Autumn Time

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

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

1. 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. 
2. 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.
3. Slowly add your yeast mixture while the mixer is on low (you can use either the bread hook or paddle attachments).
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Let your dough rise for approximately 2-3 hours.
7. 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.
8. 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

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

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

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Sprinkle the Olive Oil on the Bagle slices (one top, one bottom).
3. Arrange the Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella, and Onion on top.
4. Shake some salt and pepper on top.
5. 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

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

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

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

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:

1. 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).
2. Add the salt and oil and mix.
3. Add half the white four and all of the wheat flour. Mix.
4. Knead in the remaining flour until the dough is no longer sticky and has a nice smooth texture.
5. 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).
6. Cover and let rise until double (approximately 1 hour).
7. Punch down dough and form into balls (3 for 3 pizzas, etc.). Let it relax a bit before you start to spread it.
8. 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.
9. Preheat your oven to 425 and then top your pizza with your favorite toppings.
10. Bake until the cheese and crust are golden brown (about 15-20 minutes).

Chocolate Cake (no eggs)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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: