My children just love to collect things, rocks, sticks, bugs, you name it!
We thought it would be fun to put some of their collections to use, and make some color-blocked painted stick necklaces.
My cute little Norah loved the project, and got down to business painting her stick.
It turned out rather cute! This would also be a fun gift for your children to give for Mother’s Day!
Be sure to check out the full step by step tutorial for the necklaces over on Less than Perfect Parents! I am a new contributor over there for kid’s craft ideas.
Now that the weather is finally warming up, picnics, barbecues, and summer get togethers are on their way soon! I recently made these yummy barbecue pork sliders for my son’s second birthday party, and they were so easy to make for a large crowd, and they turned out to be very tasty especially on the pretzel rolls from Costco!
Crockpot Barbecue Pulled Pork Sliders adapted from Paula Dean Serves 10-15
2 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 tsp paprika Pinch of cayenne pepper, optional 5 pounds boneless pork butt or shoulder 2 cups barbecue sauce (homemade or store bought) -I prefer sweet baby rays 10 to 12 soft rolls (I loved the pretzel rolls from costco) 5 garlic cloves peeled and sliced in half
Directions
In a small bowl, mix the chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne, if using. Rub the spice mixture on all sides of the pork. Poke the pork with a knife and place the sliced in half garlic cloves into the meat throughout the pork shoulder. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Place pork in a slow cooker. Set on low heat and cook for 10 hours. Transfer from the slow cooker to a roasting pan and shred with two forks, removing any large pieces of fat. Pour the broth into a heatproof pitcher or large fat separator, and skim off the fat. Put the pork back into the slow cooker. Combine the barbecue sauce and about 2 cups of the skimmed broth. Stir into the pork and cook 2 hours. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pork from the slow cooker. Place the meat on a serving platter or on individual buns. Serve the remaining sauce alongside.
The nice thing about working with a company like Haagen Daz, is that on random days of the month, I’ll get a knock at my door, and there on my porch will be the newest flavors of gelato! Pretty much a dream come true, right?!
I’ve had some particularly crazy/rough/busy days the last few months, so it has been nice to have a little gelato “friend” with me when I’ve been tackling my crazy email inbox. Seems to help a bit!
Sometimes even when you don’t have a minute to spare, it’s nice to take a brief moment to yourself before you have to get back to the grind.
Be sure to share your #hdmoment, and Haagen Daz might share yours over on the Haagen Daz tumblr page!
[Disclosure: Haagen Daz sent over product samples and gifts in exchange for me blogging about their “Moment’s for Me” campaign. All thoughts and opinions are my own]
