Totally Talented & Tempt My Tummy - Therapy & Tacos

Totally Talented Tuesday is brought to you by Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House. Find the hidden talent in your household and share with us!

This week I have to hand it to PM who cut with scissors for the first time! She is with her occupational therapist here using scissors with a plastic loop-thing on the back side that springs the blades back open. She tried with both hands.

They then used the cut pieces to stick on a sheet of clear contact paper and make a valentine!!

AND built a heart from these funky block...whatever they are...PM has been a real trooper lately with her therapy and always has such a good attitude! It really helps when she has people working with her that make it fun and love what they do! I actually got a note from an OT student via YouTube who wants to use a couple of her videos for a speech she is doing at a hospital to tell them about the benefits of CIT in children!! Cool, huh?!

Next up...yummy stuff

This is a quick one.

Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays come from Blessed With Grace. Go see more tasty recipes!!

My husband came up with these little treats. PM is not too keen on the full sized tacos we make, even in the flour tortillas we usually use. Rather than make an entirely different meal (something we agreed not to do with our kids) he made these:

Taco Bites

the nice thing about these is that they can be leftovers in any amount

"Scoops" Tortilla Chips

Seasoned Taco Meat (we use the powered mix packets often)

Cheddar/Mozzarella Shredded cheese

Taco Sauce

Just spoon taco meat into each tortilla chip, top with cheese and other desired toppings. Bake on cookie sheet until cheese melts. Enjoy with or without taco sauce! These can easily be done in the microwave as well. Happy snacking!

Totally Talented & Tempt My Tummy Tuesday - Sewing & Shakes

Totally talented Tuesday comes from Dee at Two of a Kind, Working of a Full House. You can nominate any talent you see fit...a new sewer, a karaoke singer, a wonderful first grade painter...its up to you. See where others have found talent at Dee's site!

This week AM took my sewing machine for a spin for the first time. She has seen me at it on many occasions and has often asked to try it out.

I had left over fleece so I gave her the basics and let her run 3 straight lines to make a "sleeping bag" for her Husky (Webkinz).

She was so happy with herself, she made one more for a friend.

Cute huh??

I believe she's planning on making something really elaborate next, like clothing for her Husky.

I said "we'll see"

There are lots of yummy recipes at Blessed With Grace!

This week it's an easy one...and requires leftover coffee. My hubby and I often put on a pot, we're not every-day coffee drinkers and we usually don't finish a pot unless we both work on it. This is a good way to use up that last cup!

Mocha Shakes (for one - add more to share!)

2-3 scoops vanilla ice cream

1/2 c cold coffee

2-3 tbs chocolate sauce to taste (I prefer real Hershey's)

blend in blender (or the Magic Bullet!!!) & enjoy!

I had one last night when I made the kids regular chocolate shakes. Mmmm... I sucked it down before I thought about taking a photo of it. It looks like a chocolate shake in case you were wondering!

Totally Talented & Tempt My Tummy - Piper & More Soup

For Totally Talented Tuesday I must nominate PM. She did something last night that I found totally awesome. She got undressed. OK, I know for all you moms of 2 1/2 year olds this is no big deal, in fact you've probably been trying to keep them from continuing to do it. The thing is, as most of you know, PM has hemiplegic CP. Her right side doesn't work very well for her. The fact that she managed not only to unzip and strip, but to unfasten a diaper was WAY cool. We have been working for quite some time on the dressing and undressing. She still can't push her right arm through a long sleeve or coat without major assistance. So I say GO GIRL!! Way to take your clothes off! You can guarantee that I WILL NOT be saying that to you later in life. I hope.... Check out more great talent at Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House.

on to Yummier things...

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

This recipe came direct from an Indian cuisine kitchen, I call it my husband's, but I made it myself last week and it is soooooo gooood. It's more involved than most of the recipes I like, but well worth it:

Curried Carrot Soup

1 lg onion, chopped

4 tbsp sesame oil (very important for flavor!)

4-4 1/2 c. vegetable broth

4-5 med carrots, grated (1 3/4 c.)

1 1/2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, cubed

1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt

1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes WITH mild green chilies

dash cayenne pepper (to taste)

sour cream (garnish)

In large saucepan, saute onion in oil. Stir in the broth, carrots, curry, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until carrots are tender.
Discard bay leaf and add tomatoes. Cool slightly. Transfer half of soup to blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Pour into soup pot or dutch oven. Repeat with remaining soup and add cream cheese. Combine with soup in pot. Heat through. Stir in salt and cayenne pepper. Serve with dollop of sour cream, garnish with chives or minced parsley.

YUM!

There are lots more tasty recipes at Blessed With Grace!

Totally Talented & Tempt My Tummy Tuesday - Artists & Apples

Time got away from me today. I had two different people call me that took up a majority of my time. I got a call first from a gentleman down the street. He's 87. He likes history, and the history of our little town. He talked my ear off for 72 minutes with minimal grunts from me, then at the very end let me know he needs some photos done sometime soon. He ended every sentence with "are you getting this" or "and so on" or, my favorite, "now are you catching on?" as if the stories he's telling me had some ongoing conspiracy I am now privy to. THEN some other guy, who isn't nearly as old or as cute just for being old, called to ask about photo stuff. My DH knew who it was, knew what I was in for, and snickered while handing me the phone. What kills me about this guy is that he wants to talk "shop" about photography but he really just very lonely and not much of a photographer. He's a really nice guy, both are, but my ear was getting sweaty and my neck hurt. I can't be mean. I really want to stop publishing my phone number....would that work for a business. I feel obligated to allow these people to monopolize my time, this is such a small town that I'd end up burning more bridges than I care to. And people around here remember. Everything. For. Ever. Any suggestions for getting these people off the phone?????

But I digress.... Today is Totally Talented Tuesday. This week I bring you my 7-year-old's artwork. And her sense of humor. If you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up she wants to be an archaeologist. She also wants to be an artist and a photographer. I told her she could actually do all of that. She's totally pumped to go to college. I hope it lasts.

Here's AM painting her Egyptian Sarcophagus box. She found the idea in a kids Egyptian book.
Then she decided she needed a moustache. Love it.

There are talents abounding at Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House!

And then there is, of course, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays.

I just made this the other day and pretty much ate it all myself. I'll make more, to be sure:

Apple Dip

8oz (1 pkg) cream cheese, room temp

1 tsp vanilla extract

1c sugar (part brown, part white sugar to your taste)

1 pkg Heath Toffee bits w/ chocolate (It's just as good w/ half and a bit cheaper!)

Mix in resealable bowl, serve with apple quarters.

I usually give up on the apples and start in on it with a spoon. This ultimately requires an intervention by my husband. YUM! There are more tempting recipes at Blessed With Grace.

Tempt My Totally Talented Tummy Tuesday!

I'm combining two in one today. Totally Talented Tuesday comes from Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House - nominate the kind of talent we can all appreciate!

AND Tempt My Tummy Tuesday from Blessed With Grace. Leave your recipe to share with all your bloggy friends!

I am giving myself this Totally Talented award as I am a terrible cook without very specific instruction. I give my husband all credit toward anything I've picked up in the kitchen. No offense to my mom, she can make all sorts of yummy dinners, I just never really caught on until it was too late and I was married and cooking for my kids. My DH can cook like nobody's business, and when the two of us are together I leave the cooking to him (or he'd have to eat whatever I concoct - it's sort of a running threat). ANYWAY, DH is gone this week, so I whipped out a book and made this:

(Easy) Cheesy Potato Soup

2c. Water

2c. Potatoes, peeled & cubed

3 Tbsp butter or margarine

1 sm onion, chopped

3 Tbsp AP flour

Black Pepper to taste

3c. low-fat milk

1/2 tsp sugar

1c. shredded cheddar

1c. cooked ham

Directions: (I doubled this recipe)

1. Bring water to boil, add potatoes, cook until tender. Drain & save liquid ( should be 1 cup - add water if needed)

2. Melt butter in saucepan, med heat, add onion & cook until tender, not brown. Add flour, season with pepper, cook three to four minutes.

3. Gradually add potatoes, saved liquid, milk and sugar to onion mixture; stir well. Add cheese and ham. (I had no ham, I used about 1/2 c. bacon from a pack of "ends & pieces", you can cut off all the fat and use only meaty parts, DH does this any time we use bacon)

4. Simmer over low heat 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

Supposedly makes 10 servings - but I doubled this, fed me and 3 kids, and would have had very little left over if DH were here.

My kids actually ate this, it was GOOD!! - so YAY ME! Somebody liked what I cooked!!!