tag:www.valponaz.org,2009:/mops//13 2009-11-19T19:22:19Z Movable Type 3.33 tag:www.valponaz.org,2009:/mops//13.628 2009-04-09T17:08:34Z 2009-11-19T19:22:19Z

Sneaking some nutrients into that box of brownie mix. Inspired by the book we have mentioned in our MOPS meetings lately, "The Sneaky Chef", I came up with my own version of brownies with some nutrients packed away. The family...

Alisha Hughes here for a recipe and pictures of some sneaky brownies you can make with your kids. ]]> tag:www.valponaz.org,2009:/mops//13.623 2009-04-06T02:11:50Z 2009-04-06T02:13:53Z

I just got this recipe from Jan Zurek today and I had to share...especially since I never got around to Food on Friday (on Friday). So, Jan, thanks for a great recipe. Here's what Jan says: This recipe lets you...

Alisha Hughes I just got this recipe from Jan Zurek today and I had to share...especially since I never got around to Food on Friday (on Friday). So, Jan, thanks for a great recipe. Here's what Jan says: This recipe lets you make 2 casseroles; 1 for today and 1 to freeze. You could add a little more chicken and tortillas to stretch the servings even further and freeze 2-3 meals! I put the slow cooker on right before bed and assembled the dish the next morning. Easy breezy! Yield: 2 Casseroles (2 servings each) 1 # boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 1-1/2#) 2 15-oz cans of enchilada sauce 1 4-oz can of chopped green chilies 1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained 8 6-in flour tortillas (I used 12) 1 cup (4 oz) shredded Mexican cheese blend Sour cream, optional 1. In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the chicken, enchilada sauce and chilies. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees. 2. Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Reserve 1-2/3 cups cooking juices. Pour the remaining cooking juices into a large bowl; add the beans and shredded chicken. Coat two freezer-safe 8-in square baking dishes with cooking spray; add ½ cup reserved juices to each (I didn't do the last step here) 3. Place about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in prepared dishes. Pour remaining reserved juices over top; sprinkle with cheese. 4. Cover and freeze one dish for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the second dish at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is lightly browned. Serve with sour cream if desired. To use the frozen enchiladas: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake as directed.]]> tag:www.valponaz.org,2009:/mops//13.619 2009-03-27T19:21:11Z 2009-03-27T19:37:15Z

Okay, mommas, here's one you can make a bunch of and freeze to use later. Waffles. If you have a waffle maker you can do this one. I think I got my waffle maker at Walgreens for like $5 or...

Alisha Hughes 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour 2 Tbs. sugar 1 Tbs. baking powder 2 eggs 1 3/4 cup milk 1/4 cup oil or melted butter 1/4 cup applesauce 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. cinnamon Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Lightly beat together wet ingredients in another. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Pour batter onto lightly-oiled waffle iron and bake until done. We served ours with sliced bananas, crushed walnuts, and syrup. Yummy! To freeze, let them cool and then stick 5-6 in each freezer bag. To thaw, just pull them straight out of the freezer and heat in the microwave, in a toaster oven, or in the oven. ]]> tag:www.valponaz.org,2009:/mops//13.617 2009-03-26T14:49:03Z 2009-03-26T15:25:34Z

Better late than never, right? Thankfully I know that all of you can appreciate a busy mom who is forgetful from time to time. My excuse is "Spring Break Brain." I am enjoying a certain amount of laziness that's not...

Kari Gearhart Disposable diapers...child safety seats...collapsible strollers...baby monitors. All these products exist because of new moms like you. Be part of it-- Join MySurvey.com. Share your opinions and shape future baby products. Earn rewards and a chance to win $10,000 just for registering. Plus, when you join, MySurvey.com will donate $1.00 to The Make-A-Wish Foundation, a charity that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Your privacy is secured. Your participation is FREE and always voluntary. To learn more, click here. ]]> tag:www.valponaz.org,2009:/mops//13.616 2009-03-24T13:53:46Z 2009-03-24T13:55:59Z

Due to lack of response, Mom's Night Out has been canceled for tonight. If you had been planning on attending, please contact Mindi....

Kari Gearhart Due to lack of response, Mom's Night Out has been canceled for tonight. If you had been planning on attending, please contact Mindi. tag:www.valponaz.org,2009:/mops//13.613 2009-03-23T19:09:43Z 2009-03-23T19:12:17Z

Monday:March 23rd, 10am Barnes and Noble Disney Day - come dressed as your favorite Disney character. (sorry I am getting this on here after the fact, Hope you all had fun today!) Tuesday, March 24th - Moms Night Out -...

Alisha Hughes Monday:March 23rd, 10am Barnes and Noble Disney Day - come dressed as your favorite Disney character. (sorry I am getting this on here after the fact, Hope you all had fun today!) Tuesday, March 24th - Moms Night Out - El Saltos in Chesterton. Mindi has yet to hear from anyone on this so if you are planning on going let her know. Friday March 27th, 10am - Westfield Mall (shopping, play, walking, eating... whatever you prefer) tag:www.valponaz.org,2009:/mops//13.612 2009-03-21T01:54:00Z 2009-03-21T02:03:56Z

If you were at MOPS this week you heard me talk a little about freezing meals and how that can save time, money, and energy. One mom questioned what kinds of foods freeze well and what kinds of foods don't....

Alisha Hughes here. Our meal for today is a meal that can be frozen and eaten later. Make a huge batch of this and fill up several bags and you'll have dinner for several nights. (not in a row) ;0) Our freezer meal is called Cheesy Filled Shells and you can find the recipe with pictures here.]]> tag:www.valponaz.org,2009:/mops//13.610 2009-03-18T14:14:01Z 2009-03-20T00:04:30Z

Works for Me Wednesday message: Instead of taking on something new, get caught up with the things you have been meaning to do since December. :) Remember a long long time ago when we ate that delicious breakfast together and...

Alisha Hughes Works for Me Wednesday message: Instead of taking on something new, get caught up with the things you have been meaning to do since December. :) Remember a long long time ago when we ate that delicious breakfast together and everyone went on and on about the STUFFED FRENCH TOAST? That day we had mentioned that we would get that recipe up on the blog. Well, 3 months later...here we are. Thank you to the dear Moppets worker who reminded me to get this recipe up, because I had completely forgotten. Thank you also, to Stephanie for getting the recipe to me so quickly once I remembered to ask for it. ;) Works for me Wednesday this week: get caught up on what should have been done a while back and then sigh a sigh of relief. It'll feel good. Alrighty mommas, here's the recipe you have all been waiting for: STUFFED FRENCH TOAST Recipe from: Stephanie Anderson Ingredients: Texas Toast or French Sour Dough Bread 2 tsp cinnamon 5 eggs Salt (pinch) 1 ½ cups milk ½ cup butter 1 cup brown sugar 1-8oz pkg cream cheese 1 ½ tsp vanilla ½ cup sugar Layer 9x13 pan with bread. Mix cream cheese, vanilla & sugar. Put tablespoon on center of each piece of bread. Top with another layer of bread. Melt butter and mix in cinnamon and brown sugar and pour over bread. Beat eggs, salt & milk and our over everything. Cover and let sit overnight refrigerated. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Enjoy.]]> tag:www.valponaz.org,2009:/mops//13.607 2009-03-13T17:05:19Z 2009-03-13T17:13:13Z

Big time thank you to Mindi for planning fun MOPS activities outside of MOPS. Here are the ones for this next week coming up (March 15-21): Monday, March 16: Playdate at Mindi's. Please RSVP to 926-6219. I will not post...

Alisha Hughes Monday, March 16: Playdate at Mindi's. Please RSVP to 926-6219. I will not post her address online, but if you need to get directions you can ask Mindi when you call to RSVP. Tuesday, March 17: Shamrock Shakes at McDonald's 11am Will be at the McDonald's on Rt. 30 next to Wise Way. Kids can play in play place. Come enjoy a shake or for eat your lunch together. Thursday, March 19: MOPS meeting at VNC 9-11 am (YOU BETTER BE THERE!) Friday, March 20: Barnes and Noble 10 am Barnes and Noble is next to Pier One and across from Target. They are featuring the book "Guess How Much I Love You" and Little Nutbrown Hare will be making an appearance. ]]> tag:www.valponaz.org,2009:/mops//13.606 2009-03-13T04:52:27Z 2009-03-13T05:00:40Z

This recipe is actually a Pampered Chef recipe. It reminded me of the White Castle cheeseburgers. My husband calls them sliders. He LOVES sliders. It's a different way of making the classic cheeseburger. It's easy, it's fun, and it's tasty....

Alisha Hughes Ingredients: 1 medium onion 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (I did not use fresh) 1-1/2 lb. 90% lean ground beef 1 garlic cloves, pressed 1 tsp. salt 6 slices American cheese 8 hot dog buns 24 hamburger dill pickle slices (I ignored this part, since my family would not eat pickles) Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Finely chop onion and parsley using food chopper. Combine beef, onion, parsley, garlic and salt in a medium sized bowl; mix well. Press beef mixture evenly over bottom of Large bar pan or 9x13 pan. Bake 10-12 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. 2. Meanwhile, cut cheese into quarters; set aside. Slice buns apart neatly at seam (do not separate tops from bottoms). Trim about 1/4 in. from each bun end to square off ends. (discard trimmings). Cut buns into thirds for a total of 24 square mini buns; set aside. 3. Remove bar pan from oven. Pour off juices, if necessary, and place on cooling rack. Cut beef mixture into 24 squares, using pizza cutter. Top each burger with one pickle and one piece of cheese. Place one fun top onto each burger; top with one bun bottom. Cover bar pan with aluminum foil and bake 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and buns are warm. 4. To serve, place one burger with bun top onto one bun bottom using a mini serving spatula. Repeat with remaining burgers and bun bottoms. Serve immediately.]]> tag:www.valponaz.org,2009:/mops//13.605 2009-03-12T21:18:25Z 2009-03-12T21:22:35Z

For those of you who faithfully check back to this site, I apologize for my absence. I am struggling with morning sickness from time to time. Then we had to get ready for Keely's one year birthday. Then we HAD...

Alisha Hughes For those of you who faithfully check back to this site, I apologize for my absence. I am struggling with morning sickness from time to time. Then we had to get ready for Keely's one year birthday. Then we HAD her birthday party. Then, my parents came from out of town. The night they left we found out Preston had pink eye. The next afternoon we found out Keely had an ear infection. :) Things are pretty wild here in our house these days. Lots of excitement! :) I am planning to get a recipe on here for tomorrow for our Food on Friday. I also intend to get the calendar on here that Mindi made up and passed out at our last meeting. Hope to get around to that tonight. Have a great rest of your Thursday! Hope your family is healthier than ours. ;0) tag:www.valponaz.org,2009:/mops//13.600 2009-03-04T19:46:23Z 2009-03-04T19:55:45Z

Darling mommas, I am having one of those weeks...okay, months really. I feel like I am the very last person to be giving anyone any kind of advice on how to "live the life". :) I thought I would open...

Alisha Hughes Darling mommas, I am having one of those weeks...okay, months really. I feel like I am the very last person to be giving anyone any kind of advice on how to "live the life". :) I thought I would open the floor today and make it all about what you have to offer. Everyone, please think of one thing you did today that seemed to work for you, your kids, or your husband and share that. It doesn't have to be earth-shattering. You never know, it just may inspire another mom. I'll start, with a little one for me this week. I took my son to the Valparaiso library today for toddler time. For just $3 he can go to 6 sessions and he LOVES them. At each session they do songs, a craft, a video, and read a book, as well as other activities. Preston has really learned to sit down and be a big boy this time around. (we had a little trouble last time when he was not quite three years old yet, and could not bear to part from his momma) He also happens to love Miss. Mary, the librarian. :) Okay, your turn. What worked for you this week? tag:www.valponaz.org,2009:/mops//13.599 2009-03-02T22:31:49Z 2009-03-02T22:41:39Z

I mentioned before that Mindi would be talking at our last meeting about doing some playdate ideas. Unfortunately, she was not able to make it to the meeting last time because of weather and terrible traffic. She has great ideas...

Alisha Hughes I mentioned before that Mindi would be talking at our last meeting about doing some playdate ideas. Unfortunately, she was not able to make it to the meeting last time because of weather and terrible traffic. She has great ideas brewing though, and I think you all will love them. Mindi has been working on compiling a list of activities that the MOPS moms can do together, including, but not limited to, trips to Chesterton library, story time at Barnes and Noble, meeting at the park when it is warmer, Chuck E. Cheese's, Liberty Zone, and other fun play date ideas. She will be handing out an activities calendar at the next meeting (this Thursday) provided that weather cooperates. :) It is our hope that you all will be able to pick and choose from the activities and find some extra opportunities to connect with other moms of preschoolers on a more regular basis. If any of you are interested in potentially hosting a play date at your house sometime be sure to mention that to Mindi on Thursday. Love you mommas. See you this Thursday. tag:www.valponaz.org,2009:/mops//13.596 2009-02-27T03:22:07Z 2009-02-27T03:28:08Z

You know when you start a recipe and you are half way through the recipe when you realize that you don't have one major ingredient that you ALWAYS have on hand...like sugar or something like that? Well, I have a...

Alisha Hughes here to download, or print a list of substitutions you can use in your own kitchen.]]> tag:www.valponaz.org,2009:/mops//13.594 2009-02-25T18:09:20Z 2009-02-25T18:27:32Z

My son loves all the shows on PBS. I usually do too. Although, if we are being totally honest, (which is always a fun thing to be) I can really really REALLY do without Sid the Science Kid. At any...

Alisha Hughes My son loves all the shows on PBS. I usually do too. Although, if we are being totally honest, (which is always a fun thing to be) I can really really REALLY do without Sid the Science Kid. At any rate, PBS is always throwing out the idea to the kiddos to jump on PBSKIDS.ORG. From time to time, I get on the computer with my son and do some of the activities with him. I have found that many of them require decent use of the mouse, which he has yet to master. For that reason, I usually end up helping with each step. Yesterday we played Word World's dog game and Preston laughed out loud every time as the dog would leap into the pile of letters. There are several downloadable coloring pages that I print every now and then as well. Here's one for you if your child is too young to handle the mouse and you want them to feel like they are doing the game on their own. Fisherprice.com Click on Fun & Family Time (on the sidebar) Click on Fun and Games, Online! Click Infant, Toddler, or Preschool (I do infant for Keely, who is not quite one year old and toddler for Preston) Fisherprice.com is great, because it has games where the preschooler, toddler, or baby can actually hit any key and something will happen, so the child does not have to really understand anything in particular to feel like they are in control of the game. Preston (three years old) likes the top three that pop up: Count the Score, The ABCs Zoo, and The Musical Instrument Game. Keely likes the Peek-A-Boo Games Okay, now it's your turn. Are there any websites that you get on and play with your children? Leave us a comment and share with the other mommas. I would love to hear of some others out there that are toddler friendly, if you know of any. I am aware that several moms reading this are saying, "NO! My kid is NOT going to touch the computer!" I know that because I used to feel that way. As with all things in parenting, boundaries must be set. :) It can be fun! If you try it out for the first time, let us know how it goes.