New Cookbook

This past Thursday night I went out by myself to run a few errands. I did some browsing at Home Depot to get some ideas for my landscaping project. Then off to Old Navy and then to Books-A-Million.

Now, I don't usually buy books from BAM because I can usually find books on Amazon for a bit cheaper and I don't have to wait in line. (I'm so spoiled) However, I scanned the cookbooks and found a yellow and red book on the end cap. I had heard of it before so I decided I'd snatch it up so I could use it for my upcoming menu plan.

My new cookbook is Erin Chase's The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook. I'm eager to try out some recipes from it. Some recipes on the menu this week are: Beef & Cranberry Stew, Cheese Enchiladas and Sweet & Sour Pork. 

So, I'll be sure to report on how it went.

Pardon My Mess

As you can see, I'm changing things up on my blog.

There's something that you should know about me. I like paper things--cards, stationary, etc. Especially, really pretty paper. It's the reason I've started scrap booking and never even put a picture in a scrapbook. It's part of  the reason I became an education major. Even though I didn't know it at the time, I just liked the paper goods (among others). The construction paper, large rolls of colored butcher paper, bulletin board borders, laminating, grading papers, grade books, lesson plan...books--you see they all revolve around paper. Oh, and totally unrelated, the big boxes of crayons...all organized by color.

Wow, I think I'm digging something up here. I never really realized how deep this went. Anyway, back to my changing blog. You see, all these pretty backgrounds remind me of pretty paper. Like those many racks of 12 X 12 papers at Hobby Lobby or Michael's. There are too many options not to take advantage of them. And here, they are FREE. It's just a matter of time to change things around.

So, that said, bear with my fascination. I'll promise not to change my design too often. You know, there is a lesson of contentment here, too.

Finding Joy in this Season

Don't be alarmed, it's not a real lizard. However, Sarah found it of vital importance to change it's diaper. It's okay that she wasted about 20 wipes in the process...

This is Rachel's Post-It note creation. She said, "Mommy look!". I said, "Wow, that's awesome." Rachel replied, "No Mommy, it's pretty." And I am still finding these little pink flowers in random places of our house. 

Bedding for the girls

Here's what I've been working on. I finally started on the girls' bedding.

It's going to take a while to finish all the flowers. However, I figure if I do one or two a day for a month I'll get it done before the summer. Sarah is still in a crib right now so I probably won't start on her's until the summer anyway.

Here's the quilt/comforter I bought from Wal-Mart:

I kind of feel like I'm cheating by buying a pre-made quilt but if I want to finish it this year I'm going to have to take a shortcut.

Oh, and speaking of Wal-Mart, I found the cute fabric there, too. It was on clearance and I just couldn't pass it up. It's already cut in strips which will cut down on the flower making. 

So, there ya have it. Hopefully, I'll stay motivated and get'er done. The flowers aren't too hard and they are easy to make...I just have to do it.

{Remember this Leah...they aren't that hard...they'll be so cute when it's all done...you can do it.}

I'm Back

Yes, my tummy had been very sad the last several days. Rachel and I battled a terrible stomach virus and we are now crowned the victors. Ah ha! 

Now, I'm back. I have energy again--oh sweet energy! And I can eat food and drink coffee. Everything is gravy. Today was the first time we actually all went out of the house since...goodness, I don't remember when. So, as you can see, happy to be better. 

Tomorrow, I'm planning on showing you what I purchased today and I'm really excited to get this project going. Til then...

Photo found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/courthead/3440590356/

Landscaping Project-Phase I

When I get something in my head, I usually have to do it as soon as possible. Now, I'm not talking about "Oh, I'll do the dishes right now." or "I'll fold this load of laundry." No, I sometimes procrastinate on those duties until there are no more forks or no more socks to be worn. It's just a simple fact. Maybe, it's because I know there will be more loads of laundry to be done or more dishes to be washed. It's a cycle.

However, when it comes to home improvement projects I have to get it out of my system. These projects have a start and a finish. There is an idea, a plan and then I execute. I watch as my ideas are made tangible. I work through any bumps in the road and I (hopefully) get the job done. It's big projects that I'm thankful to have very capable family members. I usually have an idea and they help me make it happen. Or they bring me down to reality.

This is my latest project--my front flower bed. The previous owners thought it would be a wonderful idea to put pebbles and a pebble/concrete mixture down over a plastic layer around the existing boxwoods. No flowers to replant, no weeds to pull. It's softscape and hardscape together...perfect!...for them.

Needless to say, I've avoided this for a while, I just wasn't really sure what to do with that space. I've always wanted some flowers there...something more than the boxwoods. Last fall, I got the urge to do something about it but it was starting to get cold and I knew I was running out of time to plant anything. So I decided to wait...until now. Last week, my plan came together in my head. I sketched out my idea and now I have a plan...kinda. :) I started on Phase I on Monday when the weather was a wonderful 65 degrees. I singlehandedly got rid of 98% of the pebbles in the bed. Well, Rach helped a little. She cheered me on, "Mommy, you're doing a great job." It's just what I needed to get it done. It took two days while the babies took their morning naps but Phase I is complete.

There's a brick walkway under there.

Now for Phase II...doing something with all this.  

Tasty Tuesday: Baked Oatmeal

Sometimes, staples like oatmeal get a little redundant and you want to mix things up a bit. That's why I first made this baked oatmeal. I usually make this on a Sunday morning. Then, I have enough for another breakfast early in the next week. Rachel always asks for seconds so that makes this a winner in my house.

Baked Oatmeal
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp. butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp. vanilla
1tsp. cinnamon
2 1/2 cups oatmeal  (rolled oats aka old-fashioned)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a pie plate with nonstick spray. Whisk together the milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, mix the cinnamon, oatmeal, brown sugar and baking powder. Fold the milk mixture into the oatmeal mixture. Let stand for about 15 minutes (I've never waited that long and it turns out fine--in my opinion). Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes.

adapted from: suite101.com

Brooke Reidt

I've been kind of on a bird kick lately. They are so fascinating!  God really showed his creativity when creating them. Maybe, birds amaze me because they can do something that most animals can't--fly.

So, when I came across Brooke Reidt's artwork I had to share it.

(thanks to Sara for always sharing new artists with me)
http://www.brookereidt.com

Update: After reading some posts in the "News" section of her website, I've discovered that she's pretty sweet and funny, too. Two lines from just the first post (2.27.2010):

"So now you can enjoy the art scaled down while making a contribution to some of the most amazing beings, CHILDREN!"

"...order yours pronto to avoid becoming peanut butter and jealous!"

One week ago...

This little Eskimo baby was born into this world.

These two turkeys became the big brother and big sister.

These lovebirds became parents again.

We all fell in love instantly with this little cutie.

Malina Anne, we love you and can not wait to hold you again soon! 

{3:42 pm--7lbs 1oz--19 inches}

"I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations." -Psalm 89:1

Finding Joy in this Season

Each Thursday I will post a picture of this current season. What season is that, you say? The season of having young children. My girls are 4 (Rachel) and 18 months (Sarah) and there are times that are frustrating and trying. However, it is my hopes that I will often find joy in this season. As many moms know, this season passes quickly. Too quickly to be bitter and frustrated. Hopefully, I'll look back on these pictures one day and long for the fingerprints on the table, toys strewn around the house, answering 5 million questions and dirty diapers. 


So here we go.This should be fun...

Exhibit A: Cheddar cheese left on the window sill by Rachel to A: save it for later and B: keep the babies from eating it. See, Sarah's begging for it already. It will most likely be ant dinner this evening. 

Exhibit B: My hand mixer beaters. Hey, they kept her occupied for .5 seconds. Who knows if I'll find them when I need them. At least I have this picture to prove that they were on this table at some point. Maybe, they'll find their way back to their rightful home. Maybe, just maybe, I can go put them in their rightful home right after I post this... Truthfully, I'll probably find a dirty diaper that needs to be tossed, dishes that need to be done and a kid that is "just a little bit more hungry". 

Ahh...joy, sweet joy! 

Tasty Tuesday: Leah's Roasted Potatoes

Here we go everyone--a super difficult recipe. Not really, it's just roasted potatoes. Although, I've really messed up roasted potatoes before. I think I found an A+ combo of spices. These potatoes have gone through several tastings by many professional eaters (read: These potatoes are my go to side dish when I have no idea what to put with the main dish. And my oldest daughter has never said, "these are yucky.") I also don't have exact measurements just add oil and spices until it looks good. Oh, and one more thing, my secret ingredient is celery seed. I have no idea why I even have it in my spice rack but for some reason it gives the potatoes an extra something. Hope they don't disappoint.

Leah's Roasted Potatoes
4-5 medium potatoes; peeled and chopped 
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Black Pepper
Celery seed
Italian seasoning
Garlic powder

Preheat oven to 475 before you start peeling your potatoes. Place the potatoes on a roasting pan (I use my stone roasting pan).Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil. Use your hands to evenly distribute the oil onto the potatoes. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, celery seed, Italian seasoning and garlic powder (go easy) on the potatoes and mix well.
Pop them in the oven for about 15 minutes. Take them out and flip the potatoes around. Place them back in the oven for about 15-20 more minutes. You want them to be golden brown.

That's it!

Sharing Creation

God's creation is a wondrous thing. Flowers, trees, rocks, birds, giraffes, worms, dirt...they were all created by the author of creativity. It's a major goal in my life for my children to enjoy and praise their Creator for the beautiful things they see around them. There are many things parents can do to share creation with their children. Here a few things I do:

Visit the zoo- We love going to zoo to see animals that we don't see just around house. Our favorites are the sea lions, giraffes and zebras. I enjoy the benefits of having a zoo membership. The best part is that we can go all day or just for an hour. That way I don't feel like I've wasted my money if the kiddos get cranky or if we just want to play in the children's zoo area.

Visit the Botanical Gardens- Our local gardens are rather large. There is room to run and thousands or plants to see. The best part? It's free. Sometimes it's fun to just go and sit on a bench and let my girls explore  one of the big open fields.

Owning a simple bird feeder-One year for Christmas Rachel got a suction cup bird feeder that you stick on  a window. It's great to have birds come right up to your window. We laugh often at how the birds fight over a spot on the feeder. We regularly get chickadees, cardinals and tufted titmice. And it's so pleasant to here the birds chirp and sing.

Having a pet fish-A pet fish is a great pet for a preschooler. They are a lot easier than a dog or cat while at the same time teaching children some responsibility. A preschooler can learn to feed the fish regularly. And if you forget, fish are a bit more resilient to skipped feedings than dogs or cats (I speak from experience). Having a fish has spurred on talks about how fish have gills, the importance of fish staying under water and death (poor Dora RIP). 


All these things can be used to introduce the story of creation or to talk about how God works in creation. We can share how God pours out his common grace daily by sending rain for everyone or providing food for the birds. So, how do you share creation with your children? 

Tasty Tuesday: Mom's Pizza Crust

My mom has been making this pizza crust for as long as I can remember. We have Sunday dinner at her house just about every week and we all get excited when we find out that she's making pizza. It's also often requested for birthday dinners.

Mom got this recipe from somewhere (maybe Quaker) but she doesn't remember and I haven't been able to find a similar one online. She really has made it her own so that is why I named it Mom's Pizza Crust. The best part is that there is NO yeast. Can you say 30 minute meal??

Mom's Pizza Crust
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup oat flour (grind up some oatmeal in a food processor)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp celery or garlic powder


Add milk and oil to combined dry ingredients. Mix with a fork until a ball forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, knead about 10 times. With oiled fingers, press dough into greased 14 inch pizza pan or a pizza stone; shape edge to form rim. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 12-14 minutes. Dress with toppings; bake another 10-15 minutes. 
Note: Sometimes I use a rolling pin to help push the dough out to the sides of my stone. Just be sure it's a little oiled.

Tasty Tip
To make this recipe even quicker you can process a lot of oatmeal into flour and store the extra in the freezer. It stays fresher that way. In fact, you could just mix all your dry ingredients together and store them. That way, all you have to do it mix in the milk and oil. 


 

My girls

Sar Bear

Rach

My Funny Valentine

This is the wonderful shirt that my sweet husband bought me for Valentine's Day. I thought it was sweet and he told me he cares about me in his own little way. Awesome V-Day shirt FTW!

Have a great weekend!

Magdalena Bors

I fell in love with Magdalena Bors's artwork the first time a friend shared it with me. It's so fanciful and magical. I can't imagine the time it took to create each piece.

I'm a little partial to the yarn creations and the sugar on the floor looks like a total accident. They are all just beautiful. Wouldn't you want to explore that cave with button stalactites or visit that sugar cube castle? 

Good to Know

Installation art describes an artistic genre of site-specific, three-dimensional works designed to transform the perception of a space. (via Wikipedia)

                                                    

Kelly's Cake Off for a Cause

This past December, my childhood friend Laura Crandall Brown died after a battle with ovarian cancer. She was young--I mean really young. Twenty five to be exact. Laura's mission before she died and her family's mission now is to raise money for ovarian cancer research.  Her dad started the Laura Crandall Brown Foundation.

Fast forward a few months. I was browsing Facebook and came across Kelly Ripa's Cake Off for a Cure. Electrolux will donate $1 every time you vote for one of the cake off cakes. You can also head over to the Cakery and send a cake to a friend. Every cake you send will be another $1 to ovarian cancer research. Sweet! This is an easy way to donate money. Especially for those who want to help but don't have extra money in the budget.

Tasty Tuesday: Pork Cutlets Parmesan

I received this recipe in an e-mail newsletter from Martha Stewart (directly from her--I promise). I wasn't too sure about it because I've had enough dry pork chops in my day. However, I had a ton of pork loin in the freezer so I thought I'd give it a whirl.

Pork Cutlets Parmesan

12 oz pork tenderloin

2 large egg whites

1/4 plain dried bread crumbs (Used Italian bread crumbs)

1/4 grated Parmesan (Used generic stuff that comes in a shaker bottle--just keepin' it real)

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Coarse salt, for seasoning (ie, kosher)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Lemon wedges and parsley sprigs, for serving (don't skip the lemon juice--it completes the dish)

Directions:

1. Slice pork tenderloin into 12 rounds. Place rounds between two sheets of plastic wrap; with a meat mallet, pound to 1/8 inch thick (or thin...whatever).

2. In a shallow bowl (or pie plate), beat egg whites with 1 tablespoon of water. In another bowl (or pie plate), combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Place all-purpose flour in a third bowl (I think you get it now). Season pork with salt. Dip pork in flour (shake off extra), then in egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumb mixture; pat it in.
3. In a large non-stick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the cutlets until golden brown and cooked through, about 1 minute per side. Serve with lemon wedges and parsley sprigs.

On the side

Roasted potatoes and sugar snap peas. The girls usually have a bowl of applesauce, too. 

Tasty Tip

I usually buy the huge pork tenderloins from Sam's and divvy them up into 4 oz. steaks. I put (4) 4 oz. steaks in a freezer bag. When I want to make this recipe, I thaw the steaks and then slice them in half and then pound them out. (They are actually a little easier to cut when they are a little frozen in the middle.) I get about 8 cutlets when I do it this way. 

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pork-cutlets-parmesan

Quilt Idea

My daughter, Rachel, is turning four soon. She has recently moved into a twin bed and I've been searching for a cute bedding set. I'm leaning towards the quilt bedspread route. Bedspreads fit in the washer better than comforters and they suit our warmer temperatures here in the south.

Bedding sets are expensive. So I had to come up with a cheaper solution. Thankfully, I came across a super cute tutorial on Heather Bailey's website. The tutorial is for these Pop Garden scrap flowers. I have fallen in love with the layers. Gorgeous!

They seem so simple to make and could probably be easily put together while watching a movie or some random TV show about a mysterious island. My plan is to stitch the flowers to a store bought quilt. Like this one from Amazon:

The possibilities are endless. The sheets could be any color because of the wealth of colors in the flowers. Now the hard part, getting this idea out of my head and into my hands. 

What ideas are swarming around in your head? Need some encouragement to get started on something? Get to it--create!

Trading Up

My girls were giggling like crazy in their room Friday morning. It's Rachel's habit to climb into Sarah's crib when she wakes up. Wondering what the heck was so funny, I slowly opened the bedroom door to find Sarah's crib completely disheveled. It was like an earthquake had only affected a small rectangular area in that corner of the room. Rachel had a look of terror until she saw me laugh.

You see, that crib had been bounced on by two other spunky kiddos. Its screws were stripped and coming out of the woodwork. It was an accident...waiting..to happen. I let out a big "Uh-oh!" and then began to take it apart. It was going to the crib grave yard.

Enter the wonderful Babies R'Us trade-in event. I waltzed into my local store this afternoon. My sweet husband pushed the broken down crib in a buggy behind me. The sales associate checked the brand of the crib and made sure it had "4 sides and a bottom". I met the requirements and was handed a 25% off coupon. The only downside, the coupon had to be used that day. I picked up a new Jenny Lind crib and brought it home. Easy peasy.

What a wonderful thing: I don't have to get rid of a broken crib and I saved money on a new one. So, I'd recommend the Trade-In Event. It'd be a great time to get rid of that stinky highchair or a Cheerio encrusted car seat.

P.S. Hopefully, there will be more little monkeys to jump in this bed!