Sunday, February 28, 2010

Naan

I finally made Naan for the family. I found a recipe online that looked very easy with common ingredients so I tried it. It was yummy and I will make it again and actually follow the directions. Ha! I was in a hurry and not able to let my dough rest as long as it should have. My Naan didn't puff like it was supposed to when I transferred it to the oven. I think the lack of rest could have been why but not too sure. I used the following recipe that I found on Recipe Zaar for Naan.

I made the chicken curry that I posted a recipe for here. This time I added chopped carrots and potatoes and I threw in a can of diced tomatoes (well I mean I took them dumped them out of the can). This really added to the flavor of the meal and gave us more left-overs. We love left-overs especially since I am usually sending two meals with Hubby for his long day at school and work.

Yum!

Friday, February 26, 2010

Friday This and That

Ok...so I don't know if I'll stick to this but I like doing a random this and that post. It may not always happen on Friday, but that makes it very exciting for you, the reader, doesn't it? Indulge me here. You could leave a comment and let me know how you feel about this kind of post. ;)

I told you in my last this and that post that I love to look at tutorials and craft ideas online but don't get around to making anything. Well, I'm going to share with you a few things that I am desperately wanting to make. I have even left a few of these open in tabs on my computer so they stare me down every time I open up the computer. My plan is to go to the fabric store tomorrow to get some needed supplies which will be a great use to the rest of that birthday money burning a hole in my retrieved wallet.

Sidenote - Can I just mention here that money does NOT burn a hole in my pocket? I save it and wait until I know for sure what I want. My hubby on the other hand, well his birthday money was GONE the next day after his birthday. Any of you who know both of us will SURELY not be surprised by this. Yet another characteristic of our polar oppositeness.

On to my list of "to be made" items...errrr...I mean "hopefully to be made."

*Pillowcase Dress - Do you know what these are? Have you seen them? They are to die for cute and my girls WILL have matching ones this spring. THEY WILL! This is the tutorial I plan to use because it has POMPOMS! Need I say more????? Hopefully the baby won't try to chew them off.

*Wallpaper Decals - I just stumbled on these today and think they are so cute. I am seeing these in my future, maybe not here in apartment land, but in my future, definitely.

*Polka Dot Circles - I love this simple craft. I found a link here and here to make these really cute circles out of embroidery hoops. So simple and what a great effect when finished. I want to make a set to hang in my girls' room. I have had this idea tucked away since before we had our second baby but never made them because I knew we were moving. Now would be a good time.

*Tote Bag - I love totes and think this would be a great library bag for us to use. There are so many cute prints out now and this looks very easy.

*Cute Curtains - I need to hang curtains! Isn't that HORRIBLE? We've been here since August and there are no curtains and seriously I only need to put up 3 sets! BAD, BAD, BAD! The really horrible, awful thing is that I have curtains for 2 of those 3 sets. The third that I am in need of is for the girls' room. I want to make something cutesy and found this idea. I'm hoping to get this done soon. I can invision some birdies appliqued (possibly) to the front since they both have the cutest birdie quilts made by my amazing mother-in-law.

OK....I really could keep going, but I can't. I will be overwhelmed and won't do any of it. So my goal is to make something in the next week. I will try. I promise. I need to let my creative juices flow. Not sure what I'll start with, but I will return triumphant!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Still Good in the World

I seriously wonder some days if I am slowly losing my mind. I do these things that I have never done before and am very disturbed by it. Let's see...it all starting going to pot in October of 2005. What happened that month? My first child was conceived! I really do believe that child bearing and rearing rob you slowly of brain cells. I used to be "with it," not so much anymore. Can I get an AMEN?

Another notch in the "not so with it" belt came to me on Tuesday. Monday night I scurried out to get my hair cut. I was in the mood to get my hair cut and I had a two hour window in which to do it. Wouldn't you know it, everyone on the west side of town was getting their hair cut also so I had to wait 45 minutes. Oh well...there was a CATO next door and I still had birthday money. I found some killer deals! I got a pair of jeans for $10.99 and a pair of awesome shoes for $7.99. I.LOVE.CATO!

So...back to my story...I rushed back and had missed my time slot so I had to wait again. (Don't tell hubby that part of the story.) Hubby had a study group at 7:00 p.m. and it was 6:30 p.m. My name was called and I said, "CUT IT!!!!! I want it above my shoulder in the front in an A-line to the back and a bit stacked." I know this cut well...it's my fave and it works. The stylist was MORTIFIED that I wanted so much cut off and kept asking if I was sure. Oh yes...do it! We finished at 7:00 p.m. I paid and RAN to my car with wet hair, jumped in and got home fast. Hubby grabbed his bag and ran out the door. (He is never upset if I am late. I always think he is going to be, but he NEVER is! He's so stinking laid back! Ha!)

Proceed to the next morning...I wake up thinking (I have no idea why I was thinking about this), "Huh, I don't remember putting my gift card back in my wallet. I need to check and make sure I have the gift card." (My mother-in-law had given me a Fiesta gift card awhile back. There was enough on there for another hair cut so I wanted to be sure I had it!)

We get ready, I dump my purse on my bed to find my lipstick and there is NO wallet! Where is my wallet???? I panic, I search, I panic some more, I search. It is nowhere! I call Fiesta and they don't see it anywhere. I do find out that the stylist who did my hair will be in at 12:30 and I should call back to talk to her. By this time we have to leave so Hubby can get to class but we drive to the parking lot where Fiesta is hoping it might be laying there. No wallet! It is big, it is red...we would have seen it. Hubby calms me down as I am not handling this very calmly and calls the police to see if anything was turned in. Nothing was. He calmly calls the bank and cancels my bank card. All I can think about are the precious gift cards, my stash of birthday money, the pics of my sweet girls, AND the tiny pink bow in my coin pocket that Pumpkin wore in the hospital.

I go to my mom's group as I had planned to because there isn't much I can do until 12:30 and if I go back home, I will just stew about my wallet. I go...I have a blessed time and actually forget about the wallet. At 12:30 I walk into Fiesta and make eye contact with the stylist and she says, "Did you lose something?" THANK YOU!!!!!!!

I guess I had dropped it in the parking lot. A man who was leaving the Chinese restaurant next door saw the wallet and saw me pulling out of the parking spot in my car. He assumed it belonged to me but had no way of getting my attention. (Remember, I was in a hurry.) He picked it up and took it home. He had to go through it and do some detective work and Praise the Lord , he did! He called information but couldn't get my current info as the address on my driver's license is still from up north. He found my receipts and happened upon one from Fiesta that was from 7:01 p.m. that night. He called them and my stylist happened to answer. He told her the story and she remembered me saying we had moved here from up north and figured out who I was! He gave her his phone number since they assumed I would be in asking about my wallet. I got his number, called him and got my wallet back safe and sound. I am amazed!
Recovered
(See that sweet little pink bow? I was so worried about that little bow.)

All this to encourage you and me that there are still good, honest people in this world! I am so very thankful!

Guess who went to the grocery after getting back her wallet, filled the grocery cart, unloaded the grocery cart to pay for it all, gave the nice cashier her grocery card, pulled out her bank card, and REMEMBERED that it was now canceled and she had no other form of payment? Take a guess. Go ahead. No idea? Well that would have been ME! DRATS! And that nice cashier turned very UN-NICE when I mentioned my little predicament and she had to void out each item and reload my grocery cart. GEESH! Don't worry...I got Hubby's bank card and got my groceries from a DIFFERENT cashier! Thank goodness the bag boy was nice about the whole thing!

All this to say...being a mother kills ALL of the remaining brain cells that are left after giving birth to a baby.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Sorting

The other day after I laid the baby down for her nap, I started dumping things into a large cake pan. Peanut who is 3 1/2 years old was instantly curious as to what I was doing. I just kept dumping and finding things.
Sorting
I then presented the cake pan to her and a bunch of small bowls. I told her she could look through all of the loot and sort it. She had a splendid time sorting and worked on this activity for some time. If you are looking for a quick activity for these LONG winter days, this one works great!
Sorting

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Meme Enthusiast

I.CAN'T.HELP.MYSELF! I love to do those silly survey emails. I know, I know...they're silly but I just love it. I have one dear faithful friend who does them too and we just send them back and forth, back and forth. Ha! She knows by now that my ultimate favorite comfort food is homemade mac and cheese! Yum! So when getting caught up in my current addiction of blog reading, I stumbled on this meme and I had to do it. Humor me! I love them. And really, this IS my blog so I can do whatever my heart desires here and I desire to meme! I do realize you're technically supposed to be tagged to do this, so I tag...ME!

Last Movie I Saw In A Movie Theater? Up which was last summer. It was in a drive-in, does that count?

What Book Are You Reading? Anne of Green Gables: I love, love Anne. Thanks to my friend at Mommie Daze who told me she was reading it again and I decided to do so again too. My dream is to someday visit Prince Edward Island.

Favorite Board Game? With just hubby it is Scrabble, in a group it is Apples to Apples

Favorite Magazine? Everday Food...I adore this little magazine packed full of recipes and great tips. So glad I can borrow them from the library.

Favorite Smells? I LOVE the smell of my daughters' heads especially after bath time.

Favorite Sounds? The giggles of my girls when they are playing together.

Worst Feeling In The World? Lack of Security

First Thing You Think of When You Wake? Will she go back to sleep for just a little bit longer because I am typically woken up by the hungry cries of a baby.

Favorite Fast Food Place? Subway

Future Child’s Name? Right now I really love the name Charlotte for a girl, Isaac for a boy...not saying there will be future children and if there are these could change!

Finish This Statement—“If I Had a Lot of Money,” pay off all of our debt and get a bigger vehicle!!!!!

Do You Drive Fast? No, I typically am only 5 over the speed limit.

Do You Sleep With a Stuffed Animal? Yes, if my hubby has eaten his typical bowl of popcorn before bed....oh wait! He isn't an animal. I guess I don't.

Storms—cool or scary? Cool if I am not alone.

What Was Your First Car? Red Dodge Daytona

Favorite Drink? Coffee or Diet Pepsi

Finish This Statement—“If I Had the Time, I Would…” scrapbook and sew.

Do You Eat the Stems on Broccoli? Yes

If You could Dye your Hair Any Other Color, What Would It Be? I have joined the ranks of those who dye their hair. Not liking the gray highlights that have started appearing with aggressiveness! I dye it close to my natural hair color with a hint of auburn in it.

Name All the Different Cities In Which You Have Lived. I like to keep some things private in bloggyland, but I have lived in 4 different cities.

Favorite Sport to Watch? Not too much into sports but I do enjoy ice skating.

What’s Under Your Bed? Nothing right now.

Would You Like to Be Born As Yourself Again? Well, they say hindsight is 20/20. There are certainly things that I would like to do over.

Morning Person or Night Owl? Night owl due to my hubby's schedule. It's the only time we have to spend together these days.

Over Easy or Sunny Side Up? Scrambled with cheese and spinach mixed in.

Favorite Place to Relax? Coffee shop with a book and my journal. (Oh and no kids.)

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor? Turkey Hill's Moose Tracks and Ben and Jerry's Chubby Hubby

I am not tagging anyone but if you want to do this, go ahead. Let me know if you do!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

This and That

Just alot of randomness that I've been thinking about and doing....

* I have found a new blog that I love. I will be adding it to my blog list over there on the left. Super great ideas to be found at No Biggie. I made THIS last night for Hubby and I for our movie time. It was yummy!!!! We love hummus but I have never made it before. I loved this recipe because it called for peanut butter instead of tahini. I do not have a food processor so just did it in my blender. It worked okay, definitely wasn't as smooth as it would have been but still very good.

* We love spinach. I add it to almost everything...casseroles, quesadillas, scrambled eggs, sandwiches. LOVE it!

* Finally made something a few weeks ago. I made a ton of yo-yos, added a button to each, hot glued a pipe cleaner stem and wah-lah...an everlasting bouquet of flowers.
Crafting

* I have a problem. Hello...my name is "Daisy Path" and I am a blog reading addict. I LOVE to find great tutorials, dream about making the cute item in said tutorial, find another tutorial, dream, find, dream, find, dream...GET SERIOUSLY OVERWHELMED AND NOT MAKE ANYTHING! What is my problem? I want to craft. I need to stop looking at ideas, pick one AND make it. Is there a 12 step program for this?

* If I had THIS room, maybe I would actually make crafts. Hmmmm....I think I'm in love now.

* I have been singing my favorite hymns to the girls at bedtime. I heard Peanut singing Amazing Grace the other day while going potty. Awesome! I just checked out two cds that Amy Grant put out full of hymns and LOVE them so far. The first is Legacy...Hymns and Faith and the second is Rock of Ages...Hymns and Faith.

* I am pretty sure I want to be a photographer when I grow up. I need serious training, but I would like that.
Anyone have an SLR they want to give me? Pretty please?

* And this brightened my day yesterday. My friend over at Midwestern Housewife sent me this Sunshine Award! Sunshine Awards are peer awards, and each blog is allowed to pass the award on to their 12 favorite blogs! (Thanks Friend!) A funny story about this friend...she is actually the niece of my cousin's wife. I met her almost 12 years ago when she was visiting her aunt and I had literally just gotten married. In fact she came along to watch us open our wedding gifts. How terribly exciting for her! But the funny part is that she ended up writing down the list of who gave us what. Without her, there would have been no thank you notes. Heehee! I haven't seen her since that afternoon many moons ago BUT now we live in the same town and we're both bloggers. We really do need to get together!

So here is my first blog award...isn't it pretty?!?










Sunshine Awards are peer awards, and each blog is allowed to pass the award on to their 12 favorite blogs!

Here are my 12 favorite blogs in NO particular order!

MommieDaze
The Back Door
My Crazy Blessed Life as a Jar of Clay
Some Days are Like That
One Day at a Time
The Buckle Family
Frankly Speaking
Smiling's My Favorite
Only Slightly Neurotic
More Left Unseen
WhiMSy love
Kelly's Recipes

Rules of Acceptance...
Put the logo on the sidebar or within a post.
Pass the award on to 12 bloggers who brighten your day.
Link to the nominees within your post.
Let the nominees know they received this award.
Link back to the person who gave you this award.

---So there is alot of randomness for you. Enjoy!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Snow Day Fun

We got hit with quite a bit of snow Sunday through Monday. This makes it very difficult to get out with two little ones as any Mommy in a snowy zone will tell you. We have just been at home the past couple of days. I think I might have a bit of cabin fever. I am really ready for spring this year. I have never been so cooped up for so long. We are all anxious to go to the park and to go on walks.

But since it is still cold and snowy, we're trying to make the most of it. I am so thankful that I get to be with my two little girls each day. I just love them to pieces and want to enjoy each moment with them.

One thing that we did was bring the winter inside. We haven't ventured out much to play in the snow because:
1. I don't like being cold.
2. I am usually by myself with a baby and 3 year old...sounds too hard.
3. The baby, Pumpkin would probably crawl into a snowdrift and get lost.
4. I don't like being cold.

So...we brought the snow inside. I filled a big pan with snow and let the girls go at it. They enjoyed this but it didn't last as long as I thought it would. Perhaps their little fingers were freezing? I don't know.
Indoor Snow Play Indoor Snow Play
(Yep, that little one, she's still in her pajamas. Changing her clothes and/or diaper is as easy as changing a greased pig! I have never actually done that, but I think I know what it would be like now.)

I also filled my Kitchen-Aid mixing bowl with snow and whipped up some snow ice cream. I have never done this before. It had never crossed my mind that it could even be done. Several Mommy friends have been talking about doing it, so we did it with fresh, clean snow. You can click HERE for the recipe that I used from allrecipes.com. It was good...definitely not homemade ice cream good, but good.
Snow Ice Cream

I jazzed up lunch the other day by serving tiny things in a mini-muffin tin. Isn't it so cool how something that simple, that easy can be so entertaining to a child? Love that!
Lunch

We've been painting. We made Kool-Aid to make scratch and sniff paintings. That idea was found HERE.
Scratch and Sniff Painting

I got finger-paint paper to do the Kool-Aid painting. Peanut was very concerned that we didn't have finger-paint. I remembered stumbling on a recipe to make homemade finger-paint so we did that the other day. You can find that recipe HERE. In the post you can read that the mixture gets VERY thick. She wasn't kidding. It reminded me of congealed lard, not that I have had alot of experience with that, but I think I know what it would be like now. I almost threw it out but Peanut was so excited so I forged ahead and mixed in the food coloring. It was very goopy but it worked and we had fun. That is ALL that matters. Oh, and it was a whole lot cheaper than buying finger-paint.
Homemade Fingerpaint Homemade Fingerpaint

Being the good Mommy that I am, I let her "wash dishes" after doing the finger paint. Ok, really it was because her hands were a MESS and I thought that would be the best approach to cleaning them. It worked and she had more fun. Look how cute she is!
Washing Dishes
That's what we have been doing. Having fun. Enjoying each other. Staying warm. What fun things have you been doing to make the winter days pass?

Monday, February 15, 2010

Trust

Have you ever sat listening to someone speak and you knew? You knew that moment was meant for you. You knew those words were spoken directly to you, to your heart. They were words that took your breath away and brought tears of awe to your eyes. That happened to me on Sunday morning at church.

Let me begin by saying that since the holidays we haven't made it to church as much as we would like. This or that happens and we just don't get there. We were determined to make it this past Sunday. With Sundays being our ONLY day together as a family, sometimes it is just hard. BUT we made it. We were late but we were there. As the guest speaker started talking, I knew...he was there for me. He knew what my heart was struggling with and he was going to speak to me. Even though there were 500 plus or minus people there, it felt like it was just me (except when I leaned over to my hubby and asked what he had just said as I frantically took notes).

I held back tears of amazement as I realized that the Lord had brought me to that place and was longing to speak to me through this man, a stranger. I did hold back the tears because I was sitting next to a young college girl who did not seem to be having the same awe-struck experience as me. I did not think she would be too thrilled to have this 35 year old mommy sobbing beside her so I held it together. Can I just ask...when did those college students get so young????

So the topic of the message....TRUST. Yeowzers! Ouch! How do we survive the squalls of life? These are the main points that I got from the message.
*Trust in the Lord MUST characterize our lives.

*The one who really trusts in God will know how to respond when times of crisis arise. When things are at their worst, it's really when it's the best because then we MUST rely on God. Crisis lays bare what really matters so that we can pursue who really matters.

*The one who really trusts in God will live an effective life not an affected life.

*The one who really trusts in God knows that circumstances are ALWAYS in the Lord's hand. It is not my battle, it is God's so I need to take my stand FIRMLY. It is so much easier to just despair and be discouraged because then we don't have to do anything.

*The one who really trusts in God can offer unconditional obedience to His will. If I trust firmly then I will stand firmly. The plans of God will supercede my will, even the best of my human plans. He is not taken by surprise. I must wait on Him. I must refuse to act before His will is revealed. Our plans are subject to His approval. Trust is the alert expectation that God is God and He will do what He says.

*The one who really trusts God will experience the true joy of unanticipated blessings from God.

*I can welcome each new day with joy because I trust in Him. The future lies beyond my competence because it is in His hands. I can act even without a guarantee of the outcome because God is with me.

So why did this hit me so profoundly? Well, it is exactly what I have been struggling with. Moving away to a place where I knew not one soul last August was a HUGE step of trust. I really felt like we were doing the right thing although on paper it sure didn't look right. It looked pretty scary. I had so many tell me that they saw a transformation of my heart and felt like we were doing the right thing once I jumped on board with my hubby. I was trusting. I was trusting that God would take what looked like a mess on paper and create something truly beautiful.

The past couple of months, my trust has been wavering. We have been trying to sell our house up north, but NOTHING was happening. The money that we had set aside was quickly dwindling and I knew that we only had enough to get us through March. With March fast approaching, panic began settling in. Did we do the right thing? What were we thinking? How is this going to work?

I have lost so much sleep in the past few weeks. Laying in bed, trying to fall asleep, that is when the reality hits and my mind spirals into the pit of anxiety and worry. Then come the tears. Then comes the doubt. Will He really take care of us? Does He really care about our house selling? Does He really, truly care that the only place I want to be is with my two precious little girls, not at a job? Is He going to see us through this?

I suggest that you don't go there. Nothing good comes out of this spot. Poor parenting skills come out of it. The wrong tone of voice when talking to your hubby comes out of it. Feeling despair and discouraged come out of it.

Sooooo....then comes Sunday and WHACK in my face. TRUST ME! I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU HANG. I WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU. JUST TRUST ME.

At the end of the service we sang the song "All Things are Possible" which I had not heard for years but it was perfect and with tears streaming down my face I sang my heart out. This line BLEW me away, "I will praise you with a new song." I will praise Him with a new song...a new song in my heart, a new attitude, a new thought process. I will trust Him.

So that, my friends brings us to today. At 11:50 a.m. I got a text from my hubby who was at school saying, "We had a showing at the house and the person thinks it is a possibility." SERIOUSLY!!!! I mean, did you hear that? WE.HAD.A.SHOWING.AND.IT.IS.PROMISING! That is huge. My flesh is trying not to get excited. I know that this can fall through because it has a couple of times for us already but I know that He chose today to show me, He is still in control. All he asks of me is to trust Him. I'm going to. It's a decision I have to make not just each morning, but each moment. When the fear sets in, I have to take a deep breath and say, "NO! I trust Him. He will provide something, someway, somehow."

There is a song that has spoken to my soul so deeply since I heard it the first time many years ago and again in this time. The music is gorgeous, the lyrics profound. I can not think of a time that I have listened to this song without tears streaming down my face. I sang it time and time to my oldest daughter when she was a baby and I was in the midst of my mom's failing health or when we lost our second baby. I want her to trust Him. I want her to see her Mommy trust Him. The song is by Sixpence None the Richer and is called Trust. (Remember to pause the music at the bottom of my page so you can hear this song.)

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Curry

I am having a love affair with Indian food. There are a bunch of ethnic restaurants in our new community. The first one that I was taken to was the Indian place and I loved it. I didn't think I would but I did. I have no idea what most of it is but it is good!

So on Sunday I was going through my recipe box looking for recipes to plan my menu and found a recipe for Curry from a friend back home. We were in a small group with her and her husband and a few other people from the church we were attending at the time. They had invited us all over one evening for supper as they had guests in town from Australia. She made this recipe and it was so good. I had never had curry before so I asked for the recipe. I stashed it away in my box and never made it until now. Can you believe this? We are talking about 8-10 years of it just sitting in my box waiting to be used. Don't you feel sad for this little recipe? I have a dear, sweet friend who would have tossed it out after a week, ok maybe a few days of just sitting there not being used and especially if it wasn't on the cute recipe cards. (Love ya, Friend!)

I pulled the recipe out due to my new love affair with Indian cuisine and desire to learn to cook some of the dishes. I made it tonight and my family LOVED me. They got on their chairs and they chanted, "You rock our world! You rock our world!" Ok...maybe not...but they devoured it all except for one small bowl that I finally had to put aside so Hubby would have something to take for lunch tomorrow. I won't mention how many helpings Hubby had...4....oh wait...I guess I did mention it. I love that though. I love cooking from scratch and cooking something that they love. AND it was healthy and very cheap!

Curry
Sautee 2 T. oil, 2 onions, minced, and 1-2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 3. Love garlic! Thanks Rachael Ray!)
In a bowl mix 2 T. lemon juice (or vinegar) and 2-4 t. curry powder to make a paste. (I only used the 2 as I'm learning and wasn't sure what to expect. Will use more next time.)
Stir the paste into the onions and fry for 2 minutes.
Add 3 lbs. diced chicken. Stir fry briefly.
Add 1 c. tomato sauce, 1 t. salt, and 1-2 c. chicken broth or water. (I used 1 1/2 c. chicken broth and it seemed perfect.)
Simmer 1 hour. Add more liquid if needed.
Serve with hot, steamed rice.

Other options to serve with are:
pineapple
peanuts
coconut
raisins
bananas

I didn't do this but if we were having company I would. I remember those extra additions making it even more scrumptious. I think maybe next time I'll dice up some carrots and potatoes to add to the onion mixture as it is cooking...because there will be a next time!

Now on to figuring out naan!
Also I am a total newbie at Indian cuisine so if you are an expert, please, please do not tell me if I am totally off from real Indian fare. I'm learning. I'll get there...maybe.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Red Lobster Biscuit Knock-Off

My dad took us all out to Red Lobster for my hubby's birthday and boy was it good. I had forgotten as we NEVER eat there. Those biscuits, Caesar salad and grilled garlic shrimp have left me salivating for over a week. Tonight for supper I decided to make the knock-off version of the biscuits. Problem is that it calls for Bisquick and I did not have that, so I improvised combing an EASY drop biscuit recipe and the knock-off recipe. I even used half whole wheat flour. I love whole wheat flour. It adds a yummy texture and it just makes you feel good to not always use white flour. I have to admit they did not taste like Red Lobster's BUT they were yummy! I would certainly make them again. I am blogging about them. I don't think I would share recipes here that I would never make again...might make for an interesting blog concept though.

Easy Drop Biscuits (Recipe found at Thrifty Fun)
  • 2 cups flour (can use 1 cup white, 1 cup whole wheat)
  • 1 Tbsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 cup milk or water
  • 1/4 cup oil
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Measure water or milk and oil in another container, then dump into the center of the dry ingredients. Stir just until blended, if they are a bit powdery this is just right. Drop large scoops of dough with a soup spoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes.

I just added 1/2 t. garlic powder to the biscuit batter and a good handful of shredded cheddar cheese. After they were finished baking I brushed them with a mixture of 2 T. melted butter, 1/2 t. garlic powder, and 1/4 t. dried parsley flakes.

Here is where you can find the recipe for the authentic knock-off Red Lobster Biscuits. I have made these before with the Bisquick and they taste very close to the real thing!

I served the biscuits with Bistro Sensations Chicken, Mozzerella, Artichoke sausages. Have you had these things? They are really good. I can only find them at our Wal-Mart. They are pricey but I do not buy them often, only when I actually see them and can talk myself into spending a bit more. My BFF introduced us to them. They are SUPER grilled. I just baked mine. I also served up chili roasted sweet potato wedges. There aren't many weeks that go by that we do not have these. We love them.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Oscar the Grouch Smoothies

I have quite a few recipes and ideas to share with you this evening. I am writing them in 3 separate posts so as not to overwhelm you. I am just having so much fun blogging here again. All day long I find myself thinking, "I need to blog that." I even started a little list (sound familiar Back Door?) to keep my ideas on so I don't forget because I am a mom and I FORGET!

Having moved to a new area last August and not knowing a soul here, I jumped into two Mom's groups. One is at the church that we have been attending. The other one I found on Facebook. Isn't that crazy? Is anyone else out there a little creeped out by the ads that run along the side of your Facebook page? I mean Facebook KNOWS me. It knows what I like and dislike. It knows just what to pop up to tempt me. My hubby has explained the whole engineering of those ads over and over to me...but it's a bit "Big Brother" to me if you know what I mean.

Anyways....I found second Mom's group on Facebook. It was a blessing. I got in contact with the group who had always been a MOPS group but was going out on their own for the first time. I jumped on board with them. I am so thankful for these two groups. I am finding some kindred spirits (love that Anne of Green Gables) and sweet times of fellowship.

At one meeting the topic was "Crunchy Moms." What is a Crunchy Mom, you ask? I had to ask, too. Crunchy mom is a phrase that refers to a hippie-ish, granola loving mom. Ha! Google it! At the meeting we heard about cloth diapering, cleaning with non-toxic cleaners, and healthy snacks. It was very informative and I got some great ideas. One I would like to share with you and I beg of you to try it. I am pretty sure if I read it on some woman's blog and saw the picture, I would be like, "Ummmm...yeah. I don't think so." But I have tasted and it is YUMMY! I was very skeptical when they passed around a sample of what I am sharing, but my mind was changed in one sip.
Yummy Smoothie
Oscar the Grouch Smoothies
Pour 1/2 - 1 c. of orange juice into your blender. Fill the rest of the blender with KALE (Yes, that stuff that the restaurants decorate their plates with. I am not crazy...really!) You'll want to tear the leaves off the thick stem part. Blend the juice and kale for a few minutes until all of the kale is broken down. Add one banana and blend. I also added vanilla yogurt but you do not need to do that. There you go. Tell your kids it is an Oscar the Grouch smoothie and let them dig in. This is an incredible way to get those greens into a child's diet and a Mommy's. I LOVE THESE. I am actually craving one right now.

Even the baby liked it. See that green moustache?
Yummy Smoothie
BTW...I bought one big bag of Kale for $3.76 at Wal-Mart today. It is washed and ready to go. Love that! There is so much you could do with this too. Add frozen fruit, add flavored yogurt, use spinach instead of kale...limitless, I tell you, limitless!

I dare you, double dog dare you to try it.

Kitchen Creativity

I ALWAYS follow a recipe. I don't know why. I just have never been a "throw this in, throw that in" kind of cook. I measure and I follow. So when I create something yummy without a recipe, I get pretty proud. I did just that two days in a row. You may look at what I think of as creativity and think, "Boring," but not to me. You will not knock me off my pedestal. I will stand proud and I will share. Watch out Food Network!

First I made mashed potatoes the other night that looked pretty boring so I started adding things. YUM! To start I made them the way I always do (I don't have to use a recipe for this, not for basic stuff) but then I threw in cream cheese and let it melt into a creamy pile of yumminess. Then I chopped up a bunch of spinach and threw that in. Then I got out my parmesan shaker and shook, shook, shook some of this into my potatoes. There must be garlic, so I sprinkled garlic powder over all of that and YUUUUMMMM! It was reminiscent of alfredo. Hubby had two huge helpings.

Then the next day I decided to make pizza for supper. I always make my own dough. It is so easy and CHEAP. My standby recipe makes a pretty thick crust and I wanted to change things up and found a crispy pizza crust recipe at Suite 101. It appears this site has to do with interior design but it is what came up when I searched for these recipes. We loved it. It was crispy and so easy! I will be using this one alot. It does say to make 5 balls out of the dough but I only made 3 and it was perfect. Also I used two of the balls and froze the third. I did not bake it and then freeze it as the recipe says to do. I will find out later if it works ok this way.

Thin Crust Pizza Dough Recipe
  • ¼ ounce (7 gram) package of active dry yeast
  • 1 Cup warm water
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 Tablespoons melted butter (or oil)
  • 2 ½ to 3 Cups flour
  • Olive Oil
  • Seasonings

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, dissolve the active dry yeast into your warm water and stir. While stirring add sugar, salt and butter and begin adding the flour by half cupfuls at a time. Begin kneading by hand when necessary.
  2. When all the flour is added, transfer your dough to a lightly floured surface and begin kneading until dough has a uniform and consistent appearance and feel. This will take about five minutes.
  3. Divide your dough into five balls and let them rest for ten minutes. Each ball will make one 12-inch crust, and once baked they can be frozen for use at a later date. While dough is resting, turn oven on to 400-degrees.
  4. Roll each ball into a very thin 12-inch crust and place on a greased cookie sheet or pizza stone. Brush the crust with olive oil and sprinkle on seasonings for the crusts you will freeze. For crusts that will be made into pizza immediately, add your toppings. A light covering of fresh garden veggies, mozzarella and a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar is recommended, but each pizza can be tailor made to your taste.
  5. Bake time is between 10 and 15 minutes, add a couple minutes for loaded pizzas. Cool crusts completely and seal in a plastic bag for freezer storage.
Now for the creative part...I made one pizza with the normal sauce, cheese and pepperoni. For the second, adult version, I sauteed an onion in butter until is translucent and oozing goodness. I could just eat the onions in a bowl like that. I refrained though. After brushing some melted butter with garlic powder mixed in over my dough, I slathered on the onions. Then I sprinkled on some bleu cheese and mozzerella. DELIGHTFUL, DELECTABLE, DREAMY, DIVINE. Those are just a few of the words that came to mind when I bit into the pizza. It will be made again!

I just remembered one other creatively done thing from my kitchen. The reason I had blue cheese was for hubby's birthday dinner. I made our favorite...salmon. I sprinkled salmon seasoning on top and baked it. Once it was close to being finished, I turned on the broiler, sprinkled the blue cheese on top of the salmon and let it broil into bubbly, crunchy goodness. This was a hit for hubby...two of his favorite things together.

All this being said...I have had fun being creative and creating for my family. What creative things have happened in your kitchen lately?

Cowboy Up

My oldest daughter and I made cookies two days ago. I LOVE to add oats in cookies. Sometimes I just throw a cup in my chocolate chip cookie dough. It just adds yummy texture. These cookies call for oats and are really yummy.

Cowboy Cookies (Not sure why they are called that...I'm assuming cowboys love them????)
1 c. shortening
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
2 c. rolled oats
chocolate chips
nuts
Cream sugar, shortening and vanilla together, add eggs. Add remaining ingredients. Bake 10 minutes at 375 degrees.

I used dried cranberries instead of nuts since it is what I had on hand. YUM!

Need to Share

A friend on Facebook shared the following link on her wall. This story is simply amazing and inspiring. The way this mother shares her honest fear and pain during what should have been a time of joy is amazing. I cried my eyes out while reading her story and must share it with you. It is long but I urge you to read it. Her heartfelt honesty and love that has taken root are so moving. Grab some Kleenex though.

Nella Cordelia: A Birth Story

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Valentine Crafts

My daughter and I made some Valentine crafts this week. The first craft was "stained glass hearts." I thought I was sacrificing my box grater to the craft room as I grated bits and pieces of broken crayons. It did clean up just fine, though. Hoping my shredded cheese doesn't make me think of Crayola. Anyways...I grated the crayons then cut out wax paper hearts. Peanut sprinkled the grated crayon onto the shiny side of one heart. We then placed an exact sized heart on top. This was sitting on top of a piece of newspaper that was on top of a towel. I put another piece of newspaper on top of the heart, then covered that with a cotton dishtowel folded in half. I pressed this with an iron that was set to low to medium heat. After maybe 3 minutes our crayons had melted and we were left with a beautiful "stained glass heart" to hang on a window. Peanut had fun watching the transformation of the crayon pieces.
Valentine Crafts
Valentine Crafts Valentine Crafts
I also taught Peanut how to cut out hearts. I was beaming with proud at how well she did this. If you do not know the trick to cutting out hearts here is a link to a tutorial that I stumbled on the other night. I almost say that last sentence with a hint of sarcasm because I don't know anyone who does not know the "secret" and yet there is a tutorial. Ha! I think there is a tutorial for anything you can think of.
Valentine Crafts
Once our hearts were cut out, we made some Valentine creatures. We made a mouse using half of a heart, a fish, and a lion. You can make just about any animal out of hearts. Believe me, I know. I spent the last 9 years of my life making animals out of hearts for preschool.
Valentine Craft

Valentine Crafts

Valentine Craft
Get out your paper, cut some hearts, and make some crafts!

Friday, February 5, 2010

Prompting

Have you ever done something for someone just because? Doesn't it make you feel wonderful to see the look on that person's face. I love that feeling. I love following the prompting in my heart which I know is not a coincidence. I truly believe that God prompts us to do things for others, big things and little things. I can not tell you the number of times that I have thought, "I really need to send "So and So" a card," only to get busy with something else and forget. I wonder how that card would have been exactly what "So and So" needed. Now I am not saying that I think anything I could do or say would truly impact someone else but I do believe that God uses my words, my thoughts in the life of that person. Does that make sense?

I have tried to follow those promptings and be a blessing to others over the years and every time I honestly think I am more blessed by being obedient than the person on the receiving end. Sometimes though I get in the way of being obedient. What if the person doesn't like what I am doing? I let my worries and anxieties get in the way so no one is blessed, not me, not the person on my heart.

There is one prompting that sticks out in my mind whenever I think about this topic. I did the following thing totally anonymously and to this day I don't think the recipient has any idea what I did. We have lost touch (which I truly hate) so I am more than sure she won't read this and figure it all out. I went on a missions trip my sophomore year in college which was life changing. I have some INCREDIBLE memories from this trip. God put together an amazing team of people for this trip. One of the girls on the team was having a hard time raising the last little bit of money for the trip. I remember we were all crowded in a room praying about this situation and there it was, the prompting. "Help her!" Now I was a college student and not rolling in the dough but there was a specific amount that kept coming to mind when I thought about helping. I went to the bank took out this amount, put it in an envelope with an anonymous note and shoved it under her door. I will never forget at our next team meeting her sharing how someone on campus had anonymously donated towards her trip and how moved she was from that act. After that the rest of her money came in and she was an important part of our team.

Last week I was on the receiving end of a prompting. A Mom that I have gotten to know in our new community emailed me to let me know she had something for me. When I saw her last week she handed me a beautiful pink box of Ralph Lauren Romance perfume. I was stunned. She said there was a story regarding the gift and she would email it to me. I got the email last night and was so blessed by this new sweet friend who followed a prompting. Here is what she wrote....I have changed only a few things to protect the identity of those involved. (That sounds really important, now doesn't it?)

"So I asked for that perfume 4 years ago for Christmas...2005 I think. I was prego with our first child. I was impatient and bought it for myself when I didn't get it for Christmas, but then got another bottle for my birthday. So I've had 2 since then. I've just selfishly kept it and thought that I'd use it when my first one ran out. Every time I saw it in the drawer, though, I'd wonder if there was something else I needed to do with it instead of keeping it for myself. So this past December, I saw the perfume again and again thought...what to do with this? Mine is almost gone, so I guess I'll just keep it. So that was it. But then as I was blog reading one night I ran across your wish list on your blog! And BAM! I knew God wanted YOU to have the perfume. So I wrapped it up and then never saw you until last week! I hope you're enjoying it!"

Thank you new, sweet friend. I am enjoying it! I was blessed by your act of kindness!

Follow those promptings people! Be a blessing to someone. Even the little things can be huge to someone because the actions behind those small things are HUGE.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

The Griddle

Tonight it was the just the girls and I again for supper. I googled pancake recipes and found an Applesauce pancake that I decided to make. Pancakes are such an easy supper and cheap. You just can't go wrong, at least I don't think you can. They are also easy for the baby to eat so that helps quite a bit. I'm always thinking ahead in my meal planning, "What can the baby eat? Is there anything soft for her?" I think I am wearing her out on bananas, peas and cheese.

Back to the pancakes...I have to say that my first impression was that they were bland but once we added the butter and syrup they were really good. I might add a bit of salt to the recipe next time. The batter is pretty thick so don't be worried about that if you make them. They cooked up really nice on my electric griddle. Have I ever shared with you the story of how I became the owner of my current griddle? No, you say, I have not. Well, let me share, because it is priceless.

It was late winter/early spring of 1998. I was engaged to Hubby. We were at Wal-Mart one night getting some things. I was in a bad mood, feeling pretty stressed out about our upcoming wedding. Hubby said, "I'm going to buy you a present to cheer you up." So off he went looking for something to cheer me up. Awhile later we met up with each other, he was beaming with pride and I was eager to be cheered up. Now it was Wal-Mart but I can think of alot of things that would have cheered me up at that moment...well let's just say his idea and mine didn't quite connect. Standing before me he revealed....A GRIDDLE. It was a griddle, people!!! I.DID.NOT.SEE.THE.CHEERING.UP.FACTOR.IN.THAT. Seeing the look on my face which was not utter joy and bliss, he said, "My mom always made pancakes for us on a griddle. Now you can make pancakes for us." THIS.DID.NOT.HELP! I think maybe in that moment of my already bad mood now enhanced by said griddle, there may have been tears shed.

He was willing to put it back and get something else, but the damage had been done! Get the griddle and let's get out of here. Oh, did you get a box of pancake mix? :) He did make pancakes for us when we got back to his house and the griddle lived with him until we got married since I was still living at home.

Now looking back, I know he was trying to be thoughtful. He knew what joy pancakes cooked on a griddle had brought to his family and he wanted to bring the same joy to his new family. It took awhile but I think I get it now, only 12 years later. I have pulled that griddle out numerous times to make pancakes for my little family. Hopefully someday our girls will have fond griddle memories just as their daddy did.

Now for the recipe...oh, the suspense! I found tonight's recipe on AllRecipes. It is called Oatmeal and Applesauce Pancakes.

Oatmeal and Applesauce Pancakes
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup quick cooking oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup fat free sour cream
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup milk
  1. Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-low heat.
  2. In a bowl, mix the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, mix applesauce, sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Stir applesauce mixture and milk into the flour mixture until evenly moist and thick.
  3. Scoop about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake onto the prepared griddle, and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides.
(I did not have fat free sour cream so I just used the regular, yummier kind.)

Mornings

I was thinking of something that I could blog about today and decided to share with you my morning routine. It varies from day to day but runs pretty close to the same thing. I get up with the baby who usually nurses at 6:00 a.m. She goes back to bed so I stay up. I jump in the shower and get ready for my day. After getting ready I head downstairs to have a cup of coffee while doing my quiet time and writing in my journal. Then I make a warm, healthy, hearty breakfast for my family and pack my husband's lunch and supper for the day. Inevitably, there is probably some laundry to start too. Around 8:00 a.m. my girls wake up playing happily in their beds until I come to get them. I get them all dressed for the day and teeth brushed. Daddy gets up and gets ready for his day quickly so that we can all sit down together and have breakfast together before he heads out the door. I get my oldest engaged in a craft at our kitchen table and the baby busy building blocks or something like that. We work on these things and some other educational things before lunch time comes. That in a nutshell is our morning routine.

Now I just want to say..IF YOU BELIEVE ALL OF THAT, THEN I HAVE A BRIDGE I WANT TO SELL YOU!

Oh, how I long for my mornings to go like that...even just a part of that. Our mornings are so far from that dreamworld. I am so thankful for PBS Kids and their great morning line-up, well all of them except for that Martha Speaks. I don't get it. Why does the dog talk? Why does everyone around her think it is normal to talk to the dog? Why is the dog's name Martha? Not a favorite of mine but my oldest likes it, so I guess I like it.

My hubby doesn't get home until late in the evening after the girls are in bed so I usually stay up late just so I can spend some time with him or be in the same room as him. He is always busy with studies and writing for his music blog. So after being up way later than I intend to stay up, that 6:00 a.m. wake up call to feed the baby is rough. I always bring her to bed with me and nurse her, praying she will fall back to sleep. She usually spends 20-30 minutes crying before surrendering to sleep which is great fun for both hubby and I.

The alarm goes off at 8:00 a.m. and I stumble out of bed unless the baby woke up prior to that. I pull my hair back in a clip, throw on a sweatshirt over my ridiculously old pajamas and slowly proceed downstairs with baby in tow. I glance in the mirror at the foot of the stairs and remember that I forgot to wash my face the night before as I see the huge black mascara circles under my eyes. (That is IF I had make-up on the day before which ONLY happens if I go out. If I didn't have make-up on then it is just the enormous dark spots from little sleep.)

I stick the baby in the high chair and through bleary eyes dump baby puffs on the tray to keep her busy while I hurry to get things around for Hubby who will be out the door very soon. First things first...the coffee. There must be coffee. I pack Hubby's lunch and down the stairs comes Peanut our oldest. I flip on PBS Kids to keep her occupied while I get her bowl of cereal and apple juice. Hubby rushes in, downs a bowl of cereal and cup of coffee, passes out kisses and hugs, then is out the door for school and work for the whole day.

I feed the baby whatever my brain can muster at that point. Once the children are fed I collapse in a chair with my cup of coffee. The kids watch PBS Kids and play while I check in on my online favorite spots. I glance up at the clock and my jaw drops because the minutes have passed way too quickly and it is time for...LUNCH???? How can that be? So once again lunch is made while we are all in our pjs. How did that happen? How does that happen all of the time? The whole time I am making our lunch I am thinking, "I have got to get to bed earlier tonight." Don't worry, more than likely, I won't.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Freshening Up

***Up Date - I just finished Sarah's Key. It definitely was written from a secular perspective but the story in and of itself was incredible. It was difficult to read as it had to do with the Holocaust. I recommend it to you.

Time for a freshening up here at Daisy Path. Hope you enjoy the new look. I had fun playing around. It might change a little bit over the next few days if I think I need to tweak things.

I have been reading again. I try to fit in bits of time here and there. I love to read but have found it so hard to make time once we had our first baby. I decided to pick up some books again and have to recommend what I just read and what I am reading right now. I try to keep my reading gadget up to date over on the left column so you can keep track of what it on my bed side table.

I read about both of these books on Mommy's Creative's blog. I was not let down. The first book that I borrowed from the library was Someone Knows my Name by Lawrence Hill. Hubby was astounded by the size of the book but I stuck to it and had to renew it only once! It was such a powerful story of a woman taken captive as child and sold into slavery. Her plight was truly incredible, heart breaking and inspiring. It was hard to put this book down.

I just started Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. I am only on page 38 and have already shed tears. This follows a young French girl whose family was taken by the French police during the Holocaust and an American journalist living in France during the modern day. I am waiting to see how their paths will cross and stories connect.

I am thrilled to be reading again and passing this love on to my girls. I love to read to them. I love to see them "read" (the baby just chews on the books right now). I love to have them see me read. Reading...it does a mind and a soul good.