Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

Great recipe for Stroganoff - TOH Magazine August/September 2010

2 lbs beef top serloin steak, cut into strips
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup water
1 envelope beef stroganoff seasoning for the slow cooker (1.5 oz)
1 lb sliced baby portobello mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
3 Tb butter
1/4 cup port wine or beef broth (I used a cab that I had on hand)
2 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp sugar
1.5 cups sour cream (12 oz)
hot cooked egg noodles

Brown meat in oil and then add water and seasoning mix, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Transfer meat and drippings to a slow cooker

In the same skillet saute mushrooms and onion in butter til tender. Combine wine, mustard and sugar and stir into mushroom mixture. Add to slow cooker; stir to combine

Cover and cook on low for 6 - 8 hours. Stir in sour cream and serve with noodles

Tweezer

According to O Magazine August 2010 the best tweezer to get is the Tweezerman Slant from tweezerman.com

Kid Fondue

1 cup fresh raspberries
A couple of bananas chopped up
1 container fresh strawberries chopped into chunks
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Put chocolate chips each into their own bowl or custard cup and microwave until melted. Dip fruit into chocolates to eat. Very fun with kids!

Rrozen Fruit Bites

12 Vanilla Wafer Cookies
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup Nuefchatel cream cheese, softened
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp honey
sliced kiwi, strawberries, or whole blueberries

place liners in mini cupcake pan. Put a wafer cookie, flat side up, in the bottom of each well.

Wisk together yogurt, cream cheese, lemon juice, and honey until smooth. Spoon heaping tablespoon on top of each cookie, then top the mixture with fruit.

Cover pan with plastic wrap, then placein freezer until the fruit bites are firm, about 1 - 1.5 hours. Remove tray from freezer 15 - 25 minutes before serving

Got idea from Family Fun, August 2010

Would need to find mini cupcake pan liners as well as neufchatel cream cheese - not sure what that cream cheese is

Creamsicle Slushy

Pour 1 1/3 cups orange juce into an ice cube tray and freeze until solid, about 3 hours.

empty tray into blender and combine with 1 Tb honey, 1 cup vanilla nonfat yogurt, and 1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate and blend until smooth. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

Got from Family Fun August 2010

Outdoor Art

Put craft paper canvases (or opened up grocery bags) on the outside of the house and then let the kids paint away!

Got idea from Family Fun, August 2010

Sandboxes

Put sandbox sand in plastic storage containers - easy storage!

Got idea from Family Fun, August 2010