FREEZER FRIDAY

It is time for another Freezer Friday, where I share a recipe that helps me feed my kids in a pinch without the additives or expense of snack food, and since it freezes well, it can be doubled or tripled and placed in the freezer to be eaten as needed.

Why I like this recipe for
LEMON-RASPBERRY MUFFINS is that it is very low in fat and my kids LOVE it. I use a little less sugar than the recipe calls for and they still love it.

These are easy to make and they it keep in the freezer for a month. When needed, they can be taken out of the freezer, wrapped in a paper towel, and reheated in the microwave on High for 30 to 60 seconds.

Find the printable version of the recipe here:

Ingredients:
1 lemon
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Cup nonfat buttermilk (or add 1 T lemon juice to 1 cup milk)
1/3 Cup canola oil
1 large egg
1 t Vanilla extract
1 Cup white whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat pastry flour
1 Cup all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 C fresh or frozen (not thawed) raspberries

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat 12 large muffin cups or use liners
2. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the lemon in long strips. Combine the zest and sugar in a food processor; pulse until the zest is very finely chopped into the sugar. Add the buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla and pulse until blended (I used a Magic Bullet and it worked great).
3. Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture and fold until almost blended. Gently fold in raspberries. Divide the batter among the cups.
4. Bake the muffins until the edges ad tops are golden, 20 to 2 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Serve warm.

SHOUT OUT For FREE FONTS

If you pay any attention to my blog roll or you are already a fan, you have already seen this awesome post going on over at 1825. I am very picky about which blogs I highlight over there to the right and 1825 is always a favorite. I LOVE free fonts so much that I decided it was worth a blog post in addition to the thumbnail on the blog roll.

FONTS come in very handy, and are especially helpful with all those school projcects. FREE fonts are even better. So, if you like crafting, scrapbooking, creating invitations, or have children, head over to this post at 1825 right now!! They have four awesome fonts only a download away!

Awesome Idea - Bubble Refills Made Easy

I LOVE this idea and only wish I had found it about three kids earlier. I know I'll still get lots of use out of this but, wow how I could have avoided many an afternoon being asked to refill bubble wands, bottles, or other sticky bubble toy of the moment. This idea came from COME TOGETHER KIDS . I will post some pictures of my refill jar when done, but I just wanted to post this so that you could get started on yours and save yourself the sticky bubble hands. Laura, from Come Together Kids also includes two recipes for making your own bubbles, YAY!

Last Little Bits of EASTER

I finished my PEEPS Bunting just in time for Easter. It was so much fun to make that I wish I had started making it sooner, I think I would have made one for all my friends. Wouldn't it be fun to get one of these in the mail just before Easter? Maybe next year.... I found the tutorial for the PEEPS Bunting idea at MADE. It was a fun project to include older children in. My 10-year-old helped a lot by cutting out the PEEPS and putting on their eyes and noses, but the one thing I would add to the directions is to make sure you keep track of both sides of the PEEP. My PEEP cut outs were played with a bit so when I went to go round them up again to sew the fronts to the backs, matching them up together became quite a task. But the kids did have fun with them. Also, I used white thread because I didn't have bright pink, I think the white distracts from the peep shape, so next time I will make a better effort to get matching thread.
















Also, I have a daughter that adores sheep so I made her these funny little sheep cookies.
I used chocolate eggs cut in half for the feet instead of the peanut M&M's just because that is what I had on hand. These were so easy to make and such a big hit on our Easter table, they might just become another Easter tradition at our house!

Scuba Guy Easter Egg

I have to admit a tiny crush I have on this little egg scuba guy. I can't help it, I think he is just too cute. This is one of my best Easter eggs ever! I saw the idea in Family Fun magazine and had to try it. He sits on my window sill giving me a cheery look whenever I am working at my sink. And if I sneak a jelly bean out of the kids Easter basket, he doesn't judge me. Oh, how sad I am going to be when it is time for him to go. He already has a crack in his side (which he is a bit sensitive about so please don't say anything). I am really going to miss you little egg scuba guy...

THIS WEEK

THIS WEEK: Explore Colors. Choose a color and go on a scavenger hunt inside or out, for things of that color. Choose a few items that were found and draw a picture and color or paint them the chosen color. Serve lots of that color for lunch or snack. Older children can learn about how that color has different shades and what those shades are called.

Celebrating Easter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oteno81QzzQ


Tonight we are continuing to read our Easter Story eggs and we have made our Resurrection Rolls. The kids really enjoyed dipping their marshmallows in the butter than rolling it in sugar and cinnamon. While we were waiting for this yummy bread to finish baking, we watched this awesome video of the life of Christ.


This really put us in the proper spirit for this important holiday. Our 21 month old wanted to watch this over and over again. Lovely.

Thank you to Plenty Of Picnics where I first saw this beautiful video. She also has a wonderful countdown to Easter where I have learned a few new things about Christ's week leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection.