As I had mentioned last week we are taking a short break from the craft a day letter series and just sharing some great crafts that I have come across.

This weeks theme is going to be girly girl crafts. If you have been following along on Pepper Scraps for a while you know I have two wonderful little boys. Most of the time my crafts are gender neutral. But sometimes I come across some amazing crafts that are just too girly for my boys. Today I will be sharing you some of these finds.

If you are new to A Craft a Day

A Craft a Day gives you five activities that you can enjoy with your kids, one for each day of the week.  Most of these activities work well for preschoolers, but you may be able to adapt them for your toddler. If you want to learn more about the basics of A Craft A Day you can find them at a Craft a Day: Coming Back Soon. I will post the crafts on Saturdays so you can use the weekend to get any supplies that you may need. We are making our way through the alphabet this year so if you missed a you can find it here.

Are you Supermom?

Now I’m not supermom and I don’t expect you to be either. We don’t always get to each activity, sometimes life is just too busy. Hopefully you may try one or two of these activities with me and my kids! You don’t have to do every single one. You don’t have to be doing preschool with your child. I just hope to give you a resource for some great fun with your kids!

The Crafts:

• Fairy Garden - The other day I asked if he thought Zane was patient enough to do a “Gnome” garden he laughed at me. I still may make this just for me. You can also find fairies and many other things you can make for your gardens.
• Dress Up Felt Board - I know girls are a little better at detailed work so they may be able to help you make these. They can at least help you design outfits to make.
• Foam or Felt Food – I’m actually thinking about making these for Zarek, he loves playing with fake food. I loved this idea for “making” cookies (If you use foam you shouldn’t have to sew). More food ideas. And you may need a pretend stove for this activity too!
• Weave a Jump Rope - What a fun way to start teaching your little girl hand weaving.
• DIY Mobile - I loved these and may try them with the boys, but the detailed ones would be hard to get Zane to make. I love the butterflies!

Be Featured

If you do any of these crafts and happen to take a picture or write a blog post about it please make sure and share your link in the comments. Also don’t forget to link the original crafter! I may feature you and your blog  on the following weeks post!

Welcome back to a new edition of A Craft A Day!

If you are new to A Craft a Day

A Craft a Day gives you five activities that you can enjoy with your kids, one for each day of the week.  Most of these activities work well for preschoolers, but you may be able to adapt them for your toddler. If you want to learn more about the basics of A Craft A Day you can find them at a Craft a Day: Coming Back Soon.

I will post the crafts on Saturdays so you can use the weekend to get any supplies that you may need.

Are you Supermom?

Now I’m not supermom and I don’t expect you to be either. We don’t always get to each activity, sometimes life is just too busy.

Hopefully you may try one or two of these activities with me and my kids! You don’t have to do every single one. You don’t have to be doing preschool with your child.

I just hope to give you a resource for some great fun with your kids!

The Crafts:

• Apple Smiles – Apple smiles are a fun and easy snack to create with your preschooler.

• Armor of God – For this project we printed out each sheet. I created a head and legs from construction paper. Zane colored the sheets, put a face on the head and helped me cut out the shield. I cut out the rest of the pieces and had him tape them all together. This was tons of fun.
• Apple Science – I cut open an apple and we counted the carpels and seed together. Every apple has 5 carpels and each carpel should have 2 seeds.
• Apple Prints – After counting I put some paint on a plant and let both boys use the apples as stamps. Zane just loved swirling the paint.

• Awesome Apple – I know another color and cut worksheet. But what was fun was we were just teaching Zane about Super Heroes and this happen to be the activity I planned for the day.

Supplies: Apples, Peanut Butter, Mini Marshmallows, Scissors, Crayons or Pens,  Acrylic Paint or Finger Paint, Craft Paper

Be Featured

If you do any of these crafts and happen to take a picture or write a blog post about it please make sure and share your link in the comments. Also don’t forget to link the original crafter! I may feature you and your blog  on the following weeks post!

Today I’m going to talk about the phys. assist. suggestions to help me with meal planning & also breaking down what my nutrition goals are.

We are going to be trying to eat more oatmeal this year. It’s filling, inexpensive and you can still make it fun.

Reading Kari’s post really encouraged me in going the oatmeal breakfast morning. I won’t be going full blown into the non-quick oats, just because I have lots of oatmeal packets I have gotten very cheap on clearance and well I’m good at burning everything. The microwave is my friend!

Now I did make sure and find the lowest sugar content possible on the packets. I was happy to find Quacker Weight Control oatmeal. I looked through the ingredients and  the only difference on these is lower sugar and more fiber! They have lower sugar than the Quacker Low Sugar oatmeal. I was able to find them at the grocery discount store for a $1 a box. I know not quite as good as 45 cents a pound but for me this is a start.

I am probably switching to bulk quick oats when I run out of packets, but I haven’t decided if I will make my own packets with snack baggies or just scoop it out. We will see how domestic I am at that point.

Now on to how to make oatmeal fun! I love making food fun and cute, remember my bento phase? I don’t make the oatmeal fun everyday, but for special days like holidays I do go all out.

Let’s make it fun with color!

One fun way to add a little pizazz to your oatmeal is color sugar. You can make all kinds of shapes. I did this special bowl on Valentine’s Day. This does add sugar to your breakfast one reason I only do it on special occasions.

Step 1: Make your oatmeal

Step 2: Cut out a shape from paper, I made a heart.

Step 3: Place paper on oatmeal, as close to the oatmeal as possible.

Step 4: Sprinkle with colored sugar

St. Patrick’s Day is coming up and cutting a shamrock out of paper isn’t that hard.

What are some ways you dress up your oatmeal? What is your favorite oatmeal?

Today (well actually yesterday) was filled with positives and negatives. This is the year I have decided to defeat my weight one way or another.

Today I was good I ate breakfast: 160 cals

Today I was good we went for an hour walk: -538 cals

Today I was good and made lunch but messed up and forgot to take out the extra egg: 549 cals

Today I made sure and count my snacks in my journal even though I didn’t want to: 433 cals

Today I made a bad choice, we went out to dairy queen, but I only ate 1/2 my fries and 1/2 my blizzard, I chose to stop and saved myself from -420 cals: 1150 cals

In the end I ended up over 364 calories for the day but it could have been worse I could have stuffed myself, I could have called defeat and eaten even more. I may not had a perfect day today but I was better and made a step closer to perfect.

]]> http://PepperScraps.com/2011/01/defeated-but-not-giving-up/feed/ 2 http://PepperScraps.com/2010/09/day-10-favorite-place-to-eat/ http://PepperScraps.com/2010/09/day-10-favorite-place-to-eat/#comments Thu, 23 Sep 2010 05:36:32 +0000 Pepper Ferguson http://PepperScraps.com/?p=1484

Taco Del Mar is awesome!!

Okay well I drank it but I count it as a snack not as a drink. But one of the things I enjoy every so often is buttermilk with salt and pepper. Okay I know I’m crazy! I’ve never met anyone else who drinks it but I do. And everyone gives me funny looks.

What’s a weird snack that you eat? Please comment and let me know.

Part of the 30 day challenge

Our decorations are up, I have my Christmas cards ready to address and send out, and I have cookie dough ready in the freezer. We are ready to start having some Christmas guests. Are you?

Tonight I am going to share with you some of my favorite appetizer recipes out of my all time favorite cookbook. To give you an idea how much I love this book I have a funny story for you.

I was planning a party coming up soon so as I was going to work I scooped up my cookbook. But when I arrived at work I couldn’t find it. That’s when I realized I must have left it on the roof of the car. I loved that book I was so upset.

I decided to do the unthinkable. I was the only one working that day and it was a Sunday and we rarely had anyone come into the shop on Sundays. So I through up a sign saying I would be back in 45 min and left. I drove home searching along the road all the way looking for my book. I had no luck. I got back to work late, but no one even noticed I was missing.

I called my husband crying because I was so distraught over loosing the cookbook. He promised to take me out to Powell’s Books and buy me a used copy that night and we did. I was so happy to have a new copy of my book.

The name of the book is Favorite Brand Name 4 Ingredient Cookbook. So on to some of my favorite recipes from the book.

Hot Artichoke Dip

• 1 cup Miracle Whip Salad Dressing or Kraft Real Mayonnaise
• 1 cup (4 oz) Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 (14-oz) can artichoke hearts, drained, chopped

1. Heat Oven to 350F
2. Mix all ingredients: spoon into 9in pie plate or 2 cup casserole
3. Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Garnish as desired. Serve with tortilla chips, crackers or party rye bread slices

Philadelphia Cranberry Orange Spread

• 1 package (8oz) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup cranberry orange sauce
• 3 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted

1. Spread cream cheese on serving plate
2. Top with sauce, sprinkle with pecans. Serve with crackers.

Tortellini Kabobs with Pesto Ranch Dip

• 1/2 bag (16oz) frozen tortellini
• 1 1/4 cups ranch salad dressing
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Rinse and drain under cold water. Thread tortellini onto bamboo skewers. 2 tortellini per skewer. (Or if you do not want to deal with skewers everywhere just use toothpicks)

Combine salad dressing, cheese, garlic and basil in small bowl. Serve tortellini kabobs with dip.

Chunky Hawaiian Spread

• 1 package (3oz) light cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup fat free or light sour cream
• 1 can (8oz) Dole Crushed Pineapple, well-drained
• 1/4 cup mango chutney* (which I have never used in this recipe)
• Low Fat Crackers

*If there are large pieces of fruit in the chutney, cut into small pieces

Beat cream cheese, sour cream, pineapple and chutney in bowl until blended. Cover and chill 1 hour or overnight. Serve with crackers. Refrigerate any leftover spread in airtight container for up to one week.

Cheese Creme Dip

• 1 package (8oz) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 jar (7oz) marshmallow creme

1. Mix cream cheese and marshmallow creme with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Refrigerate.
2. Serve with assorted cut-up fresh fruit or pound cake cubes. Garnish as desired.

Now I am hungry. I have made all of these for multiple parties I have had and have had rave reviews (especially the Hawaiian Spread).

Tomorrow I will be doing my December meme about family traditions. So if you want to share your family traditions, come on over tomorrow and link up!

If you would like some more yummy recipes please visit Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. Or you can go to Simply Sugar and Gluten Free to find more appetizer, mocktail, and cocktail recipes.