Recipes for Mom-E

Play-dough

1/4 cup salt
1 cup flour
1/4 cup water

Have your child mix the flour and salt in a bowl then add water. Knead and squeeze the dough to make a clay consistency. You may need to add more water. Note: This dough doesn’t last as long as the cooked recipes.

Ideas Divide into sections, then knead in food coloring (liquid or paste). Kids love making the white play dough change colors. Use unsweetened Kool-Aid for color and scent. Add glitter for sparkly play dough.

Homemade Finger Paint

1/2 cup cornstarch
2 cups water
liquid food coloring

Directions: Mix cornstarch and water in a saucepan and boil until the mixture thickens. Allow to cool and then add food coloring.

Then you can separate into different bowls and dye each a different color. I love this recipe because it has a similar consistency to store-bought finger paint. You can add glitter to make it sparkly, just make sure to watch the little ones so that they don’t eat it! The colors turn out to be very bright!

If you want something edible for finger paint…use Vanilla pudding with food coloring. My 6 month old LOVES this!

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies (Let the kiddos help you)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup light packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels
• 1 cup crushed walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Pour the flour, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir the mixture until all ingredients are well blended. Set aside.
3. Put the butter, sugar, and brown sugar into a different mixing bowl. With a mixer set at low speed, beat the mixture until it is creamy. Set aside.
4. Crack the eggs into a small bowl and add the vanilla extract. Mix with a fork until blended, and then add to the sugar mixture above. Mix on a low setting until all ingredients are well combined.
5. Add the flour mixture to the above mixture and beat at a low speed until combined.
6. Pour the chocolate morsels and walnuts (optional) into the mixer bowl. Using a wooden spoon, stir the dough until the chocolate morsels are well combined.
7. Use a tablespoon to scoop up enough dough to a make a rounded spoonful. Drop the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Place each drop of dough about 2 inches apart until the cookie sheet is full.
8. Bake cookies for 9 minutes. Test cookies for doneness by seeing if they are golden brown.
9. When done, remove the cookie sheet from the oven and let cookies cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a plate.

Homemade Ice Cream

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup salt (I prefer rock salt but regular salt will work too)

• Ice cubes
• 1 pint-size ziplock bag
• 1 gallon-size ziplock bag

Instructions

1. Combine the sugar, half and half, and vanilla extract in the pint-size bag and seal it tightly.
   
2. Place the salt and ice in the gallon-size bag, then place the sealed smaller bag inside as well. Seal the larger bag. Now shake the bags until the mixture hardens (about 5 minutes). Feel the small bag to determine when it’s done.
   
3. Take the smaller bag out of the larger one, add mix-ins, and eat the ice cream right out of the bag.
   
4. You can scoop onto cones or into bowls and eat plain or add your favorite toppings!

I love this recipe because it is so hard to find a big and little coffee can now a days.



Salisbury Steak

2 – pounds ground beef
1 – package Lipton’s French Onion Soup Mix or Store Brand
1/2 – cup cracker crumbs
1 – egg
2 – packets (0.75 oz) brown gravy mix
+ the required amount of water stated on the gravy packet.
1 – cup sour cream
1 – small can mushroom stems, optional
egg noodles, rice or mashed potatoes
Make hamburger patties using ground beef, bread or cracker crumbs, egg and soup mix. Fry or grill until patties are browned on both sides. While the hamburgers are cooking in a bowl mix together the dry gravy mix, water and sour cream. Mix to combine. Spray. a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick and lay cooked patties in the pan. Cover the patties with the sour cream and gravy mixture. Bake at 350 degrees covered for 30 – 40 minutes, turning patties halfway through. Serve with egg noodles, rice or mashed potatoes.

Crock Pot Hash Brown Casserole

1 – 26 – 32 ounce bag frozen hash browns
1 – 8 oz container sour cream
1 – 10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
1/4 – cup onion, chopped fine
1 1/2 – cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 – cup butter, melted
salt and pepper, to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon each)
In a large bowl add the hash browns thawed or frozen, sour cream, soup, onion, shredded cheese and melted butter.
Mix to combine. Spoon hash brown mixture in a 4 quart slow cooker that has been sprayed with non stick spray.
Sprinkle salt and pepper on top cover, and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until done. The casserole should be crispy on the sides and bubbly throughout.
Oven Directions: Place hash brown mixture into a lightly greased baking dish (9 x 13 x 2 in). This is optional but you can add a bit more cheese on top if you like. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 – 50 minutes. Let cool and serve.

No-Bake Energy Bites Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
• 2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Method:

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like.  (Mine were about 1″ in diameter.)  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

 

Homemade Pretzels

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil
• 3 quarts water
• 3/4 cup baking soda
• 1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
• Coarse sea salt

Directions:

1. Combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. 
3. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.
4. Oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil.
5. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
7. Bring the water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and add the baking soda.
8. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. 
9. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each. 
10. Roll each piece into a long rope and shape into the lengths or shapes that you want (sticks are easy and tasty).  
11. Boil the pretzels in the water solution in batches. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon. 
12. Place pretzels on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure they are not touching. 
13. Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt. 
14. Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.
15. Add additional toppings immediately after they come out of the oven.