Mint Brownies

Fudge Mint Brownies

1 ½ c. margarine

3 c. sugar

3 tsp. vanilla

6 eggs

¾ c. cocoa

2 ¼ c. flour

1 c. nuts (optional)

Melt Margarine, stir in cocoa and sugar.  Cool, so its not too hot to add eggs.  Blend in eggs, one at a time.  Stir in vanilla, flour, and nuts.  Mix well.  Spread in jelly roll pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Cool.

Mint Frosting:

3 c. powdered sugar

¼ c. margarine

½ tsp. peppermint extract

5 drops green food coloring

*I usually add a little milk

Mix all together and frost in thin layer on top of  brownies.

Fudge Frosting:

½ c. margarine

3 ½ Tbsp. cocoa

1/3 c. milk

1 lb. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2/3 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Combine margarine, cocoa, and milk in a saucepan, heat slowly and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Add remaining ingredients, beat well and spread over mint layer while the fudge frosting is still warm.  Add chopped nuts if desired. 

Fourth of July Dessert- Danish Dessert

This is one of my most favorite desserts of all time.  It reminds me of my birthday which is on the Fourth of July.  

Danish Dessert

To make crumbs- mix together:

2 c. flour

1 c. brown sugar

1 cube soft margarine

1 c. chopped walnuts

Spread in 9x13 baking pan

       Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes.  Stir several times.

Cream filling- whip together:

1 pint of cream (whipped)

1-8 oz. Pkg. Cream cheese

1 c. powdered sugar

         

Press about half of the crumbs into a pan, and then cool.  Fill with cheese mixture, cover with remaining crumbs.  Set in refrigerator.

Topping:

          Prepare 1 pkg. Danish Dessert and add 1 pkg. Frozen or frozen raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries. Spread over cheese layer, and refrigerate.

I like using raspberries or blackberries best.  You can use blueberries too.  I usually make the Danish Dessert first (the instructions for the fruit glaze) that way it has time to cool while you make everything else. 

To make this into a flag I reserved a 1/2 cup of the fruit sauce for the blueberries and added a small amount of dark blue gel food coloring. 

 Then the rest gets raspberries.

 I used the 9 x 13 pan I baked the crumbs in and layered 1/2 of the crumbs first.

 Then the cream (reserve about 1 cup).

 Then lay on the rest of the crumbs.

 The blueberries don't have much liquid in them on purpose.  Lay them out in a square in the upper right corner.

 Then carefully pour on the raspberries and spread them out to the corners.

 Then I piped on the rest of the whipped cream mixture in lines.  My kids were so thrilled!

Aunt Lorett'a Chicken

This was one of my favorite Sunday meals growing up.  

Ingredients:

6 chicken breasts

6 thin ham slices

6 pieces of bacon (COOKED!)

Mix:

2 cans of cream of mushroom soup

1 pint of sour cream

Do not forget to cook the bacon before you assemble the casserole!

Line the bottom of the pan with ham. Cook the bacon.  Wrap the chicken with strips of cooled bacon.  Place on top of the ham.  Pour on the mixture of cream of mushroom soup and sour cream.  Bake at 275 degrees for three hours.  You can cook it at a higher temperature for a shorter amount of time.

Snow Cone Syrup Recipe

We love making our own snow cones.  We have a little snow cone maker.  Its great.  I prefer making my own syrup though because its cheaper and I think it tastes better.  Its also easy.

 I quadrupled the water and sugar and then put the extracts in the bottom of the jars.  Then when the sugar/water was ready I just poured it in in even amounts.

Ingredients:
 
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
one package Kool-Aide or 1/2 tsp. of your favorite extract

     In a medium pot bring the sugar and water to a boil.  Boil for 1 minute.  Then add the Kool-Aide or the extracts.  I like storing it in the fridge but according to the internet (which never lies) you can leave it at room temperature for up to one year.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

I have fresh basil to use so I decided to make our favorite pasta salad.

=

 Whenever I toast nuts in the oven I burn them so this time I tried it on my stove.  It worked great and took only a few minutes.  Don't forget to stir often.

 Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1 12 oz. package garden Rotini pasta
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 red onion finely chopped
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
4 Tbsp. basil pesto
a small jar artichoke hearts, chopped
2/3 cup creamy Caesar dressing
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup Feta cheese

    Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain. Pour cold water onto cooked pasta noodles to cool.  Combine the cherry tomatoes, onion, Parmesan, basil, pesto, dressing, and artichoke hearts together.  Once the noodles are cool add the dressing and stir to combine.  Refrigerate until ready to eat.  Sprinkle on Feta and pine nuts when serving.

Summer Survival Plan

I always have to have a plan.  Its how I roll.  In the winter I plan activities to not go crazy while we are stuck inside and in the summer I plan activities so having all my children home doesn't kill me.

This is my summer plan:

First we have a jar.  For each homework activity my kids do they get either a popcorn kernel, a macaroni noodle, or a shell to put in the jar.  

 The jar has three lines.  When we get up to that line we get to choose a kind of celebration.  This could be going to the Science Center, having a movie party with friends, getting ice cream etc.

 I have books for each of my children.  When I first started doing summer school I searched the internet for days coming up with activities and making binders full of ideas.  Now I just buy these.  I buy the grade my kids will be going into in the fall because they are far ahead enough that 3/4 of the book is review and only a little bit is new.

I calculated about 74 days of summer break, not including Sundays.  Those days include vacations and my kids' birthdays so I know we won't do work then.  Each book has about 300 pages so I decided each kid has to do 6 pages a day.  One of each section without skipping ahead!

Last year I only made them do 2 a day and then we didn't finish the books before school started!

For each page of these books they get a popcorn kernel, but those will add up fast.  They also get a popcorn kernel for doing 10 minutes of math fact games.  We love SumDog and ABCYA for math games.  They also get a kernel for 10 minutes of sightreading games for the piano.

I also want them writing so they get a macaroni noodle for a one page book report and one for 20 minutes of piano or cello practicing.

The get a shell noodle if they write a short story.

Here is our summer schedule with topics we will focus on:

Summer Schedule Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursdsay Friday Saturday

8:00 Walking Walking Walking
9:00
10:00 Science Playgroup Piano Lessons   Writing Story Time
11:00
12:00
1:00 Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time
2:00 Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time
3:00 Art Club
4:00

We also have a topic of the week and we take turns picking it.  I get to go first.  Last year did things like: proper hydration, cowboys, volcanoes, insects, etc.

We pick out books at the library and read them throughout the week and then on Thursday  I am going to make my kids write a page summary of what they learned.  My five-year-old will probably write two sentences and draw a picture, but I'll make the other older kids write longer.  

Good luck with your summers!

DIY Ironing Board Cover

I have been meaning to get a new cover for my iron for years but every time I see one at the store I'm not sure the measurements of my iron and I'm disgusted at the price.

So the other day I decided to make my own.  It was super easy.  Took me 30 minutes.  I should have done it years ago.

You need sturdy fabric that won't wear out.  I looked in the aisle of household fabrics for curtains and pillows.

Measure your iron and add about 4 inches around the circumference.  I needed about 2 yards but my iron is a small one.

  

Then I got this pad at the store that is for an iron.  I used my old pad to cut out the new one.

I always zigzag my edges to make sure they don't fray.  Then I folded over the edge 1/2 inch and sewed that.

Then I did it again leaving an opening at the end.

Now just feed some elastic through the edge.

Then just put the pad on the iron and then the cover.

Beautiful!