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Come one come all to a bonfire/outdoor fun Fall fest at Elizabeth's house in the country. Smore's, chili, lemonade and tea provided. Please bring a side dish and any other drinks you wish. If you would like to enter a chili cookoff bring a small pot/crockpot.
There will be some games to play, fishing, horse rides (miniature horses for the little guys), trampoline, swing set, hay bails and more...
Dress according to the weather although you are welcome indoors too.
Hope to see you all there.
Make sure to RSVP on the Calendar so we can plan accordingly!
I wanted to make something different from my norm this week. I have a tendency to make a lot of Italian food, mostly because it is so good and I know DH likes it. However, I thought I would be daring and it worked! This meal was a hit!
Ingredients:
Corn Starch
Stir Fry Sauce
Soy Sauce
Rice (whatever type you like to prepare)
Vegetable Oil
1 lb boneless beef steak (I used round steak b/c it is cheap, but sirloin works, too)
1 can water chestnuts
1 can baby corn
Onion
3 peppers (which ever colors you prefer)
Scallions
To prepare:
1. Julienne peppers and onions, cut scallions into 1/2 inch pieces, set aside
2. Thinly slice meat, going against grain so the meat is easier to chew
3. If you are not making minute rice, start it now. I used beef broth instead of water in mine with a dash of salt. This adds extra flavor to the rice.
4. Heat about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in large skillet, add meat and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and cook until no longer pink, remove from pan, but leave the juices!
5. Add all the veggies into the pan and stir fry for about 5 minutes, or until peppers and onion become tender.
6. Mix 1/2 cup of stir fry sauce, a drizzle of soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of corn starch in a cup, add to veggies along with meat. Heat through.
7. Serve stir fry on top of rice and enjoy! Quick, easy, and yummy!!!
I am always looking for great, kid friendly products to buy, review and share with my family! I came across Tatutina.com and was instantly drawn to their unique products and bright colors. This small business located in Attleboro, Massachusetts is worth the visit on the web! I worked directly with Roberta to pick 1 item for me to review - after a long, hard consideration - I chose the Dinosaur stepping stool!
Image Property of Tatutina.com
As soon as the big box arrived at my home, my son (Jay) insisted on helping me open the box. With packing paper and bubble wrap flying across my living room - his little brown eyes lit up with joy when he saw the Dinosaur... "Mom!! Is THIS for ME?!?" As I took it out of the box, set it up right on the carpet I responded with "Yes - Its for the bathroom so you can spit into the sink without me holding you up!" (He's still a little too short, and having my child spit in the toilet just isnt a possibility) A recieved a HUGE hug for this great product.
We have had it for over 2 weeks now and it gets used daily - no wear & tear showing yet. The wood is very heavy duty and sturdy, the colors are magnificantly bright & vibrant! I have had over 4 different families for playdates...all 4 moms took Tatutina.com 's name down and are going to purchase one for their child!
This would really make a great addition to your little ones room, a gift for a birthday or new baby, or whatever else you can think of - you do not need a reason to buy one of Tatutina.com 's amazing products!
They have some other items that I am eager to purchase and add to our collection:
Fish & Sea Life Bookends
Take Out Menu Holder
Oven Recipe Box
Now onto the really fun part....THE GIVEAWAY ---------------------------------------- Tatutina is giving away 1 kid's stool - Winners Choice - to one of our readers! ----------------------------------------
If you are already a member of the forum - 2 Extra Entries
Follow us on GFC - 2 Entries
Blog about our Contest *Include link in comment* 2 Entries
Tweet about our Giveaway: Giveaway Alert! @StLouisMommies is giving away a Kids Stool ($50 value) from Tatutina! Ends 9/5 http://bit.ly/dy6Xtp Please RT & Enter!
Place our Button on your Blog (Include link to your blog) 2 Entries
Contest runs from August 22 through September 5 - ends at 11:59PM - Many will enter, 1 will win. :) Thank you to Tatutina for allowing me to review & giveaway one of their items! Open to all US Residents.
(I apologize for this going up late - my Internet at home has been down and all I had was my cell phone - I can't get the pics up from my cell!)
Creative Cooking with Courtney
This weeks Delectable Dish: Strata
I love making strata. Not only is it a great make ahead dish that can just be popped in the oven, it is also an efficient way to use up extras in your fridge and pantry! Plus, it is so good!
The Basics:
6 eggs
1 ¾ cup milk
¼ tsp garlic salt
Twin loaves Italian bread
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you want to try or have in the fridge)
Add ins: (what I used, but you could easily sub in any other meats or veggies, fresh or frozen!)
Fresh herbs (I used basil and parsley)
Onion
Sliced Pepperoni
Frozen spinach (thawed)
To make strata:
1. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk and garlic salt.
2. Coat a 13x9x2 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray
3. Cut Italian bread into ½ inch thick slices and line bottom of baking dish
4. Scatter half of your add in ingredients on top of bread, topping with cheese
5. Lay down another layer of bread, top with remaining ingredients and cheese
6. Pour egg mixture evenly over the top
7. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours
8. Heat oven to 375.
9. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
Uncover and bake another 25 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
(I was so anxious to eat it that I forgot to take a picture!)
Some other ideas for add ins:
cooked hamburger, green peppers, black beans, salsa, cilantro
With my son starting Kindergarten in less than a week plus school lunches costing over $50/mo and hardly having any nutritional value - I have been feverishly searching the web, cookbooks, and picking all my Mommy friends brains for easy, quick ideas (something unique and more fun than the normal PB&J)
A little side note: These are NOT the healthies options - however there are ways to make them healthier - these are just ideas to get ya started! :)
Which brings me to the theme of this week's Thursday Thirteen:
13 Easy, Quick School Lunch Ideas
Homemade Lunchable: Cut 2 pieces of cheese, 2 pieces of low sodium/low fat deli meat of your choice (Turkey or Bologna for us) into 4 Squares. Pack with 8 whole wheat crackers. You know have a healthier alternative to a very popular kids favorite!
Taco Nachos: Place a few tortilla chips in a container, top with left over taco meat from the night before, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and whatever else your child would love! (Jalapenos, salsa, olives, etc.)
Cold Cut Roll Ups: lean, low-fat turkey, ham, or roast beef with low-fat cheese on whole wheat tortillas - you can personalize this to your little ones taste buds however you want! I am going to cut each roll up into 3 pieces and use a fun & festive toothpick to secure it together (for a little added extra!).
Mini Pizza: shredded mozzarella cheese with pizza sauce on a flour tortilla, whole wheat pita, English muffin, or mini pizza shell! Another favorite for most children!
Beans & Franks: Warm up a can of Baked Beans with Pork, slice & add 2 Hotdogs/Turkey Dogs/Franks to the pot, warming them up. Add brown sugar, celery salt & mustard for a unique taste! Place the warmed dish into a thermos so it stays warm until lunch - this takes approx 10 mins to make in the morning! Top with some shredded cheese & you're sure to be the most popular mom!
Apples & Dip: Cut up & core an apple of their choice (sprinkle lemon juice on so they keep their nice color and not turn brown) then mix up some Apple Dip: Take cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla extract - mix them together until blended completly! Yum-my!
Ham & Cheese Quesadilla: Take a large wheat/spinach/flour tortilla and warm it in a skillet - add shredded chease & a cubes/slices of ham. Fold the 'dilla in half & flip until lightly browned and the cheese melted. Let cool & cut into 3 pieces. Serve with Sour Cream or Salsa!
Dippers: Kids love to dip...ANYTHING! Cut chicken strips into smaller pieces and pair with honey mustard, pack baby carrots and pair with ranch, cut your brownies into squares and pair with frosting. Pack string cheese and rolled deli meat pair with whatever their little heart desires!
Mini Corn Dogs: You'll need a roll of croisants & a package of Mini Franks - Unroll the dough and place 1 Frank per croissant. Bake 12-15 mins, or until the dough is browned. Pack with a packet of Ketchup or mustard!
Breakfast for Lunch: Heat frozen waffles and make a sandwich with them, using peanut butter and jelly. Or cut them into bite-sized pieces or sticks and send syrup for dipping. Include a hard boiled egg (or egg whites) as a side dish with a 1/2 cup of fresh fruit. Now for their favorite part: (dessert)
A Sweet Treat: Make them smore's! Take 4 Graham crackers and layer Marshmallow fluff & A piece of chocolate between them! Makes 2 Sandwhiches.
Fruity Rice Kripsy Treats: 2 great options here: Take the original Rice Krispy treat recipe and use Fruit flavored marshmallows instead of the normal ones. OR you can substitue the Rice Krispies for Fruity Pebbles! A fun alternative to the classic treat!
Brownie Pizza: Prepare your brownie mix like normal, instead of placing in a square pan, roll it out onto a greased pizza pan. Bake as normal, once done baking, ice with red icing "pizza sauce" and top with shredded white chocolate "Cheese" and whatever other candies or treats you want! We add the fish gummies for sardines and M&M's!
Other Tips & Tricks:
Use cookie cutters for fun shapes! Use them to cut their sandwhiches, cheese/meat slices, desserts whatever you can think of to make it fun & unique!
Kids love "Bite Sized" food - Use fruit & Veggies to make fun Kabobs! Cut brownies into cubes for a fun dessert!
Add a note telling your child that you love them and you care! :)
Use fun party toothpicks or dye to make each meal fun & unique!
Have your child help you plan & create their lunch every morning - they are more likely to eat what they help create!
I'd love to hear your ideas! Please leave a comment to share!
