tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27999009480045257052024-03-18T02:47:51.979-05:00Having Fun at HomeInexpensive and Creative ideas for momsKatey http://www.blogger.com/profile/04453635816707138492noreply@blogger.comBlogger66814tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799900948004525705.post-18091243697983299112023-01-29T18:29:00.004-06:002023-07-24T21:05:03.690-05:00Morning Breakfast Casserole<p> Sigh... aren't mornings just SO CHAOTIC? Getting ready for work, kids running around and screaming, big rush to get everything in their right places, 'go get your clothes on'... etc, etc, etc!</p><p> The thing that was most frustrating for me was breakfast. I mean, you'd like to get food in your stomach and the kids' stomachs too. But then, you also want protien, easy clean-up, and not too much preparation time either. Finally, after long years of searching, we came across what works for us. (Drumroll, please)</p><p> BREAKFAST CASSEROLE!</p><p> We make this egg and ham casserole the night before, store it in the refrigerator until morning, and then bake it. I works really well for our large family and just clears up our mornings so much. Here's the recipe:<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><u>Ingredients:</u></p><p>2lb diced potatoes (you can buy these in the frozen aisle at the store), </p><p>1/3c sour cream, 8 eggs, 1c diced ham, 8oz Mexican blend cheese, seperated</p><p>1tsp garlic powder, 1tsp onion powder (a bit less), 1tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper</p><p><u>Instructions:</u></p><p>Grease a 9 by 13 pan and add potatoes, sour cream, ham, and 4oz of the cheese. Whisk eggs seperately with a fork, then add to the potatoes. Add spices and mix everything up. Sprinkle reamaining 4oz of cheese on the top. You can bake now or refrigerate and bake later. Bake at 375F for 1 hr (preferably before you get the kids up)</p><p>Let us know in the comments below: what do you do for breakfast in the mornings?</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799900948004525705.post-38049078269237952372023-01-27T11:25:00.005-06:002023-04-23T15:45:22.808-05:00Gardening with Kids<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKB19m5N-MVmLXn1gaBt6_4ZOioDXGFe2LikcLOFk_AHpic2E-U5XNnGfow832H_Wrw5fCC7Ua3CVMEaiQzQh28Y4J_NHIT5u7KpguTabVKyJWhko6yE09bVuIK8qEYoV-wYdLyP9LTrtDXTwko7lBanNU5Ki0UhbPA_v4nLFl3owY1MbNTT7NgWUooQ/s4032/PXL_20210208_190605010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKB19m5N-MVmLXn1gaBt6_4ZOioDXGFe2LikcLOFk_AHpic2E-U5XNnGfow832H_Wrw5fCC7Ua3CVMEaiQzQh28Y4J_NHIT5u7KpguTabVKyJWhko6yE09bVuIK8qEYoV-wYdLyP9LTrtDXTwko7lBanNU5Ki0UhbPA_v4nLFl3owY1MbNTT7NgWUooQ/s320/PXL_20210208_190605010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>I think many of us have an instinctive sense that gardening is good for kids. It gets them outside, gives them a sense of where their food comes from, gives them interesting and stimulating sensory experiences, and the list goes on and on. <br />
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Actually following through and making a garden that is successful and enjoyable for everyone involved, however, can often be frustrating and/or intimidating. <br />
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Here are the top things I have learned so far from my 8 years of gardening with kids and having grown up with a father who gardened. <br />
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1. Seeds. It is always nice to take a kid to a seed shop and let them see all the packets. These are fun to plant (especially the digging in the dirt part) and it is especially fun to watch the little seedlings poke up out of the ground with your kids.<br /><br /><div>
2. Anticipate points of tension ahead of time. Clearly mark path where they can walk, teach them early on what weeds look like and what the seedlings will look like.<br /><br /></div><div>
3. Plant things that will capture your kids imagination. Not just vegetables, but also flowers and interestingly shaped plants. Another idea is to let your kids each choose a plant to take care of (with reminders and guidance, of course) :)<br /><br /></div><div>
4. Plant things that kids can easily harvest themselves and eat right away: peas, green beans, cherry tomatoes. Short maturation time. Seed packets will often tell how long that variety takes to harvest. If you are a beginning gardener, the information on the seed packets can be especially helpful.<br /><br /></div><div>
5. Love your plants, but love your kids more.<br />
<br />P.S. The kiddo in the picture is E, our second to youngest, two years ago, with the sweet potatoes.</div><div>Let us know in the comments below: Do you have any tips on gardening with kids?<br /><br />
Make a Garden with Your Kids</div><div>5 Easy Tips for Beginners</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799900948004525705.post-47624734014227365322023-01-27T11:15:00.004-06:002023-04-13T17:03:48.988-05:00The Five Little Peppers Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81tQnxdEPjL._AC_UY218_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="136" height="218" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81tQnxdEPjL._AC_UY218_.jpg" width="136" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p> Recently, I've been re-reading some of our older books that I haven't read in years. I've really been enjoying the <i>Five Little Peppers </i>series. It is a really fun series with lots of books and it is great for a family read-aloud or for kids ages 9 and up! </p><p> It is a series by Margaret Sidney about a family with five kids (which is, by the way, relevant to our family now, which makes it even more fun) and about their hard life in the little brown house. They count their blessings though, and are happy, lively, and a very closely-knit family even in the midst of hardships. The series starts with <i>The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, </i>and continues on to have twelve books in total. There are also four films on the series that we haven't watched, but are on our 'to watch' list. </p><p> This is one of my childhood favorites, along with many others. Let us know in the comments below: what are some of <u>your</u> favorite childhood books? </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799900948004525705.post-69458395518098201192022-10-18T14:33:00.002-05:002023-04-13T17:02:10.091-05:00Marbled Fall Cookies<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeB7zPs7sDSXNs4jtiVxsnklepibjJY9lsXaUd-raQFgM9kzbOCYQadBv-a8WO-Vm4RMkjO9jAAvQi9QjNHKvu-cP62Nl5woyQdEa2nYFxI-FGauaW5HAibmRZaXxIvalaDdxCVTUGw7LiN5_Mlq0SJ-QXKKVFoDzO6h_B9Brkp2sFCdiJGcqXrznOWA/s4032/PXL_20221014_210716545.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeB7zPs7sDSXNs4jtiVxsnklepibjJY9lsXaUd-raQFgM9kzbOCYQadBv-a8WO-Vm4RMkjO9jAAvQi9QjNHKvu-cP62Nl5woyQdEa2nYFxI-FGauaW5HAibmRZaXxIvalaDdxCVTUGw7LiN5_Mlq0SJ-QXKKVFoDzO6h_B9Brkp2sFCdiJGcqXrznOWA/s320/PXL_20221014_210716545.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p> Over fall break this year, I made some cookies with the kiddos. This is a really fun thing to do with kids because it doesn't take a lot of time, but they are still fun to make and enjoy together. I got this recipe for marbled sugar cookies, and they were quick and easy and came out perfectly.</p><p> Unfortunately, (or fortunately?) I couldn't get a picture of the finished product because they were all eaten before I got the chance! :)</p><p> You can get the effect by separating the dough into different bowls and dying it, then arranging colored bits close together before rolling them out. As you might guess, re-rolling the dough more than once diminishes the marbled look (oh well). To learn more about this fun activity, go to the Land O' Lakes post on <a href="https://www.landolakes.com/expert-advice/fresh-fall-leaves-sugar-cookies-that-is/">marbled sugar cookies.</a></p><p>Let us know in the comments below: have you tried this recipe or something like it?</p>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07013111888821591005noreply@blogger.com0