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Perfect Playdough...

7/14/2014

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It's been quite awhile since I've made playdough, but this Spring we had wee visitors at our house... so, I dug deep in the recipe box to find an oldie, but a goodie.

Mix together in  saucepan:
      3 c. Flour
      .5 c. Salt
      1 TBsp Cream of Tartar

Stir in:

    1 TBsp Vegetable Oil
     2.75 c. Water
    

Cook over medium heat (stirring constantly) until it thickens.
Remove from heat (and divide into parts if you want more than one color). Work in food coloring. Store in air-tight container.
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Yummy potluck treat...

7/2/2014

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Tomatoes, basil, mozzarella cheese, and a bit of balsamic vinegar!
Here's one of my favorite snacks to bring to a summer potlucks.

The best part: little hands can help
with the quick and easy assembly.

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Drizzle the vinegar over these gems right before serving.
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Applesauce addiction...

4/27/2014

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We have officially
become addicted to our
homemade applesauce.

Yes, it's a good mid-day snack, but it is also amazing with potato pancakes or over blintzes.
And..... after upgrading to a larger crockpot and purchasing a brand new apple corer/peeler on Craigslist (for the low price of $10), this recipe is even easier.


Next = pear sauce.


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A One of a Kind Meal...

10/15/2013

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Thanks to The Busy Budgeting Mama for
this one-of-a-kind crock pot meal.

I recently bought a large pork shoulder and divided it into two freezer bags for make-ahead meals using the recipe below. Then, pulled from the freezer at a later date, one bag provided an easy and delicious meal for my family-of-four on one of those I-just-don't-have- time-to-cook crazy days.

Recipe for one bag:
1/2 an onion, sliced
3 to 4 lbs whole pork shoulder
Salt and Pepper
1 can Dr. Pepper
2 Tbls brown sugar
1/4 c water

Cook on High for 3-4 hours.
Serve on rolls.
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Designer Trail Mix...

5/18/2013

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This idea came from my fabulous neighbor Toni....

Before heading off on a wilderness hike with friends, we pooled various nuts, snacks, dried fruits, etc.. and allowed the kids to make their own "trail mix" for the trip.
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Each hiker was able to personalize their snack.
Which made for several interesting combinations and
absolutely zero complaints.

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Thank you Neighbor Toni!
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One pot wonder...

3/1/2013

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Here’s an easy variation of mashed potatoes:
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Yep. You see that right.
That’s cauliflower thrown into the same pot.

Boils just the same.
Mashes just the same.
Pretty much tastes the same.
But... it adds one more vegetable to our diet.

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As my son says: "It's easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy!"
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Movie & Dessert...

2/19/2013

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     I survived middle school because my savvy mom began the tradition of Mother/Daughter Movie Night.  We’d pick a flick, make a brand-new yummy dessert, and settle in for a quiet night at home. It’s one of my favorite pre-teen memories.

      My boys are not quite in middle school yet, but as they are getting older we have begun our own tradition of family movie night. Last month we watched Monster Inc. and enjoyed Oatmeal Cream Monster Cookies!
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LOVED the movie! Ages 7+.
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Love these treats! Put them in the freezer and enjoy all month.

      This month, we tried the Apple Dumpling Gang and Super Easy (not-so-healthy) Apple Dumplings.
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Old-fashioned Disney comedy. However, skip the sequel - it's not worth the time.
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These contain Mountain Dew: which made it even more of an adventure. A yummy treat!
  
Now, the boys are now pushing for a night of Star Wars.
Hmm.................. what do we make then?  I’m leaning towards Yoda Soda.


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Summer Comfort Food...

6/27/2012

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What is the most delicious way to start the summer?
With Strawberry Shortcake, of course!

Last week, we had the neighbors over for some summer yum.
Our recipe:
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Fresh berries from our favorite local farm.
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Fancy "baking mix" shortcakes made with a cookie cutter.
Sorry to not post a final product photo -
they were devoured immediately upon assembly!
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Pizza Rolls...

4/19/2012

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    Here's another recipe I often turn to when I want to stock the freezer with easy go-to foods for school lunches or weekend snacks: Pizza Rolls.

First: Prepare your bread dough.
    This can be as easy as thawing the frozen dough available in your grocer's frozen-food section or making up your own in your Kitchen Aid mixer. Here's the recipe I use:

    Mix a .25 oz. envelope of quick yeast with 2 cups of warm water.
    Add 1 TBLSP olive oil, 1 TBLSP sugar, and a pinch of salt.
    Work in 6 or 7 cups of unbleached flour.
    Let dough rise for almost two hours.

Second: Prepare your pizza 'toppings.'

    We love mozzarella cheese,Italian sausage, and spinach, but you could use anything you like (pepperoni, olives, peppers, etc...)

Then: Roll out the dough and sprinkle on the goods.

    Do this on a floured cutting board. Once everything is evenly distributed, slowly roll the dough to create a long- long pizza roll.
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Last: Cut and Bake.
    Using a sharp knife, cut 1 inch slices from the roll and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350' until golden.
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    Serve with tomato sauce or on their own.  And... if your growing boys eat as much as mine do: Be prepared to make more again soon.
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Morning - Who says it's good?

3/22/2012

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          Am I a bad mommy if I don't feed my children breakfast?
Now.. I'm not saying they don't eat breakfast. I just don't prepare it for them.


      Honestly, I've never been much of a morning person and, with safety in mind, I strive to avoid sharp knives, gas stoves, and electric mixers before 10am.

      Luckily, my boys have a father who IS a morning person AND loves to dote on them endlessly. With Dad at the helm, it's Denver omelets, French toast, and Belgium waffles (with whipped cream no less). Sadly, on the days that he leaves early for work, my boys know that their options are limited to cold cereal or cold cereal.


Or perhaps I should say: that WAS their only option...
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    Enter: this nifty little mini breakfast quiche recipe that I uncovered. (Sadly, I'm not sure of its original source. The printed, wrinkled, typed-page was gathered among a pile of other recipes.) I made a batch of these babies and have been able to pop them out of the freezer and into the microwave for 60 seconds as needed to supply fast, delicious, and safe breakfast-dining.   

Mini Breakfast Quiches
Mix 6 eggs, 3 cups milk, and 1 cup baking mix with
whatever quiche ingredients you like
(cheese, sausage, ham, vegetables, bacon, more cheese, etc..)

Fill greased muffins tins with approximately 1/4 cup batter
and bake at 350' for 20 minutes. Cool completely.
Flash freeze for an hour.
Store in a gallon size freezer bag.
Enjoy!

      "See, I'm not so bad," I tell my boys. "This is good. We're being healthy, right? Bon Appetit!"

    These quiche are a great early-morning option. My boys smile. My boys eat. (But in truth, they still miss their dad. I can live with that. On the rare days he leaves early, I miss him too.)
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