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Smoothie Cubes

January 13, 2010 By Kate 5 Comments

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Smoothies used to be a daily treat at our house. We’d have them with breakfast or as a snack and they were always devoured. But that was when we homeschooled and had a little more time in our days. Now, smoothies fall in the rotation just a few times a month.

So lately I’ve taken to making smoothies in stolen moments and freezing them in ice cube trays. That way, the kids can have a smoothie side dish at breakfast or grab a quick smoothie snack. They are so healthy and good for all of us that I was determined to find a way to fit them back into our schedule. And this works out perfectly!

The method works with any smoothie recipe. Just freeze your favorite smoothie in ice cube trays, pop out the frozen cubes and store in plastic freezer bags. Grab a few frozen cubes and enjoy. It really couldn’t get much easier. (Although I’ve found that rubber or silicone trays work best, like these that we got from IKEA.)

As far as our favorite smoothie recipe goes, that’s almost impossible to say. We are always mixing things up and every combination seems to be a hit. Here is the recipe I used for our last batch of smoothie cubes pictured below.

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Smoothie Cubes

  • 1 1/2 c. plain yogurt
  • 2 T. honey
  • 1 c. frozen blueberries
  • 2 bananas, cut into quarters
  • 1/2 c. frozen strawberries
  • 1/4-1/2 c. apple juice, optional

1. Combine everything except apple juice in a blender or food processor and process until desired consistency. If the smoothie is too thick, add a little apple juice to thin.

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Holiday Memories & Walmart Giveaway

December 22, 2009 By Kate 109 Comments

I think most people will agree that the holiday season, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, is a favorite time of year. I know it’s always been one of my favorites.

For me, it’s a time full of tradition and memories – both from my own childhood and from the traditions and memories we are building with our own kids. There are so many opportunities during this season to foster those traditions.

Our favorite traditions tend to revolve around the kitchen, from baking cookies to homemade pierogi and from-scratch gifts. I love having the kids work with me in the kitchen just as much as I loved to work in the kitchen with my mom. And there is just something so magical about working together in a toasty warm kitchen with Christmas music playing and the lights on the Christmas tree glowing. I wish I could bottle those moments!

This year, Walmart is making it easy to spend as little or as much time in the kitchen as you want while still staying under budget. With Walmart’s Holiday Meals, you can prepare a Christmas Dinner for Eight for as low as $20 or a New Year’s Eve meal for 10 for under $40.

Those Holiday Meals are perfect for entertaining at a reasonable price. Check out Walmart’s Holiday Meals website for a great menu put together by Food Network’s Aaron Sanchez.

To help make your holiday entertaining a little easier, I have two $30 Walmart gift cards to give away.

To enter this giveaway, just leave a comment sharing one of your favorite holiday traditions, memories or foods to eat. This giveaway will end on December 26 at 8:00 p.m. CST and random.org will select the winners for me.

NOTE – THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Walmart. In addition, I received a Walmart gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate and two to offer as a giveaway.

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A Little Bit Of Christmas

December 13, 2009 By Kate 9 Comments

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Christmas has been a little subdued at our house for the past two years. Our house has been on the market and many of our Christmas decorations are packed away in storage. So, we’ve made do with what’s on hand.

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Plus, there’s the fact that my father-in-law is Santa Claus. It’s virtually impossible to be lacking in Christmas spirit when Santa is a member of the family!

Although we miss many of our usual decorations and all those trappings, the Christmas spirit is absolutely alive and well. Christmas music plays on our kitchen radio from the moment we wake up until we go to sleep.

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Our tree stays lit all day, just because we all take such pleasure in just sitting and looking at it.

And the kitchen, the true heart of our home, is just bursting with activity. We’re whipping up all kinds of goodies to share with neighbors, teachers and family. From homemade pierogies (recipe coming tomorrow) to every imaginable type of cookie and candy, there’s never a dull moment in our Christmastime kitchen.

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Even my littlest helpers get in on the act with their very own Christmas baking paraphenelia.

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And I couldn’t imagine making all these treats without my handy snowman spatula.

My goal has been at least one batch of cookies made per day for the past week and throughout the rest of this week. I bake a few, and then freeze the dough. The few days right before Christmas, I’ll bake all the cookies from the frozen dough.

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On today’s agenda were these amazing Santa’s Whiskers cookies.

So even though our decorations are a bit sparse this year, the spirit and smell of Christmas are alive and well.

There’s so little time left until Christmas day and so many cookies yet to bake! I hope you’ll come back for some more Christmas baking recipes.

And from my house to yours…MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Don’t forget to stop by The Nester’s for the annual Christmas Tour of Homes. Also visit Southern Hospitality, The Inspired Room, Hooked On Houses, Funky Junk Interiors, and Thrifty Decor Chick.

Stop by Stolen Moments Menu Planning to order your fully personalized menu plans that will help you save time and money in the kitchen! Be sure you check out the Christmas gift subscription special while you’re there.

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