Foodie Friday – “Tasty Bugs” for Kids

Tasty Bugs 2.

Delight your kids with these nutritious and fun snack recipes that are sure to make them smile!

Tasty Bugs

Ingredients:

  • 1 to 2 boxes (1.65 ounces each) any flavor WONKA NERDS Candies
  • 2 red apples
  • 1 bunch celery
  • 1  bag shredded carrots
  • Small jar of creamy peanut butter
  • 1 sealable plastic storage bag
  • Safety scissors
  • Kitchen knife

Directions:

Spoon peanut butter into a sealable plastic storage bag. Seal bag and cut the tip off one corner of the bottom of the bag. Squeeze peanut butter into corner of the bag and use to dispense peanut butter, like frosting from a pastry bag.

LADYBUG • Cut an apple in half and place one half, cut side down, on a plate.
• Using peanut butter as “glue” make a face for your ladybug using NERDS and a small slice of celery.
• Again, using peanut butter for “glue” give the ladybug NERDS spots.
• Parents Only: With the tip of a knife, poke two small holes in the apple just above the ladybug’s eyes.  Insert one carrot shred into each hole for her antennae.

SNAIL • Cut a thick vertical slice from a whole apple, just missing the core.
• Cut a celery stick that is about 1 inch longer than the width of the apple slice.
• Fill the trough of the celery stick with peanut butter, and set aside.
• Using the plastic bag filled with peanut butter, draw a spiral on both sides of the apple slice.
• Wedge the apple slice into the filled celery stick.
• Decorate the snail’s shell (the red band of apple peel) with NERDS.
• Add NERDS to one end of the celery stick to make his eyes. • Don’t forget to add two carrot shreds for antennae!

CATERPILLAR • Cut a 3 inch long piece of celery and fill the trough with peanut butter.
• Place two NERDS at one end of the stalk with two carrot stick shreds poking out behind them for antennae.
• Place NERDS down the length of the celery stick on top of the peanut butter at even intervals.
• Before placing the caterpillar on the plate, lay down four or five carrot shreds for him to rest upon. These will be his legs.

BUTTERFLY • Cut two 1 inch wedges from an apple and place on a plate, narrow edges together.
• Cut a celery stalk to the same length as the apple wedges.
• Place the celery stick, trough side down between the two apple wedges on a plate.
• With your peanut butter piping bag, draw stripes across the celery stick to decorate the butterfly’s body.
• Use the NERDS to make eyes for your butterfly.
• Decorate the butterfly’s wings with NERDS.

LITTLE KITCHEN HELPER HINTS • Adults should do all the cutting, but the kids are the ones who can really get creative. Let them have fun decorating their favorite bugs. • Go on a bug hunt! See if you can match your tasty bugs with the real thing.

Posted in Foodie Friday, Just Because, Messin' with my kids, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tuesday Tunes – “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess

Now that it’s summer, what better song to share than the haunting “Summertime” from George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess“?

Here is Harolyn Blackwell’s ethereal performance (Paula Ingram plays the role of “Clara” in this 1993 “American Playhouse” staging; her voice is dubbed by Blackwell) – my all-time favorite version of this American classic:
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If you are interested, the “American Playhouse” video is available on Amazon.  You can also get either this song or the entire soundtrack (in CD or MP3 formats) – a truly amazing performance!
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Father’s Day

Today is the first Father’s Day since Paul’s father passed away.  I know that he has great memories of his Dad from his childhood (and beyond); I am so very grateful that my Dad is still around for me to tell him how very much I love him.

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Happy Flag Day!

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What better way to celebrate this day than with a song specifically about the United States flag? Written by George M. Cohan in 1906 – and the first song from a musical to sell over a million copies of sheet music – “You’re a Grand Old Flag” has been popular for over a century:

The original lyric for this perennial George M. Cohan favorite came, as Cohan later explained, from an encounter he had with a Civil War veteran who fought at Gettysburg. The two men found themselves next to each other and Cohan noticed the vet held a carefully folded but ragged old flag. The man reportedly then turned to Cohan and said, “She’s a grand old rag.”

Cohan thought it was a great line and originally named his tune “You’re a Grand Old Rag.” So many groups and individuals objected to calling the flag a “rag,” however, that he “gave ’em what they wanted” and switched words, renaming the song “You’re a Grand Old Flag.”

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Posted in Annual Posts, Holiday/Patriotic, Holidays, I Love America, Inspirational, Music, Think about it | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Foodie Friday: Quick and Easy Crab Cakes

I don’t remember where I originally found this recipe, but this very quickly became one of our family’s favorites – it’s sinfully easy to make, and oh, so delicious:

recipe image
Rated:rating
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 12 Minutes
Servings: 4
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Tuesday Tunes – “Vacation”

The start of summer also means the start of summer vacation for many families – I’ve always liked this song by the Go-Go’s:

Have a great day!
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Sunday Funnies: It’s What Dads Do (Pre-Father’s Day Post)

Several years ago, one of the kids’ dumber-than-dirt cats ran up the neighbor’s tree and wouldn’t come down. Meowed piteously for a couple of days.  The girls were almost in tears, thinking about their poor little kitty up in that tree.  Finally, they did what all kids on TV do….

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Posted in Family, Humor, Just Because, Messin' with my kids, Sunday Funnies | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Adventures in Remodeling – Ceiling Tile Edition

Paul 2

The Weekend Warrior takes a break

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With this room remodel, we decided to try something completely new for us – we’re putting in tin ceiling tiles. I have to admit, I’m somewhat concerned about the noise factor, but I am hoping that since the tiles will be mounted directly on top of the wood that is already there, some of the noise will be dampened.

I went online and found some really pretty ceiling tiles from a company called American Tin Ceilings (they have a website, but have asked that I not link to them in my posts). The neat thing about these tiles is that you can order them pre-finished with a powder coating in the color of your choice for just a little bit more than plain metal tiles.

Ivory

Pattern #2 – American Tin Ceiling’s most popular pattern (color shown is Ivory; we went with Creamy White Satin)

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June 6, 1944: The Beginning of the End

Truly, a day that turned the tide of the war in Europe:

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!

You are about to embark upon a great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers in arms on other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

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Posted in Annual Posts, Foodie Friday, I Love America, Inspirational, Think about it | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tuesday Tunes: Kick-Off to Summer, 2014

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Many folks consider Memorial Day Weekend to be the “official” start to the Summer season. There is the annual running of the Indy 500, the men fire up their grills, and the fashionable ladies are “allowed” to start wearing white shoes.

I figured I would wait until the first day of June to run a “summer” post, though –

I ran across this video and had to share it with you:
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Have a great day, everybody!
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