Thursday, March 29, 2012

Do-It-Yourself: Wheat Thins


Well, I've looked at this recipe over at Kitchen Stewardship several times and really wanted to make my own Wheat Thins.  My kids fly through boxes of Wheat Thins and I hate that the ingredients list is so long.  I just want to know that what they are consuming in masses isn't going to kill them.  So I tried this one.

Honestly, I completely screwed it up.  For some reason, I had a really hard time getting it all mixed together, even with the KitchenAid.  And I don't have a lot of patience for rolling things out.  So my Wheat Thins were pretty sad looking.  But I do want to make them again.  We all loved the way they tasted; we just couldn't get them to look good.

So I will be working at these again soon.  They take some time, but they are yummy!  Let me know if you try them.  I'd love to hear how they work out for you.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

25 Spring Break Ideas

1. Purchase a roll of art paper and get creative with your kids.  Watercolors, finger paints, markers, outline each other's bodies and add the details, be creative!

2. Make Smores!  Get the fire pit going in the backyard or pop them in the microwave.  And don't forget to add those colored Peeps for a fun twist.

3. Memorize a piece of Scripture together.  Pick on that pertains to where you're family is at and challenge each other to memorize by the end of the week.

4. Make an Easter Garland.  Pick bunnies, eggs, or peeps and make a seasonal garland together.

5. Have a sleepover!  Pitch a tent in the living room, pop popcorn, and turn out the lights.

6. Make ice cream.  Pull out that homemade ice cream recipe or try a new one.  What a great way to spend time in the kitchen with your kids.

7. Do a community service project.  Select a project to donate your time to and work alongside your kids.  Show them the value of working hard and serving others.

8. One on one dates.  Take your kids out and spend some one on one time together.  Let them pick the activity (within reason) and just listen.  Who knows what you'll learn?

9. Read a book together.  Pick a book to read as a family and read a bit each day.  Great cuddle time.

10. Learn something new together.  Go to a museum, open up the internet, take a class together.  What are your kids interested in?  Learn about it together.

11. Tackle a project together.  Do you have a fun creative project you'd like to work on together?  Use the extra time to tackle that project.

12. Get ready for guests.  Create a new spring wreath, bake a special dessert, freshen up the guest room. Work together and remember the joy of spring.

13. Make a new batch of Play-doh.  Try some Pumpkin Pie Play-doh or Kool-aid.  And play with the spring colors.

14. Create cards.  Break out the scrapbook paper and markers and make a stack of cards to send to loved ones.

15. Plan a neighborhood bike ride.  Get the neighborhood kids together, add some streamers to the bikes, and have a bike ride.  What a great idea for community pride!

16. Plan a playdate at the park.  Pack up a picnic, gather some moms, and let the kids play as long as they want.

17. Cook a meal together.  Allow the kids to help you plan and cook the meal.

18. Go local.  Make a list of local places you've always wanted to visit and plan to see 3-4 of those throughout the day.

19. Plan a family game night.  Put together some fun prizes like no chores for one day, pick your favorite dessert, or day out with mom.

20. Have a pizza party.  Lay out all the toppings and let them build their own pizzas.  Top the night off with a family movie.

21. Create a Spring Break scrapbook.  Spend the day taking photos of each other and put them in a special book to remember your time together.

22. Start a journal together.  Create a journal where you can write letters back and forth to each other.  Save it for times of encouragement and love.

23. Make a batch of Peanut Butter Easter Eggs.

24. Create a family movie.  Let the kids come up with a script, create the costumes, and act it out before the camera.  Have a movie premiere with fresh popped popcorn.

25. Plan a nothing day.  Let the kids jump on the trampoline, play with the dog or watch cartoons.  Stay in your jammies and catch up on some relaxing.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Brownie Batter Dip {Pinterest Inspired}


A couple of weeks ago, I was running around the house trying to get dinner ready for company and kept thinking I needed to have something for dessert.  Now usually I skip dessert, but these time I was thinking it might be fun to have something extra.  So I was searching my brain, trying to come up with something yummy and possible with ingredients we already had in the house.  I checked my Pinterest boards to see if I could come up with something.

That's when I remembered this Brownie Batter Dip that I had pinned a few weeks prior.  It was so easy to put together and absolutely amazing.  We served it with apple slices and pretzels, and it made the perfect sweet ending to our meal.  Just a simple little thing to make our evening special.  Enjoy!

Monday Muddle

Monday... Monday... This Monday has caught up with me.  I'm usually at my son's school right now helping teach Math.  Hilarious to me since I'm a former English teacher, but that's how my Monday morning typically goes.  But this Monday, I'm laying on the couch.  Sick! Yuck!  What a way to start the week.

We did have a fun weekend.  My sister in law came out to see my son play T-Ball.  It was opening weekend and unfortunately we got rained out.  But it was fun to have the company.  She just had a great time being here in the middle of the chaos.  They did go see a movie and the kids came back so excited.  It was a nice break from routine.

I'd love to share more, but this sickness is just zapping my energy.  Hope your weekend was filled with fun and good memories.

Here's our menu for the week:

Breakfasts:
Cereal and fruit
Oatmeal and bananas
Pancakes

Lunches:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sammies
Green Salad
Leftovers
String cheese, carrots and dip, fruit

Dinners:
Monday: Tomato Soup
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Potato Soup
Thursday: Hamburgers, potato salad
Friday: Spaghetti, french bread
Saturday: Breakfast for dinner
Sunday: Leftovers

How was your weekend?
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