D is for Dinner

I don't have a lot of time, and don't want to spend what time I have on dinner.  Meatloaf shouldn't be hard, require a trip to the store or need a lot of dishes.  This one doesn't.

What you need:

1-2 pounds of ground beef (or turkey)
1/2-1 onion, diced (depending on how much you like onion)
2 pieces of bread torn into pieces (any kind)
1 egg
2 of the 3: 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, 1/2 cup molasses

1. Mix everything in one bowl
2. Shape into desired shape (I am a fan of the classic loaf)
3. Cook for 50 minutes at 350

C is for Cookie

So I may have just discovered the most perfect chocolate cookie.  It happened because I ran out of oats...I am addicted to chocolate no-bake cookies.  So since I knew I didn't have much time before the kids woke up I thought I would see what happened if I just omitted the oatmeal.  Perfection.

Here is the recipe (as I haven't seen this out there)...it takes about 5 minutes.

1/4c butter
1 cup sugar
1/4c cocoa (powdered)
1/4 c milk (best success is when you use just shy of a quarter cup)
1/4c peanut butter
1/4tsp vanilla

1. Mix your butter, sugar, cocoa and milk together until it starts to boil. 
2. Remove from heat.
3. Add vanilla and peanut butter.
4. Stir until combined
5. Drop onto wax paper (or parchment paper)...about the size of oreos

That's it.  They take about 10 minutes to harden completely...although you can always stick them in the fridge to make it happen quicker.  Or you can do what I do and just eat some of the unhardened goo while you wait for the cookies to set.
NOTE: the recipe also doubles and half's really well.

Summer on a Shoe String Budget

Ok, so summertime is rapidly approaching. And the hubby and I are trying to be financially responsible and still go on family trips and do fun activities with the kids. Tapping into my Mommy creativity, here are a few ways to entertain the kiddies with limited funds.

Fire Pit

S'mores Yum!

1. S'mores by the camp fire...
My hubby and I recently invested in an inexpensive fire pit for our back yard. I was pleasantly surprised at how affordable they had become. In fact, you can pick one up for $50-$60 at your local Job Lot, Christmas Tree Shop or Home Depot.

The kids really enjoy sitting by the fire as we tell "ghost" stories and roast marshmallows. We have even created a "camp ground" in the living room to sleep at as if we had really gone camping. All the comforts of home with the best features of being outdoors!

Sample Clip Art for Decorating Box Cars

Popcorn with m&m's YUMMY!

 2. Drive-in Movie Night!
This one is a favorite. I got some big boxes big enough for the kids to sit in and printed out headlights, steering wheels, car radios, and bumper stickers I found online by googling "car" clip art. The kids decorated their box cars while I set up the "snack stand" with juice boxes, pop corn and candy. Then they sat in their cars in front of the tv with their snacks and watched a movie. No mess from food because it all falls in their box car! Now if you can't get your hands on recycled boxes, you can pick up moving boxes at your local hardware store for a reasonable price.

Ice Cream Social TIME!

Blacksmith demonstration at Founder's Day

3. FREE Activities in Your Community!
Keep an eye out for family events held in your town. Our town library hosts an ice cream social and the parks department sponsors "Movies Under The Stars" a handful of nights in the summer. Any historical landmarks or houses in your town? Check with your local historical society. My kids enjoyed going to "Founders Day" where they learned about our towns history and enjoyed potato sack races and free pony rides.

Jazz Band at Farmer's Market

Town Turtle Comes to The Farmer's Market

4. Visit your local farmer's market
Get some food shopping done AND entertain your kids! It's become our summer weekend tradition to check out the homemade bread table and produce stand. Occasionally, a jazz band or a few farm animals even make an appearance. Sometimes we even have a picnic lunch on site. The kids love going from tent to tent and discovering all of the new treats!

Example of a Coconut Race

5. Theme Nights!
So this is something we have recently been having. Once a month we hold a pot luck dinner theme night. We invite a few family friends and they bring their kids and a food dish to share. The adults hang out while the kids have a group play date. No sitters needed, and you get adult interaction! We've had Italian night where the kids make their own pizza, Mexican night where we get a piñata and the kids make their own tacos, and most recently (in honor of summer) Polynesian Night!

See how flexible the little kiddies are by playing limbo. Pick up some fabric flower leis and glow sticks from the Dollar Store....AND you can't forget the plastic pine apple or coconut cups from the party store to serve them tropical punch in. OR get a few coconuts from your grocery store and have coconut races. You see who can push the coconut the furthest using a broom. And coconut bowling with some empty water bottles standing in for pins (decorate them as palm trees) using the coconut as the bowling ball is always fun. (Both games best to be played outside.) Last but not least, don't forget hula dancing by that fire pit you just invested in!

Happy Summer!!!!

B is for Books at Bedtime

I don't have a lot of time at bedtime unless I am going to keep my little guy up past his bedtime.  So creating a meaningful routine is hard.  Ours centers around books.  I make him up his bottle and he gets his blanket and stuffed animal of choice and gets to pick 3 books.

We read the classics, Goodnight Moon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  But lately he has been going to ones I had not previously been familiar with.  This week we have read Duck on a Bike a wonderful story where he can make animal sounds.

But my favorite part of our bedtime routine is after his three books he curls up in my lap and drinks his bottle and we read Goodnight NOLA.  I can recite the book by heart, and my little guy loves it so much that I have decided to buy these Goodnight books every time we travel to a new place that has them.  It seems like a great way to help a child remember all the places they visit.  And they are perfect for bedtime.

A is for Apple

I was, as usual short on time the other morning.  Trying to rush through breakfast so I could get to work on time and all I could find as a main ingredient were apples. In 15 minutes I created 3 different things that pleased each of the people in my home (with some left overs for me).  I was impressed since I have a 6 month old, a 20 month old and a husband who is picky about breakfast.

So I present A is for Apple...my guide on how to make 3 things in 15 minutes that they all will appreciate...and is healthful for them (and organic if you choose).

1. Put on water to boil
2. Take at least one apple per person (I used 4...my husband got two)
3. Peal the apples for the children
4. Cut one pealed apple up crudely (we are going to make quick apple sauce with this one)
5. Cut one pealed apple in thin, long strips (dipping sticks)
6. Cut the remaining unpealed apples into square shaped chunks (no bake apple crisp)

To make the applesauce:
1. dump the crudely cut, pealed apple into the boiling water (boil about 5 minutes)
2. remove when the apples are soft.  I like to mash them up with a fork.
3. add a dash of cinnamon and/or nutmeg to taste

To make the dipping sticks:
1. take thin, long strips of apple and arrange on a plate
2. using available (appropriate) condiments create mini "dipping piles" around the plate.  My son ended up with maple syrup from our neighbors farm, organic peanut butter and tomato sauce (he requested the last one and ate it all I might say)

To make the no bake apple crisp:
1. take the remaining apples and toss with 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp nutmeg
2. melt 1 tbsp butter
3. toss butter with 1/4 oatmeal and apple mix and microwave until warm

THREE Ways to make family trips extra special

So we have a few family trips planned this year, and as usual I am more excited than the kids!

Because I like the kids to share in my Kool-Aid happiness, I build up their pre-trip anticipation using a the three few following techniques:

1. The Count Down Chain
Now this little beauty is easy! Depending on your family's destination (ex: Disney, Sesame Place, or Beach trip) you start by gathering a list of facts or outings relevant to your trip.

I have googled facts on many destinations and I have never come up empty handed. Figure out how many days in advance you would like to start your count down chain, and gather 1 fact or outing for each link of the chain.

Once you have the appropriate number of chains, you put the chain together and hang it in a kid friendly place.

Create a ritual in the morning or evening by reading one of the links each day until you leave on your vacation. Not only does this help younger kids improve their reading skills, but it also helps them understand the amount of time they have before their trip while getting them all pumped up.

2. The Swag Bag
This is one of my favorites and comes in handy with long car rides and plane trips.

Simply start with a gift bag, travel bag, or back pack. Visit your local Dollar Store, Christmas Tree Shop or Target and pick up some old school mechanisms to occupy your child's time. I love to include coloring / puzzle books, crayons, stickers, snacks, glow sticks, sunglasses, and suntan loation. You can even buy these items in the theme of your trip. The Dollar Store is a great resource for Disney, Sesame, or Beach theme items.

When we traveled to Disney one year I filled the bags with hula skirts and leis for the luau at The Polynesian, a bandana for the Hoop Dee Doo Review, an autograph book and pen, and a book with all of the Disney fairy tale classics. It was a great way to build up the anticipation for our trip, and the kids loved it!

Check out www.parrottcanvas.net for great deals on totes with free embroidery for your swag bags!

3. Custom Snacks !!Yummy!!
If you are like myself and lack the time or skills to make custom cookies or snacks, have no fear! Any local bakery or mom and pop vendor could help out with this inexpensive extra. I can suggest an easy do-it-yourself snack: for our Sesame Place trip this year I am adding themed snacks to the swag bags. I printed out character faces on sticker paper that I found online for Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Big Bird. Next, I picked up some sandwich bags to adhere the faces to. For Big Bird I included gummy worms, Elmo gets gold fish, and Cookie Monster gets cookie crisp cereal. They came out adorable and very convenient snacks for the car ride to PA.

One year for Disney I ordered the girls favorite characters as cookies. And we ate them in the car on the way to the airport, with some left over for the plane ride. After all it's a vacation!

These little extras above don't take much time or money, and they add your special touch while creating fond memories for your kids.

I believe it's the little things that help make an experience more memorable and special!

For my daughter

I hope that you are confident enough to follow your dreams. And know that if the man or woman you choose to be with belittles them, doesn't support them, or won't follow you/wait for you while you pursue them doesn't deserve the greatness that is you. And that you are strong enough to chose your dreams over that person...because the opportunities we have to chase our dreams don't always come back around...and I want your life to be full of fulfilled dreams, not empty regret.