5 Things

Today was a good day... Here are 5 reasons why:

1. It was just me, the hubby, and the girls- no other little ones to wrangle
2. I went to a PTO meeting and remembered why I took Gabby out of the public school system in the first place. Not that the particular school or teachers are bad... just that the system itself is so flawed...
3. I finished a very cute monkey mobile for a friend, I hope she likes it... pics to come tomorrow!
4. I stopped freaking out about the upcoming vacation to GA and put a game plan together that is very reasonable.
5. Waffles fries + melted cheese from Mr. Hero's is recipe for a good day, any day!

Now, here are 5 cool things that I have found on the web that really caught my eye:
1. We love the movie Up... here is the real life version!

2. Going along with the whole homeschooling thing... this post really made me smile because I am finding out that a lot of my public schooling friends have some serious misconceptions about why we homeschool.

3. Who cares about Shamrocks and Pots of Gold on St. Patrick's Day when you can make rainbow pudding?! I am definitely serving this to the girls next week!

4. I love love love this idea for a toddler bed for Miss Moira when she is ready!! All the nooks and crannies a little girl could want without all the muss and fuss!

5. Just found this blog today and I am really digging it! Her kids are adorable, the photos are bright and colorful, and everyone knows I am a sucker for kids!


And that's my day!!! We are supposed to get hit with tons of snow tomorrow so we will see what the day brings!

It's Snowing Snowmen!

I love snow, making snowmen outside, and any craft that has to do with snowmen. I am making these cookies with the girls later today and doing this craft this week!

This is the icing recipe I use, really simple recipe!

What favorite snowman craft do you have or remember doing as a child?

My favorite is always taking different sized white buttons and making snowman cards with the kids... 

easy and so cute to give to relatives with homemade gifts!

Guest Blog: hubby cooks Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Cooking with Gabby many years ago!

Wifey kindly asked me to guest blog here on my soup I made last night so here we go!  A little while ago I was inspired by a friend who is nearly a vegan (she can't give up chocolate!) and the health benefits of vegetarianism to check into recipes and find out if there are tasty meals I can make without meat.  I checked out a few books from the library and most of the meals sounded like side dishes or had ingredients I couldn't even picture in my head let alone ones I could predict what they would taste like combined.  Finally I stumbled across Betty Crocker's Easy Everyday Vegetarian.  I've always been a fan of Betty Crocker recipes, and as I paged through this book I found meals that sounded filling and delicious.  We've already tried the slow cooker lasagna (easy and turned out GREAT!) but this recipe for the tortilla soup REALLY hit the spot today.  It was bone chillingly cold today and I was really needing warmed up from the inside out so a nice hot meal that had some zing to it sure sounded great this morning.  So without further adieu, here is how to warm up on a cold day, tortilla style!

You will need:
3 tsp vegetable oil
4 corn tortillas (or I just used tortilla chips)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cans (14oz each) vegetable broth
1 can (10 oz) chopped tomatoes and chilies, undrained (I think this is where some of the heat comes from)
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro or parsley (I used cilantro because I love the way Chipotle's rice tastes)

1. In a 2-quarts saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons of the vegetable oil over med-high heat.  cut the tortillas into strips and cook them for about half a minute until crisp and golden brown.  remove and drain on paper towels.  (I skipped this step and just used tortilla chips)
2. In the saucepan you just used, add the remaining teaspoon of veggie oil and cook the chopped onion until tender
3. stir in the broth and tomatoes.  Heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes
4. stir in lime juice and cilantro.  Be careful with cilantro...it add some zing!

We added cheese and sour cream and served along with some cheese quesadillas for a delicious and hearty winter meal.

check out this recipe and LOTS more in the Easy Everyday Vegetarian.  LOVE IT!

The List 8.20.10

It seems like there is so much to do these days... school starts next week, dance classes to teach, and a new baby coming smack dab in the middle of the holiday season. Here are some cool things that have caught my eye in the last couple of days!

I attempted to make a pillowcase dress last week... didn't turn out so hot. May this easy tutorial will fix whatever I goofed up on last time!

With Gabby starting 1st grade this year I really want to have a first day of school tradition that doesn't involve me crying, lol. Although I am not too familiar with German traditions, the Schultuete Cone is something that is easy and will give me something to do instead of worrying!

French toast is one of my ultimate favorite breakfast foods... don't these French Toast Skewers look yummy?

As I mentioned in my post prior to this one, I am planning on filling cute cake slice boxes for my girls' birthday party favors. Since I am a DIY sort of gal I found some great tutorials on how to make these myself.... this one seriously does "take the cake", lol.

Luckily I don't have to worry too much about nap mats for my little ones, but this Nap Mat How To seems so cute and fun, I almost wish I had a reason to make one!

With planning a joint birthday party in September I don't really want to put another party on the calendar, however this Easy Shrimp Boil may make it onto the plans for October.... mmmmm.... shrimp, no utensils or plates, and lots of friends!

Finally, I just found the cutest doll house on Etsy and for once I think that I may just buy it instead of trying to make it myself.... too cute!

Well, that is about it! Hope you enjoy these links and have a GREAT weekend!

The BEST Peach Raspberry Crisp EVER!

Ok, so remember alllll those raspberries that we picked? Well aside from eating them by the handful, freezing them and using them for smoothies, and using them as ice cream topping I decided to make a Peach Raspberry Crisp.... oh my did it turn out YUMMY!! So yummy in fact that it was pretty much all gone before I could photograph it, so this photo will have to do. =)

via here

Ok, so here is the recipe!

Ingredients:

6-8 ripe peaches

1 quart of raspberries

sugar

cinnamon

1 cup of uncooked oats

1/3 cup unsalted butter- softened

3/4 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup of flour

dash of nutmeg

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Slice up all the peaches (I left the skin on) and place in your baking dish. 8x8 pan worked for me

3. Dump all the raspberries on top

4. Generously cover with some cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar

5. In a mixing bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients and sprinkle on top

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

7. Top with ice cream and enjoy!

The List 8.12.10

Hi all! Wow, time is flying by for this pregnant mama! I am officially in the "viable" zone and feel like I can breathe a little sigh of relief that if for some reason Miss M decided to enter the world now she would make it. (I am definitely telling her everyday though to keep on baking for another 13-14 weeks!)

Here are some things that I have discovered on the web that have really caught my eye!

I am really getting back into jewelry with the cooler temps not far in the future... this entire Etsy store has caught my eye for their yoga jewelry. I specifically am adoring this pretty piece, perfect for fall!

We have two very special birthdays coming up and I want to decorate the house a little bit to celebrate... these cute and simple Paper Lanterns will be perfect!

Even with the gardening season almost over, I would love to make this cute apron for crafting or attending craft fairs... a great tutorial for sure.

I am sure that I am not the only mama who has run out of ideas for entertaining the kids, especially on these sweltering days. I would love to make some of these stepping stones with the girls for our garden out front.

Zulily has to be just about my new best friend and my wallet's worst enemy! The deals there are too good to pass up and I am finding outfits for Miss M to come home in daily. The bad part is that the featured shops are not up for long, but it is truly worth checking out. Did I mention membership is free? =)

We love fruit in this house, especially bananas. Don't these grilled stuffed bananas look yummy?

But who wants bananas when you can have these awe-inspiring chocolate cheesecake bars? I know I would love to enjoy these at any function... or just on my couch in my pj's!

Finally, I am loving all the punched paper butterfly art that I am seeing... this is my favorite one so far though!

Ciao and happy shopping/crafting/eating!

The List 6.9.10

Hello Dear Readers!
  Today I am feeling so inspired that I hardly know where to start! I want to bake some banana bread, paint the baby's room, sew a few pillowcase dresses, and maybe even make my own ta-ta nursing cream! Lol... I guess this is what happens when you take a 3 month crafting hiatus... I am sure I will have some interesting posts coming up with all the fun projects that I have lined up! Here are some things that are really inspiring me on the web:

♥ I have been lending out a lot of books lately and am thinking that I should probably add bookplates to them like I do for my girls favorite reads as well. These pretty grownup bookplates by How About Orange are perfect!

♥ I am not much of a baker, but am really curious to try this delicious sounding Sour Cream Apple Pie recipe from Posie Gets Cozy!

♥ With the girls birthdays fast approaching I am already thinking about their smallish parties and stuff that I want to do for them... these cupcake toppers might be just the thing... and of course I will have to make them myself just because Gabby and AJ like it when I do that!

♥ Since I  already have the colors of the baby's room picked out I am starting to rethink how I want to decorate it and unfortunately it is starting to be based on whether is is a boy or a girl, lol! I am in LOVE with this lovely photo of a teal truck on a vintage beige background!

♥ Speaking of the baby's room... I would really like to have Gabby and AJ help make something for the room as well... these pretty HodgePodge Hand Trees are pretty and even shown in the colors I am addicted to!

♥ And while I am thinking about birthdays and decorations... this totally easy and super cute Balloon Door Wreath is getting made ASAP and will be gracing our door whenever it is someone's birthday week! Yep, love it too!!

Disappearing Freezer Jam

One thing that I am itching to try this summer is making my own freezer jam... specifically Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam. There are a lot of recipes floating around out there but I don't think I need 25 cartons of berries sitting on my counter or tons of jars packed in the freezer. Something small that I can whip up when I feel the urge...

Here is a recipe that fits the bill, from Mandy Gerth. Her version is just plain Strawberry Jam, but I am just going to throw in some rhubarb and take it from there.... mmmmm.... Isn't her photo just lovely??

Strawberry Freezer Jam


1 packet No Sugar Needed Sure Jell Pectin
4 Cups Berries, smashed 
¾ Cup Sugar
apple juice (amount as described in Sure Jell directions)

Remove the green tops from your berries and smash them with a potato smasher in a very large bowl.
Stir Sugar into your berry mixture.
Boil apple juice and pectin as described in the Sure Jell directions.
Add the juice/pectin mixture to your berry mixture.
Ladle into clean glass jars leaving plenty of space at the top of the jar for your jam to expand in the freezer. (Since this is freezer jam the jars don’t have to be sterilized, they also don’t have to be canning jars, just any jar you have hanging around.) 
Store in the fridge overnight and move to the freezer the next day.

This recipe can be doubled (in our case tripled) and still come out just dandy. 

I Want That! Awesome Popsicle Maker

We love popsicles at our house! After lunch, after nap, before dinner, whenever! While browsing in William Sonoma, a dangerous place for pregnant women, I spotted something that I HAVE to have for the summer!

Doesn't it just look yummy? Suddenly those icky store-bought popsicles just didn't look good enough and images of kiwi-strawberry iciness danced in my head! The Zoku Quick Pop Maker ($49.95) is a genius way to deliver popsicles to your family without all that waiting and planning. Simply pop the maker in the freezer (or just keep it there so it is always cold!), once it is ready add your pop makings, wait about 10 mins and voila! Homemade lovely popsicles that you can customize to fit each kid! LOOOOOVE it! You can buy extra sticks and the description says you can make about 9 before having to re-freeze the base. There is a cute little video on the site as well that shows you how to make layered pops and other pretty concoctions. Yum! 

Here are some other recipes that I think sound just delish:

Lemon Frozen Yogurt Pops with Raspberries

Tropical Island Pops

32 Homemade Popsicle Ideas

Orange Banana Smoothie Pops

Do you have a favorite popsicle recipe? Lemonade with strawberries sounds so good right now!

Mmmmmm Rainbow Cake

I just found this cake and looooooove how pretty and colorful it looks! Wouldn't this be a perfect cake for a Mother's Day celebration or a special birthday???

(image and recipe via Birthday Girl,originally posted here!)

Rainbow Cake
White Cake (but not really)
2 sticks (226 g) butter, room temp
2 1/3 c (466 g) sugar
5 egg whites, room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 c (375 g) flour
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 1/2 c (355 g) milk, warmed for 30 sec in microwave to bring to room temp
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple GEL food coloring. Liquid will not be vibrant enough!

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Oil and line how ever many 9” cake pans you have (I have three and I just reused them).

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Cream the sugar and butter, then add the egg whites (I cracked them all into one bowl) and add them a little at a time. Add the vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Then, alternating between wet and dry, add the milk and flour mixture in two parts.

Divide the batter amongst 6 bowls (I did it by weight. Weigh your mixing bowl before you begin adding ingredients and then subtract the weight of the bowl from the final measurement after the batter is completed. Divide that number by six and add that weight of batter to each bowl), and then whisk a fair amount of the appropriate food color into each bowl. Pour into the pans and bake for 15 minutes each.

When you remove them from the oven, let them rest on the cooling rack, in the pan, for ten minutes. Then flip, cover, and stash them in the fridge to cool quickly.
Lemony Swiss Meringue Buttercream

To fill and crumb coat:
9 egg whites
1 ¾ c (350 g) sugar
4 sticks (532 g) of butter, room temp
2 tsp lemon extract

To frost:
5 egg whites
1 c (200 g) sugar
2 sticks (226 g) butter, room temp
1 tsp lemon extract

Cook the egg whites and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved (test by rubbing some between your fingers. If it's completely smooth, it's done). Pour into another bowl (a stand mixer is preferable) and whip on high speed until room temp. Then, on a medium-slow speed, add the butter, waiting until each piece is completely incorporated before adding the next. After all the butter has been added, turn the mixer back to high speed and whip until it has come together, about five minutes. Add the extract, beat briefly and then use.

If the buttercream seems soupy after all of the butter is added and does not come together after whipping, refrigerate for 5 to 7 minutes and continue whipping until it becomes fluffy and workable.

The Best Darn Banana Bread

Ok, so I admit it... I am usually a box mix kind of girl.

It is convenient, doesn't go bad, and super simple.

However, this recipe is just as easy... no weird ingredients and very very tasty!

The best part is that is uses that couple of bananas that got pushed to the side because they were browning!

Here it is, enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Ingredients

• 4 or 5 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Pinch of cinnamon sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
  

How to:

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon sugar last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

This is extra yummy when served warm with butter on top! Soooo yummy!