Whatever

The Famous To-Do List

2011-10-04T13:39:00.000-07:00

I am a list maker through and through. I often say...if it's not on list, then it doesn't get done.

Sometimes I have several going at once...a daily one and a weekly or even a monthly one. And nothing gives me greater pleasure than being able to cross things off my list and eventually toss the daily one in the garbage. :) I am not too hard on myself tho if I do not cross everything off, I just move it to the next day.

I recently received this e mail on to-do lists from the organizing guru herself, Marcia Ramsland that I thought I'd share with you. It is jam-packed with great to-do list pointers.

Enjoy!

A written to-do list is the secret to clearing your mind of mental clutter and accomplishing more each day. When the list is more than a day’s worth of actions, it is actually considered a “Master List.”

Marcia’s Time Slotted To-Do List:

When you start listing items on your to-do list, you have three choices: you can put to-dos in the order they occur to you, in the time order in which you will complete them, or in priority order. I use a combination of all three. Here are the 3 steps I use each day.

1) In the morning I list what’s on my mind and desk in a running list before opening email. Listing it allows me to get the big picture and start to sort. On a good day I walk into a clear desk with the list already written the night before. :)

2) List the morning’s 3 Priority items in the upper right of my Planner and on a digital Post-It note on my computer screen desktop. (In iGoogle dashboard I found it in “Gadgets.” I also have their clock, calendar, and yellow stickie note.) I like doing the handwritten first. It’s a double insurance that I will get done what I set out to do.

3) The big secret: THEN I list the time I will begin and end each of the 3 big Priorities. Adding the time slot for a priority early in the day makes all the difference in getting it done. Time slots keep me on track.

One last thing: Set yourself up for success tomorrow by clearing your email In-box at the end of each day (or down as low as you possibly can). THE N write yourself an email of with your Priority tasks just in the Subject Line. That way you’ll spot it right away and your mind will focus on your Priorities and not other people’s email priorities for you.

Blueberry Picking

2011-07-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

Every year we like to go to u pick farms in our area. Even though we have our favorites, we still like to find new ones to try.

This year we tried Evergreen Farms in Watertown, CT for the very first time. They had blueberries and black raspberries. YUM!

Here are some scenes from the day. :)

Enjoy! I know we will be enjoying blueberry muffins and pie and pancakes for the next week. :)

The neck pails they give you to store your bounty in. :)

The happy pickers. ;)

The berries:

Summer Kitchen Table

2011-07-11T11:53:00.000-07:00

Here is what my kitchen table looks like this summer. The table runner is from Target and I absolutely love love love the vibrant happy colors. The candle & candle holder which holds my current favorite scent, carribean salsa, are from Bath & Body Works. And all the rest hails from HomeGoods. :)

My First Spray Painting Adventure

2011-07-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted a Lazy Susan for my kitchen table but the problem was finding the right size and color. After much searching, I broke down and bought a cheap one from Target for $7.99 and decided to spray paint it. I went for Heirloom White to match the chairs. I think it turned out pretty good. WDYT?

Before:

After:

Next up...the stuff that goes on top. :)

Puffs Primavera

2011-06-29T08:47:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a really delicious and easy recipe to take to parties this summer, then this is the one for you. I made these yesterday to take to a pool party and they were yummy! My hubby actually asked me if I made them or just heated them up!? LOL!

Tray is from Ikea. It's my new fave. It's long enough to hold lots of goodies. :)

Recipe:
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed
1 small zucchini or yellow squash, cut into 3-inch matchstick-thin strips
1 small red pepper, cut into 3-inch matchstick-thin strips

Directions:
Heat the oven to 400°F. Stir the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice and black pepper in a medium bowl.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 10x12-inch rectangle. Cut off a 2-inch strip crosswise to make a 10-inch square, reserving the strip. Cut the pastry square into 25 (2-inch) squares. Cut the reserved pastry strip crosswise into 25 strips.

Place about 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese mixture in the center of each pastry square. Arrange the vegetables diagonally on the pastry squares on top of the cheese mixture. Fold 2 opposite corners to the center over the filling and press to seal. Place the pastry strips crosswise across the center of the filled pastries. Wrap the ends of the strips around the pastries to meet in the back and press to seal. Place the pastries, vegetable-side up, onto 2 baking sheets.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown.

Yarn Stash Re-Do

2011-06-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

I am a part-time knitter for sure. And I have the attention span of a gnat when it comes to my knitting projects. If it's not a gift and I don't have a deadline, it can linger on for months. But that doesn't stop me from buying more yarn. :O

So, as you can imagine, I have a yarn stash that has gotten out of control over the last few months. The little basket that I bought to house my yarn is beyond overflowing. It is littered with bags and bags of unfinished projects and new yarn.

I have been on the hunt for a lidded basket that doesn't look like a laundry basket. It is has been harder than I thought. Then today while I was perusing the aisles of AC Moore for wooden letters, I saw a big but not too big basket that would work and it was 50% off.

Well, when I got to the register, it ended up being $5.00! The original price was $14.99. I was stoked over the bargain even though I had to climb the shelves myself to get it. Everytime I go in there, I swear I will never go there again. :O I am glad I went this time. :)

Look at the transformation...

New Basket:

Messy Stash:

New and Improved Look:

What do you think? Pretty nice for $5.00 and 5 minutes of my time. :)

Father's Day Frames

2011-06-21T08:03:00.000-07:00

Here they are...

They were a hit. So much so that my Mom was jealous. LOL!

For my Dad...

For my hubby...

Father's Day Photo Idea

2011-06-16T14:08:00.000-07:00

This year I wanted to do something really special for my father and my husband this Father's Day.

So, I came up with this inexspensive photo idea. I hit Michael's today armed with a 50% coupon for 1 regular priced item and a 20% off my total order one. I picked up unfinished wood letters for $1.99 each and a heart for 99 cents. The paint was 2 for $1.00. I always have foam brushes so no cost there. And I picked up a 3 photo black frame on super sale at Kohl's for under $10.00 and a wood desk frame on clearance for $6.99 at Michael's. My photos were even 25% off after I used a special Father's Day coupon code for CVS.

My supplies:

Here they are painted:

The photos:

The frames:

As soon as I pick up the photos from CVS, I'll share the finished product. The photos should be ready in 30 minutes. :)

Sunshine Swizzle Stick

2011-06-15T07:08:00.000-07:00

What You Need:
3 qt. (12 cups) cold club soda
1 can (12 oz.) frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
2 pkt. (makes 2 qt. drink) CRYSTAL LIGHT Lemonade Flavor Drink Mix*
1 qt. (4 cups) raspberry sherbet

Make It:
ADD club soda and concentrate to drink mix in punch bowl; stir until mix is completely dissolved.

SCOOP sherbet into punch just before serving.

*NOTE: CRYSTAL LIGHT Packets come in two sizes. Please note packet size before preparing recipe. Kraft Kitchens TipsSpecial Extra
Sherbet adds color and flavor, as well as acts as ice cubes to chill the punch.

To Halve:
This recipe can easily be halved. Prepare as directed, cutting all ingredients in half. Makes 9 servings, 1 cup each.

Substitute:
Prepare using 4 pkt. (makes 1 qt. drink each) CRYSTAL LIGHT Lemonade Flavor Drink

Happy Flag Day

2011-06-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

Show your colors for Flag Day or 4th of July with a fun and festive dessert. Raspberries, blueberries and creamy filling are the red, white and blue toppings on the easy cookie crust.

Prep Time: 20 Min
Total Time: 1 Hr 35 Min
Makes: 24 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4cup powdered sugar
2teaspoons grated lemon peel
2cups fresh raspberries
1 1/2cups fresh blueberries
1/4cup apple jelly, melted.

DIRECTIONS:

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray. Cut cookie dough into 1/4-inch slices; place in pan. With floured fingers, press evenly over bottom to form crust.

2 Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool completely, about 25 minutes.

3 In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon peel until fluffy. Spread over baked crust. Arrange raspberries in large star shape in center. Arrange blueberries around raspberries. Drizzle or brush with melted jelly. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. Store in refrigerator.

Nutrition Information:

1 Serving (1 Serving)Calories 150(Calories from Fat 70),Total Fat 7g(Saturated Fat 3g,Trans Fat 1g),Cholesterol 15mg;Sodium 85mg;Total Carbohydrate 18g(Dietary Fiber 0g,Sugars 11g),Protein 2g;Percent Daily Value*:Vitamin A 2.00%;Vitamin C 4.00%;Calcium 0.00%;Iron 2.00%;Exchanges:1/2 Starch;0 Fruit;1/2 Other Carbohydrate;0 Skim Milk;0 Low-Fat Milk;0 Milk;0 Vegetable;0 Very Lean Meat;0 Lean Meat;0 High-Fat Meat;1 1/2 Fat;Carbohydrate Choices:1;*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Sweet Treat

2011-06-10T06:53:00.000-07:00

for the end of the school year.

Just put a lollipop stick into a marshmallow. Dip it in melted chocolate. And decorate it with nonpariels. :)

Add a cute tag and some curling ribbon and voila a sweet treat for teachers and friends. :)

Flea Market Find

2011-04-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

I love flea markets. You just never know what little gem you are going to find. And luckily for me the whole family loves them as well.

We happen to have a pretty good one not too far from us in Stormville. It is a mix of old and new and they have a great food court too.

My son hunts for baseball cards he needs.

My hubby digs for rare records.

And my daughter loves the jewels and gems.

And, it was because of her, that I got this fabulous necklace and earring set. It was marked $24.00 but the lady gave it to me for $20.00 without me even asking. :) Yay! I plan to wear it on Easter Sunday. :)

Easter Nest Cookies

2011-04-19T06:33:00.000-07:00

A sweet treat for the Easter table or a spring party, these cookies couldn't be easier, starting with refrigerated sugar cookies and purchased frosting.

Prep Time: 45 Min
Total Time: 45 Min
Makes: 24

INGREDIENTS:
1package (16 oz) Pillsbury® Ready To Bake!™ refrigerated sugar cookies (24 cookies)
1container (12 oz) fluffy white frosting
1cup flaked coconut
Food color
Jelly beans

DIRECTIONS:

Bake cookies as directed on package.

Cool completely, about 10 minutes.

Frost cookies.

Add coconut to a 1-quart resealable food-storage plastic bag. Add 2 to 3 drops favorite food color, shaking bag to blend color. It may be necessary to add 1 to 2 teaspoons water to help disperse the color evenly or additional food color until desired color is reached.

Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon coconut on each cookie.

Top with jelly beans or candy coated chocolate peanut candy.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft)

Nutrition Information:

1 Serving (1 cookie)Calories 160(Calories from Fat 70),Total Fat 8g(Saturated Fat 3g,Trans Fat 1g),Cholesterol 0mg;Sodium 70mg;Total Carbohydrate 22g(Dietary Fiber 0g,Sugars 16g),Protein 0g;Percent Daily Value*:Vitamin A 0.00%;Vitamin C 0.00%;Calcium 0.00%;Iron 0.00%;Exchanges:1/2 Starch;0 Fruit;1 Other Carbohydrate;0 Skim Milk;0 Low-Fat Milk;0 Milk;0 Vegetable;0 Very Lean Meat;0 Lean Meat;0 High-Fat Meat;1 1/2 Fat;Carbohydrate Choices:1 1/2;*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

2011-04-19T06:23:00.000-07:00

■1 (super moist) lemon cake mix
■2 eggs
■1/3 cup vegetable oil
■2 tbsp lemon zest
■2 tbsp lemon juice
■1 tsp lemon extract
■white sugar for coating
■confectioners’ sugar for coating

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2.Pour cake mix into a large bowl. Stir in eggs, oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and lemon extract until well blended. Drop cookie scoops of dough into a bowl of regular ‘ol white sugar (this will help the confectioners sugar stick). Toss the sugar over the ball of dough until coated. Move the ball into the bowl of confectioners sugar, toss ‘em around more. Once sugared, put them on an non-stick (or lined with parchment) cookie sheet.

3.Bake for 6 to 9 minutes in the preheated oven or until the edges are lightly browned.

I had to keep mine in for 10 minutes. I guess the timing depends on your oven.

They were so good that I am making them again for company on Easter Sunday. :)

Enjoy!

Double-Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

2011-04-19T06:09:00.000-07:00

I love anything lemon especially during spring and summer. I am putting this cake on my to make asap list. :)

What You Need:

1 pkg. (2-layer size) lemon cake mix
1 pkg. (3 oz.) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Gelatin
1-1/4 cups water
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs
1/4 cup poppy seed
1/2 cup (1/2 of 8-oz. tub) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese Spread
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tbsp. shredded peel and 1 Tbsp. juice from 1 lemon, divided

Make It:

HEAT oven to 350°F.

BEAT first 5 ingredients in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Stir in poppy seed. Pour into well-greased and lightly floured 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan.

BAKE 50 min. to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 30 min. Loosen cake from sides of pan with knife. Invert cake onto wire rack; gently remove pan. Cool cake completely.

BEAT cream cheese spread and butter with mixer on low speed until well blended. Gradually beat in sugar and lemon juice. Spread over top of cake. Garnish with peel.

*Sifting the powdered sugar ensures that the prepared icing will be smooth.

New Favorite Book & Author!

2011-04-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

What would life be like with the one who got away? From the acclaimed author of My Husband’s Sweethearts comes this bighearted, funny, fiercely perceptive tale about a happily married woman and the little white lie that changed everything.

For Gwen Merchant, love has always been doled out in little packets—from her father, who lost himself in work after her mother’s death, and from her husband, Peter, who’s always been respectable and safe. But when an old college boyfriend, the irrepressible Elliot Hull, invites himself back into Gwen’s life with a surprising proposition, she suddenly starts questioning everything she’s ever expected from love.
Elliot, it turns out, is in need of a pretend wife, just for the weekend, in order to fulfill his dying mother’s last wish. But as Gwen finds herself drawn into Elliot’s quirky, wonderful family—and uncovers a few secrets about her own—a pretend relationship just might turn out to be the most real thing she’s ever known.

I cannot wait to read her other books!

Organizing the Mail Pile

2011-02-25T07:09:00.000-08:00

I struggle with this on a daily basis as I know many of you do too. I have been able to gain a handle on it by using the file folder system. I have a desk area in my kitchen and that is where I have a pretty wicker basket that holds my main file folders. That's where I have the bills and school notes, etc. The desk drawer holds envelopes, stamps, address labels and my checkbook for easy access.

Underneath the desk I have another basket that contains file folders with documents that are not needed on a daily basis but that we need access to fairly regularly.

If you are looking into starting a file folder system, here are some pointers from Marcia Ramsland:

Five File Folders will clean up any mail piles from scattering across your kitchen counterop. A portable file holder is a key ingredient to set up a “Personal Organizing Center” along with a supply drawer. Every home needs one.

Each day an average of fifteen pieces of mail arrive in your mailbox. If you flip through and deal with only ten of the fifteen pieces, you are left with five dangling pieces a day to be dealt with “later.” That’s why stacks of mail can appear from out of nowhere. At the rate of five pieces of mail per day, that means 150 pieces a month or 1,565 pieces a year—sixteen inches of guilt piled on your desk or countertops.

Remember, loose papers represent undone actions. They drain emotional energy and take away your peace of mind.

Five File Folders to Handle Your Mail

1. Calendar
2. To Do
3. To Decide
4. To Pay
5. Your Name

File Folder #1 - CALENDAR
Put an item in the CALENDAR file only after putting it on your monthly calendar. This cleans up “refrigerator clutter” and includes invitations, schedules, & upcoming events.

File Folder #2 - TO DO
Only if an item takes more than 5 minutes to do AND you’ve listed it on a Master List on the countertop can you put it in this file. Assign it to the 3 days you can most control: Today, Tomorrow, or the next day.

File Folder #3 - TO DECIDE
Place items that you are thinking about doing, ordering, or following up on in here. Then when you decide to do it, you know right where to find it! The last day of the month, toss the unused items for a fresh start next month.

File Folder #4 -TO PAY
If you don’t have one place by your checkbook to pay bills, keep them in a desginated file folder so they don’t get lost. Important!

File Folder #5 YOUR NAME
Keep anything of interest just for you in there.

Now add a File Folder with each person in your family. Explain that no longer will there be visible paper clutter on the counter, and it needs to be emptied daily or by Saturday noon on the weekend.

Ooooh, Look a Healthy Recipe

2011-02-24T11:54:00.000-08:00

I am a pastanatic. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner and even as a snack. But, I hear that carbs are the enemy these days so I am always on the lookout for ways to make me feel less guilty about eating them.

When I first tried whole wheat pasta some years ago, I literally almost hurled. However, I am happy to admit that they have come a long way. I prefer Barilla whole grain but Ronzoni healthy harvest is good too.

This recipe is from Whole Living. Enjoy! ;)

Mediterranean Pasta with Artichokes, Olives and Tomatoes

Ingredients
Serves 4

Coarse salt and ground pepper
12 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion , thinly sliced, lengthwise
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and quartered lengthwise
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, quartered lengthwise
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes , halved lengthwise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more serving
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Directions:

1.In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Return pasta to pot.

2.Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, cook, stirring occasionally until browned, 3to 4 minutes. Add wine and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes.

3.Stir in artichokes and cook until starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add olives and half of the tomatoes; cook until tomatoes start to break down, 1 to 2 minutes. Add pasta to skillet. Stir in remaining tomatoes, oil, cheese, and basil. Thin with reserved pasta water if necessary to coat the spaghetti. Serve with additional cheese.

A Chart For You

2011-02-24T09:23:00.000-08:00

If you are as anal as I am and you like lists and charts, here is one to get you started on your new weekly cleaning schedule.

Happy cleaning & organizing!

http://www.organizingpro.com/downloads/3x5_weekly_chart_colored_%202up.pdf

A Weekly Cleaning Schedule??

2011-02-24T09:15:00.000-08:00

A neighbor of mine has had one for years. And you know what? Her house always looks FABULOUS! I used to think that I didn't need one but since I've gone back to work, I just can't keep up with it all. I am tired of saving it all for the weekend. And, I am tired of the house looking not so fabulous during the week. I am ready to jump on the bandwagon. So here is a weekly schedule courtesy of Marcia Ramsland.

A Weekly Cleaning Schedule is the backbone of staying on top of clutter. It frees up time since regular routines create order. The goal is to stay ahead of the dust and clutter without much effort.

Here’s what you want to do in Weekly Cleaning so your house stays clean:

l. Empty Wastebaskets. Believe it or not, this is a sign of all clean homes and offices. Get your money’s worth from your weekly garbage and recyle pickup by tossing out everything you can.

2. Change Bed Linens. Instead of tackling the Herculean task of changing all the beds on the same day, try changing no more than two beds per day. Set up a schedule for changing bed linens on a weekly or every-other-week schedule.

3. Vacuum Regularly. Vacuuming is one of the quickest ways to give the illusion of a clean home. It also minimizes dust and adds longevity to an expensive part of your home—your carpet and floors.

4. Clean Kitchen and Bathroom Floors. When kitchen and bathroom floors are clean, people will presume you have a clean home. And all you did was keep the crumbs and dirt picked up.

5. Eliminate One “Clutter Pile.” Piles are telltale signs of disorder. How many do you see around your house right now? Conquer one pile per week and soon you’ll regain control.

6. Complete One Project from your “Priority Project List.” Create this priority project list while vacuuming and scrutinizing your home. List no more than ten items, though. Once you have a few crossed off, you can add others.

7. Handle Errands. Whenever possible, do a few errands on your way home from being out. A convenient, quick stop on the way home takes less time than getting up the momentum to go out and tackle a bunch of errands later.

Example of a Weekly Cleaning System

Monday - Empty wastebaskets
Tuesday - Vacuum traffic areas
Wednesday - Eliminate a clutter“pile”
Thursday - Do Errands, i.e. banking, gas, grocery
Friday - Clean the kitchen & bathroom floors
Saturday - Change beds & do laundry
Sunday - Free Day

The Benefits of Organizing Your Cleaning

A simple cleaning system gives you:
• a nice-looking home
• more free time
• less stress

It is definitely worth the time to create a system that works for you.

And I couldn't agree more. I will be implementing this system starting today. I'll let you know how it goes. :)

Sweet & Sour Chicken with Green Beans

2011-02-08T15:04:00.000-08:00

This is thee best stir fry recipe I have ever made. It is quick and easy too making it a perfect busy weeknight meal. It is from the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Everyday Food. I've made it twice already. The whole family loves it. Give it a try and let me know how much you love it. ;)

Ingredients:
-white rice
-1 TBSP cornstarch
-1/4 cup sugar
-1/4 cup soy sauce (I used reduced sodium)
-1/4 white vinegar
-1 TBSP vegetable oil
-1-1/4 lbs of boneless/skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
-2 bell peppers (any color- I used red & yellow) seeded & diced large
-1/2 lb green beans, trimmed & halved
-5 scallions, thinly sliced
-2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled & minced
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-2 TBSP chopped roasted peanuts (I omitted these - I don't like nuts in my food)

1. Cook rice according to package. Meanwhile, in a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce & vinegar. Set aside.

2. In a large wok or skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add chicken, bell peppers & green beans & cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

3. Add scallions, ginger & garlic & cook, stirring frequently, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender about 4 minutes.

4. Whisk soy sauce mixture, add to skillet, and cook stirring constantly, until sauce thickens about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Fluff rice with a fork. To serve, spoon chicken mixture over rice and top with peanuts if desired.

My New Planter

2011-02-07T14:34:00.001-08:00

I have had this ficus tree in my family room since we moved in. Actually, it came with me from the townhouse when we moved. It is older than my kids. But the pot that it was in matched my old decor not my new one. So, for years this poor tree sat in it's ugly old plastic container. But not anymore. After several failed attempts, I finally found the perfect container for it and the tree fits in it perfectly!! It was from TJ Maxx and it was only $12.99. Yay!! That may seem like not such a big thing but let me tell you it is harder to find the right color and size than you think. How do you like?

Valentine's Day Sofa Table

2011-02-04T13:06:00.000-08:00

For every holiday, I change out the decor on my sofa table. I change the runner and candy and mix in some homemade crafts. This is what I did for Valentine's Day. The table runner is from HomeGoods. It was $12.99. A little more than I had wanted to spend but it was the only one I liked. The little heart candles were from Target. They were a gift from a student of mine a few years back. :) The candy dishes were all wedding favors. :O And the love frame (which still needs a photo) is from Kohl's. It was a gift from my friend Irene. :) The cards and frame are the homemade part. TFL! :)

Heart Frame Art

2011-02-04T12:07:00.001-08:00

When I started to take out my Valentine's Day decor, I realized that I was seriously lacking in that department. So, when my friend Leslie forwarded this idea from Cozy.Cottage.Cute, I knew I had to do it.

I got the frame for $4.99 at The Christmas Tree Shop. The heart punch is Martha Stewart. I got that on super sale for $4.02 and the paper and pop dots I already had in my stash. How's that for a cheap, quick and cute project?

Supplies used:
Frame - The Christmas Tree Shop
Punch - Martha Stewart (Michael's)
Dictionary Paper - 7 gypsies
Red & Black cardstock - Bazzill Basics
Dimensionals - Stampin' Up!

Cute Cupcake Heart Display

2011-02-02T13:18:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of the Incomparable Martha Stewart...

Recipe for One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes:
Ingredients
Makes 18 to 24

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons safflower oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.
2.Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Basic Buttercream Recipe:

Ingredients
Makes about 4 cups

12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
1.Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
2.Reduce speed to medium. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition, about 5 minutes. (After every 2 additions, increase speed to high, and beat for 10 seconds, then reduce speed to medium-high). Add vanilla, and beat until buttercream is smooth. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)

3 Simple Organizing Tips

2011-02-02T11:48:00.001-08:00

We take a little break from the Valentine's Day crafting and baking to bring you 3 simple organzing tips from Marcia Ramsland.

If you are like me, you are always looking for ways to stay oraganized and on top of things. So, when I came across these easy tips from Marcia Ramsland, I'd thought I'd share them with you.

They are practical and easy to follow but will make a big impact on our efforts to stay organized.

Hope they help!

3 Ways to Get Organized and Stay that Way!

1. Practice the “Two Minute Pickup” All Day. This means before leaving in the morning clean up the kitchen for 2 minutes, before lunch spend 2 minutes clearing out emails, before dinner spend 2 minutes organizing desk papers into a To Do list. You’ll always come back to “order.”

2. Set Up a Weekly Schedule. A simple 3 x 5 card posted near your computer will remind you: Monday-send staff email, Tuesday clean out one file, Wednesday send your Blog post, etc. Or at home post it in the kitchen: Monday wash clothes, Tuesday get groceries, Wednesday vacuum, etc. If you want to improve any aspect of your life, set up a weekly schedule. Test and adjust it until it works.

3. Use an Email or Phone Reminder to Create a New Habit. If you want to be on time for work and your drive is 20 minutes, set a reminder to ring 30 minutes before arrival. That gives you a 10 minute cushion to leave. If you want to remember to exercise more, set a reminder 45 minutes before you need to be at the gym.

Why does a Two-Minute Pickup, Weekly Schedule and email/phone Reminder work?

Because they create regular habits to accomplish things you need to do daily. These aren’t “To Do” list items. They are routine habits that will build a successful day!

Oh, and I have been baking too...

2011-02-02T09:56:00.001-08:00

These snow days are wreaking havoc on my diet! :O

The brownies were made with my perfect brownie maker which I love! Look how perfectly they turned out? And the cute little powdered hearts were made possible by a template that comes with the perfect brownie maker.

The cake is an egg white cake so it is nice and light. I used a big heart shaped cookie cutter to make a stencil on the top and I filled it with pink sanding sugar. Pretty and delicious! :)

Hope your Valentine's Day is filled with sweet treats! :)

Valentine's Day Cards

2011-02-02T09:49:00.000-08:00

We have been snowed and iced in here in NY so I have been crafting away. Yesterday I made some Valentine's Day cards that were quick & easy. I went old school with these cards. I had a plastic template with stars, circles and heart shapes on it. So I traced the hearts onto cardstock and then cut them out. The small heart is a Martha Stewart punch. The rub ons are Making memories and the cardstock is a mix of Stampin' Up! and Bazzill. Hope you like! :)

More Valentine Loveliness

2011-01-07T14:46:00.000-08:00

from The Idea Room....

I guess I will be adding pink felt to my Joann's list as well. ;)

I am going to use a terra cotta pot as my base tho. I have tons of them lying around in my garage. :)

I cannot wait to get started!

Valentine's Day Crafts!

2011-01-05T12:57:00.000-08:00

I love Valentine's Day. It is one of my favorite days. I love to decorate for it and bake for it and shop for it. But what I love most is to find great crafts to make for it.

I am running to Joann's on Saturday to get all the supplies to make one of these!!!!

How FABULOUS is it!? I think it is pretty FABULOUS!!!

And how cute would it be to get one of these on Valentine's Day? All you have to do is wrap your sweetie's favorite candy bar in cute V-Day paper and voila ... instant gift.

I hope to share lots more V-Day ideas with you!

Jelly Bean Wreath

2010-12-03T15:14:00.000-08:00

The great thing about making a wreath is that you can make it as large or as small as you like. Just remember to have plenty of Jelly Belly® jelly beans on hand!
Ingredients:

9 cupcakes, your favorite flavor, baked in green paper liners and cooled

1 1/2 cups canned vanilla frosting, divided

Red and green food coloring

1/2 cup each, Kiwi, Margarita and Green Apple Jelly Belly® jelly beans

13 red Cherry Sours by Jelly Belly®

2 whole graham crackers

4 thin pretzel sticks

1/2 cup Very Cherry or Cinnamon red Jelly Belly® jelly beans

Coconut Jelly Belly jelly beans

Instructions:

1. Tint 1/2 cup of the vanilla frosting red with the food coloring and spoon frosting into a small resealable bag; set aside. Tint the remaining 1 cup of vanilla frosting green with the food coloring.

2. Spread the tops of the cupcakes with the green frosting. Arrange a line of Green Apple Jelly Belly jelly beans, end to end across the top of all but 1 cupcake. Arrange the Kiwi and Margarita Jelly Belly jelly beans on either side of the Green Apple Jell Belly jelly beans to create the holly leaf shape. Allow the beans to stand up slightly to give some texture or motion. Place the cupcakes in a circle on a serving platter, keeping the plain cupcake at the bottom of wreath.

3. Using a serrated knife cut the graham crackers into two 2 by 1 1/2 inch triangles and two 2 1/2 by 3 inch triangles. Snip a small corner from the bag with the red frosting. Pipe the red frosting on top of the graham cracker pieces. Arrange the Very Cherry Jelly Belly jelly beans in rows on top of the graham cracker pieces. Place the pieces on top of the plain frosted cupcake using the pretzel sticks as support under the crackers to make the bow. Place the cherry sour balls in clusters on top of the wreath and one in the center of the bow.

4. Spread the Coconut Jelly Belly jelly beans all over the platter around the wreath.

Makes 9 cupcakes.

Felt Christmas Tree Pins

2010-12-02T13:04:00.000-08:00

Look at this adorableness from The Purl Bee!!! I may just make a few they are so cute! :)

Here's how to make them yourself!

Materials Needed:

To make 16 (or more) Christmas Tree Pins:

■One Holiday Felt Bundle
■Valdani embroidery thread in reds, greens, and whites
■Stuffing
■A piece of scrap paper (a brown paper bag works great)
Special equiptment:
■Pinking Shears

Making the Templates:

To make your tree template cut a triangle with a 1½-inch base and 2-inch sides out of the scrap paper.

For the stump template cut a rectangle that is ½ wide by ¾-inch tall.

Cut two 2-inch by 2 ½-inch pieces from a non-brown piece of felt and place them on top of one another.

Trace the tree template on the top piece.

Using your pinking shears cut neatly around the traced tree shape through both layers of felt.

You will now have two identical tree shapes. Flip them over so the pencil makings are on the back.

Also cut out one stump from the brown felt using your stump template.

Sewing and Stuffing:

Pin the stump piece in between the two tree pieces in the middle of the short bottom side of the tree. The stump should stick out ½-inch.

Using a contrasting color of embroidery thread stitch around the edge of the tree pieces, in the zig zag dips of the pinked edge as shown above. When you get to the bottom you will sew in the stump as you do this.

Sew all around the edge of the tree in this manner but pause when you are 1-inch from your first stitches so there is a gap for stuffing.

Take a walnut sized ball of stuffing and stuff it into the 1-inch gap. You might want to use a sharp object like a knitting needle or pencil to get all the stuffing firmly inside of the tree.

Once all the stuffing is neatly inside continue sewing around the tree’s edge until it’s totally closed. Tie a knot at the back of the piece to keep the edge stitches in place and then pull your thread out in the middle of the back of the tree shape, where you want to place your pin.

Sew on your safety pin along the pin’s stationary arm and you’ll be all done.

Linky Party

2010-10-04T15:33:00.001-07:00

over at http://www.eighteen25.blogspot.com

Filled with tons of fabulous ideas for Halloween and Fall.

Go check it out!

You won't be disappointed. I promise. :)

A Little Fall Decor Craft

2010-10-04T13:52:00.001-07:00

a la the fabulously talented Becky Higgins.

This is my take on Becky Higgins' contribution to the fun month of Halloween crafts over at www.eighteen25.blogspot.com.

I love that I can keep it up until December. :)

Supplies:
Frame - Re from Target
Paper - Basic Grey
Pumpkins - The Chrsitmas Tree Shop
Letter Stickers - Making Memories

And one more look of where it sits on my kitchen counter for now at least.

TFL!

A New Blanket

2010-10-04T13:37:00.001-07:00

A new blanket for me to knit. I have only ever knit a baby blanket so this will be new things for me. I am so excited! I think it will look lovely in my family room. I'm sure the kids are going to fight over it. LOL! Pattern courtesy of The Pearl Bee.

■7 skeins of Knit Collage's Pixie Dust, a blend of Wool, Mohair and Pixie Sparkles. This color is "Lemon Meringue".
■A US #36, 32 or 40 inch circular needle.

The Pattern
Gauge
1 stitch = approximately 1 inch in 1 x 1 rib

Finished Size
Approximately 26 inches wide by 56 inches long

Begin
Cast on 27 stitches.

Row 1: *K1, p1, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.

Row 2: *P1, k1, repeat from * to last stitch, p1.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until you have used all 7 skeins minus about 4 yards (or until piece measures 56 inches).

Bind off in pattern and weave in the ends. (Little Tip: Rather than wresting this yarn through the eye of a tapestry needle, just use your hands to weave in the ends.)

Doesn't it look comfy? I can't wait to knit this baby up. And it'll be done just in time for the cold winter ahead of me.

Feeling Crafty

2010-09-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

I've been itching to get crafty lately and there is no better place to get the juices flowing, at least for me, than to make a few cards with supplies I had on hand.

I used mostly Anna Griffin supplies leftover from classes I used to teach at my now defunct lss. The flowers are Prima, stamp is Stampin' Up!, the brads are Junkitz and the photo corner is good ol' Heidi Swapp.

TFL!

Kraft Homestyle Mac & Cheese

2010-09-02T15:42:00.001-07:00

My husband came home with 2 bags of Kraft Homestyle Mac & Cheese the other day. They were giving them away at Grand Central Station. So, while the kids and I were thinking about what to eat for lunch today, I remembered that we had these...

Looks good doesn't it? It was YUM-O! And very easy to make. I am spreading the word ... go pick up a bag or two. :)

Brownie Bottom Cheesecake!

2010-08-27T13:12:00.001-07:00

So, last weekend we finally joined Costco. After years as being a faithful BJ's member, we broke down. During our first trip down the aisles, my chocoholic daughter saw this book and read the recipes to me as we were walking around. When she got to the brownie bottom cheesecake, she got my attention. Then when I saw the price of only $5.99, I threw it in the cart. That very night we made the cheesecake sans the chocolate drizzle. It was easy and delicious.I'm sure I'll be sharing many more recipes from this book.

The cover of this amazing book!

The recipe. :)

My piece. :D

The cake minus a couple of pieces. ;)

Dollar Store Get

2010-08-24T09:46:00.000-07:00

I am a dollar store junkie. I love them. I cannot pass one up. In my opinion, The Dollar Tree stores are the best. And the ones in Florida are even better than the ones we have here in NY. So, no trip to Florida would be complete without a visit to The Dollar Tree. I usually go to the one in Hallandale but this time I went to an even better one on Sheridan St in Hollywood. It was huge with tons of aisles. I was in Heaven.

The dollar store is great for finding inexpensive decorations. Practically all of my Easter decorations came from The Dollar Tree in Hallandale. I have quite the assortment of ceramic eggs, candy dishes and bunnies.

My second favorite season or holday to decorate for is fall. I have a thing for pumpkins. So, while I was persuing the aisles of the dollar store this July, I picked up these babies to add to my collection. I took them home in my carryon luggage. Aren't they cute?

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack!

2010-08-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

We are back from vacation. Back to life. Back to reality. It feels like I never left and that's sad. :(

Over the next few days, before school starts, I'll be catching up with everyone.

I did manage to unpack, go thru the mound of mail, pay the bills and get the house restocked.

I have tons of beach photos to share but first I'll share pics from my nephew's 2nd birthday party on Saturday. A good time was had by all. :)

Marco and Dylan before the guests arrived.

Stealing a taste. ;)

Blowing out the candles with some help from his Mom. :)

Enjoying some serious swing-time. The ride is much better with a dirty face. ;)

Natalie, Nicole and Dylan enjoying some time in the bounce house. :)

How many family members does it take to deflate a bounce house? At least 4. LOL!!!

Marco opening up presents. This is the best I could do. He wouldn't look up for all the tea in China. He was too excited about ripping into his presents. :)

Happy Birthday Marco!!!

Christmas in July

2010-07-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

I know. I know. Christmas presents in July?? Yes, indeed. I cannot pass up a cute little gift for all the tea in China. So, while I was on the way to take Natalie to use the restroom in TJ Maxx, these adorable photo clutch wallets caught my eye. I thought to myself ... oh, wouldn't they make a cute little Christmas gift!? They were only $6.99 and I could fill them up with photos to make them extra personal. Here's what I got:

One for my Mom.

One for my sister.

One for my Aunt Joanne.

And I couldn't resist this one just for me. It matches my very favorite hot pink patent Coach bag. ;)

Key Lime Cupcakes

2010-07-09T13:30:00.001-07:00

What is a girl to do when her husband calls her at 2:48 to tell her that he is bringing home a dinner guest and they will be there at 3:20!?

For starters, you don't panic. Then, you thank your lucky stars that you like to frequent HomeGoods and TJ Maxx on a regular basis. And finally, you are fine with serving dessert that is semi-homemade. ;)

While killing some time at HomeGoods last week, I saw a mix for Key Lime Cupcakes. I am a sucker for anything key lime and the packaging was just too cute to pass up. And at $7.00, I thought totally worth it.

Well, they were. So, if you see this mix at your local HomeGoods pick it up. They were a hit with the company. :)

And here they are on my new palm frond serving tray I picked up at TJ Maxx for $3.99. They were delicious. :)

It is an addiction

2010-07-01T05:51:00.000-07:00

It has been passed down from mother to daughter.

Shoes.

Bags.

Accessories.

My Mom's nickname in our family is, in fact, Imelda as in Imelda Marcos. My Mom has a shoe collection that rivals hers for sure. It's just too bad that she is a size 9 and I am a 7. Because, if I like a shoe enough, I have been known to wear an 8. ;)

So, on Saturday, at my cousin's graduation party, my Mom says I have something for you. I said...oh really? She said I bought myself a Coach bag and it is really not me. It's too wild. I said bring it on!

Indeed it is funky but with an ensemble of solid colors, I think it adds just the perfect amount of punch. And it was free so I love it even more.

And, DH says you cannot wear that when you are with me. It is hideous. I'm still trying to decide if that is a pro or a con. :O

What's the verdict?

S'mores Cookies and a Little Spray Painting Project

2010-06-30T19:10:00.000-07:00

Giant S'mores Chocolate Chip cookies
(recipe courtesy of www.picky-palate.com)

Ingredients

2 sticks softened butter
1 Cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 Cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
4 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 Cups chocolate chips
3 regular size Hershey’s Chocolate Bars
3 Full Graham Crackers
5-6 Large Marshmallows cut into fourths

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place butter and sugars into a stand or electric mixer; beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2. Place flour, salt and baking soda into a large bowl; mix then slowly add to wet ingredients along with the chocolate chips. Mix until just combined. Scoop a heaping 1/4 Cup of cookie dough into muffin top pan cups. Press down then gently press chocolate bar squares, graham cracker pieces and marshmallow slices on top of cookie dough. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until edges are just turning brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Hot...right out of the oven!

Cooling...

They were outrageous! Dylan was kind enough to share a little piece of his. They are pretty big. Oh My! Go make them!!

Picked up this little napkin holder for my kitchen table and it is just screaming to be spray painted. I think I might go with orange. Stay tuned to find out. ;)

HomeGoods Loot

2010-06-25T15:02:00.000-07:00

Now that school is over and I am home, I decided to spruce things up around here. I spend most of my time in the kitchen so I decided to start there. I knew a trip to HomeGoods was in order.

While roaming the aisles of HomeGoods with my son, he found these adorable little appetizer plates on the cutest stand. They go perfectly with my new yellow kitchen. I had to have them.

Then I found this matching spoonrest. It is part of the set so I just had to have it. And I needed one anyway since I've just been placing my dirty spoons directly on the counter. And at $3.99 it was a steal.

And three cute little bowls to match.

Now, I really need to bring in another color in there. I am thinking of mixing in a little orange and a little green to spice things up. What do you think?

June Bug

2010-06-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

In the South, a june bug is what they call an adorably pesky child. I made this yesterday in honor of my very own little adorable pesky child who turned 10. ;)

You can make it for kids too. Just omit the rum. :)

Enjoy! It is most certainly delicious.

3 cups of ginger ale
4 Tbsp grenadine
4 Tbsp orange juice
3 scoops of orange sherbet
1/2 cup white rum

Blend together. Pour into ice filled glasses.

One Month From Today

2010-06-17T14:24:00.001-07:00

I will be here. Sunnin' my buns. Ahhhh, life is great!

Such a cute coverup. Don't ya think? It is perfect to go to breakfast in and then right to the beach. Or even to lunch right from the beach. It's from Mark. :0

I will be making this for dessert one night. LOVE me key lime anything. ;)

Key Lime Poke Cake

Cake
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 eggs

Key Lime Filling
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup Key lime juice or regular lime juice
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
4 drops yellow food color
1 drop green food color
Frosting
1 container (12 oz) Betty Crocker® Whipped vanilla frosting
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
Garnish, If Desired
Fresh strawberries
Key lime slices
Lemon leaves

1. Heat oven to 350°F for shiny metal or glass pan (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour.
2. In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.
3. Bake 26 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. With handle of wooden spoon (1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter), poke holes almost to bottom of cake every 1/2 inch, wiping spoon handle occasionally to reduce sticking.
4. In medium bowl, stir together filling ingredients (mixture will thicken). Pour over cake; spread evenly over surface, working back and forth to fill holes. (Some filling should remain on top of cake.) Refrigerate 1 hour.
5. Spread frosting over cake; sprinkle with lime peel. Garnish with strawberries, lime slices and lemon leaves. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

3 Cheese Mostaccioli Bolognese

2010-06-11T15:51:00.001-07:00

3-Cheese Mostaccioli Bolognese
From: Campbell's Kitchen
Prep: 30 minutes
Bake: 20 minutes

Serves: 6

If you're looking for a baked ziti recipe that's better than the rest, try this one...it gets unique and delicious flavor from sliced zucchini, and the blend of three cheeses makes it even better.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced (about 1 cup)
3 cups Prego® Traditional Italian Sauce or Organic Tomato & Basil Italian Sauce
6 cups mostaccioli or tube-shaped pasta (ziti), cooked and drained
6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400°F.

Cook the beef and garlic in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the beef is well browned, stirring often to break up the meat. Pour off any fat. Add the zucchini and cook until it's tender. Stir in the sauce.

Stir the beef mixture, pasta, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheese in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the mixture is hot and bubbling and the cheese is melted.

I have to say that I have not ever not once been disappointed by anything I have made from Campbell's. This is no different. However, I use my own sauce as I am not a fan of jarred pasta sauces. If you must use a jarred sauce, I recommend Rao's. It is the closest to homemade. Enjoy!

Easy & Delish!

2010-06-11T15:38:00.001-07:00

Southwestern Salsa Chicken

Ingredients

1 tablespoon(s) chili powder
1 teaspoon(s) cumin
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into strips
1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
1 cup(s) Pace® Chunky Salsa
1/4 cup(s) water
1 bag(s) mixed salad greens

Directions

1.Stir the chili powder and cumin in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
2.Heat the oil in a heavy 12-inch skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it's blackened and cooked through, stirring often. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
3.Stir the salsa and water in the skillet and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Divide the greens among 6 plates. Top with the chicken and salsa mixture.

I made this for dinner last night and it was outrageously good and super easy to make. I served mine with cous cous too since I am a starchaholic. It was a hit with the entire family. :)

12!

2010-06-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

On May 30th, Dylan turned 12. I am now the Mom of a 12 year old. Boy, time does sure fly by when you are having fun. :)

We celebrated with family in our yard. We had a big ol' BBQ, played games and had a marvelous day.

Some shots of the birthday boy with family members. :)

And would you look at my beautiful 3 layer star cake. I made a red velvet cake as per the birthday boy's request. And I used my Martha Stewart cake molds. They worked fabulously. Of course! :)

Here is my boy blowing out the candles on his birthday cake. :)

Finally, a couple fo presents. He's already cleaned and smoothed some rocks. Now we are on to the polishing stage. It only takes 8 days. :O Thanks Aunt Lisa! ;)

Some Freebies For You

2010-06-06T08:26:00.000-07:00

Free Paint Samples ...

http://media.benjaminmoore.com/WebServices/prod/PDFS/June302010.pdf

Free Dove ...

http://www.dove.us/#/haircare/free_sample.aspx

Free Bacon Salt ...

http://www.totallyfreecrap.com/Archive/2010/may/bacon.htm

Free Foot Balm ...

http://www.flexitol.com/index.asp?idc=3

That's all I got for now.

Enjoy the freebies. :)

Mini Book

2010-06-04T11:48:00.001-07:00

Nothing like a mini book to get your creative juices flowing. I think I will make each girl in Natalie's Girl Scout troop one as an end of the year gift along with a cd of all the pictures I took throughout the year. :)

Supplies:

Cardstock - Die Cuts With a View
Patterned Paper - Making Memories
Flower Punch - Fiskars
Circle Punch & Ribbon - Stampin' Up!
Letter Stickers - Anna Griffin
Adhesive - American Crafts (my new fave)

TFL!

Mo

Second Place!!!

2010-05-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

Here is my favorite little speller. She got second place in the entire 4th grade!!! She spelled catastrophe wrong. Even I had to think about it as I typed it. LOL! I am so proud of her!

Mother's Day Photos

2010-05-13T17:32:00.001-07:00

For mother's Day we headed down to Il Cortile on Mulberry Street. My family, my sister's family, my bro and SIL and my parents of course all went. After dinner we took some photos in the park outside my parent's building. They are not the greatest but they will have to do.

Dylan, me and Natalie. Yes it was that cold that I had my jacket buttoned up to my neck and my nose was red. But what can you do.

Me and my kiddos, Dylan and Natalie, my niece Nicole and nephew Marco. :)

My Mom and all her grandchildren. :)

My Niece Nicole, my SIL Denise and Natalie. My SIL is due July 6th. She is having a baby girl and so far they are naming her Sophia Rose. Pretty. :)

Mojito Freeze

2010-05-13T17:18:00.001-07:00

What You Need!

1 cup finely crushed pretzels
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar Zest and juice from 1 large lime
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint
2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided

Make It!

MIX pretzel crumbs and butter. Press onto bottom of plastic wrap-lined 9-inch round pan. Freeze until ready to use.

BEAT cream cheese, sugar, zest, juice and mint with mixer until well blended. Whisk in 1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP; spoon over crust.

FREEZE 4 hours. Serve topped with remaining COOL WHIP.

Kraft Kitchens Tips:

Pina Colada Freeze
Omit lime zest, juice and mint. Add 1 can (8 oz.) DOLE Crushed Pineapple in juice and 1/4 cup toasted BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut to cream cheese mixture with the COOL WHIP. Garnish with additional coconut, if desired.

Make Ahead:

Dessert can be stored in freezer up to 24 hours before serving.Size-WiseDessert can be a part of a balanced diet, but remember to keep tabs on portions.

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories 220
Total fat 15 g
Saturated fat 10 g
Cholesterol
45 mg Sodium
160 mg Carbohydrate
21 g Dietary fiber
0 g Sugars
16 g Protein
2 g Vitamin A
10 %DV Vitamin C
4 %DV Calcium
2 %DV Iron
0 %DV K:57877v4:118006

Teacher Appreciation Week

2010-05-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

Here is a little something to let my kiddos' teachers know that I appreciate them. I wrapped hershey chocolate bars in black polka dot patterned paper. Then I printed out the saying courtesy of eighteen25 on red cardstock and adhered it on top. I tied a bow with black grosgrain ribbon and had the kids sign the back. Instant teacher appreciation gift. :)

My Little Equestrian

2010-04-29T10:11:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, April 25th, Natalie was in her first rated horse show. She was in the walk/trot/canter division. She had to wear the full riding outfit which we were lucky enough to get from a rider who has since outgrown her clothes. My favorite part of the ensemble is the hairstyle...two braids with ribbons tied on the ends. So CUTE! Here are a couple of pictures from the day.

Ready to Ride.

And here is my girl with her four first place blue ribbons. She already picked out a cute corkboard from Pottery Barn that she wants so she can disply them. :)

Dylan is a BRAVE!!!

2010-04-27T15:19:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for this day since Kindergarten T Ball. He has been on the Royals, Red Sox, Indians, Angels, Dodgers...almost every team they have in our town league but the Braves. So, when the e mail came in saying he was on the Braves, I literally started screaming. This is a big deal to the lone Brave fan stuck here in Yankee and Met territory. :) And his number is...3!!!!! The number of the great Dale Murphy!!!!

We played our first game this past Saturday. It ended in a 6-6 tie. Dylan walked twice, struck out once, got a RBI and reached on a fielder's choice. Most importantly, he really enjoyed himself. Here are a cuple of pictures from Saturday.

A shot in full uniform right before heading to the field.

Dylan and his best buddy Nick after the game.

Here's to a great season!!!

Spring Soccer

2010-04-17T09:21:00.000-07:00

Spring Soccer has begun. Natalie is on the Red Bulls and she has a good team and a great coach.

Today we played our first game almost entirely in some form of rain. Yuck!

I'm hoping for a very sunny season.

Go Red Bulls!

I think that Natalie loves buying new funky cleats almost as much as she actually loves to play the game. So neon green it was.

Dinner Out With Friends

2010-04-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

My friend Karen and her husband Keith came to NYC for her birthday. This was the first time that either of them had been here. I was so excited to take them to our favorite place to eat Italian food in Little Italy...Il Cortile. I was a bit nervous as our spouses had never met each other but the evening went really well. We had great food and even better company. I wished we lived closer so we could this more often. Here's a shot of Karen and I and then the four of us right before we left. :)

Mother's Day Scarf

2010-04-11T16:28:00.000-07:00

I saw this great idea on The Purl Bee and I just might do it for my Mom or maybe myself. LOL! It looks fast and easy, yet really elegant. I just love the sparkles in the yarn.

■ 1 skein of Tilli Tomas Symphony Lace, 63% Kid Mohair, !0% Silk, 18% Nylon, 9% Wool. This color is "Natural with Silver".
■ A set of US #8 knitting needles. I used Skacel Addi Lace, 24 inch circular needles because they make knitting fine yarn really easy!

The Pattern
Gauge
4 1/2 inches = 1 inch in garter stitch

Finished Size
6 inches wide and 58 inches long. (There is enough yarn to make your scarf wider or longer if you want.)

Cast on 46 stitches.

Row 1: K2, yo, knit to last 5 stitches, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k1.

Row 2: Knit.

Repeat the last two rows until the scarf measures 58 inches or desired length.

End with Row 1 and bind off loosely in knit stitch

Easter Photos!!

2010-04-11T16:14:00.001-07:00

I love Easter. It is my favorite holiday. So, it is the one I host. We have my whole family come over and we eat, drink and hunt for eggs. This year, the weather could not have been better. It was sunny and warm. :)

Our Easter festivities started on Saturday afternoon with our annual egg dyeing. I was so happy that it was warm enough that we could dye them outside. :)

Some shots of our dyed eggs. We tried the tie dye kit from Paas and they didn't quite turn out as we had hoped so we ended up just dipping some eggs in the dye.

This year, I had it easy as Stew grilled all the main courses. He was so proud of his brisket that he took a photo of it. LOL! I was in charge of appetizers, sides and desserts which was fine by me. ;)

Here is a group shot of the kids after they hunted for eggs in my yard. :)

For dessert one of the things I made was Easter Bunny pops! I got the idea from this fabulous blog called eighteen25. You should check it out. They have fabulous easy to do projects like these! :) They are rice krispie treats dipped in melted chocolate and decorated with icing. They were a big hit with the kids. :)

Until next year.

Girl Scout Events Galore

2010-03-31T08:02:00.000-07:00

It's March Madness or should I say Girl Scout Madness. LOL! This was the month for lots of fun activities. There were sleepovers, brunches, cookies sales, meetings and fencing too.

Mother/Daugher Brunch. Every year the girl scouts hold a Mother/Daughter Brunch. It is usually at the girl scout camp at Rock Hill but this year it was at the Putnam National Golf Center. They had a record turn out. And every year there is a craft for the girls to do. This year it was a scrapbook page! SO CUTE!

Natty and me.

Me, Linda, Christine and Jessica.

Liz, Christina and Natalie.

The whole troop.

Cookie selling at the Katonah train station. We had a nice night for it weatherwise. Sales were decent. But the girls had fun. :)

Fencing at the Peekskill Fencing Academy. This was such an amazing event for the girls and the two brothers who tagged along. They spent over two hours learning all about fencing. And at the end they even had some duels. SO COOL!

March Crop

2010-03-31T07:56:00.000-07:00

I thought I better get a photo of us girls from the CT crop up on here before March ended. LOL!

I wish we all lived closer so we could go to these more often. I love these ladies. They make me laugh. They inspire me. And Nancy enables, er, I mean, entertains me like no other. LOVE ya Nancy! The punches are still in my bags! :O

This was by far my most successful crop project-wise. I got 8 layouts and 2 cards done. As soon as I get those scanned and photographed, I'll post them for you.

Until October girls!

Mwaaaaaaaaaaah!

Pretty Flowers

2010-03-31T07:31:00.001-07:00

made my day.

Right before we left for spring break, one of my sweet sweet 3 year olds, Bisty, gave me this plant. It has already developed 5 blooms and it brightens my day every time I look at it just like sweet Bitsy Lou (as I affectionately refer to her) does every Tues-Wed-Thur.

I love my job. :)

I hope someone makes your day today. :)

The Perfect Brownie

2010-03-31T07:22:00.000-07:00

I am such a sucker for kitchen gadgets and baking apparatus that it is quite comical. I've seen the commercials for this for a while now and I have resisted. I've passed it in the aisles at CVS and resisted. Even when my friend Sam bought one, I didn't cave. Good girl. I kept telling myself.

But, then, while shopping at BJ's, there it was, out on display and for the cheapest price I've ever seen it. I.could.not.resist. :O

It will be making it's debut on Easter Sunday. I'll let you know if it's worth the hype. ;)

Mo

Kitchen Update

2010-03-02T12:26:00.000-08:00

Thanks to trusty HomeGoods, I found exactly what I was looking for for the corner of my kitchen counter. I got the glass container on clearance for $12.00 each for a package of lemons and limes cost $9.99. So, for just over $30.00 I was able to bring some height to that area of the kitchen.

Now just to swap out the old toaster for a pretty new stainless steel one and I'll be all set. :)

What do you think?

Kitchen Organizing

2010-03-01T12:33:00.000-08:00

I really love organizing. I need organizer's anonymous. I kid you not. A fun afternoon for me consists of cleaning out my pantry and reorganizing its contents. :O

We recently painted our kitchen and I am starting to spruce it up with accesories but first I needed to clean and reorganize.

I sent my family out for the day and away I went. I was merciless when it came to throwing stuff out. If I had 2 of something, one went into the garbage. It felt so good.

I did a deep cleaning and then put everything back in its place or in a new spot that worked better for now.

Let's see what I did...

First off, is my desk area. This is where I write bills, look up recipes and fill out school stuff. I use the basket on the left to hold my current and most used cooking magazines. It is a Longaberger basket. The basket on the right is for important papers, bills, etc. I got that at a store called Hold Everything. And in between are note cards and a little thing of scrap paper. The drawer underneath holds envelopes and stamps. I like having everything I need to complete the task at hand all in one spot. I think I accomplished it here. :)

Under the desk area in my kitchen, I have my file box. I got this for $7.99 at HomeGoods and it fits standard file folders inside. I love it. When I need to look up something, I just pop it open and voila I have what I need. I love being organized. :D

The counter on the other side of the kitchen is near the fridge. I basically just use it to house the big appliances like my Kitchen Aid mixer and trusty Crockpot. :) Nothing too fancy here...

This was by far the hardest part of the kitchen for me. I don't like that everything is basically all the same height. So, I've decided that I need something tall for the end of the counter to balance it all out. I think I am going to go with a tall glass jar and fill it with lemons and limes. That should do the trick. :)

I also don't like the toaster out in plain view but we use it every day so I am not going to hassle with taking in and out of a cabinet every day. No way! I plan on getting a prettier stainless steel model that is also more compact. I think that will look better too. :)

Oh,and I need to switch out my little window topper as it is the old blue color scheme. All in due time.

And here is the area near the stove. I used to have a Pampered Chef utensil carousel but it was filled with too many unused tools. So, I had this pretty pitcher lying around and I thought why not use it until I find something I love. I pared down a lot and only kept the essential tools on display.

I also kept my Cutco knives near the stove but I moved them to the left side. And Stew's espresso machine used to be right near the sink. I hated it there. It blocked the light from the window and just looked so big and ugly near the sink. Since he only uses it about once a week, I relegated it to this corner that is not so right in your face. I like it better. We'll see if Stewie does come this weekend. ;)

This is my favorite spot in the kitchen. It is where I chop all my ingredients and read my recipes and get my morning coffee. So, I knew that this would be the place I would house all the essentials like flour, sugar, coffee and olive oil. :) All the canisters came from Target. The recipe basket is Longaberger.

We still have so much to do in here. Next thing we want to do is tile the backsplash. I already picked out the tile from The Home Depot. We just need to decide if we are going to change the countertops. I would love to but I'm not sure it is doable. If we are able to change the countertops, that would alter the amount of tile we need. Lots to decide...

So, in the meantime, I scour the shelves of HomeGoods and Target looking for accents for my kitchen. I need something for the walls in the eat in kitchen. Right now there is nothing on them. I'm getting tired of looking at empty yellow walls. Any ideas? I'd love to hear them. :)

Just found out that...

2010-02-22T11:34:00.000-08:00

one of my favorite Food network stars has a blog! And her new cookbook is being released on March 30th!!

Here's a link to Giada's blog

http://www.giadadelaurentiis.com/category/blog/

And this is the cover of her new cookbook...

And here is a recipe from the book...

Stuffed Baby Peppers
From Giada at Home

4 to 6 servings

My mother always loved to serve stuffed vegetables; she stuffed zucchini, potatoes, onions, and, of course, all kinds of peppers. It may have been her way of getting us to eat our vegetables, but we loved them so much we ate them right out of the fridge the next day. I've used pancetta in the filling, but this is an easy recipe to vary and you could certainly substitute ground beef, sausage—almost anything savory that you like. These taste better the longer they sit, so they make great leftovers.

Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped
½ medium onion, finely chopped
¾ cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup frozen petite peas, thawed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
24 (2- to 3-inch long) baby peppers

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until brown and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta and drain on paper towels. Add the onion to the pan and cook until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the onion, pancetta, cheeses, and peas. Season with salt and pepper.

Using a paring knife, cut ½ inch from the stem end of each pepper. Remove the seeds and veins. Using a small dessert spoon, fill each pepper with the cheesemixture. Place the filled peppers on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the peppers begin to soften and the cheese is warmed through. Cool for 10 minutes.

Arrange the peppers on a platter and serve.

I'm so EXCITED!

Very Valentine

2010-02-16T11:24:00.000-08:00

I just adore this author. I have read 3 of her books so far and if it wasn't snowing like crazy outsdie right now, I'd be picking up the sequel to this brilliant novel.

I'm not sure if it is because I can relate to the characters in her book being an Italian American who grew up in downtown NYC or because she writes so vividly that I can actually see and feel what she is describing. I think it is a combination of both.

Altho, I must admit this one did not make me cry as Queen of the Big Time and Lucia, Lucia did. It was more of a feel good story. I was rooting for her to find love and success and at the end of the book she finds one and not the other. I am hoping in the sequel she gets it all.

I'll give you a little bit of the story without ruining it. Valentine is a 33 year old Italian American who lives and works in Greenwich Village making custom wedding shoes. She was engaged but that was a few years ago and since hasn't found love. Well, she finds a man but there are amny twists and turns you don't know if they will end up happy. Then the business is not really doing so great so she sets out to bring it into the next century. Along the way there are so many exciting adventures. It will keep you reading and reading and looking for more when you reach the end. But fear not...it is a trilogy so there are 2 more books. Brava Valentine is out in hardcover right now.

Go pick this one up now!

Simplify Supper

2010-02-03T15:27:00.001-08:00

I am big on family meal time. I had it when I was a kid and we have it now that I am a Mom. We lead such busy lives these days that it is so nice to have some down time with each other that doesn't include the television.

I like to cook and try new things and I am blessed to have an adventurous family who will try anything once.

I am a cookbook and gadget junkie. But I also like to have a clean uncluttered kitchen. The two normally don't go hand in hand but I make it work. And, it is not as hard as it sounds. It just takes some work.

Marcia Ramsland is a wonderful author and speaker whose main focus is on simplifying lives. I recently got this e mail about simplifying supper and I thought it had some really good tips that I would pass on to my friends. :)

Here you go:

What's for Dinner Tonight?

Every day millions of women are asked the same question, “What’s for dinner?” That can be the worst question of your day if you don’t know the answer.

That’s because you are busy and cooking dinner is often the last thing on your mind. That’s why you might get caught in the rut of cooking the same three to five meals over and over.

10 Time-Saving Tips for Meals

1. Begin with a clean kitchen.

2. Make sure the clean dishes are out of the dishwasher.

3. Set the table before cooking to motivate yourself to get dinner going.

4. Estimate how long it will take to get a meal ready, and then try to beat the clock.

5. Prepare the longest part of the meal first.

6. Decide what can be done while another dish is baking.

7. Avoid traffic jams at the kitchen sink by keeping your wastebasket out while cooking.

8. Place a stool nearby so the kids can talk while you work.

9. Alert everyone five minutes before dinner so you can sit down together.

10. Remember, a good meal is more than the food. It’s also about the mood, so be cheerful when you sit down together.

Just because you’re done eating doesn’t mean you’re finished with dinner. Use some of the momentum from a good conversation and great food to carry you through the cleanup process.

With all the meals ahead in your lifetime, it is important to remember the brighter side of dinnertime. Sure, try new recipes, but also vary your menus, speed up clean up, and improve how you keep your kitchen counters clean. Make meals an easier task from start to finish.

If you are organized, prepared, and follow these systems, dinnertime will become more of a joy and less of a chore. You can do it. Bon appetite!

I'll leave you with a recipe for chili mac...my dinner tonight. Enjoy!

Cook Time: 5 hours
Yield: Makes 4 servings

-1 pound 90% lean ground beef
-1can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
-1cup chopped onion
-1tablespoon chili powder
-1clove garlic, minced
-1/2teaspoon salt
-1/2teaspoon ground cumin
-1/2teaspoon dried oregano
-1/4teaspoon red pepper flakes
-1/4teaspoon black pepper
-2cups cooked macaroni

Preparation:
Slow Cooker Directions

1.Brown beef in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to break up meat. Drain fat. Add tomatoes, onion, chili powder, garlic, salt, cumin, oregano, pepper flakes and black pepper to slow cooker; mix well.

2.Cover; cook on LOW 4 hours.

3.Stir in macaroni. Cover; cook 1 hour

Project Life Kit Contents

2010-02-03T14:44:00.000-08:00

So, I've decided to take this journey with the fabulous Becky Higgins. I have been trying to remember to take a photo a day and I've been doing pretty good. I think I only missed 3 or 4 days tops. And for those days I will just include a piece of memorabilia or journaling.

I will post my photos here on a monthly basis so I can have a place to refer to in case I get backed up with photo editing, printing, etc.

For now, I'll share with you some of the contents of the kit.

The album and the page protectors. Isn't it gorgeous!? And it's red...my favorite color. :D

Monthly dividers. I love that they are acetate!

More embellies and a date stamp too!

Some samples of the little journaling cards and the cute boxes in which them come. :)

A couple of the papers that are included in the kit.

Back to photo editing

2010-01-27T14:42:00.000-08:00

I just got done proofing our annual Christmas tree cutting adventure photos. We go every year to cut our Christmas tree down with our dear friends the Nemeceks. We go to Maple Row Tree Farm in Shelton, CT. We love it there. They have thee most gorgeous trees in the area.

We usually go for lunch or dinner but this year we went out for brunch at a fabulous place called King's where they serve only breakfast and lunch. We ate like Kings. OH MY! It was one of the best meals I have ever eaten. If you are ever in the Monroe, CT area, be sure and visit King's. :)

Here are some shots from the day:

The kids with the oxen which greet you when you first get there. :)

This year, Emily had the great idea to bring marshmallows to roast. Throughout the farm, they have these heating stations which are just big barrels of fire. Emily thought it would be perfect to roast marshmallows. And it was. They ate the whole bag. next time we need to take a jumbo bag with us. ;)

Oh, that Phil is such a buffoon but we love him anyway ;)

Our family shot in front of the sign. We take it every year. :)

And finally a group shot right before we left. :)

Dinner last night

2010-01-27T14:39:00.000-08:00

was DELISH!

I made this:

Turkey a la King

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 2/3 cups milk
1 package (20 oz) lean ground turkey
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (3 oz)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ frozen sweet peas
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Total Time: 1 hour 20 min

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix 2 1/4 cups of the Bisquick mix, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese, the thyme and 2/3 cup of the milk until soft dough forms. Drop dough by 6 large spoonfuls onto cookie sheet.

2. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

3. Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook turkey over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Add garlic, mushrooms and bell pepper; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup Bisquick mix until blended. Stir in peas, salt, pepper and remaining 2 cups milk. Cook until mixture bubbles and thickens. Stir in remaining Parmesan cheese.

4. Split biscuits and place bottoms on individual serving plates. Spoon 1/3 cup turkey mixture over each biscuit bottom. Top with biscuit tops and remaining turkey mixture

Soccer Sign up Has Begun

2010-01-21T15:05:00.000-08:00

Sign up for AYSO spring soccer has begun. I figured I had better get some of Natalie's fall soccer photos edited asap. Because before I know it, I'll be on the sidelines taking spring soccer photos. I don't want to be backed up two seasons. :O

Last year Natalie played a lot of games in goal. She really liked to play goal keeper. She was actually quite good at it too. She wants to take goal keeper training. I hope they offer it again in the spring like they did in the fall.

Here are some shots from a hot October game:

Orange Almond Coffee Cake

2010-01-18T17:47:00.000-08:00

I made this tonight and it was outrageous! Got this little gem from a Bisquick cookbook at the grocery store but you can get tons of recipes like this one at Betty Crocker.com. :)

2 cups Original Bisquick® mix
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1/2 cup sour cream
2 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Total Time: 1 hour 5 min

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
Spray a 9-inch round baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, combine Bisquick mix and sugar. Add milk and egg, stirring until smooth. Stir in sour cream. Spoon mixture into prepared pan.

3. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and orange marmalade. Spoon mixture by tablespoons evenly over batter; sprinkle evenly with almonds. Bake for 32 to 37 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges to serve.

Thank You Card

2010-01-18T13:47:00.001-08:00

A simple little card I made for my students who treated me oh so well at Christmastime. :)

Supplies:

Cardstock & Dimensionals - Stampin' Up!
Butterfly Punch - Martha Stewart
Rub On - Pebbles, Inc.
Decorative Scissor - Fiskars.

Natalies' New Mirror

2010-01-04T14:42:00.001-08:00

And here is the new Ikea mirror up in Natalie's room. You can see her new blue walls and fun new Bahamas PB bedding too.

We put it up while she was over her friend's house. When she came home and saw it, she literally squealed with delight. I think she likes it. LOL!

Ikea Finds

2009-12-31T07:31:00.000-08:00

I've been itching to make a trip to Ikea for quite some time now. I have been in an organizing kind of mood lately and thought why not Ikea. I get so much inspiration from their rooms and the prices are fantastic.

The main reason for a trip to Ikea was to get something for my son's room to organize and house his various game systems, etc. I installed a behind the door rack to hold all of his video games, dvd's and cd's so those were taken care of. But, all of his controllers and accessories were littered all over his floor.

And look...we found this really cool locker storage unit that just happens to go with his red and blue sports themed room. It looks so awesome in there. I may even get a matching end table.

I bought this mirror to go over my daughter's bed. I recently re-did her room in sort of a beachy theme and have been looking for something to go over her bed that worked with the style but did not limit us to it either. I thought this fit the bill perfectly. And for $19.99 it was a bargain. :)

I was able to pick up some kitchen items to help with storage. I am constantly looking for ways to keep things in their place. I loathe clutter. This is what I came up with from this trip.

I got a couple of these to hold wheat germ and flax seed.

This will hold my stash of tea bags and go in my pantry.

To round things out I got some more wooden skirt hangers so I finally have all my skirts hung up neatly in my closet. They were only 99 cents each! I should have bought more. Spring is just around the corner and I just might add to my skirt collection. You never know. LOL!

And I got a new wooden cutting board. It is huge and has a groove all around to catch the juices that overflow from the meat when you cut it. It was only $9.99.

So, all in all, it was a successful trip to Ikea. All that's left is to get some glass storage containers for my suger and flour to put on my countertop. I wasn't in love with anything they had to offer. I guess a trip to HomeGoods or The Container Store is in my near future. ;)

Hash Brown Quiche

2009-12-31T07:29:00.000-08:00

Hash Brown Quiche (perfect for New Year's Day)

adapted from a Paula Deen recipe

makes 2 (9-inch) quiches

8 cups refrigerated hash browns
1 stick butter, melted
8 large eggs
2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups diced ham
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss the hash browns with the melted butter. Place half of the hash browns in each of the 2 (9-inch) pie plates and press them into the bottom and up the sides plates to form a crust. Bake for 25 - 35 minutes or until golden brown and starting to get crispy. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in the same bowl, add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Divide evenly between the browned hash brown crusts. Return to oven and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes or until the eggs are just set. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges to serve

LOVED this one too...

2009-11-03T14:39:00.001-08:00

I've been into books about Yankees acclimating to life in small-town Georgia. Wonder if it's a premonition? ;)

Description:

The delightful New York Times bestselling author returns with a hilarious novel about one woman's quest to redo an old house . . . and her life.

After her boss in a high-powered Washington public relations firm is caught in a political scandal, fledgling lobbyist Dempsey Jo Killebrew is left almost broke, unemployed, and homeless. Out of options, she reluctantly accepts her father's offer to help refurbish Birdsong, the old family place he recently inherited in Guthrie, Georgia. All it will take, he tells her, is a little paint and some TLC to turn the fading Victorian mansion into a real-estate cash cow.

But, oh, is Dempsey in for a surprise when she arrives in Guthrie. "Bird Droppings" would more aptly describe the moldering Pepto Bismol–pink dump with duct-taped windows and a driveway full of junk. There's also a murderously grumpy old lady, one of Dempsey's distant relations, who has claimed squatter's rights and isn't moving out. Ever.

Furthermore, everyone in Guthrie seems to know Dempsey's business, from a smooth-talking real-estate agent to a cute lawyer who owns the local newspaper. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the pesky FBI agents who show up on Dempsey's doorstep, hoping to pry information about her ex-boss from her.

All Dempsey can do is roll up her sleeves and get to work. And before long, what started as a job of necessity somehow becomes a labor of love and, ultimately, a journey that takes her to a place she never expected—back home again.

Been Reading ...

2009-11-03T13:40:00.001-08:00

a lot lately. I devoured this book in just over 24 hours. It was that good! Go read it!

Here's what it's all about:

Margaret Pinaldi is the quiet daughter of a hell-raising abortion-rights advocate who recently died - bequeathing Margaret a house in Georgia. Finally free from her mother's demanding presence, this transplanted Yankee is finding herself for the first time, courtesy of the Deep South. And, much to her surprise, she likes it.

A former International Dogwood Festival Queen, Donna Kabel once had cute male suitors chase her like hounds to the fox. But all that changed after a car accident left her with a huge facial scar. Now Donna works in the produce section of Kroger. But it seems that the scar that could have cost Donna her inner strength has actually spurred her to reinvent herself.

Thirty-four-year-old Suzanne Parley, the chardonnay-alcoholic wife of a fifth-generation Selby neurosurgeon named Boone, longs to have the most exquisitely decorated house in the affluent Red Hill Plantation community. Childless and directionless, Suzanne suddenly comes up with a bold plan to make her bored husband love her again: She'll simply fake a pregnancy.

On the eve of this year's all-important Dogwood Festival, the disparate lives of these three women will converge in a brilliant comedy of Southern manners like none other. With this funny and poignant novel, Ad Hudler joins Fannie Flagg and Adriana Trigiani as one of our best chroniclers of Southern life.

Fall Ball

2009-11-03T07:48:00.000-08:00

This year Dylan decided to play fall baseball. He usually only plays spring baseball as he plays soccer in the fall. But not this year.

He is on the Indians with quite a few kids he knows. He has Coach Lipksi again. He makes the game fun for the boys.

This season Dylan has been working on his hitting. He even goes to the batting cages for extra practice. He is still looking for that big hit. Wish him luck! ;)

We've also been hit by a ton of rainouts this season. It seems that we are off more than we are on. :( We only have 2 weeks left. Hoping for a dry and mild next 2 weeks. :)

Here are some pictures of our season...

Dylan in his Cleveland Indians uniform. :)

Waiting for the pitch. He eventually walked that at bat.

Standing on 3rd right before scoring a run. :)

I Love Halloween!

2009-11-03T06:51:00.000-08:00

I love halloween. I love making special treats. I love decorating the house and picking out costumes with the kiddos. It's such a fun time.

This year the weather somewhat cooperated. It was warm and misty most of the night. It started to rain pretty hard towards the end of the night. :(

My award for the best costume goes to these 2 adorable 12 or 13 yr old boys who dressed up as girls. They were wearing dresses and wigs and makeup and talked like girls. I wish I had something special to give to them. They deserved it. I just gave them extra candy. ;)

Here are some pictures of our Halloween.

Dylan was some scary creature. All the boys were wearing some sort of masked scary looking costume.

Natty was a pirate girl. Lucky for her it was 73 degrees outside. :)

Tombstone Brownies. YUM!

My cute little white chocolate mummy lollipops. :)

Until next year. :)

Brown Sugar Cake

2009-09-04T07:27:00.000-07:00

Gram's Best Brown Sugar Cake

I made this last night and it was sooo good. I even messed up and put in 3/4 cup of sour cream instead of 2/3 cup and it was still DELICIOUS! Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix 1 pkg.
3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
4 eggs
2/3 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans
2 tsp. powdered sugar

Directions

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

BEAT first 6 ingredients with mixer 3 min. or until well blended. Add brown sugar and nuts; mix well.

POUR into 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 1 hour or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 15 min. Loosen cake from sides of pan; invert onto wire rack. Remove pan; cool cake completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.
Kraft Kitchens TipsSize-WiseYou'll know it is a special occasion when this cake is served at a party or family gathering. It's guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser!Special ExtraSprinkle pan with combined 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar and 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon after spraying with cooking spray. Then fill with batter and bake as directed.

Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce

2009-09-04T07:10:00.000-07:00

I am on a chipotle chili kick this week. I made the following 2 recipes courtesy of Everyday Food and they were instant hits! If you've never had them before they are smoky and spicy without being too hot. They add a unique flavor to recipes. Give them a try. You won't be dissappointe.

Chipotle Chicken and Rice

Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds total)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, minced
2 large tomatoes, diced large
1 cup long-grain white rice
Lime wedges, for serving
Chopped cilantro leaves, for serving (optional)

Directions

1.In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken on both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Working in batches, brown chicken on both sides, about 6 minutes total; transfer to a plate.

2.Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot (if necessary, add a bit of water to release browned bits).

3.Add garlic, cumin, and chiles; cook until garlic is soft and fragrant, 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until tomatoes begin to break down and release their juices, 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup water and return chicken and any accumulated juices to pot. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook 25 minutes.

4.Remove several pieces of chicken and stir in rice, making sure it is completely submerged in liquid. Replace chicken, cover, and cook until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes more. Serve with lime wedges and cilantro if desired.

Southwestern Steak Salad

Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
1 pound skirt steak (1/2 inch thick), trimmed
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 hearts romaine lettuce, torn
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced
1/2 English cucumber, peeled and diced small
6 small tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 to 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, minced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1.Heat a large skillet over medium-high; cut steak into 4 pieces and season with salt and pepper. Cook 2 1/2 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil. Let rest 5 minutes, then thinly slice.

2.Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss together lettuce, avocado, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

3.In a small bowl, combine chile, lime juice, honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Gradually whisk in oil and any accumulated juices from steak. Pour dressing over salad and toss; add steak and toss again. This dressing was unbelievable good. So good I want to bottle it up.

I hope I've inspired you to try chipotle chiles. Let me know what you think.

Fall has arrived

2009-09-04T06:40:00.001-07:00

in my house at least. I know the calendar says it is still summer. And no one more than I wishes it could stay summer forever but with school/work starting next week, I needed to get this done now. If I wait too long, then we get busy with school/sports/work, etc. that I end up decorating for fall for like a week. LOL! This is what I got so far.

This is my entry hall table. I am not in love with this display. I think I may have to take off some family photos and add some more fallish type stuff. WDYT?

This is my sofa table in the family room. That acorn was a dollar store find. I usually put fall wrapped candy in there. :)

I got these adorable little owls from Yankee Candle. The big one holds a votive candle and the small one holds a tealight.

Close up of my dollar store pumpkins. Good Lord I love the dollar store. :)

I still have to take a picture of my mantle. I'm still undecided about what I did up there.

Have you decorated for fall yet?

I need your help!

2009-09-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

I interupt editing and posting of vacation photos for some home decorating help. We are in the middle of sprucing up our kitchen and need help choosing a paint color.

The colors in descending order are:

Crowne Hill Yellow
Semolina
Yellow Raincoat

Our cabinets are white with stainless hardware. We have bluish/grey countertops and all stainless steel appliances. The kitchen and eat in area open up to our family room which is painted a lovely shade of green called Rosemary Sprig. The entry way is a neutral color called Monroe Bisque.

We all like different colors. I like the top one in the daylight but the middle one at night when the lights are on. Natalie likes Semolina no matter what time of day. Dylan likes Yellow Raincoat and Crowne Hill Yellow. Stew likes the top 2 and not Yellow Raincoat.

What's a girl to do!? The painters are going to want to know what color to buy any day now and I really need your help.

So what do you think?

Thanks!

Some Beach Shots

2009-08-28T13:25:00.001-07:00

As promised. Just another day at the beach. I have so many more to go thru. This is just a teaser.

My Mom and Aunt Phyllis with Dylan.

Building something...

I really could never tire of the beach. I hope my kids don't either.

Spur of the Moment Trip to the Lake

2009-08-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

On the spur of the moment the kiddos and I took a trip to a local state park where they have a lake and a "beach." Having just gotten back from a month across the street from the Atlantic, I was already going thru water withdrawals. Since we are pretty landlocked here, we went to the next best thing...the lake.

We packed pb&j sandwiches, grapes, carrots & cookies and off we went. It only took 20 minutes to get there. And for $7.00 per car, it was a bargain for sure. We stayed for about 3 hours and had a ball.

I parked myself next to the lifeguard tower and off they went. They swam and played in the sand while I just sat back and watched and read a magazine or two.

Here they were making a lake away from the lake. I'm pretty sure Natalie was telling Dylan to stop whatever it was he was doing as it was messing up the scene. LOL!!

The lake is actually very large. They rope off a small section for swimmers and call it the beach. So after a while, the kiddos and I took a walk along the lake. Of course I had my camera in tow and I took a couple of shots.

And here they are just before leaving. What a great spur of the moment decision. We had a blast at the lake.

Back from a month at the beach

2009-08-25T14:15:00.000-07:00

and I came home totally obsessed with Kings of Leon and this song!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCZfJ5ai07U

They ROCK!!!!!!!!!

I'll be back later in the week with tons of photos from our trip. But for now enjoy the song. :)

Natalie's 9th Birthday

2009-06-30T08:57:00.001-07:00

For Natalie's 9th birthday, she didn't want a big party with lots of people. She just wanted to do something special with her best friend, Caroline. She decided on the local carnival. So that's what we did. We picked up Caroline and off we went to the Yorktown Heights Fireman's Carnival. They rode rides until they got hungry.
Then we took them to Okinawa an Hibachi restaurant for dinner and to Friendly's for sundaes. It was a great day! Here are some pictures from the day.

Waiting in line...

I think this one was called the Whirly Gig. This was Natty and Caroline right before the ride started. When it was over Caroline requested a tamer ride. LOL! She looked a little green...poor thing.

On the swing ride. :)

In the Tilt-A-Whirl. I love that ride. :)

Freezer Jam

2009-06-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

Since we had just gone strawberry picking, I came up with the idea to give homemade strawberry jam to everyone as their party favor at Natalie's birthday. Natalie mashed all the berries while I cooked the pectin. I filled the jars and she sealed them up. It was a total team effort.

Everyone got 2 of these cute little jars.

Here is the recipe I used. Pretty easy. Anyone can do it. :)

NO - COOK STRAWBERRY FREEZER JAM

4 c. ripe strawberries
4 c. granulated sugar
1 box Sure-Jell powdered pectin
3/4 c. water

Wash and hull the berries; crush them completely, a few at a time. (Should end up with 2 cups.) In large bowl, mix together the berries and sugar. Let stand 10 minutes. Combine pectin and water in saucepan. Bring to boil; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir hot pectin into the fruit bowl; continue stirring. Don't worry if sugar is not completely dissolved. Ladle jam into freezer containers. Put lids on immediately. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours or until set. Refrigerate for a few weeks or freeze for up to a year.

Cornbread Muffins

2009-06-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

Since we got our Big Green Egg, my husband has been a grilling fool. I am always on the lookout for some good sides for BBQ'd ribs and brisket, etc. These will do very nicely. :)

Honey Cornbread Muffins
Recipe courtesy The Neelys

Prep Time:10 min
Cook Time:15 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 12 muffins.

Ingredients
•1 cup yellow cornmeal
•1 cup all-purpose flour
•1 tablespoon baking powder
•1/2 cup granulated sugar
•1 teaspoon salt
•1 cup whole milk
•2 large eggs
•1/2 stick butter, melted
•1/4 cup honey
•Special equipment: paper muffin cups and a 12-cup muffin tin

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Into a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the whole milk, eggs, butter, and honey. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed.

Place muffin paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. Evenly divide the cornbread mixture into the papers. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden.

Num Yummy!

2009-06-24T15:16:00.000-07:00

We eat a lot, and I do mean a lot, of chicken in my house almost as much as we eat pasta. So when I saw this recipe on the food network, I knew I would have to try it. :)

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time:15 min
Inactive Prep Time:hr min
Cook Time:40 min
Level:Easy

Serves: 4 servings.

Ingredients
•1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
•2 tablespoons olive oil
•1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
•1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
•1 clove garlic, minced
•1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
•1 cup shredded mozzarella
•1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
•1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
•1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•1/4 cup bread crumbs
•1/4 cup grated Parmesan
•1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Over

2009-06-17T06:51:00.000-07:00

Baseball season is over. Dylan's team lost their playoff game last night 6-5 and were eliminated. It was an exciting season and I am sad to see it end.

Dylan mostly played left field where we watched him grow. By the end of the season he was catching balls like a pro. :)

At the end of the season, every boy gets a trophy. Here's my little man with his.

Even though the season is over, there will still be plenty of baseball for us. Dylan will be attending summer baseball camp and has opted to play in the fall instead of soccer.

Thanks to Coach Dom for a great season!

Natalie

2009-06-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

Dylan

2009-06-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

Strawberry Picking

2009-06-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

We found our new favorite place to pick your own. It's called Jones Farm and it's in Shelton, CT. They had thee most gorgeous strawberries. They were sweet too.

And they have their own winery right down the road. So, Stew and I did a wine tasting after we picked some berries. I fell in love with a stawberry wine...YUM! SO much so that we bought two bottles of it. ;)

We plan to go back in July for blueberry season. :)

Game Ball

2009-06-13T14:18:00.001-07:00

Look who got the game ball last week! Yes, that's my boy. He's having a blast playing and even wants to do fall baseball.

He was so excited to get the game ball. We even had to buy a UV protected case for it so he can display it in his room with his authographed balls. :)

Playoffs next week. Wish us luck.

Gooooooooooooooo Dodgers!