St. Patricks Day Meal and Snack Ideas

It is always fun to make a memorable St. Patrick's Day tradition. With most families, the tradition has something to do with food. Whether it is a traditional Irish food item like corned beef and cabbage or just some green milk with every meal. Its something that your kiddos will most likely use with their children some day. Here are some quick meal and snack ideas that you could use this St. Patrick's day.

First tip: Green food coloring can work on MANY things. However it will cause green poopies!

Breakfast:

Green eggs and milk (Add a drop or 2 to the scrambled mix before cooking.

Green Oatmeal

Green Pancakes. Add food coloring to batter.

Lucky Charms cereal…Of Course!

Green Grits

Lunch:

Green Mac N Cheese

Biscuit pizzas: I used the can biscuits. Add spaghetti/pizza sauce, Add pepperoni or other topping and then the cheese. Put it in the oven and allow the cheese to melt a bit before add food coloring.

Dinner:

Green Spaghetti and Meatballs- Once the noodles have finished cooking and have been drained, add the coloring.

Green Mashed Potatoes

Dessert:

Shamrock Shakes. Vanilla ice cream, milk, mint extract, green food coloring, and chocolate chunks. Mix first 4 ingredients in a blender. Fold in chocolate chunks. Yum!

Green Shamrock cookies- Add food coloring to the wet sugar cookie mix.( OR green frosting on the sugar cookies)

Extras:

Green Jell-o

Green Kool-aid

Green Pudding (Vanilla with food coloring)

Any bread dough can by dyed green before baking

Green Vegetables

What is your families favorite St. Patrick's Day food tradition??

Potty Training Tips and Methods.

We are finally on our last potty training journey. Our youngest just turned 2 in December and I have been waiting as long as I can to start. Well, for one, potty training is just…evil. Regardless of the monster that potty training is, I really haven’t pushed it yet because it saddens me. It’s a sign that my “baby” isn’t so baby any more. This is my very last baby. Pity party, I know!!!

As I started to think of the best way to get him trained I started to think back to the methods we used with our first 3 kiddos. We used 3 very different methods with 3 very different outcomes.

1. Cold-Turkey:

We went with this approach with my oldest son. The moment I found out I was pregnant with #2, I was determined not to have 2 children in diapers. So, we went cold turkey. We got rid of all things disposable. We bought packs upon pack of his favorite character underoos and never looked back. This was simple because he was the only child. It was easy to get him to the bathroom every 30-40 minutes, before we left the house, when we got to where we were going, before we came home. You get the picture. We were lucky to have him in a daycare that took hourly potty breaks. Had we not had that, this method would have not been so successful. We had our son fully trained within 4-6 weeks. He still had some poopy accidents here and there, but that’s pretty normal. Here are some helpful tips for this method:

• Remove ALL diapers or pull-ups. If they are in the house you will find a reason to use them.

• Invest in mattress covers and mattress pads.

• Keep clean sheets near the bed each night for a quick change.

• Cut off liquids after a certain time. Do not allow cups in bed. The more that comes in, the more that goes out.

• Instead of towels, use disposable puppy (potty training) pads on the child favorite chair or car seat, or for a seat at a movie theater or restaurant.

• Stick to it!!! This one can be tedious, but the results come fast.

2. Reward/Timing System:

We tried this method with our 2^nd son. We tried the cold turkey at first, but adding a second child to the mix really made it difficult to keep up with. In this method I used a kitchen timer and we would go every hour or so. Also at just random times, whenever I remembered. When he would go on the hour, he would get a sticker, treat or I did the potty dance. Now that I think about it, he would pretend to go, just to make me do the goofy dance. We tried underwear throughout part of the day and pull-ups at night. This method was effective, but it took quite a bit more time. I would say it took closer to 6-8 months to have him trained. This child is a harder sleeper, and lazy I might add, so night time wets continued, but only on occasion. Here are some tips for this method:

• Allow the child to set the timer. It makes them more excited to go back in and potty so they can reset it.

• Let them pick their stickers and or prizes. Be careful with the treats you choose. Once they are trained they might expect the same.

• Limit nighttime drinks and no cups to bed. When we took the cup, he got attached to his pacifier to supplement, but after he trained he was easily broken of that as well.

3. Slow and Steady:

This was by far, the longest of the 3 methods. With our 3^rd child, we did what most parents do with their 3^rd child and just let them go as they were ready. One difference with this child was that his little brother came when he was 18 months old. This made it more difficult for the both of us. We did go out of diapers and straight into pull-ups. What’s the difference? The price… and that’s about it. Other than the advantage of being able to pull them up and down as underwear, they are basically a more expensive diaper. For some reason we stuck to them. I set no timers. I set no liquid limits. We just let him train…slowly. This method was mainly a lazy, don’t want to rush her baby, blame it on having a baby around, mommy method. He did semi train before he was 3. However, a few months after he turned 3, I ran out of pull ups. I decided no more and guess what? He just stopped having accidents. I put underwear on him one night and it was like magic. He could have trained much sooner, had I encouraged it. I would say this took nearly a year if not a tad more. Some tips for this method:

• Don’t use this method!! I know it seems like the easy thing to do and they do learn eventually, but it takes forever. Believe me, it is worth the dedication just to have them trained more quickly!

Here some other tips to help with your potty training:

• Introduce them to the potty long before you plan to start training. I normally would start sitting the kids on the potty at about 18 months. Not extensively. Maybe before a bath, or when they wake up. By doing this they get comfortable with this big scary thing, before they are forced to use it.

• Remember that every child is different. Find what works best for you child
• Maintain an effective potty routine
  

• Try a potty watch. These watches are made for the child to wear. It can be set to go off at certain intervals.

• Try to avoid the “You will sit there until you go” or setting the timer for 10 minutes and making them sit until time is up method. This can often discourage them.

• With all 3 previous children I have offered the potty seat (the mini-me kind that sits on the ground). They just didn’t work for us. For one, I have boys. They can’t even keep pee in the toilet when sitting down. They were always just a mess. All mine enjoyed using the potty seat that you seat on the big potty. I think it made them feel like they were big like everyone else. However, I have recently discovered mini- kid urinals that can sit on the floor or attach to the wall...hmmm.
  
• Read a bunch of potty books. make a special trip to the library. Make it a big deal!
  

• Try a “ motivational potty kit” with their favorite character or try a chart system.

So, what have I decided to do for our last potty trainer? Well I am still deciding. I am not going slow and steady, that’s for sure. However, with 4 kids and homeschooling, cold turkey might not be the best option. Either way he is ready. He takes the diaper off every time he wets and brings me a new one. That’s a sign to me. There is no more avoiding it.

What is your favorite potty training method?

Other helpful potty training sites:

http://www.babycenter.com/toddler-potty-training-advice

http://www.pottytrainingconcepts.com/A-How-to-Potty-Training-Boys.html

http://www.pottytraininggirls.net/

Bisquick Week

I scream, you scream, we all scream for.......Bisquick.

The Bisquick Week Challenge March 21st-25Th, 2011

I totally, enthusiastically, creatively, beyond the shadow of a doubt LOVE Bisquick. Why do I love it so? Well, for one you can make nearly anything with it. It works for any meal. It offer time saving solutions, and here's a surprise, it's quick!

Bisquick offers a variety of products such as, Original mix, Heart Smart mix, Gluten Free mix, shake n pour pancakes, and Bisquick Complete "just add water" biscuits.
Did I mention you can make nearly anything with this. There are thousands, upon thousand of Bisquick recipes. There are many that I thought I invented only to find out, someone else has too.
You can search recipes at: www.bettercrocker.com/products.bisquick/recipes

Besides Bisquick, I also love to be challenged in cooking. I love to learn new skills, try new foods, and explore new cooking methods. So, I have created a new challenge for myself, in which I have dubbed,(In deep echoed man voice) "The Bisquick Week Challenge" Duh Duh Dadaaaaaa.

Normally, I will use Bisquick in 4-5 recipes a month. With this challenge I will cook 4 meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert) for 5 week days, incorporating Bisquick into every recipe.

I will post all recipes the night before so that you all may join the challenge if you wish.

A great thing about the Bisquick site, is that it allows you to pick a recipe, print it, and add it it a named grocery list. Once I decided what recipes worked best for my family, I was able to save them to my grocery list and it printed out in categories(dry, baking, meats,etc). What a great widget. It made shopping for this week a breeze.

Are you ready for the Bisquick week Challenge? Join me March 21st- March 25Th, 2011 as I get me Bisquick on!! Learn some new recipes or share some old favorites.
There will be give-a-way drawings everyday! There will be a different Bisquick item available each day of the challenge.

Good Luck and Happy Bisquicking!!!

Febraury and March Calander Time Projects

Talk about taking the back burner. My poor blog has been so neglected. With all the relocation stress, things have been busy. The best part is we are no longer relocating. The stress has magically (and graciously by God) been lifted off of my shoulders. My husband was offered a wonderful job, my kids are signed up for the football league that they have been waiting ALL year to play, the house is the way we want it since we fixed it up to sell, and spring is here. I feel so humbled and at peace.
That being said here are our "The Months" calender time projects for February and March. I will add our pictures soon.


Pocket 2: February all dripping wet

You could do a melting ice experiment with this project. Freeze a nice sized chuck of ice(empty cottage cheese containers work well) Place the ice block onto a tray to catch the drips. Sprinkle ice with salt. Observe and report your findings.

Dripping Wet Paintings:
After covering your work area with newspaper, cut water color paper top fit a shallow tray, such as a jellyroll pan. Soak watercolor paper in water for five minutes. While paper is soaking, fill disposable cups with about1 teaspoon of liquid watercolor. Place wet paper onto a newspaper covered surface, allowing it to drain for a minute or two. Dips a small paintbrush into the watercolor and then onto wet paper. Use bold strokes or tiny ones. As the colors hit the paper they will flow and bleed together creating a beautiful piece of art that is all dripping wet.


Pocket 3: March wind ranges;

There are some greats poem that will work well with March. One is "Who has seen the wind" by Christina Rosetti. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote windy poems as well. "Windy Nights" and "The Wind".

Make Wind Socks:
Use markers, paints, or crayons to decorate a (6'' X 8'') strip of construction paper. Next, cut 9 26''0long crepe paper streamers and glue them to the back of the bottom edge of the paper. Roll into a tube lengthwise and tape together. Finally knot a 30'' piece of string at each end and staple the knots to the tube sides to make a handle. Hang the wind sock and watch it in the ranging wind.

A Bud in God's Garden

We have taken full advantage of the 'springy' weather we have had this week. I can understand why it has been said that spring puts love in the air. It seems that this weather has really brought me a peaceful feeling. The sunshine is out, the windy is blowing, my windows are open, and the kiddos are outside leaving my home quiet. Almost like walking on air at times, like being in love.

Recently we put our home on the market and decided to use this nice weather as a motivation to get our yard put back together after a horrible winter of ice storms. As I went though our front garden trying to remove leaves and plastic that I used to cover plants for protection, I came across something that really just stopped me in my tracks.

I noticed a small bud that had broken through the dirt and was hiding under the plastic. I was kind of amazed. We just got through tons of ice and snow and freezing temperatures not even normal to this area. Yet still, this little plant has pushed its way up through the ground.

It became so clear to me at that moment. Not only has God created such a beautiful means of growth on this earth, but we, as his followers, are so very similar to this plant. You see, the very first moment when you are introduced to the Lord a seed is planted in your heart. A seed cannot just grow on its own. A seed, like our heart, requires nurturing, substenance, and warmth in order to grow. Even when your heart has become cold, frozen even, like the ground in winter, God then nurtures and warms your spirit and you begin to bust through the ground ready to bloom and show your beauty. Showing God's beauty for all to see.

Isn't He amazing? Love is always in the air I breath, because the Lord breaths life into me. No matter how cold and desolate I may become, he will always revive me. He will always help me to break through.

Isaiah 55:10-11 reads "As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it with out watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yield seeds for the sower and bread fro the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth; it will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I was sent"

In other words, God's word is nourishment for his followers, just as water is to plants. By reading his word we are able to grow and produce good and beautiful things. We are also able to produce good in others by planting the same seeds in them that were once planted in our hearts.

Can you feel the love in the air? Are you taking the time the allow His word to nurture your heart and help you grow in his truth? If not, let me encourage you this week to dive into His word. Read some verses from a Psalm and let the words work in you through out the day. Allow him to grow in you so that you may bloom and be the bud who pushes up from a frozen ground only to show his magnificent beauty.

January "The Months"

January Cold Desolate- is the line for January

Even though we actually did this in January, I did not get it posted.

We are using a binder that includes 12 non-prong folders, one for each month.

We keep these resources pages in the front of the binder. One is the poem "The Months" in which the project is based" The 2nd is a pie chart with 12 sections. It shows the months and the different seasons.

This is the front of our January Folder. It has a collage of pictures of things we did through out the month as well as any holidays or birthdays for the month.



The inside of our folder includes a piece of paper where the kids have written the sentence for that month and the project for the month are in the pockets.

January project supplies needed:

*8X11 piece heavy construction paper or card stock

*Brown construction paper

*glue

*small sticks pulled off branches from outside

1.Cut out a tree truck from the brown construction paper, 4-5 inches in height.

2.Glue it to the align with the bottom of the paper

3.Glue on(or tape on) the branches so that they resemble a desolate tree.

I will get February's project on here very soon. I will also do an individual post that explains all the projects for the months in case you would like to work ahead.

Have a Fabulous February.

A Monsterous Month

What a lack of posting, huh? It has really been a crazy month. It started out with my husband going to work only to find out that his restaurant was shutting THAT day. With this economy I was scared to death for our family. He search here in Indy trying to find something that would pay enough to support our family. He could always find a cook position, which doesn't pay much, but he could not find a chef position. So, when his company offered for him to stay with them and relocate he jumped on it.

This triggered 3 weeks of unanswered questions, unknown locations, and dates that were not coming. However, they did pay him to sit at home through these events :)
First, they suggested Boca Raton, Florida. Who could turn down Florida? After this winter here, I was ready for some sand in between my toes. However, being that we have to sell our current home, they would have had to get him an apartment there and they didn't not want that expense. Florida was out the window.
Second, they thought that he could handle a problem at their restaurant in Paramus, New Jersey. Yeaaaa.... NO. This is a city whose average income was over $100,000. Like this country girl could ever fit in there. I was not excited about that. I just turned my focus to God and said "God, really New Jersey, Is there that many crazy people there you need me to reach? If that's the case I'll go"
About 2 days later they called with an offer for Minnesota. Now, I was not excited about the cold, but my husbands entire family was there. He was going to be working in the Mall of America. How cool is that!! Man, I am stressed, I'll just go ride a roller coaster on my break.
I was very excited for him. It was really a place he would love to work. Fancy, I guess. He is not a 'fancy' type, but he makes great fancy food.

So that was it. So, I thought. We know where we are going. Stress over. Not quite. Then I realized, we have to sell this house. So, this means painting, minimizing and packing, fixing, patching, touring...uuugghhh. Its hard to live in a home with kids and animals while it is on the market. I had to get motivated and get it done.

Before my husband left to go begin work he was able to finish the flooring that we should have done forever ago and get our bubble wall(hey the kids liked it) painted in our basement. So that only left me.... everything else. Ugghh again.
Now, I am mostly done. All of my packing and minimizing is done and most of the small projects are done. However, 3 big projects are left. They are things that HAVE to be done before the house sells. Because of ice storms, they have been pushed off. We have a week, actually 6 days to get these completed before the house goes on the market.

You know what, with all of this stress of this work, home schooling, continuing normal housework, and having an extra foster baby, who we believe is autistic, I can admit that I have sat and had a few good cries. Men will never understand that, but my women friends do. Its like all the stress pours out and your ready to go again. Sometimes, when I allow myself to cry, I do feel like the enemy is winning. He got to me. My focus turned off of God and on to my own pity party. That is where the lesson came in. Through the midst of all this, most of the time, I was able to keep focus on God. He was there. I was always able to open His word and find something that was meant just for me. Something that would encourage me, motivate me, and allow me to visually see Him there with me.

This stress is by far over. We have a home to sell, we have a move to make, we have to find a new home, a new church, new friends and new home school groups. BUT I know through it all I have a Father who will guide me. Who will lay the path out before me and who will help me to lift my feet to travel upon it. So, I say "Bring It On"!