This recipe has been around in my family for quite sometime. Its always a crowd pleaser. I pretty much always keep the ingredients on hand because its a easy last minute side dish addition to any menu.Pasta Salad

1 pkg colored, spiral pasta, cooked, drained, rinsed, cooled
1 pkg dry powder ranch salad dressing mix
1 bottle Wish Bone Italian dressing (trust me on this one & don't try other brands)
1 jar/can sliced mushrooms
1 can sliced blk olives
1 sm jar sliced green olives

Sprinkle dry ranch over cooked pasta and stir to coat. Add olives and mushrooms. Pour Italian dressing over a little bit at a time. It will taste strong at first, but once the pasta soaks up the dressing it will mellow and may even require more dressing. Taste best if made a day in advance. Serve cold.

Optional ingredients:

Purple onion
Red bell pepper
Sun-dried tomatoes
Artichoke hearts
Yellow squash

Broccoli

Cherry tomatoes
Any or all of these are great additions, if I have, I add it.

Earth Day savings @ Walgreens

To celebrate Earth day, why not save some money !

Save 15% on your in-store Walgreens purchase and 20% off eligible Walgreens-brand products tomorrow (Wednesday) only with this printable coupon. Check out at the photo or beauty department only (?). See coupon for restrictions. When you hand over the coupon, you'll also receive a free reusable shopping bag.

Savings idea: Walgreens brand diapers and wipes are BOGO 50% off.

Thanks to Baby Cheapskate for passing along this deal of the day.

Iron On Applique: Blue and Brown Camo Car, from Sweet & Sassy

Check out Sweet n' Sassy Baby Boutique for this iron on and many, many other goodies. Description

This is an iron on applique patch. It is cute blue and brown camo car. It is one piece and can easily be ironed onto a onesie, shirt or whatever else you might think of. It takes less than a minute to do! You can stitch around it for a more finished look or for extra durability, but it is totally unnecessary. No sewing is required! All you need is an iron! These are very cute, just iron on and they're ready to go. The fabric has been treated to prevent excessive fraying. Application and washing instructions will be included with your applique. Measures approximately 4 1/4 x 3 1/4 inches. Pattern placement may vary. *If you plan to stitch around it, please let me know in the notes to seller section so I can use an adhesive suitable for sewing.


Shipped USPS first class mail

Easy egg carton bugs

I am all for easy and fun kids crafts. Especially ones that use recycled stuff. When I came across this idea, I had to share.

Cut out different sizes of egg cartons for each creepy crawler. We created a Ladybug, Caterpillar, Spider, and a Bee. We used pipe cleaners and googley eyes to make them pop out. Then we actually got out the paints, I rarely do as I fret about mess. But with lots of supervision for my 2 year old, it worked out great.

Jump on over to Make and Takes to see more fun and easy projects.

Tin Can Herb Pots

To celebrate earth day (4-22-09) I was in search of some crafty, earth friendly ideas. One of my favorite sites for ideas is Kaboose. These tin can herb pots are super cute. This project is a little more difficult than some, so make sure to help the young-ins.

What you'll need:
Empty aluminum can
Screwdriver and hammer
Liquitex Basics Gesso
Acrylic craft paints in colors of your choice
Flower stickers (optional)
Acrylic sealer spray, matte finish
Craft or Popsicle stick
Thin cardboard
Pinking shears
Black Sharpie marker
5-10 small rocks, stones or pebbles
1.5 cups Potting soil
4-inch potted herb plant
White craft glue
Water

How to make it:
Completely wash and dry aluminum can. If necessary, sand off any rough edges from opening of can.
Turn can upside down. Parent should use screwdriver or other pointed object to poke holes in the bottom of the can. Use a hammer to tap the end of the screwdriver to make the holes.
Paint outside of can with one coat of Gesso. Let dry completely.
Paint can desired color, repeat coats if needed.
Decorate however you like. Use a thin paint brush for long lines, dip the end of the paint brush into paint for polka dots.
Decorate with stickers if desired.
Spray the outside of the completed can with acrylic sealer spray. Let dry.
Place enough rocks or pebbles in the bottom of the can to form a single layer.
Add enough potting soil to fill the can two-thirds full.
Remove potted herb from its container and transplant into the can.
Fill edges with remaining potting soil, gently pat down so that plant is firmly in the can but not compacted so much that it’s too tight.
Place can on a plate (to catch any water drainage) and add some water to the newly planted herbs.
Paint craft stick whatever color you like. Allow to dry.
Cut a piece of thin cardboard into a small rectangle (about 1.5 x 3 inches) using pinking shears.
Paint both side of the cardboard with Gesso, let dry.
Glue the rectangle to the top of the craft stick.
Use a black Sharpie marker to write the herb name onto the rectangle.
Insert your plant marker into the soil, being careful not to crush any roots along the way.
Place your new garden in a sunny window and remember to water them!

Tips:
A 4-inch potted plant will be enough to make 2-3 vegetable sized cans (15 oz) or one larger tomato sauce type can (28 oz).
This is a great project to teach kids about growing plants, especially edible ones. Take this opportunity to visit your local library and check out a book on simple container gardening or gardening with kids.
Keep the kids involved, be sure they take care of “their” plant. Have them water their plant and show them how to check to see if the soil is too dry or just right by gently touching the soil surface with their finger.
Eat these herbs! Your kids will light up when they get to pinch off a basil leaf to add to your spaghetti sauce.

This would also be a great gift for mom or grandma on Mothers Day !!

Grammy’s Chicken Salad

I got this recipe from a dear friend April who got it from another friend of ours Dawn. It was/is Dawn's g-ma's recipe. All I can say is.... Man, everything taste better with cream !!! I made it the other day for the 1st time and snapped a few pictures to make the recipe a little more exciting.

2 ½ cups cooked & deboned chicken
1 c. celery chopped (optional as my hubby doesn't like celery)
2c. grapes
½ c. sliced or chopped almonds toasted
2 tbls minced parsley
1c mayo
1c whipped heavy cream
Salt to taste
White pepper to taste

To start, cover chicken with water in large pot.

Then bring salted water with chicken to a boil.

While chicken is boiling, about 45 minutes, prepare other ingredients. Chop or slice almonds. Put in baking dish and toast in oven at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Cut grapes into 4's. Mince parsley, chop celery.

Once chicken is cooked and no red juice bleeds out when poked with a knife, remove chicken from water and let cool then debone ( I use both white and dark meat).

Tip: I reserve the broth from the chicken for future use.

In mixing bowl add chicken, grapes, almonds, celery, salt, pepper, parsley and mayo. Mix well.

In very cold metal bowl, whip cream until peaks form.

Gently fold cream into chicken mixture.

Put in serving dish and enjoy.

This salad is great on sandwich rolls, croissants or served with crackers. Will stay fresh in fridge for up to 3 days.

YumYum !!

Cutest Cupcake Toppers Ever

Oh my goodness, these cupcake toppers are to cute. I wouldn't even attempt to make them myself, not when I can go over to Clineffs Confections esty shop and buy em, plus I doubt I could !! Check em out.

Sweet, Seven Layer Dip

Who wouldn't love this. What a great dessert idea. The kids would L-O-V-E it !

Sweet Seven Layer Dip
From Evite
Come on along as I walk you through each decadent, nostalgia-inducing step.
Here's all you'll need to re-create this dessert version of the classic Mexican dip:

peanut butter (standing in for refried beans)
Nutella (as awesome as guacamole)
Marshmallow Creme, aka Fluff to my fellow Northeasterners (this is your sour cream layer)
Shredded coconut (a perfect substitute for grated cheese)
Chocolate chips (instead of black olives)
Salted peanuts (a salty twist, instead of the traditional jalapeño kick)
Gummy bears (stay with me here.... We needed something to represent salsa, and gummy bears at least simulated the colors; plus, they're gummy! and bear-shaped!)
Nilla Wafers and Ritz crackers (your tortilla-esque scoopers)

First you spread a generous layer of peanut butter in a shallow bowl. We chose a glass pie dish so you could see the luscious cross-sections.
Then add an even more generous layer of Nutella. Why more generous? Because it's Nutella. Too much is never enough. Next, spread your fluffy marshmallow creme in a slightly smaller circle so the layers are visible from the top. This layer was a challenge to spread; we had the best results by placing a large dollop in the center and fanning it out to the edges. Then sprinkle on chocolate chips.

Add coconut and salted peanuts to taste. Sweet-toothed tigers can up the coconut, and those who want a little salt to counteract all the sugar can go heavier on the nuts.
Bring on the bears for a splash of color and a chewy surprise ... that was celebrated by gummy fans and vaguely troubling to those who do not necessarily favor a fruity taste that keeps on giving while chewing. Dip your Nilla (or Ritz) deep to get each layer and enjoy!

Finger print Mothers Day cards

With Mothers Day fast approaching (May 10th), its time to help the kiddos honor the mommy’s in their life. I of course am not helping Kellan make me a card, (surly daddies got that covered, right). I was looking for something I could help him do for his 3 g-ma's. I found this finger print Mothers Day card @ Kaboose and thought this would be great to do a different version each year and watch how his little finger prints grow.

What you'll need:
Construction paper
Acrylic paints
Crayon or marker
Small paint brush

How to make it:
For smaller cards, cut construction paper in half. For larger cards, leave as is. Fold construction paper in half to create a card. Flower Card
Use acrylic craft paints to paint a child’s pointing finger. Use this for the center dot of each flower. We used pink, blue and purple for our centers.
To make the petals, paint the thumb first, apply it to the paper. Next paint the pointing finger and apply it to the paper. Repeat this process for each finger so that there is a different finger for each petal. Repeat for each flower
Use a small paint brush to add the stem, then use child’s thumb to create the leaves.

Heart card
To make the heart card, begin by very lightly drawing a simple heart onto the construction paper.
Next, squirt out some paint onto newspaper or paper plate. Have child dip the tips of their fingers into the paint and press onto construction paper following the heart shape. Use a contrasting color to fill in the heart.
Use crayon or marker to write “Happy Mother’s Day” on the card.

Love card
For the “love” card, have child hold their right hand in the shape of an “L”. Be sure it is their right hand and not the left. Paint the “L” shape portion of their hand and help them to press it onto the paper.
Have the child make an “O” shape with their hand, paint it, then press to the paper.
Paint the child’s pointing and middle finger for the “V” and press onto the paper.
Using the child’s pointing finger, paint then press to the paper for the long side of the “E”. Paint the top part of their pointing finger to add the horizontal lines of the “E”.
Use a crayon or marker to write “Mom is” above the word “Love”.

Tips:
Have a damp washcloth handy to wipe off excess paint from child’s hands when changing colors. When finished with this project, have child wash hands with soap and water.
Get creative and use whatever colors you like. Just remember to use colors that contrast with your construction paper to be sure it shows up well.
You may want to have the child write their personal message inside the card before starting the paint process. It can be done afterward, but if done before there’s no risk of accidentally messing up these cute creations.

Turtle Rock

We all had rock collections as a child, right ? I did. Either way, who doesn't love Martha, and her ideas ?? This little rock turtle is to precious.

Study the shape and shade of a rock for clues to its inner nature. When you are ready to design, begin by arranging the rocks until the figure looks just right.

Tools and Materials:
White or cement glue
Stones
Nondrying clay
Coffee stirrers
Paintbrushes
Tempera or acrylic paint

Rock Animals How-To
1. Glue stones together before painting them, attaching small-stone features, such as eyes or feet, to body parts before joining larger parts (attach tails, if using, after painting). Use cement glue for the strongest bond, but make sure a grown-up applies it in a well-ventilated area. White glues are safer for children to use, but they are less durable and best used for rock animals that will sit on shelves.
2. While the glue sets, support the animal parts with little cushions of nondrying clay. To make the alligator, cut-up coffee stirrers are glued to the fellow's underside for stability and painted to match the stones.
3. Before you start painting, sketch out a plan with pencil on paper. When it's time to paint the rocks, both tempera and acrylic paints work well; tempera looks chalkier but any messes wash off easily. Acrylic paint has a glossy finish.

Turtle Cake

While searching for ideas for my son's 1st birthday party, I came across this in a back issue of Parenting. Though I went with a different theme, I definitely put this one in my idea file. How stinkin cute!!!

Turtle Birthday Cake Design
How to make a turtle birthday cake with fruit chews. Easy, step-by-step recipe, diagrams and pictures
By Karen Tack

Serves 16
Ingredients:
1 can (16 oz) vanilla frosting
Green food coloring
2 (9-inch) round cakes
4 Funny Bones snack cakes
1 jumbo cupcake or muffin
½ cup chocolate frosting
2 green M&M's
1 tube black decorating icing
1 bag Tootsie Rolls
12 green Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews

What you'll need:

1 resealable sandwich-size plastic bag
A serving platter
A bread knife
A rolling pin or a heavy bottle

For the white and green frosting:

Spoon 2 Tbsp of the vanilla frosting into a resealable plastic bag.
Add food coloring to the remaining vanilla frosting to tint it green

Trimming the cake:

Place one 9-inch cake on a serving platter. Using a bread knife, trim the top to make it level.
Spread some of the green frosting on top. Place the second 9-inch cake on top to make a 2-layer cake.
Bevel the edges of the top cake to make the turtle shell's dome shape.
Spread the top and sides of cake with the remaining green frosting; make smooth.

Assembling the cake:

Trim 1 inch from one end of each Funny Bone. Press Funny Bones, cut side in, against the turtle-shell cake for the turtle's legs.
Trim the jumbo cupcake or muffin and place in the front for the turtle's head. Spread chocolate frosting over the cupcake and make smooth.

For the icing decoration:

Snip a small corner from the bag of untinted vanilla frosting.
For the turtle's eyes, pipe white dots onto the cupcake head and attach the green M&M's. Pipe white dots on the M&M's.
Pipe white dots on the tips of the snack cakes for the turtle's claws.
Using the black decorating icing, pipe black eye brows and nostrils.

For the shell pattern:

Press 3 Tootsie Rolls together. Using your rolling pin or a heavy bottle, roll the Tootsie Rolls out on a piece of wax paper. Use a sharp paring knife to cut the flattened Tootsie Rolls into hexagons of varying size. Repeat with the remaining Tootsie Rolls to make 7 brown hexagons.
Press 2 of the green Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews together and roll out on a sheet of wax paper. Cut out a smaller hexagonal shape from the flattened green Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews. Repeat with remaining green Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews until you have 6 green hexagons.
Arrange the chocolate and green hexagons on top of the cake as pictured.
Press some of the Tootsie Roll scraps together and shape into a 2-inch cone. Bend slightly and attach as the turtle's tail.

Cake Anatomy:

Cake Cutout:

Family Fun Bath Time Soap Paint

I came across this idea on the Family Fun website for bath time wall paint. What a brilliant Idea.

Talk about good clean fun! Your bathtub buddies are sure to appreciate the bright colors of this smearable, sudsing medium. Try dividing the paints into a muffin tin or ice cube tray for an instant palette. But don't try getting your kids out of the bath in a hurry.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
½ cup liquid hand soap, clear or white
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Food coloring

Time needed: Under 1 Hour


1. Combine the soap and cornstarch in a small bowl.

2. Divide the mixture into separate containers, then add food coloring one drop at a time.



Caution: Test the paints on a small area of your tub or wall first to make sure they won't leave a stain; darker hues may be more difficult to wash off. Tips: Apply to tub and body with fingers or paintbrushes. Use bathroom cleanser to clean the tub if any color remains. Keep any leftover paints in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Drinking Pink

You simply must try this drink out. When I came across it on the Hostess with the Mostest blog I couldn't wait to try it out myself.

Barbie Doll-icious!

1.5 oz Knob Creek
1 oz Cranberry
.75 oz Pineapple Juice
.75 oz fresh OJ
.75 oz fresh Lemon Juice
Ginger Ale
Combine all the ingredients except ginger ale in a shaker.
Shake well and pour.Top with a splash of ginger ale.

And don't think this is the only great drink idea she has. Jump on over to HWTM daily blog to read more.

Quilted Binder

You must check this Quilted Binder out. This is a perfect idea for a photo album, cookbook, recipes sorter, anything. So get out your scrap fabric and bind away !

A recipe for today

This is a super yummy and easy side dish, and a great pot luck item.

Cornbread Salad

2 pkgs Corn Bread mix, cooked according to pkg directions
1 lb bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 onion, chopped (I prefer purple)
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, diced
1 cup Mayonnaise
Salt & Pepper to taste
Prepare cornbread according to pkg. Cool & then crumble into large bowl. Add bacon, onion, green pepper, mayo, salt & pepper. Mix together. Refrigerate until chilled. Before serving, stir in chopped tomatoes.


This is one of those recipes that you can mix up a little. If you prefer a diffrent color of bell pepper or onion, no problem.

Gotta start somewhere

If you read the "Who am I" section you may have a better clue as to why I started this blog. It will be a work in progress as I figure out what the heck I'm doing, but that's kinda the whole point. I want to be clear that this is all for fun and to hopefully pass along good things I've learned onto others. I don't want to appear to be taking credit for anything that wasn't my true and 100% thought and or idea. I want to give credit where credit is due. I am one of those people that when I want to cook something, I go online, look up the recipe and view about 10 and then decide how I want to do it based on what I have learned from others. I really do that with most things. I do a lot of "tweaking" to make many ideas and thought kinda my own. Here is an example. I follow a blog called Bakerella, personally I can't bake, but I would like to.

Her Easter cupcakes were so stinkin cute, I had to try them. I of course I decided this while I was at the store, without the recipe and had no clue what to buy for them. So I just did the best I could in picking out ingredients. Point is, mine are no way as cute as Bakerellas, but I tried and they were still pretty darned cute. And yummy too. So anyone can do it !!



Now here is my attempt

Notice I picked the special one with jacked up eyes to photograph, but not on purpose.

What I've learned form this baking experience is

#1. Go for the sour straws as Bakerella uses, the Twizzlers got soft and floppy way quick which made them hard to stand up straight.

#2. Make a list before buying stuff for a project like this. Duh !!

#3. I should of let all the family kids help decorate the tops, it would of been fun for them.