Safari Baby Shower

My brother's wife had their baby last week! she is adorable! don't you think? I could just eat babies up they are so sweet! 

Last month my mother and I through a bridal shower for mommy to be! the invites where printed and pasted with animal print paper as back ground.

We're “wild” with excitement.

The time is drawing near.

The Queen of the Safari, is almost here.

Amanda's tummy is expanding

So let's shower her with gift's and cheer!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

7:00 pm

(address)

American Fork, UT 84003

Give us a roarrr if you DON''T plan on swinging by!

Cathy: (phone) email@email.com

Emmalee:(phone) email@email.com

(there is no theme for their nursery and they do not need any of the large baby items.)

We went with a safari theme. 

 

We got the balloons at Macey's Food and Drug, but you can get them at most party stores or on Amazon.

Simple palm decoration I got from Dollar Tree.

 

 

 We wanted to go with a more traditional safari look rather then pastels. the table cloth is just a canvas paint drop cloth from the hardware store. I had some safari fabric I bought a while ago so I made a table runner and banner. we used dowels to hold the pineapples together to make the tree and added palm leaves from Dollar Tree to add to the top. 

 

The letters on the banner are pinned on with safety pins. I thought it would go well with the baby shower idea. The letters were cut out with my silhouette SD on pink card stock.

 For food we had a yogurt bar. The guests had a choice between plain, honey or vanilla yogurt. a variety of fruit, granola, monkey bread, banana bread, and water.

 It's hard to know if you should play games or not at these things. The older generation seems to like games, and the younger generation seems to dislike them. We decided to do a few games and paint onesies for the new arrival.

 

 We had a game as everyone came in that had a list of animals and you are to name the baby animal. This was the deluxe version. has things like "what is the name of a baby Ant?"

We then had the guest go on a safari and count all the baby items hidden around the yard. 

For the onesies we had images cut out with my silhouette SD on freezer paper. If you iron the freezer paper shinny side down it will stick to the onesies and makes a great stencil. Some people also free handed things. We had paints, brushes, sponge blotters, and paint markers available to everyone. It turned out better then I had hoped!

Here is the gift I made for her. You have probably seen them all over lately. I think everyone is excited to do something different then the over used diaper cake.

Granola

Summer has hit and as many of you know that means kids home, vacations, and overall just busy. Sorry it has been a month or more sense I last posted. I have been doing many fun things I want to share. They just take up so much of my day, it has been hard to find time to post them to share with all of you.

Last night I hosted, along with my mom, a baby shower for my sister-in-law (more on that later). We had a yogurt bar with fruit and granola toppings. The granola was a great hit and everyone was asking for the recipe. I wish I could take full credit for it, but I got it from my sister, who got it from a friend. I had made a few small changes, for the original recipe check it out here on my family's recipe blog. what better treat for the summer then granola and fresh berries?

Granola Recipe

2 Cups old fashioned oats
1/2 Cup wheat germ
1/4 Cup ground flaxseed
1/2 Cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 Cup chopped walnuts (I like pecan too, any nut will work)

Put all dry ingredients into a large bowl.

Turn stove on low heat and add to a small saucepan:

1 Tablespoon water
3 Tablespoons coconut oil (canola oil will work too)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon (depending on how strong you want it)
1/2 Cup Honey

Mix together until runny. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well.

Spray cookie sheet and spread granola on cookie sheet. (It works fine if you skip the spray)

Bake at 275 for 40-45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, as not to burn.

When done, let cool completely before putting into a airtight container. I normally put mine in a gallon size zip up bag. triple the recipe and it fills it all the way up.

Food Friday - 'Nana bread

I am not a lover of bananas!

Never have been.

I think it's the texture more then anything.

I do love me some banana bread though.

Every time I make this it is gone with in 24 hours, both loafs.

It's a favorite here at our house.

'Nana Bread

1/3 C honey (or agave nectar)
1 egg (I've left this our before and it seems the same)
2 T pure vanilla extract

Mix above together

Add:
3 C smashed bananas

mix together

Add:
1 1/2 C whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 C oat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 C coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 C ground flaxseed (optional)

mix by hand until just mixed.

add to greased bread pans (two). bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 min.

food friday - Penne Pasta

This is a hit most every time I make it.

(I say most, because depending on the day my 5 year old says he doesn't liked cooked tomatoes)

you can make this with all fresh ingredients or the following:

2 cups of uncooked penne pasta
1 bag of asparagus or broccoli stir fry (if it comes with seasoning packet, don't use it. find just the vegetables)
1 can of diced tomatoes (drained)
garlic powder (to taste)
Italian seasoning (about 1 Tbl or to taste)
olive oil (optional)
shrimp or chicken ( optional. I normally do it vegetarian)
parmesan cheese (to taste)

cook the pasta in a pot of water according to package instructions. saute veggies in non-stick skillet until tender. add tomatoes, cook until tomatoes are heated up. add cooked and drained pasta and seasonings. serve. sprinkle cheese to taste.

Food Friday! - Carrot Cake

I love carrot cake! My husband dose not.

So at our house we only have it once a year, usually Easter.

I took about 3 different recipes and combined what I liked and made my own.

This recipe is so good for you, you could have it for breakfast.

 

So that is what we did. Easter Morning we had carrot cake muffins!

Carrot Cake

1/2 C honey
3/4 C oat flour (take old fashioned oats and blend in a food processor or put through a wheat grinder, until it is flour, I do large batches and just keep a container of it in my pantry)
3/4 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1/3 C chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 C raisins (optional. I don't care for them in my carrot cake personally)
2 eggs
1tsp. Vanilla
3 1/4 C shredded carrots (about 2lbs. I shred them on my food processor)
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple (do not drain)

peel and shred carrots.
place flours, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, walnuts, raisins, in a bowl and mix by hand.
Add all remaining ingredients and mix by hand until well blended. (If your willing to get messy you could actually stick you hand in the mix to mix it. It works well, I promise)
place mix into a greased 9 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 min or until done.

for muffins bake about 20-25 min.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. Cream Cheese (low or non-fat)
1tsp. vanilla
1/4 C honey

let cream cheese come to room temp. whip in mixer. add vanilla and honey and mix until blended.

Food Friday - Graham Crackers

So this was my attempt to give my kids Graham Crackers in a healthier way.

I say attempt because even though we all liked them, they didn't fall apart in milk like my boys love.

It was fun to have any shape Graham Cracker you like.

 

Home-made Graham Crackers

2 1/2 Whole Wheat Flour

1/4 C agave nectar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 C oil

2 T honey

1 T molasses

1/4 C water 

add all to a food processor or in your mixer with a bread hook. Mix until it forms a ball. Roll out on floured surface until just thinner then regular Graham Crackers. cut with your choice of cookie cutters or a pizza cutter into squares or rectangles. transfer to parchment covered baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-14 min.

Food Friday! - Multigrain Pancakes

On St. Patrick's day I wanted the kids to have a fun holiday.

Growing up we would dress in green and have food colored green.

I've tried this in the past and my kids would not eat "green food". honestly it doesn't look too good to me either!

I decided to go with normal food, food I knew they would eat.

I told them the pancake was a large gold coin at the bottom of the rainbow.

I made a green smoothie using extra fruit I didn't put on the plate, an avocado, spinach and some milk.

Now for the multi grain pancake recipe. I revised this from a recipe I got from my sister-in-law.

Multi-grain pancakes

1 C oat flour (grind oats in food processor)
1 C whole wheat flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour)
1/4 C ground flaxseed
2 tsp. baking soda
1tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbl. chopped nuts (optional. you can choose one or many different kind)

mix above ingredients in a medium sized bowl and set aside.

about 1C or 1/2 pint of buttermilk
1 C milk
1/4 C oil (I use apple sauce as replacement sometimes, if you do make sure you watch them closely so they don't burn)
2 eggs
1/4 C sugar (you could use honey or agave nectar as well)

mix wet ingredients with an immersion blender or electric mixer. you want it to get slightly fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and mix by hand until just combined. Cook on skillet just as you would other pancakes.

Other recipes I've tried and liked:

best pizza crust recipe!

cashew no chicken

Wild-rice stuffed squash

quick veggie burger

I really liked these. they don't take any longer then regular burgers to make and they are a lot less messy.

no grease splatters all over the stove.


 I've tried veggie burgers from the store years ago and didn't care for them, too chewy or something.

I have changed my ways.

this is the way to go for veggie burgers. of course I will still be enjoying a real burger now and then.

1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
2Tbl. katchup (or you can use tomato paste for a no sugar option)
1tsp. mustard
1tsp onion powder
1tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup oats ground to a course texture
1Tbl. Worcestershire sauce

add everything in a bowl. mix and smash beans until it is well mixed and a ground meat texture. make into patties. cook like you would meat patties or bake in oven at 400 degrees for 7 min on each side.

Meatless Shepard's pie

I adapted these from a recipe of veggie meat balls.

It really gives the meaty texture.

I normally do not make such time intensive meals, but every once in awhile I will do it.

I will normally make twice as much as we would eat and freeze part of it for another day. (split it before you cook it)

4-5 medium sized potatoes
1 C lentils
1 small onion
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1Tbl. Thyme
1tsp. salt
1 small can tomato paste (6oz, I think)
4 oz of mushrooms diced
1 bag frozen green beans

clean and cut up potatoes and boil them for about 20 min. add lentils in a quart of water. bring to a boil then turn to low and simmer 20-25 min. saute onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and mushrooms. add cooked and drained lentil, salt, thyme, and tomato paste to the veggies and mix well. it will be thick.
add the tomato mixture to a sprayed casserole dish (i did a 2 quart dish, but it will probably work in a 9x13 dish). layer the green beans on top of the tomato mixture. smash up cooked potatoes (you may want to add veggie stalk or water to give them some moisture) layer the potatoes on top of the green beans. bake at 350 for 30-40 min.

Ginger bread fun!

My family started to do gingerbread creations last year and the tradition I think is here to stay.

This year my husband and I decided to do a nativity scene.

nativity scene

angel

Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus

three wisemen

cant forget the camels

Donkey (I know it looks more like a horse, right?)

Shepherds and their sheep

Here are some from last year. 

our train

log cabin

out house to the cabin

Salt Lake City Temple

Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream

My youngest toad is lactose intolerant. It hasn't been to bad of a change for our family. If anything it has made us eat a little healthier, cutting out food with a lot of cream or cheese. I think the hardest thing has been ice cream. We love ice cream at our house and any non-dairy ice cream is hard to find and expensive when you do. I was so excited to find this super easy ice cream recipe made with coconut milk. Now my little toad can enjoy with us without the tummy ache afterwards.

2C coconut milk (canned whole fat is best, I couldn't find any. you can substitute with almond milk too)
1/3C honey
1T + 1t of pure vanilla extract

combine all ingredients in a blender. chill if needed (must be cold) Add to ice cream maker, follow manufacturer's directions for churning. add any add-ins you choose during the last few minutes of churning.

Raspberry Jam

I love Raspberries. My family has had raspberry bushes as long as I can remember. So it is only natural that we always had raspberry jam on hand.
Now that I have my own little family and am trying to cut down on a few things -- like sugar--I went looking for a no sugar added freezer Jam recipe. I didn't find one, unless you want to add Splenda, which I do not. I did however find out about a product I had not heard of before called Ultra gel. This is a product made in Utah. you can find it in Stores around here or order it on line. Basically what it does is gel up any liquid you have, hot or cold. It freezes well too.

this is what the bottle looks like.

I found two different Jam recipes online using it and they have one on the bottle. I sort of made up my own and it has turned out great.

4C of mashed fruit (you can add a cup of apple sauce to replace one of the cups of raspberries to cut price)
2T lemon or lime juice
1C sugar (optional)
1/2C ultra gel

mix fruit, lime juice, sugar together until well mixed. slowly add ultra gel while constantly mixing. let stand 5 min then mix again until smooth. fill jars, put lids on and freeze.

finished product

I think I may try it again and not add any sugar. I think it might work.

Way too easy peanutbutter cookies

 

mix in a bowl, by hand, the following:

1 C peanutbutter
1 C sugar
1 egg

roll into balls, place on un-greased cookie sheet. smash slightly with fork or bottom of a cup. bake at 375 for 9 min.