Pop Art Pixies

For a portion of this week my 3 oldest girls are visiting friends in Knoxville. For 4 days there will be lots of chatting, laughter, crafting, cooking and even a little schooling taking place in the Rivera home. Yesterday the girls worked on projects available from Pop Art Pixies. You can see pictures of the completed projects and all the girls at Raising Olives.

(I'm writing this post to enter a give away offered by Pop Art Pixies, however I have a feeling that even if I don't win, I may be buying some anyway. :-) )

Photo Card

Picture Tree Christmas

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Lilla Rose

With 4 girls, we go through a lot of hair accessories. Our new favorites are products from Lilla Rose. You can read more about their beautiful products at Raising Olives and enter to win 2 pieces.

Frog Eye Salad

Today Kimberly at Raising Olives and the other 3 moms are sharing picnic recipes. The timing is perfect as we will be attending our FAVORITE annual picnic on Monday. It just so happens to be hosted by Kimberly's parents.

This recipe for Frog Eye Salad was given to me by a friend at church. It used to be her signature dish. She and her family have since moved away and it is now one of my signature dishes. I never bring any home (and it makes A LOT)


Frog Eye Salad

1. Pound package of acini de pepe pasta, cooked and drained

2. In a medium saucepan mix the following into a smooth paste.
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 t salt
2 T flour

3. Add juice reserved from 2 cans of pineapple. Cook until thick.

4. Pour mixture over pasta and add 1 bag mini marshmallows. Stir until marshmallows melt. Refrigerate overnight. Mixture will be soupy when you put it in the frig. It will be a solid mass the next day.

5. Stir in 1 x-large container of Cool Whip breaking up the solid mass. Add the following drained fruits.
1 can crushed pineapple
2 cans pineapple tidbits
2 cans madarin oranges

6. Add a variety of soft fresh fruits. I always add halved grapes and kiwi. I also use berries in season.

Motherhood as a Mission Field

Motherhood as a Mission Field

Just grilling...

Grilling season has returned!!!! I love food cooked on the grill. I also love the fact that I don't have to do all the cooking (since my husband is our grill chef). I have been known to have my dear husband grilling in the rain and even when our deck was covered with snow! A couple of years ago he finally said no more grilling from November through February. Well now it is March, today's weather is beautiful and our previous dinner plans with another family just fell through. (***Note**** This post was written last Friday when it was nice and sunny. We've had rain almost every day since AND it could snow tonight!)What better time to pull out my family's favorite grill recipe... especially one that is super easy to make and clean up?

I've written before about the "joys" of finding food all 10 people in my family enjoy. Most of us enjoy Tex-Mex and other highly seasoned foods. A few of my children do not. They probably wish they had been born into a different family on some occasions. They do eat whatever is served, but it makes me much happier to see them all eating and actually enjoying their food.

Fajitas made with grilled chicken is tops on the list of everyone in our family. Some of the children even request it for their birthday meal. Today I'm sharing my recipe for the fajita marinade as well as the Black Bean Salsa we usually serve with it.

Fajita Marinade

1/2 c olive oil

1/3 c lime juice

1/4c red wine vinegar

1 t sugar

1 t oregano

1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1/4 t cumin

1/3c chopped onion

Combine all ingredients and place in a zip top bag. Add chicken or beef and seal bag. Marinate for several hours. (the longer the better) Grill meat and slice. Serve with flour tortillas, sour cream, cheese, salsa, lettuce, sauteed onions and peppers, etc.

I have children who won't touch a pepper with a 10 foot pole but who devour this salsa.

Black Bean Salsa

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can corn, drained

2c. finely chopped sweet pepper (I usually use a cup each of red and orange to give more color)

1/2 c finely chopped red onion (I omit)

Combine the above in a bowl.

Stir together the following:

1/2 c sour cream

1/4 c mayo

2 T red wine vinegar

1 t ground cumin

1t chili powder

1/2 t salt

1/4 t garlic powder

1/8 t pepper

Pour over vegetables and toss gently to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve. The longer it sits, the better it gets. Serve with "scoop" style tortilla chips. (This is a heavy salsa. The regular chips will break.)

Bubble pizza

This is my kids new favorite lunch. I know it's not healthy, but finding something all eight of them love is difficult.

2 pkg of canned biscuits (10 in each can)
pizza sauce
your favorite pizza toppings
mozzarella and/or cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Place all biscuit pieces in a greased 9 x 13 dish. Brown lb of ground beef or sausage. Mix with one jar of pizza sauce. Spread over biscuits. Top with pepperoni, mushrooms, etc. Cover with cheese to your liking. Bake covered for 1 hour.