Easter Eve....Very Funny!

An Easter Eve Prayer For Parents

Written By Veronica Contino

May the dye on your fingers be gone by Easter morning
And the children sleep thru the night
May you Hide the Chocolate Bunny in the baskets
And Have the Strength not to take a Bite!
May the Eggs NOT Stink up your Kitchen
And the Dye NOT Stain your Sink
May you get enough sleep to continue Tomorrow
... And have the smarts Tonight NOT to Drink!
May your Ham or Lamb be Bought and Ready
And the Grass outside NOT be Soggy WET

May I remind you of the egg hunt you have Yet to assemble
May you miss the dog shit that you didn't pick up  Just YET
If you forgot the jellybeans or plastic wrapping
Walmart is open all night, so don't fear
But the lines are CRAZY with Raving Lunatics LIKE YOU
Aren't you glad Easter is but once a year???

Hope all your hard work pays off!
Happy Easter Eve

Written By One Very Tired Veronica Contino
On Easter Eve 2012

Easter Cupcakes!

 

Amazing Easter Cupcakes!

All of these Cupcakes can start with a Basic Cupcake.  I have listed the recipes that I use below.  I also posted Frosting Recipes.  Feel Free to change the flavors of the cupcakes. Most of these are very Kid Friendly Recipes. 
Gather the kids, a clean Counter and Then The Fun Begin!

Coupon Deals Week 4/01/12-4/07/12

This Weeks Big Deals!

I GOT MINE.....FREE!

Walgreens
Venus & Olay Razors   Sale Price $8.99
Use Coupon in P&G Insert from 4/1  ($5.00 Off)
Register Reward = Get Money Back on Recipt after Purchase ($4.00)

Here is the Break Down

Cost          $8.99
Coupon   - $5.00
RR           -$4.00
Final Cost FREE

If you didnt get the paper, You can always look on EBAY or use a Coupon Clipping Service.  They usually charge appr 12 cents as a fee to cut and mail you the coupon.  I think it is worth it when you will be getting a deal like this.  Premium Razors for FREE, or 12 Cents? 
Why NOT!

My Own Vegtable Garden

 Raised Veggie Garden

Spring is in the Air.  The beautiful colors of the flowers in bloom are enough to get me wanting to stick my hands in the dirt.  This Year instead of looking for beautiful flowers, my focus will be on Vegetables.

My husband agreed to build me a raised Garden Bed for my soon to be Vegetable Garden.
I never had a Vegetable Garden.  I have grown almost every type of flower, and bush you can think of, and even a few trees.  I have grown Tomatoes, a couple of varieties of Peppers, and a few more veggies - but I never had a Vegetable Garden.  I would love to grow Lettuce, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Carrots - plus of course peppers and tomatoes.

I know that I have mentioned this before, But I ENVY the garden in the Movie "It's Complicated".  I can actually see myself as Merryl Streep, in my 50's - with my sun hat and basket- hand picking the Tomatoes off the vine. That is one of my visions of happiness.

I am so happy that I am going to actually do it this year.  There was always a reason not to.  We lived in a cold climate.  The ground was Rock Hard with huge slabs of natural slate.  I was going to then do a raised garden bed, but then there were so many trees on my wooded lot, I would have had to cut down half of my Forest just to get enough sunlight.  We just moved to a southern state where it is at least 70-80 year round.  The ground is soft and sandy and the sun is so bright I may need to have sunglasses GLUED to my face.

So first I have to make a plan.  I picked a site.  There is a space in my yard that is already has Cinter Blocks around it from an old tree that has been removed.  I want to begin with that space and maybe double it.

My plan is to first kill the Grass and weeds ORGANICALLY.  I am going to cover the area with Newspapers and a rectangle of black plastic from garbage bags.  This is a very organic way of killing what is growing there now.  Of course, it would be easy to buy some poison in a bottle, spray it and be done.  But I am planning on growing Vegetables that my family and I will be eating, so I am not going to be spraying the soil with anything that I wouldn't spray my food with.

The Easiest thing to do is to keep the existing Cinter Block site and work with that.  Possibly pick up a few more blocks, which cost about $1.50 each.  This would be the easiest and least expensive method, but it just is not very beautiful to look at.


Another option would be to make it with wood, which is the traditional way to make a raised garden bed.
So for argument sake, Lets pretend we do it this way.  I would have to pick up the wood at Lowe's.  I have read that Cedar is best for a raised garden, but I am not shelling out the bucks for Cedar.  So whatever Lowe's has on sale, I will use.  I can also use some o those Composite Wood used on Decks.  I have read it works well because it isn't treated with chemicals and it will not rot from the water and wet soil.

My husband will assemble the wood into a Rectangle around the designated area.  I might even talk him into making a few different Levels because there is a slight hill on the property.  I can imagine my garden shaped like large rectangle steps sloping down towards my seawall going into the river. Ahhhh

After the garden bed is constructed, it will then be time to fill it with soil.  Thank God I live in a very Garden Friendly Area.  I just looked on Craigslist and there are people selling 100% Organic COMPOSTED Soil for $20 per Pickup Truck Load. So I will definitely take advantage of this.

I plan on adjusting the soil to make sure I have the right nutrients.  I figure if I am going to do all the work to start this garden, I probably should make sure that I give my veggies a good start by using the proper soil.

I once saw a trick in a magazine.  You buy a new pack of dish sponges.  Throw them in the dishwasher for a cycle to sterilize them.  Cut them up into cubes, or thick strips.  Then you place them into your garden, containers or flower pots.  Add more soil on top and then plant what you wish.  This tip is to help make sure that you plants, flowers or vegetables always have Water Insurance.  When you water it, the sponges will soak up extra water.  Ad the soil dries up - it will then draw extra water from the sponges when it is needed.  Neat trick, Right?

I Will probably grow the tomatoes in the patio inside containers.  I will grow Herbs in Window Planters for easy access.  But I will finally have a real garden to grow other vegetables that I have always wanted to grow.

I found a great article on How To Build Raised Garden Beds


I will post updates as I go.  Wish Me Luck.

Impromptu Garden

I was on the phone the other day with my best friend who lives in Ireland.  After we said our "Hello's" and told each other how much we miss one another, I asked what she was doing at the moment. 

She went on to tell me how she was in the Garden.  The land was just plowed by neighbor kids that owns a tractor and the whole family was starting this years vegtable garden. 

I am not sure if it is a "City Girl" thing, but my friend doesn't particularly enjoy being in the garden.  I do give her a gold star for embracing it as her new way of life.

I actually felt a feeling of serenity hearing her talk about what the family has begun to plant this year: Parsnips, Potatoes, Carrots, and now- Onions.  She went on to tell me that they eat most of the food that they grow.  Whatever is leftover they share with family, friends and neighbors, who in return share their veggies.

In that moment, I was there!  I imagined being next to her as they tilled the land, planted the bulbs, cared for the vegetables.  I imagined being there as the kids all had baskets and pulled the gritty Carrots from the earth, washed them, peeled them and had a magnificent earthy meal with what was grown with her two hands, some dirt, sun, rain and of course GODS love.

I too, am a City Girl.  But maybe in a past life I was a farmer - because it absolutely amazes me.  One of my favorite movies is the Comedy, "It's Complicated"- starring Merryl Streep, and Alec Baldwin and Steve Martain - and mainly because I envy the sceen with her bakery (which is another story, another time) and especially her Vegtable Garden!

I moved out of the city 7 years ago into a suburban town in the foot hills of a mountain region.  Every year I would look at the snow and count down the days till spring.  My husband bought me all of the indoor contraptions to start my garden Indoors because I was just too impatient to wait until the frost was over.

This year we moved to a state where it is HOT all year.  I have no worry of frost, and never have to wait for the snow to melt.  But somehow I forgot to start my garden this year.  I don't know how, maybe it is just because I have actually been so happy - enjoying the sun, the weather, and my family that I am not looking for gardening as a Hobby. 

Yet -After my phone call to my best friend, I realized how much I missed it.

I did actually contribute to my Green thumb already.  I bought some amazing Orange Bell Peppers from the farmers Market. I saw how beautiful that pepper looked - and something told me to try to recreate it.

So, I after I sliced the top off and used the pepper for my fantastic Meatloaf Parm recipe, I took out a small pot, added some garden soil and popped all of the seeds in.

I am not sure why I am so amazed- but I am .  I have gardened with seeds before, but they usually come in that little paper envelope. It never occurred to me to actually take the seeds from an amazing pepper, tomato, cucumber - anything - and actually replant it.
But I did.

A few days later, I was so excited to see them sprouting up.
Now they are getting crowded and I have to decide how I will continue this garden, and if I will add to this impromptu garden - and where it will be.

I want to thank my best friend for Inspiring me once again.

So, Wish me luck, Patience and a very green thumb.

Here are some Ideas on Starting your very own Inpromptu Garden

Kindle "HOW TO" Build a raised garden, Only $3.99

Here are other books and tools to help.

Hogs in a Mummy Wrap (My take on Pigs In a Blanket)

Quick Lunch with whats on hand

So if Pigs in a Blanket are tiny hot dog weenies wraped in small biscut dough, then these are HOGS in a Mummy Wrap.
Stick With Me- You'll Get It.

I didn't think this was worth writing about, but they did come out pretty good and I never would have thought of using Bread Sticks- so Maybe it will give a fellow soldier (That's what I call all fellow Moms) a quick easy lunch Idea.
I am sure that SOMEWHERE on the Pillsbury website you will find this recipe, or something like it.  But I refuse to look because I came up with it all on my own. 
(If I don't know it exists, then I INVENTED IT!  Take That INTERNET! )

It isn't Genius or anything, I just was looking to make a quick lunch with what I had on hand.
I had Hot Dogs, but no buns.  But I did have ONE Can of Pillsbury Garlic Bread Sticks in the fridge. 

So, I made "Pigs In A Blanket" but used regular size dogs, and Garlic Bread Stick Dough.

Ingredients

• Hot Dogs (Any Brand)
• 1 can of Garlic Pillsbury Bread Sticks
• Optional: Cheese, Ketchup, Mustard, Onion Sauce, Chili, Sauerkraut

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350
2. Line a Cookie Sheet with Parchment Paper
3. Rinse off the Hot Dogs with Cold Water and Pat Dry with a Paper Towel
4. Open the can of Bread Sticks.  Find the long seam and slowly unroll the dough
5. Carefully Separate one strip at a time. 
6. Starting with the TOP of the hot dog, Slowly wrap the dough around until the entire dog is covered.
7. Using your hands, Grab the dough covered dog and gently tighten the dough by gripping the dog making sure there are no air pockets.
8. When all hot dogs are wrapped, Place on the cookie sheet and place in the oven
9. They will take between 20 and 25 minutes to cook.  The hot dogs are done when the dough looks golden brown.
10. Remove from oven and let cool 3-5 minutes before plating.

Options:

• Before wrapping the Hot Dog, You can take strips of Cheese and place it on the hot dog then wrap the hot dog and cheese with the dough.  You should really make sure that all the seams are covered or else the cheese will ooze out when baking

Tip:

• You can put the Hot Dogs on Popsicle Sticks, Or on Wooden Chopsticks to serve them CORN DOG Style.
• You can Cut them into rounds to serve as appetizers.
• You can serve them with chips, french fries or a summer salad like Potato, Macaroni or Coleslaw.

Left Over Stir Fry

Shredded Pork Stir Fry

In our house - WE HATE TO WASTE FOOD!  It is such a  shame.  Thinking that around the world, and in this economy - in our own back yard- there are a lot of people that are doing without.  So in the spirit of making the most of what you have on hand - I came up with this amazing meal that I didn't even have to SHOP for.  I had every ingredient (even utilized a left over soy sauce packet). And here is how it came to be....

I made my AMAZING Pernil the other night (Spanish Pork). It was a very large piece of meat and even though it came out Awesome as the original recipe- I love to make several meals out of the leftovers.

Tonight I made an Asian Stir Fry.  Besides it being DELICIOUS - it was extremely cheap.  Everyone loved it - including my 5 and 15 year old girls.

This recipe is extremely versatile.  You can make this with pork like I have, or Shrimp, Chicken, Beef, Tofu - Or even just Veggies.

Also, Use what you have.  If you don't have the Frozen Asian Veggies that I used - Use Frozen Broccoli, Peas, String Beans - Whatever you have.

Ingredients

• 2 Table Spoons of Minced Garlic ( I had a jar or minced garlic in the fridge - you can use fresh)
• 1 large onion, sliced thick
• 2 Packages of Birds Eye Frozen Asian Veggies
• Olive oil
• Soy Sauce ( I used a left over Chinese Food Packet)
• Ramen Noodles - 4 packs (I used Chicken because that's what I had - but use any flavor)

 

  

 

 

 

Directions

1. Fill a large pot with about 6 cups of water and bring to a Boil
2. Add the Noodles of the 4 Ramen Soups, but only 2 Packages of the Seasonings
3. In a Wok (or Large Pot), Coat with Olive Oil and Heat Medium High
4. Add the Garlic and Onions to the Wok and saute until Golden
5. Add the Frozen Veggies and the soy sauce, Cover and lower the heat
6. When the noodles are Al-Dente, Drain - then return to Pot and mix in 1 packet of the Seasoning
7. Add the final Packet of the Seasoning to the Wok
8. When the Veggies seem cooked, Add the Pork, stir and cover.
9. Cook for 2 minutes to heat through and remove from the heat.
10. To Serve: Add a portion of the noodles to a Plate or Bowl and top with the Veggie/Pork Stir Fry

Options:

• If you are making this dish with Chicken, Or Shrimp - Add the meat FIRST before adding the Frozen Veggies.  Make sure the Meat / Shrimp is almost done before adding the Veggies.

Total Cost:
Now- I Cooked this for a Family of 4 - But I have a huge portion left over that I am planning on having for lunch tomorrow.

• Ramen Soups (4)                     = $1.00
• Onion                                       = $0.50
• Asian Veggies   $1.99 each     = $3.98
• Garlic                                       = $0.50

           Total:                      $5.98

This is not counting the Pork, or Olive Oil or Soy Sauce.  These were things that I had on hand.
If you count the Onions, and Garlic as Pantry Items then this meal would have cost a total of $4.98.



What are some of your favorite "Pantry" Meals or Leftover Meals that your family enjoys?

Comment Below.