Easy Rice Pudding

Mom often made a quick pudding for supper. It was only those events where we went somewhere or had company over where we would have an extra special dessert. So this type of pudding you could find on our table at home most any night.
 
 
 


2 cups instant rice (such as Minute Rice)
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for garnishing (optional)

Prepare the rice according to the package directions. Uncover, add the ice cream and cinnamon, and stir. Divide the pudding among individual bowls and top with additional cinnamon, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.


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Thursday, August 8, 2013

Over Surplus of Beans : Freezing Time



While we love our farmers market there are times that I buy a bit too much. In order for it not to go bad and get good use out of it all it is freezing or canning time. It has been a while since I have did this by myself so I had to do a search for how to freeze green beans and guess what I found a great resource one I am very familiar with. 


Step 1
Cut the ends of the Green Beans off with a sharp knife as seen in picture below. (I personally just snapoff the ends by hand)Cutting Fresh Green BeansSome people prefer to cut off both ends of the green beans. If you need them in smaller pieces you can also cut them into 1-2 inch pieces at this point.

Step 2
Boil Water and carefully place small batches of the Green beans in.
Cooking Times:
Small Beans: 2 Minutes
Medium Beans: 3 Minutes
Large Beans: 4 Minutes

Step 3
Carefully remove the beans from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and place them into a bowl of cold Water with Ice and let them sit for 3-5 Minutes (Pictured Below)
Blanching Green Beans

Step 4
Lay Green Beans out on a Towel to allow them to dry (or pat them dry with a towel to speed the process)  (Pictured Below)
Drying Green Beans

Step 5
Place them in a Freezer Storage Bag and you’re now ready to put them in the Freezer!  When it’s time to cook them, you will just need to boil/steam/bake them for 6-10 minutes or until tender.

Zucchin Recipe : Zucchin Cakes

As many of you may know I grew up in a rural farming community where the produce your grew and sold was also what you would find on the dinner table. Yes we ate veggies and fruit every meal and sometimes looking at some veggies like zucchini became a bit overwhelming.
 
 
 
But when mom served it up in awesome dishes like zucchini cakes we loved it and our plates were often left empty. I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe with those that you love as well.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fresh zucchini, cheese, and spices blended together and fried until golden.
Makes: 8 Cakes
 
1 large zucchni grated, excess water removed (Note: To do this, after you grate the zucchini, put the grated zucchini into paper towels and squeeze to release the water)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup panko bread crumbs
sprinkle of ground nutmeg, about 1/8 teaspoon (Note: If you add too much it can quickly take over the taste, less is more)
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine all ingredients, except olive oil, in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Using a heaping tablespoon form the mixture into 8 patties. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Once heated, add patties and cook until golden brown. About 3-4 minutes per side. Serve.

These are great when served with a dollop of ranch dressing. Enjoy!

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Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Homemade Caramels in the Microwave

One of my favorite aunts, yes they are all my favorite, would bring delicious homemade caramels to every holiday family get together. She would put hours into making these but with this recipe it only takes a few minutes. Enjoy!!!
 
 
 
6 Minute Microwave Caramels
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup (Karo Syrup)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
 
Mix all ingredients in a large microwave safe bowl (the mixture will bubble up so make sure there is lots of room in the bowl). Microwave on high for 6 minutes, stirring every 90 seconds. Pour into a small buttered dish and allow to cool completely. Cut into small squares. If desired, drizzle with chocolate.

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Svan TotSeat making Life easier

Are you tired of the constant battle to find a highchair in the restaurant or feed your child on your lap at grandmas house.  Well don't worry anymore as  Svan the maker of juvenile furniture has introduced the Totseat. Totseat is the original portable child seat for babies who lunch. Made of durable fabric seat that easily transforms an adult chair into the perfect seat for babies and toddlers.


Svan makes juvenile products and has now introduced the multi - award winning chair harness. The Totseat the new addition to the children's seating line from Sweden is made of fabric and is portable, washable and easy to use. The seat simply safely anchors to a little one in an adult chair in the absence of a high chair. The totseat weights mere ounces and easily folds to fit in diaper bag, purse or tote. 

Svan worked with safety experts and peditricians who offered input to create a design that would easily adapt to fit a variety of adult chairs and provide perfect seating for babies and toddlers.  The totseat fastens high across the back of the chair and features a 3-point adjustable safety harness for optimum comfort and safety of the seated child.
 
The seat is suitable for children 8 to 30 months of age and cleanup is easy as the seat is machine - washable.  As with any child product the chair used should be stable and on level ground and the child in the totseat should never be left unattended.
 
The totseat is available in a range of 6 stylish and colorful patterns including alphabet, apple, bramble, chocolate chip, coffee bean and Tapas. Retailing at around $34.95 which includes the totseat and coordinating carry pouch and to me is an awesome buy.
 
Totseat is available at www.svan.com and at leading specialty juvenile products stores nationwide including Buy Buy Baby.  For more information and to see a Totseat demo visit:
 
Follow Svan on:
Twitter: @svanbaby
Pinterest: /svanbaby
Facebook: /svanbaby
Youtube: svanbaby






















Monday, August 5, 2013

when we were kids we did not have cable t.v. in fact I can remember the guy coming around asking all those interested in getting cable tv to sign up.
we did not have video games in fact we had the game pong and our first atari was still a few years ahead. But soon it would come and we would get that chicken across the street.
But the one thing we did have was time to spend together talk, play truth or dare and little games and riddles. Tounge twisters were always fun and today being green pepper day I thought I would share this with all of you.



"Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers..."by Mother Goose
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers;
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked;
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?










PICKLED PEPPERS

4 large bell peppers, either red, green, yellow, or any combination (about 2 lbs. total)
2 c. water
1/2 c. sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar or white vinegar
1/4 c. honey
1 t. black peppercorns
4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 c. sliced onion (about 2 small)
Slice up peppers, lengthwise, into strips about 1 inch wide; discard stems and seeds. Set aside.
In medium saucepan, heat water, vinegar, honey, peppercorns, and garlic until boiling. Add peppers and onions and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and continue cooking for 20 minutes, or until peppers are very tender. (I cooked mine about 30 minutes.) Let cool, and pack into jars or plastic containers. Refrigerate. Serve with a slotted spoon


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Sunday, August 4, 2013

Pediped and a chance to help your school





As children get ready to go back to school many start think about what students will need before getting back into the classroom. Schools everywhere can celebrate the start of another new school year by giving the local PTA or PTO  great news that Pediped has launched an awesome school initiative this fall. July 24, 2013 Pediped launched a campaign known as pediped ♥ ‘s Schools’ This new giving campaign allows participating schools to receive a check for 10% back on their total attributed purchases of pediped footwear. Each school can earn up to $10,000 per year.

The leader of the schools PTO or PTA simply enroll their school to best spread the word. Likewise, parents and teachers may also enroll their school into the program. Each school will then be given a unique code upon enrollment. Members of the school and community should use this code at checkout when making a purchase on pediped.com or any pediped owned boutique. Purchases from now through May 15, 2014 will be added into the total and June 2014 the schools will receive their promised check of 10% of total purchase. Schools can also check their earnings on pediped.com. 
Angela Edgeworth, founder of pediped footwear recognizes that "Schools need our help now more than ever and it's essential for them to have the things they need. Giving back alway has and will continue to be a core value of pediped"
 
Pediped was founded in 2005 and has been dedicated to enriching the lives of children, pediped established the pediped foundation in 2010 to work directly with charities that are devoted to the health, education and basic needs of children around the world. Since its inception the pediped foundation has donated nearly 2 million dollars in product and monetary support.
 
 Please visit pediped.com/pedipedschools to enroll your school today.
###
About pediped®
Exceptional quality, unsurpassed comfort and distinctive styling have made the award-winning company the fastest growing children's footwear brand in the United States. pediped® footwear has been awarded the American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Acceptance for the promotion of healthy foot development, and preeminent orthopedic medical professionals, Dr. Mininder S. Kocher and Dr. Thomas W. Vorderer, deem pediped® shoes an excellent choice for parents/caregivers who want their children’s feet to develop naturally and healthily. In 2011 Earnshaw’s, the premier media resource serving the children’s market recognized pediped® with Earnshaw’s Earnie Award for Company of the Year and Best Footwear. In 2012, Earnshaw’s recognized pediped® for their philanthropy efforts of nearly $2 million, and pediped® was awarded the Earnie Award for Company for Good.
pediped® footwear is sold in over 2,500 stores in the United States and 40 countries worldwide with an offering of more than 140 designs for boys and girls between their three lines, Originals®, Grip ‘n’ Go™ and Flex®. Originals®, Grip ‘n’ Go™ and Flex® are available in EU sizes ranging from 17 to 33. For more information, visit http://www.pediped.com/ or call 1-702-567-0311.
Follow pediped on:
• Facebook.com/pedipedfootwear

Quesion for My Readers

I have a question for you all this time::::
I was sitting here having a conversation with my children about ways that stores in my lifetime have tried to get buyers to come in and shop. Among the ways we discussed were to play bingo and gain product and money when the shopper bingo. We have also seen a box in stores where buyers wrote name on back of receipt if name was drawn out the shopper won the amount of receipt. The third way we remembered was a punch card where the shopper had a card that each time they bought so much $$$ at the store they would have card punched.

Now its your turn does your favorite store have promotions like these? We would love to hear about them

Remembering Grandma: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I was a child both my mother and father worked and we spent a lot of time with my grandma and grandpa. The great thing was that they lived in the country the bad thing was that we did not have a lot of things to play with. Perhaps that was really the good thing. Not having things to play with meant we had to use our imagination to have fun. There were a few things that I remember that were part of the yard yet also was part of our pretend play the grape vine harbor which my grandmother loved became our house because the harbor was built like a box and the grape leaves etc... created a house like figure. We could spend hours playing house and having fun. What did you do when you was a kid??? Did you have any special games that you played???

I also enjoyed the treats that my grandmother would prepare us. I do not think I have ever had any chocolate chip cookies that tasted any where near hers. Perhaps it is because she used oatmeal in her recipe. Today being National Day to celebrate chocolate chip cookies I thought it would be cool to share a recipe that perhaps you can make up for your bunch. Create some memories and enjoy your bunch.















2 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. white sugar
4 eggs
2tsp. hot water
3 c. sifted flour
2 tsp. soda2 tsp. salt
12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
4 c. quick oatmeal
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix ingredients from top to bottom. Place onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Makes 200 cookies.

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Walgreen and Purex saving you money

 At walgreens this week you can get a great deal on Purex. 24-33 loads or Purex ultra packs 18 pack 2/$5

There is also a $1/2 coupon for Purex in RP this week

making the final cost of 2 only $4 or $2 each.