3 Boys And A Dog

RECIPE: Oatmeal Cherry Cookies

Momof3boys — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:30:17 +0000

Please welcome Carly to 3 Boys and a Dog as she shares a yummy sounding cookie recipe. I have not made it yet, but man it sounds GREAT! ~Kelli

As someone with a serious baking addiction, I know how dangerous it can be to whip up desserts all day long and have to stare at them until other people come along. Often, portions of the dessert end up mysteriously disappearing throughout the day until the evening, when the homecoming troop complains about the picked-over offerings.

That’s why I like cookies—they’re easy to make, and they can be shut away and put out of sight so that I can focus on other things and go retrieve one when I really want a special treat. These cookies are a quick, delicious dessert that’s made with whole grains, but you’d never know it. The oats add texture to the finished treats, which are surprisingly light, and the wheat flour is virtually undetectable. The cookies are modified from a recipe available at Cooking Light," where they won first place in the magazine’s “Desserts” contest category.

INGREDIENTS

3 T. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. white whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 c. rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
6 T. unsalted butter (3/4 stick)
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. dried cherries
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 oz. very dark chocolate, chopped
3/4 c. chocolate chips
1/4 c. turbinado sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, mix the flours with the oats, baking soda, and salt. Stir briefly with a whisk.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. When it’s melted, take it off the heat and stir in the brown sugar. Add the sugar and butter to the oat mixture, and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until well combined.

Stir in the egg and vanilla, and then fold in the dried cherries, dried cranberries, and the chocolate pieces. Chill the dough in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the dough from the freezer, scatter a work surface with a light coating of flour, and coat your hands with flour. Break the dough into two pieces, and roll each piece into a log between 10 to 12 inches long.

Dip a sharp knife into water, and cut each log into 15 slices. Roll each slice into a small ball, and place the balls on two parchment-paper-lined baking sheets.

Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, and cool them until they are firm enough to move onto racks.

When the cookies are cool, melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler over low heat. Dip a corner of each cookie into the melted chocolate chips, and return the cookie to its baking sheet of parchment paper to cool and solidify. If the warm chocolate begins to harden in the saucepan, return it to heat for a few moments. After you have dipped all the cookies in the melted chocolate, sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the chocolate portions.

Refrigerate the cookies for 20 minutes or until they are firm.

This post was contributed by Carly Schuna, who writes about Halloween costumes over at StarCostumes.com.

I Am As Nervous As A Long-tailed Cat In A Room Full Of Rocking Chairs!

Momof3boys — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:11:24 +0000

I try to steer clear of my southern speech on my blog… after all, I want people to understand what I am saying. But, since this post is a bit about me being just a small-town, country girl, I figured I better stick bits of my language in.

I am going out of town again. First, I leave at the crack-of-dawn on Thursday morning for Los Angeles! I will be attending the International Exchange Coordinator’s Regional Meeting for EF Foundation.

Then, comes the best part (and the reason I am so nervous)… I will be flying straight from LA and arriving in Chicago Sunday night to attend the International Home and Housewares Show all day Monday!

I am so nervous about representing my blog (and bloggers in general) at this HUGE trade show. Also, I have NEVER done a thing on my own. Remember when I was talking about Blissdom, I said I was doing it on my own? Ok, it wasn’t 100% on my own. This is! This small-town girl is terrified of going to the BIG CITY of Chicago!

I want to thank Hoover for inviting me to attend and paying for my transportation and accommodations! BTW, don’t you want their SteamVac SpinScrub Pet? Yeah, me too!

Wish me luck, I am super excited about this awesome opportunity! I can’t wait to come home and tell all of you about the awesome new products that are showcased at the Show!

WINNERS: Rainbow Brite CD Rom Sets

Momof3boys — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:52:44 +0000

I am going to keep this short and sweet since I have so many people to contact. LOL!

1. #27 – Vickie Couturier

I follow you on twitter @vickiecouturier
vlbelk(at)hotmail.com

2. #2 - Colleen

My favorite childhood cartoon was My Little Pony

inman@mobap.edu

3. #49 - Kristina

I loved Smurfs, but who doesn’t love those little blue creatures

4. #20 - shannon flora

tweeted
http://twitter.com/shannon717717/status/9680651556

thanks.,shannon
shannpf1977@yahoo.com

5. #43 – karen M

Follower you on twitter

6. #32 – Terri S.

follower via google friends
vinter at warwick dot net

7. #1 – The Crazy Mom

I liked Casper the friendly ghost!

8. #36 - Marj M.

Your button is posted on my sidebar:
http://driftalongattumbleweedacres.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much, all winners have been notified. Also, don’t forget to check out my current contests!

I am a Tropicana Juicy Insider Ambassador!

Momof3boys — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:59:42 +0000

That’s it right! I am moving on up in the world. LOL!

My boys LOVE orange juice and there is only one kind I will buy. Can anyone guess what brand that is? Anyone? White shirt in the back! Tropicana? Correct! Seriously, we LOVE Tropicana at the Miller household, so I was so excited to be chosen to be a Tropicana Juicy Ambassador.

What does it mean for me?

I get to share amazing information with my readers. I get bonus points to use in the Juicy Rewards program. Also, I get to let the world know that I am a Tropicana Orange Juice fan!

What does it mean for you?

As a 3 Boys and a Dog reader, you get exclusive insights into the the Juicy Rewards program. Excited yet?

Go to the Juicy Rewards Page, sign up, then enter the following code to get your very first point: MOMCE-NTRAL. Then, go fan them on FaceBook for another point. Tropicana on FaceBook. Finally, take the survey for a third point. How hard is that? (don’t forget the MEMCE-NTRAL and FaceBook points are for new accounts only and must be done within 6 hours of setting up your account.)

While you are there, don’t forget to sign up for their Harrah’s sweepstakes!

So, what do points get you?

You can get many things (which I will be talking about as time goes on). For example, 1 point can get me: $5 Off one dozen TP BLACK Golf Balls in my area!

Ahh, so now you want more points?

This, too, is very easy! Just purchase any Tropicana, Tropicana Pure Premium, and Tropicana Trop50 products featuring the Tropicana Juicy Rewards Logo. (seen on the right) The products that feature the logo will have a 10 character code under the cap or on the packaging. Just go back to the Tropicana Juicy Rewards page, login, and enter your code. The points will be automatically credited to your account.

Don’t forget to follow Tropicana on Twitter, also! You just never know what type of info they are going to give you there!

DISCLAIMER: I wrote this review while participating in the Tropicana Juicy Insiders Ambassador program by Mom Central on behalf of Tropicana. I received 12 free Juicy Rewards points and a $50 Visa gift card to use in redemption of the points and to facilitate my review.”

Over 250 Free Advanced Coloring Pages

Momof3boys — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:02:00 +0000

Color Pages for Moms!
Who said coloring is just for kids?
Get more than 250 Free Advanced Coloring Pages
The perfect way to relax, relieve stress & be creative:
www.colorpagesformom.com

These pages are great for art classes in your homeschool, too!

Blogging Basics: 5 Quick Steps!

Momof3boys — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:00:00 +0000

This week’s Blogging Basics is a bit different. I had a goal during February to get some guest posts out there. I didn’t make a specific goal number, but I knew that I HAD to get some guest posts done. I offered myself up on My Blog Guest, Blogger Link Up, and Twitter. I had so many that I will be writing some posts for March, too! YAY! LOL!

Anyway, Crystal is a dear sweet friend of mine that is working very hard to grow her blog Crystal and Company and she gave me the opportunity to guest post on her blog. Go check it out and show both of us some love!

5 Quick Steps to Optimization at Crystal and Company!

Blogger Appreciation Day – February 2010

Momof3boys — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:25:01 +0000

Seems like just yesterday that I wrote my “Thank You Note” to my top referrers for January.

Blogger Appreciation Day will happen EVERY month. I will be thanking the Top Ten Referrers to my site!

What are top referrers? If you go into your Google Analytics you can find “referring sites.” Those are sites that have a link to you and people have clicked that link to come over.

Online Sweepstakes = sent me 82!
Four Crazy Children = sent me 56 visitors!
Budget Saving Mom = sent me 41 visitors!
Mama’s Laundry Talk = sent me 25 visitors!
Nifty Thrifty Homemaker = sent me 23 visitors!
Skip To My Lou = sent me 13 visitors!
Musings of a Housewife = sent me 10 visitors!
Anita Martin = sent me 9 visitors!
Dimes to Vines = sent me 8 visitors
Frugal Creativity = sent me 8 visitors!

There ya’ go! Thanks again to everyone that sent visitors my way… even if it was unintentional.

Remember: I will be doing this every month! If you are interested in writing your own Monthly Thank You Post, feel free to post a link in the comments. If I see lots of interest, I will add a linky to future posts!

A Teachable Moment ™ March 2010

Momof3boys — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Sometimes it is Okay to NOT Answer Your Child’s Question!

By: Dr. Susan Bartell

I recently received a distraught call:

“My daughter wants to know if the Easter Bunny is real. I don’t want to lie, but I don’t want to spoil her fun.”

Parents confront the dilemma of how much ‘truth’ to divulge with questions at every stage of development: “Do you promise you’ll never die?”; “Did you drink smoke when you were a kid?”; “Am I fat?”

You might be surprised to learn that there are no clear-cut answers. Despite the fact that being truthful with your child is important, there are times when not being fully honest is a better idea.

There are two main reasons that honesty isn’t always the best policy. The first is that knowing the truth about a topic can sometimes be more emotionally harmful for a child than not knowing (ex: the real reason for divorce is due to serious infidelity). The second is that a child may not be emotionally ready to learn a truth (ex: particular holiday traditions like the one above).

There is no ‘right’ age at which a child should know the truth about any subject. In fact, when interviewing hundreds of parents for my book series, The Top 50 Questions Kids Ask, I discovered that some questions asked by five-year olds are asked by ten-year olds—each child is different, even in one family!

So, how do you know when to be honest and when to stretch the truth? I offer you a simple formula: Ask yourself the following two ‘test questions’. If your answer to both is ‘yes’, you should answer truthfully. If your answer to either one is ‘no’ or ‘I’m not sure’, I recommend stretching the truth, perhaps only temporarily until your child is older:

Will answering the question truthfully definitely be emotionally beneficial to your child?
Do you think your child really wants to know the true answer?

It may take time and sometimes consultation with a parenting psychologist or counselor to fully answer these two questions, but don’t feel compelled to respond to your child’s question until you are satisfied that you understand the impact of your response.

Here’s a question to illustrate:

Eight-year old Emily asked her mom, Lisa: “Am I fat?” Before responding, Lisa thought about the two test questions. She was concerned that Emily (who was overweight) would be very upset if she responded by simply saying “Yes, Emily, you are fat.” She also wasn’t sure that Emily was really ready to hear the truth. Yet, Lisa saw Emily’s question as an opportunity to begin a conversation about Emily’s weight, so she responded as follows:

“Emily, I’m glad you asked that question because it means you’re thinking about your health. Compared to some other kids your age you probably are a bit heavier. I bet if we start to make some changes as a family—to eat healthier and exercise—you will start feeling better about your body.”

Each time your child asks a challenging question—ask yourself the test questions. You will soon see that responding to your child in a way that meets his or her emotional needs is far more important than just giving a straight answer!

Dr. Susan Bartell is America’s #1 Family Psychologist. Her latest book is The Top 50 Questions That Kids Ask. You can learn more about her on her website at www.drsusanbartell.com

Menu Plan Monday: Minute Rice Review and Giveaway

Momof3boys — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:08:44 +0000

Can you believe it is already March? I have been out of town so much, that I am not prepared to write this menu plan Monday post. But, I have put off the Minute Rice review and my Menu plan long enough. So, for Tackle it Tuesday, I am knocking out 2 birds with one stone.

Monday: Pork Tenderloin and Ranch Mashed Potatoes

Tuesday: Italian Meatloaf and Broccoli Casserole (if I can find a good recipe).

Wednesday: Tex-Mex Bake (new! From Minute Rice cookbook)

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Out To Eat

I have been loving my package from Minute Rice! The other day, I took one boneless, skinless chicken tenderloin. I cut it into bite sized pieces and stir-fried it. Then, I added a bit of teriyaki sauce. In the meantime, I took a cup of MINUTE Ready to Serve Yellow Rice Mix and cooked it in the microwave. I mixed the two together and had a great (and super quick) lunch! YUM!

Minute Rice entered American homes during the same decade as the first color television set and the Hula Hoop and ever since has been a pantry staple helping consumers make healthy meals quickly. Minute Rice knows sitting down for a family meal is just as nutritious for the soul as it is for the body – making the brand’s constant goal to help busy cooks spend less time in the kitchen and more time around the table with loved ones.

Would you like to win the above pictured Minute Rice care package? Minute Rice has offered to give Gift Sets to FIVE winners, you could be one of them.

REQUIRED: Tell me the hardest thing about dinner time (for you, of course).

BONUS #1: Sign up for the Minute Rice Riceipe Club.

Other bonus entries:

#1. Spread the word about this review by: email, forums, blogging, twitter, Digg, or putting the link in a meme. (one entry per thing done)

#2. Follow my blog.

#3. Subscribe to my RSS feed.

#4. Follow me on Twitter

#5. Fave me on technorati

#6. Put my button on your blog.

#7. Leave a comment on any other post (excluding giveaways!)

DISCLAIMER - *Minute Rice provided the above (pictured) pack for my review and will provide 5 more for winners. I was not paid and any stated opinions are strictly my own.*

*This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at Organized Junkie and Tackle it Tuesdays at 5 Minutes for Mom.*

Quit Whining and Get Rid of It!

Momof3boys — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Look, I know that I am just as guilty of being a whiner when it comes to housework, but honestly we need to just break down and DO IT!

Do You Hate To Do Laundry?

Yeah, me too! Figure out why you hate it so much. Honestly, how hard is it to stick a load of clothes in the washer, move them to the dryer, and spend a few minutes putting them away? For me, it is MAJORLY difficult. Why? Because we honestly have entirely too many clothes for our small closets. I want to keep griping about the size of our closets, but we don’t even wear the mess in them! We wear the clothes that stay in the laundry room. It would make more sense to get rid of the stuff in the closets and put the things we actually wear into them. Right? I own 9 pair of jeans… do you know how many of them fit me? One… yes, ONE!

What about you? Are you honestly going to wear your prom dress again? When your daughter gets old enough (in my case, I don’t even HAVE a daughter) it won’t be in style anyway. Spring is coming… clean out your closets and have a yard sale. Call the Mission of Hope (or similar place in your area) and set up a time for them to come to your house (on the day of the yard sale) to take anything not sold. They will load it up and it will be GONE.

What is the best way?

Chances are, if you are reading this, you have hit a majorly low point (like I have as I write this). You have literally piles of laundry all over your house. You want to sweep and mop, but it is really difficult with all the overflowing laundry baskets. Trust me, I know exactly how you feel… here is a corner of my kitchen. Don’t believe me? Compare the dog in the picture with the dog in my header. Yep, MY HOUSE!

Now is the perfect time to clean out your closets and dressers.

I have a bunch of really nice outfits from when I was an administrative assistant, but aside from the fact that I now wear sweat pants most days… they don’t fit me. Why am I holding on to them? Some of them are in great shape and I am planning to put them in a box in the top of the closet labeled “Nice Clothes, Size Four, Feb 2010”. That way, if in 6 months if I haven’t touched the box, I can get rid of it. Six month from now will be August, the perfect time for a “back to school” yard sale.

Once you get your closets cleaned out, it will be much easier to put the clean laundry away. Plus, as you are putting away be sure to decide if it only got washed because it was on the floor or if you actually wear it. If you don’t wear it, toss it in a yard sale box.

Remember, you are not alone! I am tackling my cleaning, too. In fact, you can join us in the Cleaning Game to help you get your housework tackled!