Lately

This weekend I went out for a girls afternoon with my sister-in-laws, mother-in-law, and grandmother-in-law (known to all as Nina!) We went and watched Julie and Julia. Ok..I'll admit right now I don't know if I have that movie title right. Is it Julie and Julia or is it Julia and Julie? I am just not the kind of person who stays up to date with current movies! For the most part we enjoyed the movie though they could have left out a few tasteless lines and it would have been most excellent. But anyways the story is neat and relates to blogging...so if you like blogging and also cooking you may like it!

At any rate it left me inspired to try my hand at something like Beef Bourguignon. It looks heavenly. Perhaps someday I will give it a shot. For now though I have homemade dulce de leche in the oven.

Homemade Camp Pancake Mix

When we go camping I like to make up a big batch of this pancake mix and take it along. It's great because it uses dry milk so all you need to add at the campsite is water! I can't recall where I found this recipe but thank you to whomever shared it!



8 cups flour
1.5 cups dry milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp baking powder

Mix and store. Mix 1 cup of dry mix with about 1/2 cup water & cook. (serves about 8)

Desperation Brownie

Several months back I read about these brownies in a mug in the Chicago Tribune. I thought it would be fun to try them, but never got around to it. Well last night I had a taste for chocolate but didn't feel like putting any real effort into baking, then I remembered the recipe and was happy to find it online!

Let me tell you this is dangerous - to be able to make yourself an individual brownie with staple ingredients in under 5 minutes?! I wonder how many you'd have to eat to gain 5 pounds?! I'm renaming them desperation brownies because I feel it is a more fitting name.

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

Dash of salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons water

¼ teaspoon vanilla

Whisk dry ingredients together in a large coffee mug. Add liquid ingredients and mix well.
Microwave on high approximately 1 min. Middle should not quite set up. Beware I think I overcooked mine a tiny bit at 1 min. Still tasty though!

This could be a fun baking activity for elementary age kids to master on their own!

What's for Dinner...Take Two

Last Friday night I planned on making this yummy looking pizza dough in my bread machine. It was an attempt to use my time more productively and still enjoy our Friday night pizza.

What actually happened was - I forgot to attach the insert in the machine that actually moves the dough...so the machine made all the noises to indicate it was working, but in fact it was doing absolutely nothing! I realized this way too late but started it up anyways and just took the dough out before it was done. It turned out decently enough, but this week I aim to try it again with all the parts of the machine inserted! Wish me luck.

Cinnamon Apple Muffins

When your apples go soft, try making some cinnamon apple muffins! Yum!

She's cookin' up a storm..

If you happen to be pregnant and need a little inspiration for stocking your freezer before the birth of the baby, check out Crystal's plan for her freezer! Can I just stay at her house after the baby's born?!

As for me, I'm just beginning to think about stocking the freezer now. The question is...how long do I have to get it stocked...a day, a week, 3 weeks?! Who knows?

Here's my current thought:
- Homemade chicken stock in the freezer for soup
- Big batch of chilli for the freezer
- Homemade waffle batter frozen plus some pre-made frozen waffles
- Frozen Pizza dough
- Frozen banana bread

Of course I've been trying to eat healthier while pregnant...though lately diet coke and chocolate have found a way of sneaking in!

The other day Luke helped me make these yummy muffins that have both a veggie and fruit hiding in them!

It had been a little while since Luke has assisted with any cooking projects thanks to our move and business.

Here's what he "helped" with.
- Stirring
- Scooping the dough (and eating some of it!)
- Cleaning up

I've stashed away an empty spice bottle in the kitchen for Luke to have when Mom is cooking so he can pretend to pour while I'm measuring ingredients!
Thanks again to Carrie for pointing me to the recipe!

Delivering Meals

Today we are delivering meals for two friends who recently had babies!

On the menu is:
Crockpot Sloppy Joes
Scalloped Potatoes
Carrot Sticks
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies (in my humble opinion!)

Luke and I happily spent part of the morning baking these cookies...yum, they are so good!

Ice Cube Tray Lunch

"If your child is a fussy eater, try putting small bits of food in an ice cube tray. The creative approach makes meals more fun, and getting little amounts in each space may seem less overwhelming. Fruit bits, cheese cubes, pieces of cooked pasta, cereal, croutons, and cooked veggies all work well."

Tip from Pampers Parenting.

Busy Busy

Well I'm still here, but I've been too busy to blog the past couple of days. We our possibly selling our home and this morning had a city inspection of the property. So we've been pretty dedicated to getting things sparkly clean and in order around here for the past couple of days! And yes that is a challenge to do with a toddler under foot!

Now I'm off to make a meal for a friend who just had a baby.
Here's what I'm making: Three Cheese Baked Spaghetti with homemade bread and some veggies I got for free on sale!

Spaghetti Ice Cream

Have you ever had spaghetti ice cream? I haven't either, but I'd sure like to give it a try! It just looks like a lot of fun for kids and adults alike. Thanks to Chrissy for the idea. It made me remember the time my Mom offered my Dad an ice cream sunday and gave him a bowl of mashed potatoes covered in chocolate sauce! I won't forget that one anytime soon.

What silly memories will your kids have?!

Homemade Applesauce

Lately I've been working on filling my deep freezer. I've been doubling meals and sticking them in the freezer for later. It's an easy way to fill it up without too much extra work.



I also made a few batches of homemade applesauce using free apples I picked from some abandoned trees in my neighborhood! This was my first attempt at making applesauce and if I don't say so myself, it came out pretty well!

Homemade Salsa

Today I spent Luke's nap chopping and mixing and ended up with a huge batch of salsa. Some went straight into the freezer to save for later! I made 7 times the recipe below!

Microwave Salsa

3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 green onion, sliced
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp finely chopped green pepper
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Mix together in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 45-60 seconds or until heated through. Salsa will keep in fridge for up to 3 days.

Recipe from Taste of Home 2001 Annual Recipes

Sometimes pictures just show it better than words ever could!
This little boy was enjoying some fresh out of the oven big, fat, chewy chocolate chip cookies! Enjoy the weekend!

Homemade Breadsticks

In a flash of Monday organization attempts, I made up a menu for the week and added some homemade breadsticks to our dinner tonight! In our house it is a crime to serve pasta without some sort of buttery garlic bread.



I found this recipe on Tammy's Recipes and it was super quick and ever so easy. I recommend it if you are looking for something quick as a side to pasta. There's also a cinnamon variation that we might have to try out soon!

Our Top 3 Baby Wipes Solutions

1. Washcloths squirted with plain old water does the trick almost all of the time for the right price! We bought some regular old baby washcloths at Target and keep them on hand next to the changing table. We keep a squirt bottle filled with water there too for convenience. Since we use super cute cloth diapers the dirty wipes just get tossed in the pail with the diapers and washed with them too! No extra work and lots of savings!

2. Free Wipes purchased with overage at CVS! I like to throw in the small travel sized wipes ($.99 ) if I have any overage from using coupons at CVS. If you don't know what I'm talking about visit Money Saving Mom's primer on learning to shop for great deals at CVS!

3. Homemade Baby Wipes come in awfully handy for those really messy diapers or just when you don't feel like going to the store! You can find plenty of recipes online but here is our favorite shared with me by my cousin Kelly.

Baby Wipes:
Boil 1 2/3 cups water,
Add about 1 TBS baby oil and 1 TBS baby shampoo (feel free to adjust to desired consistency)

Cut paper towels in half and fold. Stack as desired in an old wipes container. Pour solution over the paper towels until all towels are wet but not soaking! If they are too wet, leave the lid
up to allow them to dry out some.

It works for us! I honestly can't think of the last time I had to run to the store to buy wipes!

Kitchen Help

Awhile back I read Tammy's post about having her little boys help her wash dishes and wondered to myself how that would work out with my 13 month old little guy. Well after awhile curiosity took over and I tried it out!

Let me tell you Luke LOVES "helping" Mom wash the dishes. He knows the dishes are supposed to go in the dish drainer and claps for himself when he does manage to put something in the drainer. Often a few items end up on the floor or being rewashed many times but as long as it's a plastic item or a spoon who cares?!

I thought I would give a few suggestions for those of you interested in trying this out as the idea perplexed me for a little while!

- Make sure any knives or breakable items are completely out of your toddler's reach!

- Gather all the dishes you will be washing and have them ready to go. With a baby or toddler standing on the chair you must be by their side constantly!


- Put a chair on the side of the sink where you want baby. Turn the chair sideways so the back of the chair supports one side of the toddler and you block the other side. This way the toddler can fall only in one direction (backwards.) If your baby is younger and not very secure on the chair then you can put one leg up behind the baby (see the picture) to provide a little more support so they don't fall backwards. I feel more comfortable having my leg there just in case he would loose his balance!

- Set your baby on the chair and give him a few plastic items or spoons to "wash." Turn the water on once in awhile for fun!

Believe me it will take longer to do the dishes this way but it is also a ton of fun! Luke loves "helping" Mom do dishes and I love that he is learning to be a "helper" at an early age. Though this is a bit time consuming, it is also easier to do this than to try to load the dishwasher with a 13 month old trying to take every dirty and breakable item you put into the dishwasher back out!

For more kitchen tips visit Tammy's Recipes.

Healthy Foods to Have on Hand for Baby

Here is a list of healthy, simple foods I try to have on hand for my baby all the time! It is helpful to write this out so you know what to put on your grocery list each week.

Trying to keep up with a 1 year old doesn't leave much time for fancy snacks and lunches. Having these foods handy keeps things simple!

Use the following list or alter it to your babies taste buds! I like to keep these on hand so I know there is always something on hand for the baby's meals even if I desperately need to go to the grocery store!

• Avocado
• Frozen berries
• Frozen veggies like broccoli or peas
• Bananas
• Whole wheat bread
• Cheese
• Eggs
• Cereal (Cheerios or whatever you baby likes)
• Yogurt
• Crackers
• Grapes
• Applesauce
• Infant cereals like rice, oat, etc.
• Peanut Butter (if your baby is old enough to have it and isn't allergic!)
• Frozen baked goods like banana bread, waffles, muffins (I need to work on this one but it is a goal!)

Yummy Muffins

I read about these Peanut Butter Banana Muffins on With All That I've Been Given and was tempted to try them. I happened to have all the ingredients on hand and had some extra time so I got busy baking.

These muffins were delicious and are definitely going to be made again at our house. Luke loved them and I am just so pleased that he got a serving of hidden vegetables when he was chowing down on them! If you are curious about how to prepare the vegetable purees I suggest reading Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld.

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup carrot, cauliflower, or sweet potato puree
1/2 cup banana puree
1 large egg white
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Mix together and bake in greased muffin tins at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes.
Makes 10 - 12 muffins.
Enjoy! For more kitchen tips visit Tammy's Recipes.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you have been looking for a great chocolate chip cookie recipe look no further! I am enjoying eating one as I type this up!

You can find the recipe at All Recipes. In my opinion, these are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made. They really resemble and taste like something you would buy in a bakery! Another tip with these cookies is that the leftovers freeze well. If you just pop them into the freezer you can pull out a couple at a time. I just let them thaw on the counter and then microwave them for a few seconds before eating one. You will have delicious cookies on hand anytime this way! Visit Tammy's Recipes for more tips!