poppie tarts

Confession.  I haven't made these yet but I will tomorrow. You ate them, your kids some how have tasted them either because you bought them or someone gave 'em one.  I blame my girls' pop tart intro on daycare.  They love them.  I refuse to take a nibble.  So I googled a "healthier" version minus the trans fat, artificial flavors and high fructose corn syrup:  2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tblspn sugar, 1 stick cold unsalted butter, 1 egg, 1/3 cup ice cold water,
jam or preserves (such as Smucker’s Simply Fruit or Polaner All Fruit), and 1 cup confectioner’s sugar. Heat oven to 375 and check the rest of the recipe and frosting out here,  Let me know how yours tastes!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Belle has been fighting a cold off and on for a few weeks.  So I tried some ACV.  Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar has some natural bacteria-fighting agents containing stuff like potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, copper, iron, etc.  Feel a cold coming? Mix 2 teaspoons of ACV into a cup of water and chug several times a day. I also threw some carrot juice to mask the taste but you could also add honey. The vinegar will help rebalance the body's acid level. Chest cold?  An old school home remedy touts soaking a piece of brown paper in vinegar then sprinkling one side of it with black pepper. Place the peppered side of the paper on the chest, cover with a towel, and relax for 20 minutes. For better results, purchase the organic ACV or make your own with this recipe.   Here's more interesting things you can do with ACV.  

welcome to crayon town

My good friend Darlene has a crayon town. In her carport.  The little area is all recyclable refrigerator boxes which you can snag from Home Depot for FREE.  Then grab scissors for the windows and doors, crayons, and a little shipping tape to create tunnels and help the town stay standing.  Let the kiddies play, crawl, and draw while you sit and reeee-lax.  Check out these soy crayons or eco-friendly recycled star crayons.  Happy coloring.

Organically Yummy

Ever have your little one eat a whole carrot and say "Thanks mom!"  Every other Tuesday I get a box of organic veggies and fruit from Full Circle Farm for $30. Delivered to my office.  There's something about receiving these boxes that makes my girls go bananas.  And I can customize my box to our favorites or let Full Circle surprise me.  I also get two new recipes featuring items from my box.  Organic costs more of course, but it really tastes better, ask my little carrot eater, and it's better for your fam.  Give it a peek.

pumpkin eater

So you bought a pumpkin for your kiddies, you carved it using a template, it's on display...now what? Eat the inside. Simmer the pumpkin seeds for 10 minutes with salt then bake them for 20 minutes on 350. Seeds are a fab source of zinc and amino acids. Then take the slimy orange guts which are loaded with the good stuff - potassium, fiber, and vitamin E and make pumpkin bars or 36 of these tasty pumpkin recipes. Of course you can compost the carved pumpkin after Halloween. Your dogs can even eat the pumpkin innards, just be careful, it can act as a laxative. Here's other stuff you can do with your orange ball.

40 ways

There are 40 ways to skin a cat and a few ways to have a pet hamster. Here's one. Janae turned 5 last week and received a pet hamster. I am not a fan of furry small creatures. This one works though because it has 4 wheels, a cute pink piggy nose, and it comes with a name. Jilly. A Zhu Zhu pet. Battery operated at $8 each. All the rage with the kiddies. It even squeaks and of course you can buy scarves, hats and blankets for it, a hamster tunnel, sleeping dome,and other absolutely unnecessary but cute items. To be eco-friendly you could for go the plastic accessories and use shoe boxes for tunnels and sleeping areas for your child's new pet. If your crafty, you could even sew clothes and blankets for it out of left over fabrics or unwearable, ill-fitting play clothes. Peep these at Target, Toy R Us, and any other toy laden dynasty that makes your kiddies run wild.

Flying Fruit - Kid Tips

"Mommie, I'm hungry. I want a snack please." I hear this alot. Like, everyday. More and more, the choices are fruit and veggies. Do you want a banana, peach, cantaloupe or some celery with peanut butter? I ask. I rarely buy fruit roll ups, fish crackers and other easy, processed, cheap options. And with the delicious, nutritional, expensive fruit (sometimes organic), comes the fruit flies. I hate it. Here's how you kill em. Pour 3 parts apple cider vinegar and 1 part dish detergent into a shallow flat dish. Talk about building it and they will come! They love the sweet scent, dive in and die. To mask the scent of the vinegar and to memorialize their quick passing, I usually light a soy candle. Nectarine, anyone?