A Starburst because you are a star in our class.
Laffy Taffy because we are going to have fun.
Smarties because you are so smart.
A pencil because we’re going to work hard.
An eraser because everyone makes mistakes and we can all learn from them.
Crayons for all of your colorful ideas.
A penny for good luck.
A lifesaver because I will always be here for you.
A Candy Kiss because you need a kiss to get through the day!

Have a great back to school first day!

Looking for something cold and smooth on a hot summer’s day?  Always!  I am over the heat already and looking for any relief I can find!

And a smoothie does the trick most days.  I’m easy to please!

1/3 c. vanilla ice cream
1/2 c. Mott’s ™ applesauce
1/4 c. milk
¼ tsp cinnamon.

Put all ingredients into a blender and mixfavorite chilled glass or mug and enjoy!

My kids loved painter’s tape.  A few rolls and they were entertained for hours in the
car!

Tear strips off to decorate the window.  Give them a shape to make or
pattern.  Let them use their imagination.

Have them decorate their pants.  Seems simple enough, but they can make
stars, stripes, dots.   So fun to see what fashion they come up with.  And if you
make a stop you won’t know anyone, so let them strut their stuff in their
fancy pants!

Bring paper along and have them tell a story with tape only.  You can see
what their creative minds come up with.  They can use it to make animal
shapes and even create letters with the tape.   Have them read their stories to
you on vacation!

Any other ideas?  What would you have your kids do with 2 rolls of painter’s tape and a two hour car ride?

1. Smoothies are at the top of the list. Whether you make your own with fresh fruit or use a prepared mix these are a healthier option than the milk shakes I grew up with.
2. Salad greens with feta cheese and bacon. Nothing says comfort like bacon and you can spruce up a salad like cool, creamy feta cheese and crisp bacon crumbled.
3. No bake cookies. We all need a sweet treat! Look for options that don’t require you to be in the kitchen for hours. Chocolate Balls and many Oatmeal Cookie varieties may require only a saucepan.
4. Grilled Hot Dogs and Hamburgers. Nothing says comfort like good American foods and you’ll get outdoors while enjoying the smell of the grill. Skip the fries and substitute some grilled veggies!
5. Crockpot Anything. Put your favorite casserole ingredients in the slow cooker, hit the pool and dinner is done when you get home. use my slow cooker all summer long because it is so much easier for families on the go. Then I can add a simple side dish like salad or fruit and I have an easy meal any day of the week.

What does comfort food mean to you and how are you stay cool in the kitchen this summer?

We love the colorful display of the July 4 fireworks.  Well, the fireworks are over so lets add some flair to our snacks! These colorful treats might remind you of sparklers without the sparkle! You’ll have a blast in the kitchen making these no bake, no cook pretzel sticks and your kids will have even more fun because they made them themselves!

What you’ll need:

One bag of long pretzel sticks
1 can white prepared icing
Candy sprinkles in various colors

Start by dipping the pretzel sticks in the icing tub. If you want the icing to cover more of the pretzel, try spooning it out of the container an placing it on a plate. Then instead of dipping the kids can roll it in the icing until they get enough icing for their tastes. Sprinkle with candy in any variety of colors, turning the pretzel while they sprinkle so the sticks become colorful and festive.

You can let the icing harden or eat right away (my personal choice!)   This is a fun treat for any holiday and with no shortage of decorative sprinkles, you can dress up a treat any time of year!

APPLE VINAIGRETTE
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Mott’s ® apple juice
2 whole fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon honey
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 tsp course ground pepper

Combine vinegar, olive oil, apple juice, basil, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor.
Process until it is smooth. Serve chilled over mixed greens and veggies.

Have a variation or recipe of your own? We’d love to hear about it!

Your kids are under foot all day long.  And so are their messes.  Keeping up with the mess can be a full time job.  What works for one family may not work for another.  But keeping these simple tips in mind can ease the frustration and keep the chaos at bay.

Identify what is important – Ability to walk without tripping and a clean / sanitary environment may be your priority.  Figure out what is critical and focus on that first.  Ask the kids what is important too.  If they have some input they will see the value in maintaining the home as well.

Purge on a regular basis – Examples of good times to purge are after holidays, birthdays, spring, before school starts.  Get the kids involved as well, particularly when it comes to donating to church or charities.

Leave room for more stuff – After a purge, it’s a good idea to leave room in cabinets, dresser drawers and storage boxes for more.  That way as items accumulate, you can keep the clutter off the tables, counters and floors.

Organize in a logical way – More frustration comes when items are not easily accessible or in the wrong place.  Take the time to diagram where things should go and how much space is needed.  Plan for the immediate future such as back to school and holiday stuff.  Make sure that stuff the kids need to access is at their level.  If they can put it away without your help they are more likely to do it!

Clean as you go – The best tip for keeping it clutter free is to clean up your mess.  Just like your mother taught you, right?  Teach your kids to do the same.  We are so hurried these days that often we leave it to come back later.  Avoid frustration by keeping up as you move through the day.

Do you have a particular frustration with keeping everything clean?  Or are you a rockstar who has some advice to share?  We’d love to hear!

Yes, it seems a little early … but this holiday season seems to be flying by fast. It’s only about a week and a half away and it’s something you should definitely be thinking about. Heck, it’s something you might even need to make once to make sure it’s the dessert for you.

For our Christmas, we try something different — usually chocolate based — every year. One year, it was a peppermint and chocolate cake roll. Another year it was vanilla mousse and strawberry fools.

This year, by request, it’s Chocolate Peppermint Pie. We had it for Sunday dinner at the end of November and it was a raving hit.

Not sure what you are making yet? Here are some fantastic recipes from around the web to help you get thinking and planning:

- Ginger Pear Tarts (vegan) at Vegan Visitor

- Pumpkin Torte at Canary Girl

- Devil’s Food Cake with Peppermint Frosting at Dinner & Dessert

- Grandma’s Coconut Cake at Andrea’s Recipes

- Yule Log at Too Many Chefs

- Banana Cream Pie (gluten free) at Gluten Free Girl and The Chef

The first time I made these cookies, it was completely by accident. I wanted to make something uber-chocolatey for a friend when I was visiting her family. However, I was out of a lot of common baking goods. With a little ingeniuity, and some adjustments, I ended up with these. 

They are rich and moist, with a hearty bit of saltiness from the salt/sugar sprinkle. It’s everything that a good chocolate cookie should be.

Now, if you want to get your cookies perfectly round like these, invest in a cookie scoop. The inexpensive mini-ice cream scoop is perfect for measuring out cookie dough in perfectly formed balls. It’s practically a guarrantee for perfect cookies every time. Yes, it’s one more thing to have in the drawer, but considering how this can really eliminate some of the mess of baking (who hasn’t dropped a cookie dough coated spoon before?), it’s worthwhile of a little drawer real estate.

Coincidentally, my friend liked these so much that she went home and made them herself from my recipe. She and her hubby ranked these among their favorite cookies ever.

What’s your favorite cookie? Share in the comments!

Salted Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies
yields 3 dozen

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup white chocolate chunks
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
extra sugar and sea salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or heavy duty aluminium foil (to make for an easy cleanup).

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat on medium until mixture has a light and fluffy appearance.

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Pour into mixer bowl and beat on medium. Add chocolate chips, chunks and olive oil and beat until just combined.

Drop by the spoonful onto the prepared baking sheet.

Cook in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, until set.

Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with sugar and a bit of sea salt.

Let cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.