Day 06: Something I bought recently

Straight Arrow and I debated back and forth over what we should get each other for Christmas this year.  I really didn't need anything or even want anything big.  But what we really needed to do was build up our food storage and work on self-reliance.  So, our big Christmas purchase this year: A Solar Oven!  It is so awesome that even on 30-degree day, without any electricity or fuel of any kind, and as long as the sun is shining, we can cook!

I christened our Sun Oven with a loaf of homemade whole wheat bread.  Take note that while it baked at 350 degrees, there was snow on the ground!

Day 02: Something I ate today

Sprouts!  You can sprout just about any seed, nut, grain, or legume and when you do so you will compound the nutritional value by anywhere between 500-600%!  One of our next investments will be a large variety of sprouting seeds.  I love them on a sandwich and in a salad.  I've been scouting out other recipes lately to use them in.  Oh, so healthy!

The princess cake.

Though we had a pool party, we had to go through a bajillion cake ideas before we came to this one.  It was actually a dramatic decision that shouldn't have been dramatic.  But lo, she is a girl who loves drama.  The idea scheme went something like this: pool cake, swimmer cake complete with goggles and swim cap, pool cake, beach cake, castle cake, sand castle cake, flower cake, butterfly cake, purse cake, flower cake, pool cake, NO CAKE.  I had had enough of the mind changing!  And so, she settled on a princess cake.  Whew.

Shower baby!

A good childhood friend of mine moved into our ward a couple months after we moved in.  She was pregnant with twins and I got to help throw a little shower for her a couple of weeks ago.  I made the cake and provided some of the food.  Fun times!  It was fun to host it in my own home!  Too bad I didn't have any actual pictures of HER!  Her boys ended up being born before the shower and it was an added touch for her to bring pictures of them to display.

Congrats Allison!

Pasta Making.

In an effort to use my food storage more than I already do and to use a gorgeous green Christmas gift, I decided to give homemade pasta a shot. I just had to know if it was really that much better!

I ground my wheat for whole-wheat pasta dough.
I steamed my spinach to add some beauty (not to mention some major nutrition).
I pulled out the steel rollers.
I enrolled some helpers.


Basically, it felt like it took forever! The whole shebang was just lengthy. Perhaps, it wouldn't have been quite as frustrating minus a knee-high munchkin pulling on my pockets.


It's a process that involves kneading the dough.
Dividing it into smaller pieces.
Running it through the roller.
Times five till it's smooth and thin.
Then turn it through the cutter.
We chose the fettuccine.



It was worth it.
So scrum-diddili-umcious!
Whole wheat spinach fettuccine pesto.

I'm Fond of You, fondue!

Last New Years Eve, I had a brother and a sister over for fondue for celebration time. It was so yummy and I've thought about it numerous times in 2009. I seriously could not wait until it was New Years Eve again to tickle my taste buds once more.

For Christmas this year, I received an electric fondue pot from my parents...just in time for the par-tay. We had my parents over on New Years and we fondued.

SO delicious. Every last bite of it.

Chicken. Cheese. Chocolate.

one very content fondue connoisseur

colorful fruit and vegetables

crusty French bread

chicken and bell pepper over boiling broth

a melty mess of chocolate!

Chicken:
Pure chicken broth
Bite-sized chicken pieces
assorted vegetables

Cheese:
3/4 cup milk
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 loaf French bread, cubed

Chocolate:
16 ounces milk chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream

So delicious, but so unhealthy...can only be served once a year here! Makes for a great tradition! ;)

A killer trifle: Death by Chocolate

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package German chocolate cake mix
• 1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 2/3 cups milk
• 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 bottle caramel sauce (found in the ice cream topping section)
• Oreos, crushed
• Milk chocolate bar, shaved
  

Directions

1. In a 9x13 in pan, bake cake according to package directions. Cool and crumble. Make pudding, according to package directions, with milk.
2. In a large trifle or other glass serving bowl, place half of the crumbled cake. Drizzle caramel sauce over the cake as you'd like, and spread half of the pudding over that. Top with layer of crushed Oreo cookies. Top with half of the whipped topping. Repeat layers in the same order. Shave milk chocolate bar on top! Refrigerate until serving.

Mystery fruit.

Do you know what this is?

A rare find, the persimmon is an early sign of autumn. A pain to peel and pit, but it's fruit is well worth the effort.

Persimmon Pudding
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups persimmon pulp
2 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
2 1/2 cups milk
4 tablespoons melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Butter one 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine persimmon pulp, baking soda, sugar and eggs. Mix well.
3. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, milk and melted butter. Stir to combine.
4. Pour into baking pan and bake for 55 minutes. The pudding will rise but will fall when removed from oven.

We've got the Top Pop.

In case you're in need of a few cheesy, but much loved Father's Day ideas. These were packaged pretty and hand delivered to our Daddy's work today. After all, the air has been cleared and the place is all his. It was grounds to celebrate on more than one account!

First up, the Top Pop. Dad's Root Beer can be found at the Dollar Tree. For the "Top Pop" award, check out 2 Clever Blog for a great printout.


I combined the Top Pop with one of our Papa's faves: chocolate. This man loves his chocolate. Instead of a pile of candy bars, I liked this dressed up look from Sisters Stuff. Here's our version.

Happy Father's Day to the best Daddy in the world. We sure love you!!!

365 days.

A 5 year old girly girl.
A 3 year old rough and tumbly boy.
And now...A 1 year old boy with an inclination for eating, climbing, and wrestling. He's a sweet little thing and I can't get enough of his cuddles and open mouth kisses. I love his sandy blond hair, how it's wisps blow in the gusts of wind on our walks around the block. His blue eyes captivate; they draw myriads of random strangers into commenting on their azure color. He loves to eat, has never turned down any food, and continues eating for social reasons long past his stomach reaching full capacity. A lover of nursing, he's always up for a sip of milk. He can stand, but isn't ready to make the step into the world of walking. He's the baby of the family and is taking full advantage of that knowledge. Refuses to walk on the flat earth, but can climb a five-rung ladder with no help; coming down is another story. With six teeth fully erupted, we're still waiting for a few more. A six-tooth grin sure is cute though. He has an infatuation with balls of all kinds, Little People, and cars. Despite some stubbornness in the personality, I'm so in love with this little boy.

Happy Birthday, Buddy Boy.

Lucky, lucky you!

Although the way St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in America makes no sense to me, it's still so fun to shake things up a bit! The kids were so excited this morning...almost as excited as Christmas. Serious. (And that's a bit embarrassing!)

After scouring the town last night for a sneaky leprechaun, I came up empty handed except for one small garden gnome that I found in the gardening section of the drug store. There's nothing a new coat of paint can't do, right? The remainder of the night was spent repainting the spring-welcoming gnome into a
You see, I couldn't let the imagination of two little munchkins down. After all, Roundabout had spent the majority of the afternoon hand sewing a blanket to serve as a enticing lure to the trap she and Green Light designed. When I returned from my outing, the kids were tucked snugly into bed and outside of their bedroom door, I found this

That little mischievous leprechaun wreaked all sorts of havoc around the homeplace. Things like...dumped out toys bins, scattered laundry, overturned chairs, a piano bench on top of the entertainment center, a gallon of green milk, but most surprising of all to the munchkins...

It was a day full of surprises. Luckily, the that little green guy did manage to fill our shoes with plenty of gold-wrapped goodies before he fell fast asleep under the hand-sewn green platchwork blanket in the "leprechaun trap". He slept there all night until one unsuspecting soul quietly opened the lid of the trap and "actually saw him alive and sleeping in there". She slowly closed the lid back, used the bathroom (and subsequently found the green toilet water), and then prepared to capture him with her hands. Just as I had warned her about leprechauns, that sneaky guy froze as soon as he realized that a person had spotted him.

She carried the "frozen leprechaun" around all morning, admiring his green as grass features, noticing his gold belt buckle, and even wondering why there was a gold "Made in China" sticker stuck to the bottom of his foot. (Oops!) Quick on my feet, I replied that he must of stepped on a sticker on his way in last night.

I coaxed her into getting herself dressed for the day, which required that she put the miniature green guy down for a split second. And would you ever guess that when she freed him from her little hands and took her eyes off of him for a split second while pulling a shirt over her head, he escaped!

Our apartment was searched over, the hallway was scoured, but he was nowhere to be found. Maybe next year he'll be back. Meanwhile, we enjoyed a smokin' hot Short Stack O' Shamrocks for breakfast, a Good Luck-y Charms snack, a completely green lunch, and the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage for dinner.

Just for kicks, here's a little recipe (thanks to Miss Betty Crocker) to go into the stash...

Peanutty Good Luck Snack
4 cups Lucky Charms cereal
1 cup peanuts
1 cup Reeses Pieces candy
1 cup yogurt covered raisins

Mix and enjoy!

Oh, the places you'll go...

when you read the fantastic imagination of Dr. Seuss. LOVE the man! Green Light can't get enough of his rhyme and meter. I thought that Green Eggs and Ham would be an appropriate part of our celebratory week, but the children said, "I do not like it Sam-I-Am."

We made Oobleck instead. Have you ever read this classic? It ranks right on up there with the best of the best.
Oobleck! The properties of this stuff are amazing. The kids (well, me too!) were totally smitten by it. We played the afternoon away with it.

What'd we learn about it? Oobleck is a material that is also known as a dilatant. A dilatant is a material that gets thicker with an increase of pressure. Oobleck is a liquid until pressure is applied to it and then it solidifies. It seems to defy Newton’s Third Law of Motion that states that every action will have an equal and opposite reaction. Here is a great way to test this … take two pie pans, fill one with water and one with oobleck, take both outside and slap them with an open hand. The water will splash while the oobleck stays put on the bottom of the pan. Water is a Newtonian fluid because it obeys Newton’s Laws of Motion. Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid because it defies Newton’s Third Law of Motion.


Give it a try with your little munchkins!

Oobleck!
--2 cups cornstarch
--1 cup water (add food coloring to the water before mixing if you want to color yours like we did)

Mix the two ingredients together. It takes a little bit of effort to get it all mixed in. Squeeze and stir to test it out before giving into the urge of adding more water to make it easier to mix.

National Popcorn Day.

T'was Human Rights Day, indeed. We were glad to spend the day together as a family...eating popcorn! Didn't you know that today is National Popcorn Day?! There's so many possibilities when it comes to popcorn. But today, we choose to celebrate this grand day with a popped corn Family Home Evening Treat. Now baby...let that corn pop some snow into our forecast TONIGHT!!

Rainbow Popcorn

2 quarts (8 cups) popped popcorn
¼ cup butter or margarine
3 tablespoons corn syrup
½ cup sugar
1 pkg. (3 ounces) gelatin dessert powder, any flavor (Jell-O)
Sugar sprinkles, optional

• Preheat oven to 250º F. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper or foil; set aside. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray (to reduce sticking) and place popcorn inside; set aside.
• Heat butter, corn syrup and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to blend. When butter is melted, stir in gelatin until completely dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Immediately pour hot mixture over popcorn and stir to coat completely.
• Spread onto prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar sprinkles, if desired. Bake 12 minutes; cool in pan. Break into small pieces to serve.

To store: place in an airtight container. Yield: 8 cups

8 Week Meal Plan

The Famous, Delicious, Tried and True 8-Week Rotating Meal Plan

I've had a few friends ask me for a copy of my meal plan...so, here it is. I can't claim it'll work for your family, but it does for mine.

**A few disclaimers**
--This is a constant work in progress. I take out meals and put new ones in occasionally, depending on my family's tastes. We might insert a new recipe here and there and take out one's that aren't our absolute favorites.
--Leave me a comment if you want any of the individual recipes.
--We have four Sunday meals that we rotate through that are Crockpot meals. It makes for a stress-free Sunday for me.
--We often have Homemade Pizza on Friday nights.
--There are only 6 recipes per week to allow for a Leftover night so that we aren't wasting food.
--I have put an asterisk by the meals that I usually double and then freeze half for another night.
--If something doesn't make sense, just ask!

**Week 1**
Beef Stew
Chicken Pesto Pasta*
Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
Black Bean Soup
Homemade Pizza
Russian Chicken

**Week 2**
Chili and Sweet Cornbread
Italian Chicken and Potatoes
B.L.A.T Wraps
Corn Chowder
Black Bean Lasagna*
Chicken Cordon Bleu

**Week 3**
Chicken Supreme
Fiesta Chicken Pasta Salad
Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich
Oriental Chicken Salad
Quiche*
Chicken Roll-ups*

**Week 4**
Beef Stew
Tator Tot Casserole*
Chicken Enchiladas*
Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Homemade Pizza
Picadillo Stuffed Pepper Casserole*

**Week 5**
Chicken Pie*
Hawaiian Haystacks
Navajo Tacos
White Chicken Chili*
Vegetarian Chili
Hamburgers and Fries

**Week 6**
Chili and Cornbread
Creamy Pesto Pasta
Italian Chicken Wraps
Creamy Tomato Soup
Zucchini Casserole
Smothered Sweet Pork Burritos*

**Week 7**
Beef Stew
Peanut Butter Noodles
Dinnertime Quesadillas
Chicken Noodle Soup
Homemade Pizza
Cashew Chicken

**Week 8**
Spaghetti
Bowties with Palomino Sauce
Garden Vegetable Soup
Taco Salad
Chicken Piccatta
Lasagna*

**Extras for Substituting recipes that are out of season or just plainly not wanted that week**
Stuffed Shells*
Chicken Pot Pie*
Spinach Orzo
Potato Soup
Vegetable Lasagna
BBQ*
Grilled Chicken Pita Pockets

the Mood.

I love to appeal to the senses! Our bodies and minds can be so influenced by a myriad of things as Roundabout is learning about lately in Kindergarten. There's the sense of sight, sense of touch, sense of sound, sense of taste, and tonight we've experienced the

For Family Home Evening tonight, we learned about the many symbols of Christmas; the candy cane, the bell, the candle, the wreath, the angel, and the star. It was fun and to top of the night, we made Cinnamon Ornaments! Oh, the smell is so divine!

After we tucked the children into bed with sugar plums dancing in their heads, I popped our goodies into the oven. And when they emerged as ornaments, I knew just the place for them.

What a surprise awaits the little munchkins when they see the festives in the morning!

Apple Cinnamon Ornaments
1/2 cup cinnamon
1/2 cup store-bought applesauce (homemade would probably be too runny)
-Or equal portions of both ingredients depending on how many ornaments you'd like to make-

Stir together cinnamon and applesauce with a spoon until the dough becomes stiff. Then use your hands to create a ball of dough. Place the ball of dough on a sheet of waxed paper, flatten slightly with your fingers. Place a second sheet of waxed paper over the top of the dough and roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut into shapes. Use a straw to cut hole in the top for hanging.

Air dry creations on a waxed paper-covered cookie sheet or a cooling rack for at least 24 hours until they are completely hard. Or, if you're impatient like me, bake them in a 200 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until stiffened. Remove from oven, let cool, and ornaments should be hard.

Food Storage.

It's the greatest thing ever invented...and I don't know how we ever lived without it! I use it every single day!

About 3 years ago, a friend of mine and I really started feeling like we needed to build up our food storage. A lot of people feel like they can't have food storage while they're in school or living in an apartment because of small living quarters. But we really felt the drive to start building ours up and it has been such a blessing! We haven't had some disaster in our lives where we've needed to depend solely on it, but we've learned so many great ways to use it in our everyday cooking so that we can eat for less money and it is so convenient to always have on hand. Going from no food storage at all to now three years later, I'd venture to say that we have somewhere between a 6 month to a years supply of food! We have food tucked away in every nook and cranny, but it gives such a great peace of mind and I absolutely love using it.

Recently, my sister pointed me to a fabulous food storage blog that has wonderful ideas for using your food storage EVERYDAY! You should totally check it out! Everyday Food Storage! She's even having a giveaway right now...all the more reason to check it out and get your own food storage supply up and going!

Spooky.

When Roundabout left for school this morning, I reminded her to bring her empty milk carton home with her...and she did. When she got off of the bus, she cheerfully pulled it out of her backpack and asked what I needed it for.

Answer: Spooky Halloween Houses

It's a twist on the widely accepted Christmas Gingerbread House! But don't you think that

Even better with a wide array of spooky home improvements:

It served as a fun Family Home Evening activity to wrap up the day. Who knew that sugar decorations could be

There was much ado about

I, of course, had to get in on the action with the biggest milk carton since I am the mom (a.k.a. in charge)! All in all, I think we created the perfect

Warm and Cozy.

Oh, it's chilly outside! Autumn is undeniably here. It's a time of year that doesn't last nearly long enough!

Nothing warms the fall-feeling soul like someon those frigid mornings.

Our house smelled delectable as they puffed up in the oven and wafted out that spicy pumpkin smell into the air. I admired their beauty as they came out of the oven, but as quick as I turned around for another round of tasting, they were gone! Gobbled right up!

Roundabout loved them so much that she wanted to adorn some in

to give to her teacher! They were delivered warm that very same hour. Her teachers: they oohed and aahed over the thoughtfulness and the warmth on a cool, crisp morning!

Roundabout exclaimed that they were "the best pumpkin muffins I've ever tasted!" (Has she ever tasted any others? Nope!) Bet you're wishing for the recipe? Of course, I'd never leave you in the dark!

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

-----Muffins:-----
3 3/4 cup flour
3 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbs pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup pumpkin (1 15 oz can)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cup granny smith apples, peeled and finely chopped

-----Streusel:-----
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, soft
1 tsp cinnamon

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine wet ingredients in a medium bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in apples. Spoon into greased or paper lined muffin tins ¾ full. Mix streusel topping ingredients with fingers in a small bowl until
crumbly. Sprinkle over muffins. Bake 350* for 35 – 40 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Rainbow-ish.

Some days, it's ho hum at home without Roundabout. Full-day Kindergarten is a long time to be without your big sister when you're a three year old boy. On such days, we pull out all the stops all in the name of staying busy and having a little fun.

This day:

After a full six rounds of pouring, mixing, and waiting, we ended up with a creation that even Rainbow Brite herself would be proud of! It was a full day's work and was nothing short of an absolute

Want to make one for yourself?

Rainbow Brite Jell-O
1 small box strawberry jello
1 small box apricot jello
1 small box lemon jello
1 small box lime jello
1 small box blue raspberry jello
1 small box grape jello

Begin with the grape jello. Mix slightly less than 2/3 cup water into jello powder. Pour into 9x13 pan. Let it cool and stiffen in the refrigerator. Continue with the rest of the colors; blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. Cut the jigglers and you'll have a fruitylicious rainbow! If you're really in the mood, try cutting them into fun shapes with cookie cutters!

Check it out!

The pint-sizers are going to have a blast this month at cooking class! See which seasonal goodies we have in store.
http://pintsizedchefs.blogspot.com