Everyday Mom's Meals

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

First Pick Of The Summer

Do you remember me telling you how both of my "boys" have green thumbs? Well, they do. That's right, instead of 2 green in the family, we have 4. (And yes, I realize that leaves me out. There is a reason for that. As my friend, who is also plant challenged, says, "The only thing I can grow is a kid!") Adam and Alex take pride in what they can grow, how much they can grow and then look to me to use all of their harvest! This year however, we aren't sure how well anything is going to grow because of the serious drought we here in Indiana, like so many across the nation, have been contending with for weeks now. For those of you who aren't experiencing it, I'll give you a little insight as to what our area looks like. Due to lack of rain, most yards are the color of straw, some of the trees' leaves are already starting to turn to fall colors, and since the beginning of May my husband has only mowed lawn once. The farmers in our area are really struggling and we are literally praying for rain every day. With these being the conditions we are dealing with, you can imagine our shock last week when Monkey and I were checking the garden to find we had some green onions ready to pick! Now the tops were a little brown, and they weren't as big as we normally would like, but they were there and we did not want to risk the chance of losing them, so we picked them. Alex was so excited: "Mommy we grew these!!" I knew it was the perfect time to try a new dip recipe I had saved for some time. Super simple and ready in no time, this is perfect to put out for those "drop by" guests that always seem to happen in the summer time! Chips, crackers, vegetables...it is perfect with all of them. I'm so happy, that no matter what the rain forecast hold, we can say our garden wasn't a total bust! The boys work so hard and deserve that sense of accomplishment. How is your garden fairing where you are?

Green Onion Dip From Cooks.com
1 c. sour cream
2 tsp. beef bouillon granules
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. green onion, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish

In a small bowl whisk sour cream, bouillon and Worcestershire. Add onions and mix well. Garnish w/ extra onions. Chill until serving.

Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain July 25, 2012
Shared on Gooseberry Patch July 25, 2012
Shared on Miz Helen's Country Cottage July 26, 2012
Shared on The Country Cook July 27, 2012
Shared on Addicted to Recipes July 29, 2012

Dips at Very Good Recipes
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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

If I Can, I Will

I'm a pretty determined person by nature. From a young child if I put my mind to something, I wouldn't stop until I achieved it. This blog is a perfect example of that. I decided I wanted to turn a small hobby into something bigger, and look where I am today. In this aspect though I'm talking about something a little more simple, and much tastier. If I can find a way to add bacon to something, I'm gonna do it! I don't hide the fact we are bacon lovers, and daily readers of this blog will not be surprised by this because you know just how many recipes bacon makes an appearance in! I mean, seriously, we're the family that covers bacon in chocolate and calls it dessert! So you can how excited my stomach was when I found this on Pinterest~ by the way, how did any of us learn new recipes before the world of Pinterest?? Ha! This could easily done on the outdoor grill too, but the word "roasted" just makes my mouth water, especially when it comes to veggies. This method of cooking gives normal, everyday vegetables such an unique flavor and texture, and totally changes the way you look at them! If you love the amazingly wonderful tasty treat that is bacon as much as we do, be sure to try this today!

Roasted Cabbage with Bacon From Green Lite Bites
1 medium head cabbage, cut into quarters
2 TBS lemon juice
2 TBS real bacon bits
1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425. In a small bowl combine all except cabbage. Whisk until well combine. Place each cabbage quarter onto a piece of aluminum foil, making sure it will be completely covered when folded. Spoon about 2 tsp. of marinade over each quarter. Fold aluminum foil inward to make a "pouch" around cabbage. Place directly on oven rack and bake 20-30 minutes. Garnish with extra bacon bits, if desired.

Shared on Mandy's Recipe Box July 24, 2012
Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain July 25, 2012
Shared on Miz Helen's Country Cottage July 26, 2012
Shared on The Country Cook July 27, 2012
Shared on Addicted to Recipes July 29, 2012

Cabbage at Very Good Recipes
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Monday, July 23, 2012

6,000 Facebook Fan Giveaway

Holy guacamole! I can't believe I have reached 6,000 fans on the EMM Facebook Fan page! Who would have guessed, just 12 months ago, when I was hoping to hit 500 I would come this far so quickly. And it's all because of EACH of you who stop by each day to see what I've got cooking and I am beyond appreciative. So what better way to show how much I love ya'll? That's right, we're having a celebration on EMM!

And in blog land, when we celebrate, we give things away! I've got a super cute prize package for one lucky EMM fan. It's easy to enter, easy to win. Just my little way of sending all of you a HUGE hug along with my eternal gratitude for making what I do so enjoyable!

The Giveaway

One Lucky Winner Will Receive:

(1) Oven Mitt

(1) Hot Pad

(1) Set Paula Deen Recipe Cards

(1) Set Paula Deen Cupcake Stencils

(1) Paula Deen Jar Gripper

Rules:

Open to US Residents 18 and older ONLY

All comments must have at least one email address.

Mandatory and Extra Entries must be SEPARATE comments. All entries must be on blog ONLY. NO Facebook comments allowed.

Winner will be chosen by Random.org and announced on EMM and Facebook

He/she will have 48 hours to claim prize or another winner will be chosen

Contest Ends: Tuesday July 31, 2012

Mandatory Entry:

1. Must be a Facebook Fan of EMM. Leave me a comment here when you have done so, or already are.

Extra Entries:

1. Become a follower of EMM through GFC, Networked Blogs or Linky Followers. All found on homepage. Leave a comment here when you have done so.

2. Follow me on Twitter. Leave a comment here when you have.

3. Follow me on Pinterest. Leave a comment here.

4. Leave a comment on this post....something nice, a friendly hello, whatever is on your mind!

That is up to 5 entries per person! Good Luck!

Cool Treats and Grilled Meats {Indiana Family of Farmers}

I am so excited for this post! It is my first as a Table Talk Contributor for Indiana Family of Farmers.

I am so proud to be a part of this wonderful organization supporting my home state and our amazing farmers. I may not have grown up on a farm, but I have lived in Indiana my whole life, surrounded by some of the nation's top producers of the grains, produce and meats Americans eat every day!

Summer time means a lot of things in the realm of food. Maybe in your family it's the time you enjoy eating fresh fruits and veggies from your backyard garden. Or maybe it means anything and everything you can throw on the grill will find it's way to the table with a "cooked open an open flame" flavor. Or maybe it's the time of year your family loves to bust out the ice cream maker and cool off with something sweet on those hot summer nights. (After all July is National Ice Cream month! And Indiana is #2 in the nation for ice cream and low fat ice cream production!)

All of these describe my family and we find as many ways to make them happen as we can all summer long. But ice cream isn't the only cool treat we love to include in our summer ritual. How about popsicles? I love to see Alex enjoying a cold, dripping down his hands, popsicle in the hot summer sun. There is just something so nostalgic about it.

What about making your own popsicles? Until now, I never have, but thanks to IFOF we are now homemade popsicle makers for life! The flavor combinations are endless, and IFOF even has some recipes to inspire you! As soon as I saw the one with orange and cream, I knew exactly which one Alex would love the most! How fun and easy for little ones to get in on the action! Getting kids into the kitchen making sweet treats is a not only a "cool" activity for summer vacation, but it also gives parents a chance to teach them about the foods they love, promoting healthy eating habits for life!

Want another great activity for kids to learn more about the foods they eat, and where they comes from? After you purchase the ingredients for this recipe, go to WhereisMyMilkFrom.com and find out the source of your dairy products. What a fun, interactive way for your kids to appreciate the foods they enjoy every day, and those who work so hard to make them available!

Alex stirring the popsicle mixture.

So get your kids into the kitchen and whip up some yummy refreshing popsicles for the next 90 degree day (we've had a lot of those this year in Indiana). Have fun! Lick away!

Want to learn more about IFOF? You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.

Orange Cream Popsicles

6 oz. can orange juice concentrate, thawed

2 c. vanilla yogurt

2 tsp vanilla extract

Popsicle molds OR 3 ounce cups and craft sticks

Stir all ingredients together until smooth. Pour mixture into popsicle molds or paper cups. Insert sticks and freeze.


Yummy cool treat on a HOT day!

Shared on Make Ahead Meals July 22, 2012
Shared on Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen July 23, 2012
Shared on Mandy's Recipe Box July 24, 2012
Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain July 25, 2012
Shared on Miz Helen's Country Cottage July 26, 2012
Shared on The Country Cook July 27, 2012

*These were made with the Zoku Quick Pop Maker provided to my family by IFOF*

Disclaimer: IFOF provided me with a gift package for inspiration on this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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