Reducing Recipe Paper Clutter

The new year is here and those resolutions are back. Eat better, get organized, save money...... Every year we hope for the same thing and every January 2nd we are back to where we were December 31st.

I have decided to look at 2013 and set up mini goals for each month. One thing I wanted to focus on was getting my paper clutter under control. I don't like using my smart phone, computer or other electronic device to read my recipes so I have many printed out and stashed away. I also have recipes given to me by friends and family, from magazines or ones I have handwritten as I was testing out ideas. I had these papers stashed in a drawer but I was unable to access them when I wanted to recreate a dish.

I spent one evening and created a few cookbooks to house the pages I have collected over the years. With a few office supplies I was able to make a few personal cookbooks and clear a drawer of a large stack of paperwork.

I purchased:
1) 3 ring binder . Size 1 1/2 inch
3) 3 ring binder. Size 1/2 inch
A pack of page protectors.
A variety of scrapbook papers
A roll of packing tape

Separating the recipes into piles, I soon found the categories I wanted for my books. I found the following categories:  
Main Meals (Pork, Beef, Poultry, Meatless)
Sweet Treats (Cupcakes, Frostings, Cookies, Pies)
Breads and Sides
Breakfasts and Snacks

I took some pretty paper and slipped it in the front, back and side of the binder and created labels on the computer. I then took some packing tape and made some dividing labels for the top of the sections. I placed them on top because they stuck out to far if they were on the side. I used a page protector sheet, put some scrapbook paper in the page and placed a tab on top with the packing tape and a label made on the computer.

Between each section, I slid the recipes I have printed out, wrote out or ripped out of a magazine into page protectors. This will keep them safe from spills but will also allow me to write Weight Watcher point values, change things to make the recipe fit our family better or anything else I need to write on the page.

For recipes I have not filed yet because I am not sure if they will work or I haven't had the time, I place them in the front pocket of the corresponding  book.

Having my own books have made meal times so quick and easy. They are all recipes we enjoy and almost all of the ones I add can be freezer ready. I no longer have to dig through a drawer of papers to find that one recipe Mom said I should try. This was a project that was well worth the 2 hours spent collecting, sorting and decorating the books.


How do you have your recipe collection stored?

Christmas Traditions

Traditions have always held special meaning to me. As a child they offered me a sense of normalcy and as an adult they helped me remember the magic that is Christmas. My parents divorced when I was 2, which meant for me I spent Christmas with one parent one year and the other parent the next year. I was very lucky that both my mom and step mom made sure I had the same traditions in each household. The things we did were not anything too difficult but I always looked forward to them. I am now sharing those things with my boys and remembering all the excitement of Christmas all over again.

We start with the sugar cookies the Saturday before Christmas. We deliver them to friends, family and of course leave some for the big man himself. We also leave out some carrot sticks for the reindeer. The next morning the boys will see the bites taken out of the treats and their stockings full of goodies.

In each stocking a few things will always be there. In the toe a large orange is added. This is a very old family tradition that many families do every year. The stories about the orange and the Christmas stocking are traced back to quite a few different origins but I always liked the story that talks about a very rich man who liked to help the poor in what is now known as Turkey. His name was Nicholas and he later became a bishop in the church.

Bishop Nicholas learned of a poor man with three daughters who had no dowries. And, without dowries, they could not marry. Bishop Nicholas took it upon himself to take three bags of gold coins and toss them down the poor man's chimney.....which somehow happened to land in the daughter's stocking that were hanging up to dry in front of the fireplace. The bags of gold turned into balls of gold which now symbolize the oranges. Bishop Nicholas is often shown in pictures wearing a red ceremonial robe and miter, while holding the staff of a bishop as well as holding three gold balls, gold coins, or pieces of fruit. He was later canonized and made a saint. Thus we know him as Saint Nicholas.

Next in our stocking we have a small box of our favorite cereal. It is the one that when shopping with Mom we begged for and were told how it was full of nothing but junk so she would not spend money on it. For me it was Apple Jacks. Christmas was the one time of the year I got Apple Jacks and I looked forward to it every year.

Finally we would have a very large Hershey chocolate bar. Last year I thought this would be a big hit with my boys but they only cared about the cereal. The candy bar lasted until December 27th in our house, but as a child, it was the first thing I took a bite of. Candy for breakfast was such a strange thing, it enhanced the magic and the special feeling for the day.


Both my moms also made a large breakfast. We would have our cereal, chocolate and orange for snacks to last us to the 2 pm lunch/diner we would have at our grandparents home. Pancakes, bacon, eggs, hashbrowns could all be found at the breakfast table. One thing my biological mom would always make the night before was cinnamon rolls. Like the other things mentioned, this would only happen one time a year, making it so special. I don't have her recipe to share but I make a pretty good one every year for my family. Please enjoy for a special holiday (or a Sunday). I hope you find the magic in this holiday and create some traditions to enhance the magic for your little ones and young at heart.

Clone of a Cinnabon

Rated: Submitted By: Marsha Fernandez Photo By: abrooks Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes Ready In: 3 Hours Servings: 12

"Save yourself a lot of money by making your own homemade cinnamon rolls! The dough is made in the bread machine and everything else is done by hand."

Ingredients:

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 2 eggs, room temperature 1/3 cup margarine, melted 4 1/2 cups bread flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup white sugar 2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast 1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 1/3 cup butter, softened 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.	Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
2.	After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
3.	Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4.	Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Cookie (recipe) Exchange

Have you made your Christmas cookies yet? It has been a holiday tradition in our house to bake sugar cookies the Saturday before Christmas to take to friends and neighbors. I always remember being in the kitchen either adding the flour, rolling out the dough or adding way to many sprinkles to the gobs of frosting Mom allowed us to dump on one cookie. There were no real rules when it came to the decorating, just don't lick your fingers on the ones you are giving away.

My boys are also in the kitchen with me just as I was with Mom and Grandma. Same rules apply. Wash your hands, stay clear of the stove, put whatever sprinkles you want on the cookies and don't lick your fingers. We have also added the singing Christmas songs as loud as you can to our list of rules to make this as fun as possible.

I have asked some of the Great Lakes Bay Moms to share some of their favorite cookie recipes. Enjoy this time creating a mess and enjoying your children.

Jill Pfeiffer

My Grandma spent hours baking for her family during the Christmas holidays. I remember helping her bake gingerbread men, popcorn balls and her molasses cookies. I was never able to get a copy of that recipe but this recipe is the closest I could fine. Every time I bake these cookies and than bite into their chewy delightfulness, it sends my memory back to my Grandma’s kitchen with all those gingerbread men spread across her table. My Grandma died five weeks after my daughter was born but her memory is always close by, especially during Christmas.
Molasses Cookies
3/4 C butter
1 C white sugar
1/4 C molasses
1 egg
2 C flour
2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C coarse sugar
Beat the first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients except the coarse sugar. Form into balls and dip into the coarse sugar. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 7 to 8 minutes. Cool. Yields 3 dozen.

Hillary Swemba-Hagemeyer

This cookie takes me back to the days when I was a little girl, a few days before Christmas. You know the ones - right after you got out of school for Christmas break and right before Christmas? Those days were ALWAYS the longest, and still are. During that time, I would stay at my Grandma’s house. She would keep me busy with many games of dominoes, coloring, watching Christmas movies, playing with my dolls, baking and sharing lots of memories together over hot cocoa. She would tell me that if we drank enough hot cocoa, it would snow and we would have a “white Christmas”! So needless to say, we drank A LOT of hot cocoa! She too shared a LOVE of hot chocolate! I now tell my boys the same thing. I discovered this recipe a couple years ago and it has become a family favorite. Every time I make it, I think of my Grandma and the special memories that we have shared. I love you Gram, I’m so blessed to have you as MY grandmother!


Hot Cocoa Cookies
1 1/4 cup room temperature unsalted butter
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/4 cups flour
4 packages of instant cocoa
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup mallow bits
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add in eggs and vanilla and stir until combined
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, hot cocoa mix, baking soda and baking powder.
5. Add in flour mixture to butter mixture until well combined.
6. Fold in mallow bits and chocolate chips.
7. Drop by 1 1/2 tablespoon rounds onto parchment lined baking sheet.
8. Bake for 9 – 11 minutes until edges are lightly browned.
9. Remove to wire racks and cool.

 

Lisa Brown

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

1 1/2 cups butter, softened 2 cups white sugar 4 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt

	In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
	Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
	Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

A New Spin On A Holiday Classic

One thing I love about Christmas are the cookies my mom decorates just so. They are almost too cute to eat, but I do, in excess. I have tried very hard to make them just like her but I am pretty sure she left out some magical ingredient when she wrote down the recipe for me many years ago.
Instead of trying to make the adorable cookies like Mom, I have started making cupcakes. If you want to bring something a bit different to your next holiday party why not give one of these cookie inspired cupcakes a try.

Sugar Cookie Cupcakes
recipe by Baked Perfection

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sour cream

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla; mix well. Add the flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream (batter will be thick). Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18 minutes. Recipe makes approximately 30 cupcakes.

Very Vanilla Frosting (for both sugar cookie cupcakes and gingerbread cupcakes)

recipe by Baked Perfection

2 sticks of butter, softened

6 cups powdered sugar

pinch of salt

3 tablespoons vanilla extract

2 -4 tablespoons milk

Beat butter and vanilla until creamy. Add salt. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until combined. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency.

 Gingerbread Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. ground ginger

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)

2 large eggs

2 tsp. baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a small bowl, stir together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and salt. In a large bowl beat together the butter, oil, and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy. Beat in the molasses and eggs until smooth. Put the baking soda into a small bowl or liquid (you’ll need extra room – it bubbles up) measuring cup, and add 3/4 cup boiling water.
Add a third of the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, beating on low speed just until blended. Add half the water mixture in the same way, then another third of the dry ingredients, the rest of the water mixture and the rest of the dry ingredients, blending just until combined. Fill paper-lined muffin tins 3/4 full and bake for 18 minutes, or until tops are springy to the touch. Makes 1 1/2 dozen cupcakes.

Photo Credit

 Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from Annie’s Eats

Cupcake:
1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
4 eggs
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 cup whole milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 muffin pans with liners. Combine the butter and sugar in mixing bowl, beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir together vanilla and milk in a measuring cup. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the batter, mix at low speed. Alternate adding flour mixture in 3 parts with ½ of the milk; beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix each addition until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips. Scoop the batter evenly into prepared cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 to ¾ of the way full. Bake about 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:
1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
3 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
3 T whole milk
2 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Extra chocolate chips for decoration if desired

Beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed, until smooth. Add in the flour and salt and beat on low speed until incorporated. Add the milk and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe frosting on to cooled cupcakes as desired. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top if desired.

In Season Fruits and Veggies

In order to get the best deal for produce I shop for in season fruits and vegetables.Not only are they cheaper but they taste better. A tomato in February does not taste as good as an August tomato no matter what you do. That being said, I live in Michigan and we can have harsh winters (2011 excluded). I set out to find what types of produce were in season from December to March and was a bit surprised at the list. I thought the list was going to be short, but I found many things I could work with.


 Fruits
Apples
Clementines
Grapefruit
Kiwi
Kumquats
Lemons
Mandarins
Oranges (navel)
Persimmons
Pommelos (in the grapefruit family)
Tangerines

Veggies
Beets
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Collard Greens
Escarole
Horseradish
Fennel
Kale
Leeks
Kohlrabi
Mushrooms
Onions
Potatoes
Parsnips
Radishes (large varieties)
Rapini (a bit like broccoli)
Rutabagas
Spinach
Jerusalem artichokes
Sweet Potatoes
Turnips
Butternut Squash
Acorn Squash

That is quite a lot to choose from!! Now not all are grown in Michigan but they are grown in the US. This list should provide you with fresher tasting and cheaper produce because it doesn't have to travel as far in a truck. 

Need ideas on how to get your little ones (and maybe big guys too) to eat these fruits and veggies? I am pretty sure The Losing It Boys would try anything as long as they could dip it in something. Hummus, salsa, and ranch dressing all lend to carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower.

We cook and puree up squash to add to mac and cheese or spread thin on a tortilla and add some cheddar to make a quesadilla. Puree sweet potato can be substituted for the liquid in your favorite pancake mix/recipe. Many of the greens can be added to frozen berries for a green monster smoothie.

Do you have any recipes using anything from the above list? Please share in the comments below, we would love to hear them.

Pumpkin, The Taste Of Fall

Those little boys are eating what is left of some yummy pumpkin spice muffins. This time of year has Losing It Daddy jumping for joy because he has a love for pumpkin pie that causes him to act like a kid on Christmas morning. I have really only made pumpkin pie before but with Pinterest I have discovered there is so much more you can do with pumpkin to extend the taste of fall.

If you want the family secret recipe for pumpkin pie I will share with you how I learned it. Our first Thanksgiving with Losing It Big, he had the chicken pox. I was so disappointed because it is a family tradition to eat Grandpa Arch's homemade pumpkin pie as soon as you can start eating solid foods. Lets face it, other than being a bit sweeter, the inside of the pie isn't much different from baby food. I didn't want my baby to miss out on this tradition even though we would be celebrating at our house. I called her up to get her extra special recipe, because grandma always makes the best stuff. She started to laugh when I asked if she would share. Then she calmly stated : "yes, go to the store and get a can of Libby's pureed pumpkin, look on the back and my recipe is published". All these years I was thinking it was a family secret that was passed down through generations and it was on the back of the can. She did note to get the puree pumpkin and not the pie pumpkin so you can add your own amount of spices. The best pie shell recipes I have found contain vinegar. It makes a light fluffy crust. 

I have made this pie for years at Thanksgiving and Losing It Daddy's birthday in May, but this year we branched out and tried some new things with pumpkin. Let me just tell you they are really yummy. I may just have to cook up the kids jack-o-laterns next year to keep us in great pumpkin supply.

Here are some recipes that I have found that we really enjoy.
Pumpkin Dump Cake
Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
Pumpkin French Toast
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cups
Pumpkin Sage Soup
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili
Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

To make the pumpkin spice muffins those adorable boys are enjoying:

Pumpkin Spice Muffins 

1 boxed spice cake mix

1 small can of pumpkin puree 15 ounce

**MAKES 48 mini  cupcakes**

I made large ones.

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix together cake mix and canned pumpkin. It is best to use a mixer for about 2 minutes on medium speed to get fluffier cupcakes.

Put in a muffin tin with liners. Batter is dense and does not rise much so these can be filled to the top.

Bake for 18 min until a toothpick inserted comes out clean!
If you can resist long enough you can freeze them. They taste better fully cooled, brings out the spice flavor. 
 Freeze them for 3 months. To enjoy get out of freezer and microwave for 1 min or just let them thaw the night before on the counter.

Thanksgiving Leftovers - Enjoy them well into January

Thanksgiving is a holiday to spend time with your family, be thankful for what you have and enjoy a large meal full of the tastes of the fall season. If your family is like mine, you have enough food for 30 when you are only feeding 10. That means a lot of food is leftover. We can only eat so much turkey, mash potatoes, stuffing and cranberry sauce before it gets old. To make the winter holidays a breeze with meals already prepared in the freezer we use some of the leftovers to transform them into other meals.

If you have a lot or a little leftover from Thanksgiving why not take some time and make some additional meals that you can store in your freezer all the way to January. We are a family of 5 and when I create meals I pack them in serving sizes of 6. If you are a single college student, retired couple, or family of 10, you can pack these meals in pre-portioned sizes.

For some recipes we have tried and enjoy, click on the links below:

Turkey, Bacon and Swiss Sandwiches
Turkey Noodle Casserole
Turkey Shepherds Pie
Turkey Corn Chowder
Turkey Pot Pies 
Turkey Pockets
Chicken Stuffing Bake
Crockpot Cranberry Chicken
Vegan Pistachio - Cranberry "chicken"
Butternut Squash Lasagna
Cranberry Muffins
Crockpot Cranberry Apple Porkloin
Cranberry Sauce Scones
Cranberry Banana Bread

Feel free to substitute any thing in these recipes for a homemade items. You can make your own Cream of "something" soup, biscuits, and stuffing (made in the crock pot and could be gluten free with rice bread)



So gather the family and make a few dishes to enjoy later on in the season.  Save yourself some stress of trying to figure out what you will eat on those busy winter holiday nights.

Basment Play Area

Note: This is mostly for my family as this is a HUGE Christmas present for the boys. I wanted a place I could show all the photos we are using for inspiration and give people ideas on what they can add to the project. We want to have all the large stuff set up before Christmas so the boys can go downstairs and see it all put together on Christmas morning. I am going to wrap up some slippers for them to put on and take them downstairs (with someone video tapping their reaction). We have a small house and not a lot of room for the boys to play but they are at the age where imagination type play is big. My middle son loves to pretend to cook and will make anything into a kitchen. My oldest loves dress up and arts/crafts. My youngest likes to be a little mommy helper. I will update how this project is going over the next few weeks. Right now we are still planning and cleaning up the storage purpose the basement currently has.

The area under the stairs will be a play house. I would like the outside to look like this:

I will purchase the supplies but my brother, Shawn will be doing the construction Thanksgiving weekend.

Inside we will be putting in a kitchen (purchased already) but could use:

Table and chairs

Storage boxes for trains, potato heads, cars, little people, and various other toys (we have shelves already in the “room”)

Toys cleaning items (vacuum, broom, mop, duster, etc)

Doll bed, high chair, etc (Little boy loves his bear and baby dolls)

Watering can and other “garden tools” for outside

We will be putting carpet inside the home and green astro-turf outside. (Still need to get though)

Next we will have a store. Purchased already are the cash register, shopping cart and food. We have the flooring (linoleum leftovers). I am looking at this for the inspiration:

Needed:

I would need two bookcases (one 3-4 feet and one 2 feet) also a top of some sort. Even just a small banner would work.

Baskets would be nice to hold the food.

We would also like to have a school/art area.

  I have the flooring (a bright foam style mat) and most of storage “boxes” I will be using recycled items. We have lots of plastic jars and baby wipe containers we can label and would look cute. I mostly need the shelving unit and possibly chairs. We are also going to be putting this:

in the area. It is already being worked on for completion.

 We also have a lot of stuffed animals so this is being made as well:

I have a corner tv unit that I am going to turn into a dress up area like this:

I have been getting stuff 90% off around Halloween and also saving hats and other things I find at the dollar store. We have fireman and train engineer, not to mention super hero stuff. 

There will be a sectioned off part for me and all my crafts. It will be a half wall so I can see what the boys are doing and Riley will be painting a village scene on it. I also will have a small fence to put up around the water heater and furnace.

Sign Language Helped Find Our Son's Voice

When our oldest son, Jack, was 18 months old he made his first sound. He was playing and made a noise that sounded exactly like up, but until this point in his life he made no attempt to make noise or gesture to get what he wanted. He was a very content child who would either go get what he needed or go without. I was concerned about this but when I expressed this to friends and family, most would ease my fears by saying "so and so's child didn't talk until he was 3" or "boys don't talk until later in life". While their statements made some sense, it still bothered me he didn't try to communicate with us at all. He was social and wouldn't mind being held by people, even strangers, but he wouldn't follow simple requests, answer to his name or even point to something he wanted.

At his 18 month well baby check-up I mentioned something to the doctor about him falling short of some communication milestones. She agreed that he was pretty behind and suggested some tests to see if hearing was the issue. We went to a few places and all agreed he had no issues with his hearing. Our doctor then pointed us in the direction of Early On.

Early On is a extension of the Michigan school system and will come to your home to assess your child's development. Children develop at different times but they can offer some resources to help parents if a child is not meeting those milestones. First they will send someone to assess the child by playing everyday games (peek-a-boo, find the object, etc). They will also ask some question about your family history and concerns of your child's development. After our evaluation, Early On enrolled our son into an at home speech therapy session each week. From age 21 months - 2 1/2 years we had speech for 30 minutes, 2 times a week.

In addition to the outside help, my husband and I started teaching ourselves sign language. We would talk to Jack by signing and using the word and he started to mimic us. He didn't do the sign perfect or say the word but he would try to do the same thing we were doing. My husband was always on youtube looking up "ASL Easter" or "ASL monkey" when we didn't know the sign for something we were trying to explain to our child. We had books, printouts from Early On and flash cards but seeing it done was so much better for us to retain the word to use when talking.

I also stumbled upon Signing Time one morning. It is a show where a woman signs a word, has children signing the word and uses a song so you can remember the word. The music was something that held Jack's attention the most and I feel a great asset for myself learning to sign. Jack loved seeing the kids and the songs, but it really stuck with me when she explained why a sign looked the way it did. I will admit the songs were catchy too.

Jack started going to school at 2 1/2 where he had a paraprofessional (someone who assists a special education teacher) in his classroom who would sign. I think this was the turning point for him. Seeing someone outside his home signing and being a bit older, Jack was signing 20 - 30 words. He still would not say a whole word but he would make sounds when he was signing. One day while he was playing, I saw his little fingers touch together and heard a faint "mo". He signed the word more and was trying to say it. It was the first time I saw him use a sound and I knew he knew what it meant. From that point on he signed and his audible communication grew by leaps and bounds.

Jack is now almost 5 and talks up a storm. He will still struggle with common sounds and words. This is very frustrating to him but if you ask him to say what he wants to say a different way he can usually get his point across. Signing is still in his life but not a much as it once was. We will use it when we are in large (noisy) groups and I need him to understand me or he needs to tell me something.

I don't feel signing delayed my child's speech but I know it helped him find his voice.I am also very grateful for Early On for stepping in and giving our family the resources to help our son. If you feel your child is not reaching their milestones, please contact :

Early On of Michigan

Email: eoreferral@edzone.net
Toll Free: 1-800-EarlyOn (1-800-327-5966)
TTY: (517)668-2505
Fax: (517)668-0446
Address: 13109 Schavey Road, Suite 4 DeWitt, MI 48820

You can find Signing Time on PBS Sunday morning at 6:30 or at your local library. They also have a  Signing Time facebook page.

Halloween candy, freezer cooking and celebrating 80 years!

This past week saw a lot of food challenges. I rose up to meet some and fell so far from goal on others.

Lets start on Wednesday October 31st. Oh Halloween how you taunt me with your delicious fun size candy bars. I have three wonderful little ones so just not having it in my house is not an option. My dad will be quick to remind everyone that Halloween is for little kids and to let them be little. Not to say we don't have some rules about trick or treating.

Rule 1 - NO candy until we get home and mom/dad have a chance to inspect it. This is not a rule that will ever get bent, even though it would probably never happen that our kids will get a piece that could cause them harm. Sometimes I have to remove a piece that for whatever reason is not fully wrapped. This usually is the fault of quick manufacturing. Sometimes I pull candies that the kids could choke on or are really bad for their teeth. We do not have jolly ranchers or caramel suckers for this reason.

Rule 2 - All candy goes into the communal bucket. I know part of the fun is the trading but I was always the kid that could convince someone that a tootsie roll was a fair trade for a Resses (it is not). It would cause fights when the trade was over and my siblings saw that the tiny tootsie roll was just traded for a larger candy. Plus the boys are young and just see the candy and don't care about the brands.

Rule 3 - If we collect more than what can fit in the bucket, it is in the trash. I know I could donate it to organizations but I also know it will sit in my house a few more days and I will eat it. It is best to just go in the trash and take the trash out immediately.  I do this when the boys are in bed because they are still too little to understand why I have to do it this way.

Rule 4- One piece of candy a day, even on Halloween night. This is a rule that Losing It Daddy breaks but so far I have been very good at it. I have even gone a few days without anything. The boys love to choose their candy and we take turns on who picks first. We have candy choosing time right after Losing It Big gets home from school along with a piece of fruit or carrot sticks.

 Losing It Big was a fireman, Losing It Middle was Elmo and Losing It Little was part of a chicken. I got him to wear the chicken costume for 1 min, this picture. Then he would only wear the legs. Every year this has happened (Big and Middle have also had this costume) and every year on November 1st, the go and put the whole thing on themselves. I will never understand it and just remember my dad saying, "it is for the kids". So I just laugh and take my half a chicken trick or treating.

I was a runner. I thought I would wear a piece of each race that proved to be meaningful to me. I wore my headband from the color run I did with my brother, the color run bib I did barefoot (I did 2 races), the shirt from the cheesetown challenge, socks from Saint Patricks 5K, metal from mud run I ran with my sister and the new pants I got right after the trail run I did, since my old ones were falling off me. It made me feel strong and proud of all that I have done this year. I have to hang up my shoes for a few races because we should be saving our money for other things. This doesn't mean I am out though. I really feel I will be able to run all of St Patty's in 2013. I just have to remember to train for it.



On Saturday I spent the morning with some lovely women. I am a Great Lake Bay Mom and was asked to do a mini freezer cooking session with a few of the other moms. It was a great morning where we shared cooking tips and got to know one another a bit better. Plus we made some food. It was a learning experience for me since I am usually by myself cooking, so I had to remember to explain what I was doing. I started out slow but then was able to start to delegate for a few things. We made 2 breakfast items and 4 dinners:
Sausuage Cheese Muffins
Banana Bread
Apple Cherry Pork Tenderloin
Spicy Honey Chicken Breasts (we almost always sub breasts for other cuts of meats)
Taco Pasta
Breaded Chicken Breasts

*the banana bread was made to the point of batter and then placed in pans. When ready to cook, thaw and bake for 45 minutes.

That evening I traveled to New Lothrup to celebrate my grandfathers 80th birthday. It was at a family bar style restaurant and I choose (quickly) a burger and fries. I arrived late and just picked the first thing that looked good. When it was time for cake I decided not to have any because of the burger. I didn't really feel all that bad about it, and I LOVE cake. I actually didn't put much thought into it until I was driving home. I stopped for something to drink at a gas station and saw some "fruit" pies. For a brief moment I thought about getting one because I was so good at not having cake. Then I shook my head and thought about how silly that was. Why would I 'reward' my choice by making an even worse choice. So I ended the night with no sugary treats. YAY ME!!!

Freezing Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. We have heard this over and over again, yet almost half of our population skip this meal. Why? Most are too busy to sit down and have a meal first thing in the morning. We are running around getting the kids ready for school or ourselves ready for the day. If you are like me, you are still trying to wake up and should not be near a room with sharp objects and fire.

I do, however, have breakfast every morning, even in my tired state. I enjoy having a quick meal that I don't have to think about to prepare straight out of my freezer. I could spend lots of money on food from the frozen food aisle but I choose to set aside a few hours every so often and make my own.  I enjoy knowing what is in my food and where it came from.

Many baked goods can be frozen. Muffins, scones, fruit breads, and waffles are all in my freezer. I like to bake them fully and just freeze flat on a baking tray. This is called flash freezing. Once they are semi-frozen, about an hour or so, I take them off the tray and place them in a freezer safe bag. This method will prevent the items from sticking together so I can pull out 1 or 5 items at a time. Partner these up with some scrambled eggs and a side of fruit and you have a meal that will keep you going all morning long, in about 1 minute.

Smoothies and breakfast burritos are a huge hit for our family as well. I can blend up some fruit, yogurt and add a scoop of protein powder in a matter of minutes and walk out the door. As an added bonus, we put 3 cups of fresh spinach and the kids will be having their veggies without any complaints. We call it the Green Monster and my 3 toddlers are more than happy to drink it up. A breakfast burrito takes 3 minutes in the microwave and you can carry it with you as you get those kids to the school bus.

If time is the reason you are skipping breakfast, please spend an hour or so every few weeks and make some things for the mornings that are so hectic. You will be calmer and your kids will be able to focus on school and play.

 Looking for ideas? Here are some of our family favorites:
Apple Snack Cake
Baked Oatmeal
Coffee Smoothie
Cranberry Orange Scones
Fruity Breakfast Burritos
Carrot Apple Nut Muffins
Breakfast Burrito
Green Monster
 Clone of Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls    (these are a Christmas morning tradition)

When Slow Cooker meets Freezer

Don't put your slow cooker in the freezer!!

I heard about making crock pot meals ahead of time about a year ago. I thought the woman who came up with this idea was a genius. I also thought that it was so simple it shouldn't have taken a year of traditional freezer cooking for me to figure this out. I now keep at least one chicken, one pork and one beef crock pot meal on my rotation every month when I set up the types of meals I want to add to our freezer. 

The things I love about using both the slow cooker and freezer for making our meals are:

• The quickness of making them ahead of time. Most of the time I only have to chop the veggies and dump in a bag.
• I can use up extras from other recipes. If I have a little bit of chicken, pork or beef  I know can add a few more ingredients and have another great meal.
• The managers specials are great ways to find cheap cuts of meat for meals but you have to use them quick. Since crock pot meals are easy to toss in the freezer, you can take full advantage of these discounted quick sales.

The only draw back of having slow cooker freezer meals is you need to be discipline enough to think ahead of your meals. Most of these meals need 4-8 hours in the crock pot and it is best to thaw them out a little in your fridge. I like to plan my meals on Sunday for the entire week. I write them in a few places so everyone knows what we are having for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks that week. You don't have to be THAT specific on your meal planning, but having an idea the night before is needed for these meals.

Most every crock pot recipe that requires you to just dump your ingredients and turn the machine on will work for the freezer. All you do is label your gallon freezer bag, gather your ingredients and dump your ingredients in the bag (instead of the crock pot) according to the directions. Raw meats, sauces, veggies, fruits, whatever - NO COOKING REQUIRED! YAY!!!! Get as much of the air out of your bag as possible and freeze. When you are ready to cook I recommend getting it out the night before and thaw in your fridge, not your counter top. If it is still a little frozen in the morning, that's ok. You don't want to chance making your family sick by leaving it out all night and getting too warm too fast. If you forget to thaw in the fridge you can run the package under hot water but it may make your cook times a little off.

I will offer one note about our friend the potato. Some people have blogged about success with freezing raw potatoes for these recipes and having no issues. I am not one of those people. I have tried red, Idaho, Yukon and Bay City, MI potatoes. Each and every time they have come out of the freezer black and mushy. I don't know what I am doing wrong but I no longer add these to my meals for the freezer. I do, however, cook the meal in the slow cooker and then portion and freeze. As long as I reheat the item on the stove top, my potatoes come out looking as fresh as the day I made the dish.

Here are a few of our favorite recipes:
Beef Stroganoff
Spicy Honey Chicken Breast
Apple Cherry Pork Tenderloin
Super Bowl Chili

I hope you are enjoying a peek into how I cook for our busy family. If you ever have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I will do my best to get the information to you.

I will be back Monday October 22nd

I wanted to take a quick second to let you all know that I am taking a break so I can get my life together. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by being a stay-at-home mom (it should be easy right?) so I have been taking my nap time 2 hours to create a second brain to help me feel less overwhelmed. I will be taking photos and sharing all the links to the great printables I have found soon.

Just sit tight and know I will be back with more talk or freezer cooking, life as a mom, losing weight AND soon a home management binder. OH I just love binders and getting rid of the paper clutter!!!

Meal Plan Monday

Link back to orgunkie.com

 My meal plan this week is a bit similar to last week. Everything is already made and waiting the freezer to be reheated. A few things will need to be cooked but nothing will take me more than 20 minutes to cook up.

Monday October15th
Breakfast : Cereal and yogurt
Lunch : Corn chowder, apple slices, and pretzels
Dinner : Leftovers (salad, lasagna, pork chop, and tater-tot casserole. About a serving of each so I think we will let the littlest choose first, then middle, and big)

Tuesday October 16th
Breakfast : Banana muffins and scrambled eggs
Lunch: Mashed potatoes, peas and carrots and Ranch chicken
Dinner : Birthday party. Night off for me!

Wednesday October 17th
Breakfast : Baked oatmeal
Lunch : Crockpot Beef Stroganof
Dinner : Pita bread pizza, red pepper strips

Thursday October 18th
Breakfast : Scones
Lunch : Ranch pork chops, rice and broccoli
Dinner : Cheese slices, cucumbers slices, oranges and pita bread

Friday October 19th
Breakfast : Cereal and apple slices
Lunch : Sandwiches, fish crackers and carrot sticks
Dinner :Chicken fried rice

Saturday October 20th
Breakfast : Breakfast cookies
Lunch : Fend for your self - whatever you can find in the fridge or sandwiches
Dinner: Meat ball sandwiches and potato wedges

Sunday October 21st
Breakfast : Banana muffins and scrambled eggs
Lunch : Chicken Packets and salad
Dinner : Chicken strips, mash potatoes and corn on the cob

The snack bin is still full from a shopping trip this weekend. Lots of prepackaged cookies, pretzels, apple sauce and some string cheese. We also have frosted mini-wheats, a huge hit with my boys for snack time. 

Fitness Friday - Where I am at

That is me a bit over a year ago. I was 240lbs and I had a heck of a time finding clothes for my cousin's wedding. Something needed to change.

Being a stay at home mom to three toddlers, my needs tend to take a backseat to everything else going on in our home. I am also an emotional eater and struggle with anything sugar. I still will grab a candy bar when the boys are running around screaming about a toy that did not go through the proper channels of ownership.

I feel I deserve a pizza (yep, I will eat a whole one if no one is watching still to this day) if we made it through the week with no broken bones and all the chores are completed on time. So maybe I am not THAT bad, but I do (still) reward myself with food.

I have been struggling since August to get things back on track. I blogged about races I was doing, tracked my food everyday, attended every Weight Watcher meeting, and got in all my water UP TO August and then for some reason I gave up. I stopped doing all that had got me to this point, except attending meetings, and felt horrible that each day I said "tomorrow".


Well TOMORROW is TODAY!! I wrote down all the reasons I would like to lose weight. I thought about all the things I have done that have gotten me to this point and WHY I need to keep doing them. I also set little goals for myself so I can see that it is truly working. I have a list of fitness goals and food goals and will add a new one once I feel I have successfully done what I have previously stated I was going to do. I am not sharing them right now because some are pretty personal but I also want you to think of what you need to do and what you can do to accomplish that.

Currently my food goal is to track every single day. Good, bad or otherwise, I just want to get back into the habit of writing down what I eat. My fitness goal is to complete C25K, no matter how long that will take. In July I was up to the 4th week of the 8 week program and gave up.

And this is me today. Sorry for the awkward photo, I am not that great at taking my own photos and Losing It Big was taking more of his own face than of me. I have lost 35 pounds in the past year. Not as huge as so many out there but I have only been adjusting small things. I never want to see the above photo again so I am doing things I know I can do FOREVER and working out for 2+ hours and eating carrots is not something I could do for 3 days, let alone the rest of my life.

Today, on my home scale, I saw 204. I want to see 135 someday and will have to work very hard to get that. I am not down and out. I am at the 1 mile mark looking for that water station.