a quick way to schedule a play date

MacchiOTTo is an active baby and likes to be on the go a lot.  Whether running errands with me, or going to Mommy & Me classes, she likes getting out and about.  As I run into other moms who want to meet up for a playdate, a day at the zoo or just to grab a cup of coffee, I find myself digging around in my giant diaper bag for a pen and paper to scratch my number onto.  And while I laugh that I have everything but the kitchen sink in my diaper bag... wouldn't you know it I can't find anything to write with.  So I decided to get some "Mommy Calling Cards" (cards with my name, my daughters name and our phone number and e-mail on it.)  This way I can pull out my card and hand it to them. 

So where does one find "Mommy Calling Cards?"  Or more importantly "Mommy Calling Cards" that have some personality or some that even allow pictures on the card, because how many times can you not recall a name and face at the same time.  While searching the Internet I found this great site with adorable designs called Minted.  Minted is a company that is always on the lookout for new designs and even hosts design contests to make sure their products are fresh and current.

 Just look at these adorable examples!  And, I love that they have square cards.

mexicano el calabacín barco

One thing I like to make with large zucchini that get too big in the garden is Mexican Zucchini Boats or mexicano el calabacin barco if you speak español. Here is how I make them....

To start with I cut the Zucchini in half.

I use a spoon or a melon baller and scoop out the insides leaving about 1/8 of an inch around the edges of the side.  What I scoop out I place in a medium sized mixing bowl.  These 2 halves are then put in a pot of boiling water for a minute and then place them directly into a greased baking dish.

baby footprint cow

This years Indiana State Fair theme "the year of the dairy cow" inspired me to make thank you cards with MacchiOTTo's footprint. Her little footprint was transformed into a cow's face with her toes as the curly hair on the poll of the cows head and her heel as the nose and mouth.  Here is how I made it.

robin footprint card

I'm back again with another card I made using MacchiOTTo's foot print. I think these are adorable to send to close family as birthday cards and thank yous. Below is how I turned her foot into a Robin.

I started by painting the bottom of her foot brown with watercolor paints.  Then stamped her foot on a plain white card at a 45 degree angle.

Zesty Lamb Pie with a cornbread crust

Quite a while ago I blogged about a recipe I made for a Sloppy BBQ chicken pizza, well this recipe is a version of that but has lamb in it, because I'm always looking for new ways to eat lamb. But, if you don't want to use the lamb you can substitute sirloin instead and it will still be a great tasting dish.  I love the cornbread crust as it gives this meal a hearty down home taste to it.  

MacchiOTTo's first State Fair

I have been going to the Indiana State Fair every year of my life.  My parents tell stories about taking me to a Kenny Rogers concert my first year and how I slept through the whole show.  I showed at the state fair during my teen years and have continued to visit the state fair during my adult years.  So needless to say I was very excited to take our little MacchiOTTo to her first Indiana State Fair.  From the comfy seat of her stroller I was anxious to show her the best of Indiana's Agriculture, even if she sometimes fell asleep on me.  But, with this years theme being the "Year of the Dairy Cow" she was ready to celebrate by being all decked out in black and white cow splotched attire.  Why the year of the Dairy Cow you ask???  Well, Indiana ranks 14th in the nation in dairy production and 2nd in Ice Cream production. Our first stop of the day was to have our picture taken with Buttercup, this year's fair mascot. 

Then it was off to see the giant cheese sculpture, where again Buttercup was front and center.  What I really liked about this piece was that all 6 breeds of dairy cows were featured at the bottom.  And what are the 6 dairy breeds you may be asking...??? Why they are: Holstein, Jersey, Ayrshire, Guernsey, Brown Swiss, and the Milking Shorthorn.

two different breakfast recipes from one loaf of bread

Need to feed four people two different breakfast, two days in a row??? Here's two recipes using one round loaf of King's Hawaiian bread that will feed your house guests two mornings in row.  These recipes are quick and easy to make, taste good and give you more variety to your hostessing menu (and limits the amount of leftovers).

The first recipe is an Apple Toast Bake and it uses the top half of the loaf.  The second recipe is an Egg and Sausage Casserole and it uses the bottom half of the loaf.  So to get started lets cut the loaf in half horizontally right above the line of the aluminum pan that the loaf sits in.  And use each half in its appropriate recipe.

three ingredients: Lemon Cake Donuts

I'm not one to take the easy way out.  I don't mind doing things the hard way, or when it comes to baking... making it from scratch.  However, this is a recipe I'll make an exception for as I adapted it to make Lemon Cake Donuts, and there are only three ingredients needed to make them.  I don't know what it is about lemon but it always seems to taste refreshing to me.  And when you sprinkle them with a little powdered sugar (not included in the three ingredients you need to make the donuts) they make for a great breakfast treat.

Ric Rac Flower Headband Tutorial

I've blogged before about making headbands for MacchiOTTo to wear, and I'm at it again but this time with something new to show you. I went out and bought a glue gun (yes, I didn't own a glue gun until today) and got a little crafty with making flowers out of ric rac.  (Another confession I didn't know ric rac was called ric rac I just referred to it and wavy ribbon.  So I'm learning all kinds of things at the craft store.)  Here is the headband that I made and below is the tutorial as to how I made it.   

To start I took two strips of ric rac about 20 inches long.  I glued the ends together and then kind of braided them together.  I say braided but I kind of twisted them together where they curves of the ric rac occur, in an over-under style.  (I used a piece of black ric rac and a piece of white ric rac to help demonstrate how I made this but you could the all the same color too.)