Path Publishing: Review and Giveaway!

Disclaimer: I recently purchased a blank recipe book to help me get organized. The publisher, Path Publishing, has also provided me with two blank journals for review: Happiness and Kidisms. Path Publishing is sponsoring this giveaway, in which you can win your own blank book of your choice, however, the information contained is purely my own opinion. There are several blank journals available, so read on for the details of the giveaway!


My home is filled with little scraps of paper on which I have written down assorted things that I need to keep track of for everyday life and future reference. I like to write things down so I don't forget them: recipes, cute things my kids have said, stuff that made me smile... Problem is, it's getting out of control. Sound familiar?

A recent goal during spring cleaning time was to get the paper clutter under control! (Even just a little bit of paper decluttering makes a HUGE difference for me.) One area of my life that was a complete disaster was my recipe organization (read disorganization). I had tried a couple different ways of doing this over the years and most recently, I had two overflowing file folders stuffed with loose papers of assorted sizes -- some were computer printouts, some were torn from magazines, others were on index cards, and still more were scribbled on any scrap of paper I had handy at the time. Chaos masquerading as "organization" because, hey, they were in folders, right?

Needless to say, this was not working very well for me. Yet I kept using this chaotic "system" -- rifling through each folder EVERY time I wanted to cook or bake, which pretty much meant several wasted minutes. EVERY. Single. Day. Who has time for that?!

{Recipe Book Table of Contents in Action}

I'm happy to tell you that this is improving! Here is my work-in-progress recipe book from Path Publishing. I've already transcribed 61 of our favorite family recipes (several days worth of work), and there's room for 43 more! This gives me plenty of space for those stragglers that are still hanging out in the file folder (I have it pared down to one much skinnier folder instead of two massive bundles!) and room to grow -- because I am sure to find more good recipes that I simply must save. (The desserts alone take up more than one page in the table of contents, and I don't see my love of sweets dwindling any time soon.)

The pages are just the right size for listing all of the ingredients and directions, even for my more complicated recipes. There is also a spot to note where you found the recipe. (I've already retraced my steps once since I accidentally omitted an ingredient, so this made it handy to find the website again.) My favorite part is that I don't have to rifle through a huge folder or check the Internet for a recipe. They are all contained in one book, organized the way I want them to be. Soups and stews are at the beginning because I look these up weekly for "Crock Pot night" (a.k.a. Wednesday, when Mia has dance class). Next, I listed chicken dishes and other family favorites, followed by those much-loved desserts.

{Recipe Book in Action}

Since it's a blank book, YOU make it completely personalized to your own preferred method of organization! I didn't alphabetize anything because I thought that would take too long, but maybe that's what works best for you. List your recipes and note which pages they are filed on. Put like items together, if you wish. For example, I wrote my favorite sugar cookie recipe on the left side of the book and a frosting recipe on the corresponding right side. This made it so simple when we wanted to make cut-out frosted cookies for Easter. However, you don't have to categorize your recipes if that's not your thing; just jot each one down as you acquire it. Do whatever works for you.

 {Blank Books from Path Publishing}

More Blank Book Options from Path Publishing:

• Kidisms -- All parents need this for all those cute and clever things the kids say. Give it as a gift, too, because what grandparent wouldn't love getting a journal filled with all of the funny things that the grandchildren have said? Write down the who, what, when, where, and why so that you don't forget! Normally, I write these all in my notebook and then do a blog post when I have several. (Lately, that is at the end of each month! Here's the most recent of my kids' quote posts.) This is quite entertaining to look back on. Now, I'm finding it convenient to keep this little green journal in my van, for when they say their little witticisms away from home! This would make a nice baby shower gift, too. (Those little booties and onesies only fit for so long. Eventually parenting becomes quite the ride, and you don't want to forget the goofy things they said along the way.)
• Happiness Journal -- This year, I've had the goal of writing down little things that I feel joy or gratitude about. Then, I slip the scraps of paper (more paper scraps, geesh!) into a small jar. Even though I don't come up with something every day (and truly, it seems like there is something to be thankful for each day), my jar is quickly overflowing, and it's only April! This journal is the perfect clutter-free solution to noting these small bits of happiness, and there is NO pressure to do it each day. It would make a nice gift for moms, dads, grads, and teachers.
• Gardening -- Okay, I will admit that this really isn't my "thing." I pretty much botch every gardening attempt. I like to remind my children that I don't sew and I don't grow, whenever they get the mistaken notion that Mommy can do everything. That said, if I do decide to get serious about gardening (because, after all, we only improve with practice, right?) this journal is just the thing for keeping track of what is planted in each location, when it was planted, where it was purchased, guarantees (if any), and notes on progress. That should help take away some of the guess work! And, if you're not much of a gardener (join the club!), this would be a very thoughtful gift for someone who is.
• Advice -- I love this idea! Give a blank book to the grandparents and have them share words of wisdom with your children. Or, take the time and fill it in yourself. This would make a nice gift for kids of any age, but I think it would be really special to give as a graduation present or as a baby shower gift -- offering all that acquired wisdom to people who really can use it!
• Usernames and Passwords -- Handy place to note all of those things that are getting increasingly difficult to keep track of. And it's certainly smarter than using the same password for everything! Perfect for the tech-savvy graduate on his way to college.

Now, here's what you've been waiting for...

Two Ways to Get Your Own Blank Books:

1. Head to Path Publishing right now and order one (or more)! With Mother's Day, Father's Day, and wedding and graduation season upon us, you probably need some gifts for all the important moms, dads, grads, brides, and teachers in your life. Surely one of these affordable blank journals will be just the thing for helping them keep track of all the important memories. You could even choose to fill them in yourself and make that part of the gift. For example, the recipe book would make a nice bridal shower gift!
2. Enter my giveaway! (For residents of the United States only.) For an entry to the giveaway, first check out the different blank book options on the Path Publishing site. Choose your favorite one and then come back here and leave me a comment on this blog post letting me know which one you like the best. For additional entries, please share the love by linking to your favorite social media sites!

• Share this blog post on your Facebook page. Come back and leave a comment here letting me know that you shared -- for one additional entry! (Please make a separate comment letting me know you did this.)
• Share this blog post on Twitter. Come back and leave a comment here letting me know that you tweeted about the giveaway -- for one additional entry! (Please make a separate comment letting me know that you did this.)
• Share this blog post on your own blog. Come back and leave a comment here letting me know that you shared on your blog -- for one additional entry! (Please make a separate comment letting me know that you did this.)

That's a total of 4 ways to win a blank book of your choice! The giveaway will run from Monday, April 21, 2014 through midnight (Eastern) on Monday, April 28, 2014. I will draw a winner on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 and share the results on the blog. Stay tuned for the results!

April Fools' Dinner

On April Fools' Day, I served these meatloaf "cupcakes" with "brownies" for dessert. Mia, especially, enjoyed the silliness of it all, and I was pretty tickled myself that my experimental food -- I would not even call it a recipe -- was such a surprise hit! Even Logan, who is going through the ever fun I-won't-eat-that-meat-'cause-it's-not-a-chicken-nugget phase, enthused, "Tricky meatloaf is yummy!"

My inspiration was a friend, Jenifer, who had posted a pic of this a while back. I just happened to have purchased the Cheddar Jack and Bacon Fresh Take mix at the store that morning, and I decided it must make great meatloaf! I quickly found I this recipe and then modified it according to the family's tastes. (I'm really just writing this down here so that I remember how I made it for the next time.)

{Cupcakes for Dinner? Why not?}

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 pkg Kraft Fresh Take Cheddar Jack and Bacon 
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 Tbs ketchup
• 1 pkg instant garlic mashed potatoes (plus water, milk, and butter)
• carrot

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350*.
2. In a bowl, combine turkey, Fresh Take mix, an egg, and ketchup.
3. Line muffin tin with silicone baking liners (or spray well). Spoon meatloaf mixture into cups, pressing down firmly. Makes about 12 meatloaf "cupcakes."
4. Bake at 350* for about 35-40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165*. Let rest for about 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, make a package of instant potatoes according to package directions. Place potatoes into a pastry bag and then pipe onto the meatloaf "cupcakes" to make frosting. (Note: You can mash your own potatoes if you prefer. I was doing it this way to save time.)
6. Garnish "cupcakes" with carrot curls and serve. (Green beans were a natural side dish for this meal.)

{Whaddya mean this "cupcake" is healthy?}

For dessert, I copied my friend Kim and served a pan of fresh-made "brownies." Mine were made from card stock weight kraft paper and cut using my Cricut machine. In retrospect, I didn't need to make nearly as many. A single brown E per person would have done the trick, but I felt it would be extra fun if I made an assortment of E's in different fonts and sizes. Then, I just put a few on each plate.

{"Brownies" for Dessert!}

Logan was less than thrilled. He whined, "I don't want to eat cardboard." (Although, that did not stopping him from taking a bite before I cut and served him an actual brownie.) Mia, however, was amused by this trick saying, "Brown E's... I get it! Good one, Mom!"

To make my real brownies, I used this recipe, which I have made only one small addition to: The frosting was very dry so I added some milk.

Ingredients for Brownies:                    

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder

Directions for Making Brownies:

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Grease the pan. Mine was 9" x 7".
2. Melt butter in microwave. (You can also do this over the stove, but microwave is obviously faster.) Place melted butter into the bowl of a stand mixer (or big mixing bowl, if mixing by hand) and beat in sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder. Beat until well-combined. Pour into the greased pan.
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
4. While baking, make frosting. (I just combined all the ingredients in my stand mixer and beat until they were well-mixed, stopping and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.) Spread onto brownies while they are warm from the oven. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Frosting:

• 3 Tbs butter, softened
• 3 Tbs cocoa powder
• 1 Tbs honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 Tbs milk

{Would you like a brown E?}

Easy Dinosaur Cupcakes

Logan was my summer baby. This means that he will never celebrate his actual birthday at school. Since it is his first year of preschool, I decided that we could have the class celebrate his half birthday today. (Celebrating half birthdays is not something we have done before at our house, but it seemed appropriate in this instance, and the teacher agreed that it was a perfect idea.)

He even lucked out in that they ended up planning a field trip to the bowling alley! After the cupcakes had been handed out, someone announced his name and said it was his "birthday" over the P.A. system. I think he thought this was odd, but it didn't seem to stop him from gobbling up his cupcake while they all sang "Happy Birthday."

Meanwhile, I was just happy to see that he was devouring the whole cupcake since he usually has a habit of eating just the icing, and he had wanted me to make frosting shots for the party. (He didn't call them that, of course, but can you imagine giving cups of frosting to a group of preschoolers?!) Anyway, I was glad that these cupcakes were such a hit.

{Happy half birthday to my future paleontologist!}

To make them, I did a double batch of my favorite white cake recipe and a single batch of my favorite buttercream frosting recipe (which was not quite enough -- I had three cupcakes that didn't get frosted, but that was okay since there were plenty for the class. If I had used my angle spatula instead of piping the frosting it would have been plenty.). I tinted the frosting green, to simulate grass and topped them with dinosaur fruit snacks from Kroger. The most important part, though, was the dinosaurs.

I had been to several stores looking for gummi dinosaurs, and it turns out that nobody carries those in our area. I could have ordered some online, but that would have required more advance planning, and I wouldn't have wanted to pay the shipping cost, anyway! Fortunately, someone gave me idea of fruit snacks, which worked great. I placed three on top of each cupcake, mixing up the colors and types of dinosaurs so that there weren't duplicates on any one cupcake. (Yes, this is anal and unnecessary... I was happy with the results, and more importantly, so was my favorite future paleontologist.) I also discovered that fruit snacks hold up very well as cupcake toppers, all of the kids liked them, and as a bonus, they were very affordable. I bought two boxes at $1 each and still had a few packages left over.

White Chocolate Popcorn Treat

Mmmmmm is the only sound you can clearly make when your mouth is full. Coincidence? I think not -- especially if your mouth is full of this white chocolate goodness! Warning: This is delicious and dangerously addictive!

{Do I even need a caption? I mean, really?}

Ingredients:

• popcorn -- about 8 cups 
• 2 cups tiny pretzel twists
• 1 cup dry roasted peanuts (I use unsalted.)
• 1/2 cup Craisins (M&Ms are tasty, too!)
• 12-oz. bag white chocolate morsels (I definitely recommend using actual white chocolate and not "vanilla" baking chips, which do NOT melt as well and are more likely to scorch.)
• 1 Tbs. cooking oil (Optional. I use EVOO. Vegetable oil also works)

Directions:

1. Pop popcorn. I add 1/2 cup kernels to my air popper. (You can also use a bag of plain white microwave popcorn.) Make sure to remove all unpopped kernels. You don't want to break a tooth!
2. Combine popcorn, pretzels, peanuts, and Craisins (or M&Ms) in a very large bowl.
3. Place the white chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. You might also wish to add a tablespoon of cooking oil, which helps eliminate scorching. (Trust me, you don't want to scorch your chocolate. Smells terrible, and such a waste!) Begin cooking at high for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir. Continue cooking for 15 second intervals, stirring in between, until white chocolate is melted. (This is about 1 minute 15 seconds total for my microwave.)
4. Pour melted white chocolate over popcorn mixture and stir to combine until it is evenly coated. Spread onto wax paper and allow to harden completely. Store in an air-tight container (if you happen to have any left over!) Perfect for parties -- or just to enjoy, because you know you want to!

Paw Print Cupcakes for a Puppy Paw-ty

The first batch of "pupcakes" that I made were tricky, and they didn't hold up as well as I had hoped. So I decided to make a simpler design for the cupcakes that Mia took to school for her birthday. To start, I made this chocolate cake recipe for the second time. This time I was careful to not fill the cups more than 2/3 of the way, and I let them bake a bit longer, 20 minutes instead of 18. This seemed to help. Also, our baking took place on a snow day, so I had two eager little helpers in the kitchen.

For the frosting, I used this recipe, from my friend Jenifer:
Butter Frosting (Chocolate)

• 1/3 cup butter
• 4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• additional milk, as needed

1. Beat the butter until fluffy. 
2. Slowly add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. (Admittedly, I am lazy about sifting it first. I can't tell if it makes a difference or not.)
3. Add 1/4 cup milk plus vanilla. 
4. Slowly beat in the remaining powdered sugar plus the cocoa powder, adding additional milk as needed to get a good consistency for spreading. (For me, I think it was another two or three tablespoons. Add one at a time, mix, and continue from there.)

{Finished Cupcakes}

To decorate the cupcakes, I spread the frosting on with an angled spatula. My inspiration for these cupcakes came from this picture (which appear to use Jr. Mints and chocolate chips, inserted point-side down). Using candies I had purchased for the previous "pupcakes," I added a mini Reese's peanut butter cup (the kind that comes in a stand-up bag and doesn't have a wrapper -- perfect for baking) to the center of each frosted cupcake. To finish the paw prints, I added four "toes" made out of brown mini M&M's (I had to first pour them into a bowl and then sort out the ones I wanted, but it wasn't that much work, certainly quicker than when I sorted them for the Cheer Bear cake.) That's it! They were cute and very delicious.

Chocolate "Pupcakes" for a Puppy Paw-ty

Once again, I saw a picture of something and thought, I can do that. Too bad mine didn't turn out as nicely as hers but at least I got to try this out for a fairly small family gathering before I attempted to make them for the entire first grade class! (Note: I will not be doing that. I have a simpler game plan in mind for the actual birthday-at-school cupcakes.)

The main problem I faced was that the cake was so wonderfully moist and the frosting was a bit dry, so those two didn't pair as well as I had hoped. While they didn't look as lovely as I had hoped, they were quite delicious! Here's how I made my chocolate "pupcakes."

Dark Chocolate Cake (makes 28 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used extra virgin olive instead.)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup boiling water (recipe calls for 2/3 - 1 cup)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare pans. (Recipe says two 9 inch rounds or one 9"x13". I was planning cupcakes, so I lined two muffin tins with brown paper liners that I had found on clearance at Walmart for $1.50.)
3. In a mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients.
4. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.
5. Stir in boiling water by hand. Batter will be thin.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes for cupcakes. (Mine were done after 18 minutes, and they were filled about 2/3 full.) For 9 inch rounds, the recipe says to bake for 30-35 minutes, and about 5 minutes longer for a rectangular pan.

No-Cook Fudge Frosting (recipe from my friend Jenifer)

Ingredients:

• 4 3/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Mix dry ingredients.
2. Add butter, water, and vanilla. 
3. Beat at low speed until combined and then for an additional minute at medium speed.
4. Allow to cool for 20-30 minutes. (Huh? Okay, I skipped this, so maybe that was why it came out dry? Also, she told me I probably shouldn't have skimped on the sifting. I started this, but gave up part way through... And now I know that if nothing else works, add more liquid.)

Decorating Pupcakes:

For the eyes: I used either brown mini M&M's or brown Reese's Pieces.

For the noses: For the faces with mini M&M eyes, I used a brown Reese's Pieces. For the others, I used a mini Reese's peanut butter cup.

For the ears and mouths: I used large pretzel twists and broke them (easier said than done) to make pointy ears. With the remaining pieces, I did my best to shape them into cute mouths (again, easier said than done. And just now, I notice that the original picture shows different types of puppy faces...)

For the tongues: I used my kitchen scissors to trim strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups into the proper shape.

All around, I had a problem with having decorated these pupcakes the day before they were to be eaten. The Fruit Roll-ups turned kind of melty. The pretzels became stale, oddly enough. And since that frosting was a tad bit dry, the eyes and noses really didn't want to stay in place whatsoever. Not my best cake ever, but probably not my worst either. Oh well, like I said, I have another idea in mind for the next round.

Snow Day Craft Fails

Things have been hectic around here these last few days. Sickness, sickness, and more sickness. We're falling like dominoes, and I really hope that I am the last domino in the line. I should probably be resting, but I feel the need to be writing for some reason. (Probably the fever. As you may recall, that's what happened the last time I had a fever.) Anyway, it seemed like a good time to share some snow day activities from last week -- the ones that were less than stellar. (I do try to keep it real so you know that not all of my craft endeavors are home runs!)

First up, we tried something that this website referred to as "Sparkle Snow Paint." For the record, this does make a good homemade paint. In fact, while mixing it up, I thought to myself, Haven't we made this before? Yep, pretty sure we added food coloring and called it "puffy paint." Yes, it turned out to be the very same recipe: 1/2 cup water + 1/2 cup salt + 1/2 cup flour, mixed together and put into squeeze bottles. While this works well for homemade puffy paint, my complaint is that it is not sparkly. Also, if you are using unbleached flour, it's not even white! For future reference, if I want it to be sparkly, I will add some glitter.

{Puffy Paint Snowflake by Mia, Age 6}

The second homemade craft material experiment was making paste. I had never before made any sort of glue, but it was on my mental to-do list for the past few months, so I decided it was time to test this out. I have an older edition (from 1994) of The Little Hands Art Book, which is where I found this recipe for "Flour Paste."

Following the directions, I combined 1/2 cup flour with 2/3 cup water. The problem is that this seemed to be too watery of a consistency. It was wet for glue, and certainly too wet for "paste," which should be quite thick, at least the way I remember it from my elementary school days. The other problem I encountered is that it called for "oil of peppermint or oil of wintergreen," and I was not 100% sure was meant by that. I took it to mean essential oils, so I used a few drops of peppermint essential oil since I had that on hand for the homemade bath salts. I may be entirely wrong, though.

This "paste" smells delightful, but it looks disgusting. I put some into an old glue bottle and gave it to Mia to test out. She found that it did work as an adhesive, but she agreed with my assessment that it was too thin and watery. I hoped that it would eventually "set" but no such luck. There is a layer of putrid looking paste topped by a layer of liquidy goo -- and I have a half-pint canning jar full of this gross-looking "paste" which is supposed to last a couple of months. (Evidently, the oil -- if I used it correctly -- acts as a preservative of some sort.) That's what I call a craft-astrophe. Really, it's so nasty looking, I have decided to not include a photo!

Snow Ice Cream Success!

We have tried at least a couple of times to make snow ice cream, but it has never worked until today. Honestly, I don't know which recipe or recipes we used, so I can't compare them. So, I am merely posting this recipe for future reminders to myself! If it helps someone else out, all the better. I goofed and added too much vanilla this first time around, but the kids didn't seem to mind at all. The consistency was actually very good, so overall it was a resounding success.

{More brown than it should be since we added extra vanilla...}

Ingredients:

• 4 cups snow (clean, of course!)
• 1 cup milk (We used skim, and it worked surprisingly well.)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (not tablespoon, Meg!)

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with a spoon for a couple of minutes, until all ingredients are combined. 
2. Enjoy some fresh ice cream right away! Toppings are optional, but we used sprinkles (Mia) and mini M & Ms (Logan). 

S'mores in the Oven

Being stuck inside today with the extreme cold temperatures (at the start of the day, it was below zero, and with wind chills, this continued all day) meant LOTS of activities to entertain the kids. Unfortunately, it really was not my day. Pretty much everything we tried was a flop... except for this idea to make s'mores in the oven.

Thank heavens this recipe worked because I really needed the late afternoon chocolate pick-me-up. While it's not quite the same as roasted over a campfire, it is the best indoor approximation I have found, much better than those made in the microwave. Now we can have a little taste of summer, even on the coldest wintry days!

{Gooey goodness -- even in winter!}

Ingredients:

• 8 graham crackers, broken in half
• 3/4 cup mini marshmallows
• 3 tablespoons chocolate chip (I used milk chocolate)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Set 8 graham cracker halves on a baking sheet. (I lined ours with parchment paper first, just in case there were any overflowing messes.) Cover each cracker with mini marshmallows and chocolate chips and then top each with the remaining cracker halves to make 8 sandwiches. Kids can definitely help with this! 
3. Bake for 5 minutes. The chocolate and marshmallows should be just melted enough. Cool for about a minute before serving.

{One started with chocolate chips, one got marshmallows, and then they switched.}

Homemade Peppermint Bath Salts

A while back we made bath salts at a MOPS meeting, which I thought were great! After getting the link to where the idea originated, I decided to make more of my own, some of which we are giving as gifts. I'm very happy with how this year's teacher gifts turned out. They look pretty, they smell wonderful, and most importantly, they have been test-driven and given two thumbs up by this mama.

To get started, I chose three different scents: peppermint, orange, and lavender, and I found the essential oils at a nearby health foods store. Why did I choose peppermint oil for the gifts? Well, it is currently vying as my favorite fragrance of the three types of bath salts that I made. Orange is on top at the moment, but peppermint seemed like the obvious choice for Christmas. Plus, it has lots of health benefits like alleviating muscle soreness as well as stress, improving circulation, helping ease congestion, and promoting energy and alertness. These are all the curative properties that I will personally attest to. Peppermint essential oil is also said to help curb appetite, just by inhaling the scent, so that may be an added bonus I have not noticed yet. At any rate, these bath salts are a perfect no-calorie indulgence during the crazy-busy holiday season.

{Easy Christmas gift idea!}

Ingredients: (Makes enough to fill 2 half-pint mason jars)

• 3/4 cup Epsom salts 
• 1/2 cup coarse sea salt 
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• food coloring (I used 10 drops of red.)
• essential oil (The original recipe calls for 8 drops, but I found this to be much too faint once I got into the tub, so I have doubled it for the gift batches.)

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients. (If making gifts for teachers, kids can help pour the ingredients.)
2. Add essential oil and food coloring*. (Kids may be able to help with this step. I helped Logan count out the food coloring, but I added the essential oils myself.)
3. Use a spoon or whisk to mix it all together. (Kids may help with this step, too as long as they don't stir to roughly.)
4. Store in an air-tight container. (It will clump together somewhat after time. This happens to store-bought bath salts as well, so I don't see this as a problem.)
5. Enjoy your bath salts or package them up and give as gifts. 

*Notes about food coloring:

• Food coloring is optional, and mainly just for presentation. 
• Once diluted in the bath, you don't need to worry about it staining your skin.
• When I made orange scented bath salts I used a combination of 3 drops red and 5 drops yellow to make orange. 
• For the lavender bath salts, I used 8 drops of neon purple food coloring. 

Notes on Where to Purchase:

• The best deal I have found for Epsom salts is at Sam's Club, but they are very reasonably priced and can be found near the first aid section of any grocery store.
• Coarse sea salt is found in the baking aisle. I have also used natural sea salt, which has smaller grains that don't look as much like the bath salts you might purchase, but it's a bit cheaper and it works the same.
• My essential oils came from a natural foods store, but you can also find them online.
• Lavender essential oil was the most expensive at $8.79 for a 0.5 ounce bottle, followed by peppermint oil at $8.29 for a 0.5 ounce bottle, and the least expensive was the orange essential oil, which was only $3.99 by comparison. (That may sound pricey, but since you will only use a few drops at a time, a bottle of essential oils will last a long time, so I look at this as a good investment.)

How I packaged my gifts:

1. First, I filled each half-pint mason jar with bath salts.
2. To make tags that read "Peppermint Bath Salts," I downloaded this free font. I put it in 24 pt. font, switched the color to red, and printed it so that I got 8 per page (in portrait layout). Then, I used plastic templates to cut them out, and then layered them on top of oval cut-outs of red card stock (which I made with another template.) I adhered the layers and then added a gold eyelet.
3. I used a glue dot to affix the bamboo spoon to the jar.
4. I cut a 21" length of red and white bakers twine, which I wrapped around the jar twice before tying on the tag.
5. Then, I added a red card stock circle to the top of the jar and topped it off with a cute peppermint button, which I bought a few years back from Oriental Trading, attached with another glue dot. 

Semi-Homemade Cheesy Garlic Bread

This recipe is my idea of the best way to use this garlic butter -- on freshly baked bread. The cheat is that the bread is not homemade, although that is on my list of things to someday learn how to do... Anyway, I use store-bought loaves of frozen white bread and I make two at a time (mainly because this is how many bread pans I own). Then, I cut the loaves in half and slice each half loaf into five pieces. Once they are slathered with the garlic butter (my variation on the recipe is listed below), I set aside one half loaf for dinner the day I make it, and then I wrap the other three halves in foil and freeze them for later meals. The frozen garlic bread is easily reheated at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, assuming I remember to thaw it before hand, and fresh bread only needs to be reheated for about 15 minutes to melt the butter and make it oh-so-yummy. This goes well with spaghetti, lasagna, and goulash, of course, but I also like to serve it with easy vegetable-beef soup and beef barley stew. Note: For an even simpler cheat, you can spread this garlic butter atop slices of grocery store baguette and then toast the bread under the broiler.

{If you don't tell them it's not homemade, they'd never know!}

Garlic Butter
1 C butter (2 sticks, softened)
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbs minced garlic*
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt  (I use the garlic powder and salt in place of the garlic salt called for in the original.)
dash black pepper (less than original recipe calls for)

Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. I usually use a Pyrex dish with a lid, so that I easily refrigerate the small amount of left over garlic butter. Occasionally, I will halve the recipe if I just want garlic butter on hand since it goes goes nicely with any kind of bread, biscuits, or rolls. *Note: I recently got a garlic press, and it is a total game changer for meal prep! I cannot recommend this tool enough if you enjoy garlic as much as I do.

{Dinner is served.}

Apple Cider Beef Stew

Fall means lots yummy flavors, and a particular fall favorite in our household is apple cider. While this recipe is not exactly one of the kids' preferences, it is growing on them, and I think the cider is the reason. It makes this stew both savory and sweet. This simple meal is easily thrown together in the morning when I know that we're in for a busy night (which, for us this school year is Wednesday evening, when Mia has her dance classes).

Ingredients:

• 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil (I like EVOO.)
• 4 carrots, chopped (The original recipe also suggests parsnips as an alternative -- haven't tried it.)
• 2 medium red potatoes, chopped (I have also used 4 small potatoes)
• 2 small apples, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (Firm apples like Granny Smith or Gala work best, in my opinion. Also, my apples are usually a bit larger.)
• 1/2 white onion (The original recipe says 2 WHOLE onions -- That is a LOT of onion, which I cannot get away with in this house! Also, I am not sure why you would want that much onion, anyway.)
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
• 1 cup apple cider (or apple juice will work in a pinch!)
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons instant beef bouillon granules (I have also made it with bouillon cubes.)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper (I don't usually measure this -- just a dash.)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet and then brown the stew meat, half at a time. Drain off fat. (I also like to caramelize the onion while I brown the beef because this makes it sweeter.)
2. In a 3 1/2 to 5 quart slow cooker, place carrots, potatoes, apples, and celery. Sprinkle tapioca on top. Then add meat (and onions, if you like them caramelized, too). 
3. In a small bowl, combine the apple cider, water, bouillon granules, dried thyme, and pepper. Pour over the contents of the crock pot.
4. Cover and cook on low heat for about 8-10 hours or on high heat for around 4-5 hours. I can usually get away with a little bit shorter cooking time, if needed, too.

No-Bake Mac & Cheese

This has to be one of the few foods that actually tastes just as good or better, even when it's re-heated. For that reason alone, every mama should have a decent mac & cheese recipe in her repertoire. I have tried several over the years. In case you are wondering, it was a process to wean my kids off of that nasty stuff in the blue box! So far, this is our favorite, and the main reason why is that the kids don't like the baked versions that involve bread crumbs. (Not sure why considering the little dude is essentially a "carbivore" but whatever...)

I am not complaining, though, since this saves me time and money.

To make our no-bake mac & cheese, I use my personal revisions to this recipe. I omit the Dijon mustard, altogether, for personal taste preference. Also, instead of adding the frozen broccoli to cool down the dish, I serve it steamed on the side. As much as my kids like broccoli and other vegetables, (Really! They do!!) I cannot convince them to eat it mixed in with the mac & cheese.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces whole wheat elbow noodles (2 cups, or about 1/2 a box if you don't feel like measuring)
• 1 3/4 cups low-fat milk -- divided (Okay, honestly, I often use whole milk because that is what we buy for the kids. This tastes good either way, but the whole milk is richer.)
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• pinch of pepper (The original recipe called for 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper. I use black pepper which is what we always have on hand.)
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or Colby-jack, whatever is on hand)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (The original recipe calls for shredded, but I use grated because we always have it.)

Directions:

1. Boil a large pot of water and cook macaroni noodles according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, simmer 1 1/2 cups milk over medium-high heat. (I use my "green" ceramic frying pan for this.)
3. Whisk the other 1/4 cup milk, flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl to combine, and then add the mixture to the simmering milk. Return to a simmer, stirring constantly for about 2-3 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
4. Remove from heat and stir in cheeses until melted.
5. Drain the pasta and then add the cheese sauce. Over medium-low heat, stir the macaroni and cheese for about 1 more minute, until heated. You can serve this right away, or as I mentioned above, re-heated. Sometimes, if I know we're going to have a hectic evening, I will make it during the day, and then re-heat it at dinner time. It's perfect either way, and my family eats it up.

Best Homemade Bubbles

Last summer, I tried out three different recipes for homemade bubbles, and I posted about our experiences here. This year, I had hoped to do a similar experiment and try out several more recipes for bubble solutions. However, I only tried this one. In part, time slipped away from me, but the main reason for not trying other recipes is that I really like this one! Recently, a few people have asked me for the recipe, so I decided it was time to share my current favorite bubble recipe.

This one has made the rounds on Pinterest and Facebook so you may have seen it before. When I saw it, people were claiming that it makes super industrial-strength, indestructible bubbles, so naturally I was curious to give it a go. The original recipe said to use JOY dish detergent, which I have been unable to find. So, I used Palmolive instead. I am not sure if the brand makes a significant difference, but our bubbles were pretty run-of-the-mill as far as pop-ability goes. With the right tools, however, this did create very large bubbles, and quite easily, I might add. Combine this with the fact that the recipe does NOT call for ingredients that are terribly expensive or more difficult to find (glycerin, for instance, which I used for last year's recipes) and it is a sure-fire winner.

So, far I've made a couple of batches, and we've had lots of fun with these bubbles throughout the spring and summer months. It was a hit at Logan's recent shark-themed birthday party. We have even  packaged this in small peanut butter jars along with homemade pipe cleaner wands and given it for birthday gifts along with some other homemade goodies, so this also makes a nice gift.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups water
• 1 cup light corn syrup (I used Karo.)
• 2 cups dish soap* (I used Palmolive.)

* If using ultra concentrated dish soap, reduce to 1 1/3 cups.

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add water and corn syrup. Stir until combined. Note: It is difficult to completely dissolve the corn syrup, so just do the best that you can.
2. Add dish soap. Sand gently until well mixed, avoiding creating bubbles as best as possible.
3. Dip wands into bubble solution and blow or wave to create bubbles. Tip: To make it easier, pour the solution into containers such as cake pans and pie tins. Set these on the ground (or any flat surface) and let kids dip their wands into the solution.
4. To store bubble solution, pour it into a container with a lid. This should keep for many weeks. As mentioned above, I like peanut butter jars for this. They are unbreakable, but secure.

Note: Any bubble "wand" will work, whether it is something you have saved from commercial solutions or homemade wands made from twisted pipe cleaners, which are a favorite of mine.

Plastic bottles with the bottom cut off work very well for young children who are just learning to how to blow bubbles.

We've also had lots of fun this year with a couple of fly swatters that I got in a 2-pack at Dollar Tree, which can be used two different ways: first you can blow bubbles, or you can wave them around to create lots of tiny bubbles. We have found that swatting up and down works better than side to side.

Also, don't forget to check your kitchen for possible "wands!" Slotted spoons and spatulas are two that we have found to work well. I've even had success with old glow necklaces, which make quite large bubbles!

So, don't be afraid to think outside of the box (or commercial bubble container) here! It's very easy and affordable to make your own bubbles at home.

{Tiny bubbles... make me happy!}

Chicken & Cheese Tortellini Stew

This is a current family favorite at our house. Well, to be more precise, it pleases 3 out of 4 family members every time I serve it, and let's face it -- that is a better rating than most politicians get, so how can I possibly hope for better? I have adapted the recipe somewhat by omitting red peppers and onions, which are not something the kids (or I, to be honest) love to eat. Also, in place of the summer squash, you may use zucchini, but the squash has a nice flavor and lends more color to the dish, so this is my preference. Finally, if you're one to plan ahead, the Buitoni brand of cheese tortellini comes in a 2-cup package, which means that you will have enough to make this dish twice.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1 - 14 ounce can chicken broth
• 6 cups spinach, torn
• 1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
• 1 medium yellow summer squash, diced (or zucchini)
• 1 cup dried cheese tortellini (I use Buitoni.)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (I use a pinch.)
• 2 cups cooked chicken, diced

Directions:

1. Cook your chicken. I used one very large, boneless, skinless breast, which I cut into strips and cooked in about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. For a shortcut, use left over rotisserie chicken.
2. In a large pot, combine water and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
3. Stir in the vegetables, tortellini, basil, oregano, and black pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add cooked chicken. Replace cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until tortellini and vegetables are tender. Makes about 4-6 servings.

A Sweet Strawberry Season

Last Friday was the first day of strawberry season, so the kids and I headed out that morning to do some picking. I knew this would be our only opportunity to go picking during the short season since we have VBS every morning this week, and I definitely did not want to go out to the fields in the heat of the afternoon. Plus, very, very soon we will be leaving for our vacation. (Tropical island! No children! Eeeeeee!)

{Riding the wagon out to the fields is a favorite!}

Things went very smoothly this year, and I decided to ask for another big box so we could continue picking after we filled the first one. By the time they were tired, we had 16 pounds of sweet, juicy strawberries! This is probably twice the amount we picked last year, and it is fair to say that we have gone a bit overboard. (It helped that I had remembered the check book this time around, so I wasn't worried about going over my limited amount of cash.)

In general, I was more prepared than last year. We had quarters for the animal feed stations since there is a petting farm at this berry patch. (I didn't know that before...) Other essentials that we know to bring besides sunscreen and the camera included: our hats, our rain boots (good thing, too, because it was very muddy!), our dark-colored shirts (old clothes are crucial, here; I was surprised to see what nice clothing some other families dressed their little ones in!), and our very helpful, hands-free, belted berry buckets (just some old milk jugs -- half gallon for the kids and a gallon-size for me; I wrote about how to make them here).

{I always caught him eating...}

The only downside to picking all of those berries was that I had to do something with them, and very quickly before they spoiled. The upside, of course, was that we were able to make LOTS of delicious things! The first thing we made was 4 jars of strawberry jelly using this easy recipe for any-berry jelly. Next, we made 4 jars of strawberry jam using this recipe, which is as the name implies, quite simple:

Easy Berry Jam

• 1 cup cold water
• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 2 pints fresh sliced strawberries, raspberries, boysenberries, or a combination (about 4 cups)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (1 lemon)

1. Pour the water into a large saucepan and add the gelatin packets. Let stand 1 minute. Stir over low heat until completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.
2. Kids can help by juicing 2 halves of a lemon. (Fortunately, mine knew how to do this from our lemonade stand experience.) They can also sort and rinse berries.
3. Add the strawberries (or other berries), sugar, and lemon juice to the pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and crushing berries slightly with potato masher. (This is a step that I allowed Mia to help with, but not Logan because he is kind of young to be that close to the stove, in my opinion.)
4. Spoon into jars (mine had been washed and sterilized in the hot water bath while we were doing the other steps to prepared the jam). Cool slightly before refrigerating. Chill until set, about 3 hours. This will keep for up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator or up to 1 year in the freezer.

{Well, it's not as pretty as can be, but I am improving...}

I also made a strawberry pie to serve for Father's Day dessert since it is one of Brett's favorites. I used this recipe for Shimmering Strawberry Pie, but cheated and used a store-bought graham cracker crust in place of the oil pastry. (I really do need to learn to do that, but it's been kinda crazy 'round here.) I did step up my game a little bit, though, by making some whipped cream using my new stand mixer. This was actually my first time making homemade whipped cream (although, it is so simple, I am not sure why I never did it before) and I tried this recipe:

Basic Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream (This is the smallest package available at the store, in case you're wondering.)
• 1 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Chill the bowl and whisk attachment to a stand mixer in the freezer for 10 minutes.
2. Add ingredients to bowl and whip on high speed for 1 minute, until medium peaks form.
3. That's it. Be sure not to do it for too long, or you will end up with something more the consistency of butter. I stuck the whipped cream in the refrigerator to let it chill before putting it in my pastry bag and using it the garnish the pie. (Is this the best way? Who knows? It's just what I tried.)

Next up, I made some strawberry topping, which I served over waffles for our very tasty dinner. I later made a triple batch, put it into 3 different half-pint canning jars and froze them to use for ice cream topping or topping for more waffles or pancakes. So good! I found the recipe here last year, pinned it, and finally tried it out this summer. Some people had commented on the site that the recipe was not very clear, but it seemed difficult to mess it up, in my opinion.

Supreme Strawberry Topping

• 1 pint berries (about 2 cups)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

1. Wash and hull strawberries. Halve large berries or roughly chop them. 
2. Combine strawberries, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan. (After reading another person's suggestion, I reserved about 1/3 of the berries for later.) Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Mash a few strawberries with a wooden spoon or heat-proof spatula to help produce the syrup. (I used a whisk.) Cook until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. 
3. Remove from heat. In a blender, puree about 1/3 of the sauce, then mix back into remaining topping. (This was the reserved berries. I cooked it a bit longer, and just skipped the pureeing step, which seemed unnecessary.) Store in refrigerator. (Again, I froze mine, so hopefully, this will thaw and still be delicious when we are ready to eat it.) 

For another quintessential taste-of-summer treat (at least this is one we always had when I was younger, often times in place of dinner, although I always serve it as dessert because I'm not as cool as my mom!), Mia and Logan helped me make strawberry shortcake. This is the healthier version that I have been using for the past couple of years:

Strawberry Shortcake 

• 3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 2 Tbs. sugar
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3 Tbs. butter (recipe says "or margarine," but obviously, there is no substitute for real butter)
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk* (see below for how I make this)
• whipped cream (homemade or store-bought)

1. In a medium bowl, stir together strawberries and 2 tablespoons sugar. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. 
2. In another bowl, stir together flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. (Kids can help measure and pour dry ingredients.) Using a pastry blender, but in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (My kids loved helping with this step.) Combine beaten egg and buttermilk* and add to the flour mixture. Stir until moistened and drop by rounded tablespoon into 8 mounds on an ungreased baking sheet. (I lined mine with parchment paper.) 
3. Bake at 450 degrees for 7-8 minutes or until golden. (I find this takes an additional minute or two, but oven vary.) Transfer to a wire rack and cool for about 10 minutes. 
4. Serve with strawberries and whipped cream. 

To Make *Buttermilk* These are my reduced measurements from the amounts that are called for here. I just don't need a full cup for this recipe, so I have altered the measurements.

• 1/2 cup milk (I used whole milk.)
• 3/4 tsp. distilled white vinegar (Can also use lemon juice) 

1. Place 3/4 tsp. vinegar into a 1 cup measuring cup. 
2. Add enough milk to fill the measuring cup. 
3. Let set for 5 minutes before using.

{Helping make shortcake}

{Finished shortcake}

Okay, here's the grand finale, folks. After the kiddos were in bed, I served up some really tasty, adult-only Father's Day strawberry goodness in the form of frozen daiquiris. Mmmmmmmmm! This is a simple, but insanely brilliant idea for make-ahead drinks. Brett and I each enjoyed a cocktail that evening, and now we have 4 more waiting in the freezer for whenever the mood to chillax strikes. This is one I saw on Pinterest last summer and just now have gotten around to trying. So glad I did! It was a very satisfying ending to a sweet strawberry season.

Frozen Fruit Daiquiris

• 6 oz. (3/4 cup) frozen lemonade or limeade concentrate (I used lemonade.)
• 6 oz. (3/4 cup) rum (I used Bacardi.)
• 4 cups frozen fruit (her recommendation -- I used fresh strawberries, obviously)
• 2 cups ice cubes
• sweetener (optional -- I skipped this)
• fresh fruit for garnish (optional -- yeah, skipped this too, but maybe if we are ever entertaining...)

1. In a blender, combine lemonade or limeade concentrate, rum, and fruit. (I used whole strawberries.)
2. Blend until smooth. Add ice and blend again until smooth, with no remaining chunks of ice.
3. Taste and add sweetener if desired. (Brett and I thought these were perfect.)
4. To freeze and save for later, add daiquiris to clean, half-pint mason jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Then, screw on lids and freeze. They will keep for up to a month. 
5. To serve, remove from the freezer and allow to warm up for 5-15 minutes. Then use a fork to break the frozen daiquiri. Easy, and so tasty! I think we will have to try this with some other fruits, too.

{Brett asked, "You added exclamation points to the labels?" Yes, sir! I was that excited!}

Lessons from a Lemonade Stand

Last Thursday I let the kids try their hand at running their very first business: a lemonade stand. While this is not something I ever had the opportunity to do, it seems like something every kid should do at least once during childhood. Mia really wanted to do this at some point in the summer, and I for reasons that I can't really explain given how busy we are preparing for our vacation, (Tropical island! No kids!! Ring any bells?) decided to try to cram that into our already bursting-at-the-seams schedule.

Before agreeing to this venture, I had Mia brainstorm a list of items that we would need to buy or make before setting up shop. She came up with: table, chairs, sign, pitcher, cups, balloons, and of course, lemonade. For that, I had an interesting recipe I wanted to try: watermelon lemonade (which I found in the June 21, 2013 issue of All You magazine, page 4). And, I happened to have lemons and watermelon on hand, which meant that this was as good a time as any to test the recipe and run a lemonade stand. Two birds, one stone.

Sweet Pink Lemonade (makes 12 servings)

• 6 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 cups watermelon, chopped 
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups lemon juice (from about 8 lemons)
• ice

1. Bring 6 cups water, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove pan from heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Puree 4 cups chopped watermelon in a blender (I used my food processor for this.) along with 1 cup of water.
4. Pour syrup and watermelon puree through a strainer into a pitcher. (This step was really messy!)
5. Stir in 2 cups fresh lemon juice. (The kids helped with the squeezing, but this was mostly a job for Mama.)
6. Serve over ice. (Hard to do when you're sitting outside for a couple of hours...)

Sounds pretty good, right? It is! However, this is a fair bit of work to put into a kids' lemonade stand endeavor. So, lesson #1 I learned is that when making a lemonade stand, don't knock yourself out making fresh squeezed lemonade from organic lemons and pureed watermelon. Seriously, I doubt that our customers knew or cared how much effort went into making the stuff. *If* we do this again, I will probably just use frozen lemonade concentrate or perhaps, more lazily, a powdered drink mix. For some reason it seemed important to keep it real, but in retrospect, I don't think it mattered.

Setting up a table and chairs was easy. Getting balloons blown up was trickier. I don't have that much hot air, it seems, and the kids are a bit young to be much help in this arena. Making a sign shouldn't have been as time-consuming as it was, but being perfectionistic, I decided to do it myself using my Cricut and some yellow and pink card stock. (I am not sure if this was the right choice or not. Mia could have done the lettering herself, of course, but I didn't think it would be as legible, so I wanted the cut-out letters to hopefully get more attention.) One thing I made sure to highlight on the sign was the word "fresh" because after all that effort, I wanted people to know they were buying a quality product! Is there a lesson here? I'm not sure, but I think it is still related to #1: don't overdo things; Keep it simple.

Now, came one of the more difficult decisions: what price to assign to a small paper cup of fresh squeezed lemonade? Initially, I was thinking only a quarter because the cups were small kitchen cups, but after all of the work invested in my kids' lemonade stand, (and thinking about having to hand wash my lemon juicer, large pot, and assorted food processor pieces...), I made the executive decision to charge 50 cents per cup. I figured $1 was too steep, and 50 cents was the next logical choice. Lesson #2 is that everything has value, including Mom's time. (However, Mom is also the person who makes sacrifices, so I decided not to charge the kids for my time or for the materials we used to make their lemonade. I'm still debating whether or not that was the right decision. I wanted them to see some "profits" but I also wanted them to recognize that everything came at a cost. Tough stuff, when you really think about it, and I thought it was just lemonade!) I think that *if* we run another lemonade stand, I really should let them have the true lesson in economics. This was just the intro course, and I omitted some of the critical learning.

Lesson #3 was more of a lesson for the children with regards to persistence. About half an hour into the waiting game, Mia announced that this was boring. (Shocker, I know!) I tried to remain optimistic even though I didn't think we would get many customers. We live on a paved road off of a dirt road, so we're kind of isolated. Our only hope was the neighborhood people and given that it was the middle of the afternoon on a weekday, it didn't seem like we would get too much business. I reminded the kids that they had to be friendly and wave to all of the cars that passed by. Logan jumped on this idea immediately, and waved enthusiastically while yelling out out to each passerby, "Hi! We have a lemonade stand!!" Amazingly, we started getting customers right after this, so there is power in positive thinking.

There really are good people in the world. I think this lesson #4 hit home for me, perhaps, more than it did for Mia and Logan. Once the neighbors started showing up, they would buy more than one cup, so that meant $1 instead of 50 cents. I honestly did not expect that, because, again, I was worried that I was overcharging in the first place. Then, we had two people who made donations/tips to the lemonade stand, just because they were supportive. One neighbor said, "Here's a tip just for being an entrepreneur." Isn't that nice? (It made me feel like I should do a better job of supporting lemonade stands...) But the one thing that really impressed me was when the UPS delivery man stopped his truck just so he could buy two (again, not one but two!) cups of our by-then lukewarm lemonade. While I was a teensy bit upset over the people who promised to "come back later" and never did, in the end they sold 13 cups and got paid for more than that, which exceeded my expectations of what we could achieve in a two-and-one-half-hour window on a Thursday afternoon in our neighborhood, where people pretty much keep to themselves.

Mia learned a lesson in responsibility (#5). Our neighbors across the street actually set up a bouncy house while we were working at the lemonade stand. (We had been invited over to bounce earlier in the day, and had taken advantage of their hospitality for about a half hour.) This was a very tough decision for her, but ultimately, she decided to keep manning the stand instead of going off to do the thing that would have been immediately gratifying. I was, admittedly, shocked that she made this choice, especially after watching her weigh the choices in her mind, and seeing how hard it was for her to decide to stick with her business plan!

Lesson #6 is one on being prepared. Lemonade stands are a sticky, messy business so have lots of towels on hand for cleaning up all the spills. The drink dispenser may go haywire at some point from too many little hands fiddling with it, so make sure your extra cups are easily within reach because you may find yourself filling cup after cup, trying to keep up with the gushing. (Must not waste any of that fresh squeezed organic lemonade with pureed watermelon!) Oh, and don't forget a bag to hold all of the used cups, like I did. Sunscreen seemed like an obvious choice (check!), but little did I know, we would actually need an umbrella before the afternoon was over! Make sure your kids have their own water bottles so they are not tempted to drink up the lemonade supply. I made sure that we had change before heading outside, not knowing that we wouldn't really need it. (Nice people!) And I figured having hand sanitizer available couldn't hurt.

Once the rain got too hard, we shut down the lemonade stand, and headed inside, where I counted the money. When all was said and done, I gave each of the kids $3.50. As Brett pointed out, this wasn't the profits, it was the revenue. I had decided not to charge them the $3 for the lemons or the $2.50 for half of a watermelon that was used. Sugar and cups were such small amounts that I didn't know how to calculate the cost for those, and then there was the issue of my time. Undoubtedly, it is valuable, but it was all a gift, because I wanted them to have the experience. Lesson #7 was to just plain enjoy life! We had a good/exhausting/sticky afternoon, and we may have come out ahead by a dollar of so, but the real lessons had more to do with earning money. (This is fortunate, since there wasn't much money actually made when you do the math.) It was more rewarding for me just to let them enjoy the feeling of success, while we kicked back and finally enjoyed some of that sweet pink lemonade. I think we all earned it.