What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Instead of doing a list this week of things I love, I thought I would share a link to Comfy in the Kitchen.  This post is a way she shares her testimony using just words, unspoken.  It's creative and it is powerful.  Beyond that I really loved the song that was being sung in the background.  Check it out and, if nothing else, just enjoy the music.

Enjoy your week!

Too Cute Not To Toot!

I must admit that I totally slacked off this week on looking for ideas.  I even, for the first time in a very long time (if ever) considered not even posting this weekly post but, I figured I would see what I can find while watching some Monday Night Football. 

I'll start out with and idea from Lines Across My face - the 13 days of Christmas  This idea is actually for hostess gifts but when I was looking at them I thought they would just make good gifts for friends or co-workers.

  Another idea from Lines Across my Face - 13 days of Christmas are these adorable burlap trees!

And. . .I'm done.  Wow, talk about being uninspired this week!  I know there are great ideas out there but I'm just not feeling inspired.  I think it is because I'm doing other things relating to upcoming events that I haven't taken time to focus on future crafts!

Pinterest Weekly Challenge - # 6

I'm enjoying this lovely Pinterest Challenge - I actually search for ideas to make sure that I get something done.  It is nice to have recipes to fall back on, I will admit, but I'm also accomplishing a few other things.

Throughout my "blogging career", I've seen lots of ideas for quiet books but have yet to make one.  In looking through ideas on Pinterest, I've come across some great ideas but, better then that, I've come across some fantastic tutorials.  How to Make a Quiet Book is my go to site because she explains every step.  I've decided to take the step and start this process of making two quiet books at one time.  Instead of focusing on the whole book, I'm focusing on one step at a time.  I will show you what I complete along the way and I can't wait until these are done so the boys can play with them.  My goal is to get one page done every 2 weeks (well, actually two pages but they will be the same . . . ).  So, this is my first step - I have to get some supplies. Fabric for the base of the pages and felt for my first page - the traffic light (Seen Here as Inspiration) I chose this one because it is pretty simple. 

I also have another simple project that I made this weekend that was inspired from from this Post on pinterest. 

Isn't that a neat idea?  Well, Darryl has headphones and cords that are always getting twisted together in his work bag and he just recently said he needs something to carry them in so  . . I bought a tin of Altoids this weekend while shopping and put this together.  I modge podged some scrapbook paper onto the top of the can.  It was that simple.  :-) I didn't take a picture though, because mine isn't nearly as pretty as this one but, I'll see how it works and maybe make a prettier one later :-)

One last thing.  I picked a new recipe to try for lunch with the kids thinking it would be something different to have.  The original idea comes from The Girl who Ate Everything and looks like this:

This is what mine looked like:

They did turn out pretty good.  The kids didn't even take a nibble of one (they ate their yogurt and cookies but no sandwich!).  I'm not a sandwich lover but I actually ate one and 1/2 of these so that is saying something.  I plan on making these again sometime when my husband is home because he loves things like this!  I did, obviously, cut this recipe down to 1/4 of the original recipe making only 6 sandwiches and it turned out fine.  Would I recommend these?  Sure - I noticed in the comments on the blog this recipe came from that a lot of people used different seasonings in the butter mixture you pour over the top so you could really change this up :-)

Have you made anything from Pinterest lately?  I'd love to see it!

Simplify Update - Scrapbooking Goals

See, I told you the last post wouldn't really be the final Simplify post!  This is just a little update of how I'm doing on those posted goals for Scrapbooking!

September 2011 - Finish 2010 Digitally and Updated our Family Album (pull the envelope and make sure that all of the pictures are in the album; file the duplicates for future projects) I did not set up this list until halfway through September so I'm actually working on these projects in October. I can say that I am halfway through December 2010 digitally and I am almost finished with Family Album project. We did just get a few family shots done last weekend which I need to order and then add to this as well.  Ok these albums are not put together yet; I had my order ready but then needed to order photos for Josh's birthday so these got put on the back burner.  My plan is to order them this next week so I have them for my scrapbooking day on November 29th.  I'm going to take the books with me to use as a break from digital scrapbooking throughout the day.   Also, I'm still working on Dec 2010 - I kinda lost the momentum I had but have started to pick it back up and really want to have December done before I go scrapbooking! 

 October 2011 - Do Jan-March 2011 Digitally; Christmas Ornament project - put pictures in kids 1st Christmas Ornaments; Update Josh and Nate's books (Pull envelopes and make sure all of the pictures are in the albums and file the duplicates for future use; order Josh's 3 year photos and put in his book as well); Order 20 pages digitally. I finished the Ornament Project   It was such an easy project, I just never took the time to do it! I will admit that I printed the photos of Nate from the computer so that they were done until I can locate and/or order the pictures I want. I didn't want to delay the project though (I should say they ARE the pictures I want, they just aren't on photo paper.) Also, I've almost finished up Josh's and Nate's books with the exception of the most recent photos from a week ago as well as photos from our last two shoots (I guess I ordered to give to the family but not for their books!). I will be ordering those this coming week and will update his book as soon as I get them! I need to finish up Dec/Christmas 2010 so I can start 2011. As far as ordering pages - I need to wait and see if I can fit it into our new budget yet; it might need to wait a little longer :-(  The same is true for Josh and Nate's books as what I stated in "September" - I will be working on these books on that Scrapbooking day.  I have not ordered pages - we've decided to earmark some Tax money at the beginning of the year so I can hopefully get just about everything ordered at once.  So, now, I REALLY want to have all digital stuff done so I can order all at once :-) 

November 2011 - Do April- October 2011 Digitally (there is one 12 hour crop that I will be going to which will help with this!); Finish Red Pet Album (before Kids, I did an album for our pets and they are so much fun but, now, I've found that it is easier just to do the pet pages in with the regular pages so I want to finish this album since it is for 2008-2009!); Alive Album - I originally started doing an album for all of my husbands concerts but, again, I found that this really isn't a great album and now I include the pages in our regular album so I need to decide what to do with the album I started; Order another 20 pages digitally. Since I am still working on Dec 2010 - I obviously haven't started 2011.  I am hoping to get Jan-April done when I go scrapbooking at month end.  I'm also hoping for a Friday evening of Scrapbooking with some friends in December, if we can work it out, where I can get more done.  The other two albums - the Pet Album and Alive Album, I just need to pull out.  I will also take the Pet album with me to try to finish on that day I keep talking about :-)  I think the Alive album is just going to "go away" :-)

So, that is where I stand right now.  Running a little behind but I'm not surprised.  I had a birthday party in October, then a shower to plan for November, Thanksgiving coming up, planning for some special December ideas plus another birthday and Christmas plans!   I still am hoping to be able to start Traditional Scrapbooking with the beginning of the new year.  I'm SOOOO ready to get back to paper and pictures instead of always being on the computer!

Happenings in this House

It's been quite awhile since I've posted a "Happenings in this house" post.  There is no reason other then I was posting pictures in other posts so I didn't really have a lot to share :-)  I went looking through photos from the month of November, since we are almost half way through this month and I'm going to post every single picture I've taken of our family.  Seriously.  Don't worry, there are only 4.  Can you believe it?  I did take pictures at a Bridal shower but that isn't my family.  I have no idea why I haven't been snapping photos other then life is pretty simple right now but, I also know the holidays are coming and there will be TONS of photos! 

This weekend, we stayed home.  We spent time on Saturday cleaning out stuff from our basement and finally getting the area organized that we had to "gut" due to mold.  We are done for now.  There is still more tear out that technically needs done but it isn't top of our list right now.  It's much more minor compared to the original project.  We took the  boys to get hair cuts (much needed haircuts!) and also Darryl and Josh cleaned up the garage so we can park a vehicle in there when the weather gets bad this winter.  That's it :-) 

 Josh has recently discovered that he can pull his shirt over his head and he has a "hat".  At first I thought he was saying he was "hot" and wanted his shirt off but, no, he was just having fun.  Today he discovered his hood on his sweat  jacket and thought it was fun to walk around with that on his head too.

 Reading.  Every day.  Many, Many times a day.  The boys LOVE to be read to - we hear "read, read, read" lots and lots throughout the day.  I think I have "Goodnight Moon" memorized now :-)  I'm not complaining - I'm glad that they to read.  I also catch them reading the books themselves which is just so adorable and yes, they have a few memorized too!

Today, while Darryl and I watched football, we set the boys up with their bean bag chairs and their current favorite video (Boz ABC and 123 - Boz videos are FANTASTIC!) using my computer.  They loved it and we actually got to enjoy football which has not been the case the last few weeks.  I must confess the first photo of Josh - we took to send to Jon Gruden.  He used to be a football coach and is now a commentator but we think Josh bears a striking resemblance.  We thought it would be fun to send him a picture :-)

So, that's what is happening in our house right now :-)

Weekly Menu - November 11

This weeks meals were pretty good.  A favorite was the Ham and Cheese Quiche. I did have one big mess up - I made Breaded Chicken, which I've made before and we really like, but the chicken thighs were still semi almost frozen.  I didn't think a lot about it - just added 15 minutes to the cooking time.  I put dinner on the table, my husband went to cut into his chicken and . .well, I think it was still clucking.  It was gross LOL  Wow.  We enjoyed potatoes, peas and rolls though! 

I'm really loving having the whole month planned in advance.  I have made some changes so I can remember them for future months and I'm finding some recipes we don't really love and have found that some things I don't want to repeat every month, even though we like them.  It sure makes getting my grocery list together easier, though, since I already have recipes pulled and the menu written! 

This is what is planned for this week!

Saturday:  I have no idea.  How's that?  Originally, we were going to dinner at someones house Friday night but those plans fell through so we decided to keep the babysitter and have a date night.  We spent our entertainment money so . .my plan to get dinner after the kids go to bed tonight might not work ! Maybe we'll rob the change jar and get some tacos :-)

Sunday: Stuffed Shells with Cheese, beans, biscuits.  This is one of the meals that, as much as we like it, I don't want to have it every 4 weeks.  I think I need to rework my Sunday plan :-)  For dinner, we'll have Thai Chicken and Pineapple Stir Fry

Monday: Just some homemade pizza for the kids and I

Tuesday: Tacos, Rice and Beans

Wednesday: I'm trying something new - Chicken Lettuce Wraps.  They sound good, we'll see if they are good!  Also, some fried rice - yummy!

Thursday: Stuffed Meatloaf, Potatoes, Corn, Peasant Bread (I made this bread a few weeks ago - it was really good but didn't turn out perfect because I tried to use the bread maker to "cheat" - I need to make ti from scratch and see how it works)

Friday: Simple Stroganoff with noodles, Acorn Squash, left over peasant bread

We are spending the weekend getting some projects done - finishing up some things in the basement, storing away all of the outdoor toys/furniture, getting the garage ready to park cars in as the snow starts to fly, and hanging up a growth chart :-)  We actually have a weekend at home with no plans so we figured we had better get some things done!

Food Friday - Recipes from the Third Birthday Party (warning - long post!)

Several weeks ago, I shared lots of details about our "Down on the Farm" birthday party but I didn't share any recipes at that time.  It's taken me a few weeks but I wanted to share those with you now. 

I'll start first with the appetizers or snacks.  I always like to have some little snacks out when people arrive.  When I plan get togethers, I generally plan the main meal an hour to an hour and half after everyone arrives for one main reason.  My family is always late.  Seriously.  Drives me insane but several of them always are so I try to treat those that come early or on time with something special :-)

The hit of the day were this dipped marshmallows.  I should have made a double batch!

Chocolate Caramel Dipped Marshmallows
adapted from Jenna's Journey

This are incredible and were gone in about 2 minutes.  I should have made about 3 times as many as I made and they would have still been eaten!  I did learn a few things.  1) Hot Caramel will melt marshmallows.  Work quickly and, unlike I did, I would put them in the fridge for a few minutes right away so they cool off quickly.  2) Use Pam - like a whole can of it - even on the tray you set  them on when you are all done.  I ran out of the spray and they stuck to the serving platter.  3) You need a lot of chocolate to dip :-)  As shown in the picture, I drizzled the chocolate and actually liked it better.  I will make these again - maybe just for me to eat instead :-)  One last thing - my grocery store did not have the caramel bits so I just bought a bag of caramels and unwrapped them all.

Ingredients:

1 bag of marshmallows

1 bag of caramel bits

1 block of almond bark

1 bag of 50 lollipop sticks

First, prepare a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Spray the paper with PAM. Then spray it again. And one more time. When you think you've sprayed it enough, give it one more pass. Now you're ready.

Next up, insert the sticks into the marshmallows. Don't poke it all the way through - just close to the end.

Follow the directions on the caramel bits. This stuff is great!

Working quickly, dip the marshmallows, twirl, drain the excess and place them on the heavily sprayed wax paper.

Once they've hardened, melt the chocolate, dip the marshmallows, and place back on the paper. They will set up in about 5 minutes. Serve!

Another favorite that we had was Apple Dip - I didn't get a photo of it but wanted to share the recipe.  It is so easy and I always get asked for the recipe.

 

Apple Dip

This is a super easy recipe that you will automatically want to double for a group party.  It will disappear quickly!

 

1 cup brown sugar

8 ounce cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Mix until creamy; refrigerate until ready to serve.  Serve with sliced apples or graham crackers.

 

Finally, I baked up a couple of loaves of Pillsbury French Bread, sliced it, and included a bowl of my Apple Butter for people to use.  It was another huge hit. 

 

I wanted to keep the appetizers simple yet fitting for our them (and apples seemed to fit the farm!). 

Lets move on to the main course!

Our menu was very "down on the farm" - Root Beer Pulled Pork, Baked Beans, Cole Slaw and Macaroni Salad and Chips.  Now, it was supposed to just be Cole slaw - but I made it that morning and it was AWFUL.  Like throw in the trash awful so my husband ran to Walmart and picked up a Cole slaw and Amish macaroni salad instead.  Crazy, I know. 

Root Beer Pulled Pork

This stuff is like candy to me.  It is so good even before you put BBQ sauce on it.  For this party I actually cooked the pork on Friday, shredded it and put it in the crock pot, in the fridge, over night.  On Saturday, early afternoon, I added the BBQ sauce and let it warm up in the crock pot and it was fantastic.  This original recipe calls for Root Beer Extract - I don't use it because . . I'm cheap.  I never have the extra in my budget to buy the extract but I don't miss it.  The Root Beer adds the flavor that is needed.

2 to 3 pounds pork loin or roast
2 cans of root beer
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon root beer extract
1/2 cup good quality BBQ sauce
salt and pepper
dash of garlic powder
Rolls

Place pork, onion, garlic and spices in a stock pot and pour the root beer and extract over it.  Cook on low on the stove top for 4-5 hours or until meat falls apart.  Darin the liquid and stir in the BBQ sauce.  Serve on Rolls. 

3BC (Best Baked Bean Casserole)
adapted from All Recipes.com

I've been making this recipe for several years and it is always a huge hit.  Pre-cooking the bacon and onion really makes the difference.  My kids inhale these beans when I make them too!

1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, diced
1/2 pound bacon
1 (28 ounce) can baked beans (such as Bush's Original)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
1 cup brown sugar, divided

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees.  Melt the butter in a skillet over low heat.  Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turn translucent, 10 to 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, place the bacon in a large, deep skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes.  Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate.  Cut bacon into bite-sized pieces and set aside. 
brown sugar until evenly mixed.  Cover the bean mixture with the remaining bacon and sprinkle with the remaining brown sugar.  Bake in the preheated oven until hot and bubbly, about 45 minutes. 

Sweet Restaurant Slaw
adapted from All Recipes.com

No, this is not the recipe that did not turn out!  Actually, the following week I needed to throw a dinner together and had a bag of coleslaw mix.  I found this recipe and it has become an instant favorite.  Wow.  It really does taste like the coleslaw you find in so many restaurants.  I figured I would share it since it is what I WOULD have made had I found this recipe before!

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) bag coleslaw mix
• 2 tablespoons diced onion
• 2/3 cup creamy salad dressing (such as Miracle Whip™)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

Directions

1. Combine the coleslaw mix and onion in a large bowl.
2. Whisk together the salad dressing, vegetable oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, and poppy seeds in a medium bowl; blend thoroughly. Pour dressing mixture over coleslaw mix and toss to coat. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.               

Now, we are finally on to the ending!! 

The chocolate fountain is always a huge hit.  I put out bowls of marshmallows, pretzels, bananas, pound cake, and . .. something else; I can't think of what they are called but they are a pastry that is cream filled and found in the freezer.  (They aren't eclairs but kinda like those - wow, total blank!)

When it came to the cake, I thought about all kinds of things including a tractor cake or a cake that had green and yellow layers but decided instead to make to die for cupcakes and use paper to decorate them.  When people took bites of these I heard things like: "Oh my word, these are good" and "These are AWESOME" and "I've never tasted anything like these before - they are incredible!"  Yes, they are that good!

Mountain Dew Cupcakes
adapted from Nothing but Country
Quite honestly, I have nothing to add except - these are some of the best cupcakes I've ever tasted.  In my life.
Cupcakes:
1 box lemon cake mix
1 box of instant lemon pudding
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups of mountain dew
1/2 cup vegetable oil

• Mix cake mix, pudding and eggs well.
• Add in your oil to the batter and mix for 2 minutes.
• Slowly pour in your mountain dew soda and mix for another minute.
• Add to cupcake liners and bake at 350 degrees F for 13-17 minutes (or until toothpick inserted comes out clean)
• Allow time to cool before frosting.

Frosting:
4 cups Confectioners Sugar
2 sticks of salted butter (room temp)
1/8 cup approx of Mountain Dew
1 tbsp of lemon juice

• Beat your butter well till smooth, slowly add in 1 cup at a time of confectioners sugar and your lemon juice & mountain dew.
• Add all of your sugar and check for thickness of the frosting. If it is too thick add a teaspoon at a time of mountain dew till you reach the correct consistency to pipe or frost your cupcakes.
• Enjoy!!

And FINALLY, one last recipe - I made sweet tea for one of the drinks (along with lemonade) and wanted to share the best sweet tea recipe ever.  It comes from my dad - I used to make it all of the time and then stopped but since the party, I always have a jug in the fridge - it is soooo good!

Sweet Tea

Approximately 3 cups of water
1 cup sugar
10 Lipton Tea Bags

Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a 1-quart sauce pan.  Pour 1 cup of sugar into the boiling water and stir until it is dissolved and water is boiling again.  Turn off burner, place 10 tea bags in sugared water and let steep for 2-3 hours.  Remove tea bags, pour into 1 gallon container.  Fill container with water making 1 gallon of Southern tea.

Sorry for the long post but I really wanted to get all of these recipes into once place :-) 

Enjoy!