Giddy Up Friday: Be my Valentine....

Last year I helped to remake these "fortunes" for my daughter's school. They were originally used for their Field Day - as the "just before summer - here's your fortune - token gift with a real cookie" - SO CUTE!  I only remade them because they were a copy from a copy from a copy...and I also added more.

But then I decided to make them last year while I was volunteering for their Valentine Celebration into Valentine Fortunes and make felt Fortune Cookies...when my daughter wakes up in the morning - I'm going to hope that she will want to make a whole slew of these for the kids in her class instead of getting the Disney kind of store bought ones....If she doesn't - at least I can hope someone else's kids will prefer to make some of these for their school friends...Handmade my child - handmade makes all the difference...maybe if I let her pick out the fabric? (I convinced her...it worked - we bought the fabric today and will make them tomorrow!)

Needs:
Pink Felt by the Bolt. (Depends on how many you are making!) Or Red for the boys...
5" Circle Pattern (find a bowl approx 5" and trace onto cardboard)
Self-Adhesive Velcro Circles cut into half circle (save money!)
(don't forget your coupons! Signup at Joann's or ACMoore's website for an email and save a fortune - no pun intended!)

How to:
1. Cut all your fabric with a rotary cutter (easier that way - but not a have to - just cut straight lines!) into 5" squares.
2. Using your Cardboard Circle pattern...cut off the corners and round it out. You can also trace with a pencil if your child is good with scissors...that will be easier for them!
3. Place the fuzzy half moon close to the edge and the rough half moon on the opposite edge.
4. Make them kiss!
5. Place the fortune into the "cookie" - flat up against the flat back of the cookie.
6. Place another fuzzy half moon close to the edge and the rough half moon on the opposite edge.
7. Push in the center of the fortune - and make those two velcro'd edges kiss.

And there you have it. Make a wish - keep your fortune forever...Let your kid color in the pictures - or leave the hearts uncolored for the receiving child to color in. Now's the time to prepare. Don't procrastinate like I do....If I forget to say it...Happy Valentine's Day! : )  -kg

 

Edible Wednesday: Scrambled Pancakes!

"What? Scrambled pancakes?"
"Did she say that right?"
Oh yes I did!!!

Someone put those 2 words together sometime last year and I haven't been the same since! (and I can't figure out who it was - so you know who you are - and I thank you!) So I just had to try it for myself. Every (almost every) Friday night is pancake night here at my house. It's just a fun way to end the week and get ready for our weekend. My husband is not a complete fan of it - because he's always hungry later - so that's why it's almost every Friday night! But until recently - our pancakes were always the same... round, flat and well...just there. Now it's a whole new ball game!

Why Friday Night Pancake Night?...for a few reasons. 1. I'm a cereal girl (in a cereal world). Whole grains - not the sugary kind...but without cereal in the morning - I can't start my day. 2. Saturday mornings I would much rather sleep in and Sunday we are rushing out the door to church - so where's the time to make pancakes? 3. My husband can cook - but I don't think I've ever seen him get out a bowl and make pancakes from scratch or with Bisquick....so it's all me. 4. It's one less meal to think about - plan for and prep in advance.

So here it is - really easy...ready?

1) Make your favorite kind of pancake mix...mine will always include a splash of Pure Vanilla Extract, Cinnamon, Tiny Chocolate Chips, with one or two of the fruits: Frozen Blueberries, Frozen Raspberries, or Bananas.
2) Use a REALLY good non-stick pan. Sure you can use non-stick spray and loads of butter, but a good non-stick pan will really go a long way in helping with the scramble.
3) After warming up the pan, pour in enough batter to cover the surface. Let cook for a bit until the bottom is golden brown - just like you would with making a normal pancake. Once that's ready - flip it in sections if you have to - and let it begin to fall apart....or break it up with your spatula!
4) Continue cooking until it's all nice and golden brown and yummy looking.  Repeat the steps for the remaining batter.
5) Serve immediately with Whip Cream (when my oldest was littler - she called it Whoop Cream - so funny!)...and a few frozen fruits on top. To make it extra special - make a funny face or even dribble some chocolate syrup too!

Now here's the disclaimers...
1) If it's not Bisquick...it's not as good! (I laugh as I type that - I grew up on Bisquick and will still willingly eat the powder straight from the box)
2) There's no such thing as portion control here. Many times I make a batch of pancakes and I always have a few left over. But when I scramble them - amazingly - they are all gone and there's no left overs. It's a complete illusion...so beware of your portions!

If I can think of any others - I'll let you know! Enjoy, and check us out next week for the MacDaddy Meat Sauce....it's heavenly & shared by a kid giddy friend! - kg


Do you have any meal traditions? Tell me in the comments below. And if you have a recipe you'd like to share - Your recipe could be a future Edible Wednesday! Click the Contact Me button above and email it to me.  Please include one photo (must be your photo) of said recipe completed - the Ingredients, Directions and the story behind it. Thanks!

Giddy Up Friday: Getting Ready for School....

Every morning it's the same thing. "Girls - it's not time to play you need to get ready for school". "but mommy....we just want to play.", "yeah mommy, I don't even know what I'm supposed to be doing". WHAT - have we not done this everyday for the last 4 months????? Sound familiar?

Ready to Color in Chart

Well I couldn't take it anymore so I began the search - I can't seem to find a decent chart out there with all that I want/need on it - so I made my own. And I'm sharing them with you. I'm including one that includes the images in each box. They wanted to draw the pictures, so I filled in their words and left their images blank. Once they have drawn their pictures, then I'll have their pages laminated so they can use some washable crayons or dry erase markers....yep - crayons! Dry erasers - what was I thinking?!Then I made just this blank one. That way - if your child needs to feed a pet or does not like to eat breakfast...then you can make your own list. I have made them very simple. My daughters are artists - so they tend to doodle around the edges! Use stickers - use markers - whatever works - just use it! Feel free to share it - but don't use the files without my permission please!

Blank Chart

I'd love to see some finished pages. If you'd like to send me some - click the contact KG link above and send them my way. Have a great weekend! -kg

Edible Wednesday: Easy Pea...sy Soup

Here' the split pea soup recipe I mentioned last week...even though I'm sure you've eaten dinner by now and have slipped into dreamworld!

I've always liked Split Pea Soup and always thought it was so time consuming to make. I even remember a time when my sister made some with an actual Ham Hock - but that thing was nasty. So - I created my own way of making it really easy and still tastes just as good!

Ingredients:
1 package of Dried Split Peas - 16oz (1lb)
1 package of Ham Steaks total of 12oz (I prefer lower sodium - 22% or less and even that is too much for kids!)
1/4 cup Dried Minced Onions

Basically, follow the directions on the package for the Split Peas. You begin by taking a look through them and discard any that look weird - or are yellow.
Then you rinse them really well with cold water, and then put them in boiling water to start cooking mine could have used at least 1 extra cup of water).
You dice up your Ham Steaks into 1/2 cubes. (or smaller if you'd prefer).
Add the diced Ham to the boiling water and Split Peas.
Let that boil for at least an hour but stir occasionally. Add the minced onions here.

You'll begin to notice some of the peas are becoming mush (the second picture). Keep cooking it. Once all of it is mush - it's ready. Some cooks suggest taking the Split Peas and blending them to a puree. But this is the easy recipe people...no need for that! All you have to do now is serve it up. Add some salt and pepper to taste and enjoy! This also freezes well. Just grab some of the Ball freezer containers and save some for a while! -kg

Busy Monday: Gift Pouch Tutorial

Today is my first tutorial!!! I'm so excited. I have a million ideas to share - which is why I started this blog, but was afraid to share the tutorials and have them "stolen". So please, what ever you do - please don't take my designs, patterns and ideas....run away with them and sell them off as your own. That would really be a bummer. And then I won't post them anymore - and I really have a lot to share!

I will post them about once a month. And here's the first one. Just in time to prep for Valentine's Day and gift giving. I'm showing you a very small size - maybe for a gift card or jewelry, but you can go as large as you want, for whatever size gift you have. If you are interested in purchasing some of these pouches from me - please convo me through my Kid Giddy etsy shop (thanks!).

Materials Needed:
Felt, or Wool Felt
Ribbon
Thread to match or a different color for contrast
Ric Rac Scissors

Instructions:
Step 1: Begin by cutting out your pouch piece. If you are not going to need this small size - please measure your item or gift and account for the sides if it is a box and not flat. This size is 5" x 71/2".

Step 2: Then cut out your "icing". Cut one edge straight and the other edge with a pair of ric rac scissors. Size: I cut a 71/2" x 1 1/4" so I can cut with the ric rac down the center and have 2 strips.

Step 3: Sew your icing to the top of the felt piece - lengthwise at about 1/4 of an inch for your seam allowance.*

Step 4: Place your ribbon a couple of inches down on the right side of the felt rectangle. This doesn't have to be exact - if you need more room - place it higher towards the icing. If you need less room, place it lower towards the center, but never past the center mark. Pin it in place so it stays straight as you sew the seam.

Step 5: Fold the felt over onto itself covering the ribbon. Be sure the ribbon is hanging out of the top of the pouch so you know it won't get caught up in the stitching.

Step 6: Now flatten out your pouch so the seam is in the center on the top. The ribbon should still be hanging out of the top of the bag.

Step 7: Stitch the bottom of the bag closed.

Step 8: Turn inside out. Place in gift, and tie the ribbon around to the front of the pouch.

*For a little extra umph - You can cut out various shapes depending on the purpose of the gift and the time of year: A Heart, Birthday Cake (or Wedding Cake), Christmas Tree, Gingerbread Boy or Girl, a Star, Dreidel, Monogram Letter, anything you wish. You can even cut out 2 of the same shape - different color - slightly smaller size and overlap them (as I did). Whichever way you choose, you will want to sew this in place right after stitching the icing on and before sewing the ribbon into place. Make sure it is centered on the front, and low enough so not to be crammed by the ribbon (as I did here)...it's been a while since I made these... Also, be sure that you use a smaller ribbon for a smaller bag. As you can see - this ribbon was too thick for this size bag. As you go up in size - adjust your width and shape placement accordingly!

And there you go. Once it's all cut out, it will take you about 5 minutes per bag or less to complete. This is a great bag for beginners and for kids to help with. If you enjoyed this tutorial or tried it out, I'd love to know. If you see something missing in my steps, that you think would've been most helpful, I'd love to know that too. Have a great and busy Monday! - kg

Edible Wednesday: CinnaPops

Ok - so they (Artisan Bread in Five) gave me the idea to make these CinnaPops....when I saw their post about making Pizza on a Stick...Talk about eye candy people!!! Don't these looks fabulous?
So - to get the Pizza on a Stick recipe - go here....and to get creative - try my CinnaPops with this easy peasy recipe!!!

• Get a ball of fresh pizza dough from your local pizza shop or grocery store. Put it in a bowl with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise to double it's size.
• On a clean surface (would you really use a dirty one?)....Press it out from the center working your way around. Your dough should not be sticky - if it is - have some flour near by - but the olive oil should do the trick.Keep pressing until you have a nice huge rectangle. The thinner you go - the more you will roll it up in the end.
• Melt a half a stick of butter (yeah - I never said they were healthy!)...and spread that all around with a basting brush (evenly). (if you like your layers thick - use less butter).
  
• In a shaking container (or you can spend way too much money and buy it this way) mix sugar and cinnamon to your liking. I mix a one to one ratio (1/4 cup of each)! With all the butter - the least I can do is cut down on the sugar - right? Sprinkle, evenly coating the whole thing.
• When you are done with that - roll from the back forward and working your way from one end of the roll to the other and back. Pinch closed when you get to the edge. Cut in the center, and keep cutting each section in half until you have about 16 rolls.
• Lay parchment paper down on your pan for easier clean up and use a pan with sides so the butter won't drip out and create a fire hazard. Spread them out evenly - warm your oven to 350 degrees - bake until golden brown about 15 min. (Oven times may vary).
• DO NOT put the sticks in the oven to bake. The sticks can be put in after taking them out of the oven to cool. You can get the sticks where ever they sell Candy, Chocolate or cake making supplies. 100 for about $6 is not horrible - but if you bring a 40 or 50% off coupon it's a great deal!
  

I made these for my daughter's classroom snack at school recently, and come to find out they were an absolute hit with all the kids. Supposedly - "all the kids were crowding around it mommy, and looking at the snack going what in the world is that snack?" (hands waving and flailing - I'm sure you can picture it).

Now - I would highly recommend you add to it things like: Raisins, Pecans or Vanilla Ice Cream to boot and really jazz them up. Just be sure to send them to school free of tree nuts if there are allergies present in the classroom! (or if the school is peanut free in general like my daughter's).

Let your kids in on the fun - it's so easy and yummy - and will be ready in no time! Enjoy! Next week we will be serving up some more easy sssssoup! Good night. -kg

Featured Artist: Kerry Goulder, Kid Giddy

Featured Artist: Kerry Goulder, Kid Giddy

Posted using ShareThis

Giddy Up Friday: Oh My Bento.....

A long time ago - I went to school with a really awesome Tupperware lunch box that had straps that snapped - and inside - I had all my tupperware containers filled with soup or sandwich or crackers and cheese and most likely (if I was lucky) a ring-ding wrapped in tin foil!

Somewhere along the way - things shifted and lunch came packed in a paper bag and a lot of plastic sandwich bags. Now even more recently, food is being prepackaged into smaller containers and baggies, to make packing lunch quicker and easier - but less healthy and certainly less green! My daughters have had the privilege of going to a school that encourages parents and children to bring their lunches in containers instead of plastic bags and brown sacks. They also encourage children to bring a cloth napkin instead of paper napkins.

May I propose a switch back to the basics to get a little greener? Tupperware may not have what you are looking for anymore...at least not the whole kit and kaboodle....but they have the CrystalWave now and there are plenty of choices on the market that are not only greener - and cool looking - but can be fun for you and your kids as you make the lunches! Here's a few resources to get you started in your quest to go green.

And when you've found just the right container set - check out these awesome ideas on flickr and recipes for packing your fun lunch - bento style! Your kids lunch will never be the same again!
Just Bento
Yum Yum Bento - will have a book coming out later this year in June/July (along with the website I'm sure). So cute! Until then - you can check out their LuckySundae's flickr site...

Now - if you want to check out a really awesome Bento Weekly Bento Planner a one pager or the Weekly Bento Meal Planner which is a little more involved! - check out Just Bento. They also have a get healthy challenge - if you so desire to lose weight and keep your foods in check and moderate as we should all be doing the info here is a great place to get started!

And then for a whole SLEW of information again (saving the best for last) - you can check out this website - Lunch in a Box! Have fun - get creative - go green and Giddy-up! -kg

Edible Wednesday: Tortellini w/Spinach & Sausage Sauce

Remember back when grocery stores had someone really cool, to cooked food as you shopped, so you could taste test it and grab a copy of the recipe (and all of the ingredients)? I do - it have been a long time ago...but I still remember him, his name was Gary, and this is one of his recipes....

I've made it so many times now, I'm sure I've altered it in a few ways - to make it my own, but you've got to try it! Here's a list of the ingredients you'll need:

Tri-Colored Tortellini's - Family size package
Fresh Sweet Italian Sausage (I use all 8 links)
1 jar Marinara Sauce (or you can be crazy and make your own if you have time!)
1 bag Fresh Baby Spinach (or 1 Frozen brick of chopped spinach)
Grated Parmasan Cheese to top it off

Directions:
Place sausage links in a large pot of water to boil. You don't want them to cook completely in the water - just about half way (approx 8 min once in the water). This flavors the water for the pasta.

Before placing the pasta in the boiling water - remove the sausage link (with tongs not your fingers - I can't be held responsible for crazies in the kitchen!)....Boil pasta for one minute less than time on package.

While that's going place your fresh spinach in a collandar and place it on top of the boiling pot of water and cover with the pot lid. Gently mix a couple of times to wilt evenly.

Now your sausage has had a few minutes to cool off so you slice them lengthwise and then into half moons...Place them into a saute pan to brown. By the time they have browned up, the pasta and spinach is done.

Drain the pasta and add the pasta and the marinara sauce to the saute pan. Chop the spinach and mix into the saute pan. Once ingredients are combined, serve with Parmesan cheese on top. Garlic Bread would be fabulous with this dish!!! Yum! Enjoy!!! -kg

Busy Monday: Organizing Your To Do List

Have you ever heard of FranklinCovey? (yes - the calendars, the planners, etc) basically the most organized of all organized! I'm pretty sure I need to be trained by Franklin himself...and since that's not possible - I should definitely take up matters with Stephen Covey and develop my 7 habits so I can be highly successful!

If you have never checked out the FranklinCovey website - I suggest you do so. If this is the year you want to be organized and get all the things done that you need to get done - this is where to start. I'm not telling you to go out and buy a planner - but there are a ton of freebie resources & downloads to choose from and to get you started!While you are on their website you can download a free 31 day trial of their planner (click that freebie link above). All you have to give them is your name and email address. They don't ask for address, phone or form of payment. So really - it's free! (I love a bargain!). Within the free 31 day planner - you can write your mission statement with the help of a few questions. So really - what are you waiting for? I can't tell you any better than this website can tell you how to get better organized with your to do list. Oh - and while you are at it - they offer a little stress management test and you can sign up for some free webinars...like the one on Jan 13th - "Achieving your Highest Priorities".

If you've tried FranklinCovey - I'd love for you to share your thoughts in the comments below. If you've had success with another style/system - I'd also love to know! This is not a paid endorsement. It's just a couple links to some really great resources! Happy planning! See you tomorrow for a little This 'n' That! -kg

A New Year - What Motivates You?

So in my recent and numerous conversations with my twin sister - we have been talking about parenting techniques and finding ways to motivate our kids to make good choices instead of making a bad choice and having them be sad or frustrated or worse - have us be sad or frustrated. She's been reading her book, I've been reading mine, and the one word that continues to grab our attention is "Motivate". And so she asked me - what motivates me? Last night as I lay trying to sleep, I thought about that word over and over. I wondered what really motivates me to get up everyday. What motivates me to go to karate, to write this blog, to fill my Etsy shop with cute things....What motivates me period?

So - instead of a new years resolution that will soon be tossed out to the curb with the Christmas tree or the garbage....I thought I'd list the few things that I am motivated by and put the challenge out to all of you, to find out what motivates you? And maybe just maybe - it will make our 2010 that much more rewarding!

My children motivate me to get up. Everyday is different, every day is a challenge, but they change with the wind and the second. I don't want to miss anything and some day I don't want to wish they were 5 and 6 again because I missed it all. They make me laugh, cry (for good and bad)...and give me hope for a better world where everyone can be as a child...innocent and loving!

My 2 is Beautiful business motivates me to keep going everyday. I love coming up with new ideas and wonder what the world might think of them. When I opened up my KidGiddy.Etsy shop I was bummed everyday for 30 days until I got my first sale! By golly - people like my stuff! Sales aren't always easy on Etsy. There's a lot of hard work and networking involved. Unless you are already well established on Etsy - it can be tough getting noticed. I've had 13 sales to date and am grateful for each one. I have some big plans for my business this year and hope it will continue to grow with each new idea.

My karate motivates me - because it's so freakin' awesome and fun! It gets me working out 2 times a week (when I'm not sick) and I get to have stronger muscles and more self esteem than I've ever had in my whole life. I sitll look over my should when I'm alone or feeling vulnerable with my 2 little girls, but don't mess with me or them, 'cause I'll kick your butt! LOL!

I am motivated everyday by the people around me. My husband (he makes me want to be a better wife - designer - and tennis player)....members of my church (they make me want to serve more often and judge less)....my neighbors, my blog fans and facebook fans and twitter followers - even Joe at the Post Office - everyone seems to give me a reason to do something good today. That's motivation.

I am less motivated when it's cold wet, rainy and snowy - but am more motivated by blue skies and warm sunshine! So there it is - maybe not everything under the sun that motivates me - but it's enough to get me going and to get my new year started in a good way!

What motivates you? Feel free to share in the comments below! Happy New Year! -kg