MAKE-A-MENU :: All about the Lunchbox!

Oh no! Back-to-School season is beginning to rear its ugly head. Whaaaaaa!!!!! Run! Hide under the trampoline or inside the camper! Shhh... We'll just pretend we don't know that the school bell will ring in a few weeks!

Well, we can cry or run and hide as much as we want, but we would be wasting valuable time... time that could be used to get ORGANIZED!

My tip for today is KEEP SCHOOL LUNCHES ORGANIZED.

Here's what I am challenging you to do: Make a "Make-a-Menu Lunchtime Chart", which is a list of items your kids love to eat for lunch. This is going to be placed in 2 places. You will post one copy near the lunch prep station (Yep, we're going to put a station together and your kiddies are going to make their own lunch!). You will post another copy in your Make-a-Menu Notebook.

STEP #1:
Get out a sheet of paper. Make the following columns: Drink, Main Meal, Vegetable, Fruit, Snack. Sit down with your kids.

STEP #2:
List as many items under each column as you can think of. Don't worry about coordinating the drink with the main meal, or the vegetable with the fruit, or whatever. Just make the list.

STEP #3:
Then type it up and make it look pretty!  Print out your two copies.

STEP #4:
When you are done, add some of the items to your grocery list and then put the lists into the Make-a-Menu Binder.

We will get the lunch station assembled later. Your job between now and the beginning of school is to get lunch boxes, containers, thermoses, etc. organized. You will also need to be searching for awesome deals on the items your kiddos listed on the favorites list. In addition, you'll need baskets or containers for organizing the food items.  I'm going to use plastic stacker pull-out drawers, because my kitchen is small.  Basically, just think about finding a location that keeps everything in one place and is accessible to the kids.

By the way, if you or your hubby/wife take a lunch to work this system is for you too! Make a lunch list for everyone in the family!!

And lastly... The truth is that part of me secretly looks forward to school and the daily routines that follow. There's the thought of a cleaner house to look forward to. And there's the though of not being in perpetual meal preparation mode while my children eat anything that doesn't move. But don't tell anyone my secret, especially my girls...

Mama's Pizza Kitchen

Mmmm….  Can you smell that?  Welcome to Mama's Pizza Kitchen.   I wish the internet had smell-a-vision because this kitchen smells absolutely scrumptious!! 

It’s Saturday night, Pizza Night around here.  The flavorful aroma of cheesy pepperoni pizza just fills the air.  Everyone’s tummy is grumbling, and kids are repeatedly crying out, "Is it ready yet?"   A movie is ready to be played, the sodas are chilling in the fridge, and the obligatory salad has been made.

I say obligatory, because every good Mama should have fresh veggies prepped for the meal…  but we all know that when there’s fresh homemade pizza coming out of the oven, the salad might just go untouched.  Consider it great planning to have tomorrow’s salad already made!  Yeah, that’s right…  Act like you planned it that way!

Making the pizza dough isn’t very hard at all.  I haven’t purchased a premade pizza crust in years, because these are just so easy to make.  You can even freeze the dough if you parbake it for 10 minutes or so, cool it, then wrap it well. 

Don’t let all the steps in this tutorial scare you.  I really broke it down, so you could get a good look at the whole process.

If you don’t have a mixer, then mix it up by hand.  It will only take you a few minutes longer, and you can get an arm work out too!!!

As for the toppings, do what you like.  Anchovies, pineapple, ham, sliced tomatoes, cheddar cheese, taco meat, jalapenos…  the sky’s the limit here!

Are you ready to make some pie?   If the answer is yes, then gather the following ingredients:

Ingredient List

3-1/2 Cups flour

2 teaspoons yeast or 1 packet yeast

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

STEP #1:  Dissolve the yeast in warm water

 Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of WARM water.

You can do this in a cup or in your mixing bowl.

If you dissolve the yeast in warm water in a cup,

transfer it to your mixing bowl when you are done.

You can see that the yeast it completely dissolved.  It's even a bit bubbly after mixing and sitting for a bit.

STEP 2: Add the rest of the ingredients

Add 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoons olive oil to the bowl.

We're ready to start mixing now....

READY

SET

GO!!!!!

STEP 3: Mix the dough (Make a mess)

On medium speed, mix until the dough is pulling from the side of the bowl.

Did you read that little post script on the photo?  It says, "P.S.  You are going to make a mess.  It's okay."

And if you're doing this by hand in a large bowl, you can read that out loud twice.  And smile while you're doing it.

Don't forget...  the kids can clean this up.  What did we have them for anyway???

STEP 4:  Add flour and knead your dough

Mix that dough up, then when you see it pulling away from the side of the bowl, it's time to start adding flour.

Add 1/2 cup of flour, then mix.  Then start adding flour 1/4 cup at a time until a ball forms.  When you have a nice ball that isn't sticky, STOP adding flour. 

Kneed your dough in your mixer for 2 minutes. Your dough should be soft like Play Dough.  Don't make it stiff.

If you're not using a stand mixer, it's time to roll up your sleeves and get a work out!  Knead your dough by hand for 5 minutes.

STEP 5: Roll the dough into a ball

When you are done kneading your dough in the mixer or in a bowl, take it out and form a large ball.

Pretty, isn't it?  

STEP 6: Grease your bowl

It's just about time to put our little dough ball down for a nap, but first we need to give the bowl a quick spray with non-stick cooking spray.  You can oil it with some olive oil instead if you like.  Just make sure the bowl has been greased so the dough doesn't stick.

STEP 7: Put the dough in a greased bowl and cover

Put the dough ball in the bowl and say goodnight!

Cover your dough with plastic wrap or a plate.  The goal is to keep the air out.  We want our dough to stay slightly warm and we don't want air to dry it out.

STEP 8: 
Oops....  looks like miscounted my photos!!!  Go on to #9.  Don't tell anyone that I'm not perfect.

STEP 9: Get the dough out of the bowl

After about an hour,  your dough should be much larger, smooth, and puffy looking.  It smells good too!

Take it out of the bowl and place it on a floured surface.  I use a roulpat, which is a flexible rolling mat.  That keeps my counter clean.

You can leave your dough ball all intact so a large pizza can be made, or you can cut it into smaller chunks of dough. 

As you can see, we are having individual personal pizzas tonight!

STEP 10: Sprinkle cornmeal in a pan

Whether you are using a pizza stone or a cookie sheet, if you sprinkle some cornmeal on the pan, your pizza won't stick.  The dough sort of rides on top of the cornmeal. 

Don't forget to do this part!

STEP 11: Roll it out

Roll out the dough on your floured surface and transfer to your pan!

The traditional way to prepare pizza dough is to pat it out, and the fun way to do it is to throw it up in the air... but I like to roll it. 

I've tried throwing it, but ended up tossing it to the floor.  The 10-second rule does not apply to dough landing on the floor.  You pretty much have to chunk it and call Dominos.

STEP 12:  Add your toppings!

This is where the real creativity begins.  We have pizza sauce, cheese, pepperoni, freshly sauteed mushrooms, cooked sausage, green bell pepper, freshly grated parmesan cheese, sliced onions, sliced olives.

Put your favorites on your pizza.  Go crazy! 

 Load it up and try new stuff.  Be wild and have fun!

STEP 13:  Bake and serve!

That's it!  Although I broke it into a lot of tiny steps, it really is super easy and you'll never want a store-bought pizza again.  Have a blast making pizza memories with your family!

Peace to you all,

The Menu Maker Mom

Feeding the family ~ One menu at a time

Missie's Cake-In-A-Mug Recipe

Menu Maker Mom Twin, Missie, loves to cook.  She especially loves to make cakes-in-a-cup.  Cakes -in-a-cup are so great for kids with a sweet tooth (which ones don't have a sweet tooth 24 hours a day???), for college students, or for anyone who likes to have a bite of cake now and then without breaking out the cake pans.  You can also add your own flavors.  We love to add a packet of instant coffee, or a quarter teaspoon of rum extract, a few tablespoons of chocolate chips, some nuts, or even a couple tablespoons of mashed banana or raspberries.... Be creative!!!

Here are a couple of her FAVE recipes:

Chocolate Cake:
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 teaspoon chocolate pudding mix
1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg beaters)
3 tablespoons milk 3 tablespoons oil (or applesauce)
1/2 tsp. vanilla 

1.  Greast a large coffee cup by using non-stick cooking spray or butter.
2.  Put the dry ingredients in a ceramic mug,  mixing well with a fork.
3.  Pour in the milk, vanilla and oil, and mix well.
4.  Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
5.  Add the chocolate chips (if using) and mix again.
6.  Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug and look like an erupting volcano, but don't freak out and turn the microwave off.  It's okay!!!
7.  Allow to cool a little, then EAT!   This is best eaten warm.

To make life easier for mom (and a whole lot cleaner!), make several packets of dry ingredients ahead of time.  Young cooks will have a few less items to throw around the kitchen!

NOTES: 
1. Don't forget to get the inside of your cup greasy with cooking spray or butter before you start!
2. Use a full-size cup!

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Here's a way to make a bunch of cake mix packets from boxed cake mix:

1 box cake mix, any flavor
1 box instant pudding mix in a complimentary flavor(3 1/2 ounce )

Place dry cake mix and pudding mix in a large mixing bowl and stir well to blend.
Measure out 1/2 cup portions and place each in a plastic sealable snack bag.

To cook:
1. spray inside of coffee cup with non-stick vegetable spray. 
2. Empty contents of cake mix bag into cup and add one egg, one tablespoon oil and one tablespoon water. 3. Mix well.
4. Microwave on high for 2 minutes at 1000 watts.

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Glaze for cakes-in-a-cup:

1/3 cup of powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of one of the following:  powdered creamer (for vanilla cake, etc.), hot cocoa mix (for chocolate cake), Crystal Light flavor (for fruit flavor cake like orange and lemon), strawberry milk flavor (for strawberry or funfetti cake), etc.

Put the glaze mix into additional snack bags.

While cake is baking, place glaze mix into a small bowl and add 1 1/2 teaspoons water.  Pour glaze over warm cake-in-a-cup and enjoy!


You can also use fudge topping, Carmel topping, marshmallows, or chocolate chips on top of cake before microwaving.

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By the way, cake mix and glaze mix packets tucked into mugs make GREAT gifts and party favors!  Just don't forget to include the directions!!

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI - TEENAGE STYLE

   

8 ounces dry spaghetti
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1-1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 cups frozen vegetable mix, thawed (broccoli, cauliflower, carrot)
1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
1-1/2 cup chicken broth (not pictured)
Olive oil
Salt, pepper, paprika

 1.  Before you start cooking, please wash your hands!!!  Turn on the oven and set to 350F.  Get out a casserole dish and butter or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

  

 2.  Boil spaghetti until al dente, drain, and place in the greased casserole dish.  Teenagers love to throw spaghetti at the wall to see if it's done.  If it sticks, it's done!  (Please ask the owners of the walls before throwing food!)

3.  While the spaghetti is boiling, saute the chicken breasts in 2 tbsp. olive oil  until completely cooked through.

  

4.  When the chicken is completely cooked,  turn off the heat and add the mushroom soup to the pan.  Add pepper and paprika to taste, about 1/2 tsp. of each.  Be careful when adding salt, as the soup and cheeses have plenty of sodium.

5.  Add the thawed vegetables to the casserole dish, along with 1 cup of cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.  

 6.  Now it's time to add the chicken and sauce.  Mix it all together.  Don't eat it yet!

7.  Top the dish with  1/2 cup each of cheddar cheese and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  

Be careful not to add shredded knuckles or fingernails to the recipe!!!  Eeeewwww!! 

8.  Bake for about 30 minutes and get ready to dive in to the cheesy, gooey, yummy mess!

The Chicken Spaghetti Story

It was 10:45 in the morning.  My cell phone vibrated in my hand and I saw that one of my daughters was calling.  My motherly instinct said, “Worry”!  After all, my 14-year-old twin daughters and their best friend rode their bikes across town to feed and care for their FFA animal projects at the school’s agricultural barn.  It was a short ride, but one that took them across a small highway.  Well, as you know, we Mamas like to worry, and I’m an expert at it!

“What’s wrong?”, I abruptly answered.

“Mom do we have any chicken?”, asked Baby B

“Chicken?” I curiously replied.

“Yes, Mom.  We want to make chicken spaghetti, but don’t worry.  We’re going to ride our bikes to the grocery store to buy the other stuff.”

Let’s park here for a moment.   My kids were offering to shop and cook.  While my girls like to cook, they have never wanted to shop for the food, much less ride a bike to the store and spend their own money on said food.  Were my girls abducted by aliens while they were bike riding?  Were these industrious shopping and cooking teenagers really just extraterrestrial replacements? 

I granted permission, promised to thaw the chicken, and started a litany of worried mother’s advisories:  “Just be careful crossing the highway.  Use the crosswalk.  Don’t talk to strangers.   Remember, bad people don't always look weird.  Don’t ride against traffic.  Stop at the stop signs.  Call me when you get to the store.  And…”

“We’ll be fine, Mom.  Thanks!  See ya later!” Baby B sang to me.

By the time the shoppers arrived home, I discovered that they had decided to do some additional shopping by first taking a detour to a feed store to buy a $15.00 can of  fly spray.   Apparently the barn had flies of biblical proportions, and they needed the expensive stuff to get rid of the infestation.  After that, they rode their bikes to the grocery store and purchased all the ingredients for their lunch.  Before riding home, they went back to the ag barn to spray those pesky flies. 

Finally, about an hour after that phone call, they arrived home hot, thirsty, and hungry.  Amazingly, I was never asked to cook the casserole dish that they had planned.  (I just helped a bit here and there.)  And about an hour after their arrival, we were all eating delicious Teenage Style Chicken Spaghetti.  YUMMM!!!

Friday FUN Day: The Mad Hatter's Tea Party

Even though they have cell phones, computers, music galore, wii games, movies, trampolines, bicycles, a golf cart to drive, etc., etc....

Teenagers get bored easily.

Hmmmmffff...

My girls were sitting around one afternoon, saying "We're bored!". 

Yes, teens love to say, "I'm bored".  Actually, it's not a statement.  It's sort of a whine. 

Teens love to whine.

And smart mom's love to reply to a whiny "I'm bored" with "If you're bored I have some chores for you to do". 

That reply ALWAYS shuts 'em up and gets 'em busy real fast!!!!

After I made my obligatory reply to their sighfully made boredom statement, creativity kicked in.  The bored teens decided they wanted to plan a Mad Hatter's Tea Party.  They asked, I gave permission, and I told them that this would be THEIR party, not MINE.  I gave them a budget of $20.00 and promised my help and support.  Of course, Nana purchased a few decorations.  (Grandmas always like to help out!) 

What an awesome experience!  Along with having a GREAT time, the girls learned to plan something from beginning to end and stuck to their budget.  They made their costumes, as did their friends.  We even fashioned a Mad Hatter's hat from an old cowboy hat and paper mache!  They did the shopping, the cooking, the cleaning, made invitations, did the decorating. 

This Mama is proud of what they did!

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The Mad Hatters Tea Party

The cast of characters:

Rabbit, Mad Hatter, Alice, White Queen, Chesshir Cat

Menu

Finger snacks

On the table:  bowls of Gummy Worms, Skittles, and M&Ms

Main Menu

Missie’s Marvelous Devilled Eggs

Chicken and Cheese Sandwiches

Skewers of Cantaloupe, Strawberry, and White Grape

Relish Tray of Cucumbers, Carrots, and Pickles with Creamy Ranch Dressing

Potato Chips

Sammie’s Lucious Lemonade

Dessert

Mini Cupcakes made of spice cake and cream cheese frosting.

Cupcakes have "Eat Me" written on them just like the little Petit Fours in the movie!

Mad Hatter’s Tournament

Bubble Blowing Contest

Pin the Tail on the Rabbit

Flamingo Croquet

Frisbee Toss

Spoons card game

Wii: Alice in Wonderland

FRUGAL FRIDAY - Looks like Play-Do, but isn't...

This is sooo easy that an 11-year old can do it!! In fact, an 11-year-old did do it! While she only made one color of play dough, it was the coolest blue play dough ever on the face of the planet. This recipe is softer than commercial play dough, smells better, and molds so much better. And you can make it in a jiffy!

Here's the recipe:
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
food coloring

Mix all the ingredients in a 1-1/2 quart saucepan. Using a wooden spoon, cook this over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until it forms a ball, stirring constantly.

Turn it out onto a cutting board or roulpat and let it sit for 5 minutes to cool.

Using a bit of flour, knead it until it is no longer sticky, but remains very soft.

Look! You've made play dough!
Now make something cool!