2010 November

Dragons Universe Bash

November 29, 2010 By Big Binder Leave a Comment

I was lucky to be asked to host a Dragons Universe Mommy Party. In case YOU are asked to host such an event, I’ve made a list of 10 things you need to know:

You will get a total party in a box; full of catalogs, CD’s, coupons, and toys. There were ten Eggs and Pods, one Ultimate Action Dragon Destroyer, and one Deluxe Dual Blast Dragon Hunter, which served as a lovely door prize.
There should be snacks. These Dragon Nest Pudding Treats were our. See the dragon eggs?
Let your kids invite some friends, and their moms.
The friends will all have of Dragons Universe before.
None of the moms will have heard of Dragons Universe before.
Everyone gets a coupon, CD, a pod or egg, and treat.
The little pods were pretty easy to assemble. The kids had a lot of fun and got them into action immediately!
The Ultimate Action Dragon Destroyer took a little more diligence to assemble.
The kid who won the Deluxe Dual Blast Dragon Hunter won’t know he has won until Christmas Morning
One thing I was not crazy about with the Dragon Destroyer – there are ‘bullets’ that fire out of that thing. Not fast, but still the kind of thing that just kind of ends up under the couch and then in the vacuum cleaner pretty quickly.

The kids loved assembling and playing with the eggs, pods and Destroyer. They barely noticed the treats, which is a pretty good sign of a good toy

I received these awesome #DragonsUniverseParty toys from MommyParties, but was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

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BigBinder’s BigBasket

November 29, 2010 By Big Binder 2 Comments

This has been one of the hardest years financially that many people have ever had. Regular people – people like you. And me. And your neighbor, who has been laid off for six months.

And they feel ashamed, and sad, and angry they have to use food pantries to bridge the gaps between last week’s shopping trip and the one they’ll do next week when hopefully, there is a little money to shop with.

This is our community. Would you like to join me in helping a family?

It’s time for a reverse budget boosters. This week, let’s give someone else a boost!

I signed up to donate a Holiday Basket to a family through ACCESS for Christmas. It’s hands-on; I actually get to deliver the food to them. I think showing a family that not just an agency, not just some lady, but an entire group of people cares about them is powerful.

And we are a thrifty and resourceful group, aren’t we?

Here are the items we need to put in the basket.

Meat – turkey, ham, or chicken
potatoes, (fresh, boxed, or canned,) rice or pasta Thanks Dianne!
Vegetables – canned, fresh, or frozen
Fruit – canned or fresh
Bread/Rolls
Butter/Margarine
Dessert – frozen, cake mix, pie mix and filling, or whipped topping
Gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, pickles or olives Thanks Julie!
Beverages – juice, coffee, tea, or milk
Salad fixings and dressing
Soup, Jello, or Pudding Thanks Jill!
Dry Milk
Eggs
Cereal
Peanut Butter Thanks Stephanie!
Personal Care Items – soap, shampoo, toilet paper, toothpaste, laundry detergent, dish soap, 9V batteries (to be used in smoke detectors) Thanks Cindy! And Jolon! And Sarah!

Here are some ways you can help:

If you see a good deal on the ‘basket items’ over the next couple of weeks, let me know! Leave a comment telling me what the deal is, where it is, and how much it costs.
If you’d like to support this basket-filling project financially, donate that amount. For example – if you see cranberries on sale for $0.75, donate $0.75. Not a ‘deal shopper’? Of course you are welcome to donate any amount you’d like

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Recipe Roundtable – Make it and Take it!

November 27, 2010 By Big Binder 4 Comments

I was SUPER excited to selected as one of the bloggers in the Pedialyte Campaign. I really liked the new ‘juice box’ sized containers and being able to have them on hand for sick days since they last a year and a half (seriously). When I was chosen to participate in the Make ‘N’ Take Party mission for Pedialyte Singles it about put me over the top!

When my kids get sick I don’t have time for anything else. The un-sick (or more likely, not yet sick) part of my family still needs me too. Getting dinner made is really tough on these days. How lovely it would be if there was something in the freezer, just hanging around and waiting to be baked.

So….. I invited three friends and their kids over to assemble some freezer meals. I tried to rock it all Dream Dinners style, but I forgot to write one of the ingredients on one of the recipes, and then someone’s kid took off with the measuring cups, and then someone read a recipe wrong and used up all the mayo.

Regardless, we all came away with three dinners to stash in the freezer for rough days AND a four pack of Pedialyte Singles*. The kids did a little taste test between Apple and Cherry with 75% voting for Cherry and 25% for Apple, although they all liked both flavors.

Want to try a Make and Take Party for yourself? Start with these three recipes and check out the ones Sarah made last week. I kinda winged it and based them off of other recipes but I’m sure they’ll work out

Taco Casserole

1 can refried beans
2 cups cooked cooked chicken (I cooked it in the Crock Pot with tomato sauce and a taco seasoning, but plain would be fine too).
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup black beans
2 cups cheese
1 cup crushed tortilla chips

Coat a disposable baking pan with the refried beans.
Spread the chicken over the beans.
Spread the corn over the chicken.
Spread the black beans over the corn.
Spread the cheese over the black beans.
Cover tightly with tin foil. Put the corn chips in a freezer safe bag. Freeze (You can freeze the chips too, they’ll be fine.)

Baking instructions: Thaw completely. Bake at 350 covered for 40 minutes. Remove foil, and sprinkle tortilla chips on. Bake for 5 more minutes.

Pizza Casserole

4 cups cooked pasta (I used rotini)
2 cups ground beef, browned
3 cups mozzarella cheese
2 cans pizza sauce
1/2 cup peperoni, cut into quarters

Spray PAM in a disposable baking pan. Mix all ingredients together in the pan. Cover tightly with foil. Freeze.

Baking instructions: Thaw completely. Bake at 350 covered for 45 minutes.

Ham and Rice Casserole

3 cups cooked rice
2 cans of cream of whatever soup
4 cups cooked, chopped ham
1/2 c celery and onions, sauteed in olive oil
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup crushed potato chips

Spray PAM in a disposable baking pan. Mix all ingredients together in the pan except the chips. Put the potato chips in a freezer safe bag. Freeze (You can freeze the chips too, they’ll be fine.).

Baking instructions: Thaw completely. Bake at 350 covered for 40 minutes. Remove foil, and sprinkle potato chips on. Bake for 5 more minutes.

Recipe Roundtable is a weekly feature is co-hosted by BigBinder and Sarahs Deals. Each blog will host it’s own recipe, but share a common linky. The co-hostesses links will appear at the top of the list and you are welcome to join in.

Please link to your ACTUAL POST and not just your home page so people can find it easier. Also please put the recipe title in parentheses to help out the other readers. Old recipe posts are fine. While we appreciate a link back or the addition of the button above, it is NOT required. Thank you for participating.

I was compensated by Collective Bias for the Make and Take Party. All opinions expressed are my own.

*Pedialyte is used to help prevent dehydration from diarrhea and vomiting and should be used under medical supervision.

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Handmade for the Holidays – a Giveaway!

November 26, 2010 By Big Binder 3 Comments

You know I love livin’ la vida LOCAL. I take every chance I get to show the world the amazing-ness that is West Michigan. When I can find something awesome for you guys, I am so excited I can’t wait to tell you about it!

Well, the time has come. A bunch of West Michigan bloggers (we have cleverly named our group “West Michigan Bloggers”) got together with a bunch of West Michigan Etsy Creative Types to bring you the ”Handmade for the Holidays Giveaway Hop”.

I got an awesome partner for this!

Janet from J Dooze Designs is a very talented local artist who is really feeling generous! She is giving away THREE different prizes from her Etsy shop!

One person will win a set of Holiday Cards they choose from her Janet’s Etsy shop ($12.00 value).
Another person will win a set of Holiday Cards they choose from Janet’s Etsy shop ($12.00 value).
A third person will win this gorgeous print called “Mystic Waters” ($70.00 value).

How is that for awesome?

To enter, just head over to Janet’s Etsy shop and look around! Come back over and fill out the form below. I want you to tell me one thing ( something other than the three items up for giveaway) you would give as a gift and who you would give it to.

The winner will be chosen by random.org on December 3, midnight EST. This giveaway is limited to the U.S. and Canada. One entry per person, but don’t be sad. Check out the list of all the giveaways at Handmade for the Holidays and enter those too!

Good luck!

This giveaway is now closed.

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Recipe Roundtable – Freezer Meals!

November 21, 2010 By Big Binder 3 Comments

Hey BigBinder readers! My co-hostess Sarah and I are both having a Make N Take Party where we invite friends over to make ‘freezer’ meals for those times when our kids are sick and we don’t have time to cook! Hers is featured this week on Recipe Roundtable, and mine is next week. Enjoy!
**********************************************************************************
(From Sarah)

I was recently asked to host a Make N Take Party for Pedialyte Singles (find them at your local store). The idea was to get some friends together to cook freezer meals to have on hand in case of illness. We had a great time preparing three different dishes that netted us six freezer meals each. Perfect for those days when you are down with the flu and still need to feed your family.

Here’s what we made:

Lasagna Rolls

Boil 1 package of Lasagna Noodles, drain and run cold water over.
Lay them flat on counter
Cook 1# Ground Beef, drain
Chop 1/2 small Onion
1 Jar Spaghetti Sauce
1 16oz Cottage Cheese

Make layers of the items, then roll and place into pan that has a bit of sauce on the bottom. Top with 1/2 cup of Italian/Mozzarella Cheese. Freeze. Pull out when ready and bake at 350 for 1 hour from frozen.

Chunky Potato and Ham Soup:

3 Medium Potatoes (peeled and cubed)
2 Cups Water
1 Small Onion (chopped)
3 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons Flour
1 Tablespoon Morton’s Nature Seasoning
3 Cups Milk
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Cup Ham (cooked and cubed)

Boil potatoes until tender in 2 cups water, drain. Save 1 cup of potato water.
Combine Potato Water, Milk, Sugar, Butter, Onion, Flour, Cheese, Seasoning, Ham and Potatoes in Saucepan and cook until thick (about 1/2 hour on medium). Freeze.

This is a good one to put in a plastic bag in the freezer, then simply cut the bag open and place soup in the crockpot to cook for the day.

Creamy Potato Bake:

3 Cups Half and Half
1/2 Cup Butter
1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
1 32oz Southern Style Frozen Hash Browns
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (I used a Kraft Parm/Asiago Blend!)

Combine Cream, Butter and Salt in a Sauce Pan and cook over medium heat until butter is melted.
Place Potatoes in your baking dish. Pour Cream Mixture over Potatoes, then top with Parmesan Cheese. Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes (or freeze like this). From frozen, bake at 350 for 1hr 15 min.

——————————————————————–

We also had fun with a little Pedialyte Taste Test for the kids and my friends went home with the start of their very own Flu Preparedness Kits. They each took home a 4pk of Pedialyte Singles that can help dehydration from diarrhea and vomiting. Remember to consult your doctor before using Pedialyte. If you want to know more about Pedialyte, Go Here.
*I was compensated for my time and food for this project by Collective Bias*

I think Sam likes it! ↓↓↓↓

Do you have a great recipe for freezer cooking? Or any other is fine too, please link up below.

This weekly feature is co-hosted by http://www.thebigbinder.com/ and http://www.sarahsdeals.net/. Each blog will host it’s own recipe, but share a common linky. The co-hostesses links will appear at the top of the list and you are welcome to join in.

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Old Traditions and New Nora Jones

November 20, 2010 By Big Binder Leave a Comment

It’s been three years since I could attend the Santa Claus parade with my kids.

Three years is a long time, at their ages. Neither of them remembers it from before. Going to a parade “when it’s cold out” seemed crazy to them. It seemed awesome to me, but I still have enough Detroit Girl in me to appreciate standing around and freezing in order to see giant floating snowmen and fighting the scrappy kids for candy.

Three years ago, A.P. was still listening to Nora Jones Come Away With Me. He had two favorite albums back then; that and the soundtrack to Garden State. Both seemed far too melancholy for a little kid.

Then my husband got ahold of the kids and found out they liked the Foo Fighters, in much the same way I have “found out” my kids like hockey, the library, and ArtPrize.

They never really had a chance.

Blogging has its privileges. Apparently they do not involve parade privileges. The snippy little elf who got to tell the parade to stop and go (for commercial breaks and Eight West Celebrity Interviews) kept yelling at all the kids in our section to GET OUT OF THE STREET. Seriously. They ninja’d out, snatched the candy, and ninja’d back.

These kids are professionals, Snippy Elf. They’re not going to get run over by Ronald McDonald in his clown car who was not, I noticed, handing out candy.

I think that No Toys In Happy Meals Law is hitting Ron hard. He seemed kinda down.

Blogging privileges do include getting advanced copies of new CD’s though. We have been listening to “Norah Jones…Featuring” for a few weeks and loving it.

She sings with Ryan Adams, Ray Charles, Charlie Hunter, OutKast and… the Foo Fighters. And a whole bunch of other people (there are 18 songs on it!), but those were the ones I really wanted to check out. “Ruler of My Heart” sounded a lot like the Otis Redding song “Pain In My Heart” and I was annoyed that someone had ripped it off, until I realzed it was just another version of the same song. I think it would be awesome if her dad (Ravi Shankar aka the sitar dude who played with the Beatles) was on the album. Maybe next time.

You had no idea I was such a music nerd, did you?

I love that I could revive the Santa Claus parade tradition with my kids this year. I love that an album bridges my entire family’s musical interests.

We’re home from the parade now; eating leftover Chicken Noodle Soup, snacking on a few pieces of parade candy, and listening to “Nora Jones… Featuring” while we rest up for the Griffins game tonight.

It’s a good day.

I received a complimentary copy of “Nora Jones…Featuring” from One to One. All opinions are my own.

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Holiday Round Up

November 19, 2010 By Big Binder Leave a Comment

Oh, this week.

YOU ARE KILLING ME, THIS WEEK! It’s been a blur! Nothing throws a family off like a round of stomach flu, does it?! We’re all full strength now and ready to rock the weekend. On deck is a Griffins Game and the Santa Parade. For the first time in three years, I am actually able to go with my kids. I can’t wait!

Looking for more holiday fun? Check out my Guide to Grand Rapids Holiday Celebrations with Kids. Did anyone make it to the tree lighting at the Ford Museum? We were at a Great Start Meeting last night!

I went through some Posts of Christmas Past and found some fun ones I hope you enjoy. First, if you want to make gifts for Christmas and you haven’t started yet – you still have time. Several years ago I made these Gifts In A Jar and since none of our current teachers have received them yet we’re going to do it again this year!

Want to try Latkes? This is another tradition we lost while I was working during the Christmas season that I’m going to revive. Here’s how it went a few years ago (with a book suggestion to match, naturally).

Remember when I gave my suggestions for Frazzle Free Holiday Travel? A friend of mine (like, an in real life friend I’ve known a long, long time!) who works for a hotel corporation emailed me with her “Friends and Family” code and said I could share it with you! Awesome, yes? If you need to book a hotel, definitely check out this site and it will automatically give you the discount on Holiday Inn, Staybridge, and Candlewood hotels! (Thanks Kristin!!)

Remember there are two winners for my Meal Bakes contest I’ll be choosing tomorrow (after the parade ) and you still have time to enter! Next week I’m going to roll out an experiment I feel very warm and fuzzy and communal and BigBinder-ish about. I hope you’ll love it as much as I do and join in! I’m also working with a local artist as part of the West Michigan Bloggers Handmade for the Holidays Hop. More on that (and more chances to win) next week.

Have a great weekend!

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DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS!

November 17, 2010 By Big Binder 2 Comments

Seriously, you guys. Every day.

Every morning, long before I’ve had enough coffee to deal, I hear this Mo Willems book read. And by read I mean acted out, loudly, by three kids using as much movement that is possible while still being safely strapped into booster seats. They all know the book by heart, so they alternate being the Pigeon and – what is that thing, a little mouse? Whatever. The kid we carpool with is totally into it too.

I can’t even hear Morning Edition over all the racket. We love us some Knuffle Bunny too, but they haven’t adapted that to a Mini-van Morning Theatrical Production. Yet.

My kids are thrilled that a celebration of the “Pigeon books” is coming to our library in December. It’s probably coming to yours, too. Here is the schedule:

December 2 4:30 PM (Ottawa Hills Branch)
December 4 11:00 AM (Main Library)
December 4 3:00 PM (Van Belkum Branch)
December 9 6:30 PM (Madison Square Branch)
December 11 1:30 PM (West Leonard Branch)
December 13 6:30 PM (Yankee Clipper Branch)
December 18 10:30 AM (Seymour Branch)
December 18 2:30 PM (West Side Branch)

There will be stories, crafts, and activities. Apparently Mrs. Claus is inexplicaby showing up too; maybe she’ll bring some snacks or something. Until then… DON’T LET THE – well, you know.

Have you seen my “Grand Rapids Holiday Celebrations for Kids“? All the frugal fun in town! Don’t forget to enter my current contest for a free meal!

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No Carnival – Just a CONTEST!

November 15, 2010 By Big Binder

You may have noticed by now that there was no Recipe Roundtable this week. Want to know why?

MY HUSBAND THREW ME A BIRTHDAY PARTY!

I know!

It was awesome. First, my family came over and we ate, and drank, and talked. My Dad and my Aunts and my cousins and my sister and my brother and sister in law and my niece and my nephew and my Uncles… please allow me to be sappy for just a sec and say that I felt so incredibly loved.

Then my wonderful, lovely friends came over and we ate and drank and talked and danced and sang. There was Jungle Juice. There were Jello Shots. My husband did an exceptional job on the bar-portion of the event There were Jersey Giant Subs, and my favorite pasta salad, and dips and veggies and cake and pastries and fancy cheese. It was awesome. It was long. Twelve straight hours of celebrating my fourty-ness. Proud moment? I was the last one standing. Well, sorta standing.

And that is why Recipe Roundtable didn’t happen. The next day we had a ton of food left over, but I didn’t think feeding my kids meatballs and bean dip was prudent. And I sure as heck wasn’t going to cook, because that would have required getting off of the couch for too long. I was very busy rehydrating.

We decided it would be a good day to try one of the new Marie Callender’s Baked Meals. We have a microwave, but we literally use it twice a year. It is banished to the basement. Which was handy, because that’s where our chest freezer is. And at that point a meal I didn’t even have to enter the kitchen for sounded perfect.

We had the Vermont White Cheddar Mac and Cheese. I thought it looked too small to feed a whole family so I got two at the store, but one was actually a good size for us. I would describe it as roughly half a lasagne-sized. The container it cooks in is fairly deep, too.

My kids are used to that bright orange powdered cheeze product involved in Macaroni and Cheese, so they were very shocked to find that ”It tastes just like mac & cheese!”. Except it doesn’t. I can’t stand boxed macaroni and cheese, and I really liked this dish. It’s kind of tangy, and really creamy. My husband said the sauce tasted like it was Fetuccine Alfredo sauce. Pair it with what’s left over from a veggie tray and you have yourself a winner.

Would you like to try for yourself? There are several different varieties, and there are coupons on the Marie Callender’s website.

Or, you could just win my contest! To enter, just leave a comment below that you’d like to try Marie Callender’s Baked Meals. That’s it. No subscribing, liking, or following (unless you just want to!).

I will pick TWO WINNERS this Saturday, November 20 using Random.org. Each winner will receive:

1 coupon for one free Marie Callender’s Baked Meals
1 $2.00 off coupon for a Marie Callender’s or Claim Jumper Frozen Pie
1 $1.50 coupon for a Marie Callender’s Baked Meals
1 $0.75 coupon for a Marie Callender’s Steamer

Good luck!

***Comments are now closed.***

I was compensated by Marie Callender’s and The Motherhood for my time, but all opinions are my own.

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Filed Under: Contests, Recipe Roundtable

Are You Gonna Eat That?

November 12, 2010 By Big Binder 3 Comments

A few weeks ago, the kids and I went to Koetsiers to enjoy a little last-minute fall fun. The kids loved the “Bee Train”.We also painted pumpkins, rode pedal tractors, and went on a hayride. It was on this hayride that I realized how weird we are.

The Tractor Driver/Tour Guide gave us an apple to much on while we rode. You’d think that would be enough for us. You’d be wrong.

Away we went, through the cornfields and scarecrows; to the pumpkin patch. He said that each of us could choose a pumpkin to take home. Someone asked, “Is that the kind you can eat?”. The Tractor Driver looked to see who asked such a weird question, and then told me no; those were not any good to eat.

The other people looked at me funny. I looked at my apple. Again, we were off.

The next stop was at the chicken coop, where my kids asked a very reasonable question. “Do the chickens just stay in their house all winter?” This greenhouse is just barely outside of the city, so his anwser was delicate for the non-country dwellers’ ears. “Well, they could. But we just clean it out every year and start in the spring with new chicks”.

A.P. immediately caught what he was saying, and asked him if he had has friends over for a “Huge chicken dinner party? How big is your table?!”

This guy must have thought we were starving, because before we left (which I made sure was very soon after the hayride was over), he gave us three more pumpkins.

You know; the eating kind.

I hope you are making good use of what we have left of this amazing fall. Make sure you get outside and stomp around in the woods! I’ve updated the calendar with some fun things to do this week. Enjoy it!