Flashback Friday - How to clean a pack and play

 Welcome to Flashback Friday! Today we have this popular post on how to clean your pack and play.  I wasn't expecting it to get near this much attention but hey, lots of us have pack and plays and they all need cleaned.  Enjoy.

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Awhile back I saw a you tube video about how to clean your pack and play.  Okay, I'll file that idea away under 'things I don't need to know right now.'  My pack and play is NOT dirty.  I have had it almost 5 years and it still looks perfect. 

Wait.

Seriously, almost 5 years?

In the tub it goes.  Fill it full of hot water and a half cup of homemade laundry soap and a half cup of Melamagic (cleaner by Melaleuca).  If I didn't have those cleaners, I would use a half cup of any all purpose cleaner and 2  cups of store bought laundry soap.  Let it soak for a couple of hours.  This is how dirty the water got from my 'not dirty' pack and play.

Pretty gross if you ask me.

After I pulled it out of the tub I set it on a towel to dry.  The brown spots on my towel where out of control gross.  So I put in back in the tub, same as before. The water was just as dirty AGAIN! After it was done soaking for the second time I took it outside and rinsed it with the hose til the water ran clear and then set it on a towel to dry. The towel stayed clean that time.

Next time, I'll just rinse it the first time.

Kool-Aid Ice Cream

Oh yes... This is for real everybody! No fancy Ice-cream equipment needed either. Just plan a little ahead you can have a sweet summertime treat ready to go for a hot day. Wanna be the cool mom on the block? Or are you like me and YOU JUST WANT ICE CREAM.... Well then this recipe is probably for you! Your kids will go wild for this though, I promise! Great idea for kid's birthday parties, too!

It is easy and tastes delicious! So why not try? You know you wanna! Its okay. Made it for the kids? Psshhh... Yeah right! This is for me! I don't judge... My husband & I still fight over otter pops! 

I didn't eat all of this...... I swear.... What did I say about judging?!

Kool-Aid Ice Cream

1 Packet of Kool-Aid. Any Flavor you desire. (Pictured is cherry flavor)

3/4 Cup sugar

2 Cups whole milk

1 Cup Half n' Half

Mix packet of kool-aid with sugar in a metal bowl. Add Milk and Half n' Half and stir until sugar mixture is dissolved. Pour into shallow freezer container cover with foil and freeze for 1-2 hours. 

After 1-2 hours have passed pour slightly thickened mixture back into metal bowl and whisk until smooth. Once smooth return to shallow baking container and freeze for 8 hours

*TIPS* I use a metal loaf pan for freezing my ice cream in. Use your Kitchen Aid mixer with wire whisk attachment for your mixing. Specially after it has slightly thickened. Or get buff arms and do it the old fashioned way. Your choice! 

Hope you try this summertime treat and enjoy! Thanks for reading!

CLICK HERE TO PRINT!

Sweet Onion Saute

Need a quick last minute dinner idea? Need a fast dinner save? Sweet Onion Saute is a quick save for late evenings where we need a quick dinner! Lets not kid ourselves it is hard to beat a meal in under 30 minutes! Rachel Ray has the right idea thats for sure! 30 minute meals are my favorite. Specially with being outdoor junkies my husband & I are usually not getting home until after dark so I'm usually thrashing for a quick dinner idea if I forgot to throw something in the crock pot!

Sweet Onion Saute is a yummy last minute save for getting some grub on the dinner table when were running a little behind! Hope you give it a try and LOVE it! I sure do!

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy!

Sweet Onion Saute

1 Pound chicken breast 

1 Pound asparagus

1  sweet onion

1/2 Cup Virginia Vidalia Onion Dressing

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 Tablespoon Garlic salt

Chop your onion finely and your asparagus in 1 inch long pieces. Saute in pan over medium high heat. Once onions are caramelized and asparagus tender transfer to plate. Slice your chicken in strips or small chunks (Your Choice) Saute in pan with butter and spices until chicken is cooked with a nice golden look on the outside. Add veggies back into pan with chicken and stir in your onion dressing and let cook for a couple minutes and serve!

TA~DA!! Super chef just whipped out a tasty dinner in a quick amount of time! Boo ya! Pat yourself on the shoulder, now! Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO PRINT! 

Soda bottle splash park

My kids are odd. They love the splash park, but don't really like playing in sprinklers or being splashed...unless they are at the splash park, and then they love being splashed and playing in sprinklers. So I decided to create some at home splash parkness, because I am a hermit crab and like to stay home as much as possible.

All you need is an empty soda bottle and  male to male 3/4'' hose connector. Mine was $6.99 and my local hardware store is a bit on the expensive side.

Drill holes in your bottle with a small drill bit and let er rip.

Added bonus #1 if you hang it from a tree your kids will play in the shade. 

Added bonus #2 you don't have to store the bottle when winter comes.

Bring on the summer!

Easy Breakfast Casserole

Being a wife to an HEO at the power plant comes with early mornings leaving for work. Like a lot wives I am always wondering what to send with my man to get him through the day. FINALLY!  I have thought of the perfect solution and of course now I'm asking myself why didn't I think of this before?? Nevertheless, now I am a religious baker of this easy breakfast casserole. Or as I sometimes like to call it... The WORKING MAN'S BREAKFAST! (Or  working woman's of course... ) It is SO nice to have this ready to go for him to warm up when breakfast time rolls around at work. It is also nice to have baked up when I have a houseful of guests. I hope you give this a try. It will make packing the lunch box go a lot smoother or it will also make feeding a houseful of guests a breeze!! This casserole is great! Simple as that! 

                                        

                                         So turn your oven to 350 degrees and lets do this!

Did I mention there was cheese on it? Oh yes... 

   Easy Breakfast Casserole

                                              

  2 pounds cooked & crumbled breakfast sausage

                                                     Half of a purple onion / chopped                                                     

 1 Cup cheese

  1 Dozen eggs

  1/4 Cup milk

   1 Teaspoon salt

     1 Teaspoon pepper

        1/2 Teaspoon chili powder

        1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder

Set your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 pan and pour crumbled sausage in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle over chopped onion evenly over meat. In a large bowl whisk eggs, milk and spices together. Pour egg mixture over onions and meat. Sprinkle the cheese over everything and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and bubbly. 

What is AWESOME about this recipe is you can pretty much add anything you would desire in it. Hash browns, spinach, diced chilis, bacon, pretty much everything but the kitchen sink! This recipe has the basics but you can defiantly get creative and add whatever flavors you desire into this!

*For the working man I cut potions out and freeze them in sandwich bags and get the next day's breakfast out the night before*

Click here to print!

How to clean a pack and play

Awhile back I saw a you tube video about how to clean your pack and play.  Okay, I'll file that idea away under 'things I don't need to know right now.'  My pack and play is NOT dirty.  I have had it almost 5 years and it still looks perfect. 

Wait.

Seriously, almost 5 years?

In the tub it goes.  Fill it full of hot water and a half cup of homemade laundry soap and a half cup of Melamagic (cleaner by Melaleuca).  If I didn't have those cleaners, I would use a half cup of any all purpose cleaner and 2  cups of store bought laundry soap.  Let it soak for a couple of hours.  This is how dirty the water got from my 'not dirty' pack and play.

Pretty gross if you ask me.

After I pulled it out of the tub I set it on a towel to dry.  The brown spots on my towel where out of control gross.  So I put in back in the tub, same as before. The water was just as dirty AGAIN! After it was done soaking for the second time I took it outside and rinsed it with the hose til the water ran clear and then set it on a towel to dry. The towel stayed clean that time.

Next time, I'll just rinse it the first time.