Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

If you are looking for a really quick dish that you can make for lunch or pack in lunch boxes, this is the perfect thing for you!  This Zesty Italian Pasta Salad Recipe makes a wonderful, colorful, back-to-school side to a turkey sandwich, or it is delicious and filling all on its own!  To make a dinner out of it, serve with any kind of meat and some bread!  It has every color of the rainbow in it, which makes this pasta salad extremely healthy too!  This dish is a super fun dish to bring to a friend's house or a dinner party as well!!

If you want to save yourself some time and effort, this recipe can also easily be doubled (or tripled) to create extra freezer meals!  (see instructions for freezing below)

Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 3 cups vegetable spiral pasta (I use Eden)
• 1/2 cup Zesty Italian Salad Dressing, (I use homemade)
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese, grated (for garnish)

Directions  

1. In a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.  
2. While pasta is cooking, chop veggies and prepare dressing (if using homemade).
3. When pasta is done, strain and rinse under cold water.
4.  Add veggies and dressing to pot.  Stir.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve, garnished with cheese (if desired).

  
* This is delicious with fresh mozzarella!  For extra protein, serve with chicken or turkey!  Add fresh bread and you have a delicious and easy supper!

(Servings: 8)

To Store:
Store in refrigerator in airtight container for up to 1 week.

Easy way to fill freezer bags!

To Freeze:
After completely cooled, divide pasta salad into desired portions and place into sandwich freezer bags or freezer containers and put into freezer.  Flatten bags and stack on top of each other to save space! (The easiest way I have found to fill freezer bags is to place the ziploc bag inside a glass or cup, fold the sides of the bag over the glass, and scoop the mixture in.  This creates less spill and less mess!)


To Thaw:
If thawing portioned containers, remove from freezer in the morning and place in lunch box/bag.  They should be ready to eat by lunchtime!  If thawing a larger batch, remove from freezer the night before and place in refrigerator to thaw.

Busy Mom's Menu Monday 7/30

Whether you are vacationing, relaxing, or getting ready for back-to-school, this time of year can be pretty hectic!  That is why we are bringing back our most popular menu plan yet -- dinners in under 10, 15, and 20 minutes!!!  Yes, this is a menu plan rewind to a menu that is so quick, easy, healthy, and delicious!!  Enjoy!

Read More about the format of Our Menu Plans Here!

Monday  

(Prepare skewers during lunch.  Stick in fridge until dinner!)

Chicken Yakitori

White Rice

Tuesday  

(Dinner in under 15 minutes!)
Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich

Fruit

Wednesday 

(Stock Your Freezer & Prepare in the morning)
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork - (double batch)
Incredibly Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Apples
 

Thursday

(20-Minute Dinner!!)

Seared Scallops with Lemon Orzo
(can use shrimp, pork, or filet!)
 

Friday 

(Ready in 10 minutes!!)
Steaks with Herb Butter
Baked Potatoes
Salad
Fresh Bread

Saturday  

Dinner Out!

Sunday  
(Under 10 minutes)
Heart Healthy Spaghetti Sauce (From Freezer)
Pasta
Breadsticks


What's on your menu this week?

Check out our menu plan on Menu Plan Monday! 

Make-your-own Zesty Italian Salad Dressing

One of the things I love about making homemade salad dressing is how fresh and full of flavor it tastes.  There is something about knowing exactly what ingredients are going into something that makes it that much tastier!  Another great thing about making your own salad dressing is that you can save tons of money.  Store-bought salad dressing can be very expensive.  You can make your own for literally pennies!  This Homemade Zesty Italian Salad Dressing recipe also makes a great marinade for chicken, and is delicious in a pasta salad! 

This is seriously one of the easiest things in the world to make.  Eight out of the ten ingredients are all spices you probably have in your spice rack at home already!  If you don't have something, just leave it out or add a new spice into it!  The easiest way I have found to make this is to use a funnel to pour all of the ingredients through.  I usually save glass containers for things like this, so if you have an old salad dressing container, it would work perfectly to store your homemade dressing in.

Zesty Italian Salad Dressing Recipe

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions  

1. In a jar, shaker, or any container with lid, add all spices. (I use a funnel)
2. Add oil and vinegar.  Put lid on container and shake vigorously.  

Storage:
Salad dressing can be stored in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 months.

{No Bake} Chocolate Buttercup Bars

This is one of our very favorite desserts!  It is quick, easy, simple, and No Bake!!  So delicious!!!  The only bad thing is that they are usually all gone within a couple of hours!  They literally just melt in your mouth!

Chocolate Buttercup Bars

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 4 whole graham crackers, crushed (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Directions  

1. In a medium bowl, stir together butter, crackers, sugar, and peanut butter.
2. Spread mixture evenly onto the bottom of an 8x8 casserole dish and press down using a spoon.
3. Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips together in the microwave until melted completely. (Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir.  Microwave for another 30 seconds if needed).
4. Pour chocolate mixture over cracker mixture and spread evenly.
5. Refrigerate for 1 hour to harden before serving.

(Servings: 9)*


* To make extra thick Chocolate Buttercup Bars, double the ingredients, but still use an 8x8 casserole dish!  (Warning: This will result in extra thick, extra rich, and extra delicious Chocolate Buttercup Bars!!)

Busy Mom's Menu Monday 7/23

It's that time of the week again!  A new week means a new menu plan!  We have lots of summer fruits and veggies this week!  If you love peaches, tomatoes, corn on the cob, cherries, and raspberries, you will especially love this week's menu plan!

Read More about the format of Our Menu Plans Here!

Monday 

(Prepare ahead of time)
Ritzy Chicken
Incredibly Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Corn on the Cob
Rolls

Tuesday  

(Dinner in 20 minutes!)

Weeknight Taco Salad
Fruit

Wednesday 

(Make a double batch for the freezer)

Mexican Lasagna

Chips and Salsa

Mango

Thursday

(Dinner in under 20 minutes!)
Bruschetta Chicken

Peachy Quinoa

Friday
Steak

Sweet Potatoes

Corn on the Cob

Cherry Cobbler

Saturday  

Out to Eat!!

Sunday  

(Prepare calzone in the morning and bake when ready!)

Salami-Mozzarella Calzone

Salad with Italian Dressing

Strawberries


What is on your menu this week??


Check out our menu plan on Menu Plan Monday!

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Our Fun Friday Activities for Today! {7/20}

After a long and (very) hot week, we are keeping our Fun Friday activities simple today!  Hope you can join in on the fun with us!  Here is what we will be doing today:

1. Swimming, swimming, and more swimming - We are going to hit the pool today!  If you are bored of the same swimming routine, grab some measuring cups, funnels, plastic toy kitchen pots and pans, or anything random that may be laying around your house.  Take them to the pool and your children will love playing "restaurant" and pretending to "cook stuff" using pool water!


2.  Snack Time Letter Practice - We are going to get creative with our snack time today!  Draw a letter on a piece of paper and have your child use small foods (such as raisins, nuts, blueberries, popcorn, cut up fruit, corn, cereal, etc.) to form that letter.  My daughter loves this activity, and she also loves that she gets to "eat" the letters!  If your child is older, you could do whole words instead of single letters!


3.  Bubbles Outside - We still have tons of bubbles leftover from a trip to the Dollar store, and this is always a fun activity that burns quite a bit of energy.  If you want to sneak in some learning, have your child count the number of bubbles they pop!


What are you all doing today??  Do you have an idea that you would like to be featured on fun Friday? 

Looking for more activities to do today? Check out more ideas here!

Bruschetta Chicken

Tomatoes are super delicious right now... especially fresh-from-the-garden juicy tomatoes!!  This Bruschetta Chicken recipe is so simple, it will be ready to eat in about 5 minutes!!  It is so full of flavor and nutrients too!  Even members of my family who are not big tomato fans loved this!  As I mentioned yesterday, our family loves serving this with Peachy Quinoa!

Leftover tip: If you have any extra Bruschetta mixture leftover, spread over toasted bread or crackers for a yummy snack or appetizer!

Bruschetta Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, grilled
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions  

1. In a medium bowl, stir together tomatoes, garlic, basil, balsamic vinegar, and oil. 
2. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Scoop a heaping spoonful of bruschetta mixture on top of a piece of grilled chicken and sprinkle with cheese.

(Servings: 4)

    *Serve with Peachy Quinoa and fresh Crock Pot Bread!

Check out this recipe on Foodie Friday, On the Menu Monday, Melt in your Mouth Monday!

Peachy Quinoa Recipe

Peaches, Peaches, Peaches!!  So delicious right now!  If you couldn't already tell, our family LOVES peaches!!  Both my baby and my picky eater will both eat them in large quantities, so we have been trying to get creative on our peach recipes! Another food we all love is quinoa, so this Peachy Quinoa recipe is definitely a winning combination!  If you have never made quinoa or a little frightened of the name (pronounced keen-wah), it is super easy and healthy! 

Peachy Quinoa

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 5 green onions, chopped
• 1-2 peaches, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions  

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
2. Add green onions, honey, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper, and mix well.
3. Gently fold in peaches and serve!

(Servings: 4)

    *Delicious served with Peach wine and Bruschetta Chicken (recipe coming soon!)

Homemade Princess Play Dough

Does anyone else have a little princess at home who must have EVERYTHING "Princess-themed?"  My daughter is so obsessed with princesses that whatever color she is wearing on a particular day determines the particular princess she is that day.  Today she had on a plain cotton yellow dress and was saying she was Belle!  So I had been wanting to make our own play dough for awhile, but my little princess is not a big fan of getting her hands dirty.  So after we saw this play dough, I was inspired to "pretty up" the play dough.... and Princess Play Dough was created!!

Last week, I promised you all a full report and recipe... My daughter loved it!!  It turned out so soft and very easy to maneuver!   She also added tons of cute beads to it and turned it into bracelets and necklaces! It was so simple to make!  We will definitely make this again!

Princess Play Dough Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon oil
• food coloring (Red: 20 drops, Blue: 5 drops)
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
• Pink glitter

Directions  

1. Heat water, oil, and food coloring in a medium pan on med low heat.
2. Mix flour, salt, and cream of tartar in a separate bowl and add to liquids.
3. Continue heating and stir well until mixture forms a ball.
4. Let dough cool for 5 minutes.
5. Knead well.
6. Sprinkle glitter on surface and roll dough in glitter to cover.
7. Store in airtight container or ziploc bag.

(Yields: 4 large balls of dough)

Busy Mom's Menu Monday 7/16

Happy Monday!! I hope you all had a great weekend!  I have been working hard to bring you a new menu plan with fresh recipes this week!!  We've got some really delicious and easy new recipes (oh, and healthy too!)  Have a great week!

Read More about the format of Our Menu Plans Here!

Monday 

(Dinner in under 30 minutes!)
Auntie's Not-Cho Ordinary Mexican Pizza

Pineapples
Rice

Tuesday  

(Make double batch of bread for freezer)

Spinach Lemon Orzo Soup with Chicken 
Shredded rotisserie chicken

Crock Pot Bread
Strawberries

Wednesday 

(Dinner in under 30 minutes!)
Roasted Tomato Mini Pies

Arugula Salad
Plums

Thursday

Dinner Smorgasbord!

Clean out your fridge!

(Line up all of the leftover meals, fruit, and salad 

and let everyone pick what goes on their plates!)

Friday
(Prepare dressing ahead of time and refrigerate until needed)
Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad
Grilled Chicken
Fruit

Saturday  

Out to Eat!!

Sunday  

(Bake bread in crock pot ahead of time)
Slow Cooker Lasagna (from freezer)
Crock Pot Bread
Salad


What is on your menu this week??


Check out our menu plan on Menu Plan Monday!

Auntie's Not-Cho Ordinary Mexican Pizza

This delicious dish was created by my lovely sister, hence the name Auntie's Pizza.  This is a seriously yummy (and surprisingly healthy) meal!  In order to cut down on fat, we used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream for a garnish!  Nobody could even tell the difference!  We also used fat free beans.  This is a super versatile dish too!  You could add corn, peppers, ground beef, or just about anything you have on hand!  Thanks, Auntie, for this amazing recipe!

Auntie's Not-Cho Ordinary Mexican Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 lb uncooked chicken, cut into bite-size chunks
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• Triangle Tortilla Chips, 2-3 cups
• 1 cup refried beans, heated
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups monterrey jack cheese, shredded (or any blend of cheeses) 

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (optional garnish)
• 1 medium tomato, chopped (optional garnish)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce (optional garnish)

Directions  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chicken and onion and season with salt and pepper.  
3. Saute over medium heat for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
4. While chicken mixture is cooking, begin spreading a spoonful of beans onto each individual tortilla chip.  (The tortilla chips will form the "crust" of the pizza).
5. Arrange the chips with beans to form a large circle on a baking sheet.  Continue spreading the beans on chips and placing the chips on cookie sheet until you have a large filled in circle, or crust. (Make sure the chips are close together so the toppings do not leak out).
6. Spoon chicken mixture on top of pizza.  Sprinkle cheese onto pizza.
7. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
8. Remove from oven.  Top with garnishes (optional).  We like to lay all the garnishes out and let everyone choose their own!

Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad

When it is 100+ degrees outside, our bodies tend to crave more fruits and veggies in order to increase our water intake and prevent dehydration.  Especially during the summer months, nothing sounds more delicious than a big healthy salad with tons of fruit!  I was looking for a way to incorporate some raspberries that needed to be used up, and this Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad was created! It is light, healthy, and delicious!  Add walnuts or chicken on top for some extra protein!  This would also be a great salad to bring to a party... the colors are just gorgeous!  Enjoy!!

Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon raspberry fruit spread
• 1/2 cup raspberries
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups chopped romaine

Directions  

1. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, and fruit spread.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add raspberries to bowl and stir gently.
3. Pour mixture over romaine and toss to coat.

(Servings: 2)

Our Fun Friday Activities for Today!

Well, the weekend is almost here! We have more fun ideas for activities to do with your kids today!  In order to beat the heat, all of our Fun Friday activities today can all be done INSIDE!!!  Here is what we will be up to today... We would love for you to join us!

1. Princess Play Dough - We will be playing with princess play dough today!  Everything in our house has to be princess-themed now...  We will post our recipe and instructions on how to make Princess Play Dough next week!


2.  Long Jump Contest - Crystal over at Money Saving Mom did this activity with her kids this week and it just looked like so much fun! It looks like a great indoor activity that will hopefully burn tons of energy!


3.  Reading on a Palette - Lay a sheet or blanket on the floor and pick out a huge pile of books to read to/with your children.  It's amazing how such a simple thing as laying on the floor reading books can re-direct a bored child's attention.  This also makes a great quiet time activity!

What is on your schedule for today?

Looking for more activities to do today? Check out more ideas here!

How to make Homemade Pasta without a Pasta Maker

It is super easy to make fresh pasta by hand at home!  Even if you don't have one of those fancy pasta machines, you can still enjoy homemade yummy pasta!  Here's the best part... the whole process takes under 30 minutes!  You can also make a big batch and freeze the pasta so you can have some on hand for next time!  It is super delicious paired with Heart Healthy Spaghetti Sauce, salad, and a huge loaf of Crock Pot Bread!  This pasta would also make an excellent noodle for homemade chicken noodle soup!

Homemade Pasta Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons milk

 

Step by Step Directions:

1. On a clean work surface, combine flour and salt. 

2. Form a well in center of flour mixture.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, olive oil, and milk.

4. Gradually pour egg mixture into flour well while mixing with fingers.

5. Using your hands, form mixture into a ball.  Knead well for 5 minutes, or until smooth.

6. Form dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap and cover with a towel.  Let dough "rest" for 20 minutes.

7.  On a lightly floured surface, roll dough until very thin (1/8" or less in thickness).

8. Let dough sit for 3-5 minutes in order to harden slightly.

9. Once you have your dough rolled out, lightly flour the top.  Loosely roll the dough onto the rolling pin.

10. Carefully slide the rolling pin out of the dough and gently press down. 

11. With a sharp knife, cut dough into strips of desired thickness. (Thicker cuts will result in Fettuccine-like pasta, thinner will be more similar to spaghetti).

12. Continue cutting until all strips are cut through.

13. Gently unfold strips.

To Cook Pasta:
Boil pasta in a large pot of water for 4 minutes for al dente.


To Store Pasta:
After unfolding pasta strips, let dry for 3-4 hours.  Store in airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature.


To Freeze Pasta:
Put pasta into a freezer bag.  Freeze for up to 2 months.



Recipe adapted from How to Make Pasta.

I am sharing this recipe at Crystal & Co. and Stone Gable

How to Make Homemade Bread in the Crock Pot

During the summer months, we will do anything to not have to turn on the oven!  The extra heat is one thing we just do not need in the house when the temperature outside is in the 100's! Crock Pot Bread also comes in really handy for holidays, dinner parties, or anytime you need to free up oven space!

Enter the crock pot (slow cooker)...  Yes, you can cook just about anything in a crock pot these days, but bread?  Absolutely!!  This recipe is super simple to make!  Honestly? I actually like it better than oven-baked bread.  Baking the bread in the crock pot keeps all of the moisture inside the bread while still giving it a crisp outer crust.  Whenever we make this bread, it is literally gone within an hour of it baking!  So delicious!!  If you have never tried making your bread in a crock pot, it is definitely worth trying!

Crock Pot Bread Recipe

1. Make Simple Bread Dough and let rise for 1 hour.
2. Line crock pot (slow cooker) with 1 sheet of parchment paper folded in half (this is to prevent the bread from sticking to the bottom).
3. Place dough on parchment paper.  Place lid on crock pot and cook on low for 1 1/2 hours (I usually check it halfway through).  
4. Bread is ready when the crust is golden brown and delicious!!
 

To Freeze:
Remove bread from crock pot.  Let cool for about an hour.  Wrap in plastic wrap and put in freezer bag.  Freeze for up to 4 weeks.

To Thaw:
Remove bread from freezer the night before you want to eat it.

Simple Bread Dough

This bread dough is delicious!!  It is slightly sweet and so soft!  The best part of this bread is that it is a no-knead bread!  Absolutely no kneading is required!  In fact, the only time your hands come in contact with the dough is to transfer it to a bowl to rise!  You may want to make a double batch of this!!

Simple Bread Dough Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (1 packet) yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup boiling hot water
• 1 tablespoon oil

Directions  

1. Add yeast, sugar, salt, and flour to a food processor fitted with a blade attachment.
2. Process on low for 1 minute.
3. Slowly add water, then oil.
4. Process until dough is no longer sticking to sides, and forms a ball.
5. Remove dough, form into ball.
6. Place in greased bowl and cover with a towel.  Let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

To Freeze:

Wrap dough ball in plastic wrap.  Place in freezer bag and store in freezer for up to 6 weeks.

To Bake:

If using fresh dough, place into lightly greased loaf pan and punch dough down to fit pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until edges become crisp and golden brown. If using frozen, remove dough from freezer and thaw at room temperature for 4 hours before baking.   

Busy Mom's Monday Menu Plan 7/9 {with link up}

This week we are all about Quick and Easy Summer Recipes that are on the lighter side and will keep you feeling healthy!

Read More about the format of Our Menu Plans Here!

Monday 

(Dinner in under 30 minutes!)
Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki

Greek Salad

Fruit

Tuesday  

(Prepare Salsa during nap time!)

Crab Tacos

Whole Grain Minute Rice
Beans

Wednesday 

(Quick dinner in under 20 minutes!)
Grilled Open-face Ham, Brie and Arugula Sandwiches

Pears

Thursday

(Prepare ahead of time)
Tomato Orecchiette with Brie and Basil
1-Ingredient Peach Ice Cream

Friday 

Steaks with Herb Butter

Leftover Fruit

Salad

Saturday  

(Stock your freezer)
Slow Cooker Lasagna
Garlic Bread
Salad
Oreo Cheesecake Bites

Sunday  
Dinner with Family

What's on your menu this week?  Link up with us or leave in the comments!! 

Check out our menu plan on Menu Plan Monday!

French Vanilla Coffee Creamer Recipe

There is nothing better than a good cup of coffee in the morning to start the day off right!  Especially with having kids, coffee in the morning is a must!  Without my coffee, the day just doesn't seem to get off the the right start.  I am definitely addicted to coffee with vanilla creamer!  I look forward to getting up in the mornings just so I can have coffee creamer with my coffee!  I wish I could drink my coffee black like my husband does, but I just can't.  My coffee looks more like milk when it is all said and done.  So we are definitely saving tons of money making our own homemade coffee creamer.  Plus, you can control the ingredients that go into it without worrying about all of the artificial ingredients that are in store-bought coffee creamers.  This recipe is so simple and delicious!  Hope you enjoy!!

French Vanilla Coffee Creamer Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups {fat-free} half and half
• 1 (16 ounce) sweetened condensed milk - I use fat free
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla

Directions  

1. Add all ingredients to jar, carafe, or any airtight container with lid.  Shake well.
2. Store in airtight container in fridge for up to 2 weeks.
3. Have a great morning!!
 

 

Our Fun Friday Activities for Today!

Hope everyone had a good 4th of July!  We kept cool and busy!  Because of the holiday, Fun Friday got here fast!  Which means it is almost the weekend... yea!!!  Here is what we will be doing today to keep busy:

1. Magic Paint Posters - I picked up a few of these on clearance a few weeks ago at Michael's.  They are really fun and easy!  All you need is water and something to paint with... the paint is right on the paper, so all your child needs to do is wet their paint brush, swirl it in paint, and paint the picture. We have used a paint brush in the past, but I think we will experiment with cotton balls and Q-tips today!


2.  Hula Hoops - My sister just got us a new hula hoop!  This should be good for burning extra energy!  It is definitely not as easy as it used to be!  Today we are going to try to learn how to "jump rope" with a hula hoop. 

3.  Obstacle Course - This is so fun and versatile because you can use whatever is laying around your house for this!  You can set up pillows on the floor to jump over, drape blankets over coffee tables to crawl under, and even use hula hoops to jump through!  Have your child perform a series of activities such as:

• Jump over 3 pillows
• Do 1 sommersault
• Crawl through the blanket tunnel
• Jump in the middle of a hula hoop without touching it
• Run and touch the door 
• (Repeat entire series 3 times)

Feel free to change it up according to what you have on hand and/or your child's skill level.  


What will you be doing today on Fun Friday?  We would love to hear your ideas in the comments!

Busy Mom's Monday Menu Plan 7/2 {with link up}

Read More about our Busy Mom's Menu Plans Here!

Monday  

(Prepare in the morning in crock pot)

Heart Healthy Spaghetti Sauce (from freezer)

Whole grain pasta
Salad
Breadsticks

Tuesday  

(Dinner in under 30 minutes!)
Chicken and Veggie Chinese Chicken with Pineapples
Whole grain minute rice

Wednesday 

(4th of July Cookout!!)
Hamburgers and Hotdogs
Corn on the Cob
Chips
Fruit
Berry Cheesecake Pie

Thursday

(Prepare ahead of time)
Ritzy Chicken
Incredibly Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Corn on the cob
Fruit
Rolls

Friday 

(Quick dinner in under 20 minutes)
Pizza Quesidillas

Fruit Bar - Eat any leftover fruit from fridge

Saturday  

(Stock your freezer)
Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes - make double batch
Salad
Fresh Bread

Sunday  
Dinner with Family

What's on your menu this week?  Link up with us or leave in the comments!! 

Link up with us to share some yummy recipes!!!

To link up:

1. Please mention that you are linking up with us or grab our button! (on the left panel)
   

Check out our menu plan on Menu Plan Mondays hosted by the Organizing Junkie,

and On The Menu Monday hosted by Stone Gable