ReUsable Coloring Book #MommyHack

I thought I'd sit down real quick while supper cooks and share a #MommyHack with you.
To me its a #PennyPincher, maybe for you its more #EcoFriendly. Either way, here it is - a reusable coloring book!

I took several coloring books that we already had and tore them apart, putting each page into a sheet protector.

I put all the pages into a 3 ring binder we had on hand and presto! A coloring book!

We picked up some Crayola dry erase markers and I'm really impressed with them. They color nicely, are easy for little hands to manage and most importantly? They come off with soap and water when little ears don't hear the part about "only color the picture"
*EDIT Nov 12,2016 Crayola Dry Erase Crayons are even more impressive than the markers! Check them out!*

If the pages don't come clean with a dry rag, or with water, wet your rag with rubbing alcohol, the color will come right off!

Have fun!

Stuffed Zucchini Shepherd's Pie

Today I'm going to share an experiment I did the other day that my husband declared a "repeatable experiment" and I noted as a easy make ahead meal

I took one of the larger zucchini in my garden (anything over a foot would work) washed it and cut it in half

I then removed the seeds, setting them aside. I just used a table spoon, its pretty easy. Scrape as big a hollow as you think you'll need, making sure to leave at least a 1/2 inch of shell.
Set the hollowed shells aside.



In a frying pan brown your hamburger (I used a half pound) with your desired spices. I used Chili powder, Oregano and Lowry's seasoning salt.
While the meat is browning add the zucchini flesh and seeds that you hollowed out, breaking it up as it cooks. You could also add onions, peppers etc, you're limited only by your imagination. ..and what is in your pantry ;)

Once the meat and veggies are fully cooked, scoop them into the zucchini shells.

Carefully smoosh mashed potatoes over the filling, piling it as thick as you can and sealing the filling into the zucchini.
You could add cheese at this point, I didn't this time.

Place zucchini in oven at 350º for 45 minutes or until zucchini reaches desired consistency. At 45 minutes mine was still just a little crunchy even though it was fully cooked.

Cut into desired serving sizes and enjoy!

(This was before serving as leftovers the next day....my guys were too hungry the first time around for me to stop for a picture LOL)

So to sum up.

One med-large zucchini
.5 - 1 pound hamburger (or other ground meat)
Desired spices (chili, oregano and Lowry's worked well)
Desired additional veggies for filling
Mashed potatoes

Cookie sheet or other large flat pan.
Knife
Table spoon.

Wash zucchini
Cut in half lengthwise
Scoop out innards, set aside.
Place shells on baking pan, set aside.
In frying pan, brown hamburger with desired spices and veggies (including zucchini innards)
Fill zucchini shells with hamburger mixture.
Top with mashed potatoes, sealing as much as possible.
Bake at 350º 45 minutes or until shell is at desired consistency when tested with a sharp knife.

Serve and enjoy!

(Careful, zucchini holds heat REALLY well!)

What do you do with your zucchini and yellow squash, whether to eat immediately or preserving for later? Please share!

Welcome To Our Learning Farm

I haven't been doing much blogging lately as you've probably noticed. You've probably also noticed that most of my posts lately have been to direct you to a post on The Cloth Diaper Whisperer. Sorry about that, there hasn't been a lot of blog worthy things going on around here, and what posts do pop into my brain are cloth diaper related (I can't imagine why. ...) so I've submitted the to TCDW to earn points toward a gift card for more diapers. Funny how as a mother you can constantly be doing SOMETHING and yet if you are asked what you've been up to the inevitable response is "not much" or the more accurate "same song, second verse". Our days are filled with dishes, laundry, fussy babies, cooking and lots of coffee. But we wouldn't trade it for the world (ok, yeah, there's those moments you'd like to run screaming into the night, but you'd come back!) There's the special moments where you see your child growing and learning before your eyes. Those special grins. Sleepy cuddles. Moments like this one that I posted on Facebook yesterday:

Or this one, where it seems I've traded humming "I Walk The Line" or "Amazing Grace" for "Welcome To our learning farm, we've so much to show you!...".

But there's other moments too. Moments where you wonder if GOD really thought long enough before HE entrusted the life of this little person to you. Before I had kids, I was full of confidence! After all, I had babysat thousands of times, had younger siblings and had helped with foster kids! I had even taught preschool! But all that doesn't help with big questions like: when do you wean? 6 months? A year? 10 years? And once you've picked an age, HOW do you wean? Well obviously you have to start the baby on solid food before cutting them off nursing, and that opens a whole new can of worms! Pablum? Canned babyfood? Baby Led Weaning? Oh! Can he eat that? Of course in the midst of all this, jr is happily picking up whatever treasures the vacuum missed and blissfully eating those!

I try not to stress, really I do. And usually I'm fairly successful. But sometimes it gets to me. Sometimes I just want someone to hand me a step by step manual of how to raise this child. The child GOD has entrusted to my care. I guess, as long as I'm praying for wisdom, doing the best I know how, that'll just have to be enough. Tell you what though, I'm sure glad I've got Cowboy to lean on, because I often just don't feel strong enough, wise enough, to raise this little boy. I don't know how the women do it whose husbands work away from home or are no longer with us. I just can't imagine.

Well I better get busy, I'm supposed to help Cowboy move a tractor this morning and I need to get that load of diapers washing first. Enjoy a coffee for me ladies!

Come to think of it "learning farm" is kind of appropriate; Bubby is learning to be a good man, but I'm learning to be a good mom. Hmm. I might never hear that song the same again