Chocolate cake in a mug. Yummy!

Hi there. I am new to this blog, and I am soooo excited to start sharing ideas, tips, and even recipes. I was recently asked to do a cooking demonstration at our church's Souper Saturday. Once a year, we gather together as women, sisters, mothers and daughters, and have a day where we take classes on Genealogy, quilting, crafts and cooking. We also usually have some type of service project in the works. We call it Souper Saturday because we also have a lunch with yummy soups and delicious treats. It is so fun, and I look forward to it every year. This year, I was asked to do a cooking demonstration on recipes that are either simple to make, or have simple ingredients. I decided to make holiday rice crispy treats, white chocolate popcorn, and a yummy chocolate cake you make in the microwave in a coffee mug. The class was so fun! I use to sell Pampered Chef, and after a while I discovered that while I LOVE to teach people cooking technique's, I really didn't enjoy asking them to buy products. So teaching this class was right up my alley!
The recipes were really easy to make. For Holiday Rice Crispy treats, I made plain Rice Crispy treats (you can usually find the recipe either on the side of the box, the inside of the box, or on a bag of marshmallows). Then, I made a batch with Red Hots. I have also done this with crushed candy canes or butterscotch candies. Mmmmm. Yummy. Oh, my big tip with Rice Crispy treats, add an extra tablespoon of butter. The recipe changed a few years ago, and they decreased the butter by one tablespoon. I say, put it back in! You're making treats, not health snacks. And I recommend using real butter, not margarine.
My next recipe was white chocolate popcorn. I am not a big white chocolate fan. I find it deceiving. Chocolate should taste like chocolate, not cream. But, I digress. I was blessed to have been given a Whirly Pop a few years ago from my Sister-in-law, and I LOVE it. We make kettle corn all the time, and my hubby even adds cinnamon to it. Yum! For this recipe, I make kettle corn using 1/3 cup popcorn kernels, 1/4 c sugar, 1/4 c veg oil and 1 c white chocolate morsels that I have run through my food processor until powdery. Add everything except the chocolate to your popcorn maker, and make your kettle corn as directed on your maker. After the last kernel has popped, place your kettle corn in a large bowl, and pour your chocolate powder over the top. Mix until the chocolate is melted. Super Yummy Treat! You can also add sliced almonds. I Love It! I have also made this using peppermint white chocolate chips. It made it very....Christmasy. If you don't have a pop corn maker, I suggest you buy the Kettle Corn microwave popcorn. After you pop it, place it in a bowl, and add your chocolate powder. So easy, and delicious, and makes a nice and inexpensive neighbor gift.
My last recipe was the 5 minute chocolate cake in a mug. This was the recipe my good friend sent me:
5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug
Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).
My tips would be to one, spray the inside of your mug with cooking spray. This way your cake will tip out easier. And two, mix the ingredients in a separate bowl first, then add it to the mug. I also use a jumbo mug, but that's just my preference. I like to have this with whipped cream and hot fudge. So yummy, and more convenient when you don't want to dirty a bunch of dishes, and turn your oven on, and wait for half an hour.

I am really excited to be a part of this panel, and share my ideas and tips. Enjoy the recipes!

OK Corral Cakes

It's obvious, I enjoy making cupcakes. For Sweet and Sour's birthday we made horse cupcakes. They were a hit...obviously!
They were super easy to make, and very yummy! The cupcakes were just frosted as usual, then I added a Nutter Butter for the head, sliced small triangles of graham for the ears, attached mini M&M's for the eyes glued on with a little more icing, and then added icing hair and nostrils.

The result was a ranch's worth of tasty trailblazers! Giddyup!

Dumbledore Digits

I love me some spray paint. Oh how I adore it's trans-formative properties. Only one problem. I am hopelessly careless and do things like this when I paint: (At least I took off my wedding ring!)

Doesn't it look like I just battled ferociously in a wizard duel?
Yes, that would be so cool for Halloween, and now I know how to achieve the look, but it doesn't really work well for PTA meetings and such, but I could NOT get that paint off! I even drenched my hand in acetone! OUCH!

Then, I remembered how once upon a time I removed some Sharpie messages Sweet and Sour had doodled on the door with spray on sunblock and decided to give it a try:
VOILA! It totally worked! I was giddy excited. I didn't really want to explain my horrid hand to the Primary Presidency on Sunday. So...if you ever have a horrible something that you can't seem to get off...think about trying sunblock!

Colorful Cupcakes

I saw this idea in my Family Fun magazine...which by the way, I adore, and I thought it would loads of fun for St. Patty's day treats. It's a "End of the Rainbow" cupcake. It was a little labor intensive, but VERY easy.

First, I chose a white cake mix. I loved it's fluffy texture and the very white canvas to add coloring to. I whipped up the mix and then divided it into 5 different bowls. To the bowls I added red, yellow, blue, green, and "purple" (red and blue) food dyes.

Mix it up good. The more coloring you use, the more saturated the mixed color.

Then, I use about a tablespoon of each to in a greased WHITE cupcake liner. Do one sample cupcake first to really decide how much of each color you need.

Then bake as directed and VOILA!

They turned out SUPER fun! I recommend that you put the bulk of the color in a line around the perimeter of the cupcake to really show that rainbow effect!

Now, I know that St. Patty's is over, but I think you could adapt this in so many ways! Think about all pastels for Easter, or maybe Red, White, and Blue for the 4th...I'm dreaming of the candy corn colored cupcakes I'm going to bake for Halloween! I'm so excited! I adore me a good cupcake! They don't require any utencils or plates and they are so pretty when you color them up like this!

Wonderful Web

I'm a sucker for organization/decorating/motherhood blogs. Obviously. I just found one I think is fun to read and she has some good ideas. See if you like it too.
www.transforminghome.blogspot.com

Do you have any blogs or websites you can't live without?

Book Order Bonus

I don't know about the rest of you, but I cringe every time my children bring home book orders. Don't get me wrong, I'm a book lover to the Nth degree, I just hate thinking about how much money to let them have, what "junk" books they are going to wish for, and whether I want to store those books they are ordering instead of just renting them from the library. Usually I shove the papers aside and say, "Let's ask Daddy", which almost never happens and then the day they are due the children sob and whine and put on big pouts and I: a) give in and order them something, or b) say no and feel guilt. Both options are not the best, so I decided to try something new.

The idea hatched when I was having a particularly frustrating day. You see, I'd been struggling with the Chickies and their messy rooms for some time now. It seemed there was no way to consistently get them to tidy up before school. So, I made them a deal. If the Chickies keep their rooms clean between book orders (with a few "forgiveness" days for when we are rushed or someone is sick), when book orders come home they get to choose something.

My friends, a miracle happened after that commitment! The Chickies have kept their rooms tidy for a full month now, the rooms only take moments to clean because they are cleaned everyday, and when they brought home their book orders I was more than happy to comply! It was a HUGE win-win for all of us...and I'm not as worried about those "extra" books lying around, because I know they won't be "lying around", they'll be tucked into someone's book shelf! Yay! Hope it works for you too!

Amazing Photographer.. Win a free session!!

So the girl who took my little Kynzie's AMAZINGLY GORGEOUS 3 year pictures (see here) is doing a contest to win a free photo shoot, go to her blog.. {http://heathertelfordsphotoblog.blogspot.com}.. check out her pictures.. you will LOVE them.. and enter to win!

Heather Telford Photography

Photo Session Giveaway..!!!!

I have been having so much fun doing Pictures

and feel so blessed

to have such fun, sweet clients

that I feel it is time

to give my faithful readers/viewers a chance

to win a free session.

Here's the low down..

You get 1 entry for leaving me a comment about one thing that you look for in a photographer
or what you expect during a photo session etc..

You get 2 entry's if you ToTaLlY brag about this on your blog to share the giveaway love.. :)

Finally you get 3 whoppin entry's if you joinHeather Telford PhotographyonFacebook and suggest me to all your compadres....

Alrighty then

Ready...set...go...

you have until Feb 5th at midnight..

and

thankyou

again to making 2009

such a great year for HT Photography..!!

Dear Santa...

Wanna send your letter to Santa and help those in need? You can do both this season at your local Macy's Department store!

I saw this advertised on television and decided to let the Chickies send their letters in! Here's the scoop. You go to Macy's. They have a desk set up for you to write your letter on and they provide the stationary too! (We made our own cards because we didn't know about the stationary!)
Then, you drop your letter to Santa into the beautiful mailbox made just especially for the Jolly Old Soul. With every letter received the "Believe" meter goes up...and with each letter written, Macy's has decided to donate $1 to the Make a Wish Foundation!!!!

So, bundle up your littles and head off to Macy's and feel good about helping out children in need! (And also make wonderful memories for your kids too)

BTW, I spoke to the gentlement in charge of this at Macy's (he happened to be gathering the letters when we stopped by. You can see him behind the mailbox in the picture!) He mentioned that some of the letters will be chosen to receive a reply, so put your return address on the letter if you want to be considered for this. We didn't know about that, so we just signed our names, but if I were to do it again, I'd put our return address...just in case we were chosen!

New Tradition

So, I was thinking about a few of the new traditions I'm going to start this holiday season, and I thought it would be fun to share one of my ideas for this year. Actually, it wasn't my idea, I read it in my Family Fun magazine, but we are going to do it for the first time this year! Here's the scoop.

I will purchase several special pre-packaged treats and Christmas cards. Enough for one each week in December. Then, at the end of each family night, our little family will pile into the mini-van and head out to a new neighborhood in search of our favorite Christmas light display for the evening. We will then award the home we deem "the ultimate of the evening" with the goodies and a card thanking them for the display from our family.

I thought this would be great because we already go on so many Christmas drives each year, and I thought how much it would thrill someone to have people, maybe people they don't even know, stop by and tell them how much they appreciate their work! I'm going to scour a different neighborhood each family night so we get a variety of different types of displays, from the humble homes to the amazingly lit mansions of the Riverbottoms! It should be a blast!

What new (or tried and true!) traditions are you looking forward to this year? Would you care to share?

Baby Steals & Kid Steals

Every day on these websites there is a daily good deal on baby stuff or kid stuff.. sign up for email alerts and be one of the first to find out what the deal of the day is! It's always random stuff but sometimes it's something you would want. (Click on the logo to go to the websites if you want to)

Pumpkin Dessert

I do NOT like pumpkin pie. Many years ago I threw it up and I think that's what did me in (crucial details). But I really like this pumpkin dessert! We made it for Nate's birthday party the other night and had it with ice cream. Yummers.

1(15 oz) can pumpkin puree
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
4 eggs
1 1/2 c white sugar
2 t pumpkin pie spice
1 t salt
1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 c chopped pecans (optional)
1 c margarine, melted
1 8 oz container whipped cream or vanilla ice cream


Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 9x13 pan.In large bowl combine pumpkin, evaporated milke, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix well, spread into prepared pan.Sprinkle cake mix over top of pumpkin mixture and pat down. Sprinkle pecans (optional), then drizzle with melted margarine.Bake for 60-80 min. or until done. Top w/ whip cream or vanilla ice cream when ready to serve.

The Proposal coupon

If you liked this movie as much as I did and plan to buy it so you can watch the "dancing in the woods" scene over and over...

...there's a coupon for $10 off Blu-Ray dvd OR $5 off regular DVD here

Check out this Blog

My friend is the author of this blog and it is awesome. She puts in different deals everyday.

http://sheshopssmart.blogspot.com

It's What's For Dinner

I have spent the last 11+ years of my life lamenting this question:

What's for dinner?

Now, it's not that I dislike mealtime, or don't enjoy cooking. I just abhor the decision making process, and then nothing is more irritating than starting a meal and realizing you don't have all the ingredients to finish it off. Bleh.
I especially despise this cunundrum when the school year begins. I know the Chickies are going to be hungry, and we've got an intense schedule with homework, sports, lessons, etc. Milling around trying to figure out dinner isn't a good use of my time these days. Thankfully, I was stuck in Deseret Book a few weeks ago while CK1 and the Chicks were perusing and I reached for a sweet little book called, "Simply Living Smart" by Anitra Kerr. It was only about 60 pages long and the cover looked fun and fanciful. I decided to gleen a bit from this organizing book while the others continued their searches. I sat myself down in a big comfy leather chair and began flipping through the pages.
To make a short story long (as only I can), I bought the book after pretty much reading the whole thing there in the store, and brought it home because I enjoyed and thought I could use so many of the ideas Anitra had.
Here's my favorite idea:
It's a meal plan. Here's how it works. Sit down and write out 14-20 of your best and easiest meals. I didn't think I could get that many, but once I sat down and really thought about it, I had more than enough and I'm still adding to the original list! Also, include a few of the ones that are special to your family, or new recipes you've been dying to try out. Write each dinner, along with the sides you wish to include, on a 1 inch sticky note. Use the colors of the sticky note to your advantage. Orange is beef, yellow is chicken...etc. That way, you know at a glance not to have two of one color in a row. (Chicken overload? Yep...we've been there!)
Now, start arranging your sticky notes onto your big calendar. I got my calendar at Costco. It's nice and roomy.
Now, each Saturday afternoon I go to the grocery store. You can choose any day to do your shopping, I just find that inevitably I have to go to the store on Saturdays anyway, so I might as well do it then. Anywho, I glance at my dinner's for the next week and make a list of all the items I need to finish off the menus. You could also check out the week's adds and make meals that include the items on sale for that week!



OK, so once you have made that menu...just move it on down the calender. You can quickly and easily move dinners to a different day if hubby decides to surprise you with dinner out! Also, if you find a recipe doesn't resonate with the family (nice way of saying "ick"!) then just toss the sticky note out.
I can't tell you how this method has changed my life! No more, "Mom! What's for dinner" questions. They know to check the calendar. It has also curbed some of the snacking, because the kids know that something they like is just a few hours away! "I'm just gonna have an apple, 'cause I wanna be hungry for those chicken nuggets Mom!". Music to my ears.
CK1 just said last night. "I love your new menu thing. I feel like I'm back in grade school getting all excited over what's on the lunch menu!"
For me, it's been so nice to put the quickest and easiest menu's on the days that are most intense, and perhaps leaving the bigger meals for Saturday afternoon. I also love knowing all day what I need to do for dinner that night, and having all the ingredients I need to do the job.
Now, many of you have versions of this already in place, and I've tried a few plans in the past. This particular method just works well for me. I hope you can use it too!

Couponing... more helps

Hello Ladies!! I know that a few of you are TOTALLY starting this EXCITING way to save HUNDREDS a month and build your food storage. Check out this website.. It will help you find tips, classes and deals!
http://www.sheshopssmart.blogspot.com/

Designer Jeans

I've got my very own pair of designer jeans.... Do you remember that song? It dates me maybe but anyway, most of us have always wanted to have a pair but didn't ever want to pay the price. Now is your chance to get some for a fraction of the cost.
Next week there will be a traveling sale of designer clothing. You can even SELL your items to them!
Follow this link for all the info
www.thedesignerconsigner.blogspot.com
I saw a spot on it this morning on Good Things Utah, items are selling for 50-90% off original prices. You can get those boots you have always wanted for only $30. Check it out!

Travel Pillows

I've had quite the sabbatical lately from the blogging world, but I have a few ideas for those of you still needing to travel this summer!

So, our drive back from Bear Lake this summer was nothing short of traumatic. Poor Sweet and Sour had Bobble Head Syndrome in her car seat as she struggled falling asleep while her head swayed back and forth, and Sugar and Spice struggled finding a comfortable place to put their heads without sacrificing their blankets. I didn't bring full size pillows because they take up so much room, and when you are staying in a hotel, it kinda seems redundant. So, I decided to make them some travel pillows that were small and matched their favorite blankets from grandma.

The older gals just got square pillows, with little ribbon tongues and tails, and buttons sewn in along with a few randomly placed appendages. The result was something very whimsical and animal-like that they loved:
Sweet and Sour needed something to correct the BHS problem, so hers is a neck pillow, sewn into a sort of faux animal shape too. I got the idea from this tutorial http://makeitandloveit.blogspot.com/2009/06/neck-pillow.html

Now, after completing the pillows, I had leftover fabric which I then used to sew crayon cozies. I got this idea from my amazing friend Mary. It's just a long strip of fabric, with lines sew in to separate the crayons, and subsequently keep them from rolling all over and being crushed into millions of pieces in the vehicle carpet...hopefully.

All wrapped up with the stretchy band it looks like this:

Here's how it looks fully spread out with all the crayons in place (I made them deep enough to hold markers or pencil's too!) Let's hope this solves the "where did my crayon go?" dilemma.

So, there are just a few little things I made for our trek to Bear Lake again this weekend! Hopefully this trip will be much more comfortable!

Education Week

You can attend Education Week at BYU for free if you become a volunteer host! I am the hosting coordinator and I happen to know I have some shifts still open (afternoons, either 2:45-5:25 shifts or 4:45-6:50 shifts Tuesday-Friday). You do have to work all four days and the same shift everyday, but this is a deal because normally these shifts are 3.5 hours but I only have the short ones left. Give me a call if you want to attend ed week for free by volunteering. Education Week Hosting - 801-422-8012.

Cheap Movies at Target

Target has some movies that are $4.75 and $5 right now and you can use this $2 off coupon (http://www.sonyrewards.com/local/files/en/clubs/bluray/moviestaycation//Staycation%20Coupon%20Sheet_Target%20(2).pdf) to get them for about $3! Some of the ones I saw at my Target were Matilda, Little Women, 50 First Dates, Bob the Builder, Thomas, Barbie, Elmo in Grouchland, Barney, Dr. Seuss stuff, Twister, etc.

USEFUL TIPS

Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little 'stringy things' off of it. That's how the primates do it.
Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster
Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!
Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.
Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.
Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and for-get about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and ... ta da! .. static is gone.
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2" with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed! Also ants will not cross a line of Vaseline. Put small amount of Vaseline at the base of cabinets or in door ways or small openings to prevent them from coming where you don’t want them.
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes. He took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material ... I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well ... the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't see the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box ... well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long!

Window Washing

A great homemade window washing solution.
Take 1/2 gallon of water , 3 T of dishwashing soap and 1 T jet dry.
Wash it on then rinse off with the hose....
shouldnt have to dry because of the jet dry it dries without streaks!

Cherry Hill

WOW! So, I haven't been on here for a long time! Please excuse me for my absence! I've had some family issues... but hopefully I'm back into the world now :)

So, this weekend I'm taking my kids to Cherry Hill. I've never been there but it looks very fun! Has anyone ever been there? I'm SO excited! Looks as fun as Seven Peaks but MUCH cheaper and I am always a fan of that!

FREE Summer Movies

There are FREE movies for children at Spanish 8 Theatre each week during the summer.
Each movie plays on
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 10:30 and 1:30.
You can choose any showing, free for all ages.
For the dates July 14, 15, 16 playing THE LION KING
July 21,22,23 Incredibles
July 28,29,30 Toy Story
August 4,5,6 Toy Story 2
August 11,12,13 Monsters Inc.
August 18,19,20 Over the Hedge

Only 200 tickets per showing available. I suggest coming 20 minutes early to guarantee tickets and best seat selection. Go to snack bar and request the number of tickets you need. They will give them to you free but you must have them in order to gain entrance to the individual showing. No outside food or drink. Snack bar open throughout the movie. If you buy a large popcorn (under $5) it is refillable and they will give you smaller individual sized bags for each of the children with you. ( I love this because no one fights over who gets to hold the bag.)

To get to the theater take I-15 South to the Price Manti Exit. Turn left at the first stoplight, then make a right into the parking lot. (In Spanish Fork)
All children must be accompanied by an adult.

SOUTHWEST HAS UNBELIEVEABLE FARES!

If you want a trip.. this is the place to go!!! Sept 9- November 18 $30- $90 each way!!! Excludes Fri and Sun. And they can get sold out! If you were wanting a getaway.. now is the time!

Harry Potter Magic!

I don't know about you, but Harry Potter is still one of my all time favorite book series. I still dream of playing a game of Quidditch and I can't help but wish I could have a boy someday named Albus. So, you can imagine my thrill as I dropped little Spice off to a Harry Potter birthday party the other day that was over the top amazing!

I asked this Supermom her permission to put her blog post on here and she agreed!
Just click on the link below to see her wonderful ideas for a Harry Potter party.

http://straightfromthehose.blogspot.com/2009/06/janes-harry-potter-party-iii-recap.html

Also, after several years of trying to figure out how to whittle a good looking Harry Potter wand for the Chickies to play with, I asked her for her trick for making the wands. Here's the tutorial she gave me:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-an-awesome-Harry-Potter-wand-from-a-sheet-of-/

ENJOY!

Strawberry Days

If any of you Utah peeps like the rodeo. On Thursday night in PG starts the Strawberry Days Rodeo & kids are FREE on Opening night. It is pretty fun! The only downer is that it does not even start until 7pm, So by the time it ends and you fight traffic and get home it is a very late night. But wroth the grumpy kids to have fun. It is also fun to go on Thursday night because they do a little kids Mutton Riding. Which is the funniest thing to watch those little kids all dressed up and in a helmet trying to hold on to a HUGE Sheep. It is one of my favorite parts. Hope to see you all there:)

Gotta love at how brave these kids are!!!


Oh and lets not forget about these! YUMMY!!!

S'mores

Here is a great yummy summer treat!!!

1 bag (10.5 oz) miniature marshmallows (5 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips (9 oz)
5 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 box (13 oz) Golden Grahams® cereal (8 cups)

1. Grease 13x9-inch pan with butter. Reserve 1 cup of the marshmallows. In 3-quart saucepan, melt chocolate chips, butter, corn syrup and remaining 4 1/2 cups marshmallows over low heat, stirring occasionally, until completely melted. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
2. Pour cereal into large bowl. Pour marshmallow mixture over cereal; stir until evenly coated. Stir in remaining 1 cup marshmallows.
3. With buttered back of spoon, press mixture in pan. Cool at least 1 hour or until firm. Store loosely covered at room temperature. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.

ONE DAY ONLY.. and it's free!

For those of you in Utah The Christmas Carol Train is coming to town!! JUNE 16th!! To Ogden and it is FREE! Believe me it looks worth the 1 hour drive! (And for Jess in Ohio, it comes to Cleveland in September!)

http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/christmascaroltraintour/

YUMMY RECIPES

Tonight for Enrichment I made Cafe Rio Salads. They turned out really good. I found these recipes online and thought I would share them with you all. Hope you enjoy as much as we did!!!

Café Rio Dressing
1 Ranch Dressing Packet (make as per recipe)
2 Tomatillos (remove husk)
½ Bunch of Cilantro
1 Clove of Garlic
Juice of 1 Lime
1 Jalapeno (use seeds if you like it spicy)
Use a food processor to blend all ingredients well, and then refrigerate.

Café Rio Chicken
1 (8 oz) Bottle of Zesty Italian Dressing
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon Cumin
3 Cloves of Garlic (minced)
5lbs of Chicken Breast
Cook all together in a crock pot 4 hours on medium, shred meat, cook 1 more hour, and then enjoy!

Café Rio Cilantro Lime Rice
4 Cups Water
2 Cups Rice
4 Teaspoons Chicken Bouillon (or 4 cubes)
2 Cloves of Garlic
½ Onion (chopped)
1 Large Lime
½ Bunch Cilantro, Chopped Fine
1~Chop onion & garlic & cilantro (remove stems) small. Set aside.
2~In a 4 cup measure squeeze lime so that all the juice is extracted. Fill the container with water until it equals 4 cups total. Place liquid in a sauce pan, add bouillon and bring to boil.
3~When liquid comes to a boil, add onion, garlic, cilantro and rice. Cover and cook 25 minutes, or as long as instructed on the rice package.

Felt Board Stories

So, I was sitting here today trying to think of something for the Chickies to do on a drizzly Sunday afternoon. I'm trying to give them Sunday Bepropriate (that's Carrie's word) ideas instead of turning on a Disney movie and calling it good. I googled Printable LDS flannel board stories and got this link:
http://chocolateonmycranium.blogspot.com/2007/11/flannel-board-stories.html

I'm gonna print these out for the chickies to put on flannel and we're going to create a Sunday play time and FHE story set. Thought you might enjoy the link too!

Crazy Forts

So my boys have spent a long time today making a fort. If any of you have boys you know what kind of mess that can make. But not with the system we got for Christmas from my amazing Mom~In~Law. These things are so cool and take there imagination to a new high. They use these things all the time and have a blast with them. If you are tired of your furniture and blankets being strung out through the house I would recommend these. We found some cool King size sheets on clearance to put over the forts They even have a kind of cool jungle print on them to make it a little more fun.Click HERE for the website.

Awkward Family Photos

This is a silly thing to share but I needed a good laugh today and this website gave it to me. www.awkwardfamilypictures.com There are some doozies! Here is a sneak peek! Enjoy!

Sidewalk Paint

Great way to entertain and save money!

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
6-8 drops or so of food coloring
a paintbrush
a concrete driveway

It works great and rinses off with water!

From the Ensign

I found these words very applicable and helpful to me today. Maybe they will be for you too!

From a reader (Jean Pace) on pg 12 of the June 2009 Ensign:

"Too much of a good thing is, well, too much. It's hard for me to feel happy when I'm tired and overscheduled. And when we're not happy, it's hard to enjoy the quirky chaos children bring to our lives. Occasionally, it seems we're trying so hard to be good examples of diligence, hard work, and service that we forget to bless our children with an example of calm, happy peacefulness."

"I also try not to do too much multi-tasking. In our family, I've found that spilled milk is a tragedy only if I have planned a million activities for the day and am trying to serve breakfast while also checking my email (I totally do this!) and getting laundry started. Families with young children need space in the day to wiggle. Parents of young children need space in the day to breathe. Emptiness, anger, and exhaustion are not what Heavenly Father expects from or desires for us."

An interesting Emergency Preparedness item!

I don't know about all of you.. but I REALLY want to have all my ducks in a line when a disaster hits. I randomly found this on a GINORMOUS discount and wanted to share it with all of you while supplies lasted! A rifle for $4.99!! Regularly priced at almost $300!

Check it out! And shipping for up to 4 of them is only $4.99!http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_82270____SearchResults

SALE
Gamo® Viper Air Rifle Combo
Gamo: Crafting high-performance airguns for over 60 years!
Gamo Air RiflesA world leader in the production of top-quality, accurate airguns, Gamo insists that strict quality control procedures are followed, to ensure that the best possible product reaches you. Every 90 minutes, during the manufacturing process, each gun undergoes a thorough check. Random guns are put through torture tests, including shooting them 10,000 times. Before final packaging, every airgun is closely re-inspected for quality, power, accuracy, and finish.
Fully jacketed bull barrel balances while improving cocking effort for quick second shots. All-weather synthetic stock features soft rubber inserts and recoil pad. Combo includes a 3-9x40 variable power scope with illuminated reticle. Single shot. .177 caliber. Velocity: 1000 fps with lead pellets; 1200 fps with Raptor PBA pellets (sold separately). Length: 43.5''. Weight: 7.25 lbs.

Some great deals

Although I am not really sure who is and who isn't in Utah, I found some great deals on produce this week at Rancho Markets in West Valley and Provo. Sale ends Monday the 11th, they're open from 7 am -10pm . Its a hispanic supermarket but they do speak english.
WEDNESDAY ONLY :: CARROTS 5 lbs for $1.00
THURSDAY ONLY :: CUCUMBERS 7 for $1.00
Also all week long they have
Oranges 9lbs/1.00
Strawberries 1.00 per pound
Eggs .89 large dozen
Fugi Apples 3lbs/$1
Broccoli Crowns 2lbs/$1
Lettuce 3 Heads for $1
And also Dry Pinto Beans 2lbs for $1 (great for food storage and easy to can into refried beans)

Here is a link to their website where you can see their ad each week.
http://www.ranchomarkets.com

Utah Food Co-op

Apparently, I am in a posting mood today. I don't know if many of you have heard of the Utah Food Co-op, but I absolutely love it. For $23 last month, I received the following:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb. cubed pork
1 - 4 lb. whole roasting chicken
4 - 4 oz. salisbury steaks
1 - 5 lb. bag of small red potatoes
7 bananas
1 lb. strawberries
5 oranges
4 tomatoes
3 cucumbers
1 pkg. red leaf lettuce
1 head of broccoli

For your first order, to become a member, they recommend a minimum donation of $5 and then every month after that, you are just asked to provide 2 hours of service a month to someone outside of your family, this can include your church calling or any other form of volunteering you may do. You can order as many shares as you need and even half shares, etc. Go to this website for more information http://www.foodco-op.net/ . I love it and I highly recommend it. The Provo pickup location is in need of volunteer help on their Saturday pick up dates because most of the BYU students have disappeared for the summer. It is all good quality food! I highly recommend checking it out.

Grease stains

So you know those ugly grease spots you get like right in the middle of your shirt and normally you don't notice it until after you have washed and dried your clothes? Any ideas on how to get those out?

GOOD Mothers Day Deal

Hey girls!
Maybe I am crazy but I got a little excited about this deal I just found and thought I would share it.
From now until the 10th of May (Mother's Day) this website
http://treasuretrove4u.mybisi.com/ has all of their necklace sets for only $3.99. Shipping is 1.49 for first item and only .49 for each additional and they have way cute stuff! The lady who sells them is a stay at home mom that has teenage daughters. They love to accessorize and I might add have great taste! Here is one example.
So go ahead and treat yourself for Mother's Day!

Vinegar

SUNBURNED: It's that time of year when we all think, its not too bad outside, I don't need sunscreen. Well later on that night you wish you had used it. You look like a lobster and are hurting all over and just your luck you have no aloe vera or anything else helpful in the house for this terrible burn. WRONG! You do. Vinegar. Yes, its works amazingly well. Just put 1/2cup vinegar into 2 cups water and mix it. Then apply like a sponge bath (or with a washcloth) to the afflicted area. Allow it to air dry.
Other uses for VINEGAR.
Clean microwave (1part vinegar, 4 parts water)
Surface Household Cleaner (1 part vinegar, 4 parts water)
I keep mine in a spray bottle. Then I know its safe for kids to use too.
Nasty Smells around the house. (straight vinegar)
Put into a bowl or glass and leave out on countertop overnight. The vinegar absorbs the smells!
Pet or children accidents on carpet ( 1 part vinegar, 2 parts water)
Scrub area that has been affected. Vinegar will clean and absorb any odor.
While I am thinking about odor. Help your garbage cans smell better by placing a dryer sheet in the bottom of the can. It will last weeks, smelling fresh each time you remove a bag! I also like to put one in the bottom of my dirty clothes hampers, keeping the laundry smelling fresh.

Removing Ink

All of us have had our children, or ourselves, get ink on their clothes or our furniture, the walls, etc. (the list goes on and on) The easiest way to remove ink is with hairspray Any brand will do although I ALWAYS use the cheap stuff. I keep a bottle on hand just for this purpose. (Hey I have ALL boys) Spray a little on the area and dab. Repeat until the ink is removed. On walls of course you can rub vigorously to remove but be careful with fabric surfaces( your couch) so as not to smear it. With clothing, I just spray it on (like you would spray and wash) and then throw into the load.
And of course with expensive furniture I would start in a spot less visible first, just in case-- but its always worked for me!!

Nasty Microwave

No one likes cleaning out their microwave. Especially because most of us only do it once a month and by then its encrusted with spaghetti sauce, cheese and who knows what else. But there is an easy way to do this without scrubbing and scrubbing, ending up with sore fingertips.
Take a microwave safe bowl and fill with 2 cups of water. Put either 1/2 cup of vinegar or 1 lemon sliced in the water (lemon smells better but I usually don't have any on hand). Cook for 5 minutes. Condensation is now built up over the inside and the steam has loosened your gunk! Remove the bowl and wipe clean with washcloth or sponge. Its totally easy and no more scrubbing!
HINT: Using bleach or cleaning products in your microwave is not a good idea because when you warm other items the condensation can drip from the top into your food. Who wants to eat bleach or lysol! NASTY!
Hope you all enjoy cleaning out your microwave!

Fireproof Your Marriage

I posted this on my private blog, and decided that it was "Care to Share" worthy.

I picked up the movie "Fireproof" from my local redbox this weekend. I was pleasantly surprised! My first thought was, "Yay, it's PG and it has Kirk Cameron (my 80's crush!)", so I picked it up to watch while CK1 did some last minute studying for finals.

It turned out to be a moving film about making your marriage better. CK1 ended up watching it with me Saturday night, and then we watched it again on Sunday. It was a beautiful story and beyond worthy of the $1 I spent to rent it!

Nowadays, its hard to find a good, uplifting flick. So, I'm making the choice easy. Right here is your next date night choice. Trust me :)

Tux Paint

My cousin posted a link to this website on her blog. It's a fun paint program for kids.. and well let's be honest.. adults too. I sat here and played with it more than my little J, until he got mad and wanted his turn again... geesh. Anyway, it's free to download and we all love free stuff! I know I do! Click on the logo to go to the website and make sure you download both programs-- Tux Paint and Rubber Stamps.  You and your kids will love it! 

I'm a Basket Case!

Hi Ladies!

Perhaps I'm slow at this whole "mothering" thing, but I have recently discovered the awesome versatility of the laundry basket.

I like to keep a basket at the top and bottom of my stairs. When I am cleaning the upstairs, any item belonging downstairs is thrown into the basket and carried down when it's convenient for me. Of course, the same ritual applies to the basket at the bottom of the stairs.

And, with the beautiful weather I have been picnicking with the children. More than once last year I made it all the way to our local park only to find I had forgotten the blanket or sunblock. (argh!) But by placing a basket by the front door, I can toss the block in next to the blanket and still wrestle sandals on my toddler's fat feet! Then I just throw the basket in the back of my M.V. (aka mini-van............I'm trying desperately to make my ride sound cooler) and we're off to our destination!

- Missy

I'm in a Jam!

Hey Carers and Sharers, I did this post last year on my private blog, and I made some Jam yesterday so I thought you could use this tutorial on the EASIEST homemade jam recipe EVAR!

ENJOY!

I'm in a jam, because this is what my kitchen looked like after my jam-making afternoon a few days ago:

Nevertheless, it is completely worth every sticky drip and drizzle on my counter! I actually have to give Carrie credit for this recipe. She is the strawberry jam maker extraordinaire, and has been making it since she inherited an amazing patch in her little home on 4th east. She has since moved from there, but continues to make super scrumptious freezer jam! So, thanks to her, here is the EASY recipe:
This recipe makes 3-4 large plastic cups worth and I use about 2 1/2 cartons (1 lb. each) for each batch. Just wash and slice off the tops.

You can crush your strawberries by hand, but I prefer a smoother jam, no big chunks, so I blend them. You should have 4 cups of pureed fruit.

This is the amazing pectin I use. It is a no cook pectin made by Ball. Just add the packet to the strawberries (the directions on the back didn't work quite as well, so I am telling you our recipe, not theirs.

Add one package of pectin and 2 cups of sugar (the recipe says 1 1/2 cups, but we found that was a little too tart...unless you have VERY sweet strawberries).


Stir for 3 minutes, then pour into cups (or any freezable, scoopable container). Allow to sit for 30 minutes to set up.

Then, put a slice of bread in your toaster. I like to smother it in this margarine. It is way yummy, non hydrogenated, and cholesterol free. I have astronomical cholesterol levels, so I have to eat something like this...but even if I didn't, I'd still use it!

AHHHHHH!!!! Jammy Whammy! Look at that delightfulness...if you were here, I would so give you a bite, but since you aren't, you could:

a. Visit me and my jam.

b. Head to Walmart where you can buy all the supplies and whip up a batch for yourself!!!

c. Sit there and wallow in self pity (please choose a or b!)

Question About Two Year Olds

So, I am not a mom! But my husband and I are nursery teachers to almost 10 two to three year olds. We have the same toys every week and I know that the kids may not get bored, but boy do I!!! I need some fun ideas of things that we can do to keep them entertained, especially during reading time. We haven't been having much luck with that one.

Also, here is one freebie idea. Visit Provo Freecycle http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProvoUTFreecycle/ . I love it! I have given some people some things that they have needed and have obtained a couple things that I have needed through this site. It has been great! One man's trash is another man's treasure.

If it's for kids..and it's FREE It's for me!

I like free stuff, as long as it's not junk. As a Vacation Nanny I am determined that the kids and I have FUN on whatever money that the parents happen to allot for activities while they are away and so it is WAY important to have a plethera of things up my sleeve.
I saw these ideas posted on a blog I have followed and have done them myself so I thought it was about time that I posted it on "If You Care to Share" so you too can experience the freeing power or FREE activities! Why? 1. it's free, 2. quality family time, 3. if the crafty item breaks, You don't have to care because it was free!
Below is a few of the wonderful things on the post... As Jessi talked about, there is also wonderful reading times at the library, and I talked about the Macey, Little Theatre which is also free... Please add what you know about!

First, check out Lowes Build and Grow workshops
https://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/ for children. (unfortunately these are only in Northern Utah.. but if you live outside Utah you may be in luck!) These free workshops are hosted by Lowe's every two weeks. The crafts are very cute, and this Saturday, April 25, you can make a hang glider. In my experience, the under 8 crowd will require adult help, but it really is fun and Lowe's has great employees that help out. One of the perks of the Lowe's workshop is that they will give your child a work apron (to keep), safety goggles (to keep), a certificate, and even a patch that can be sown (or hotglued or stapled if you are like me) to the apron! CUTE.
Next, check out Michaels free craft program, THE KNACK http://www.theknackkids.com/Home.aspx .

Starting May 2, they have free workshops every day for a week for children to make crafts for Mother's Day. Encourage your Hunny to take kids and make the picture plates or you can take them to make them for Grandma.

Then there's The Home Depot. http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentView?catalogId=&langId=-1&pn=Kids_Workshops&storeId=10051.

They also have children's workshops. They are the first Saturday of the month. On May 2 your kids can make a wheelbarrow (I am assuming this is a miniature w'barrow, very useful for carting cheerios or legos around). They also get a WAY cute orange mini apron just their size to take home with them.

After your craft, you can get a cheap lunch. Restaurant.com sells gift cards to restaurants for cheaper than the value of the cards. http://www.restaurant.com/consumer-promotion/lp_3a.asp?prti=4252&raid=1150&s_kwcid=restaurant.com3213154037

They are super cheap. There are a few restrictions on when the cards can be used, but if you find a restaurant on the site that you eat at regularly, you should try it.

Then you can stop at Redbox and use a code to get a free video to watch that evening. There is a code for today you can use ALL DAY till midnight for a FREE movie rental tonight.. Ready... M6FR97. There look, Meg has planned your FHE for you tonight and it is FREE (Minus the popcorn you will pop and the goodies you will eat!
Ok.. now that I have cared to share... tell me some things that you know!! I am RUNNING out of ideas!