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From High Heels to Bunny Slippers

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Recently, I took part in a 3-day teleseminar called “MBA – Moms Business Advisor.” I was fortunate enough to meet Christine Conners, the author of “From High Heels to Bunny Slippers – Surviving the Transition From Career to Home.” Christine has 4 children, is a college professor with a PhD, a psychotherapist, and author!

“Psychotherapist, mother, and author Christine Conners never doubts that the decision of a professional woman to stay home with her young children is the right one. In From High Heels to Bunny Slippers, she supports their decision to personally care for their children with compelling new research on childcare and its potential negative effects on young children, as well as her own firsthand experience as a co-founder of the NASA child development centers. Unlike previous books aimed at this growing readership, Conners recognizes and addresses mothers’ adjustment problems that, like any major life event, arise from the decision to quit your job and stay home.

She offers tools and strategies that gently lead the professional woman from the challenge of her work world into the new challenges of parenting full-time. She sympathizes, as a stay-at-home mother herself, with the immediate frustrations of loss of personal identity, financial difficulties, depression, and marital discord. As a mental health professional, she offers her proven techniques for forming a strong new identity as a parent when you leave your career, for addressing financial woes through part-time work and money-saving strategies, for overcoming social isolation, depression, anger, and stress, and for finding personal fulfillment during this special time with your young children.”

I can totally relate to this. I never intended to stay at home with my children; I was going to be a career woman. But once I had that baby in my arms, everything changed. It was a situation where I wanted to be the one to raise my kids, but I also missed having an identity and a connection to the working world.

Her book was chosen as the book of the week on the Dr. Laura show in 2006. Visit Christine’s website for more information.

~Suzanne Wells

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CAKE MIX IS SO CHEAP–WHAT ELSE CAN YOU MAKE WITH IT?

We are now entering BAKING SEASON. This means that cake mixes are going on sale. I have seen two grocery store advertisements that have cakes under a dollar near my neck of the woods. I saw an ad for Albertson’s that said that cake mix was 79 cents. I saw another ad for Von’s (Safeway) for 89 cents.

Cake mix is not just for making cake any more. I was ecstatic to find that out. I have found several recipes in which you can make cookies with cake mix. It is so cool and fun.

LEMON DROP COOKIES
Recipe from a cookbook called Seasoned With Love by DiAnna Akers.
Page 34

Ingredients:
*1 box lemon cake mix
*2 cups frozen cool whip
*1 egg
*powdered sugar to coat

Mix ingredients together. Roll into 1 inch balls and drop into powdered sugar. Roll to coat. Bake on cookie sheet lined with the Cook E.Z. Sheet at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Recipe may be changed to butter, chocolate, or orange flavors by changing the cake mix to the desired flavor. “Butter is one of my favorites,” says DiAnna.

CAKE MIX COOKIES
Recipe written by Linda Larson from About.com.

Ingredients:
*18 oz. cake mix (any flavor)
*1/2 cup butter, softened
*1 egg

Preheat over to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients at a low speed until dry ingredients are moistened and dough is thoroughly mixed. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons 2″ apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes. Cool two minutes on cookie sheets. Then remove cookies to wire racks to cool.

If using chocolate cake mix, add 2 tablespoons water along with egg. You can stir in chocolate chips, coated candy pieces, chopped nuts, or oatmeal. Frost the cookies, using canned frosting, or make sandwich cookies by spreading frosting between two cookies.

DEVIL’S FOOD COOKIES
By Rachel Keller
(There are three other cake mix cookie recipes at this site as well.)

Ingredients:
*1 (18.5 ounce) package of devil’s food cake mix without pudding
*1/2 cup vegetable oil
*2 eggs, beaten
*1/2 cup chopped pecans
*6 (1.45 ounce) milk chocolate bars, divided into squares (optional)
*1/2 cup coconut (optional)

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Combine cake mix, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Stir in pecans. Drop batter by teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets and cool completely on wire racks.

Optional: While cookies are still on the pan, place 1 square of milk chocolate on each; spread gently to frost. Sprinkle with coconut.

Other Recipes:
Recipe Goldmine has two pages of different cake mix cookie recipes.
At About.com I found a Vegan Cake Mix Cookie recipe.
Red Velvet Cookies from AllHomemadeCookies.com.

Please let me know if you have a favorite recipe that you like to make with cake mix that is something other than cake.

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Stacey Walker has a Homemade Gourmet Home Business. She uses her Homemade Gourmet products regularly for cooking fast and easy to prepare meals. She is currently using Homemade Gourmet in her meal planning and when teaching her children to cook. Visit her website at www.4minutemeals.com.

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Halloween Witch’s Brews

Kids love Halloween because they get to dress up in brightly colored or scary costumes. Kids dress like super heros, princeses, cartoon characters, celebrities, witches, ghouls, ghosts, or goblins. For kids Halloween is about costumes, friends, family, trick-or-treating for candy and other goodies, and parties.

If you are planning a Halloween party don’t forget the Witch’s Brew!

Witch’s Brew Punch

Whether you serve this beverage cold or hot, everyone will love the taste of the spicy blend of fruit juice and cider topped with a scoop of orange sherbet.

1/4 cup sugar
1 (12-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 (6-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate
6 cups water
4 cups apple cider
8 whole cloves
4 whole allspice
2 cinnamon sticks
Orange sherbet

Combine all ingredients except sherbet in 5-quart saucepan; mix well. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes.

Remove from heat; remove spices. Cool 30 minutes at room temperature. Cover; refrigerate until chilled.

At serving time, pour into serving bowl; float scoops of sherbet in punch. Makes 12 one cup servings.

This punch may also be served hot.

Hot Buttered Cranberry Cider

Your “big Kids” and little kids will love this punch.

5 cups apple cider or apple juice
4 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons honey
Cinnamon sticks, if desired

Combine apple cider, cranberry juice cocktail and cinnamon stick in 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking until heated through and flavors are blended (8 to 10 minutes).

Remove from heat. Remove cinnamon stick; discard. Add butter and honey; stir until butter melts.

To serve, ladle into heated mugs. Garnish with cinnamon stick, if desired. Makes 8 one-cup servings.

Day Old Bath Water Punch

12 ounce can frozen lemonade
2 liters 7-Up
1/2 gallon rainbow sherbert

Thaw sherbert slightly and place in a plastic tub. Add lemonade (prepared according to directions) and 7-up. Sherbert will melt and turn mixture day old bathwater grayish-brown. Float a handful of green, yellow and white tiny after dinner mints (tiny bars of soap) on top of the scummy punch. Enjoy!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Two Moms has a November Giveaway, a Kodak EasyShare 5300 All-In-One printer! It involves 14 challenges. Challenge #1 here

Eleisia Whitney has a Watkins Home Business. She enjoys cooking and baking with Watkins extracts, spices, herbs, and sauces for healthy meals. Eleisia publishes a Watkins Newsletter, Around the Kitchen Table, that brings you recipes, cooking and health tips, and contests for free Watkins products.
Read the current issue at http://www.everydaynecessities.com/oct15-07newsletter.htm
Visit her at http://www.everydaynecessities.com and
http://www.WatkinsOnline.com/eleisiawhitney

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Windsock

Another easy craft I found on HighlightsKids.com.

In Oklahoma there are always lots of windy days, and as long as it is not too windy we like to sit outside and enjoy it. Make your backyard a little more entertaining on windy days with a fun windsock.

What you need:

short cardboard tube

hole punch

paint

yarn

ruler

scissors

How to Make It:

At one end of a short cardboard tube, punch two holes on opposite sides. This end will be the top of the windsock.

At the other end, punch holes a half-inch apart all the way around the tube.

Paint the tube. Let it dry.

For each hole in the bottom of the tube, cut a two-foot-long piece of yarn.

Fold each piece of yarn in half. Thread the folded end through a hole in the bottom of the tube. Thread the ends of the yarn through the folded end and pull, as shown.

Cut a two-foot-long piece of yarn as a hanger. Tie the ends to the holes in the top of the tube. Hang your windsock outside.

What will your windsock look like? Be sure to send us a link so we can see.

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The Phases of Art

You know, I’ve always known that the skills for various forms of art were developed over time, but I have never seen them outlined and illustrated like this.

Dawn at Because I Said So became “famous” while sharing a story about a grocery shopping trip with her 6 children in an eBay auction. Since that moment she has been on radio shows, television, and even had offers from publishers to write a book. Her sense of humor is amazing and I love reading her blog. When I saw this post I knew I had to share it with you.

In her Art 101 post Dawn writes about the different stages of children’s art:
Stage One: The Body Art Phase
Stage Two: The Spaghetti Phase
Stage Three: The Potato People Phase
Stage Four: The Stick Figure Phase
Stage Five: The Macaroni Phase
Stage Six: The Book Phase
Stage Seven: The Picasso Phase
Stage Eight: The Almost Realistic Portrait Phase
Stage Nine: The Three Dimensional Phase

Granted, these may not be the technical terms used by art critics, but I think the mom friendly version is even better. The best part is the photos of her childrens’ artwork. Just be careful viewing it in front of your children, they may get some ideas for unusual art projects of their own.

So hop on over to Because I Said So, browse around, and be sure to let Dawn know how much you love her childrens’ art.

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Using PUMPKIN in Your Recipes

Tis the season to bake and make with pumpkins.
Starbuck’s has their pumpkin latte’s out.
Some fast food restaurants have pumpkin milkshakes.
It is time to get out our own pumpkin recipes as well.

I came across a healthy cookbook that my mom has given me called SNACKERS by Maureen and Jim Wallace. I found some great healthy recipes in there to help you during this season of candy and sweets. I thought some of these pumpkin recipes might be good for your children. Good tasting, fun to make, and less sugar. Where can a parent go wrong?

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Page 34, 35

Ingredients:
*1/2 cup ground walnuts
*3/4 cup wheat germ
*1 tablespoon honey
*1/4 cup melted butter
*2 cups (16 oz.) cream cheese
*1 cup yogurt
*3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
*1 cup honey
*4 eggs, separated
*1 teaspoon lemon juice
*1 cup pureed pumpkin
*1 teaspoon cinnamon
*1 teaspoon nutmeg
*1/2 teaspoon ginger
*1/4 teaspoon cloves

For crust: combine walnuts, wheat germ, honey, and butter and press inot the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan.
For filling: cream together cream cheese, yogurt, flour, and honey until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time; then add lemon juice, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Fold into stiffly beaten egg whites and pour into above crust. BAke at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 30 minutes or until firm and lightly browned.

Pumpkin Cookies
page 58

*3/4 cup honey
*1 cup pumpkin pureed
*1/2 cup oil
*1 teaspoon vanilla
*2 cups whole wheat flour
*1/4 cup soy flour
*2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1 teaspoon cinnamon
*1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
*1/4 teaspoon ginger
*1 cup raisins
*1/2 cup chopped nuts

Mix honey, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; add to pumpkin mix. Stir in raisins and nuts. Drop by spoonfuls onto oiled cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Pumpkin Pudding
Page 70, 71

Ingredients
*1-1/2 cups milk
*1/2 cup powdered milk
*1-1/2 cups cooked pumpkin
*1/2 cup molasses
*3 slightly beaten eggs
*1 teaspoon each salt and cinnamon
*1/2 teaspoon each ginger and cloves
*1 teaspoon vanilla
*1 cup chopped nuts

Blend milk and powdered milk togethr in saucepan. Stir in pumpkin, molasses, eggs, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Cook until mixture thickens. Cool slightly and add vanilla and chopped nuts.

Again these three great pumpkin recipes came from the cookbook titled: Kick the Junk Food habit with SNACKERS by Maureen and Jim Wallace. There are over 200 recipes in this cookbook. It is a healthy alternative to those sugary recipes.

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Stacey Walker has a Homemade Gourmet Home Business. She uses her Homemade Gourmet products regularly for cooking fast and easy to prepare meals. She is currently using Homemade Gourmet in her meal planning and when teaching her children to cook. Visit her website at www.4minutemeals.com.

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Halloween Party Fun

Typically, at Halloween parties you will find candy corn, candied apples, caramel apples, and a cauldron with dry ice and punch. These are all great and fun. But when you do the same thing every year, you might want a little change or to spice things up a bit.

Here are some fresh new ideas for your Halloween Party.

*Cookie Fingers
(uncertain of actual recipe because I saw them at a Halloween party that I went to.)

It looked like a sugar cookie mix or dough dyed green with food coloring.
The cookie dough was shaped to look like a finger.
The nail on the finger was an almond slice.
Lines were made in the finger for the knuckles as well.
It was great and looked really real.

I found some great and spooky recipes at Rexanne’s Halloween Site.

Her sit will link you to other sites that have the recipes on them.
One I looked at that had some really great ideas–some were really gross was this site here. I am not sure what the formal name of the site is. I scrolled up and down and found some great ideas on things people already serve at parties–the name had just been changed a bit to fit the season.

Here are a few examples:
Dried Cranberries–Dried Cranberry Scabs (a bit gross but definitely fits the season.)
Buffalo Wings–Bat Wings
Apple Slices with a fruit dip–Sneaky Slices with Golden Goo

So with that in mind, take an old favorite recipe and put a Halloween season name to it. Be creative. Ask you children to help you. They can be so creative.
FamilyFun.com has a huge list of great ideas.

If you are having a party for teenagers, take a look here at this site. England made me has some great ideas for a spooky teenage party.

This last website is great. The article is titled, “Halloween Food for the Kids.”
The recipes included sound rather disgusting, but the ingredients are quite tasty.

Here are some of the items you can make.
Blood Baths–made with raspberries and rolled puff pastry sheets
Bleeding Fingers–made with egg whites, jellybeans, and jam
Brittle Meringue Bones–egg whites, sugar, and vanilla
Maggot Mounds–made with coconut, condensed milk, vanilla essence, and glace cherries

The name may not be appetizing, but the ingredients are. These would be great for a big kid party or a little kid party.
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Stacey Walker has a Homemade Gourmet Home Business. She uses her Homemade Gourmet products regularly for cooking fast and easy to prepare meals. She is currently using Homemade Gourmet in her meal planning and when teaching her children to cook. Visit her website at www.4minutemeals.com

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GREAT KIDS RECIPES

At my house we receive the TURTLE(R) Magazine For Preschool Kids. I was purusing the November/December 2007 edition and came across a very cool book. This is found on pages 16 and 17 of the magazine.

The book is called C Is for Cooking: Recipes From the Street.
Written by Susan McQuillan
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The magazine shows two pages directly from the book.
I am going to include the recipes here. I cannot include the cute pictures that show exactly what the end product is. The recipes are very neat and not very time consuming.

Big Bird’s Egghead Salad
Prep time: 10 minutes
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
*2 hard-cooked eggs
*4 green or black olives, sliced
*4 corn kernels
*4 slivers of seet red pepper
*2 carrots, shredded
*Shredded lettuce leaves
*Salad Dressing

Equipment:
*Knife
*Salad Plates (4)
*Assorted small bowls
*Grater

1) Halve the eggs lenghwise and place each half, cut-side-down, on a salad plate. Sort the remaining ingredients into individual bowls.

2) Make faces on the egg halves using the olive slices for the eyes, a corn kernel for the nose, a sliver of red pepper for the mouth, and shredded carrots for the hair. Surround the egg with shredded lettuce leaves. Use other vegetables–and your imagination–to make more faces.

3) Serve the salad with dressing on the side for pouring or dipping.

Rosita’s Pita Pizzas
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Baking Time: 15 minutes
Makes 4 servings (4 pockets)

Ingredients:
*Two 6 inch whole-wheat or other pita rounds halved
*1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
* 1/2 cup tomato sauce
* 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
* 8 thin slices tomato (optional)

Equipment:
*Cheese grater
*Measuring cups
*Measuring spoons
*Medium bowl
*Aluminum foil

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees farenheit.

2) In a medium bowl, combine teh shredded cheese, tomato sauce, and oregano.

3) Place 2 tomato slices in each pita pocket, if desired. Fill each pocket with 1/4 cup of cheese mixture. Wrap pita pockets individually in foil and seal the packets.

4) Bake the pita pockets until the filling is heated through, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the packets from the oven and let the packets cool for several minutes before opening.

This a a great book that will help kids to get interested in cooking. Though it is geared for preschoolers, I think the book would work well up to age 9 at least. It will give older children a sense of confidence when they can read recipe and follow the instructions. Cooking is also a great tool in teaching fractions. If you want to help your child learn fractions, get them cooking in the kitchen.
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Stacey Walker has a Homemade Gourmet Home Business. She uses her Homemade Gourmet products regularly for cooking fast and easy to prepare meals. She is currently using Homemade Gourmet in her meal planning and when teaching her children to cook. Visit her website at www.4minutemeals.com

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Favorite Ingredients Friday (Ravioli with Tomato Cream Sauce)

Favorite Ingredient Friday is sponsored by Overwhelmed With Joy. Visit her blog for more taste-tempting recipes.

We love pasta at our house. This recipe is from Betty Crocker’s Pasta Cookbook.

Ravioli are pillow-shaped pasta usually made with a stuffing of cheese. Ravioli are also filled with sausage, crabmeat, pumpkin, or spinach. Traditionally served with butter or Parmesan, this pasta is also delicious with tomato and meat sauces. Due to its richness, ravioli is usually served as a main course.

Ravioli with Tomato Cream Sauce

2 (9 ounce) packages refrigerated ravioli - cheese, meat, vegetable, or seafood
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons basil
2 cans (28 ounces) Italian-style tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese

In large skillet saute onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add chopped tomatoes, parsley, and basil and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in evaporated milk, salt and pepper. Cook 15 to 20 minutes on low, stirring occcasionally until thickened.

While sauce is simmering, cook ravioli according to directions on package. Drain. Serve with sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Six servings.

Serve with garlic bread and a crisp green salad.

For a simplified version of this recipe make sauce with a jar of your favorite tomato pasta sauce and a can of evaporated milk. Heat tomato sauce in saucepan; add evaporated milk. Simmer until hot. Serve with cooked ravioli. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Happy eating!

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Slow Cooking Thursday

For more slow cooker recipes visit Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. If you are looking for some delicious slow cooker recipes visit the other cooks in this group. You won’t be disappointed!

This Slow Cooking recipe is prepared for you by Eleisia. This recipe makes about 15 servings.

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joe Sandwiches

3 pounds lean ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped, about 1 cup
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 (12 ounces) bottle prepared chili sauce
1 (6 ounces) can tomato paste
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
3 tablespoons brown sugar, to taste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Watkins Black Pepper
toasted sandwich buns

1. In large deep skillet or Dutch oven, saute onions, celery and green pepper in olive oil; transfer to slow cooker.
2. Brown ground beef, drain off fat. Add ground beef to slow cooker.
3. Combine chili sauce, tomato paste, prepared mustard, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper. Stir into beef and veggies.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, stirring occasionally.
5. Taste and adjust seasonings.
6. Serve Sloppy Joes on toasted sandwich buns. Makes about 15 servings.

Serve with coleslaw, pasta salad, or Jello salad.

The Two Moms In A Blog main site is having a HUGE Giveway soon. Check back later or join the contest mailing list to find out when the giveaway is posted.

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