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“Marshmallow Pilgrim Hats!” Aren’t they adorable? I wanted to post this because they are absolutely fabulous, easy and so fun! I did make one mistake. I bought icing gel instead of real icing. Thankfully I had some white frosting and food coloring on hand so that the buckle would show up. I will also make the melted chocolate smoother on the marshmallow. So here is what you need:
- Chocolate Striped Shortbread Cookies
- Melting Chocolates
- Marshmallows
- Tube of Yellow Decorating Icing
Turn the cookies upside down and after dipping the marshmallow in chocolate place it in the center of the cookie. Then pipe the buckles on each one. Once the chocolate sets it will be stuck to the cookie. It is so delicious! The kids love them and so do we. Enjoy! And may God bless you and your family as we approach this Thanksgiving!
Idea from Family Fun magazine
Here is a version with peanut butter cups
I am taking the 100 Digits berry picking this week. Since we need to get back into school gear after a couple weeks of summer camps I decided to look into a blueberry unit study. The blueberry council has put together some great pages to make learning about blueberries fun. You can download them below or visit blueberrycouncil.com . There are 3 worksheets for grades 3rd and 4th and 3 worksheets for 5th and 6th. I think that you can find ways to use them at any grade level. They are great, check them out.
add-up-fruit-fun -Math 5th/6th
blueberries-for-every-season -Geography 5th/6th
latest-fruit-news – Language Arts 5th/6th
one-blue-three – Math 3rd/4th
read-write-and-blue – Language Arts 3rd/4th
blueberries-cuisine-Geography 3rd/4th
blueberry power worksheet (shown above)
For information on U-Pick Farms local to western Washington click here.
Fun Blueberry facts
- The blueberry muffin is the official muffin of Minnesota.
- It is also the most popular muffin in the U.S.
- The blueberry is the official state fruit of New Jersey.
- July is National Blueberry Month in the U.S.
- August is the National Blueberry Month in Canada.
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Please visit U-Pick websites or call for seasonal start dates and times. Feel free to suggest other local U-Pick farms and or comments about those listed. Pick berries for as low as $1.69 a pound! Happy picking!
Mountain View Farm - Blueberries
360-668-3391 7617 E. Lowell Larimer Road, Snohomish
Farm Sales & U-Pick
Blueberry Blossom Farm Blueberries
360-568-4713 8628 Fobes Rd, Snohomish
U-pick blueberries. Large, sweet, hybrid varieties. Season begins early July through August, sometimes into September. Picking buckets and boxes are provided. Located a little north of the city of Snohomish, just off Bickford Avenue on Fobes Road.
Bellevue Blueberry Farms Mercer Slough and Larsen Lake U-Pick
Bryant Blueberry Farm and Nursery Blueberries & Raspberries
(360) 474-8424 or (425) 327-8703 5719 Grandview Road, #A, Arlington
Bring the kids and come enjoy picking berries during the summer harvest season. Our u-pick, we-pick farm is open to the public during the picking season for you and your family to enjoy. We grow blueberries and raspberries, using natural, eco friendly, sustainable farming methods. Blueberries and Raspberries are u-Pick. You may also Buy ready-picked blueberries. Kids love picking our plump, juicy blueberries. We also have a playground, complete with sandbox, swing set and tether ball, and plenty of wide open space to run around. Children can also feed our ducks and goats.
Biringer Farm – Strawberries & Raspberries
425-259-0255 21412 59th Ave NE, Arlington
Broers Farms Strawberries, Raspberries & Blueberries
360-794-5778 18228 Tualco Road, Monroe, WA 98272
Our 60-acre farm is 4th generation, family owned and operated and has been certified organic since 1989. Our luscious strawberries, raspberries, thornless blackberries, marionberries and blueberries are hand picked daily, or, bring the whole family and enjoy a fun, relaxing day of picking them yourself.
Do you have days where you can’t think of what you like to make or what your family enjoys? You draw a blank when it comes to planning your meals for the week or even the day? I have to have lists to remind me of all the good food that the Lord has blessed us so abundantly in being able to enjoy. Here I have created a list of the favorites we make in the summer months. I usually have foods I make in the spring and summer and then a whole new list for the fall and winter months. I would love it if you would leave a comment and share your favorite summer meal; everyone could use new inspiration in meal planning!
Dinners
Rice & Black Beans with Green Salad
Pulled Pork Tacos – Cabbage, Tomatoes, Sour Cream
Pulled BBQ Pork Sandwiches and Coleslaw
Carne Asada and Fresh Guacamole
BBQ Chicken and Cornbread
Chicken Kabobs & Corn on the Cob
Grilled Shrimp Skewers & Rice
Flank Steak and Potato Salad
Cold Cut Sandwich Bar
Chinese Chicken Noodle Salad
Ranch Potato Salad
Chopped Antipasto Salad
Broccoli Salad
Orzo Pasta Salad
Grilled Vegetables
Bruchetta
Lunches
Lots of Fresh Fruit
Egg Salad Sandwiches
Tuna Fish Sanwiches
Quesadillas
Leftovers
Breakfast
Saturday Pancakes/French Toast
Egg Burritos/Sandwich Wednesdays
Cereal
Sunday Smoothies
Some friends of mine and I were going to get together for some chinese food. I wanted to bring a special treat for dessert and of course one of my favorite cookies came to mind. Fortune Cookies!!! I sought out how to make them myself. I decided I would make them “scripture cookies” with inspiring words from God. I read so many stories about how difficult they can be and so I wasn’t sure if this was going to work out. Wow! To my surprise they were so easy. I would only recommend making them for a small group or just your own family unless you don’t mind being a slave to your oven all day. It took me about an hour to make 16. You can only make 2 at a time and must move swiftly. Here are my darling little Scripture Cookies:
What could possibly make these better? Drizzling chocolate over them, of course! Yes, I did! And they are so fun and yummy! This was a fun experience and I will definitely make them again.
The recipe I used is from Paula Dean at the Food Network:
- Nonstick spray
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1/2 cup superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons water
- Pinch salt
- Fortunes written on strips of colored paper
- Special equipment: silpat
Cook’s Note: using a silpat makes it easier to remove the cookies from the sheet tray.
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
On a half sheet tray, spray a silpat with nonstick spray. In a medium bowl whisk egg whites until foamy. Add the flour, sugar, almond extract, water, and salt to the egg whites and beat until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pour or spoon 1 tablespoon of batter onto prepared silpat and spread with the back of a spoon into a very thin 4-inch circle. Repeat on the other half of the sheet, making only 2 cookies per sheet tray. Bake the cookies on middle rack of oven until golden brown around edges, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and working very quickly, with an offset spatula, remove cookie from baking sheet and place a fortune in the center of the round. Fold to create a half circle. Bend pointed edges of cookie toward each. This should be done quickly since the cookie will become hard and brittle within 10 seconds. Let cool.
All I can say about this recipe is that it is super tasty and my whole family loves it. Over the years I have experimented with all sorts of cheeses and this has been the best combination for us. It is very easy to adjust the recipe to your liking by substituting cheese and spices for ones you prefer or happen to have on hand. I have also made this and continued into a baked version by topping with cheese and breadcrumbs and baking for about 25 minutes for a thick crunchy layer. It is a simple meal to prepare.
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
5oz.pkg. plain goat cheese
1 pound favorite macaroni pasta
Package Fine Bread Crumbs
In a saucepan set over medium heat, heat the milk. Melt butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
Slowly pour hot milk into flour and butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick. This can take up to about 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper and cheeses. Set aside.
Cook pasta according to directions and then transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and a bit of cheese. Super comfort food! Yummy!
“What is this stuff?” That was my first question when I saw the goop in a ziplock bag. It’s the way to a beautiful, fragrant, delicious loaf of bread! “But you add milk, flour, and sugar and just let it sit on the counter for days? Eeeww!!” But seriously, I have researched it enough now to be completely confident that this is a natural process of bread making. Traditionally this starter is used for sour dough, artisan, or Amish Friendship Bread. Some of the greatest bakeries use starters that are over 100 years old.
The directions for the bread are not as restrictive as you might think. If you miss a day of mushing or stirring it isn’t going to “kill” the starter. Also, you do not have to feed it right on day 6 or 10. It is really just a guideline. You want to make sure you feed the yeast to keep it alive and active. Think of it as your new pet, if you will. Give it some pats and feed it and all will be good! ;o)
This is a fun way to do a chemistry experiment with the kids! What is yeast? How does it live? Why can you leave it on the counter with milk and eggs in the mix? You get the idea.
Also, don’t get stressed out by the whole idea of finding friends to pass it on to. If you can’t, either freeze the starter so you can have tasty bread later or just dump it. It’s really just a fun experience. Pray over the friend who passed it on to you. Make it fun and enjoy!
My husband and I absolutely love this sandwich. When he told me how to put it together I thought it seemed odd to put cold coleslaw on top of a hot meat sandwich, but it was fantastic!
Sprinkle Pork Sirloin Tip Roast (pork butt, shoulder or whatever you fancy it) with kosher salt and put in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours. After cooking, shred the pork right in the crock so that the meat soaks up the juice. Add some of your favorite BBQ sauce to the meat. I like to cook up 2 pork roasts and use half for pulled pork tacos with taco seasoning (need to post that one).
For coleslaw I use shredded cabbage, purple cabbage and carrot. I add mayonnaise to my favorite consistency and then I add apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Sorry I do not have exact measurements for this. I just add a little at a time until I like the taste.
So now it is time to design the sandwich. Take your fresh bun and load it with your pulled pork. Take a few tablespoons of BBQ sauce and spread it on top. Top the bun and microwave for about 30-50 seconds (depending on your microwave). Then top with a slice or two of cheddar cheese and a heap of coleslaw. Enjoy the best BBQ pulled pork sandwich ever!
***Tip: Costco sells Pork Sirloin Tip Roast for about $1.99 lb. in three packs which average about $12. Business Costco sells a coleslaw kit for a few dollars or less. It is a huge bag of perfectly shredded cabbage with a seperate pack of shredded carrot and purple cabbage included. It can be overwhelming large but a whole lot cheaper than the grocery stores. This meal is perfect for large groups too~ Have some friends over and try it out!
“Tender chunks of steak are joined by potatoes and Cheddar cheese in a creamy base”
1 1/2 pounds lean boneless round steak, cut into 1″ cubes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 celery ribs, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups beef broth
3 Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 3/4″ cubes (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 medium sized sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4″ cubes (about 8 ounces)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives (optional)
Add all ingredients up through the potatoes to your slow cooker. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.
Combine flour and 1/4 cup of water, stirring until smooth. Gradually stir into meat mixture; cook. Stir in cream, cheese and, if desired, herbs; stir until until cheese melts. Sprinkle each serving with freshly ground pepper just before serving.
This is a modified version of the same titled recipe from Christmas with Southern Living 2001 and adapted for the slow cooker.
8 Cups Golden Grahams Cereal (you could just break up graham crackers into small pieces)
6 Cups Mini Marshmallows
1 1/2 C Chocolate Chips
5 T Margarine or Butter
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
Melt 5 cups marshmallows, the chocolate chips and margarine in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until completely melted and blended. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Measure cereal into a large bowl; butter 13″ by 9″ pan. Pour mixture over cereal until coated. Stir in 1 cup marshmallows. Press in pan . Let stand until firm.
This is a quick and easy dessert!
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