A Jedi Birthday - Part I and Part II

My Star Wars fanatic turned 9 and of course had dreams as big as the galaxy about what we could do to celebrate. In the end, we had two simple parties - one for family and one for school friends. I referred to them as Episode I and Episode II. Time and money were at a premium, but the end results were simple, fun, and well enjoyed by my young jedi.

Birthday Party EPISODE I - Family
MENU- Taco Bar with seasoned ground turkey, sauteed peppers, corn, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, salsa, tortilla chips
CAKE- Green light saber cupcakes & vanilla ice cream
DECORATION - black plastic table cloth (dollar store) using a white paint pen to draw a galaxy on, birthday boy's spot with labelled for Jedi Ryan, Lego Star Wars creations & figures

Birthday Party EPISODE II - School Friends
MENU- Pizza, Yoda Soda (label around a green bottle of soda or juice box), baby carrots & celery
CAKE- Blue light saber cupcakes & vanilla ice cream
DECORATION - black plastic table cloth (dollar store) using a white paint pen to draw a galaxy on, each child's spot with labelled for each Jedi (their names), Lego Star Wars creations & figures
PARTY BAGS - found little Lego Star Wars kits on clearance a month ago and stashed them away. Bags were tied together with a glow stick light saber with a character picture threaded on it
ACTIVITIES - outdoor light saber/blaster battles, glow in the dark light saber battle,balloon light sable battles, general chaos

A little bit of electrical tape around the bracelet connector was a quick job and so much fun for the boys Okay, it was fun for too. I saved the two pink ones in the pack for the "Mom Sabers" and broke them out when the boys were getting a bit out of control. That way I was int he middle of it and could keep an eye on things. I may or may not have added to the chaos and my husband may or may not have made me stop before the other parents showed up to pick up their kids.

I took balloons for making animals and wrapped duct tape around the end to make a saber handle. This was chaos, but my living room and all the kids survived. Lots of laughter involved. The kids each took one home with them.

It doesn't get easier than a light saber cupcake spread. Covered a paper towel roll with tin foil and electrical tape and lined up colorful cupcakes. Super easy to slide in a gluten-free cupcake and everyone else gets a regular one.

Limeade

So my son found a bottle of lime juice in the refrigerator and wanted to drink it straight. He should be thankful that I convinced him to wait.

He loves citrus drink (lemonade in particular) so I figured he'd love Limeade. He did. I found a great idea online about making a concentrate so you can make it as you go. This is going to save a whole lot of time.

Limeade (makes 3 cups)
1 c Limeade concentrate
2 c Water

Limeade Concentrate
1 c Lime juice (6-8 limes)
mixed with simple syrup
   - 1 3/4 c  Sugar 
   - 1 3/4 c Water

CONCENTRATE - Heat water and sugar until all the sugar dissolves. Add juice and allow to cool (or pour over ice when mixing the Limeade). 

LIMEADE - Add a ratio of water to concentrate (over ice if hot) and allow to chill. Serve cold.

Ice Tea Slushies

On a hot summer day it is really hard to beat the taste of an icee/slurpee/slushie (whichever term you use for a blended ice drink). However, I am not a fan of the super sweet/artificially colored and flavored syrups from which the are made. I've made lemonade slushies before with good results from the kids, but I thought I'd make one from one of my own summer time favorites - lemon sweet tea.

Can I just tell you that sweet tea is a weakness for me? I know the vast amount of calories that they can contain, so I usually make my own to try to control the calorie count - which is better but not great. So this slushie idea is great because I get the volume without sacrificing flavor, and the taste without all the calories. Win-win.

I started with about 2 c of ice in a blender and poured in 1 1/2 cups of tea (pick your favorite brew). I blended until it reached the right consistency (about 90 seconds on mine). I did end up adding a bit more tea to get it right, but that was more for the sake of my cheap blender than it was for the drink.

I filled a large sports bottle with me and hit the road (hence no picture - I'll try next time). It lasted far longer than an actual tea would because my mouth could only handle so much cold before needing a break. The slushie lasted the road trip to bring a meal to a friend recovering from surgery and made it for a nice summer drive.

This one is DEFINITELY going in the stack to make again. Now if I could justify a better blender...

Strawberry Mango Smoothie

Ooooooo, another yummy smoothie favorite. It added a bit of tropical hope to the long, cold days of winter. The flavors just invoke thoughts of warms and sun. It's been a LONG and COLD winter so I'll take any piece of warm happiness that I can get.

2 c Frozen Strawberries

1 Mango

1/2-1 c Orange Juice (or Apple Juice)

1-2 T Strawberry Jam (to taste if strawberries are a bit tart)

Protein Powder (optional)

Throw it all in the blender and let it rip. Love this for a snack.Maybe I should get some of those little umbrellas for my smoothies and have a little tropical party? Nah, last time we had the umbrellas my boys used them as spears against each other.

What's your favorite smoothie combination?

25 Tips of Christmas - Day #24:

Need a quick punch? Mix Ginger Ale with your favorite fruit juice and add some frozen berries as ice and melts into flavor. My fav? Equal part of white grape juice, ginger ale, sprite, with a few frozen red raspberries.

Fruit Smoothies

This is a old picture from my early endeavors making smoothies. Since then I've learned how bad those smoothies were compared to how good they are now. Oh, I'm also on a different blender thanks to the "help" of little hand in the kitchen dropping it all over the kitchen floor. Note to self: Don't let him hold on to the blender top.

We make these a lot because it's a great balanced breakfast on-the-go with both carbs & protein. It travels with you in a hurry. Make what you like and it can be gluten-free, dairy-free, or whatever you want it to be.

Here's a bit of a process to help you make up your mind about what you exactly want to drink.

1. Decide what texture you want - smooth & creamy or slushy & icy
2. What fruit and/or veggies do you want to use - yes I said veggies. I was a skeptic too, but fresh spinach is really nice in a smoothie
   
3. Liquid, if you are using frozen fruit/veggies than you'll need a liquid to thin it out
4. Patience, the longer you blend the smoother it gets - if you like bits, cut it a bit short.
5. How sweet - if the fruit isn't in season, you might want to combine with a sweeter fruit or add a bit of sweetness (honey, jam, juice/nectar
6. To add protein powder or other additives
   

Slushy - I like mine with little bits of fruit

• Fruit/Veggies - berries, peaches, melons, carrot puree, etc
• Juice/Water/non-dairy liquid

Smoothie - I like mine really smooth

• Fruit/Veggies - berries, bananas, mango, carrot, spinach, peaches, etc
  
• Yogurt or Milk
• Protein Powder
• Juice/Milk/Water

My current favorite is strawberry/blueberry smoothies with yogurt, juice, and protein powder.

I'm looking for new ideas. What's your favorite combination?

Favorite Chai

I love chai tea and wish that I could get one from the coffee shop anytime I wish, but that's not financially a wise decision. However, I've found the best possible alternative. In my pursuits to eat healthier, I've found Almond milk. I'm not fond of the flavor for drinking plain, but let me tell you, combined with the chai mix, it's divine. The hint of almond flavor and the spice in the chai is a wonderful combination. It would only be made better with steamed milk rather than just regular warm milk.

Right now there are tons of coupons and specials being run on almond milk (from several different brands). Makes an inexpensive time to try it out.

Total Cost: (per serving) $.30
Chai Mix $.10 (Cheep Foods)
Almond Milk $.20 (Target)

Homemade Lemonade

"Making lenenade, making lenenade, in sunshine or in rain, we're making lenen-ade-ade-ade..." That's what my 3-year-old sings as we make his favorite treat -- homemade lemonade. We make it 1-3 times a week. He likes it that much...


So this is really all about the balance of flavors, and it's hard to say exactly what it's gonna be. It all depends on the flavor of the lemons you have. Some are super sour, some have a rich flavor, some are old/bland. This is my best guess. My secret weapon? If it isn't "lemony" enough, I add a bit of lemon extract.

2 1/2 lemons, squeezed
1/2 - 2/3 c Sugar
2 qt water, divided
Ice

Heat 1 1/2 c water just shy of boiling. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Add ice to pitcher and pour sugar water (a.k.a. simple syrup) over ice to chill. Juice lemons and add to pitcher. Fill with cold water and stir. Adjust to taste - more sugar, lemon, lemon extract, or water.

Total Costs: $1.42
Lemons $1.17 (Cashwise)
Sugar $.25 (Sunmart)

Note: It won't have the yellow color that a powder lemonade mix has so don't think that something is wrong.

Hot Almond & Cream Drink

Found this amazing drink in Southern Living magazine. Served this last Christmas and it was a huge hit. Make this one for a crowd, because you don't want to drink it all yourself. A quick look at the ingredient list will confirm the reason why you don't want to do that... even though you'll want to.

1 c Butter
1 c Sugar
1 c Brown Sugar, packed
2 c Vanilla Ice Cream, softened
2 tsp Almond Extract
Ground Nutmeg
Boiling Water

In a saucepan over low heat, cook and stir butte and sugars for 12-15 minutes or until butter is melted. Pour into a large mixing bowl, add ice cream and extract. Beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until smooth, scraping the bowl often.

To make one serving: Spoon 1/4 c mix into a mug, add 3/4 c boiling water and stir well. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve immediately.

TOTAL COSTS: $2.55
Butter $1.00 (Aldi)
Sugar $.25 (Aldi)
Brown Sugar $.35 (Aldi)
Ice Cream $1.00 (Meijer)
Extract - from stock

Hot Mint Malt

Recipe from: Mable Hoffman’s Crockery Cookery
My sister-in-law Jenny made this for Christmas several years ago and I was hooked. I've made it several times since then for Christmas parties with rave reviews. This post is Kate who thinks about it every Christmas. Easy to make ahead for a large group.

3-4 York Mints ( 1 1/2 diameter)
5 c Milk
1/2 c Malted milk powder
1 t Vanilla
Whipped cream & crushed candy cane (garnish)

In crock pot, combine broken up mints, milk, malt powder and vanilla. Cover and heat on low for 2 hours. Beat with blender of mixer until frothy. Top with whipped cream and peppermint as desired. Serves 6

TOTAL COSTS: $1.85
Mints $.25 (Meijer - bulk)
Milk $.60 (Aldi)
Malt $1 (Meijer)
Vanilla from stock

Holiday Hints - Mint Chocolate Cocoa

This is a rich sweet treat that will give you a bit of a sugar high, but oh so good.

1 SERVING:
3 T Hot cocoa mix
1 c Milk
3 T Andes Mint Chips

10 SERVINGS
2 c Hot cocoa mix
8 c Milk
2 c Andes Mint Chips

Bring milk to a simmer (not a boil) and add mint chips, stirring constantly until well dissolved. Place cocoa mix into mug and add the mint milk, stir until powder mix has fully dissolved.

Tomato Cage Christmas Tree
- wire pronges of cage together and wrap artificial pine garland, lights & decorations. Works great for a small room, porch, or yard decorations.

Homemade Slushies

So I don't know why I never thought to make my own slurpee or slushie before. My boys are addicted to the sweet treat and I'm often a softy at the grocery store to keep them occupied so I can concentrate...

As a random idea the other day I threw some lemonade and ice into the blender and wa-laa! Instant slushie. It's not quite a slurpee consistency, but still good, my boys were occupied for quite a while at home. I know some of you are thinking, "duh" granadas have been around forever. Yes, I know, but I've never made them. And the virgin version of the drink is definitely frugal... and hits the spot on a hot day.

Lemondate Total Costs: $.40
Lemonade $.40
Ice - FREE

Strawberry Lemondate Total Costs: $.90
Lemondate $.40
Frozen Strawberries $.50
Ice - FREE

Variations
Lemonades - Limeade, Peach, Kiwi, Strawberry, Blackberry,
Sodas - Cola, Orange, Lemon/Lime, Cream Soda, Dr Pepper
Creamsicle - Orange & Cream Soda or OJ + Cream
Juices/Nectars - Peach, White Grape/Peach, White Grape/Raspberry, Grape, Mango, Watermelon, Berry, Lime, etc

Please give me ideas!!! What would you make?