Uniquely U

One mom's way to hold memories ... Every year, kids brought home the school pictures, some are really bad, some are awesome! No matter what, the pictures record their growth in that year, which means a lot to mom. ;) I like to make this bi-fold paper picture frame to save their yearly school pictures. They make wonderful gifts for the grandparents, and good for me to see their changes year after year.  Materials: Plain bi-fold greeting card from your craft store, 5 x 6.5 in Scrapbook cardstock paper, plain or printed Ruler X-acto knife Cutting mat Pencil Double sided tape 3 x 5 pictures, 2 Instructions: Make mats:  Cut 2 rectangles from the scrapbook paper, 4.5 x 6 in; Measure 5/8 inches from all sides, draw and cut the inner rectangles; repeat for another; Measure and cut 1 strip of tape for the short side of the mat, and 2 strips of tape for the long side; cut each strip into 2 long strips. We want to leave some room around the inner ma

Easy to make cranberry banana muffins Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup flour 1 cup oats 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 tsp baking power 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 egg 3 large banana, mashed 1/4 cup butter, melted 1 cup cranberry, fresh or frozen Directions: Preheat oven at 350 F degree; Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl; Beat egg, banana, and butter in a small bowl; add to the large bowl, stir to blend;  Stir in the cranberries;  Put 12 liners into 1 muffin pan, use an ice cream scoop to drop the batter to pan; Bake for 22 minutes, makes 12 muffins.

A perfect snack for the cold winter night ...  Wash chestnuts thoroughly, air dry; Preheat oven to 400 F degree; With a sharp knife, make a cut on each chestnut; Coat the chestnuts with cooking oil, lay them in a single layer on a large baking sheet; bake for 25 - 30 minutes; Dissolve sugar in boiling water, brush it onto the chestnuts, especially the cut opening; bake another 10-15 minutes; Cool, server warm. Baking time various depending on the size of the chestnuts, adjust accordingly.

        Kids' Favorite Rice Crispy Mini-squares I found the original rice crispy bars are too sweet for my family, and luckily there is a recipe provided inside every rice crispy cereal box. I tested several times, and here we go, a home-made less sweet, more crispy rice crispy bar. INGREDIENTS: 1/4 cup butter 250g marshmallow 1/2 tsp vanilla 8 cup rice crispy cereal DIRECTIONS: Heat a large non-stick pan on low heat; melt butter, add marshmallows, stir to melt; add vanilla; Remove pan from heat, add rice crispy cereal, stir to coat evenly; Lightly press the rice crispy into a 13x9 non-stick pan; cover with a tea towel until cool completely; Loose the edges and turn it onto a cutting board; cut into squares of your size choice. Makes 48 bite size mini squares. Note: 5 cups of original plain + 3 cups of Christmas colored = 8 cups of rice crispy cereal used Just enough food coloring to cheer them up. ;)