Craft Stick Snowflakes

Recap of the last month of my life... horrifically busy.  As I am sure all of your Decembers were.  Ours was intensified by a two week venture to California.  That's right.  Half way across the country with three, three and unders.  I had been dreading the seven hour travel day since we had purchased tickets months ago.  However, I am going to have to boast a little.  My monsters did remarkably well.  With the aid of a dual dvd player and usually off limit candies (don't judge this bribing mommy) we survived as did the rest of the plane.  I had thought about bringing treat bags for those surrounding us (including ear plugs) but decided against it since it was just one more thing to get through security.  Thankfully, they were unnecessary.

In all actuality, the plane was the easy part.  The two weeks of no naps, a baby who refused to sleep in the crib provided for us there, wonderfully bad for you food, weird half Cali half Missouri time change thingy and absolutely no structure was the hard part.  They kept it together pretty well until mid-week two where it became evidently clear that toddlers, although great at creating it, do not bode well for chaos.  Looking back at it now, we did some pretty awesome stuff while visiting though.  Got to catch up with lots of friends and family we hadn't seen in way too long, Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Aquarium of the Pacific, trips to the beach, shopping, eating, eating and more eating.  Don't get me wrong, FANTASTIC vacation, but man was I glad to be back home to the normal chaos that is my house. 

So, in the days to returning to normalcy, I decided to lay low until our precious structure reappeared.  However, the girls were bored within minutes...  So, I came up with this wintertime craft to occupy them so they didn't destroy our house in the plethora of downtime they had.  Winter is hard on toddlers.  And mommies.  And furniture...

I had the girls paint 24 craft sticks each white.  That part was glorious.  It took them, no joke, a half hour of concentrating silence to master that first step.  Great thing about washable tempera paint is it dries pretty quick.  So by the time they were finished painting, the first ones were already dry for the next step.  We laid out our pattern on the table to make sure we had enough pieces and began gluing them with Elmar's glue.  My kids love to glue so I let them.  However, once they went down for their nap they had to be reinforced with a hot glue gun.  I hot glued some ribbon on top and viola!  A pretty non-Christmas winter decoration.  The girls were pretty proud and I have to say they came out pretty cool.

They are pretty big since I only had jumbo size sticks on hand.  So, I hung them in the kids play area in our basement.  I kind of am digging how their inconsistent paint job makes them look rustic.  Which, being my toddlers, I am pretty sure they meant to do that...

My December Baby...

This past week my second born turned two.  Not sure why but this time around I am a gushy mess.  I'm usually not a sentimental crier but this week I have been a blubbering fool.  Maybe I had more time to ohh and ahh over my first one and the milestones were exciting rather than a realization that they are just a point of no return.  Or maybe it's because she has always been a lover by nature and all of a sudden kisses are sticky and hugging takes away precious playtime.  Whatever the reason, I'm a mess.

So like always, I poured myself into a project for therapy.  This time it was Marcella's Charlie Brown Christmas themed birthday party.  Following in her sister's footsteps, she is very opinionated and thorough about her party details. When asked what she would like to eat, without skipping a beat she answered, "cake, hot dogs, macaroni & cheese, and pizza."  Well the party was a morning affair and I wasn't sure any of these things would be appetizing at 9:30 a.m. but true to toddler nature, cake, hot dogs, mac & cheese and pizza are always a viable option.  So I got a little creative...

Her invite:

The spread:

small "pig pen and linus' pigs in a blanket"

"Shermie's pizza cupcakes"

"marci's mac and cheese" and "Woodstock's pretzel nest"

"Sally's snowflake cake"

"Peppermint Patty's peppermint patties"

"Snoopy's puppy chow"

"Lucy's shiny yet yummy Christmas trees"

I made "Charlie Brown" water bottles with yellow duck tape and black ricrac.

The kiddos made Christmas trees out of upside down waffle cones, frosting and m&ms and was happy at how well they turned out.  Not a lot of mess and it really kept their attention!

Then we beat the Snoopy pinata I made to death...

For favors, I was lucky enough to find some Peanuts themed goodies in the dollar section at Target.  Also, my local grocery store's bakery had some cute Snoopy and Woodstock individually wrapped cookies!  Perfect.  I also made the kids individual personalized Charlie Brown coloring books.  I found some large Peanuts coloring books at the dollar store.  I took ten pages, stapled them in construction paper and then used the same picture I used for Marcella's invite to photoshop each kid into it for a personal touch.

(Sorry this pic stinks!)

I think it turned out cute and Marcella was sooooo excited to have a day dedicated to her favorite topic of discussion :)

It Only Takes a Second...

I feel like I haven't had a second to breathe in two months.  All my own doing of course.  Jason has pleaded with me to try from here on out not to have every second of our life planned out and micromanaged.  Can't blame him.  I admit this time around I did overdo it.  So instead of trying to sum up a million and a half events in the last month here is my picture montage to three holiday parties I threw, countless trips to the pumpkin patch and autumn crafts galore...

Glorious, wasn't it?  So the last week I have been in bum mode to try and recuperate from the craziness and we have been doing a whole lot of nothing at home.  Not one to handle being couped up very easily, I was getting cabin fever and so were the girls (It's going to be a LONG winter...).  So, I kicked them outside with the hopes of helping the hubs out with the yard work and letting nature and their imaginations wear them out.  

I decided to start with my least liked but most important yard job, poop scooping.  Our 100 pound chocolate lab is an excrement producing machine.  The only positive spin I can put on it is they are large and easy to spot... Now, we are not fancy scoopers with claw tools and such.  We are cheap and ghetto with a plastic bag as a glove and a bag as a receptacle.  Gross, yes.  Necessary, unfortunately yes.  As I begin to gather the awesome dog food bi-products, I daydream about when the girls will be old enough to punish with this chore, when the first series of unfortunate events takes place.  Our con-caved crab sandbox has become a perfect harness for dirty rainwater and leaves.  Naturally, an incredible place for a three and just about two year old to jump ankle deep into pneumonia inducing h2o.  I temporarily place my poo gathering gear down to shoo away the non listening toddlers, dump the nasty and assess how to most efficiently remove their bottom halves so I don't get the worst mom of the year award for letting them play in the cold with soaking clothes on.  Although the thought is definitely entertained as these little boogers are hard to catch.  But while I ponder this for a second, apparently too long, the wind picks up and my lovely helper Marcella Jane, runs to pick up the plastic bag that the blustery wind is blowing away.  The poo glove plastic bag...  "Momma!  Momma!  This almost got a way.  I saved it for you!"  I couldn't yell at her, she was just trying to help but I started gagging as she hands me the bag with "dirt" all over her hands.

Saying a prayer under my breath, I gather the two sopping wet and one now poo covered kiddos and strip them down, outside of course.  I get Marcella sanitized while Adelyn waits patiently half naked on my back porch.  I get them clothed again. Whew! It wasn't that bad.  Feeling puffed up on mom awesomeness, I feel confident to resume my awesome SAHM duties (with a new poop glove) and let the girls explore like all good moms let their kids do.  Then it happens.  It only took a second for the the next series of unfortunate events to unfold.  Like I mentioned before, we held three parties last month and since Jason and I really don't drink too often, the last round of canned beers hadn't made it back inside.  They still were in the cooler out back.  The cooler my kids just discovered opens.  This is what I saw unfold...

Adelyn screaming, "Mom!  Mom!  Help! It's exploded everywhere," while holding a bud light can spewing out month old fermenting hops everywhere.  On her sister, on herself, everywhere.  Meanwhile, Marcella is pretending to drink one (closed thank God) while yelling, "MMMMM yummy mommy daddy drinks!"  My yelling is futile and apparently inaudible since it does nothing to stop the situation.  They think it's hilarious as I come running in already catching whiffs of my beer drenched monsters and knowing they are engaging in something I desperately don't want them to.  And that is when the last event takes place, I trip and fall slow motion in a pile of fresh Chango present.  Marcella sets her beer down, walks over and says, "Mommy you k?  YUCK! You smelly!"

So are you Marcella.  So are you.  Worlds worst mom award.

P.S. the beer is no longer in the cooler.  Making sure the cooler is empty now is on top of my outside to do list.  Sorry poop cleaning, you are now second.

Change

So I had one of those deep moments today.  Well, that's the spin I'm putting on it because it sounds fancier than the reality of sleep deprived, brain dead daydreaming.  Anywho... as I was raking the plethora of never sitting still leaves in my backyard that seemed to be growing as I was raking, I was contemplating something my papa had laid on me several times in my life.  "The only things guaranteed in life are death and taxes."  There were other magnificent ones that were regulars in his circulatory advice like, "Never look up with your mouth open..." But the guarantee one was floating around in the void that is my mommy brain today.  And it dawned on me that if I had the opportunity again, which I so desperately wish I did, I would have playfully challenged his statement.  I think he left one out.  The only things guaranteed are death, tax, and change.  Everything changes.  You know all that glitters is gold and stuff...  As I desperately tried to get my two "helpers" to keep the piles of leaves I had collected in their proper receptacles instead of dumping them once they were full, watching the wind spread them out again and taking turns climbing in and letting the other roll them around, I realized how much they have changed.

 Not even big picture stuff, but just since yesterday!  All of a sudden Marcella has a neck and is out talking Adelyn.  Adelyn is using my own logic against me and wants nail polish for Christmas rather than Little People.  Elsie has already been in this world for five months and is more than twice her original weight... You get it.  That pan out sappy mom moment.  But wait for it... I take it further.  Look how much Jason and I have changed.  Seven moves and three kids in four years, two states, buying a house, a lot of weight gained/lost and gained and lost again,  loss,  career changes, desire changes, priority changes.  You get it.  All of a sudden I was really sad.  I don't like all the change.  I want this moment to freeze in time no matter how much it is driving me crazy.  I put the girls down for their nap defeated.  They are growing faster than I could have ever imagined and I just want the world to stand still.  But then like a kick in the pants, Adelyn wakes up from her usual two hour nap after just an hour.  Yuck, change!   I, defeated, walk down to get her and she sits up and says, "Mommy?  I just couldn't sleep any more cause I was thinking about your feet."  "Um, ok...?"  "Yeah Mom.  Your toes need to be painted and my hands and feet need it too."  So, I bite and we go up stairs just her and I, which doesn't happen very often, and pick out some nail polish.  As I was sitting on my bedroom floor, conversing with my three year old going on 15, I realize how much I kind of like this change.  I was surprised how many firm opinions she had about my hands and feet,  how the color we were picking out needed to be a color that Daddy would like so I could be pretty for him, how it was imperative that I put "toppings" or to the lay person "a top coat" on once they were dry.

I sat and really listened to her, which let's cut the bs and admit that we all have learned to a degree to tune out a large majority of what our toddlers are rambling on about, and I was thoroughly enjoying what she was saying.  Now I was tearing up about how happy I was that I was around to see these changes.  I was feeling an overwhelming urge to hug my baby and never let go, but as I did a "change" slapped me back into reality.  I couldn't hug her anymore while her nails were drying... :)

Tommy Wants Wingies...

We live in a wonderful sports town.  But, unfortunately, with three kiddos and no cable we don't really have the opportunities anymore to enjoy the sports bar atmosphere with the masses.  So, it being red October here with a baseball game on tonight, the hubby and I decided to put the munchkins to bed, tune in to the game on the radio, play scrabble and devour homemade wings.  And they were delicious and so far so is the game.  Kind of a fun at home date night.  Thought I'd share the spicy part of the evening...

Wings (My camera is broken. So, this is as good of a pic as your gonna get...)

Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken wings
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup roasted red pepper, chopped
2 ounces goat cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Step 2: In a large bowl, combine the wings, olive oil, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper.

Step 3: Place the wings onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, using metal tongs to turn them and then bake for another 25-30 minutes.

Step 4: To make the dipping sauce, combine the roasted red pepper, goat cheese, sour cream and salt in the bowl of a food processor until emulsified.

Serve wings immediately with dipping sauce.

Definitely different than any other wing I have had and that's not a bad thing!  Pretty darn good if I say so myself.  Will be making these little guys again.  Maybe soon if the NHL can figure themselves out...

What? I Can Eat the Whole Thing?

Remember when I said that everything tastes better in cute baby sizes?  That theory remains true after today's little baking project.  I decided to do a little test run on some individual apple pies that I wanted to make for a dinner party we are hosting next week.  They are baked in the apple itself!  Isn't that fantastic?  Cheap, easy, delicious, completely edible, and they look a lot fancier than they really are :) My perfect kind of dessert.

Here it goes...

Ingredients:

Filling:
8 medium apples
Dash of cinnamon 
1/2 cup sugar 
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 TBSP flour 
2 TBSP vanilla 
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

Pie Crust:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup corn starch

1 tbsp sugar

7 tbsp butter, cold

1 egg

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

Directions:
(20 minutes prep, 40 minutes baking)  Total time: 60 minutes

Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 370 degrees

Step 2:  Mix all the pie crust ingredients together.  Roll out the dough on a cutting board between two pieces of wax paper and place in the fridge while working on the apples.

Step 3: Clean the apple and pat dry.  Cut off a lid.  Using a sharp knife and a spoon, cut the inside of the apple out and scrape to make a bowl.

Step 4: Peel and cut the lid, discarding the core.  This will be your pie filling.  Add a little lemon juice to the apples to keep them from browning.

Step 5: Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add vanilla, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.  Remove from heat and add cut apple-lid pieces. Mix thoroughly. 

Step 6: Pour apple mixture into the apple cups, saving a little of the juices for the pie crust lid.

Step 7:  Take the pie crust out of the fridge and use a cookie cutter to create a "lid".  I used a leaf since this was for a fall inspired event.  Don't try to push it down because the dough will be stiff and you will break it.  It will form to the apple once baked.  Brush a little of the remaining sugar mixture on top of the crust. Create a few small holes in the crust with a straw to help vent.

Step 8: Bake for 40 minutes on a baking sheet until the apples are soft

Yummy, yummy, yummy!  Wouldn't that be just fantastic with a little vanilla ice cream? Cute single serving and it looks decadent! 

Paint and Peppers

It is officially October!  My favorite month of the year.  A time of year where just a mere glimpse of outside is an antidepressant for me.  To kick off the season I decided to try two new things with the potential of uber mess, paints and peppers...

It is chilly out and I wanted to enjoy something heavy and warm in my tummy.  I had an over abundance in red bell peppers and zucchini last farm food go around and decided that Italian stuffed peppers and squash would do the trick.  I found a couple of recipes that sounded tasty, took the best parts of each and combined it into literally one yummy hot mess.

Here's how it goes:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup grated Romano
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan 
• 1/4 cup dried Italian bread crumbs
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 2 zucchini, ends removed, halved lengthwise and crosswise
• 3 short red bell pepper, halved and seeded
• 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Step 2: Lightly drizzle the olive oil into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Whisk the egg, ketchup, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the Romano cheese and bread crumbs. Mix in the turkey. Cover and refrigerate the turkey mixture.

Step 3: Using a melon baller or spoon (I used one of those little cookie scoops), carefully scrape out the seeds and inner flesh from the zucchini, leaving 1/8-inch-thick shells. Be careful not to pierce through the skin.

Step 4:  Fill the zucchini and pepper halves with the turkey mixture, dividing equally and mounding slightly. Arrange the stuffed vegetables in the baking dish. Pour the marinara sauce over the stuffed vegetables.  Top with the Parmesan.

Step 5: Bake uncovered until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer the stuffed vegetables to a platter and serve.

They turned out perfect and there were no leftovers.  Yup, people.  My kids ate them...

Next the paint.  Just for giggles I drew my kiddos a little tree and pumpkin scene with a black sharpie.
Adelyn was very excited.  And yes, at our house we eat saucy things and paint nakie.  It's just how we roll.

I gave them each a little plate with fall tempera washable paint colors and cotton swabs and showed them how to "dot" the leaves on the trees.  Kept them busy for an hour!  That's like a year toddler time!

Messy yes, cleanable yes, memorable yes :)