Crock Pot Potato Soup

Crock Pot Potato Soup

 Crock pot Potato Soup

Ingredients:
1 (30 ounce) package of frozen hash-browns
2 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
2 (10.75 oz.) cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. parsley
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese

For garnish:
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 package cooked and crumbled bacon (I cooked mine in the oven.)

Combine all ingredients except garnish in a crock pot.  Cook for five hours.  Stir occasionally to get the cream cheese combining with the rest of the ingredients.

Garnish with green onion and bacon.  Enjoy!

Bedside Organizer

Bedside Organizer

 My kids constantly have junk in their beds and library books.  All my efforts to get them to put them on their dressers have failed so I'm trying these.

 Supplies needed:
-30" by 25" fabric x2 one for front and one piece for back
-30" by 10.5" fabric x2 one for front and one for back
-30" by 6"  fabric x2 one for front and one for back

-fusible interfacing (I used high loft) to sandwich between each piece
130" of 1 inch wide bias tape  (You can make your own.  I was lazy.)

Cut each piece of fabric out, sandwich interfacing between front and back and iron according to package instructions.

Put bias tape on the top of each pocket piece the 30" by 10.5" piece and 30" by 6" piece.

Sandwich two pocket pieces together and baste together on the sides.  Mark a line five inches in the front pocket.  Sew a line just on the front pocket.

Then attach both pockets to the main piece.  Find the half way line and sew through front and back pocket.  Then sew bias tape all the way around.

Lift up mattress and place the empty half of the fabric underneath.

Minestrone Soup

 I found some fun noodles at the store the other day and decided to make a minestrone soup with them in an effort to get my kids to eat vegetables.  My kids were so distracted by seahorses and octopus they didn't complain!

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups vegetable or beef broth
1 cup minced onion
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup cut green beans
1/2 cup diced carrots
4 tsp. minced garlic
1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 cup noodle of your choice

       Put all the ingredients except the noodles in a large saucepan and cook simmer for 20 minutes.  Add the noodles and cook as long as the box says.  Enjoy!

Christmas Presents- Duffle Bags

I know I'm crazy, but I finished my kids' Christmas presents.... or at least one of them.  When I get an idea I have to act on it and it drives me crazy until its done.  There needs to be a word for the opposite of a procrastinator.  I'm that... obsessive compulsive maybe?

 My kids needed travel bags.  We watched some friends' kids over-night and they had their own duffel bags.  I thought, "my kids need this!"  So I found a pattern I like online here.

 I just changed the fabric to canvas.  I didn't like the laminated fabric idea.  They were super easy to make.  It was just a little tricky to find all the different notions and things like webbing.  That was SO hard to find!

 I used just normal cotton fabric on the lining inside and sewed on the zipper a different way than they show in the instructions because I thought my way was better and easier.  Just sew the zippers on to the fabric right sides together.  That tape stuff looked annoying.

 Then I sewed the kids toiletry bags and put a toothbrush holder inside.  WALA!  They are ready to travelling except they have to wait until Christmas.

Fruit Pizza for the Olympics

In honor of the opening ceremonies tonight we are having a Brazilian party with friends but I had to make my mom's fruit pizza recipe with the Olympic rings because its fun.  Couldn't tell from pictures if the right bottom ring was orange or yellow so I added both.  I have a bowl of fruit to add to pieces that are spare on fruit once its cut.  P.S. I never do the glaze.

Fruit Pizza

Make in a sheet cake pan

Crust-

2 c. flour

2 cubes margarine

4 Tbl. Powdered sugar

(add nuts if wanted)

          Combine and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Cool.

Cream-

8 oz. Cream cheese

1 c. powdered sugar

1 c. whipped whipping cream

         

Spread on top of crust.  Mix cheese and sugar, add to whip.  Arrange fruit (peaches, grapes, strawberries, kiwi, bananas, etc.)

Glaze-

½ c. sugar

¼ c. water

2 Tbl. Cornstarch

½ c. orange juice

½ c. lemon juice

         

Heat to a boil, and stir until it is thick and clear.  Cool in refrigerator.  Spoon over arranged fruit.

Dinosaur Egg Treats

My son's birthday party so we are in birthday party prep mode.  Our theme is dinosaurs.  I made him a pinata and today I made little dinosaur eggs with toy dinosaurs inside.

First wash your dinosaurs.

 I used Cocoa DinoBites cereal.

 Measure out 7 cups of cereal and take out some of the tiny marshmallows, about a cups worth.

 Melt 3 Tbsp of butter, a 10 ounce bag of marshmallows, and a Tablespoon of corn syrup together until the marshmallows are melted.

 Pour on the cereal and stir carefully to combine.

 Add in the marshmallows from the cereal.

 Spray vegetable oil spray on your hands or butter them and form the cereal into a ball around a toy dinosaur.  Wrap in plastic wrap.

Dinosaur Egg Treats

Ingredients:

6 cups of Puffed Rice Cereal or 7 cups of DynoBites cereal
10 ounce bag of marshmallows
3 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. corn syrup (optional)

    Measure out the cereal into a bowl.  If you are using DynoBites take out about a cup of marshmallows to be used later.
    Melt the butter into a medium sized saucepan.  Add the marshmallows (and corn syrup if desired) and stir until smooth.  Pour onto the cereal and stir carefully.  Then add the reserved marshmallows and stir carefully.  Spray hands with vegetable oil spray or rub with batter.  Form into a ball around a toy dinosaurs.  Wrap in plastic wrap.

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.