MIA

I feel totally MIA. Ryan was laid off last week, out of the blue and we have really no idea what is going to happen. There is a potential job offer in NY and we hope that he gets it otherwise unemployment here we come.

We both have been frantically running around getting the house ready, so we can put it up for sale. We have so many projects that we started but never got around to finishing. Now, we have given ourselves 1 week to get everything done.

I will keep you posted as we find out more.

Operation Organization

In case you missed it, Melinda over at Coming Clean is hosting an 8 week long Organization Challenge. This is week 4.

I was all ready to post yesterday but, for some reason the computer was not being agreeable and would not let me post.

These 2 areas were pretty easy clean ups. I did get rid of a ton of old hand towels. I am not sure why we accumulated so many.

My scrapbooking area is next. This place is so disorganized. It needs a lot of help.

Picnic Table Talk

This week's Picnic Table Talk from the ladies at ABC and 123 is all about SNACKS!

What easy snacks do you pack for your family?
What nutritious snacks do your children most enjoy?
Do you have any creative tricks for encouraging healthy snacking in your home?
What do you use to pack your snacks in?
Does your child's school have specific requirements for healthy snacks?

I just posted the recipe for our favorite snack, Homemade Granola Bars.

My kids eat a lot of snacks. What kid doesn't? We aren't the most healthiest of eaters and I am trying to remedy that. In our snack drawer right now you can find cookies, chips, crackers, popcorn, pretzels and fruit snacks. I really don't buy a lot of chips. The ones we have are left over from our trip to the lake. However, cookies are a staple. Hubby loves them.

When I make homemade cookies I always use wheat flour and add a little ground flax. I seem to add flax to everything I can. We made banana muffins the other day and of course I added a little flax.

We also always have several varieties of fruit in the house. My daughter loves fruit and will choose it as a snack before anything else. Her favorite is lemons. Go figure.

Since our garden is in full swing right now the kids have been eating a lot of carrots and sliced cucs. And in the Fall when our apples are ready they will eat a few apples a day. They love to just run out and grab one. I also always make applesauce to can, which we eat throughout the year.

I do store all my homemade granola bars in snack size ziplocs. I know I am not being very green but I haven't found a better way to do it.

Angry Eyebrows

We used to have this Veggie Tales movie that was all about angry eyebrows and how when one person has them, they can easily be transferred to another person. Just like a case of the galloping grumps, (that one is from Winnie the Pooh). We discuss angry eyebrows every now and then in our house because it does seem that when one person has them, others are quick to follow. And then we end up with a house full of angry, snippy people.

Well, the other day, and we hadn't discussed the eyebrows in awhile, D came out of his room like this.

It seems that some how he got a hold of a permanent marker and drew himself a pair of angry eyebrows. I asked him why he did this and he said, "I like angry eyebrows," very grumpily.

He was being so funny, I didn't have the heart to tell him that his angry eyebrows are usually found a tad bit higher.

Needless to say, his grumpiness didn't last nearly as long as the marker on his face did.

HELP!

Someone help me get that Cutest blog on the block off my blog. I switched to a plain background and I can't figure out where this is coming from or how to get rid of it. I looked all over in my HTML layout and I can't find it.

It is bugging me sooooooooooo much. UGH UGH UGH.

I have been working on it for over an hour and now that it is 1:25am I am Giving Up.

Help me PLEASE. And THANKS in advance.

Cool Carrots

When D and I were in our garden this morning, pulling up carrots, we found this

little lady.
It is so cool. No one wants to eat it and ruin it. Guess I will have to be the
bad guy once again.

A Staple in Our House

The Best Home-Made Granola Bars

This recipe comes from Amy, one of my awesome Playgroup Mommys.

Mix all of the dry ingredients first. Then make a well.

This is the oil I use for most things.


Add wet ingredients into the well.


I prefer to mix this recipe with my hands. It must come from all of those times I made homemade noodles with my Nanny.



Press into a 9x13 in. pan. Make sure to grease well. I use Pam Olive Oil Spray.



Not sure why I couldn't cut them all the same size today. They are usually a little more uniform. Oh well.

THE BEST HOME-MADE GRANOLA BARS
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups rolled oats (quick cooking oats are fine. That's what I use)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ (or wheat bran)
1 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
3/4 cup choc. chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, or raisins,
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, flour, chips and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well. I use my hands (this is very sticky). Pat and press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 20-30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges (you'll want to start checking them after about 20 minutes; in my oven it only takes 25 minutes - you want them to be just turning brown around the edges). Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut. Place on wax paper and cool completely.

NOTES:
* I use chocolate chips instead of raisins, or sometimes a combination of choc. and peanut butter chips.
* You can replace all or some of the oil with melted peanut butter.
* You can add a bit of ground flaxseed if you like.
* After cooling, I put each bar into a snack-size ziplock bag and keep them in a container in the fridge; the kids can just grab one and go.