Crab Ragoons, Palm Sunday Kids Project

Good supper last night. Chinese night. I made almost everything from a box. Pre-made eggrolls, general tso's chicken, stir fry (put it over white rice), but I DID make the crab ragoons. They taste 1,000 times better than box crap, and they are super-easy to make!

Crab Ragoons
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1. Get out your deepfryer and set that bad-boy to 400 degrees. I'm not a patient person, so the highest setting is my setting. Don't have a deepfryer?? Head to your local Younkers (hehe) and buy our new CoolTouch models. Great for around curious little ones. They also come with a lid that you can HAVE ON while the food is cooking. Good for when the oil starts bubbling.
2. Put out 12 wonton wrappers (or pot sticker wraps) which can be found in the produce aisle at your grocer.
3. Soften 4oz. (usually half a package) of cream cheese. I just zap it in the microwave for 30 sec.
4. Add in 1/4 cup of light mayo. Make sure you use mayo and not miracle whip. Miracle Whip will give it an obnoxious tangy taste.
5. Finely chop 1/4 cup of green onions. Try just to chop the green parts. Toss it in.
6. Put a can of crab meat in it.*** Try to get it to the same size as a tuna can. I once bought crab meat in a double sized can. Fishy.....blah. Anyways, mix all that crap up in your bowl.
7. Put a dab into the centers of each of the wrappers. If you have wonton wrappers, take the four SIDES and squersh them into the center. If you have pot stickers, they are circular, to just pick 4 points opposite each other and squersh to the center. Pinch the centers to seal the opening.
8. Throw some of those babies into the deepfryer facing up, and fry for about 2-3 minutes, or until crispy and browning. Drain and eat!
***not all my family likes seafood, so this recipe is just as good without the crab. I rarely add it


On a different note, it's crappy out. I went to Menards to buy some 1x4 lumber so I can start making my cottage-style shutters. Even if in 5-10 years, they could stand a new staining, I actually think it will add to the charm. Eventually, when I get my house nearly done remodeling inside and out, I want people to believe that they are actually out in the country when they visit my home. With a fence, arbors, trellises, trees, pergolas, etc. I am hoping to almost completely block out the view of my neighbors.
So here's today's To-Do
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1. Start making cottage-style shutters (how-to's will follow after I'm done)
2. Hang John's Palm Sunday picture. (Awesome project. HOW-TO BELOW)
3. Spray paint the milk canister in a hammered copper finish.
4. Talk to a student advisor at school about my RN program.
5. Go to Will's tournament at 6:30. Bring camcorder to finish my awesome wrestling video for Will.
6. Prime my new picture frames (apparently no one carries white frames anymore) so I can finally mount my modern-style paintings (done by me, of course) in the mudroom. Possibly spray paint them tonight. We'll see.



HOW-TO: Palm Sunday scrapbook picture.
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So my kids go to Sunday school every week, and this past Sunday my son brought me two cute paper palm leaves he made in class. So I decided to further the project:
1. Pick out two pieces of green construction paper. Fold each in half the long way. Draw half a palm leaf on one side. (Ya know, ovalish body, stem) Once your child has that cut out (or you can cut it!) cut slats along the edge at a diagonal. When you open up the paper, it should look like a palm leaf.
2. Buy a picture frame that will fit both. I bought a long frame. Not sure of the dimentions right now. Anyways, ya know that picture that they put in the frames? Turn it around, and use the white back side, or find a piece of paper large enough to make a backdrop.
3. Have your kid smear stick-glue all over 1 side of each leaf. Mount those bad-boys in any fashion that your kid chooses.
4. Take out your trusty bible, and find the chapters (Mathew, John, etc. have different versions) about Jesus entering Jerusalem. I picked John 12:13. Which happens to also be my son's name. Make sure you put the chapter and verse and whatnot. John wouldn't be happy if you violated the copyright laws =).
5. Go on MS Word, or an equivalent. Type it up, play with the font, colors, size, etc. and print it up.
6. I have a bucket of scrapbooking scissors. ($10 at Walmart for a starter kit of scissors) Let your kid pick out one. Cut out your verse.
7. Have your kid stick-glue it on a piece of natural-looking scrapbooking paper. Cut that out with you decorative scissors. Glue is somewhere by your leaves.
8. You can embellish it with nature stickers or such. Check Walmart. They have tons. My son chose a cool jungle butterfly with wire antennaes.
9. Put it back in the frame and hang!