The big game is this weekend, and even though I am not overly concerned about the outcome, I am concerned about the food.  Super Bowl Sunday is one of my favorite eating occasions of the year.  It is the only day of the year when it is perfectly acceptable to each junk food all day.  The more melted cheese the better.  At my house, it is not Super Bowl Sunday without some wings.  Not for me, but my husband.  His favorite food on the planet is chicken wings, and while delicious, not very healthy.  I have started baking them, and getting great results.  You would never know that they are not fried.  I found this recipe from Giada De Laurentis, and gave them a whirl for something different than the traditional hot wing, and love the sweet stickiness that these bring.  If you need heat, then add some hot pepper flakes to the marinade.

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 5 springs rosemary
• 5 garlic cloves, cut into half
• 2 pounds chicken wings
• 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Mix together the balsamic vinegar, honey, brown sugar, and soy sauce in a bowl.

Put the chicken wings in a large Ziploc bag with the rosemary sprigs and garlic cloves.

Pour the marinade into the bag.  Marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.

Place the chicken wings on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Reserve the marinade.  Bake the chicken wings in a preheated 450 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes.  The chicken wings will be brown and crispy.

Put the reserved marinade in a saucepan.  Bring it to a full and rolling boil, (this will kill the bacteria).  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until it is thick and syrupy.

Brush the wings with the glaze and sprinkle with sesame seeds and parsley.

Happy February, friends! Today we kick off a fabulous month devoted to showing love to those around us. How awesome is that?! When I was younger I focused so much on the romantic aspect of February, but these days I see love in such a new light. It’s not just about snuggling up with the ONE you love, but showering blessings on the ONES you love. Which, for me, includes my two little munchkins.

My kids are at ages (4 and 6) where every little thing can be magical. They take lunch from home every day and they get so excited to open their boxes and see what’s inside. I love to mix things up to keep them from begging for that dreaded, disgusting school lunch. But I also don’t have a ton of time in the mornings to be as creative as some of the lunch-making superstars out there (see This Lunch Rox and Wendolonia for that). So with that in mind, here are two of my favorite ways to put a little love into the ol’ lunch box.

Go Bananas.

Did you know that if you scrape a toothpick lightly on the outside of a banana peel, it will brown in all the right places within minutes? This is one of my kiddos’ favorites. However, it doesn’t allow your child to shrug his shoulders in feigned ignorance when his teacher asks who left their banana peel on the lunch table. (Yes, my son learned that the hard way).

Tortillas: The Perfect Palette for Patient Parents

If you find yourself with 10 extra seconds in your lunch making routine, grab a tortilla and a pair of scissors. There’s no telling what you’ll come up with. Back in December I sent a snowflake. Some days when I really want to get my teach on, I cut letters. It’s painstaking but it works! The possibilities here really are endless.

Add some hummus, peanut butter, or yogurt for a dipping sauce and you’re done! (Or just toss in a pack of candy and call it good…right?)

As we wrap up January, I thought it was an ideal time to share one last tip that could make your year a bit easier and more organized. Grocery shopping is inevitable, and for many of us (well, me!) a chore. I’ve been mourning the loss of Webvan since it fizzled in the early 90s (you nerdy, 30-somethings like me may remember that awesome home-delivery grocery service from the dot com days).

I am certain there are a plethora of online grocery list services that can do similar things, but I have been using and loving ZipList for a few years (no affiliation by the way, just a fan). Here’s why I love it and how it has streamlined my weekly grocery trips (and even convinced my husband to make some grocery runs).

1. The interface is simple and easy to use — but has robust capabilities if you need them
2. It works seamlessly with my iPhone (and the hubby’s) + I can share lists with anyone
3. I can print out a list just as easily if I don’t want to use a smartphone
4. I can create multiple lists for different stores
5. I can create checklists for common items/staples and just add them to my current list at once
6. I can store recipes and add the ingredients to my list in one click (entering online recipes is automatic with a button you can add to your toolbar)
7. My husband and I always have an updated list on our phones — or online
8. You can input coupon data if you’d like to
9. There is a large recipe database – although I haven’t used this much yet
10. They just added scanning capabilities to add items to a list- so you can scan items with a smartphone to make sure you get the correct one (hint, hint for the husband).
11. It’s free, but there aren’t any annoying ads (ads only appear on a sidebar and aren’t intrusive). In fact, they don’t have any “premium/paid” offerings so I don’t feel pressured to upgrade or refer friends like with other services.
12. There are a ton of other capabilities if I want to do more (or less) with their offerings
13. I spend LESS (much less) when I menu plan and go to the store with a list.

So how do I use ZipList for my family?

Setup:
First, I created two basic check lists: staples and pantry (you can see my staples list here). Staples are items that we use every week – so for a quick run these are the basics. My husband can easily pick these up on his way home if needed. Pantry is an exhaustive list of items I keep stocked in the kitchen – from flour to spices to paper products. It took a bit to create this list the first time, but now it’s simple to add items when we run out.

Next, I added a handful of recipes we use often to my recipe box. Now, I can just add the “recipe” to my grocery list if it is part of my mealplan on a given week.

Weekly
I create a “current list” and add my staples and any pantry items to the list. When I create a meal plan, I usually add those recipes to my box (if online it adds them automatically via a web clipper so I don’t have to type them in). Once I’ve added any recipes, I then manually add any additional items.

The meal planning takes the bulk of my time – but the list now takes just a few minutes. I can print it out and go, use the list on my smartphone, or share it with some generous soul who decides to do my grocery shopping :)

I know this reads a bit like an infomercial – but truly, this is one of those great online finds next to Gmail and Pinterest (hee hee) that has really transformed the way I organize my week/time. Less time doing mundane chores = more time focusing on the important people in my life. My hope is that a few of you may find it to be a useful tool as well.

You can learn more about Ziplist for yourself here.

If you use a service or process you’ve used that has made your chores simpler, please share it! We’d love to pass on the ideas to our readers.

I grocery shop weekly. That used to mean that I would menu plan weekly too. You know the dreaded menu planning routine– flipping through cookbooks and recipe cards, penciling a few ideas on the back of a phone bill, and frantically glancing at your calendar hoping to avoid planning a meal that you won’t have the time to cook. And THEN you need to make your shopping list which means more flipping through your recipes to make sure you don’t forget anything like Worcestershire sauce. (Spell that three times.)

I got so tired of reinventing the meal… I mean wheel. After admiring several different menu boards on Pinterest, I decided to take what I loved about each one (i.e. what I thought would work for me) and combine those aspects into a menu board that would serve my needs perfectly. And thus The Ultimate Menu Board was born.

What I love about this particular design—
1) It’s weekly. I shop and plan my calendar weekly. I can adjust for company, evenings out, leftovers, etc.
2) Ingredients are listed on the back of the meal cards which measure 1 ½ by 4 ¼ inches. Hello shopping list! Sources such as recipe card, cookbook and page number, or binder are also noted.

3) Using the two pockets (made from 16 count crayon boxes,) I can store all of my meal cards right on the board. With a rotating system, I start with all the cards in the lower box. After we have a particular meal, I place its card into the upper box until we go through the majority of the cards. Then, I start over choosing from all of them again.
4) Clothespins mean no slipping of the laminated meal cards and no pin holes.
5) The base is an 11×14” picture frame, so it’s a cinch to hang. Using two nails keeps the board from tilting under its lopsided weight.

I shared my finished board on Pinterest and was surprised at how many sweet ladies sent me a note to say they couldn’t wait to make their own and start using it. (Hooray for making life in the kitchen a bit easier on busy mamas!) Along with the notes came inquiries about exactly how I set up the meal cards and what I was serving each day. (Many would be disappointed to see my recipes like this one for spaghetti- brown ground beef, add a jar of sauce, boil noodles, and mix. Several meals are that easy.)

At the end of this article is a one week sample of what I am currently serving along with a few favorite recipes. However, I want to share what I think will be even more valuablel—not what I serve, but how I go about planning it. The key is themes! Assigning a different theme to each day of the week helpfully narrows your focus as you plan. It also ensures that you have a nice variety of foods without similar repeats during the week. A different color of cardstock for each theme’s meal cards makes choosing meals for the week even easier.

The key to having themes that will work for you is to choose themes that go along with what your family already eats on a regular basis. I suggest brainstorming and writing down all the meals you regularly serve (or even keep track for a month as you go.) Then, look at your list and see what types of themes are already represented. Eat a lot of fish? (Me neither, ha.) If you do, you could have “Seafood Night” or “Under the Sea.” Do you have several pasta dishes? “Pasta Night” or “Mambo Italiano” might work well. Love to try new recipes? Assign a day to do that. The recipes that you try and love can be added to the rotation of another night. Do you typically have leftovers? Make it a theme. Some people plan by what type of meat they serve– chicken, beef, pork. It can be that simple. The important thing is to choose themes that will work for you and your family. After you identify your themes, try to come up with 4-5 different meals per theme. This is going to take time. It is an investment that will eliminate hours of busy work and stress once you get your themes and meals into place.

The themes I use right now are–
Monday- Mambo Italiano (pasta dishes like spaghetti, chicken/broccoli alfredo, etc.)
Tuesday- Dicksons’ Diner (quick and easy stuff like hamburgers, grilled cheese and soup, etc.)
Wednesday- Crock Pot (I love the crock pot! In fact, I use it twice a week. I try to choose a chicken meal for one day and something else for the other while also considering what I am serving on the days next to it.)
Thursday- Fiesta Ole (burritos, quesadillas, etc.)
Friday- Homestyle (meat and potato types of meals like baked chicken, steak, etc.)
Saturday- Eat out
Sunday- Crock Pot (yes, again)

When you assign your themes to the day of the week, think about your family’s typical schedule. For example, a crock pot meal is perfect for my family on Sundays because I can start it before we leave for church, and we get to come home (starving) to something good to eat. Plan simple, quick things on the nights you know your time to prepare will be limited. Does hubby work late every Tuesday? Make it “Kids Stuff” Tuesday. You get the idea.

What I love about The Ultimate Menu Board is that it is super flexible. Let’s say I notice mid-week that we have plenty of leftovers to feed the family for one day. I can slip the “leftover” card on top of Friday’s meal and just plan on doing the original meal the next week. And it’s not a problem to make a change. I can flip flop nights if I want. Life happens and it always threatened my carefully planned and printed “monthly menu.” No more. Want to add something new to the rotation? Simply make an additional card.

I hope this menu board and the tips on planning with themes will make time in the kitchen a little more pleasant and much more efficient for my fellow creative mamas.

If you still need a little inspiration, perhaps the following examples will help you get started.

One Week Meal Plan
Monday- lasagna, garden salad, French bread (wheat)
Tuesday- grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup (or ramen or ravioli)
Wednesday- garlic chicken, roasted zucchini, pineapple and cottage cheese
Thursday- burritos, corn, tortilla chips
Friday- party chicken, baked potatoes, honey mustard salad
Saturday- eat out
Sunday- mushroom and onion pork chops, brown rice, mixed veggies, rolls

Mom’s Lasagna-
Make sauce mixture using 1 lb browned ground beef, 1 can tomato soup, 1 can cheddar cheese soup, 15 oz tomato sauce, 1 T Italian seasoning and 1 tsp onion salt.
In a 9×13 pan, layer boiled noodles (9 in all,) sauce mixture and shredded mozzarella cheese three times.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches-
For an extra special sandwich use sourdough bread, three cheeses (a spread of cream cheese, a slice of American, a slice of provolone,) and slices of tomato and red onion.

Ella’s Honey Mustard Salad-
Combine lettuce, chopped apple, red onion, shredded cheddar cheese, sunflower seeds and bacon bits. Top with your favorite honey mustard dressing.

Happy planning, shopping, cooking and eating!

Clair Dickson is an Army wife, mother of four, and family portrait photographer. Formerly an art teacher, Clair continues to enjoy being creative through writing, homemaking, and teaching new ideas and skills to others.

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Did I have you at whipped cream?  Yea, I thought so…

Heavy whipping cream is a delicacy we don’t often have around our house.  After making a birthday dessert last week I found myself with half a carton left, and wasn’t sure how to use it up.

As I was cleaning up the kitchen, putting away the birthday dessert, one of my boys charged into the house, pink cheeked and cold from playing in the afternoon chill.  He requested a cup of hot cocoa to warm him up.  I prepared him a cup and without giving it much though put a dollop of my leftover whipped cream on top.  Sitting at the kitchen table, taking his first drink, my boy loudly proclaimed how much he loved whipped cream on hot cocoa, “we need to have this every time, Mom!”

It’s funny how ideas will come to you.  A simple word, image or gesture.  After hearing my son’s request I looked at my piping bag full of whipped cream and thought, “why not?”  That’s how whipped cream dollops came to be, at our house.

Here’s what you’ll need…

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Pour cold whipping cream into bowl of mixer.  Using whisk attachment whisk, on medium speed, whip until it begins to thicken and you see soft peaks form.  Add in powdered sugar and vanilla, continue mixing until well incorporated.

Take your whipped cream and spoon individual servings onto parchment lined baking sheet (I used my frosting tip/bag because they were already full of cream).  Place in freezer for 2-3 hours or until completely frozen.  Move to airtight container and store in freezer.

Not only are these dollops perfect for topping off a cup of hot cocoa, but also great as a little cream and sugar in your morning coffee or tea.

Not to leave out those lucky enough to be in warmer climates during the winter months. Here are a couple of ideas for enjoying winter treats where you live too…

Snowman Cones

Hot Cocoa Popsicles

We all know we should be eating better.  Gone are the days of eating 100-calorie pack Ding-Dongs and thinking we are eating a good diet.  We will live better if we eat better.  I think we instinctively know that, and if we don’t know it instinctively–the media’s blatant messages ought to be getting to us soon.

For a long time, I had a hard time imagining how I would get all the vegetables I need everyday.  I joke that donuts are one of my favorite food groups…and I mean it.  ;)  However, those patterns aren’t sustainable (if nothing else, my metabolism won’t work with me forever!).  Those patterns aren’t what I want to pass down to my children.

I juice occasionally, but am still working out how I feel about it.  So, in an effort to get more vegetable in my diet, I have turned to salads for lunch.  Now, I enjoy trying to make the most amazingly beautiful and gourmet salad I can!  I have learned that including a variety of colors is not only visually pleasing, but also means you are getting a wide variety of nutrients.

In an effort to make my salads more accessible at lunch time, I’ve figured out a few “less fuss” solutions.  First, I purchase a plastic container (not bag) of 50/50 mixed baby greens and baby spinach.  I’ve found that the tub stays fresher longer than the bags.  I can make about 10 salads per tub (ending up at about $.40 per salad).  I buy a carton of blueberries, strawberries, or whatever fruit is on sale that week.  I also keep a small tub of shaved Parmesan cheese handy.  Green onions, basil, shaved carrots, avocado, shredded chicken, and feta cheese also are delicious.

But, my very most favorite part of a salad is the hearty, woodsy, crunch of nuts.  However, when I buy small bags of toasted nuts at the store–they are amazingly expensive.  The bags may be handy and way less fuss, but they cost about $4.00 for 3 oz. of nuts.  I had to find a less expensive solution.

When I was at the grocery last week, I grabbed a 1lb bag of raw walnuts.  I figured I could do something to make the protein punch in my salad a bit more affordable.  The 1lb bag was $7.99, making it far more affordable than the convenient and handy smaller bags.

I devised a way to make your nuts taste just like the gourmet candied and spiced nuts–on the cheap and on the easy.  You can sprinkle them over baked brie, you can put them in salads, you could put them on brownies, or you can just eat them plain (and they are amazing plain).

Simply, spread 1lb of nuts (any kind!) in the bottom of a crockpot.  Pour in 1/3 cup sugar (brown or white), 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ground fresh nutmeg, 2 T honey, 2 T maple syrup, and 2 T butter.  Mix up and turn the crockpot on high for 1.5 hours.  Mix occasionally.  When the time is up, spread the nuts on wax paper and allow to cool completely.  Chop if desired.

It’s funny how some holiday traditions will start.  With some things we make such a deliberate effort, thinking ‘this will be a holiday tradition!’  Other times, it’s something very simple that you try merely for fun, that turns into a yearly event…a favorite story you read every Christmas Eve, taking a drive to look at holiday lights or even a recipe that everyone loves.

This Graham Cracker Toffee is a tradition at our house that started when I was a child.  My mother went to a cookie exchange at a local church one year and came home with a plate full of goodies, and this toffee was among the sweet treats.  My brother and I devoured every piece of it on the tray.  Thankfully, the recipe belonged to a friend and soon my mom was making a full pan of toffee all our own.

The recipe is very simple and includes ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.  Perfect for those times when you need a tray of goodies in a pinch.  If nuts are an issue for you family, just leave them off, it will taste just as delicious!

Graham Cracker Toffee

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 cup chopped pecans

A box of graham crackers

1 bag milk chocolate or semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place a single layer of graham crackers in baking sheet, edge to edge.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine the butter, brown sugar and pecans.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally allow it to continue to boil for 3 minutes.  Evenly pour the hot mixture over the graham crackers.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Allow to sit for a few minutes so chocolate chips can begin to melt.  Using a spatula or frosting knife spread melted chocolate chips evenly.  When completely cooled break into pieces.  Refrigerate in an airtight container.