WFMW: Summer Dessert

This week's theme for Works for Me Wednesday is "recipes". Here is a yummy recipe that I made yesterday for company. It is easy and doesn't require much effort, but it does require some time in the fridge. So, with a little planning you can have a tasty dessert ready for tonight's bbq!

Zebra Cake

Box of chocolate graham crackers

2 small boxes of instant cheesecake pudding

2 cups milk

1 cup sweetened, condensed milk

1 small container of cool whip

Glaze:

1/4 cup milk

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup white sugar

dash of salt

2 T butter

1 t vanilla

In a mixer: combine the cheesecake pudding, mik and sweetened, condensed milk. Fold in the cool whip. Beat for two minutes.

In a buttered 9X13, place a layer of chocolate graham crackers on the bottom. Top with half the pudding mixture. Spread another layer of graham crackers and the other half of the pudding mixture. Place a final layer of chocolate graham crackers over the pudding.

In a saucepan, over medium heat combine 1/4 cup milk, cocoa powder, sugar and dash of salt. Bring to a boil. Boil for one minute while whisking. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla. Spread over the graham cracker and pudding layers. Refrigerate overnight. (We ate ours after 6 hours in the fridge, but making this the day before would be great.)

Head on over to Kristin's blog to see more yummy recipes!

We Are THAT Family

WFMW: Summer Salad

Back when I was regular with my blogging I participated in a blog carnival called, "Works for Me Wednesday." Everyone would head over to Kristen's blog, We Are That Family, and post a handy tip or recipe. Since I'm home from school now I was excited about sharing a new recipe that I made for the first time yesterday. (And I made a double batch today!) It seems like a bit of an odd combination, but I promise that if you like tomatoes and peaches you will be wowed!

This would be a lovely salad at your Canada Day or July 4th picnic!

Summer Peach and Tomato Salad
(Based on a similar recipe in Cooking Light)

3 ripe (not overripe) peaches, chopped into bite size pieces
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped into bite size pieces
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion (almost a sliver size piece)
2 T white wine vinegar
1 T olive oil
2 t honey
1/2 t kosher salt
1/8 t black pepper (or more)
dried basil to taste
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and gently toss. Eat and enjoy! I'm sure this recipe is even better the next day, but so far I haven't had any left over to try the next day!

WFMW: Prayer Journal for Kids

Just yesterday my boys and I were talking about prayer journals. I used to make these for my students when I was teaching kindergarten. So, I offered to make the boys one and they were very excited. I took a piece of paper and drew lines to divide the page into four quadrants.

Each square was for a specific prayer request:

Draw and/or write about something for which you are thankful.

Draw and/or write about someone for which you would like God to bless. (Sick classmate? A favorite uncle? A friend that is traveling?)

Draw and/or write about something with which you want God to help you. (Trouble getting up on time? Hard time with math? Having trouble keeping your hands to yourself?)

The last square is for anything else the child would like to pray. Another thankful prayer. Another person in need of a blessing. An opportunity to ask for forgiveness. (This can be really unclear for kids under about 7. They can usually point out others' needs for forgiveness, but not always their own.) Or just something they know about God.

(The "draw and/or write" makes this an easy activity that isn't about handwriting or perfection.)

Once the squares were finished I helped them actually pray what they had drawn and/or written. It works for us!

Check out Rocks in My Dryer for more Works for Me Wednesday Tips!

WFMW: Save on Your Telephone Bill

Here's a quick tip that worked for me last week. Call your phone company and ask if you are getting the best possible deal for your family. I called and there wasn't anything else they could offer me, but she reduced my bill by $5 a month just for asking. Easy. Painless. $5 off.
Leave a comment and then head on over to Shannon's blog for some more great tips!

WFMW: Chocolate Milk

Wow is my world busy! Church, Baseball, Cub Scouts, and school activities have kept us very busy, so this week's Works for Me Wednesday Tip is very simple. Every week we buy two gallons of milk. (Don't you?) We open one gallon jug and squeeze an insane amount of chocolate syrup into the jug. (As long as I am sugaring them up I choose Hershey's lite.) Replace the cap and shake it up. Yum. Now, when you open the fridge you can either have white milk (not like anyone chooses to DRINK that, mind you) or you can shake and chug some tasty chocolate milk.

Chocolate-y, milky goodness without the mess of pouring, squeezing and stirring. And I don't have to watch anybody try to drink out of the glass with the spoon still sticking out. "You'll poke your eye out with that!!"

Now, that really works for me.

Head on over to Rocks in My Dryer and find out what other great ideas bloggers are sharing today.

WFMW: Quick Christmas Cookies

Tonight my boys and I made a quick batch of a Christmas Cookie favorite we call, "Peppermint Wafers." I first had these a few years ago at a Christmas cookie swap and I instantly fell in love. I'm not usually wild about mint or no-bake cookies, but these are The Bomb. I promise. And your kids can help.

Obtain a package of Nabisco chocolate wafers. They are sold at the grocery store on the same shelf as the ice cream toppings. Now, don't even bother looking in the cookie aisle. They won't be there. I've included a pic, just incase you need more help locating the wafers.

While at the store grab a bag of white chocolate chips. (You couldn't read it if I made the print white, could you?)

You also need a few candy canes all smashed up. So, if you don't have any candy canes at home, get those while you are out and then smash them up with all your anger pent up while fighting the December traffic. (A hammer and a plastic bag make the smashing much more, well, neater.)

3 ingredients. That is it. You can do this!

Easy Peasy Directions:

Spread a bit of melted white chocolate (yes, you are going to have to melt the white chocolate) on a chocolate wafer. Sprinkle with smashed up candy cane bits. Let the white chocolate set and then share with the people you love the most.

Oh, pretty!

Quick Christmas Cookies work for me. Visit Shannon's blog for some more Works for Me Wednesday Tips.

And if you haven't stopped by my place for Boomama's Tour of Christmas Homes please come on in and I'll get you a handful of these cookies!

WFMW: Entertaining Tip

Having people over soon? Will you be serving steaks, nibbles, cookies, or drinks? Doesn't matter what you are serving, I know you will need a huge stash of napkins! Here's an easy tip to spruce up your pile of napkins.

Start with a neat pile of napkins.

Assuming you are right-handed, hold the pile in your left hand- at an angle. Use your right fist to hold the napkins in your hand.

Stretch out your right thumb a bit and begin to gently press and rotate your right hand into the stack of napkins. This should "smoosh and slide" your napkins off each other in a spiral fashion.

Put the napkins back on the table and remove the top one that you got all "smooshy".

Admire the simplicity and elegance that a pretty stack of napkins will give you! Leave a comment and then run on over to Shannon's blog for more great Works for Me Wednesday tips!

WFMW: A Christmas Tradition... Jess Jingle

I'd like you to meet our buddy, Jess Jingle. Jess Jingle is a small, stuffed Santa that we hide around our house during Advent (the four weeks leading up to Christmas). You never know where you will find him. He might be in your sock drawer. Or behind your book bag. But when you find him your job is to hide him for someone else to find.

The children, big and small, look forward to this silly little tradition every year. They giggle and sneak and have a blast hiding Jess Jingle in the craziest places. This fun tradition works for our family and I bet it would work for yours, too!

M&M Prayer

Before the boys go to bed we try to have a bit of quiet time with them. My husband usually reads to them and then they have some prayer time and maybe a Jesus song or two.

We call one of our favorite prayer starters the, "M&M Prayer." Here's how it works. We sit in a circle and I give each person one M&M. (Don't eat it yet!) Then we bow our heads and each person has a turn to thank God for something that is the same color as the M&M they have. (Now you can eat it.)

When the children were very young the prayers were very simple, "Thank you, God, for the sun." Now that they are a bit older the M&M helps get their turn in the prayer circle started as they start with the M&M and move on to praise and prayer requests.

For other Works for Me Wednesday posts, visit Rocks in my Dryer.

WFMW: Toys Worth Buying

This week's edition of Works for Me Wednesday is a bit different. This week we are all trying to give our favorite toy suggestions. Here are two toys that my boys and I love.
Hyperslide. This is a fun game for one player, two players or teams. Simply pass the pucks back and forth according to what color the voice tells you to send. Easy. Yeah, right. Let's just see you keep up!
The box says the game is for kids 8 and up, but my youngest son (5) plays this and I frequently enjoy a game or six by myself. I mean, I frequently play with a crowd of 8 year olds.
I've seen This Hasbro game for sale at Wal Mart and at Target. (Around $20)

You can try the game here. Just look for the DEMO button.

Another toy that my kids play with for extended periods of time is
Kid K'nex. Are your kids into construction toys? How 'bout cute plastic things you put together? Give Kid K'nex a try.

The website says that the kids are learning all sorts of stuff and strengthening their fine motor skills while playing with these bright toys, but my kids think these boxes of linking parts are pure bliss. ($9.99 +)

Kids 3-7 are happy with Kid K'nex while the older set may enjoy the more intricate K'nex construction sets. (The Ferris Wheel and roller coaster are very cool!)

And who doesn't miss thier Lite Brite just a little bit? This is one of the few toys we've actually purchased more than once. And haven't they improved this nostalgic toy with the little peg holder?

Head on over to Rocks in My Dryer to see what other toys are working for families this week!

Anybody know how many days of Christmas shopping left??

WFMW: Backscratcher

I love participating in the Works for Me Wednesday carnival over at Rocks in My Dryer. Giving and sharing tips is fun, but some weeks I "come up empty." Especially during one of those weeks when it seems like nothing is working the way it is supposed to. (I know you feel my pain...)

Well, before you think, "She's got nothing," my 5 year old gave me a helpful tip while reaching for his toothbrush. In his sweetest "matter of fact" voice he said to me, "You know, I've used this as a backscratcher."

Makes me itch all over...

And bust into giggles...

WFMW: Kids and Portion Control

Our family is really trying to be more health conscious. This morning my sister in law and I were discussing different (positive) changes we've made. Like many of you, we have switched to 1% milk (just can't do the skim, but 1% is good) and lower fat dairy products, we are eating more fruits and veggies, and we buy whole grain breads. We toss the kids outside for exercise.

One of the biggest areas for improvement has been portion control. And my sister in law and I discussed a few tips for helping kids (and maybe a grown up or two)...

Some of our children really want a second helping, whatever it is. Knowing that they are going to ask for a second helping, make the first helping smaller, sometimes a lot smaller.

Use a kid/small plate. I do use divided cafeteria trays, but it is easy to overfill these.

We try not to "drink calories". I try to only serve water or milk as beverages. The kids love to fill up their own water glass from the fridge door on their way to the dinner table. Even though milk and juice have nutritional value, once those nutritional needs are met for the day they are just drinking empty calories (for the most part...). Bellies are more full from a yogurt or apple than a glass of milk or apple juice.

Depending on the requested second helping, you can offer the choice of seconds or dessert. (And we are striving to serve low cal desserts- fruit, jell-o, lower fat ice cream and pudding.)

Fill 'em up on veggies and fruit. Serving a raw veggie (with low cal dip) or some fruit slices along with the dinner helps fill up that plate and their bellies. (And they like it better than a salad.)

Leave a comment and let me know what healthy changes you have made.

For more Works For Me Wednesday tips, visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.

WFMW: 5 Minutes Peace

Our family is one bumbling mess of testosterone-driven knees, elbows and loose teeth, but, I can tell you what will buy me 5 minutes of peace. (Okay. "Peace" is really a stretch here, what I really mean is 5 minutes where most people behave and no one gets an eye put out.)

Back to that peace I enjoy. You can get it with a deck of cards! That is right. I've taught the boys to play Go Fish! and Garbage and we (all the boys and at least one adult) can enjoy a game together. They aren't quite ready to play alone yet, but if I can play with them they are happy and cooperative little card sharks.



And, folks, let me remind you that cards are so portable. That deck has given us some fun times at the beach, the park, waiting for supper, and even while waiting way too long to see the doctor.


Leave a comment and I'd love to hear about any card games that your kiddos enjoy.

WFMW: Our Chore Charts

Last week I asked you, my blogger friends, how you deal with kids and chores. Thank you for all your answers and great tips; you gave me tons of inspiration! Today I want to share what works for us!

I started with a plastic clothes hanger and a bag of cheap clothespins. On each clothespin I wrote one of the things that has to be done as part of either Morning Routine or the Before Bed Routine. (Get dressed, brush teeth, feed cats, homework, put on pj's, etc.) I then clipped all the Morning Routine things on the top left side of the hanger and all the Before Bed Routine clips to the top right side of the hanger. As each boy completes a clothespin task he moves the clothespin to the bottom of the hanger.

*One of the things we really struggle with is being cheerful rather than grumpy, whiny, disgruntled, etc. so one of the clips on both sides (Morning and Before Bed) says, "Be Cheerful."

Each boy has his own hanger and I duplicated most of the clothespins for each boy, but some are unique to them. For instance, D feeds the cats, S sets the table and A empties the dish washer. I also have one clothespin that says, "Kitchen helper" and that clothespin moves from hanger to hanger. (If the kitchen helper clothespin is on your hanger than you get to help mom cook that day.) * I included a small, badly drawn doodle to help the non reader know which clothespins what for what job.

They aren't paid for any of these clothespins.

Now, in a mug I have a bunch of extra chores that can be done for money. Wash windows, sweep under the table, wipe down bathroom counters, bring the garbage can from the curb, sort recycling, etc. These clothespins are clipped to the outside of a mug. If A chooses a chore from the mug he does it and clips the clip to his hanger and that night I will trade his chore clothespin for a dollar sign clothespin that will stay on his hanger until Pay!! Day!!

How much wampum? A dime a chore!

Leave a comment and then head on over to Rocks in My Dryer to see more great tips about everything!

WFMW: Kids and Chores

This week's Works for Me Wednesday is a bit different from the normal tip-giving fiesta over at Shannon's . Yes, this week I am asking for your best tips. Specifically, your best suggestions about kids and chores.

My renewed search for kids' chore suggestions is three-fold... Our new house is much larger than the last one and I'm finding it more challenging to "keep up". My kids are older now (8, 6, 5) and they have the muscle to do a few jobs around the house. And the responsibility is good for them. ;)

Yeah, all that good stuff and my friend MaryLu had a terrific chore chart on her website that has motivated me.

So, go ahead tell me what works for you! How do you keep track of each kid and their specific chore? Do the chores change or rotate? Gotta chore chart or chore jar that works for you? Do you praise or pay for jobs completed? How many chores do the kiddos complete? Weekly or daily list?

WFMW: Photo Reminder

When my mother died 7 years ago I realized that I had very few "good" photos of her. Most of my pictures that included my mom were action shots (her looking at the baby or opening a present) or group photos. I then decided that I was going to take lots of pictures of my dad just being my dad and my kids' grandpa. And thankfully, I have lots. :)

Well, with my brother's untimely passing I realize that I should take more "good" photos of ALL the important people in my life. Since Jim was an active dad (and uncle) many of the pictures of him are of his back or side... holding someone, fixing a racetrack, or helping one of the kids to bowl a strike. I also wish I had more pictures of him "just because."

Here is the last photo taken of my brother (and some of my cute family). We'd stopped at my favorite restaurant close to my brother's house and I took this photo "just because".

So, what I hope will work for you this Wednesday is to take lots of pictures of ALL your loved ones, including yourself!

Leave a comment and then head over to Shannon's blog, Rocks in My Dryer, to see more Works for Me Wednesday tips!

WFMW: 5 or Less Recipes

Now, who doesn't love a quick recipe? I really love a recipe that has just a few already-in-your-cupboard ingredients. And, hey, I don't mind if it is tasty, too!

This week's Works for Me Wednesday entry is for recipes that have 5 or less ingredients, so here are a few of my favorites and for an apple dip I've not tried yet, but boy it looks yummy! Shannon, over at Rocks in My Dryer has more recipes links you'll want to try!

Toffee Apple Dip

1/2 bag of Heath Toffee Bits

1 block of Cream Cheese

1 tablespoon Vanilla

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of brown sugar

Mix well and serve with green apples soaked in pineapple juice.

Meatball Bubble Biscuits

can of biscuits (12 oz can), each biscuit separated in half

10 frozen meatballs, thawed and cut in half (gasp! I never eat these things, I am a homemade meatball kinda gal, but for this recipe they really work!)

2 sticks of string cheese (cut into 10 pieces)

Italian seasoning & garlic powder & Parmesan cheese (Look, if I write it all on one line you can count that as one ingredient, right?)

Marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 375. Squash each biscuit half flat and thin. Place a meatball half and a piece of string cheese into the biscuit half and seal it up. Place it seam side down into a round, ungreased pan. Sprinkle the tops with Italian seasoning & garlic powder & Parmesan cheese. Bake 20-25 minutes. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

Butter Pecan Bundt Cake

1 box of butter pecan cake mix

1 can of coconut pecan icing

3 eggs

3/4 cup oil

1 cup water

Put all ingredients in a bowl and stir until moistened. Then beat with a mixer for 2 minutes. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until done. Cool for 15 minutes and flip onto plate. FABULOUSLY moist and delicious.

Fruit Tea

Make tea using 12 cups of water and 9 tea bags. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Let cool and add 1 12 ounce can of lemonade concentrate and 1 12 ounce can of pineapple orange juice concentrate.

Zoo Food

Dried banana chips ~monkey food

Craisins (dried cranberries) ~bear food

Goldfish crackers ~crocodile food

Sunflower seeds ~bird food

Serve the zoo food in a flat-bottomed ice cream cone.

CHEESE DANISH

Ingredients:

2-8 ounce cans of crescent rolls

1-8 ounce package of cream cheese ( not low-fat )

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp almond or vanilla extract

cinnamon and sugar (I'm not counting those as "ingredients" since they are just sprinkled on and not measured ;) )

Filling: Beat together cream cheese, egg, sugar and extract. Butter or spray a 9x13 and spread a can of the rolls in prepared pan and up the sides, being sure to close all seams. Pour filling into the crust and then cover with the other can of crescent rolls. Seal well and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350* for about 20 minutes

Amish Chicken and Noodles

cooked, chopped chicken (1 cup to 2 cups)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 to 2 cans chicken broth (depends how much "gravy" you like.)

cooked noodles (I cook up a whole bag)

mashed potatoes

Mix the cooked chicken, mushroom soup and broth and simmer. Stir in the cooked noodles. Season to your liking (salt, pepper, garlic, parsley) and serve it over the mashed potatoes.

*I know, I know. Isn't that a carb nightmare? Why, yes it is, but just trust me on this. Yummy... And go eat your salad!!

WMFW: Off with the Sheet!

For Sale: Three used top sheets! Various styles available... Scooby Doo, Cars, stripes. Slight wear from washing. Wrinkly from storage under the comforter.

I've wanted to cut down on the amount of stuff on the boys' beds so that they can manage their own bed making. The boys loved piling on their stuffed animals (by themselves), so I tried removing their top sheets. (The top sheets were hardly used anyway!) They now pull up the comforter. Straighten the pillow and pile on the stuffed animals.

Find out what works for other bloggers over at Shannon's blog, Rocks in My Dryer!

WFMW: Teacher Appreciation

2, 4, 6, 8
Who do we appreciate?
Teachers! Teachers!!

Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week. Your child's teacher will feel so appreciated if you remember him or her in a special way.

I usually treat my boys' teachers (and assistants) to a special homemade treat. They tell me what to bake and I bake it and deliver it.

This year I am also helping the PTO at A and D's school come up with some ideas to brighten each day. For instance we might give out little snack bags of chips with a note attached that reads, "You're all that and a bag of chips." Another idea might be to wrap up a can of soup with a note that says, "Thanks for being soup-er!"

The teachers will also enjoy one breakfast and one lunch, courtesy of the PTO. Plus we'll have giveaways. I'd also like to see us put out a banner in the cafeteria so the kids can do a little teacher appreciation graffiti.

Any teacher would love a note of heart-felt appreciation.

Thanking a teacher works for me. Find out what works for other bloggers over at Shannon's blog, Rocks in My Dryer!

WFMW: Put a Hamper on Animal Abundance!

Too many stuffed animals roaming the closets and floors of your family zoo? Put a hamper on animal abundance! Take the stuffed animals out of those "holding cages" (re: laundry baskets or other flat, open box) and move them to new, more secure "habitats" (re:hampers).

Each one of my zookeepers (re: sons) now has a stand up hamper like this one for his stuffed animals. No more animal escapage!! (The vertical walls and lid might have something to do with that...) The three habitats stand nicely in along the short wall of the closet, ahem, I mean zoo.

Please leave a comment and then head on over to Rocks in My Dryer for more WFMW tips.