Tunnel Bowling

Whenever my kids are bored at home, they seem to turn first to movies, tv shows, and video games.  Now that school's over for the summer, I'm determined to limit their screen time.

There are plenty of more constructive, yet still fun things they can be doing with their oodles of time. :)

A little while ago, my kids came up with something we like to call "Tunnel Bowling".  It's such a simple thing, but they literally spent an hour or more playing it.

 Just grab an old box (the longer/taller the better), or in our case a chute that goes to a kids' play tent, set up your pins...

and knock 'em down!

If you don't have an old box, move the kitchen chairs away from the table and use under the table as your "tunnel".  Or line up some kitchen chairs in a row and bowl between the legs of them.

We purchased the Little Tikes bowling set a while back at Toys R Us.  If you don't want to buy a set, you can get creative with light, non-breakable objects to set up for "pins" and simply use a heavier play ball.

Strike!

Looking for more summer activities to do with your kids that don't involve technology?

Check out this list of "20 Fun Summer Activities for Kids"!

                                         

How to (Easily) Grill Pineapple

Have you ever eaten at Tucano's?  If you haven't, you should.  :)  

It's a sit-down Brazilian restaurant where they bring out meat and veggies on skewers and cut and serve it right in front of you.  Everything they offer is really yummy, but my favorite is definitely the succulent, divine grilled pineapple.  It's the best!  We request it over and over while dining there.  I could eat it all day and never tire.

So, like my husband and I always do, we went home from there one time and tried to re-create it for ourselves, and let me tell you...it's every bit as good as the stuff you can get at Tucano's.

And it's so easy to do!

{GRILLED PINEAPPLE HOW-TO}

 Cut your pineapple however you choose.  We have a cool gadget from Pampered Chef that cuts it into pretty spirals for us (it's amazing), but here's a good tutorial with pictures if you'll be doing it by hand. 

In a microwave-safe bowl, add 2 T. butter and about 1/2 t. honey.  Or you can add 1 T. citrus (lemon or lime) juice and 2 T. honey.  It's really hard to go wrong with this, so don't worry about being exact with your measurements.

 Zap until just melted.  At this point, add a little hot sauce and stir, if you want it to have a zip.  We used some Sriracha Hot Sauce, but it's perfectly yummy without it too.

 Place your pineapple pieces in a big Ziploc bag and pour the butter mixture in.  Seal the bag and carefully move the contents around until the pineapple is fully coated.  **If you'd rather, you can add 1 c. brown sugar to the bag instead of the butter/honey mixture and shake the pineapple up.  Both methods produce yummy results!

Grill on high heat for about 3 1/2 minutes per side.  Turn only once, when the pieces look about like this underneath.  

These can be grilled on a different heat right alongside whatever else you're having, but be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

It's so juicy, sweet, and just completely delicious...a perfect side to a summer meal.

And who doesn't love fresh pineapple?  It's gotta be one of the best fruits out there, at least in my book. :)

Enjoy!

What will you be grilling up this coming weekend?

Linked up at A Little Claireification

Simple Travel Neck Pillow

My kids are always complaining that their necks hurt on long, and even short trips in the car, for that matter.  Carseats just don't provide enough head support while they're awake, let alone sleeping.  The kids end up nodding up and down when they doze off and it just looks so uncomfortable!

So when I found an idea for a Travel Neck Pillow on Make it and Love it, I knew it was the perfect simple solution.  I just used a little bit of scrap flannel fabric leftover from my high school sewing class days. I can't believe I still have the stuff and could find it.  :)  Fleece would be great too.  You'll need a little batting also.

They are incredibly easy to make.  I cranked out two in less than half an hour.

{INSTRUCTIONS}

1. Cut out a horseshoe shape out of paper and make all of the corners curved. I made the part that goes around the neck kind of narrow so it didn't push my kids' heads forward too much. 
2. I drew mine about 10 1/2 inches tall and about 15 inches wide. It was plenty big enough for both my six and three year old, and it would probably work for kids of all ages. You might want to increase the dimensions a bit for an adult sized one, though.
3. Place paper pattern on top of any type of fabric and cut out 2 pieces.
4. Sew these two pieces together, right sides together. Make sure to leave an opening a few inches long at the top, to be able to turn it right side out.
5. Clip the inner curve so that it will lay nicely after turning it right side out.
6. Turn right side out and stuff with batting. Hand stitch the opening closed.

That's it!

Keep them in the car so the kids can wear them anytime.  No more bobble heads while sleeping!

He always asks for his neck pillow first thing after getting into the car now, and he doesn't whine anymore about his neck being sore. :)



Need another fun idea to make traveling with kids easier?

Check out this Road Trip Pillowcase Tutorial:

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

When I was cruising Pinterest a while back, I saw a link for a copycat P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe.  Since I love me some P.F. Chang's and I heart lettuce wraps, I decided to give it a go.

The verdict is...two thumbs way up!

They're delicious without the extra salt and calories that come from eating them at the chain restaurant.

They're healthy, light, and tasty...everything I want in a meal on a hot summer's evening.  The peanuts (and water chestnuts if you choose to add them) give it a nice crunchy texture and the homemade Asian sauce flavors the filling to perfection.  The combination of lettuce and flavorful chicken mixture is culinary genius, especially in this case.

{CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS}

Serves 2-3

Originally from Iowa Girl Eats

1 lb. ground chicken breast (or I just cut 2 large chicken breasts into really small pieces with kitchen scissors)
1/2 onion, minced
salt & pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1″ knob fresh ginger, peeled & minced (or 1/8 t. dry ginger)

2-1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 Tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 Tablespoon water
1/2 Tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (or more if you like it hotter)
dash of pepper
3 green onions, chopped
1/2-8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained & chopped (I omitted these because I'm not a fan of them)
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
10-12 large outer lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry

 Heat a large, non-stick skillet on high. Add chicken, onion, salt & pepper, then cook until chicken is nearly done, stirring often to break up the meat. Add garlic and ginger then continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink.

 Meanwhile, in a microwave-safe bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, oil, peanut butter, water, honey, chili garlic sauce and pepper. Microwave for 20 seconds, then stir until smooth. Add into the skillet and stir to combine.

Add green onions and water chestnuts into the skillet, then cook for 1-2 minutes until the onions are soft and the water chestnuts are heated through.

Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.

Pile the mixture (the more the better) onto a lettuce leaf, roll, and enjoy!

Linked up at A Little Claireification

DIY Bold Striped Curtains

I'm so excited to have my friend Suzy here today filling us in on how to make some very classic rugby striped curtains.  The idea comes from Blooming Homestead.

They look like they're straight out of a Pottery Barn Magazine! Love them!

If you're a new visitor to I Dig Pinterest today-welcome!  I'd love for you to follow me via the social media links on the top right sidebar!

Take it away, Suzy!

---

I'm one of those people who feels like if I spent the time I do on Pinterest actually trying the ideas I pin, I'd have one cute place! So I decided to make this pin a reality for my own home.

I knew I wanted bold striped curtains but I couldn't find any that I liked online or in stores. It took some measuring and time (and a little forgiveness from my husband for some choice words that I may have used while working on this) but I'm really happy with the results and would do it again for the impact it made on my front room.

The finished product: not too shabby as long as you don't look close.  :)

{Here is what you'll need:}

• Two curtain panels that you like. I got mine from Lowe's, they are off white and have a velvety feel. Who knew Lowe's sold decent curtain panels?
• 2 1/2 to 3 yards of fabric for the stripes...if you are using 84 inch panels, more if they are longer (you will have some left, but I always go with the safe side so I don't have to go buy more).
• 2 spools of ribbon that match your material. I got grosgrain ribbon, and I like the look.
• Thread to match the color of your fabric stripes
• Cutting board, rotary cutter, sewing machine, pins and glue gun......but that should go without saying ;)

I started by measuring my curtain panel. I decided I wanted my stripes to be 8 inches wide since I liked the way several stripes looked. I drew my panels and noted their measurements (84 inches long) on a piece of paper. I knew I wanted white at the very bottom so I arranged accordingly. I ended up deciding that I could do 8 inches of white on top, then sew my stripe and continue down the panel with each space 8 inches.  This allowed me to end up with white on the bottom.

I measured the length of my curtain panel to make sure the stripes would run all the way across. I cut the material accordingly, allowing a 1/4" seam.

I then pressed and sewed all my stripes.

I measured 8 inches down from the top of my curtain panel on both sides and marked it with a pencil, grabbed a strip and pinned like crazy. Pins are definitely your friends with this project........trust me. It took some major stitch picking before I realized this! 

Continue to measure and mark with a pencil AFTER each stripe is sewn. This way if your stripe didn't get sewn on exactly as planned, you can still space them evenly.

Some of my edges didn't quite end up going the full length of the curtain, or went over too much. I'm never sure how that happens, but this is where your ribbon and glue gun comes in. I cut pieces of ribbon and simply glued them over the material that didn't quite meet the edge of the curtain panel. If my material stripe was too long, I just trimmed it and glued ribbon on top to cover the ugly cutting that tends to happen when cutting at weird angles.

                                        

The edge looks pretty and finished and everyone will think you measured and sewed perfectly. ;)

Good Luck!

--

They turned out amazing, Suzy, and contribute so much to the look of the room!

Thanks for sharing your talents with us today!

Linked up at http://www.sumossweetstuff.com/

"Professional" Homemade Pizza

I just have to say that my mom makes the best pizza ever.  So when all of my siblings and I were visiting there for my brother's wedding a few months back, we of course unanimously requested it, and she kindly consented.  But we're large in number and she knows how crazy we are about her pizza, so she was probably afraid to tell us no. :)

I use the same method to make pizza at my house, but there's just something extra special about mom's home cooking.

It looks like we could have ordered it straight from the California Pizza Kitchen!  And its taste is unmatched by any other homemade pizza that I've ever consumed.  The recipe actually comes from a man who my aunt knew, that owned his own restaurant.

My mom's always turns out nicely round and very colorfully adorned with toppings.  She bakes it on a stone so it cooks perfectly even and turns a pretty golden brown color, too.  She's got serious skills.

If pizza-making is a form of art to you, too, I'll explain how to make it look like the picture above, but don't worry if yours is not perfect.  It will still taste every bit as good. :)  The learning curve is very fast for this sort of thing, though, it just takes a little practice.



{PROFESSIONAL HOMEMADE PIZZA}
Yield: Makes 1 large pizza with a little dough leftover

Crust:

Cornmeal (for sprinkling the pizza stones)
1 c. milk (may use powdered milk), warmed
3 T. granulated white sugar
1/3 c. warm water
1 T. yeast
 2 1/2 - 3 c. flour
garlic salt
olive oil
Your favorite pizza sauce (homemade or store-bought).  Most of the time, we just use Ragu from the jar.
Lots of cheese! (we use Mozzarella)


If your stone isn't  "seasoned" or worn in well enough, sprinkle some cornmeal on it to ensure that the dough won't stick.

Proof your yeast in the water (let it get frothy).  In a microwave-safe bowl, warm milk 45 seconds, then add sugar and stir 'til dissolved.  Add yeast mixture and stir.

Next, add 2 c. flour and stir.  Add another 1/2 c. flour and stir as best as you can, then start kneading by hand.  The finished dough should still be slightly sticky, but if it's too sticky after 2 1/2 c. flour, add a little more (but no more than 3 c. total).

Let dough rest in bowl for about 10 minutes to raise.

Generously flour your counter top.  Roll dough out in a circle.  You don't want the dough to be too thin, but you'll want it to overlap just a little over the edge of the pizza stone.  As you roll it out, grab your stone and hold it above your dough to check sizing.  If the edges are uneven, grab a butter knife and trim them a little so it's more round before folding the edges over.

Carefully transfer it onto your stone.  Fold the dough over onto itself all around the edge of the stone and press to form the outer crust.


Brush olive oil over all the dough, including the edges.  Sprinkle garlic salt over all (not too generously or it will be too salty), even the edges. Then spread 1/2 jar of pizza sauce.  Sprinkle cheese on after spreading sauce.

Add toppings.  We like to add ham, sliced onions, pineapple, chopped olives, green peppers, and sometimes mushrooms.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes,  or until pizza is a nice brown color like above.  If you have two pizzas in one oven, switch them on the racks after about 12 minutes, then set for another 8 minutes, for even baking.

{TIPS:}

*If you want to have a stuffed crust, cut 1/2" (or a little thinner if you prefer) strips of cheese.  Leave a 1/2" overlap on the dough past your stone.  Set cheese on edge of stone, fold dough over and press down.

*Make pretty green pepper slices by first washing the whole pepper, slicing it (without cleaning out the insides first), and then removing the inside parts.  If adding diced tomatoes, de-seed first, so the juices won't make the pizza soggy.

*If making a plain cheese pizza, wait 'til the last 5 minutes of baking time to add the cheese, or it will harden.

***For best results, make dough by hand and don't double the recipe.

---

I hope your family enjoys this mouthwatering home made pizza as much as mine does!

Linked up at http://www.sumossweetstuff.com/ and http://alittleclaireification.com/

DIY Road Trip Pillowcase

The summer traveling season is almost upon us...the time when we get to visit friends and relatives and not worry about the kids having to miss school for it.

My kids always look forward to seeing their grandparents from both sides and getting lots of swimming, swinging, and just general play-time in.

But they do not look forward to the long drive it takes to get to grandma's house.  The amazing portable dvd player makes traveling SO much easier, but I decided after last year's trip that they needed a little something more to keep them occupied.  8+ hours is a very long time (even for adults, but especially for little ones)!

So I made the Road Trip Pillowcase.  I found the cute idea at Amazing Mae.

I took my daughter to the fabric store and let her choose the fabric.  She has great taste. :)  I love how summer-y the colors and patterns are.

Before hitting the road, we stuff the pocket with snacks, coloring and other books, crayons, small stuffed animals, mini games, and the tablet.  And when they're tired, they can lean it up against the window and take a snooze.  What more could a child need?  :)

They are super simple to make!  We all know that my sewing skills are very limited, after all.

{MATERIALS}

1 yard of fabric (42" wide)

22 inches of cotton webbing (this is the stuff used for the strap)

2 - 16x12 pieces of fabric for the pocket

3" piece of Velro

42" of rick rack or ribbon

1 piece of craft felt (for the initial on front)

Wonder Under (you won't need this if you attach the initial my way as stated below)

Template for initial (you can make it in a Word document)

Matching Thread

Find a very thorough set of directions, with illustrations HERE.  I honestly can't explain it any better.  I followed them to a T.

The only part that I did differently was for the initial.  I cut out a big letter on plain paper with my Silhouette.  Then I traced it onto felt and cut it out.  Looking back, I probably could have just cut the felt letter out on my Silhouette and skipped the paper step.  Oh well.

If you don't have a Silhouette, you can just print a big letter from a Word Document and cut it out by hand.  It's not too difficult at all.

Next, I centered the letter on the pocket, pinned it in place, then did a small zig-zag stitch around the very outer edge.

Isn't it so fun?

Now I need to get busy making one for my son before we travel.

How do you keep your kids occupied for long road trips?

Linked up at http://www.sumossweetstuff.com/