Easier way to cut up spaghetti for your toddlers!

When my siblings and I were little, my mom always used this to cut up our spaghetti.  Upon having children and struggling to cut it up small enough for my 2yr olds to eat, I remembered this amazing way my mom used to do it and wanted to share it just in case anyone else hadn't heard of it before.  So.  The solution?  A cookie cutter!!  Simple.  Right?!  Using a cookie cutter helps chop it up as small or as big as you want it!

  

Then when your done it looks something like this....

Adorable wreath made from old book pages! 

I found this link last weekend and just had to try it.  I don't have a lot of money to decorate my home, and find that I have a lot of "this and that"  decorations and nothing seems to stand out to me.   So I thought "Hey, why not give it a try?"  My husband had brought home some old windows from a job he was doing (with permission of course! )  And after completing the wreath, this is the finished product!  It was a little time consuming, and my ameautur glue gun skills caused my fingers pain, but I am SO glad I gave it a try!!  Would highly recommend giving this a try!  If I can do it, anyone can! 

Texas Sheet Cake

Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake

Ok, so I know the picture isn't as good as hers, but O.M.G.!!!!

If you LOVE chocolate, this cake is to DIE FOR!!!  YOU MUST MAKE THIS CAKE! Ha!  My family had this cake devoured in just 2 days!   I am so glad I found this recipe!  Didn't change a thing with this recipe, and there is NO need too!  DE-LISH!! :)

THIS RECIPE GETS A RATING OF:    5 STARS!!!

Meatball Sub Casserole

Meatball Sub Casserole

This is another recipe that I tried a few nights back that was a big hit!  It was SO yummy and SUPER easy to make!  I don't know about you, but I LOVE dishes that I can make and throw together in a jiffy!  My twin boys who are almost 3 and my 15 month old especially love meatballs, so I love finding new ways to make them!  

THIS DISH GETS A RATING OF:  4 STARS! :)

Garlic Pesto Chicken

Garlic Pesto Chicken

(This picture is from the original site I got the recipe from b/c I forgot to take a pic)

**Keep in mind this is what I needed to feed my family of 8 so If you don't have so many to feed, you would obviously half the recipe! :)**

• Marinade:
• 1/2 bottle of a herb and garlic Marinade
• 4 tbs pesto
• 2 boneless chicken breasts  *( I bought a bag of frozen chicken tenders from Wal-Mart bc I didn't want to have to cut the chicken...lol!  Hey, this is all about fast and easy, right?  And I used the whole bag)
• Sauce:
• 16 oz package of pasta (I used Rigatoni)
• 4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• 4 tbs pesto
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2- 8 oz tomato sauce
• 2 cups of milk  (recipe calls for half and half but I had milk already)

First, the day before you make it, get your bag of chicken tenders (or whatever you choose) out and I thawed them in hot water so It'd be faster.  Once thawed put back in the bag they came in (mine was able to be resealed but if not improvise)  and pour in the 1/2 bottle of marinade and 4 tbs of pesto.  Marinate for 24 hours.

Then when your ready to make dinner, pour chicken in a pan to cook.  Then get a pan and boil your pasta.  While that is going get out ANOTHER saucepan  (I know, I know, a lot of dishes but hey, it's okay!  This will be worth it!)  Heat your 4tbs of olive oil in a pan.  When warm add the 4tbs of pesto and chicken broth and simmer until reduced by half.  Then add your two cans of tomato sauce and 2 cups of milk and warm. (if it is too thin for you then you can thicken it with a little bit of flour but I didn't do that)   When the chicken and pasta are done, you drain your pasta, pour into a large bowl (or the one you cooked your pasta in), add the pan of sauce, and toss.  Then put chicken on top.  

Yep.  That is it!  VOILA!!  

This recipe we all thought was VERY good!   And it was simple and fairly cheap.  

Here's what I spent on what I didn't have.  

$8 for the bag of chicken tenders

$4.50 for the little jar of pesto  (you can obviously make your own if you choose, but for me it                                                                        was cheaper to get the jar cuz I don't use pesto...well hardly ever.)

$2 for the pasta

$1.50 for the tomato sauce

$2 herb and garlic marinade

( I had everything else on hand)

So for my family of eight I spent $18 total which comes to $2.25 a person!  Pretty good I'd say! :)

This recipe gets a rating of :  4

Welcome!

Have you ever got a "wild hair" and decided to try your hand at a DIY project or recipe off of "Pinetrest"?  Well, I do a lot.  Recently, I got the idea to start blogging about my attempts at different "Pinterest" posts. I have made quite a few recipes that I found off Pinterest.  Some were great.  Some were not so great.  And like some of you, I'm sure, I have tried my hand at a few "DIY" projects as well.  Again, with some successes and some failures.  I am by no means a "Martha Stewart" but I come from a very very crafty mother. :)  So,  I figured, "Why not?" and I decided to start blogging about my attempts and whether or not they work, taste yummy, or gross, etc.  

With 8 people in our household it is almost impossible to please everyone.  (we are what they call a "blended family")  I am 32, and the mother of 6 children, which includes two stepdaughters and then my daughter, and then my husband and I's 3 babies!   (Ages 14, 9, 8, 2.5, 2.5, and 15 months) I love them all dearly but meals are usually hit or miss!  (especially with my twin boys)    I stay at home with the three babies and my husband has his own carpentry business.   So, with six children and only one income in this economy, money is tight.  So when I post about recipes, more than likely, I will give you information on how I saved money, things I added/tweeked, etc.   I will also rate each attempt on a scale of 1-5.  1 being not a success and 5 being a GREAT success.  So, if you also have a big family on a tight budget, this blog will hopefully help you out.

I don't know about anyone else, but I will see recipes on Pinetrest and think, "That looks GREAT!"  and upon looking at the recipe, I realize that I don't have all the stuff, and some of it may be a lot of money, or an ingredient I've never even heard of.  For me, especially with 8 people to feed and six kids to care for WHILE trying to plan and make dinner, I have to use what I have, and ESPECIALLY what is CHEAP!  So, with that said, I hope you enjoy my blog.  I would love to hear comments and get feedback as I go too!  It's always good to know that other people don't always have the best success with recipes, and DIY projects as well!