Sky Watch Friday

The sky tonight. Yes that's right it is a full moon. Warning for those expecting a delivery or those who could be expecting trouble or mischief.

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Hashbrown Casserole

6 slices center cut bacon
2/3 of a package of frozen hashbrowns

1/4 cup white onion - diced
4oz fat free cream cheese
1/4 cup light sour cream
1/4 fat free chicken broth
1/4 green onion

1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper
1 cup 2% cheddar cheese - shredded
5 whole wheat ritz crackers

Preheat oven to 400.

In a skilllet cook bacon. Drain grease from pan and cook potatoes and onion on medium high heat until heated through.

Meanwhile mix the next 8 ingredients with crumbled bacon, reserving 1/2 of the cheddar cheese. Mix with potatoes and onions and spread into a greased baking dish. Top with remaing cheese and crushed crackers. Bake until cheese is bubbly.

Makes 6 servings at about 300 calories each

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Sunday Scoop

Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars

2 cans reduced fat crescent roll dough
8 oz fat free cream cheese
8oz reduced fat cream cheese
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup cinnamon sugar
2 tbs melted margarine

1 cup pecans
1/4 cup lite maple syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tbs margarine

Powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350. Mix 3/4 cup sugar with the two cream cheese packages until blended. In a greased 9x13 pan spread out one of the dough sheets, spread cream cheese mixture onto that. In a saucepan melt 4tbs of the butter then add syrup, sugar and pecans. Pour this mixture over the cream cheese. Roll out the other crescent roll dough on top of this. Pour melted butter on top of this, then sprinkle cinnamon sugar all over. Bake it for 30 minutes and sift powdered sugar on top

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food trip friday
Craft-O-Maniac
Make The Scene Monday

Friday Fill In

1. Wow, this _____.
2. _____ trivia.
3. Finally, I'm _____.
4. _____ all right with me.
5. Sweet or savory: _____.
6. _____ are new.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____!



1. Wow, this is friday all ready?
2. pursuit of trivia
3. Finally, I'm enjoying some warmer weather
4. if its ok with you its all right with me
5. Sweet or savory : dessert or entree
6. Many of the T.V. shows I will watch tonight are new
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a new dish my daughter is cooking, tomorrow my plans include a radio auction and Sunday, I want t finish my last day at work for a day or two.

Thankful Thursday

Tonight I am thankful for all the doctors, nurses, techs and therapist that are helping my son.

He does not suffer from a physical ailment rather a mental problem. Society never really talks about what happens in life when you live with someone who suddenly (well at least it seems that way) has a problem. I believe my son has possibly suffered with issues but learned how to hide them so no one thought he was odd. In May 2012 he dropped out of school without warning. When we got to the dorm room we were surprised to find what sort of shape it was in and was not sure how he had even lived like that and for how long. He would not return to school and would continue to have a poor attitude that simply continued to get worst. In December 2012 he was hospitalized in a psych clinic and we learned that he had bi-polar and schizophrenia. How could this be what had went wrong a jr. in college and doing great was now teetering on the edge.

Tonight he is getting help with medicine, counseling and I am thankful for all the help we are getting. I am also very thankful for all those that speak out and are not afraid. One thing that happened today that I am most thankful for is that he said "I love you" this is a common phrase but he was not angry or upset he simply said those words.

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Cook With The Little Ones : Peanut butter Banana Sandwich

 

4 slices multigrain bread
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 bananas, sliced
4 strawberries, sliced
2 tablespoons chocolate chips*
2 teaspoons butter

Together: Spread the peanut butter on 2 of the slices of bread.

Kid: Place the banana and strawberry slices on the 2 plain slices of bread. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the fruit, if using. Close the sandwich with the peanut butter covered bread, taking care to press each sandwich closed firmly with your hands.

Adult: Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sandwiches and grill for 1 minute on each side, or until the bread is golden brown. Cut each sandwich in triangles and enjoy!

recipe source here
Thursday Favorite Things
Pin It Friday

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

delicious sweet berry decorated cake is simple and delicious. Perfect for a valentine treat or a simple weeknight treat.

 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
8 oz. prepared whipped topping, thawed
1 prepared graham cracker crust (6 oz.)
1 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise


 1. Beat the cream cheese until smooth with an electric mixer. Gradually beat in the sugar. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla until just combined. Fold in the whipped topping. Scrape mixture into the piecrust. (There may be some filling left over. If so, reserve it to be decoratively piped onto the top of the pie.) Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

2. Starting in the center, arrange the strawberries in a circular pattern. Pipe with extra filling, if desired.

recipe source here

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Makes My Monday

 

 

One of my favorite things as of late is the arrival of this little lady. The new daughter of my co-worker. Can you tell her baby brother is a bit delighted as well.

Lazy Day Cookies

Lazy Cake Cookies:1 box yellow or white cake mix
2 eggs beaten
5 T melted butter
2 C M&M's or mini chocolate chips

Mix together, put in a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 20 min!

 

recipe source here

 

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Made By You Monday

Snickers Salad

Snicker's Salad

-8 oz package cream cheese, softened

-1 cup powdered sugar
-1 container Cool Whip (large or small will both work, it just depends on how much "fluff" you'd like. I used small)
-6 Granny Smith apples cut into bite-sized chunks
-8 Snickers bars, cut into bite-sized chunks
-Pretzels for garnish, if desired

Cream together cream cheese and powdered sugar with a mixer. Fold Cool Whip into mixture. Add apples and candy bar pieces and mix until combined.

Let chill in refrigerator for at least an hour before serving but not overnight. (Cut apples will "bleed" and the juice is kind of unappetizing, although edible).

Garnish with crushed pretzels if desired.

Pizza Cupcakes

Pizza Cupcakes-
1- can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/4 cup mini pepperoni slices
1/4- lb mild Italian sausage, cooked and drained
... 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (2 oz)

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 8 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray. Unroll dough; separate into 8 triangles. Press into muffin cups.
2) In small bowl, mix sauce, pepperoni, sausage and 1/4 cup of the cheese. Spoon about 2 tablespoons mixture into each dough-lined cup; sprinkle each with about 1 teaspoon additional cheese.
3) Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately remove from cups and serve.

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Have You Seen The Doggie

Avoid Flat Head Syndrome

Have you ever heard of flat head syndrome? Well unfortanetly I have. My eldest daughter, my first child suffers from this and while the problem for her is only cosmetic flat head syndrome can also lead to developmental delays. Flat Head Syndrome is a condition that is comprised of plagiocephaly (when flat spots develop on the infants skull), torticollis (occurs when an infant's neck muscles become tight on one side a neck tilt) or a combination of both.

November 28, 2011 the AAP shared a revised position on their stance on positional plagiocephaly by saying that pediatricians should counsel new parents about how to avoid flat head syndrome when they bring their newborns in for their check ups in the first 2 to 4 weeks of life. In the first year doctors should also screen for skull deformities at every wellness visit.

A new product has been developed by Dr. Jane to offer an affordatble and stress free solution for new product for parents to help avoid flat head syndrome. The Tortle (www.tortle.com) is a beanie designed to aid parents in positioning their infants to keep infants 6 months old and younger from lying to long on the same part of the head. Simply switching the Tortle from side to side with each feeding allows parents the ability to alleviate the flat spots and neck tightness that newborns often develop.

Take from a moms own word on this subject in this video

Biscuit and Gravy

1 can (10.2 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (5 biscuits)
1 lb bulk pork sausage
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 3/4 cups Progresso® reduced-sodium chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
1/4 cup half-and-half

 

Bake biscuits as directed on can.
Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Set aside.
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. With wire whisk, stir in flour, garlic powder and pepper. Gradually stir in broth and half-and-half. Cook until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Stir in cooked sausage. Split warm biscuits; place on serving plates. Serve sausage mixture over warm split biscuits.

Of course you should feel free to make biscuits from scratch if you have the time and inclination, though this recipe for how to make biscuits and gravy won't disappoint either way.