This morning I noticed that we had a couple of sad looking potatoes sitting on our pantry shelf. Whenever we have old potatoes we like to use them for potato stamping crafts. My daughter has a thing for snails lately, so I thought that they would make a cute subject for our morning project.
This has been an amazing few days. There is still snow in my front yard despite the fact that we have had two warm days in a row, but I don’t even mind. It is almost gone & the nice weather is here. It felt great to get outside. Sunday we spent the day at the park with My daughter’s best little boy friends & yesterday we hit our local drive in for hamburgers & ice cream. She was so happy to get her ice cream cone. Her face said it all. She savored every last messy bite.
With the spring nearing and the weather warming, I thought that a spring craft was in order. When I think of spring, I, of course, think of the flowers, of the rain and I think of butterflies. We are big fans of paint stamping. We have used potatoes, apples, marshmallows and other odds and ends to make prints. We had a bag of old potatoes, so they were going to be perfect for our spring project.
Cut a potato in half and then slice of a little bit from one end so that one end has a straight edge. Do this to both potatoes.
Cut a small V-shaped piece out of the side opposite of the straight end. Carve a line from the V to the opposite end.
Dip both potato pieces into paints of assorted colors.
Stamp the two pieces of potato side by side with the straight edges facing each other.
Let your stamps dry.
Draw or paint in the butterfly’s body and antennae.
You can even add a background with paint or crayons or markers around your butterflies.
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Sitting in our cupboard in the kitchen is a sack of old potatoes that are growing sprouts. Those potatoes had seen better days and were on their way out. It would be such a shame to have to waste them, so we had to make sure that we put them to good use. In the fall, we made potato Jack-O-Lanterns. With the holidays approaching our potatoes have taken on a new form.
Christmas ornament potato stamps
Cut a potato in half & carve an ornament design into a potato.
Dip your potato into paint.
Stamp until the potato does not stamp anymore & dip again.
With a paintbrush add the ornament tops.
Make as many different designs as you like and stamp in different colors.
I started a new job a few weeks ago. While I love my new job, it has been quite a change for me. My last job had me on my feet all day. I was used to being on the run. With my new position, I am at a desk more the majority of my day. Not only am I not getting as much activity, I am also snacking much more while sitting at my desk. I needed to find healthy snacks to bring to work that did not make me feel guilty. A while back my mother-in-law bought us a bag of sweet potato chips & I absolutely loved them. How difficult could they be to make at home?
Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp of cinnamon
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp sea salt
Directions:
Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Wash & peel the potatoes. Slice the potatoes in thin even slices.( Try to cut the slices as evenly as possible.) Drizzle & rub with oil. Toss with cinnamon & paprika, coating each potato evenly. Spread out potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer & sprinkle with the sea salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes. (Cook times will vary) Turn off oven &
The baking can be a tricky process. Watch them carefully to make sure that they do not burn. If you have some slices that are thicker or thinner than the others they will cook differently. Thicker cut slices may not be crisp.
I made these to bring to work the next day but ended up eating almost all of them as a late night snack. I guess I will have to double the batch the next time.
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http://fitdishdiaries.wordpress.com/2014/03/13/roasted-smokey-spiced-chickpeas/
http://dontforgetyourveggies.com/2014/03/12/my-favorite-granola/
http://fairyburger.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/apple-chips/
I don’t know where you all live, but where we are, it is freezing. With the cold New England weather also comes the flu, colds & an assortment of other fun viruses to bounce back and forth around our home.
My husband & daughter have been sick all week. The menu this week has been soup & vitamin C. Tonight’s special for my two sniffling loves is shepherd’s pie soup.
Shepherd’s Pie Soup
Ingredients:
4 cups of peeled & cubed potatoes
1 lb of browned ground turkey
2 7oz can of corn
1/2 cup chopped onion
5 tbsp of butter or margarine
5 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
2 cups of shredded cheddar
3 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp parsley
Directions:
Combine potatoes, onion & broth in large pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer & cover. Cook until potatoes are tender about 15-20 minutes. Add salt & pepper.
Brown ground turkey with the garlic salt, drain & set aside.
In a medium saucepan melt the butter medium low. When fully melted add the flour and stir until the flour is absorbed. Add milk slowly & stir until smooth. Add parley & 1 cup of cheese & stir until melted.
Add the cheese mixture to the potatoes & stir well. Add the corn & the ground turkey & stir well again. Add the last cup of cheese & stir until melted.
Serve to your sick family while it’s still warm.
Some goldfish swimming in the bowl for the munchkin.
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http://forovenssake.com/2014/01/28/burrrroccoli-cheese-soup/
http://yourmovechef.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/russian-mushroom-and-potato-soup/
http://grandmacooks4fun.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/mexican-chicken-and-pepper-soup/
I am a carb addict. In the past, I have tried Atkins, South Beach, and all of those low carbohydrate diets. While they worked in the beginning, I was never able to stick to them. I love carbs, so why not embrace it. This is the ultimate carbohydrate addict’s meal, carbs stuffed with more carbs.
Cheesy Mashed Potato Manicotti
Mashed Potatoes
6 medium potatoes (peeled, cut & mashed) Use your favorite mashed potato recipe or you can use instant as well. 1 cup of cooked & crumbled bacon (regular or turkey bacon) 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (low fat or regular)
Add crumbled bacon & cheddar to the mashed potatoes & mix well.
Cheese Sauce-I always use this recipe or a variation of it when I need a cheese sauce http://www.food.com/recipe/basic-cheese-sauce-165722
1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 pinch cayenne pepper 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard 2 cups milk 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
Melt butter in saucepan, add flour and seasonings and stir until blended.
Gradually add milk and cook stirring constantly until thickened.
Stir in cheese and heat until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.
Full Recipe:
Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Cook a full box of manicotti according to package directions & drain. Lay down the manicotti on wax paper to cool. Prepare your mashed potatoes. Fill each manicotti shell with mashed potato mixture using a small spoon. Place in a casserole dish. Pour cheese sauce over the top & sprinkle with additional cheese. Bake for about 20-25 minutes.
Serve to your favorite food critic.
Ma, seriously what is this? Ok, try try try
Mmmmmm. Potato
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http://eatbreathecook.wordpress.com/2013/12/31/repurposing-leftovers-mashed-potatoes/
http://finallygettingtogether.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/meaty-manicotti/
