Homespun Kitchen

Vegetable Soup

2012-02-07T11:22:00.004-06:00

Thanks to Pinterest, my family is eating very well (not that we weren't before) thanks to all the amazing recipes to try! So many recipes, and so little time...

I know that my picture taking skills make you want to run out and try this recipe asap, but let me tell you, although it might not look that good, this is the BEST veggie soup I have tried! I found it on the blog Butterfly Food, her recipes are delicious, and although her pics don't quite compare to mine, she *is* is a pretty good photographer. (insert giggle here)

I did add a few things here, I added homemade chicken stock along with the water (I just eye balled it), quinoa (because it's so healthy for you, and it doesn't have much of a taste for the kids to whine about), and sweet potatoes. I left out the pasta, as we have some gluten-ey type of

intolerances in this house (along with breads, pastas, raw fruits/veggies, dairy...*sigh*...). Brad and the girls really loved, so it will be a keeper for us!

Crockpot Yogurt

2012-01-25T08:18:00.003-06:00

This was my first try at making homemade yogurt, and I fully expected to wake up to some milky slop called yogurt. Boy was I surprised! This made the BEST yogurt, and was so easy to make that I am going to put Rachel (my 10 year old) in charge of making this weekly. The recipe I used was from the blog Mom on a Mission. I love her blog and have made many of her freezer meals.

The only changes I made was that I used 2% milk instead of whole, and added a box of vanilla instant yogurt as a thickener. It was still pretty thin this morning, but I know it will thicken up in the fridge. I had some alone ( as in no fruit, not that I was sitting in a closet alone eating yogurt!) and was very surprised at how tasty it was. I plan on using this in our green smoothies instead of grocery store yogurt.

Minute to Win it Night

2012-01-15T06:09:00.005-06:00

Last night we decided to play the game "Minute to Win it". I found some fun games on Pinterest, and then Googled more. We had a blast playing these! Alayna's favorite game was the cup stacking one. She spent more time just stacking the cups then playing the other games with us!

We played the dice game...You have one minute to stack 6 dice on a popsicle stick that is in your mouth.
Cracker on the forehead...You place a cracker or cookie on your forehead, then try to maneuver it into your mouth.
Rachel and I were the only ones to successfully get them in our mouths, haha!

Alayna stacking the cups, she got her stacked within the minute!

Rachel getting all of her dice on the stick within the minute...

Emma almost got it!
This was a lot of fun, I am going to Google more games to do, a great family fun night!

Alayna-isms

2012-01-13T06:24:00.006-06:00

I figured I should make a post about the funny things that Alayna says because I will forget them like I have with the other two. Sorry girls, I do love you to pieces...

Alayna has always been our most "spirited" child of the three. The energy that comes out of this tiny 5 year old 35 pound frame is incredible! She keeps us all on our toes and makes us laugh all.the.time. This morning she was eating a toasted bagel that got cold and asked if we could "hot it up", man did we laugh! her favorite meal is "hangabers" (hamburgers) or "homelets". The funny thing with kids is even when they start saying the words right, you find yourself correcting them with the wrong words because you hate seeing that part of them grow up:) She is our little firecracker and we love hearing what funny things she will come up with next!

Meet Maci

2012-01-09T14:38:00.002-06:00

Because we thought one cat and one dog wasn't enough, we figured we'd get another cat! This is Maci, and she comes from Brad's uncles farm. She was VERY sick when we brought her home, and even after having her for a month, she still deals with some respiratory business.

She is so much fun right now, very spunky and naughty, but cuddly in the evenings. Shelby was not a fan at first, but now the two of them are running around playing together, it's our cheap entertainment!
Aww, isn't she cute??!!

Recipe Fail:(

2012-01-06T13:50:00.003-06:00

I found a super recipe (on Pinterest of course) for bread maker french bread from the blog

A Season For All Things. I made it last night and despite the fact that my beautiful rise was lost, it tasted so yummy! The recipe called for shaping your loaves after taking the dough out of the bread machine, and covering the two loaves with a damp towel. Well, after letting them rise again, I had to peel away the towel which meant I lost the second rise. BUMMER! So, next time I will forego the towel and let it rise normal. It was a fantastic crusty-on-the-outside but soft-on-the-inside type of bread.

This went perfectly with Crispy Parmesan and Garlic chicken from the blog Jamie Cooks It Up!

Another fantastic blog I just found and have already bookmarked several of her recipes for next week!

Creamy Broccoli Chowder and Panini's

2012-01-05T13:49:00.005-06:00

So if you haven't found Pinterest yet, you must click now, and see what you are missing! You will find everything from recipes to crafts to fashion to books. Literally anything you would be interested in, you will find here. Ok, so you might blindly lose a few hours of your day surfing Pinterest, but hey, you're learning something, right??!!

So, part of my New Years goal is to try new recipes most nights of the week. I have always loved trying new recipes, but the last few months I started getting into a rut, which meant a bit more eating out. So far (alright so it's only January 10th) I have done quite well and found some amazing blogs and recipes!

Last night I made Linda's recipe for Creamy Broccoli Chowder and what a hit it was! Very simple to whip up, and an all around yummy comfort soup for winter.

Creamy Broccoli Chowder

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 sweet onion, diced
2 carrots, shredded
4 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups milk ( I used skim)
One 15-ounce can chicken broth
5-6 cups chopped broccoli
1 1/2 cups reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

In a large pot heat oil and butter over medium-low. Add onion and carrots and let simmer 15 minutes. Add flour, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Stir in milk, chicken broth, and broccoli. Simmer over low heat for about 1-1/1/2 hours, stirring frequently. Add cheese just before serving, if using. Makes approx 10 1-cup servings.

Next up was making panini's. We love panini's here, and I'm always on the look out for yummy mayo recipes to slather the inside of the panini, and I found one on This Week for Dinner for Garlic Basil Mayo. It was UH-MAZING. I just used regular bread (next time I will make a loaf, the regular sandwich bread was very thin), deli turkey, spinach, tomatoes and cheese. We make our panini's on a George Foreman Grill which works perfect!

Garlic Basil Mayo

Mayo

Garlic clove

Basil -fresh is best, but all I had was dried

salt and pepper

Just eyeball the amount you need, let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours to blend ingredients.

Nothing better than a hot bowl of creamy soup and a grilled sandwich on a cold winter's night. Or an almost 40 degree Minnesota night. Crazy, right? Minnesota. 40 degrees. January

Don't Judge a Smoothie by it's Color!

2012-01-05T10:18:00.003-06:00

As told by my 10 year old. I go in phases of making smoothies, and winter isn't usually one of my successful phases. However, Rachel has been requesting them lately, and I was happy to oblige!

Normally I throw in all frozen fruit I have on hand (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and peaches) and she has never been a huge fan. This time we did "green" smoothies, banana, peach yogurt, lots of fresh spinach and a splash of milk. She was in heaven. I have always tossed in spinach, flax seed and pureed squash or sweet potato too, just to amp up the benefits. These were a big hit with Rachel and Alayna, Emma still prefers the berry kind:)

There are so many options when talking about smoothies, and what a great way to get some extra fruits and veggies into them!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-04T08:07:00.002-06:00

I hope you all had a wonderful New Year, we sure did! We spent it at some of our closest friends who just built a skating rink in their back yard. The kids (and dads) had a blast skating until 1 am, while the girls kept watch over the good food everyone brought.

I don't have much for resolutions this year, usually one of my biggest ones is to get into shape. I don't need to lose weight, but have really been wanting to get fit. Back in October two of my best girls and I decided to motivate each other to exercise. We email every other day or so and pump each other up. I am happy to say that I have been working out 5 days a week since then. I invested in some workout videos from Beachbody.com called Turbo Jam. I L.O.V.E her videos! I have two sets of videos and do them daily. I also include lots of weight training. The hubs and I have signed up for the Warrior Dash which is in June of this year, and it's an uphill 5K with obstacle course. Yikes. Another reason to whip this bod into shape!

I have also really paid attention to my eating habits. I wouldn't say I am a bad eater, but I eat ALOT. It's taken some getting used to, but I am really feeling that groove thing going on right now. Hopefully it lasts...

So, in honor of my getting fit, here is a super yummy dip that is NOT very healthy:) I doubled the recipe and brought it to New Years Eve, it was gone in about an hour!

Sausage Dip

1 package of Jimmy Dean Sausage (hot flavor)

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 chopped onion

1 chopped green pepper (I did half green, half red)

1 package cream cheese

1 8 oz. container of sour cream.

Fry up your sausage, and add rest of ingredients either in a saucepan or a mini crockpot.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas....

2011-12-23T14:03:00.002-06:00

From our home to yours...

I pray that this holiday season brings you joy, peace, and comfort!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T06:40:00.002-06:00

This morning I was up at 5:15 getting rolls out of the freezer (I made them on Monday and froze before the second rising) to rise and prepare poor Mr.Bird for his demise. After slathering him with butter, he is nice and cozy in the toasty oven.

I am thankful for so many things. We have some absolute amazing people in our lives, a warm cozy home, abundant food and all the little things that make my life wonderful.

This year we have decided to sponsor a child from Compassion International. Her name is Liggia, and she is from Brazil. Knowing that we can help a child means so much, when we have so much STUFF. The girls will be excited when we tell them.

Have a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving!

30 Days of Thanksgiving

2011-11-17T12:33:00.002-06:00

Today I am thankful for my church. Sometimes it might be a bit over the top (hubs might think that's putting it mildly), as it's a very charismatic church full of people ready and waiting to praise the Lord.

I grew up in a couple different denominations, Lutheran and Methodist. We actually moved to Kentucky for 4 years while my parents were missionaries. So in my years, I have seen a LOT, the good and the bad. Seeing people raising their hands and shouting out in worship doesn't phase me. What I love the most about this church is how they have embraced us. I knew more people in one year from this church that I ever knew in 9 years of attending a previous church.

My girls are thriving in their youth church, and I have met some UH-MAZING women in my Wednesday night Bible study. No one acts holier-than-thou, and even though each of us is in a different walk in our faith, we are all there to learn TOGETHER. I can't tell you how much this has meant to me over the last two years. When I walk into church, I feel like I'm home, and to me, that is how church should be:)

30 Days of Thanksgiving

2011-11-11T07:16:00.002-06:00

Today I am thankful for being able to stay home the past 10 years raising my girls. Although it hasn't been all roses and bubblegum, it HAS been quite an accomplishment for me. I love knowing that everything my girls learned (and no, no pride came from Alayna telling Grandma Donna that was "damn" good) has come from me. Seeing how well they have done in school, I know that I have had a part in that.

I started doing daycare when Rachel was 10 months old, this is hands down the most stressful, rewarding job I have done. I do have many regrets with doing daycare, how my girls have had to share their toys and things (although it's been a good lesson for them, until a daycare child breaks said toy:(, the fact that I am not able to devote 100% of my attention to them, and of course the stress that comes with taking care of lots of little ones all day everyday. However, I now can see what things they have learned by me doing daycare, seeing how compassionate and loving they are with the kiddos, and just the overall responsibility they have learned.

I know that my journey doing daycare is slowly winding down, but I am so thankful that it enabled me to take care of our girls how *I* saw fit.

30 Days of Thanksgiving

2011-11-08T08:04:00.001-06:00

Today's post is simple...I am thankful for a warm blanket, comfy chair and the quiet. Mama is down and out with a fever....

30 Days of Thanksgiving

2011-11-07T10:03:00.003-06:00

Yes, I am sure that I will be disowned for posting this picture, but I can't help it. Just look at that CUUUUTE baby! Don't you just wanna squish those chubby cheeks?

Yes that is me, with my brother, mom and dad. I love looking at these old pics of us, I was very blessed to have an amazing childhood. Today I am VERY thankful for my parents. I am who I am because of them, and it's fun to see the similarities and differences between them and myself.

I was so fortunate to have my mom stay home with us for most of my younger years. Times were so different back then, we biked everywhere, to the pool, into town, to friends houses. I don't think I had many friends who's mom's worked, so it was always fun to head over to friends house for "coffee". Major playtime for us! We also had my grandparents live close by, so it was always fun hanging out at the farm. Going in the tractor with dad or grandpa was always fun!

In today's world, there are so many parenting styles, and I can honestly say that there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think I am wrecking my kids for life:) But then when I look back at how my parents raised us, I know I'm doing a good job. We always knew they were there for us, no matter what. We were spanked, and have somehow stayed out of therapy for that. I'm sure that they have regrets, as I am sure I will also. But the main thing I can take away from my parents is the unconditional love they have for me. It didn't matter that they got a phone call at 1 in the morning informing them to come pick up their drunk daughter at a party, (love you!) it didn't matter that I made some terrible choices in the man department (before meeting my amazing hubs, of course). Yes I knew there would be consequences, but I NEVER felt shamed, or unloved by them.

I can only hope that I am the mother my mother was to me, she was (and is) my best friend, and I know that she will give me her honest advice if I need it. I know she will always be there for me, and I couldn't have been blessed with anyone better:)

Thanks mom and dad for all your love and support!

30 Days of Thanksgiving

2011-11-05T07:38:00.002-05:00

Today I am thankful for these beauties......

I will never know how I got so lucky to have these three, but I thank God everyday for them. I always wanted a sister growing up (instead I got a stinky, bossy brother, haha!), so I am SO happy to see what kind of relationship they will have.

I never knew how completely different personalities each child can have. Rachel is my very grown up, pet loving, responsible, considerate and outspoken 10 year old. She is a lot like I was as a child. I am so proud of how she is with the elderly...When both of my Grandmothers were in nursing homes, Rachel was so comfortable being there. She would always want to help out, if they needed anything. In school she reads to a young girl who is wheelchair bound, and not very responsive. Twice a week she reads to Dani, I love the fact that she is so comfortable in those situations.

Emma is my little drama queen. Literally. She wants to act in plays, and sing. And can she ever sing! She is auditioning for a solo in their music program, can't wait to hear if she got it! And the girl reads, all.the.time. She typically reads for about 2 hours everyday. She is a very creative girl, loves to create things. She is a very sensitive, loving, easy going girl. But she can also get her valley girl on like no one else I know!!

Alayna has more energy than anyone I know. She is a bear cat to get up in the mornings for school, but then doesn't stop running until she goes to bed! She is absolutely our family clown. She will do anything to get you to laugh, although sometimes that gets her in trouble! She loves to color/craft and has absolutely no time for TV or for sitting reading books.

I am so blessed to have my girls, the fun girly things we get to do make me one HAPPY mom!

30 Days of Thanksgiving

2011-11-03T12:54:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I might not be the worlds best blogger here, but I am going to attempt doing daily (ahem, as in Monday through Friday) posts about what I am thankful for. So many times I get caught up in how stressful my job/life gets that I forget what REALLY matters.

This post is all about this hunk of love I call my husband.......

This is one of the most amazing men I have ever met. He is kind, considerate, loving, FUN, and an amazing father. He shows me everyday how much he loves me and appreciates me (which I'm guessing he thinks makes up for the fact that I clean up after him non stop...but enough whining...). There is not a day that goes by that he doesn't make me laugh out loud. Together we are truly two peas in a pod, despite the fact that we have nothing in common! If you gave me the choice to hang with him or my girlfriends (which are a LOT of fun by the way!), I would hands down choose to hang with my man. Sitting in the hot tub discussing our future, or playing board games in front of the fire place with the girls, we just know how to have fun.

I thank God everyday for this incredible man that he has blessed me with, and I cannot wait to grow old with him, and watch our girls grow up.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T08:31:00.003-05:00

Can you believe it is November 1st?? Seriously, WHERE did summer go? Did I miss this?? Christmas is like....8 WEEKS AWAY....I know....

We had a fabulous Halloween, although I might confess that I am glad it's over. I did have fun decorating this year though. We had our group of friends over for a Halloween party and I realized I had NO "spooky" decorations. That's where my favorite store Crafts Direct comes in. They had all their stuff 50-75% off. Mama made a haul!

Here are the girls all decked out....Taylor Swift, Ms. Bumblebee and Yoda.

For supper we had a "mummy" meatloaf....

And snack I made these "monster" faces, the kids LOVED them!

And last but not least, Popeye and Olive Oyl...We had such a fun time with our group of friends!

Hope your Halloween was fantastic!

Freezer Cooking

2011-09-20T13:17:00.002-05:00

Being a mom to three kids in school, and a daycare mom to 7, life gets a little out of hand! I as much as I love to cook, there are times when I don't have an hour to get a healthy meal together. I have always tried to have ground beef browned and cooked chicken cubed and in freezer bags. Lately I've been really getting into freezer meals, and am surprised at how easy it is to get some meals in the freezer for when you don't have time to cook.

Right now I have chicken breasts in a marinade, chicken pot pie filling, pie crusts, meatloaf, chicken tacos, pizza burgers and ziti. Most of these recipes come from a book I have had for about three years, and never used. Yes, that's right, it sat in my cupboard this whole time. oops

It's called 30 Day Gourmet Freezer Cooking I luuuurrrrrrve this book! The recipes are things my kids will happily eat, and they are so easy to put together. I have spent a total of four hours getting all these meals together, not bad!

It is so nice to know that if I am having a stressful day with crabby babies, I can just pull something (healthy!) out of the freezer, bake and enjoy!

Linking To:

Tasty Tuesday

First Day of School

2011-09-20T12:56:00.004-05:00

I just realized that I never posted any pics of the girls' first day of school! Here are my lovelies right before heading off to the bus (that picks them up at 6:45, ugh). As great as this pic is, my favorite is the next one...

Isn't this a classic??!!! Dragging their booties out of bed at 6 was not a fun venture. Rachel and Emma have adjusted quite well, but poor Alayna does NOT fair well at 6 in the morning. *sigh* Someday it will get better. Thankfully she loves school, so once she is truly awake, then she does fine.
I will admit that I am loving having them in school. Alayna has always been very trying for me, so having her in school has been a blessing. She loves everything about it, and her behaviors at home have dramatically improved since starting school.

I love being back into a routine again, and schedules. Although with our schedule right now, I feel like we're more busy that the summer, haha!!

Fall is Here

2011-09-16T13:36:00.012-05:00

The days are cool, the kids are back at school, the leaves are changing, the kids are back at school and apples are abundant. Did I mention the kids are back at school? Oh, I think I did...

Melissa at The Inspired Room is having a Fall Nesting party. It made me drag one of my bins upstairs to see what I could find for my mantle. I know, what a sucky thing to have to do, right?!

I wanted to keep it simple, and not quite so bright as I have done in the past. My favorite thing is the book pumpkin, I have seen several of these floating around blog land. I tried my hand at making one, and it didn't turn out too shabby. Just don't turn it around, or look to the left of it....

I didn't have any cool antique looking books to use, so I used a Sue Grafton book (which was REALLY good) that wasn't in the greatest condition. I trimmed the edges, and used my antiquing stamp pad to brown the edges a bit. I shoved a stick in the middle, added ribbon and some leaves, and voila!

Happy Fall!

Linking to:

DIY Showoff Fall Festival

B&B's Nest

Back to School is Almost Here!

2011-09-03T17:30:00.009-05:00

Wowsers, I can't believe that in 3 days, I will have ALL my children in school. I know, right? I couldn't possibly be that old....

We are all excited for Tuesday, I am ready for a routine again, cool days, and less kids in daycare:) Little Alayna is stoked to be starting Kindergarten. She is most excited to play with the dollhouse...She has no idea what she's in store for....

Last Friday I decided to have a little "Back to School" party for the girls and daycare kids that are going back to school next week. I love having a theme, and seeing what I can make with stuff I already have.

I made this banner with some scrapbook paper I had, and hot glued it onto some green ribbon.

I love this Back to School wreath, Emma and I worked on this one afternoon (whomever posted it, thank you! I can't find that blog, boo...)

I also made a pencil vase and some ruler signs with scrapbook paper.

I took a large sheet of paper, and wrote little notes to all the kids that were starting school, they loved reading those at breakfast! We played some school related games and for snack I made homemade ice cream and fudge sauce and then had a little sundae bar that they could add sprinkles, marshmallows and chocolate chips. I also found some cute little photo frames they could decorate, and then made them little gift bags with some bookmarks, stickers and cute little crayon erasers (all thanks to the $1 Target area!!).

All in all it was a fun day, and I am happy to say that I will have no more 12 kid days.....ahhhh...

Linking To:

DIY Project Parade
Sundae Scoop

More the Merrier Monday

The Idea Room Linky Party

Gingersnap Crafts

REAL Monkey Bread

2011-08-24T14:29:00.002-05:00

My girls luuuuuuuurve them some monkey bread ( I don't know where they get that from??? Ahem, not me...). I make it every so often, but the last time I made it I wanted to use homemade dough instead of canned biscuits. I have nothing against canned biscuits, except for the fact that it's dough that shoots out of a can.....

I googled homemade monkey bread and found this yummy recipe. By making the dough in my Kitchenaid mixer, it streamlined the recipe quite a bit. Once the dough was rolled in the cinnamon/sugar mixture, and the sauce poured over the top, I put it in the fridge overnight. when the girls got up, this is what they got......

Absolutely divine! And so full of calories and fat, you can feel those suckers forming on your thighs.....But ohhhh so worth it!!!

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

2011-08-08T12:51:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago Rachel had a surprise going away party for her friend Sydney who was moving away. We went with a summery/retro decor. I had ordered a couple things from Oriental Trading Company, but only spent about $20 total! Everything else I already had. The girls devoured sloppy joes, chips and veggies and to drink, I made them Shirley Temples. They spent most of their time in the hot tub jamming out to Katy Perry. And as much as I hate to admit it.....I really like Katy Perry.....

The girls and I filled mason jars with white beans, and colored balled up tissue paper, glued ribbons around the rim, and placed candles inside.

For dessert I made Homemade ice cream sandwiches. I used regular graham crackers, homemade vanilla ice cream and the most ah-mazing fudge sauce ever!! The girls raved over how yummy they were, and I got a couple phone calls from moms asking for the recipe.

These were a super easy, yummy summer treat!

What We've Been Up To

2011-08-02T13:26:00.002-05:00

Boy oh boy has this summer flown by. We had such a rainy, cool spring and part of summer that I can't believe it's August already! Now if we can just make it through this summer with all of our trees, we'll be ok! The weather has been very stormy, seems like every other day we're getting severe weather.

Now it is August, which will fly by as will our money, haha! School shopping for all three girls, yep that's right, Miss A will start all day kindergarten this year. I can't imagine all three girls being in school, I am SO excited to see how much fun Alayna will have. She is B.O.R.E.D. here at home, so school will be a wonderful addition for her.

Alayna feeding the chickens at Hemker Zoo

The girls posing....
The three days a week we spent at a softball field....And, Rachel's team only lost ONE game the whole season!!!!
Emma's first day of overnight camp, she had an absolute blast, and is already planning her week of it next year. Brad and I have already taken out a small loan to afford three kids' summer activities.....

School's Out For The Summahhhhhh!!!

2011-06-03T09:51:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was the girls' last day of school, I think they both had mixed emotions about it. They love summer, but also love school (thankfully!). Their school has an end of the year carnival every year with games, jumpies, face painting and snacks.

For the teacher gifts we made these flower pots for them. I spray painted some pots we had on hand (errrr, some that Emma had painted for fun, but have been sitting in the garage forever, shhhhh), and cut out flower shapes with my Cricut. I had the girls write their favorite things about their teachers on the petals. They had a lot of fun thinking of different things the teachers had done throughout the year. I added a Cold Stone Creamery gift card to one of the petals, and then they decorated the pots.

They really enjoyed making these, and it was such a fun and easy craft to do. Of course I waited until the last minute to do these (aka, the night before), but thankfully I had the stuff on hand.

After school they came home to a sign on the door congratulating them on a great school year, and then they enjoyed brownie pops for snack. I made a pan of brownies, scooped them out with a melon baller, rolled them into a ball shape, then dipped the bottoms in melted chocolate and sprinkles. Very easy, and very tasty!

I am glad they get the summer off to enjoy and play, although I am NOT looking forward to the fighting that will ensue, *sigh*. This weekend I am making them "summer fun" folders with activities, games, and things to do over summer break. I also signed up for a math website that has different math games for them to do. And of course a summer reading program through Scholastic books. I plan on keeping them on somewhat of a schedule for the summer. Ya right! It'll last a week, lol!!

Marta and Suzy

2011-05-25T14:26:00.002-05:00

Ok, so my picture taking skills are something to be desired, but I had to get pics of this morning. We have these two sand hill cranes that come every spring and graze in the pasture. The kids love to watch them, and you will often find them screeching back when the cranes squawk (not sure what noise you call it...). So this morning Alayna was pretty excited when she spotted them, "MOM! LOOK!!! My friends came back!" I asked her (to be funny) what their names were. "Marta and Suzy!" Say what??

She needed to pose for a picture with them. The funny part of this is as soon as I took the picture, they starting squawking and scared the bejeebers out of her!!

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

2011-05-20T13:51:00.005-05:00

Sick of me yet? Liar. I think I have posted more in the past four days than I have in the past four months! I am anxious to show you what I've been up to lately....

So, as you can see in the previous posts, my girls' birthdays run March, April and May. Basically starting in February I become this crazy, blubbering, cross eyed fool searching for the coolest birthday party ideas. Now, remember that everyone is different, and everyone becomes obsessed about different things. My craziness is making my girls' cakes. I could not imagine buying a cake, it just wouldn't suffice.

However, since dealing with my crazy skin "thing" the past several months, birthdays had to be modified jiiiiiist a titch. For Rachel's birthday I bought cupcakes. I couldn't even fathom the energy of making a cake. By the time Emma's birthday came around, I was feeling tons better, so I was on the lookout for some incredible, cool looking cupcakes. Enter Martha Stewart. Now, I know some people have boycotted her since her whole scam situation, buuut, who am I to judge? I love her ideas, recipes, and pretty much anything she does.

I found these delicious vanilla cupcakes on her website that were D.I.V.I.N.E. Seriously people, these were the cupcakes that make you grab one and run into a closet to devour.

Next on my list was finding a salted caramel topping and filling. Enter Sprinkle Bakes blog. I used her recipe for the filling, buttercream frosting, and the sugar candy.

These were truly amazing! I did have a bit of a time with the pieces of candy sugared. Still need some practice on those. I will definitely be making these again!!!

The cakes were dense and full of flavor, with the yummy salted caramel filling and the buttercream frosting. Delish!

Linking To:

Sundae Scoop Party

Tatertots and Jello Weekend Wrap up Party

My Favorite Things Link Party

Entryway

2011-05-19T12:50:00.006-05:00

So I have been on a MAJOR redecorating kick lately. (well, more like the past few months) So far I have redone Rachel's room, master bedroom and master bath. So my next venture is our entryway. I don't have a lot of space to work with, but I wanted something different. There used to be a fake pine tree (or as Brad calls it, the year round Christmas tree:) here in the corner. The daycare kids and I would decorate it for every holiday which was fun, but after 5 years, I was ready for something different. I have been on the lookout for a small-ish bench to put here, but was having no luck. At our local antique store, I came across this old stadium chair.

It is in perfect used condition! I took off the two wooden planks on the bottom, and need to spray paint them. Without the planks, the chair is tippy for little kids. So once I had that in place, I now needed to find something for the wall.

This is an old screen window from a barn that Brad's parents tore down a couple years ago. I added hooks on both sides and attached wire to hang pictures from, and hot glued the brown flowers in the corner. Loved how it turned out! After getting that hung, I was looking for one more thing to hang below the frame. I found this Family Rules printable here and changed the color to a more sepia look, and framed it.

So this whole project cost me $20! The chair was the only thing I had to purchase. Everything else was stuff that I had in my craft bin.

Next up is my laundry room that I finally decorated, even though it is an unfinished room, haha!!

Linking too:

Fingerprints on the Fridge

Southern Hospitality

Alayna, Alayna, Alayna

2011-05-18T08:03:00.002-05:00

My sweet baby Alayna turned 5 (yes I said FIVE) on May 2. I honestly cannot believe that it has been 5 years since she arrived. I know every parent says that, but truly it feels like it's been a couple years. (although some days it feels like twenty, just sayin...) She has been such a wonderful addition to our family, her goofiness, humor and energy keeps us on our toes!

She loves all things outdoors, and you will frequently see her wearing either a bathing suit, or a leotard even if it is 20 below zero outside. We are very proud that she recently hit 34 pounds despite the fact that she eats all.day.long.
She is SUPER excited to start school in the fall (and maybe, just maybe I am too) and I know she will do great! In fact, her Wednesday night church teachers remark at how quiet, well behaved she is. um ya, that's all an act people, this girl will win an academy award sometime I tell ya!

Technology, Hmmmmph!

2011-05-18T07:52:00.002-05:00

I am one that would truly die a slow, very painful death if I did not have my computer. Being a daycare mom at home, with 8 children, all day long, the internet is my "social" time. So, not having the computer work for a week was pure hell for me. Thankfully I have a computer techy daycare dad that helped us out. Unfortunately I still couldn't post anything on my blog, grrr. Today I figured it out and am so happy to be able to post again! I can't wait to show you what I bought for my entry way, and other little "newbies" in my home.

Cara

All About Emma

2011-05-15T20:39:00.005-05:00

Ohhhh, my sweet Emma Jo turned 8 on April 23rd (yes, I am a *bit* behind on blogging, ok?) and I'm pretty sure I heard to diva gods calling her name. *sigh* This girl is 100% a girly girl. To.The.Bone. The morning Prince Will and Kate married, Emma proclaimed that at least the US has a princess. And it's her. Yep, that girl's got it, I tell ya!

Emma loves anything that involves pink, glam and glitter. Oh, and cat walks. She has a beautiful singing voice, and loves to make up her own songs ( and they even rhyme!). Her newest venture is playing piano, although she's never had lessons, she can sit and pick out tunes on her own. She loves drawing, and anything crafty. I love seeing how my girls can craft, or see something old and think of a way to redo it! She is a very sensitive one that has taken some getting used to for me, haha! Although she can be a MAJOR drama queen, Emma is a lover of all things, and loves making people happy.

For Emma's birthday we took a group of her girlfriends to our local skating rink and got our groove on! I think mama might have had more fun than the girls.....

I decided to make cupcakes instead of trying to transport a cake in my vehicle. I made Martha Stewarts vanilla cupcakes with a salted caramel filling and a caramel buttercream frosting. Umm ya, they were good. I used suckers for the flower and laffy taffy for the leaves. Emma and her best friend Emma helped put them together.

The cupcakes were a big hit! We enjoyed a fun filled afternoon of skating, pizza and cupcakes. And true to form, only two of the girls ended up in tears......

Craft Night

2011-04-12T11:02:00.002-05:00

I enrolled the girls in a "Girls Only" craft club. I think it was one of those things you get sent in the mail that sucks you in and then makes you feel guilty if you quit type of thing, ha! So anyhoo, we've been getting these for about a year, and usually once a month (ok, maybe every couple of months, but who's counting) we try to have a craft night together. I am going to attempt to do this once a week (I know, right?) because it really is fun to get out a big craft bin and go to town. Rachel made a pet picture frame that she loves. Unfortunately her poor kitty is on his last life, he keeps pooping and peeing on the couch....but that's another post....Emma made a girls only diary that has a bunch of pages to fill out. It is soooooo her type of thing! Alayna made a card and found a pic of all of us at the pumpkin patch. I laughed when the girls asked what I was going to make. I said I would never have time to make anything because I would be helping them with their projects. Oh well, that's what scrapbooking weekend is for, right?

Sugar Snap Pea and Ham Risotto

2011-04-05T08:29:00.003-05:00

I found a FABULOUS new blog that has a ton of good recipes, Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I decided to try the risotto recipe, and boy was that a hit! Everyone loved it (yes, even Alayna!!). This was the first time I have ever made risotto, and I now look forward to trying more recipes like this. Sugar Snap Pea and Ham Risotto 4 1/2 C chicken broth 8 ounces sugar snap peas 2 Tbl olive oil 1/2 C chopped onion 1 1/2 C thinly sliced leek ( I didn't have leeks, and omitted this part) 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 C Arborio rice (or any other medium grain rice) 3/4 diced ham 1/2 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese Bring the chicken broth to a boil, add peas and cook 2 minutes until crisp tender. Remove peas with a slotted spoon, and rinse with cold water. Heat oil in a saucepan, add onions (this is where you would add the leeks) and cook until soft, then add garlic, cook 30 seconds. Ad rice, cook 1 minute, then add 1/2 C of broth. Cook until broth is absorbed. Continue adding 1/2 C broth to rice mixture and cooking until all is absorbed. This process is a bit time consuming, as you have to stir constantly, but ohhhh so worth the effort! Once all the broth is absorbed into the rice, add ham and parmesan cheese. I served this with homemade crescent rolls and a salad.

A Rash, You Say?

2011-03-24T14:00:00.002-05:00

Here I am today, in all my glory. After dealing with a horrible for three weeks, they FINALLY figured out that I have Guttate Psoriasis. Loooooovely. Basically, I look like I have a horrible case of the chicken pox all over my body. It itches, burns and pretty much looks gross.
I haven't worn makeup in over a week (not that I wear a lot) and haven't had jeans on in about two. I am ready for the treatment to work, they gave me a steroid shot this morning, and prescribed some lovely smelling (note sarcasm) lotion to slather on after my baths. The nice thing is that I am required to take a bath every night, not that I needed a prescription for that, but kind of nice to force myself to do it. Next week I will go in and we'll talk about long term treatments. This could be a one time thing, or it could recur and there is a 68% chance it could turn into plaque psoriasis. Ugh. For now I will take what I got and work with it. If the itching can go away, that will be incredible!

One day at a time, right?!

Let me tell you about Rachel.....

2011-03-15T13:03:00.002-05:00

Yesterday (well technically the festivities started on Saturday and lasted all weekend...) we celebrated Rachel's 10th birthday. I know, I know, I couldn't possibly have a child THAT old, right? Well it's true. Can't believe that beautiful girl is 10 already. It's crazy to watch that little baby you created grow into this amazing, beautiful, smart, compassionate (unless it involves her sister, but that's a whole nother post...) young girl that is becoming her own person.
She is a lover of anything with fur. if you could see her closet right now, you would find about 800 Webkinz (okay, maybe that's a stretch), and other stuffed animals that she hoards. I am hoping to NOT see her on that show "Hoarding" in 20 years! She loves school, and excels at it. Her teachers have all commented on how well she gets along with others, and loves to help.

At home she is a HUGE help for me. She loves to cook, and frequently will make breakfast for the daycare kids. She tried her hand at making bread last week and it was a big success! She loves taking care of baby Jakob, and does very well. Sometimes I actually forget that she's only 10, she acts so grown up.

As wonderful as it is to watch her grow up, this whole parenting thing scares the beejeebers out of me. At least when they are little, you have reign over them, the older they get, you have to learn to let go a little more. We'll see how this goes:) I am PROUD to be her mom, and proud to see what an incredible person she is becoming!

Rachel's Grown Up Room Redo

2011-03-10T13:04:00.012-06:00

Since I have come to the conclusion that winter will never end, I have a desperate need to find my happy place. Since my happy place involves decorating, I figured I could find some rooms that needed redecorating, bwahahahaha!!! Rachel got her own room about 2 years ago, when Alayna moved in with Emma. We painted Rachel's walls a bright blue, and a lime green color. She picked them out, not me. I was able to get her comforter set on clearance at JCPenney's, and also had a gift card to use, so I think I shelled out $10 for it! Of course I didn't take a before pic of her room, but it was kind of a hodge podge of furniture and stuffed animals, and everything she has kept over the last 2 years. I spent a couple days looking at kids bedrooms online at HGTV to get some ideas, and this is what I came up with!
The swaggy thing I got at Crafts Direct for $8, the hooks were $2 a piece. The two pics on the side wall are actually box tops that have the same colors as her room, I got them for .50 cents a piece at the discount craft store. The cube nightstand with the fabric cubes I got at Target, for $25. The one on the other side of her bed I found at a garage sale for $2.

I LOVE her lamp! It's an old antique style lap that I have had for years. I bought some cheap flowers at the craft store, and hot glued them on.

I moved her dresser into the corner, to free up some space and hung some paper lanterns, dragonflies and a tissue paper pom pom above it.

I love, love, love how it turned out, and so does she! She says she feels so grown up now, and of course she says she has to keep it spotless. Ya, we'll see how long that one lasts!!

Linking To:

Fingerprints On The Fridge

All Things Bright and Beautiful

Computer is Back!

2011-03-03T21:34:00.002-06:00

I have been without my laptop for a few weeks getting fixed, but finally got it back today. I am THRILLED to get it back, the ole PC was not cuttin the mustard here! I had to include this picture of Miss Alayna wearing one of her favorite outfits....a flowery leotard, Grandma Omi's red hat, and her pink high heel shoes. Quite becoming, isn't she?? I'm thinkin she'll be the next big designer, like a Betsy Johnson or something like that. You know, funky, quirky, spendy, right?? Anyhoo, that kid is cute as a button, and makes me pull my hair out, all at the same time.

Where I've Been.....

2011-02-11T08:51:00.002-06:00

So, if you've been wondering where I have been, I will show you.

Here.

No, I haven't been sipping pina coladas on a white sandy beach while reading the latest crime novel waiting for Benito to bring me lunch. Ohhhhhh no, I have spent more time in my bathroom in the last week than I care to admit. I was struck last Tuesday with the stomach flu, and it literally has taken a week to REALLY feel better. Unfortunately the only one to not get it was Emma. Poor Brad succumbed to it Sunday night and had to leave Wednesday morning for a business trip to Florida. He still doesn't feel the best. Our family has NEVER been this sick.

I guess the positive of this would be that I lost some weight! Although I would rather it be naturally rather than feeling like an earthquake is ravaging my body.....

Dance, Dance, Dance!

2011-01-26T13:11:00.003-06:00

Rachel had her first dance competition last Sunday and her team came in third place!! WOOT WOOT!! She was super excited (as was Mom:) with this being her first year of dance. She had joined Just For Kix back in Kindergarten at a different location, and did that for a couple years, but did not enjoy it. She decided to try gymnastics which she loved, but then her best friend Lucy wanted to try dance so Rachel obliged, lol! She LOVES dance, and it is so fun to watch her and see how much she has changed and matured.

So, congrats Rachel, Mom and Dad are SOOOOOO proud of you!!

On the Mend....

2011-01-20T13:42:00.002-06:00

Ok, ok, so this wasn't taken today. It was actually taken on Christmas day. My three beauties healthy. I am hoping that we are all done with this fever nonsense. They both stayed home Tuesday and Wednesday, Emma was perfectly fine yesterday, and Rachel was "better". By about 3:00, she was feeling punky again. By evening her temp spiked again. After a good nights rest, she felt good enough to go to school. I am hoping she had a good day. That girl is SUCH a trooper!

I want to add a few prayer requests...

I have posted before about my friend Annie over at
The House That Jade Built they are excitedly awaiting the arrival of their sweet baby girl Ollie who has some health conditions that will need to be dealt with. Check out her blog, and send up some sweet prayers for their family!

I found this blog through another blog, it's called The Simple Wife. 38 year old Joanne suffered a stroke last week, and her husband is blogging updates about her. They have two beautiful daughters that had to start private school after being home schooled. Please keep their entire family in your prayers!

Amy over at New Nostalgia is battling breast cancer. Please pray for her and her family, and that the cancer will stop growing and the medicines will work.

And of course, pray for my peanuts that we will get rid of this crud!

Our Day Today......

2011-01-18T09:15:00.002-06:00

Lot's of popsicles (real fruit ones, of course), cozy blankets, Spongebob *sigh*,

and Poptarts. Yes, my kids LOVE Poptarts, hence the reason they love getting sick, because I will actually buy them! Both Rachel and Emma came down with colds and high fevers yesterday. I took them into a quick clinic last night just to rule out strep (which was negative, yay!). I am keeping them on steady doses of homeopathic medicines to keep them comfortable, and hopefully cut the duration of this flu short.

So, today we will sit and watch tv all day, play games, and take naps. Sounds like a day I can handle!

Chicken Cacciatore

2011-01-12T16:32:00.003-06:00

This one is a keeper from Taste of Home. Very easy, and super yummy!!

Chicken Cacciatore

1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 medium onion, cut into rings
1 green pepper, julienned
2 Tbl Canola oil
1 can tomato sauce
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 Tbl. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

In a large skillet, cook the chicken, onion and green pepper in oil until chicken is lightly browned, and vegetables are tender. Add the rest of the ingredients and transfer to a slow cooker. Cook on low 4-5 hours.

I made a side dish of Lo Mein (and of course I can't find the recipe that I used, grrr...) and everyone loved it!

Linking to:

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T16:18:00.002-06:00

My gorgeous girls on Christmas Day! We had an incredible holiday, and enjoyed having a week off to relax...
Now I am sitting here listening to some classical music, and the sounds of my girls playing the game "Sorry" so nicely. Just kidding, Emma has now quit three times because her sister is "cheating", Alayna is getting mad that someone keeps "sorrying" her, and Rachel is just plain frustrated.....Ahh the joys of holidays....

I think I am ready to get back into the swing of things this week. It will be busy, but nice to know that all shopping is done and no more major holidays are coming up.

So how many of you made New Years resolutions?? I do every year. I don't make ridiculous goals that I know I will fail on. And I am happy to say that I achieved all of last years goals. They were to follow through on a reading-the-Bible-in-a-year plan, and continue to work out on a regular basis. This years goals are pretty similar: continue to work out, read my Bible, read MORE (instead of getting sucked up in blog reading, lol...), and continue to become more involved in our church. Pretty attainable goals. I always write them down, it seems to hold me a bit more accountable.

How about you? What new goals do you have this year??

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-21T13:11:00.005-06:00

My New Years resolution is to get back into blogging again. It just hasn't been much of an interest for me, but I miss writing. I would love to get back to blogging at least once a week, I so enjoy looking back at my posts of the things the girl's and I have done!

I truly can't believe that Christmas is THIS WEEK. Holy carp. Thankfully, I am DONE! Done I say! Yesterday the girls and I finished our baking, I don't do a ton, because nobody eats the stuff. Well, except for me, and I don't need it... We made a couple batches of cut outs, which took us about 10 minutes to roll out, cut out and decorate. I then spent the next hour trying to clean up all the flour off of the floor, counters, chairs, walls, knick-knacks......

After seeing Rachel's disappointed expression with us being done with cookies, we decided to make some truffles. They turned out very yummy, and were super easy (like, um, really easy. Cream cheese and chocolate). We then made my Grandma Omi's molasses cookies and date filled cookies (recipes in another post).

And in true Christmas fashion, here is a little glimpse of our decorations...

This is our entry way tree. It stays up year round (and yes I DO get teased that I keep a "christmas" tree up all year), and we decorate it for all the holidays. For Christmas this becomes our homemade ornament tree. I love seeing how full it gets every year!

This is my favorite ornament from this year, super easy, and the kids loved seeing how their hands turned into Santa!

The fireplace mantel all decked out. The picture above the mantel I got this year from At Home America, I only paid $7 for it because of all the bonuses I got for having a show, yay! The stockings I decorated. When Brad and I got married, and then had Rachel, I painstakingly sewed each of the little glitter balls on for the names. Then with each kid, I totally went for the hot glue:)

Our Griswold family Christmas tree, lol. We named it this last year because there are 800 lights on it. Yes, that's right, 800. When it was on, our house was darn near glowing it was so bright. Hubby whipped up an apparatus so that we can dim the lights, so we can actually see in our living room now.

So that's just a glimpse into the life of Christmas in our house. I LOVE this time of year. I have enjoyed evenings with nothing bu Christmas music on, and warming up with the fireplace. I am sad that it's coming to an end. If I don't get on here before Christmas, I wish EACH and everyone one of you an incredible, blessed holiday!

Linking to:

ABC&123

Creations by Kara

Finger Lickin Good!!

2010-12-01T08:23:00.003-06:00

No, no, this isn't a shout out to KFC, sorry! In fact I've always hating that saying. Why in tarnation would I want to lick my fingers and tell people about it? Well now I know why!

A couple weeks ago I tried my hand at making ribs. I know, I know, I've never made ribs, you say?! Nope, never. I checked out allrecipes.com to see what I could find, and man oh man are there recipes to be found! After spending most of the morning looking at different ones, I settles on one that required you to boil the ribs, grill them and then crockpot them all day.
And this is how they came out....saucy...spicy....and falling off the bone. They were DIVINE! I have made them twice since then, and each time they are unbelievable!

Barbecue Ribs

Ribs (duh)
1 bottle of Famous Dave's Rich and Sassy sauce
1/2 bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Barbecue sauce
1/4-1/2 C of a hot wing sauce (I used Louisiana Wildly Wicked Wing Sauce)
1 bottle of dark beer (I used Leinenkugel's Creamy Dark)

Mix the two barbecue sauce's together; Boil a large kettle of water, and add ribs (cut ribs into sets of 3). Boil ribs for 20 minutes. Preheat grill, slather ribs with barbecue sauce; grill ribs about 5 minutes. Mix the wing sauce with the rest of the barbecue sauce, and add beer. Place ribs in crockpot, and add the sauce over the ribs. Cook on low all day, until they fall off the bone!

Now, you can use whatever type's of barbecue sauce you like, these were the ones I happen to have on hand, and it truly made those ribs amazing! Of course the boiling, grilling and crockpoting had nothing to do with it....ya....

Linked To:

CSI Project

The Season of Advent

2010-12-01T07:02:00.003-06:00

I really can't believe that today is December 1st! We had an incredibly beautiful fall, but it seemed to fly by. Now begins the crazy month of Christmas. I hear people daily talking about how they wished they could skip this season, and that makes me sad. I LOVE this time of year. Love. I love the music, the sights, the smells. Absolutely everything.

My biggest complaint with this season is keeping our girls focused on the REAL meaning of Christmas, and not making it all about the gifts. We started doing an advent calender last year. I used my Cricut machine to make red and green tags, and then covered those with Christmas scrapbook paper. I got this great idea from Hattie over at Little Red Roost

She shared a great download of the scripture verses to attach to the tags. Each morning the girls take turns picking the right tag for the day (they are numbered) and read the scripture.

After we read the scripture, I have folded pieces of paper in a bowl that they get to pick out of. Each piece of paper has something fun for them to do, such as a pedicure night with mom (at home of course:), game night with mom and dad, cooking with mom, etc. They look forward to this every year, and it's nice to read the scripture about how Jesus came to be. Hopefully they are learning something from this, haha!!

Easy Peasy Chicken in the Crockpot

2010-11-16T17:21:00.002-06:00

Doesn't this look like the MOST delicious chicken dish EVER?? I mean, see how creamy and comforting this looks? Let me tell you....Oh wait, you can't see it? Huh. I suppose that *might* be because I didn't take a picture? I know I know, why even post a recipe if you don't have a picture, right? Well sorry peeps, but this dish is seriously THAT good, you don't even need a picture...

It originated from an allrecipes.com recipe called "Jennie's Heavenly Slow Cooker Chicken"
This looked divine, except I don't have cream of mushroom soups on hand, and I didn't have a container of cream cheese with chives either. So, technically it's not Jennie's Heavenly chicken, I suppose. Maybe I could call it, "Cara's Kinda Sorta But Not Really Chicken in the Crockpot". Whew, that's long. How about "Amazing Slow Cooker Chicken", better?

Amazing Slow Cooker Chicken

1 whole chicken cut up (as in, the thighs, breasts, wings all separated)
4 Tbl butter
1/4 c. flour
milk
cut up mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
1 packet dry Italian seasoning
1 package cream cheese
chives
1/2 c dry white wine
spaghetti noodles

First make your white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, add mushrooms and the garlic, saute until mushrooms are soft, add flour and cook one minute, then add enough milk to get the right consistency (A little thinner than pudding consistency). Add the package of cream cheese, wine, chopped up chives and seasoning packet. Place chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker, and pour sauce over the top. Cook on low all day. I made spaghetti noodles and placed the chicken mixture over the top with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

When Someone Touches Your Heart

2010-11-14T21:46:00.002-06:00

I had a fantastic weekend, full of fun on so many different levels. Friday night we had a friend's birthday bash complete with a party bus, loud music and a stripper pole. Yes, you heard right, a stripper pole. *sigh*. Despite that (and no I didn't actually dance around it), the extremely loud music and far too much dancing (did I mention that I had a hard time walking on Saturday?), it was a lot of fun. Thankfully I won't have to do that again any time soon...

Saturday we got our first snowfall of the season, the heavy wet kind. The girls had a blast making a snowman and trying to beam me in the head with a snowball. Did I mention it was heavy and wet? Thought I did... We also started celebrating the holidays, by watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I LOVE this movie. I think we watched it at least 12 times last year!

Today the girls and I went to church, I absolutely crave this time to sit alone in church and just "be". The girls go to Children's Church during our service, and as selfish as it sounds, I love it:) Sitting in front of me was a young man who has Down's Syndrome. His name is Timmy and I love watching his enthusiasm for Christ. He gets so excited while the worship team sings and it's precious to watch. So today I sat behind him and his mother. He would look back at me and smile big. During one of the songs, he turned around and grabbed my hand and held it through the rest of the song. I cannot even begin to tell you the simple, incredible joy that I felt during this moment. Tears came to me eyes, and I fought like mad to keep them at bay. At the end of the service, he turned and gave me a bear hug.

Watching him and his mother, I learned something. I saw the incredible love that this mother has for her son, and how even with his outbursts, she accepted him for who he is. I thought of my own girls and how certain things make me CRAZY, and how quickly I can get bent out of shape. The lesson I learned today was that we are all different people, from different walks of life. As much as I want my kids to do everything my way, and others to believe in the same things I do, it's just not possible.

I wish we could all see the world through Timmy's eyes. Can you imagine what our world would be like? Maybe the next time we feel ourselves ready to blow, we can think of Timmy and remember the joy and happiness we ALL have in our lives!

Cauliflower Potato Cheese Soup

2010-11-02T12:53:00.003-05:00

This is a FABULOUS comforting fall soup. I made it last week, and literally ate it every day for lunch. The kids didn't believe there wasn't squash in it (they have discovered my sneaky ways of adding squash to things...), and actually liked it!

Cauliflower Potato Cheese Soup

2-4 Tbl oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 large can or carton chicken stock
1 pkg frozen or one small head chopped cauliflower
2 ounces peeled garlic (I used 2 cloves of garlic)
6 small potatoes, chopped I used leftover mashed potatoes from the night before)
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
salt and pepper

Heat oil and saute onion, celery, and carrots until softened.
Add chicken stock, cauliflower, garlic and cook until soft.
Liquefy in blender or food processor and return to pan.
Add potatoes
When potatoes are cooked, add milk, cheese and salt/pepper to taste.
Heat thoroughly but do NOT boil.

Halloween

2010-11-02T12:43:00.004-05:00

We had a fabulous Halloween here, although very BUSY! Uh, who isn't, right?! Here are the girls decked out in their finest.....

Carving pumpkins....

And playing Halloween games...

I see a little bug hiding behind there....

Hugs,

Christmas Cards? Go Shutterfly!

2010-10-28T14:10:00.004-05:00

So, did you happen to know that Christmas is exactly 58 days away????? I had to laugh because at a wedding in September, I had my cousin take a picture of us, and I had to make sure we were all coordinated and looking good because it was to be our Christmas card picture! Brad thought I was crazy. He should know better, silly boy. Of course I am.

Two years ago we used Shutterfly for the first time, and I LOVED how our card came out. Since then I have also made a thank you card for everyone that helped us out on our vaca to Mexico. Oh to be back in the warm sun, sand in your toes, pina coladas, gourmet meals, no whining children.....Crud, got away from myself again.....

Anyhoo, I really love Shutterfly, and right now they are doing a promo for bloggers, you can find the info here to find out how you too can get free cards!

I am thinking of using this design for our Christmas card this year. We were all decked out in blues, and I luuuuuurve me some blue and brown!

Here are some of my faves....

I LOVE this card, so adorable!!
Peppermint Pink

Or how about this one, toooooo cute!
Bright Blooming Tree

Wall calender love???
Calenders

I have always wanted to do a kids January winter party, how cute would this be?
Winter Invite

Orrrrr, a fun adult cocktail party?
Cocktail Invite

Of course Shutterfly isn't just for the Holidays, they have E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G in between!
Baby Invitations
Address Labels
Photo Books

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What I've Been Up To.....

2010-10-21T13:11:00.002-05:00

I apologize for my (almost) month long absence, life gets in the way ya know and before you know it, a month flies by! We are doing well, Alayna is doing much better now that we know what she needs. She seriously eats like every 20 minutes, but not much, usually an apple, pear, banana, or almonds or cheese. Her behavior has been a HUGE improvement!

So, this is what we've been up to......

Pontooning on the lake. Yes, in October! The weather has been incredibly warm, and it's been awesome seeing the fall colors around the lake.

Chasing coots on the lake. We literally spent 20 minutes going through flocks of them, there were so many on the lake! Don't worry, no animals were harmed in said chasing.

Cooking. Ahhh, my relaxation. Rachel and I made homemade noodles to go along with Fettuccine Alfredo from my all time fave blog Finding Joy In My Kitchen. They turned out delicious!

And seeing this....Alayna snuggled up with her favorite stuffed animal (beast) Fetch.

I also want to include a couple of prayer requests....

Amy from New Nostalgia is going through breast cancer. I so enjoy her posts (and of course her blog:) so throw out some prayers for her, will ya?!

And another one of my fave blogs is Annie from The House That Jade Built. They are dealing with the possibility of their unborn baby being born with Down's Syndrome and many health issues.

These two ladies have really struck a chord with me, and I consider myself one of their prayers warriors! Will you join me?

Alayna Update

2010-09-28T12:59:00.002-05:00

Thank you for your kind words, thoughts and prayers! We saw a Pediatric Endocrinologist at Park Nicollet Clinic in St.Louis Park yesterday and got some encouraging news! He believes she has something called Ketotic Hypoglycemia. Basically, because she is so small (in the 5th percentile for weight and 33rd for height), her body has no fat stores to take energy from. So for her, when she eats (which is not alot to begin with) her body uses that for energy, but when that is gone, her body doesn't have the fat stores to steal from to keep that energy. Therefore she needs to eat very frequently, and more high protein/good fat snacks and meals. When her body has used up that energy, her blood sugar crashes, so to speak, because it has nothing to take from.

This all makes perfect sense to us, in how we deal with her food battles, and her behavior. We still need to monitor her blood sugars for the next couple weeks, just to make sure they stabilize. We are also waiting to hear back from other tests, one of them being an antibodies test that *could* show the early stages of diabetes. So, all good news for now!

What a roller coaster of emotions we've had in the past several days, but very thankful to have something to go with now:)

Wow, What a Whirlwind of Emotions.....

2010-09-25T21:35:00.002-05:00

Oh man, it has been a very trying 24 hours here. This will be a long post, so don't worry if you can't make it through, I am writing this more as a journal entry for us. It's amazing how quickly your life can change in a few hours....

Friday morning Alayna woke up and came into our room, and promptly fell asleep on the floor. I didn't think much about it, figured she was woken up abruptly and was still tired. About 15 minutes later Emma came downstairs and said that she was now laying on their bedroom floor sleeping. Ok, now that's a bit strange. Brad went up, laid her in bed and came down to say that he thought she was probably getting sick. Lovely. I went in a couple times to check on her, and make sure she didn't have a fever, no fever. About 8:45 she finally came out, and laid at the top of the stairs, moaning. I tried to ask her if she had a tummy ache, or felt like she had to throw up, not much of a response. When I picked her up, she was completely limp, like NO muscle tone to her at all. I brought her downstairs and tried to wake her up. She would open her eyes, but then fall asleep immediately.

I had made homemade waffles for breakfast, and started feeding them to her, which she would eat with her eyes still shut. After about 10 minutes, she could sit up, and pretty soon wanted more. She looked VERY pale, and definitely not herself. (Do you remember my previous post??!!) Brad and I decided a call to her Pediatrician was in order and I chatted with a nurse for awhile. We decided to take her in at 11:30. Brad called to say that they were doing a bunch of different blood tests and would know more in an hour or so. After he dropped her off at home, he headed back into work. About 10 minutes after he left, the doctor called to say that her blood sugars were 334. He told us to promptly take her to the hospital where they would admit her and start figuring out what to do next.

Of course panic sets in as I think of my sweet baby having diabetes. I called Brad on his cell phone to get back home, and then we had to wait for daycare parents to pick their kids up, and figure out where our older two girls were going to go. I just couldn't believe this. Once we got to the hospital, we talked with the Pediatrician soon after and she informed us that it was in fact Type 1 Diabetes. Unbelievable. However, and 20 minutes later after giving her a blood test, the doc came back in very puzzled, because now her blood sugar was 60. She had no idea what was going on. They decided to monitor her sugars overnight to see what they would do.

At 11:30 am, her blood sugars were at 334, at 5:00 pm they were 60, at 7:00 pm they had jumped up to 225, and then throughout the night they were steady in the 130's. They were truly stumped as to what was going on. They also found glucose in her urine. However, there is a test called an A1C that will give you an average of the blood sugars from the past 6 weeks, and hers came back normal.

So many unanswered questions. Thankfully we have an appointment on Monday with a Pediatric Endocrinologist in the Twin Cities, and hopefully will get more answers there. It is just so hard not knowing anything. Obviously something is not jiving in her body, we just need to figure out what that is.

Fall Has Arrived

2010-09-23T08:06:00.006-05:00

I have been slooooooowly adding my fall decorations the last couple weeks, and the reason being sloooooooow was because I had some awesome four legged furry friends find a home in my fall bins. Yep, that's right, mice. I opened up my bin to find my Indian corn shelled, wax figurines eaten, and even some ceramic pumpkins broken in half. Seriously. There was also a lovely little nest all made up. Isn't that sweet?

So, after having a few words with myself, I got everything cleaned out, and the fun began. After looking at everyone's awesome fall decoration posts, I found many that did the photo frame words. Of course I had to do one myself. Thankfully I have about 450,000 picture frames waiting to be used. I spray painted them all black, added fall-ish scrapbook paper, and used my Cricut to make the letters.

I love how it looks, waaaaaay better than last years mantel which was just a little too busy for me

Outside I put some fall pumpkins and picks in the old cream separator, and of course my wonderful Indian corn that only has one cob left. Darn mice.

Here is my bench area, filled with fall goodies, this is one of my favorite areas to decorate. If you're new to Homespun Kitchen, this is an old hayloft door that I grabbed when my husbands Dad tore down one of the old barns. The bench my Mom got for me at an antique store, see how perfect it matches?!

This is the wreath on our front door. It's a berry/twig wreath that stays up year round, but then I add things to it depending on the season. Love that.

Here is a pic of the porch as you walk up to it. To the left of this is a little swinging bench that I decorate with red pillows and a little table that also has some fall decor on it. I LOVE this time of year, and I love seeing everyone's great ideas that get me motivated:)

Linking To:

DIY Showoff

Fingerprints on the Fridge

A Thank You and a Cake Challenge

2010-09-22T11:20:00.004-05:00

First of all, I want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone for your awesome words of encouragement and advice for my parenting woe post:) I feel so much better knowing that I am not alone. At least I don't feel the need to purchase a velcro wall anymore. Just kidding. Maybe.

So, if there are any other Food Network junkies out there like us, than surely you have watched a Cake Challenge, or 50. We LOOOOOVE those shows, and Cupcake Wars, Chopped, The Next Food Network Star, Rachael Ray, Sandra Lee, Ina Garten......Shoot, little off subject there.....

So anyway, my girls decided to have their own "challenge" with playdough. I gave them 30 minutes to make their "cake" and told them that I would judge and award a winner. Now, lets back up a bit to say that THEY made me judge them. They did. I was not going to say a winner because, well, there is only two of them, lol. But they insisted that no one would be mad and they would be happy for the other. Well, ok then.

I gave them a theme, which was a baby shower. I laughed OUT LOUD when they both got their notepads out to whip up their designs. They also recruited daycare kids as their assistants!

Tada!! Here are their creations:

Emma's was a heart shaped cake with another heart on top, she made a teddy bear (which I thought was a baby with big ears, OOPS!), bottle and pacifier. Adorable!

Rachel made two suitcases on the bottom of hers with a heart shape, she then took a bamboo stick and stuck it through one of the heart shapes and into the suitcase so it stood up, how creative! She also made a bottle and a pacifier.

I loved how they found glitter to made the "cakes" glittery, (and my house sparkle, but not in a good way), and just the overall creativity of their work. Soooooo, the winner was....Rachel....

Emma acted all mad, but then started laughing, little turkey. All in all good fun was had and my house was left a glittery, playdoughy mess:)

Parenting- Just Keepin It Real

2010-09-18T08:03:00.002-05:00

So yesterday was NOT a good day in the Zimmer household. Brad was gone for three days, which is normally just fine, but for some reason, this week was just an "off" week. Ya, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only Mom who has had this. Right? I hope?

I have three beautiful, intelligent GOOD kids. I do. I know that. But for some reason, my 4 year old enjoys wreaking havoc on me. I really haven't figured out why yet. When I do I will let you know. I think yesterday was the culmination of the whole week and it just broke me down. We went out for supper with my husbands family to celebrate his parents 45th wedding anniversary. My nephew (who is the same age as Miss A) was also there, and it literally broke my heart to see how much his mother was enjoying him and laughing at the things he was saying.

Afterwards we got in the van and I just broke down. I WANT to enjoy Alayna, but right now she is making it so hard for me, and it makes me feel absolutely horrible. So after the supper, I had to suck it up for a while as we went to his parents for cake. I'm sure many of you have had that experience of choking back the tears while putting a nice fake smile on your face.

After we got home, I lost it. I just want to see her in the mornings and be excited to see her, not dread it because the instant she wakes up she starts whining for something to eat. And then when I don't have what she wants to eat, she throws a tantrum. I prayed last night that God could just give me one whole day of her in a good mood so I could see what a great kid she really is. I know it's in her, for everyone else, she is great.

I see all of these blog posts about how incredible their kids are, and the funny things they do, and it really tears me up. WHY does she have to be so difficult for me? She has made me question myself as a parent, and whether or not I even WANT to be home anymore. It just sucks because I really do love being home, and as stressful as daycare is sometimes, I DO enjoy it. We had fun creating things this week, and learning. But I also don't want to feel like running away by the time Friday rolls around, ya know?

So, I guess the point of this post is to see if there are others out there dealing with a difficult child, what your thoughts are/tips you have, etc.

I am just one tired mama....

Stromboli

2010-09-15T07:19:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Alison from Oopsey Daisy for this delicious Stromboli recipe! I made this last night and it was a big hit with the kids. Well, and Brad too, of course.

Stromboli

1 loaf Rhodes frozen bread dough (I used my bread machine on the dough setting and made the dough)
Mozzarella cheese 8-12 oz.
Ham- thinly sliced 8 oz.
Pepperoni 8 oz.
Green pepper- sliced
Onions- chopped
Basil
Oregano
1 beaten egg

If you use the frozen bread dough, allow dough to thaw and rise. Roll out to a rectangle about 1/2-1/4 inch thickness.

Brush dough with beaten egg, and start piling on the fillings! I laid a pile of mozzarella cheese first, and then the ham. Unfortunately I had no onions or green pepper. Then sprinkle basil and oregano over the filling.

Now bring the sides of the dough together and pinch at the top. Flip over so the seam side is down, place on baking sheet and brush dough with the beaten egg.

Bake at 400 for 5 minutes, then cut it down to 350 for 18-20 minutes.

I love this recipe because it really is good with whatever you have on hand! Make sure to check out her post, as she has lots of step-by-step pictures.

Thank you Alison for the great recipe!!

Back To School Part II

2010-09-07T14:28:00.004-05:00

With the first day of school here, I decided (like 20 minutes before they got home) to make a sign to hang on the front door to celebrate the first day of school! I had wooden tiles from our local craft store (that has permanent loans for me to take out, lol....) that cost me $1. I had Brad cut several wooden rulers in half for me, and hot glued them to the wooden tile. With the limited amount of time that I had, I just glued some school scrapbook paper onto the rulers and cut out "happy"

And of course there always has to be a special snack, so this year I made these super cute apple cupcakes I found on Family Fun.

Can you tell momma was excited??!!

Linking To:

"tute" in Tuesday
ABC and 123

First Day of School!

2010-09-07T08:22:00.004-05:00

Wow, time sure flies when your having kids arguing, screaming, tattling, not getting along because you think your sister is dumb.....Oh my goodness, did I just say those things out loud?? I MEANT when you're having fun. Yeeessssss, that's what I meant.......

Today was the first day of school, and as the majority of Moms are quietly wiping away tears of sadness, I found myself skipping along to the sounds of birds chirping. Just kidding, it was raining out this morning, but I was skipping. Just keepin it real here.

Yes, I will miss my kids, they are a lot of fun to be around, and a big help to me. But I won't miss the arguing and tattling and so on and so forth.

We have much going on with the first day of school. The night before we have our spa night. I whip up facial masks in the blender, make fancy little heart shaped sandwiches, chocolate covered strawberries, and they get to drink sparkling cider out of wine glasses. (Don't worry, they're plastic:) After soaking in the tub (and bubbles flowing out of the windows practically), they get pedicures and manicures. I give them the full treatment, massages, foot scrubs and of course polish. We call it Spa LaZimm (Zimmer is our last name). Alayna is very anxious to be able to participate next year, although we did allow her to come and have some bubble fun in the tub...

After our spa experience, I had the girls whip up some apple print note cards for their teachers. I just cut up an apple, had them paint it read, and stamp it on blank note cards. Once they were dry, we wrapped them up with red raffia, and made a tag with their teachers name on them.

And for breakfast, I made them pancakes in the shape of their initial. Such fun! And this afternoon, I made them apple shaped cupcakes for their afternoon snack. Emma told me I am the best First Day of School Mom ever!!!

Linking To:

"Tute" in Tuesday
ABC and 123

Broccoli Wild Rice Hotdish

2010-08-30T19:45:00.004-05:00

I know, I know, you don't need to rub your eyes here, yes I did TWO posts in ONE day. It's true. Not sure what came over me, but it happened. I think I am starting my Fall routine early or something. Maybe it's because of the weather, ya, that's it. It must be the 95 and humid weather that we are enjoying right now. Hmmm, must be.

This is one of my favorite dishes, or, hotdishes as we call them there thangs here in the nort. This recipe originated from my Dad, and as the title says, there is broccoli in it. See it? no? Oh ya, because I didn't have any. I substituted carrots instead, which turned out fine, but I still prefer the broccoli. It is a super yummy, Fall/Winter comfort food around here!

Broccoli Wild Rice Hotdish

1 lb. ground beef
1 stalk celery
1 large onion
1 cup of wild rice (cooked. And if you are like me who never makes wild rice, it takes a LONG time to cook!)
1 can of mushroom soup (or make your own white sauce, as I do)
2 cans mushrooms
1 C yogurt or sour cream
1 # broccoli (par boiled)
1/3 C soy sauce

Brown together the hamburger, celery and onions. Wash wild rice and drain well (this is AFTER it has cooked). Add the ground beef to the mixture and add remaining ingredients. Bake at 350 for 2 hours in a covered dish.

Linking up to :
Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
What's On The Menu Wednesday

Barnwood Shelf

2010-08-30T07:49:00.017-05:00

Soooooo, have I mentioned how much I love barnwood? Have I? Cause I don't remember much talking about it before, hmmmmm.....

Oh my stars, I have had more fun using up all the old wood from Brad's parents farm lately! Remember the Barnwood Wall in our family room? If you haven't seen it, it's a must:) My next venture with the wood, was this amazing shelf that Gail from My {Re}Purposed Life created using old fence wood that someone had given her. My wheels started turning, and before I got too dizzy, I commissioned my WONDERFUL hubby into making one for me! After about 2 hours, he finished his creation...

Isn't it just amazing??!! We put it on our patio, and boy did I have fun finding things to put on it!

My Mom had given us this sign, but it originally said "deck", so of course I had to grab some scrapbook paper and redo that. The old frame is from My Grandfather who made it out of an old hayrack from when he was a kid.

The wreath I bought at Crafts Direct for $2.99, and the lantern was one given to me by my father-in-law. The glass in it was all cracked, so I broke the rest out of it.

On the second shelf I wrote one of my favorite quotes on a chalkboard that had no home, and also placed an old Land O Lakes cheese box also given to me by my father-in-law.

On the bottom shelf I put an old bowl that was my Grandmother's, and some berry twigs. I look forward to finding more things to add to this shelf.

This is by far my favorite piece of furniture, I love the history it holds, and the love by the person who built it. Awww, anyone need a kleenex? Just kidding, but in all seriousness, Brad did an amazing job, and I am so proud of this piece! Hope you enjoyed it!

Linking to:

Metamorphosis Monday
Show Off Your Cottage Monday
DIY Showoff
Just Something I Whipped Up

It's So Very Creative

Spotlight Yourself
Get Your Craft On

Look What I Made Day

Thrilling Thursday

Flaunt It Friday

Feature Yourself Friday

Creative Chick Parade

Tator Tots and Jello

Mustard Seed Creations

My Biggest Crafting Accomplishment!

2010-08-11T22:29:00.014-05:00

Out of all the projects I have done over the years, I am thinking that this one just my be my most favorite, special of them all! If you can't tell by the picture in the title of my blog, I looooooove all things old. The rattier, and smellier the better! There is just nothing like walking into an antiques store and seeing what one might find. I'm not sure where it comes from, but it's in my blood.

So, Brad's Dad was once again tearing down a barn building, this time it was the old chicken coop. His sweet Dad made sure that I knew it was coming down, so I could come look for treasures. I ended up coming home with 6 different shaped windows, a screen door and some old doorknobs. As soon as I got those puppies home, I laid them out and gave them a good scrubbing. I mostly enjoyed seeing Brad's head shake in disgust with that what-the-heck-are-you-going-to-do-with-that look:) Ohhhh if he only knew all the ticking happening in that thick head of mine.

So, I knew that *somewhere* in my house I wanted a full wall to put picture frames on. I wanted all sizes, shapes and colors. I decided to go with a wall in our family room downstairs. And this is how it turned out...

Are not just giddy with joy and jumping up and down???!!! No?? Huh, maybe you have to be here....

Anyway, I LOVE how this turned out. LOVE.

So, let's break it down. (Ok, that made me want to start dancing like MC Hammer...)

This frame is probably my favorite. I had bought these mini picture frames at Crafts Direct for $2/piece. I added pics of the girls, and some black and white ribbon to hang them. The vinyl was given to me by my Dad (he has his own sign and lettering business), and let me just say I have OODLES of vinyl to use!

Here is the screen door, the black picture frame I had gotten from my Grandma's house when she moved into the nursing home. It actually had a pretty sweet (not) picture of me from Beauty School. Eye-yi-yi-yi-yi. I was happy to take the picture out:)

Inside the frame I took a small wooden tile that was clearanced again at Crafts Direct for $1 and covered it with burlap, added our initial and hung it with brown ribbon.

This frame I found for $1 at an antiques store a few years back, I added a picture that I took of my Grandfather this past summer at the lake. I think this is one of my favorite pictures, it really captures who he is:)

This frame has glass only in the top and bottom panes, so I added some black and white pics of the girls on top, and some pics of my best girlfriends on the bottom. In the middle I happened to have a pic of the girls and I on hand, not sure if this will stay this way, but it's perfect for now!

In one of the other window frames I hung this picture inside, it matches perfectly!

And one final look at the wall. This grouping has so many special things in it, that I love to just sit on the couch and stare at it. Hope you enjoyed it!

Linking up to:

Feature Yourself Friday

Santas Gift Shoppe
Look What I Made! Day

Shanty 2 Chic

P.S. This whole grouping cost me less than $25, other than the celebrate picture and the mini frames, everything else was either free, or given to me as a gift. Yay!!!

Well Hello!!

2010-08-04T13:13:00.002-05:00

My goodness! It's been like, what, a MONTH since I've posted?? Yikes, need to get better at that. However, in my defense my internet connection has been terrible lately, and therefore cannot post pics. Who wants to read a post without pics??

My summer has consisted of softball practice, swimming, softball games, swimming and packing (because we're always goin somewhere, right??!!). Shew, I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted just reading that. Isn't the "dog" days of summer supposed to be relaxing?? well, thankfully this month things will slow down, no more swimming, softball, or any other extra activities. Nope, now I get to stress about how much the fall activities will cost. Good golly miss molly...

So, my whole point to this post was to show you my absolutely favorite, most incredible wall that I am doing in the family room! See it? Isn't it fabulous??!!! Oh wait that's right, can't post pics...
So, my fine friends, you will have to wait. Buuuuut, I can you that it has a lot to do with old windows and a screen door from hubby's parents farm.......

Until next time,

Our Newest Addition!

2010-07-21T20:53:00.002-05:00

See this little cutie patootie? This is our newest family member. We named her Shelby, and boy oh boy is she fun! We are all loving her up (yes, even Brad, although he won't admit it:) even though she has had some potty and poopy accidents, grrrr. She's lucky she's so cute. It's funny though, as I had a little bit of guilt falling in love with the little furball after losing Fluffy so soon. But, we have all adjusted well, and I can't tell you how much I love having a cat. Some people are dog people and some are cat people. I am 100% a cat lover!

In other news, is anyone else in disbelief that the summer is more than half over? Good gravy gertrude. Although I do feel like we've accomplished a lot this summer, I still can't figure out where it went. Although July has been the busiest month for us with softball, swimming lessons and some summer rec classes for the girls.

*My* biggest accomplishment has been in the fitness area. I have decided to really start running, and not the run-half a mile-on-my-treadmill-twice-a-week deal that I was doing. I want to run a 5K this fall, and my endurance SUCKS. Period. So, I have been running a mile to a mile and a half 6 days a week for two weeks now. I feel soooooo good, and can already see the difference in how my clothes feel. Man does THAT feel good! Now, I am a thin person by nature, but I have good ole birthin hips and thighs. I am tired of see it wiggle just a weeee bit too much. So, I hope to keep this up, but don't expect to see me at the Boston Marathon anytime soon:)

Scenes From Our Porch

2010-07-07T10:34:00.009-05:00

Sounds like a movie title, right? Yep, the movie would center around a young (in my mind) woman who spends her days rocking in the chair while fluffy clouds float by in the bright blue sky, reading her newest suspense novel while sipping tea. In reality it is me sitting for about 3.2 seconds reading a manual on how to get some stupid caterpillar riding toy together all the while trying not to swear out loud. And my tea? It's prolly mixed with whiskey. Just sayin...
I wanted to take a few pics of the porch all decked out for the 4th of July, this (besides Christmas of course:) is one of my favorite holidays! I love the colors, stars, flags, everything about it. This will stay up all summer. The barn door is ripped off of my inlaws barn they tore down last summer. I added an old egg crate that I repainted and a beautiful old looking lantern.

This milk can is also from the farm, I have another in the front that I would like to spray paint someday, lol.

The bench I found at an antique store that Mom bought me for my birthday, it happens to match the barn door perfectly!

I really love this area, red (if you couldn't tell) is my absolute favorite color. I have a red wall in the dining room, and a red bathroom. Ummm, oh yeah, my bedroom colors are red too. And my living room curtains are red.....You get the idea.

We love coming out in the morning to drink coffee before our wild and crazy days begin, and at night to enjoy some, uhhhh, tea. Ya, somethin like that....

Linking to:

The CSI Challenge

Look What I Made Day

Shanty 2 Chic

Feature Yourself Friday

In Memory

2010-07-01T08:16:00.004-05:00

See this little beauty? This is our sweet Fluffy. She passed away last Friday from feline leukemia. I was so fortunate to be with her right before she passed. We have known for over a year she was sick, but she held on. Last week I knew it wouldn't be long, but we were leaving on Friday for the weekend, and was so scared she would pass while we were gone. I got up early that morning and laid with her, as she could no longer lift her head. I left to go sit on the porch and 15 minutes later came in to check on her and she was gone.

I feel so lucky to have spent those last few minutes with her, Brad said she held on until I got up that morning:) She was our spunky, fun, energetic little puffball and we love and miss her dearly. The house feels empty without her.

Rachel has been pretty devastated, as have I. We are looking in to getting another kitty, but I don't think either of us is ready quite yet. For now we will just remember her fun, quirky, kitty self:)

Cooking Lessons

2010-06-15T17:30:00.002-05:00

One of *my* goals for this summer, was to get Rachel in the kitchen, learning to cook. Really learning to cook. She has always helped in the kitchen, but I want her to learn the whole process. And, I might say, she is excelling! I have put her in charge of making breakfast every morning. So far she has made pancakes from scratch, muffins from scratch, eggs and smoothies.
I love watching her figuring it all out, and learning that mistakes are ok. Today she made muffins, but forgot to spray the muffin tin before putting the batter in. Oops! She is so proud of herself and what she is accomplishing.

I was thinking of getting Emma started too. But after making chocolate chip cookies on her own and dropping the egg, dusting flour all over the kitchen and dropping the whole bag of chocolate chips on the floor, I have decided to wait a bit, lol....

Summer Camp

2010-06-11T06:50:00.002-05:00

My sweet baby girl (she's on the left) left for summer camp yesterday morning. She was super excited, and also a little nervous (Mom was a wreck). She went with her very best friend Lucy, and I cannot wait to hear all the details of how much fun they had! Of course we are being bombarded by thunderstorms, so Mom lay awake most of the night wondering how she was doing:) I have wonderful memories of Bible camp, and am so excited that she is now going to experience those memories.

Our first week of summer vacation went very well, despite my temper tantrum at 8:30 am Monday morning (Rachel and Emma thought it would be fun to see how much fighting/arguing they could do on the first day of vacation. Isn't that a riot???!!!!). Once I informed them how summer vacation was going to go, it's been a great week! We've been busy with craft projects,
science experiments and lots of reading. I am amazed at what little readers I have on my hands. Rachel (going into 4th grade) has never been to keen on reading, she's good at it, but it isn't the first thing on her list to do when she is bored. Emma (going into 2nd) is the opposite, she reads ALL.THE.TIME. We went to the library on Tuesday and stocked up on books, she got 3 Junie B. Jones chapter books, and read one of the books that night already! I love it. And being the little competitor that Rachel is, she couldn't let her sister have all the glory, so now SHE reads all the time!!

I am very proud of my girls (Alayna too, even if she makes me want to pull out my hair piece by piece) and the people they are becoming, I can't wait to see what is yet to come! Well, maybe I can wait, yikes!

Summer Grillin!

2010-06-08T15:34:00.002-05:00

Nothing sounds or smells better than food cooked on the grill. I would grill everything, if I could (and actually, you probably could). So yesterday after perusing my Taste of Home magazines, I cam across a recipe that called for kielbasa sausage and potatoes. Umm, YUM! We have about 150 pounds (ok, not really) of venison sausage in the freezer that I substituted for the kielbasa. Doesn't it look delish??!!!

Why yes, it does, however do NOT flip it over or you will see the damage the grill did to the bottom. Grrrrr. Did I forget to mention that I am not a griller??!! Ugh, no matter how hard I try, grilling is just not one of my *thangs*. Not only did I burn this, but also a perfectly yummy packet of asparagus. Sad, I know. So, I will stick to being the queen of my oven, and leave the hubs to do the grillin.

Till next time......
\

Ahhhh Summer......

2010-06-03T14:00:00.002-05:00

I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted, yikes! But with summer upon us, evenings spent outside until dark, and weekends spent at the lake, posting isn't the first on my agenda:) So forgive my lack of posting for awhile!

In the meantime, I added a little space and wanted to share it with you! I LOVE, love, LoVe to read. And I am happy that I am passing this on to mt girls. Emma reads aal.the.time. I think she would read in the shower, if she could! So naturally I wanted to add a bookcase somewhere to house all our books. I had this bookcase down in the family room, and the only thing I really used it for was to store all our DVD's and VHS tapes. I brought it upstairs into the hallway. I love this print, I bought it a couple years ago online, and have loved it, but didn't find the right spot for it. The frame I had downstairs with an old picture in it, so I took the old one out and put this one in and what a perfect fit! This frame I bought at a thrift store (brand new) for $3. I had taken pics of the girls this past weekend reading their books, and thought it would be a perfect place to have this! The quote says, "I think of life as a good book, the further you get into it, the more it begins to make sense.:

We still have to fill it up with our books we plan to read over the summer, and I need to redo that lamp, but I love this special little place to store our books (and many thanks to my wonderful Aunt who is always sending me books!!).

So, I pray that each of you has a wonderful summer, and please share any and all fun ideas that you do with your kids during summer vacation:)

Blessings,

This Is What It's All About

2010-05-20T22:01:00.002-05:00

And so it begins for us, summer at the lake! I am so ready for campfires (and mosquito's), pontooning (and mosquito's) picnics outside (and mosquito's)

lazy days of swinging for hours

and lots of playground fun.

This time of year (as busy at it gets) reminds me to slow down and enjoy my girls. Watch the excitement of summer through their eyes!

Happy Mothers Day!

2010-05-10T14:39:00.011-05:00

Happy Belated Mother's Day to all of you! I had a WONDERFUL weekend of relaxing, homemade cards, flowers and meals cooked for me (yay!!!). I had to show you what I made for my Mom for Mothers Day. I found this and knew I had to make one.
The bottom piece of wood I found in our garage, and the top three, I purchased at Crafts Direct. The bottom says, "You Taught By Example, I Learned By Love". To keep them together, I used Gorilla Glue ( a very.tiny.bit. I learned my lesson before, lol!) to attach the blocks to the bottom piece of wood.

I absolutely love how it turned out, and I know she will love it! I am so blessed to have the most wonderful Mom, she has always been there for me through thick and thin. Even in my worst times (and Lord knows there have been many), I always knew I could count on her. And in those days when she didn't know anything (aka, my teenage years) she never let me go. I couldn't imagine my life without her, she is truly my best friend and confidante. I love you, Mom!

Linking to:

Metamorphosis Monday

It's So Very Cheri

DIY Day

You're So Crafty Monday
Room To Inspire

Creations By Kara

DIY Club

Feature Yourself Friday

Tator Tots and Jello

Blueberry Oatmeal Coffee Cake

2010-05-05T14:06:00.004-05:00

For those of you that don't know me personally, I looooove breakfast foods. Like, L.O.V.E. I could eat breakfast for lunch, supper and snacks. There is something ohhhh so comforting about eating a hot breakfast. Don't get me wrong, cereal and I have quite the love affair too, but bring on the soft, warm, doughy, dense, caramely anything, and I melt. Along with my favorite cup of joe, breakfast is my favorite time of the day.

So naturally I am always on the lookout for yummy breakfast recipes. This one I found on allrecipes.com and it definitely gets my stamp of approval!

Blueberry Oatmeal Coffee Cake

1 1/3 C. all-purpose flour
3/4 C. quick cooking oats
1/3 C. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/2 C. fat free milk
1/4 C. Canola oil
1/4 C. reduced fat sour cream
1 C. fresh or frozen blueberries

Streusal Topping
1/4 C. quick cooking oats
3 Tbl. all purpose flour
3 Tbl. brown sugar
2 Tbl butter

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, stir; In separate bowl, combine egg, milk, sour cream. Add to dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Pour into a greased 9 inch round baking pan. For the topping, mix oats, flour and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle on top of batter, bake at 400 degrees 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clear.

Alayna's Four!!

2010-05-03T08:23:00.005-05:00

This is our last birthday for the year, my baby turned four yesterday! I can't believe it's been four years already, she has grown up so much and given me gray hair, all at the same time. She wanted a Tinkerbell cake, which was a lot of fun to make! She got her very own big girl bike, which she looooooooves! Now, I am not one for character toys, but, I totally love this Barbie bike. It even has a mini bike attached to the handle bars for her Barbie!!! Too fun.

I love this pic of her trying to put up four fingers, she keeps wanting to put up three:)

From her aunt and uncle and cousins, she got a kite which her and Daddy had lots of fun flying!

It was a fun day, as it's always so fun to have a special day for the kids!!

Linking To:

It's So Very Creative

You're So Crafty Monday
DIY Project Parade

P-Dub's Chicken with Tomatoes and Garlic

2010-04-27T08:35:00.003-05:00

Whenever I'm having a down day, I love to mosy on over to Pioneer Woman's blog for a good chuckle. I love her style of writing and her recipes are i.n.c.r.e.d.i.b.l.e. My latest venture was her Chicken with Tomatoes and Garlic. It was scrumptious! And so easy to make, for once, the younger two scarfed it down (they don't like chicken)! I also made bowtie pasta to go along with it, and placed the chicken and sauce over the pasta.

Chicken with Tomatoes and Garlic

8 pieces chicken legs or thighs (I actually used chicken breasts (or, sawdust, as my Dad likes to call them) I used 3 breasts, and cut them in half

salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbl olive oil
1 Tbl butter
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can whole tomatoes- I had a large jar of canned diced tomatoes from our garden that I used
2 Tbl tomato paste
Fresh herbs: Basil, Parsley,Sage, Rosemary
8 cloves of garlic
1/2 C white cooking wine- you could also use red, if I had Marsala wine on hand, I would have used that
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400, salt and pepper your chicken.

Melt oil and butter in a large pan, brown chicken on both sides, about 2 minutes. Remove chicken from pan, and add cooking wine; scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the bits up. Cook for one minute, then add the tomatoes, with their juice and the paste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and turn off heat. Add plenty of fresh herbs, and the 8 cloves of garlic. Add the chicken and transfer to a baking dish (covered) and cook for one hour.

Remove from oven, and take the lid off. In the meantime, cook pasta to al dente. Drain pasta and add to a large serving dish. Check the sauce, if it is too thin, you can a bit more paste to thicken it up.

To serve, place pasta on a plate, add chicken with sauce over the top, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley!

Linking up to:
Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Birthday Party!

2010-04-25T17:30:00.003-05:00

My sweet (it pained me to write this part, she isn't on my good side right now) Emma Jo turned 7 last Friday. We had been counting down the days to her birthday since February, so I was a teeny tiny bit excited that her day had finally come! We had her little girlfriends over for a 2 hour party on Saturday. Boy, was I glad that we only did two hours, having 9 girls and one boy was enough! When the girls got here, we opened presents first. After the three minutes (lol) of that, I had the girls sit down for a craft. I had purchased foam bulletin boards that were circle shaped. I laid out several kinds of paper and once they picked out their favorite paper, I cut out a circle with my Cricut machine and they pasted it on. I also had several flower stickers they put on and at the end of the party I printed out pictures of the whole group so they could paste that on the bulletin board. They turned out very cute!

Of course my favorite part of the party was the CAKE!!!
This was my first time using fondant, and let me tell you, I cannot wait to use it again! Very easy to make and easy to use.

Emma LOVED it! It was a little hard to cut into it, with as much work went into it!! I made a boxed chocolate cake, but then used my all time fave Pioneer Woman's frosting for the filling and the crumb coat. Delicious!

We played one game which was pass the present. We played music, and everyone passed the present around, whoever had it when the music stopped, they opened one layer of wrapping paper (I had wrapped it with 8 different layers). Whoever ended up unwrapping the present at the end got to keep it, the girls thought that was such a blast! At the end of the party, I did a scavenger hunt to find the girls' treat bags which were filled with scrapbooking supplies. I was able to find crown shaped chipboard scrapbooks for .25!!!

Besides my two fighting and making me crazy, it was a wonderful party!

Linking to:

Today's Creative Blog

Indian Chicken Korma

2010-04-19T16:15:00.003-05:00

I love, love, love trying new recipes. Truly, I do, and probably make 3-4 new ones a week. However, if you ever see me in a restaurant, 98% of the time you will find me eating a burger and fries. I don't want to have to PAY for something I don't like, so I usually keep it simple. I will actually get made fun of if I order something different. True story.

Now, at home I will try anything. So, in one of my Taste of Home magazines, I found this recipe for Chicken Korma and thought I would give it a try. I thought it was AMAZING!!! Definitely comfort food for me, I loved the cinnamon and curry flavors and how well it meshed with the chicken. The only change I made was that I used sweet potatoes instead of white, only because that was all I had. I LOVED it with the sweet potatoes.

Chicken Korma

1 large sweet potato

1 large onion, chopped

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

3 whole cloves (I omitted these because I don't like them:)

1 Tbl canola oil

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp. minced fresh gingerroot

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 tsp. salt

1/2 c. sour cream

hot cooked rice

Place sweet potato in boiling water and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until tender. In a large skillet, saute the onion, cinnamon, bay leaf in oil until onion is tender. Add the chicken, garlic, curry and ginger; cook and stir one minute longer. Stir in the tomatoes, salt and potato.

Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from heat; Discard cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and cloves. Stir in sour cream, serve with rice.

Linking up to:

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Tasty Tuesday

Weekend Treasures

2010-04-18T21:02:00.008-05:00

We had a gorgeous weekend full of sun and fun! It was so nice to hang out at home with NO (and I mean no) plans. I will enjoy these as they come, because as soon as summer hits, it seems to be non stop on the weekends. Not that I'm complaining, mind you.

On Saturday, Rachel and I went to the Grande Depot which is a home decor/gourmet foods type of place. It's the kind of place that when you open the doors, you hear the angels singing. Until you realize it's just Muzak piped outside. Oh well. So Rachel and I head in, looking for nothing in particular, but have some birthday money to spend. Yippee!! I found this spice rack in the clearance section for $16. It was a light oak color that I promptly spray painted black and distressed the edges. I love it when your daughter sees something she likes and then exclaims how she can just spray paint it different! I also found the spice bottles for $2 a piece. And no, I won't leave them this way, silly! I plan on wrapping them with ribbon and creating tags for them. I needed something for my dining room table, but didn't want anything big. I had a vase ($1.75 at Crafts Direct) on hand that I hot glued some ribbon and paper flowers on, and added rock from the side of our house and fake flowers that I got on clearance. I love how this turned out, especially since I am soooooo not ok with fake flowers. Don't know why, I have just never gotten into them.

We also finally bought curtains for our patio door, it is amazing how much it completes a room! I have more pics to post (soon to come), a couple other things I bought, and an amazing sign that I got from my Mom for my birthday.

Linking up to:

Metamorphosis Monday

Thrifty Treasures
It's So Very Cheri

Let's Eat Cake!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-04-14T14:12:00.002-05:00

Birthday cake, that is! I need your best-ever chocolate-whatever cake recipes!!! Tomorrow is my birthday (35) and I want to make myself a cake. I looooooove chocolate and caramel and yummy buttercream filling and frosting and everything!! So, would you be so kind as to send me your absolute to-die-for recipes??!!

P.S. I'll be spending my time cleaning up my basement that flooded. AGAIN. Grrrr....

Sunbutter Pancakes

2010-04-11T09:03:00.006-05:00

Every Tuesday morning is pancake morning for breakfast (remember I do daycare and must.have.schedules.), so I am always on the lookout for new pancake recipes. I found this one on (ta-da!) allrecipes.com. These pancakes go down on my list of fave cakes. They are light, fluffy and the kind that melt-in-your-mouth.

These were supposed to be peanut butter, but being that we have a nut allergy in the family, I improvised with sunbutter. We give these two thumbs up!

Sunbutter Pancakes

1 C. flour
2 Tbl. sugar
1 1/2 Tbl. baking powder
1 large egg
1/3 C. sunbutter
1 C. milk
2 Tbl canola oil

Whisk together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk egg and sunbutter, add milk and oil and add to dry ingredients.

Linking up to:

Tasty Tuesday

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Need Bloggy Help!

2010-04-09T10:10:00.001-05:00

Ok ladies, I need your help. I want to categorize my recipes on my blog so that you see them on the sidebar. How exactly do I do this? I know I have to add the label gadget, but then what? Help! Please??

Crockpot Overnight Oatmeal

2010-04-09T09:40:00.004-05:00

My girls love oatmeal, but it's usually the instant packet kind, not that there is anything horrible about it, but I would prefer it to be the homemade kind. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and decided to try it out and oh.my.gracious. It is SO delicious and full of flavor! I put it in the crockpot around 9:30 the night before and it was perfect at 6:00 in the morning. If you've never tried steel cut outs, now is the time, it has a different texture than the traditional oatmeal and mixed with the apples and cranberries makes it all that much better. Now, I modified this to our liking, I used whole milk and eliminated the nuts (my girls aren't big nut fans).

Overnight Oatmeal
2 cups steel cut oats
2 cups diced apples
1 cup dried cranberries
3 cups water
1 cup milk
1 Tbl cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp butter

Combine ingredients in your slow cooker, set on low and let cook overnight!

Verdict? Delicious! Alayna and Emma loved it, Rachel didn't think there was much flavor. I will absolutely be making this again:)

Cash For Candy!

2010-04-05T20:50:00.002-05:00

Every yeeeaaaarrrr we deal with candy over load. Seriously, it starts in October and lasts through Easter. No lie. I get so tired of arguing over how many pieces of candy they can have. So, today I decided to bribe them. I said I would give them 10 cents for every piece of candy they gave me. Those little turkeys made me broke! Emma made $6, Rachel $5.50 (that was a bit of an issue, she thought she would make more...) and Alayna shelled out $4 worth! Besides making momma happy tossing the candy, it was a great math lesson for them, counting all that change! Although they tried their best to get me to give them 10 cents for EACH m&m, silly girls. Momma ain't that dumb...

Slow Cooked Beef Fajitas

2010-04-05T19:49:00.005-05:00

After enjoying authentic Mexican food for a whole week, I knew I needed to find some good recipes to make at home. Especially after realizing that mailing guacamole and pico de gallo wouldn't be an option (insert grumble here). I was so taken away with the food at our resort. Authentic, gourmet, delicious Mexican food. So, I immediately tried a new guacamole recipe and promptly threw it away (faaaar too much lime juice, very bitter). Bummer. Then I tried a pico de gallo recipe that just didn't cut it. Crud.

Feeling a bit of an after-vacation let down, I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. It is made in the slow cooker which works PERFECT for me! And the Mexican Rice is so tasty with the fajitas, even the girls loved it!

Slow-Cooked Steak Fajitas

1 (1 1/2 pound) beef flank steak
1 can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, undrained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium green pepper, julienned
1 Tbl. fresh minced cilantro
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 Tbl water
flour tortillas, sour cream, salsa

Thinly slice steak across the grain into strips; place in 5 qt. slow cooker. Add tomatoes, garlic, cumin, chili powder and salt. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours. Add onion, peppers and cilantro Cover and cook 1-2 hours longer or until meat is tender.

Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until slightly thickened. Fill tortilla up with meat mixture, sour cream and salsa.

And just for the record, this picture doesn't do it justice, lol!

Linking to:
Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Crockpot Wednesday

Happy April Fool's Day!

2010-04-01T17:27:00.004-05:00

This is what the kiddos enjoyed for snack today..."meatloaf" and "kool-aid". The meatloaf is actually a rice crispy bar (made out of cocoa crispy cereal) and a fruit leather on top. The kool-aid is jello, hee-hee!! Unfortunately the kids are getting to wise for me, and rolled their eyes and sighed. However, when Rachel came home from school she asked if I had anything up my sleeves (yes, Kleenexes for this darn sinus infection) and I said no, that I had been too sick. I think she sulked for a minute before realizing that I DID have something up my sleeve:)

Oh the fun of trickery....

Can I Whine??

2010-03-29T17:43:00.002-05:00

Look at this picture. This sweet, adorable, sleeping face. Precious, isn't it?

Yes, it is, until she wakes up. And before I even get started... No Dad, I was not like this as a child, and yes Mom, I realize she is a perfect little angel for you. Seriously.

So please tell me why she is hell on wheels for me? Ugh, she is the most whiniest, energy sucking child I have ever met. Well ok, maybe not, but of my 3 kids she is! I try to remember my Mom's words, "enjoy these years, they go by so fast!!". And I do try, but dealing with the 300th tantrum because she cannot wear a swimsuit and red socks with no shoes outside (it's only 50 degrees out), wears me out.

Help??!!!

The Most Heavenly Fudge Sauce You Will Ever Eat!

2010-03-28T09:22:00.006-05:00

This is my sweet little Emma with her Curious George animal from school (each child gets to take George home for the weekend and then they write about it:) eating what one might coin,
"THE chocolate sauce to add ten pounds on you instantly". Ok, but in a good way, K? Really, it's that good. 'Nuff said.

Heavenly Fudge Sauce (recipe from my Dad)

1 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1/4 c. butter (well, or margarine, but I say butter)
1 1/2 c. confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt chocolate and butter in a saucepan. Whisk in sugar and salt alternately with milk; bring almost to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour into a bowl and let cool. This really soooooo yummy!!

Linking up to:

Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Crockpot Wednesday

I'm in Love With Pioneer Woman!

2010-03-25T13:38:00.005-05:00

Truly. I feel like I know her, like maybe she's going to call me up and invite me over for coffee. Ya know, Cara and Ree sippin a little latte while creating new recipes. Oh, to dream...
But in all honesty, her recipes are sooooooo good, the kind of good that when you take a bite, your eyes roll into the back of your head in shear pleasure.

I found her recipe for Chicken Scallopine and new I had to try it. Now, our family loved this recipe, but I also want to throw out that it has a strong lemony/heavy taste to it. Very different. But ohhhh did we gobble it up!

Chicken Scallopine

Linguine
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
flour
2 Tbl olive oil
4 Tbl butter
12 ounces white mushrooms, sliced thin
1 C dry white wine
chicken broth (optional)
1 whole lemon
1/2 C. half and half
1 tsp capers (I didn't use these)
chopped fresh parsley
grated Parmesan cheese (the real stuff, people, not the Kraft kind!)

Prepare linguine as directed.

PW calls for flattening the chicken breasts, but I just took 3 breasts and sliced them in half lengthwise. Salt and pepper both sides and dredge in flour. Heat butter and olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Fry chicken breasts until golden brown, remove from pan and keep warm.

Toss mushrooms into pan, and and add wine and chicken broth, squeeze the juice of one lemon into the pan and deglaze the pan, cook vigorously for one minute.

Pour in cream and stir, add capers (optional) and parsley. Turn off heat and add salt pepper to taste.

Place a heaping pile of noodles on your plate, chicken next to it and add sauce to both. I finished it up with some fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese. Absolutely divine!

PW: That's The Best Frosting I've Ever Had!!!

2010-03-22T13:35:00.003-05:00

My incredible, bright, beautiful first born has turned 9. *sigh*. Which, in case you didn't know, means she'll be twenty in a couple years. *sigh*. Truly, I know it's so cliche to say "my, where has the time gone???" But really, I would love to know. I was going through some old pics on the computer and can't believe it seemed like it was yesterday that we brought her home, not having a clue as to what we were supposed to do with her!

Her birthday was the 14th of March, and we celebrated her birthday with husband's family. Rachel isn't one for cake, as she doesn't like frosting. So I have tried several recipes for frosting with no winner so far. Saturday I was browsing the all wonderful Pioneer Woman's blog and found a recipe for frosting that looked intriguing. The title says it all, "That's The Best Frosting I've Ever Had". And let me tell you, it is!! Rachel raved about it and told me I have to keep that recipe. It's light, fluffy and has just the right sweetness (although licking all the frosting off the beaters still gave me a stomachache). The recipe is for white icing, so I added 1/4 C cocoa (per a suggestion from one of the comments) to make it chocolate. DELISH!!

Rachel's theme this year is animals, next week for her kid birthday party we are going to the local animal shelter to volunteer. For that cake, she wants a kitty. Now I just need to find a cute way to make a kitty out of a paper lunch bag. Any ideas? Instead of giving out treat bags, I will have a note in there that says we donated items to the shelter in their name. Who needs more crappy candy and poisoned toys anyway, right??!!

Hamburger and Sweet Potato Casserole

2010-03-17T14:28:00.003-05:00

With doing daycare, I find that I make a lot of casseroles (or hot dishes:) for the kids. Makes it much easier to get the nutrition they need in one meal. One of the kids' favorites is this casserole I came up with when I didn't have regular potatoes. It has become my number one comfort food, as it's creamy, with a hint of sweetness to it!

Sweet Potato Casserole

1 lb. hamb browned with onions
1-2 sweet potatoes (depending on size)
1-2 large carrots chopped
4-5 Tbl butter
4-5 Tbl flour
1 clove garlic
milk

To make the white sauce, melt the butter in saucepan. For a casserole like this, I usually use 5 Tbl butter, but adjust to your liking. Add minced garlic and cook for a few seconds, add flour, cook for a minute or so and add milk so the sauce is the right consistency. I would guess I add a half a cup? Maybe? Add hamb and sweet potatoes, mix all together and bake covered at 350 degrees until sweet potatoes are soft.

Enjoy!

Hola!

2010-03-16T14:16:00.002-05:00

I am back. Vacation was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. I can't even tell you how amazing it was. Weather was perfect, resort was incredible, food was amazing...ahhhhh....Truly incredible.

The girls were wonderful for all the Grandparents (at least that's what they tell me, lol) and I am soooooo happy to be home! It was the perfect amount of time to be away and feel renewed and refreshed. So, back into blogging I come and I have some awesome recipes to share in the next few days!!

Adios!

2010-03-05T13:43:00.002-06:00

Ohhhhh I have been very, very bad with posting and I apologize. I have been so busy getting things ready as we leave TOMORROW!!!!! for Mexico. Seven days of warm, sandy beaches and yummy fruity drinks served by bulky tanned waiters......Sorry, got a little ahead of myself. I am looking forward to this time away, although feeling very guilty about leaving our kids:(

So, I will be back in 8 days or so and will post some pics and get back into regular posting mode!!!

Spring Cleaning Has Arrived!

2010-02-21T21:01:00.004-06:00

I have been bitten by the bug, the Spring cleaning bug, that is. It has consumed my every thought and spare moment. It all started a couple weeks back when Brad and I finally decided to clean and organize the basement. When we built our house, the 4th level became the breeding ground for all our junk! And I will refrain from saying much about the little friends that gathered in our basement...Ahem....Anyhoo, problem is solved:)

I still need to get some after pics of the basement to post. However, I sat down and made a list of every room in the house, and what needs to be done in it. One area that drove me MAD was our entryway closet. Our entryway isn't huge, but it carries it's purpose. The closet however, was not. I was so sick and tired of organizing shoes every.single.day. I had three wicker baskets that were all different colors, and no organization at all.

I was inspired by Ashley from Shanty2Chic when she made this adorable basket for blankets. My wheels started turning! (First off I completely forgot to get a before pic, bummer.) So, I spray painted the baskets with Rustoleums Heirloom White. Next I found some unfinished wooden signs that I painted white, then wiped a glaze over, cut out some letters with my Cricut machine and mod podged them on. I sorted out all of our hats/gloves and Brad's hunting stuff.

We also needed something for shoes, Brad was tired of his dress shoes getting dirty from having other shoes laid on top. We ended up finding a shoe organizer at Target on sale for $9.99!

It looks 150% better than it did, trust me! It feels so good to have a section of your house organized, now, will it stay this way??

Linking to:

Metamorphosis Monday

Made It Mondays

Make It for Monday
DIY Showoff

Do It Yourself Day
The Girl Creative
Fingerprints on the Fridge

Season of Lent

2010-02-18T13:07:00.002-06:00

I can't believe the season of Lent is already upon us. I love this time of year, as it really forces me to slow down, and reflect on what Lent is really about. Every year I ponder on what to give up (although I think "giving up" something is technically a Catholic thing) as I feel it is important to sacrifice something you love in honor of Jesus' sacrifices for us.

Last year I reluctantly gave up chocolate. I know , I know, you're all thinking ARE YOU STUPID??!! I heard that a lot. But, wasn't that the point? To give up something you love? Absolutely, but I do feel that there are exceptions to that rule, first one being that nothing should be gained for giving something up. Yes, that's right, gained. I gained 8 pounds giving up chocolate, mainly because I would eat any and everything else that was sweet. *sigh*.

This year I decided to give up Facebook. ACK!!! I love Facebook, it is my "social hour" for me, when the kids are napping (and early in the morning, and when the kids are in bed, lol). I don't play any of the games, I just like seeing what everyone is up to. I have also decided to stay off the computer a little more. I think that checking out everyone's blogs and ideas just overwhelm me, I see all these cool projects that I want to do, and then get overwhelmed because I want to do them all! I am still going to check out everyone's posts, and will still be posting myself, but I am going to limit my time.

Yesterday I spent an hour reading the Bible, and felt so good about that. Now if I could just keep this going all year round instead of once a year. Wouldn't that be wonderful??!! And I'm sorry, but whomever said that doing something for 21 days becomes a habit is full of beans. Living without chocolate for 40 days just made me want it more!

So, with all of that, my prayer for each of you is that you would take some time to reflect on this special time of year and really take the time to sloooooow down.

Much love,

The Computer Savvy Mama is Back!!!

2010-02-15T13:53:00.002-06:00

I tell ya, if anyone has any sort of computer glitches, just call me, I was able to fix my connection after a week of really not having one. Want to know how I did it? I know you're thinking that I somehow hacked into my server and re-configured some secret codes, right??!! Well sorry to disappoint but that wasn't quite it, want to know? Weeeeeeel, ok. I turned my modem around. Seriously. It was backwards. *sigh* Can you believe that??!! Man did I feel like a heel. I was all ready to call up my internet people and chew them a new one (ok, that isn't really what I would have done, but still!). So thankfully I didn't make a complete fool of myself, and am now happily catching up!

Grrrrr.....

2010-02-11T06:17:00.001-06:00

I apologize for not posting much, last week was crazy busy, and now since last Friday my internet connection is very spotty. It seems to only work early in the morning, ugh. I will be back to normal soon.....

Valentine Door Hanging

2010-02-04T13:10:00.002-06:00

Last year brought the loss of both my Grandma's, who were both incredible people. Since their deaths, I have been fortunate enough to get lots of things from them. Whenever I get a bug to craft, I stop on over to the "Zimmer Antique Shop", AKA, the basement:) With all of these adorable felt wreaths all over blogland, I decided to make one of my own.

To start with, I grabbed one of my Grandma Omi's cake pans that I wasn't sure what to do with. I spray painted it in Rust-oleum's Heirloom White, it took a couple of coats (and just a reminder to have PLENTY of newspaper on the garage floor so you don't end up with white spray paint on said floor:).

I had purchased 4 yards of a pink felt material that was on clearance to make the girls sleeping bags for their American Girl dolls. Since I have such wonderful math skills, I was left with 3 yards of fabric. I traced circles onto the fabric and cut them out, it only took me two hours and gave me severely cramped hands, but hey??!!

I shot a dab of hot glue in the middle of the circle, and scrunched it up to dry. While that dried, I cut a big circle out of some Valentine scrapbook paper I had on hand, and glued that to the center of the pan. I happened to have the Z already, that was spray painted black and distressed. Glued that to the center also. Then I hot glued the scrunched circles all the way around the pan and added a decorative ribbon (that I also had on hand) to the top. It hangs on my front door, and I LOVE that I think of my Grandma every time I see it!!

Musings of a Three Year Old....

2010-01-26T15:27:00.002-06:00

So today Alayna comes up from quiet time and sits down on the couch with me. She looks up lovingly in my eyes and says.....

"Mommy, can I noise? (Her word for "nurse", and she has been weaned for a year and a half)

"Ummm, no, sweetie, remember nursies are for babies? You're a big girl now."

She looks down all disappointed and says, "then can I have pa-coin (popcorn)?"

Ohhh, the precious things they say. It always cracks me up that she will still ask once in awhile:)