Summer — MomStart

Apple Ring Cakes Recipe

February 9, 2012 By Momstart 17 Comments

By Summer:

I’ve said it before, but in case you’re new to following me, my husband loves apples. So if I cook a fruit it tends to be apples (or bananas which my sons love). This week I was thinking about onion rings and I had to test the Baby Bullet, so I got the idea to make apple rings … a sweet dessert ring using apples. You’ll notice the batter typically filled in the circle, and made the creation look more like a pancake, but never the less this dessert is delish and can be used for a breakfast, brunch, or brinner too. YUM! And kind of a fancy spin on two loved culinary items – onion rings and pancakes. PLUS, you’re getting some added fruit in your diet; BONUS!

Gather the ingredients:

Combine all of the ingredients.

Drudge apple slices though batter. Fry on griddle.

Apple Ring Cakes Recipe

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons honey
1 egg
1 cup flour – I used ½ whole wheat and half all purpose.
½ teaspoon salt
½ Tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
4 medium sized apples, skinned, cored and cut into ¼ inch slices

Directions:

1. Preheat griddle to “pancake” setting. On my gas stovetop griddle I heat it to 7 out of 10.

2. By hand with a whisk, in a blender, Magic Bullet or Baby Bullet combine all ingredients until thoroughly combined.

3. Drudge apple slices though batter. Fry on griddle. When bubble pop on surface, flip and fry other size. Both sides should be equally golden brown.

4. Remove and serve immediately OR cool on rack. Top with powdered sugar to serve. And if you’re in the mood for a caramel apple add a side for dipping.

I think having a “squirt bottle” to apply batter to the apples will earn a better ring whereas dredging my rings had a lot of batter and the holes were filled in with batter, but made for a good looking pancake.

There are other variations I’m going to try sometime … I’ll let you in on those adventures in my kitchen too! Stay posted …

About Summer:

Summer is very active in our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living while cooking up a storm.

Filed Under: recipe, Summer, Tasty Treats Tagged With: Apple Ring Cakes, Summer, Tasty Treat Thursday

Disney’s Lady and the Tramp Diamond Edition Blu-ray DVD & Digital Copy

February 7, 2012 By Momstart 4 Comments

By Summer:

We eat pasta a lot … okay, like once a week (which is a lot to me). My sons love pasta, and they have just reached the stage where they slurping up their spaghetti noodles. What could be more fun?!? And my 5YO doesn’t like sauces, so it’s not too messy. I can’t help but think of Lady and the Tramp whenever I watch my children suck spaghetti through their puckered lips. I wonder if they think of this memorable scene too?

Your children haven’t seen Lady and the Tramp? Well, Disney is releasing Lady and the Tramp from their vault today, Tuesday, February 7! This release is Disney’s “Diamond Edition” which is a Blu-Ray + DVD + Digital Copy release. You’ll want to get it as soon as you can, since the best deals on DVDs can be found on the Tuesday of their release and the remaining part of the week (through the following Saturday), but also because once these Diamond Editions are sold out Disney will again lock-up the Lady and the Tramp vault until its next release!

IN CASE YOU HAVEN’T SEEN LADY AND THE TRAMP: The story centers around a Cocker Spaniel dog named Lady. She is a privileged pup who is owned by a young couple; she is their first “baby”. The owners – “Darling” and “Jim Dear”, as they call each other – baby Lady providing her with all the luxuries a dog can have such as sleeping at the food of the bed, fireside preferences, treats, a collar with license, and daily walks. Lady’s world changes a bit as Jim Dear and Darling are expecting their first child, but nothing changes Lady’s world more than when her owners leave her and the baby with Aunt Sara for a weekend away. Aunt Sara isn’t a dog person and her two curious Siamese cats wreck the house blaming it on Lady, and then Lady’s barking earns her a muzzle and new sleeping quarters in her dog house. Luckily, she runs off and is rescued by an acquaintance and stray dog known as Tramp. SPOILER ALERT: Tramp is stricken by Lady and changes his ways as a tramp to become a family dog; not just collared and licensed with Jim Dear, Darling and baby, but with pups of his own with Lady!

My sons love Lady and the Tramp. My 2YO likes it because he’s really into animals, so a full movie about dogs is right up his alley. My 5YO likes the story, but his favorite parts are the beaver at the zoo (which is why I think Disney added a beaver to the their Winnie the Pooh cartoons) and the “Song of the Siamese Cats”.

In the Diamond Edition DVD combo packs you get the movie plus bonus features including never-before seen deleted scenes, a never-before-heard deleted song, a look inside Walt’s story meetings, Diane Disney Miller: Remembering Dad mini documentary, the making of Lady and the Tramp, The Siamese Cat Song: Finding A Voice for the Cats, and more. Purchasing the Diamond Edition also scores you and your family access to the Disney’s Second Screen feature where you can get more information about the movie and even play games using your family’s computer. (You may remember Mom Start’s experience with Second Screen from The Lion King Diamond Edition release.)

Though Lady and the Tramp isn’t my FAVORITE Disney movie, it is a classic. My whole family enjoyed watching Lady and the Tramp; even my Jack Russell Terriers go a little coo-coo for the movie with their real dog barks like when the rat is coming into the house near the end of the movie.

My Mom Start Review Grade for Disney’s Lady and the Tramp Diamond Edition DVD Combo Pack: A

Lady and the Tramp is a great addition to any person’s Disney collection. Lady and the Tramp is also one of the few popular classics without a Princess (and is pure Disney magic). Just a reminder, be sure you score a copy before Lady and the Tramp is no longer available again!

About Summer:

Filed Under: Movie review, Summer Tagged With: Disney's Lady and the Tramp Diamond Edition, Lady and the Tramp, Lady and the Tramp Blu-ray, Movie review, Summer

Putting Kuru Draft Shoes To The Test

January 29, 2012 By Momstart 6 Comments

By Summer

A mommy must haves – comfy shoes! KURU asked me to try their shoes; here’s the deal, they asked for this review last year in about November or so … but some of my products I recommend and later do an update because they weren’t as great later as they were in the beginning. So I’ve given KURU a long go. I’ve been wearing their Drafts as my house shoes which occasionally make it outside.

Here are my real thoughts and opinions about KURU’s Drafts, THOUGH KURU does offer other shoe lines like their Insight, Chicane, and Aalto Chukka lines:

KURU Drafts are breathable shoes; these are NOT rain shoes. I had first tested these in our Seattle rain as this is the time of year I received KURU Drafts for review. I do purchase specific “no rain” shoes of the dry spring and fall days and our dry summertime. Let me say though, that these shoes are warm, so don’t let breathable be confused with cold.

KURU Drafts give full support, but are also SLIP ON. Every mom (and parent) deserves KURU Drafts in their fast paced life. You need the structured support as you sprint after runaway toddlers, and slip-ons as you run out the door to make your preschool’s drop-off time. These are my two requirements for purchasing a shoe as a mom!

KURU Drafts have a reinforced big toe area. I’ve owned many other pairs of summertime shoes. Some other shoes offer simply cloth which work well and I’ve never had a problem with it, but I’ve heard of people busting their big toe through the fabric of the shoe. Some other shoes offer rubber/plastic toes which won’t let your toe bust through but they’re not breathable.

KURU Drafts wash! That’s right; I put them in the wash – yes the regular washing machine with my clothes on a regular cycle. BUT be warned I DON’T check the instructions before washing them … I like to live on the edge (HA!) … but I did it anyways. They made it through the cycle and were like new; PROMISE! I was so happy! And so you know, I had to wash them (as I have to wash all my shoes) because I have very stinky feet. Gross?!? I know sorry for the TMI; it happens to all my shoes eventually especially if I don’t wear socks.

KURU is sustainable. KURU has a Consumer Empowered Sustainability^TM program which lets the consumer choose where a portion of your purchase profits benefit one of The Four Pillars of Sustainability and Social Responsibility^TM – education, economic development, health, or environmental impact.

If you want to learn more about KURU and check them out then keep up on their website, Facebook, and on Twitter @Kuru_Footwear. You’ll be happy you did!

Sample was received.

About Summer:

Filed Under: review, Summer Tagged With: Kuru, Kuru Drift Shoes, shoe review, Summer

Teaching Children Civic Responsibility: Boomer and Halley Election Day Book Review

January 18, 2012 By Momstart 2 Comments

By Summer:

Elections are in the air. I know you MIGHT already be sick of hearing about Decision 2012, but some of us have budding political science majors who need more information. The dog and cat duo of Boomer and Halley offer you their third book about Election Day. Your child will love learning more about elections and civic responsibility.

This is our first Boomer and Halley story so we were only a little lost on their history and background, but it’s not hard to guess that they were strays taken in by a couple who can care for them properly and have room in their hearts to love this cleaver set of pets. Speaking of responsibility, that is one of the “PAWS” author Mary Jane McKittrick tries to help instill into each story in the Boomer and Halley series.

PAWS are marked with a pawprint and indicate a time to “pause”, get it? Clever little play on words! In Boomer and Halley: Election Day children will learn about honesty, forgiveness, responsibility, and pet care. Each book comes with a bookmark in the beginning which offers questions about each basic life lesson. Such as HONESTY: Why is it important to tell the truth? What happens when the mayor doesn’t tell the truth?

Boomer and Halley: Election is 49-pages long and designed for children 4-8YO. In addition to the text Boomer and Halley: Election offers a forward for the parents, “Little Lessons. Big Results.” information for parents, a bookmark with life lesson questions, continued education and activities via their website (as noted on the second to last page), and a preview of book four.

The characters, Boomer and Halley, kept my 5YO son interested, but I wish the book was split into chapters as we couldn’t read the whole book at once. There were noticeable places to stop but younger readers might not get the hint. The illustrations by Bob Ostrom are not colored in, which I think would’ve helped keep my son’s interest longer but your child (if you feel comfortable with it) could color in the illustrations. Overall I think this is a cute little, educational series.

My Mom Start Review Grade of Boomer and Halley: Election Day (Book 3):

About Summer:

Filed Under: book review, review, Summer Tagged With: book review, Boomer and Halley, Boomer and Halley Election Day Book Review, Children's book review, Summer

Twas The Night Before Mocha Recipe

December 8, 2011 By Momstart 31 Comments

By Summer:

These are a fun little cold weather dessert. I loved thinking up this idea and making them because they’re my own little not cake and not cookie … they’re a mini-“cookake” or something like that. Honestly naming isn’t my strong suit! Anyhow, these desserts were inspired by my husband who has to have his cup every day … or twice a day.

This cold weather dessert is lower in sugar and whole grain healthy using Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour. These are plain mocha, but you can “spice” them up by adding flavoring: add a teaspoon of peppermint extract the frosting and sprinkle the top with crusted candy cane, or add a teaspoon of caramel flavoring syrup to the frosting and drizzle a caramel sauce on top. Limitless variations and mocha flavoring ideas!

Twas the Night before Mocha Recipe
By Summer

Ingredients:
4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
½ cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 cups Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 large or extra-large eggs
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
8g about 1/8 cup finest ground espresso beans
You’ll Need:
Set of each measure spoons and cups
Stand Mixer with Flat Beater and Wire Whisk attachments
Double Boiler
Plastic Spatula
mini-muffin tin
frosting tube with preferred gage OR zip-top bag

1. Preheat oven to 350oF.

2. In a double boiler melt chocolate. Using your stand mixer with flat beater cream together the butter and brown sugar on speed 2, and then pour in chocolate. Combine.

3. Add one cup of Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir in stand mixer. While stirring add in an egg. When combined add another cup of Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour and continue stirring. Add second egg. Stir until completely combined.

4. Place 1 Tablespoon of chocolate mixture into each cup. Press mixture against base and walls of each cup. Cook in preheated oven for 9 minutes or until crust appears firm (not moist but not dry; do not overcook or the crust will crumble).

5. Remove from oven and allow to cool in tin for 2 minutes. Press into each crust making a crater in the center of each chocolate mini-cake. Allow to cool 5 minutes more then use your fingers to carefully grip an edge of each cup and remove all pieces for the cooking tin. Allow to cool completely.

6. In the meantime, whip together cream, powdered sugar and espresso in stand mixer with whisk attachment; work up to highest speed and maintain for 1 minute until mixture is frosting consistency.

7. Full tub or bag with frosting. Pipe into each cup. Serve or refrigerate until time to serve.

Makes 3 dozen

Filed Under: recipe, Summer Tagged With: Mocha cupcake recipe, Summer, Tasty Treat Thursday

Beauty And the Beast The Enchanted Christmas

December 3, 2011 By Momstart 5 Comments

By Summer:

In the original Disney Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite movies. In the movie however Belle and the Beast seem to develop something in the wintertime, during the “Something There That Wasn’t There Before” song. This Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas story is a “fill-in” to the original film.

The voices weren’t the same, the art didn’t seem to be the same and the colors also seemed duller to me. There are new characters introduces; there are new antagonists and the Christmas characters in this story. Children will love the five new songs I counted during the show though the credits said there were seven songs. On the bonus there are also Sing-A-Longs for your little performer.

My 4YO is too afraid of the new bad guys, but my brave little 2YO seemed to enjoy it. My mom liked it too. I however thought it was just okay though it is nice to have another addition to our young children’s movie collection.

SPOILER ALERT: I don’t understand how this movie fits into the original film. Belle and the beast learn to love each other in this film despite the schemes of one of the beast old companions (who is not in the original film) Maestro, an old pipe organ. In this film Maestro doesn’t want the beast to fall in love with Belle which I don’t understand why he doesn’t want to be human again.

I just don’t’ get it but my family seemed to find it entertaining. I don’t know if I had my hopes too high, but this Christmas version of Beauty and the Beast just wasn’t appealing to me.

This Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas is available now and only for a limited time!

My Mom Start Review Grade of Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas: C+

About Summer:

Filed Under: Movie review, Summer Tagged With: Children's DVD, Disney, Movie review, Summer

Season of Giving Day 30: From Trash To Treasure

November 30, 2011 By Momstart 5 Comments

Wow, can you believe this is the last day of November, it’s going to be a mad dash from now on as we approach Christmas. Don’t forget that you can give during this time too. You can donate time, toys money, it’s an endless list of what you can give in this Season of Giving. I hope you find someone to do something extra special for.

By Summer

Recycle Your Junk

This is my last post in November about giving. Next month I’ll be posting about going green. So today I’m combining the two months to discuss donating your unwanted treasures … or “recycling” them. This is more the philosophy: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

Just because you’re done with a clothing item, toy, gadget, or other “junk” doesn’t mean it’s not valuable to someone. Clean out your house before Christmas and consider dividing your goods to benefit local charities, which is a win-win-win. Win, you can get a tax deduction (be sure to record what you give); win, other people get new-to-them treasures; win, your stuff isn’t sitting in a landfill.

Be sure you don’t really give places JUNK! No one wants JUNK!

About Summer:

Filed Under: charity, Summer Tagged With: eco, giving, green, Summer

Season of Giving Day 29: Nature’s Path EnviroKidz Support Endangered Species

November 29, 2011 By Momstart 3 Comments

By Summer:

I love Nature’s Path Organic Foods. This should be no secret as I’ve shared with Mom Start readers Nature’s Path Organics Foods recipe s, how I love their organic healthy and ecofriendly company, and giving … which brings me to today’s Season of Giving post.

In my own home when I purchase cereal it’s Nature’s Path. My husband and I love to crunch Ancients Path in our yogurt. My kids love Nature’s Path Organic’s EnviroKidz Gorilla Munch. Nature’s Path donates 1% of the sales of EnviroKidz (their children’s line of gluten-free products) to projects that support endangered species, habitat conservation and environmental education for kids worldwide.

To date, they have raised over $1.4 million for the environment. This year, for the first time ever, they are offering grants of up to $20,000 to local charitable non-profits doing projects in communities across North America. Project submissions need to be non-profit organization that supports endangered species, habitat conservation and/or environmental education for kids. Nature’s Path EnviroKids needs Project Submissions and voters. When voting, find a project you’re passionate about that work to empower the children of today to change their present and future world and to protect endangered species and environments.

You will be responsible for local non-profits winning grants of up to $20,000 but only if you vote before the deadline of December 9^th.

All the Contest Details can be found on Facebook.

Thanks to Nature’s Path for continuing to be awesome in my book, and saving the environment.

About Summer:

Filed Under: charity, Summer Tagged With: charity, endangered Spieces, EnviroKids, giving, nature's path, season of giving, Summer

Season of Giving Day 26: Help Zoos And Aquariums

November 26, 2011 By Momstart 2 Comments

By Summer:

If you have a house of animals lovers like I do (my sons, 2YO and 4YO), give to your local zoos and aquariums. Zoo and aquariums don’t only offer entertainment but they offer animal care to creatures both domestic and foreign. Ways to give to your zoo or aquarium include:

· Attendance – GO! GO! GO! By simply showing a zoo or aquarium to your children you’re supporting their animal causes. If you want to take your attendance to the next level support your local zoo and/or aquarium by purchasing a membership. Memberships also make a great eco gift.

· Adopt – Many zoos and aquariums offer animal “adoption” which is actually more like sponsorship. This helps support a specific animals for a year; you’d help feed and maintain the animal with your adoption. Your zoo or aquarium might also offer thank you gifts for your support, such as a picture and profile of your animal, a stuffed animal representation of your animal, special membership admissions and packages, year’s calendar, and other swag.

· Education – Through camps and special programs your zoo and aquarium will not only help peak the interest of animal lovers, but they will inform them as well. Thus helps the cycle of loving it so much you want to help which usually means giving, whether that’s of time or money.

· Volunteer – Nothing is really more valuable than time. Time is money but almost anyone can give money; to show you really care, give time! Check with your local zoo or aquarium for information on how you or our family can volunteer. Keep in mind so dedicated hours of training may be required. There is also usually a minimum age requirement due to responsibility.

If you’re not sure what is available in your area check out the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). AZA also offers the same opportunities presented above though if you get or give a membership the pass applies to all the associations’ partnering zoos and aquariums nationally.

Get involved locally and give to your zoo or aquarium. This is a great cause as it’s fun at ANY age!

About Summer:

Filed Under: charity, Summer Tagged With: Aquarium, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, season of giving, Summer, Zoo

Caramel Apple Pie Recipe

November 24, 2011 By Momstart 16 Comments

It’s Tasty Treat Thursday and today Summer is bringing us a very special treat.

Not everything I make is a success. In our organic fruit bag this week we got Johnny gold apples, which I have been told are the best for making pies with. My goal, however, was more individual; I was going to make fritters. After the first one failed I no longer felt like frying (we don’t own a deep fryer, I just fry in a pan on my range), I changed my view to apple pie.

For an apple pie I wanted something a little different. So I made a cinnamon graham cracker crust with a caramel apple filling. My husband’s thoughts (he’s the apple lover), “Apples, good; caramel, good; pie, good.” He stole that from Joey in the Thanksgiving friends show where Rachel makes the dessert trifle … haven’t seen that episode? YOU MUST! I digress. Enjoy:

Caramel Apple Pie Recipe

Ingredients:

1½ cups cinnamon graham crackers, ground
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 stick of butter, melted or softened
2 Johnny gold apples, peeled, cored and sliced as desired
1 – 14 ounces of caramel cubes
2 Tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350^oF.

2. Combine graham, flour, eggs, baking soda, and butter. Mix with hands or fork and press as a crust into a 10” pie pan.

3. In a small soup pot melt caramels into cream over medium heat. Stir constantly when cream begins to bubble until all contents are liquefied. Add apples and coat thoroughly.

4. Dump the caramelized apples into the pie crust. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until crust start to brown. Allow pie to cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Don’t forget a large glass of milk and/or a full cup of straight black coffee with this confection!