Special 31 Giveaway!

My Thirty-One giveaway was such a hit that I'm going to do it again! This time, I'm giving away a free Medium Tote Bag for the first person that places an order by December 5th using this link:

And while you're browsing, keep in mind that for every $31 you spend, you can choose a Holiday "Holi-Buy for only $5!

See below for details:

Strawberry Oat Bars

So if you know me, you know that I like to try to be super mom.  Of course, this also leads to my being frazzled and occasionally dropping one (or more) of the things I''m juggling.  I can't help myself, though.  I just like volunteering myself for things!  Sometimes there is a great reward at the end, a kind thanks, big hug or smile.  This time, I got all that, plus some yumminess to nibble on!

So in typical me fashion, I forgot until the last minute about baking for my son's open house last month.  Opps.  As I scrambled to find something to make, I realized we were out of eggs.  Ugh.  Not wanting to make an extra trip to the store, I decided to give this recipe a whirl.  I'm so glad I did!  The bars are so tasty, and super easy to make, too!

Strawberry Oat Bars

Ingredients:

2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar 
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract  
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup strawberry preserves 

Directions:

Add the butter and cut it quickly into dry ingredients using your pastry cutter, or a fork until the mixture resembles coarse meal and is no longer powdery. You'll still be able to see some of the butter, but that's ok.

Set aside about half of the oat mixture; press the rest firmly into the pan. Now you want to partially bake it until lightly browned at the edges, 13 to 15 minutes.  

Remove from the oven and carefully spread strawberry preserves over the partially baked oat layer. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. Bake until topping is slightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool completely before cutting.

I hope you will enjoy these as much as my son's classmates and teachers did! If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container for up to one week.

 

Christmas Cards!

Photos by Sharon T. Simpson

I won a $50 credit from Shutterfly earlier this month via one of their sponsors - the lovely Dawn from With a Side of Thriftiness and I was so excited!! I adore Christmas cards - sending and receiving them - especially a good photo card!

So first we had to head off to my most favorite photographer ever, Sharon T. Simpson.  (You may remember her from the guest post she did offering 5 Tips for Photographing Children.) Her photos are always amazing, and since she's a friend, too, the kids are pretty relaxed with her.  Of course, there is one problem I always have with Sharon's photos - there are so many good ones, it's nearly impossible to choose!

So, after much deliberation, I've just finished ordering my cards - what do you think??

It's Snowing Happiness Holiday Card

Create unique holiday invitations at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

 

I'm excited to get these out to my friends and family, especially those I've not connected with in awhile... and speaking of connecting, I know I've been blogging much less lately, but I hope you can understand that with the holidays, my juggling has increased and time decreased! I have some great posts planned that you won't want to miss, so keep reading, dear friends!

Guest Post: Painted Chevron Table Runner Tutorial

Friends, you know I can barely thread a needle, so I'm always so in awe of those of you who can - like my guest writer today.  I hope you'll be as inspired and impressed as I am!

Hello hello! I'm Ko from The Domestic Doozie and I am thrilled to be here with y'all today. The holidays are by far my favorite time of year, I especially love the parties and gatherings that take place. So when Ang asked me to guest post I knew exactly what I wanted to share!

How about an easy way to dress up your holiday table and incorporate a trendy style while on a tight budget? Yes? Well look no further!

Supplies:

6x9 Canvas Drop Cloth (Walmart)

Paint (I used Martha Stewart's glitter line (2 jars) from Home Depot)

Blue Painter's Tape

Chevron Templet (I'll show you how to make one)

Sewing Machine

Before you begin, wash your drop cloth on the hot cycle (it will shrink a bit) in your washing machine and dry completely. This will help the weave to tighten up and give the fabric a soft linen feel.

                                     

Cut 2ftx4ft runners from the drop cloth. The above image shows you where I cut mine from. If you need different dimensions just cut what you need. The left over scraps can be ripped to make beautiful linen like ribbons to wrap holiday packages with so don't throw them away!

Now simply sew around the edges of each runner to give it a nice clean look. I take a ton of short cuts here by starting at an edge, folding it 1/4 inch on itself and folding it over again. It will look like a little 1/4 inch wide roll that you stitch straight down the middle. When you are a half inch from the bottom, fold the fabric up toward the machine making your 1/4 inch roll and stitch to the middle of it. With your need is down position, pivot your fabric and continue sewing till you've finished all your sides.

Next up is your chevron templet. Mr. Doozie (if you head on over to my blog, you'll see I keep him very busy), made mine out of plywood since I plan on using it for as long as this trend lasts. You could make your's out of cardboard as well.

To get the chevrons even you need 3 long parallel lines to start.  We used a spacing of 2 inches between the lines which gave a chevron with an overall height of 4 inches from top to bottom.  Next we drew lines perpendicular to the long ones every 3 1/2 inches.  This will basically give you a grid on which you simply 'connect the dots' up and down to make the zig-zag for the top and bottom of the chevron.  The best part is you can adjust the height and width to make exactly the sized chevron you want!

This is where it gets fun! Trace your chevron template onto your "linen" table runners and tape off every other one. I liked the look of only doing a handful on each side, but you do what you like best! You really cant go wrong!

Then paint away! I tried using a roller at first but it didn't give me the coverage I was hoping for so I stuck to the brush and loved the final outcome. Let the paint dry overnight, remove the tape and commence a happy dance! You've just rocked some very awesome table runners!

Thank you again Ang for having me! I hope y'all have a wonderful holiday season ~

Mild Salsa (Freezer Recipe) with Printable Labels

Salsa is a staple in our house, and it's one of Mr. Juggling Act go-to snacks.  With an abundance of tomatoes this year from our garden, we decided to throw together a big batch of freezer salsa.  The great thing about making your own salsa - just like making your own spice mixes - is being able to customize the flavor just right.

Neither one of us is a big fan of cilantro, we we opted not to use that, instead using a little coriander to season the salsa.  I'm not big on super spicy food, and with just a couple of jalapenos and my mild Taco Seasoning mix, this salsa is pretty harmless.  

If you like it hot, you can add a bit of cayenne pepper, or a couple of habanero peppers to up the ante.

Mild Salsa - Freezer Recipe


Ingredients:
2 green peppers
2 sweet onions
5-6lbs tomatoes
2 teaspoons garlic minced
1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon coriander
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons Taco Seasoning
3/4 cup tomato paste
1 can condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup white vinegar
juice from 1 lime

Directions:

Begin by preparing the tomatoes (here's a great tutorial from the Food Network on peeling tomatoes). This is the most time consuming part.  You could skip this step by buyig canned diced tomatoes, if you prefer. 

 

Prepare the onions and peppers - be sure to seed your peppers first.  And finally, carefully seed the jalapeno peppers, dice, and wash your hands! 

In a large stockpot, combine all of the vegetables, seasonings, and liquids over medium high heat and bring to a boil.  Give the mixture a quick stir and then reduce the heat.  Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring often.

Carefully ladle the salsa into small freezer containers. Let the jars cool to room temperature - about 1 hour - before freezing. This will last about a week in the fridge, much longer in the freezer, of course.

Take a moment to download these cute labels for your jars, which make great holiday or hostess gifts!

Sweet & Spicy Chili for a Crowd

Growing up in a house full of girls there was little to no "man food" - as my mum might have called it - and even less football (sorry Dad!)  My first experience with chili was with my husband - although, at the time I think we were 17 or 18 and not yet married or even engaged.  My mom had given me a cookbook for Christmas with recipes for entertaining and I thought we'd try making chili for a little superbowl party (also my first one of those!) 

It's been a looong time since that disappointing evening when Green Bay beat the Patriots, and over the years we've tried many versions of chili, and I look forward to sharing them with you!  Here's our Sweet & Spicy Chili, wish a dash of barbeque sauce (a trick we stole learned from a friend of ours).  Enjoy!

Sweet & Spicy Chili

Ingredients:

1 large green pepper

1 large sweet onion

1-2 jalapeno peppers

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 40oz can of red kidney beans

1 28oz can stewed tomatoes

1 28oz can tomato puree

28oz water

2 lbs lean hamburg

1/2 teaspoons coriander

1 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoons pepper

1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoons granulated garlic

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons honey

1/2 cup mashed sweet potato

3 tablespoons BBQ sauce

Directions:

In a large skillet, break up the meat and season with salt, pepper, onion powder, granulated garlic, cumin, coriander and chili powder.  Cook until brown, drain the grease and set aside.

In a large stockpot heat up the olive oil.  Simmer the onions and green peppers until tender.  Chop or dice your vegetables depending on how chunky you like your chili.  I like to put mine in the food processor so I don't have any big chunks.  For the jalapeno, use 1 to 2 (seeded!) to taste and dice or mince, again according to your preference (this, along with the chili powder is the SPICY part of the recipe!).

Add the stewed tomatoes and tomato puree.  Rinse the cans and dump that water into the pot as well (no more than about 1 28oz can total).  Add the beans, including the water in the can, to the stockpot. 

Stir in the sweet potato - you could leave this out, but we had a little extra left over, and it helps thicken the chili and adds a bit of sweetness to the flavor.  Other vegetable purees would be good in this too, like squash, pumpkin, carrot or even zucchini.

Season with additional salt, pepper, onion powder, granulated garlic, cumin, coriander and 2 tablespoons chili powder.  Stir in the honey and the barbeque sauce (this is the SWEET part to balance the spicy!).  Cover and let simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. 

This makes a big batch, so if you're not having a crowd, you can freeze half in airtight bags or freezer safe canning jars. I like the bag method, because then it's easy to reheat in a crockpot!

Serve with your favorite toppings like cheese and sour cream - and your favorite sides, like Cheddar Bacon Muffins or Cheddar Garlic Cornbread!

Apple Crisp Pie & Heavenly Treats

Hello,  I'm Ang and I blog over at Juggling Act Mama and love sharing recipes, DIY projects, and fun activities for the kiddos.  I'm married to my high school sweetheart and we both work full time outside the home.  We have two children, Ethan, 4-1/2, and Olivia, 19-months. I hope you'll come visit me to check out some of my favorite posts, like DIY Gardener's Scrub, Popsicle Stick Puzzles or enter my latest Giveaway!

There are times when I just can't decide if I like apple crisp, or apple pie better... with an October birthday, I grew up often having apple pie instead of birthday cake - but I adore a delicious crumb topping, too.  I decided to put the two together for an Apple Crisp Pie that can satisfy both pie and crisp lovers alike!

And if that wasn't enough to pique your interest, consider this, you can make several of these at a time and freeze them for later.

We had so much fun apple picking earlier this Fall

Apple Crisp Pie

Ingredients:

6 cups apples

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 T. flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 T. butter

Milk

Prepared bottom pie crust 

Crisp Topping

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 c. unsifted all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

Directions:

Peel the apples, then cut them into small chunks. Mix together in a large bowl with sugars, spices, salt and flour. Mix to coat all the apples. Pour the apples into the bottom pie crust - for this, I like using a store-bought pie crust from the freezer section - no rolling dough, no messy flour everywhere, and you can freeze the whole thing without losing one of your pie plates for weeks.

To make the crisp topping, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it is crumbly.  Sprinkle of the apples and pat it down gently.

To freeze the pie, gently wrap it with two layers of plastic wrap and freeze until set.  Once the pie is frozen solid, wrap it with tinfoil and label the pie. You could easily make a couple of these now and then just take them out of the freezer the day before Thanksgiving - talk about making homemade easy! 

To bake, thaw overnight in the fridge.  Bake at 375-degrees for 40-50 minutes until the top is crispy and lightly browned.  Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream.

This is wonderful shared with a few friends around the table, an perfect for Thanksgiving, too.  Today I'm sharing it as I co-host the Heavenly Treats link up with my pal, Pamela from Pamela's Heavenly Treats. 

 ~Just a few Rules~

Link directly to your post 

No giveaways or shops

Please grab party button or link back to my blog

<div align="center"><a href="http://pamelasheavenlytreats.blogspot.com/" title="Pamela's Heavenly Treats"><img src="http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e271/smason01/SundayTreatsButton.png" alt="Pamela's Heavenly Treats" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

~Please make sure you visit and comment on other posts~

I would love it if you would become a follower of Pamela's Heavenly Treats - and me, of course!

Please check back next week to see who is featured!

~DESSERTS ONLY~

LET'S PARTY!

Smiling Tree Toys

 Shop Online // Facebook //Twitter //Blog 

It's no secret that I'm partial to wooden toys - but handmade wooden toys that are organic from a mom and pop (literally) shop that uses all natural and organic resources?  That's Smiling Tree Toys - you've got to check them out.  Goodness, I'm drooling, and you can see why, right?  I mean, look at these!

Smiling Tree Toys is run by Justin and Kathleen, and here's what they say about their beautiful toys:

"We're most proud of that we grow and press our own organic camelina oil (a relative of flaxseed) used as the finish on our toys. We combine it with beeswax, also from my family's land, and it makes a perfect, safe, 100% organic finish."  

I'd be pretty darn proud of that, too!

So not only do they make totally awesome toys and gifts, but they're also Peace Corps alum who give back - check out some examples of Peace Corps projects they sponsor.

For a limited time (just in time for the holidays!!), you can order some of these gorgeous toys and save 10% off  - exclusive for Juggling Act Mama readers!

 This code is valid from Friday, Nov 16th through midnight on Sunday, Nov 25th. And guess what else? Order one of these sweet ornaments, and it ships free!

Disclaimer: I received  no compensation for this post, I just think this shop, and the folks behind it, are pretty amazing!

Thankful Thursday

Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week? Here in our house, we've been talking about things we're thankful for on the way school (daycare) in the morning. I love that Ethan understands what it means to be thankful...

Thankful

Aware and appreciative of a benefit; grateful

Today, my dear friend Tiffanie from Life with the Little Man and I have decided to create a link up and have all of you
lovelies share what you are most thankful for.

 

I'm so grateful for so many things in my life...first and foremost my family

This is an older photo, but it makes me take a moment to think about how much my children have grown up over the last year (this was taken last November) and reminds me to be grateful for each moment with - even when they are fussy and not at their best.  My husband is ever there to support me in all the crazy things I do, even when he knows that often I end up burning the candle at both ends and needing a break.

I'm grateful for my parents and the amazing relationship they have with my chidlren. I'm thankful for my sisters who, though spread throughout the country, are always 'there' with a supportive call, email, text or visit when I need them.  And I'm grateful for friends, especially friends who are like family!

We are so fortunate to have a lovely home, food on the table, and two good jobs that make it possible.  I am grateful for all of these blessings, and so many, many other things.  Truly, I cannot begin to list them all here...

 

Please join us in this awesome link up as we celebrate all
the things that we are thankful for.

Some Link Up Guidelines:

 1. Be sure to follow your hosts and leave a comment so we
can follow you back.

 2. Follow a new blog and make some friends.

 3. Grab the button, share what your thankful for, and link up.

 

Everything Oatmeal Cookies

Today, I'm over at Slogan Adventures sharing my recipe for Everything Oatmeal Cookies - they literally have just about everything you can throw into a cookie.  Go check it out!

Thirty-One Bags Party & Giveaway

 How about a party AND a giveaway today??  That's right! I'm hosting a Thirty-One Gifts Online Party now through November 26th and would love for you to join me!

If you’re not familiar with Thirty-One Gifts, you definitely want to check them out – I’m a huge fan of their durable and cute bags.  They have everything from diaper bags to wallets and purses - and lots of great tote bags (so awesome for carting around stuff for the kiddos!)

 

 

For every $35 you spend November 2-26, get a Medium Utility Tote for only $5! 

 

Plus, you'll be able to get one gift and give another! For every Medium Utility Tote purchased, a Thermal Tote will be donated to Operation Homefront to assist military families.

Click here to browse and order!

 

I love these bags so much that I'm giving away one of the All-in-One Totes - in your choice of 5 aweome patterns!

 

 

 

Thanks so much for visiting me today - and good luck in the giveaway!!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Tuesday Tango Link Up Co-Host

I do love a good party, and I'm happy to be co-hosting a great one this week -

The Tuesday Tango is a multiple link-up post for everyone to meet new people and grow your audience. There are eight link-ups that you can add your link to - Twitter, Facebook, Hello Cotton, Bloglovin, Instagram, Pinterest, Better Blogger Network, and RevolutionizeHer.

 

All you have to do is follow the host(s) for that week and then add whoever else you'd like to!

 

Permanent Hosts:

After Nine To Five | Big Apple Mami | Yellow Umbrella | Better Blogger Network

 

This Week's Rotating Hosts:

Reinvented in Seattle | Juggling Act Mama

 

Directions:

Follow the host(s)

Add your links to any/all of the link-ups

Add at least 5 people from the link-ups

- - -

Want to host one of the weeks? Let us know!