It has come to my attention that the original Lorax Cookie recipe I had posted listed sugar twice instead of listing butter as an ingredient. I apologize for the inconvenience to those who have tried the recipe and it has failed. I have updated the recipe to show the correct ingredients. Thank you for patience and hopefully I learned my lesson of typing with 4 kids helping bake cookies. Enjoy and hope that everyone had a happy and safe 4th! … [Read more...]
The Flavors of Fourth of July
Celebrating our country’s independence, the Fourth of July traditionally honors American pride. From fireworks to feasts, this upbeat day highlights American pastimes across the country. In Maryland, locals serve up crab cakes fresh from the Eastern shore, while Pacific Northwesterners grill salmon and peas, a meal native to the area. In the Midwest, you’ll find Wisconsin Cheeseheads broiling trout and Indiana Hoosiers grilling steak and sweet corn. From local meats to patriotic desserts, the Fourth is a time to honor local American cultures, but with growing appreciation for our melting pot make-up, many Fourth of July feasts are seeing some international flavors. I know what you’re thinking — crab meat and salmon are expensive! And that is generally true, but after all, the Fourth of July only comes once a year. There are plenty of delicacies to dive into but you don’t have to go broke doing it. If you’re cooking on a budget, check-out online coupon sites like Valpak and look … [Read more...]
Asian Chicken Noodle Bowl
Asian Chicken Noodle Bowl Chinese takeout is a go-to for many people who are short on time, love authentic Chinese flavors and are out of quick and easy dinner ideas. Everything is better when homemade, but the idea of making your own Chinese meal at home is daunting for most. This simple pasta recipe is a quick and easy way to transform whatever's in your fridge into a hearty and satisfying dinner. By making your own takeout at home you save a lot of money and are eating healthier simply because you know exactly what is going into what you are cooking. The best part is that this recipe tastes just as authentic as if you got it from your favorite restaurant and is sure to become your new favorite weeknight go-to meal. Ingredients 1 pkg (9 oz each) refrigerated linguine, uncooked No-stick cooking spray 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 cups frozen bell pepper and onion strips (from 16-oz pkg) 2 cups frozen sugar snap peas 3/4 … [Read more...]
Lorax Sugar Cookie Bars
So I am kind of the "den mother" at the boys daycare and that means I am bringing in goodies a couple of times a month for all the kiddos. This week they are having a Lorax party and will be watching the movie. I did a spin off of some cookies I saw floating around pinterest that looked way to complicated to make on a busy day and turned them into some wonderfully colored bars instead. Ingredients 1/2 cup softened butter 1 egg 2 cups flour 1 cup sugar 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsps baking powder 1/2 tsp vanilla Directions 1. Combine all ingredients and mix well. 2. Divide your dough into 5 small bowls and add five different liquid food colors. The colors will dull some after they bake so make them bright! 3. Pinch your colors out and roll into small balls the size of grapes and place onto a greased cookie sheet. Make sure your colors have a good pattern to them as you don't want all your pink in one place. (Note my picture is not very patterned and I re-arranged them before … [Read more...]
Teriyaki Burger Recipe
Teriyaki Burger Recipe This mouthwatering burger is an easy way to liven up your typical hamburger. Making burgers on the grill is a delicious, low-fat way to cook them since the fat drips away during cooking. Now you can feel better about serving these tasty burgers to your family. Enjoy! Ingredients: 2 pounds ground sirloin beef 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 3/4 cup teriyaki marinade & sauce, divided 1/2 cup mayonnaise 8 slices fresh or canned pineapple, drained 8 hamburger buns 8 leaves green leaf lettuce 8 medium slices red onion Directions: Preheat grill to medium heat. Mix ground beef with garlic powder and 1/2 cup teriyaki marinade in large bowl until well blended. Shape into 8 patties. Stir together remaining 1/4 cup teriyaki marinade with mayonnaise in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Grill patties on one side until juices begin to appear on surface. Turn patties over. Cook about 4 minutes longer or until done. Grill pineapple … [Read more...]
3 Tasty Chicken Breast Recipes
3 Tasty Chicken Breast Recipes If you want to feed your family healthy meals, you probably rely a lot on boneless, skinless chicken breast. It can get a bit monotonous however. To liven things up, I often try out new recipes I find around the internet. Lately, Pinterest has been a huge resource for me. Well, without further ado, here are three recipes that I’ve tried that are new family favorites. Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps – These wraps are tasty and good for you. Not only that, but they sure stretch the budget and take only a few minutes to prepare. For added speed, have some chicken already cooked that you can just shred up. My family loves Mexican style food, so this bean, rice and chicken meal is a hit. Parmesan and Panko Encrusted Chicken – Wow, wow, wow. Crispy and delicious, these lightly fried in olive oil treats are so tasty. What kid doesn’t like bread crumbs and cheese, right? Fancy enough to serve at a party, easy enough to make in a hurry. A … [Read more...]
Easy ‘Tie Dye’ the Kids can do!
Items Needed:Sharpie MarkersWhite T-ShirtBowl (any size)Rubber-bandrubbing alcohol 1. First you will need to decide where you would like your tie dye to be located on the t-shirt. Then place that spot over a bowl and use a rubber band to hold the shirt in place. This will also stretch the shirt allowing a nice canvas to easily draw on. 2. Let the kids draw away! Anything they like! After the kids have finished up their artwork on the t-shirts you will then take rubbing alcohol and lightly pour the alcohol over the drawing. It is easiest to do this in a bottle with an applicator tip. But if you don't have one that is okay as well... The rubbing alcohol will then let the colors bleed out making if kind of a fun tie dye effect the kids will love! - Next let dry! That's it! Now your kids have a new cool shirt to wear!....I have never washed these shirts to I am not sure it will stay..we just do it for the fun of it! … [Read more...]
How to Fry a Plantain
Recently while shopping I came across some Plantains. Now these are not the best looking but I also know that although Plantains are one of the most used fruits in the world they are not all that common in the U.S. First off when selecting a Plantain to cook you want to choose one that is nice and green. Preferably without any yellow spots or coloring. First thing you will need to do is slice your Plantain into pieces. I like mine about 1" in size. Next you will place Plantain slices in frying pan with oil. Fry each side of Plantain about 3 minutes or until golden brown. You will want to make sure your Plantains are not burning but that they are cooked in the middle. After Plantains have fried and have turned golden brown I take them out and drain oil off on paper towel. Next I place one Plantain at a time on a plate and use a second plate to flatten the Plantain. If it is falling apart and not sticking together then they have not fried enough in the pan. After all … [Read more...]
Make Perfect Birthday Gifts with DIY Canning
Make Perfect Birthday Gifts with DIY Canning By Scott Humphrey Do-it-yourself (DIY) crafts and projects have become very popular over the past decade. Many individuals love receiving a DIY gift for their birthdays or other special events. If you're looking for a truly impressive homemade gift to give to a special someone, consider the possibilities of home canning. Delicious, home-canned goods make a great gift. Choose custom label printing services to give your canned goods an extra touch of charm. http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3499/3883274386_038bb368fa_o.jpg If you're new to home canning, you'll need to familiarize yourself with the basic canning equipment and procedures. The USDA offers an excellent home canning guide that contains plenty of health and safety information. Review this guide before you begin canning to be sure you understand what precautions need to be taken during this process. Once you've researched the basics of home canning, you can start selecting … [Read more...]
Fried Green Tomatillos
Ingredients 2 eggs lightly beaten 1/3 cup cornmeal 1/2 teaspoon mixes seasoning/herbs of choice (I used basil and rosemary) 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt ground black pepper to taste 8 tomatillos, husked and sliced 1/4 inch thick 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Directions Place eggs in a shallow bowl and wisk together. Mix cornmeal, herbs, salt and pepper together in shallow separate bowl. Heat 2 tbs oil in skillet over medium heat. Dip tomatillo slices in egg whites, then into dry cornmeal mix remember to coat both sides. Fry tomatillo slices 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Serve and enjoy! I got this recipe from All Recipes! … [Read more...]
Add more Space and Organization to your Kitchen with Decorative Wall Baskets!
Kitchen Counter space is much needed in my home so I try very hard to find ways to store items while keeping my counters clutter free! One way that I have found to add a little decor to my home and at the same time keep my counters cleaned up is to hang decorative baskets (found at Hobby Lobby). Each basket now holds my fruits, veggies and bread items! … [Read more...]
Grilled Radishes!
You all know how much I love to cook things that are different. I had never before thought about cooking radishes let along grilling them and once I seen the recipe I knew I just had to give it a try! Ingredients: 20 oz radishes sliced2 cloves garlic minced2 Tbs Butter1 Ice Cubedash salt and pepper 1. Preheat grill 2. Slice Radishes and place on sheet of tin foil. Add garlic, butter, ice cube, salt and pepper. 3. Wrap contents tightly in tin foil ( I would recommend double layering the foil) 4. Place on grill and cook 20 minutes. I found this recipe on All Recipes! … [Read more...]
White Wine Cherry Tomato Green Beans!
YUM! This is one of the bet veggie side dishes I have made in awhile! Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs Green Beans1/4 c butter1/4 c white wine1 tbs sugar3/4 tbs garlic2 c cherry tomatos 1. Cut the tips off of the the green beans. 2. Place Wine in sauce pan and bring to boil. Once boiling add Green Beans and butter. Cover and simmer 8 minutes or until green beans are at a tender crisp (not soggy mush) 3. Add sugar, garlic and tomatos and simmer 2-3 minutes longer or until you hear the tomatos popping from the heat. 4. Serve and enjoy! … [Read more...]
White Wine Garlic Asparagus!
Asparagus is one of my most favorite veggies! It is also a favorite of my family as long as it is cooked correctly! What do I mean by that? Well cooked to a soft crisp instead of a mushy mush! Ingredients: 1 Bunch of Asparagus1/4 c White Wine1 Tbs Butter1/4 tsp Granulated Garlic 1. First I add the Wine and butter to sauce pan and bring to a boil. 2. While I am waiting for sauce pan to boil I wash and cut asparagus. I normally cut off the hard ends and slice each piece in half. 3. Once Wine/Butter is boiling add the asparagus and garlic to sauce pan. Cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until asparagus is the consistency you like! … [Read more...]
Salad Savoy Chips!
Recently Thanks to my Co-Op Basket I was introduced to Salad Savoy! I had never heard of this brightly colored leafy green before and was excited for the chance to give it a try! After scouring the internet I came across a recipe on InspiredRD so I thought I would give it a try! Ingredients: 1 Bunch Salad Savoy1 Tbs Olive Oil1/4 tsp sea saltI was surprised to find that the Salad Savoy Chips were one of the easiest things ever to make! 1. I cut the Salad Savoy off the thick stem and washed it really well. 2. I placed the washed Salad Savoy in a large bowl and added the Olive Oil. I then shook the bowl around until the Salad Savoy was evenly coated in Olive Oil. 3. I then placed a piece of Parchment Paper over a cookie sheet and then evenly spread the Salad Savoy leafs on the baking sheet making sure none of he pieces were overlapping. 4. I then placed baking sheet in the oven and baked at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until leafs are lightly browned and … [Read more...]