Our First Tutorial- Creeper Rainbow Loom

If you have kids in your house like I do, I am sure you know that these Rainbow Loom rubber band bracelets are all the rage! Crazy Gabs was so eager to make bracelets she started by using her fingers and her fathers meat thermometer fork. Luckily her favorite Uncle J came to the rescue with the Loom and bands galore! 

I searched Pinterest for a Minecraft Creeper bracelet, so she could make one for her brother. Who is slightly obsessed with the game. I couldn't find one. :(

After looking at one of Gabs's bracelets, a triple single, I realized we could make that look like a couple of creeper faces! I was sooooooo excited about my plan I set Gabs straight to work! 

Gabs wanted to try her hand at making a video tutorial, after successfully making the bracelet. We filmed it without a script or practice. I think she did an amazing job, for her first time! 

If you use our tutorial and make a Creeper, send us a photo. We would love to see them!

Video Tutorial

Happy National Dessert Day

Who knew there was a day to celebrate one of my favorite things... DESSERT! One of our favorite desserts is apple crisp. It took awhile to find the perfect recipe. We tried ones from just about every family member, and in the end the one we liked the most came from a bag of apples. Sorry, I don't have a picture of the yummy dessert. It rarely lasts long enough to be photographed.


Our Favorite Apple Crisp

8 medium apples
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/8 cups flour
1 1/8 cups oatmeal
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Peel and dice apples and place into a 9X13 pan.
Combine sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon.
Cut in butter until crumbly.
Press oat mixture on top of apples.
Bake for 45- 50 minutes

MPM

On Our Menu this week...

Monday- Hot Beef Sandwiches
Tuesday- Tacos
Wednesday- Pork Kabobs and Sweet Potatoes
Thursday- Wendy's Fundraising night for the kids' school
Friday- Taco bake using leftovers

What are you eating this week?

Meal Planning Monday!

Here's what's cookin this week...

Monday- Summertime Pasta (pampered chef)
Tuesday- Chicken Sandwiches and Fries
Wednesday- French Toast (Birthday Boy's request)
Thursday- Hot Dog Casserole - I'll let you know how this one goes!
Friday- Tuna Hamburger Helper


What's cooking in your house? Are you trying any new recipes?

"I ATE THE BONES...I ATE THE BONES..."

Sorry for the long 4 month hiatus... It isn't that we didn't have some great food and great times in between now and then. 

Life was just busy!

But I am back! 

And with a finger licking good recipe...

I was a little skeptical when my Mother-in-Law first gave us this recipe. I really didn't think I could replicate the famous not so great for you KFC chicken. But I am here to say and I still can hardly believe it, but it did taste just like it. The best part was not loosing the flavor when you pealed away the slimy skin, because there isn't any skin on this chicken.

One change I would make for next time I think, is to omit the butter and just spray the pan with cooking spray. I ended up needing 2 pans when I made this, so the second pan got a coating of cooking spray. The chicken in the second pan turned out with a crisper crust and didn't loose as much seasoning in the turning process.

Baked Fried Chicken

2-3 lbs thawed chicken breast tenderloin strips

Milk

1/2 stick of butter

1/2 tsp salt

1 T seasoning all 

3/4 tsp pepper

2 tsp paprika

1 cup flour

1. Place thawed chicken into a bowl of milk and let soak for 20-30 minutes

2. Pre-Heat oven to 400 degrees. 

3. Melt butter in 9x13 pan

4. Spread butter around the bottom of the pan, Lightly spray the pan if needed to make sure that there are no dry spots

5. Combine spices and flour either in a bowl or ziploc bag

6. Shake off excess milk and dip/shake chicken in seasoning mixture and place in pan

7. Bake for 20 min. Turn chicken and cook for 20 more or until cooked through.

Yummy Nummies...

Mr. J-man needed to take snack to school today. I have loved providing snack this year, because I can make/bake the snack! That was one thing I looked forward to doing for my kids when they got into school. Once he starts Kindergarten I won't be able to make treats, because unfortunately in our school system homemade snacks are not allowed.

When I was making this snack mix, my house smelled like I was baking cinnamon rolls. It was like heaven! The perks of this recipe are that you can use whatever cereal you have on hand and it is all done in the microwave.

Cinnamon Snack Mix

(adapted from www.makeit-loveit.com)

• 8 cups popped popcorn
• 4 cups cereal (Chex, Cherrios, Kix, whatever you have on hand)
• 6 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Combine popcorn and cereal in a large microwave bowl.  Melt butter and then drizzle evenly over popcorn/cereal mixture.  Then sprinkle sugar and cinnamon evenly over top, tossing and stirring as you go.  Then, place the bowl in the microwave for one minute and then remove and stir.  Then, microwave for 30 seconds, remove, stir again, microwave for 30 seconds more, and then stir once more.  Then evenly spread on wax paper and let cool.

For the Popcorn, I pop it in the microwave using the blow-your-mind-microwave-popcorn technique! 

And for those wondering... here's our menu

Monday- Spaghetti

Tuesday- Omelets

Wednesday- Swedish Meatballs

Thursday- Chicken Noodle Soup

MPM- meal planning monday

Here's what's cookin' in Mi Casa...

Monday- Hot Beef Sandwiches with Mashed Tatos
Tuesday- Eat Out
Wednesday- Lund Po'Chops (crock pot meal)
Thursday- Burgers and Potatoes
Friday- Omelets