Mommy Has to Work

Red Gold All-In-One Lasagna

February 8, 2014 By Anne

Red Gold Tomatoes, noodles and recipe provided by Red Gold.

Red Gold was gracious enough to send me a few ingredients to make their All-In-One Lasagna. My brother was spending the weekend with us and I decided to make it for dinner. I was a little perplexed by not boiling the noodles but the dish came out perfect and I would love to try it again!

Makes 12 servings

Preparation time – 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients include:
1/2 cup water
1 (28 ounce) can Red Gold Crushed Tomatoes
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Red Gold Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic & Oregano
1 Teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt to taste
1 (16 ounce) box traditional Lasagna Noodles
1 (15 ounce) carton of low-fat ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixing bowl combine water, Red Gold Crushed Tomatoes, Red Gold Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic & Oregano, Italian seasoning and salt. Cover the bottom of a 9x12x2 baking pan with 1 1/2 cups of sauce mixture. Arrange 1/3 dry noodles on top of sauce, slightly overlapping. Top with 1/2 of ricotta cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and I cup of sauce. Repeat layers and top with last 1/3 noodles and the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with reaming mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours; until noodles are cooked. Let stand fro 10 minutes before serving.

Now I added hamburger to my mixture and then my brother dropped ricotta cheese on top. I only used the cheeses on half as my picky children don’t like too much cheese. Go figure?

Of course my daughter wanted to help which I love that she likes to help in the kitchen!

Our finished Lasagna – viola!

My brother had 4 plates of this lasagna, so I guess it wasn’t too bad. The biggest challenge was my husband and he said he liked it – Yeah!

Have you ever made Lasagna using uncooked noodles?

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

DIY Crayon Hearts and Valentine’s Day Cards Craft for Kids

February 6, 2014 By Anne

I was talking to my physical therapist two weeks ago and we were talking about crafts and kids. She told me o a craft she has done twice with her daughter for Valentine’s Day. I decided to try it out and am so happy I did!

Basically you will need:

Crayons – Sharpie – Cardstock – Heart shaped silicone mold ( I found mine at Joanne’s) – Glue Dots ( I got Elmer’s medium thickness.)

Everyone has broken crayons laying around. Okay maybe not everyone. But if you have kids you most likely do. This is a great way to recycle and reuse those crayons. Just peel the paper and break into small pieces. After I did mine I read that if you soak the crayons in water the paper comes off easier. My nails wish I would have know that before…At least my daughter helped me!

I did end up cutting some of the crayons with a knife. We tried to get a red and pink crayon in each heart. Then make sure to read the directions on your silicon mold. I put my mold on a cookie sheet and baked 15-20 minutes at 250. Let cool on rack or place in the freezer to cool. Then the hearts just pop out of the mold.

Then take the cardstock and cut into squares. Write whatever saying you like. We choose “You make my world colorful” But you can also use, “You color my world” or “Happy Valentine’s Day”. Then place a glue dot in the center and place the heart on top!

It’s that easy! I will use this again and again. It was fun and my daughter is so excited to give these to her classmates. I’m thinking I might make some for a craft fair…

What Valentine’s Day Craft are you working on?

Anne

Create Personlized Valentine’s Day Cards at Cardstore.com #OkayToCry

February 4, 2014 By Anne

“I participated in a Blogger Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Cardstore.com. I received complimentary cards and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”

Valentine’s Day is coming up fast and that means you need to get a move on for all those cute crafts you want to make and get your personalized cards ordered.

For Valentine’s Day I used to just give the kids a small box of chocolates and help them create their Valentine’s for their classmates. But this year I’m getting them a gift instead of chocolates. They get so much candy from school and we already have it in the house I’d prefer to get them a special gift instead.

I’m one of those people who like to make their own card either by hand of through a personalized website like Cardstore.com. I think it makes it so much nicer to have my child’s name written on the card like it was made just for them! ( well it was!)

I’m not a super sappy card writer so I like simple and sweet or cute and funny. I was given the opportunity to create a card for my husband and one of my children. I chose my son, Hunter.

But… if you want to write a heartfelt card and don’t know what to say you can get some ideas from Joseph Joyce, Creative Director for Cardstore.com. He has some great tips for writing heartfelt cards. Click here to read them. Have you ever brought your significant other to tears with a loving card? I haven’t…This year Cardstore reminds us that ‘It’s Okay To Cry’ and embrace the emotions and sentiment from our loved ones.

So back to my card making at Cardstore.com! I created two cards. It was very easy to create. There are tabs to choose a Valentine’s Day Card for children, then a boy or girl to help narrow the search. Adding the personalization was again very easy to do. You can use the color they suggest or change it if you prefer. Then once you are done, just add the card to the cart. Before it lets you proceed you must approve every side of the card to make sure it’s exactly as you want it to be. You can have Cardstore.com mail the card to your special someone or you can have it mailed to you and then you can address it. My card came quite quickly with extra envelopes in case I mess up! My favorite part of the process? It was super easy!

It’s not too late to get your card for Valentine’s Day! Just log on to Cardstore.com and get started. Orders must be placed by February 6th in order to arrive by Valentine’s Day!

What do you do special for Valentine’s Day?

Anne

Why Buy It – When You Can Win It! #win #giveaways

February 3, 2014 By Anne

Check out my giveaways then link up your own.

Printcopia Canvas Print

Remote Controlled Helicopter

Anne

5 Simple Products That Help Your Body Feel Better Fast

February 3, 2014 By Anne

When an injury occurs, it can work as both a distraction and an inconvenience when trying to perform daily activities and having to deal with the excessive pain that is involved. You may even find that you need to find urgent care in atlanta, or wherever you are, every so often to get something looked at that was a direct result of the accident. Although the body naturally begins a healing process that can take several weeks or months, there are certain products that are available to assist in the healing process and shorten the time until recovery.

1. Kinesiology Tape

Kinesiology tape is a simple and popular product among athletes that is easy to use on any area of the body to help the body to heal at a faster rate. The material is thin and durable for easy application that can stay in place with mobility. The tape not only increases blood flow and circulation, but strengthens injured or weak muscles that are sore. Many people enjoy kinesiology tape due to the lightweight material that offers both comfort and support when it is applied.

2. Compression Socks

Compression socks are a popular product among runners as they work to deliver more oxygen throughout the legs and to reduce muscle fatigue that has developed from injury or strain. The socks also increase the healing process of vein thrombosis for both athletes and individuals who are bed-ridden. Although they are not proven to increase athletic performance, they do prove to aid in the healing process for sport injuries for a faster recovery time that still enables mobility.

3. Fast Freeze Pain Relieving Gel Sprays

Fast freeze pain relieving gel sprays are an effective way of targeting throbbing or sore muscles and joints, tendonitis, backaches, and even arthritis. It not only is 100 percent Paraben-free, but contains natural ingredients that are healthy and gentle on the skin. The gel sprays can be applied in a variety of forms, between roll on applicators to convenient spray bottle for a product that dries quickly and offers instant relief.

4. Back and Abdominal Support

For the most common back and abdomen injuries, a proper support can be used to restrict movement and offer lumbar support to maintain a healthy posture throughout the day. Clinching pull-straps are integrated into the design of the product for additional relief with weakness that is experienced. It will not only promote a quicker healing process, but will prevent the injury from becoming strained.

5. Arthron Impact Pad

The Arthron Impact Pad is an effective product that applies compression to a certain area of the body where an injury has occurred. It’s a comfortable tool that stays in place for a secure and comfortable fit to assist in healing the limb quickly and keeping it in place. It not only works to protect the specific area where it is applied, but prevents it from moving or being used to ensure that the area is restored.
Although the body naturally heals itself in most circumstances, it can be easy to increase the symptoms of an injury without the proper support of certain products that are available on the market. By aiding the healing process and reducing the amount of time that it takes to recover, it will promote health in the body and strengthen the targeted area due to proper support that is applied.