Friday, September 30, 2011

My sixth and final Kitchen Play entry.

I can't believe that I actually pulled off entering in each of the six courses at Kitchen Play. I usually only manage to try one or two of the recipes, but this month I was able to try all six! And you know what? It was tremendous fun!

My final entry is the appetizer course and I only slightly revised the Apple and Blue Cheese Tart. I used all the same ingredients, but put the pastry dough in muffin tins instead of on a pan. FACT: this is my first and only experience with filo dough. I think that I used too many layers of dough in each tin and personally, I'm a little unsure of the texture. Just a personal preference.


This month's sponsor is the U.S. Apple Association. A big thank you to them! Okay, now look at that beautiful hunk of cheese! THAT is Rogue River Blue Cheese wrapped in grape leaves. It is a reserve cheese that Whole Foods gets in only once a year. The are no words to describe this cheese, except that I can assure you that it is worth the price tag it comes with! And it paired really well with the granny smith apples.

Here are our Apple and Blue Cheese Tartlettes (I'm not sure what else to call them!).

Aren't they lovely little numbers?

You really should visit Kitchen Play and try these apple recipes for yourself!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Apple Cider Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Apple Slaw

Oh my! I'm in love with this month's Progressive Menu at Kitchen Play. It is sponsored by the U.S. Apple Association and I have now completed 5 of the 6 courses in the menu. It has been a lovely experience and I do hope to get to the appetizer course before the deadline of September 30th.

Here is the main entree: Apple Cider Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Apple Slaw created by Savour Fare. This was our supper tonight, along with the Cinnamon Apple Potato Salad that I made earlier today. A very scrumptious and satisfying meal to say the least!


You too can have this much fun each month, while cooking for your family. Just visit Kitchen Play and check out the Progressive Menu for your chance at $100 and a delicious meal to boot!

Potato Salad with a Twist!

I am totally enjoying the Progressive Menu at Kitchen Play this month! The sponsor is the U.S. Apple Association. That means all the recipes have apples in them which can mean only one thing: YUM.

The salad course is an interesting little number created by Amanda. Thank you Amanda! This recipe is going straight into my recipe file!

I was a little hesitant when I first read the ingredient list, but followed the recipe exactly and the salad is amazing. Really. It is.

Here is our finished salad, right before one of my daughters and I gobbled it up!


Thankfully I still have a good sized bowl to serve tonight with supper. I hope this has inspired you to visit Kitchen Play and to try the recipes.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Ta da! The Apple Basil Mojito.

Here we go again! Another entry for Kitchen-Play has me oooing and aaaahing still again!

Surely you know by now that I love participating in the Progressive Menu at Kitchen Play. Here I present to you the Cocktail portion of this month's menu, sponsored by the U.S. Apple Association. Drum roll PLEASE!!!!

The Apple Basil Mojito created by Cheeky Kitchen.

The star players all lined up:


I confess that I was not prepared in the barware department for this drink so I had to use a pretty little vintage punch mug for the picture, but I assure you that it did not affect the taste one itsy-bit!



My children enjoyed drinking (inhaling) their non-alcholohic mojitos. They gobbled up the apples, chewed on the basil and greedily slurped up every last drop of the mojito! I on the other hand realized that this was the perfect occasion to dust off the rum bottle that I have had in the basement for a while and try mine with a touch of rum. Delicious!

You must try this drink and if you hurry and do so before September 30th, you can enter the Kitchen Play Progressive Menu for your very own chance at $100. Cheers y'all!

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Thank you Nutmeg Nanny.

Is Nutmeg Nanny the cutest name you have ever heard? It is so comforting to say the least.

Well, Nutmeg Nanny is participating in Kitchen Play's Progressive Menu this month and so am I! The U.S. Apple Association is the sponsor this month.

I am SO glad to have this new recipe in my stash! Apple Maple Parfaits.

It is classified as a dessert in the Progressive Menu, but we had it for breakfast this morning! Very satisfying and double yum. And might I just add that anything you can eat out of a canning jar is so worth the effort!



Can I let you in on a little secret? If you make and preserve Apple Pie filling ahead of time, it makes this a really easy and quick breakfast or dessert. Not that the recipe is hard, it isn't, but if you have the one step of cooking the apples done ahead of time, it makes it SUPER easy and fast. Remind me to post how to make and preserve apple pie filling. 

The children and I loved this combination of spiced apples, yogurt and maple syrup. In fact, I can't believe I never thought of it before! Thank you Nutmeg Nanny!

Proof that the children loved it, just in case you were wondering!



You too can participate in Kitchen Play's Progressive Menu. It is the yummiest fun you will ever have. I promise.

Apple-Tizers for Lunch

I'm a fan of Kitchen Play. Just look through my blog posts as proof. The Progressive Menu has me swooning every month!

This month the sponsor is the U.S. Apple Association. Now, who doesn't love apples?? My only disappointment in this menu is the timing! I have 3 bushels of apples coming to me the first week of October and the deadline for the contest is September 30th! Oh well. We love apples enough to forge ahead and participate anyway!

We tried the Itty-Bitty Apple-tizers first, only we did it KID-STYLE. Fun and deliciousness wrapped into one!

First we brought out our toppings...(and just as a side note, once the bag of M&M's made it's appearance, all mayhem ensued).


Then we set to cutting out the apples, adding a dollop of peanut butter and putting on all the yummy toppings.


Okay, I know these are not as glamorous or charming as Deanna's, but the children certainly did enjoy making and eating them.


Here are the children enjoying their Apple-tizers!


Head over to Kitchen Play and get in on the action! You'll love it!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Ouch, that hurt!

We home-educate our children. Currently, we have two eight-year olds, a seven-year old, a five-year old and a two-year old. Things get a little crazy around here and as the mom, teacher, principal, cafeteria worker, janitor, president of the PTO, etc. I am expected to remain calm, subdued and under-control at all times. It became clear to me today that perhaps I'm not doing a very good job at exhibiting self-control. At one point, I put my hands on my cheeks and said, "Oh, I'm going to go crazy." My five-year old son puts his hands on his ears and yells,

"TAKE COVER!"

We all got a good chuckle out of it. Later in the day I said the same thing as I was trying to locate an item that I had just had in my hands 2 minutes earlier and my little man said the same thing. It has now become a family joke.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

We love art!

The children and I love art. We love studying it and creating it! We are getting ready to study Giotto (pronounced jaw-toe, in case you are wondering!). I had to look that one up.

We often times find You Tube videos instructing us on different art techniques, which is always fun and interesting. I just entered this giveaway for these terrific art DVDs.

Head on over to Home Educating Family Magazine to enter for your chance to win!

Friday, September 9, 2011

The return of the long skirt.

Has anyone noticed that long skirts are now making a comeback? The ladies in my family have always enjoyed wearing skirts and especially long lovely ones! Sometimes finding long, lovely and practical skirts, can be a challenge, but New Creation Apparel is meeting the challenge.



Life In A Shoe is hosting a wonderful giveaway. The prize? A new skirt from New Creation Apparel. Go take a look at all those lovely skirts!