A Valentine

Valentine's Day is an interesting holiday for me. We don't really celebrate it at my house like others do. Hubby and I will exchange cards and some years there will be flowers waiting for me in the kitchen when I get up. But we don't go out (we hate crowds) and we don't buy gifts. I am thrilled and happy with this non-stress holiday! That said, I do have a little love in my heart for the valentines that kids give to each other.

This year, LM made his for his classmates and a few of his adult friends. If you remember, a couple of years ago we made these. 

Here is what we made this year. I am sorry for the crappy photos.  I took them with my iPhone at work.

Here is what you need to make these cute valentines for almost no money!

• regular brown lunch sacks
• clear plastic treat bags ( I had these, but you can use snack bags or anything you have around)
• Tag design and sticker paper- I printed off these tags on sticker paper from LittleSproutCreations.
• Stickers for closing the plastic bags and goodies to put inside.  I used extra heart stickers and M&Ms

1. Fill the clear bags with your choice of goodies.  I used M&Ms because I wanted something that I could pack flat.  I put between 1/8 and 1/4 Cup in. 
2. Use one of the heart stickers to hold over the folded plastic bag.
3. Open up the lunch sack and place the stickers on the bottom and the M&Ms on top of the stickers.
4. Fold the bag over.  I used the foundation of the bottom of the bag for the size to fold.  I wanted to make sure that my end product was somewhat flat so that it would be easy for my toddler to hold and that they were all a unified size.
5. Use the big sticker already cut out, to hold the bag closed.  I used sticker paper, but you could use double sided tape or string.  
6. Bobs your Uncle, you have a cute valentine.

Of course, I had wanted to decorate the crap out of these things, but I realize that my son isn't represented very much if I girl it up. But.... if you had a girl imagine how cute this would be with a strip of lace wrapped around the package and held down with the sticker.  You also don't have to do dinosaurs, but could do any other image and saying that you like.  I went quick and easy with mine so I just downloaded some already made.   I also just wrote in my son's name.


Do you have a cute Valentine's Day idea?

Linking back to:
Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorphisis Monday
Skip to my Lou

Be patient Mama, and stocking up!

Out of the mouths of babes.
So a few weeks LM and I were in the grocery store together.  I was trying to hustle him along because it was the afternoon and I (selfishly) wanted to get home, change into my jammies and throw that fake log on the fire that was in my grocery cart. LM was walking and NOT in the cart. I asked him to "move out smartly" because he was lagging behind and I didn't want to invoke The Cart Rule. The Cart Rule in our house states that when in a store if you can't stay NEXT to Mama then you get in the cart.  I have no idea what the rule is with Dada, but it is a FIRM rule with me.  Poor LM was really dragging his feet and when I asked him again to put a little hustle in it, he looked up at me with his crazy long eyelashes, gave a big sigh and said, "I am moving, you have to be patient."  Well said LM, well said.  With that I took a minute to slow down my aggressive power walk and wait up for him.

On another note, I spent time last weekend restocking the freezer with a few freezer meals so I CAN be more patient.  I am always more patient when I don't have to freak out what to cook for dinner.

Here is how I do it.
Planning

• I always grocery shop the day prior to my prep day.  I can't pull myself together for doing it all on one day. I generally do one type of protein (holla Top Chef) at a time.  I find this easier for me with planning.
• assess freezing supplies- I use FREEZER gallon and quart size bags, aluminum foil casserole dishes (or what ever I can find).  I bought a TON on sale after Christmas so we will have snowman on our dishes for the next year. There are different techniques and the book can help you with this, but I mostly use the disposable pans.  I like the no mess, no clean up of it.  I also don't have to flash freeze the dish then pull and wrap.  Do some research and decide what you want to do.  Remember this should make your life easier!

• Sale items dictate recipes that are used

• I heavily use the internet as resources and this book- Don't Panic- Dinner is in the Freezer (I would link to this book but I can't because I am writing this at work and they block EVERY website ever!).  I scan the Sunday paper looking for the best deal on the protein (Top Chef) and match them up with the appropriate recipe.  This time around I hit some crazy sales on boneless chicken breasts.  However, I was short on time so I totally went the easy way.  I bought 6 packages of chicken (3-4 breasts each) for about $1.50-$2 a package. I also wanted to make a few meat things so I also got a total of 4lbs of ground meat- it was on sale but not for an awesome price.

Menu

• 6 packages of marinated chicken- ready to grill
• 2 meals of sloppy joes
• 2 baked ziti casseroles
• 40 meatballs (raw, need to be thawed and cooked for 20 minutes)- good for meatball subs, spaghetti or a white sauce.

Prep Day

• I set aside about 2 hours for this, but it didn't take that long.
• Cut up three onions and measure.  Place any left over in freezer bags of 1 cup servings to use later.
• Brown meat for meat based dishes.  I made baked ziti and sloppy joes.  Both have a base of browned ground beef and onions.  Easy peasy.
• Make sloppy joes and simmer on the back burner
• Make and assemble baked ziti
• while everything is cooling, bag up chicken.
• I had at home already several McCormick packages of meat marinades and some Italian dressing.  Three breasts in a gallon size FREEZER zip lock with the marinade mixed, labels on front and six meals are ready for the grill.  The night prior or when the first person gets home, the bag is pulled.  As the chicken thaws, the marinade does it's job.  Grill the chicken and you can either eat it straight, cut it up for chicken salad or a regular salad.  I make small batches because it is easier to pull two bags out then make too much and then not eat it.
• Make meatballs and flash freeze on a cookie sheet.  You do this so that they don't stick together in the bag and so that they don't get as much freezer burn.

Bag it up

• Soooo my chicken is already bagged up.  I make sure I have a label on the outside with what kind of chicken.  Freeze it flat or roll it is up to you.  I roll.
• When cool, double wrap the casseroles in foil and saran wrap.  Put a label on the front with then name and cooking instructions.
• Put the meatballs in a freezer bag and label.
• Cool sloppy joes, place in freezer bags, label and flash free flat (place bag in a cake pan). When they hold their shape you can pull them out.

Last words

• I always write up a freezer inventory and put it on the fridge upstairs so ALL of us know what is in the basement.  On this inventory, I also put what needs to be done to the meal (cook, thaw, fully cooked, raw, etc).
• I like to use disposable things for this.  I am usually desperate when I pull from the freezer and I don't want to deal with dishes after.  The book has different freezing techniques that use other things.  Bottom line is use what is easy and good for you.
• I encourage my husband to "shop" from the freezer on his nights.
• Make meals that can double or triple.
• Don't feel like you have to make a ton of food.  My goal this year is to just have one meal a week for the freezer if I need it.  If I don't need it then no biggie!

I can't give you the recipes for the sloppy joes or the meatballs, but I can give you the baked ziti.- Enjoy~

Baked Ziti

• 1/2 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lg onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jar (26-28 oz) 
• 1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 10 oz dried ziti cooked, 7 minutes and drained
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 2 C mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
• 1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese

1. Brown bee, onion and garlic.  Add sauces and oregano.
2. Bring to a boil and remove from heat
3. Combine 1 C sauce with ziti
4. Spoon 1/2 ziti mixture in a 13x9 pan (I use two 8x8 pans)
5. Top with ricotta, 1 C mozzarella, 1C sauce.
6. Add remaining ziti and then the remaining sauce
7. Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes
8. Sprinkle with remining cheese and Parmesan cheese
9. Bake 10 minues longer

If you are going to freeze then-

1. Follow above including step 6
2. Cover with foil and saran wrap
3. Freeze
4. When ready to cook, remove saran wrap
5. DO NOT THAW
6. Bake covered at 350 for 2 hrs until done.

Linking to:

Two Sided Bunting Tutorial

Two Sided Bunting Tutorial

So, with the anniversary of 9/11 my team wanted to have an all-American theme this time for our food table to acknowledge the day and our fellow Americans.  Even though I am struggling to pull my life together, my team thinks I have it ALL together and they expect something neat and cool from me for the table. I decided to make a bunting for the day.  I figure I can always reuse it on subsequent Fourth of July celebrations.   Here is my version of the every day bunting that you see ALL over the Internet now.

           

Marking (the confusing part)

1.     My fabric is utilizing the patriotic theme (or what I call the sale table theme) for this bunting.  I have several different colors, but you want to have at least pieces that are 20 inches wide by 44 (or 42 ) inches long.

2.     Fold your fabric in half so you now have a piece that is 10X44.  If you want, you can press the fold.  I find that this does make it easier.  If you do this, fold it so the WRONG sides face each other.  If you want to iron a bit of stabilizer in between the pieces this is the time.

On one long side, you are going to want to take your water-soluble fabric marker and make a mark 4 inches in from the corner. Then, mark every 8 inches. On the other long edge start FROM THE SAME SIDE AS THE OTHER; continue marking every 8 inches and ending with the last mark 4 inches from the end.  You may have to fudge this depending on if your fabric was 44 or 42 inches.  You will see when you start cutting. 

3.     This is the magic part.  Connect one dot on one side to the dot closet to on the other side so it looks like you are making a zig zag line back and forth across the fabric. You now have your flag triangles for your bunting!  Once again, you might have to fudge this or be ok with having half flags left over for another project.

Cutting (the nerve racking but easy part)

4.     Cut your flags out using the ruler as a guide. You will have 10 flags. You will not be using the half flags from the ends.  If you want more, make more!

Sewing (the fun part)

5.     Sew the two long sides of each flag together, using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Don’t worry about the flat side as that will be covered.  You can be creative here and use a decorative stitch if you want.  Just make sure you leave enough room to use your pinking shears on the sides for that “special touch”.  Pink after you sew- not when you attach them together with the bias tape.  Don’t ask me why or how I know this.  I just do.

6.     Run and get your 2-inch bias tape. How much do you need, well that depends on how many flags you have.  So you might want to eyeball this ahead of time. 

7.     Sew the first 12 inches of tape- this will be the tie.

8.     Put the open end of the flag on the tape making sure it is up in the crease. Fold over the bias tape and pin if you want.  Lay the next flag down about an inch from the other. Repeat the same process until you have about 12 inches left at the end.  You might have to add more bias tape.

9.     Sew the bias tape closed making sure to catch both sides of the tape.

10.  I found that I really don’t need to pin the flags in the tape as it is easy to just “wing it”

11.  Sew the length of the bias tape as close to the pinned edge as possible. Use the ends as ties to hang your flag bunting.

12.  Hang your bunting in a fun place- I am going to use this one for my tennis match on 9/11.  What a nice way to honor fellow Americans on this day!

Extra notes

·      I have heard of people who make a triangle template out of cardboard or paper, but this seems to be one extra step for me.  So I don’t do it.

·      I use a fusible interface between my fabrics so it holds a bit better in the wash, the wind and when making.  I think the pinking shears also make crisper marks.

·      Since this is a two-sided bunting, you really can make the different sides different patterns or different colors.  Just cut two 10X44 inch pieces of fabric and fuse together (wrong sides together) I decided not to do this as you would be able to see the bunting from two different sides (sometimes I am smart like that).


I am linking up to Skip to my Lou and Mady by You Monday

Spilled Milk

So back when LM was a wee one- a left over, half filled bottle spilled in the barely 3 minute ride from daycare to the house.  Spilled. on. the. carpet. of. the. car- milk.all.over!  Apparently the lid was not on correctly.  We all have had these accidents with those bottle caps!

Lesson learned so now ALL leftover food containers travel to and from in a plastic bag.  I know I drive daycare crazy with this quirk but what ever, I am a nice parent besides this (or at least I think I am, they might say something else about me).  So, now I kill two birds with one stone and recycle grocery bags into daycare food bags.  For the longest time I kept them in a mason jar on my counter so I could get one at any time.  This was cute, but didn't hold many bags and although I like it, I have been searching for a new container.

My temporary solution is to use one of the many wipes cases we have around the house.  However, I am not a fan of 1)the look and 2) having things unlabeled

Here is what I did-
I took some black contact paper (only color I had around)

eyeballed it and started cutting and adhering to the wipes case.

This is what I got

I now need to add a cute but yet streamline label and stuff with bags!

I know I could have gone all out and decoupaged it or painted it, but that just seemed like such a big commitment to a temporary solution.  I am the 90% completion queen and wanted to finish this and move on!

I figure that when I find my final solution I can put latex gloves in it that we keep stored in the garage.

What do you keep your plastic bags in- I want something that the LM can't get into and pull them all out!   Next week I will show you how I store my plastic bags at work!

I am linking up to Skip to my Lou again!

Part 2 of 2

Wrapped Candy Treats Part 2 of 2

Ok here we go for Part 2.  This is really short and sweet.

To recap, you have created your label template, added your background and circle.  You also should have grouped your background and circle together so that they don’t slip and slide around.  We are now going to draw the dotted line and then add the text.

Dotted Line

If you don’t want to add the line in the center, then go to the next section for adding text.

1.    Under your same drawing or object pallet that you used to draw your circle, you should be able to select a line style.  I selected the plain line, but if you want and arrow or what ever then go for it!
2.    Go ahead and draw your line on your label. It will show up in the default color and style. 3.    Double click on the line to see this formatting window. 4.    Pick the style you like.  I picked a black line, dashed and a 2.0 thickness, but go with what you like.
5.    Move the line to the center of the circle. Here is what it should look like.   6.    Your last step here is to select your rectangle (already grouped with your circle) and your line at the same time and right click to group them together so they don’t slip and slide!

Adding your Text

The text is added by using a text box.  I used two text boxes, one for each initial.  Obviously, you could use one text box, like I did for the date or for the “thanks” Here is how you do it- remember it might be slightly different for each version of word.  If you are unsure of where the feature is on your version then use your handy dandy search button.

1.    Under the “Insert” menu (at the top of your menu bar), select textbox.

2.    Go ahead and draw your box to be about the size you want it

3.    Add your letter.  Your letter is not going to be on it’s side like the one here.  To do this, you need to either go back to your tool pallet or right click on the textbox to format it.  There will be an item for changing the direction of the text.  If you don’t see this, then search in your help area for “changing text direction”
4.    Select everything and right click to group again. 5.    Add your bottom letter and format again for text direction. 6.    If you only want to have one thing written such as the date or a little message, then you would only need one text box.

 Making copies of one label

Ok, last step here.  Lets make copies of the one label we have into the sheet.

Select your label and copy it using what ever command you want (right click, or keyboard command or what ever) go to the next label area and paste, making sure it all pastes correctly.  Also, you want to make sure they are all lined up in a nice neat row.

It should look like this!

 Peel and stick to a Hershey Nugget candy and you are crazy ready to go!

Have fun and feel free to drop a comment or email if you have any questions!

Wrapped Candy Treats Part 1 of 2

Hey you people.  I didn't see any comments so perhaps I will tease you with only part 1 of the tutorial.  If you like it please let me know!
 

Supplies

·      Hershey Nuggets (any flavor)

·      Avery Labels 5160

·      Printer

Creating your label

Creating your labels is pretty simple.  The directions for your version of MS Office might be slightly different depending on where the commands are located, but you should be able to figure it out.

1.    In Office, start up a fresh document.

2.    Go to the “Tools” menu

3.    Select “Labels”

·      You should make sure to have 8160 listed as your label, if not, select the “Options” button and search for it. ·      Make sure you have “Full page of the same label” selected under the number of labels. ·      Leave everything else blank and select the “OK” button.

4.    Office will now create a blank template of your labels.  You will notice that there are some gray lines.  These are your guidelines for you labels and you don’t want to mess with them!

Creating the background

In the first box, you are going to draw a box so here we go!

1.    Go to your drawing tool and make a box 1” for height and 2.5 for the width or you can just draw it the size of the box.  Don’t cover the grid lines between the big boxes, these are the empty spaces between your labels.

2.    Double click on the box to format the properties of the box.  You should get a similar window as below.

To make labels like mine: ·      Under colors and lines select the drop down for “Fill Color” ·      Select  “Fill Effects”
·      Under “Fill Effects” select the “Pattern” tab. ·      Pick your pattern and colors- be creative! Click “OK” to exit out of these formatting windows

Draw your circles

Now you are going to draw your circle on top of the rectangle.

1.    Go to your drawing pallet again and this time you are going to draw a circle.

2.    Double click on the circle to get to the formatting window again.  This time you are going to change the fill color to white and change the line size and style to what ever you want.

3.    When you exit out, your circle should be on top of the rectangle you have drawn.  If you don’t see it, then right click on the box to the “Arrange” menu.  Select “send to back”.  Your circle should now be on top.  You might have to goof around with this some to see it correctly.

4.    Make sure your circle is in the center of your rectangle.

5.    The last step here is to select your square and your rectangle at the same time, and then right click to select the “Group” menu.  Select “Group”.  This will hold your rectangle and circle together so they don’t slip and slide!
 And that my friends is the end of Part 1