To My Foodie Friends: A Cookbook Challenge

My dear friend Liz whom I mentioned here, is starting a Cookbook Challenge on her blog FoodJules:

"Aside from all the various cookbooks I have on the shelf, I also have a HUGE three ring black binder that I put together many years ago with my favorite recipes. Well, I think it’s time to clean it up and share the best recipes with you. There have been many meals that I’ve made that aren’t in the cookbook so I need to add those in there too. All in preparation to one day, maybe, write a cookbook. Maybe."


"Well, for now, you will enjoy all the ups and downs of going through this big black book. I will cook the recipe, grade it, take a photo and share the best recipes with you. Then, I’d love it if you tried to cook it and sent me your comments and your grade to see if you agree. Take the challenge with me!"


How fun right?!  I can't wait to do this!  Liz's husband is a vegetarian so I wonder if she will include recipes that can feed both the vegetarian and meat eaters in her house?  I can imagine this is quite a challenge to say the least.  I had a bit of a taste of it myself when I did the 30 day vegan and my family was eating meat!!

 some of my cookbooks.  

please do not be jealous of my beautiful wallpaper and chipped paint.  

someday I'll have a nice kitchen.  someday.........

Anywho, take a look and let her know if you plan to participate to help her find the best recipes!


Bon Appetit!

Words to Live By

Last month I signed up for a free class at Big Picture Classes titled "Big Idea Festival - Words to Live By".  (see it there on my sidebar) The class was 12 days long.  Each day one talented instructor such as Amy Tan, Stacy Julian, and Wendy Smedley provided "word to live by".  For twelve mornings I printed out the word with a small lined square for journaling.  The instructor would have a short video of what the word means to them and some even gave a little tutorial of how they made their own page.  Super fun!

I used white cardstock and the "scraps" left over from Danielle's beautiful books I made here and here.  

Here are my twelve pages and I L.O.V.E. them.  I was going to make a book but Danielle suggested I frame it as is.  Hmmm?  Something to think about.  

What is your vote?  Book or frame?

I covered my journaling for privacy with a design from Picnik

Check out Big Picture Classes, they have free classes on occasion.  More often they have classes with a cost, but if you love to scrap and are looking for inspiration it's well worth it. Almost always they will offer a kit to purchase to use with the class.  If you take a class let me know I would love to hear what you thought of it.

Happy scrappin!

Picture Day!

at school.  

Had to get a shot of them this morning before they went off for the day. 

My goodness!  When I look at these two I am amazed by how "grown up" they look!

What's Going On?

So what's going on you ask?  Why have I not been around?  


I don't know really?  Maybe a combination of things:

• 9 days without power
• school starting one week later and less then 24 hours after the power comes back on
• paperwork and more paperwork for school
• seven loads of laundry that needed to be done once the power came back on
• vacuuming (again - power).
• grocery shopping 
• meal planning (after eating out of a cooler!!)
• A had a rough first week (so some stress there)
• Planning for Brownies begins again.  Field Trips, lots of field trips. (will take suggestions)
• And no exaggeration, every day there has been some sort of appointment or party.  Honest.

Once these days end I am tired.  So very tired.  I guess that's why I haven't been around lately.  


Anyway, here's what's going on right now??

• I got my hair done today.  My goal is to go back to my natural color and with all the blond in my hair my hairdresser had to dye my hair dark to get it back to it's natural state.  And it's DARK.  I mean DARK, like Goth dark.  OK maybe not that dark.
• The kids are doing so well in school and I am loving their teachers this year.  All three teachers are wonderful.  It's such a feeling of relief and joy when your children have great teachers.
• Been thinking and reminiscing about my old life when I was in child care.  I really do miss it and fantasize often about my "perfect job" .  You know, the one where I get to do what I love and be there for and take care of may family all at the same time.  Fantasy, I know. 
• Just started reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
• Finished my 30 days of eating Vegan.  Still not eating meat but have eaten dairy again.  I just can't live without bread and butter and cheese.  Glorious cheese.  
• Need to finish up those knitting projects I mentioned before.  Just some sewing and adding of buttons but that would take some energy and a trip two towns over and you all know how lazy I am.
• Oh yeah, and I am boycotting cleaning my house.  Did I mention how tired I am this month?
• I guess that's it for now because I have to go and stare at myself in the mirror again.  Yikes!  

Happy Birthday Nana (Mom)

30 Day Mom Challenge

Day 23 - 30 and Days 1 - 4

(here I explained why I started on day 5)

Hurricane Irene put a bit of a damper on my continual posting of the 30 Day Mom Challenge but I'm back to write about the last 13 days.  This whole experience truly did teach me more then I ever thought.


Day 23: Replace sarcasm with kindness.


Sometimes I use sarcasm to be silly but more often because they said or did something and my first reaction was to be sarcastic. When I was focusing on how I responded to their comments, questions, etc. I realized how often I am sarcastic to them.  Poor kids.  This day taught me to respond with more understanding, compassion, and to just talk to them like I would want to be spoken too.  


Day 24: Do not interrupt your child when he is talking.


This is a super tough one.  Those of you who spend time with children know that sometimes when they are telling you a story it can go on and on.  Often younger children have a hard time getting all those thoughts out in one continuous stream and there is a lot of "ums" and other pauses.   This can be truly frustrating especially in our fast paced world where we have so much going on in our lives we feel there is no time to sit and take the time to listen to our kids with that huge pile of laundry and all those errands that need to be done. So we help them along, right? Maybe we shouldn't?  Maybe we should take that time and let them speak. Give them the respect you would expect when you are talking to someone.


Day 25: Ask your child's opinion sometime today.


I always ask A to give me her opinion about outfits and shoes and she does!  It's really cute when she looks at my clothes and tilts her little head and makes this "hmmmm" sound while she decides.  I love it!


Day 26: Make it a point to encourage your child today.


I think this is one thing that I am good at.  I want the kids to feel that they can do anything and that they are good enough to try.  I encourage them always.


Day 27: Do one thing that is good for your health: walk 10 minutes, eat a piece of fruit, or get a good night's sleep.


I signed up for and participated in Heather's 30 day Vegan Workshop.  It's a challenge for sure to eat vegan when you really have never done it before, but honestly it makes you feel so great physically.  No animal product makes you feel lighter and fuller and well, just good!


Day 28: Teach your child a new word.


It's hard not to teach them new words when they are always inquiring about what this and that is.  Even when I say a word they haven't heard before they ask me what it means.  I think everyday they are learning a new word.   It's hard not to when you are that inquisitive!


Day 29: Turn off your phone, computer or TV today when your child is with you.


This was an easy one since we had no power for 9 days and no cell service for about 3 of those days.


Day 30: Today's focus: Love


What more can I say?


Day 1: Ask: "What is one thing we can do together this month?"


This month we are going to a local apple festival. Yum!


Day 2: Go the whole day without yelling at your children.


On a normal day this might have been hard for me but since we had no power on this day and the kids played outside from sun up to sun down, there really was nothing to yell about. They played so well and had such a nice time.  The fresh air did them good so no one cranky or fresh.  So what's there to yell about??


Day 3: Hug your child three times today.


Lots and lots of hugs.  I need to do this more, especially with the older two.  It seems as they get older there are less hugs and cuddling.  How sad!


Day 4: Kiss your child while they are sleeping.


I've done this while they were babies because who couldn't kiss those cute little baby faces?!  However I can't remember doing it while they were older.   I did it and it was sweet!

Hurricane Irene

I have to be honest, Hurricane Irene kind of kicked our butts.  I thought I was prepared until we lost power for 9 days.  Yikes!


Before she arrived, I did every last load of laundry.  Not a stitch needed to be cleaned.


I went to the grocery store to stock up.  The people there sent me into a panic and I ended up buying water which I had no plans to buy and thank goodness I did!


I made a batch of granola at 10:00 pm, just four hours before the wind and rain began.  You need something yummy to snack on when there's a chance you'll be in the dark, right?

I believed there was a chance we would lose power but I never thought we would lose it for 9 days!

We lost a tree

I knitted a lot (more about that in another post)

The weather, once Irene left us was gorgeous.  Sunny, blue skies, and very comfortable temperatures.

The children played outside everyday all day, which for me was the best part of the whole experience; no TV, no video games, and after a day or two they didn't even ask us when the power would come back on.

The Husband finished my garden beds.  Sure I can't use them this year, but they are done, and I can look forward to using them next year.  (the brown circle in the grass was were our pool was this summer not from a flying saucer!)

Watching shows and movies on laptops and ipads by candle light.

I have to admit in the beginning it was fun.  We cooked on the grill, spent the entire day outdoors, enjoyed playing board games, doing puzzles, and sitting at night by candle light.  But after a week it was beginning to get tiring, I was ready for life to get back to normal.  Once the lights came on I never thought I'd be so happy to do housework!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am so very thankful we, my friends, and family are all safe and no one sustained devastating damage. We learned a lot about ourselves, how much we take for granted and that we can survive without things we feel we need.  The kids especially surprised me.  They played and played and imagined and were creative and well just amazing and resilient.  (they did better than their daddy, that's for sure!)  

Good riddance Irene!

I Love Power!

My family and I have been without power for 9 days and 7 hours.   All the credit goes to Hurricane Irene.  She was a real joy (insert sarcasm here).  Today around 4:40 pm a light went on in the family room and I almost couldn't believe it, it has been so long since anything as turned on in my house!  Once we get back into the swing of things I'll be back with a post about how we managed.  If you were effected by Irene in anyway, I hope you too faired well.