Moist White Cake

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs
1/2 c. shortening

Mix shortening, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and milk. Then mix flour, baking powder and salt in another bowl. Add dry ingrediants to other mixture. Pour into greased 9x12 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

*I used this recipe for Noah's 2nd birthday dinosaur cake I had to make 2 batches for two 9 inch round pans plus I got about 6 cupcakes too. I found this recipe at cooks.com.

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingrediants:
3 boneless skinless chicken breast
8 oz. sour cream
1 lb. shredded cheddar cheese
1 can chopped green chilies
1 can cream of (I have used chicken or celery)
large flour tortillas

Boil chicken, once cooked shred or cubed chicken breasts. While chicken is cooking mix in the four remaining ingredients. Once chicken is cut up add to the mixture and spoon into tortillas. Sometimes I don't fill all of the tortillas and put some of the filling on top while it cooks other times I want more enchiladas so I will use all the filling and top them with shredded cheese and salsa, they are also good without topping. These are perfect to put in a freezer safe container and freeze, for easy lunches (they just need warmed up since everything is cooked) or line them up in a 9x13 or 8x8 (depending on how many you are cooking at a time) and bake until warm through at 350 degrees, about 30-40 minutes.

Hope my directions make sense, ENJOY!

Little Chef: Banana Boats!

Ingrediants:

Whole Banana

Mini Marshmellows

Chocolate Chips

This is a camp favorite that I forgot about until the other day when I wanted to share a special dessert with my boys! (plus it is EASY)

Peel the peel off one side of a banana and set the banana in a little foil (it kind of looks like a boat too). Take a spoon and spoon out some banana and fill it in with marshmellows and choc. chips.. Set the banana boat in a heated oven for 5-10 minutes until the marshmellows and choc. chips are all melted and gooey and dig in!

Hope my instructions make sense, ENJOY!

Shaving Cream Wonders

Okay not really a war but a great texture experience for your little ones! Simply squirt some shaving cream onto a washable surface and let you little one draw with their fingers. It is basically finger painting! It is easy to clean up and smells good! Any age loves to doodle and then erase. I didn't get any pictures because my hands were covered! Perhaps next time! Enjoy life exploring with your little one!

Carrot Baked Fries

So as a mom I am always trying to find ways to get my one year old son to eat vegetables. This was my first atempt at Baked Carrot Fries and it was really simple.

Coin, slice, halve, however you want your carrots (quanity depends on how many you are feeding)
drizzle with olive oil, enough to cover
add some Kosher Salt

Toss, put on a baking sheet at 375 degrees for 20 min. and done! I put my fist batch in for 30 minutes and they were good but a little burnt in places.

Dishtowel Aprons

Aprons I have made, super easy.

1. Start out with 2 dish towels.  Choose 1 towel as the apron bod and the other towel as the pockets, ties and neck strap.

Towel Body

1. Lay the towel out long way.  At the top corners measure in 4 1/2".  Make a mark.  Now measure down the side 11" and make a mark.  Draw a line between the two dots and cut of the corners on this line.

2.  Press this raw edge under 1/4", then another 1/4".  Topstich.

Pocket Towel

1. Cut in half lenthwise.  Cut 3 lengthwise strips 3" wide.

Make 3 Straps

1.  Fold each 3" strip in half lengthwise, wrong sides together.  Press. Fold raw edges in toward the pressed line.  Fold in half.  Topstitch along both long edges.

2. Sew one strap to each side at waist. (to reduce bulk at the waist seam, cut off the hemmed edge and stitch across the end to secure it before sewing.)

Neck Strap

1.  Pin strap to apron top and try it on.  Decide how log you need to make it so your head will go through the opening. (approx. 21")

2. Cut the hemmed end off the strip.  Cut the strip the lenght you need.  Stitch across ends to secure ends.  Sew to top two corners of the apron.

Pocket

1.  Cut off hem on short ends of pocket piece.

2.  Lay pocket piece across the apron to measure width put 1".  Cut off excess.

3.  The hem on the long side of the towel is the top of the pocket.  Turn both sides of pocket under 1/2" and press.

4.  Attach pocket: with right sides togeth, place the cut edge of the pocket toward the top of the apron and 2 1/2" up from the bottom of the apron.  Stitch to apron.  Flip the pocket up and press.

5.  Divide pocket into thirds.  Topstitch pocket along both sides and bottom and along the lines that divide it into thirds.

**Directions and idea from my mother-in-law who works at Roelofs Store, Sioux Center, Iowa.  

Little Picasso

This is a fun, and not an extremely messy way to let you child(ren) to express themselves and have lots of fun. We put down on old shower curtain on our kitchen floor (we have also done it on our balcony) then squirted non-toxic, washable paint on the shower curtain, take all of the little ones clothes off but the diaper, or you can put them in a swimming suit and let them discover the feel of paint, mixing the paint and just letting loose. You better make sure you have paint clothes on too. Please be careful to supervise, if your child is walking it is very slippery. If you would like to save their masterpiece when your child is done press a blank piece of paper on top of the spot they you or they like and make a print of it. Another fun thing to do is after Noah has walked around in all the colors of paint we have him walk on a piece of paper it is a really great footprint keepsake for you or grandparents!

Hitchin' A Ride

This is a fun activity I caught on to when Noah and I were in a Kindermusik class. This activity can be done with infants until 2 yrs. atleast. By 2 yrs. for sure kids can throw their teddy bears in and take them for a ride. All you need is a laundry basket, a belt, put a pillow in the bottom of the basket and tell your little one 'ALL ABOARD, THIS TRAIN IS LEAVING THE STATION'. Oh I suppose I should mention clear the floor of all other toys, blankets or what not. Anyway, Noah loves it and any time he sees the laundry basket he climbs right in. And trust me moms and dads it is a great workout.

Cheesecake Ball

16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. mini choc chips (use at least a cup and then see how that looks; add up to another 1/2 cup if it looks like there aren't enough) (I couldn't find mini choc chips so I chopped up some hersheys special dark chips and it was wonderful)
1c. powdered sugar
1 c. nuts (not in mine)
1 box chocolate Graham Sticks, pretzels, or chocolate wafers for dipping ( I couldn't find chocolate wafers and used chocolate teddy grahams)

1) Mix the cream cheese & sugar with a mixer until the sugar is combined throughout.
2) Fold in mini chocolate chips using a spatula.
3) Line a bowl with Saran Wrap & press mixture into bowl.
4) Cover bottom with Saran Wrap & chill overnight. To serve, remove bottom layer of Saran Wrap & turn bowl over onto a serving platter. Remove top later of Saran Wrap and put Chocolate Graham Sticks around cheeseball and one in it so that people will know what they are supposed to do. :)

**Submitted by Amy O.

Fruit Dip

This is very yummy fruit/apple dip!

12oz. Cream Cheese
2/3 c. Brown Sugar
1/3 c. White Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
Toffee Heath Chips

** submitted by Lorri D.

Chicken Tetrazzini

2 cups cooked, diced chicken
8 oz. thin spaghetti
4 tbsp butter, divided
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup half and half
1 cup Parmesan cheese divided
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms

1. Cook pasta
2. As pasta cooks, heat 3 Tbsp. of butter in a saucepan. Add flour. cook, stirring for two minutes. Add pepper and salt. Slowly stir in broth.
3. Bring to a boil. Simmer until slightly thickend. Stir in half and half, chicken, and 3/4 cups of Parmesan.
4. In a skillet, heat lemon juice and 1 tbsp. butter. Add mushrooms. Saute until juice cooks off, about 5 minutes.
5. Drain Pasta. Combine with cream mixture. Put half in a 9x13 Pyrex dish. (I like to make two smaller dishes, one to eat and one to freeze.) Spread mushrooms over pasta and reserve some for later. Add last half of pasta. Sprinkle with remainig cheese and mushrooms.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned.

** submitted by Lorri D.

Potatoe Soup

5-6 large potatoes; cubed Salt, pepper, garlic (2 cloves approx) to taste
Water -(enough water to cover in pot) Turkey bacon bits
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups milk (fat free)
3 chicken bouillon cubes
2 Tbs flour

Cover and cook potatoes. In large frying pan, cook bacon until crisp. Saute onion and garlic in bacon drippings. Drain excess. Add milk, bouillon cubes, salt & pepper, and flour. Mix well and cook, stirring until thickened. Add to potatoes & water and stir well. Simmer 5 - 10 minutes.

**This is a healthy version of potatoe soup I found one time - and we really like it. It takes about 30 minutes total to prepare/cook. It is kind of like french onion and potatoe soup mixed together. Great for fall/winter!

-- submitted by Kristina P.

Chicken Fajitas

1/2 cup lime juice 2 chicken breasts, chopped
1/3 cup vegetable oil 3/4 green bell pepper, sliced/cut
1/4 tsp crushed cumin 1/3 onion, sliced/cut
2 cloves minced garlic Toppings as desired:
1/4 tsp salt -cheddar cheese, bl. olives, lettuce, s.cream, etc.
1/8 tsp pepper Tortilla shells

Combine lime juice, oil, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper in bowl; mix well. Add chicken; stir and marinate for at least 30 minutes (the longer it marinates, the better the flavor). Saute chicken on high for 5 min. or until light brown. Stir in pepper/onion - saute approx. 2-5 mins. longer. Enjoy!

**We really like flavor of the meat, so we don't put salsa or taco sauce on as a topping, but that is, of course, an option for added flavor!

-- submitted by Kristina P.

Heavenly Ham Casserole

*I found this recipe on parents.com (great site) we tried it and it was very yummy, good comfort food. For a varation instead of cr. of mushroom use cr. of celery (for those of you who are not mushroom fans). We also added some salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

6 med potatoes, sliced thin
1 med. onion chopped
1 lb. ham, cubed
1 cup cheese, shredded (cheddar)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Paprika

Put 1/2 potatoes, then 1/2 onion, then 1/2 ham and cheese, repeat with rest of potatoes/onions/ham/cheese.
Spread soup over top so air doesn't get to potatoes if possible. Sprinkle with paprika.
Cook on low for 8-10 hours.