My Healthy Pancake Recipe

Just realized I forgot to post my pancake recipe yesterday...

yields about 10 medium pancakes

Ingredients:
1 c. unbleached white flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 T. Turbinado Sugar, Sucanat or regular sugar
2 Eggs beaten
1/2 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. ground sea salt
1 c. Kefir Plain
1 c. Whole Milk- Organic
4 T. Cooking Oil

Photo By Georgie
Mix all ingredients and pour immediately.
The Kefir acts like buttermilk
in the recipe if you are wondering.
The Kefir will slowly become more sour as the batter sits, so you want to use it all up that day.

You also may want to add extra water or milk

to get it to your desired consistency. Enjoy!

Thanks

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Menu Plan Monday- Week of October 26, 2009

This week will be a little hectic since I have my parents in town and it is Halloween.

I am making most of these meals easy and "tentative" since

I don't know what will be planned for each day.

Here is what we will be receiving tomorrow from the organic produce buying club:

Green Beans
Yellow Cauliflower
Spinach
Romaine
Green Onions
Zucchini
Nante Carrots with Tops
Russet Potatoes
Roma Tomatoes
Cremini Mushrooms
Garlic
Fuji Apples
Granny Smith Apples
Bartlett Pears
Bananas

Fruit Share: Star Fruit, Seckle Pears, and Green Kiwis!

I also found a great blog that has many great recipe blogs...feel free to roam around!

My Finds Online: Recipes

I also found a great Slow Cooker Blog- A Year of Slow Cooking-There are two recipes below from this blog!

Here is the menu plan for the week:

Breakfasts: Breakfast Burritos, Pancakes (my recipe below) w/ the leftover Maple & Carrot Cupcake Icing spread in thin layer...mmmm kind of like a cheese blintz, Oatmeal, Eggs and Toast

Lunch: Curried Chicken Salad, BLT's, Chicken Noodle Soup( So easy with the store bought chicken)

Snacks: Smoothies made with Kefir, Fruit, Playgroup Granola Bars ( Make sure to pack it down and cook long enough)

Dinner:

Monday: Cauliflower- sauteed in EVOO, Butter w/ Garlic and S&P yummy, Carrots, Rice and Chicken Bowl- Used up veggies....

Tuesday: Turkey Burgers, Honey Roasted Red Potatoes and Broccoli

Wednesday: Spaghetti w/ Zucchini, Meatballs and Garlic Bread

Thursday: Cranberry Pork Roast- Slow Cooker & spinach bars

Friday: Pizza- Bought from Pizza Place..I know..cheating!

Saturday- HALLOWEEN- I chose to make: Sloppy Goblins w/ Mashed Potato Ghosts- Didn't like their recipe, but you just form the ghosts using freezer paper cutouts and place your mashers in the shape of the ghosts and use black olives for eyes. and Witches Fingers- My own take! -Steam Carrots Cut in Half and place a slivered almond at the end! We'll see if it works :

Don't forget to look HERE for your spooky or Halloween theme recipes for dinner!

Leave me a comment if you are going to try something!

Sunday: Apricot Chicken- Slow Cooker

I apologize for the look of this post...I had a lot of trouble with my computer and had to switch to the MAC which was making everything crazy...

Enjoy!

Kristen

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Cut the Scrap!

So I just found this project, and I REALLY want to do it with all of my scraps. I still have a ton of stuffing left over from my non-pumpkin blob project:)

Click on the pillow for the tutorial over at Cluck Cluck Sew... it looks pretty easy, but I did just screw up an easy pumpkin tutorial so you never know with me. I'll let you see the results after I go out and buy some Heat and Bond from JoAnn's with my 40% off coupon!


Also...
Have you been thinking about what you are going to make
for Halloween dinner?
Don't forget to Click Here at Razzle Dazzle Recipes
and pick something unique to make!

ITEMS ON MY "TO BUY LIST"
FOR CURRENT PROJECTS AT THE CRAFT STORE:


Heat and Bond-( for scrap pillow project above)

White Tempura Paint for Ghost Footprints
( I want to frame it and use it to show the girls each year how small their feet were!)

Nothing for THIS project! Too cute.

Butcher Paper or Roll Paper to make Ghost Garland...easy

Well, that's about it, my mother in law just got into town and she is VERY crafty..
so we'll see what she comes up with. I am still in the
"copy other peoples ideas stage" and am lacking in the personal creativity department..hopefully this will start flourishing soon!

Thanks

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I made some things!

So I finally got around to making some things!

I found some old wood scraps that my husband had and I was inspired.

He also had some black spray paint and was kind enough to spray paint them for me.

Then my husband pulled my acrylic paints out of hiding from the garage.

Three blocks = three letters. Love the font....

Then I found another scrap piece of wood,
asked my husband if he "was gonna use this guy"
and had my husband spray it white...

I found a cute little stamp online that said
Frightful and Delightful.

I searched for similar fonts, enlarged it and this is what I came up with.

I can't decide if I should add anything to this block of wood.

It seems kind of empty but my husband thinks it makes it look "simple chic"...
hey, he said it, not me :)

Now for my craft that did not work!

Remember this post? With this tutorial?

This "pumpkin" was only supposed to have 6 patches, and ended up having 8 which therefore created a "non-circle" blob.

The stem is also not in the middle
since I sewed it to one of the pieces and not all....

We enjoy throwing it around and
bopping people with it though,
so I guess it was worth it.

I am going to try again and this time use my fingers to count.

And now it's time for a few pictures from the Pumpkin Patch!

Thanks!

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Menu Plan Monday- Week of October 19, 2009

Fall is here is Florida...and I LOVE it! Makes me want to make some nice comfort food this week! Here is my menu plan for this week:

Breakfast: Eggs/Toast, Whole Wheat and Quinoa Pancakes (New Recipe), Oatmeal

Lunch: Leftovers, Chicken Salad and Quesadillas....same ol' same ol'

Dinners:

Monday- Chili w/ Homemade Cornbread

Tuesday- Vegetable Chicken Soup - with secret ingredient of Peanut Butter!! Great if there's any sick ones in your family!

Wednesday- Indian Vegetable Bhaji- (Vegetarian)

Thursday- Mongolian Beef served over Rice w/ Salad

Friday- Porcupines w/ Roasted Red Potatoes

Saturday- Chicken Angelina served with salad

Sunday- Football Sunday- Different Kinds of Pizzas (Dough Recipe)- Black Bean and Spinach Pizza, Chicken Pesto Pizza, Our usual of Pineapple, Onion and Pepper too!
Get some more ideas Here

Desserts- Maple Carrot Cupcakes ( Let's Get Some Fall Spirit in our house!!),
Berry Cobbler ( Made this last night delicious- should be w/ all that butter though :)

HALLOWEEN DINNER IDEAS!!
CLICK HERE FOR GREAT IDEAS!!!
I'm gonna really get into this..haven't decided what to cook yet,
but they all are so creative !
Wanna try to make a Halloween meal with me? Le me know what you will make.
Leave me a comment to tell me what you have come up with!

Thanks,

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Creative Blogs I've Found....

I posted a little about the creative blogs I found two weeks ago, but I wanted to share a little more with you. There are so many creative ideas out there that DON'T cost a lot of money..

Have fun Exploring!

Living With Lindsay- this is one of my favorite...she is amazing.

Obsessively Stitching- I love that she features an older quilt in many of her posts. If you like sewing, she is your gal!

This same gal features another blog called Dollar Store Crafts.
you can only imagine what that blog is about!

If you like clean cut great designs for stationary, or even crafts, Blond Designs Blog is for you!

More sewing and such...The Idea Room

Scrapbooking isn't totally my thing right now, but boy can this gal be inventive!
Ali Edwards

our best bites...one of my FAVORITE cooking blogs...that takes creativity!

Make It and Love It- a collection of Great Ideas... I put the link to one of my favorits crafts...it involves sewing

and of course you HAVE to love Heather Bailey....her fabrics, colors and tutorials are DIVINE!!!

Get Your Craft On! Such a creative mom...I wish she lived at my house.

Someday Crafts- Maybe I'll do some of them someday....

That's so cuegly...I think her name says it all :)

Well, I think that's enough for now... maybe I'll make this a regular post what do you think?

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Ducky Ideas...

Living here in Florida requires a lot of well..... money
OR
You can be a duck, like me...see illustration. Explanation: A duck can allow water to just float off their back..
they probably don't even feel it....
this is my set goal to make it down here on one income and no credit cards and to not feel embarrassed or even judged (gasp).

One thing I was dreading...before I became a duck of course, was my children's birthday's.

I thought I would share a little about what I did for each of them. Claire turned 1 in June....this means SHE will have no recollection of her amazing party except for the pictures we took. Therefore, I can probably get away with the least for her.... Her party was entitled:

CUPCAKES WITH CLAIRE

This party involved little more than making cupcakes and homemade lemonade and sharing them with our closest neighbors....good times, great pictures and a lot of cheap fun!


Lily turned 3 in September. This was a little more difficult to come up with a creative idea that didn't cost a thing, or close to nothing. Her party was entitled:

LILY'S NEIGHBORHOOD BIKE PARADE...

Get the picture? I went to the dollar store, bought two rolls of crepe paper, pinwheels and tape. The kids loved this. The entire party lasted 1 hour, which was exactly how I wanted it, and everyone got to participate. Of course Lily got cupcakes and lemonade too :)

Just thought I would share my experience on making lasting memories for you and your children and not breaking the bank doing so....

Thanks

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Menu Plan Monday- Week of October 12, 2009

This week is a pick up week for new produce and veggies. Here is a list of what we will be receiving:


Broccoli Crowns
Cauliflower
Romaine Lettuce
Carrots
Lacinato Kale
Green Peppers
Roma Tomatoes
Fancy Zucchinis
Italian Parsley
Red Potatoes
Braeburn Apples
Pink Lady Apples
Bosc Pears
Flavor Rich Pluots
Bananas

This Week's Menu:

Breakfast: Eggs/Toast, Pancakes, Waffles, Oatmeal, Banana Crumb Muffins

Lunch: Chicken Salad, Leftovers

Dinner:

Monday: Turkey Spaghetti w/ Salad and Bread

Tuesday: Asian Lettuce Wraps- SLOW COOKER MEAL w/ Kale Chips

Wednesday: Gobi Aloo - Vegetarian served over Rice

Thursday: Chicken Kabobs w/ Red Potato Home Fries mmmm

Friday: Pizza w/ Pineapple, Onions, Peppers and Sausage

Saturday: Chicken and Broccoli served over rice

Sunday: Black Bean Spinach Pizza NEW RECIPE I will try

I'm not sure, but it appears that we will be finished with a lot of the veggies by the first week, I guess we'll find out!!

Thanks



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Menu Plan Monday Week of October 4, 2009

Hello Everyone,

Well I have been blown away by the amount of talent I have found on women's blogs and how crafty some women are... I am definitely inspired. This week I'll post some links that will amaze you.

Here is my menu plan for this week:

Breakfast: Scones, Eggs, French Toast, Waffles

Lunch: Leftovers, Chicken Salad, Quesadillas, Fruit & Veggies

Dinners:

Monday: Meatball Sub Sandwiches w/ Salad

Tuesday: Chicken Angelina- Never had it last week

Wednesday: Chicken Fajitas w/ Peppers, Onion, Black Beans and Rice

Thursday: Rolled Flank Steak and Acorn Squash

Friday: Homemade Pizza w/ Pineapple, Onion and Red Pepper ( I use the leftover sauteed frrom Wednesdays Chicken Fajitas. *I want to share MY dough recipe later this week. SEE TIP BELOW

Saturday: Crispy Chicken Wontons- *** Use Arrowroot instead of cornstarch** paired with Sweet & Sour Sauce- Again use arrowroot as thickener.

Sunday: FOOTBALL SUNDAY!!! CHILI COOKOFF!!!! I pretty much do my own thing, but here is a recipe that I have used and actually build off of... CHILI Anyone want to come? Bring your best chili .... w/ homemade corn bread.... I'm going to make in mini muffin tin so its easier for everyone to just grab some. I'll also serve with an Apricot Butter....



Pizza Dough Tip- ALWAYS let your dough rise if you have time.... I fill a Pyrex measuring cup with hot water and place in the microwave w/ the rising dough....there's your perfect warm humid rising place :)

Thanks!




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Time to Get Crafty!!

So I have this new found desire to be more creative and crafty...now for me, being creative and crafty has a lot to do with someone "giving" me ideas that I find on the internet or in a magazine...BUT, I have heard that the more you do crafty things, the more your inner "creative craftiness" will come out. I am hoping for that since my creativity level is around a 2 on a scale of 1-10.

While searching the internet, I found a great blog that was FULL of inspirational links and ideas for creative and easy things to do.

U CREATE

This is one woman's blog who compiles a huge amount of contributing bloggers and crafty people all on one site. While I was looking around on her blog, I found a few others that really inspired me to get in gear and CREATE......

Raising Olives- She has a lot of tutorials for different easy projects...and wouldn't you know? I already completed one, well ok, I watched my husband complete it...but still, I was there cheering him on. That counts right? The cheerleaders are just as important as the team? Alright, enough about me...

Here is what we did the other night. Rain Gutter Bookshelves. I know, sounds wierd, but once they were up, they are just about the cutest thing you could ever imagine.... to come out of a rain gutter:)
You can get her tutorial here.
The idea behind the gutter book shevles is that your children can now see the entire front of the book which will encourage them to want to pull some down and read...I kid you not, my daughter and her friend went right in after we put it up and did this!

I am impressed, an invention that does what it is supposed to do!

Also this week, our internet was down.... after I had a small heart attack wondering what I would do with my life( I know pathetic), I decided to do my block of the month for my quilting group.
Not the greatest picture but hey, that's not the creative part here...

My next project that I found and am excited to pursue is this:

WindowSeat Dress UP

Not only did I find this project on this blog, but I also found a new inspiration for life at home. I think this mom has such a light in what she does. I encourage you to search around her blog and get to know her....I feel like I do.
You can find her main page here:
My Kids Eat Off the Floor- Anyone who has their blog named that is a friend of mine :)

Well, that's about it. I will share more with you later as I finish up the pumpkin craft. I have a few more ideas that I will share....but I encourage you to findy your

INNER CRAFTINESS.....or just search around for it..that's what I'm doing!

Share with me some easy craft ideas you have!

Thanks!

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