Fondue...at Home!

My husband and I are big fans of The Melting Pot.  Well, not big, actually, huge.  Yeah, that sums it up a little better.  We just love that place for its three courses of fondue, primarily, but also for the slow, leisurely environment that a fondue dinner entails.  The very nature of fondue just takes longer than a traditional restrauant, since you are basically only cooking bite-size portions of your meal at one time.  And in today's world of rush, rush, rush, it is so nice to not be in and out of a restaurant in an hour, especially if you are out for a special occasion or on a much-anticipated date night.  (What? A leisurely dinner without kids?  Is this possible?)

If you have never been to a Melting Pot, book your visit there for your next special evening out.  It will be guaranteed to please!  The Melting Pot

However, maybe you are like we are and going out on special occasions isn't always a possibility, both budget-wise and also because you have little ones at home to make arrangements for every time you want to go out, which not only adds additional aggravation to the planning, but additional expense as well.  If so, then why not take the Melting Pot to you for those special occasions?  Put the kids to bed, get dressed up, light some candles and voila - an impromptu fondue experience at home without the additional stress of reservations, babysitters and high bills.

Here is my recipe for a fun fondue evening at home.  My husband and I have done the full experience for an at-home date night many times and I have also done the appetizer and dessert courses only with some friends for a Ladies Night Out.  Remember, that for each course, there are always substitutions you can make youself; I have merely included items that I know The Melting Pot uses in their courses, purely for a more authentic experience of bringing The Melting Pot to your home.  Bon Appetit!

First, you will need a fondue pot and if you plan to do the entree course and the appetizer course, then an electric fondue pot is a must.  The traditional candle ones will keep food hot, but will not cook it.  I highly recommend Rival's Fondue Pot.  It has brought us many years of fondue without problem and is reasonably priced.



Advance Preparation
The day you will be having your fondue gathering, you will need to prepare all of the courses in advance.  This entails cutting the food into bite-size pieces and displaying on a platter and also making the dipping sauces.  Note that you will need to wash the fondue pot out between the 3 courses if you only have one of them (which I do).  This only takes a few minutes, so pour yourself a nice glass of wine and spend less than 5 minutes washing out the pot without complaining :).

Cheese fondue preparation:
Place on a platter: baby carrots, cubed French bread, cubed apple chunks, and celery pieces.

Pre-measure all ingredients for the cheese fondue for an easier time making it later on during your event.

Entree fondue preparation:
Place in a divided platter: cubed uncooked chicken chunks, cubed filet mignon, cubed marinated steak, raw shrimp with the tail removed, cubed raw salmon.

Place on another platter: Sliced, raw potatoes; raw broccoli; raw whole mushrooms

Dipping sauces:
Teriyaki sauce (bottled)
Barbeque sauce (bottled)
Hoisin plum sauce (bottled)

Cocktail sauce (mix 3 parts ketchup to 1 part horseradish; add more horseradish if desired)

The Melting Pot's Green Goddess Sauce (recipe below)

Green Goddess Sauce (compliments of The Melting Pot)

8 ounces cream cheese, cut into slices

1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons finely sliced chives

In a microwave-safe container, microwave cream cheese and milk for 2 to 4 minutes, whisking after each minute, until cream cheese melts and mixture is smooth. Stir in sour cream, onion, parsley and chives. Refrigerate until cold.

Dessert fondue preparation

Place on a platter: marshmallows, hulled strawberries, sliced bananas, cut up homemade or bakery brownie, sliced bakery cheesecake

Pre-measure all dessert fondue ingredients for an easier time making it later on during your event.

Course 1: Cheese Fondue

Swiss Cheese Fondue
16 oz. shredded Swiss
-or-
8 oz. shredded Gruyere and 8 oz. shredded Emmanthaler
1/2 cup dry white wine
1T. flour mixed with 1T water
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Heat wine in fondue pot over med-hi heat.  Add cheese and stir until melted.  Add flour mixture to stabilize consistency.  Sprinkle in nutmeg.

Cheddar Cheese Fondue
16 oz. shredded Cheddar
1c. hard cider or beer
1T. flour mixed with 1T water
1tsp. minced garlic
Garlic powder

Heat cider or beer over med-hi heat.  Add garlic until fragrant.  Add cheese and stir until melted.  Add flour mixture to stabilize consistency.  Sprinkle with garlic powder.

Enjoy with your platter of bread, celery, apples and carrots!

Course 2: Entree

Fill fondue pot with 4 cups of chicken broth.  Season with garlic powder and seasoned salt.  Heat on hi and place raw meats and veggies on individual fondue rods to cook.  Potatoes can be placed in the pot for several minutes to cook, until tender.  Below are cooking guidelines:

Chicken: 3 minutes or until no longer pink
Beef: 2 minutes or less, depending on preference
Veggies: 3 minutes

Serve with your variety of dipping sauces.  Remember to not place any raw meat onto the plate from which you are eating!

Course 3: Dessert Fondue

Fill fondue pot with chocolate chips of choice.  Add 1c. heavy cream to the mixture and also 1T. liquor, if desired.  You can experiment with tastes for this one.  Below are some favorites:

• Yin and Yang:  white and dark chocolate
• Peanut Butter: milk chocolate chips and peanut butter chips
• Turtle: milk chocolate, melted caramels and chopped pecans
• White Chocolate Raspberry:  white chocolate chips and raspberry liquor (Framboise)

 Dip your platter of brownies, strawberries, marshmallows and bananas.  It is better to drizzle the chocolate onto the cheesecake than to actual dip the cheesecake, in order to avoid having the cake break into pieces.

Coffee Punch

Iif you are anything like myself and just l-o-v-e a good cup of coffee, but you are not true coffee-lover material since you love that cup of coffee with all of the good stuff that "hides" the true coffee flavor, as some will say, then this Coffee Punch and its holiday variation are just for you.  Yes, it's chilled, but everyone who claims to not like iced coffee always goes crazy over this stuff whenever I make it.  Really, it's like a glorified ice cream float, except that the large scoop of ice cream diffuses into the punch.  It's perfect for elegant affairs, for outdoor parties in the summertime when you don't want to serve hot coffee, or just as a change to the standard soda and juice punch.  Give it a try, you'll love it.  Trust me.

This recipe was originally compliments of Southern Living magazine.  Enjoy!

Coffee Punch

12 cups of brewed and chilled regular or decaffeinated coffee

1 half-gallon container of vanilla ice cream

1 can of Redi-Whip whipped cream

4 cups of whole milk

3/4 cup Nesquik

Brew coffee the night before you will be serving this and chill overnight black.  When you are ready to assemble the punch, pour the coffee into a punch bowl.  Add the milk and Nesquik.  Stir well until blended.  Scoop the entire container of ice cream into the bowl.  Finish by squirting the can of whipped cream into the bowl.  The recipe calls for the whole can but I usually end up using about 3/4 and then I add some more once the ice cream and whipped cream diffuse, to give the second half of the punch a pick-me-up halfway through the event.  Enjoy!

***You can always add Baily's Irish Cream, Rum, Vodka, or Kahlua to the punch, according to your preference in strength, if you would like to serve alcohol at your event.***

***For a delicious Christmas variation, use 1 quart of eggnog instead of the plain whole milk.  Sprinkle the whipped cream with nutmeg after filling up the bowl.  You may also add rum to the punch (according to your preference in strength) if you would like a spiked punch for a holiday party.  Enjoy!***

No Canned Pumpkin This Year? No Problem!

After a summer filled with abundant amounts of yellow squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchnini - you name it, we probably got enough of it from our garden to sustain a small village - we have now entered the fall harvest and have this time been blessed with a plethora of pumpkins.  Our cup certainly overfloweth as a result of a few small seeds and some water :)

So, I spent last weekend cheerfully cutting down our dried cornstalks for decoration on our porch and creating fall displays of pumpkins in various sizes at the base of my stalks.  Oh how lovely and fallish!  Bring on the hot apple cider and pumpkin spice lattes.  And where are those apples?  I want to bob for one!

And then....the second load of pumpkins came in from the garden.  And the third.  The boys were overjoyed at our truckloads of pumpkins being left in heaps on our porch, strewn across our welcome bench, haphazardly placed on the ground, which, mind you, completely negated my previous decorating efforts of which I had been so proud.

So here we are, mid-September, a time when I usually have not even taken the kids pumpkin picking yet.  And already we have enough pumpkins to carve the entire Duggar family in Jack-o-Lantern form, if we so desire.  And let's not forget the smaller, "pie" pumpkin variety that has flourished even more than the carving pumpkins at this point.  I have given many away and still our porch is covered with them.

So, as I dig our family out from the Great Pumpkin Invasion, I have decided to invest some time in researching and trying various ways of processing and enjoying fresh pumpkin.  I will admit that I am a bit of a pumpkin fanatic.  As soon as August hits, I start thinking about how in a month's time, I can again enjoy all of the pumpkin goodies of the fall - pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin spice lattes, and, of course, pumpkin pie.  So, this research has been quite exciting to me, as I dream of eating fresh pumpkin treats until my pants no longer button.  My husband shares in my joy (except I'll take his latte since he would never go near one).  But, I did not know how it would go over with the three little people, who act like I have just served them roadkill for dinner most nights.  What would they think of that delicious, yet quite strong, taste of pumpkin?

And the verdict?  So far, so good.  They have gobbled up our pumpkin treats with vigor and have even asked for- brace yourselves - seconds! 

So, with the canned pumpkin shortage this year at the supermarket, think about processing your own pumpkin puree and solving that problem without even having to call Libby's to complain!  It is really very easy and there is nothing to be afraid of.  Got that, ladies?  So just give it a try and leave a comment, letting me know how your pumpkin pie and other goodies turned out.  I'll bet you one large Jack-o-Lantern that they will be the best pumpkin sweets you have ever eaten!

Pumpkin Puree

What You’ll Need

1—6 to 8 inch “pie” pumpkin

A sharp, large serrated knife

A cutting board

An ice cream scoop

A large, covered Pyrex or other oven-safe baker

Directions

1. Find a pie pumpkin., which are smaller, sweeter, less grainy textured pumpkins than the usual jack-o-lantern types.  Grocery stores usually carry them in late September through December.  They're only about 8 inches in diameter. Look for one that is firm, no bruises or soft spots, and a good orange color. One 6-8 inch pie pumpkin will produce 3-4 cups of pumpkin puree.

2. Wash the exterior of the pumpkin in cool or warm water, no soap.

3. Cut the pumpkin in half.  A serrated knife and a sawing motion works best - a smooth knife is more likely to slip and hurt you!

4. Scoop out the seeds and scrape the insides.  You want to get out that stringy, dangly stuff that coats the inside surface.  A heavy ice cream scoop works great for this.

5. Place the two halves of your pumpkin, cut side facing up, into your oven-safe, covered baker and fill with 3 cups of water.

6. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour to 1.5 hours, until the pumpkin is very soft and a knife easily inserts into it.

7. Remove from oven and from baker and let cool. When cool, scrape the puree into a large bowl. It should come out very easily and in large chunks.

8. Place puree into a food processor or blender and puree for several minutes, until smooth. That’s all, you are now ready to use your puree in recipes or freeze it.  .

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Ingredients

1 homemade or purchased single pastry 9” pie crust (see My Favorite Apple Pie Recipe for a homemade crust)

1 cup sugar

1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

3 cups pumpkin puree

1.5 cans (12oz each) of evaporated milk
3-4 drops red food coloring to enhance orange color (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Mix all of the filling ingredients above with an electric mixer or blender.

3. Pour filling into your pie crust up until about 1/2-1/4” from the top. It will be runny at this point but will firm up in the oven.

4. Bake at 425 degrees for the first 15 minutes; then reduce the oven temperature to 350 and bake another 60 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out dry and clean.

5. Let cool or enjoy warm and serve alone or with ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy!

Extras?

If you have extra puree after you do your baking, here are a few good ideas to use up the leftovers.  Enjoy!

• Use leftover pumpkin pie filling mix to make Pumpkin French Toast for a special breakfast. The eggs, spice and milk are already there so just dip your bread slices in the mixture and put onto your skillet until golden. Happy fall!
• Blend some of your leftover pumpkin puree into a homemade meatloaf, meatballs or mix in with pasta and sauce.  Only use about 1/4- 1/2 cup for an entire recipe.  The nutrients will be there; the taste will not.  The kids love this (since they don't even know what is happening to them !)
• Mix any leftover pumpkin puree into pancake mixture for Pumpkin Pancakes.  Use about 1/4-1/2 cup for the single recipe.
• Babies love pureed pumpkin as a quick and easy form of homemade baby food.  Or, for older babies and children, mix with some applesauce for a different take on, well, applesauce.  Only this one has one of those dreaded veggies in it, but at least it's not green, right?  Tell them it's a new type of applesauce and they'll likely try it.
• Freeze it.  your fresh puree can be frozen in Ziploc freezer bags or in other plastic containers for future use.  If there is some moisture in your puree when you defrost it, just drain that off before using it to avoid having watery baked goods

Don't Forgot Those Seeds!

If you are one of the rare kind like myself and my husband who will actually take the time and effort to remove, clean and roast the pumpkin seeds for a tasty, crunchy snack, then this section is for you.  Basically, there is not much difference in how you roast the seeds; the differences lie in how you season them.  Enjoy!

To roast pumkin seeds, remove the seeds and place in a colandar.  Clean them and remove all pumpkin membrane.  Dry and place in a bowl with 1/4-1/3 cup olive oil, depending on how many you are roasting.  Seeds from an entire pie pumpkin would probably be 1/4 cup; those from a Jack-o-Lantern would be 1/3 cup.  Mix until coated and place in a single layer on a foil-lined cookie sheet with sides.  Roast at 350 for 20 minutes or until golden.  Remove and promptly season with one or more of the following:

• 
  
  Salt
• 
  
  Cinnamon Sugar
• 
  
  Seasoned Salt
• 
  
  Garlic Powder and Salt
• 
  
  Cayenne Pepper

Blasted Little Triangles!

So, I finally caved in the other night while I was at the supermarket to pick up some salad and whipped cream for my husband's birthday dinner.  I had my two purchases and had intentionally not taken a basket for the sole purpose of exiting the store with only those items for which I had made the special trip.  But, as I was rounding the corner to the check-out, Romaine in one hand and Cool Whip in the other, I saw them staring at me from the endcap.  Their little white tips and brightly colored stripes.  Those blasted little triangles that always seem so juvenile, a little too sweet, but irresistable nonetheless.  You guessed it- candy corn.  And they were just beckoning me to walk over and buy them.  I mean it's practically October so date-wise I supoose I wasn't being entirely absurd.  And I couldn't come home with just salad, right? (How quickly I am forgetting about the Cool Whip, as if to brainwash myself into thinking that there are no other sweets in my near future...)  The kids would like them.  Yes, we need them for some upcoming fall baking and I wasn't able to find them after Halloween last year.  Must. Buy. Now.

And how convenient that they were located so close to the register anyways, right?  Must be destiny.

So, I scrutinized the bags - these were the pre-packaged bulk food variety from Landis, not a commercial brand - and found a reasonably priced bag.  And lo and behold I purchased my first fall candy of the season.

So, what does one do with candy corn, other than grab a few out of the candy dish everytime you pass by?  Uh, really, there's another use than that?

I have a few ideas that we have done in the past or will likely be trying this year.  Happy eatin' and trick-or-treatin'! :)

Candy Corn Bark
I like to give credit where credit is due so this originally came from The Recipe Girl.  We in the Martin household like to bake.  And often.  However, with three young children whose interest in the activity usually lasts about as long as it takes to preheat the oven, we like some fast, fun recipes together....and then some not fast, but still fun, recipes for Mommy to do alone over naptime :)

So candy bark is a favorite here. Peppermint Bark.  Jelly Bean Bark.  Ah-ha, you say - Candy Corn Bark!  I do believe we are on to something here...Oreos, pretzels, white chcolate and candy corn make for a very bright and cheery special treat to celebrate the Halloween season. 

Ingredients - Oreo cookies, Candy corn, Pretzels, White chocolate wafers, Orange and brown jimmies

1. Break Oreos and pretzels into bite-size pieces and lay on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet with the candy corn.

 2. Melt white chocolate wafers; they will melt much better than white chocolate chips but you can use chips and just add a teaspoon of Crisco to thin it out.  Pour over the top.

3. Sprinkle with jimmies and chill until set.  You should be able to pick up the entire thing at once without it breaking, if it has chilled long enough. 

4. Break into individual pieces and enjoy!

Turkey Cookies

These are so cute that I just want to -gobble, gobble - them all up!  My boys and I made these last year for the first time and they were a tremendous hit, both to decorate and to eat.  They are incredibly easy and just adorable.  Way cuter than the big brown turkey you'll be eating on Thanksgiving.

Ingredients-

Favorite round sugar cookies, either homamde, slice 'n bake or purchased.

Candy corn

Mini M&Ms

Orange decorating icing

Melted chocolate chips

1. When cookies are cool, melt chocolate chips in the microwave at 30 second intervals.

2. To decorate turkey - spread enough chocolate at the top of the cookie to hold 6-7 candy corns as shown; place 2 dots of chocolate for the eyes and stick mini M&Ms on; use another dot of chocolate for eye pupils; use the orange icing to draw feet and a beak, as shown.

3. Let dry completely and enjoy!

Candy Corn Decorating
Candy corn is so thick and dense that it is also a good candidate for dressing up the house for Halloween.  If you have any you can spare, that is.  I know we do not do anything scary for Halloween in our house, partly because of the kids being so young and mainly because I just find gory Halloween decor just, well, creepy.  There's just something about a bloodshot eyeball floating in a vase that doesn't quite scream "decorative" to me :).  But, to me, candy corn are an adorable way of bringing some Halloween festivity to your home without the gore or the cost of buying pre-made tchotchkes.

1. (Simplest) Fill up some different glass jars with candy corn and place around for decoration or as centerpieces for a party.

2. (Simpler) Stick simgle pieces of candy corn onto floral wire and place into flower arrangements or centerpieces to liven them up for the season.  The candy corn "pumpkins" would also work for this.  Add a Halloween colored ribbon and you now have a Halloween-themed centerpiece.

3. (Simple)  Make a candy corn wreath.  Originally from kidswonderart.com.

ingredients -

10 inch foam wreath

3-4 bags of candy corn

Hot glue gun

Toothpicks

Halloween foamies (optional)

Mod Podge or spray sealer

#1. Make sure all of the candy corn are basically the same size.

#2. Dab a bit of hot glue to the styrofoam and place one piece of candy corn on it. Continue the process placing each piece of candy corn in opposite directions.  Try to work in straight rows covering the entire form. You can make a second layer which will cover any spaces. You'll need to be careful moving the wreath.

#3. For the finishing take the wreath outdoors and spray the wreath with a sealer. Leave outside until dry. This will also help to keep the candy corn stabilized on the form.

#4. Attach the Halloween foamie shapes to a toothpick and place them at random into the wreath. Then add the ribbon. This is optional.  Your wreath is ready to be displayed indoors

My Favorite Apple Pie

Our family went apple picking today and came home with 20 lbs. of Honey Crisp apples.  So, thoughts of homemade applesauce are on my mind for tomorrow, when I have more energy after today's outing.  But what I did know was that I wanted to use up the last 6 Gala apples I had bought at our local supermarket a few days ago.  Clean out the "old" and bring in the new!  And what better way to use up apples when I know we will be eating dinner at home on a Saturday night?  Homemade apple pie, of course :)

Below is my absolute favorite apple pie recipe, and we have tried many of them before.  It uses a shortening crust for flakiness and is a crumb-topped pie instead of a double pastry crust.  Enjoy!

Crust

1-1/4c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1/3c. plus 1T. shortening

5T. ice cold water

Filling

6 apples, cored, peeled and sliced

2T. lemon juice

2/3c. white sugar

1 pinch ground cloves

1tsp. allspice

1tsp. cinnamon

3T. cornstarch

Topping

1/3c. brown sugar

1/2c. all-purpose flour

1tsp. cinnamon

5T butter, softened

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix the 1-1/4c. flour and 1tsp. salt for the crust together.  Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender.  Add the ice water and stir with a fork until the dough basically sticks together into a ball.  Be careful not to knead your dough too much; this will make it heavy and tough!  Place dough on a pie mat and roll to 12" circle.  Lay over top of a pie plate and gently press into the dish.  Trim excess dough to the edge of the plate and roll the rest over to form a lip.  Press edges with a fork or make a decorative edge on your crust, however desired.

Place all of the filling ingredients into a bowl and mix well.  Fill uncooked pie crust with filling.

Mix all topping ingredients until coarse crumbs form.  Sprinkle on top of the filling. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes.  Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Classic Wooden Toys

Some women have a thing for chocolate.  Or shoes.  Or purses. I have a thing for classic wooden toys.  Ok, let's be honest here and say that I have a thing for chocolate, shoes and purses, too :).  But seriously, I find myself drawn to displays or catalogs of adorable wooden toys.  I don't know if watching Little House on the Prairie most days during my childhood or the fact that, in general, I love vintage items, has anything to do with this fettish.  But whatever reason, I just can't get enough of them.  They just seem so classic, so sturdy, and I can picture my own grandchildren using them when they visit in another 30 years. I envision myself selling all of the modern toys we have when my kids outgrow them, but packing our wooden ones away in our attic as a reminder of these sweet innocent years in my babies' lives.  To me, nothing even compares.

With the holidays quickly approaching, I decided that I am going to do some additional posts with product recommendations, things we've used in the Martin household and have been able to compare to other items.  I've only been a mom for 4.5 years, but with the number of toys that have entered and exited this house, I feel that I definitely have some thoughts on some favorites that I would recommend to a friend if she asked me for ideas.

So, for the next few minutes, forget about flashing, talking plastic toys and put yourself back to a simpler time when toys were wooden and children were content to use their imaginations to play with them for hours at a time.  I love that several modern companies apparently share my fettish for wooden toys and market such a vast array of items with this classic feel.  Yes, these items are probably a little more expensive than their counterparts, but trust me, they will last a lot longer and are a lot sturdier.  So, to give my favorite companies some recognition, I have recommended a few favorites from each.  I hope this will touch your heart and help with your holiday shopping this year.

Parents/Battatt
Parents magazine has teamed up with Battatt to offer some really classic toys for kids.  Not all of them are wooden, but I must admit that I even love those since they are really classic and well-made, even if not wooden.  Since this is a post on wooden toys, though, below are a few favorites of ours in this genre.

Around the Block Wagon.  (4 months +)  I'd highly recommend this product.  It works as a very sturdy walker to prop a young baby at when he/she is learning to walk.  It will not topple over or collapse on them when they pull up on their own, as some less sturdy models will.  In addition, the 40 blocks inside the wagon are hours of fun for babies as young as four months old up until 4+ years.  My 4.5 year old still stacks these blocks and knocks them down with his trucks daily!



Busy Zoo Activity Center.  (6 months - 36 months)  Another fun, sturdy toy that has loads for Baby to do.  It's so sturdy that your little one who is not quite stable standing yet, can pull up onto this and it will not go anyplace.  So much to keep Baby occupied!


Raise The Roof Barnyard (3 years +) This barnyard is fun for multiple children to use at once. It has tons of animals and pens, troughs and other barnyard props to play with.  The best part is the working shoot, where they can send food pellets down the silo to the animals to feed them.  There are also working windows and doors. Plus, you can open the roof to allow more than just one or two children to be involved. And there are no batteries required which means the kids are responsible for all sounds and actions!

Haba
The Kringlering.  (3-18 months)This baby toy may look too simple to be enjoyable, but in actuality, I think that is why it's my baby's favorite.  Ever notice how babies will become attached to the simplest objects and leave their more "exciting" toys cast aside?  Well, babies like to hold, chew and shake things and this does all three without overstimulating the baby by singing, dancing or lighting up (imagine that).  It's hard, but pliable since it's made up of beads on a single sturdy string.  It shakes like a rattle without being overstimulating and it's bright and easy to hold.  Love the Kringlering!  Come on, I know you want to get one yourself just for it's uber cool name :).



Pushing Car.  (9 months+) I cannot say enough good things about this car.  It's expensive, yes, but is sturdier than most outdoor wagons.  This would be a great item to look for on Craig's List since it is lasting and that will help to bring the cost down.  It is a walker, a push car, a wagon, and is sturdy enough to carry a child in the front ( we know from much experience!).  Baby can use it for support as he makes his first steps, can be pushed in it himself, can tote his friend or his belongings in it, and more.  My 4.5 year old still has loads of fun filling this up with the help of his 2.5 year old brother.


Melissa and Doug
I don't even know where to start with Melissa and Doug, we have so many of their toys and just adore all of them.  All of their classic wooden puzzles are high on our list.  I would highly recommend them and remember that AC Moore and Michael's sell many Melissa and Doug products that you could buy with the 40%-50% off coupons in their weekly circulars.  Below are a few other, more unique Melissa and Doug toys that we love around here.  And from experience, I know that if you do ever have a problem with a Melissa and Doug toy, they will mail you a new one without even having to send the broken one back, no questions asked.  I actually called and complained about two products that were less than perfect, just because I had paid money for them so why shouldn't they be perfect?  They sent a new one right away and told me they didn't need the damaged one.  So, I did a patch job on the damaged one and have it at the grandparents' house for the kids to use there.  It has its flaws, but it's still mostly useable so it was a shame to throw it out. 

Geometric Stacker.  (9 months +) This is one of those toys that all kids who enter our house are drawn to.  I feel like I have just finished finding all of the pieces to it when - bam - it's taken apart again.  It's a great fine motor skill activity and I love that there are three different poles on which to stack the blocks, with the squares being more challenging than the other two. 



Froggie Face Rattle.  (3 months - 18 months)  baby will love this adorable froggie rattle and it also comes in a cute monkey version, too.  The eyes shake back and forth and the big handle make it easy to grasp and chew.  And come on, isn't this just the cutest?


Unit Block Sets. (2 years +).  Melissa and Doug has a full line of unit block sets that are as basic as you can get, but in my opinion, this makes them better.  They really encourage independent play and imagination, for even the youngest children.  They comes in big sturdy wooden containers with handles, for easy storage.  We have the Basic Unit Blocks, the Architectural Unit Blocks and the Deluxe Wooden Town Blocks.  They come out practically everyday at our house.Melissa and Doug Unit Block Sets


Radio Flyer
Town and Country Wagon. (ages 9 months +)  We love this wagon so much that we have not one, but two of them!  Yup, one for each boy in our family.  Actually, our original one was my husband's from the early 1980's, so yes, that makes it 30 years old and still alive and kicking.  It was in perfect condition structurally, just in need of a paint pick-me-up, so a few years ago I did this and - voila! - a "new" wagon for our first son.  When our second son came along, we saw how much our first son used this and knew that this wagon would last for years to come, so we asked for a second one for a birthday gift from his grandparents.  Now, each boy has his own, to use now and save for their own children later down the road. 

I must say that we prefer this wagon over others because of its rustic appeal.  Sure, it doesn't have individual seats and seatbelts like some of the others, but we love this about it.  We can fit three kids in this easily for a ride and it is also perfect for the boys to tote their belongings around in when they play outside.  The side panels come up for easy access and it's so sturdy.  I love watching each boy wheel his toys around to the other side of our property when they are playing together outside.  We even give our 10 month old baby a ride in the wagon by just placing a towel or blanket underneath her for some added comfort.

Birthday Party Planning on a Budget

Who doesn't love a good party?  I certainly anticipate any upcoming event we will be throwing with joy and excitement, especially when that event is one of our children's birthday parties.  There really is nothing like seeing your child's eyes light up on his or her own special day and watching him eagerly wait for his guests to arrive for the big event. 

Party planning can be fun but later seeing an excessive number of charges appear on your credit card statement due to said event, is not fun.  There are a plethora of companies willing to sell you the full-blown array of Dora the Explorer party gear, for example, often for a price that would make Dora sigh "Dios Mio."  There are also countless venues that will rent you their facility in which to host your party if you would prefer to entertain away from your own home.  Some of these are quite inexpensive, whereas others are on the pricey side.  Regardless of what you decide to incorporate into your little prince or princess' party, the costs can quickly add up.

Two years ago, I was asked to speak on the topic of planning a birthday party on a budget at one of our Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) meetings at my church.  I often use the majority of the below tips when planning my own children's parties and have stayed within the $100-$150 range for each of these events.  Granted, this will vary based on the number of people you have attending the parties and the areas in which you decide to splurge on something really special to both you and your child.  But either way, let me reassure you that it is possible to throw an extra special party for your little one without having to take a line of credit out to do it.  Enjoy!

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• Decide what you can afford to spend on the party. Stick to it.  No exceptions.

• Pick an inexpensive location. Parks and backyards are great for warm weather and are often either free or very inexpensive to rent; inside the house or a public building (church, fast food restaurant with play land, etc.) are comparable for cool weather.   There are also local venues in most areas that are kid-geared and quite inexpensive to rent.  Mr. B's Cafe at Calvary Church of Souderton is a great example of one of those places in my area, for anyone who is local.

• Borrow whatever you can from friends or other contacts.  This includes decorations, extra tables and chairs, tents, serving pieces, etc.  The party will very quickly add up if on top of having to purchase the necessary party goods, you also end up needing to rent tables and chairs or buy a new punch bowl.
 
• Invitations: Handwritten, homemade or computer-generated invitations work well and add a personal touch to the party.  If you like, you can even give them out by hand and save a few dollars on stamps. Or, if your child's friends (or their parents) all have e-mail addresses, consider using an online service such as Evite.com.

• Food: Try to make as much of the food yourself as you can, even if it’s not fancy. This includes the cake, if possible. Enlist the aid of grandparents and family members. Purchase any premade foods in bulk, and remember that kids are usually happy with inexpensive foods like hot dogs and pasta salad. Have plenty of snacks such as goldfish crackers and pretzels on hand, too.  Also remember that homemade is not always necessarily the least expensive.  Costso has a mean potato salad that runs about $7 or $8 for a huge tub.  So, unless you are set on Grandma Pearl's homemade potato salad, this could be a less expensive alternative, and a huge time-saver.

• Beverage: Serve juice, punch or soda from large bottles, rather than offering individual containers or juice boxes.

• Games: Play classic games such as Red Light, Green Light or Hide ‘n Seek. For games with “props’, see if you can make any of the components yourself. Prizes for preschoolers are not necessary; if desired, consider offering a “service reward” such as allowing that child to pick their goody bag first, have the first piece of cake (after the birthday child, of course!), etc.

• Entertainment: Expensive, expensive! Consider having Dad or Grandpa dress up as Elmo if you need to have this.

• Make a pinata yourself instead of purchasing one. See www.e-how.com Fill it with inexpensive treats sold in bulk. Fruit snacks; individual portions of Goldfish, Cheddar Bunnies, etc.; and granola bars also make good fillers that are often less expensive than pre-packaged pinata filler assortments or other candies.

• For theme parties, choose a few paper goods to purchase in the (expensive) print and then fill in the rest with coordinating solid-colored paper goods. Same goes for balloons – pick one or two mylar ones and fill in the rest with less expensive latex ones.

• Try incorporating some items you already have on hand as part of the decorations instead of purchasing (expensive) party store decorations. Not everything needs to come from the party store so think outside the box and be creative!  If your son is having a Disney Cars party, pull out those plush Lightening McQueens for centerpieces.  Same for a princess party.  Decorate the table with wands and purses from your daughter's dress-up stash.

• Use paper lunch bags as goody bags. They are least expensive in the natural brown color but white and other colors are still less expensive than buying premade goody bags or boxes.  Decorate with stickers or rubber stamps. Or have the birthday child decorate them for his friends.

• Pick a few areas to splurge for those “must-haves” but watch your spending in other less important areas.  Goody bags are not necessary if you will be doing a pinata for one of the activites since everyone will pocket some take-homes from that.  Be sure to stay within your set budget!

• My favorite web sites:

1. http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/ (hundreds of birthday cake ideas)
2. http://www.orientaltrading.com/ (great for party goods, goodie bags, crafts, décor)
3. http://www.birthdaydirect.com/ (great party supplies for less)
4. http://www.e-how.com/ (how to do just about anything…literally.)
5. http://www.birthdaypartyideas.com/ (real life testimonies with ideas for any theme)

Skillet Lemon Chicken

This is one of our favorite recipes.  It's fast and easy for a quick week-night meal and is also nice enough that it can be 'dressed up' for company.  It was originally a Good Housekeeping recipe and is especially yummy when served over pasta or rice.  Enjoy!

Skillet Lemon Chicken

4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2T. plus 1-1/2 tsp. flour

1/2tsp. salt

1 large egg

2 tsp. olive oil

2T. butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 lemon, thinly sliced

1/2c. chicken broth

1/2c. dry white wine

2T. fresh lemon juice

2T. drained capers

1T. chopped fresh parsley

Between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, with meat mallet or rolling pin, pound chicken breasts to flatten slightly.  On waxed paper, mix 2T. flour with salt.  In a pie plate, with fork, beat egg.  Coat chicken with flour mixture, then egg.

In 12-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until hot.  Stir in 1T. butter until melted.  Add chicken; cook 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium; turn chicken and cook about 8-10 more minutes, until juices run clear.  Tranfer chicken to a warm plate.

Add garlic and lemon slices to drippings in skillet; cook until golden, sauteeing constantly.  In cup, mix chicken broth, wine, lemon juice and 1-1/2tsp. flour until smooth; stir into skillet mixture.  heat sauce to boiling; boil 1 minute.  Stir in capers and remaining 1T. butter until butter melts.  Arrange lemon slices over and between the chicken breasts.  Pour sauce over chicken.  Sprinkle with chopped parsley. 

Makes 4 main-dish servings.

Purge Your Purse

I don't know about you, but as a mom of three who has basically traded in my designer purse for a diaper bag over the past 4.5 years, I am always looking for ways to streamline what I carry on a day-to-day basis.  However, I still want to carry enough mommy essentials so that I do not have to resort to using that unopened sample of Vaseline from after my son's circumcision as a makeshift lipstick when in a pinch.  So, I have looked around and developed a list of some of my favorite "Me Items," ones that I always have when I need a little Mommy pick-me-up.

One of my biggest tips is to use a little makeup bag or clutch purse to store your essentials.  You can place it inside of your diaper bag or purse without having to mull over what you want to bring each time you pack it and you can easily switch it between the two.  It's enough work to figure out what to bring for all of the kids that I don't need to utilize my (limited) brain resources for this, too.   I will often carry my "Me" bag all day long in my diaper bag when I'm out with the kids and then just switch it to a purse when I go to a Mom's Night Out with some friends.  Plus, it keeps everything in the same spot, making it easy to locate and protecting it from being covered in milk from leaking sippy cups.  And when it's time to go, whether with the kids or by yourself, grab your wallet, phone, and this clutch and the process of getting out the door in the morning becomes much more efficient and definitely shorter.

So, what's in a bag?  Here are my essentials that have helped me to purge my purse of unnecessary products, while still enabling me to carry some "Me" items, guilt and hassle-free.

A Travel Toothbrush holder.  This will hold two tampons for those urgent circumstances.

A package of gum or breath mints.  Sometimes having a big girl treat :) that freshens your breath in the meantime, makes the fact that you just ate lunch at McDonald's so that the kids could play on the Playland afterwards, just a bit more palpable.

Stila Convetible Eye Color.  I could go days without makeup but I know that I need to wear eye liner if I do not want to look tired throughout the day.  So, this is my favorite makeup item.  It contains a smooth eye liner, a smudger and an eye shadow all in one.  The middle of the pencil unscrews to reveal the coordinating eye shadow.  It's great for a quick refresher in the bathroom while Dad watches the kids fight over the free crayons and kids menu coloring pages at your restaurant table.



Travel Brush and Mirror.  I love this pop up brush with a compact mirror on the inside.  It's small and will fit just about anyplace.  God knows I have used this on many occasions after taking the kids on fun, outdoor playgroup activities when it is windy out, which resulted in my hair resembling some sort of bird's nest.


Bare Escentuals Quick Stick.  This is another lipstick alternative that is so perfect for everyday.  It is a pencil so it stays on for a long time and easily winds up when needed.   I love the deep casual colors and the fact that it is not greasy or fragrant so you still feel like you are not wearing any lipstick.  Plus, it will not come off the minute you kiss one of your little ones, either.




Oil Blotting Papers.  One such as the Clinique item below is something that is good to keep in your purse for those times when you find yourself sweaty and shiny from all of the energy you exerted at the park with Jimmy or at the Mommy and Me class with Susie.  Trust me, you will feel 100% less in need of an immediate shower if you run one of these over your face.

Eating Out With Children

We have three small children.  As I write this post, they are 4.5 years, 2.5 years and 10 months old.  Yes, they have the energy of, well, a 4.5 year old, 2.5 year old, and 10 month old.  If you have no children or yours are grown enough that you may have missed just quite what I mean here, think back to Tigger in the Winnie the Pooh books, bouncing on his tail, stuttering with excitement on what he has to say, hanging from trees, running from one activity to the next.  Yeah, that's basically everyday around here. (Have I resorted to comparing my three sweeties to fictional animals??)

So eating out can be a challenge with children.  They whine while waiting for a table for 5 on a Saturday night at a popular chain restaurant.  They balk at the menu that has nothing they like to eat on it.  They're messy.  They're loud.  They have to go to the bathroom NOW....right when you're about to take that first bite all evening out of your hamburger and precisely at the moment when the baby has just dumped a glass of water all over the table.

So what do you do?  Well, for one, take a deep breath and remember that God does not give you more than you can handle.  1 Corinthians 10:13 "And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."  Next, once you realize that there is a way to dig yourself out of this kids-meal-sized mess you have gotten yourself into, remember that discipline and consistency are key.  Have every meal at home be representative of what it should be like when you are in public.  Let's see.  OK, deciding not to use silverware and instead eating "Rover style" out of the plate is not acceptable in a restaurant so this should be curbed at home.  Throwing a spoonful of peas at Little Brother because, well, he's the little brother and they're yucky anyways.  Yeah, not really the best idea at home if you want to keep the bottomless bowl of nachos inside the basket instead of on the floor while dining out.  Oh, oh, I have another one!  Screaming he doesn't want any when one of those scary, awful, green things, called - dare we say it - vegetables, is spooned onto your child's plate as a side dish.  Well, you know where I'm going with this...

Once you have tackled the basics of do's and dont's at a restaurant, eating out with your children could actually be an enjoyable experience.  Yes, I mean it, and I'm not just talking about the Cleavers or the Huxtables here.  Any regular family can make eating out with children doable and a pastime that everyone will look forward to.  Following are some products that we use in our family when eating out with the kids.  It makes our life just a little bit easier so I want to pass them along to you.

The Tiny Diner by Kiddopotamus.  We have it in green and blue and I have resisted buying another pink one for my daughter since the oldest no longer uses his so we have one for each of the younger kids to use.  We love it.  It suctions onto the table, provides a clean surface for baby to eat off of, and the trough catches all of the major food droppings so clean up is easier.  As a plus, the trough also doubles as a teether for any young babies who would just love to take a gnaw out of the table at any restaurant.  Now they can without you having to worry about all of the other babies who have gnawed in the same spot.  This makes a great and unique baby shower wishing well gift.

Sesame Street Folding Travel Potty Seat.  I cannot say enough good things about this guy.  It's a folding potty seat that goes in our diaper bag all the time for those times we are on to go and Junior needs to use the big scary (and dirty) potty.  It folds out in a snap, fits any toilet and provides a clean, toddler-sized toilet seat that they can easily use without falling in!  I love that it's so easy to use, that Dad can even help take the boys to the potty when (Murphy's Law) they decide they have to go to minute the food has just arrived at the table.  It's perfect for little boys who don't stand up yet (or have to do their #2 business, which, I will warn you, will happen at the most hectic times while out and about!) and for little girls of all ages.



Portable Kitchen Shears.  Such as the ones by Farberware below are one of my favorite diaper bag items.  I love that these come in a two-pack so you can keep one at home and take one to go.  These will make the process of cutting up plates of food for your little ones into bite-sized pieces while they fuss and whine that they are starving much easier!  They cut through food in a snap and are far easier to use than any knife, especially when you go to a place that only has plastic knives, such as fast food or pizza.  Cut through pizza in long vertical slices through almost the entire piece, stopping at the crust, and then trim in rows horizontally for a full plate of bite-size pieces in about 30 seconds.



Baby Buddy Bib Clip.  I LOVE this product!  It has saved us countless times when we have been out and about, sit down to eat with Baby, and realize that we have no bib to protect her lovely pale pink hand-knit sweater dress.  It turns anything into a bib, whether it's a napkin from the restaurant or a burp cloth from your own diaper bag.  Being a mom of three, I try to think of everything when we go out, but it's inevitable that sometimes things will be forgotten and that is usually a bib in our house.




Sassy On-the-Go Feeding Set.  This is one item that I try to remember to take with us when we are eating out or picnicking.  It is a large divided plate filled with three little ones, all with covers and equipped with a toddler-sized spoon. It is great when eating out at a busy restaurant, when the kids meal you are splitting between your two little ones arrives on one plate and the waitress quickly heads off to help someone else before you realize that you need another plate for the entree and some small bowls for the side dishes.  This works perfectly as an impromptu second divided dish so that both kids can start eating instead of waiting for the waitess to return.  It also has a toddler-sized spoon in case your littlest flatware users just can't get that adult-sized spoon into their mouth.

I'm back...

I have been sitting here trying to conjure a good excuse for not blogging in quite some time.  I have thought of everything from being too busy, to having writer's block to saying my dog ate my keyboard so what other choice did I have?  But, realizing that my only post actually did relate to my dog, who has since gone to doggie heaven and has been there for over half a year (sniff! sniff!), I realize that it has been longer than I had even realized. So, let's just say I was in mourning for dear, sweet Barney the Labrador and call it even. :)

So without further ado, The Proverbs 31 Chronicles is back!  This time, though, I am determined to take all of these ideas, thoughts, trials and suggestions that are constantly running through my mind and make some semblance of reason out of them for your reading delight.  At least I hope to try. 

So, sit back and enjoy. I hope that you have as much fun reading what I have to say as I have writing it.