It's Easier to Travel with a Baby When...

We've done a little traveling with our little guy in the past 10 months, but only to see the grandparents. One set lives about 4 1/2 hours away and the other lives about 6 1/2 hours away. At first, he would just sleep in the car most of the way, but recently he's been awake a lot more. He still doesn't seem to mind it too much though!

When we go visit, both sets have a crib or Pack N Play for him to sleep in. This makes life so much easier! My parents also have a baby center disk for him to play in and of course toys we used to play with when we were little! Our car does not have to be filled to the top with this extra baby cargo.

We just went to visit my parents and quickly realized that he needed a high chair to sit in while eating. It is no longer possible to hold him and feed him at dinner time! My dad was able to run to Target and grab a cute booster seat/high chair that straps to the chair. It even came with a toy, so it entertains him at times other than just meals!

Now that he is a little more mobile and pulling up on everything, childproofing the rooms was a must when we arrived. I pretty much took everything off of the coffee table and moved it higher. Then we had to go to the Dollar Store and get some child safety covers for the plugs. These are just a few things that grandparents might not have thought about in a long time!

We sure do have a lot of fun visiting family, but who knew it would be so much work?! What is something you can't live without while traveling with your baby?

The Solitary Place

Summer is the busiest time of year for JD's work, therefore getting away for a week long vacation is not feasible this time of year. Last year we were able to get away for a long weekend in the mountains. A friend in the church has a cabin by the name of The Solitary Place. Why The Solitary Place? Mark 1:35 says "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."

This was our first family vacation, just the three of us! It was nice to get out of town as a family, but we definitely learned some things while away...

• We take way to much junk with us for a two day, two night trip.

• God's mountains are BEAUTIFUL!



• LilE (at 2 1/2) is too tall for a pack-n-play. And therefore didn't really sleep; and neither did I because she was in the bed with us (and JD sleeps like a rock).


• LilE does not like to hike. She gets "tired". She prefers to be carried.



• She also refused to walk 20 feet to give JD and me a break.



• Turtles can climb a mountain.



• Spiders can make big webs.



• LilE loves the outdoors, minus the bugs.


• LilE did not want to ride the 4-wheeler. I was thankful! But she did pose for a picture.



• Storms can build quick in the mountains.



• Not having cell phones, internet, or TV can be wonderful!!


• JD and I still like to play games (this is a variation of what we play).

We had a great time away, but we did learn to roll with the punches. We are actually heading to the beach for our first week long vacation in September.

Any words of wisdom from those who frequent the beach each summer?

Attitude is Everything

I have written about some of our more harried travel adventures previously. The military has taken us far away from our families and we have to travel if we want to spend time with them (or eat good mexican food.) And this often means traveling by myself with the two kids. My earlier post has many great ideas and tips that I've learned specifically about air travel with young kids. But I've also learned that sometimes things just don't go according to plan.

And while you can be prepared and minimize the impact of delays and missed flights, they are going to happen occasionally. There is no way around it. When you travel you cannot control the weather, the traffic, the airlines, passengers or countless other variables in the great travel equation. You can be in complete control of your attitude and reactions though.

When we flew home this past New Year's Eve we ended up spending an extra 10 hours in the airport. Have you ever been stuck in an airport with two young children for that long? It wasn't my definition of fun. But God kept reminding me that even in that situation my blessings were abundant. You see, I was going home to see my mother on the same day that one of my best friends was going to her mother's funeral. The delay was inconvenient and exhausting, but it was only one day. And when we finished with it we would be home with family and friends in Texas.

So, I would encourage you to think about your attitude the next time you travel. I know traveling is not easy to do with little ones, but it's worth it. When I see the joy on my grandparents faces when they get to see my kids, it makes the hours in the car and airport seem like nothing. (And besides, when I get there I know they'll take the boys and let me take a nap!)

Have you had any bad travel experiences with little ones? How did you keep a good attitude in that situation?

Travel Lessons Learned this Year

Our summer travels are trips to see our families. A four hour plane ride to Houston to see my family and a seven hour car ride to visit Lee's family. With each year, as our boys grow, we learn new lessons about what to do and what not to do! Here's what we did right and what we did wrong this year!

First, we learned not to plan too much for the day after we travel. We arrived in Houston on Thursday, and on Friday we took the boys to the Houston Children's Museum. It was too much for their tired selves to handle. Our youngest (21 months then) was unhappy most of the adventure, and our oldest (3 1/2) fell asleep while we were eating lunch! Next time we'll give the boys a day to adjust and rest before we get them out and about.

Second, I figured out the best way to pack for the boys! I put all of their outfits together in baggies and labeled them with their names. Since we live out of the suitcases and Nana and Grandad's, I needed a way to keep things organized. Added bonus, no matter who dresses them, the outfit will match! I even picked out specific outfits for our 4th of July family cook-out and labeled those bags so we were sure to save them for the end of the week.


And third, we kept the boys entertained during our traveling. We took a portable DVD player on the plane and also kept busy with snacks, drinks, crayons, stickers, and a new book. We do not take toys with wheels on planes. Lightning or Thomas would inevitably get dropped and roll back under everyone's feet! On the car ride to North Carolina, we borrowed a DVD player that had two screens. I get car sick if I turn around too many times, so I drove most of the time so Lee could pick up any toys (cups, snacks, crayons....) the boys dropped. We planned the trip so they would nap part of the time and that really helped!

We don't have any more long trips planned for the summer, but we're already looking forward to seeing our families again around the holidays. We'll remember the lessons we learned this summer to make traveling a little easier!

This Week: Heading Out!

This week we're talking about road trips, plane rides, packing, unpacking, and taking time to enjoy the destination! It's all about heading out- vacations we are taking this summer and lessons we learned on the journey.

Whether you are vacationing near or far, we hope to give you some tips for travel!

image source: Bodie Bailey

Blog Hop

Today's Housewife is participating in Blog Hop '09! If you are stopping by from Robin's site, we're glad you're here!

Our site is written by four friends who are trying to follow Proverbs 14:1, "The wise woman builds her house." We have a different topic every week and each give our opinions on the topic. You can see the upcoming topics on the side bar. We love having guest posts on Fridays, so if you see a topic you're interested in submitting a guest post for, be sure to email us!

While you're here, you can become Facebook Fan! You can also follow us on Twitter.

Thanks for stopping by! Leave a comment saying hi so we make sure to visit your blog while we're blog hopping!

Movie Giveaway!

Ok friends, it's the last day to become a fan on Facebook to be entered to win the favorite movie giveaway! The winner will be announced and contacted through the Facebook page.

She (or he, but there are only a couple men, and they are related to us so they don't get to win anyway!) will get to pick one of the following favorite movies:
Sandra's Favorite- The Princess Bride
Alicia's Favorite- My Fair Lady
KLee and LilE's Favorite- Boz the Bear
Kama's Favorite- Multiplicity

So click the link and become a fan for your chance to win!

My Favorite Quotable Movies

These are some movies that I can quote pretty much word-for-word and they have great lines!

Pretty Woman--When I was younger and my granny would babysit me, I would convince her that my parents said it was okay if we watched Pretty Woman. Obviously this isn't the best movie for a little girl, but I liked it for some reason! I now pretty much know this movie word-for-word! "Everybody that comes to Hollywood's got a dream. What's yo' dream?"

Dirty Dancing--Another movie from when I was younger that I learned word-for-word. I always wanted to learn to dance like them! "I carried a watermelon?!" is a great quote. My parents just recently went to see Dirty Dancing as a play in London and got me this reusable grocery bag! Awesome!! "Nobody puts Baby in the corner!"

Multiplicity--You probably didn't see this movie, but my family loved it. We watched it probably a thousand times. #4 was probably our favorite character. "Did you bring me a monkey?" "I like pizza, Steve."

Wayne's World--During my teen years, I watched this quite a bit with my oldest brother. I pretty well learned all the lines and songs to it too! "If you're going to spew, spew into this." "Hi, I'm in Delaware."

Gilmore Girls--Does this count? It's not a movie, but I have the DVDs for a few seasons and love to watch this over and over. I probably know everything that will happen in most episodes. There is something quotable in pretty much every episode!

What is your favorite movie quote?

Fab Five for Kids

When LilE was 11 months old, she had a nasty cold. As her doctor said referring to her breathing, "she is whistlin' Dixie in there." At that point we began breathing treatments 3 times a day to correct the wheezing. Three times a day for 30 minutes each time. Oh my. Eleven month old + sitting still for a long period of time=time to turn on the TV. That is how my child's love for movies began.

Here are some of our favorite things to watch while sitting in the beloved glider:

1. Praise Baby--Similar to Baby Einstein DVDs in format, but instead of classical music the scenes are shown to praise music. I love that I can sit and watch tv with my child and also teach her how to praise God! I also love that the children in the DVD are from all culture backgrounds, as well as children with special needs. God created ALL of us! And, one more thing I love about it is they have coordinating CDs for each DVD. Our favorite is God of Wonders.

2. BOZ the Bear--Created by the maker of Barney (don't let the deter you), BOZ is the big green bear who lives next door to the Baxley family. BOZ is an animated, faith based series. He teaches four year old twins Drew and Gracie all kinds of life lessons: helping others, sharing, being good friends as wells as things such as colors, shapes, ABCs, eating right, etc. Each episode also includes three songs by BOZ and the kids. One year we branched out and bought the Christmas episode. She still enjoys watching them at three years of age.

3. Cars--I know, Sandra already mentioned it, but I just love it too! And more importantly, LilE loves it! Bright colors, fast cars, great music, just all around good. The thing I love the most is there is not a "bad guy." This movie is more of a self evaluation where Lightening McQueen sees how selfish he really is and is transformed into a new car. And the shorts on the DVD are great too. LilE loves watching "Mater and the Ghostlight" and "the little girl" (aka One Man Band).

4. Tarzan--This is a sweet love story between a mother gorilla and her human son and his becoming a man of the jungle. The other day, after seeing this movie too many times to count, I still teared up watching and listening to Kala (the momma gorilla) sing to baby Tarzan, "You'll be in my heart always." I think it's the momma-love that I now have with a little one of my own. Like most animated Disney movies, this one also has many musical numbers, which I really love! Thank you, Phil. Yes, there are some scary parts involving the jungle animals (and Clayton, the poacher) and we fast forward through all of those parts to help protect the preschool mind.

5. Princess Movies--How could we leave out the princess movies? Her love is for Belle in Beauty and the Beast. Such a sweet love story. It teaches not to look at outward appearance, but to look at the heart. She also loves Cinderella, Aurora, and Ariel. I believe each has a great story to tell. Again, each of these has some scary parts with the evil characters in the story, but each parent can use his/her judgment about what to let your child watch that is age appropriate.



To help you discern what is appropriate for your child without taking the time to preview the entire movie, check out Plugged In Online for a Christian view.

As for sitting in the glider with the nebulizer on, fortunately, LilE has outgrown the wheezing for the most part. Praise the Lord for answering our prayers!

What movies do your kids love to watch? And which ones do you love to watch with your kids?

5 Favorite Movie Classics

It took me a long time to figure out what movies I was going to write about. It's not that I don't like movies. I just struggled with finding 5 movies in one genre. I thought about focusing on "Children's movies that don't make me want to poke a sharp stick in my ear" as a genre. But I wasn't sure I could come up with 5. So I settled on movie classics. I think all of these have been around long enough to be called "classics", but feel free to disagree in the comments.

1. Anne of Green Gables - I remember watching this movie as a little girl and being completely captivated by the characters. Who wouldn't want to be Anne's bosom friend? I still love to watch this series when Tim's at sea. I think he might sit through it with me, but these are much better enjoyed with girlfriends.

2. My Fair Lady - Audrey Hepburn's beauty and grace with Julie Andrew's vocal abilities? Yes, please! I probably also love this one because we performed the musical when I was a senior in high school, but I think it would be on here even without that bias.

3. Roman Holiday - Speaking of Audrey Hepburn, this is probably my second favorite film of hers. She is so sweet and the story is incredibly romantic. And the chemistry she has with Gregory Peck is fantastic.

4. Oklahoma! - I know, I know. I can't believe a girl from Texas has this one at the top of her list either! But other than the musicals I performed in high school, I probably know more songs from this one than any other. They are all so catchy and entertaining. I even sing, "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' to my boys some days. For now they love it, but I'm sure that's going to change pretty quickly.

5. Singin' In the Rain - Can you tell I love musicals? What is more entertaining than when the characters break out into song and dance? Nothing, in my humble opinion. This movie has amazing dancing. I so enjoy watching Gene Kelley. And Debbie Reynolds is one of my favorite performers. I got to see her live as a child in "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" and this movie always reminds me of that favorite memory.

Once I got started I realized I could go on and on. They really don't make movies like they used to. Old movies had a certain romantic quality and style about them that's pretty difficult to find in movies today.

Which of these movies have you seen and loved?

What classics do you think are missing from my list of favorites?

My Fav Movies- Love Stories!

There's a common theme among my favorite movies- love stories! I don't mind the action, adventure, suspense, or comedy, but if a movie's going to make it on my top 5 list, it's got to have a good love story. So here are my top 5 favorites, and the reasons why!

1. Sleepless in Seattle- I can remember going to see this movie in the theater in Jr. High. I like Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks as actors, and I also think the supporting actors and actresses add a lot to the movie. It's just such a feel-good story. I can re-watch it any time.

2. An Affair to Remember- If you've seen Sleepless, you know that they reference An Affair to Remember a few times. Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr- you don't get much better on-screen chemistry than that! I love how funny and feisty the character is that Kerr plays. I admit, I do skip through the slow part, about two-thirds of the way through. But overall, I love this movie.

3. The Princess Bride- There's action, adventure, suspense, and comedy in this love story, right? I love it! Love the one liners, ("Inconceivable!") love the "love conquers all" theme, and love the set up with the ailing Fred Savage and his grandpa.

4. Cars- You may think this is not a love story, but to me, it is! My oldest son and I watched this movie every day when he was almost two years old and I was nine months pregnant. In August. In North Carolina. I love this movie because my boys love it. And as far as animated movies go, I don't get tired of this one. At least I haven't yet !

5. Twilight- Ok, don't judge me! First, I know it's not as good as the book. I usually skip the middle mushy part of the movie. But because I enjoyed the books, I really like the characters. I think it was casted well and that the movie represents the relationships between the characters well (like within the Cullen family.) Plus, I got a free iPod download of the movie when I bought the DVD, so I can watch it anywhere at anytime. Last week the boys fell asleep in the car and I sat parked in the driveway and let them sleep. What else to do with my fifteen minutes stuck in the car but watch the baseball scene?! (Disclaimer, we were in the shade, with the windows down, and it was about 75 degrees!)

What's your favorite movie love story?

This Week Veggin' Out

This week our topic is Veggin' Out- Our Top 5 Favorite Movies! Summer is the time for blockbuster movies or staying up late to watch an old favorite. Hope you find some of your favorites in our lists!

Also, if you haven't become a fan on Facebook yet, we've made it easy by putting a link on the sidebar! Click on the box and become a fan today. Become a fan by Friday, and you'll be entered to win one of our favorite movies!

image source: bulldog1

Fun at Church!

It feels like it's a thousand degrees outside with 100% humidity! The only time we are outside is to run from the house to the car and then into the store and back again!

One thing that we have started doing this summer that we are enjoying is finding things to do in the evening...with babysitting provided. Last week, my husband and I started ballroom dance classes at my (Baptist) church. A member there used to teach professionally, so he let the pastor know he would be willing to do this as an outreach opportunity. They provide child care for our little guy and we get 1 1/2 hours to do something that we wouldn't normally do. Believe me, I never thought I would take dance lessons, but it is so much fun (and we are all equally bad)! I know a local restaurant also does this, so check around and you might find some free dance lessons!

We have found other great opportunities at our church as well. Every Wednesday morning I attend a women's Bible study where childcare is provided. It is nice to have a little break each week and grow spiritually! Last Friday, I got to leave the boys at home and headed out with a friend to watch a girlie movie with the other women at church. It was a lot of fun and we (I) had a lot of sweet stuff! We also regularly attend in-home fellowships and prayer time each week which let us get to know other couples better.

Have you looked into programs your church (or another local church) offers during the week for fellowship and growth? Is there a talent you could share that others would attend classes about?

image source

It's Summertime

Let's face it, summer is among us. It is hot and miserable at times outside. And if it is not stinkin' hot, we are having an afternoon thunderstorm. Like Alicia said yesterday, we can't stay inside all day everyday. What do you do when all these conditions apply? Go to the pool!

My sweet girl is a fish, just like her mommy. We have a pool in our neighborhood, about a block down the road. Now that LilE is loving the water even more, we have tried our best to play out there more this year than in years past. And since we are around the water more this year, I felt it was time to take swimming lessons to teach her to rely on herself rather than the floaties.

I found a friend of a friend for lessons. We provided the pool. She is certified through the American Red Cross and also teaches using their material. Each day they begin their lesson circling up on the pool deck to learn a new pool safety rule (no running, always swim with someone, wait for an adult to tell you to get in, etc.).


After circle time, they enter the pool and find their spot on the top step. They have been blowing bubbles out their noses and mouths, learning to "float", and kick using the kick board.

They are also learning to get their heads wet. Some kids are terrified at the water and this process can take awhile. Mrs. Kate is so patient with the girls and will let them move ahead at their own pace without traumatizing them any further.

She also has them jumping in off the side and then lets them swim (with her assistance) to the side.


I just love that my sweet girl has had the opportunity to learn about pool/water safety and she has had such a fun time meeting new friends.

Here are my suggestions for great swimming lessons:
1. Find a great instructor who has is certified to teach and has a good rapport with children.
2. Find a pool with an atmosphere for learning (steps/shallow end, good water/outside temperature, non-crowded).
3. Small class size. (Our class with 5 two-four years olds has been perfect)
4. Schedule. Our class was Monday-Thursday for two weeks. The YMCA in our area had a four week course, 30 minutes once a week. At 3 years, it is my opinion that recall is minimal. Having a lesson every day makes review minimal, which promotes more learning.
5. Encouragement. Praise, praise, praise your child! Self confidence is huge. We talk about lessons throughout the day. We have even taken Daddy to the pool to show off our new skills! She was so excited to show him!
6. Know your child's limitations. Not every child loves the water. Know when to push them further and know when it is okay to say no. Pray with them for courage and have Jesus help them through.

Getting Out

It's funny how you go through phases with your kids.

-First, you have a newborn and you don't go anywhere because you are afraid they'll get sick.
-Then you realize just how easy it is to cart a baby everywhere so you start venturing out of the house again.
-But when your precious baby hits 5 months old and they are too big for their portable car seat, but too young to sit in a high chair or grocery cart, so you have to stop going places for a while.
-Finally, it gets better until they hit 20 months and refuse to sit anywhere for any length of time without screaming or dropping food so you once again are unable to eat in public for a few months.

Throw 1 or 2 more kids and their growth cycles in the mix and it's enough to make any mother never want to leave the house. But then you spend a few days cooped up with your kids in your house and realize that staying home might actually be worse than taking them out in public. (Or is all that just me?)

I love my kids and the opportunity I have to be a stay-at-home mom, but it hasn't always been easy to find that balance between staying home and getting out of the house. I've discovered that we can't stay home every day or we all go crazy. And we can't go and do something every day or we are simply exhausted. We need both quality home time and time out of the house every week. I try to look at our calendar every week and find one day to have fun with the boys.

We usually do something that does not involve running errands, but is just for them. We use our zoo membership, play at the park, go the library, go to the consignment store to buy a toy or play at a fast food playground. Most of those things are free or only cost us a few dollars. The library is probably my favorite because the boys and I love books. We have so many, but there are countless authors who we've never read that I love introducing the boys to. We actually don't do well at storytime. I've found that going one morning when the library isn't crowded and there aren't a lot of distractions is the best plan for two little boys. I also try to go early so that it isn't too close to lunch or naptime when they are more prone to meltdowns and loud fits. We also love to check out movies there. Our local library has a great children's collection of DVD's that are 100% free (if you return them on time.)

It's not always easy to take your kids places. We've had to walk out of the library empty-handed when we were throwing fits and not acting appropriately, but if you never go anywhere, you can never expect your kids to learn what behavior is acceptable. And who wants to be stuck inside all day everyday? Not me!

Where do you go for fun that's free or close to free?

What tips do you have for moms trying to teach their young kids how to behave in public places?

Becoming a Locavore

There's a new word in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary this year- "locavore." A locavore is "one who eats foods grown locally whenever possible." Even though I'm not as much of a locavore as I'd like to be, during the summer time it's easy to take advantage of what may be growing around you!

One way you can be a locavore is to visit orchards and farms where you pick your own produce. Pick Your Own is a great website that helps you find places you can pick from local farms, and also is a resource if you can or freeze what you pick. Last year we were able to pick cherries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, apples and pumpkins.

In addition to picking your own crops, you can buy from local farmers markets, family farms, and co-op farms. Local Harvest is another resource for finding these locations. We take advantage of all the corn and green beans we can get at local growers. If we weren't growing our own tomatoes and green peppers this year, we would buy those too!

Try to get out soon and see what is available to you locally! And if someone calls you a locavore, consider it a compliment!

This Week: Getting Out

This week we're talking about fun things we are doing outside of the house this summer! I know for some of you, it's so hot you don't want to even think about leaving the house. Hopefully we can give you some ideas for even the hottest days!

Next week we're talking about veggin' out- our top five favorites movies! If we get 200 fans on Facebook by Monday, we'll give one of our favorite movies to one of our fans! It only takes a second to become a fan. Then you will receive updates about our new posts in your time line (once a day). It's a great way to get to know Today's Housewife readers and interact with the topic of the week!

Budget Friendly Picnic Ideas

I love summer picnics and I really enjoy hosting them, but they can get expensive. I’m a budget person and I like to try to stay within my food budget of $50 a week regardless of whether I am having additional mouths to feed. It’s a challenge. That’s why I find planning ahead to be most important when it comes to saving money.

If you know you are going to host a summer BBQ every year, you can start preparing months ahead of time! Start by planning a basic menu for your event and make a list of the ingredients and other items you’ll need to purchase before the big day. Watch for sales and coupons for paper products, pasta noodles, drink mixes, condiments such as ketchup and mustard, dessert mixes and Jell-O’s, even jars of pickles and olives will last a long time if no one pops them open ahead of time.

Buy your meats in bulk when they are on sale and store them in your freezer (don’t forget to get them out and in the fridge to thaw before the party-oops!).

The week of the party, you can start shopping for your perishables like fruits and veggies. I like to check out local farm markers to get the best quality produce for the best prices.

Not only will you be saving money this way, but you can also save time and stress. You won’t be running around to stores, the day before, and spending more money because you don’t have time to compare prices!

Remember, even if you get a late start on your planning, you can still save money by planning a menu and watching for sales. Try looking at two or three store circulars before you shop so you know where to find the best deals. If all else fails, try some of these yummy, yet frugal recipes for your big day.

Grilled Cowboy Burgers
2lbs ground beef (makes 8 burgers)
8 oz sliced mushrooms
8 slices cheddar cheese
8 buns (or make your own for less!)
½ cup BBQ sauce
Nature’s Seasoning
Mold the ground beef into patties and season with Nature’s Seasoning. Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms with the BBQ sauce. Grill the burgers. Just before the burgers are done, add a slice of cheese to each. Serve cheeseburgers with a spoonful of sautéed mushrooms.

Broccoli and Red Pepper Pasta Salad
Head of fresh broccoli, washed and chopped
2 Red Peppers, washed and chopped
1 lb Rotini Pasta, cooked and drained
1 small bottle Italian dressing
Combine and Chill.

Chocolate Cherry Pie
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Crust :
(note: the “crust” recipe is not mine, but I cannot remember where I found it!)
1-1/2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons cocoa
4 teaspoons sugar
1 stick cold butter
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
Combine the dry ingredients, then add the butter (cut into smaller pieces). Add the water a little at a time and work at mixing the dough with your hands. It’s just easier that way! Roll out half of the dough to make the bottom crust and press into a 9-inch pie plate.
Filling:
1 lb fresh cherries, washed, pitted and halved
2 squares of a large dark chocolate Dove bar, chopped
½ cup sugar

Combine all the ingredients and pour into the pie crust. Roll out the second half of the crust and place over top of the pie. Pinch the edges of the bottom and top crust together. Then, with a knife, cut a few small slits into the top crust. You can get creative here and make them pretty! Turn oven down to 375 degrees after the pie is inside. Bake 30-45 minutes.
Enjoy!

Rachel is a wife and SAHM who enjoys shopping and cooking as much as eating. She shares lots of tasty and frugal recipes and ideas in her Small Red Kitchen.

Non-Grill-Out House

We just acquired my brother's grill when he moved into a house that already had a grill. This is the first time we've had a grill other than our Foreman (which we love). So I am lacking in recipes since we have yet to fire it up!
Here is a helpful hint I recently heard (but have yet to try) when grilling hamburgers. The lady said to poke your finger through the middle of the patty and it would keep them from shrinking. Granted, you've got a hamburger you're serving your guests with a hole the size of your finger in each one, but maybe they won't notice.
If we go to a cook-out with a friend, I will usually offer to take a dessert. I like to make brownies or peach cobbler. Peach cobbler is really easy because you just use canned peaches and cake mix.

Easy Peach Cobbler
1 (16 oz.) can of peaches in lightsyrup
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cube of butter
Use half of the cake mix and press into a greased 9 x 13 cake pan (you can also brown this by pouring butter on top and baking for a few minutes if you'd like a harder crust on bottom before adding peaches). Pour peaches and syrup on top. Sprinkle cake mix over peaches to cover. Top with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. Serve with Cool Whip or ice cream.