28 Dec 2011
No comments
Tweet this
by

Holiday Leftover Bites

My mother passed on a lot of things to me. The mole on her cheek, an affinity for things that match and a complex for going completly overboard with everything. There are 4 people in  my family and two of them are under the age of 5 yet I buy the BIGGEST ham I can find. At Thanksgiving, I bought a 21 lbs turkey! I will always buy big and have more left overs than we can possibly stomach.

This year was no different but the kids were getting tired of looking at the same food. I had to think of a cute way to jazz up the leftovers. Leftover bites were born!

Holiday Leftover Bites

  • 1-2 Refridgerated Pie Crust
  • Ham
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Shredded Cheese
  • Cranberry Sauce

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Unroll your pie dough and use the rim of a small glass to cut out circles. Add a small amount of filling to each one. Here are some ideas: Mashed potato and ham, Ham and Cheese or Cranberry sauce. Once you have added the filling, fold over and pinch closed. I used the tines of a fork to make decorative edges and seal the pockets. Poke the tops with the fork twice and place on the cookie sheet. I lightly brushed the tops with butter to get a golden brown color. Cook for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.

The kids absolutely flipped for them! They are hand held and had variety. They especially like the one with cranberry sauce. They turned out like little pie bites. It was a great use of all the  holiday leftovers and the clean up was easy. There were no pots and pans to wash!

If you are looking for some way to jazz up your leftovers for the kids, try these! You won’t be disappointed!


28 Dec 2011
26 comments
Tweet this
by

Wordless Wednesday – SantaPaws Came To Town

Holly is checking her stocking to see if she got anything besides a giant bone because she seems to be deathly afraid the bone!

 

 

27 Dec 2011
No comments
Tweet this
by

Christmas Aftermath

Christmas is over and we had a fabulous time. We bought too much stuff for the kids…no I mean really. Once we broke down all of the boxes and hauled them out to the curb we could really see just how much we stimulated the economy. I’m pretty sure the people driving by we wondering how we fit 17 people in our 3 bedroom home.

Why yes…that is a 3 ft mountain of Barbie’s. I know, I know…some of you are thinking we are crazy, some are thinking we spoiled them. Actually, both are true! I am crazy for the holidays and I never feel like the kids have enough. I want them to carry the magic of Christmas through the whole year and the memories their whole life. They have fun with the toys but really it’s more for me. I love watching them so excited. I spend most of the morning on the couch just enjoying the view.

I am not usually a toy buyer throughout the year so Christmas is my one time to go crazy. I know in a few short years they will be out of dolls, trains and playdoh. They will be asking for computers, music players and cell phones. I try to take in these moments because they are so fleeting.

I remember all of the Christmas’ Mr. M2C and I spent with a tiny tree in our tiny apartments giving each other IOU’s. Hoping that one of our families would give us a gift card so we could buy groceries and stop feeding us and our dog tortillas for dinner. We have worked so hard to get the beautiful life we have now. We have come more than a long way…

So do I go overboard during the holidays…YES! Would I change it for the world…No Way!

I hope your holiday was as amazing as ours. Did you give or get an awesome gift? What were your holiday hits this year?

24 Dec 2011
No comments
Tweet this
by

Merry Christmas

I want to take the opportunity to wish all of you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah or Happy Holidays! I hope your holiday is filled with love, laughter and the magic of the season.

 

Recipe for Christmas All Year Long
Take a heap of child-like wonder

That opens up our eyes

To the unexpected gifts in life—

Each day a sweet surprise.

Mix in fond appreciation

For the people whom we know;

Like festive Christmas candles,

Each one has a special glow.

Add some giggles and some laughter,

A dash of Christmas food,

(Amazing how a piece of pie

Improves our attitude!)

Stir it all with human kindness;

Wrap it up in love and peace,

Decorate with optimism, and

Our joy will never cease.

If we use this healthy recipe,

We know we will remember

To be in the Christmas spirit,

Even when it’s not December.

By Joanna Fuchs

22 Dec 2011
3 comments
Tweet this
by

Peppermint Marshmallows

I was looking for something to jazz up my holiday gift boxes this year. I wanted something unique and I found it! This is an adapted Martha Stewart recipe and sometimes she is a little intimidating. I decided to tackle it and I’m so glad I did. They turned out amazing! If you are looking for something unique that will capture all of the ooohs and ahhhs…this is it!

Peppermint Marshmallows

  • Vegetable-oil cooking spray
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 4 packages (1/4 ounce each) unflavored gelatin
  • 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 2 teaspoons red food coloring
  1. Coat an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray; line bottom with parchment paper. Coat the parchment with cooking spray, and set pan aside. Put sugar, corn syrup, and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring; let mixture come to a boil. Raise heat to medium-high; cook until mixture registers 260 degrees on a candy thermometer.
  2. Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over 3/4 cup water in a heatproof bowl; let stand 5 minutes to soften. Set the bowl with the gelatin mixture over a pan of simmering water; whisk constantly until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat, and stir in extract; set aside.
  3. Beat egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Whisk gelatin mixture into sugar mixture; with mixer running, gradually add to egg whites. Mix on high speed until very thick, 12 to 15 minutes.
  4. Pour mixture into lined pan. Working quickly, drop dots of red food coloring across surface of marshmallow. Using a toothpick, swirl food coloring into marshmallow to create a marbleized effect. Let marshmallow stand, uncovered, at room temperature until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight. Cut into squares and toss in powdered sugar.
22 Dec 2011
4 comments
Tweet this
by

Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream

Since October I have been baking myself silly. Getting a new KitchenAide Pro 600 mixer will do that to a girl. So, as the holiday’s approached I was looking for any excuse to make some goodies. I decided that I would make a load of treats as holiday gifts for Mr. M2C and his team at work. I found these cute cupcake boxes and who doesn’t love a good cupcake?!

I started testing recipes and after tweaking and blending a few, this is what I came up with…Cinnamon Apple with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream. They turned out to be the ultimate comfort food…and they are pretty darned cute too!

Apple Cinnamon Cupcake

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup chopped apples

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Cream together the butter, Brown sugar and White sugar until fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each one. Add the vanilla and mix well scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add half of the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon mixture. Mix until just blended. Add the milk and mix until just blended. Then add the last of the flour mixture and mix until just blended. Gently fold in the apples. It’s best not to use the blender to incorporate the apples. Bake for 18 minutes.

 

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup shortening
  • 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons half and half

Combine the butter and shortening until fluffy. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and whisk until well combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. Alternately add the half and half, whipping the icing on medium-high speed after each addition, until the desired consistency is reached.

Happy Baking!

19 Dec 2011
No comments
Tweet this
by

New Triple Action Purex

Having an active preschooler means loads of dirty laundry. When she plays, she plays hard. Her pants a re always covered in mud and her shirt is splattered with paint. I could spend a fortune buying new clothes but now I don’t have to. Purex, my favorite laundry detergent, has a new Triple Action formula in 6 amazing scents, including free and clear!

I was eager to see if it was going to live up to the hype. So, last week I put in a load of Ansley’s school clothes. They had everything from glitter and finger paint to homemade playdoh and caramel sauce. I added the new Purex Triple Action formula in Mountain Breeze, Which smells AMAZING, and I waited. Coming out of the wash I could tell all of the stains were gone, even the red playdoh stain!

Purex just does the job and it does it for half the price of the leading brand!

Here is the official info:

Purex is rolling out a new Triple Action formula across the entire liquid detergent line. This new and improved Triple Action formula delivers even better on Purex’s promise to leave your clothes bright, white, and clean, and as always, for half the price of the leading brand! 

Over the past year our R&D scientists have been working hard to create an even better Purex formula. And not just a better
formula, but one that will continue to deliver the value that Purex stands for. We’re mindful of our consumers’ pocketbooks, and we’re committed to bringing them a great product at a great value. The new Purex Triple Action formula is just that. It’s an even better clean, for half the price of the leading brand. 

New Purex Triple Action leverages the best parts of our current formula, combined with new additions, to deliver great cleaning plus improved brightening power. This new formula will be rolled out across our liquid detergent line this fall, so you’ll soon find it in your favorite variety!

Just like all of our current detergents, new Purex Triple Action has been specifically formulated to work in both traditional and High Efficiency (HE) washers. This ensures that Purex is always available to our consumers, no matter what kind of washer you have.

 

**Purex provided a free sample of their Triple Action laundry detergent so I could write a review. However, all of the opinions expressed here are 100% my own.
15 Dec 2011
6 comments
Tweet this
by

Cashtastic or Cashtacky?!

The holidays are upon us and with a kid in preschool that means…PARTIES! Basically I have a laundry list of things I am supposed to buy, bake or bring and I struggle to keep it all organized. I don’t want to be the mom that shows up with cream cheese when it was my turn to bring the plates. With all of the hustle and bustle I knew that I would be contacted at some point by another mom in the class who had nominated herself to organize a gift for the teachers. Last week I received that email…

She went on and on about how great the teachers were and how wonderful it was to have them with our children, to which I completely agree. She explained that she thought it would be nice if we got each of  the teachers a gift card. But then she requested $20 for each teacher and added “or $10 for each if you’d like”. Now I may spend my days wiping poop butts and making peanut butter sandwiches but I can still add! $40 x 23 kids = $920! Is this lady sniffing the markers or what?!

I decided I would send $10 for each teacher. I thought maybe a gift card to Target would be nice so I sent my check and did my part. The day of the party finally arrives. The kids sing us a few songs and it’s time to present the gifts. Her son presents both gifts and when they take them out off the bag it’s a Christmas tree with the branches made of cash! What happened to the gift card?

I immediately thought this was tacky! It seemed like we were just giving her a tip, “Hey lady thanks for putting up with my crazy kid all day!” Why not get it in singles and let the kids make it rain?! 

Then I thought “well maybe everyone didn’t participate and she thought this would make it seem like more.” So I was…”okay” with it. I gave her a pass…until I got home. There in my inbox was a thank you letter to all who had contributed thanking us for helping her give $340 to each teacher! WHAT?!

I can’t help but think of all the things that we, as parents, could have bought for our children’s classroom with that kind of money. I adore Ansley’s teachers this year but that kind of money could have upgraded the reading center, bought new dress up clothes or cars or rugs. It’s a private school and they don’t want for much but that kind of money could have been put to better use. 

So now I’ll let you be the judge…Cashtastic or Cashtacky??

I forgot to add, she included a note that said “Who says money doesn’t grow on trees?”

«‹789101112131415161718192021222324252627›»
Post Construction Cleanup   shipping furniture internationally