This Moment

Linking up with Amanda & family over at SouleMama, which she describes as "A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember".  Every week I view her little moments & love the little peek into their world, today, I have one of my own from a few weeks ago, they were watching the snow plow going up & down our cul de sac...

Have a fabulous Weekend!

Holiday Baking

What's on your baking list?

I love to bake this time of year, I also think its the perfect time for sweets, so thinking, I might do some Swedish Pastries from this blog  post, and maybe some Snowballs  (but I use walnuts) & some buckeye fudge, which I have never done before but it looks good & easy. Since Tim is still pretty much boycotting my cooking & I don't need to eat all of each, I can stash some of each to send off to the school bus driver, mail carrier & garbage collectors. 

With the kids, I'd like to try these dark chocolate peppermint bars, and these cookie dough balls, and maybe some of these red velvet crinkle cookies.

What's on your list this month?

December Daily update-talking myself off the ledge

Assembling my December Daily did NOT go as I had planned.  I kind of freaked out when I opened the package the week before & realized there wasn't going to be enough room in the pre-loaded pages to do 2 pages for each day in the month like I have in years past & there is no way to load more pages. I took it on our Thanksgiving weekend away anyway, with a few supplies hoping to figure something out.  I did. I was able to follow most of the instructions, the good thing about projects like this, nothing is right or wrong so I just did what I wanted to; decorated the cover, put the pre-cut squares in the coin pocket pages, & laid the rest out to look at. I didn't end up sticking anything else down at the time but at least I have checked it all out & have an idea of what to do as far as what pictures to take & sizes to print, what to collect, etc. Sometimes limited options are a good thing but this had kind of put me into a tailspin. Ali may have read my mind when she posted this,

• "On the other hand, the limits might help you. You can definitely use the structure to MAKE CHOICES about what to include in your album. I always leave something out - I choose what to include - and I'm okay with that. As I work with my photos I do pick and choose, being mindful of the overall story of the week. Limits can be a positive thing as long as you don't spend too long agonizing over which photos to use to tell these stories. "

 I really needed to hear that from someone else!

Since I have felt so limited on space, I haven't taken a single picture yet & I am writing this on the 5th.  By the time it posts, I will have appropriately photographed the weekend.  I have to remember that there will be 12x12 pages scrapped for anything not included in this mini, I am just used to it being the other way around, in that the mini is the bulk of December scrapping & the 12x12s are just to 'cover' the holidays in the big book.

Looking ahead:

•  I did get my poinsettia last night, so when I take the plastic off of it, I will do some shots of it w/the big camera 
• getting my van back from the shop-normally that would go in, but not sure about it in the limited space
• Having our girls' shopping day tomorrow, so I should get some phone pics there.
• celebrating a birthday tomorrow evening 
• in 2 weeks I want to get pics of the couple I volunteer with for food coop
• my family is doing our gathering on the 20th
• not sure when Tim's side is
• there should be a couple or 3 school programs coming up
• if the box from amazon is as big as I think it might be, maybe a shot & story about that
• snow, if we get more
• ornament making, redbox movie renting, crafting with the kids during Christmas break
• if I go past 25th, document how I took the leap to took the Fridays following the holidays off this year
• cards received & sent -I really need to get on the ball
• new Christmas movie added to the collection
• document the few decorations used this year

So, I have plenty to document & yet not too much for the pages available, it will all work out, I just may not go with one of these albums again next year ;) 

Next week, I plan to have something of my own to share with you. 

How are you documenting your holidays? 

different isn't wrong

I am going against the blogging norm today, almost every blog is posting affiliate links to aid in your shopping (& earn them a discount or a few dollars) for household products, hobby supplies, even groceries & clothes. (I am totally not against those blogs or bloggers! to each their own, this is just my little spin on it.)  I am going to talk about how differently I live than that & how differently it is from how I used to live.

Doing childcare at home has enabled me to not need to spend a small fortune on wardrobe items each season, in fact, my work clothes become work the clothes when they are handed down from the 'good clothes' category.  They aren't in style in the least- although, if I keep being nice to them, they just may last until they come back in, they aren't flattering at. all., but seriously, they are comfy & make me feel good.  Today, I have on a pair of jeans that may at one time have passed as stonewashed, now they are just faded w/a hole in the knee-a wear hole, not an intentional-store-bought- one, a white turtle neck under a multi-stripe fleece v-neck pullover that might pass as tunic length.  That is one of my few winter work outfits. Yesterday, it was a pair of too big, navy, swishy pants an orange t-shirt & a grey hoodie w/navy screen printing on it.  The other day, I wore my black 'fight like a girl' screen printed hoodie & coordinating sweat pants w/a pink t-shirt. Still in my drawer, the shirts way out number the single pair of black yoga pants, but I do laundry at least twice a week in the winter -the dryer doubles as an added heat source if I run it during work hours, so often I do, I wear one pair of those pants twice.  The second time, I pair them with a different top. Long or short sleeve t-shirts, various hoodies, a fleece 'jacket' that buttons, they are all good clothes cast offs, hand me downs or bought new with the intention of using as work clothes.  Since a typical work day consists of burping babies, changing diapers & cooking, among other things, so, I refuse to wear anything I would hate to stain, splatter with grease or tear a hole in.

 My good clothes for winter, are a few sweaters (multi-shade brown stripe, dull blue/grey boxy, black short sleeve with a big cowl neck, & a red mock turtleneck) that I layer over a t-shirt or long john top, or some more good ole hoodies over t-shirts for something casual, several scarves of different textures & colors, & 2 pairs of jeans. I did bring home a vintage red/white/blue plaid long wool skirt when we were cleaning out Great Grandma's basement, that I am hoping to put to use this winter.

Hmmmmmm now that I think about it, I have more pairs of flannel pants than I do good jeans :)  I live in them most weekends & evenings if I have worked in my jeans during the day.  I travel in them with out question, if we aren't stopping to eat or shop.  Another drawer I have, is my 'running clothes drawer'.  In it, I have 1 pair of long pants just for walking/running/working out, a long sleeve dri-fit race shirt, a long sleeve base layer & dri-fit short sleeve race shirt.  I don't run in the winter, we walk 2-3 miles 2-5 mornings/week in the high school halls. I could wear my work clothes & not change when I get home to save on laundry, but I feel better about doing it if I am dressed for it.  Just like putting something little on the calendar makes it a bigger deal, that's why I will continue to 'suit up' for our morning walks. If I am working in the sweats, swishy pants or yoga pants later that day, I will wear them to walk in that morning just wear a different top.  Since I am not getting stinky, sweaty, I will hang my walking clothes up & re-wear them a couple of times until the next laundry day.


This is all so much different than I was 10 years ago.  I lived a very commercial lifestyle back then, I was buying clothes every month, my dresser and closet overflowed for every season and it would be so very tempting to go back to a lighter version of that if the checkbook allowed. Alas, it doesn't, so I will stick to my own version of the capsule wardrobe & enjoy the change in seasons as each change means I get to open that tote & re-discover all  new outfits.  I even currently have a pile of short sleeve race shirts to send to a friend to make into a couch quilt for me; getting them out of my closet & dresser, yet, still put to good use.

So, tell me, how differently do you do your wardrobe?

Scrap Space

Over Thanksgiving weekend, we headed out of town. Traded the busy hub-bub of town for a quiet, star filled time at the cabin again.  I had packed more than enough -as always- supplies to keep me busy for the weekend.  I took my December Daily to put together but ended up doing very little of that, just couldn't imagine having it all decorated & then needing to try to move something to fit a page together... anyway, so I did a bit of that on Thursday evening when we settled in.  Friday evening, I scrapped on a party bus trip we took that I 'finished', on Saturday late afternoon. When I went to unpack on Sunday at home, I got back into it & decided to really finish those 6 pages, so they could go in the closet & that is exactly where they landed at 4pm on Sunday.  Now, on to one of the weddings for that summer. (we had 3)

Anyway... here's a shot of my weekend work space:

After this weekend it is confirmed I will never wish for a bench to sit on to scrap, but it was a perfectly acceptable space for the weekend.  We even got to experiment with me scrapping in the same room as he watches t.v. which is what I am envisioning for our next home. We didn't do too bad for being way closer together than I imagine in a house. 

Freezing produce #4: bananas & applesauce

While I am doing childcare and on the USDA food program (monthly 'reimbursement' check for feeding balanced meals by their guidelines & turning in completed paperwork) I have to freeze to preserve anything I plan to feed the children later.  No Home Canned items --boo! as I have more cupboard space than freezer space but I do what I can. 

This year, I have frozen produce such as; pumpkin, green beans, zucchini, stewed tomatoes, bananas, pear butter, & applesauce.

Bananas are probably the absolute easiest thing I freeze but if you don't know how, you just don't know how.  I know I had to be told that those brown bananas on the counter did NOT have to be used today, they could be peeled, & frozen for later baking. That pretty much rocked my banana bread loving mind. I never ever turn down a discounted bag of bananas at the store! even if they are so far gone they must be peeled & frozen immediately, as long as they aren't split at the store, I will take them.  I used to freeze them in baggies for space saving, but you know, now its 3 bananas to a pint jar, a piece of tape on the outside & into the freezer they go!

Applesauce. oh yummm! this one makes the house smell good the whole day before they reach the freezer.  I do the uber easy (lazy) way & just cut the apples off the core, then pile it all into a crock pot, add a cup of water & a couple of cinnamon sticks & let 'er rip. I cook it on low until the scent of cinnamon has taken over the house & then I test the apples w/a fork, when they are good & soft, I run them a cup at a time through a food processor or blender or use my stick blender right in the crockpot. Be careful to remember that those apples are HOT!  I then jar them up in various sized & shaped containers, label & chill in the fridge overnight. They find their way into the freezer on the following day.  So very good! & healthy, no sugar added.  

There you have it... the produce I have frozen for 2014. 

Thanksgiving 2014

1. What is the highlight of your Thanksgiving weekend? Family, for me. I love that both of our moms work it to get the dinners on Thursday. so we work it so that we can do both & see everyone in one day. a peek at 2009
2.  Do you get the whole 4 days off or do you have to work through it? A few years ago, I started taking Friday off instead of detoxing everyone for one day just to do it again on Monday. Plus, by this time, I am in need of a good long relaxing weekend.  Last year, we upped the ante so to speak & started getting away for the long weekend. We rented a cabin about an hour away & loved being away from the chaos of the 'big shopping weekend'. (part 1 & 2)
3. Do you have any long standing traditions? I love to listen to & watch the parade on tv while I am getting ready to go to dinner.  This year, I may have to take over the tv after or during brunch to continue this tradition. 
4. Do you have any favorite dishes that with out them, it wouldn't be Thanksgiving? I don't. I just love it all. Turkey, ham balls, ham, scalloped corn, (the top layer of) stuffing, PIE, coffee, rolls, mashed or scalloped potatoes, veggie tray, fluffy salad, I am good with it all.  This year we are having a Thanksgiving day brunch at Tim's Mom's & I am so curious to see what everyone brings & how they work traditional dishes into a brunch.  I am taking a creamy fruit salad.
5. Do you shop or avoid the crowds?  I tried black Friday shopping ONCE. Never again. it was so incredibly not worth it! Cyber Saturday, shop small Saturday, those are way more my speed! Although, this year, I think almost everyone is getting Iowa Food Coop & Farmer's Market products. 2008
6. Do you do your Christmas decorating? I used to only to my Christmas decorating on this weekend, it usually took me all weekend but my Monday morning start of business, the totes were back in the cubby. Now, I have gotten so super relaxed about decorating, we haven't even done the big tree in the past few years... when I did do it, I sparingly hung ornaments dreading the work of un-decorating it in a short few weeks.  So, to answer my own question, decorating will be done next week. 
7. What do you do with the leftovers? Can you tell I am excited about the food this year? ;) Do you do anything special with the leftovers? We usually only bring home what we took plus single servings of specific dishes then just have them as meals later in the weekend.  Some people go to great lengths to make the leftovers into new exciting dishes, not us. 
8. What do you change from year to year?   This weekend has also been the time I took to address & stuff Christmas cards, start baking, & deep clean before decorating.  This year, since we will be away, I plan to do none of those. I will be assembling my December Daily book and other scrapping pages, I also plan to re-read Love Always, Kate as well as possibly start a new Debbie Macomber book a friend picked up for me. Yes, lots of good rejuvenating things for my soul but very little for the home. 

I wish all of you a joy-filled Thanksgiving weekend however you celebrate.  

Freezing Produce #3: Zucchini & Stewed Tomatoes

While I am doing childcare and on the USDA food program (monthly 'reimbursement' check for feeding balanced meals by their guidelines & turning in completed paperwork) I have to freeze to preserve anything I plan to feed the children later.  No Home Canned items --boo! as I have more cupboard space than freezer space but I do what I can. 

This year, I have frozen produce such as; pumpkin, green beans, zucchini, stewed tomatoes, bananas, pear butter, & applesauce.

Stewed Tomatoes: I have seriously simplified my tomato processing steps. I used to blanch, peel, de-seed, simmer, make sauce, then can.  Now, I simply chop & simmer, pour into jars & chill overnight then freeze for childcare.  I chop into small enough pieces that when the skins come off either in the simmering, freezing or thawing process, they aren't big enough to be choking hazards & after all the processing, the seeds are barely recognizable for those who don't like them.  Often I will put a frozen jar out to thaw overnight in the fridge then put it on to simmer mid morning & add italian seasoning to it & maybe some garlic & finely diced onion if I am feeling generous (really, the kids don't care either way) if I want to serve something w/a sauce-usually a baked pasta dish to use up some leftover ground meat & pasta.The tomatoes & seasonings will simmer for a while, maybe an hour or more depending on how watery it came out after thawing, then pour over the rest & pop it in the oven. Yummmmy. 

Zucchini: We are not fans of baked or fried zucchini, so I don't cook any of it fresh, I only get it to freeze for muffins & bread later in the winter. Of course, I don't peel my zucchini, so I wash them off before cutting the ends off, then I cut into big spears.  Then I cut off the pointy side with the seeds on it & run the rest through an electric shredder.  I loved my salad shooter I had for years, man, I used that thing for shredding every.thing. from zucchini, carrots, cheese, radishes, & I am sure I am forgetting some things. Then when my second one broke, I used a hand me down food processor that had a shredding blade, it never worked as efficiently as the shooter, but it was faster & easier than shredding by hand so I would fight with it to get it all done.  Once the Zucchini is shredded, I put it into containers by 2 cup measurements (again, that's what my recipe calls for) to put in the fridge overnight then freezer the next morning. I have heard of people using baggies & freezing it flat then standing them upright for more efficient storage & that's a great idea, if you like to use baggies.  A couple of times this year, I would shred up to 11 cups of zucchini for the freezer from those donated by childcare families.  It was a great year for zucchini around these parts.  

2 more items for your freezer, only 2 left to talk about unless you want me to talk about other things I prep for the freezer.  I have done beef stock but can talk about chicken & homemade refried beans (I don't think I have done that one yet).  :) 

Done & Documented: September & October

So, in my last report, I had finished 2009 totally & completely, an absolutely amazing feat for myself.  So proud yet, it brought to the forefront of my mind a couple of issues with that current style of memory keeping.  First, 8 4" thick 12x12 albums for each & every year of our lives? HUH?! who has room for that??? Definitely not us in a time when we are getting serious about downsizing our house and 'things'. Second, without children of our own to hand things down to automatically, where will these monstrosities go when I am gone? Truthfully, this one bothers me, so much less than the first as I am truly doing 99% of them for me in the moment. I use scrapping as therapy, as my creative outlet, as my me-time, girl-time, bonding time with my mom, Grandma & aunts. Occasionally, I use it to work through some issues, some feelings, and document that not everything is truly as it looks. On that other 1% I use them to send messages to people in my life unsure if they will ever see them or know how I feel, but I feel better getting it all down on paper & put in the stack to someday get put in a book. :)

So when I pulled fresh photos out to scrap, I had an all together different thought process. I knew I needed to cut the pages down in each chapter: 6 pages=3 layouts is going to be my cap for the majority of chapters from here on out. Many are falling in at 2 or 4 pages even.  This is freeing up A LOT of printed photos to hand off to friends & family for their books or trash, whatever they deem necessary.  The best part, I am doing it all guilt free. I am working hard to get the important stories told in those few pages & oddly, not even struggling most of the time.  Come to find out, I am much more of a photographer than a story teller, but I am learning to combine the two. Many less 'here we are at the lake again', '4th of July parade 2013', or 'kids at Christmas' pages more 'this summer at the lake we..... ' & 'a change in the parade this year was.....' and 'this year for Christmas the kids got/did/wanted.....'  all of them with a valid story to tell rather than just fun photos. I am also using Picasa to create collages then printing them in 8x10 or 5x7 to be able to include many more photos when they are needed but still wanting to keep the scrapped page tally down.

Since instituting these changes, I have been on a roll!! I have scrapped so many pages, I have lost track of a count & even quit photographing them all.  In fact, looking back, I haven't photographed any since the beginning of October, but here are some favorites from September & October:

 these are from 2 of the 3 birthday parties I scrapped from January & February 2013.  I have since moved over to 2010 and have scrapped a WiiFest gathering at our house, a family 4th of July dinner, Easter, a road trip to visit an aunt, 2 kids' birthdays & a brother's surprise birthday party. SERIOUSLY this rocks my scrapping world!  I have 2 Christmas celebrations, Christmas program, Father's Day gathering, graduation reception(which may already be scrapped), the January snow (there was a lot of it), adding Sammy to our family as a puppy, and some lake pictures to scrap. That will complete the year! That's amazing to me. My current goal is to finish the 4 pages of Father's Day I have on my desk-less about the holiday & more stories about the pictures. then I will probably take a break from 12x12s & 2010 to work up & do the December Daily I blogged about last week. I might just be sure to have the right photos in the 2010 basket instead of the basket that holds all of the photos that need scrapped, so that in January when I am ready to get back to big pages, I can transition easily.

That said, I never want to be caught up. I never want to be with out something to scrap. I simply want to be less years behind :) maybe some day being able to scrap the current year would be fun.

you can see my January, February, March, April, May, June, July, & August  reports here.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Done and documented is series of monthly posts that highlights Jess's progress completing unfinished travel 
albums from years past. I will be following along by doing my December Daily 2013-CHECK, then plan to finish 2009 (2 chapters)-CHECK & start a new year. Feel free to play along.

Freezing Produce #2: Pear Butter

While I am doing childcare and on the USDA food program (monthly 'reimbursement' check for feeding balanced meals by their guidelines & turning in completed paperwork) I have to freeze to preserve anything I plan to feed the children later.  No Home Canned items --boo! as I have more cupboard space than freezer space but I do what I can. 

This year, I have frozen produce such as; pumpkin, green beans, zucchini, stewed tomatoes, bananas, pear butter, & applesauce.

I love fresh pears just about any way I can get them; plain, dipped in vanilla yogurt, or with some hot fudge sauce on the side (ahem), and pear butter was something I loved to buy at our local Farmer's Market last year.  I like it so much I could eat it out of the jar with a spoon, oh yes, I could & maybe I have.

So, when  a childcare family asked if I'd like some pears from their tree this summer, I gratefully accepted, thinking there would be enough to serve for a lunch, breakfast & maybe a snack, we would take the opportunity to talk about the tree being at so-and-so's house, that they brought them to share with us, how they grow, when to know when to pick them, & what their family does with them, etc. but they blessed me with 2 grocery sack fulls of fresh pears!  So we ate them, talked about them AND I got to make pear butter TOO! win-win.  I was really nervous when I went recipe hunting, as usually things like this take all day, need a bushel of produce or must be canned for preservation. I had no idea it was so easy & they love it on everything from a biscuit, to dinner roll, toast, waffle or pancake (I don't serve syrup anymore) and I even like it on a peanut butter sandwich during nap time :)

I am not going to recreate the wheel on this one & share all of the details because I followed this pin almost exactly, minus the lemon juice (I was out & since I was freezing it anyway, it didn't matter but if you are going to can yours, don't forget it) & I am on the lazy side & didn't peel the pears.  I don't peel any.thing. potatoes, tomatoes, apples, carrots, pears, bananas-ha, okay, yes, I peel bananas & oranges but most everything else with an edible peel I don't.  Mostly, because they say that the majority of the nutrients of the produce are in the skin & I am all about getting the most bang for my buck when it comes to food. Oh yea, that & I am lazy & don't like to peel.  :)   Leaving the peel in did give it a bit of a gritty texture but knowing that its pears, I  already expected a bit of that texture so I  don't mind & none of the littles did either.

This batch, I froze in half pint jars -jelly jars- which is perfect size for the fridge door, squeezing into tight spaces in the freezer and gift giving.  Which I am considering, but not sure if I am feeling that generous yet this season.  ;)

I thought we were out of pear season but I scored some at the local market on Saturday & they are HUGE monsters! ~~~>
So, one after school snack later this week is sure to be pears, vanilla yogurt & homemade granola--build your own parfaits, a group fave!

What do you do with pears? Are you in an area with an abundance in the fall like me?

December Daily 2014 plans

I am so looking forward to this year's December Daily. Maybe the fact that I finished last year's in a timely manner, helped.  I have approached this project in  many different ways over the years....

2013 is here,  here, with a peek at the mess here, more progress here, and completed here. it took me until March to complete it since I waited until January to order the photos so they were good quality as no matter how great a printer boasts it is at printing photos, I am never happy unless they come from a developer.

2012 is complete. This year it took me through February to complete partially since I had finished/fixed/added to the 2010 album.

2011-I skipped this year as it was the month we lost a family member.

2010 is here.  Since I had skipped 2011, I guess in 2012, I figured I had skipped 2010 as well, so I started a new album, and I forgot I had started the album pages until I got about half way through completing an entirely new one, then discovered the beginnings of the other album, so I worked them together.

2009 is the last year that I worked on it IN December (as the days pass, as its intended) here, here, after I had prepped the pages ahead here, & here,  I loved the idea of prepping pages ahead, however, I struggled to have the pictures to coordinate on the right pages, so I decided that even if it takes a little longer to get the album finished, I will do the pages to go with the photos.

2008 is here, complete.  looks like this was my first year & I am sure I followed the direction given & created the pages ahead then used my home printer to keep the photos + pages caught up daily. 

I made the albums for 08 &10, used Creative Memories albums for 09, 12 & 13, this year I am using this Crush Book & kit, a consultants designed & got through Close to my Heart.  I saw hers this weekend & its ADORABLE! It has a super fun mix of pocket pages, tabbed, vellum & card stock pages. as well as the little goodies to put on them, and room to add more pages if I need to! of course I cannot use JUST the kit it comes with, I had to get some UBER cute wood veneer pieces from evalicious, as well as having the bag & pizza box full of leftovers from years past at my fingertips, throughout the process.  I plan to put it all together over our Thanksgiving weekend away & have it ready to share here the following week. Then I plan to work the pages as the month goes on, while leaving space for the photos as I will order them from Shutterfly to be sure I  am happy with the quality & plan to finish it at or before the January crop.

Freezing Produce #1: pumpkin & green beans

While I am doing childcare and on the USDA food program (monthly 'reimbursement' check for feeding balanced meals by their guidelines & turning in completed paperwork) I have to freeze to preserve anything I plan to feed the children later.  No Home Canned items --boo! as I have more cupboard space than freezer space but I do what I can.

This year, I have frozen produce such as; pumpkin, green beans, zucchini, stewed tomatoes, bananas, pear butter, & applesauce.

The pumpkins, I bought at the farmer's market & Iowa Food Coop. The bigger ones from the market, I cut in half, put on a baking sheet with sides & about a cup of water & baked at 300 for a few hours, until the rind was fork tender. The smaller ones I baked whole at the same temp for about an hour until they were fork tender.  Then I pull it out & let it cool until I can safely handle it.  Then, I use a spoon & scrap the seeds & strings out to put in the compost bin or trash, then I scrape the 'meat' of the potato from the rind & freeze it in 2 cup portions. 2 cups because that's how I use it in recipes.  Currently, I am freezing those portions in jars because, even though jars take up much more freezer space, a)that's what I always have on hand and b)there is no waste. With a baggie, which is much more space friendly, I not only toss the baggie, but inevitably some pumpkin sticks to it as well.  After I have marked them with the measurement, ingredient & date on a piece of scotch tape right on the side of the jar, I then prefer to chill them in their jars in the fridge overnight to help ward off any freezer crystals that tend to form when things are put in the freezer too warm.  I will pull these portions out periodically for muffins, bars or combine with chocolate chips for a yummy bread. Oh, I have pureed it before freezing & after, it didn't seem to matter on texture so this year, I plan puree it as I use it. FYI: Pumpkin puree is great for pups with constipation or other bowel blockage.

The green beans were either donated from childcare families or purchased at market this year. In years past, I have been able to put up my own garden beans & I do them all the same way.  After snapping the ends & rinsing, I blanch them for just a few seconds until they turn a darker green.  (To me, blanching=dipped in boiling water, after reading this article, I see I am missing a crucial step & will be sure to add it next year.) When I removed from boiling water I would let them cool & air dry on a towel on the counter, package into jars or freezer containers (I like to cook the green beans from frozen as I think they get mushy when I let them thaw overnight in the fridge so putting them in a freezer container that they can pop out of as a frozen clump works well for me), mark with tape & sharpie, then chill in the fridge overnight before I put them in the freezer.  This one I am able to involve the kids on because anyone can snap the ends off the beans, and we often do this one in the yard during morning playtime. Then I can blanch them during lunch, cool & dry them during quiet time & pack to chill during their snack time, moving them to the freezer the next morning. To use them, I just pull from freezer, run under hot water to thaw them away from the container then dump them into a warming cast iron skillet with some roasted garlic olive oil (from Iowa Food Coop), extra virgin olive oil, butter (from IFC) or some leftover bacon grease-oh yes, I did just go there.  :)

How is that for starters? I wish I had captured these processes with the camera to be more enjoyable to learn about. Stay tuned for the next installment :)

old school blogging..

taking a stab at this old school blogging, even though it very closely resembles my every day blogging style ;)  this is a fun list though & I do love a good list!

Sit down restaurant – we eat out so rarely that I have different faves depending on where we are & what time of day--supper: Johnny's Italian Steakhouse or our local Iron Horse Grill, breakfast: our local Family Table (think homemade dishes)

Cookie – a soft snickerdoodle like I can get at our local farmer's market 

Bath product scent – .cinnamon or vanilla 

T.V. shows – Old shows: Friends, Burn Notice, The Mentalist,  . Currently: The Good Wife, NCIS (all 3 of them), Perception, Blue Bloods, Revenge, Madame Secretary, Person of Interest, Cedar Cove, Castle, White Collar, Covert Affairs, Criminal Minds, Law & Order; SVU, The Blacklist, Graceland,  Grey’s Anatomy.

Flower/plant – lilac

Bad-for-me snack - chips & recess pieces

Magazines – nothing right now..

Hobby (besides blogging) – Scrapbooking

Holiday –  4th of July. no expectations, respect is paid where its long over due, & there is GRILLED food :) 

Girls Night Out activity – mexican for supper, drinks & live music preferably outside

Date night -  supper out, kickboxing or cage fights, expensive coffee on the way home OR an overnight away from everything civilized- a cabin for Valentine's, camping in April or March, etc. 

Currently: September 2014 (ahem) October 2014

Getting: in the mood for fall activities, wearing jackets & jeans, going to the Harvest Barn, Farm Crawl & Pierce's pumpkin patch & burning cinnamon & maple scented candles & wax melts.

Realizing: I need to make time for girl friends, SOON.

Spending: a few minutes each Sunday to pick up & vacuum the house makes a world of difference on how we feel about our home.
Rejoicing: in the fact that my part of the playground rehab seems to have come to a close, or at least a pause for
winter.
Becoming: a much happier person lately.

Waiting: for March to put completed scrap pages into sleeves & covers ~~~> can't wait to see how this shelf looks by then.

Reading: nothing right now, thinking about Scrap Pink & scrapping is keeping me busy. 

Reorganizing: our entire schedule to fit an early pick up heading to preschool has led to earlier lunch, earlier naptime, and earlier wake ups.

Loving: that I have re-evaluated my scrapping theory & am shortening the chapters as I scrap from here on out. 

Staying: under the warm quilt until the last possible second in the mornings because we are still sleeping with the windows open & often time, the fan is on. brrrrrrr

Using: Pickle Creek roasted garlic infused oil on grilled cheese sandwiches instead of butter. ground breaking for me! YUMMMMM

Taking:  time for me, makes me feel amazing for days after.

a image of an image of the nieces playing photographers at the anniversary party.. LOVE!!!

Farm Crawl 2014

Now that I look at this collage of the few photos I took while I was on the Farm Crawl, I realize its not a very good representation of the actual crawl itself.  The sky was amazing that day (as you can tell by all of the images I have that include it), I have always wanted to stop & take shots of the corn tops waving in the wind against a gorgeous sky, well, Sunday I was all alone, no one else to inconvenient or laugh at me, so I did just that. Same with the grain bin against the clouds, it just called out to me on my way by & I couldn't ignore it. The shoot from the thresher+blacksmith +red barn+wind vane on the playhouse images are all from the Crooked Gap Farm visit. the selfie is one of the times I was sitting waiting for the line of traffic to exit a farm to make room for more of us to enter. The tour guide was at Blue Gate Farm. The goat was at Reichert's Dairy Farm where I bought 3 kinds of chevre (a spread type cheese).  What I didn't capture with a camera is all of the goodies I brought home!  

My first stop was the pumpkin patch that I haven't been to in years.  I first bought a cup of hot apple cider to sip while I shopped & looked around.  I settled on the biggest Indian corn I have ever seen in my life $3 for a 3 ear bundle & 4 various gourds for decorating the front step.

Then I went to the Blue Gate Farm, browsed around the visiting tents, caught the end of a guided tour, stuck my head in the hoop houses & went on down the road.

Next I stopped a the dairy. Where I got to see some of the goats & purchased the chevre.

Around a few corners, appropriately located on 'Crooked Road',  I found Crooked Gap Farm.  This one was especially fun for me because I listen to Ethan's podcasts & love to read Rebecca's blog on gardening, canning & family life on the farm.  From their stand, I bought some bacon & breakfast sausage patties.

Then I was off to Coyote Run Farm where I got to see a really great old barn, browsed their farm stand but missed the soup.

From there, I followed the arrows the White Breast Creek Pottery. WOW!!! the pottery from the clay beneath the creek is gorgeous! I did buy a hand woven rug for the kitchen & its HUGE!! I also decided to get a walking taco from the 4H kids' stand while I was there & sat in the van in the sunshine eating my lunch in complete silence. 

Last on my list was the Schneider Orchard.  I was really bummed to discover that they were out of cider donuts when I arrived so instead, I bought some caramel apple bars, 5# of Jonathon apples (that I made into applesauce on Monday), and fudge from Piper's candy booth. 

After that I realized I had really treated this crawl as a 5 hour & no idea how many miles Farmer's Market :)  It was fun & unrestricting going solo, it would be really fun with a friend & really, really fun with kids as almost every farm had face painting, games or activities for kids set up. I returned with my goodies & felt completely refreshed instead of totally worn out as I had expected to feel. Fresh air, sunshine & quiet time in the country tends to do that to me.  I will definitely find someone to take with me next time & highly recommend it to all my local friends.  Definitely a fun fall activity for the area!

What have you been up to this fall?

5 on Friday: September 2014 edition

This month, Mom & I went to the last of our local outdoor concerts which happened to be Trick Pony & they were AWESOME!!! So much energy, they ALL looked like they were up there having fun instead of just getting a pay check. I thoroughly enjoyed them. 

with out many overnights at the lake this summer, I was missing the bonfire portion of it so we started having small camp fires in the back yard & I love that they are small enough that if I only sit there for a couple of hours, I don't feel guilty. 

 I got to participate in helping to celebrate the 60th anniversary of this terrific couple, my only remaining grandparents. Love Love Love them!

A couple of weeks ago, Mom & I were heading to a crop so I checked out the map of the new freedom rocks being painted in Iowa & found one semi-close to our destination & routed ourselves that way.  This is the 2nd one I have seen & am hooked! I plan to make a mini album of photos of them as we visit them. 

I love the Farmer's Markets in every single season but fall is super fun as the temps are super comfy, the produce switches gears, & I have made friends with new vendors by now. 

5 on Friday: Iowa State Fair edition

Tim & I often joke about how we eat our way through the Iowa State Fair. this year was different. We didn't really eat that much but I did take lots of pictures of food stands.

1. Southern Style Nachos. YUMMMM homemade potato chips, nacho cheese (even if it was out of a can), shredded smoked pork & BBQ sauce (again, even if it was store bought). This was a first for us, recommended as back up plan if the line to the hot beef sundae was too long for us-it was, now I am thankful. 
2. American Gothic statue. Somehow I managed to cruise right on by this bad boy on our first Saturday at the fair. Place in the middle of one of the main drags that I know we walked on both directions. Way more impressive than I expected it to be. 
3. The big Pepsi clock.  It was always a 'center point' for us growing up. We were taught (?or maybe just learned on our own) how to remember the location of almost everything in relation to this clock. I love that its still there, still works & still in great condition.
4. The flags lining the top of the Grandstand.  I don't remember them there as a child but I do remember that when someone was lost or missing their meeting time, there was an announcement, "would John Doe please meet your party at the Hall of Law located at the West end of the Grandstand" & on the repeat of it (they always said it twice) my brothers & I would repeat it with the announcer. Oh the funny things we did as kids & then remember as adults.... 
5. The food stands. I haven't tried but I imagine I could find the exact number of food stands located on the fairgrounds & I bet the number would boggle my mind even though I know there is A LOT. 

Currently: August

Getting: acquainted with 2 new littles.

Realizing: how much more time its taking me this year to regain my bearings once school is underway.  I am blaming age...

Spending: every Monday evening with my grandparents is the most rewarding time I have right now.

Missing: my brother this week at odd times. excrutiating hurt like I haven't felt in a year. the kind that brings tears at the drop of a hat, without warning & for no apparent reason.

Reading: Debbie Macomber's Rose Harbor series. 

Reorganizing: my scrap table soon. Since I finished that summer chapter, its time to move it off the workspace & replace it with something different.

Loving: that I have worked scrap time into my evenings this summer. Its not often a priority in the warmer months when there is so much to do outside. 

Staying: on track with a cleaning schedule for a month is amazing for me.  Usually I just 'hit a lick at a snake' when the feeling (or need) arises, but lately I have been cleaning the childcare on Friday afternoons & then the upstairs on Sundays. Its working for now.

Using: the heck out of the Iowa Food Coop products available right now.

Taking: time to read or scrap this summer is truly saving my sanity.

Deciding: on various Scrap Pink details. 

Weekend Phone Dump

Thinking this might be a fun regular post to have..

From our view of our normal 'beach' .. yea, almost completely underwater, but it worked out well. Real camera photos will come soon..

our amazing view heading home from the fun afternoon at the lake.

AND I need to be better about checking the garden!! these 4 cukes were found & picked on Sunday.

ping ping ping.. we tag teamed some salsa making on Sunday afternoon 

 coleslaw I made on Monday (Labor Day) morning to go with our supper. mostly ingredients from the Iowa Food Coop-gotta love it! 

how was your weekend? as you can see ours looks to have been a healthy balance of fun & productivity.