This Girl's Life

Packing it in...

2009-05-22T08:35:00.004-04:00

I am happy, no, ecstatic to say that after nearly four years of living in a 900 sq. ft. apartment, we are buying a house! I think it's safe to say that in the current market it shouldn't be a problem to find an available property, so even though we don't have a specific place to go and we don't really know when we'll be moving there, I'm going to start packing NOW.

I've had a few bad moves in my living-away-from-my-parents'-house history, but none so bad as our last one. I'll spare you the details of a pretty long story, but the gist is that we thought we wanted to move, we sold our house, we changed our minds, we still had to move, and we didn't really have anywhere to go. That was fun enough, but then after we secured our apartment (where we live now) my upper back muscles started hurting so much that I couldn't even turn my head, and my chiropractor forbade me to do any lifting. So, in the weeks prior to our move, I couldn't do any work and my husband was away during the day at his summer job, so you can probably imagine how organized a move that was. It involved tossing "stuff" into garbage bags at the end because we had run out of boxes, and those bags were immediately thrown onto the truck of a friend who was helping us. He was heard later saying, "Never ask me to help you guys move again." It was horrid, and I assure you, unpacking was no fun, either.

But that is in the past, and since we have time to do things better this time, I'm starting now. My first stop for advice for anything is the FlyLady, and on her site she has an entire section devoted to moving tips. I printed that article, and I gathered all of the Sharpie markers I could find to make a color-coded chart of the rooms we will be moving. I plan to color-code the boxes so that finding what-goes-where is not as difficult once we get there. I am also going to be brutal with decluttering, and if we don't love it and use it, it's not going with us. (Local freecyclers, stay tuned--your ship may be about to come in!)

So, check back to see what's working and what isn't, and if you have any tips for me, I would love to hear them!

Kitchen Tips at Motley Moms

2009-05-11T18:45:00.004-04:00

We didn't plan it this way, but on Motley Moms today Pam posted her amazing recipe for blueberry muffins and tomorrow (Tuesday) I will be posting instructions for making a rustic tart. With the fresh fruits of summer just waiting to burst into the markets you do not want to miss these great ideas for preparing them! :)

PS: I should probably mention that my rustic tart is easy and virtually fool-proof, which is why I am able to do it considering my baking tendencies!

Meet a new blogger!

2009-04-16T08:30:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone--my cousin is taking her first steps into the blog-o-sphere! Check her out!

Edited to Add: My sister Tara is also blogging now!

Easter Fun: A New Addition to the Family and Two More Baking Disasters

2009-04-12T18:04:00.013-04:00

As my Mom pointed out to me today, I have been procrastinating on my blog for quite a while, so I thought I would share a little about our Easter celebration this year.

First, an announcement: We have a new member of our household! As of this morning our son has adopted a pretty blue Betta fish. I asked him what he would like to name the fish, and he said, "Black." Thinking he had confused the name question with a color question, I asked again. He replied again, "Black." I then asked him what color the fish was. He said, "Blue." OK, so he's not confused. I asked again multiple times before church, after church, before lunch, etc. and each time he told me the fish's name is "Black." Eventually he managed to expand the name to "Black and Blue," and that, oddly, is apparently the fish's name. Friends of ours have a fuchsia Betta named Raspberry, and I guess I was hoping for the same type of creativity. Maybe he would name him Sapphire or even Blueberry. But no, our fish has been named Black and Blue. I bet he's the only fish in the world with that name.

Let's be honest, we all know that I have baking issues. Bryssy passed me the link to a neat recipe idea for Easter morning called, "Resurrect ion Rolls." It involves telling the story of Jesus' burial in the tomb using a marshmallow to represent His body, and once the rolls have baked the marshmallow SHOULD basically dissolve into the roll leaving the roll "tomb" empty. The only dough needed is crescent roll dough from a can, so I thought I could handle that.

In anyone else's kitchen, this recipe would probably be a great way to share the Easter story with children. Unfortunately, not only did my rolls NOT absorb the marshmallow, thus leaving "Jesus" still in the tomb, but some of the rolls oozed the marshmallow through the cracks. I will let you supply your own sacrilegious jokes for that one. At least our son is only two and hasn't yet reached the age where scarring him for life is a real possibility. Probably.

This final baking problem is a word of warning for those of you who might be using the cookbook The Cupcake Doctor. In that book is a wonderful idea for Easter Basket cupcakes. The cakes are baked in waffle cone bowl "baskets" instead of cupcake liners. First of all, the recipe should yield ten cupcakes because there are ten bowls in a package of waffle bowls. Problem number one is that I found it quite difficult to find 10 basket-worthy bowls in a package. I made six (one for each of us at lunch) and poured the rest of the batter into an egg-shaped pan that I have. A second problem I encountered with the directions involved the amount of batter to use in each cup. The instructions call for 1/2 cup per bowl, but that would be far too much and a messy overflow would be imminent. I found that 1/4 cup was pretty much perfect. The baking part was fine, believe it or not, and having wrapped the bowls in foil they did not scorch. The "disaster" came this afternoon when it was time to decorate the cupcakes. I had stored them in an airtight container to transport them to lunch, and when we opened the container to start our decorating fun we found cupcakes sitting on wilted waffle cone disks. The moisture from the cakes had done to the bowls what ice cream does to them if it isn't eaten quickly. The cakes were sticky enough to mold them back into a basket shape, and they were very cute once decorated, but the taste just wasn't the same.

So, there you go! Still making the hard mistakes so that you don't have to!

I hope you had a wonderful Easter--do you have any stories to share?

Um, can we do this later?

2009-03-15T06:00:00.001-04:00

Today is my day to post over at Motley Moms--come join us as we talk about procrastination! What are you waiting for??

Preserving the Past

2009-03-12T14:02:00.006-04:00

It's strawberry season in Florida, and this year I decided to make preserves. I asked my great-aunt and grandmother for a tutorial on how to do this, and this is what they told me:

1. Take equal parts of chopped and washed strawberries (or any other fruit) and sugar.

2. Place them in a heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. Stir frequently, and adjust the heat as needed to prevent boil-overs.

4. Pour or ladle the finished product into sterilized jars and wipe the rims to remove any of the syrup; top the jars with lids that have been sitting in boiling water and screw on the rings.

5. Wait until the lids pop--that means they're sealed.

So far I haven't tasted the finished product (it's REALLY hot!), but it looks so cute in these adorable jars that it couldn't be bad, could it?? :D

The Great Cupcake Disaster

2009-02-04T15:18:00.004-05:00

This was not what I pictured when I started baking these red velvet cupcakes for our MOPS fundraiser tonight:

The tops were uneven, the bottoms were lightly scorched, the papers were unrecognizable (you should be able to see cute little hearts all over them), and all of the cupcakes shrank once they cooled. It wasn't pretty.

I removed the yucky papers and trimmed the cakes into better shape.

I cut them into layers, settled them into new papers, and gave them a little frosting-in-the-middle height enhancement.

A little pipe of frosting on top and a few sprinkles later, these look pretty good compared to their pre-makeover selves!

Blastin' through breakfast...

2009-01-23T08:37:00.003-05:00

Do you make breakfast for only one or two people? Do you like pancakes and waffles? Do you hate doing dishes? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, this little miracle spray can may be what you've been waiting for.

It's called the "Organic Batter Blaster" and it's a little controversial. Some people don't quite see the need for something so, well, Jetson-like, but if you've ever tried to make pancakes for just yourself, you know that even just using one egg that mix turns into a lot of breakfast. With the Batter Blaster you point and shoot your way to a one or two pancake meal with no wasted batter. And, might I add, only a pan to wash instead of bowls and measuring cups. (Do I sound a little lazy here?) The can is recyclable so that makes the material waste a little more tolerable. Did I mention it's organic? I mean, anything that says "organic" has to be wonderful, right? ;)

As far as the actual pancakes go, they are a little different from what you would make with a more traditional method. The company talks about "light and airy" pancakes, and they're right--the air in the can certainly adds to the "air" affect, and the cakes end up somewhere between pancake and crepe. They are not the traditional thick cake, but they're not completely flat, either. I like them, but I'm a little wierd when it comes to texture. Here's the finished product:

Normally this one can sells for $4.99 at Publix. I would never pay that much for this convenience. Currently (until next Wednesday) the cans are BOGO (buy one get one free) and there is a $1 off coupon you can print as many times as you want by following this link: John Tesh Radio Show Offer (While you're there, check out the cute promo video!) The final cost is $2.99 for two cans, and as each can produces approximately 28 pancakes I calculate each cake to cost around $.05. So, that's not too bad to try something new and to get a little break in the morning. The current cans don't expire until the end of March, so there's plenty of time to use them as well. If your Publix is out of them, don't forget to request a rain check!

NOTE: I had to search a while to find the cans--they were on the top shelf near the coffee creamers.

It's a bird...it's an odd center piece...

2009-01-13T10:55:00.003-05:00

...it's my new set of feather dusters! And I love them!

Who knew dusting could feel so...chic? :)

Lentils...

2009-01-12T12:11:00.006-05:00

I have been obsessed with lentils since I began hearing how good they are for our health. They are packed with fiber and protein but very inexpensive, and because of that they were the recommended meat substitute during the Depression.

It hasn't been easy for me to find good lentil recipes, though, so when I saw this one at the bottom of the page in a recent Family Circle magazine, I tried it immediately. I don't know the real definition of Chili, but honestly, this is really more of a chili-flavored soup. Regardless, it is easy to make with staple ingredients, and we thoroughly enjoyed it for lunch on this cold and cloudy day!

(Cooking Notes: This makes a full pot of soup, and I'm planning on freezing the leftovers for another day. I did substitute chicken broth for the water for a richer flavor. The diced tomatoes really made this soup for my son and me, so use ones that you really like!)

Smoky Lentil Chili
(Family Circle, Feb. 09, pg. 156)

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan. Add 1/2 cup chopped onions; sauté for 2 minutes. Add 2 chopped garlic cloves; cook an additional 30 seconds. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of chipotle chili powder and 2 teaspoons ground cumin. stir in 3 cups of water, 1 cup dried brown lentils (rinsed) and 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes. Increase heat and bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes, adding water as needed. Stir in 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve with brown rice.

Apparently, I don't hate baking, and Happy Feast of St. Nicolas!

2008-12-06T10:13:00.007-05:00

We had some friends over yesterday to decorate gingerbread cookies, and it was a fun-filled morning that was also full of sprinkles, candies, snowy-white frosting. It was one of the mornings where we had so much fun that I forgot to take pictures...sorry about that.

After everyone left, however, I went a little crazy and decorated the remaining cookies to take to church tonight for the kids to enjoy while the adults have a progressive dinner party. You know what? It was fun. I really dreaded it, but I had the best time. I felt so creative and, well, capable. That's not a feeling I usually get from handling a pastry bag. So, here are the results:

Now, why the gingerbread? you may be asking. Today, December 6th, is the Feast of St. Nicolas, and children all over Europe are exchanging gingerbread cookies in honor of the Saint who loved the spicy little morsels so much that he gave them to people wherever he went. In return, St. Nicolas the modern-day legend is filling their shoes with candy and presents. Beware, however, of Père Fouettard (Father Whipper), St. Nick's counterpart who travels with him carrying a bundle of switches for the not-so-nice children. And you thought threatening kids with coal in their stocking was effective!

So...take some time to be generous today! Whether it be cookies or simply your time, St. Nick's legacy is that of giving of oneself to others. Have a great day!

Adventures in Baking

2008-12-03T15:44:00.005-05:00

Today I thought I would do something I've never done before--bake dark chocolate cupcakes with a creamy ganache filling in my new Christmas pans. For our church dinner this evening. Where other people would actually be eating them. What could go wrong???

Um, yeah. Apparently things with molten centers should not be inverted too quickly. Or, at all.

At least my little boy enjoyed them.

Let the countdown begin!

2008-12-01T14:31:00.004-05:00

It's December 1st! Break out those Advent Calendars!

For our calendar we number slips of paper from 1-25 (I created a table using a pretty Christmas font for ours, but that's just me). We use these slips of paper to celebrate by doing a small activity every day until the 25th. First I choose the numbers for which I know we have something already planned (eg. Christmas Parade on the 13th) I write those activities first. Then, I flip the rest over so that I can't see the numbers and I write a Christmas-themed activity, such as singing a Christmas carol, reading a Christmas story, coloring a Christmas picture, watching a Christmas movie, etc. I try to be as random as possible so that it's a surprise for me, too.

That's what we do--what do you do for your Advent Calendar?

Affording Christmas Part II

2008-11-28T06:00:00.001-05:00

This is a tough year for many people, especially considering the holiday season is approaching and many of us are wondering how we can afford to do what we want to do for our loved ones and our communities. A few years ago my husband and I decided that we wanted to be able to relax financially during the holidays, and our first step was to create a Christmas savings account.

Did your Grandmother have one of those "Christmas Club" accounts? Mine did. I remember riding to the bank in her car when she made her deposits, and she explained to me what she was doing. She put a little in each month, and then she would withdraw the money in November or December to use for her Christmas shopping. When my DH and I sat down to discuss our strategy, this idea immediately came to mind. We decided to deposit a set amount immediately each month into a separate savings account that would only be used for holiday expenses. By using a traditional savings account we were able to withdraw anytime we wanted during the year instead of waiting until the crazy shopping days just before Christmas. This enabled me to attend the ornament premiers in July (yes, I am one of those people) and catch discounts and other promotions when they happened. After our first year we decided to also include travel expenses in our savings, so we slightly increased the amount we deposited monthly so there would be no year end surprises with airfare.

Once we know our lump-sum for the year, I create a spreadsheet (a pencil and paper list would be fine, too--I just find I work better if I feel I'm being technical). I make a list of all of the people to whom we will be giving gifts, and I also include things like Christmas Cards, stamps, gift exchanges for work, baking and cooking costs, decorations, unexpected expenses, etc. I divvy up our total amount available and record any gifts or other items we buy. As long as our total costs are less than or equal to our budgeted costs, we're doing pretty well!

Are you unable to divert part of your income to a savings account for the holidays? Here's a tip: Use coupons, but instead of handing them to the cashier take a walk to customer service. They will give you cash back for your coupons. Take that cash and stash it away until you can deposit it.

I realize that I'm publishing this on Black Friday, and many of you could have used this information a long time ago. Just read it today and bookmark it for January 1st! Also, check out last week's post on ways to afford Christmas right now (some of the strategies would be great for padding your savings account, too).

Affording Christmas Part I: Finding Money

2008-11-21T00:00:00.003-05:00

I love Christmas. I turn into a giggling freak this time each year. I love the atmosphere, the music, the camaraderie...everything. I love it so much that I actually miss it the rest of the year--I visit Christmas shops in July just to get a hit of the Christmas smell. The trouble is that much of what I love at Christmastime involves money, and who really has enough of that?

I'm also one of those crazed gift-givers who actually get a rush from giving other people things. That of course, does cost money, and over the years I've developed some strategies for affording the holidays, particularly the gift-giving part of them.

1. Always look for the promotion. Buying make-up? Is there a free gift available? Buying ornaments from Hallmark? Can you spend $x and get a free stuffed animal or reindeer shaped candle? Headed to Target? They run specials where if you buy $x of a certain brand they will give you a gift card for $x. Look for the freebies out there, and then ask yourself, who might like this? Can I get more for my money?

2. Check your wallet. Did you receive a stack of gift cards last year? Did you use them? Two Christmases ago my husband received a gift card from a men's clothing store. He never used it. I found it and used it to help buy several shirts for him last Christmas, and he was happy to have the shirts regardless of how they were purchased. Gift cards are really hard to wear, so use those bad boys for something a little more practical!

3. Check your mail. In the past week I have received a $10 off a $10 purchase at JC Penny's and a coupon for a free "anything in the store" with any purchase at Bath & Body Works. Um, I'm pretty sure that "free" is a good deal anywhere. Use those coupons, and don't let them expire!

4. Keep the change. Last month alone I accumulated $40 in spare change. Imagine if I had collected change all year...that's quite a few gifts.

5. Fives only, please. I read about this in a magazine once. The writer refused to spend $5 bills. When she received one as change it went straight into a special part of her wallet, and then into savings. I did this for a while, and before too long I had collected nearly $200 in $5's. Add that to the spare change, and you have a great nest egg for Christmas spending!

6. Don't avoid the drug stores. CVS and Walgreens (and probably others--those are just the two we have here) run extremely good sales at this time of year on things you wouldn't expect like toys and decorations. I'm looking at a stack of batteries that I essentially paid nothing for this week and don't even get me started on the amount of candy I got there this month. Their clearance sales are awesome, too. Need some free money to spend there? Transfer a prescription and get a $25 gift card!

So, pull out those seat cushions and see what you can do! Do you have other ideas? I'd love to hear them!

PS: Check back next Friday after you get back from the mall for my family's long-term strategy for affording Christmas, and stay tuned for our evolving philosophy concerning Christmas spending.

Escarg...oh, no, you didn't! or "Them's snails!"

2008-11-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

One of my most favorite scenes from Little House on the Prairie was when Mr. Edwards and Charles were eating in a "fancy" restaurant in one of those big cities they always visited for business. They decide to order something really nice, and the waiter suggests the escargots. The men order their "es-car-gots" and when the little morsels arrive at the table, both men are outraged--"Why, them's snails!" they shout as they leave the restaurant in a fury.

I went on a cruise with my husband's family last weekend to celebrate his lovely grandmother's 80th birthday. It was the first cruise for our family of three, and we were told before leaving that we should be prepared for the wonderful food. Guess what? It was wonderful, and there was plenty of it. On the menu for our formal dinner evening I did spy something that always makes me giggle, and well, gag--the incredibly luxurious escargots bourguignon. Them's snails, for us simpletons.

I feel like I have a pretty adventurous pallet, but personally I find a plate of snails, excuse me, escargots, to be one of the most vile dishes I have ever tried to eat. They taste like grass and dirt. What about the delectable garlic butter sauce, you say? Well, I would prefer to eat that on something not disgusting like pasta or vegetables. I may even prefer to eat that on actual grass and dirt rather than consuming an escargot.

So, back to the cruise. I am a Frenchie-Francophile (that means "lover of France" for those of you raising your eyebrows) who has actually lived in France and has been served "escargots done right" and I can imagine no greater punishment than being forced to eat a plate of smelly, once-slimy creatures swimming in fat, garlic, and herbs. My brother-in-law (a very cool guy, by the way) ordered the escargots as his appetizer. He won't eat a fresh tomato, but he will eat a plate of slugs in sauce. I don't get it. Is it the luxe factor? I have a theory on that.

I think it went something like this: Two con men are walking through the woods searching for provisions for their next meal. One looks down at the ground and inspiration strikes. "Hey! Remember how we tricked that emperor into walking around naked? Well, there's plenty of snails here--let's see if we can get the rich people in town to eat them! Get out the garlic butter and herbs!"

It couldn't possibly be that someone saw it as a good idea. Who would seriously look down at the ground and say, "Check out the slime trail that thing's leaving! Looks like good eats to me! Quick, get the garlic butter and herbs!"

Oh oui, Somewhere out there is a dead Frenchman who is laughing hysterically saying, "I so wasn't serious about that! You're not really going to eat those are you???" With a French accent, of course.

An actual escargot de bourgogne. (Apparently a homeless escargot.)
This picture was taken in 1998 in the woods near Autun, France in the region of Burgundy.
Amazingly I was able to take this shot without succumbing to the urge to reach down, snatch him up and eat him.

Saving Dinner!

2008-11-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

November is Meal Planning Month over at the FlyLady site and it couldn't have come at a better time for us. We have just finished a Once A Month Cooking (OAMC) session and the meals we prepared need to last until after the New Year, so if I don't plan well we may be out of food before Thanksgiving!

My meal planning strategy is facilitated by knowing what is in my freezer. I took the list of meals we prepared at OAMC and I printed a blank calendar from Outlook. I also opened our family calendar to see which nights we would need dinner as well as which nights we might not. I noted any evenings where one or more of us would not be home as that changes my cooking plans, and I recorded anything important on the no-longer-blank calendar. I then tried to complete the meal calendar by assigning dishes to the remaining days. A typical week looks something like this:

Monday: Sweet Soy Chicken with Rice
Tuesday: Mexican Torta
Wednesday: Ekklesia (This is our church's weekly dinner--yay! No cooking!)
Thursday: Chicken and Rice Wraps (My husband would night be eating with us that evening due to a meeting, so we would have something easy to prepare in small quantities. These are great just defrosted in the microwave like a burrito!)
Friday: Pizza or Spaghetti (We eat this every Friday night and it is not a freezer meal)
Saturday: Panko Parmesan Oven-Fried Chicken Salad
Sunday: OYO (On Your Own) Night! We eat whatever we want, but it's every man for himself. Usually, this is my cereal for dinner night!)

I write any side dishes or ingredients that I need on the calendar as well as any thawing instructions, then I stick the finished chart on the freezer so that I can see it any time.

If you're new to meal planning and are unsure where to begin, may I also recommend SavingDinner.com? You'll find a link to it on the left side of the page. Leanne Ely publishes a free daily e-newsletter that provides recipes and helpful tips for feeding the family, and if you're interested she also has an enormous selection of freezer recipes for purchase that take minutes to prepare. If you need LOTS of help with meal planning you can purchase a weekly Menu Mailer where she gives you recipes and shopping lists for the entire week. Personally, I have purchased several of her freezer recipe sets including Chicken for the Freezer and Heart Healthy for the Freezer. The Moroccan Chicken with Honey Couscous is a favorite in our OAMC group. (Sorry for the advertisement, but I really do love Ms. Ely's products!)

So, that's what works for us! We eat well and we don't spend as much money at restaurants anymore...what works for you? Check out Crystal's site for more helpful hints!

Quarantined

2008-11-06T06:00:00.003-05:00

We're under quarantine. OK, so it's not as serious as it sounds--my little guy has what the doctor is calling bronchitis and he is contagious, so we are home bound for the rest of the week. It's kind of strange, too. This week and next should have been two of the busiest of the season for us, and suddenly with a fairly high fever and a few coughs, we have nothing to do except dose medicine and drink fluids.

There is another side to this as well--we're supposed to go on a cruise next weekend with my husband's family (pretty much all of them, in celebration of his dear grandmother's 80th birthday), and I'm a little concerned about this change in health. We can't cancel really cancel our reservations, and I'm pretty sure a family of sick people wouldn't be too welcome on the boat. I believe I read a clause in the informative booklet we received that says something like, "Sick people will be left to fend for themselves at the nearest port of call." Yes, I'm paraphrasing a bit, but I do have a feeling that we would be locked in our stateroom before Captain Stubing would allow his ship to become a floating lazaretto. So somehow we have to nurse our son back into health while keeping our own hands clean and germ-free...yikes. I can't even estimate how many times I was on the receiving end of sneezes and coughs today...

Donna lent us this book, and it has come in quite handy!

Amazon.com Widgets

Toys We Love--Maple Landmark

2008-11-05T06:00:00.012-05:00

I absolutely love the Maple Landmark company in Vermont! They make classic wooden toys and home decor along with a slew of other neat gifts. Their products are American-Made and guaranteed safe for our little ones.

This year we are giving our son a Midget Train set and a few Scoots. Who could resist a train that's called the "Chocolate Pudding Train?"

Midget Train

Fire Truck and Police Car Scoots

We are also giving our son and our nephew one of their Semi-Trucks. Being a Kentucky girl, I fell in love with this one as soon as I saw it!

What on your Christmas list this year? Check out Rocks in My Dryer for other great toy ideas!

'Tis the Season to GIVE!

2008-11-03T13:38:00.004-05:00

A few days ago we received the annual holiday newsletter from our local charitable organization, and in it was a reminder about the beginning of their food drive as well as an article about their "Giving Tree"-type campaign. Usually I read the newsletter and then throw it away, but this issue I kept. I looked at the list of food items and then I looked at the pile of coupons on my dining room table, many of them for great products that my family just doesn't use. I decided then and there to challenge myself this year: I'm going to give as much as possible to those two campaigns while spending as little as possible (so that I can give more).

Before I continue, please hear me--I'm not writing this for any reason other than 1) to hold myself accountable, 2) to hopefully get some great ideas from you on how to accomplish this goal, and 3) to possibly inspire you to join me in giving. That being said...

Yesterday I started my quest by getting FREE Crest Pro-Health toothpaste at CVS. With my coupons I actually earned $1 on the purchase. Toothpaste is not quite food and really isn't a great Christmas gift, but I had to start somewhere. I then went to Walgreens where I acquired two boxes of Celestial Seasonings tea for FREE--They were 2 for $3. The Walgreens Easy Saver Rebate book has a coupon for $1 off of 2 boxes and I had 2 $1 off 1 box coupons from a previous Sunday paper. Those are considered food donations, so I'm on my way!

So, if you see any deals, let me know! And if you want to post your ideas for helping your community, please leave comments! I don't have to tell you that many people are feeling the crunch this year with recent economic events. If we can give of ourselves, our time, our abilities, our talents, maybe we can show others the Light that is the Truth of this season...

Happy Giving!

My Little Photographer

2008-10-23T18:53:00.001-04:00

My two-year-old took these "pickers" (that's what he calls them). I think I'm gonna let him do the photography for my blog from now on!

Impression: Mommy and Daddy

Impression: Nana

View from the Back Seat

Cupcakes!

2008-10-22T18:25:00.009-04:00

When my mom said she was worried she wouldn't be able to finish my son and nephew's birthday cake last week, I must admit I was pretty excited. I yanked my sprinkles out of my suitcase and exclaimed, "We can make cupcakes!"

I've been waiting for an opportunity to make cupcakes for weeks since Pam made her beautiful ones for our sons' party. Hers were topped with vibrantly-colored frosting and the kids decorated them with sprinkles. They were yummy, too.

Pam's Cupcakes

My sister Tara and I went to work, and here are the results (Tara was the bug sculptor--I'm better at sprinkling things!):

Fall Sprinkles

Pumpkin and Leaves
(I desperately wanted to make this one when
I saw it on the cover of a magazine)

Spider on a Web

Mommy Spider and Babies

This was an accident, and we laughed hysterically about it.
I think we'll call it, "Take that, you very hungry caterpillar!"

Oh, nuts...

2008-10-17T13:07:00.003-04:00

Have you ever seen a real walnut? One that's still on the tree or has just fallen off? It looks very different from what you find on the grocery store shelf.

I'm sure there is a philosophical blog article I could write about the lesson to be learned on inner beauty when beholding the walnut (yada, yada, yada), and feel free to leave your own ideas in the comments section, but honestly, I just thought they looked kind of funny and interesting and I wanted to show you.

Happy Friday!

Fall Fun

2008-10-15T22:34:00.012-04:00

We're in western Kentucky this week visiting family, and today was full of fall fun. This morning I awoke (a little too early--my internal clock is still set to Eastern Time) to see the sun creeping through the back yard.

The leaves are ready to change, and some of them are already turning beautiful shades of red and yellow.

We visited a farm today where we went on a hayride...

picked apples...

played in a sandbox full of corn...

explored a pumpkin patch...

and gathered walnuts.

Today's fun was a welcome change from yesterday's fast food and interstate driving!

Snack Time!

2008-10-14T06:00:00.003-04:00

We're on the road this week, and in our car, the choice of snacks is almost as important as the gasoline in the tank. (I guess that's a bit of a metaphor, too.)

Here's our list of munchies for this trip:

Trail Mix made with freeze-dried fruit from Just Tomatoes
Sun Chips
Juice Boxes
Pizza-Flavored Gold Fish Crackers
Triscuits Thin Crisps
Candy Corn (Mommy Emergency Food)
Marshmallows (Toddler Emergency Food)

What do you like to eat when you travel?

I should be arriving at my destination later today, so be sure to check my blog this week as I hope to blog from the road!

On the road...

2008-10-13T06:00:00.003-04:00

Today my son and I are beginning a journey across four states to visit our family in western Kentucky. I learned a few trips ago that I travel much better by car when I have good audio books in the CD player. This time we are going to have a Nicholas Sparks marathon:

True Believer
At First Sight
The Guardian

What do you listen to when you travel?

Just Too Good...

2008-10-08T14:22:00.007-04:00

I'm blogging right now to get away from the box sitting in my kitchen. I ordered an assortment of freeze-dried fruits and veggies from Just Tomatoes, and it finally arrived today. I was expecting something good, but I had no idea how addictive it would be...

I heard about these in my favorite toddler cookbook, The Toddler Cafe, by Jennifer Carden. She uses them in homemade trail mix and I decided to give it a try. We're going on a fairly long road trip in a few days, so we need snacks and I would prefer that they be somewhat healthy.

I ordered the following: Just Cherries (WOW), Just Grapes (thankfully not as good as I'd hoped, but good enough to eat them all anyway), Just Veggies (corn, peas, peppers, tomatoes, and delicious), Just Strawberries (just like the kind you pick out of cereal), Just Raspberries, Just Blueberries, and Just Blackberries. The first four came in little easy-to-open bins, and they are what I'm having a hard time avoiding. My son is, too--my two-year-old keeps circling the table saying, "Box, box, please, please!" He really likes the cherries. So do I.

The last three on the list came in non-resealable plastic bags because I ordered smaller quantities of them, and that is the only thing keeping them from being devoured--my perfectionism will only allow me to open a non-reclosable bag at the perfect time so that they can be enjoyed perfectly. At least it's working for me in this case.

So, do I recommend Just Tomatoes? YES, particularly if you live near me and we can order together. The more you order, the cheaper the unit price, and if you order more than $100, shipping is free. Any takers??? Please???

OK, I've gotta go. My son just nabbed the strawberries and he's waving them in front of me...it's healthy, right?????

Pumpkin Muffins

2008-10-01T09:30:00.003-04:00

It's October 1st, and in our house that means it's also time for pumpkins! I tried this muffin recipe for breakfast today--I had some new silicone muffin pans that were just begging for something yummy! (The recipe is courtesy of King Arthur Flour--if you love their flour, visit their site. They have tons of great recipes!)

(Note: I opted to use only the whole wheat flour for these muffins, and they were great!)

Pumpkin Leaf Muffins

These muffins can be baked in our autumn leaf molds for a special seasonal touch, or as a regular muffin. You can customize their flavor with grated carrots, raisins, oatmeal, or 3/4 cup chocolate chips, chopped nuts or apples, or cinnamon chips.

On their own, they're wonderful with a dab of Maple Cinnamon Butter (recipe follows).

1 cup (8 ounces) pumpkin (about 1/2 of a 15 ounce can)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (4 ounces) packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons (2 5/8 ounces) vegetable oil
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
1/2 cup (4 ounces) milk
1 1/2 cups (6 3/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose or King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, oil, molasses, salt, spices, and milk. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and baking soda together. Add all at once to the wet ingredients and mix until all ingredients are well combined. Drop about 3 tablespoons (or a scant quarter cup) of the batter into the greased leaf molds, or the wells of a prepared muffin pan. Bake for 16-18 minutes, until firm to the touch for leaf molds; 18 to 20 minutes for regular muffins. Yield: 16 to 18 leaf shaped muffins, or 12 regular muffins.

Maple Cinnamon Butter

1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) brown sugar

Beat all the ingredients together until the mixture is smooth. Serve with Pumpkin Muffins.

**Here are the pics of my finished muffins. I actually like the leaf-shaped ones the best!**

In the Kitchen--Organization

2008-10-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

What I find to be the biggest hurdle to organizing my kitchen is not the cubic footage of the cabinets, but the surface area available in the cabinets.

I add shelving layers whenever possible to my cabinets (it is much easier to remove plates, bowls, and glasses this way):

I organized my bake ware and cookware in one cabinet using two chrome adjustable shelves:

My laundry area is actually a closet in my kitchen with the plastic-coated wire rack style of shelving. Before, I had to stack everything, and it always ended in an avalanche of foil and plastic containers. I took some pieces of the cubic closet organizer I have in another room and repurposed it to hold my boxes. (Instead of using the clips that came with organizer for the shelves in the middle I used cable ties to hold everything together.)

(By the way--I'm not a Ziploc hoarder nor am I an employee of the Ziploc company! I'm storing all of those bags for our Once A Month Cooking group!)

This is what works for me! How do you organize your kitchen?

Check out other ideas at Rocks in My Dryer!

Making the Holidays Last

2008-09-30T15:43:00.004-04:00

I love this time of year--from Labor Day until New Year's Eve, I am on Cloud 9. I love the holiday displays (and by holidays, I mean Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's) and the holiday foods--a little too much! I could easily celebrate everything all at once before October even begins, so I've come up with some rules for myself to keep me from going overboard.

1. September is apple and birthday month.

2. No candy corn or pumpkin-flavored anything until October 1st. I love pumpkin (especially in pancakes), but I stop eating it before summer begins so that I'm really craving it by the time the season gets here!

3. We decorate with pumpkins after October 1st. I don't decorate much for Halloween, so these are the precursors to our Thanksgiving decorations.

4. November 1st is the first day of Thanksgiving decorations. We add harvest-y things to the pumpkins that are already there. Candy corn is finished for the season on this day, also.

5. Christmas officially debuts in our home on the Friday after Thanksgiving. The decorations are set, and we prepare our Advent calendar. We give ourselves from that Friday until December 1st to finish our preparations so that we can enjoy the entire month of December.

6. I'm not a big fan of Black Friday shopping, but I do seek out a Starbucks after the crowds have dispersed a little to get my first Peppermint Mocha of the season.

7. December 1st is the first day we open our Advent Calendar, and we open a door every day until Christmas. Christmas candy is allowed as well as cookies, cakes, boiled custard and eggnog, and anything else our little hearts desire (applying the rule of moderation, of course!).

How do you make the seasons and holidays count?

Doing the hard work so you don't have to...

2008-09-29T14:56:00.005-04:00

I just peeled the paper from a gazillion crayons to make molded crayons for the goody bags at my son's birthday party, and I thought I would give you a few tips on how to do it more efficiently! (I was pretty slow getting started, but once I figured out a few things it was smooth peeling!)

1. If you enjoy mundane and agonizingly slow tasks, then by all means scrape that paper with your fingernail (this also gives your fingernails a nice multi-colored hue--saves money on nail polish, I guess). I took an Exacto knife and cut a line lengthwise in the paper. For many of the colors, the paper will then come right off. (Unfortunately the tip of my finger also nearly came right off--be careful!)

2. For some reason there are colors that really like to keep their paper. In my experience, the more yellow in the color, the more modest the crayon. The deeper purples and blues also had disrobing issues. This led me to tip number...

3. Stick them in the freezer. After other failed attempts at skinning the stubborn ones, I cut the slit in the paper, popped the bag of unpeeled crayons in the freezer, and waited. Once they were nice and chilly, I took them out, and guess what? The paper practically fell off of them!

Happy peeling!

Oh, goody!

2008-09-29T14:40:00.006-04:00

When it comes to birthday parties, my favorite part is making the treat bags for our guests. My little guy turned two today, and here's what I did for the goody bags for his party:

I like to go heavier on the non-candy items, so this year we used party bubbles, a punching balloon (I saw these at the store and had so many fun memories of birthday parties gone by--I just had to get them!), molded crayons, a Halloween package of Teddy Grahams or Ritz Bitz, and a Dum Dum sucker. (It is really nice to have his party so near Halloween--we're able to get some neat things in the perfect sized packages!)

Of everything I put in the bags, the molded crayons are my favorite. Through trial and error I learned some pretty nifty tricks for preparing the crayons a little more efficiently, and they looked so pretty sitting in their little stacks getting ready to be bagged...

If only I had known this sooner!

2008-09-24T16:58:00.002-04:00

As you know, I am a bit of a coupon junkie. I'm learning a little bit every day about how to make saving money work for me, and there are several things I wish I had known sooner!

1. You can use a Buy One Get One Free coupon on a Buy One Get One Free sale to get both items free. Don't spend time trying to rationalize this--you'll go crazy. Just go with it.

2. Some stores allow you to use a store coupon AND a manufacturer's coupon at the same time for the same item. Recently I purchased two bags of Bird's Eye Steam Fresh Vegetables. Each was priced $1.79. They were on sale for 50% off, therefore I got two for $1.79. I had a manufacturer's coupon for $1.00 off of two bags, thus my price went down to $.79 for two. I also had a store coupon for $.55 off of two bags, thus the price went down to $.24 for two bags. That's $.12 a bag!

3. Some stores allow you to use two coupons on a Buy One Get One Free sale. Olive Oil this week was BOGO for $11.99. I had two coupons for $1.00 off of each bottle, thus my final price for two 32 oz. bottles of olive oil was $9.99--that's only $4.99 for each bottle (that was originally $11.99)!

4. Stores will gladly answer your coupon questions! If you feel hesitant about a deal, call the store first and ask anonymously. I've even called corporate offices and said, "I have a coupon question." They are happy to have you as a customer, and they will tell you what you need to know so that you can avoid any hassles when you get to the store.

There is so much to learn about coupons and rebates that I couldn't possibly fit it all into one article, but this is a good foot in the door to saving tons of money on groceries. Do you have any money-saving tips? I would love to hear them! What works for you?

Doing Laundry MY Way

2008-09-16T23:00:00.002-04:00

Laundry...why does it have to be so much trouble? It always piles up while I wait to have a full load of a certain color, and by that time everything is dirty and we're digging through laundry baskets for something to wear!

So, I made up my mind to do one load a day. I was still sorting colors and separating the towels and the kitchen towels, and it worked for a while. The problem was, there were still all of these laundry baskets sitting around, and if I missed a day, yikes! Everything overflowed!

Well, I've started doing laundry my way, and I'm much happier because of it. We put our clothes directly into the washing machine like it is a laundry basket ("shouting out" stains as we go), and in the morning I start the wash. Once the load is all washed, dried, and folded, we start over again. I wash everything together. Even a towel gets thrown in from time to time, and guess what? Nothing happens. I've always been under the impression that the world would stop turning if towels were washed with dress shirts, but so far there have been no galactic abnormalities of which I am aware.

I have also simplified what I use in the wash. I use a detergent with color-safe bleach already added, and I only use white vinegar as a fabric softener. This way everything gets "bleached" and it doesn't matter if a shirt that requires fabric softener is washed with a pair of pants that forbids the use of fabric softener. So far, no problems there, either!

It works for me! Do you have any deep, dark laundry secrets?

Be sure to check out Rocks in My Dryer for more Works for Me Wednesday articles!

Caramel Apple Tartlettes

2008-09-15T06:00:00.002-04:00

Apple season is coming, and here is the "fruit" of my labor from a recent kitchen experiment!

Caramel Apple Tartlettes

1 prepared, unbaked pie crust, rolled flat (I used a pre-made crust that comes already rolled--keep it simple!)
2 medium, tart apples
cinnamon
1-2 T butter, melted
2-3 T caramel ice cream topping (or your favorite caramel sauce), warmed and fluid

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. Set them aside for the moment.

On a floured surface, roll the pie crust and press any tears to mend them. Use an apple-shaped cookie cutter to make around 12-14 pie crust apples (my son helped with this). Brush them with the melted butter, then sprinkle them with a dusting of cinnamon.

Arrange the thinly sliced apples on the apple shaped pie dough pieces. (I tried to arrange them so that they gave the apple shapes a 3-D appearance) Sprinkle them again with just a dusting of cinnamon. Take the caramel, and using a spoon, fork, or small sandwich bag, zig-zag the caramel over the apples.

Bake the tartlettes at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes. Check on them when you begin to smell the cinnamon emanating from your kitchen. When they are done, the crust will be baked and the caramel will have oozed over the apples. The apples should be tender. Remove them from the pan to cool, and be careful with small children--the caramel will be VERY hot for a few minutes.

We devoured these straight from the cookie sheet, but they would be wonderful served as a garnish for ice cream.

What is your favorite recipe that uses apples?

Isn't art supposed to be messy?

2008-09-11T06:00:00.005-04:00

I was perusing the art supplies at our local Supercenter the other day, and I noticed the growing number of "mess-free" items for sale. The markers that only work on special paper have been on the market for a while, but that day I saw "mess-free" fingerpaint. Wait a minute--isn't that going too far?

I mean, isn't art supposed to be messy? Look at the masterworks of the greatest artists of all time--can you imagine what Monet's Nymphéas would look like if his mother had given him "mess-free" art supplies to play with? I bet Van Gogh made a huge mess before he was done with Starry Night.

I'm not an expert, but many of you are--what do you think? Are clean hands really worth it?

Coupon Crazed

2008-09-10T06:00:00.006-04:00

Why I Clip Coupons:
I like to save money, and in some cases I can acquire merchandise FREE of charge (the legal way!). I believe that it is my job as the shopper of the house to help our budget by cutting costs whenever I can. Also, I actively look for deals that I can use to make contributions to our local food bank.

How I Clip Coupons:
Sunday is a big day in our household. After a great morning at church and Sunday school, we head to the grocery store and grab a copy of the newspaper. Later, usually after the rest of my family is asleep, I get to work.

I have two traditional coupon organizers, each with thirteen pockets. Before I add the new coupons to them, I go through each section to remove any expired coupons. This is also a great time for refreshing my memory as to any coupons I might have forgotten I had. Once that's done, I clip what I need and sort them immediately into my organizers.

I have changed my ways a little when it comes to what I clip. At first I clipped everything, but I didn't really understand how to make coupons work for me. At the end of the month I had stacks and stacks of coupons that were not used and then expired. I couldn't find anything I really needed because of the volume of the little pieces of paper in my organizer. It was also impossible to search for something at the grocery store without an embarrassing avalanche. I gave up because I wasn't saving much money and I was doing a lot of work in the meantime.

When I started staying at home with my son, I decided it was time to get serious. This time, I only clipped the coupons that I knew I would use. I threw away quite a few without clipping them, but the ones I kept were generally redeemed. In the meantime, I researched a little and learned how to stack coupons and pair them with store sales to save more.

Recently, after a coupon conversation with a fellow clipper, I realized that I could do more good if I would clip all of the coupons in the weekly inserts. There were many deals--most of the time for items I could have had FREE--that I wasn't getting. So, I'm back to clipping everything, but I've changed my methods just a bit when it comes to how I organize them.

How I Organize Those Valuable Pieces of Paper:
When I clipped only the coupons I knew we would use, I organized them by brand name so that I could easily find them. At the time, I was very brand specific in my purchases, so this worked well. When I started clipping everything, however, on the off chance that I would get a deal I wasn't expecting, this was no longer practical. I needed to organize by category so that I could quickly find coupons of a certain type instead of a certain brand.

I divided my coupons into categories that I created, mostly based on location in a typical grocery store. For example, one of my categories is "Cereal Aisle," and in that section you would find coupons for cereal and cereal bars. The "Bread Aisle" category holds savings for bread, peanut butter, and jams and jellies. My shopping list is also based on the layout of my most-shopped stores, so this method works for me.

My latest problem is that I have a ton of coupons and they are a bit cumbersome in the two 13-pocket organizers I use (one pocket per category). I have decided to add an index card file to my system to hold the coupons I'm really only keeping "just in case." For example, we don't have any pets, and I never clipped the pet product coupons, but I have realized that if it's a good coupon and I can get the pet products for FREE, that would be a great donation to our local food bank. I don't want to carry around a wallet full of pet food coupons that I won't use, though, so they stay at home in my card file until I find an ad that compliments them.

It Works For Me:
My organization is not a perfect system by any means, and it is certainly the product of trial and error, but it works for me. What works for you?

Organization is only the beginning! Check back soon for more coupon posts!

100 Things About Me--This is getting hard! 20 more...

2008-08-26T06:00:00.023-04:00

If you're interested, you can also see 1-20, 21-40, and 41-60.

61. I always have a Starbucks gift card in my purse.
62. I have never been to East Timor. (You're only gonna get that if your name is Carole and we spent eight hours together sitting at a table discussing the finer points of Arctic exploration and the methods of fencing in an apple orchard so that cows couldn't eat the produce...it was an excruciating day, and we were delirious when this little joke became the funniest thing we had ever heard.)
63. I took piano lessons as a child, but I didn't progress too much because I didn't want to practice.
64. I was on our high school welding team.
65. I had a huge crush on my swimming instructor when I was little (I was probably six or seven at the time) His name was Todd. I think. It's been a while.
66. My high school mascot was the Rebel. Yes, the Confederate Rebel. It was a tad bit controversial. Especially the large Confederate flag that was painted on the wall of our gymnasium.
67. I am named after a woman who would become the Superintendent of Schools for Webster County, Kentucky. (I told you, this is getting hard!)
68. I have been known to watch shows like Clean House and Clean Sweep so that I will not feel bad about my own housekeeping skills (or lack thereof). (Yes, that is sad and sadistic.)
69. I LOVE Graeter's Ice Cream.
70. I can write a word and its mirror image with my left hand and right hand at the same time. (Does that make sense? Here's a picture.)

71. My favorite summer Olympic sport is women's gymnastics.
72. My favorite winter Olympic sport is curling. I find it to be utterly fascinating.
73. Speaking of the Olympics, I have been to the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.
74. Some people don't wear white after Labor Day. Personally, I don't drink Pumpkin Spice Lattes until after October 1st.
75. I don't consume Peppermint Mochas until the day after Thanksgiving. It gives me something to look forward to.
76. Apparently I say "Whoa" and "OK" quite often. I know this because my toddler now says them constantly, and he didn't hear them from his father.
77. I really don't like craisins. I find them to have an unpleasant tartness. I do like cranberry sauce, though.
78. Fall is my favorite season, and it's what I miss the most (besides my family) living in Florida.
79. I have stood on the Appalachian Trail. (Not hiked it, mind you, just stood.)
80. I LOVE to vote! If you're a Floridian and you're reading this on August 26th, be sure you vote today!

Goin' Paperless...

2008-08-21T22:00:00.006-04:00

Whether it is because of a noble stand we're taking or because of the guilt I feel over a recent impulse purchase, we (and by "we", I mean "I") have decided to go paperless in our household! No more paper towels, no more paper napkins, and no more toilet paper...well, OK, the last one isn't true, but I thought it might be funny.

First of all, why should we go paperless? Well, for me it is a noble two-fold reason: 1)we waste way too much paper and 2)the paper we are throwing in the trash is pretty expensive. Why pay big money for inevitable trash? And, why kill a tree in the process? (What did a tree ever do to you, unless of course, a tree has fallen on you or your home, in which case, please accept my humble apologies--especially to my mother-in-law Donna.)

Now for my not-so-noble reason. I was sucked into one of those store gimmicks the other day where they announce over the intercom that an AMAZING product will be demonstrated in two minutes and only people in the store will be able to claim a free gift, etc. That day, the product was the Magicloth, a chamois-type towel that can part the Red Sea with it's absorbent power. I stood and watched, received my free gift (a small square of a Magicloth), answered a couple of questions (I tend to pay attention when people talk--it's the teacher in me) and received two more free squares of Magicloth. I watched the rag soak up water from a pie plate that was nearly overflowing (I can't tell you how often this has happened to me--don't you just hate it when your pie plates start flooding?) and then the presenter POURED a 2-Liter bottle of diet soda onto some carpet, and the Magicloth absorbed all of that, too. Now, I don't pour soda onto my carpet very often, but my toddler DOES pour chocolate milk on the floor occasionally. Could this be the answer to my problems? Finally, the presenter clenched the deal. "You can even replace your paper towels with these Magicloths!" That's all I needed to hear. I was almost out of paper towels, and the thought of going to Sam's to buy the industrial-size package and then STORE it was something I was not looking forward to. And, so, I became the proud owner of two packages of Magicloths (4 large towels, total). The price was about the same as the cost of the mega-pack of paper towels, so I thought, why not?

I took the lovely khaki brown towels home (they are approved for military field use, of course, so they must look like the desert) and cut two of them into four pieces each. I stashed the other two under the sink unopened in case I need a quick gift later. (Watch out, Teresa, your birthday is coming up!) I have used them now in place of paper towels for two whole days, and so far so good. They do wash well in the washing machine, and they dry pretty quickly (although, you must be careful to hang them dry--that was one of the questions I answered correctly at the demonstration). I DON'T use them to dry my hair as the instructions suggest is possible--that seems a little weird to me.

Am I 100% confident that we will be able to use these towels to totally replace our paper ones? Not really. Already we realized while planning for the recent tropical storm that washable towels are great until it's not possible to wash them anymore because the electricity isn't working. We bought one roll of paper towels and agreed that they were only to be used in an emergency. So, we shall see how this paperless venture goes--stay tuned!

Be sure to visit Biblical Womanhood's Frugal Friday for ideas on saving money!

Do you have a great granola recipe? I would love to see it!

100 Things about me--20 more...

2008-08-19T06:00:00.011-04:00

1-20 are here, and 21-40 are here.

41. I start my Christmas shopping in July.
42. The last song I downloaded was "These Are the Days" by 10,000 Maniacs.
43. I think foie gras is repulsive and I refuse to eat it ever again.
44. I like being in my 30's--I think it's the best decade I've had so far.
45. My first college major was Pre-Med.
46. My BA is in French with a minor in English. (I changed my mind.)
47. I frequently quote things I hear on the Food Network.
48. I'm not so fond of heights.
49. I have never been to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I've been to the bottom several times, but never the top.
50. I have been in 23 US states.
51. I never have ice--I just don't use it. When my Mom (who loves ice) comes to visit she has to freeze water in paper cups because I'm using my ice-maker to store frozen vegetables!
52. I obsessively check my e-mail. I don't always respond right away, but I usually read messages as soon as they arrive!
53. My first cat's name was Bubbles.
54. I had the same phone number for the first twenty-something years of my life even though we moved, and my parents still have that same number.
55. Our first house was a log cabin that my parents built themselves.
56. I collect Cinderella memorabilia.
57. I once spent double the price for a Cinderella ornament on E-Bay that I failed to buy in the store before it was out of stock.
58. I now buy the majority of the Hallmark ornaments I collect by October, and many of them in July when they debut. (yes, I'm one of those people)
59. I drink coffee every morning.
60. I find the flavored coffee creamers to be addictive, and I have to limit how much I keep in the house!

Let's have a contest!!!

2008-08-16T06:00:00.004-04:00

I would like to start making my own granola, but I don't have a recipe for it. So...do you have one? Send me your tried-and-true but simple recipes for granola, and I will post the best ones in a future blog entry! (Your reward will be all of the notoriety and fame that being posted on my blog entails! lol)

My only rule: No craisins. I really don't like them.

I can't wait to see your recipes! Thank you for sending them!

Pasta e Fagioli

2008-08-15T06:00:00.009-04:00

Do you need a simple meal that is made with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry? This is one of my favorite soups--Pasta e Fagioli. There are many recipes for this particular Italian soup, but I have taken what I like and simplified it so that I can make it in a hurry. Enjoy!

1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large carrot, diced (the smaller the cut, the quicker it will cook)
2 heaping tablespoons of sun dried tomato pesto (I use the one that Classico makes)
4 c. chicken stock
2 cans kidney beans (I use one can of red kidneys and one of cannellini beans)
1 cup short-cut pasta (I use Barilla Plus elbows)

In a large pot (whatever you use to make soup), cook the onion in the olive oil until it becomes translucent. Add the bacon and the carrot. Cook until the bacon is cooked and the carrots are becoming tender. Add the garlic and cook until it begins to soften. Add the pesto and stir to combine.

Add the chicken stock and beans. Bring the soup to a boil. Add the pasta, and lower the temperature. Cook for about 10 more minutes, until the pasta is tender. Taste, and season if necessary. (Makes at least 4 servings)

That's it! An incredibly filling meal that only takes a few dollars and a few minutes. Enjoy!

Would you like to see more frugal tips? Check out Frugal Friday on Biblical Womanhood!

Random Thought of the Day

2008-08-14T10:53:00.006-04:00

What about a new Olympic sport? It's called Toddler Dressing. The first mom to chase her toddler around the house, catch him, possibly wrestle him for a minute, and get him completely dressed to the shoes gets the gold. Bonus points for the mom who can squeeze in a diaper change.

100 Things About Me--The next 20...

2008-08-12T06:00:00.010-04:00

Here we go--another installment of 100 Things About Me. The first 20 are here.

21. I have been to a Josh Groban concert.
22. I have been to a Trans-Syberian Orchestra concert.
23. I LOVED the show Alias and was devastated when it was canceled.
24. I earned my yellow tips in Tae Kwon Do when I was in college (that's one step above nothing, but I did break a board with my fist to get them!)
25. I sang a solo in first grade at an all-school assembly. The microphone shrieked, and that was the last time I sang alone in public.
26. When I was in college I worked at Patti's 1880's Settlement. I was a server, and I had to wear a Little House on the Prairie-style dress.
27. I celebrated the 2000 New Year in Rouen, France.
28. I coached girls' soccer for two years.
29. I taught high school French for six years.
30. I currently teach a French class for toddlers.
31. I have seen Rock City.
32. I could eat almond paste and marzipan every day.
33. I was the treasurer of my junior class. Or was I the secretary? I forget. We didn't do much.
34. I have been a member of ten wedding parties (including my own).
35. My favorite place to vacation is eastern Tennessee and the Smokey Mountains.
36. I go to our local library at least once a week (most of the time).
37. I have a myspace page.
38. I write foreign language questions for an academic tournament.
39. I freecycle. (FreeCycle)
40. I am currently reading the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.

Just 60 more to go...

Simple, Big Fun for Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers

2008-08-11T06:00:00.005-04:00

Want to occupy your toddler for hours? (OK, 15 minutes tops, but that seems like hours when we're talking toddler time) Here's my secret--puff balls. Lots of them in different colors and sizes. The possibilities are endless with these little marvels. I started with a modest package of same-sized primary and binary colors (all but purple--I was a little disappointed). With the success of that set, I went on to buy a package of 750 assorted puff balls in all sizes, colors, and designs. What do we do with them? Well, at first, we just threw them. Everywhere. The LG thought it was fun, and I was relieved that he wasn't throwing hard things, so I let him have his fun. Here are some other ideas for puff ball games:

1. Count them.
2. Add and subtract with them.
3. Sort them by color or size, then count them again.
4. Compare sizes.
5. Glue them to paper to make 3-D pictures.
6. Glue them together to make puff-ball sculptures.
7. Have an indoor snowball fight (big fun for those of us in no-snow parts of the country!)
8. Have a puff-ball hunt. (Like an Easter Egg Hunt but without the candy!)
9. See how many puff balls it takes to fill containers of various shapes and sizes.
10. Take turns making pictures out of the puff balls. Try to guess what the other person is making.
11. Just throw them up in the air and watch them fall. This works best for my LG!

Want more toddler fun ideas or the inspiration to create your own? This book has 365 practical and creative ways to keep your toddler industriously "busy"--I use it nearly every day!

My "Not to do" List

2008-08-07T06:00:00.002-04:00

Making a "Not To Do" list was the first step I took to leading a simpler life. Before, I had a list of things in my head that I wished I could do, thought I could do, and felt guilty about not doing. Seeing those things on paper and knowing that I wouldn't be doing them was such a relief! It took a few minutes to get started, but once I did, my list grew to be pretty long. Here are some examples of my first "Not To Do"'s.

1. I don't work out in the morning.
2. I don't bake French pastries.
3. I don't make candles.
4. I don't write novels.
5. I don't read every book in a series unless I actually like the book.

You may be shaking your head at some of these, but if you had seen the pile of candle-making supplies that I decided I needed because they were 1/2 price at the craft store...well, I need to do something to keep myself in check!

A "Not to do" list can be ridiculous or serious as long as it is liberating. (It can be used as a path to de-cluttering, too. I looked at that huge slab of wax and stack of wicks and I said, "I do not make candles," as I put them in the yard sale box. I sold every bit of it and recuperated some of the money I had wasted, but the person who bought it probably should have had a "Not to do" list, too!)

Simplify...

2008-08-05T15:46:00.001-04:00

I am in a constant struggle to conquer my toxic perfectionism (I'm keeping the productive perfectionism--it's what has made me successful), and this blog is really about me trying to keep things simple so that I can enjoy life more fully. I'm certainly not an expert, but I have made a ton of mistakes, and if you can learn from my shenanigans then maybe my writing will have served a purpose.

I look forward to posting tips, anecdotes, reviews, and probably some rants. Also, I hope to give you some inspiration for simple things to do for enjoyment, especially with your kids.

Thank you for reading, and please be sure to check back often!

100 Things About Me--the first 20

2008-08-05T06:00:00.003-04:00

I am new to blogging, so I thought I would start with an introduction. Here are 20 things that you may be interested to know about me (more to come later):

1. I was born in rural Kentucky (and yes, I was born in a hospital).
2. My DH and I just celebrated our six-year anniversary.
3. We have an almost-two-year-old son, our Little Guy (LG).
4. I have a sister and an almost-three-year-old nephew.
5. I was once almost arrested for taking a picture of the US embassy in Paris. (OK, maybe not arrested, but they did threaten to take my camera away and I talked my way out of it.)
6. I am probably one of the only people in the world who has a picture of the US embassy in Paris.
7. I love to read cozy mysteries.
8. I actually email companies questions about their products.
9. I was a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority in college.
10. I was a cheerleader in high school.
11. I have visited five countries other than the US.
12. I collect Christmas Ornaments.
13. I once drove to Canada to buy a specific candy bar (we visited Niagara Falls while we were there).
14. I like giant insect movies.
15. As a child I helped my aunt and uncle strip tobacco in the winter. (They paid me a quarter!)
16. I plan many of our vacations and trips around places I hear about on the Food Network.
17. I am slightly obsessed with ice cream.
18. I took gymnastics as a kid, but I was never able to do anything spectacular because I was afraid to go backwards.
19. I'm a Fly Baby. (FlyLady)
20. I prefer Coca Cola to Pepsi.

To be continued...