Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Angie. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Angie. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Angie. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Angie. Sort by date Show all posts

Introducing Angie's Blog Posts

Today ~ I'd like to introduce Angie as a contributor to Kid's Creative Chaos.  She has been posting recipes for several weeks now and I felt it was time to bring her in as a true blogger. I thought it might be fun to bring a new perspective on living life in true mommy chaos. Don't fret, she'll still post those yummy recipes on Tuesdays, but on Thursdays she'll share some of the fun activities she and her family do together. Angie's kids are into sports and lots of recreational fun.


'Day in the life with two spirited kids'
by Angie of Kids Creative Chaos (the mind behind Angie's Recipes)

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Yes, normally on Tuesday's and Thursday's I put up recipes but I was asked if I would like to post what we do with our kids on Thursday's to switch it up.  I have never actually done a blog of any sort before so please bare with me as I stumble through this. :-)

I will just do a quick introduction of my family today, only because the only things we have done together as a family of late is homework, and I don't think my kids would appreciate me taking their picture during full on "Homework Meltdown". lol.

I am a stay at home with 2 very spirited kids, a daughter 9 soon to be 10 (but thinks she is going on 16 sometimes. lol) and a son that just turned 6 (with the personality and charm that could make him sly like a fox as he gets older. lol).  But, both are extremely sensitive and caring kids who make sure they don't purposely hurt the feelings of others.

Right now, we haven't gone and done much together, well because up until recently it has been cold and we tend to go into "hibernation" of sorts over the winter.  My kids do bowl on a Saturday Youth League so that is where you will find us on Saturday mornings.  My daughter does tournaments where she can earn College scholarships and my son is in a different league for younger kids, but next year he moves up to his sister's league where he can start bowling tournaments. Bowling ends the beginning of May, and then my daughter starts up fast pitch softball and my son wants to attempt football.

As a family we like to camp, attempt gardening, (we start out great and by late summer it all goes down hill) and visit places- even if they are quick, weekend getaways. Spring Break is coming and I have a couple of places I would like to take the kids. Crossing my fingers they will get along and have a good time- periodically our outings end up with one or both kids going into a meltdown over something and ends with my husband or I mad and disappointed the trip didn't go the way we had envisioned it would when we planned it.

Stay tuned as we share our camping, 4-H, and sports activities with you each Thursday.

Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe: Quick Dinner Ideas

Make this Easy Weeknight Dinner Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe

Angie shares her Tzatziki Pasta and Grilled Chicken Salad from The Pampered Chef. This Healthy, Heart Friendly Recipe is an quickeasy weeknighy dinner to make. Below, find out how to make this awesome easy grilled Chicken Salad Recipe. Enjoy!


Quick Easy Weeknight Dinner Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe
Quick Easy Weeknight Dinner Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe.


How to Make Grilled Chicken Salad


Salad and Chicken:
8 oz uncooked pasta of choice
1tsp Olive Oil
4 boneless chicken breasts (4 to 6 oz each)
2 T of Greek Rub
1 seedless cucumber
1/2 of a small red onion

Dressing:
1 C Greek yogurt
1/4 C mayo
2 garlic gloves, pressed
2T lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Pampered Chef Square Grill Pan
Pampered Chef Square Grill Pan.


Cook pasta according to directions, drain and run under cold water 'til cool. Meanwhile, heat Square Grill Pan* over medium-high heat for 5 min. Then, brush with oil. Season chicken with rub, cook for 3-5 min or until grill marks appear. Turn chicken over and cook 3-5 min or until center of chicken is no longer pink. Remove from pan and cool 5 min., then thinly slice.

Meanwhile combine dressing ingredients and mix til smooth.  Set aside 1/2 C of dressing.  Add pasta to remaining dressing in bowl and toss.

Cut cucumber into julienne strips using the Julienne Peeler.  Thinly slice onion.  Divide cucumber among plates, top with pasta, onion and chicken.  Then drizzle remaining dressing over top.

Makes 4 servings.

Want one of these pans? I do! Leave a comment and Angie can tell you how to order or earn it. She can also sign you up to sell Pampered Chef products. I don't know anyone who doesn't like to be invited to a Pampered Chef Party! Yum!


Recommended Reading:

Chicken Jokes

Angie's Recipes

365 Ways to Cook Chicken*

Raspberry Grilled Chicken Recipe













ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


Bowling with Pro Bowlers: Osku Palmerma = Perfect way to start Spring Break

Angie's Corner
PBA Pro-Am Osku Palmermaa
With  Pro Bowler Osku Palmermaa
Last Friday, my 9 yr old daughter, got to bowl in a tournament for a chance to win scholarship money with Pro Bowlers that were in town for a PBA tournament. She just got a new heavier ball. So, after school Thursday, I took the kids to the local bowling alley so my daughter could get the feel of her new ball.  My son got to bowl without bumpers to get ready for next fall.

kids with Pro Bowler Ryan Schafer
Angie's kids with Pro Bowler Ryan Schafer
Pro Bowler Dick Allen
With  favorite Pro Bowler Dick Allen

For being nervous she started out great! She bowled a 156 but dropped in scores a bit as she bowled her next two games. In all, she got to bowl with 6 Pro Bowlers.

She quickly developed a crush on the 1st Pro Bowler and at the end left there in awe. The last Pro Bowler complimented her and as he tried to get her dad to meet someone about a camp, her coach (from youth league and who she bowled with) quickly stepped in to hear about it.

It was a great night for everyone; the Pro Bowlers had a great time with the kids, the kids got to meet and see Pro Bowlers. I was disappointed I didn't get to see my bowling crush, but I got to see a few bowlers I grew up watching. We will be doing this again next year if the opportunity presents itself. :)

Homemade Microwave Healthy Popcorn Recipe and Clip Art

How to Make Homemade Microwave Popcorn in a Brown Bag

Have you ever wanted some popcorn, but weren't in the mood for all the hassle? Learn how to Make HOMEMADE Movie Style POPCORN in your MICROWAVE with a BROWN PAPER LUNCH BAG. We added a cartoon bucket of popcorn for those of you searching for clip art images. Enjoy!

Angie says:

Cartoon Clipart bucket of popcorn and microwave healthy popcorn recipe
Easy Homemade Popcorn.
"I saw this in a blog somewhere and just had to try it, mainly to see if it really worked and it did. What I liked most about it, is that it required no oil, and after it is done you can flavor it up however you like. Of course, you can use the very good butter and salt but did you know, you can look through your spice cabinet and use some of your seasonings as well?"


I love using my Buffalo Rub for nighttime snacking. I am looking for something with a little heat, and I also like using my Smoky Applewood Rub.




All you need is the following:

1 lunch size brown paper bag
1/4 C.  popcorn kernels

After putting the popcorn in the bag fold over the bag several times and lay bag flat in microwave and set microwave for between 2 to 3 min. (you will just need to adjust to your microwave, it takes mine about 2 1/2 min.) then when it has finished popping, season to taste.


Recommended Reading:

The Popcorn Book*

More of Angie's Recipes from Pampered Chef






ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


Meet our Mommy Bloggers

Welcome to Kid's Creative Chaos, a resource for Classroom curriculum, Mommy ideas, and Fun activities. We post crafts, activities, recipes, and our musings on life. We post the mishaps, the fails, and the messes. No Fancy Nancy here. Think of it as a Test Kitchen for Kiddie Crafts, Home Chefs, and Mommy Chaos. We want our readers to say, 'Hey, I can do that!' or 'That looks fun!' or  'Do you have any advice?'
If you are an aspiring writer or a novelist chat with us here or on Facebook or Blog Frog or join our group Historical Fiction Books to interact with fellow writers.

Meet our Mommy Bloggers:

Lora Langston, Marketing Director at The Play Connection, Inc. and Owner of Kids Creative Chaos blog.

Contact info: lora@theplayconnection.com




In the real world, Lora teaches art, sensory play, and drama classes to kids age 18 months to 18 years old at area parks, schools, and special events. The kids present programs to retirement villages and schools. She also writes YA Fiction. And, of course, Lora loves to CREATE.   Lora is now a full-time freelance blogger and social media marketing manager! A lot can happen in a year :)

In another life, Lora studied Architecture and Theatre at Ball State University where she also did the (Tri Sigma) sorority thing. Currently, she is a SAHM with two elementary age children, one  two indoor cat (s), one cockatiel, one box turtle, a tank load of two fish, and two inherited outdoor cats. 

Our Turtle got blessed at Church.

Recently, her family purchased a new home (she plans to name it Redbud Ranch) taken right out of the movie "Funny Farm" with Chevy Chase. Here, she will write from the window overlooking a Dogwood Tree, a row of Redbuds (her favorite tree), and a little pond full of fish while daydreaming of becoming an Andy Farmer-style, Martha Stewart. (Too young for the reference? Go watch the movie!) She also recommends the movie, "Stranger than Fiction", but only if you are a writing geek.

Angela Whitmire write recipes and Angie's Corner. She blogs about the active life of her outdoor and recreation loving family.


In the real world, Angie has two elementary age children, a couple of indoor cats, and keeps bunnies outdoors for 4H.

Tracey Thomas writes Tracey's Tempo. She blogs about her life with a large, blended-family, her passion for helping those in need through Santa's Elves of Indy, and fun activities for kids. Tracey has four children of her own and two step children.


In the real world, Tracey heads up Santa's Elves (a non-profit providing Christmas gifts to children in need), holds a Realtor's license, is an experienced photographer, and taxis her brood to sports and club activities.  http://www.santaselves.us/ In a past life, she headed up a Girl Scout Troop and ran an in-home Child-care. Tracey spends her spare time daydreaming of finding the time and resources for everything she needs to accomplish.



Life is crazy! Need some ideas to relax?  Grab a cup of coffee (okay, a soda) and stay awhile. We are always surfing for new crafty ideas that make life fun. And we love comments!  We'll check out your blog so be sure to leave a linky. Don't miss our updates be sure to subscribe to our posts on the right sidebar.


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A Day In Kokomo at the Glass Factory

Things to do In Indiana: Kokomo,  A One Tank Trip


We visited the Indiana Glass Factory in Kokomo, Indiana. If you're looking for things to do in Indiana, this is a great idea for a field trip or a one tank trip in Indiana. Homeschoolers will enjoy learning a new skill for a possible future trade or art project.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.


Field Trip Idea: Things to do In Indiana: Kokomo, A One Tank Trip



A Day In Kokomo at the Glass Factory
Glass Factory.


Kokomo Opalescent Glass Main Office.

Things to do In Indiana: Kokomo,  A One Tank Trip
Beehive where they melt the glass.
Table where they roll glass to make panes.


Area where they roll and blow glass.
Sample of their panes of glass.

We got a guided tour of the glass factory. The kids saw it featured on a local news channel over Christmas break and really wanted to go. We all learned many things and we were all surprised to find out where the glass has been placed. One place is the Cinderella Castle at Disney. Apparently, the Kokomo Glass Factory produced all of the glass in the castle



Stained Glass at Cinderella's Castle in Disney World.


Stained Glass at Cinderella's Castle in Disney World.
Stained Glass at Cinderella's Castle in Disney World. 


The Kokomo Glass Factory has a beautiful shop where you can purchase hand blown hand blown glass items. Visit KOG.COM to see the shop (they ship) and if you live in the Indiana area, stop by and take  the tour. The Indiana Glass Factory makes a great family outing or field trip idea

Currently it runs Tues-Fri at 10 am and lasts about an hour. They even offer a class to make glass beads and accents. They also sell glass panes of different sizes and thicknesses if you need some for your home or craft projects.

This is truly a hidden jewel in Indiana.  We never knew about the glass factory until we saw it on the news. The kids loved the tour (which was a surprise) and apparently it was the highlight of everything we had planned over break. 


~ Angie


Recommended:

Things to do in Indiana

Books about Hand Blown Glass

More Posts by Angie

Thing to do in Kokomo

Get a Glass Craft for Kids



How to Make Pumpkin Pie Pancakes Vegan Recipe

Ever wonder how to make Pumpkin Pie or how to make Pancakes from scratch? This vegan recipe from Angie does both!


Pumpkin pie pancakes these are breakfast this week. I got this vegan recipe from a friend- not sure where she found it, but when I saw it I knew I had to make these because they sounded so good.




How to Make Pumpkin Pie Pancakes Vegan Recipe
                 How to Make Pumpkin Pie Pancakes Vegan Recipe.





Vegan Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 C flaxseed
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cin + spice blend or pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
Mix together
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 cup coconut milk or soy milk till consistency of pancake batter.

Mix wet, pour into dry, only mix till combined.

Toast chopped walnuts in your microwave, 1 min at a time until toasted in small microwave cooker.

Using large stainless steel scoop, scoop onto hot double burner griddle. Sprinkle w/toasted walnuts. Flip when bubbly.

Serve with vegan butter and pure maple syrup or try this vegan butter cream frosting.

Moroccan Food Acorn Squash Fall Recipe

This Acorn Squash Recipe with Moroccan Spice give your taste buds a kick. 

Angie shares her favorite spicy recipe. Moroccan Food Rocks. After you use your squash for a fun, Fall Thanksgiving Craft, make this recipe in the kitchen with your kids 


Moroccan Food Acorn Squash Recipe
Angie's Recipes at Kids Creative Chaos.
"I made this the other night; 
it has just the right mix of sweet and savory. It is delish!"

Moroccan Spiced Acorn Squash Recipe


2 medium acorn squash (I used 3)
11/2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp packed brown sugar
¾ tsp salt, divided
½ tsp black pepper
2/3 Cup uncooked wild rice blend
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp Moroccan Rub
1 1/3 Cup water
1/3 Cup Golden Raisins
1 Medium red apple such as fuji (I used Jonagold's)
1 can 15oz. Garbanzo beans (Chickpeas) Drained and rinsed
2/3 C. slivered almonds, toasted and divded
1/3 cup snipped fresh chives
Additional snipped chives (optional)

Preheat oven 450.  Cut squash in half crosswise.  Remove and throw away seeds.  Place squash on Medium sheet pan or Large Bar Pan.  Using basting brush, brush squash with ½ tbsp of oil; sprinkle with brown sugar, ½ tsp of salt and pepper.  Bake 32-38 min or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and put on cooling rack.


Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in 10in skillet over medium heat 1-3 min or until shimmering.  Add rice blend, onion and rub; cook and stir 1-2 min or until onion is tender.  Add water and raisins; cook covered, 12-15 min or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally.


Dice apple, zest lemon to measure 1 tsp.  Add apple, lemon zest, chickpeas, ½ cup almonds, chives and remaining ¼ tsp salt to skillet.  Cook covered, 1-2 min or until heated thru.  Spoon rice mixture evenly into squash halves.  Garnish with remaining 2 tbsp almonds and additional snipped chives, if desired.


Cook's Tip: To form flat base, trim ½ in off top and bottom of the squash.




Recommended Reading:

Kids travel journal: my trip to morocco*

Morocco Recipes* 


Make a Baked Ring or Wreath Tuna Salad Recipes

Make Your Favorite Salad a Breaded Party Ring Recipe

Interesting Tuna Salad Recipes are hard to come by. This Tuna Salad Ring or Wreath is the perfect Recipe for a Super Bowl Party or Football Tailgating Party. Angie often contributes recipes to our blog, click the recipes tab above for more great party recipes. Enjoy!



Make a Ring or Wreath with this Tuna Salad Recipe.

Make a Ring or Wreath with this Tuna Salad Recipe.

How to Make Tuna Salad Wreath Recipe

2 large cans tuna (drained)
2 celery stalks chopped
onion chopped to taste
1 cup mayo
Dill seasoning to taste
2 cans Crescent rolls
1 egg white

Preheat oven to 375. In a Lg. Round Stone or Pizza Pan lay separated crescent rolls in a circle with point end going towards center of pan.  Seal sides of triangles together using a Pastry Roller or use fingers.  Mix all ingredients for the tuna salad in the Large Batter Bowl and then evenly scoop mixture 1 in from wide side, then fold the point ends back towards the wide side.  Brush on egg white and bake for 25-30 min.



Recommended Reading:

Holiday Treats: Kids Creative Chaos Cooks

Easy Microwave Potato Chips

Tuna Recipes


July Calendar of Special Days and Holidays for Curriculum Planning

Plan lots of Fun Activities with this July Calendar of Special Days and Holidays 2016


Don't let summer break get boring. Change it up by celebrating each and every special day. Did you know July is the National month for Blueberries, Hot Dogs, and Ice Cream? It is also National Anti-Boredom Month. Who could get bored in July? Idk, it gets pretty hot here in Indiana. So, a lot of kids probably stay inside and play video games  Minecraft. Check back here each year for an updated version of our free printable July calendar of special days and holidays. Enjoy!

Plan lots of Fun Activities with this July Calendar of Special Days and Holidays.
Plan lots of Fun Activities with this July Calendar of Special Days and Holidays 2016.



July Calendar of Special Days and Holidays for Curriculum Planning
Free printable July Calendar for Classroom.

This 2016 July calendar of holidays is a Google Doc. Print it out as is or make changes as you see fit. Each year, we edit the calendar to make sure the dates are accurate. Some holiday dates change each year.


July Holidays

1 International Joke Day. Whether you say Ha-ha, lol, or lolz, tell a joke to get a belly laugh out of a friend today.

1 CANADA Day. Here are some activities for Canada Day. I also rounded up some posts from the Kid Blogger Network. Oh my, my favorite, is this post on Canadian Peg Dolls



Canadian Mounted Police Peg Dolls from Clothespins by East Coast Mommy.


2 World UFO Day. Roswell July 2, 1947. No aliens here, perhaps these futuristic activities for kids will help you celebrate.

3 Compliment your Mirror Day. I don't know about this day. Shouldn't this be everyday? Anyway, maybe let the kiddos choose what they want to wear today- no matter what it is? You can do it, Mom. Build self-esteem with self-expression.

4 Independence Day. Here are some Firework Safety Tips and Fourth of July Activities from Pinterest.

6 National Fried Chicken Day.  

10 Teddy Bear Picnic Day. Celebrate today with teddy bear activities. Maybe your teddy bear would like a purse or a hat or a cookie?

14 Bastille Day (French National Day).  What is Bastille Day? I got nothin' except this post on how to make French Toast. So, eat some while you read up on this French holiday.

15 Cow Appreciation Day! From our friends at Chick-Fil-A. How about celebrating with a cow coloring sheet?

20 National Ice Cream Day (Third Sunday) Ice cream is awesome on a hot July day, even better, Ice Cream Snowmen.

23 National Hot Dog Day. Only in America, right? Angie has a yummy recipe for Chicago-style Hot Dog Pizza Bites.

24 Ameila Earhart Day. So... I've got a groundhog flying an airplane coloring page. It can be your catalyst for a discussion on the history of Ameila Earhart.

24 Cousins Day. I've got some cousins, but not here on the blog. How can you celebrate? Tell them, "Happy Cousins Day" on Facebook. Wait. I am so virtual. Meet a cousin for lunch today! (That's better.)

30 National Cheesecake Day. Hooray for Cheesecake



Recommended Reading:

July and August Monthly Idea Book from Scholastic*

Happy Fourth of July Coloring Book: For Kid's Ages 4 to 9 Years Old*














ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


Book Review: My Big Bottom Blessing by Teasi Cannon

Angie's Corner                                               Book Review: Teasi (pronounced Tee See) Cannon has a master's degree in pastoral counseling from Liberty Theological Seminary and is a sought-after speaker who loves to help women remember who they are in Christ. "My Big Bottom Blessing" is available at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble in paperback or for your Kindle or Nook.

Book Review Teasi Cannon My Big Bottom Blessing
Book Review: My Big Bottom Blessing

My Big Bottom Blessing
How Hating My Body Led to Loving My Life

Published by Worthy Publishing~2012


I reviewed this book for Handlebar Marketing. Once I saw the title and what it was about I couldn't wait to read it. This was a very easy and thought provoking read. Ms. Cannon talks about her struggle with the self defeating thoughts she had dealing with her body image and weight while trying to live a Christian life.  It contaminated her everyday life because she chose to believe those thoughts. Then one day, while away at a Christian seminar with her husband, she was able to realize her actual true self worth and started fighting back at the self defeating thoughts, slowly diminishing them from her thought process.

While not everyone has to deal with weight issues, I feel a lot people have those same self defeating thoughts in their life about something; I know I do. This book asks the hard questions. At the end of each section is a questionnaire that gives you a process so you can start thinking more positively about yourself and start quieting those thoughts that can hold you back and contaminate your life. This will be a book I keep on hand for my daughter as she is reaching the age when she will start to compare herself to other girls and I want her to be able to accept what she looks like and how she is with a positive outlook instead of a negative one.

Chicago Style Hot Dog Pizza Bites


What do you get when combine a Hot dog and Chicago Style Pizza? Yummy pizza bites, of course!

Angie's Recipes 

Chicago Style Hot Dog Pizza Bites and Clipart
Hot Dog Printable from churchhousecollection.com



Chicago Style Hot Dog Bites

I made this as a light dinner one night and we were all pleasantly surprised. My kids, of course, loved it because it was made with hot dogs. My husband and I looked at the recipe and weren't so sure. This would be great as a snack or an appetizer for a kids party or any kids gathering, plus the kids could have fun helping put it all together.



Click image for more food clip-art from churchhousecollection.com

Ingredients:

2 pkg (12 oz) flaky buttermilk biscuits (Don't Use Grands style biscuits, they are to doughy. I learned this the hard way)
2 tsp poppy seeds (I just omitted them altogether)
3 hot dogs
2 small whole dill pickles or 1/2 cup coarsely chopped(I used dill relish)
1 small onion
2 plum tomatoes or 1 roma
4 oz sharp cheddar cheese shredded
1/4 Cup yellow mustard

Preheat oven to 400.  Pull apart biscuit layers horizontally in half to form 40 biscuits. Arrange biscuits over Large Round Stone or any round pizza pan or you can also use the large bar pan, overlapping as necessary. Sprinkle with poppy seeds and bake 13-15 min or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, cut hot dogs in half lengthwise then crosswise into 1/4 in thick half moons. Place hot dogs into small micro-cooker or any microwave safe bowl, microwave covered on high for 30-45 seconds or until hot.  Coarsely chop pickles and onions using food chopper.  Blot excess moisture from pickles using paper towels.  Seed and dice tomatoes.  Combine pickles, onions and tomatoes in a bowl; mix well and set aside.  

Removing baking stone from oven to cooling rack, top biscuits with hot dogs and cheese. Bake 3-4 min or until cheese is melted.  Remove from oven; top with vegetable mixture and drizzle with mustard.


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Easy Tofu Parmigiana Vegan Recipe with Fire Roasted Tomatoes

Vegan Parmigiana with Tofu Recipe

Here's an easy Vegan Recipe for Tofu Parmigiana with fire roasted tomatoes from Angie's Recipes. Enjoy!



Vegan Parmigiana with Tofu Recipe
                                   Vegan Tofu Parmigiana.




How to Make Vegan Tofu Parmigiana at Home



Tofu Parmigiana Vegan Recipe
Tofu after sliced, excess moisture removed.

What it looked like during the finishing stage. Sorry; I can't show the plated version after it went over the tomatoes, my family dug in immediately before I could get a picture.

Here is what I made for dinner over the weekend at the request of my 9 yr. old daughter. I truly believe, as she flipped through the cookbook and saw this, she thought it was cheese. lol.

Either way, this turned out to be a HUGE hit with the entire family even with my meat loving husband who already had a local pizza place on speed dial as a Plan B back up if he didn't like it. :D


Tofu Parmigiana with Fire Roasted Tomatoes Recipes

I doubled this recipe as the original just made 4 servings.  

1 pkg of extra firm tofu (14oz), drained
3/4 tsp salt divided
1/2 tsp ground black pepper, divided
1 small onion
1 can (14.5 oz) Fire Roasted Tomatoes ( I used chipotle style tomatoes instead)
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese
1/2 C. Panko bread crumbs (I used italian style bread crumbs because that is what I had on hand)
1tsp Italian seasoning
1 egg
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1/4 C. mozzarella cheese
1/4 C lightly packed fresh basil leaves (I omitted this because the family doesn't care for it)

Extract Moisture from Tofu: Pat tofu dry with paper towels, removing as moisture as possible. Slice tofu horizontally into eight (1/2 inch thick) slices. Season tofu with 1/2 tsp of the salt and 1/4 tsp of the pepper.

Heat Sauce and Coat Tofu:  Finely chop onion.  Combine onion, tomatoes, pressed garlic, remaining salt and pepper in Small Micro-Cooker.  Microwave for 6 min or til heated through. Combine parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and seasoning on a plate, lightly beat egg and put that on a plate, dip each slice of tofu into egg mixture and then into breadcrumbs, coating generously.

Cook Tofu and serve:  Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to 12 in skillet; heat over medium heat 1-3 min or until shimmering. Add 4 slices of tofu to pan and cook 1-2 min or until golden brown. Turn tofu over; top with half of the mozzarella cheese and cook for 1-2 min or until golden brown; remove from pan; repeat with remaining oil, tofu and mozzarella cheese. Thinly slice basil. Serve tofu on top of the sauce and basil sprinkled on tofu.


Recommended Reading:

Vegan Appetizers and Desserts

Easy Recipes

Holiday Recipes and Games for Kids*













ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


Why I Choose to Homeschool: Homeschooling with Online Classes through Connections Academy (INCA)

Why Homeschool? Should You Homeschool? 

Have you been considering homeschooling? Should you homeschool? Is homeschooling bad or good? Why homeschool? Have you considered free online public school? It's completely free and totally easy! We struggled with the decision whether or not to homeschool. Then, I saw a commercial on television for Connections Academy, so we did that for awhile and then we used what we learned to do homeschool on our own. Enjoy!


Why homeschool How to free homeschooling online
With Online Homeschool, there is plenty of time for field trips and extracurricular learning.
We visited an orchard and picked beautiful blue plums off the tree.

Why did I choose to homeschool?  

Why homeschool? There are so many things about public brick and mortar school I detest and dread. I hated the mean-spirited shaming I witnessed from one avid church-goer when my son mentioned he didn't really go/like to go church. It's true, he went sometimes, but I left him home with Daddy a lot (Daddy retired from church). This strikes me as ironic, because stereotypically many people believe "church people" or "religious extremists" homeschool. 

I go to church when the whim strikes me. I'm a bleeding heart, stuck somewhere between hippies and devout Christians. I guess, the remark hurt my feelings too.


I hated the complaints from my daughter of how much she hated recess. "There is nothing to do, no one to play with, and the teachers won't let me sit on the blacktop" Ah... memories. In early elementary, I walked around the edge of the blacktop waiting for the teacher to blow the whistle.


I hated picking my son up nearly every other day after lunch, because he had something with milk or dairy in it. I even had a note from the doctor, apparently, state law requires milk must be placed on EVERY child's tray! I sent in alternative beverages, but "Mommy, I just took a little sip of chocolate milk!" 


He'd have an asthmatic reaction, go to the nurse for his inhaler, and then... And then... poor nurse. Let's just say, it came out both ends.


Number one, the school bus! I hated leaving the safety of my kids to another person- someone I didn't know, no seatbelts on the bus, bullies on the bus, other dangerous drivers, etc. Just pulling into our neighborhood was a deathtrap. Waiting for the bus with the middle schoolers outside was too traumatic for Mommy. Well, it didn't seem right to me; my kids were just newly 5 when they started school.


They begged to ride the bus. I let my son ride a few times. The neighbor child had some problems. He was sort of a bully, but he was also bullied by the older kids. The nice, old man bus driver had him sit up front with my little one. My son came home with lots of amazing new life lessons. 


Then, the kid started causing trouble. The bus driver would pull over and wait it out. So, the bus was often late. No, thank you, we started driving the kids to school permanently once my daughter hit all-day kindergarten. She's a handful. I can't imagine she'd stay in her seat without a seatbelt. I didn't think the sweet, old man needed the added stress. 


I'd pick the kids up from school, have an after-school snack, try to squeeze in a little outdoor playtime, then it was time to make supper, get baths, do homework, and go to bed. 


Impossible.

I hated the homework! We'd be up late finishing projects for first and second grade! 

My son is gifted. We looked forward to a special program at the school, but it didn't start until third grade. In the meantime, he was placed in a class with high ability learners. Even so, the teacher felt there were problems. He understood concepts in ways other second graders couldn't- which led to arguments and frustrations. Since, we were planning to move, the teacher wondered if online school might work for him. This way, he could work at his own pace. I wasn't sold on the idea until...


The second lockdown at school. That's right, second. I shrugged off the first one. The second one was for the same reason, a bank robber near the school grounds and shots fired. I tried to get in the car line to pick up the kids, but the road was blocked by police cars. I called  a friend, Angie, she arrived a few minutes prior to me. She was told to get out of her car and head to them gym for safety. 


Yep, I was a mess.  


BUT... I can't homeschool. I don't have the patience. I'm not disciplined enough. My kids need socialization. I don't want other people to think we're freaks. 


WHATEVER.


It's just not like that anymore. I CAN (of course I can). We actually had LESS busy bookwork than regular school. The kids had online live lessons with their teachers and classmates. The teachers checked in regularly with emails and phone calls. As a learning coach, I was a big part of my kids academic experience, but not the teacher. So, I didn't have to worry about making major mistakes.



Free School Online Public Elementary Homeschooling
Indiana Connections Academy, Free School Online!

We homeschooled through INCA or Indiana Connections Academy. The supplies are completely free! This includes all textbooks, science supplies, art supplies, and companion DVD's and CDRom's for the online classes.

They took required state standardized tests in an university classroom. There are school sponsored field trips and local group gatherings. We met up with a local group of homeschoolers outside of INCA for recreation or SOCIALIZATION.


Yep, next to giving birth... homeschooling is the best idea I've ever had. I have more time to spend with my kids, hone my novel writing skills, and work as a freelancer.  


In case you're wondering, my kids were offered the opportunity to attend regular school year. They both declined with a resounding, "No way!"


Now, that we are experienced homeschoolers, we go it alone! I create online lessons and share them here on the blog. The kids do math with Kahn Academy, and we supplement with Brainpop. We love homeschooling. 

We get up when we want, go to bed when we want, study what we want, and have the freedom to supplement with field trips whenever we want. We are members of several clubs for homeschoolers and meet up with our friends at least once per week.


Recommended Reading:


Homeschooling 101: A Guide to Getting Started.*

The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas*

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