Valentine's Day

Blog world, sorry for the lack of posting.  I think winter has finally gotten the best of me.  The paleness of my skin, my growing winter waistline, snow, ice...the past couple of weeks I have found myself rather glum.  Now finally the sun is out in the Lou, I just signed up for a pilates class, and I got to see two of my besties last night for dinner so there is finally spring back in my step.  

So back to the matter at hand Valentine's Day.  In the midst of the weakest snow storm in history, I got a little crafty with Sonya .  I had read on a blog about making salt dough ornaments at Christmas time, here.  I didn't have time to do them at Christmas, so I kept this little project in my back pocket for Valentine's Day.  I made sure I started this project two weeks before Valentine's Day because I knew it was going to take a couple of days to complete.  

All you need is:

4 Cups Flour

1 Cup Salt

1 & 1/2 Cup Warm Water

Here is what you do:

Whisk dry ingredients together

Then add a dough hook to a standing mixer

Gradually add warm water while the dough mixes together

When the dough has pulled together, take it out of the bowl and roll it out

Quick side note:  Notice my rolling pin in the back of the photo, I have recently switched to a tapered french rolling pin.  
It is amazing, so much easier to manipulate dough than a standard rolling pin.  
I got this from Williams Sonoma for $14.  
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Back to the salt dough.

I rolled out the dough and decided to just cut out hearts for all of Sonya's classmates.

Then I lined cookie sheets with parchment paper, just in case they stuck.  
Then I took a straw and put holes on through the tops of the hearts so we could tie a string for a necklace.

Now when I baked them at 250 like the other blog said, it took longer than two hours.  So I cranked up the heat to 350 and just kept my eye on them.  When they were all done, I tried to brush off all of the excess flour, but it wasn't working.  I went ahead and washed them off in the sink and threw back in oven, that worked great. 

That was phase one of this project. 

When the temperature finally warmed up, and we were able to leave to house without getting frost bite walking to the car.  The kids and I went Ben Franklin to get some acrylic paint so we could decorate the hearts.  Sonya's favorite color is blue.  Favorite is an understatement, she has an obsession with the color blue.  I knew she would pick out blue as one of her paint colors.  When she went to pick out the two other colors I gently pushed towards pink and white.  I knew when we started painting the colors would get all mixed together, so I wanted something that would make a nice color and not just brown.  She gladly took my direction, HOORAY!!  So that afternoon when TR was down for his nap, Sonya and I painted.  Since we were using acrylic paints I had her wear gloves.  
They were a little big on her.

I helped her paint all of the hearts. 

That was phase two of this project.  

A day or two later I went to one the scariest places on earth for this novice crafter...Hobby Lobby.  I was on a mission to get glitter, some ribbon, and then get the frack out of there.  After my heart palpitations stopped and I wiped the sweat from my brow, I actually enjoyed myself at Hobby Lobby.  I even picked up a few more art/craft supplies that I needed, and look forward to going back.

Phase three of the salt dough necklaces was the toughest.  Sonya decided she wanted to write the names of all 15 of her classmates on the hearts, all by herself.  I asked her she just wanted to write LOVE or FRIENDS, but she insisted on writing their names.  I knew this would take a couple of days because there was no way she would write more than three or four names in one sitting, and I was right.  
Here is how we did it: 

1. I would give her a sharpie
2. She would pick a heart for one of her friends
3. I would spell the name very slowly as she wrote all the letters, 
4. We would sprinkle glitter on the heart,
5. Then I would coat it in Mod Podge.  

This is the first time I have ever used Mod Podge, it has been sitting in my craft box for almost a year, but I have to too scared to use it.  Now, I think I am addicted.  Don't be surprised if a lot of shellacked items start popping up around my home.  

Like I said, this part of the project took a couple of days.  Sonya and I took a little break from the hearts so we could create her Valentine's Day box for her school party.  I was going to go old school, like my friend Cary suggested, cover a shoe box in foil, but it looked awful.  I did pick up a heart shaped box from Hobby Lobby, just in case the shoe box didn't work out, and I am glad I did.  Sonya and I painted the inside and outside of the box a combination of blue, pink, purple, red, and white.  After it was dry, we sprinkled it with glitter and then I, of course, Mod Podged it.  I had picked a bunch of stickers at Hobby Lobby to decorate the box.  My favorite ones were these old vintage looking stickers that I tried to get Sonya to use.

Here is what she chose to use.

If you look close, you can see where she covered up the stickers I chose.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE this box.  I think it turned out so sweet.  This is something I want to keep for Sonya, and give it to her when she is an adult.  

Back to the necklaces.  

After Sonya finished writing all of her friends names, I moved onto phase four.  Tying the ribbon the heart to complete the necklace.  Some of the paint and Mod Podge had seeped into the holes, so I just took a tiny screwdriver back through the hole so I could get the ribbon through.

The finished product.

  I asked Sonya if I could take her picture wearing her necklace.  

She said yes, but only one picture.  

Here is what I got.

Lovely, I know.  At least you can see the look of the necklace.  

All in all a two really great projects.  

The salt dough ornaments are really easy and can be used for all types holiday shapes, or you could cut out letters.  The possibilities are endless.  

Sonya and I had way fun more creating these Valentines, than having her sign her 15 store bought Disney princess cards that we also passed out  

I never thought I would say those words, but just goes to show you never know.

   

Today Was A Good Day

  A couple of weeks ago when I was dropping Sonya off at school one of the moms said to me, "Two weeks and six days.  Two weeks and six days until Christmas break.  I can't wait."  I was blown away because I have been feeling the exact opposite.  I must admit I have been nervous and somewhat dreading the upcoming Christmas break from school.  The long cold Antarctica winter days can get the best of me and the kids.  That statement has been rattling around in my head all month.  So today I was going to make today a good day, all day.  I did gave myself a few rules for the day.  

1. Be with them, don't entertain them.
2. I don't need to capture every moment with my camera.
3. Relax, no pressure.  

With that being said, here is a look at some of our day.  I told Sonya and Teddy to give me a few minutes so I could get ready for a really fun project.  My two children would not give me those few minutes, and I lost it.  I explained to them that I love to do fun things with them but when they aren't patient and don't listen mama doesn't have any fun.  This is all I was trying to do.

So that we could do this.

At 8:30 am I decided to get out the Pillsbury sugar I had picked up at the store to have for a day just like today.  I got the dough out and tried to roll it out but it was super sticky so I just had the kids mash it up like play dough.  Teddy was not shy about using the sprinkles.  Notice the empty container...

I made the letters of all of first names, that was the only recognizable thing we made.

    Here is my favorite cookie of the day.
Before 

 After.

Here is the mess we were left with.

I didn't mind this cute messy face.
Please excuse the snot...

Here is what Sonya did with all of the sprinkles on the floor.

It is a good thing that one of my kids new favorite activities is vacuuming, because we had to do a lot of it while the cookies baked.  After I pulled the cookies out of the oven, pandemonium ensued.  Sonya and Teddy were loosing their minds trying to get to them while they cooled.  Once again I lost it, but this time I stopped myself.  So right there in the kitchen I sat down and scooped up my kids and prayed.  I asked God to help us make it a good day.  For us to show love to one another, for mama to be patient.  For Soso and TR to be good listeners and be patient when mama asks them too.  Then I thanked God for the day were going to get to spend together.  When I was done Teddy gave me the nastiest snottiest kiss on the cheek, and Sonya and I apologized to one another and hugged.  I am so thankful that I can go to God the tiniest things, and He hears me.  There was a sense of calm and peace and just remembering that we love each and wanted to have a good day.  After the cookies, we played in Sonya's room.  Josh and recently cleaned her room out it honestly looked like an episode of hoarders, but now we space to play again.  We played trains, blocks nothing out of the ordinary.  I left them to play for a bit by themselves so I could finish cleaning up after the cookies.  Sonya decided to set up a picnic in the living room.  I joined her and got out some of our Christmas books and read.

The Snowman is fun because there are no words just pictures, so you make up the story as you go.  I had to help Sonya do this she was a little confused at first then she got the hang of it.  I tried to read a few more stories, but the lost interest.  By that time it was time for lunch, but when I walked into the kitchen I saw this familiar sight.

Both my kids are obsessed with playing gin the sink.  
When Teddy was a newborn, Sonya spent hours just playing in the sink when I was trying to nurse him.
Now back to lunch.  These were in the freezer, so I made them.

They are so good, I will even say they are better then chik-fil-a.  
Here is the rest of what we ate for lunch, this was Sonya's plate.
What we were lacking in protein we made up with fiber.

After lunch, I put big baby T down for nap around 1:30 pm.  He slept until 4:30, which usually doesn't happen.  It was awesome!!  While he napped Sonya played on Starfall on the computer and I caught up on Giuliana and Bill and Watch What Happens Live, two of my favorite shows.  After my shows I decided to make a batch of granola for a teacher gift.  

I decided to keep the granola for myself, because I realized it was a lame gift.  Then I prepped some chicken for dinner, and cleaned up the kitchen for the 100th time.  When Sonya was done painting she decided she wanted to watch Shrek 2.  It worked out great because Teddy was getting up and I could make dinner in a little bit of peace when the movie would catch their interest for five minute intervals.  The menu for dinner roasted bone in chicken breasts and brocolette.  What is brocolette you ask, the package says a tender sweet cousin to broccoli.  It was on sale at the store, so I was sold.  Here is what is looks like.

 It has really long stems, so I cut those off.  Then I just tossed them in a bit of olive oil, some shallots, and my favorite seasoning.  I baked them at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes.  Super tasty, and kids ate them with no complaints.  After dinner S and T watched a some Dr. Suess show on ABC family about a flying piano, while I cleaned up the kitchen...again.  When that was done it was bath time, and they needed it after a day of playing with cookie sprinkles and markers.  The bath went on like normal lots of screaming while I washed their hair and faces.  Then lots of laughter when they could play.  Our favorite part of our whole day is when Daddy gets home, and last night it was around 6:45pm.  Josh ate dinner while the kids finished up their bath, and then they got to play with Daddy.  The evening routine at our house is dinner, bath, play time, show with a half a cup of milk, books, then pray.  Here are S and T watching their show.

  We read to them separately after their show because they get to riled up when they are together.  Teddy also can't sit through some of the stories that Sonya likes.  Josh and I usually trade back and forth with who gets which kid.  Neither one is exactly easier at bedtime.  They both have their challenges and their joys at bedtime.  Last night they were in bed and asleep a little before 8pm.  LOVE THAT!!!   The house was in pretty good shape, too.  So Josh and I didn't have to do a big clean up, again LOVE THAT.  We had a great day.  I will definitely take more days like that this winter.  Even though we didn't take one step outside we had a great day, and the kids actually were worn out.  Yesterday I found balance that worked for me and my kids.  We all got to do things we enjoyed and enjoyed one another.  Now, talk to me in 24 hours, I could very easily be whistling a different tune, but I hope this encourages any you moms out there to do what works for you, and you will hopefully make it through the winter.   

The Course

The other  day I had blue painters tape out, so I could tape something to the wall.  Sonya asked if she could play with it.  It was 5pm, so whatever makes them happy this time of day works for me.  As she pulled the tape off the roll I remembered an activity I had seen on this blog.  

All you do in put the tape on the floor and let your imagination go.

The first part of the fun was making up which way our lines were going to go.  Sonya loved this part.  We made zig zags, straight lines, and curved lines.  

Then I showed Teddy he could push his trains along the course like choo choo tracks.

The blue tape also became a balance beam that we all walked on, and since Sonya has been really into The Wizard of Oz it also became the yellow brick road.  A super fun, super easy inside activity to do with the weather being so cold.  You may notice a lack of pictures of Sonya. 

 This is the day she decided to not wear clothes, so this is all I can show you.

How are you passing the long winter days?

My Lunch

I made my self a truly delicious lunch the other day.  
I had picked up a box of these flatbread crackers from Whole Foods the other day.  
I read about them here.

They are very crunchy and have a great nutty flavor.  

I also picked up this mustard.

It is so good!!  A great balance of flavors, and perfect as a pizza sauce.  So the idea hit me to spread the mustard all of the cracker, sprinkle it with mozzarella cheese and chia seeds.  The cracker is already so crunchy you don't have to bake it to long, just until the the cheese is melted.  On the side I made kale chips, my latest food obsession. 

I read about them here.  

To watch on video on how to make them click here.

Basically you wash and dry the kale.  Make sure it is really dry because the it will wilt in the oven instead of getting crispy if there is too much moisture.  Coat the kale with cooking spray or about two tsp of olive oil, and season with kosher salt (or your favorite seasoning).  Place them on a baking sheet, and do not over crowd them because again the kale will wilt instead of getting crispy.  Bake at 350 for about 12-14 minutes.  The kale is so tasty, and satisfying.

My final plate.

What is your favorite lunch?

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had photographed this recipe for I Heart Faces for the recipe week, but it ended up being a dinner theme.  I had already photographed these cookies because I have wanted to share these on here for quite some time.  They are so good, and have some healthier ingredients to you can feel a little bit better about eating them.  It was quite a challenge because my kitchen has terrible light for taking photographs.  So I was basically chasing the light as it moved all afternoon to make this work.  

Here is the recipe:

    Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 cup soft butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups old fashioned oats
• Optional:  1 cup chocolate chips, 1 cup raisins, 1 cup craisins, or 1 cup walnuts.  (whatever tastes good to you :) 

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
2.  In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, wheat germ and flaxseed.  
3. In a large bowl cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth.  Beat in one egg at a time, then stir in vanilla. 
4. Stir flour mix into the wet ingredients mix until thoroughly blended.  
5. Then mix in oats, and whatever else you want to add.  
6. Drop heaping spoonfuls onto parchment lined or greased cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes.  Remove from cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack.

Here are the photos

1 1/2 cups whole wheat four

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt (I used kosher salt)

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup flaxseed

2 sticks of butter

1 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs 

(that is bubble bath nail polish, if you were wondering)

I forgot the vanilla.  Whoops.

The wet and dry ingredients mixed together.

3 cups of old fashioned oats

1 cup mini chocolate chips

I had about 1/4 cup craisins left in a bag, so I added those, too.
Here is the batter all mixed together.

Drop heaping spoonfuls onto a parchment lined or greased cookie sheet. 

Bake for 12-14 minutes and place on a cooling rack immediately.
Cooling in the late afternoon sun.

The finished product.
A soft, chewy, nutty, sweet cookie.

TRY THESE!!!
I promise you will love them.