"Simply Better" at Home

Preschool: X is for eXercise

2011-12-17T00:01:00.001-06:00

Last week was my turn to teach preschool again. W and X. For "W" we talked about "winter" and went on a winter wonderland walk. The weather cooperated and we got a nice dumping of snow over the weekend. That was fun. We talked about what happens to different kinds of plants and animals in the winter. We read books about winter. It was fun.

Then it was time to focus on "X" and so I told a story about how "X" was best friends with "E" and as long as they were together "X" was great. We talked about some "ex" words like "exciting" and "extra" and "exactly" etc. Then we spent the rest of the time talking about eXercise and why it is so important. We talked about how it helps our blood, breathing, muscles and bones. We talked about the right kinds of "fuel" for our eXercising machines (bodies).

But mostly, we eXercised!

I made "snowballs" out of plastic bags wadded up and taped. Then they practiced throwing them at this big fat snowman. This was their favorite activity. We used these same snowballs to practice catching. I'd say their name and then throw to them so they could catch, then when they all had a snowball I'd say their name and they'd throw it back to me so I could catch. It really was a good eXercise.

Pushups.

sit ups (did you know 4 year olds don't have the core strength or coordination to do sit ups? Well, at least these four didn't. It surprised me.)

ribbon dancing (probably the second favorite).

Balance beam

balance beam with "weights" (soup cans)

We also did yoga (cat, dog, and mountain poses), hiking (a pretend hike up the stairs), jumping (across a river - a blue rug), army crawls, jumping jacks, and a few others.

The time flew by and the kids loved it! I found most of my lesson plan ideas here. It is a great resource for getting your kids moving!

Christmas Calendar (under $10)

2011-12-08T10:43:00.000-06:00

I bought this shelf at Deseret Industries for $3. It was green, falling apart, had some bad repairs made to it, and was just ugly. Somehow I saw potential (but not enough confidence to have taken a before picture). I really love how this turned out. I spent $6 on the wood rectangles for the numbers but everything else I already had. I really love the subway tiles (stickers) on the sides. This is a project that actually turned out better than envisioned. I thought I'd buy number stickers but I couldn't find any that I liked and then I realized that I own a colored printer (duh!) and I could choose my own typeface and colors. I love how they turned out. I embellished with Christmas stickers I'd bought earlier and voila!

Project: Earring Holder/Display (for $3)

2011-11-28T22:22:00.003-06:00

I've been needing a way to organize my earrings. I had seen plenty of examples of cute ways to display and organize fun earrings and I wanted to do something similar.

This is what I ended up doing:

I bought an unfinished picture box frame from the HobLob at 50% off making it $2.50. I removed the glass and distressed it a little. Then I stained it with some stain I already had.

After the stain dried, I used some of this netting and covered the picture box two or three times. I just used hot glue and made sure it was nice and tight. Then I put the frame part on with the fasteners it came with and voila!

It was fun placing all my dangling earrings in this. It is so much easier to find what I want to wear now. I'm quite happy with it!

Magnetic Nativity Project - Easy and Fun

2011-11-27T21:39:00.000-06:00

I wanted a nativity that Eden could play with and that would be durable, portable, and easy. This is what I came up with:

I bought this small (probably 6"x8") whiteboard for under $3:

Then, using craft paper I already had I made the background (blue sky, green hills, sandy ground):

I just used double stick tape to put it onto the whiteboard:

Again, using craft paper I already had, I made this simple stable. You could simplify it even more by leaving off the rafters:

Next I printed off these images. They can be found here. Then I covered the images with contact paper and cut them out:

I covered the stable/background with contact paper and placed magnetic tape (that I already had) on the back of the nativity images:

My total cost for this project (excluding items I already had) was less than $3. If I had purchased the magnetic tape and craft paper it still would have come in under $5. I have given some of these as gifts (and plan to do some more). Eden took hers to church last week and it was a great quiet Christ-centered activity for her to do during the talks.

Mind your "Ps" and "Qs"

2011-11-14T14:59:00.001-06:00

It was my turn to teach preschool again and this time we had "P" and "Q."

For the letter "P" we mostly talked about painting. I showed them some of Phil's art books and we discussed the difference between various styles and mediums (without any technical language). Not surprisingly, they all liked the more realistic paintings and water colors the best.

Next, I set up four stations (because we have four kids in our preschool). Each child got to spend time at each station. The stations were:

Painting with brushes and a large piece of paper.
Finger painting.
Traditional water paints.
Water paint pencils.

The kids had lots of fun and they were mostly clean at the end.

We also talked a little about pennies and I had them count pennies and then we used flash cards to pick a number and they counted out that number of pennies.

After the other kids went home, Eden continued to paint. She loved the water colors and started to really do some interesting things. She spent much time over the next several days painting. Phil would be so proud.

For the letter "Q" we did the following:

We told a story about how "Q" always wanted a best friend and then when he met "U" he realized he'd found one and decided that they would always stick together. The children took turns re-telling the story and then they took turns being "Q" and "U" and following each other around the room.

We made crustless Quiche. (3 eggs, 1/3 C Ricotta Cheese, 1/3 C Shredded Colby, 1/3 C Milk; blend in blender; pour into ramekins; bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes). The kids each got to choose what extras (bacon bits, spinach, etc.) to add to their quiche. When they were done, we ate them and Nestle Quick for snack.

We made Quilts. We used sticky-backed craft foam of various shapes and each child got to design their own quilt. I was surprised at how much they enjoyed this activity. Even the boys really got into it.

We sorted coins in order to find the Quarters. Then we did various counting and number games using the quarters.

Another Way to Capture Your Gratitude

2011-11-08T10:32:00.003-06:00

My BIL's company has a great new product. Check it out here.

What a fun way to capture your daily gratitude posts!

Thanks-giving FHE

2011-11-07T21:41:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we had a great lesson in RS about the importance of gratitude. I've been seeing all the November-is-grateful-month posts on FB but haven't felt inclined to join in. The lesson, though, reminded me that it is never a bad time to get on the grateful bandwagon. So, for FHE tonight, I brought back one of our favorite November rituals. Phil and I started this three years ago. It has taken slightly different forms but has kept its original intent and purpose.

Behold the Thanks-giving Turkey:

Every night from tonight until Thanksgiving we will add a feather of gratitude to this little Turkey. He looks pretty bare right now, but just you wait!

Eden and I talked about the importance of gratitude. I asked her why it is good to say "thank you" and she said, "because then you'll probably get more stuff!" Clearly, I have some work to do.

Yesterday in the RS lesson there was a quote that said, "What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked Heavenly Father for yesterday?" I used that concept and said to Eden, "what if I took back everything except the things you have thanked me for?" She replied, "I'd be really, really mad." We talked about it and then I said, "what if Heavenly Father took back everything except what we thanked him for yesterday? Did you thank Him for our house? Did you thank Him for your mom?" etc. She realized she would have food and that is about it, no house or mom or toys or friends. I think her prayer tonight was the first time she's ever thanked Him for her mommy. Nice!

She is so excited to add feathers to our bare little bird. I told her that she needs to be thinking through out the day so that she'll know what to put on the feather each night.

I'm thankful for a great lesson yesterday and the inspiration to bring back the Thanks-giving Turkey.

To make the turkey I bought a piece of foam-core at the dollar store. I used brown wrapping paper to cut out the body (just a basic pear-like shape). I cut a triangle beak and red for that floppy thing (Layne can tell us in the comments what that is called). His eyes are just white paper and blue paper with accents from a black marker. His legs are from scraps of orange paper. I cut out feathers from a variety of colors. It is all pretty basic but makes a cute bird in my humble opinion. In past years we have done individual birds (that were smaller) and the first year we used a pumpkin for the body and I just cut out a head and feathers that we pinned onto it. The problem is that the pumpkin didn't quite make it to Thanksgiving.

Glossary:
FHE - Family Home Evening, a family night held once a week (usually on Mondays) in Latter-day Saint homes. Ours follows this basic pattern: song, prayer, flag salute, "Kesler Kudos" (a time to thank one another), lesson (brief), activity, treats, prayer.

RS - Relief Society, the women's organization within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the largest women's organization in the world.

FB - Facebook (but I'm guessing you already knew that!) :)

Spudnuts

2011-10-24T22:35:00.001-05:00

Every Halloween, my mom makes a bunch of doughnuts and all her neighbors flock to her house. She has candy for the kids (silly kids, choosing candy over spudnuts!) but the adults get a warm doughnut. I made them this past weekend and thought I'd share the recipe.

This makes over 100 doughnuts but you can half or even quarter it.

Ingredients

4 1/2 C Water
1 1/2 t Salt
1 C Margarine (or butter)
5 Eggs (if halfing, my mom suggests using 3 eggs)
1 C Sugar
2 C Mashed Potatoes (left overs are fine as long as you didn't add garlic or ranch to them)
2 t Nutmeg
14 C Flour

Instructions

In small bowl, mix 1/2 C water, 2 T yeast, and 1 t sugar. Let brew.
In large bowl (as in HUGE) mix 4 C water, salt, margarine, eggs, sugar, mashed potatoes, nutmeg.
Add yeast mixture and mix with a wire wisp. Add flour and mix with a wooden spoon until all flour is moist.
Let rise in bowl until double (approx. 1 1/2 hours)
Roll our and cut into doughnuts or bars and let rise again until double (approx. 1 1/2 hours)
Deep fry in very hot oil. Place the side that was up while rising in the oil first, then turn..
Glaze, eat!

Glaze Recipe

Mix 4 C powdered sugar with enough milk to make a glaze (not frosting), mix with a wire wisp.

Plan on starting these about 4-5 hours before you want to eat them. While they are time intensive, most of that time is rising so you aren't actually working on them.

We made ours pumpkin shaped. They didn't keep their shape too well in the rising/frying process.

Deep frying - be careful!

We added orange food dye to our glaze since we made "pumpkins"
These were yummy. We're glad we had the Voice Male gang here to help us eat them!

H is for Halloween (of course!)

2011-10-05T21:39:00.000-05:00

Today in preschool we worked on the letter H. Whereas Monday was a science day, today was definitely an arts and crafts day.

We painted sugar cookie pumpkins. (Recipes below)

We read this book and each child got a set of 10 Timid Ghosts

We read this story and then they drew something from the story. Left to right: The mailman, Marley, the pumpkin. Not bad for 4 year olds!

We made foot print ghosts. They didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped (their arches were too high, I guess). Next time I think I'll use the bottom of a flip flop to stamp out the ghost shape (heel is the head).

We talked about shapes and then they got to design their own Jack-o-lanterns.

See how cute!

We sewed these hand puppets. This one is a witch in the making.

This one is a kitty. (These were from a kit I bought at the HobLob.)

Maybe my favorite project is one we didn't even get to. So, Eden and I did them after preschool. These are inkblot monsters. We painted one side, folded it over, rubbed it, opened it up, then put on eyes, etc. Aren't these hilarious? We have about five more that Eden did this afternoon. Truly fun and funny.

I love teaching preschool once a month. I get so excited to prepare for the week I get to teach, but let me tell you, I'm also so excited when my week is done and I know I won't be teaching again for a month! This is definitely a nice set up we have, it suits me just perfectly.

Recipe for sugar cookies found here.
The glaze is just powdered sugar and milk to a paint-like consistency then add your food coloring. Using the paint brushes is ingenious and so fun. Every fall when we do these I think of my friend Natalie back in Alabama. She is the painted sugar cookie queen.

G is for Glass and that rhymes with Grass

2011-10-04T13:54:00.001-05:00

Yesterday for preschool we talked about the letter G. I wanted the focus to be on science and so we did some chemistry and biology. Specifically, we learned about how Glass is made and we learned about Grass.

Glass
I showed them this video:

I wondered if they'd be able to follow it but with some running commentary/explanation by me they were and seemed to think it was fascinating!

Then we made glass for ourselves (with a few substitutions).

Sand - Sugar
Soda Ash - Water (lowers the melting temperature)
Lime - Corn Syrup (stabilizes and makes less soluble)
2400 degrees - 350 degrees
8 hours - 20 minutes

Yup, we made suckers. It was a great parallel to glass making and the kids watched with great interest and enthusiasm.

See how it balls up just like the real glass?

They each got to take home a "glass" sucker and they were pretty excited.

Yesterday was our last day of summer weather (I know, we've been spoiled) so I wanted to get the kids outside as much as possible before today's fall-like rain began. So, we also learned about Grass.

We planted and watered grass seeds and talked about the life cycle of grass. I had a puzzle for each of them to correctly assemble the life cycle from seed to grass blades.

We went outside and used our magnifying glass to look at the grass and all that was in it: bugs, dirt, etc. Then they drew pictures in their notebooks.

Autumn Time

2011-09-27T12:38:00.003-05:00

Eden has been begging me to get out the fall decorations. I finally acquiesced.

Eden's Scarecrow

Eden's Witch

I made this last night. I have to say, I love it! Comparable wreaths at the HobLob were between $80-120. I made this for less than $20. It took about two hours. The first hour was just cutting the leaves and flowers off their stems. The second hour was hot gluing. I think it looks so pretty on my green door.

Dollar Store lanterns.

This guy was on the outside of our door last year but he kept getting blown away so he gets to stay inside this year.

Eden's decorations from last year.

The mantel. This year we have some dragonfly lights. We like dragonflies, they remind us of Phil.

Piano

I made these pumpkins two years ago (in AL) out of old Phil shirts (even the leaves). We like them.

More art by Eden.

Eden made these creepy critters on Sunday.

Thin Crust Pizza Dough

2011-09-20T23:27:00.001-05:00

This is a knock-off of the California Pizza Kitchen recipe (with a few of my alterations, of course).

It is THE pizza dough for margarita pizza (still addicted, so yum!).

Yield: enough dough for one large pizza.
Time: prep time is about 20 minutes but total time is 3 hours(ish).

Ingredients

1 t active dry yeast
1 C warm water (less if you live somewhere other than a desert)
1 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C wheat flour (my addition)
1 t sugar
1 t salt
2 t olive oil

Directions

Brew yeast in the warm water (not too warm or it will kill your yeast) until it is bubbly and frothy. I have it in my brain that yeast brews better in glass but I don't know if that is really the case.
In your stand mixer (e.g. KitchenAid), add the flours, sugar, salt, and olive oil. Use a slotted wooden spoon to mix this all together.
Slowly add your yeast mixture while the mixer is on low (you can use either the bread hook or paddle attachments).
Once the dry is no longer dry, turn your mixer to medium and mix for 1-2 minutes. If you mix too long, it will cause too much glutton and your dough will be too elastic to spread out on your pizza pan.
Remove your dough-ball from the bowl and spray the bowl with oil. Replace the dough, cover with either plastic wrap or a wet rag.
Let your dough rise for approximately 2-3 hours.
Punch the dough down, form into a ball and then use a pastry roller to shape onto your pizza pan/stone. You want this thin. It will cook into a nice, crunchy thin crust.
Top and bake as directed with your pizza recipe. If you don't really have a recipe and you are just putting toppings on and want to cook it, try 450-475 for 10-12 minutes.

(note: although this is a thin crust recipe, it works fine as a thicker crust too so you could do a medium thick crust with these same instructions.)

ENJOY!

A is for Africa

2011-09-12T13:34:00.000-05:00

Today we started our Mommy-n-Me preschool again. I get to teach this week and it was so fun to prepare. I had the letter "A" today and chose to teach about Africa.

We looked at lots of pictures of African children and discussed diversity. We looked at a book of African animals and another about African folk art. We had some really fun learning projects. Here are some pictures:

This is one of the African drums. It is made with two disposable cups glued base to base. Masking tape is used for the "animal skins" at the tops. Mod podge and tissue paper were applied (ahead of time) and then the kids painted them and added the beads.

"Cave drawings" (using sandpaper)

a pyramid made from the letter "A"

They cut the bananas, dipped them in the egg wash and bread crumbs, and then watched me fry and bake them. Then they ate them. We got to discuss kitchen sanitation and safety as well as learning to cut (bananas are great for this because they cut easily with a table knife).

Safari animal memory game (color, cut out and play!)

What's for Dinner - Margarita Pizza

2011-09-01T19:16:00.000-05:00

Really Simple Margarita Pizza

1 Thin Bagle
1/2 t Olive Oil
1 small Roma Tomato (sliced)
4-6 sprigs of fresh Basil
2 slices of Fresh Mozzarella (get the good kind that is still moist - it is totally worth it!)
some thinly sliced Purple Onion
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 450
Sprinkle the Olive Oil on the Bagle slices (one top, one bottom).
Arrange the Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella, and Onion on top.
Shake some salt and pepper on top.
Place pizzas in the preheated oven for approximately 10 minutes.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Calories: 273
Carbs: 30
Fat: 15
Protein: 15

Baby Boom

2011-07-06T19:29:00.000-05:00

It seems there is a baby boom going on! There are so many neighbors and relatives that are preggers right now. Amazing and awesome.

In another life (aka: when I was single) I used to make baby afghans for all my nieces and nephews and friends' kids. Then I became a mother and that ended.

I've interrupted the hiatus with a few baby afghans. I make no predictions as to whether this will continue. For now it has been pretty fun (except when I am under the gun to get one done).

here are a couple I've done recently:

This one was given to my cousin-in-law and neighbor. The pic doesn't really show how creamy and peachy it is.

This one will be given to my SIL Morgann. She told me she likes pink with gray and this is what I came up with. I'm pleased with how it turned out because I didn't have a clear vision (do I ever?) when I started. This one evolved well, I thought.

A close up of the sunburst squares in the middle.

Of course Eden had to get in the picture!

Numbers and Movement

2011-06-21T11:58:00.000-05:00

Eden has struggled a bit with counting beyond eleven. She has also struggled to recognize double digit numbers. We have flash cards and have tried a variety of ways to make it interesting. Today we found one that seems to have been both fun and effective.

I made a chart of physical activities for each number 1-20. For example:
1 - Split
2 - Somersaults
3 - Push Ups

etc.

I then held the flash cards number-side down and she randomly chose one. Then we both did that exercise for that number of repitions. It was great because she had to count with each exercise (obviously 1 split or 2 somersaults didn't require great counting but a 20 second plank required counting all the way up to 20!).

We had lots of fun and her counting and number recognition seemed to improve during the activity. I think it is definitely something we can repeat and when it gets too routine, I can mix it up with new exercises.

It was also good because Eden was not blessed with the most coordinated genes (but man can she perform!). It was good for her to use her body in ways that she hasn't tried before. She complained that her abs hurt (she didn't know they are called abs but she showed me where her stomach muscles hurt).

All in all this was a great activity and we'll be doing it again.

Freezer Jam

2011-05-26T23:49:00.000-05:00

This is not an advertisement for Ball caning products, but it could be.

I love making freezer jam. I love the plastic 8 oz containers with the screw tops that Ball makes. I love that they are the perfect size. I love that the bottom clicks into the top of the lid so that they stack perfectly. I love that they are easy to wash and reuse (I use them for all kinds of things after the jam is gone).

I prefer jam made with Sure-Jell pectin rather than Ball instant pectin. It tastes better. And why wouldn't it? It has TONS more sugar. So, because it uses less sugar and because it doesn't require any preparation (you just dump the powdered pectin in with your sugar), I use Ball pectin. It also works with Splenda which is a nice alternative for diabetics. I love that I can make 5-8oz containers of jam in about 20 minutes. How easy is that?

Last fall I bought some fresh/frozen blackberries from Oregon (they are actually from a farm on the same road that my high school and church are on). I put the berries in freezer bags and tonight it was so easy to pull out one of those bags (I'd already defrosted it in the fridge) and just moosh the berries right in the bag, pour them into my measuring cup and then add them to the sugar/pectin mixture, stir for 3 minutes, then ladle them into my handy containers, let them sit 30 minutes and pop them into the freezer.

It REALLY is that easy! The taste of fresh berries* to last throughout the year!

*I like my jam to be fairly chunky, with pieces of berry in it. If you want a smoother texture, you'll have to work a little harder at mixing and straining. Raspberries are so seedy that I usually strain half and leave half chunky so that when mixed I get my desired chunkiness without all those seeds. Strawberries are less juicy and so they require a little more mooshing. I like to use my blender for strawberries and then I lightly chop a few so that I get the chunky-factor. I've never done fruit jams (just berry ones) but this summer I'm going to experiment. I'll keep you posted.

Awesome Pizza Dough Recipe

2011-05-16T09:01:00.001-05:00

I found a recipe online and then tweaked it a bit (of course). The original is Jay's Signature Pizza Crust on allrecipes.com.

The crust turned out really great. It had a really light texture, was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The flavor was great too. It is fairly easy to make (you do need to plan on starting your dough about 2 hours before you plan to eat though).

Here is a piece of our pizza from last night. See how yummy that crust looks!

Ingredients: (for two large pizzas or three medium pizzas)

1 T active dry yeast
1 t brown sugar (or honey)
3 C warm water
2 t salt
1/4 C olive oil
5 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C wheat flour

Directions:

In a large bowl (or your Kitchen Aid bowl), dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water. Let sit 10 minutes (be patient and let it sit).
Add the salt and oil and mix.
Add half the white four and all of the wheat flour. Mix.
Knead in the remaining flour until the dough is no longer sticky and has a nice smooth texture.
Place the dough in a well oiled bowl (let's be honest, I just lifted the dough, sprayed my already-used bowl with olive oil spray and then plunked the dough back into it, I then sprayed the top of my dough with a little of the olive oil spray).
Cover and let rise until double (approximately 1 hour).
Punch down dough and form into balls (3 for 3 pizzas, etc.). Let it relax a bit before you start to spread it.
Form into the shape of your pizza pan. Because the dough is quite rubbery, I found a small (like fits in my hand) roller to be essential. Before Phil bought me said roller, I would use a small glass and that worked as well.
Preheat your oven to 425 and then top your pizza with your favorite toppings.
Bake until the cheese and crust are golden brown (about 15-20 minutes).

Chocolate Cake (no eggs)

2011-05-02T20:39:00.000-05:00

Today we made cupcakes and then gave them away (while asking for a donation for the Alabama Tornado Relief effort). It was great fun and we made almost $130 to send to our friends in 'bama.

I did a batch of regular yellow cake from a box and then wanted a chocolate option. Also, one of my neighbor boys is allergic to eggs so I thought this recipe would be a good one so he could enjoy a cupcake too.

So, without further ado, here is the recipe (growing up we called this Mystery Cake - I guess because of the vinegar):

2 1/2 C Flour

1 1/2 C Sugar

4 1/2 T Cocoa

1 1/2 t Baking Soda

3/4 t Salt

1/2 C oil (or margarine)

1 1/2 T Vinegar

1 1/2 t Vanilla

1 1/2 C Cold Water

Mix dry ingredients then add oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water.

Bake at 350 for 18 minutes (cupcakes) or 30-35 minutes (cake rounds)

*****

For the frosting I just threw things together without measuring but my guess would be (and this was for a double batch):

1/2 C butter

1/4 C shortening

1/3-1/2 C cocoa

1 t vanilla

1 T millk

enough powdered sugar to make it the right consistency (maybe 2 C?)

Making it more SiMpLE

2011-04-29T17:53:00.000-05:00

I've moved over the recipes, projects, tutorials, and crafts from bamamoma.blogspot.com (the original blog). They can all be found on this blog now. Eventually I will delete the other.

Cha-cha-cha-changes

2011-04-05T19:20:00.000-05:00

I've lived in my house for 7 months now, can you believe it?

Obviously, that means it is time to make some changes. Here is what I've been up to:

I totally rearranged the red room so that it is more than a library. I also broke up the collage of pictures so there are a few on each wall.

I bought this awesome fabric and I'm going to recover the glider. I think I should sand down and stain the glider wood so it is darker. I'm not happy about that.

I put this shelf (we had it in 'bama) on the fireplace and I think it looks great. Eden calls that rug (also from 'bama) the "tile carpet."

The various ceramics were all made by students (both at JSU and USU). The leaf collage was a gift from Phil. My favorite place on earth is Sharon, VT. He picked up those leaves when we were there in 2001 and then gave that to me for Christmas that year.

Eden wanted to make sure I had a picture of her.

I found these two coat hook things but they were black. I took the hardware off and spay painted them.

I put these word (faith, friends, family, fun) pictures in and then realized that these statues kind of incapsulated what they said.

This is the entrance now. Phil gave me the quotation (Ruth) for my birthday in 2009

My spring decorations (above the computer).

T is for Teeth and Transportation

2011-03-18T10:49:00.000-05:00

This week for preschool (I was in charge again), we learned about the letter "T." On Monday we discussed Teeth and tooth care. The kids had fun. We did an experiment with eggshells (they served as our teeth) in different kinds of beverages. The Juice Drink and Soda stained the "teeth" almost immediately. The OJ actually broke down the "tooth" into pieces. Milk and water were definitely the best. We did some other fun teeth things.

On Wednesday, we talked about transportation. We read some fun books. I had made a train out of boxes and we had fun chugging around our house. I also made two airplanes out of boxes and that was a fun thing (but we needed more space to really "fly"). We talked about shapes and they made school buses with foam stickers.

My favorite part was our snack. I made these adorable stop lights. They tasted really great too!

graham cracker, PB, and M&Ms

St Patrick's Day Treats

2011-03-14T18:01:00.000-05:00

Here is what we (plus other family members) are having for our FHE treat tonight. Eden and I worked on these together and we're pretty happy with how they all turned out.

Shamrock cupcakes, rainbow cake, mini cupcakes as pots of gold

Fun with Reptiles

2011-03-07T14:32:00.000-06:00

Today for our co-op preschool, I taught about the letter "R" and Reptiles. We did some fun crafts so I thought I'd share:

This cute chameleon (stolen idea from my sister Emily)

The kids had fun sticking the tongues in my ear. Thanks TANGLED for that idea!

Torn paper turtles. I was surprised that this really captured their attention and was a good motor skills developer. Who knew that tearing paper was a skill that had to be developed?

This was my favorite. These cereal snakes were a last minute idea I had (I know, an idea of my very own!).

I prepared them to this point with embroidery thread and craft foam with a sticky side. Then I put the eyes on (they could have done that). I put tape around one side and then they went to town threading the cereal (and eating the ones that weren't perfect).

When they were done, I put a triangle piece of the sticky craft foam on to make a tail and to keep the cereal in place.

Banana Cake

2011-03-07T08:04:00.002-06:00

I'm not a purest. There, I said it. I am probably a lot more like Rachel than I am Martha. I hope this doesn't cost me any friends. Especially those friends who might happen to raise their own chickens and goats and make their own cheese.

Ok, that said (whew), I have to share with you my easy banana cake (I can't call it a recipe).

I had three over-ripe bananas. I didn't feel like really baking. I needed a dessert for FHE. I had a yellow cake mix. Knowing that bananas make things really moist, I decided that I could leave out the oil and reduce the water. I baked it. It turned out great (I know this because I made some mini cupcakes and devoured them already). Now I'm trying to decide whether to frost the cake with chocolate or PB frosting.

1 Yellow Cake Mix
3 Over-ripe Bananas
1 C Water
3 Eggs

Mix and bake according to directions on the box

Recipe: Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup

2011-03-05T10:19:00.000-06:00

My friend, Corrie, gave me this recipe. It is so delicious! I made it this weekend while all my family was in town for my brother's wedding. It was a hit and my sister said, "will you put that on your blog?" So, Merilee, here you go:

Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup

Prep: 20 min

Cook: 20 min

Ingredients:
3 Italian Turkey Sausage Links (4 oz each), casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
13/4 C water
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg (9oz) cheese tortellini
6 oz fresh (of course I used my frozen) baby spinach, coarsely chopped
2 1/4 t minced fresh basil or 3/4 t dried basil
1/4 t pepper
Dash crushed red pepper flakes
Shredded Parmesan Cheese for on top

Directions:
1. Cook sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic, cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Add the broth, water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil

2. Stir in tortellini; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 5-8 minutes or until tortellini are tender, stirring occasionally. Add the spinach, basil, pepper and pepper flakes; cook 2-3 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted. Serve with cheese if desired.

Yield: 6 servings (but I think it yielded much more)
203 calores, 8 g fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 878 mg sodium, 18 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 16 g protein
Attributed to Tracy Fasnaccht from PA

Recipe: Stuffed Potatoes

2011-02-08T13:26:00.000-06:00

In October 2010 I was making twice-baked potatoes and wanted to "jazz" it up a bit. They were delicious! About a month ago I was making mashed potatoes and felt the need to "jazz" them up because we weren't having gravy. I remembered the jazzy potatoes and did basically the same thing. I made them again this past Sunday and I just have to say: Y*U*M!!!!

In true jazz fashion, there aren't any exact measurements so I will try to estimate.

5-6 large potatoes (I have used both bakers and red) - cut into pieces and boiled (I leave the skins on)*
1-2 T minced garlic
1- 8oz cream cheese (or the low-fat stuff which is what I used)
milk - as needed to make the consistency you like
salt - as needed to make the flavor the way you like it
1/2 C grated cheddar cheese
1/3 C cottage cheese
1/4 C bacon bits
1/4-1/2 C spinach flakes **

Put the cream cheese into the hot/drained potato chunks and then mash (with mixer or however you normally would). Add all the other ingredients (tasting along the way to get it the way you want it). When the taste is perfect, put the potatoes into a microwavable serving dish. Next, put it into the microwave on high for five minutes. I don't know the chemistry behind this but it makes the potatoes change and get more fluffy. It also melts the cheeses into the potatoes.

Serve. (10-12 servings)

* if you want to bake your potatoes and then scoop it out and save the skins, you can prepare the potatoes as directed but rather than put them in the serving dish, scoop them back into the skins and bake for 30 minutes. Also a delicious way to do these taters.

** I buy fresh spinach, wash it, dry it, put it into freezer bags and freeze it (no blanching). Then I take the bag of frozen spinach and pound it with my fist (a great stress reliever) and it breaks into flakes. These are perfect for putting into these potatoes (and soups and a ton of other things). Don't thaw them out, just throw them straight in (otherwise you'll have a wet, gloppy spinach flake).

Eden's Room

2011-02-06T23:47:00.000-06:00

I haven't been happy with how E's room looks. She wanted pink, pink, pink, and stars but I just could figure out how to pull it all together. Having a queen sized bed in her room looked cramped and it seemed her bookshelves always look messy and old (well, they ARE old, I had them before Phil and I got married).

I decided it was time for a makeover. I moved her bed under the window. Then I covered the bookshelves with craft paper (clearance no less!) and for $3 I had two new bookshelves. I found an adorable night light (flower) at IKEA and convinced Eden to let me change the stars out for flowers (although we still have a few stars around the room). It looks so much better, more orderly, and definitely more roomy.

Take a look:

Valentine Tree

2011-01-31T21:23:00.000-06:00

I saw some cute trees with heart leaves and I thought they were so fun and easy. Then I thought it would be fun to put a heart owl in the tree. This is what I came up with:

Here are the steps:

Cut out a tree shape

Cut out some hearts for leaves

One heart for the wings, a slightly smaller one for the body, two small hearts for the feet, and a tiny heart for the beak

Assemble the owl. You can use googly eyes or whatever for the eyes

Assemble the tree, leaves, and owl. This is a small card for Eden (she told me it was for her)

Personalized Job Chart

2011-01-30T17:54:00.000-06:00

I've decided it is time to have a job chart. Eden can't read yet so I wanted to use images. After spending a few minutes looking for cute, free clip art for each of her jobs, I decided I was done with that. Then it occurred to me, I have a camera! Duh! So, I had Eden pose for each of her jobs (which reinforced what her jobs are) and then printed them on photo paper, laminated them, cut them out, put magnets on them, and voila!

There are three rows: Morning jobs, Night-time jobs, and eXtra jobs. She has to do the morning and night-time jobs just because but she gets an allowance for the eXtra jobs. The eXtra jobs include things like setting the table, washing windows, dusting, emptying the dishwasher, straightening her books and toys.

Here is a picture of the job chart today:

More V'day Decor

2011-01-27T21:12:00.000-06:00

These are just letters from Hobby Lobby and I covered them in craft paper (using spay-on glue). They are actually now on the inside of my front door in vertical fashion (I used painters tape to adhere them).

I found this frame at the HobLob and thought it was so appropriate. I happened to have a black and white print of one of our engagement pictures so I threw that in. I really like this decoration.

Heart Bouquet

2011-01-09T22:33:00.000-06:00

As I took down the Christmas stuff, I wanted something to put in its place. The stores have moved on to Valentine's Day, why shouldn't I? I didn't want to spend a bunch of money though so I'm making most of my v'day decor.

I have this cool white vase/pot and decided it would look so cute with a bouquet of hearts coming out of it. So, I bought some florist wire (pre-wrapped) and foam and used some of my cute craft paper and went to work.

Here is a picture of it in progress. It was so simple. Just throw the wires into the florist foam, curl them down to the size I wanted them, cut two paper hearts the same size, glue them together around the wire, and boom, there it is.

PBWC

2011-01-03T00:19:00.002-06:00

I have discovered the magic that is peanut butter + white chocolate. The funny thing is that I don't really like either on their own, but put them together and it really is magical!

Here are a couple of my PBWC creations:

PB Popcorn

Pop (preferably air pop) some corn (enough to fill a large bowl - approx. 1/2 C kernals).
Shake some salt on the popcorn.
Melt 1/2 bag of white chocolate with 1/4-1/3 C PB (just toss them together in the microwave for 30 second increments, stir, repeat, until fully melted - don't over-cook).
Pour PBWC over the popcorn and toss until all the corn is well covered.
Dump it onto a sprayed tray/cookie sheet.
Put in a cool place (my garage works great).
When the PBWC has set, put into bowls or bags or directly into your mouth.

PB Brownies

Make your favorite brownies. (Phil's Brownies work great!)
Melt 1/2 bag of white chocolate with 1/4-1/3 C PB (just toss them together in the microwave for 30 second increments, stir, repeat, until fully melted - don't over-cook).
Pour the PBWC on top of the brownies.
Put in a cool place (my garage works great).
When everything is cool, cut, serve, eat.

Recipe: Pumpkin Pancakes

2010-11-08T14:27:00.000-06:00

Today we had this for breakfast:

It was so yummy!

Over the weekend some friends were here and they made pumpkin cinnamon rolls (recipe here) and so there was some leftover pumpkin. I thought pumpkin pancakes with caramel syrup sounded just too good so I adjusted my regular pancake recipe and came up with this:

Heidi's Pumpkin Pancakes

In a medium mixing bowl combine:
2/3 C All Purpose Flour
1/3 C Wheat Flour
2 T Sugar
1 t (heaping) Baking Powder
1/2 t Salt
a Dash of Cinnamon
a Dash of Ginger
a Dash of Nutmeg
Mix and then add:
1 egg
1/3 C Pumpkin Puree
1/3 C Buttermilk
1/2 C Water
Mix just until a thick batter is formed (add more water if needed), don't over-mix.
Cook as you would a regular pancake (for us that means on a griddle at 350 degrees). These take a little longer to cook through but they are worth the wait.

Makes enough for 4 average people (probably 2 hungry people).

Caramel Syrup

In large pan combine:
1/2 C butter
1 1/2 C sugar
3/4 C buttermilk
1 t baking soda
1 t vanilla
2 T Karo syrup

Mix and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes.

Rocking Reading Corner

2010-10-27T00:22:00.001-05:00

I wasn't sure what to do with the space behind my couch. It seemed like wasted space until I brought the rocking chair downstairs during conference because Eden was sick and wanted me to hold her while I watched conference on our computer. I moved some stuff around and this reading corner was born.

The lamp table was raw wood from IKEA. I "stained" it using watered down paint (the same as the wall paint). The top is made from the same glass tiles as the fireplace.

If you look closely on that back wall (above the bookcase) you'll see a self-portrait Phil did. It is Voice Male Phil. I'm pretty sure it is Mikey B behind him.

Here you can see how it relates to the rest of the room.

Saved: Computer Desk Chair

2010-10-21T23:35:00.000-05:00

Phil had a computer chair that must have been constructed in 1970. It was seriously old. The wood was scratched but it was solid wood - kind of an oak color. The fabric was UG-LY! I was going to throw it out. Somehow it ended up on the moving truck (hmmm, how did it make it but my silverware didn't?). After sitting in it a while, I decided it was fairly comfortable. I had some upholstery fabric that I'd bought like 10 years ago. I'd bought it really cheap as a remnant. My plan was to use it to make costumes for my costume box (at that time for the nieces and nephews). I did make some costumes but I still had enough to use on this chair. I spray painted the wood an espresso color so it would match my computer desk and voila! For less than $4, I have a gorgeous new chair!

The OLD fabric

The new (well, it is really old fabric too).

The Office

2010-10-21T23:29:00.000-05:00

Again, kinda joking with that title. This is on one end of the dining room (the family room, dining room, and kitchen make a "great room"). I fell in love with this desk that I found on Overstock. I love the simplicity of it. Of course we have a Mac (would Phil have anything else?). I think I'd like to find a rug to go under this area. We'll see. Oh, you might recognize the statues from the red room. Yup, they got moved. :) See the next post to learn about that beautiful chair.

The Conservatory

2010-10-21T23:25:00.001-05:00

I'm just kidding with that title. This is really a corner of the family room (opposite the fireplace). This was Phil's grandmother's piano. She wanted him to have it. I'm excited that Eden will learn to play on her great-grandmother's piano. The pictures above the piano are L-R: engagement picture, last family photo, Beck family (bottom), Kesler brothers (top). The airplane thing was something Phil found at Ross or TJ Maxx in 'bama. He loved it. He thought it had "really cool lines." That's my Phil. :)

Fireplace

2010-10-19T23:39:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is, the fireplace. I don't know if I like the white trim around it but it needed to be trimmed and it makes sense for the trim to match. I really like the "his and hers" vases. The one on the right is a sculpture piece Phil bought. It is very rugged and manly. The one on the left is much more feminine. I think they make a fun statement.

I like my collection of Fall things on the mantle. I owe a thanks to my friend Laura. I was looking at her blog and she had placed something on her corner mantle to shorten the depth. I had this mirror that came with my dresser but wasn't being used. It seems to be just the thing. Corrie, the owl is an homage to you. :)

Awesome Product: Freshness Guaranteed

2010-10-15T11:34:00.000-05:00

I have a friend who gave me some Scentsy products. Among other things, she gave me some car fresheners. I took one of these cute disks and hung it on the handle of my toilet. It is perfect! It seems that air fresheners in bathrooms are always too overpowering or don't do the job well. This has been seriously perfect and has lasted about a month. I'm ordering more from this site.

Helpful Hint: Getting the Medicine Down

2010-10-15T11:14:00.000-05:00

Eden has had a respiratory infection this week. She is on antibiotics but she has no idea. How have I gotten her to willingly drink down her medicine without even realizing it?

Well, let me tell you!

Eden's grandpa (my dad) likes to make and drink Crystal Light. Because it is tart and makes him pucker, he calls it "Kissing Juice." Obviously, this name makes Crystal Light even more appealing to his grandkids. Eden begs to get Kissing Juice but that stuff isn't cheap (not to mention that all those chemicals aren't exactly healthy). So, the compromise is this: Eden gets to have one cup of Kissing Juice each day. She thinks it is a real treat!

What she doesn't know is that this week her "Kissing Juice" has really been medicine + water. She thinks it is amazing that I'm suddenly allowing her (insisting, really) to have Kissing Juice morning AND night.

So far it has worked like a charm.

Helpful Hint: Dishwasher Edition

2010-10-05T14:25:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit: penelopejonze

I didn't go with a cheap dishwasher (not the most expensive either) so I was so sad to find all my dishes coated with soap scum. Frustrated. My sister gave me a great suggestion. She said to put a cup upright in the dishwasher and pour about 1/4-1/3 C of white vinegar into it.

It works like a dream! (a good dream, that is)

Apparently when phosphates were eliminated, soap scum returned. The vinegar takes care of that.

The LyeBerry

2010-09-23T22:27:00.002-05:00

Here is the first room completed. It is the Library (or as Eden and my San Pete-speaking father call it, the LyeBerry). This is the room to the side of the entrance of the home. It took me two different reds to get the right one. The first one was way too "berry" even for a LyeBerry.

DONE (again)

2010-09-08T01:52:00.000-05:00

My friend "commissioned" me to crochet this for her. We buried the first version I did with Phil (he loved it and so she gave it back to me). Now it is done again. So happy to be done (again).

She chose the colors (and bought the yarn). She is good that way. Phil said, "each square is like a little composition, a lesson in color theory." Man, I love that guy!

Eden wouldn't let me take pictures without getting in the shot.

Awesome Product

2010-09-07T10:55:00.000-05:00

Check out this new site for photo journaling (and TONS more). This is going to be an awesome product.

(full disclosure: my BIL, Dan, is one of the head honchos on this project. That is how I know it will be AWESOME!)

Orange Chicken

2010-08-25T20:12:00.002-05:00

Sauce:
In a medium bowl combine the following ingredients.

1/2 cups water
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root (or 1/8 teaspoon of powdered)
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Place 1/3 of mixture into a Ziplock and add:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Place the chicken into the fridge and marinade for 3 or more hours. Place the remaining liquid in a container and refrigerate.

45 minutes prior to dinner, remove the chicken and drain it. Add the following ingredients into a clean Ziplock:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Add the chicken pieces and seal the bag, then shake to coat the chicken.

Heat a skillet with:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 drops sesame seed oil

When sizzling, add the chicken and brown.
Add:

1/2 - 1 cup julienne carrots

In a medium sauce pan, heat the remaining orange mixture plus:

3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

When thickened, add:

one small can of mandarin oranges (with the juice)

Pour over the chicken and carrots just prior to serving. Serve over rice.

update

2010-02-03T02:26:00.000-06:00

Ok, so everyone who may have been checking this site out has probably quit by now. No posts since before Thanksgiving??? Looks like a dead blog to me.

We'll see...

Life has been crazy around here since T'giving. All those fabulous recipes and plans I had, came to naught and we ended up having a rotisserie chicken purchased from WalMart at 5pm on T'giving day. No guests. Lots of love. You can see my other blog for more details of the why, etc.

Anyway ... I'm hoping to get back to some projects soon. I also hope to post more recipes. I'm working on healthier, more natural ways to cook so look for posts about that (and I have added some excellent links to the blog roll).

We've been eating a lot more veggies. I'm trying very hard to make our diet plant-based with healthy protein thrown in. I have a goal to serve at least one raw veggie with every dinner. Sometimes this is tricky (salad can get old). I have found some good options though and feel good about our efforts.

Stay tuned...

Thanksgiving: Vegetables

2009-11-23T07:45:00.001-06:00

I don't do yams or sweet potatoes. Not even with marshmallows.

There, I said it.

Here are some other Vegetable options (brought to you by the Lion House cookbook).

Harvest Vegetable Bake

1 head cauliflower
1/2 C celery, chopped
1/3 C green pepper, chopped
3 T butter
1 T cornstarch
1 C milk
1 C grated Swiss cheese
3/4 t salt
1 tomato, sliced
paprika

Preheat ove to 350 degrees (f).
Break cauliflower into flowerets and cook in small amount of salted water until tender.
Drain and pour into a shallow baking dish.
In a small saucepan, saute celery, onion, and green pepper in melted butter until crisp-tender.
Pour over cauliflower.
In the same pan, combine cornstarch and cold milk and bring to a boil, stirring until thickened.
Stir in Swiss cheese and salt.
Pour sauce over vegetables.
Top with sliced tomato and sprinkle with paprika.
Bake 20 minutes.

Broccoli Valhalla

2 pounds fresh broccoli
3 large oranges, peeled and cut into chunks
4 T butter

Wash broccoli and cut into 2-inch pieces.
Cook in a small amount of salted water until crisp-tender.
Drain off water and set broccoli aside.
Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and saute oranges for a minute or two.
Add broccoli and heat to blend flavors.

Carrots Lyonnaise

1 chicken bouillon cube
1/2 C boiling water
6 medium carrots, peeled and julienned
2 T butter
2 medium onions, sliced
1 T flour
1/4 t salt
dash pepper
pinch sugar
3/4 C water

Dissolve bouillon cube in boiling water in a medium saucepan.
Add carrots; return to boiling.
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 7-10 minutes, until crisp-tender.
While carrots are cooking, melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat.
Add sliced onions and saute until translucent.
Add flour, salt, pepper, sugar, and 3/4 C water.
Stir until thickened.
Stir in cooked carrots and teh cooking water.
Stir until all ingredients are blended.
Serve hot.

Here is a picture of julienned carrots (just so you know what that fancy term really means):

Thanksgiving: Stuffing

2009-11-22T22:29:00.000-06:00

More conflicted feelings.
Stove Top or the good stuff?
Maybe a hybrid?

Here is my "good stuff" recipe:

Herb and Butter Stuffing

One loaf of rustic white or Italian bread, crusts removed and cut into 1/2" cubes
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
1 1/2 sticks of butter (that's 3/4 C)
2 t minced garlic
1 C chicken broth
1/2 t poultry seasoning
1/2-1 t crushed sage
1/2 t thyme
1/2 t rosemary

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees (f)
Coat large cookie sheet with butter, then arrange your bread cubes on cookie sheet so that there is just one layer of bread throughout.
Place bread in the oven and bake until slightly browned; remove from oven and turn cubes; brown the other side.
Place bread cubes in a casserole dish.
In a deep skillet melt 1/2 cube (1/4 C) of butter then saute onions, garlic, and celery until the onions begin to be transparent.
Add the broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up the bits of onion and celery that may have stuck to the skillet.
Add the remaining butter (1 stick or 1/2 C) and the herbs.
Pour this mixture over the bread cubes; cover with tin foil; and refrigerate at least 2 hours and as much as over night.
Remove from fridge.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees (f).
Bake stuffing with foil on for 25 minutes.
Remove foil and bake until browned (approximately 15 more minutes).

Ways to fancy-up the stove-top kind:

Add cranberries (fresh or craisons)
Add almond slivers
Add celery and onions (sauteed in some butter)
Bake it after you've cooked it so that it crisps up a bit

Thanksgiving: Rolls

2009-11-22T16:49:00.002-06:00

I'm conflicted about rolls. Which is weird. I've ALWAYS been a homemade roll kinda gal. This year, though, I'm actually considering buying rolls. Strange, I know. I'll probably end up making rolls ... probably.

Here are two great roll recipes:

One-hour Rolls

5 t Yeast
1/4 C warm water
1 1/2 C buttermilk (I think this is the real key)
1/4 C sugar
1/2 C oil
1 t salt
4 1/2 C flour (I did 2 1/2 of wheat and 2 C white)
1/2 t baking soda

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a small bowl.
In mixing bowl, combine buttermilk, sugar, oil, and salt, then mix.
Add the yeast mixture once it has become frothy, then mix well.
Add flour and baking soda.
Knead (with machine or by hand) until the dough is smooth (2-5 minutes).
Let stand for 10 minutes.
Roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick.
Cut into triangles and roll from wide side to thin (forming a crescent).
Place on cookie sheet (with nonstick spray on it).
Let rise for 30 minutes.
Bake in preheated 425f oven for 10 minutes.

These have a fabulous texture. I use honey instead of sugar and that works great. I also reduce the oil slightly.

Mom's Rolls

In a small bowl combine and then brew until very frothy (usually about 5 minutes):

1/4 C warm water
2 T yeast
1 t sugar

In a large bowl stir/dissolve:

1/2 C oil
1/2 C sugar
3/4 C hot water

Add and stir well:

2 t salt
3 eggs
yeast mixture

Mix in (it should still be somewhat sticky and a little lumpy):

4 1/2 C sifted flour

Raise for one hour.

Punch down and on a floured surface roll out until about 1/3 inch thick rectangle.
Brush softened butter on the dough.
Cut into triangles and roll from the fat side to the point.
Place rolls on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray (like Pam).
Raise for an additional hour.
Bake at 400 f for 9-12 minutes.

total project time: 2.5 - 3 hours

Thanksgiving: Beverage

2009-11-22T15:13:00.000-06:00

I think we'll probably just have water.

But, here are some recipes for other (more fun) options:

Slush

4 C sugar
6 C water
1 (46 oz) can of pineapple juice
2 (12 oz) cans frozen orange juice
1 (12 oz) can frozen lemonade
5 bananas - mashed
6 liters lemon/lime soda (like Sprite)

Measure sugar and water into saucepan.
Bring to a boil
Remove from heat; chill.
Mix with pineapple juice, orange juice, lemon juice and bananas.
Freeze.
Pour soda over it and serve.

Holiday Cranberry Drink

1 Gallon Cranberry Cocktail
2 T grated orange peel
6 cinnamon sticks
12 whole cloves (placed in a cloth and tied off)
4 C orange juice

Place all ingredients into a big pot or crockpot.
Heat.
Serve.
(You can float fresh cranberries on top)

Thanksgiving: Fruit

2009-11-22T13:06:00.002-06:00

Cranapple Salad

2 C chopped Cranberries (the easiest way to chop them is to put them in a food processor while they are still frozen)
2 C shredded Granny Smith Apples (peel, core, and then shred)
1/3 C Sugar
2 C Mini Marshmallows
1 C Heavy Whipping Cream

Combine cranberries, apples, sugar and marshmallows and chill for about an hour.
Whip the cream (don't add sugar) then fold it into the fruit mixture.
Serve chilled.
Optional: add walnut pieces, you can also leave the marshmallows out.

This makes a really pretty pink salad that is just so festive in flavor and presentation!

Baked Peaches with Ginger Glaze

2 Cans Peaches (halves work best but slices are fine too)
3 T brown sugar
1/3 C peach juice (taken from draining canned peaches)
1 T minced, peeled fresh ginger (or 1/8 t ginger powder)
1/4 C minced, purple onion
2 t grated orange rind
2 T orange juice (squeezed from orange)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (f).
Spray shallow casserole pan with nonstick spray.
Drain peaches, reserving 1/3 C of the juice.
Arrange peaches in the casserole pan.
In a separate small bowl combine brown sugar, peach juice, ginger, onion, orange rind, and orange juice.
Pour juice mixture over the peaches.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
(If you want a crispy top, you can combine 1/4 C quick oats, 1/4 C brown sugar, 1 T softened butter, and 2 T flour and crumble over the top of the peaches)

Lime Jello Stuff
(recipe by my MIL)

1 C crushed pineapple, heated
1 large pkg lime gelatin
1 C cream (or Cool Whip)
1 C miniature marshmallows
1 C cottage cheese
1/2 C chopped pecans

Dissolve gelatin in heated pineapple.
Cool to room temperature.
In a separate bowl, add marshmallows, cottage cheese, and pecans to whipped cream.
Fold cream mixture into gelatin mixture
Salad may be served at once or molded for later use.

Thanksgiving: Pumpkin Desserts

2009-11-22T12:36:00.003-06:00

I realize that I didn't post a recipe for pumpkin pie. See, here's the thing, I'm just not that big a fan. I'm sure you can find all kinds of good pumpkin pie recipes though. If you've got a great one, feel free to post a link or type it into a comment.

Although I don't really like pumpkin pies, I LOVE pumpkin rolls and pumpkin cookies. Here are some great recipes.

Pumpkin Rolls

3 eggs
1 C sugar
2/3 C pumpkin pie filling
1 t lemon juice
3/4 C flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
2 t cinnamon
1 t ginger
1/2 t nutmeg

Mix (using a Kitchen Aid or hand mixer): eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and lemon juice.
Add: flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg (you can leave out the ginger and nutmeg if you, as Phil, don't like those flavors). Mix well.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees (f).
Grease a 10x14 inch pan and then line it with waxed paper.
Pour batter into pan.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Immediately turn cake onto a damp cotton towel (not terry cloth).
Peel the waxed paper off the cake.
Roll the cake (and damp towel) so that you have the length (so your roll will be 14 inches long).
Cool in the fridge.
When the cake is completely cooled, remove from fridge and unroll (your towel will be yucky but it washes out ok).
Spread with filling and roll back up (without the towel).
Wrap in waxed paper and then foil.
Freeze.
Allow to thaw approximately 30 minutes prior to serving.
When thawed about 15 minutes, slice and serve (continue to thaw another 15 minutes after slicing).

Filling
Mix all ingredients until creamy:

1 (8 oz) pkg of cream cheese - softened
1/2 C butter
1 C powdered sugar
1/2 t vanilla

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies (from cooks.com)

1 C Pumpkin pie filling
3/4 C sugar
1/2 C oil
1 egg
2 C flour
2 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t milk
1 c chocolate chips
1 t vanilla
nuts (optional)

Dissolve baking soda in milk; set aside.
In large bowl add pumpkin, sugar, oil, and egg; stir.
Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda mixture. Mix well.
Stir in chocolate chips and vanilla.
Spoon onto cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees (f) for 10-12 minutes (or until done).

Thanksgiving: Pies

2009-11-22T11:29:00.001-06:00

What is Thanksgiving without pies?

a let down, that's what!

Here are some tried and true recipes:

Cranberry Cheesecake

1 (8 oz) pkg of cream cheese (softened)
1 can of sweet and condensed milk
2 T lemon juice
1 egg
2 graham cracker crust (purchased or handmade)
1 (8 oz) can of whole berry cranberry sauce
1 T brown sugar
3 T cornstarch
1/3 C flour
3/4 C walnuts or pecans (optional)
2 T brown sugar (more)
1/2 cube butter - softened

In your mixer combine 8 oz of softened cream cheese, 1 can of sweet and condensed milk, 2 T lemon juice, and 1 egg.
Pour into a graham cracker crust.
In a separate bowl mix 8 oz whole berry cranberry sauce, 1 T brown sugar, and 3 T cornstarch and then drop globs into the cheese mixture.
In another bowl mix 1/3 C flour, 3/4 C walnuts (optional), 2 T brown sugar, and 1/2 cube of softened (not melted) butter and crumble on the top.
Bake at 375 f for 40-45 minutes (makes two small pies).

French Silk Chocolate Pie

3 oz of unsweetened chocolate
1 C butter
1 C sugar
1 t vanilla
4 eggs
Baked pie crust (you can use a traditional crust of a graham cracker crust or even an oreo crust)

In a small saucepan, melt 3 oz of unsweetened chocolate and then cool.
Cream 1 C butter and 1 C sugar in your mixer.
Add the cooled chocolate and 1 t vanilla.
Add 2 eggs and beat (or whip) on high speed for 5 minutes.
Add 2 more eggs and beat for 5 more minutes.
Pour into a pie shell. Refrigerate. Top with whipped cream.

Cherry Pie

(recipe taken from the back of Oregon Red Tart Cherries label)

(this is Phil's favorite - and Corrie's too!)

1/2 - 3/4 C sugar (depending on your taste)
1 T cornstarch
2 (14.5 oz) cans Oregon Red Tart Cherries (in water)
1/4 t almond extract (optional)
1 T butter
Pie crusts (top and bottom - not cooked yet)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (f).
Drain the cherries and reserve the juice from only one can.
In a saucepan, stir the cherry juice into the combined mixture of the cornstarch and sugar.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened.
Remove from heat.
Gently stir in cherries and almond extract.
Pour filling into pastry lined pie pan.
Dot with butter or margarine.
Place pastry over the top, vent (create a hole), and seal (press the top and bottom pastries together). You can also do a lattice. See instructions here.
Bake 30-40 minutes or until crust browns and filling begins to bubble.
If necessary, cover edges with aluminum foil during last 15 minutes to prevent over-browning.
Cool pie several hours to allow filling to thicken before slicing.

Here are a couple of different crust recipes. For some reason my mom's doesn't work here 'bama (altitude? humidity? not sure why). Normally it is flaky and delicious though! I used the other one last year and it was pretty easy to handle and was quite tasty.

Mom's Pie Crust
(same as the one on the cherry label)

2 C flour
2/3 C shortening
1 t salt
1/4 C ice water

Mix flour, shortening, and salt together until small pieces form the size of peas.
Add water and mix just to moisten.
Roll out and put into pie pan.
Bake at 425 for 10 minutes (if filling after) or according to recipe if baking with the filling in it.

MIL's Pie Crust
(same as our RS president here in 'bama)

4 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups of shortening (I use 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening) cold!
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 egg
1/2 cup cold water (you may need a little more)

Mix vinegar, egg, and water well and put in freezer for a few minutes to get it really cold.
In a food processor (you can do this by hand too) pulse the flour, sugar, salt, and shortening
Add water mixture to the flour mixture and mix with a fork or pulse a few times in the processor until it forms a ball.
This makes 4 crusts.
Separate it into fourths and put into plastic freezer bags. Store in fridge until ready to use (it will also freeze well).
Bake according to pie recipe.

Hints for rolling out pie crust

Cold is good. Make sure your crust (and the liquid used to make the crust are cold).
Put a piece of wax paper on your surface, then the dough, then another piece of wax paper. This prevents sticking, you can just peel off the wax paper and put the crust into your pan.
Don't use too much flour, too much will make your crust stiff and tough. I once saw someone (maybe Martha) use sugar to prevent sticking. An interesting idea but I like the wax paper solution better.
Don't give up if it doesn't work out the first time. Keep working at it and make notes about what worked and what didn't.
Remember the two basics: keep it cold and don't handle it too much.

Thanksgiving: Hors d'oeuvres

2009-11-22T10:03:00.002-06:00

At our house we like to have a brunch for breakfast and then put out some yummy things to munch on until our mid-afternoon meal. We don't have television reception so there won't be parade or football watching. Instead, we plan on having the girls (ages 2 and 3) do some craft projects, reading some Thanksgiving books we checked out from the library, and just enjoying our friends.

Here are some recipes for our munchies (aka: hors d'oeuvres)

Spiced Nuts:
(America’s Best Recipes)

1 egg white
1 tbs water
3 cups pecan halves, or almonds
½ cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves

Beat egg white (at room temperature) and water at high speed of an electric mixer until foamy.
Add pecans, stirring to coat.
Combine sugar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, and sprinkle over nuts; stir well.
Spread nuts in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring twice.
Let cool. Yield: about 3 cups.

Pineapple Cheese Ball

2 (8 oz) pkgs of Cream Cheese - softened
1 can of crushed Pineapple - well drained
1/3 C of Red Onion - finely chopped
1/3 C of Green Bell Pepper - finely chopped
1/4 t Celery Salt
1/4 t Seasoned Salt
1/4 t Table Salt

Blend all ingredients together.
Chill 15 minutes.
Form into a ball.
(optional) Garnish (roll the ball into one of the garnishing suggestions to cover).

Crushed Nuts
Finely Chopped Parsley
Ritz Cracker crumbs
Other ideas????

Chill until 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with a variety of crackers.

Cheesy Garlic Cheese Ball

2 (8 oz) pkgs of Cream Cheese - softened
1 - 2 teaspoons of minced garlic (depending on your taste)
1/2 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning (or 1/4 t oregano, 1/4 t basil)
1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese (finely grated)
1/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese (finely grated)
1/2 teaspoon of Table Salt

Blend all ingredients together.
Chill 15 minutes.
Form into a ball.
(optional) Garnish (roll the ball into one of the garnishing suggestions to cover).

Crushed Nuts
Finely Chopped Parsley
Ritz Cracker crumbs
Other ideas????

Chill until 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with a variety of crackers.

Thanksgiving: the Bird

2009-11-22T09:34:00.004-06:00

Step 1 - Buying the Turkey

Determine how many your turkey needs to feed.
Plan on 1 to 1.5 pounds of turkey (this includes bones etc) per guest (slightly less for small eaters, more for big eaters). This will still allow you a few leftovers.
Buy your bird.

If it is frozen you will need to thaw it out in the fridge: a day for every 5 pounds or in an ice water bath (fill your clean tub or a large container with ice water and submerge your bird - it should be in a bag for extra sanitation): 30 minutes per pound.
If it is fresh, you will need to store it in your fridge until it is time to cook it. If you plan to buy it the day before (to keep your fridge available longer) you might want to reserve one in advance.

Step 2 - Preparing the Turkey

If you want to brine your turkey see here and here for some helpful hints and recipes.
Buy some cheesecloth.
Prepare your basting liquid. Here is my recipe:

Melt 1 cube of butter.
Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth.
Add 1/2 cup of ginger ale.
Add 1-2 teaspoons of crushed sage.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of rosemary.

Preheat oven to 425 with top rack removed and remaining rack at lowest setting.
Place your turkey breast side up. Turn the wings under. Tie the legs together (even if you don't stuff the cavity because it will keep its shape better with the legs tied together).
Fold your cheesecloth so that it is the right size to cover your turkey. Submerge it in your cooled (but not cold) basting liquid.
Place the cheesecloth over your turkey.
Baste turkey with more of the liquid.

Step 3 - Roasting the Turkey

Put turkey in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
Turn oven down to 350 and continue to roast. Brush basting liquid on cheesecloth and turkey every 30 minutes. You can cover the turkey with a piece of foil if it is browning too quickly.
Here is a chart so you'll know how long to roast (these are estimates - the key is to roast until the turkey is 180 degrees {f} at the thickest part):

Weight of Bird	Roasting Time (Unstuffed)	Roasting Time (Stuffed)
10-18 lbs	3-3.5 hours	3.75-4.5 hours
15-22 lbs	3.5-4 hours	4.5-5 hours
22-24 lbs	4-4.5 hours	5-5.5 hours
24-29 lbs	4.5-5 hours	5.5-6.25 hours

Step 4 - Carving your Turkey

Remove your turkey and allow it to sit at least 30 minutes before attempting to carve it.
Use the instructions here for carving your turkey.

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

2009-11-20T05:34:00.001-06:00

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

You should click on the link above and watch a great video!

Baked Apple French Toast

2009-11-18T09:08:00.012-06:00

Ingredients

Day 1
1 (1 pound) loaf French bread*, cut diagonally in 1 inch slices
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

*Homemade bread works great. Use your small loaf pans for a perfect size.

Day 2
2 apples cored, peeled, and coarsely chopped (optional)
3/4 cup butter (melted)
1 1/3 cups brown sugar

Directions

Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange the slices of bread in the bottom. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread slices, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place your chopped apple pieces on top of the bread (which will have soaked up all that yummy egg and milk) In a small bowl, combine butter, and brown sugar. Pour over bread and egg mixture.
Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

This is a yummy breakfast or brunch. Try it for a Christmas brunch. We will be having this Thanksgiving morning. YUM!

Cabbage and Apples

2009-11-17T07:51:00.000-06:00

I found this "heart-healthy" recipe in a book by Zorba Paster (the doctor with a show on NPR). It is very tasty and might even be added to our Thanksgiving menu. This serves 4 and takes about 40 minutes (10 minutes prep and 30 minutes of simmering).

2 T Olive Oil
1 medium Onion, coarsely chopped
2 Granny Smith apples, coarsely chopped
1T Flour
1 C Water
1/2 C Red wine vinegar
2 T Sugar
1 medium Green cabbage, shredded
1 Bay leaf

Heat oil in a large skillet.
Add onion and apples, and toss to coat.
Stir over medium heat until the onion is limp
Sprinkle on flour and continue stirring until mixture "foams." (I didn't ever really get a "foam."
Pour in water and vinegar.
Bring to a boil.
Stir in sugar.
Add cabbage, stirring to coat.
Drop in bay leaf.
Reduce heat and cover.
Simmer for 25-30 minutes until cabbage is crisp-tender.
Remove bay leaf
Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Specialty Flours Made at Home

2009-10-30T14:05:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had a recipe that called for self rising flour but you didn't have any?

It is really easy to make your own!

For every cup of all purpose flour sift in 1 1/2 t Baking Powder and 1/2 t salt.

Ok, that was easy. What about cake flour?

Take a 1 cup measuring cup and put in 2 T of cornstarch then fill the rest with all purpose flour. Sift multiple times (until your flour is light and fluffy - some say as many as 12 times!).

Now you never have to pass up a yummy recipe because you don't have the right kind of flour!

Voila! (which, by the way is the word you mean when you say "wala" what is up with that? I hate reading "wala" it drives me nuts, but I digress...)

Grocery Shopping

2009-10-29T13:16:00.000-05:00

Here is my favorite shopping assistant:

(isn't she cute?)

When I was a single working gal I didn't give much thought to shopping. It was an afterthought at best. If I needed something, I went to the store and bought it. I even kind of sneered at people who made grocery shopping an art form. Silly them, it really isn't that big-a-deal, I thought.

Now I am surprised at how much of my time and energy (and money!) goes toward grocery shopping.

I'm looking for your best tips. Where do you shop? Do you have any "rules" that you follow (e.g. my sister refuses to buy cereal for more than $2 a box)? How often do you shop? Are you organized?

I'm looking forward to your helpful hints! Thanks!

Fabric Pumpkins

2009-10-20T15:40:00.000-05:00

I made these cute pumpkins out of old shirts that Phil was giving to the thrift store (sorry Center of Hope, I snagged them first). I used the collar of the green shirt to make the leaves because that way they are stiff and have facing in them and fabric on both sides.

I cut circles out of the other shirts (ranging from about 14" to 8"). Then I basically made a large yo-yo (see tutorial here) and then instead of making it flat, I stuffed it with fiberfill. I used my glue gun to attach the leaf and then I stuck a stick (we have plenty of those around here) in the top (right into the fiberfill) for the stem.

I think they turned out really cute! I LOVE that I didn't have to buy a single item to make these cute decorations.

Broccoli Mac-n-Cheese

2009-10-10T17:32:00.002-05:00

This is an easy recipe for those days when you maybe just don't feel inspired but aren't ready to resort to prepared or fast food.

Boil some macaroni and frozen (or fresh) broccoli florets together.
When the pasta is done, drain.
While still hot, add 1/2 block of cream cheese and 1 C grated cheddar cheese. Mix well until it is melted and creamy.
Add crumbled bacon bits.
Serve.

Chicken Kurma with Raisins

2009-10-09T10:23:00.002-05:00

This is so good and really pretty easy and quick. Try it this weekend, you'll be glad that you did!

Ingredients:

1/4 C chicken broth
1/3 C half and half (or 2% milk if you don't want it so rich)
1/2 C coconut milk
1 1/2 T curry powder
1/2 C cold butter, cut into pieces
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thawed)
2 tablespoons Garam Masala*
1/2 C raisins
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a medium sauce pan add chicken broth, half/half, and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer (steaming).
Add curry powder and stir until smooth.
Bring to a light boil, reduce heat to medium and cook (while stirring frequently) for approximately 15 minutes (liquid will reduce and thicken).
Turn heat down to low and add cold butter (cut into small pieces). Stir and incorporate butter. Do not allow the liquid to boil or the butter will separate.
Season with salt and pepper and set aside, keeping warm.
Shake the Garam Masala onto the thawed chicken breasts and then grill or sear as desired.
Cut cooled chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Add the chicken and raisins to the Kurma sauce.

Serve over rice. For added color and flavor, put some frozen peas into the cooked rice just before serving.

*Garam Masala is a combination of spices. You should be able to find it at your local grocery store by the other blended spices. Or, you can make your own blend, a recipe can be found here.

Mexican Chicken

2009-09-30T17:02:00.000-05:00

Throw the following into your crockpot:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can stewed tomatoes (include the juices)
1/2 C diced bell peppers (or a hotter pepper if you like HOT)
1/2 packet of taco seasoning
1/2 C diced onion (optional)

Let that cook on high (if chicken is frozen) or low (if chicken is thawed) for 4 hours.

Shred the chicken while still in the crockpot. Now throw in:

1 can of drained black beans
3/4 C of corn (canned or frozen)

Let that cook for one more hour on low.

Now you have some great shredded chicken that can be used for tacos, burritos, tostadas, or stuffed quesadilla (which is what we used it for). You can top it with cilantro, fresh tomatoes, etc.

YUMMY!

Another Tikka Masala Recipe - so good!

2009-09-18T06:29:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Layne for this fabulous recipe!

Oh yum ice cream (really yogurt)

2009-09-11T08:42:00.001-05:00

For his birthday*, Phil bought be an ice cream maker (the kind that doesn't require ice or salt - LOVE IT!)

I've been having fun creating ice cream and came up with this recipe that is absolutely yummy! I love it, everyone who has tasted it loves it, and it is easy as in E.A.S.Y.!

Ingredients:

2 C Blueberry** Yogurt (I use my Winn Dixie brand but Dannon or Yoplait or whatever will be just fine)
1 C Heavy Cream (not whipped, just straight from the carton)
1/2 C Sugar

Instructions:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
Mix well.
Pour into your ice cream maker.

The flavor is awesome, the texture is so creamy. If you sprinkle it with graham crumbs it totally tastes like blueberry cheesecake.

** You can use any flavor: raspberry is good, strawberry is fine, whatever.

*For our birthdays we buy gifts for each other (we get gifts too). It is kind of a fun tradition.

Chicken Paprika

2009-09-04T08:36:00.001-05:00

5-6 chicken breasts
3 T butter
1/2 C onion (sliced or chopped)
1 1/2 t salt
black pepper
Paprika
2 bay leaves
1 C sour cream

Saute onion slices in butter on medium heat.
Add chicken breasts; brown on each side.
Sprinkle salt, pepper and paprika on top of chicken.
Lower heat, add 1/2 C water and bay leaves.
Place lid on pan and simmer for 45 minutes.
Remove lid; add sour cream; cook sauce down to thicken (approximately 15 minutes).

Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta.

Sweet Cornbread Muffins

2009-08-28T09:35:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:
1 C flour
1 C cornmeal
1/3 C sugar
1/3 C honey
1 t salt
3 1/2 t baking powder
1 egg
1/2 C milk
1/2 C buttermilk
2 T vegetable oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 380.
Put liners into 12 cupcake slots (or spray the slots with nonstick spray).
In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, slat, and baking powder.
Add the egg, milk, oil, and honey then stir until well mixed.
Pour batter into cupcake slots.
Bake for 15 minutes.

My Love Affair Continues

2009-08-24T11:31:00.003-05:00

I love having frozen spinach!

Seriously, you may remember that I bought a bunch of fresh spinach and wondered about whether I could freeze it and then I decided to just freeze it fresh. I learned that you shouldn't thaw it out before using it but steam it or cook with it straight from the freezer.

I have been making this delicious spinach pasta using the frozen spinach ever since. It works great.

Saturday I decided to make spinach-chicken-alfredo calzones. I took two bags of my fresh/frozen spinach and while still frozen and in the bag I broke up the pieces of spinach (so much easier than cutting it) and then poured it right into the sauce. Oh, so yummy! Fresh taste, convenient, nutritious, economical ... what could be better?

Yeah, I'm in love with fresh/frozen spinach!

Food Friday: Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Orange Salsa

2009-08-21T10:48:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil
1 (1 lb) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/2 t salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
1 C coarsely chopped orange sections (about 2 oranges) or you could use a can of mandarin oranges
1/2 C diced red onion
1/4 C diced green bell pepper
1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro
2 T fresh lime juice
1 t minced garlic

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450.
Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle pork evenly with 1/4 t salt and 1/4 t black pepper.
Add pork to pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side.
Put the pan in the oven and bake for 17 minutes*.
Let stand 5 minutes then cut across the grain into 1/2-inch thick slices.
Combine 1/4 t salt, 1/4 t black pepper, oranges and remaining ingredients.
Serve the salsa over the pork.

*You can cook the pork however you like it: grill it, slow cook it in a crockpot, or as directed here.

Matching Purses

2009-08-14T13:38:00.004-05:00

For this project I used a pair of Eden's old pants. I used one leg (that had some cute embellishments on it) to make a purse for her Baby-doll. I used the top part of the pants to make a purse with pockets for Eden. Voila! Matching Purses!

We've been on vacation for a while and I really missed my sewing machines. There is much "catching up" to do at home so I won't be taking on any big projects for a while but it just felt really good to do a little sewing. Eden loves these bags and thinks it is so fun to have matching purses with her Baby-doll.

It is SO good to be home!

Food Friday: Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa

2009-08-14T10:41:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:

2 T minced cilantro (fresh is best)

2 1/2 T lime juice

1 1/2 T olive oil

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/4 t salt

1 C chopped tomato

2 T chopped onion

2 t lime juice (more)

1/4 t salt (more)

1/8 t ground black pepper

1 avocado, peeled and finely chopped

Directions:

Combine cilantro, 2 1/2 T lime juice and olive oil in a gallon sized Ziploc and knead to mix the ingredients together.
Add the chicken breast and let marinade for about 5 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and then discard the marinade.
Sprinkle the chicken with 1/4 t salt.
Cook the chicken (on your grill or in a pan or in the oven - however you like it best).
Prepare the salsa by combining tomato, onion, 2 t lime juice, 1/4 t salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl.
Add the avocado and stir gently.
Serve the salsa over the chicken and with rice as a side.

Food Friday: Greek Chicken with Capers and Feta

2009-08-07T09:10:00.001-05:00

Got some capers lying around? Try this recipe!
Tired of the same old food? Try this recipe!
Don't want to heat up the house with your oven? Try this recipe!

Have I convinced you?

here we go then...

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 T flour
1 t dried oregano
1 T olive oil
1 C thinly sliced onion
3 garlic cloves, minced (or 2 t of the bottled kind - you know I love that stuff!)
1 1/2 C chicken broth (use fat free to make this a low fat recipe)
1/3 C golden raisins
2 T lemon juice
2 T capers (because they were just sitting around anyway)
1/4 C crumbled feta cheese
4 thin lemon slices

Directions:

Flatten each chicken breast so it is about 1/4 inch thick.
Combine flour and oregano in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and mix.
Place the chicken breast in the bag and make sure each one is well-coated (do it one at a time).
Heat oil in a large skillet (medium-high heat).
Add chicken and cook 5 minutes on each side; remove from pan.
Add onion and garlic to the pan and saute 2 minutes.
Stir in broth, raisins, and lemon juice; cook 3 minutes.
Add the chicken back in and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Remove chicken from the pan but keep it warm.
Add capers and feta cheese to the pan, stir with a whisk (plastic coated so you don't scratch your pan) until you have a creamy sauce.
Top each chicken breast with a generous amount of sauce and 1 lemon slice.

Food Friday - Sauteed Apple-Onion Chicken

2009-07-31T09:27:00.000-05:00

It is still too hot to turn on the oven, turn on the stove instead. (And if you have one of those outdoor grills with a burner, use that and keep the heat outside!)

Ingredients:

2 T flour
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 t olive oil
3 C sliced onion (not chopped, you want long slices of onion)
2 1/2 C peeled and sliced apples (Granny Smith work well)
1 t Rosemary (dried)
1 C Apple Cider

Directions

Place flour, salt, and pepper in a gallon Ziploc and shake (after you've closed it of course!).
Add chicken, seal, shake until it is coated.
heat 1 t oil in a large nonstick skillet (medium heat).
Add chicken and saute until browned on each side.
Remove the chicken from the pan and keep it warm.
Heat another t of oil in the skillet.
Add onion and saute 5 minutes.
Add apple and rosemary and saute another 5 minutes.
Add the chicken back in and then put the cider in and bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until the chicken is done.

So Long, Fairwell ...

2009-07-29T18:08:00.003-05:00

Announcing a change to Tutorial Tuesdays...

They are no more.

Instead, I will be posting pictures of various projects. These will just pop up on a regular but random basis. You can look at these and let your own creativity go crazy. If people leave comments requesting a tutorial on any given project, I will try to oblige.

What do you think?

Tutorial Tuesday - Easy Lasagna

2009-07-28T09:53:00.002-05:00

Have you been asked to take dinner to someone? Here is a really easy (and yummy) lasagna that you can take without having to time it so it is hot when they want it. It can even be frozen before or after cooking.
1. In a medium sized bowl (or in my case, in this cottage cheese container), combine 1 lb of cooked and drained hamburger, 1 can of Hunts Tomato Sauce (reserve about 1/3 C for later), and 8 oz of cottage cheese (you can also use ricotta - or a combination of the two). Stir it up until it looks disgusting.
2. Add your flavor (garlic, Italian spices - which are really just oregano, basil, and thyme).

3. In your casserole dish (this one is 11x7), spread the 1/3C Hunt's Tomato Sauce to barely cover the bottom of the dish. Then layer uncooked lasagna noodles (they don't have to be the kind that claim to be ok for uncooked assembly - every kind of lasagna I've tried has worked).
4. Pour your disgusting-looking meat/cheese/sauce over the top of the dry noodles.
5. Spread Mozzarella and Cheddar cheese (shredded) across the top.
6. More uncooked noodles.
7. More meat sauce, then more cheese. Keep layering until you are at the top of your pan or out of ingredients. End with cheese. You can sprinkle parmesan cheese on the top layer if you want.

8. Cover tightly with tin foil (shiny side down) and write the following instructions on it (with a permanent marker).

It says:
Preheat to 350 degrees
Cook covered for 45 minutes
Uncover and bake 15 more minutes
Let stand for 15 minutes
Serve.

If you want, you can make one of these and just keep it in your freezer (either cooked or uncooked) for those times you need a meal to deliver to someone or even for yourself. You will need to thaw for 2-4 hours if it has been frozen. Once it is cooked, it can be warmed in the microwave.

Food Friday - Basic Granola

2009-07-24T07:10:00.000-05:00

Happy Pioneer Day!

One of my favorite things to do on Pioneer Day is to go hiking. When you hike, you need granola (and trail mix). I thought it would be fun to share this recipe from the home storage recipes found here.

Ready?

Ingredients:

2 1/2 C sugar
1 1/2 C water
6 T oil
1 1/2 t salt
10 C uncooked rolled oats

Directions:

In a pan, combine the sugar; water; oil; and salt.
Heat until the sugar is dissolved, but do not boil. This will make a syrup.
Put your oats in a large bowl.
Pour the syrup mixture over the oats and stir until well coated (add a little more rolled oats if you want it more dry).
Spread the oat mixture on cookie sheets about 1/2 inch deep.
Bake at 425 for 20-30 minutes (stir occasionally).
Bake up to 15 minutes longer for crunchier granola.
Makes 11 cups.
Store in airtight containers.

Bonus: How to assemble the most wonderful trail mix!

In a large bowl with a tight lid, combine:

2 C of the above granola
1 C of your favorite nut (almonds and walnuts are the best for you)
1 C of mixed nuts (you want to still get the surprise of a Brazil nut or the yumminess of a cashew).
1 1/2 C of raisins
1 1/2 C of yogurt covered dried cranberries
1 bag of dark chocolate peanut M&Ms

(You can also add pretzels if you want.)

Put the lid on tight and shake, shake, shake.
Store in Ziploc bags. You can freeze this for up to a year (probably more).

Tutorial Tuesday - Personalized Artwork

2009-07-21T08:53:00.001-05:00

I had just painted our master bedroom and bath and wanted some art for the bathroom wall. I decided to make some original art and give it to Phil for Father's Day. Here is what we came up with:
1. I bought three Artist Canvases (one for me, one for my daughter and one for Phil):
2. I also bought some basic craft paint in colors that would work well in my bathroom. I bought a combo pack of craft paint brushes.

3. I put the canvas out for my two-year old daughter and then gave her one paint color and all the brushes and watched her go to town. I let it dry.

4. I put the canvas (with one dry color of paint already done) out another day and let her have fun again. I let it dry.

5. Repeat, for the third color. By allowing it to dry I prevented the colors from becoming one yucky mess of gray. You can see the distinct colors. You can do this as many times as you'd like - layering the colors on top of each other until your child has the look they want.
6. For my "artwork" I wanted something geometric. I used a straight edge to get the basic shapes and used round stenciling brushes for the circles. I then printed out my letter "K" from the computer and cut it out then traced around it right on the canvas. I filled it in with the paint. It certainly isn't perfect but I like it.

7. Don't forget to "sign" your artwork.
8. I bought some ribbon to decorate the edges. You can use hot glue or whatever to adhere the ribbon to the canvas edge (I just used double stick tape).
Voila! (Phil hasn't done his yet so we haven't hung them - but he really liked this Father's day gift from his two artistic proteges).

Food Friday: Grilled Asian Chicken and Pineapple

2009-07-17T09:16:00.002-05:00

Don't heat up your house tonight! Cook out on the grill instead.

Ingredients:

3 T honey
3 T soy sauce
3 T pineapple juice
2 t fresh lime juice (lemon juice can be substituted)
2 t peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 t vegetable oil
1 1/2 t curry powder
1/4 t salt
3 minced garlic cloves (or 2 t of the bottled kind)
1 lb skinned, boneless chicken breast (cubed)
1 C red bell pepper (cut into chunks about 1 inch squared)
1 1/2 C fresh pineapple (canned can be substituted) cut into cubes
4 C cooked rice

Directions:

Heat up your grill.
In a large Ziploc, combine the honey, soy sauce, juices, ginger, oil, curry, salt, and garlic.
Knead to mix the ingredients well.
Add chicken and bell pepper pieces.
Knead bag again to make sure the chicken and bell pepper are well coated (don't forget to seal your bag!).
Thread the chicken, bell pepper, and pineapple pieces alternately onto skewers (bamboo or metal will work fine).
Discard the marinade.
Place the skewers on the grill rack and cook 10 minutes (or until chicken is done). Turn occasionally.
Serve with hot rice.

Tutorial Tuesday - Learning Road

2009-07-14T15:28:00.000-05:00

It is fairly simple to create a game board like this:
Draw your road:
Cut it out:
Glue it to a piece of construction paper in a contrasting color:
Draw the broken line down the center of the road (you can also draw grass or flowers or something along the side of the road):
Decide what you want your child to practice (in this case it is vowels) and make little signs and then glue along the road:
You can laminate to extend the life of your game board or you can slip in a sheet protector. (Hint: to save on laminate and paper you can do another game on the backside.)

When it is finished you can find some small cars and have your toddler drive and tell you what the signs say or you can say, "drive to the letter E" or whatever you come up with.

We've done this with shapes and numbers and colors. You could also do it with stickers of different animals or pictures of grandparents (if they live far away and you want your child to learn their names) or whatever your mind comes up with. Feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments.

Food Friday - Baked Pears (no sugar added)

2009-07-10T10:02:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

2 Cans of Pear Halves in light syrup
1/2 C Pear syrup (drained from the pear halves - discard the rest)
1 C Vanilla Yogurt
1 t Corn Starch
1/4 t Cinnamon
2/3 C Your favorite crunchy cereal (Grape Nuts, Honey Bunches of Oats, Corn Flakes, etc.)

Instructions:

Spray a square baking dish with non-stick spray.
Arrange the pear halves along the bottom of the dish.
In a bowl, mix the pear syrup, yogurt, corn starch, and approximately1/4 t cinnamon.
Pour yogurt mixture over the pear halves.
Sprinkle the crunchy cereal over the top of the yogurt/pears.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
Let sit for 15 minutes and serve. (Can be served with ice cream or alone.)

Tutorial Tuesday - Strap Covers

2009-07-07T15:27:00.000-05:00

Does your child get tired of having the carseat or seatbelt strap rubbing against her soft skin? Mine did so I decided to make a faux fur strap cover.

Eden LOVES these and thanked me every day for a week. She kept saying, "mommy made it for Eden, thank you mommy." Now if that isn't reason enough to do a VERY LITTLE bit of sewing, I don't know what is.

Do you want to make one?
Here we go:

Materials:

Scissors
Measuring Tape
Faux Fur (1/8 to 1/4 yard)
Thread
Sewing Machine
Velcro Strip

Instructions:
1. Measure the width of your strap to be covered multiplied by two then add the width of your velcro plus .25 inch. (So, if your strap is 2.5 inches and your velcro is .75 inch you would have 5.75 inch plus .25 inch brings your total to 6 inches).

2. Measure the length you want your covers to be (I recommend at least 3 inches)

3. Cut 2 pieces of your fake fur to your measurements. (For the examples above you would cut them 6" x 3".)

4. Measure and cut two pieces of velcro to fit the length of your strap cover (in our example: 3 inches)
5. Pin the velcro on to the fur. Make sure one of the velcro strips is on the "right" side and the other strip on the "wrong" side of the fur. Like this:
6. Sew the velcro into place using a straight stitch on each side of the velcro or a large zig zag down the middle of the velcro.
7. Remove the pins, put it on the strap and enjoy your child's gratitude.

Food Friday - America's Favorite Pork Chops

2009-07-03T15:24:00.000-05:00

Okay, I got this recipe from Cooking Light and I just love how presumptuous the name is. I thought it would be a fitting recipe for this weekend.

4 top loin pork chops
3/4 C Italian dressing
1 t Worcestershire sauce

Place all ingredients in Ziploc bag; seal; and palce in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes or as long as overnight.
Remove chops from bag; discard marinade.
Grill over a medium-hot fire, turning once, until just done (about 8-15 mintues)

Calories 210

Tutorial Tuesday - Child's Purse

2009-06-30T08:33:00.001-05:00

Eden loves bags and purses and such. I thought this fabric would make a cute one (it is leftover from the diaper changing pad).

What do you think?

Materials:

Sturdy fabric (I used canvas) 16" x 12"
Decorative fabric (I just used this cute lady bug cotton) 12" x 12"
Scissors
Thread
Strong Ribbon (for handles)
Measuring tool (ruler or tape or whatever)
Pins
Velcro or other fastener (optional)

First of all, cut out your fabric. The black is 16" x 12" and the lady bug fabric is 12" x 12" (in order to make the lady bugs right side up on both sides of the purse I cut two pieces and then stitched them together as seen below - if you have a pattern that doesn't have a right side up you can just cut one piece of fabric):

Fold each piece in half and iron:
The crease will be your sewing line:
Fold both pieces of fabric the other direction and iron again:
Hem your top fabric (my lady bugs) on both the top and bottom (but not sides).

Line up your folds so that the larger piece (my black) is underneath right side up and the designer fabric (lady bugs) is on top also right side up. Pin along the creases and then sew:
I used a zig zag to sew my seams:
Now, put right sides together (your fabric has become one piece now) and sew the two sides. You just created a bag with front and back pockets.

Turn the (black) fabric inside and sew around it (creating a hem for the top of your purse).
Turn the bag inside out and take the bottom points and match the bottom seam with the side seam so it forms a triangle like this:
Sew a seam approximately 1.5 inches in from the point of the triangle - repeat for the other side. Now your bag has a flat bottom.
Sew your straps onto the bag (I did a decorative zig zag on my straps to continue the decorative look). To sew the straps, I do a box seam - I sew about 8 stitches then pivot and sew 8 stitches down, pivot, 8 stitches across, pivot, 8 stitches up. It makes a nice secure seam that also looks nice (I used black so it didn't compete with my red thread).
I chose to sew velcro onto the two sides of my purse so that Eden can fasten it and keep her stuff from falling out. You could do a button or a hook or nothing at all:
The end.

Food Friday - Wrapped Garlic Chicken

2009-06-26T05:00:00.002-05:00

Today is the last day of YW Camp - yippee!

In honor of the camping tradition, here is a recipe you can use next time you go camping:

4 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
4 large sheets aluminum foil
1/2 t salt
1 C sliced mushrooms
1 can Cream of Roasted Garlic Condensed Soup
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary

Place 1 chicken breast in center of each sheet of foil.
Lightly season with salt.
Top each breast with equal portions of mushrooms, soup, and rosemary.
Fold foil in half over chicken; seal all edges with double fold seals.
Bake at 425 for 20 minutes (or until chicken is no longer pink in the center)

Although this recipe is for a conventional oven, It would work great on a grill or in a dutch oven or even right in the fire pit (think tin foil dinner!).

Tutorial Tuesday - Picture Tile Wall Hangings

2009-06-23T13:36:00.001-05:00

Do you want to make some adorable picture hangings like these?
Let's get started then!

Materials:

Photos (or other pictures)
Straight Edge (metal ruler)
Utility Knife
First Aid kit (keep it on hand for when you slice your finger using the utility knife)
Vinyl Tile Scrap (you can usually purchase these at Lowe's or Home Depot)
Ribbon
D Rings (you can get these at any sewing or craft center - like Hobby Lobby or Michaels)
Adhesive (tape, glue gun, or whatever your adhesive of choice is)
Pencil
Sewing Machine, Thread, Scissors (or not, if you have another way to fuse two sides of ribbon together)
(optional) Hair Dryer

Instructions:
1. Choose what kind of pictures you want and then take some photos (or cut out pictures from a magazine or whatever)

2. Measure your tile slightly smaller than your picture (like 1cm smaller on each side) and then cut it.
2a. Using your pencil, mark the tile on the paper (the stuff that covers the adhesive).
2b. You should cut it on the paper side as well. Use the straight edge and utility knife and make several slices along the same line until you have made it through enough that you can bend/break the rest of it in a straight line. (I just looked online for a good tutorial and didn't find one but I did read several places that indicated it helpful to heat your tile using a hair dryer - I haven't done it but you can certainly try it.)

3. Peel the paper from the tile and place your picture(s) on the adhesive side.
3a. Smooth the pictures so there are no bubbles.
3b. Use the utility knife to trim the pictures so that they are flush with your tile.
4. Decide how long you want your ribbon to be and cut it. You will be folding it over entirely so take that into consideration.

5. Loop the ribbon through the D ring and pin it like this:

6. Using your zipper foot, sew as close to the ring as you can get. If you don't like to sew, you can think of another way to enclose the D ring. Perhaps you could use fusing tape (Stitch Witchery) and iron the two pieces of ribbon together.
7. Adhere the ribbons to the backs of your tiles and hang. (I honestly used Scotch tape - several pieces - to do the job.)

8. Hang on a wall in whatever fashion you want.

Food Friday - Skillet Chicken with Garlic and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

2009-06-19T21:26:00.000-05:00

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 C thinly sliced onions
1/2 C finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes*
1 C Cream of Roasted Garlic Condensed Soup
1 C chicken broth
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

In large skillet sprayed with cooking spray, cook chicken until brown on both sides.
Arrange onions and tomatoes over chicken.
In small bowl, combine soup, chicken broth, salt, and pepper; mix well.
Pour mixture over chicken.
Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.

Calories: 230 (if you use fat free chicken broth) per serving.

Tutorial Tuesday - Ruffled Skirt from Pants or Shorts

2009-06-16T13:34:00.001-05:00

Eden has hit that stage when she just wants to wear skirts all the time. Forget dresses or even pants, she could live in a skirt. The problem? She only has one. So, I thought it would be fun to make her some skirts.

When looking through her clothes, I found a pair of shorts that someone gave us. She has TONS of shorts and I thought these would be a good beginning to a really cute skirt. I had bought some fabric on sale and realized it would actually match.

Voila!

This is what I came up with (without buying anything new - I love that!)

Do you want to make one too? Come on, you KNOW you do!

Here is what you'll need:

A pair of shorts or pants that fit your child in the waist and bum
1/4 to 1/2 yard of fabric
Thread
Measuring Tape
Scissors
Embellishments (ribbon, buttons, whatever)
Sewing Machine

Project Time: approximately 30-45 minutes (if you have done some sewing and know how to baste or gather, a bit longer for a beginner)

Start out by cutting the shorts or pants above the crotch (you can measure your child down from the waist and determine how long you want this part of the skirt to be).

Next, measure the fabric for the rest of the length of the skirt (however long you want your skirt to be minus however long the cut off shorts are plus a one-inch seam allowance).

Now, cut the full width of the fabric (45") at that length.
Now, finish the edge of both your shorts and the fabric (I used my serger but you can zig zag on your sewing machine if you don't have a serger).
Next, connect your fabric by sewing the two "short" edges together (right sides together - so the seam is on the "inside").

Now baste along the finished edge of the fabric. This is so that you can pull the thread to create a gathered ruffle. You'll want to set your stitch length to a high number (I did 4.5). A longer stitch length makes gathering easier.

Now, gather your fabric by pulling on one thread. If you want a more detailed tutorial on gathering, see here.
Once you have your fabric gathered to the right length (to fit your top piece), pin it (right sides facing) to the top piece and then sew into place (don't forget to move your stitch length to normal).
Now hem the bottom (hint: I used the finished edge of my fabric and so I didn't have to hem). You may embellish with ribbon or whatever and you are done!

Food Friday - Chicken with Red Pepper Sauce

2009-06-12T08:26:00.002-05:00

2 slices of bacon
4 skinned, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 C chopped red onion
1/2 t ground coriander
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 C Salsa
1 Red Pepper, chopped
Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp.
Remove bacon from skillet; crumble and set aside.
Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper.
Add chicken to bacon drippings; saute 2 minutes on each side.
Remove chicken from pan.
Add onion, coriander, and garlic to pan; saute 3 minutes.
Stir in salsa and bell pepper.
Return chicken to the pan.
Cover and cook over medium heat 12 minutes or until chicken is done.
Sprinkle with crumbled bacon; garnish with cilantro.

Calories: approximately 190.

Tutorial Tuesday - Reusable Coloring Pages

2009-06-09T08:44:00.001-05:00

This is a REAL simple tutorial.

What you'll need:
Printed Coloring Pages*
Card Stock
Scissors
Glue
Laminate

All you do is

Print out coloring pages.
Glue coloring pages to each side of the card stock.
Laminate.

Let your child color with regular crayons.

Wipe the crayon away with a tissue or cloth.

Color again.

Rinse, repeat.

I told you this was easy!

*I printed the coloring pages from the new nursery manual. You can find them here. Click on the right picture column (there are usually two pictures, a painting or photo and then a coloring page, the coloring page is usually the one to the right). These are what I take to supposedly entertain Eden during Sacrament Meeting. It doesn't always work. Eden doesn't understand why she shouldn't provide commentary through Sacrament Meeting the way she does the rest of her life. I'm so glad that I encouraged her to have good verbal skills by giving her a running commentary for the first year of her life. Now I will spend the next many years listening to her running commentary. Smart, I am.

Deee-Licious!

2009-06-08T16:03:00.001-05:00

This Gardenia bush was the only thing left after we had the front trees cut and after we removed the ugly (my thought, not Phil's) irises. It was very sickly looking and it didn't look like it would make it through another summer. I convinced Phil to keep it and give it one more chance. Well, with a little pruning and lots of rain and watering it looks great. It is even producing blooms! Yeah!!!

This gardenia bush is at the side of the house. It has done much better than the front one and looks great too.
I have always loved gardenias. I think they are so delicate and yet strong. I love their velvety pedals. Of course, the scent of a gardenia is strong and beautiful. I picked this one and gave it to Eden. She sniffed it (an act that somehow engages every facial muscle) and declared, "mmm, it is deee-licious mommy."
This is one of our fire plants. It is so amazing that the same plant produces different colors. We like them lots.

Food Friday - Linked

2009-06-05T07:21:00.001-05:00

Here are some great looking recipes I've seen online lately:

Awesome Blueberry Muffins (or craisin muffins or chocolate chip muffins)

Corn Flake Chicken Nuggets

Noodles with Mushrooms and Lemon Ginger Dressing

Paid Forward - #1

2009-06-03T11:14:00.001-05:00

Remember this post?

Well, I got one of my handmade gifts done and in the mail. Becca said she wanted me to create something for her cousin who was expecting her first child. She told me to think of a gift that we got and loved and see if I could make one. I immediately thought of our great diaper changing pad/bag.

I wondered if I could figure out how to make one.

I did!
I think it mostly turned out really well. I may have to refine my process and start making these more, it was pretty fun.

Tutorial Tuesday - Dressing Cube

2009-06-02T13:13:00.001-05:00

I wanted to have some fun toy to help Eden learn her "dressing" skills. After looking online for different toys I came up with the idea to create my own dressing cube. There are lots of tutorials out there to help you make a block so I won't be redundant. You can look here or here or here for that.

So, now that you've looked over those tutorials and understand how to make a cube (or block) I will show you how I made a dressing cube.

1. I made a list of the skills I wanted to teach: zipper, buttons, snaps, tie, velcro, etc.

2. I cut out 6 squares (mine are 9 inches squared) using a canvas black fabric I just had on hand.

3. I looked through old clothes (hers and mine) for items that could be repurposed.

4. I found this fleece jacket with HUGE buttons. Eden loved this jacket last fall but it is too small now. I cut out the middle section then pinned it to one square. I sewed a seam on each side (so the middle is still open unless buttoned shut.
5. I found this pair of pants that were well-worn but that have a button, zipper, and tie. It also has great pockets so that was an added bonus. I cut out the section I wanted to use and sewed it onto one of the canvas squares. It is sewn on the bottom and along the sides but the top is open.6. I found this shirt of mine that was well-worn and headed for the garbage. It has a great zipper - I especially like the pull on the zipper. I cut out the section I wanted and serged (you could zig zag) around it so it wouldn't fray. Then I sewed it on one of the canvas squares.
7. For the velcro pieces I decided to use felt and cut out my daughter's initials. I first made a pattern for the letters.

8. Next, I sewed the scratchy side of the velcro onto the "extremities" of the letters.
9. I did a zig zag around the part of the letter that would be open and then I pinned the "base" onto my canvas squares. I zig zagged the base on so it was secure. Then I sewed the soft side of Velcro on to the right spots on the canvas square. The picture below shows how the stem of the K (the straight line) is secured to the square while the arm and leg are loose unless fastened with the velcro. (The reason you want to put the scratchy side on the felt is because if it is on the square, it will snag the felt and create problems.)
10. For the last square I needed to present snaps. I thought it would be fun to make some flowers and so I made some yo yos (see tutorials here, here, or here) and fastened some ribbon to them and then one part of the snap on the back. Then I cut out some felt grass and sewed it on to the canvas square - leaving the top part open (forming a pocket of sorts). Then I fastened the other end of the ribbon (stem) inside the pocket. Finally, I sewed the other part of the snap onto the canvas square in the appropriate places. This makes a cute little flower garden. The flowers can be inside the grass pocket and then "grow" up and be snapped into place.

Here is a picture of the final block. Eden is quite proud of it and is learning her dressing skills.

Let me know if you have any questions. Also leave suggestions for how this can be adapted. Have fun!

Food Friday - Gorgonzola-Ham Strata

2009-05-29T07:22:00.002-05:00

This is the meal that Phil made me for Mother's Day!
6 large slices sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 C cooked ham
1 red bell peppeer, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 green onions, sliced
2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
2 C milk
3 eggs
2 T Dijon mustard
black pepper to taste
2 dashes bottled hot pepper sauce
4 oz (1/4 lb) Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/3 C chopped toasted walnuts (optional)

Spray a 7x11-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
Spread half of the bread cubes evenly on the bottom.
top with half of the cubed ham, bell peppers, green onions, and mozzarella cheese.
Spread remaining bread cubes evenly over cheese and top with remaining ham, peppers, onions, and cheese.
In a blender, process milk, eggs, mustard, pepper, hot sauce, and Gorgonzola until cheese is finely crumbled.
Pour mixture over casserole and sprinkle with walnuts (if desired).
Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight, covered.
Bake (uncovered) in preheated 350 degree oven 45 minutes (until golden brown and puffed).

Tutorial Tuesday - Musical Squares

2009-05-26T09:00:00.001-05:00

If you have a laminator (or access to one)
and if you have a toddler or preschooler (and therefore not much time), then
this is a project for
you!

Materials List:

Several (you determine the number) pieces of cardstock cut to squares (approx. 6" x 6")
Glue
Desired Images (found on the internet, made by yourself, cut out of a magazine, etc.)
Laminator
Source of Music
Scissors

Instructions:

Decide what you want to teach your child.
Find images that will meet your need (shapes, letters, numbers, colors, etc. - see suggestions below).
Cut cardstock to squares.
Glue images to cardstock. (Suggestion: use both sides, I did shapes on one side and vowels on the other thereby getting two games out of one.)
Laminate cards.
Trim laminate as needed.
Turn on the music.
Dance.
Stop the music and call out an image (e.g. "Triangle!") and watch your toddlers scramble to find the right card to stand on.
Repeat steps 7-9 until everyone is tired and ready for a nap.

I know, it sounds simple but toddlers LOVE it and it is a great way to teach. Depending on what you are trying to teach your child, you can put various images* on the game pieces. You can find free clip art online by simply doing a search such as "triangle clip art" and then click on "images" when the results pop up.

*Some Ideas for different types of cards:

Alphabet Cards
Various Animal Cards
Number Cards
Shape Cards
Color Cards
Scripture Cards (images from different scripture stories)
My Family Cards (pictures of different family members: aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.)
Simple Word Cards (CAT, DOG, HAT, etc. - you could include an image of the item too)

Another variation is to layer your images so that you have a yellow card with a cat and a "C" on it. That way you can call out the color, the animal, or the letter.

Be creative and share your ideas in the comment section.

P.S. Any wonderful suggestions for how I can clean up that fireplace (seen in the video)? We haven't used it and it is driving me nuts!

New Feature Coming Soon

2009-05-23T08:35:00.001-05:00

Bamafam has a new feature it is
Tutorial Tuesday!

Each Tuesday I'll post a tutorial of one sort or another. This will continue for as long as I'm amused by this feature.

I've been doing some fun things and thought that I might as well share. The thing is, I really enjoy the "traditional" homemaking arts. I love cooking and sewing and finding ways to economize by using it up wearing it out, making it do or doing without (a pioneer saying often quoted by President Gordon B. Hinckley).

I am not a fussy girl though. I don't do much that is really involved. I do things pretty simply. That is what I want to pass along to others. You don't have to have "mad skilz" or a great design sense or a closet full of cute fabrics, papers, or glue guns to enjoy the art of homemaking.

So, this may last for a month or it may go on for weeks, months, and years. I guess we'll see. Of course, if you like this feature, leave a comment to encourage me to keep at it. We'll see how this goes...

Food Friday - Sour Cream Stuff

2009-05-22T08:53:00.001-05:00

This is Phil's favorite family recipe. His parents make this and he loves it. I've made it a couple of times for him but I don't seem to quite capture the essence of his mom's cooking. Even with that caveat, I share this awesome recipe with you.

3 T oil
2 T diced onion
1 clove garlic - minced
1 1/2 lb round steak - cubed
1 C slice mushrooms
8 oz (1 can) tomato sauce
1 C sour cream
1 t Worcestershire sacue
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
6 medium potatoes, pared
6 medium carrots, scraped or pared

Put oil in large skillet, add onion, garlic and meat then brown about 7 minutes.
Add mushrooms, tomato sauce, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper - mix.
Heat to boiling.
Lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
Put mixture, potatoes, and corrots into crockpot - mix.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

"Teach Me"

2009-05-18T21:24:00.001-05:00

Lately, Eden's favorite song is "Teach Me To Walk in the Light." The words follow:

Teach me to walk in the light of His love.
Teach me to pray to my Father above.
Teach me to know of the things that are right.
Teach me, teach me, to walk in the Light.

Sometimes during the day she will just walk up to me and say, "teach me, momma, teach me."

No pressure or anything!

So, we try to teach her good things. We try to teach her that she is loved by Heavenly Father and so is everyone else. We try to teach her to love others and to be nice. We try to teach her that we love her no matter what. We try to teach her to be kind and to share.

Today, Kendal and Trey came over for a little while. Now, keep in mind that Eden will sometimes say (out of the blue) "I love Trey!" She seriously loves him and his sisters and his mommy. Today, however, she was not in the mood to share. Instead of "I love Trey" what I mostly heard was "Stop it Trey, that's mine." Trey was a very good sport and tried to keep his friend happy but Eden was just not going to be happy. It was so bad that she actually chose to take a nap two hours early when I told her she'd have to take a nap if she couldn't choose to be happy without one.

That is when I decided upon the topic for tonight's Family Home Evening lesson.

While she slept I prepared a lesson on sharing.

Here is my well executed lesson plan:
While holding hands and walking in a circle the three of us sang, "Sharing with friends is fun to do, fun to do, fun to do..." Then she got to insert her friend's names. We included Trey, then Bayley, next was Kendal, then Erin, and finally Corrie. Then I showed her pictures of children sharing toys and we talked about how happy they were. Finally I got out my sewing measuring tape (which Eden loves to play with) and I shared it with her, then Daddy shared his brush (she loves his brush for some reason) and then she shared a toy with both of us. We cheered and clapped and talked about how happy this made us.

See, I'm a good teacher!

Yeah, that is what I thought until I said, "so the next time Trey is here what are you going to do?" and she replied, "say STOPIT TREY, THAT'S MINE"

I guess I've got some work to do with this "teach me" business.