Winter is here to stay and sometimes it’s just too cold to play outside. For a fun activity break out some simple ingredients and let the kids have some fun.
Suggested List of Ingredients:
I gave a few general instructions and then let the kids have at it. This is what they came up with. We may have a future architect 
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A few nights ago my expensive high speed internet went down. Not for a few minutes, but for hours. And then it happened again…..every day (but not all day) for 2 weeks. While this was inconvenient it could have been worse. So many services today tout the ease of storing your data online. They tout high up time and redundant servers, backup systems, etc. That’s all find and good — but what if you can’t get online? You can’t access your data.
Here’s a few things to think about storing locally (on your own computer) or at least not keeping your only copy online.
Make it a habit — and don’t store all your data online.
Do you pay for your property taxes directly (not have them escrowed by your mortgage company)? If so, Hamilton County is offering a new payment plan (with no extra fees) to homeowners. Check out the article in June’s Hamilton County Happenings (Note: it’s in PDF format).
Make it a habit to at least skim local news magazines, flyers and mailings. You never know when you’ll find something useful to help your family save money.
Really sweet strawberries only last a short amount of time. But I like them year round. To preserve strawberries I flash-freeze and foodsaver them.
1. Line jelly-roll or 9×13 pan with wax paper or Exopat/Silpat non-stick baking mat
2. wash, cut and core strawberries and place on pan in a single layer. You don’t want them on top of each other. I can fit about 2# of cut strawberries on a jelly roll pan.
3. lay flat in freezer for 24 hours. This is flash freezing. You want to completely freeze each individual strawberry piece.
4. After strawberries are completely frozen, remove them and fill a quart size FoodSaver bag.
5. Using FoodSaver, remove air and seal the bag. It’ll look something like this. Notice how there aren’t air pockets?
6. Store in the freezer for a LONG time. This is the beauty of storing in FoodSaver bags. It reduces the amount of air that comes in contact with your food and therefore reduces the likelyhood of freezer burn. And in my book, that’s a good thing.
I store these bags in my deep freeze and pull out when I want to cook with strawberries. Usually they go into smoothies, so frozen is just fine. If you want to thaw them out and eat like a fresh fruit, you’re going to get a different consistency. Not gross, but more watery and not as firm.
I froze a LOT of strawberries last year and have been using them off and on throughout the year. I just opened a package from 12 months ago for smoothies. They taste wonderful. No freezer burn either.
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Linked to Tammy’s Kitchen Tip Tuesday
I just love the smell of baked goods flowing out of my oven. One of our family’s favorites is a simple Lemon Poppyseed Muffin. This recipe originally came from here back in 2004. My smudged printout plays testament to the many times we’ve enjoyed these muffins. Here’s my modified recipe.
Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Combine dry ingredients in large bowl or mixer:
3 cups flour
2 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoon poppyseeds
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix well.
Add all wet ingredients
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup canola oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Mix only until all ingredients are combined. Over mixing can result in chewy muffins.
Preheat oven to 400F. Spray muffin tins with Pam. Fill muffin tins approximately 3/4 full. Sprinkle a little sugar on top of each muffin. You’ll use about a teaspoon of sugar for 12 muffins. Bake for about 20 minutes or until tops are golden brown and/or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for about 5 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks. If muffins don’t come out of pans easily, run a blunt butter knife around muffin to loosen it. Enjoy.
Makes 24 muffins
If you’re on my gift list….please don’t read this post….or at least pretend that you didn’t see it when I hand you a gift this year.
I’ve been scouring the web for great ideas for gifts for everyone this year. Here’s some ideas for gifts from the heart….
Homemade Bread — Last year we gifted this bread to all the kid’s teachers. They *loved* it. It was good and healthy to boot. I’m going to fire up the bread machines again and make a bunch for this year. I’m making 23+ loaves this year.
Cookie Mixes in a Jar — These are fun to receive and can be made with basic ingredients. Add some pizzaz by tying a ribbon around the top or making a cute label. (I haven’t made these in a long time, but have been on the receiving end.) Great ideas and books here:
Return Address Labels — If you’ve got a printer and basic software, you can create some cute return address labels. This is on our list this year. I want each family member to have their own address labels. It fun as a kid to have your own. I like to use Avery labels from Office Depot or Staples. If you don’t feel too creative, or want someone else to do it for you, check out Vista Print.
Click here to order self-stick labels.
Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix — We love the recipe from Alton Brown. Guess what someone’s getting this year? Package in a pretty jar and include instructions and maybe a nice Christmas-y mug.
Wall Calendar — Grandparents seem to love this gift. You can make your own by printing pictures and gluing on pre-made calendar blanks, or your own card stock. Or, if you want someone to do it for you they can be done at:
Ornaments – some of my favorite gifts from friends have been their simple ornaments tucked inside a card. Here’s some I found online:
And then package your special gift in a Cereal Box Gift Bag or other inventive wrapping. A basic box with a bow looks great.
Do you have a favorite homemade gift to share? Or if you tried one of these links leave us a comment and tell us about it.
Happy Holidays!
This post has been linked to other great ideas at Life As a Mom.
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Flour tip: ever had flour bugs? To avoid the problem, throw your flour in the freezer for 48-72 hours. This kills any eggs that *may* be present. After 2-3 days, set out and bring to room temperature before storing.