Launder, Fold, Repeat

2011-2012 School Year at a glance...

2011-09-02T07:45:00.001-05:00

We are getting ready to start school in T-minus 4 days and counting!

Our school year will continue with most of the curriculum laid out in A Well-Trained Mind.This academic year I have Little Man in 2nd grade, Littlest Man in 1st grade (young at just-six, but so ready to be where he is!) and Little Miss Pink in preschool. I feel like I will need an extra arm, an extra brain, and 4 more hours of sleep per night to tackle the challenge of schooling three. But I know that, if I access it as I should, God has more than enough grace to cover my weaknesses!

Here is our school year at a glance as it looks on paper today:

For Littlest Man (1st Grade)
Saxon Math 1
Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading, finishing this as it is a LONG book with 200+ lessons
First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind, volume 1
The Complete Writer, volume 1 for Little Man when we finish Ordinary Parents phonics/reading
Zaner-Bloser 1 handwriting
Spelling Workout A
McGuffey's Eclectic Reader for once a week read aloud

For Little Man (2nd Grade)
Saxon Math 2
First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind, volume 2
The Complete Writer, volume 2
Zaner-Bloser 2C handwriting, which introduces cursive mid-year
Spelling Workout B
McGuffey's Eclectic Reader for once a week read aloud

For Both Boys
Story of the World: History for the Classical Child, volume 2, Middle Ages
Blackline Maps from Knowledge Quest
Apologia Astronomy
Apologia Worldview Who Is God?
How to Use-Child Sized masterpieces for Art Appreciation
And I'm hoping to use this book for art, as well: Drawing With Children

For Little Miss Pink
I'm using this fabulous curriculum for preschool, Letter of the Week. I bought it as an e-book/PDF file set from an amazing homeschool mom blogger, Confessions of a Homeschooler. It is a bit labor intensive (putzy!), but I think she will love it. The price is right and it covers everything and more I think my little girl needs to learn. She turned three in May, so we will likely stretch the curriculum out over 2 years, supplementing as necessary and desired.

Here is our schedule at a glance, or at least as it should be in an ideal, Excel spreadsheet world, linked here.

So there you have it! We start our new year on Tuesday. Any and all prayers would be appreciated for a grace-filled, patient, kind, loving, learning-filled school year!

2010-2011 School Year Review

2011-09-01T07:00:00.001-05:00

Well, with our previous year of craziness, I can't exactly say that we have "finished" the school year. We still have 2 weeks of History to finish up at the start of this year. But I'm sticking a fork in '10-11 and calling it done.

We follow a classical education model as laid out in A Well-Trained Mind. The classical model, to me, makes the most sense and offers such a deep and wide wealth of knowledge. Each school year focuses on a historical time period and all of history is broken up into 4 sections. The four sections are repeated three times in the student's primary/secondary education, therefore solidifying the concepts as he progresses through grammar, rhetoric and logic phases of learning. Most of the literature is gleaned from the historical time period (e.g. The Odyssey during the Ancients, Beowulf during Middle Ages, etc.).

Here is what we did last year:

Saxon Math 1 for Little Man.
Kumon Numbers, Counting, and Misc. Math for Littlest Man

First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind for Little Man's Grammar/Copywork
Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading for Littlest Man

Spelling Workout A for Little Man

Zaner-Bloser Handwriting for both boys

Story of the World: History for the Classical Child, Volume 1: Ancient History
Science: Animal Studies using this resource, Human Body studies using this book, and a little bit of Plant Studies using this one. We picked several topics out of each book and did further reading from the library and projects, too.

Music: Classical Music studies with these fabulous CDs.

Art: Lots of miscellaneous projects from various sources, including some great Usborne books.

We also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this history resource--The Usborne Internet-Linked History of the World. The boys cart this behemoth of a book all over the house and it has been taped together at least twice. They love it and it is fantastic.

So there you have it! Our year in a nutshell. All in all, we loved everything we used. I am continuing with almost everything this coming year.

We Travel Together Still

2011-08-31T19:43:00.001-05:00

I will attempt to find the words to explain a major change that I have undertaken/undergone/experienced in the past, well, several months and even years. It would be even better to describe it as a change that happened without my realizing at all from childhood.

My faith life (I dislike that term, but cannot think of another to better express it) has been Christ-centered and wholly evangelical for all of my life. Praise be to God for blessing me with my loving parents who raised me in a Christian home.

I have, for years, been an adult who was active in my church, helping where I could and participating. I have read my Bible and tried my best to keep personal quiet time (less successfully as a young mom). I count Jesus Christ as my Savior and friend.

I wasn't looking for a change, but a change has found me. I wasn't looking for upheaval in my faith life (and thereby my social network and my children's lives, too), but it has come nonetheless. But God has been calling my lovely husband and I over the course of days, months, and even years to the Catholic church. And we could not ignore Him.

We have prayed countless hours, pored over the Bible, spoken with friends who have gone through the same, read many, many books (including The Catechism of the Catholic Church, this church history tome, GK Chesterton, Thomas Howard's beautiful Evangelical is Not Enough, two books by Scott Hahn, some Richard John Neuhaus, and more) and spent hours and hours in discussion as a couple.

It started as a slow, gentle inkling that Chesterton describes in a lovely manner: The moment men cease to pull against it they feel a tug towards it. The moment they cease to shout it down they begin to listen to it with pleasure. The moment they try to be fair to it they begin to be fond of it. -Where All Roads Lead.

The gentle inkling slowly became a strong pull and eventually seemed inevitable. We would be Catholic. The Mother Church would be our home. It must be.

We began to view the world with distinctly Catholic eyes, as if a curtain had been parted. Passages of scripture that I had read countless times to be sure seemed to leap off the pages: How had I not read it that way before? And eventually, How have I been away so long?

It makes sense that Neuhaus would describe his conversion in an article entitled, "How I Became the Catholic I Was." I feel the same way, too. That I am going home to the Church that I have always been a part of, even when I knew it not.

It is an odd task to undertake, sharing the news that one has "gone Catholic." In this modern age of church shopping and jumping and changing, it seems that sharing such information is almost banal. And yet, I have longed to shout of this decision from the rooftops or wear an "I am (almost) Catholic!" t-shirt. I guess that blogging it quietly will have to do.

To my dear friends who already find their home in the Catholic church where I long to be, thank you for your quiet guidance, your loving welcome, your faithful prayers. I cannot wait to join you in the sacraments and share in the unspeakably beautiful full communion of the Church.

And though I am overjoyed at what awaits, I am simultaneously heartbroken to be leaving the weekly fellowship of the body of believers of our church of many years. Different than leaving to another evangelical church community, becoming Catholic seems to many like a permanent break-up of a relationship. Though I would beg my friends not to see it that way, I understand the root of the sentiment.

I don't know exactly how to express my feelings on the matter or to give justice to the friendships I have formed, the bonds I have made at our lovely evangelical church. Richard John Neuhaus said it better than I ever could when he was received into full communion with the Church in 1990:

“To those of you with whom I have traveled in the past, know that we travel together still. In the mystery of Christ and his Church nothing is lost, and the broken will be mended. If, as I am persuaded, my communion with Christ's Church is now the fuller, then it follows that my unity with all who are in Christ is now the stronger. We travel together still.”

To those of you reading this news for the first time, I would say it to you directly: We travel together still.

Neuhaus, who left the Lutheran church as a pastor for 30 years, also said in a statement:

I cannot express adequately my gratitude for all the goodness I have known in the Lutheran communion. There I was baptized, there I learned my prayers, there I was introduced to Scripture and creed, there I was nurtured by Christ on Christ, there I came to know the utterly gratuitous love of God by which we live astonished. For my theological formation, for friendships beyond numbering, for great battles fought, for mutual consolations in defeat, for companionship in ministry—for all this I give thanks. . . . there is nothing in that ministry that I would repudiate, except my many sins and shortcomings. My becoming a priest in the Roman Catholic Church will be the completion and right ordering of what was begun all those years ago. Nothing that is good is rejected, all is fulfilled.

Though I am neither a Lutheran nor considering priesthood (obviously!), his words are the words I wish to share with you.

I look forward to beginning the lengthy learning process of RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). I look forward to being a part of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. I am grateful to God for His guidance, His leading, and His Church. I am so thankful to have undertaken this process in lockstep with my amazing husband whose spiritual guidance and leaning on the Lord have served as earthly leadership for 10 amazing years of marriage. I look forward to the next decade of our marriage and to what He has in store for our family.

Wow. If you made it this far, you deserve a medal. That's an awful lot of rambling. But I feel lighter having shared my heart with you.

Bad, bad blogger.

2011-08-31T10:18:00.000-05:00

When I consider all that has transpired in the previous year, I think I'm a little crazy for homeschooling my kids. We have moved, traveled, had a flooded house, moved out due to said flooded house, moved back in, and had all sorts of "life" in the in between times. I would be crazy for choosing to continue with this journey that is so exhausting and demanding.

And yet, it really isn't a choice for me. It is a calling from my heavenly Father and I can do nothing but follow His will. Did I pretend not to hear His call for a while? Um, yeah. Do I really resent this calling some days? Yes. And have I gone, but only like a toddler in a tantrum? Definitely.

Though the past year has definitely been tough and has added to my wrinkles (but I got BANGS to cover them up!), I would not trade it for any other year. This time spent at home with my kids learning with them and from them has been priceless. I would not trade it for a wrinkle-free forehead or all the money in the world. I learned so much about myself, about them, about God's goodness.

Watching my little man learn to read or seeing history come alive or snuggling while listening to "Beethoven Lives Upstairs"...all moments that made this calling worth every bit of challenge.

I may be a terrible blogger, but I think I'm a decent homeschool mom. I certainly have more books than money, more holds at the library than anyone in town, and more on my to-do list than I could ever accomplish in a day. So I will continue to be a terrible blogger, updating when I remember to...so please forgive me (if there's even anyone reading this!)!

So...that's a tiny update. I will hop on again soon (promise!) to share what we did for school last year and what we'll be up to this year. I am so very excited to learn so much more this year---The Middle Ages and Chaucer and Beowulf and Shakespeare and War of the Roses and Astronomy....

Oops.

2010-12-06T06:58:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, I get too focused.

I'll be happily listening to my "Peaceful Holidays" station on Pandora, which I've calibrated to my liking perfectly. Simultaneously, I'm tidying the school mess and making lunch and emptying the dishwasher, while encouraging my daughter, Little Miss Pink, to express her artistic side with some watercolor.

And then I look up from all of that, and realize that she has expressed herself all over her cute little face.

Oops.

Excuse the bad photo. I took it with my Droid, right before I told her to stop painting on her face.

Shout it from the Rooftops!

2010-12-04T12:19:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I shared that I have finally come to a jaw-dropping realization. I can't do it all.

Sounds a bit elementary, really. But it was a tough pill to swallow. But then a liberating one.

Really liberating.

Liberating in the exact way Kevin McAllister felt (I would imagine) when he finally decides he's not afraid of the "bad guys" anymore in Home Alone.

image courtesy home alone (one of the best movies!)

I feel just like that. I want to shout it from the rooftops. I can't do it all!

I said, "I CAN'T DO IT ALL!"

Amen.

Go ahead, shout it out in your little corner of the world. It feels fantastic.

Amazing Revelation

2010-12-03T10:24:00.001-06:00

yikes. this is a keeping it real picture, proving that i can teach, but, on some days, i can't teach and cook and put on makeup. something's gotta give, and this day it was concealer & mascara.

I can't do it all.

Simple, right?

But for a first-born, type-A personality, it's actually quite a difficult to accept and life-altering revelation.

I.can't.do.it.all.

With homeschooling, church commitments, family responsibilities, healthy eating, attempting to exercise, be a good friend, maintain my marriage, keep up (somewhat) with laundry....something's gotta give. Or a lot of somethings.

And little by little this fall, I have come to realize and accept that I just can't be everything to everyone and do everything I "think" or "feel" that I should. I have come to love even more the verse in Phillipians (4:13) that says, "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me." Because that verse doesn't say "I can do EVERY thing..." but just ALL things. I think there's an important difference. I don't have to bake 7 varieties of Christmas cookie and make homemade laundry soap and conquer every dust bunny. I just have to do my best at what I do tackle. And, to be honest, these days its a lot fewer things.

Homeschooling is hard work. Mighty hard. But the fruits of my labor have demonstrated that I'd rather make choices about my time and do less, but do it better.

I can't do it all.

Sounds like a simple thing, but you could ask my best friends and they'd definitely realize it's a huge deal for this girl. This girl who, in fact, held her Little Man's birthday party in a BOWLING ALLEY. Yup. I can't do it all.

Thank the good Lord.

**Cute pictures courtesy of Gruman Photography

The Day I Became a Mom

2010-11-17T08:30:00.001-06:00

Dear Little Man,

Did you know that I have been writing you letters since the very early days of my pregnancy with you? Lots and lots of letters written in those days to a baby whose gender I did not know, to little ears I couldn't wait to whisper in and kiss, to eyes that I hoped would be blue, like your daddy's.

After you were born, I wrote you letters. Letters as I watched you sleep in your bassinet next to my bed, letters as you crossed milestones, letters on each of your birthdays--six so far. Letters as you became a big brother and a preschooler and a kindergartner and a first grader. Many letters.

But this is the first letter that I know you really understand. Someday, I will give you all of the letters. But I can sum them up in this: I loved you before you were born. I loved you the moment the midwife placed you in my arms, your eyes open wide and soaking up the whole wide world with your wise, serious glance. And I have grown to love you more and more each day, each month, each year.

I am so very proud of the boy you have become. I feel like turning seven is a very big milestone, sweet boy! When I tucked you in tonight, I felt as I was putting to bed a little boy and would be kissing a young man in the morning.

You are wise and bright and mature. You are fun and funny. You are athletic and handsome. You are a loving big brother, adored by your baby sister and cherished by your little brother. You are a sensitive soul, much like your mama. You feel things so deeply and are so empathetic. I love that about you. You have Jesus in your heart, which makes me most proud of all.

It is an honor for me to be your mom. I am so glad that we met that bleary-eyed early morning in November seven years ago. I am thankful beyond belief that you are my boy. I wish you everything wonderful in life, most importantly that you would grow up to be a man after God's heart. You are on your way.

Happy, Happy Birthday, Little Man.

I love you more than you can every know!

xoxoxoxoxo
mom

***photo credits-last three shots from gruman photography

Favorite Things

2010-11-03T21:31:00.002-05:00

This is one of my favorite things about home schooling the boys thus far.

Best Friends.

And this one, too:

She's pretty darn great, as well.

Best Laid Plans....

2010-11-01T15:22:00.000-05:00

See, if you look closely, those are our perfect plans....blowing in the breeze, tossed in the air. God keeps in mind our deepest hopes, but sometimes our grand plans are only minutiae compared to that which he has in store for our lives...

Ahh, the best laid plans are those most wholly turned on their heads, right?

Our family made a move from our first home to a better school district, hoping to enroll our kids (Little Man being the first) in a terrific charter school, emphasizing a classical education. We sold, we moved, we entered the lottery to get in and prayed and waited. Prayed for a clear sign that God's will would be reflected in the lot we were given. And it was #7 on the wait list. Which seemed....murky. Not super low on the list (like #200), but not "in like Flynn" so to speak.

So we waited some more. And wondered. And considered alternatives. We knew that we would prefer Little Man to be in a classical style academy. But now what? After much thought and prayer, that cutie pie and I felt that we were going to home educate if Little Man didn't get in. Which seemed IN-SANE.

I mean, come on. Homeschooling? Even though my most favorite roommate (who is, now, by the way a brilliant physician and beautiful and lovely and gracious and fantastic) was homeschooled, could we really do that? Would my children be as brilliant and adorable as she? And, really, could I handle it?

After lots of prayer and some real angst on my part, we decided that this crazy homeschooling would be the plan. And then, Little Man got into this school. And it seemed perfect. He looked so stinking cute in the uniform and the building was brand new and his teacher was a real-life version of a Disney princess. I envisioned the upcoming years with all three of my dreamy children (2 boys and a girl! So cute!) in uniforms, the boys with sweater vests and my baby girl in a plaid jumper with peter pan collared shirt. It would be perfect. I could go to the gym and lose the mummy-tummy and have coffee and cook amazing meals. I could almost taste the plan becoming reality.

Look, it's Little Man! On his first day of Kindergarten at the school I was CERTAIN he would matriculate into and graduate FROM in 12 years.

And then, it changed. In the end, our school wasn't a good fit for our family. We wanted more for our kids' education. And I missed Little Man like crazy. Crazy. Even on his half days.

So, here we are. A year later and we bit the bullet. We prayed and planned and prayed some more. And we're doing it.

Homeschooling our kids.

See? It's true. Homeschooling. In the flesh. Well, in the jpeg form of flesh.

For real.

If I ran into my 22 year old self and told myself, "Girl. Get this. You're going to be thirty-one with three kids. Stretch Marks? Oh yeah, you'll have them. And guess what else? You'll have books up to your eyeballs and math manipulatives and a platinum membership at the public library. You're a homeschooling mom, missy." I'm pretty sure that 22 year old me would run. Screaming. For. The. Hills.
And, truth be told, I wouldn't blame her. I still sometimes have that reaction. But I know that this scenario works for this little family.

This scenario, this little classical academy we are running with an emphasis on our faith is something that was SO NOT in the plans. But the best laid plans are really the worst laid plans when compared with those our Father in heaven has for our lives.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you......." God had a plan for our family. It wasn't our plan, but it was the best plan. And I'm so glad we're in on it! Later on in that verse He says, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

So, here we are! Home schooling and loving it. Not every moment, but the overall. I think I am learning the most in all of this. It is a blessing. And we are excited for the journey to continue, excited for the future that awaits when we are faithful to his plans.

Long Time, No Excuses

2010-10-29T17:03:00.001-05:00

My sad little blog has really gone by the wayside lately.

Life has a crazy, sneaky way of sideswiping you, not always in a bad way.

So we had spring and summer and fall and birthdays and decisions and some vacations and some more decisions.

So here is a snapshot of our little life right now:

Little Man is almost 7. I, the consummate, self-proclaimed obsessive party planner have yet to begin planning his party. What has happened to me? Little Man, though, is seeming less and less little as the days go by. The summer saw the loss of many more teeth in his apparently too-small mouth and the arrival of some even bigger teeth. His smile makes me smile. Every time. The awkwardness of the giant teeth and the spaces and the squinty-eyed grin combined make me melt. Every time. Except when he's making me crazy, in which case I only defrost a bit. :) He is Mr. Soccer, Mr. Football, Mr. Light Saber and Legos, too. Little Man has become quite a smart, outgoing fellow. I am so proud of him. And those cute, big teeth. I'm blaming his father for them...!

Littlest Man is 5. FIVE. Half a decade. Who the heck took those years? He was just my baby. Our "OH MY WORD! We're pregnant!" baby, 20 months younger than his big brother. My smiling from the moment he was born (almost) baby. And now he's starting to read and (currently) covered in chicken pox (from the booster, can you believe it?) and riding a bike without training wheels. His dimple (just one!) is so deep and so charming and so dangerous (you could fall into that thing) that it should come with a warning sign. One little sheepish or even sneaky grin, and I'm smitten. Watch out, World. Or at least girls of the world. When this fellow decides he's putting on the charm, it's ON. And he's FIVE. Did I mention that? FIVE. Cinco. My heart hurts just typing it.

Little Miss Pink. Oh, my baby girl. She's two and almost a half. My baby who I will call "baby" until forever comes. She is sweet and sassy and spunky and stubborn as all get out. But, man! is she cute. She loves shoes and shopping and purses like there's no tomorrow, frequently changing purses and making certain she has one of her cell phones, lest she lose touch with her peeps. The child was fairly mute for almost 18 months, save for the traditional "mama, dada, baby" words. And one day, the girl woke up and started to talk. And she hasn't stopped since. She wants what she wants and has often been heard sassing after being scolded that, "I'm not naughty, I'm just cute!" We're in trouble.

My favorite Irish hubby (and only Irish or any other breed hubby, for that matter) & I celebrated our ninth anniversary this summer. I can't remember what we did....wait. It will come to me. Oh yes. We went out for a fancy dinner and saw a play. But the day isn't really the celebration. It's the day in, day out that is. I continue to be amazed that I married this fellow when we were practically babies (22!), and yet God, in His infinite wisdom, knew that we were meant to be. We've grown closer and stronger and better every year. And he has gotten even cuter. Way cuter. We may have more wrinkles and a few gray hairs (him, not me...!) and some stretch marks (me, not him!) and lots more mileage on us, but I wouldn't trade the "us" we are now for anything. And ten years is coming up fast and furious! Lucky we! Lucky me.

So, that's an update from our little corner of the world. I hope to attend more carefully to this little blog. No promises. Life is crazy. But it's good.

In Absentia

2010-03-22T10:45:00.000-05:00

Long time, no post!

Life has been a whirlwind of late, though, to be honest...when is it not?

I guess I really got out of the swing of documenting my creativity, cooking and projects and was kind of enjoying simply living them out on a daily basis.

Since the holidays, my grandmother passed away, which hit me square in the gut. She had faded slowly, but the reality of her passing is still shocking and not fully set in.

So, busy life, grandma's passing, avoidance...these are my reasons for avoiding this blog as effectively as I avoid laundry.

Which I have a mountain of at the moment. Are you surprised?

The Land of 10,000 Kisses

2009-12-15T15:33:00.000-06:00

So, we of this little Irish Norwegian family are Minnesotans. Not by birth, but by circumstance and choice. This state we call "home" is referred to as The Land of 10,000 Lakes. The truth is that there are probably more like 15,000 or so lakes. There are lakes everywhere in this lovely state. They dominate the landscape, which is a fantastic thing.

Where I live my life is the Land of 10,000 Kisses. Give or take a few thousand. I figure about 10,000 though, since my favorite Irish fellow and I shared our first kiss 10 years ago today. At the very least we've probably shared 3 kisses a day since then (minus a summer apart...Spain for me, DC for him...but we made up for that I'm sure!), so the math says at least 10-15,000 kisses since that first magical one. I remember it clearly. With a giggle.

What's funny is that, the night of our first "real" date---to an Olive Garden in Jackson, MI----the Cutest Irish Fellow on the planet told me he could see me being the mother of his children. I thought it an adorable comment, but never in a million years would've dreamed it to come true! We were opposites attracting, to say the least.

I'm glad that he was right and I was wrong. I'm unbelievably blessed to live with him and our three kidlets in the Land of 10,000 Kisses, where love dominates our landscape through the up and the down. God has richly blessed our lives and orchestrated us to come together at a tiny college in a tiny town 10 years ago. We are so grateful.

image courtesy dakota community college

I am also incredibly grateful to have a love that has grown more deeply than I could have imagined back in 1999 when we started dating, or in 2001 when we tied the knot. Here in Minnesota, wild prairie grass is prevalent and gorgeous. The thing about planting a prairie, like planting a good marriage, is that a lot of the important growth is below the surface. To weather the hot summers and the cruel winter, the prairie has to have a strong root structure. Our love has definitely grown that structure over time, with God at the center of our marriage. We have gone through ups and downs, trials and struggles. But with deep roots, we know that our prairie will continue to thrive and be gorgeous through the years.

I am thankful for that first kiss so many years ago and every one since.

LEGO Piñata Tutorial

2009-12-11T05:20:00.000-06:00

Little Man, as previously mentioned, is obsessed with LEGOs. It helps that his daddy (my favorite Irish hubby!) loves them, too. Those boys play LEGOs for hours! So, when Little Man decided on a LEGO themed birthday party, I was all in. I love getting a birthday theme together and going all out, but in simple, affordable ways.

A piñata is obviously a party must for young kidlets, so I knew I would have to attempt one. I hadn't seen much LEGO anything in the party stores, with the exception of LEGO Star Wars (which was our theme last year--Star Wars). So, I knew I'd have to make the LEGO piñata.

I haven't made papier-mâché since 4th grade and was a little nervous to tackle this project, for fear of it not being perfect (I have issues. There. I said it.). I actually didn't even tell Little Man about it until I knew it was cute enough. (Again with the issues!)! Luckily, this project was super easy, ridiculously quick and the price was right (practically free!)! Three things I love in a project!

To start out, you'll need to make your papier-mâché "goo." I scoured the net and landed at Family Fun (which, btw, is a FAVORITE magazine of mine...such cute projects and ideas for kids and families). They listed their favorite recipe here and it worked perfectly. Make the papier-mâché:

Papier-Mâché (courtesy of Family Fun)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups cold water, divided
3 TB sugar

Bring 2 cups of the water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and reserved 2 cups cold water in a bowl. Add the flour mixture to the boiling water and bring up to a boil, whisking as needed to combine. Once it has come to a steady boil, remove from the heat and stir in the sugar. It will thicken as it cools, then it is ready to use. Store in the fridge after use; it will take about 2-3 days of separate coats of papier-mâché to build your piñata.

While your Papier-Mâché cools, get your fancy, high priced tools. Just kidding. You need:
-2 cereal boxes of the same size (Little Miss Pink loves Cinnamon Toast Crunch)
-tape
-fruit and nut cups, or dixie cups with the top lip of the cup cut off could work, too
-knife

-lots of newspaper
-rope to hang your creation from at the end

Lay your cereal boxes on their backs and stack on top of each other. On the long sides of the boxes (where the nutritional information that I ignore is listed...!), cut a rectangle (I used an envelope to trace the shape) out of the cardboard with sharp knife.

Repeat on both long, skinny sides of the boxes. Then, cut a larger rectangle out of one wide sides of the boxes. You will leave one wide side, and both box tops and bottoms intact.

See, the goal is to create a frame for your Papier-Mâché to go around. If you left the boxes fully intact and then did the Papier-Mâché over the top, the piñata would be practically unbreakable!

Now, tape the box tops closed and then tape the boxes together at the top and corners where the rectangle holes aren't. Does that make sense? We want to tape our frame together. I used painter's tape, but masking or box sealing tape should work just as well.

Next, cut a hole in the top that you'll use to insert your candy later (I did end up papier-mâché-ing over it, but it was easy to re-open at the end). Also, get your rope ready and put that in place, too. I put the rope at the top, as well as the candy slit. I taped the rope into place so it wouldn't wobble around.

Now, for the "LEGO" part. I consulted the household LEGO expert (aka my husband) and he said that, for a rectangle LEGO of this size, I should have 8 little knobby parts (who knows what those are called!?!) on top. I used Fruit and Nut cups from Michael's. See?

They were the perfect size and proportion for the LEGO I was building. I taped them on using Scotch tape. It was looking more like a LEGO already!

Then, I cut lots and lots of strips of newspaper in various widths, from 1" up to about 3". Lots and lots of them.

By now, your "glue" or Papier-Mâché should be cool. Mine wasn't quite cool, but I'm tough as nails and wore latex gloves (which I HIGHLY recommend...this stuff is messy. I also wore an apron!) and couldn't feel the heat of the not-quite-cooled Papier-Mâché. Must be the Norwegian in me.

This is the fun part! Run a strip of newspaper through the Papier-Mâché, squeegee it off with your fingers and apply it to the box frame.

I did all sides in one sitting, then hung it up to dry overnight. Notice the gloves, apron and plastic cover on the table...I recommend all of these! It is messy, but fun.

Cover the Papier-Mâché tightly and refrigerate overnight until you apply the next layer.

I ended up applying 3 coats, but the LEGO was really tough for the kids to break. I think 2 layers would've been perfect.

Repeat the layering again. I did it this time in front of the TV! So easy! The second and third layers went on in less than 5 minutes.

Once the layers have dried, it's time for paint. Alternately, you could apply colored tissue paper to the top, but I thought paint would yield the truest color result I was looking for in a LEGO. And it was free, since I already had the acrylic craft paint. Tempera would work, too.

It took about three coats of paint, which dried very quickly between coats.

I re-cut the opening for the candy and stabilized the rope with blue painter's tape and painted over the top again.

I let it dry overnight and it was ready to join Little Man's Sixth Birthday Extravaganza! First, it was on the table as a centerpiece...who doesn't love a gigantic LEGO?

Then, once the kids had arrived, we headed outside for the piñata fun!

All in all it was an easy project, the kids loved it, and it was practically free! A hit all around. My only complaint was that it took too long to break (which is especially problematic in Minnesota when it's cold and getting dark at 5:00pm...less of a problem in the summer, I'm sure!). But other than that, this project was great! I hope you'll try it!

I will post some more details of the LEGO party. I've already shared the invitations here and here, and a sneak peak at the party in pictures, too.

Christmas Cookies in a Jar

2009-12-10T15:40:00.001-06:00

We are so very blessed to have teachers in our kids' lives that care deeply for them and do a great job of teaching them. At Sunday School, the boys have 3 teachers who work diligently and passionately to teach them about the love of Christ and His life. At preschool and kindergarten, they have 4 great teachers who are kind, fun, and all around great! As Thank You gifts for our Little Men's teachers at school and for Sunday School, we decided to make Cookies In A Jar this year. Their everyday school teachers are getting another gift, too, that I'll touch on another day. I wanted to give gifts that were handmade and, hopefully, useful and special, too.

This project was very quick (under an hour) and totally kid friendly, with the exception of a bit of cutting.

To start off, I got 1/2 a yard of Christmas fabric at Wal-Mart. I love that I can go there to pick up fabric, chocolate chips and (if I needed them) truck tires. I am a big fan of only getting in and out of the car once, especially when it's -2 like it was when I ran out the other day!

I wanted to cut circles of fabric to go over the finished jars. In true Mostly Mom style, though, I had to mess up 2 times before I found the right size for the circle. The final product ended up being a circle about 6" in diameter. I cut as many as I needed, and 1/2 yard was the perfect amount for 9 circles.
I used a regular pair of scissors, but pinking shears would've been even cuter!

Next, gather your recipe ingredients and quart sized jars, spoons, etc. You'll need granulated sugar, brown sugar (light or dark), all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, oats, dried cranberries, and white chocolate chips. For spooning/pouring ingredients, I grabbed a flexible deli container (to mix and pour the flour, salt, and baking powder/soda), a spoon, my espresso tamper, and a wide-mouth funnel for canning.

We just did these assembly line fashion, with everyone (even Little Miss Pink) chipping in. They loved it!

Layer in the white sugar and tamp it down with an espresso tamper, or use a small ladle.

Then add the packed brown sugar and tamp it down again.

Next, in a flexible (ie bendy, so your kids don't dump the ingredients when they try to pour it in the jar!) container--like a clean deli container--mix the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Tamp it down. Gently, or flour will poof in your kiddo's faces! This step takes the longest. If you were super efficient, you could pre-measure and mix each portion of the flour mixture and have it ready for your kids to dump. But I think learning patience is a virtue. And I didn't think of that first!

Now comes the really fun stuff! Add in the oats, followed by the dried cranberries (try to keep your kids from eating most of them!).

Finally, the white chocolate chips go in!

Doesn't that look lovely?

Place the jar lids on top and then the fabric circles. Next comes the labels with the instructions for baking. Don't be like me and realize the labels need to go on before the rings! Or skip the labels I did and do a separate tag.

After the jar lids and fabric were on, I placed this cutie pie label on top, listing the mixing and baking instructions for the cookies. I used Post-It Shipping labels, but you could easily print on cardstock and tape the circle to the fabric, too. If you'd like me to email you my PDF, post your email in comments.

So, lids, fabric and label are on, then come the rings. And voila!

Hello, Holiday Cuteness!

I added some ribbon for a final touch, and am thrilled with how they turned out. The boys love them too. And hopefully, their teachers will enjoy these tasty treats, along with a handwritten thank you from the boys. I hope they know how grateful we are to send our Little Men off to teachers who care for them so much! THANK YOU TEACHERS!!!

Christmas Cookies in a Jar, adapted from Taste Of Home (makes ONE quart-sized jar)
18 Servings

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup dried cranberries (I used Craisins)
1 cup vanilla or white chips

Additional ingredients (list these on a tag, or email me for the PDF of the label)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Using a quart sized glass jar, layer (use a canning funnel!) the white sugar, followed by the brown sugar. Tamp down between each layer to create a clean line. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour gently into jar and tamp down gently. Layer in the oats, cranberries, and white chocolate chips, tamping between the oats and cranberries. Cover and store in a cool place for up to 6 months.

To prepare cookies (provide these instructions to the recipient!): Preheat oven to 375. Pour cookie mix into a large bowl, stirring to combine. Beat in the butter, egg and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2" apart onto un-greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes until browned, cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Cutest Little Breadbox turned Organizer!

2009-12-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

I have a degree in elementary education, though I never taught beyond my semester as a student teacher. I'm a nerd at heart (well, all over, actually) and as a teacher I loved to correct papers and put stickers or smiley faces on them, to write the weekly updates, and to send the classroom newsletter home.

Kind of ironic, though. Because as a parent, I confess that I.Hate.All.That.Paper.

I love that my Little Men love school and love showing off their work. But do I need 2.4 million (um. hyperbole) reminders every day of how well Little Man can trace a number 2? Or how expertly Littlest Man can glue cotton balls onto a piece of paper? Not to say that some of the paperwork that comes home isn't important---but do we need so much of it? And where to put it every day when it comes home but before I've gotten a chance to sort? I hate piles!

So, I found this little cutie to stash the paperwork in the kitchen when it arrives.

What? She doesn't take your breath away? Despite the fantastic and fun fungi? Can you imagine what the world was like when mushrooms were a hip kitchen theme, not roosters or vino?

Even with the fine job she does at cleverly concealing bread and whatnot? She doesn't take your breath away?

Okay. I'm not leaving her like this, I promise. I love retro as much as anyone, but shrooms don't really work with my decorating sensibilities. I imagine if they did, my life would be much more trippy and cool. Alas.

I can imagine that a happy family pulled loaves of Wonder Bread out of this girl for years and years. In fact, when I started, there were still crumbs inside (eew).

The forms, the notes, the masterpieces. They can live in here until I have a chance to sort, save, and send to the circular file all the reams of paperwork that come home with the Little Men.

To start our project, this little breadbox needed a cleaning. I used Windex.

Then, I sanded her to prep the surface for the spray paint. I removed the knob, too.

Once it was sanded, I wiped her down again and then primed her well.

After drying for 20 minutes or so, I started applying the main spray paint.

I used Satin Black because I like it, though, I was tempted to do bright red gloss, too.

After 2 coats and a couple once overs to catch the spots I missed, the project looked like this. Let me remind you to be patient and wait between coats---it makes for a much better project! I'm not very patient, so I had to really force myself to avoid watching the paint dry! It is fast, though, and so easy!

With that tackled, I just wiped it off, reattached the knob and VOILA!

The Cutest Little Breadbox Turned Organizer!

A Simple Christmas- Gift Tags

2009-12-08T16:58:00.000-06:00

Remember this post about paring down the extravagance of Christmas and weeding out the excess?
I've been so psyched about it!

In case you missed it, this little Irish Norwegian family is going to simplify Christmas and focus more on the real meaning of the season. So, we are giving the kids (and each other) only four gifts: one WANT gift (LEGOS, a baby doll, etc), one NEED (Little Miss Pink is getting socks and tights...don't tell!), one WEAR (item of clothing, shoes, etc), and one READ gift (a book, duh!).

I designed these tags to attach to the presents

I will cut them out, mount them on simple brown butcher's paper, punch a hole and attach to the presents! Easy as pie. I didn't put names on the tags because I will differentiate between recipients with different types of wrapping paper. I got a four pack at the big W(al-Mart) of coordinating paper. I will get brown butcher paper. So, we all will know which fabulous gift is ours!

If you'd like a copy of this PDF to print out for yourself, comment or email me (nmfoley1@hotmail.com) with your email address and I'll send it your way!

Merry, Merry, Merry!

The LEGO Birthday Party, a Photo Essay

2009-12-02T23:39:00.001-06:00

lego guessing game

Recovering!

2009-12-02T23:26:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the lack of updates of late. We are all recovering from a very long Thanksgiving weekend. We have much to be thankful for, as I have been mentioning, but I am beyond thankful that Little Miss Pink is in our lives. She had a rough weekend involving lethargy and an ambulance ride and an overnight hospital stay. Thank God she is okay and doing much, much better. Her mama is a bit worse for wear, though. I promise to get back to more regular blogging once I find my brain. If you see it, let me know!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2009-11-25T15:50:00.002-06:00

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues,

but the parent of all the others.

-Cicero

While today's celebrations began as a result of thankfulness to God for surviving in a new land, I would say that the heart of the matter today is about an attitude of gratitude.

Gratitude for the lot in life we've been given, for the family we have, for the food on our plates, the roof over our heads, the food in our bellies, the internets on our computer (!)....We may have it "rough" some days, but I know that I am surely blessed.

As the doxology that I loved to sing as a small child states, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow."

And that is that. Nothing good that I have is a result of much more than a God who loves me, despite my flaws and failures. Sure, hard work and chance and timing and all that. But, truly, I know that "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father...." (James 1:17).

I hope that your Thanksgiving day is full of happiness and joy, butter and carbs, laughter and hugs. I hope the same for me. And I hope that, at its heart, my Thanksgiving is full of an attitude of gratitude---for the little stuff and the big stuff.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

More Harvest Table Decor

2009-11-24T14:46:00.001-06:00

I thought I'd share the rest of my "tablescape" as Sandra Lee of "Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee" calls it! Total sidenote: I really dislike that show. Her food scares me. Her decorating and wardrobe are fun, but I don't think I would call what she does "cooking." I digress...again.

Here is what I ended up doing for my Thanksgiving table. The flower arrangements and votives you saw yesterday. The bowl in the center I scored at Goodwill for $3 and filled with gourds I had. Easy!

Tablecloth: Walmart. $9!

And for the kidlets?

They get this adorable little table I re-habbed for Little Miss' 1st Birthday--a $10 score at a garage sale + elbow grease, spray paint and a sander!

I like the tiny gourd under the marble cheese plate. Classic.

Harvest Table Decor

2009-11-23T20:43:00.000-06:00

I set the Thanksgiving table a bit early this year, so that it's not a frantic rush on Thursday. I had gotten two lovely bouquets at Costco---one of brown and golden mums and another a fall medley with roses, lilies, eucalyptus, mums and berries. I set my sights on making two arrangements out of these in low, rectangular vases so they wouldn't block conversation at our table. I also added votives. The set up was lovely, but just not complete.

I remembered a stash of burlap I had purchased at Hobby Lobby over the summer. I knew instantly what I wanted to do!

To decorate and "harvest" up any vase, jar, votive or even a pillar candle, you'll need burlap, double stick tape, ribbon and scissors. I used ribbon I had on hand---1/2" brown satin. I would've preferred wider ribbon, but didn't want to run out to the store.

I planned on "shabby-ing up" the 2 rectangular vases and 8 votives.

First, I cut two strips of burlap, about 3" wide and long enough to wrap around the vase. Using two rows of double stick tape, I attached the burlap to the vase, about 2" down from the top---which covered perfectly the surface of the water that can get scummy looking. Yeah!

Next, I measured a length of ribbon that could wrap around the burlap twice---in order to beef up my skinny ribbon. I tied the ribbon in a bow and, voila! Done!

For the votives, I took a long strip of double stick tape and pressed it onto the burlap. I used the width and length of the tape as a guide for cutting the burlap, which also helped minimize the burlap fraying and shedding.

I attached it to the top of the votive and was done! A super easy project and I am quite pleased with the results!

Delicious Apple Pie for the Birthday Boy

2009-11-21T07:58:00.001-06:00

One birthday tradition I love is to allow the birthday boy or girl choose the meal for dinner. This year, Little Man has become quite a good little eater. He loves steak and chicken, tacos and spaghetti. I had no idea what he would choose for his birthday dinner.

He thought about it long and hard and decided that he wanted Curried Chicken Pot Pie for the meal with homemade bread and Apple Pie for his birthday dessert.

One of my favorite Apple Pie recipes is Grandma Ople's Apple Pie from Allrecipes. I don't know who Grandma Ople is, but she is one clever lady. Little Man LOVES this pie.

I started with a blend of Granny Smith and Gala apples.

Peel all the apples. I hate this part; I'm not going to sugar coat it. I would buy one of those apple peeler gadgets, but think I'd hate cleaning and assembling it more than I hate the peeling. I'm just not as good at peeling as my mom is. Bummer.

Next, slice the apples into thin (1/4" thick) slices and core the apple at the same time.

I'm still married, btw. My rings needed to be cleaned and re-sized, so hence the ring-less fingers.

Toss the apples in a bowl and squeeze some lemon juice over them, or use the bottled lemon juice. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon on top and some freshly grated nutmeg--about 1/8 teaspoon.

Next, get your pie crust ready. I almost always use homemade since I discovered a couple good recipes, but today I just didn't have the time. I took the Pillsbury way out. Don't hate me.

Toss your apples in there and get going on the next step, which requires a stick of butter, brown and white sugars, and flour.

Get melting that butter over medium heat.

Add in your other ingredients: flour and sugars, then bring to a boil.

Mix well to avoid lumps. I love, love, LOVE this tiny whisk for making roux or for this recipe. It's from Pampered Chef. I highly recommend. While I think of it, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

While the caramel syrup is coming to a boil, prepare your top crust. I couldn't just do a plain top crust. The reasons are two-fold: 1. I'm a nut-job and can't make anything "simple." 2. It's a Birthday Pie! It needs a little birthday love in the form of a number SIX!

I also couldn't stop at just a number 6. SO I cut out tiny stars out of the "6" scraps and added those, too.

I have issues, but at least I recognize it!

By now your caramel syrup topping should be at a lovely rapid boil, like so:

Let it boil for a few minutes and it will reduce a bit. It will become a nice caramel brown color and smell delicious. Be careful; it's VERY hot!

Next, carefully and slowly pour the topping over the apple pie. It works to beautifully color the top of the pie, bring amazing flavor and it also drips all inside the pie. Yum!

You'll want to use a silicone pastry brush to evenly spread the caramel-y goodness all over the top of the pie.

Wipe the edges of the pie plate (to keep it pretty) and place on a foil-covered heavy baking sheet. Bake according to recipe, and enjoy!

Isn't it lovely?

Isn't he lovely?

The pie was delicious and Little Man was thrilled with how it turned out. I was too! He ate his entire piece and was ready for seconds before I sat down to eat my piece! I guess he was a fan!

And guess how he rewarded his mama? In the best possible way:

Lucky me.

Grandma Ople's Apple Pie

adapted from Allrecipes

1 recipe of pastry for a 9" double crust pie

7-8 peeled, cored and sliced apples, I use Granny Smith and Gala or Golden Delicious

Juice of 1/2of a lemon

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4-1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/4 cup water

3 TB. flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare crust in 9" pie plate. Peel, core and slice apples. Toss apples with the lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium sized bowl. Add to the prepared crust and top with the 2nd crust.

Over medium heat, melt the butter. Add water, flour, and sugars. Bring to a rapid boil for several minutes, reducing. Carefully pour over the crust, ensuring it is evenly covered using a pastry brush. Place pie plate on a foil-covered baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 and bake for 35-45 minutes longer, until apples are tender-crisp. Cool and serve!

Lego Party Invitations and Envelope Tutorial

2009-11-20T11:57:00.000-06:00

I've been kind of a deadbeat blogger lately. Lots of party preparations and birthday celebrations around here.

I blogged the other day about the party theme--LEGO. We are all about Legos here, or the boys are. Including the daddy-type boy. He's the worst of them all! So, when the idea was brought up to have a Lego party a few months ago, he was almost as excited as the Little Man himself!

I printed the invites and added the following papers to up the LEGO ante. I should have found LEGO paper, but didn't have time. I liked how these turned out.

The blue background is another piece of paper--the invite itself is only three layers--white cardstock with the printed invitation details, blue cardstock and lined scrapbook paper.

Once they were finished, I realized I didn't have envelopes. I was looking frantically at the PaperSource website when Little Man in his wise-beyond-his-years-voice said, "Why don't you make envelopes?" Duh.

So I did!

Again, I used what I had on hand---which was black checkered flag wrapping paper, though any paper could be used. I thought the checks looked like blocks...or kind of LEGO-ish.

You'll need these very complicated (not!) supplies: wrapping (or other) paper, tape, scissors and a positive attitude. Okay, you don't need the positive attitude, but it will make the project even more fun!

Start by cutting your envelope paper to size about 1 1/2 times longer than your mail and about 3 inches wider. Then place your mail (the invite) a bit less than halfway down the paper so that the mail will be fully covered by the bottom half of the envelope paper. Fold the left and right sides over the mail. Like so:

Fold the bottom half up over the mail. At the top of the envelope at the very top portion of the mail piece, notch two cuts along the top so that the mail will be easily removed upon receipt. In the photo below, I added arrows to show where to cut.

Once the notches are cut, fold over the top to make the envelope flaps.

SO easy, right?

Next, tape the envelope closed, or use an address label to close it.

Since my envelope paper was both shiny and too "busy" to write the address on directly, I used an address label.

And then I realized two things. The Sharpie was out of ink and my hands are ug-ly! Alas, the Sharpie problem I was able to resolve. I'm stuck with the hands. Oh well.

The final product looked great!

Cute, huh? Little Man came up with an awfully cute idea! I want to make all the envelopes from here on out--they are cute, cheap and so much more interesting. I will add that I used 2 stamps because I didn't know if the almost-square shape would go through the machines in the post office. All the invites arrived, though, so it was no problemo!

Happy Birthday, Little Man!

2009-11-17T06:09:00.001-06:00

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, "You're tearing up the grass." "We're not raising grass," Dad would reply. "We're raising boys."

--- Harmon Killebrew

The business of raising boys is hard work. But I must say, Little Man makes great joy of the work of motherhood.

On this very day, six years ago, Little Man entered the world, my arms, my heart and our life. He was born in the wee hours of the morning after a long night of labor. I chose to do water birth, mostly because I'm completely needle-phobic and was too afraid of an epidural. Long story short, I loved water birth and Little Man certainly seemed to reap the benefits of the natural delivery in the water.

The moment he was born and was placed in my arms, he didn't cry. He did not yell. He opened his eyes and looked all around with the most inquisitive and searching expression. His eyes, as they were that early November morning, are bright and beautiful and blue, like his Daddy's.

This day, I celebrate that Little Man (or "The Boy" as we called him, before his baby brother arrived!). I celebrate his search for wisdom, I celebrate his pure heart, I celebrate his love for God and family. I celebrate the gift he is in my life. I thank God that He, in His infinite wisdom, entrusted us with Little Man. What a blessing, an extraordinary gift!

Happy Birthday, Little Man! I love you like crazy.

PS More SOON on the birthday preparations, including the rest of the invite, decos and a Lego pinata! Fun, fun, fun! AND my other project I spoke about. phew. I'm behind!

Blessed beyond Measure

2009-11-13T11:37:00.002-06:00

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Blessed beyond measure.

That's a way I often explain my circumstances. I don't think that it is a guarantee in this life that you find your soulmate. That you love what you do (laundry notwithstanding!). That you love your parents and have a great relationship with your sibling and his wife. That you get to be a mama to three beautiful healthy babies. That you love your friends and your church and your country.

Simply experiencing one of those things would be enough for more than a lifetime of gratitude. And yet I have all of them.

Blessed beyond measure.

That's me.

In this season of Thanksgiving, I encourage you to spend a moment daily to put pencil to paper or fingers to keyboard to take stock of what God has blessed you with in your life, whether it be your house, your health, your honey, your haircolor. Taking inventory of all of these "haves" in my life makes it impossible to remember that there are any "have nots."

How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.

Psalm 31:19

photo credit: olivia wagner photography

Thankful

2009-11-12T10:04:00.000-06:00

"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever."

Psalm 107:1

I am thankful for so many things, but foremost is the love from God that has taught me how to love others, how to receive love, and how to live in this world. I don't think I could do my job as Mostly Mom, wife to that cutie Irishman and my friends and other family members if I didn't have God's perfect love in my heart. There are so many days that, as my Beth Moore "Esther" study says, it's tough being a woman! Thank heaven that God knows every little struggle, every little flaw, every little mountain I'm climbing. And thank the Lord that He loves my hubby and my kidlets even more than I can fathom. That kind of love is staggering and hard to imagine---I mean, I'm a fierce mama bear when it comes to loving my man and my babies. But more love than that?

"Greater love hath no man than this, than a man lay down his life for his friends"

John 15:13

His friends, his enemies, their children and their children's children. Amazing. Staggering. Truly incomprehensible. I am so blessed to have healthy children, a husband I adore (and who I'm pretty certain loves me like crazy #2, too), and a wonderful family. But most of all, I am blessed to be a child of a Creator who loves me more than I can ever fathom or ever deserve.

My Favorite Little Bookworm

2009-11-09T09:50:00.000-06:00

On Facebook a few months back, a college friend commented that Irish hubby and I were raising nerds after Little Man, upon seeing the snow on the ground in early October, said, "We're on Hoth." As in, the frozen planet that Luke and Co. travel to in Star Wars.

I have to say that I'm kind of proud to be raising nerds. Nerds that like cool music and have great senses of humor. Nerds that love Jesus, their mom and books. In that order!

To bear witness to the nerd-dom we are creating in our little Irish Norwegian family, I present exhibit A.

It's a normal Tuesday afternoon at our house. I pick up Littlest Man at preschool with Little Miss Pink in tow. We head to the prep academy that Little Man attends to pick him up from half day kindergarten. We get there early, so Littlest Man and Little Miss Pink look at books (and I do, too) in the car.

Little Man and his classmates file out of the building, waiting to get escorted to their awaiting minivans. Little Man's adorable teacher (who reminds us all of Giselle from "Enchanted") holds his hand and walks him to the car. Normally, she says hello and goodbye and is on her way to deposit another kindergartner in his or her vehicle.

Not today. Today, she looks at me with a rather serious face and says she had to have a chat with Little Man. Uh-oh. You have to know that Little Man, like his mother, is incredibly obedient and rule conscious when it comes to other people (at home, not so much always!) and school, church, etc. I remember the very few times I got in trouble in elementary school. Vividly. I digress.

My stomach dropped when she said those words because, as I said, I'm a rule follower, too! She proceeded to tell me that, upon arrival at school, Little Man and a classmate stopped at the book fair that was being held in the school atrium. They did not continue onto class, though. They stopped for many minutes. Little Man was reading and reading, until another adult stopped him to ask, "Where are you supposed to be, boys?" His teacher told me that Little Man was actually late for class because of his little Book Fair visit. She let me know she'd talked to him about this behavior and he understood he couldn't do it again.

So, Little Man's first run in with the law at school was as a result of his inability to hold back the urge to check out all the new books. Like an escapee from Fat Camp at the candy store. My Little Man.

We had a chat about it that night at bedtime. Little Man told me that when the adult "caught" him, he felt like his heart was just racing. We talked about being obedient and making good choices. Then he said, "My heart is beating a lot again." I asked him why. He said, "I wonder how am I going to walk by all of those books without stopping again tomorrow?"

Priceless.

Fun with Fungi

2009-11-08T05:42:00.001-06:00

I'm working on a little project. It involves mushrooms, spray paint, and organization.

Actually, organization would probably more fun with mushrooms.

Just kidding. A label maker is all I need for good times in the organizational department.

Here's a peek at my project.

More soon!

Slacker Me...

2009-11-07T07:54:00.000-06:00

I know I said I'd post details about finishing up Little Man's birthday party invitations...and I will!
I have been brainstorming ideas for decos, the cake, the games. We will definitely have some Lego fun come 11.20!

In the mean time, I wanted to share this SO SUPER FUN blog I found a few weeks back. It is called Shanty2Chic and is written by two sisters that have a penchant for spray paint, gorilla glue, Ralph Lauren glaze and making everything they touch turn chic for very little $!

Please check it out. Don't get mad at me that you lose at least 30 minutes looking at all of their cute projects, like these rustic chalkboards, or this cake stand, or this headboard project.

This blog makes me want to run out and by some Ralph Lauren glaze and get to work on ANYTHING! It's actually supposed to be warm here today, so I hope to get a few projects done, including the revamp of a vintage metal bread box (kinda like this, but cuter!). I plan to spray paint it and use it to catch the MOUNTAINS of paperwork that come home from school with the Little Men.

Dear Santa and/or Birthday Fairy....

2009-11-05T07:05:00.000-06:00

I really, really think I've been a good girl this year.

I only dyed a few loads of whites pink in 2009 and I hear that real men like to wear pink boxers and real Little Men like the background of their GI Joe undies to have a whisper of pink to underscore the manliness.

I didn't accrue any late fees at the library.

I worked out more than 10 times this year and finally lost all that pesky baby weight.

I didn't get any speeding tickets or moving violations of any kind.

I'm sure there are loads of other reasons I could detail that would further illustrate my good behavior in 2009.

So, pretty please, can I have this sewing machine?

I can't decide if it's a want or a need. But I'd really LIKE to have it. I have big plans for crafting and sewing all kinds of projects on it, but it's hard to bring said plans to fruition without that pretty girl.

With warmest regards and my cutest smile,
Mostly Mom

P.S. If you know my favorite Irish hubby, could you print this post off and mail it to him?
XOXO!

Lego of your Plans...it's Birthday Time!

2009-11-04T07:05:00.002-06:00

That was the cheesy header I had to refrain from using on Little Man's 6th Birthday invitations. He has been all about the Legos ever since my fave-o-fave hubby dug his old Legos out of storage for the boys. We have about 3.2 million of them (perhaps a wee bit of exaggeration) and I don't know who loves them more, the Irish hubby or his handsome Little Men. But, since my hubby already had his big 30th birthday bash in February, Little Man chose the Lego theme for his birthday first (and a 31 year old doesn't usually have toy or action hero themed birthday parties anyhow...!)!

I'm ruminating on lots of fun ideas for the Lego party, particularly in the cake, decorating, and food arenas. I'm counting on my hubby to come up with loads of clever games, though I think we must build a Lego pinata because it would be pretty easy for sure.

Here is what I came up with for the invites...more on the exact details of the other papers soon.

I was hoping to find cute Lego papers, but since I really procrastinated on these (shh, don't tell Little Man!), I didn't have time to order any online. I am thrilled with how they came out and excited to show you the rest tomorrow, including the homemade envelopes!

On Turkey

2009-11-03T13:49:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I mentioned that I haven't always loved the month of November. Now I adore it, mostly due to this fella:

Little Man and his November birthday made me really come around about the eleventh month of the year. (PS His eyes are even more blue now, but he doesn't drool. Except when he's sleeping sometimes.) He was quite a cutie, no? He still is. See evidence below.

I also haven't always LOVED Thanksgiving. We celebrate Thanksgiving with dear, dear friends. In fact, one of my best friend's and her family. We kind of adopted each other when we were celebrating away from families over 10 years ago. Now, we're all grown up and having our own kiddos, but we still celebrate together, alternating locations every year.

Our Thanksgiving meal has gone to very traditional---plain (and maybe dry!) turkey, simple sides, and pumpkin pie. Over the last several years, though, we've gone foodie! And I LOVE it.

This is the turkey we have made when my mom has hosted for the past 2 times:

image courtesy of martha stewart.com

It is a Cranberry Glazed Turkey with Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing. It is to.die.for. SOOOO very, very delicious.

So, since Little Man came around, I've been a huge November fan. And since I discovered this turkey, I may just be November's biggest fan. Think about adding this beauty to your Thanksgiving menu. You won't regret it!

November is upon us...

2009-11-02T11:26:00.002-06:00

Throughout my life, I have never been a huge fan of the month of November. Here in Minnesota, it is often the cloudiest and grayest month of the year. We do have some glorious fall days (like today), but it can be a gray, dreary month. So I never really loved November.

Until this:

Why hello, little blue eyed boy.

That bundle of love is Little Man.

He was born November 17, 2003.

So, I've been a big ole fan of November since I found out I was going to be a mama in that glorious month. I became a mama in November almost...six...years ago. Yikes.

We are getting birthday preparations underway to celebrate Little Man's sixth birthday in style. Lego style. More on that to come.

Until then, check out the birthday cuteness of Little Man circa 2004. His face is pretty much the same, which just gets me square in the gut. Time flies. I've said it before, but, man, it does.

Sneak Peek!

2009-10-31T10:24:00.000-05:00

Have A Very Happy Halloween!!

Just a little sneak peek...of my little chick!

A Variation on a Theme of Gift Giving

2009-10-30T07:22:00.000-05:00

photo courtesy: http://www.freefoto.com

I know that Halloween has yet to come and go, but, unless you're living in a bubble (or stuck at home with your sick kidlets!), Christmas has arrived in full force. The retail world is already overloading us with reminders of the fact that we are behind when it comes to Christmas preparations.

Over the summer, I discovered a fantastic idea for Christmas gift giving on a blog I love--Dandee. She revamped her Christmas gifting to include four, and ONLY four, gifts for her kids. I realized that I needed to do the same thing. We have SOOO many toys around here, so many that they are often unappreciated, overlooked and mistreated! In fact, if the toys in this Nursery came alive (see this previous post for more on that!), they would certainly be working to form a union to protest unfair work conditions, gross abuse, and overall malcontent.

photo courtesy: andrea reubens

Check out Dandee's idea here, but it boils down to this. She and her hubby give their kids four gifts, one from each category:

Want - duh. An item your child desires to receive, like a light saber or a babydoll.
Need - Maybe this could be athletic equipment, like new soccer shoes or perhaps a new duvet cover for his or her bed
Wear - Captain Obvious again. We too have a tradition of giving pj's and shoes.
Read - I think this calls for a search for a fantastic book, not just Star Wars or Scooby Doo.

What a fantastic idea, no? It's a great way to slimline the shopping process, make us appreciate what we receive and find time to discover the true meaning of Christmas, which involves the best gift of all.

I will be formulating my list of "want" and "need." I think it would be fun for my fave Irish hubby or darling kidlets to pick out the other things!

I hope you'll consider paring down the crazy of Christmas and getting back to what is most important. And think how much easier your shopping will be! I'm looking forward to it.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel

2009-10-29T07:15:00.003-05:00

Hello my bloggy pals. I'm going to tell you a secret. Come closer.

Cheesecake is the secret to making people happy.

Okay. That's not entirely true. It's not THE secret. But cheesecake certainly is A secret of temporary happiness. I know that having Christ in my heart and my life is the secret to a blessed and joyful life. But serving people cheesecake makes me happy. It will make you happy, too. Try it sometime. Like with this little doozie of a recipe.

I adapted it from the one cookbook that I actually use on a fairly regular basis. Most of my recipes come from my mom, my best friends and/or their moms, magazines or the internet. But Joy Of Cooking is one cookbook that I can get behind (even though Julia did do a little Irma Rombauer bashing in Julie and Julia). It is well-written and does a great job of elucidating the details on basic recipes that home cooks may fear attempting.

Team Cheesecake does have a lot of players, but don't be frightened. And ignore the flour, which I thought the recipe called for (some cheesecakes call for a bit), but didn't. Oops.

I realize you probably can't see who is in this picture. It's like a massive group shot on Facebook where kids from your 9th grade Washington DC Trip are tagged, but you can't see their faces.

I'll give you the details below, I promise.

I started out with the crust. I began with preheating my oven to 350 in order to bake it after it was done(freezing it was an option, too). I made a basic graham cracker crust from the Joy cookbook, but think that gingersnaps would be even better. I didn't want to run to the store, though. Start by tossing 10 grahams in the food processor. Or get out some frustration by crushing them by hand. I recommend the food processor, though, because the whole crust can be made in there.

Run the graham crackers until fully crushed and, meanwhile, gather your other crust ingredients: sugar, cinnamon, 6 TB melted butter and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Salt? In the crust of a sweet dessert? The salt adds the certain je ne sais quoi---that balance of a bit of salty with the sweet. It also serves to flavor the crust since salt enhances other flavors, even those that are sweet. An aside: please use kosher salt in your baking. I have switched and will never go back. I only use iodized salt in pasta water occasionally, and for gargling, or if a recipe demands it. I probably should take an iodine supplement, but figure my vitamin takes care of that for me.

Add all these items to your food processor and process until the crumbs are well-moistened. Then, press into your 9-inch springform pan, like so.

I know you wish your hands could look like this. See the "L" they're forming? They're talking about me and my dorkiness.

Press the crumbs about halfway up the sides of the pan and bake for 5-10 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool. Keep the oven at 350, but prepare a bread pan filled with water to create a "steamy" environment for baking your cheesecake. Place it into the oven once you remove the crust.

While your oven is getting the steam facial ready for your cheesecake, you'd best get cracking at making it! Start by combining 2/3 cup packed brown sugar, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger and 1/8 teaspoon cloves.

Then whip out your fabulous Microplane. If you don't have one, ask Santa! They're fabulous. I use mine to grate nutmeg (and chocolate for the top of whipped cream on hot cocoa. Divine!). Combine these first five ingredients well.

Little Miss Pink served as my cooking assistant. She, like her mama, was quite taken with the Microplane and demanded a turn. I promise, it was after I was done with it!

See? Every girl needs a microplane!

Okay, onto the cheese part of the cheesecake. In the bowl of your mixer, add 2-8 ounce packages of cream cheese. They MUST be at room temperature. Use the microwave (with the wrapper off!) if need be, but don't ever use cold cream cheese. It will KILL your cheesecake's texture. Mix the cream cheese on medium for a minute or so, then scrape the beaters and add the brown sugar/spice mixture.

Beat again until creamy, about 1 or 2 minutes. Then add your eggs (2 large eggs + 2 large yolks) one at a time, beating after each addition.

Make sure to stop and scrape the beaters and sides periodically to make sure there are no chunks or lumps. I usually use the "whisk" attachments when I'm making cheesecake to make especially sure that there aren't any, but I forgot today. Next, you'll add in 1 cup of pumpkin puree--not too little, not too much. People who don't care for "pumpkin-y" desserts will like it, as will pumpkin lovers. It's a people pleasing recipe, people!

Doesn't that look yum? Just wait! Once you've mixed the pumpkin in well (15-20 seconds), pour the mixture into your crust and smooth the top with a rubber scraper.

Remember how we put the bread pan of water into the oven? See, it's right there in the bottom right corner, waiting to give this cheesecake a little steamy lovin' while it bakes.

The recipe calls for baking the cheesecake at 350 for 30 minutes, then lowering the temperature to 325 and baking for an additional 10 minutes, until the center is puffed but not fully set (just a bit jiggly).

While that beauty is working in the oven, mix up the second of THREE layers (!) of this cheesecake goodness! Whisk together 1 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla.

When you pull out the cake, spread that goodness on top and bake for 7 more minutes. While it's baking, lick your rubber scraper because that little mixture is yum-o!

Doesn't that look so delicious!?! When you pull that baby out of the oven, set it on a rack to cool and place a larger pot lid (I used the big lid of my cast-iron dutch oven) on top of the cheesecake to ensure a very slow cooling process. The Joy doesn't state this, but I think slow cooling must minimize cracks on the surface.

Now, this cheesecake would've been quite delicious as it was right now. Well, cooled, but unadorned. I thought it needed just a little something else to put it over the edge. And I found that "something" in the fridge:

Hello, T. Marzetti. Would you like to dance delicately atop a yummy, high calorie dessert? Perfect.

I admit, I did a lousy job of applying the caramel. I tried to drizzle it, but the lid of my drizzling bottle popped off on the top of the cheesecake. Bummer. You get the idea, though.

Regardless of aesthetics, this was some good dessert. Or my favorite Irishman tells me it was, since it has too many eggs for me to eat. I took a tiny nibble and found the flavor to be creamy and delicious.

I hope you will try it and let me know what you think!

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel

Adapted from Joy of Cooking

Crumb Crust (recipe follows), cooled completely

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

2-8 ounce packages cream cheese (NOT non-fat!),definitely at room temperature!

2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 - 1 cup prepared caramel topping (I used T. Marzetti's from the refrigerator section, though jarred ice cream topping may work just as well).

Preheat oven to 350 and place a bread pan filled with hot water in the oven to create a "steamy" atmosphere.

In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth, about a minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters well. Add the sugar mixture slowly, scraping down the sides as needed and beating until smooth and creamy, about a minute or two longer.

Beat the eggs and yolks in one at a time, scraping down the sides/beaters after each addition. Beat until well blended and add the pumpkin puree. Mix until just combined.

Scrape the batter into the cooled crust and smooth the surface. Set the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 350, then reduce the oven temperature to 325 and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until not quite fully set (a little bit jiggly in the center). While the cheesecake is baking, whisk together the sour cream, brown sugar and vanilla until well-blended. When the cheesecake is done, spread the sour cream mixture on top the hot cake gently and return to the oven for 7 more minutes.

Remove cake to a rack to cool, covering with a large lid that surrounds the cake pan and traps some of the heat, allowing the cake to cool slowly. Once mostly cooled, refrigerate the cake at least 6 hours, or better yet, 24. Before serving, smooth 1/2 cup of caramel topping on the cheesecake, or drizzle decoratively. Unmold and serve.

Crumb Crust for 9-inch spring form pan

10 graham crackers, or 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (Gingersnaps would be great!)

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350. Using a food processor, make fine crumbs of the graham crackers. Add remaining ingredients and process until well-moistened. Press the mixture evenly in the pan and about halfway up the sides.

Bake 5-10 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned and firm to the touch. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Cutest Little Chick I Know!

2009-10-28T00:02:00.004-05:00

Little Miss Pink is going to be a Spring Chicken for Halloween. I had a very hard time deciding what she'd be. Her brothers decided early on (and somewhat to their mama's chagrin) to be Bumblebee and Optimus Prime of Transformers fame. I had visions of the threesome going as a cute little coordinated trio of costumed fun. Like last year.

Littlest Man looks positively unhappy in this photo. It's hard to get 3 kids to look at the camera and smile, especially when one is an infant. I assure you, he was pleased as punch to be Yoda. Especially with a somewhat authentic green face! I promise!
Also, to clarify: It's Anakin Skywalker, Princess Leia and Yoda. :)

Alas, such fun wasn't in the cards. The Little Men wanted to choose their own costumes, which was bound to happen eventually! And they're pumped to be going as Transformers (and the same costumes as their favorite cousins to boot, which makes for even more fun).

But what to dress Little Miss Pink in? A ballerina? A princess? Little Red Riding Hood? I scoured the blogosphere and the web, Family Fun Magazine and, finally, Martha Stewart. I should have started there. I saw this little nugget (no pun intended!)of cuteness and knew I'd found the costume.

Image courtesy of Martha Stewart

So, I set to acquiring the items needed for such fluffy, adorable fun.

2 Feather Boas ( $4.99/each at Saver's)
2 long sleeved onesies (I already owned-why buy leotards when we already own these?)
a white hat (that proved difficult--$10 at Target since I didn't have time to order this one)
2 red felt sheets for the comb (less than a buck for both, though I only needed one)
A pair of yellow rubber gloves for the feet ($1 for 2 pairs at Dollar Tree)
Yellow Rit dye for a pair of Little Miss Pink's tights--the photo doesn't show yellow chicken legs, but we live in MN and she'd freeze without pants or tights! ($1.50)
Batting (less than a bagful that I already owned)
Needle and thread, my arch enemies. Just kidding, but almost not.

Note the lovely bear, who served as a compliant, quiet model.

So, I got to work with the first step, attaching the onesies together with batting in between. I found it much easier to use Quilt Batting, rather than the loose batting. I just used tacky glue(this stuff -not referring to faux pas glue) to attach it to the inner onesie, wrapped it around twice. It made for a lovely, puffy base for my chicken.

Then I put the outer onesie on top and hand stitched around the leg holes. I didn't close up around the neck hole, since there wasn't loose batting to worry about.

Now, onto attaching the boa. Again, I differed a bit from Martha's plan. I tried first pinning the boa, but the puffiness of the feathers made it difficult to keep track of my pins. I ended up simply sewing and tacking the boa on as I went along, just making sure that it was fairly evenly-spaced across the body of the onesie.

This task, the attaching of the boas, was the most time consuming. And the messiest. I had feathers ev.er.y.where. I think the $4.99 boas weren't the best ever quality, but I'm not expecting this costume to be a family heirloom, so I'm fine with that. I looked all over for boas and found them ranging from $5-$30/each. I wanted this costume to be reasonably priced, so I went for cheap.

Next, I had to figure out some sort of hat to attach the comb to. I looked high and low for a white hat; all I found was off-white. Also, Martha's instructions called for 2 pieces of red felt for the comb and I only needed one. I didn't use the copier to enlarge her PDF, I just drew the comb freehand. I'm a rebel like that.

I cut the comb and made sure it kind of followed the curve of how the hat would sit on Little Miss Pink's noggin. I placed the hat on a size 3 soccer ball for comparison. My kids have big heads!
Then, I got to stitching it closed, using a 1/4" seam and a basting stitch. Okay, I have no idea what a basting stitch is. But it sounds good. I'm pretty sure it was a basting stitch, or just "tacked" closed. Does that sound right? Except, not all the way closed. I left about a 3" opening to stuff the comb.

Once it was finished, I turned the comb inside out so the seams would be neat and tidy. And then I stuffed it with some of the remaining quilt batting from the onesie project. Not too full, just a handful or so of batting.

With the comb stuffed, I sewed the little opening closed with more simple basting stitches. Now I have googled that term and am 85% confident that it is what I did. Promise.

Kinda looks like a comb, no? Excuse the darkness. The photo was taken at 11:30pm or so, when the house was quiet except for coughing, sneezing, and snoring. Ahh, the sick ward. Gotta love it.

In the light of day, I tackled the next step. Plus, I had to have Little Miss Pink try on the hat to get proper positioning of the comb. Once I figured out where I wanted it to be, I looked for the hot glue Martha told me to use in her instructions. I couldn't find it. Plus, I didn't want to ruin this hat forever and hot glue can be so messy. And hot. So, I thought I'd just tack the comb into place (look at me, throwing sewing vocab around like it's nothing!).

It worked perfectly. This shot is an extreme close up. Kind of useless, actually, except for the purpose of showing you what a horrible seamstress I am. I made the stitches fairly far apart so that the comb will be easy to take off if we want to reuse the hat.

And here it is finished. Little Miss Pink didn't want to model it for you until the costume was complete. She has to really get into character, I guess. It's part of Method Acting. Or, she was busy putting things in her purse and taking them out and wouldn't come near me or the camera. Believe whichever you'd like.All that aside, I'm very pleased with how the hat came out!

Onto the tights. I needed to dye them yellow, which was no big deal.

I haven't used this stuff since making tie dye shirts in high school. That, and the debacle I'll call "Trying to Dye My Duvet Color Red." I prefer to forget that one. Let's move on.

The shoes for the costume, or the chicken feet. Chicken feet conjure up yucky thoughts for me, for some reason. I just did a Google Images search for "chicken feet" and decided not to conjure up yucky thoughts for you by posting it. You can thank me for that. But I promise you that these chicken feet are not at all gross. They are cuter than cute, fashioned from a pair of my daughter's shoes stuffed into yellow rubber gloves, the fingers of which have been stuffed with a bit o' batting. Cute! The process is pretty self-explanatory, but I took a few pics.

And I know it's kind of cruel, but I'm not going to post a pic of Little Miss Pink in all her Spring Chicken glory until after Halloween. The reasons for which are three-fold: 1. The feathers literally molt right off this baby, so I want there to be some feathers left on Halloween. 2. I am not confident that my "tacking" abilities will hold up for more than one wear. I said it. It's true. 3. I just want to save the cuteness for Halloween. Is that too much? So here's another picture of Martha's cute model. I'm sure my little model will be cuter. Because I gave birth to her and all. I'll let you be the judge come Saturday!

P.S. You really, really should thank me for not posting pics of chicken feet. I'll probably have nightmares about them. If you're super brave and not grossed out by these types of things, you could click on, but I wouldn't if I were you!

Milkshake

2009-10-27T10:53:00.000-05:00

The other day, I mentioned why I so love my immersion blender. Proof is in the pudding, or the milkshake. I was making one for my honey, who is sick as a dog. Milkshakes make everything better.

Team Milkshake is as easy as can be: Milk, Good Ice Cream, Vanilla. We're making a good old-fashioned vanilla milkshake.

Start with 3 good scoops of ice cream.

Add 2/3 cup of cold milk of your choosing (skim, 1%, 2%, whole).

Add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, but please not imitation!

Now, get out your handy immersion blender and go to town!

It only takes 30 seconds or so, and the clean up is easy.

And the results are worth it; I promise.

Basic Vanilla Milkshake

Serves 1

3 generous scoops of good quality vanilla ice cream

2/3 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Scoop ice cream into a large glass. Add milk and vanilla. Using an immersion blender, blend until creamy. Serve immediately.

*If you'd like, add chocolate, frozen or fresh strawberries, caramel, whatever blows your skirt up! The options are endless!

Sick, Sick, Sick!

2009-10-25T23:24:00.000-05:00

Greetings from the Sick Ward!

I have been playing nurse to three sad little sick kidlets. Littlest Man has been hit hardest--an ear infection and a case of H1N1. Little Man has had a cough and low fever. Little Miss Pink has the croup. Thankfully, God is watching over her and kept her from getting the H1N1. It's a miracle, given the fact that they steal each other's cups and she puts everything in her mouth!

The Dad and Mom are sick, too, but not terribly bad. I am way behind on everything and digging out. Excuse the absence...we are on the mend. I hope to be back in action soon!

Image Courtesy A.Reueda

Mom Rant

2009-10-22T14:08:00.002-05:00

You are Super Mom.

(this super photo is by Olivia Wagner , btw)

Uh oh. I'm getting out my soap box.

I just wanted to say that being a mom is a heckuva tough job. Moms never really get to call in sick. We never get to go "off duty." We don't get credit when credit is due in many cases. It is a hard job.

And I think we're too hard on ourselves, which is silly because everyone else is already very hard on us!

Let's just stop that nonsense, umkay?

Don't chastise yourself for not making homemade costumes, or for buying the rotisserie chicken at Costco. Don't feel badly because you didn't run to be the first mom helping at the preschool today (or the germ factory, as I prefer to call it). Don't criticize yourself for turning on Veggie Tales just so you could check your email and get a Diet Coke.

Let's agree together that, whatever we do as moms, we are doing our very best. There is a gene that passes to you the moment you hold your baby that makes you give your all no matter what when it comes to your kids, even if you don't realize you're giving your all. So know that your best effort is good enough. Your husband thinks you're amazing (even if he forgets to tell you). Your baby or babies believe the world revolves around you. And you are hot! Even if you're up to your elbows in someone else's snot. You are a mama. And a damn good one.

Excuse the profanity, please. But sometimes we need to be reminded of these things. I'm probably the first one to ignore all of this advice I'm spewing. But I wanted to tell you.

I think you're an awesome_______ (fill in the blank: cook, seamstress, singer, card shuffler, organizer, label maker, decorator, shopper, friend, thawer of meat, avoider of laundry). Tell yourself, too. Tell your best friend, while you're at it.

Being a mom is no easy feat. But you're doing a great job. One day at a time. And your hard work is paying off. Look at those kids. They're incredible. And, yes, that's a result of God's blessings, your hubby, and Y.O.U. Take credit when credit is due. You rock.

The end.

Pumpkin Crème Brûlée

2009-10-21T08:11:00.000-05:00

Or, "Fun with a Blow Torch!"

I have a sad, maddening egg intolerance. I used to be able to eat eggs galore: scrambled, sunny side up, quiche, you name it. Then, after my first pregnancy, I was unable to eat eggs. They gave me a weird heartburn/discomfort. And with each subsequent pregnancy, it got worse. Now, hard boiled eggs in potato salad actually make me ill and, most tragically, I can barely tolerate custard type desserts, like pumpkin pie. SO tragic. I should probably go to the allergist or doctor, but who has time for that?

Why, then, would I make crème brûlée? It is a highly egg-y dessert? Well, two reasons: 1. I've never made it before and always, always wanted to. 2. My favorite Irish fellow LOVES creme brulee. We were having some dear friends over for dessert, so I knew they'd enjoy it as much as I'd enjoy making it. And making it really is half the fun, anyhow.

I found the recipe here at this amazing blog, Whisk. How have I not seen this blog before? I'm ashamed to admit it! It seems to feature some AMAZING recipes, tips, and all around culinary goodness. I will leave the expert to the detailing of the recipe. I just want to share some tips that I discovered along the way making my first crème brûlée (a rhyme!).

This recipe for Pumpkin Crème Brûlée calls for a yummy caramel base in the bottom of the ramekin. Kind of a cross between Crème Caramel (or is it Coeur de Crème?)and Crème Brûlée. I am notoriously bad at making caramel. I have failed more times than I have succeeded. And let me say, that a caramel burn is infinitely worse than a hot glue gun burn! For sure.

I decided though, that I wasn't going to let this caramel intimidate me. I mean, it was sugar, water, and a bit of lemon juice! C'mon! I think the key is patience. Once the sugar water comes to a boil, it takes a few minutes of a rapid, undisturbed boil to render the sugar water into caramel.

This shot was taken at 11:42am. The mixture is just at a rapid boil. The photo shows a bit of caramel color to it, but to the naked eye, it was clear.

This shot was taken one minute later. A tiny bit of caramel color was visible.

11:44am. Now we're getting there. I didn't touch it, shake it, stir it. Just left it be.

11:45 am

Literally, two seconds later, still 11:45am. I think it got a teensy bit too dark in color, but was still good--just a bit rich and dark, like French caramel.

Or what I hear french caramel is like since I've never been to France.

Next and very carefully, I poured the caramel into the ramekins. Please don't laugh at my heart shaped ramekins. They're all I have. I am asking Santa for new ramekins, serious white ramekins.

I swirled it around a bit and it was already starting to harden, further proof that I'd probably over cooked the caramel by 30 seconds.

Heart shaped ramekins aside, the caramel looked so lovely in the bottom and I imagined that it would give the dessert a nice depth of flavor. My guests and hubby said it did; I only had one tiny bite and almost had to excuse myself.

With the caramel tackled (yeah, me!), I started on the custard. How can you go wrong with heavy whipping cream, whole milk, vanilla, pumpkin, eggs and spices? Not at all!

I used a mix of farm fresh eggs and regular old eggs from the grocery store. The recipe called for 3 eggs and two egg yolks, which I got to work separating using this handy dandy Tupperware product. I do usually use the egg shell itself for separating, but I was feeling...you guessed it....lazy.

Once the eggs are separated, they get whisked with some sugar to make the base of the custard. I love whisking. It is a good way to vent frustration and makes me feel so very Julia Child.

As I mentioned before, I never made Crème Brûlée before. I guess I was very intimidated by it. Once I jumped into making this recipe, I realized how unfounded my fears were. Crème Brûlée is very easy and basic, made with simple ingredients. I'm excited to try a plain, even more basic version of it soon. The custard is based on eggs, sugar and lovely heavy cream:

Little Man likes to smell everything. He has the most keen sense of smell I've ever encountered.

He was bummed the heavy cream didn't have much of a smell.

Being Pumpkin Crème Brûlée, this recipe also called for canned pumpkin, though if you have your own pumpkins, I'm sure you could substitute the "real deal."

I heated the heavy cream, milk and vanilla over the stove until it came to a low boil, then mixed it into my custard base, whisking constantly. The constant mixing is necessary to temper the eggs, instead of making them into scrambled eggs. Once that was done, I followed the instructions and let the mixture rest, then strained it.

Once the straining was done, I poured the mixture into the ramekins, which were in a glass baking dish. Then, I poured boiling water about 2/3rds of the way up the sides in the baking dish. I think this makes for even baking. But I'm totally guessing.

Then, into the oven they went.

The recipe online said it should only take 25-30 minutes until a knife comes out clean in the center. Mine took more like 40-45 minutes. I checked often.

This is what the lovelies looked like after their stay in the oven:

But now, for the real fun! The blow torch. I don't own a kitchen torch, but my husband has a blow torch he was more than happy to let me use.

I sprinkled the tops with sugar---too much at first. I had to dump some excess off. The recipe calls for 4 TB for 6 ramekins. I had 5 ramekins and 3 TB. was too much sugar. It's really more of a dusting of sugar. I poured some on then shook and tapped off the excess.

With that done, the best part! Since brûlée means "burnt" in French, that's what I did next. Burn, or caramelize the sugar on top to make the crispy top that, in my opinion, is the coolest part of the dessert. The combination of textures is just divine.

Here are some "action" shots my hubby got while I was at work with the blow torch:

Tada! So there you have it! The recipe was really not complicated or difficult at all. And the results were (I'm told) delicious. I can't believe I've never tried making such a classic dessert before. It was well worth the effort!

For the complete instructions and recipe, go to Whisk. I hope you try it soon!

Acorn Squash

2009-10-20T09:39:00.001-05:00

Oh, Acorn Squash. Where have you been all my life? I know I've loved your cousin, Butternut, for many years. But you, oh, you! You're peppery and sweet, fragrant and tasty! And so easy to prepare. I am thinking up all kinds of meals that can feature you, you delicious fall fruit, you!

Okay. Enough of the musings on Acorn Squash. I just couldn't help myself.

I hope you will trot on out and pick up some Acorn Squash today. It is so good, an excellent accompaniment to pork (which I had it with---baked pork chops that had been brined in a cider brine and were glazed with a cider balsamic sauce), chicken, or even on its own stuffed with sausage, wild rice and other veggies. Yum!

Here is how I prepared the acorn squash the other day, with great success:

Start by cutting the squash in two after it has been cleaned on the outside (you don't want to bring any germs or dirt inside when you slice it through). Ooh! Don't forget to preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Then, scoop out the "innards" of the squash---all the seeds and membranes---using a spoon.

Now, set the squash halves in a muffin tin. See how well the muffin tin holds them? I'm a clever little monkey, no?!?

In a small bowl, mix together 1-2 tablespoons of softened butter, 2-3 TB of brown sugar, and 1 or 2 TB of maple syrup. Add to that a pinch of kosher salt and a few cranks of freshly ground pepper to taste.

Now slather that magic butter on the insides of the squash.

Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

And then, eat the squashy deliciousness right out of the squash halves. Mix in the buttery syrupy sugary puddle and serve in a separate dish. You'll love it!

Acorn Squash
Serves 1-4 people, depending on who they are and how much good sense they possess.

1 acorn squash, washed and halved
2 TB. softened unsalted butter
2-3 TB. brown sugar, packed
1-2 TB. maple syrup (not Mrs. Butterworth's...the real deal only!)
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scoop out the insides of squash halves, including all seeds and membranes. Place squash halves in a muffin tin to stabilize for baking. In a small bowl, mix together remaining ingredients. Slather on the insides of the squash halves. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour in a 400 degree oven until tender. Serve as squash halves, or scoop out insides and mash gently to serve. Enjoy!

All about "Us"

2009-10-19T08:59:00.002-05:00

Olivia Wagner Photography

So fun! I have been tagged by Monkey's Mama at Monkeys on the Bed (she's the supermama crafter, cook, photographer, inspirational sister in Christ and fellow KKG sister from my college days...stop on by her site! ). This exercise is a little get to know you, or a get to know "us!" The "us" being my favorite Irishman and husband extraordinaire, D!

Do you remember when you and your love went from being "him and I" to "we" or "us"? What a magical time! These questions remind me of all the wonderful reasons why I love being an "us" with my favorite man!

What are your middle names?
Mine is Marie. His is Cadman, which means "warrior" in Gaelic.

How long have you been together?
Our first date was to his fraternity informal in November of 1999. We started dating December 15, 1999. And broke up once for a week or so...or I tried to break up with him. He fails to recognize that breakup (I apparently was not hot at break ups), so we say we've been together almost TEN (!) years this December.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
We had classes together (both History majors). But he was wild and fun. I was studious and a copious note taker, so we weren't in each other's field of vision. We hung out a few times before our fraternity informal date, but he was basically a stranger to me. Kind of funny when I think back on it!

Who asked who out?
He asked me. After he and his roommate drafted a list of "potential dates" for this informal. So I guess his roommate also asked. Thanks CB!

Who made the first move?
I think it's a tie. Just thinking about it makes me giggle.

my extroverted man and his homecoming crown. we were crazy in love!

How old are each of you?
We are both 30. I'm two months older, which he never lets me forget. Calls me a cougar for the 2 months that I'm actually a "year" older.

Did you go to the same school?
Yes. Met in college.

Are you from the same home town?
Nope. I'm from "fly over country" and he's from San Diego. We're both Minnesotans now, though.

Who is the smartest?Him by a mile.

look at all my honor cords and summa cum laude-ness. too bad he's waaaay smarter!

Who majored in what?'m a double major in History and Elementary Ed with a minor in Spanish. He's a double major in History and Poli Sci.

Who is the most sensitive?Definitely me. Worst when I'm pregnant.

Where do you eat out most as a couple? These days it's wherever is most kid friendly...you know, Red Robin, Buffalo Wild Wings. But as a couple? Probably Smalley's Pirate Bar or the little Irish Pub in town.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?

Kauai on our honeymoon.

Who has the worst temper?
Probably me, but neither of us is really crazy in the temper. He has a gift of being so tolerant of my shortcomings, though. Much better than I.

How many children do you want? Exactly the number we have: 3. But some days when I see my pals' preggo bellies, I do want more. And then I remember that I vomit for the entire pregnancy to the point of hospitalization, and I come to my senses.

Who does the cooking? Me, definitely. He makes a mean grilled cheese and wicked good pancakes, though.

Who is more social?
Definitely him. I'm an introvert.

Who is the neat-freak? Neither of us. We both like neat and clean, but not to the point of freakishness.

Who is the most stubborn?
We could debate about this for years. So, I guess both of us are stubborn.

look! it's little man and littlest man (in utero) with the cutest daddy ever.

good thing the stretch marks don't show up on this low res photo....!

Who wakes up earlier? Naturally, or as a result of 3 monkeys that are "so hungry" or "want to go outside"? He is a champ about getting up with the kids in the AM many days, but I'm a more naturally early riser. I can converse and make plans, he is mostly catatonic until after a shower and a latte.

Where was your first date?
His fraternity informal in Windsor, Canada...some Irish Pub, followed by dancing. Our first "real" date was to (!) Olive Garden in Jackson, MI. Classy, I know. Nothing says "forever" like all you can eat salad and breadsticks!

Who has the bigger family?
Me for sure. I have one brother, but a humongo extended family of cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. on both sides. He's an only child with very few cousins or aunts/uncles. My family likes him almost more than me, though, so it works out for him!

Olivia Wagner Photography

Do you get flowers often?
Not a ton, but certainly many times a year. I'm not a huge flower person, but he loves getting me long stemmed red roses. My favorite flower gifting was when he had two dozen roses for me when I had Little Miss Pink, but one gorgeous pinkish red rose for her. Her first rose! From Her Daddy! Melt!

Who is more jealous?
I agree, this is an odd question. I guess probably me...I sometimes wish I could wine and dine and use all of my brain cells more often, but would never be able to do it like he does. Neither of us is really a "jealous" spouse, though. We trust each other implicitly.

How long did it take to get serious?
Not too long. We were first just dating casually out of convenience (great date to sorority events, similar major, common friends), but then he broke his jaw (softball to the face! ouch!) and I played Florence Nightingale to his injured soldier, and the rest is, as they say, history. We went on hours-long drives around southern MI and IN, talked about everything under the sun, and fell in love. We spent that summer apart---he in Washington DC and me in Spain, and got engaged shortly after that. Married the following summer. Crazy!

all of these photos that look too beautiful to be real are shot by the amazing olivia wagner .

Who eats more?
Him.

What do you do for a living?

He is the president of a non-profit , I am a mom of three who does a bit of grant writing, editing on the side. And avoids laundry full-time.

Who does the laundry? Funny! I didn't even see that this was the next question. I do the laundry. But I'm horrible at it, or at putting it away promptly. He pretends he doesn't know how to use the washing machine. I wish I could feign amnesia with it! Laundry sometimes makes me cry. I'm just throwing it out there.

Who’s better with the computer? For sure him.

we like to laugh. i'm funnier, though. don't tell him. also, please ignore my double chin.

Olivia Wagner Photography

Who drives when you are together?
Always him. We drove from MN to the Black Hills this summer, then home and straight to Milwaukee and back. He drove every.single.mile. Loves to drive. I love to ride, so we're a match made in heaven!

What is your song?
"Crazy Love" by Van Morrison. See previous post for details.

Thanks for the tag, Monkey's Mama! This was so fun. A good refresher in "Why I Heart my Hubby 101." So, to encourage more fun for all: I'm going to go ahead and tag a few mamas I know. Tag, you're it (if you have time and energy!) to Mandy , Maria , Megan, and Michon!

An Ode to a Kitchen Tool, or Why I love my Immersion Blender

2009-10-17T10:46:00.000-05:00

image courtesy of cristyl

I'm not really a gadget person. I'm not incredibly mechanical. But there is one kitchen tool that I just adore.

My Immersion Blender.

image credit: cuisinart.com

It is shiny, sleek, amazingly versatile, compact, and so very useful. I can't even remember life before it came into my world.

Oh wait, I do. I used to make creamy soups and have to ladle them into the blender, fill it too full and then have the blender erupt with hot soup all over the kitchen. SUPER fun to clean up. And I couldn't make delicious milkshakes at the drop of a hat. Or perfect homemade salad dressings because the oil would so quickly separate from the vinegar. I also couldn't make whipped cream without taking out the huge Bosch mixer (which I do love, btw!).

image courtesy of cristyl

Top 5 Reasons I Heart My Immersion Blender

It makes amazingly quick work of making creamy soups or de-chunking (technical term!) thick sauces, like tomato sauces.
The milkshakes made by the immersion blender can't be beat.
Can you say "emulsify!"?? When making a delish homemade vinaigrette, it actually makes an emulsion that holds together very well, thickens, and tastes even better.
It is great for doing quick mixing of any kind without taking out the big Kitchen Aid (or, in my case, Bosch).
Whipped Cream in a jiffy!
Okay, I know I said five, but this part is also fabulous: The Immersion Blender is small, takes up little space and is so easy to clean---the mixer part is dishwasher safe! Hooray!

If you've been a good boy or girl this year, I highly encourage you to ask Santa for an immersion blender. If you've been naughty, ask your mom to buy you one. She always loves you. And I promise, your life will never be the same. Or at the very least, your it will rock your culinary world!

Days Like This

2009-10-15T09:24:00.001-05:00

I'm a big Van Morrison fan. My favorite Irish hubby (and only hubby, to be clear!) and I danced to "Crazy Love" as our first dance as Mr. & Mrs. It was our song because, back in the college days of dating, we were cautious to say, "I Love You" to each other, so we'd say "I'm crazy about you" instead. We even had a little numbered system, e.g. Crazy #1 was "I (almost) Love You" and Crazy #2 was, "I just want to kiss you and skip class." Crazy #3 may have been "You're actually making me crazy and not in a good way." I'm glad we got past all of that craziness! I can barely keep track of the names of our children, let alone 12 different types of crazy for each other! Young Love!

I'm glad to have graduated to...well, Old Love. The kind that's comfortable in its own skin, the kind that is like my favorite part of one of my favorite books, The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams:

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

These days, I am definitely Real. My fur hasn't been loved off, but I have loads of proof that I have been loved enough by the Little Men and Little Miss Pink and my darling husband to become loose and shabby.

I pray that, in this process of becoming Real to those I love, I would do a better job of having my sharp edges worn off and having my patience, along with my skin, grow thick. It's hard to have limitless patience some days as a mom and wife and friend and daughter and sister. Certainly and most objectionably, I tend to display the shortest fuse with those I love the most. On those days that are like another Van Morrison song I love, "Days Like This."

I need to do a better job of praying for a patient heart and mind and mouth with my babes and my husband. Because some days even when everything goes well, it will be a Day Like This, just like mama says.

This job description of mom and wife doesn't always come with daily doses of praise and accolades, nor glamor or glitz. It does come with days like this, so to speak.On these days, I find it so important to be prayerful and ask for the right heart and mind. Things can turn around quickly from Days Like This to, well, Tupelo Honey. But enough of Van Morrison.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

2009-10-13T00:00:00.001-05:00

Fall Baking is only second, in my mind, to Christmas Baking. But there is something wonderful about baking in the fall when the air first starts to get cold.
This fall recipe is new for me. I tried it for the first time, but it was a hit around here.

In fact, Little Miss Pink couldn't get enough. She barely talks, but was pointing and barking for this stuff as soon as she saw it. Smart cookie.

The recipe is adapted from Cooking Light, so it can't be too terrible for you! If you are like me and always have pantry staples in the house (which includes canned pumpkin), you should be able to whip this up right away.

Team Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread contains sugar, pumpkin puree, oil, non-fat yogurt, egg whites, vanilla, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda and chocolate chips! Easy peasy.

To start out, fire your oven up to 350. You'll have to separate your eggs and whisk them up a bit. I'll let my professional hand model show you how it's done. She's sadly underpaid and needs a manicure.

A word about ingredients. I am, in no way, a cooking snob. I don't think my cooking is better than your cooking and, generally speaking, don't use fancy pants ingredients or expensive items like cream fraiche or eau de blah blah blah (that last one is a doozy). If my recipes call for silly expensive things, I try to find a reasonable substitute. I do, however, draw the line at some spices and my vanilla. I categorically refuse to use "imitation" anything, particularly in the vanilla department. I buy my most important spices here at The Spice House in Milwaukee, just like my mom. Their vanilla is amazing. It has a vanilla bean in it and comes in a brown bottle. I take things that come in a brown bottle very seriously.

I will not use anything else. And their cinnamon is crazy good, too. I also don't use pre-ground nutmeg unless I'm so lazy that I forget my principles, which does sometimes happens.

You get it. I like my good spices. They make a difference. Okay, off of my spice soapbox. Back to the recipe.

Add the vanilla (please, not imitation!) to your mixture of pumpkin, oil, eggs, and sugar.

Isn't it pretty?

My secret ingredient here was to use non-fat plain vanilla yogurt. It keeps the loaf moist and still low fat! You could use full or low-fat sour cream though, if you'd prefer to keep the calories in there!

Once the first six ingredients are mixed well, the dry ingredients need tending to. Make sure to spoon your flour lightly into the measuring cups or you'll get too much and the bread will be dry. The dry ingredients look pretty, too!

I like to whisk them together, then sift them with a sieve. I never use a sifter because it's too much work to clean. And we all know how I feel about too much work. I just can't do it.

So, now, combine the dry with the wet gently. I fold the ingredients so the bread comes out moist and not too dense, since it is low in fat and has a propensity for dryness.

I like that word: propensity. After you say a big word of your own choosing, go ahead and mix in the chocolate chips. Add a few extra. And eat four. But just four.

Mix that gently and toss 'er into a bread pan you've sprayed with Pam. Bake and enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Adapted from Cooking Light

1 cup sugar

1 cup pumpkin pure

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup non-fat plain yogurt (could use sour cream or non-fat sour cream)

2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8 or 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl and stir briskly with a whisk. In a separate bowl, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups. Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda with a whisk and sift into dry ingredients using a sieve or sifter. Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just moist. Do not over mix. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes-1 hour, until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack, then remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack, or eat when still warm. Enjoy!

The Magic of Fall

2009-10-12T08:07:00.001-05:00

There is something magical about fall...the light, the air, the food. It is such a crisp and lovely time of year. Our little Irish Norwegian family tries to head to a pumpkin farm and the apple orchard every year. I inevitably try and take a hundred photos, including a photo of the kids. It usually involves one of them looking at the camera, one at the other parent clapping to get their attention, and one looking at the other kids. You have seen these photos.

After 12 tries, I usually give up.

Then we head to the petting zoo portion, where I love watching the differences in my kids' personalities emerge. Little Man is incredibly careful and serious around the animals, slow to jump in there. Littlest Man dives in with both hands, trying to hug the animals, feed them, talk to them, woo them to come home with us. A couple years ago, he was bitten by a pig at the petting zoo. It didn't hinder him one bit.

This year is Little Miss Pink's first petting zoo experience and, though loves animals "in theory," we discovered that she would rather love them from a distance!

She did, however, enjoy "posing" for her mama all over the various photo spots at the farm, which was hilarious.

We picked out a bunch of different pumpkins, several variety of squash and some decorative gourds, too. In addition, we came home with a couple sets of terrifying vampire teeth.

Well, terrifying, or adorable. I'll let you be the judge.

After all that pumpkin goodness, I decided I had to bake something that involved pumpkin! And Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread was the ticket. I'll post the recipe tomorrow!

Tackling Kid Clutter with Custom Storage

2009-10-08T09:40:00.000-05:00

*image courtesy of meddygarnet

The progression of toy accumulation is slow at first when you become a parent. You may register for a few toys that Parents magazine tells you will make your child brilliant and some books that you loved as a child. The toys are cute. They are neat. They fit into a tidy basket in your living room that is the perfect accessory that says, "Hello, we're parents now! And we have it all under control!"

Then slowly, slowly the toys get bigger. Your child approaches one and the toys are plastic and almost bigger than he is. They require "C" and "D" batteries. They make noise when you trip over them and sometimes on their own (We had to "dispose" of a psychotic and possessed Elmo book that would laugh at us maniacally in the late hours of the night). As your kiddo hits toddler-hood, the toys are at the breaking point of large. Long gone is that cute little basket. Instead, your house is a toy palace. You may even consider building an addition to hold mini-kitchens, train tables, playhouses, tents, etc.

And then, at last, around age 4 or 5, the toys shrink again. Gone, for the most part, are the massive plastic monstrosities that take up half of your basement or living room. And the tiny toys return. They hurt more to step on, though, and get spread everywhere, like germs in a preschool classroom.

My Little Men recently acquired a crazy amount of GI Joes from their grandma via garage sale. Some mom was unloading all of her boys' GI Joes at a sale. I hope they didn't find out or I'm sure they'd be peeved.

The GI Joes were wildly popular, but a terrible problem in the mess department. They. were. EVERYWHERE. I devised a clever little solution to tame the spread of the mess. Not to say that I don't find a stray army dude by the laptop or in the drawer of the bathroom! But the mess is easily cleaned up and organized by, yes, the Little Men.

This organizational project would work great for any small toys---Thomas trains, Polly Pockets, maybe even Barbies.

Here is what I did:

I purchased two sets of storage drawers kind of like these. I figured out what the Little Men would put in each of the drawers and came up with category names, such as Guns, Ammo, Shoes, Accessories, etc.

Then, I took a few samples from each category over to our copier/printer. Using a color copy setting, I made copies of the items grouped together.

Using both markers and my Sizzix machine, I made labels for each drawer. I mounted the photos and title on a piece of cardstock and attached it to each drawer front.

I also purchased a large plastic file bin for the GI Joe clothes. I bought a crate to hold the big GI Joes (which are, in fact, glorified Ken dolls. Don't tell my Little Men!) and labeled both, as well. I designated "parking" for the various and sundry tanks, helicopters, etc.

They know exactly where each little part goes and they think it's cool. And now, the Little Men can put away the massive GI Joe mess in an organized and simple way. With lots of encouragement (and a bit of begging some days, of course)! It took a bit of time to sort all the toys out, but now that it's done, I love it! They do, too. Everyone is happier when things are neat and organized. Mostly Mom!

If your toys are always neat and orderly, ignore this post! Or maybe your kids are still little and you're still under the myth that they'll always be neat! If either of those are the case, embrace it! If yours are more like my kiddos, tackle an organizing project soon. You'll be glad you did.

PS Little Miss Pink loves to get into the GI Joes, too. She's too little to sort them. But she's super at emptying the drawers!

More Fall Decorating on the Cheap: Pumpkin Topiaries

2009-10-07T08:46:00.002-05:00

Here I am, back at it with another cost-effective decorating solution.

Doesn't that sound just plain ridiculous? In reality, it's a cute, cheap and super easy fall project. I have to say it's another idea from the Purple Lemon Blog that I tweaked a bit. I present Pumpkin Topiaries!

I saw the tiny pumpkins on sale at the store for 65 cents and couldn't pass them up. I had a vision of scattering them across a mantle, but then also remembered the post on Purple Lemon. I liked it, but wanted to tweak it a bit. So, I grabbed about 12-15 pumpkins and had plans to fall-ify (that's another "real" word) around the casa.

Instead of using a fancy base for the pumpkins, I thought a simple terra cotta pot would look nice with the pumpkins and have the simple, humble look I was going for. Terra Cotta pots are also easy to paint to look more "aged." But, let's be honest. I just wanted to get these bad boys done, so I was too lazy to paint them. Plus, once again, I sustained some hot glue gun burns, so my painting fingers were a bit sore. Maybe I'll go back later with a little paint.

All in all, I paid 75 cents for each terra cotta pot and 65 cents each for the pumpkins, plus used up the rest of the fall leaves from the Dollar Tree from this project. Total cost for each was less than $3! Impressive, no? This is Great (Depression) Decorating! Ha!

The tutorial on the Purple Lemon blog explains the process, as well, but you'll need the following supplies:

Terra Cotta (or other material) pots for bases, rocks to stabilize base (I got mine outside. I'm "frugal"), 3 mini pumpkins per topiary, silk or preserved leaves, lots of hot glue.

To start, weigh your pots with rocks in the bottom.

Carefully (I mean it!), place a bead of hot glue around the edge of the top of the pot. Place leaves in a "carefree" manner around the edge. Carefully! Then, figure out which pumpkins you are putting on which pot and arrange them largest to smallest. Place another bead of glue along the top of the leaves and on the bottom of your first pumpkin and press it down onto the pot.

Now, squeeze a big pile of glue onto the top of this pumpkin and place leaves all around it like a gorgeous fall leaf crown on the little pumpkin head. And try not to burn yourself while waxing poetic.

Then, place more glue and another pumpkin.

Repeat again, and you're done! Once the glue is dry, you'll want to make sure that there aren't any big glue blobs. Add more leaves as necessary to fill in blank spots or cover up glue messes.

And enjoy! You've just created a cheaper than cheap fall project.

Wouldn't about five or six of these be lovely lined up on your Thanksgiving table?

Or so cool with bigger pumpkins and a huge terra cotta pot on your front porch?

I hope you'll give them a try. Just be careful with that hot glue!

Feeling Hot!Hot!Hot! Salsa

2009-10-05T07:22:00.000-05:00

My husband's co-worker gifted us with 2 grocery bags of tomatoes. Beautiful heirloom and Bushel Boy tomatoes. What do you do when life hands you lemons? Make lemonade, of course! But how about when life hands you 15 pounds of tomatoes? Make salsa!

My beautiful pot of salsa bubbling away on the stove top!

And that's what I did. I decided I'd want to make cooked salsa that could be canned and saved, as opposed to fresh. I love fresh salsa, but I couldn't really imagine eating and giving away 20 jars or so of salsa to be eaten ASAP. I thought canned would be better. My best friend (I have two; both give me amazing recipes. In fact, at least half of what I cook comes from one of them, or their mothers) gave me a recipe for cooked salsa that she'd made before with fantastic results. I thought I'd give it a whirl!

Skimming the top of the salsa and trying not to eat too much whilst cooking it...!

Making the recipe wasn't terribly difficult and only took about 3 1/2 hours from start to finish, but the recipe was tripled, so I was chopping tomatoes for a LONG time. Also, I made the recipe with my mom and highly recommend executing this salsa as a TEAM of two or more players. She peeled the tomatoes and I chopped them, etc. Also, salsa connoisseurs may frown on this, but I used a food processor to chop the onions and the jalapenos. I chopped the tomatoes and the green peppers by hand.

Lids and rings taking a little "hot tub" to get sanitized!

Being the dork I am, I had to design labels and print them for my jars. I imagined myself as Diane Keaton's character from "Baby Boom" with her applesauce business. See? So dorky! Does anyone remember that classic movie? I do want to try applesauce next, so, who knows?! I could become the next gourmet canning goddess. Probably not, though. Digressing again.

Waiting for the lids to "pop"! A lovely sound!

Anyway, the salsa results were fantastic and SO delicious. I had some before it was done simmering and could barely put down the tortilla chips. I hope you'll try it with a friend soon.

Feeling Hot!Hot!Hot! Salsa

adapted slightly from My Best Friend's Recipe

8 cups peeled and chopped tomatoes
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped finely (may remove ribs and seeds if desired)
1 poblano pepper, chopped finely (may remove ribs and seeds if desired)
3 medium onions, chopped
2 green peppers
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
1 TB black pepper
1 TB garlic, minced (again, I'm a loser who uses the minced garlic in a jar!Shh! Don't tell)
1 TB kosher salt
1 - 12 oz. can tomato paste

To peel the tomatoes, heat a large pot of water to a bare simmer and prepare another pot or large bowl with cold water. Add whole tomatoes a few at a time for 30 seconds to a minute or so. The red tomatoes will change color slightly when ready to pull and skin will look stretched or split. Immediately remove to bowl of cold water. Remove skins and cut out any yellow, hard or overly soft spots and cut into chunks. Take care to remove seeds and membranes. This step is best tackled assembly line fashion with one person peeling and another chopping.

Place chopped tomatoes in a large pot. Add all other ingredients and heat until boiling. Simmer one hour or more, periodically skimming bubbles off the top until salsa is thickened.

While salsa is simmering, run your canning jars on the hottest setting of the dishwasher. Set lids and jar rings in a pan of boiling water.

Fill jars 95% full (using a funnel like this makes for quick and easy work of filling). Wipe edge of jar lip inside and out with a paper towel dipped in very hot water. Replace paper towel often to keep edges of jars clean and sanitized. Place lid on top of the jar and screw the lid on as tightly as possible. Set aside in a warm, draft-free place without moving or touching them at all. Wait patiently for the lids to pop---it takes anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. Such a gratifying sound!

Try your best to have a little bit of salsa left over that doesn't fit into your jars. Then eat it immediately! Delish.

Oops!

2009-10-04T13:07:00.000-05:00

So, I'm clearly not a blogging professional.

A dear friend has brought it to my attention that you caught me with my...well, my butter exposed. Or unexposed, as it were.

My Apple Crisp recipe mentioned butter in the instructions and failed to list it in the ingredients. For shame!

Please accept my most humble apologies. Of all the ingredients to leave off! I have rectified the matter and hopefully, I'm more careful next time!

Sorry to my friend in Rockford. And her husband!

I heart the Pioneer Woman.

2009-10-02T06:46:00.000-05:00

Since my first trials of "blog" recipes were HER recipes, I have a soft spot in my heart for the Pioneer Woman. She keeps it real, makes me laugh and has some pretty darn good recipes. I will post reviews of my faves some time soon.

I appreciate the photos she posts (though could do without the "how to chop an onion" tutorial in every recipe!) and the helpful tips, as well as the encouragement to throw caution to the wind and eat like calories don't matter. I love how smitten she still is with her "Marlboro Man" and the fact that she home schools her little brood. And I admit that I have a small problem with coveting when it comes to the a-ma-zing ranch that she's "thrown together" with the world's most amazing kitchen.

I digress.

The Pioneer Woman is going on a book tour for her cookbook. Normally, I'm not a person who is impressed by celebrities, elected officials, even Presidents (okay, I've only shaken 2 Presidents' hands, but still)! I think people are people and everyone puts his or her pants on one leg at a time (even if someone helps them do it!). But The Pioneer Woman? I think she's a rock star!

And she's coming to Minneapolis on her cook book tour. I bet she's coming to a town near you, too.

Check out her website for details on the book tour! If you live by me, let's go together so we can embarrass ourselves. And by "we," I mean me. You'll probably be a picture of decorum and coolness. I'll be a dork, but I'm okay with it.

Monogrammed Fall Wreath

2009-09-30T07:08:00.001-05:00

As much as I love spending time outdoors in the summer with all of the sunshine and swimming, I LOVE, love, love fall. It has been my favorite season as long as I can remember. I love how the light changes in the sky, how the air just starts to crisp, how my recipe repertoire makes a perceptible shift toward the more hearty. I just love fall. Cheesy, but true!

I love decorating for fall, too. I don't really "decorate" for the summer or spring. I throw up a few St. Patty's decos in March, but not much more. Fall is another story. I love to have pumpkins, leaves, candles, and more to ring in the fall. I also think it's fun that fall decorations can stay up until the Christmas decorations come out! That does make for a sad time in January when ALL the decorations go back in their boxes....but January's a long way away.

I saw this idea for a Monogrammed Fall Wreath on Purple Lemon Design's blog, which is another that I really like. She has such cute ideas, including this one, which I changed up a tiny bit. I am including some more detail on execution for you based on what I learned (ie Hot Glue is SUPER hot!)! This project was very easy, fairly fast (less than 2 hours) and very affordable.

I completed the project for less than $7 total, and I think it would cost much more if ordered somewhere like Pottery Barn! Here's the cost breakdown:
$3.50 for the Styrofoam with Joanne's Coupon
$2 for 2 bags of leaves at the dollar store ( I go to Dollar Tree--90 leaves for $1!)
$1 for the fabric on the back
$0 for the hot glue and ribbon I already had!

Here are the items you'll need.

Styrofoam Rectangle, lots of leaves, fabric approximately the same size as your letter, hot glue, ribbon, tacks, also a marker, scissors, letter template, hot glue gun, sharp serrated knife (I used a bread knife).

To start off, you'll need to determine what shape to make. I wanted a monogram, but I think a rectangle or square shaped wreath would be fun and unusual, too.

I printed off a few letters and free hand drew the shape onto the styrofoam using a sharpie. I did an "F" and tried to fill up as much of the styrofoam as I could while still looking nice. On the tutorial, she enlarged her letter to fit an 11"x14" sized paper, but I didn't have that and just decided to "wing it."

After tracing your shape, you'll have to cut it out. I used a serrated bread knife after remembering that I'd seen "The Pros" on HGTV use an electric serrated knife to cut foam and thought it would do the trick well. I was right!

I found it was easier to cut the vertical lines if I cut in horizontally first---peek at the picture and it will make more sense.

With the horizontal "notches" in place, the shape cut out fairly quickly. However, I got overzealous and in a hurry and accidentally hacked off a piece. Luckily, it still "fit" within the "F" shape and looked okay. I tried to add text to the photo, but it's not quite large enough. Look for the little arrows to see how I did the horizontal cut lines.

Once the cutting was done, I deviated again from the original tutorial. Instead of using ribbon to cover the back ( which you'll want to do if you'll see the back side at all), I bought a remnant of brown fabric for fifty scents. I traced the "F" onto the fabric using the shape as a template, then hot glued it into place. Very easy!

Now, the fun begins! Start gluing on your leaves. Carefully. I have a cute new blister on my middle finger that will likely further hinder my hand modeling career. Shucks.

After a bit of trial and error, I found it was easier to put the hot glue on the leaves rather than the styrofoam. Take care when pressing down as (I know, repetitive, but true) the glue is super hot. Also, too much glue will melt the styrofoam and make your wreath look ugly.

*Be careful when you wrap the glue around the sides! I can't say it enough: "Hot Glue is HOT glue."

The gluing process is the most time consuming. It took me about an hour or so. I did put leaves over most of the back so it would look cool from the back if it was in front of a mirror, but I didn't try to cover the entire back.

After the gluing was done, I found some 1 1/2" satin ribbon that I'd gotten at Michael's for $1 to use for making the wreath hanger and some thumbtacks to help adhere it.

First, I cut the ribbon to length and then burned the edges a teensy bit to help prevent fraying. Please excuse the crappy & blurry photo!

Next, I made a large blobby pile (that's a technical term) of hot glue and pressed the ribbons down.

After that, I made a small dot of hot glue and stuck the tacks in there, through the glue and the ribbon. Hopefully the hot glue helps anchor the tack. These tacks aren't the most lovely, but I don't have plans to display the wreath on a glass door.

Finally, I tied a loose knot at the top and it was done! Ready for display!

Or how about in front of a mirror (that really needs to be cleaned!) on a fireplace?

I love how it turned out! Thanks to Purple Lemon for the great idea! I hope you try it!

A Sneak Peak

2009-09-29T07:53:00.000-05:00

I'm going to post a tutorial that I've been working on for a cute fall decoration. Here's a sneak peak.

The project was based on a project I saw online. I tried it and love how it turned out. The hot glue gun burns? Not so much. I always forget how freaking HOT hot glue is....seems obvious, but it's hotter than Hades, I tell you!

Check back tomorrow & I'll have the tutorial!

Falling in love with Fall: A Recipe for Apple Crisp

2009-09-28T18:59:00.033-05:00

As you may have seen in my previous post, I'm already madly in love with fall. But I fall in love with it even more as I begin to cook my fall "go-to" recipes.

Here is one that I adore, that is easy, delicious and impossible to mess up.

Apple Crisp

Team Apple Crisp features the stellar stylings of apples (duh!), Craisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, kosher salt, butter, water or cider, flour, and oatmeal.

Start with 1 1/2- 2 cups Craisins (we love 'em so I use 2 cups) and cover with 1/4 cup of water. This time I used apple cider since I had some on hand. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and bring to a low simmer, rehydrating the dried cranberries. Then set aside to cool.

For the "Crisp" part, combine flour, oats, the rest of the cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar.

PS I use freshly ground nutmeg exclusively. Martha Stewart told me to. It tastes so much more fresh. And I feel very "chef-y" when I use my Microplaner to zest it up. Try it. You'll see!

Chop the cold butter and toss it in the mix. Using two knives or your pastry cutter, cut butter in until the mixture is crumbly.

Place half of the mixture into your 9x13 baking dish that you've already sprayed with cooking spray. Press it down. Then lick your fingers. Then wash your hands.

Oops. Forgot to tell you. The oven is supposed to be preheated to 350.

Combine the apple slices with the cooled Craisins. Add lemon juice if desired. I forgot this time. You can also see that I can't be bothered with peeling the apples. I don't mind them in here, but if you do, by all means, peel away. I'm too lazy.

Cover the crumbs with the apple mixture. Isn't it pretty?

Then top with the remaining crumb mixture and press down gently. Repeat the finger licking-hand washing if desired.

Toss in the oven at 350 degrees and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the apples or tender.

PPS I made a half recipe this time as I am highly tempted to eat the whole thing myself and just can't justify that.

This recipe is great made the day before and reheated, too, for company. Try it! Tell them you slaved all day, then laugh to yourself at how easy it was!

Apple Crisp by Mostly Mom
2 Cups Craisins
1/4 cup water or apple cider
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, less if using table salt
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cups) butter
2 quarts cored and sliced apples of your favorite variety
additional butter and lemon juice, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 9 x 13" baking dish, spraying with cooking spray.
2. In a saucepan over low heat, combine Craisins and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, along with the apple cider or water. Bring to a low simmer to rehydrate the dried cranberries. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oatmeal, nutmeg, salt, remaining cinnamon and brown sugar. Cut butter into mixture until crumbly.
4. Divide mixture in two; press first half into baking pan with firm pressure to create a crust.
5. Combine apple slices with Craisin mixture and a teaspoon or so of lemon juice (optional). Pour over the top of pressed crumb crust.
6. Top the apples with remaining crumb mixture. Press down gently. I sometimes put a few dots of butter on the top.
7. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes until apples are tender. Can be made in advance and reheated in the oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes. Serve with ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.

Fun with Applique

2009-09-28T07:08:00.001-05:00

I discovered how FUN applique was earlier this year when working on a pair of cupcake birthday tees for Little Miss Pink and her dear friend for their first birthdays. Since then, I think it's my new favorite birthday gift for a younger child! My best friend's little boy turned one last week and, in our gift, we included this super fun "ONE" shirt for the little guy! The shirt was so easy to make! And fun, too. I cut out my number, ironed and fused it on using this product, sewed around it and, voila! birthday fun!

My Recipe Wish List

2009-09-26T07:04:00.000-05:00

I often get asked if I prefer one type of cooking or one region for my inspiration. The answer is no, and no. I like a lot of different types of food and I love to try new things.

It was about a year ago that I discovered the "blogosphere" as it referred to cooking and crafting. Previously, I'd look for recipes on Epicurious, Allrecipes, and in my stacks of cookbooks and cooking magazines (I like Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Cooking Light, even Family Fun!). One night late last fall, I was up waaaaay too late after my newborn had refused to go to bed. I stumbled upon the Pioneer Woman. And my cooking hasn't been the same since!

Ever since then, I have kept bookmarks for some recipes I'd really like to try!

Here are just a few:
Caramelized Onion and Butternut Squash Galette from Smitten Kitchen
Grilled Ribeye with an Onion Blue Cheese Sauce from Pioneer Woman
This and This pizza from Smitten Kitchen
Baked Doughnuts from 101 Cookbooks
Zuni Roasted Chicken from The Kitchen Sink
Beef Bourgugnion (after seeing Julie and Julia, of course) from Purse Full of Cheerios
Chocolate Croissants in a jiffy from Joy the Baker
These mouth-watering pancakes from Bakerella

So, there you have it. Just a sneak peek of my culinary "to do" list.

I will try and tackle one soon. And post a review, too.

Happy Weekending!

Too cool for (Mom at) School

2009-09-25T07:28:00.001-05:00

My Irish hubby and I got married right out of college and were the among the first of all our high school and college friends to have kids. We are now among the first of our friends to send our kids off to preschool and kindergarten. Hopefully our dear friends don't think we overload them with advice and tips and "wisdom" from our parenting experience. I try my best to avoid the annoying mom rants on sleeping, diet, etc. However, one thing I know I say too often to my friends with kids younger than ours is, "They grow up sooooo fast."

Such a clichéd phrase! But it couldn't be more true. The passing of time once you have children borders on the obscene and ridiculous. It.just.flies.

All of a sudden, we find ourselves the parents of a KINDERGARTNER. It seems wrong! I swear that, in the blink of an eye, they go from tiny to toddler to pre-teen. Thankfully, we're not at the pre-teen phase yet.

While adults may be slow to change, the adjustment to kindergarten has gone incredibly smooth for Little Man. He loves it and can't wait to go back at the end of each day. He loves riding the bus and his first day on the bus was effortless. He hopped right on without turning his back. Loved the experience.

His mother, however, found the experience to be a mite bit on the traumatic side. Darling hubby decided to capture said trauma on film in extreme close up. Note the tears in eyes; ignore the wrinkles:

Now that Little Man is three weeks into kindergarten, he has definitely "transformed" into an elementary student. The other day, I happened to drop him off for school and bring in some supplies. Last year, we would always walk into preschool hand in hand. On this morning, Little Man hopped out of the car and let me grab his hand, walking up from the parking lot.

As SOON as we hit the sidewalk, he dropped my hand and slowed down. Not even thinking about the "cool" factor, I reached for his hand again. Little Man pronounced, in a matter of fact tone, "Kindergartners don't hold their moms' hands anymore."

And there you have it. Word to the wise: They grow up SO fast! Hold little hands as often as you can! Now, Little Man is super sweet and I know I'll have some hand holding moments in the future. But gone, I'm certain, are the days of the unabashed hand holding, the unaware grasping for my hand as we walk.

I'm mourning that loss a little bit, but I'm so proud of Little Man. Of the Little Man he is becoming day by day. I am blessed to be his mama and am excited to see what God has in store for his Little Life.

Holy Guacamole!

2009-09-24T08:31:00.001-05:00

Tacos were one of the meals that my mom often served when I was growing up. She even served guacamole, which was always a favorite with my little bro. All things considered, it was very exotic of my beloved mom to try guacamole on her picky kids! Especially circa 1988! She made the guacamole using packaged mix that she'd add to mashed avocados. I was never really wild about the guac. Now I know why.

May I introduce you to one of my very best friends? Guacamole, meet my friends. Friends, guacamole. If you haven't ever made guacamole from scratch, it's ridiculously easy (almost as easy as making it like my beloved mom did) and so good that you'll want to eat it for breakfast!

Here are the players on Team Guac.

Avocados, Roma tomatoes, onion, lovely cilantro, garlic, kosher salt, lime, a teensy bit of cayenne, and (oops, forgot to place it in the picture) garlic.

First off, you'll need to mash your avocados. To do so, slice them in half down the middle and chop at the pit with your knife (carefully!) to "grab" it out of the avocado half. Discard.

Use a normal spoon to scoop out the avocado. Instead of mashing by hand, I use a potato masher. It helps if you place the avocados in a bowl or dish with a flat surface, like this Pyrex one I used.

Mash away, but not too much. Guacamole tastes better with a bit of texture, but leave it as smooth or chunky as you desire. Juice half the lime, reserving the juice. Add 2 teaspoons of the juice to the avocado, along with 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt. Mix in thoroughly. You may add more salt and/or lime juice later if needed. We don't want the guacamole to get soupy.

Next, you'll need to get chopping. I started with cilantro. Grab a nice big handful---I use about 4-5 tablespoons total. And I use a mezzaluna to chop herbs. Makes life much easier.

Get to work chopping the onion in a fairly fine dice, and then the tomatoes, making sure to get all the seeds/membrane or it will make your final product too wet.

Add the cilantro, onion and tomatoes to the game.

Then toss in 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic. Don't tell anyone; I almost always use this minced garlic in a bottle because I'm lazy and can't be bothered with a garlic press.

Team Guacamole is in the final inning. At this point, I add a couple gentle shakes of cayenne pepper. I don't like things hot, so a couple shakes (less than a pinch, really) just adds depth of flavor. If you fall into the "Some Like it Hot" category, add more. Or chop up your favorite hot pepper and add it to the mix. Then taste your creation. Add more lime juice or salt if needed.

And there you have it!

I promise that, if you make this guacamole, you won't regret it!

Holy Guacamole
by Mostly Mom
3-4 ripe avocados
3/4 - 1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 lime, juice reserved
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 medium onion, about 1/2 cup finely diced
4-5 TB Cilantro, chopped roughly
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
Cayenne Pepper, to taste (I use less than a pinch!)

Pit and mash 3 avocados with a potato masher into a course mash. Add 3/4 tsp. salt and 1-2 tsp. of the lime juice. Mix gently. Chop the cilantro, then dice the tomatoes and onion. Add to the avocado mixture, along with the 1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic. If desired, add cayenne pepper. Taste. Add more salt and/or lime juice as needed. Serve quickly. If not serving immediately, cover tightly with plastic wrap stuck directly to the surface of the guacamole. Best if used within a few hours, if it lasts that long!

Homemade Laundry Detergent 101

2009-09-23T07:05:00.000-05:00

We've been reading the Little House series of books in our house. We've finished Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie and are in the last chapter of Farmer Boy, which is about Laura's future husband, Almanzo. Our boys love these books (we even got to see two Little House towns on our big summer trip; I'll share about that another time soon) and, truth be told, I love them, too.

There is a great deal of the difficult, yet hands-on nature of the lives of the characters that I find incredibly appealing. The Ingalls and the Wilder families had to work hard for everything they enjoyed in life and seemed to take little or nothing for granted. The lives of the mothers in the stories seem exhausting, but so fulfilling.

I love the way that the Ingalls and Wilder families made, caught or grew nearly everything they used in daily existence, like clothing, homes, tools, candles, and even soap. Reading the books has made me think about going "off the grid" ---this says the "blogger"!--- and living off the land. After a few moments, I recall that I can't really sew, I don't have the stomach to carve up the "dinner" that my hubby hunts, and I can barely keep basil alive for the summer. Alas, I have aspirations to be more thrifty, more conscious of wastefulness, and better at finding simple solutions for household needs.

One way I've done that is by making my some of my own cleaning products of late. Thankfully, I don't have to be like Ma Ingalls and make soap using lye and animal fat. However, I do like the idea that the products I'm using aren't chemical-y (add it to the Mostly Mom lexicon! It's a word now!) and stinky. I like the idea that they do the job without endangering me or my family. I got the recipe from a sorority sister at her adorable and fun blog, Monkeys on the Bed. My FAVORITE product is the Frosting Scrub that replaces Soft Scrub. It works very well and is so gentle on the skin.

After using these products for a while, I decided I'd like to tackle making my own laundry soap. Again, I'm not going Ma Ingalls here, since they used the same soap for just about every job. But from all I'd read, homemade laundry detergent is more economical, more gentle and less sudsy (see previous post) in the washing machine, too!

Making the soap was very easy and I can say that it works very, very well!

Let's make it!

The supplies you'll need are as follows:

Borax, Washing Soda, and a bar of gentle soap (I used Fels Naptha).

I did a little hunting to find out how the powdered ingredients work. The Borax (which has other AMAZING cleaning abilities, read the box!) works by turning some water molecules into the powerful cleaning agent, hydrogen peroxide, and also disinfects and kills germs/pests. The Washing Soda is highly alkaline, so it behaves like a solvent and a non-chlorine bleach. It can also be very helpful for those with hard water. It's chemical name is Sodium Carbonate, which is different from Sodium BiCarbonate, or Baking Soda.

ALL of these products are readily available. I got mine at Cub, our local grocery store. I have also purchased Borax at Target or Wal-Mart. The Borax was $3.99, Washing Soda was $2.59 and the Fels Naptha was $1.89. I will get many, many batches out of the washing soda and Borax as the boxes are quite large.

First, you'll need to use a box grater or food processor to grind up/shave your bar soap. I cut up the bar of soap, then had my handsome assistant, Littlest Man, feed it carefully into the chute of the food processor under the closest of supervision! The recipe that I detail below is for one batch. We made several batches at once, as I thought it would be easier to do so. We also make a whole heckuvalot of laundry around here.

After Littlest Man and I fed the soap through the food processor using a fine grater disk, I ran it through the regular food processor using the chopper part (I don't know the technical term) so it would be more fine and "chopped up". I'm sure the bar could easily be grated using a box grater in front of, say, and episode of "Barefoot Contessa."

The next steps are easy as can be! Simply measure out the required amounts of Borax and Washing Soda (again, I made a big batch, so pictured amounts are much greater than the recipe below).

Mix the ingredients well, or have your handsome assistant do the work while you finish your nonfat mocha, listen to your favorite tunes and successfully avoid emptying the dishwasher.

And that is it! Once you're done, store the detergent in a sealed container. I re-purposed a gallon ice cream container, but I'm on the lookout for a better (and more attractive!) container. I labeled the top and used it right away! I think the soap works really well. It requires only 1 TB per load, or 2 TB for heavily soiled loads. I have no complaints thus far! I find it dissolves well and gets the job done for a lot less $!

Homemade Laundry Detergent

   1 cup soap flakes (Ivory, Fels Naptha, or other gentle soap)
   1/2 cup washing soda
   1/2 cup Borax

Mix well and store in a sealed container. Use 1-2 TB per load.

Note, this same recipe can be made as a liquid detergent, as follows.
   1 cup soap flakes *
   1/2 cup washing soda
   1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax

Mix the soap flakes in a pan with 3 pints of water over medium heat, until it all dissolves, roughly 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the washing soda and Borax. Mix until everything thickens, another 3 minutes or so, then remove from heat. Put 1 quart of hot water in a 2 gallon bucket, then add the soap mixture you just made. Mix well.
Now fill the bucket with the mixture with cold water. Stir until well blended. It will thicken and separate as it cools. Stir or shake well before using. Use 1/2 cup for each load, or more for very dirty items.
*Fels Naptha, Ivory, etc.

Laundry Blues

2009-09-22T07:37:00.000-05:00

I wonder how many of you own or are considering the purchase of a High Efficiency Washing machine.

I love the size of the machine and how many items I can cram in there. It definitely has a large capacity and does a decent job of getting my mountains of laundry clean. It does take a bit longer to complete a load than a regular front loading, old school machine, but does an admirable job for the most part. I do have one major complaint though. I grumble about the way it washes towels, or rather, fails to rinse them fully.

The failure to fully rinse the towels isn't noticeable at first. However, after months of using the high efficiency machine, I noticed that the towels would seem clean after being washed & dried. But AS SOON as they were wet after a shower/bath, the towel would smell moldy and mildew-y. I began washing more frequently (2-3x/week for towels), used more Tide (my previous brand of choice) and even added vinegar, Oxy Clean, you name it! The problem was still happening, and SO gross! If I dried my face on the towel, the smell would transfer. So icky. And odd. The towels would smell Tide and Downy fresh upon departure from the dryer, but stinky as soon as they did their toweling job!

So, I thought I'd do a bit of research. I hunted a bunch on the internet. Sad, but true. I found that a LOT of people had this problem (which was good as I was seriously thinking I was just a bad little washer woman!). Here is a summary of what I found:

1) Simply using HE detergent isn't enough. Even HE detergents instruct the user to use WAY too much detergent, particularly liquid detergents.
2) The HE models use an insufficient amount of water for successful rinsing of heavy or highly absorbent laundry items, resulting in an incomplete rinsing of excess soap from the laundry, particularly the towels.

This discovery made sense! Extra soap + Super Absorbent Towels + Not enough water to rinse = Mildew that would grow/build up over a long period of time!

Basically, the mildew takes a while to really grow, so the smell wasn't obvious right away. And the towels seemed clean at first, but adding dampness made the smell obvious. Ta da! I kept on reading to find out about how to solve the problem and prevent it in the future.

Here is a little of what I learned:
1) The cleaning formula for liquid vs. powdered detergents is not the same. Powdered Tide, from what I read, has a different chemical makeup and can do a better job of cleaning
2) Mildew and Mold like HE washers. Make sure you check the front "lip/seal" of rubber on your machine. I wipe mine often and, about once a month, do a load of just hot water with bleach to kill anything growing. Vinegar works, too. Make sure you leave the door open after washing, too, to let the machine air out.
3) Use LESS! Whether you choose liquid or powdered detergent, most sites I saw recommended using 1/4 to 1/2 of the amount recommended by the manufacturers to get your clothes clean.

Now that I knew what was causing the problem, I read on to find out what to do to fix it. Would I have to buy all new towels? Thank goodness, no! In order to tackle the problem of stinky towels, first I washed the towels over and over and over with no detergent at all. Even though I didn't use detergent, suds kept coming out of the towels, even after 3 washes. I think I ended up washing them 4 or 5 times to completely get rid of the soap build-up inside the towels.

Next, I did decide to switch to a powdered version of Tide HE. I later switched to the Kirkland Brand from Costco. Now I have begun making my own powdered laundry detergent as it is cheaper, less sudsy (which helps with the rinsing because less water is present) and very gentle. More on that another day.

I also read that using too much fabric softener adds to the problem, so I always water mine down a bit and use less.

So there you have it. A laundry mystery debunked. Kind of sad that I'd be so excited about it, but what can I say? I lead a sheltered life. I'll share the recipe I use for laundry detergent another day. It's easy, affordable and fun for the whole family. That last line may be a bit of an exaggeration.

***photos courtesy of Creative Commons on Flickr

Sew Easy!

2009-09-21T13:34:00.000-05:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I can't sew. But for some reason I had a crazy idea to sew a little dress for Little Miss Pink this summer. It was a burning desire, actually. I had to do it. I found this fantastic blog that offered a tutorial for a dress/skirt that seemed so easy. Easy enough for, say, a completely un-gifted seamstress like myself. And it was!

I finished the project in less than a couple hours and was thrilled with the results. Minus the fact that I made the top a teensy bit too big, which resulted in a few Tara Reid-type indecencies. Luckily, Little Miss Pink is a tiny tot, so such a faux pas is not career ending. Phew. And the loose-fitting top was easily remedied with a white shirt. PLUS, it's big enough that she'll be able to wear it next year, either as a dress OR a skirt!

So, for those of you out there that think you really, really can't sew: there is hope! Try this dress! It would be cute for the fall with a long sleeve onesie underneath, or as a skirt for a bigger girl! Sewing it made me feel like I had a bit of sewing skills! I loved having Little Miss Pink in a dress I had made for her!

On the Creative Process

2009-09-18T09:14:00.000-05:00

Does it ever happen that you don't know when enough is "enough"?

I have used that phrase with the kidlets.

But I sometimes don't heed my own advice. I seem to have this insatiable need, when working on many projects (particularly those involving paint), to do just one more thing.

And so many times, that one more thing is the one thing that ruins (in my opinion) the project, where it fails to meet the vision I had in my head for the final product.

That failure to put the brush down occurred again today. I hate it when that happens. I had to
sand down my project and start again.

My advice to the crafter, painter, candlestickmaker is this: Know when enough is enough! Trust your judgement! Step away from the _____ (fill-in-the blank: canvas, glue gun, etc)! Sometimes one step less can be one step better.

As for me, I'm off to finish the project that could have been done hours ago, save the s-t-u-p-i-d (that's a naughty word around here!) urge to do just one more thing!