Look Who Came to Breakfast

That stinker was eating all my apples!!

Anti-Birthday Cake

This weekend, I held a dinner party for a bunch of my friends who also turned 40 this year. To that regard, I thought it would be funny to make an Anti-Birthday cake:-) This is what I came up with:


I thought it was really appropriate for the ocassion:-)

Blog Frog Friday 6-25-10

I am happy to have you all here for Blog Frog Friday: a weekly stop at my Blog Frog community:-)


This week, I am teaming up with CSN Stores to bring you a wonderful giveaway. CSN Stores is a wonderful place to shop on line. With over 200 stores, you can shop for anything for your home from lighting to cookware and beyond. And, if you leave a comment here or join my community (and are in the US or Canada), you will have a chance to win this:

Rachael Ray “Bubble & Brown” 2-Piece Stoneware Baker Set in Yellow

So, hop on over to my pad for the conversation:-) I will announce the winner during the next week's Blog Frog Friday:-) Good luck and thank you CSN for this opportunity to giveaway this GREAT cookware !

Hometown Seeds Deal

I have got a lot of watching grass growing around here so, I don't have much to share for Gardening Thursday however, I do have a deal for you.

Hometwon Seeds would like to offer a 20% discount on all of our products to my readers. By entering the coupon code "thanks", 20% will be reduced from the total cost of any order. The code will be good through July 31, 2010.

So head on over to Hometwon Seeds and tell them Susie sent you:-)

What I Learned on My Summer Vacation

Look what I learned on our vacation: Terracing:-)

I had never heard of this type of farming but we saw tons of it in Iowa like this:



According to Wickipedia:


In agriculture, a terrace is designed to slow or prevent the rapid run-off of irrigation water. Often such land is formed into multiple terraces, giving a stepped appearance. This form of land use is prevalent in many countries, and is used for crops requiring a lot of water, such as rice. Terraces are also easier for both mechanical and manual sowing and harvesting than a steep slope would be. Terracing slows down the speed of water and therefore allow more run-off to be sucked up by the soil.

My MiL said that each "step" is two combines wide which is best illustrated in this picture:


So, I get a nickle for learning something new:-) What did you learn on your vacation.

Blog Frog Friday 6-18-10

I am happy to have you all here for Blog Frog Friday: a weekly stop at my Blog Frog community:-)

This week's topic is about my social networking experiment on the road. So, hop on over to my pad for the conversation:-)

Garden Chores

After our trip, all I can muster up today was cleaning my pool and pulling weeds in the vegetable garden. I guess I am still on vacation because that is as far as I got before we jumped in my newly cleaned pool:-)

Just a side note, we have one of those Quick Set pools. In the past, we have had tons of problems with the ones with the inflatable top. They leak air. They leak water. And unless you are on completely (and I mean completely) level ground, you have a deep end. So, this year, we got the kind with the frame and so far so good! So, if your yard is less than stable, I recommend it:-)

Drive Like the Wind

Blog Frog Friday 6-11-10

I am happy to have you all here for Blog Frog Friday: a weekly stop at my Blog Frog community:-)

This week's topic is about 3G Networks. I am conducting a social networking experiment on the road. So, hop on over to my pad for the conversation:-)

Have Some Lettuce

We are on our way to Kansas. So, while I am gone, enjoy my first lettuce harvest of the year:

Even though I am gone, come back tomorrow for a Blog Frog Friday experiment:-)

Beautiful Spring Centerpiece

 I had to get some of my peonies before the rain washed the away.

Boredom Fighters

 This week, I have been packing for our big trip. Every other year, we drive from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Oakley, Kansas for a family reunion. It is two days in the car with a 6-year-old. So, I am arming myself with all the boredom fighters at my disposal.



1. DVD Player with a wide selection of discs for quiet viewing pleasure.

2. Activity and reading books to reinforce concepts we learned this school year.

3. Blank paper in a notebook. Containment in the car is key.

4. Colored pencils in a box for drawing and writing (again with the containment). Pencils are the best because crayons melt and markers are messy also.

5. Binder is a back seat toy box and a place to press on for those masterpieces.

6. Child-proof camera for capturing the vacation from your child's point of view. The one we have has games on it too.

7. Wallet contains earned allowance to spend on souvenirs.

8. Stuffed animals for imaginative play.

9. Age appropriate music on MP3 player.

10. Snacks and juice for those between-stop munchies.

I think I have it all covered. Wish us luck:-)

Use this Kmart coupon code and possibly save on all these boredom busting products.

Creamy Avocado & White Bean Wrap

I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie with great recipes:-)

It has been a crazy couple weeks for me. I played way too much and now, our trip to Kansas is upon us and I am completely unprepared! Not to mention, I still have to wrap up the end of the school year. Yikes! Hold on kid's it is going to be a bumpy ride:-)

This week, I am going to focus on getting ready for our road trip and as such, I am featuring a recipe that is road-friendly. Wish me luck:-)

Here is everything that I am serving this week:

Monday: Spaghetti (Cleaning Day/Early Bird Registration)

Tuesday: Chicken and Pasta

Wednesday: Pork Chops (Kindergarten Carnival)

Thursday: Eat in the Car (Last Day of School/Road Trip to Kansas)

Friday: Eat Out (Road Trip to Kansas)

Creamy Avocado & White Bean Wrap

Ingredients:
2 Tbs cider vinegar
1 Tbs canola oil
2 tsp finely chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, (see Note)
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups shredded red cabbage
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
1 ripe avocado
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 Tbs minced red onion
4 8- to 10-inch whole-wheat wraps, or tortillas

Directions:
1. Whisk vinegar, oil, chipotle chile and salt in a medium bowl. Add cabbage, carrot and cilantro; toss to combine.

2. Mash beans and avocado in another medium bowl with a potato masher or fork. Stir in cheese and onion.

3. To assemble the wraps, spread about 1/2 cup of the bean-avocado mixture onto a wrap (or tortilla) and top with about 2/3 cup of the cabbage-carrot slaw. Roll up. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut the wraps in half to serve, if desired.

Servings: 4

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/4 of a recipe (8.2 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 496.84
Calories From Fat (32%) 160.17
% Daily Value
Total Fat 18.47g 28%
Saturated Fat 4.63g 23%
Cholesterol 14.83mg 5%
Sodium 517.75mg 22%
Potassium 1318.83mg 38%
Total Carbohydrates 65.01g 22%
Fiber 12.03g 48%
Sugar 2.45g
Protein 21.4g 43%

Recipe Type
Appetizer

Tips
Ingredient Note: Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are smoked jalapeños packed in a flavorful sauce. Look for the small cans with the Mexican foods in large supermarkets. Once opened, they'll keep at least 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.

Source
Web Page: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/creamy_avocado_white_bean_wrap.html

Recipe Cost: $4.75
Serving Cost: $1.19

Blog Frog Friday 6-4-10

I am happy to have you all here for Blog Frog Friday: a weekly stop at my Blog Frog community:-)

This week is all about gardening. Memorial weekend is traditionally the time to plant in Wisconsin. Now that this is past, this week's topic is about gardening. So, hop on over to my pad for the conversation:-)

Lovely Peony

Spring Baking

May was a HUGE baking month. Here is some other things I made:

Mom's Strawberry Birthday Cake

Cookies for Author's Tea

Candyland Cupcakes

 I tackled another Iron Cupcake: Milwaukee Challenge and this time, the theme/ingredient was Candy. Since I have a young daughter at home, I immediately thought of Candyland. Here is what it looked like:

They were Funfetti cupcakes with peppermint frosting and sugar cookie playing pieces. I did six of the characters in full size cupcakes:

Plumpy
Mr. Mint

Grandma Nut

Princess Lolly

Queen Frosting

King Candy