Oh, Now THIS is good!

So, I love food.  And talking about food.  And reading about food.  And cooking food.  And most of all EATING food. 

I saw this recipe earlier this week, and quickly added it to my grocery list. 

Smitten Kitchen Bacon, Onion and Cream Pizza

Of course, I changed things.  NOT much... but a little at least.

First, my grocery store doesn't have beautiful bacon like she used... so I sub'd some pancheta.  And since I used pancheta (which is REALLY salty, I did not add any salt anywhere else... other than the dough, and there I used 1/2 of what the recipe called for.)  Second, I used half a red onion I had left over and one whole, smallish med yellow onion.  We like onions. 

I used her suggestion of ricotta (low fat... as if it really matters in this dish, lol!) however I did stick with the creme fraiche.  I added a little parsley and the small dash of basil to my cream. 

For the pizza dough, I doubled this recipe:

My Favorite Pizza Dough... also from Smitten Kitchen.

And I served it with Wilted Spinach... which I wilted in the pancheta drippings and topped with a little feta.  It was soooo yummy.

And SOOOOOO getting made again!

Legos With Daddy on a Sunday Afternoon.

 This went on for several hours.

I think the pictures say it all.

Possibly My Most Favorite Craft/Home Project!

Okay, so it's pretty basic.  And definitely not rocket science.

But it is adorable and functional. 

And easy to change up if/when I decide to.

It started like this:

And as lovely as that picture is...ummm... it doesn't really "go" with anything in my house. 

Oh, here it is again... Don't you love it??

The paper is My Mind's Eye "So Sophie" which is possibly my favorite line of paper in a LONG time. 

The letters are really really old MM, which I distressed with a little ink.

The brads I have had forever... in fact those were my last two.  I have no idea who made them.  The ribbon was random left overs...

Oh, did I not mention it was a dry erase board??

Thrifting

So, a gal I work with gave me a SMASHING idea for a craft/home decor project... and I needed a frame. 

So I decided to make a trip to one of our local thrift stores, the lovely DI (Deseret Industries). 

First, who KNEW there would be a line to get in!!  Honestly.  We were a few minutes early thanks to an uneventful and easy Target Diaper Trip.  There were easily 25 people standing outside the doors waiting to get in.  As soon as the bell tolled the hour, 20-30 more got out of their cars and walked up.

There are some SERIOUS thrifters out there! 

Anyway... I went in specifically for a frame, but figured I might as well dig around a little.  And WAHOOOO!  I got some great loot. 

Now, one thing about thrifting... you have to use your imagination a little bit... so it may not look like much, but I got it all for less than $20.

And as much as I do NOT like the idea of second hand shoes... I could NOT pass up those cuties! 

FOUR DOLLARS!!  I almost bought this exact pair a few months ago, but didn't think they were worth $40... they are SO worth $4 and some clorox wipes!

The wire baskets are so adorable... I'm a sucker for baskets!  75 cents a piece!!  Love it!

The frames... well, the big one is for the project I had in mind to begin with... I'll post about it later... still working on it!

The two smaller long ones will go on either side of the mirror...  Of course, before I can do that, I needed to make the "match" because Cherry and Oak don't really look smashing together.  I will post an explination of the steps soon... but for now...  My $9 Dollar Entry Wall.

Sorry for the crappy lighting... I had to wait until I put the wee one to bed before finishing them, so it was late and those dang CFLs really are not very kind to photographs!

Here's a little closer... they look flat in the picture...

In other news... I've got to figure out what is wrong with my printer!  Everything is coming out very pinkish... I think my "yellow" tank is plugged or something.   The other project... at this time... has some printing... so unless I figure out an alternative...it's in a holding pattern!

Hooked (Yes, that is a groaner pun!)

So!  I love baskets.  And containers.  And little tins.   And enamel bowls.  Sigh.

Lately, I have really been in love with these.  Except that they are just a little too boring and white.

I bought some Lily Sugar and Cream a few weeks ago with the plan of teaching Evan how to crochet so he could make washcloths and such as Christmas gifts.  He was in to it for about 30 seconds.  Now not so much. 

So, I decided to take over one of the skeins and created this!

So, no real pattern...  Started by chaining 20, then single crocheted until it was square.  That formed the bottom.  To make the transition to the sides, double crochet all the way around, then front post single crochet in each double crochet.  After that, just single crochet around and around until you have a size you like.  Occasionally, check the sides... I found that I had to decrease on the corners about every 5th row to keep the corners "crisp".   

This basket took me about 3 hours... perfect late night movie project.

Quick Sugar Rush

Evan wanted a treat last Saturday... and we were low on baking supplies, so we had to make something up on the fly. 

Here's a rough (all measurements are estimations since I didn't measure) explanation on how to make this awesome treat:

Take about 1/2 a cup of peanut butter, mix in about 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and a few drops of milk (more or less depending on what type of pb you use).  What you're going for is a frosting like consistency.  Add as much sugar or milk as you need to make a spreadable pb. 

Take about 1/4 cup of bittersweet chocolate chips and melt in the microwave with about 1/2 t of butter.

Set the pb frosting and chocolate aside.

In a large saucepan, place 2 tablespoons of butter (it MUST be butter... no margarine!)  Heat on high, stirring occasionally.  Allow the butter to brown until it reaches the color of a paper bag.  (When it foams up, start paying close attention, you're almost there!)

After the butter browns, add 1 small jar of marshmallow fluff.  Stir until completely smooth.  Dump in 3 cups of rice crispies.  Stir to coat and spread into a 8x8 pan.  Allow to cool a few minutes.  Spread the pb frosting over the top.  Add dollops of chocolate to the top, and then drag a knife through to "marble". 

Serve with LOTS of milk.

Current Project

I'm officially 1/2 done with the current BIG project. 

It got put aside over Christmas, but I've had it on my mind since October. 

The boys make it difficult to work on, as you can see...

It's a nice heavy 4x4 afghan... very warm, heavy... perfect for laying across your lap on a cold winter day!  I'm loving the "fall" earth tones... sad that it's a gift, because each time I finish a row I fall more and more in love with it! 

Promise to post a finished picture... as soon as I get a chance to finish it!

Dental Hygiene and Other Important Things

 This picture just makes me smile.

Mostly because it represents so many OTHER things that Evan has taught his little brother.

Evan watches out for his little brother, tries to pass along his knowledge of important things... like brushing teeth, how to sing silly songs, how to bounce on beds, make truck noises, how to put legos together... oh, the list goes on and on.

Evan lets Ryan play with some pretty important toys, and tries to help his rough and tumble brother learn to play nice.

Evan gives and gives... he gave Ryan this tooth brush.  He gave Ryan his Elmo doll (granted, what 7 year old wants an Elmo doll).  He gave Ryan his toy computer and phone. He gave Ryan his LEGOS!!  (Now that is huge!)

Ryan doesn't know it yet, but he might possibly have the best big brother EVER. 

They get into fights, but more often than not, it ends quickly with hugs. 

I hope these two boys always love each other this much.  I worry, with their age difference, that they will start to grow apart as they get older.  For now, I guess, my job is to help them find common ground whatever their age.

Mobile Trouble.

He likes to rearrange the furniture.  If only he could figure out a better arrangement for the living room...

Look, FURNITURE!

HA!  Anyone who has been to our house walks in the door and realizes we don't own furniture.  Seriously. 

Let me tell you about our furniture purchases:

1.  We bought a table and chairs in 2001.  It was our first big purchase together.  It was about a month before we got married.   One of the chairs broke, but other than that, the same table and chairs sit in our dining room.

2.  We bought a couch a few months after we got married in 2001.  It's lost some of it's orginal comfort factor, but it's still in the living room.

3.  I found a bookshelf at Walmart for $5 on clearance in 2004.  It was perfect for Evan's toys.

4.  Hmmm... errrr... let's think.  OH!  We got a new mattress set in 2005.  We upgraded from the full bed I had when I was single to a QUEEN!  And it came with a basic frame.  See #7 for the actual BED with a head and footboard.

5.  We bought Evan a set of bunk beds in 2006.

6.  I bought a desk and a bookcase for Evan's new room in 2007.  They were from Ikea, so total I think it cost me $50.

7. 2008:  My sister had a beautiful solid oak sleigh bed show up in some antiques she was selling.  For $100.  Of course we bought it.  Personally, I think it should go in the "Given to us" list of furniture we own because it was SUCH a steal! 

8.  I bought Evan a dresser in 2010... so that I could hand down Evan's hand-me-down dresser to Ryan.  Again: Ikea, $150.

9. After this last Christmas, it became apparent that Ryan's toys had outgrown the basket we kept in the living room, so I went to Ikea and picked up a small Expedit shelving unit.


This list does not include the furniture that was given to us... which included Evan's crib, a rocking chair, a couch, a beautiful solid wood desk, Ryan's hand-me-down (x3) dresser, two amazing handmade tables my dad made, etc.


To sum up:  In our ten years of marriage, we have purchased exactly 4 pieces of furniture if you exclude the items we purchased for Evan and Ryan.

Well, I decided to up our average to an even 1 piece every two years and bought this: 

Isn't it PRETTY!!! 

I'm fairly sure Mark would not have picked it out.  After all, it's RED (It looks less orange in person). 

We have been looking for oak nightstands since... ummm... when did we buy the bed??  No luck in finding something that looks like it was suppose to match the bed (Mark believes in MATCHING furniture) so I decided to bite the bullet and get something that GOES with the bed. 

Maybe after he gets used to it, I can find something else that "GOES with it" and replace the MILK CRATES AND RUBBERMAID BOXES we currently use for nightstands! 

Baby steps... Baby steps...

(Isn't it PRETTY???)

Bedtime Stories with Grandma

First, Grandma read to Ryan...

Then Evan read to Grandma!

It's Sad Really

Click Here...  for an article that is too nice to say that American's really are fat and stupid!  (Sorry for the generalization Smart and/or Thin Americans!)

Click Here... for the article that explains why 32 ozs (well, 31, really) is a little overboard.

Now, our local coffee place, Beans and Brew, has a 32 oz cold cup, and I must admit, I've bought one before... and three or four hours later, I was still working on it and stuffed.  I guess I know why now! 

I do love coffee... especially a nice iced coffee in the summer... but I think I will stick to my 16 oz... you know, the one that is only 1/2 the size of the normal stomach capacity.

Basement Soccer

Uncle James came down this last weekend... and brought the last of the Christmas gifts from my parents!  A soccer net for Evan. 

Of course, it was cold and snowy on the lawn, so to "test" the net, we headed for the basement! 

Unfinished basements might not be very usefully for "everyday" things, but for indoor soccer practice, they are perfect! 

Evan and Ryan had a blast playing with their Uncle!

The one where I let my son play video games all weekend...

Hey! 

It kept him busy! 

And I was sick.

And and and... if you've ever seen Evan play video games, you know it's a full body sport! 

Grandma Joyce gave him Mario Kart for Christmas, and since he was grounded from his Wii for several weeks after Christmas, I thought I'd go easy on him... plus it was a Holiday... and I'm sure that playing video games can some how be tied back to Civil Rights. 

Is that enough justification??

No?? 

Well, how about if I tell you it was Sara's idea??  

 In fact, she played with Evan most of the time... she helped him win.  I'll blame her. 

 She sent me a text after she got home: 

I learned something about myself today:  Playing Mario Kart makes me an agressive driver!

But honestly, these faces... how could you not enjoy them?? 

Weekend Creative!

Okay, so this little itty bitty project has been in the works a lot longer than this weekend, but hey, it's finished!  (Okay, not exactly finished, "functional" done.)

I started saving these adorable little jars several years ago.  Last fall as I was digging through my jars for canning purposes, I realized I had enough to start my spice jars... and then...  5 months later, I finished it (sort of)!

Okay, so it was actually a multi-stage process... First wash all the jars, get all the labels and sticky gunk off... make sure everything was dry (I waited like three months to make DOUBLE sure everything was dry).

Then paint one layer on the lids... wait until dry (again, multiple months will ensure this, although it might be over kill) and then paint second coat of paint.

I want the paint of the lids to be a little worn, so I'm waiting a little bit to let the paint get scratched, dinged, etc before painting on a top coat.  (The top coat I can paint on without  needing to remove the lids, so I figured I could fill them now, top coat later.)

The tags are just scrap paper, a rectangular stamp with a small swirl, then I hand lettered the words, covered them with a little contact paper, and hung them with a bit of butcher's twine. 

Love love love the way the look in the cupboard... and I'm pretty sure this is the neatest my spice cupboard will EVER look!  I have at least 4 more jars to fill as I find time.   I might need to make Grandma Vera's beans more often (the jars are from Ho-Made Chili sauce... which I only use when making her beans!)

Elmo Elmo Elmo

Ryan, like most little boys his age, has discovered a deep love for the furry little monster, Elmo.



We're early risers, and on Fridays, he wakes up somewhere between 530 and 6 am.  Just in time to get his diaper changed, a cup of milk and cuddle in bed to watch the 6am showing of Sesame Street.  (Mom REALLY likes this, because "sleeping in" until 7 is SUCH a treat!)


For Christmas, he received these adorable Elmo pjs and "sleep shoes" as we call them.  He must wear both at the same time.   

New favorite book:  There's Another Monster At The End Of This Book"


Thank goodness for "On Demand" Sprout TV!

Model Airplanes and Giving Birth to Plesiosaurs

The boys are still loving every bit of their Christmas gifts. 

Evan received a wooden puzzle/model airplane.  Not sure what it's called... but we had a blast putting it together!    He loves to fly it around...

He also received a Dino egg that has hidden, mystery dino bones inside...

It required a chisel, hammer and brush to unearth the mystery dino.  After several hours of intense work... in Evan's own words...  he finally "gave birth" to a little dino skeleton:

What a proud new father! 

Between all the games (both Wii and Board), puzzles, models, magic tricks, science kits and other misc loot, I have not heard "Mom, I'm BORED!" in almost a month!    I hope it lasts a little longer... a few more weeks of winter and then we can start playing ball in the yard!

Ryan's New Love

He discovered the boxes of Legos stashed under Evan's bed.

The first night, he slept with them.

Cooking

My original plans (before the move) included stock piling the freezer with basics so that weeknight meals would be easier and healthier. 

So on Sunday, I pulled out the pressure cooker I got for Christmas (which I LOVE LOVE LOVE) and went to town.

Two batches of beans, one of brown rice, one chicken, and two frying pans of ground beef later, and I my freezer looks like this:

Each batch of beans gave me 3 ziplocks, so enough for 6 meals.  The rice also gave me 3 meals worth.  The chicken, 5 bags of chopped cooked chicken ready to toss in soup or casserole or salad.  The burger gave me 5 meals, 3 tacos and two plain browned burger for whatever. 

In other cooking news, I tried a recipe from one of my favorite sites, the Pioneer Woman, Saturday night.  I wanted something quick, but filling since we had spent the day moving. 

Baked Lemon Pasta

Of course, a few changes:

Whole Wheat Pasta, Fat Free Sour Cream, 1/2 the butter/oil, a few red pepper flakes, and fresh cracked black pepper. 

It was lemony and yummy.  We had asparagus and a green salad with it.  No one missed the protein.  If you wanted, it would be great as a side next to some salmon... or maybe a grilled chicken breast. 
Next time, I think I will toss some spinach in with it before baking.

Bittersweet.

On Friday morning, I had an idea of what I wanted to accomplish over the weekend.  It started with spending a few hours helping Sara find a place. 

The first place was a little lacking, lol.  The "quiet" apartment the gal thought would be PERFECT for her was right next door to a guy who liked to smoke in his doorway and had a giant German Shepard in a 400 sq foot apartment.  Nice.  Oh, and the quote we got on the phone did not equal the quote we got in person.    Not to mention the "includes all utilities" changed to include everything EXCEPT gas, power, water, garbage, cable, Internet and air. 

The second place was better.   It was HUGE... 600 plus square feet, new carpet... not so new kitchen (the stove was avocado) and the bathroom needed some love.  It was in a "not the safest" neighborhood, but the owner said he had never had a problem with the units... however, he highly suggested a car alarm.  Yeah.  I tried to talk myself into loving it, but just couldn't.

So, we decided to stop by one other place we had seen online.  It was pretty, and clean, and newly remodeled.  Lots of hidden charges... like $10 paint upgrades, $15 if you wanted a parking stall.  REQUIRED cable, at a reduced rate, but still required.  Once you added it all up, and figured in utilities, it was a lot. 

Sigh.

So we grabbed some lunch, picked Evan up from school and went back to the house to put Ryan down for a nap. 

We looked online for something else, and nothing was jumping out.    There was just nothing that was livable and in her price range.

Sara mentioned how she had left two messages on a great little studio, and like always, no one had called her back.  I decided to call from my phone (so it didn't look like she was a stalker, always bad when trying to impress future landlords) and they guy answered!  He said that another girl had already looked at it, and was interested, but I pushed, and we got the number of the actual owner and an appointment to look at it. 

And as we drove into the neighborhood, we got more and more excited.  And then we saw the house, and could barely contain our giddiness.  And then we met the owner, and she was so sweet.  AND THEN WE WENT INSIDE, and it was PERFECT. 

And the exact amount she could afford, everything, including cable and Internet, included.

And did I mention it was perfect??  Exactly what she wanted.   Right down to the landlords, perfect.  And she gets the "west lawn" for herself.  And the "west lawn" is fully landscaped and overlooks the entire valley.  And there is a community garden.  And she could move in on Saturday.

So, we came home and she started packing, and Saturday, we moved her.  And this morning she woke up in her very own place.

And I am going to miss having her here, and the boys were heartbroken, but it's exactly what she wanted.  And I can't help but smile for her.   And my little sister has a place of her own, with no roommates, for the very first time. 

And so that is the story of how my weekend plans changed.

Average Sucks.

It's not so great being average By LORI BORGMAN - McClatchy-Tribune News Service