May 20 2013

Kroger Upside Down Cake Review

Posted on by

 

I had a crazy day the other day.

And, to top it all off, I was in charge of bringing dessert to our friends’ home that night for our dinner party.

We were set to arrive at 4:00 and I finished up my last working appointment at 3:00 (I’m a housecall vet).  I almost panicked until I remembered I needed to review an upside down cake from our local Kroger store.  I swung into the store on the way home.  I had a real dilemma picking between the molton chocolate and honey cinnamon apple.  In the end, I chose the apple because it seemed more “homemade” to me.  I picked up a quart of vanilla bean ice cream to go with it.

I called my husband and had him preheat the oven, so all I had to do was  pop it in for abou 15 minutes when I got home.  The cake warmed and I got dressed and ready.  As soon as the cake came out, I thought it smelled great!  I flipped it out of the pan….easy peasy….no sticking!  I “fluffed” up some of the apples by picking them up with a fork (so they weren’t so flat) and drizzled warm caramel sauce on top.  Looks, great, right?

2013-04-13_16-11-44_170

I could have totally passed it off as homemade, too, because it tasted so good.  No plasticky taste or aftertaste, like I was expecting.  But, I had to tell my friends, as I have to tell you.  I got this for free through BzzAgent!  All opinions are my own!
May 6 2013

Behavior Clip Chart

Posted on by

clipchartWhile volunteering with my daughter’s Kindergarten class, I was so inspired by the good behavior.  All the kids did as they were asked and rarely stepped out of line.  All that was needed to keep them in check?  A simple clip chart.  Well, and group mentality, I suppose.

I set out to make my own home version of the clip chart, and here’s what I came up with!

I simply used some black foam board (cut in 1/2 lengthwise) and scrapbook supplies.  I went for a colorful look because it seemed more fun.  I made 7 different spots on my clip chart:

  • Awesome
  • Super
  • Great Job
  • :)
  • Oops
  • Time Out
  • Take Away :(

To implement our clip chart at home, we use these simple rules:

  1. Everyone starts the day on the :)
  2. For each good deed or exceptional behavior, Mom or Dad tells the child to move the clip up.
  3. For each slip up in behavior, Mom or Dad tells the child to move their clip down.  Each child has their own clip to move around.
  4. Only Mom or Dad can tell a child to move a clip up or down.  And, if they refuse, it’s automatically put down 2 spaces.
  5. If the child lands on the oops, it is just a warning.  No punishment.  Time out space is obviously time out (amount of time based on age at our house).  And, the Take Away spot means the child looses a priveledge (TV time, book before bed, playtime with friends, etc)
  6. Every time the child lands on the Awesome block, she is rewarded with marbles in her cup.  I have our marbles displayed just above the clip chart.

IMG_1849I found some little cups in our cupboard to use for our reward system.  I just used scrapbook rub on letters to add each child’s initials to their cup.  Each time the child gets her clip all the way up to awesome, he or she gets a marble in their cup.  If they end the day on awesome, I throw in a few marbles.  Once the little cup is full, they get a reward of their choosing.  Such as, ice cream parlor, small toy, money for piggy bank, etc.  Be creative here, use whatever motivates your kid.

So far, my children have been really receptive to the clip chart.  We are charting our way to better behavior.  Plus, I really think the visual helps kids see the patterns of their behavior during the day and keeps them motivated to change.

What kind of behavior system do you use in your home?

 

 

 

 
Mar 5 2013

Rainbow Cupcakes!

Posted on by

cupcakes

Well, I showed you a great St. Patrick’s Day treat without artificial dye, and today I’m showing you one chock full of it!  But, remember, you can always use natural dyes as well.  I think I’ll do a post on that soon…

bowls of colored cake mixJust mix up your favorite white cake mix and divide it evenly into six bowls.  Color each bowl a different color of the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple!  You’ll need quite  a bit of red food coloring; otherwise, you’ll end up with pink!  As you can see, mine is more of dark pink as I was a little low on food coloring.  It ended up working fine, but it was not a true red.

IMG_1686Next, you’ll want to start layering your cupcakes.  You’ll want to work backwards, first purple, then blue, green, yellow, orange, and finally red.  This part takes patience.  You’ll need some time to spread each layer out evenly so your cupcakes look layered  Otherwise, you’ll end up with tie-dye cupcakes.  But, I think that would be cool, too!  Just not what I was going for here.

IMG_1687Finally, bake as directed and let cool completely.  As you can see, they look pretty cool when they just come out of the oven.  A few colors are peaking through.  My kids could barely wait until they were ready!

After they’re cooled, you’ll want to add some cloud frosting.  White would be perfect, but I only had pink….turned out great still, so probably any color would work!

  IMG_1693IMG_1698 IMG_1691






I added some sprinkles to mine, as well.  Might as well go all out, right?  And, you can’t beat how cute they look when cut open!
cupcakes2
Mar 2 2013

Barbie Mega Bloks are Mega Fun!

Posted on by

PicMonkey CollageI recently given the opportunity to try out the new Barbie Mega Bloks. They brought so much enjoyment to the 5 & 6 year old girls in my Girl Scout troop, that I am keeping these on my short list for birthday party presents!

After our last Girl Scout meeting, I broke out some pink snacks and brought out all the Mega Bloks goodies: the Barbie Pool Party and Luxury Mansion to share and little Build n’ Style Ice Cream Cart kits for each of the girls. We got busy working on the mansion and dream house right away. The girls were competing with each other to see who could get theirs put together first. There are so many pieces, that all the girls had plenty to do. And, the Mega Bloks come with really nice full color instructions to guide you through the set up process. It was a big job putting the house together, but everyone enjoyed it. Even the moms got in on the action

barbie party

And, once it was all set up, they had so much fun playing in the house and changing out the tiny little Mega Bloks Barbie’s hair and accessories. The girls were excited to have their own little kits to take home as well. And, I heard from many of the parents that their daughters were busy playing with them all week.

We left the Barbie Mansion and Pool and my house. And, I couldn’t tear my daughter away from them for at least a week. She even woke up early one morning because she was so excited about playing with the Barbie Mansion!

It was a definite hit with the troop and my own daughter. Be prepared for lots of set up time and tiny pieces. However, the set up process is part of the fun, especially if you do it with your kids.
Mega-Bloks-Barbie-Build-n-Style-Luxury-Mansion-front1-500x364By publishing this post, I received free products as part of a promotional program with MomSelect. All opinions are my own.
Feb 25 2013

St. Patrick’s Pots of Gold

Posted on by

pots

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner! And, although I do have some Irish in my background, it is not a real major holiday around our house. But, I do like to make a few fun treats for the kiddos. Because, as you know, any holiday is a major holiday to children. It would be absolutely criminal to not celebrate them!

I made up these yummy Pot of Gold cookies when I was attempting to make a treat that didn’t contain a lot of artificial green dye. And, I wanted it to be easy….because, face it, my life is complicated enough! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Pots of Gold

Print recipe
Pots of Gold
Serves 24
Allergy Egg, Milk, Wheat
Snack Dessert, Snack
Misc Child Friendly, Freezable

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Butter (softened)
  • 1 cup Packed Dark Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1 cup Rolled Oats
  • 1/2 bag Caramels
  • 1 tablespoon Evaporated Milk or Cream

Directions

1. Grease muffin pan and set oven to 350 degrees
2. Beat butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well. Mix in vanilla extract.
3. In small bowl, mix together baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. Slowly add this mixture to the wet ingredients.
4. Stir in oats.
5. Fill muffin cups about 1/3 to 1/2 full. Press down and make large thumbprint indention in middle of cup.
6. Bake about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and allow to completely cool.
7. Put caramels and evaporated milk together in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 second increments. Stir after each 30 seconds until mixture is runny.
8. Place a large spoonful of caramel into indention in cookies.

 
Feb 13 2013

Valentine’s Snack Attack!

Posted on by

chex mix
I was in charge of snack for our Girl Scout troop this week, and went with a fun Valentine’s theme.  I made some Valentine Chex Mix as well as cut strawberries up into heart shapes.  It was super cute and easy!  Happy Valentines!  The chex mix recipe is below.  Let me tell you, it is killer-good.  You’ll want to make lots!  And, I can’t wait to experiment with different pudding flavors!

IMG_1663
 

Valentine’s Chex Mix

Print recipe
Valentine’s Chex Mix
Serves 15-20
Prep time 30 minutes
Dietary Vegetarian
Snack Dessert, Snack
Misc Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold
Occasion Valentines day
A fun mix of colors and flavors is sure to delight. Change up the recipe by choosing different food coloring & candy for different holidays. You can change the flavor too with different pudding mixes.

Ingredients

  • 1 box Rice Chex (or whatever variety you prefer)
  • 1 bag White Chocolate Chips
  • Few drop Food Coloring (You'll want red for Valentine's, of course)
  • 1 box Instant Pudding (Any variety, I used coconut cream)
  • 1 bag M&Ms (or candy of your choosing, conversation hearts would be cute!)
  • 1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

Directions

1. Melt white chocolate chips on over low heat on stovetop or in microwave. I prefer the stovetop because I can watch it closer. Stir frequently.
2. While chocolate is melting, measure out 3 cups each of chex mix into 2 separate bowls.
3. When chocolate has melted, mix in the dry instant pudding mix. Then, pour half of the chocolate mixture on to the chex mix in one of the bowls. Stir well to coat. With the other half of melted chocolate mixture, add few drops of red food coloring to make the chocolate pink. Or, use any color you desire. Pour onto the other bowl of chex mix and stir well to coat.
4. Pour out the coated chex mix onto wax paper to cool. Now is the perfect time to sprinkle the mixture with M&Ms or other candy.
5. In another sauce pan, melt 1 cup milk chocolate chips. Stir frequently.
6. Pour remaining chex mix 2-3 cups into a bowl while milk chocolate melts.
7. Once milk chocolate is melted, pour on top of remaining chex mix. Stir to coat. And, lay to cool on wax paper. Sprinkle with candy before it cools.
8. Once all three colors of chex mix have cooled, mix together and enjoy!

Jan 10 2013

Trash to Treasure: Princess Chandelier

Posted on by

chandelier

We recently bought a new-to-us house: a fixer-upper.  It was a foreclosure, so there’s so much work.  Many more blog posts to come on room transformations.

While remodeling the upstairs, we lived in the basement.  One of my first projects was getting my daughter’s room done before her birthday.  Although not requested by her, I dreamed of putting a chandelier in her room so she could be real princess (you did notice the title of my blog, right?).  There was no light in the room at all when we moved in….just wires hanging from the ceiling.  Only problem, I didn’t want to fork over the money for the ones I saw online plus I wanted a few more bulbs on the light since my daughter’s room is so large.

Thus began my intense search on Craiglist.  I eventually decided I was going to have to re-do a chandelier as there were non ready-made to be found at bargain prices.  So, I bought this beauty, for just $10!!!

5Id5F55Me3E33I33J5c8jf689903792d3109dLet me tell you, the lady selling this was lucky I came along.  I mean, really, I think the market for gold 1980′s cheap chandeliers is pretty low.

Anyhow, I got a can of white spray paint and some clear acrylic beads at Hobby Lobby with a 40% off coupon.  Amazon has a nice deal on beads, too, if you don’t need the butterfly ones.  So, my total for the project was probably around $15 or less.

IMG_1492I simply removed the glass shades.  My original plan was to replace them or spray them with frost.  But, I loved the look of the chandelier without them.  Then, I sprayed with white paint.  No primer necessary.  And, finally, I attached the beads by stringing them and tying them on with fishing line I had lying around.  All and all, I think it looks great.

You could definitely get fancier with the beading, but I was trying to tie into a butterfly theme…and I didnt’ want to get carried away :)

I’d love to hear about or see pictures of your chandelier make overs!

 
Oct 17 2012

Behind Bars

Posted on by

Sometimes, on days like today, having young kids is like being in jail. A nice jail full of lots of perks, yes, but jail nonetheless.
I have to ask permission and finesse my schedule just do simple things like get my haircut, go to the dentist, or go to the grocery store (okay, I could take the kids there, but that would be a whole different kind of jail :) )
Going to the bathroom (alone) even requires strategic planning. Going to sleep? Gotta make sure my ducks are in a row (or at least in their beds), first. Making a phone call? Uh…better make sure the powers that be are otherwise occuppied.
I don’t really see this being a problem with my husband. He goes here and there whenever he wants during the work week. I guess it is because I am the primary care giver during the week. I have my own work-from-home job, but it is always second fiddle. In fact, I had a work appointment today at 10am. My husband had a conference call at 9am. My husband ended up following me and the kids in his car to my appointment while he finished up his call and then taking the kids when we got there so I could do my appoint solo. That’s a lot of planning. And, it gets to be too much sometimes.
I wonder if other moms feel the same way. Taboo to talk about, huh?
Well, at least you know you have me as your virtual cell mate. Raise your tin cups in solidarity, mothers!
Jul 18 2012

Healthy Potato Chips!

Posted on by


My kids love chips.  My husband loves chips.  I pretend to not love chips (waistline, you know?), but I really do and I always steal them off my husband’s plate.

Anyhow….

Here’s a “healthy” version of potato chips that you can whip up in 5 minutes.  Not only are they better for you since they contain no oil (and you can use organic potatoes, too!), but the taste is incredible.  So fresh and delicious.  Way better than the bagged version. I have to admit I was really skeptical of this recipe at first, especially since they are made in the microwave. But, my whole family can vouch for their deliciousness! :)

 

 

 

 

Microwave Healthy Potato Chips

Print recipe
Microwave Healthy Potato Chips
Serves 2
Prep time 2 minutes
Cook time 5 minutes
Total time 7 minutes
Dietary Vegan, Vegetarian
Snack Side Dish, Snack
Misc Child Friendly
A great oil-free way to make potato chips. They are crisp, fresh, and full of flavor. You'll never want to go back to bagged chips again!

Ingredients

  • 2-3 Small Potatoes (Yukon Gold has great flavor)
  • 1 sprinkle Salt (I like sea salt!)
  • 2 sheets Parchment Paper
  • 1 Microwave Safe Plate
  • 1 Madolin Slicer

Note

Experiment with different toppings!

Directions

1. Peel your potatoes (optional!) and slice into thin slices using your mandolin slicer. I usually choose the thinnest slice setting.
2. Place parchment paper on microwave safe plate and arrange a single layer of potato slices on the paper. Sprinkle with salt if desired. Top the slices with another sheet of parchment paper.
3. Microwave parchement covered potatoes for 3-5 minutes. I usually microwave mine for 3:10, but it depends on your microwave. You want the potato chips to be crisp, but not brown.