Garlic Deviled Eggs

Looking for something tasty to do with all those Easter eggs? This deviled egg recipe is delicious!

6 Hardboiled eggs

1/3 cup mayo

1/2 tsp. mustard

2 green onions with tops, chopped

1 garlic clove minced

1/8 tsp. salt

Halve the eggs lengthwise and scoop out yolk. Lay whites aside on a tray. In a bowl, combine yolks and all other ingredients. Mix. Spoon mixture into plastic baggie or a cake decorating bag. cut an opening in the corner. Squeeze the mixture into the empty egg whites. Sprinkle with paprika.

Artsy Pizza

A child's experience with food can be just as important as the actual eating of the food. Make a child's first experience with a certain food a good one and they are more likely to eat it. I think it is especially important to get your kids involved in the kitchen. When kids know where food comes from, what goes into preparing it, etc, they are more likely to take pride in their food and hopefully eat a little healthier!

Now Pizza isn't something that most kids turn their nose up at...but vegetables can be another story! However, Pizza can be the perfect vehicle for getting some fruits and vegetables into your picky eaters tummy!

Now you can make this as simple as you want, or really play it up and turn your kitchen into a pizzeria complete with dough tossing, red checker tablecloth, menus, use your imagination!

Think of as many toppings as you can (healthy ones preferably), try and get as many different colors on your table as possible. Here are some ideas.

White sauce (Alfredo) Really make it artsy and put paintbrushes in the sauce

Red Sauce (tomato)

tomato chunks

pineapple

mushroom

pepperoni/bacon/sausage/chicken/or make it a meatless meal!

cheese (white and yellow)

peppers, get one in every color!

red onions

olives

Spinach*

Broccoli*

cauliflower*

peas*

corn*

carrots*

* You may want to steam these before putting them on a pizza

For the crust I like to use premade Pillsbury stuff or Rhode's rolls, but if you want to make your own more power to ya! I also like to bake my dough for about half the suggested time before putting toppings on them, it keeps them crunchier.

Now give each kid their "canvas". Tell them to use the ingredients on the table to make a work of art (word it however you want). Sit around the table and talk about what each of you are making. Family dinners are about more than just shoveling food into our mouths. Have a conversation!

Stick the pizzas on a cookie sheet, put it in the oven and bake!

Will this be messy? Yes! Will it be fun? Yes!

Bon Appetit!

Wishing Tree

This is an activity for older children who can write, or at least dictate to you what they want to write. I got this idea out of a parenting magazine and have always wanted to try it. They called it art, I don't know about that, but it still seemed fun.

Turn a tree in your yard into a wish tree. Put up a sign that reads "Wish Tree" and some directions of what to do. Somewhere by the tree and sign put a container with your "supplies". All you need is some scrap paper, a writing utensil and string. The idea is for people to write down a wish and hang it in the tree. You probably want your family to write down some wishes and hang them in the tree first so that people get the idea.

This would also work really well as a Thankful Tree, Why I Love America Tree, etc. depending on the time of year and what you want your family to think about.

Don't have a tree you can use? You can draw one and hang it somewhere inside your house, or use some sort of necklace hanger, or even bring a few branches of a tree inside your house and set them up. Have fun seeing what your kids or neighbors are wishing for!

Check out this author: Iza Trapani

I just recently found Iza Trapani books and they are a huge hit in this house. My kids love Sing Along books. Iza Trapani takes common kids songs and then makes up several new verses, usually about going on adventures and what not, then she illustrates them beautifully, binds them as a board book, and Wah-La, instant hit!

So far we have only read I'm a Little Tea Pot and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Miss J had me read the Tea Pot book over and over again, and as soon as I opened up Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star she got this huge smile on her face that was plastered there the whole book.

There are lots of titles to choose from so check her out!

Homemade Birdfeeders

I love to make homemade birdfeeders with my daycare and own children. We hang them on the tree outside our kitchen window, and enjoy watching the birds. They are very easy and quick to make, and I think it teaches the children compassion and service. Children love knowing they have helped the hungry birds.

You will need: One pinecone for each feeder
Peanut Butter
Wild Birdseed (Grocery stores will have this in the pet area)
Thread

Take pinecone and with a butter knife spread a thick layer of peanut butter all over it. Small children can do this with help from Mom. Then roll peanut buttered pinecone in a bowl of birdseed.
Wrap some thread, yarn or twine around the middle of pinecone and tie to a tree branch. Enjoy the birds...it may take a week or two for them to find the cones, but they will find them.

I took this picture of a sparrow enjoying a snack last week!

Earth-Friendly Mothering

This Friday is Earth Day. I think it would be great if we all decided to try and do one thing to be a little more eco-friendly in our homes. Not only can you feel good about going "green", but a lot of times an eco-friendly change can also save money! Here are some ideas.

Switch from Paper towels to dish rags
Make one dinner a week a meatless meal
Wash two loads of laundry a week on cold
Try hanging your laundry to dry
Make an exerted effort to turn off the lights when you leave a room

Buya few reusable grocery bags
Buy a good water bootle and give up bottled water
Plant a garden
Bring some plants into your home
Look into homemade cleaning products using lemons, vinegar, baking soda, etc.
Unplug chargers when not in use
Plug all of your electronics into a power strip and then turn it off each night when you go to bed to reduce phantom energy drain

Need more ideas? I really like the website eartheasy.com It has some great ways to go green, that aren't totally crazy, as well as helping you get started on things like composting, eco-friendly yard maintenance, etc.


I personally really need to work on shutting off the lights (speaking of which I should go turn off the lights in the kitchen right now), I also want to try and put a plant in every room of the house.

Leave a comment below to share what you are going to try!

Making the Case for Mothering Those Not of Our Own

I was sitting in church yesterday...being terribly annoyed. A little boy, age 11, was sitting on my bench making a total scene. He was punching his brother, talking very loudly, standing up, trying to walk along the bench etc. He did not have any parents with him, the missionaries had invited him, and he and his brother showed up. As I watched the helpless Elders try to keep this little guy in his seat..I realized those 19 year old boys had no idea how to help this little boy, but I did. I then had to make the decision, "do I help out, or sit here annoyed that my Sunday was being ruined by a little heathen". This little boy smelled of cigarette smoke, was dirty, obnoxious, rude and a Son of God. This little boy had no training on how to be reverent. He did not have someone at home making sure he was clean and presentable for church, he did not have anyone teaching him how to be polite...he was on his own when it came to a lot of parenting issues. I made the decision to help this guy get through the meeting. Now I am a mother of teenage children, the days of bags full of books and crayons are well behind me, so I had nothing to keep this young man entertained. I asked the Elders to send "Joe" down the bench toward me, they happily agreed. Joe was suspicious of me at first...ready for me to scold him. But when I offered to play a game of tic tac toe with him on the back of my sheet music, he perked right up. We played tic tac toe, I was amazed that nobody had shown him how to win such a simple game, so I did. He was delighted to "beat me". After that we played several games of hangman using words we found from my bible. When we could not figure out the word, we drew clues (anything to extend the game and his attention span). When it was time to sing the closing Hynm he told me "I don't sing, only in my school choir"... "I told him he should try and that he probably had a good voice since he was in the choir". He responded timidly at first, but I as showed him how to read the lines, and continued to tell how good he sounded he sang with gusto. I also explained quickly what we were singing about...he nodded his head and kept trying. When the song was over, he kissed my shoulder and snuggled his head into me for a brief moment. He readily went to Primary and when church was over, he wanted to stay. I am so happy I chose to nurture him instead of judge him. I am so happy I chose to see him as the Savior does, a child full of potential, ready to bloom. After church, I was tired and feeling emotionally empty, but full of gratitude that I was able to help a little one feel better about himself, and find church a fun place he wants to stay. As women we can mother so many in our reach. How many are out there that can use a kind word, or some one on one time. In a time when so many women are abdicating their God given role, the need to Mother those not our own is huge. I hope all of us will reach out more to all the little and big ones around us and nurture them.