Out of the Right Brain

It's just one of those days

2012-02-08T13:56:00.000-08:00

Happy Wednesday. Today is a chocolate covered cinnamon bear kind of day. Yep. . . you heard me, it's one of those days. A day, that if I didn't have kids, I would crawl back into bed, sleep until noon, take a long, hot bath (with Lush bath bomb, of course!), and then go treat myself to a yummy lunch at Panera Bread. Unfortunately reality is go through the day and try not to strangle your kids. Don't get me wrong, I love and adore my kids. . . but today is just one of those days where everything seems to go wrong. I mean, I have a cranky, cold stricken 3 year old and a teething, milk striking 1 year old that doesn't want to sleep at night. So, this tired (and also cranky?) mommy made herself this coffee and watched my kids play with this awesome ball.

Isn't it cool? It's a bopple ball. My friend Stephanie found this pattern a few months back and shared it with me. It was supposed to be Weston's Christmas presents, but it was done a little late and therefore, became his birthday present (thanks, Steph!). You can find the pattern here. It was a super easy pattern to follow and it was definitely written in normal language. It was great! I love patterns like that.

I used some of my Heather Ross stash (now retired and you can't find anywhere. . . sorry guys!) to make it. I made one little mistake and wasn't about to take it apart to fix it. So, if you do plan on making it and choose to use coordinating fabrics, make sure you alternate them or your ball will look like the picture below and not the picture above.

And, Weston loves it! It is so much fun!

Find my page on Facebook

2012-02-03T16:11:00.000-08:00

Out of the Right Brain has a facebook page. Find me and like me so you can hear updates other cool things.

Woodland Forest Party: printables

2012-02-03T14:54:00.000-08:00

I was super excited when I got my Give a Hoot Cricut cartridge for Christmas. But, as the party got closer, I was thinking, "do I really want to do that many things with it?" That's a lot of work!. I was so excited when I found a free woodland forest printable set that was in the exact color scheme I was looking for.

These bags were full of trail mix that I bought in the bulk section at WinCo.

I loved our printable bunting banner. It's still hanging up!

And then our Happy Birthday cones that just happen to match the bunting.

We also printed the animal headbands. This is my nephew sporting the fox ears. We also had bunny rabbit and teddy bear ears. Super fun!

So much fun! You can find these printables here.

Woodland Forest Table in orange, brown, and green

2012-02-02T12:37:00.000-08:00

Taking a break from a screaming, crying, child (he's teething. . . 4 top teeth at once. . . poor guy) to get my blog post in for today.

I saw an idea similar to this on Pinterest and tried to recreate it to the best of my abilities. So, here's the rundown . . .

:: Trees: For each tree, you need a pencil, brown crepe paper, and 4 5 1/2 inch scalloped circle (I used my cricut). I wrapped each pencil with crepe paper which gave it a very cool wood like appearance. Then at the top, of each tree trunk (the pencil), I wrapped double stick tape around it. Then, I folded each circle in half, making sure all the scallops lined up with each other on all four pieces of paper. Then, I slowly stick each folded side together with double stick tape until it looked like this with the pencil in the middle. I cut a Styrofoam ball in half and stuck one in each of my orange Anthropologie bowls. From there, I stuck each tree in and covered it with some moss.

:: Treehouses: I found wooden tree houses at JoAnn's for $1. I bought enough for the kids to each paint one. The kid versions were very colorful and were painted with Crayola washable paint (of course!). I painted three of them with acrylic paints to match the party. Then, I scattered moss, pine cones, and rocks in between everything.

:: Table Top: The table I did this on was a rectangular table and instead of using a plastic table cloth, I used green wrapping paper (from Target). I love this, because it creates a kind of table runner effect, while still protecting the table.

Where I found everything: bowls - anthropologie, pine cones - potterybarn, moss - pottery barn, rocks - back yard.

Now, I am going to go back to tending to my beautiful boys, one of which is currently tugging on my arm to help him put together an alphabet train puzzle (not that he needs help, he just wants me. . . .i love feeling wanted by my boys!). Weston is still asleep and I don't know how much that is going to mess up my day, but maybe the tylenol will help him sleep better.

Have a great Thursday!

Cinnamon Bun Caramel Corn with pecans. . . can I just say yummmy!

2012-02-01T13:49:00.000-08:00

One year ago today, I was in my very own hospital room enjoying my very precious baby boy (one month earlier than anticipated. . . no complaints here!). Today he is the happiest little boy, with a joyful screech that can break the sound barrier. I wouldn't trade him for anything. . . not even a full night's sleep (which would be nice, Weston. . . in case your daddy reads this to you).

I found these amazing cones that were printable in the exact color scheme I wanted on Pinterest link. The best thing ever was that they were completely free, as long as they were for my own personal use. Awesome. . . especially since I was throwing a party on a budget. You can find the printables here.

I had tasted some yummy popcorn at Costco the week before his birthday, but Jon and I wisely decided not to spend 12 dollars on popcorn when I could (most likely) make it for way cheaper. And as much as I would have loved to purchase that ever so yummy popcorn, it was definitely cheaper, just as tastey, and not all that time consuming. Completely worth it to make my own. You can find the recipe over at Our Best Bites. I'm not going to write down the recipe for you, because just jumping over there to read it is entertainment enough. She's hillarious!

I filled each cone with a handful of popcorn and set each cone in a basket filled with fiberfill. NOTE: If trying to do this at your party. . . please make sure you have something squishy to fill your container with so the cones sit upright. If not, you will have popcorn all over the place, a frustrated mom, and minutes until a party is going to start. I promise. . . just planning on having something like fiberfill or moss to fill it up ahead of time will save you so much! Take my word.

Happy Wednesday!

"W" cookies

2012-01-31T14:20:00.000-08:00

I had originally planned on doing number ones instead of W's. However, I was trying to keep costs down and only wanted to buy one cookie cutter, not a whole set of them. But, I think they came out super cute. I might add that they were delicious!!!! We were worried that there would be any left for Weston's birthday, because we kept eating them (guilty grin, here!).

I used a recipe that Brooke, from Inchmark used and swears by. I have always wanted to make them, but usually sugar cookies aren't my first choice to bake (if you are wondering, chocolate chip would be my first choice!). I used a frosting that I found on allrecipes.com that I love. It has Karo syrup in it and gets hard when it dries. It tastes amazing, but you don't get the smudges and messed up frosting that you would find from a butter cream.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
adapted from Blonde Designs

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
pinch of salt
3 tsp vanilla (the recipe originally called for 2 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp almond. . . I also don't measure my vanilla)
3 cups flour

Directions:
Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add sugar and mix.
Add egg, salt, and vanilla. Mix well.
Add flour and mix.
Place dough in a round ball on plastic wrap. Wrap it up and stick it in a zip lock bag. Refrigerate overnight.
Roll out onto a floured surface and cut out cookies with your favorite cookie cutters.
Stick cookies on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 until edges begin to brown. There was no time limit and it completely depends on your oven and if you are using metal pans, a silpat, or stoneware. I recommend setting your timer for 7 minutes and then checking. You want the cookies to be just barely brown. Cool them on a wire rack.

Sugar Cookie Icing
adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp milk
2 tsp light corn syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla
Wilton coloring gels

Directions:
Combine ingredients together until smooth and glossy. If it too thick, add more syrup.
Dip, paint them, or use a size 1 tip and spread it around.

I used a 1 tip and my Pampered Chef decorator bottle set, with the size one tip. They worked really well!

Weston turns 1: a woodland party

2012-01-30T21:02:00.000-08:00

Weston's first birthday is Wednesday. I can't believe that it's been a year since he decided to make his entrance into the world (a little early and unexpected, but completely welcomed!). I had a lot of fun putting the stuff together for this party. I know that he will remember nothing, but I love doing parties! It is so much fun!

This party was really easy because we chose to do desserts rather than a full meal. That made it so much easier for both Jon and I that we actually had a few minutes to breathe before our guests started arriving. (I highly recommend going the dessert route. . . it is so much more relaxing!).

Here is the dessert table at a glance. I will admit I wasn't sure how it was going to come out, but I was very happy. Every thing seemed to work out great! Here is the overview and this week, I will spotlight one item each day with the recipe, or tutorial in honor of Weston's birthday.

W is for Weston sugar cookies with orange frosting.

Funfetti cake balls with green candy coating and sprinkles.

Cinnamon Bun caramel popcorn in coned holders.

Chocolate cupcakes with orange butter cream frosting.

Trail Mix

The dining room table: Green wrapping paper for table runner, tree houses, and homemade trees. Then I scattered rocks, pine cones, and moss in between everything.

Banner. We put the presents right underneath it on the fireplace.

High Chair.

"I am 1"

High chair with balloons.

The shirt: This year, Weston's shirt spelled out the words ONE. It turned out so cute with the orange striped shirt (Crazy 8) that I found. The brown fabric is a heavier linen.

Happy Birthday, Weston!

Ramblings and a thankful heart. . .

2012-01-24T15:34:00.000-08:00

Tuesday. . .

What's going through my head. . . in no particular order. :)

I should be working on my incredibly long (I'm not exaggerating) list of things to do for the little one's birthday party on Saturday. I'm not. I'm sitting here on the couch checking Facebook and a Pinterest. Oh, and I watched last night's episode of Castle (thanks, Hulu!). I was slightly productive. I made some plans, did some dreaming, and put some page protectors on upcoming montly specials for Pampered Chef (have I mentioned I am really enjoying being able to earn a little bit of extra money by cooking for people. . . seriously, the greatest job ever!).

I have almost finished Weston's birthday gift. I can't wait to show it to you! I think he's going to love it. . . I hope so anyway.

Both boys are sound asleep right now and I seriously am enjoying the peace and quiet. We have been blessed with the most amazing rain and now fog. . . and I am not complaining. It means I can hang out at home and live in yoga pants and a sweatshirt. I'm thankful for that.

The lemon tree needs picked, I will probably do that Saturday after the party . . . it's a Woodland Forest Party. I am so excited, but Pinterest has gotten me in trouble. So many ideas, so little time! Thankful that my husband as a quiet week teaching classes at University of Pheonix this week so he can help me out. . . he is such a blessing!

Weston has excema really bad. . . I think it's a milk allergy. Apparently he got that from me. Sorry kiddo. I'm just thankful it's not something worse! Praying it goes away soon.

Ethan had his first dentist appointment today. We were so prepared. He was ready and excited. Until he went back to the room. He was so scared. Thankful, our doctor is so friendly with 3 year old boys and doesn't expect to get a full mouthful. I hope that things get better in 6 months. It's hard to get you child excited about the dentist when that's the last place on earth I'd rather be.

So, as soon as the kids get up, it's time to start checking things off my list. I found an amazing sugar cookie recipe for Weston's party. We're making the dough today. It's going to be so much fun!

I hope you all are having a great week!

I might be losing it, but first some deliciousness!

2012-01-23T21:54:00.000-08:00

For awhile tonight I thought I was losing my mind. Those that know me probably are saying, it's been gone for awhile. But this week is crunch time at my house. It's a MOPS week combined with a little someone's first birthday party coming up. Throw that in with a first dentist appt for Ethan and a random Dr. appt for Weston (he's got a funky skin thing going on since the Roseola and we aren't sure if he is developing a milk allergy or has some sort of virus going one). So, I am taking a quick break from birthday stuff to show you this: Yes, it's amazing. And yes, it's another Pinterest find (I can't help myself. . . there are great ideas out there!).

I made this yummy breakfast wreath for Christmas morning. It was so yummy. I used my heart shaped bundt pan (a wedding gift that I registered for thinking no one would pay 30 bucks for me to bake in this thing. . . I was wrong and I love it!), some Pilsbury Grands Biscuits, and everything turned out so scrumptious. I think I am going to make it again for breakfast on Saturday. . . afterall, it is birthday party day!

Go visit All things Delicious for the recipe. It is great. . . Easy. . . and delicious! Plus, if you use a fun shaped bunt pan, you can make it festive, too. I don't know, I just may have to do this for Valentine's Day.

Happy Monday!

Apple nachos

2012-01-21T19:25:00.000-08:00

I am sure many of you have seen the Apple Nacho craze on Pinterest and have pinned them with the hopes of making them for a secret afternoon snack and then forget about the recipe until you see it pop up on your pinfeed because one of your very close friends also pinned it. That's what happened to me. Then, last week at our small group Bible Study, my friend Steph made them for everyone. Let's just say that a huge platter of the yumminess was completely licked clean. Jon had stayed home that night with the kids because we have had a Roseola epidemic go through our house last week, so I decided to make them for dessert on Tuesday night. Let me just say that EVERYONE loved them! I made a small batch, but they were so yummy I will have to make them again! I keep telling myself that they must be healthy because all the apples I am consuming. . . fiber and nutrients, right?

So, I dare you . . . go make these for your family. . . err. . . i mean. . . you. They are so yummy and addicting!

Apple Nachos

adapted from Shugary Sweets via Pinterest

Ingredients:

4 Apples, sliced and cored

1/4 cup butter

1 cup to 1 1/2 cups marshmallows (I didn't measure)

Hershey's Caramel Sundae Sauce

Handful of mini chocolate chips

Hershey's Syrup

Directions:

Layer apples on plate. Melt butter and marshmallows together in a small saucepan. Spoon melted marshmallow goodness over apples. Drizzle with caramel sauce and Hershey's syrup. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the top. Serve or just eat.

artichoke tapanade

2012-01-17T13:48:00.000-08:00

I checked Facebook this morning and saw snow. . . lots of it. Not here though. We are just cold and dry. In fact, it hasn't rained in forever. . . it's supposed to rain in a few days . . . I can't wait.

My oldest is sick right now. Just a fever, most likely roseola. His brother is just getting over his case of it. It's a quiet day full of movies. I maybe strange, but I don't mind a feverish kid every now and then. It is kind of nice to slow down.

Preparations for Weston's first birthday party are underway. I am really excited about his party and how everything is turning out. There is even a sewing project in the works and I can't wait to share it with you!

So, for today, I am going to leave you with these:

yes. . . they are yummy. . . but wait until you hear what they are. . . artichoke tapanade over toasted baguette. Let me just say that they are amazing!

I made these awhile back, for my Pampered Chef Christmas Open House. Which means it is a Pampered Chef recipe that was made for one of their newer products, the manual food processor. At this time, I didn't have the product, so I just used my good old, reliable plug into the wall and push Go and it will process. It worked great (of course!). I do have that special tool now, and maybe later I will give it a review.

Ahh. . . a close up. Makes me want to go and make these right now. Good thing I am out of artichokes, because there is no way that eating ALL of these will help me win my war against extra Jolie. You can go and make them. . . I promise, you won't regret it!

Artichoke Tapenade
Adapted from Pampered Chef

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts in water
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 cup pitted green olives (I used black on accident and it still was amazingly good!)
1 tbsp capers
5 tbsp olive oil

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in food processor and process until thick and creamy. Cut baguette into thin slices and lay on cooke sheet. Place under broiler for a 1-3 minutes until lightly toasted. Put a dollop of tapenade over each slice and place on serving tray. This makes a wonderful appetizer!

Gift cards for Debbie

2012-01-16T15:23:00.000-08:00

Every Thanksgiving, Jon's family draws names for their annual Christmas Gift exchange. We have a 20 dollar limit and we get to suggest some things that we have on our wish list. This year, I got Jon's Aunt Debbie. She had asked for some thank you cards and I thought it would be fun to whip up some handmade ones really quick. Everything was from scraps laying around the office. I was able to come up with these sets. Each package is a set of 5 like note cards.

I <3 yellow and grey!

This one reminds me of spring.

Christmas wrap-up: part 2

2012-01-11T15:20:00.000-08:00

This year Jon decided to participate in his work's annual Cookie Exchange. There were only 6 people who signed up, he being the only male. We decided to finish off the spritz cookie dough I had made the previous weekend at my Pampered Chef Open House. They were just so easy to make a bunch and they taste so yummy!

For this cookie exchange, each set of 6 cookies had to be individually wrapped. I drove my husband a bit crazy because I took the time to put them in small, clear treat bags with festive scrapbook paper with zig zagged edges. Super easy, but so nice. (He was slightly embarrassed, but they got lots of compliments!)

Classic Spritz Cookies

From Pampered Chef

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

3 1/2 cups flour

assorted sprinkles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Beat butter on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar, egg, and vanilla. Beat well. Slowly add flour, 1 cup at a time, until all mixed. Dough will be soft. Don't refrigerate.

Fill cookie press with dough, pick desired disk, put lid on and press away. Then sprinkle with sprinkles and stick in the oven for about 10 minutes.

This recipe will bake approx. 6-7 dozen cookies . . . .perfect for cookie exchanging!

Oh my goodness!!!!

2012-01-09T11:14:00.001-08:00

I made these cookies last night and they were simply amazing! I kid you not! They are actually called "I want to marry you" cookies. And, seriously, with a title like that, how could I resist?

These cookies were good hot out of the oven and they are still amazing this morning. They are quite seriously the perfect cookie. They were easy to make (a few extra steps, but perfect to do while cleaning up an easy dinner and putting kids to bed), had the perfect dough to chocolate chip ratio, nicely colored and soft with a little bit of crunch (just the way my husband likes them, by the way!).

Okay, time to get the little guy up from his nap. I will be back later today with the recipe.

. . .I'm back (it's nap time again). Here's the recipe. . . now go out and bake some cookies for someone special. Send a little love someone's way. Seriously. . . it's worth it!

"Will you marry me?" Cookies
adapted from Cookingchannel.com

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla (I don't really measure. . . I just sort of pour it in)
1/4 tsp cinnamon (mine was heaping)
2 cups flour
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Combine the melted butter and sugars together. Let them chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Add egg, yolk, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Slowly add dry ingredients.

Let dough chill out in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Scoop onto cookie sheet lined with your silpat or parchment paper.

Bake at 325 for 12 minutes.

Enjoy!

p.s. did you get any proposals?

Getting my chocolate fix

2012-01-08T15:54:00.000-08:00

Some days I just need chocolate. I am sure you can relate. Really, I am sure that it is written in some {unknown} book somewhere that mom's need chocolate every now and then. . . and not just a handful of M&M's. . . a nice slice of moist, chocolate yumminess. Anybody agree?

And, I am sure most of you would probably agree that on such days, when above mentioned chocolate fix needs to be filled, creating more dishes in the sink just doesn't sound like a way to end the day. . . regardless of the delicious, need-meeting, moist, deliciousness that is quenching your palate's need for chocolate.

So, on a day (much like the one mentioned above), I found a wonderful recipe for a chocolate cake that would not create havoc in my kitchen or leaving me regretting my decision to bake something. (thank you, Pinterest!) This recipe, required 1 bowl. . . yes, one bowl (and if you were brave and were planning on eating it straight out of the cake pan, you could even mix everything up right in the pan, resulting in less dishes to clean!). I honestly think this took about 5 minutes to mix up and then bake.

Chocolate Pan Cake
adapted from The Whimsical Cupcake

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk

Directions:
:: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
:: Grease a 8 inch pan with cooking spray.
:: Put all the dry ingredients in to a bowl. Give it a stir and make 3 holes.
:: Start putting the wet ingredients into holes. Stir until mixed up.
:: Pour into prepared 8 inch pan.
:: Bake for 30-35 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes and then invert onto a serving plate. Dust with powdered sugar . . . cut . . . eat. . . savor.

Brownie balls: Christmas wrap-up, part 1

2012-01-05T15:04:00.001-08:00

I love Christmas time! The whole month of December is always filled with so many fun-filled activities. And, I think adding kids into the mix makes it somewhat busier, and then this year, I added Pampered Chef! So, it has been Crazy around here. Last week, I said I would be more consistent. . . who knows what happened. . . life apparently.

So, in honor of Christmas being over and January starting, I thought I would post my Christmas Brownie Balls. They are great! Bad for the diet, but amazingly Delicious! This year with my Christmas baking, I tried to incorporate everyone's favorite treat. Jon picked his usual, peanut butter balls and Ethan picked these brownie balls. They were so very easy! Did you make anything this year? If so, what was your favorite thing that you made or received?

Brownie Balls

Ingredients:

Brownie Mix

Chocolate fudge frosting

chocolate candy coating

sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

:: Make brownies according to package directions.

:: Let cool, and then crumble and place in bowl. Put a few spoonfulls of frosting and mix together with your hands. You don't want to use too much frosting, or else they won't stick nicely together and you will have a mess.

:: Put waxed paper or parchment paper on narrow (needs to fit in the freezer) baking sheet. Start rolling into balls. Place balls on baking sheet and freeze for about 24 hours.

:: Melt chocoalte candy coating and dip frozen balls, covering the whole thing. Put back on waxed paper or parchement paper and let sit until hardened. Sprinkle sprinkles over the top while still wet.

These freeze really well and can be made several weeks in advance and then frozen until ready to serve. These are always fun to keep on hand in case someone drops by and you need a fun dessert.

Welcome 2012

2012-01-02T14:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Happy New Year to all my blog reading friends! I hope you having a phenomenal year so far (I know. . . it's only the second day of the year!). Life here on the home front is settling down after a busy Christmas season. I love the month of December with all the activities, music, and fun. However, I am so excited for life to get back to normal (what is normal, by the way?)

So, I thought I would start the year off with a new look for our blog and something new.

I want to answer your questions (if you have any?) and make a Q and A page for my blog. Please leave a comment asking me a question and I will answer it.

In the meantime, I am going to upload my pictures from my camera and finish getting ready to get my carpets cleaned in a few minutes. . . we are getting off to a clean start.

2011-12-23T14:16:00.001-08:00

Things have been super busy around here. But, I thought I would take a moment and wish all of you a very Merry Christmas. I will back soon with some fun things to show you!

It's Christmas time!

2011-12-09T10:59:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I was on the biggest caffeine high ever! Thanks to a yummy gingerbread latte picked up on the way to zoo. As a result, while the kids were napping and I was working on stuff to that nights big craft night, I was spinning...or else moving so quickly to get everything done that I probably looked like someone pushed the fast forward button. As a result were these super cute Christmas cards!

Printed Paper: me and my big ideas mambo pack
Card stock: pixie pink and real red, stamping' up
Ribbon: pink from stampin' up and white from my stash
Christmas tree: printed from stamping up digital download home for the holidays

Caramel apple tartlets

2011-12-06T21:11:00.001-08:00

So, I am trying out the new blogger app for iPhone to write this post. I am also running out of battery power and brain power resulting in a short post.

I am having so much fun cooking for my friends at Pampered Chef parties. Saturday I hosted a Christmas baking party and demonstrated these amazing...and I mean Amazing tartlets! They were so easy too!

Caramel apple tartlets
Adapted from pampered chef

Ingredients:
1 pkg of pie crust (2 sheets)
2 granny smith apples, chopped
2 tbs flour
1 jar of caramel sauce
1/2 cup Peanuts, chopped
caramel bits

Lay out pie crust flat. Cut out circles about 3 inches in diameter. Place each circle in a mini muffin tin. Use tart tool to press each circle into the pan, creating a pie crust bowl. In a medium bowl combine apples, about a 1/2 cup caramel sauce and flour. I would just eyeball the caramel sauce until the apples are evenly coated.
Spoon apple mixture into each pie crust and top with chopped peanuts and 2 to 4 caramel bites. Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes or until pie crust is a nice golden color.

These were awesome!
A

Advent starts tomorrow

2011-11-30T10:22:00.001-08:00

I haven't posted anything new lately. . . trust me. . . I tried. I have had a huge case of writers block combined with motivation and business. But, I am back. . . I think. I have my second Pampered Chef Party tonight and I am super excited! (On a side note, if you are interested in having a party in December. .. they are shipping quickly so it's a great opportunity to get some Christmas presents for free or stock up your Christmas baking tools).

Sometimes, I feel like we get too busy. But this week, despite the busy calendar, we have been doing lots of cuddling and taking walks in the fall leaves. . . it's awesome! But, tomorrow I am super excited because we get to start something totally awesome at our house. ADVENT. I am really excited because I have been on the hunt for a good advent activity that focuses on Christ's birth rather than Santa Clause and getting gifts. I found this one the other day and am super impressed. In fact, I think it was completely worth spending 4.99 on.

This advent focuses on different parts of the Christmas story with full scripture references that help a preschooler understand what Christmas is all about. Plus, each day they get to make an ornament. I am considering going to the dollar store to see if I can find a cheap tree just for Ethan and the advent ornaments. I really liked this one, because Ethan is very hands on and LOVES (as in begs for) crafts.

So, I am not being paid to tell you this, but I wanted to share this resource with you, because it's awesome and I am impressed with it. I am really excited to start this up tomorrow! Yay for Christmas!

oh yes, did I mention that it's a PDF, so you can get it immediately and there are no shipping charges. . . even better! I will also note that I even bought a advent chocolate calendar, too! I loved them as a kid, and I know that my chocolate loving 3 year old is going to, too!

What kinds of things are you doing to share Christ's love with your children this Christmas season?

Banana Bread Scones & a New Venture

2011-11-02T14:29:00.001-07:00

Today is one of those days that I just want to be done. Or maybe the week. . . can we have a do over? Oh well. I am sorry it has been so long in blog updates, I just can't figure out where my days have gone (oh wait. . . last week was filled with pumpkin patch visits!).

I have also taken a leap of faith. For at least a year, I have been trying to find away to make a little bit of income just to help our little family. Jon is amazing and lets me stay at home with the kids and do my crafts and baking! He's just amazing! Saturday I was invited to a Pampered Chef Party (I love them!) and I was really intrigued about consulting. I love Pampered Chef products and I do think there is a demand out there. . . we all need to eat. Plus, I already have a lot of their products (they are great!!!!!). But, I need to have about 4 parties before the end of the month and am having a hard time finding people who actually have an interest in booking a party. The incentives for having one are great, because you can get a lot of free products! So, if you are in the market to update your kitchen gadgets. . . give me a call. They are also great for a fun girls night out. If you know anyone who is interested, send them my way. I could use some business to get started.

Okay, enough about that. I tried this yummy recipe. You all know how much I love banana bread and how much I love scones. (I keep ripe bananas in my freezer. . . which really hurt if they fall out and land on your toe. . . just sayin!) and one day when perusing the land of Pinterest, I found this recipe. . . and oh, man. . . they were amazing! The combination of 2 of my favorite things to make just makes my day! I think the glaze over the top of them made them 10 times better. So moist and delicious!

Banana Bread Scones with Brown Sugar Glaze
adapted from the kitchen,

Ingredients:

2 very ripe bananas (about 8 oz or 1 cup once mashed)
2-4 tablespoons milk, whole or 2%
1/2 cup Greek plain yogurt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the glaze:
1 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4-1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

Directions:

Mash the bananas and then add enough milk to make one total cup (if necessary). Stir in the yogurt and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Cut the butter into several pieces. Work it into the dry ingredients using a fork, pastry cutter, or your finger tips until there are no pieces of butter larger than a pea.

Pour the banana-yogurt mixture into the bowl with the flour and stir just enough to incorporate all of the flour. This will make a fairly wet dough, a little bit more wet then typical scone dough.

Line a dinner plate with a piece of wax paper and turn the dough out on top. Pat it into a disk about 1-inch thick and cover with another piece of wax paper. Freeze the scone dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Peel off the top layer of wax paper and invert the scones onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Peel off the second layer of wax paper. Slice the scones into eight wedges and pull them apart a little to give them some room to expand. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the scones are firm to the touch and turning golden-brown on the edges. Cool completely and cut apart any scones that baked together with a sharp knife.

To make the glaze, melt the butter and the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar and vanilla, and stir until the sugar has melted (heat for an additional 30 seconds in the microwave if necessary). Whisk in the confectioner's sugar, starting with 1/4 cup. Add more confectioner's sugar if desired to make a thicker glaze.

Just before serving, drizzle the glaze over the scones. The glaze will harden after setting for a minute or two, and can be served right away or packed for a later snack. The glaze can make the scones a bit sticky if kept for longer than a few hours, so store any scones to be eaten later un-glazed. Extra un-glazed scones can also be frozen and re-heated in a microwave or toaster oven.

Toddler Time: Letter of the week: Ii

2011-10-27T17:17:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, I started spending some time doing activities that centered around a letter. It eventually developed into a Letter of the Week time in our home. It usually takes place in the morning while Weston is down for his morning nap. Ethan loves this time. He calls it "craft time" and begs for alphabet activities. It brings me great joy that he has a love for learning.

We are making a letter book. This week our I looked like an ice cream cone. I didn't take a picture of it, but here for some ideas.

We are also using some of the letter of the week activities from Confessions of a Homeschooler.

We did this activity:

source: confessions of a homeschooler

We also made this inchworm.

and this igloo.

We also read the Bob Book for I. We are using these books to help with our reading skills:

{Cookies} Heath Bar

2011-10-25T17:08:00.000-07:00

I don't have a whole lot to say today. I' started this post last week. . . yes, last week! I guess I have been kind of a slacker. . . oh well. I am allowed. The baby is teething (2 on the bottom) so sleep is slightly overrated right now (although I am totally not complaining. . . he's almost 9 months and Ethan was close to 4 when he started). It's also the week before Halloween, so we are knee deep in pumpkin activities, including a trip to a local pumpkin patch and IHOP for some "scary" pancakes for Ethan (I am so hungry for French toast!). Plus, this weekend is Ethan's last Soccer game (Hooray!!. . . okay, so we have really enjoyed the entertainment of 3 year olds running around on a field breaking all the rules of soccer. But, we are done. Even more so, Ethan is done. He's all about the tunnels, snacks, and his new friend, Jacob.) So I am going to leave you with this amazing cookie recipe. Heath Bar Cookies. . . you won't be able to eat just one!

Here's the recipe:

Heath Bar Cookies
adapted from Bakedbree.com

Ingredients:
1 cup room temperature butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 bag Heath Bar pieces
3 Heath Bars, crunched

Directions:
Cream together sugars with butter for about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time. When they are all blended, make sure you scrape the bowl so everything gets mixed together. Add dry ingredients together. (I just realized after I was typing them all that I totally made these wrong. . . . but they still turned out great go here to see her recommendation.) Add Heath Bars and mix until combined. Spoon (or scoop) onto your lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Eat 1. . . or 2. Share some. . . they are delicious!

Have a great week! I hope that I get on here soon, if not. . . I am still here, just busy having fun!

Toddler Time: Color Matching Game

2011-10-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

My son is completely in love with games. He is also completely in love with learning. So, I started making file folder games for him. . . he loves them! A few months ago, we were at Home Depot getting some paint picking out paint colors for our Master bathroom (we still haven't picked a color) when Ethan noticed the Disney samples that were in the same shape as Mickey's Head. We grabbed a few, but not 2 of the same colors for him to play with, and he started trying to match the colors, but couldn't. So . . . back to Home Depot we went to get matching colors. I stuck 1 of each color on with clear contact paper and covered both sides of the matching card with contact paper and we had an instant game. . . and the best part. . . didn't cost us anything (we already had a pack of file folder games and the contact paper).

Here's the game. . . cool, huh?

Ethan matching the Mickey Mouse Heads.

I am having so much fun watching my 3 year old learn. He just soaks everything in. . . like a sponge. It makes the teacher in me very proud! Have you done anything creative with Paint Chips?

Button Love

2011-10-12T21:43:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned my new love (and maybe, addiction?) for Pinterest? (side note: you can follow me if you are interested in seeing what I am inspired by or just think is plain cool if you want). I am finding all sorts of inspiration there. . . it's great. Plus, I can just pin things to save the ideas for later so I don't have to try to remember where I saw a cool idea from. It's great, really. . . it's great!

So, for my friend's wedding (my son was the ring bearer!), I saw this card and decided to try it out. I grabbed my jar of purple, pink, and red buttons (you can buy small bags of coordinating colors of random buttons at JoAnns for a couple of dollars), a bottle of modgepodge, and a red marker. I layed it out to see if I could even come close to arranging the buttons in a heart shape. Then, I slowly glued each one on to my cardstock. I wrote love in my prettiest handwriting . . . I was so sure I was going to mess this up! And finished it off by rounding the two right side corners.

I think I like how it turned out. I've seen a lot of ideas with buttons. . . . some great gift ideas out there. I'm thinking I am going to have to try some out. . . after my year commitment to not overcommiting is over.

And since, I am on the topic of how cool Pinterest is. . . here is a link to an amazing breakfast recipe for one. . . it is awesome and quick. . . Apple Pie Oatmeal. Doesn't that just sound wonderful? It is . . . it really is! Plus I wasn't hungry an hour later, which is a BIG problem for me.

Have a wonderful day!

Autumn Salad

2011-10-10T14:25:00.000-07:00

Fall officially hit last week with a wonderful shower of rain. I love this weather because I can finally pull out the pumpkin and sweatshirt and just be cozy! Here is a amazingly tasty salad. . . just for fall. I've made it several times in the last 2 weeks and it is so yummy!

Autumn Chopped Salad
adapted from Espresso and Cream

1 to 2 heads of Romaine Lettuce, chopped
1 to 2 pears, chopped
Handful of dried cranberries
candied walnuts
sliced, chopped bacon (I recommend fresh, pouched kind gave it a funny flavor)
feta cheese to taste
Poppy Seed Salad Dressing
Baslamic Vinaigrette*

*70 percent poppy seed to 30 percent Basalmic Vinaigrette.

What are you doing to bring in the fall?

A new banana bread recipe

2011-10-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

These warm days and bananas just don't mix. Ethan has been asking for banana bread for a few weeks and we had the perfect amount of bananas just crying out to be used for some banana bread. Unfortunately, I was completely out of sour cream so I had to look elsewhere for inspiration. Have I mentioned how much I have enjoyed using Pinterest? I am finding so many fun ideas and recipes that it will probably take me years do them all. But, it was a great place to look for a new recipe for banana bread. All I did was type banana bread and hundreds. . . if not thousands of pictures came up with links to different recipes. One of the first recipes I tried, was this recipe with a yummy streusel top. Who doesn't like a crumby top? mmmmm. . . it was good! I highly recommend it. It was quite tasty. I still like this recipe best, but this one was fun and tasty and completely worth baking. . . more than once!

You can find the amazing recipe here.

Toddler Time: Apple Week, part 1

2011-10-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

The past 2 weeks have been spent filling our home with apple-y goodness. The last weeks of September are perfect because they think Johnny Appleseed's birthday lies somewhere around Sept. 26th. We have been having all sorts of fun, that it took 2 weeks to do everything I had planned, and even then we still didn't finish everything.

Check out these apples, made with paper plates. The one on the Left is finger painted and the one on the right is paper scraps glued on. Both projects, Ethan had a blast doing.

Apple Prints: We cut an apple in half and dipped it into paint. He had fun "stamping" the apple all over the page.

We went here and found all sorts of free apple activities to do. There was a really fun sorting game that I made into a file folder game.

We read these books:

The story of Johnny Appleseed by Aliki

Little Apple: a book of thanks by Brigitte Weninger and Anne Moller

Apple Picking Time, by Michele Benoit Slawson

Apple Trouble by Ragnhild Scamell and Michael Terry

Apples Apples Apples by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace

Big Red Apple by Tony Johnston

Max and Mo Let's Go Apple Picking by Patricia Lakin

Ten Apples Up on Top by Dr. Seuss

A Apple Pie bny Gennady Spirin

Apples to Oregon by Deborah Hopkinson and Nancy Carpenter

Ethan and Abi turn 3

2011-10-03T21:49:00.000-07:00

My son, Ethan, and his very best friend turned 3 last month. I absolutely love planning his birthdays and this year was so much fun because I joined forces with Abi's mom (one of my best friends!) to throw a joint party. Both kids love monkeys. . . especially Curious George, but we really don't like commercialized themes. . . it's just so blah. We went with a turquoise and yellow color scheme that really accented our brown monkeys nicely. And our friend Chris, let us borrow a her monkey cartridge for the Cricut. Here are some of the highlights:

Parade of Balloons. . . so much fun and so easy. We threw the party in Stephanie's backyard and used this cable wire that stretches the length of their backyard (typically it's an annoyance to them, but it was perfect for hanging these balloons. How to: blow up balloons with air (not helium). Take needle and thread and string together. We strung about 10 at a time. . . easier to transfer up there in smaller batches. Tip: Our party was in the evening. . . we hung them up around 2:30 and had to redo it all right before the party because it got a bit warm, the sun was at it's height and they popped. . . most of them. . . kind of a bummer, but really, it didn't take too much time to redo it.

This was them, before the tables got set up. . . . most of these one's actually popped. It looked just the same when we redid it.

We had blow up monkeys scattered around the backyard. . . hanging from the trees. It was really fun. This one welcomed everyone to the party.

I made cute signs that we hung from the tree marking their gift tables.

Here's Ethan's.

The favors: We did banana candies and small monkeys in a jar games.

Ethan had to have a 3 shirt, of course. I had some sock monkey fabric laying around. He was quite festive.

We had a chalk station. So much fun!

The banner. . . I used cardstock from the DCWV Citrus Stack. I loved the way it came out!

More of the banner.

Some more of the banner.

Photo Booth. . . palm trees and monkeys. Fun times!

The birthday cake (made by Stephanie)

Cake balls

The cake table.

The party was so much fun! I really think everyone had a great time. We had a craft table that the kids got to make picture frames with monkeys on them, too. I am already starting to gather ideas for Weston's first birthday. . . 4 months away. . . I can't believe it!

But first I am going to go to bed. . . I am tired. . . Have a great night!

card and gift bag {For baby girl}

2011-09-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

Today is one of those days where I could sit here, fingers on the key board, and pictures posted, with not a whole lot to say. I am working on cleaning my kitchen. . . the counters are slowly making an appearance (that's what a week of laziness and a weekend of baking will do to it!) and cleaning the rest of my house so that I can have some fun and do some things just for me. I am really excited about that!

Here is a card I made for Lisa's shower last month. I loved the colors and I even got to use my cricut! Super excited about that too! I am not sure what the paper is, but both prints are a glossy cardstock that were on clearance at Michael's one day (sometimes i collect scrapbook paper. . . who doesn't, right?) I love the way the colors went together. The stamps used were by Stampin' Up! and on the little baby pajamas I colored it in with my blender pen and chalk (SU! also). I added a library clip (SU) for something extra.

I also added something to the bag. Target started selling brown craft-style bags with pretty grossgrain ribbon handles. Super cute. I like to add a little something to them, so I added some pink and purple baby carriages from my Nice and Narrow set (SU!) and backed it behind purple and pink paper.

A close up. . .

So. . have a wonderful day. I am going to go and look for my kitchen.

Toddler Time: Check this out!

2011-09-26T21:14:00.000-07:00

So, last week I talked to my fellow MOPS moms about the importance of literacy through reading, writing, and art (I think I may have mentioned that in my lat post). One of the really awesome blogs that I often visit for inspiration is this blog:

So, to encourage my fellow moms in their quest for reading books and doing art with their children, I want you to go check out the very awesome giveaway they are hosting. Seriously. . . It's awesome. There are 3 very cool October themed books and a fun crafty kit. I highly reccommend going and visiting them here . . make some fun comments. . . become a follower even. Have fun!

First day of Fall {bucket list}

2011-09-23T22:02:00.000-07:00

Did you know that today is the first day of Fall? I wanted to try to balance an egg. . . it didn't work. I may have waited too long. . . the people of Noodles and Co. tried it and said it worked. Maybe it only works in Colorado. Maybe it only works at 2am when people should be sleeping. I don't know. Did you try it? Just curious.

(picture from here. . . it's actually a free printable. . check it out!)

Anyways, today is the first day of Fall. We celebrated with spaghetti at the Spaghetti Factory. I actually don't think that had any thing to do with it, but it sounded good. After dinner the car told us that it was 100 degrees out side. . . at 6:30. No. It is not fall. The majority of the leaves are still green. I can't wear a sweatshirt to my son's soccer game in the morning. And I certainly am not going to be spending $5 on a delicious pumpkin spice latte to only cause me to sweat at 10am. Yep. I may just be sick of summer. Oh well. We can still play outside, swim, and enjoy the weather until it ends. . . soon. . . I'm hoping.

But not only that, today is the FIRST day that I am only committed to 2 things. Number 1: My family. Number 2: MOPS as in coordinator. Not bad. I am ready for today. My husband actually put my on a sewing/craft hiatus for 1 year. Yes, it still means I can get my craft on, but only for me (or my family). I had been so busy working on gifts for other people that my own children don't have quilts made by their mother. I have projects started for them that I intend to finish (and show you of course!). I am super excited. I am learning to say no. And I am learning to delegate. So excited!

I finished up the last commitment last night. . . it was awesome. . . and slightly nerve racking. I had an amazing opportunity to speak at our MOPS group about literacy (something I have a huge passion for) at home with preschoolers. And by preschoolers I mean, any kid not in school . . . birth to 6 (or so). Most of the stuff I spoke about applies to school-age kids, too. I hope I didn't intimidate my fellow mom friends by all the stuff I do with Ethan. I love what I do and he loves it so much he asks for it (I'm not complaining!). I am going to try very hard to post more things for my toddler time section, because I think that doing creative activities centered around literacy is so very important for the growth and development of language, reading, and writing. If you want to see my power point presentation send me a message and I will email it to you. It's not very long at all.

taken from here.

Here's my fall bucket list:
:: Go to pumpkin patch
:: Make as many things pumpkin as possible.
:: Savor my Bible Study, Saying Yes to God, by Lysa Terkeherst.
:: Continue my quest of thankfulness
:: Take in some zoo tot time with the boys
:: Continue my quest for home organization.
:: Make my own laundry soap (yep. . . I'm gonna try it out!)

Not too long. See you next week. Relax and enjoy your first fall weekend!

Countdown to 3!

2011-09-13T21:46:00.000-07:00

My first born turned 3 last week. In all honesty, I can't believe how quickly the last 3 years have gone and how much has happened in such a short time span. Ethan is an amazing gift and a joy to be around. He loves anything that mommy and daddy love. . . that makes me so happy! He is so much fun to bake with and craft with. In fact, this year, he asked for a pair of running shoes so he could go on runs like his mommy and daddy. This year, we started a new tradition based on the Christmas countdown paper chains I made in elementary school (I am sure you all know what I am talking about!).

We counted down from 15 days, which was a lot of fun! He couldn't wait to tear it off and count how many were left every day. If we forgot, he would remind us. We will definitely be doing this every year. We will most likely countdown to Weston's first birthday next Feb, so Ethan can help count for his brother (he's a good helper like that!).

This was so easy to make. There was hardly any prep work at all, especially since you can cut several pieces of that really thin construction paper (ours comes from Target) at a time.

Materials needed: construction paper, paper cutter, glue, sign. I made the sign on the computer with a fun font and a graphic that I googled and made black (we were out of color ink at the time).

Quilted zoology {for baby}

2011-09-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

My best friend just had a baby. . . well 3 months ago (you met Mr. Tanner here). I finally got his quilt made. I absolutely fell in love with the fabric. Most of it comes from Michael Miller's zoology line, but the aqua with grey boxes comes from Sherbet Pips line. I backed it with white chenile and tied with some grey yarn. Pretty simple. I loosely followed Lotta Jansdotter's pattern for her play quilt (found in the book Simple sewing for baby). It is one of my favorite patterns because it's so easy and quick to make.

I also made here a lion tag pillow (shown below). It was a lot of fun. I found the tutorial here and made a few adjustments. I had stitched the eyes, nose, and mouth with felt and embroidery floss. LOVE the way it came out. I will have to post a close up soon. You will have to go check out that tutorial, because it is hilarious to read her take on the taggie patent that drives all sewers crazy.

Things are starting to slow down here. I promise. After this week is over, I can sit down, put my feet up and read my Food Network magazine while Ethan plays in the pool (because where I live, we will be swimming for at least another month!).

prelude to my September

2011-08-30T21:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, so things are pretty busy around here. . . A LOT is going on over the next 3 months. I apologize ahead of time if it appears that I am abandoning my blog. . . trust me I am not.

Here's a few things that are going on:

:: MOPS starts next week and am with out a publicity member of the leadership team, so I am doing both jobs.

:: Ethan's 3rd birthday is in 1 week (is party is in 3).

:: Ethan is the ring bearer in a wedding in a week and a half.

:: Our annual Labor Day trip is just a few days away. . . preparations are happening. . . I think.

My favorite thing that has happened is that I have finished all gifts (handmade, that is) and have been put on restriction by my husband. I am absolutely not (no matter the circumstance) allowed to sew for anybody except my family and myself. Sounds selfish, doesn't it? Well, tough. I haven't gotten much time over the last year to sew for my family and it is my goal to have 2 completed quilts for my children (and maybe one for myself), by Christmas. As well as some other fun projects I have lined up. Expect to see some cool things posted soon!

Today, my very best friend cashed in her birthday present. . . a kid free lunch with me. We had so much fun! We went to a local tea house for lunch and fabric shopping (we had a Livingsocial coupon that was just begging to be used), and dessert at another local bakery. 'Twas the most wonderful afternoon ever. . . we really aren't sure if we have done that since we have had kids. It was great. I am so glad I got to treat her to lunch!

So, I leave you with this quote. . . enjoy.

And a question (homework, if you wish) (or maybe a plea to comment):

What is your favorite PUMPKIN treat?????

Toddler Time: Oobleck

2011-08-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like we are going through life hanging on to the seat of our pants! We are so busy around here, but we are having a blast! Last weekend, we took the time to do a family literacy/science activity. I was planning on doing it, but when I was telling my husband about oobleck, he had never done it . . . so we had to. . . it is just that cool.

To start out, we read Bartholomew and the Oobleck, by Dr. Seuss. The story is about a king who gets tired of the same weather patterns every year (rain, snow, sun, clouds, dark) and calls his magicians together to come up with something new. They go away and makes some sort of potion and the next morning, it starts to rain small drops of green goo (oobleck). As the morning progresses, this goo grows into HUGE drops and starts to ruin everything. Bartholomew, a little boy who works for the king, sets out to save the day. . . and I am not going to finish it for you, because you will just have to read it yourself to find out what happens.

I will note, that it is a very wordy book. . . and kind of long. Too long for an almost 3 year old boy to sit through, so I read it in exciting paraphrase form. He loved it!

Don't they look like they are having fun?

After the story, we headed to the kitchen where we got out the cornstarch, food coloring, water, and cups. Here's the recipe. Oobleck makes this great substance that is a liquid when you lightly tough it and a solid when force is put to it. It is really fun to play with!

Ethan thought it was cool, but he was kind of scared of it.

Ethan now talks about oobleck quite often and likes to show me the book.

Salted brownies

2011-08-22T13:59:00.000-07:00

I wonder if our friends in our Life Group know that they are my guinea pigs. I have loved having them over for Bible Study this summer, not only because we get to dig into God's Word and fellowship, but because I get to try new recipes out on them. It's a tough job. . . I know. 2 weeks ago, I tried these out on them. Everyone thought they were great. . . except one . . . he wouldn't eve try them. Apparently the idea that salt is sprinkled over the top of chocolate can throw you for a loop. I know that I thought it was so strange at first. . . and then I tried these, which were amazing! Somehow, the combination of sea salt and chocolate makes for a yummy, sweet treat for your taste buds (which deserve it, I think!).

These were nice and fudgy and I will definitely make them again. You can find the recipe HERE.

How do you feel about salt + chocolate? Do you have any good recipes?
I survived my first week on Pinterest. . . you should come follow me. . . I am having so much fun!
Have a great day!

A chocolate treat

2011-08-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

This last weekend, we dedicated our son, Weston, to the Lord. We believe that our son is a gift from God, and it is our job to "train our child in the way he should go." So, before our church family and friends, we committed to do just that. We also got the amazing privilege to do this along side our really good friends. So, after chuch was over, we headed back to our house for some yummy BBQ'ed hotdogs and other things. This was a very low key event, but I just wanted to share the dessert I made. . . this is all that I have of it. It was gone before the day was over! (I heard it was quite tasty. . . let me know if you try it. . . yes. . . I am hinting for you to comment. . . yes, you).

Chocolate Trifle
From: KraftFoods

Ingredients:
Chocolate cake mix
4 cups cold milk
2 (4 oz.) boxes of chocolate pudding
1 tub whipped topping
4 Heath Bars, chopped

Directions:
1. Bake cake according to package directions in a 13x9inch pan. (I had my husband make this the night before).
2. Make pudding, and crush Heath Bars.
3. After cake has cooled, cut into 1 inch cubes. Place half of the cubes in the bottom of your trifle bowl. Layer with pudding, whipped cream, and Heath bars. Repeat.
4. Dig in, it is really yummy!

Happy Baking!

I'm linking up to:

2011-08-18T13:54:00.001-07:00

I have been kidnapped by Pinterest. . . Come follow me. . . I am working on my boards in my spare time today (okay. . . instead of working on other things. . . really, who has spare time?)

Have a great day! See you on Pinterest!

fabric it is. . .

2011-08-16T14:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks LeAnna and Stephanie for commenting! I love getting comments. . . they make me smile!

Fabric was the unanimous vote, but you get an additional bonus of one of the cutest babies around! I say one of the cutest, because my baby will always be the cutest in my eyes! However, this little baby boy is Tanner and is the handsome two month old of my dear friend Stephanie. I have been a super slacker when it has come to his gift, because he still hasn't received everything yet (His quilt is still in strips. . . almost finished, though!). I did however get this snuggler finished for the end of their week at the beach last month. Doesn't he look great in it?!!? He reminds me of a pea in a pod.

::The fabric is Dwell Studio for JoAnns, medium weight and white flannel inside.
::The pattern is from Lotta Jansdotter's book Simple Sewing for Baby (you can find it on Amazon and if you are interested in starting to sew. . . I highly recommend her patterns!)
:: The model is Tanner, 2 months old.

A call to comment

2011-08-15T14:22:00.000-07:00

source: pushing-papers.com

I love this print! Trying to decide what to work on next. Just finished up Weston's dedication service and luncheon (A complete blast, btw!). Trying do decide my next post. What do you want me to post next? A recipe? Fabric based? Paper based? Please comment and I will post tomorrow. . . whatever has the most comments. It's up to you. Have fun!

This is fitting {quote}

2011-08-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

I found this quote today in my new Woman's Day magazine. This quote made me smile. . . BIG. I needed that. It has been one of those days (cranky child, errands, tempertantrums = NO FUN!) It completely fits the week I am having as I get ready for MOPS registration and Weston's dedication. I should be spending lots of time cleaning, but what's the point. . . Sunday is 4 days away. . . that's 4 days of toys and activities. . . the house is going to be messy. . . there is just now way around it. Enjoy it. Enjoy your day!

Ethan makes breakfast

2011-08-08T12:57:00.000-07:00

My almost 3 year old made breakfast yesterday. . . and it was delicious! I think he might have to make these again. . . soon! They made happy tummies in the Klassen house yesterday. If you like cinnamon rolls . . . then you will definitely want to try this quick recipe.

Let me start by saying that Sunday mornings are always find me NOT wanting to pull my carcas out of bed, not eating breakfast, and running out the door to get to church somewhat on time and sending a text to my friend to order me a coffee at our church's Cafe video venue. Seriously. I don't know about your family, but it takes a good 10 minutes (my husband jokes that it takes an hour) to get the kids into the car and out the door. By the way. . . this is not an exaggeration. . . it happens every Sunday!

Except yesterday. I woke up a whole half and hour earlier, compliments of needing to shower before I fed Weston and his new feeding schedule. It was kind of nice. So, while Jon was giving Weston a bath, Ethan and I pulled out a tube of refrigerated cressent rolls (mine were the store brand. . . not to shabby!), Land of Lakes new cinnamon sugar butter spread, and my caramel sugar sprinkles from pampered chef. And because we were doing this fast, I handed Ethan my frosting spreader and grabbed the baking stone. Ethan literally did EVERY step on his own! I was very proud of him!

Step 1: Pull out ingredients. Notice, we had already opened our can of cressent rolls and so it's just laying there. . . empty. Preheat oven to whatever it says on to bake your cressent rolls at.

Step 2: We did ours at the kitchen table right on the baking stone (less dishes = happy mommy!). We unrolled our crescent rolls and spread the cinnamon sugar butter covering the whole triangle. Then we rolled it up (you can probably tell which one's Ethan did!)
Then we sprinkled them with sprinkles, thrown them in the oven and bake for specified time. Let cool for a few minutes and dig in! I totally forgot to put a wash on them, and next time we will pain them with milk or an egg wash and then sprinkle them with their topping. . . maybe we will even do a drizzle over the top. . . the possibilities are endless.

Have fun cooking with your kids! It's so much fun!

rocky road goodness!

2011-08-05T16:35:00.000-07:00

Remember back when I had a Pampered Chef Party? Well, the Spring/Summer catalog had a picture of these yummy rocky road cookies in it that just looked scrumptious. I didn't buy the cookbook that it came in, but I did find the recipe on the Pampered Chef website. I love rocky road ice cream. . . the combination of chocolate, marshmallows and pecans is simply irresistible!

Don't these just look tasty? You can find the recipe here.

So, confession. . . I started this post LAST week! Yeah, I am a slacker at blogging lately. I will get back with it, I promise. I hope that you all are having a great weekend! I will be back Monday with a post. . . it may not be exciting, but it will be a post. :)

Yellow & Grey {mops}

2011-07-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

The annual MOPS planning retreat has once again come to my house and I had so much fun planning and preparing for this event. One of my favorite jobs as coordinator is finding ways to bless my steering team. . . and do it for fairly cheap! This year, the retreat took place on 3 consecutive Monday's and so the decore has been up for a few weeks. . . it is super fun to look at each time I set up! This Monday, is the final meeting (and most fun. . . if you ask me!). I found my inspiration from here and here.

I was going to do more, but decided to go with the simpler version since it was not a 2 day retreat, but spanning over 3 Mondays. I used this paper pad to make everything for the retreat (when they are on sale at JoAnn's, it is an awesome deal. . . cheaper than buying individual pieces of scrapbook paper at a scrapbook store).

The bunting is made of scrapbook paper. I used MS word shapes and made a diamond as my template and traced it on the back of my 12x12 sheet of paper. I was able to get 4 flags out of each one. My string was crochet yarn and I used double stick tape to adhere it to the yarn.

I found an amazing selection of yellow candy between Target and Powell's Candy Store. I used lemon meringue salt water taffy, Dove chocolate with caramels, Butterfingers, yellow M&M's, yellow and white candy sticks, Vanilla Oreo cookies, lemon drops, and cream puffs.

The first night, I made meringue cookies (recipe to be posted later) and pretzels dipped in white chocolate with a yellow drizzle. The second and third nights, we had white cake balls with yellow sprinkles (to be posted later).

We also had a lemonade bar, with blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. It turned out delicious!

It was so much fun doing this yellow themed retreat! I look forward to sharing with you other things from the retreat! I am really excited about our Theme verse for the year. . . 1 Timothy 1:7, from the message. Go check it out. . . I will be talking about it a lot soon!

cake Pops!

2011-07-29T16:21:00.000-07:00

I did it! I made my first batch of cake pops. I must confess that we are hooked! The toddler is hooked. . . the husband is hooked. . . I guess I am too! They were so easy!

I have already made another batch and will probably make many, many more!

Peanut Butter Pie

2011-07-20T18:55:00.000-07:00

In many ways I feel like I am in a funk. Well, maybe I am. . . this week, anyways. It's been a crazy week, but I think we are recovering nicely. I am currently in the process of getting the 2011-2012 MOPS year started. I think I am going to have a great steering team (all of them are new to leadership this year). I also have quite a few things on my to-do list, but they are little things . . . so are quickly marked off (hooray for that!). I have been so tired lately, but that's because we have had several late night's in a row combined with an infant who has started to roll over in his sleep and then wakes up crying and my husband's cough (thank goodness for antibiotics!).

So, due to the lack of motivation, the exhaustion, and the strong desire to just be lazy, I am going to share with you a recipe I found awhile back. I made this pie for my friend, Stephanie, and her family after the birth of their little boy, Tanner (Weston now has a friend!). It was so yummy! I know her mom had mentioned she wanted the recipe and seriously, I forgot. . . until now. So, here's to peanut butter and summer! (this is great, because no oven in required!)

This pie is so creamy and yummy! I cheated and didn't make my own crust. Keebler started coming out with deep dish already prepared graham crusts and that just saved me some time and came with it's own pie dish. . . perfect when making a meal for someone else!

Peanut Butter Pie

adapted from Baked Bree

Ingredients:

1 deep dish Keebler graham cracker crust

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup peanut butter

4 oz. cream cheese

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips (I used mini)

Directions:

Whip whipping cream with electric mixer. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine peanut butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Use your electric mixer and cream together. Add vanilla. Fold the whipped mixture into the peanut butter mixture. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and pour into pie crust. Refrigerate for about 4 hours and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

ramblings

2011-07-15T22:24:00.000-07:00

I don't know what happened. Suddenly things got VERY busy and then things slowed down. I don't have a picture of anything to show you right now, my husband his diligently working his second job right now and I am sewing (well, I am done for the night and now blogging). All week, I have looked at the computer just longing to sit down and write some words down. . . now is the chance. So here is what is going on in my semi-crazy head right now:

: staying up til midnight last night cleaning the office was nice. . . paying the consequences today. . . so tired and it's only 10:30!

: But, the office is clean. . . oh so clean! Let's see how long it stays that way! (I did manage to lose a stamp set in the process, so in the words of the toddler: "stamps, where are you. . . stamps where are you?).

: I am really enjoying the book 1000 Gifts, by Ann Voskamp (sp?). . . I think that I will write a whole post about that soon.

: Ethan and I are working our way through the alphabet and having so much fun doing it! I can't wait to post some new Toddler Time activities to go with our Letter of the Week. . . I am not using any sort of curriculum right now. . . completely coming up with my own. . . must get organized, but loving that I am using my degree for something.

: Have recently discovered craftgawker and have done substantial gawking. Must find time to finish already started projects so I can start new ones.

: Getting the MOPS year ready . . . sometimes it's a bit frustrating. . . you can pray for me if you want.

Okay, those are some thoughts that are bouncing off the walls in my head. I will hopefully be back tomorrow with a yummy recipe. . . or craft. . . depends on what I do. Enjoy your night and Welcome to your weekend!

Another Notebook Cover

2011-07-06T15:48:00.000-07:00

It's hot. Really hot. I should be packing up stuff and cleaning, but I am not. Like I said, I am hot. The air is on and I am still sweating. . . sheesh, who turned on the humidity? Anyways, I am going to do a quick blog post in the last few minutes (yes, I said minutes) of quiet time (a.k.a. the toddler should be waking up soon).

I should have posted this back in May, but I feel like I have really been a slacker. . . it comes and goes. . . sorry. I made this for Breaunna, an amazing college student who comes and watches Ethan while Jon and I go to our Sunday Night Life Group. She is such a huge blessing, that we really wanted to say thanks! So, I made her this stylish notebook cover and stuck a Jamba Card in it to say thanks!

The striped and green and yellow interior pocket fabric is Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane and the polka dotted fabric is Amy Butler's Love. I didn't have enough of this striped, so I had to improvise. . . I really like the outcome! I kind of wish I would have thought about this before, oh well. Maybe next time.
So, thanks so much to our babysitter. . . she is such a blessing!

Monday?

2011-07-05T13:46:00.000-07:00

Nope. . . it's not. . . it's Tuesday. Man, am I off! 3 day weekends always throw me off. . . especially this one, because it was a 5 day weekend for us! The hubby took Thursday off to let me sleep off the bug that hit me hard on Wednesday (so very thankful for him!). After a late night last night, it was back to the daily grind this morning. But, I was really excited because I was able to meet with the a new MOPS coordinator at another local church. I love any excuse to make something new, but I really feel that inviting someone into your home, making them feel welcome, and having something for them to eat is a way to serve others. I love hospitality. I love serving others in this way. I think opening up your home and offering food and conversation is a great way to show God's love.

Last night was a late night and my scone idea went out the window, because I was too tired to grate my butter and make a mess. I went to bed instead. Yep. . . the bed was calling my name and I wasn't going to fight it. So, I got up this morning and made these muffins. . . and boy, were they yummy! I wish I would have gotten a picture of Ethan licking the cinnamon and sugar off the top! He even went to get another one, to eat more of the topping.

Cinnamon-Buttermilk Muffins

adapted from Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients:

7 tbs unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2/3 cup sugar

1 tbs cinnamon

6 tbsp butter, melted

Directions:

:: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

:: Combine butter and sugar. Cream together until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well until pale and smooth.

:: Slowly combine dry ingredients (the original recipe calls for sifting the dry ingredients together, but I like to make minimal mess and muffins are pretty good being made in 1 bowl). and mix together. Add vanilla and nutmeg. Be careful to not to over mix your muffins. . . you don't want dense muffins.

:: Scoop batter into muffin cups (mine made 12 muffins) and bake for 20 minutes. Let cool for a bit. Melt butter in a small bowl. Combine sugar and cinnamon.

:: Dip tops of muffins into butter and then cinnamon sugar mixture.

Eat. . . enjoy. . . invite someone and practice hospitality.

What's your favorite thing to make when having someone over?

4th of July goodness

2011-06-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

I am in bed. Sick. The Vacation Bible School Virus hit Ethan last week and now me (hopefully the other two don't get it!). But, here's a quick post for something fun and kid friendly for the 4th of July. . . plus it is super easy!

Patriotic Jell-o cups

Ingredients:

clear plastic cups

Berry Blue jello

cool whip

strawberries

Directions:

Make Jell-o according to package directions. Pour into cups about 1/3 of the way full. Put in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Add a heaping scoop of cool whip, smooth out. Add sliced strawberries to the top of each cup. Put a dollop of cool whip on top. Eat. . . Enjoy. . . Celebrate the 4th of July.

Plum Goodness

2011-06-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

mmmm. . . remember that bowl of plums I posted yesterday? hmmm. . . it's been reduced to about half now. The result. . . scrum-didli-umptious! I may have mentioned that we are in the middle of "living out of the cupboards" right now and so going to the store to buy some pie crust was out of the question (it's not a need, like milk), and although I had all the ingredients to make my own pie crust, It VBS week and I am plum pooped! So, I went with an easier alternative. . . double crusted plum crisp (yes, there is that cinnamony, oatmeally, crumbly mixture on the top and bottom! Yes. . . it's good. I promise it's good. I may make this same recipe using other fruits this summer, i think would taste great with peaches, pluots, and apples. hmmmm. . . my mouth is watering.

Double Crusted Plum Crisp

adapted from two peas and and their pod

Ingredients:

Crisp:

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Plum Filling:

4 cups thinly sliced plums, pit removed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

:: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 by 8 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

:: To make the crisp, mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter and mix until mixture is moist. Press half of the crisp topping into the prepared baking dish.

:: For the plum filling, put the plums, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir until plums are well coated.

:: Spread the plums evenly over the bottom layer of the crisp. Sprinkle the remaining crisp over the plums. Gently pat the crisp topping down.

:: Bake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes, or until the crisp is golden and the fruit is bubbling. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

* I added some Pampered Chef Cinnamon sprinkles over the top of my crisp and then poured some over the ice cream when I served it.

2011-06-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

Looks good, huh? We are in the midst of 107 degree weather. . . ugh! (I may have mentioned that I haven't had much motivation lately. . . the incredible temps, doesn't help!). Anyways, my wonderful husband braved the heat late last night and picked a bowl of them. Last year our tree produced about 2 plums, so this year we are quite suprised that we have had so many plums. Not to mention, they taste wonderful! My husband showed one of his co-workers (he happens to be very plant savy), and they came to the conclusion that this particular variety is best for plum pies. I'm not in the mood to make pie. . . so I found something else that looks incredibly delicious. . . hopefully I find the motivation to make it tonight!

2011-06-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

Vacation Bible School is this week. That means early mornings, hot, tired kids and mommy, and no motivation to do anything. Plus, my camera has gone awol. . . have no idea where it is and don't know when the new one is coming (thank goodness for the iphone). So, I am spending my summer afternoon (btw, it's 105 degrees out!) sitting on my butt with the new FNM that came in the mail (yay!). Hopefully motivation will come back. . . there are dishes to be done and sewing to be had!

Bunting Card

2011-06-13T17:38:00.000-07:00

I love bunting. I have seen a few cards out there in the blog world that were made of mini bunting, so I finally got around to making my own card. It was so easy! I will definitely be making more of these in the near future. This card gave a great purpose to my drawer of paper scraps (I just can't throw away my scraps. . . it's a problem, I know).

Directions:

:: Pick 2 or more pieces of coordinating scrapbook paper. Fold over at about 1 1/2 inches.

:: Cut triangles from the fold.

:: Use your choice of string and place inside the flag at the fold. Use double stick tape to seal shut. Place bunting on card where ever you want it.

Ta-da! Super easy!

Happy Crafting!!!!

childhood memories

2011-06-06T16:54:00.000-07:00

My grandparents had the most amazing garden growing up. It was HUGE! I remember when my grandma would pickle cucumbers, make chili sauce, and pickle the beets. I remember eating peas off the vine. . . it was the only way I liked them. Everything tasted so good fresh out the garden. I can't wait to build my raised beds so that I can create some of those memories in my children. Last year's garden didn't go so great and this year, I just haven't had the time (I wonder why?).

One of my favorite things growing up was Strawberry Rhubarb pie. I probably haven't had it in years and Jon had NEVER had it, so I thought it was time to try, especially since strawberries are HUGE right now. I had my recipe picked out, but hadn't looked at it in awhile, sent Jon to the store to get Rhubarb. He picked up 3 stalks. . . which wasn't enough for the whole pie. (I can't blame him. . . I wasn't sure how much I needed or how big his stalks were going to be). So, I went a different route:

Don't they look yummy? They were. Jon was impressed (he had never had rhubarb before). I modified this recipe, cutting the recipe into a third of what it was supposed to be, which was still a lot of filling. I used 2 sheets of Pilbury refrigerated pie crust and my newest Pampered Chef toy, the Cut and Seal (Thanks Karissa!). I used an egg wash to seal the two sheets of dough before I cut it out with my new toy, then gave it an egg wash over the top and sprinkled my cinnamon sprinkle (also Pampered Chef) over the top of it. It ended up being the perfect dessert for 2 nights for Jon and I. I will definitely make these again!

Favorites: Pampered Chef Style

2011-06-03T13:45:00.000-07:00

I have a kitchen gadget fetish. I get my gadgets from Williams Sonoma, Crate and Barrel, Sur La Table, and Pampered Chef. I am actually having a Pampered Chef Party on Friday, June 10th. I have been spending some time getting very distracted and browsing the catalog wondering what I am going to get to add to my collection. So, I thought I would show you my top ten favorite Pampered Chef gadgets/products that I use on a regular basis. So here goes it:

1. Easy Accent Decorator - I love this! I use it for decorating my cupcakes, making cream puffs, deviled eggs. . . I use it a lot. In fact, I use it way more than I ever thought I would.

2. I always buy the Season's Best cookbook at Pampered Chef parties. . . they are only a dollar! Seriously! They have some fantastic recipes inside, too! In fact, the very first recipe I posted on this blog came from one of them.. . it was delicious!!!!!!!

3. Sweet Sprinkles . . . I have mentioned these a lot in my posts. They are the perfect accent to so many of my muffins, scones, and pies. They just came out with an apple one. . . definitely on my shopping list!
4. Mini Spatula. . . this is by far one of the most used things in my utensil drawer. It is perfect for digging into a dish of brownies or rice krispie treats. Sometimes, I wish I had 2.
5. Large serving spatula. This is my lasagna getter out go to utensil. Did that make sense? I hope so. It has slightly sharp (not like a knife sharp, but sharp enough to cut through pasta or cake) edges so that you can cut right into your lasagna (or anything for that matter) and put a very pretty piece of cake or lasagna onto someones plate without looking like it oozed out all over the place. It is also really easy to clean up melted cheese on (some of my "pretty" spatulas don't).
6. Batter Bowl. I have a large one and a small one. I love that they come with a lid. You can even bake with them, although I haven't tried that (If I need to make a Barbie cake, you can bet I am going to use this bowl!). I use it for making my pancake batter or a quick dish of brownies. It's perfect!
7. Quick-cut paring knife. I love these. When I taught, these went into my lunch bag. When I went on a major road trip with gestational diabetes a few years ago, one came with me. I use them for apples, but they can be used for just about anything. They are super cheap, like 1 to 2 dollars a piece. My favorite part. . . if I lose them, it's okay. . . they are easy to replace.
8. Can Opener. I am weird about can openers. I don't like the metal shards that tend so come off the cans and sometimes end up in your food. . . it just seems gross and icky. . and dangerous? This can opener just loosens the glue from the lid and pops it right off. . . no metal shards. . . no mess. . . it's great!

9. Spoonula. It's actually a Mix and Stir, but it is heavy duty and can withstand heat. I can not only use it to whip up a batch of brownies, but I can use it when I am making something on the stove top, because they can withstand high heat, which is great!

10. Slice and Serve. This is the greatest pie cutter/server ever! It can cut beautiful slices of pie as well as round cakes. I can't serve pie without it. . . it is simply the greatest invention ever!

If in you're in the area and want to come, feel free. Leave a comment, if you want info. If you want to order something you can go here to shop online. I highly reccommend Pampered Chef products, they are incredible, quality products perfect for your cooking and baking adventures.

muffins. . . or cupcakes?

2011-06-02T16:39:00.000-07:00

I really could have sworn that I blogged about this amazing recipe, but I guess I haven't. So if you are needing something to make for a brunch. . . or a weekend treat. . . or just to bake something, I highly recommend these beauties. This recipe really made me think. . . what is the difference between a muffin and a cupcake? Quite honestly, after making these, I wasn't sure. So, here's my theory. . . frosting. Cupcakes have frosting, muffins don't. Sometimes, muffins have a glaze, but that doesn't count. What do you think?

These are amazing. . . what recipe with chocolate and peanut butter isn't though? I really suggest you go and get your pad of paper and start making a grocery list right now. . . especially if you are out of peanut butter. . . you are going to need it. Dieting? weekend don't count, right?

Here are ten reasons why you should make muffins this weekend:

1. You worked hard this week and deserve a treat.

2. It's going to start getting hot and this cooler weather is a treat. Make something yummy before it is too hot to bake.

3. You might be able to give some friends as a surprise. . . it just might make their day.

4. Have a friend over for some coffee and muffins.

5. You are due any day and need something to kill the time. . . it just might get those contractions to 5 minutes apart (yes, Steph. . . this one is for you)

6. It's a great teacher appreciation gift. . . the school year is coming to a close . . . Bring on the Summer!

7. First day of summer breakfast treat. . . Bring on heat, swimming, and ice cream!

8. Your family probably would like to eat something other than cereal.

9. You're PMSing and are in need of something filled with chocolate

10. Peanut Butter and Chocolate. . . how can you not?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Muffins

source: Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

:: For the muffins ~

6 tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup chocolate chips, divided

2 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup baking cocoa

1 tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cup buttermilk*

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla

:: For the swirl ~

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tbs unsalted butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tbs milk

Directions:

:: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

:: Line muffins with liners.

:: Combine butter and 1/3 cup chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl. Heat for 20 seconds, stir, heat again until melted and combined. DON'T OVER HEAT. Set aside.

:: In mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Whisk to mix briefly.

:: In a liquid measuring cup, combine buttermilk, egg and vanilla. Whisk until combined.

:: Slowly add buttermilk mixture and mix on low speed. Then add melted chocolate mixture.

:: Stir in chocolate chips with spatula.

:: Divide batter between muffin cups. Don't fill more than 2/3 because these rise a lot.

:: Combine peanut butter and butter in a heatproof bowl. Microwave briefly until smooth. Whisk in powdered sugar and milk until smooth.

:: Drop a spoonful into each chocolate cup. Take a knife or skewer and swirl muffin.

:: Bake 20-22 minutes. Let cool for 10 minute before taking out of tin.

:: eat one. . . maybe another one. . . let me know what you did with the rest.

* I never buy buttermilk. I find it easier to just add a bit of vinegar to my milk (I use whole milk) and my muffins turn out fine.

** Remember that these are muffins and NOT cupcakes. . . don't over mix.

******************QUESTION????*****************

What is the difference between a muffin and a cupcake?

Did you make this recipe. . . what'd ya think?

Short weeks & Schedules

2011-06-01T16:40:00.000-07:00

I seem to have gotten behind on my blogging. There is so much I need to do and so much I want to do. . . it's a battle each time I sit down to do something. Anyone else have this problem? This week is a short week in my house due to a 3 day weekend and the hubby's normal Friday's off. A nice short week, but so much to do in a short amount of time. A goal of mine is to have all the house work completed before the weekend starts because chances are, it won't get done and I want to have quality family time. . . so it has been kind of me-made rule that I get as much as I can get done during the week (which is a little bit harder now that I have two kids with two different schedules). I also don't like to go out every single day. . . I am a self-proclaimed home body (I also think my kids do better when we aren't so busy). Some weeks, the business is completely unavoidable unless I am intentional about not planning and/or just saying no. (By the way, saying no is really hard for me. . . really hard. It is something I am working hard on and my husband is keeping my VERY accountable).

Here's what a typical week looks like:

Sunday - church, naps, and Life Group

Monday - "weekend recovery day" I call it that because it usually takes me a day to clean up messes from that weekend. This includes the weekend's laundry and sometimes a mess in the kitchen. I also try to clean the laminate flooring during my small window when both kids are asleep.

Tuesday - Kitchen floors and bathrooms, start menu planning

Wednesday - Free Day. . . my goal is to not clean. . . usually my body needs a break.

Thursday/Friday. . . dust, vacuum, laundry, grocery shopping.

Thursday and Friday get lumped together because every other week my husband has Friday off . . .which is so nice. . . a huge blessing (thanks to the Air District helping to save the air).

During the week, I often get to throw in baking, play dates, zoo trips/tot time, library visits, etc.

I am hoping to do some blogging tomorrow during nap time. . . we'll see how it goes. If not, I'll definitely be back into the blog world next week with some projects to share.

It's the end of the month!

2011-05-25T20:41:00.000-07:00

It's the end of the month in the Klassen house. In other words, the refrigerator is being cleaned out. It's a tradition in our house to eat what we have without going to the store except for veggies and thanks to my 5 dollar supply of artichokes, there is no need to go to the store until Friday, but yesterday I used the last of the eggs for breakfast. Today, Ethan woke up early from his nap, so we made these cookies. . . they rocked!!!! Ethan did almost all the measuring, he was able to count how many scoops we were pouring in, and he could eat the batter. . . because there are NO EGGS! I really wanted to post these ASAP, because they were so good. Ethan picked out the rest of the COSTCO bag of chocolate chips and the rest of the white chocolate chips. I threw in some dark chocolate chips to get the cup and a half. But, seriously, this was a great recipe for the end of the month.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (I may rename these as End of the Month Cookies)

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder*

1/4 cup boiling water

2 cups oatmeal

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

Cream together butter and sugars. Add vanilla. Mix well. Slowly add in dry ingredients and then the boiling water. Add in whatever chocolate chips you want, raisins, nuts, whatever your heart desires! Scoop onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Notes:

The original recipe called for baking soda, I accidentally (and just now realized it) put in the baking powder. Mine came out beautiful. Some people complained that they were really flat. Mine weren't. I am not sure if it's because of the baking powder or because I use a Silpat and it cooks the cookies evenly.

Happy Baking!

Special Order {Trae}, part 1

2011-05-24T15:43:00.000-07:00

Recently a friend from church ordered a collection of baby gifts for her to give some clients who are expecting. I was so excited to get an order that I couldn't wait to go shopping for some fun fabrics. This sets costs $20, when bought as a complete set.

bib with minky back.

set of two burpies (for this set I went with the cloth diaper version).

(OOPS! Upside down . . . sorry!). Diaper pouch with velcro. I love Michael Miller's Groovy!

Same two burpies as earlier, but tied together with ribbon and a tag.

What's for dinner. . .

2011-05-22T15:01:00.000-07:00

artichokes. Lots of artichokes. We just got home from a lovely trip to Monterey. It was a fantastic time of walking, exploring, and experiencing new things through the eyes of our toddler, Ethan. Ethan helped me bag these at the Giant Artichoke in Castroville. They are baby artichokes and apparently a bag full is a overflowing bag full for only $5. Let's just say that we will be eating a diet of artichokes at our house this week! It should be loads of fun. We are having Bible Study tonight and somehow we managed to make it involve dinner (thanks to one of the awesome couples in our group!) and I think this is what I am going to be making. . . I think there's plenty. ha ha!

in the mood for chocolate

2011-05-17T14:34:00.000-07:00

I have to confess that I haven't been in the mood for blogging this week. I have been keeping so busy that I almost forgot about our upcoming family vacation. . . kind of funny, I guess, but there are preparations that need to be made before going (i.e. laundry, packing, snacks, etc.). Tonight's post is just for my sister (but you can read it too. . . and make it. . . it's delicious! I just might make it again. . . soon!)

I have had a cast iron skillet on my wish list for quite some time and last November, Jon bought me one for my birthday. I have used it a couple of times for bacon, and browning meat, but I hadn't yet experimented with baking with it. I am so excited that tonight I got my chance. We ate all the cookies (I made these on Sunday) and Jon needed something for his lunch tomorrow, so I thought brownies would be perfect. . . dessert and lunch treats. If you don't have a skillet, you could probably make your own modifications and cook it in a 9x9in pan.

Fudgy Skillet Brownies

adapted from Martha Stewart.com

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup flour

1/4 cup baking cocoa (I used Hershey's)

1/2 tsp salt

4 tbs butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

:: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

:: Put skillet on stove and heat at medium heat. In a bowl, combine dry ingredients. Whisk together to mix.

:: Melt butter and add cream to skillet. Bring to simmer. Add chocolate chips. Stir until mixed. Take off heat and let sit for about 5 minutes. Add to dry ingredients. Stir together and add eggs. Stir until combined. Pour back into skillet and bake for 40 minutes (I took mine out a little bit early).

**** Oh and before I forget, you can add any kind of add-ins you want. I added some white chocolate chips into the batter. . . it was scrumptious! Definitely keeping this one in my files!

Before I go, I have a question . . . please comment. . .

Have you ever cooked out of the magazine EVERYDAY FOOD? Is it worth it to get a subscription?

See you next week. . . I'm going on a much needed vacation with my family!

{Baby Shower} Fruit Tarts

2011-05-14T21:06:00.000-07:00

My friend Steph is pregnant with her second and this time it's a boy. So in order to get her ready for having a boy, her sister and mom thew her a really nice shower a few weeks ago. It was a beautiful yellow and grey themed shower, with a game involving play dough (my team won!). They asked me to make a sweet finger food treat to go with their cucumber sandwiches and strawberries. I thought some cute tarts would be fun, colorful, and quite tasty. So, I sent Stephanie some pictures of several different tart recipes and she picked these. They ended up being so incredibly delicious that there were none left after the shower was over!

Here's the recipe:

Crust: Cream together 1 cup of butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 2 cups flour. Grease your mini muffin tin (or tart pan). Roll dough into balls and place in each muffin compartment. Use your tart tool and press into the ball, making a nice shell. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Filling: Blend together 1 package of cream cheese and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Put into plastic ziplock bag and cut off tip, forming a quick and easy piping bag. Fill each tart cup with cream cheese filling.

Top with fruit pieces.

Happy Baking!

A new Easter Tradition (a little late)

2011-05-11T17:30:00.000-07:00

I know that Easter was several weeks ago, but I really wanted to get this down so I would remember it next year.

This year the week surrounding Easter seemed incredibly busy. We had so much fun, but it was hard to get in our Easter traditions. We didn't get all our resurrection eggs finished, but Ethan enjoyed the 7 we did, so maybe next week we will get through more. But, one that I really wanted to do was make Resurrection Cookies with Ethan. So, that night while we were cleaning up after dinner (we only had about 30 minutes before we needed to leave for a baseball game), Ethan and I worked quickly on our cookies. They were so very easy and came out delicious!

These are our cookies in the "tomb."

Our empty tombs.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup whole pecans (or mini chocolate chips. . . that's what we used)

1 tsp. vinegar

3 egg whites

pinch of salt

1 cup sugar

ziplock bag

wooden spoon

tape

Directions:

Make the night before Easter.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. . . Don't forget to do this at the beginning or they won't turn out.

Put pecans (or mini chocolate chips) in a ziplock bag. Have kids beat them with a wooden spoon. Explain that after Jesus was arrested he was beaten by the soldiers.

Let the kids smell the vinegar. Pour vinegar into bottom of the bowl. Explain that Jesus was thirsty when he was on the cross and the soldiers gave him vinegar to drink.

Add egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave his life so that he could give us life.

Sprinkle a little bit of salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and then put a very small pinch into the bowl. This represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers and the bitterness of or own sin.

Add the cup of sugar. The sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because he loved us. He wants us to know Him and belong to Him.

Beat with an electric mixer for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks form. The color white represents our sins being cleansed by Jesus.

Fold in nuts (or chocolate chips). Drop by spoonful onto your baking sheet covered with parchment paper or silpat. These represent the tomb where Jesus' body was laid after he died.

Put cookies in the oven and turn the oven OFF. Seal with tape (Jesus' tomb was sealed shut). Keep cookies in the oven until Easter morning. The cookies will be cooked and hollow in the middle. . . so awesome and so delicious! They ended up being a big hit at Easter dinner. We will definitely be making these again next year!

Toddler Time: Sunflowers

2011-05-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! I hope all of you had a terrific day celebrating your mom or being celebrated yourself. This year, my husband set some time just to have some family time. It meant missing church, but usually our day is so packed that they just give me my gift and we head to church and that would be the extent of my mother's day. This year, we had a nice breakfast at Panera (their souffles are amazing!!!) and then meandered around Riverpark. Time is one of my love languages and it meant so much to have some time with my family that wasn't just running errands. That was my favorite part of the day!

I feel so blessed to be the mother of 2 wonderful boys! I have so much fun with them, I just cannot explain it! Last week we finished an art project that we had started 2 weeks ago (I put it aside to dry and never got back to it. . . oops!). To go with this project we read books about sunflowers and planted a sunflower that we are currently watching grow. I cannot explain the excitement of my 2 year old as he watched it grow inches over several days. He still loves watching it as he waters it every day. It is so cute!

So, you will have to excuse the photo. I took it on my phone and when I downloaded it, my computer will let me turn it around, but when it uploads it goes back to it's original direction. So, I apologize for the neck ache, ahead of time.

My little sunflower! This art project was so easy. . . even though it took a few weeks to finish. It is also one that will NOT be going in the trash. I will have to do a post about what I do with his art projects after they have lived out their time on the fridge.

Materials:

Yellow and green washable paint. (I use Crayola washable finger paints)

paper

a picture of your child

Directions:

Paint your child's hand with yellow paint and press it down on paper. Go around in a circle, repeating each time with additional paint. I made mine wreath like, so their was a big opening in the middle without paint. Wash hands and on a separate piece of paper do the same thing with green, except don't have them touch. Let paint dry and then cut out green hand prints (these will be your leaves). Find a picture of your child and cut it out in the shape of a circle. Glue picture and leaves on. Hang on fridge with pride of how cute your little sunflower is!

Have fun!

Boston Cream Whoopie Pies

2011-05-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

I started this post yesterday and just could not get the words out. I think it was just one of those days. Oh well, here it is now. I hope you all are having a fantastic week! Rumor has it that it's going to get to the 90's this week here. . . Welcome to summer in California!

My husband is easy to please when it comes to making cakes. He usually picks funfetti or a white cake with white frosting or a Boston Cream Pie. Both are incredibly easy . . . although, I would pick the Boston Cream Pie over the funfetti in a heartbeat! So, when I saw this recipe, I knew at once my husband would most likely be pleased, but also the ladies at my appreciation dessert might enjoy them too (I think they did!).

Don't they look scrumptious? they were. . .I promise! They were also incredibly easy to make. I got the idea from Annie's Eats, but made a different filling, because I was going to be short on time due to all of the other things I was making for the party.

Boston Cream Whoppie Pies

adapted from Annie's Eats

For the cookies:

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
½ cup milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Set out a large zip lock bag (or a pastry bag, if you wish). Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Blend in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Whisk them together. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, alternating between milk and mixing well between each addition. Fill ziplock bag with cookie dough and cut off tip. Pipe dough into circles on baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack. Once they are cooled, match cookies into pairs with similar sizes.

For the Filling:

1 cup cold milk

1 (4 0z) pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix

1 1/2 cups of whipped cream

Whisk milk and pudding together until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Put in ziplock bag and cut off tip. Pipe onto the flat side of the cookies. Don't put the top on until you have dipped in ganache.

For Ganache:

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Melt chocolate chips in microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and let melt. Add whipping cream and stir until well blended. dip cookie tops into chocolate. Carefully place on top of matching cookie. Let set until no longer wet.

Happy Baking!

Chocolate treats galore!!!!!!!!

2011-04-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

This year I had the most wonderful opportunity to become our church's MOPs coordinator. I don't think I really knew what I was getting into, except that it would be a fun way to use my spiritual gifts. I have been amazingly blessed with a wonderful steering team that just blew my socks off with their creativity and faithfulness. Our discussion group leaders and mentor mom's each went above and beyond the call of duty planning playdates and bringing treats of encouragement to each of their tables. I have also been amazed at the sense of community that has developed out of this year's group of ladies. There is so much love and respect that pours out of the moms that belong to this MOPS group. I can't wait to start planning for next year!

But, one of my jobs as coordinator was to have an appreciation dessert night for the ladies who serve. I really wanted to make it special because these ladies deserve so much and my budget wasn't that big, so I decided to go with the chocolate fountain route. I have hosted several of these parties with my friend Steph and they have always been the biggest hit. (I won't lie. . . the idea came to me in the shower. . . does that happen to anyone else, or am I just crazy?)

To go with the chocolate fountain, I had jars of skewered marshmallows, strawberries, and pineapple; rice krispy treats, twinkies, cheesecake bites, palmiers, bananas, pretzel rods, graham crackers, brown butter chocolate chip cookies, and Boston Cream whoopie pies. I also had cream puffs to put out, but completely forgot about them until the next day. . . oops!

Instead of using a table cloth on my long, rectangular table, I bought a roll of matching wrapping paper and used it as a table runner.

I also made raspberry sherbert punch (raspberry sherbert + 7up), which made the perfect color of pink to match the party!

We had so much fun! Thanks to all of my MOPS momma's for making my first year as coordinator so much fun! Thanks to all of the ladies involved in leadership. . . You guys ROCK!!!!

Create a Cupcake

2011-04-28T15:10:00.000-07:00

Allergies. Go. Away. Don't come back another day! (Please? with strawberries and cream. . .) The weather here has been a bit breezy (I don't want to say windy, because my sister in Wyoming will chime in and tell me otherwise!). And, I have to agree. . . it's been kind of beachy! But, since I am not at the beach, all it tends to do here is blow all those lovely pollens around, making me a bit on the foggy side. Oh well. Life goes on, right.

Last night we, along with some good friends, went out for 31 cent scoop night (we live within walking distance to one Fresno BR and that's awesome. They have a new flavor that is simply wonderful. . . . fire station #31. It is bright red and flavored with crunched up red hots!!! WOW! was it yummy (thanks to my sister who recommended it to me!). Did you venture out to get some ice cream last night? I hope so. It was well worth the slightly long lines for ice cream that cheap (we didn't have to wait longer than 20 minutes . . . I think).

Here are some cards I recently made with one of my new stamp sets. . . Create a cupcake and it's matching punch (both are Stampin' Up products). Most of my ideas come from other people's cards.

{Cupcakes}

2011-04-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

are seriously the perfect gift. They are yummy, inexpensive, and you can do just about anything with them. Last week, I hosted a dessert appreciation for the ladies that serve in MOPs. I had so much fun, but more on that later. I needed to come up with a nice, yet inexpensive gift that showed how much I appreciated their hard work and love towards the mommies that come to our MOPS meetings (they really do work hard!). I had seen this idea a couple months back on several blogs. . . mostly regarding wedding favors. . . and just couldn't get the idea out of my head.

For these cupcakes, I went with a box of devils food cake mix, marshmallow filling made pink with Wilton coloring gel, and a basic chocolate butter cream frosting. They were amazing.

Here's a quick tutorial. . . and I mean quick. . .

Step 1: Bake cupcakes according to box directions (or make them from scratch. . . you pick how much work you put into them).

Step 2: Cut cupcakes in half.

Step 3: Place bottom in jar.

Step 4: Spoon desired amount of filling onto cupcake half.

Step 5: Cover with top of cupcake.

Step 6: Using a piping bag, pipe frosting over cupcake.

Step 6: (optional) sprinkle sprinkles over the top (that sounded redundant didn't it?). I used Nestle Toll House spring mini morsels (they were yellow and pink. . . the exact pink of my filling to be exact.)

Step 7: Screw on lid of jar and decorate as you want.

Super easy? Completely! I used the half pint jars by Kerr and found them at my local grocery store. I wrapped them with a pink ribbon with a bottle cap charm attached to each one (I'll let you know how I did those on a later post. . . I promise!).

On another note, I hope you all had a great celebration of Resurrection Day! My weekend was filled with activity and fun. In fact, it was so busy, we forgot to dye the Easter eggs. . . okay, we didn't forget, they are hard boiled. . . we just ran out of time. . . More on that later! You'll have to check back tomorrow. I have LOTS to show you!

brave?

2011-04-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

I got brave today. I linked one my my posts to Skip to my lou's Made by you Monday. I am excited. . . it worked. I may start doing this more. Go check it out!

On another note, I hope you are having a great Monday. This week is kind of crazy but it's gonna be a fun one! I can't wait to show you the things I am working on to say thanks to all the wonderful women who serve on our MOPS team! So excited.

Have a great day!

my new best friend. . .

2011-04-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

is my iphone. Seriously! It keeps my awake (sometimes) in the middle of the night with countless games of Solitaire and Words with Friends. But more recently, it has been a saver of dinner. I am a planner, but on occasion I need a dinner idea and quick. . . like when I am at the store. This app has given me inspiration on meal planning days and when I am at the store pondering what we are going to have for dinner that very night.

I use allrecipes.com a lot. It is a great collection or recipes from just about everywhere. It is full of awesomely rated recipes as well as great hints and ideas that make recipes better. Plus, it's free. . . I am a liker of free things.

It lays everything out so easily. For instance, a few weeks ago, I was at the store in need of inspiration. So I opened the app and clicked Main Dish, pasta, and ready any time. It brought up a good number of recipes and I quickly scanned one that pleased my eyes in hopes to please my family's bellies. Right then and there, I had a recipe, ingredients, and there was no stress to get dinner on the table. Actually, there was an incredible rush of excitement (okay, I am weird, I know. . .).

The first recipe I made was linguine with peppers and sausage. . . mmm. . . it was so good, I am making it again tomorrow night! And then, this last week I made slow cooker chicken tortilla soup, which the was another huge success!

Have you used this app?

What do you think of it?

What has been your favorite recipe so far?

Have a great weekend!

Peanut Butter & Snickers {Cookies!}

2011-04-14T15:35:00.001-07:00

Lately, my life seems to revolving around lists. . . I have lists of house cleaning goals, project goals, daily goals, dinners, grocery, and now the MOPS appreciation dessert to-do list. But despite ALL that I need to be working on, Ethan and I took some time to make some much needed homemade cookies. . . and let me just say. . . these cookies ROCK!!!! Ethan and I both had a hard time saving any for daddy, today and usually Ethan just helps and just wants to eat the chocolate chips. . . Not this time! Even Jon is super excited to try these out (we'll see if there's any left before he gets home!).

Last week, Michelle - the Brown Eyed Baker posted this recipe and I knew I had to make them. . . Soon! Doesn't the combination of Peanut Butter, chocolate, caramel, and nougat just sound great together? (I promise you. . . it's amazing!). Thankfully, I baked up 16 nice round cookies and threw the rest of the dough in a freezer bag, labeled it, and threw it in the freezer where it would be safe. . . for now.

Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies

adapted from browneyedbaker.com

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 tbs milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup chopped Snickers Bars (I used 4 of the big ones)

3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used semi sweet and just through a few handfuls in.

Directions:

:: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line with parchment paper or your favorite Silpat.

:: Whisk together your dry ingredients and set aside.

:: Cream together butter and peanut butter until nice and fluffy. Add both sugars and beat until smooth. Then add the egg, milk, and vanilla mixing after each addition.

:: Add the flour mixture and beat until you no longer see the flour. Stir in chopped snickers and chocolate chips.

:: Use your cookie scoop and scoop out nicely round balls of dough onto cookie sheet. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes before putting on a rack to finish cooling.

Don't these cookies look amazing? These were so good, I called my sister and told her to make them. . . and she just happened to have a box of Snickers (yes, I said box. . . as in the kind you buy at Sams Club or Costco) laying around and she had some yummy peanut butter.

Go ahead. . . try not to make them. . . they are THAT good!

A new look. . .

2011-04-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

So, I needed a change, so I changed the look of the blog. Hope you like it.

Have a great day and thanks for taking the time to read my blog!

He is Risen!

2011-04-11T22:24:00.000-07:00

He is Risen Indeed!

Yesterday I looked at my calendar and realized that Easter was in exactly 2 weeks. Seriously, I knew it was coming, but for some reason thought I had more time. WAKE UP, Jolie!!!!! So, I took advantage of both boys napping and got out the Resurrection Eggs I had started last year at one of our MOPS meetings. I had every intention of finishing them, but for some reason never did. I went through each egg and realized I was missing some of the "treasures" and quickly went to GOOGLE to rescue me. I had to make a few changes because I couldn't remember what some of mine were and I was missing some. I found a great tutorial here complete with verses and everything!

So, tonight at dinner we will be doing egg #1. . . The palm branch. I am really excited to start this tradition with Ethan, and eventually Weston.
I am also super excited about the books I bought for their Easter baskets. Ethan is going to be getting Benjamin's Box, a story about the Resurrection Eggs and Weston will be getting The Three Trees. We will also be baking some Resurrection cookies and dying Easter eggs and then hunting for them.

Have a Happy Easter!

Mondays

2011-04-09T16:26:00.000-07:00

ahhh. . . the sound of nap time. . . quiet. Both kids are sleeping at the same time (that doesn't usually happen!). I am just going to take advantage of it. I have a lot of things going on and need to focus, which is really hard to do since I would rather curl up in a ball and fall asleep. But. . . must. . . keep. . . moving.

I know it may sound weird, but I am kind of a big fan of Mondays. Mondays are my recovery days. It's a day for me to recuperate from the weekend (or the crazy week before!) and focus on the upcoming week. I usually tidy the house (I like to start and end the week clean) and do laundry. Most of the time, I can fit some baking in, which is fun for me. Today, I needed to fit a Costco run in because we were getting incredibly low on wipes and needed a rotisserie chicken for a crockpot chicken tortilla soup I am going to try tomorrow.

I am really excited for Easter this year. It's kind of busy around here leading up to it, but Ethan is now old enough to do a lot of these fun activities and so, I got the resurrection eggs finished last night (don't worry, I plan on blogging about them!) and am preparing some other fun activities to share the real story of Easter with my children.

So, to start out this week, I am going to leave you with a recipe for one of the most amazing blueberry muffins you have ever tasted. . . plus it includes one of my favorite things. . . brown butter. . . enjoy!

Brown Butter Blueberry Muffins

by Joy the Baker

Ingredients:

7 tbs unsalted butter

1/3 cup whole milk

1 lg. egg

1 lg. egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

2 cups fresh blueberries

3 tbs. cold butter, choppped

1/2 cup flour

3 1/2 tbs sugar

Directions:

Put a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line muffin pan with paper or foil liners. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Keep an eye on the butter. Melt and cook down the butter until little brown bits appear in the pan. The crackling will subside and butter will begin to brown fairly quickly after that. Keep a close eye. Remove from heat. Whisk milk, egg, yolk and vanilla until combined. Add the brown butter and stir to combine. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl Add milk and butter mixture all at one and stir gently to combine. Gently but thoroughly fold in the blueberries. Divide the batter among muffin cups and spread evenly. To make the topping combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the batter in the cups. Bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes then remove from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Have a great week!

Accordion Card

2011-04-07T17:18:00.000-07:00

Last month, my husband's grandparents celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary, which gave me a great excuse to make a card with one of my new stamp sets that I ordered just before Weston made his grand entrance. I also got to play with my cricut. . . let's just say that I had fun.

When I started out with this card, I really didn't know where I was going except that I wanted my stamp (the flower and vase from the set, A Slice of Life. . . SU 2011) to be in a circle with a scalloped circle behind it. My circle ended up being incredibly big and I decided to try the accordion style. My friend Amy had made a similar card for Christmas (I think. . . I am just going from memory???).

The purple background is dry embossed using a stylus and brass plate that I have had for about 7 years (I probably haven't even used it since getting married, either!). But, I thought it would make a nice effect.

On the inside of the accordion fold, I found some coordinating scrapbook paper in my scrap pile and thought it would be perfect for when it gets opened up.

This was such a fun and easy card to make!

Happy Anniversary Gene and Wanda. . . I look forward to the day I get to celebrate my 65th with Jon!

mmmmmmm. . . .

2011-04-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

It has been a super quiet day here on the home front. The horrible stomach flu has been going around and decided to hit my family this weekend. Seriously. . . all at once. The hubby and I are better, but poor Ethan is still working out the rest of it (I think it's coming to an end, though). I have been pouring my energy into cleaning our house and ridding it of germs. . . let's just say I am on a germ killing spree! Unfortunately, I have a lot of other things to do, so I am having to ration out what I do each day so I can focus on the projects. Tonight. . . my goal is to finish Weston's blanket. It's almost done and should have already been done, but that darn flu bug knocked me down for a good 4 days and I am just now getting my groove back.

However, before the flu bug hit, and even before family left to go back to Wyoming, I made these:

cinnamon rolls, you say? Yes, but not just any cinnamon rolls. . . BLUEBERRY cinnamon rolls. Let me just say, they were so yummy. I got the idea from here, but made it my way. . . the bread machine way.

I used this recipe for the bread dough.

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
I put all my liquid ingredients in first, followed by the dry ingredients, saving my yeast for last. Before I put my yeast in, I make a little hole in the dry ingredients and pour my yeast into that. After that, I put my bread machine on bread cycle and let it do the work (I may have mentioned before that I am a bit lazy when it comes to bread. . . and hey, I just had my second child, I am not sure I even have time to knead bread myself!).
After that, I mixed some sugar and cinnamon in a bowl (I really am not sure, but next time I would use more sugar), and rolled out my dough. After that I sprinkled my sugar mixture over it and some rinsed fresh blueberries, rolled it up and cut it into slices. From there, I let it rise overnight and stuck it in the oven the next morning. What a great way to start a Saturday! These did not last long. In fact, I had to quickly get a picture before they were all gone. . . and this was all that was left!
I do want to leave you with one question. . . please comment. . . please. . .
How are you preparing your house for Easter?
And in house, I mean, family, decorations, activities, anything really.

being intentional

2011-03-29T16:45:00.001-07:00

Last year, I found this blog, The Simple Woman, that took normal phrases and turned them into thoughts. I really LOVE her idea and was getting into the habit of it, when I just sort of stopped. I don't know why, or when, it just happened. I have every intention of starting this again . . . I don't know how often, but I have every intention of trying.

Outside my window... the sun has set, which means, the kids are asleep. Bring on the couch!!
I am thinking... that I am tired. Today has been harder than others, but still not horribly bad.
I am thankful for... my husband. He took care of the kids while I got things finished in the kitchen. It was a disaster area!
From the kitchen... I made some chocolate chip cookies for a friend who is stuck at home on bed rest and some chocolate peanut butter swirled muffins (chocolate for breakfast anyone?). I promise I will be posting this recipe soon. . . it is amazing!
I am wearing...sweats and a sweatshirt. . . all for comfy these days.

I am hearing... quiet and the tv. . . modern family is on in the background and I am loving every minute of it!!!
Around the house...I am trying to get it clean. . . it's spring. . . and I am itching to clean, and struggling to find the time between being a mom, but it will happen, even if it takes a month (or two!) instead of a week.
One of my favorite things...our family room. My husband has been working really hard to get redone. This past weekend, he painted and he, along with his bro and cousin, laid the new laminate flooring. I love it! The room is so much brighter and inviting. Now for the trim and base boards.
A few plans for the rest of the week: grocery shop, finish Weston's blanket (it's almost done!), and hang out with my family. This weekend is Big Hat Days in Clovis, and we plan on partaking in some festivities Saturday morning.

A picture:

Morro Bay several weeks ago. . . can I go back?

denim for baby

2011-03-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here in our family room sipping some yummy hot chai and enjoying the beautiful spring day (we have a rather large sliding glass door that lets you look out into our backyard). Everything is green and the flowers that are still alive are some bright and colorful (there's not that many of them right now). Ethan woke up from his nap early partly due to the need to poop (now potty trained, he still sleeps with a diaper and can't stand to go in them. . . apparently potty training works!) and his brother's tired screams he woke up slightly early. But, thankfully, he is enjoying the beautiful afternoon lounging around on the floor playing with legos and watching backyardagains and leapfrog. We will definitely be going outside later, but if we go out now, I am not going to be able to get him in so I can feed Weston. So, we will go after. I think Weston might enjoy lounging in his bouncer outside, right?

I really want to get more personal on this blog. I started out that way, and lately it seems like it's just "look at what was made today." I really don't want that. . . I want this blog to be personal and an encouragement to other moms (and whoever stumbles across it via the world wide web. . . apparently there are people in other countries who find it every now and then. . . fascinating). Anyways, I am going to try to be more focused and not just rush to get a blog post done.

So, the week before Weston was born (can you believe he is 8 weeks old today?), a co-worker of my husband's to word that they were able to adopt a brand new baby. It came very quickly and he's a cutie! I had all the fabric cut out before Weston was born, so it was easy to get this gift sewn up quickly. I had seen an idea on another blog (i am sorry blogworld that i don't remember where. . . ) to make baby gifts using old jeans. I tried to steal a pair of my husband's but he couldn't find a pair for me, so i used a pair of my old ones. I love the way it turned out! Denim is just a fun accent and it's heavy duty. . . so it will definitely last.

Here's the taggie and giraffe. This was made completely of left over fabric from Ethan's 1st birthday party. It's a line from Michael Miller. I love the colors!!!!

Here's my denim bib accented with some of the matching fabric scraps. It has brown softy fabric on the back. So much fun. . . if I do say so myself.
Well, my chai tea is gone and Weston will be waking up shortly. I really should start dinner prep now, so that I can go out and enjoy this beautiful spring weather. Have a wonderful day!