Yummy Healthy Snacks

These are three of my favorite snacks. My kids love them and they are healthy. All of these items can be found at Cosco.

First we have Pluots, the best fruit I have EVER tasted. Super sweet and juicy. They are a cross between an apricot and plum. Everyone who tries them, loves them!

Second is Pirate's Booty. They taste to me like a cross between white cheddar cheeto's and popcorn. Kids love them and the name. They can be found at health food stores but are a much better deal at Cosco.

Third is edamame. My son LOVES eating these. He often eats these for lunch. It is a soybean with great nutrition. Sprinkle some salt on the edamame, peel apart the pods and eat the beans! You can buy them in the frozen isle.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

I always am searching for the perfect cookie recipe. I hate it when I make a batch and they taste more like short bread cookies with chocolate chips. I love this recipe it does make 5 dozen so I usually freeze the dough so I don't have all this deliciousness staring at me all day. I just make a dozen at a time and make sure to give some to neighbors (it is how I have to practice portion control).

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1-cup butter softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4-cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
6 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375
Mix dry ingredients first then add the rest.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet. I have found a tablespoon of dough makes the perfect sized cookie
Bake 9-11 min

Are you salivating a little?

Yummy Pumpkin Pancakes

If your kids are anthing like my kids it is a struggle to get them to eat their vegetables. I love this recipe because Taryn loves it and it has pumkin in it which counts as a vegetable. Oh and did I mention they are pretty easy.

2 cups pancake mix
3 Tablespoons Brown sugar
2 teaspoon pumkin spice

mix all of this into one bowl

1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegtable oil 2 tablespoons vinegar

then just mix all the ingreediants together and your kids just at some vegtables in the morning and they don't even know it.

PS I usually cook these the night before and double the recipe. Then I just put the pancakes in the freezer so that way in the morning there is no cooking to be done. I just pop them into the microwave for about 30 seconds. They make great snacks too.

Fake Bake (In a healthy way)

I have to share this product my friend introduced me to. I am already seeing the sunspots from all my tanning during my teens and college... My mom always warned me I would regret it, and as she is with everything she was right. I didn't want to use self-tanners. Let's face it, you can always tell by the orange streaks or even worse... we can all smell it. There has been several times at church etc. when I have smelt it and then moments later can look around and find whom it is. I don't know what is more obvious the smell or the orange. Well, my friend who has a natural beauty and tan is an esthetician introduced me to this FABULOUS produce. Fake Bake I love it, my family loves it and anyone who has used it wants to keep using it. The best part is it doesn't smell. Down part... you have to be a beautician to obtain it other wise it will cost you around $30 on the Internet. People with their beauty license seem to be able to obtain it for around $13. I would say a can lasts me around 3 weeks. Let me know what you think or others products that you use.

Clean that POTTY

My sis-n-law told me this secret to a clean toilet which involves NO elbow grease. We moved into our house and the toilets were AWFUL! The house sat empty for 2 years so water and who knows what else... just sat there. I tried everything then, I was given this idea:
Pour a 1/2 cup of bleach in the back of the toilet and WAAAH-LAAAAAAAH (o-k it does take a day or so to do it's work)

YUP... Thats all and it works. I do it about once a week and it has kept my potty clean even in the process of potty training. WOOT WOOT!

Shrimp Tacos

I love to cook and I can't wait to share my first recipe!
Here is one of my favorite things that I created based on one of my favorite dishes, Ceviche.
Shrimp Tacos
Ingredients
1 bag of already cooked and peeled shrimp
2 Bell Pepper (your favorite kind) I like to use Yellow to have a variety of colors
5 Tomatoes
1/2 Purple Onion
2 Avocado
1 bundle pf cilantro
1 frozen orange Juice concentrate
l2 imes
2 tsp Seasoning Salt
Bag of Corn Tortillas
1/4 C. Vegetable Oil
optional - 2 plantains, with more vegetable oil for frying

1. Defrost the shimp under cold water
2. Dice all the fresh ingredients besides the limes
3. combine all ingredients diced and defrosted
4. Put orange juice in Pitcher and make with about a thrid the water you normally use to make orange juice
5. pour about 1/2 cup of orange juice (Possible more)
6. squeeze the lime juice in
7. Add seasoning salt
8. Heat up half of the vegetable oil in a small frying pan
9. When oil is hot, begin frying each tortilla until crispy but not too brown
10. fry one at a time flipping 2 to 3 times
11. I like to make around 4 per person. You will be surprised how quickly it goes.
12. I love fried plantains with my shrip tacos. Peel and slice the plantains. Fry in hot oil. flip and turn until crispy
13. These make the shrimp mixture tast really good just in a bowl with these on top, or just sprinkled on top of your tacos
- If you have any questions, I will respond to your comment.
Take Care! April

I promise this is extremly yummy and fresh tasting. The longest part of this meal is dicing the fresh foods. This is a great meal to prepare during your kids naps because all of the citrus juices keeps it fresh and almost better tasting while it is frozen in the fridge. Leavign the frying for the evening when your husband is home to help with the kids while you take 15 minutes to finish the meal!
Bon Apetit

Fancy Grilled Cheese

I love grilled cheese but sometimes I enjoy a little more to my sandwich. I had this the other day at a resturant and have been able to duplicate it several times. I think it was even better :)
What you will need:
Avocado
Sprouts
Tomato
Multi-Grain Bread
Butter
Colby cheese or other cheese of your choice

Butter up the bread and grill your sandwich with the cheese only. Slice up your avocado and tomato. Once your sandwich is finished peel it apart and put in the veggies. YUMMY!!!

Baby Talk, How to help your toddler talk early

I was talking to my sister the other day about my son being able to talk early. I would like to take all the credit but honestly I think it is his personality along with me working with him (he is very determind). Something I think helped a bit is starting around his first birthday when he wanted something I would have him say it. He would be frustrated at times but I really think it helped. An example would be if I had his sippy cup in my hand and he was grunting and pointing I would have him say the word "sippy". In the beginning it didn't sound ANYTHING like the word I was looking for but eventually he got it right. As long as he made the effort he would get what he was asking for. As he got older, around 18 months I started pointing out the color with EVERYTHING. "Here is your yellow candy!" for example. He knew all of his colors with in a few months. Also while we were coloring, driving etc I would always sing the ABC's. Even if I didn't think he was listening. Then one day while he was playing, right before his 2nd birthday, he blurted out the whole song. I thought he never listened but apparently he was. Maybe it was the little things I did along away, maybe it was him... We will see how it works with the second. The first kid is always a genie pig.

Feta Linguine

2 cans whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 c. onions (I used the minced dried onions) maybe a little more,
just make sure it's not overwhelming
1 cloves of Garlic mined (or blended into really tiny bits).
2 tbsp pepper (maybe start with just 1 tbsp and then go from there) or
just use it to your liking.
1 tsp. sea salt
1 c. chopped cilantro
1 box Linguine Fini noodles
Feta cheese (however much you want to use...maybe 1/2 c per person)

Blend just the tomatoes (not the juice) until smooth-ish with some
little chunks.
Put in sauce pan on medium heat.
Add all of the spices.

Cook for about 15 minutes until hot and everything is blended well.
Right before you're ready to serve it throw in the Cilantro and mix it
all up.

Cook noodles, put sea salt in the water (1-2 tsp) When straining be
sure to leave in 1/4 of an inch of water. Pepper up the noodles.

When serving get your noodles and then put the Feta in the noodles
before you put the sauce on. Then pour on the sauce.

ENJOY!!!!!

Hawaiian Haystacks

A family favorite. We grew up eating this yummy dinner and it works great for kids. Our Grandma Katie gave me some ideas to better the recipe.
You will need:
2 cans of Cream of Celery Soup
1 apple
1 onion
Serving of Rice for 6 People
2 chicken breast or half of a rotisserie chicken

Chose some of your favorite toppings if not all:
Sliced Pineapple
Mandarins
Coconut (desired amount)
Sun Flower seeds
Lo Mien Noodles
Avocado
Cheese

Cook your chicken breast however you please (no seasoning necessary). Also cook the rice. Slice up the onion and apple to small pieces, sauté in a bit of butter or oil (I don't always use an apple or onion they aren't necessary). Once soft add your Cream of Celery soup. Add your chicken in bite size pieces. I love using the rotisserie chicken and tearing up the other half and freezing it for the next time I make this recipe. Warm up the mixture. Once warm dish up. You would typically put rice down first then the chicken mix. You then sprinkle whatever toppings you please on top. SUPER EASY!

Brillant Lazy Mom Exercise

Maybe if I (Marcie) was as atheletic as Tara or as hard working as April this type of exercise wouldn't be necessary. But, I am not. I would rather start a new blog, play with my make-up, shop, or play with my kids. I was talking with a dear friend the other day and she gave me the idea to exercise while playing with my children! BRILLANT!!! I run out ot things during the day to keep my active two year old entertained and feel guilty for not being more active myself. All I need to do is play with my kids while having a fast heart rate for a half hour. I love it and it get's me moving. Here are some idea's I have thought of:

Race him on foot while he is on his bike up and down the street while pushing sweet Layla in a stroller
Play soccer. Kick the ball while running around Liam (he thinks it is so funny)
Use the kids swimming floating divice as a kick board while swimming laps and pushing them (may not last the whole time but it gets me moving)
Tag
Run around the house (from sharks, dinos, and dragons obviously)
Take Them to the park down the street which has a side walk around it. The park is maybe an 1/2 acre. Run around it while they play.
In the winter go sledding and pull them around in a sled

I am open to any new ideas!!!

Easy Taco Soup

1 Pound Ground Beef
1 15 oz Can of Corn
1 15 oz Can of Kidney Beans
2 15 ozCans of Diced Tomato
1 taco seasoning Package
Grated Cheese (desired amount)
Sour cream (desired amount)
Tortilla or Tortilla chips

Brown the meat. Put in with all the canned goods PLUS JUICES and taco seasoning. Wait until all warm. Eat and enjoy. You don't need to add water to the recipe. The juices work fine!

The Three of Us