Frugal Homemaking

Child's Cardigan Tutorial {Upcycled Sweater}

2012-02-03T14:44:00.000-05:00

I picked up this eyelet cardigan at a garage sale last summer for a buck. It had a small rust stain on the shoulder, but I thought maybe I could dye it or just bum around the house in it. But I just never really liked the way it lay--too boxy. I've been purging the house lately, so I decided to get rid of it. Then I thought that Grace sure could use a white cardigan, and this upcycled cardigan was born.

The original jersey knit sweater.

First, I cut off the sleeves.

Next, I used a shirt that fit Grace nicely to trace the bodice for the cardigan. I added an extra 5/8" or so for seam allowances.

I then cut along the red pen lines.

My draftsmen.

First, I sewed the shoulders together. *I failed to take a picture of this, but I cut the sleeves apart, laid them flat on top of on another. I then cut them about 12 inches long with a gentle slope at the top, about two inches longer than the sides. I determined the width of the sleeves by measuring the width of the arm openings in the bodice. I determined the wrist size of the sleeve by measuring a long-sleeved shirt that fits well, and adding an 1-1/2" for ease and seam allowance. I drew the a line from the edge of the shoulder to the wrist to achieve a slightly tapered sleeve.

I pinned the re-cut sleeves at the shoulder.

I sewed the shoulders to the bodice.

I hemmed the sleeve at the wrist by folding it under and sewing. The beauty of knit is that it doesn't ravel.

I pinned the sleeve seams and the side seams, and sewed them in one continuous seam.

All done! Grace wanted it long, or I would have hemmed the bottom of the cardigan too. This was a pretty quick project. I'd say about 2 hours maximum time, and the cost -- FREE!

Dad's 60th Birthday Surprise

2012-02-01T11:28:00.001-05:00

My oldest brother lives with his family near Seattle. I live near Cleveland. 2400 miles apart. My parents and my older brother's family live in Chicago. For one magical day, we were together. For a surprise celebration. I wish you could have seen Dad's reaction when we walked in the door. Priceless!

Siblings together for a day of surreal delight.

Dad in custody on his way to the "fine dining experience".

"Surprise!"

Everyone inspecting the visual history of Dad's 60 years of life.

Are you curious what they were all looking at?

Shots like this. A family reunion - I'm guessing 1976 or so? Mom, can you help out? Don't you love those gleaming old cars in the background!

And this. (Mom's capping ceremony - her mom on the left, dad's mom on the right)

Grace's birthday gift for Grandpa.

Meal Plan 01/30-02/05

2012-01-30T11:22:00.004-05:00

Daddy reading the girls a bedtime story under the blanket with a flashlight - lots of giggles!

Pulled pork sandwiches, creamed spinach
spaghetti and meatballs, Caesar salad, breadsticks
The World's Best Meatballs, mashed potatoes, broccoli
scalloped potatoes and ham, applesauce
breaded shrimp, salad, peaches
cheese hot dogs, onion rings
steak and cheese sandwiches with onions and mushrooms, fruit salad

Reading Goals for 2012

2012-01-26T11:55:00.003-05:00

Growing up, I was a reading fiend. Like...stay up all night and go to school on 3 hours of sleep reading fiend. I gorged on books at a ridiculous rate. Becoming a mother put an immediate and unnecessary stop to that. I just didn't know how to squeeze reading time in. Here's a few tips to get you back to your bookworm days.

Read in snippets - I now try to read one chapter each morning after my quiet time in the Bible and prayer before the girls are awake. One chapter only takes about 10 minutes or so. The trouble is just to read one chapter and stop!

Multi-task - Read when your body, hands or feet are occupied, but your mind is not. I hate working out on my stationary bike, but if my mind is occupied, I don't mind at all. I've been reading while I work out, and now I look forward to getting on my bike. I also throw my current book in my purse or bag when we are going to drive somewhere, as I may get a few minutes to read.

Listen - Audio books are incredibly convenient. I had a great time cleaning the kitchen and making Ben's lunch the other day while listening to The Five Love Languages. Our local library system even has an digital audio book library, so I can check out, download, and listen to select titles right from home.

Here's my reading list for the year:

January - The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Put More Cash In Your Pocket by Loral Langemeier

February - Honey for Your Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt
Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider

March - The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller
The Help by Kathryn Stockett

April - The Ten Habits of Happy Mothers by Margaret Meeker
Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy

May - Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian
Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip Heath

June - Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller

July - Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt

August - Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope by Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelley
Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters by Margaret Meeker

September - Practical Herbalism by Philip Fritchey
Crazy Love by Francis Chan

October - Gifted Hands by Ben Carson
The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace

November - The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value by William Poundstone

December - Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis

Dessert for Breakfast {Oatmeal Remix}

2012-01-25T10:42:00.000-05:00

Oatmeal is a great way to healthfully start your day, but it's not a jump-out-of-bed breakfast.

I've been adding various mix-ins, and boy, I've been excited about my morning meal lately!

My oatmeal base is 1/2 cup oatmeal and 3/4 cup water. I nuke it for 90 seconds, and it's just the right consistency for the following additions.

Apple Pie a la mode:

2 Tbsp. skim milk, 1 small apple cut in chunks, 2 packets of sweetener, dash of cinnamon

Almond Joy Bar:

2 Tbsp. skim milk, 1/4 cup coconut toasted for 30 seconds in the microwave, 2 packets of sweetener, 1/8 tsp. almond extract, 1 Tbsp. mini-chocolate chips, 1/8 tsp. coconut extract (optional)

Tropical Sunshine:

2 Tbsp. skim milk, 1/4 cup toasted coconut, 1/4 cup chopped pineapple, 1 clementine, 1/2 banana, 2 packets of sweetener

Chocolate Banana Nut Delight:

2 Tbsp. skim milk, 1 chopped banana, 2 packets of sweetener, 1/8 cup cocoa almonds (Blue Diamond brand--yum!), dash cinnamon

The Five Languages {Book Review}

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've always been a bit intrigued when someone mentioned the five languages of love. I knew that the idea stemmed from a book, and I am an avid reader of books on marriage. I really want to be "heirs of the grace of life" with Ben, and I know that I have much room for improvement.

The Five Love Languages was a pleasure to ~~read~~ listen to. I checked it out from my library as an audio book. I loved this format! I listened to it while doing dishes, working out, grocery shopping--anytime my body was busy, but my mind was not.

Anyways, back to the book. It wasn't convicting like Love and Respect, but it did clarify on a practical level such bedeviling problems, such as why I ask Ben to tell me he loves me when I know he does. Ya wanna know why?

Go read (or listen to) the book.

No, I won't be that heartless. Well, I might be a meanie, but that would make this post a teaser, not a review.

Anyways, the five love languages are as follows:

words of affirmation
quality time
gifts
acts of service
physical touch

Dr. Chapman begins the book with an introduction into marriage and explains the phenomena of "falling in love", the decision to love, and the difference between the two. He then delves into the emotional psyche of people and how we perceive love. He shows how these perceptions can be viewed as languages; he then explains each love language, illustrates it with a real-life example from his many years of counseling, and then explains how to recognize what is your or your spouse's language. He gives great tips at the end of each chapter about how to learn to "speak" your spouse's love language.

I read it and shared some of the information with Ben. He could easily identify that I perceive love through words of affirmation and quality time. The jury is still out on his love language, but I'm thinking quality time may be his.

I would recommend this book to any married person. In an extremely practical way, this book will show you how to truly help your spouse have a "love tank" that overflows. The benefit of filling your spouse's love tank is that they will likely reciprocate!

How I Got Free Diapers

2012-01-19T11:11:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I knew it was going to be a good day.

The sun was shining. For that reason alone, it was going to be a good day.

But it got better. First, my daughter ate her breakfast without the usual tears and excuses that accompany breakfast. I never knew Cocoa Puffs could be so tragic.

Then, my mother-in-law came. She usually comes on Wednesdays for a little tete-a-tete with the girls, and I run for the door. Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't trade being a stay-at-home mom for any amount of money, but a few hours of selfish "me time" makes me a better mom. I assure you, it does.

Third, my hair looked fabulous. What?! It did. And all I did was comb it. Don't tell me a good hair day doesn't make your world a little brighter.

Lastly, I got a jumbo package of Huggies diapers for free. Flat-out-didn't-pay-a-dime-FREE.

So, it went like this. I walked into Giant Eagle, and as usual, there were a few carts near the entrance with clearanced miscellany therein. I zeroed in on three packages of diapers, Huggies Little Movers no less, in one of the carts. They were those most ridiculous denim diapers, but hey, if the price is cheap enough, my kid can soil them just as well as the regular ones. They were marked down to $7.49--cheap, but not jump-in-my-cart cheap. However, I did have a couple $2 coupons that made them a good deal. Only one package was a size 3; the others were size 5--a size I don't ever anticipate my petite Leah ever filling.

They jumped in my cart.

I got to checkout, and I was a bit bummed because my total was $34.78--a bit more than I had guesstimated. That left me with just $25 for next week. I paid, was walking out the door reviewing my receipt, when BAM!

My receipt says "Huggies Little Movers...........$9.99"

Um...that's not $7.49. I scan the rest of the receipt to verify that there was no price adjustment after they scanned my Advantage card. Nope.

I make a beeline for the friendly customer service where I had just been, requesting 4 (that's right, FOUR) rainchecks. I pretend not to notice as the nice cashier winces slightly as I step up.

I explain my problem, and without any hesitation, she scans my diapers, hands me $10.87 and says, "Have a good day!"

Oh, I will. You bet your bottom dollar I will.

Wanna know why I got them for free? Giant Eagle like many other grocery retailers, has an Accu-Scan Policy. Essentially, if the price of an item rings up higher than advertised or marked, then the first item is free, and all others purchased in that transaction will be rung up at the lower price.

People Art

2012-01-18T16:12:00.001-05:00

Grace drew this picture on her Magna-Doodle the other day. I love it. It's a picture of her and Leah, if I remember right. I love how she drew the arms coming out of the head, and how it looks like Leah is doing the "walk like an Egyptian" move. I love how she drew herself in a skirt.

I love being a mom for moments and treasures like these.

Recycled Bread Heels {Two Yummy Ways}

2012-01-17T11:02:00.001-05:00

Do you eat them? I don't, unless I am down to the last few pieces and not going shopping for a few more days. Then, as a final act of desperation, I may turn the pieces to the inside of the sandwich, so as to avoid the crust texture. It's ridiculous...I mean, between you and me, I still eat the entire crust of my sandwich or pizza or burger first, so I can save the best part for last. And when I eat a brownie, I don't want a crusty edge--only a soft center piece for me, thankyouverymuch.

However, being the Scrooge that I am, I durst not throw those heels away, so I've been socking them away in my freezer. Crusty heel by crusty heel, they've been adding up in the bread bag. I've been itching to deep clean my freezer, so today I pulled out the bag and did a little food upcycling.

First off, I made soft bread crumbs. This is super simple and quick.

Tear a couple heels in pieces and pulse in the blender until they are crumbs. Repeat with a couple more heels until you have enough.

I throw this bag in the freezer, and use it for meatloaf and breading recipes.

The rest of the heels I used to make croutons--yet another simple recipe. I actually baked these while I cooked our meatloaf, saving the (small!) expensive of running the oven.

Italian Herb and Cheese Croutons
Ingredients:
15 bread heels, cut into cubes
8 Tbsp. margarine or butter (or 1/2 cup oil)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Place the bread crumbs in a large bowl. In a small microwaveable bowl, melt the butter in the microwave, 30 seconds or so. Add the Italian seasoning and garlic powder to the melted butter. Pour the butter mixture over the croutons, tossing to coat. Sprinkle the cheese over the croutons, stirring to distribute evenly.

These were so tasty, I couldn't stop eating them! They were the perfect topping for Caesar salad! I threw the leftover croutons in a resealable plastic bag; they will keep for a couple weeks at least.

I'm linking up to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, and Made From Scratch Tuesday.

12 Days of Christmas Giving {Day 12}

2011-12-15T11:04:00.001-05:00

On the twelfth day of Christmas

my true love I did give...

a 12 piece box of Ferrero Rocher.

These went so fast, I didn't get a shot of them before he had nearly consumed half of them! He may or may not have had a little help. :)

12 Days of Christmas Giving {Day 11}

2011-12-15T11:02:00.003-05:00

On the eleventh day of Christmas

my true love I did give...

an eleven minute back rub.

My masseuse trainees

12 Days of Christmas Giving {Day 10}

2011-12-15T11:01:00.003-05:00

On the tenth day of Christmas

my true love I did give...

10 bold-tasting calories.

12 Days of Christmas Giving {Day 9}

2011-12-15T11:00:00.003-05:00

On the ninth day of Christmas

my true love I did give...

nine sugar cookies frosted.

This was such a fun "mommy and me" moment. Obviously, I did have to let go of my ideals for cookie decorating. I tried to guide her, but it was so fun to see her describing what she was doing.

12 Days of Christmas Giving {Day 8}

2011-12-15T10:59:00.003-05:00

On the eighth day of Christmas

my true love I did give...

eight words of honor.

I made this PDF in Picnik, had it printed as a 5x7 print for $.94 at the grocery store, and popped it in a frame. Since I'm clever and all, I just wanted to point out that the first letter of each word spells out "BENJAMIN".

Honestly, this gift is not extremely practical, but I wanted Ben to know how much I admire him. I enlisted the help of my parents with some of the traits. I told Ben I would understand if he didn't hang this up. :)

12 Days of Christmas Giving {Day 7}

2011-12-15T10:58:00.004-05:00

On the seventh day of Christmas

my true love I did give...

seven sticks of jerky.

(Can you believe I found a package of jerky with exactly 7 sticks!? FYI, it was Old Wisconsin brand.)

As I type this, my girls are in the bathtub.

Leah is blowing raspberries on Grace's belly, and they are both laughing hysterically.

Life is good, amen?

12 Days of Christmas Giving {Day 4,5, and 6}

2011-12-15T10:57:00.005-05:00

On the fourth day of Christmas

my true love I did give...

a $4 gift card for song downloads.

On the fifth day of Christmas

my true love I did give...

a 5 minute foot massage.

On the sixth day of Christmas

my true love I did give...

a 6 pack of Snapple.

12 Days of Christmas Giving {Day 3}

2011-12-15T10:51:00.002-05:00

On the third day of Christmas

my dear husband I did give...

three trifles for my true love.

12 Days of Christmas Giving {Day 2}

2011-12-15T10:50:00.001-05:00

On the second day of Christmas

my true love I did give...

two fish a-swimming.

Columbian tetras

12 Days of Christmas Giving {Day 1}

2011-12-15T10:48:00.002-05:00

On the first day of Christmas

my true love I did give

a pie with an apple filling.

After a friend mentioned the idea of doing a "12 days of Christmas" theme for her husband, I decided it would be a fun idea for Ben as well. Over the next 12 days till Christmas, I will chronicle the gifts I'm giving Ben. They are all simple, inexpensive, generally consumable, and gifts he will enjoy.

Things I Love Thursday {IKEA products}

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Back in November, I took a trip back to Chicago. My only sight-seeing request was to go to the IKEA store in Bolingbrook. We made a family afternoon out of it, and the whole family went. It was an amazing experience, even though we had 4 nap-less little girls with us. Actually, I think Leah got a nap, so make that 3.

IKEA is a Swedish everything-home-related kind of store. The top floor is a showroom of all their products, and the bottom floor is a warehouse-like store for product purchases. Their goods are remarkably inexpensive, but generally decent quality. The style is modern European, somewhat contemporary. It is the perfect place to find just about anything for small-space living.

I made several purchases, but the two things I purchased that I have used EVERYDAY are the following:

$4.99/pack of two full-body bibs

$1.99/pack of six plastic bowls

They also have a restaurant at the end of the showroom, which we accommodated. It was great food, reasonably priced. Since we went on Halloween evening, it was as quiet as can be! I can't wait to go back!

Fish Sticks?

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

The latest from Leah Jean:

a mid-afternoon snack of fish...food.

What in the world? Have you smelled fish food before?

PUTRID.

I hold my breath when I open the can, so I don't have to smell it.

Apparently, neither the smell or the taste bothered her. She was happily nibbling when I came up on her here. She was trying to snatch more handfuls as I tried to save some for the poor fish.

Ben had just refilled the can the day before. This is probably the 4th time Leah has dumped the can, but she never tried to eat it before. Daddy made her help clean up the mess. She was none too fond of the vacuum.

Homemade Holiday Potpourri

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've been simmering this simple potpourri on my stovetop for a couple weeks now. It reminds me of wassail and cinnamon rolls. It gets me all nostalgic and Christmas-y. It's a happy smell.

Homemade Holiday House Spice

Ingredients:

Peel of a citrus fruit (I've been using the clementine peels we've been eating!)

Cinnamon stick or tsp. of ground cinnamon

5-6 whole cloves or tsp. of ground cloves

Directions: Add ingredients to a small saucepan of water, place over lowest stove setting or in crockpot. I use a warming zone on my stove. Keep an eye on it, and refill water when it begins to evaporates.

Be sure to warn husband before he gets home, so he doesn't salivate and ask where the cinnamon rolls are when he steps in the door. Seriously. My husband thought I was baking up something delicious the first time I made this.

Do certain smells remind you of people and places? Every time I smell White Rain hairspray I think of a former pastor's wife. A certain potpourri (not this one!) brings back a flood of memories from a childhood home. What scents trigger memories for you?

Menu Plan Monday

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

They were fishing in their boat (daddy's work clothes basket).

Cheesy Potato Soup (we didn't make it last week!)
Grilled cheese and pepperoni sandwiches, baked potato wedges, fruit
Ben's Favorite Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn
Holiday Dinner At Pastor's House
Dinner Out with Friends
Work Christmas Dinner
Eggs and English Muffins

Double Dipping {The Unexpected Bather}

2011-12-07T07:11:00.001-05:00

As I hung up the towel from drying off the girls, I heard a splash. I ran to the bathroom with my camera, knowing exactly what had happened.

Our new protocol: drain the bathtub as soon as the girls step out.

This post is linked to Wordless Wednesday.

Two Week Menu Plan

2011-12-05T21:28:00.001-05:00

Chili with homemade cornbread
Cheese dogs, broccoli, banana mandarin orange salad
Cheesy Potato Soup
Cheeseburgers, baked potatoes, broccoli
Spaghetti with meat sauce, crescent rolls, corn
Homemade pizza (homemade dough), canned strawberry applesauce
Peanut butter and jelly pancakes, fruit
Eggs and English muffins (Sunday night dinner) x 2
Bean, beef and rice burritos, tortilla chips and salsa
Beef-Stuffed Rolls, seasoned potato rounds, corn
Split Pea Soup, cornbread rolls (from this month's issue of Taste of Home)
Meatballs, mashed potatoes, canned peach slices
Hash Brown and Egg Casserole, canned applesauce

Going Postal

2011-12-05T14:27:00.001-05:00

Today I had a car.

This only means one of three things:
a) my dear mother-in-law is giving me a mental health break by watching the girls
b) Ben has the day off from work
c) one of the girls is sick and I'm going to the doctor.

And the correct answer is C!

That's right. Leah has been coughing up a lung every night for two weeks or so now, so we decided it was time to seek some medical advice. The doctor was on the verge of declaring me an over-cautious mother when he glanced in her ear. And stared a while at the Milky Way galaxy. The other one had the same yuckiness, so she was diagnosed with a double ear infection.

After a trip to the pharmacy, which I had chosen based solely on its juxtaposition with the post office, I grabbed a couple boxes out of the car to deliver to the postmaster. Mind you, it's drizzling, and the girls are hungry. It's 12:30 in the afternoon, and they have not eaten lunch. I instruct Grace to take Leah's hand and hold onto my skirt. Those boxes? Oh yeah, one was the size of a refrigerator and weighed nearly the same. We hobbled across the parking lot, leaving only a small grassy plot left to the front door. A man is standing at the door, talking on his cell phone, so I'm confident he'll help me get the door open. I can taste success by this time.

I look down and see Leah crouching in the grass to pick up something small, white....and oh no! It's a cigarette butt. With both hands occupied, I tell Leah, "Don't touch, Leah, yucky!" She ignores me with single-minded determination. Thinking quickly, I attempt to step on the cigarette butt, but she is too fast for my slow reflexes. My toe engages her little index finger and immediately loosens howling wails of protest and pain. I finagle the boxes between my thigh and one arm, grab my poor, sick, now-wailing, hungry child by the non-injured hand, and offer her pitiful little apologies and comforts as I dash for the door, calling Grace to follow along.

I get to the door, and the Mr.-Engaged-in-a-Deep-Cell-Phone-Conversation-Man is so engrossed in his discussion, he doesn't notice the howling child and distressed, over-loaded mother trying to get the door open right next to him. As I roll my eyes, I again shift the boxes against my very ample hip and manage to get a hand almost to the door handle. Just then, Mr. Cell Phone snaps out of his little world, and grabs the door for me. I step in with a sigh of relief and immediately drop the boxes. Leah, still wailing, clings to my skirt. I pick her up and look ahead to see the line is backed up all the way to the inner door, about 8 or 9 people deep.

I sighed, wondering what possessed me to think 12:30 pm was a good time to come to the post office. A gentleman and lady step in line behind me. Their conversation strikes me immediately as the type that occurs between two acquaintances who would like to become something more. As I struggle to move the box which is now resting stubbornly on the floor, Mr. Nice Guy behind me offers to hold it for me while we wait. He generously suggests that it's no trouble at all because it now gives him justification to be there. Obviously, he's looking for a reason to stay.

Waiting in line, I listen bemusedly to snippets of conversation like "Did you know I love Elvis?" "No really?! You're never going to believe this, but so did my aunt!" and "My word! Aren't those girls adorable and such lovely matching hats..." and "I never knew our birthdays were so close--just a month apart!!" and "Do you think I should pick up some boxes and more stamps?" and (my personal favorite) "I never got to see Elvis in person because I was born in '78, and I know you didn't either, because you weren't born until like '89, right?" Mr. Nice Guy, obviously fishing for the lovely lady's age by disguising it as a compliment on her youthfulness, gets no bites. She smiles and evades his obvious intent by bemoaning her sore luck in never getting to see the King live. He's an avid fisherman and tries again with the same bait, "Oh wait, it was '85?!" She gives up and lets him reel her in. "No, actually, I was born in '80, but I was really close to being '81!" He doesn't get it. He hesitates, "Almost '81?" She spells it out for him, explaining her birthday is December 24, (which she had already shared) hence her declaration of "close to '81'". I chuckle inside, wondering if he know how close he is to losing his current favored status.

Meanwhile, Leah determines her injuries are not life-threatening, and settles for an occasional whimper. The line gradually inches to the counter. Mr. Nice Guy deposits the refrigerator box onto the counter for me, with only a slight flex of the muscles for his lovely lady's appreciation. I buy my stamps, pay for my boxes, and wish my best for the fledgling romance behind me.

We retreat to McDonald's, and I assuage my motherly guilt with a bribe of French fries. The girls, happily munching, heartily agree to forgive and forget.

It's a good day.

Something Fun Friday {Bath Paint}

2011-12-02T07:16:00.000-05:00

The girls had a blast with this bath paint that I mixed up for them. I gave them a couple pastry brushes, (What? It's all I had!) and they painted the tub and themselves for half an hour of giggly fun.

Tear-Free Bath Paint
Supplies:
1 cup clear tear free soap (I used Johnson's)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
Food coloring, 3-4 drops
Small containers with lids (I used baby food tubs)

Directions: Mix soap and cornstarch with a whisk until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Separate soap into containers and add food coloring. Give your kids a paintbrush, and let them clean your bathroom!

Note: The pink gave Leah a rosy face, actually her forehead, so rinse sooner than later.

One Little Indian...and a Pilgrim too!

2011-11-24T12:19:00.001-05:00

Hoping all of you have the opportunity to...

eat the fat and drink the sweet....

Do a little jig...

twirl your skirt...

...and sit back and count your blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Something Fun Friday {Pre-K Workbook}

2011-11-18T12:47:00.001-05:00

As is true of any 3 year old, Grace's mind is a sponge, soaking in information and spitting out questions at a dizzying rate. While at Dollar Tree the other day, I found an endcap full of workbooks for $1. I found one for pre-school age made by Fisher-Price. We have been working on a few pages each day.

My goal is to do something educational daily, even it's just a few minutes. Here's why:

Teaching and learning time creates a bonding moment between Grace and me. Sometimes the day gets full, and she and I both need that time to tie a few heart strings.
Small steps (hopefully) prepare me for future homeschooling schedule. I figure if I ease into homeschooling slowly, by the time I have to do this for real, it should be a part of our routine. I'm not lying when I say homeschooling scares me silly. My biggest concern is striking the balance of proper education, family time, and keeping the home in working order.
Directed activity calms Grace. She is at the age where she needs some play time structure. She gets bored and begins to misbehave. If she's gotten to that point, I know I missed my cues to direct her mind to something structured.
It's fun! It really is amazing to watch little children as they learn and discover. Their joy of learning is truly infectious and delightful.

Sometimes I fail to be consistent. I get busy, so I put it off, and it gets late. Dinner has to be fixed and daddy gets home. No one wants to do school once our favorite person is home for the day!

Leah has an insatiable appetite for crayons. We can't keep her out of them!

I would love to hear any other homeschoolers out there with suggestions for establishing/easing into a school time routine with pre-school age children.

Freezer Baking {Disaster Day}

2011-11-17T18:04:00.001-05:00

A couple times each month I bake a double or triple batch of cookies and muffins. I then freeze them in individual bags for Ben's lunch. Today I got my act together to make a double batch of peanut butter cookies and a double batch of snickerdoodles. The butter had been sitting on the counter since Monday night, but I just hadn't had a chance to make them.

Both girls wanted to help me, so I set Leah up at the kitchen sink with some pots and spoons and a little running water. Grace is really into pouring in the ingredients and stirring (and licking beaters and spoons), so she stationed herself next to me. We got the two cookie doughs made and in the fridge without a single mishap. So far, so good.

Don't they look like little waffles?

Grace was uninterested once the dough was assembled and Leah went down for a nap, so I thought the rest would be a breeze. Once the dough was chilled, I started rolling out the peanut butter cookies. I had the brilliant idea to create the criss-cross top with a meat tenderizer. Way easier and faster than the fork thing. Fist pump!

Trouble started when my brother called. I am not a good multi-tasker, so when the timer went off, I shut off the timer, but I forgot to take the cookies out. For the record, burnt peanut butter smells very bad.

Poor Ben is going to have eat one semi-burnt cookie every day for the next 24 days.

Then I started on the snickerdoodles. I added a little holiday flair by rolling the cookie balls in sugar and pumpkin pie spice. I put in the first batch...and waited...and waited...and waited. They wouldn't firm up for anything. After 15 minutes, it dawned on me that I had shut off the oven. ARGH! That created interesting cookies with hollow centers.

"Air-baked" cookies

The final disaster came when the next batch of snickerdoodles came out looking like crepes. In fact, I picked up 10 cookies that had fused together in a fun little dot pattern. I think I forgot the last cup of flour since I doubled the recipe. I added a little additional flour to the remaining dough, and the last 2 pans were fabulous.

Snickerdoodle crepes

I think I'll just stick with chocolate chip cookies next time.

What's your worst baking mishap? Six dozen wasted cookies has earned top honors over the time I made brownies that were about 1/2" thick and burnt to a crisp.

Thanksgiving Favor {Turkey M&M Treats}

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

Still pondering your table decorations for Thanksgiving? Thought I'd share a few ideas I've run across that were cute, cute, CUTE!

I made the little cuties above using this tutorial for our church's annual Thanksgiving dinner.

Or you can opt for the much simpler, but quite as nice acorn favor.

Photo Source: Six In the Suburbs

Two-Week Dinner Plan 11/14 - 11/27

2011-11-14T13:20:00.001-05:00

Tortellini Soup, Quick Breadsticks
Grilled Turkey Bacon 'n' Cheese sandwiches, tomato soup
Thanksgiving Dinner at church
Beans and Rice Burritos, tortilla chips, salsa
Pork Chops, Potatoes au gratin, mixed veggie blend
cheese hot dogs, hashbrowns, peaches
baked chicken breasts, baked potatoes, carrots
chicken rice bake
Kielbasa with pasta, applesauce
BBQ meatballs, potatoes au gratin (from the freezer)
Thanksgiving Dinner with family
Open-faced turkey sandwiches, potato cakes
Chicken nuggets, hashbrowns, fruit
Eggs, English muffins

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday.

Something Fun Friday {Hand Tree}

2011-11-11T06:55:00.001-05:00

This doesn't require much explanation. I traced her hand, but Grace colored the tree and cut a good bit of the "leaves". I poured a gob of glue on a piece of paper, and then showed her how to lightly dab the paper pieces with the glue. I also gave her a damp paper towel to wipe her hands periodically.

Homemade Kettle Corn -- In the Microwave!

2011-11-09T10:33:00.000-05:00

Got a paper lunch bag?

Got some popcorn kernels?

Got some salt, sugar, and a little oil?

You're in business!

Microwave Kettle Corn

Serves 1

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. popcorn kernels

2 tsp. oil

1 Tbsp. sugar or sugar substitute (I use 2 packets of Ideal)

Dash salt

Directions:

Pour the kernels, oil, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Mix until all kernels are well coated with sugar, salt, and oil.
Pour the bowl's contents into the paper bag. Place the bag on a plate and fold the top of the bag over 1" twice. You can also use a microwave-safe bowl and a vented lid (like a microwave-safe colander or splatter shield),
Place in the microwave on popcorn setting or for about 1 minute, 15 seconds. Either way, shut off microwave when popping slows to less than a pop every second to avoid burning.
Open slowly and carefully, as steam will be hot.

Healthy No-Fat Variation: Omit oil and sugar. Pour kernels and salt into bag. Fold down top of bag 1" twice. Place bag in the microwave; no plate is necessary. Microwave time will be significantly shorter with the absence of oil, so stand by and listen for popping to slow down.

For those with concerns about the microwave: Classic Stovetop Recipe

Tips:
-Store leftovers in a glass canning jar with a lid to keep it fresh. It can last up to two weeks this way!
-I've read using coconut oil replicates the taste of theater-style popcorn.
-You can omit sugar and just use salt for a regular popcorn treat. Drizzle with olive oil or butter after popping.

Are you a microwave popcorn eater? I pretty much can't stand commercial microwave popcorn because of the funny aftertaste and coating that all the additives leave in my mouth. However, growing up, my dad would make a colossal batch of popcorn on the stove in my mom's pressure cooker and put it in a gigantic Tupperware bowl and lid, and we would munch on it for a couple of days. Good memories!

Homemade Baked Onion Rings

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

The other day I had taste for onion rings, but generally speaking, they are battered and fried. I came across this recipe from the Food Network. I didn't want to buy baked potato chips or panko crumbs, so I modified it to make it frugal, delicious, and homemade! Ben really liked them, even after I told him they were moderately healthy!

Baked Onion Rings

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

4 cups bread crumbs (I used cheap hotdog buns, pulsed in the blender in small batches until large shards)

1 cup buttermilk (I added 1 Tbsp. lemon juice to 1 cup skim)

1/2 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. flour

1/2 tsp. seasoning salt (I used Lawry's)

1/4 tsp. pepper

1-2 large Vidalia onions

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
Divide bread crumbs evenly into two separate bowls. (The batter can make the bread crumbs wet and difficult to stick to the onions, so it's nice to have a fresh start halfway through.)
In a third bowl, combine buttermilk, 2 T. flour, seasoning salt, and pepper.
Slice onions into 1/2" slices, using only large whole rings. I ended up with 13 rings. Chop the rest up and throw into the freezer to use later.
Place the onion rings in a large bowl and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup flour, mixing carefully to completely coat the rings.
Dip the rings individually in the buttermilk mixture, then into the bread crumbs. Place on the greased cookie sheet.
Before baking, spray the entire pan with another coat of cooking spray.
Bake for 20 minutes or until coating is crisp and medium brown, turning over halfway.

Leah {14 months}

2011-10-31T12:44:00.000-04:00

Dear Leah,

You are now 14 months old, and you are lovably incorrigible. You sometimes make daddy and I crazy, but you always make us laugh. "Geese" is your hero, and you insist on mimicking her every move. You are the lightest sleeper in our home, and mommy and daddy whisper while you're napping, despite the fan blowing in your room. Sleeping through the night is purely optional with you, and you prefer mommy's assistance in returning to sleep. You don't like long sleeves or footy pajamas. You pull on them irritatedly and protest when we try to dress you in them. You love to wear your shoes and socks, but you would easily dispense with any other article, including your diaper.

You are a real morning person, much to your sister's chagrin. You want to eat as soon as you wake up, and you sign "food" over and over until mommy listens. Your favorite foods are bananas, peanut butter on a spoon, apple slices, pb and j sandwiches, broccoli, and French fries. You do not like chicken or beef, but mama insists. You say "no" when you have had enough, and you drop your cup on the floor when you're quenched. You love drinking from a straw and big cups. You hate dropping food accidentally, but you have no problem dropping food recreationally.

Those little pigtails are mommy's delight. You want to pull them out, but mommy distracts you until you forget about them. You love when mommy whistles at you, so you imitate mommy whistling after she does your hair in an attempt to get mommy to whistle. It works. You do not like to wear headbands, but you know they are pretty, so you ask to have them put on. You know the sign for beautiful, which you occasionally sign after getting dressed or having your hair combed.

Leah, your interest in the kitchen cupboards drives mommy insane. You know that the Tupperware drawer is the only one you're allowed to play in, so when you're being good, you tear everything out of that one cabinet; when you're being bad, you challenge mommy's patience by getting into all the no-no cupboards.....over and over.

You have no fear, and anything stationary or otherwise is an invitation to climb. We have caught you standing on the table twice, and nothing is safe once your determined mind has honed in on it. You jabber incoherently but incessantly with plenty of expression. Every animal says "Woof!" according to you. You love phones of any sort, and you hold it to your ear with your shoulder, just like mommy.

You are daddy's little helper, and his biggest little fan. He is always greeted with a giant-size smile and yell when he gets home from work.

You love to brush your teeth, read real picture books, and tear paper. You are always busy.

You change our world with every smile, and we love you...just the way you are.

Something Fun Friday {Homemade Pudding and Fudge Pops}

2011-10-28T12:01:00.002-04:00

I've been eating egg white breakfast burritos for breakfast lately, so I had a few egg yolks to use up. I googled (what else?!) "recipe to use up egg yolks" and stumbled upon this chocolate or vanilla pudding by none other than the venerable Martha Stewart. I thought it would be a recipe Grace could help me start, so we gave it a whirl.

Helping me mix the dry ingredients.

She insisted she needed a "thingy like this (sweeping hand motion across her front) so I don't get dirty" AKA an apron.

We made the chocolate at the Jr. Chef's direction. Awesome possum pudding! Ben's not a huge fan of pudding, so I split it and put half in freezer pop molds. They are the BEST fudge pudding pops I've ever had. Decadent. Not Weight Watchers approved. Ben said they might be the best fudge pops he'd ever had. That's a pretty weighty compliment from a man who doesn't commit to superlatives.

The girls love them too!

"The Works" (Cauliflower) Potato Soup

2011-10-26T10:46:00.000-04:00

Well, I tried another sneaky recipe on Ben! Much better success this time. I tried the Loaded Potato Soup from Skinny Taste. Ben ate it without a single word. I asked him ever-so-nonchalantly what he thought. "It was soup", with a shrug of his shoulders; he's not very fond of soup in general. I told him it was somewhat healthy. He wasn't that happy that I sneaked one past him, but he admitted he hadn't been able to tell! I think I'm just going to quit telling him unless he asks. Then we'll both be happy. Here's my adaptation of the recipe.

"The Works" Potato Soup
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 potatoes
1 cup chopped carrots
1 head cauliflower
1-1/2 cups water (For flavor and nutrients, use the water you used to boil the vegetables)
1-1/2 milk (I used half skim/half whole)
1 tsp. sage
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup cheese
3 oz. turkey bacon
dried chives

Directions:

Peel and chop potatoes and carrots into chunks. Boil until soft, about 20-25 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut florets from cauliflower head. Place in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 15 minutes or until tender. You do not need to add water to the cauliflower in the microwave.
In a separate large saucepan on the stovetop, bring milk and water to just below a simmer. Add salt, pepper, and sage. Add cooked cauliflower to milk mixture.
Pour milk and cauliflower mixture in a blender and puree in batches until smooth consistency is obtained.
Pour puree back into large pot and add potatoes and sour cream. Stir until completely mixed.
Serve with cheese, bacon, and chives.

Menu Plan Tuesday

2011-10-25T15:51:00.001-04:00

Breakfast and lunch are same old, same old, so I'm not listing them, but here's our week of dinners.

"Skinny" Loaded Potato Soup and crusty French bread

Dinner
(Skinny) Loaded Potato Soup, crusty French bread
Chicken Fajitas, tortilla chips and salsa
Spaghetti, broccoli, breadsticks
Meatloaf, Scandinavian potato fans, asparagus
Oven Baked Potato Sausage Pack, applesauce
Chicken nuggets, acorn squash, baby vegetable blend
Fried Eggs, English Muffins

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday.

Snapfish Photos: 100 Free prints

2011-10-22T21:48:00.003-04:00

Right now you can get 100 prints for just the cost of shipping through Snapfish when you use code PRINTSFREE at checkout. To order the prints, upload your prints to Snapfish, place a total of 100 prints in the shopping cart, and type PRINTSFREE in the coupon code during checkout. Shipping was $5.89 for me, so it works out to about $.06 per print. This is only available for mail orders; no in-store pickup. I believe this code is good through 11/30/11.

Something Fun Friday {Tent Town}

2011-10-21T14:31:00.001-04:00

It has been a wet, wet autumn season here in Ohio, so we have had plenty of days already where Grace has come up to me, and said, "Can we do something fun?"

As I've mentioned before, Grace is a normal 3 year old with an imagination that rivals Mr. Rogers. I pulled out the blanket and we built a tent city.

We had a ball! Actually, we had a tea party. We were all on our best behavior, and I ate bowls and bowls of imaginary strawberries.

I think we only had one tearful accident, so all in all, a well-spent afternoon of wholesome fun.

Why God Made Children Cute

2011-10-18T21:00:00.000-04:00

I am feeling pretty confident that God made children cute for their own protection. Yesterday morning I folded 3 large loads of laundry and separated them according to final destination. I walked back to my bedroom only to return a few minutes later to the scene above.

Leah has just started climbing up on the couch by herself. Apparently the folded clothes were cramping her style. She unfolded and threw everything on the floor except Ben's shirts on the pillow.

I'm not supermom. I did feel a moment of anger, but then I thought, "Better get a picture!"

This post is linked to Wordless Wednesday.

Oven-Baked Potato Sausage Pack

2011-10-18T10:26:00.001-04:00

Ever had those delicious campfire potato packets? Yummmm.... Growing up, my mom would make them on the grill, and I loved them. Something about those melted butter, onion-flavored potatoes just demands overindulgence. I don't remember ever having leftovers.

Seeing as we don't grill much, I thought I'd re-create it in my oven, but I wanted more of a snappy, all-in-one-dish, no-mess-to-clean-up kinda dinner. So I added sausage.

We didn't have any leftovers either.

Oven-Baked Potato Sausage Pack
2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and chunked/sliced
14 oz. smoked sausage, sliced into 1/2"-1" slices
1/2 lb. baby carrots or chopped carrots
1 small onion, sliced into rings
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. butter, chopped into small chunks
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer two 24" pieces of foil, one horizontally and one vertically on a cookie sheet. Spray the foil well with cooking spray. Pile the first four ingredients in the middle of the foil. Dot the potato mix with butter and garlic, then sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over top. If you cut back on butter, spray the top of veggie mix with cooking spray. Fold the edges of the foil over top, enclosing the vegetables. Seal it well by crimping the foil together. Bake for 30-40 or until potatoes are tender. Serves 4.

I'm linking up to Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, and Tasty Tuesday II.

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-17T12:24:00.000-04:00

Caught the girls making themselves pretty with the lipstick from my purse.

Breakfasts
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Peanut Butter Toast
Blueberry Muffins
Cold Cereal x 2
French Toast Sticks
Scrambled Eggs

Lunch
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches x 2
Ham and Cheese Roll-Ups
Cheese Quesadillas
Noodles and Parmesan
Hot Dogs x 2

Dinner
Linguine Chicken Alfredo, Broccoli
Leftovers
Neely's BBQ Spare Ribs, Potato Rounds, applesauce
Ground Beef Tacos, rice
Spinach and Cheddar Frittata, canned peaches
BLT sandwiches, Fritos, carrot sticks
English Muffin Mini Pizzas, pear slices

Last week, I made a half-hearted meal plan, and the result was a half-baked week of meals. I HATE when it's 4:30 and Ben says, "What's for dinner?" and I'm totally stumped. I have about $13 left for the rest of the month in my grocery budget, so except for milk, bread, and fresh produce, we're eating from our stockpile for the next two weeks!

Question of the day: Do you think taking a picture of your children in the middle of their misbehavior encourages it? Sometimes they do things that is so ornery but cute at the same time, so I try to surreptitiously get a picture, but sometimes they catch me in the act. Above, I told Grace with a very solemn face that I was taking a picture to show Daddy what she was doing, hence the "deer in headlights" look. I will show him, but I also wanted it for posterity's sake. When she's sixteen, I can't wait to show how she painted those luscious lips of hers. :)

I'm linking up to Menu Plan Monday.

Apple Pie Filling

2011-10-14T06:40:00.002-04:00

After my applesauce success, I thought I'd give apple pie filling a try. Actually, I had never thought of or even heard of freezing apple pie filling, but a friend of mine on Facebook mentioned last week that she had frozen 10 lbs. of apples for apple pie. My curiosity peaked, I peppered her with a few questions. I wondered if the apples would be mushy, but she says they turn out fine. Makes sense, I guess, since they sell whole apple pies in the freezer section of the grocery store, right?

I did a little research, and apparently, lots of people do it, so why shouldn't I? I didn't know why not either.

I reaped 9 bags of filling from a half bushel of apples. It took me about 2 hours to process them start to finish, with a few emergencies, lunchtime, cut thumbs, and potty breaks sprinkled in. I used my tried-and-true apple cutting and peeling method. I kept the apples in a lime water bath until I had time to bag them up after lunch.

Then I measured out 6 cups of cut apples per batch. Measuring apples is a bit like trying to measure shortening; it's not very exact. In a separate bowl, I combined 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 2 Tbsp. flour, and 1/8 tsp. nutmeg for each batch. I added this mixture in with the apples, tossed to coat, and put it all in a qt. size freezer bag. Then I scraped every last bit of the yummy apple cinnamon-y goodness out of the bottom of the bowls. What?! I'm just keeping it real here.

To make apple pie or crisp: Thaw filling in the refrigerator. Make crust or crisp topping and assemble. Sha-zam! I can't wait to try some. I'm making an apple pie for Ben for Sweetest Day. :)

So, what's your plans for your sweetie or special person on Sweetest Day? By the way, the celebration of Sweetest Day as the 3rd Saturday in October was concocted by 12 confectioners in Cleveland in 1922. It was not a direct attempt to generate business as many assume; in fact, according to the Plain Dealer, they gave away 20,000 boxes of chocolates to "newsboys, orphans, old folks, and the poor." There. How cool is that! Now go give something sweet to someone who is unable to reciprocate and be amazed at how good it feels!

Canned Applesauce {Picture Tutorial}

2011-10-12T16:41:00.001-04:00

I canned 26 quarts of applesauce last week. That should last us a year, provided we use one quart every two weeks. I felt so pioneer-ish, let me tell you. My husband is the real hero of this story, though, because he kept the girls occupied and happy AND he cleaned the rest of the house--all after getting up at 4:45 a.m. and working 8 hours!

I used about 1-1/2 bushels of apples.

Wash.

Quarter and core.

Boil in batches until soft, about 15-20 minutes. If you boil too little, you get a gritty texture to your applesauce. If you boil too long, your apples start completely falling apart.

Run through a strainer to separate the pulp from the seeds and skin. I saved all the discards and ran them through the strainer again at the end. That produced an extra 2 quarts of applesauce.

Ben got a kick out of me standing on the chair, but this counter was the only suitable edge for the strainer, so a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Wash your canning jars, lids, and rings. I sterilized the jars and rings by running them through the dishwasher. The lids I set in a small saucepan with an inch or two of water. I let them sit on the stove's back burner just below a simmer.

To kill off any bacteria or other such nasties, bring the applesauce to a boil briefly in the microwave or on the stovetop and add sugar and/or cinnamon if you like. To a couple of batches, I added a cup of applesauce to a quart of frozen strawberries, ran them through the blender, and added it back into the applesauce for a homemade version of strawberry applesauce.

Ladle the hot applesauce into hot jars, leaving about 1/2" of headspace for expansion. Wipe clean the rim of the jar with a damp rag before adding hot lid and ring.

Place filled cans into the already-boiling water bath (those wire baskets are a necessity!) The jars should be completely submerged. Boil for twenty minutes. Remove and let sit until cooled. Check that lids are sealed.

I made apple pie filling with the other 1/2 bushel. I was wondering if anyone else out there had other ideas for apples. I have never tried apple butter, so I'd love a tried-and-true recipe if you have one!

Autumn Window Dressing

2011-10-07T14:15:00.002-04:00

The girls and I went for a walk to enjoy the colorful foliage. The weather the past few days has been bea-u-tiful! We stopped and picked a few of the leaves and talked about the colors, shapes and types.

Being impatient, I wanted to make a little craft right now with our leaves, so I put the leaf drying time on fast forward. I laid the leaves on a paper towel in the microwave with another one on top.

I put a plate on top of the leaves to keep the leaves flat. We microwaved them for a minute to a minute and 10 seconds. (If you try it, you will hear a bit of popping as the water vaporizes out of the leaves.) The leaves will fill dry and hard after you let them sit for a minute or two and cool.

To give it a little durability, I coated each side of the leaves with Mod Podge and let it dry. Mod Podge goes on white but dries clear and leaves a nice shine.

We used 6 lb. mono filament to hang them up and tied it to the leaves with a knot on the stems. I just taped the fish line to the wood.

Cauliflower-Crust Pizza

2011-10-06T08:47:00.002-04:00

I have been a little adventurous in my cooking lately, mostly spurred by a desire to eat junk food while still maintaining my weight loss goals. I found this recipe on Pinterest, and I thought I'd give a try.

Our conclusion:
I LOVED IT! BEN DID NOT! Actually, he thought something looked a little suspicious when I put it on the table. Poor guy--he never knows what his wife is gonna pull on him next. He knows I'm on a health quest right now, so he's extra cautious now when he comes to the table. Unfortunately, I failed to spray the pan before I baked the crust, so tugging to tear the crust away from the foil was his first clue. He actually thought it was tolerable after trying it. He wanted to know what was healthy about it, so I told him, but then he began having violent convulsions at the mention of cauliflower. Ok, not really, but he was positive he had an aftertaste in his mouth, and that I had just violated his trust in my cooking. "What kind of nut puts cauliflower in their pizza crust?!" Personally, I thought there was absolutely no flavor of cauliflower in the crust at all. Then again, does cauliflower even have a taste? The crust is not like yeast dough; it's more like a baked riced texture.

Try it, you might like it. Then again, maybe you won't. I thought it was delish, and I can't wait to eat the leftovers. Ben shudders every time I mention it. In fact, he ended up calling some good friends and asking if they had any leftovers. I think he just wanted sympathy. I can't blame him. And as he guessed they would, they did. In fact, since they were heading past our house soon, they even delivered him two beef stroganoff sandwiches, much to his delight.

Doesn't it look tasty? Have any good tips for hiding the good stuff in "bad foods"? Leave me a comment with your secret. I would love to hear, and I promise I won't tell. Leave Ben a comment with your sympathies, and I'll be to share them with him!

I'm linking up to Full Plate Thursday and Ultimate Recipe Swap.

David's Sling {Play Acting}

2011-10-05T14:55:00.000-04:00

Grace is highly imaginative, and she loves to role play. Yesterday, I read the story of David and Goliath in our devotions, and she kept begging to do "something fun" so we made our own sling.

I just took some scrap fabric and we colored it with markers. Markers and scissors are still pretty high chips on the bargaining table, so I won huge mommy points with this.

I cut away the outer two strips, cut the middle strip into thirds, and braided it.

We used the cut away pieces to make a head scarf like the pictures of David in her Bible story book showed.

We used a pinecone for the stone. I didn't want any broken windows or gashed body parts.

Grace just projected the pinecone in this shot, hence the "Whoa!" face. I would show you a picture of Goliath, but it's difficult to take a self-photo when you're lying face down on the floor. :)

She insisted on posing like this for a picture. Apparently, she was role-playing something else she had seen...

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-03T14:24:00.000-04:00

Breakfasts

Cold Cereal x 2

Blueberry Muffins

French Toast Sticks

Oatmeal

Peanut Butter toast

Eggs, turkey bacon

Lunches

Egg salad sandwiches, pretzels, carrots

Mac 'n' cheese, fruit x 2

PB and J Sandwiches, pretzels, fruit

Leftovers x 2

Deli Meat Sandwiches

Dinners

Grilled cheese and salami sandwiches, tomato soup

chili dogs (with leftover chili), oven-baked onion rings, gr. pepper sticks

cauliflower-crust pizza, canned peaches

tortellini soup, Italian wheat breadsticks

hamburgers on Sandwich thins, baked chili potato rounds

Italian beef sandwiches, au gratin potatoes

Welcome to My Mess! {Keeping It Real}

2011-10-01T14:41:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to share what my house is really like. :) I was looking pretty haggard myself in the video--pre-shower glory! (Don't tell me you've never taken a shower at two in the afternoon!)

So...does this give you a little better picture of reality? Is your house messy or clean right now?

Crazy Conversations {Talking with a 3 year old}

2011-09-29T09:22:00.000-04:00

The girls and I were laying on Grace's bed, enjoying our morning snuggle, when Grace announces, "I'm not your girl anymore."
Me: "You're not?"
G: "No, I got married."
M: "Oh, what's your husband's name?"
G: "Doodie."
M: "Doodie?"
G: "Yeah, Doodie." (Head to the side, shaking head, lips knowingly pursed.)
M: "Oh. Do you have children?"
G: (Sighing) "Yeah, we have....(counting on fingers)1...2...3. We have 3."
M: "How many boys and girls do you have?"
G: "We have (counting on fingers again) 1...2...3...4. Four boys."
M: "What's their names?"
G: "Ummm...Galek, Doodit, and (I can't remember).
M: "And how many girls?"
G: "Uhhh...(blank stare, looks at fingers, and starts counting)...1...2...3. Three girls."

Apparently feeling a little unsure about her numbers and this whole offspring topic, Grace changes lanes.
G: "I don't see my husband much. He works alot."
M: "Really? Where does he work?"
G: (Thinks really hard, looks up to the right) "Ummm...he just works...he works at college." (Gestures behind her with her thumb. Apparently, college is somewhere back there.)
M: "What does he do at the college? Is he a professor? Does he clean buildings? What does he do?"
G: "No, he doesn't do that. He doesn't do anything. He just works."
M: "Oh, okay."

Grace: "Oh, there he is. There's Doodie." (Points to the open bedroom door.) "Hey, Doodie!"
G: "Say 'Hi' to Doodie, mom."
M: "Hi Doodie!"
G: (Stands in front of me, pretending to hold Doodie's hand) "That's our house right there." (Gestures to the closet.)
G: "One of our boys is lost."
M: (Showing mild alarm) "You better go find him!"
G: "Naw, he's fine. He's just lost in the grass. He's mowing. He's 16."
M: "Oh, your children are older."
G: (Resignedly) "Yeah."

The END.

Easy-Peasy Meatball Tips

2011-09-27T06:00:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite meals is BBQ meatballs and mashed potatoes. I do believe I'm salivating as I type that. Yum. Meatballs can be a real hassle to prepare, so I'm sharing a few tips that I've picked up to make the process totally snappy.

Try doubling your recipe and freezing half for a later date. Twice as much food, same amount of prep! You can freeze before or after you bake them. Also doubles as a great meatloaf recipe.
If the recipe calls for day-old bread cubes or crushed saltines, it's much faster to substitute oatmeal or bread crumbs. If you don't have bread crumbs or oatmeal on hand, just throw some bread in a food processor, and pulse it a bit.
Put bread bags or sandwich bags on your hands while you're mixing up the meat. I despise digging raw meat out from under my fingernails.
This is applicable across the board with eggs, but crack them in a separate bowl, so you don't have to go fishing for that microscopic shell shard that embedded itself in that lovely raw meat.
Substitute different spices for varied flavors--Italian seasoning for spaghetti and meatballs, chili powder for BBQ meatballs, a smidge of nutmeg and allspice for Swedish...
Use a melon baller or mini ice cream scoop to form the balls, OR
Lay a sheet of long wax paper on the counter, spread out the meat with a greased rolling pin, and use a pizza wheel to cut the meat into similar-sized squares. Then roll them into balls. Much faster than individually eyeballing and rolling.
Layer your cooking pans with aluminum foil, so your clean-up is a breeze.
2 parts ketchup to 1 part brown sugar makes a simple BBQ base that you can jazz up a million different ways.
Meatballs are excellent bedded on just about any starch, including but not limited to rice (any), buttered egg noodles, mashed potatoes and pasta.

It works for me!

Blessings from Blogosphere

2011-09-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

Just thought I'd share a few blessings and inspirations I received this week from blogland...

Grace to Forgive when it isn't easy -- I was touched by this woman's transparency

How to Make Money Blogging -- While it's doubtful my blog will ever be a money machine, I found some helpful tips for just streamlining my online side of life.

Make Bath Paints -- Let your kids have fun and clean your bathtub for you at the same time! Sounds like a winner to me.

Are you eating nails in your breakfast cereal?

Learn a little secret to avoid flat pop!

Ode to Summer

2011-09-23T15:13:00.000-04:00

Farewell, sweet summer, I shall miss thee.

Till we meet again

I shall remain devotedly yours,

April

What's for Dinner? {Book Review}

2011-09-21T08:45:00.001-04:00

I just finished a great book, The Hour that Matters Most, about the value of the family dinner hour. Really, it's about much more than sitting down as a family to eat a meal. Through clinical studies and personal anecdotes, they present the value of making home an emotional and mental safe haven for your family. They also provide valuable advice and tips to help your home become a place of refuge.

Drs. Les and Leslie Parrot, award-winning relationship authors, wrote this book along with the co-founders of Dream Dinners. They offer a lot of expert advice on relevant family issues, such as dealing with conflict and instilling good manners and core values in our children. Practical advice, like meal planning and preparation and conversation starters, is also included.

Our children are still young, so eating together at home is not an effort, but it is something we want to be important even when it isn't convenient. Of course, eating a family meal is outward manifestation of a inner resolve to make the home a sanctuary from the world. While the authors only briefly discuss the topic of having a relationship with God, we believe He is the foundation of a good home. Teaching our girls about Him and a relationship with Him is the central value that we wish to instill in them. Outside of this book, I have come to understand that you can train your children to be obedient and disciplined, but if you don't have their heart and trust, you've missed the more important aspect of imparting your core values.

I found good, sound advice for reaching my girls' hearts and developing and keeping trust with them. The tidbits of wisdom generously sprinkled throughout the book gave me many "A-ha!" moments. Having a relationship where communication is open, honest, and trusting between each member of the family is the gateway to developing a home atmosphere of peace, love, laughter, and gratitude. There is a practical chapter at the end of the book on starting your own fix-and-freeze club for busy moms that meet and cook up make-ahead meals that I found helpful, as well as some really great recipes that I look forward to trying. I couldn't help but read portions of it aloud to my husband while we were driving, which is usually a good indication to me of an excellent resource.

You can find the book on Amazon for $10.87 or check your local library to see if they carry it.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of The Hour that Matters Most in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are purely my own.

Pretty Flowers {Easy Birthday Cake!}

2011-09-20T14:16:00.001-04:00

This was super simple to make.

I baked a strawberry cake mix in two round 8" cake pans. I made a batch of buttercream frosting. After they cooled, I frosted the top of one, stacked the other on top, and put a light coat of frosting over the whole thing. I think they refer to this as a crumb coat. I then applied a thicker layer and tried to get it as smooth as possible.

The flower petals are just marshmallows cut crosswise with scissors (about 4 petals per marshmallow). I made pink colored sugar by adding a drop or two of red food coloring to a 1/4 cup of white granulated sugar. The food coloring makes the sugar clumpy, so I just stirred it till the clumps fell apart. I then dipped the sticky sides of the marshmallow into the colored sugar.

I arranged the petals, then placed an M&M in the middle. I tried to cut fruit leather in the shape of leaves, but it didn't work for me. I just used green M&Ms instead.

I used a round frosting tip to put the beading around the bottom. I'm sure you could achieve the same look with the corner cut from a Ziploc bag.

Grace thought the flowers were pretty, but she liked the way they tasted even more. I had to keep an eye on her or she would try to sneak a petal! Love that crazy kid.

I started cutting into it before someone reminded me that we hadn't sung "Happy Birthday" yet. Love that mommy brain.

Apparently, I've got a thing for decorating birthday cakes with M&Ms or marshmallows...it works for me!

Grace's 1st birthday cake

Grace's 2nd birthday cake

Vacation Goodness {Photos}

2011-09-14T16:48:00.000-04:00

Dress Inspiration

2011-09-03T06:00:00.000-04:00

I love this dress. As in, I've loved it for over a year; I have it bookmarked on my computer; I have bought 3 patterns with the hopes of meshing them into this look. Ben offered to buy it for me last Christmas, but I couldn't bear the thought of paying $60 for one item of clothing. I keep hoping it will go on sale, but nope, never. Not even a good coupon code or free shipping. Nada.

What are your thoughts? Would you spend that much for a dress or other piece of clothing you really loved? Who knows...I might give in and ask for it this year!

Jean Skirt Revival {Dye Job}

2011-09-01T16:02:00.000-04:00

Ya know that favorite jean skirt that you wear every other day around the house? The one that feels like your second skin. I have one too. Unfortunately, by the time it's all worn in, it looks all worn out.

I was looking at the fabric dye recently, and I had a lightbulb moment. They have denim blue dye. You know where I'm going with this, right?!

So, I braved it, bought a bottle (at Wal-Mart in the laundry aisle for $2.34), and proceeded to dye my favorite skirt back to new again.

Before:

After:

I bought liquid Rit and followed the directions from here. Super easy, super fast! Love the results. It's not the exact color of fresh new jean, but close enough that I'm not concerned about it.

This is also a great idea if you have a pair of jeans or jean skirt that has that goofy washed-out-only-on-the-thigh look but fits nicely.

What do you think?

Caramel Mocha Brownies

2011-08-29T15:36:00.002-04:00

If you like caramel, coffee and brownies, you will love these brownies. They start with a box cake mix too, making it an all-around winner!

Start by tracing on wax paper the shape of the 9x13 pan that you will use to bake the brownies.

Next, dissolve the instant coffee granules in 1/3 cup evaporated milk.

Add the melted butter and coffee-flavored milk to the cake mix.

Press half the batter into a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 8 minutes in a pre-heated 350* oven.

While the bottom layer is baking, melt the caramel squares and 1/2 cup of evaporated milk in a double boiler, or in the microwave.

When caramel is completely melted, pour over baked layer. Sprinkle 1/3 cup chocolate chips over top.

Roll out the remaining dough to the shape of the pan that you traced on the wax paper.

Carefully flip over onto the caramel and peel back the wax paper.

Bake for 18 minutes at 350*.

Refrigerate until caramel is firm. Sprinkle with powdered sugar for a dressy finish.

Caramel Mocha Brownies (adapted from this recipe)
Ingredients:
box of German chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup melted butter
1/3 cup evaporated milk
2 packets of instant coffee (probably about 2 Tbsp.)
1/2 cup evaporated milk
bag of caramels (approx. 50-60 caramels)
1/3 cup chocolate chips
powdered sugar, optional

Directions: Trace 9x13 pan on wax paper. Dissolve coffee granules in 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Combine cake mix, coffee-flavored milk and melted butter. Dissolve coffee granules in 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Press half of the batter into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. In microwave or double boiler, melt caramels with 1/2 cup milk. Pour melted caramels over baked layer. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the caramel layer. Press remaining batter onto wax paper and layer on top. Bake 18 minutes (or less for gooier brownies) at 350. Makes 15 bars.

Linked up to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday.

Ketchup for a Baby Face Complexion

2011-08-20T09:00:00.001-04:00

"For a baby-face complexion, smear a generous helping of ketchup on the face, avoiding eyes but not hair. Pairs nicely with hot dogs for cute love handles." -Leah Newman

Bag It! {Tip to Extend the Life of Bananas}

2011-08-19T17:27:00.000-04:00

I don't eat bananas unless they are green and pristine. After they get spots, I give them to the girls and Ben. (Such love, I know.) Or I freeze them for cooking and smoothies. I've wondered if there was a way to extend that short period a little longer. My home experiment ensued.

Exhibit A was left in the fruit bowl on the counter as normal. Exhibit B was placed in a plastic grocery bag, tied loosely, and left on the counter as well.

Monday, 08/15/11

Friday, 08/19/11

Bagging the bananas gives me a day or two of additional eating time.

Beef-Stuffed Sausage Rolls

2011-08-16T08:02:00.001-04:00

A couple thousand years ago (okay, like 2007) when Ben and I were married without children, a sweet lady shared this delicious, simply recipe with me, but I never made it till this week. I changed it up to suit what I had, but it is basically the same yummy meal--a crusty roll with cheesy beefy goodness inside.

Besides 1 lb. ground beef, 4 sausage rolls (or French bread!), and a green pepper, you'll also need salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and a can of cheddar cheese soup.

Brown the grown beef and chopped green pepper (I used about half of it) over medium-high heat.

Cut your rolls in half...

and hollow out the bottom half, leaving a half-inch wide crust. Toss the bread chunks into the meat, then add the undiluted cheese soup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.

Spoon the mixture into the hollowed-out bottom halves.

Throw some cheese slices on top for extra cheesy yum factor.

Bake the sandwiches and the top crusts for 5 minutes at 350*.

Delicious.

Amen and amen.

Beef-Stuffed Sausage Rolls

Ingredients:

4 sausage rolls

1 lb. ground beef

1 can (10.75 oz) cheddar cheese soup

1 green pepper, chopped

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

4 slices cheese, halved

Directions:

Carefully hollow out bottom of rolls, leaving a 1/2" shell. Cut removed bread into small chunks; set aside. In a skillet, brown beef with green pepper; drain. Add soup, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes. Stir in reserved bread cubes. Spoon into bread shell. Top with cheese. Place sandwiches on baking sheet. Bake at 350* for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Approximate cost: $6.50

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table.

2 Week Menu Plan

2011-08-11T08:13:00.001-04:00

Next week is our church's Revival Conference, so I decided to plan a two-week menu since it will be a whirlwind next week. Leah's birthday is this week, and we are having dinner guests on Friday, so lots of activity! I was able to buy boneless skinless chicken breast for $1.59/lb. and ground beef for $1.89/lb. this week, so my meat coffers are full again!

Monday Grace insisted on wearing my nylons all morning.

Week One

Chicken fajitas, applesauce
Italian beef, sweet potato fries

Aunt Laura's chicken, potato salad, cottage cheese, applesauce

Crockpot Country-style ribs, pierogies, corn on the cob

Meatballs, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots

Wildfire chopped salad (with leftover chicken)

Leftovers

Week Two

Spareribs, potato salad, fruit

Spaghetti and meatballs, corn, wheat breadsticks

Ground beef Sandwiches (new recipe-coming soon!), pasta salad

Baked chicken breast, spaghetti alfredo, broccoli

Ben's Favorite Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, carrots

Leftovers

Egg salad sandwiches, pickles, pretzels

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday.

A Little Bathroom Business

2011-08-04T13:15:00.000-04:00

Keep Your Eyes on the Eternal!

2011-07-26T13:47:00.000-04:00

Indoor Swimming {Flooded Again!}

2011-07-19T21:25:00.000-04:00

Four inches of storm water throughout our entire condo

I did pray for rain, and the Lord surely answered that prayer! We received 5 inches of rain in about 4 or so hours. Unfortunately, our storm sewers were overwhelmed. Once again, Ben stepped out of bed into water at 3:15am. The clean-up has gone incredibly fast this time, since we installed ceramic tile and vinyl-backed carpet tiles after the last flood in February. We are almost back to normal this evening!

Squeaky Clean Homemade Oven Cleaner

2011-07-18T12:44:00.000-04:00

Cleaning the oven has got to be one of the worst household chores...right up next to dusting, in my opinion. I put it off until the foil lining on the bottom of the stove was black with untold numbers of spills. If I had remembered to take a before picture, I doubt that I would post it---it was that bad.

I briefly considered purchasing some Easy Off or other oven cleaner, but I remember how awful that stuff smells. Plus, I'd have to go to the store, and I didn't want to fork out money when I can use something I already have. So I did the logical thing. I googled "homemade oven cleaner." Naturally.

But I didn't want to measure anything precisely, so I just started dumping stuff together, carefully of course. I made a paste by combining roughly 1 cup baking soda to 1/2 cup salt; I then added enough water to make a thick paste, adding a few drops of Dawn dish soap to cut grease. I carefully added vinegar till the paste was the consistency of pancake batter. (Vinegar and baking soda cause a small explosive chemical reaction when mixed together straight, so use caution.)

I applied the paste to the oven walls, door, racks and floor with a sponge. Next, I poured about a cup of ammonia on the floor of the oven and shut the oven door. I let that all marinate for 4 or 5 hours. Using the same sponge and a washcloth, I wiped it all down until the soda residue was gone.

My opinion: I'd say it worked nearly as well as the oven cleaner, and it had absolutely none of the toxic odor that commercial oven cleaners have. The price is hard to beat, as I had all of the ingredients on hand. I will definitely use this method again.

Here's a few links that I consulted before attempting my own little concoction:

House Cleaning Central

Tip Nut

Being Frugal

Parking Lot Rules--A Book Review

2011-07-15T10:30:00.002-04:00

Last week I finished Parking Lot Rules & 75 Other Ideas for Raising Amazing Children by Tom Sturges. While his worldview differs from mine in many areas, I gleaned some good reminders and several new approaches to try with my girls. I'm just going to list the ideas that I thought were a sensible fit for our family, as you may find some nuggets for yours as well.

Say, "Fingers, fingers" to indicate that your children need to watch their fingers to avoid getting them squashed in a door or similar situation.
Teach children to tap you or other family members gently when they would like an activity to stop. (rough housing, book reading...)
Smile at your children when you see them. This is one thing that I already try to do, because I think it makes you more approachable and visually reminds children that you love them and delight in their company.
Anything once seen cannot be "unseen." Do what you can to avoid your child seeing images/activities that cannot be erased from their minds. (TV/video images, billboards, accidents)
Recognize and acknowledge moments of happiness.
When your children call you, answer them with "Yes?" not "What?" "What" can be interpreted as harsh and/or rude.
When you get upset, whisper.
Show your children how to properly shake hands. First impressions can be invaluable.
Involve children in writing thank-you notes. Make it a habit.
Practice what you want your child to do if they become separated from you in a public place. (stay where you are, stop a person in uniform)
Tell your little one to squeeze your finger as much as it hurts when they get a "boo-boo."
Do a slow-motion replay with play-by-play commentary when your children falls or gets hurt. It will make them laugh or forget the possible public embarrassment they may have felt as they crack up watching you.
Teach and exemplify 3 essential table manners.

Chew with your mouth closed.
Talk with your mouth empty.
Hold silverware correctly, not like a shovel.

Stop...and Let Me Tell You! {Railroad Stop Light}

2011-07-14T16:27:00.000-04:00

This is not my handiwork...it's Ben's. He made this as an object lesson for the children who ride the Sunday School bus. He spent about 5 hours or so on it, and I was amazed at how real it looks. The light is made entirely from cardboard, masking tape and spray paint. The base is made from a 2x4 that he ripped on his table saw and some scrap wood.

He did make one obvious mistake from the real thing. Can you figure it out?! He had to tell me because I'm really bright and all that.

Tight Turtleneck to Comfy Dress

2011-07-11T14:54:00.000-04:00

During one of those "Oh, I'm sure it'll fit--it's a large!" moments, I bought this turtleneck from Target. Well, it's one of those clingy shirts, but I love the soft feel of the knit, so I was loath to give it away.

I figured I'd try my hand at sewing on knits with something that was relegated to the thrift bin anyway.

Using another dress as a pattern, I cut out a dress.

There are 2 of these, as I cut both the front and back of the shirt at the same time.

My sidekick was right there to assist me.

See? Didn't she do a good job?

I thought the dress might look too much like pajamas without a defined waistline, so I cut a piece of elasticized lace that I got from a thrift store at $.10/yd. I sewed it across the front like an empire waist, and I also sewed two ties into the side seams so it could be tied in back. I then sewed up the shoulders and side seams with the right sides together.

I tried it on Grace and decided it needed sleeves. So I took the original sleeves and figured I could do something.

I cut the sleeves at the cuff so I didn't have to finish the sleeves. I cut the sleeves free-handed, just eyeballing the angle. I basted a gathering stitch, then pinned the sleeves in place and sewed.

Next, I cut 1/4" slits in the neck hole, then folded the fabric down 1/2" and sewed the collar seam. I did three rows of the neck stitching, but two would have been fine.

I love the simplicity of this dress, and Grace wants to wear it all day, all night because it is so comfortable.

It took me 2-1/2 hours at most, and this was the first time I had sewn with knits or made a dress completely pattern-less. I'm not sure what I was afraid of, because it was so easy. I just needed to adjust my thread tension a little to between 2 and 3.

Upcycled any clothes items lately? I'd love to see other ideas!

The Garden of Eden....in Ohio

2011-07-09T19:33:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday, Ben's side of the family met up for a belated Father's Day gift for his father at the Rolling Ridge Ranch, an exotic animal farm in Ohio's Amish Country. To be honest, I went expecting to be under-impressed. However, I was absolutely blown away by this place! There are approximately 500-600 animals and birds, representing over 100 species from around the world that you get to feed, pet, and see up close. It was an awesome experience that I would love to re-live again and again.

The covered wagon that transported us from reality to the surreal for an hour.

Humphrey, the camel, greeted us right inside the gate.

There were several litters of pot-bellied pigs.

This little guy was only a day or two old--he was soooo cute!

Some of the animals were making their demands pretty obvious.

Grace took the reins on a quiet part of the ride.

From Peru to Nigeria in 10 feet

Leah was enthralled with the ride and the attention.

This guy was gloating over his feed haul.

I "steered" clear of these bad boys.

The Brahma had some serious tongue action going on.

Mr. Bison was IN YOUR FACE.

A few more exotic animals

He strutted his stuff as soon as we walked over! Stunning.

Just for the record, I took over 550 pictures in 2 hours....

Come visit and we'll take you down!

Can You Relate?

2011-07-09T18:46:00.000-04:00

I saw this on clearance at Wal-Mart, and I thought it said so perfectly what I feel like most of the time.

How about you? Remember those days, or are you going through them as well?

A lady in my church the other day said, "The days are long, but the years are short." Amen.

Deer Me!

2011-07-08T09:00:00.000-04:00

I looked out my living room window on Wednesday to see a fawn running past. I grabbed my camera to see if I could grab a shot. I ran outside and was amazed to see two fawns with no mother, snacking just outside my neighbor's condo.

I kept as still as possible, keeping my movements muted and non-threatening. The fawns actually started walking towards me! A car pulled up and scared them off about 2 minutes later.

These pictures are straight from the camera. I was amazed at how tame they were!

Family Foursome

2011-07-07T10:24:00.000-04:00

Here's our family photo with matching outfits.

Obviously, it was the end of a long day. I'm not sure why I never think to take pictures when we're all fresh and happy.

Shark-Shaped Watermelon Fruit Salad

2011-07-07T09:39:00.001-04:00

I was so inspired by this awesome tutorial for a shark-shaped watermelon sculpture that I decided to try it myself. I brought the fruit salad to our church's Independence Day potluck service on Sunday.

The picture quality is bad because I started this at 10:00 pm and finished about 12:00 am. Nothing like waiting till the last possible moment, ya know?! It doesn't take 2 hours, but I had to take frequent breaks because Leah was having terrible teething pain and couldn't sleep.

This post is linked to Frugal Food Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Life as Mom, House of Hepworths.

Scrappy July 4th Skirt

2011-07-02T09:00:00.002-04:00

Two years ago, I made our family matching Independence Day outfits. Leah fits Grace's jumper perfectly, and I had just a few longer scraps of the material left, so I thought I'd try to make a skirt for Grace so we could all have matching outfits now that there are four of us.

I measured Grace's hips and added an 1" for seam allowance for the top strip. The middle strip is 1-1/2 times as long as the top strip, and the bottom strip is 1-1/2 times as long as the middle strip. The top strip is 4" wide, the middle is 5", and the bottom is 6". I gathered the bottom strip first to the length of the middle, then did the same for the middle strip.

I sewed the bottom strip to the middle strip.

I sewed the middle to the top, then sewed the long seam closed.

To make the waistband, I folded down and ironed the waist a 1/4", then folded and ironed down another 1".

I sewed the waistband, then top-stitched along the top edge for a more finished look.

Voila! I promise this took me no more than an hour. Easy-peesy even for a simple sewer like myself.

Happy Healthy Independence Day!

2011-07-01T16:39:00.001-04:00

So, I've been following the Weight Watchers eating plan (notice I didn't say diet) since the end of April-ish. I love feeling thin again. Sometimes it can be hard to say "no" to that luscious piece of dessert, so I try to have healthful alternatives that give me a sweet fix. Here's one of them. This is just like a Breakstone's Cottage Cheese Doubles, but better and cheaper and oh. so. simple.

It's about 1/2 cup cottage cheese, a great big spoonful of jam, and the fruit of your choice. In honor of our country, I chose strawberries and blueberries to contrast nicely with the white cottage cheese.

Yummo!

Happy Fourth of July!

A Love Story {Part 2}

2011-06-30T12:19:00.000-04:00

Go here to catch the first part of A Love Story.

The following Tuesday was a beautiful June evening, and Isabel decided to arrive at the church a little early, "just in case" there were any visitors. As she turned the corner, St. David Presbyterian Church loomed into view. From afar, Isabel could see John, leisurely pacing the sidewalk in front of the church, waiting for her. They attended the social together, and by night's end, they were both positive they were meant for each other. But with only two weeks before John's departure for special Air Force training, their time together seemed fleeting. Isabel invited John to meet her family. Her parents welcomed the debonair American with the jaunty trim moustache and impish grin.

The fortnight passed and John left, leaving with a promise to return as soon as he could. The first letter was composed before a day had passed, and the postman's daily visit was the bright spot of each day as the weeks skated by. Leave was short and infrequent. Distance was but a small obstacle for John, who hopped a train bound for Hamilton as often as he could, which was really only about once a month. With each letter, John and Isabel began to consider their future, for by then it was certain that they wanted to face it together. By the end of 1942, John learned that he would be deployed overseas in the British Isles. John had an extended leave for the holidays, so he invited Isabel to travel to Cleveland with him to visit his family. She agreed, and over the New Year, they made the train trip over the border together. Their engagement was announced, and John gave Isabel a beautiful diamond ring, a tangible something for her to cling to in the lonely days ahead.

But a future promise of love's fulfillment seemed hardly enough for the interminable distance and circumstances that hung like a cloud over their future, so they decided over the cold days in Cleveland to marry before John left. With just six weeks before his deployment, they planned a wedding. John's sister, Margaret, sewed the bride's dress suit and bought the white feathered hat. John's family made plans to travel by train for the wedding. Since there would be no house to set up, there was no bridal shower. Isabel's best friend, Jean MacKenzie, threw a "cup and saucer shower" for Isabel. Instead of gifts, each attendee brought a china tea cup and saucer as a gift for the bride, and their gift was used as their place setting for the tea party. The cups and saucers were all unique and unmatched, making the bride's collection a sweet reminder of friends and family.

On January 22, 1943, John received his "wings" from London. He fondly recalls that he only really flew for a day, because the next day they were clipped by the prettiest girl in the choir loft. On January 23, 1943, John and Isabel were married at the church where they met. John wore his Royal Air Force uniform, and Isabel shone in her knee-length white wool knit wedding dress suit. Unfortunately, the minister was unable to perform the ceremony, so a substitute minister presided. John claims he wasn't sure if he was married or buried, as the Scottish officiant's brogue was too thick to cut. John's brother, Joseph, stood in as best man, and Isabel's sister, Margaret, was her maid of honor.

With just two weeks before John's deployment, they left immediately after the wedding for a honeymoon in Montreal. Boarding a train and leaving their future behind for the time, husband and wife spent the next fourteen days in wedded bliss. At the end of their honeymoon, John said farewell to his new bride. His two and half year deployment to the European front seemed to stretch forever on the future horizon.

To be continued....

Railroad Conductor's Hat Tutorial

2011-06-22T16:45:00.004-04:00

Ben is in charge of a ministry that picks up children from the inner-city of Cleveland and brings them to church each Sunday. He started a summer faithful-rider campaign called The Great Train Campaign to beat back the summer doldrums.

In his ever-winning way, he asked me to make him a conductor's hat, which I steadfastly refused to do. So, of course, here is the tutorial, as I couldn't find one anywhereeeeeee on the world wide web.

In full honesty, this is actually my second attempt, as the first one ended up in pure dismal failure. Failure is my friend, though, and I figured it out the second time.

You will need:

stabilizer (heavy-duty Pellon or cardboard)

dark fabric

thread

good-fitting or fitted baseball cap with a plain black bill

matching bias tape

8 inches of ribbon

2 large matching black or gold buttons

Begin by measuring the head around where the hat will be worn. (Ben was 22-1/2".)

To create the flared dimension to the hat, draw the head circumference + an extra 1"-2" on an arc. I free-handed this. You will need your arc to be about 4" tall. Cut one from cardboard or heavy-duty Pellon, and one from your fabric.

Sew or staple the arc, checking to make sure the "hat" is loose on the wearer at this point. Do this to both the stabilizer and the fabric.

Draw and cut out a circle from the Pellon and the fabric that is at least 1" larger than the circumference of the top of the hat. You can free-hand, trace, or use a compass or household item (saucepan, lampshade) for this step.

Trace the outline of the top of the hat onto the cardboard (or Pellon--I will refer to this as cardboard the rest of the tutorial, as that is what I used.) Now cut small triangles from the remaining outer inch.

Place the top on the hat and fold down trimmed edges to fit as shown.

Trace the outline of the cardboard top on the fabric top. Now place the cardboard pieces together, gluing or sewing them together

Place the flared fabric right side facing onto the flared cardboard. This should fit snugly. Place the fabric top right side facing down over the top of the hat. This is a tricky step, so take your time. I used pins to hold it in place, then used contrasting thread to baste it in place. You want the top to be evenly taut.

Now sew together (right sides facing). Remove pins and basting thread. Turn right side out and carefully fit over your cardboard.

Get your baseball cap out.

Place the flared top on the hat.

Pin or baste the hat rim to the rim of the flared top.

Baste and sew the two hats together using bias tape.

If you haven't already done so, baste the front of the two hats together.

I used Fabri-Tac (a killer fabric glue!) to glue the ribbon to the front. I folded the ends under to cover the raw edges.

Glue two buttons at each end of the ribbon.

I also glued three foam letters-GTC- to the front for "Great Train Campaign."

I'm linking up to House of Hepworth and Weekend Wrap Up Party.

A Love Story

2011-06-15T06:00:00.007-04:00

Ben's grandmother visited from Arkansas. Lovely lady. Great visit. Ben's grandfather passed away this past January, just two days after they celebrated their 68th anniversary.

I loved to hear Ben's grandfather tell stories. He was one of those people who could vividly recall a tale, true or not, and he always had one to share. The story of how they met is probably my favorite. Ben's grandfather, John, was a 20-year-old all-American young man when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. He went to his local army recruitment office to enlist, but was turned away. To his dismay, he was not an American citizen. His parents had moved to Cleveland from the Toronto area when he was just a baby, and somehow had failed to have his citizenship confirmed. He immediately crossed the border and enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

One day while enjoying some leave, he and a friend noticed a church near the base and committed to attending. One Sunday morning they made it out, and arrived in their dress uniform shortly after the service started. Grandma Isabel was in the choir, and noticed the visitors. She had just been elected the president of the young adult's fellowship committee, and as such was expected to greet all new visitors of young adult age. However, John also noticed Isabel, and to her dismay, began to communicate his interest from the pew. He stared at her and every time she looked his way, he began to bounce his eyebrows at her. Coloring, she turned away, refusing to look at him. As the choir made their way to their seats, a fellow committee member urged Isabel to greet the young cadets, much to her chagrin. After the postlude, she dutifully introduced herself to John and the other cadet, and invited them to return for the evening service. Of course, John returned and asked to walk Isabel home from church. (swoon!) She accepted, and on the walk home, invited him to attend a young adult activity on the following Tuesday night.

To be continued...

This post is linked to Wordless Wednesday.

Italian Wheat Breadsticks

2011-06-14T13:51:00.002-04:00

Italian Wheat Breadsticks

Bread:
1 package active dry yeast (1 Tbsp. if you buy in bulk)
4 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1 cup warm water
3 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
Topping:
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1 Tbsp. sugar in the warm water. Proof the yeast by allowing it to sit for five minutes. The mixture should smell very "yeasty" and look bubbly after proofing.
Add butter, whole wheat flour, 1 cup of white flour, salt, and remaining sugar. Beat until smooth. Stir in remaining white flour until dough forms a soft ball. Turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover loosely with a dishtowel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes.
After rising, punch down the dough. Flour work surface and divide dough in to 36 pieces. Shape each piece into a 4-6 inch stick. Twist two sticks together to form a spiral pattern and pinch ends to hold in place. Place breadsticks on greased baking sheet(s).
Cover and let rise about 25 minutes, or until doubled. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. During second rise, melt butter for topping in microwave; mix in garlic, salt, and Italian seasoning. When dough has risen, use pastry brush to coat breadsticks with spiced butter. Sprinkle Parmesan on top.
Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes: From start to table, this recipe took about 1 hr. 45 min. All-purpose flour can be substituted for wheat flour.

This post is linked to Tuesdays at the Table, Tasty Tuesday I, Made From Scratch Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday II, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Menu Plan Monday - June 13

2011-06-13T19:56:00.000-04:00

Breakfast
English muffin with peanut butter
Pumpkin Smoothie
Cold Cereal, milk
Banana Smoothie
Oatmeal with Cranberries

Lunch
PBJ sandwich, carrot sticks
Hot Dog, apple slices x 2
rotini with Parmesan cheese, banana
cheese quesadilla, grapes

Dinner
Western Omelet Flatout Wrap, tropical fruit
Spaghetti, Parmesan breadsticks, strawberries
Personal Pizzas, lettuce salad
Leftovers
pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes, turkey bacon

Frozen Fudge Pops

2011-06-08T14:56:00.003-04:00

With all this hot weather, I decided some frozen treats would be nice. I hate to pay for them, though, so I found a delicious recipe for homemade fudgesicles. Only four ingredients!

4 cups whole milk, 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder, 3 Tbsp. flour, 3/4 cup sugar

Mix the dry ingredients in a sauce pan.

Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Allow mixture to cool. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze until set. Made 16 Tupperware popsicle servings.

Note: Use whole milk to achieve creamy consistency. Anything less will yield icy popsicles. You could probably add cool whip or powdered milk to up the creamy factor.

Grace LOVES these; she gets so excited about going outside to have a chocolate popsicle!

Total Cost: $1 more or less for 16 popsicles depending on your milk prices

Oasis Down Under

2011-06-08T14:40:00.001-04:00

Coolin' off at a misting station at the Australia exhibit at the Cleveland Zoo. I have no idea why I'm standing like that--I mean, what's up with the limp wrist action?!

Menu Plan Monday - June 6

2011-06-06T11:20:00.000-04:00

The new elephant crossing at the Cleveland Zoo on Memorial Day

Breakfast
Healthy Banana Shakes x 2
Cranberry Oatmeal x 3
Eggs, Toast x 2

Lunch
Fish Sticks, Carrots, Pretzels
PBJ sandwich, pretzels, apple slices x 2
Hot Dog, pickle x 2
Ham and Cheese Roll-up, watermelon
McDonald's (play at the indoor playground)

Dinner
Cheeseburgers on wheat buns, pickles, Best Potato Fries
Crock-Pot Sloppy Joes on wheat buns, Pecan Rice, watermelon
Rump Roast, baked potatoes, peas
Ben's Favorite Meat Loaf, lettuce salad
Denver Omelets, Fruit Salad
Grilled Cheese and Ham, Deviled Eggs, Broccoli

$3 Wooden Chair Makeover

2011-06-03T23:14:00.001-04:00

Last fall, while thrifting, I came across this chair for $3... three dollars.... 3 BUCKS! I couldn't pass it up. Reluctantly, Ben agreed to let me buy it, but he thought it was another hare-brained idea of mine. Admittedly, I have had a few.

All winter, Ben kept reminding me about the "piece of junk chair" sitting in his garage. So as soon as we were blessed with a 50-degree day, I got to work.

OK, actually it was $2.99.

First, I removed the old caning, which was sagging and torn at one corner. This was the hardest part of the entire project. I used my screwdriver to pry the caning away from the frame.

After an hour or so of work, it was all clean. I then measured the seat base. Ben cut a piece of 1/2" plywood to my seat dimensions to cover the gaping hole and provide a base for the cushion.

I then spray-painted a coat of primer and numerous coats of black. The wood was old and dry, so it took a number of coats (probably 3 or 4) before it was evenly and thoroughly covered. I bought the cheap flat black spray paint at Home Depot for $.99 each, and the primer we already had.

I bought this foam sheet at Jo-Ann's with a 40% off coupon. I think I paid about $3.50. Using my wood base as a guide, I cut the foam to size. I also beveled the edge of the foam.

I bought this snow cover blanket from the clearance section for $2.97. It is 100% polyester, which is incidentally, the same as quilt batting, only gads cheaper. The only difference that I can tell is that the snow blanket has little sparkles weaved into the material. I only used about 1/5 of the package.

Here is a side-by-side of the snow blanket (left) and low-loft quilt batting (right). The batting was thinner, but otherwise identical.

Layering my fabric face down, then two sheets of snow/batting, beveled foam, wooden base, I pulled it tightly to the back and stapled it down using a staple gun.

I turned it over after a few anchoring staples to make sure the fabric was positioned squarely. This upholstery fabric was also a clearance bin find at Jo-Ann's for $4.50. I used about half of it for this project.

To finish the corners, I made a pleat by pinching the excess fabric down in the middle. I stapled the middle down first, then crossed each side over the middle, pulling it as tight as possible before stapling. I kept pulling it tight and stapling down on the bottom side until it was uniformly taut.

Ben helped me anchor the seat to the chair frame with L-brackets. We only used four, but it seems plenty secure.

I love how well it matches the piano stand Ben made for me last year.

Another benefit is that I don't have to drag a chair from our kitchen table in order to practice, and we now have enough chairs to accommodate two guests for dinner!

Total Project Cost: approximately $15

I'm linking up to Weekend Wrap Up Party and Beneath My Heart.

Wordless Wednesday - Slippery Slope

2011-06-01T11:22:00.000-04:00

Telephone Directory Turned Booster Seat

2011-05-24T12:42:00.129-04:00

Am I the only one, or does it seem like the only thing you really ever use the Yellow Pages for is to boost some little one up to comfortable table height? In fact, that's the only reason we grabbed them from the foyer of our condo building!

Ben had taped together three or four directories for Grace, as Leah is now sitting at the table as well. It looked very...hillbilly. So I covered it up!

I chose to cover the fabric with Heat'n'Bond, so food messes could easily be wiped off the fabric.

Here's what you'll need:

Telephone directory(ies)

fabric (2 times the length and width of your directories, plus a few inches for depth and seams as well)

Heat'n'Bond (I used Lite, but I think Ultra would be better)

Quilt batting

Staple Gun

thread

Coordinating fabric (optional)

First I used the staple gun to tack the quilt batting down on the directory.

Heat'n'Bond is generally placed on fabric as a stabilizer and fuser. However, this product creates a plastic coating on fabric similar to oilcloth, which makes it an excellent choice for mess-prone areas. You normally fuse it to the back of the fabric, but I fused it to the front to create an oil-cloth type fabric. I followed the instructions as given on the package (except that I fused it to the front instead of the back of the material.)

You will obviously want to avoid touching your coated cloth with burners, irons, and any hot items, as it will melt the plastic!

I now had a large rectangle of coated fabric. In the next few steps, I created a bag to slip over the directories. Fold the fabric lengthwise, right sides together (shiny sides). Sew the long sides together, forming a "cylinder". Open up the fabric, so the seam is now in the center. Pin the seams down and sew one wide end of the cylinder closed. I now had a simple bag.

I wanted to create a boxed bottom to my bag, so I measured the depth of the directories. Mine was about 3 inches, so I divided that in half (1.5") and drew a 1.5" line on newspaper. At the center of the line (.75"), I drew another 1.5" line. These became the diagonals of my square. Connecting the four endpoints, I created the square and cut it out. I placed my pattern piece above the seam on the short side, and cut a square out of each corner, as shown in the picture above.

Still working from the wrong side, I opened the square corner to form a " T " with the short seam. I sewed each corner shut. I turned it right side out.

My bag can now stand on its own! I squeezed, tugged, and shoved the directory inside.

The still-open side I closed up like a Christmas present.

I folded the short (depth) sides in,

then folded the long (width) sides over top, then hand stitched it closed.

At this point, I thought it was all done, but I didn't really like it. It was just "okay".

So I sewed a handle for it, which I think added just a little pizazz. It's still doesn't scream, "CUTE!" but I was glad to cover up Mr. Super Pages!

Menu Plan Monday - May 23

2011-05-23T12:41:00.001-04:00

Ben's way of multi-tasking - baby watching and work!

My parents are coming for a Memorial Day visit, so I'm keeping the menu simple to get some extra things done this week. I'm also working to get rid of some processed foods in addition to a freezer clean out. My freezer is in need of a defrost.

Dinner
Fish Sticks, Homemade Tartar Sauce, Cranberry Pecan Salad sans feta
(Homemade from the freezer) Beans and Weenies, Bread/Butter
Cashew Beef Stir Fry jazzed up with a little leftover orange sauce from last week, applesauce
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Turkey Bacon
Toasted Ham n Cheese Sandwiches, Roasted Potato Wedges, Apple Slices

I'm linking up to Menu Plan Monday.

Major Traffic Jam Reported at Rt. 82 and 94

2011-05-18T09:17:00.000-04:00

Menu Plan Monday - May 16

2011-05-16T16:00:00.001-04:00

Bathtime buddies--Leah just giggles and squeals the whole time Grace is bathing. Note the empty toilet paper! I had to remove it as Leah had already unrolled a good part of the roll once already.

*Numbers indicate Points Plus value*

Breakfasts
1/2 cup (before cooking) Oatmeal *3
1 egg with 2 pieces light wheat bread *4

Lunches
Deli turkey with light wheat bread and mustard, corn chips, apple *7
Tuna with light Miracle Whip on light wheat bread, pretzels, apple*7

Dinners
Sausage Quiche, Peach Slices
Beef Hot Dogs, Baked Potato Wedges, Brussel Sprouts
Slow Cooker Pork Chops, steamed rice, applesauce
Wild Fire Chopped Salad, buttered rolls
Roast, potatoes, carrots

Mom's Screwdriver

2011-05-04T09:49:00.001-04:00

During one of my recent trips to Home Depot, I picked up this handy little 4-in-1 screw driver for $2.97. Ben has one exactly like it, which was why I bought it. Every time I have a little fix-it task around the house that requires a screwdriver, I have to dig and dig and dig to find where Ben put his. So I bought my own.

However, I knew that mine would be more easily accessible than his, and it might just get confiscated in the heat of a remodeling battle, so I connived a plan to prevent the remotest chance of such a possibility.

That's right--the same screwdriver all dolled up! And Ben has already verified that he will not touch it with a 10-foot pole.... :)

I removed the driver part (it's 4-in-1 so it's detachable), spray painted the handle with white Krylon Fusion (plastic spray paint).
Then I traced the handle on a sheet of scrapbook paper and cut out four pieces with my pinking shears.
I put a couple coats of Mod Podge over them and decoupaged those babies in place.
I finished it off with a coat of polyurethane spray paint for extra staying power.

I'm linking up to Works For Me Wednesday and Weekend Wrap Up Party.

Simple Window Redo

2011-05-04T09:30:00.000-04:00

I hadn't changed the lace curtain in my kitchen window since we moved in three years ago, and I suddenly decided I just didn't love it anymore. I took it down to wash it, and was amazed by the amount of sunlight the lace blocked.

This shot is cropped from a photo Ben took when our house flooded, so sorry about the quality.

Ok...so there wasn't any sunlight coming in anywhere when this shot was taken, so you'll have to trust me on that wonderful sunshine streaming in.

Anyways, I ended up rummaging around in my closet for some white sheers that I had up in our former apartment. I stapled (!) the sheer across the top like a valance, and gathered it all up with a ribbon on one side. I generally don't go for the asymmetrical look, but I liked it here. It softens the window frame without blocking the glorious sunlight.

Simple Seasoned Potato Rounds

2011-05-03T15:39:00.001-04:00

If it's 4:20 and you're still trying to figure out what to do for dinner, these potatoes snap together quickly and bake while you prepare the main dish! I found the recipe on the bag of potatoes, and they were just right. They were well-behaved as a good side dish should be--not stealing center stage and yet not bland either.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and pat dry 4 medium-sized potatoes, leaving skins intact.

Cut the potatoes into half-inch slices crosswise.

Place potatoes in a large bowl or plastic bag, and sprinkle with 1-2 tsp. chili powder and salt and pepper to taste. Stir, toss, or similarly cajole the spices to mingle evenly with the potato rounds.

Place the rounds evenly on a greased cookie sheet. You can drizzle with oil or butter. I actually just misted mine with Pam, as I am trying to lose weight.

Bake for 30 minutes or until tender, turning once after 15 minutes.

This is such a versatile recipe; next time try Good Seasoning's Dry Italian dressing, Lawry's seasoned salt, garlic salt, dried chives, or any number of spices to dress this dish up to match your main course!

Check out the cool little green "print friendly" button right below to print it out!

Menu Plan Monday - May 2

2011-05-02T17:38:00.000-04:00

The girls goofing with a wig Daddy brought home!

Dinner

Three Cheese Baked Pasta, bread, broccoli

Cheeseburgers, Best Potato Fries, Brussel Sprouts

Chicken Spaghetti, Corn

Meatloaf, Buca's Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Carrots

Finally Foot Loose....Amen.

2011-04-28T09:00:00.001-04:00

Spring's balmy breezes and warming sun has finally arrived, amidst the April showers. The girls and I had a glorious morning outside, reveling in the deliciousness of squishy ground beneath bare feet and coatlessness. (I love inventing words.) Did I mention how wonderful it was?

Leah was quite content to stay in my arms, squealing with delight any time her big Sissy came within arm's reach.

We sauntered over to the pavilion on our grounds, where Grace found a stick with great proportions. She transformed it, at varying times, into an ostrich, an alligator, and a couple other creatures. I think she was giving me an ostrich in this photo. I accepted it, of course, understanding the full gravity of such a gift.

The wind was blowing deliciously, just enough to tousle your hair, but not so much that you blew away.

Have you enjoyed some spring loveliness yet?

Curtain Call Easter Dresses

2011-04-26T15:56:00.002-04:00

During a trip to the resale shop last month armed with a 50% off coupon, I found three panels of the same curtains for a total of $3.50. That's $1.75 after my coupon. I loved the material, which is somewhat like a dotted Swiss, but what really captivated me was the darling three-tiered ruffle along the edge.

I immediately decided it would be fabulous material for the girls' Easter dresses. It was like instant cuteness with the ruffles! I must admit that I felt a bit like Maria von Tropp from the Sound of Music, but I always did love a little drama! :)

Here's Leah's, which I completed first. I thought hers was the hard one, but I ripped out every seam on Grace's dress at least once. Sewing has never been my forte.

Here they are in the backyard at my in-law's house. It's hard to see the detail in the material, but they were so cute. Grace loves her "princess" dress.

And, in a fit of insanity, I decided to make myself a matching dress as well, using the bits and scraps left over.

I started mine on Friday, and finished it in the 'wee' hours of Sunday morning. I was bushed Sunday night, but it was great fun to match the girls.

I thought the all-white dress looked like nurse scrubs, so I added a fun little rosette at the waist to make it less sterile, so to speak.

I had planned on dying the dresses light pink, but Ben thought white was nice for Easter. Whaddya think? Should I dye them now?

This post is linked to We Did It! Wednesday.