Wednesday, January 30, 2008

School Lunch Box



Todays lunch box includes

Bottled water
Orange juice
Yogurt
Multi Grain Tortillia with no nitrite turkey, cheddar cheese and some turkey bacon
Smart start snack bar (for snack)

A Special Breakfast



Apples and Oranges with yogurt and turkey bacon. Hot Chocolate because they love it.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Mom Money

Part of the incentive in the Choreganizer is that you can earn mom money and dad dollars. This past week my oldest daughter spent her mom money on a coupon good for baking with mommy. She decided she wanted to make cup cakes. It just so happened a friend had sent me a recipe for home made chocolate cake. This project took a long time and my daughter loved every minute of it. I am enjoying these moments while I can. I suspect one day baking with mommy will not be at the top of her list. But for now we had a wonderful time. She even got to cover mommy in flour which she still is talking about.

Cooking with Mommy: Chocolate Cup Cakes with Butter Cream Icing





Chocolate Cake
3 cups of flour(unbleached)
2 cups of sugar
8 TBSP cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt.

To make cake add 2 cups cold water, 2 tsp vanilla, 2 tsp vinegar &
3/4 cup oil & stir until just moistened.

Bake 350 for 12 to 15 min.

Icing


Butter Cream Cheese Icing:

8 oz. softened cream cheese
3-4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar (more, if needed)(I only used 1 1/2 cups)

Beat until the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add 3 vanilla. Add in the powdered sugar a cup at a time; beat till smooth. Add more sugar, if needed.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

After School Snack "Trail Mix"



When I was in college my mom use to make homemade trail mix and give it to me. Today I picked up several bags of trail mix. Some are healthy with unsalted nuts and dried fruits of course there is also some chocolate and peanut butter chips. If I can keep the girls portion control in check I think this will be a good and fun after school snack. I have some small espresso cups without handles that are good for helping the girls with portion control.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

The Choreganizer: A fun way to teach your children about chores and how to get them done



FAMILY BUILDING RESOURCES :: ORGANIZATION
Choreganizers: The Visual Way To Organize Household Chores
Price: $20.95 CAD
AUTHOR: Jennifer Steward


The Chorganizer comes with 48 colourful chore cards. Cards are easy to understand for non-readers but not too childish for those who can. Mom assigns chores by simply hanging the appropriate cards on the child's chart. An incentive system helps to keep interest and reinforce good working attitudes.

GRADE(S): K5/K - Grade 8

We have been using this product for a week now. We are off to a great start. The children actually get excited about doing chores and doing them well. The reward for the child is mom money and dad dollars. The children once a week get to spend the money at the chore store. We included in the store this week some fun items from the dollar tree as well as coupons for special time with mommy or daddy. The children have already asked when can they pick out next weeks chores. What a great product.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas




1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8 oz sour cream
1 can chopped green chiles (4.5 oz)
1 package 12 6 inch flour tortillas
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 cups chopped cooked chicken

Heat oven to 350. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish
In a medium bowl mix soup, sour cream and green chiles

Spoon 2 tablespoons mixture down center of each tortillia,
Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup chicken and 1/4 cup cheese
Fold sides of tortilla over filling, place seam side down in baking dish

Spoon remaining soup mixture over filled tortillas.
Cover tightly with foil

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Remove from oven. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and bake uncovered 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Chocolate Chip Cookies



Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup rolled oats, ground to a fine powder in a blender
2 1/4 cups unbleached bread flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature (resist the urge to microwave)
3/4 cup organic sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (preferably authentic)
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 eggs
3 cups or one standard package of milk chocolate chips

1. Grind the oats in a blender or food processor.

2. Measure the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into the blender jar (or food processor) and pulse to thoroughly combine all the dry ingredients.

3. Cream together the butter and both sugars. Add eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla, stirring well after each addition.

4. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet stuff, and mix until fully combined.

5. Add chocolate chips and stir by hand to evenly incorporate the chocolate.

6. Refrigerate the dough for an hour or overnight.

7. Drop the dough by large spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Leave plenty of room for the cookies to spread as they cook.

8. Bake at 350° F for approximately 16 minutes, or until barely golden and still slightly raw. You'll have to do this in batches, so keep the extra dough in the fridge while the first batch is baking, and make sure the pan is completely cool before you spoon on the next round of dough.

9. Cool the cookies on the pan for five minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before packing the finished cookies into an air-tight jar or sealed zipper baggies.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Turkey Pasta Soup "Mommy's famous noodle soup"


I got this recipe out of a magazine once. The recipe won a grand prize and since then my children call this Mommy's famous noodle soup. This is an easy soup with great flavor. My children love this soup. The broth is what makes it the best.

1 cup uncooked small pasta shells
1 pound lean ground turkey
2 medium onions chopped ( I use one large onion chopped)
2 garlic cloves minced. ( I used one teaspoon minced garlic)
3 cans (14 1/2 ounces each reduced sodium chicken broth) I prefer organic chicken broth I think it has a richer flavor
2 cans ( 14 1/2 ounces each) Italian stewed tomatoes ( I cut up the tomatoes into small pieces my family does not like large tomato bites in soup
2 cans (15 ounces each) Cannellini beans, or white kidney beans (Not White (great northern) beans) rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon fennel seed crushed (don't leave this out it makes the broth have a wonderful flavor)
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

In a large pot cook the onion and garlic then add turkey and brown. Drain and stir in the broth, beans, tomatoes and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 min. If you have the time I allow this soup to simmer very low for awhile. When you are ready to serve cook the pasta and drain then add to the soup. Adding the pasta earlier in the process causes the pasta to fall apart and the soup gets mushy.

1 1/3 cup = 211 calories

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

A new Chicken casserole

Fresh Raspberry Mini Muffins for an after school snack



1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped frozen or fresh fruit

Bake 350 for 12 to 15 min

These are a great snack. Today I made them with frozen raspberries. I also made them mini muffins which helps the kids with portion control.

Through The Fire

So many times I’ve questioned certain circumstances
Or things I could not understand
Many times in trials, weakness blurs my vision
And my frustrations get so out of hand
It’s then I am reminded I’ve never been forsaken
I’ve never had to stand the test alone
As I look at all the victories, the Spirit rises up in me
It’s through the fire my weakness is made strong

And He never promised the cross would not get heavy and the hill would not be hard to climb
He never offered victory without fighting but He said help would always come in time
Just remember when you’re standing in the valley of decision and the adversary says give in
Just hold on, our Lord will show up and He will take you through the fire again

I know within myself that I would surely perish
But if I trust the hand of God, He’ll shield the flames again

And He never promised the cross would not get heavy and the hill would not be hard to climb
Just hold on, our Lord will show up and He will take you through the fire again
Just hold on, our Lord will show up and He will take you through the fire again

School Lunch Box



Today's school lunch included a orange juice box, yogurt, and a whole wheat sandwich with turkey, provolone and organic greens.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Zuchinni Chocolate Cake



This is a picture of the cake I made last week. It is a delicious cake. I got the recipe out of the current issue of "The Fresh Market" in store magazine. I would give you the recipe but I can not find the magazine.

Light & Tasty Magazine Macaroni Scramble


1 cup elbow macaroni
1/2 pound lean ground beef ( I used lean ground turkey)
1 small onion chopped
1 celery rib chopped
1 small green pepper chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1 can reduced sodium tomato soup
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

cook pasta according to directions
In a skillet cook meat, onion, pepper, celery and garlic. Once all is cooked drain pasta and added to meat mixture. Add soup and spices bring to a boil then simmer. Top with cheese.

This got a do over vote from the Children. A do over vote means they would like to have it again. I would suggest if your husband is a big eater that you double the recipe. This dish was a little mild for me but it is a very easy school night supper with vegetables in it.

Friday, January 11, 2008

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Muffins



Lets just say Whole Wheat never tasted so good! Enjoy!

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup organic sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips

Bake 350 for 15 to 20 min.

Healthy Tortillas


This week I found this wonderful brand of tortillas at the store. They are a healthy alternative when you do not have time to make your own. I really enjoyed the product so I want to share the web site which has lots of good recipe ideas.

http://www.tumaros.com/recipes.htm

Make your own tortilla wrap





Today for lunch my children we allowed to make their own tortilla wraps. All the healthy options were placed on the counter. The funny things is they each decided to make a pizza wrap. This was an easy way to get the kids out of bed and excited and helpful all at the same time. Eating healthy can be fun.

Pizza Night "Turkey Pepperoni"



This is a easy Pizza with a crescent roll crust. Tonight we added Turkey Pepperoni for a twist.

Reversal Of Alzheimer's Symptoms Within Minutes In Human Study




PET Scan of Alzheimer's Disease Brain. (Credit: NIH/National Institute On Aging)



Here is a hopeful article about advancement in Alzheimer's research. Lets pray for a cure!!!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080109091102.htm

Saturday, January 5, 2008

One Chicken two types of meals



With colds going around the house it was time for daddy's favorite comfort food. Chicken casserole with rice, cheese, broccoli, and mushroom soup. This is a very yummy meal except one of my children was not in the mood for brocolli. So a box of organic salad, add some shredded chicken and cheese and some very yummy raspberry dressing not shown. This one chicken made 5 people very happy and everyone felt better after a good comfort food meal.

CELEBRATION



I was given this sculpture for Christmas. It is part of a collection by Cindy Burton called Women of the way.

http://www.ttcollectiblegifts.com/womenoftheway.html

A song that describes me!!!

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Ringing in the New Year 2008


It is hard to believe that another year is gone and a new year has begun. I am not one for New Year Resolutions but I do take time to reflect. I am like so many that want to make changes and improve certain areas. I pray that we each take time to reflect on the year that has passed. I heard that if you do make a resolution list you will notice what you hold as a priority. That alone is enough to make you think about what should be a priority and how you would like to improve.