dcarch - I'm sure my 6 year old grandson would be thrilled if I would make a solar oven, but I'm not sure I'll go to that much bother (maybe another time). Thanks for the input though. lou - thanks for the ideas, those were really cute. katiec - thanks for the playdough recipe--that's a great idea. coconut - I'm trying to decide if I want to deal with painting messes. The ages are 2, 2 1/2, 3, 6 & 7. They would probably love it though. Maybe they could paint at the kids picnic table in the garage. :) grainlady - thanks for the link--looks like a lot of great ideas. Thanks so much everyone--lots of great ideas.

Stuffing Recipe (Dressing Recipe, technically) 1 1/2 pounds bulk Italian sausage 2 tablespoons olive oil 6 ounces pancetta bacon, diced 2 onions, chopped 7 large stalks celery, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 6 cups day-old French bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes 3 cups crumbled cornbread 1 1/2 tablespoons rubbed dried sage 1 1/2 tablespoons poultry seasoning 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup toasted pine nuts 4 cups chicken broth 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup butter 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage 1 ounce shaved Parmesan cheese Directions Preheat an oven to 375 degrees. Grease a deep 9x13 inch baking dish or roasting pan. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in the sausage. Cook and stir until the sausage is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Drain and discard any excess grease. Place the browned sausage into a large mixing bowl. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and pancetta in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the pancetta begins to brown, stir in the onions and celery, and cook until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, and cook another 3 minutes until the aroma of the garlic mellows. Scrape the onion mixture into the bowl with the crumbled sausage. Add the French bread, cornbread, dried sage, poultry seasoning, salt, and pine nuts; stir well. Pour in the chicken broth and mozzarella cheese; stir until the chicken stock has been absorbed by the bread and the stuffing is evenly mixed. Pack the stuffing into the prepared baking dish, and dot the butter overtop. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, then remove the foil, and continue baking until the top has turned golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Sprinkle with the fresh sage and shaved Parmesan cheese to serve. *** Not so great for vegetarians but it is yummy for everyone else.

I posted this site a couple days ago... some really fun color combos on here - see below. I am planning for my laundry room, walls of Behr Sugar Berry (light mauvish grayish pink) with ivory trim, and accents of mauve and light blue. It was basically a pre-made color combo from one of the Behr inspiration colors. Here is a link that might be useful: Design Seeds

Liz, this is the recipe that I use for the slow-cooker. I posted it back in 2011 I made Slow-Cooker Dressing last year for Christmas, and again this year for our Canadian Thanksgiving. It's the "only" way I'll make it from now on. I always add cooked rice to my stuffing/dressing, as well. Slow-Cooker Stuffing/Dressing 1 cup butter or margarine 2 cups chopped onion 2 cups chopped celery 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 12 cups dry bread cubes 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 1/2 cups chicken broth, or as needed 2 eggs, beaten Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, and parsley in butter, stirring frequently. Spoon cooked vegetables over bread cubes in a very large mixing bowl. Season with poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, marjoram, and salt and pepper. Pour in enough broth to moisten, and mix in eggs. Spray slow-cooker with non-stick spray and transfer mixture to slow cooker. Cook on High for 45 minutes, then reduce heat to Low, and cook for 4 to 6 hours.