tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882460330530447512024-03-14T06:31:51.399-05:00Writing, Reading, and Eating!A fascinating account of writing, reading, and eating...Now with added mommy tales.
Holli Hagan-Rice is an aspiring writer who likes to read and cook! She adores her son, Speed Racer, and her husband. Working full time and being a mommy makes for interesting times. hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-1647035720376146042016-06-05T22:57:00.001-05:002016-06-07T23:58:05.684-05:00Save to Splurge: First Great Wolf Lodge Vacation – Grapevine TX<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Early last month (May 2016), our family took our very first trip to <a href="https://www.greatwolf.com/grapevine" target="_blank">GreatWolf Lodge</a>. We all had a blast and can’t wait to go back! I’m the sort that
likes to plan ahead and save to splurge. What does that mean? I like to save
where I can, so we can splurge on fun stuff. This is not a sponsored post. I
received no compensation and the whole post is just our honest experience. <o:p></o:p></div>
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About a month before our vacation, I was wondering what we
would do with my husband’s upcoming time off. His company requires that you
schedule time off well in advance and they have blackout periods. My mom saw a
<a href="https://www.groupon.com/visitor_referral/h/578aebf5-cf2c-49ce-8129-2e6b4410137e" target="_blank">groupon</a> for Great Wolf Lodge and emailed it to me. Also, get automatic coupon codes <a href="http://joinhoney.com/ref/fzskmo" target="_blank">using honey</a>. I love to save with coupon codes!</div>
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With half price rooms, I
figured we could swing 2 nights at the hotel/resort (save to splurge). We live in Oklahoma, so it's a short drive to
Grapevine, TX for us. Perfect for mom, dad, and 4 year old Speed Racer!<o:p></o:p></div>
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We had never been to Grapevine or <a href="https://www.greatwolf.com/grapevine" target="_blank">Great Wolf Lodge</a> before,
so we really didn’t know what to expect. Luckily, I did some research online so
we ended up with some idea of how things worked. The hints were helpful, but we
still made some rookie mistakes and discovered some tricks of our own. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For instance, by reading online I knew the following helpful
tips before we left:</div>
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<li>You can get into the water park at 1 PM on the day of check-in but often can’t check in at that time so pack a pool go bag. They have a changing room and lockers you can rent.</li>
<li>Your room key is a wrist band that you must wear during your whole stay.</li>
<li>Bring Drinks and put them in the good sized mini fridge.</li>
<li>You can bring snacks and keep them in your room.</li>
<li>Your room has a microwave. *We didn’t use this option but it was good to know.</li>
<li>You don’t need to bring towels or life jackets, even for little ones. They are provided.</li>
<li>There are lots of dinging options, on site.</li>
<li>You can stay at the water park until close on the day of checkout but checkout is at 11. Pack a pool go bag. They have a changing room and lockers you can rent.</li>
<li>You can rent a cabana in the pool area. *We didn’t use this option but it was good to know.</li>
<li>The Pup Pass / Paw Pass is worth it. <b>And it really, really is!</b></li>
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They were great tips and I suggest you read all sorts of
blogs about Great Wolf lodge to find different tips that are right for you. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Below is our vacation with some added tips. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Check In:</h3>
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We totally packed a pool go bag but we didn’t end up needing
it at arrival. We were able to check in when we arrived. This may not be
typical. <o:p></o:p></div>
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*Tip: I had read, online, that your wristband was connected
to your credit card that you use to check in with. But we found, at check in,
that this is optional. We opted out. Still, we love that our wristbands were
our room key.<o:p></o:p></div>
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*Tip: My parents bought Speed Racer a Paw Pass for his
birthday. I added it to our room online. If you can't find it online, see if you can add it at check in. You can read
about these things all over the web. Totally worth it!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our Room:</h3>
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We rented a standard room and it was very nice and clean. It’s
just the 3 of us and I knew our little Speed Racer would just end up in bed
with us. No reason to get the themed room. Maybe when he’s older. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We totally brought plenty of soda and bottled water for the
room. I was glad we did. I had some trouble finding Diet Dr. Pepper at the
resort. We also brought plenty of snacks. In hindsight, I wish we hadn’t
brought but just a few snacks. We barely touched them. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My two guys are very hot natured. I know that if I found it
humid and a little warm they were downright hot. Even though we cranked the A/C
up, it was hard to cool off the room, probably because of the humidity. *Tip: I
wish we had brought a small fan for the guys. They might have slept better. <o:p></o:p></div>
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*Tip: One of our favorite parts of our room was the in room
safe. I’m not sure if this is standard, but we loved it. We used ours the whole
time. Neither of us wanted to carry cash, wallets, or our wedding rings to the
pool. It was super easy to stash our valuables in the safe using a code we set
ourselves. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Water Park:</h3>
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This was super awesome fun and Speed Racer loved it. He
could have spent the entire time there in the water and been perfectly happy.
He loved the slides, the wave pool, the splash area, and pretty much every
single thing we let him do. At first he was a little afraid of the slides but
by the time we left he was brave enough to slide on his own (only the slides we
were comfortable with). <o:p></o:p></div>
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We love that there were plenty of towels and life jackets
(first come first serve). <o:p></o:p></div>
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It was hard to find an unoccupied table with chairs but we
did find some chairs. My husband and I took turns with Speed Racer in the
water. <o:p></o:p></div>
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*Rookie Mistake:</h3>
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Our rookie vacation mistake was trying to
cram too much in. We could have, and should have just spent all of our time at
Great Wolf Lodge. But I didn’t know how much interest Speed Racer would have,
if he or we would get bored and need something interesting to do. We either needed to stay longer or cram in fewer outside activities. </div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->So we decided to go to the<a href="https://www.legolanddiscoverycenter.com/dallasfw/" target="_blank"> LegoLand DiscoveryCenter</a>. You are supposed to book a ticket time in advance. I used an online
coupon code and got us in for $10 each (Save to splurge). You should search
online for a code when booking your tickets or <a href="http://joinhoney.com/ref/fzskmo" target="_blank">use honey</a>. </div>
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<o:p></o:p><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->I also thought that, since LegoLand is at the Grapevine
Outlet Mall, I could get in some shopping. I did and found some great buys.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->One of our favorite and best meals was at the <a href="http://www.rainforestcafe.com/" target="_blank">RainforestCafé </a>(also at the outlet mall). We loved it and if Speed Racer hadn’t been so exhausted,
he would have enjoyed it more. I also got some great souvenirs at their gift
shop. Of the 3 extras we crammed into our vacation, going back to the
Rainforest Café is the one we will do again. And maybe Speed Racer can stay awake next time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dining:</h3>
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We didn’t eat at every restaurant but we did eat well. I’m
the sort that thinks a vacation means eating at restaurants most of the trip.
It’s just a personal quirk. This is always my favorite splurge. Below are our
favorite meals from our stay.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dinner at the <a href="https://www.greatwolf.com/grapevine/dining-shopping/dining/loose-moose-cottage" target="_blank">Moose is Loose Cottage</a> Buffet: The service was
excellent. The food was very good. You can check prices at the resort or call ahead. I would
call it pricey but worth it. Our favorite part, they gave us a to-go box for
dessert because we were to full to get any. It was a splurge, but worth it.</div>
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<o:p></o:p>Dinner from <a href="https://www.greatwolf.com/grapevine/dining-shopping/dining/hungry-wolf" target="_blank">Hungry as a Wolf</a>: Our last night we had pizza
from here. For a small charge we could have had it delivered to the room but I
just waited. It wasn’t long. We had excellent 5 cheese pizza and garlic cheese
bread all for $20. Great price and great food.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our other favorite meal was at the <a href="http://www.rainforestcafe.com/" target="_blank">Rainforest Café</a> located
at the Grapevine Outlet Mall. We had burgers and Speed Racer opted for pizza
and fries.<o:p></o:p></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Other Splurges:</h3>
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We didn’t eat inside <a href="https://www.greatwolf.com/grapevine/dining-shopping/dining/buckets-incredible-craveables" target="_blank">Buckets</a> (in the water park) but I did
buy 2 drinks there. I got a nice strawberry daiquiri and relaxed while the guys
swam. <o:p></o:p></div>
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*Tip: I also bought this 32 oz souvenir sipper for the guys.
It’s $12.99 which sounds kind of pricey but they’ll refill it for your entire
stay and can be refilled at the Freestyle soda fountains. I wish I had known
this going in. I would have bought one on day one and refilled it the whole
time. They even had Diet Dr. Pepper in the Freestyle soda fountain. Also, it’s
a cool cup.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My favorite splurge was a massage at <a href="https://www.greatwolf.com/grapevine/waterpark-attractions/fitness-spa/elements-spa-salon" target="_blank">Elements Spa Salon</a>. It
was an early birthday present to myself and it had been so long since I’d had
one. I got a one hour massage and added on a 15 minute foot massage. OMG! Super
awesome, excellent massage. Schedule a little me time for yourself and go to
the grownup spa. It was well worth it and not overpriced at all. Be sure to
tip!<o:p></o:p></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
The Arcade: </h3>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWP7N-nvDjyAss1d9U2a9e5zet11dNxLONo3vGvvHh3R02wjfaFeoRAWVUKObpQZyvjazrZzMBKUrLhyphenhyphenrIehMy0R_v3belGsRsoMBljnswoS5dCldcHfrvhm_9Zf3lOHsG4Hf80PszYgB/s1600/arcade2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWP7N-nvDjyAss1d9U2a9e5zet11dNxLONo3vGvvHh3R02wjfaFeoRAWVUKObpQZyvjazrZzMBKUrLhyphenhyphenrIehMy0R_v3belGsRsoMBljnswoS5dCldcHfrvhm_9Zf3lOHsG4Hf80PszYgB/s320/arcade2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The arcade was a great place to spend some out of water
time. This might have been one of the places we spent quite a bit of money, but
it’s only because we all love arcades so much. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihm1eWr3TQ-R2HdEIwzNCt83rxtcFseb_lzZIHfvjtjcUyYqapp5GvlZ8PoucAUUZKbhSvTBA2D0ZAZZh3kA3h6o33PQZG3e3grlw-5U_OKw-3Ij5h6vShobRjfSXGMLR9Z8MESePQqbqe/s1600/claw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihm1eWr3TQ-R2HdEIwzNCt83rxtcFseb_lzZIHfvjtjcUyYqapp5GvlZ8PoucAUUZKbhSvTBA2D0ZAZZh3kA3h6o33PQZG3e3grlw-5U_OKw-3Ij5h6vShobRjfSXGMLR9Z8MESePQqbqe/s320/claw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I am a sucker for a claw game and I’m pretty good at them.
This is my claw game haul.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This was our biggest, best family vacation ever, so far. We
will totally go back to Great Wolf lodge. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLlAGNHdHtW37yunjD2k6QFfOf9wJqXKOZdmOQ95ZrPx0VQ1q9So4mo3nz3QmhdmYzkkiYojVqHCDvoDkmrmk62LQl-JgZwQuw-BirO8gTer1L3k2BY2ums8Z1OQ19AFN6wQ9CtZLjf7l/s1600/andy+and+wiley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLlAGNHdHtW37yunjD2k6QFfOf9wJqXKOZdmOQ95ZrPx0VQ1q9So4mo3nz3QmhdmYzkkiYojVqHCDvoDkmrmk62LQl-JgZwQuw-BirO8gTer1L3k2BY2ums8Z1OQ19AFN6wQ9CtZLjf7l/s320/andy+and+wiley.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We made great family memories there
this year and this post doesn’t even cover the half of it. I hope you’ll take
all of the tips you find here, and on other blogs, and use them to make your
family vacation excellent. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8B6Vc_R75gtdG87EP71mXNID0YpnArJzfwsiVpPV9sIxd5Q3jrqIOPl85dSzGaTENHsFgdw4tfGGPfwIEv3F7qELyF3ZcyZciEwfwJ-aucXAUlPKlwuxxw8Kl4oTjKxHKq2FQM5Fg_ixU/s1600/coloring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8B6Vc_R75gtdG87EP71mXNID0YpnArJzfwsiVpPV9sIxd5Q3jrqIOPl85dSzGaTENHsFgdw4tfGGPfwIEv3F7qELyF3ZcyZciEwfwJ-aucXAUlPKlwuxxw8Kl4oTjKxHKq2FQM5Fg_ixU/s320/coloring.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We’ll be going back for years to come. <o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-83757480655492615882015-05-09T16:27:00.000-05:002015-05-09T16:29:34.061-05:00A New Adventure: YumGoggle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">We bought a website! My <a href="http://kelliskitchen.org/" target="_blank">mom</a> and I went into business
together this year and, so far, it has been quite a ride. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl352NsH12fZcZOuZsJRSk5sjapx3Eyh08dMdSteXnI-mwNd6FpJ2h0bUaYM82vxQGfCTBLUEvRkiLaqdtjDrFfMdZRFq_OsiwOcwmusx6ziXQFgbp_7GLKpHt_5ohyfYzuB0c-MJw-0M9/s1600/logo+png.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl352NsH12fZcZOuZsJRSk5sjapx3Eyh08dMdSteXnI-mwNd6FpJ2h0bUaYM82vxQGfCTBLUEvRkiLaqdtjDrFfMdZRFq_OsiwOcwmusx6ziXQFgbp_7GLKpHt_5ohyfYzuB0c-MJw-0M9/s320/logo+png.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In February and part of March, we overhauled the existing
site. We gave it a brand new look and feel. Unfortunately, because of the major
changes, we were unable to keep the preexisting 30,000 recipe submissions.
Basically, we started over, from scratch. But we are happy with the new format
and with our new website. We’ve also learned a lot from this experience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The website is <a href="http://yumgoggle.com/">Yumgoggle.com</a>. If you’ve never heard of it, food
bloggers from all over the world submit a photograph, description, and a direct
link to a recipe from their blog. We
have great categories available for the bloggers to select when they submit a
recipe link. Submitting a recipe is absolutely free. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After the submission is published, we go about promoting the
link to the recipe all over the internet. We promote on some combination of
<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/yumgoggle/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>, <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/yumgoggle" target="_blank">Bloglovin</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/yumgoggle" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/YumGoggle" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+Yumgoggle/posts" target="_blank">Google+</a>, <a href="https://instagram.com/yumgoggle/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="http://yumgoggle.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumbler</a>, <a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/" target="_blank">StumbleUpon</a>, etc… Not
every recipe is promoted on every social media outlet, except, everything goes on <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/yumgoggle/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>, <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/yumgoggle" target="_blank">Bloglovin</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/yumgoggle" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In addition to the individual promotion, the website is open
to the public. People can access the site and search for what interests them.
One of the ways they can do that is by browsing Categories. They can also
search for key words. Searching and accessing the recipes is also free. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Some of my favorite Categories are:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://yumgoggle.com/category/fun-with-food/geeks-nerds/" target="_blank">Geeks & Nerds</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://yumgoggle.com/category/half-way-homemade/" target="_blank">Half-Way Homemade</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://yumgoggle.com/category/quick-one-pot-meals/" target="_blank">Quick and One-Pot Meals </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: large;">What makes us different from other, similar sites? For starters, no one has
to sign up for an account to use us. That process has always seemed cumbersome for
both submitters and users. We want our process to be as easy and enjoyable as
possible. Also, we don’t want people to be afraid to submit their
recipes/photographs. Some sites, similar to ours, are hyper critical of the photographs
and recipes submitted. Being bloggers and food bloggers, ourselves, we know your
ability to take an incredible photograph is not directly connected to your
ability to cook good food. We want people from all over the world to share links
to their recipes with us and we want to share them with the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, how do we make money if everything is free? We have a few,
unobtrusive, ads placed on our site. When people visit our website and click
ads that interest them, we make a few cents. That is where the money to maintain
the website will eventually come from. That is one of the lessons we have
learned, when you visit a blog or site that has some ads, take a moment to
click one or two. Running a website takes money and often that money comes from
ads. Think of it as tipping. If you are using a site, blog or otherwise using
free content on the internet, be kind enough to click an ad (if there is one).
It’s an easy way to support your favorite sites. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We hope you’ll take the time to check out our site. We
update content, daily. And if you see some gaps in my blog posts on this site,
now that it’s likely because I’m working on the new website. We are still
finding a balance between our new venture and our existing lives and jobs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thank you, all, for your support! </span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-20763919700254014412015-04-25T17:13:00.000-05:002016-01-18T17:37:44.919-06:003rd Birthday: Octonauts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Each year, I throw a birthday party for our little Speed
Racer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For our 3<sup>rd</sup> year I chose an <a href="http://www.theoctonauts.com/" target="_blank">Octonauts</a> theme and we also
decided to scale down a bit. My husband and I are working many more hours, far
beyond 40 hours a week and I’ve taken on a new project, to boot. We are super
busy, so I had to figure out some easy birthday party decorations that go with
our theme.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I’m happy to share with you our Octonauts Birthday Party
decorations to help inspire your party. If you are pinched for time and/or
money, these are easy and inexpensive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAFxdvL5YpRO7smlh79ejyAskZPFwhQKPGKETeBve5UrsEpPMwck1PskSmHtGEmn2qWCn9X_x3-5we37ZAcjKlznZve_bOU58NCGGeuQ9Y9L-2MiVrrcT4tYgOKyfHE-r-JRwSIVytPZp/s1600/cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Octonauts Party http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAFxdvL5YpRO7smlh79ejyAskZPFwhQKPGKETeBve5UrsEpPMwck1PskSmHtGEmn2qWCn9X_x3-5we37ZAcjKlznZve_bOU58NCGGeuQ9Y9L-2MiVrrcT4tYgOKyfHE-r-JRwSIVytPZp/s640/cake.jpg" title="" width="468" /></a></div>
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</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">One of my favorite things to do is incorporate some of Speed
Racer’s presents into the decorations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We picked up some Octonauts squirt toys to decorate the cake
and table with. That cake was $35 at <a href="http://www.samsclub.com/sams/bread-bakery/1445.cp" target="_blank">Sam’s Club</a>. Their cakes are fresh, taste
great and guests always love it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvI8T0TnZMfJwUMwB-HeOnoQQFReUXFjRmNdhxYoBDOUqgbp4MI78TrkAcwdI6zwSFJ4bXpAzorQ7e_8W2vi9cJDwrmJwyBBx8JU_cy_OQ29UUVtjqhB20JQmHfDcSx01ecwWmV2xvV2YA/s1600/cake+table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Octonauts Party http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/" border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvI8T0TnZMfJwUMwB-HeOnoQQFReUXFjRmNdhxYoBDOUqgbp4MI78TrkAcwdI6zwSFJ4bXpAzorQ7e_8W2vi9cJDwrmJwyBBx8JU_cy_OQ29UUVtjqhB20JQmHfDcSx01ecwWmV2xvV2YA/s400/cake+table.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Green Crepe Paper Streamers, twisted, and scotch tape make wonderful
seaweed! A disposable blue tablecloth makes a beautiful sea. Paper cutout sea
life complete the under the sea look. A couple of blow up sea life balls were a
fun addition and entertained our birthday boy along with his cousins. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2iUThzGACScv4FSp0oiWQvSTNytQQ-ZZ72gXnLeStlO7OAmGrSjAq8vaMHR3QOR7VVH06mAThtl1McwnIaURtA6iiLB15L2UX6khmYBB6-fiwq-_pxiAX4W2A0W_wmVZRY9dOReV1gMG/s1600/tools2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Octonauts Party http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/" border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2iUThzGACScv4FSp0oiWQvSTNytQQ-ZZ72gXnLeStlO7OAmGrSjAq8vaMHR3QOR7VVH06mAThtl1McwnIaURtA6iiLB15L2UX6khmYBB6-fiwq-_pxiAX4W2A0W_wmVZRY9dOReV1gMG/s400/tools2.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/SassAndTootsBoutique" target="_blank">ETSY Shop</a> was a quick and easy way to get a personalized Octonauts
shirt for the birthday boy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-D4jc0DyVO8sjCXlAfSTf_sBMaTtpvDVho5YbWBNmzTqEvCRHrdnK88p3GQ4XqYVwe3dLHDa35GNIvArIcGw5BR3SS8Ef9XllSPM9cryuEMURPS_1y6LojxerFIVvqP0-HzdW4yCav_Un/s1600/presents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Octonauts Party http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/" border="0" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-D4jc0DyVO8sjCXlAfSTf_sBMaTtpvDVho5YbWBNmzTqEvCRHrdnK88p3GQ4XqYVwe3dLHDa35GNIvArIcGw5BR3SS8Ef9XllSPM9cryuEMURPS_1y6LojxerFIVvqP0-HzdW4yCav_Un/s400/presents.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Presents</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Really, we didn’t do much more than that this year and it
was absolutely enough. Speed Racer had a wonderful time with his family and I
was not completely worn out at the end of the day. The decorations were nice
and crafty but not terribly time consuming. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">One day, I’m told, Speed Racer will no longer wat mommy to
put on a themed birthday party. I’m sure that’s true and will be here sooner
than I would like. Until then, I enjoy putting together these parties, but I’ve
also learned that I don’t have to wear myself out to do it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Looking for products I used for this party? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Check Out my other DIY Party Posts:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
3rd Birthday Party</h4>
<div>
<h3>
</h3>
<h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2015/04/3rd-birthday-octonauts.html" style="font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">Octonauts Birthday Party</a></li>
</ul>
</h2>
</div>
<h4>
2nd Birthday Party</h4>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/daniel-tiger-birthday-party-invitations.html" target="_blank">Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Invitations</a></span></li>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/dipped-marshmallow-pops-for-birthday.html" target="_blank">Dipped Marshmallow Pops for a Birthday Party</a></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/diy-daniel-tiger-hoodie.html" target="_blank">DIY Daniel Tiger Hoodie</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-big-daniel-tiger-birthday-party.html" target="_blank">The Big Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Part I</a></li>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-big-daniel-tiger-birthday-party_25.html" target="_blank">The Big Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Part II</a></li>
</span></ul>
<div>
<h4>
1st Birthday Party</h4>
</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2013/04/planning-our-little-dragons-dol.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Planning Our Little Dragon’s Dol</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2013/04/how-to-create-your-own-doljabi-board.html">How to Create Your Own Doljabi Board</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/05/our-little-dragons-dol.html" target="_blank">Our Little Dragon's Dol</a></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
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hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-2555504606886176022015-01-19T09:09:00.001-06:002015-01-19T09:16:25.326-06:00Sourdough Bread Pizza<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBAlEkv2KzXxCsaeAs_jCl26hOPajaG7bv57X4ZCXo_Myo-us7u1qa7z0_KuauMCLQM_LMWUdI9mNXBghTj7MIsxygxdzpeaZgY3zQW5ca_oyxGvTQ5pTERE_d3DxZCNg1LUyflE02aD2v/s1600/closeup2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBAlEkv2KzXxCsaeAs_jCl26hOPajaG7bv57X4ZCXo_Myo-us7u1qa7z0_KuauMCLQM_LMWUdI9mNXBghTj7MIsxygxdzpeaZgY3zQW5ca_oyxGvTQ5pTERE_d3DxZCNg1LUyflE02aD2v/s1600/closeup2.jpg" height="241" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I wandered through the kitchen and wondered what I could
make for lunch. I had a loaf of sourdough bread that needed to be used before
it went moldy. So, I decided to make pizza. I figured I could track down some
pizza like toppings somewhere in the kitchen. You have to use what you’ve got
some times. I managed find some toppings and it turned out great! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Speed Racer is a big fan of just about any kind of pizza and
I did not want to go out to get ingredients. It was far too cold outside and we
were still in our pajamas. I like lazy pajama Saturdays and easy pizza. I hope
you enjoy this pizza. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Sourdough Bread Pizza</span></h2>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></h4>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmqN-o5rShQSGF2GXdd-h_0fzgN5gIzbCymjG6SwWnUxKN4sqR1DSDE3dQJNcZqQDmwvgLhsY9Yr15Zl1kO4XmuD4pb3kN01IrLecwt08-e0hFkKnP49e9GX1PrRJBayju6sVaJWsCBMq/s1600/ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmqN-o5rShQSGF2GXdd-h_0fzgN5gIzbCymjG6SwWnUxKN4sqR1DSDE3dQJNcZqQDmwvgLhsY9Yr15Zl1kO4XmuD4pb3kN01IrLecwt08-e0hFkKnP49e9GX1PrRJBayju6sVaJWsCBMq/s1600/ingredients.jpg" height="400" width="315" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A loaf of Sourdough Bread (or any loaf of bread you like)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Pizza Sauce (I use <a href="http://contadina.com/products/pizza-squeeze.aspx" target="_blank">Contadina Pizza Squeeze</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2 Cups of shredded Mozzarella cheese<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And Toppings (Use what you’ve got)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Frozen Meatballs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Canned Mushrooms<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sliced Jalapenos (We use <a href="http://www.mtolivepickles.com/products/product-styles/jalapeno-slices" target="_blank">Mt. Olive</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9lAn5icv7onLPFYOl4-YtAmJQsDtiQRDcsdHMeaBKfj_APUYnLBZh84L7fp0m6EeV5zlyycT9CgTi-9U8ezeCUZ48PBLTIhaG8mH60S_fXKrrrk2YXPipaLrSWJGEHRUfeMQ_8IoqipJ/s1600/bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9lAn5icv7onLPFYOl4-YtAmJQsDtiQRDcsdHMeaBKfj_APUYnLBZh84L7fp0m6EeV5zlyycT9CgTi-9U8ezeCUZ48PBLTIhaG8mH60S_fXKrrrk2YXPipaLrSWJGEHRUfeMQ_8IoqipJ/s1600/bread.jpg" height="357" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Slice your sourdough loaf
in half. Lay the two halve, cut side up, on a cookie sheet. Spread pizza sauce
on both halves. Prepare your toppings if you need to.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I took about 10 frozen meatballs and microwaved them until
they were completely thawed. Then I cut them into fourths. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4O_bxMfBQclMG0n_pHKYjp0lAoXfKQ7Zvyxe9oqrbdLuDLdjDhj_6TybExcoHiXphqFU3DHsW2eGTHCUKUQIIZcupjs8iiKFkvLyCQ5N7QHq7fuRDsqMKiWJKTh21KUW_0Z3Pe8peUKDa/s1600/cold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4O_bxMfBQclMG0n_pHKYjp0lAoXfKQ7Zvyxe9oqrbdLuDLdjDhj_6TybExcoHiXphqFU3DHsW2eGTHCUKUQIIZcupjs8iiKFkvLyCQ5N7QHq7fuRDsqMKiWJKTh21KUW_0Z3Pe8peUKDa/s1600/cold.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Put the toppings on top of the sauced bread. Cover all of
your topping with the shredded cheese. Since some of this pizza was for Speed
Racer, I left off jalapenos from a fourth of the pizza. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bake your pizza for 15 minutes. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-FgD-z8xZBn2wmX4R5qFc_i3jcDi4d1C1cC-M9mh7Y8Vf7oQN_dWadHYVuD6DyD3vsZc4BOab_H1d5oRB4ZYhJcsFzhEMl5DYkeWIxXglyaXquShrHJBIBxMhN41OkawOOU8dVeu_eg2/s1600/cooked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-FgD-z8xZBn2wmX4R5qFc_i3jcDi4d1C1cC-M9mh7Y8Vf7oQN_dWadHYVuD6DyD3vsZc4BOab_H1d5oRB4ZYhJcsFzhEMl5DYkeWIxXglyaXquShrHJBIBxMhN41OkawOOU8dVeu_eg2/s1600/cooked.jpg" height="241" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If your cheese is not golden
bubbly, try using your broiler for a little while longer. But keep a close eye.
It’s easy to burn something with the broiler. Ours turned out just the way I like
it.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7dVqDXEdj2ObAckbpYJwrAf2yOx0QjHYQIo-uLBJ9tMLH5J5zec0rfU1n0CLuubJ71gOItlIRlfC56mN0f3R4AEY7RRzfcG4XPNgAUc7SK3ezbDjWfTH0AG2ghKS-B30RhGGiKySfLpm4/s1600/cutter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7dVqDXEdj2ObAckbpYJwrAf2yOx0QjHYQIo-uLBJ9tMLH5J5zec0rfU1n0CLuubJ71gOItlIRlfC56mN0f3R4AEY7RRzfcG4XPNgAUc7SK3ezbDjWfTH0AG2ghKS-B30RhGGiKySfLpm4/s1600/cutter.jpg" height="400" width="387" /></a></span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Speed Racer loves pizza! I always cut up his pizza using out
<a href="http://www.funbites.com/" target="_blank">FunBites</a> cutter. I love that thing. It’s super easy to use and it cuts pizza into
perfect pieces for our son. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NTSypCArPP4yxRBwwjv2PJI8saSvA-X2teqBmWeedO89zweBKIGFDd1vvh_EoojAQm06E6k8Y83y0ikH6TW6_jCo1XRbaXdqpRR_L6bTWs-Tbc24JboLr1baP2T1G0-gx0CsLNCUDXIL/s1600/cut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NTSypCArPP4yxRBwwjv2PJI8saSvA-X2teqBmWeedO89zweBKIGFDd1vvh_EoojAQm06E6k8Y83y0ikH6TW6_jCo1XRbaXdqpRR_L6bTWs-Tbc24JboLr1baP2T1G0-gx0CsLNCUDXIL/s1600/cut.jpg" height="400" width="375" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">If you have a 2 or 3 year old, I recommend getting
one to try out. They have all sorts of shapes available. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Here are some from Amazon if you are looking. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<SCRIPT charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fwritireadiand-20%2F8010%2F24afbf56-b7cd-4bb7-bc69-a3595312b807&Operation=GetScriptTemplate"> </SCRIPT> <NOSCRIPT><A HREF="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fwritireadiand-20%2F8010%2F24afbf56-b7cd-4bb7-bc69-a3595312b807&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</A></NOSCRIPT>hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-88086640776132464832014-12-30T12:45:00.001-06:002015-01-02T09:49:55.769-06:00Star Wars Gingerbread Cookies and Christmas Wrap Up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DLcZTSPlV7a1RKb6ntSeT10VvDebMaCI40nF_iLfHfVBUA7PkSJanXk4OZ53u1_LjeJ7znao3fr41RGbC78NKAp9hIuKPGfRc5r1ugWozWk2DSFarWONWQXW0aKOUzHl7su8fpWXpxsb/s1600/lego.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DLcZTSPlV7a1RKb6ntSeT10VvDebMaCI40nF_iLfHfVBUA7PkSJanXk4OZ53u1_LjeJ7znao3fr41RGbC78NKAp9hIuKPGfRc5r1ugWozWk2DSFarWONWQXW0aKOUzHl7su8fpWXpxsb/s1600/lego.jpg" height="400" width="365" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Before Christmas we were busy getting ready and enjoying all
of the holiday festivities. Since Speed Racer is two he’s beginning to enjoy
Christmas, even if he’s not quite sure how it works. We had Advent calendars
and visits to Santa Claus. We enjoyed Christmas specials and Christmas cookies.
Speed Racer discovered that he likes to go shopping. It was a wonderful, busy
month before Christmas. And even blog posts that I started went unfinished
because I was more focused somewhere else. But that’s not really a bad thing.
It just makes this post a little late. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Christmas Eve and then Christmas Day came. Both were full of
presents, family and food. Speed Racer thinks Christmas is quite a wonderful
thing. Now the difficulty lies in explaining that it only happens once a year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The day after Christmas, Speed Racer and I traveled back
home to visit his great grandparents. It was our very first trip home without
my husband. “Daddy has to work” is a most common phrase, now that he has a new
job. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just another change. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Speed Racer and I enjoyed the evening with the grandparents
and aunt and uncle that were visiting. We went to dinner and did some shopping.
It was a wonderful time. But the next morning I woke up feeling awful. I couldn’t
touch the lovely breakfast grandma had cooked for us. Speed Racer wouldn’t eat either.
Then grandma said it was starting to sleet outside. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Blurg. I got us ready and packed up the car. Grandma sent me
with a couple of bottles of 7 Up. I’m sad that our visit home ended that way. I
drove two hours across the state. Speed Racer and I were both miserable and the
rain, then sleet, then snow, then heavy snow were no comfort to me. Speed Racer
slept part of the way, thankfully.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I am thankful for my mom and step farther. I was able to
walk in the house and they took care of Speed Racer and everything in the car. As
the day went on and we didn’t improve we decided to go to Urgent Care. It was a
good thing we went. We were diagnosed with the Flu. I am very thankful for
Tamiflu and nausea medicine. Speed Racer is, too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">It’s been a few days and we are starting to feel better. So
I finally feel like and have time to write this blog post. It’s a little late
but I’m happy to post it because I do feel better and Speed Racer is feeling
better. A two year old with the flu is a scary thing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">This Christmas there were some gifts we got to open early.
For instance, the advent calendars, Speed Racer got to open one with mom and
one with dad each night. Dad’s advent calendar was a gift from my mom and it
was a Star Wars Lego Advent calendar. It’s pretty cool! Some of the Lego guys
made some great props for my cookie pictures. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibqsy_UkSLsmG4Fm7Vm0EnFTjevte35PmYSZDR8yi8Y2LZMSc6wRhiJ0rgfYtJED7BuXYCka2o02VKDlvNSf0eApHitXpSS5Q28vkW_4v08B_J3n6SZ0qofTv7Ymvwx1vrCMu909HkRFm/s1600/cookie+cutter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibqsy_UkSLsmG4Fm7Vm0EnFTjevte35PmYSZDR8yi8Y2LZMSc6wRhiJ0rgfYtJED7BuXYCka2o02VKDlvNSf0eApHitXpSS5Q28vkW_4v08B_J3n6SZ0qofTv7Ymvwx1vrCMu909HkRFm/s1600/cookie+cutter.jpg" height="400" width="302" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">My husband gave us an early Christmas gift of Star Wars cookie
cutters. As I said, I intended to finish this post long before now but I got
busy. So, this is actually an after Christmas story and a Christmas cookie post
mashed together. So…on to the Christmas Cookies!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8F8Gg-1ZS6xnuC4AKkDm4a6l9fjtajtfMa02k8bdCenp3M7mmtwhaGbjFqzMe2x5Xw9ioqaxg-h7v3Nr5EuL_ExLwYXzmHKtzaVmVRLTu3M6epYuwe4gqBA-_iSXSGBpXyuGVcGEXs_T/s1600/dough2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8F8Gg-1ZS6xnuC4AKkDm4a6l9fjtajtfMa02k8bdCenp3M7mmtwhaGbjFqzMe2x5Xw9ioqaxg-h7v3Nr5EuL_ExLwYXzmHKtzaVmVRLTu3M6epYuwe4gqBA-_iSXSGBpXyuGVcGEXs_T/s1600/dough2.jpg" height="400" width="308" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Do you like gingerbread? Some people find most gingerbread
recipes too strong. Do you like Star Wars? Who doesn’t? It’s better than
gingerbread and you can have Star Wars all year round, while gingerbread is generally
considered seasonal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3XWeyVQWbITgWAIKtXP-QHSeKz5AE9LIW3JCcGSmGbEilXltOxbF43Que6wX-bKqYW6W1oS6ydZAFkG6e3fft95GL7yUEVJ7lIzAMMKLE0OjZBicD93Fy89i_5U4CK-qSZoSOmUm8hCfF/s1600/cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3XWeyVQWbITgWAIKtXP-QHSeKz5AE9LIW3JCcGSmGbEilXltOxbF43Que6wX-bKqYW6W1oS6ydZAFkG6e3fft95GL7yUEVJ7lIzAMMKLE0OjZBicD93Fy89i_5U4CK-qSZoSOmUm8hCfF/s1600/cookies.jpg" height="380" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But put the two together and it’s great Christmas fun! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Now, the cookie recipe I used is not my own. It came from <a href="http://kelliskitchen.org/" target="_blank">Kelli’sKitchen</a> and is called <a href="http://kelliskitchen.org/2012/11/a-kinder-gentler-gingerbread-man-cookie/" target="_blank">A Kinder Gentler Gingerbread Man Cookie</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoE3aKLJRr7x_1Z3yMaJb9KYubGVC05yldph_7CwghSleYVPGscQkmdirFWlOrYuHIpZwDXccnxcZ_tAlta4N-aJ5UcT6-rsXLrS4moDSVBzt_F5uBV4Ke8DeeosqSYI0LkH3aZ_JkrPN/s1600/cookie+sheet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoE3aKLJRr7x_1Z3yMaJb9KYubGVC05yldph_7CwghSleYVPGscQkmdirFWlOrYuHIpZwDXccnxcZ_tAlta4N-aJ5UcT6-rsXLrS4moDSVBzt_F5uBV4Ke8DeeosqSYI0LkH3aZ_JkrPN/s1600/cookie+sheet.jpg" height="341" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Well, I suppose
you can make a Darth Vader gingerbread man a little kinder and gentler. I do really love these
cookies and they are even better when in the shape of Star Wars characters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwrqa69nrCb0-NJC45DB7fSU8gGACQUIqVpNWQPx0FjslUG8SbYUxYNWz5yZ8JGRfnHfMiv9QL9zMfA_HChM7oGSkg7N2h9siuIsaElBhyA77h86hp7GF1BzqNQyi9tKGkcUtGMSfZ4mZ/s1600/iced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwrqa69nrCb0-NJC45DB7fSU8gGACQUIqVpNWQPx0FjslUG8SbYUxYNWz5yZ8JGRfnHfMiv9QL9zMfA_HChM7oGSkg7N2h9siuIsaElBhyA77h86hp7GF1BzqNQyi9tKGkcUtGMSfZ4mZ/s1600/iced.jpg" height="292" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I’m not going to post the cookie recipe here. You’ll have to
go to her blog to get it (the link is above). Just look at what you can make! They are an incredible
addition to any holiday gathering. Maybe even for New Year's Eve!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Looking for these cookie cutters or advent calendar? No problem!</span></div>
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<a href="http://thebetterbaker.blogspot.com/2015/01/no-bake-energy-bites-weekend-potluck-151.html" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">I'm on Weekend Potluck!</a></div>
</div>
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hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-76956140567176745152014-12-16T22:01:00.000-06:002015-01-02T09:51:33.496-06:00Fantastic Cheesy Potato Soup and Christmas Shopping<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKR6CMhDhc4eEBn_cUkjiwfSY4U-lSTud7odBcao-NIEodI_3OPX-QtfJgjyI6FJoG-LsQ_9m3cd19ViD3iwTAEsGHUYAgCBqhNfgP-hwuTe3mj-F6AcoFxR3hRuBUBjtmVRlLSgvEU0Cu/s1600/bowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKR6CMhDhc4eEBn_cUkjiwfSY4U-lSTud7odBcao-NIEodI_3OPX-QtfJgjyI6FJoG-LsQ_9m3cd19ViD3iwTAEsGHUYAgCBqhNfgP-hwuTe3mj-F6AcoFxR3hRuBUBjtmVRlLSgvEU0Cu/s1600/bowl.jpg" height="371" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Are you still Christmas shopping? I have been. I
mostly shop online, though, so I don’t mind. As long as the gifts arrive before
Christmas I’m happy. It’s easy to make my Fabulous Cheesy Potato soup with some
basic household ingredients while shopping online. </span>*Note* I don’t recommend peeling
potatoes and using a laptop at the same time. <span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So what are your top Christmas gifts for you family this
year? If you are still looking for last minute ideas, that can be easily ordered
online, let me share my top gifts with you. Maybe you’ll find something you
like. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For Speed Racer</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For my Husband</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For my Mom</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have eaten this potato soup most of my life. My
grandmother used to make it and now I do. In fact, I make it for her now. It is
one of my favorite soups and it’s really easy to make. You can make a lot or a
little. If you like the potatoes firmer, don’t cook them as long. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Fantastic Cheesy Potato Soup</span></h2>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients </span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">About 10 Russet Potatoes (peeled)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2 cups of milk<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Pepper<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2 lb block of <a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/Products/velveeta-hub.aspx?cm_mmc=Search-_-velveeta-_-google-_-int_brand_velveeta_velveeta" target="_blank">Velveeta</a> (cubed)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Crumbled Bacon (optional)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhGrgiYGH2H9wEiNLlQSx9VSYcItOJClnNRm6IllSSUctQiQUHtILaTuv0msHix2CeAvAdwiUh2YRsq5b0JU3N7hhVrkRFbMX9qZwQybPy_J-1aMc96CnejNjBjz7IPbSy3KBfuK9hjAa/s1600/potatos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhGrgiYGH2H9wEiNLlQSx9VSYcItOJClnNRm6IllSSUctQiQUHtILaTuv0msHix2CeAvAdwiUh2YRsq5b0JU3N7hhVrkRFbMX9qZwQybPy_J-1aMc96CnejNjBjz7IPbSy3KBfuK9hjAa/s1600/potatos.jpg" height="323" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Peel and cube the potatoes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4iod82d_ShoArZ0Vj85bIGp1W1u-rtLp_C_6MxpjYdk48YyARKsUZU6RoTBnufdNYEV44Vur-j2aRqedr-ZCg5QU8P72MCujZlYI803XmZAq4CIQCtVDrozkq995GNR9KH2XIC3ZDy4CR/s1600/pot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4iod82d_ShoArZ0Vj85bIGp1W1u-rtLp_C_6MxpjYdk48YyARKsUZU6RoTBnufdNYEV44Vur-j2aRqedr-ZCg5QU8P72MCujZlYI803XmZAq4CIQCtVDrozkq995GNR9KH2XIC3ZDy4CR/s1600/pot.jpg" height="328" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Put in a large stockpot and
cover with water. Throw in some salt. Bring the pot to a boil and allow it to
boil until the potatoes begin to soften. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfrOgAGxwCpGPUDQeFOAeafqoNWpsifCnZ-Q0UWremIpEffnBz7NyIkS9Pl0CDet3O87VnYuKYz9b_DJoWUv8ZnTvoil0JYEZ4BGNNL0bZN7yMmxZ0oaQgczof89R1f6OGmdoDynWSiZvn/s1600/milk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfrOgAGxwCpGPUDQeFOAeafqoNWpsifCnZ-Q0UWremIpEffnBz7NyIkS9Pl0CDet3O87VnYuKYz9b_DJoWUv8ZnTvoil0JYEZ4BGNNL0bZN7yMmxZ0oaQgczof89R1f6OGmdoDynWSiZvn/s1600/milk.jpg" height="321" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Turn the heat down to medium and pour
in 2 cups of milk while stirring. Add salt and pepper to taste. I like mine
peppery. Allow to cook a little while longer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqyDzX1GWWVFETSjOc40AvaOI2Rq0hPv-5nKjYPv3YkZSFHZ8IG6I-gnlQxdnHs6TjKzgNEHTBPl99CZDfvGS4bO10skRTmD9dH226mlNH-zLDqPHCOLKtPbU-WF6VZypBjt-b2Joyt1o/s1600/cheese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqyDzX1GWWVFETSjOc40AvaOI2Rq0hPv-5nKjYPv3YkZSFHZ8IG6I-gnlQxdnHs6TjKzgNEHTBPl99CZDfvGS4bO10skRTmD9dH226mlNH-zLDqPHCOLKtPbU-WF6VZypBjt-b2Joyt1o/s1600/cheese.jpg" height="400" width="356" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile cube your <a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/Products/velveeta-hub.aspx?cm_mmc=Search-_-velveeta-_-google-_-int_brand_velveeta_velveeta" target="_blank">Velveeta</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Turn off the burner and stir in the cubed Velveeta. You can
also throw in any odds and ends of cheese that you want to get rid of. Allow all of the cheese to completely melt before serving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKR6CMhDhc4eEBn_cUkjiwfSY4U-lSTud7odBcao-NIEodI_3OPX-QtfJgjyI6FJoG-LsQ_9m3cd19ViD3iwTAEsGHUYAgCBqhNfgP-hwuTe3mj-F6AcoFxR3hRuBUBjtmVRlLSgvEU0Cu/s1600/bowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKR6CMhDhc4eEBn_cUkjiwfSY4U-lSTud7odBcao-NIEodI_3OPX-QtfJgjyI6FJoG-LsQ_9m3cd19ViD3iwTAEsGHUYAgCBqhNfgP-hwuTe3mj-F6AcoFxR3hRuBUBjtmVRlLSgvEU0Cu/s1600/bowl.jpg" height="371" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Garnish with crisp crumbled bacon. You can also throw some chopped
green onion on if you like. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Enjoy! And happy shopping.</span></div>
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*Note* If you click one of the amazon links and buy something will receive compensation. It's actually happened twice in 3 years.<br />
<a href="http://thebetterbaker.blogspot.com/2015/01/no-bake-energy-bites-weekend-potluck-151.html" style="background-color: #66bb33; color: #993322; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: x-large; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">I'm on Weekend Potluck!</a></div>
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hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-35402395233203503652014-11-09T13:50:00.001-06:002014-11-14T07:19:30.788-06:00Lunch Box Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">It’s getting cold outside. The sun is coming up when I walk into my office building and, oftentimes, it’s dark outside when I leave. With a two year old and all of those hours at work the last thing I really want to think about is lunch. I rarely have time to go pick something up and I normally work right through the lunch break. I eat whatever shelf stable food I have managed to pack away in the food drawer of my desk. Normally, my lunch consists of Cheese Its, Fig Newton’s, Little Debbie Brownies, and the occasional mini bag of chips. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than nothing. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />When I have the chance, I try to make something on the weekend that I can freeze and easily throw in my lunch box on my way out the door. This weekend I had a little time to work on my lunch box prospects. I had some fresh broccoli in the refrigerator the needed to be used up, so I made this Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup to put up in the freezer. It’s warm, cheesy and comforting on a cold day stuck in my office. This recipe made enough to take some soup over to my grandmother and fill 6 Rubbermaid lunch soup containers. I stuck these in the freezer and I can grab them any morning to take with me. </span><br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Lunch Box Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup </span></h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">
2 bunches of fresh broccoli (washed and chopped)<br />1 1/2 cups of baby carrots (finely chopped)<br />1 Celery Stalk (finely chopped)<br />½ Onion (finely chopped)<br />1/2 stick of butter<br />3 Cups of chicken Broth<br />1 Can of cream of chicken soup<br />Salt to taste<br />1 Cup of finely shredded cheddar<br />½ Cup of shredded mozzarella cheese<br />½ A brick of Velveeta (cubed)</span><br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Chop, finely, the Celery, Onion, and Carrots. I used our new Ninja Chopper to chop these and it was super easy and fast. I like this much better than a regular food processor. I chopped the broccoli by hand because I wanted larger chunks. <br /><br />Put the vegetables, butter, chicken broth, can or cream of chicken soup and salt into the crockpot. <br /> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGS9U_WReY2BOgKWLCp5Pl99t8p4_L6zr61CqlzOuSzAvPTvd7daCoZhU05kz2IHdAjGb6baYz7VwtD0dQBmMylNh1CtK3LWARzf6Da6FfxNuOKykjhdqsbvRtsz-o78JohPFqcC5L47hk/s1600/broccoli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGS9U_WReY2BOgKWLCp5Pl99t8p4_L6zr61CqlzOuSzAvPTvd7daCoZhU05kz2IHdAjGb6baYz7VwtD0dQBmMylNh1CtK3LWARzf6Da6FfxNuOKykjhdqsbvRtsz-o78JohPFqcC5L47hk/s1600/broccoli.jpg" height="318" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<br />Let it cook on high for about 3 hours. <br /><br />Switch the crockpot to low and stir in the shredded cheddar, shredded mozzarella, and cubed Velveeta. <br /> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILcjGJU-hmLYuuFVZVECZa595SyzvhlZ4Qxb6rrxCMcuxz_QpIISKC6BSyQO69MppWfb3_FpN41Xn34c5rP5Ae51uyiDhD4xAYfFt6HAh9kOH_CXnQEqo7LsYeZq7Ewgwy8u2x2qXzU3a/s1600/cheese2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILcjGJU-hmLYuuFVZVECZa595SyzvhlZ4Qxb6rrxCMcuxz_QpIISKC6BSyQO69MppWfb3_FpN41Xn34c5rP5Ae51uyiDhD4xAYfFt6HAh9kOH_CXnQEqo7LsYeZq7Ewgwy8u2x2qXzU3a/s1600/cheese2.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<br />Let the soup cook for about half an hour more to let the cheese melt. <br /><br />Serve immediately or dish it up into freezer and microwave safe bowls and freeze it. It microwaves nicely. <br /><br />Interested in the kinds of tools I used to make this dish? Click below to see them on amazon. If you decide to buy something, I might even be compensated. If it ever happens, I'll let you know. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.thecountrycook.net/2014/11/weekend-potluck-144.html" target="_blank">I'm on Weekend Potluck!</a></div>
hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-6650605395561748252014-10-12T20:16:00.000-05:002014-10-12T20:19:14.252-05:00Fantastic Baking with Speed Racer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzgUJDAl9Mrz0K5j6NyjrZ2LZgVaubdNjQCvATCCyiXmpuIa727jQJ_sfojVkVsbgMaGnX0btz_u73ldHSzGYLEZyEG9LSAC98RpZe9ez-nitTTQ1xnN_WqnImnPPNwyUmN63ptyt8eef/s1600/dough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzgUJDAl9Mrz0K5j6NyjrZ2LZgVaubdNjQCvATCCyiXmpuIa727jQJ_sfojVkVsbgMaGnX0btz_u73ldHSzGYLEZyEG9LSAC98RpZe9ez-nitTTQ1xnN_WqnImnPPNwyUmN63ptyt8eef/s1600/dough.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Speed Racer (our 2 year old) loves to help in the kitchen and we enjoy cooking with him, whenever we get the chance. With both my husband and I working full time and keeping up with a two year old, there is not always a lot of extra time and energy for this activity. Luckily, we now find that we can bake cookies with him, regularly.<br /><br />When we saw the <a href="https://www.verybestbaking.com/TollHouse" target="_blank">Nestle Toll House</a> <a href="https://www.verybestbaking.com/products/11409/tollhouse/nestle-toll-house-rolled-ready-sugar-cookie-dough-sheets/" target="_blank">Cookie Dough Sheets</a>, we both thought that this would be great for baking cookies with Speed Racer. They were a perfect time saver. We were able to skip directly to the fun part, cutting out the cookies, because the sheets were already rolled out. <br /> </span><br />
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<br />We have a big box of cookie cutters. I let Speed Racer pick out the ones he likes the best. As you can see, he has eclectic tastes. <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />We cut out the cookies quickly and easily.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Then came what turned out to be Speed Racer’s favorite part. I pulled out the rolling pin to roll out the cookie dough scraps and he was eager to do it himself. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">With a little flour and very little help, he rolled out his own cookie and even put on purple sprinkles. <br /><br /> </span><br />
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<br /><br />The cookies were terrific! We all really liked the chocolate ones. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The best part was that we had a wonderful time with our son baking cookies and making memories. These cookie dough sheets were so easy to use and great tasting that we will certainly buy them again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A couple of days later </span><span style="font-size: large;">we made the sugar cookie sheets. So, we easily spent another evening making more cookies with Speed Racer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I think this will be a regular thing for our family this fall. </span></div>
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***I did not receive any products or compensation for this post.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-80088240988722940282014-09-28T21:20:00.001-05:002014-10-10T08:17:26.885-05:00Iron Skillet Fonduta <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bZM1fqt_JTf5kndm7FqJWpu94Lo2PiapptoMpIRsbYlQDcbdBvqHtGq3p6w_135jVkKiARaNZHaijDMw2Pi3Ypv0yyKmNyGOw7IEguD8PIGa9qkuqzLgr-XEopjKtMNBQjdtOYzx9WuW/s1600/Plated+Pulling+Bread+Through+2+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bZM1fqt_JTf5kndm7FqJWpu94Lo2PiapptoMpIRsbYlQDcbdBvqHtGq3p6w_135jVkKiARaNZHaijDMw2Pi3Ypv0yyKmNyGOw7IEguD8PIGa9qkuqzLgr-XEopjKtMNBQjdtOYzx9WuW/s1600/Plated+Pulling+Bread+Through+2+2.jpg" height="245" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Iron Skillet Fonduta is rich, flavorful, and cheesy. It’s
college football season and this dish is an incredible addition to a party
spread. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Using an iron skillet creates a wonderful baked cheese crust on the bottom and around the edges that everyone loves. If you do a good job of seeding and deveining the jalapeños,
they will just add flavor and should not be spicy. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="line-height: 19.2pt;"><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Play, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients:</span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />2 (8 oz.) Blocks of cream cheese, softened (I used <a href="http://www.target.com/p/market-pantry-plain-cream-cheese-8-oz/-/A-12990517">Market Pantry</a>)<br />½ Cup of mayonnaise (I use <a href="http://www.hellmanns.com/">Hellmann's</a>)<br />2 Cups of shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I used <a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/Products/productmain.aspx">Kraft</a>)<br />1 ½ Cups of shredded Parmesan cheese (I used <a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/Products/productmain.aspx">Kraft</a>)<br />½ Cup of another shredded cheese (I used <a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/Products/productmain.aspx">Kraft</a> Italian Blend)<br />4 Seeded, deveined, and diced fresh jalapeños<br /><br /> Directions:<br />Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray your iron skillet with cooking spray.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Fi3Bi_r57gk2gd7pT-RK9G1uhGWegn6mv-ZW4VA-AZHBxBKiUbXwyyTagt9tm84M_U0aayTktRTHGKdEJBwvd-JyRaZyeeyf3C6LgN90S3o0-4c6afpD2kMsynQrA-MxMm7gj_VBaFsY/s1600/Mixing+in+bowl2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Fi3Bi_r57gk2gd7pT-RK9G1uhGWegn6mv-ZW4VA-AZHBxBKiUbXwyyTagt9tm84M_U0aayTktRTHGKdEJBwvd-JyRaZyeeyf3C6LgN90S3o0-4c6afpD2kMsynQrA-MxMm7gj_VBaFsY/s1600/Mixing+in+bowl2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In a large bowl combine all ingredients. I found it easier to mix it with my hand.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Using a spatula, scrape the mixture into an iron skillet. <br /><br />Bake the fonduta at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until the top is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: large; line-height: 19.2pt;">bubbly and golden.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LLUCFG2JOLeNk0U6z9pH1OQ5PZkcOgE-AUZwwKcdJiAoPZXcwRr5VyAL6pXc_Wuvb6wjEvzwrxQy4jWaXRva_2IcbeOPhcf7ojFOaAkl9vCFiu00ULJTdHh_Al1mjuZdkHF0HDeDXDL7/s1600/Plated+1+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LLUCFG2JOLeNk0U6z9pH1OQ5PZkcOgE-AUZwwKcdJiAoPZXcwRr5VyAL6pXc_Wuvb6wjEvzwrxQy4jWaXRva_2IcbeOPhcf7ojFOaAkl9vCFiu00ULJTdHh_Al1mjuZdkHF0HDeDXDL7/s1600/Plated+1+2.jpg" height="321" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I served mine with a loaf of sliced sourdough bread. This is also great with chips or crackers…and on a sandwich. <br /><br />Can you tell that I really like this? I hope you'll try it at your next football party or get together. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm on <a href="http://thebetterbaker.blogspot.com/2014/10/slow-cooker-spiced-cranberry-apple.html" target="_blank">Weekend Potluck</a>! </span></div>
hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-20325806825955526482014-09-13T22:56:00.000-05:002014-09-13T23:06:34.109-05:00Conversations with Speed Racer: Why Mamma Works<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">I often wonder what my 2 year old is thinking. What thoughts
are running through that little head? The more verbal Speed Racer becomes the
more I learn. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Last week I was getting ready to go to work. It was one of
the rare mornings that he was up and about with me. I could feel the melt down
building. He knows what it means when I’m bustling about the house and putting
on things like makeup. On this morning I
think I go an idea of what he thinks I do when I go to work. Also, we are thoroughly
into the “Why” stage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Why I work…Apparently </span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Speed Racer: What doin’ ?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Me: I’m getting ready for work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Speed Racer: Why? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Me: Because momma has to go to work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Speed Racer: Why?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Me: Because I have to work so I can make money.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Speed Racer thought for a moment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Speed Racer: And cheese? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I had to chuckle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Me: Sure! We couldn’t have cheese if mamma didn’t work. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Speed Racer seemed satisfied until I actually had to walk
out the door. Then the meltdown came, complete with tears. It was hard to go to
work that morning. But we always need cheese. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Speed Racer is pretty talkative but it’s often very hard,
even for me, to understand what he is saying. Sometimes his speech is perfectly
clear with words we have practiced. But I suppose we haven’t practiced enough
words to cover everything he wants to communicate. And sometimes he just talks
so fast it’s hard to catch every word. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Pingu</span></h2>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrZi8d8ahKZvkctQ6ko4FmNwellYf98XTw-SLGYHkHKWeI-mcnOPw5Z1UqgpkRok4TvjhGdsp9vG22KT-JML_IPdw4n3U3hJAuq1SW9hX_LX7ltwMq4S-KrG9FZAD59HQqluTlyODoghN/s1600/220px-Pingu.png" height="300" width="400" /></div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pingu" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/</a></div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pingu" target="_blank">wiki/Pingu</a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">There is a show that allows Speed Racer loves to watch. It’s
called Pingu. There are no real words and each episode is about 5 minutes long.
It’s just the right length for his short attention span and the story is completely
told without identifiable words except for a couple for character names. There
is sound and expression of emotion but the show was designed to allow people
across languages to watch the same show and comprehend the story. So the
language spoken is 'Penguinese’<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">.</span>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Speed Racer has been watching a camping episode over and
over, lately. Again, I wondered what he was thinking. Well, last night he
climbed up on our bed and pulled the comforter over his head. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Speed Racer: Come on,
mamma. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I pulled the comforter over my head. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Me: Under here?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Speed Racer: Tent. Look! Tent! It’s dark. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">And now the tent game has begun. We played “Tent” again
today. I think it’s going to be a favorite. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">If you are interested in finding our more about Pingu you
can check out the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pingu-Official-Page/272005626170011?sk=timeline" target="_blank">Facebook Page</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pingu" target="_blank">Wikipedia page</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Also, there are all sorts of items on Amazon. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<script charset="utf-8" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?rt=tf_cw&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fwritireadiand-20%2F8010%2F7abf0c16-11a0-4fc2-a8ab-433362f4e9c2&Operation=GetScriptTemplate" type="text/javascript"> </script> <noscript><a HREF="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?rt=tf_cw&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fwritireadiand-20%2F8010%2F7abf0c16-11a0-4fc2-a8ab-433362f4e9c2&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</A></noscript></div>
hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-36272020987406346802014-09-01T22:09:00.000-05:002014-09-13T21:24:40.514-05:00Summer Vacation: Lego Fest and Swimming<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br />About a month ago, maybe more, I entered a contest on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/penneylanekitchen" target="_blank">Penney Lane Kitchen</a> to win tickets to <a href="http://www.legokidsfest.com/dallas/" target="_blank">Lego Kids Fest in Dallas</a>. I rarely win anything, but you can’t win if you don’t enter. <br /><br />We won 2 tickets! We hadn’t planned on taking a vacation this summer but I’m glad we did. With the free tickets we decided to stay overnight in Dallas and make it a fun family trip. <br /><br />Little Speed Racer had never been on what I call a real vacation. What’s a “real vacation”, you say? Well, to me a real vacation is when you stay in a hotel. To me, if you stay with family, it’s a trip but not a vacation. I totally love to take trips to visit family; I’m just making a distinction. <br /> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">
<br />So, not only did we take Speed Racer on his first vacation, we took him on his first trip outside of our state. <br /> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">
<br />We also stayed in his first hotel. He thought the hotel room was very cool. We could only rest for a little bit (due to the sluggish Dallas traffic) and then it was off to <a href="http://www.legokidsfest.com/dallas/" target="_blank">Lego Kids Fest</a>. <br /> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">
<br />Speed Racer is 2 so you might wonder what he could do at Lego Fest. But there was plenty for him. He was perfectly happy to play in the huge pile of <a href="http://shop.lego.com/en-US/DUPLO-ByTheme/?OVMTC=Exact&site=&creative=25850580481&OVKEY=duplo&url_id=37471453&adpos=1t1&device=c&devicemodel=" target="_blank">Duplo</a> blocks most of the time we were there. <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Still, we found time to walk around and take pictures with all of the really cool Lego statues and cruise by the other booths. Truthfully, if Speed Racer were older he could have hit all of the booths and participated in all of the Lego activities. I highly recommend taking older kids, especially if you are going to pay over $60 for a family of three to attend together. I do wish Speed Racer could have participated at more booths, but since we all got in for free it’s not a big deal. I’m happy that he was happy. <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />We could only drag our little guy away with the promise of swimming in a big swimming pool. It totally worked and there were no tears. <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Speed Racer had never been in a real pool before. He’s been in a little kiddie pool in the back yard, but not one we could all get into. So, when booking the hotel I made sure to pick one with an indoor heated pool. If I’m going to swim I want to be comfortable. The indoor pool was perfect and Speed Racer loved it. We swam and swam until it looked like he was going to fall asleep. So we pulled him out and headed to the room. There were a few tears, but we promised to swim again in the morning before leaving. He was cool with that. <br /><br />My husband and I can still act like kids when we go on vacation. It was late and after all that swimming we were hungry. So…we indulged by ordering pizza. We had <a href="http://order.papajohns.com/index.html?site=WEB&dclid=1717004638-2543611-4121096-71899036-246709299-0&esvt=336057-GOUSe339360999&esvq=papa%20johns&esvadt=999999-0-3934606-1&esvcrea=41770098103&esvplace&esvd=c&esvaid=30536&gclid=CPinptLGwcACFSbl7AodiyIAYA" target="_blank">Pappa John's</a> delivered at 10 PM. I know; we are totally wild and irresponsible. Speed Racer was not quite as worn out as he had seemed and he thought the late night pizza was great fun. <br /><br /> We had so much fun on our trip; I’ll have to put more in another post. Look for my second Summer Vacation post, soon. </span><br />
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<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" title="Epic Mommy Adventures" target="_blank"><img src="http://epicmommyadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Social-Media-Mixer-2.png" alt="Epic Mommy Adventures" style="border:none;" /></a></div>hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-53620938105113949322014-08-03T09:42:00.002-05:002021-11-11T13:45:08.132-06:00Butter Baked Chicken<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />Another favorite is gone. I seem to have a knack for liking dishes that restaurants stop serving. It’s happened at <a href="http://www.redlobster.com/" target="_blank">Red Lobster</a>, <a href="http://www.carinos.com/" target="_blank">Johnny Carino’s</a>, and at <a href="http://www.crackerbarrel.com/" target="_blank">Cracker Barrel</a> to name a few. It’s so disappointing to go in and find my favorite dish off the menu. Sometimes, you can ask for something off menu, but even that ends after a while. <br /><br />So, what do you do if you get a craving for a favorite (discontinued) meal? Well, I either have to do without or try to make it at home. Some are easier than others. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Butter Baked Chicken was one of my favorites at<a href="http://www.crackerbarrel.com/" target="_blank"> Cracker Barrel</a>. They only served it on Thursdays at ours. We didn’t make it there very often on the right night, but when we did I always ordered the special. Now, it seems to be gone and I can’t order it off menu. Darn! <br /><br />Luckily, this recipe is pretty darn close to my memory of Cracker Barrel’s Butter Baked Chicken and it’s a big hit with my family. The best part is that we can have it any night of the week! <br />Give it a try and tell me what you think. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Butter Baked Chicken </span></h2>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></span></h3>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
2 lb. chicken tenderloins <br />1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.) <br />2/3 cup flour<br />3 tbsp. plain breadcrumbs <br />1 1/2 teaspoon salt <br />1/8 teaspoon pepper <br />1/2 cup butter (1 stick) <br />1 can Cream of Chicken soup (10.75 oz.) <br />2 tbsp. water </span><br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Directions</span></h3>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Preheat oven to 425 degrees. </span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />Melt the stick of butter in a 13x9 pan. </span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />Mix Flour, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper together in a dish or bowl that you will use for dredging the chicken. </span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />In a separate bowl, pour a little of the evaporated milk. Use just enough to dip your chicken in.</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />Dip each chicken tenderloin in the evaporated milk first. Then dredge the each tenderloin in the flour mixture. </span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Then lay each prepared chicken tenderloin in the pan of melted butter. </span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />Bake the chicken in the melted butter for 30 minutes at 425.<br /><br />Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the water, can of soup, and what's left (in the can) of the evaporated milk together. </span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">After the first half hour of baking, turn chicken over after 30 minutes and pour the soup mixture on top. Bake for another 30 more minutes or until nice and golden brown.<br /> <br /> </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTvXuHTSMHpW5nW7n-tCiiwzF5JgfWsauNuGRx12-ssSu-srBLySpejCTBwY01QqPIcY4B0zn6x-B50czje949qAuABU5LTbd1T8M9PMYilVViedHsaZNm0ieabprlV4rd1B2no117oiB/s1600/plate2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTvXuHTSMHpW5nW7n-tCiiwzF5JgfWsauNuGRx12-ssSu-srBLySpejCTBwY01QqPIcY4B0zn6x-B50czje949qAuABU5LTbd1T8M9PMYilVViedHsaZNm0ieabprlV4rd1B2no117oiB/w640-h498/plate2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<br /> Serve the butter baked chicken and the gravy over mashed potatoes. </span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Enjoy!</span></div>
<div align="center"><br /></div></div>hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-81187465469105206692014-07-27T11:19:00.000-05:002014-07-27T11:19:46.524-05:00Easy Sunday Morning: Pancake Muffins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">I love an easy, quiet Sunday morning with my family. Sunday
is the day a most consistently cook some kind of breakfast. Speed Racer loves
scrambled eggs and sausage for breakfast but that routine gets a little old
after a while. Sometimes, the grownups want something different and
interesting. There are lots of Pinterest pins for something like these but most
of them only link to a picture and not the actual recipe. I hate it when that happens.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I guessed on the oven temperature but it turned out to be a
good guess. I tried to make the recipe as easy as possible. I’m pretty sure you
could make this with any pancake mix and use whatever filling you have handy.
These were a big hit with the family and it didn’t take much time at all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now it’s time to turn off the oven for the day, it already
getting hot here. Temps should be in the 90s today. I think we will pile up and
watch movies today. What do you like to do on a lazy Sunday? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Pancake Muffins</span></h2>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8u9ZWSIX2MI6t07CZhZoYdOlc0z_hTppyLoFg8B-YRWLLKtRNAOrUBRIXu-2jq2t2RSG93Zk7lMAO6w0UTr7xUlt1nPleTnFkB6Y0RmhXzQaUO_8fYGkiNtCWzxjviILGeIwvUYr0fT0/s1600/prep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8u9ZWSIX2MI6t07CZhZoYdOlc0z_hTppyLoFg8B-YRWLLKtRNAOrUBRIXu-2jq2t2RSG93Zk7lMAO6w0UTr7xUlt1nPleTnFkB6Y0RmhXzQaUO_8fYGkiNtCWzxjviILGeIwvUYr0fT0/s1600/prep.jpg" height="400" width="340" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Prepared <a href="http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/bisquick" target="_blank">Bisquick</a> Pancake Batter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2 tbsp. Granulated Sugar <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fresh Blueberries <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cooked breakfast sausage, cut into small pieces. <a href="http://lopezfoods.com/pork/" target="_blank">I used precooked, frozen sausage. </a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Directions </span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Preheat oven to 375. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Follow the directions on the <a href="http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/bisquick" target="_blank">Bisquick</a> box to mix up a batch
of pancake batter and add 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar to be batter. Spray
a 12 count muffin tin with nonstick spray. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCO8sL-sODproEWABKFpj4QsuYcI_iiqJ1IQBRqMdx45xlRJuPwtnHQoPapXfnG9jkfzlMqPoBSJo2ZSkcL6hDII3uAVSUMSXKovELiEJVvaMjHP98kkBVkX9f4tmPe3VAVehgnXmkw70/s1600/pan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCO8sL-sODproEWABKFpj4QsuYcI_iiqJ1IQBRqMdx45xlRJuPwtnHQoPapXfnG9jkfzlMqPoBSJo2ZSkcL6hDII3uAVSUMSXKovELiEJVvaMjHP98kkBVkX9f4tmPe3VAVehgnXmkw70/s1600/pan.jpg" height="302" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Put fresh blueberries in 6 of the
cups and the chopped, cooked sausage in the other six. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fill each muffin cup with ¼ cup of pancake batter. Bake for
25 minutes. Serve with butter or <a href="http://www.countrycrock.com/" target="_blank">margarine</a> and syrup. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrY_J574HmtdZ4qrKAJzIYwsOhn76pq_Fyiund1nzFKzuhILzEMcm9FZZp1uru0VDCm4PHD14rpPos6NP6yScs6qyBPR_dN2kRq9sI_r0v56TK_gG85MNx0_QGV9HuPcd0z26SOnuHmBg0/s1600/ready.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrY_J574HmtdZ4qrKAJzIYwsOhn76pq_Fyiund1nzFKzuhILzEMcm9FZZp1uru0VDCm4PHD14rpPos6NP6yScs6qyBPR_dN2kRq9sI_r0v56TK_gG85MNx0_QGV9HuPcd0z26SOnuHmBg0/s1600/ready.jpg" height="400" width="372" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My syrup is from <a href="http://www.griffinfoods.com/" target="_blank">Griffin’s</a>,
of course, from my home town. Did I ever mention that my great grandmother
worked at the <a href="http://www.griffinfoods.com/" target="_blank">Griffin’s</a> plant sometime before I was born? Somehow, that makes
the syrup taste even better for me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I hope you and your family enjoy an easy Sunday morning
breakfast with pancake muffins. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-11873241795073300762014-07-13T20:33:00.000-05:002014-07-13T20:35:23.774-05:00Summer and Salmon Patties<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It is the end of a very hot weekend. On Saturday we were able to take Little Speed Racer out to play in the sand box, the sprinklers, and he got to play golf in the back yard with his Pa Pa. But today it was far too hot to get out and about. We stayed inside and watched <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/downtonabbey/" target="_blank">Downton Abbey</a>. <br />
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For lunch I felt like making something we haven’t had in a very long time. <br />
<br />
Salmon patties are quick and easy to make. On most hot days I don’t cook but I do get tired of sandwiches. On the weekend, when I have time to cook, I like to make least one dish. Salmon Patties only heat up the stove top and only for a short time. I hope you’ll give these a try. I’ll be tossing a couple of these in my lunch bag tomorrow morning. I like them hot or cold. <br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Salmon Patties </h2>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Ingredients</h4>
<a href="http://www.oceanbeauty.com/our-brands-2/" target="_blank">1 (14.75 ounce) can salmon, drained</a><br />
2 eggs<br />
½ a sleeve of saltine crackers, crushed<br />
½ a cup of milk<br />
½ an onion, finely chopped<br />
2 TBSP flour<br />
Olive oil for cooking<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Directions</h4>
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Combine all of the ingredients except the olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Use your hands mix the ingredients together. The mixture will be pretty wet but it should hold together. If you find the mixture to be too wet add some more flour. Heat some olive oil in a large skillet. Shape patties out of the mixture and place in the hot oil to fry.<br />
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<div>
Brown the patties on each side. Let cook until the patties are brown and crusty and then place on a plate lined with a paper towel to allow excess oil to drain. Continue until you have made salmon patties with all of the mixture. </div>
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<div>
I served these with avocado and tomato. Often these are good with a splash of lemon juice and a side of cocktail sauce. They are great leftover or made into a sandwich. <br />
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Enjoy!</div>
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hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-75229504538434415752014-07-06T18:33:00.002-05:002014-07-06T18:33:25.429-05:00Asparagus, Prosciutto, and Mushroom Pasta with Pink Sauce<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgBMtNJFVpDWaCHbDxAIfBiQXLQGLnQl5bLrhvL1zuvJN4i72gzSjIQR999GKsgxEnX-V1wSlj9IfB3Mhwo2Pm3RXXj7fjW1pO79Xw4pmhICnjZcypZXAXImV5USKHzHn4zx8QGALpHVf/s1600/P7060153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgBMtNJFVpDWaCHbDxAIfBiQXLQGLnQl5bLrhvL1zuvJN4i72gzSjIQR999GKsgxEnX-V1wSlj9IfB3Mhwo2Pm3RXXj7fjW1pO79Xw4pmhICnjZcypZXAXImV5USKHzHn4zx8QGALpHVf/s1600/P7060153.JPG" height="400" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Little Speed Racer</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">How do you wear out an incredibly active 2 year old? In the summer, a sprinkler seems to do the trick. We put Little Speed Racer in his new swim outfit and set up a sprinkler in the back yard. He wasn’t too sure at first, but then it was all splashing and fun. When the fun was done and he was all dried off it was time for a big nap. <br /><br />That meant I had time to cook a big late lunch/early dinner. I like to make these big meals on Sunday and have them just late enough to count as both lunch and dinner (<a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Linner" target="_blank">Linner</a>). Then we can have something light in the evening. I’d do this every day if I didn’t have to do things like work. But when we win the lottery we’ll totally have Linner most days. <br /><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2m0iLxMMF3kiyJ7SdewMqnlU0fLADuHgVUCieSKDhF3tARozQ2YhZA2Mw28zXvEXKftDXqgeJCMFNn8tDCaSTPQMAexG88TXrofbGpoTtpDIqjkNcOOBpnFPvJe9Nt-o60ueEs2ZJzUN/s1600/P7050121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2m0iLxMMF3kiyJ7SdewMqnlU0fLADuHgVUCieSKDhF3tARozQ2YhZA2Mw28zXvEXKftDXqgeJCMFNn8tDCaSTPQMAexG88TXrofbGpoTtpDIqjkNcOOBpnFPvJe9Nt-o60ueEs2ZJzUN/s1600/P7050121.JPG" height="281" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Gold with Pop & Cook</td></tr>
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<br />I really enjoy cooking Italian food and my husband enjoys eating it. This dish combines some of my favorite ingredients. <a href="http://www.redgold.com/" target="_blank">Red Gold</a> sent me a Summer Grillen’ Pack with some cans of their products. Today, I used Red Gold Basil, Garlic and Oregano Diced Tomatoes in the Pink Sauce. I added it to another product that I've wanted to try for a while, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pop.and.cook/timeline" target="_blank">Pop and Cook Alfredo Sauce</a>.<br /><br />I hope you enjoy this dish whenever you eat it. Some people mix pasta with sauce when it’s ready but I don’t. Not everyone likes the same amount of sauce on their pasta. I’m pretty particular about how much is on mine. So, I tend to keep my pasta, sauce, and vegetables separate and let everyone determine what and how much to put on their plate. <br /><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Asparagus, Prosciutto, and Mushroom Pasta with Pink Sauce<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />1/2 lb. (8 oz.) uncooked pasta (I used angel hair)<br />About 10 strips of Prosciutto shredded<br />1 bunch of fresh asparagus with ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces<br />1 (8 oz.) package of sliced mushrooms<br /><br />Pink Sauce<br /><br />1 Package of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pop.and.cook/timeline" target="_blank">Pop and Cook Alfredo Sauce</a><br />1 and ¼ cup of Heavy Cream<br />1 can of <a href="http://www.redgold.com/" target="_blank">Red Gold Basil, Garlic and Oregano Diced Tomatoes</a> <br />1 Tablespoon of <a href="http://na.gourmetgarden.com/us/products" target="_blank">Basil Paste</a><br />1/2 cup grated or flaked Parmesan cheese<br /><br />Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water with a little olive oil according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Meanwhile, add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a large pan and add the shredded prosciutto. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until it begins to render a little fat. </span><div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Add prepared asparagus and mushrooms to the pan. Add some more olive oil if it seems too dry and cook with a lid on the pan until the mushrooms and asparagus begin to soften. Stir occasionally, and when it seems softened remove the lid to allow the mushrooms and asparagus to brown. Remove the pan from the heat. <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />In a medium sauce pan add all 4 cubes from the Pop and Cook Alfredo Sauce and the heavy cream. Bring to a boil as directed on the package. Remove from the heat. Drain the juice from the Red Gold Basil, Garlic and Oregano Diced Tomatoes and add them to the alfredo sauce. Add the additional basil paste. Blend using an immersion blender until the sauce is smooth. Place back on the head and add in the grated parmesan. Whisk the sauce over the heat until the cheese is melted and the sauce is mixed together well. Remove from the heat and let sit for a few moments. <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Place the cooked pasta on a plate or in a bowl. Ladle sauce over the pasta and them place the prosciutto, asparagus, and mushrooms on top. Sprinkle a little parmesan on to it, if you desire. I don’t add any salt to the sauce because the prosciutto is already salty. <br /><br />You can serve this dish with a big hunk of Italian bread or garlic bread for dipping in the pink sauce. A glass of red wine goes nicely, too. </span></div>
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hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-13970572053600729852014-06-28T22:52:00.000-05:002014-07-26T04:12:28.447-05:00Sherlocked and Eggplant or Chicken Parmesan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t4pgh" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0NttGDcZigNQ8Lb2D8HoxnltcrLEYiQ9v3R6pxe0GZGdwGVDoWZSVISSa3EI4uRgdRw5kJVBjRRmsMd-K5mfyKrkl1895AO5KcyhnnVqE1bDsdebl6FzWmww-H0xHD90Nb99-vav8-aoU/s1600/sherlock.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t4pgh" target="_blank">Sherlock</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I love a good marathon. We are having a Sherlock weekend marathon via <a href="https://www.netflix.com/" target="_blank">Netfilx</a>. Thanks Netflix, we’ve been waiting. While I’ve seen all of the episodes available, mom hasn’t watched Sherlock at all. She seems to like it okay but thinks Benedict Cumberbatch is a funny name. She also does not care for movies with all British accents. Oh well, I’m happy to watch them all over again and she's willing to at least sit through it. <br /><br /> Mycroft said their parents were in Oklahoma the other day! A little part of my brain went *squeeeee*. I love it when my state is mentioned on shows I like. Well, I wonder where they are staying. <br /><br />If you haven’t watched Sherlock yet, I recommend it. And you can check out <a href="http://www.johnwatsonblog.co.uk/" target="_blank">John's Blog</a>. Sherlock is streaming for free on Netflix now. Keep in mind that each episode is about an hour and a half long and each series is only 3 episodes. If you get hooked (or Sherlocked), you’ll be anxiously waiting for the next series with the rest of us. <br /><br /> </span><br />
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<br />Mom has been hinting for a while that she would like for me to make my eggplant parmesan. Actually it’s not my recipe it’s my grandma’s. She’s vegetarian and often makes this dish for potlucks. She taught me how to make it when I was still in high school. It’s not hard to make and it’s an excellent dish but I just forget to make it very often. I normally have everything on hand except for the eggplant. It’s just not something I remember to buy. <br /><br />If I make eggplant parmesan, I also have to make a pan of chicken parmesan. Why? Mr. Picky Eater (my step-father) and Little Speed Racer (our son) are not fans of eggplant. They prefer chicken parmesan. Making the two dishes together is a pretty big undertaking. Now, I have to remember to buy eggplant and thaw out chicken. Lately, something like that has become a difficult undertaking. <br /> </span><br />
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<br />But today, I managed to remember to do both…well I remembered to buy the eggplant and I defrosted the chicken in the microwave. Close enough. <br /><br />So, today you get two recipes for the price of one blog post! <br /><br />Since these two dishes use basically the same ingredients, I made the eggplant first and then came right behind and made the chicken. Then I baked them both at the same time. I hope you enjoy both of them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Eggplant Parmesan</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">2 Medium Eggplants<br />2 Cups of Buttermilk<br />2 Beaten Eggs<br />1 tbsp. water <br />2 Cups Italian Breadcrumbs<br />2 tbsp. Flour<br />Italian Spices (optional)<br />Salt and Pepper to taste<br />1 Cup Shredded Parmesan<br />Olive Oil<br />1 Cup of Shredded Mozzarella<br />1 Cup of Italian Blend Shredded Cheese<br />1 Small can of mushrooms, drained<br />1 Can of spaghetti sauce</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span></h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">Preheat oven to 350°F. <br /> </span><br />
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<br />Peel your eggplant with a vegetable peeler and slice to the desired thickness. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Place sliced eggplant in a large bowl and pour in 2 cups of buttermilk. Stir around with your hand making sure all of the eggplant gets coated. Let eggplant set in buttermilk while you move onto the next step.<br /> </span><br />
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<br />In a medium size bowl pour in 2 cups of Italian breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp. of flour, salt, pepper, 1/3 cup shredded parmesan, and any additional Italian spices you like. Mix the breadcrumb mixture around in the bowl. To me, this should have a good earthy smell when it’s ready. <br /><br />In another bowl beat 2 eggs and a tbsp. of water together. Place a large frying pan on the stove with olive oil and heat the pan. <br /> </span><br />
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<br />Dip the coated eggplant slices in the beaten egg, then the bread crumbs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Coat well. Place the dredged eggplant in the hot olive oil and fry on both sides until golden brown. <br /> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-A2Q2lX4h-HtmroHe7a695hPasQzYTWozjCwrjdbMa8nt2nz2E9lX67udJMI-MhRE-wSMw8vRNadhkElTC5OS9cVMxsYGy9uGUsEAWIuTMEnAcT1m1Lk3QyNSoNN6FN8cxKy4tYiWKXG/s1600/P6270100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-A2Q2lX4h-HtmroHe7a695hPasQzYTWozjCwrjdbMa8nt2nz2E9lX67udJMI-MhRE-wSMw8vRNadhkElTC5OS9cVMxsYGy9uGUsEAWIuTMEnAcT1m1Lk3QyNSoNN6FN8cxKy4tYiWKXG/s1600/P6270100.JPG" height="202" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Place the fried eggplant in a 9x13-inch Pyrex dish. Layer eggplant, Cheese (mozzarella and shredded parmesan), mushrooms, and pasta sauce until you’ve layered in all of your cooked eggplant. Pour the last of the spaghetti sauce on top and cover with the Italian Blend Shredded Cheese. <br /><br />Bake until the cheese melts and turns golden and bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes.While the eggplant parmesan bakes, boil your spaghetti or other pasta choice and drain. <br /> </span><br />
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<br />Serve the eggplant on the cooked pasta. It goes well with garlic bread and a nice glass red wine. </span><br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Chicken Parmesan</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaaugRE2dbv25mFKbkr3CLpHS5R5djwqjHzoe_hL_7jhvJGU89natoEwJa3Ny1BaJfFPXfomSVG9TXzi1XvmmmDGOopRO0vZZfTN4zj7n4ntKplxTkdpHPH-6afq3r5BA1IMf0QBcpTbm6/s1600/Chicken+Parm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaaugRE2dbv25mFKbkr3CLpHS5R5djwqjHzoe_hL_7jhvJGU89natoEwJa3Ny1BaJfFPXfomSVG9TXzi1XvmmmDGOopRO0vZZfTN4zj7n4ntKplxTkdpHPH-6afq3r5BA1IMf0QBcpTbm6/s1600/Chicken+Parm.jpg" height="400" width="338" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">1 Package of Chicken Breast Tenders<br />2 Cups of Buttermilk<br />2 Beaten Eggs<br />1 tbsp. water <br />2 Cups Italian Breadcrumbs<br />2 tbsp. Flour<br />Italian Spices (optional)<br />Salt and Pepper to taste<br />1 Cup Shredded Parmesan<br />Olive Oil<br />1 Cup of Shredded Mozzarella<br />1 Cup of Italian Blend Shredded Cheese<br />1 Can of spaghetti sauce</span><br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span></h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">Preheat oven to 350°F. <br /> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JutPccGK1BvZ3wx8db5bjSaxLMZk4Zp6UI0j2xoAuymhUxB-YQSJZDs1e_BJRGH41U3bJWY9FxqwZrmJo7IoTml7_6VBXxpdeUc5wMLGCEEVEAzVxlLZydfuyXNPHcVCN8zTji2wG4ZL/s1600/chicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JutPccGK1BvZ3wx8db5bjSaxLMZk4Zp6UI0j2xoAuymhUxB-YQSJZDs1e_BJRGH41U3bJWY9FxqwZrmJo7IoTml7_6VBXxpdeUc5wMLGCEEVEAzVxlLZydfuyXNPHcVCN8zTji2wG4ZL/s1600/chicken.jpg" height="313" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Place chicken breast tenders in a Ziploc bag. With a mallet flatten out the tenders in the Ziploc bag. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Place the chicken tenders in a large bowl and with 2 cups of buttermilk. Stir around with your hand making sure all of the chicken gets coated. Let the chicken tenders set in buttermilk while you move onto the next step.<br /><br />In a medium size bowl pour in 2 cups of Italian breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp. of flour, salt, pepper, 1/3 cup shredded parmesan, and any additional Italian spices you like. Mix the breadcrumb mixture around in the bowl. To me, this should have a good earthy smell when it’s ready. <br /><br />In another bowl beat 2 eggs and a tbsp. of water together. Place a large frying pan on the stove with olive oil and heat the pan. <br /><br />Dip the coated chicken tenders in the beaten egg, then the bread crumbs. Coat well. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSO5CKw4xqw6SxcHsvjKcluoj6mkA9aEz5xNWB4OpCL1AmBY7vcZRdbQn1dDPMwFo5ENbEcqKXhVzQQ136XBVIAIeo_-g6kJ5ONII8JoR4i5rj43LR86hsZk3FZaSEgfiYzyyois38M3O/s1600/fry+chicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSO5CKw4xqw6SxcHsvjKcluoj6mkA9aEz5xNWB4OpCL1AmBY7vcZRdbQn1dDPMwFo5ENbEcqKXhVzQQ136XBVIAIeo_-g6kJ5ONII8JoR4i5rj43LR86hsZk3FZaSEgfiYzyyois38M3O/s1600/fry+chicken.jpg" height="381" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Place the dredged chicken in the hot olive oil and fry on both sides until golden brown. <br /> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mwzlSuE0WmuNJgpi6IkUOYZpNwaBhF73Gn90utFVm4hiHE6t4PEJ7hxbWrV7pQ1L4YPQ95l8kQT7uR_NiWMxyBHzDiXrrqay2Fpil6r45Hun3hzpiytLNJ2ejmvWo-esFFusFTch0ALW/s1600/chicken+dish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mwzlSuE0WmuNJgpi6IkUOYZpNwaBhF73Gn90utFVm4hiHE6t4PEJ7hxbWrV7pQ1L4YPQ95l8kQT7uR_NiWMxyBHzDiXrrqay2Fpil6r45Hun3hzpiytLNJ2ejmvWo-esFFusFTch0ALW/s1600/chicken+dish.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Place the fried chicken in a Pyrex baking dish. Layer fried chicken tenders, Cheese (mozzarella and shredded parmesan), and pasta sauce. Pour the last of the spaghetti sauce on top and cover with the Italian Blend Shredded Cheese. <br /><br />Bake until the cheese melts and turns golden and bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes.While the chicken parmesan bakes, boil your spaghetti or other pasta choice and drain. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Serve the chicken parmesan on the cooked pasta. It goes well with garlic bread and a nice glass red wine. <br /> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehsd4RKG5IrnDjglsIZY2ba7LE0yTlu2SdtV5DBiK_YP79zJIGtxVh6bbFmA5Biu66H19sbefxgUUEN00MxPg558Ds-Km8b-9VA18bbTt8XqK7vrhdfhKG7Pj_Of9tyT6f0d33pQOhAoT/s1600/oven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehsd4RKG5IrnDjglsIZY2ba7LE0yTlu2SdtV5DBiK_YP79zJIGtxVh6bbFmA5Biu66H19sbefxgUUEN00MxPg558Ds-Km8b-9VA18bbTt8XqK7vrhdfhKG7Pj_Of9tyT6f0d33pQOhAoT/s1600/oven.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />You can make both of these together, like I did, to save time and ingredients. Just make the Eggplant Parmesan dish first and then the Chicken Parmesan second to prevent the chicken from contaminating the eggplant. Then bake them both at the same time. Or you can just make one or the other. It seems like I always make both at the same time. <br /><br />If you are curious the red wine, it is called Twisted Sisters and came from a winery in Oklahoma called <a href="https://www.thegirlsgonewine.com/" target="_blank">Girls Gone Wine</a>. It went very well with our dinner. If you have a chance, check out their winery. They have a nice gift shop and wine tasting area. If you buy a bottle you get a free wine glass (or at least I did). <br /><br />I enjoyed my eggplant parmesan and Twisted Sisters wine while our Sherlock marathon continued. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.thecountrycook.net/2014/07/weekend-potluck-128.html">http://www.thecountrycook.net/2014/07/weekend-potluck-128.html</a></span></div>
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hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-33857644280716676032014-06-23T11:42:00.001-05:002014-06-23T11:44:43.303-05:00Summer Family Meal with Cheesy Broccoli Casserole<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">It’s summer! Time for backyard grilling and family fun.
Steak and Potatoes are a summer favorite in our family. We like to spend hot summer
afternoons watching movies together and relaxing. When it’s time to start
thinking about dinner, we don’t want to spend a ton of time preparing a meal
and the guys in our house don’t really enjoy overcomplicated dished. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This meal was really very quick and easy to put together. My
husband was on grill duty and I took care of the rest. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For the fresh salad I made <a href="https://www.hiddenvalley.com/products/dips-and-dressing-mixes/" target="_blank">Hidden Valley Ranch dressing</a>
using the packet mix following the directions included. Using a bag of precut
salad mix I added some grape tomatoes, black olives, and sliced Avocado. Pour
on a little ranch and it’s perfect!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sCNWXavtPpPy1T-BVYNgVN7_UoCbxOHIzGbsvnsHFqPRwtymJkhN319N7ecYBLZxSMNTu7OmY5fjhNCOT7W1JuKWU48dtbKuJ78pNl5w_jGf54F4fpe1zFOq16AcATnvFs6oUGQCsj_A/s1600/potatoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sCNWXavtPpPy1T-BVYNgVN7_UoCbxOHIzGbsvnsHFqPRwtymJkhN319N7ecYBLZxSMNTu7OmY5fjhNCOT7W1JuKWU48dtbKuJ78pNl5w_jGf54F4fpe1zFOq16AcATnvFs6oUGQCsj_A/s1600/potatoes.jpg" height="330" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The baked potatoes were scrubbed clean potatoes wrapped in
foil and baked for one hour at 350 degrees. Topped with butter, sour cream,
shredded cheese, and chives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The steak was seasoned with Natures Seasoning, Salt, Pepper,
and Worcestershire before grilling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Cheesy Broccoli Casserole took the most effort and was
totally worth it. That is the recipe I want to share with you today. It’s great
any time of year and my family loves it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Cheesy Broccoli Casserole</span></h3>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1 bag of frozen Broccoli (1 lb or more)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">½ brick of <a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/products/velveeta-hub.aspx" target="_blank">Velveeta </a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1 can of Cream of mushroom soup<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1 cup of ready to serve <a href="http://www.minuterice.com/en-us/products/95/WhiteRice.aspx" target="_blank">microwave Minute Rice </a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Salt and Pepper to taste<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">½ Cup Shredded Cheddar cheese<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1 sleeve of <a href="http://www.ritzcrackers.com/" target="_blank">Ritz Crackers</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1 Table spoon of butter melted<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Boil the broccoli in a medium sized pot and drain it. I use
the directions on the frozen broccoli bag. Put the cooked, drained broccoli in
a large bowl. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYP6ef5HOKqWjT5hh7rz4mmJxtkhBDov-N3rQAT5u1UcTBwbYqkquEMNXIaRboO3jorNBkTc_kxEs3ky1VKS5qHdqCP2jiVxoDHb2hHSc_wi4AjWdxNJwVROshz9_46VB1-OurMYkD7Zc/s1600/rice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYP6ef5HOKqWjT5hh7rz4mmJxtkhBDov-N3rQAT5u1UcTBwbYqkquEMNXIaRboO3jorNBkTc_kxEs3ky1VKS5qHdqCP2jiVxoDHb2hHSc_wi4AjWdxNJwVROshz9_46VB1-OurMYkD7Zc/s1600/rice.jpg" height="213" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Microwave the rice cup according to the directions on the package
and then pour the rice into the bowl with the broccoli.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5b5lSYKbsq4YnOCuNNR4P1CtEXVaCxQ44AcYI03hgesnDveAXF7p-rQpFcSEznx0EsyKujseW6-TOgWrO9qCTuLFOSQXkilkShMEYUxwp6llcSs5KOGywMcVJ03e5B6tQLZf_2fV2Oodv/s1600/bowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5b5lSYKbsq4YnOCuNNR4P1CtEXVaCxQ44AcYI03hgesnDveAXF7p-rQpFcSEznx0EsyKujseW6-TOgWrO9qCTuLFOSQXkilkShMEYUxwp6llcSs5KOGywMcVJ03e5B6tQLZf_2fV2Oodv/s1600/bowl.jpg" height="341" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cube the Velveeta and
open the can of cream of mushroom soup and add to the bowl of Broccoli. Add
salt and pepper to taste. Mix these items together. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Spray a <span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 115%;">9x13</span></span> Pyrex dish with cooking spray. I actually
used an 11 ¾ X 7 ½ Pyrex backing dish but this will work in either size. Pour
the mixture in the prepared baking dish<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4-8-MELCHyeyT4px5DVcl19Kyhlk_v3a2MXw8Mdx5w9SI8iFIK5ZGfq20q6L-yWdDfxNFcYuWj1zPf4PBBlI0vbwfLITIiSJruuUozdp6a4BVsj-E1mMQGb9YI_UjIwK1GLEeeOvHxQl/s1600/crumbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4-8-MELCHyeyT4px5DVcl19Kyhlk_v3a2MXw8Mdx5w9SI8iFIK5ZGfq20q6L-yWdDfxNFcYuWj1zPf4PBBlI0vbwfLITIiSJruuUozdp6a4BVsj-E1mMQGb9YI_UjIwK1GLEeeOvHxQl/s1600/crumbs.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In a separate bowl crush the sleeve of Ritz crackers and pour
in the melted butter and mix with a fork until mixed well. Sprinkle the
shredded cheddar cheese on top of the broccoli mixture and then cover with the
cracker crumbs. . <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden
brown. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66l1WbWNyqfPmH_G0NGxqR0_LtBdaqfOQTYng0rp6t9kjNuSpN-bdAmtWfNJS068Zlrfb1BngCcXUrL7lZi_MaaVelJLLPUK99a2zKE_GSUHBOkdoSOHeenxFfPuJtGvUr37hJFcji5uD/s1600/up+close.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66l1WbWNyqfPmH_G0NGxqR0_LtBdaqfOQTYng0rp6t9kjNuSpN-bdAmtWfNJS068Zlrfb1BngCcXUrL7lZi_MaaVelJLLPUK99a2zKE_GSUHBOkdoSOHeenxFfPuJtGvUr37hJFcji5uD/s1600/up+close.jpg" height="180" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It’s even great the next day. Sometimes, I like to have it
cold. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kgiJRzfjsk8KKQBmxYbc3JZyPXhaLlIN9-YKz3vqtfCWJcQSDKlbmJJF8iZdov5ceHvwZkw9_eqDE2rtUVwHo6sKiBwBpb5o9y6dhdDGcMx5DCEa12D1S52PPDBQpHDkEU2g0IHZVmVC/s1600/plated+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kgiJRzfjsk8KKQBmxYbc3JZyPXhaLlIN9-YKz3vqtfCWJcQSDKlbmJJF8iZdov5ceHvwZkw9_eqDE2rtUVwHo6sKiBwBpb5o9y6dhdDGcMx5DCEa12D1S52PPDBQpHDkEU2g0IHZVmVC/s1600/plated+2.jpg" height="237" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">What are some of your favorite summer meals with your
family? </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I also want to share with you a new endeavor. I have started designing material on Spoonflower and I have a shop called <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/holli's_designs" target="_blank">Holli's Designs</a>. Check it out if you have a chance. I have been designing bunting for decorating for holidays and parties. </span></div>
</div>
hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-55660190428411297792014-06-01T17:51:00.000-05:002014-06-01T18:00:42.318-05:00Peaches and Cream Croissant Bread Pudding and Visiting the Zoo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOwQhGrJuGs0QNwACXEMN9R3Sh6l_ekCSPxvmwpJe9V8k-4zDgruAV5ASqcDlLF1Mb0EGkSvAEsnPX6mH3imWJWZhpHJDDaFfc4kJ0WM4Qrcenrb_SfAyP5wSuilaFnjMzz4n9YlIrkw1/s1600/P5090045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOwQhGrJuGs0QNwACXEMN9R3Sh6l_ekCSPxvmwpJe9V8k-4zDgruAV5ASqcDlLF1Mb0EGkSvAEsnPX6mH3imWJWZhpHJDDaFfc4kJ0WM4Qrcenrb_SfAyP5wSuilaFnjMzz4n9YlIrkw1/s1600/P5090045.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oklahoma City Zoo Visit</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to June; it's by birthday month! There’s always something interesting for me this month because we celebrate both my birthday and our wedding anniversary. June is normally a great month where we live. Summer has begun but it’s not really too hot and humid yet. I know summer doesn't officially start until later in the month but I think summer starts when it feels like summer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1w1aSayy76BWJQEQXaWWNqjD0qK3qOmRl5-tPSIUsBZo_KjJ7FYnx7zvPtnCg1RE3eMKTcpf1EoUSpR_OVU4xxEn-LTpOZ3dl3UC7Ss7FiuEASzwpuDT96lfWMXux4MIivnWXf2vmLEDU/s1600/P5090034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1w1aSayy76BWJQEQXaWWNqjD0qK3qOmRl5-tPSIUsBZo_KjJ7FYnx7zvPtnCg1RE3eMKTcpf1EoUSpR_OVU4xxEn-LTpOZ3dl3UC7Ss7FiuEASzwpuDT96lfWMXux4MIivnWXf2vmLEDU/s1600/P5090034.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I love to get out with my family this time of year. Recently, we took our son to the <a href="http://www.okczoo.com/" target="_blank">Oklahoma City Zoo</a>. <a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-zoo-doctor-who-and-cake.html" target="_blank">We had a great time last year</a> and we had a wonderful time this year. This year our son was older and was able to enjoy the animals more. We were also lucky enough to choose a day that wasn't too hot. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9PsdA1cgGqY3W8lMww_enF8DiZPjpbWzMVxZsmlWQCCEqbee75yH9ja_Ldmo7_vlsRJuBokAIXsHcfhkUCDHoBVtIWGKeYGRNcvp8XglZMq2AnQQaNl1vXZTWZn-I0N0IwcZmcbzkcNg/s1600/P5090044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9PsdA1cgGqY3W8lMww_enF8DiZPjpbWzMVxZsmlWQCCEqbee75yH9ja_Ldmo7_vlsRJuBokAIXsHcfhkUCDHoBVtIWGKeYGRNcvp8XglZMq2AnQQaNl1vXZTWZn-I0N0IwcZmcbzkcNg/s1600/P5090044.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Our Son at the Zoo</div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The zoo was pretty busy that day. We unknowingly planned our visit on the same day as a big fundraising breakfast. Even with all of the extra people our son had a great time. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhxJbqWUVFf-SghtmvBZUwrMeZDGkHEfzch4VkUls9g-8GNKQqiiKhToBK_Coa95jyuVCwdP9W_SrRDhB8pEvSep_Xj4Qa1gBdF_FtlLAJKmLjmEaIzaimQBG1-NE-YykUaoSOXUeq1W0/s1600/P5090036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhxJbqWUVFf-SghtmvBZUwrMeZDGkHEfzch4VkUls9g-8GNKQqiiKhToBK_Coa95jyuVCwdP9W_SrRDhB8pEvSep_Xj4Qa1gBdF_FtlLAJKmLjmEaIzaimQBG1-NE-YykUaoSOXUeq1W0/s1600/P5090036.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Zoo Playground</td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Even though he enjoyed all of the animals, I think his favorite part was the little playground</span><span style="font-size: large;"> that he could run around in. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE46M7IyLgO38qxhn3V_USPiMELBk2EBhNvMyBVS2G3odcuylERxnJcZak21fIMx-EX8LRjiSRkr5XSPnpqZJgzQD8HcNolUb_IX1WV6-_sr3Whc5p2LPF4CQ9XJn17xToOTId2SeZsg0J/s1600/P5090051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE46M7IyLgO38qxhn3V_USPiMELBk2EBhNvMyBVS2G3odcuylERxnJcZak21fIMx-EX8LRjiSRkr5XSPnpqZJgzQD8HcNolUb_IX1WV6-_sr3Whc5p2LPF4CQ9XJn17xToOTId2SeZsg0J/s1600/P5090051.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feeding Fish at the Zoo</td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Our son got to feed fish for the first time ever. He thought that was really cool. He loved watching the fish converge on the pellets I'd purchased from a little machine. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwIi0oJ7kFctVjmVvItaNfsbZ34YpZIDjjBLILqwTSKEgclVE_GNwQna10DWDGWlJSoRq9Hg8RuoQEDgK-g-WBEARMF8Hw8-TtGXihW_IrfUNubGKm7llSqZemPjtpy9l7-VLGpvmejkUL/s1600/P5090062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwIi0oJ7kFctVjmVvItaNfsbZ34YpZIDjjBLILqwTSKEgclVE_GNwQna10DWDGWlJSoRq9Hg8RuoQEDgK-g-WBEARMF8Hw8-TtGXihW_IrfUNubGKm7llSqZemPjtpy9l7-VLGpvmejkUL/s1600/P5090062.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoo Explorer</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The <a href="http://www.okczoo.com/" target="_blank">Oklahoma City Zoo</a> has a promotion going on right now called <a href="http://www.okczoo.com/events/110-ways-to-zoo-it/?preview=1" target="_blank">110 Ways to Zoo It</a>. If you live in the area you can go to this page and print a Zoo Explorer for you child to color and take a picture with at the zoo. You can also enter their contest to win a prize. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDZpdPFcVUXMJqeu1t8nA9h2Uu2jFuB9zF9JZKApPSS29Tb8r1bn0Ch5QpgkecL6R6H2F22vzYPQkZu_38Wy0ZGgM_PPAoBlCkfvIH-26GVODJzygqvIkvQXPw5oqPPitEs3rV3j3gues/s1600/P5240972.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDZpdPFcVUXMJqeu1t8nA9h2Uu2jFuB9zF9JZKApPSS29Tb8r1bn0Ch5QpgkecL6R6H2F22vzYPQkZu_38Wy0ZGgM_PPAoBlCkfvIH-26GVODJzygqvIkvQXPw5oqPPitEs3rV3j3gues/s1600/P5240972.JPG" height="320" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Won a Zoo Ball</td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Our little explorer won this Zoo Ball from the <a href="http://www.okczoo.com/" target="_blank">Oklahoma City Zoo</a>! Isn't it cool! Thanks, OKC Zoo! We'll be back soon!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">After all of that traveling around the zoo my guys wanted a sweet treat. I made them one of my summery favorites. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHFOaYGxrpdhQFEgos9TwMSP3kaJqYfl1GagyvNadEjzD_1TXLppl0ZLCqYFhRRLUWgigGEv9UpIytwfpdIwL7-gEqa1_khLmCeIZ9rgGNNu935KZZjG6WOq2ODI1Rf64_Au23e2NNCSd/s1600/P5170072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHFOaYGxrpdhQFEgos9TwMSP3kaJqYfl1GagyvNadEjzD_1TXLppl0ZLCqYFhRRLUWgigGEv9UpIytwfpdIwL7-gEqa1_khLmCeIZ9rgGNNu935KZZjG6WOq2ODI1Rf64_Au23e2NNCSd/s1600/P5170072.JPG" height="313" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Peaches and Cream Croissant Bread Pudding</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My second favorite desert on earth is bread pudding (my absolute favorite being tiramisu). I think it's normally considered a winter or fall type of desert. I’ve had plenty of traditional bread pudding, but I think it’s fun to make variations. Peaches are one of my favorite summer fruits and this Peaches and Cream Croissant Bread Pudding has a summery flavor. So, this is my summer bread pudding recipe and I'm happy to share it with you. In my recipe below, I used frozen peaches, but later this summer I’ll make this recipe again using overripe <a href="http://livesayorchards.com/livesay_orchards_porter_peach_products.htm" target="_blank">Porter Peaches from near my home town</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Peaches and Cream Croissant Bread Pudding</span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3Pa3YxgxCNU32ikctW05ciLspZBO_NEMfMiINaLjQTQ92AT9nv5CvIxQaKWJV40QzT2JAVtngWHoc0iMwmAsOTnJmJXHiG4kQuES5eIfplmmvdw9pMmH-5fKh2GctNGioqbFSrjI6Fiz/s1600/P5170064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3Pa3YxgxCNU32ikctW05ciLspZBO_NEMfMiINaLjQTQ92AT9nv5CvIxQaKWJV40QzT2JAVtngWHoc0iMwmAsOTnJmJXHiG4kQuES5eIfplmmvdw9pMmH-5fKh2GctNGioqbFSrjI6Fiz/s1600/P5170064.JPG" height="320" style="cursor: move;" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panera Croissants</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">Peaches and Cream Croissant Bread Pudding</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">3 large croissants (I picked up mine at <a href="https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/home.html" target="_blank">Panera</a>)<br />1 cup fresh or frozen peaches (I used Frozen)<br />1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened<br />1 cup sugar<br />2 eggs<br />1 teaspoon vanilla</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1 cup milk</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Instructions</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />2. Spray your cooking dish with cooking spray.<br />3. Cut up the croissants and place in the prepared cooking dish. Mix in the peaches.<br />4. In a bowl mix together the cream cheese, milk, sugar, eggs and vanilla. I like mine to have little lumps of cream cheese so I mix it by hand. If you don’t like lumps mix this with an electric mixer.<br />5. Pour mixture evenly over croissant pieces and peaches. At this point I used my hands to mix it all together to make sure my cream cheese was evenly distributed with the bread and peaches.<br />6. Let stand 20 minutes.<br />7. Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes or until set in center and golden brown.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEH4jN4msow3rZ8kf1uFAFudCbyGLHpklRRk3iXy4JIl0k8cjbpIfMpvxslWnKetQGaIwaVnMgI0GbFOymlq1nGfhNvmxD3JljOCf9eFXd2IXzMqYa7o59lK4Lj4zcof3J0Ysf1kMtYwc1/s1600/P5170070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEH4jN4msow3rZ8kf1uFAFudCbyGLHpklRRk3iXy4JIl0k8cjbpIfMpvxslWnKetQGaIwaVnMgI0GbFOymlq1nGfhNvmxD3JljOCf9eFXd2IXzMqYa7o59lK4Lj4zcof3J0Ysf1kMtYwc1/s1600/P5170070.JPG" height="323" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">Peaches and Cream Croissant Bread Pudding</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br />8. Enjoy! You can serve this warm plain or with <a href="http://www.kraftbrands.com/coolwhip/coolwhipproducts.aspx" target="_blank">Cool Whip</a> or ice cream.</span>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I hope this is the beginning of a wonderful summer for all of us! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">What are some of your favorite summer treats? </span></div>
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hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-23692327940012202642014-05-25T21:25:00.002-05:002016-01-18T17:36:35.577-06:00The Big Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Part II<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Tiger Birthday Party</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I thought planning a Daniel Tiger birthday party would be
really difficult because there are not very many ready-made Daniel Tiger
products. But it really wasn’t that hard. I was able to make a lot of the
decorations that we used by utilizing free printables and other items out there. Also, except for a few kids that would be attending, most of our guest would be family and friends (all adults). So we had to be creative and use our imaginations. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Tiger Birthday Party</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Luckily, Daniel Tiger has a good imagination and after
watching 3 seasons of Daniel Tiger, repeatedly, my husband and I have a pretty
good idea about his adventures. So we used our imaginations to find some ready
made products that would blend in with our party decor. We cruised the
internet, the clearance aisle at <a href="http://www.walmart.com/" target="_blank">Wal-Mart</a>, the <a href="http://www.dollartree.com/home.jsp" target="_blank">Dollar Tree store</a>, and <a href="http://www.partygalaxy.com/" target="_blank">PartyGalaxy</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Tiger Party: Pirate Ship Party Favors</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My husband found some plates, napkins, and these great
Pirate Sip Favor boxes on the clearance aisle at <a href="http://www.walmart.com/" target="_blank">Wal-Mart</a>. We filled the favor boxes with candy for our guests. The stars and crayons came in a package of cutouts from the <a href="http://www.dollartree.com/home.jsp" target="_blank">Dollar Tree</a>. We printed the coloring pages from the <a href="http://www.pbs.org/parents/birthday-parties/daniel-tiger-birthday-party/activities/daniel-tiger-coloring-pages/" target="_blank">PBS Daniel Tiger Coloring Pages</a>. All of the table covers came from <a href="http://www.partygalaxy.com/" target="_blank">Party Galaxy</a>. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYdicpFFe-ZyiTrNu0dR0PvRVfutQcyyfbik3ORewkk3AJpyro-rKWkcVywSxY9Ke52AVxF7cxAecCHx_rn3bkx3Fn1QhOcnTpPU_84R7R5XQX-bR8M-E0hLQSKKT1JalOoJLfqJEtYU9/s1600/balloons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYdicpFFe-ZyiTrNu0dR0PvRVfutQcyyfbik3ORewkk3AJpyro-rKWkcVywSxY9Ke52AVxF7cxAecCHx_rn3bkx3Fn1QhOcnTpPU_84R7R5XQX-bR8M-E0hLQSKKT1JalOoJLfqJEtYU9/s1600/balloons.jpg" width="183" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Tiger Party: Party Favors</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The balloons came from the <a href="http://www.dollartree.com/home.jsp" target="_blank">Dollar Tree</a> (where everything is a dollar). I sent my husband on the morning of the party to pick them up. For Mylar balloons filled with helium, $1 a balloon is not bad. Those cool plastic popcorn boxes were also from the <a href="http://www.dollartree.com/home.jsp" target="_blank">Dollar Tree</a> and they were 2 for $1. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Party Favors</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">These were the party favors for the "Big Kids". Since many of our guests were kids in the 80's we tried to pick out favors that reminded us of our childhood. Crazy Straws, mini rubix cubes, plastic harmonicas, and mini Old Maid and Go Fish playing cards were some of the items we gave away in the big favor boxes. We made sure the items were okay for little kids, too. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbl1dcQpQpKUKM1zppNMbcTvbfzuIPT579GlP6JyN4lddEjvNLY9HwZfEuS0SrdOADY_SIgpTUSv-VGedZx1SQ0tuMb2dEHh6jDHh3sf_JfcDYs9a7UBeoUZHs3vOwmgVLk_aITcjL97Wu/s1600/P4120469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbl1dcQpQpKUKM1zppNMbcTvbfzuIPT579GlP6JyN4lddEjvNLY9HwZfEuS0SrdOADY_SIgpTUSv-VGedZx1SQ0tuMb2dEHh6jDHh3sf_JfcDYs9a7UBeoUZHs3vOwmgVLk_aITcjL97Wu/s1600/P4120469.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocket Cupcake Boxes</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So what the heck are these? Well, my husband spent a lot of time putting them together. I ordered the from <a href="http://orientaltrading.com/">OrientalTrading.com</a> and they are <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/st-birthday-rocket-party-cupcake-boxes-a2-70_9154.fltr?Ntt=rocket%20cupcake" target="_blank">Space themed individual cupcake boxes</a>. We knew we were likely to have leftover cupcakes, so I ordered these individual carriers so our guests could take home cupcakes and we would not be stuck eating them for a week. They were a really big hit with our party guests.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Tiger Party: Party Favors</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1FrfCnSYiQiGUYMlXmDp1BnU_MrEwJ5Axq3syA6u30pS9bBvXznQ9tg5xz_4cFpHr3hE6K6HOiQWUk57h4WmSuTEonN1NiuUIVN0xn4SdGNw4VGJAyP174t7uJkRfGQEKrtpn1Rsaiagu/s1600/P4120482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1FrfCnSYiQiGUYMlXmDp1BnU_MrEwJ5Axq3syA6u30pS9bBvXznQ9tg5xz_4cFpHr3hE6K6HOiQWUk57h4WmSuTEonN1NiuUIVN0xn4SdGNw4VGJAyP174t7uJkRfGQEKrtpn1Rsaiagu/s1600/P4120482.JPG" width="179" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This Daniel Tiger shirt was another of my DIY items. It may look familiar. It has the image from the <a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/daniel-tiger-birthday-party-invitations.html" target="_blank">Birthday Party Invitations</a> for the party. A friend did a watercolor of Daniel Tiger for the party.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I scanned it and uploaded it to <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/imaginationspark?rf=238928754181730959" target="_blank">Zazzle</a> and had this t-shirt made for our son. It's a one of a kind just like he is. I recommend checking out <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/imaginationspark?rf=238928754181730959" target="_blank">Zazzle</a> to make your own custom t-shirt for your birthday boy or girl. They have plenty of designs that might match your birthday party theme. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqz84Y8Hpjbv3wiitTzm4FlAGmtx8UcnYSwFbP2gyP8JugHi1RezS6C8gLYidtFDdHIwVM1irCeOR8jmSfScGjQc-NeYW2v3gdGzDGXdiaxKVmM0JwbX4aDlxD8g-Hxv7yW5rdY1Xu3S6/s1600/andy+and+grandparents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqz84Y8Hpjbv3wiitTzm4FlAGmtx8UcnYSwFbP2gyP8JugHi1RezS6C8gLYidtFDdHIwVM1irCeOR8jmSfScGjQc-NeYW2v3gdGzDGXdiaxKVmM0JwbX4aDlxD8g-Hxv7yW5rdY1Xu3S6/s1600/andy+and+grandparents.jpg" width="357" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Tiger Birthday Party: Family</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Of course, all of this hard work was so that our son could celebrate his second birthday surrounded by family and friends. This is a picture of him with his great grand-parents. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qFvKx4LCs83ABepr13pjtJr83askqMx1YvfDXSlQjGZgONzCaGBo_FRB1yTS7Yk3UjNeGea7KwSzJZsY1L0my1VPht84RiWsSGSGq9rb08yzcdeBJyTAsVfckeL8NVJ1pQceCee5X7VL/s1600/P4130506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qFvKx4LCs83ABepr13pjtJr83askqMx1YvfDXSlQjGZgONzCaGBo_FRB1yTS7Yk3UjNeGea7KwSzJZsY1L0my1VPht84RiWsSGSGq9rb08yzcdeBJyTAsVfckeL8NVJ1pQceCee5X7VL/s1600/P4130506.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Tiger Birthday Party: Presents</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Everyone had a wonderful time, most importantly, our son. He loved all of the attention and the gifts he received. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFp9-YHsi9kHVIRxaDXtmsoY-TImXltY-F2vryG2c28vpPMt2GtgLm5kEFzJDNe4GCFf0sj6kw_huOo85usd2D2HNPhmRS7R49BIEiTv5xxY5VGPF6nJYgGpCa7K2WhRVK3pTj8yfqW5-C/s1600/P4130515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFp9-YHsi9kHVIRxaDXtmsoY-TImXltY-F2vryG2c28vpPMt2GtgLm5kEFzJDNe4GCFf0sj6kw_huOo85usd2D2HNPhmRS7R49BIEiTv5xxY5VGPF6nJYgGpCa7K2WhRVK3pTj8yfqW5-C/s1600/P4130515.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Tiger Birthday Party: Our Gift</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It can be just as much fun to play with the wrapping as the presents. In all, I would say our party was a success. As I look ahead I can imagine that It will not always be this fun. Our son will eventually outgrow this sort of birthday party. Not yet, but it's not far off, either. I plan to have fun while it lasts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I want to give special thanks to my Husband, <a href="http://kelliskitchen.org/" target="_blank">Mom</a>, Nannie, and Mother-in-Law. They all helped put on this party and I truly appreciate it. We Love you all!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you are looking for Daniel Tiger Party inspiration check out my <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/hollihaganrice/andys-2nd-birthday-party-ideas/" target="_blank">Pinterest Board</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Check Out my other DIY Party Posts:</span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
3rd Birthday Party</h4>
<div>
<h3>
</h3>
<h2>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2015/04/3rd-birthday-octonauts.html" style="font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">Octonauts Birthday Party</a></li>
</ul>
</h2>
</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
2nd Birthday Party</h4>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/daniel-tiger-birthday-party-invitations.html" target="_blank">Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Invitations</a></span></li>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/dipped-marshmallow-pops-for-birthday.html" target="_blank">Dipped Marshmallow Pops for a Birthday Party</a></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/diy-daniel-tiger-hoodie.html" target="_blank">DIY Daniel Tiger Hoodie</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-big-daniel-tiger-birthday-party.html" target="_blank">The Big Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Part I</a></li>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-big-daniel-tiger-birthday-party_25.html" target="_blank">The Big Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Part II</a></li>
</span></ul>
<div>
<h4>
1st Birthday Party</h4>
</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2013/04/planning-our-little-dragons-dol.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Planning Our Little Dragon’s Dol</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2013/04/how-to-create-your-own-doljabi-board.html">How to Create Your Own Doljabi Board</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/05/our-little-dragons-dol.html" target="_blank">Our Little Dragon's Dol</a></span></li>
</ul>
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</div>
hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-82239862173083732302014-05-24T11:47:00.001-05:002016-01-18T17:38:40.839-06:00The Big Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Part I<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">I’ve been writing a series of posts about our son’s Daniel
Tiger themed 2<sup>nd</sup> birthday party. </span><span style="font-size: large;">On the big day all of our hard work
came together beautifully and our family and friends had a great time.</span></div>
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***I'm covering the big day in two more blog posts and this is the first of the two. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJygqEmwQ5JfL7xh1aJtrKdQ1fvf5FYPwDxa8-f9mXs8HRbETMAM5i2Xaa3C4NeasuZAYAy5jhiNrE1zwO_oGLxG8fgrZ52DAGJY4KHpE9aV9NczmjyARPnY9LXP4jXN61ZeSKVJ1I7Sca/s1600/P4120473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJygqEmwQ5JfL7xh1aJtrKdQ1fvf5FYPwDxa8-f9mXs8HRbETMAM5i2Xaa3C4NeasuZAYAy5jhiNrE1zwO_oGLxG8fgrZ52DAGJY4KHpE9aV9NczmjyARPnY9LXP4jXN61ZeSKVJ1I7Sca/s1600/P4120473.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Tiger Party</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We gave ourselves 3 hours before the party for set up and
last minute store runs. It feels like however much time we give ourselves for
set up it’s never enough. We hauled our party supplies over to the community
room (the place we used for party) in big plastic storage containers. All the
time we spent picking up this and that at different stores, I had some vision
in my head and I hoped it would come together as well as what I had imagined.
Some ideas came from cruising Pinterest or looking at the PBS Kids website for
parents and some I made up. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We had 2 main tables set up. One was for the food and one was for the cake. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwDfMh-XYTyVyDRnfn9yQ79iZWTtfEP3QGx7vhoJyfvLQZ3kOp4rXAr0cT1MB2BEHwST2EPj13VxBUycJstNZNoOV9yQsayOaMqtBScvs7PGYvN6faTO4RaZyqJx8Mh8YjyKqO0lXxOON/s1600/P4120467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwDfMh-XYTyVyDRnfn9yQ79iZWTtfEP3QGx7vhoJyfvLQZ3kOp4rXAr0cT1MB2BEHwST2EPj13VxBUycJstNZNoOV9yQsayOaMqtBScvs7PGYvN6faTO4RaZyqJx8Mh8YjyKqO0lXxOON/s1600/P4120467.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday Party Food Table</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The food table held meat, cheese, and fruit. My mother-in-law brought the plates of food. My mom loaned us the tiered server platter and my sister-in-law loaned us the glass drink dispenser. For drinks we served lemonade and tea. To make things easy we bought Red Diamond gallons of tea and Simply Lemonade. Then We sliced a lemon and threw it in with the lemonade. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We wanted to give our gusts a little something to pick at but we didn't want to feed everyone a full lunch. This was the perfect amount. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2eatmU0HzuhZakp9IQFWqbTCfrQtoOf4S04st_6jBAGktkOZd6xsU-yKDx8YcMXzy2-t0uxvCzqYfIJTT6SPMcP87sk15F_CH8GCEiGLIlp-PLacE4A9HhY1HtPUUYjm1g69-o0miXg5/s1600/P4120472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2eatmU0HzuhZakp9IQFWqbTCfrQtoOf4S04st_6jBAGktkOZd6xsU-yKDx8YcMXzy2-t0uxvCzqYfIJTT6SPMcP87sk15F_CH8GCEiGLIlp-PLacE4A9HhY1HtPUUYjm1g69-o0miXg5/s1600/P4120472.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The cake table was my favorite table to put together and it was the main table that I decorated. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The picture of our son was from his Birthday/Easter photo shoot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I made the <a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/dipped-marshmallow-pops-for-birthday.html" target="_blank">Dipped Marshmallow Pops</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The cake and cupcakes we purchased at Sam's club. We ordered them the day before and they were ready for us to pick up at 10 AM on the morning of the party. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The cardboard cupcake stand came from Wal-Mart. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Daniel Tiger figures and trolley were part of our son's birthday presents. But before he could have them we used the as decorations. It's hard to find Daniel Tiger cake decorations but the toys worked perfectly. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhieCilKrUY-jGHTK29ViHovH48AQ93CedokwmIr5-lONSdbtCoxLFRiD7Wkmdyo1dVWTHqlfkBAyonkMfpMOMSuEdMznNcbzpTQjMekdNf7Mx0pt1mcj9ULKlaMNCZJe8UnDpmyypHsCGh/s1600/Andy's+2nd+Party+-+cupcakes+and+trolley.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhieCilKrUY-jGHTK29ViHovH48AQ93CedokwmIr5-lONSdbtCoxLFRiD7Wkmdyo1dVWTHqlfkBAyonkMfpMOMSuEdMznNcbzpTQjMekdNf7Mx0pt1mcj9ULKlaMNCZJe8UnDpmyypHsCGh/s1600/Andy's+2nd+Party+-+cupcakes+and+trolley.JPG" width="387" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Tiger Cupcakes</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The cupcake picks were pretty easy to make but did take some time. My mom and I spent an evening sitting watching a movie while we cut out those little circles. Then I taped them onto toothpicks with scotch tape.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Where did we get the printables to cut out? Luckily, <a href="http://pbs.org/Parents">PBS.org/Parents</a> has a birthday party site with free printables and they are organized by character. The <a href="http://www.pbs.org/parents/birthday-parties/daniel-tiger-birthday-party/" target="_blank">Daniel Tiger Birthday Party pages</a> were a huge help. Yay for free printables and party ideas! Thanks, PBS!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">All of the free Daniel Tiger printables that we used were either from the <a href="http://www.pbs.org/parents/birthday-parties/daniel-tiger-birthday-party/" target="_blank">PBS Daniel Tiger Birthday Party pages</a> or they were printables that I found at<a href="http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net/2014/02/daniel-tiger-printables-free/" target="_blank"> http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net/2014/02/daniel-tiger-printables-free/</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We printed them on our home color printer on card stock paper. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98Wrnc1qFfJzdSBkdGV7a0gPzmq765IiMKw7rwM59CMk8yfCM6ntWriogSCieaQeeZ5dd21oDfArh4f6QNxylhOshB03y9lmMJbhTnhnYAQUSnhfkXZ1YUjvMcdPO-E13dI9kIy6215nW/s1600/fans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98Wrnc1qFfJzdSBkdGV7a0gPzmq765IiMKw7rwM59CMk8yfCM6ntWriogSCieaQeeZ5dd21oDfArh4f6QNxylhOshB03y9lmMJbhTnhnYAQUSnhfkXZ1YUjvMcdPO-E13dI9kIy6215nW/s1600/fans.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Tiger Paper Fans</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I bought the paper fans at Party Galaxy and taped on the Daniel Tiger printables using double sided tape. The free printables came from both of the sites I linked to above. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdAoGaDBtCg1TA3g2a8ftk9ajWm0vKkJskcBNtF9_WUypQNRCX-7_1K0Gm0Q0pT6cst1g7QmVqRGMrMXF0pEoSr1yrFlw5UO72dCqRNhTQjFnJ6PnVF7mq6rn-Z25yRncyeuxIIAt0F49/s1600/cups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdAoGaDBtCg1TA3g2a8ftk9ajWm0vKkJskcBNtF9_WUypQNRCX-7_1K0Gm0Q0pT6cst1g7QmVqRGMrMXF0pEoSr1yrFlw5UO72dCqRNhTQjFnJ6PnVF7mq6rn-Z25yRncyeuxIIAt0F49/s1600/cups.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Tiger Cups. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">These cups were party favors for the kids at the party. They also looked nice on the cake table before the party started. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tnPcMkaIUPUBZrJ1OHoxZSmrIvtNn1Mk1yCzBYxxUO5NI8YDldhB53YZpuJuWRWzwDmCoMg7crDe5Vee0E-oQ1ZwQ9uoFfKjSyBV4zkzZkLOEUclECSmTgeVBllpTWhkdbgEooBKpWlR/s1600/P4120481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tnPcMkaIUPUBZrJ1OHoxZSmrIvtNn1Mk1yCzBYxxUO5NI8YDldhB53YZpuJuWRWzwDmCoMg7crDe5Vee0E-oQ1ZwQ9uoFfKjSyBV4zkzZkLOEUclECSmTgeVBllpTWhkdbgEooBKpWlR/s1600/P4120481.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Tiger Hoodie</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is our son wearing the Daniel Tiger Hoodie that I made for him. You can find out more about the cups, the Hoodie, and the Daniel Tiger Bath Towel that I hung next to the cake table in my <a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/diy-daniel-tiger-hoodie.html" target="_blank">DIY Daniel Tiger Hoodie post</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We had fun putting together this party for our son's second birthday. I hope you'll find this helpful when planning your little one's party. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Don't forget to read Part II!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you are looking for Daniel Tiger Party inspiration check out my <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/hollihaganrice/andys-2nd-birthday-party-ideas/" target="_blank">Pinterest Board</a>. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Check Out my other DIY Party Posts:</span></div>
<h4>
3rd Birthday Party</h4>
<div>
<h3>
</h3>
<h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2015/04/3rd-birthday-octonauts.html" style="font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">Octonauts Birthday Party</a></li>
</ul>
</h2>
</div>
<h4>
2nd Birthday Party</h4>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/daniel-tiger-birthday-party-invitations.html" target="_blank">Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Invitations</a></span></li>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/dipped-marshmallow-pops-for-birthday.html" target="_blank">Dipped Marshmallow Pops for a Birthday Party</a></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/diy-daniel-tiger-hoodie.html" target="_blank">DIY Daniel Tiger Hoodie</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-big-daniel-tiger-birthday-party.html" target="_blank">The Big Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Part I</a></li>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-big-daniel-tiger-birthday-party_25.html" target="_blank">The Big Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Part II</a></li>
</span></ul>
<div>
<h4>
1st Birthday Party</h4>
</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2013/04/planning-our-little-dragons-dol.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Planning Our Little Dragon’s Dol</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2013/04/how-to-create-your-own-doljabi-board.html">How to Create Your Own Doljabi Board</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/05/our-little-dragons-dol.html" target="_blank">Our Little Dragon's Dol</a></span></li>
</ul>
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</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you are interested in picking up Daniel Tiger items for your little one or their birthday party I recommend checking out Amazon.com. Below are some Items that our son has.</span></div>
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hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-48362438425608259632014-04-26T21:12:00.000-05:002016-01-18T17:39:03.560-06:00DIY Daniel Tiger Hoodie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GEFQIYbNX6-eEfoVq3qc3GWcvxXtpV-NlaPK3ICOBfWJbGwX4g7GccSo03xOMqRUVwTGFVksFEEb4ZlWOI53uEsJEa-I8gPEXj8uxvSocGlDs_spbhltRpIxHo59ljIvhfNZtPPKM1d2/s1600/Andy's+2nd+party+-+andy+and+holli.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GEFQIYbNX6-eEfoVq3qc3GWcvxXtpV-NlaPK3ICOBfWJbGwX4g7GccSo03xOMqRUVwTGFVksFEEb4ZlWOI53uEsJEa-I8gPEXj8uxvSocGlDs_spbhltRpIxHo59ljIvhfNZtPPKM1d2/s1600/Andy's+2nd+party+-+andy+and+holli.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Tiger Hoodie</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Do you get the songs of your child’s favorite TV show stuck
in your head? We do. Daniel Tiger is our son’s favorite show. He loves to watch
it on Netflix. We have heard the songs over and over. Still, we like the lessons they teach our son. Also, Daniel Tiger holds a kind of nostalgia for us. My husband and I both grew up with Mr. Rogers and The Land of Make Believe. The cartoon is based on the The Land of Make Believe from our childhoods. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In preparation for the big second birthday party I decided to make a
Daniel Tiger hoodie for our son to wear. Daniel Tiger wears one often on the show. It was incredibly simple and not expensive at all. I was
able to order the items online; along with some other items for the birthday
party. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Daniel Tiger Red Hoodie</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1 Red Hoodie<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1 Mr. Rogers Trolley Patch<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Red Thread</span></div>
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<script charset="utf-8" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?rt=ss_mfw&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fwritireadiand-20%2F8001%2F5a170b28-2caf-4126-a8b4-4a4b0031a42d" type="text/javascript"> </script> <noscript><a HREF="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?rt=ss_mfw&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fwritireadiand-20%2F8001%2F5a170b28-2caf-4126-a8b4-4a4b0031a42d&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</A></noscript><span style="font-size: large;">
The hoodie I ordered from Amazon. It was plain red and so
much easier to find online than in stores. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3outAya7ApbJAG0oVE1C7stDtvbaFXMyfPAQL2Y4vt0lZDIIKNyhNqJZbfMJ-h-N_CJSH0oHC2L84gCTHQJgWku32pZlC5t2vq1v4XzBKcEAP6RoQqaHoqEtK19SJ0VKcfyY5FqFMPUWY/s1600/trolley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3outAya7ApbJAG0oVE1C7stDtvbaFXMyfPAQL2Y4vt0lZDIIKNyhNqJZbfMJ-h-N_CJSH0oHC2L84gCTHQJgWku32pZlC5t2vq1v4XzBKcEAP6RoQqaHoqEtK19SJ0VKcfyY5FqFMPUWY/s1600/trolley.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The <a href="http://www.fredrogers.org/frc/store/product/daniel-tigers-neighborhood-trolley-patch" target="_blank">trolley patch I ordered from the Fred Rogers Company</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I could have just ironed on the patch but I thought our son
would outgrow the hoodie before he outgrows Daniel Tiger. So, I sewed on the
patch with a sewing needle and red thread that matched the thread around the edge of the patch. That way, I can order the hoodie in a bigger size later and sew the patch
onto that one as our son grows. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55Vsf00oJAjWE-MXqYplmkZpaxF51m-qgXFb79YacpUVClw4F99PnRdxjj2zhjloBGrKqsA-lxo67ZwipEySTfSp9bXpaRdP2Kjtbj-gKamWtM8BzMtw5dQpoCXWarvZ9NJbBqWp6nGJ-/s1600/P4120481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55Vsf00oJAjWE-MXqYplmkZpaxF51m-qgXFb79YacpUVClw4F99PnRdxjj2zhjloBGrKqsA-lxo67ZwipEySTfSp9bXpaRdP2Kjtbj-gKamWtM8BzMtw5dQpoCXWarvZ9NJbBqWp6nGJ-/s1600/P4120481.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Tiger Hoodie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">The result was perfect for out birthday party. While I like
to make lots of the items for my son’s birthday party’s I’m always a little
more ambitious than I have time for. While this turned out perfectly and I
ordered the hoodie and the patch 2 months in advance, I managed to finish
sewing on this patch about midnight, just before the big birthday party. I
recommend finishing this project at least a few hours before I did.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I ordered some other Daniel Tiger items for the big party
online at the same time. If you are planning on throwing a Daniel Tiger party
you might be interested in these items or others. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIeuZbOFLpsUuf79MyaSeoPl1L89opENXZXoZbreYQMTjXYwO-ADAxEKMpP-nQuitNAn81DnhQn9HPutqSmDwtDEf_uzt40mwVl48g6_5cRPgwPg1SX4Vt3aUimytCkqhoSz1ttR70Fv7/s1600/P4120474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIeuZbOFLpsUuf79MyaSeoPl1L89opENXZXoZbreYQMTjXYwO-ADAxEKMpP-nQuitNAn81DnhQn9HPutqSmDwtDEf_uzt40mwVl48g6_5cRPgwPg1SX4Vt3aUimytCkqhoSz1ttR70Fv7/s1600/P4120474.JPG" width="173" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Tiger Bath Towel</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This <a href="http://shop.pbskids.org/daniel-tiger-s-neighborhood-friends-microfiber-beach-towel" target="_blank">Daniel Tiger bath towel</a> is one of my favorite finds. It has our son’s
name printed down the side. It’s super soft microfiber and even though it a
towel it’s soft enough to be a throw. While it was one of his birthday presents, we used it as part of the birthday decorations at the party. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdAoGaDBtCg1TA3g2a8ftk9ajWm0vKkJskcBNtF9_WUypQNRCX-7_1K0Gm0Q0pT6cst1g7QmVqRGMrMXF0pEoSr1yrFlw5UO72dCqRNhTQjFnJ6PnVF7mq6rn-Z25yRncyeuxIIAt0F49/s1600/cups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdAoGaDBtCg1TA3g2a8ftk9ajWm0vKkJskcBNtF9_WUypQNRCX-7_1K0Gm0Q0pT6cst1g7QmVqRGMrMXF0pEoSr1yrFlw5UO72dCqRNhTQjFnJ6PnVF7mq6rn-Z25yRncyeuxIIAt0F49/s1600/cups.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Tiger Favors</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Don’t the Daniel Tiger cups make cool party favors. The kids
loved them at the party. There was </span><a href="http://www.fredrogers.org/frc/store/product/daniel-and-his-neighborhood-friends-cup" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 115%;" target="_blank">one with the Daniel Tiger characters</a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"> and </span><a href="http://www.fredrogers.org/frc/store/product/daniel-tigers-neighborhood-cup" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 115%;" target="_blank">one with Daniel Tiger and the Trolley</a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">. I orders some of each for the smaller party guests. I made sure to keep one of each for our birthday boy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">I hope that if your little one loves Daniel Tiger you'll think about making them their own hoodie. If you are throwing a Daniel Tiger themed birthday party check out the other items at the sites I have linked to above. There's plenty to choose from. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you are looking for Daniel Tiger Party inspiration check out my </span><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/hollihaganrice/andys-2nd-birthday-party-ideas/" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Pinterest Board</a><span style="font-size: large;">. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Check Out my other DIY Party Posts:</span></div>
</h4>
<h4>
3rd Birthday Party</h4>
<h3>
</h3>
<h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2015/04/3rd-birthday-octonauts.html" style="font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">Octonauts Birthday Party</a></li>
</ul>
</h2>
<h4>
2nd Birthday Party</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
</div>
<ul style="font-weight: normal;">
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/daniel-tiger-birthday-party-invitations.html" target="_blank">Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Invitations</a></span></li>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/dipped-marshmallow-pops-for-birthday.html" target="_blank">Dipped Marshmallow Pops for a Birthday Party</a></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/diy-daniel-tiger-hoodie.html" target="_blank">DIY Daniel Tiger Hoodie</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-big-daniel-tiger-birthday-party.html" target="_blank">The Big Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Part I</a></li>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-big-daniel-tiger-birthday-party_25.html" target="_blank">The Big Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Part II</a></li>
</span></ul>
</h4>
<h4>
1st Birthday Party</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
</div>
<ul style="font-weight: normal;">
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2013/04/planning-our-little-dragons-dol.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Planning Our Little Dragon’s Dol</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2013/04/how-to-create-your-own-doljabi-board.html">How to Create Your Own Doljabi Board</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/05/our-little-dragons-dol.html" target="_blank">Our Little Dragon's Dol</a></span></li>
</ul>
</h4>
<h4>
<ul style="font-weight: normal;">
</ul>
</h4>
</div>
<ul>
</ul>
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</div>
hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-89037504296085122352014-04-20T14:25:00.002-05:002016-01-18T17:39:39.491-06:00Dipped Marshmallow Pops for a Birthday Party<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGeoRUKFg8vOveAMgBRLW3T9liILwlFi5vfUiaCHPlQsw_egGQNDzVeIqc1k87mJkOjVyjOCOBE28FhAOmRZbh_k4hv7EOln8dS_xLpIfe3ZkVRm6DVwn7SzTbNh_jQUIU4q1aOxzWH2fP/s1600/marshmallows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGeoRUKFg8vOveAMgBRLW3T9liILwlFi5vfUiaCHPlQsw_egGQNDzVeIqc1k87mJkOjVyjOCOBE28FhAOmRZbh_k4hv7EOln8dS_xLpIfe3ZkVRm6DVwn7SzTbNh_jQUIU4q1aOxzWH2fP/s1600/marshmallows.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dipped Marshmallow Pops for a Birthday Party</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">The night before my son’s birthday party was a big scramble. I had pits here and there stashed all over the house. I had been shopping and planning for a few months but it was kind of all over the place. I finally decided, the day before the big birthday party, I wanted to make marshmallow pops. I had been kicking the idea around for a while but I hadn’t decided how to do it. I had committed to it enough, the week before, to buy jumbo marshmallows.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paper Straws</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAc4-LlJc7XxJZOCmMQpXEtiCBNbT7ghhrsyqEa4H7pKU529U-3FO8R15J12tOIZ2oFgD0zyROngTBJNyn47COjlnDMInRa_6DQaPG2ewQLnrGzez-hLQ8rUioA3g8VivheTmSlq7k7b3o/s1600/P4120453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />Luckily, I had ordered these great <a href="https://www.etsy.com/transaction/181105808?ref=fb2_tnx_title">decorative straws from Etsy</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a> a couple of months ago. I love these! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I’d looked at Pinterest off and on at pictures of decorated </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: large; line-height: 13.5pt;">marshmallows. I glanced at different instructions but I guess I didn’t really pay attention. Sometimes things really work out when you just have an idea about how something should be and then do it your own way. Sometimes…</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Here’s a tip, if you are going to try something new and it’s for an important event, either follow some established directions or practice. I did neither. In the end, it worked out but it could have just as easily turned into a big mess thrown in the trash. Feel free to learn from my mistakes; I’ll tell you here what worked for me and what didn’t.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbCh8TfXrtwGeZti25E30sUIXAlRiz8SngL6ESQV-qvx-58b8Jdydac8zGcqzvEGhFJ2OuyaIwuikFvMx0w4cJRwCfvJiT-vFXWWr8eAr3NQFPJ5MIEeEKBhIfMUv7a0uCAcZbwA8mFGB/s1600/P4120448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbCh8TfXrtwGeZti25E30sUIXAlRiz8SngL6ESQV-qvx-58b8Jdydac8zGcqzvEGhFJ2OuyaIwuikFvMx0w4cJRwCfvJiT-vFXWWr8eAr3NQFPJ5MIEeEKBhIfMUv7a0uCAcZbwA8mFGB/s1600/P4120448.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Attempt 1 Started so Neatly</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I started out so neatly. I put the Sanding Sugar in little cups and poked the straws into the jumbo marshmallows. My first attempt quickly deteriorated. I found out that the little cups were not really a good idea. I needed more space. I also found that dipping the marshmallows in the chocolate (or white almond bark) and then letting it sit on the wax paper for a few seconds before hitting the sugar was better. I quickly poured the sugar into bigger bowls. That helped but it wasn’t great.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFf0g1mkQhRN6FRhMOAGBP8GXQbtw4j9vB26G5aE-BTjHWI-FdAnoT_3e9oWr_oT5r8kFRQ-hjDVf4rMcx4_69ZaKS7AbEdrHR6t5JVpFJJkY3b3wXHnV9Wh0-oL8Orqdjwd3TU3VjkJ0/s1600/P4120449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFf0g1mkQhRN6FRhMOAGBP8GXQbtw4j9vB26G5aE-BTjHWI-FdAnoT_3e9oWr_oT5r8kFRQ-hjDVf4rMcx4_69ZaKS7AbEdrHR6t5JVpFJJkY3b3wXHnV9Wh0-oL8Orqdjwd3TU3VjkJ0/s1600/P4120449.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Attempt 1 at Dipped Marshmallow Pops</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I let my first frantic attempt dry while I rethought my strategy. When dipping the marshmallows in chocolate I found that the pearlized sanding sugar showed up much better. I only had blue pearlized sugar but I think you can probably see the difference in the pictures.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisANyVHZdEcfn5OnbA4J4yLl0zAGXRnLK_Gv2dThIi0qgyvKYRpgAiA7E4pT7J1oMKcpqHlWoflNrWKlQo5GAoCkU1j0HYuSwi8yK0wWCXhCwilDkUal1Hd0o6yY5ZQxIqzG4VOy1UNf0/s1600/P4120456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisANyVHZdEcfn5OnbA4J4yLl0zAGXRnLK_Gv2dThIi0qgyvKYRpgAiA7E4pT7J1oMKcpqHlWoflNrWKlQo5GAoCkU1j0HYuSwi8yK0wWCXhCwilDkUal1Hd0o6yY5ZQxIqzG4VOy1UNf0/s1600/P4120456.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Attempt 2 Begins</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">On my second attempt, I decided the White Almond Bark would be a better choice because the colors would show better and that it would be better to cover the whole marshmallow. I think you can see that these turned out better. My husband came into the kitchen as I started to roll these in a shallow bowl and said, “Why don’t you use a paper plate? I think that would work better.” He was right so I quickly poured each color into a different paper plate. If I had started with that I would have used a lot fewer dishes to make these.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKO0XhElJECXqU6zOL7JHnsx_I5zuMebr2SKgmB7lUml0k53HHcXQMHgm8MGSCqHa3m-9CeLUmptEQulwfULDCHqDfO8ds4Z9nMuy9LZCTufqDc_PwY9hL0PRJoYndTzLOqgpL5rIzbF2/s1600/P4120457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKO0XhElJECXqU6zOL7JHnsx_I5zuMebr2SKgmB7lUml0k53HHcXQMHgm8MGSCqHa3m-9CeLUmptEQulwfULDCHqDfO8ds4Z9nMuy9LZCTufqDc_PwY9hL0PRJoYndTzLOqgpL5rIzbF2/s1600/P4120457.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Use a Paper Plate!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">I think both the chocolate and the white dipped marshmallow pops tasted good. I prefer the look of the white ones covered in the colored sugar. I didn’t waste any, though. If they looked decent they went on the platter for the birthday party. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />The good directions to make Dipped Marshmallow Pops<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 13.5pt;">.</span></span></div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Ingredients:</h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7d_ikSXFRdcYMGxBbHL_O7ruv8gNqFABIelcYROkZDm_wIf5-0f9h6eeWXwW2hr75fh7PeV7wTAdrT_Ix2XtxMh2nLt7OCgR_Yjg39mn4k8yKSIfMYs7TpFNNKtgbrE-eZxOdejmvemK/s1600/P4120452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7d_ikSXFRdcYMGxBbHL_O7ruv8gNqFABIelcYROkZDm_wIf5-0f9h6eeWXwW2hr75fh7PeV7wTAdrT_Ix2XtxMh2nLt7OCgR_Yjg39mn4k8yKSIfMYs7TpFNNKtgbrE-eZxOdejmvemK/s1600/P4120452.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jetpuffed/app_152761904847841#!/jetpuffed/app_152761904847841" target="_blank">Jumbo Marshmallows</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/transaction/181105808?ref=fb2_tnx_title" target="_blank">Decorative Paper Straws</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=8875D420-1E0B-C910-EAEE0F9BF972654A&killnav=1" target="_blank">Various Colors of Sanding sugar (I now recommend pearlized if you can find it)</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Wax paper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.loghousefoods.com/oldsite/Products.html" target="_blank">Chocolate Almond Bark</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.loghousefoods.com/oldsite/Products.html" target="_blank">White Almond Bark</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Paper Plates</span></li>
</ul>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Directions:</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: large;">Tape a piece of wax paper to your counter top. <br />Pour each color of sanding sugar into individual paper plates. <br />Stick the decorative straws in one end of the Jumbo marshmallows. I had to reshape some of the marshmallows to be more round with my hand. I wasn’t really going for perfect and that’s probably a good thing.<br />Melt the almond park in a microwave safe bowl. Stir it until is smooth. <br />Dip the marshmallow in the almond bark making sure to cover them all the way around. I thought it was best to let them sit on the wax paper for a few seconds before rolling in the colored sugar.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HFgR-gftmo9EJboaHYHZQPUQ4esOoE5XyDR405PFnIjFey_1XW2uV2sLTo4aO3ZXLI4G09BumSXR8hwyF8aexfi2esGpMajILWmfsWIWfL8dnQsdJat_RBkcigTxaY0FVM-_drjv4Q9t/s1600/P4120458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HFgR-gftmo9EJboaHYHZQPUQ4esOoE5XyDR405PFnIjFey_1XW2uV2sLTo4aO3ZXLI4G09BumSXR8hwyF8aexfi2esGpMajILWmfsWIWfL8dnQsdJat_RBkcigTxaY0FVM-_drjv4Q9t/s1600/P4120458.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rolling on a Paper Plate is Btter</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I rolled the dipped marshmallow in the sugar and made sure to get the bottom, too. <br />Then I place it in a dry spot on the wax paper to harden.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggv1hIPwGizOj0GZWvsca7e-hmkkVd4ml7yAU54bVjqht8mOVQS3yOmUb5qzV0su6FR6rxOJ-9BG3DJG2t_rRjnX7IteH1tIvOoOibO1DqHYPgATK0HHkB0R-8TgFlz231YCsteVPQQZjg/s1600/marshmallows+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggv1hIPwGizOj0GZWvsca7e-hmkkVd4ml7yAU54bVjqht8mOVQS3yOmUb5qzV0su6FR6rxOJ-9BG3DJG2t_rRjnX7IteH1tIvOoOibO1DqHYPgATK0HHkB0R-8TgFlz231YCsteVPQQZjg/s1600/marshmallows+2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I kept the chocolate ones in the middle</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I arranged them on a white platter and it looks lovely for my son’s birthday party. Everybody loved them.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you are looking for Daniel Tiger Party inspiration check out my <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/hollihaganrice/andys-2nd-birthday-party-ideas/" target="_blank">Pinterest Board</a>. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Check Out my other DIY Party Posts:</span></div>
<h4>
3rd Birthday Party</h4>
<div>
<h3>
</h3>
<h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2015/04/3rd-birthday-octonauts.html" style="font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">Octonauts Birthday Party</a></li>
</ul>
</h2>
</div>
<h4>
2nd Birthday Party</h4>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/daniel-tiger-birthday-party-invitations.html" target="_blank">Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Invitations</a></span></li>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/dipped-marshmallow-pops-for-birthday.html" target="_blank">Dipped Marshmallow Pops for a Birthday Party</a></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/diy-daniel-tiger-hoodie.html" target="_blank">DIY Daniel Tiger Hoodie</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-big-daniel-tiger-birthday-party.html" target="_blank">The Big Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Part I</a></li>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-big-daniel-tiger-birthday-party_25.html" target="_blank">The Big Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Part II</a></li>
</span></ul>
<div>
<h4>
1st Birthday Party</h4>
</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2013/04/planning-our-little-dragons-dol.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Planning Our Little Dragon’s Dol</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2013/04/how-to-create-your-own-doljabi-board.html">How to Create Your Own Doljabi Board</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/05/our-little-dragons-dol.html" target="_blank">Our Little Dragon's Dol</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
</ul>
</div>
hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-53659278524698384652014-04-01T20:31:00.000-05:002016-01-18T17:40:07.257-06:00Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Invitations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6gct96xXm2ZtAoNqCtRSHnhCBM2bU_qBf7csTwQ4rEuV4Q2jjrMWR5i24KCywM-DTe-YVBUBoCgQvDbwcdFWFsKXuHkKCLr05XeXulM1zjopykS4b31j2SAvwikFm841imU4VV93mnbO/s1600/Andy+Invite+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6gct96xXm2ZtAoNqCtRSHnhCBM2bU_qBf7csTwQ4rEuV4Q2jjrMWR5i24KCywM-DTe-YVBUBoCgQvDbwcdFWFsKXuHkKCLr05XeXulM1zjopykS4b31j2SAvwikFm841imU4VV93mnbO/s1600/Andy+Invite+3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Tiger Invitation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">It’s time for our son’s 2<sup>nd</sup> birthday! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">We chose a
<a href="http://pbskids.org/daniel/" target="_blank">Daniel Tiger</a> theme for the birthday party. I never expected to be the type of
mom that loves to throw themed birthday parties. But it turns out that I am. This year’s
birthday party will not be the big to do that we had last year but it will be full of fun and family. Last year was
our son’s Dohl. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Our son has grown so much over the last year and it’s all
flown by in a kind of blur. It feels like we are on a train that’s picking up
speed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I like to make the invitation and most of the decorations
for Andy's birthday parties. It takes time and planning but I really enjoy it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">This post is about how I made the birthday party invitations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I used MS Publisher and used a postcard template to design
the invitation. Two invitations printed on a page. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">A friend of my mom’s painted
a Daniel Tiger watercolor and scanned it so we could have it on the
invitations. If you don't have a friend that can paint something for you, try something else like a picture of your child or something else to represent your party theme. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I used ClipArt to create the background and WordArt for the title. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboAQv2mo7H6S3cpdBoow3s3S46pDFoPX3czEU5DBQ-d8fO1AwHaQH1toCOb27TOLpkTf4oRarlEMQCNDZtZQjsYXm0AF6wOITuqkA19w3i7j0M4Kx9tAcQIetncRX2zTKTYFNuXnKr6nO/s1600/invite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboAQv2mo7H6S3cpdBoow3s3S46pDFoPX3czEU5DBQ-d8fO1AwHaQH1toCOb27TOLpkTf4oRarlEMQCNDZtZQjsYXm0AF6wOITuqkA19w3i7j0M4Kx9tAcQIetncRX2zTKTYFNuXnKr6nO/s1600/invite.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Invitation on MS Publisher</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">We printed the invitations on our
home color printer using card stock paper. <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ampad-Release-and-Seal-Social-Envelopes-5.75-x-8.75-50-Count/22086275" target="_blank">We purchased envelopes at Wal-Mart</a>. Then I cut out the invitations and we mailed
them to our family and friends. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">It was a totally inexpensive and
cute birthday invitation for our Daniel Tiger party. It was so easy to make. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I suggest making your own birthday
invitations if you are looking for a way to save a little money and get
creative. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">If you are looking for Daniel Tiger Party inspiration check out my <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/hollihaganrice/andys-2nd-birthday-party-ideas/" target="_blank">Pinterest Board</a>. </span><br />
<ul>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Check Out my other DIY Party Posts:</span></div>
<h4>
3rd Birthday Party</h4>
<div>
<h3>
</h3>
<h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2015/04/3rd-birthday-octonauts.html" style="font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">Octonauts Birthday Party</a></li>
</ul>
</h2>
</div>
<h4>
2nd Birthday Party</h4>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/daniel-tiger-birthday-party-invitations.html" target="_blank">Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Invitations</a></span></li>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/dipped-marshmallow-pops-for-birthday.html" target="_blank">Dipped Marshmallow Pops for a Birthday Party</a></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/04/diy-daniel-tiger-hoodie.html" target="_blank">DIY Daniel Tiger Hoodie</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-big-daniel-tiger-birthday-party.html" target="_blank">The Big Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Part I</a></li>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-big-daniel-tiger-birthday-party_25.html" target="_blank">The Big Daniel Tiger Birthday Party Part II</a></li>
</span></ul>
<div>
<h4>
1st Birthday Party</h4>
</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2013/04/planning-our-little-dragons-dol.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Planning Our Little Dragon’s Dol</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2013/04/how-to-create-your-own-doljabi-board.html">How to Create Your Own Doljabi Board</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://splinteredvision.blogspot.com/2014/05/our-little-dragons-dol.html" target="_blank">Our Little Dragon's Dol</a></span></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-71934811734236529552013-12-29T18:22:00.000-06:002014-01-10T07:32:51.924-06:00Chess Pie for the Holidays<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuSA9jQ3dzszrEqCrp-KLLV-XtumkbxFTcK3xPBktd477PpRvimIocEmxxgfNBJ-NDMPx1wo8WYPPVNU_YMBlmJyYcWHGlhRbzfarVBQPm5Uoi3WIpUwgXJlMgzjRpn5YYhRmzF850e9N/s1600/chess+pie+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuSA9jQ3dzszrEqCrp-KLLV-XtumkbxFTcK3xPBktd477PpRvimIocEmxxgfNBJ-NDMPx1wo8WYPPVNU_YMBlmJyYcWHGlhRbzfarVBQPm5Uoi3WIpUwgXJlMgzjRpn5YYhRmzF850e9N/s320/chess+pie+2.jpg" height="320" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chess Pie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">Is there anything that says home or the holidays more than pie? Well, maybe a few other things like a fresh baked ham, Christmas trees covered in lights, and the smell of holiday scented candles burning around the house. I love the holidays. As the count down to the New Year begins, I would like to share my family’s favorite holiday pie recipe with you. </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Families have their own traditional deserts that say the holidays are here. Those dishes are the taste of tradition. Often, family recipes are closely guarded secrets locked away in the minds grandmothers and great aunts. Sometimes they are written down and sometimes altered depending on the availability of certain products or using new products. The important thing is that the dish taste like it always did or at least how people remember it. <br />When I was a young girl I got my great grandmother’s Chess Pie recipe. She didn’t have it written down and the recipe she gave me was from memory. Luckily, the ingredients in chess pie are pretty basic. Even so the recipe from memory was not quite right. My great grandmother never did measure much. Many of the recipes she gave me called for "heaping tablespoons" and you had to use a specific spoon. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Over the years I have monkeye</span><span style="font-size: large;">d with the recipe trying to get it to taste the way my mom remembers it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This recipe is as close as I’ve gotten to the original taste. My mom requests chess pie for her birthday and often on the holidays. Some years it's been good and some years my chess pie was interesting if nothing else. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Since I have made chess pie for the holidays most of my life, it only seems like Christmas to me if we have a chess pie. </span></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chess Pie</b></span></h2>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Ingredients</i> </span></h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMOB1FHaI2p685Hi1aYLHY410q4_08BE-ZDvVow3J1KOCkHaNJhyZcNNyrd6qIZ-Ya5vul3eZp3Ga_kKWGwnZurkVJuBEDJBZ5GWkmRrScAIUhvpATQEjfmd1k_C0EAc5ZpaHHipUNS5re/s1600/PC240017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMOB1FHaI2p685Hi1aYLHY410q4_08BE-ZDvVow3J1KOCkHaNJhyZcNNyrd6qIZ-Ya5vul3eZp3Ga_kKWGwnZurkVJuBEDJBZ5GWkmRrScAIUhvpATQEjfmd1k_C0EAc5ZpaHHipUNS5re/s320/PC240017.JPG" height="320" width="204" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chess Pie Ingredients</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1 Stick of Butter (1/2 a cup), softened</span><span style="font-size: large;">1 Cup of Sugar</span><span style="font-size: large;">3 Eggs</span><span style="font-size: large;">1 Can of Evaporated Milk</span><span style="font-size: large;">1 Tablespoon of Flour</span><span style="font-size: large;">1 Teaspoon of Vanilla</span><span style="font-size: large;">*Dash of Salt (if using unsalted butter)</span><span style="font-size: large;">1 Unbaked Pie Shell. </span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Directions </i></span></h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">Preheat oven at 350 degrees. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaN-KQCLsJYjwGZhTQsfSP0dOlo-bhxR5lnSD2DmWEO7yuz-Sk3UfjV2dHQ5v6FYhuqgm3sArJ6Twitx6BpiXT5K23nE9-roHvwsbtjwVm7agN2VVEcdFpVko__8yoFfL85UVA6So0NSLc/s1600/PC240016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaN-KQCLsJYjwGZhTQsfSP0dOlo-bhxR5lnSD2DmWEO7yuz-Sk3UfjV2dHQ5v6FYhuqgm3sArJ6Twitx6BpiXT5K23nE9-roHvwsbtjwVm7agN2VVEcdFpVko__8yoFfL85UVA6So0NSLc/s320/PC240016.JPG" height="245" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poke Pie Shell with Fork</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Put your pie shell in a pie plate. Use a fork to poke some holes in piecrust. <br />Cream 1 stick of butter and 1 cup of sugar together. Beat 3 eggs and mix into butter and sugar.<br /> Stir in flour, evaporated milk, and vanilla. Mix well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Pour mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Place the pie on a cookie sheet to bake in case there is runoff.<br />Bake at 350 degrees until custard is set – about one hour. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Enjoy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I hope you have all had a happy holiday and I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">See you all in 2014!</span><br />
<a href="http://www.thecountrycook.net/2014/01/weekend-potluck-100.html" target="_blank"><img height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQffcLt-HQsW5eXIIhdH-SANHStoq5KHyS1Z6S4ii7EtQmdfYrOccYWjVebtQZM-Askr4zQ26zG77jwe3C53EJNctYusRn_PLnyRsMhbU1NxRZbSWA-ybhrilDyY4TuV0_lS54K14_OFPa/s200/Banner+potluck.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388246033053044751.post-45381698112784702852013-12-01T21:30:00.000-06:002014-12-29T12:32:10.853-06:00Crescent Roll Sausage Bake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXK3SFFAQmkEmluLooDRVD9oTV0in74VPULBA4H9DM88MCMVlETEZL2VnwXysBM4NmoxGrDreg3GSVT5YX9gJqyOAbAUd3qVe2XpDZ8pz3YoCJpjZJag-TeWyqK2Ia2G4e3DpQjuhcJybE/s1600/Sausage+Crescent+Bites+-+plated+up+close+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXK3SFFAQmkEmluLooDRVD9oTV0in74VPULBA4H9DM88MCMVlETEZL2VnwXysBM4NmoxGrDreg3GSVT5YX9gJqyOAbAUd3qVe2XpDZ8pz3YoCJpjZJag-TeWyqK2Ia2G4e3DpQjuhcJybE/s320/Sausage+Crescent+Bites+-+plated+up+close+3.jpg" height="210" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It’s the beginning of the Christmas season. With
Thanksgiving over, it’s time to finish up the Christmas shopping and enjoy the
holiday spirit. We have a radio station that plays holiday music 24 hours a
day. It’s all I listen to this time of year. The days are shorter and colder. This is one of my favorite times of the year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qLXSBi0Q6WGeoUI7mGYEOKTfScO0tqz-SdZlySwnjfrubOu_EF-NYamPJ303NvqZjAAru0tzAxKkky1eRF9gp12IvQbGxR88eIaJR6H50xqfhriW5a5y7ojBWzM7o38KIH1trJh576dD/s1600/Soccer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qLXSBi0Q6WGeoUI7mGYEOKTfScO0tqz-SdZlySwnjfrubOu_EF-NYamPJ303NvqZjAAru0tzAxKkky1eRF9gp12IvQbGxR88eIaJR6H50xqfhriW5a5y7ojBWzM7o38KIH1trJh576dD/s320/Soccer.jpg" height="400" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We’ve managed to find a couple of warmer days to take our
son out to pick up pecans and kick around the soccer ball. But in a few days it
will turn cold, wet, and sometimes icy. We'll have to find way to let our son bur off his excess energy inside the house. His Christmas presents might help us accomplish that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This Thanksgiving was full of our family’s traditional
dishes. My husband and I celebrate our holidays with my family for lunch and
his family for dinner. There is always lots of leftovers and figuring out creative
ways to serve our leftovers as much of a holiday tradition as anything. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The morning after Thanksgiving I had a pretty good idea of
what we would be eating for the next few days. So, I decided to make something for
breakfast that was easy and did not involve leftovers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Crescent Roll Sausage Bake</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldZLBimNv0nx_wwsOOIP87XUAEmaeABwzYtCe4lIHWm9vvUReZ3r5WAhL_BruMhabIGus9eyUT0l1pUW4FQkqdlCh9PAWpycb4cM6dULd4E3YO4zIuSI7u31XvfMRK1sOY-CmmDM1pxwd/s1600/Sausage+Crescent+Bites+-+Ingredients2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldZLBimNv0nx_wwsOOIP87XUAEmaeABwzYtCe4lIHWm9vvUReZ3r5WAhL_BruMhabIGus9eyUT0l1pUW4FQkqdlCh9PAWpycb4cM6dULd4E3YO4zIuSI7u31XvfMRK1sOY-CmmDM1pxwd/s320/Sausage+Crescent+Bites+-+Ingredients2.jpg" height="283" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Ingredients</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1 pound of Italian pork sausage<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">½ of a Bell Pepper, Diced<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2 cans of Pillsbury crescent rolls<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1 block of Philadelphia cream cheese, softened<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">½ Cup of Shredded Cheese (use more if you like)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Salt and Pepper to taste<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Directions</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Vtpo8Uxq6EeVTNbT1v4V6_8D6IwV55SNghwNBuCO2YLsmuQtPDXBrAEkHxeJW0wTj3gKHrMkwKW4BkHuwY4-HkNdmWAvpjD0_NrC6MpZvqGADU5DocCKa1u_CYfMfRqQK8kmfgtvLgYm/s1600/Sausage+Crescent+Bites+-+ready+for+oven2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Vtpo8Uxq6EeVTNbT1v4V6_8D6IwV55SNghwNBuCO2YLsmuQtPDXBrAEkHxeJW0wTj3gKHrMkwKW4BkHuwY4-HkNdmWAvpjD0_NrC6MpZvqGADU5DocCKa1u_CYfMfRqQK8kmfgtvLgYm/s320/Sausage+Crescent+Bites+-+ready+for+oven2.jpg" height="252" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Brown the sausage with the diced bell peppers in a skillet
until well cooked. Add cream cheese to sausage and peppers in a bowl and mix
until combined. Spray a 9 x 13 glass baking dish and roll out one package crescent rolls and
place on the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese over
the crescent rolls and top with sausage, pepper, and cream cheese mixture. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWcUmi7G3nCPa7dNTXHKI0oFn5Uuw9-th7KA11mplnFtY0Q0N8lcpLt0QQm8i7GqVhkSU3OmV0xfPaUD5M5qgSK7IJahF77PQmSul_9Dj4Fk-QyOuzjrmJ0OY5HkFYGNScryIinwqPEB1/s1600/Sausage+Crescent+Bites+-+crescent+covered+and+ready+for+oven2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWcUmi7G3nCPa7dNTXHKI0oFn5Uuw9-th7KA11mplnFtY0Q0N8lcpLt0QQm8i7GqVhkSU3OmV0xfPaUD5M5qgSK7IJahF77PQmSul_9Dj4Fk-QyOuzjrmJ0OY5HkFYGNScryIinwqPEB1/s320/Sausage+Crescent+Bites+-+crescent+covered+and+ready+for+oven2.jpg" height="201" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Top
with remaining shredded cheese and unroll the second can of crescent rolls and
lay over the top. You can press the edges of the 2 layers of crescent rolls
together if you like. Bake according to the directions on the crescent roll can.
Slice and serve. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">These were a big hit for the morning after Thanksgiving. We
might just have to make them for brunch on Christmas Eve this year, too. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hope you enjoy!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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hkhaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13777925199448932709noreply@blogger.com0