Muffin Making Madness, Day Number One

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Riley decided that this year he wants to bring muffins to school each day for his snack. (I think because he likes the super-cool little cupcake/muffin container we have to bring them in) Since I know I won't have time to make muffins every night we decided to do a couple "Muffin Making Madness" days and bake a bunch of different flavors to freeze. Then each day Riley can pop a frozen muffin into his cupcake/muffin holder and it's thawed by snack time. We are HOPING all of the flavors taste good (and moist) while cold since there is no microwave at snack time. (=

Muffin Making Madness Day Number One was John and I late at night. Not only did we have a bunch of muffins baked, cooled and frozen by 1:30 am - but John also cleaned out the upstairs freezer so we had a place to store them. (=  Muffin Making Madness Day Number Two is planned (by Riley) for tomorrow after school.

If you have some good muffin recipes - please share!!


Summary of Muffin Making Madness Day Number One:

Coffee Cake Muffins (from a cookbook, I'll find it and post it later this week)
Notes: These are NUMMY! And, really are a cake.... (= We used only about half the topping it called for and they were still delicious.
Riley's Snack Verdict: They taste good after being frozen/thawed.

Orange Muffins 
Notes: These were my favorite - so good warm!! I'd add a little extra orange zest next time too. And maybe not melt the butter for the topping mixture... I'm going to try 2 T cut in.
Riley's Snack Verdict: They taste good after being frozen/thawed.

To Die For Blueberry Muffins
Notes: I did not try these ones (for some reason I really don't like blueberries) but all the boys said they were good. The recipe says it makes 8, but we made 12 with it (with a modified cook time of 13-15 minutes). Also, didn't even use half of the crumb topping mixture and it was still plenty! We saved the rest of the topping mixture in the fridge and we'll use it on the next batch - of you double the batch, don't double the crumb topping mixture! (=
Riley's Snack Verdict: They taste good after being frozen/thawed.

Banana Crumb Muffins
Notes: These were GOOD! John (the hubby) said these were the best of this bunch of recipes. Definitely try these. (= The recipe says it makes 10, but we made 12 and modified the cook time to 15-18 minutes. 
Riley's Snack Verdict: They taste good after being frozen/thawed.
Here's the newly cleaned freezer after Muffin Making Madness Day Number One - many more muffins to come. (=

 

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Riley's First Photo Contest Entry

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Riley(8) has always been into photography (really, always... since he was a toddler and we gave him one of our old cameras) and this summer he and I took three SLR camera classes together. He's learning a lot, practicing a lot, and just entered his very first photo contest! He entered the MN Zoo Photo contest - and I think he has a good shot at winning the kid category!! He had so many excellent photos it was very hard for him to decide which to one to enter - check them out and I'm sure you'll agree he is one talented little photographer! (=

Here is the photo he entered:

Here are some others he took:

Monster Pillows!!

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We had a Monster Making Marathon at Nenny and Nohn's house this weekend. Actually, they were monster reading pillows for Riley's classroom this fall (and a few for his old teachers too). But, before we bring them into the school the boys decided to have some fun with them. (=

(thanks Nenny for helping us make all of these!!!)

Rainy Day Fun - To Infinity and Beyond!

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Rainy Day Fun!!

I recently ran across these photos from awhile back of the boys playing “To Infinity and Beyond!!” One rainy day they came up with this idea – and they dragged almost every blanket and pillow in the house down to the living room. They spent HOURS playing this game (and many days afterward too) and miraculously they never once hurt themselves. Maybe because we have so many quilts in our house…. (=

Baby Shower Invites

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We just finished some Baby Shower Invites that I think turned out pretty cute. (= I painted the watercolors late one night, then scanned them in and played around in Photoshop. After printing them as photos at Target the boys and I mounted them on card stock, added ribbon bows and tied cute little enamel sea creature charms (from Oriental Trading) to them. Riley helped with the mounting and ribbon work, while the little guy helped sort the charms. Check them out. (=

 

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Sorry We're Light on Posts This Month....

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I wanted to apologize for the lack of awesomely fun posts the month of July. And, I thought I’d give you my best excuses (that also happen to be true). (=

The boys spent the first 2 ½ weeks of July on Vacation at their grandparents’ house while I travelled a bunch for work. They did lots of fun and creative things while there – and greatly improved their swimming skills! – but, I wasn’t around to share any of it. )=

Then, on my first weekend of the month home with the boys (just this past weekend) I got a miserable cold, and now Cabot has a virus that has his tonsils so swollen I’m not exactly sure how he can swallow. Check out the pic we took to gross out my dad! (=

BUT, we will be back with tons more fun stuff – just as soon as we kick this virus. Thanks for being patient with us!!

Have a fun day!!!

And the Winner Is.....

We put the comments from Facebook and the Blog in a bowl and the winner is....

 

 

I'll get Gwen's mailing address from her and send the FUN MAIL her way. (=

------------------------

 

The boys want to do another FUN DRAWING!! They love the drawings. (=

We are giving away a copy of the latest Chef Messy Sleeves and Cooker Cabot Cookbook. (the version we did for last Christmas). And of course - it will be autographed by the awesome authors/illustrators Riley and Cabot! (= It's a great cookbook with fabulous illustrations (if we do say so ourselves...) (=

Here's a photo of the cover.

You can leave a comment on this blog post (and/or on my Facebook post if you are Facebook friends with me) and we will draw the winner’s name on Sunday evening (the 24th). Riley said if you comment here and on Facebook you get your name in the drawing twice. (=

Keepsakes your kids will like now - and LOVE when they are older and can really appreciate how special they are!

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What was your favorite book when you were a kid? Maybe, if you are like me, you have lots of favorites - and just thinking of them makes you smile doesn't it?!?

One fabulous thing that I do for my kids (I know, I'm modest aren't I? he-he) is keeping a collection of their favorite childhood books. BUT, not just any collection - I contact the authors and/or illustrators and arrange to have them sign copies of their books to my children. My kids think the books are very cool now - because having an author/illustrator sign a book especially to you IS cool!!!!! So I let them peruse them and enjoy some of the coolness now - but, I actually keep the autographed collections on a higher shelf in the library so they will stay in good shape for when my guys are adults with kids of their own and will REALLY appreciate how cool they are! (=

Today some fabulous books arrived for our collection! Daniel Kirk was gracious enough to autograph a set of Library Mouse books for each of my boys. And not only did he autograph them - he also drew a Mouse character in each one! The boys thought the books with the drawings were SO COOL (and I have to agree)!! Here are a few photos.

I started this book tradition when I contacted Sandra Boynton to autograph "Pajama Time," and "Snuggle Puppy" for Riley when he was a toddler. Some others I've gotten are "I'm Mighty," and "I'm Dirty" by Kate and Jim Mcmullan; "How I Became a Pirate" and "Pirates Don't Change Diapers" by Melinda Long and "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" by Laura Numeroff. I've also gotten some Fancy Nancy books autographed by the fabulous illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser for my fancy little niece Maddie, and managed to track down Father Gander (who is now a professor) to get one of my friend's an autographed childhood favorite for a baby shower present.

I have to say, getting the autograph from the author who published during my childhood was kind of difficult - but getting the autographs from my kids' favorite authors was very easy!!  For this reason I suggest you start your child's autographed collection while their favorite authors are still active and easy to find on the internet! (=

Here's how to start your child's priceless collection of childhood favorites:

 1. Pick a few of your child's favorite books - you probably have them memorized from cover to cover don't you?

2. Search for the Author/Illustrator website. On their website will be a listing of book signings they are doing, and if there happens to be a book signing in your area you can go this route to get the autographed book. BUT, the route I recommend going is to find the Contact Me link and send them an email. (I've noticed that when you mail the books you sometimes get fun drawings with the autographs like the ones Daniel Kirk did - but, when you go to a book signing they usually have a long line so there might not be time for these fun personal touches.)

3. When you email the author/illustrator start by telling them which books your kid loves and explain to them that you are trying to gather a collection of autographed favorites for your kid. Ask them if they are willing to autograph some books if you mail them along with money for return postage. (Note: I think it's very important and polite to include return postage for them.) Then ask them for the address to send the books to if they are willing to autograph them.

4. Every author I have asked so far has responded rather quickly (love that fast email) that they are willing to do so! So, I buy new copies of the books I want autographed - because of course, my kids will still want their well-loved and worn copies out to read and I keep the autographed copies safe on a shelf. Then I package up the book(s) and BEFORE I seal the envelope/box I weigh the package so I know how much money to include for return postage.

Included in each package I send to an author/illustrator:

• Book(s) - each with a post it stuck to it saying who I want it signed to, and all wrapped together in bubble wrap
• Envelope with -- a print out of the email they sent to me (so they have a reference as to who I am) with my return address printed neatly, a thank you note, and cash to pay for return shipping

5. Mail your package off and wait for your FUN MAIL to arrive!! If you haven't heard back in a few weeks, feel free to follow up (nicely!) via email. Remember they might even be busier than you are (which I know is hard to believe) and they are doing their best to get back to you. And if the author is on tour and your package takes longer than expected to arrive - it may just arrive with an extra goody.... (= Robin Preiss Glasser included an extra copy of her book "Tea For Ruby" that was autographed by her and the author, Sarah The Duchess of York, when she cut it close for a holiday present I'd been planning - it was definitely worth the wait! (=

I've had only good luck with every author/illustrator I've contacted and I wish you luck starting your priceless collection!

Best. Cake. Ever. and easy to make too!! (=

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sorry for the poor quality phone photo.... but you can still see the yumminess....

This is seriously one of the best (maybe even THE best) cake I have ever eaten! It was really easy to make too - especially since my mom and Cabot made it and all I had to do was eat it. (=

Seriously though, they said it was easy to make and shared the instructions. So, if you like the looks of this cake just follow these easy instructions and whip one up. No need to wait for a special occasion, make one just because CAKE IS GOOD. (=

Mix up a chocolate cake mix according to directions on the box (they used a Betty Crocker Super Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix - I would say use this one, or another dark, moist cake. Do not use Milk Chocolate or German Chocolate cake - it won't be as good)

Bake in two round layers according to the box directions.

When the layers are cool, split them so you have four layers. To do this: Use a large bread knife to carefully cut the layers in half - just leave them sitting on the cooling rack and run the knife parallel to the counter. If they aren't very flat on the tops trim to make flat. (note: it helps to get a flatter cake if you push the unbaked batter toward the edge of the pans before baking.)

Wash and slice a large container of fresh strawberries.

Use 1 1/2 pints of whipping cream (they come in pint size so use 1 1/2 containers). Whip until almost whipped to stiff peaks, then add 1 cup of powdered sugar and a tsp of vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks (but not butter).

Put the cake together: Cake, whipped cream, sliced strawberries, a little more whipped cream, another layer of cake and so on... If it gets tippy push a few straws down through the layers to hold it all together.

Decorate top with strawberries. ENJOY!

Best. Cake. Ever. Seriously!

Here's the cake mix they used (this is the cake mix we normally use around here)

Funky Crayon Winner (=

Oops, we forgot to post the winner of the funky crayon drawing - but, we didn't forget to draw the winner and send her prize. Congratulations, Rebecca! (=

Give Your Broken Crayons a New Lease on Life. Make Them Into Funky-Cool-Multicolored Crayons

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Update: 6-28-11

The boys want to do another FUN DRAWING!! We made 6 awesome multi-colored Star shaped crayons that we'll package up all cute and send to the winner - it will be some seriously fun and cute mail. (=

You can leave a comment on this blog post (and/or on my Facebook post if you are Facebook friends with me) and we will draw the winner’s name on Wednesday evening. Then I'll get it in the mail Thursday so hopefully you'll get them before the 4th of July - and there are 2 that are very patriotic looking. (= 

 

-- Riley said if you comment here and on Facebook you get your name in the drawing twice. (=

I love boxes of brand new crayons - all those perfect points lined up neatly in a box, just waiting to create a masterpiece.... They make me smile! (=

And then... I use those lovely crayons and the points wear down, some even break off, and my crayons don't inspire me as much as they used to. I know it sounds childish - but, that's the way I feel about crayons. Admit it, some of you feel the same way - right???

My boys love brand new crayons too - so during the back to school shopping season we stock up on 25 cent boxes of crayons. Then I break them out any time they want new crayons - for the low price of a quarter I can make any day a happy new crayon day! (=

So, what do we do with all of those old crayons - and sometimes new 25 cent/box crayons if we don't have enough old ones?  We make them into funky-cool-multicolored crayons. We give them a new lease on life and a second chance to inspire a masterpiece. Because in the world of crayons, the only thing more inspiring then brand new pointy crayons is a funky-cool-multicolored crayon. (Remember those special multicolor crayons the Kindergarten teacher used to get out on special occasions???) 

Making funky-cool crayons with your kids is super easy - we've been doing it for years and we'll share some tips below.

When we first started, years and years ago, we used metal cookie cutters as molds for our crayons. Cookie cutter pros - there are tons of designs you can make. Cookie Cutter cons - some of your melted crayons will always leak out the bottom of the mold.

To get started you will need:

- crayons

- metal cookie cutters (unpainted seem to work best)

- cookie sheet with sides

- aluminum foil

- oven pre-heated to 250 degrees

1. Collect all of your broken (or new) crayons, unwrap them and break them into pieces.

2. Line your cookie sheet with a couple layers of aluminum foil. Then arrange your cookie cutters on the aluminum foil and fill them with assorted crayon pieces.

3. Place the cookie sheet into your oven that has been preheated to 250 degrees. Check after 5 minutes, and then every few minutes, until the crayons are melted. Remove the crayons from the oven and allow to cool for half an hour to an hour. Do not mix or stir the melted crayons.

4. Carefully push crayons out of the cookie cutters and use them to draw fun multi-colored masterpieces.

You can also do crayons using silicone muffin pans. Silicone muffin pan pros -  they work wonderfully well for crayons, and when you use them you don't have any "crayon loss."  Silicone pan cons - there aren't as many designs to choose from as there are with cookie cutters. But they are great for making a ton of one design - such as the heart crayons we made for Valentine's Day.

Important Pointers:

- Always use a pan with sides, and always line it well with aluminum foil. It's nearly impossible to clean melted crayons off of a pan - and I don't even want to think of what it would do to an oven....

- I would hope it goes without saying, but to be safe I'll say it, once you use cookie cutters or muffin pans for making crayons you really should not use them for baking food again. As I mentioned above, it is nearly impossible to get all the crayon residue off dishes and I don't think it's a good idea to eat crayons... (=

- We get our Silicone pans at Michaels - and since I signed up for their email list I get a 40% off coupon almost every week in my email so we get them for pretty cheap. (=

- When doing cookie cutter crayons we highly recommend using only Crayola crayons. They seem to run less than the other brands so you will have less leakage out of the mold.

- When doing crayons in the silicone muffin pans you can use any kind of crayons since they cannot leak out. However, some brands will leave a layer of clear wax on the top (the side that is up when cooking - it actually ends up being the back of the crayon) of your crayon as it hardens. You can't actually color with this clear wax, so after the crayons are cool carefully shave the clear wax off and then run the crayon over a sheet of paper to smooth the edges.

- Let the crayons cool completely before trying to remove them from the molds.

- Peeling the wrappers off of crayons can actually be quite a pain sometimes. If you are very, very careful it makes it easier if you cut the wrapper along the length of the crayon and then peel the whole wrapper off. If you can manage not to slip and cut yourself this is the way to go. (=

- Lastly, if you are thinking that those cute silicone-like ice cube trays would make great crayon molds that are just the right size... think again!! I tested the theory and they do NOT work - in fact the ice cube tray melts.... 

Treasure Ball Winner (=

We put everyones name in a bowl (from Facebook and Blog comments) and Krista was the lucky winner. We'll be putting together Treasure Balls for her two little boys this week and mailing them out. (=

Speaking of little boys... my guys think it's tons of fun to get comments on the blog, and to do drawings, so I'm sure we'll be doing more this summer. Everyone please keep checking out our blog and commenting - I love happy kids! (=

TREASURE Balls!!!

 

We've moved our blog, please click here to go to our new blog and view this post and many more FUN projects and recipes. (=

 

 

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Update: 6-24-11

We bought so many extra goodies for Treasure Balls that the boys thought we should do a drawing so you can WIN a FUN, FREE Treasure Ball! (= You can leave a comment on this blog post (and/or on my Facebook post if you are Facebook friends with me) and we will draw the winner’s name on Sunday night. The winner will get some FUN MAIL in their mailbox next week! (=

-- Riley said if you comment here and on Facebook you get your name in the drawing twice. (=

I ran across this fun idea for Surprise balls on the  Artsyville blog  the other day and the boys and I were all immediately intrigued! But, the boys did decide that these fun creations should be renamed "Treasure Balls" because of all the treasures they have wrapped up in them, and because as Riley said, "it just sounds cooler." (=

We have already made a few Treasure Balls for various recipients, and although they are a little hard to get perfectly rounded (see the look on Riley's face when he is making his first one) we think they turned out well.

Basic instructions:

1. Go shopping for lots of fun small-ish goodies, along with a bunch of streamers. We went a little overboard on buying goodies (it was so fun picking out all the stuff!!), but at least we had tons of streamers left over from birthday celebrations so we didn't have to buy them. (=
2. Start with your largest item and begin wrapping it in streamers, as you go add in other items to help round our your ball, saving the smaller items for the outside layers of the Treasure Ball. 
3. When you are all done, tape the very last end down and add ribbon and a tag for a completed Treasure Ball.

The boys have already made/given one to their dad and grandpa for Father's Day (and we have another in the mail to a birthday girl whose name we can't say so we don't give away the surprise). I think the funnest part is watching someone open them - all of the unravelled streamers add quite a festive touch to any day. And we didn't use any confetti in ours so clean up was easy!

The boys and I highly recommend you make one of these for someone you love on a special day - or on a normal day.... Maybe plan a TREASURE HUNT for the kiddos in your life and make these for the Treasure!

Brownie Covered Oreos.... mmmm mmmm good.....

We've moved our blog, please click here to go to our new blog and view this post and many more FUN projects and recipes. (=

 

 

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Since the Dad in the house LOVES Oreos, we decided to make him some fabulous Brownie-Covered Oreos for Father's Day. But, you don't have to wait for a special occasion to make these nummy treats - they are actually pretty easy to make. They are a little messy though so I recommend having a kid help with the preparation. (=

I ran across the idea on this site awhile back, but after the first try we decided to do ours a little differently.

What you need: Oreos, a package of your favorite Brownie Mix (and all the ingredients needed to mix it up), Cupcake/Muffin Cup Liners and Pam.

Here are the basic instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line 24 muffin cups with paper or foil liners. (Others have made these without the liners and have just greased the muffin tins well. When we tried this it was very hard to get them out even though we used a lot of Pam - so we recommend the liners! You can even spray a light spritz of Pam in the liners to make them easier to get out.)  
3. Mix up your Brownie Batter.
4. Dip an Oreo in your brownie batter, get it completely covered with goo, and drop it in a muffin cup. Repeat until all 24 muffin cups are filled with brownie/Oreo goodness. If you have some brownie batter left over, split it between the muffin cups so they are all contain generally the same amount of batter.
5. Wipe up all the extra brownie batter that got dribbled on the pan so it doesn't burn and then Bake for about 15 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool. If you want, you can also drizzle some frosting on them - but they really don't need it. (=
7. Pour a tall glass of milk, grab a Brownie Covered Oreo and ENJOY!

Here are some photos of Riley baking the batch for his dad today.