Skillet Beef, Veggies and brown rice

2 c. beef broth
1 1/2 C. uncooked instant brown rice
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 pound beef top round steak, trimmed and cut into thin strips (I used stew meat!)
1/4 C. chopped onion
1 C. fresh snap pea pods, strings removed
1 tsp. italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Heat broth to boiling in 2 qt. saucepan. Stir in rice and carrots. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 6-8 minutes or until carrots are crisp-tender. Let stand 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef and onion in oil about 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until beef is brown and onion is tender. Stir in cooked rice mixture, pea pods, and seasonings.

Cover and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, just until pea pods are tender. Add a small amount of water to mixture if it becomes dry before pods are tender.

I got this one from bettycrocker.com

Brazilian Lemonade

1 C. sugar
6 C. cold water
4 juicy limes (pick thin skinned, smooth ones)
6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

1. Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time.

2. Wash limes thoroughly with soap (use hand or dish soap). Soap gets off all the wax and pesticides because you are using the whole lime. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into eighths.

3. Place half of the limes in your blender. Add half of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender and pulse 5 times.

4. Place a fine-mesh strainer over pitcher and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp and residue into the trash. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water.

5. Whisk in sweetened condensed milk

6. Serve immediately over lots of ice.

*This does not keep well, so cut the limes, and mix the sugar water ahead of time, but do not blend until you are ready to serve.

Peppermint fudge

Oh! This is heavenly! It is fudge, but it tastes like divinity! YUMMY!!

Peppermint Fudge
1 1/2 C. crushed peppermint candy
1 C. marshmallow creme
4 C. sugar
1 C. evaporated milk
1/3 C. light corn syrup
6 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. salt

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 C. crushed peppermint candies and marshmallow. Cook over medium heat until smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Butter the sides of a large heavy saucepan or dutch oven. Add sugar, milk, corn syrup, butter, honey, and salt. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Using a pastry brush dipped in hot water, wash down any sugar crystals on sides of pan. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Using a candy thermometer, cook syrup until it reaches soft ball stage: 234-240 degrees. To test, drop a small amount of fudge in ice water. Syrup should easily form a ball in the water, but flatten out when held in your hand. Stir in marshmallow mixture. Fill your kitchen sink with 2 inches of cold water. Place saucepan in the sink and cool to approximately 120 degrees. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat fudge until thickened and no longer glossy. Stir in remaining 1/2 c. peppermint candies. Pour into a buttered 8x11 inch baking pan. Cool completely and cut into 1" squares. store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Tepee Treats

We made these in my daughters 5th grade class party. They turned out really cute, and the kids enjoyed it!! I got this recipe from familyfun.com

Tepee Treats
*sugar cones
*powdered sugar
*unsalted butter
*vanilla extract
*cake decorating icing
*decorative candies
*toothpicks

In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer set at low speed, mix 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 C. of softened, unsalted butter, and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract until smooth and spreadable. Stir in a bit of milk, if needed.
Frost the sugar cones and place them in the freezer for a few minutes until the icing hardens.
Now use tubes of icing to draw patterns and images and glue on candies. For lodgepoles, insert toothpicks into tip of each cone.

another one from Kraftfoods.com

Smore Ice Cream Treats
9 graham crackers, broken in half(18 squares), divided
1 C. hot fudge ice cream topping, divided
2 C. mini marshmallows
2 C. chocolate ice cream, softened

Place 9 graham squares in a single layer on bottom of foil lined 9inch square pan. Spread with 1/2 C. fudge topping; sprinkle with marshmallows.
Top with layers of ice cream, remaining fudge topping and remaining graham squares; cover.
Freeze several hours or overnight. Let stand at room temperature 10 min. before cutting into squares.

Snap pea-sesame pasta

I got this from Kraftfoods.com There were no leftovers. The kids ate more than 1 helping. It's a keeper!!

1/3 C. Catalina dressing
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. honey
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. water
1/2 lb. bucatini pasta, uncooked (we used penne pasta)
2 tsp. oil
1 onion, thinly sliced, seperated into rings (I left out)
1 1/2 tsp. gingerroot
2 cloves garlic, minced (I left out)
3/4 C.chicken broth
3 C. sugar snap peas, trimmed
2 carrots, cut into matchlike sticks (2 cups)
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted

Mix dressing, soy sauce and honey. Dissolve cornstarch in water. Cook pasta as directed on package.
Meanwhile, heat oil in wok or large skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions; stir-fry 2 min. Add ginger and garlic; stir-fry 1 min. Stir in broth, peas and carrots; bring to boil. Cover; cook 2 min. Stir in dressing mixture, then cornstarch mixture; cook and stir 1 min. or until thickened.
Drain pasta; place on platter. Top with sauce and sesame seed.

Yummy Punch

Mix together:
1 can white grape raspberry concentrate( or white grape peach)
1 bottle (2 liter) pineapple soda
1 bag crushed ice

Foamerators!!

This was alot of fun for the kids! They make cool foam snakes. You will need: scissors, empty Plastic water or soda bottle(choose thick ones, the thinner ones won't work!), an old towel, rubber band, water and dish soap.

Use scissors to cut the bottom off of the bottle. Cover the open end with a circular piece of towel that's a few inches wider than the bottle. Secure the towel with a rubber band and dampen it with water, then dip it into a shallow bowl of dish soap. Blow through the mouth of the bottle to create snakes of tiny bubbles.

Lemonade Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 oz. frozen lemonade, thawed
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. vinegar
1/4 c. ketchup

Place chicken in greased slow cooker. Stir lemonade concentrate, brown sugar, vinegar, and ketchup together. Mix well. pour over chicken. Cover and cook on high heat 3-4 hours, or on low heat 6-8 hours.
*Serving suggestion: Thicken the liquid and serve as a sauce for potatoes or rice.

I know the sauce sounds strange, but it was really good!!

Fishing in the kitchen??

My kids did this with Grandma last weekend while she was babysitting.... It was a hit... we had it for snack time today at home!!

Items Needed:
plate
Nutella (or peanut butter)
Pretzel sticks
Goldfish crackers (we used chocolate, vanilla, and graham flavored)

Spread the fish across the plate. Dab a little Nutella on the side. To fish, use your pretzel stick as your rod, dip it in the nutella and catch your fish and eat it. Be careful, sometimes those fish like to get away!

Fluffy Flip Flops!

These were fun, easy, cheap and turned out pretty cute!!
To make them, select some fabric (we got some from grandma's craft room!) and use scissors or pinking shears to cut 1x6 inch strips. (The number depends on the size of shoe... mine were about 28 per shoe, my 8 year olds were about 20 per shoe!)
Using single knots, tie the strips around the flip-flop straps, pushing the knots close together as you go. Keep adding pieces until your new slippers are done.
My girls just used scrap material and made them colorful and funky. I chose coordinating colors and did a pattern, or you could choose 1 fabric and make them all the same. The possiblities are endless! Have fun!!

Cinnamini buns

These were so easy, Kilee (age 10) made them by herself. Quick, easy and I usually have all the ingredients on hand.

Cinnamini Buns
2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 C. Powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to 350. Generously grease a large baking sheet. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, mix well.
Unroll dough and seperate into 2 long rectangles; firmly press perforations to seal. Brush dough with melted butter; sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Roll up each rectangle lightly starting from long side; pinch edges to seal. Cut each roll into 12 (1 inch) slices. Place slices, cut sides up), about 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
Bake about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack. Blend powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl until smooth; add additional milk, if necessary, to reach desired consistency. Drizzle glaze over cinnamon buns.
Makes 2 doz. mini cinnamon buns

Watermelon Sorbet

We usually make this each time we get a watermelon. It is good, refreshing, and fun!

1 C. water
1/2 C. sugar
4 C. watermelon chunks
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into a 8" baking pan. Puree the watermelon in a blender, then put in with the sugar mixture. Stir in the lemon juice. Place the pan in the freezer for 1 hour. Stir; freeze for 45 minutes. Stir and then freeze through. To serve, thaw slightly, dish out and enjoy!

Take a Dip lunch

Easy, quick lunch. Use whatever you have on hand. Would be great to send to school for lunch too. We used bread, tomatoes, cucumber slices, and carrots.

1 oz. smoked turkey sausage
1 oz. mozzarella or provolone cheese
1 oz. italian or french bread
assorted dippers such as zucchini slices, carrot sticks, broccoli florets, grape or cherry tomatoes.
1/4 C. pizza sauce

Cut dippers into bite size pieces. (if sending for lunch put in a container with a lid or resealable bag.)
Put the pizza sauce into a small container.
Dip and enjoy.

Another Main Dish Success!

Finding Main dishes that my kids like are few and far between. Tonight, my pickiest, Emmie, (who doesn't like alfredo sauce), ate 2 helpings of this. Keeper!!

Pasta Alfredo
Pampered chef recipe

1 pkg. (16 oz.) Uncooked pasta
1 1/2 C. heavy cream
1 1/2 c. milk
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. flour
2 C. grated fresh parmesan cheese
salt and ground white pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and keep warm.
Combine cream and milk in saucepan. Heat over Medium heat until warm; do not boil. Remove from heat; set aside.
Melt butter and whisk in flour until smooth. Add to cream mixture all at once, whisking constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer over low heat 5 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened, whisking constantly.
Remove sauce from heat. Add parmesan cheese, salt and pepper; whisk until smooth. Toss with hot pasta and serve immediately.
* I sprinkled a little italian seasoning on mine too. YUM!!

Quick and Easy, and Yummy!!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

3 lg. chicken breasts, sliced in half down the middle to make 6 pieces
6 Tbsp. chive and onion cream cheese
6 Tbsp. Margarine
6 pieces bacon, uncooked

Pound the chicken halves to tenderize and flatten, being careful not to tear. On top of each chicken breast, place a Tbsp. of cream cheese and a Tbsp. of margarine. Roll up each breast and wrap with a piece of bacon. Place bacon-chicken in baking dish. cover and cook for 30 minutes at 375. When juices run clear and chicken is done, uncover dish and turn oven to broil. Broil until bacon reaches desired crispness.
When serving pour the juices over the chicken if desired.

Fun and Easy

I got this one off of pillsbury.com!

Crescent Dog on a stick
8 hot dogs
4 slices american cheese, each cut into 6 strips
1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
8 wooden corn dog sticks (optional)

Heat oven to 375. Slit hot dogs within 1/2 inch of ends; insert 3 strips of cheese into each slit.
Seperate dough into triangles. wrap dough triangle around each hot dog. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, cheese side up.
Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
insert 1 stick into each crescent dog if desired.
Dip in ketchup or mustard!

Rich, Rich, Yum!!

Oh these brownies are good, but they are rich. Serve with a cup of milk!! This recipe is from 101 Gourmet cookies.

Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownies
1/2 C. butter
12 oz. dark (or semisweet)chocolate chips
1 C. brown sugar
3 eggs
pinch of salt
1/2 C. flour
1 C. white chocolate chips
1 1/2 C. milk chocolate chips

In a large saucepan, melt butter and dark chocolate chips on low, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in sugar until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring in between. Add salt and flour and mix until no flour is seen. Fold in white chocolate chips.
Pour batter into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 24-28 minutes until middle is set. Remove from oven and place milk chocolate chips on top of brownies. let stand for 2 minutes. Spread melted chocolate until smooth. Cool completely and cut.

Easy enough for kids to make!!

Easy as Pie

1 prepared pie crust, either oreo or graham cracker
1 half gallon ice cream, softened
Whipped cream
Chocolate or caramel toppings
Maraschino cherries

Fold softened ice cream into pie crust and spread evenly.
Freeze until ice cream is solid.
Top with whipped cream, toppings and cherries as desired.
Serve and enjoy!

*We had Graham cracker crust with cookie dough ice cream... YUM!

I Definately need to double this from now on.

SO EASY and yummy! It only makes 4 servings, so you may need to double it.

Crispy Orange Chicken Bowl
1 pkg. Knorr asian sides teriyaki noodles
1 bag (12-16oz.) frozen stir fry vegetables, thawed
1/4 C. toasted sliced almonds
12 oz. Chicken nuggets, prepared according to pkg. directions
1/4 C. orange marmalade or apricot preserves
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. white vinegar

Prepare noodles according to package directions, adding veggies during the last 2 minutes of cook time. Stir in almonds and divide into 4 bowls.

Toss chicken with marmalade, soy sauce and vinegar. Serve over hot noodles.
Garnish with additional almonds and chow mein noodles, if desired.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread
1 1/3 C. Sugar, divided
2 tsps. ground cinnamon
2 C. flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
1 C. milk
1/3 C. vegetable or canola oil

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9x5" loaf pan. In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon and 1/3 C. sugar. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and remaining 1 C. sugar. Combine egg, milk and oil and add to flour mixture. Stir until moistened.
Pour half of the batter into the pan. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar. Repeat with the remaining batter and cinnamon sugar. Swirl a knife through the batter to marble it.
Bake 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

My new Favorite Cookie...

From the book: 101 Gourmet Cookies..

Root Beer Float Cookies

3/4 C. sugar
3/4 C. brown sugar
1 Cup butter, softened
1/4 C. milk
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. Root beer flavoring or extract
4 C. Flour
pinch of salt
1 tsp. baking soda
Cream Glaze

Cream Glaze ingredients...
2-3 Tbsp. cream
1 1/2 C. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cream together the sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Add milk, eggs, and extract. Stir to combine. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour until firm. Then place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Frost with cream glaze.

Cream Glaze...
Gently whisk all ingredients until all lumps are gone. Drizzle or spread over cooled cookies.

My sister shared this yummy one with me!

Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits

2 1/2 C. bisquik
1 C. cheddar
3/4 C. whole milk (or whatever kind you have!)
2 Tbsp. butter
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 C. butter
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1 dash salt

Preheat oven to 400. Combine bisquik, cheese, milk, 2 tbsp. melted butter and 1/8 tsp. garlic. Drop 1/4 C. portions of dough onto ungreased cookie sheets. Combine 1/4 C. butter, remaining garlic, parsley and salt. Brush over top of unbaked biscuits. Bake 14-16 minutes until light brown.

Tender Turkey Breast

4-5 pound turkey breast
1 tsp. poultry seasoning (I used seasoned salt!)
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1 envelope turkey gravy mix
1 cup water
1 pkg. stuffing mix

Rinse turkey breast and pat dry. Rub with poultry seasoning. Place in crock pot and sprinkle parsley on top. Cook on high 4-5 hours or low 8 hours. Mix gravy and water and pour over turkey. Sprinkle stuffing mix on top. Cook additional hour or until meat thermometer reads 170 at center. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

We're hoping for warmer weather.... so why not make some homemade ice cream today? It goes great with April snow!??

Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream (AKA... frosties)

1 large carton Cool Whip
1/2 Gallon chocolate milk (whole, not reduced fat)
2 cans sweetened condensed milk

Mix ingredients together. Pour into an ice cream freezer and make according to manufacturer's instructions. YUMMY!!

Chicken Spaghetti
2 cans chicken broth
Cut up cooked chicken pieces, or canned chicken
1 lb spaghetti noodles, broken into 2-inch pieces
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 1/2 C shredded cheddar
1 tsp. seasoned salt
Black pepper to taste
*Optional ingredients (I left all these out!)
1 small onion, finely diced
1/4 C. finely diced green bell pepper
1 jar (4 oz.) diced pimientos, drained
cayenne pepper to taste

Heat Oven to 350*. Add 1 can of broth to water and bring to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain and place in a large bowl. Add the soup and 2 cups of the cheddar. Then add the onion, green pepper and pimiento(if desired). Add the seasoned salt, and peppers. Add the chicken and other can of broth. Stir together well. Pour into a large baking dish and top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake at 25-30 minutes until bubbly.

Great for St. Patricks day! or Anytime!

McDonald's Shamrock Shakes
2 C. Vanilla ice cream
1 C. milk
1/4 C. half and half
1/4 tsp. mint extract
8 drops green food coloring

Mix all ingredients on high spped until smooth. Stop and scrape down sides if necessary.

Chinese Sesame Chicken
1/2 C. flour
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg, well beaten
1/4 C. milk
6 boneless skinless chicken pieces(thighs or breasts), cut into 1-inch chunks
2 Tbsp. Cider vinegar
1/4 C. Ketchup
1/4 C. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. ginger root, grated (I didn't add this!)
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
Sesame seeds

Sift dry ingredient together and place in a zip top bag. Whisk egg and milk together; dip chicken chunks into egg mixture and then shake in flour mixture. Place chicken pieces in slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients except sesame seeds; pour over chicken. Cook on High 3-4 hours or low 5-6 hours. Serve over hot cooked rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Slow cooker french toast.... mmmmmm

You will want to double this if you are using a large slow cooker!

French Toast Casserole
1/4 C. butter, sliced
6 eggs, well beaten
1 C. milk
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 C. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla (opt)
8 slices bread, cubed

Loosely crumple a few pieces of foil and put on bottom of slow-cooker. Line sides of cooker with foil. Place another piece of foil over crumpled foil on bottom. Slice butter into pats and place in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high until butter is melted (10-15 minutes).
Whisk together Eggs, milk, cinnamon, sugar, salt and vanilla if desired. Fold in bread cubes. Pour batter over melted butter. Cover and cook on high 1-2 hours or low 3-4 hours. Slice and serve hot with syrup and powdered sugar.

Journal Jars

I want my girls to be better Journal writers than I've been, and I needed a little inspiration to write as well. So we made Journal Jars! We typed up a bunch of questions and printed a copy for each of us. Then we cut them into strips and rolled them up. We also decorated canning jars to hold the papers. When it's time to write in our journals, we pull out a paper, glue it to the top of our blank page and answer the question. You may also want to make cute journals out of a notebook and scrapbook supplies!
Some sample questions:
Who is your favorite aunt or uncle and why?
What is your favorite vacation you've taken as a family?
What are your favorite foods? Your least favorite foods?
What do you do when it snows?
For adults... What did you do on a snowy day as a child?
Tell a story about your Grandmother.
What are some of your strengths?
adults... Tell about your first car, how you got it, how much it cost, what it was like?

Fun side dish or after school snack

I got this from kraftfoods.com!
Bears on Cloud-Nine
2 cups boiling water
2 pkg. (3 oz each) flavored gelatin (I used strawberry!)
4 C. ice cubes
1/3 C. gummy bears

Add boiling water to gelatin mixes in medium bowl; stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add ice; stir 2-3 minutes or until gelatin is slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice.
pour all but 3/4 C. of gelatin into 12 (5 oz) plastic cups. Beat remaining gelatin with mixer on high speed 30 second or until fluffy and doubled in volume. Spoon over gelatin in cups.
Refrigerate 30 min. or until firm. Top with a few gummy bears.

Great Easy slow cooker recipe!

Hamburger Pie
2 lb. ground beef, browned
6 potatoes, peeled and sliced
6 carrots, sliced or a handful of baby carrots
1 onion, chopped
3 celery ribs, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 can tomato soup
2 C. frozen peas

Brown and drain ground beef. Pour 1/2 C. water in bottom of slow-cooker. Layer the potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery, seasoning with salt and pepper as desired. Spread cooked ground beef and soup over the top. Cover and cook on high 2-3 hours or low 5-6 hours. Add peas during the last hour of cook time.

*Variation* Tin foil dinners
Use above ingredients, except tomato soup. Divide ingredients, including peas and place on 6 individual pieces of foil. Fold foil to seal and place in slow cooker. Cover and cook on High 1 1/2 hours. Rotate dinners. Cook on High an additional 1 1/2 hours.

Great for St. Patty's day... or anytime, really!!

Grasshopper Fudge Cake
I got this one off of Bettycrocker.com SO Yummy!!

1 box Betty crocker supermoist white cake mix
1 1/4 C. water
1/3 C. vegetable oil
2 tsps. mint extract, divided
3 egg whites
12 drops green food color, divided
*2 jars (16 oz each) hot fudge topping
1 container (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed
5 drops yellow food color
Thin rectangular mints(like andes) cut into pieces, if desired

Heat oven to 350 for shiny metal or glass pan or 325 for dark or nonstick pan. Spray bottom only of 9x13 pan with baking spray with flour.
Make cake mix as directed on the box, adding 1 1/2 tsps. of the mint extract. Reserve 1 cup of batter. Pour remaining batter into pan. Stir 3 drops of green food color into the reserved batter and mix well.
Drop green batter by tablespoons randomly in 12-14 mounds onto batter in pan. Cut through batters with a metal spatula or knife in s-shaped motions.
Bake 28-33 minutes until cake is done. Run a knife around the side of pan to loosen cake. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Carefully spread fudge topping evenly over cake.
In a medium bowl, stir whipped topping, remaining extract, remaining 9 drops of green, and the yellow food color until blended. Spread evenly over fudge. Garnish with candy pieces. Store covered in refrigerator.



*(I only used 1 and it was enough!!)

Job Chart with more than 1 purpose!

This may be hard to believe, but my kids haven't even noticed that this is a "job chart". We had a Family Home Evening lesson on using our time wisely and I had made us each one of these charts, we are going for 1 week and seeing who can get the most points. Winner gets to choose a family activity for next week! You can do it for a week, or for an activity like a scavenger hunt.
This chart not only gets them to do their jobs, homework, piano practice and exercise, but it also gives them ideas to do instead of watching TV or playing on the computer.
You can change this to include things you'd like done at your house, or change the points as needed in your home. There is no way they can do every item, every day... So, they have to CHOOSE the way they spend their time. They get more points the better they choose! Sneaky? yes, a little... but so far this week.... The TV has not been on (unless Dad's watching!), there have been moments when I see kids doing jumping jacks, drawing pictures and more. And, they keep giving me ideas to add on for next week! It has also been good for me! I have got some unfinished projects done, and made the time for more worthwhile things!

To make your chart:
*Make a table chart with 2 columns, and as many rows as you want (remember to put more than they have time to do!) I have 27 and will add a few more next week.
*Fill in the first column with the item to do and points that it's worth.
*Leave the second column blank to fill in with points as they are earned. As we are doing it for a week, we are doing Tally marks and will add it up at the end of the week.
*Start Earning Points! Of course,Most Kids learn by example and so by seeing Mom and Dad writing in a journal, instead of playing a game on facebook, they will want to try harder to get points.

Some ideas of what we have on our charts with points:
Vacuum a room (20 points)
Do 25 push ups (10 points)
Practice Piano for 20 minutes (50 points)
Write in your journal (30 points)
Clean your Room (20 points)
Read 30 verses of scripture (30 points)
Memorize a scripture or Article of Faith (50 points)
Draw a picture for someone in the family (10 points)
Watch TV for 1 hour (10 points)
Do a service for a loved one or neighbor (50 points)
Homework finished before dinner (20 points)
Do a job from job jar (30 points)
Take a bath or shower (30 points)
Play a game with a sibling (40 points)
Read a book for 20 minutes (50 points)