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Coffee Break with Liz and Kate » Entries tagged with "holidays"

Peep-a-licious! – Kate’s Escapades

Peep-a-licious! – Kate’s Escapades

Since Easter is only days away, I’ve been out stocking up on my Peeps supply. Heaven forbid I leave my Peep shopping to the last minute, and to my horror, find the shelves bare of the ooey, gooey, sugary marshmallow treats. I would be forever disowned as head holiday empress of my kingdom. I love me some Peeps! Do you love Peeps, too? I’ve gathered a few peep-a-liscious ideas in case you’d like to impress your peeps … Read entire article »

Filed under: Headline, Kate's Escapades, Let's Celebrate, Let's Eat

Kate’s Escapades – April Fools’ Day Food Prank

Kate’s Escapades –  April Fools’ Day Food Prank

Since April Fools’ Day is coming up in a few days, we decided this post from two years ago is worth a Second Glance... It’s finally here.  The day when I get to release my pent up immaturity…the day when it’s perfectly acceptable for me to feel mischievous and sneaky…the day when I get to be all the things I try to teach my kids not to be. I must confess, when I was writing yesterday’s ridiculous … Read entire article »

Filed under: Headline, Kate's Escapades, Let's Celebrate, Let's Eat

Second Glance – Holi Moly, It’s the Festival of Colors 2011

Second Glance – Holi Moly, It’s the Festival of Colors 2011

Coming up this weekend (March 24 & 25) is one of my very, VERY favorite things ever…the annual Festival of Colors at the Hare Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, UT. It’s pretty much the coolest thing ever. I have a new lens for my Nikon D3000 that I can’t wait to try out, so get ready for next week’s Picture Me a Monday ’cause it’s gonna be a rockin’ slide show from this year’s festival. Here’s … Read entire article »

Filed under: Headline, Kate's Escapades, This 'n That

Second Glance –
It’s all about the GREEN! Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Second Glance – <br />It’s all about the GREEN! Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Second glance – Since St. Patrick’s Day is coming up this Saturday, this post from last year is worth a second glance. It’s a great way to celebrate the holiday with an all green meal. (Or perhaps you’d prefer this meal featuring GREEN chicken or this GREEN breakfast idea.) Today is St. Patrick’s Day. As you probably know, I’m all about the holidays. I like to have a reason, any old reason, to take what could … Read entire article »

Filed under: Headline, Kate's Escapades, Let's Celebrate, Let's Eat

Kate’s Escapades – Fat Tuesday means pancakes for dinner

Kate’s Escapades – Fat Tuesday means pancakes for dinner

“(Tuesday) is Fat Tuesday, and of course, this being America, it will be followed by Even Fatter Wednesday, Obese Thursday and Fat-A** Friday.” –Jay Leno How much do you love a holiday that has as it’s main objective encouraging you to pig out? I’m talking about Fat Tuesday, of course, which just happens to be today.  Or perhaps in this politically correct day and age, we should call it “big-boned Tuesday” or possibly “full-figured Tuesday”. You … Read entire article »

Filed under: Headline, Let's Celebrate, Let's Eat

Kate’s Escapades – Start some new Christmas traditions
Ornament Exchange Game

Christmas is a time for traditions, a time for making memories with your loved ones.  When I ask my kids what some of their favorite Christmas memories are, they always seem to mention memories centered around our family traditions. For us, it’s what makes the holidays have that warm and cozy feel. I am a big believer in holiday traditions, and for my family it’s not just the  Christmas routines, mind you, I’ve got traditions for practically every holiday of the year. If anything, I think I tend to ere on the side of OVER-doing it. But Christmas is the biggie, the granddaddy, the big kahuna of holidays. The other holidays are just warming me up for the grand finale holiday of the year. I’ve been at this mom business for a … Read entire article »

Filed under: Headline, Kate's Escapades, Let's Celebrate

Kate’s Escapades – Thanksgiving Gratitude Tablecloth (Memory Tablecloth)

Ahhh…Thanksgiving.  That often overlooked holiday sandwiched between Halloween and Christmas.  You know, the one holiday that can’t really be commercialized, so the stores pretend it doesn’t exist? And yet, it is one of the most important holidays of all, because instead of focusing on material things and “stuff to buy”,  we can spend this time focusing on family, gratitude and thankfulness…the things which are truly important in life. For the next few weeks, I’m going to share with you some fun ideas, tips and recipes to help celebrate this most wonderful Thanksgiving season. Today’s idea: A Thanksgiving Gratitude Tablecloth This is an easy and inexpensive way to  start a Thanksgiving tradition in your home.  All it takes is an inexpensive, washable, light-colored cloth tablecloth and some permanent fabric markers, which can be bought at any … Read entire article »

Filed under: Headline, Kate's Escapades, Let's Celebrate

Kate’s Escapades – Let’s Talk Turkey

The big day is almost here. We have a Thanksgiving motto at my house… Gobble ’til You Wobble! A perfectly acceptable motto for one day of the year, don’t you think?  Well, maybe you could stretch that out to two days, if you have enough leftovers.  But three days?  Don’t try it unless you are expecting a gym membership for Christmas. The star of every Thanksgiving feast is certainly the turkey.  And probably nothing strikes more fear into a cook than taking that heavy, slimy, pale blob of meat and bones, and turning it into the perfectly golden delicious main dish.  I myself have only cooked one turkey over the years, as that Thanksgiving tradition  has always been left to my mother and mother-in-law.  I’m sure my day is coming. I  found an amazing … Read entire article »

Filed under: Headline, Kate's Escapades, Let's Celebrate, Let's Eat

Liz’s rant: Turkey Day shoppers

Do you remember when Thanksgiving meant absolutely nothing was open, store-wise? As in, you could drive through Anytown, America on that day and it was  as if the streets had been rolled up. You were lucky to  see a passing car. My how things change. This year, a host of stores will be open on Thanksgiving Day. Theories are aplenty – perhaps it’s because lots of people want to beat the Black Friday crowds, or maybe stores are trying to generate the additional sales. Or maybe we’ve just lost touch of Thanksgiving all together. Is it that difficult to stay clear of the stores for one day? That difficult to stay at home, eat some turkey, watch some football and chill? I realize the movie theaters and bowling alleys are usually open Thursday. … Read entire article »

Filed under: Headline, Let's Celebrate, Liz's Rants

Kate’s Escapades – Halloween Month:
Witches Hats & Breadstick Broomsticks

Hooray for Halloween! I love Halloween. Today for you Coffee Break readers, I  have two fun Halloween recipe ideas using refrigerated crescent roll dough  and refrigerated breadstick dough.  Couldn’t be simpler. And oh so cute!  Impress your family with these simple and fun ideas. If you missed last week’s recipe for  Creepy Eyeball Treats, check them out. Witches Hats Yield: Makes 8 servings Ingredients: 1 package crescent dinner rolls (8 rolls) 32 turkey pepperoni slices cut in half 3 to 4 salami sticks, cut into 2-inch pieces 2 cups pizza or marinara sauce Directions: Preheat oven to 375°F. Separate dough.  Shape each piece into a long triangle.Place 1 salami stick piece along base of each dough triangle.  Partially roll up dough to cover salami and create brim of hat. Place 4 pepperoni halves on top part of each hat. Place on ungreased nonstick … Read entire article »

Filed under: Get Crafty, Headline, Kate's Escapades, Let's Celebrate

Remembering our heroes

For many of us, today will herald the beginning of summer – lazy days, warm nights, camp fires and swimming pools. In the midst of family picnics and get-togethers, the true meaning of Memorial Day often gets pushed aside. Other families don’t have that luxury. Today, they’ll gather at a graveside to honor and remember a loved one – a father or grandfather, brother or son, husband or wife, mother or daughter. I’d like to honor three such families today: the Hunts and Lieurances (families of Joey Hunt and Vic Lieurance, both KIA on 22 AUG 2005) and the Tuckers (family of Wes Tucker, KIA 13 OCT 2005). For all of you readers who may have lost someone dear, our thoughts are with you as well, today, as we remember the ultimate price … Read entire article »

Filed under: Headline, Liz's Rants

Liz’s last minute Easter eats

Liz’s last minute Easter eats

It may come as no surprise to find out that my original, outstanding Easter idea has gone the way of the dodo bird.  In theory it was quite a simple craft – peat pot Easter baskets. Imagine the kitchen table, covered in 16 (count ‘em – 16) peat pots, a large jar of ModPodge, craft paint, stickers, pipe cleaners (the baskets needed handles), and glitter. But the stickers didn’t quite stick. And my enthusiasm waned faster … Read entire article »

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Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs – Kate’s Escapades

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs Over the past few days I’ve been on a quest to figure out how to make the ‘Perfect Hard Boiled Egg’, since Easter is coming up on Sunday.  At my house, dyeing  eggs on the Saturday before Easter is a tradition.  We’re not talking a couple eggs here…we’re talking 5 (yep, that’s FIVE) dozen eggs. I know that sounds ridiculous, but that’s only 8 eggs per kid, with a few extra to account for the eggs that inevitably crack while boiling. With this easy and fail-proof method for hard boiled eggs, the whites will be firm, but not rubbery, and the yolk will be yellow (not grayish – a sign of over cooking) with just the slightest hint of a shiny center. Put eggs in pan of water so … Read entire article »

Filed under: Headline, Kate's Escapades, Let's Celebrate, Let's Eat

More April Fools’ Day Food Pranks – Kate’s Escapades

More April Fools’ Day Food Pranks – Kate’s Escapades

In my humble opinion, April Fools’ Day is a highly under-appreciated and overlooked holiday. Years ago, during the beginning of my marriage and mommy-hood, I had many an April 1st prank pulled on me by my husband and kiddies. After several years of taking it all in stride, I decided it was time to strike back at the clever culprits. That’s when I started ‘messing’ with their food. Not anything mean, like making the food … Read entire article »

Filed under: Headline, Kate's Escapades, Let's Celebrate, Let's Eat

So what if I’m a kook for St. Patrick’s Day?! –
Kate’s Escapades

I can tell Chicago is my kind of town. This Thursday is March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day. I’m kind of a kook for this holiday and I’m well know ’round these parts for my grossly green St. Patrick’s Day dinners. It’s my own special way of torturing my family and friends, all while under the guise of providing a semi-nutritious, completely green home-cooked meal. You have two days to get ready to freak out your family and friends with a fun St. Patrick’s Day feast. They’ll  think you’re the COOLEST mom/dad/neighbor/friend around. Trust me. I’ve got two green meal ideas just for you. Here’s a green dinner consisting of green chicken (yes it looks as sick as it sounds), green mashed potatoes with green gravy, green roll with green butter, green … Read entire article »

Filed under: Headline, Kate's Escapades, Let's Celebrate, Let's Eat