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Mouthwateringly delicious, creamy and spicy — this is a simple to prepare appetizer that you will not want to share. Seriously, I could easily have eaten this directly from the baking dish with a spoon. (If no one saw it, it never happened. ) It’s that good! This recipe incorporates all the flavors I love [...]
Mouthwateringly delicious, creamy and spicy — this is a simple to prepare appetizer that you will not want to share. Seriously, I could easily have eaten this directly from the baking dish with a spoon. (If no one saw it, it never happened. 
) It’s that good! This recipe incorporates all the flavors I love in stuffed jalapeno poppers and melds them into a luscious dip that will be perfect for your 4th of July entertaining. The other part I love is that it can be served hot or cold. This time of year, in Nebraska, I cool and then chill it after it is baked. Then I serve it cold. In the winter it’s fabulous served hot from the oven. So, you decide how it works best for you and your family, but seriously, you have to make this. Go edit your grocery list, right now, and make sure you have everything. I can’t wait to hear how it turned out for you!
Simple, delicious dip that will leave your guests wanting more and asking for the recipe. Control the heat by the number of jalapenos you use. You can definitely substitute sour cream for the Miracle Whip. I actually prefer that, but my family likes the slightly sweet tang of the Miracle Whip.
Ingredients
- 2 (8 oz) blocks of cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup of Miracle Whip (or sour cream)
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup Italian blend cheeses, shredded (or Parmesan)
- 4 jalapenos, minced with seeds
- 1/2 cup cooked bacon, chopped
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup Italian blend cheeses, shredded
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
Instructions
- Blend cream cheese, Miracle Whip, cheddar and Italian cheeses, jalapenos and bacon. I threw everything into my stand mixer and mixed until it was thoroughly incorporated.
- Spread the dip into an 8×8 baking dish.
- Mix Panko, second 1/2 cup of Italian cheeses and the melted butter. Sprinkle this topping evenly over the top of the dip.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Crust will be beautifully browned and dip may be bubbling around the edges of the pan.
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Here’s how to put it together.
A handful of ingredients that blend perfectly for a spicy bite of heaven on a cracker! (I got lazy and used pre-cooked bacon pieces, but you can certainly cook your own.)
I blended all the dip ingredients in my stand mixer until they were well incorporated.
Spread the dip into an 8x8 baking dish. Remember this beauty from my Noritake bakeware review? It's perfect for oven to table at a 4th of July celebration. (Click this picture to read more about Noritake bakeware.)
Sprinkle the dip with the Panko, cheese and butter crumb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
Pull it from the oven and serve it popping hot with your favorite crackers, appetizer bread or chips OR you can cool it and chill in the fridge until serving time. It’s absolutely fabulous, hot or cold! Enjoy!
Baked up with a toasty, brown Panko crust. Serve it warm or cold, but you really MUST serve this. You'll be famous worldwide in a matter of minutes!
This post is linked to the Grocery Cart Challenge.
You all read our DIY list for our new house, in yesterday’s post. Well, here’s the first item to mark off the list! Do you all remember my first raised bed gardens? They were so beautiful and productive! Then we went two summers without a garden, because of all the moving. I’m so excited to [...]
You all read our DIY list for our new house, in yesterday’s post. Well, here’s the first item to mark off the list!
Do you all remember my first raised bed gardens? They were so beautiful and productive! Then we went two summers without a garden, because of all the moving. I’m so excited to be settled and have the space to begin, again. The weather has definitely not been cooperative, but we’re giving it the good old college try, in spite of getting a late start.
My very first raised bed gardens (square-foot gardens). We had to leave them behind in a previous move. We enjoyed two years of abundant harvests from them.
As much as I loved those first raised bed gardens, I am even more enthusiastic about the Double Raised Bed Garden from the Greenland Gardener. I didn’t make even one trip to the lumber yard to purchase 2×6′s. There was no cutting or nailing or stapling or hammering. Each garden box is made from a wonderful composite wood blend, right here in the United States. I know a little bit about wood composite materials, now, since the deck at one of our previous homes ( in the picture above) was made from it. The boards are rot and insect resistant and they don’t require sanding or staining to maintain them. I’m looking forward to a long life from my Raised Garden Beds from the Greenland Gardener.
The pieces you will need to assemble your garden are all included in this handy kit from Greenland Gardener.
What a blessing to have had the opportunity to review this high-quality, simple to assemble garden bed! With my nine-year-old snapping pictures and about ten minutes of free-time, I was able to assemble this beautiful double bed with ease. The double bed kit includes 7 boards, 4 two-way corners, 2 three-way corners and 4 clips which can be used to stack the boxes vertically and create a deeper bed. My kit had the clips missing, but since I wanted to connect the boxes horizontally, I didn’t need them. The only other thing that surprised me about the kit was that it contained NO paperwork — not even one line of instructions. Fortunately, it was so easy to assemble, they were probably unnecessary, but I will admit I was somewhat surprised not to find any. That being said, I would not only recommend these sturdy square-foot gardens, I intend to purchase more of them to finish out our garden area, next summer.
It was easy to slide the corner posts over the grooves in the boards. I used the three-grooved posts on the corners that the second box would attach to and the two-grooved posts for the outside walls of each box.
Sliding a board into a two-grooved corner post.
One side of the double-bed garden, completed. I, then, slid boards into the grooves on the two corner posts you see, pictured, to make the second box.
Sliding the final board into the two corner posts, completed my Greenland Gardener Double Bed Raised Garden.
Tomorrow, I’m going to show you how I leveled out the ground underneath the bed, tacked down some landscape fabric and planted my garden over the top of it. I’m also going to share some of the benefits of square foot gardening and some links to fantastic resources, but in the meantime, I want all of you to have the chance to visit the Greenland Gardener and order your own garden box kits. I have compared their prices to other sites and other brands of raised bed gardens and in my opinion, they are an incredible value for the price. Other square foot garden kits, that I have priced, are $50 or more for wood and over $100 for vinyl. Those prices are for a single 4×4 box. The Greenland Gardener double bed raised garden (That’s TWO 4×4 beds.), made from a long-lasting and durable wood composite, is only $72! Plus, they offer free shipping within the United States! It’s a great value and a frugal, one-time investment in grocery-savings and healthy food for your family.
More good news? You bet! Greenland Gardener has generously agreed to sponsor a giveaway of one of their excellent Double Bed Raised Garden Kits. One Busy-at-Home reader will win one for their own backyard.
Giveaway Rules:
You must be 18 or older and a US resident to enter. Mandatory entry must be completed before any optional entries will be counted. Winner will be selected in a random drawing using random.org. Deadline for entry is midnight (CST), Sunday, July 10, 2011.
Mandatory Entry:
Visit Greenland Gardener and in a comment below, share one gardening tip you learned at their site.
Optional Additional Entries:
- Like Greenland Gardener on Facebook and leave a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Greenland Gardener on Twitter and leave a comment with your Twitter handle to let me know you did.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Twitter. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Like Busy-at-Home on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Google Friends Connect by clicking the Join Button in the right-hand side bar. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Subscribe to the Busy-at-Home Newsletter with this link or in the right-hand sidebar. You will receive an email confirmation with a link that must be clicked to confirm your subscription. Once you click the email link to confirm your subscription, leave me a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
- Tweet this giveaway (maximum of 1x per day, please). Grow your own fresh vegetables! Win a complete DOUBLE raised bed gardening kit from @greenldgardener and @busyathome http://ow.ly/5rHbt Leave a comment below with a link to your tweet.
- Post this giveaway on your Facebook page. Save money on groceries! Grow your own fresh vegetables! Win a complete DOUBLE raised bed gardening kit from The Greenland Gardener at Busy-at-Home http://ow.ly/5rHbt Leave a comment below with a link to your post.
I received a double bed raised garden kit from the Greenland Gardener, in order to test it and conduct this review. No monetary compensation was received and a positive review was not required. As with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own.
I began a new 4-week challenge with Arm and Hammer, last week. I switched from my old brand of toothpaste and started using Arm and Hammer Advanced White Brilliant Sparkle Toothpaste. Always seeking out the frugal option, I wouldn’t say I am brand-loyal when it comes to toothpaste. I tend to look for what I [...]
I began a new 4-week challenge with Arm and Hammer, last week. I switched from my old brand of toothpaste and started using Arm and Hammer Advanced White Brilliant Sparkle Toothpaste. Always seeking out the frugal option, I wouldn’t say I am brand-loyal when it comes to toothpaste. I tend to look for what I have a coupon for or is on sale. Arm and Hammer Advanced White may well be the product that wins me over, though. It has all the great cleaning power I expect, along with fluoride, a great taste, tartar control ingredients and whitening power, plus compared to the pricey whitening products on the market, today, it’s a great bargain!
I left college in 1982, (after completing all but three semesters toward a degree in elementary education) and moved to Missouri, where I promptly ignored my previous educational training, and went to work for a fantastic dentist, running the front office. The dentist trained me to work chair-side during procedures, as well as to clean teeth. I loved that smooth, newly polished feel immediately after having my own teeth cleaned and it was a real kick for me to send people out of the office with whiter, brighter smiles. A fellow co-worker and myself learned to stretch the polishing cable into the hallway and use the mirror hanging there to achieve that polished clean feel for ourselves, on an almost weekly basis. To be honest, that is probably the one and only thing that I have missed in being home with my kids, all these years — access to dental polishing equipment. — lol
I wasn’t sure how I was going to like the Arm and Hammer toothpaste. I’ve heard many stories from earlier generations, in my family, about brushing their teeth with Arm and Hammer Baking soda and how great a job it did. I love it for so many other cleaning jobs, I have tried using it for my teeth on several occasions, but could never get past the extreme salty flavor. If the toothpaste had that same overpowering taste, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to see the challenge through. So, it was a great surprise to find that Arm and Hammer Advanced White Brilliant Sparkle Toothpaste has not only a fresh, minty taste, but is also far less gritty than I expected. It has just enough abrasive material to leave my teeth with the closest I have come, at home, to a dentist-office polished feel. After one week of use, I’m really liking it. I’m anxious to see if there is a difference in the whiteness of my teeth at the end of the four week trial.
Arm and Hammer’s research data shows that Arm and Hammer Advanced White Brilliant Sparkle Toothpaste removes up to 5X more plaque in hard-to-reach places than ordinary toothpaste.* It whitens and brightens teeth for a clean, fresh taste, gently cleaning away surface stains and penetrating tiny crevices to clean away deeper stains. It safely polishes your teeth with micro-polishers for whiter and brighter teeth and leaves my mouth feeling fresh and clean.
The great news is that you can try out this effective oral health product along with me, by ordering your own FREE sample. I’m convinced you’ll love the fresh, clean results you achieve with Arm and Hammer Advanced White Brilliant Sparkle Toothpaste, too.
I’m going to have more info, tips and savings ideas to share with you over the next few weeks and we’ll do two more $25 VISA gift card giveaways, in July, so check back often and learn how Arm and Hammer Advanced White Brilliant Sparkle Toothpaste can brighten and whiten your smile and save you money doing it.
*Data on file.
This is a sponsored post for Church & Dwight Co., Inc, the maker of ARM & HAMMER branded products, who is paying me to try different products. Sign up for a free sample of Advance White Brilliant Sparkle Toothpaste. And then head over to The Switch & Save Challenge to keep up with all of the bloggers and enter to win $25,000.
What a blessing to have found this house, moved last September and settled for what will hopefully be a very long time! There’s no question that God’s timing was perfect and so much better than what we would have done on our own. Any of you who have moved from one home to another, will [...]
What a blessing to have found this house, moved last September and settled for what will hopefully be a very long time! There’s no question that God’s timing was perfect and so much better than what we would have done on our own. Any of you who have moved from one home to another, will understand what I mean, though, when I say that I have been anxious for warm weather, so we can make the little touches and tweeks that change this from just a house to OUR home. I’m talking about the projects that put your family’s personality into a house — the preferences and ideas that really establish the house as yours and make it the place you love to come home to.
The front of our "new to us" house, which we purchased last September. David has the front yard all spruced up and looking spiffy!
There are three main DIY areas we hope to tackle this summer and into fall:
- Our Backyard Makeover
- Bedroom Facelifts and a Master Bedroom Makeover
- Decorating and Furnishing our Parlor? Sitting Room? Front Room? Third Living Area? (We still haven’t decided exactly what to call that room. lol)
Time and budget always dictate how fast these kinds of projects move forward and in the case of Our Backyard Makeover, the weather has really thrown a curve into the plans. Unbelievable amounts of rain and cool weather slowed down getting our garden in at the time I would have preferred. But, thankfully, we have managed to take full advantage of the days of sunshine sprinkled into this crazy “rainy season” and get a few things accomplished.
Our goals for each project are:
1. Our Backyard Makeover
It was fun this spring to watch things green up and wait with great anticipation, to see what plants would pop through. In my post tomorrow, I'll show you more of this area for our garden, out back. The back yard is quite large and though it's difficult to get a picture of the whole thing at once, I'm hoping you'll get the gist of it.
This is a continuation of that east fence, just down from the garden area. That’s a covered wagon bird house on the pole.
The remainder of the east fence in our backyard. There is a small pine tree we will be taking out. A rectangular concrete pad where we would like to set up a compost tumbler and then a about 5x5 corner flower bed in that southeast corner. The beam in the tree used to hold two swings, however, the wooden beam is splitting and creating some safety issues.
- establishing a vegetable garden separate from the flower beds
- edible landscaping in the form of blueberry bushes and grapes
- setting up a compost tumbler
- putting in a swingset/play area for our youngest daughter and three grandkids
- re-establishing grass in the large, dirt crop-circle created by our black lab when she was staked back there on a long lead
- furnishing the upper deck
- furnishing the downstairs screen porch
- setting up a firepit area on the patio
- painting or staining the deck and back steps
- trellising across the back of the built-in upper deck bench (to prevent grandbabies from crawling underneath and falling down to the yard)
- an umbrella clothesline (Still being debated. Hubby is definitely not as keen on the idea as I am, but the electricity savings may be the deciding factor.)
Straight west from the southeast corner flowerbed, looking back toward the house. The furthest south area is a 10x10 poured concrete patio with partial privacy fencing, that is right next to a wonderful screen porch, which is built under the back deck.
Another view of the back deck and screen porch, moving north, across the back yard. There is a small garden tools/hose storage area under the deck stairs and then a rose garden/flowerbed along the retaining wall, which masks the central air unit when the roses are in full bloom. There is a lot of glare, but that big bald spot in front of the screen porch is the area the dog wrecked pacing a circle on her 15 foot cable.
The northwest corner of the back yard (That's the same retaining wall from the last picture.) There is a blue garden gate in the privacy fence at that corner.
The north side of the yard fencing has two trellises with clematis vines and continues down to the east corner of the yard where the vegetable garden starts and we began this tour.
2. Bedroom Facelifts and a Master Bedroom Makeover
- removing out-dated and faded wallpaper borders
- fresh coats of bright paint (currently two of the rooms are painted dark navy and a deep, very, very dark pine green)
- paint the master bedroom a solid color (it is a two-tone, textured stripe)
- new mattress for master bedroom (The search is on for something comfy!)
- matching drapes and bedspread for master
- vinyl wall art and other decor for all bedrooms
- changing out a twin bed in a child’s room for a full or queen, so it can be used as a guest room, when needed
- desk to DIY for daughter’s bedroom
3. Furnishing and Decorating the Front Room
This is my one-of-a-kind original china hutch, created especially for me, by my dad. Isn't it gorgeous? This is the south wall of the front room we have yet to be able to furnish. This shows the walnut hardwood floors, too. It used to be white carpeting.
Moving west from the hutch to the southwest corner of the room. Is it wrong that I have been letting my 4-H girls use this beautiful room for sewing classes? No way! The lighting is good and the views are awesome. It's a great place to relax and have fun.
This is moving up the wall from the southwest corner to the northwest corner of the room. That wall has a gorgeous bay window with a window seat, which the grandkids absolutely love! You can see I have managed to acquire one bookcase, since moving in. Now, I have to sort, sift and choose from my thousand or so books, which ones to put in there. That requires unpacking lots of boxes stacked in the garage. Oy! I guess that should be on my Summer DIY list, too! That's my blue front door, you can see, just into the foyer.
And this is the east wall or northeast corner of the room. It's the opposite angle into the foyer and then beyond to the upstairs living room. This wall is totally void of furnishings and decoration. It's a blank slate. Now, to find the time and money to write on it.
- This room is the first, directly to the right as you walk through our front door. It is the THIRD living area in this beautiful house and we simply do not have any furniture to fill it. It has a beautiful bay window looking out over the pretty, tree-lined street and neighborhood out front. I can’t wait to add an area rug, furniture and wall decor. The layout of the room is interesting, as it connects, in an L-shape, to the dining room around the corner. At this time, I have been able to add a nice bookcase and my Dad surprised me a couple of weeks ago with a beautiful china hutch, he built for me. That is sitting at the end of the room, where it connects to the dining room. Otherwise, this room has been totally empty since we moved in, 10 months ago. It (and the dining room, as well as the stairs and upstairs hall) were all covered in pristine WHITE carpeting when we bought the house. That was the only immediate change we made to the home after moving in. We are a “get comfortable, live-in-it”, kind of family and white carpeting anywhere, much less in the dining room, was definitely not going to fit our lifestyle. The front room and dining room were immediately redone in a warm, welcoming walnut hardwood and the stairs and upstairs hall traded their white for a plush, rich, caramel-colored carpet which we extended into the master bedroom.
As you can see, we have a pretty ambitious list and only time, great bargains and saving for the next thing, will be able to help us fully realize the dream. I intend to write about the process, as we take each new step in the makeovers, sharing tips, ideas and products I learn about along the way. Be sure to stop back tomorrow for our first post in Our Backyard Makeover series. It will begin the transformation of our backyard into an oasis for relaxation and fun, as well as a beautiful, budget-saving garden spot. We’ll kick off that first post with a fantastic giveaway, so you may be able to mark something off your own backyard DIY list, right along with me! I look forward to sharing it with you!
Stop to consider the plastics that touch your family’s mouths and food every day — plastic bottles with water, soda, juices, sippy cups, baby bottles, plastic dinnerware, serving bowls, cereal bowls, drinking cups, coffee mugs, the containers we buy food in at the store. If those items all have a measure of BPA and the [...]
Stop to consider the plastics that touch your family’s mouths and food every day — plastic bottles with water, soda, juices, sippy cups, baby bottles, plastic dinnerware, serving bowls, cereal bowls, drinking cups, coffee mugs, the containers we buy food in at the store. If those items all have a measure of BPA and the very low doses are what may lead to problems with endocrine system function, we all have a lot to consider in how we, and manufacturers, handle our food and beverages. Many companies are getting on board and making responsible decisions even before any legislation might be passed to force the issue. Others are pioneering new product technology and offering great alternatives for us. One such company is Kid Basix.
We reviewed the green Kid Basix Sippy 2, complete with straw adapter for older kids.
I was pleased to have the opportunity, recently, to test the Safe Sippy 2 and The Safe Sporter, from Kid Basix, with my own family. The company also carries the Original Safe Sippy and The Starter, a baby bottle. All these products are BPA and phthalate free.
Our grandson tested the Sippy 2 for us. He's checking out the spout, since it's different from his other cups.
The body of the Safe Sippy 2 is made from light-weight, food-grade, 304 stainless steel, which means it’s non-leaching and toxin-free. The shape of the spout is designed to prevent physical and speech difficulties as tiny mouths and teeth develop. The Safe Sippy 2 has a tapered waist with ribs at the top of the thermo-plastic rubber sleeve, to make it easy to grip when your “big boy or girl” decides they are too grown up for the removable handles which are included. The thermo-plastic rubber sleeve helps to insulate the beverage inside, protect the cup from dings and dents if dropped and to protect little fingers from feeling the cold temperature of their drink conducted through the stainless steel. The Safe Sippy 2 also includes a dust cap to keep the spout clean, a travel plug to prevent leaks, a sippy valve and a straw adapter. Quite frankly, the design is ingenious!
He is very possessive of this cup whenever he visits. I love that it is safe and easy for him to use and can be cleaned up lickety split in the dishwasher. The dust cover is great for keeping the spout clean when you have to toss the cup into the diaper bag.
Our grandson really likes this cup. We started out with the straw adapter in place, but at not quite 2, he is still used to tipping his cup up to drink, which resulted in some dribbling, so later we added on the handles and switched to the sippy valve. It was a hit! Eventually he will graduate back to the straw adapter and I anticipate getting years of use from this sturdy little cup. He is very upset if I offer the Sippy 2 to any of the other grandkids. “Mine” is well established in his almost two-year-old vocabulary.
This is the wonderful Sporter that I tested for this review.
I also received and tested The Safe Sporter, in marigold. It was a great help to me on my mission trip to Kansas City, last week. I spent four, very warm days being able to help out in a soup kitchen down there. I would leave The Sporter in the the reach-in cooler and refresh myself with a cool drink, whenever I had a break. The construction is very similar to the Sippy 2, with a stainless steel body, wrapped in the same thermo-plastic rubber sleeve to protect fingers from the cold and give a good gripping surface. It also has a hinged mud cap that easily flips back out of the way when drinking and an easy-pull sports spout. The one difference I noticed was that with a plastic bottle you can squeeze it to dispense the liquid. Since this bottle is stainless steel, you definitely need to suck the liquid from the spout, which isn’t necessarily an issue, just something to get used to. I got so busy during the week that I didn’t get a picture of myself using The Safe Sporter and as it turns out, I left it behind with someone who is currently without a home and has a greater need than I do for its sturdy construction and generous 16 oz. capacity. I was blessed to be able to share it with them.
Kid Basix is generously sponsoring a giveaway of one Kid Basix product of your choice for a lucky Busy-at-Home reader. If you can’t wait and you want to add some of these high-quality, BPA beverage containers to your kitchen, right away, I encourage you to visit their website and place an order.
Giveaway Rules:
You must be 18 or older and a US resident to enter. Mandatory entry must be completed before any optional entries will be counted. Winner will be selected in a random drawing using random.org. Deadline for entry is midnight (CST), Sunday, July 3, 2011.
Mandatory Entry:
Visit Kid Basix and in a comment below, tell me which style and color of Kid Basix cup you would choose if you are the giveaway winner.
Optional Additional Entries:
- Like Kid Basix on Facebook and leave a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Kid Basix on Twitter and leave a comment with your Twitter handle to let me know you did.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Twitter. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Like Busy-at-Home on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Google Friends Connect. Or click the Join Button in the right-hand side bar. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Subscribe to the Busy-at-Home Newsletter with this link or in the right-hand sidebar. You will receive an email confirmation with a link that must be clicked to confirm your subscription. Once you click the email link to confirm your subscription, leave me a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
- Tweet this giveaway (maximum of 1x per day, please). Win a colorful, durable and BPA-free sippy cup or sport bottle from @ Kid Basix and @busyathome http://ow.ly/5odh3 Leave a comment below with a link to your tweet.
- Post this giveaway on your Facebook page. You’re careful about what your kids are drinking. What are you serving them in? Win a colorful, durable and BPA-free sippy cup or sport bottle from @ Kid Basix and @busyathome http://ow.ly/5odh3 Leave a comment below with a link to your post.
Warnings about BPA (Bisphenol A) in plastics have been ringing louder and louder in the past year or so. Certainly the scientific community has championed the alerts for nearly 25 years, but it is more recent that the truth about endocrine disruptors in plastics has been known or at least understood by the general public, and parents, in particular. Having two children who are affected dramatically by endocrine system issues has piqued my interest and concern over this subject. With the flood of plastics that bombard us in our daily lives, it is overwhelming and frightening to think that we may have unknowingly created a situation that will be difficult to remedy. When something is hard, however, it’s not the time to bury our heads in the sand. Even the smallest steps forward are still forward, and cumulatively, over time, can help to make improvements for both health and environment. Parents around the globe have discarded BPA plastic baby bottles, teethers and drinking bottles, but there are many places we haven’t been made aware that BPA is still lurking in our everyday lives. I am not a scientist and have no medical training, so I urge you to do some research on your own. You can always find pro and con articles on any topic and I encourage you to read both, then consider the source. This is not a topic that affects only a few people. The reality is that every person is likely affected, in some measure, by daily exposure to these plastics. For detailed information on the chemical BPA, its use in plastics and its effects on the human body, there are many articles I would encourage you to consider. Here are just a few to get you started.
- National Geographic Magazine
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
- California Lyme Disease Association
I received a Kid Basix Safe Sporter and Kid Basix Sippy Cup 2, in order to test them and conduct this review. No monetary compensation was received and a positive review was not required. As always, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own.
Debi must have a four-leaf clover in her pocket, because THAT girl is super lucky! She was selected as the winner in TWO different Dora’s Garden Gazebo giveaways, each on different blogs, during the MegaBloks campaign, in May. As mentioned in the post, you are only able to win one prize per campaign, so [...]
Debi must have a four-leaf clover in her pocket, because THAT girl is super lucky! She was selected as the winner in TWO different Dora’s Garden Gazebo giveaways, each on different blogs, during the MegaBloks campaign, in May. As mentioned in the post, you are only able to win one prize per campaign, so she has already received her winning prize, from my other blogging friend, and Busy-at-Home has redrawn for a second winner.
Congratulations to #95, NW Homesteader!
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After 4 weeks of taking a closer look at Arm and Hammer Baking Soda, I feel as though I have a more keen appreciation of an old friend. It’s interesting how we often take for granted the simplest things in our lives, the ones that are always there, but don’t get much attention. I can [...]
After 4 weeks of taking a closer look at Arm and Hammer Baking Soda, I feel as though I have a more keen appreciation of an old friend. It’s interesting how we often take for granted the simplest things in our lives, the ones that are always there, but don’t get much attention. I can truthfully say that in 28 years of marriage there has likely never been a time that there was no baking soda in my kitchen. It’s always there and often used, but not really taken too seriously. My month-long examination of all the possible uses has left me with a deeper respect for this kitchen staple and I intend to use it throughout the house, now, and in ways I had never considered, previously. Before I list some of those for you, I couldn’t pass up the chance to show you one more kitchen application, however.
Arm and Hammer Baking Soda - one of life's "simple" things.
There’s no more classic sandwich, in Nebraska in the summer, than the delicious BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato). Thick sliced bacon on whole grain bread with fresh lettuce and tomatoes from the garden will send anybody’s tastebuds into a happy dance. I love eating them, but I hate the splatter and mess of frying bacon in the conventional method on the stove.
BLT's are a summertime classic! Delish!
A couple of years ago, I attended a kitchen tools home party and was introduced to cooking bacon in the oven on a stoneware cookie sheet. It changed my life! I came home with a stoneware cookie sheet and never looked back. Until…I left the stoneware on my gas stovetop to cool and someone turned the burner on. Crrraaaaack! I was devastated, in the moment, but then in desperation discovered the same results can be achieved with a regular stainless steel cookie sheet. Huzzah!
Bacon, cooked in the oven and grease drained off. I save the bacon grease in the fridge. Have you ever wilted spring lettuce from the garden in a little bacon grease? Awesome!
So, I’ve done bacon in my oven for years. The perks? –flat evenly cooked strips of bacon, no kitchen grease splatters and no standing over a hot splattering skillet waiting for multiple batches of bacon to finish curling and cooking. Lay out your strips of bacon on a baking sheet. Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until it has reached your idea of perfect crispness. Drain bacon and blot away excess grease with paper towels. Enjoy!
The one “down-side”?–the cookie sheet could be a cleaning challenge if you didn’t understand the frugal simplicity of using Arm and Hammer baking soda to clean and polish your pots, pans and baking pans. But by now, you do. It’s a total win! win!
A little Arm and Hammer Baking Soda on a damp cloth makes quick work of that cookie sheet and leaves you time and money to do something fun with your summer! Simple!
So, go for it! Make your bacon and eat it, too! It’s a simple summer pleasure and so is the clean up.
A simple, summer pleasure -- BLT's with fresh garden veggies.
Do you need some more ideas for fantastic, frugal ways to use Arm and Hammer around the house? Here are just a few.
Clean and freshen toys with Arm and Hammer Baking Soda.
- Cleaning baby toys, playpens, strollers, car seats, etc
- Deodorizing diaper pails, waste baskets and baby bottles
- Cleaning tough baby stains out of laundry and freshening stuffed toys
- Cleaning bathroom floors and shower curtains
- Freshening upholstery and carpets
- Deodorizing gym bags
- Making clay, water color paint, and bath fizzies.
- Deodorizing the fridge, dishwasher, and microwave
- Baking Ooey, Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies and other delicious treats in your kitchen
For details on how to accomplish these household chores and more, simply and effectively with Arm and Hammer Baking Soda, visit the Arm and Hammer Solutions Center. The simple things really ARE the best.
Mandatory Giveaway Entry:
Arm and Hammer is sponsoring another generous giveaway, this week — another $25 VISA Gift Card! Entering is simple! Just leave a comment with your favorite simple, summer pleasure.
Giveaway Rules:
You must be 18 or over and a US resident to enter. Winner will be selected in a random drawing using random.org. Deadline to enter is midnight (CST), Sunday, June 26, 2011.
This is a sponsored post for Church & Dwight Co., Inc, the maker of ARM & HAMMER branded products, who is compensating me to try different products. Save $1.00 on ARM & HAMMER Essentials Fabric Softener Sheets. And then head over to The Switch & Save Challenge to keep up with all of the bloggers and enter to win $25,000.
One of my favorite memories of childhood is chopping apples in my grandma’s kitchen surrounded by my mom and all my aunts who were also working on various aspects of a family dinner. It was a big kitchen, but it was always crowded because there were LOTS of us. My dad was one of 11 [...]
One of my favorite memories of childhood is chopping apples in my grandma’s kitchen surrounded by my mom and all my aunts who were also working on various aspects of a family dinner. It was a big kitchen, but it was always crowded because there were LOTS of us. My dad was one of 11 siblings and it was not unusual for the majority of them and their families to be at Grandma’s for Sunday dinner. The women congregated in the kitchen to help with the meal and to visit. Being old enough to be allowed in there was a BIG deal. There were likely four or five different conversations going on at once and everyone was lovingly preparing something for a meal that would be shared with our very large, very hungry family. There would be sounds of laughter, spoons clanking against the sides of pans, knives chopping against the cutting boards and smells — oh, the wonderful smells.
Ingredients for a deliciously simple apple salad.
The apples I chopped would be for apple salad. Apple salad didn’t have an exact recipe, because depending on what grandma had in the kitchen, other ingredients, like sliced bananas, raisins or coconut, might be added to this basic recipe. There were parts of it that never really changed, though, and that’s what I’m sharing with you, today — just the basics — simple, pure and full of joyful memories. Moments like those are very likely responsible for my love of cooking and big family dinners. For me, food isn’t just something to eat. It’s something that draws family’s close — in the kitchen and around the table. It’s a memory maker.
Easy and delicious. Chock full of healthy fruits, nuts and even a veggie, PLUS one surprise ingredient! Other fruits and nuts can easily be added or substituted. You may need to mix up extra dressing to get that perfect creamy texture in your salad, if you add extra fruit.
Ingredients
- 4 or 5 apples, washed, cored and diced
- 2 or 3 stalks of celery, washed and sliced thin
- 1 cup of red or green grapes, washed and halved
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
- 1 (8oz) tub whipped topping, thawed
- 1/3 cup Miracle Whip (Not mayo, it just won’t be the same.)
Instructions
- Stir the fruit, celery and nuts together in a large serving bowl.
- Stir in the marshmallows.
- In a smaller bowl, mix the whipped topping and Miracle Whip. I can’t stress enough that to achieve the correct texture and flavor, substitutions are simply not acceptable here. Something magical happens to the whipped topping, when the Miracle Whip is mixed in. The texture thickens and the perfect tang is added to complement the sweetness of the fruit.
- Pour the whipped topping dressing over the fruit and mix thoroughly.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve.
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Add marshmallows to the fruit and nuts mixture.
Miracle Whip stirred into the whipped topping is the secret to this easy recipe.
I wish I had gotten a better picture of the finished product. It's such a pretty, creamy salad and just the right accompaniment to any main dish or even on the plate, next to a sandwich, for a special lunch.
Everything about the What’s Cooking with Kids? website and the work Michelle Stern is doing, makes me excited. She owns a mobile cooking school for kids that focuses on locally grown foods and teaches kids to enjoy cooking and eating them. Instead of “shooing” the kids out of the kitchen, Michelle encourages us to draw [...]
Everything about the What’s Cooking with Kids? website and the work Michelle Stern is doing, makes me excited. She owns a mobile cooking school for kids that focuses on locally grown foods and teaches kids to enjoy cooking and eating them. Instead of “shooing” the kids out of the kitchen, Michelle encourages us to draw them in and include them in the preparation of family meals, providing tasks that are age appropriate and teaching kids to be enthusiastic about preparing nutritious, delicious meals from local food sources. It is certainly much more likely to have children who enjoy a varied and well-balanced diet, if they’ve had the experience of working alongside Mom and Dad to prepare family meals and understand how to make the best choices.
The Whole Family Cookbook by Michelle Stern
I can definitely get excited and support the ideas of someone who promotes using in-season, local foods. We all know that food grown locally, has the opportunity to fully ripen on the plant, reaching peak flavor and nutritional value. In-season foods are less expensive and can help to stretch the family food budget. When you teach these important concepts to children, not with lectures, but shoulder-to-shoulder with them, by your example, you make a life-long impact on their food and health decisions. You make great memories that will endure and be passed down to their own children. Who wouldn’t be excited about that? Love, love this website!
Kids appreciate food more when they've had a hand in growing it. They're also more likely to try something new.
Guess, what? Michelle has written a cookbook, The Whole Family Cookbook”, that incorporates this worthy philosophy with recipes for delicious dishes your family will love eating and preparing together. The introduction and entire first chapter is devoted to tips and ideas for cooking with kids, understanding what they are capable of and helping them to become little locavores. There are more than 75 delicious recipes spread across 6 categories:
- Breakfast of Champions – Recipes include: Mini Frittatas, Banana Sunshine Smoothie, Corny Raspberry Muffins, Breakfast Burritos, Crunchy Granola and more.
- Lunchtime Favorites – Recipes include: Wrap It Up: BBQ Style, Chinese Chicken Salad, Thai Spring Rolls, Salty Pretzel Pillows and others.
- What’s for Dinner? – Recipes include: Minestrone with White Beans and Kale, Grandma’s Spaghetti Gravy, Pork Chops with Sage Butter, Pumpkin Ravioli, Turkey Toes and more.
- Scrumptious Sides – Recipes include: Kale Chips, Potato Latkes, Patriotic Fruit Salad, Purple Rice, Mashed Sweet Potatoes w/Carmelized Apples and more.
- Mom-Approved Treats – Recipes include: Frozen Choco Bananas, Peaches and Cream Cobbler, Lemon Buttermilk Sherbet, Flourless Chocolate Cake and more.
- Make Your Own! – Recipes include: Butter, Pancake Mix, Fresh Basil Pesto, Hummus and more.
Build memories with your kids as you work together in the kitchen.
While there are not pictures on every single page, there are pictures on many of them. The photography is GORGEOUS and engaging. You’ll want a bite of these great recipes, before you’ve even started to prepare them, because of the beautiful color photographs. Plus, kids are going to be drawn into the book by the fabulous shots of kids cooking, gardening and enjoying food!
Every recipe has a legend, that defines age ranges by color, and then each instruction in the recipe is coded with a colored triangle coordinating with the age range of children that could handle that task. The recipes are peppered with personal anecdotes, tips on cooking with kids, information on being environmentally responsible and even a little bit of science. As you can imagine, I have a LARGE collection of cookbooks and some rarely see the light of day. This cookbook will stay front and center in the bookcase, where I can pull it out frequently!
The first recipe I tested from the cookbook was Chicken Picatta with Linguine. I doubled it for our family and company. Interestingly, it uses white wine, which I purchased especially for this recipe. When I make it, next time, I think I will substitute chicken broth, instead, and cut back a little bit on the lemon. Rather than finishing by adding the chicken into the sauce, I let everyone decide whether they would use the sauce or not and after tasting it, most preferred the chicken and linguine without it. I think the substitutions I mentioned, above, will remedy that next time we make it. Otherwise, we really liked the dish and it was SO pretty served. I always love when I get to try something new and I like it when my kids at least try new things. This dish gave us an opportunity. I had never tasted or used capers before, and discovered that we really liked them. Capers are the immature buds of the caper plant. The plant is native to the Middle East and Mediterranean countries. They’re usually sun-dried and then brined in vinegar and salt. They were quite good with the chicken and looked so pretty! See?
- Chicken Picatta with Linguine and my grandma’s apple salad. The linguine has fresh spinach wilted into it and it was very good. See the capers? They’re salty and yummy and the chicken was DELISH.
The very next recipe I make is going to be Frozen Choco Bananas. I want to make them with the world’s most awesome grandkids — mine! lol One of my most vivid memories of elementary school is being able to take a dime to school on Fridays, because one of the high school clubs would sell frozen chocolate covered bananas as a fundraiser. It was such a treat to run out of the classroom at the end of the day and find a high schooler standing at the door filled with the simple, frozen sweets. Michelle kicks hers up a notch with sprinkles, chopped nuts or coconut on the chocolate. What a smart woman! I can’t wait to share these with my three favorite tiny people.
Though it probably isn't local, it IS healthy and delicious. Plus, your kids are going to love them. Yay! Frozen Banana Pops
I also intend to use this with the girls in my 4-H cooking club. I have been teaching them about nutrition and using seasonal foods in their cooking. They’re going to want to make ALL these recipes!
I want to encourage you to visit What’s Cooking with Kids? and to get this great cookbook that will get you hands-on in the kitchen with your kids. You can grab The Whole Family Cookbook
Giveaway Rules:
You must be 18 or older and a US resident to enter. Mandatory entry must be completed before any optional entries will be counted. Winner will be selected in a random drawing using random.org. Deadline for entry is midnight (CST), Sunday, June 26, 2011.
Mandatory Entry:
In a comment below, share a fun story about cooking with kids or about how you incorporate local, seasonal foods into your cooking.
Optional Additional Entries:
- Like What’s Cooking on Facebook and leave a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
- Follow What’s Cooking on Twitter and leave a comment with your Twitter handle to let me know you did.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Twitter. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Like Busy-at-Home on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Google Friends Connect. Or click the Join Button in the right-hand side bar. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Subscribe to the Busy-at-Home Newsletter with this link or in the right-hand sidebar. You will receive an email confirmation with a link that must be clicked to confirm your subscription. Once you click the email link to confirm your subscription, leave me a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
- Tweet this giveaway (maximum of 1x per day, please). Win a copy of “The Whole Family Cookbook” @busyathome and bring memory-making fun into your kitchen! @whatscooking http://ow.ly/5fFKy Leave a comment below with a link to your tweet.
- Post this giveaway on your Facebook page. Win a copy of “The Whole Family Cookbook” at Busy-at-Home and bring memory-making fun into your kitchen! http://ow.ly/5fFKy Leave a comment below with a link to your post.
I received a copy of ” The Whole Family Cookbook”, in order to test recipes and conduct this review. No monetary compensation was received and a positive review was not required. As always, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own.
The CAT Tough Tracks Free-Wheeling Dump Truck arrived for me to review, thanks to Team Mom and Toy State Toys. I waited with great anticipation for my almost two-year-old grandson to arrive and test it out. He is in love with anything on wheels and finding the fun surprise of the included hard-hat, made the [...]
The CAT Tough Tracks Free-Wheeling Dump Truck arrived for me to review, thanks to Team Mom and Toy State Toys. I waited with great anticipation for my almost two-year-old grandson to arrive and test it out. He is in love with anything on wheels and finding the fun surprise of the included hard-hat, made the package even more exciting! I knew it was going to be perfect for the sandbox.
Unfortunately, the Nebraska weather hasn’t cooperated very well with sandbox activities on the days this sweet little bubby gets to visit. Undaunted by rain or lack of sand, we pulled the toys from the package and created our construction site, right in the living room.
Trying on the hard hat.
The truck is nice for small hands. It’s sturdy, but not so large that it was hard for my grandson to handle. He pushes it “around the loop” of the dividing wall between our front room and kitchen. He can make 10 or 15 laps without a break and each time he rounds the turn to go out of sight for a moment he calls out, “Bye, Gumma! Yater!” (That’s “see ya later” in two-year-old.) The heavy plastic is easy to wipe clean if a stray, sticky finger print manages to attach itself, as well. The hat is adjustable, so we were quickly able to make it fit my grandson’s head. I believe that there are untold miles to be put on this dump truck, when the weather is nice enough to be outside and in the sand. In the meantime, as you can see, the weather hasn’t slowed us down!
Getting the dump truck loaded up.
We loved the CAT Tough Tracks Dump Truck. There are two other pieces in the Tough Tracks Collection, too — a wheel loader and a bulldozer. Be sure to check them out, along with all the other creative and imagination-building toys available from Toy State.
And now Gumma has to wear the hat. It's all in the name of thorough testing. - lol
I was sent the CAT Tough Tracks Free-Wheelin’ Dump Truck and Hard Hat from Toy State, through Team Mom, in order to test it and conduct this review. No monetary compensation was received and a positive review was not required. As always, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own.
