Quarto Doodling Books

 *This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, you'll be helping to feed the little angels here at Snowbirds to Seashores.

Pumpkin is one of the artists in the family and loves getting books that teach him new techniques. He keeps all his drawings into a big 3 ring binder so he can show them off. The binder goes with him everywhere even school. I love his creativity and his unique drawing style. I am so excited and can not wait to give him two wonderful doodling books for Christmas.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

What You Need:

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose unbleached flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled a little
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granukated sugar

1 large egg and 1 egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract ( I used Haitian Vanilla but I know not everyone has that available)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

What You Do:

Preheat your oven to 325* degrees.

In a medium bowl whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together. Set aside. Either by hand or with your mixture mix together the melted butter, salt and light brown sugar until thoroughly blended. Mix in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and  beat on low speed (or mix by hand with a spatula) just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Make about 1 in balls and place on your cookie sheets. Bake for 15-18 minutes and then allow to cool on cookie sheet.

This recipe yields about 2 dozen cookies

ENJOY!!!

Nostalgia Electrics - Soft Pretzel Maker with Recipe

 

One thing my family loves to do is snack. But I try my hardest to give them the healthiest and best of everything which is not always easy. One of our favorite snacks it soft pretzels but the store bought ones are never as good as the fresh ones. With that said I am super excited to tell you about our new snack machine it is a Nostalgia Electrics soft pretzel maker. 

Pizza Lasagna

 Pizza Lasagna

What You Need:

1 jar of pizza sauce

1 large can of crushed tomatoes

1 large container of cottage cheese or ricotta

1 package (4 cups) mozzarella cheese

2 eggs

2 packages of pepperoni about 45 pepperonis

2 tablespoon Mama Mia Marinara Sauce Mix

1 box of lasagna noodles (can be oven ready)
Anything you like on your pizza can be added to this recipe just add in with the pepperoni layers

What You Do:

Preheat your oven to 375* degrees. While the oven is preheating if you are using noodles that need cooked cook them now. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl mix the pizza sauce, crushed tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of the Mama Mia Marinara Sauce Mix together. In another medium sized bowl combine the cottage cheese, 2 cups mozzarella, 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon Mama Mia Marinara Sauce Mix. 

Spread some of your pizza sauce mixture in the bottom of your 9x13 baking dish then add a layer of noodles. On top of your noodles add a layer of the cheese mixture, a layer of pepperoni, top with sauce and then continue your layers. You should get about 2-3 layers after you do the final layer of noodles add sauce on top of noodles then the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese and another layer of pepperoni's. 

Bake for 25 minutes covered and then uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is starting to brown. Serve with garlic bread and a tossed salad.  

ENJOY!!!

Handy Tips for Traveling Abroad with Kids

 

Handy Tips for Traveling Abroad with Kids

 

Traveling with children can be a headache at times, and that can be even more so when going overseas. Travel times are longer, the kids are more on edge from being out of their element, and depending on where you go, the parents also have the added burden of trying to handle things in a place where no one speaks their language. Despite all that, it’s still worth it. Here are a few tips to help.

Take Pics of your Kids

It's a vacation, so you're going to be taking pictures of your children all over the place. What we mean here is something different, and not nearly as fun as funny poses in front of the world's art treasures. Every day before going out, take a full body picture of your kids dressed in what they'll be wearing for the day. Should the unthinkable happen, or they simply get lost, authorities will have a current image to help them in the search.

Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf

  Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf

What You Need:

Meat Mixture:
1.5 lbs lean ground beef
 2 eggs
1 cup Italian Seasoned breadcrumbs or 1 cup crushed ritz crackers
1/3 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon dried Oregano
15-20 baby spinach leaves
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Topping:
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar

What You Do:
Mix together beef, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, onion, garlic, 1/3 cup ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and oregano. Mix well with clean hands. On a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper, spread out the meat mixture in a rectangle so the meat mixture is about an inch to half inch thick.

Then place the spinach leaves on top of the beef mixture leaving a 1/2 inch clearance all around the meat edges.

Sprinkle with the cheese. Using the paper or plastic to help roll up the loaf starting at the smaller side. Press gently as you go to make sure you have firmly rolled the loaf. You roll the loaf same as a jelly roll except you press and seal all seams.

Tightly wrap the meatloaf in plastic wrap and set in the refrigerate for at least one hour (or overnight).

Mix the 1/2 cup ketchup and brown sugar together.

Place the meatloaf seam side down in your baking dish - make sure that the ends are sealed well.

Cover the top of the meatloaf with the ketchup mixture and bake at 350* for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and let the meatloaf set for 15 minutes before slicing.

ENJOY!!

Keep The Kids Entertained during Quarantine

 I know that right now many of us parents are trying to find ways to keep our kids entertained during the quarantine. I am sharing some wonderful ideas below with you that I have been coming across. I personally am trying to limit my kids time with electronics. I have been doing this by finding virtual field trips for them to take so they are still learning and not just playing games or watching mindless TV shows.

Zoo Cams & Field Trips

Three Ways to Make the Most of Your Trip to Florida

 

Florida is the ‘Sunshine State’, and it offers everything that you would imagine from America’s most dazzling clime. With warm weather, smiling locals, and attractions galore, it’s the perfect place to visit for families, gap year explorers, and luxury lovers alike. Flight Centre can help you get on your way to a fun Florida getaway.

Sometimes, when you travel to a new destination, it’s nice to go off the beaten track and see it from a different perspective, and this is one of the best ways to visit Florida. Although it’s famed for its beaches, theme parks, and pristine golf courses, there is much more to the Sunshine State for those who go in search of its many hidden 

gems…

National Geographic for Kids

 

One thing that I love to do is encourage my children to read. I also love to have them learn about different cultures that are not local to our area. National Geographic Kids helps me give my children to learn about the world that they live in. Most books seem hard for my younger children to understand and National Geographic understands that and made books that the younger readers can easily understand. 

National Geographic Kids has such a great variety of products to offer children of all ages. It no longer is just the magazines for adults. They have broadened their selection of products to reach more audiences. I personally love the kids selection of items they offer. I enjoy sitting down and reading the books with my children. Not only are my children engaged with the books I am too. 

I recently received some wonderful books to review with my children from National Geographic Kids. I love the wide variety of topics that they offer for the kids. There is literally something on any topic (nature wise) that your child could be interested in.

A Day At Kennywood

 

We recently took the kids over to Kennywood to spend the day. It is just a short drive from our home in Ohio over to this great park in PA. This was the boys second trip to Kennywood and Sweet Pea's first and everyone seemed to have their favorite rides. I love that Kennywood is geared toward family fun. Other theme parks have just a tiny kids area with only a few things for them to ride or play on. That is not the case at all in Kennywood. We spent the whole day in the kids area and only left it when we were getting ready to leave.

BigFoot Helps Kids Learn

 *This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, you'll be helping to feed the little angels here at Snowbirds to Seashores.

 

One thing that I am always looking for is stuff to keep the kids entertained. Whether it be at home or in the car. I hate just handing them a DS or Kindle to play games on because I want their minds to be learning and expanding with knowledge. One way I have found to do this is with activity books. Activity books are a great way to help encourage reading and learning. BigFoot activity books are especially a favorite of most parents, as they are at once educational and fun! 

Snow Ice Cream Recipe

 

When the snow falls and you are stuck inside with kids who need to get some energy out this is a great way to do it! This is a very simple recipe to make and it is FUN for the kids! 

Hotel Transylvania 3 ~ Giveaway

One thing the Anderson kids love is Hotel Transylvania! They were so excited to get the newest movie in the series Hotel Transylvania 3! When they heard a new Hotel Transylvania was coming they went back and watched the first two over and over with excitement for the newest one. With our excitement and joy of receiving a review copy of Hotel Transylvania 3 comes a awesome giveaway!!

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: Enjoy Drac's Spooky Smoothie Recipe & More!

 

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 was released on Digital HD YESTERDAY and will be coming to BLU-RAY Combo Pack and DVD on October 9th!! I am excited to be sharing a fun recipe and activity with you that you can do to get your little ones excited for the upcoming release!

To get the recipe and activity just click the picture above and they will be instantly downloaded for you! 

2018 4H County Judging

 

With technology taking over it seems like most parents have a hard time getting their kids outside and active. One way that our family has found to get the kids outside and active is with our local 4H. The kids have been participating now for a family total of 8 years! And it has been one of the best decisions I ever made with my children. They are learning some great skills that will help them in the future and in their future careers. 

Make Your Own Healthy Yummy Gummies!

 

One thing my kids love is gummies! Though I am not a fan of all the added sugar and dyes I usually do some label reading before buying any. I was recently sent this great recipe from kidstir to make my own gummies and can not wait to make some with the kids. I wanted to share the recipe with all of you so you can make your own gummies as well. 

What You Need:

1 cup juice per flavor (carrot/orange and cranberry/raspberry) 

~ you can use any juice you'd like

2 envelops unflavored gelatin (1 pack per flavor of juice)

What You Do:

1. Measure 1 cup of juice. Pour 2/3 of the cup into the cooking pot. Leave 1/3 cup in the measuring cup and sprinkle it with the unflavored gelatin and let it sit.
2. Heat the juice until it starts to boil. Carefully pour the hot juice over the gelatin.
3. Stir for about 5 minutes, or until gelatin dissolves.
4. Pour it into candy molds and or ice cube trays (pour over the sink in case of spills).
5. Refrigerate until the gummies set, about 5 hours. Run the molds under hot water and slip out the shapes. Eat right away or cover and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Makes about 4 servings (makes 12 to 60 gummies, depending on the size of your molds or ice cube trays)

Vacation Myrtle Beach: Crown Reef Resort

My family was given the wonderful opportunity to spend our 2017 Thanksgiving in Myrtle Beach at the Crown Reef Resort through Vacation Myrtle Beach. With us being such a large family it is hard to find hotels and resorts that can adequately fit us all in one room. I was very pleased with our Oceanfront Suite at the Crown Reef Resort. The room was very spacious as it had a fully equipped kitchen, 2 queen beds, a sleeper sofa, a Murphy/wall bed, in room-safe and more which made it big and perfect for my big family. Our room also had a balcony that over looked the ocean where we were able to sit and watch dolphins play one day. I liked that they had protective covers on the beds to protect against bed bugs. With so many people coming in and you never know what they bring with them I liked seeing the protective covers. 

Myrtle Beach Safari: TIGERS Experience

While on our Thanksgiving trip to Myrtle Beach, my family got the great pleasure of going to the T.I.G.E.R.S. Experience at the Preservation Station. This was a memory maker that my children will never forget. Angel got to feed an adult tiger, Bubba got to bottle feed a tiger cub, a monkey tried to steal Pumpkins hat and also held hands with Peanut. Since two of my children are under the age of 6 we could not go to the Myrtle Beach Safari tour but we were able to go to the Preservation Station for the T.I.G.E.R.S. Experience they have available for all ages.

Myrtle Beach Safari: TIGERS Experience

 While on our Thanksgiving trip to Myrtle Beach, my family got the great pleasure of going to the T.I.G.E.R.S. Experience at the Preservation Station. This was a memory maker that my children will never forget. Angel got to feed an adult tiger, Bubba got to bottle feed a tiger cub, a monkey tried to steal Pumpkins hat and also held hands with Peanut. Since two of my children are under the age of 6 we could not go to the Myrtle Beach Safari tour but we were able to go to the Preservation Station for the T.I.G.E.R.S. Experience they have available for all ages.

Family Thanksgiving in Myrtle Beach 2017

 My family was given the wonderful opportunity to spend our 2017 Thanksgiving in Myrtle Beach at the Crown Reef Resort through Vacation Myrtle Beach. With us being such a large family it is hard to find hotels and resorts that can adequately fit us all in one room. I was very pleased with our Oceanfront Suite at the Crown Reef Resort. The room was very spacious as it had a fully equipped kitchen, 2 queen beds, a sleeper sofa, a Murphy/wall bed, in room-safe and more which made it big and perfect for my big family. Our room also had a balcony that over looked the ocean where we were able to sit and watch dolphins play one day. I liked that they had protective covers on the beds to protect against bed bugs. With so many people coming in and you never know what they bring with them I liked seeing the protective covers.