Join Me in My Addiction!

Thank you for visiting my blog...and for allowing me to share with you my addiction. I love to collect recipes. I love to read cookbooks. I have been collecting recipes for as long as I can remember, and on any given day there are one or two (or more!) cookbooks residing on my nightstand!

This blog is chronicling my adventure as I fulfill my resolution of trying (at least) one new recipe each week. I hope that you enjoy!

I invite you to join me in my journey, simply by clicking the "Join this Site" link below. And please feel free to comment on any of the recipes, and pin away. Thanks, I look forward to sharing with you!

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

It's A Keeper Thursdays - I'm the Co-Host!

I am so excited to be co-hosting thie week's It's a Keeper Thursday over at Everyday Tastes! Thank you so much Christina for having me co-host with you! I am a faithful participant in the weekly It's A Keeper party - if you haven't yet checked it out, NOW is your chance! We would love for you to share a recipe by linking up (below!). And we encourage you to visit other submissions to check out all the goodness being shared!

If you are new to Addicted to Recipes, I would love for you to join me here!  I host a weekly recipe link party on Sundays, called Scrumptious Sunday.  You can also find and follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!

It's a Keeper

Happy Linking!

Guest Post - The Grant Life

Hi Addicted to Recipes readers!  My name is Kelley and I blog over at the Grant life.  I'm super excited to be here today!  I am going to share an easy, delicious and healthy recipe!  I know, healthy and delicious don't always go together.  In this case..they go perfectly!


Im going to give you a little background on me before I share our simple recipe. [It's ridiculously simple and quick.. I gotta add some filler content.. hah!]  I'm a mom to two beautiful babies who are exactly 14 months apart.  [That's them at the beach last week!]  Since I was pregnant so soon after our daughter was born, I didn't have much time to get my pre-baby body back.  Now, 27 months after our first baby I'm attempting to shed those extra pounds.  I work out 4 or more times a week and I am slowly changing the way I eat.   Which is the harder part for me.  


Apparently Greek yogurt is good for you.. really good.  It's full of protein and has no trans/saturated fats.  Unfortunately it tastes like yogurt but feels like sour cream.  [Eww.. I know.]  The good news is you can add just about anything to it to give it a better flavor and texture.  My favorite thing to add is honey and granola.  My bloggy friend Jill has this simple recipe for frozen yogurt bites and they look so good!  I used my [healthy] Greek yogurt and my add ins and created my own version.  


Mix all your ingredients [granola and honey in my case].  Spoon them into a muffin tin (or onto freezer paper like Jill did) and place them in the freezer.  



The honey gives the Greek yogurt a much nicer texture and the granola.. well it just tastes good.  [Side note.. I love muffin pans!  They are so versatile.]  


It took about 2 hours for my Greek yogurt bites to harden.. I know this because I kept poking at them.  I wanted one.  And as you can see by the missing bite, I got one!  I wanted to make sure they were really good before I took pictures of them.  


I used a fork to pry them out of the muffin pan.  They popped out pretty easily.. I was kinda worried.  


Hello delicious healthy treats!  So nice to eat you!  I had two [or three] of these little guys and saved the rest for later.  They stayed fresh in a ziplock bag in the freezer.  

Thank you for letting me share my super easy snack recipe today!  If you get a chance stop by my blog and say hello!  I love making new friends!  

Monday, May 28, 2012

Teriyaki Chicken Burgers

I find it funny that I am constantly trying new recipes, and yet I find myself so stumped about what to make for dinner.  Part of the problem is that I didn't make a meal plan for the week.  Had I taken the time to do that, then I wouldn't have been "scrambling" trying to think of something new to do with the chicken that I laid out.  Mostly it was I just didn't want another meal of BBQ chicken (as good as it is, I just needed a change!)...so some quick flipping through a cookbook and I came up with a solution for tonight's dinner, as well as some tags for future chicken meals :-)  Yay!  And yes, I've now made my meal plan for the rest of the week!  Anyways, tonight we went with Teriyaki Chicken Burgers.  Anyone who knows me is making one of those funny, confused faces right now, just like the one my hubby made when I said what I was making.  I don't like teriyaki.  Never have.  Not really sure why, but I just don't care for it.  BUT, he loves teriyaki, so I did it for him :-)

Here is the recipe: (Source: Company's Coming: Barbeques)

Marinade
1/4 cup soya sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ginger, fresh grated
1 clove garlic, minced

3 Chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

Pineapple (rings or pieces, whichever you prefer)

Hanburger buns, cut, buttered and toasted on the grill
Lettuce
Tomatoes (if desired)
Mayo (if desired)
Cheese (if desired)

Mix soya sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic in a bowl.  Using a ziploc bag (or similar) combine chicken and marinade.  Marinate for at least 30 minutes (I had time for ours to marinate for about two hours).

Preheat BBQ.  Cook chicken on grill over medium heat for about 20 minutes, turning as needed.

Prepare your buns as you desire (lettuce, tomato, mayo, cheese, pineapple).

The chicken can also be used as a main course should you wish to go the no-burger route.

VERDICT:
My hubby was in love with these burgers.  He said it was a nice change for burgers and for chicken.  He kept saying how good it was.  That makes me happy!  I am sure he'll be asking to make these again.  I was OK with the burgers, it satisifed my need for something different.  I didn't add the pineapple to mine, which probably helped.  I did add mustard though, that's my favourite condiment.  I know, not really a teriyaki flavour but hey, it was my burger!

Are you interested in guest posting here at Addicted to Recipes?  If you are, please let me know!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Scrumptious Sunday #13 Link Party

Hello everyone...happy Sunday! It's PARTY time!

I sure hope you are enjoying your weekend - and for many of you, a LONG WEEKEND!  Yeah1 bring on summer!!
It is time to link up more of your fabulous recipes at the recipe party! Here is the link to Scrumptious Sunday #13!

Friday, May 25, 2012

Scrumptious Sunday #12 Features

Before we get to all the wonderful recipes from last week, I wanted to share with you that I'm the featured blogger over at the Weekend Blog Walk this weekend!  Woohoo!  The Weekend Blog Walk  is hosted by At Home Take 2 - you should pop over and check out her blog AND the hop! Thank you Jessica for the feature!

Now, onto the features from Scrumptious Sunday! There were so many awesome recipes submitted again this week.  You all ROCK!  Thanks so so much for sharing.  I'm excited to share with you this week's features.  If you are featured, please grab a button!

I was featured, I was Featured by Addicted to Recipes





Congratulations to this week's features:

Homemade Kahlua from Watch Out, Martha!


Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal Cups from The Better Baker


Punjabi Samosa Snack from Quick Asian Recipes


Chili Rellanos from Kathe With an E


White Chocolate Goo Goo Cluster Brownies from Inside BruCrew Life



I will be featuring all of these wonderful recipes on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.  I would love for you to follow me at via these too!

Don't forget, Scrumptious Sunday Link Party #13 will go live on Saturday evening at 8 pm PST.  I am so looking forward to seeing what you share with me next week!  And to my American friends, I hope you have a happy, safe long weekend!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Strawberry FUN da-middles "Shortcake"

A while back, the Pint-Sized Baker shared at Scrumptious Sunday her Raspberry Lemon Fun-da-Middles.  I tought to myself, FUN-DA-WHAT?!?  I read her blog post (like I do all my Scrumptious Sunday submissions...there are so many great recipes there!)  and she had a picture of a box for Fun-da-Middles.  Clearly something we don't have here in Canada (or I have never seen them at the grocery store).  Fortunately for me, my parents happened to be in the States when I read the post, so I emailed my Mom a picture and asked, "Can you please bring a box home for me?" And she did, not one, not two, but THREE boxes.  She didn't know what flavour I wanted, so she bought one of each that the store had.  Awesome! Thanks Mom!
Fast forward a few weeks and it was time to try making some.  I didn't feel like making icing, and since I didn't know what to expect inside the box (or cupcakes) in terms of flavour (I didn't want the icing to distract), and I had strawberries and whipping cream on hand, I decided to make some Strawberry FUN da-middles Shortcake for us for dessert!  Here is what I did:

Cupcakes:
1 box FUN da-middles, yellow cupcake mix
2 eggs
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup oil

Bake cupcakes according to the directions on the box. Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin tin with 12 paper baking cups. Mix cupcake mix, water, oil and eggs. Beat at low speed for 30 seconds then at medium for 2 minutes. Fill each cupcake cup 1/3 full with batter (approx 1/8 cup). Make sure the batter completely covers the bottom of the cup. "Warm" the filling pouch by squeezing/massaging it for about 2 minutes. Cut open the pouch at the cut line, and squeeze the filling amongst the 12 cupcakes. Do not let the filling touch the sides of the cups. Spoon the remaining batter over the top of the 12 cupcakes, ensuring the filling is completely covered. Bake for 24-29 minutes or until tops are light golden brown.

Toppings:
4 cups fresh strawberries, washed and cut

Whipping Cream:
I don't use any measurements when I make whipping cream, just a little of this, a lot of that.
Whipping cream
Vanilla (to taste)
Sugar (to taste)


After my cupcakes were baked and cooled, and it was time for dessert, I removed the paper liner and served the cupcake with the fresh whipping cream and strawberries. 

VERDICT:
It was a nice light strawberry shortcake-like treat.  Our son, who doesn't usually eat cake did eat about half of the cupcake.  He wasn't so sure about the filling. And actually he also kept saying he wanted me to make the chocolate ones (next time, kid!).  My husband and I thought they were fun, the little marshmallowy surprise in the middle and topped with the whip and strawberries.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Strawberry Cream Crepes

A few weeks ago, I wrote a guest post for my friend Kim over at Cups by Kim.  If you didn't get a chance to see the recipe, I thought I would share it with you now!
Having never made crepes before (can you believe it?!), I decided to make  “Strawberry Cream Crepes” for my family for our Saturday morning breakfast. Nice change to our usual pancakes / waffles / french toast.  I did take the extra time to make the crepes over a few days (made the batter on Thursday night, made the crepes on Friday, and served them on Saturday) - and I am really glad that I did. Made for a mellow Saturday morning enjoying a lovely sweet breakfast before the busy-ness of Saturday kicked in.  Here are the recipes I used:
Strawberry Cream Crepes

CrepesSource – Company’s Coming Desserts
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup water
2 cups flour
4 tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt

Beat eggs in a large bowl until they are frothy.  Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth.  Cover and store in fridge for a few hours to overnight (I stored overnight).  If you find the batter is too thick when you go to cook the crepes, add milk to thin it (I didn’t need to).  Pour approximately ¼ cup of the batter into a greased, hot crepe pan (I used a frying pan).  Tip the pan to swirl the batter all over the pan bottom (do this quickly, the crepe starts to cook the moment the batter hits the pan).  Remove from the pan when the underside starts to brown.  Cool and stack with waxed paper between each crepe.  If you aren’t using the crepes right away, wrap them in plastic and store in the fridge or into a freezer bag. 

Cream Cheese Filling - Source – Company’s Coming Desserts
1 package cream cheese, softened
¼ cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
Beat cream cheese, sugar and sour cream well. 

Strawberry Sauce

2 lb strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced

In a medium sized pot, put the washed, sliced strawberries.  Add a smidge of sugar (yes, just a smidge!).  Warm over medium heat until the strawberries start to break down, forming a chunky strawberry sauce.
Putting it all Together:

When you are ready to use your pre-made crepes, bring them out of the fridge (or freezer).  Use a pancake griddle to slowly warm the browned side of the crepes to your desired serving temperature.  Spread the cream cheese filling on the unbrowned side of the crepe and roll.  Top with the warmed strawberry sauce, a dollop of whipping cream, and serve!

VERDICT:
This was like having dessert for breakfast.  It was such a nice treat!  My husband and I both really enjoyed these crepes, and are already planning for our strawberry-banana ones tomorrow morning.  Our oldest son isn’t much of a cream cheese fan so we had to modify his slightly to just crepes and strawberries.  He still wasn’t as “in love” with the breakfast as we were (he prefers fluffy pancakes) but he did clean his plate.  I am really happy that I made the crepes the day before, so all we needed to do was warm, fill and roll in the morning – quick process and we all got to eat together!  I will be making this again!

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Scrumptious Sunday #12

Hello everyone...happy Sunday!  It's PARTY time!
We are enjoying a LONG weekend here, with family visiting.  Our son was in a parade this weekend - his first time - SO much fun! 
Hope you have time to link up more of your fabulous recipes at the party!  Here is the link to Scrumptious Sunday #12!

Friday, May 18, 2012

Scrumptious Sunday #11 - Features

Another week of fantastic recipes shared by you!  Thank you so much!  My recipe addiction is getting out of control...nah, I take that back.  I love your recipes!  If you are featured this week, please grab a button!  And come back for Scrumptious Sunday #12, party opens Saturday night at 8 pm PST.


I was featured, I was Featured by Addicted to Recipes




Here are this week's features:

Wild Garlic Tear and Share Bread from The Pasture Times


Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos from Little Mommy, Big Appetite


Quick Shrimp Tacos from Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch


Rolo Cheesecake Bars from Hugs & CookiesXOXO


Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Chips and Marshmallow Fondant from Something Sweet - Winnie's Blog


THANKS AGAIN for linking up your recipes!  I will be sharing the features on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.  See you at the next party! (starts tomorrow night at 8 pm PST!)






Thursday, May 17, 2012

Hint of Thai Sirloin and Mango Pepper Salad

In honour of this being Mother's Day week, I thought I would share with you favourite recipes from both of the amazing Moms that I am so fortunate to have - my Mom and my Mother-in-Law.  On Monday I shared my Mom's German Apple Cake, and today I am sharing my Mother-in-Law's Hint of Thai Sirloin with Mango Pepper Salad.  If it looks familiar, I did share this a few weeks ago over when I guest posted over at Peace, Love, Recipes.  Here is the recipe that she shared with me:
Hint of Thai Sirloin with Mango Pepper Salad (source: Canadian Living, June 1999)
Love the fresh taste of this meal!
Steak & Marinade
1 lb steak, ¾ inch (2 cm) thick
2 tablespoons fish or soy sauce (I used fish sauce)
2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice (I used half of each)
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground ginger (I grated some fresh ginger)

Mango Pepper Salad
1 mango
1 sweet red pepper
½ cup sliced sweet onion (I used a purple onion)
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice (I used half of each)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Couple dashes of hot pepper sauce (I used Frank’s)
Steak & Marinade
In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, lime/lemon juice, ketchup, oil and ginger.  Place steak in a shallow dish.  Pour the marinade over the steak, and turn to coat.  Let stand for 10 minutes, then turn and coat again.

Start your BBQ.  Once heated and ready, grill steak over medium-high, reserving the marinade.  Close the lid and cook, turning and brushing halfway through.  Cook steak to desired doneness.  Remove from grill and rest, tented with foil, on a cutting board or plate for 5 minutes.  Thinly carve the steak against the grain.
Mango Pepper Salad
Peel and pit the mango.  Core and seed the red pepper.  Slice the mango and red pepper into matchstick sized pieces.  Place in a salad bowl, along with the onion and cilantro.  In a small bowl, mix together the lime/lemon juice, oil and hot sauce, spoon over the salad and stir gently.  Divide salad into portions onto plates.  Place carved steak on top the salad and serve immediately.

VERDICT:
This is a very pretty meal…and such a TASTY meal.  I can see why it is one of Kim’s favourites!  It was our first time having it, and it is one that I will absolutely make again.  It was so fresh tasting and so summery (even though we made it in the spring!).  The marinade sat just long enough on the steak to seep in and it truly was a “hint of thai” but the flavours were right there for us to enjoy.  The onion, pepper and mango mix in the salad was so good too, as was cilantro (love!) and the light dressing on top.  Thanks Kim!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Guest Post - Dawn from DJ's Sugar Shack




Hello everyone! I'm delighted that Dawn invited me to share a recipe today. I'm Dawn and normally you can find me sharing my adventures in baking at DJ's Sugar Shack. I started blogging in December to catalog the recipes I'd tried and to spare my friends from my endless baking stories. I love sharing my work with people that are a passionate about food and baking. Being from New Orleans, food has always been a big part of my life, but I didn't really start cooking & baking until I moved to Alaska after college. The first thing I remember baking from scratch was Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake that I found on a Philadelphia Cream Cheese package. It was pretty good but it started me on my mission to bake the perfect cheesecake. Ten years later, I finally got it right! Sorry I'm not sharing my cheese cake recipe today. That's top secret. All of you have at least one recipe that you don't share, Right? I am going to be sharing a recipe for Sopapilla Cheesecake Bites. I printed this recipe from Cookies & Cups a while back and I sure wish I had tried it earlier. I tweaked it just a little bit. These little bites full of cinnamony, cream cheesy goodness are easy as pie to make. The hardest part will waiting for the cream cheese layer to set before digging in. I may or may not have had one for breakfast this morning.

Sopapilla Cheesecake Bites


To make these you will need:
  • 2 cans of Crescent Rolls
  • 2 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons cinnamon, to taste
Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Spray a 9 x 13 pan with Pam. Unroll one package of crescent rolls and place the dough in the bottom of the pan.
  • Sprinkle some cinnamon on the unbaked crescent rolls.
  • In a bowl mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Spread the mixture over the crescent rolls.
  • Unroll the second can of crescent rolls an lay on top of the cream cheese layer.
  • Pour the melted butter over the crescent roll. Don't be afraid to use all of the butter!!! Just do it.
  • In a small bowl mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon together then sprinkle mixture over the butter
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown.
  • Let cool for 20-30 minutes before placing in the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours

What's not to love about that cinnamony crusty goodness?

I would love for you to come over to DJ's Sugar Shack & check out my sweet treats. Many many thanks to Dawn for the opportunity to guest post today!  

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Cook'n Review and GIVEAWAY

I am so excited...my first product review AND my first GIVEAWAY!  Two big firsts, all at once!  Before I get started, I just wanted to thank the folks over at Cook'n for this opportunity!

I was contacted to review the Cook'N Recipe Organizer Version 10.  At first I was a little nervous, this being my first time and all...but man, once I sat down, installed the program, watched the tutorial video...all I could think was...where has this program been all of my recipe collecting life?!!  And why did I JUST reorganize my recipe binder?!!  I can see this program totally replacing my trusty green binder.  Seriously, I like it that much. 

When I first installed the program, the advice was to watch the tutorial.  So glad that I did!  My husband even sat and watched most of it with me.  And he thought that it all sounded simple enough to use.  The tutorial is so straight forward.  All of the major features are pointed out and shown to you step-by-step.  A few minutes of your time and you have a good handle on the program.

And then it was time to give the program a try.  Fortunately I had in the queue some new recipes to add to that recipe binder.  One was for Banana Oatmeal Muffins.  So, I followed the steps that I learned in the tutorial, created my own cookbook, a new chapter and a new recipe.  It's SO easy, the data entry.  Really, it is.  The software anticipates what you are going to type (and unlike so many smartphone autocorrects, the program gets it right!).  And entering the recipes into your cookbook is great practice for anyone who might need to brush up on their data entry skills.

I also love that I will be able to make my shopping list from my recipes in just one click.  I totally love that...haven't used the feature yet, but as my database grows from capturing new recipes to try, I will most certainly be doing so.  The list feature will save me time...something we never seem to have enough of! :-) Now, I just wonder when there will be a way to transfer the list from my pc to my iPhone...maybe when the iPhone app comes out...THAT would be awesome.  One less piece of paper as the shopping list would be on my iPhone.  I know the website says that the ability to sync is coming soon...I'm sure hoping!

I mentioned "capturing".  I must admit, I am having a bit of trouble with the "Capture" feature.  It's a totally COOL feature, especially for a recipe addict like me - when you find a great recipe on the web, rather than printing it you can just select "Capture" and Cook'n will convert it over to their (your) database for you to save in your cookbook.  I tried this with some random recipes as well as with some off my blog, and it was hit or miss.  None of the recipes on my blog transferred over, but most others that I tried did transfer over.  Now, this could be the formatting from my blog, or just bad luck on my part!  Anyone who knows me, knows that I'll be trying to figure it out...testing and re-testing until I have an answer I am happy with.  Capture is a very cool feature that I will be sure to use to continue to fuel my recipe addiction!

All in all, I am really liking this program.  I am excited to continue to use it and to learn the ins and outs and keep capturing recipes for my collection!  Oh, did I mention that a bonus cookbook is included with the software? Um, hello!  More recipe fun!

I also have a big bonus for YOU, one lucky reader of my blog will win their VERY OWN COPY of the Cook'n software!  How freakin' cool is that?!  (Sorry, I am a little excited here!).  I'm enlisting the help of Rafflecopter to conduct the draw...here goes...and GOOD LUCK! 

Entries will be collected starting May 16, 2012 until May 31, 2012.  Draw will be made on or about June 1, 2012 and the winner will be notified by email.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email.  If the winner does not respond in 48 hours, a second winner will be drawn. This process will continue until a winner has been confirmed.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Can't wait to see if you win the giveaway?  Need a copy of Cook'n NOW?!  Well, guess what?!  You can order your own copy now at 50% off!  Yup!  Head over to Cook'n Recipe and when you purchase, use the coupon code: mb-addicted

Thanks again Cook'n for the opportunity to check out your software program - and good luck everyone in the draw!

Monday, May 14, 2012

German Apple Cake

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms!  I know, Mother's Day was yesterday, but I'm choosing to celebrate all week long!  Yes, I'm a little cheeky sometimes :-)  In honour of Mother's Day, I asked the two wonderful Mom's that I am so lucky to have in my life to share with me their favourite recipe.  Today I am sharing my Mom's recipe for German Apple Cake, and on Thursday when you come back you will see my Mother-in-Law's recipe for Hint of Thai Sirloin with Mango Pepper Salad

Here is my Mom's recipe: 

German Apple Cake (source: my Mom’s recipe binder)
Classic comfort food, a tradition in our family!
Cake
1 ½ cups flour
¾ cup sugar
½ cup butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla
Topping #1
Apples (about 3-4, peeled and sliced)

Topping #2
1 cup butter
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar (white)

Topping #3
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.

Make the cake batter by mixing the butter, eggs, milk and vanilla.  Add in the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, and baking powder), blend, and pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish (I use glass for this cake).
Place the sliced apples (Topping #1) on top of the batter.  Slice more apples if needed to cover the cake. 

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for Topping #2 (butter, flour and sugar) and spread on top of the apples.  This topping will be very crumbly. 

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for Topping # 3 (sugar and cinnamon).  Sprinkle on top of the crumbly mixture.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.  Cool before serving, though this cake is delicious when served warm (and with a heavy cream!)

VERDICT:
I grew up with this cake…so I am a little biased – this is like a comfort food for me, I love this cake!  As a teen, I would sneak pieces for breakfast (healthy, I know!).  It is SO not low-cal…but that’s OK, it’s DESSERT!  My oldest son LOVED it and has already asked me to make it again.  My husband, the non-dessert guy, also enjoyed the cake and he was sneaking pieces of it too for the short time it lasted in our house.  Thanks Mom for sharing!

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Scrumptious Sunday #11

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!  I am so excited to be spending the day with my two wonderful little boys and my amazing husband.  I'm a little sad that both my Mom and Mother-in-Law aren't here for their day...I hope they know how much we love them! 

So...before I get to "my" day...a little party needs to start!

It's Scrumptious Sunday time!  This week marks party #11! Time to link up your favourite recipes from the past week (or so).  I CANNOT wait to see all the fun you share!

Before I forget, I've changed a few things about the party.  Now, not only are the weekly features (usually posted on Friday) shown here on my blog, but I'm also sharing them on my Facebook page, on my Pinterest page, and I'll be tweeting about them too!  I love showing you the love :-)  Also...the party will now stay open until Wednesday evening, to give me a little more time to read all the blogs.

Here is the link!

Thanks...and happy linking!

Friday, May 11, 2012

Scrumptious Sunday #10 - Features

Another week of FANTASTIC recipes...you make it so hard for a girl to pick features!  Before we get into them, I just wanted to THANK YOU for linking up in my weekly party!

If you are featured this week, please grab a button!

I was featured, I was Featured by Addicted to Recipes



Alrighty, here are my features for this week:


Breakfast-On-The-Go from Lady Behind the Curtain


Pesto Pasta Stuffed Tomatoes from Hot Eats and Cool Reads


Cheesecake Burritos from Dishing with Leslie


The Crazy Brownie from Mandy's Recipe Box


And because it's Mother's Day this weekend, it just wouldn't be complete without these beautiful Mother's Day Cookies from Lizy B!


Congratulations everyone!

These features will be linked on my Facebook page, on my Pinterest page, and (new!) I will be tweeting too! Thanks again for coming to my party!

Reminder, Scrumptious Sunday Link Party #11 will open on Saturday evening at 8 pm PST and will run until Wednesday evening.  I look forward to seeing what you bring to next week's party!

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Homemade Play Dough

My son's preschool is a parent participation preschool.  Lots of great fun being involved - we get "duty days" in the classroom when we get to be the teacher's helper (I've always been stationed at the art table, which I just love, I do love to craft!).  Each year the preschool takes part in our town's annual "May Days Parade" (this parade has been going on forEVER) and the kids take part by riding their decorated bikes and handing out homemade play dough to all the kids watching the parade.  So, all the families in the preschool get to make play dough to hand out.  At first I was totally freaked out by it, some of the Moms had said it was a tough job, so in all honesty, one Mom and I considered having a "Make Play Dough, Drink Wine Night"...but then we thought it might get messy LOL.  Anyways, I hunkered down and just started to do it...and it turns out, it really isn't that hard at all! 

Here is the recipe:

Cooked Play Dough - My source: Teacher Bev, Rutland Parent Participation Preschool

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 teaspoons cream of tartar (we were advised to use the brand name over the bulk, bulk doesn't seem to work as well)
2 cups water (a Mom hinted to use hot water from the tap)
2 tablespoons oil (any kind of oil, except motor oil, of course!)
Food colouring

*Note - this is a double batch

You can prepare this recipe using a double boiler.  I don't have a double boiler so I improvised and used the suggestion from Teacher Bev of a large metal bowl over a boiling pot of water.  Here is how I made the play dough:

Preheat a pot of water.  Allow it to boil, then reduce the heat to medium, keeping the water  at a slow boil.

An easy, non-toxic recipe for homemade play dough
In a large metal bowl, combine the flour, salt and cream of tartar.

In a small bowl, combine the (hot, but not boiling) water, oil and food colouring.

Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients, stir to combine, until the mixture is smooth.

Put the metal bowl over the slow-boiling pot of water and cook, stirring constantly.  When the dough becomes a ball, remove from the heat and knead until the dough is smooth (I allowed the ball to cool slightly before I started kneading...ouch!).  Store in an airtight container or bags.

VERDICT:
An easy, non-toxic recipe for homemade play dough
I was surprised at how easy it was to make the play dough.  Maybe it's because I am cooking and/or baking all the time, I didn't find the process to be a big deal.  It's a nice dough, and nice to know what is in the dough, especially if you have a child who likes to eat play dough!  I need to work on my colours a little more, mine all turned out rather "pastelly" (is that a word?!) and not like the vibrant play dough colours.  Could have been the food colouring that I was using, but otherwise, it was all good!  I got my 5 batches done for the parade, and it didn't take much time at all.  My son got into the fun too, we had to portion and bag the play dough so he helped to seal the bags and then squished them flat for easier storage.  I think he had fun!

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