Read and Win a Disney Vacation!

Read and Win a Disney Vacation!

For a second year, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) and US Airways are working together to help children nationwide discover the joy of reading. Starting April, adults are invited to join the 2009 Read with Kids Challenge and help collectively log five million minutes spent reading with kids. You’ll have the chance of winning a family vacation to the Walt Disney World Resort® and more great prizes. Get on board! Visit www.RIF.org/readwithkids today.

Make Your Own Pizza for Kids

My girls LOVE to make their own pizza! This tradition goes back to toddler times of making english muffin pizzas. Then, it evolved into tortilla shell pizzas over the years. Finally, we have moved on to forming the dough into pizza shape and adding special toppings. Pizza is very important to this household. We share our tradition during sleepovers, homeschool lunches and youth group dinners. I do see a change coming in the near future! We want to make our own dough.

Since this post went live in 2009 we do make our own homemade pizza crust and love trying different varieties.

MYOP (Make your own Pizza)

CRUST

You can't have a pizza without the crust. I just eat the toppings at times but you still need to bake it on the crust! Right now we go super quick and use Pilsbury pre packaged pizza dough. We just open up a can and break it into 4 parts. Each person then forms the crust to their liking! Thick or thin - up to them. (We plan on experimenting with home made doughs again. We are looking for a crispy crust, tossed crust and deep dish doughs so please share)

SAUCE

They say the secret is in the sauce. We have no secret for these MYOP. They like plain and simple can tomato sauce. We have the sauce people and the no sauce people.
SPICES
I set out garlic powder, italian seasonings, basil, fresh chopped garlic, etc. They experiment with the spices. EVOL - Extra Virgin Olive Oil is also used. Some like to add it to the baking pan and put dough on top and then add more EVOL.

TOPPINGS

Can you say smorgasboard? Fresh mushrooms, canned mushrooms, pepperoni, veggie sausage, ham, black and green olives, pineapple,chicken, fresh garlic, onions, green pepper, jalapeno peppers, etc. It is FUN when the children bring their favorite topping! Very seldom do we get repeat toppings! I would love to have an adult MYOP party! Bet the toppings would be really really fun!
DON'T forget about CHEESE! Parmesan and Mozzarella are the cheeses the children want!

BAKE at 375 for 10-15 min. Just watch for it to get bubbly and toasty and take it out! I let them use a pizza cutter and or scissors! They love cutting it their way!

I always have leftover toppings. I store them in labeled freezer bags.

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I'm in love with these bags!
Come check them out for yourself!
I LOVE the red messenger bag!!!


BAM Bags are the mastermind and creation of Beth A. Metsch. Beth is a single mom of two. While practicing architecture in New York City, Beth began designing limited edition leather handbags, fabric totes, and diaper bags. Friends started asking for their own bags, and store employees inquired about the designer. It seemed like an opportune time to transition from buildings to bags. Bam Bag's ZIPPURSE was born when Beth’s mother asked for a purse made out of zippers! Beth’s prototype, made of one continuous zipper, completely entertained her mother! Her love of design is evident in her beautifully-crafted purses. Beth loves that BAM Bags are not just for women. She says, “It’s so interesting how many men buy the backpack because it’s perfect as a computer bag or casual briefcase as it transforms into a messenger bag".

"Win a BAM BAG at Eighty MPH Mom! http://eightymphmom.blogspot.com "

Candy Sushi anyone?

CANDY SUSHI

This was so much fun to make! Our Girl Scouts were celebrating "World Thinking Day" together.
Each troop had to pick a country. Emily's troop picked Japan. We decided to make candy sushi for the food samples at the booth.

First you need to melt

2 tbsp butter and 2 c. marsmallows. Then add in 3 c. Rice Krispies.

Then pour out onto wax paper lined cookie sheet. Smash down. You will not fill up the entire pan. Only cook this small amount so it stays warm and easy to roll up with the candy.

Time to add in the fun!

You can use Twizlers (colorful), gummy worms, swedish fish, pop rocks,etc. We also used Wilton green icing.

Lay out a row of candy.

Next step is to roll it up like a Maki (a cut roll)sushi. This is easy.
This pan will make 3 maki sushi rolls. We used sushi bamboo mats. It is not necessary to use them for candy sushi.

Next step is to slice these into pieces of sushi. We used a serrated bread knife.
You can also roll fruit roll-ups or fruit leather around them. IF you add the fruit then you slice after that!

We also made nigiri sushi rolls. You roll the rice krispies into tiny rectangle rolls. Then add dried fruit (apricots) or swedish fish on top!

We made 3 batches of krispies. This made well over 100 pieces.

They loved them and we had fun!

My version of The Nebraska Runzas

I have been to Nebraska, I make Runzas but I've never eaten a Runza while in Nebraska! During our Seminary days, I was given this recipe by a fellow wife. From what I recall, this is how she made them. I do not claim in anyway to say these are anything like the Fast Food Chain, Runza.

First thing I do is grab a bag of Rhodes Bake-N-Serv frozen bread dough. I put my frozen rolls in a greased, mini muffin tin. If I'm in a hurry or FORGOT to take out the dough ahead of time then I do the quick rise on the back of the bag. I preheat my oven to 200 and boil a shallow pan of water. When the water comes to a boil I turn it off and put it on the bottom and my rolls on top. Turn off the oven and wait 1 1/2 hours to rise. While they are rising I make the meat mixture. I'm sure my friend, like most Nebraskians, use ground beef for the meat. We use ground turkey.

This was after 2 hours.

I take 1 lb of ground turkey and saute it with garlic powder and 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce . I steam 4 cups of finely chopped cabbage. When both are finished I toss them together and add another 2-4 tsp of worcestershire sauce and 1 c. ketchup.

The fun part has yet to begin with this recipe!!! You get to take on bread dough blob and smash it out with your hands. Then you fill each piece of dough with about 1/2 cup of mixture and top off with 1/2 slice of american cheese. You can use whatever cheese you like or none at all.Fold over the sides until you have a sealed roll. Bake @350 for 20-25 min. They should look golden brown when cooked.Serve with fries, salad and extra ketchup for dipping!

HOT and YUMMY Buffalo Chicken Dip

All I can say is YUMMY! My friend, Karen, brought this dip to one of our Trivia Night parties. It was delicious. I then made the dip mine by adding some other ingredients to made it the best dip ever. This dip is spicy, warm, cheesy and down right tasty.

Do you have a favorite dip recipe like this? Do you ever take a recipe and make it yours?

Hot and Yummy Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients

2 pkg cream cheese (leave sit out to get soft) spread in baking dish
3 chicken breast cook and shredded (canned chicken or tofu chicken can be used same way)
1 medium white onion chopped and cooked with the chicken breast
6 stalks of celery chopped and cooked with chicken and onions
1 small bottle of FRANKS Red Hot Original
1 small bottle of Blue Cheese or Ranch Dressing-I use a combination of both blue cheese and ranch
8 oz of Cojack cheese, shredded(or any type of cheese you want.. I only use cojack)

Directions

1-Layer all the ingredients in a 9 X 13 baking dish in the order listed above.
2-Bake @ 350 for 10-15 min until warm and slightly bubbly.
3-Serve with TOSTITOS SCOOPS or any taco chip of your choice.
4-We rewarm leftovers in individual servings.

(Before baking) 

Kitchen Notes

Dip on left had a tiny bit of FRANKS sprinkled on top. This is in honor Emily who can't handle hot food. The one on the right is for everyone else! So when you are pouring on the Franks this is what it should look like. You can add more or less. After you make it the first time you will know how much you need!

You can also make this up ahead of time and then bake it when ready.

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Chocolate and Coffee Brownie Recipe

This is my most requested dessert recipe ever! No joke. People that know us ask them by their true name which is Pastor Brownies. Why the name? I've been making these for about 15 years or more and the first time was for my husband who is a pastor. It makes a huge amount so when I make them I take them to church. So they are Pastor's Brownies and he shares them with others.

I do make these for potlucks so if you know me, don't bring them to a potluck we are attending together :)

This recipe has had many steps but well worth the effort.

Preheat oven to 400 degree. Butter/spray PAM on 17 1/2 X 11 baking sheet. This is also known as a jelly roll baking sheet (you need to use this size..if smaller it will overflow when baking). I use the 3 butter wrappers in this recipe to spread on the baking sheet instead of using spray oil.

Step 1

2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar

Dump in bowl and mix. Set aside.

Step 2

1/2 cup Milk
2 Eggs
1 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Vanilla

I use a 2 cup measuring cup for these ingredients. I use a fork and lightly mix them together. Set this aside.

Step 3

1 cup Butter
1 cup coffee (any flavor.... this is my most secret ingredient for these brownies....so fun to use different flavored coffee)
1/4 cup Unsweetened cocoa

Put ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a full boil.

Step 4

Pour hot cocoa mixture into the flour/sugar bowl. Mix together.
Next add egg mixture and stir until you no longer see the eggs.

Step 5

Pour batter into pan.
Bake 12-18 min or until center springs back when touched. Don't over bake!

Step 6
While brownies are baking quickly make the frosting. You will pour it on the brownies as soon as they come out of the oven.

1/2 cup Butter
2 tbsp Unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup Milk
3 1/2 cups Powder sugar
2 tsp Vanilla

Combine butter, cocoa and milk in same saucepan from step 3. I do not clean out the pan.
Bring to a boil over med heat.
Remove from heat and stir in powder sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
Pour over hot brownies, spreading evenly.

Step 7

Once cool, cut into squares. Makes 30-40 brownies depending on size. Eat and share!