Saturday, July 30, 2011

Budget constraints


Budget constraints prevent many people from eating right.

“I can’t afford to buy healthy food.”
“Fruits and vegetables are too expensive.”
“Grocery store prices are astronomical.”
“It’s cheaper to eat fast food.”

We hear these “excuses” every day—and they’re good ones. But we don’t give up that easily and believe any excuse can be overcome. Today we’re setting out to prove that healthy eating is possible on any budget.

We compared the cost of unhealthy foods from the drive-thru, freezer section and snack foods aisle to the cost of healthy foods. By making even one of these swaps, you can make room in your grocery budget for a few new healthy foods.
Check out http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=what_20_will_buy_at_the_drivethru_and_at_the_supermarket
for more!





{Fabric carnation tutorial}


 Just my style…
easy and cute!


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{Chore Charts}


 Free chore charts.
Let’s get those kids helping!


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Butter Me Up, Baby




Being from St .Louis, Gooey Butter Cake is a staple in just about every home. In St. Louis, it is as common as apple pie and sold in every bakery from your lovely corner bakery to the grocery store bakery department. It is served at breakfast, as coffee cake, dessert and is always seen at family events.

While there are many variations, basically it is a bottom layer base of buttery yellow cake and the top, the gooey goodness, is cream cheese,eggs,vanilla,butter, and powdered sugar. Remember I mentioned those variations? I've seen everything from Nutella to Pumpkin.

If you haven't had Gooey Butter Cake, you don't know what your missing! But, be careful, make one and, although very rich, you will be hard pressed not to eat it all by yourself!


GOOEY BUTTER CAKE

Ingredients 



Cake:
1 18 1/4-ounce package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 16-ounce box powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer.  Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.  Prepare Filling
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter and beat together. 
Next, add the powdered sugar and mix well.  Spread over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.  Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.


Revisited from 2/20/2011

{Oven Baked Taquitos}


 Yummm!
We may have to try these!
Delicious sounding, easy oven cooking, and
kid-friendly…
check,check,check!



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Friday, July 29, 2011

{Sweater Pillows}


 Sweater pillows…
love!




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The importance of grammar…



 The importance of grammar…




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Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting


Do you know, it took me 44 years to try anything Red Velvet. Now, I love just about anything Red Velvet! When I crave something sweet and different, I make these Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Frosting. Chewy, dense, bright red brownie that is great alone, but even better topped with a fluffy white chocolate buttercream frosting..  These babies get rave reviews.





Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting


brownies:
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 oz red food coloring (this is one small bottle or a scant 2 tbsp)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract, divided
1/2 cup (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
white chocolate buttercream frosting:
1/2 cup (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 oz good-quality white chocolate (not chips), melted – I recommend Callebaut
1 – 2 tbsp heavy cream
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour an 8″x8″ baking pan.
In a small bowl, slowly stir together the cocoa powder, food coloring, and 1 tsp vanilla into a thick paste until no lumps of cocoa remain. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in the remaining 1 tsp of vanilla.  With the mixer off, add in the cocoa mixture, then turn the mixer to medium and beat the two mixtures together until they are one uniform color.  Slowly add in the flour and salt and mix on medium-low speed, just until combined.  Do not overmix.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir up the batter with a rubber spatula once or twice just to ensure all of the flour has incorporated from the sides of the bowl and there isn’t anything stuck on the bottom of the bowl.  You’ll want one uniformly colored (red) batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the brownies.  Allow brownies to completely cool in the pan on a baking rack, about 45-60 minutes.  Frost brownies in the pan, cut into 12 bars, and serve, or remove the entire batch from the pan to a cutting board, cut into 12 bars, frost, and serve.
To make the frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until soft and fluffy then beat in the vanilla.  With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time; allow the sugar to mix in before adding the next 1/2 cup. Once all of the sugar has been added, beat on medium speed for 30 seconds and scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add in the melted white chocolate and beat on medium speed until incorporated.  With the mixer on low, add in heavy cream 1 tbsp at a time and beat at medium speed until the frosting has reached your desired consistency.

{Cheater Churros}


 Yummmm!
Cheater Churros
my kinda recipe!


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{Oven Roasted Garlic Brussel Sprout}


 I hate brussel sprouts,
but this
Oven Roasted Garlic Brussel Sprout
dish looks so good,
I may have to try it!




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{What To Do With That Empty Ketchup Bottle}


 This is another
fabulous idea…



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{What To Do With That Empty Ketchup Bottle}




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{Salad In A Jar}


 I would love to try this idea
for my salads
as I am
starting a diet on Monday…



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{Salad In A Jar}




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{Cilantro Lime Shrimp}



 This looks simply yummy!



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{Cilantro Lime Shrimp}




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{Leaves}



 What a beautiful way to preserve
fall leaves.
As a family project, you can gather the
best leaves of the season, study,
and make these amazing jars.



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