Fun Activities to Do With your Grandkids

There are many fun activities to do with your grandkids. Grandparents often have an opportunity to spend special time with their grandchildren that parents may not get in the hustle and bustle of their work week. When your grandchildren come to visit you, it can help to have some fun activities pre-planned to keep them entertained.

Try a few of these fun activities the next time you have little visitors:

Show Home Movies and Photos: Show your grandchildren home movies or pictures from when their parents were small. They'll enjoy hearing funny stories about what your children were like when they were small. It's fun to imagine what their parents were like as children. Take time to share these stories with your grandchildren.

Record Bedtime Stories: If your grandchildren are staying overnight, have them bring their favorite bedtime stories along with them. Read them to the children out loud, and set up a tape recorder in the room. You'll be able to send them home with a memory - their own personalized book on tape! Years from now they'll be able to treasure their own tape of grandma or grandpa reading their favorite story to them

Teach Them a Skill: Do you know how to cook, sew, or work with wood? Take the time to teach your grandchildren how to make a simple recipe or project. Parents are often busy and may not have the time to teach their children simple life skills. These skills, if not taught by the schools, may end up neglected. Take time to teach your grandchildren these money-saving hobbies - when they're adults, they'll be very glad you did!

Play Games: Spend time playing card games, board games, or string games with your grandchildren. In this modern age of video and computer games, simple games are often neglected and forgotten. These games are enjoyable and fun - be sure to teach your grandchildren how to have fun simply.

When your grandchildren come to visit, be sure to have a few activities planned to entertain them. Show them pictures or home movies, enjoy a bedtime story, or cook a favorite recipe. You could even take time to teach them a game that you enjoyed when you were a child. Children need attention and affection to thrive, and as a grandparent, you've got time to provide plenty of both. Take time to enjoy your grandchildren - that's what they're for!

"I'm Gonna Love You Through It" - Martina McBride

I Want S'more Muffins Recipe

The s'more flavors in these fun muffins with marshmallow creme in the middle are sure to bring back fond childhood memorie.

Prep: 20 min. Bake: 15 min.
Yield: 6 Servings








S'More Muffins


Ingredients
•3 tablespoons butter, softened
•1/4 cup packed brown sugar
•4 teaspoons sugar
•1 egg
•1/3 cup sour cream
•3 tablespoons 2% milk
•2/3 cup all-purpose flour
•1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1/4 teaspoon baking powder
•1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1/8 teaspoon baking soda
•1/3 cup milk chocolate chips
•6 tablespoons marshmallow creme

Directions
•In a small bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then the sour cream and milk. Combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda; beat into creamed until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.
• Coat six muffin cups with cooking spray; fill one-fourth full with batter. Spoon 1 tablespoon marshmallow creme into each muffin cup. Top with remaining batter.
• Bake at 400° for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. Yield: 6 muffins.

Nutritional Facts 1 muffin equals 287 calories, 13 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 62 mg cholesterol, 279 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein.

Sing,

Those who wish to sing will always find a song.

Love Being A Grandparent

 

Love Being A Grandparent



Carrot Blueberry Cupcakes Recipe

Carrots, blueberries, pineapple and zucchini make an interesting and delicious combination in these unique little cupcake treats.—

Carrot Blueberry Cupcakes

Prep: 35 min.

Bake: 20 min. + cooling

Yield: 16 Servings

     
       

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup finely shredded carrots
• 3/4 cup grated zucchini
• 1/2 cup unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened blueberries
• FROSTING:
• 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

 

Directions

• In a small bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. In another large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended. Stir in the carrots, zucchini and pineapple. Fold in blueberries.
• Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 375° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
• For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Sprinkle with nuts if desired. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 16 cupcakes.

Sweet White Wine

Enjoy this recipe with a sweet white wine such as Moscato or a sweet Riesling.

Numbers

Age is only a number. Weight is only a number.

I hate Numbers.

Berry Breakfast Smoothies Recipe

Smooth out the morning rush with a boost of berries. Tart, tangy and sweet, there's no reason to add any extra sugar to this delightfully balanced beverage.  Any type of berries will work for fruit smoothies.

Berry Breakfast Smoothies Recipe

This recipe is: Quick, Easy, and Simple

Prep/Total Time: 5 min.

Yield: 5 Servings

5 5 Grannies Kitchen Favorite

Ingredients

• 2 cups cranberry juice
• 2 containers (6 ounces each) raspberry yogurt
• 1 cup frozen unsweetened raspberries
• 1 cup frozen unsweetened blueberries
• 8 ice cubes

Directions

• In a blender, combine all ingredients; cover and process for 30-45 seconds or until blended. Pour into chilled glasses; serve immediately. Yield: 5 servings.

Nutritional Facts 1 cup equals 141 calories, 1 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 3 mg cholesterol, 39 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein.

22 Uses for Lemons

 

22 Uses for Lemons and not just lemonaide. 

 

 1. Clean greasy messes

Greasy pans? Splattered stove tops? Messy counters? If your kitchen has been the victim of some sloppy sauteing, try using lemon halves before bringing out possibly toxic chemical cleaners. Sprinkle some salt (for abrasion) on a juiced lemon half and rub on the greasy areas, wipe up with a towel. (Be careful using lemon on marble counter tops, or any other surface sensitive to acid).

2. Clean your tea kettle or coffee pot

For mineral deposit build up in your tea kettle, fill the kettle with water, add a handful of thin slices of lemon peel and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let sit for an hour, drain, and rinse well. For coffee pots, add ice, salt and lemon rinds to the empty pot; swish and swirl for a minute or two, dump, and rinse. Hello, sparkly

3. Clean your microwave

All it takes is one exploding bowl of food to render the interior of your microwave officially gunked, sometimes gunked with cement-like properties. Rather than using strong chemical cleaners, try this: Add lemon rinds to a microwave-safe bowl filled halfway with water. Cook on high for 5 minutes, allowing the water to boil and the steam to condense on the walls and tops of the oven. Carefully remove the hot bowl and wipe away the mess with a towel.

4. Deodorize the garbage disposal
Use lemon peels to deodorize the garbage disposal (and make your kitchen smell awesome at the same time). It is a great way to finally dispose of spent lemon peels after you have used them for any of these applications

5.  Polish Chrome
Mineral deposits on chrome faucets and other tarnished chrome make haste in the presence of lemon–rub with a squeezed lemon half, rinse, and lightly buff with a soft cloth.

6. Polish copper
A halved lemon dipped in salt or baking powder can also be used to brighten copper cookware, as well as brass, chrome, or stainless steel. Dip a juiced lemon half in salt (you also use baking soda or cream of tartar for the salt) and rub on the affected area. Let it stay on for 5 minutes. Then rinse in warm water and polish dry.

7. Clean a stainless sink
Use the same method described to polish chrome, applied to any stainless sink.

8. Keep insects out
Many pests abhor the acid in lemon. You can chop of the peels and place them along thresholds, windowsills, and near any cracks or holes where ants or pests may be entering.

9. Make a scented humidifier
If your home suffers from dry heat in the winter, you can put lemon peels in a pot of water and simmer on the lowest stove-top setting to humidify and scent the air.

10. Refresh cutting boards
Because of lemon’s low pH, it has antibacterial properties that make is a good choice for refreshing cutting boards. After proper disinfecting  give the surface a rub with a halved lemon, let sit for a few minutes, and rinse.

11. Keep brown sugar soft
If your brown sugar most often turns into brick sugar, try adding some lemon peel (with traces of pulp and pith removed) to help keep it moist and easy to use. (For all recipes using lemon peel, try to use organic lemons–and scrub the peel well to remove any residues and wax.)

12. Make zest
Zest is the best! Zest is simply grated peel, and is the epitome of lemon essence–it can be used fresh, dried, or frozen. If you don’t have an official zester, which looks like a very fine cheese grater, you can use the smallest size of a box grater. To dry zest, spread it on a towel and leave out until dried, then store in a jar. To freeze, use a freezer-safe container. Use zest in salads, marinades, baked goods, grain dishes, etc.

13. Make Vegan Lemon Biscotti
Once you’ve made some zest, make these Vegan Lemon Biscotti cookies. Delicious.

14. Make twists
Strips of peel, aka twists, are good in cocktails, sparkling water, and tap water. Use a vegetable peeler to make long strips, or use a knife and cut the peel into long strips, cutting away the white pith which is bitter. These can be frozen in a freezer-safe container or bag.

15. Make lemon extract powder
Make zest or twists (above) and dry the strips skin-side down on a plate until they are shriveled and dried up, about 3 or 4 days. Put in a blender (or spice grinder) and pulverize into a powder. Use the powdered peel in place of extract or zest in recipes.

16. Make Lemon Sugar
You can make lemon extract powder (see above) and add it to sugar, or you can use fresh twists, put them in a jar with sugar and let the peel’s oil infuse the sugar.

17. Make Lemon Pepper
Mix lemon extract powder with freshly cracked pepper.

18. Make candied lemon peel
Orange or grapefruit peel can be candied too. Yum. Candied peels are pretty easy to make, and can be eaten plain, or dipped in melted chocolate, used in cake, cookie, candy, or bread recipes. These recipes for candied citrus and ginger use Sucanat, the most wholesome sugar you can buy.

19. Lighten age spots
Many folk remedies suggest using lemon peel to help lighten age spots–apply a small piece to the affected area and leave on for an hour. You can also try one of these 5 natural ways to lighten age spots

20. Soften dry elbows
Use a half lemon sprinkled with baking soda on elbows, just place your elbow in the lemon and twist the lemon (like you are juicing it) for several minutes. Rinse and dry.

21. Use on your skin
Lemon peels can be very lightly rubbed on your face for a nice skin tonic, then rinse. (And be careful around your eyes.)

22. Make a sugar scrub
Mix 1/2 a cup of sugar with finely chopped lemon peel and enough olive oil to make a paste. Wet your body in the shower, turn off the water and massage sugar mix all over your skin, rinse, be soft!

Brand New Day

Good Morning Everyone! I am sipping my Coffee and  I am going to make this a Super Day! Turn that negative to a positive, turn that bad feeling to a good one, that frown to a smile. Turn it all around and make it a great day. That's what it's all about!

The sun is shining and I have much to do today, so will bid you all a awesome day.

Home Made Brownie Mix

Never buying a box again. So simple, so easy!!!

Home Made Brownie Mix  for $0.30 Great Savings.

Mix Together
1 Cup Sugar,
1/2 Cup Flour,
1/3 Cup Cocoa,
1/4 tsp Salt,
 1/4 tsp Baking Powder.

Add: 2 Eggs,
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil,
1 teaspoon Vanilla. Bake
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Quote For The Day

The best decisions aren't always made with the brain, sometimes they're made with the heart. 

Grannies Kitchen Favorite:  Quote For The Day

When Life Hand You Lemons

When Life Hands You Lemons Ask For Tequilla and Salt.

The Reason I Cook

I Have A Kitchen, Because It Came With The House.

Grannies Kitchen Humor

Grannies Kitchen Humor

Chef  Ray: I once sent a guy to the butcher looking for Kendoslavian Sausages. Called ahead and had the butcher play along.
Another time, I had a young Commis working to make sure that he removed the teeth from a Cornish Hen.
~ Chef Ray  Charlotte, NC

Grannies Kitchen Humor