Campfire Cooking

Fall is the perfect time for some campfire cooking. Whether you like to use a fancy grill or rough it using only a stick, there are several recipes that you can try. Nothing beats the flavor of campfire cooking, and all of that outdoor air is one of the best seasonings for hunger. Even kids can cook over a campfire when you hand them a stick. Don’t limit their creations to just marshmallows, though. Try hot dogs and bannock, which is bread dough that you wrap around the stick. Just make sure to supervise children, since hot pointy sticks and … Continue reading

Tips for Affiliate Marketing on Your Blog

Affiliate marketing can be a roaring success, a moderate success or it can fall flat. Often falling flat or moderate success can occur despite our best efforts. If that is happening to you then switch to another affiliate. It is perhaps an affiliate that does not resonate with your readers. However, more times than now the reason affiliate marketing fails is due to a lack of work. Affiliate marking does not succeed by placing an ad on a sidebar and forgetting about it. In fact, placing an ad on your sidebar is one of the least successful ways to spreading … Continue reading

PetPlan Has Tips to Keep Dogs Safe This July 4th

Most people enjoy celebrating Independence Day. There are barbecues to attend, and fireworks to watch. Unfortunately, those things can cause your pets to feel anxious. It could also expose them to potentially dangerous situations. Petplan Insurance has good advice about how to keep your pets safe this 4th of July. How does your family celebrate Independence Day? This weekend is going to be filled with parades, backyard barbecues, and, of course, fireworks. Many people get a day off of work to relax, spend time with their families, and enjoy some 4th of July celebrations. These types of events can be … Continue reading

Myth: Hot Dogs Are Evil

The first time I bit into a hamburger while I was pregnant, I spit it out immediately. Suddenly, hamburger was the most repulsive taste on the planet. My real craving was for a juicy, all beef hot dog on a poppy seed bun. Unfortunately for my cravings, everyone told me that eating hot dogs while pregnant was basically the equivalent of feeding your infant mashed up french fries with arsenic. I think someone actually told me, “it could kill your baby!” A photo depicting Tori Spelling eating a hot dog while she was pregnant received a lot of heat. Could … Continue reading

Foods You Might Not Think of Giving to Dogs

For a while, I was making my own dog food. Check out the basic recipe here if you’re curious. Moose and Lally LOVED it, but it was taking a lot of time, effort, and money to keep it up. Gradually we switched back to dog food, but from time to time I like to supplement their kibbles with some healthy human food. Some of my favorite add-ins are: White or brown rice or oatmeal cooked in chicken broth Shredded lean chicken or turkey Mashed vegetables like carrots, peas, and string beans Plain yogurt (especially when Moose has an upset tummy) … Continue reading

Home Blog Month in Review: August

Did you have a good month? We seem to have packed an entire summer’s worth of activities in this past month. Now, it seems, it is back to school and time to get ready for autumn. Still, it is nice to look back toward warm sands and wearing shorts even as we will soon be crunching leaves and taking out the sweaters. August 1st Getting Out Grass Stains With summer in full swing, chances are that your family has been playing outdoors quite a bit. And with all of that outdoor play comes the grass stains, especially if you are … Continue reading

Dining in the Woods—Cooking Breakfast in a Bag

We are just hours away from the start of the Labor Day holiday weekend–the official end of the summer season. For many families the weekend marks the last chance to escape city life before the new school year begins. If you are one of the millions heading off on a camping adventure today or tomorrow you might find the following recipes helpful. If you have never cooked a dish in a paper bag now is a good time to start. Unique cooking techniques are often employed out of necessity when you’re roughing it. Start your day in the great outdoors … Continue reading

Classic Chinese Cooking—Marvelous Mu Shu

Even if you can’t make it to Beijing for the Summer Olympic Games you can still get a taste of China in your own home. Dishes, like mu shu, are extremely popular in Chinese restaurants and are not hard to replicate at home. Mu shu pork is one of the most popular Chinese recipes in the west. The dish is comprised of either deep-fried or stir-fried pork combined with fresh vegetables. Mu shu originated in northern China and was given the name as a tribute to flower blossoms from the cassia tree. But, not everyone agrees with that origin. Some … Continue reading

Baby Blog Month in Review: July 2008

Two of my three children are summer babies. That is, they were born in the summer and had their first months surrounded by sunshine streaming in the windows, the sound of birds chirping, and days spent wearing nothing but a diaper and a “onsie.” I made sure that they had Fourth of July outfits ready, even though one of them arrived a week after the holiday. I guess he just wasn’t interested in the parade. Do you have a summer baby, too? We had a lot of new information to share this past month, such as recall notices and new … Continue reading

Rachael Ray’s Food Going to the Dogs

She’s already gone public admitting that she is more interested in raising “four-legged kids than ones with two legs” so I suppose it should come as no surprise that celebrity chef Rachael Ray is expanding her culinary empire to include gourmet dog food. The super cook turned TV talk show host just launched a charity-driven line of dog foods based on recipes she has created for her beloved pet pit bull, Isaboo. The Food Network star is no stranger to designing meals for all types of eaters and she says she has no doubt that your pooch will gobble up … Continue reading