Frosted Watermelon Treats

Frosted Watermelon

Watermelon cut into slices (not thicker than your cookie cutter)
Yogurt
Granola or sprinkles


1. Using your favorite cookie cutters cut shapes out of the slices of watermelon. 

2. Frost with vanilla or other flavor yogurt. 

3. Sprinkle with granola or sprinkles

Although I don't have any problems getting my children to eat fruits or vegetables it is nice to give them a change every once in awhile. This is a new fun way to eat watermelon. My kids had a blast making them and eating them.

Frozen Yogurt Popsicle

Frozen Yogurt Berry Popsicles
2 cups plain yogurt
2 cups berries (blueberry, strawberry, cherries, raspberry)
½ cup confectioners sugar


Combine yogurt, fruit (I only use 1 fruit for each batch so I’m not sure how it tastes all together, but I’m sure it would be fine) and sugar in a blender and process until smooth. Place into ice pop molds and freeze. Then enjoy! 

This is a wonderful recipe from Deceptively Delicious. Each popsicle only has 100 calories and less than 1 gram of fat! Not to mention the calcium and vitamin C…a great healthy snack.

Making Homemade Chalk

Homemade Chalk

Toilet tissue tube or ice cube tray
Aluminum foil if you are using a toilet paper tube 
Petroleum jelly if you're using an ice cube tray
Disposable plastic container 
Plaster of Paris 
Duct tape 
Liquid tempera paint 
Water 
Spoon 


1. Cover one end of the toilet paper tube with duct tape. Loosely roll an 8- by-41/2-inch piece of aluminum foil and slip it into the tube so that it lines the inside, fitting snugly. (Or coat the inside of the ice cube tray with petroleum jelly.) 

2. Set tube upright (duct tape side down) on protected surface. 

3. In a disposable plastic container, help your child mix 1 cup plaster of Paris with 1/2 cup water. Stir slowly and thoroughly until plaster is dissolved, about 1 minute. 

4. Immediately add 2 tablespoons paint (or more for brighter chalk color, but be careful it can stain). Mix thoroughly. 

5. Spoon into the tube (or ice cube tray). Tap gently so mixture settles to the bottom. 

Let dry overnight before using.

St Patrick's Day crafts & Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes

     So its been a very busy few months here. I have been slacking with my blog and I hope to catch up soon. Right now in our home we are focusing on St Patrick’s Day. Of course we always have our corned beef and cabbage with soda bread. I usually make some kind of yummy green treat and maybe some mint chocolate chip ice cream. This year I have decided to try something new for dessert Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes…to go along with our ice cream. 

     Anjali has been working on a few crafts to decorate our home. The first one we made was a rainbow, made out of Froot Loops. The clouds are her hand prints in white paint. She had a blast making this one…not to mention ruining her lunch by eating half the Froot Loops! I suggest doing this at snack time…with a separate bowl for “eating” ones…just to be safe when using glue.

     The second project was a shamrock. We had yellow and blue paint and discovered what happens when you mix the two together. Nothing really special here but a good color learning project. We cut it out and hung it on the front door.

     The third project we completed so far is Goodluck Bear from the Care Bears. I had her spread glue over the entire picture then she covered the whole things with pieces of crepe paper (or you can use green tissue paper). She had fun tearing the pieces before hand and then sticking them on the glue. It turned out cute, we cut it out and put it onto pink construction paper. We will be doing this same process with shamrocks later this week. For the shamrocks I don’t use construction paper, just plain computer paper so when we hang them in the window they become kind of translucent. Very pretty window decorations.

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes Recipe

Cupcake Ingredients:

2 large eggs, at room temperature 

1/2 cup plain yogurt, at room temperature 

6 oz. dark stout (like Guinness), at room temperature (*measure after the foam has settled) 

2 tsp. vanilla extract 

1/2 cup cocoa powder 

1 cup sugar 

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 

1 tsp. baking soda 

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon 

6 Tbsp. butter, melted

Frosting Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 

4 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature 

4 cups powdered sugar 

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with cupcake papers; spray the whole thing including the cupcake papers, with nonstick spray. Set aside. 

2. Melt butter in microwave or on stovetop, then set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and yogurt. Add beer and vanilla whisk until well combined.

4. Sift all the dry ingredients together (cocoa powder, sugar, flour, baking soda, and cinnamon) into a separate bowl.

5. Add about a third of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and blend well using a mixer on low speed, or a hand mixer. Add the rest of the flour mixture, a third at a time, mixing well after each addition. When all ingredients are blended, add the melted butter then continue mixing until very well combined.

6. Pour batter into the 12 cups, filling each only about 3/4 full. Bake on center rack of the preheated 350 degree oven and for approximately 25 minutes. When cupcakes are done (toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake will come out clean), let cool for ten minutes then remove cupcakes from pan and let them cool completely on wire rack.

To make the Frosting:

1. In a medium bowl, blend together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. 

2. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing well until it’s all incorporated. * Use immediately

Free purse book, Valentines Day & Raspberry Oatmeal Bars!

     I love free or close to free stuff…who doesn’t! Today I ordered a purse photo book from Walgreens for free. It’s a great gift that I plan on giving my mother and grandmother, neither of them being iphone “compatible“, for Mothers Day. The code can be used multiple times, all I paid was $3.20 for tax and shipping…which means I don’t even have to travel to Walgreens for my photo book! 

(1) 4.5” x 6” Purse book = $6.99
Coupon code: Purse = -$6.99
Standard S&H = $2.99
Sales Tax = $0.21
-------------------------------------------
Total Price = $3.20 　    

For the next month I will be in “Love” mode. I will be planning Valentines Day crafts for the kids to do. I have a fun song that I sing with Anjali, along with cut out hearts that we use as visual. This teaches her color, shape, and numbers. The picture and song below are for red but I cut out every color of the rainbow to use for this song.

Hearts! (Tune: 1 little 2 little 3 little Indians) 

One red, two red, three red hearts, 

Four red, Five red, Six red hearts, 

Seven red, eight red, nine red hearts

Ten red hearts for you!

~ Repeat with all different colors.

     This weeks homemade treat is Raspberry Oatmeal Bars. They are very yummy with the original recipe but I will be altering them this weekend to include ½ cup of pureed beets. I’m a little nervous about this one so I will be posting the taste results after I do it… Stay tuned! Until then enjoy the original recipe below.

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

2 cups Old Fashioned oats
1 ¼ cup flour
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup spread able margarine
1 cup raspberry preserves
1 cup dried cranberries (optional)1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl combine oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and vanilla. Stir well. 
3. Add the margarine in quickly until the ingredients are not powdery any more. Do not over mix, some of the margarine may still be visible. 
4. Take about ½ of the oat mixture and press it into the bottom of the pan firmly. Bake about 13 minutes. The edges will be lightly brown but not fully baked.
5. Spread the raspberry preserves over the baked oat layer. Then sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the preserves. (I like to add dried cranberries to the remaining oat mixture before sprinkling over the preserves) Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Let pan cool completely before cutting into bars. Serve and enjoy J

Brazilian Carrot Cake = yummy!

     So I’ve been trying to find easy ways to add extra vegetable and fruit servings into our daily routine. Those who know me know that my husband’s mother is from Brazil. During our visits his grandmother always makes Bolo de Cenoura or Carrot Cake. Their version is very different than the carrot cake we are used to here in America. So here is the recipe for Brazilian Carrot Cake that is easy and has about 3 servings of carrots in it.

Ingredients
3 eggs
3 medium/large carrots grated
1 & ½ cup sugar
¾ cup oil
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ Tsp cinnamon (they don’t use this in Brazil but I like it)

1. Mix all ingredients together in blender (except the flour and baking powder.) 
2. Pour mixture into a bowl, sift 2 cups flour and the baking powder into the mixture, mix well for about 2 minutes.
3. Grease a pan and sprinkle with flour. Pour batter into pan
4. Bake 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until cake is golden brown. If a toothpick comes out clean and it is good.

Icing (easy way!) 
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup white sugar
1 cup instant hot cocoa mix
3/4 cup milk

Make the icing by placing the butter, 1 cup sugar, instant hot chocolate drink mix, and milk in a pan. While stirring, heat to almost boiling over medium-high heat until mixture thickens. When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and spread the icing evenly over the top immediately.

New for 2011

     The Holidays have ended and we are now back to “normal” everyday life. My resolution this year is to be more Aware. I know that sounds very vague but that was intentional. I want to be more aware of the ingredients I use to feed my family, keeping us healthy. I want to be more aware of the people in our communities that I can help, whether it be with money, time, or donations. I want to be more aware of the money I’m spending, deciding more carefully if it’s truly necessary spending. I want to be more aware of my stress and personal health, learning how to balance my life. I want to be more aware of my expectations of others, making my expectations reasonable and clear. I want to be more aware of my personal relationships, making more effort to keep my loved ones updated and in touch. I could go on forever… So now you may understand why I made it so vague! 

     So as a small start we have started making Smoothies each day, each one containing 1 serving of vegetables and 3 servings of fruit…in just 1 drink! We are once again donating our gently used books to the local children’s clinic, our used toys and clothes to the shelter, and again sponsoring a child’s birthday. I have been doing great with our budget, saving is like a game to me. My goal in the next month or two is to plan our summer vacations and outings…this way I can determine the budget needed for our family time. I think I may even give in this year and try a camping weekend…I’m trying to be brave! 

     I wish I could say that I have started a work out routine but I’d be lying. So my goal is to make a schedule of “mommy time” that will include my work-outs and a little bit of quite alone time for just me. A happy mommy is a happy family, right? I will have that done and started by February 1^st. 

     I recently created a daily expectations list that I post up on the refrigerator. It has each of our names on it and underneath each name is my expectations for that person that day. Some days may have nothing and other days have a few things written down. I was tired of coming home from the pharmacy at 10pm and being angry that the clothes were still sitting in the dryer…but I realized if I never asked for it to be done then I shouldn’t have automatically expected it to be done. This list seems to be a great way to prevent silly arguments and stress building up inside.

     As for personal relationships…that one is harder. With family spread out all over the country it is hard to find time to keep everyone updated. So beside face book, my blog, and email I have set up a Family website. It allows me to upload all of our pictures, videos, and keep a journal. Invited guests can go on when ever they wish and see what is new and even order pictures from the site. Then once a week they receive a McAllister Family update in their email. While I’d prefer to see or talk in person this seems to make it feel a little more personal.

Yummy 6 layer Dip

1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix 
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans 
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream 
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa 
1 (16oz) Guacamole
2 cups of Shredded Cheese (Your favorite)
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions
Layer 1: blend ½ taco seasoning mix and refried beans.
Layer 2: Mix the sour cream, cream cheese and ½ packet seasoning together
Layer 3: Shredded Cheese (I like Pepper Jack here)
Layer 4: Guacamole
Layer 5: Salsa
Layer 6: Shredded Cheddar cheese

Bake @350 until cheese is melted (about 20 minutes for me)

How I tricked my kids into liking spinach!

     I’m lucky to have children who love fruits and vegetables. My son will order an adult size salad over chicken fingers and fries at a restaurant. The problem is during a busy day its hard to make sure they are eating the right amount of fruit and vegetables. So I started to research smoothies after watching an episode of Dr. Oz. I looked up many different recipes and read lots of reviews and tips. Once I decided on my ingredients it was time for the true test…getting my kids to drink it. 

Smoothies

1 banana sliced (no peel)
1 apple sliced (cored & peeled)
1 orange sliced (no skin or seeds) 
1 cup blueberries
1 cup apple juice (or other fruit juice)
1 handful of fresh spinach (no stems)

~ Blend until completely smooth and no “chunks” remain.

     So I blended the ingredients in my blender and poured it into the cups. We all sat down and tried it together. I liked…a bit tart from the blueberries I think but I like that. Anjali drank about half of her cup and Conner completely drank his. It was a success! Just to be sure that it wasn’t a one time thing I made them again today and this time my children fought over whose cup was who’s. I consider that a complete success and this smoothie will be a daily drink our home from now on!

What if Santa doesn't come?

During the year we sponsor a child’s birthday. We buy a gift, decorations, and a small birthday cake. We bundle it all up and make a “Birthday Box” to give to the Childs parents…and that night the child gets a small birthday celebration. It breaks my heart to think that there are children that don’t know the wonder of blowing out candles on a birthday cake, and making a wish.

Of course when the Holidays came around it was only natural for me to also sponsor a child for Christmas. Each child has a small “about me” with their gift request. It allows you to understand their like and personalities. This year a little girl was asked what she wanted and this was her response. 

“I’d like a baby doll for Christmas. I really hope that Santa doesn’t run out this year”

When her teacher asked her if that is what she asked for last year her response was.

“Yeah but Santa didn’t come last year. Mommy said that he ran out of toys and that he had to make sure the sick children at the hospitals got toys first. But this year my mommy says that he should have enough to give to everyone.”

Well that story did it for me! I was tearing like a little baby. To know that a child might wake up on Christmas to nothing…that Santa never came…is just a heart breaking thought! But that little girl was able to accept that maybe their were children who needed a gift more than her and even more amazing is that she kept hope and joy in her heart, not giving up on the magic of Christmas. So this year for every gift I bought we donated a gift in return. This is something that my children have been taught to do from the very beginning, for every toy that comes into the house one gets donated to charity. 

As for the little girl that I sponsored this year…not only did Santa not run out of baby dolls but he is adding extra gifts for those children who didn’t get them last year.

Merry Christmas to everyone reading and don’t forget ~ the real magic is the smile and joy on a child’s face when they realize that someone out there was really listening to their wish.

My grocery bill was $300...but I payed under $140!

     I love food shopping! I think this is something that you either hate or love… and I love it. I usually go alone while my husband is home with the kids so I can take my time and really get a good deal. This week my husband was on call all weekend so my daughter had to come with me while my son was at school. Thankfully Shoprite has a service to watch your children and my daughter is finally enough to spend time in there…and she loves it. What 4 year old girl wouldn’t love 2 teenage girls painting her nails and giving her their complete attention!

     So besides the food shopping I also needed some household items like toilet paper, dishwasher detergent, cat litter, cat food, dish soap and sponges. So I already knew that my $130 goal (for 2 weeks of groceries) was going to be a little higher this week. 

     Well I have to say that my trip was a great success! My Bill of $299.86 came down to $138.27 after my savings card was scanned and my coupons came off. So this trip I saved $161.59...Hooray! Over $40 of that was in coupons…oh how I love printable coupons! So for my family of 4 our total grocery bill (with a few household items included) came to $138.27 for 2 weeks…less than $10 a day!