6.30.2010

in the kitchen

Blogging has taken a back seat to summer.
we've been busy. in good ways.

Special thanks to the farmer’s market and our garden for tonight's dinner.

Debbie's texas salsa (yum!)
Pampered Chef's zucchini deep dish pie (yum. yum!)
Corn  (tbd)

And a few teasers of other things ive made in the past few weeks...
oh to create in the kitchen and blog for a living.

6.26.2010

dad life

dave wasn't able to be present for the filming of this video.
so they used a stand in.
(just kidding, he wasnt really going to be in it.)
(but he could have been.)
love you sweetie boy.
enjoy.


Dad Life from Church on the Move on Vimeo.

i saw it first here.
(one of the many of blogs i follow)

6.24.2010

mock thin mints

Mock thin mints
(my friend Julie gave me this recipe verbally… here are a few versions of the recipe that I typed up)

(the short ‘all you really need’ version)
Ritz crackers
Dipping chocolate
Peppermint extract

Melt chocolate in a smallish bowl. Add peppermint extract, and mix. Dip the crackers in chocolate. Place on waxed paper on a cookie sheet. Put in fridge to firm.
(the jen ‘extended wordy’ version)

Ritz crackers (any ole brand will do, reduced fat even works fine… )
Dipping chocolate (I use ghirardelli (the big bars from Sam’s that are available during the holiday season) because I am a dipping chocolate snob ;)
Peppermint extract (be sure to use PEPPERMINT and not just mint)

Melt some chocolate in smallish bowl… not sure how much, though I’d guess at least 10-12 ounces to start. (I like a smaller bowl so the chocolate is deeper for easier dipping.) Add some peppermint extract. Again… not sure how much, but I’d guess at least a teaspoon, probably 2. Mix that up real good. Now for the dipping… I use two forks to dip them and drip off the excess. Put them on wax paper on a cookie sheet and put the sheet in the fridge for the chocolate to harden. I usually get at least one sleeve of crackers per batch, I’d say about 25-30 cookies. I keep them in the fridge till they are ready to eat. But they don’t last long…
Share them with friends, or eat them all by yourself.
Enjoy the deliciousness of thin mints year round.
With very little work :)
but lots of love...
(and did i mention deliciousness??)

6.22.2010

homegrown

these flowers much more like to be planted in the ground.
rather than being housed up in their little plastic container for about 2 months.
(sorry flowers.)
they started blooming the day after they were planted!

next up, our $30 orchard.
3 $10 clearance trees bought in the fall last year.
(2 of them we didnt even know what kind they were)
we were happy to see green leaves in the spring.
and even more excited to see fruit!!
probably won't be edible yet.
but in a few years... yum!!

an apple tree.
with a handful of apples.
a pear tree.
with one lowly pear.
and a peach tree.
the peach tree wins with the most fruit so far!
then to the vegetable garden.
the zucchini and tomatoes have taken over.
there are some herbs, beans and cucumber in there too.
oh, and peppers.
but youd never know it.

to give you better idea of the size of the plants...
here is the little man crawling under the zucchini plants.

daddy picked this huge zucchini.
we had no clue it was in there.
awesome. gotta love homegrown gigantic veggies.
we had it for dinner 2 nights in a row.
that is after cohen gave it a ride on the swing.

6.20.2010

happy father's day

dear daddy,
this year you have been the greatest daddy ever.
we love you. you are the best daddy.
i like to ride my bike to dairy queen with you.
love, lilly

me: hey cohen!? what do you want to say about daddy for father's day?
c: i dont want to say it.
me: why not?
c: because.
me: what is special about daddy?
c: play hockey.

thank you sweetie.
for becoming a daddy :)

Happy Father's Day!!
we love you.

6.17.2010

cozy winners

announcing the 2 cozy winners :)



congrats!!
(i giggled with the 1st winner, because i thought that lilly just said the name of who she wanted to win. but then it really turned out to be that person ;)

i will get them in the mail soonish ;)

6.15.2010

my funny girl

Oh my sweet lilly.
She really says the best things.
She makes me laugh every day.

Here are 2 recent lilly conversations…

Friday, June 11, 2010

L: Momma. You don’t look pregnant.
Me: I’m not pregnant Lilly.
L: We don’t actually know momma. When was the last time you were at the baby doctor?

(ha.  we dropped that conversation right there... though plenty of explanitory details were running through my mind as to why am not pregnant at the moment, i decided to drop the topic ;)

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

(While getting out of the van at the grocery store and noticing the car parked next to us had it’s window cracked open. You know… cause it’s about 100 degrees with 100% humidity here.)

L: Those people aren’t going to be very happy if a bird gets in there.
L: A bird can really trash a place.

(ha! I am still laughing at that one.)
i think she may be a little comedian in training.
thank you lilly.
for making me smile.
and laugh till the tears fall :)

(Pics from the last day of kindergarten!)

6.13.2010

cozy giveaway!!

I made a few cozies as a bday gift for a friend.
I filled a cup up with some chocolate and a giftcard to starbucks :)
(and a 2nd cozy is tucked in there too!)
It’s a gift I love to give.
I think because I’d like to get it ;)

A cozy giveaway has been on my list of things to do for a very long time. (Since way back in the months where I was drinking hot things and needed a cozy to keep the heat off my hand.) I thought it was too late (and not as appropriate) for a cozy giveaway in this humid weather… until I used up the end of a gift card on a java chip frappachino, and realized the cozies are just as needed with the chilly treats :) To keep the freeze away!

So… here they are!
I will be giving away these cozies :)
2 cozies.
2 winners!

One entry per person.
(If you are already the owner of one of these… you can still enter! If you win, you can add it to your collection, or gift it to someone who would really love you for sharing it.)

All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me who would get the cozy (keep it/gift it) and what you would put in your cozy hugged cup.

if you have one of these from me already… (or if you are one of the winners of the giveaway) a few notes on washing it: It washes fine in the washer with regular clothes… then let it air dry… and if you want it to be nice and crisp again, just hit it with the iron! (I only know this because I might have spilled my liquid treat on my cozy the very first time I used it… being so excited and all. That might happen to you too :) oh, and I don’t prewash my fabric… (I know, I know… bad seamstress…) but I haven’t had any problems with that being and issue.

Ok.
Enough of my blabbering.

Tell me…who gets the cozy and what are you putting in the cup?

(entries accepted through Wednesday, June 16th)
(and depending on who wins… you may or may not receive the cup itself )
(but im guessing you wont miss the cup, if you win a cozy :)

oh... and be sure i know how to get a hold of you if you win.

6.10.2010

beauty in the world

i went on a jog with my friend macy gray tonight.
love her sound. always have.
love this song.
it's my new best.
just heard it for the 1st time tonight.
(or at least this was the first time i really listened.)
and then i listened for the 2nd, and 3rd, and 4th and 5th time.

since i didnt think it appropriate to join in the group clap along while jogging...
i just beat my hip like a drum.
and then i did little finger cymbal claps the next go round.
running down the road.
(ha. i bet i am hilarious to see jogging.)

so shake your booty boys and girls.
there is beauty in the world.



hugs to pat for introducing the song to me.
that cd is like a disc full of hugs.
thank you :)

6.09.2010

randomness. again.

another post chock full of randomness.
(and some answers to some reader questions....)

yes sam. randomness is most definitely a word.
at least on my blog it is :)
i believe in it so much that i dont even need to look it up ;)

yes mary. cohen has 2 crowns :)
(we call them cowlicks though.)
did the spike tip you off?
we've been loving that natural spike since the day it appeared!

yes karin. i would LOVE to be part of team Esther-Faith :)
i am hoping my calendar agrees with the date!!
let me know... i will spread the word.

a BIG thanks to all who contributed to our team for the Crohn's walk.
we raised well over our goal!  and still going strong...
THANK YOU for supporting us.
thanks from these guys too.
why they were there?
who knows.
battling bowel disease maybe?

and not to be totally outdone by her brother.
lilly got the fever.
and the sore throat.
and a trip to the pediatrician.
strep test. no strep.

(i am really looking forward to all these medical bills.)

today the kids feel better.
tomorrow will be even better than today :)

and i feel a drawing coming on soon... be on the lookout!

6.07.2010

Every other Sunday.

Sunday, Mother's day. 2 staples in head.
Sunday, May 23. golf ball sized goose egg.

Sunday, June 6th...

Remember that jam we made?
I dropped a jar of it at breakfast.
Shattered the jar. ¾ full of jam.
Cleaned it up.
Went to church.
Home from church.
Eating lunch.
Cohen’s up and running for whatever reason.
Starts crying and holding his foot up.
Drops of blood on his heal.
Check wound.
Stepped (ran) on a piece of glass.
Barefoot.
Mommy and daddy try to get the piece out.
Screaming strong child.
Can’t pin him down.
(and we are not against holding a kid down.)
Almost get it.
Cohen kicks. And cries. And screams owie.
Soak it in water.
Try again with sharp tweezers and normal tweezers.
Hear the tweezers grinding on the glass.
Just can’t get it out.

Another trip to urgent care.
A brave boy.
This time with very justified tears.
Another green ice pop.
A huge bandaid.
And a doggy from his big sister.

From now on.
Every other Sunday.
Cohen will be wearing shoes and his hockey helmet all day long.
I may or may not be kidding.

(and to top it off he has a fever and is miserable today.)
(so we made a trip to the pediatrician.)
(quick strep negative.)
(probably just a virus.)

6.06.2010

deals!

Adorable huh?!?!
{heart} labels.
There are tons to choose from for just $3.95 :)

When you register as a new customer on their site, you will receive a promotional coupon at the email you provide for the $20 discount on your first order!! 

Go to gifts.
Then gifts under $20.
25 of these adorable wrap around labels for $18.00
the coupon will take off $18.00
all you have to pay is $3.95 for shipping!
enjoy!!
(and if you get some id love to see them on some mail for me ;)
(i love mail. have i ever mentioned that?)

garage sale season has begun!
we got all of this for about $17.00 :)
love it!

and remember the free hugo sample I posted about last week?

If you ordered one and want to be surprised… look no further.

I had a good giggle with what they sent…
I wasn't expecting much.
But I wasn't expecting this either ;)
ah well.
Cohen wore it to church this morning :)
(and speaking of Cohen... guess where he was earlier today?)
(stay tuned for the next post...)

6.04.2010

summer 2010 list!

Our summer is officially here!

We are excited about our summer list…
This is the 1st year for making a list like this.
And we are super excited about it.
it started off nice and neat.
and then we kept thinking of more things to do.
so we squeezed them in.
im still thinking of more... but we will work with what we've got.
which is plenty.

our list has been hanging in our laundry room for about a week now.
Lilly’s been patiently waiting to mark things off...
and now we can mark away :)
Because Summer is here!!
YAY!!

(this awesome idea borrowed from here…)
see, I told you.
 I don’t come up with many good ideas on my own.

6.03.2010

great grandma's jam

Cohen doesn’t eat too much.
At least not as much as the rest of us.

But he will eat 3 bowls of cereal in one sitting.
And PB&J sandwiches at any given moment.

So we have to have jelly on hand.
At all times.
And not just any jelly.

Great Grandma’s Strawberry Jam.

Though grandma doesn’t make it anymore... we do.
And we are so glad she taught us how.
(Sure it's a CERTO recipe…. but to us,  it's Grandma’s.)

6.01.2010

more random

Ahhh… so much randomness.

*(I like quotes. Some more than others.)
I keep 2 calendars. Last month they both had awesome sayings.
They seemed to have been written just for me.
So I know they will speak to others.

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.
-e.e. cummings

Nothing is far when one wants to get there.
-Queen Marie of Romania

I'm working on that first one.
The 2nd one was paired with a picture of a runner.
Which was even more meaningful to me, as I slowly become a runner of sorts.
I'm on the lookout for my very first ever 5K.
(like how there is a pic of a huge ice cream cone after talking about running?)
*Enjoy 20% off Coldstone.
I know I will be, paired with a gift card from my sweet friend Sandra.

*How about some free HUGO cologne?
I started buying HUGO for dave in high school.
we still love it ;)

*Only 3 more days to the start of summer vacation (!)
We’ve got a lot great things on our summer fun list.

*Summer TV is hardly exciting.
(Except for Big Brother)
(yay! guilty pleasure)
But that’s ok.
That just means more time for old episodes of The OC and My So-Called Life.
And for sewing and embroidery orders too.
which is keeping me happily busy!
*Don’t forget about the big giveaway at OMW!
(LBE is giving away a cute bib and a gift card there!!)
*Thanks to all who have donated to our family as we walk for Crohn's.
We’ve raised just over half of our goal with just a few days left to go.
We would be honored and grateful for any help in supporting our family...
through raising funds to help figure out this disease that touches many.
(eta: we are now past our goal!! thank you thank you thank you!!)

*Be on the lookout for some fun recipes, some fun pics, and a giveaway (or two).
Right here.
sooner or later.

(how was that for random?)
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