In the details

I'm finally getting around to posting some pictures of our new place. It is a bit smaller than the last few places we have lived, but it is clean and cozy and we love it. Our neighborhood and ward is fantastic, with so many little kids around for the little miss to play with. So here we will stay, for now.

Little teaser

I have been majorly slow updating my blog with pics of out new little nest... They are coming! Here is a preview

The yummiest granola you will ever eat!

With fall just around the corner, I'm starting to get into baking mode! I LOVE me some homemade granola, and I think this is the tastiest I've ever tried! The original recipe case for twice the sugar, honey, oil, etc. And I have found that it really doesnt need all of it! So here is the recipe I have come up with:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup Brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 to 1 cup.chopped nuts ( I love pecans and almonds)
1/4 cup golden flax seed ( optional but is super healthy and I think its yummy)
6 to 7 heaping cups of oats
Combine everything in a bowl and divide evenly onto two baking sheets. Bake at 300 degrees for about 25 minutes, stirring every ten minutes, until golden brown. Keep stirring after its come.out of the oven as it cools so that it doesn't harden into one big clump.
This is so yummy we eat it as dessert!

Job Charts

My sister in law created these darling job charts to help her and her kids stay organized during the summer. I know this post is late, as summer is ending and school is starting, but I think they could be adapted to help organize and fit the busy schedules of the back to school season.

She laminated everything and the top row is jobs that are the same every day. For jobs that change each day, she made separate tags, so she could switch them for different kids/different days, etc. She used command strips and small hooks to hang them.

She set the timer each morning and if the kids got all their jobs done by noon, they would get a star. Once they filled three rows with stars, they got a date with mom or dad.

I love this idea, and I especially love that the reward is not a toy or a surprise, but some quality one on one time with mom or dad. The kids looked SO forward to their dates!

We made it!

Whew. We made it. Our third move in about 14 months. I cannot believe it! We are busy busy busy around here getting unpacked, organized, and making this place feel like home. I will post pictures when everything is done. We are happy to be close to family again! In the meantime, I will share a few things I've been doing with my mom this week: canning salsa, making jam, and freezing meat. Super duper exciting!

Homemade salsa

Lots of cooking going on in this kitchen... I have way too much to do to get organized from the move, but there is so much great produce right now, and it can't be wasted! So my mom and I spent a day making homemade salsa. (I will post the recipe soon)

Another thing I love to do with garden tomatoes is blanch them, peel them, and freeze them in quart size ziplocs. Then in the winter you can pull them out to add to stews, chili, etc. and it is like eating them straight from the garden! SO much better than canned.

Strawberry season

It's strawberry season!! Hooray! Our local grocery store is having an AMAZING deal on strawberries, so my mom and I snatched some up and made freezer jam. I have always been scared to make jam, until I realized how ridiculously easy freezer jam is. And to make things even easier, we found instant pectin. Have you ever used it? All you do is puree the fruit, and in a separate bowl, combine the sugar and pectin (dry) then stir in the fruit until well mixed. Are you kidding? It took like ten minutes. For real. I can never buy store jam again.

We froze some extra strawberries to add to green smoothies. Delish!

Cookin up meat

I don't know about you, but I really dislike cooking meat, so I like to get it done all at once. So I buy ground hamburger or turkey in bulk, and I have a meat cooking day. I brown it with onions and bag it in individual cup portions. I also cook some with taco seasoning (for tacos, taco soup, taco salads, etc.) So today was meat cooking day...



Anyone else do this? 

Thought for the Day

"How different our lives are when we really know what is deeply important to us, and, keeping that picture in mind, we manage ourselves each day to be and do what really matters most.”

Stephen R. Covey

Cake Balls

It was my neice's birthday this weekend, and I wanted to do something special for her. I haven't made cake balls in ages...and I forgot how much work they were...and how delicious they are! Have you ever made cake balls before? You bake a cake, let it cool down a bit, then crumble the whole cake into a mixing bowl. Add a can of frosting, mix all together, and form balls:

 Let the balls set up (I stuck mine in the freezer for a quick set up, or you can do fridge) Then dip then in chocolate. They are DIVINE! My neice kept sneeking them from the fridge, and she said, "Each one I eat gets better and better!"

Crafty Mama

I haven't put a lot of detail on this blog about all the changes that are happening around here...to keep the story short, we moved from Oregon about 10 weeks ago, and now we are moving again! I know, we are honestly crazy. I just hung my last set of curtains about 2 weeks ago, and now everything is getting packed back up. I thought it would be at least a couple years before we booked a rental truck again, but here we are, becoming great buddies with the guys at Uhaul. Anyway, with all the changes and craziness of our life right now, I have not been in a huge project mood. I have been cleaning out and organizing like crazy! But that's not super fun to read about. My cute mom, on the other hand, has been crafting away all summer long, so I thought I would show you a few glimpses of what she's been up to!

This darling chevron patterned quilt she has been making by piecing together fat quarters. Are you kidding? So cute!!

Next up, she completely refinished this little cabinet...but I don't have a before picture! Let's just say it was not pretty. It lives in her front room, a beautiful room with a big grand piano. It houses all of the piano music, so it is a necessary piece, but it was a dark, dated wood with dated hardware...just dated.

So she sanded it down, spray painted it cream, then antiqued it.

She also added these feet, making it a beautiful piece of furniture!

She is also a master sewer (seamstress..er...obviously I'm not, I don't even know what it's called)

She made this skirt for my little gal

And with the extra, made a baby skirt and shoes. 

So there ya have it, folks! My super talented mama! Hopefully after this next move, things will die down a bit and I cane get down to business!



Miracles

We've had lots of changes happening in our lives lately. Like big changes. Life-changing changes. And now we are embarking a new one. It's all been very overwhelming. Sometimes I feel like I have a handle on it, and other times, not so much.My sweet and amazing sister-in-law made this jar for us yesterday. 

The tag tied to it says "forecasting miracles every single day" and "ready to dance in the rain"

Then one of my favorite quotes: "Do not pray for tasks equal to your abilites, pray for abilites equal to your tasks".

Next to this jar, we now have a big ol' box of pennies. Throughout the day, when miracles happen, we put a penny in the jar. In less than 24 hours, we have put 19 pennies in the jar. When we take the time to look for and notice the miracles in our lives every day, I think we realize how many there really are.

Thrifty Find

I've been wanting a couple of big down pillow forms to make some more pillows for my couches...but have you checked the prices lately on pillow forms? Really good quality down ones? They are not cheap! So today I went to our local thrift store to drop off a few items and I decided to run inside and see if there were any treasures... and I scored! Normally I would be a little skeptical buying pillows at a thrift store, but these were BRAND NEW !I was planning to make new coverings for them, but I think I actually really like them as they are! A quick wash and they are as good as new. At $4 per pillow, I think I probably saved around $40!

cake stands and pedestals

Lately I have done zero crafting. Life has been so busy, so crazy, and so HOT. Moving from the northwest to the desert has been a big change. Good, but different. Anyway, not the point. The point is, I have not been doing projects like I should...but I just HAD to post a picture of my new cake stands. I have a new fetish with pedestals and cake stands. I LOVE them! These are two that I got from a cute boutique while visiting my mom last week. Actually, I bought the white one and drooled over the peachy one, but couldn't afford it. Then my mom surprised my by buying it for me. Isn't she sweet! I am so in love.

What's for dinner Wednesdays

What's for dinner Wednesdays is back! Summer is in full swing in southern Utah...we are hitting high nineties and it's only May! Whew! What is July going to be like? With such warm days, we've been spending lots of time outside in the pool, and not a lot of time cooking or baking. Meals have to be quick and simple, and our dessert of choice has been chocolate dipped strawberries! A great and quick dinner to make in the summer is meatball subs. I bought a package of frozen meatballs, a can of spaghetti sauce, and some buns. I sauteed onions and peppers, heated the meatballs and sauce, and quickly broiled the buns with some mozzerella cheese. Serve with some fresh fruit! Delish and quick!

A Cottage Tour

 I haven't posted any projects on here for a while, we have been on quite a journey this past month. We moved to a new state, delivered/lost our baby boy...and everything that goes in between. Things are settling down just a bit, and I thought I would post some pictures of our new home. I LOVE it! I call it our cottage.

Here is the view when you walk in...

And here is the living room to the right...

The stairs...

The powder room is just past the living room, on your way in to the kitchen/dining/family room

The family room is my favorite room. It is just off the kitchen and dining room feels very open and warm and inviting. The curtains I just made yesterday and they made my favorite room even more favorite!

Kitchen and dining room

Our last home had the washer/dryer hook ups in the garage. I am LOVING having a laundry room!

Master bedroom

Bryn's bathroom

I didn't get a picture of Bryn's room...she was napping, and our extra bedroom is still in the works. So this is our little cottage!

George Bradley Bird

On April 18, 2012, at 11:33 p.m. George Bradley Bird was born into His Heavenly Father's arms. He was 2 pounds, 12 ounches, 14 1/2 inches long. We were able to spend the day holding him, cherishing him, and memorizing his every detail. The veil was so thin in that hospital room. While we know we were only holding his body, we also know with as much surety that his spirit was there with us, and will continue to be with us. He was surrounded by his grandparents, his sister, as well as other dear family. We are so thankful to be near family during this time.

We are grateful for George, for all that he taught us, and know that he will continue to teach us through our lives if we let him. His work on this earth is complete, and we know his strong spirit is needed on the other side. We are grateful for our knowledge of the gospel, of the plan of salvation, of our Savior's atonement and ressurection, and we are especially grateful for the assurance that while some blessings don't come until heaven, they will come.

Jewelry Board

I saw this cute idea on 320 Sycamore and knew I had to make one! Moving twice in one year is really helping me get organized, and my jewelry is something that was NOT organized. So I used an old bulletin board I had bought at a yard sale last summer for 50 cents, sanded it and added a quick layer of paint, then started pinning all of my jewelry!

 Everything but my rings are on here, and I can hang it in my closet and have everything right there, easily accessible and totally organized!

S-S-S-Slacker

So someone has been completely slacking on the blogging around here...I have a million excuses..wanna hear 'em? How about instead I share a recipe? I honestly have not been cooking much lately...nothing's sounding good, and I'm getting a little tired of winter cooking--crockpots, soups, etc. Well, today was 70 degrees and BEAUTIFUL and inspired a little spring foods! I made pitas and they were delish! Well, I didn't actually make the pitas themselves, but I made the filling and it was so easy and so yummery and so light and tasty. It just felt like spring.

For the Pita Filling I chopped up veggies :
Lettuce, tomatoes, and I LOVE adding sprouts. You could grate carrots, add chopped spinach, anything you like!

 In a bowl, combine with the veggies:
shredded cheese, diced lunch meat (I used ham and chicken) sunflower seeds, sliced olives (these two ingredients are key!)

 If you are going to eat it now, go ahead and add mayonaise and mix it all together. If you are going to eat it later, or are only eating part of the filling, mix with mayonnaise in a separate bowl so that the leftovers don't get soggy.

Put filling in pita (the pitas at my grocery store didn't look too yummy so I just bought sandwich thins.

 I forgot to take a picture of the filling inside of the pita, because I was too darn hungry!

Just a little tip: if you buy those romaine hearts that come 3 in a bag, wash them all when you get them home, let them dry a little, wrap them in paper towels, and store them in a bag. They stay fresh and crisp much longer!

And coming soon... this lovely old filing cabinet is getting a facelift! Can't wait!