Soggy Toad

Baking Breakfast

2012-02-17T09:49:00.001-08:00

Today I have been stocking the freezer with breakfast goodies and I thought I would share the recipes :)

Whole Wheat Fig Muffins

I used all white whole wheat flour, and coconut oil instead of canola, and I omitted the oat topping.

Lemon-Raspberry Muffins

Using coconut oil in place of canola and all white whole wheat flour

Sorta Scones with Chocolate chips

Honey whole-wheat sandwich bread

I don't have a bread maker but the comments below the post are full of tips to bake this bread without out. I placed the yeast and melted honey into the measuring cup of water and allowed it to poof up for about 5 minutes, meanwhile I mixed the flour and salt with my kitchen aid. Then using the dough hook I added the oil and wet ingredients to the flour and let the mixer beat away at it till it was smooth and elastic (about 6 minutes or so). I let that rise in an oiled and towel covered bowl for about an hour and a half, then punched it down and placed it into my loaf pan to rise for about 45 minutes. Then I baked it at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. YUM! It sliced super easy.

Happy Valentines Day

2012-02-15T05:25:00.003-08:00

Ganache...

Cream and chocolate = Amazing!

I love taking a freshly baked cake

and mixing it with the ganache. It just seems like something you'd never do :)

I made a Chocolate Sour Cream Cake with a few changes- coconut oil instead of shortening, unbleached white whole wheat flour, plain yogurt instead of sour cream and dark coco powder.

I then followed these instructions for the prep.

This mixture is very easy to mold into whatever shape you'd like.

I placed the cake in the freezer for about an hour and then topped it with the remaining ganache. While it was in the refrigerator setting up I made the;

Whipped Cream

1 cup whipping cream, whipped to stiff peak consistency

3 TB powdered sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

The strawberries are simply sliced and placed on top. I also sprinkled the whipped cream with chopped almonds. This is one of my favorite desserts, and was wonderful to share with good friends this valentines day.

I was super surprised by my very sweet valentine with some garden starting goodies and a gift card to my favorite crafting indulgence :) That man knows me so well!

For Remembrance of Bruce Anthony Gabriel

2012-02-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

Sweet boy, you were with us for 15 days.... it was enough to make a huge impact on your Auntie's heart. I made 15 hats to give to your NICU, I prayed for each one of the babies these hats will go to.

One of your mommy's friends made a couple of hats too.

And your Great Grandma made 20!!

We love and miss you so very much Bruce!

Wonderful things we ate this week :)

2012-02-11T07:38:00.000-08:00

I have been learning a TON about whole foods and I have several goals this month. One has been to try new recipes and modify some of my favorites to incorporate whole foods.

We enjoyed the ease and awesome flavor of Cilantro Lime Chicken with Salsa Verde (one of the freezer meals I made last month), served with steamed baby spinach and Colonial Oatmeal Bread.

I also made some yummy and filling (but too spicy for the kids)...

Taco Soup
2 cups Taco chicken stock ;
(left over from another recipe- place in a crock pot on high for 4 hours; 1 lb chicken thighs, 1 can diced green chilies, 1/2 packet trader joes taco seasoning, and water to cover the chicken. I used the chicken for enchiladas and took the remaining broth and threw it in the freezer)
1 cup cooked diced chicken (I used the leftover grilled chicken)
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans

1 cup cooked brown rice (leftover from the batch of rice)

Simmer in the crock pot for about 4 hours on high and serve with chopped fresh cilantro, green onions, and a scoop of plain yogurt.

Homemade Granola Bars- I made mine with Bob's Red Mill Muesli in place of the oats. Yum!

Blueberry Raspberry Oat Grain Muffins -based off of this recipe, I used coconut oil instead of canola, white whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose, 1/2 cup of honey instead of brown sugar, a mixture of blueberries and raspberries, I also used 1/4 cup of yogurt whey and milk to equal the 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk.

Pistachio Chai Muffins I didn't have any pistachios so I called mine vanilla chai muffins :)

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes- I used applesauce instead of bananas and made half with blueberries and the other half with chocolate, they were moist and easy to cook, nice and fluffy too!

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
-12 washed and dried fresh strawberries
mix
-1 cup chocolate chips, melted
-1 tsp coconut oil
Dip strawberries in the chocolate and place on waxed paper,
finely chop
-2 TB almonds
sprinkle on the chocolate covered strawberries

Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until chocolate is hardened.

Enjoy!

Colonial Williamsburg

2012-02-06T14:50:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share some of our pictures from Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. It was so much fun!

Soggy has read the American Girl Felicity series and since it is all about Colonial Williamsburg and it's so close.... how could we not take advantage of such a wonderful teaching opportunity. I can't even tell you how much we learned. The shops with the actual tradesmen and women were my favorite.

Soggy at the back door of the Governor's Palace.

The kids really enjoyed the hedge maze at the Governor's Palace.

I loved watching this man make wool and cotton yarn. He also told me all about how they make it now. Such a contrast. I would love to learn how to spin my own wool.... but I think my husband would think I was crazy if I bought a spinning wheel!

Soggy loved taking pictures... here is one at the shoemaker's shop.

Petting the sheep.

Such a beautiful place! We certainly enjoyed being there without the crowds since this is the off season. It was wonderful watch Soggy see literature in action. We will definitely do so again.... hopefully she starts reading The Adventure's of Tintin next. Let's travel the world!

Meal Plan 1/25-1/31

2012-01-25T09:24:00.000-08:00

We just returned home from a trip to Colonial Williamsburg, VA. It was so much fun! We learned a whole lot from the shops and museums.

I'll be sure to post about that soon... for now I want to post this upcoming week's meal plan. I'm trying to figure out the best way to keep track of my meal planning. The refrigerator, a chalk board, a pinterest board, a notebook???? I'm not sure yet. For this week I'm posting the recipes here so that I have a complete link list and instructions for how to do some of the new things I want to try (like soaking beans). So here's what's we have on the menu...

Wednesday-

Chicken Enchiladas,

I put some frozen chicken thighs, a can of green chilies, and a 1/2 packet of Trader Joes taco seasoning in the crock pot on high for 4 hours so that I won't have to fuss with cooking the chicken and I can assemble the enchiladas this afternoon and put them in the refrigerator. That way when we get home from AWANA all I have to do is make some rice to serve with it and throw the preped enchiladas in the oven for 30 minutes.

Here's the recipe I'm trying...

Chicken Enchiladas

1 lb seasoned cooked and shredded chicken (see above)

1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

10 oz chopped spinach (thawed and patted dry if frozen)

8 whole wheat flour tortillas

16 oz salsa verde

2 cups pepper jack or sharp cheddar cheese

Mix; seasoned chicken, chopped spinach and yogurt together in a bowl.

Place; filling on tortillas, roll them up and place in a pan seam side down.

Pour: Salsa verde over tortillas and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake: for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Thursday-

Instant Chicken Parmesan

28 oz jar of spaghetti sauce
4-6 frozen breaded "chicken" patties (I use morningstar veggie patties)
4-6 slices provolone cheese
1-2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Spread sauce in 9'-13' pan; arrange patties on top. Place a slice of provolone cheese on each patty; sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake, at 350 degrees for 20 min, broil for about 3-5 minutes to brown the cheese. serves 4-6

Great over pasta. I usually toss the cooked noodles with; olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and some grated parmesan cheese. Yummy!

Friday

BBQ Chicken Pizza This is one of the meals I made and froze last week! It's part of the once a month cooking I mentioned before and will post about soon.

Saturday

Breakfast for dinner

Sunday

Whole Roasted Chicken, rice, fresh steamed spinach or artichokes

Monday

Chipotle Chili Chicken and Black Bean Soup, and Four Grain Batter Bread

To make the soup I'll be sprouting the black beans (a process beginning 3 days prior, why, how) and using the leftover chicken pieces from Sunday's meal. I will also make crock pot chicken stock with the bones from Sunday's chicken.

Tuesday

Sprouted Lentil Tacos (also requiring 3 days prior sprouting)

A few other things I want to make this week...

Whole Grain Cheese crackers, Chewy Oatmeal Cookies, Whole Grain Breakfast Cookies

Chocolate Pecan Date Bars

2012-01-18T12:04:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe to make a date bar similar to "Larabars" (which are super yummy). I imagine you could really play around with the recipe to make it your own. The one I saw on a Facebook comment was;

1/2 c cashews
3/4 c dates
Splash of vanilla

Blend all of the above thoroughly in a food processor. Pour mixture onto a cutting board and press together. Cut into small bars. That's it!

Here are a few other combinations...

Pecans
Dates
Coco powder

Cashews
Dates
Dried blueberries

Since I can't just leave a recipe as is, this is what I made....

-1 1/2 c dates
-3/4 c pecans (lightly roasted in 1tsp butter)
1 tsp stevia
1/4 c dark cocoa powder

This is what it looks like all blended up..

and then pressed...

and cut into a cute little bar.

I'm going to try a coffee flavored one next :) probably, dates, almonds, cashews, coffee beans, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Sounds yummy... I'll post how much of what I used if it turns our ok.

Coconut Oil

2012-01-13T15:20:00.000-08:00

One of the most important and simple changes I'm making with our food is fat.

Our bodies really need the right kinds of fat;
to be able to absorb certain vitamins and minerals
for cellular construction
to achieve a feeling of fullness
and for energy

Check out this article "The Skinny on Fats" for more great information about fats.

So no more canola oil (I knew vegetable oil wasn't the greatest but I had no idea canola oil was in the same category) and incorporating coconut oil.... is something I'd never even considered.

Keep in mind that I'm still pantry purging the processed foods we currently have.

I have to share today's discovery....

Coconut Oil in brownies! Oh my goodness! Yum!

I know I'll have to be more creative after the mixes are gone, but for now I think using coconut oil instead of vegetable oil and whey in place of water is a slight improvement. Knowing that I do have a sweet tooth I am dreading eliminating sugar. The good thing is that there are some great resources out there for better ways to sweeten it up every now and then. I'm also fairly good at changing recipes to meet my families needs. For now I'm going to enjoy this.... don't worry I'm sharing :)

I love bags!

2012-01-13T13:41:00.000-08:00

It's true.
I love purses, totes, luggage, backpacks, diaper bags, even those nifty toiletry bags. I enjoy neat and purposeful pockets, clean lines, cute patterns, and simplicity. I can't go shopping without looking at some type of bag. Thankfully I've discovered how simple it is to make my own, and how fun it is to make it just right for me. But, I'm still learning.

This is the bag that I've been toting around.

Although I love it, the fact that this bag only has one pocket inside.... one, lonely little pocket, is definitely an issue. I mean the keys, the phone, and the chap-stick can't coexist in the same pocket! The keys will (have) scratch(ed) the phone, and the chap-stick is kinda risky, what with it's goo and all. Yet, if I just drop them into big part of the bag the'll get lost in there.
One pocket. It's just not ok.

The other bag issue I am having is knitting. I usually grab my knitting and take it along whenever I think I might have to wait for something. It's been in this bag....

I made it specifically for our Fourth of July outings... I know that sounds silly, but I always wanted a cute bag to hold our firework watching snacks and a blanket. This bag was it. But, for all other purposes it's not really my style. It too only has one lonely pocket, don't get me started with the problems knitting needles and yarn have with a coexisting pocket.

I decided a new purse/ knitting bag solution were needed. I've been looking around and have found several ideas. I used this pattern and browsed etsy for ideas to create my own knitting bag/ purse. Currently I'm trying it out as both. If it seems like too much this will simply become my knitting bag.

I love the duck material, and the pattern is pretty simple.

I'm also really happy that the bottom of the bag is strong and reinforced. Though the pattern didn't call for it I added a piece of interfacing along the bottom for a little more weight.

You can see how this might be needed when your carrying all of this...

For now it holds everything my purse and knitting bag held.

I divided the inside into two sections. I made several pockets for my knitting needles, and other supplies... and you can't see it in the picture, but there is also a tall narrow pocket (along the right side) for longer needles. Oh and a short pocket on the non-knitting side too.

It's a pretty big bag and I'm not sure what I want to do with the top yet... I don't really like the way it flops.

BUT and I LOVE the (3) external pockets. Now my keys, phone, and chap-stick can all have their own space :)

Biking

2012-01-11T07:44:00.000-08:00

We have been really enjoying some trail biking lately. It's so fun to watch the kids go through things that I feel intimidated by. Seriously, if my 4 and 6 year old hadn't just flown up that hill... I would probably get off my bike and push. They inspire me.

I love spending time with them outside. The freedom they have in the woods, is unlike any they can experience anywhere else.

Absolutely beautiful!

Healthified Amish Friendship Bread

2012-01-11T07:11:00.000-08:00

Diving right into my new quest- whole foods, I tried to make a healthier version of Amish Friendship Bread. It turned out wonderful and now sits, all portioned out, in my freezer for a great addition to breakfast or a snack.

So here's my recipe-

Melt
2 TB butter
2 TB coconut oil
And set aside to cool

Mix
3 TB water and 1TB ground flax seed
And set aside ( this is equivalent to one egg in the recipe/ if you do not have flax, you can just use another (3total) egg)

Mix
2 cups of Amish Friendship Bread starter
1/4 cup Whey (fm my strained yogurt, if you do not have whey, you can use milk)
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 TB brown sugar or honey
1/2 cup applesauce

Add
butter, coconut oil and flax mixture to wet ingredients.

In another bowl mix
2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon

Add dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir just until moist. Pour into 2 buttered bread pans or 8" square baking pans ( more like a coffee cake)
And sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

There's a TON of great info about Amish Friendship Bread out there... here is a link I enjoyed.

Whole Foods

2012-01-11T06:59:00.000-08:00

One of my new years resolutions is to gradually transition our family to a whole foods diet. There are all sorts of ways to look at this and I think each family has their own mix of needs and tastes that make up their diets. I'm trying to figure out the whole foods picture I want for our family. Learn more about whole food diets here.

What types of processed foods can we eliminate? What types of traditional foods can we incorporate? Where are we already? What do we really struggle with? There is so much information out there about foods and nutrition. Some of this information is scientific fact and some of it is theory. I'm a bit overwhelmed but super excited.

I just dove into the book "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon, and I know I have to give this further thought. The aforementioned book was sighted in many of the web resources I found regarding home made yogurt and the uses for whey from yogurt. So far..., I am enjoying the thorough nutrition discussion and the wonderful simple methods to making my very own traditional and whole foods for our family. To help me along this journey I'm following a blog challenge on Once A Month Mom (more to come about once a month cooking soon) its called "Get Real 2012".

This month is pantry purge. I've learned a lot from this.....
One- we eat a whole lot more processed food than I thought.
Two - I can be a pretty creative cook and have been using it up fairly testily.
Three- my husband loves to stockpile when he shops because we have collections of several things, some of which I will be trying like crazy to never buy again (syrup- it's total high fructose corn syrup aka it ruins my home made pancakes)

I hope to share this journey here on my blog as an accountability partner as well as a way to share what I am learning, oh and to vent, because I see some frustration in this process... It might be hard to say goodbye to some things, but when they are gone, I probably won't miss them.

Good n' Clean

2012-01-05T07:31:00.000-08:00

I've been cleaning lots of things in my house with vinegar and baking soda for a long time, but somehow I've missed out on the rest of the home made cleaning goodies until now (thank you pinterest).

Why would I make the effort to make my own cleaners? It's simple really

- My skin, eyes, and lungs are sensitive to chemically cleaners.

- I'm trying to teach my kids how to help clean things I I don't want to give them anything that might hurt them.

-We now have kittens that I'm trying to keep happy and healthy.

-When you use essential oils the entire house smells amazing, fresh, and clean- without burning your lungs!

-I enjoy it :) As my hubby says- I've got "hippie" tendencies. Instead of drudgery... I actually look forward to cleaning, weird.

More reasons to use natural cleaners

Rather than repeating all of the great advice out there I'll post a few links that I found helpful and tell you what recipes I've been using for what, and the ones that didn't work.

Huge list of recipes (haven't tried them all but the "Oven Cleaner" did not work... just made a mess)

This tub scrub is amazing stuff!

Yummy smelling and feeling (on my poor dry hands) wood polish, be sure to apply a thin coat.

Drain cleaner method that works like a charm.

This carpet freshener makes the whole house smell great (I like rosemary).

I still have to try this homemade dishwasher detergent, or this one, and laundry soap.

This is by far my favorite list of cleaner recipes. I use her all purpose cleaning solution daily (the one with more power keeps outside the refrigerator since there's no lemon) , the room spray (Vodka? Who would have thought right?) works well too.

To clean my pergo ish floor I fill the sink 1/3 of the way with hot water and add, 1/2c vinegar, a few drops of castile soap and rosemary oil ( do not put more than a few drops or your floor will have a film)

To clean my walls and cupboard I fill the sink 1/3 of the way with hot water, 1/2c vinegar, and a 1TB castile soap, and a few drops of tea tree oil.

As long as I keep the following on hand I can usually whip up most of the recipes...

vinegar

baking soda

castile soap

lemon juice

olive oil

essential oils- tea tree, rosemary, tangerine

borax

spray bottles & a funnel

If you use homemade cleaners please let me know what your favorite tricks are. :)

Tasty Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken

2012-01-04T11:43:00.001-08:00

I tried to find a recipe to match what I had in my head for dinner last night but I didn't find it... So I came up with my own....

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken

Butterfly 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts into equal sized pieces. (I ended up with 8)

For the filling mix;
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
4 oz Feta
and set aside

Whisk;
1 egg
1/2 cup milk (I substituted about half with yogurt whey)
and set aside
Spread breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and set aside.

Begin stuffing your chicken...

Place feta spinach mix on chicken and fold in half (you could secure it with a toothpick, but I liked it better without)

Dip the stuffed chicken into the egg mixture and then the breadcrumbs and place in a buttered pan.

Repeat with remaining chicken pieces drizzle with 2 TB melted butter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Broil for 5 minutes more to brown the tops.

I was very happy with the result and we will definitely be making this again!

Breakfast Ready

2012-01-03T17:13:00.001-08:00

I've really been slacking in the breakfast department lately. The cold cereal I've been serving my family has overstayed its welcome. Enter a few Wonderful Breakfast recipes....

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

Orange Cranberry Wheat Germ Muffins

Java Chocolate Smoothie Cups

Coconut Green Smoothie Cups

Flavored homemade yogurt

these are my newest discoveries...

Blueberry Raspberry
blend;
-1/4 cup, thawed blueberries
-1/4 cup, thawed raspberries
-2 TB (to your taste) sweetener (I used Agave Nectar)
whisk into 14 ish oz of strained home made/ plain yogurt and return to containers and refrigerate until ready to serve

For my family that prefers non-strained yogurt....

Vanilla
add
3 TB sweetener (I used sugar this time for the man of the house ;)
2 TB Pure Vanilla Extract
to
24 oz homemade/ plain yogurt and return to containers and refrigerate until ready to serve

Strawberry Banana
blend;
5, thawed strawberries
1, thawed banana
3 TB sweetener (I used honey this time)
whisk into 24 oz homemade/ plain yogurt and return to containers and refrigerate until ready to serve

And a few of my old favorites ( like; Banana-Carrot Muffins, &, Breakfast Cookies) to come after a trip to the store tomorrow.

Note: I froze all of the muffins in individual sized portions so that we can grab them as needed. To thaw you can pop them into the microwave for about 20 seconds OR you can let them thaw at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Oh and just so you know... the java chocolate cups are amazing!

My first sweater

2011-12-21T12:07:00.001-08:00

I did it! I made an actual article of clothing I can wear. I sort of followed the One Night Sweater pattern. I couldn't find size US 36 circular needles... That's like turkey baster size- seriously! I could only find 13s so I improvised.

I'm happy with the end result and it's very comfy.

Quick Scarves

2011-12-17T06:19:00.001-08:00

Each Friday morning I have the opportunity to meet with three other wonderful women for a Bible study. It has been a HUGE blessing to me. We are able to be honest about our struggles and needs and I have enjoyed feeling encouraged, supported, and covered with prayer. So when the time came for a Christmas dinner out I knew I wanted to make them something special.

The problem- it's December and I'm a crazy person who decides last minute to make gifts for everyone on my list. So I needed something special but fast.

Enter the patterns for these scarves.

The fist one is The Eleventh Hour Scarf, isn't it fun and chunky!

The second is a drop stitch pattern I modified a bit from some scarves I made a few years ago. I love how using slimmer yarn and smaller needles created a lace like look, very cool!

Yogurt Making

2011-12-13T06:46:00.000-08:00

I love that yogurt is so simple. It's milk, and a starter. Hard to believe when you look at the contents from most of the ones at the store. There are all sorts of additives.... even for plain yogurt. For a long time now we have been buying Dannon Plain because when you look at the ingredients it says.... milk, and live cultures. We are trying to move toward more whole foods, and including organic when possible. We eat a TON of yogurt, I think each family member enjoys one to two servings every single day. That can be expensive. Especially since I have a new found fondness for greek yogurt.... twice the protein, and twice the cost! I discovered that Greek yogurt is really just regular yogurt that has been strained. Fascinating! I've been wanting to make my own, but after the last time I tried to make yogurt I knew the only way I would be happy with it is if I had a yogurt maker. I guess when I wait 8 hours for something to incubate I want it to be perfect every time. Something that's hard to do with a towel and a heating pad.

I asked for a yogurt maker for Christmas, and I was so looking forward to it that I told a friend about it... a friend that had one that they weren't using... a friend that decided to give it to me. It just so happens to be the same one that arrived 2 days later from my wonderful husband. He decided that since I already knew about it I might as well be making double batches of yogurt (early Christmas gift for me!). SO 2 makers and 14 jars later I'm having a blast with the whole expedition. I definitely did some research first. People have all sorts of methods. Here are a few links; homemade greek yogurt, homemade yogurt recipe- 101 cookbooks, how to make homemade yogurt with and electric yogurt maker. I ended up using the method recommended in my yogurt maker's manual. I made the first batch with non-fat milk and the second with organic whole milk. I used Plain Dannon yogurt as my starter. Both came out nice and thick, though the whole milk batch is creamier.

While the yogurt was straining, I grabbed frozen strawberries and bananas and blended them with the food processor. After taking what I needed to flavor my current batch of yogurt, I scooped the rest into little paper cups, though you could use an ice cube tray as well. I put this in the freezer for later batches.

After the yogurt strained to my desired consistency (not nearly as long as some web sites recommended), I scooped some fruit, local honey, and my thickened yogurt back into the little jars.

It's a hit with everyone in my family and I love that I know exactly what they are getting :)

Because I strained my yogurt I have this other wonderful nutrient packed substance to use in breads, muffins, and smoothies... check out more uses for whey- here, here, and here.

Two more little hats

2011-11-28T17:21:00.001-08:00

Aren't these sweet!

Tasty Things

2011-11-21T17:48:00.001-08:00

I have been baking and cooking all sorts of new things lately. Pinterest has become an awesome source for new recipes (if you haven't checked it out yet... do, it's a great way to keep track of web inspiration). Here are some of the ones I've made over the past few weeks;

Slow-Cooker Chili Chicken Tacos (tonight's dinner... amazing!)
Pistachio Chai Muffins
Catie's Pumpkin Roll
Perfect French Bread
Overnight French Toast (perfect with leftover bread from the above recipe)
Delicious Dinner Rolls (seriously the best rolls I've ever made!)
Crockpot Pineapple Chicken
Flank Steak for Fajitas (this was soooooo good!)
Crockpot Applesauce
Peanut Butter and Nutella Swirl Cookies (who could ask for more right?)
Pumpkin Bread

As you may be able to tell from the above list... I got a new crock pot :) It's awesome! AND I'll be signing up to run the Shamrock Half Marathon in March. I'm sure you'll hear more about that in a few weeks when I begin training.

Possible Transfer To Do List

2011-11-17T18:30:00.001-08:00

We are a Coast Guard family.... meaning my husband is active duty USCG. He's been in the military for 10 years now (can I get a *whoot*whoot*!). We have been stationed in Kodiak, AK and now here in NC. Generally the good ole' CG transfers our family from one station to another every 4 years. It's hard to believe it, but we'll hit our 4th year this summer. That means we are "up for transfer". The idea of moving somewhere new isn't so bad.... it's the idea that we might have to leave that causes me issue. I know that's kinda the same thing but let me explain. I'm all about the adventure aspect of moving to a new place.... new activities to try, a new home, a new church, new friends. That's exciting! What I dread is leaving here behind; activities, home, church, friends. I have been praying for peace and neutrality for several months, and I have been sincerely trying to stay connected to what is here and enjoy it today... be in the moment. The hard part is waiting to find out. Do we stay or do we go? Only the detailer knows. Lame.

SO to occupy myself while I wait I have been trying to tackle the "We might have to sell the house in January, but then again we might not" list. It goes a little something like this;

-Wash all walls and touch up paint as needed
-Clean out and organize deep freezer and pantry
-Eat as much of what we have as possible
-De- clutter and organize every room/ closet in the entire house (as well as the garage and shed)
-Get rid of the above clutter (garage sale/ give it away)

These are all things I should probably do anyway and will simply enjoy wether or not we transfer... I guess I should call it the "Spring/ Fall cleaning" list... but seriously I have to be motivated to do such drastic things... I mean, washing walls? That's just over the top ;)

So far I have found some awesome web help for all of the above. I'll be sure to share the; great natural homemade cleaners, crock pot meals, once a month cooking, and organization ideas that have been helping me.

Be sure to say a little prayer for a smooth pre-transfer season for all of the military families out there :)

Little Elf Hat

2011-11-09T19:01:00.001-08:00

Find this sweet pattern here.

Amazingly Delish!

2011-11-08T08:08:00.000-08:00

I just have to share the recipes for what we had for dinner last night.

Perfect Pot Roast

Four Grain Bread

Enjoy!

2 + 2 = 4

2011-11-08T05:57:00.000-08:00

I've completed two more tiny hats!

The pattern for this one can be found here.

And this one here.

My goal is 15.... one for each day Bruce touched our lives.

Blue and green

2011-11-02T05:58:00.001-07:00

I finished a second hat a few days ago and I'm working on the third. These are really enjoyable to make. They are precious and super quick. It's also a great way to try new patterns. I'm also enjoying the prayerful aspect; trying to imagine the little one that will wear it and their family.

Striped Hat

2011-10-29T20:36:00.001-07:00

I finished my first preemie hat for our NICU. It's on an apple...

Knitting for Bruce

2011-10-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

As I learned first hand, the NICU is another world. Being an Auntie there was so hard.... I can only imagine what it's like to be a parent with a baby in the NICU. I imagine it's really, really, unimaginably hard. Our entire experience over the last few months has made me want to help. Big time. I thought and thought about what I can do, even while Bruce was still fighting for his life I had plans. There are so many little things that can make difference. Things that impacted my family.

Donating to the Ronald McDonald house is an amazing option, or Caringbridge. I also called the hospital to find out if we could donate snacks to the NICU waiting room at CHKD. Not an option due to regulations, but they will accept funding specified for that reason.

I need something tangible, something soaked with prayer.... something that would move me as a parent.

For me, it comes down to personalization. Watching Bruce, I felt like the tiny tiny person in the isolette was so disconnected from the family that loved and adored him. Think about it... you can't do all of the things mothers are supposed to be able to do.... feed, hold, kiss, clothe, and nurture your baby. You have to sit on the sidelines and watch while the nurses care for your little one. *sigh* So hard. So what can you do? You can decorate their space, take pictures and oh so gently touch your precious little one. I want to help mommies and daddies do that.

I happen to love knitting... so I am choosing hats. Cute hats, really cute special gender specific, made to fit, and full of prayer, hats. Here are some of the ones I want to make.....

Slip Stitch Preemie Hat

Preemie Eyelet Cap

Preemie Beanie

Preemie Caps

Roll Brim Preemie Hats

Preemie and Newborn Sleeping Bag Set

Pumpkin Hat

There are LOTS more patterns on Ravelry... just type in Preemie and you'll find all sorts.

Ok so here is my petition to you;

Give something in honor of Bruce.

I know many of you prayed for him, and many of you love him, just like I do. Lets make a difference in the life of another preemie family. Make a hat, make a dozen... sew blankets to cover an isolette, donate scrap booking supplies (yes they have an area for this at our NICU), Donate to organizations in your area or ours that help families in this type of situation. If you feel motivated please give in honor of Bruce.

Let his family know what you are giving... let his influence live on through our hearts.

Relationships

2011-10-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

It seems like every time something tough happens I am drawn to the same conclusion....

The most important things in life are relationships.

Everything else is secondary. I really do believe that my relationship with my Creator is central to everything in my existence. If I am clinging to God and His promises (His word), I can make it through anything. When I cling to my Savior- I am irresistibly motivated to act like Him. If we read about Christ's life we see very quickly that He spent His time loving. Loving His Father, and loving those around Him.

Relationships.

Where we spend our time becomes our top priority. I want to spend my time investing in relationships. God has filled my heart with such love for my family and friends, and I am so blessed to be loved in return.

Rest

2011-10-18T18:10:00.000-07:00

When I think of you I can't help but smile. As I think of the moment I heard about you, I remember the joy and excitement on your mom's face. Then her tiredness and horrible nausea... every bit of it worth it for you. The way she spoke about her pregnancy with such great anticipation and happiness, the way she cherished you already. Being able to see the connection between your heart and hers, the one that we as mother's savor. Hearing about the kicks and movements you were preforming in your safe little haven, brings such joy.... new life, brings such joy! Then to hear your little heartbeat going so strong despite the upset in your little home within your mommy.... what a gift! Standing beside your mommy as they tried to keep you in there, where you could continue to grow, safe and peaceful.... we hoped. Watching you through ultrasounds, wiggling, moving, sucking, kicking.... so strong. Praying for time, more time for you to grow.

The morning you were born I was shocked. I couldn't believe you had made your arrival, feet first none the less... despite everyone's efforts to prevent it from happening so soon. To see you for the first time was so moving. You were beautiful, so perfect, down to the tiniest details. You had your own features, you looked like no one else on earth. From your soft hair on your little head and your adorable chin, to your itty bitty toes, all beautifully created by the Master's hand. It was hard to see past the monitors, wires, and tubes... to get over the shock of your size and fragility, but your spirit was unmistakeable. A presence of strength, a will to live, to survive, to grow. To touch you brought such awe, how could a little one so small be alive? By your side I was able to see your precious soul, the love of God embodied. It's a feeling I will never forget. You gave that to me precious Angel. You taught me just how much love a family can have. You showed me how amazingly strong your parents are. You showed me that when a situation is saturated with prayer (and I mean a lot of prayer, from people all over the world) we are tied. We have hope, and we have peace.

Even though you were with us for just two short weeks, your life has hugely impacted mine. Your touch will never be but a moment from my thoughts, I will never forget what I learned about life, and love from you. Never.

I am thankful to your parents for allowing me to know you, and I pray that God's strength will fill them so completely that they can find healing and peace. I pray for your sister and her beautiful simple faith, that her trust in the Lord will remain strong. I pray for every single family member and friend who have been touched by your life... that there will be healing and joy. I also pray for our hearts, that the ache will eventually subside and that we will be full of happiness at the thought of you.

I imagine you now at the feet of Jesus, telling Him all about your crazy ride here on earth. I can picture the look of love on His face as He scoops you up into His arms and says "Welcome home my precious one." You have no more pain, and no more trouble... you are completely free and your journey is through.

As for those who remain...We can rest in the Lords arms too.

Matthew 11:25-30

25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Someday I will see you again precious one, until then know that your Auntie loves you with her whole heart.

Psalm 139:14

2011-10-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

I cannot begin to describe how tiny these toes are. To be able to touch them and feel the warmth of life in something so small is like nothing I have ever experienced. As I stood next to his isolette yesterday my fingers placed gently on his tiny toes and fingers I was overcome. I was in awe of God's creation, that after just 25 weeks within his mommy's belly he could be so amazingly detailed and perfectly created. He has every body part he will ever need.... they are just premature. He needs time to grow, time to prepare for life in the world. He needed more time within his mommy..... but he doesn't get it. He has to fight out here, he has to feel the pain of all the doctors do to help him. He has to endure our best attempts to care for him as our mother's body was designed to care for us. I am so very thankful for the well trained doctors and nurses of the NICU, I am well aware that what they know about what they do is because God has equipped them. But sadly, I know it's harder this way. To see his fight for life, to see his strength and his will to survive is so inspiring. But I feel incredibly helpless... so I pray. I pray for his little heart, and his little lungs, I pray for his beautiful mind and his precious spirit. I pray for his comfort and his peace. I pray for his parents and their worries, fears, and stresses. I pray for the doctors and the nurses, and I pray for every life this little one has touched and will touch. It's a comforting thing to know that our prayers are heard and answered and it's a beautiful thing to think of all those praying for him with me.

Equipped

2011-10-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago I was having a particularly hard day of parenting. You know the kind I'm talking about. The ones where your children wake up with amnesia to everything you have ever taught them regarding acceptable human behavior. When the dark clouds of temper tantrums, whining, defiance, obnoxious repetitions, and everything that makes you think... "Who are you and what have you done with my sweet little angel child?". The kind of day that left me feeling like a complete and utter crazy person. Hollering and balling up my fists... saying things like "Because I said so! ", and "Don't make me come in there!". For some silly reason I chose this day to go to a church supper. It was supposed to help, it was going to make me feel loved and supported and my kids were going to transform the moment we entered the church. Yeah, well.... as you can imagine... THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. Eventually I ended up dragging both of my screaming (and flailing, mind you) children out into the parking lot where I also stared crying. I felt like a failure. I couldn't even keep 2 little people under control long enough to have dinner at church.

Two women followed me to my car, two fellow mothers, two of my sisters in Christ. They helped me strap the kids into the car, hugged me and told me that they had been there too. They promised me that I would survive and that they would pray for me. One of them recommended a book that helped her with her own children.

I clung to that encouragement, I knew I wasn't alone on the mommy vs. child battlefield. I knew that they were praying for me. I had a book to look at... something to help me get out of the cycle I was in. What a blessing.

The book was "Don't Make Me Count to Three!" by Ginger Plowman. It has become one of my favorites. It is FULL of scripture to encourage and equip us with training or children. She shares super helpful and practical ways to apply heart oriented and scripturally sound discipline. I continually turn to it to help me fine appropriate scriptures for my kids behavior.

My days have gotten better since implementing a heart and scripture method for child training. Don't get me wrong... I often find myself locked in the bathroom, tears pouring down, begging God to help me handle His precious little ones. But I feel equipped. I feel like I have appropriate responses for their misbehavior. It's so encouraging to know that God is faithful, and His Word never returns void...
Isaiah 55:11
"so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

and with all my heart I know that when you...

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.^[
Proverbs 3:5-6

What a soothing balm God's Word is. What a blessing good friends can be, and how amazing is it that God's grace is new each and every day.

Check this out for a little more mommy encouragement.

Tent

2011-10-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

One of my absolute favorite things about this time of year is camping. It is so much fun! The kids LOVE to run around outside all day, the fire is awesome, hiking is fun, the company is great! It's like a really cheap vacation that leaves the kids passed out from fresh air and the parents rejuvenated. What do you think- Tent or hotel?

Fragile : easily broken or damaged

2011-10-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

The past few months have been full of activity. It was an amazing summer, and has been a very busy fall. It is hard to tell where we are headed... I mean life has so many different directions all in one season. It's amazing how one minute I can be concerned about feeding my new kittens a raw food diet and the next moment it becomes obsolete because life is more important. When someone you love is hurting or struggling all else seems to melt away and you can focus on the relationships that matter. By the grace of God you can take your feelings out of the picture and give... give till your blue in the face to the one who needs it the most. Perspective is huge and the ups and downs (particularly the downs) have forced me to my knees and to my bible. I am begging and pleading for answers and peace. I am hoping and believing with all my heart what I believe is true and right. More than all else I am trusting that the good Lord has it all in His able hands. He wants us to rest in Him, so I try. I give Him my tiny nephew, his mom and the entire situation, I give Him my feelings and my family, I give Him my fears and my worry and I trust that everything will be for His glory. Everything.

Tiny

2011-10-03T19:36:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning I am blessed to visit my nephew, a 1lb 12oz gift. He arrived this morning after 25 weeks gestation. Please pray for this precious one.
I feel so helpless in this situation... but the one tiny thing I can do is knit, and while I knit I can pray for the little head this hat will cover. After searching online with my niece (the big sister), I found several patterns I didn't really like but was able to use sizing to come up with this.

I've never written a pattern before but I wanted to post it anyway since I had such a hard time finding patterns for such a tiny head. I also wanted to create something that was unique. Mom's favorite color is orange. The pumpkin was a request by his big sister.

CO: 40 (I used double pointed needles size 4)
R1- R4: *k1, p1*
R5: *k4, p1*
Continue row 5 for 2 1/2 inches
Change to green yarn and knit for 1/2 inch
Begin decreases;
R6: *k3, k2tog* (30) sts
R7: knit
R8: *k2, k2tog* (20) sts
R9: knit
R10: *k2tog* (10) sts
R11:*k2tog* (5) sts
Leave a long tail and stitch the last 5 sts together and tie.
To add the tiny loop and leaf use a crochet hook to chain 8 sts and stitch the loop into the top of the hat.
For the leaf.... I am not sure how I did it! I just kind of looped and chained until I had a shape I was happy with. If you come up with a "method" please let me know.

Your prayers are greatly appreciated.

Menu Plan Monday

2011-09-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

I'm really enjoying this weekly meal planning idea. So here's what we have in store for this week.

Sunday: Nacho Bar
Monday: Easy Tortellini Toss
Tuesday: Oven Roasted Chicken, rice, and broccoli
Wednesday: White Lightning Chicken Chili with Breadsticks
Thursday: Homemade Chicken Alfredo Pizza
Friday: Black Bean Soup with Rosemary and Olive Focaccia

Sometime this week I'd like to make Colonial Oatmeal Bread, some Pumpkin Muffins, and Sneaky Chef Breakfast Cookies.

Breakfast Cookies

2011-09-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

I can't even begin to tell you how much my family loves these!

Breakfast Cookies

Mix:
2 cups whole grain cereal flakes (like wheaties or total) Crushed
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
(mix dry ingredients & set aside)

*in a separate bowl mix
1 large egg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cups low-fat ricotta cheese

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix just enough to moisten. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an oiled baking sheet. Flatten with the back of a fork & dust with Cinnamon sugar. Bake for 15-20 min in pre-heated 400 degree oven.
Extras can be frozen for a quick breakfast or snack.

(from: Sneaky Chef by Missy Lapine)

Pizza Dough

2011-09-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

Pizza Dough from Quick and Easy Vegetarian Cookbook
Mix:

1 1/3 c warm water
1 1/2 packets of quick rise yeast
2 tsp sugar

let the mixture sit 10-15 minutes or until puffed up

Using your dough hook with a KitchenAid mixer, combine:
3 cups flour + 3 TB flour
1 TB cornmeal

add

puffed up yeast mixture, and mix on speed 3 or 4 until well combined.

add

4 tsp olive oil.....

(Here is my favorite part of the recipe) Turn the mixer up to speed 6 and whomp it good for about 4 minutes.

Remove dough hook, add two TB cormeal to coat the outside and form a ball. Cover and alow to rise for 1 hour.

After the dough has risen you can put it into the fridge until 1 hour 30 minutes before you want to eat.

When you are ready, dump the dough onto a flour covered board/ counter and roll out. Let rise for 1 hour.

While it's rising: make your sauce and prepare your toppings.

My sauce:
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
salt & pepper to taste

- blend it all together in a food processor and refrigerate until needed.

I shredded a chicken-breast and used a mixture of mozzarella, parmesan, and cheddar cheese for this pizza.

When your crust has risen, poke it several times with a fork and put it into a preheated 475 degree oven for 3 minutes, remove crust and add sauce and toppings, return to the oven for an additional 14 minutes. ENJOY!

Black Bean Soup

2011-09-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

I'm just working out this week's meal plan and I wanted to share one of my favorite vegetarian recipes. This recipe was given to me by a nutritionist in Kodiak. When my husband was sick with Ulcerative Colitis we had to change lots of things about our diet. He could have poultry, but no meat. I had been a vegetarian for years before we met so meatless meals are fun for me. He really likes things that are filling and flavorful and this soup fits the bill. Even though we are no longer a meat free family, this is still a regular meal for us. I hope you enjoy it too!

Black Bean Soup
10 sun dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
1 c. Boiling water
1 1/2 c finely chopped onions
3 garlic cloves minced
1 jalapeno chile minced or 1/4 tsp cayenne
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1/3 c. water
3 c. undrained canned tomatoes (28 oz can)
4 c. undrained cooked black beans (2 16 oz cans) (or dried- soaked then cooked)
1/4 c. fresh cilantro chopped
additional water or tomato juice
yogurt or sour cream to garnish

-cover sun dried tomatoes with boiling water and set aside
-in pot, saute onions, garlic, and chile or cayenne in the oil for about 5 min, stirring frequently.
-add cumin, 1/3 c. of water
-add canned tomatoes to the pot
-cover and bring to a boil
--lower heat and simmer covered for 5 min.
-add black beans and their liquid and continue to simmer stirring occasionally to prevent sticking
-drain and chop sun dried tomatoes
-add to soup and cook for 5-10 min
-stir in cilantro and remove from heat
-puree half of the soup and return it to the pot
-if the soup is to thick add some water or tomato juice
-reheat

Meal Plan Monday...er Tuesday

2011-09-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

Ok... ok. So I know it's a day late..... better late than never! I really enjoyed doing our meal plan last week and it was convenient to hop on here for the recipe link each day. So here's this week's menu...

Monday: Stuffed Peppers, this is similar to the recipe I use, however, I use ground turkey, and sharp cheddar cheese. I also use Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (whole grain brown) and omit the water and half of the stove top cooking time. Plus I really prefer brown rice :)

Tuesday: Herbed Chicken (I cooked it in olive oil and didn't serve it with honey butter), wild rice, and broccoli, Pumpkin Cookies

Wednesday: Cornish Game Hens with Garlic and Rosemary, stuffing, and peas

Thursday: Spaghetti, french bread, and salad

Friday: Portobello Mushroom Club

I'm trying to incorporate at least one vegetarian recipe each week... so far so good! Head on over to Orgjunkie for more Menu Plan Monday links!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-09-12T17:56:00.000-07:00

I've decided to give it a try :) Here goes nothing!
I'm starting with just dinners, we'll go from there.

Monday: French Toast and Blueberry Banana Smoothies

Tuesday: Breaded Tilapia ( a recipe from a friend... not sure where she got it, but if it turns out well I'll be sure to post the recipe!) Quick and Healthy Twice Baked Potatoes

Wednesday: Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

Thursday: Huevos Rancheros

Friday: Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad with Mangoes

Looking for menu planning inspiration? Check out Menu Plan Monday at Orgjunkie for more great recipes!

2011-09-07T17:24:00.000-07:00

My goodness where has the summer gone? It has been wonderful. We've had lots of boating, trips, and visits with family. Since a picture's worth a thousand words here are some of my favorite things from this summer.....

Little knitted things

2011-05-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

This little dress is probably one of my favorites. I LOVE how it turned out! I made it for one of Sage's teachers, for her baby girl due in about 2 weeks. I based it off of the cute summer top pattern at pickles (one of my new favorite blogs with lots of cute, free patterns) I wish I could tell you how exactly I changed it from a top for a two year old to a newborn dress, but I'm still not sure how I managed it! I plan to try this one again and write down the changes this time :)

here's the back.

I finished my unity blanket and a little outfit to go with it. I do love makin' those little longies! This was my first time making any kind of top and I really enjoyed it. I didn't follow a pattern so I was pleased when it turned out ok anyway!

I made this coffee cup cosy for a friend who is moving this summer. Here is the pattern I followed. It was super simple and knitted up quickly.

Unity Blanket

2011-04-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

I've been working on this precious baby blanket since February. It is supposed to help me wait for something. I was going to work on just one row a month.....

but I enjoyed the pattern and I hate waiting, so here we are.

Just 4 rows from completed and I ran out of taupe. When I went to get more, the store was also out of taupe.

I guess this means I really do have to continue waiting.

*sigh*

Oh well, while I wait I guess I'll make a matching outfit.

Spring Garden

2011-03-21T09:03:00.000-07:00

Spring.....

My favorite season of all. I love how everything comes alive seemingly overnight. I love how the shining sun fades away the chill of winter and brings with it an excitement of the good things yet to come.

The bulbs that were given to me by others last year are growing! How exciting! I've never tried bulbs before. It's like a little spring gardening teaser.

They were enough to motivate me to try some spring veggies this year. We planted; snap peas, spinach, and 5 different types of lettuce. I tried rows this time. Since these pictures they've started to sprout!

A little Birdie

2011-03-15T06:15:00.001-07:00

DSCF7366 a photo by hcsday on Flickr.

This is a pillow I made for my Grandmother's 90th birthday. I had a really hard time trying to decide what to make for her. I mean really.... what do you give to someone who has been around for 90 years? What could they possibly enjoy? Well I decided to try a little bit of quilting (my first time) and I figured she would enjoy something special made with love. I enjoyed this project... it took less than 2 hours to complete and that little birdie makes me smile. Here's to you Grandma!

Naturally colored

2011-03-15T05:41:00.000-07:00

This morning Toad and I made some lovely play clay. I forgot that I had loaned all of my food coloring to a friend so we improvised :) We boiled 1/2 cup of blueberries in just enough water to cover them, mashed and strained them and wa la! Berry brightly colored play clay! It's more pink than blue but that's ok we learned a lot along the way. Here's the link I used for the color recipe.

Much

2011-02-28T13:30:00.001-08:00

We have much to be thankful for. I am often overwhelmed at the outpour of love I receive on a regular basis. My sweet family, and our wonderful friends. I recently read an article about our "home team". These are the people that you regularly invest time and energy into. These are the closest family members, and truest friends. I've got to tell ya... I've got an amazing home team! It is a pleasure to invest into them because they invest right back into me. My husband showed his true colors this past week because I was really sick. His helpfulness and sweetness were shocking. Truly! I am also looking at my relationships with my brothers and sisters a bit differently. They are people I'd actually like to be friends with. It's amazing what growing up does!

I can't tell you how many friends I think about each day. I love having people over. Not entertaining but, family style. Food and conversation.... nothing fancy and kids everywhere. There are also pieces of my heart all over the country. Thanks to the CG for sending my home team members away sometimes. It's ok though.... long distance friendships are enriching too. It's awesome to have a friend that even though you don't see each other regularly, or sometimes even talk.... when you do, it's just the same as it was before.

Yes, I have much to be thankful for.

Savor

2011-01-27T10:55:00.000-08:00

Its been a whirlwind of a holiday season, and a very busy start to the new year. I have tried to marinate on the experiences of the past few months and the thoughts and feelings associated with them. Whenever the winds of life blow full force I am brought to my knees in humility and I trust that my Savior can hold me together. I know that's part of why it happens, so that I can grow, so that I will surrender it all to God. Oh, He is good.... full of love and grace.... neither of which are dependent on me. I believe, I believe with all my heart and I am thankful that I can rest in Him and savor the glorious moments of life even in the midst of storms.
Maybe I'll share these experiences... then again I don't think I really need to. The truth is; we've all had struggles and issues this past year and though it's a part of who we are, the way we handle things and where we put our hope and trust is what matters most. So as I take more time to savor the good to be gained from the bad I'd like to share an aid for contemplative moments...

Chewy Dark Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

It took me about 5 minutes to mix them up, now I'll sit with coffee and chocolate in hand to meditate. :)

Longies

2010-11-17T12:56:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed making these longies. They are diaper cover pants :) Here's a great pattern that I kinda sorta followed. I had to you tube how to make a gusset (the crotch) since I found the written directions too confusing.

So here's my first try...

Note the orange portion.... this is exactly how much more than one ball of yarn you will need to make one pair :)

Here's my second pair... I love the little fabric flower. These are not for a cloth diapering mama... they are just for fun.

Fall fun!

2010-10-17T15:04:00.001-07:00

Nothing says it's Fall better than....

A hayride,

Pumpkin Picking,

and a Corn Maze!

Reading

2010-10-07T04:49:00.000-07:00

I am SO excited to tell you that my beautiful little girl is reading!!! She grabbed the Fun Tales set of books from the shelf last night and read 7 of them with very little help. I am so proud of her! We used the Sonlight P 4/5 homeschooling program last year and I worked with her using "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" throughout the summer.
We decided to send her to public school this year (that's a post in and of itself!) and she has been really enjoying it, but I was worried about what would happen with our reading instruction combined with her kindergarten teacher's style and approach to reading. Hearing her read last night healed that worry completely. We've equipped her and she is taking off "literarily"!

Turkey Meatloaf

2010-09-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

Try this amazing variation... I was pleasantly surprised by it and it's now one of our favorites!

-1 can (4 oz) mushrooms drained and chopped
-1/2 of an onion, finely chopped
-2 slices of bread, crumbed

I use a small food processor for all of the above then mix it in a bowl with the following;

-2/3 cup milk
-1 egg
-Salt and pepper to taste
-1/4 tsp allspice or nutmeg

add

-1 lb ground turkey
-1 lb ground turkey sausage

Mix lightly but thoroughly, and pour into a bread pan.

Bake 1 hour & 15 min to 1 hour 20 min, let stand 10 min before serving.

Enjoy!

I found my favorite organizer!

2010-08-17T12:31:00.000-07:00

I have to have a planner, I note important things like "library books due", or "send Grandparent's day cards" you know all of those important things that a stay at home mom might need to schedule/ remember. I've had all sorts and I finally found one that suites me best of all.

I LOVE this organizer! The spacing the simplicity, the tear out menu and grocery list... all on one page.... Awesome!

Last year I was going to order it but I didn't want to pay shipping so eventually I just wandered into the planner area at Wally World and bought a generic one. This year I'm set for success with my Amy Knapp's Christian Family Organizer :) The only problem with it is that it's really, well....

unattractive.

I'm going upstairs now to pretty it up with a custom fabric cover. Wish me luck!

On your mark..

2010-08-14T18:50:00.000-07:00

...get set, GO!

I'm running again. It's been an enjoyable hot summer break and it's time to get back at it... for the sake of my heart, and my backside! I'm not sure of the goal yet, but I'm sure I'll come up with something amazing and inspiring... anyone have any ideas?

Soaker

2010-08-05T04:33:00.000-07:00

What on earth is a soaker? That's what I said to my friend at her baby shower. Cloth diapering... I know what that is, it's diapers made of cloth (duh). The kind you get to reuse, the kind you have to wash. I had no idea there were SO many options when it come to cloth diapers but I am learning. My friend is going to use prefolds with, my new favorite knitting project.... wool soakers.

The idea a timeless one. A wool diaper cover to keep the wet stuff off of everything and pull enough moisture from the baby bum to keep their skin healthy. Wool is nature's wonder fabric! When I heard that my non-knitting friend needed them I decided to try making her some. I searched high and low on the internet and found some amazing free patterns. Here is my favorite. I've made 6 and each one is different. I love trying different patterns and combining them in my own way. I get a huge kick out of thinking about all the moms that knitted soakers for their babies back in the day. What a great way to pass the time while you're pregnant!

Right now I'm working on my first pair of longies. Same thing... just pants :) If I ever have another baby I'm sure I'll have to consider soakers! I can't wait to see them on her little guy.

Playing

2010-06-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

We've been doing a lot of doing rather than blogging. I'm not going to try to catch anything up but I will try to post some of the doings we've be enjoying so much.

It's growing!

2010-06-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

We are harvesting; cherry, juliet and beefsteak tomatoes, green beans, banana peppers, basil, and tomorrow our first cucumber should be ready!

Planting

2010-04-07T05:53:00.000-07:00

Even though folks around here usually wait till April 15th to plant, due to the weather and my eagerness... I planted 9 tomato plants, 15 pepper plants, basil, and oregano seedlings. I also planted my first set of cucumbers and bush beans (I'll be doing these in 2 week intervals to spread the harvest). Cantaloupe, and 4 types of squash have also been planted from seed. I decided to put the tomato cages and steaks for the peppers in before things get full. My husband will be making a vertical support similar to the ones here for my cucumbers, cantaloupe, and squash. I also used large craft sticks to label the front row of little veggies. Some of these are spring veggies and some are the bush beans.

I think it looks really organized and I am very happy with it.

After my seedlings come up I'll be planting marigolds along the edges wherever they will fit (but not next to the beans, apparently they don't get along with beans). Marigolds are a great natural way to keep away pests. My cucumbers and squash are snuggled with oregano and my tomatoes are cozy with basil. I am hoping these simple companions help keep away the pests. Here is a great web site full of ideas for companion planting.

I'm headed outside soon to start work on my herb garden. I'll be sharing more about that soon. Oh and, I know I mentioned 3 sisters gardening but I decided not to do it this year. Here's a link if your curious about it.

Happy planting!

Egg shell seedlings

2010-04-02T14:22:00.000-07:00

I don't remember where I found this idea but at some point I decided it would be fun to try.

It was really easy to simply wash and set aside my opened egg shells for a few days until I had gathered enough. I had several egg cartons on hand (they are good for SO many different crafts) so I cut one into 3 pieces, cut the lid off and slipped it underneath for a tray. The kids helped me fill the shells with soil and plant the seeds. We used a spoon to scoop, and our tiny pincher fingers to drop the seeds.... all kinds of fine motor skills :) and it's just fun to play with dirt.

I love how it fits on the windowsill.

We're also growing grass for our Easter centerpiece. Since I took this picture it's grown several inches! I should have had the kids measure the daily growth.... oh well, maybe next year.

Dirty Lasagna

2010-03-29T06:17:00.000-07:00

I was recently introduced to a gardening technique called Lasagna Gardening. Since soil preparation is a challenge for me I jumped all over the idea! I love the fact that I know exactly what's in my garden soil and that it's the right consistency. Last year I added amendments to our dirt by pure guesswork. It turned out ok, but I wondered how I could make it better this time around. It took me a while to gather the right supplies but once I had everything it took one afternoon (minus the box my husband built for me) to set things up. I was going to purchase the book, but I found this article at Mother Earth News and it contained enough information to get started.

Ingredients:

Newspaper
Peat Moss
Manure
Compost
Chopped leaves
Grass clippings
Wood ash/ bone meal

Here's a great sample of what you're going for.

Ok, ready, set,...... layer!

I LOVED using the new outdoor sink my fabulous hubby installed to soak the newspaper.

Since my new box encompassed last year's garden I had to smooth out the dirt so everything was nice and even.

Soggy enjoyed helping me cover the dirt with newspaper. Keep the hose handy because the paper dries quickly and will blow away! Also be forewarned that your fingers will be black from ink.... don't worry it washes off.

I used one bag of peat moss per layer (my garden is 4x 24 ft= 96 square feet). Then we added the manure (5 bags purchased at Lowes). The best tool for spreading was a rake turned upside-down.

After the manure came another layer of peat moss, then a layer of compost. Since I am still new to composting I had added lots of dried leaves to a very gooey pile not too long ago. My compost is definitely not complete. I figure it could be my compost and leaves layer. I topped it off with more peat moss. I have yet to add grass clippings (since our grass has yet to be clipped) and wood ash.

I think it will turn out well and I can add more to it as we go along. It's defiantly a "try it out" sort of idea and I look forward to fabulous results.

As I was jotting down the "final" plans my husband said "I think you've put more planning into this garden than you put into our wedding!" Not true, but funny. I have enjoyed the planning part this year! I just hope all the hard paperwork pays off!

I was not the only one playing the dirt this weekend. My hubby worked on the jumps on the other side of the yard. Judging from the hours spent racing RC cars, I think he's happy with the results. I couldn't resist noting that his huge dirt piles (that he likes to move and change) are kind of like a big sandbox for motorized cars/ bikes.

What can I say, our yard is our playground!

A story by Soggy

2010-03-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

Soggy is very good at retelling stories, in fact at night after we read together she loves to "read" to Toad before they go to sleep. She chooses a book from her shelf and retells the story. I love listening to her do this. I asked her if she would like to tell me a story and I would type it up and post it on the blog for our friend's and family to enjoy. This is what she had to say.....

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess and when she went to the ball she lost her glass slipper, and somebody found it, the prince did. Her mother locked her in her room because she didn't want her to get her glass slipper.... I'm talking about Cinderella, and when the mice friends got the key, they let cinderella out of her room and she got the glass slipper. Then she ran down the stairs and the slipper fitted her, and when she went to the ball the prince and her danced and they got married."

I hope to do this often to encourage her language development and record her growth and creativity. I hope you enjoy her stories.

BRATY

2010-03-10T04:31:00.001-08:00

Last week I woke up to Toad's whining and wriggling.... usually this means that he needs to use the restroom. As I rushed in to help I realized that something else was about to happen. I reached out just in time to receive the gift of partially digested halibut, couscous and peas. YUCK! I hollered for daddy's help and much to his disgust he took Toad to the bathroom for a wash down. At one time in my life holding a pile of fishy vomit would have made me join in the upchuck party, that night I simply tossed it in the toilet, scrubbed my hands and took care of the soiled sheets. I would be lying if I didn't admit to gaging... a lot, but even so, the necessary clean up and cuddles were given and when all was said and done, I was able to go right back to sleep.

We have been very lucky to avoid the tummy bug, but the few times we have been graced with it's presence I have stuck to the good ole' BRATY diet.... just like my mom taught me.

B is for Banana

R is for Rice

A is for Applesauce

T is for Toast

Y is for Yogurt

Serve with some ginger-ale and sometimes popsicles and Jello to avoid dehydration.

I'm off to help Soggy because it's her turn (the one time I tell Toad not to share!). I wish you all the best and complete avoidance of having to use the BRATY diet anytime soon!

12 days to go!

2010-03-10T04:17:00.000-08:00

We have just 12 days till we run 13.1 miles!!!!!!!! That means it's time for a little bit a a training taper. :)

Oh, by the way

2010-02-26T07:32:00.000-08:00

I love this book as a resource. We are using our garden and this book as part of our science curriculum. Look for our upcoming lessons.

Garden Planning

2010-02-25T04:18:00.000-08:00

So I figure that since lots of the farmers in our area are tilling up the land I should probably start planning our veggie garden for this year. I'm looking at what I learned last year and incorporating those things into our garden. There are so many resources out there that I can feel totally overwhelmed by the process.

Here are a few links that have helped me.

Get in the Zone, find out what planting zone you are in and determine your frost dates. One more site to help with the dates. Ours are March 20 & October 21.

Here's a planting schedule to help you determine when to plant what.

I like this idea for garden design..... though I haven't used this method.

Here's a fun idea to incorporate your vertical space. I've thought about doing this on the side of our shed for the kids very own little flower bed.

I'm also planning to incorporate some vertical gardening techniques for tomatoes, melons, and cucumbers. Here's a great video to show you one way to do it.

The Farmer's Almanac is an amazing resource for all sorts of issues.

Stay tuned for more about, compost, a 3 sister's garden, combination planting, a fun teepee shelter and sunflower house!

I had no idea...

2010-02-17T04:42:00.000-08:00

Orlando could be so educational! Our trip included all sorts of critters... and my kids LOVE critters. Since they are still too little for in depth studies we simply enjoyed the sights and answered as many questions as we could.

Gatorland was an interesting hot spot for birds of all kinds, a petting zoo, and of corse.... alligators, LOTS of them.

Disney's Animal Kingdom had an amazing safari.

We were able to enjoy some flying fun at a bird show.

There were also lots of exhibits to see as we walked around.

This mama is holding tight to her 7 day old baby.

I had no idea there were so many interesting birds in Florida. These were just hanging around our hotel.

A visit to Turkey Creek Stables for some horseback riding was definitely Soggy's favorite part of the entire trip.

There were also many opportunities to discus history, and science concepts. As they grow, I look forward to our future educational trips to dive even deeper into the world in a hands on way!

I'm using this post to participate in Se7en’s Fabulous Friday Fun... check it out! It's a great blog :)

Week 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, and almost 11, down

2010-01-11T10:39:00.000-08:00

The running is going well... very well. We have 7 weeks to go. It's been an entirely different experience this time around. Since my Hubby is training as well, it's been a lot easier to schedule runs without feeling like I'm inconveniencing my family. I have also discovered that I do, in fact, have long legs... and when I take a full stride, I go further faster. I think this was bound to happen, I just needed to reach a certain fitness level to "get it". I'll keep you all a little better posted on our progress in the coming weeks.

Week 2 down

2009-11-30T10:44:00.000-08:00

10.6 miles logged this week and feelin' fine about eating tons of turkey and pumpkin pie! The Turkey Trot was fun... since this was the second year it's officially Thanksgiving tradition.

Week 1 down

2009-11-22T18:11:00.000-08:00

10.9 miles logged (from all 4 runs) and going strong into the second week.

Pecans

2009-11-22T18:08:00.001-08:00

We went to the park the other day and there were all these folks walking around with grocery bags. I asked my husband if he knew what they were doing and he said that they were gathering pecans... apparently it's a hot spot for the nuts. Curiosity got the best of me and I walked over to some ladies and asked them how you know which ones are good and which ones are not. They talked about the color, the size and looking for holes.... and they said to let them dry out for a few days before cracking them open. Based on their advice the kids, my friend, and I gathered a few. When I got home I learned all about pecans here.
The advice was basically the same....
So how do you know if it's a good nut? You "just know", cuz you've gathered enough to have picked both the good and the bad.

We let the nuts dry out for several days and then I cracked em open to see how we did.

Soggy took these pictures of me cracking the nuts...

I think she really captured the moment well :)

So check out some of our harvest!

They were really good too.... now that we "just know" which ones are probably good, we might have to go a gathering again.

Child's Tee Pee Tutorial

2009-11-21T12:08:00.000-08:00

Remember the baby blanket Tee Pee I made a while back? In that post I mentioned having made another Tee Pee using material and a MUCH simpler method than "winging it". I had to share this fun and adorable project.... what a great gift!

You will need
-3 yards of fabric for the outside
-3 1/4 yards of fabric for the inside
-4, 3/4 inch PVC pipes 5 feet long
-4 PVC "toppers"(I don't know what they are really called) for your pipes
-twine
-scissors/ rolling cutter and mat
-measuring tape/ ruler
-pins
-thread
-sewing machine

*Start with 3 yards of fabric for the outside and 3 1/4 yards of coordinating fabric for the inside

*Take your outside fabric and lay the whole piece out. Fold it in half vertically

*and then horizontally, so that the four open corners are to your bottom left hand corner.

* Now fold the fabric diagonally as shown.

*Press the fold firmly.

* Open the diagonal fold and cut along your pressed line.

* Unfold your fabric and you will now have four right triangles as well as a larger piece that will be two isosceles triangles after our next cut.

*After removing the right triangles you'll have a kite shaped piece like this...

*Cut it right down the middle to create the two isosceles triangles.

*Repeat the fold and cut steps for your inside fabric as well. First cut the additional 1/4 yard so that you are starting with 3 yards. Once the cutting is complete you should have 4 right triangles and 2 isosceles triangles from each fabric as well as a small piece of inside fabric remaining for the pocket.

Now we'll start on the back and the door...

*Lay all of your pieces out like this to give you a good idea what you'll be working with (the inside fabric is hiding right side to the ground.)

*Be sure to put the wrong sides together and the right sides out.

*For the back we'll simply lay two of the right triangles front sides together as shown, and sew a 1/4 to 1/2 inch seam from the top to the bottom.

* Folow the same directions above for the door except only sew the portion from the top to about 25 inches from the bottom.

*Now hem the sides of the opening/ door, I hemmed the door like this for added strength.

*To add the pocket: cut a 14" x 10" pice of your remaining inside fabric.

*Press the edges as desired and sew the pocket to one of the inside isosceles triangle pieces.

*Now hem along the bottom of the front and back, and both of the isosceles triangles as well (this will join the inside and outside pieces of the sides).

*It's time to sew the sides together. Start with the front piece to the first side piece, you'll be sewing four pieces of fabric just like we did for the back and the door. Sew them with the outsides together.

*Be sure to leave 5 inches at the top open... this is where our poles will stick out and cross

*Now sew the side and the back together, add the other side to the oposite edge of the back, and lastly, sew the other edge of the side to the remaining edge of the front. You should now have something like this...

*Next we'll make the tubes for our poles. You'll need 4- 3/4 " 5 ft PVC pipes. I got end caps for the tops since the edges can be kind of rough. Ok... so to make the tubes that the poles will slide into to hold up the teepee: sew along the outside of each of the four edges. I think I sewed 1 3/4" from the edge but to be sure just put the pole in place and mark where the material snugly (but not too snugly) fits around the pole.

*Start at the bottom and sew about halfway up.... this will create a slot/ tube for the poles. Repeat with all four sides.

*Slide your poles into the slots and stand up the teepee. Use twine to tie the tops together... wrapping and looping around each pole several times.

*You're done!

I have noticed that the material tends to slide a little too much... I think if I make another one I'll try extending the pole tube to cover the entire pole and loop over the top like this.

I hope this tutorial makes sense, it was complicated to write it. Please let me know if you have any questions and I'll help where I can.

Running links

2009-11-17T05:25:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of some great links that have helped me during training for a half marathon.

*I'm definitely a runner that needs guidance. I love following a training plan. Last year I put a few together and followed my own, this year I'm doing this Training Plan

*After I finnish a run I am excited to log all of my hard work. It gives me a sense of accomplishing something that will lead me toward my eventual goal. It also reiterates the importance of each run along the way. This Running Log has some great things to note as well, like the weather or how you felt on your run.

*It can get really old to run in the same place, over, and over....and over. To mix it up and find new places to run I use this Route Planner. It's fun to find new runs and a little planning can be really helpful when you have a certain distance you are shooting for.

What tools do you use to help you run?

Great ideas!

2009-11-16T04:08:00.001-08:00

I love this blog and the great ideas for homemade gift ideas.... especially with Christmas creeping up fast!

Turkey Shirt : Reverse Appliqué

2009-11-13T06:03:00.000-08:00

This adorable idea has been in my "projects to try" folder since last year. I was suprized at how easy it was and I LOVE the results! I purchased orange shirts for the kids pumpkin face halloween costumes.

For the pumpkin face shirts:
I used black duck tape to make the faces (just place it on waxed paper, cut out the eye's nose, and smile, peel it off of the waxed paper and stick it to the shirt) so that I could then use the same shirts for this project.

For the reverse appliqué turkey shirts:
Follow the directions here.

I'l definitely use the reverse appliqué technique again!

Shamrock Pre-game

2009-11-13T05:31:00.000-08:00

We are gearing up for the Shamrock 1/2 Marathon! It's the same run I did last year... my first 1/2 marathon. This time, I'm training and running with a new runner... my dear friend and fellow mommy of two. We have spent the past month running 3 days a week, starting with walk, run, walk, run.... then the first mile.... then two, and on up to 3 miles! Since she is new to running it's been really exciting to watch her go a little further nearly each time we run! Plus I'm sure we look ridiculous pushing our blue duallie revolution BOB strollers (that just so happen to match :).

My husband is also training for the run in March. He's speedy so I'm sure he'll finish long before I do, even so, the training schedule we have all decided to follow can be found here. It's a nice start for a casual runner. The 18 week schedule begins on Monday, so join in the fun and run!!!!!

Itsy Bitsy Spider

2009-10-30T05:52:00.000-07:00

I found some fabulous Halloween ideas at My Montessori Journey, she is a teacher at a Christian Montessori inspired school... her angle on Halloween is unique and intriguing. We are going to do the Love Lights activity later today.... what a great way to bring a Christian angle to a not so Christian holiday.

Yesterday we made spider webs and itsy bitsy spiders.

We opted for a lid and the shake method to create a wonderful web. They loved shaking it up!

ooooo....

aaahhhhh....

Ok, so on to the spiders. Since I didn't have any plastic ones we made our own.

*We used;
-a pipe cleaner cut into 4 pieces (one of which was a little longer than the other 3).
-a button
-2 google eyes
-hot glue ( you could use craft glue too but I knew they would want to play with the spiders so I wanted to make them tough).
-a small piece of yarn

*We bent the ends of each pipe cleaner so that the spiders didn't have pokey feet.

*Then we wrapped the longer piece of pipe cleaner around the other 3 to hold the legs together.

* I very carefully helped them glue the eyes onto the button (they got to squeeze the glue gun, with my hands on theirs and I pressed the eyes into place), and then the string onto the legs, and lastly, the button on top of the string.

*What a cute little creature. I think I like him better than the real kind!

We taped our webs in the corner of the front window and the spiders next to the webs. It was a really fun project and ended with some fun "Itsy, Bitsy Spider" singing :)

Play Silks

2009-10-23T14:37:00.001-07:00

When I saw these on another blog I knew Soggy would love them! I even used her super easy method to store them. They are simply hemmed pieces of silky material to use for whatever their little hearts desire. Open ended imaginative play is the name of the game. Think; princess sash, toga, fairy wings, or a super man cape. Soggy has been doing a LOT of dancing and flying around with them. You can order some here. OR you can make them.

* I found silky material on sale at the fabric store, halloween is a great time to look since the costume fabric is on sale. I didn't worry about what type of material it was, I just wanted it to be silky and flowy as well as colorful and washable. I paid just over $10 for all 6 yards!

*It was easier than I expected to sew the material. I simply pressed and sewed a hem around the edge after I evened out the ends a bit.

*It took about 2 hours of semi interrupted time at the sewing machine/ iron to complete all 6.

* I was going to give these to her as a Christmas gift but I could wait! Aren't those colors great?!

How To Make a Baby Doll Sling

2009-10-23T12:07:00.000-07:00

I've wanted to make a baby sling for quite some time, I figure it will make a great shower gift. The tutorial I found here, seemed like a good one, yet, I hesitated since it required so much material and I wasn't completely confident that I understood the directions. SO I made a baby doll sling instead! It worked wonderfully well and I think Soggy will love it when she opens it on Christmas!

*Start with a piece of material (mine is flannel) that measures: 17 1/2 inches by 37 inches.

*Fold the fabric in half vertically

*and then horizontally, so that all four open corners are at the top right.

*Cut your curve, start at the bottom right corner and gently curve to about 2 inches from the top corner.

*Open the horizontal fold, leaving your fabric folded on the left side and sew a 1/4 inch seam along the curved edge.

*Flip the "tube" you just made inside out

*and sew a 1/2 inch seam along the curved edge ( the same area you just sewed), this is called a french seam.

*Hem the rough edges on both sides of the tube.

*All done!

* To wear the sling....

-With the curved edge on the left side, gather the fabric on the right and

-twist.

-Slip it over your little parent's head and place their baby into the sling as shown.

If you make one make sure you take a picture and link it to the comments so I can check it out! Next time I'm at the fabric store I'll choose material my first baby sling!

Pumpkin Bread

2009-10-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

Last fall my good friend gave me her recipe for the best pumpkin bread I have ever had. It's moist and delicious, I hope you get the chance to make some and try it yourself!

*In a mixer combine,

- 1 cup butter shortening (I used real butter)
- 3 1/2 cups sugar ( I used 2 cups white sugar and 1 cup brown sugar omitting 1/2 cup)

*Add,

- 29 oz can pumpkin
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup water ( I used 3/4 because of the butter shortening swap)

*After mixed well add,

- 4 1/3 cup flour (I used 1 1/3 cup wheat flour, 1 1/3 cup wheat germ, 1 2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour)
- 2 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 + 1/8 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon

*Grease the bottom of 4 loaf pans, pour mixture in evenly and bake at 350 degrees for 50-75 minutes.

Pumpkin Cookies

2009-10-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

These healthy little morsels are my favorite cookie. Especially this time of year. I hope you enjoy them too.

*Mix

2/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
2/3 cup wheat flour
2/3 cup wheat germ
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

*and set aside

*Mix

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1 egg
1 TB vanilla

*Mix wet and dry ingredients

*Dissolve

-1 tsp baking soda
in
-1 tsp milk

*and add to other ingredients

*Add

-2 cup chocolate chips
-1/2 cup chapped walnuts

*Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

3 Projects that Recycle

2009-10-02T07:13:00.001-07:00

I love projects that recycle things, but sometimes they can be kinda junky. I suppose that's to be expected since they are in fact, made from things someone may consider garbage. The following projects are not junky at all, but they definitely recycle.

Project 1 : Baby blanket TeePee

When I was a kid my mom made an awesome TeePee for my little brother, I have been wanting to make one for Toad since last Christmas. Well I finally did it! Soggy and Toad LOVE to make forts and hideouts with their blankets. They inspired me to combine the smaller baby blankets into something wonderful and fun.

I gathered all of Toad's baby blankets. Thanks to my mom and sisters, who made the blankets, I had some very bright and fun colors to work with.

This project was a HUGE challenge for me. I ended up having to try all sorts of things before I got it to work... but eventually I improvised to the point of standing. He loves it, and instead of all those wonderful blankets sitting on the shelf they are being enjoyed once again.

The other day I made another TeePee kinda following an example I found on another blog... I'll be posting my own version soon. It was much easier than the blanket TeePee, and knowing what I know now, I would use the method I'll share later to make it again. You would just have to improvise with the blankets instead of the fabric.

Project 2: Scrap Rag Rug

Using the Rag rug tutorial found here. I was able to transform some neglected fabric scraps and even an old skirt into a fun rag rug for Soggy. I think I'd like to make it a bit bigger but I'll have to wait for some more scraps.

Project 3: I spy game

I found this link, and decided to make our own.

We gathered supplies from the recycle bin, the craft shelf, and the "office" (actually a drawer and cupboard in the kitchen). The only thing I had to purchase for the project was the bird seed.

Here are the things my kids can find in their bottles;
nail, purple bead, butterfly clip, shell, gold string, blue bead, bottle cap, flower bead, paper clip, penny, cow, stingray, squid, horse, sea horse, cork, car sticker, crayon, pipe cleaner, blue hair-tie, dime, cotton-ball, green bead, ticket, nickel, googly eye, toothpick, blue button, safety pin

Soggy enjoyed helping. It's as easy as 1,2,3.

1. Put the stuff in your bottle (ours are glass wheat-germ bottles, but you could use plastic water bottles too),

2. Pour birdseed to cover all the goodies,

3. Glue the lid on.

Oh, and be sure to make a list of the stuffing so you can play the game.

It's a simple and fun project that is great for car trips or quiet time. When we are driving I hand out the bottles and say "I spy, a cow (ect.)" and they find it in their bottles. As they get older they'll be able to play together, picking from the list and seeing who can find it first.

What are some of the ways you have found to recycle?

Fall Muffins

2009-09-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

It's just starting to cool down here. The changing season brings different experiences to my senses. The red and orange leaves, the smell of damp foliage on the ground, the bite in the air, and just for good measure, the delightful taste of cinnamon, apples, pumpkin and ginger. My house is full of fall goodness today!

Apple Muffins

Mix the following in a large bowl;
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
2 TB wheat germ

add;
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup raisins
2 apples cored and finely chopped
2 TB chopped pecans
1/4 cup crasins

mix well.

In a separate bowl mix;
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs

add to flour and fruit mixture.

gently stir in;
2 TB plain or vanilla yogurt

Soon mixture into greased muffin tin/ paper cups, and bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Muffins
Prep time: 15 min Makes 12 muffins
Baking time: 15-25 min
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 brown sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Mix these ingredients together, spray a 12-muffin baking pan lightly with oil.

1 large egg
1/2 cup of buttermilk ( I used plain yogurt)
1 cup of canned pumpkin
3 Tablespoons canola oil

Mix well in bowl or blender. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just enough to blend. Pour batter evenly into muffin tins and bake for 15-20 minutes. Empty muffins onto cooling rack.

I'm not sure where these recipes came from originally, but I am reposting them from my family blog. Enjoy!

While visions of sugar plums...

2009-09-25T05:13:00.000-07:00

danced in their heads.

I am SO excited about the projects I have planned for this Christmas! I went to the glorious and inspiring craft and fabric stores and purchased supplies for several home made gifts.

So keep those ears perked for some fun tutorials of the handmade gifts on my list!

Pumpkin Heads

2009-09-25T05:03:00.000-07:00

I love my craft loom...

I used it to make this precious hat.

I made one for each of my lil pumpkins!

They can be worn all through the fall AND they'll be the topping for our Halloween costumes. It was super easy, I just started the hat with that fabulous orange color and topped it off (about the last 10 rows) with green.

Chocolate Pancakes

2009-09-25T04:59:00.000-07:00

The kids absolutely LOVE Sneaky Chef Chocolate Chip Pancakes! They are full of nutrition and flavor. No syrup necessary for these babies!

Hey, it's national play-doh day!

2009-09-18T05:43:00.000-07:00

How cool is that?! We actually have a national play-doh day!
Some of the links I looked at say the 16th and others say the 18th... we are "celebrating" today :0)

Here is my newest and favorite

Play Clay recipe
*Mix

-1 cup flour
-1 cup water
-1/2 cup salt
-1 tablespoon oil
-2 teaspoon cream of tartar

*in a pan.

*Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture forms a ball.

*Cool.

*Knead food coloring into a ball when cool enough to handle.

*Store in a sealable bag.

This recipe is from our Sonlight curriculum. It's by far the best one I have tried. Have a happy Play-doh day full of manipulative fun!

A Bunch of Brown Bananas

2009-09-14T12:33:00.000-07:00

I usually buy 2 bunches of bananas at the store each time we go, and we usually eat most of them. I always hope there will be 3 brown ones for banana bread, but most of the time they are all eaten way before they reach that point. I was pleasantly surprised this week that there was an entire brown bunch! Could be the fact that we have had the windows open as our "air conditioning" which makes it sort of warm and humid inside. Here are a couple of recipes to take care of a whole bunch of brown bananas.

Banana Bread

*Combine, and set aside,
-1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour ( I use equal parts un-bleached all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and wheat germ... fyi, this makes them a little bit dryer, next time I'll add 1/2 cup applesauce to the wet ingredients)
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/4 tsp baking soda
-1/4 tsp salt
-1 tsp ground cinnamon

*Mix

-2 large eggs
-1/2 cup butter (melted and cooled)
-1/2 cup granulated white sugar
-3 large brown bananas
-1 tsp vanilla

*Mix wet ingredients into dry and combine just until moist

*add

-1 cup chopped walnuts

*and mix well

*Pour into your choice of the following greased pans and bake at 350 degrees for the specified time,
mini muffin pan, 15 minutes
regular muffin pan, 20-25 minutes
1 large loaf, 55- 65 minutes
2 mini loaf pans, 30-40 minutes

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

*Combine

-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I use equal parts un-bleached all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and wheat germ)
-3/4 cup white sugar
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
-1 tsp ground cinnamon

*Cut in

-3/4 cup butter

*Stir in

-1 egg
-2 large brown bananas

*and mix well

*add

-1 3/4 cup rolled oats

*drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto an un-greased cookie sheet.

*bake for 10-15 minutes or until the edges are browned.

Ham and Spinach French Bread Pizza

2009-09-11T09:05:00.000-07:00

Last night I used what I had in the fridge and came up with this.

Ham and Spinach French Bread Pizza.... as strange as it sounds it was actually really good.

I started with refrigerated french bread dough, baked it according to the package and then sliced the loaf like a great big hot dog bun.

Then I mixed 1 TB mayonnaise (which I NEVER have, but was left over from a something someone made at my house) and 1 TB Dijon mustard, and spread onto the bread.

I sprinkled about 1 cup of chapped ham over the bread.

Added about 1 cup fresh spinach leaves.

and 1 cup mozzarella cheese, add a little more ham and spinach and top with just a tad more cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or so and then turn the oven to broil for 2 minutes to brown the top a bit.

mmmmm... tasty.

That September Day

2009-09-11T05:25:00.000-07:00

I remember... just like you probably remember. Where I was, what I thought, and how I felt when I first heard the news.

I was 18, home sick from work. I was cuddled up on the couch with a blanket watching the news with my mom. I'll never forget the nausea and numbness, the quiet and fear. The way the whole world paused to process what was happening. The first was plane was horrible and oh so sad. The second brought terror.... we had been attacked! I'll never forget my thoughts of what war might be like, how it might change our future. To be honest I pictured some type of World War II type of life. But war is different now. My Brother joined the Army and deployed to Afghanistan. He and his wife are still in the army, and now serve in Iraq. My dad is in the National Guard and currently serves in Kuwait. Even so "the war" is distant to me. It's something that I don't think of in my daily activities. I do think of my family, and their fellow soldiers. I realize that their sacrifice allows me to live in my bubble of security and peace. But I don't acknowledge it enough, or pray for them enough, or thank them enough.

September 11th changed us... on that day I wrote the following in my journal;

America sleeps in shock and fear as we wonder what will happen next, our security and safety having been torn from our hands..... On this day of tragedy in the fears, the heart ache, the sorrow, and terror, I pray that hope, love, and faith will be the safe harbors. I will... "Look to the Lord and His strength; seek his face always." Psalm 105:4

I still pray for that.

May you fly your flag high, and let everyone know that you have not forgotten that September day!

Happy Labor Day

2009-09-07T05:53:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Rocks in My Dryer, and thought it was perfect for the day.

How long were your labors?

Kid #1, 9 hours (4 at the hospital)

Kid #2, 7 hours (only 2 hours and 10 minutes at the hospital!)

How did you know you were in labor?

Kid #1, I thought I was sick cuz I took castor oil and then threw up for awhile, but when the contractions were constant for oh, 3 hours, I kinda started to wonder a bit.

Kid #2, Painful contractions that wouldn't go away

Where did you deliver?

Room 21, Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center in Alaska... both kids were born in the same room!

Drugs?

None, for either! All natural baby! Which was SO cool! Yeah, it hurt, but it was the most empowering and incredible experience I have ever had.

C-section?

Nope

Who delivered?

Kid #1 My husband ( after Dr. Halter got her head out, he was an amazing coach and would have delivered Kid #2 as well, but suffered temporary blindness the the week prior to his delivery so....)

Kid #2 Dr. Creelman

I thought I'd share my favorite picture from while I was in labor.... this is actually about 50 minutes before I held him in my arms! My wonderful Hubby caught me in between contractions, hence the smile!

If you want to play along with this meme, just cut and paste the questions into your own blog, and leave a comment on Rocks in my dryer so we can find you!

Well hi there!

2009-09-03T19:21:00.001-07:00

So I was sitting on the back porch with the lap top while the kids played on the swings and this....

jumped onto the table RIGHT NEXT TO ME! as if to say "Hi". Scared me half to death! He is cute though, in a "like to look but, don't touch it" kind of way.

Veggie Garden Photos

2009-08-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

I just thought I'd share a few photos from the gardens.

I took this picture midway through the season.

This is when those crazy tomatoes took off!

Our first cucumber harvest! Yummy!

This is what the garden looks like now. It's nearing it's end and looks very near dead. Yet, I pick 3 to 8 tomatoes every day, as well as a few peppers. When it stops producing, this will be our carrots, chives, broccoli and cauliflower area.

THIS, is our second grow box (started in mid June). After our enjoyment with the first one we decided to add some space to our garden. We planted cucumbers, lettuces, and pumpkins, we also found some peppers, cantaloupe and watermelon plants at the nursery.

This is a picture from today, it's growing very well!

Only the Bibb lettuce was able to sprout, it's been very hot for lettuces. I will be planting more of these cool weather veggies later in the fall.

We just planted some peas the other day. I hope it's not too hot for them to germinate. I suppose we'll find out soon enough.

The following pictures are of four phases of each veggie. The first is soon after they sprouted, the second a few weeks later, and the third is four days ago, the last ones are from today.

The cucumbers

Just sprouted

A few weeks later

A few days ago

and today

The Peppers

Just planted

Growing good a few weeks later

and today

The Melons

Not looking too happy right after they were planted

Much healthier a few weeks later

Growing all over and together with the pumpkins

baby cantaloupe

The same cantaloupe 4 days later!

Cutest lil watermelon ever!

The same one four days later

The pumpkins

Just sprouted

Growing good

Sweet little baby pumpkin

Starting to get lines :) I can't wait to see this guy grow!

5 Newbie Gardener lessons learned

2009-08-26T06:20:00.000-07:00

This is my first year gardening. It has been a very interesting and exciting experience. I have always wanted a huge vegetable garden. I love the whole idea that you can reap what you sow! Nothing makes me happier than preparing meal for my family that included veggies we actually grew in the back yard. Even if they are abnormally small or otherwise imperfect.

In April my wonderful husband built a small slightly raised bed garden for me to experiment with.

By June I had; cherry and big beefy tomato plants, cyenne, jalapeno, and bell pepper plants, carrots, and cucumbers. All from seed, some of which had been started in separate containers.

I learned a whole lot just by trying with the knowledge that it might fail. I was ok with that method.... not really "winging it", but I was not afraid to experiment. I researched a whole lot, but when it comes down to it, the only way to figure it out is to do it. So I did it! Here are some of the things I learned.

1. You should look up your hardiness zone by using your zip code.

- I actually just figured this out today. All along I thought we were in Zone 7, I thought this because I had looked at the hardiness map to determine it. By going to this web site, I found out we are really in Zone 8. This makes a difference, I hope this new knowledge guides me with the fall planting!

2. You really do need space between tomato plants.

-Since mine were way to close together they were really hard to deal with as they grew. I had such a hard time thinning the plants because I couldn't stand the thought that I was killing them! So I just let them grow and hoped for the best. Not a good idea. I faced some toppling problems, as well as a minor stink bug infestation. Not to mention how difficult it was to weed around them or the fact that they just didn't look very nice. Next year- I'm going to give them some space! AND I'm going to plant sunflowers near, but not to near, the garden to attract the stink bugs.

3. Plant in intervals for a longer harvest.

-Our cucumbers were amazing, they were delicious, and we really enjoyed them. But now they are gone :( I could have planted the seeds several weeks apart so that they would reach maturity at different times and therefore give us cucumbers all season. I plan on doing this with lettuces and carrots this fall.

4. Vegetable Gardening won't save you money.

-But it's worth it anyway. I had this idea that having a veggie garden would save us money in groceries. After the investment of, dirt, organic matter, framing, tools, seeds, and plants... you will have spent more than your harvest would have cost you at the store. BUT there are reasons to go for it anyway.

* Nothing tastes better than fresh vegetables that you grew and picked right before serving.

* Gardening is a fun and healthy activity and kids love to help.

* It forces our family to eat more, or different things than we normally would.

* It satisfies the soul!

5. Kids dig it!

- What kid doesn't love playing in the dirt and eating something they found in the yard! Plus it's a great learning experience for them too. Working hard can provide you with tasty rewards. They are also more likely to eat a veggie from the garden, because since they picked it they have some internal desire to consume it. I'm not sure how to explain it, it just works.

As fall/ our second growing season here in zone 8 approaches fast, keep an eye out for more gardening posts.

Healthy Chicken Divan

2009-08-25T05:42:00.000-07:00

* Boil
-4 to 6 chicken breasts
for 15-20 minutes (mine are always frozen)

* While the chicken is cooking, steam
-2 large heads of broccoli
(I cook mine, covered, in the microwave with a little water, for about 4 minutes)

* In a small bowl, mix

-1 can cream of chicken soup
-1 cup plain yogurt
-1 TB curry powder
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp onion powder
-salt and pepper to taste
Set aside.

* In a large plastic bag, use a rolling pin to crush
-2 cups bran flakes cereal (like wheaties)

*Add
-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
to the bag and mix well.

* Melt
-2 TB butter
Set aside.

*When your chicken is done cooking use your kitchen scissors to cut it into bite size pieces, do the same with the broccoli.

*Mix the chicken and broccoli pieces, and spread evenly in the bottom of an un-greased 9x 13" casserole dish.

* Pour the sauce over the broccoli and chicken.

*Add the melted butter to the bag of cereal and cheese, mix well and pour evenly over the sauce, chicken,and broccoli.

*Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Serve over brown rice. I always start the rice first since it takes 40 minutes to cook.
I hope you enjoy this healthy and delicious meal as much as we do!

Check out what's cookin' for Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

3 easy steps for a Pony Pinata

2009-08-11T07:59:00.000-07:00

Since I really didn't want to spend $20 on a pinata from the store, I opted to make my own using:

*boxes fro the recycle bin

*crape paper

*yarn

*packing tape

*photo hanging wire

*a paper bag

1. First I taped the boxes together in the shape of a horse, using a cereal box for the main part of the body (this is where I attached the hook), two butter boxes for the legs and a lasagna noodle box for the neck and head. I crumpled up a small paper bag for the rounded part of the nose.

2. Then I filled the cereal box with goodies (individual packs of snacks and fruit snacks instead of candy), and wrapped it with the crape paper.

3. Lastly I cut strips of yarn for the horses mane and tail and taped them to the appropriate places. The eyes were just more crape paper.

This project used things I already had and the result was all sorts of fun for the kids to break apart.

Water Fun

2009-08-06T04:44:00.000-07:00

Check out these fun Sponge balls! They were super easy to make and the kids had a blast playing with them. What a great way to cool down on a hot summer day! Learn how to make yours here.

Making Yogurt

2009-08-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I tried (and failed horribly) making my own yogurt. I went to this web site and followed the directions as best I could with the resources I had. So why did it fail? Well.... to start, I don't have a double boiler, so I just used my gigantic canner and my large saucepan to create the water jacket. This was a bad idea because the canner takes FOREVER to heat up the water, and therefore the milk, and it was very difficult to get the hot saucepan out of the hot canner when it's full of hot milk! In fact, while I was lifting the pot of hot milk the handle of my pan fell off! This caused a major spill and luckily no burns. After appropriately cooling the milk to the right temperature I set it on the heating pad (set to medium), covered it with a towel and returned 7 hours later only to discover that my heating pad has an auto shut off and hadn't been on. So for all my effort..... soupy, sour milk. NOT worth it!

Only slightly deterred from the endeavor I tried again...

*Sanitizing the utensils

*Heating the milk to 185 degrees

*Cooling the milk to 110 degrees

* After pitching the dannon plain yogurt for fermentation, I set the pan of milk on the heating pad, and the heating pad on my cutting board, covered the milk with a lid and wrapped the whole thing in a towel. This time I stayed near the kitchen and turned the heating pad back on every hour.

*7 hours later, I had pudding like, sour smelling milk with greenish liquid on top (just what you want to see).

*I stirred it up really well

*Poured it into containers

*Placed it in the fridge overnight, and wa la!

*Yogurt!

OK, so here's the thing... I didn't really like it. It was too runny, and lacked tartness big time.

I think I'll try it again one more time doing two things differently;
-I'll add some powdered milk to thicken it up
-and let it ferment a hour longer

I'll let you know how it goes!

Chalk Board

2009-08-05T13:16:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to make an outdoor chalk board since I saw one on this web site. We will be mounting it to the fence soon. My hubby wants to make it removable so that we can take it down during the winter.

*I started with a 2x4 ft 1/2 in think piece of smooth birch wood.

*Primed it and let it dry overnight.

* I then painted it with 3 coats (24 hours drying time between each coat) of chalkboard paint.

It was a very simple project and the kids LOVE the new chalkboard!