What to Expect at the Curtis Apple Orchard and Pumpkin Patch

 

 

 

 

If you are looking for something that doesn't cost a lot check out Curtis Apple Orchard and Pumpkin Patch in Champaign Illinois.

 

There are a lot of activities for kids to do and most of them take tokens that you will have to purchase at the token booth. There is Putt 'n Play, corn maze, pony and wagon rides, an inflatable giant slide and inflatable obstacle course that cost anywhere from $1 to $4 depending on the activity. There are some other free play areas as well such as the Munchkin Land for toddlers and petting zoo. If you want to feed the animals you will need change to get food out of the machines. I believe it you needed quarters.

 

Don't forget to bring your camera because there are a lot of great photo opportunities. There is a giant apple orchard chair that the whole family could fit in for a great photo. There are several photo cutout boards that you can put your face in for some cute and funny photos. The whole place has a Wizard of Oz theme so there are plenty of places to take photos.

 

There are face painting and paint pumpkins you can purchase. You can go out and pick your own pumpkins or apples during certain times of the year. The pumpkin patch is a bit of a walk to get to so make sure you wear your walking shoes. They have wagons in which you can use to haul your pumpkins back in and they also are great to put your jackets in and things you might purchase at the store while visiting. I had noticed that some people brought their own Radio Flyer type wagons and made it easier to tote around their little ones, which is a great idea.

 

There is a really nice Flying Monkey Café that serves a variety of meals and treats. I highly recommend trying out our favorites; the apple cider, applesauce and donuts. Definitely check out the country store before you leave, this is where you will need to go to visit the pumpkin patch and pay for your pumpkins. They also have a lot more than just pumpkins and apples in their country store.

This makes a great day trip if you are looking for something to do but really you could make this a half a day trip. They offer tours and parties. Local schools enjoy taking the kids there on field trips. Sometimes they have special events so check out their website for updated information. They do not have an ATM but they expect debit/credit cards and cash.

 

This is a fun and inexpensive family outing that everyone will enjoy.

Copycat Recipes: The Cheesecake Factory's Fried Zucchini Appetizer

 

One of my favorite restaurants is The Cheesecake Factory, but the only bad thing is that the closest restaurant is miles and miles away. I decided to figure out how to recreate my favorite Cheesecake Factory appetizer, so I can get my fix anytime I wanted it. I absolutely love their fried zucchini appetizer, and I think I have come pretty darn close on the recipe. Try this out and see if you agree. I would really love to hear back from you so leave me a comment.

 

INGREDIENTS:

Small Zucchini

All-purpose flour

Salt and pepper

Egg

Panko bread crumbs

Parmesan cheese, grated and shredded

Hidden Valley Peppered Ranch

Oil for frying

 

Cut ends off of the zucchini and then cut in half. Then cut each half into halves and then those halves into halves again. Cut each strip down to about 3 to 4 inch strips. Put one cup of all-purpose flour in a bowl and add salt and pepper. Coat each zucchini strip into the flour mixture and place on a plate.

 

Scramble an egg in a bowl. Place a cup of panko bread crumbs in a bowl, a tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese and add salt and pepper. Dip each zucchini strip in the egg and then into the panko mixture and place on a plate. In a frying pan, heat enough oil that will coat your zucchini strips. Once oil is heated to temperature, fry zucchini until coating is brown and crisp.

Allow fried zucchini to drain on a cooling rack or on paper towels. Plate zucchini strips on a serving plate and top with some shredded parmesan cheese. Serve with The Original Hidden Valley Ranch Peppercorn.

How to Regrow Some of Your Favorite Green Vegetables

There is no doubt that organic and non-GMO vegetables are better quality produce. Organic vegetables are grown without using synthetic chemicals or genetically modified organisms and must be processed and packaged without additives, artificial colors or preservatives. Therefore, the end product is of better quality and is healthier for us to consume. For this, we often pay a higher price for the best possible food we could eat but it is worth the investment for good health.

It can be a financial struggle to buy the best quality food for our families so if there is a way for us to make our groceries last we should do everything we can to do so. Many people do not realize that they can easily regrow vegetables that they get from the grocery store or farmers market. You can also save the seeds of foods and replant them in your own gardens, planters, etc. This is highly recommended if you are buying organic and non-GMO fruits and vegetables.

The first time I tried to regrow a vegetable I tried green onions. I remember my mom used to do this trick when I was a kid and thought I would give it a try. If you cut off the green top part of the onion and put the white part with the roots still intact in a glass of water by a sunny window (all you need is about an inch of the white part with the roots). In a couple of days, the bulbs of the onions will start to sprout more greens. You can transplant them into soil or allow them to grow in the glass of water. Be sure to change the water daily, it will have a bad odor if you do not. Green onions are also referred to as spring onions or scallions.

Lettuce (romaine is popular), leeks, bok choy, cabbage, celery, and fennel can all be regrown from the root stump waste that you would typically throw away from the vegetable you buy from the supermarket. When you cut the stump off the vegetable you are going to use from the grocery store, cut about 1 to 2 inches from the root of the vegetable to leave a 1 to 2 inch stump to use to regrow. Remember to buy organic whenever possible! Place the stumps in a bowl or glass that has enough water to cover the stem/root of the vegetable. Do not allow the entire stump to get submerged in water. Place the bowl in a sunny window. Change the water every day and rinse the stump every day as well to help prevent mold growth. You can also peel away some of the outer layers of the vegetable to help prevent mold growth. After a week or two the vegetable should start to sprout new leaves or stalks and will be ready to be transplanted into a garden or planter.

Re-growing your store bought vegetables is a great way to get more out of your money. It's a fun science project for kids and a great way to teach them to grow their own food.

Wreath Cupcakes

I taught my 9 year old how to ice these cupcakes for her class party. She did really well. It was her idea to add the red m&m's to look like holly berries! Love them!

Rice Crispy Treat Pizza

Puking Pumpkin Dip

Pinterest Cheeseball Owl

So the owls on Pinterest looked a lot better but not bad my first try.

Melted snowman cookies

Free at Kohls

I got this awesome cake caddy for free today at Kohls. I used my $10 kohls cash I got in the mail today and got this caddy on clearance for 9.99 so it was free. Yeah!

Homemade Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

Mason Jar Pies

Thanksgiving is all about the food. I always stuff myself with all kinds of delicious foods and hardly ever have room for dessert until hours later. Usually when we have guests over for dinner I'm left with a bunch of desserts or I'm making plates to take home of all the sweet treats because we always gorge ourselves with turkey and all the fixin's. So a great idea is just make the desserts ready to go so the guests can take them with them and can also be a Thanksgiving dinner favor. Try making individual pies in small mason jars for each of your guests. You could decorate the jars after you have baked the pies with scrapbook paper or ribbon and a tag with a greatful message that they came to dinner.

Click Here To Learn How To Make Mason Jar Pies

Eat More Healthier Foods....

Anyone who knows me well, knows that my two favorite things are cooking and scrapbooking! My husband and I just rented the documentary film called Food, Inc. We have been interested in these types of informative shows about food moreso in the last few years since I have had some health issues. We have changed our way of eating for the better but it has been a slow movement and we are trying to really concentrate on it this year. So in our quest to eat better and really understand where our food is coming from and what goes into making it we have been trying to find local organic foods. In the summer there are a few farmers markets in the area which is really nice and we have a Walmart that does have a few organic items scattered throughout the store. We have a County Market that has most of their organic foods in the same area but still there is not much variety and of course it is very expensive! I don't mind spending more money for good food if we can afford it but lets face it...to feed a family of 4 only organic is extremely costly. So anywho, I found this fantastic website that I wanted to share for those of you looking for local foods that are organic, free range, etc.

http://www.localharvest.org/

And I would also like to mention that the Food Inc. movie was informative and they have a website that I think is of interest. There are also many other documentaries on this subject but I can't remember any titles of them off hand. There was one that I wish I could remember that I would highly recommend you seeing that has a man working undercover in slaughter houses and factories and such to unmask how they really treat animals that we eat.

Please also check out: www.takepart.com/foodinc