Great Garden Salads : Thunder & Lightning

This time last year I shared this recipe and because it had several hits recently I wanted to share it again. Hope you enjoy!!!




Thunder and Lightning

1 large tomato

1 medium cucumber

1 small onion, sliced & ringed

1/4 c white vinegar

1/4 c sugar

1/4 c water

salt & pepper to taste

Dice tomato, peel & slice cucumber, slice onion, pull rings apart, add vinegar, sugar , water, salt and pepper, Mix Let set 3 hours prior to serving. This can be doubled or tripled if desired.

To make a different dish just use cucumber and onions, salt and pepper and equal amounts of vinegar, sugar and water.

http://amoderatelife.com/2011/05/its-time-for-another-hearth-and-soul-hop-47-at-a-moderate-life/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+amoderatelife%2FLcBz+%28A+Moderate+Life%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Landslide

A song that you will always find gets a reaction out of me. Life changes and this sort of song helps me get through it all. There are many versions out there and each time I feel the same. I hope you enjoy

Levee

This is a picture of a friend of mine in front of the flood gate The floods here have been pretty bad. This floodgate is over 10 feet tall and yet as you can see all is still wet. I love the fact there is so much great yellow in it.

Blue Maze for Teens

This is just some of the fun that awaited the prom goers after prom. Believe me they had lots of great fun.

Taco Potatoes

1 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro


1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. sugar

2 ripe tomatoes, cored

2 red jalapeños, stemmed

1 clove garlic, smashed, plus 2 cloves, minced

1 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 lb. russet potatoes, peeled

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 cup canola oil

18 corn tortillas

Thinly sliced green cabbage and tomatoes, and crumbled cotija cheese, for serving

Puree cilantro, oregano, sugar, tomatoes, jalapeños, smashed garlic, and 2/3 cup water in a blender until smooth; set salsa aside. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil, add potatoes, and cook until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Add minced garlic, butter, salt, pepper, and cumin, and mash until smooth. Set potato mixture aside. Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Spread 1 heaping tbsp. potato mixture over half of each tortilla, and fold over to form a taco. Working in batches, add tacos to oil and fry, turning once, until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes.
Stuff cabbage, tomatoes, and cotija into tacos; drizzle with salsa before serving.

recipe source here

Spiced Creamy Caramel Peanut Torte

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies


2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1 jar (12.25 oz) SMUCKER'S® Caramel Ice Cream Topping

1/2 cup JIF® Creamy Peanut Butter

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or regular ground nutmeg

1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 1/4 cups Fisher® Honey Roasted Peanuts

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 10- or 9-inch springform pan with CRISCO® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Press cookie dough on bottom and 1/4 inch up side of pan. Bake 16 to 23 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese, 2/3 cup of the caramel topping, the peanut butter and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Fold in whipped topping until well mixed. Fold in 1 cup of the peanuts. Cover; refrigerate until crust is completely cooled. Spoon cream cheese mixture over cookie crust. Freeze at least 30 minutes until set. Just before serving, top cheesecake with remaining 1/4 cup peanuts and drizzle with remaining 1/3 cup caramel topping. For easier cutting, wipe knife after each cut. Cover and refrigerate any remaining cheesecake.

recipe source: Tablespoon

 MOUTHWATERING MONDAY

Scenic Sunday

Prom Night in Harrisburg this is one of my dear friends daughters and man do they look sharp :)

scenic sunday

A few of the teens after Prom having a bit of fun

sharing on Color Carnival

Have Faith In God

I woke up with this song in my thoughts and on my heart. The first one is of a great choir singing the song. The second video reminded me of my grandmothers old time church and the music that would be played there. I hope you enjoy. You can find more music here on the Signs, Miracles and Wonders blog and the Then Sings my Soul Saturday







My teens change with the world as fast as can be and when all seems lost if we have a little faith and understanding like our Lord has for us the circumstances of life often turn to the better.

My Weekend

 I have enjoyed a peaceful weekend at home away from work since I had asked for a four day weekend and guess what I got it. Awesome. Tommorow I will head back to work where things will be a bit behind since I tood the time off but boy was it worth it. Thursday was a day that I went with my daughter, husband and brother in law shopping and checking things out. A great time to get away from the reality of the daily grind. Saved quite a bit of money as we went grocery shopping and I used great sales as well as coupons to make it a great shopping trip. Friday was a day of well whatever goes to lounge around the house. Yesterday was clean up day and things really got done that needed to be but because of work nearly never get done. Today, Mothers Day we went to church as a family and I got an award for having most children present. P) Well the kids have been great the meal was wonderful and now just sitting here relaxing. 

What was your weekend like?

PackIt Review

Working outside of the house is part of my life now. Taking my lunch allows me to save money and with great products like the PackIt taking my lunch is easier and greener than eating out at lunch. I am able to pack my lunch with leftovers or items that I buy and plan to take for lunch or I can make something special to take to lunch. The PackIt makes it simple

PackIt keeps items kept inside cooler for longer. In fact items stay cool up to 10 hours which eliminates the need for ice or gel packs. This makes it nice to take your lunch to school or work or take the baby on a day trip where no fridge will be available. The PackIt is eco-friendly because it is better than those brown paper bags. The PackIt is PVC and Lead free, non-toxic, earth safe and reusable As I said before the PackIt allows me to save money by taking my lunch rather than buying my lunch. I also love the fact that I know where my lunch bag is at all times and that I do not have to worry about heading out to buy those brown lunch bags which would cost me money and I don't have to use the reusable grocery sacks which would not cost alot but I don't really care much for.

PackIt is a product that was created by moms for moms. The PackIt is designed to keep things cool very cool . It allows us to continue to eat healthy even on the go!! It does this through the use of a gel that has been made in the liner of the bag. The PackIt folds up easily and stores in the freezer til it is needed then when it is ready to use when needed. The PackIt is even better than a ready to go bag because of the cooling system it offers. It not only stores the food but keeps it cool til you are ready to eat (up to 10 hours)

Buy: you can purchase the PackIt on their website located at http://www.packitcool.com/ There are many patterns and colors to choose from

we were supplied with a PackIt of our own to use for this review. The thoughts and opinions shared in this post are those of mine alone

Giveaways I entered

I entered a giveaway to win this super cool item from nordic ware. If you are not familiar with what this tool is it is a Norwegian Krumkake Iron The giveaway is being hosted by the blog Momma Told Me and will end May 16, 2011

I love the look of the Police runners bike. It would be great for my grandbabies. I entered a giveaway on Canadian Natural Mama where the winner will get this super cool bike. The giveaway ends May 22, 2011

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day to all mothers I want to wish my mom a very Happy Mothers Day as well. My mother in law in heaven a mothers day she will spend with our Lord Jesus. To my daughter I want to tell her thank you for being the mother I knew you could be. You know you are one of the best that I ever did see. To my sister in law not only are you a great mom to your own daughter but you are the mother that you did not have to be thank you for showing so much love to my nephews. Happy Mothers day to all of you everywhere.

Planet Wise Review and Giveaway

As many of you may know I have recently went back to work. In order to save a bit of money I take my lunch daily. This saves me money but the one thing that I did notice and not like is the amount of snack baggies that I would use up and then toss. To me this is not good for the plane or for economics either. That is why I loved finding the Planet Wise reusable bags.

The reusable window bag have a no leak design and are made with food safe FDA food safe materials. They are a great alternative to plastic baggies because they are better for the planet and more economical. The window bag can be placed back into my lunch bag without having any mess to toss out. Easy to care for simple wash, rinse and reuse but are not recommended for the dishwasher or microwave. They are perfect for any member of the family fun for teens and kids who take their lunch and I love them because they are cute, easy to use and leave no mess behind. There is a great variety of colors and patterns available.

Planet Wise Sandwich bags are just the right size to carry a sandwich but not to big to not fit easily into a lunch pouch. With the same great attractions as the other great products from Planet Wise. The bag features a closure to help the sandwich protected and from drying out. Easy to clean and easy to use are the attractions that I like the most.

Planet Wise snack bags are great for taking along for those times you may need a snack. I love this for my grand-children and their little fish shaped crackers. The bag is just the right size for their little hands and offers them something to keep their snack in. In the past we would use plastic baggies to hold their snacks in. I love the fact that Planet Wise bags can be used and reused and washed for another use.

Planet Wise Sandwich wrap opens all the way in the manner of a napkin. Remember the days when sandwiches would be wrapped for care in paper? This is done in the same manner yet instead of paper is wrapped in a cloth that helps protect the sandwich to be ate at a later time.

Buy: you can purchase these bags and others from the Planet Wise website.

Win: One of Annies Home readers will win a Planet Wise bag set of their own. To enter this giveaway which will end May 21, 2011 Please visit the Planet Wise website take a look around and let me know another product that you would be interested in having

Extra Entries:

• follow my blog
• follow planet wise on twitter
• like planet wise on facebook
• follow my blog on twitter
• tweet @planetwise @shopannies about this giveaway (2 entries per tweet unlimited)
• comment on any post on my blog
• share another green tip or your favorite brown bag lunch idea

Good Luck Giveaway starts now and ends May 21, 2011 Email must be in comment or on blog profile or entries will not count. Winner will be notified by email and have 36 hours to respond to claim prize Failure to do so will result in prize being donated.

I want to thank Planet Wise for sending me the set of products to review for this blog post as well as sponsoring the giveaway and offering the winner a set of bags of their own.

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Stuffed French Toast with Jam Syrup

1/2 cup peanut butter


8 slices bread

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup milk

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pinch salt

2/3 cup grape jam or jelly

1 tablespoon butter

Whipped cream, for serving

Swap it

Use cream cheese and jam instead of peanut butter and chocolate.

Spread 1 tablespoon peanut butter on each bread slice. Divide the chocolate chips among 4 slices; top with the remaining bread slices, peanut butter side down, to make 4 sandwiches. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt. Soak each sandwich in the egg mixture until saturated, about 5 seconds. Transfer the sandwiches to a large platter in a single layer. In a small saucepan, cook the jam and 3 tablespoons water over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warm and smooth. In a large skillet, melt 1/2 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add half of the sandwiches and cook until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Repeat with the remaining butter and sandwiches. Slice and serve with the whipped cream and jam syrup.

recipe source: Racheal Ray

shared on weekend cooking

Creativity For Kids Make Your Own Cupcake Soap Kit review and giveaway

I have shared many cupcake recipes on my blog Annies Home in the past. If you did a quick search you could find a great variety of cupcake recipes. Today I want to share with you a different type of cupcake. These cupcakes are ones that you can make but they are not meant to be ate. These cupcakes are cute little soaps that not only look good but smell great as well.

The super cute Make Your Own Cupcake soaps kit offers everything that is needed to create 3 super sweet cupcake shaped soaps. The soap has been specially formulated to be skin safe. Making the cupcake soaps is easy because they require no melting, no mixing and simply required shaping and decorating. The kit contains 7 colors of lightly scented soap clay, a cosmetic grade glitter, a shaping tool, cupcake holders and bath salt sprinkles. To me this is a fun kit that would be great for anyone to make but I think of mom and the girls making great smelling soaps. How sweet it would be to make and decorate these cupcakes.

Buy: you can purchase the Make Your Own Cupcake Soaps Kit from the creativity for kids website

Win: One of Annies Home readers will win a Make Your Own Cupake Soaps Kit of their own. To enter this giveaway visit the Creativity for Kids website and let me know another great product that you like

Extra Entries:

• follow my blog
• like Creativity For Kids on facebook
• follow Creativity for Kids on twitter
• follow my blog on twitter
• tweet about the giveaway leave link to tweet in comment
• comment on any post on my blog
• share with me a cupcake recipe or do a quick search here on my blog and let me know a cupcake recipe you found that you liked

Giveaway starts now and ends May 21, 2011 Good Luck Email must be in comment or on blog profile or entries will not count. Winner will be emailed and have 36 hours to claim win failure to do so will result in prize being donated.

we prepared this review and received the same kit that is being offered in the giveaway from Creativity for kids to use for review Creativity for Kids also is supplying a second kit for the giveaway. Thank  you to creativity for kids

Sandwich Weather Is Back

Spring and warmer days is here and that means to this family that sandwich days are back. This is a dagwood sandwich that I shared some time back and have got many hits on it since that time. Find the recipe to this sandwich here

Spring Time Flower Craft

Construction paper -Green and Pink (or what ever color you want the flowers to be)
Green Oak tag for bottom or a piece of cardboard to glue Construction paper too.
Glue Stick
Scissors

Glue Construction paper to Cardboard
Cut one inch Strips for Stems
Fold Stems accordian style, keep folded for a few minutes under a book (if you have green oak tag, you can use this for sturdier stems)
Cut out flower shape from pink construction paper
Cut out green circle for inside flower
Glue circle on flower
7.Glue Flower on Stem
8.Glue Stem on base
9.Repeat for however many flowers you want to make!!

source: toddler craft

Giveaways I Entered

As many of you may or may not know I am a new grandma (our little man is now 3 months old) He has quite a time finding the right formula, bottles, etc... Many babies do This ThinkBaby system interest me because there are many features that I like about it. You may want to read more about the system over on the blog Katydid and Kid She is also hosting a giveaway for the set shown above head over there to enter the giveaway which ends May 20, 2011

Breakfast Pizza

Eggs


8 Land O Lakes® All-Natural Eggs 3 tablespoons milk1 tablespoon Land O Lakes® ButterPizza

1 (10-ounce) (11-inch) thin prepared pizza crust 6 (3/4-ounce) slices Land O Lakes® Deli Smoked Provolone Cheese4 slices crisply cooked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces*DirectionsHeat oven to 450°F. Beat eggs and milk in medium bowl until well mixed.



Melt butter in 10-inch nonstick skillet; add egg mixture. Cook, lifting gently and stirring slightly to allow uncooked portions to flow underneath, until set (2 to 3 minutes). Remove from heat; set aside.



Place pizza crust onto large baking sheet; top with 4 slices cheese, cooked eggs and bacon.



Stack remaining 2 slices cheese, coarsely chop. Sprinkle chopped cheese over pizza. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until cheese is melted.



Cut into 6 wedges. Serve hot.


recipe source : Land o Lakes