What my kids do on vacation!

So, last week was school vacation. It was beautiful 70-80 degree weather ALL WEEK!! It couldn't have been more perfect. Now it's raining and cold outside.

So, my kids had the week all planned out. Since it was Earth Day on Tuesday, we planned to pick up trash and paint pictures outside with the neighbor kids. That was so much fun-except it was nearly 85* and the kids were soooooo hot! They survived.

We then explored the woods in our backyard. It goes for about 3 miles. We have a cute little stream where they like to catch frogs-ewwww! The kids had a blast!

We then visited my sister in MA. It was pretty hot that day too.

All in all it was a great vacation! The first I have never dreaded in 7 years! YIPPEE!

Here are the kids in action!

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy

Well, I haven't been on here in a while. School vacation & nice weather does that to me! :) I have been a baking & cooking fool! I bet my kiddos don't want to go back to school to eat that nasty "hot lunch!" Austin always complains. I probably should be a nice mom & make his lunch, huh? Maybe next week!

So, tonight I tried a chicken stir fry recipe. It was soooo yumy! I used a ton of garlic, which my hubby loved me for! It was a kinda throw-together recipe. I used boneless/skinless chicken breast, garlic-chopped, shallots-sliced, carrots-diced, celery-chopped, green, red & yellow peppers-thinly sliced and soy sauce all on top of a bed of brown rice. It was sooooo yummy! My whole family devoured it!

Anyways, I did take pictures! (YAY!) Here they are:

Shallots & garlic sauted in olive oil:

Next is chicken cubed & mixed with soy sauce:

Then, chop all the veggies:
Oops! No Diet Pepsi in the recipe-that's mine! ;)

Chicken & veggies simmering in soy sauce.

Then cook the brown rice:

Voila! The finished dish! It was so good! I will definitely make it again!

Finally! Burrito night!

Well, what a week!! I still feel like crud but I managed to make the burritos-yes me! Austin was too busy enjoying the 60 degree weather we were having to come inside & cook! I promise, next week it will be the children cooking!

So, these burritos were probably the best I have ever made myself! Even Arron was impressed!
I did take pictures up until the steak was done.....then my camera died! Ooops!
So here is the burrito in the making!


First, I cut up all the veggies and it looked so yummy. (this is so good just eaten with Tortilla chips!)

Then, Arron suggested that we grill the steak. Great idea!! So, me, the woman who nevah grills, started the grill. This is the meat on the grill!

Next, I made the rice. I looked at the box and was like, huh? Darn it! I got chicken flavored! Ah well. So, I cooked it.

So, here are the tortillas & salsa (the boys like extra salsa!) I just thought i would take this one. :)

And this is the last one before my camera died! It is the meat fully cooked! Soooooo yummy! I highly suggest making this recipe! I don't think I will be buying any burrito kits again!

Really, you should make these soon! They are so easy & soooo yummy! Hopefully, next time you can see the finished result!!

Enjoy!

Pushed back another day.

I just wanted to post quickly that I am so sick with strep! I will be postponing the meal again tonight. Hopefully tomorrow I will be feeling better!

What's for dinner?

So, I am menu planning starting this week. I did a trial run last week & it went pretty good. I am usually not a meal planner-I like to decide that day what we will be having. Since I am sick (horrible cold) the kids will not be doing their "pick a meal" tonight. (bummer!) So, depending on how I feel tomorrow night, it will be Austin's night.
I did my groceries this past weekend and I cannot belive how expensive food has gotten! I remember when a can of tuna was $.89-it's now $1.49-crazy!! I got all the ingredients for this weeks meals. (although tonight, my sweet husband will be cooking!)
So, for tomorrow, Austin said he would like to make steak burritos. I always like to make a side of Spanish rice but none of my children will eat it. More for hubby & me! So, I went online and found a good steak burrito recipe from Rachael Ray's website. It looks great & Austin agreed! So, that is the recipe for tomorrow night. Here is the recipe:
Rachael Ray's Skirt Steak Burritos with Tomato-Corn Salsa
I will post pictures tomorrow!
Enjoy!

Ah, love!

I know this has nothing to do with food in the least but I just love the book The Notebook-I love the movie even more! I just finished reading it for the 6th time-yeah, I'm weird! lol

Just the idea of having a romance like Noah & Allie is so dreamy. It is my absolute favorite movie-ever! I love the way they loved each other. I don't know if that's how all romances were back then but I would have loved to date & fall in love like that. (Oh, I love my husband dearly but the way they make it seem in this story is just incredible!)

I plan to watch & read this one many, many more times.

Anyway, here are some pictures from the movie that I adore!

Cooking with the Kids

So, today I was going through all of my old magazines as a part of my Spring cleaning. I have soooo many! I tried to pawn some off on my neighbor but she didn't want but 2. (That didn't help me too much!) The one magazine that I never throw or give away is Family Fun. It is my all time favorite magazine! I got a subscription for me and my sister in 2007 until 2010 for $5! That's an amazing deal. So worth every cent!

So, I have been reading this magazine since Dayton was a baby. Trying to find the best new baby toys, games, ideas for crafts, places to visit across the US, holiday ideas (they have the best Halloween costume ideas!) party ideas (the best!) and so, so much more. I could never throw them away! As a mother, I depend on this stuff!

So, I sat down today & tore out the recipes that I have used and loved over the past year or so. My kids love to help cook, especially Sierra. She brings a bar stool up to the counter and helps me mix, stir, pour and taste-the best part! The boys help sometimes but they aren't really into that kinda thing-except licking the spoon full of cake batter. I ended up with quite a stack of pages. I indeed will be using these recipes often. The kids have one night a week that they get to pick what to eat for dinner. Monday is Austin, Tuesday is Dayton & Wednesday is Sierra. They are pretty easy meals. Austin usually picks mexican, Dayton is usually some sort of meat & potatoes and Sierra varies-a lot! lol

So, I am going to start sharing what the kids chose to eat on "their" night. Every week I will share the recipe along with a picture. I am really looking forward to this!

Here is one of my favorite (easy) recipes that me and the kids have made.
Enjoy!

Cheese Calzones

Easy Pizza Dough
3/4 cup Quick Marinara Sauce
1 1/2 cups grated cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli crowns or 1 1/2 cups sliced precooked sausage

1. Make a batch of Easy Pizza Dough and prepare a large baking sheet.
2. Divide the dough in half. With floured hands, press each half into a large oval, then switch to a rolling pin and roll it out until it measures about 6 by 9 inches.
3. Now your child can spoon sauce across the bottom half of each oval, leaving a 1-inch border uncovered. Then she should sprinkle on the cheese, followed by the broccoli pieces or sausage, dividing the toppings equally between the 2 calzones. TIP: Cut the broccoli into small pieces--the steam in the baking calzone will cook it to just the right tenderness.
4. Use a fingertip to lightly moisten the entire edge of the dough with water, then fold the top over the side that's piled with toppings, matching up the edges. Pinch together the edges, making sure the layers stick. TIP: When sealing the calzones, pinch together the edges and give them a short roll to create a roped edge.
5. Transfer the calzones onto the baking sheet, spacing them well apart, and use a knife to poke 3 or 4 small steam vents in the top of each one. Let the calzones rest for 10 minutes while you heat the oven to 400°.
6. Bake the calzones on the center oven rack for about 30 minutes, until dark and crusty on the top and bottom. Slide the calzones onto a wire rack and let them cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Be careful--the steam inside can be very hot. Serves 4 to 6.

Good eats!

I just love this bunch of pictures. My niece turned 1 in January and my sister, Amy, is so funny about Ava being "messy!" I thought these pictures were priceless! My mom & I laughed because it is so my sis!

This is Ava enjoying her yummy, chocolate frosted, organic cupcake! Delish, right Ava?!

Mom looks thrilled at her messy little Ava! It's only once in a lifetime your baby gets to do this, right! (especially for Ava!) It didn't last too long because she was quickly swept away and cleaned up for gift opening.

There's my sweetie! She was tuckered out but definitely had her good eats!

Shake Shake Shake...Shake Shake Shake

I was never really one for dairy. Being on this health kick has brought out a new side in me. It's a pretty good side! I love eating something and feeling good after. I love to exercise and feel great after! You get the point.

So, I needed something to fill me up as a mid-day snack. I was sick of the same old thing and decided to check out new recipes for snacks. That's when I found these delicious smoothies. My kids even like them!

I don't like bananas at all and a lot of smoothies call for them. I looked and found very simple recipes.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Smoothie

2 cups fresh strawberries
1 cup ice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon Splenda

1/2 cup skim milk
6 ounces light vanilla yogurt
Mix together in blender.

Vanilla Honey-Nut Smoothie

2 cups vanilla low-fat frozen yogurt
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk

1/2 cup fat-free milk

1/3 cup cubed soft silken tofu

1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (optional)

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Sprinkle with flaxseed, if desired.

Berry Surprise

1/2 cup strawberries

1/4 cup blueberries

1/4 cup raspberries

1/4 cup of milk

Mix together in blender.