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Disclosure: I received product for review purposes only. All opinions are honest and are my own.  Our new Creative Baby My Animal World i-Mat has been a hit in our house. My four year old and two year old are so excited when we get the i-Mat out. It has activities that are age appropriate for both boys so they play at different levels. They play well together on the mat too and are able to collaborate. Another cool thing about our new i-Mat is that the boys can learn some Chinese and Spanish too. They have the option of selecting Chinese or Spanish when choosing how they want to play. I think this is a valuable learning tool that can help foster early foreign language development.  The first in a series of themed interactive foam mats, the colorful play land is made of four interlocking soft sections that are activated when used with its Voice Pen. Babies and older siblings learn while exploring the illustrated mat with a simple point on the "word bubble." They're instantly rewarded with an animal sound, a word, music or a foreign language translation! Newborn babies can enjoy the mat without the pen—the mat is phthalate-, lead- and heavy metal-free, and no electronics mean no worries for wiping the mat clean.  Creative Baby has received the Brain Toy Award from Academic Choice for the i-Mat. The Academics' Choice Advisory Board consists of leading thinkers and graduates from Princeton, Harvard, George Washington University and other highly reputable educational institutions. In this first video you can see my four year old playing a game on the i-Mat. He is really engaged and learning as he plays. My two year old LOVES the i-Mat. As you can see in this video, he gets so excited he even runs around and dances. He plays at an easier level than my four year old when he is playing by himself. One of my favorite things about the i-Mat is that it has so many play options that cater to the developmental level of the child. The i-Mat's secret is the 2 GB memory of the Voice Pen. Sold as a set, the foamy pad and pen together retail for $79.99. For a limited time, Creative Baby offers free shipping for all pre-orders. Two more themed adventures - - i-Mat My Alphabet and i-Mat Under The Sea -- are planned for Fall 2014. As new pads are introduced, parents can connect the Voice Pen to any computer with internet access (with the included USB cable), download the new sound file from Creative Baby's website to the i-Mat Voice Pen. Then, explore new i-Mat adventures! New pads will be priced from $24.99 to $29.99. Our new award winning i-Mat My Animal World has been well loved and played. I think it will be a favorite toy for a long time to come. Disclosure: I received product for review purposes only. All opinions are honest and are my own.
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It doesn't get much better than a cool slice of lemon meringue pie on a hot summer evening. Give me a glass of iced tea and a slice of pie and I'm a happy girl. 
For the crust: All Butter Crust for Sweet and Savory Pies or your favorite crust 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (optional) Make your dough using your favorite recipe or this All Butter Crust for Sweet and Savory Pies (Pâte Brisée). It's fantastic and fairly easy. I make the first recipe in the link. If you use this recipe, make a half recipe or freeze half the dough for future use since we are making a one crust pie. 
To help keep your crust nice and crispy, you can roll your dough out on graham cracker crumbs. Sprinkle with more crumbs while rolling out the dough. Custard pies often create soggy crusts and graham cracker crumbs added to the crust can help keep them crisp. 
Follow the instructions to Pre-Bake a Pie Crust. You will pre-bake with pie weights or dry beans as shown. 
For the filling: 1 1/2 cups cold water 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup cornstarch 1/8 tsp. salt 6 large egg yolks 1 T. grated lemon zest 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (3-6 lemons, depending on size) 2 T. butter 
Once you have baked a crust and let it cool, you can make the filling. It is a good idea to juice and zest your lemons and separate your eggs ahead of time. Since you are using 6 eggs, but only 4 egg whites, you can freeze the extra two egg whites for future use like in an Angel Food Cake. To make the filling: 1. Combine the water, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Cook and stir over medium heat with a whisk until simmering. 2. When the mixture starts to thicken and look clear, add the egg yolks, two at a time. 3. Stir in the zest, lemon juice, and butter. Return to a full simmer, then remove from the heat. Next you will prepare the meringue. For the meringue: 4 large egg whites 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 cup sugar 1. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy. 2. Add vanilla extract. Then gradually beat in sugar, a little at a time. 3. Continue beating until stiff and glossy. 
Pour the hot filling into a pie crust. 
Place large dollops of meringue on top of the lemon filling. Then gently smooth the meringue to the edges sealing the meringue to the crust to prevent shrinking. 
Use a scraper or the back of a spoon to form pretty little peaks in the meringue. 
Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 20 minutes until lightly browned. Cool to room temperature in a slightly warm place. Refrigerate any leftovers.
The lemon filling recipe is adapted from the America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook Copyright © 2006. Published by America’s Test Kitchen. All Rights Reserved. 
I saw a recipe for baked teriyaki chicken in a weekly menu plan at Clover Lane. I tried it and thought it was ok, but then came up with this idea. I substituted honey for the sugar in the sauce and grilled the chicken on skewers. The boys loved the chicken so much, they ate it all. I only made a pound of chicken to start (about 2 chicken breasts), not realizing how much they would eat. So I made more for my husband and I and we ate dinner after the boys went to bed. Someday, I'll be making double recipes of everything for my growing boys. I suspect when they are teenagers my second home will be the supermarket. 1 Tablespoon cornstarch 1 Tablespoon cold water 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts Bamboo Skewers* 1. In a saucepan over low heat, combine the cornstarch, cold water, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground black pepper. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles. 
2. Slice chicken breasts into long strips about an inch wide. Thread meat onto skewers using two chicken strips per skewer. Brush with honey teriyaki sauce. Grill until cooked through. Enjoy!
*When using bamboo skewers on the grill, it is a good idea to soak them in water for a while first to prevent them from catching on fire. Sauce adapted from All Recipes.  Sunday: salad, grilled cabbage, grilled smoked sausage
Monday: rice, fish sticks Tuesday: baked honey teriyaki chicken, fried rice, steamed broccoli Wednesday: leftovers Thursday: Slow Cooker Butter bean Soup (still tweaking this recipe), Honey cornbread Friday: Honey Teriyaki Chicken Skewers, baked rice, grilled pineapple Saturday: Night out for Mom and Dad, Disclosure: I received products for review purposes. All opinions are honest and are my own.  Caribbean style and Hawaiian aloha were the inspiration behind Cariloha – a combination of the two words.  It's finally warming up outside. Time to sport some cute summer styles. I love my new Cariloha apparel and bag. My new Wailua bamboo beach bag is stylish and roomy enough to haul the boys' summer gear - sunblock, water bottles, hats, whatever we need for fun outings. I am wearing the bamboo infinity scarf in gray. LOVE this scarf! I have already been sunburned on the back of my neck a few times this Spring. With my new bamboo scarf, I can cover-up and stay cool at the same time. Bamboo fabric is actually 3 degrees cooler than cotton. Cariloha has a line of active wear in soft, cool bamboo fabric too. Wouldn't it be nice to wear a cooling fabric when working out? I am also modeling the Schaffer bamboo skirt in butter. This is a comfortable, easy to wear, lightweight skirt. It rolls up really small for packing and will be one my essentials when traveling in warm weather. One of my favorite things about this skirt is the length. I am tall, around 5' 10" and find many skirts are just shorter than I would like. This skirt is right above the knee on me which is the perfect length for a casual skirt.  Cariloha is the world’s only retail brand with stores that are completely merchandised with ultra-soft, comfortable clothing and bedding made of bamboo. Choose from dozens of clothing styles, bed and bath sets, home décor, handbags, jewelry and more all made of Cariloha’s proprietary bamboo blends. An ever-growing rich supply of bamboo makes it possible for Cariloha to offer an exclusive collection of apparel, accessories, home décor, bed and bath sets and more all enjoying the soft touch and green footprint of this renewable resource.  This is the tag from my new super comfy skirt. It is 60% organic cotton and 40% viscose from bamboo. So soft and easy to wear, this will be a staple in my summer wardrobe. I have a really awesome giveaway. Enter to win a $100 Cariloha online gift card! Disclosure: I received products for review purposes. All opinions are honest and are my own.
 I have a sick child today. Nothing serious, just a cold so I decided to make chicken noodle soup. I usually make this easy chicken soup recipe, but wanted the added benefits of bone broth so I used whole bone-in chicken pieces. I basically followed my Turkey Noodle Soup recipe using bone-in chicken instead. After some chicken noodle soup, lots of fluids and rest my little guy will be back to good health in no time. Ingredients:
1 onion diced 3 cloves garlic minced 1 stalk celery diced 2 T. butter 14 C. water 6 t. chicken base or bouillon 1 chicken carcass or 3-4 bone-in chicken pieces, skin removed 1 t. salt 1 t. Cajun or Creole seasoning Fresh ground pepper 1 16 oz. bag frozen peas and carrots 12-16 oz. Amish home-style egg noodles 1. In a large pot, sauté onion, garlic and celery in butter until tender and slightly caramelized. 2. Add water, chicken base, chicken carcass or pieces, salt and Cajun seasoning. You can add a little fresh ground pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 3. Remove carcass or chicken pieces from the pot and pull meat off the bones with a knife and a fork. Cut up the meat and return it to the pot. Add frozen peas and carrots and bring pot to a low boil. 4. Add noodles and continue to cook uncovered until noodles are tender. (Check noodle package for cooking time.)  I went to the dentist this morning. I actually like going to the dentist. My visit is always easy and it's quiet and relaxing. I had the same dental hygienist that my son had a week ago. I think her name is Carrie. Anyway, she was wonderful. Today I learned why my son sang for her last week, which completely turned around my stressful day and made her day too.
At his visit, she had some trouble getting his x-rays because his tongue was always in the way. I didn't know until today that she said "Let it go" to him which prompted him to start singing "Let it Go" from Frozen in the most adorable little four year old singing voice. He sang and sang and she laughed and laughed and then her eyes welled up with tears. So did mine. Somehow she got everything done that needed to be done in between lines of "Let it Go". She went on and on about how adorable he was. Music to my ears. I enjoyed every minute of it. The sweet sounds of "Let it Go" changed my day. Today at my dentist appointment, she was still talking about the joy she felt listening to my little guy sing "Let it Go". It was a special moment and one that I need to remember when the stressful moments come. Let it Go... Linking up at I Can Teach My Child and Create with Joy  My parents have generously given us lots of venison this year and we have been enjoying it. They gave us these beautiful cuts of venison sirloin roast/steaks. I decided that my recipe for tri-tip roast might be a nice fit for this cut of meat. (It's not really my recipe. I found it at Las Vegas Food Adventures and it is my favorite way to prepare tri-tip roast.) I marinated the venison for 24 hours, then grilled to perfection. It was melt in your mouth delicious.  I used the full recipe for the marinade, but it is for 2-3 lbs. of meat, so feel free to reduce it for smaller cuts of meat. If you need lower sodium, reduce the amount of seasoned salt and use a lower sodium soy sauce.
1 tablespoon seasoned salt 1 teaspoon brown sugar 3 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Put all ingredients in a ziploc bag, add meat. Seal the bag and rub the marinade into the meat. Let rest in the fridge for 24 hours. Grill and enjoy. Linking up at Create with Joy. Disclosure: I received products for review, but all opinions are honest and are my own.  To avoid the so-called summer slide, the experts at Super Duper Publications have handpicked six games for parents to consider for leisurely summertime learning. Auditory Memory for WH Questions Fun Deck • $12.95 • Grades 1+ Grammar Chipper Chat • $64.95 • Grades K-5 Granny’s Candies • $54.94 • Grade K-6 Say and Glue for Language and Listening • $36.95 • Grades PreK-4 Sentence Fill-In Fun Deck • $29.95 • Grades 1+ Understanding Sentences Fun Deck • $24.95 • Grades K-6 The boys and I love playing educational games together and Super Duper Publications products are some of our favorites. So I jumped on the opportunity to try Say & Glue for Language and Listening and Understanding Sentences Fun Deck.  My four year old loves to cut and glue and was so excited to do the activities in Say and Glue for Language and Listening. These are great learning activities that are both fun and educational. You do need to photocopy the activities from the book to do them and my printer/copier was low on ink so my copy wasn't the best in this picture, but he loved it anyway. The Say and Glue activities are perfect for my preschool age kids and would be a nice supplement for homeschool curriculums too. Say and Glue for Language and Listening • $36.95 • Grades PreK-4  The boys love the Understanding Sentences Fun Deck. This game will get lots of play over the summer. Understanding Sentences Fun Deck • $24.95 • Grades K-6  Their favorite part is checking their answers with the Super Duper Secret Decoder. They aren't strong readers yet, so I play this with them reading each card and moderating the game. They really enjoy this game which makes me glad because I know they are learning as they play. I have a great giveaway open to US and Canada. Enter to win your choice of: Say and Glue for Language and Listening • $36.95 • Grades PreK-4 Sentence Fill-In Fun Deck • $29.95 • Grades 1+ Understanding Sentences Fun Deck • $24.95 • Grades K-6 Disclosure: I received products for review, but all opinions are honest and are my own.
Entry #142 Merry S won The Manhattan Toy Company imagine I CAN® Magnetic Playset out of 1645 entries.
Entry #878 Rebecca W won a collection of Guillow's foam and balsa wood airplanes out of 1110 entries. Congratulations to the winners who have been contacted. You can still enter to win. |
Welcome to Home Ec @ HomeHi, I'm Faith, a former Family and Consumer Science teacher turned food blogger. I love God, my family, and food. You can usually find me in the kitchen preparing family friendly, homemade recipes and taking lots of pictures. 
Mini Golden Doodle Puppies,
Still Goldens, Southern, IL
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