Love This

Hope you get to try this soon. =)

Babyfood - Summer Squash and Rice

Summer Squash and Rice

Ingredients:

2 yellow squash

2 zucchini

1 sweet onion

1 tsp garlic

1 cup water

1/2 cup brown rice

Directions:

Cook the rice according to directions.

In a skillet, add about a teaspoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of butter. Cut the squash and onion into equal-sized pieces. Add to the pan with the garlic over medium heat and sautee until very tender. When the rice is done, stir into the veggies. Puree in small batches thinning with water or chicken broth as needed, and freeze in ice cube trays overnight. Serve with chicken or on its own.

Babyfood - Chicken Noodle Stew

I spent the entire day today in the kitchen making a bunch of baby food and thought I'd share some more recipes and a hint.
First, the hint. I decided to start making actual dinners last time I did a big cooking day instead of just doing one thing at a time. I whipped up some recipes, and it took quite awhile. But when I was done I realized I had a TON of just three different dinners. All that work didn't lead to much variety. This time I decided to do several recipes but to keep the chicken separate. That way I can add variety by adding it to one of the dinners or pairing it with something else entirely or serving it alone.

Okay, now for the recipe:

Homemade Chicken Noodle Stew

Ingredients:

Chicken broth (make your own without the salt or use a low-sodium variety)

Whole-Wheat Noodles (I use these:)

Celery

Carrots

Corn

Peas

Onion

Garlic

Chicken

(I typically just use handfuls of each and don't bother measuring. It really doesn't matter how much of each ingredient you use.)

Directions:

Cut up all the veggies to equal-sized pieces.

You can see I used canned corn (no salt added, drained, and rinsed) and frozen peas. In a skillet, add a sliver of butter and some olive oil. Throw in all of the veggies and sautee until tender stirring often.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the directions. I usually add a couple of minutes to the recommended cook time to make sure they are very, very soft.

When the veggies are tender and the noodles are cooked, stir everything together in a large bowl. Add the chicken (if desired), and stir to combine. Puree the mixture a little at a time, and add chicken broth to thin as needed. When it is a peanut butter consistency, spoon into ice cube trays and freeze overnight.

Party Favor

I'm helping with a baby shower for my sister in law next weekend (although I'm scheduling this post to appear after the shower so she doesn't see everything before the big day!), and I thought I'd share this super simple and affordable favor idea. We're using these as prizes for the games.

Materials Needed:Scissors (or a rotary cutter), Ruler, Scrapbooking Paper, Double-sided tape, Candy Bars

Directions:

Unwrap one of the candy bars to determine the size of the wrapper. I bought the Hershey minis. The scrapbook paper needed to be cut to 3" by 1 1/2" rectangles. Then promptly eat that chocolate bar. =)

Place one piece of double-sided tape on the back of the original wrapper, and attach the end of one of your rectangles. Wrap the paper around the candy bar and stick with another piece of double-sided tape.I'm going to wrap these in little bundles using white tulle and a coordinating ribbon. So easy, and so cute!

Sopapilla Cheesecake

Here's another dessert that's easy and delicious. I've only had this once and have never made it, but believe me. It's worth it. I had it at a party this past summer. It was made by Charla, who found it on Beth Moore's blog, and this recipe was passed on to me by my sister, Amy (who made some modifications that I've put in parentheses).

Sopapilla Cheesecake

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese (Amy used reduced-fat cheese)

2 (8 oz) packages refrigerated crescent dinner rolls (Again, Amy used the reduced-fat version)

1 cup sugar (Amy used 3/4 cup)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract (Amy used 1 tsp of each and said it really made a huge difference)

1/2 cup margarine or butter, melted (Amy's had 1/2 stick of a half butter blend like Smart Balance)

1/2 cup cinnamon sugar (combine about 1/2 cup sugar with 1 TBS cinnamon)

Directions:

Using a 9x13 baking pan, unroll one package of refrigerated crescent rolls and line the bottom of the pan, and flatten. Mix together the cream cheese, sugar, and extract, and spread over the crescent rolls. Unroll the other can of crescent rolls and place on top of cream cheese mixture. Pour one stick of melted butter or margarine over the top and sprinkle with about 1/2 cup of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Butterfinger Cake

This is the most delicious, rich, and easy cake ever. I had a couple of requests to post the recipe, and I'm finally getting around to it. I found the recipe here, and there are many, many more on this site that look so yummy. Happy baking!

Butterfinger Cake

Ingredients:

Yellow cake mix

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 jar caramel topping

3-4 Butterfinger candy bars

Cool Whip

Directions:

Bake the cake mix according to the package. While hot - poke holes all over it. Mix together the sweet milk and caramel and pour over cake. Crush up the butterfingers and spread on top. Allow to cool and refrigerate. Once completely cool - top with cool whip.

Sick and Tired

I've been under the weather for what seems like an eternity. I think I'm finally on the mend, but I thought I'd do a little post along the lines of feeling crummy.

1) Handwashing Ideas: I am really surprised by how few kids know proper handwashing techniques...especially when this is the only way to prevent certain germs from spreading. Here is a great idea for teaching kids good techniques. Here is a great product made for teaching kids. When I taught school, there were certain times throughout the day when all of the kids would wash hands (i.e. before lunch or snack, after recess, after art projects). I would line the kids up, give each child a squirt, then they'd scrub while we sang "Twinkle, twinkle little star" or another song that's about 20 seconds long. Then everyone would rinse. It was cute to hear them sing a song on their own when they'd wash hands.

2) Sick Day Activities: Fill a bucket with all of the McDonald's Happy Meal toys, birthday party favors, etc. and keep it in a closet. Pull it out only on days when the kids are sick. For meals, serve store-bought or homemade chicken noodle soup, and add alphabet pasta. Let the kids play with their food by pulling out letters and spelling words on a paper plate. Then let them slurp the broth with a straw. Another idea is to do a floor puzzle on the bathroom floor with the shower running super hot to create a steam-room to relieve coughs. Or have the kids draw on the mirror with their fingers in the steam from the shower.

Hope these ideas help to relieve a little bit of the stress associated with sick days!

Last-Minute Valentines

Here's a great resource if you need to print out some last-minute, precious, and unique Valentines.

Solid Stone Coasters for Less

One of our wedding gifts was a set of those absorbing stone coasters with our initials engraved in them. We loved them, but they were white. Even without kids those didn't stay white long. I used to use a bleach solution to clean them, but eventually it ate away at the stone. I really wanted another set, but I'm very cheap and wasn't willing to pay $20 for 4. We had dinner with friends awhile back, and somehow the conversation of coasters came up. I shared my solution and thought I'd share it here too.

A few years ago we were at Lowe's looking for tile for our fireplace surround and hearth remodel, and I loved the 4x4 slate. It looked like the perfect size for coasters, and it was only $5.49 for 9! So we bought them, I cleaned them with soap and water, and I added some cork board to the back so they wouldn't scratch my furniture. You could just as easily use those adhesive felt circles.So, so very easy. The only thing you need to know is to buy the special glue for stone to attach the cork, and let them dry for at least 24 hours before you use them. The vapor from the glue will damage your furniture if it is not completely dry. (Thankfully I read that somewhere and didn't learn the hard way!)

Let me know if you take on this project, and please share pictures!

Crockpot Applesauce (Ages 6 months and up!)

This applesauce is easy, healthy, and delicious for babies or adults.

Crockpot Applesauce

Ingredients:

5-6 large apples (I use fuji, gala, or pink lady, but you can use any type you like)

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons sugar (optional)

Directions:

For baby food puree: Peel, core, and slice apples into equally-sized pieces. Add to the crock pot with the rest of the ingredients. I would leave out the sugar for babies unless you are using tart apples like granny smith. I had a half of a bag of granny smith apples leftover after making my Thanksgiving pies, so I used those with a couple of fuji apples, and my daughter gobbled them up even without sugar. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours stirring every 30 minutes or so (although I've done this without stirring very often, and it works just fine). Remove from the crock pot, puree, and freeze in ice cube trays overnight.

For chunkier sauce: Instead of pureeing, use a pastry blender or Mix N Chop to crush apples into a chunky consistency.

For finger food for older babies: Instead of slicing the apples, dice them into finger food-sized pieces. They will not take quite as long to cook, so check them every once in awhile so they don't completely turn to mush. When they're cooked through, spoon the apple cubes into an ice cube tray and freeze overnight.

Craft Tip

It seems like I'm always using homemade stencils for some project. I just print out letters, pictures, etc. then create a stencil out of that instead of buying twenty million different stencil packs only to use one letter. I digress. I just wanted to pass on this tip in case any of you find yourself needing a stencil quickly. I save empty cereal boxes. I just flatten them out and stash them behind an armoire in the front bedroom so they're out of the way. They're the perfect thickness for what I need. So I print the letters, then lay them on the cereal box. Using a ballpoint pen, I firmly trace around the letter leaving an imprint of the outline on the box. Cut them out, and there you go.

Butternut Squash for Babies, Two Ways

(Adding the face is optional. This little guy was sitting on my counter looking an awful lot like a Veggie Tales character, so we had a little fun.)

Oddly enough, I made butternut squash as one of my baby's first few foods. She hated it. But I was persistent because I had heard that it takes a baby trying a food 10 times before you know if they truly dislike it or if it is just a texture thing they have to get used to. It ended up being one of her favorite foods. I thought I'd share two baby food recipes that are her favorites using butternut squash.

Butternut Squash and Lentils

Ingredients:

1/2 butternut squash

1/2 cup lentils (I use green, but red are fine too)

4 cups water

1 tsp cinnamon

juice of one orange

optional ingredients: 1/4 sweet onion, 1/2 bell pepper, any color

Directions:

To a pot, add water and lentils, and bring to a boil. Meanwhile peel and chop one half butternut squash, and add to the pot. If you are using the onion and bell pepper, chop them and add them to the pot now. Sprinkle in the cinnamon, turn the heat to medium, and simmer for 40 minutes. By then, the lentils should have absorbed almost all of the water, and everything should be very, very tender. Squeeze in the juice from one orange. If you did not use the bell pepper, use your Mix n Chop or a pastry blender to mash everything together. If you did use bell pepper, use a food processor or blender to puree (this will chop the skin so it's not a choking hazard). I usually reserve enough for dinner, then freeze the rest in ice cube trays overnight.

Roasted Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

1/2 butternut squash

water

cinnamon

Directions:

Cut the butternut squash in half, and clean out the seeds and 'guts.' Add about an inch of water into the bottom of a baking dish. Sprinkle about 1 tsp. of cinnamon. Add the butternut squash cut-side down. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until the squash is tender to the touch.

(The poor little dude got a sunburn!)

Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle. Scoop the squash out of the skin and process in a food processor or blender until smooth. If your baby is old enough, like mine, a simple mash with the Mix n Chop will do. Freeze in ice cube trays overnight. Yum!

Kids' Art Swap

If you have kids ages 4 and up, this is for you! What a great idea. Unfortunately there's not much time left to enter, so hurry!

Can Opener

I saw a brilliant idea on Rachael Ray this morning for cleaning a can opener. You know how they get all gunky every once in awhile even after running it through the dishwasher? She closes it down on a piece of wax paper and turns it as if opening a jar over and over. Not only does the wax paper clean out the gunk, but it also leaves wax on the blade lubricating your can opener! Brilliant.

*I just want to say a big thank-you for all of your sweet comments and e-mails about this blog. I love this blog and the outlet it give me for all these domestic tips, and I am so, so glad there are people out there enjoying it as well!

Alicia's Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

Two quart-sized bags of chicken stock, thawed

3-4 chicken breasts (you don't have to use only white meat, but it is what I prefer)

3 stalks of celery, cleaned and sliced

1 onion, peeled and chopped

3 large carrots, peeled and chopped

2 cups of frozen peas

6 cups of water

1 bag of home-style frozen egg noodles (pictured below)

your favorite seasonings

Directions:

In a large soup pot, bring the stock to a slow boil. Add chicken breasts and poach until cooked through. Turn the heat to low to simmer, and (I use my Pampered Chef Mix N Chop for this step) shred or chop the chicken. If you don't have the mix n chop, you'll need to remove the chicken from the pot, cool slightly, and chop or shred, then return it to the pot. Add the celery, onion, carrots, and noodles. Add enough water to cover everything (up to 6 cups). Simmer the soup until the noodles are cooked to your desired consistency (around 25 minutes for us), then add the frozen peas and simmer 10 minutes more. Serve with your favorite dunking crackers, and enjoy!

*This soup makes GREAT leftovers. To ensure that none of the leftovers go to waste, freeze in individual servings sizes in my now famous Ziploc method or in Tupperware containers. This way you can stick one in your bag for lunch at work or pull out the servings as needed to warm up on a cold day.

Penny Pinching Chicken Stock

For a last-minute meal around here, we love to pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store every now and then. It seems like it just goes so far, and it is ready to go right when we get home. Yum. I use chicken stock for so very many recipes that I thought I'd try to make my own with the chicken bones that are left over. Here's how.

Homemade Chicken Stock

Ingredients:

Chicken bones/skin of one small chicken

1 onion

4 stalks of celery

3 carrots (or a handful of baby carrots)

4 garlic cloves

2 bay leaves

seasoned salt

pepper

(+ any other spices you like)

Directions:

In a large pot, add chicken bones, then fill with water. Roughly chop the onion, celery (hearts, leaves, and all), and carrots, and add to the pot. Peel and smash the garlic, and add it along with the bay leaves and salt and pepper. Simmer for at least an hour. Do a quick taste test, and add seasoning as needed. Strain all of the veggies, bay leaves, and chicken out of the liquid, and discard. Let it cool, then store in Ziploc bags in the freezer. Here's a hint - lay the bags flat stacked one on top of the other to save space. Once frozen, they'll be much easier to move around and cram into that very little open space in your freezer (or maybe that's just mine!).

Stay tuned for my homemade chicken noodle soup recipe using this stock and a handful of my baby's favorite babyfood recipes!

Serious Life Magazine

Just wanted to give a shout-out to this magazine and a big thank-you for publicizing this blog. If you're interested, please go read about this sweet family and their little girl, Abby (pictured on the cover), who is dealing with an invasive form of leukemia. Here's the link to their blog, and here's the link to the magazine.