link parties

Sunday, November 28, 2010

navy beans with polenta

What to do with those thanksgiving leftovers! I made navy beans with the ham.



  • ham hock with meat on
  • navy beans 
  1. brown the ham hock then stick it in with the navy beans while slow cooking. The meat will fall off the bone. 
  2. a couple hours later when cooked, cut the ham off the bone and discard the bone
  3. serve topped with a dollop of plain yogurt and a piece of polenta

cauliflower mash-potato

If your kids like mash-potatoes, these are a great way to sneak in the veggies.
  • cauliflower
  • potato
  • butter, salt pepper
  • milk or half-half
1. boil potatoes and cauliflower
2. pour out boiling water
3. when potatoes and cauliflower are dry, mash
4. add a little butter, milk, salt and pepper
5. stir lightly to mix ingredients

Sunday, November 21, 2010

eggplant parmesan pizza

Most kids love pizza so sneak the veggies in.

  • eggplant thinly sliced rounds to about 1/4" thick
  • english muffin
  • pizza sauce (I just use my marinara sauce and add a little tomato paste to make it thicker)
  • ricotta
  • shredded mozzarella or pizza cheese


-tip- cut the dark purple skin off the eggplant rounds. Kids don't want to see that!

1. cook the eggplant in a little olive oil

2. toast the muffins so they are nice and crunchy

3. layer muffin with sauce, ricotta, eggplant, then sprinkle cheese

4. place in oven to melt cheese

Friday, November 19, 2010

~kid~ lunch box notecards



Send a cute little foldable notecard to your child. Personalize with your own message on the inside. Just cut and fold these 7 different cute monster lunch box notecards. I think they're cute for boys or girls.  Each one has a cute little guy on the outside and is blank on the inside. Here's your FREE downloadable PDF. Enjoy!   notecards

featured on this linky party!

easy marinara

This marinara is easy and quick to make, AND delicious.

  • 1 can crushed tomatoes

  • a little tomato paste

  • olive oil

  • onion and garlic puree in processor

  • sausage (optional)

  • red wine (optional)

  • fresh basil, oregano, bay leaf chopped


1. heat a generous amount of olive oil

2. when olive oil is nice and hot add sausage, onion and garlic. Sauté

3. pour in a little red wine

4. When sausage has a nice brown to it, pour in the crushed tomatoes and add a little tomato paste

5. stir constantly and  add chopped herbs

let sit for a little while for flavors to mix together.

-tip- you can make this with just olive oil, tomatoes and basil. The key is to use a generous portion of olive oil and make sure it is really hot when you pour in the tomatoes

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Uncle Bob's Salsa

My dad use to make this super addictive salsa. It's not too spicy so it's really easy to eat half a bag of chips with it. His chili kili tastes the best with this salsa recipe.

  • 2 cans peeled tomatoes put in food processor or use crushed tomatoes

  • 4-5 chopped garlic cloves

  • 2 chopped onions

  • 3-4 yellow wax chilies chopped

  • olive oil

  • garlic salt, chopped parsley and cilantro, lemon zest


1. sauté chopped garlic, onion and chillies

2. add about 1-3/4 cans of crushed tomatoes

3. add spices to liking

-tip- the lemon zest is mostly used so that the salsa will not turn brown

4. simmer for about an hour

 

Monday, November 15, 2010

uncle bob's chili kili

My dad use to make this for a fun dinner when I was  a kid and it was my favorite. I always thought he made it up until I saw it on the menu at a little taquerilla. These hot, crunchy, spicy and cheesy chips are a perfect football day food.

1. put salsa in mixing bowl and set aside.

2. fry corn tortillas in oil then quickly stir the hot tortillas into the salsa and pour plenty of parmesan cheese while mixing it all together. Serve hot. muy delicioso!


wedding card



Wedding card printed on front side and blank on the inside, available in 2 sizes.

  • small folds to about 2.5 x 3

  • large folds to about 3.75 x 4


Here is your free downloadable PDF wedding_card

Saturday, November 13, 2010

green your house cleaning products

My friend Zinnia gave me these recipes to green household cleaners. These are all natural so you don't have to worry about the kids helping out with the cleaning or the chemicals you're breathing while cleaning. Thanks Z, these are fantastic!

These simple, easy-to-find ingredients are all you need to make green cleaners:
Baking soda
• Borax (usually found near powdered laundry soap in supermarkets)
Castile soap (We use Dr. Bronner’s)
• Distilled white vinegar
Essential oils (we like to use orange, lemon, lavender, oregano, and bergamot)
• Purified/filtered water

All-Purpose Cleaner Spray


Replaces Formula 409 or the likes: Use for all surfaces, countertops, sinks, floors, etc.

RECIPE


• 2 Tbsp. castile soap
• 2 tsp. borax
• 3–5 drops each:
Lemon essential oil
Orange essential oil
• 5 oz. hot, filtered water
• 8 oz. distilled white vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS


1. Combine castile soap, borax, essential oils, and hot water in 32 oz. spray bottle Replace top and shake to mix contents.
2. Add vinegar and fill to 32 oz. line with hot filtered water. Replace top and shake again to mix ingredients.
3. Spray and wipe on counters/surfaces.

Glass & Degreaser Spray


Replaces Windex: Use to degrease all glass surfaces (mirrors, windows, microwave front) or to degrease sinks, countertops, cabinets, floors, and so on. (It’s perfect for removing mineral deposits and soap residue on sinks, too!)

RECIPE


• 8 oz. distilled white vinegar
• 24 oz. filtered water

INSTRUCTIONS


1. Combine all ingredients in 32 oz. spray bottle.
2. Replace top and shake to mix contents. Spray and wipe dry.

Bathroom & Disinfectant Spray


Replaces Lysol: for all surfaces in need of disinfection (toilet surfaces, door handles, bathroom sink, etc.). Kills bacteria, viruses, fungi. Use on toilet/surfaces to disinfect and kill germs. Note: For disinfection, spray needs to sit on surface for 5–10 min.

RECIPE


• 1 tsp. castile soap
• 10–12 drops each:
Oregano essential oil
Lemon essential oil
• 5 oz. hot, filtered water
• 27 oz. distilled white vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS


1. Combine soap, both essential oils, and hot water in a 32 oz. spray bottle. Replace top and shake to combine contents.
2. Add vinegar, filling to 32 oz. line. Replace top and shake to mix contents.
3. Spray on surface to disinfect, let sit 5–10 minutes, then wipe dry.

Sink Scrub/Drain Opener/Toilet Bowl Cleanser


Replaces Comet and Drano: Green ingredients like vinegar and baking soda even work in a super-cleansing capacity!

Drain Opener


RECIPE


• 4 Tbsp. baking soda
• 8 oz. hot water
• 4 oz. distilled white vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS


1. Combine baking soda and hot water in an 8 oz. cup and pour into drain.
2. Pour white vinegar into drain, and cover. Let sit 30 min. and rinse with hot water.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner


RECIPE


• 1 cup baking soda
• 8 oz. distilled white vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS


1. Combine ingredients in toilet bowl.
2. Scrub and let sit 30 min. or overnight.
3. Flush toilet to rinse.
4. To finish, spray toilet bowl with Bathroom & Disinfectant Spray and let dry.

Sink Scrub


RECIPE


• Baking soda
• Distilled white vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS


1. Sprinkle both ingredients into the sink and mix into a paste.
2. Scrub and rinse. For tough stains, let sit 30 min. before rinsing.

Air Freshener


Replaces chemical-based air fresheners like Febreeze: Essential oils and filtered water are all you need to keep things smelling fresh. (And at C&T Publishing, where everybody shares just 2 bathrooms, this is important!)

RECIPE


• 3–5 drops each:
Orange essential oil
Lemon essential oil
Bergamot or lavender essential oil
Castile soap
• 12 oz. filtered water

INSTRUCTIONS


1. Combine all ingredients with half of the water in a 12 oz. spray bottle. Replace top and shake to mix contents.
2. Fill to top with remaining filtered water. Spray as needed.

Friday, November 12, 2010

roasted sweet potato side dish

This side dish is so delicious and goes good with a nice steak or by itself.

cube the sweet potato and thinly slice the shallots coat in olive oil, salt, pepper then roast in 425˚ oven. It's ready to eat when golden.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

dessert

I just want to talk about dessert for a second because my kids always want to know "what's for dessert?" Dessert can be healthy so I usually offer delicious fruit that's in season or a sweet with a nice tall glass of cold milk.

Easy and somewhat healthy desserts:



  • diced strawberries topped with a drizzle of chocolate

  • hot milk sweetened with a teaspoon of honey

  • a bowl of pomegranate seeds in the shell is a fun dessert for the kids (just put an apron on them)

  • sliced granny smith apples with caramel dipping sauce

  • multigrain waffle  topped with fresh berries and a drizzle of real maple syrup

  • plain yogurt topped with honey and toasted almonds

  • cracker topped with mascarpone cheese, honey and strawberry

  • DIY orange juice pops pour half oj put a dollop of frozen vanilla yogurt then finish with more oj (yummy creamsicles)

  • banana smoothy - just banana and milk whipped up with a little ice so it's really cold, sometimes I put a little chocolate






eggplant parmesan casserole

I love eggplant parmesan but it is too fussy for a busy mommy of 3.

what you'll need:

  • eggplant sliced 1/4" thick

  • zucchini (optional) sliced 1/4" thick

  • mascarpone (Italian cream cheese)

  • fresh parmesan

  • shredded mozzarella

  • can of crushed tomatoes

  • fresh basil chiffonade

  • panko bread crumbs


1. coat casserole dish with olive oil

2. layer of sliced eggplant

3. top with crushed tomatoes

4. place dollops of mascarpone all around (this makes the sauce rich and creamy)

5. sprinkle basil all around

6. a layer of zucchini

7. tomato, mascarpone, basil

8. a sprinkle of parmesan and mozzarella

9. top the casserole with plenty of panko

10 bake at 375

This is one delicious vegetarian meal!

 

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Make a wish and save your chicken bones



I saw this table setting idea on Martha Stewart and I love it! Start roasting chickens and saving the wishbones. Our family has always done the wishing bone game but never with such pretty and magical looking bones.

Wishbone Napkin Ring


To make "silver" napkin rings, save wishbones from roast chickens, wash and dry them thoroughly, and spray them with chrome paint. On each one, string silver cord from tip to tip; wrap it six times around the bone, and tie it off.

Monday, November 8, 2010

lunch box thank you notes



This month I am making a special effort to write a little note to my kids each day letting them know what I am thankful for and how special they are.

Here is a FREE downloadable PDF of  blank fall note cards to be used for whatever you like.

fallcards

Pancake chicken nuggets

Going to the grocery store with the 3 kids is not happening. So if I can't get to the grocery store, I just have to make due with whatever is in the house. This day it was frozen chicken strips and pancake batter.

  • pancake batter

  • frozen chicken strips


I cut the strips into nuggets size pieces dipped them in pancake batter and fried them.

maple syrup mustard dipping sauce



  • real maple syrup

  • mustard

  • mayo

  • cream cheese


mix and serve with the pancake chicken nuggets.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Pesto Pasta

My kids love Uncle Ken's family recipe for pesto pasta. It is really quite simple. Of course that's exactly what most kids prefer. Simple Food. I have several Basil plants in my yard which I am regularly snipping away at.

What you need:

  • Fresh basil

  • Fresh parm cheese

  • Pine nuts (optional)

  • Olive oil

  • Salt


Blend all of the above to taste using plenty of EVOO

My kids like the "round and round" rotelli rainbow pasta but stir the pesto sauce into any cooked pasta you like, finally of course top with fresh ("sprinkles") Parmesean cheese

-Tip- Pesto pasta is a little plain for me so for the adults, I add fresh tomatoes, olives, or marinated artichokes and chicken

-Tip- this pesto sauce freezes well.

-BONUS TIPS-I marinate chicken in it then bake OR for a delicious marinera with lots of flavor, I pour the pesto into a can of boiling hot crushed tomatoes.

Friday, November 5, 2010

accordion book craft




Sitting on my desk is a READY-TO-GO accordion book.

Last year I purchased 25 Accordion Blank Board Books, as a donation to my daughter’s preschool classroom. I gave them to the teacher and asked “Do you think you could use these for something?”

I didn’t give her any suggestions on what she could possibly do, just to see what she might come up with. I was surprised, along with the rest of the parents, at the end of the year “graduation” with a gift from the teachers, an accordion photo album, highlighting big events throughout the school year. There are photos of Livi with Santa, at the pumpkin patch, a class photo of all the children in their Halloween costumes, the fire station field trip (a photo of Livi and a firefighter spraying the fire hose, priceless), the St. Jude’s Trike-a-Thon, and they even had the kids do handprint turkeys. It is such a nice remembrance of my daughter Livi’s preschool year.

The best part of it was something that was completely unplanned by the teachers. When you fold the accordion in, you can see at the same time a photo of your child from the first day of school along side of a photo of your child at the end of the year, both photos include your child’s height. Almost every child grew 2 inches and they all transformed from toddlers at the beginning of the year, into young children ready for kindergarten at the end of the year. It is so amazing to see this change in a single school year!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

sock puppet fun!

super-hero-bolg

This is a really fun rainy day activity and you probably already have all the supplies you need. Get out your scraps of fabric, felt, yarn leftovers, sequence, buttons and any other fun accessories.

We used socks, felt, yarn, googly eyes, fabric, beads, chenille sticks and adhered with fabritac.

The cape for Super Hudson is just a piece of felt turned over a piece of yarn and glued down. The mask is a rectangle piece of felt with a piece of chenille stick wrapped around a googly eye.

The hair for both puppets was made in the same way. Tie a piece of yarn into a hoop. Then take pieces of yarn and tie them around that piece at whatever length you want them to be. You can always trim after you glue it down.

We thought of all kinds of ideas for the puppets we could make like: bugs, flowers, clowns, dogs, cats, dinosaurs. We even thought about making puppets to re-enact a story like Little Red Riding Hood or Goldilocks and the Three Bears. In the end, my children (being a typical boy-boy and little princess) chose to make a super hero and a princess, not surprisingly.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Chewy Andes Peppermint Crunch Cookies

I'm in the mood for baking. We went to a friend's house for dinner and her husband made the best cookies ever!  See the recipe below.

I just love this artist. Her paintings are so colorful and happy. They really make you feel good. This one in particular makes me think of my family. We just need to add a baby and a little boy.

Check out her website for more amazing representations of Latina woman and settings. http://www.carterholman.com/


Chewy Andes Peppermint Crunch Cookies




1 cup unsalted Butter, softened

1 cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed

1/3 cup granulated Sugar

1 large Egg

2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 3/4 cups Flour

1 cup old fashioned Oats

1 cup sweetened Flaked Coconut

1 1/2 cups Andes® Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips(mix to taste) and chocolate chips

1 1/4 cups chopped Pecans

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy (about 3 minutes). Beat in egg and vanilla extract. On low speed, add baking soda and salt, and then flour. Mix completely. Stir in oats, coconut, pecans, and Andes baking chips. Measure out 2 teaspoons for large or 1 tablespoons for small cookies. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet about two inches apart. Press lightly. Bake for 20 minutes for large cookies or 12-15 minutes for small.

Personal Library Bookplates



{Etsy find} I think this is a great idea and they are so pretty!

Personal Library Bookplates



Personal Library Bookplates

zoom


Personal Library BookplatesPersonal Library BookplatesPersonal Library Bookplates


Sharing books is a great way to save money and start a book sharing club! Now you can keep track of who has what book with your own personal library bookplate. Affix the bookplate inside your book and keep the card in the book sharing bag to keep track of who has what books. 

Each personal library bookplate is a complete set of 1 hand printed linen bag, 3 hand printed bookplates and 6 library cards.

Book Sharing Linen bag - 3.75" w x 5.75"h
Bookplate - 3.25"w x 5.325"h

Happy Book Sharing!

I am happy to combine shipping with other purchases.

Please note that colors may slightly vary depending on your monitor's color and contrast settings.

Thanks for looking!

Mary Kate

© 2010 Mary Kate McDevitt


Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Perfect Teriyaki Sauce

This recipe was given to me by a cook at the historical Sheraton Moana Surfrider in Waikiki. It is so simple and tastes perfect.

Equal parts:

  • soy sauce

  • pineapple juice (or any fruit juice)

  • Brown sugar


Then add fresh ginger and green onions.

For best results, marinate for a full day.

That is it, EASY.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Eco-friendly tip for a longer lasting carved pumpkin



-greenTIP-

  • soak carved pumpkin in a 50/50 solution of borax and water then dry thoroughly

  • Everyday spray a little borax solution in pumpkin and around the carved area



-greenTIP-

  • Don't throw away the seeds, place them in a bird feeder, or leave them out for the squirrels

  • We roast and salt our seeds (yummy)

  • Also, Compost your pumpkin after halloween

tea party

The birthday girlThe birthday girl 


My Toddler is now a young girl; she just turned 6 years old. Alivia wanted to have a tea party for her birthday so I found a cute little bistro, New Englund’s Bistro and Tea Room in here in Concord, CA. The tea party started off with a presentation about tea etiquette and what a “lump of sugar”  is. The girls enjoyed tea, lemonade, finger sandwiches, cupcakes, a story about a tea party and feeling all grown up in their pretty tea dresses.

The invitation to the birthday party was an adorable tea pot. I used a pattern from Unforgettable Invitations by Melissa Giles. My daughter chose several different papers and embellishments and helped with the assembly.

Layout 1Here is a downloadable PDF pattern: teapotpattern for the tea pot, including a shopping guide for 12 invitations that I added.  The best part about this book is that there are so many different ideas, but your paper and embellishment choices and maybe combining some of her different ideas make your cards unique. It really will spark your imagination.


Tea Pot Invitation


from Unforgettable Invitations by Melissa Giles

MATERIALS



  • Patterned Paper: 6 letter size sheets

  • Solid Color Card Stock: 9 letter size sheets

  • Vellum Paper: 3 sheets letter size

  • Envelopes to fit 7˝ x 7˝ tea pot: 12

  • Adhesive Glue Roller Applicator

  • Scissors

  • X-Acto Blade to cut tea pot inside handle

  • decorative embellishments


INVITATION LAYOUT


Layout your invitation in your layout program. You can fit 4 per letter size paper.
The size of the invitation is 3˝x 3¾˝. The text area is approximately 2¾˝ x 3˝

  1. Draw a box 3˝w x 3¾˝ h
    tip:  The box lines should be faint so that you can see them just enough to cut, but won’t be too noticeable if some of the line shows after cutting.

  2. Start your text about ½˝ from the top to leave room for the lid which will cover that area
    Hint:  Leave space on the sides, you don’t want to accidentally cut any text off.

  3. Once you have your invitation just right, Copy and Paste so that you have 4 invitations on your page.

  4. Print on vellum paper


CUTTING



  1. Cut 4 templates:

    • tea pot front (cut along the dotted line)

    • teapot back (do not cut along the dotted line)

    • lid

    • invitation back


    (You won’t be making a template for the invitation front piece because you printed it directly on the vellum.)
    Tip: Use an X-Acto blade to cut the inside of the tea pot handle

  2. Trace templates on to back side of paper.

    • 2 tea pot fronts and 2 tea pot lids per patterned paper

    • 2 tea pot backs per solid paper

    • 4 invitation backs per solid paper

    • 4 invitation fronts per vellum paper


     

  3. Cut all pieces.


ASSEMBLY


INVITATION


  1. One line of glue on top  of  vellum invitation front, line up and attach to invitation back

  2. Glue lid to invitation back placing over the invitation front


TEA POT

Glue only edges of front to the back leaving space in the center for the invitation to slide in and out.

FINISHING


Slide invitation into the tea pot and leave as is or finish with a pretty embellishment.

fresh cut flowers



-TIP- I just heard a great tip for your fresh cut flowers. Most of us have heard to cut off the ends of the stems at an angle . . . also do this under running water. The idea is that the first breath that the flowers should take is water not air.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Reach For The Sky Woody and Jesse





YAY! I completed the kids costumes. Woody and Jesse turned out to be pretty easy to make. A pair of jeans, a couple thrift store finds, and some fabric. I just loosly stitched the faux cow hide to a vest for Woody and a pair of jeans for Jesse. For Jesse’s shirt, I fabri-tacked the cording and the satin ribbon for the sleeves. The kids are so happy with their costumes that mom made.

See my previous post for the holsters.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Halloween Goodie Tubes




These are awesome! I found the tutorial here: the muddy princess

The Town Hall Halloween Ball



They're bob, bob, bobbing for apples

They're sip, sip sippin' on cider

They're pop, pop, poppin' their popcorn

and they're packin' in the  puuunkin pie (say with lots of attitude)

at the town hall Halloween ball

I found some links to unusual pumpkin pie recipes

Recipe: Pumpkin Praline Pie

Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Dip

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie

recipe: Pumpkin whoopie pie

recipe:pumpkin pie drop cookies

-Tip- Roasting Pumpkins for Pie

Start by washing the pie pumpkin (a great variety for pies is Baby Pam) and then break off the stem and hack it in half.  Then scoop out the seeds.  Fill a 13×9″ pan with 1/4″ water.  Place pumpkins skin side up and roast at 400 degrees until very tender… This usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour.

Scoop the soft flesh from the skins and puree in a food processor with desired spices.  Use in the same porportions for pie as with a canned recipe.

Taste the difference!


Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Avocado Dip

Easy-n-Yummy Avocado Dip


I think that these ingredients bring out the essence of the avocado. Of course it's great with fresh tortilla chips.

  • fresh ripe avocado

  • juicy lemon

  • sea salt

  • fresh cracked pepper

  • canned diced mild green chili peppers


Chop, sprinkle, juice and mix to taste.

Halloween coloring book page



Free downloadable PDF coloring book page. Illustrated by me. Enjoy!

colorpage_halloween

featured at it's so very cheri

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Marvin the Misunderstood Spider Ball



I found this baby toy on Etsy. Isn't he cute?

Marvin is made with 100% cotton, super soft flannel and stuffed with high loft poly-fil. A Zady®Ball is about 7 inches in diameter with 8 knotted strings (LEGS), each about 1/2 inch wide and 5 inches long. A bell is included inside!
***100% MACHINE WASHABLE***

spider craft for kids



Supplies needed:

  • egg carton

  • scissors

  • glue

  • big fat black chenille stick for body

  • regular size black chenille sticks

  • black paint and sponge brush

  • red felt

  • googly eyes

  • something like a poker from your pumpkin carving kit to make holes




  1. cut egg carton into individual cups

  2. poke 3 holes on each side for legs

  3. paint black

  4. cut red fabric into a small diamond shape and glue on inside of carton

  5. cut regular size chenille sticks into about 4 equal pieces for legs

  6. cut big chenille stick into about a 2-3 inch piece to wrap around the egg carton

  7. glue big chenille stick down

  8. insert legs into holes

  9. glue on googly eyes


you're done!

Kit it! and give as a Halloween treat!



 

This post is featured in:


Monday, October 25, 2010

super hero party

Hudson Brayden Graham



These are the invites for my sons 3rd b-day party. They were the easiest I’ve made yet, and I think they are my favorites. I just laid out the invitation cover, saved it as a HiRes JPG photo size 4 x 6 and had them printed at Walgreens as photos for $0.19 a print. I then glued a black and white print of the invitation details on the back. How simple and inexpensive is that?

Now for the party:



Super Hudson showing off his super muscles in his bat cave

Super Hudson showing off his super muscles in his bat cave

Now for the fun part, the party.

Every super hero needs a cape and mask to hide their identity so I made one for each super hero.

The masks are a simple oval shape with slits for the eyes. I used a black satiny fabric for the front, fast2fuse for the middle and a gold velvety fabric for the backing. I used  stretchy black elastic for the strap. I just sewed around the outside of the mask and eyes to hold it together and keep the strap on. I don’t think they look great but the kids thought the masks were cool. It just shows me that my work doesn’t have to be perfect for the kids to have a good time.

The capes look cool. I sort of traced a cape that my son already had  for the basic shape. I folded the sides in and sewed all around the outside edge of the cape to make a hem. I used velcro on the top to hold the cape on. You could put stars or the initial of each child on the back.

The bat cave. I made this out in our back yard. We have a gazebo in the center of our yard, so I covered the entire thing with outdoor black fabric netting and a big tarp. My husband spray painted a huge bat on the front of the tarp. I hung a bat in the middle inside the bat cave and put the capes and masks in there. The cave was really low tech but with a little imagination, it was real! Hudson was bringing all the guests into his bat cave to “fly” with him. He was so cute.

The party. We started with the super hero training camp which was an obstacle course. Once the heroes completed their training the kids drove Hudson’s bat mobile to the bat cave to get their super hero gear (capes and masks) and their crime fighting tools. batman balls and spider man silly string “webs”.  The kids went through the bat cave tunnels to get to the villain poster targets.

I think I had almost as much fun planning this party as the kids had at the party.

homemade baby food purée

I make all my baby's food and he is the best eater of my 3 kids. These are some of my different blends for purées.



  • yam, broccoli




  • corn, baby milk, potato




  • green beans, acorn squash



Apple Sauce Variation

  • apples with raspberries or any berries


Tropical Blend

  • papaya, banana, strawberry



  • avocado, papaya


-Tip- I mix a little of the water from steaming while pureeing so that I get more of the nutritious juices that are left behind in the baby food.

for a little older baby:

  • meat (chicken or sausage ) with apple sauce

  • roasted veggies chopped small






Party Perfect Halloween Party



This website has such pretty photography and the parties are really inspirational. I love the Halloween page.   http://www.saraspartyperfect.com/

Sunday, October 24, 2010

roasted broccoli and cauliflower with lemon zest

My mom made this and I will never eat boring steamed broccoli again. I added cauliflower to my mom's recipe because these two veggies make a perfect match

in sheet pan roast broccoli, garlic, and cauliflower at 425 sprinkled with olive oil, salt, pepper

when roasted stir in bowl lemon juice, a little olive oil, fresh grated parm cheese, roasted pine nuts, lemon zest, and fresh basil

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Breakfast Wraps

A Graham family favorite. My daughter says anything tastes good in a corn tortilla. My theory behind that is the kids like it because they can't see what they're eating + wraps are just fun to eat. They're not messy because the food is all wrapped up and they're easy to eat.

Breakfast Wrap



  • corn tortillas

  • eggs mixed with milk, salt, pepper to make scrambled

  • turkey breakfast sausage

  • diced onions

  • shredded cheese

  • already cooked potato from the night before

  • already steamed veggies -optional- if you have from last nights dinner (Sweet potato, broccoli, carrots, corn)


break up the sausage in pan on high heat then add onions and potatoes

once cooked and golden add veggies then egg mixture

cook well then place in heated corn tortilla with a little cheese and catchup

-Tip-I heat my tortillas over an open flame on my gas stove

wrap and done nobody sees what's in there and it tastes great!

-Tip- everything should be proportionate to each other in really small pieces

Friday, October 22, 2010

Fun day Friday Finger Food



So it's fun day Friday at the Grahams. Translation Mom's tired from a long week at work.

Dinner is served:

Rachael Ray's Penne Italian Shepherd's Pie





This is such a yummy way to get your veggies and protein in. I love Rachael Ray! Her recipes are so easy, delicious and written so much more precisely than mine! My mom makes a fantastic shepherd's pie with sweet potato which I will share on another day but for now,  this is what's for dinner tonight at the Grahams:

Cheesy Penne Italian Shepherd's Pie


Serves 4

Submitted by




INGREDIENTS


  • 1/2 pound mini penne (or any mini short-cut pasta) $0.74

  • Salt

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) ($0.40)

  • 1 pound ground turkey ($3.15)

  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped ($0.12)

  • 1 medium onion, diced ($0.69)

  • 3 medium carrots, diced ($0.51)

  • 1 medium zucchini, diced ($0.72)

  • 11/2 tablespoons tomato paste ($0.09)

  • 1 cup chicken stock, divided ($0.72)

  • 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning ($0.16)

  • 3 tablespoons butter ($0.33)

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour ($0.12)

  • 1 cup milk --(eyeball it) ($0.26)

  • 1 cup shredded provolone ($2.00)




PREPARATION

Pre-heat oven to 400°F.

Place a large pot filled with water over high heat and bring to a boil to cook the pasta. Once boiling, add some salt and the pasta, and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Heads up -- reserve a mug of starchy water before draining the cooked pasta. Drain well and transfer pasta back to the cooking pot.

While the water is coming up to a boil for the pasta, place a large skillet over high heat and with 3 turns of the pan, add EVOO, about 3 tablespoons. Once the oil starts to ripple, add the ground turkey and break it up into small pieces as it cooks, using the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher. Cook until the turkey is nice and brown, about 8-10 minutes.

Add the veggies and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, ½ cup chicken stock, half of the reserved starchy water, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Continue to cook for 10 more minutes, stirring every now and then.

While the veggies and turkey are cooking, place a medium-size saucepot over medium heat with the butter. Once the butter melts, add the flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly so the flour doesn't burn. Whisk in the milk and the rest of the starchy pasta water and chicken stock, bring to a simmer and cook until thickened. Once thick, turn off the heat, add the cheese to the pot and stir until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cover the bottom of a large, oven-safe baking dish with the turkey and veggie mixture. Meanwhile, add the cheese sauce to the reserved pasta in the pasta pot. Stir to coat, then transfer the cheesy pasta to the baking dish. Spread it out to cover the turkey mixture evenly. Place in the oven and bake until the top is golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Scrappy Pumpkin Tee Shirt project

My friend designed this project for her daughter's girl scout troupe. I think it is such a great project.



 



• TAP® Transfer Artist Paper
• Plain tee shirt – white or light color
• Scraps of pretty patterned papers
• Black marker, pencil
• White paper, white card stock
• Glue stick, scissors, Exacto® blade
• All-in-one inkjet printer/copier
• Firm ironing surface and iron

  1. Use a black marker to draw a thick outline of a pumpkin with 4 segments on white cardstock

  2. Copy the pumpkin on to white paper to make a master copy

  3. Use an Exacto blade to trim out the inside of each section of the pumpkin on cardstock to create a stencil

  4. Use the stencil to mark and cut out scrap papers to fit inside each section – use a different patterned paper for each section to make it scrappy, and don’t forget the stem!

  5. Glue each of your trimmed scraps onto your master copy

  6. Load a sheet of TAP into your inkjet printer and copy your scrappy pumpkin on to the TAP, following package instructions

  7. Trim your pumpkin out of the TAP sheet and place it image-side-down on to your tee shirt

  8. Press the image on to your shirt with your iron, following the TAP package instructions

  9. If desired, you can also print out some Halloween words on to TAP to go with your pumpkin – just be sure to reverse the words on your computer before printing them out


This post was originally posted on C&T Publishing's blog:

http://www.ctpubblog.com/2010/10/08/scrappy-pumpkin-tee-shirt/

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Halloween Jokes for kids



What did the bird say on Halloween?

Trick or tweet!

 

What do goblins and ghosts drink when they're hot and thirsty on Halloween?

Ghoul-aid

 

What is a Mummie's favorite type of music?

Wrap

 

Where does a ghost go on Saturday night?

Anywhere where he can boo-gie

 

Why didn't the skeleton dance at the party?

He had no body to dance with

 

What tops off a ghost's ice cream sundae?

Whipped scream

 

What do you call a little monsters parents

mummy and deady

 

What do ghosts eat for breakfast?

Boo-Berries

 

What's a ghosts favorite desert?

Boo-berry pie

 

What's a monsters favorite desert?

I-Scream

 

What kind of tie does a ghost wear to a formal party?

A boo-tie.

 

What did tha boy ghost say to the girl ghost?

You are the most booooooooo-tiful thing I have ever seen!

 

super quick homemade dinner for the busy family

This is a nice meal for the really busy family. We got home late from school and after school activities, kids are starving, need to eat, do homework and get ready for bed so I made this super quick meal. It's healthy and home made and the kids love it.

  • ham steak heated in pan

  • sweet potatoes steamed topped with butter and a little brown sugar

  • romaine, croutons, and good dressing makes a great caesar salad

  • green beans steamed topped with a little parmesan cheese, garlic salt and butter served over spaghetti noodles tossed in olive oil, a little butter, parmesan cheese, and garlic salt


-Tip- I like to add a little butter, just a touch, along with olive oil for flavor

    Wednesday, October 20, 2010

    Halloween Fun for kids

    Happy Halloween!


    Free downloadable PDFs of Halloween songs, poems, jokes and a maze.


    halloween fun 1

    halloween fun 2




     

     

     



     

    Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm



    Another great pumpkin patch Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm. We just went there with my son's pre school and it was a big hit.

    Fun for kids


    Lots of pumkins

    They do a wonderful educational tour which really is age appropriate and just the right amount of information for the kids along with fun things to do like mill corn and milk a pretend cow,

    Alpacas, goats, pot bellied pigs

    A train ride

    A food stand

    Down below the pumpkin patch area is a kids play area with a hay maze and HUGE pools of Lima Beans





    Monday, October 18, 2010

    Kids cowboy holster







    My kids are going to be Woody and Jessie from toy story for Halloween this year so I'm making their costumes. I never knew I would have so much fun making a costume. The holster is so cool for a little boy that I made 2 extras for my nephews because I think they'll just have fun playing cowboys.

    I did a search and found a blog that gives step by step instructions on how to make the holster. It took me a couple times to get the pattern right but once I did the others were so easy to make that I made 3 in one night.

    here's the link to the blog I found that has the step by step instructions for making your own holster.

    http://jameehomemaker.blogspot.com/2010/03/cowboy-days-and-gun-holster-tutorial.html

    I used some faux leather remnants from a fabric store.  hole punched around the edge and cut thin strips of the same leather for the lace. Basically you have one piece that is cut around the gun with extra at the top to weave the belt through and a second piece that covers the gun. Then just lace them together and you have on rough and tough cowboy holster.

    Adobe Farms Pumpkin Patch



     


    We had so much fun at this  pumpkin patch in Petaluma.


     



    They have a few food stands. We ate at a wonderful mexican food stand that is really affordable. The Papusas were so yummy. I never heard of these before, but according to my cousin they are El Salvador's contribution to the culinary world.



    Lots of fun things for the kids to do

    hayride, jumpy, jumpy slide, corn maze, lots of great photo ops!, farm animals, a cute little store, pony rides, pumpkins everywhere (a little pricey), and beautiful sunflowers