Archive for Fun Recipes

Fun & Easy Halloween Recipe!

In the madness of Halloween costume making, treks to Target for more candy – fitting in a healthy dinner can seem like Mission Impossible!  Well, banish the sweets for a night and have your kids whip up a tasty dinner of Jack-O-Lantern Quesadillas!  These treats are SO easy for kids to tackle single handedly and yummy too!  Have them use a cheese spreading knife and they can do it all solo. Enjoy!

Jack-O-Lantern Quesadillas 

Ingredients: (makes one)

• 2 small flour tortillas
• 2 TBSP Refried Beans (you could use red sauce instead)
• 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
• Salsa (optional)

Directions: 

1. Spread a layer of refried beans onto a tortilla, leaving ½” around the edge plain.
2. Sprinkle a layer of grated cheese over the beans so they are covered
3. Have an adult use a knife or cookie cutters (I used a moon shape for the mouth and triangles for the eyes, most dollar stores have these out now for pumpkin carving) to cut a Jack-O-Lantern face in another tortilla.
4. Place the face on top of the first tortilla and slide it onto a cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 350º for about 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.  Dip in salsa if you like!

Watermelon Waffles!

Not one to give up on summer… just because school is back in session, need I remind you summer is still officially with us until September 22nd!  So if you are like me, bask in the warm days and savor a good sweat knowing the snow will be here all too soon!  Continue reading “Watermelon Waffles!” »

Tie Dye Butterfly Bites Cookies

As promised…I am including a very fun and easy recipe for the summer!

These cookies could be made into any shape you choose! At our mini camps this week the theme today was Caterpillars & Creepy Crawlies so these were the perfect match! Continue reading “Tie Dye Butterfly Bites Cookies” »

Did You Get What YOU Wanted on Mother’s Day?

So I will be the first to admit that I’ve had some great Mother’s Days and some not so great ones.  I’ve been a mom for 18 years and have 5 kids with not a shy one in the bunch!  This year can be filed in the letdown category.  I guess maybe it starts with the fact that the vision in my head never quite turned into the reality on the day.  In my head/dream…I saw myself lying on a beach ALONE, with a great new book (that was not business based).  I was holding a cold beverage and nobody was bothering me….all day.  My cell phone never rang, nobody asked what I was making for dinner and my family, much as I love them, was nowhere to be seen.  The laundry was completely done by the kids with care and was carefully put away without the usual negative fanfare.  And the dishes, how merry, there were none to be seen.  The dishwasher was loaded by the smiley faced teen.

Well, in reality, I went to a Bloggy Boot Camp seminar all day on Saturday.  Excellent opportunity for the family to make my dream a reality right?  I suspect the kids were lined up for chores and dispersed to “clean” certain areas of the house by dad.  Yes, the house was sparkling when I returned home…it was actually a little on the eerie side.  Upon closer examination, (and opening drawers and doors) I realized they just hid stuff, dumped clothes in the laundry room, and carted my sacred piles off to parts unknown!  The glamour of a sparkling house was killed as a feeling of annoyance took over.  Still, I smiled and praised them for their hard work, so as not to be portrayed as ungrateful.  For the next week I had to wash laundry that I’m quite sure was clean, but just got dumped into rooms and then into laundry bins, had to search endlessly for misplaced items and had to re-create my piles counter; the place where I know just where my items are and they are there for a reason!

What I learned from this?  Next year, I will either book myself a room with a few girlfriends at a spa or I will clearly spell out what I want my day to look like to the family in advance.  Clearly, my husband does not possess the gift of mind reading, nor do any of my 5 kids.  I know they attempted to clean the house for me, but the truth is, my husband prefers a spotless house more than I do so he got his wish.  I can’t stand a messy sink or piles of laundry, of which I got both.  I love being a mom, but having an expectation of a day and then living the reality of a very different day is a letdown.

Moms – do yourself a favor…spell out what you want if you have a vision for a day/event.  I have learned this already because at  Christmas every year my kids always chuckle when they see a certain box labeled “TO: Mom  FROM: Mom.”  When they hand it to me I always say  “Just what I wanted!”  Spell out what you need mom- you’ll get more help and a happier day!  Enjoy these Flower Pot Treats the kids at Hooray for Books made for their moms. You could make them for any special occasion!

Bunny Fun

I will be the first to admit I am new to the blogging world, but couldn’t resist getting my feet wet with this cute Pita (as in the bread) Rabbit recipe to celebrate SPRING. The kids in Hooray for Books classes loved making these healthy, yet adorable treats and the best part – these bunnies require NO baking and can be made with all ages! For the lowdown on the book that accompanied these treats and the recipe…read on! If you have a child with selective listening problems…this is the book for you!

Listen Buddy by Helen Lester. Buddy is a bunny with long beautiful ears who rarely listens! When he is asked to go get some squash, he brings over the wash. When mom needs a slice of bread he brings a slice of his bed! One day, his bad habit gets him into a bit of trouble with a Scruffy Varmint. Will he make it home safely?

Pita (as in bread) the Rabbit

Ingredients (makes 6)

• 6 Pita bread rounds
• 6 Tbsp. strawberry cream cheese (or regular)
• 12 apple cinnamon puffs (Gerber finger food)

• 12 blue candies (or raisins or dried cranberries)
• Pretzel rods

Directions

1. Separate a small pita bread round into two circles using a butter knife. Place it between the layers and cut from the outer edge around the circle. One circle is for the bunny’s face and then cut the other in half for the ears.
2. Arrange the pieces on the plate, smooth side up. Spread with cream cheese.
3. Use a cinnamon puff for the nose. Add two blue candies or raisins for eyes.
4. Carefully break 3 pretzel rods in half for the whiskers and place on either side of the nose. Enjoy your yummy treat!