Kiddo Sandwiches

This really shouldn't count as a recipe at all, but if you have kids who are at that age where they want to make their own food then this is something you may want to try.  It'd be great for lunch with some sliced apples on the side or maybe for dinner with a homemade soup.  Regardless, it's quick and gives the kids a sense of independence and accomplishment.  And keeps them busy...hehe.

This is basically a sandwich made out of lunchmeat, cheese, and a hamburger bun.  I like turkey, swiss cheese, and a little pepper jack.  I'm not going to waste our time with a recipe, but make this a little yummier by putting the oven on broil and throwing your so-called sandwich in there until the cheese is melted and the buns are toasty and warm.  I put mine on aluminum foil so I would waste any pans or cookie sheets.  I'm lazy like that.

Shelly's Craft Shack

I'm a browser.  And I'm pretty nosy.  So one day in my browsing nosiness I came across some pretty cool pages and such on Facebook.  Mainly it was a bunch of things I wanted but can't afford.  After awhile when I was close to giving up on finding anything that I could either buy or make myself (this translates into my baby was probably crawling way too close to a cabinet door or about shove a handfull of paper into his mouth or diaper so I had to get off the computer) I finally came across a picture.  This picture:

I thought...hmmm...this sounds like my family.  I clicked on the seller's profile and found myself chuckling, ooohing, and a bit of aaaahing.  She has a little bit of everything and after sending her a few emails I was able to learn that she is just as wonderful as her work.

Shelly began crafting at the age of 15 with her grandfather, their specialty being clocks and furniture.  I was quite jealous to hear this as I'm really not a "dangerous tool user" kind of gal.  When I was 15 I signed up for a woodshop class in highschool.  As soon as the teacher came in the first day he took me to the side and asked me to please, please, please transfer to something a bit "safer."  Shelly's story is much more sentimental than mine. 

After Shelly's grandfather passed away she stopped the woodworking.  When she was pregnant with her twins she worked for a company called Miss Martha's Originals, painting little figurines from home.  Now that her children are grown and Shelly is taking care of her mother, who has alzheimers, she has begun her new project, Shelly's Craft Shack, as a hobby.

Every item I have seen by Shelly is adorable.  As a bonus she's thrify.  A lot of what she makes is made out of scraps.  This helps her keep her prices super low (I've yet to see anything over $10!).  The best part?  Every time you purchase something from Shelly she will donate 20% of it to the Alzheimers Foundation.  This is something Shelly does with heart as she has lost her Granny, an aunt, and an uncle to alzheimers and is now helping her mother as she suffers from it.

For the time being Shelly can be contacted on her Facebook page, Shelly's Craft Shack.  Thank you Shelly for sharing your work and story with us!







Goulash (that's actually good)

Goulash seems to be one of those words that strikes fear in people.  It just sounds...nasty.  I suppose a lot of parents would combine whatever they could find in their cabinets, mix it together, and call it goulash hoping their kids would believe it was a real meal and eat the crud.  That doesn't fly in my house (or on my plate).  If I won't eat it then I don't expect my kids to eat it.  I'm a firm believer that kids need to eat balanced meals that aren't just meeting their nutritional needs.  It needs to TASTE good, too.  So, here comes my goulash.  I took the original recipe from a Kraft magazine I think, but changed it up to meet my requirements. 

Recipe:
1 lb ground beef
1 can low sodium tomato soup
2 cans diced tomatoes (no salt added, don't drain)
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 bag of egg noodles
onion powder (or a real onion if you like, but Josh isn't a fan of onions)
garlic salt
pepper

Cook hamburger, drain.  In a large sauce pan add soup, tomatoes, bell pepper, and seasoning into hamburger and let simmer.  Meanwhile, cook the egg noodles.  Drain and mix with hamburger mix. 

That's it.  Not only is it good, but it probably takes 20-30 minutes to make and everyone likes it (well at least in our family.  Even the baby had two servings!).

6/20/2012 freebies

Family Fun Subscription - 20 issues

Free Febreze Air Freshner

Free U by Kotex samples and clutch

Chomp Soap Industrial Hand Cleaner (All natural) free sample

POW/MIA poster - I'm getting these for my kids for sure! Forever thankful for POW/MIAs.

Find Your Bliss Bath Product Samples

Garnier Sleek and Shine Sample

Caswell-Massey lotion sample

Tyka's Blackberry Wine Cake

Winos beware!  I have found our newest weakness!  Or at least mine.  My wonderful friend Tyka sent me a cake recipe and I tell you, I was a gonner.  The best part was that she sent it to me during summer break for the kids.  Now, I love them more than ever, but sometimes silence and a glass of wine feel like my only route of survival.  I can now have a slice of wine cake with my glass of wine.  Too much?  I think not.

Don't forget to lightly grease and powder (a tablespoon of the cake mix will be better than flour) your bundt pan...or you'll be looking for creative ways to show off your marvelous cake without

giving away that there is in fact a huge chunk missing.

Tyka's Recipe:

For Cake:

1 white box cake mix
1-1/2 cup of blackberry wine (about 1/2 the bottle...the other half is to drink while the cake is baking....)
1 box of blackberry jello (I had to use black cherry but it still tasted AWESOME)
4 eggs
1 cup of veg oil
 

Combine cake mix, oil, eggs, jello and 1 cup of blackberry wine mix well pour in bundt cake pan bake on 355 degrees for 45-55 mins. When cake is done place on cake plate and take a fork and poke holes all over the top of cake so icing can soak down into the cake.

For Icing:

1 cup of powered sugar
1/2 cup of blackberry wine
pour over cake while cake is hot
 

Better-Than-Applebee's Quesadillas

No offense to Applebees.  I LOVE everything on their menu.  Well, almost everything.  Josh's favorite thing to get there is the quesadilla.  I rarely get it because if I chose something else I always have the option to steal part of Josh's quesadilla when he's preoccupied (i.e., looking away or in the bathroom). 

A couple months ago I found one of those copycat recipe websites and they happened to have Applebee's quesadillas featured on it.  It sounded pretty good and we tried it.  It tasted nearly identical but since then we have altered it to our own preferences.  It's not nearly as greasy, the chicken isn't as dry, and the taste doesn't seem so...generic?  Anyway, it's not hard to make and you can probably get away making it under $10.  I can make 8 of them with 4 chicken breast tenderloins.

The how-to's:

Flour tortillas
4 chicken breast tenderloins, cooked and shredded
2 tomatoes, diced
8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled (cook it in the microwave and blot any extra grease)
1 pkg of shredded pepper jack cheese
1 pkg of shredded cheddar cheese
Tabasco chipotle sauce
Butter

Melt butter in skillet/large pan on medium.  Place tortilla in pan.  Brush a small amount of chipotle sauce on tortilla (I usually just cook the chicken in a good amount of chipotle but it's all personal preference).  On half of tortilla add some chicken, tomato, bacon, and cheese and then fold in half.  Cook both sides until golden and cheese is melted.  Once done you can blot with a papertowel to remove any extra grease and then slice in half or fourths.

6/12/12 freebies

It's been awhile since I've posted some free things.  Yes...I'm such a slacker.  But I'm pretty darn cute so it all works out.  And since I'm feeling so generous I've rounded up all the latest free magazine subscriptions.  Keep in mind a lot of them will have you do a survey or questionaire, but hey, it's worth it.

Living the Country Life Magazine - free subscription

Latina Magazine - Free subscription -some of you may not be able to get it depending on what kind of job you have.  I can get nearly any magazine off of here when I use "blogger" as my occupation, or a freelance writer. 

Ebony Magazine - 11 issues

Maxim Magazine - 1 year subscription

Forbes Magazine - 1 year subscription

Newsweek Magazine - 1 year subscription

Town & Country Magazine - 3 year subscription

Seventeen Magazine - 3 year subscription

Chicken Pot Pie

I have succesfully made a pie only once.  It was a delicious apple pie that everyone in the family loved.  The crust was perfect!  Since then, I haven't made anything that needed a crust unless it was store bought.  I am TERRIFIED of ruining a good meal because I trashed the crust.  This of course means that I have never made a chicken pot pie until I gave up the ideals of it being completely homemade.  So this pot pie is my first attempt and it came out really well.  Store bought crust is never as good as a homemade one, but it did it's job and the family enjoyed dinner.  I suppose it's time that I practice making a good pie crust but until then store bought will suffice.  Get over it.

Recipe:

1 refrigerated pie crust/shell, top and bottom (or homemade for you show offs)
1 to 2 cups of shredded or cubed chicken
2 cans of chicken gravy (or one jar)
2 stalks of celery, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
3 potatoes, cubed
veggies of your choice -- we were actually out of frozen peas which is what I wanted so I made do with just frozen corn and black eyed peas.  Kind of weird, but hey, it was still good.

In a large pot boil all the veggies until tender.  Drain.  Add the gravy and chicken and season as needed.  Lightly grease a casserole dish and place the bottom crust into the dish.  Pour gravy mix into the crust and top with upper pie shell.  Pinch upper and lower together and fork.  Brush a small amount of butter over shell and then cut a few slits.  Cook as directed for crust.

Vegetarian Tex-Mex Burritos

This is so simple to make that kids can probably make it completely on their own (depending how old they are of course).  I made it on the stove top but that was because Josh won't eat anything vegetarian so I had to add some shredded chicken to his portion.  Otherwise this could easily be mixed together and heated up in the microwave.  The recipe can also be doubled easily for a quick leftover lunch the next day.

Recipe:

1 can of black beans, drained
1 can of corn, drained
1 can of diced tomatoes with peppers
1 cup of shredded pepperjack
1 1/2 cups prepared rice (we used white but I bet this would be good with brown rice, too)
Flour tortillas

Mix everything together in a bowl and put in the microwave until warm and the cheese is melted.  Put mix onto a tortilla and roll into a burrito. 

Easy Jumbo Pizza Rolzone

Pizza, pizza rolls, hot pockets, calzones...I'll eat it.  I love pizza.  I'm even a bigger fan of calzones.  In my attempt to make a calzone I discovered I was better at combining a calzone with a huge pizza roll.  I have named it "The Rolzone."  Laugh if you want, but this thing is awesome.  You can make it in a matter of minutes and if you have kids it's a great thing for them to help out with.  All you need to do is roll the dough out, cut it in squares, cover with sauce, and let the kids put their chosen toppings on them.

My recipe:

1 refrigerated pizza dough (this will make 5-6 pretty decent sized ones)
1 jar of pizza sauce
shredded mozarella and cheddar cheese
pizza toppings

Preheat the oven as directed for the dough.  Roll the dough out, cut it into squares, spoon the sauce into the middle.  Throw whatever pizza toppings you'd like into the middle.  Roll the dough up into a tube and then pinch the sides closed.  Lightly brush some olive oil on the dough and sprinkle a little garlic salt on it if you like.  Put the rolzones on a large piece of aluminum foil, place in oven, and bake until golden and the dough is cooked through. 

How to cheat at enchiladas

I love mexican food.  Love it.  I also love lean, muscular, mexican men with their shirt off at the beach...offering me a beer.  Since I'm already married and no where near a beach (and my gorgeous hubby will gladly hand me a beer with or without his shirt), I'll have to stick with mexican food.  I prefer to eat it if someone else has made it since I don't have much experience cooking it but a couple of days ago I decided I just HAD to have some enchiladas and was determined to make them myself if I needed to.  And I did.  But I cheated.  I really really cheated.  But hey, they cost under $10 to make, it was easy to put together, and they tasted pretty dang good. 

You'll need:

1 to 2 lbs cooked hamburger
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cheddar cheese soup
1 packet of taco seasoning
chopped green chiles (optional)
1 pkg shredded mexican cheese
8-8 inch flour tortillas

Mix the hamburger, cream of mushroom, half the packet of taco seasoning, a little cheese, and a few green chiles together.  Pour the mixture down the middle of each tortilla, roll up, and place seam down into a lightly greased dish.  Pour the cheddar cheese soup over the tortillas, sprinkle a little more taco seasoning, chiles, and shredded cheese on top.  Put in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes.

6/4/12 freebies

I'm sick.  I don't feel good.  I want a nap.  But since I can't I figured I'd browse around for free samples.  You're welcome.


Free Personalized Father's Day Card   Coupon Code LUVDAD2!

Free Sample of Stayfree with Wings

2 year subscription to SmartMoney

Free Sample of Finish Quantam Dishwashing Detergent

Tide with Febreeze Sample

3 ingredient lemon squares

Popsicles may be the ultimate epitome of summer, but anything citrus comes in at a close second.  I was thinking lemons...and easy enough for the kids to do.  Hence the lemon squares. 

All you need are a 13x9 pan, greased, a box of angel food cake, a can of lemon pie filling, and some powdered sugar.

It's so easy even little Johnny thought he should lend a hand.

 How to:

1.  Mix cake mix and lemon filling in a bowl.  Pour into pan. 

2.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

3.  Sprinkle powdered sugar and let cool before serving.

Popsicle time!

My favorite thing about popsicles is when my two older kids each get one and then go outside to eat it...while I stay inside and peep out the window.  Hehe.  In all seriousness, popsicles just scream summer, and with the kids just being let out for summer break we decided we need popsicles.  Did we take the easy way out and just go buy some?  Nope!  Did we make kool-aid and freeze them in ice cube trays?  Not this time!  What about orange juice?  Well, kind of. 

The possibilities are endless when it comes to being creative for popsicles.  We only made four different kinds today but maybe after reading this you'll get new ideas and make your own (like banana and peanut butter pudding pop!).

The first one we did was cookies and cream pudding pop.  So easy.

You'll need:
8 oreos (crush them up)
1 packet of instant vanilla pudding
2 cups of milk

Use a whisk to mix the pudding mix and milk until it starts to thicken.  Stir in the oreos.  Pour in a mold and freeze for about 5 hours.

Next was chocolate and peanut butter pudding pop.

1 packet of instant chocolate pudding
2 cups of milk
2 heaping spoonfulls of peanut butter (heat until runny)

Make the pudding as above and then stir in the peanut butter.  Freeze.

Then we went on to berry yummy yogurt pops (cheesy much?).

Add one cup frozen strawberries, one cup of frozen rasberries, and one cup of fat free vanilla yogurt to the blender.  Blend it well, pour into molds, freeze.  You can eat it before it's too hard and it's basically frozen yogurt (duh....).

And lastly, we filled our molds (mini plastic cups...Elora had to sing "white solo cup" about fifty times while making these) with chopped pineapple and poured orange juice over it until full for summer chill pops.  Freeze and enjoy.