Recycled Crayons

While brain storming fun party favor ideas for my son's construction truck themed birthday party I ran across these adorable construction truck shaped crayons at the following website:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/43616549/construction-trucks-crayon-set

I LOVED the idea but HATED the price. I decided to make my own. I found some chocolate molds shaped like cement trucks at ebay for $5 (including shipping). You can get almost ANY shape you like.

Materials:
Plastic chocolate mold

Crayons
Large pot with water
Metal bowl that will fit on top of the pot
Wax paper
Tooth pick or other utensil you don't mind getting wax on

Instructions:

-Sort crayons by similar shade, strip off the paper, and break into smaller pieces

-Bring pot of water to a boil, then turn heat to medium low and place the metal pot over it.


-Fold the wax paper so it creates a centered crease. Place a shade of crayons in the center and place in the metal bowl. Allow the crayon to melt completely. If crayon starts to separate into a clear and colored portion, stir with a tooth pick. By folding the paper before you melt the crayons, it creates a clean line for the crayon to flow down.

- Once the crayon is completely melted, quickly pour into the mold. This must be done as quickly as possible because the wax cools rapidly. If a significant amount of crayon cools onto the paper you can set it in the freezer for a few seconds. After it hardens, break the wax and place it back into the center of the paper. Melt again and pour into a mold.

-Let the crayons sit until they cool completely. You can put the mold in the fridge/freezer to speed up the process if you want. Once cool, the crayons should pop right out. Enjoy your awesome recycled crayons!

Summer Strawberry Pie

One of my favorite summer foods is fresh strawberry pie. I used to make strawberry pie with store bought glaze but it always had a bit of a plastic taste to me. I love this recipe because it is incredibly easy, fast and tastes so fresh.

Serves 6-8 (in theory; in reality I could eat the whole thing all by myself)

Ingredients:

-1 9-inch graham cracker crust (store bought or home made)
-2 pints fresh strawberries (2 lbs)

-3/4 cup sugar

-4 1/2 tbsp ultra-gel or cornstarch
 (recipe varies depending on which you use)
-1/3 cup water

-1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Wash the strawberries and remove the green leafy tops.
 Cut berries into halves or fourths depending on your preference. Put in a bowl and set aside.

2. Take 1 cups of the berries and puree them in a food processor.

-If using ultra gel: Combine puree with sugar, ultra-gel, water and vanilla. Stir and set aside.

-If using corn starch: Combine puree with sugar, cornstarch and water in a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for about 1 minute, then remove from heat, add in the vanilla extract and whisk the mixture steadily (doesn’t need to be fast, just to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pan) while it cools down for about 5 minutes.


3. Pour the sauce over the sliced berries and stir until the berries are coated evenly. Pour berries into the crust and smooth over using a spatula. Refrigerate for at least two hours. Serve plain or with whipped cream.

Gram Cracker Crust

Ingredients:
-1 1/4 cup crushed gram cracker
-1/3 cup white sugar
-6 tbsp butter, melted


Directions:

1. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until well blended . Press mixture into an 9 inch pie plate.

2. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 7-9 minutes, or until crust starts to brown just slightly. Cool.

Italian Sausage Pasta

This is one of my family's FAVORITE recipes. The left overs heat up great also. If you are tired of pasta covered in tomato or cream sauce this dish is a refreshing, flavorful alternative.

Takes about 30 minutes to make depending on how quickly you can wash and prep the ingredients. Serves 6-8.

INGREDIENTS:
-1 lb dry fettuccine
-3 tbsp olive oil
-1 medium red onion, sliced
-1 clove of garlic, smashed
-4 mild Italian sausages, casing removed
-1 pint red or yellow cherry tomatoes
-2 tbsp red wine vinegar
-Sea salt
-Black pepper
-1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
-1-2 cups collard greens or kale, torn into bite size pieces
-Freshly grated Parmesan

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook the fettuccine according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. While the pasta cooks, heat oil in a large sausage pan with tall sides, and add garlic and sausage, chopping into bite size pieces. Brown for about 5 minutes.

3. Add onion, tomatoes, greens, vinegar, salt and pepper (as desired). Cook about 8 minutes or until tomatoes pop. If the tomatoes haven't popped after 8 minutes use a spoon to help break them. (It is important to the flavor of the dish that the juices inside the tomatoes get out).

4. Add basil, then toss mixture with the fettuccine. Plate the pasta and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Chicken and Rice Casserole II --Allyson's version

I wanted to post my version of chicken and rice casserole because if I can avoid mushrooms/cream of mushroom soup I DO! I usually have left over chicken whenever I cook a fryer chicken or buy a roasted chicken from the grocery store. And whenever I make rice I usually make a ton because it's so easy to throw it in soup or casseroles such as this.

I rarely measure anything for this recipe. I just eye ball it, so here goes:

Serves about 8 people, or a small family twice. Serve with rolls or a salad!

2-3 cups cooked brown rice

left over, cooked chicken cut into bite-sized pieces (equivalent of 2-3 breasts)

1 package of frozen broccoli, or mixed veggie of your choice (cauliflower, carrots, and peas go really well too!)

2 cups hand shredded cheddar

1/2 to a whole small tub of sour cream for zip!

1 family sized can of cream of chicken soup

1 small can of broccoli cheese soup

1/2 cup chopped dehydrated onion

salt and pepper

1 tsp-ish powdered garlic

*breadcrumbs

1. Mix everything together in a very LARGE mixing bowl except breadcrumbs. If it looks to thick add water, chicken stock, or another small can of cream of chicken to smooth it up.

2. Grease a 9-13 pan (or bigger if you want it to cook faster)

3. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top if you desire.

4. Cover with foil.

5. Bake at 350 or up to 450 if you're in a hurry.

6. It usually takes about 20-40 minutes to heat all the way through depending on your temp. If you hear it bubbling it's ready. If you didn't add breadcrumbs, stir it all around to make sure it's hot evenly throughout.

7. If you did add breadcrumbs turn the oven to broil and brown the breadcrumbs on top. Watch it closely so you don't burn it like I almost did in my pictures.

Broccoli, Chicken, Cheese Casserole

This is one of my favorite childhood comfort foods. I've added some steps that make it a tad more time consuming but largely improve flavor and texture. Perfect for taking dinner to a neighbor, to a pot luck or just feeding the family.

Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups water (to cook rice in)
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 boneless chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
Chipotle pepper
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1/2 (16 ounce) package broccoli
1/2 small white onion, chopped
1/2 pound shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Cut broccoli into bite size pieces and steam until al dente. Cook the rice. (If you cook the rice in a rice cooker, you may be able to steam the broccoli with it at the same time if yours has a steamer basket on the top, which many do.)

3. Heat a saute pan and add the olive oil. Season both sides of the chicken breast with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and chipotle pepper. Sear the chicken, then cook on low-medium heat until the center temperature is 165*. Let the chicken rest at least 5 minutes then cut into cubes. By searing and pan frying the chicken before adding it to the casserole you avoid the dried out, flavorless that is often found in casseroles.

4. Mix all ingredients together and pour into 9x13 inch baking dish. If desired, sprinkle a little additional cheese over the top. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.

Spicy Peanut Butter Sauce

I love eating raw vegetables, but plain veggies get boring fast and I am so tired of ranch and creamy dressings. This recipe is fantastic for those looking for something flavorful, delicious and very easy to make.

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter
-1/2 cup warm water
-1 tsp salt
-1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
-1/2-3/4 tsp ground chipotle (start with less and add more to taste)
-3 medium garlic cloves
-1/4 cup minced cilantro

Directions:

Put all ingredients except the cilantro into a food processor and mix until well blended. Stir in the cilantro by hand. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours for the dip to become thick (I usually don't like to wait so I just dig in while the dip is thinner).

This sauce is great to dip vegetables in. If you add 2-4 additional tablespoons of water during the blending process, this sauce goes great over salads made with pork, shrimp or chicken breast.

This is my son trying and loving broccoli for the first time. It wasn't the sauce that made him like it, but just seeing me enjoying the broccoli made him want to try it. Studies have shown that kids who see their parents eating and enjoying vegetables are more likely to eat and enjoy veggies themselves. Food for thought.


I got this recipe during a holistic cooking class I took at Southwestern Institute of Healing Arts. The original recipe comes from "the Garden of Eating" by Rachel Albert-Matesz.

Hearty Beef Stew

I recently moved to the Seattle area with my family from Arizona. It is much cooler up here in April (highs in the low 50's) so stew makes a perfect dinner. Even though stew might not be what you want for dinner when it is 100 degrees outside, the flavors are delicious and the meal is easy to make. Also, if you have vegetables left over from other meals, you can toss them into this stew. It's a great way not to waste food.

Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1.5-2 hours

Ingredients:

-1 lb of cubed beef stew meat
-1 tbsp of vegetable oil
-1 cup cabernet sauvignon
-4 cups beef stock
-1/2 tsp dried rosemary
-1/2 tsp dried parsley
-1/4 tsp ground black pepper
-1/2 large golden potatoes, cubed
-2 carrots, cut into cubes
-3 celery stalks, chopped
-1/2 large onion, chopped
-1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved*
-1/2 a bunch of kale, torn into bite size pieces*
-1 tsp corn starch or 2 tablespoons of ultragel
-cold water

*- optional; adds additional color

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a pot and sear the meat until it turns brown. Pour in wine and stock (if you want to forgo the wine, just add another cup of stock. The wine adds a lot of flavor to the stew and all the alcohol cooks out so I highly recommend using it). Stir in the rosemary, parsley and pepper. Heat to a boil, then reduce and let simmer for 1 hour.

2. Stir in all vegetables. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 teaspoons cold water and stir into stew. If you are using ultra gel (which is much easier to use than corn starch and is color and flavorless) sprinkle directly into the stew and stir. Add additional thickener if needed to reach desired thickness. Cover and simmer 1 more hour or until meat is tender. Serve with fresh bread.

Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider Reduction

This recipe is incredible easy, fast, and flavorful. I will NEVER do pork tenderloin in a slow cooker again. The glaze is sweet and tangy and the pork is moist and delicious. This recipe is perfect for busy moms.

Cook time: 25 min; Level: Easy; Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

· 2 (1 pound) pork tenderloins, cut in 1/2

· Vegetable oil

· Salt and freshly ground black pepper

· 1 1/2 cups apple cider

· 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

· 1/4 cup maple syrup

11/2 Granny Smith Apple, diced

Corn starch or thickener

Directions

1. Heat oven to 500 degrees F and arrange rack in the upper third.

2. Brush pork tenderloin with oil, and season well with salt and black pepper. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Sear pork on all sides until browned.

3. Place pork in oven and cook about 15 minutes, until center temperature is 145-155*. Meanwhile, place the same pan over high heat, add cider, vinegar and apple. Stir while scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until mixture is reduced by 2/3, about 8 minutes. Remove the apples and add the thickener until it reaches desired thickness (note: Once the glaze cools completely it will be thicker than it is hot so keep that in mind while adding thickener) Reduce heat to medium, stir in maple syrup and remove from heat until pork is cooked.

4. When pork is ready, remove to a cutting board to rest about 5 minutes. This is important to keep the moisture and juiciness of the meat. Warm the glaze over medium -high heat. Cut pork into slices and place in the glaze, turning to coat completely. Serve with rice or other starch and enjoy!

The Briggs' Orzo Salad

ORZO SALAD

4 cups chicken broth
1 ½ cups orzo
1/2 can garbanzo or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ cups red and yellow teardrop tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
¾ cup finely chopped red onion (or green onion)
½ cup fresh basil leaves
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
¾ cup Red Wine Vinaigrette (recipe below)
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Pour the broth into a heavy large saucepan. Cover the pan and bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Stir in the orzo. Cover partially and cook until the orzo is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Drain the orzo through a strainer. Transfer the orzo to a large wide bowl and toss until the orzo cools slightly. Set aside to cool completely.

Toss the orzo with the beans, tomatoes, onion, basil, mint, and enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature.



RED WINE VINAIGRETTE (makes 1 ¾ cups)
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp honey
2 tsp salt
¾ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette to taste with more salt and pepper if desired.

Courtesy of Will and Melissa Briggs

Fruit Pizza

Ingredients for TWO separate pizzas:
2 rolls of store bought sugar cookie dough (or use your own sugar cookie recipe)
Variety of fruits (strawberries, bananas**, kiwi, grapes, blueberries, mandarin oranges, etc.)
8 oz of cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 small tub of whipped cream

Directions:
1. Roll out cold dough to form a "pizza" shape
2. Bake according to the package's directions, but add a few more minutes. You want to overcook it slightly (golden brown all over) so that it's baked well in the center. Plus, the toppings will soften it up.
3. Let the dough cool completely before adding on the toppings!
4. Whip the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and whipped cream in a mixer on high speed. Make sure all the chunks of cream cheese are all smoothed out. Spread evenly onto the dough.
5. Decorate the pizza with your choice of fruit.

**If you use bananas, dunk them in a little bit of lemon or lime juice to keep them from browning.

Note: You really don't need that much fruit to cover the pizza. For TWO pizzas I used one small box of strawberries, 2 kiwis, 2 bananas, and a handful of blueberries.

Jello Cake

My family use to make this all the time when I was a kid. It's really easy to make. Bake a white cake according to directions. Error on the side of over-baking and not under baking if you have to. Let it cool, and then poke a bunch of holes in it with a fork or knife all over. Make a SMALL box of whatever flavored gelatin you fancy (we like lime or strawberry the best). Carefully, pour the liquid gelatin over the cake evenly. Let it set up in the fridge for a few hours. Right before serving cover it with whipped cream.

Gina's Chinese Cabbage Salad

1/2 head cabbage
2 chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
4 green onions
1 package slivered almonds (the smaller size at the store)
2 T. sesame seeds
1/2 c. olive oil
3 T. vinegar (white usually)
2 T. sugar
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 Package Top Ramen Noodles

Chop cabbage and onions and refrigerate. Cook chicken. Cool and shred. Toast almonds and sesame seeds with a bit of butter. Set aside. Combine oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and seasoning packet from noodles. Whisk or shake to emulsify. Just before serving, crumble noodles over entire contents and toss with dressing.

Mexican Rice

This recipe works great as a side dish or for inside a burrito. I love it! I think it could be an entire meal if you added some chicken to it.

3-4 TBSP Grapeseed oil
2 cups white rice (do not rinse)
1 Onion, finely chopped
3 cups water
1/4c chicken broth powder
1/2 can of 15oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes--with chipotles if you want
1TBSP Roasted garlic ( just use reg chopped garlic that is in the refridge)
1TBSP Spice Hunter Mexican seasoning


In a pan saute the onion and rice together in the oil until the rice starts to brown. In at least a 4 cup measuring container, mix the chicken broth powder with water; add tomatoes, continue to add enough water to make 4 cups of liquid mixture. Add the both mixture, seasonings to rice mixture. Bring to boil on medium heat, and simmer until water cooks down to level of rice. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook until water is gone, approx 10 min. Or, pressure cook on high for 3 minutes and allow the pressure to drop naturally.

Courtesy of my mom and Shar's.

Snickerdoodles

This is my favorite snickerdoodle recipe I've tried so far. I really think it has good flavor because it uses shortening AND butter. Most other recipes I've tried only have the shortening and I think they are a little bland. If anyone out there thinks they have a GREAT snickerdoodle recipe send it my way. I'd love to try it!



1 3/4 cups sugar

1 Tbs cinnamon

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

8 Tbs (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 shortening

2 large eggs



Preheat oven to 375. Mix 1/4 cup of the sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

Whisk dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside also.

Cream the butter, shortening, and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar together on medium speed for about 5 min. Beat in the eggs.

On low speed, add the dry ingredients.

With wet hands, form cookies into balls and roll in the cinnamon/sugar bowl.

Cook for about 10-12 minutes. Once out of the oven, leave them on the baking sheet for another 10 minutes.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

I got this recipe from my neighbor, Christina Howden. I'm not usually a fan of peanut butter cookies, but these were great. They were so soft!

Also, watch the baking times. I am cooking at a high altitude (5095 feet), so it takes my cookies longer than it would at a lower elevation.

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 egg

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

Extra sugar

Hershey's kisses

.

Preheat oven to 375.

Measure out and whisk the dry ingredients and set aside.

Cream the shortening, sugars, and peanut butter. Then add the eggs, milk, and vanilla.

Finally add in dry ingredients.
Form into round balls and roll in white sugar.

Put on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 8 min.

Push a Hershey's kiss deep into the center and bake for another 2-5 minutes.

Spinach and Turkey Meatballs with homemade white sauce!

I make this ALL the time. It is from my friend Raygon. It is yummy and usually this recipe makes enough for us to eat twice, or feeds a crowd. If we don't have company over, I just freeze half of the meatballs raw, and freeze the leftover sauce for another night.

10 oz frozen spinach, thawed
2 lbs of turkey
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
3/4 c bread crumbs
salt and pepper
olive oil

Wring spinach with paper towel and combine all ingredients in large bowl (minus the olive oil). Grease a baking sheet. Form ingredients into bite sized meatballs and drizzle with a little oil, or spray the tops with PAM. Bake in oven 400 for about 20 minutes. (If cooking from frozen cook them a few minutes longer until they look slightly browned around the bottom edges.)

While meatballs are baking, make sauce

white sauce:
2T butter
2T flour
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken broth (homemade is the BEST if you can!)
8 oz deli sliced provolone cheese, cut into cubes or shredded

Melt butter in sauce pan, add in flour, cook for one minute. Then whisk in cream and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then stir in provolone until melted. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve everything over egg noodles.

Courtesy of Raygon at mealicious.blogspot.com. Check it out! Her pictures are way better!

Applesauce Pork Chops

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Total cooking time: 1 hour

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

6 bone-in pork chops

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 (16 oz) jar applesauce

1 tbsp cinnamon

Preparation:

Season pork chops with salt and pepper. In a frying pan brown pork chops in olive oil. While the first side is browning, season the up side with salt and pepper. Flip and brown the other side. Drain oil. Cover bottom of pan with 1/2 of the applesauce. Put chops on applesauce and put remainder of applesauce on chops. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Cheese Quesadillas

This is my version of my friend Raygon's recipe found here.

This is a 30 minute meal. I'll admit though, that it is a bit caotic to do it. I ususally get my kids involved in the process because it's all pretty easy, I just don't have 5 arms. This version is vegetarian, but you could add any meat you'd like.

Ingredients:
cilantro (cheap item and makes a BIG difference)
2 cans of beans (I usually mix black & pinto)
1 can of salsa
grated cheddar or jack
tortillas
sour cream

Directions:
1. Rinse and drain beans and add them to a medium sized pan. Dump in the entire can of salsa. Pick all the cilantro leaves off of the stem, chop them, and add them to the salsa and beans. Get a kid to stir it as it warms on medium-low heat.

2. Get a kid to grate the cheese, while you butter one side of each tortilla so they can get crispy on the griddle.

3. On one tortillas spoon the bean mixture while the cheese is melting on the other one. Once they've browned enough marry them together. And cut into pizza slices. Top with sour cream and what ever else you fancy.

Simple Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:
2-3 small cans of cream of mushroom soup
1-2 lbs of cubed stew meat
1 packet of Lipton's Onion Soup Mix
Small tub of sour cream

Directions:
Add everything but the sour cream to the crock pot. Cook on low for about 10 hours or high for about 6 hours. Right before serving stir in about a cup of sour cream. Serve over potatoes or egg noodles.

Easy Fruit Smoothies

Isaac brought home a healthy cookbook from school and we've tried out some of the recipes. This is one that is easy and yummy. I also like it because within a few minutes I've added a few additional fruit servings into my kids daily intake. Most days I have all of the ingredients on hand, so I can whip it up in just a few minutes. I ususally don't measure the ingredients too closely either. Makes about 2-3 servings. Just toss it in the blender and blend!

8 oz can of pineapple juice
handful of strawberries
1 ripe banana
1/2-ish cup of vanilla yogurt