4th of July Menu

This was taken last year, but were so delicious, I've decided they need to grace our table every 4th of July. :)

Here is how to make Stained Glass Jello. Yum.

I love this relish! I could eat a whole jar all by myself. Tastes great on everything!!

Click here for the recipe! 

Firecracker Bundt Cake

When you cut into this, you also get red white and blue cake. Very patriotic...

When you make the batter, split into three bowls, leave one white, and the other two add blue and red food coloring. In the bundt pan, alternate adding 1 cup from each color, red white blue...red white blue...you get the idea. ;)

For the frosting, do the same thing dividing the can into three equal parts, leaving one white, and making a red and blue...Microwave for a few seconds so the frosting is easier to drizzle.

Then sprinkle with some festive sprinkles!

Happy 4th of July everyone!

 

Project: Easter Carrot Cupcakes

These cupcakes go perfectly along with any bunny or easter themed party!

I found the idea somewhere in the vast reaches of the internet last year.  I cannot for the life of me figure out where I got it.  So to whomever posted the idea originally - thank you!!

Here's how:

I just used a regular chocolate cake mix to make the cupcakes.  Frost them with chocolate frosting and I think it would be cute to add brown sprinkles.  

For the carrots just stick a marshmallow with a toothpick, then dip them in orange chocolate (wilton brand chocolate melts is what I used) and dip the tip of the marshmallow in orange sugar sprinkles.  When they had hardened I just stuck the toothpick down in the cupcake to stick them on.

For the green tops - I think the original poster had used cut up green fruit roll ups or something.  But I didn't have that so I used the green paper easter basket filler stuff.  I just piped some of the melted orange chocolate around the bottom to stick them on the carrot.

They turned out so cute!  And the kids all loved the chocolate covered marshmallows,

Another fun thing we added to this party was this:

I picked up this idea over at Hostess with the Mostest.

Some of the other things we served were jelly bean jello jigglers, orange soda, cheezit crackers.....a little healthy, a little not.  We weren't serving a meal - just providing a few fun snacks.

Project: Thinking Green!

The weather has been BEAUTIFUL here in Chicago Land.  As a result I have been oh so busy enjoying it!  We spent 5 hours total at the park the other day - so fun!

Hopefully, if you are a procrastinator like me, this post will give you a little inspiration to make this often forgotten holiday just a little more fun.

The night before we'll be doorbell ditching some Lucky Charms to a few friends.  

You can get your printable Here.

We'll be starting our day with a St. Patricks Day Scavenger Hunt inspired by the Dating Divas.  Seriously - I LOVE their site!!  There are so many fun ideas.  We just used their Nerf Wars Date idea for our friends surprise birthday party.  It was a blast!  And it was something that the kids and the adults all had so much fun with.

When thats all done with I'll get the kids all dressed in their green and give my girls a little Clover hairdo

The weather has been so gorgeous that I've been seriously craving a BBQ.  So I planned one!  The first available date was the 17th so it turned into a St. Patrick's Day Party.  I know, I know - we'll have the corned beef on Sunday.  I NEED me some BBQ!  I've been coming up with some fun things to make the party a little more festive

I am in love with these Tissue Paper Pom-Poms.  (this is above my kitchen table) They are so super easy to make.  And CHEAP!  I just hung them with fishing wire. I loved these ones so much that I'm going to make some for my girls room.  WAY less expensive than curtains, and much more fun. I promise I'll show you when I'm done :)  The shamrocks are foam cutouts decorated by my kids a few years ago.

I've had these pretties up all month.  I found this Subway Art Printable as well as a beautiful Irish Wish.  Such simple and cheap decor!  And I LOVE how they look!  I just printed mine on photo paper with my printer at home.  But even getting them printed at the store is under 20 cents!  I have a couple of frames that I rotate through the holidays with.  (Thrift Store and Spray Paint - love it!) The vase is just filled with dried split peas topped with a candle.

As for the menu:  We are having a potluck.  I never have a party (where a meal is served) any other way.  I think people who cook the entire meal for a group of over 15 are entirely insane.  Our favorite way to BBQ is bring your own meat and a side to share.  I'll provide drinks....To include Leprechaun Floats (lime sherbet in Sprite).  Also a few fun and festive desserts....

Lucky Leprechaun Bark over at Your Home Based Mom.  Seriously - made with Thin Mints? (or Keebler Grasshoppers)  Count me in!

This Bit O' Green Popcorn  from Skip to my Lou is going to be a huge hit with the kids.

Not only are these desserts all kinds of yummy they will make great centerpieces for the table!  I'll probably throw some green grapes on there too.  I'm still trying to decide what to make for my side dish.....pasta salad is sounding very yummy - and I don't even need food coloring for green noodles :)

Happy Green Day!!

Project: Cinnamon Ornaments

One of my kids favorite decorations are the Cinnamon Ornaments.  They are super easy and they smell SOOO yummy!  Especially when the warm lights heat them up a bit......ahhhh.  I like to put them on some little trees right by my front door.  Its a great way to enter the house!

I first made them about 5 years ago, and they were starting to lose their smell a little.  They, themselves always smell good - but they don't radiate quite as much anymore.  So my girls and I decided it was time to make more!  They really are as easy as rolling out sugar cookies.  Probably easier, and they take less time.  So here's your how to:

 Ingredients:

1 cup ground cinnamon

1/4 cup applesauce

1/2 cup white glue

Mix cinnamon and applesauce together.  The mixture will be very crumbly.  Using a rubber spatula is easiest.  Slowly add glue and mix until consistent.  *My recipe says to let it sit one hour - if you do make sure it is covered.  It will dry out!*

This is a double batch

The ornaments shrink a bit as they dry, so I use my big cookie cutters.  Roll out the dough just like you would a sugar cookie, but without the mess.  It won't really stick to anything.  If it does you can sprinkle the surface with some extra cinnamon.  If the dough starts to get too dry you can spritz it with water.  I always make sure to knead each section really well with my hands before I roll it out, just to spread the moisture around.  Make sure you don't get the ornaments too thin.  Especially if kids are handling them - you don't want them to be too fragile!

 Once you've cut the shapes, use a straw to cut out the hole for the ribbon.

Air dry the ornaments on a wire rack lined with paper towels for 24-48 hours, turning them every few hours to keep them flat.  (As they dry they will start to curl upward around the edges).  You can also heat them in an oven at 200 degrees for 2 hours to dry them.  I think it takes a bit of the smell away - but you have less chance of curling ornaments.  Just flip them once halfway through.

At this point you can do all kinds of fun stuff.  I like to leave mine plain jane, but I've seen some really cute ones decorated with glitter and paint.  You can pretty much treat them like a wooden ornament in that way.  Then just string the ribbon through - tie a bow and you have your ornament!  These also make really cute embellishments for gifts and neighbor goodies.  And they are really inexpensive.  The biggest expense is the cinnamon.

Such a fun activity for the kids - and a nice welcome home for me.

And these cookies are the perfect treat for your activity!  I dislike ginger snaps.  But I love homemade ginger cookies!  And these gingerbread men are very close.  So yum!

Project: Kool-Aid Play Dough for Halloween

I made the dough the night before. Kneading until not sticky takes FOR.E.VER! I would suggest a motorized kneader. :0)

Here is how you make it:

Mix together 3 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, 3 pkg. unsweetened Kool-Aid (any flavor...I used orange pictured above)

Mix together and add to dry mixture 3 TBSP cooking oil and 2 cup boiling water.

Knead until not sticky. It will last longer if you store in airtight container. The Kool-Aid makes it smell great and seem edible. Be sure to warn your kids that it won't taste as nice as it smells. :0)

Healthy Low-fat Banana Zucchini Bread

These made my house smell fall-ish. I love the smell of Fall. I found the recipe online, and made some tweaks here and there. You won't be sorry you tried this recipe. 

Gotta love Low-fat Margarine...hehehe.

• 1 cup white flour
• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1 cup rolled oat (Quaker Old Fashioned Oats)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs (or Egg Beaters to cut some calories)
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 2 medium overripe bananas, mashed (the riper, the sweeter)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1 cup raisins (or dates or walnuts)

I used two cups flour, instead of using wheat flour. I left out the cinnamon, only because I used Applesauce with Cinnamon. And I also left out the raisins, because my pregnancy tastebuds found the thought of it revolting. :0) I also haven't invested in a second loaf pan. So I used the rest of the batter for muffins (as pictured above.) Delicious. And smells wonderful!

Directions:

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/healthy-low-fat-banana-zucchini-bread-239027#ixzz1WS1LPpOO

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk together white flour, wheat flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs.
4. Add the sugar, oil, applesauce, and mashed bananas to the eggs; mix well.
5. Add the vanilla.
6. Combine the wet and dry mixtures. Stir until just combined.
7. Fold in the zucchini and raisins.
8. Pour into 2 lightly greased loaf pans (9x5-inch).
9. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Cheers!

Easy Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe

I recently graduated into my 2nd trimester and gained my appetite back! In my house, it's been takeout and fast food for weeks...(my poor family). The first recipe I was craving was this delicious one! Yummy Chicken Pasta Salad.

Here's how you can make it too. 

Pour a drained can of pineapple tidbits into a bowl. 

Chop up some green onion. (These were from my garden! Yay.) 

Toss it in with the pineapple.

Wash, pluck and half red and green grapes. Love those colors! Are you as ready for the holidays as I am? 

Add craisins for more texture. 

Grill up some boneless skinless chicken. Put that in the bowl. 

Boil up some Bowtie Pasta...(or as my friend would say it: Boat-ee Pasta). 

Whip up the Ranch-n-Mayo mixture. 

Mix in with the other ingredients. Let chill in fridge to let the flavors marry.

Top with some salted cashews before serving...

And scarf!

Easy huh! This recipe makes some awesome leftovers, and is great to take to potlucks, showers and brunches...ALL year long!

Chicken Pasta Salad

1 small can Pineapple Tidbits, drained

6 green onions, chopped

1 cup red grapes, halved

1 cup green grapes, halved

1 regular bag Craisins, (any flavor)

1 large seasoned chicken breast, grilled and chopped into bite size pieces

1 box (12 oz.) Bowtie Pasta, cooked and drained

1 can Cashews, salted or unsalted (I prefer salted)

Dressing

1 cup Mayo

3/4 cup Ranch

Mix 'dry' ingredients together. Do not add cashews until just before serving. They tend to get soggy if left in the fridge. Mix dressing ingredients in a seperate bowl, stir a couple of spoonful's of dressing with salad ingredients until you reach desired consistency. For this recipe I only used 4 spoonful's of dressing. Let chill before serving! Enjoy!



Project: Red, White and Blue Drink!

The 4th of July is one of my absolute favorite holidays to celebrate!

Enjoy yours too!

Red, White and Blue Drink

Fill clear cup with ice

Pour in Cranberry Juice

Pour in Blue Powerade/Gatorade

Pour Sprite Zero on top

Tip: Pour directly on a piece of ice, the colors stay seperate nicer. :0)

Another Tip: You can do this with any drink, just be sure to pour the drink with the most sugar content first...

A great 4th of July drink for the kids to whip up too!