Feb 152013
 

Bubbles’ birthday party is next weekend and I’ve been working on our menu.  Most of the party ideas I found earlier were for sweets and decor; only one of them was for something to go with the meal.  And while Minnie Oreo pops and cupcakes sound delicious, I think our guests might also like something savory.  Appetizers, dips, and finger sandwiches all came to mind as they’re usually easy to throw together and people can graze while they talk and hang out.

My husband makes a great cheesy sausage dip that we often have for family gatherings and tailgating but I thought maybe for this party we’d have something just a bit different.  I don’t want to serve my guests anything I haven’t tried before, though, so for the last few days I’ve been cooking up small batches of dip to sample.  One that I found that I like is the Pleasing Pizza Dip submitted by Jennifer Crsip to Gooseberry Patch’s new cookbook Slow Cooking All Year ‘Round.

Slow Cooker Recipes: Pizza Dip from Gooseberry Patch's Slow Cooking All Year 'Round

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Jan 022013
 

Top Posts and Recipes of 2012

I think everyone takes a look back at the passing year at the start of a new one.  It’s good to see where you’ve been and where you want to go.  In the near future I’ll be sharing some of my 2013 goals, but right now, as I look back on 2012, I wanted to share with you our Top 5 Views and Top 5 Recipes in case you missed any of them!

These are the five posts that were visited the most often last year.

2013 Top 5 Posts and Top 5 Recipes

Top 5 Posts of 2012

Spring Cleaning Ideas

Birthday Party Suggestions

Free Printable Activity Sheets From Disney/Pixar’s BRAVE

DIY Felt Christmas Tree Activity for Kids

Spring Cleaning Checklist (Part 1)

And for you foodies, here are the top five recipes from 2012.  Expect to see a lot more this year!

Top 5 Recipes From 2012

Top 5 Recipes of 2012

Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes

Chicken Piccata

Peanut Butter Buckeyes

Pizza Casserole Bake

Red Velvet Cheesecake

Which post or recipe was your favorite from 2012?  What would you like to see more of in 2013?

 

Dec 312012
 

2012 Disney Movies, Activity Sheets and Coloring Pages

There were a number of great movies that came out this from the Disney umbrella.  In case you missed any of them I wanted to share a little roundup before we talk about the exciting lineup in 2013!  I’m also including links to all the great activity sheets and coloring pages from the related movies.  Lots to do for the kiddos during the school break!  Tomorrow I’ll be sharing the 2013 lineup with you – you’re not going to want to miss any of the amazing films!

Here are some of my favorites from this past year:

Disney Nature's Chimpanzee The Movie

Chimpanzee Activity Sheets (scroll to the bottom) Continue reading »

Nov 192012
 

Thanksgiving is Thursday!  I can’t believe it’s already here.  We’re having Thanksgiving at a family member’s house this year, so I’m not responsible for all the main courses.  But I do need to make an appetizer, rolls, and a dessert.  I have some perennial favorites, but for the rest, I of course turned to the best resource I know: Pinterest!  Here are ten of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes.  And while I don’t need to make the turkey this year, I couldn’t resist adding Alton Brown’s turkey recipe – it’s amazing!

Turkey Cookies – Gobble, Gobble!

Turkey cookies made with candy corn - Thanksgiving Cookies

Donut holes become tasty “acorns”

Acorns made from donut holes, pretzels and nuts

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Sep 172012
 

Looking for a great new cookbook?

After a summer of unusually high temperatures – we’re talking multiple weeks of 100+ degree weather – the recent signs of fall have been a welcome treat.  We’ve even put on a hoodie a time or three over the past few days.  It’s also nice to be able to play outside more with Bubbles and not worry about melting.

Growing up in Maine, fall meant harvest.  It was hard work, and by dinnertime we were definitely hungry!  Casseroles always hit the spot as they were filling and warmed you up.  Now fall is a time for football, trips to the zoo, picking apples and pumpkins, and watching the leaves change color.  Much less stressful activities but casseroles still fit the bill for each of them.

Yummy casserole recipes from Gooseberry Patch - perfect for fall!

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