August 2011 – Page 2
If you’re looking for a dinner to use up some of those vegetables from your garden, this is the recipe for you! Unfortunately, our garden this year was a total flop (note to self: don’t leave for a weekend trip without DRENCHING plants in water. We came home to fried veggies…and not the good kind!). Thank goodness for our local roadside farmer! For a little sweet treat, I also made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. They were delightful and a hit among the entire family. Both recipes are below!
Spicy Garden Veggie Sloppy Joes
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup zucchini, chopped
1 cup yellow summer squash, chopped
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 16oz. jar salsa
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
6-8 kaiser rolls or hamburger buns
In a skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat it brown and the onion is tender. Drain off the fat. Add zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and green pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes. Stir in salsa, basil and parsley. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Serve on rolls or buns!
(This meal is easily freezable. You can make a double batch at one time – eat half for dinner and save the other for a busy day!)
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon all-spice
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chocolate chips
(NOTE: I did not have cloves, ginger or all-spice on hand, so I omitted them all from the recipe and just added a little more cinnamon, maybe a little over 2 teaspoons? It was still delicious!)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together the first nine (dry) ingredients and set aside.
3. Beat eggs in the large bowl of an electric mixer until foamy. Add pumpkin and oil and mix well. Add the flour mixture, stirring only until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Spoon evenly in greased muffin tins (or use paper liners).
5. Bake for 22-24 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!
No real words this week. I just loved this chapter and the ideas it created for me. I find myself looking at my house in a whole new light now: where can I create a special, secret and magical place for my boys?
Enjoy some inspiration pictures I found on Pinterest:
Source: flickr.com via Ashley on Pinterest Source: appleday.tumblr.com via Abigail on Pinterest Source: houseofturquoise.com via Ashley on Pinterest Source: blog.holamama.es via erika on Pinterest Source: flickr.com via Stefani on Pinterest Source: decorate.tipjunkie.com via Maddy on Pinterest Just wanted to let you know about a great deal on Groupon today! $10 for $20 worth of 4×6″ prints from Shutterfly! I snatched it because I need to order a bunch to update my Project Life album! Find the details here. **Contains referral link.
Sometimes life gets so busy that I forget to notice and appreciate the little things. Here are some of the things I am loving this week:
I WANT TO REMEMBER… how D is calling everybody “big guy” after hearing his Daddy call him that for so long.
I WANT TO REMEMBER… how M’s idea of “cleaning” is shoving all of his toys into one corner of the room. He’s just so proud though when he shows me – I don’t have the heart to correct him!
I WANT TO REMEMBER… how J babbles to himself as he plays. He has lots to say!
I WANT TO REMEMBER… D and his “pow-ahs” (powers). He takes two receiving blankets and swings them around in the air, declaring, “Watch out for me supah powahs!” Reason #1000 why having little boys in the house is AWESOME!
I WANT TO REMEMBER… how among the long list of what he wants to be when he grows up, M wants to be a “Police Department-er”. 🙂
I WANT TO REMEMBER… how incredibly great it is to hear the beginnings of brother conversations. D is really talking and expressing himself lately and the big boys have been coming up with some great games and adventures. The latest convo overheard while building with blocks:
D: Whatchu makin’? I makin’ a robot.
M: I’m making a tower.
D: Cool dude!
My cup runneth over.
The living room is arguably our favorite room in our home. We have lots of natural light and there is plenty of room to run and play. But I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with it. Too mismatched and not really fulfilling our need for organization. And with three boys, you know we need organization and storage!! So, last fall before the baby came, I started working on my vision for a cohesive look in the room. We were able to get the big pieces I wanted, like a pull-out sofa for guests and a comfy armchair, but the little details were pushed aside…until now!
So here is my inspiration for finishing up this room:
1. Inspired by Young House Love, I’m thinking of having a console table behind the sofa, DIY style. I really love the cubbies for baskets on either side, so we can put all the boys’ toys away and out of sight when not in use.
2. This bench is narrow enough that it doesn’t take up too much space and can serve two purposes: as a coffee table or also as more seating, if necessary. It’s on sale at PB but I’m wondering if we can DIY it ourselves when we make #1.
3. We hope to replace our worn carpet soon with hardwood flooring. I think this soft, shag rug would help ground the couch and coffee table and add some neutral tones to the room.
4. I like this fabric and this fabric, so I think I am going to make pillows for the couch and armchair.
5. I once heard on a blog that her “home colors” came from a vintage map. I think that would describe our home as well! We are going to buy a vintage looking map here and frame it out with molding. It will go above the couch.
6. I’d like to find two neat lamps like these (picture is from YHL) for behind the couch on the console table.
I’m really excited to get this room exactly like I have envisioned in my head. Now to decide which project to tackle first! What about you? Any redecorating going on in your home?
Good morning, friends! I hope you had a fun and relaxing weekend. Here are a few things we are up to lately:
FOOD…
- While out running some errands, Mark stopped and got some veggies from a little roadside stand. That poor man is out there every day in this crazy heat! I fully recommend shopping at your local roadside market – it feels good to support the farmers and the food is just so good!
- My husband has been doing a lot of research lately about food and nutrition and has decided to eat “primal”. From what I gather, that means lots of fruits, veggies and meat and very little starches and carbohydrates. There is no way that I could fully embrace eating this way (I love to bake too much!) but I’m trying to find recipes that are adaptable for all of us. I’ve seen this cookbook and I wonder if that may help with some ideas.
CRAFTY…
- I am taking a small break from my quilt to work on a new project! I bought this from the The Floss Box (for $2! What a deal!) and it’s so cute! I hope to have it finished by the end of the week. I’m considering making it into a pillow or framing it for my craft room.
- I spent the majority of this weekend scrapbooking. Back in March, I took my mom’s boxes full of 20+ years of photographs and promised her a scrapbook in return. Needless to say, that was months ago and I’m still plugging away! It has turned out to be a slightly bigger task than I had imagined (HAH! Understatement!) , but I am really enjoying it.
PRE-K…
- Our school year will begin in three short weeks! The first book we are reading is How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World. I have been searching the Internet for apple activities and recipes. If you have a great craft or recipe or have seen something cute on a website, please share it with me in the comments!
- I want to start incorporating read alouds into our day. We read picture books at bedtime, but I think the boys are finally old enough that we could start reading a chapter book instead. I’m thinking of starting with Charlotte’s Web. Do you have any recommendations?
Have a great week!
I think it’s safe to say that I love etsy. LOVE. I love the variety of products. I love how inspiring the different artists are. I love how I can always find something for every person on my birthday/Christmas/anniversary list.
It’s just recently, though, that I have discovered a new (and maybe the best) reason for shopping on etsy: through my purchases, I am supporting someone who is following their dreams. I love the idea that I am helping a recent college graduate pay off his student loans. I love that I am helping a mamma stay home with her kids. I love supporting that girl who’s taking a leap of faith to produce things she loves. Etsy makes the relationship between buyer and seller so personal…and for me, I think that is so cool.
So.
On that note, I present to you my latest find: Elm Studios!
Elm Studios makes beautiful personalized bowls and wall hangings. I love the simplicity of the designs – these would be great gifts for so many occasions! Wouldn’t the Wish Bowl (#3) be so cute at a baby or bridal shower? You could have the guests write wishes to the new baby or bride and groom, and then they could keep the bowl as a momento. I love the Seashore Bowl (#4) for the summer. It would be so darling on an entry table holding your keys and arranged with some other ocean-inspired decor! And the Love You Forever (#1) bowl? My favorite. So so sweet.
Check out Elm Studios here.
There’s a little bakery in the downtown part of my parent’s town called Eileen’s. They sell sandwiches and pastries, but my absolute, hands-down favorite are their Chocolate Crinkles. The not too sweet, powdery goodness….yum.
So needless to say, when I pulled out the good ol’ Betty Crocker cookbook, looking for a recipe for something sweet with the ingredients I had on hand, I was ecstatic to find a Chocolate Crinkles recipe. And Betty didn’t let me down. These weren’t Eileen’s, but they were pretty darn close! Enjoy!
———————————————————–
Chocolate Crinkles (from Betty Crocker)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
4 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup powdered sugar
Mix sugar, oil, vanilla, and chocolate in a large bowl. Mix in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. (I only refrigerated for 2 hours and mine turned out fine.)
Heat the oven to 350. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray or shortening.
Drop the dough (teaspoon-size, but you can totally wing this) into a bowl of powdered sugar; roll around to coat. Shape into balls. Bake 9-11 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool.
For the rest of my thoughts on this book, you can find them here. ———————————
Play.
Oh my, did I love this chapter. Memories of my own carefree childhood came quickly to mind as I read through these pages. Summertime adventures with my brother and the neighborhood kids. A special fort made in our swingset. Riding bikes down the street. My favorite line: “A day without a schedule is a day of possibilities.” (page 57)
I hope my own children can experience many of the same memories I did growing up. Lots of games, lots of their imagination come to life. I want them to look back fondly at their childhood, full of rich experiences.
Food for thought from this chapter (and one I want to remember as they get older):
“So much of the structure that we impose on our children’s lives is really intended to make our own lives easier. We don’t want to give up our freedom, and so we fail to grant our children theirs. As every mother knows, it’s easier to sign up for sports camp than to carve out a week to allow your chilren to follow their own inclinations at home. But children need time that is utterly their own – time to take up residence in their own lives, time to dream through an afternoon, time to play with the kids next door, time to wake up to their own pleasures. Above all, they need some time when we adults aren’t calling the shots.” (page 53) Source: younghouselove.com via Lorina on Pinterest
Have you heard of this challenge? Created by two of my favorite blogs, Young House Love and All Bower Power, the challenge is to stop pinning and get creating! I am cheating a little because I am sharing a project I made a few weeks ago…but, I’ve got PLENTY of pins, so I’m now deciding what to do next!
This was my inspiration photo on Pinterest:
Source: lollyjaneboutique.blogspot.com via Ashley on Pinterest
I knew I had to make one for Mark with his beloved home state of Texas. This project was so easy, took about 10 minutes to do and bonus! I had everything I needed on hand (which is always good, since carting three boys under five around the craft store is probably the equivalent to getting teeth pulled!)
Here is my version:
I think it’s super cute and I can’t wait to add it to my gallery wall that I am working on for our bedroom!
Be sure to check out Sherry’s adorable clothespin light (so fun for the laundry room!) and all of the other Pinterest Challenge entries here.
| Unrelated to the story, but still too cute, don’t you think? |
Yesterday, I had one of those surreal moments in time, a moment I had dreamt about years ago, a moment I couldn’t wait for…
I distinctly remember when M was a baby, eight months old or so, and just starting to crawl. The house was so quiet then, with just the drone of daily talk shows filling the silence. I remember watching him explore his surroundings, full of curiosity, full of life. I couldn’t help but think to the future…
I can’t wait to see this little one grow.
It will only be months now until he is walking!
I hope we have many more children to fill this home.
I can’t imagine the day we have all these little ones running around the house.
I hope there’s lots of laughter.
Flash forward four years to today. I sat back and watched as my boys chased each other around and around the first floor of the house. Squeals of laughter filled the air. Little J crawled back and forth, trying to keep up. It was so good.
I am so blessed.