Games - UGH!

I have always just stacked the board games on a shelf.

The boxes on the bottom have always collapsed under the weight 

and it has always been a mess!

I decided to re-work the toyroom starting with the games.

I'm sorry I didn't take a before picture, but you can imagine stacks

of broken game boxes.

After some research online, I had two choices:

Game Savers at www.obhenterprises.com/GameSavers.html

and to be honest my organizing heart yearns for these nice, clean, blank

boxes that store board games but the price is too high.  About $11 per game.

Fix the boxes (mostly the corners) with clear packing tape, put all small pieces

in ziplocs, throw away games that had missing pieces and store them like books

on their sides.  Brilliant!  Why haven't I thought of doing that????

Each game can easily be pulled out without dumping five others on top of it.

Each box is only holding its own weight.

Each game can be seen.

Our toy toom will never be the same.  

The dread of getting a game and putting it back is over!

I love these colorful shelves now!  So organized....

Art Display Boards

I have always struggled with what to do with the continuous

stream of artwork my kids produce.  I've had a rotating collection

for 14 years and have always used bulletin boards.

This week, I tried a new approach - art that holds art.

I bought clipboards at Michael's that happen to be 12" wide

but any clipboard will do.  I painted the top 3 inches and Mod Podged

scrapbook paper onto the bottom.  They are cute enough on their own

to hang on the wall, or Ethan can display his Picasso's as he wishes.

Ethan had art going as the paint was drying.  He was excited to use them

and impatient about drying paint!

Lasagna Chicken

This is my current favorite chicken dish.  The prep takes a little time, but is worth it!  Serve with steamed vegetables and a great roll or breadstick - my kids love it!  My recipe is very low fat and so I can have it whenever I want!

Lasagna Chicken

10 chicken breasts

1 15 oz. carton non-fat ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mozarella cheese

Frozen, chopped spinach that is thawed 

(I buy a 10 oz. box and only use 1/4 of it - you can add more)

Classico Tomato and Basil spaghetti sauce

Mix the three cheeses and egg together in a bowl.  Squeeze spinach in hand to drain 

excess liquid before adding to cheese mixture.  Set aside.

Pound chicken breasts with tenderizer mallot or bottom of a glass until about 1/2 inch thick.  I put the meat in between 2 pieces of Press and Seal Saran Wrap to keep the mess at bay.

Add a heaping spoonful (flatware tablespoon) of cheese mixture to middle of breast.  Fold in each side and secure with a wooden toothpick.

Place in glass or stone casserole dish.  Spoon spaghetti sauce onto top of each chicken roll.

Bake at 350^oF for 60 minutes.  Drain juice from dish before serving.

Snickerdoodles

I love this recipe!  I am starting to make these every Sunday with Marti's Chocolate Chip Cookies...

Snickerdoodles

1 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

cream together, then add:

1 tsp. baking soda

2 t. Cream of Tartar

1/2 tsp. salt

Mix, then add:

2 3/4 c. flour

Refrigerate for 30 minutes, roll into 1 inch balls, dip in a mixture of 

cinammon and sugar (I only dip the top), place on parchment lined 

cookie sheet and bake at 375^oF for 8 - 10 minutes.

Three Bites of Sugary Goodness

It's Marti's fault.

She is my sister and she taught me 

how to make them.
I have made my girls memorize and perfect
the recipe starting at age 10.

It took years to perfect them.

Jeff calls them "Crisco Disks", yet he still eats them.

We make them every Sunday and invite any and all to join in the feast

starting at 7:00p.m.

Marti's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

blend well then add:

1tsp. salt

1tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. water

blend well then add:

2 1/4 cups flour

add more flour until the dough is just past sticky and shiny.

Mix in 1 cup chocolate chips.

Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes.

Bake on parchment paper 

(I use the medium Pampered Chef Cookie Scoop) 

at 350^oF for about 10 minutes.

Chalkboard Platter

You might say I'm a little obsessed with chalkboards right now.
It's true.

I bought a silver platter on eBay for $9.
I bought a pint of chalkboard paint

at OSH and painted several coats on the flat part of the platter.  

It sits on my kitchen counter on an easel and I use my favorite chalk pen

to write whatever I want.
Messages of encouragement, announcements,

menus, etc.  It's a pretty message center.

I've seen the center of porcelain trays painted too and the trays also

look great hung on the wall.

On Sunday I remind the family what is coming....

Stay tuned for another chalkboard post tomorrow!

OOPS!

I have just been informed that I left out the most important ingredient in Grandma Van Doren's bread recipe - SUGAR!!!  Please know that the recipe has been fixed and I'm so sorry if you have already made it.
Julie