Easy Valentine's ... Swedish Fish Bowls

I saw this idea in Family Fun Magazine.  It is super cute and best of all it is super easy.  I created all the parts, and my kids put the Valentine together.  I started this project yesterday afternoon and finished a couple hours later.  You know what part took the longest?  Finding Swedish Fish.  I went to three stores.  So if you know where to locate these yummy gummy fish, the project itself is fast and fun for the kids.

Items to gather before you start:

blue card stock, or blue construction paper, or blue paper
small clear treat baggies
Swedish Fish (gummy fish)
marker
something to tie the baggies with (ribbon, twisties, string etc...)
regular scissors 
scissors that cut with a curvy edge or regular scissors (you have to cut the waves by hand - up and down with your scissors)



Depending on how old your kids are they can help with the entire process. I have a four year old and a two year old, so they couldn't join in on the fun until step three.

First Step:

Cut the blue paper a bit shorter than the width of the clear baggies so it fits inside.  And only about half has tall as the baggie; you have to leave enough room to use the ribbon or twistie to close the baggie. After you have all the little blue squares cut, cut the top of the blue paper with the curvy scissors or use the regular scissors in an up and down fashion to create the appearance of a wave.  This is going to be the water background for the fish.

Second Step:

Write on the wavy water background you just created.  The suggestions from Family Fun Magazine are:
I am glad you are in my school, It's ofFISHial - you're awsome, and I FISH you were mine.  So cute with the fish at the bottom of the "bowl" aka baggie.  I added a heart and my child's name.

Third Step:

This is when my kids joined the process.  I set the project up like a little assembly line; they loved it.  They put the water (blue paper) in the fish bowl (clear baggie) and then put five fish in the bowl on the same side as the little note I wrote about being in "school together."  And lastly, they placed their small Valentine on the backside of the water.  And I tied the bowl (clear baggie) closed.  It was a great afternoon project.  It used various skills: listening to directions, following the process, and counting.

And the best part is it looks special even though it didn't take must time or money to add something to the simple Valentine card.

Thanks again Family Fun!

Milk Shakes for the Kids because... why not?

There are plenty of difficult parts involved in being a stay-at-home-mom.  No need to list.  Of course  there are built in perks, and there are those perks that are a mommy's prerogative to create. Today I used my mommy power to create Milk Shake Friday.

No reason to do it. But no reason not to.  My two year old daughter asked me for a milk shake.  I have never made her one.  I don't know how that idea popped into her head.  My guess is a cartoon. Or one of her story books has some fairies drinking milk shakes.  Anyway she asked me.  They just finished their lunch, and I could not for the life if me think of a reason to say no.  So I said yes.

*Side note -- I have never made a milk shake before, so I this is what I did.  I am not sure if this is what the experts do, but it worked perfectly.


Vanilla Milk Shake

these are approximate -- I just eyeballed it

Vanilla ice cream (3-4 scoops)
Some milk (1 cup)
Splash of vanilla extract (1 Tablespoon) 
Whipped cream for decoration
Strawberry for decoration

I made the kids sit at the table, close their eyes, and wait for their surprise.  This was their reaction when they opened their eyes -- truly priceless!  

This is the reason I decided to stay at home and stop teaching.  I loved teaching high school English, but I love this more.

Milk shakes at 1:30 in the afternoon on January 11, 2013.  What life is ALL about.

When Mommy gets sick...

the kids still have to be taken care of and played with.  I came down with the flu on Christmas Eve and my kids and my husband got sick three days later.  We were sick during all of Christmas break.  My four year old and two year old were sick with runny noses, coughs, and a fevers.  But thankfully in true kid form they didn't lose their desire to play and run around the house even with their fevers.  And this is a Blessing because they are sick, but not that sick.  Nothing is harder to see than your little one too sick to drive you crazy. On the flip side of this family-is-sick-for-the-Holidays-coin is adults are much weaker than kids when they get sick.  As we get older, sick means sick and adults do not feel like running around and playing with a fever. HOWEVER.... kids don't understand that and all they see is we are all home; let's play!

So hear are a few ways I kept my little sick, not so sick kids entertained while I was real-adult-sick this Christmas break.

We made sock puppets..... I have to say they loved it.  They picked out eyes and noses out of a button bowl.  And this process took a long time, which afforded my a bit of time to just sit at the kitchen table and rest.  I liked that part.  I hot glued their choices onto my husband's socks.  Then it was time to give the puppets hair.  We looped a bunch of hair, and I glued it down.  Lastly, they wanted tongues on their new friends.  We made those out of felt.  Once the puppets were complete, Aidan my four year old had a new object to chase my daughter Madeleine around the house with..... and by some weird twist my daughter was all of a sudden absolutely afraid of the puppet she made from start to finish.  The process was relaxing for awhile until it ended up in a chase through my kitchen, dinning room, and family room.  But I highly suggest making sock puppets even while you are adult sick.

Aidan kept asking to make Star Wars cookies, and he wanted to "paint" them -- decorate them for  you none four year olds.   Like any determined little boy..... he asked me, and then asked me again, and then asked me again, and again, and again .... you get the picture... I pulled the butter out of the refrigerator to bring it up to room temperature.  He saw me do this, and he squealed in delight because he knew that was the first step in making sugar cookies.  He is a very bright boy.  Aidan wanted to cut out Star Wars cookies and Maddie wanted to cut out butterflies and flowers.  And of course they wanted to paint them.  Funny part --- I only let them each paint five cookies because I had a feeling they would not like to eat the "painted" (royal icing) cookies as much as the plain cookies that they are used to.  Mommy was right -- Aidan bit into his Darth Vader cookie and said "it is yucky... too sweet." Another project done.  When will the flu end... that is what I kept thinking as I was coughing during this baking session.  Needless to say, I will not be sharing our baked treasures with anyone this time around.

Of course there was castle building, bridge building, fort building...playing with blocks.

And one day I even decided to bake donuts with the kids.

Because sick kids still need to be played with regardless if their Mommy is healthy or sick herself.  The kids have to come first; that is why we have them.  They are our Blessings.

Oreo Balls

Oreo Balls!   I first time I tried these I was at my friend Cheryl's home.  She is the mother of my beautiful Godson, Quinn.   When you taste one of these for the first time, you remember where you were.  I had never tasted something so rich and perfectly Oreo before in my life.  The Oreo taste is unmistakable, but the texture is dreamy, soft, and rich.  I asked her for the recipe, and she happily passed it on because she said she got the recipe from a friend of hers.

Yesterday, my sister-in-law, Becky, called looking for this recipe to take to my brother, Tony's, work Christmas party. These are a perfect treat to take to a party.  They are easy to make and always a big hit.  It touches some heart strings from most people's childhood -- Oreo cookies.  Because it is made out of this childhood cookie.  It is a bit nostalgic and a bit sinfully decadent; let's face it, most of us don't eat Oreos anymore --- most of us -- I am not saying all.  My home has Oreos; thank you husband for your little craving.  Baking isn't Becky's passion, but I know she will successfully make these Oreo balls. And I am sure they will make her a big hit at my brother's Christmas party.

Here is the recipe sister----

Oreo Balls

1 regular size package of oreos
1 package of cream cheese 12 oz (brick, not tub) softened (leave out on counter for awhile)
1 package of almond bark or 2 packages of white chocolate (I always use the almond bark)
a pinch of salt

Crush the Oreos by hand with a rolling pin in a sealed plastic bag or in a food processor. Completly mix cream cheese, crushed Oreos, and a bit of salt.  Cover bowl and place in refrigerator until firm.  Take mixture out of refrigerator and form into small bit sized balls about 1 inch in size. Place balls on wax paper on a cookie sheet and put in the refrigerator for about an hour. Melt almond bark by placing some (not all) in a glass bowl and putting in the microwave on high for 2 minutes. Take bark out of microwave stir until melted and then add more bark and put back into the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until all bark has been added and is melted. Or you could use a double boiled; it is up to you.   Once bark is melted, use tooth picks to dip the Oreo balls in the white bark and then place them back on waxed paper and back into the refrigerator.  Once hardened, place balls in a sealed container.  Store in refrigerator.   Enjoy these rich little treats with the nostalgic taste !

Ilene Gail Delicious Coffee Cake

A couple of years ago, I was looking for a great coffee cake recipe, and I knew my girlfriend Ilene would have one.  Ilene didn't have a great recipe; she had a Delicious Coffee Cake recipe.  Years ago, Ilene's friend Gail made this coffee cake; Ilene and her family thought it was delicious.  Ilene has been making Gail's Delicious Coffee Cake ever since. So I guess the recipe that I am about to share is Ilene's Friend Gail's Delicious Coffee Cake --- for the sake of time, we are just going to call it .......
Ilene Gail Delicious Coffee Cake.

So often you hear the name of a recipe and it oversells itself.  The BEST cookie recipe, The YUMMIEST Chocolate cake, INCREDIBLE brownies.... you follow the recipe, and you look back at the recipe's name and think.... I am not sure about that.  Was that REALLY the BEST?  Anyway, the reason I am saying this is......this coffee coffee cake really is Delicious.

The changes I made to the recipe made it even more delicious for my family's tastes.  I added nuts and took away some icing.  But I will note where I made the changes because you may find the original recipe fits your family's taste or you may tweek it a bit in a different direction.

Either way, this coffee cake is easy to make  right before guests arrive.  It is delicious served warm; it is excellent served at room temperature. It gets the mmmmmmms and yummmmmies you love to hear as a host to any gathering.  It is a wonderful compliment to any breakfast or brunch.  I like to make it Thanksgiving morning and bring it warm to my parents' home.  It is one of those recipes that can easily become part of the fabric of any tradition.

A warm delicious thank you to Ilene for finding this treasure in her friend Gail's kitchen and passing this gem along to me.  It is interesting to think about how far a recipe can travel and for how many years.

And here is the Ilene Gail Delicious Coffee Cake

            Blend together until creamy

(1) stick butter

(1) cup sugar

Add

(2) eggs

(1) tsp. vanilla

(1) cup sour cream

            Sift together the following and then add to the above wet ingredients

(2) cups flour

(1) tsp. baking soda

(1) tsp. baking powder

a pinch of salt

Grease a jelly roll pan (this is a pan with small sides) and spread the above mixture.  Use two wet spoons to help you spread it ; it is a bit gooey so don't be surprised if it doesn't spread perfectly.  No worries -- it is homemade; it should look that way. 

            Cream

(1) stick margarine

1/2 cup sugar

Then add
(1) cup flour and mix together with a fork until crumbly.

 Sprinkle mixture over the top of the first mixture.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes--check after 15 minutes.  As soon as you take the coffee cake out of the oven, toss some nuts (optional) on top and drizzle with icing.

Nuts:
a couple of handfuls of chopped pecans (optional -- my family likes nuts) 

Icing:
(2) cups powder sugar (I used 1 cup - we like it a bit less sweet)

(1) tsp. vanilla

A little milk (I used water)

I put the coffee cake in the oven about 15 minutes before the guests arrive. 
                                     Trust me it is DELICIOUS!

Funny Story... My son locked his bedroom door

My son locked his bedroom door; luckily he was not in his room.  Or maybe I should say, at least he didn't lock his baby sister in the room alone.  When I grew up, my parents had the small key that unlocked the bedroom and bathroom doors sitting on the door frame to each room - smart right?  When we bought this home, I did notice that the previous owners didn't have that key.  But I have to admit I didn't think much about it until yesterday.

While I was cleaning upstairs and getting ready for the day, I went to go into my son's room and it was locked. I asked him about it, he say, "I don't want Zuzu (his sister) in my room."  My first thought was -- so  this is starting already.  And then it hit me, we don't have keys to the bedrooms.  I know what you are thinking, just use a paperclip.  I tried.  It didn't work.  My son still had his pajamas on. I just did all the laundry the day before.  The only outfit I had for him was yesterday's outfit that was dinner stained.  Of well, that was the best I could do.

My son knew I was upset.  I am always telling my kids that when you have a problem and you are frustrated --- that is not the time to cry and yell.  It is time to think -- use your brain and start figuring things out.  There is plenty of time to cry and it is ok to cry.  But when you need to problem solve, thinking is best done without tears.  I didn't think they were ever listening to me.  UNTIL......

Aidan turns to me and says, " I have been thinking..... I have an idea.  We can call the Army to blow up the door.  And then call Bob the Builder to fix it before Dada comes home from work."

Now that is thinking outside the box.  I didn't want to crush his thinking.  But I also didn't want him to think that your first idea is always the best idea.  I told him," you are thinking and that is an idea.  But we need to keep coming up with other ideas." 

In the end, I was able to use the paperclip trick.  But I guess that isn't the point of the story.  The point is.... the kids are listening.  It made me pause and think about what and how I say things.

Pumpkin Cake

So it is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  There are people all over America cooking and making preparations for tomorrow.  My mom has hosted Thanksgiving dinner my entire life.  She has always made the entire meal from scratch.  She is a wonderful cook and baker.  Even as a little girl, I have never liked pumpkin pie ---- I know I know -- some of you are bugging your eyes out at the computer screen.  I am sorry but it is just not my dessert of choice.  SO if I ever blog about a great pumpkin pie recipe, you will know I found the BEST recipe out there -- and I promise I will share it.

Now although I have never really enjoyed pumpkin pie, I do love the taste of pumpkin.  My mom found this recipe, that I am about to share, years ago.  I really don't remember a Thanksgiving without this pumpkin cake.   It is moist, yummy, and pumpkiny -- and it goes great with a cup of coffee in the morning on the days following Thanksgiving.  It is not overly sweet, it is not had to make, and it is not pie.  This year I have the pleasure of making the pumpkin cake for our celebration because my mom asked me to help her.  I decided to have the kids help me with making this easy recipe.

Kids mixing dry ingredients.

Here is my favorite pumpkin recipe

Pumpkin Cake

3 cups of flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (optional)
1 1/2 cups of oil
2 cups canned pumpkin (1 can)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs

Aidan's face after cracking his first egg -- "it's yucky mommy!"

Zuzu's face after I asked her if she wanted to crack an egg -- "yucky!"

Preheat oven to 350.  Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix.  Then place all wet ingredients in another bowl and mix them.  Finally add the wet to the dry and mix just until blended.  Place the mixture in a well greased bunt pan.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Before serving sprinkle with powder sugar.  Told you it was easy.

Licking the bowl clean

Smiling next to their finished cake -- so sweet!

Happy Thanksgiving 2012.