Fish Food

Tyler's Surf and Turf

2010-05-16T17:01:00.000-07:00

4 NEW YORK STRIP STEAKS
1 TBS minced garlic
1 tsp olive oil
2 TBS soften butter
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt

Grill Steaks and brush with Garlic Butter after the steaks are cooked

Marinade for 24 Sea Scallops
3 TBS olive oil
1 tsp lime zest
1 TBS lime juice
1 TBS minced garlic
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Soak wooden skewers in water while scallops are in marinade. Place 3 scallops on each skewer and bbq.

Serve with corn on the cobb and fruit salad.

Pasta Salad

2010-05-16T16:55:00.000-07:00

1 box penne pasta (cooked)
chopped thick cut salami
1 can black olives (sliced)
1 jar green olives with pimentos (sliced)
feta cheese
crushed red pepper flakes

Dressing:
one envelope Italian Seasoning
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
3 TBS water

Serve with fruit salad and chicken burgers

Christine's Roasted Tri Tip

2010-05-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

McCormicks Steak Seasoning
Salt
Aloha Soy Sauce
Hoisan Sauce
Fresh minced garlic (about 1 heaping tablespoon)
juice from 1-2 tangerines
Red Pepper Flakes

Cook 2 tri-tips in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for one hour.

Vicki Larson's Sunday Salad

2009-09-18T07:59:00.000-07:00

3 Romaine Hearts
1 Bag Spinach
Rotissere Chicken - breast cut up (optional)
1/2 Red Onion - diced (optional)
1# Bacon - cut small
Swiss Cheese grated

1/4 C. Sugar - melt slowly in skillet, then add
1/2 C. Almonds - stir until coated with syrup mixture
Place on waxed paper to cool - break up into small pieces
Then toss all ingredients in dressing below.

Dressing: (this makes a lot of dressing - you may only want to use 1/2)
1/2 C. Sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 C. Oil
2 tsp. Dry mustard
2/3 C. Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tblsp. Poppyseeds

Mix top ingredients and add dressing.

Teacher Appreciation Candy Gram

2009-05-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

Here's the Candy Gram that Emily and I made for her 2nd Grade Teacher, Mrs. Russell, for Teacher Appreciation Week. Mrs. Russell hadn't ever seen a candy gram before so it was extra fun seeing her expression as we read it out loud to her.

Note to self: Next year change the wording on the right hand side to "We are having MOUNDS and MOUNDS of fun this year and would have fallen to PIECES without you."

Easter Egg Hunt for a crowd

2009-05-22T05:44:00.000-07:00

The Fish Heads and I filled 877 plastic eggs for our ward's Easter Egg Hunt. We had a great time and are looking forward to doing it again next year!

MAKE YOUR BUNNY EARS STATION

[ The Bradley Kids ]

[ The Gardainer Girls ]

CHICK RACING STATION -- This was one of the funnest games. And it can easily adapt to little children to adults. For small children just have them race against themself (while walking carry a Marshmallow Peep Chick in a plastic spoon). For older kids/adults they have race against eachother and even have a relay race.

[ The Davis girls ]

[ Cute Hunter Grandkids ]

[ Carol playing Auntie with her 2 nephews ]

RING A BUNNY STATION -- Place a large stuffed bunny on the grass and let each child try to "ring" it using Hula Hoops.

MAKE YOUR EASTER BAG STATION -- Thanks to Linda and her mom for helping all the kids make their Easter Bags

EGGS TOSS STATION -- Using 3 different sized Easter Baskets, each child tried to toss 12 plastic easter eggs into them.

OPENING GAME & INSTRUCTION: EASTER, EASTER, EGG (duck, duck, goose)

Posters...

Flyers...

Easter odds-n-ends

2009-05-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

I just love that I live close enough to Kerry G. so I can partake in her cute banner projects! She is one of the most creative girls I know and created this very cute Easter banner!

Cute Easter cupcakes that the Fish Heads made for our family Easter party at Aunt Marie's.

"May the 4th be with you!"

2009-05-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

Devin just informed me that tomorrow, May 4th is called "Star Wars Day" because of the play on words based on "May the 4th be with you" and "May the force be with you."

Here's how you can present it:

Jake: Happy Star Wars Day!
Devin: What?
Jake: May the 4th be with you!

My boys have always LOVED Star Wars. It is safe to say that Jake, in a galaxy not too long ago, was even obsessed with it. We were just cleaning out his bedroom today and he still isn't ready to part with his TWO very NOISY Star Wars Guns.

So for all you other Star Wars fans....Monday is a great day to watch one of the Star Wars flicks, play Lego Star Wars with your kids or have a Light Saber Fight while listening the Star Wars Cantina Music!

Easter Bunny Smores

2009-04-09T22:01:00.000-07:00

Our favorite 3-year old and 5-year old little blonde Hilton boys knocked on our front door this week delivering a special Easter treat! We are so excited to make these Easter Bunny Smore Treats! Thanks!

April Fool's Burgers

2009-04-09T08:04:00.001-07:00

Aren't these just the cutest "hamburgers?" My friend Camille did them for her family on April Fools. She calls them Shamburger Hamburgers! I love it!

I have never made anything "foolish/tricky" for my family on April Fool's Day but when I saw these "JELLY DONUT HAMBURGERS" I knew I had to copy the picture so I would remember and do them next year! Thanks Camille!

She sliced each Jelly Donut in half and sprinkled sesame seeds on the top "bun"
Colored coconut green for the lettuce
Used peppermint patties for the meat

Michelle Hilton was telling me that someone also made a MEATLOAF and MASHED POTATO BUNDT CAKE for their family. She baked her meatloaf in a Bundt pan and then "frosted the cake" with mashed potatoes.

I think I'm going to do both of these next year! Thanks!

We're LUCKY because...

2009-03-18T10:20:00.000-07:00

I had originally planned to do this for Family Home Evening this week (and serve LUCKY CHARM cereal for dessert) but then I decided it would be fun to have Uncle Mondo, Grandpa and Grandpa also join in. Then I put up all our Shamrocks so we can easily be reminded just how LUCKY we are as a family. It was really sweet to read everyone's responses.

The hardest part to this activity - finding a BLACK pen that would write on these Shamrocks and NOT smear off - seriously - we went through 6 pens! What happened to all my BLACK Sharpie Markers - I can't believe my home doesn't have ONE of them!!!

The below large Shamrock is Mondos and Emily's is to the right....

Tyler's is the little one and Emily's is the bigger one (I love that she included her cousins, laptop and HSM pillow that has Troy on it)!

Me and my mom....

Jake....

Grandpa, Tyler and me...

For FHE lesson - just pull out various pictures from your GAK (gospel art kit) and have your family tell you why Noah, Samuel the Laminate, Nephi, etc were LUCKY.

We went SHAMROCKING!!!

2009-03-18T09:11:00.000-07:00

Emily had to stay home from school on St. Patrick's Day (she had a couple of doctor appointments). She was SO SAD to miss St. Patrick's Day at school that I decided she and I needed to come up with something fun for us to do! We bought 11 boxes of LUCKY CHARM CEREAL (which was not nearly enough) and decided we'd create a new tradition....SHAMROCKING! At Christmas we go PIXING and now on St. Patrick's we'll go SHAMROCKING! Emily had a blast going to her girlfriend's home, ringing the doorbell, dropping off a box of LUCKY CHARMS and running quickly away before she got caught.

Who knows we might just have to go SHAMROCKING again today for a belated St. Patrick's Day treat!

Go green! 2009

2009-03-17T21:57:00.000-07:00

I packed my Fish Heads a GREEN lunch for school:

For our GREEN dinner we served:

GREEN Rice Krispee Treats...

GREEN grapes, GREEN kiwis, GREEN jello....

Kim Miller's Potato Casserole (GREEN style - added green food coloring, parmesan cheese and bacon)....

Two different types of Corn Beef Briskets....

Bake each Corn Beef Brisket in it's own pan with one cup of water and the seasoning packets. Do not add salt or pepper. Cover tightly with tinfoil and bake at 400 degrees for 2-1/2 hours. Uncover and continue baking at 400 for 20-30 more minutes.

On one of the Corn Beef Briskets I added honey mustard to the top of it. Then during the last 30 minutes of cooking (when you take the tin foil off) sprinkle 1/2 cup of brown sugar on it.

REMINDER FOR ME NEXT YEAR - I bought two different Corn Beef Brisket's this year. One for Costco - no fat VERY GOOD and the favorite one. The other from Nob Hill. IF YOU BUY A CORN BEEF ROAST that says to cook it with the FAT side up - CUT the fat off first before you begin to cook it.

St. Patrick's Day Breakfast

2009-03-03T10:07:00.000-08:00

No I'm not Irish but I love any reason to have a party or celebrate!

So don't forget to grab a box of Lucky Charm Cereal while at the grocery store. This is an easy way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day before the kids go to school.

I remember when I sent Tyler to kindergarten on St. Patrick's Day. I thought I had it all together because I remembered to send him wearing green. Well, when he came home he was a little sad because the Leprechaun hadn't visited our home the night before like some of the other kid's homes (apparently the Leprechaun left them gold chocolate candy coins and turned the toilet water green). Really, who knew? I'm Italian and I married a Swedish/German guy! St. Patrick's Day always meant to me - you better wear green or you'll get pinched!

Here are some of the fun things my Fish Heads have done for St. Patrick's day in school:

- Make Leprecheun catchers. And if your Leprecheun is really sneaky he'll escape your trap and leave chocolate gold coins.

-Make Leprecheun finding looking glasses out of empty paper towel rolls and green cellophane. Then go on a walk throughout the school looking for little Leprecheuns.

-While the students are on their walk looking for Leprecheun's the teachers or we room moms come and tip over their chairs and leave little footprints (using flour) and leave gold coins in the student's Leprecheun catchers.

Cake Balls by Maressa

2009-02-28T13:01:00.001-08:00

Now, the above picture doesn't at all do Maressa's Cake Balls justice! But believe me - they are so YUMMY! Jake even took one to school and share one with a couple of buddies who LOVED them and wanted to know where you could buy them. As my boys have often said, "Everything Maressa makes is good!" That's right - Maressa spoils my kids with yummy treats (I think it is because she loves to bake and secondly, knows that I really don't!" She's a great friend to have!

This is how you make CAKE BALLS.

Step 1:
Bake your favorite cake and let cool.

Step 2:
Frost your favorite cake.

Step 3: (the fun part)
Take your beautifully frosted cake and DUMP it into a bowl. Break it up and mix it up. Shape into balls and dip the balls into melted chocolate. Let harden and enjoy!

Maressa doesn't like "boxed cake mixes." I am going tell you a little secret....I thought making a cake from a box was from "scratch." Even throughout my college life. My heck - I'm cracking eggs, adding oil and mixing it - that's scratch right? It wasn't until I met Devin and his mother that I learned differently.

But Maressa says that if you are going to use a CAKE MIX for this recipe use RAINBOW CHIP CAKE MIX and RAINBOW CHIP FROSTING. Then roll the balls into WHITE CHOCOLATE.

Homemade Asian Turkey Meatballs

2009-02-28T12:51:00.000-08:00

Devin likes to email me dinner recipes for us to try at home. The below recipe is one of them. My entire family really liked the meatballs. I know is seems to have a lot of garlic but it didn't taste like it.

For the Meatballs:

1 pound ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, diced
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon hot oil
2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine all ingredients, except olive oil, in a bowl. Mix well. Form into about 20 meatballs.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides, about 6 minutes, they will finish cooking in the sauce. Depending on the size of your pan you made need to do this in batches.

For the sauce:

2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup Veri Veri Teriyaki marinade
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon siracha sauce (optional)

Combine in a bowl.
Once the meatballs have browned, return all of them to the pan. Pour sauce over and gently stir to coat. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Serve over rice.

Hamburger Meat Tip

2009-02-27T16:56:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick time-saving tip for dinner time. I buy the 5 lbs package of hamburger meat from Costco. When I come home (or the next day), I dice 3-4 onions and saute them in olive oil for a few minutes in a very large skillet. Then I add the 5 lbs of hamburger meat. Add Steak Seasoning. Once it is cooked - drain the fat. I divide the meat into 5 portions (basically 1 lb each) and place each portion onto a dinner plate lined with a paper towel. Let the meat cool completely and place each portion into a gallon size ziplock bag and freeze. Now I have 5 bags of cooked meat that I can quickly reheat in a pan for dinner (it takes about 5 minutes).

My Fish Heads like Sloppy Joes. I make them super simple - yes, with a couple of cans of Manwich sauce and 2 packages of my frozen hamburger meat. Hey - if they like it - why fuss with something else! We'll use half of the mixture for Sloppy Joes.

Then a couple days later I'll use the other half of the Sloppy Joe mix for my version of Tator Tot Casserole (pictured above). Using a large pie dish I add the leftover Sloppy Joe Meat which I have mixed with one can of corn and top with tator tots. I add milk and sour cream to a can of cream of mushroom soup and pour of the top of the tots. Add shredded cheddar cheese. Bake at 375 until heated through.

Edible Snowmen

2009-02-20T07:17:00.000-08:00

My Snowman Family....

We lost power for about 6 hours while up in the mountains at the Marino Cabin one morning. So I thought this was a perfect opportunity to make edible snowman out of powder donuts. The Fish Heads thought that was a fun breakfast with Hot Cocoa. However, little Emily wasn't impressed with eating a carrot with powdered sugar on it - she said it was GROSS! Next time - I'll add pretzel sticks for arms. And I even thought about using fruit-by-a-foot fruit rolls too. They would make a cute scarf (trim the edges of it to look like fringe).

Emily's cute little snowman...

Heart Shaped Food

2009-02-19T06:56:00.000-08:00

Ever since Tyler was a toddler - we've made HEART shaped pizzas for Valentine's. Sometimes I make my own pizza dough, other times I buy the dough from Trader Joe's. Last year I even bought a large HEART shaped Pepperoni Pizza from Papa Murphy's Take - n - Bake for $8. This year I bought pizza dough from a can - that's right - Pillsbury. And guess what - my FISH HEADS loved it and said it was the BEST HEART SHAPED PIZZA ever!!! I tried not to take that too personally - and am glad that making HEART shaped pizzas just become a whole lot easier!

My Fish Heads really like the these Little Debbie BE MY VALENTINE CAKES.

Valentine's is a great time to make Hot Cocoa. Remember to buy a couple of boxes of Candy Canes on clearance after Christmas to use at Valentine's to remind your family how much you heart them:

I love using PEEPS for Hot Cocoa!

Valentine Lunch 2009 we were up at my brother-in-law's family cabin. Here is our quick lunch. ( I wanted to remember just how cute these Reese's HEARTS are).

Banana Boats

2009-02-18T07:29:00.000-08:00

This is a super easy dessert to make. Especially if you are already bbq-ing or camping. Or when we make tin foil dinners we always make these for dessert. Usually I don't use this many mini chocolate chips but we were at the cabin and I let the kids make them. Also, I normally add mini marshmallows but we didn't have any.

Tip - hollow out a little tunnel of the banana so the chocolate chips and marshmallows have a place to stay (I like adding chopped walnuts to mine and sometimes even coconut). We will make 4-5 of them and wrap them all up together making a tin foil pouch. Then Tyler will stick them on the bbq. Or we have baked them in the oven before (400 degrees until they are done - 30 minutes or so). Cook them long enough so the chocolate melts and the bananas get soft and gooey.

Thanks Tyler for being my photographer!!!

Valentine School Lunch

2009-02-13T08:07:00.000-08:00

Each year I pack a PINK and RED school lunch for my kids. Surprisingly enough, even Tyler and Jake still like getting their HEART shaped sandwiches (using a big heart cookie cutter) and festive heart napkin! Some ideas to include in a special Valentine lunch:

RED jello
Strawberries
Sliced RED apples
RED Dorito chips
Any drink that is packaged in RED
RED grapes

And my new favorite thing I packed in this year's Valentine lunch are the above PINK Strawberry Cupcakes! They are so cute!

Emily Baking Cookies with Bonnie

2009-01-29T08:58:00.000-08:00

Recipe to come!

Birthday Bowl of Cereal

2009-01-27T17:26:00.000-08:00

Why didn't I start this year's ago? I did if for the first time this year for Jake's 11th birthday. So simple and makes having a bowl of cereal APPEAR super special!!!!

Taco Salad for 200

2009-01-27T09:32:00.000-08:00

We provided a Taco Salad dinner at P3's "Linger MUCHO Longer."

9-10 Crockpots with 5 pounds each of cooked taco meat

Buy the below items at Costco:
SEVEN 3lb bags of lettuce for salads
FOUR bags of Nacho Chips
TWO #10 cans of sliced Black Olives
TWO #10 cans of Corn
ONE 8 can pkg of Black Beans
THREE containers of Sour Cream
TWO large bags of shredded cheese
TWO bottles of Salsa
ONE bottle of hot sauce
2-3 large bottles of Ranch Dressing

Other Misc:
10 bunches of green onions
4 people to make homemade guacamole (using 8 avocados each)
2 Nacho Cheese Machines

RECIPE FOR SHELLEEN'S TACO SALAD DRESSING:
1 can tomato soup
¼ C. Sugar
¼ C. Vinegar
½ C. Oil
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Paprika
Dash cayenne pepper

Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend. Put into the fridge for most of the day. Blend again to mix just before serving.

LAUREN TUKAUFU'S SHREDDED CHICKEN:
1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 T Chili Powder
1 T Cumin
3 cloves minced garlic
5 lbs chicken breat

Cook all together in a crockpot for 4 hours, shred meat and cook another hour.

Nutter Butter Santa Clause Cookies

2009-01-27T09:31:00.000-08:00

Creme Brulee taught by Brian Curl

2009-01-27T08:50:00.000-08:00

Egg Fritata taught by Brian Curl

2009-01-27T08:43:00.000-08:00

Carnitas & Homemade Tortilla Chips

2009-01-27T08:41:00.000-08:00

Pineapple Cheese Enchiladas

2009-01-27T08:40:00.000-08:00

On Devin and my first date we went to Park City, Utah. We ate a restaurant called Utah Coal and Lumber and had their Pineapple Cheese Enchiladas. They were so delish! Devin found this recipe for us to recreate that special dinner.

1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup sour cream
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1lbs shredded Jack Cheese, divided
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
12 (8 inch) Corn tortillas
Vegetable Oil

Preheat oven to 375F

In a large dutch oven or cast iron pot, heat 2 cups of vegetable oil Add a tortilla to the pan. Cook for 2-3 seconds, lift up the tortilla with a spatula, add another tortilla underneath. Cook for 2-3 seconds. Repeat the process with all the tortillas. As the tortillas brown a little, remove from the pan and rest on a paper towel, which absorbs any excess fat.

Sauté the chopped onion

In a medium bowl combine pineapple, sour cream and 1 cup cheese.

Pour 1/4 cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of baking pan.

Fill tortillas with onions and pineapple mixture, roll and place in baking dish.

Pour on remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese and any left over pineapple.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

Devin's Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

2009-01-27T08:37:00.000-08:00

Blueberry Pancakes

2009-01-27T08:36:00.001-08:00

Article of Faith Trees

2009-01-27T08:32:00.000-08:00

Tyler Dutch Oven BBQ Chicken

2009-01-27T08:30:00.000-08:00

Kim's No Bake Cheesecake

2009-01-27T08:22:00.001-08:00

Kim Miller's No Bake Cheese Cake:

1- box cream cheese
1 can sweeten condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice and 1 tsp. of vanilla

Mix the cream cheese in mixer until it becomes really light and fluffy - takes a while. Use a spatula to really scrap down the sides and the very bottom of the bowl every once and a while. Then slowly add swtnd condensed milk. Scrap down the sides more. Add lemon juice and vanilla. Poor into a store bought graham cracker crust. Refrigerate for several hours before cutting (it will set up).

Ragin' Cajun Christmas Adult Shrimp Boil

2009-01-27T08:18:00.000-08:00

Orv and Karen Fisher...

The ingredients for Karen's very yummy Spinach Salad are (we had 5 people bring this salad; each salad feeding 25 people):

Spinach, red onions, cashews, bacon, craisins, feta cheese and broccoli.

The salad dressing is:
1 cup of mayo
1/2 cup of brown sugar
3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.

Kim Miller's yummy NO BAKE cheesecake....

Kim Miller's No Bake Cheese Cake:

1- box cream cheese
1 can sweeten condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice and 1 tsp. of vanilla

Mix the cream cheese in mixer until it becomes really light and fluffy - takes a while. Use a spatula to really scrap down the sides and the very bottom of the bowl every once and a while. Then slowly add swtnd condensed milk. Scrap down the sides more. Add lemon juice and vanilla. Poor into a store bought graham cracker crust. Refrigerate for several hours before cutting (it will set up).

Carie Clark's Holiday Punch...

Carie Clark's Punch:
1 Cran raspberry frozen juice concentrate
1 2-liter Ginger Ale

ADVERTISING...

Crab Feast

2009-01-27T08:16:00.000-08:00

4th of July

2009-01-27T08:09:00.000-08:00

Smores

2009-01-27T08:07:00.000-08:00

Dad's Pizza

2009-01-26T21:09:00.001-08:00

St. Patrick's Day Treat Handout

2009-01-26T21:06:00.000-08:00

I LUCKED out last year and found entire bags of GREEN m&m's for 75% off after Valentine's Day. They make the perfect little treat handout for St. Patrick's Day.

Bonnie's Valentine Cookies

2009-01-26T20:55:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Cookies

2009-01-26T20:51:00.000-08:00

This is a great reminder that making cookies doesn't have to be so time consuming. Jake and Emily are always wanting to make sugar cookies and I never seem to have time to fit it in. So I bought pre-made dough with the hearts already cut out and let Jake and Emily have a blast decorating them as they wished.

Jake's Cub Scout Cupcakes - Aloha Style!

2009-01-26T20:49:00.000-08:00

Every year for the Cub Scouts Blue and Gold Dinner, the Cub Scouts have a Cupcake Decorating Contest.

This year's was a Hawaiian Theme. Using Teddy Graham Cookies (for Cub Scouts) Jake had a fun time showing various Hawaiian activities Cub Scouts could be doing - surfing, inner-tubing, laying out on the beach.

The Brimhalls made a cupcake lei around our Scout Master - Kim Miller. Very cute!

Split Pea and Cannellini Bean Chowder

2009-01-26T15:57:00.000-08:00

My family really likes this recipe. I cook it in a 10-inch Dutch Oven.

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups of chopped onions
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
7 cups chicken stock
1 cup beef stock
2 teaspoons oregano, dried
1 teaspoon pepper
salt to taste depending on saltiness of stock
1 pound dried split peas
2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans
2 cups of thick cut ham, cubed

Heat a large stock pot to medium high heat and add olive oil and onions. Saute for about 8 - 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add garlic and saute an additional minute. Add both stocks, the oregano, pepper, salt to taste, and split peas. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 45 - 55 minutes. The peas should be just beginning to soften. Add the cannellini beans and ham and simmer an additional 5 - 10 minutes.

Tyler's Snowball Birthday Cake

2009-01-26T14:11:00.000-08:00

This was a SNOW birthday for Tyler. We flew into Utah to visit Gma Judy and Gpa Dave and had about 2 feet of snow fall for us! Quad runners pulling sleds was the favorite activity each day. So we thought it would only be perfect to give Tyler a "mound of snowballs" for his birthday cake (powdered dounuts)!

My Aunt Marie's Carrot Casserole & Mashed Potato Dish

2009-01-26T13:56:00.000-08:00

Carrot Casserole

12 whole carrots, sliced round
1 chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
2 cups milk
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/2 pound cheddar cheese, grated
3 cups bread crumbs

Cook carrots and drain. Cook oion in butter and stir in flour. Stir in spices and milk until mixture is smooth and think.

In a glass baking dish arrange layers of carrots and cheese ending in carrots. Pour on sauce and top with crumbs.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

My Mom's Sweet Potatoes

2009-01-26T13:54:00.000-08:00

8 whole yams
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups small marshmallows

Wash and dry yams. Place in large baking dish.

Bake yams at 350 for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Remove from oven and cool.

Peel yams and place in a electric mixing bowl. Add butter and brown sugar. Mix and blend until smooth and creamy.

Place mixture in baking dish and cover top with marshmallows. Place in a 350 oven and bak until marshmallows are browned.

Linda's Chocolate Cake

2009-01-26T08:54:00.000-08:00

got breakfast for a crowd of hungry boys?

2009-01-26T08:46:00.000-08:00

60 eggs
4 loaves of bread
75 pieces of bacon (I suggest buying 2 of those big packages of pre-
cooked bacon from Costco)
1 large pan of scrambled eggs (needed more of that)
1 bag shredded cheese for the eggs
1 large container fresh strawberries from Costco
1 large container fresh pineapple from Costco
1 large container syrup
1 box butter
milk
orange juice

Graveyard Cake & Pumpkin Brownie

2009-01-26T08:41:00.000-08:00

Devin was born on Halloween. So every year it is fun to come up with a festive cake for him!

Maressa made this yummy and cute brownie pumpkin for Devin's birthday.

My Fish Heads like to crush up oreos (for dirt) and add tombstone cookies and gummy worms for a Birthday Cake for their Dad...

Hawaiian Hula Girl Birthday Cake & Party

2009-01-26T08:32:00.000-08:00

Doing the Limbo....

Hula Dancing....

Emily's Aunt E leads the Hawaiian Dancers around in a dance line....

For any party - I love ordering activities through Oriental Trading. That is where I got all the decor, grass skirts for each girl and leis and the below foam sticker craft activity (build your own ocean scene).

Gum Drop Christmas Tree Craft

2009-01-26T08:25:00.000-08:00

You will need:
Various sizes of styrofoam trees (found at Michael's craft stores)
Bags of gum drops (harder to find these days - Lucky Grocery Store has them)
Toothpicks cut in half

This is a perfect project for little fingers. Have an adult stick the tree with many toothpicks and then the child can easily stick on gum drops.

Egg Cupcakes

2009-01-25T12:32:00.000-08:00

Using a normal cupcake pan you will need:

12 slices of bread (with the crusts cut off and slightly flatten with a rolling pin)
12 pieces of pre-cooked bacon cut in half. Do not finish cooking it.
1/4 stick of melted butter
Salt and pepper

Melt 1/4 stick of butter and brush one side of bread with butter.

Place the buttered side of bread down into the cupcake holder and press to form a cup. If the bread breaks just smoosh it together.

Criss-cross 2 pieces of bacon in each bread cup.

Crack one egg into each bread cup.

Salt and pepper.

Bake at 375 for 14-15 minutes. Longer will cook the yolk harder and less cooking time with make the yolk running. The Fish Heads likes to eat their egg cupcakes with their hands just like a cupcake!

Here's my nephew Joey. Every night when he spends the night with us when we have family prayer he'll ALWAYS pray for a really good breakfast. It is the sweetest little thing. So of course - Uncle Devin ALWAYS makes sure there will be a REALLY GOOD breakfast for Joey in the morning!

Christmas morning breakfast....

Christmas Traditions

2009-01-25T09:55:00.000-08:00

A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER CALENDAR

I started this calendar out of desparation with little kids and December being such a crazy, busy time for moms.

The rule - the kid's cannot lift the flat or sneak a peak until the morning of that day. Why? 1/2 the time I don't have our December schedule figured out or I might have to readjust an activity. It just gives me a ton of flexibility!

I tried to make these "no cost" things. Some activities are decorating the Christmas tree, sleeping under the Christmas tree, addressing Christmas cards, visiting Oakland Temple to see the Christmas lights, reading Christmas stories (multiple nights), family game nights, hot chocolate nights while driving around looking at local Christmas lights, baking with Grandpa, making gingerbread house, inviting friends over for a special Family Home Evening.

BUILD A SNOWMAN

BUILD A CHRISTMAS TREE

BOB'S WORLD to see Christmas Lights
Devin will end up taking Emily to Bob's World about 5-7 times each year. That is something special that they do together. As a family, we usually go about 2x's a year.

NATIVITY DRESS UP

SINGING RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER

A going away scrapbook for Bishop Holt

2009-01-25T09:39:00.000-08:00

JUNIOR PRIMARY

SENIOR PRIMARY

END OF SUMMER PRIMARY PARTY

PAJAMA PANCAKE BREAKFAST - GET TO KNOW YOUR NEW TEACHER AND CLASS PARTY

BEE A FRIEND PARTY - PRESIDENT HINCKLEY'S 9 BEE'S

DRIVE-IN MOVIE NIGHT PARTY

GET TO KNOW YOUR NEW TEACHER - AofF ICE CREAM PARTY

PRIMARY BOARD MEETING

We had all the primary children color a special picture for Bishop Holt. Here are a few of them.

Karen Fisher's Spinach Salad

2009-01-24T21:19:00.000-08:00

This is a very yummy and crowd pleasing salad!

The ingredients for the salad are:

Spinach, red onions, cashews, bacon, craisins, feta cheese and broccoli.

The salad dressing is:
1 cup of mayo
1/2 cup of brown sugar
3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.

Buffalo Wings

2009-01-24T16:46:00.000-08:00

This is another good recipe from thepioneerwoman.com

We had these Buffalo Wings, Steak Bites and Olive Cheese Bread for Super Bowl dinner!

Chicken Wing "drummettes"
Canola Oil
Frank's Red Hot
Tabasco Sauce
Butter

Turkey Cupcakes

2009-01-24T16:39:00.000-08:00

We made these two different type of Turkey cupcakes for my cousin Molly's school class when we went to visit them in Georgia.

Me and my Aunt Amy....

Emily and Molly...

My Mom's Angel Food Cake with hidden raspberries

2009-01-24T14:18:00.000-08:00

Bake an Angel Food cake and let cool.

With a knife cut slits in the cake from the top of the cake down 3/4's of the cake.

Using frozen raspberries with juice (thawed); poke a few raspberries in each hole and drizzle just a tiny spoonful of juice.

Frost with Cool Whip or whip cream.

For Christmas - sprinkle with crushed candy canes.

I made this Angel Food Cake for Emily's 4th Birthday.

Emily's first Dance Recital....

Aunt Marie, Emily and Uncle Al...

Aunt E and Aunt Marie...

Breakfast in bed

2009-01-24T14:11:00.001-08:00

My kids love to surprise Devin and I with breakfast in bed! Wish I would have taken pictures of all these special mornings and the notes they write and tape to the inside of our bedroom door - ensuring once we awake for us not to leave the bedroom.

Sherbert Punch

2009-01-24T14:09:00.000-08:00

For Christmas we use either Lime Sherbert or Raspberry Sherbert with 7-up.

Dad's Scones

2009-01-24T13:59:00.000-08:00

My Dad makes his own bread dough for his scones. You can however use Rhodes frozen bread loaves (comes 3 to a package).

Our favorite way to eat his scones is with his homemade syrup and powder sugar. How do you made his syrup? Good question - he doesn't measure it and makes it one small batch at a time in a large mug.

Melt in microwave:
butter
brown sugar
and a little water

Grandma England's Turkey

2009-01-24T13:58:00.000-08:00

Grandma Alfano's Christmas Jello

2009-01-24T13:53:00.000-08:00

(The Christmas Jello is pictured above - it's the green jello in the glass pan).

In a 9x13 pan make a small raspberry jello (and add a carton of fresh raspberries). Put in refrigerator to set.

Make one small lime jello (and add one can of crushed pineapple; drained very well). Leave on counter in bowl to cool down; you can even put it in the refrigerator to get it cooled and slightly set.

Add one container of sour cream to the top of the raspberry jello.

Carefully spoon the lime jello over the sour cream.

Scary Halloween Dinner

2009-01-24T13:44:00.000-08:00

Every year I make my family a SCARY Halloween dinner (about a week before Halloween). I wish I had pictures from each of these dinners. Here is a quick picture after one of these meals.

Frankenstein Brains - Grandpa Joe's Stuffed Green Bell Peppers
Monster Mash - Nicole's homemade guacamole
Coffins - Baked potatoes
Fingers - Pigs-n-blankets
Vampires Blood - Raspberry or Dark Cherry Jellow with raspberries

The below picture shows that I made Tombstone Croutons on our funeral potatoes. All you do is cut white bread into tombstone shapes, brush with butter and broil.

Devin's birthday just happens to be on Halloween. So we usually make him a graveyard cake. The below picture was a very simple dessert for all the little cousins to do to keep them busy - jello pudding cups. Just fill an empty cupcake tin with various Halloween Treats for the kids to dump into their pudding cups.

Another easy dessert is to dip NutterButter cookies into melted white chocolate. Use mini chocolate chips for the eyes and you have a quick batch of ghosts.

How could I not include the below picture of my crazy kids (notice the Frankenstein Brains and Coffins for dinner).

Valentine TWINKIE Heart Cake

2009-01-24T13:39:00.000-08:00

Slice a TWINKIE diagonally.
Flip the right side over.
And you have a heart.

Top with strawberries and whip cream for a quick and easy dessert!

Grandma England's Pies

2009-01-24T13:33:00.001-08:00

Braided Cream Cheese and Cherry Bread

2009-01-24T13:32:00.001-08:00

Carmel Apples and Chocolate Covered Pretzels

2009-01-24T13:29:00.001-08:00

Grandma England's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-01-24T13:27:00.001-08:00

Candy Grams for Coaches

2009-01-24T10:25:00.000-08:00

Candy Grams for Primary

2009-01-23T16:03:00.000-08:00

Candy Grams for School Teacher

2009-01-23T15:56:00.000-08:00

I like using the tri-fold science fair poster boards for Candy Grams. That way the person/teacher can stand up their candy gram on a table.

Here's the candy gram we made for Emily's 1st Grade Teacher - Mrs. Rainey. All 3 of my Fish Heads have had Mrs. Rainey for 1st grade.

Here's the candy gram I made for Tyler's 3rd grade teacher - Mrs. Williams.

Middle Section of the board....

Left hand section of board....

Right hand section of board....

Candy gram for Emily's Kindergarten Teacher - Mrs. Dean.

Left hand section of board...

Right hand section of board...

Steak Bites by ThePioneerWoman.com

2009-01-23T10:16:00.000-08:00

Knorr Spinach Dip

2009-01-23T10:08:00.000-08:00

1 pkg (10 oz) frozen, chopped Spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 container (16 oz) Sour Cream
1 cup Mayo
1 pkg Knorr Vegetable recipe mix
3 green onions, chopped

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.

I like to hollow out a sourdough round loaf of bread and put mixture in it. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to serve it.

Olive Cheese Bread

2009-01-23T10:03:00.000-08:00

1 regular can whole black ripe olives (quickly rough chop them)
1 6-oz jar pimiento-stuffed olives (quickly rough chop them)
2 green onions - thinly sliced
3/4 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup May
1 stick softened butter
1 loaf French bread (I used sourdough)

Mix all the ingredients together and spread evenly over two slices of French bread (which you cut in half lengthwise).

Bake at 325 for 25 minutes or until thoroughly melted and starting to turn light brown and bubbly.

This is a yummy recipe that we got from www.thepioneerwomancooks.com

Creamy Chicken and Green Chili Enchiladas

2009-01-22T16:10:00.000-08:00

One already cooked rotisserie chicken
olive oil
salt
pepper
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1/3 cup flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup salsa verde (I recommend Trader Joe's or Goya brands)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
12 6-inch flour tortillas
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Shred chicken into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl. Set aside.

Heat a large saucepan to medium high and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the onions. Saute for 8 - 10 minutes or until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cumin and saute for an additional minute. Stir in the flour until blended and cook for a minute. Slowly pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 - 4 minutes or until thickened. Add the salsa verde, sour cream, and cilantro. Stir to combine. Season the creamy green chili sauce with salt and pepper. Add about 1 cup of the creamy green chili sauce to the shredded chicken and stir to combine.

To assemble enchiladas get a large baking dish. Dip a tortilla into the creamy green chili sauce and put it on a cutting board. Put a big scoop of the chicken mixture in the center, sprinkle with a little of the cheese, and roll up the tortilla to enclose the filling. Place the enchilada in the baking dish. Continue to fill all of the tortillas and put them in the baking dish. Pour the remaining creamy green chili sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for about 20 - 25 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is melted. Serve hot with sour cream.

Candy Grams for Get Well Wishes

2009-01-22T16:01:00.000-08:00

Coloring Easter Eggs

2009-01-22T10:54:00.000-08:00

My tip for a headache free Easter Egg Coloring Experience -- color them outside and shirtless!

Jake's Chocolate Dump Cake

2009-01-22T10:29:00.001-08:00

Jake has ALWAYS loved to bake! And he wanted to ALWAYS do it by himself. "I want to make my family dessert tonight." So I had to think of a dessert or two that he could possibly do by himself....that's how we created Jake's Chocolate Dump Cake.

Jake made his own 5th birthday cake and yes - his shirt is on backwards. He wanted to do EVERYTHING by himself! I just love that little boy!

In a greased 9x13 pan DUMP:

2 cans cherry pie filling
1 box chocolate cake mix with pudding
drizzle 1/2 c. orange juice (I think that is the right amount)
drizzle 1/3 stick of melted butter
1 cup chocolate chips

BAKE at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Jake made his "famous" dump cake at the request of his Grandpa Joe because it was Grandpa's birthday. Here we are at Grandpa's birthday party honoring everyone's favorite big nosed Italian - singing Happy Birthday!!!

Jake & Mommy's Angel Food Cake Trifle

2009-01-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

Here is Jake and I on Easter. We made this yummy dessert. Super easy and super yummy!

Bake on Angel Food Cake and let cool
Tear the Angel Food Cake into pieces
In a bowl with sliced fresh strawberries, raspberries and blackberries add some sugar and set aside to get some juices going.

Layer:
pieces of cake
fresh berries
Cool Whip or homemade whipping cream

Jake's Berries and Yogurt Dessert

2009-01-22T09:43:00.000-08:00

This was another Jake Dessert that he made all the time by HIMSELF. He'd scoop vanilla yogurt in sundae glasses and top them with fresh berries.

I just love the way he arranged the strawberries all by himself!

He even made this dessert when we had The Woodwells and Wulfenstein's over for dinner one night.

Valentine Photo Backdrop

2009-01-21T09:32:00.000-08:00

My neighbor (Cindy) and I wanted to surprise our husbands with a Valentine themed picture of our kids. So we draped a white sheet over our entertainment center and cut out paper hearts.

Ballerina Birthday Party

2009-01-20T18:19:00.000-08:00

PINK TUTU's make for a PERFECT little girl Birthday Party. Thanks to my mom who made all the pink tutus!!!

Each ballerina got to frost their own pink tutu cupcake. I found the little plastic ballerina's at Oriental Trading to stick into each cupcake...

Emily's Grandpa Joe aka DJ Joe played music from the Nutcracker for the girls to dance to....

Grandma England's Stuffing

2009-01-20T16:42:00.000-08:00

Aunt Marie's Thanksgiving Jello

2009-01-20T10:05:00.000-08:00

Valentine Family Home Evening Ideas

2009-01-20T09:30:00.000-08:00

Using 1-2 boxes of Conversation Hearts you can easily find matching pairs and then play the classic Memory Game.

Have each family member write down something on a heart dollie that they LOVE about each of the other family members. Tape up all the hearts for a constant reminder of all the LOVE we have for one another.

Grilled Salmon Marinade

2009-01-19T16:13:00.000-08:00

1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup terriyaki sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 fresh garlic cloves. minched
fresh ground pepper

Robot Birthday Cake

2009-01-19T16:12:00.001-08:00

Snowman Cake and a COOL SNOW Birthday Party

2009-01-19T16:11:00.000-08:00

Jake wanted a SNOW Birthday Party for his 6th birthday. It turned out so well I have reused these ideas many time for Cub Scout Pack Meetings or School Holiday Class Parties.

Snowman Birthday Cake...

Turn your garage into an igloo...

Have a boy vs. girl SNOWBALL FIGHT California Style -- each kid is given a brown paper lunch sack with pieces of cotton batting aka SNOWBALLS

Build an IGLOO out of Sugar Cubes...

Build a SNOWMAN contest using toilet paper....

Throw a SNOWBALL and try to hit Mr. Schwanhauser (using styro foam craft balls for snowballs)....

Sign your name on our igloo. The kid's loved this!

Fondu (Berkley Burger style)

2009-01-19T16:10:00.000-08:00

1/2 cup Mayo
2 tsp Mustard
2 tsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
2 cup grated Cheddar Cheese
1 can Pimientos (4 oz)

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend til smooth. Heat in a fondu pot or in the microwave.

Serve with:
sour dough bread
meatballs

Dutch Oven Potatoes & Fried Chicken

2009-01-19T16:09:00.001-08:00

Family gathering at Grandma England's favorite picnic spot....South Willow in Utah.

The Fisher and England cousins....
Hallie and Emily....

Aunt Colleen singing songs with all the little girls.....

Cousin Justin's Salami Roll Ups

2009-01-19T16:05:00.000-08:00

An Alfano cousin favorite appetizer! Thanks to Aunt Marie - she willingly shared this top secret recipe with her son Justin. Justin is now known for his salami rolling talents!

INGREDIENTS:
Cream cheese
Salami
Toothpicks

Cousin Jeff's Deviled Eggs

2009-01-19T16:04:00.001-08:00

Jeff's DEVILED EGG fan club!!!

What's your recipe Jeff?

Nicole's Christmas Eve Shrimp Dip

2009-01-19T16:01:00.000-08:00

Nicole - let me know if I missed anything.

Blend together:
1 8oz cream cheese
1/2 cup mayo

Spread cream cheese/mayo mixture on the bottom of a serving dish.

Then top with the remaining ingredients in the following order:

1 bottle cocktail sauce
shredded mozzerella cheese (two cups?)
2 cans baby shrimp, drained
2 sliced green onions
1 diced green bell pepper

Serve with Wheat Thins

Sponge Bob Birthday Cake

2009-01-19T16:00:00.000-08:00

Jake's 6th Birthday!

Frog Eye Salad

2009-01-19T15:59:00.000-08:00

STEP 1:
Cook 1 lb. Acini De Pepe Pasta (1 box); rinse in cool water, drain and cool

STEP 2:
In sauce pan combine:
1 c. sugar
2 T. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 beaten eggs
1-3/4 c. pineapple juice and mandarin orange juice

Cook on medium until smooth and thick. Remove from heat and add 1 T. lemon juice and let cool.

***STEPS 1 and 2 can be combined the night before.

STEP 3: Add --
1 cup mini marshmellows
1 cup coconut
2 cans mandarin oranges (broken up and drained)
1 can crushed pineapple (drained)
2 9oz containers of Cool Whip

NOTE -- If you are making this salad for 4th of July put it into a rectangular pan and decorate it with strawberries and blueberries like the above picture.

I just had to include the below picture. It is my most memorable moment with FROG EYE SALAD. It was the 4th of July and we were just arriving to my brother's home for a fun weekend. I was carrying my festive FROG EYE SALAD decorated as an American Flag when I trip on their front porch. My only thought at the time was....SAVE THE SALAD and the $8 Big Lot white ceramic dish (looked just like I had bought it from Pottery Barn) it was in. Good news -- I SAVED the salad and the dish. Bad news -- I CRACKED my diamond ring and scrapped my knee! I was THRILLED with my SAVE and DEVIN was shocked with my decision to save a "stupid dish!"

Angie's Oreo Cookies

2009-01-19T14:15:00.000-08:00

These cookies are made using Angie's below recipe but I didn't turn them into oreos. I just left them as single cookies (I also added 1/2 bag of chocolate chips. I also normally add 1/3 bag of Toffee Bits).

INGREDIENTS:
1 box Betty Crocker's Devils Food Cake
1/2 cup vetable oil
2 eggs

Mix ingredients together with beater. It will be think.

Roll into balls and bake for 8 minutes at 350.

FROSTING:
Cream Cheese Frosting (from a can)
--you can add food coloring if you want to.

Aunt Amy's Strawberry Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

2009-01-19T10:07:00.000-08:00

Yummy, yummy, yummy! I always double this recipe and it still disappears quickly.

STRAWBERRY SALSA RECIPE:

Chop:
3 Kiwi
1 Granny Smith Apple
1 basket Strawberries

Combine with chopped fruit:
1 TBS Brown Sugar
1 TBS Strawberry Jam

HOMEMADE CINNAMON CHIPS:
Sprinkle flour tortillas with a little water and cover with cinnamon sugar. Stack them on top of each other and cut them into 1/8's (like a pizza).

Spray cookie sheet and lay out chips.

Bake 425 for 5 minutes.

Turn over and bake for 4-8 minutes longer.

Memorizing the 10 Commandments

2009-01-19T10:03:00.000-08:00

We kept these "clues" for memorizing the 10 commandments in our primary closet. Then we were always prepared for a quick filler. Side note - these are my mom's cards that she made when we were little.

SIX STICKS - Thou shall not kill.

SEVEN HEAVEN

EIGHT GATE. Thou shall not steal.
(some gates are made out of STEEL)

NINE LINE Thou shall not bear false witness

TEN HEN Thou shall not covet
(Hens shouldn't gather in a farm "coveting" one another's feathers"