The Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau

Thanks, One Cheap Chick!

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I love this idea–a free downloadable summer reading kit–click here.

Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

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Six free products!  Seriously, click on the Vistaprint website and take your choice of Business Cards, Rubber Stamps, Sticky Notes, T-Shirts, Tote Bags and/or 4×6 Photo Flip Books all for free.  Shipping was $12.65 to my house, but ranges from $10-$13 for all 6 products, which makes them an average of $2.00 a piece.

Here’s how:

• Head here to Vistaprint
• Choose your first free item
• Once it is personalized, come back here and click this link
• Choose your next free item and customize
• Repeat those steps until you’ve got all of the items you’d like
• Choose ‘no thanks’ or ‘skip’ offers
• Checkout

 Sneaky inside tip: there’s a lot of upcoming holidays to consider: Mother’s Day, Teacher Appreciation Week, Father’s Day…

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Monday – Blue

Tuesday – Green

Thursday – Red

Friday – White

Saturday – Yellow

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Here’s your chance to discover the Awesome of Kid To Kid for yourself.  We’re participating in their annual Girl’s Night Out THIS Thursday (4.26) from 7-9pm.  All 11 Kid To Kid stores along the Wasatch Front are participating, but please stop by to say hi–I’ll be at the Holladay store at 7p and the West Valley City store at 8p.  The Todd’s taking host duties at the South Jordan store at 7pm and down to the American Fork location at 8pm.  We’ll have lots of food–including glorious little cakes from my girlie April at Nothing Bundt Cakes and delightful Little Caesar’s Pizza.

Depending on the store, we’ll have henna tattoos, massage therapists, and eyelash applications.  Be sure to RSVP at the store closest to you on Facebook and you’ll be entered to win a $30.00 store credit.  Given the spending power at Kid To Kid, $30.00 is like a $150.00 shopping excursion anywhere else.  Oh!  They’re really looking for outdoor toys, slides, swimming gear, pack and plays, etc.  Bring in your goods–everything infant to age 12–and get cash back!  Click here to find your closest location, and I hope to see you Thursday.

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Why Think About Pre-School?

After having toured through Learning Dynamics Preschool, I have only one real complaint.  There isn’t one in Salt Lake City.  Zoe may be one, but I’m already looking at pre-schools for the very best start, just the way I did for Zachie and MacLean.  Here’s 3 reasons Learning Dynamics stands out:

• Children graduate from pre-school already knowing how to read.  Seriously.  Nearly every child who leaves Learning Dynamics knows how to read–and well–as well as some math and science.  Learning Dynamics uses different modalities to make sure every child understands the concept: because children learn differently. For instance in my little tribe, MacLean has to touch and move something to understand it.  Zachie is a highly visual learner.  Your little person may learn better through manipulatives.  Everyone gets it.
• These graduates are confident.  When I toured the school, little people came up to me in each classroom, offering to help my “find my spot” or sharing a book to read.  Those chubby hands shooting up in the air to answer a question was the best feeling you can give a parent.
• Learning Dynamics teaches responsibility.  After reading with one little man, we stood up.  He pulled on my sleeve and when I bent down, he kindly whispered “You need to push your chair in and put the book away.”

How can you not love this place?  There’s four locations along the Wasatch Front: Highland, Saratoga Springs, Riverton and Orem.  They’re currently enrolling students for next Fall, and fair warning: two of the schools are already near full enrollment.  Click here to learn more, then tour a school.   By the way, I created a video tour of Learning Dynamics to give you a sneak peek.  Click here to watch.  You’re going to love them!

Winning A Scholarship To Learning Dynamics:

I’m thrilled to announce that the lovely people at Learning Dynamics (Editor’s note: it’s possible they agreed to shut up my whining, but it worked!) are offering a full-ride scholarship to one of the Learning Dynamics Pre-Schools for the 2012-2013 school year.   If you know a deserving little person, click here to enter a short essay about their general awesomeness.  The essay must be sent in by Friday, May 11 2012.  I can’t offer you a more valuable prize than the gift of a child striding confidently into Kindergarten already knowing how to read.  Good luck!

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Thanks, One Cheap Chick!

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More interested in organic living?  Download a free copy of Live Organic: 52 Brilliant Ideas.

Sneaky inside tip: these ebooks are  specifically for Kindles, but you can go here to download a free application that enables you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.

Find more free ebooks here.

Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

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If you haven’t noticed Food On The Table yet, it’s time, sister.  “Food on the Table” is a FREE services that helps you plan weekly menus, scouts out the recipes and then helps you create a shopping list and THEN, scours the Web for coupons to shop with!  If this service could rub my feet–I would marry it, I swear.  Here’s your chance to sign up for their premium version–FREE–and for the lifetime of the service.  I’ve noticed that Food On The Table offers tend to cap out quickly, so you may want to sign up now if you’re interested.

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If you haven’t joined Right @ Home yet, you must–immediately!  It’s a pleasant little newsletter that arrives monthly with recipes, decor, life and parenting tips…and big fat piles of lovely high-value coupons.  Click here to join and be flooded with excellent coupons for Scrubbing Bubbles products, just in time for spring cleaning!  Clever you!

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Tax Act is new to me, but they’re remarkably easy to order and download your software.

H&R Block is fast and extremely simple to use–but it’s best for very clear-cut tax returns.

Turbo Tax is also offering free tax prep software, their system has been rated very highly by “Forbes” and “Money Magazine.”

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Mary Helen’s Magnificent Mustard Sauce

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp plain yellow mustard (NOT the fancy stuff)

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

6 tbsp white vinegar

4 tbsp water

Low heat, stir till thickened.  Next time you see me I expect a hug, but don’t make it weird.

What about the corned beef?

I’ve heard questions from some of you about the corned beef–apparently a little intimidated.  Trust me, if a cooking feeb like ME can do it, so can you.  There’s a little packet of spices attached and clear instructions.  You either boil or bake, it’s up to you.  The corned beef comes usually in two ways–flats or points.  Flats are a little more expensive, points a little more fatty, so it’s up to you.  Throw in carrots, cabbage, potatoes, parsnips, and you’ve got a feast.

Plus!

You’ll have leftovers, so tomorrow I’m giving you my mother’s secret recipe for Colcannon.  Oh, you gonna love me!

This is The Todd in his MacLean of Duart kilt, and my brother-in-law Bill in his…well…I think Bill just really likes wearing a skirt.

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That said, sometimes a mom can’t.  My sweet sister cried her way through an entire box of tissues when she realized she would physically not be able to nurse.  For some moms, there’s too many obstacles in their world.  No matter what, you want the best possible solution for your newborn.   I had to sort through the options when we adopted Zoe last year–and if this study had been available then, I would have done it.  (Editor’s note: that’s my Zoe in the hospital–can you believe how tiny she was?)   

Jean Brown Research contacted us because they’re conducting a study on infant formula  (I know which one it is, it’s a high-end one you’ve likely seen in the grocery store with all the crucial new ingredients, like DHA.)  They’re conducting a study to show weight gain so that the formula can be used by the World Health Organization in third world countries.  They’re looking for newborns, and here’s what you get: 4 months of free formula (about $500.00 worth) weekly visits with an excellent, board-certified pediatrician, and $225.00 for expenses.

I love that you can help your baby, help babies in third world countries and save all that money!  Put it torward diapers, or your newborn’s college fund.  Whatever.

Are you close to your delivery date?  Are you a Nana, co-worker, friend of someone about to give birth?  PLEASE pass along this information right away.  Take note: this is a Utah-based study, so you’ll need to be local.  Click here to learn more–and let me know if you do the study so we can follow along!  Everything you need to know and a quick form to set an appointment is right there.

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Beef ribs?  Asian?  Not usually the combination you expect, but I love beef ribs and this combo is killer–tender and not fatty.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons ginger , minced
• 1 tablespoon garlic , crushed
• ¼ cup hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar or 3 tablespoons Splenda sugar substitute
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons instant minced onion
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons sake
• 1 tablespoon five-spice powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 lbs beef back ribs or 4 lbs short rib of beef

Read more here from Food.com

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Thanks, Living Locuto!

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Baked Banana French Toast Cups

1 small loaf french bread

4 eggs

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large banana

6 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter

Powdered sugar

Maple syrup

• Coat six 4 oz. ramekins with non-stick spray.
• Cut french bread into 18 slices. Cut them about 1/2 – 3/4 inch thick. Make sure three will fit in each dish easily.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla until blended.
• Place sliced bread in bowl to coat.
• Place three slices of bread into each dish.
• Cut banana into 12 or more slices. Coat slices with mixture and then dip coated bananas in 2 tablespoons brown sugar and stuff in between bread.
• Transfer dishes to a baking sheet. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight.
• When you are ready to bake, mix together remaining 4 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 tablespoon butter and sprinkle over bread.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.
• Enjoy warm with powdered sugar and maple syrup.
• Makes six.

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Since my wonderful sister-in-law Jennifer is visiting from the East Coast with her adorable daughters Stephanie and Beth, I wanted to come up with something yummy for breakfast to prove I wan’t completely feeble in the kitchen.  (Editor’s note: okay–you and I know I’m feeble in the kitchen, but let’s not tell them, shall we?)

Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls –Makes 8

Ingredients

FOR THE FILLING
3/4 cup (191 grams) brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar
3/4 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE DOUGH
3 cups (381 grams) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons (38 grams) sugar
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk
6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup (83 ml) maple syrup

FOR THE ICING
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons (45 ml) maple syrup
1 to 2 teaspoons (5 to 10 ml) milk
1 cup (125 grams) confectioners’ sugar

To make the filling: Combine all of the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until the mixture looks like wet sand. Set aside.

To make the dough: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (220 C). Brush a 9-inch cake pan with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the buttermilk, syrup, and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, and stir until just combined. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead until smooth (it will still be very soft and a little sticky, but will be smoother and less lumpy). Place in a lightly floured bowl, cover, and chill for 20 minutes.

Once chilled, flatten the dough into a rectangle about 12 X 8 inches. Pour 2 tablespoons of the melted butter on and spread around with your fingers. Pour the filling over the dough and spread it evenly over the top, leaving about a 1/2 inch or so border around the outside edge. Press the filling down to pack it on top of the dough.

Starting on the long side of the dough, roll the side up, pressing as you go, to create a tightly rolled log (be gentle, as this will likely stick to the counter a bit). Pinch the seam closed and lay the log seam side down. Cut into 8 even pieces, and transfer each roll to the prepared cake pan. Brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Bake for 20 to 23minutes, until golden brown.

To make the icing: In a medium bowl, cream the butter and add the sugar. Mix until the sugar and butter start to come together a bit. Add the syrup and whisk well, until the mixture is smooth. If it is too thick, add a teaspoon or so of milk to loosen it up.

Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Pour the icing over the rolls. Serve warm.

These will keep in an airtight container for about 3 days.

Thank you, Bakingdom.com!

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Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/fannie-farmers-scalloped-potatoes-15038#ixzz1mxxLNGTI

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Coconut Cloud Cake

Ingredients

• For the Cake

  • 1 cup sifted cake flour
  • 1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
  • 14 large egg whites (1 3/4 cups), room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon warm water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  •  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• For the Seven-Minute Frosting

  • 3 large egg whites
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 5 tablespoons cold water
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• For the Topping

  • 3 to 4 cups flaked coconut

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With a fine sieve, sift together flour and 3/4 cups sugar four times.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed, beat together egg whites and water until foamy. Add salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla; beat until soft peaks form. Increase speed to medium-high and sprinkle in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until stiff but not dry.
3. Transfer to a large bowl. In six additions, sift dry ingredients over meringue, folding in quickly but gently.
4. Pour batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan with removable bottom. Smooth top with an offset spatula. Run a knife through batter to release air bubbles. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and springy to touch.
5. Invert pan on its legs or over the neck of a glass bottle, and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
6. Make the frosting: In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine egg whites, sugar, water, and cream of tartar. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
7. Attach the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the mixture on high speed until glossy and voluminous, about 7 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.
8. Carefully run a long offset spatula or knife around the inner and outer perimeter of the cake pan to release cake.
9. Place on a plate, bottom side up. Using a long serrated knife, carefully slice off 1 1/2 inches from the top of the cake, being sure not to break the layer. Set aside. Cut out a 1-inch-wide, 1-inch-deep channel halfway between the center and edge of cake. Spread icing into channel and over entire layer. Sprinkle with coconut.
10. Gently place reserved layer on top and ice with remaining frosting. Sprinkle with coconut and serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart.com

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First, the crust…

Perfect Pie Crust Recipe

Method

1 Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together.  If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it’s ready.   If the dough doesn’t hold together,  add a little more water and pulse again.  Note that too much water will make the crust tough.

2 Remove dough from machine and place in a mound on a clean surface.  If you want an extra flaky crust, shmoosh the dough mixture into the table top with the heel of the palm of your hand a few times. This will help flatten the butter into layers between the flour which will help the resulting crust be flaky. You can easily skip this step if you want. Gently shape the dough mixture into two disks. Work the dough just enough to form the disks, do not over-knead.  You should be able to see little bits of butter in the dough.  These small chunks of butter are what will allow the resulting crust to be flaky.  Sprinkle a little flour around the disks.  Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days.

Ingredients

            Directions

1.  Place cherries into a saucepan over medium heat, and cover the pan; heat cherries until they release their juice and come to a simmer, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir often.
2.  In a bowl, whisk the sugar with cornstarch until smooth; pour the mixture into the hot cherries and juice, and thoroughly combine. Return to low heat, bring to a simmer, and cook until the filling has thickened, about 2 minutes; remove from heat, let cool, and use as pie filling.

My pictures for the actual assembly of said Pop Pies decided to not to transfer, so here’s a picture of the finished product again…

Assembly

• Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out two crusts per pop.  Lay one shape flat, then gently press the pop stick on at the base.
• Add 1 tbsp of cherry filling–if you use too much it leaks out and looks like your Pie Pop is bleeding.
• Lay the top heart shape over the filling
• With a fork, gently press the edges together.
• Bake the pops for approximately 20 minutes–I baked four pops per cookie sheet.
• LET COOL for a good hour before removing from the pan or rack.
• Decorate as you like–I tied pink bows on the sticks.

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Valentine’s Day Petit Fours

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus melted butter for pans
• 1 pound almond paste
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch fine sea salt
• 8 cups tinted Royal Icing, recipe follows, or store bought

Directions

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I was showing off pictures of my adorable baby Zoe when Carolyn chirped, “oh, that’s so sweet!  And just think, you’ll be having her Period Party before you know it!”

“Ah…her what?”

My 3 best friends since, like, junior high school looked at me blankly.

“Her Period Party.”  Clarified Alex, “where you celebrate the joy of her First Menstruation.”

My mouth gaped open like a carp’s and I could only hope I’d swallowed the last of my salad before my friend’s little revelation.

“Period Party?  For getting her period?  Seriously?”

My girlies nodded gravely and I shut my mouth with an audible snap.

People, come ON.  When I started my cycle at the age of 14, my mom chucked a box of pads at me and said dryly, “congratulations, you’re a woman.”  When did we graduate to a cake and party streamers for something that’s usually celebrated with a speedy trip through the self-checkout with an armload of feminine hygiene products?  And who am I supposed to invite to Zoe’s theoretical Period Party?  Classmates?  Nana?  Uncle Kelly?  I know that at 14 if  my mother had invited a group of people over for cake and a celebration of my awkward introduction to tampons I would have made my way to the I-15 freeway, laid down on the cement and prayed for the next 18 wheeler to crush me into a paste.  What am I missing, here?

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We’re hosting a FREE event at the B98.7 studios Thursday (1.19.12) to help you defeat the “dark underbelly” of your subconscious.  Paul Smith (aka Mind Over Matter Hypnotherapy) is a gifted hypnotherapist who’s going to work through the basics of hypnotherapy, and do a session with all of us on reducing stress and anxiety.  Imagine being able to sleep through the entire night…no more panic attacks!  Need to lost weight?  Quit smoking?  Join us and talk to Paul about it.

(Editor’s note: I’m a huge believer in the benefits of hypnotherapy–I was really nervous before my first plane flight when I was a little girl.  My father–the shrink–hypnotised me to be “so relaxed that you’ll fall asleep before the wheels leave the tarmac.”  It took me 21 YEARS to be able to stay awake on a flight!)

We’ll have dinner, massage therapists and lots of goodies to give away.  I’m excited for all of us to work through this together–it’s going to be a very healing night!  We’re located at 434 West Bearcat Drive (2300 South) in Salt Lake City, and “Mind Over Matter” will run from 6-9pm.  Find more information here.  Join us!  It’s going to be an amazing night…

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The rocker and toy bench both come from IKEA, too.  Another $94.26.  I whitewashed both and sewed some pink mattress ticking stripe cushions for the chair.  I really wanted something playful that respected Zoe’s Japanese ethnicity, so I ordered a bunch of Japanese paper lanterns online–$1.99 each or less!  I had piles of pink ribbon left over from something else, so I suspended them from the ceiling over the rocking chair.

The bedding is a gray toile–I found it on Overstock.com for $12.98.  I spent the longest time scraping the wood floor afterwards to get up all the paint splatters.  A tidy painter, I’m not.  I was at a luncheon the other day where another attendee was boasting about her granddaughter’s “$12,000.00 nursery.”  What–seriously?  I was proud of keeping on my budget.  In an era of so much need, it seems so much more meaningful to spend time and thought to make something beautiful.  So, it’s not a designer nursery, but I’m proud of it.  And Zoe loves batting her paper lanterns around the room like giant balls. 

I’d love to see your pictures of your cute and clever kid’s room makeovers.  Please send so we can all admire the cleverness of you!

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