tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68381756518338348022024-03-12T01:28:23.141-04:00DigiCrumbsDigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.comBlogger451125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-22183008500627362792016-02-14T19:31:00.000-05:002016-02-14T19:31:02.200-05:00Easy Valentines Door Decor - Chalkboard HeartWhile I was shopping at Target, I spotted this chalkboard heart in the dollar spot!! That dollar spot always gets me…this time it was actually $3. I really love the look of this heart and thought it would make a great addition to our kitchen as Valentines decor. I like to add special touches around the house to help celebrate each holiday (especially with kiddos in the house), because they notice the details and get so excited over the little things.<br />
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Here’s our new heart chalkboard hanging on the front of our pantry door.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFMxe36KtBKOAz-hwGnQZzb84DszjVgMcaU-YgGiRKkoIglp-l-89tcaf4j-io8mB3YEeZ-q6nbEbcU3p7BLi7BA-XwLKhas2dUAJV0GgT1PmjHt-vAbwzLLy18hUDaK2PQ5sBsd5nFF8/s1600/Heart+Chalkboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFMxe36KtBKOAz-hwGnQZzb84DszjVgMcaU-YgGiRKkoIglp-l-89tcaf4j-io8mB3YEeZ-q6nbEbcU3p7BLi7BA-XwLKhas2dUAJV0GgT1PmjHt-vAbwzLLy18hUDaK2PQ5sBsd5nFF8/s640/Heart+Chalkboard.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I attached it using my easy behind the door upside down hook trick. Check it out!<br />
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Now I need to decide whether to add a Valentines Day countdown or a quote to our heart chalkboard. Maybe I’ll let the kids take turns creating a design of the day?! Lots of possibilities!!DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-89571441743978778042016-02-14T19:29:00.000-05:002016-11-17T10:19:02.812-05:00White Elephant Gifts IdeasWe attended several holiday parties featuring the increasingly popular white elephant gift exchange. I thought I would share a few of the unique, crazy, and comical white elephant gifts that were up for grabs this year!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2PSH7Fm68P4W0aruYSAOk-y8v7w8RHtAVb5Ly5xFElFZGnYm2oc_YK9-OdQZAOg4rRU5s7jRw6MamxOYBAClabMlh9LYlaCXBT34jn8PBxa4U_QJYvIbh9IRv68ZIARaMiqydcBAQnGM/s1600/Rootin+Tootin+White+Elephant+Gift.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2PSH7Fm68P4W0aruYSAOk-y8v7w8RHtAVb5Ly5xFElFZGnYm2oc_YK9-OdQZAOg4rRU5s7jRw6MamxOYBAClabMlh9LYlaCXBT34jn8PBxa4U_QJYvIbh9IRv68ZIARaMiqydcBAQnGM/s640/Rootin+Tootin+White+Elephant+Gift.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Rootin' Tootin' Holiday</b><br />
This white elephant gift was brought home from a family Christmas party. The box was wrapped with signs indicating “fragile” and “handle with care”. After carefully removing the gift wrap, the barely secured salt water taffy box gave a small hope this was going to be something good, but the weight of the package was a sure sign this would be a doozy of a white elephant gift. Sure enough, it was a can of root beer and a can of baked beans with the lovely sentiment to “Have a Root'n Toot'n Christmas!”…good times!<br />
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<b>Knifes Not Included</b><br />
This fine wooden cutting board and knife holder set had the knives it originally came with removed…for safety of course! At least the wooden cutting board is useful, right?!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyaUFax636z2MAU80jnhpucEGNx-fzi1JND7iHXs6fy90ggHhMQY77ITZMqWdKwHjZbhvw3rq_Ik969xIbw9X0nfbaQOsVSLI5jOheURFNXF59VrVZjSlKka7sOY1RAUDdS_MwS-K3TsE/s1600/Nerd+TShirt+White+Elephant+Gift.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyaUFax636z2MAU80jnhpucEGNx-fzi1JND7iHXs6fy90ggHhMQY77ITZMqWdKwHjZbhvw3rq_Ik969xIbw9X0nfbaQOsVSLI5jOheURFNXF59VrVZjSlKka7sOY1RAUDdS_MwS-K3TsE/s640/Nerd+TShirt+White+Elephant+Gift.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Scientist & Engineer Formalwear</b><br />
Superman, Batman, and Flash T-Shirts from Old Navy with a paper included that says “Scientist & Engineer Formalwear from The Sheldon Cooper Collection”. This one was actually a great gift, useful and packaged funny!<br />
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<b>Sucker!</b><br />
What do you do when your kid receives one of those gigantic, artificially colored rainbow swirl lollipops (made in china) from a birthday party? Make it into a white elephant gift of course!
Wrap it with a message that says “This may be the sweetest gift at the party this year!” When the recipient opens the package, they see their gift with the label “Sucker!”…whah wa.<br />
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<b>Poo-Pourri</b><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=digic09-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0014DP9Y4" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Poo-Pourri-Before-You-Go-Toilet-2-Ounce-Original/dp/B0108XRDJE/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1479395259&sr=1-2&keywords=poo-pourri&th=1&linkCode=li2&tag=digic09-20&linkId=e57e7284c1644d1281d75854313b2dd1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0108XRDJE&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=digic09-20" /></a>If you’re not feeling creative or like you have a lot of time to put into your White Elephant Gift, check out <a href="http://amzn.to/2fIRL8E" target="_blank">Poo-Pourri Before-You-Go Toilet Spray</a> (the accompanying commercials are hilarious). Yes, it’s a real product and it makes for a super easy, possibly useful White Elephant Gift. Too bad I already had this year's gifts together, watch out for next year!<br />
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You might also like a favorite white elephant gift from the past:<br />
- <a href="http://www.digicrumbs.com/2012/12/white-elephant-gift-idea.html">Gift Not Included! - Easy White Elephant Gift Idea</a>
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=digic09-20&l=li2&o=1&a=B0108XRDJE" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-66086285343651038862016-02-14T19:22:00.001-05:002016-02-14T19:37:13.704-05:00Mini Paper Plate Pumpkin Kid CraftMy son made this easy mini paper plate pumpkin craft in first grade as they carved their class Jack-O-Lantern for Halloween. This craft kept all the kids busy as they each took a turn to pull out some of the pumpkin guts! It was super fun and I was happy it happened to coincide with the day and time I help out in the classroom.<br />
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Supply List: Mini Paper Plate, Tissue Paper Squares in shades of orange, Brown Construction Paper rectangle for stem, Small Square of Off White Construction Paper for the kid to cut out pumpkin seeds, Orange Crayons to color the border of the paper plate, and a Glue Stick to paste it all together!DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-47697813422848267802015-07-28T22:34:00.001-04:002015-07-28T22:34:26.670-04:00Summer Boredom Buster: Finish the Drawing Art ProjectIt can be a challenge to keep the kids busy on super hot or rainy days when we're mostly indoors. I thought I would share this summer boredom buster, when I realized how much my son loves working on this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ARB5URA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00ARB5URA&linkCode=as2&tag=digic09-20&linkId=OP33XSJ3ODRMMHTD" target="_blank">IMAGI-Sketch Artist Book</a>. He received this Finish The Drawing Book as a gift, but it is available on Amazon or you could make your own by simply cutting out part of a picture from a magazine and gluing it to paper.<br />
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For example, check out this page from the book. It features a sketch of a control board and instructs the artist to draw an alien behind the control panel.<br />
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These finish the drawing art activities keep him busy and it’s fun to see what he draws. Sometimes he sketches an accurate completion to the drawing and sometimes he designs something unexpected and silly! Either way he’s using his imagination and creativity. The resulting drawings make one of a kind, conversation starting art to display on the refrigerator or mail to a relative.DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-82593447729808569742015-05-13T19:20:00.000-04:002015-05-13T23:16:06.656-04:00Rainbow Paper Plate Craft for KidsMy son made this bright and cheerful rainbow paper plate craft in Kindergarten. Using half of a paper plate, he painted each color of the rainbow and glued on rainbow streamers.<br />
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It is so fun and colorful that we put it on display in our kitchen. Even my 2 year old gets excited about her brother's craft, she loves to stop and tell us all the colors of the rainbow when she walks by.<br />
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We may try to recreate this rainbow craft at home. We have all the supplies except for streamers in every color of the rainbow, so we’ll glue white fluffy cotton balls to the bottom of our painted rainbows instead of streamers to add clouds.DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-36384694527785503882015-03-20T17:14:00.002-04:002015-03-20T17:14:57.553-04:00Easy Pirate Bananas - A fun and healthy PreSchool Class SnackArrr! We've gone a little pirate crazy around here with another fun snack to share with the PreSchool class.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JIN1H2/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000JIN1H2&linkCode=as2&tag=digic09-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B000JIN1H2&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=digic09-20" height="200" width="123" /></a><br />
Since my son loves cooking, the process of dreaming up a new snack idea or finding one online to try is something fun we do together. We decided to send in a whole fruit, a banana, for each student. To make it fun, we turned each banana into a pirate (totally <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/209769295116218137/" target="_blank">pinterest inspired by this photo</a>). We also sent in a bag of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=pirates%20booty&linkCode=ur2&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Apirates%20booty&sprefix=pirates%20boo%2Caps&tag=digic09-20&url=search-alias%3Daps" target="_blank">Pirate’s Booty</a>, which are basically cheesy poofs with a short ingredients list.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=digic09-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000JIN1H2" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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To make pirate bandannas, we folded red napkins, then wrapped one around each banana securing it with tape. I used a black marker to draw the pirate faces and verified the marker did not pass through the peel and damage the fruit.<br />
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From what my son reports, every kid wanted a pirate banana and some even asked for seconds! He was so excited when he came home from school that he wanted to turn an orange as well as a list of other food items into pirates. I love his enthusiasm and never ending big ideas, but we decided to come up with another theme for our next fun food adventure.<br />
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A healthy pirate banana would make a great addition to a lunch box too.<br />
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PS: Wow, I'm behind posting this PreSchool snack we shared last year. I guess they're an oldie but a goodie at this point. I'm planning to sneak one of these fun pirate bananas in his lunchbox now that he's a Kindergarten kid. This would have been great during the week leading up to Halloween...food in costume :)<br />
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<b>You might also like:</b><br />
- <a href="http://www.digicrumbs.com/2013/11/turkey-wrapped-raisins-cute.html" none="" text-decoration:="">Raisin Box Turkeys - Cute Thanksgiving Preschool Class Snack</a>
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- <a href="http://www.digicrumbs.com/2014/01/string-cheese-snowmen-winter-preschool.html" none="" text-decoration:="">String Cheese Snowmen - Winter PreSchool Snack</a>
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- <a href="http://www.digicrumbs.com/2013/06/butterfly-snack-for-kids-fun-preschool.html" none="" text-decoration:="">Butterfly Snack for Kids - A Fun Preschool Snack</a>
DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-89802987255268046302015-03-20T16:50:00.003-04:002015-03-20T16:50:47.025-04:00Our Summer CSA Experience - Week of June 26, 2014<b>What’s in the box this week? June 26, 2014</b><br />
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This week's USDA Certified Organic Share includes:<br />
- Zucchini - 2 lbs<br />
- Peas - sugar snap, quart<br />
- Fennel - 3 head bunch<br />
- Chard - bunch<br />
- Lettuce - head<br />
- Kohlrabi - bunch - nice broccoli flavor, raw or cooked<br />
- Beets - bunch<br />
- Kale - bunch<br />
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Price is $28<br />
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<br />DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-89355330596598340992015-03-19T18:58:00.000-04:002015-03-19T18:58:41.634-04:00Raspberry Poundcake Bites on a StickAs promised, here’s our second “on a stick” potluck dish idea, Raspberry Poundcake Bites on a Stick.<br />
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We originally wanted to make Strawberry Poundcake Kebobs drizzled in chocolate, but when we discovered the strawberries were not looking fresh we bought raspberries instead and created a new covered dish on a stick style.<br />
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This dessert is simple to assemble by cutting poundcake into cubes, placing a fresh raspberry on top, inserting a toothpick to hold it all together, and topping with a dusting of powdered sugar.<br />
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I love how they are bite sized. Depending on your mood, you can enjoy just one Raspberry Poundcake Bite or sample a few for a larger dessert serving.<br />
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<b>You might also like:</b><br />
- <a href="http://www.digicrumbs.com/search?updated-max=2015-02-11T20:13:00-05:00&max-results=7">Tortellini Kebobs with Pesto and Marinara Dipping Sauce</a> - This is the other on a stick potluck dish my husband shared at his work party.DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-60546175478742744952015-03-19T18:57:00.000-04:002015-03-19T18:57:49.371-04:00Our Summer CSA Experience - Week of June 19, 2014<b>What’s in the box this week? June 19, 2014</b><br />
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This week's USDA Certified Organic Share includes:<br />
- Peas - sugar snap, quart<br />
- Kale - bunch<br />
- Brocolinni - bag<br />
- Hakurie Turnips - bunch<br />
- Garlic Scapes- bunch, use to make pesto<br />
- Chard - bunch<br />
- Lettuce - head<br />
- Kohlrabi - bunch - nice broccoli flavor, raw or cooked<br />
- Cabbage - choose regular red, green or napa cabbage<br />
- Beets - bunch - eat the greens<br />
- Spring Onions - bunch<br />
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Price is $35
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<br />DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-79784834104440387462015-03-18T19:32:00.000-04:002015-03-18T19:32:20.257-04:00Catching Snowflakes - Perspective Winter Art Project for KidsToday my son brought home a cool craft project from Kindergarten that’s now on display in our kitchen. I could tell he was proud of this one, since it wasn’t tucked away in his book bag as he exited the school bus. He was holding it for all to see.<br />
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It’s a self portrait of my son catching snowflakes. I’ve seen a lot of perspective crafts made by kids of snowmen from an ariel viewpoint. This is the first time I saw this creative winter art activity, Catching Snowflakes. It’s made of construction paper and a foam snowflake. Even though it doesn’t include a photo or handprint, this one’s a keeper!DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-76642028645447954662015-03-17T23:52:00.000-04:002015-03-17T23:54:32.709-04:00St. Patrick's Day Leprechaun Visit!My son went into the bathroom before school this morning and exclaimed that a leprechaun had been to our house! He insisted we all parade through the bathroom to see the little green shamrock he discovered on the mirror that the leprechaun left behind. He was surprised, excited, and perhaps a little uncertain about using a bathroom that a leprechaun had recently visited.<br />
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I assured him that there are no leprechauns in our house and even if a leprechaun did visit, he was long gone by now. We all left the bathroom so he could finish getting ready for school only to have him announce that he couldn’t use the bathroom! Apparently the leprechaun left more than just a shamrock on the mirror. Yes that is green water in our toilet!<br />
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My son wanted to check the rest of the house for more leprechaun tricks, but it was time to get ready for school.<br />
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In addition to our leprechaun excitement, Grandma got the kids green sparkly St. Patrick's Day headbands to dress for the occasion. We snapped a few silly pictures and my son got a little extra milage out of his new head-ware as he insisted on wearing his to school.<br />
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He told us all about his great day at school where his class found special clues revealing a pot of gold that a leprechaun had left behind and each student received a chocolate gold coin.<br />
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To cap off our St. Patrick's Day celebration, we made a healthy bright green smoothie after dinner (no food coloring required). Anything to get some extra dark leafy greens and fruit into the kiddos. Ah to be a Kindergarten kid again! I love their happy go lucky outlook and how everyday is filled with wonder, possibility and excitement.<br />
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Hope you enjoyed a Happy St. Patrick's Day too!DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-47801482070881364372015-03-16T18:46:00.000-04:002015-03-16T18:46:56.127-04:00Organic Garden Seeds 16 Varieties at CostcoI’m ready for warmer weather. To start thinking Spring, we bought this huge 16 variety pack of organic seeds from Costco for $19.79.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountain Valley Seed Co. Organic Garden Seeds - 16 Varieties</td></tr>
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I bought a similar pack last year and they worked well in our garden and in containers, so I was excited to see some new seed varieties in this pack.<br />
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They even include a square foot garden plan on the back of the package. Quite a few of the seed varieties are container friendly too.<br />
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The 16 varieties of organic garden seeds (fruits, vegetables, and herbs) include:<br />
Tomato - Beefsteak<br />
Cherry Tomato - Yellow Pear<br />
Sweet Pepper - Cal Wonder<br />
Hot Pepper - Jalapeno<br />
Cucumber - Marketmore<br />
Zucchini - Black Beauty<br />
Bunching Onion - Evergreen<br />
Carrot - Scarlet Nantes<br />
Beets - Detroit Red & Gold Mix<br />
Peas - Sugar Snap<br />
Kale - Blue Vates<br />
Lettuce - Gourmet Mix<br />
Basil - Italian Large Leaf<br />
Cilantro - Coriander<br />
Cantaloupe - Hales Best Jumbo<br />
Watermelon - Crimson Sweet<br />
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Yesterday during my daughter's nap time, my son and I got to work starting a couple trays of tomato and pepper seeds. We used our new seeds and some varieties we saved from last year planting them in this simple seed starting kit. I never tried this seed starting kit before, so fingers crossed it works well.<br />
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My 6 year old dropped two seeds into each cell in the greenhouse kit and labeled the rows using a fine tip sharpie.<br />
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Now we just have to wait until our little seedlings grow!DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-69193564174419569522015-03-01T20:04:00.000-05:002015-03-01T20:04:57.147-05:00Ice Cream Sandwich Birthday Cake - Easiest Birthday Cake I Ever Made.Our daughter turned two! We are celebrating with a Daniel Tiger themed birthday party over the weekend. We like to do something special to celebrate her actual birthday, but try not to have too much cake. Last year I made a <a href="http://www.digicrumbs.com/2014/03/layered-watermelon-fruit-cake-first.html">Layered Fruit "Cake"</a>, a healthy alternative to traditional birthday cake. To keep it super simple this year, we decided to use what we already had on hand. I shopped the kitchen and found a box of organic ice cream sandwiches we bought at Costco in the freezer. I thought that would be the easiest way to make a quick birthday cake.<br />
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To transform an ice cream sandwich into a birthday “cake”, cut the ends off to make square corners (perfect bite sizes pieces for the “bakers” to sample - at least my husband and I thought so). Then cut the rectangle in half. The square pieces are the two layers for the birthday cake.<br />
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Finally stack the two squares rotating the second layer to create a two layered ice cream sandwich “cake”. Stick a candle in the top and call it a mini birthday cake!<br />
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There was a lot of “mmm…yummy” and “deeelicious” as our two year old enjoyed her ice cream sandwich birthday cake. It is definitely kid approved, but this simple birthday cake idea would work well for an adult too.<br />
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If you want to go the extra mile, dip the ice cream edges in sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, coconut, or chopped nuts. Maybe pour some melted chocolate over the top…I may have to try that for my birthday!<br />
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Just remember, it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive to be special. I really love how excited my 2 year old was over this mini “cake” that was by far the easiest birthday cake I ever made!DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-22646380525574238782015-03-01T16:44:00.000-05:002015-03-01T16:44:06.803-05:00Our Summer CSA Experience - Week of June 12, 2014<b>What’s in the box this week? June 12, 2014</b><br />
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This week's USDA Certified Organic Share includes:<br />
- Garlic Scapes - bunch, use to make pesto<br />
- Chard - bunch<br />
- Lettuce - head<br />
- Kohlrabi - bunch - nice broccoli flavor, raw or cooked<br />
- Napa Cabbage - light cabbage flavor<br />
- Beets - bunch - eat the greens, this is a twofer<br />
- Spring Onions - bunch<br />
- Boc Choy<br />
- Dill - cut herb<br />
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Price is $25<br />
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<b>What to do with all the fresh produce?</b><br />
We were super excited to try <b>garlic scape</b> pesto! This is the <a href="http://garlicfarmct.com/recipes.htm#ScapePestoRecipe" target="_blank">garlic scape pesto recipe</a> we made. As big garlic fans, it has a strong garlic flavor that we enjoyed. It is very potent, so it wasn’t the kids favorite but they both tried it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_EQRxgv4Zceq3SWzjbJdPSIgczQeif2Oro09J5UbIU2z99EU4zVWGUMji5fZ324Fx4NiZiSSOEWLTsKXLRlYv5ECAsoXcSEFLy-w6A58pi83ZuG2v4K3eRGzqw-GZW8Xf0Vs44DnSlY/s1600/CSA+Produce+fit+into+Refrigerator.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_EQRxgv4Zceq3SWzjbJdPSIgczQeif2Oro09J5UbIU2z99EU4zVWGUMji5fZ324Fx4NiZiSSOEWLTsKXLRlYv5ECAsoXcSEFLy-w6A58pi83ZuG2v4K3eRGzqw-GZW8Xf0Vs44DnSlY/s1600/CSA+Produce+fit+into+Refrigerator.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
We used the <b>chard</b> in green smoothies.<br />
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We tried a different variety of lettuce this week and made another fresh tasty salad, yum! Loving our <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D78X2VQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00D78X2VQ&linkCode=as2&tag=digic09-20&linkId=ZS3PGZP6ZDAG67KG" target="_blank">salad spinner</a>, it is getting a real workout prepping all the fresh heads of <b>lettuce</b> from our CSA.<br />
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We made raw <b>kohlrabi</b> veggie chips with our bunch of kohlrabi.<br />
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More <b>napa cabbage</b> salads, light and fresh.<br />
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More sautéed <b>beet</b> greens and roasted red beets.<br />
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<b>Spring onions</b> are so easy to use so many ways. These were sprinkled into salads and used to top a few Mexican dishes.<br />
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The <b>boc choy</b> was transformed into a veggie stir fry, we all enjoyed.<br />
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Greek dishes taste amazing with fresh <b>dill</b>. Sure wish the pickling cucumbers in my garden were ready, so I could make refrigerator pickles too.<br />
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Sometimes the hardest part is trying to fit all of the fresh produce into our refrigerator until we can put it to good use.DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-57929592687518288502015-02-14T15:27:00.000-05:002016-02-23T12:12:08.689-05:00Trader Joe’s Frozen Fish Sticks - Cooking InstructionsIn an effort to become more organized, I’m posting cooking instructions of frequently used products for reference. This allows me to recycle bulky packaging reducing the amount of space these products take up in our home. Now I can easily look up cooking instructions if needed.<br />
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These are my son’s favorite fish sticks we purchase at Trader Joe’s, Oven Ready Breaded Cod Fillets.<br />
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<b>Trader Joe’s Frozen Cod Fish Sticks Cooking Instructions:</b><br />
Serving Size: 2 pieces<br />
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1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.<br />
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2. Place cod fillets on baking sheet on center oven rack.<br />
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3. Back for 18-22 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees and fillets turn golden brown.<br />
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Not recommended for microwave oven cooking.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TJs Breaded Cod Fillets<br />Ingredients List and Cooking Instructions</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TJs Breaded Cod Fillets<br />Nutrition Facts</td></tr>
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My son also likes Trader Joe’s gluten free fish sticks, so I’ll add packaging pictures and their cooking instructions the next time we purchase a box.<br />
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Since my husband is not a fan of fish, we only make half a package at a time. Then I recycle the box and just store the small bag of remaining fish sticks which takes up much less space in our freezer.DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-32072794021063721912015-02-11T20:13:00.000-05:002015-02-11T20:13:54.171-05:00DIY Star Crayons - A family craft project showcasing recyclingWe started a jar to collect broken crayon bits and pieces. It is amazing how quickly all those broken crayons pile up! My son really took ownership of this organization effort looking forward to a fun family craft and recycling activity, making new crayons.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcx94eS04juJneDUsDOy7uF6pF5_fthSAT4QDyZVcgHGQdxR-opYeDZLk2aePGS3Utjdr8ReyrTwG-2hUBXpBkrT-DYgwkImXqkHpZfmm27zhAw5JinfII6bPMnl6r5mCVeMaVUmL4YXc/s1600/DIY+Star+Crayon+in+Kids+Hand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcx94eS04juJneDUsDOy7uF6pF5_fthSAT4QDyZVcgHGQdxR-opYeDZLk2aePGS3Utjdr8ReyrTwG-2hUBXpBkrT-DYgwkImXqkHpZfmm27zhAw5JinfII6bPMnl6r5mCVeMaVUmL4YXc/s1600/DIY+Star+Crayon+in+Kids+Hand.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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To get started, you’ll need to find the right mold. Silicone molds are available in all shapes and sizes that work well to make your own crayons. I usually find the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&keywords=silicone%20molds&linkCode=ur2&qid=1423702469&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Asilicone%20molds&tag=digic09-20&linkId=53IMEN6D3EUMCMKO" target="_blank">best selection of silicone molds available online</a>, especially if you’re trying to find a specific shape to coordinate with a party theme or holiday. We chose a simple <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NNK7Z2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000NNK7Z2&linkCode=as2&tag=digic09-20&linkId=O7BMYFG4SXJLXGRN" target="_blank">star mold</a>, so we could try to make each of the five points a different color. Having a variety of usable colors in one big chunky star crayon not only looks good, but makes them extra fun to use.<br />
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My son helped with the entire process. He did a fantastic job with my least favorite part of this craft activity, peeling all those crayon wrappers! Although he didn’t mind patiently peeling off wrapper after wrapper, I found the fastest way to strip off all the wrappers is to soak the crayons in water. The water softens the paper and most importantly the glue securing the wrapper releases easier making this task much less daunting. My husband even helped and discovered using a sharp utility knife to carefully cut the wrappers also made them quick and easy to peel.<br />
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To be honest, I wasn’t sure how our homemade crayons were going to turn out. After we filled the stars with crayons, some stars had noticeably more crayon pieces than others, so I was concerned that they would not all melt at the same time and I didn’t want a burnt mess.<br />
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To melt crayons, we use an old toaster oven at 275 degrees for about 20-30 minutes. Keep an eye on them, you can see when all the crayon wax melts into a smooth liquid. If you’re going for the multicolor or rainbow effect, try not to shake or jiggle the melted wax too much so the colors don’t all mix into a solid color.<br />
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After the new crayons cool and set up, they are easy to remove from silicone molds. We were so excited to see that our DIY crayons turned out great! The different amounts of crayon pieces in each mold didn’t seem to cause any problems, some star crayons simply turned out thicker than others. We love them all and like many handmade items each star crayon is one of a kind. My kiddos love drawing with their new crayons.<br />
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We even sold some at the craft area of our church’s annual Christmas bazaar. They all sold, but next time I would like to make some creative packaging to go along with them.<br />
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We enjoyed this craft so much! I love that it taught my kids about recycling in a hands on way and created something new that they were proud of and excited about using! I must admit these simple DIY crayons turned out more professional looking than I expected. We’ll definitely be making more crayons as soon as our broken crayon jar fills up again!<br />
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<b>You Might Also Like</b><br />
<a href="http://www.digicrumbs.com/2012/03/cupcake-liner-organization-repurposing.html">Cupcake Liner Organization</a> - Our broken crayon jar is a reused empty Trader Joe’s almond butter jar just like the jar we use for our Cupcake Liner Organization solution.DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-49582587864250689472015-01-30T19:25:00.000-05:002015-03-19T19:00:55.707-04:00Tortellini Kebobs with Pesto and Marinara Dipping SauceDuring the holidays, it’s party time and that means potluck dishes to prepare for all the big events. First up was my husband’s annual work potluck, so we needed to decide on a few covered dishes to make and share.<br />
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I suggested going the healthy route with my new favorite one pot Mexican Quinoa recipe that is super yummy. He loves it too, but didn’t think the work boys would appreciate it, so we went with a theme for his food this year. Since there was a ton of crockpot meat dishes already on the menu, we decided to leave the crockpot at home and bring “food on a stick” making it official by writing it on the sign up sheet.<br />
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Who knows what everyone thought he would bring? Corndogs perhaps, not a chance!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tortellini Kabobs with Pesto and Marinara Dipping Sauce (marinara not pictured)</td></tr>
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We prepared tortellini kebobs with pesto and marinara dipping sauces. Although no one else probably noticed, I love that the Christmas colors of the green pesto and red marinara made this dish feel even more festive.<br />
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To assemble, we cut kebob sticks in half and put two or three tortellini on each stick careful to only skewer the tortellini on the stick end that was factory finished (not our scissor cut end) so no one accidentally got a splinter in their food.<br />
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Tortellini on a stick works well as an appetizer, light side, or topper for a soup or salad.<br />
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Whatever you want to call it, potluck pleasers, food on a stick, or simply party food, the fun "on a stick" presentation helped make our simple and tasty covered dishes a success. My husband even received several positive comments from the work crew about his potluck dishes!<br />
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We also took a dessert, <a href="http://www.digicrumbs.com/2015/03/raspberry-poundcake-bites-on-stick.html">Raspberry Poundcake Bites on a Stick</a>.DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-35552495408042951072015-01-30T19:22:00.000-05:002015-01-30T19:22:41.259-05:00Our Summer CSA Experience - Week of June 5, 2014<b>What’s in the box this week? June 5, 2014</b><br />
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This week's USDA Certified Organic Share includes:<br />
- Sugar Snap Peas - 1 qt<br />
- Lettuce - 2 heads<br />
- Napa Cabbage - light cabbage flavor<br />
- Beets - bunch<br />
- Kohlrabi - bunch - nice broccoli flavor, raw or cooked<br />
- Spring Onions - bunch<br />
- Radicchio - head - really cool, green type radicchio<br />
- Kale - bunch<br />
- Boc Choy<br />
- Parsley - cut herb<br />
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Price is $35.00<br />
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<b>What to do with all the fresh produce?</b><br />
We love <b>sugar snap peas</b> stir fried, but these sweeties were so good they disappeared before I had a chance to cook any…we ate them raw.<br />
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More delicious salads with fresh <b>lettuce</b>. Best salads ever, hope they keep the lettuce coming.<br />
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The <b>napa cabbage</b> had some bug damage so it took a little longer to clean and prep, but that’s OK with me if it’s grown organically. We loved this cabbage, it made the most delicious salads from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0979885922/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0979885922&linkCode=as2&tag=digic09-20&linkId=O6SA2XOTXPJ2T6N7" target="_blank">Nourishing Meals</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1455581895/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1455581895&linkCode=as2&tag=digic09-20&linkId=C4SPMSRSOVHNLEBI" target="_blank">The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbooks</a>.<br />
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We sautéed the <b>beet</b> greens with olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Then we roasted the beets in the oven. Not everyone in our house is a beet fan, but they all liked the beet greens prepared this way. Our baby enjoyed the roasted beets with me.<br />
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<b>Kohlrabi</b> was new to us. Thank goodness for the internet or I would have no idea what to do with some of these unusual veggies. I learned how to peel and cut the kohlrabi and found most people recommend just eating it raw. I sliced it into thin discs, sprinkled on some flavored sea salt, and called them veggie chips. Everyone enjoyed this new to us vegetable.<br />
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We sprinkled chopped <b>spring onions</b> on salads and on top of a few Mexican dishes.<br />
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I never had a whole head of <b>radicchio</b> before. It was quite bitter, so I mixed it with lots of lettuce and we ate it in salads. Radicchio is probably our least favorite item of the season, but it was fun to try a new veggie. Hopefully I’ll learn new ways to prepare and enjoy radicchio next year.<br />
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The <b>kale</b> was used in more green smoothies, our favorite way to eat kale.<br />
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We made the same <a href="http://www.digicrumbs.com/2014/08/our-summer-csa-experience-first-mini.html"><b>boc choy</b> recipe</a> we tried in our first share of the season, yum.<br />
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We used the cut <b>parsley</b> to top a few <a href="http://www.digicrumbs.com/2010/04/easy-frittata-recipe.html">frittatas</a>.DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-20540588611086579612015-01-14T20:59:00.000-05:002015-01-14T21:00:56.990-05:00Washi Tape for Attaching Batteries to a GiftThe dreaded words, batteries not included, were emblazoned on the packaging of a gift we purchased for a young relative. Even though the toy is fun without the lights and music the batteries enable, I think gifts should include everything that is needed. I wanted to include batteries so the parents didn’t have to buy or find something extra to allow their child to play with the gift.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Attaching Batteries to a Gift - another great use for washi tape!</td></tr>
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We attached 3 AA batteries to the packaging using bright pink polka dot washi tape. We supervised as the child opened the gift and promptly added the batteries to the secure battery compartment in the toy.<br />
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I’m becoming a big fan of washi tape. It’s colorful, fun, and has a ton of uses.<br />
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More posts you might like:<br />
- <a href="http://www.digicrumbs.com/2012/12/white-elephant-gift-idea.html">White Elephant Gift - Gift Not Included!</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.digicrumbs.com/2014/10/back-to-school-teacher-gift-excited-to.html">Back To School Teacher Gift - Excited to "Bee" in Your Class with Lip Balm</a> - I used wash tape to complete this teacher gift.DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-39427199248374696852015-01-04T13:40:00.000-05:002015-01-09T14:14:14.753-05:00Candy Cane Shaped Pancakes with RaspberriesI enjoy making fun food with the kids. They made a special request, strawberries for Christmas breakfast, so we added them to the grocery list. A trip to the warehouse club and grocery store revealed super expensive, less than desirable looking strawberries, so we ended up bring home a big container of raspberries instead. The kids were on board with the change of plans, they both love all kinds of berries.<br />
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I thought we could use cookie cutters to make our favorite pancakes into fun shapes. As I was digging through my stash of holiday cookie cutters, I rediscovered a candy cane cookie cutter that was just begging to be used along with the fresh raspberries to transform an ordinary pancake breakfast into a fun food adventure of Candy Cane Shaped Pancakes.<br />
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My husband whipped up a new family favorite recipe we like to call blender pancakes. They’re grain free, made with almond flour, egg, and banana. Rather than traditional round pancakes, he made them long and narrow so we could easily cut out candy canes shapes with our cookie cutter. I cut a few raspberries in half and then cut the top and bottom of each half on the diagonal to make red stripes to decorate the candy canes. We served them with extra raspberries and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.
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My son made his own breakfast candy cane pancake by simply adding whole raspberries on top.
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None of the raspberry or pancake scraps went to waste, those were just as tasty as the cute cookie cutter shaped pancakes.<br />
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Our Candy Cane Shaped Pancakes are an easy and delicious holiday breakfast treat to remember! The only special supply needed to make this breakfast is a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000K2HYFM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000K2HYFM&linkCode=as2&tag=digic09-20&linkId=Z5O6K7AFKMSEJ3US" target="_blank">comfort grip candy cane cookie cutter</a> and your favorite pancake recipe. They may even work with fresh strawberries, but I’m so glad we got raspberries since they inspired this fun food breakfast for our family.<br />
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Hope you had a happy holiday!DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-66934154353231071082014-12-16T14:23:00.001-05:002014-12-16T14:23:08.177-05:00FREE Twining of London Tea - 3 Free Twinings Tea Bag Samples in Flavors You Pick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.twiningsusa.com/static/pantry/pantry.aspx" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRCRmReATLK-g6C5w_fFWn4Fwot-2nVxK7zE6iyztOJsB5iIaStbOiuQkh-y2CqicSZiT0gjKpiV4G4P9V8LGb3mka3gf0awU-wrLkA8TTQPFDfcSQVWLxLOfbMy_cHNWFyp2hY9cQ9XQ/s640/Twinings+Tea.PNG" height="288" width="640" /></a></div>
I posted about this fun freebie the last few years and it's back! Twinings is again offering <a href="http://www.twiningsusa.com/static/pantry/pantry.aspx" target="_blank"><b>3 Free Twinings Tea Bag Samples</b></a> in varieties of your choosing. There are over 50 varieties to pick from including several organic and fair trade options.<br />
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Hurry, these free tea samples are only available while supplies last.<br />
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Enjoy!DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-8871331524098748972014-11-13T23:17:00.000-05:002014-11-13T23:17:26.090-05:00How To Deal with a Scratchy Shirt Tag without Cutting It OutIt never fails, when it’s time to head out the door a catastrophe strikes. On this fine school morning, I thought we were good to go to the bus stop when I noticed my son doing some unusual dance moves and then he started scratching the back of his neck. On the clothing front, I’m lucky as he typically wears whatever I have ready for him without complaint. Today’s wardrobe malfunction was courtesy of a super scratchy shirt tag.<br />
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Knowing we didn’t have time to run upstairs to grab a different tagless shirt, my first reaction was to cut it out. After inspecting the tag, it was sewn down both sides solid, so we wouldn’t have been able to cut it out completely. Perhaps with a seam ripper, but lets face it we didn’t have time to grab a new shirt so we certainly didn’t have time to break out sewing tools. I needed to cover it up and make it comfy quickly, so I came up with the next best thing and slapped a bandaid on it. It worked!!! No more complaints and no more interesting dance moves.<br />
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Sure it’s only temporary and I’ll need to remember to remove it before throwing it in the wash, but it got us out the door on time and we didn’t miss the bus. If only all of life’s problems could be so easily solved by simply slapping on a bandaid! DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-55663813980450124192014-10-30T11:31:00.000-04:002014-10-30T11:32:34.794-04:00Bat Decoration using Kid Handprints - Halloween CraftI love all the super cute crafts my son brings home from school, especially when they include his handprint. Here’s a project he brought home from Pre-School last year just before Halloween.<br />
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It’s a bat with his hands cut out of black paper for bat wings! He loved cutting out the face of the bat all by himself, gluing on googly eyes and a pom pom nose, and he even added a smile with “teeth” (I love how he draws smiles that look like ladders right now). We hung it on a door to help decorate for Halloween. Can’t wait to see what art project he brings home next.
DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-74260581758396702672014-10-22T14:43:00.000-04:002014-10-22T15:53:23.804-04:00Brown Paper Lunch Bag Art - First Three Days of SchoolMy son started Kindergarten and needs to pack a snack each day. After much research, we’ve decided to buy a reusable stainless steel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UQAMZ2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005UQAMZ2&linkCode=as2&tag=digic09-20&linkId=VAZUFEOQMVS4RICI">PlanetBox lunchbox</a>. Until our reusable PlanetBox arrives, I’ve been using classic brown paper lunch bags to pack his snack.<br />
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To make snack time extra fun, I decided to add some lunch bag art with a sharpie. He really looks forward to seeing his new design each day. Here are the first three lunch bags themed to celebrate his first three days of school:<br />
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Day 1: Happy 1st Day of Kindergarten!<br />
Day 2: Peace Symbol / Day 2<br />
Day 3: Day 3 - 2 - 1 Rocket<br />
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Apparently no one else in his class packs their snack in a brown paper bag. As we discovered when he asked us one evening, where we got all these brown paper bags from anyway?! :) He definitely keeps us on our toes, you just never know what a Kindergarten kid is going to say!DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838175651833834802.post-76062912080240076922014-10-15T09:35:00.000-04:002014-10-15T09:35:06.505-04:00Making the First Day of School Breakfast SpecialIt was so fun to watch our son’s excitement build as his first day of Kindergarten was quickly approaching. Thank goodness he was so ready to ride the bus and start school on his own, because to be honest we are not morning people. In fact, our family picture could be used to define the phrase “night owls”. To help ease into our new early morning routine, I wanted to make a fun breakfast for the first day of school.<br />
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My idea was a homemade muffin with a paper banner topper. It was a busy time as my husband was traveling for work and muffins didn’t happen, but Grandma was helping so she made a stack of her famous gluten free Coconut Pancakes. I added a side of fresh strawberries and simply printed a banner that said “Happy 1st Day of Kindergarten!” when I was <a href="http://www.digicrumbs.com/2012/09/back-to-school-printable-backpack-label.html">printing my son’s new backpack label</a>. The paper banner was stuck to a toothpick with a glue dot and placed on top of the stack of pancakes.<br />
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Our son loved his special first day of school breakfast. Now hopefully we can keep up our early morning routine without having to run for the bus!DigiMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13185810337215945599noreply@blogger.com0