My Little Birdy

Evan's job in bringing home the Christmas tree was to SIT on it.  He rode on the back of the Ranger, and in the tree!  The whole ride down the mountain, Ryan kept turning and looking at his brother through the window and saying "Evan a BIRDY!" 

When we stopped to unlock the gate, I jumped out and snapped this picture of my very grown up looking birdy. 

Seriously, he's breaking my heart this year with his adorable "young man" looks and attitude!  

Not sure which would smell worse...

Riding behind a bunch of reindeer rears or in Mark's stinky shoe????

A Favorite is Passed Down

Ages ago, my beautiful friend Elizabeth gave me this Santa door hanger that she had painted.

I LOVE him.  First of all, he's a hand crafted gift, my favorite!  Secondly, he's made of wood, which means he's durable and touchable and beautiful all in one!

Ever since Evan was little, each Christmas, I would hang the Santa on his door knob. 

I've had to touch up his paint job a few times, but he has smiled sweetly and jangled each year from Evan's door. 

And Evan has loved him dearly.  He's the first thing he would reach for when we brought out the boxes of decorations, and I was never allowed to put him away until the very last.

And this year, Evan sweetly allowed for the Jolly Ol' Elf to hang from his brother's door.

I pulled him out last night while the boys were driving back from their adventure.  Ryan was completely asleep, so he went straight to bed without noticing the decorations.

This morning though, I heard his door open, Santa jangling a little, then a surprised gasp and "HOHO!!!"  (Ryan calls Santa Claus "HoHo").

He came running into our room and announced, "MaMa!  HoHo in my ROOM!"

Then he ran back to his door, "Goo Morn-ing my HoHo!"

I must say, it was a wonderful way to wake up! 

Rite of Passage

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope your day was filled with the people you love...

Mine was!

The Snowflake Craft

So, my son says to me last night after he was on his third bowl of the soup I made for dinner, "Mom, this dinner is so good! You should put it on pinterest."

Which I think might be a sign that pinterest has become a VERY big part of our lives.  But why not??  Esp when it encourages me to upcycle something like THIS:

It look VERY complicated and intricate. 

And don't tell the people who are getting them as gifts, but they ARE ANYTHING BUT!

In fact, Evan whipped out two in about 30 mins.  

The hardest part is folding the strips of paper... first figuring out the weight (how many folds) and then getting them as perfectly straight as you can.

 We used an old dictionary... newspaper, or any other paper type will work.  For the glue, I used two different types: to seal the folded strips I used a plain old glue stick; to glue the strips together, I used a craft glue called "Glossy Accent".  It dries super fast, and is super strong.  (Think superglue, but easier to clean up!)

We found the tutorial here:  House Revivals: Make a Woven Star 

As always, once I understood the concept, I didn't really follow her directions for all my stars. 

The star pictured here though is her "Star #1" 

Oh, and there is not fluffy tinsel on mine.  But, I will probably distress them this weekend! Because shiny silver isn't my cup of tea, but aged shabby sure is! 

Don't be intimidated! 

Try it, you'll see how simple it really is!

(Plus, since you are using something that you would normally trash, it's practically free!  How can you go wrong!)  

More Food.

I know, I know... I've been blogging a lot about food lately... but when the weather turns cold, my family is actually INTERESTED in trying all the recipes I've horded all year!

This week's hit was Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

I did not call them that in my kitchen.

I called them Crispy Burritos.  Because if I tried to call them something fancy, my family would not eat them. 

They torture me like that.

SO... The recipe that I didn't follow (my changes are between the * *s.)

1 cup cooked rice *brown of course, which just so you know, I make in big batches and freeze in zip locks*
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken *I was lazy and bought a rotisserie, then froze the leftovers for another day*
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained *see my comment about the rice... but ignore the word brown*
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced *I used red, and added extra*
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime *I used two*
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cup shredded cheese *I only used 1*
*1/4-1/2 c sour cream*
8-10 flour tortillas

Mix everything except the cheese, sour cream, salsa and tortillas.  The instructions said to fill your tortillas right then and there.  I was making this for a weeknight meal on a Sunday, so I stopped after mixing it all and made pumpkin bread instead.

I think it was a super good idea... the lime had a chance to mingle with everything and it tasted way better the next day.  (I know because I may have snuck a few bites both days.)

To put it all together:  Warm a tortilla, spread a small spoonful of sour cream down the center, sprinkle with a little bit of cheese, place a heaping spoonful of the filling into the center, and roll her up.  (I warmed my mix back up in the microwave, just to take the chill off before assembling.)

Do that until all your filling is gone.  I ended up with 10 burritos. 

Then place them, fold side down, on a hot skillet and brown on both sides. 

Just to make them more yummy looking, I also sprinkled a little cheese on the top and melted it.

We ate it with a nice green salad and salsa.

A New Family Favorite

My family actually LOVES panini and other sandwiches for dinner.

So when I found THIS recipe on Pinterest, I had to give it a go... adjusted for our family of course!

I was pretty sure the poppy seeds would not go over well... plus I didn't want to buy a bottle of them just for this recipe. 

Instead, I took the general idea and made up my own butter mix!

It was a HUGE success... even Ryan ate two whole sandwiches... and he is my grazer/picky eater!

Ham and Cheese Sliders, slightly adapted!

12 good dinner rolls
12 slices GOOD ham slices, we used Boarheads Sweet Slice
6 slices swiss cheese (I only used 1/2 a slice for each roll)
Mayo (enough to spread lightly on each side of the rolls)

Assemble sandwiches:  Cut rolls in half, spread each side with mayo, layer on your ham and cheese.  (Not sure if I needed to spell that out, but I did anyway!!)  Squeeze tightly into a baking dish.

For Sauce:
2 T butter, melted
1 T mustard (Evan doesn't even LIKE mustard, and he loved these)
1 t chopped onion
Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Whisk the sauce ingredients until well blended... add anything else you feel like.  I think next time, I might add a little parsley.

Pour over the rolls.  Let setup for 10-15 mins.

Place in a 350 oven for 10-15 mins.

Serve warm!

It started as "Ring around the Rosie"

I really don't think I need to say anything else... 

Tis the Baking Season

So, we had every intention of making some cookies this weekend.

And then I remembered how much fun it is to mix up the batter with the boys...

Put that first tray of cookies in together and wait for the timer with 'bated breath...

And then be abandoned to finish the six hundred thousand more trays by myself.

So, I found a recipe for Pumpkin Bread instead.

All the yumminess of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, without the abandoning part!

Yay Me!

So, I found a recipe... which was pretty good looking... but I did change it JUST a touch.

(I have discussed my inability to follow directions, right??)

Actually, the only thing is that I had inadvertently run out of nutmeg!

I did discover I have 3 jars of cumin. 

Random.

Anyway, since I was missing the nutmeg... I examined my choices (don't worry, I only considered by plethora of cumin for a few seconds).

I had ginger, cinnamon and PUMPKIN PIE SPICE.

Enjoy.

King Arthur Pumpkin Bread

1 c veg oil (next time, I think I will try half and half applesauce/oil)

2 2/3 c sugar (again, with the applesauce, I'll drop this a touch)

4 eggs

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree

2/3 c water

3 1/3 c flour

1/2 t baking powder

2 t baking soda

1 1/2 t salt

1 t nutmeg (or in my case, pumpkin pie spice)

1 t vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

Mix oil, sugar, eggs, pumpkin and water until well blended.  Add everything except the chips, and mix until just combined.  Toss in the chips.  Split between two loaf pans (well greased).  Bake in a 350 oven for 110-120 mins.

Best when served with COFFEE!!

Evan's Favorite Breakfast

Okay, actually, Evan has a lot of favorite breakfasts. 

In fact, it's his favorite meal of the day.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact there are a LOT of breakfast foods you pour syrup on.

Or it might be the bacon.

Anyway... This is one of his favorites:

German Pancakes

And they are remarkably easy to make, but I still pretend they are a pain... just to get the hugs and kisses and "Oh, thank you thank you thank you thank you", combined with the "YES Mom, I'll do anything you want... including clean my bathroom". 

Hey, as the only girl in the house, I gotta play the game!

Anyway...

Here's the instructions:

Take a big cast iron skillet... or a 9x13 pan in you don't have a skillet. 

Melt a couple tablespoons of butter in it while the oven warms to a toasty 400 degrees.

And it has to be butter.

Because you let the butter brown* just a touch in the oven while you mix the following:

6 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon of salt

dash of cinnamon

Once everything is well mixed, and the oven is at temperature... pull out your skillet, quickly pour the mix in, and shove it back in the oven for 20 mins.

It will get all poofy (which I just discovered is a made up word, because the correct word is PUFFY) and impressive... and then you pull it out... and they OOOOO and AHHHHH over it's beautiful perfection.

Serve with Jam or Syrup. 

This pan is enough to feed my three boys, because their hollow legs are empty in the morning. 

If you wanted to feed more than that (including if you wanted any for yourself, which I don't because shhhh... don't tell anyone, but I don't like most things you pour syrup on), I would highly suggest serving with something like bacon or doubling the batch!

* The post where I explain my obsession with browned butter.

Give Thanks

Last weekend, because I was trying desperately to catch the craft bug so I could finish some Christmas Gifts, I decided that I needed MORE Thanksgiving decor.

And by "MORE", I mean I have none and needed SOMETHING.

So, I went down to the craft room, pushed the pile-o-crap that I have yet to put away after a weekend scrapping at my friend's house in mid-October, and closed my eyes.

Where to start? 

Hmmmm. 

I started with where I wanted to display it.

There was a bare spot above the fireplace where I had hung my bunting.

What?  I never posted a picture of the bunting I hung where one day I will put a mantel??  

It was another "Get in the mood" project.  I made it out of leftovers from a quilt I made ages ago instead of sewing Ryan's Halloween costume (which I EVENTUALLY finished).

Here:

Okay, so see that spot of wall in the middle??  Yeah.  It's BORING.

So I pulled out my coluzzle, because I'm not as cool as some people who have electronic cutters.  I'm OLD SCHOOL!

Sorry... off topic.

Anyway, I thought I'd use up some scrap paper, so I cut a few hearts with my old school tools.  I distressed them with some TIM products... and then added my lettering.  MM stamps for "thanks" and BG letter stickers for "give" (with a little glossy accent for dimension).  Used some Tim Stain (oh, wait, it's called DISTRESS STAIN!) to age a couple of clothes pins, and TA-DA!!!!!

Shhhhh... don't tell anyone, but I haven't finished the gifts yet.

My Parenting Soap Box: Kids, Play and Risk

I remember when Evan was a baby, we were at my MIL's house...My brother-in-law, Brian, was within ear shot when Evan fell while trying to pull himself up to a standing position using a tipsy stool.   I laughingly said something about, "Well, he'll only do that once!" as I comforted him.

Brian likes to repeat that to me OVER and OVER and OVER again. (He also asks me if I'm sleeping every time he calls... I'm not sure if he thinks I nap continuously, and only wake up to take his phone calls or what... )

I don't mind though, it's part of my parenting philosophy (not the sleeping part).

I am a FIRM believer in allowing kids to fall, fail, and find their own way.  How's that for alliteration?? 

Is it sometimes hard to let them fall?  Is it sometimes hard not to give them the answer?  YOU BET'CHA! 

Just last night, I was helping Evan with his math homework.  He was really struggling, and he was tired.  It would have been much easier (and quicker) to just walk him through the problem, step by step.  But I needed him to understand the process... and the best way to understand that is to figure out the details with a little guidance rather than step by step instructions!

And the dangerous play part??? 

Well, it's right there in the same category.  No, I do NOT allow them to run wild in the streets.  But climbing, running, jumping??  Taking calculated risks??  YES!  Sign my kids up!

Remember this:

Cute adorable Ryan, just over a year old... bruised and scarred? 

They all healed within a week or so.  But the lessons he learned on pushing his physical boundaries, on what he was able to accomplish if he pushes those boundaries, and how taking a risk might result in small pains but big gains?  Those will stay with him for the rest of his life.

My friend Megan shared this: Kids, Play and Risk

And I feel like shouting it from the roof tops!!!  So please share... I think it's important!!

Oh, and just to go back to my brother in law for a moment.  As rough and tumble as my boys are, he has the WILDEST Child!  And by wild, I mean that her awesome parents buy into the same philosophy and allow my niece the freedom to learn and grow by taking calculated risks.  Does she do some crazy stuff?  Yes... but she's still playing hard, and she will be one successful adult because they taught her to how to fall and pick herself back up! 

Pin Success!

Source and Recipe: Taste of Home

I found this recipe on pinterest, and we tried it for our lunch today.  It was a great Sunday afternoon *calorie laden* lunch. 

I did pull the cheese sticks in half, so that only half a stick was in each wrapper.

Next time though, I think I'll do them in the oven... just spritz the wrappers with a little pam, and bake. 

They would be AWESOME for a party!

Sausage and Pepper Soup

So, it snowed this weekend!  And do you know what that means?? 

SOUP IS ON!!

I love soup!  Especially when it's down right COLD outside.  Friday, it was 60 degrees out... Saturday... 20.  That's even a little severe for me!


This is an all time favorite in our house, and shhhhh... don't tell my family, but it's actually pretty dang healthy!


Our local grocery makes the most delishious sausage... extremely lean pork or chicken, all natural, no perservatives, no fillers!  And when you shop the sales, you can get it for WAY less than the commercial brands.  SO, if you're close to a Harmon's, please, try their sausages in this soup... it makes a HUGE difference!

Anyway... here's the recipe!

3/4 lb Sweet Italian Sausage, browned
1 cup of cooked white beans (or if you don't have them, you can use kidney beans)
2 cups beef broth
1 can stewed Italian tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes with sweet onions (or if you can't find that, do another can of stewed)
1/2 cup finely diced onion

Stop here, and put everything in a crock pot.  Allow to simmer for several hours.  (I've let it go all day while I was at work, but added a cup of water for security.)

About 30 mins before serving... add 1/2 of a green pepper and 1/2 of a red pepper, chopped.  Season with a little parsley, garlic and black pepper... and a little water if you let it cook for hours and hours.

To serve, put a huge handful of fresh baby spinach in your bowl.  Ladle the hot soup over spinach, an it will wilt just barely.  Garnish with about a tablespoon of grated Parmesan or mozzarella... whatever you have on hand.

It's great served with a nice crusty bread.  This usually makes enough for 4 people.

Enjoy!

A Pinterest Inspired Sign

So, awhile ago I saw THIS:

Source: Nanny Goat

And, just like the blogger I hijacked the idea from, I NEEDED it for my oldest's room.

Evan is such an awesome big brother, I couldn't think of anything more fitting!


So, I found a board, used MS Publisher to layout the type, and then asked my darling friend Robyn to cut the letters on her Pazzle for me.


It was my first vinyl project, but I had to go all out... after all... just like the sb page I posted a few days ago, the emotion behind the quote translated into the fact it had to be PERFECT!

So, rather than putting vinyl on a painted board, I wanted to mask it, to give a distressed look... really go all out. 


So, after prepping the board with a combination of dry brushing and white washing, Robyn came over and helped me lay the vinyl letters (way more fun than I thought it would be!). 

When we walked upstairs and showed the unfinished board to the husbands, I'm pretty sure they thought we were nuts to be THAT excited.  I wish I would have taken a picture of it.  Robyn used scrap vinyl for the letters, so it was black and brown on a streaky grey/black board, and was NOT impressive (unless you could imagine it as it was in my head)!

We went into the garage and slapped a REALLY quick, thin coat of glossy latex cherry red paint over the top, and pealed off the letters.  I got more and more excited as every letter came off.

I had to make myself walk away so it could continue to dry. 

Now, a week later, I finally finished the distressing, and hung it in Evan's room....

Friday Afternoon Random Comment

Ryan just came and crawled up next to me on the couch as I was planning out dinners and groceries for next week. 

He grabbed my hands off the keyboard, put them on his cute little cheeks and said...

"Mama, KISS ME!"

Then puckered up.

*sigh.

I love that boy. 

Even if after I kissed him, he laughed and ran away.

The Hardest Page I Have Ever Scrapped.

And possibly my favorite.  It took me about 8 hours.  And I would like to point out, I cried most of those 8 hours.  

It's a letter to Evan.  

About his brother.

The picture is from THIS day... and the sentiments are similar to my post about the event. 

And because I was so emotional about the message I was trying to get across to Evan about his little brother, I NEEDED the page to be perfect.  

Cashae and Robyn helped a lot... 

even when I bothered them with the same question five million times, 

"What do you think of this?"

(And to be honest, most of the time, it was me moving a scrap of paper 2 millimeters to the left, then asking again!)

But, even just looking at the pages makes me all teary.  

Which is good.

Product wise, I can't think of much I DIDN'T use!

There are inks and stains, stamps and deco scissors.  Rubons, wire, brads, jewels, flowers, buttons, punches, labels, eyelets...   I doodled, distressed, ripped... and cried.

It's perfect.

My Trick or Treaters!

I think they are possibly the cutest boys I have ever seen!

One problem... do you see how GROWN UP Evan looks???

And, he's not into "cute" anymore if you can't tell from his choice of pumpkin designs!  He was so proud!  

He kept changing his mind on his costume... and finally decided on being an Army Captain.  We got the ACU (kid sized) from the local Army Navy store, found a couple of cool iron on patches at Michael's, and then I used plain green iron on knee patches to make his name, US ARMY and rank patches. 

I used the same pattern I used for Evan's monkey costume when he was 2 for Ryan's... just the larger size!  He was NOT a fan of the hood, but didn't want to take of the jumpsuit.  

When we got home last night, someone had decorated the lot stake directly across from our house.  

The boys loved it... and were a bit freaked out by it!  

We also had the special treat of trick or treating with Grandma Joycee who stayed with us last night!

The boys were very excited... and having her there was just the icing on the cake!  I'm glad she got to be there... because...

How could you miss this????