Printable recipe cards to go with the Soup exchange

I am making up a bunch of cute things to give out at the Soup exchange that I am doing, and thought I would share.  Here are three pages of tabbed fall recipe cards.  The reason I am tabbing them is so that the different soups will be able to be found easier, as I find that my recipe cards kind of get stuck together after a while so... with tabs they can be seen and separtated easier. I was also thinking that they could be tab coded with the left tab for Brothy soups, the Middle tab for Creamy soups, and the tab on the right could be for favorites or whatever else you would want it for. 

Once again... how can I relate this to Visiting teaching?  Ok.... do you have a great soup recipe that you might like to share with someone you Visit Teach, or maybe even that you would be taking to a Relief Society night meeting?  Here you go.....  What I will be doing is printing out a bunch of these cards so the the ladies can write down their favorites off of the master that will be displayed on the table.  Fun idea huh?

Enjoy and happy cooking!!!  Katie G.

Be sure to scroll down for the invitation idea that I have below of the Soup label to invite friends over for a soup exchange.

Soup exchange



Soup exchange soup label invitaiton to fill in the blanks.
 Don't use this one if you want to send out as an invitaiton
because it has some typos.  Use the blank version below.

 I have been really busy this past month, trying to catch up with some fun things to share with you sisters to do with those you Visit teach, for Relief Society Night activities, or even just neighborhood friend activities.  I think you are going to really like this one.  My daughter got me thinking about this one as she and her friends in Park City, do freezer meal exchanges.  I thought that would be such a great idea, but hard to do with a very large group.... so.... I have this neighborhood Lunch Bunch group and I thought I would take another turn at hosting it at my home.  I decided to do a soup exchange since it is beginning to be fall weather, and soup is something that warms up everyone.  Anyway... I created a soup exchange and made an invitation that looks like a soup label.  I also created the directions of how this exchange would work to eliminate any misunderstandings about what constitutes soup. (Homemade is the only soup and it isn't home made from Costco, or from Campbell's, but made from scratch in the home.)

This is the one that you should use to print and send out.  You
can use the top one to show you how you can fill in the
gold label with the date, time, place etc.





I thought that this was such a fun idea that I wanted to share it with you.  Please feel free to share my blog ideas with your friends, neighbors, ward members, because I believe that these ideas should be shared with everyone.  They will create fun times, and friendshipping experiences, which is what it is all about.  Enjoy and if you use this, please drop me an email or comment so that I feel loved!  Best regards and have a SOUPER time.... Katie G.

Even More April ideas for you....

Just so you know when I post, the most current post is on the top, but I have alot more April ideas and posts below, so don't forget to scroll down to get all the great April ideas.My husband just loves for easter to come around because he has a favorite Easter candy. HE LOVES PEEPS! Well in honor of my husband, I have found some great ideas for you to do with peeps for your Visiting teahing ladies as well as whomever you would like. I am going to do one of the Peeps ideas for my Sons & Daughters and son in laws & daughters in law. Keep reading...

My husband isn't the only one who likes peeps. I think is must be one of those strong genetic things because his sisters love them too. The other day when we were visiting with his sisters, one of them told my husband of what they do with Peeps every easter that makes them even tastier than just eating them plain. They take a bamboo shisk a bob stick and poke them into the peeps, turn on the burner on the stove and proceed to roast them. They eat them just like that, but I was thinking a step beyond would be to make Peep smores from the roasted peeps and squish them between two half graham crackers and add some chocolate bar squares and wrap in tinfoil until it is all melty and gooey. Then devour them!!!!

You know me, and I thought about how I love to melt M & M's in the microwave and eat them. Well how about substituting some melted Easter colored M & M's or Chocolate eggs of any variety, but the ones that are candy coated would be the best because they would contribute an added crunch to the mix. Anyway, now that my mouth is watering, just sprinkle some of those melted chocolate candies on top of the roasted Peeps inside half of the graham cracker, and add the other half and squish down a bit. Now that is what I call a Sweet -Peepy- Chocolatey -Crispy- Graham Crackery Easter Sandwich that you will most likely want S'more of!!!!! Yes punn intended.


I found a great idea for Bottling Purple Bunnies at http://creativeholidaygiftideas.blogspot.com/2008/03/easter-bunny-smores.html This is the one that I think I will be doing for my kids! Very Cute! This one would be a great one to do for the sisters that I Visit Teach as well, but there are so many cute ideas, I just don't know how I will pick.

Now if this isn't enough go to http://www.cakespy.com/2008/03/hoppy-easter-cakespys-suggestions-for.html for some other really great ideas to use your Peeps and Easter candy for your Easter Sunday Sugar High.

Just in case you want to emulate Martha Stewart,
she has the recipe to make home made peeps for those of you who don't get enough of them at Easter time. Go to http://www.marthastewart.com/article/homemade-easter-treats?lnc=6384d918a92ee010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&rsc=top7pop_entertaining_showers_3 Wouldn't you just know that Martha also has a whole workshop at her site that shows you exactly the steps to follow? Go to http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.79fd7096c5c97ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=94afe14f8426f110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default&rsc=related
and get ready to make your own home made peeps.


One last note about Peeps, and then I will stop Peeping... Another very cute idea for your sisters you visit teach, you could make up a Hot Chocolate bag with peeps to melt in it. The picture shows of how it would look made, and it is so cute with a little peep floating around in it. You could do just about the same basic thing as the idea above with the Bunny peeps smores in the jar, but Use hot chocolate mix poured into a plastic bag in the center of the Jar with Peeps all around the sides of the Jar looking outward. Once again, use a cute spring napkin or a springy piece of cloth for the jar lid. If you want the lid poufy, then add a small amount of cotton batting directly under the fabric and above the sealing lid, then screw on the cap. It is very cute, in fact all the peeps ideas are so cute. You could even do like the picture and get an inexpensive cup and saucer, and set a peep inside and even sprinkle the amount of chocolate that you think it will need, and all the recipient will have to do is add some hot water. Cute, Cute! AND that is all I will write on Peeps!

READER PEEP IDEAS (Feel free to comment with your other peep ideas!
I just received a cute comment from a reader of this blog (AMY G)who shared yet another "Peep" idea. She made up this fun idea as a fun one to do with your family as well as for those she visit teaches. Thanks for the idea Amy G.!!!! (You can see her actual comment below by clicking on "Comments")

"I just discovered your blog and I thought I'd share a peep idea I did a few years ago for the people I visit teach and my family. I took a posterboard and pastel gingham print scrapbook paper and I made giant checkerboards. I cut the paper into squares - I think I made them 1 1/2". You'd have to see how big your posterboard is. Anyways I laminated the boards. I included 2 big boxes of peeps in two different colors - so that they would have more than 12 peeops in each color. It was a peep checker game. Now, each Easter I buy my boys fresh peeps - they love to play - to king the peep we have small pipe cleaner crowns and one year my boys would just smush the peep - they knew smushed peeps were the kinged ones. My local 99 cent store has the big boxes so it's an economical gift too!" AMY G

Katie G Comments... I thought of another way of "Kinging" your peeps. You could king them with a jelly bean, Robin eggs, or other easter candy, and poke it right down into the head of the peep so it sticks. Also, I searched the internet and found a site that had a woven checker board template with insturctions. It was on the Nestle site, and they used their wrapped chocolate candies. To see the template.... go to http://www.verybestkids.com/Categories/TeachersCorner/Math/Article.aspx?articleID=13B157A1-13A9-455A-9866-E4E91BEC141C or http://www.verybestkids.com/Nirf/cm2/upload/BA5B0D65-5DDC-4784-974D-4C25CCC3BFCB/07.03_edible-checkers_tp.gif
I thought about another way to use peeps, as when I do my missionary work at the LDS Addiction Recovery meetings, sometimes the new participants don't realize that they can't have their little children in the meetings with them, so at times, I have taken those children into another room and colored, played games, and did fun things to entertain them while their parents are in the meetings. One game I have played that is loved by all the children is to play tic tac toe using candy or stickers instead of writing an "X" or an "O" with a pencil. So.... for Easter, you could use peeps or jelly beans, or any other kind of Easter Candy, and once the winner gets three in a row, they get to keep all of the candy pieces on the tic tac toe board.

More April ideas to come

I have so many more fun ideas for you besides the ones that I just posted below using wash cloths, and I am now back energized after a great nights rest, to share more ideas with you. Maybe April is just an easy month but I have a wealth of simple, inexpensive and mostly home made ideas for you to share with your sisters you teach, or with friends, neighbors, or anyone else you might be thinking about.

I am posting a picture of my next idea, however these carrots are filled with candy goodies.
This is an easy way to do it and just fill the bag with store bought jelly beans or other easter candies. BUT... my idea would be to make your own cellophane carrot shaped bags and fill them with this great, tried and tested popcorn recipe that I will list below. I made the particular popcorn for the edible centerpieces for the Back in Time party my husband and I hosted last weekend. Everyone loved it and even though there were great desserts too, the popcorn was munched all throughout the evening and completely gone by the end of the party. Many comments were expressed on how much they love it and asked for the recipe. You can make this popcorn any color simply by using a different flavor of unsweetened kool-aid mix. You could also make up a batch of this popcorn and put it inside a clear cellopane bag and tie it off with a ribbon. Anyhow you do it, the gift will be appreciated by the receiver.

Here's the printable recipe


















This one is more readable on the internet but you can print the one above.
Katie's Mother Goose Popcorn recipe
1 Cup Popcorn kernels
t Tablespoons butter
2 Cups sugar
1 packet (0.13 oz) unsweetened Koolaid Soft drink mix
(I used Black cherry to make Pink Popcorn)for Carrots, I'd use Orange flavor
6 ounces of Evaporated milk ( I didn't have evap milk on hand so I used 4 oz skim
milk and 2 0z. cream)
1/2 teaspoon soda

Pop the popcorn in an air popper into a large bowl. Shake the bowl from side to side to let unpopped kernels go to the bottom of the bowl. Then put the popcorn into another large bowl by hands full so to separate any unpopped kernels, and throw away the unpopped kernel and tiny popped corn bits.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the koolaid to the sugar and stir in as it makes it dissolve easier in the pan. Add the sugar and Koolaid mixture and the milk. Stir well and bring to a boil. Once it is at a boil, I found that I need to let it boil for about a minute, stirring constantly. Add baking soda and be prepared for it to really swell up. Remove from heat and once the entire mixture is pouffy, pour into the popped corn. Stir very well and keep stirring because you want to get the air into the mixture. I step outside even and stir because you want the popcorn to sort of go to a sugary consistency and not stick together.

I then spread out the coated popcorn on to a sheet of parchment or Freezer paper to continue to dry out. From time to time, stir with hands and eventually the popcorn will be dried to a frosty and sugary pink.

The Kool-aid adds flavor and color all in one. If you want to make the actual flavor of the Real Mother Goose Popcorn, omit the Koolaid, and use drops of Red food coloring and add a about 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, or if you have powdered Vanilla, use 1/2 - 1 teaspoon powdered vanilla. Add the food coloring and extract after it has come to a boil.

Once your popcorn is cooled,dried and sugar frosted, you can roll a square sheet of cellophane to form a cone, and secure the cone with a strip of cellophane tape. Cut the pointy uneven ends (not the tip of the cone) evenly straight across. Fill the cone with popped corn and tie the end with a twist tie or thin ribbon. To cover the ribbon or twist tie, cut a 2' to 2 1/2' x\strip of beautiful green ribbon and tie a bow. I prefer the ribbon width to be at least an inch and a half. Trim the ends of the ribbon and there you have it... a Popcorn Carrot. Yum!

The "Dish Towel bunny" is another very cute idea for your visiting Teaching sisters. I found the instructions at http://www.familycorner.com/homegarden/crafts/towel_bunny.shtml At this site there are step by step instructions as well as pictures that will tutor you in this project. Very cute!