Save the Tatas, Win a Pretty in Pink Quilt

When I first saw this amazing quilt by Heather Jones of Olive and Ollie I fell in love instantly. I contacted Heather and asked her if she would be willing to create something similar to raffle off to help me raise funds for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3 Day. Heather graciously accepted the challenge and has completely outdone herself.

See I told you so!

Isn't the detail just amazing?

And here are some views of the back

If you would like a chance to win Heather's quilt all you have to do is donate $10 to my 3 Day Account and comment below letting me know that you have done so. For each $10 you donate you get 1 raffle ticket for a chance to win a quilt. The raffle will end on 7/21/11 at midnight PST. The winner will be chosen at random and posted on 7/22/11. If I can get one of my children to participate the winner will be chosen via video drawing, if not I will use random.org, so either way it will be completely random!

You all must get over to Heather's Etsy shop and check out all the amazing handmade children's items she has in store! I want one of everything!

It would also be greatly appreciated if you could blog/twitter/facebook about the raffle to help raise funds to save the tatas!!

It's a Bird, It's a plane, it's SUPER boy!

This morning my 3 year old walked up to me with a placemat the rolls up and ties around his neck as a "cape", so what did I do?? I went and made him a real cape of course. Being as that I lost my job a few weeks ago I have extra time to do these things for my kiddos and I LOVE it! I had some Riley Blake fat quarters laying around that I purchased because I loved and never had time to use. Then for the pattern I just kinda winged it. I even made my own bias tape without any directions, other than what my bestie had described to me a while back. So here is the end result!

My first time at applique, and while it is not perfect I think it turned out ok.

Here it is showing the back side too, so it is reversible!!


And after all that I had to bribe the boy to put it on, he decided he doesn't like the Orange "J" goof ball. I am sure he will want to wear it soon though, he is fickle like that.

Gluten Free Friday - Mixed Berry Crisp

I decided this week I would do a gluten free dessert because hey, who doesn't like a good treat once in awhile. My mom used to make us Apple Crisp and Blackberry Crisp all the time growing up and I enjoy making it for my kids too.

Mixed Berry Crisp

(Picture coming soon, it's in the oven)

Ingredients

Topping:

2 cups Gluten Free Rolled Oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 stick of butter

1 TBS cinnamon

Filling

4-5 cups frozen mixed berries, I used a combo of raspberries, blueberries and marion berries from Costco

2 TBS gluten free all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar (optional)

Combine the topping ingredients in a bowl cutting in the butter until it is in very small chunks.

Mix berries with flour and sugar and pour into baking dish. I used a deep round dish for mine. Cover with topping and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

I now invite you to link up one of your families favorite gluten free recipes. And please remember to use my button on the bottom of your post so that others can link up as well.

<center><a href="http://www.mommieof4munchkins.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n112/ljaecocker/glutenfreefridaybutton.jpg" /></a></center>

Click below to link up!

Gluten Free Friday - Enchilada Stack

A common food we eat here at our house is Chicken Enchiladas, but when I went gluten free flour tortillas were out of the question. I decided to come up with another way to enjoy one of my favorite foods.

Enchilada Stack

Ingredients

2 cups shredded chicken breast (cooked of course)

1 boxes Pacific Natural Foods Cream of Mushroom Soup (2 pictured only 1 used)

1 jar diced green chilis (not pictured)

1/2 cup sour cream

3 cups crushed Mission Tortilla Chips

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (not pictured)

Combine chicken, mushroom soup, green chilis and sour cream in a mixing bowl. Put one layer of crushed chips in the bottom of a deep pie plate or 9X9 pan, cover with chicken mixture and layer of cheddar cheese. Continue layering in this manner until all of your ingredients are used. I try to do 3 layers.




Bake at 350 for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Enjoy!

I now invite you to link up one of your families favorite gluten free recipes. And please remember to use my button on the bottom of your post so that others can link up as well.

<center><a href="http://www.mommieof4munchkins.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n112/ljaecocker/glutenfreefridaybutton.jpg" /></a></center>

Click below to link up!

Momma Said Monday - Clean Your Microwave

This weeks tip:

How to Clean Your Microwave in Under 10 Minutes

I will be the first to admit I am not the best housekeeper and I did not inherit the love of cleaning from my mom, maybe because she loved it so she just did it. But when I moved out of the house at a young 19, she taught me tons of stuff about cleaning and many many shortcuts. One of my favorites is how to clean the microwave without it taking hours of chipping and scrapping.

First fill a bowl with 1 part vinegar and 2 parts water. Place bowl in the microwave for 3 minutes on high. Remove microwave tray and any other not permanent parts and wipe clean. Continue to wipe clean the inside of the microwave with ease. If there is anything giving you trouble, which happens rarely, just put the bowl back in for another three minutes to loosen things up again!

So do you have any cleaning tips? Grab my button and link away!

<center><a href="http://www.mommieof4munchkins.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n112/ljaecocker/MommaSaidButton.jpg" /></a></center>

Gluten Free Friday - Chicken Noodle Soup

Another one of my all time favorite foods is good ole' chicken noodle soup, so I came up with a gluten free version that I LOVE.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

4 chicken breast chopped into small pieces and cooked throughly.

2 boxes Pacific Natural Foods Organic Chicken Broth

4 carrots

4 celery stalks

1 large onion

3 cups broccoli chopped

4 cloves garlic minced

1 box Ancient Harvest Quinoa Organic Gluten Free Pasta Elbows

salt and peper to taste

Chop up all the fresh vegetables and place in stalk pot and saute with olive oil. Once tender add chicken brother and bring to a boil. Add Pasta and boil for an additional 9 minutes. When there is 4 mins left of boiling time add chicken to heat through. We sometimes add frozen peas at the very end to cool it down for eating and they are tasty too!

Enjoy!

I now invite you to link up one of your families favorite gluten free recipes. And please remember to use my button on the bottom of your post so that others can link up as well.

<center><a href="http://www.mommieof4munchkins.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n112/ljaecocker/glutenfreefridaybutton.jpg" /></a></center>

My Momma Said Monday's

The day after Christmas 2006 my world was rocked to it's core and changed forever. I got the call well before anyone else was awake in my house, my Momma, my best friend was gone from this earth. I think about her ALL. THE. TIME. Not a day goes by when I don't think of her at least once, remembering something we did together, talked about or shared. When I look at my hands as they type or craft, I see her's (I also see her wedding band that is remarkably similar to my own). When I sit at the sewing machine to sew, it is her machine, that still smells like her.

Lately I have been thinking about her a lot, probably not more often then before but something about these thoughts lately have made me want to get them down on paper. I am constantly remembering her advise about cooking, sewing, and just life in general and I want to remember these things forever. So I came up with the idea for My Momma Said Monday's. Each week I will share one of My Momma's tips with you my readers! She was full of amazing, yet simple advise. Not all of it will be earth shattering, some you may already know, but for me the combination of them all has helped me get through life!

I would also love for you all to share your tips from your momma, or grandma or aunts with your readers and link back here so we can all learn together!

This weeks tip:

How to keep celery from going bad!

I am terrible about buying vegetables only to let them go bad before using them, part of this is they get put in the wrong drawer or they are in the garage fridge (out of sight, out of mind). About 8 years ago my mom was up visiting us in Bremerton, WA and told me that all I had to do to keep celery crisp was to simply wrap it in tin foil before placing it in the fridge, that's it, easy peasy. I have done so ever since, of course except when I forget, or when the kids put it away. But seriously this WORKS and works well!

So what tips do you have to share? Please put my button on the bottom of your post if you chose to link up! I can't wait to read all the cool tips.

<center><a href="http://www.mommieof4munchkins.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n112/ljaecocker/MommaSaidButton.jpg" /></a></center>