Back to School

Despite my very best efforts, I can't hide from it anymore.  Sissy starts Kindergarten in two and half weeks.  Regardless of my trepidation, I want her to feel prepared, confident, and excited.  So, today she and I took a special mommy and daughter day to buy school supplies.  It was fabulous, and in the process we may have created our back to school tradition.  

We dressed up, left the twins at home with my mom, and headed to the Disney Store for a new backpack.  We looked at every single backpack (and shoe, and costume, and doll), but she finally decided on the Merida pack.  She was a bit  disappointed to discover they were sold out of the matching lunch box.  She still wanted the pack though, so we were checking out when we found the very last Merida lunch box on display behind the counter!!  It seemed magical, and meant to be, and filled with great omens for a wonderful Kindergarten year.  She left with a spring in her step and a bit less fear about the impending change.

As we were walking out, I noticed the Build-A-Bear Workshop.  I had never done a Build-A-Bear with Sissy, but it dawned on me that a new (and very special) lovie, might be the perfect confidence boost for my tender little girl.  I had her pick a new friend who would accompany her to school.  A friend that would always be in her backpack reminding her how much I love her.  A friend she could hug when she needed to be brave.  Sissy picked a sweet little bunny, and very seriously made her wishes, gave her a heartbeat, and brought her to life.  She named her Furry, but has since been calling her Fluffy, Floofie, and Floo Floo.  Sissy informed me that its fine, she had two weeks before she has to figure out her name for sure!  I foresee Furry, or whatever her name turns out to be, spending many school days in Sissy's backpack.

After our outing to the mall, Sissy picked our lunch destination.  She selected her favorite Chinese buffet, and my sweet daughter ate her body weight in shrimp.  Somehow, she still had room for crab wontons, watermelon, cheese sticks, sherbert, and a cookie.  She even determinedly worked through the stale fortune cookie.  We talked a bit about Kindergarten, meeting her teacher, eating lunch at school, and other worries.

 
Finally, we headed to Wal-Mart to purchase the items on her Kindergarten supply list.  I made a list with little pictures of the items so she could lead the shopping trip.  Sissy picked scissors to match her back pack, seriously debated between the blue and pink pencil box, and otherwise made all the important decisions.  I love watching her feel empowered and independent.  

When we got back home, she proudly displayed all the purchases to her Gigi.  She had a story to tell about each one, and was ecstatic to introduce Furry to her brothers.  I believe she a took a big step towards not only accepting, but embracing the idea of Kindergarten.  Maybe I did too.  Maybe.

Okay, okay, in the spirit of full disclosure, this is really what she looked like after our marathon shopping trip ;)  It took some serious persuasion to get the happy picture.

Happy nearly the end of summer!

Bourbon & Donuts French Toast Bake

My aunts have started coming to visit each year for my mom's birthday.  We catch up, play with the kids, sight see, and just enjoy being with family.  I usually prepare a lot of the meals so my mom can relax with her sisters.  Plus, having lived in the South for the past 19 years, I feel a certain obligation to provide guests with fabulous fare ;)  With that in mind, I created a divine and decadent breakfast...  Bourbon & Donuts French Toast Bake!  Warning, this is NOT one of my healthy alternatives, but it is delicious enough to splurge on at least once.

Bourbon & Donuts French Toast Bake

Ingredients:

 

1 dozen glazed donuts (preferably stale)
8 large eggs 

1 cup half-and-half

2 cups milk

3 tablespoons granulated sugar (divided)

2 teaspoon bourbon
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

Dash salt

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Method:

Cut glazed donuts into 1inch pieces.  Arrange pieces in a buttered 9 by 13 inch baking dish.  In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, bourbon, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat until blended but not too bubbly.  Pour milk mixture over the donut pieces, making sure all are covered.  Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Sprinkle the almonds and 2 tablespoons of sugar over the donut pieces.  Cut the butter into small cubes and place evenly over the top of the casserole.  Bake for 45 minutes until set in the middle and golden brown.  Serve warm with maple syrup.

I will warn you though, if you serve this to your guests, they may never leave!

Personalized Front Door Decor

My mom's birthday was this week, so Sissy and I made several items for her, including this cute personalized door hanger.  

The process was very simple, quick, and fun!  We can't wait to make a big Q for our door. 


Supplies:

• Wooden letter
• Acrylic paint and brush
• Decorative glass stones
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Method:

Paint the letter with the acrylic paint.  We painted two coats on the front, back, and sides.  The paint dried very quickly, so we were able to do both coats in less than an hour.

 

Once the paint is dry, lay the glass stones on the letter to determine placement.  Our letter was small, so it would only hold one row of stones.

Glue the stones onto the letter using a hot glue gun.  Place the stones onto the letter quickly once the glue is on the back, or the glue dries funny and the stone won't sit flush.

 

And you're done!  Easiest craft ever.  

Our letter came with an indent in the back to hang it on a nail, but you could also add a cute ribbon to hang it from.  It might also be a beautiful addition to a wreath.  

Happy summer! 
 

Firework Art

While searching for 4th of July decor, I stumbled upon the cutest firework craft HERE!  The brilliant mommy had used flower flyswatters and other Dollar Store finds as stamps.  I instantly knew I had to try it with the kids.  It turned out so cute, I wanted to share it with you. 

 



Supplies:

• Poster or acrylic paint in red, white, blue, and silver
• Flower flyswatters
• Can strainer
• Paint brush
• Glitter
• Black paper or poster board

  
Method:

Place red, white, and blue paint each in their own flat dish (we used paper plates). 

 

Dip a flower into the paint... 

...and SMACK!  It really does work best to smack hard.  The firmer the smack, the better the print.  You can get several prints with the paint from one dip, so we lined up sheets of paper and smacked each one a couple of times.

 The boys had a wonderful time smacking the paper too!  A big thanks to my brother and mom for helping the twins "paint".

 

 

After using all three fly swatters, Sissy placed the can strainer on the paper and used it as a stencil with the silver paint.  She added a couple of these new "fireworks" to each picture.  Finally she sprinkled everything with red and silver glitter!

And ta da!  In just a few minutes, Sissy created all of these fabulous pieces of art.  We branched out and experimented with blue, red, and white paper, and loved them too.

Wishing you a wonderful 4th of July!

Skinny Buffalo Chicken Dip

In our house we love to celebrate... birthdays, holidays, weekends, whatever :)  Food is a big part of the celebration, so I am always in search of delicious and healthy options for special occasions.  My sister in law makes this incredibly delicious buffalo chicken dip, but it is very high in fat.  She makes it a few times a year, but I feel too guilty to make it at home.  

So, after seeing a few different recipes on the web, I decided to make a "skinny" buffalo chicken dip.  My skinny version is creamy, spicy, filling and not terrible for you!  Its a win win!  Bring it to a 4th of July party and I bet no one will guess the secret ingredient...   

Skinny Buffalo Chicken Dip
 
Ingredients:

-  1 chicken breast cooked
-  16 oz. bag frozen cauliflower cooked
-  8 oz. block neufchâtel cheese softened
-  16 oz. plain Greek yogurt
-  1 C part skim mozzarella cheese shredded
-  3/4 C wing sauce
 

Method:

Pureed cauliflower & neufchâtel cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Puree the cooked cauliflower in a Cuisinart until smooth.  In a mixer, combine neufchâtel cheese and cauliflower, mix well.  
 
 Meanwhile, pulse chicken in Cuisinart until finely chopped (or you could shred it).  





Add chopped chicken, Greek yogurt, shredded cheese and wing sauce to cauliflower, mix well.  

Pour mix into a 2 quart casserole dish.  Bake for 30 minutes.  
 

Serve dip with wholegrain crackers and baby carrots. 



Happy 4th!!