remaining ingredients except ½ cup cheese and croutons. Serve warm. Garnish soup with remaining ½ cup cheese and croutons. (To make croutons: toss ½-inch bread cubes with olive oil and garlic salt and bake at 300˚ F for 30 minutes or until crusty. Stir multiple times.)

Yield: 10 servings

Cheddar, Ham, and Squash Soup

16 oz. dry red beans
6 cups chicken broth or (6 cups water and 4 chicken bouillon cubes)
2 (15 oz) cans cream of chicken soup
2 teaspoons caraway seed
2 cups cooked ham, chopped
1 ½ cups zucchini, chopped
1 ½ cups squash, chopped
2 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt, pepper, and garlic to taste
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons flour

Soak the beans overnight in water. Add 2 teaspoons baking soda to help the beans break down faster. Drain beans and put in a large crock-pot. Add broth, cream of chicken soup, and caraway seed. Cook on high for 3 hours or until the beans are soft. Add ham, zucchini, squash and cook for 1-1 ½ more hours or until the squash is tender. Stir in cheese until it melts.

In a small container combine the milk and flour. Add to the soup and allow the soup to thicken to desired consistency. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic to taste. Garnish with cracked pepper.

Yield: 12 servings

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

1 lb Italian Sausage, cooked and crumbled
2 (12 oz.) jars Fire Roasted Red Peppers, chopped and reserve juice
2 (15 ½ oz.) cans diced tomatoes, reserve juice
1-2 T dried basil
3 t Garlic minced
1 t salt

Dash of cayenne pepper and black pepper


1 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (measure first, then chop!)
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened and cubed
1 1/2 pounds of Rotini Pasta, cooked


Combine first seven ingredients including juice. Add basil and cream cheese and stir until cream cheese is melted. Serve over hot pasta. *Optional- sprinkle pasta with olive oil, parmesan cheese, and parsley.

Yield: 8 servings.

*I love roasted red peppers, italian sausage, and cream cheese and decided to create a pasta that incorporated all of the above and more.  This is what my brain came up with.  Enjoy!

Cinna-Peach Pancakes

Toppings
¼ cup HERSHEY®’S Cinnamon Chips
¼ cup maple syrup
½ cup pecans, chopped
1 large peach, sliced

Pancakes
4 Tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup flour
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup peach jam
2/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup HERSHEY®’S Cinnamon Chips

In large griddle, toast pecans over medium heat (350˚ F) 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly browned. Remove from skillet; set aside. Keep skillet hot.

Meanwhile, in small microwavable bowl, melt cinnamon chips in microwave stirring every 20 seconds. Stir in maple syrup; set aside.

In a medium microwaveable bowl, melt 2 Tablespoons butter in microwave. Add remaining pancake ingredients and stir until combined.

In hot griddle spread 1 tablespoon butter. Pour about ¼ cup batter onto griddle making 5 pancakes. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side or till pancakes are golden brown, turning to second sides when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry. Remove pancakes. Spread last tablespoon of butter on griddle and cook remaining pancakes.

To serve, stack two pancakes, slightly overlapping, on each of 5 serving plates. Divide peach slices among the 5 plates placing them on top of the pancakes. Evenly sprinkle pancakes with pecans and drizzle with syrup mixture; serve immediately.

Yield: 5 servings (2 Pancakes Each)

Spicy Blanco Enchiladas

9 flour tortillas

FILLING
1 ½ cups cooked and cubed chicken
1 (10.75-oz.) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup Salsa Verde, medium
1 (15.8-oz) can white beans, rinsed and drained
1-1 ½ tablespoons bottled jalapeno peppers, chopped
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
1 ½ cup mozzarella cheese, grated

SAUCE
1 (4.5-oz.) can green chilies
1 (10.75-oz.) can condensed cream of chicken soup
½ cup milk
½ cup sour cream
2-4 tablespoons bottled jalapeno juice
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
1 ½ tablespoons parsley

Heat oven to 350º F. Grease 9×13-inch pan. Lay tortillas out on counter. In large bowl, combine all filling ingredients. Fill each tortilla with ½ cup of filling. Roll tortillas up leaving two ends open. Place side by side in baking pan; set aside.
In medium bowl, combine all sauce ingredients. Spread mixture over tortillas. Bake at 350º F. for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

Yield: 9 servings

*I was craving enchiladas with some heat one day and decided to make up my own version.  If you are not a fan of heat then omit the jalapenos.  If you like heat add the full amount or more.  You can always taste as you go! 

Shrimp Avocado and Lime Dipping Cups or Burritos

Shrimp Avocado and Lime Dipping Cups

TORTILLAS
4 flour tortillas
8 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic salt

LIME CUPS
13 limes, divided
8 large shrimp, de-shelled and de-veined
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 teaspoon lime juice
½ cup black beans
¼ cup medium salsa
1 large avocado, diced
1/3 cup Ranch dressing
1/8 teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cilantro, chopped
Salt to taste
Cilantro for garnishing

Heat Oven to 350º F. Place tortillas on a large ungreased baking pan. Sprinkle with paprika and garlic salt. Using a pastry brush spread 2 teaspoons of oil on each tortilla blending the paprika and salt into the tortilla. Using a pizza cutter cut each tortilla into 1-inch wide strips. Cut each strip into 2 ½-inch long segments. Bake at 350º F. for 10-12 minutes or until crispy.

With a sharp knife cut a small section off of both ends of 12 limes; to help each lime stand upright. Cut each lime in half widthwise. Using a knife gently carve around each limes inner perimeter. With a spoon twist it into the lime breaking apart the inside of the lime. With scissors clean out the inside of the lime by cutting away excess pulp; set aside (if you have a juicer use it to help you clean the limes out). Reserve 1 teaspoon juice while discarding remaining pulp and juice.

Melt butter in large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp, lime zest, and lime juice. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until shrimp is no longer raw, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. When cooled dice shrimp; set aside.

In medium bowl, combine black beans, salsa, avocado, ranch dressing, pepper, garlic, chili powder, and cilantro. Mix until well blended. Add shrimp. Fill each lime cup with about a ¼ cup of filling. Garnish each cup with cilantro and tortilla strips.

Yield: 24 servings

Shrimp Avocado and Lime Burritos

35 large shrimp, de-shelled and de-veined

1 tablespoon salted butter
2 teaspoon lime zest
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup medium salsa
2 large avocados, diced
1/3 cup Ranch dressing
1/8 teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Salt to taste
Cilantro for garnishing
7 Flour tortillas
Sour cream

Heat Oven to 350º F.  Grease a 9*13 inch pan.  Melt butter in large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp, lime zest, and lime juice. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until shrimp is no longer raw, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and save drippings. When cooled dice shrimp; set aside.

In medium bowl, combine black beans, salsa, avocado, ranch dressing, pepper, garlic, chili powder, cilantro, and salt to taste. Mix until well blended. Add shrimp and drippings. Fill each tortilla with 1/2 cup of filling and roll up.  Place in greased pan.  Sprinkle with your favorite cheese.  Bake for 25 minutes or until burritos are heated through and cheese is melted.  Serve with sour cream.

Yield: 7 burritos

*I submitted the Lime Dipping Cups into the Pillsbury Bake-off years ago.  I was trying to think up a clever appetizer using a bread product (the tortillas) that I had not yet seen.  The burrito recipe is for those who do not want to go through the trouble of cleaning out limes but would still like to savor the succulent flavor of shrimp.  If you do not like shrimp simply replace it with chicken.  Enjoy!

Blueberry and Coconut Cream Volcanoes

1 (12-oz.) Golden Layers Butter Tastin Refrigerated Biscuits
1 cup coconut

FILLING
1 teaspoon lime zest
2 cups blueberries, divided
¼ cup sugar, divided
1 ½ oz. cream cheese, softened and divided

COCONUT CREAM
1/3 cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons powdered Sugar
3 oz. whipped topping, thawed

Heat oven to 400º F. In small bowl, place coconut; set aside. In another small bowl, combine lime zest, blueberries, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; set aside. In another small bowl, combine cream cheese and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Divide cream mixture into 5 flat disks; set aside.
On work surface spread each biscuit into a 4 ½ inch round circle. Place a cream cheese disk in the center of 5 of the biscuits. Reserving 1/3 cup, divide the blueberry mixture between the biscuits with the cream cheese disk’s. Place a 4 ½ inch plain biscuit on top of each filled biscuit. Press edges with a fork to seal. Dip each biscuit side into coconut. Place on an ungreased baking pan. Prick tops of each with a fork. Bake at 400º F. for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine coconut milk and powdered sugar. Fold in whipped topping; set aside.
Serve each blueberry volcano with a generous serving of coconut cream and some of the reserved blueberries. Serve warm.

Yield: 5 servings (1 volcano per serving)

Strawberry Lime Cheesecake Bites

10 large strawberries, diced
powdered sugar for dusting

COOKIE
½ cup salted Butter
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon lime peel
1/8 cup lime juice
¾ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
½ cup pecans, Chopped

FILLING
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (only use 13 oz.)
4 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 teaspoons green food coloring

TOPPING
¼ cup raspberry jam (I used freezer jam!)
½ (8-oz.) container whipped topping, thawed

Heat oven to 350º F. Grease bottom only of 30 mini muffin cups. In medium bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add lime peel, lime juice, and vanilla. Fold in flour and nuts. Press 1 tablespoon of cookie dough into each muffin cup. Bake at 350º F. for 12 minutes or until medium brown. Leaving the cookies in the muffin cups let cool on a wire rack.

In medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and 13 oz. sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add lime juice and vanilla. Divide batter between muffin cups filling each cup to the top. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until set.

Remove cheesecakes from pan using a knife to go around the sides. Place cheesecakes on wire rack. In small bowl, gently mix strawberry jam with whipped topping. Using a small spoon put a dollop of strawberry whipped topping on top of each cheesecake. Top with strawberry pieces and dust with powdered sugar.

Yield: 30 servings (1 cheesecake per serving)

Crunchy Thai Pizza Dipping Sticks

Photographed by my sister-in-law, Rachelle

SAUCE
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon sodium free chicken bouillon
½ teaspoon hot red chili sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/8 cup cilantro, chopped
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup sugar
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup water

CRUNCHY TOPPING
2 ½ cups salted peanuts
5 tablespoons butter, melted

FILLING
2 (13.8-oz.) refrigerated pizza crust’s
16 string cheese sticks, unwrapped and cut in half lengthwise
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium chicken breast, cut into strips
¾ cup green onions, chopped
1 cup green pepper, chopped
¾ cup broccoli, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 ½ cups bottled roasted red peppers, chopped
3 tablespoons juice from roasted red pepper bottle

Heat oven to 400º F. Grease 2 large cookie sheets. In a blender combine all sauce ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into microwave-safe container; set aside. In a food processor chop the peanuts until finely chopped; set aside. In large skillet, cook the olive oil, chicken, onions, green peppers, broccoli, and garlic salt over medium heat until chicken is completely cooked. Stir in red peppers and red pepper juice. Cook for two more minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface roll pizza crusts into 12×18 inch rectangles. Cut each rectangle into quarters. Cut each quarter in half width-wise forming 16 6×4.5 inch rectangles. Divide the filling between each rectangle, placing it in a line parallel with the short side of each piece. Place two string cheese sticks parallel with the pizza filling on each rectangle. Fold rectangles over bringing the short ends together. Pinch sides closed. Dip in butter and then coat in peanuts. Place on cookie sheets. Bake at 400º F. for 17-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Heat dipping sauce in microwave and serve with warm pizza.

Yield: 8 servings (2 pizza sticks per serving)

*This was entered into the Pillsbury Bake-off years ago.  My sister-in-law recently made it and had issues with getting the shape to resemble sticks.  So best of luck!  If you make this be creative and form your thai pizzas into what ever shape tickles your fancy!

Pinwheel Breakfast Sandwiches

Photographed by my sister-in-law, Rachelle

3 slices Pepperjack cheese, cut into quarters

EGGS
5 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

BREAD
1/8 cup dried parsley
1 (13.8-oz.) refrigerated pizza crust
1 (2.5-oz.) deli thin sliced ham packet, patted dry
¾ cup ground sausage, cooked and finely crumbled
3 bacon strips, cooked and finely crumbled

Heat oven to 400º F. Grease bottom of a large baking pan and bottom and sides of a muffin tin pan. Place the pizza dough on the counter. Evenly sprinkle the parsley across the dough. Flip dough over. Arrange ham to cover entire surface. Sprinkle sausage and bacon on top of ham. Starting on a short side of the dough roll it up. Using a large butcher knife cut the dough into 20 slices. Place each slice on the baking pan. Re-press the dough into a circle and make the tops even by using your fingers to press down on the dough (this should fill in gaps as well). Bake at 400º F for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper; beat well. Pour an 1/8th cup of the egg mixture into 10 individual muffin cups. Bake at 400º F for 4-6 minutes or until the egg are cooked.
Take 10 of the pinwheel slices and place on a serving plate. Place an egg on top of each pinwheel. Layer with a slice of cheese and top with another pinwheel. Serve warm.

Yield: 5 servings (2 sandwich’s per serving)

*I came up with this creation for the Pillsbury Bake-Off competition.  I thought it would be fun to make a breakfast sandwich that incorporated the meat into the bread. 

Creamy Fiesta Soup Served In a Cheesy Taco Soup Bowl

BOWLS
10 tortillas
1 ½ cup jalapeno cheese, finely grated
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ cup Crisco Light Olive Oil
2 teaspoons garlic salt

SOUP
6 cups water
1 chicken breast
3 sodium free chicken bouillon cubes (or 3 teaspoons)
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon salt (or salt to taste)
1 (10.75-oz.) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (4.5-oz.) can green chilies
1 (15.25-oz.) can corn, drained
½ cup medium salsa
2 tablespoons lime juice
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
3 (15-oz.) cans white beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Heat oven to 350º F. Get two muffin tin pans out. Take one tortilla and soften it in the microwave for 10 seconds. Using a pastry brush spread olive oil across tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese, paprika, and a pinch of garlic salt. Form tortillas into bowls by gently pressing the middle of the tortilla down into the muffin cup. Alternate muffin cups so that the tortillas do not touch. Bake at 350º F. for 10 minutes or until lightly browned and the cheese is melted. Place soup bowls into individual serving bowls.
Meanwhile, in a large pot combine the water, chicken, chicken bouillon, garlic powder, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil and continue boiling until the chicken is cooked. Remove the chicken while keeping the water at a simmer. Chop the chicken into cubes and add back into the pot. Add cream of chicken soup, green chilies, corn, salsa, and lime juice. Return to a simmer. Add cream cheese and quickly stir soup until cream cheese is melted. Stir in beans and cilantro. Ladle soup into tortilla bowls.

Yield: 10 servings

Chicken and Lime Fiesta Rolls

2 (16.3-oz.) Pillsbury® Grands! Flaky Layers Butter Tastin Biscuits
2 tablespoons salted butter (optional- chips will stick without butter)

CRUNCHY TOPPING
1 cup crushed tortilla chips (leftover taco shells would also work great!)
2 teaspoons cilantro, finely chopped
½ teaspoon paprika

FILLING
4 green onions, chopped (entire onion)
1 cup cubed cooked chicken
½ bunch cilantro, chopped
¼ cup salsa
5 teaspoons lime juice
1/4 cup ranch dressing
1 (4.5-oz.) can green chilies
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon lime zest
½ cup pepper jack cheese, grated
2 tablespoons bacon, cooked and crumbled

Heat oven to 350º F. Grease a 9×13- inch pan. In a small bowl combine all of the crunchy topping ingredients; set aside. In a medium bowl combine all the filling ingredients. Spread each biscuit into a 4 inch circle. Place an 1/8th of the filling in the center of each biscuit round. Place another biscuit round on top of rounds with filling and seal edges using a fork.  Dip each biscuit into melted butter and then into the crunchy topping mixture. Place in baking pan. Bake at 350º F. for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Yield: 8 servings

*I entered this recipe into the Pillsbury bakeoff a few years ago.  I do not personally enjoy the flavor found in processed refrigerated biscuits.  I prefer this filling served in flour tortillas.  However, when I served it to my guests recently they all preferred biscuits over tortillas. 

Nutty Avocado Cheese Bites

1 (16.3-oz) Pillsbury® Grands! Homestyle Butter Tastin refrigerated biscuits (8 ct)
4 tablespoons butter, melted

NUTTY MIXTURE
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup almonds sliced and broken into smaller pieces
1/2 cup dried onions
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

FILLING
4 oz cream cheese, softened
l large avocado, sliced
salt (or omit salt and add bacon for a fun twist)

Heat oven to 350º F. In a small bowl combine the sunflower seeds, almonds, dried onions, and poppy seeds. Set aside. Cut each biscuit into quarters and then roll to form a ball. Dip each ball in butter and then into the nutty mixture. Place on an un-greased large baking pan. Bake at 350º F. for 6-10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes. Slice each biscuit in half horizontally. Spread the inside of the bottom half with 1 ½ teaspoons of cream cheese. Add excess nuts found on the baking pan on top of the cheese layer. Place an avocado slice on top of the cream cheese layer and sprinkle with salt. Replace the top half of the biscuit. Serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings (4 biscuit bites per serving)

From The Other Half,

These are SERIOUSELY good! I didn't like avocado in the past, then my other half made these and completely changed my mind. In other words try these out on someone that doesn’t like avocado! They may love you (and avocados) for it.

Peanut-Shaped Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cream Cookies

1/3 cup miniature chocolate chips

COOKIE
1 (16.5-oz.) Pillsbury® Create ‘n Bake Refrigerated Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, chilled
½ cup salted peanuts, chopped

CREAM
½ cup peanut butter
4 oz. of whipped topping, thawed

ICING
½ cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon shortening

Heat oven to 350º F. Unwrap cookie dough and slice into 38 cookies. Roll each cookie between hands forming a round tube. Place each tube cookie on an un-greased cookie sheet. Flatten the tubes with your fingers, round the ends, and pinch the middles to form peanut shaped cookies. Press peanuts onto the top of each cookie. Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack.
Place the peanut butter into a microwavable safe container. Heat for 10 seconds on high or until soft. Gently fold in the whipped topping. Set each cookie nut side down and frost. Sprinkle 1/3 cup miniature chocolate chips onto the frosting side of half of the cookies. Take a frosted cookie with chocolate chips and a frosted cookie without and form a sandwich, keeping all creamed sides in the middle.
Place the shortening and ½ cup chocolate chips into a microwavable safe bowl. Microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted. Spoon into a sealable plastic sandwich bag. Seal the bag and cut a small corner off of one of the bottom corners. Use this bag to pipe gridlines onto the top of each cookie. To make gridlines, pipe 3-4 lines horizontally and 5-6 lines vertically on each cookie. Serve immediately. Store leftovers in refrigerator.
Yield: 19 servings (1 cookie per serving)

Ice Cream Banana Cinnamon-Rings

Photographed by Trey Orsak

½ quart French Vanilla ice cream
Cinnamon

CINNAMON-RINGS
1 (17.5-oz.) can Refrigerated Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing (5 ct)
¾ cup Pecans Chopped

BANANA MIXTURE
3 large bananas
1/3 cup light brown sugar

Heat oven to 375º F. Heat indoor grill to 375º F. Lightly grease large baking pan. Unroll each cinnamon roll. Cut each roll in half lengthwise creating 10 8-inch long strips. Spread pecans evenly over dough and press into dough. Place strips into pairs. Twist each pair together, form a circle with the twisted pair. Pinch the ends together and place on the baking pan. Bake at 375º F. for 18-25 minutes or until golden brown.

In small bowl, measure sugar; set aside. Cut the bananas in half lengthwise. Cut into 2-inch long segments. Gently coat the bananas in the sugar. Let bananas sit for 5 minutes. Place bananas on the grill for 1-2 minutes or until grill marks start to appear. Flip bananas and repeat on the other side. Remove from grill and place on a plate.

Place cinnamon-ring’s on individual plates. Place equal amounts of banana mixture in the middle of each cinnamon-ring. Put a large scoop of ice cream in the middle of each cinnamon-ring and then sprinkle each dessert with a generous amount of cinnamon. Serve immediately. Optional- Garnish with cinnamon sticks.

Yield: 5 servings