I Became My Mother

Stopping this blog.

2009-04-08T17:12:00.000-07:00

I am no longer adding to this blog as it is too much to keep up with. I will keep it up for people to try the recipes. :) You can visit me at Everyday Life with a Smile.

KMart Double Coupons

2009-03-24T06:53:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my friend Sara, whom if you haven't checked out her blog yet...please do, informed us on KMarts double coupon deal. Our KMart is offering up to $2 coupons to be doubled to $4 off!!

Sara posts good deals she finds, including a lot of free items!!!

So Sara, this is for you!!

I sent my hubby with a baggy full of coupons and had him shop at Kmart while I hit up Martins. He came back with all this for $20. I was proud b/c the diapers in itself would have cost more than that and we got all this for $20!! And to top it off it is all things that we use and need!! I was so excited...and I think he enjoyed saving as much as I did.

I truly have been saving with you girl!!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-03-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

We are trying a couple cod recipes this week because I purchased a box of cod through our Schwan man and I am excited to try some new recipes!! We are a fish loving family!!

Sunday: Grilled Honey Balsamic Chicken, grilled potatoes, and broccoli

Monday: Oven baked cod, Rice, and peas

Tuesday: Fresh Herb Penne with chicken and tomatoes

Wednesday: Baked beef ziti & garlic bread

Thursday: Spicy Cod, baked potatoes with sour cream, & carrots (corn for hubby)

Friday: Rehearsal Dinner

Saturday: Wedding Reception

Fresh Herb Penne with Chicken and Tomatoes

2009-03-22T19:12:00.000-07:00

My Mom gave me this recipe. I can't wait to try it!! :)

Fresh Herb Penne with Chicken and Tomatoes

16 oz (1 pkg) Mueller’s Penne
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil
2 chicken breasts, cut in strips
Sprinkle part skim mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper

Cook and drain Penne according to directions
Heat 1 T olive oil in skillet and add garlic, cook 1 min.
Add tomatoes and basil and uncooked chicken.
Simmer 10 minutes till chicken is done.
Toss with pasta, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese
Season to taste with salt and pepper

According to the recipe the whole box makes 8 servings. Half would be 4 servings.
One serving is 6 points.

Spicy Cod Recipe

2009-03-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

Healthy Spicy Cod

4 Servings, about 3 ounces each

Cod fillets, fresh or frozen 1 pound
Paprika 1/4 teaspoon
Garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon
Onion powder 1/4 teaspoon
Pepper 1/8 teaspoon
Ground oregano 1/8 teaspoon
Ground thyme 1/8 teaspoon
Lemon juice 1 tablespoon
Margarine, melted 1-1/2 tablespoons

PREPARATION TIME: 15 MINUTESCOOKING TIME: 25 MINUTES

1. Thaw frozen fish according to package directions.
2. Preheat oven to 350? F.
3. Separate fish into four fillets or pieces. Place fish in ungreased 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan.
4. Combine paprika, garlic and onion powder, pepper, oregano, and thyme in small bowl. Sprinkle seasoning mixture and lemon juice evenly over fish. Drizzle margarine evenly over fish.

Oven Baked Cod

2009-03-22T18:58:00.000-07:00

Oven Baked Cod

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup fresh parsley
2-3 garlic cloves
1 lemon, zest of
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
4 (6-8 ounce) cod fish fillets
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400°F Line your pan with aluminum foil and lightly brush with olive oil, or use a bit of cooking spray.

Combine parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and coarse salt on the cutting board. Finely chop, then combine with the breadcrumbs in a shallow plate.

Brush top of each fillet with olive oil. Press fillet into the crumb mixture. Place fillets in baking dish, crust-side up. Bake until firm, about 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Serve with lemon wedges.

Fabulous Blog

2009-03-17T07:17:00.001-07:00

I just came across a cute blog called Creative Gifts and Party Ideas with great ideas that everyday people can do. I found her on the Tip Junkie blog and she is one to keep following!

I am not super crafty but I want to be, so starting small is my goal. This website has wonderful gift ideas!

I will be making these for Noah's teachers for Easter! How cute and easy!!
http://creativeholidaygiftideas.blogspot.com/2008/03/easter-bunny-smores.html

Her blog is worth a peek!

P&G Coupon Booklet

2009-03-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

Get yours Sunday in your local paper!! Click *here* to see if you local Sunday paper will have it on March 15th.

What Is P&GbrandSAVER?

Smarter Savings, Better Brands

P&GbrandSAVER is a coupon book in most local Sunday newspapers that provides valuable savings on P&G products in one convenient place.

TIPsy Tuesday

2009-02-24T05:39:00.000-08:00

A friend over at EcOnomical Mom has a great blog on ideas for saving, going green, and just running a household. She also posts her weekly menu and has this Tipsy Tuesday where you share your tips for cleaning, saving, gardening, shopping, you name it! So I am going to participate this week with.....

I am antsy about posting because I assume that my tips are not extraordinary tips and that they are more common sense. I figure most people already do them. But it works for me...so I am posting! :)

DUM DUM DUM.....

Laundry tips

I have a family of 4.

A hubby who changes twice a day for work and basketball practice and my obsession with not being able to use a bath towel more than 2 times a week before it needs to go into the laundry, a 2 1/2 year old who makes a mess of her clothes a couple times a day, and a son who changes his clothes often and I do the "sniff" test to see if they are dirty or clean, so as you can imagine, we make dirty laundry pretty fast!

I do not have more than one load waiting to be washed...how do I do it?

Easy! Here is how I tackle my laundry....hopefully something I say helps you tackle yours!

I have 4 laundry baskets and one hamper. The hamper is the master bedroom. One basket in my daughter's room and one basket in my son's room. One basket is under the dryer waiting for new clean clothes and another is in the laundry room with probably a folded batch of clean clothes :) I think the key is to not have TOO many baskets or you will tend to overuse them and hoard clean clothes in the baskets instead of putting them away.
I wash my most of my laundry on COLD/COLD to save energy. I do not have a fancy front load washer so this is the best choice I have to save energy. This way I am not running my hot water heater constantly.
A load of laundry must be done on a daily basis. If I do a load a day it keeps my weekend laundry to a minimum. Some days I do two...it depends on how much time I have that day.
Doing the laundry is only part of the battle. Putting it away can be the most difficult thing to accomplish. During nap time or quiet time, I fold the load and keep it in the basket. Once I have 2-3 loads folded in baskets, in the evening, I take it upstairs to my bedroom and put it away while hubby has my two little ones in the bathtub. I turn my music up, dance away, and put clothes away. This is how I tackle hubby and son's t-shirts. They both tend to DIG through the drawer to find a t-shirt and this works well...less mess :)

same with the undies.....gosh, hubby would die if he knew I put his skibbies on the Internet!!

I put it all out on my bed and put hubby and mine away. My daughter's clothes are put in a basket and my sons are put in a basket. Once all the laundry is put away in our room, I move to my sons where I put away his laundry and then move to my daughter's room. They like it at their young age, b/c they LIKE having me in their rooms while they play. So, it works out well.
On Sunday evenings when I am putting away clothes, my 5 year old son and I lay out his clothes for the week. I got a hanger at Walmart that organizes his clothes. There are 6 slots. We put Monday-Friday in the first 5 slots and his shoes in the bottom. It works wonderful! He just goes in, starts at the top and picks his clothes. He always knows what he is wearing and it makes mornings easier! As you can see below Monday and Tuesday is missing :) Please excuse his messy closet...he is 5 :)

I would love to get MORE laundry tips. Everything works for me in my household, but I love to hear about how other people tackle laundry! SHARE SHARE!

For more great tips go *HERE*!!!

T.G.I.Friday's Buy One Get One Free

2009-02-23T05:20:00.001-08:00

Have your printer ready and click *HERE* for a TGI Friday's BUY ONE GET ONE FREE Entree!! WOOHOO!!!

Cute downloads

2009-02-20T08:04:00.000-08:00

Go *here* and check out the cute downloads for all kinds of things that are helpful around the house, like Monday-Friday tags to hang on hangers for your kids clothes (cute!), paper crafts, and much much more! I thought her site was cute and wanted to share with you!

Really tasty Snickerdoodles

2009-02-20T05:29:00.000-08:00

During my childhood, I was so spoiled by having my grandmother live next door to me. We usually crashed our bikes closer to her house than our own and she would soak your boo boos in Epson salts and all along you wished you crashed closer to your Mommy where she would clean it gently and kiss it better. But she was really good at mixing up some baking soda and water and lathering up your bee stings to ooze the sting. The butt whooping for climbing up on the roof with my grandfather is one I will never forget! lol.

She would also spoil us with some of THE best recipes in the world. Some of my favorites were: Her dill pickles, her jams, pies especially Sho Fly Pie, her homemade wheat bread (I would watch her in AW with how she would move her hands to knead the dough. She did it the REAL way, no bread ovens for her), molasses and snickerdoodle cookies, and many others. She was sweet in life and in the kitchen.

When she moved to the nursing home, many of her recipes and cookbooks were taken by her daughters and I will never see those recipes!! And many of her recipes are just in her head...hidden away forever. But there is one thing I will never forget and that is how they taste. So when I find a recipe that is close to hers (minus the love she put into it) I get SO excited!

I found this recipe from a blog called Molly Irwin 2009* and I found her from The Crafty Crow. It is a FABULOUS recipe. She has pictures of the cookies if you have never had them! In fact, I am sitting here dipping them in hot tea as I type.

Here is her recipe, but make sure you stop by her blog. Both of the linked ones above have great ideas and crafts for your kids! Be sure to check it out!

snickerdoodles

2 sticks unsalted butter (softened)
1 + 1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

for dredging:
1/4 cup sugar, mixed with 4 tsp. cinnamon

Bake at 350, 8-11 minutes on parchment lined sheets

Broccoli rollups

2009-02-19T06:27:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe I got from my mother. They are delicious!! But not so good the next day. You probably will not have any left over anyway cuz they are THAT good :)

Broccoli Rollups

1 cup mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 cup cooked chicken
6 flour tortillas (big ones)
1 box thawed broccoli
1 cup Cheddar cheese
1 can Durkee Onion Rings

Combine soup, milk and set aside.
Combine chicken, broccoli, 1/2 cup cheese, 1/2 cup onion rings, and stir in 3/4 cup soup mix. Place on tortillas and roll up.

Place in a 9x13 greased pan.

Pour remaining soup and pour over tortillas.

Bake covered 350-for 35 mins.

Top with remaining cheese and onions. Bake uncovered 5 mins longer.

I will be substituting things with lower fat mushroom soup, higher fiber tortillas, more broccoli, 1% milk, 2% shredded cheese, yet will be the same great taste!! Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as our family does!!

Menu Plan

2009-02-19T06:09:00.000-08:00

Back to life...back to reality!! Basketball is OVER!! Well...sorta. Hubby has been home more, but still has playoffs next week. Is it bad for me to hope he loses the first game?? Oh that is terrible! Anywho...since basketball is unwinding, I need to get my organized menu plan back in the works. So, I am starting it back up again for my loyal readers and mainly for myself :)

MENU PLAN

Thursday: Skillet chicken breasts (cooked in extra light olive oil, salt, and pepper), steamed broccoli, and baked potatoes

Friday: Out as a treat :)

Saturday: Grab subs for dinner. (Subway..I got weigh in Sunday morning!)

Sunday: Chicken cooked in crock pot (just water, salt, pepper, and a can of chicken broth), waffles, and gravy, and corn. (Save leftover chicken for Thursday)

Monday: Hubby has playoff game (kids and I will eat at home. Me a salad or WW Smart One)

Tuesday: WW Baked Beef Ziti, (using ground lean turkey instead of beef), salad, and garlic bread

Wednesday: Honey-Dijon Salmon, whole grain rice, and mixed veggies

Thursday: Broccoli Rollups and salad

Friday: Haddock broiled with a brush of olive oil, baked potatoes, peas

Saturday: Out :)

Sunday: Vegetable Soup (homemade)

Valentine's Day Gifts for Teachers

2009-02-13T05:55:00.000-08:00

I admit it....I scraplifted this idea, actually both, but made them my "own" if you know what I mean.

This is by far NOT my idea, but I thought it was SUPER clever...so here is what my son gave his teachers' for Valentine's Day.

They are hand sanitizer bottles stripped of their labels and decorated with hearts, tags, and ribbons! Very "handy" for teachers!! Add something pretty to their desk :)

Also, I added in....an adorable mug (not your usual ugly mugs that teachers get 50,000 of) but a CUTE one with Hershey kisses. I made a label for the top. I think they will love it...I know I would.

Spoil those teachers! They deserve it!

Weight Watchers Baked Ziti

2009-02-11T07:03:00.001-08:00

I am posting 2 different Baked Ziti recipes....

The first of which is from WW. I love this recipe! It doesn't skip out on ingredients and goes great with a side salad!! The second is from Allrecipes.com. A little more calories, but you can cut down on the ingredients by going light or fat free. Check them both out!

Baked Beef Ziti

5 points and makes 8 servings

12 oz uncooked ziti
1 tsp olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/3 lb raw lean ground beef
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

28 oz. canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cook pasta, drain, set aside.
3. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat, add garlic, and saute 2 mins. Add beef and cook unti brown. Drain.
4. Add oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt, & pepper. Stir to coat beef. Cook about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Spoon a small amount of tomato mixture into bottom of 4 quart casserole dish. Top with 1/2 of the cooked ziti and then layer tomato sauce and 1/2 the mozzarella. Layer remaining ziti on top and top with remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly. About 3o minutes.

1 cup/serving

Baked Ziti Click link for a photo and nutritional facts

INGREDIENTS
1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Oreo Balls

2009-02-08T16:39:00.001-08:00

Are you hungry?? Are you craving chocolate??

I am.....so here's a recipe for you!

WARNING: These are hard to stop eating! Make sure you don't make them alone...you will eat them all!!! :)

Oreo Balls

1 standard-size of Oreo cookies
1 standard-size of cream cheese, softened
16 ounce package of any kind of candy making chocolate

Crush Oreo cookies into fine crumbs and mix in the cream cheese until no white is showing. The mixture will have a dough-like consistency. Refidgerate long enough to firm up the dough, at least 30 minutes, so that is it is easier to form into balls. Once firm, roll the dough into bite-size balls.

Melt chocolate. Dip the battter into the chocolate and allow to cool on waxed paper. Allow chocolate to set in the refridgerator or freezer. Yields between 24 and 36 cookies.

*I prefer to make them without the choc. covering, so dipping them in chocolate is optional.

ENJOY!! :P

Valentine Cards

2009-02-07T15:49:00.001-08:00

Here are some cute ideas for handmade Valentines that your kids can make for their friends.

My son and I made these last year for his preschool class and for his friends. I precut everything and he put them together himself. They are adorable!!

Then I found these on someone's crafty blog and HAD to make those as well!! So easy and very cute!!

The back of them read:

I just free handed the shape of the heart for the Puppy's head and the owl's body. I used my circle punch and heart punch from Creative Memories to make the nose of the puppy and the eyes of the owl.

We just made a pattern and precut the pieces for the kids to put them together. Very easy and fun for the kids!!

5 Chip Cookies

2009-02-05T16:43:00.001-08:00

Make sure you check out the Raisin Bran Muffins my mother posted below...don't miss that one! They are much healthier that what I am about to post....

I am sitting here craving something sweet, when I came upon a woman pmsing's dream food.

They are called 5 Chip Cookies. Yeah I will be making these...but not tonight. I am going with Banana Bread.....Still bad bad bad, but I NEED something sweet and homemade :)

If you try these come back and comment what you thought!

Five Chip Cookies
1 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1 c. granulated sugar
2/3 c. packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. old-fashioned oats
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. EACH milk chocolate chips, semisweet chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, vanilla chips and butterscotch chips
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, peanut butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in chips.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2" apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake @ 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 2-3 minutes on baking sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
Makes about 4 1/2 dozen.

Raisin Bran Muffins

2009-02-05T16:17:00.000-08:00

Applesauce Raisin Bran Muffins
SERVES 12
Weight Watchers Points with Recipe Builder 3 pts. each

· 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
· 1 tablespoon baking powder
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 2 cups Raisin Bran cereal
· 1 cup 1% milk
· 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
· 1 egg, slightly beaten or 1/4 cup Egg Beaters
· 1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
· 2 tablespoons butter, melted (light butter)

Preheat over to 400F; prepare a muffin tin with paper liners or by spraying with cooking spray.
Mix flour, baking powder, salt, cereal and milk in large bowl; let stand 3 minutes.
Stir in egg, applesauce, sugar and butter; stir just until moistened (batter will be lumpy).
Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full.
Bake at 400F for 20 minutes or until golden brown, and they test done with a toothpick.
These are really good, not overly sweet. They fill you up too!
Enjoy!

Bridal Shower

2009-01-19T16:28:00.000-08:00

I spent many days preparing for my first bridal shower. I threw one for my close friend Jolie who is getting married at the end of March. I threw it at my home as the shower could be more intimate with mainly friends and a few family. (She is having a family one in February).

The wedding colors are 2 shades of purple (lilac and lapis). I went with the colors from the wedding and decorated the house accordingly. A few of her closest friends and bridesmaids helped me with gifts for the games and food. I couldn't have pulled it off without them!

Theme: Belly Up to the Bar (the couple just had their basement finished and had a bar put in. They do A LOT of entertaining...as we were there for the past 2 Sundays for Steelers games) This was a perfect theme for them. Guests included bar items with their gifts. I bought a beautiful basket at Michaels craft store as well for guests to put their bar gifts in at the guest table.

Colors: 2 shades of purple and creme

Decorations: Pompoms easily made at Martha Stewart. Very easy and only costs a dollar a piece!! They give the room a classy look for CHEAP :) That is my kind of decoration

I bought martini glasses and tall bar glasses at the Dollar Tree and filled them with my friend's favorite candies.

I created a bulletin board (from Michaels using my 50% off coupon) and added scrapbook paper and pictures. This was a great way to display pictures of the couple, decorate the shower, and give them something functional to use at home.

Then to add some more color I just used your old school streamers and balloons in other areas. Nothing exciting!! :) Just make sure you TRIPLE tape because they will fall on your guests' heads lol.

FOOD: We had a large range of food. I made meatballs (my mom's recipe she found awhile back) with small potato rolls....kinda like meatball sliders, The Butterscotch Brickle Cheese ball from Tastefully Simple, Peach Schnapps Slushies (from our Aunt Angie), Raspberry Sherbert punch, and with the others we had chips, 3 different dips, veggie tray, wraps, cheese and cracker tray, little smokies in crescent rolls, cake that the bride's mom made from scratch YUMMY!, and sodas. It was amazing! We had plenty of food and it was delicious!!

GAMES: We chose a couple games. Gifts of Bath & Body works and candles were purchased for the weiners...I mean WINNERS :)

The games were: Pass the Presents, a game for the Bride using love story questions...Read His Mind, and Toilet Paper Wedding Dress where the Bride votes for the best one. You can find these games and several other unique bridal shower games here.

Pass the Presents...they LOVED this game!! It was hilarious!

Gifts

We started off with everyone lingering around talking with friends and the Bride.

People began filling their plates and chatting.

After eating, I began the first game of Pass the Presents. I did 2 different groups since there were about 30 guests. One group chatted while the other played and vice versa.

Then we cut the cake.

After cake, Jolie opened her presents.....she seemed very pleased with all that she had received.

I, then, got guests together for the Toilet Paper wedding dress competition. They had a blast!! The bride voted for the best dress and that group got gifts!!

The best part was when we gathered all the guests and the bride around the big screen and played the Read His Mind game. I previously recorded the Groom answering love story questions and then at the shower we asked the bride to answer the questions like the Groom would have. After she answered each question....we played his answer. At the end of the video, the Groom gave a special message for the Bride.....when the message was over the Groom walked into the room and brought the Bride roses :) It was a sweet ending to a special, memorable shower!!

Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats

2009-01-12T09:46:00.000-08:00

This is one for the dog lovers out there who like to give their pets a little treat :)

I searched the Internet high and low for a good PB recipe for homemade dog treats. I tried two different ones and the verdict is in. The kids had a blast making these for all the dogs we know!

This is the favorite one by the dogs and very easy to make!:

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

2 Cups whole-wheat flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 Cup peanut butter

1 Cup skim milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk. Add wet mixture to dry and mix well.

Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut out shapes. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake 20 mins or until lightly brown. Cool on a rack and store in an airtight container.

Makes about 20-30 dog biscuits

Enjoy :)

Making a Diaper Cake

2009-01-10T19:58:00.000-08:00

Back in 2006 the girls in the school cafeteria where I was teaching at the time made me THE cutest diaper cake ever. I had never seen or heard of one before and I was amazed at the idea of it. I think people look at it and believe that it is so hard to make, but it is so easy!

I made one, well actually two, for my friend Amy, who is having her fourth baby at the end of this month. A group of her friends and I threw her a surprise baby shower. The one girl added on some things she made from her Cricut, which I do not have....but will someday, to make it flashier.

However, below are several pictures of what it looked like after I made it. It still looked presentable and stunning. Take a look!!

And I included the video I followed so I could make it all by myself :) I am very proud because I don't do these things often, so it must be all that my Mommy taught me!

Different Views of the cake: (excuse my daughter in the background...she was SO interested!)

The second smaller diaper cake with the extra diapers:

Here is the video! SO EASY!! PS...I suggest using size 2 diapers...makes it alot easier!

Ritchey Lettuce Salad Dressing

2009-01-01T17:15:00.001-08:00

This salad has been a tradition at our house for as long as I can remember. Alicia's grandmother made it for each family meal. I am trying to continue the tradition. Here is the recipe.

Beat 1 egg
Add 3 T sugar
3 T vinegar
a few dashes of dry mustard
1/4 cup butter

Put in a saucepan and cook until mixture starts to thicken.
Cool

Hardboil 2 eggs and dice into the cooled mixture.
Pour over lettuce.

You have to eat all the salad on the day you make it because it gets watery but it's not hard to eat it all!!!

M and M Cookies

2008-12-16T13:14:00.000-08:00

I searched high and low for a good M&M recipe. I like this one because there is a little crunch, but also a lot of chew. Hubby enjoys dipping them in his hot tea :)

M&M Cookies

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup shortening (I did 1/2 cup shortening and 1/2 cup softened butter)
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups M&M's

In a large bowl, mix sugar, eggs, shortening, and vanilla thoroughly. Add flour, salt, and baking soad to creamed mixture. Blend well. Add 3/4 cup of M&M candies.

Drop dough by teaspoonful onto cookie sheet. Slightly push a few candies on top of each dough ball with remaining candies (optional) or just add them all into the batter.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 9 to 11 mins, to your liking.

ENJOY!!!

Delicious Gobs

2008-12-15T06:01:00.000-08:00

Growing up in South Central Pennsylvania...well, sorta....western too (insert proud smile) was quite quiet and fairly peaceful, and good recipes were easy to come by! My family, both sides, knew how to cook and bake!

With all the great food, there is one thing that will always remember and cherish from my childhood and adulthood. They are called Gobs (click on here). They were orginated by the Pennsylvania Dutch. Most people know them as whoopie pies, but believe me they are NOT the same. Whoopie Pies are made with marshmallow creme and Gobs are made with a yummy icing. The moister the Gob the better.

I have had several recipes over the years and it is just a matter of opinion of what you like best.

I have found that my hubby's Grandmother had found one of the best recipes. I will post it below. They are DELICIOUS and moist.

My grandfather also has a delicious recipe for them as well....I will have to track that one down or my mom will have to post it cuz I know she has it to share.

GOBS

Cookie:

2 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1 egg and 1 egg yolk (cream) save the egg white

1 cup sour milk

1 tsp of baking soda in 1 cup boiling water

Mix together and add dry ingredients:

4 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 Cup cocoa

Mix together and drop by the teaspoons (like cookies) on a baking sheet. I used parchment paper to keep them from sticking. Bake them for about 8-10 mins or until your liking at 375 degrees F. Becareful to not overbake them.

As they are baking, make filling.

Filling:

1. Beat 1 egg white with pinch of salt

2. Add to 1 cup sugar, 3/4 cup canned condensed milk, 1 cup shortening, and 2 tsp. vanilla.

3. Beat until smooth

4. Spread filling between the cookies.

5. Then wrap them individually with plastic wrap.

They freeze wonderfully!!

I hope you enjoy these! They are delightful!

Have you ever had one?? What did you think??

Christmas Creations

2008-12-14T18:00:00.000-08:00

On Saturday night my friend Mary came over so we could work on DIY Christmas creations.

Sidenote: Awhile back my Mom came down to visit me and she brought a project for us to make. After posting our project on my Everyday Life with a Smile blog, many of my friends wanted the directions to make one. So, I passed it along and people fell in love with its simplicity and class. Because of all the people Mary needed to show her appreciation for this holiday season, she decided to make lots of these with different words/phrases on them. She worked on the fabulous wrapped blocks as seen here......

And I worked on some glass containers (purchased at Michaels craft store for $3.99 a piece for the circular and $4.99 for the square). I decorated them with patterned and plain cardstock, CTMH stamp (All Decked Out), a $1.00 stamp from Michaels, Creative Memory punches, and other doo dads :) I am filling each of the glass containers with Gobs (recipe will be posted at a later date), candy buckeyes (my mom posted below this one), and/or M&M cookies for people my husband works with, Noah's bus driver, and the Postman (I heart him). I hope they love them as much as I do!

Candy Buckeyes

2008-12-13T17:58:00.000-08:00

Cream together the following:

1 - 18 oz jar of peanut butter
1 stick of butter
1 T vanilla

Blend in 1 lb of powered sugar. Mix well and form into balls the size of a buckeye.

Mix in saucepan on very low heat the following:

1 - 12 oz pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 rectangle of paroffin wax (you can buy this at the grocery store and it's perfectly fine to eat)

Dip the balls into chocolate mix to coat leaving a small space amount uncovered. I use a toothpick to dip them and cover the small hole in the top when finished.
To make dipping easier, put the balls in the freezer for 20 min. before dipping.

About Buckeyes
The Buckeye – You may have had one these chocolate-lover's treat, but have you ever wondered where it got its name? This unique snack has a history just as rich as its flavor.
Candy buckeyes are named after the shiny, dark nuts of the Buckeye Tree – the official state tree for Ohio. The state's original settlers found it to be an unfamiliar tree in the forest, and adopted it as a symbol of Ohio heritage. These pioneers carved the soft buckeye wood into troughs, platters and even cradles. Today, buckeye trees are prominent in the Ohio River Valley, and are known for being resilient and hearty.
The nuts of the tree, which are actually mildly toxic, were given their name because of their resemblance to the eyes of white-tailed deer. Folk wisdom says that carrying a buckeye nut in your pocket brings good luck (but you might not want to try that with the candy variety).

From Your Mother

Menu Plan for November 1-8

2008-11-03T05:28:00.000-08:00

This is week is going to be an easy one! I love LOVE easy weeks and recipes. Thanks to the Schwan man stopping in on Saturday, we have chicken for the week! :) Here is the weekly plan!

Sunday: Honey Dijon Salmon, wild rice, and peas

Monday: BBQ Chicken on the grill (nice weather), grilled potatoes, and corn

Tuesday: Spaghetti and garlic bread

Wednesday: Grandma's fried/baked chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, and corn

Thursday: Basil Pork Chops (below), scalloped potatoes, and peas

Friday: Out (somewhere with a coupon of course)

Saturday: Football game with friends

Basil Pork Chops
You gotta try these! They are so flavorful and fast! Give them a try...SERIOUSLY!

What you need:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 boneless pork loin chops (1/2 inch thick and 4 oz each)

What to do:

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, basil, salt, and chili powder. Gradually stir in 1 tablespoon oil until crumbly. Rub over both sides of pork chops.

In a large skillet, cook pork in remaining oil over medium heat for 7-8 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep/Total time: 25 minutes

Mini Cheddar Meat loaves

2008-10-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

Mini Cheddar Meat loaves

This was a recipe given to me by my friend Julie. She swore by them so I tried them and we have been in love since. My hubby won't let me make any other recipe of meat loaves! Everyone gets their own loaf!!

Meat loaves
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 1/4 pound sirloin ground beef (85% lean)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup onion chopped
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon salt

Glaze
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup ketchup
1 1/2 teaspoon mustard

In a bowl beat the egg and milk. Stir in cheese, oats, onion, and salt. Add beef and mix well.

Shape into 7 or 8 hand-size loaves. Place loaves evenly separated in a greased 9x13 baking dish.

Glaze: Combine sugar, ketchup, and mustard in a small dish. Spoon over loaves.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and is 160 degrees on a thermometer.

Menu Plan for October 26-November 1

2008-10-26T14:21:00.000-07:00

This week's menu plan is pretty boring. I tell ya...I am sick of spending so much for groceries. My plan is to move to the 2 week grocery trip like we used to before kids. I am hoping this will help me save some money. Until then.....boring meals here. I found we are keeping things out of our meals like veggies and fruits. Just one way to cut back.

Sunday: BBQ Chicken on the grill with grilled potatoes (cut up potatoes with olive oil, seasoned salt and pepper) and green beans.

Monday: Mini Cheddar Meatloaves, mashed potatoes (the real thing), and corn

Tuesday: Grilled Salmon in olive oil and basil, grilled potatoes (hubby is a potato man), & salad

Wednesday: Cheddar Chicken Rice Casserole (this recipe but I add cheddar cheese) and butter bread

Thursday: Spaghetti, garlic bread, and peaches

Friday: HALLOWEEN so we are ordering pizza

Saturday: Out for relaxation time

Hershey Bar Cake

2008-10-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe that my husband's Grandmother gave us, but I have also found it on the Internet in several places. The recipe is made several different ways, but she definetly gave us the BEST one!! This is the most DIVINE dessert you could ever make. It is also pretty easy.

I will add the pictures later.....This is a MUST try!

Hershey Bar Cake
This is a 3 layer cake (but very easy!)

1 box Devil's Food Cake mix
1 1/2 cups milk (2%)
3 eggs
3/4 cup oil
1 small package instant Vanilla pudding

Mix all ingredients together and pour into 3- 9 inch cake pans that are greased and floured. Parchment paper/wax paper cut to fit the bottom helps when flipping the cake out) Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 mins. I found on a similar recipe to freeze the layers of the cake in wax paper because it will moisten the cake?? Didn't do that, but might try that next time!

FROSTING:

12 oz cool whip
8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups confectionary sugar
3 Hershey Bars (frozen and ground fine) or A giant Hershey bar: Pampered Chef chopper works GREAT!

Cream both kinds of sugar with cream cheese until smooth, add cool whip and Hershey Bars. Mix well and frost the cake.

Menu Plan for October 19-25, 2008

2008-10-21T05:59:00.000-07:00

I started doing a weekly menu plan about 2 years ago after my daughter was born. We had a friend living with us and with our busy schedules, it seemed like the right thing to do. Now it seems to be quite the thing to do!! A couple of the bottom recipes I got from What's for Dinner?

Sunday: Chicken Manicotti & peaches

Monday: Honey Dijion Salmon, Rice, and Peas (Hubby's birthday dinner) I also made him a Hershey Bar Cake (I will add that one later)

Tuesday: BBQ Chicken, cut-up grilled potatoes (potatoes cut up into small pieces, wrapped in foil with butter and seasonings), & corn

Wednesday: Spaghetti & Garlic Toast

Thursday: Out because Hubby has parent-teacher conferences all night!

Friday: Italian Grilled Chicken, cut-up grilled potatoes, & corn

Saturday: Out

Chicken Manicotti

2008-10-21T05:55:00.000-07:00

Chicken Manicotti

This is the easiest recipe ever! It was quick, very little mess involved, and kids love it!

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 lbs chicken breast tenders (uncooked)
14 uncooked manicotti
(30 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1/3 cup of the spaghetti sauce in ungreased 12x9 baking dish. Sprinkle garlic powder on chicken. Insert chicken into uncooked manicotti shells. Place shells on spaghetti sauce in dish. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce evenly over shells, covering completely. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake about 1 hour, or until shells are tender.

Honey Dijon Salmon

2008-10-21T05:53:00.000-07:00

Honey Dijon Salmon

Ingredients
1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
2-1/4 teaspoons melted butter
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
Dash white pepper
2 salmon fillets (4 oz each)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I keep out)
1/2 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed (I keep out)

Servings: 2

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, butter, and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Stir in honey, mustard, and pepper.

Place each salmon fillet on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Drizzle with honey mixture and sprinkle with walnuts (if you use them). Place asparagus around salmon (If you use them). Fold foil around salmon and seal tightly. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 15-20 mins or until fish flakes easily with a fork.