mommyapolis

This is a project that so many people know about, but if you have not done it I highly suggest it, it was so much fun…  All you need is some sort of sticky food (peanut butter, sun butter, almond butter, honey etc..) some birdseed, string or twine and some time to get messy…

Step 1:  Tie string or twine to a pine cone and/or a bagel (through the middle)…

Step 2:  Spread peanut butter, sun butter, almond butter or honey on a pine cone or bagel.  Make sure to take a few “licks” for yourself…

Step 3:  Sprinkle the bagel/pine cone with birdseed and hang it in your favorite tree…

Step 4:  Stand back and watch for birds…

We are officially on summer vacation and we thought we’d kick of our first week with a bird theme…

Here is my plan…

Monday:  Paint a birdhouse for father’s day…  I bought one of those wooden bird houses and let the boys go to town on painting it…   I let them each paint one side and one of them painted the front and the other the back.  I think the birds are going to love us after this week!

Tuesday:  We take a class at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (little pea pods class, amazing) and this week the theme was MUD.  I figured I could work birds into mud somehow and save myself an extra project for one day!  We made mud pies filled will all sorts of things birds love during class!  SO, on our way home we talked about how birds use all sorts of sticks, leaves, mulch and MUD to make their nests…  We thought we’d leave our mud pies outside and see if the birds want to borrow any of our “supplies” for their nests (genius right, now no mud in the house)… I think it takes a brave mom or dad to make mud pies at home, but I promise my kids LOVED it… I was just lucky enough to get to do it away from home!

Wednesday:  Homemade Birdfeeders

Bagels, Pinecones, Sticky Food (Peanut Butter, Sun Butter, Almond Butter, Honey, etc..), birdseed, twine..

Well rhubarb season is fast upon us and I love baking with rhubarb, mostly because I just don’t like it alone!  Usually I find myself indulging in strawberry-rhubarb pie or delicious rhubarb slush,  but this week I thought I’d try something new and different… I tried it because my eldest son said “Mommy lets make an apple rhubarb pie (he thought he invented it)”.   It turned out rather yummy and I think you might like it too… Here is the recipe…

For the Topping:

The zest of 2 lemons (save the juice for the filling)

1.5 cups of sugar

1.5 cups flour

1/2 t salt

1/2 t cinnamon

1 stick of butter (cold)

For the Filling:

3 granny smith apples, peeled, sliced and cored

3 cups rhubarb, chopped

The juice of the above 2 lemons

1/2 cup sugar

FOR TOPPING:

Zest the two  lemons.  Put the zest of the lemon and the 1.5 cups sugar in a food processor or blender.  Grind until very fine.  Add the flour and all of the spices to this mixture.  Add the cold butter and combine in the mixer.  Set Aside

For Base:

Slice all of the apples and rhubarb and place them in a casserole dish or baking pan.  Squeeze the juice from the above lemon(s) all over the apples.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup of sugar over the fruit and stir to combine.  Pour the crumb mixture from above (the topping) over the apples and pat it down.  Bake this at 375 degrees for 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

I am not sure if I would have ever come across this website had it not been for the fact that they asked my talented hubby if they could feature him in their next article.  Once I heard this I searched this site up and down and found I really loved it.  This site has some great party ideas, recipes, wedding planning tips (which I don’t need, but love to look at) and so much more!  I highly suggest you check it out at  http://www.pizzazzerie.com/ …  You might happen to see a pretty great photographer featured while you’re there…