This week the topic is a fun recipe that you can make with your kids. I admit I have not cooked a lot with my kids so I was not sure what I was going to post here. I settled on this.

I love home made play dough. So do my kids. Not only is it fun to play with its fun to make. Its very easy and kids would have a blast mixing it and making them pretty colors.

• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 tbsp cream of tartar
• Food coloring
• 1 cup flour

Combine water, oil, salt, cream of tartar and food coloring in a saucepan and heat until warm. Remove from heat and add flour. Stir, then knead until smooth. The cream of tartar makes this dough last for 6 months or longer, so resist the temptation to omit this ingredient if you don’t have it on hand. Store this dough in an airtight container or Ziploc freezer bag.

I make two batches at a time. With younger kids you would want to mix it a little and then dump it on a floured surface and let them knead it adding more flour as needed. I have found I need more then 1 cup of flour to get it just right.

I store them in Ziploc containers.

I think my kids have more fun with the homemade stuff then the store stuff.

Do you have a kid friendly recipe you love to make with your kids? Link it up and join me and Spoons, Spades & Stitches

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I don’t know too many people who don’t love pizza. There are tons of great recipes out there. It has taken me 6 years to find the right pizza that my family loves. Pizza is my husbands favorite food so that was not an easy task. Both my kids eat it well too so its a keeper. I make the dough in the bread machine but it could easily be done with out one. Just mix it all together and let it rise.

Source: Abs Kitchen

Prep Time: 10 minutes Rise Time: 1 hour Cook Time: 20-30 minutes

• 1-1/4 cups water(75-85 degrees F)
• 3 Tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cups flour
• 2 heaping tsp sugar
• 1 heaping tsp baking powder
• 1/4 heaping tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 heaping tsp onion powder
• 2-1/4 tsp breadmaker yeast(1 packet)
• 2 tbsp cornmeal

Add all ingredients except cornmeal into the bread machine in the order given. Set to dough setting and start. I always watch my bread machine while it mixes to make sure the dough turns out okay. Sometimes I have to add a little water or flour.

Turn your oven on to 450 degree’s. Once the dough is done punch it down. This dough makes 2 good size pizza’s. Divide it in half sprinkle the pizza pan with cornmeal and a little flour. Roll dough out onto pizza pan. If you want let the dough rise again for 5-10 minutes. Put a small layer of pizza sauce on the dough and bake for 7 minutes. Add the rest of the sauce to the pizza’s and all your favorite toppings. Return to oven and bake for 20-30 minutes. If you bake both pizza’s at the same time like I do set your timer to 10 minutes and switch the pizza’s every 10 minutes. I keep one rack in the mild position and the other rack one lower. Remove pizza’s when the top is golden brown and cheese is nice and bubbly. Let sit for 3-5 minutes and then cut with a pizza cutter and enjoy.

Yields: 2 15 inch pizza’s

The crust comes out perfect this way. Cooking it first and hot is the key I have found. This gets it nice and crisp with out over cooking your toppings.

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When I started this blog last year I had no real idea how the blog world worked or what I really wanted to do with this blog. I knew I wanted a site to store my favorite recipes for easy access for myself(I have a bad habit of misplacing recipe cards) as well as share them with others. I also wanted to help people realize that cooking does not have to be hard and that you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen each day. So I spent hours reading other food blogs not only to learn how to post recipes but I was also looking for new recipes to try. Over the past year I have found lots of great sites and each week I am going to showcase one of them.

So first up is Ree over at Pioneer Women. Her website is not just about cooking she talks about all kinds of things. If you have never read her blog you really should grab a nice cup of your favorite drink and settle in for a good read. On the cooking front she is awesome! I have tried a few of her recipes so far but my all time favorite to date is Buttered Rosemary Rolls just writing the name makes me want to make these heavenly rolls. Seriously you must try these! I love her writing style. When I read her recipes I want to try everyone she just presents them so well. She also has a cookbook. I don’t have it yet but want to get it some day. Amazon has it here. So take a minute to check her out. I am sure you will love her as much as I do!

Welcome to Kitchen Fun Friday! My friend Lindsay over at Spoons, Spades & Stitches and I thought it would be fun to start a kitchen fun Friday. Each Friday we will have a different subject and hope you will join in the fun. This weeks topic is Kitchen Gadgets. Which one can you not live with out. For me its a tie.

My first must have is my kitchen aid mixer!

Seriously I could not do without this item. I use it almost every day. She mixes, kneads dough and can shreds just about anything with its attachments.

My other must have is my slow cooker.

I think every person should own one of these. I use it more in the winter but its great for cooking just about anything and I love putting it on in the morning and knowing it will be ready for supper. Check out my slow cooker recipes here

So what kitchen gadgets can you not live with out? I can’t wait to hear! Leave me a comment with your favorite. If you blog about it link up below and grab the button to share.

If you comment your following me I will follow you back. Thanks for stopping by!

This is a recipe I have used a few times and really like it. The glaze gives it a great flavor.

Source: Adapted from allrecipes

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 1hr

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/3-2/3 cups brown sugar(depends how sweet you want it)
• 2 tbsps lemon juice
• 2 tsp dry mustard
• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 3 slices bread, shredded or 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 cube beef bouillon, crumbled
• 3 tbsps lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, 2 tablespoon lemon juice and dry mustard until smooth. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, shredded bread, onion, egg, bouillon, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1/3 cup of the ketchup mixture until well mixed. Form into a loaf and place in a 9×5 inch loaf pan. Poor the rest of the ketchup mixture over meatloaf. Bake 1 hour. Pour off fat. If needed cook for 10 more minutes.

Yields: 4-6 servings

I have used both shredded bread and bread crumbs and think it tastes great both ways. My Husband seems to like it better with the shredded bread. This can be put together early in the day and put in the refrigerator till your ready to cook it.

This is a great way to use round steak.

Source: allrecipes.com

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 1-2hrs

• 1-1/2lbs top round steak, trimmed and sliced thin
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1(.75oz) packet dry brown gravy mix
• 2 cups water
• 1tbsp onion powder
• 1tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp salt
• ground black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced meat and brown well. Remove meat. Add the gravy mix and water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Stir in the onion powder, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, ginger, bay leaf and salt, and ground black pepper to taste. Return the meat to the pan, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for one hour, or until meat is tender. Remove bay leaf.

Note: You could also transfer to a casserole dish and bake covered at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 1/2 hours.

Yields: 4 servings

Really easy and tastes great. I put this together around 1pm and let it simmer all afternoon. I doubled it so we had some leftovers.

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