The $2.00 Dinner Challenge

Posted on September 11, 2017 by Aunt Mo

Making Dinner Fun!

A funny dinner tradition for your family

When my children were little we called it the $1.00 dinner challenge- you could buy a lot more for $1.00 back then. Now call it the $2.00 dinner challenge but we still have as much fun as we did in the days when a dollar could actually buy something.

I’m not even sure where the idea came from,but the dinner challenge became a tradition that we would do when a cousin came for a sleepover. This is not a tradition for a huge group of people such as an extended family reunion but it’s a ton of fun for a more manageable group of aunts, uncles and cousins.

Here’s how it works-

Give everyone in your family $2 in cash. (Or whatever amount you feel is appropriate) As a family, go to your local grocery store. Walk around the store and look for food that you can purchase for $2. When you’ve looked around a bit, choose the item you want to serve for dinner, pay for it and wait for everyone in your family to finish shopping. (You want to keep your purchase a secret from the others but it is best to shop in teams especially if you have younger children.)

Our grandchildren are 10 years and younger (mostly younger) so we had each child team up with an adult. They put their money together so each team had $4.00 to spend.

Our grandkids get so excited about what they have purchased they can hardly stand the car ride back to the house to prepare their food. We have to juggle time in the kitchen mixing, baking and microwaving but eventually everyone is ready and we all sit down at the table to our $2.00 challenge feast. Even the pickiest of eaters will find something to eat at this table- because they choose it!

Some helpful hints and a funny story- Set some guidelines such as, Can two people put their money together? Can you purchase a dessert item? How long do you have to prepare the food when you arrive home? etc.

One year my niece choose Jell-O for her food item. It would’ve taken hours for the Jell-O to set up but we prepared it anyway and ate it for a late night snack.

Does your family to take the $2.00 Challenge?

Potatoes in a Bag

Posted on August 10, 2017 by Aunt Mo

A Delicious Idea From My Nephew, Brayden, for Your Family Reunion

Sometimes I get in a rut- I forget that some people don’t pack up and head for the mountains when they plan a family reunion or family gathering- instead they head for the BEACH! And it was to the beach we went for a fun family party with my brother and his family.

We packed up the surf boards, sunscreen and mashed potatoes- yes, MASHED POTATOES! “Potatoes in a bag” is a fun and easy tradition Uncle Brett and Aunt Lisa have implemented in their family and would be a yummy idea for your family reunion no matter what location you choose.

Most of the prep for “Potatoes in a bag” was done at home. Everyone measured 1/2 cup potato flakes in a plastic baggie and added their favorite “mix-ins” to give their bag of potatoes their own special flavor.

At the beach, Uncle Brett heated up the water in his portable heater. When the water was hot we added 1 cup to our bag of potatoes and squished it up in the bag until it was well mixed and creamy. The potatoes were delish! The beach was chilly and wet, and the hot potatoes were a welcome treat.

Directions: Mix 1/2 cup of potato flakes with 1 cup boiling water. Stir until blended. Add your favorite mix-ins: salt, dry ranch Salad dressing, dry onion soup mix, Butter Buds, dried parsley flakes, beef jerky pieces, diced cheese stick and a beef stick. For thinner potatoes, add more water; for thicker, add more flakes.

If you’ve done eggs in a bag at your family reunion I think you’ll have fun with this idea. Set out all the ingredients and mix-ins and let your family create their own delicious mashed potatoes. Your bigger eaters may want to use 1 cup of potato flakes with 2 cups of water.

Thanks, Brayden, for a delicious family reunion idea! And if you’re looking for fun beach themed ideas for your family reunion, check out our Beach family reunion for lots of fun in the sun ideas.

Beach Family Reunion

Aunt MO

NOTE: Whenever you add boiling water to your baggie, always use heavy-duty or freezer zip lock bags. Although there have been no claims of injury or illness, Ziploc® states their baggies are not intended to be used at high temperatures, so use at your own risk.

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Zucchini Bread

Posted on August 7, 2017 by Aunt Mo

A Family Favorite Recipe

I keep seeing pictures like the one pictured above, on Facebook. People are posting their pictures of mounds of Zucchini and I gotta say- I AM SO JEALOUS! My husband grudgingly lets me plant one hill of Zucchini each year but this year the bugs got it and the plant died. So here I sit, writing a blog about one of our families’ favorite recipes with no Zucchini in sight.

It actually scare me a little to say that, if my neighbors see this post they may want to share their zucchini with me (that would be awesome) but as Paul Harvey lamented in his dirt road commentary, “At the end of a Dirt Road, the only time we even locked our car was in August, because if we didn’t want some neighbor to fill it with too much zucchini. ”Bring it on , neighbors!

If you’re one of the lucky ones with a sink full of Zucchini you might want to try this delicious recipe for Zucchini bread. This recipe is in our family cookbook and is a favorite at our family reunion fundraising auctions.

I always use half oil and half applesauce but if I’m looking for a healthier option I will leave out all the oil and substitute it with more applesauce. It’s still delicious but not quite as moist.

This recipe differs from other Zucchini bread recipes because it has cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves in it.

I usually make my Zucchini bread in small loaf pans and then I wrap it in tin foil and put it in the freezer. My husband likes to take it in his lunch and the smaller loaf size is just right. I also make Zucchini muffins from this same recipe.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 ground cloves
3 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 bag MINI chocolate chips (must use Mini chips)

Directions

Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon,nutmeg and cloves together in a bowl.
Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and chips until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

In our family, I’m famous for my Jell-O making and my Zucchini bread- hope this becomes a family favorite at your house too.

Aunt MO

Mashed Potato Bar

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Aunt Mo

What’s a Mashed Potato Bar?

I had never heard of a “Mashed Potato Bar” until recently when my daughter came home from a family function with her husband’s family and they had hosted a mashed potato bar. My daughter raved about how delicious and fun the mashed potato bar was.

Of course, I’ve eaten at lots of baked potato bars and for any years a potato bar was our go to meal at family gatherings but a mashed potato bar is a fun new twist to that traditional and rather over done family reunion meal.

Here’s how you put a Mashed Potato Bar together for your next family reunion or party.

Of course, the main ingredient is mashed potatoes. You can make your own (see recipe below) or you can use already prepared potatoes such as the ones Costco carries.

Image result for costco mashed potatoes

Mashed Potato Bar Toppings Ideas

Serve your potatoes in large crock pots to keep the potatoes warm and set out various toppings. I’ve listed a few of our favorites but use your imagination to customize to your needs:

Sour cream
Chopped green onions
Mushrooms
Olives
Crumbled bacon
Finely shredded cheese
Steamed broccoli
Chopped Ham
Shredded chicken
Whipped butter
Sour cream
Frozen Peas
Ranch salad dressing
Grilled zucchini and summer squash
Caramelized onions and peppers
Freshly grated Parmesan
Tomato salsa
Tomatoes
Jalapenos
Grilled tri-tip sliced thin
Onion crisps
Country Gravy (I like to stay away from gravy, it’s the obvious choice and people aren’t’ as creative if they have gravy as a choice)
Salt and pepper

The Idaho Potato Board has their own list of ingredients for a Mashed Potato Bar which you can find by clicking on the link below.

https://idahopotato.com/recipes/mashed-potato-bar

Serve on plain plates or bowls or fancy things up a bit by using goblets as your dishes. You can always find a miss-matched assortment of goblets and wine glasses at your local DI or Goodwill.

Image result for potato bar toppings

A good basic mashed potato recipe includes just a few ingredients. Note: Baking and Russet potatoes tend to be heavier and starchier than Yukon Gold potatoes.

Basic Mashed Potatoes Recipe

8 Potatoes
1/2 Cup melted butter
1 can Evaporated Milk ( I melt my butter in a bowl with the milk for creamier potatoes.
Salt
Fresh Pepper

Peel and dice potatoes and put in pot of boiling salted water. Cover and simmer until potatoes are fork tender (20-30 minutes, depending on quantity of potatoes). Remove from heat and drain.
Mash potatoes with a potato masher or a hand mixer.
Add butter and milk

While doing research for this article I found this cute Mashed Potato Bar sign on Etsy. The name of the shop that offers it for sale is the TheDoodleCoop.

Potato Bar Sign, Mashed Potatoes Sign, Make Your Own Loaded Potato Printable, Wedding Reception, Sweet Sixteen, Birthday Party, Potato Bar

TheDoodleCoop

Be sure and sign up to receive a copy of familyreunionhelper.com’s FREE reunion cookbook HERE

Juiciest Hamburgers Ever

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Aunt Mo

I have never been a fan of the pre-formed, shoe leather like burgers you find in the grocery store and so when I found this burger recipe in our community cookbook I’ve never looked back. If my family is eating burgers on the grill then these are the burgers we’re eating. They may be more work, but they are so juicy and delicious they are well worth the effort!

2 pounds ground beef (For best quality buy your ground beef at the butcher instead of the supermarket.)
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
3 tablespoons evaporated milk
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat grill for high heat.
In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, evaporated milk, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and garlic using your hands. Form the mixture into 8 hamburger patties. If burgers seem a little to soft or mushy increase the amount of bread crumbs to 1 cup or until the right consistency.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill patties 5 minutes per side, or until well done.

Our Favorite Family Reunion Dinner-Dutch Oven Stacked Enchiladas

Posted on January 7, 2017 by Aunt Mo

This is our favorite family reunion recipe- you make it one pot and it feeds 12- 14 depending on serving size. We like to cook this in our Dutch ovens over a campfire but this recipe can easily be prepared and then baked in your oven. Basically all you are doing is warming it up and melting the cheese. We serve it with lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sour cream salsa and tortilla. Dutch oven stacked enchiladas is such a flexible recipe that you can substitute or add any ingredients that you desire. You can easily make it spicy or keep it mild for the kids in your family. It’s the perfect recipe for your family gathering. This recipe adapts easily to a 14 inch oven and even cake pan or casserole dish.

Dutch Oven Enchiladas

2 lbs. hamburger
1 cup water
1 chopped onion
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 10-ounce can enchilada sauce
1 10-ounce can tomato soup
2 cups of salsa (mild or hot)
1 can olives, sliced
2 lb package shredded cheese
Flour tortillas (9-inch size)
Optional: for extra spice add 2- small cans diced chilies and one package taco mix

Heat 12 inch Dutch Oven over coals.
Brown hamburger, onion and salt
Drain drippings.
Add soup, water, enchilada sauce and salsa.
Simmer 10 minutes.
Put ¾ of hamburger and sauce mixture into separate container.
Arrange 3 tortillas over mixture remaining in oven.
Alternate meat, cheese and tortillas in three layers ending with cheese and olives.

Bake with 12 coals underneath and 16 on top until heated through about 45 minutes or in your oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.

Hint: Serve these enchiladas to your guests to be sure you get to the bottom of your stack. You don’t want them to scrape off the top of enchilada stack.
Serves: 12- 14

Have a Trail Mix Buffet

Posted on October 30, 2016 by Aunt Mo

A trail mix buffet is a fun option for your western or rustic themed reunion or party. If your occasion is more formal you can dress up your buffet with glass apothecary jars for a fancier look which lends itself to fancier parties such as wedding receptions or anniversary celebrations. A trail mix buffet is also a fun treat idea for a movie themed or kid themed party.

For our family reunion of 100 guests we used large tin foil pans to put the many treat options in but using a variety of glass jars, tin buckets, and baskets are great for holding all the delicious goodies your guests can choose from. .

Image result for build your own trail mix bar

Serving guests is a breeze and everyone fills their own containers (paper sacks, sandwich bags, party treat bags, boxes or paper ice cream cups) with their favorite treats.

You can use healthy ingredients for your buffet featuring raisins, nuts and seeds or a kids favorite buffet using cereals, M & M’s and gummy bears. Use your imagination when selecting treats for your buffet.

Image result for trail mix buffet +

Here’s a list of possible options for your buffet:
nuts- almonds, peanuts, pecans, cashews etc.
pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
cereal such as Cheerios, Trix, Chex, Fruit Loops or Captain Crunch etc.
chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, vanilla or peanut butter chips etc.
candy- M&M’s, candy corn, gummy worms, milk duds, sour patch kids etc.
granola
marshmallows
coconut, banana chips
pretzels, goldfish crackers
raisins, Craisins, chopped dates, yogurt raisins
Popcorn makes a great filler.

Make signs for ingredients your guests may not recognize. Custom labels, mini chalkboards and cardboard tents designed to support your theme will do the job. Print off the following food tents for your trail mix buffet.

Provide serving scoops such as ice cream scoops, oversized spoons or measuring cups- you’ll need one for each treat in your buffet. Smallish scoops help control serving size to assure that there is enough if each treat for all your guests.

Accommodating Those With Food Allergies at Your Family Reunion

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Aunt Mo

Ten ideas for “accommodating” those with food allergies at your family reunion or party

Allergies to gluten, eggs, milk, seeds, nuts, peanuts, and more make it impossible to eat “normal” family reunion food. In our family we deal with life threatening food allergies every time we get together for a family reunion or party. Below is a list of things we have found make a difference when planning family reunion food around food allergies:

As the family reunion chairman make sure you know about any food allergies or other food restrictions.
As a family member with allergies be specific when you let the reunion food committee know about your allergies. Don’t just say “gluten-free crackers,” but suggest a brand and where to purchase it. No one is going to be as concerned about food allergies as you are. They may not consider some things that you feel are obvious so speak up.
If you are planning a potluck meal for your family reunion make a note of food allergies in your family. For instance you could add, “Please remember, no nuts” (Be specific) on your invitation. For some fun recipes check out these 10 Delicious Nut Allergy Friendly Recipes.
Some meal ideas that make dealing with food allergies at your family reunion a little easier is salad, taco or potato bars. Family members with allergies can take only those foods that are safe for them. See Aunt Mo’s blog on “Belly Up To The Bar” for more food bar ideas. However if the food allergy is life threatening you must be aware of cross-contact when eating at buffets or food bars.
If you have food allergies, it is often safest to bring your own food. Instead of planning meals around the entire family consider doing some meals “on your own”.
Offer to bring safe food so that you know there will be something there that you can eat.
If you’re on the food committee consider keeping the original boxes and packages for food you’ve used so that parents can read the packages for themselves. Even though you may think you’ve taken all the precautions only those with experience will know for sure.
If you are on the food committee for your family reunion don’t let those with allergies feel like a burden or annoyance. Let them know that you are want them to be safe and enjoy the reunion food just like everyone else. For help with planning food for a large reunion check out our “How Much Do I Need To Feed a Hundred” chart.

My sister-in-law, Lisa, has a couple of children with food allergies. Over the years she has developed her own ways of coping with food allergies at family reunions and parties. Lisa added her own suggestions to the list I made:

Often food is given as prizes and treats at family reunions. Lisa suggests bringing your own bag of treats. Make sure the treats for those with allergies are “cool” treats like Pop Rocks or fruit snacks.
Lisa also carries fast to fix food for her children like cereal, instant oatmeal, Cup of Noodles and instant mashed potatoes for when surprise situations arise.

Lisa says, “It’s nice when people make an acceptation for my kids but I don’t plan on it or expect it.” When talking about her daughter’s sensitivity to dairy she says, “It’s my job to take care of it and I plan ahead for unforeseen situations.”

One of my nieces, McKell, is a vegetarian and we accommodate that at our family reunions by reserving a serving of Dutch oven potatoes before we add the bacon etc. She loves vegies and we always make sure there are several choices for her. McKell’s uncles like to tease her about her food choices but in the end they all respect her and work to make sure she can eat with the family.

When it come to food allergies any food allergy can be life-threatening. As the Aunt to several children with food allergies, I try to be a meticulous label- reader and remove all nut- containing foods when I’m in charge of the food at a family reunion or party but honestly, I’m never going to be as good at identifying problem foods as Lisa or her children. Lisa has taught her children to accept some responsibility for the food they eat. They have learned to ask questions before they eat foods that may be a problem for them.

And lets not forget those family members that may eating healthy or trying to lose a few pounds. Its such a welcome surprise for them when they find healthy options amidst all the high calorie foods usually found at a reunion. Check out our list of 30 healthy snacks all containing less than 70 calories for great snack ideas that won’t be detrimental to your health.

You’ll find seven delicious and decadent recipes for those that are trying to eat healthy, like carrot cake bites and peanut butter cups here. Seven Guilt Free Recipes for Healthy Desserts

A little extra planning can help those with allergies feel like they’re part of the group. If you can prepare one or two food items around your reunion theme. For instance, if you’re having “Bronasuraus Burgers for dinner make a vegie burger for you vegan family members. You will find some fun reunion reunion theme ideas here.

Sometimes those with food allergies have apologized for being a problem and for the extra work it takes to accommodate them. Honestly, ensuring safety for family members is not being “accommodating”, it is being responsible and loving- and that’s what families do!

Grammie Hooton’s Chocolate Pudding Cake Recipe

Posted on August 27, 2016 by Aunt Mo

An easy way to feed a crowd

My Grandma Hooton was an amazing cook. She was famous for her homemade cinnamon rolls, chicken noodle soup and cabbage rolls- among other things such as fudge and divinity. Grammie, as we called her, would work in the hay fields all day with the hay crew and then, while the rest of us were taking a break because we were so tired, she would be in the kitchen cooking up a delicious chicken fried steak dinner with all the trimmings.

Sometimes Grammie would round off the meal with a yummy chocolate cake and it wasn’t until recently that I realized how perfect it was for large family gatherings. The cake is made in a large jelly roll pan and it serves 24 but it’s easy and fast to fix so you can make two pans fairly simply.

Grammie’s Chocolate Pudding Cake

1 (5-oz) box cook and serve chocolate pudding mix (not instant)
3 cups milk (for the pudding)
1 box DRY chocolate cake mix
2 cups chocolate chips (semisweet or milk)
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Make pudding to package directions then combine it with 1 package DRY chocolate cake mix. (DO NOT add the eggs and oil etc) Spread in a prepared 9 x 13 inch pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips and chopped nuts on top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.) Cool completely before cutting.

I feel fortunate to have several of my Grandmother’s recipes and some day I’d like to make a “heritage” cookbook but for now I’ll just share this delicious recipe at my next family reunion.

Hobo or Tin Foil Dinners With Variations

Posted on June 1, 2016 by Aunt Mo

One of our favorite family reunion and campfire meals is Hobo dinners or Tinfoil dinners.

We love tin foil dinners so much we sometimes make them in our oven at home. Our favorite recipe for tin foil dinners is as follows:

Traditional Tin Foil Dinner Recipe

Place the following items on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Ingredients:

1 hamburger patty per dinner- 1 pound ground beef will make 4 patties
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 potato, peeled and sliced thinly or diced 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
Onion slices
2 Tablespoons cream of chicken condensed soup

Place patty in the center of each piece of foil. Put vegetables on top of meat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add cream of chicken soup in two dollops on top of dinner and fold foil up tightly around the entire meal.

Cook on a grill on medium-high heat or in a campfire for 25-30 minutes, or until vegetables and meat are cooked through. You can also cook dinners in the oven (350 degrees for an hour) by placing meals on a cookie sheet before baking.

Be careful when opening the foil- it is very hot!

Tin Foil Dinner Secrets to Success

Identify your foil dinner by writing your name or an identifying mark with permanent marker or by folding the foil in an unusual way.

You may substitute the soup with a few sprinkles of Worcestershire sauce.

When cooking on a fire (when its easy to burn dinners) make an extra meal. If a meal gets too crispy you’ll have an extra meal and no one goes hungry.

Add a tablespoon or two of water before sealing dinner up to steam your meal.

Turn packets half way through cooking process, using oven mitts or leather gloves.

Tin Foil Dinner Variations

On a family and friends camping trip one of our friends made their tin foil dinner with chicken and rice. I thought that was a little odd but it got me thinking about variations to our basic recipe.

Tin Foil Dinner Seasoning Variations

Try one or more of the following in your dinner: garlic salt, season salt, lemon pepper, Italian seasoning, BBQ sauce, Ranch salad dressing (delicious on chicken) chili powder, or steak sauce.

Breakfast Tin Foil Dinner

Prepare one thin sausage patty made from lean country sausage, place on foil; add 3/4 to 1 cup frozen hash browns creating a nest in center of your potatoes; add one egg to the nest; wrap. Sprinkle with grated cheese just before serving.

Glazed Ham Tin Foil Dinner

Place one carrot thinly sliced on foil, salt and pepper to taste; place a slice of ham on top carrots, about 1/2-inch thick; place a ring of pineapple on ham; drizzle with 1 tablespoon honey, wrap.

Ranch Chicken Tin Foil Dinner

Combine 1 packet dry Ranch dressing mixed with 3/4 cup corn flake crumbs and 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Dip one boneless, skinless chicken breast in melted butter, Ranch dressing mix and place on foil. Add potatoes and carrots.

This will make 4 to 6 chicken breasts.

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