Smoothies!

Sunday evening we planned to go on a long family bike ride, but when the littles woke up from naptime it was raining.  We opted for a movie night and smoothies!  The boys were thrilled and they always think that they are icecream.  This is how we make em...They are super simple!

A simple banana

Frozen watermelon and strawberries from the freezer

2 T Maple Syrup, A handful of Spinach, and some water...start with 1/2 cup maybe upto 1 cup (depending on how runny you want it), juice from a lemon or a capful of lemon juice from a bottle. 

Mix it up and pour...yum, yum!

My husband always grimaces at the spinach, but you can't taste it and it adds nutrition...but if you add too much--it will turn the smoothies green.  I love these best with the watermelon and strawberries, but you could use any fruit you have in the freezer.

On top of having an amazing time with my family this weekend, I was a busy bee in the kitchen.  Here are a few of the highlights!

 Easy Granola Bars!

I added chocolate and pecans...the chocolate was melty..but they taste GREAT!!

 Uncrustables

They make for a quick easy lunch on the go!

 I used the excess to make croutons too!

I used salt free butter, so I used garlic salt and Italian seasoning to flavor them...yum!

They are GREAT!

I hope you are having a great week.  We are enjoying the last few days of warm weather...I am hearing rumor of frost this week (on the news).

Blessings to you,

Amanda
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Snacks

In a conversation with friends over the weekend, we talked about snacks and how to do them inexpensively.  here are a couple of great recipes for snacky foods!  Do you have any that you love and use often? 

Easy Granola Bars

1c. Honey

1c. brown sugar

1c. peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

6 cups cereal, oatmeal, etc or a combination

1 1/2 cups dried fruit/nuts

Bring honey and brown sugar to a boil, add peanut butter and vanilla--beat until smooth.  Throw in everything else and press into a coated pan...9x13.  Cut into bars.  

My friend Kristin made these recently...I haven't made them yet, but they are on my short list! 

Cheese Crackers Recipe
1 1/2 cup flour
2 cups extra sharp cheddar, grated (use the kind you have to grate by hand, the other has added cornstarch and will change the consistency)
1/4 cup grate parmigiano reggiano (didn't have this, just used xtra cheddar)
1 stick butter, room temp
1/8 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and and use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter. Add a tablespoon of water 1 at a time till the dough just starts to come together. (I used 3)

Press and form 2 balls and cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Then roll out each ball to as thin as you can get it - about 1/8 inch thick. Use a pizza cutter to cut squares, place on parchement lined baking sheets and then poke holes in each cracker square. Bake 12-15 min at 325.

 Share a link to your favorite snacky foods below! 

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Buying a Gallon of Vodka

Well, I shocked Aaron last weekend and bought vodka!! No seriously, I did..the first time I have ever bought alcohol...except for wine to use in a recipe. And the vodka was for a recipe too! I bought a whole gallon!--what am I doing with a gallon of vodka?

 I am making vanilla-and I am so excited! After I did the hard part of buying the vodka, I ordered the beans...80 of them to get this process going (some people I know in real life are probably getting some for Christmas). I learned the process from Laura over at Heavenly Homemakers.

I had a hard time finding a glass gallon sized jar to begin my adventure (Laura says it is important to use glass-for leaching purposes)  So I bought a box of 1/2 gallon jars and I figure I'll use the rest in this summers canning adventures. 

As instructed by Laura, I split my beans by cutting them almost all of the way to the top, leaving about an inch, with kitchen shears.  She said I would need 80 beans for 1 gallon, so I filled the jars with 40 each. 

Then, I poured in the vodka (I bought the cheap stuff).  Tightly screwed on the lids and hid them in a back corner of a closet--where my kiddos can't find them. 

That's it!  You need between 4-6 months to make really good, flavorful vanilla--so if you act fast, you may just have it ready by Christmas.  When Christmas rolls around, you will need to strain your vanilla using a coffee filter and a collander...but Laura goes through all of that on her blog too. She even has a series of recipe cards, an ebook, suggestions for bottles to buy (yes...they do have to be amber colored), and even a code for 10% off your beans at Olive Nation (where I ordered mine from--they are WAY expensive to buy locally; my mom is headed to Hawaii soon and I heard a rumor they are inexpensive there--I am hoping she'll bring some home for me.)  Ok...so for the rest of the info, visit Laura HERE at Heavenly Homemakers.  I still can't believe I bought a gallon of vodka!

By the way, I looked at the vanilla I already had in the cabinet--and you guessed it..alcohol was in it!  If you want some really disgusting info on vanilla: imitation vanilla is made from wood extract...yuck!  (I think I saw that on Heavenly Homemakers too, but I confirmed it on wikipedia.  Anyway...great project--very simple!  I hope you'll try it!

Blessings to you,

Amanda

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Breakfast burritos

PLEASE visit my Caramel Corn Recipe...There is a give away going on and I really want to give it to someone!  No entries yet!

A few weeks ago, during my freezer cooking marathon, I needed sausage for my salisburry steak.  I went to Sam's and purchased 3 of the 2 pound rolls and I knew I would have enough for the salisburry steak and for some to have cooked and ready in the freezer for pizzas.  I didn't anticipate the handiness of having the sausage cooked for other things...but I have loved having it in the freezer!  A couple of weeks ago I got out some sausage for pizza and we never got to it, so I whipped up some breakfast burritos.  I usually just make them with eggs and cheese, but I decided to add the sausage and made up a bunch. 

I filled them, with eggs and sausage, and topped with cheese.  

Then I rolled them up, burrito style.  

I wrapped them in paper towel and threw all of them in a gallon sized freezer bag.  

I ended up just leaving mine in the fridge, but you could put them in the freezer to grab on a busy work morning...I have been sending them with Aaron.  You could add green peppers, onions, and/or salsa if you want, but I haven't yet.  We warm them in the microwave for about 30 seconds (from the fridge) and yum!  I made a rather large batch this weekend, because our house was full--and they were an easy, warm, meal.  Thankfully, they take very little time to make.  I thought they might be more time consuming, but they weren't. I hope you'll try these too!  

 

Blessings to you, 

Amanda

Linked up today at:

Fun Links!

If I hadn't mentioned it before, Lydia was asked to be in a baby wholesaler's catalog at the end of May.  She did fantastic at the photo shoot and they decided to use the photos to update their local billboard.  She now looks at us daily as we go down the highway. 

We have had a fantastic weekend with family and friends.  I made the most delicious food...if I do say so myself.  I made Chicken and Dumplings this afternoon for lunch--and they were so good...the recipe is found here.  Also, from Comfy in the Kitchen, I made Cinnamon Chip Bread Pudding, with warm Vanilla Milk..you can find that recipe here, too.

I found some amazing and fun ideas for clothing for Lydia.  There are two cute dresses at this link that I plan to try in the next few weeks.

I found a delicious recipe for Marshmallow Cookies, like I need another dessert recipe to fix, but they look and sound oh so good!

I have posted this link before, but hope to get to it this week...I absolutely love this idea--Rain Gutter Bookshelves.

And finally, because we are gearing up for school...Color By Number Lowercase Alphabet. 

Did you find any great links this week?

Blessings to you--it is my prayer you had a fantastic weekend too!

Amanda

Caramel Corn

...and a give away...

This weekend Aaron whipped up some caramel corn and it is so funny that this recipe has become our signature recipe.  It is definitely means "home" to me now...and I can expect that any time Aaron is left to his own devices that, if it is not too humid, he usually makes up a batch.  This was Aaron's recipe from his childhood...he made it often when we were dating and is his favorite.  Since we've been married, many people have gotten a bag or two delivered to their front door with a smile. We love it...and think other people do too!  It is great for sharing!  Aaron has perfected this recipe over time and it is the lone recipe that is allowed to stay out of the box and is a permanent fixture on the fridge.  Our boys have made it so many times, in their short lives, that they could probably tell you what to do to get the project started, what pan to use, etc.  They love making caramel corn with daddy...and I love it too!   This recipe is an easy one.   It is not one of those, every kernel is completely coated, recipes...it is simple and yummy.  It takes a good balance of popcorn to make sure the coating is not too thick and chewy. 

Here is what you do...

Caramel Popcorn

Ingredients:
3 1/2 quarts popcorn...for us this is 2 bags of microwave popcorn--it is best if you use the butter kind that is also pre-salted
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp baking soda

What to do:
Pop your popcorn in the microwave.  When it is done pour into a large (bigger than 9 by 13 if you can, we use a roasting pan with higher sides) pan.  Pick out and throw away any un-popped kernels.  In a sauce pan, combine margarine, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt.  Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes over medium heat.  When it is done, remove from heat and then add the vanilla and baking soda, stir.

Pour over popcorn while stirring and bake in a 250* oven, while stirring every 15 minutes, for 1 hour.  After it is done baking, spread out on a layer of wax paper on your table or counter to let cool...this also helps it not stick together in big clumps.  Either eat it all right away, or store in an airtight container.

This is definitely one of those sweet but salty snacks!

I was asked, by Frito Lay, to share one of my favorite Taste from Home recipes and this is the one that most reminds me of home as a way of entering into their contest.  They are also providing me with chips as a part of my participation.  These chips were inspired by popular American regional cuisine and include:

• Northeastern U.S. – Lay’s Honey Mustard
• Midwestern U.S. – Lay’s Creamy Garden Ranch
• Northwestern U.S. – Lay’s Balsamic Sweet Onion
• Southwestern U.S. – Lay’s Chipotle Ranch
• Southeastern U.S. – Lay’s Cajun Herb & Spice

All of the Lay's Regional Flavored potato chips are made with all natural ingredients and cooked in healthier oils, like corn and sunflower oils, which contain 80% or more of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat - the "good fats." They also contain 0 grams of trans fats per serving!

There’s also less sodium in them than you might think – a 1-oz serving of our Lay’s Regional Flavored potato chips contains less salt than a plain bagel!

If I were to choose two of their Regional Flavored Chips, I would choose Balsamic Sweet Onion and Honey Mustard (it was definitely hard to choose only two of the flavors...they all look sooooo good!) They are giving me a snack size sample pack to give away, so here is what you need to do to enter:

1.  Share a recipe that reminds you of home and link up your blog and get 5 entries.  (please make sure to provide a link on your blog to mine)

2.  Become a follower of my blog get 1 entry.

Make a comment in my comments section that you have done both of these things in order to receive your entries.  I will draw the winner Thursday August 25.

I hope this recipe becomes a fixture in your home too! Enjoy!

Blessings to you,

Amanda

I am also linking up today at:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays
At the Well Titus 2
Show Me What Ya Got

Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Comfy in the Kitchen
Domestically Divine



Titus 2sDays
Teach Me Tuesdays
Women Living Well
Raising Homemakers
Womanly Ways Wednesday