cupcake or ice cream cone?

(practicing my decorating skills)

(baked in the cones)

(without the sprinkles)

(sprinkles and frosting)

(all done and ready to go to school!)

My darling son turned 8 last Saturday!! With his birthday falling during the school year, you know he wanted to bring a treat in!

One morning while dropping my 5 yr. old off at school, I saw a friend carrying these fun cupcakes in. She told me they were totally easy and guess what? They were!! They were fast, easy and he LOVED them. He had a huge smile plastered on his face as he walked into his classroom!

All you do is make cupcakes according to pkg directions. I chose strawberry. Then fill up the cone until it starts to get to the fat part. Bake according to box directions. You just stand your cones up in a muffin tin. Once they have cooled, you frost them. I added sprinkles to make them look even more like an ice cream cone.

A couple of tips
1) If you need to transport these, once you take them out of the muffin tin, place them inside a 5 or 3 oz dixie cup. That way they are easier to carry and are more stable.

You can also cut the bottom off of the cup, and place it inside.

2) Use a dab of frosting to "glue" the cups to whatever pan/tray you are using.

3) I am very interested in learning how to decorate cakes...but I am not there yet!! I bought a "Wilton Dessert Decorator" from our local BX. It basically looks like a really big syringe. I put frosting in, changed it to the tip I wanted (which was included in the box) and easy as pie, they were done!

Happy Homemaker Monday

I have missed doing this!If you are looking for the giveaway just scroll down to the next post! (:

Weather in my neck of the woods: summer all the time!

One of my simple pleasures: watching the sun come up

On my bedside table: Legos, clock, lamp, books, to do list

On my tv: nothing! It is blissfully quiet!

On my menu for tonight: pork tenderloin, couscous, rolls, steamed brocoli

On my to do list: too many things to list! LOL

New Recipe I tried last week: Pioneer Womans potato skins (yummo!)

In the craft basket: I finished making my son's birthday invites for his luau

Looking forward to: my son's party on Saturday

Homemaking tip: clean as you go! Don't save it all for one day!

Favorite blog post of the week: I read so, so many that I forget where I find them

Favorite photo of the week : posted at the top

Lesson learned this week: Last Saturday, I was gone from early morning until 1 pm. I had 3 out of 5 of my kids with me. After a tiring morning I was hoping to come home to a nice clean house. I didn't. I couldn't come home and relax.I had to get things done. It made me think about all the times that my husband has come home from a hard day at work, and the house is a mess. I am sure he has a hard time relaxing too. It really opened my eyes that I need to be more aware of what he is coming home too. I need to make our home a peaceful place to come home too.

On my prayer list: family and friends and troops overseas

scriptures or devotionals: I have been reading a lot lately. I will try to share one next week!

Menu and a GIVEAWAY!

Another menu plan Monday! At this present time, my freezers/pantry and fridge are overflowing. I love having lots of options but totally need to do some planning...So here goes:

Monday:
B-fast: pancakes, ham slice, juice
Lunch (in my kid's lunch bag): mini corn dogs, dried apples, crackers, applesauce, juice
Dinner: cresant dogs (kid request), baked beans, french fries, cucumber slices

Tuesday:
B-fast: applesauce, muffins, boiled eggs
Lunch bag: leftover cresant dogs, cherry tomatoes, string cheese, orange slices,juice, Girl Scout cookies
After school snack: poppy seed muffin bread
Dinner: pork tenderloin, couscous, steamed brocoli

Wednesday:
B-fast: cold cereal, leftover muffins
Lunch bags: pb&j, fruit snack, string cheese, apple sauce, leftover eggs
After school snack: chocolate chip cookies and milk
Dinner: mini meatloaves, pasta salad, rolls and a vegi

Thursday:
B-fast: egg, ham, cheese, biscuit sandwiches, apple slices
Lunch bags: leftover meatloaves and pasta salad, dried fruit, peaches, leftover cookies
After school snack: graham crackers, string cheese
Dinner: spaghetti w/ sausage, garlic bread, salad

Friday:
B-fast: cereal & smoothies
lunch bags: leftover spaghetti, carrot sticks w/ dip, fruit snack, string cheese, juice
After school snack: yogurt and toast
Dinner: pizza

Saturday:(busy, busy day with a birthday party)
B-fast: muffins & cereal
L- leftovers
D- having a luau for my son's birthday. Menu is chicken/beef kabobs, pancit, vegi trays, fruit trays, chips & dip, ice cream, cake...

Sunday:
B-fast: scrambeled eggs w/ sausage, biscuits
lunch: make your own
dinner: friends home

Thanks for looking at my menu! If this is your first time visiting, I am having a Giveaway for the cook book Pioneer Woman Cooks. You can enter here

I will be closing the giveaway this Friday, so enter now!

Bento Love

(Harmony's lunch on Friday. Tuna salad w/ crackers, cherry tomatoes, Hello Panda snacks, string cheese, juice and in the closed container is a dried fruit trail mix)

(the bento boxes)

My interest in healthy kids lunches has been festering for awhile. Having 5 kids (although only 4 that eat "real" food) I know that I will be making lunches for a long time. So I might as well make it fun right?

Well, a little over a year ago, I googled the phrase "ideas for healthy kids lunches" and I came to a site about Bento lunches. You can visit the site here

Bento is in laymans terms a Japanese brown bag lunch. Everything the Japanese do is beautiful right? So you can imagine what they do with their lunches!

I oohed and aahhed at people's creativity but knew I so wouldn't be doing that. I showed some of the most fun ones to Harmony and she loved them too!

Harmony finally convinced me to buy her one! I bought mine off of Amazon. Anyway I started making hers and the boys got jealous! So eventually *gulp* I bought one for them too. I am going to say it right now...not a cheap purchase. They better last forever! (:

We have had so much fun putting their lunches together. They are a fun way to use up little leftovers.

Now here is a disclaimer (lol) I use the term Bento very loosely when I talk about what I make. People have way more time and creativity then I do. I just like to look and get fun ideas!

Works For Me Wednesday-ketchup packets

(my boys goofin' around at the food court one busy day in December)


Ooh I haven't participated forever! Glad to be doing this again. I am linking Works For Me Wed. over at We are THAT Family

When I was in highschool, I spent a lot of time at my best friends house. I still remember that every time they ate out, her Mom would keep anything leftover in the bag that wasn't used...packets for condiments, napkins, straws, silverware...whatever. She kept a container in her fridge with all those little packets in.

Now as a Mom making lunches every day, I keep all mine too! From ranch dressing to bbq sauce, ketchup etc. It is a great way to give your kids ketchup or whatever in their lunch bag. My son's friend always gives him the mustard packet out of his lunchable just so he can give it to me. How precious is that?!

My friend also gave me a fun tip. Whenever she has extra packets, she puts them in the freezer. When one of her kids has a small boo boo, but insists they need ice, she lets them put one of those on it. It is a good size for little hands and perfect when it is just a little ouch!

So keep those packets!

**I have read in frugal books/magazines suggesting that you go and take these from restaurants. I am not suggesting that. I am just saying if you have any left over AFTER purchasing a meal!**

***I am also having a GIVEAWAY for the Pioneer Woman Cooks. You can sign up here

quick & easy

Have your ever had one of those days when by 10am you knew what you would be having for dinner? Down to the side dishes and possibly even a dessert? Where you felt like wife/Mom/homemaker of the year?

Well last night, was NOT one of those nights!! After a very long stressful day of trying to find a Developmental Pediatrician for my 5 year old, getting an occupational therapist for the baby, trying to get a perscription renewed by a doctor who is currently deployed, the baby didn't get a nap, my husband came home late and I had to remind him that the boys had Cub Scouts....Made for a long day!

Instead of heading to get a McDinner, I made one of my absolute favorite easy recipes. I originally found this in a Kennedy family cookbook. I have seen others make it though. It is good, cheap, and my 3 out of 4 of my older kids like it! Although, this is not quite *Connor approved* (my pickiest!)

I used to measure everything, now I don't!

Chili Pie Casserole
grease whatever size dish you would like to use!
layer fritos on the bottom (my husband likes to use chili fritos but they don't have them on Guam)
pour 2 cans of your favorite chili on top.
Add onions. Chop your own or get a bag from the freezer!
top with handfuls of your favorite cheese
add another layer of fritos
another layer of chili
I don't add more onions because then my kids wouldn't eat it as much!
top with as much cheese as you want
Bake at 350 until warm and gooey...about 30 minutes

Obviously this can be adjusted bigger or smaller depending on how many people you are feeding!

I like to top mine with sour cream and green onions but the kids don't!

picky, picky, picky

How sweet is this boy? Pretty darn cute right? With those gorgeous blue eyes, eyelashes a mile long and the sweetest smile he just melts my heart. But when it comes to lunch...I have to really try not to strangle him!! This morning as we were making lunches he gave me the "run down" of all the things he doesn't like in his lunch...

pb&j (seriously what kid doesn't like pb&j? Oh that would be mine)
cheese (string, cubes, sliced etc)
oranges (except mandarin)
ham
wheat bread
cream cheese
honey mustard pretzels
dried fruit
yogurt covered raisins
nuts

I think that is it...note that most of it is pretty healthy. So what do I feed him? Here are some ideas that are *Connor approved* (:

chicken nuggets
pizza pockets (warm in microwave and wrap in foil to hold the heat)
mini meatloaves
bagels (ok he is weird he likes mayo instead of cream cheese) w/ lunch meat
pb & honey
turkey & ritz crackers
mini corn dogs
bite size pepperoni's
left overs of foods he liked at dinner
turkey sandwiches on a hoagie roll
tuna w/ club crackers
quesadilla


sides:
apples w/ fat free caramel
slim jims
yogurt tubes
apple sauce ( I buy the container and than put it in a small sized gladware)
cheddar pretzels
mandarin oranges(also in a gladware)
trail mix
Gardetto snacks/Chex mix
fruit snacks
Kashi strawberry cereal bars
Quaker low sugar granola bars
He also of course loves any junk food offered!



Those are just a few ideas. I don't buy individual packages for him. I buy in bulk and then divide it out.

I will probably discuss Connor more because he is picky at every.single.meal!