For his sixth birthday party last weekend my youngest requested chocolate cupcakes with white icing. My mother was the baker and happily obliged. That is until we had a mini-crisis–she could not find her special buttercream icing recipe. Only an hour from party time, Mother pulled out an icing recipe from days gone by…7 Minute Icing. It’s in most country cookbooks for a reason–it’s simple, fast, and yummy!

7 Minute Icing
Wilma Kitchens

2 egg whites, 1 and 1/2 cups sugar, 1 and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1/2 cup cold water, dash salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla

Place all ingredients except vanilla in a double boiler. Beat one minute with an electric mixer. Cook over boiling water, beating constantly with mixer until firm peaks form. You’ll know when icing will curl a bit when you pull the mixer up. Mix in vanilla at end. Be sure to make this icing on a dry day–it will not work on a rainy day.

In time past many of us would laugh off the thought of thinking ahead to Christmas in July. In July it is easy to be proud procrastinators.

Today’s economy has changed that privilege for many families. Nowadays everything we can do in advance serves not only to save money but our time too. Thinking ahead this month will pave the way for a more peaceful and rewarding holiday with family and friends. Here are some ideas to jumpstart the coming holiday season…

Special Occasions Binder.
In 2005 Anita Cramer shared the idea of creating a binder with MMCW to keep up with all the lists and ideas associated with Christmas. Taking her idea a step further, my binder includes all the events my family celebrates throughout the year. I can quickly pinpoint family holiday recipes, card lists, gift lists, or party menus without tearing the house apart. Better yet, I have a place to put ideas for family gatherings I compile during the year from magazines and online reading.

My binder is a simple $4 binder from Wal-Mart. Sections are divided with tabs and include: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Gift List, Christmas Card List, Homemade Goodie Ideas, Christmas Recipes, Christmas Parties, New Years, Valentine’s Day, 4th of July, Birthdays, and Mother’s/Father’s Day. I use page protectors to house pages torn from magazines, recipes, and gift receipts. If you do not have a binder, set one up this month. Just putting copies of your family’s favorite Christmas recipes in one spot will save you time come December.

Right on Schedule.
Take a look at your calendar right now. Odds are you have few events scheduled presently for November and December. Guard as many of those free days for your family as possible. Be intentional during the months ahead and use your time–and your binder–to stay ahead of the holiday rush. Pencil in events you know will be happening during December in the margin of the calendar. Only list essential events and feel free to set a boundary now around your December time.

Strategize Now.
Sit down and write your gift recipient list for 2010 and assign a monetary amount to each person. Be realistic–do not forget Christmas stockings gifts too! The beauty of planning Christmas in July is that you have plenty of time to find a $25 gift for $5 in the clearance section of stores. Do not put down a $25 gift amount on the list when you know that your budget is realistically $5.

Make hard decisions this month.
If you cannot afford to give gifts to extended family this year, have the discussion now. Choosing to draw names or set spending limits are alternatives. You may be surprised to find everyone else just as relieved about the change. Having a list along with a budget will help to avoid the burden of overspending in December. Keep a master list in your binder and a small copy in your purse. I keep my list on a folded piece of paper in my wallet.

Eyes Wide Open.
The key to Christmas in July is keeping our eyes alert for deep discounted summer sales. Around July 4th I visit the Disney store for 75% off beach towels and toys. During the same time period Target begins clearing out to make room for Christmas toys. By the first of August, Christian bookstores such as Lifeway mark selected home decor, books, jewelry, and CDs anywhere from 75% to 90% off. With the economy in its current state, do not be surprised to find deeper discounts than usual at the mall from clothing retailers. There are great fall and winter clothing sales to be had now at name brand stores. Just last weekend, I bought two fall blouses and a pair of jeans for $16. Finally, don’t rule out yard sales. I once bought four American Girl dolls in mint condition for $25 each at a yard sale. Never underestimate the power of the Lord to provide just what you are looking for within your budget.

Every Little Bit Counts
Do you have craft projects that would make perfect Christmas gifts? July is the perfect time to pull them together. If you like making homemade goodies, right now is the time for gathering jars for blueberry jam or maybe fig preserves. Are you a scrapbooker? Use extra supplies to create some gifts for teen scrapbookers in your family or even make an album for someone special. Make a photo CD set to music of last Christmas to give as gifts this year to family. Pick up a $5 Sonic gift card or maybe $10 iTunes cards. (Yes, $10 iTunes cards exist. They come in packs of three at Wal-Mart.)

Here are some craft projects I’m eyeing for this year:

Tea Wreaths

Washer Necklaces

Rice Bag Warmers

Framed Fabric Mon0gram

For plenty of ideas be sure to also look through our 12 Days of Christmas series. You’ll find recipes, gift ideas, devotions, and organizational tips.

How do you plan to plan ahead for Christmas 2010?

What if I told you there is a way to make chicken wings healthy without giving up flavor? Really.

My mother made a healthy version last weekend that can compete with any wing on the block. Besides being healthier than its deep-fried counterpart, these zesty wings are cheap to make at home. Soaked in a brine followed by a spice rub, they are marvelous for any party, served hot or cold. Mother says that you can use wings or drumettes and even chicken legs wonderful choices too.

Zesty Chicken Wings
Wilma Kitchens

14-16 wings, drumettes, or chicken legs

Brine: 3/4 cup of sea salt, 1 cup apple juice, 1/4 cup whole peppercorns, 8 cups water, 5 to 6 cloves of crushed garlic.

Mix in a large dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then allow to cool for at least 10 minutes or longer. Put wings/drumettes/legs in to soak overnight in the fridge.

Dry Rub: 6 tablespoons of Italian herb seasoning, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons of garlic powder, 2 teaspoons of sea salt, 2 teaspoons of black pepper.

After soaking overnight, drain brine and discard. Divide rub mixture between two large Ziploc bags. Divide chicken between two bags and shake to coat.

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray or coat with olive oil.

For wings, broil for 8 minutes, then turn over and broil an additional 8 minutes. For drumettes and legs you will need to increase the time. Make sure chicken is cooked through.

When our oldest was born, I would fold clothes slowly as he slept.

Slowly because I was watching intently to make sure he was breathing.

As you can imagine, not much got done during those days. Between watching him sleep, working full time and folding those clothes, it seemed like there was no time for anything–especially an organized home.

Fast forward sixteen years, three more children, add on homeschooling, music, sports, and writing for Mentoring Moments and Oasis. I laugh when I recall those early first child days–I was clueless to what the phrase I have no time really meant.

Back then I thought of myself as an organized person, maybe because I could stand in the container aisle of Wal-Mart and think up innovative ways to store things. Always on the lookout for ways to save space, you could have called me the Queen of Rubbermaid.

These days, organization is not a pastime, it is a necessity. The saying is true–the more children you have the more organized you have to become.

In a matter of weeks our kiddos will be going back to school. That means school supplies can easily get misplaced and find themselves spread out all over the home. My command central is our supply closet…

Supply Closet

Finding a way to organize all of our school supplies and books proved easier than I thought when I found these plastic drawers at Wal-Mart. Drawers are purchased individually, so one can stack as many as needed. I was able to fit five large drawers for craft supplies, office supplies, art paper, notebook / loose leaf paper, and a pencil/pen/glue/crayon/marker drawer. Two smaller plastic drawers hold computer software /audio CDs and math manipulatives.

If you are a grandmother,  these drawers make a great spot for crayons, paper, Play-Dough, Barbie dolls, doll clothes, race cars, Legos, and more. The drawers do slide out, so they can be transported elsewhere in the home and put back when finished.

Stores are ramping up their school supply aisles right now and preparing for back-to-school sales. Save money by purchasing enough to last the entire year and store them in your supply closet. To get the best deals, purchase only the necessities for the first week or so of school, then stock up later in August when stores will offer deeper discounts. I normally purchase upwards of 12 packs of both college-ruled and wide-ruled paper, for example, which means I shop only once for paper a year.  Instead of running to Wal-Mart at 10 pm for  paper, I send the kiddos to the supply closet. Other items I stock up on are magic markers, glue sticks, boxes of pencils, erasers (we go through them like crazy), construction paper, index cards, poster board and art supplies.

Another nifty organization idea…

Closetmaid.com
My friend Michelle shared this link with me. You can enter your closet dimensions and receive plans for a professional remake you can do on your own.

Let’s keep this going…

MMCW is hosting a School Room Carnival! Share your blog posts and photos of how you organize your home learning environment. We will all be inspired by tips and ideas! Simply send the URL of your blog  post to me at mentoringmoments@aol.com by July 23rd. The carnival will run on July 28th.

Question: How do you organize school supplies?

Do you need something new  for dinner this week?  Today we’re going on a blogging tour to add some fun, fresh, and yummy recipes to our menus. Gals from across the web submitted their favorite summer recipe for us to try out. Come one, let’s get going…

Our first stop is Molly’s mouth-watering Vietnamese Chicken Salad at CounterCulturalMom. Molly says the combination of chicken salad, rice noodles, and veggies is the perfect girl’s night out meal.

Carla at Married Single Moms shares not only her wonderful Tomato Feta Salad but tips on garnishes and pretty plates.

Katharine at Just a Thought shares her beat-the-heat Summer Fruit Crock-pot Cobbler.  Fresh berries combined with nuts and a lemon cake mix sounds like a winning combination!

Ms. Baker at The Better Baker shares her winning recipe for home-made from scratch Strawberry Pizza.  Cool, refreshing and sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Nothing says summer better than a smoothie. Cyndejoy at Cyndejoy’s Blog shows us how to make her refreshing Summer Cool StrawPeachy Smoothie.

Wrapping up our tour of favorite summer recipes is some of MMCW oldies but goodies. If you haven’t had a chance to check out our Recipe Box you may want to. Our Recipe Box contains all the recipes posted on MMCW. Some of our favorites are:

Lori’s Maple Glazed Salmon, perfect for summer grilling.

Loi’s Marinated London Broil is super-simple and marvelous.

My mother-in-law’s Apple Dumpling recipe is one of the top viewed posts at MMCW. This is perfect for a summer evening with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

What’s your favorite summer recipe?
Let’s keep the carnival going–share your recipe via our comment section!

I love, love, love, having people over to my house. However, I usually manage to drive my family nuts with the preparations that need to be made prior to that knock on the door. I want guests to my home to feel comfortable and welcomed. I most certainly do not want them to realize how much I’ve stressed in the preceding hours. It is funny that after my family has spent the day with Mrs. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll comes out to play with the guests.

From the Bible, we learn that hospitality is a God-given gift that should be used to bring glory to Him. Through hospitality, Paul tells us in Hebrews one might entertain angels and not know it. Peter makes it clear that hospitality is not merely a suggestion but a requirement. The letter he wrote which addresses all Christians says:

“Show hospitality to one another without complaining. Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of the varied grace of God” 1 Peter 4:9-10

I remember the show hospitality part of the verse but ignore the equally important second part which tells us to do it without complaining. One of the definitions for the word translated complaining is “secret displeasure not openly avowed.” OUCH! If I am bemoaning the cleaning and cooking as I am preparing, I am guessing that counts as complaining. The same is true of my mood. If by words and actions, I reflect anxiety and worry over each detail rather than enthusiasm and peace, it would seem to be the polar opposite of pleasure. True hospitality begins before the guests arrive, not with a smile and kind words when the door is opened.

Surprise guests with this refreshing strawberry salsa and yummy sopapillas at your July 4th picnic. Easy to make and delicious to eat!

Sopapilla ingredients:
1 package flour tortillas
Cooking spray
Cinnamon and sugar mix

Instructions: Spray both sides of each tortilla with cooking spray.  Cut into triangular wedges with a pizza cutter.  Dredge each wedge in the cinnamon/sugar mix.  Bake on a cookie sheet at 350 F for about 5 minutes.  Turn the chips over with tongs and cook 5 to 8 more minutes or until crispy.

Strawberry salsa ingredients:
1 carton strawberries, washed and stemmed
1 peeled, seeded apple
2 peeled kiwis
1 tablespoon sugar, according to taste
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Rough chop all ingredients in a food processor.  The strawberries, kiwi, and apple pieces will have the appearance of tomato, pepper and onion salsa.

Our June featured blogger is Katharine from Canada. If you would like to join our blogroll and have your blog featured click here.

Good Monday Morning…

I love my crockpot, and especially in the summer… it is great for not heating up my kitchen and for being able to enjoy summer plans and still come home to a nice dinner with little or no work. If you love to host breakfast or brunch (my favorite) this is an easy, crowd pleasing recipe…

Crock Pot Morning Casserole
1 bag (32 oz.) frozen hash brown potatoes
1 lb. of bacon diced, cooked and drained or 1 lb. cooked ham, cubed
1 medium diced onion
1 green bell pepper diced
1 1/2 C. shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 dozen eggs
1 C. milk
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper (more or less to taste)

Place a layer of frozen potatoes on the bottom of the slow cooker, followed by a layer of bacon, then onions, green pepper and cheese. Repeat the layering process two or three more times, ending with a layer of cheese.

Beat the eggs, milk and salt and pepper together. Pour over the crockpot mixture, cover and turn on low. Cook for 10-12 hours–while you sleep peacefully and stress free.

I realize this isn’t the most appetizing picture, but I promise it’s really good!

Blessings on your Monday~
Katharine

Katharine is mom to four incredible kids and wife to the best husband on the planet. Visit her blog…

Jiffy pie crust mix helps make this quick and easy dessert.  I got this recipe from my mother-in-law several years ago, she uses vanilla instead of the almond extract.

2 (29 oz) cans sliced peaches in heavy syrup

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla

2 boxes Jiffy brand pie crust mix

½ cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Mix peaches (do not drain), sugar and extract and pour into baking dish. Prepare pie crust mix using the box directions ( I like to use milk instead of the water). Roll out the dough and place on top of peach mixture. Pour melted butter evenly over the top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown.  Serve warm with ice cream or cool whip.

*** for a nicer presentation you can roll the dough into strips and form a lattice pattern***

Quick and easy, these scalloped potatoes are a marvelous side dish. My personal favorite is pairing the potatoes with either grilled beef or chicken. Since there is no milk or cream, butter bastes the potatoes as they cook for a yummy flavor.

9 x 13 baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray

1 Idaho potato per person

1/2 stick butter or maragine

Real Black Pepper bacon bits (or make your own)

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Optional: chives, chopped onion, cheese

Thinly slice potatoes and place in baking dish. Add as many bacon bits and optional items as you would like.  Add Sea Salt and pepper. Add butter. If you are cooking a large amount, adjust butter as it is the only liquid (once melted during cooking). Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft.