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Grandma’s Magic Cookie Bars

November 8, 2010 By 5 Comments

Another favorite in our family are magic cookie bars.  They have a special grandma touch that makes them extra gooey!  Magic cookie bars are sure to please everyone young and old!  Here is what you will need to do to make Grandma’s Magic Cookie Bars:

Ingredient:

1/2 Cup of Butter

1 and 1/2 Cups graham cracker crumbs

1 and 1/2 (21 oz.) cans of condensed milk

2 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 and 1/3 Cups of flaked Coconut

1 Cup Chopped Nuts

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees for a glass dish)
  2. Melt butter
  3. Pour the butter into a 13×9 inch pan
  4. Add crumbs over the butter
  5. Pour the milk evenly over the crumbs
  6. Layer remaining ingredients evenly
  7. Press down firmly with a fork
  8. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until you notice a slight browning of the magic cookie bars.
  9. Chill in the pan over a cooling rack
  10. Cut into bars and serve

One thing to note is that this recipe calls for more condensed milk than other recipes.  It makes the magic cookie bars extra gooey.  If you wish to have a drier bar only use 1 (14 oz.) can of milk.

I hope that you enjoy this recipe.  I know that we love them each and every year!  I would love to know how they come out!

Becca

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Christmas Countdown 2010

November 6, 2010 By 2 Comments
Christmas cookies (Left to right, top to botto...
Image via Wikipedia

50 Days Until Christmas 2010

So here we are!  Welcome to the 2010 Christmas Countdown.  I am so excited to be sharing the holiday season with you for the third year in a row!  This time of year can be busy and stressful but we will get through it together.  Here is a taste of what we have in store this year!

  1. Cookies:  Every day I will be posting one of my favorite holiday cookie recipes.  Nothing says Christmas like cookies!  I am hoping the husband can get a rate that cookie system up and running in the next few weeks.  Remember that many cookies freeze well.  It is not to early to begin baking your Christmas cookies!
  2. Homemade Holiday:  This year we are doing something extra special. Stay tuned for this exciting, money saving tip.
  3. Christmas Budget:  I know it is that B word again!  I think that it is important to know how much money you will have available to you this holiday and try to spend only cash.  Times are hard and digging a deeper hole is not advised.
  4. Christmas Movies:  If you are wondering when your beloved Christmas movie will be on… Stay tuned to Ask Becca!  I will let you know what will be on and when.  I know that I hate missing “It’s A Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street“.   As soon as I hear about it I will let you know!
  5. Christmas Traditions:  I know that every family has their own traditions and I would love to hear about them!  I think that it is important to celebrate your traditions and perhaps steal a few to make your own.
  6. Fun:  We all know that with Christmas comes fun times.  Parties, caroling, the Christmas at Church and day trips for the family.

This is not all.  It is just a sweet taste of what is to come in the next 50 days!  So off we go… 50 Days of Christmas really means 48 Shopping Days remaining.  Have fun and remember when you need a laugh, idea or break… stop by and say hi!

Becca

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Hurricane Grill and Wings

November 5, 2010 By 5 Comments

I am so excited that Hurricane Grill and Wings has come to the area.  Although their new location in Hartsdale is about an hour away we will still make the trip!  Here are some things that I love about Hurricane Grill and Wings:

  • Of course the wings are great!  Why else would they include wings in their title?  I can taste them already!
  • It is a family friendly atmosphere and the kids love going to the Hurricane Grill and Wings!  They have a great kids menu and Abby loves the Grouper.  With a price of $4.95 you cannot go wrong!  That includes your kids drink as well as a side.  There are healthy sides such as applesauce, salad and even celery sticks.  Of course they have french fries as well but I love it when my kids pick the healthy options.
  • I love the rewards program.   If you sign up online you get $10 off the bat for your first trip!  You also will earn one point per every dollar spent.  But wait… there is more… there are double points on your first visit and double points on Mondays.  Once you hit $100 on your rewards card you get $10 off of your next visit.  It is a wonderful way to go out and still save some.  I know with the holidays coming we will be going out on shopping trips and I will be stopping at the Hurricane Grill and Wings!
  • The Salmon Caesar Salad.  Nothing is better then a generous hunk of salmon on a salad… I love it!
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Chore Chart

September 7, 2010 By 5 Comments
Chore Chart
Image by smithsoccasional via Flickr

Back to school feels like a time of renewal.  It is a time to try new things and new schedules.  This year I decided to try a new technique for chores.  Of course there is a story behind this new chore technique!

A friend of mine has been unemployed for a few years now.  She began making herself lists of things she wanted to accomplish each day.  These lists were placed on a clipboard so that she could carry it with her, make adjustments as needed and easily cross items off.  She placed important papers that needed addressing on the back of the clipboard as a reminder of what she needed to deal with.  She kept telling me how fun it was to carry a clipboard.  So, in search of making stay at home life more fun, I tried it.  It really was more fun! So I go to thinking… why wouldn’t this be fun for the kids?  And daddy could try it too…  So, I ventured out to buy clipboards.  I designed a chore list for each of the girls.  I even went as far as adding a morning checklist and a bedtime checklist.  The deal is that when you wake up you get your clipboard.  When you complete all the tasks you hang it back up.   They are expected to do the same thing after school.  Once their chores are completed they have free time to go outside and play, watch TV, play their DSi or play a game.  at 7:30 they are to start on their bedtime list.  If they complete that by 8pm they have 30 minutes to watch tv or read in their room.

So far the kids are loving it!  They wake up each morning and grab their clipboard.  When they come home from school they know right where their clipboard is with their chores on it.  Bedtime is going super smooth as well.  There are many benefits to children doing chores.

  • Feeling of accomplishment and pride:  When children accomplish a chore successfully they feel a sence of pride in what they have done.  This is wonderful for your child and will lead to improvements in self esteem and pride.
  • Time management:  Many adults have trouble with this concept.  Management of time is important for your child’s success not only now, but also in the future. Chores help children learn how to effectively manage their time.
  • Independence:  You child can accomplish cores with no parental guidance.  This gives them a sense of independence and should mean that you are nagging your child less.
  • Self-Discipline:  Children learn self-discipline best when there are firm ground rules with attainable goals being set.

I was able to establish chore charts for all of the kids.  Each one has chores that are age appropriate and able to be completed within about 45 minutes total.  This means that there is still plenty of time for fun and games.

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Laundry Tips From a Mom Who Knows

January 22, 2010 By 4 Comments
Woman at the community laundry on Saturday aft...
Image by The Library of Congress via Flickr

I would like you to all understand that this is not a practical tip entry.  This is an entry on all of the things that I hate about laundry and tips to make those things better.  I will not teach you how to remove stains or teach you how to avoid laundry from piling up.  To be quite frank with you…. I have no idea how to make there things happen.  Here is what I do know about laundry:

  1. No matter what I do it will never be done.  I know some very nice people say if you do a load a day it will all be manageable.  Either way you still have to do a load a day.
  2. For some reason my almost 3 year old still wears at least 3 outfits a day plus jammies.  This is a huge issue…  I could just let her be dirty all day.   I just do not think that is a good solution to my laundry woes.
  3. My 9 year old is STINKY and CANNOT wear outfits more than once.  I just do not know what else to do about the stink her clothing is bringing to my laundry!  We already have deodorant, sprays and soap.  What else could there be.
  4. Why is it that so few people in my house know how to wipe?  It AMAZES me.  I know it is a lesson we went over 1 billion times!  So why is it that it has not caught on.
  5. There are times that I think that the pile is taller then I am.  I know that this is not too too hard being that I am only 4’11″ but still… this is not good.
  6. I seem to be the only person capable of carrying the laundry up and down two flights to be washed.
  7. God forbid you ask someone to help in any way.  It is like the sky has opened and we are all headed for eternal damnation.
  8. Why is it that my clothing is never done?  I fold and wash and fold and wash and fold and wash but so few of the articles are mine.  How is this possible?
  9. How hard could it be for one to open a drawer, stuff an already folded of clothing and and then shut the drawer be?  One would think that this is an easy task… right?  So why am I the only one who has mastered it?
  10. WHY DOES EVERYONE LEAVE IT ALL UP TO ME?

I am seriously thinking about making disposable clothing.  I think that my tip for today is to quit trying and when they all find that there are no outfits to be had perhaps they will help more.

Becca

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Weight Loss: Day 4

January 5, 2010 By 2 Comments

I had another wonderful day on my weight loss journey again.  I am sure that you are all getting a little tired of hearing about it but it went quite well.  I was serious about exercise today and walked outside in the 15 degree weather again.  I took the older two girls with me and we had a nice time.  We walked a little more then a mile together.  In addition to that I did the Wii fit for 45 minutes today and burned 385 calories.  I had a shake and 1/2 of a grapefruit for breakfast, a chicken salad for lunch and the most delisious Honey-Mustard chicken for dinner with some rice and a

Wii Fit
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salad.  I am not sure if I ate enough today but I only ate when I was hungry.  I am sure it will all catch up with me tomorrow.

All in all I am feeling pretty great.  I guess that in a lot of ways I am feeling proud of myself.  I am believing in myself.  It is something I have not felt in a long time.  I have still not weighed myself.  I will weigh in on Saturday when we hit one week in.  I am hoping for good things to happen.  If the scale disappointed me with no weight loss, I will know that it is not because I have not worked hard this week.  I have agreed to be patient with myself.  I did not gain all of this weight in a week and I will not loose it in a day.

I also started a facebook group where anyone is welcome for support, recipe ideas, exercise routines.  It is a place where we can all come together and loose.  The group is Becca’s Belly Busters.

Becca

The honey-mustard chicken was wonderful so I posted the recipe click here.

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Weight Watchers Honey-Mustard Chicken

January 5, 2010 By 3 Comments
Roasted chicken
Image via Wikipedia

Makes 4 servings:

1/4 cup Dijon-style mustard
2 Tbsp. + 2tsp. honey
2Tbsp. Apple Cider
Four 6-ounce Chicken Drum Sticks; Skinned
1/3 cup +2 tsp. plain dried bread crumbs
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger

  1. Preheat over to 375 F.  Line large baking sheet with foil; spray with non stick cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl combine dijon mustard, honey and Cider, remove and set aside 1/4 cup of the mixture.  To remaining mixture, add chicken tossing well to coat thoroughly.
  3. In gallon-sized sealable plastic bag , combine bread crumbs, dry mustard, salt and ginger; seal bag and shake to blend.  Add 1 drumstick; seal the bag and shake to coat.  repeat using remaining drumsticks.
  4. Bake Chicken 20 minutes; turn carefully.  Bake 10-15 minutes longer, until cooked through and juices run clear.  Serve reserved mustard mixture for dip.

Each serving provides:  3 protein, 1/2 bread; 45 optional calories.

One the Weight Watcher Point System the calories, fat and fiber calculate to 6 points per serving.

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Weight Loss: Day three

January 4, 2010 By 1 Comment

Well here we are with the third day down.  It seems as if this has all been too easy.  I am usually much more obsessive by now.  I have usually weighed myslef about a million times by now.  I have usually eaten some chocolate by now.  As I stated yesterday, this seems different.  It is not motivation that I have.  It is just that I know I need this.  It is that it feels right.  So here is how the day went

walking alone in Milan (boulevard of broken dr...
Image by Gret@Lorenz via Flickr

I went for a walk with Abigail and our new dog.  It was better then I had expected.  I lived through it and because of my new shoes my foot that hurts ALL of the time.  It all went so well that I chose to walk again this evening.  I will be waking up again tomorrow to repeat my walk.

As far as eating today I did wonderfully.  I had a shake for breakfast, a chicken sandwich for lunch with fruit and pretzels and tuna caserole with salad and broccoli for dinner.   I think that all in all that is a wonderful day.

Tomorrow is day 4.  I am proud to say that I have my meals all planned out and that I am ready.  I hope you are all doing as well as I am.

Becca

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Time Out: Does it Work? Parenting Tips

August 25, 2009 By 4 Comments
Two of a Kind
Image by aussiegall via Flickr

Time out is one of those parenting tips that everyone throws around.  It is something that is supposed to work.  I think that it all depends on the kid.  I have found that there are some things that you have to make sure happen when you do time out.  They have worked for my oldest, my middle daughter and even my two year old gets the idea.  The trouble is that even I forget that time out can work because from time to time I get too emotional.

Yes it is true that I tend not to keep my cool.  I yell and yell and yell a little more.  Then I throw them in time out while screaming some more.  I yell most of the time they are in time out.  If they stay in time out that is.

Then there are those other days when I do time out right.  Here are the steps that you are supposed to take with time out.  I have found time and time again that when I follow them time out is much more effective.

  1. Have an area in your house that is the time out spot.  This can be a step, a time out chair, a mat on the floor, or even a large stuffed toy
  2. Do not make your time out spot in a child’s bedroom.  This is where all of their toys and things that they love are.  If they are told to stay there where is the punishment?
  3. Only place your child in time out for 1 minute per year.  So if your child is 6 then they should remain in time out for 6 minutes.  This is because your child’s attention spans grow with the child.  You cannot expect a 2 year old to sit in time out for 10 minutes.  they just do not have it in them.
  4. When you are placing your child in time out remain calm.  This is so that the message is not lost.  If you remember way back when you were a child I think that you will remember that you stopped listening once people were yelling at you.   Kids are no different right now.
  5. Tell your child why you are placing them in time out.  Say, “Abby, I you need a time out because we do not speak that way in this house.”  This makes it clear to the child what they have done.
  6. Set the timer and walk away.  It is important not to engage your child when they are in time out.  If they get out of time out, place them back and restart the timer.  DO NOT TALK TO THEM.  This feeds into the game that they want you to play.
  7. When time out is over tell your child again why they were placed in time out.
  8. Do not force your child to say that they are sorry.  This is my own personal belief.  All you are doing is forcing the child to lie.   If they are sorry they will say so on their own.  I think that you should never tell a child to say sorry when they are not.  Many times the child is not sorry.  You are not looking for sorrow.  You are looking for an understanding of what they did and that it was not acceptable in your home.

Sounds easy right.  If you look at Nanny Jo on Supper Nanny she will even make you think that it is simple.  For those of you who know me you know that I am not a sugar coat it kind of person.  IT IS HARD.  It takes a lot of work and you have to be dedicated.

One more note… It is alright that you take a time out if you need one.  I have done it before and it works.  Sometimes it is not the kids but the adult who needs a break.

Do not handle time out like my favorite episode of Lucky Louise.  He did it all wrong!

Becca

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10 Happiest Countries: Not the USA

May 9, 2009 By 3 Comments
A smiley by Pumbaa, drawn using a text editor.
Image via Wikipedia

I read the following article about the 10 happiest nations to live in.  I was in no way to see that the great United States of America ddid NOT make the list.  I think that it falls back to the great American dream.  It is in Americans blood to work too hard, for too many hours.  I think that it started with our ansestors that came here from all of the various other nations.  They came here to live a dream.  Many of them failed but the ones who really made it worked and worked hard.

So here we are a nation of unhappy people so that we can struggle to live the dream.  The trouble becomes that as we are trying to reach the dream we forget to enjoy where we are.  We do not look around us and just think that we are blessed.  We tend to want more and more.  Perhaps it is because we are a society driven by money.  Perhaps because all of us who work so hard see the people who are profiting off of our work and think that we could achieve such greatness.  The trouble often becomes that we are just the worker bees.  We forget that we are here with other purposes.

I know that there are so many of us who want the new car, the house, 2.5 kids and a dog.  The trouble comes in that none of these things are making us happy.  We do not have any time to enjoy any of it because we are struggling to hold on to it all.  I think that it is really a sad day when we cannot enjoy our lives.  I know that many people are currently out of work and feel so depressed.  We as Americans have tied our entire worth as a person to our current job and the salary that comes with it.  This makes it life shattering when that job is taken away!

I also think that it makes it hard as a stay at home parent.   I know that each day I look at what purpose I have.  I think that my children have had some benefits to my staying home.  The trouble comes when people talk to me about what I do.  I am judged based on my lack of making money and my lack of working.  There are people who look down on me.  There are people who think that they are better then me because they have a job.  It is a constant struggle for me to stay at home.  It means that Rob has to work 2 jobs to make ends meet.  The trouble comes with my identity in this society.  I am viewed as less.  I am viewed as uneducated.  I am viewed as lazy.  The trouble is that I am rather educated.  I even finished college in the amount of years that you are supposed to!  I am not less and I would love to have a lazy day!

I know I am babbling but perhaps this is why we as Americans are not able to be happier.  I am not happy because I know that others think badly of me.  The people working their tails off are not happy because they are too tired to know what happy is and the people who are now jobless and homeless are feeling like there is nothing to be happy about.

The thing is that happiness comes from within.  I think that the more we act happy and really think about being happy the happier we will be.  Trust me I am not one of thos happy go luck people.  I have actually struggled with unhappiness many times in my life.  I just think perhaps the greatest nation in the world would be much happier if we all tried a little harder and worked a little less.

Becca

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