New Giveaways, Reviews, & Articles

Lots of great stuff is happening on the site this week!

We started a new giveaway this week for $25 gift cards to Shutterfly! This contest is to help promote their new Share Site service where you can create a free site for your family and share your pictures through their website. Head over here to enter today to win!

Today is the last day to enter for the $100 iTunes gift card. Ciao is a new online shopping community and the perfect destination for all of your online shopping needs. Ciao.com features thousands of accurate and honest reviews from real people on everything from cell phones to laptops to MP3 players - even movies and beauty products. As a fun reward, Ciao also pays its members $1 per qualifying review. A great way to earn some extra cash on the side! To enter you have to go here for all the details!

Enter today to win a 10th Anniversary Harry Potter prize pack. We are giving away beautiful boxed sets of the Harry Potter series and the new anniversary editions of, "Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone" Please do not enter here, only entries over here will qualify. Good luck, everyone!

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We also have a fresh new round of reviews up for you to help with your holiday shopping this year!

Animal Paradise for Nintendo DS
Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir
Family Facts: School Years Memento Keeper
BusyBodyBook Wall Calendar

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A new article has been added to our site! Just in time for fall, visit our, "Oh, Glorious Pumpkin." It should give you lots of creative pumpkin crafts and recipes to use this season!

Dressing Up the Front Step For Fall

I loved the white pumpkins featured in A Soft Place to Land and gained some inspiration from that post for my own doorstep. Of course, I took the lazy and cheap route, but I think they turned out beautifully.

I purchased faux pumpkins at Michael's Craft Store. The were on sale for 40% off this past week. I found two pots to rest my pumpkins in and a bolt of black ribbon to dress up the pots.



I used my glue gun to attach the ribbon around the outside of the pot. With the leftover ribbon from the bolt, I made a bow and then tied it off with a little raffia. The pumpkins wedge perfectly in there.

I am hoping it will be something that I can use each year. I have found most of our guests think they are real pumpkins when they come over and have spent a lot of time thumping and touching them. I am not usually one to pick things that aren't natural for decorating with, but I love being able to store these and use them year after year. If they are fooling people, then that works even more to my advantage!


Of course, if those pumpkins don't last until next year, I have these two little pumpkins that I can set out there on occasion to dress up the step!

What are some creative ways you decorate your home for fall?

Redbox Code 09.29.08

Today's free code for a Redbox movie is LA45W7. This code is good for one free movie and you can use it until midnight tonight. Enjoy a free family movie together!

Side Notes:

- If you want to rent more than one movie for free, bring more than one credit/debit card. You can use the same promotional code, you just will need different cards to charge it to. The charge will be zero as long as you return your movie on time for the next day.

- When entering in your free movie code, you need to enter it FIRST before picking the movie. On the very first screen, click the, "Rent with Promo." Enter in the above code and then make your selection- the amount should then total zero.

Here is an updated list of new releases:

Sex and the City
Expensive restaurants, romantic encounters, and lots and lots of girl talk. The TV series with the most seriously self-explanatory name ever was this year's summertime hit – and Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis are all back. Will Carrie wind up with Big? Oh just you wait.

Leatherheads
Long before players were changing their names to the numbers, football was a pure and simple game, played by men in absurdly unprotective leather helmets. George Clooney, Renee Zellweger and Jon Krasinski take you back to that time in this charming comedy about the pioneers of an early football league.

Deception
Ewan MacGregor is a joyless and high-strung CPA trudging through stacks of spreadsheets. Meeting the free-spirited Hugh Jackman – and soon getting caught up in a private, anonymous sex club – seems like just the jolt he needs. That is, until he gets accused in the disappearance of one of the club's members.

Run Fatboy Run
In this romantic comedy, Simon Pegg has just plain let himself go. It stems from all the guilt he feels from having left his pregnant fiance at the altar five years earlier. Suddenly, though, a revelation! He knows just how to win her back: get in shape and run a marathon! Thandie Newton and Hank Azaria co-star.

Made of Honor
It's now or never for Patrick 'McDreamy' Dempsey. He's just been asked by his closest girlfriend to stand up in her wedding. But the fact that he's in love with her, and is running out of chances to win her heart, is making things complicated (and hilarious). Michelle Monaghan plays the blushing bride to be.

Speed Racer
Emile Hirsch and Matthew Fox are dueling racers in this frenzied and visually stunning feature length version of the old cartoon. Hirsch plays Speed Racer and Fox plays Racer X, who together take on dangerous turns and aggressive drivers on futuristic tracks.

Company is Coming: A Fast Coffee Cake

One of my favorite things to make for our company is my favorite Jewish Coffee Cake recipe. This recipe was given to me by my best friend's mother. She told me that no matter how many other types of cakes she made, this was always the one that was requested and was always the favorite among her family members.

It should come as no surprise that it has become a favorite in our family too. This is the cake that made me a famous woman at my husband's work, and I have scored more than a few friends at potlucks, toting my cake around town. It has even been served for my husband's birthday dinners, making it just the right cake for any occasion.

The orange juice gives the cake a little tang and the cinnamon gives the cake a little spice to balance out the sweetness. With a dusting of confectioner's sugar, you can hide any flaws and make it look like the star of any occasion.


This cake graced my table this past week, as I gathered my friends together to have a knitting night. My mother-in-law came to give us a class on how to knit hats and my girlfriends brought their knitting supplies to learn from the Master. Yes, I am finally learning to knit in the round and hope to have some fun projects to share with you soon!

Oh, and did I mention that the cake is made out of a cake mix? Don't tell anyone! That will have to be our secret!

Fast Coffee Cake

1 package vanilla instant pudding
1 package yellow cake mix
½ cup oil
4 eggs
1 cup orange juice

Mix these ingredients together and then swirl the following through the cake batter 1/3 c. sugar, 4 t. cinnamon, 4 t. sesame seeds (optional). Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees in a well-greased and floured bundt pan. Allow cake to cool for 45-60 minutes in pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Freebie Friday: September 26, 2008

A big thank you to Heather, from Freebies 4 Mom, for supplying us a great list of freebies for your freebie fix of the week. Be sure to check out Heather's latest coupon list and give her some feedback on the new set up! Heather also has a great round-up of free resources to begin managing and treating your blog like a small business. How great is that?

Happy Freebie Friday, everyone! Enjoy your loot!


Health & Beauty

Murad Resurgence (More magazine offer)
Always Infinity (Walgreens sample)
Kotex (when you enter sweeps)

Kotex (Walgreens sample)
Ford Warriors in Pink House Party
Nicorette (Walmart sample)
Natural Solutions magazine samples
Airborne

Food

Grey Poupon House Party

Entertainment

Family Fun digital magazine (for current subscribers only)
Natural Solutions digital magazine
PC Magazine

Mark Your Calendars

September - Starbucks Free coffee Mondays for teachers K-12 & homeschoolers
September - Walgreens Take Care Health Tour

September 27 - National Museum Day
September 27 - Borders Kids Party
September 27 - Geoffrey's Birthday Party @ ToysRUs
September 27 - Lowe's Kids - Make a fire truck
October - Free Night of Theater (Thank you, Gayle, from the Affluent Pauper for sending us a link to this!)
October 4 - Home Depot Kids (make a whistle fire truck 9 am to noon)
October 11 - Arm & Hammer Essentials demonstration @ Walmart

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We have a new giveaway running for a $100 iTunes gift card. Ciao is a new online shopping community and the perfect destination for all of your online shopping needs. Ciao.com features thousands of accurate and honest reviews from real people on everything from cell phones to laptops to MP3 players - even movies and beauty products. As a fun reward, Ciao also pays its members $1 per qualifying review. A great way to earn some extra cash on the side! To enter you have to go here for all the details!

Enter today to win a 10th Anniversary Harry Potter prize pack. We are giving away beautiful boxed sets of the Harry Potter series and the new anniversary editions of, "Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone" Please do not enter here, only entries over here will qualify. Good luck, everyone!

Don't Forget to Enter Our Giveaways!

We have a new giveaway running for a $100 iTunes gift card. Ciao is a new online shopping community and the perfect destination for all of your online shopping needs. Ciao.com features thousands of accurate and honest reviews from real people on everything from cell phones to laptops to MP3 players - even movies and beauty products. As a fun reward, Ciao also pays its members $1 per qualifying review. A great way to earn some extra cash on the side! To enter you have to go here for all the details!

Enter today to win a 10th Anniversary Harry Potter prize pack. We are giving away beautiful boxed sets of the Harry Potter series and the new anniversary editions of, "Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone" Please do not enter here, only entries over here will qualify. Good luck, everyone!

Amy's Notebook 09.25.08

I am going to have to work on some silhouettes of the kids (@ The Homespun Heart)

I must knit a pumpkin hat (@ Crazy Aunt Purl)

I think it would be fun to make a shopping bag from an old pillowcase (@ Psych Mamma)

This skillet baked cookie looks delicious (@ a tad bit prudish)

I am looking forward to following this paper pile makeover (@ Small Notebook)

It is never too early to start thinking about a cool Advent calendar for this year (@ Tatertots & Jello)

These burp cloths are darling (@ Paper Dolly Girl)

I love these window shade ideas (@ DIY Maven)

My daughter would love these doll diapers (@ Skip to My Lou)

I really like these cupcake decorating tips (@ Chica & Jo)

This reuse of the crib mattress is brilliant (@ ohdeedoh)

I want to make this color book (@ Make and Takes)

I want to try making applesauce in my slow cooker so I can smell it all day long (@ A Year of Crockpotting)

These Kermit cupcakes are adorable (Flickr via Craftzine)

This tomato sauce sounds like a winner (@ Soule Mama)

This candy cane sugar scrub would make a wonderful Christmas gift (@ The Natural Beauty Workshop)

I love this on-the-go knit kit made from a water bottle (@ Suite.Living)

These painted white pumpkins would really dress up my doorstep (@ A Soft Place to Land)

I love these mittens made from an old sweater (@ zakka life)

These brown sugar cupcakes would really hit the sweet spot (@ My Sweet & Saucy)

Who could resist this Chicken Parmesan recipe? (@ Divine Domesticity)

Notebook Experiments: Can I Make a Deep Dish Pizza?

Experiment: Can I make a deep dish pizza that the whole family will love?

Experiment Taken From: Notebook Entry 08.21.08

Materials Needed: Please see Chocolate On My Cranium for the full instructions on ideas for completing this task. I featured this recipe last week, but this week I tried something new with it. Instead of making the breadsticks (as directed), I mixed up two batches of the dough- one batch for breadsticks and one batch to be made into a pizza for the family.

For the pizza, instead of the 4 tablespoons of butter, I used two tablespoons and just used a pastry brush to brush the entire cookie sheet so the dough would not stick. I made my easy pizza sauce and then we topped the pizza with our favorite toppings.

Results: This dough makes a delicious pizza! I decided to bake the crust for ten minutes minus any sauce or toppings, to give it a good start on the baking. I then added all of the yummy pizza fixings and put it back in the oven for another twelve minutes.

Conclusion: This was a very easy way to make a homemade pizza for our Friday family nights together. I loved that I didn't have to get out my rolling pin and that we had plenty of food for leftovers for lunch the next day. The entire family loved it, especially the family members who love a nice thick crust on their pizza! We will definitely be making this again and again in our house!
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I am so excited to open our Notebook Experiments up to everyone and I hope that you will be able to participate this week or in weeks to come! I will be posting this each Thursday so please mark your calendars if you plan to participate. You can post your entries at any time throughout the week and then leave your entry in the links below.

We have this handy banner that you are more than welcome to use, but it is not a requirement! It is just something you can add to add a little sparkle to your entry.

Rules for Participation:

1. Choose anything from any of our notebook entries (past or present) to do with your family. We have hundreds of bookmarked links of crafts, ways to save money, and organizing ideas.
2. Complete an experiment from the notebook and share about it on your blog or website. We would love to see pictures of what you accomplished or a detailed description of how your projects turned out. Please include a link to this entry, a link to the original posting of the entry (at the original crafster's blog), and (to help us relocate the project) the date or link of the notebook entry where you found it. You can use the same formatting as our entries or you can just include that information in your post in your own unique way!
3. Post a link below. Please include your name or blog name & a fast description of your project. Example- MomAdvice (WHO bread)

I can't wait to see what you create and what you find inspiring!

Snacks For Mom: Do You Have Them?

I shared with you that I am trying to manage my time better, but one thing that often gets pushed to to the side are my own eating habits.

I can guide my children to make good food choices, but I can go for hours on end without eating well myself. Normally, I end up snacking towards the end of the day and it all balances out, but lately this plan hasn't been working so well.

I am hypoglycemic, which is just a fancy way of saying that I have low blood sugar. I have always had problems, but after I had Emily, it has seemed to have gotten worse.

These past couple of weeks have been really horrible and I have felt really rundown. I break out in a sweat, I have the shakes, my vision gets blurry, I feel faint, and I get extremely irritable. It seems like something like low blood sugar should be such a minor thing, but it can suck up hours of my day where I feel sluggish and generally out of it. I am sure my exercise routine is contributing towards the need for more eating, but I have been letting it go.

I decided to make it a priority this week and stocked our pantry with some mommy snacks. I got myself some cheese sticks, yogurts, fiber bars, and some canned & fresh fruit. I also bought black beans and whole grain rice to make tortillas for my lunches and to replace any late night cravings for junk food. I don't know why, but I find it difficult to "blow" grocery money on myself for these quick snacks. I feel like I should be making all of these things, but sometimes time is more limited and then I find myself in these slumps with nothing stocked to eat. The planner in me knows that I could do a better job of this, but sometimes it is nice to have a couple store-bought goodies packed in your purse for when you feel a slump coming on.

As I sat munching on my fiber bar this afternoon, I suddenly felt two eyes watching me. Emily came around the corner and pointed to my bar. She threw down her apple and started kicking and screaming for me to give it to her, as only a two year-old can do. As I shook my head no, my mouth full of food, she began escalating and I felt my stomach rumbling in protest from the interrupted and stressful snack. Can't a girl eat a fiber bar without having to share it?

I will admit that I now find myself sneaking into the bathroom or an unlit corner of the house to sneak in a little nutrition for myself, lest I have to share with everyone else in the house. Images of my own poor mother hovering over the sink to shove a little treat in her mouth and all us kids circling her like a pack of wolves comes rushing back to me. We could sniff those Girl Scout Cookies out like nobody's business and I doubt my mother had many meals where she didn't have to sacrifice a few bites between the three of us.

Do you have a favorite healthy mommy snack that you could recommend? What keeps you going during the day? Secret mommy confession... do you hide your snacks or keep them separate from the rest of the family's food? Fess up! Where do you put your stash?

Clay Cookery: A Frugal Chef's Dream Come True

A long time ago, I read a post from Meredith, at Like Merchant Ships, about her clay cooker. Since her post, I have been on the lookout for a clay baker of my own, but have not seen one on any trip to the thrift shops. I am sure that I probably passed a million, not knowing what the heck they were, but when I finally figured it out...there were none to be found.

Until last week, that is! I actually spotted two of them sitting together on a shelf. I lunged to grab one and took home the one that was in the best condition. It was marked for six dollars, a bit more than I usually spend on a single item in housewares. After months and months of waiting though, I was willing to fork over the six dollars.

The lid was tightly taped shut and, I prayed that there was nothing wrong inside of it. What I discovered was that the clay cooker had never been used and all of the information packets were neatly tucked inside waiting for the next owner.

Today we roasted a chicken for our family in it. A good old Aldi chicken was stuffed with rosemary from my garden and seasoned with a little salt and pepper. I slid the chicken into the cold oven, after soaking my baker in water, and baked it at 450 degrees for 85 minutes.

I had read the packets cover to cover, praying that I wouldn't screw it up. Would the chicken really be moist and flavorful? Would it be brown or would it be light in color like my slow cooker chickens? Was it really true that it didn't require liquids?

We held our breaths as I lifted the lid...

What was unveiled was better than I had imagined. A juicy and flavorful chicken- full of color and just as good as any chicken I have bought in a store.

After we were all done applauding... well, maybe that didn't really happen, but I will say that we were all really impressed with just how good that chicken tasted.

I can't wait to try other things in the clay cooker and, just in case your thrift store find does not come with a booklet, here are a few of the tips that were provided for using your clay baker:

• Soak it in water- Completely immerse the top and bottom in water for ten to fifteen minutes before each use.
• Place in a cold oven- After adding the ingredients, place your clay baker in the center of the cold oven.
• Time cooking according to your own preferences and oven- tastes and ovens vary. Time your dishes according to the way you want them and don't hesitate to vary the recipe slightly. Recipes usually can be converted for clay pots by increasing the cooking temperature by 100 degrees and deducting a 1/2 hour of cooking time.
• Put the clay cooker on a cloth when you remove it from the oven- Sudden changes in temperature should be avoided. When the clay baker is removed from a hot oven, place it on a towel, hot pad, or wooden board rather than a cold surface.
• Clay bakers are ideal for the microwave- Because microwaves vary to such a great degree, it is impossible to state any rules for converting recipes for the microwave. Use the oven manufacturer's guidelines for cooking times.
• Clean with a hot water and a brush- Use hot water and a stiff brush to clean your clay baker. A little baking soda will cut any grease. Translation: NO SOAP! Never scour with a scouring powder or metal scouring pad. It can block some of the pores of the clay, reducing the water absorption.
  
• Don't use it on an open flame- It is designed only for the oven.
• Place the lid upside down on top of base when storing- When the clay baker is not in use, keep it in a place where the air circulates. Place the lid upside down on top of the base, so the air can reach inside the bottom.
  

But, why is a clay baker helpful for a frugal cook? Here are a few reasons I think this can be a good addition to the kitchen:

• Cooking food in a cooker requires no additional liquids. It pulls all the natural juices out of your dishes so no need to add cans of chicken stock or extra ingredients to make your food flavorful.
  
• Clay bakers allow you to prepare quick, healthy, high quality meals that cost less and taste better. My Aldi chicken looked and tasted better than any other preparation I have tried before and it browned the chicken beautifully without any extra steps at all!
• You can cook very nutritiously. You can cook all kinds of foods without adding any fat. Due to the low cooking temperature the aroma, vitamins and minerals are preserved within your food. As someone who is trying to eat well, this is an important feature for me!
  

I can't wait to try other things in this clay baker and I hope you can score one of your own for your kitchen!

Have you ever tried cooking in a clay baker before? If not, what are some items you use in your kitchen that may seem unconventional to others, but have saved you time or money?

Redbox Code 09.22.08

Today's free code for a Redbox movie is CR654D. This code is good for one free movie and you can use it until midnight tonight. Enjoy a free family movie together!

Side Notes:

- If you want to rent more than one movie for free, bring more than one credit/debit card. You can use the same promotional code, you just will need different cards to charge it to. The charge will be zero as long as you return your movie on time for the next day.

- When entering in your free movie code, you need to enter it FIRST before picking the movie. On the very first screen, click the, "Rent with Promo." Enter in the above code and then make your selection- the amount should then total zero.

Here is an updated list of new releases:


Baby Mama
The darlings of Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update are reunited. Amy Poehler and Tina Fey star in this comedy about a straightlaced and squeaky clean career woman (Fey) who, after discovering she's infertile, hires a surrogate (Poehler) who turns out to be crass and downright crazy.

Forbidden Kingdom
It's every kung fu obsessed teen's dream come true (or it should be): get recruited by a band of martial artists in China and trusted on a deadly mission (in this case to rescue a character named The Monkey King). Action heroes Jet Li and Jackie Chan star.

Barbie & the Diamond Castle
This animated feature might, at first, seem like Barbie and her close friends singing songs and enjoying the meaning of true friendship. Soon, though, they find themselves having to save the Diamond Castle – and music itself! – from the evil muse Lydia!

Payback
Returning from last week, it's a new release exclusive to redbox! When a cop-killer escapes prison after ten years, he goes straight after the family of the man who put him away – the partner of the cop he murdered. Christopher Atkins and Costas Mandylor star in this fast paced thriller.

Then She Found Me
This movie picks up in the aftermath of some pretty tough times for the main character. Her husband has left her. Her adoptive mother dies. As if that weren't adjustment enough, her biological mother suddenly enters her life. Helen Hunt gives a great directorial debut, starring Bette Midler, Colin Firth and Matthew Broderick.

What Happens In Vegas
Forget how the saying goes — it doesn't always stay in Vegas. Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz play young opposites who start a night in Sin City as total strangers and wake up as newlyweds. After Ashton hits big on the slots, a judge (Dennis Miller) orders them to honor their wedding vows for six months.

Company is Coming: Fast Peanut Butter Cookies

There are very few nights where we don't have a guest sitting at our dinner table. Although I put a lot of thought into our main dishes, I have to say, dessert sometimes gets the short end of the stick when I am entertaining.

I happened upon this recipe for peanut butter cookies that will make a regular appearance for busy weeknight invitations though! The recipe yields between two to three dozen (depending on the size of your scoops) and is made from items out of your pantry. Best of all, you can get all the ingredients at Aldi, which is a bonus in my book!

Be sure to keep the cooking time to the ten to twelve minutes and don't let the lighter color fool you. I had some burnt cookies in my first batch because I left them in the oven too long. Let them cool as instructed and then place them on a pretty plate for serving. Then you need to complete the most difficult step of all...Try to graciously accept the compliments without giving away your cooking secrets (which I never can do myself!).

I piled these on one of my trays with a carafe of decaf coffee, mugs, creamers, and and special coffee syrups. It was the perfect way to end an evening and I look forward to serving these again and again!

Elaine's Peanut Butter Cookies (Courtesy of AllRecipes.com)

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Pour the cake mix into a large bowl. Make a well in the center, and add peanut butter, oil, eggs, and water. Mix until well blended. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten slightly using a fork dipped in water.

3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Let cookies set on cookie sheet for 2 to 3 minutes before carefully removing from the cookie sheet to cool on wire racks.

I am curious, what is your go-to dessert dish when you are having company? I would love some new desserts to add to our dinner table!

Putting My Hat Into the Martha Ring

Oh, how I love Martha Stewart! Martha is running a contest for bloggers (on her own blog) where she will be highlighting a few of her favorite blogs and bloggers can submit their blogs for consideration. The bloggers that are chosen will be reviewed on Martha's personal blog!

If you are looking for information on how to start a blog, you should visit her entry and see the tips for blogging that they have compiled there. They did a fantastic episode on blogging and invited some blog-celebrities to share about their blogging experiences.

I am making a wish that we are chosen for her list! Good luck to all the entries!

Freebie Friday: September 19, 2008

A big thanks to my friend Heather, from Freebies 4 Mom, for all of her help with our Freebie Friday this week. We are thankful that Heather is back to blogging and that her family is safe and sound after Hurricane Ike. Please head over to Freebies 4 Mom and show her some love- she totally deserves it!

Exciting news- Disneyland is giving a free pass to admit you into their park on your birthday for '09! You can register yourself (and your children)! Visit their site for the full scoop!

Health & Beauty

$1 Donation to Susan G. Komen for the Cure (made by Purina)
Crest Whitening Expressions (Walmart sample)
Huggies GoodNites (Walmart sample)

Food

Kashi Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Cookie
Bear Naked Granola
Land O'Lakes Holiday Classics with a Twist recipe brochure
Seattle's Best Coffee

Entertainment

Rogue Magazine (from P&G)
Automobile Magazine
Maxim Magazine (1 free issue)

Home & Garden

Nature's Bounty Reusable Tote
Mr. Clean Mini Magic Eraser
Gorilla Glue
Pledge Multi-Surface Wipes (Walmart sample)
Playmobil Calendar (for Grades 1-3 teachers)

Pets

9Lives
Greenies

Mark Your Calendars

September - Starbucks Free coffee Mondays for teachers K-12
September - Walgreens Take Care Health Tour
September 20 - Carvel Customer Appreciation Day - free ice cream 12 to 5
September 20 - Doll crafts @ Michaels
September 25 - Coldstone Creamery Ice Cream Social (donations benefit Make-a-Wish)

September 27 - National Museum Day
September 27 - Geoffrey's Birthday @ ToysRUs
September 27 - Lowe's Kids - Make a fire truck
October 4 - Home Depot Kids (make a whistle fire truck 9 am to noon)

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Enter today to win a 10th Anniversary Harry Potter prize pack. We are giving away beautiful boxed sets of the Harry Potter series and the new anniversary editions of, "Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone" Please do not enter here, only entries over here will qualify. Good luck, everyone!

Notebook Experiments: Can I Make Homemade Breadsticks?

Experiment: Can I whip up a batch of homemade breadsticks?

Experiment Taken From: Notebook Entry 08.21.08

Materials Needed: Please see Chocolate On My Cranium for the full instructions on ideas for completing this task. I followed her instructions and just used my stand mixer for this project. I also added my own additions of a 1/4 tsp garlic powder, a 1/4 tsp of Italian seasoning mix, and a handful of Parmesan cheese for sprinkling on top. For a fast dipping sauce, I used a jar of Aldi's spaghetti sauce.

Results: This is the first time that I have ever tried to make homemade breadsticks, but I really needed some type of bread for dinner and this recipe looked fast and easy. I was doubly inspired to try this because Heather, from Freebies 4 Mom, had attempted making these and I read through all of the suggestions on her comment thread before making them.

I added 1/4 cup of extra flour to make sure that the dough was sticky, but not too sticky. I let the stand mixer do all the work for me and plopped all of the ingredients in the mixer after the yeast, sugar, and water had proofed. Within five minutes, the dough was nicely incorporated.

I poured the butter onto a rimmed cookie sheet and then scooped the dough with a spatula onto the sheet. I flipped it, covering both sides in butter and then sprinkled my addition of Parmesan cheese.

I covered the whole cookie sheet with plastic wrap and popped it in my fridge until our dinner hour. About a half hour before our dinner, I pulled it out of the fridge and let it rest on the counter while our oven preheated.

I slid a big tray of my favorite baked ziti into the oven and then popped in the breadsticks for the last twenty minutes at 350 degrees. It needed a few extra minutes more than the required cooking time, but I think that was because they had been refrigerated.

Conclusion: These breadsticks were amazing and a great way to get a large batch of bread on the table while being creative with your pantry ingredients. Next time I will add a little bit more salt to add more flavor, but other than that, I thought they were perfect. I can see us making these over and over again in our house and I want to thank Chocolate On My Cranium for a wonderful new side dish we can add to our table!
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I am so excited to open our Notebook Experiments up to everyone and I hope that you will be able to participate this week or in weeks to come! I will be posting this each Thursday so please mark your calendars if you plan to participate. You can post your entries at any time throughout the week and then leave your entry in the links below.

We have this handy banner that you are more than welcome to use, but it is not a requirement! It is just something you can add to add a little sparkle to your entry.

Rules for Participation:

1. Choose anything from any of our notebook entries (past or present) to do with your family. We have hundreds of bookmarked links of crafts, ways to save money, and organizing ideas.
2. Complete an experiment from the notebook and share about it on your blog or website. We would love to see pictures of what you accomplished or a detailed description of how your projects turned out. Please include a link to this entry, a link to the original posting of the entry (at the original crafster's blog), and (to help us relocate the project) the date or link of the notebook entry where you found it. You can use the same formatting as our entries or you can just include that information in your post in your own unique way!
3. Post a link below. Please include your name or blog name & a fast description of your project. Example- MomAdvice (WHO bread)

I can't wait to see what you create and what you find inspiring!

Amy's Notebook 09.18.08

These baked apples look delicious (@ little momma & co.)

I love this idea for creating your own crazy yarn (@ Craftzine)

This scarf made from thrifted goodies is so beautiful (@ Wise Craft)

I want to make some of these day of the week folders (@ design sponge)

I love this little round-up of bookmark ideas (@ Skip to My Lou)

These popcorn balls look like a fun fall treat (@ elsie marley)

These child's art smocks would be very handy for messy crafts in our house (@ zakka life)

I want to make clothespin dolls with my daughter someday (@ plumpudding)

I love this memory jar idea (@ ohdeedoh)

These custom silhouette t-shirt would make a fabulous gift or fashion statement (@ Inhabitots)

This purse made from a sweater makes me want to get acquainted with my sewing machine (@ cindygert)

We aren't in Netflix anymore, but I am loving this Netflix origami (@ swiss miss)

I am loving these baby shower decorations (@ Thompson Family-Life)

This fresh apple cake with caramel glaze looks sinful (@ Wise Craft)

These felted pictures look like a fun craft for the advanced crafters (@ One Crafty Mumma)

I love these ideas for freezing potatoes (@ Organizing Connection)

Vapor rub on pantiliners hack- only inventive parents could think of this (@ Parent Hacks)

Loved looking through the Knitty Fall '08 patterns (@ Knitty)

I adore this fence with alternating board lengths (@ shelterrific)

This is a great recipe round-up of homemade pet treats (@ The Kitchn)

I love these tips for making good bread (@ Smitten Kitchen)

This creamy parmesan orzo looks delicious (@ Cheap Healthy Good)

These butterfly cupcakes are so sweet (@ My Wooden Spoon)

Play It Again, Momma: Vanilla Scented Granola

Just in time for the busy school year, here is a snack that is healthy and can be used for breakfast or for snacks. Watch out though, this stuff is highly addictive!

I am easing my family into eating granola and I found this recipe that I thought would fit the bill perfectly. The only item that they could consider "weird" are the slivered almonds. No dried fruits, no coconut, no weird foods...no reason to complain!

I will gradually be adding some other elements into this recipe, but if you have a picky family, this granola recipe might be a great place to start. I bought a large container of vanilla yogurt and made little yogurt cups for the kids with this homemade granola sprinkled on top. They gobbled it up and I found them both licking their bowls. I would say this one was a hit!

Vanilla Scented Granola Courtesy of Bon Appetit Magazine

Cooking spray
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract

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• Low Sodium Granola & Porridge
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Grains Granola & Porridge
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Position rack to middle of oven and preheat to 300 degrees. Lightly spray large baking sheet with nonstick spray. Mix next 5 ingredients in large bowl. Combine oil, honey and sugar in small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour hot liquid over oat mixture; stir well. Using hands, toss mixture until thoroughly mixed. Spread granola on prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes (but check after 20). Transfer sheet to rack; cool granola completely. (Can be made two weeks ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.) Makes approximately 8 cups.

Side Note: If you prefer granola clumps, do not stir during baking and allow the granola to cool. You can then break the granola apart into pieces.