Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
barely adapted from Anna Olson, Food Network Canada

Ingredients:
3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy and light in color. Add egg and vanilla and blend in. Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chunks. Using a standard-sized cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough onto a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. (The tops will not brown, but do NOT cook longer than ten minutes.)  Let cool, on the sheet, on a wire rack for five minutes. Remove from baking sheet and let cool completely. Try not to eat them all.

Old Fashioned Sore Throat Cure

Just heat 1 cup  of water
Add 1 Tbsp of lemon juice
2 Tbsp honey


Stir and enjoy! That was simple...now take it nice and easy (harder!)...and go get some rest (hardest!)!


Photo Source: http://www.homelife.com.au/life+ideas/wellbeing/how+to+treat+a+sore+throat,4955

Sore Throat Cure

2-4 slices of lemon
2 cm piece of ginger, thinly sliced
A handful of mint sprigs
1-2 cinnamon sticks
Honey, to taste

Infuse the lemon, mint, ginger, and cinnamon in boiling water for 5 minutes.
Pour into mug and add honey to sweeten and soothe the throat.

Photo and Recipe Source: http://www.homelife.com.au/life+ideas/wellbeing/how+to+treat+a+sore+throat,4955

The B.R.A.T Diet

The B.R.A.T. diet is great for anyone with stomach upset, diarrhea, or vomiting. My Mom would have us eat this way of we were sick as kids and it works! I still use it for my kids today!

Bananas
Rice
Applesauce
&
Toast


Photo Source: www.carriessweetlife.com

Three Great Feel-Better-Soon Tips

If you can get your kid to eat it, BLACK LICORICE will cure their constipation nine times out of ten!

Did you know that the chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar creates a cooling effect that will soothe your child’s minor burns. Just pour equal amounts of the ingredients into a bowl to bathe your child’s hand till the burning stops.

 Ear infections are being treated less and less these days with antibiotics, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t painful. I like to use a hot pack big enough so they can lay their head down to relieve the “ache

Text and Photo Source:  http://www.howdoesshe.com/7-secret-home-remedies

Cute Caramel Apple Snowmen!

Source: Pinterest

Homemade Lip Gloss

1 cup petroleum jelly
1 pkg of kool-aid drink powder (Cherry or Strawberry)
labels printed out on sticker paper
scissors or 1 inch paper punch

1. put about 1 cup vaseline in a microwave safe bowl
2. heat the vaseline in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between each heating. It took me about 7-8 minutes to melt each batch of vaseline. It will be liquid when it is fully melted. It will be very hot! Make sure you wear gloves or oven mitts and make sure children are being supervised.
3. take out of microwave and stir in kool-aid drink crystals until desired colour is reached - I used the whole package for each batch. Stir until the crystals are completely dissolved.
4. if starting to solidify you can heat again for another 30 seconds - skip this step if it is still liquidy
5. pour into your lip gloss containers and leave to solidify - a couple hours
6. repeat this whole process if making more flavours
7. print out labels on sticker paper
8. using either a 1 inch punch, or scissors, cut out the circle labels and attach to your lip gloss container
9. give to all your favourite people, but remember to save a few for yourself too!


Photo and Text Source: http://meetthedubiens.blogspot.com/2011/01/make-your-own-lip-gloss.html

Homemade Mosquito Repellent

Homemade Mosquito Repellent

Here’s what you’ll need: essential oils (citronella and lemongrass are musts, I also like lavender or you could use tea tree oil or geranium oil for tick protection), 14 oz. bottle of witch hazel (available in grocery stores & pharmacies usually close to the rubbing alcohol), a spray bottle (or two–one for home and one for the diaper bag/car), a jar for mixing, and a funnel.





We used these essential oils: citronella, lemongrass and lavender. You could also use peppermint or cedar wood essential oils as well.



I cleaned out an empty detangler spray bottle for our “on the go” spray.





1. Pour the witch hazel into the glass jar then add your essential oils. We put about 15 drops of both citronella and lemongrass, and about 10-12 drops of lavender.





2. Put the lid on the jar and shake vigorously until it is mixed.




It should be pretty cloudy.





3. Pour into your spray bottles using a funnel.





Make a label (or write in Sharpie). I used an old Scrapbook sticker to make it look “cuter”. :)






You can spray this on the exposed parts of your body: arms, legs, neck, ankles, feet, etc and then rub it in. Make sure you don’t spray it on your face or get it in your eyes. If you put this on your kids, be sure to try just a little bit first on one area of their skin to make sure they’re not allergic to any of the essential oils.
Or you can use it to spray the area around where your sitting outside.


Original Text and Photo Source: http://www.icanteachmychild.com/2011/06/make-it-natural-mosquito-spray/

Honey Cuticle Cream

It's easy, fun & no chemicals added - you can whip up your own Honey Cuticle Cream in less than five minutes flat. And I love re-using metal Altoid tins! How perfect is that?

1.5 ounces beeswax
3 ounces apricot kernel oil
1 tablespoon honey

Melt the wax and oil in the microwave, stir in the honey, and pour into tins or other containers.

Photo and Text Source:  http://lepetithappy.blogspot.com/2010/06/diy-it-honey-cuticle-cream.html

Homemade Body Scrub

"Homemade body scrub... It's easy, all-natural, and so inexpensive, you'll want to make enough for gifts.

Body oil, Burt's Bees
Epsom salt, sea salt, or organic cane sugar
12 oz. PET Jar with cap, sks-bottle.com
Lemon zest
 
Combine 1 cup of body oil with 2 cups of Epsom or sea salts or organic cane sugar, depending on how fine a grain you like. We added lemon zest for color and fragrance. Package in jars...plastic is safest by the tub."

Text and Photo Source: http://www.marthastewart.com/337727/homemade-body-scrub?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/mothers-day-gifts#slide_13

Sewing Pajama Pants

Original post here: http://www.littlepinkmonster.com/2010/06/18/sewing-pants-101/

I am LOVING Sewing Pants 101. By Natasha on June 18, 2010 in naptime crafting.  I have made each of my kids to sets of pajama bottoms this week!

"I thought I’d start with a good play by play on how to sew pants. I don’t care how little you know about sewing, if you have a machine & you know how to thread it give these a try.

This process will work for all sorts of pants…elastic waist, drawstring, sweats or pj’s. First off you’ll need to make a pattern. Best way to do that is find a pair of pants that fit the way you’d like & lay them out on your fabric (or paper if you want to make a copy you can use over & over) with the crotch pointed out like in the picture below. Trace the legs just to the outside (and therefore adding about a 1/4″ seam allowance) & extend your pattern 2 & 1/4″ at the top of the leg to account for the waistband you’ll be making. Cut out the fabric pieces so they’re folded in half like so. (that way when you open it up it’s an entire pantleg & not just the front, it’ll save you from sewing a side seam like a pair of jeans would have)

You’ll need two of these.

Now you’ll want to sew each pantleg from the crotch down to the bottom of the pant with the right sides facing together. Pin first, sew second. (you can see my stitches in blue)

*Also here’s a tip, if using a regular sewing machine (NOT a serger, been there, done that, no bueno) if you pin seams horizontally (perpendicular to the way your machine is stitching) then you can just sew right across the pins, no need to take them out as you go.

Next step is a neat trick. Lay your two legs next each other like the pic below. Turn the leg on the left right side out but leave the right one inside out. Slide the right-side out leg into the inside out leg. Line them up & pin the seams from the bottom of the crotch to the top of the waistband.

Stitch this seam being sure to stitch back & forth (reverse & forward) a bit at the beginning & end of the seam. This is sometimes called a “lockstitch” & just means you’re locking the seam into place so it won’t unravel later when it gets stressed. After stitching you can pull the leg back out & wah-lah!

They’re lookin’ a lot like pants, aren’t they? Last step is making the waistband. I’ll show you how to do both an elastic waist & also a drawstring…Measure the waistline of the intended pant-wearer & cut a piece of elastic that is that length + 1″. Set elastic aside.

Fold the waistband in one inch & pin in place. *Another trick, if you aren’t crazy about pinning or just want to make your stitching easier you should iron your seams first, then stitch. I rarely take the time to do this because it requires setting up the iron but whenever I do it really does make things easier. Stitch waistband down (therefore making a casing for the elastic) but don’t go all the way around, leave a 2″ opening so we can thread the elastic through it. Take a safety pin & attach it to one end of your elastic, use the safety pin as something to hold onto while you thread the elastic through the waistband casing & back out the 2″ opening. Being careful to make sure the elastic isn’t twisted anywhere inside the casing first, go ahead & stitch the two ends of your elastic together. Go back & forth several times to make sure that sucker’s not coming apart no matter what. Stitch the 2″ opening shut.

If you were just making elastic waist pants then congrats, you’re officially done!  That’s it! Lots of directions but it’s actually kind of easy, right? Once you make a few you’ll be able to make pants in 15 minutes, easy. Not to mention capris, shorts, bloomers…they’re all just slight variations.”

Photo and Text Source: http://www.littlepinkmonster.com/2010/06/18/sewing-pants-101/

Braided Apple Strudel

The recipe below includes my adjustments.

For the Apple Filling
3 medium-size Granny Smith apples
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemon juice

For the Bread
1 package puff pastry

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel, core, and slice the apples into thin slices, then cut the slices in half. Toss the apple pieces with the sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Bake the apple filling in an 8-inch square baking pan (or 9-inch pie tin) for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.Turn the oven up to 400. Spray a rolling pin with cooking spray and roll the puff pastry out into a large rectangle, about 12-inches by 16-inches in size. Lift onto a greased baking sheet. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut each side into strips about 1-inch wide down each side, leaving the center third of the dough uncut. Spread the apple filling down the middle third of the dough. Fold strips of dough into the center, crisscrossing the filling by alternating strips from each side. Lightly press ends to seal, and straighten out the braid with your hands, if necessary, to straighten. Bake the braid in the oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the braid cool for several minutes. Slice and serve.

Original Recipe and Photo Source:  http://www.eatliverun.com/apple-braid/#more-24074

Americana Cupcakes

Source: http://pinterest.com/pin/258699992/

Blueberry Lemonade

Photo Source: http://www.kellyoshiroevents.com/blog/2011/08/12/on-the-rocks-blueberry-lemonade/

My Blueberry Lemonade

1 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 quarts cold water
1 half pint blueberries
Ice

Stir gently to mix, chill and serve.

Raspberry Lemonade

Raspberry Lemonade

My Raspberry Lemonade

1 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 quarts cold water
1 half pint raspberries
Ice

Stir gently to mix, chill and serve.

Strawberry Lemonade

My Strawberry Lemonade

1 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 quarts cold water
1 half pint strawberries, finely diced
Ice

Stir gently to mix, chill and serve.

My Homemade Lemonade

Lemonade

My Homemade Lemonade

1 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 quarts cold water
Ice

Stir gently to mix, chill and serve.

Frozen Coconut Limeade

5 1/2 cups ice
1/2 cup cream of coconut
4-5 tablespoons frozen limeade concentrate
water as needed

Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth.


Original Recipe and Photo Source:  http://shewearsmanyhats.com/2011/06/frozen-coconut-limeade/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=frozen-coconut-limeade

Apple Maple Parfait

Apple Maple Parfait

8 small to medium apples – peeled, cored and chopped into 1 1/2 inch cubes (apple count will depend on the size of your apples. Mine were a little on the smaller side)
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoon vanilla paste – if you do not have vanilla paste you can use the seeds of a scraped vanilla bean or vanilla extract
2 tablespoon lemon juice
4 8oz. containers vanilla flavored Greek yogurt
Maple syrup
Granola

Take chopped apples and put in large bowl. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice and vanilla paste, stir and let sit for 30 minutes. The apples should now be sitting in a bowl of sugary liquid. Take apples and juice and put into saucepot on the stove. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the apples are soft but not falling apart. The sugar mixture should thicken up a bit too. Remove from heat and let cool. In a 1/2 pint glass mason jar add a spoon full of the cooled apple mixture, drizzle of maple syrup and a large spoonful of yogurt – continue until you reach the top of your jar, then sprinkle with granola and enjoy!


Recipe and Photo Source; http://www.nutmegnanny.com/2011/09/06/apple-maple-parfaitkitchen-play/ 

American Flag with Scripture

Source: mamabeargetschatty.blogspot.com

Raspberry Limeade

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
½ cup strained raspberry puree
1 tbsp. lemon juice
3 cups sparkling water, chilled
Lime slices and fresh raspberries, for serving

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the water and sugar. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat. In a serving pitcher, combine the lime juice, raspberry puree, and lemon juice. Stir in the simply syrup. Chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, stir in the sparkling water. Garnish with lime slices and fresh raspberries as desired.

Recipe and Photo Source: http://annies-eats.net/2011/08/29/raspberry-limeade/

Quick and Easy Nutella Hot Chocolate

Quick and Easy Nutella Hot Chocolate
Serves 1

1 T nutella
1 cup milk

Whisk nutella into milk and bring to a simmer on the stove. Serve in your favorite mug with whipped cream and marshmallows.

Source: http://www.eatliverun.com/quick-and-easy-nutella-hot-chocolate/

All Natural Mosquito Spray

"Here’s what you’ll need:  essential oils (citronella and lemongrass are musts, I also like lavender or you could use tea tree oil or geranium oil for tick protection), 14 oz. bottle of witch hazel (available in grocery stores & pharmacies usually close to the rubbing alcohol), a spray bottle (or two–one for home and one for the diaper bag/car), a jar for mixing, and a funnel.

We used these essential oils:  citronella, lemongrass and lavender.   You could also use peppermint or cedar wood essential oils as well.

I cleaned out an empty detangler spray bottle for our “on the go” spray.  

1.  Pour the witch hazel into the glass jar then add your essential oils.  We put about 15 drops of both citronella and lemongrass, and about 10-12 drops of lavender.

2.  Put the lid on the jar and shake vigorously until it is mixed.

It should be pretty cloudy.

3.  Pour into your spray bottles using a funnel.

Make a label (or write in Sharpie).  I used an old Scrapbook sticker to make it look “cuter”.  :)

You can spray this on the exposed parts of your body:  arms, legs, neck, ankles, feet, etc and then rub it in.  Make sure you don’t spray it on your face or get it in your eyes.  If you put this on your kids, be sure to try just a little bit first on one area of their skin to make sure they’re not allergic to any of the essential oils.  

Or you can use it to spray the area around where your sitting outside."

Original Text and Photo: http://www.icanteachmychild.com/2011/06/make-it-natural-mosquito-spray/

DIY Honey Cuticle Cream

1.5 ounces beeswax
3 ounces apricot kernel oil
1 tablespoon honey

Melt the wax and oil in the microwave, stir in the honey, and pour into tins or other containers.

Source:  http://lepetithappy.blogspot.com/2010/06/diy-it-honey-cuticle-cream.html

Bath Fizzies

Ice-cube trays serve as molds, giving the fizzies their shape. Using a flexible silicone model lets you slide the cubes out smoothly without breaking them.

Show off the colors of the bath fizzies in glass jars with screw tops, the kind used for storing sugar and flour. Pack each type of fizzy in a separate jar so the scents won't meld. Write the name of the scent on a vellum tag (choose a shade that matches the fizzies), and punch a hole in the top. Thread the tag with ribbon, and tie it around the jar.

Citric acid, a common food additive, is available at wine-making-supply stores, some spice shops, and online. When citric acid is combined with baking soda and placed in water, a chemical reaction creates bubbles. Makes 1 dozen (use 2 per bath)

1/2 cup citric acid
1 cup baking soda
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
About 6 drops food coloring
10 to 15 drops essential oil(s)
Special equipment: 2-ounce travel-size spray bottle, plastic pipette, silicone ice-cube tray, storage jars

Stir together citric acid, baking soda, and cornstarch in a glass measuring cup. Pass mixture through a fine sieve or a flour sifter into a mixing bowl. Stir in sugar. Fill spray bottle with water, and add food coloring. Spritz mixture lightly (it should become damp but not fizzy) until you can pack mixture with your hands. Using pipette, add oil, 1 drop at a time, until strength of scent is to your liking. Using a metal spoon or your hands, mix ingredients until color is even throughout (mixture will begin to dry out; when this happens, spritz until packable again). Spoon into ice-cube tray, pressing firmly. Let dry at room temperature overnight. Pop out of tray gently. Transfer to jars.

Source:  http://www.marthastewart.com/271871/bath-fizzies?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/gifts-for-her#slide_24

How To Turn A Bar of Soap Into Liquid Hand Soap

Liquid Hand Soap Recipe

1 c soap flakes (from a bar of soap)
10 c water
1 Tbs glycerin


"First, grate the soap. One bar of soap yielded a little over 1.5 cups of flakes. The recipe only uses one cup of soap flakes, so I put the remaining soap in a jar for later use. In a large pot, combine 1 cup soap flakes, 10 cups water, and 1 Tbs glycerin. Turn on medium-low heat and stir until the soap dissolves. This happens fast, about a minute or two. Let the soap cool completely, then pour into the containers using the funnel. That’s all there is to it!

You can also use this soap as body wash. To make it smell nice, add a drop or two of essential oil to the mix."

Photo and Original Text Source: http://www.savvyhousekeeping.com/how-to-turn-a-bar-of-soap-into-liquid-hand-soap/

Mom's Winter Squash

Winter Squash

Mom's Winter Squash

Wash the squash and cut into halves or quarters. Remove the seeds. Place the pieces in a Pyrex flesh down. Add a 1/4 to 1/2 inch of water to the bottom of the Pyrex dish. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until tender. Drain the water off and turn the squash flesh side up. Season with salt, pepper, and butter. Serve warm.

Source: Robyn Sorenson

Perfect French Fries

Perfect French Fries

Make a batter by mixing 1 cup of cornstarch and 2/3 cup of club soda. Dip the fries in the batter and shake off any excess. Place the fries into hot oil and fry until golden and crispy!

Source: Food Network - The Sandwich King