Our Budding Environmentalists

After a nasty storm a few weeks ago, many people have begun to remove trees that were damaged.  Earlier this week, our neighbors cut town two beautiful, old, large but damaged trees . . . and unfortunately every other tree in their backyard.  This did not sit well with my girls.  At one point, my older girls had our 21 month old chanting, "Don't cut down tree."  This morning I found this:

I have always taught our girls to respect the Earth and our resources . . . I think they are listening!

Check out Kids Say the Darndest Things Friday at Mystical Rose Design!

Wordless Wednesday . . . Goodnight Moon

An American Girl Tea Party

My older girl s received these sweet American Girl cookbooks in their Easter baskets this year (found on the bargain shelf at Borders for $5.00!)

As soon as they flipped through them, they wanted to host a tea party.  Their Grandma and Grandpa are visiting us this week, so this became a wonderful activity for them from the cooking to the decorating to the cleaning up!

We made chicken salad tea sandwiches:

We also made walnut and cream cheese tea sandwiches, cucumber and cream cheese tea sandwiches, fruited iced tea, and fresh strawberries with a Devonshire cream:

The girls set the table with table talkers and made the place cards:

They did a wonderful job and many great memories were made!

 

This post is linked to Making Memories Monday at Adventures in McQuill-land and Snoring Scholar's Family Fun Friday.

An Italian Pasta Salad Perfect for Spring

I made this delicious Italian Pasta Salad last night for dinner and it was a big hit in our home.  It was very easy to put together! This recipe is from the May issue of All You magazine.



1lb. short pasta (I used bow ties)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained (I used the whole jar)
3/4 cup sliced marinated artichoke hearts, drained (I used the whole jar)
8 oz. bocconcini, drained (these are small balls of fresh mozzarella  - I used 2 containers because we LOVE fresh mozzarella!)
4 oz. salami
1/2 cup shredded fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste


Cook pasta according to directions and drain.  Rinse with cold water to cool noodles.
In a large bowl, add pasta and mix with oil.
Toss with vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, mozzarella, salami, and basil
Season with salt and pepper.


Enjoy!

Menu Plan for the Week of 4/19/10

It has been a busy few weeks at our home.  I am really looking forward to the lazy days of summer!  I created a simple menu this week with a lot of recipes from the May issue of All You.  I hope everything tastes as good as it looks in the magazine!

Here is what you will find on our dinner table this week:

Sunday:  Linguine with white clam sauce

Monday:  Perogies and steamed mixed veges

Tuesday:  Pizza pasta salad

Wednesday:  Slow cooker Hoppin' John, steamed brocolli

Thursday:  Polenta with mushroom and meat sauce, salad

Friday:  Chicken Saltimbocca, mashed potatoes, steamed green beans

Saturday:  Grilled chicken, steak, and vege kebobs, baked sweet potato chips, baked beans, salad, and something special for dessert.  Any suggestions?

For more menus and recipes, check out Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Courageous Parents, Confident Kids: Free E-book (Limited Time Offer)

I have been incredibly busy, and now I am preparing for a visit from Grandma and Grandpa.  I will definitely be back to regular posting in the next few weeks.  In the meantime, I wanted to share this great offer I found.

I received a free copy of Courageous Parents, Confident Kids, Letting Go So You Can Both Grow by Amy Tiemmann, Ph.D.  It is available now as a FREE download from April 19th through April 21st.  I have not had the opportunity to read it cover to cover but I was intrigued after glancing through it. 

The book has been described as "powerful anthology featuring contributions from 14 nationally-recognized experts. The focus of the book is to help families avoid “helicopter parenting,” tune into their inner wisdom, stress less and create joyful independence in the nest and beyond."


The book is also available for purchase at Amazon.  Enjoy!

Delicious Yogurt Parfaits

Here is a healthy breakfast, lunch, or snack idea that I enjoy making for my girls :

1 cup milk
A pinch of salt
1/2 cup dry whole wheat couscous
Fresh cut fruit of your choice
Vanilla yogurt (We use Stonyfield Whole Milk French Vanilla Yogurt)
Granola

In a small saucepan, bring milk and salt to a boil.  Stir in couscous.  Remove from heat.  Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. 

Divide couscous among 6 containers.  I love to use these cute ice cream sundae dishes!  Top with yogurt and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

Top with fruit and granola.

Enjoy!

Menu Plan for the Week of 4/4/10

I hope everytone had a beautiful and blessed Easter!  As you can see, we did!

I spent most of today catching up from the weekend, but I made sure to menu plan so the rest of the week goes smoothly.  Here is what you will find on our dinner table this week:

Sunday:  Easter ham, mashed potatoes, steamed carrots and greenbeans, corn, rolls, coconut cream pie

Monday:  School fundraising dinner

Tuesday:  Sauted chicken in a white wine and lemon butter sauce, steamed broccoli

Wednesday:  Pasta with turkey meatballs and fresh mozzerella

Thursday:  Italian roast beef and pasta, steamed carrots

Friday:  Crab cakes, baked sweet potatoes, salad

Saturday:  Grilled chicken and vege kabobs, brown rice, salad


For more great menus and recipes, go to www.orgjunkie.com and check out Menu Plan Monday!