Anyone who has a child in school knows the amount of paper that comes home.  Whether it be an art project or an A on a math test, pretty soon, you’re swimming in the stuff.  When Nick isn’t looking, I sort through the papers and save the very best … the great test scores, the beautiful pictures, the crafty projects … a lot, but not everything.  There’s just no way to save everything - it’s too much!  And the one time I got caught throwing something away, I had to carefully explain why.  I mean, really, it was a multiple-choice test that he got an A on.  Yes, he filled in 5 little circles quite nicely, but I didn’t think we needed to save it.  Many exasperated protests later (from him, not me!), he relented and agreed with me.

But now what to do with all the treasures that we do save?  For awhile, I was putting them into a “Nick” file in one of my filing cabinets, right there next to the gas bill and other assorted household folders.  It was neat and tidy, but by the time year two of school rolled around, the file was bulging.  I added another file, but still, something needed to be done to tame the paper beast.

Enter Staples.  I bought 2 packages of mailing boxes, sized 15-1/8 x 11-1/8 x 2.  They come five to a package and sell for about $8, although I had a coupon.  They are the perfect size to house whatever your little one is bringing home from school.  So I set Nick up on the floor and gave him the (now three) bulging folders of all his schoolwork … everything since he started pre-school at age 2 through the end of first grade.  He sorted all the piles and went through and even decided (gasp!) to throw some things away.  I showed him the size of the box and told him whatever didn’t fit in there for that particular year, we weren’t keeping, this way he was a little more shrewd when editing the pile, but I left it completely up to him (you can fit quite a bit).  Everything in the folders I thought was worthy of saving, and could fit, but if he didn’t want to save something, all the better.

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During the summers when we were kids, we spent a lot of time on the beaches of Cape May.  When we got there and headed for the boardwalk, my sister and I would make a beeline for our first fudge purchase.  A quarter-pound would last us all week, and we would each choose a different flavor and share.  Our favorites were the peanut butter and maple walnut varieties.  Finishing off the week with a little bit of obligatory salt water taffy, it made for some very sweet summer memories.  No pun intended.

I met up with an old high school friend at the farmer’s market last weekend, and that presented the perfect opportunity to try out a new recipe… to bring her sweet treats, of course!  When it comes to making candy or fudge, I pass by a lot of recipes, particularly the ones that require a candy thermometer.  I have one, somewhere, most likely buried in the drawer that holds kitchen gizmos that I’ll likely never use (note to self: that’s the next spot for the big purge).  It would probably take longer to find the thermometer than to actually make the recipe, and frankly, I can’t be bothered.  I want it quick.  And now.  It’s all about instant gratification these days, baby.

So when I spied an uber-easy recipe for Butter Pecan Fudge in a holiday issue of Taste of Home magazine that didn’t require the use of a candy thermometer, or any other fancy gadget for that matter, I was sold.  Seriously, the recipe took no longer than 10 minutes to make, start to finish.  It was all I could do to wait for it to set up.

About an hour later, I headed back to the kitchen to give it a try.  I cut off a small piece and popped it in my mouth.  Commence heavy swoonage.  As the sugary crystals quickly became heat-seeking missiles for any cavities I might have, I closed my eyes to savor the sweetness.  This one is a keeper.  It’s creamy.  It’s buttery.  It’s caramely.  It’s everything you want in a piece of fudge, and then some.

With ingredients you likely already have on hand in your very own kitchen, you are just a short hour (from beginning to the fudge setting) from savoring these babies in your own mouth.  What are you waiting for? (more…)

“Did you try it yet?  It’s soooo good.”

That’s what I heard as I pulled out of the parking lot of Luigi’s in Succasunna.

When our babysitter heard that we were on a quest to find the best pizza in New Jersey, she quickly offered up her favorite: Luigi’s.  Nestled in a busy strip mall on Route 10 near Kohl’s, it’s a small, blink-and-you-miss-it type place.

On Friday night, it was steadily busy, yet we were greeted with friendly smiles as soon as we approached the counter.  The place is decidedly no-frills, as is their menu, but that’s what you want from a pizza joint, you know?  It’s like when McDonald’s tried their hand at making pizza… remember that?  Or when Coke released the disasterous New Coke.  Stick with what you know.  Luigi’s is sticking to pizza and a small selection of other cold and hot offerings.  Grey booths, though not a lot, a pizza-shaped clock, and the stack of empty cardboard pizza boxes in the back pretty much complete their decorating look.

The front counter was manned by a handful of young men, each one friendly and outgoing, greeting some customers by name or their regular order - quite a departure from the service we got at Reservoir Tavern a few weeks ago!  The prices are reasonable, with an 8-slice cheese pie going for $10.75 (coupons can also be found in the local newspaper). (more…)

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In an effort to beat summer boredom, I put together a now-bulging folder filled with craft ideas, activities and even a little bit of work to keep Nick entertained for the next few months.  I promised him it would be a mix of both fun and educational things, this way we’re working all sides of his little noggin. And for me, I kept an eye on doing things that are inexpensive but that hold his interest. When it comes to entertaining kids, you don’t need to break the bank to do it. This notebook is case in point.

Some fifteen years ago, I befriended a woman who happened to mention at the time that she had kept journals from when she was 12 to present day (and the time, we were in our mid-20s), and still had them. I was in awe, and I have to admit, just a little jealous. She had a giant lidded basket in her living room filled with all the different journals, some with very neat, adult handwriting and serious topics, and many with words that dotted i’s with hearts and that were filled with fanciful lettering. Oh how I wished I had thought of that and could go back. My childhood memories are spotty at best (though do come back in full force every now and then to surprise me), and I would have loved to have a record of everything. So this summer, I thought it would be a perfect time to get Nick started.

After a trip to Michael’s, I had a few colorful notebooks for the whopping price of a dollar each. I rummaged in our craft and scrapbook boxes and came up with the stickers for the front and ribbons to tie around the spine. We started this journal on the first day of his summer vacation, and he writes in it every morning, recounting the day before. While it will serve as a wonderful memento for him to look back on and reminiscence, there are also sneaky lessons in there too. He is flexing his spelling muscles and penmanship skills without it having to feel like work.

He has totally gotten into it and goes off to write every morning, completely on his own. What a great thing for him to look back on years from now, and the present day rewards are already showing themselves.  During the school year, I was always after him to slow down with his writing because he’s always in a hurry to finish his homework and his handwriting was sloppy at best.  But now?  Now his handwriting is neat as a pin, and fitting on much smaller lines than the homework papers allowed.  Love it!  Love it, love it, love it.

The first time I made this recipe for Cinnamon Roll Cake, it was a few weeks ago for a school function. I brought in about three-quarters of the batch and came home with an empty dish and several requests for the recipe. The last few pieces got gobbled up by a neighbor and the babysitter. And then I realized I had forgotten to take a picture. Oops. It was too good not to share with you guys, but I hate sharing a food item and not having a picture to go along with it. What’s a girl to do?

Make it again, of course. That plan worked out especially well since the neighbor was already looking for more (those pregnancy cravings are kicking into high gear with her nearing the end of her last trimester).  This batch disappeared nearly as quickly as the first, but I managed to snag two pieces to snap a quick pic.

I may have some very particular likes and dislikes when it comes to food, even some quirks if you will, but I am no food snob and am not above using a cake mix here and there.  And it’s a good thing, because since the base of this recipe is a cake mix, I would have totally missed out otherwise.  Although it’s called a Cinnamon Roll Cake, I don’t think it really tastes like a cinnamon roll.  It does, however, taste like a cake with cinnamon flavoring and sweet icing.  A crazy moist cake.  So much so that you really need to eat it in the first day or two (as if that’s a problem!), because the longer it sits, the moister (read: wetter) it gets.  While not necessarily a bad thing, it is, however, a messy thing. Enjoy!

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Tonight I had planned to tell you about a delicious Cinnamon Roll Cake.  A cake so good that it has been made twice in the past few weeks, and both times, it has disappeared before I could even grab a picture of it.  If I didn’t talk about the cake, it was going to be about these really unique paninis that we had last night.  Paninis with an unusual mix of ingredients that you would never think to put together.  But like Strawberries Pazzo, they just work.  But then Chicken Flautas hit the table for dinner tonight and all thoughts of cinnamon cake and paninis went out the window.

I was catching up on my Tivo’d shows the other night, and happened to watch a rerun of Sunny Anderson’s Cooking for Real.  The focus was Mexican-inspired food, and the Chicken Flautas were the star of the show.  Knowing I had half a package of tortillas in the fridge, I made a mental note to grab the recipe.  All in the interest of using ingredients that are on hand.  And the cilantro the recipe called for?  Fresh from our garden.  Love that.

Using rotisserie chicken and other simple ingredients that you probably have on hand already, the dish comes together really fast.  Even better, it only uses two pans, and I’m all for that these days.  Knowing Nick would want no part of this, I kept some rotisserie chicken on the side for him and his sister to eat, and they were quite content with that.

But the flautas?  Oh man, the flautas.  Perfectly crispy, but crazy flaky.  I wanted to scarf the whole pile down, but managed to restrain myself at two, figuring I’d save some for the babysitter’s lunch tomorrow (oh and mine too!).  These would be perfect as an appetizer for a weekend of entertaining, or a Mexican dinner.  Because they come together so quickly, they’ll even work well on those crazy weeknights where you’re jetting from one sports practice to another.

The thing that I love about Sunny’s recipes is that they are decidedly unfussy, but with that, you’re not giving up taste.  Using ingredients that you usually have on hand, her dishes come together quickly, easily and we haven’t had a dud yet.

Ole!

P.S.  I didn’t use her Avocado Cream recipe, but instead used my own Guacamole Cream recipe.  Similar but slightly different.  Either one is the perfect foil for dipping the flautas. (more…)