Mimi can Cook

Mimi helped me make pigs in a blanket last week.

The other kids didn't want to help so Mimi and I made dinner.

Here are Mimi's creations: 

I kept them separate because she had a tendency to drop them on the floor and then put them on the tray.

p.s. I used my bread recipe that I have posted over on Eggs A La Goldenrod

Fall Canning

The total so far-
Peaches 32 Quarts
Pears 32 Quarts
Tomatos Whole 1 pint - I picked every tomato in my garden and this is all I got!! :(

Tomato Sauce 13 pints - I picked the ripe tomatoes from my Mom's garden and got all this. (about 20 lbs)

I still have a tree full of apples, I am planning on making applesauce, and I might be able to get a few more tomatoes out of my garden. I have a few tomatillos growing- so I might be able to make something with them.

Update- Grandma gave me a bunch of tomatoes and I made them into sauce. So, I have another 7 1/2 quarts of sauce.  Our apple tree dropped most of the apples, we picked too late. So we got enough to make a small batch of applesauce, a crisp and amazing apple dumplings.

Laundry Alternatives

These are a few recipes I have collected and then lost. So, in order to prevent losing them again, here they are:

They are linked to the recipe on Eggs ala Goldenrod

Powdered Laundry Soap

Oxy Clean

Dryer sheets

Febreeze

Linen Spray

Jackie's Super Soak

If Only

As I finished scraping 3/4 of a sheet cake into the trash, I realized I should have taken a picture so I could prove that if your 3 year old is quiet, she is into something. She had raked her finger through the the icing on the cake, the only part she likes anyway. It's kind of a mixed blessing, I hate to throw food away (it feels so wasteful), but our waistlines sure don't need an entire sheet cake!

The cake is awesome if you are inclined to make a sheet cake, but the best part is the icing. I made the icing before and spread it on a batch of brownies, a full batch of icing on a 1/4 sheet of brownies, yummy! I'll post the recipe in a couple days on Eggs a la Goldenrod.

It's finals week at the U, and we have 17 days until vacation. I'm purposely not packing until it gets closer (but I started making lists in January). We are all getting excited and I can't believe it is already May! I told someone today that imogene would be 4 this summer, then I had to correct myself, this month.

That's all the random thoughts I have right now, so you don't have to suffer anymore. Have a good night, see you in the morning.

Why I usually don't shop at Albertsons

I have been to Albertsons twice recently, and both times I saved a HUGE amount, 77.43 on the first trip (spent 17.ish) on the second trip I saved 70.07 (spent 38.45). Which makes me realize that my three little bags of groceries without any of the clearance savings would have cost me over $202.00!! When I looked at what I had purchased, no way would I "waste " that much money. ( I mean, who will spend 5.00 for a little bunny shaped aluminum pan??)

I feel totally stocked up on pans for freezer meals, and I have Adam stocked up on drink mixes for work.

Now I'm off to use the clearance splurge; mini muffin pans. Now I can go make some fun muffins for the kid's breakfast. I'm thinking apple-oatmeal-cinnamon.

Apple Oatmeal Muffins

1 pkg white or yellow cake mix

1-2 c quick cooking oats

2 t ground cinnamon

1/2 t baking powder

3 eggs

1 3/4 c chopped peeled apples (I don't add these, I tried them the first time and the kids spent the whole time trying to pick out all the apples)

1 1/3 c milk

1/4 c melted butter

1/4 c applesauce (if using apples, delete applesauce and increase butter to 1/2 cup)

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a well in the center mix all the wet ingredients and then incorporate the wet into the dry.

Spoon into prepared muffin tins

Bake at 350

20-25 min regular muffins

9-11 min for mini muffins

By the way: If you double the recipe and make mini muffins, be prepared for slightly less than six million muffins!

Menu Plan Monday

Here is what we will be eating this week:

If you have any suggestions for fast tasty breakfasts, let me know. I am having a brain block of things that are fast and somewhat healthy so we are having the same things as last week.

Here is the recipe for the muffins I will make this week:

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Muffins

Yield: 24 muffins

Source: 101 Things to do with a Cake Mix

1 chocolate-fudge cake mix

1 small box chocolate instant pudding

3/4 c water

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 c applesauce

1/4 c vegetable oil

1/4 t almond or vanilla extract

3/4 c chocolate chips, frozen

Muffin papers

Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper muffin cups. mix together

cake mix, pudding, water, eggs, applesauce, oil and extract until

smooth.

Stir in chocolate chips last. Fill cups 3/4 full.

Bake about 23-33 minutes, or until done when tested with a toothpick.

Don't forget to check out Organizing Junkie for more menu plans and tons of recipes.