Deciding What Jesse Bear Will Wear September 3, 2009

Last week, my son and I spent our days reading the next book in our curriculum, “Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?” The cute rhyme follows a little bear named Jesse throughout his day as his mother asks him what he will wear.

Some of our projects corresponding to the book included dressing up a cardboard Jesse Bear – I cut out his shape from a Pepsi 12-pack carton and then cut out one dimensional “outfits” from squares of random fabric purchased at the store for $1 each. These were not fancy and it took about 15 minutes to get the outfits prepared. My son had fun picking out which shirts and shorts Jesse would wear and at times, put several shirts on him at once.

Another lesson we talked about was order and how Jesse Bear kept his room and toys tidy once it was time to go to bed. My son knows that it’s time to clean up before bedtime and he’s usually agreeable to putting all his bulldozers where they belong.

We looked through the beautifully-colored pages in the story to find different shapes, colors and objects that started with the letter ‘G’ since that was our letter last week. One of our ‘G’ words was of course God and we talked about God’s Greatest Gift being Jesus and we started memorizing John 3:16.

My son especially loved the picture of Jesse Bear playing in the sandbox with his dump trucks because my son loves playing in HIS sandbox with HIS dump trucks! We also spent some time Friday night outside in the backyard looking at the stars since the book ends with Jesse Bear asleep on his bed with the stars in the sky. My son loved this – probably because he stayed up a little later and was outside in the dark!

And one of our fun fun fun crafts of the week was making Jesse Bear Bread! I found a recipe for homemade bread that shapes the dough into animals so we made a bear. It was pretty simple to shape after kneading the dough and tasted SO good with real butter. We decorated the bear with raisins for the eyes and mouth but the bear didn’t look too nice once they baked so I would advise against baking the raisins and just adding them to the face after baking for picture purposes!

This week we’re reading The Carrot Seed and Runaway Bunny so another post will be on its way soon!

Food on Friday: Homemade Mac ‘n Cheese January 23, 2009

Now, I know that we all have our favorite homemade recipes and I in no way want to impose mine upon yours. But as a person who did not grow up with homemade mac ‘n cheese (it was Kraft all the way), I have learned to enjoy this one recipe which I found in none other than a kids’ cookbook. Let me know what you think and pass along yours!

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked elbow pasta
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. dry mustard (yellow)
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup milk
1 1/4 cups mild or sharp cheddar cheese cubes
1/4 cup crushed plain Goldfish crackers or Ritz butter crackers (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water for about 8-10 minutes. Drain. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Reduce heat to low. Add the flour, salt, pepper, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until smooth. Add the milk and cheese. Continue stirring until the cheese melts and the sauce is creamy and smooth. Stir the pasta into the cheese sauce. Pour the mixture into a casserole dish and top with the crushed crackers if desired. Bake in the oven 20 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving so sauce can thicken.

Food on Friday: Chocolate Chip Brownies August 29, 2008

I always get rave reviews when I make these brownies but you can be the judge!

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

2 Tbsp. water

2 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups flour

3/4 cup baking cocoa

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13×9 baking pan. Combine sugar, butter and water in a large bowl. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl and then stir into sugar mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread into baking pan. Bake 18 minutes (may need less time if you’re using a glass pan). Don’t overbake so check to see if done when you start smelling the brownies. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack before cutting. Makes about 2 dozen brownies.

Food on Friday: Pizza Margherita August 8, 2008

When I was studying abroad in Italy ten years ago, this was my absolute favorite pizza to eat. The pizza is quite different over there – squares and rectangles are typical shapes rather than pies cut into triangles. Not a lot of cheese and sauce are used in some varieties but they are still oh so good. The Margherita pizza is one of the best and this version comes close to being as authentic as possible. If you’re cutting corners for a fast Friday night meal, feel free to substitute refrigerated pizza dough for the homemade dough, although it’s a bit pricier (about $2.30 for one tube.) (NOTE: The dough below makes enough for two pizzas. Feel free to freeze half for a couple months and use for another meal.)

Pizza Margherita

Ingredients:
* 3 teaspoons active dry yeast
* 1 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups bread flour

Toppings: (NOTE: if you’re making only one pizza at a time, cut these measurements in half)
* 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, drained
* 20 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (or bottled basil flakes can do – sprinkle on about 2 tsp.)
* 8 cups (2 pounds) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
* 2 teaspoons dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon pepper
* 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the oil, sugar, salt and 1 cup flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a bowl coated with cooking spray, turning once to coat the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down; divide in half. Roll each portion into a 13-in. circle. Transfer to two 14-in. pizza pans coated with cooking spray (or onto a round pizza stone.) Build up edges slightly. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Spoon tomatoes over crusts. Top with basil, cheese, oregano, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil. Bake at 450° for 15-20 minutes or until crust and cheese are golden brown. Recipe makes 2 pizzas (8 slices each).

Food on Friday: Hazelnut Butter Cakes August 1, 2008

If you think I have a liking for Nutella, the yummiest chocolate-hazelnut spread ever, based on past recipes, you are correct. I am learning new ways to bake with this gooey concoction and had to share. This recipe makes about 10 cupcakes (although you could make them smaller to get a dozen) and comes from a base cake recipe I found in a kids’ cookbook. I added the easy Nutella filling/topping. I say filling because when you bite into the cakes, the delish chocolate is inside and I say topping because the swirled effect of the Nutella makes these treats cupcakes without the frosting! No messy eating – just yummy treating!

Ingredients:

1 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softend
2/3 granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup Nutella (can be found on the peanut butter aisle of grocery stores)
Muffin cup paper liners

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter and sugar in a medium bowl with a hand mixer. Add eggs and vanilla, and mix. Then add in flour and combine until mixture is smooth and lighter in color (about 2 minutes.) Line a muffin pan with the paper liners (10-12) and half-fill each paper cup with the cupcake batter (about 2 Tbsp. of batter.) Place a heaping teaspoon of Nutella on the top of each of the cupcakes and swirl into the batter with a sharp knife. Bake in the oven for about 15-18 minutes. When you start to smell the cupcakes, check them by inserting a toothpick into the cakes to see if they are done.

Do you have any favorite Nutella recipes? Do share!

Food on Friday: Fudgy Peanut Butter Brownies July 25, 2008

This dessert is a favorite around our house and one that is way too easy to make. Now, I know it is summertime and the oven is often off-limits, but I can’t ignore making a sweet treat no matter what the temperature is! You can always try to make this later in the evening or early in the morning when it’s not so warm outside. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix (enough for a 13×9 size cake)
1 cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
2 eggs
1 14.oz-can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl combine cake mix, peanut butter, eggs and 1/2 cup melted butter by hand. Pat 2/3 of the mixture into bottom of ungreased 13×9 pan. In a saucepan, combine chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and 2 Tbsp. butter over low heat until melted, stirring until smooth. Remove and pour over cake mixture. Use remaining dough to cover filling. Work slowly and carefully by putting pieces of flattened batter on top of the chocolate. Some of the chocolate filling will show through and that’s fine. Bake for 20-25 minutes (don’t overbake.) Cool before cutting.

Food on Friday: Chilaquiles July 11, 2008

Here is another Mexican dish that is also a four-ingredient recipe! Can’t beat that! The measurements of the salsa are approximate but you can reduce or increase depending on how hot you like your food. Serve with rice or a salad if desired. While there are many variations of this dish, this specific Chilaquiles recipe has become popular in our home.

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped (you can either use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the store or cook 4 boneless chicken breasts in slightly boiling water for 15 minutes)
1 bottle/jar (about 16 oz.) green salsa (or you can use a red salsa but not a chunky one)
8-10 soft corn tortillas (NOT CHIPS)
2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. After cooking the chicken and shredding or cubing, spread about 3 tablespoons of the salsa into the bottom of a 1 quart casserole dish. Tear apart 4-5 of the tortillas into small pieces and spread over the salsa on the bottom of the dish. Spread 2 cups of the chicken onto the tortilla pieces, then spread about half of the bottle of green salsa over the chicken. Sprinkle one cup of the shredded cheese over the salsa. Tear apart the remaining tortillas and layer on top of the cheese, repeat with the remaining chicken, then spread the remaining salsa and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Bake in the oven about 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Serve with sour cream.

Food on Friday: Easy Taco Pie June 27, 2008

This one’s for you KW! It is a super simple recipe that tastes quite yummy. One note – leftovers are really only good one day after you make this so make sure your family is hungry!

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 package taco seasoning mix
1/2 cup water
1 can crescent dinner rolls (8 count)
1 1/2 cup tortilla chips, crushed
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Toppings: diced tomatoes or salsa, shredded lettuce, guacamole

Preheat oven to 375. Brown ground beef and drain. Stir in seasoning mix and water; simmer 5 minutes. Separate crescent dough into 8 triangles and press into ungreased pie pan to form a pie crust. Sprinkle 1 cup crushed tortilla chips over bottom of crust. Spoon meat mixture over crust and chips. Spread sour cream over meat mixture (it’s ok if it gets combined with the meat.) Cover with the rest of the chips and then sprinkle on the cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Top with assorted toppings and serve with Mexican rice, if desired.

Homemakers and housewives have a noble job, says Betty Crocker June 19, 2008

Summertime always brings back fond childhood memories of trips to the neighborhood pool and library. Spending my vacation time swimming and reading were joyful hobbies that I wish I could find significant time for now as the mother of a toddler. But I did have a quick visit to our local library this week and managed to find three great cookbooks before my son decided to blow up and break the “no noise” rule. Obviously he wasn’t interested in waiting with me to decide between a baking encyclopedia or a Betty Crocker memoir. The First Lady of Food won.

I really chose the Betty Crocker book, entitled Finding Betty Crocker by Susan Marks, to see if I could learn some quick tricks and meal-planning tips. What has most interested me is the history of the Betty Crocker empire, created by the Washburn Crosby Company, now known as General Mills, and the knowledge that the woman really didn’t exist. I won’t go into further details because that’s not the purpose of this post and you can read the book.

However, reading about the chronicles of how housewives and homemakers survived wartime rationing and still made nutritious and delicious meals thanks to Betty Crocker’s tips have intrigued me. While we are definitely not in any sort of Depression era, money is tight and some guilty pleasures have to go. It’s been a difficult job keeping a food budget and still making good meals. This was the case 60-70 years ago and it is the case now, at least in my situation.

Betty Crocker knew that, and she knew the importance of a housewife and mother spending time necessary to ensure her family was well fed, well dressed and well taken care of. It was a noble job, despite the need for women to enter the workforce to replace men gone off to war. The home was still the woman’s primary place of employment (are some of you cringing now? At least hear me out.) and Betty Crocker encouraged this mindset even when the men returned from war. How did she do this? Take a look at a creed below that she (well, General Mills actually) sent out to 70,000 women in 1944 who were members of the Betty Crocker American Home Legion Program. I believe these words written decades ago will ring true for several of us today:

I believe homemaking is a noble and challenging career.

I believe homemaking is an art requiring many different skills.

I believe homemaking requires the best of my efforts, my abilities and my thinking.

I believe home reflects the spirit of the homemaker.

I believe home should be a place of peace, joy and contentment.

I believe no task is too humble that contributes to the cleanliness, the order, the health, the well being of the household.

I believe a homemaker must be true to the highest ideals of love, loyalty, service and religion.

I believe home must be an influence for good in the neighborhood, the community, the country.

For those of us who are Christian women desiring to first honor our Lord Jesus Christ with our life and then serve our husbands and children, let this creed be an encouragement that our place in the home washing loads of laundry, cleaning piles of dishes and making sacks of lunches will one day be rewarded with words from our Heavenly Father that are far greater than any ‘Thank you’ could ever be:

Well done, good and faithful servant.

Food on Friday: Fruit Pizza March 14, 2008

This is one my tried-and-true favorites. It’s very simple and a good kids’ treat because they can help make it.

Fruit Pizza

One tube refrigerated sugar cookie dough (or your favorite recipe)

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup powered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

chopped fruit including strawberries, kiwi and pineapple

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the sugar cookie dough onto a floured cookie sheet into a circle about 1/2 inch thick, or roll out into a circular disposable foil pan (similar to a pizza pan.) Bake in oven for about 7-8 minutes (it should be soft). Let cool on cooling rack. While cooling, mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla together with an electric mixer for about 1-2 minutes until mixture is spreadable. Spread on top of cookie pizza and top with cut fruit.

Option: You can make smaller individual pizzas by using a circle or any other shape cookie cutter to cut to the rolled-out dough. Place those cut outs on the cookie sheet and bake for 7 minutes and then follow the recipe accordingly.

This is a great treat for the holidays!