How to Make Quiet Time Activity Bins
by Nice Girl Notes
Mama's Bag of Tricks: Quiet Time Bins
by Holistic Homemaking
Quiet Time Learning Bins for Little Ones
by Passionate Homemaking
Busy Boxes...Or Whatever You Want to Call Them!
by Olive Juice Mama
08 November 2012
07 November 2012
Sandy Relief
Now that the election drama is over, let's turn our attention back to the New England coast and help those who are still trying to clean up and get back on track.
* The items on this Amazon Wish List go directly to Staten Island Sandy Relief.
* The items on this Amazon Wish List go directly to Moms New Jersey Sandy Relief.
Items purchased from these lists can be shipped directly to those relief groups who badly need these supplies.
via Enjoying the Small Things
* The items on this Amazon Wish List go directly to Staten Island Sandy Relief.
* The items on this Amazon Wish List go directly to Moms New Jersey Sandy Relief.
Items purchased from these lists can be shipped directly to those relief groups who badly need these supplies.
via Enjoying the Small Things
06 November 2012
Recipe - Taco Soup
Taco Soup
adapted from this tutorial by Grasping for Objectivity
This is a classic "dump" recipe - dump a bit of this and a bit of that into a pot...
Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 yellow onion (I used 2 very small ones)
1 green bell pepper
1 can (8 oz.) salsa verde
1 can (14-18 oz.) vegetable soup, no meat
1 can (14-16 oz.) tomato soup (I used 1 can {6 oz.} tomato paste plus 1-1/2 cups water)
2 cans (10 oz. each) Ro*Tel tomatoes with green chiles
1 can (14-16 oz.) corn, drained
1 can (14-16 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 envelope (1 oz.) taco seasoning
1 envelope (1 oz.) powdered ranch dressing mix
1 cup water
Garnishes:
Shredded cheese (I used Cheddar)
Sour cream
Tortilla chips or Fritos
Brown the ground beef in a skillet and drain off the fat.
Chop the onion and bell pepper.
Dump all of the ingredients into a large pot or slow cooker. Simmer on low or medium-low at least 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft (I cooked on low for about 4 hours)
"Garnish with Cheese and Sour Cream, just like every meal should be treated." Crumble chips on top or use them for scooping.
adapted from this tutorial by Grasping for Objectivity
This is a classic "dump" recipe - dump a bit of this and a bit of that into a pot...
Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 yellow onion (I used 2 very small ones)
1 green bell pepper
1 can (8 oz.) salsa verde
1 can (14-18 oz.) vegetable soup, no meat
1 can (14-16 oz.) tomato soup (I used 1 can {6 oz.} tomato paste plus 1-1/2 cups water)
2 cans (10 oz. each) Ro*Tel tomatoes with green chiles
1 can (14-16 oz.) corn, drained
1 can (14-16 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 envelope (1 oz.) taco seasoning
1 envelope (1 oz.) powdered ranch dressing mix
1 cup water
Garnishes:
Shredded cheese (I used Cheddar)
Sour cream
Tortilla chips or Fritos
Brown the ground beef in a skillet and drain off the fat.
Chop the onion and bell pepper.
Dump all of the ingredients into a large pot or slow cooker. Simmer on low or medium-low at least 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft (I cooked on low for about 4 hours)
"Garnish with Cheese and Sour Cream, just like every meal should be treated." Crumble chips on top or use them for scooping.
03 November 2012
Recipe - Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies
Adapted from Vicki E.'s recipe on Tasty Kitchen
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Servings: 15
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
2 whole ripe bananas, mashed until creamy
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter (or 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter plus 1/4 cup chopped peanuts)
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup vanilla whey protein powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups quick oats (uncooked)
1/4 cup chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a medium bowl, mix mashed banana and peanut butter until completely combined. Then mix in applesauce, protein powder, and vanilla until completely combined.
Stir in oatmeal and chocolate chips until oats are all moistened. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.
Drop cookie dough by spoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and flatten each cookie into circles or ovals about 1/3" thick. These cookies don't spread or rise.
Bake breakfast cookies for 30 minutes. Move cookies to cooking rack. When cookies are completely cool, store in a covered container.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Servings: 15
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
2 whole ripe bananas, mashed until creamy
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter (or 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter plus 1/4 cup chopped peanuts)
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup vanilla whey protein powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups quick oats (uncooked)
1/4 cup chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a medium bowl, mix mashed banana and peanut butter until completely combined. Then mix in applesauce, protein powder, and vanilla until completely combined.
Stir in oatmeal and chocolate chips until oats are all moistened. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.
Drop cookie dough by spoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and flatten each cookie into circles or ovals about 1/3" thick. These cookies don't spread or rise.
Bake breakfast cookies for 30 minutes. Move cookies to cooking rack. When cookies are completely cool, store in a covered container.
02 November 2012
Recipes - Thanksgiving Mini-Muffins
I plan to bring two kinds of mini-muffins for Thanksgiving this year - Pumpkin Poppers and Pecan Pie Muffins!
I saw the recipe for Pumpkin Poppers on the website The Domestication Project. They are described as tasting like pumpkin doughnut holes! The original recipe instructs you to roll each one in butter and cinnamon-sugar after they are cooked, but I think I will go with the easier method of using that mixture for a topping instead of a coating.
(nerd note: it is really interesting to see the little differences in each incarnation of the recipe if you go to this recipe's source link, and then that recipe's source link, and so on back to the first person who combined two recipes to make this one - for example, first using Crisco and buttermilk, then vegetable oil and low-fat milk, to finally canola oil and whole milk... And I'll change it again when I use non-dairy almond milk!)
A co-worker brought Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins to the office earlier this week, and I was immediately hooked. They are like pralines, but with egg and flour added to make them into muffins! I knew immediately that my family would absolutely love them. I used "white whole wheat" flour for both recipes. They both turned out great!
Now for the recipes.
Pumpkin Poppers
adapted from The Domestication Project
originally from StrawBerry CAKE
Makes: 18-24 mini-muffins
Ingredients:
1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour (whole wheat flour optional)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree (no sugar or spices added)
1/2 cup milk
Topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbs. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 F, place paper liners in 2 mini-muffin tins (optional), and spray tins with non-stick cooking spray.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a bowl and whisk until combine.
In another bowl, mix oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin, and milk. Pour in flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fill mini muffin tins until almost full. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly on the tops of the muffins. Bake 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Pecan Pie Muffins
Makes 30-36 mini-muffins
Ingredients:
2/3 cup (11 Tbs.) butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (whole wheat flour optional)
2 cups chopped pecans
3 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 F and place paper liners in 3 mini-muffin tins.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave, about 40 seconds, and let cool slightly. Combine brown sugar, flour, and pecans in another bowl. Mix eggs with melted butter. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture until moistened.
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full, and bake 15-20 minutes for full-size muffins (10-12 minutes for mini-muffins). Start checking for doneness at 15 minutes (8 minutes for mini). You can use the toothpick test - you want "sticky" but not "gooey" - don't bake past "sticky" or you'll get muffin rocks! Cool on wire racks.
I saw the recipe for Pumpkin Poppers on the website The Domestication Project. They are described as tasting like pumpkin doughnut holes! The original recipe instructs you to roll each one in butter and cinnamon-sugar after they are cooked, but I think I will go with the easier method of using that mixture for a topping instead of a coating.
(nerd note: it is really interesting to see the little differences in each incarnation of the recipe if you go to this recipe's source link, and then that recipe's source link, and so on back to the first person who combined two recipes to make this one - for example, first using Crisco and buttermilk, then vegetable oil and low-fat milk, to finally canola oil and whole milk... And I'll change it again when I use non-dairy almond milk!)
A co-worker brought Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins to the office earlier this week, and I was immediately hooked. They are like pralines, but with egg and flour added to make them into muffins! I knew immediately that my family would absolutely love them. I used "white whole wheat" flour for both recipes. They both turned out great!
Now for the recipes.
Pumpkin Poppers
adapted from The Domestication Project
originally from StrawBerry CAKE
Makes: 18-24 mini-muffins
Ingredients:
1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour (whole wheat flour optional)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree (no sugar or spices added)
1/2 cup milk
Topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbs. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 F, place paper liners in 2 mini-muffin tins (optional), and spray tins with non-stick cooking spray.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a bowl and whisk until combine.
In another bowl, mix oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin, and milk. Pour in flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fill mini muffin tins until almost full. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly on the tops of the muffins. Bake 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Pecan Pie Muffins
Makes 30-36 mini-muffins
Ingredients:
2/3 cup (11 Tbs.) butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (whole wheat flour optional)
2 cups chopped pecans
3 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 F and place paper liners in 3 mini-muffin tins.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave, about 40 seconds, and let cool slightly. Combine brown sugar, flour, and pecans in another bowl. Mix eggs with melted butter. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture until moistened.
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full, and bake 15-20 minutes for full-size muffins (10-12 minutes for mini-muffins). Start checking for doneness at 15 minutes (8 minutes for mini). You can use the toothpick test - you want "sticky" but not "gooey" - don't bake past "sticky" or you'll get muffin rocks! Cool on wire racks.
01 November 2012
Linkage, Volume 181
DEER XING (video link sorta; just audio)
sounds like we need to petition to get Deer Crossing signs moved
Crazy Logistics
People Trying to Do Things: Strength and Imagination, Part 13
via Neatorama
Sharks and Sandy
The Atlantic sorts out the real Hurricane Sandy photos from the fakes
via Neatorama
The BoardroomImprov Everywhere's latest prank involved staging a boardroom meeting in a Staples retail store
via Improv Everywhere
sounds like we need to petition to get Deer Crossing signs moved
Crazy Logistics
People Trying to Do Things: Strength and Imagination, Part 13
via Neatorama
Sharks and Sandy
The Atlantic sorts out the real Hurricane Sandy photos from the fakes
via Neatorama
The BoardroomImprov Everywhere's latest prank involved staging a boardroom meeting in a Staples retail store
via Improv Everywhere
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