I just found out the easiest way to peel garlic cloves -- microwave them first! Once you microwave a garlic clove for about 30 seconds the clove will pop right out of the peel and be ready for mincing or throwing into your Vitamix or blender with a marinade. I put ten or twelve in the microwave at a time for this recipe, but you could put 30 in at a time! This dramatically cut my preparation time. Continue Reading >>
Kids Can Make Their Own No-Sew Fringe Blankets (With a Little Help)
No-Sew fringe blankets are fairly easy to make and fun to cuddle up with. My oldest daughter made a blanket for Caleb when he was born. She was just 6 years old and did most of the cutting and tying herself with my supervision. I guess it partly depends on the dexterity of the child. A few months ago, we decided the twins needed their own big boy blankets since their crib blankets were too small Continue Reading >>
Yucatecan Chicken Marinade (p.142-143 of Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless)
I was just telling some of my friends that I could eat food from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless every day of the week. This isn't officially a book review, but I highly recommend this cookbook! The recipe for Yucatecan Marinade on Chicken is one of several favorites! Plus it is a really quick meal to put together. Just mix up the marinade in the morning and put your chicken in the refrigerator. Continue Reading >>
How to Make A Puffy Paint Snowman Craft with Shaving Cream
I love to teach preschool to my children with themes. Right now, my twins and I are celebrating the theme of snow. We are reading books about snow, coloring pretty pictures with snow, and creating snow crafts. This week, one of our suggestions for preschool was a puffy paint snowman craft. Unfortunately, it was just a suggestion with no real instructions - I had to figure it out myself. I'm saving Continue Reading >>
Easy Cheesy Quesadillas
I don't know about you, but I am always looking for super easy, fairly cheap meals to feed my kids. I know I am not the only person with lots of mouths to feed and a shortage of time! Last night I was at my wit's end trying to come up with a meal from our somewhat sparse pantry. I seem to have lots of ingredients but nothing went together. After studying the contents of my pantry and refrigerator Continue Reading >>
Book Review and Giveaway! Chess is Child’s Play by Laura Sherman and Bill Kilpatrick
Have you ever been intrigued by a book simply from it's title? Before I ever saw this book I heard the title Chess is Child's Play ($13.57) and I was caught. I've always believed that small children are capable of so much more then we expect. And the key to unlocking this potential is through play. A book that teaches chess through play was a captivating thought. When the book arrived I was Continue Reading >>
