Celebrating Small Feats & Tiny Feet

Christmas Reading

2011-12-06T16:49:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I was zipping around Amazon in search of something to read. I happened across a free version of Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol. Having only watched the movie and listened to a dramatized audio version before, I downloaded a copy.

I am enjoying it immensely. There's just nothing like reading an original text, especially a classic. Most modern versions lack the rich descriptions and character depth of the original. This particular story takes the reader back to London in the 1800s to accompany Ebenezer Scrooge as he encounters the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future.

This is a must-read if you are interested at all in classic literature.

May 2, 2011

2011-05-02T14:04:00.000-07:00

Monday: Baked rosemary chicken, steamed broccoli.
Tuesday: 15 bean and ham soup with carrots and kale.
Wednesday: Onion frittata
Thursday: Beans and rice
Friday: Homemade pizza
Saturday: Baked salmon and red dill potatoes
Sunday: leftover salmon with creamy pasta and peas

Meals Oct 11-17

2010-10-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

I'm getting way into couponing lately, and this has also affected my meal planning strategies. For instance, this week's meals are created only from sale items and coupon items at Safeway. It took about twice as long to get my meals and shopping list organized this week, but I'm hoping it all pays off at the register.

Monday: Beef round steak, marinated overnight in hubby's creation and slow cooked all day, served with green salad for the adults and frozen mixed veggies for the kidlets.

Tuesday: Sloppy joes served with yam fries

Wednesday: Tortilla soup

Thursday: Leftover tortilla soup

Friday: Pork spareribs and baked apples

Saturday: Salmon fillet served with steamed broccoli

Sunday: baked cheesy ziti served with frozen corn

Meals: Oct 3-9

2010-10-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

Sunday: Turkey ziti
Monday: Ziti leftovers
Tuesday: Ham steak with mac and cheese and steamed broccoli
Wednesday: Chicken soup in the slow cooker with cornbread
Thursday: Beef stew for dinner. Take two breakfast casseroles to church for brunch.
Friday: Turn leftover beef into fajitas
Saturday: Baked chicken and acorn squash

Meals for Late September

2010-09-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

Sadly, everyone in our house has a stomach bug this week. So upcoming meals will be easy to prepare and somewhat bland...

Baked potatoes topped with beans, cheese, avocado, sour cream, tomato, chopped spinach
Slow cooker chicken noodle soup
Beef stew
Chicken pot pies using leftover chicken
Fajitas incorporating leftover beef and veggies from stew

Little Sprout Cable Newborn Hat

2010-09-27T13:02:00.001-07:00

Little Sprout Cable Newborn Hat

This pattern was created to fit a newborn. It can easily be sized up by casting on additional stitches in multiples of 8 -- just be sure to account for additional stitches in your decrease sequence. It is knit in the round from the bottom up, and is finished on double pointed needles.

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, 50 grams

Needles:

Circular needles in US size 3
Set of 4 double-pointed needles in US size 3
Cable needle
Tapestry needle to weave in loose ends

Gauge: 25 stitches in 4 inches

Skills needed:

K = Knit
P = Purl
C3B = Cable 3 Back. Slip 3 stitches onto cable needle (as if to purl) and hold in back of work. Knit the next 3 stitches, then knit the 3 stitches from your cable needle.
P2tog = Purl two stitches together
K2tog = Knit two stitches together
4 stitch i-cord
tassel

Pattern:

With circular needles, cast on 80 stitches. Mark the beginning of the round with a stitch marker, and join to make a circle for knitting in the round.
Rounds 1-6: Ribbing (K2P2). Repeat to end.
Rounds 7-11: Knit 6, Purl 2. Repeat to end.
Round 12: C3B, Purl 2. Repeat to end.
Rounds 13-17: Knit 6, Purl 2. Repeat to end.
Round 18: C3B, Purl 2. Repeat to end.
Rounds 19-23: Knit 6, Purl 2. Repeat to end.
Round 24: C3B, Purl 2. Repeat to end.
Rounds 25-29: Knit 6, Purl 2. Repeat to end.
Round 30: C3B, Purl 2. Repeat to end.
Round 31: Begin decrease sequence by K6, P2tog. Use this round to transition from the circular needles to the double-pointed needles.
Round 32: K5, K2tog. Repeat to end.
Round 33: K4, K2tog. Repeat to end.
Round 34: K3, K2tog. Repeat to end.
Round 35 and 36: K2tog. Repeat to end. Four stitches remain.
Round 37-43: Create a four stitch i-cord
Tie off and make a tassel. I deliberately made a spindly tassel so it wouldn't weigh down the sprout.
Using tapestry needle, weave in any loose ends.

*Please note, the hat in the picture used C3F so the cables appear to twist to the left. For best results, use C3B instead to create a twist to the right. This will make for a smoother transition from the cable section to the decrease section.

Hand knits for fall

2010-09-22T13:12:00.001-07:00

Left: Pattern from Itty-bitty hats by Susan Anderson. Right: Stella Pixie Hat (free on Ravelry).

Menu Planning Monday

2010-09-06T21:31:00.001-07:00

So this is a first: I actually got my menu planned and shopped for on Sunday! I knew Labor Day would be busy and I wouldn't get a chance to go shopping...it feels good to be prepared for once.

Dinners this week include:

Grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup, green salad
Slow cooker BBQ chicken sandwiches, corn on the cob, green beans
Black bean burritos
Chicken pot pies made from leftover chicken
Parmesan crusted tilapia filets, broccoli, couscous
Ham, cheese and macaroni casserole with baby carrots on the side
Chuck roast with potatoes and carrots
Leftover roast sandwiches

Menu Planning Monday 8/30-9/4

2010-08-30T08:53:00.000-07:00

Breakfasts:
Steel cut oats or cereal with bananas

Snacks:

Zucchini bread
Homemade yogurt
Fruit smoothies

Lunches:
PBJ sandwiches or turkey and cheese sandwiches

Dinners:

Peach Pork Tenderloin served with steamed broccoli (p310)
Mexican Bean Wraps
Citrus Baked Halibut Steaks (p 244) served with salad and french bread
Leftover pork tenderloin sandwiches served with baby carrot sticks
Chicken and cheese tortellini soup with frozen veggies mixed in, served with cornbread
Frozen vegetarian lasagna
* Page numbers refer to my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

A new little bag

2010-08-29T20:58:00.000-07:00

I sewed this quick little toiletry bag last night, thinking it would be the perfect size to take to the hospital when the baby is born. The pattern is from Weekend Sewing, a lovely book that I have been pining over all summer. I was beyond thrilled when I was finally able to check it out from the library.

This heavy upholstery fabric was leftover from when I made the kids' diaper bag. And I was lucky enough to find this coat zipper hidden among the fabric in my cabinet -- with the added benefit that it actually matched the dark blue flowers in the fabric! Free and fast -- I love when things come together this way.

Menu Planning Monday

2010-08-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

We have a busy week ahead of us; I'm working four nights this week, we have swimming lessons two of the afternoons, and I have my 1-hr glucose tolerance test at the OB's office, which means we'll be spending most of the afternoon sitting in the waiting room. So meals are fast and cheap this week:

Breakfasts: cereal, milk, bananas, OJ

Lunches: turkey sandwiches or PBJ sandwiches

Snacks: peaches and homemade yogurt

Dinners:

Red bean chili served over cornbread with a side salad
Black bean burritos with fresh veggies
Broiled salmon fillet served with polenta and steamed broccoli
Slow cooker tortilla soup
Dinner out!
Leftovers

Best Homemade Playdough Recipe

2010-08-15T12:11:00.000-07:00

I've tried making playdough a handful of times in the past, and it never really turned out. That is, until today. This cooked recipe turned out just beautifully: soft, supple texture, nice scent, and it didn't require many ingredients or excessive time or energy.

Homemade Playdough Recipe
Combine in saucepan:

1 cup flour
1/4 cup salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

While whisking, add:

1 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
food coloring

Cook over medium heat until playdough is nearly set. You'll know because after a few minutes, it begins to form chunks, and then it suddenly forms a ball and hangs on to the spoon. It looks similar to bread dough when you are nearly finished with the kneading process.

Add:

1 tablespoon imitation vanilla extract (or whatever you have; today we used peppermint extract). This seems to improve the texture and adds a nice scent.

Stir until blended, remove from pan, and allow to cool. Knead for a few minutes until smooth. Then let the kids have at it! Store in a ziploc bag or airtight container.

Finally did a little sewing

2010-07-27T20:25:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to try this Trapeze Dress pattern for some time now, and I finally got my hands on a copy of Weekend Sewing from the library. With my free pattern and my 40% off coupon from the fabric store, I was able to make this dress in one afternoon for a grand total of. . .wait for it. . . $8! (and it could have cost even less because I had 1/2 of a yard of fabric left over, but that's neither here nor there).
I chose a breezy seersucker fabric in green and white vertical stripes. It is so comfortable that I'm considering making several more, and only wearing dresses for the remainder of the pregnancy. Well, not really, but it is a nice thought. It really is that comfortable! And did I mention it has pockets? I really love a dress with nice, deep pockets.

(**Note: please disregard the crooked way the sash is tied in the previous picture. That's what happens when I try to take pictures of my backside all by myself with the camera on a stand. Oh well.)
So this is not a maternity dress pattern per se, but it was roomy enough for my 24-week pregnant belly. (I swear my belly is bigger this time than the last two pregnancies. . .I wonder how big baby #3 will be?!) Anyway, I made a few modifications, including gathers on the front instead of box pleats. This was mainly because the pleats fell into strange-looking points around the fullest part of my belly, so the gathers have a much softer effect. And I added the sash so I didn't feel as though I was wearing a humongous circus tent.

And there you have it. This is one of the most satisfying patterns I've sewn in ages.

Menu July 26-31

2010-07-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

We had a BBQ yesterday and our guests brought over a huge amount of steak for the grill. Lucky for us, there are enough leftovers for two meals this week. This is quite a treat, as steak is rarely in the budget.

Dinners this week:

Steak fajitas with onions, bell peppers, guacamole, and corn
Summer pasta with garden veggies, olive oil and grated parmesan cheese on top
Steak sandwiches on hoagie rolls with melted cheddar cheese. Green salad on the side.
Vegetable omelettes
Slow cooker chicken with BBQ sauce. Served with steamed broccoli
Chicken salad sandwiches with chopped spinach and grated carrots mixed in.
Leftovers

More menu ideas at Organizing Junkie

Menu July 19-24

2010-07-19T16:29:00.000-07:00

Dinners this week:

Mexican Bean Wrap
Braised short ribs, polenta and steamed green beans
Slow cooker BBQ chicken thighs, baby carrots and snap peas
Ham steak, homemade mac & cheese, and steamed broccoli
Spinach, bacon and egg salad
BBQ salmon, green salad and homemade french bread

And I bought some rhubarb...it was kind of limp but it was cheap, so I'll try to make that into some sort of dessert or mid-morning snack.

More dinner inspiration at Organizing Junkie

Meals: Jul y 12-16

2010-07-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

Monday
Breakfast: cereal or oatmeal with bananas
Lunch: Turkey, cheese and spinach sandwiches
Dinner: Spaghetti with sausage, green salad, french bread

Tuesday
Breakfast: Cereal or oatmeal with bananas
Lunch: Frozen chicken nuggets, apple slices, baby carrots
Dinner: Slow cooker BBQ chicken, steamed broccoli, cous cous

Wednesday
Breakfast: Cereal or oatmeal with bananas
Lunch: PBJ, strawberry and yogurt smoothies
Dinner: Ham steaks with pineapple sauce, sauteed zucchini

Thursday
Breakfast: Cereal or oatmeal with bananas
Lunch: Homemade mac and cheese
Dinner: Bacon and egg spinach salad

Friday
Breakfast: Cereal or oatmeal with bananas
Lunch: PBJ with orange slices
Dinner: Steak fajitas

See more meal inspiration at Meal Plan Monday

Meals on a budget

2010-06-07T11:12:00.001-07:00

Ok, money is really tight around here this week. As in, I have enough money to buy cheese, peanut butter, and bananas right now, but I can't do a whole shopping run. So I'm doing my best to cook out of the freezer and pantry all week long. Sadly, fresh produce has been sacrificed, but we'll live. All things considered, I think this is a passable meal plan -- and we are thankful for it.

Monday
Breakfast: oatmeal and bananas
Lunch: tuna sandwiches and canned fruit
Dinner: scrambled eggs wrapped in tortillas with salsa and leftover bacon on the side

Tuesday
Breakfast: oatmeal and bananas
Lunch: PBJ and apple slices
Dinner: Baked Ziti (I had extra meat sauce a while back so I froze it, thank goodness) served with a spinach salad

Wednesday
Breakfast: oatmeal and bananas
Lunch: PBJ and orange slices
Dinner: leftover ziti from Tuesday served with carrot sticks

Thursday
Breakfast: oatmeal and bananas
Lunch: Tuna sandwiches and orange slices
Dinner: lentils and brown rice with frozen veggies on the side (warmed up of course)

Friday
Breakfast: oatmeal and bananas
Lunch: Tuna sandwiches
Dinner: lefttover lentils wrapped in tortillas, topped with chopped spinach and melted cheese

Saturday
Breakfast: oatmeal and bananas
Lunch: ?
Dinner: homemade mac and cheese with frozen veggies mixed in

Healthy Multigrain Fruit/Veggie/Yogurt Bread Recipe

2010-06-04T09:40:00.000-07:00

We have a new favorite snack around here, and fortunately it's a healthy one. So I felt pretty good about giving it to the kids (and eating a whole lot of it while pregnant, too). Based on this recipe, I made several modifications, and I think it turned out pretty well. Thanks to Angie for the recommendation.

It tastes a little like traditional zucchini bread, but not as sweet and it is much denser. And I'd say a whole lot healthier, too. It was a perfect mid-morning snack with a tall glass of milk. Despite not being very sweet, the kids gobbled it right up. Next time I'll make a double-batch to freeze, as it was moderately time-intensive. However, nearly everything was a pantry staple, so no fancy ingredients or shopping required.

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup steel cut oats, ground in the Cuisinart to make oat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup grated zucchini (about 2 small zucchinis)
1 cup grated carrots (a few handfulls of baby carrots)
3/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup flax seed (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I was out today, but will add next time)

Directions:
1. Preaheat oven to 4oo degrees
2. Sift together white flour, wheat flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and allspice. Stir in steel cut oat flour.
3. In a separate bowl, beat eggs. Add vegetable oil, applesauce, yogurt, sugar, honey, and vanilla and combine well. Mix with dry ingredients. Fold in zucchini, carrots, nuts, raisins, and flax seed.
4. Pour into 24 prepared muffin cups and bake 18-20 min. OR, if you're feeling lazy like I was, divide mixture between a loaf pan and an 8x11 baking pan until batter is roughly the same height. Bake at 400 degrees for 23-28 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean (because we never have toothpicks around!)
5. To heck with cooling - eat while steaming hot with a tall glass of milk!

Homemade Laundry Powder: Making Laundry Fun Again

2010-05-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

I was totally inspired by this post about homemade laundry powder. Using only natural ingredients and costing a fraction of the commercial detergent, I had to try it out. Plus, I am always up for a project.

I grated one and a half bars of peppermint castille soap, which smells so lovely, and mixed it with the other ingredients. Then I poured the powder into two mason jars so I could shake it up, since the soap flakes tend to settle to the bottom. And I tried it on my first load of laundry.

I purposely chose a few white, black, and colored t-shirts for the first load, just to see what happened. I added one tablespoon of the powder, set it on hot, pressed start, and then hung around anxiously, checking on it frequently. There were no suds at all. When the load finally finished (I swear it took twice as long as normal), I was totally surprised to find that the whites were noticeably brighter than before, even after coming out of a colored load.

I have a front loading washer and have always been disappointed with dingy whites, so this was a welcome surprise. I think the combination of borax and washing soda did the trick. And I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the powder got rid of the icky kitchen washcloth smell that my regular detergent couldn't do without bleach.

Feeling triumphant, I hung the load on the line to dry outside. And as an added benefit, the sun bleached out the gross food stains on Isaiah's white onesie. What a great afternoon.

Meals

2010-05-24T09:29:00.000-07:00

Monday: Roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, pan-fried brussels sprouts with bacon

Tuesday: Chicken pot pies using leftover chicken

Wednesday: Broiled salmon with sweet potato fries and broccoli

Thursday: Black beans and brown rice with chopped veggies and grated cheese on top

Friday: Homemade pizza

Saturday: BBQ ribs, spiced apples, steamed green beans

Sunday: I work from 12-3 and am having a girls' afternoon so Chris is on his own for dinner...maybe Chipotle or Quiznos?

Meals: May 17-23

2010-05-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

Green salad with shrimp, garlic bread, and corn chowder (made without the miracle whip dressing)
Brown rice with black beans, avocados, tomatoes, spinach and cheese on top
Thai beef served over brown rice instead of coleslaw, with steamed green beans on the side
Last night's leftover beef chopped up and served on grilled hoagie rolls with melted cheese. Baby carrots on the side.
Jamie Oliver's Mexican bean wraps
Date night, using Olive Garden gift certificate.

Monday Morning: Meals in May

2010-05-03T06:38:00.000-07:00

The birthday party was a success; the weather held so we didn't get rained on, and all eight kids loved having room to run and play together at the zoo. The birthday boy was a good sport despite not getting an afternoon nap, and everyone was able to visit and catch up. I love getting the family all together.

Anyway, on to meal planning (and cleaning out the fridge before our get-away!)

Monday:
Oatmeal and fruit for breakfast. Turkey and cheese grilled sandwiches and carrots for lunch. For dinner: miso soup with tofu, spinach, grated carrots. Possibly with omelets on the side, depending on how the kids do with the soup.

Tuesday:
Repeat Monday's meals for breakfast and lunch. For dinner: tuna sandwiches in pita pockets.

Wed - Fri: at the beach!

Sat and Sun: I'll figure it out later!

For more meal ideas, check out Organizing Junkie!

My baby's turning one!

2010-04-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

Monday
Salmon sandwiches on whole wheat buns / steamed broccoli

Tuesday
Crock pot french dip sandwiches on whole wheat buns with monterey jack cheese / baked squash "french fries". Take kids to open gym in the morning.

Wednesday
Savannah's swimming lessons in the morning. Black bean burritos on whole wheat tortillas with fresh veggies for dinner. Work in the evening. Prep egg & ham casserole after work.

Thursday
Bake and take casserole to church for brunch. For dinner: leftover beef from Tues served as fajitas

Friday Isaiah's first birthday!
Broiled ham steak / mac and cheese (add cubed squash) / peas

Saturday
Orange vegetable stir fry / brown rice. Make a double batch to share?

Sunday Zoo party day!
Prep sandwich fixings in the morning. Pick up cupcakes from bakery. Work in the afternoon. Transport and serve sub-sandwiches / fruit / cupcakes for dinner at the zoo for Isaiah's first birthday party!

Getting an early start on Monday...for once

2010-04-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

I hit the gym at 6am today. Now I'm back, showered, fed, and the house is still asleep. Sounds like the perfect time to make a menu for the week. So many of the recipes from this site look good, so I'm going to borrow most of her week's menu plan. It is a little heavier on the meat than I've been cooking lately, but it really sounds good now...maybe it is time for second breakfast...hehe.

I'm working three nights this week, so I'm looking for meals that can be prepped early in the day. And on Friday we're heading to the beach for the weekend, so leftovers will be perfect for the car trip there. The beach house has a little kitchenette, so I'm going to pack a cooler of food and try to save some money by not eating out for breakfasts and dinners. But we do have a favorite pizza/salad place that we'll likely hit up for a few lunches. Oh, boy that sounds good right now. I really am hungry.

Dinners:

Eggplant Parmesan
Hamburger or Lamb soup (depending on what looks good at the store)
Veggie tortellini bake
Crockpot pulled chicken sandwiches
Veggie sloppy joes
Jaime Oliver's Mexican bean wraps

inexpensive meals

2010-03-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

Projects in the queue: Re-seeding the lawn and watering twice a day to encourage new growth (I dread putting this much time and energy and water into the lawn, but in the end, it is cheaper to maintain what we have than to replace it with anything else). Cleaning out all the closets and making a massive goodwill delivery. Finish sewing the kids' Easter outfits. Continuing with spring cleaning. FINISH KNITTING ISAIAH'S SWEATER. This one just trails on from week to week...maybe I can make this week the last!

Checked off of last week's list: Deep cleaned the refrigerator and freezer. Reorganized a few of the kitchen cupboards to improve efficiency (and get rid of clutter). Deep cleaned the bathroom. Removed cobwebs from the ceilings. Oh, and I finally tried this homemade goldfish cracker recipe and the kids loved it! What's not to love, really: cheese, butter, salt, flour and water. But it was so fast and easy, and preservative-free.

This week's meal plan:

Black bean and beet burgers
Baked salmon with rice and broccoli
Lentil and brown rice casserole
White bean and ham soup
Chicken pot pie using last week's leftover chicken

See other great meal plans at Organizing Junkie.

Another Monday

2010-03-08T21:46:00.000-08:00

Sibling love. Please note that Savannah has begun choosing her own clothes. Because she is quite proud of herself, I'm trying to relax about her clothing actually matching. I think I'm getting better at ignoring the stares while we're out in public.
And here's a picture of Isaiah's bottom teeth coming in. This picture is about 10 days old; now he has one top tooth and another due to arrive any time.
It feels like the Mondays are coming faster than I can keep up -- where does the time go? Before this one ends, though, I'm determined to get a weekly menu completed. I found a cool vegetarian cooking website where many of these recipes are from.

Breakfast:
Steel cut oats (I finally got smart and cooked a huge batch yesterday that hopefully will last all week). Just reheat and add fresh fruit. Yum.

Lunch:
Leftovers or peanut butter sandwiches served with carrot sticks and/or fruit.

Snacks:
Yogurt and fruit smoothies, applesauce and raisin muffins, or cheese slices with crackers.

Dinners:

Leftover homemade lasagna from the freezer
Curried rice and lentils in a crockpot
Pasta with shaved Brussels sprouts and bacon
Pitas stuffed with falafel (Casbah boxed mix), cucumber, tomato and avocado
Mustard and apricot glazed ham served with brown rice and broccoli. The recipe calls for ham substitute, but I have no problem serving the real thing.
Vegetarian red chili served with bread and a spinach salad topped with mandarin oranges and avocado

See ya next week!

Craft Ideas

2010-03-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

Came across these and fell in love. Don't have time for them now, but didn't want to forget the ideas or lose the templates in the shuffle.

Folding flower notecard

Felt bunnies

Weekly Menu

2010-02-22T10:58:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it is Monday already -- it feels like I just finished last week's menu plan. Our trial of vegetarian meals went pretty well. I have rave reviews for both the beet-bean "burgers" and the squash pasties. Both were delicious. And the burgers reheated well for several lunches that were tasty, healthy, filling and fast! In fact, I liked them so much that I'm making them again this week.

We never ate the Pad Thai, so that is at the top of this week's menu. And I have some leftover chicken and squash in the fridge that I'll try to work into the plan somewhere as well. Since I'm short on time this morning, I'm not going to pore over vegetarian recipes -- I'm just going to think up some quick meals and run to the store before the kids go down for naps.

Pad Thai with shrimp
Split pea soup; cornbread
Chicken salad pitas; carrots
Homemade mac and cheese with roasted squash and bacon bits
Brown rice and lentil salad
Beet-bean "burgers"

And in regards to last week's projects, I finished painting and decorating the nursery. If feels so much more cheerful now and I love it. I also made great progress knitting Isaiaih's sweater; the second sleeve is nearly finished, and the body will work up very quickly. I never got around to sewing his pants or sewing the dress form cover...maybe next weekend, as I have to work three nights this week. Also, I'm adding a new project to the list: sewing a cover for the bench in Savannah's room. I found some leftover hippo fabric that matches her drapes. It will make for a nice reading nook in her room.

Isaiah's new room

2010-02-21T11:20:00.001-08:00

Accountability and Menus

2010-02-16T15:00:00.000-08:00

I like how blogging regularly encourages accountability. For instance, Menu Plan Monday encourages me to get my act together on a weekly basis create healthy meals, stay on a budget, practice my cooking skills, and reflect on past successes and failures.

Since I've been planning menus (fairly) regularly, I'm slowly building a list of our family's favorite recipes. I've tried lots of new foods and new cooking techniques. And I can finally claim victory over the chicken! When we were newly married, it seemed that no matter how I tried to prepare chicken, it came out dry and tough, but now I can confidently prepare chicken for company without embarrassing myself. It only took me seven years. Better late than never, I suppose.

Anyway, though conscientious eating, we're all making progress toward our personal health goals: I'm losing weight, Savannah is gaining weight, and Chris is lifting weights. And after watching Food Inc., I'm reminded that I'd like to shift our diet toward vegetarianism -- a goal that I find personally daunting. I can't resist looking at a meat-free meal and thinking that something big and meaty is missing. I own one vegetarian cookbook but the meals all have extensive ingredient lists and time consuming preparation schedules. It just seems like a lot of work. Can anybody suggest a good vegetarian cookbook or online recipe resource with fast and easy entrees?

I digress...back to accountability:

Blogging about and photographing the projects that I'm working on reminds me to persevere with those projects instead of giving up mid-way through and starting something new. Which, coincidentally, I am guilty of this week. I purchased some beautiful yellow paint for Isaiah's room today. I just think the blue it is too dark and stormy for a nursery and I'd like to bring some sunshine into this space:

But I still need to finish knitting his sweater, sewing the khaki pants that I cut out for him, and sewing the cover for my dress form. And there's all kinds of yard work to do now that the weather is warming up...I am so easily distracted and inspired.

Let's see how things look around here next week.

On to the meal plan:

Butternut squash, sage and parmesan pasties
Roasted chicken served with homemade mac and cheese and baby carrots
Polenta with black beans and coconut tomato
Bean burgers
Pad Thai

Projects and meals, Feb 8-14

2010-02-08T10:13:00.000-08:00

I have another new project: I'm knitting a soft gray sweater for Isaiah. I found this pattern on Ravelry, and it should be fairly straightforward -- it starts at one sleeve and work sideways across the chest and continues on to the other sleeve, all in one piece. Then it picks up stitches under the armpits and knits the round, down the torso. So far it has been fast and fun. My goal is to have it completed by the end of February, knitting almost entirely in the evenings after the kids are tucked into bed.

I'm working three evenings this week, and it is time to clean out the freezer again. So I have a variety of easy meals for work nights, and some time-consuming but tasty choices for the other nights.

Breakfasts: Cheerios or steel cut oats with fruit

Snacks: fruit and yogurt smoothies or zucchini muffins

Lunches: leftovers from dinners (or the pizza from Superbowl Sunday) or peanut butter sandwiches

Dinners:

Lasagne served with green salad
Leftover short rib sandwiches served with carrots and sugar snap peas (last week's short ribs were amazing, and I finally feel like I have a recipe suitable for company)
Black bean burritos
Rosemary and squash chicken served with brown rice and broccoli (this recipe has become a family favorite)
Leftover lasagne
Ravioli, chicken, and veggie soup served with corn bread
Almond crusted tilapia fillets served with sweet potato fries

Shalom Cardigan

2010-02-04T16:15:00.000-08:00

I did it! I decided to knit myself a sweater, and I actually completed it!

I found this free pattern, called the Shalom Cardigan, on Ravelry. I made a few modifications to the pattern: I added two buttons, shortened the yoke, and eliminated the waist shaping. I am looking forward to having the length grow a little as I wear it (wool hand-knits tend to stretch over time) but overall I am pleased with the result. I knit it from one skein of un-dyed ecological wool, which is fairly inexpensive. The grand total was like $17, including the buttons. I'm not sure whether I'm more excited about knitting it myself, or the fact that my hand-knit sweater cost less than $20 to make. I really love a good bargain.

I went back and forth over adding sleeves, and I even had the first sleeve nearly completed. Then the sweater sat in a basket for two months as I vacillated -- sleeves or no sleeves? Every time I passed the basket, my guilt mounted. So today, I walked by that poor little basket for the last time. I decided that I wanted to wear the sweater THIS SEASON, so I ripped out that partial sleeve. Now I am happily wearing my new sweater. There's no time like the present, right?

New favorite artwork

2010-02-04T14:04:00.001-08:00

As you may know, I have finally decided to turn the craft room into a nursery for Isaiah, so the kids are no longer sharing a bedroom. While searching the web for decorations that are cute (but not too baby-ish) I fell in love with these alphabet wall cards at Children Inspire Design. I am going to paint his room in something that matches the cards once they arrive in the mail -- possibly blue or yellow. We'll see.

And today I entered a drawing on the blog to win a piece of artwork -- check it out and enter too!

Menu Plan: Feb 1st

2010-02-01T09:35:00.000-08:00

Baked teriyaki chicken served with broccoli and rice
Chicken pot pie from leftover cooked chicken
Cauliflower soup served with cornbread
Braised short ribs served with mashed potatoes and green salad
Beef sandwiches from leftover rib meat, served with carrot sticks and sugar snap peas

10-day meal plan

2010-01-22T12:44:00.000-08:00

My goal for this week was to find inexpensive meals that would yield a large quantity, providing leftovers for lunches and a few dinners as well.

Pasta with shaved brussels sprouts and bacon
Quick roast chicken, parboiled potatoes and carrots, served with salad
Black bean burritos
Split pea soup with ham hock, served with cornbread
Quinoa and avocado salad with dried fruit, toasted almonds and lemon-cumin vinaigrette
Homemade pizza

Recent sources of inspiration

2009-12-27T21:07:00.000-08:00

While browsing around Etsy, I happened upon this story about communal living and the amazing accompanying video. I've often dreamed of living this way.

It ties right in with a terrific book I've been reading called The Urban Homestead.

And I lost track of a whole bunch of time tonight while reading about this family's self-sufficient lifestyle right in the middle of southern CA. They harvest 6,000 lbs of produce annually on 1/10 of an acre. Amazing.

Weekend menus for cold weather

2009-12-11T12:08:00.000-08:00

I didn't manage to get a meal plan together this week, so we mainly ate from the fridge. I'm good and tired of peanut butter sandwiches, though, so I'm going to do a shopping to get us through the weekend. We're expecting snow and freezing rain over the next several days so I don't want to have to leave the house unless completely necessary.

Breakfasts: Oatmeal, fruit, pear pancakes, or cereal

Lunches: Leftovers, sandwiches, or macaroni and cheese

Dinners:

Pasta with shaved brussel sprouts
Crockpot beef roast with sweet potatoes and spinach salad
Autumn chicken with apples and rice (in oven instead of crock pot) and broccoli
Chicken pot pie
Leftover beef sandwiches on hoagie rolls

Snacks: Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

Little Witnesses to Prayer

2009-12-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

Like many of you, I have two small children at home. My daughter (3 yrs) and my son (7 mos) watch every move I make during the day. They witness my moods and inspirations, my achievements and my failures. In short, my children watch how I handle life.

No matter how gracefully I try to live, they've certainly seen me break down in tears, rush around feeling stressed, act grumpy, and on occasion lose my temper. And inevitably in the middle of each crisis, I send a quick, silent prayer up to the Lord: "Show me the way through this;" or "Please give me patience;" or simply "Help!". Then I pause for a few seconds, take a deep breath, and focus on the situation at hand with renewed energy.

But recently it occurred to me that my kids can't hear my daily, ongoing conversation with the Lord. From their perspective, it must look like I draw upon some source of inner strength, but that's exactly opposite from the truth. In fact, only in acknowledging my brokenness and humbling myself can I receive the Lord's grace and actually pull it together. I tried explaining this to my daughter, but I don't think she got it. Like, at all. The only real way to teach this is to model it, out loud.

So instead of sending out silent prayers, I'm trying to announce in the middle of a meltdown (sometimes hers and sometimes mine) that we need to pray. And then I ask the Lord to change our hearts and help us through. This has been especially helpful during the holiday season, as I tend lose myself in the rush to finish shopping, wrapping, mailing, baking, crafting, and celebrating. It helps me remember what the holiday is all about, and that I'm completely missing the boat when I obsess over the details. And I think it gives my daughter a sense that she's not alone in her struggles, even if she doesn't totally understand who I'm talking to yet. The Lord will take care of that part in due time.

Menu Nov 30-Dec 5

2009-11-30T15:43:00.000-08:00

Crockpot honey mustard chicken served with rice and sauteed bell peppers
Cheese ravioli, leftover turkey and veggie soup
Black bean burritos
Homemade pizza or stromboli
Ham steak, sweet potatoes and broccoli
Cranberry nut bars for dessert

Striving for Balance

2009-11-19T14:01:00.001-08:00

I value relationships. I am happiest in life when my relationships are free of tension and are filled with joy, laughter, peace, creativity and rest. Like most women, I'm sure, the status of my relationships is a litmus test for my own sense of well-being. While I feel satisfaction when I've managed to clean the house, fold the laundry and get a healthy dinner on the table, I feel truly happy after spending time with loved ones.

So why does tending to those relationships takes a backseat to the tasks of everyday life? I spend the majority of each day attempting to run a household, care for the physical needs of two young children, manage their temper tantrums (as well as my own frustrations), and work outside the home...not to mention things that frequently slip through the cracks like yard work, regular exercise, and (gasp) time alone. I feel frustrated and guilty when I'm pulled too thin. The house could always be cleaner, the meals could certainly be healthier, etc. Sometimes I allow myself to believe that things would be easier if I had more time.

And then, God subtly reminds me that I'm being extremely juvenile and selfish. I'm being greedy with time that was never "mine" to begin with. Each day is a divine gift -- an opportunity -- and I have been given the tremendous privilege (and responsibility) to manage that time. AND, my kids are not really "mine" either. I'm reminded that these are the Lord's children who have temporarily been placed in my custody, and I'm just here to raise them -- hopefully teach them a few things, and love them to the best of my ability.

I want to send a clear message to my family that they are more important to me than the housework. While keeping an orderly house is important, and I do intend to teach my children to have a good work ethic, I am learning to prioritize my relationships above the home we live in. I want my kids to have peaceful, joyful hearts. I want them to have high self esteem, and I want them to feel nurtured and loved.

So this week, I am striving for balance by placing my relationships first.

Menu: Nov 16-22

2009-11-16T08:33:00.000-08:00

I'm not feeling super creative this week, so I'm going to try Laura's recipes from last week. Thanks so much for posting links!

Baked chicken and acorn squash
Chicken tortellini soup
Slow cooker french dip
Baked ziti with spinach and sausage
Leftovers

Revised menu plan

2009-11-02T13:18:00.000-08:00

I planned my weekly menu last night, shopped this morning, got home, unloaded my groceries, and realized that I'd forgotten to buy beef and ham. That's right, I didn't forget something insignificant like chocolate chips; I forgot the protein sources for most of this week's meals. Sigh. That explains why it cost less than I expected a the check-out counter.

So here's the REVISED menu plan, based on pantry staples, as I refuse to head back to the store again. I'm trying to be thrifty, but I'll acknowledge that I'm probably just being stubborn. Anyway, here it is:

Breakfast:
Steel cut oats with bananas, frozen blueberries, brown sugar and milk

Lunch:
Leftovers or peanut butter sandwiches

Dinners:

Oven roasted chicken with potatoes, carrots, garlic and onions (yes, thankfully I remembered to buy a roaster chicken)
Chicken pot pies
Egg Foo Yong with white rice
Broiled salmon (from the freezer) served with sauteed zucchini and pasta
Leftover salmon sandwiches on hoagie rolls
Autumn spinach salad with pears, walnuts, mandarin orange slices, feta, and maybe broccoli

Dessert:
Yes, folks, because I didn't forget to buy chocolate chips, we get to try hazelnut chocolate chip scones. I am excited because Chris' great aunt and uncle just sent us several pounds of fresh Oregon hazelnuts from their orchard...yum!

And it's my group's turn to fix breakfast for Thursday morning's Bible study, so I'm baking 3 batches of zucchini bread muffins.

Menu Plan

2009-10-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

Breakfasts: steel cut oats with bananas and blueberries

Snacks: zucchini bread, yogurt, or fresh fruit

Lunches: peanut butter sandwiches or leftovers

Dinners:

Roasted chicken thighs served with steamed carrots
Chicken soup served with cornbread
Black bean burritos
Ham steak with baked sweet potato fries and corn on the cob
Grilled salmon with brown rice and green beans
Salmon sandwiches on hoagie rolls served with broccoli

Kitchen Cure Part II

2009-10-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

This week's task was to clean out the kitchen gadgets and tools. While this was a smaller undertaking than the pantry and fridge, it was also much needed. You see, I have a drawer full of miscellaneous kitchen gadgets that always seems to be disorganized and full to the brim. In fact, I curse it (silently of course) every time I open it, dig through it, and shove it closed with cords and things poking out the top.

So I emptied it entirely, wiped the drawer clean, pulled out the garbage can, and ruthlessly purged. I only kept the items that I've used within the last 3 months. I can't tell you how great it felt to throw 1/3 of the contents away. I replaced what remained with tremendous satisfaction. Shortly after admiring my work, though, the guilt got to me, so I pulled the old utensils out of the garbage can and set them aside to donate. Now both my drawer and my conscience are clean.

Before:

After:

yasmin law suit

My Kitchen Cure

2009-10-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

I signed up for The Kitchen Cure this year, and here's my progress so far. The first assignment was to empty out the fridge and pantry, discard expired foods, wipe everything down, and put it away neatly.

Here's my newly cleaned fridge, as well as the before and after pics of the pantry. I was surprised to find canned food that expired in 2005; I guess this cleaning was long-overdue.

This felt so good; now I find myself opening the pantry just to admire the view.

Weekly Menu Planning

2009-10-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Soup with bacon served with spinach salad
Chicken in milk served with green beans
Red lentil soup with lemon
Leftover chicken fajitas
Ham steak with sweet potato fries and broccoli
Vegetarian chili served with cornbread

Weekly Menu - time to clean out the freezer

2009-10-04T21:16:00.000-07:00

This week's menu is planned around things I've tucked into the freezer at various times and forgotten about...so it's time to use them up.

Broiled ham steak served with sweet potato french fries
Breaded tilapia fillets served with broccoli and cous cous
Black bean burritos
Ribs served with corn bread and green beans
Sweet and sour stir fry

Rolling baby and meals for the week

2009-09-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

My little guy is getting big so fast - on Sunday (9/27/09) he figured out how to roll from his stomach to his back. He can only go in one direction, but he'll roll from his back to front to back to front until he rolls right off the playmat. Yesterday I heard him squawk while I was cooking lunch, only to find him lying on the hardwood floor, pinned up against the couch. That boy travels fast!

On to this week's menus:

Beef shoulder roast braised in red wine, served with roasted veggies
Beef fajitas
Lentil and brown rice salad
Baked chicken thighs served with salad and spaghetti squash
Chicken pot pie
Broiled salmon served with corn on the cob and rice

The end of summer

2009-09-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

It has been an exciting week around here; Isaiah has perfected rolling from his back to his stomach and he practices with every opportunity. I thought it was funny that he tried to roll over while he was nursing the other day.

Becky, Steve, and their kids moved from California this weekend and now live just a few miles away from us. We're excited to spend family time with them.

I am in the middle of several terrific books right now. Nurture Shock, Finding Your Purpose as a Mom, and Getting Started Knitting Socks. If only I could stay awake past 8:30, I'd actually get something read. The same goes for sewing; I've been working on Savannah's princess costume (view A) for at least a month now, but I can't seem to make any progress lately.

This is our last official week of summer around here, as the fall activities (ballet, bible study, and playgroups) start next week.

This week's menu is designed to include the garden veggies we received from my mom:

Chicken and bean fajitas
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Oven roasted chicken with cheese ravioli and green beans
Salmon steaks, brown rice, and corn on the cob
Pesto, chicken and spaghetti squash casserole
Pizza
Leftovers

Google Reader : a time saver?

2009-09-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

So I've finally learned how to use Google Reader to view all my favorite blogs. I love it because it automatically updates and shows all the newest postings so I don't have to keep checking. And the best part is the "Next" button that I added to the toolbar, allowing me to read blogs in their proper place rather than in the reader itself. Cool.

The reader is so efficient that I think I'm saving lots of time. Except that I find myself glued to the computer, always looking for the next blog update, the next craft idea, the next dinner inspiration. I think in all my effort to save time, I'm actually spending more of it at the computer.

The days are getting shorter and fall is right around the corner; the golden light is shining into my window and tempting me outdoors. Soon it will be rainy again and I will be wistful for summer days.

Time to shut off the computer and go outside -- the ultimate inspiration.

Delicioso

2009-08-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

So the Horchata results are in, and we loved it! For those of you who haven't tried it, Horchata is a Mexican drink made with rice, almonds, sugar, cinnamon, and water, and it is served over ice.

I had to significantly alter this recipe based on the ingredients in my pantry. Instead of plain almonds, I only had roasted and salted almonds. Fear not, they blanched just as well, and I was glad to discover that all the salty taste came off with the almond skins. Blanching almonds is a time consuming procedure; after submerging them in boiling water, it took about 20 minutes to remove all the little almond skins. But it was still faster than running to the store to find blanched almonds. And it was sort of fun, in a pioneer-woman sort of way.

Next, I had 1/3 cup of long grain white rice and 1/3 cup of Jasmine rice, so I mixed them together and threw them into the bowl with the blanched almonds and 2-1/2 cups of hot tap water. Finally, I didn't have a cinnamon stick, so I used 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon. I have no idea if this is really equivalent to a cinnamon stick, but it smelled about right.

This mixture soaked in the fridge overnight. This morning, I added a cup of sugar and pureed everything in the Cuisinart, but I was unable to completely break down the rice particles like the recipe said. So when I got good and tired of trying, I moved on to the next step and separated the liquid from the pulp. The recipe recommended using cheese cloth, but finding myself without any, I put a washcloth into a strainer. It worked like a charm.

I added two more cups of cold water and served it over ice. I was pleased to find that it tasted remarkably like the drink we buy at the farmer's market! Creamy, cinnamon-y, and sweet. Perfect!

Dinosaurs and Horchata

2009-08-20T21:42:00.000-07:00

Savannah has a thing for dinosaurs. I think it all started last summer when the robotic dinosaur exhibit came to the Portland zoo. Since then, we have accumulated all kinds of dino memorabilia, including magnets, puzzles, books, and figurines; you name it, we've probably got it somewhere.

So tonight, when we were discussing the need to clip Isaiah's nails so he wouldn't continue to scratch his face, she informed me that actually, a dinosaur had scratched him. Well, I know how fine that line is between reality and the imagination for a two-year-old, and I didn't want her thinking that dinosaurs were just romping around scratching people, so I explained that there are no more dinosaurs alive.

To which she replied, "oh yeah, the fairy godmother turned them all into horses!"

Huh?

After a good belly laugh, it took me a minute to realize that she must be referring to the fairy godmother in Cinderella, who turns the mice into horses for the carriage...but still! I thought it was a hilarious connection!

On a completely unrelated note, I was terribly excited to come across a recipe for homemade Horchata! I'm going to try it tonight!

kid sayings

2009-08-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

Chris asked Savannah to stay near him in the store. To which she replied, "Ay ay captain boss!"

Where does she come up with these things?

Menu Monday - July 20th

2009-07-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

I never got around to planning my menu last week, and it was sorely missed. I was able to come up with a few scattered meals from the fridge, but we ended up eating out a lot too. This means the budget took a major hit. So today I'm back to planning the weekly menu.

Dinners this week will be:

BBQ Fetzer's bratwurst on sourdough hoagies served with homemade potato salad
Black bean burritos
Crock pot chicken thighs with dried fruit, served on cous cous
Parmesan Crusted Tilapia fillets served with rice and broccoli
Basil Shrimp Pasta
Lentil and brown rice salad
Leftovers

Don't try this at home

2009-07-17T16:39:00.000-07:00

I tried -- I really did. I attempted making chocolate chip mint frozen yogurt. Twice. And no matter how hard I tried to like it, I just couldn't. Yuck.

For the first batch, I used fresh spearmint leaves for the mint flavor because that's all I could find at New Seasons. But the flavor was so off that I tossed the entire batch. It definitely needed peppermint, so for the second batch I used a few drops of peppermint extract and only half the spinach. It came out with a lovely green color, but the mint flavor was still really funky. Not at all what I was expecting or hoping for. And I don't think the problem was the spinach; I couldn't taste spinach at all. If I had a more sophisticated palate, I would attempt to diagnose the problem...but I actually have no idea what went wrong or how to fix it. All I know is that it tasted horrible.

Ugh. I guess this happens when you live on the edge. Oh well -- I guess I'll stick to berry flavors in the future. More results to come soon; I am still crazy excited about the ice cream machine and will continue to try new recipes until I hit on a good one. Wish me luck!

Dreamin' of frozen yogurt: an inspirational list

2009-07-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

I really like the taste of our coconut milk ice cream, but I feel so guilty every time I eat it because of the tremendously high fat content. And it doesn't help that I'm the only one eating it day after day; at this rate I'll consume the whole container in a matter of days all by myself! So during the kids' naps today, I've been researching homemade frozen yogurt recipes which tend to be much lower in fat. And to reduce the glycemic index, I'll probably use agave nectar in place of the sugar.

I've noticed that many frozen yogurt recipes start with Greek yogurt, which is thicker and tangier (and more expensive) than the regular variety. But this vanilla frozen yogurt recipe describes how to thicken plain yogurt to get better results. And I can't wait to try their blackberry sauce. I'll probably wait until the blackberries in our back yard ripen; it will be fun to pick the berries in the afternoon and have fresh dessert on the table later that evening.

If you want to make frozen yogurt the traditional way (without an electric ice cream maker), here's how. Their chocolate frozen yogurt recipe sounds delightful.

This recipe with strawberries looks simple and tasty -- and all the ingredients are pantry staples.

For tonight, though, I'm feeling adventuresome and will probably try this mint chocolate chip recipe -- my personal favorite. But get this: the green color comes from 2 cups of spinach! They swear that you can't taste the spinach. I'm excited to try it!

For now, though, nap time is over (and therefore so is my computer time). Pictures and results forthcoming...

Coconut milk ice cream

2009-07-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

Generally speaking, I've come to terms with my lactose-free life, though I've never found a satisfying substitute for ice cream. The rice and soy products taste so artificial and watered-down that they typically end up in the trash. I don't know why I continue to buy them, except that I really, really miss ice cream and generally allow enough time to pass in between purchases that I forget how bad they really taste.

Anyway, I was beyond excited to learn that one can make ice cream from coconut milk! The recipe is very simple:

3 cans of coconut milk (choose the full-fat variety)
2 tablespoons of vanilla
1/2 cup of light agave nectar

Whisk together the ingredients and chill in the freezer until cold. Then pour into an electric ice cream maker. Ours is an inexpensive two-bucket system that uses ice and rock-salt in the outer bucket; the inner canister holds the cream and spins around for about 30 minutes. Once the ice cream is ready, stir in fruit, chocolate chunks, jam, or whatever sounds good to you.

I know ice cream can be made without an electric mixer, and we even attempted this in our early days of marriage -- I have a fuzzy memory of shaking a mason jar wrapped in ice and towels for what seemed like hours. The result was more like butter than ice cream (this also ended up in the trash). We did get a good laugh out of the whole experiment, though.

Anyway, last night, we tried adding 1-1/2 squares of dark chocolate shavings in this batch. The chocolate flavor was masked by the coconut and had a very waxy texture, perhaps because the shavings were too small or too thin -- next time we might add larger chunks. However, we all agreed that stirring in a spoon of blackberry jam was delicious. It complemented the coconut flavor splendidly and looked lovely. Savannah seemed to enjoy it quite a bit.

We will be making it again, although next time I think I'll add pureed fruit to the cream mixture before it goes in the canister, and then add chopped fruit chunks at the end.

Blueberries and Awe

2009-07-13T09:26:00.000-07:00

Saturday we picked many, many pounds of blueberries to save in the freezer - I am looking forward to blueberry pancakes, blueberry muffins, blueberry shakes, you name it. Hopefully we'll have enough to last all year long.

It was a beautiful sunny day and we all had a wonderful, relaxing time picking berries, although Savannah ate far more than she actually saved in her bucket. This actually worked out well because she hadn't eaten much for lunch. Isaiah also enjoyed being outside and seemed quite jovial in between snoozes. He is quite sociable lately and is an easy smiler. And a terrific traveler - he's just a mellow baby all around. Did I mention that he is sleeping for a six-hour stretch at nights? Amen!

Anyway, after picking blueberries, we asked Savannah what she wanted to do, and she chose the playground. So we picked up some sandwiches and had a picnic at the park for dinner. It was wonderful to have a day just to play together as a family.

Savannah's imagination has been incredibly active lately - especially the last week or so. Her imaginary friends Mita and Tita (two bears the size of her palm) spend a lot of time traveling around in her backpack and they go on terrific adventures. Yesterday, they needed to be saved because they fell and bruised their knees while they were trapped outside on our back patio in the rainstorm during our dinnertime. So she sat at the table eating dinner and creating a plan to save them that involved her imaginary Hello Kitty rope and gloves - apparently the gloves were necessary due to the rain. Or perhaps they were remnants from playing "cowboy" with Chris before dinner, and everyone knows that cowboys need gloves. Anyway, the rescue plan was a great success.

And just minutes after that, she was a doctor. She was terribly concerned because both Chris and I had fevers, which she fixed by taking out her doctor's kit and "stamping" our hands with the plunger-end of her syringe. She is incredibly compassionate and worries about each member of her family. And for the record, she considers Uncle Rosendo to be part of the immediate family and she makes sure he is included in all of our activities. Even though he lives in California.

Both kids are so precious to me that sometimes I don't know whether to smile or cry. I am in awe.

Trying the new balance bike

2009-07-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

We thought Brighton's balance bike was so cool that we had to get one for Savannah. We found it here. This video shows her trying it for the first time.

She'd watched a few online videos of kids riding balance bikes, so she had a good idea what to do. She was so excited to learn how to get on and off by herself. As her skills progress over time, we'll post new videos.

At the end while she's petting the cat, she says, "this is my friend right here!". Too cute.

Pie Makin' Apron and Family Apple Pie Recipe

2009-06-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

My "Pie Makin' Apron" was created from a pattern in this book and I used fabric from the Surf and Sand collection. Although they are difficult to see in these photos, the apron features 6 pleats on each side which give the apron some pizazz. If I were to sew this pattern again, however, I would make the pocket a few inches bigger and the apron skirt a few inches shorter. Anyway, here's my new apron in all its glory. (Please disregard the wrinkles...ahem).

My apple pie recipe was created by my grandfather who was a baker in France. This recipe has been passed down three generations to me. The key is getting the crust just right -- a feat that I've only accomplished once or twice in many years of bringing it to family gatherings. When done correctly, with exactly the right amount of ice water, the perfect level humidity in the air, enough patience and love, and the planets aligning, the crust is amazing -- as light as a feather, flaky and delicious. The rest of the time, it is still good -- don't get me wrong -- but the women in the family know how it is really supposed to taste.

Anyway, here's our family recipe for Homemade Apple Pie:

For the Crust

3 cups white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons ice water
1 cup shortening, well packed

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl
3. Remove 1/2 cup from the mixture and place in a small bowl, mixing with ice water to form a paste
4. Using a dough mixer, mix shortening with original ingredients in medium bowl until texture is grainy and pea-sized
5. Combine ingredients from both bowls with dough mixer
6. Form a large ball, cover with waxed paper and refrigerate.

For the Filling

5-6 large Granny Smith Apples
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon heavy cream to spread on crust before baking

1. Peel, core and slice apples
2. In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg
3. Cover apples with sugar mixture and set aside

Making the Pie
1. Split the dough in half; roll each half between two sheets of waxed paper until they measure 2 inches wider than the pie plate
2. Place bottom crust into the pie plate, add apple mixture, and decoratively seal the top crust in place
3. Spread heavy cream on top of crust for browning
4. Puncture holes to release steam
5. Bake pie at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and apples are soft
6, If necessary, cover edges of crust with aluminum foil to prevent burning

Enjoy! And special thanks to Amy at Tie One On for hosting this apron sew-along! Be sure to check out all the other apron submissions and pie recipes!

Organized Vehicle

2009-06-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

The first step to organizing my minivan was hanging this lovely trash bag between the front seats. I found it here and I love it because it is cute, the top always stays open for easy access, and it holds enough for just a few days, encouraging frequent emptying.
Next, since I have two young children (a toddler and a newborn) I am forever packing and repacking the diaper bag -- a chore that I particularly despise -- mostly because I'm always forgetting something in my effort to get out of the house in a timely fashion. So I found this cool transparent tote and packed it with my diaper bag essentials. Now I can run into the store with just my purse instead of a giant diaper bag, and still have peace of mind that the van is fully stocked if anything happens, as of course it will.
It is just the right size to slide between the two back seats. Inside, I've got two sizes of diapers, wipes, a receiving blanket, a change of clothes for each child, sun hats, and a fabric pouch with Bandaids, Neosporin, sunscreen, lotion, chapstick, and hand sanitizer. I also put an itemized list where I could see it from the outside so I won't ever have to go digging through it, looking for something.
Next, I needed a way to store water, the baby carrier, and misc toys that always end up scattered around the floor. This cool crate with handles was just the right size to fit in front of the baby's seat (he won't need the leg room for several years). I put bottles of water and the Baby Bjorn inside, and there's still plenty of room for snacks and toys on top. I can reach this from the driver's seat if necessary (although I do try to get everyone situated before we leave of course). Anyway, the handles make it easy to carry into the house to trade out toys, books, and snacks as needed. As a general rule, I try to empty the van every time I get home, so things shouldn't ever accumulate back there...right? :) we'll see...
And in the rear part of the van, I always carry our double jogging stroller, jumper cables, and empty canvas shopping totes. I just need to add a tire patch kit, flares, and a few tools in case of a road-side emergency...I'll pick these things up from the store this weekend.

Finally, I wiped down the interior and my hubby vacuumed and shampooed the carpets. I washed the kids' carseat covers so now it smells nice and fresh. We have two glove boxes up front - one holds registration and a pen. The other has lotion, sunglasses, and a cloth for dusting the interior of the car while I'm stopped in traffic. Ah, now it is a joy to hop in the car!

Thanks to Organizing Junkie for hosting this monthly organizing round-up!

Two Week Menu Plan: June 29-July 12

2009-06-29T06:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am still trying to figure out a way to make grocery delivery affordable. Last week I had Safeway deliver my groceries (first delivery was free) and they did pretty well, except they left out the beef, chicken and bread instead of simply substituting for another brand. So I still had to go to the store, although the shopping trip was much faster.

So I'm giving them one more chance today. They advertised free delivery for the next 60 days if the order is at least $150, so I ordered enough meat, fish, and pantry items to last for two weeks, and I'm going to simply freeze most of the meat. There will be enough veggies for one week, and I'm heading to the farmers' market next Saturday to stock up on fresh produce. The thought of avoiding the grocery store for a full two weeks is exhilarating! Let's hope they get it right today.

Anyway, here is the menu plan for the next 14 days:

June 29 - July 5

Crockpot chicken thighs with rice and broccoli (this was on last week's menu but we never got around to making it)
Breaded tilapia fillets with couscous and sauteed zucchini
Spinach and cheese tortellini with red bell peppers and peas
Baked chicken thighs with sugar snap peas and rice
Spinach salad with cranberries, mandarin oranges, pecans, avocado, tomato and whatever else is in the fridge
Black bean burritos
Leftovers

July 6 - 12

Broiled salmon fillet with rice-a-roni and artichokes
Roasted chicken with roasted potatoes and carrots
Chicken salad sandwiches with spinach and tomato
Ham steak with pineapple sauce with rice and broccoli
Homemade pizza with bell peppers and olives
BBQ hamburgers with corn on the cob
Leftovers

Menu Planning Monday - June 22

2009-06-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

We had a nice Father's Day yesterday with all the family over, but now I'm feeling a little bit cooked-out. So this week I'm shooting for meals that are easy to prepare. In fact, I'm feeling so lazy that I tried online shopping this morning. Wow - it was a little too easy! I sat at the computer in my pj's and nursed the baby while I created an online shopping list in less time than it takes me to go to the store myself with two kids in tow! This could be addicting! Plus, they will deliver tomorrow morning, and I already have ingredients on-hand for tonight's meal (egg salad sandwiches)...yes!!! I can justify it today because they offer free delivery on the first order...let's see how the $10 delivery charge feels next week...

Anyway, dinners this week, in no particular order, include:

Broiled or BBQ salmon fillet (depending on the weather) with rice and broccoli
Crockpot Honey-Mustard Lime Chicken with cous-cous and sugar snap peas
Egg salad sandwiches with baby carrots and chips
Mozzarella, Asparagus, and Prosciutto Spaghetti with french bread (made with regular instead of smoked mozzarella)
Sloppy joes with fruit salad
Ginger Maple Glazed Chicken with baked potatoes and spinach salad
Leftovers

Snacks will be the usual fruit smoothies, muffins, or crackers and cheese

Lunches will consist of dinner leftovers, or PB&J

Breakfasts will be cereal, oatmeal or eggs.

For more menu ideas, check out Organizing Junkie.

Goldfish dress is finished

2009-06-19T11:15:00.001-07:00

This is the third time I've sewn this pattern for Savannah and I love it - the pattern is Simplicity 5695. The gathered neck, sleeves, and ruffle are so quick and easy, and she actually wears the dresses because they are comfy.
This time, I lined the bodice with white cling-free liner and I used a fine cotton for the dress. It is super breezy, light and soft, perfect for summer. I had to alter the size because she is so tall and thin; the dress is size 2-T in width and a 3-T in length. I think it fits her pretty well.
Also, this was my first attempt with Wonder-Under for the applique. The fish, flower, and bubbles were made from quilter's cotton, with a button for the eye, so it is a heavier weight than the dress fabric. It doesn't seem to be a problem, though, perhaps because it is attached so low on the skirt.
Wonder-Under was so easy - just iron it on. In fact, I am a little nervous to wash the dress because it was a little too easy, and I am half expecting it to fall off in the wash. We'll see. At least it looked good for the pictures!

Comparing baby pictures

2009-06-18T08:36:00.001-07:00

I love looking for family resemblances in baby pictures, and Isaiah seems to be such a complete blend of Chris and me. Sometimes when I look at him, I see only my side of the family - especially in the eyes, and sometimes I only see Chris - especially in the mouth and nose. What do you think?

Here I am as a baby:

This is Isaiah at 7 weeks (where did that round face come from?!):

And this is Chris as a baby:

Finally, this is baby Savannah:

Menu Planning Monday

2009-06-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

I've participated in Menu Planning Monday long enough that a few good things have happened: 1) It finally feels like a habit, or part of my routine. 2) Our afternoons are much more enjoyable with the time we're saving. 3) I also like that we have been saving money this way. 4) I have noticed a trend in the types of foods that we enjoy as a family (our 2-year-old included).

I try each week to serve one dish with fish, one strictly vegetarian, one with chicken, and one with red meat. My cravings for meat have continued past my pregnancy, and must be related to nursing this baby. Anyway, we typically don't use up an entire package of beef or chicken in one meal, so we end up re-using the remaining meat in new recipes later in the week. That leaves one night free, either for left-overs or on rare nights, a restaurant meal. I'm finding that menu planning is getting faster and easier, if perhaps a tad bit repetitive. Fortunately for me, my hubby and toddler don't seem to notice, or perhaps they just don't care. I'm ok with that!

That said, this week's menu is not exciting, but it will do the trick:

Breakfasts: oatmeal with blueberries, cereal, or eggs

Snacks: fruit and yogurt smoothies, cheese and crackers, muffins, or banana bread

Lunches: sandwiches or mac and cheese for Savannah; a big salad for me. Fruit for everyone.

Dinners:

We never made the apple chicken skillet from last week but I have the ingredients, so we'll start there, served with cornbread.
Taco salad: black beans, avocado, tomatoes, spinach, sour cream, cheese, and tortilla chips. Anniversary cake for dessert (our 7 year anniversary)
Broiled salmon fillet, broccoli and rice
Seared steak strips served on a big spinach salad with dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, avocados, pecans, tomatoes, peas, and apples. Blue-cheese dressing for the hubby; none for me.
Leftover steak sandwiches on hoagie rolls with avocados and cheese, cooked under the broiler. Accompanied by corn on the cob
Homemade vegetarian pizza - probably with red bell peppers and black olives
Father's Day - meal with family TBD

Strawberries everywhere

2009-06-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

Today we got up early and met the cousins and my mom at the strawberry field and picked our hearts out. We ended up with three buckets of beautiful, ripe, delicious strawberries. We took home just over 11 pounds, which didn't look like much in the field, but wow - it looked like a ton sitting on my kitchen counter!

I spent the afternoon making a double batch of strawberry freezer jam, and then put the rest of the berries in the freezer to make shakes with during the year; we ended up freezing three gallon-sized zip-locks bags. I just used the jam recipe inside the box of pectin; this was my first attempt using liquid pectin and it worked out well; it tastes just like the regular recipe using powdered pectin.

Here's the recipe I used:

Crush enough strawberries to make 2 cups and pour into a large bowl
Add 4 cups of sugar and allow it to sit for 10 min, stirring occasionally
In a separate bowl, mix 1 pouch of liquid pectin with 2 Tbsp of lemon juice
Now pour the pectin mixture into the berry mixture and stir until the sugar crystals dissolve - about 3 minutes
Pour into jars (I wash mine in the dishwasher first to sterilize them), wipe the tops and threads, and screw on the lids. I experimented this time with plastic jars and glass jars - I'll update later if there's any difference in the way the jam sets or freezes...
Allow jars to sit at room temp for 24 hrs, and then put jars in freezer for up to a year, or use fresh (refrigerated) jam within 3 weeks
This recipe gave us 11 of the small (4oz) glass jars and 5 of the larger plastic jars.

I like making freezer jam because it is much faster than the cooking/canning method, although there is something satisfying about canning when there is actually enough time to do it. With two kids, though, that much free time is a rare luxury. So for now, I am totally satisfied with freezer jam. And it looks so pretty that I can share it!

Rainy day fun

2009-06-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

Well, my car battery is dead today - darn that back hatch - and it is raining outside, so we tried making homemade play-dough. It was a bust. No matter how much flour I added, it was still a sticky mess. I am bummed because we'd been waiting a long time to try this recipe.

However, we were able to salvage the morning; cleaning up the mess ended up being more fun anyway. Savannah loves playing in the sink:

And Isaiah spent the morning sitting in his bouncer chair on the counter, sometimes watching us and sometimes sleeping. He was a perfect angel.

Menu Planning Monday

2009-06-07T10:15:00.000-07:00

Breakfasts:

oatmeal with blueberries
cereal
eggs and toast

Snacks:

fruit and yogurt smoothies
banana bread
snap peas and baby carrots
mozzarella cheese sticks

Lunches:

PB and J or tunafish sandwiches
homemade mac and cheese
hard boiled eggs

Dinners:

BLT sandwiches with peaches
Skillet apple chicken with cornbread
Black bean burritos
Salmon patties with rice and broccoli
Marinated steak salad with mandarin oranges, cranberries, apple slices and rolls
BBQ hamburgers with corn on the cob
leftovers

Menu Planning Monday on Thursday

2009-06-04T14:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, better late than never, right? It is Thursday afternoon so I'm just planning a few recipes to get through the end of the week. Here are the dinner plans:

Ham steak with pineapple sauce, broccoli, rice
Baked chicken thighs, baked potatoes, corn on the cob
Lasagna, spinach salad
Leftover night
I'm also attempting this strawberry rhubarb pie for dessert

Introducing our new little guy

2009-05-25T15:03:00.000-07:00

Here's the low down:

Isaiah Robert Rice
Born 4/30/09
7 pounds, 4 ounces
21.5 inches long

He is a serious cuddler. He eats like a champ and had already gained over a pound by his 2-week checkup. He has pretty bad reflux, which is slowly coming under control now that we've started him on Prevacid and have him sleeping on a wedge-shaped pillow.

Savannah is also coming around. The week we brought little Isaiah home, she said "I not like him." But now, just a few weeks later, she gives him kisses, and for the most part refrains from poking and prodding him too much. However, I've had to remind her more than once to keep her feet off his head. Yup...never really expected to be saying that.

Anyway, we're all healthy and happy and doing our best on very little sleep.

We are truly blessed by him and couldn't be happier.

Weekly Menu

2009-05-11T13:47:00.001-07:00

Postpartum Week #2 - The easiest meals ever:

Crock-pot Chicken with corn bread and corn on the cob
Chicken pot pies using left-over chicken
Breaded Tilapia Fillets, rice and spinach salad
Black bean burritos with fresh veggies
Ground turkey patties, cous-cous, red bell peppers
Grilled steak, mandarin orange salad and bread sticks

Our last night as a family of three

2009-04-30T05:25:00.000-07:00

We went out to dinner at Macaroni Grill as a family, and took these photos shortly afterward. I don't think anyone in the house slept more than a few hours last night - even Savannah picked up on the excitement and anticipation.

Postpartum Menus

2009-04-29T14:39:00.000-07:00

Little Isaiah will be born tomorrow, and I'm expecting to be released from the hospital over the weekend. So I'm planning next week's menus and shopping list in advance:

Breakfasts:

Oatmeal with blueberries
Scrambled eggs
Multi-grain Cheerios

Snacks:

Muffins made with whole-wheat flour and dried fruit
Cheese
Smoothies made with yogurt and fresh fruit

Lunches:

PB&J sandwiches and fruit
Tuna sandwiches and fruit
Hard boiled eggs and fruit
Grilled cheese sandwiches and fruit
Homemade macaroni and cheese with cauliflower puree and fruit

Dinners:

Salmon with broccoli and rice
Ham and potato casserole with peas
Black bean burritos with fresh veggies
Roasted chicken with potatoes and carrots
Chicken salad sandwiches
Pizza with spinach salad
Split pea soup with cornbread

Finally finished the nursery!

2009-04-29T10:37:00.001-07:00

Finished just in time - my c-section is scheduled for tomorrow!

Menu Planning Monday: April 27-April 30

2009-04-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

This is a short week for us - I have a c-section planned on Thursday to deliver our sweet baby boy! In order to prepare, I'm trying to empty the refrigerator so that nothing spoils during the 3 days we're in the hospital.

Hearty Black Bean Soup with baked potatoes
Chicken salad sandwiches using leftovers from last night's roasted chicken
Spaghetti to use up that open jar of Marinara sauce, served with a spinach and carrot salad
On Thursday morning, I'm planning a big 5am breakfast with eggs, bacon and toast since I can't eat again for the rest of the day, and the surgery is scheduled for 2pm.

My goal for Savannah's nap-time today is to create a menu plan and shopping list to use the day we get back from the hospital. This way my husband can easily re-stock the pantry with fresh ingredients and help with meals during those first few days home.

Organized Office Closet!

2009-04-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

I was so excited about organizing the kitchen cupboards that I finally mustered the courage to tackle the office closet. Here are before and after pics:

Special thanks to Organizing Junkie for hosting this event!

Kitchen Organization

2009-04-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by Organizing Junkie's monthly round-up; the theme for April is to clean out at least one closet or cupboard and then post before and after pictures. I've been meaning to tackle these projects for months; this was exactly the motivation I needed.

The first problem was a bottom kitchen drawer that holds all of Savannah's sippy cups. Over the years we've tried several different varieties, but the collection was becoming overwhelming:

So I got rid of all the ones we no longer use, and this is the final result:

The second project was a top kitchen cupboard that was supposed to be used for more baby items; specifically bottles, pumping supplies, and medications. However, over the last year or so, it became a catch-all for misc kitchen items and was jam-packed. You can probably see why I've been procrastinating with this project...it was overwhelming every time I opened the doors.

It really only took about 30 min to sort through everything and decide what we'll really need with this new baby. I got rid of everything else. And the part I love best, is that there's room for any new supplies we may need in the future. Much better.

Menu Planning Monday (April 20-26)

2009-04-20T07:39:00.000-07:00

Clean out the pantry week:

Due to unexpectedly beautiful weather last week, we ditched the menu plan and opted for a BBQ on Saturday with leftovers on Sunday. So I've based this week's menu plan on what's left in our pantry. For the most part, I'm cooking without recipes, but have included links to the few that I will need. Here's the plan:

Baked salmon, corn on the cob, rice
Restaurant dinner for hubby's birthday - maybe Outback Steakhouse?
Baked ziti, spinach salad
Baked potatoes with a selection of toppings: black beans, bacon, sour cream, cheese, broccoli, and avocado
Baked chicken thighs with steamed artichokes and cous-cous
Homemade pizza
Taco salad

Find links to other great menu plans at Organizing Junkie.

Trampoline!

2009-04-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

We found this gem on craigslist this morning - a 14' round trampoline! I think Savannah is going to spend her entire summer jumping, if today's giggles and sheer glee are any indicators. This video shows her first jumps:

Here she is after about an hour of jumping...she looks tired, right?

Nope! She sits right up and magically gets her second wind. You can see here that she's nowhere near ready for her afternoon nap:

That's ok - I can tell we're going to have a lot of fun this summer.

My sweet little girl

2009-04-16T10:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Savannah was helping me cut fabric for her new robe at the kitchen table, but after a while she got bored and headed into the living room to play. After a few minutes, she called out to me,

"Whatcha doin' mama?"

and I said, "Cutting out fabric for your robe. What are you doing?"

She replied, "Just bein' good."

I looked up to find her sitting in the chair with a toy, playing quietly. She is such a sweet little girl. That interaction absolutely warmed my heart.

I gave her a hug and a kiss and told her "Yes you are, sweetheart. You are a very good girl and I love you."

Pink Strawberry Robe

2009-04-15T19:26:00.001-07:00

I usually put a sweatshirt on Savannah when she wakes up in the morning because the house is cold, but today she asked to wear a pink robe. She has nothing of the sort, but must have noticed that I wear a robe in the mornings. So we headed to the fabric store and she picked out the strawberry fleece fabric.

I sewed this during her afternoon nap. Pattern is See & Sew B4635, size 3. It was way too long, so I trimmed at least 3 inches off the bottom. Otherwise it fits fine with room to grow, and she wore it most of the afternoon, just for fun.

Natural Products

2009-04-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

After spending more time reading about Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) I have settled on more natural products for our family. We're going to try Tom's of Maine SLS-free toothpaste, Kiss My Face shampoo and conditioner for the adults in the house, and Kiss My Face shampoo for the kiddos. And I can't wait for our goat's milk soap to arrive from this family, as I mentioned in our last post.

Thanks to Jen's suggestion, I bought the products from LuckyVitamin.com, which has terrific prices. I am a little nervous buying all this stuff without smelling it first, but I guess I'm feeling brave today.

Getting back into the swing of things

2009-04-14T14:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged for nearly a year - it's about time! Savannah is 2-1/2 now, and the new baby is coming at the end of this month! Here I am at 36 1/2 wks:

In an effort to get organized before the baby arrives, I'm participating in Meal Planning Mondays by Organizing Junkie. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you can see tons of Monday Menu Plans from other bloggers. There are lots of great ideas.

So here's this week's menu:

Black Bean Burritos
Crockpot Split Pea and Ham Soup with cornbread
Baked chicken with red potatoes and asparagus
Salmon with broccoli and rice
Burgers and homemade fries
Sour-cream enchiladas

And on a completely different topic, I've been reading about formaldehyde in shampoos, soaps and toothpaste - yuck. I was excited to have found this family who makes fresh goat milk soap. I ordered a few bars of the Purity soap and can't wait to try it! Next on the agenda is finding a more natural toothpaste and shampoo - any suggestions?

New Bag for Work

2008-06-09T21:06:00.001-07:00

New Bag for Work
Originally uploaded by Rice Family

I made this bag with some great, sturdy, orange and yellow home dec fabric. It is lined with yellow cotton, has a magnetic snap closure at the top, and two shoulder straps. The pleats were inspired by Bend the Rules Sewing, although the rest of this design is mine. I plan on carrying it to work.

New Lola Apron

2008-05-19T08:30:00.001-07:00

I was a pattern tester for the new Lola Apron by Sew Liberated. Here's my sister modeling the new apron. I used yellow 1093's-inspired fabric with strawberries, red rick-rack, red bias tape, and red/white polka-dotted pockets.

Tea Party Dress

2008-04-19T22:36:00.001-07:00

Tea Party Dress
Originally uploaded by Rice Family

This one is size 2-T, but is still a little bit big for Savannah - hopefully it will fit this summer.

party dress

2008-04-17T15:41:00.001-07:00

party dress
Originally uploaded by Rice Family

Tea Party Dress, size 4-T, pattern by Oliver+s

Savannah's New Easter Dress

2008-02-27T22:18:00.001-08:00

This was my first attempt at shirring - using elastic thread in the bobbin to make a gathered bodice. I am pleased with the way it turned out, since I didn't use a pattern - it actually fits! I think Savannah will be able to wear it for Easter this year, as well as this summer when it gets warmer.

New apron for spring!

2008-02-24T13:50:00.001-08:00

I bought this beautiful pattern from Montessori by Hand and I have worn it almost continuously since I finished sewing. I love it!

Work in progress

2008-02-05T23:32:00.001-08:00

Work in progress
Originally uploaded by Rice Family

The makings of a new quilt for Savannah. Just working out details for the border, and then I will quilt it.

Jane Jetson Jumper

2008-01-10T12:37:00.001-08:00

What a little doll
Originally uploaded by Rice Family

So I had one of those moments this morning...

Ack - what happened?
Oh, I sewed it inside out.

*pause*

Oh well!

Such is my sewing style lately. I'm not sure if it is sheer laziness, or if I am rebelling against my perfectionist tendencies. Or if it is simply a lack of time; when Savannah is done sleeping, I am done sewing. Regardless of the reason, I think my sewing is getting more creative as I let go of the process a little bit - interesting things happen!

At any rate, I think the inside-out seam gives her little jumper some character. I'm going to leave it that way, and enjoy this exhilirating, rebellious feeling I have. For anyone who is interested, this used to be one of my favorite T-shirts, which is much too small now. I wanted to give it new life, so I cut it apart and whipped up this little number. I'm pleased with the way it fits, as I didn't use a pattern, but instead held it up to one of her shirts and estimated the size.

So the next time you need to add a little zing to your day, repeat after me: "oops...oh well!" and keep sewing!

I-Spy Quilt

2008-01-06T15:47:00.001-08:00

I-Spy Quilt
Originally uploaded by Rice Family

I made this I-spy quilt for Savannah for Christmas. Each of the 100 squares features a different picture, and we have fun looking for things together. It also protects our hardwood floors when she plays blocks!

Mini-quilt: learning to sew

2008-01-06T15:33:00.001-08:00

Mini-quilt: learning to sew
Originally uploaded by Rice Family

This mini-quilt features a little gal who is learning to sew. I gave it to my mom, who taught me how to do all the things I most enjoy today. This quilt was inspired by a terrific etsy shop: www.shelece.etsy.com

Handmade felt produce

2007-12-15T12:13:00.001-08:00

I've become addicted to sewing felt food for The Bean's play kitchen. This banana, red apple and carrot are the best of the bunch so far. I've also attempted sugar cookies, cake, cupcakes, doughnuts, an orange, and a chicken drumstick. All scrumptious, except for the felt fibers that stick to the tongue...

Did a little baking today

2007-12-05T21:13:00.001-08:00

Did a little baking today
Originally uploaded by Rice Family

Cranberry oatmeal cookies, caramel chocolate chip brownies, and peppermint chocolate striped sugar cookies

Gertie the Sparkly Christmas Sock-Kitty

2007-11-27T14:43:00.000-08:00

I decided that Savannah really needed a sock-kitty, so here's Gertie. I made her from sparkly acrylic Christmas socks, a little fiber-fill, two buttons and a ribbon. I was thrilled with how fast she worked up, and Savannah shrieked with excitement when she first saw her new friend. I love how easy it is to please a one-year-old!

I'm a published writer!

2007-11-12T15:00:00.000-08:00

Brijit is a site that publishes abstracts for all the major news magazines, making it easy to track what's going on in the world. I wrote an abstract on a New York Times article that was published today; you can read it here:
Go On, Bold Couch Potatoes, Click into the Unknown...

Fashion show

2007-11-02T08:10:00.001-07:00

Fashion show
Originally uploaded by Rice Family

I made this robe from some fabric in my stash; I think it was originally supposed to become a blanket. Anyway, the mornings are chilly now, and the Bean needed a little something extra to wear around the house.

The flowers are appliquéd, and I used an embroidery stitch for the stems. I added a pearl snap at the neck to keep the robe closed. The fuzzy fleece keeps her cozy warm and feels super soft!

My Little Pumpkin

2007-09-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

Savannah started walking this week, and she is only 10 months old! Here she is sporting the new pumpkin hat that I knitted from cashmerino. It is so soft and warm. Now we're officially ready for fall!