French Apothecary Jar

I recently saw a sweet French apothecary jar on etsy, and since I didn't want to pay the $22 price tag, I decided to make one of my own!  It now resides in our pink (guest) bathroom.

You can make one too -- it's really easy! You just need a small jar (mine is from Goodwill and I'm sure I paid under $1 for it), some brown ink, some rubber cement or modge podge, and a graphic you like.  The Graphics Fairy has tons of lovely vintage graphics.  The label I used can be found here.

1. Clean and dry your jar thoroughly. Measure the size you want your graphic to be so it will fit on the front of your jar.

2. Select a graphic to use, and, using a word processing program, resize it and print it out.

3. Rub the edges of the label with some brown ink to give it a little more depth.

4. Using either rubber cement or modge podge, adhere the label to your jar.  Let dry.

Enjoy!

Photoshoot!

I got to help out with a photoshoot yesterday that Andrea did with three of our girls in our youth group!  I helped with hair and makeup and carrying props around.  The pictures turned out wonderfully!  These girls are beautiful on the inside and out!

 

 For the pictures, visit Andrea's blog here.

Forced Open

Desperate for spring, I forced open some forsythia stems last week!  They look so pretty on our dining room table.

Want to bring some spring into your home as well?  Here's how to force open forsythia (or other spring branches).

1. Cut stems at an angle and bring inside.

2. Place stems in warm water and set in a warm, sunny place (like a window sill).

3. Wait.  Mine opened up in two days!

Enjoy!

Game Night

We had a fun time at Travis and Andrea's last night!  We taught them how to play Fast Scrabble and enjoyed eating Andrea's amazing homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Vera had a blast too!

Pictures are, of course, by Andrea!

**edited to add:

How to Play Fast Scrabble

Place all tiles face down on the table (or floor).  Everyone draws seven tiles and turns them over when the game begins.  Each person forms their own crossword puzzle using only their tiles.  The first person to finish their crossword calls out "draw two!"  Everyone draws two more tiles.  This continues until all of the tiles have been drawn.  The first person to finish their crossword puzzle at this point is the winner!  As in traditional Scrabble, no foreign words, contractions, proper nouns, or slang words are allowed.  It's lots of fun!

**edit (2):
Apparently I already blogged about how to play Fast Scrabble here.

Ready...Set...Crawl!

Vera is almost crawling!  She is definitely able to "scootch" across the floor when she wants to, and she has no problem stretching out and wiggling her way over to toys that are out of her reach. 

She also likes to get into a crawling position and rock back and forth.  It won't be long now until she's officially crawling!

Living Room Curtains: High and Wide

Many moons ago, we hung curtains in our living room.  We have 10-ft high ceilings, so it was challenging enough just to find curtains that were long enough!  The panels we use are the "Vivan" curtains from Ikea.  They are cheap, too, which is awesome!  Anyway, when we first hung our curtains they looked like this:

before

In the last month or so, I have come to realize that pretty much every decorator with any clout recommends hanging curtains "high and wide."  So, my sweet hubs obliged to my request, crazy as it sounded ("You want to rehang curtains that are already there?"), and rehung the curtains. 

Here is what they look like now (please ignore the ugly shade, off-centered couch, and the fact that we still have not painted the walls or trim):

after

It really makes a big difference in the room.  The windows look much bigger and the room feels airy!

So the next time you're hanging curtains... hang 'em high, and hang 'em wide!

Forgot to mention

this yesterday.

On SIMPLE, I just posted a review of a nursing cover that I absolutely LOVE!

Check out the review here.

Preacher Daddy

I love this picture I grabbed on Sunday before we left for church.  Tad preached Sunday night, so that's why he's wearing his suit.  I just love the special bond that fathers have with their daughters, and I especially love how this picture symbolizes Tad's spiritual leadership in our family and over Vera.  It makes me so thankful for my godly husband!

As Good as Takeout Chinese Sesame Chicken (and Green Beans)

I know you won't believe me when I say that this recipe tastes as good as real Chinese takeout, but it does!  I'm not trying to pass this off as a healthy recipe, but I'm sure it's healthier than what you'd get at the Chinese place around the corner (no MSG, preservatives, additives, etc.).  Next time you have a craving for Chinese takeout, whip up this much more affordable version in your own kitchen with ingredients you probably already have on hand!

Chinese Sesame Chicken

1 lb. chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
oil
1 cup water
1 cup sugar (I'll use less next time)
1/4 cup vinegar
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
brown or white rice

In a small bowl, combine flour and 2 Tbsp. cornstarch.  Transfer half of this mixture to a shallow dish and coat half of the chicken pieces with it.  Add remaining flour mixture and coat remaining chicken.  Fry in a skillet in a small amount of oil.  Remove from heat.

In a small amount of oil, fry sesame seeds.  Set aside.

In a bowl, combine water, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and cornstarch to form a sauce.  Add sauce to cooked chicken and return skillet to heat.  Add sesame seeds and cook until sauce is thickened.

Prepare rice as desired.  Serve Chinese Sesame Chicken over rice with Chinese Green Beans (see below).

Serves 3-4.

Chinese Green Beans

green beans, fresh (trimmed) or frozen
1 Tbsp. butter
soy sauce
sesame seeds

In a skillet over medium heat, saute green beans in butter until slightly softened but still crisp.  Add soy sauce to taste and saute an additional minute or so.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

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Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Tuesdays at the Table
Tuesday Night Supper Club
Tatertots & Jello

Another First

As I mentioned in Vera's six month post, she started eating solids on Saturday!  We gave her some avocado and some banana, and she really seemed to like both!   Here are a few pictures for your enjoyment.

she looks wary

trying to eat the bowl

not quite sure about this

starting to enjoy it...

and the verdict: she loves it!

I know that last pic is blurry, but it's too cute not to share!

Menu Monday

Nothing fancy this week! Spending time with my family in the sunshine!

Monday
Not Yo' Mama's Tuna Casserole

Tuesday
some sort of fun new pasta dish

Wednesday
leftovers

Thursday
hamburgers, oven fries, fruit

Friday
tacos, the fixin's, corn

Saturday
french bread pizza

Sunday
tortellini spinach soup

Vera's Six Months Old!

Apparently Vera is wearing the same outfit in her six month picture as in her five month picture.  I really do change her clothes.

Vera celebrated her half-birthday today!  We have enjoyed every moment of the last six months with her in our lives.

Some milestones:
-can sit up without assistance for a couple minutes
-loves rolling over and will hardly lie still on her back long enough to change her diaper
-can "scootch" and "inch" and "army crawl"
-will prop herself up on her hands and knees and rock forward and backward - she is SO close to crawling
-enjoys scooting around the kitchen in her walker
-puts everything in her mouth to inspect it
-says Dada and Daddy
-loves our kitty and enjoys petting him when she can get close enough to him
-teething? (I thought she was teething two months ago, so what do I know?)
-weighs just over 15 pounds, I believe
-goes to bed at 9:30ish
-isn't sleeping so great right now due to the sixth month growth spurt!
-takes a morning nap and an afternoon nap
-is cloth diapered full-time, even at night
-started eating solid foods!
-likes Baby Mum-Mums, avocado, and bananas
-still hates baths
-adores her Daddy
-likes "talking" on the phone
-enjoys being read Dr. Seuss books (especially Daddy's favorite, Fox in Socks)
-laughs and smiles a lot

Dear Vera,

When I got to cuddle with you today after your nap, I couldn't help but get happy tears in my eyes as I praised God for you.  You are so precious to us!

It has been fun watching you grow and learn.  You are developing in so many ways and we can't wait to see what talents and abilities God gives you.  We are enjoying watching your personality unfold and we love making you smile!

We enjoy making fun memories with you as we do things like read books, cuddle, take walks in the neighborhood, go to story time at the library, attend church, and visit with friends.  Everyone who meets you tells us what a sweet (and beautiful!) girl we have.

We love you so much, darling Vera!

Love,
Mommy & Daddy

Link Love

Here are some good reads for your weekend!

Projects/Creativity
-I want to make this Anthro-inspired lamp
-And how easy does this infinity dress look?
-there is a whole slew of DIY projects here

Parenting/Family
-the essence of home education
-ten reasons to have another child
-something to consider before taking the birth control pill

Kitchen
-list of 101 ways to save on groceries
-making rock candy looks like so much fun!
-this is one of the prettiest cakes I've ever seen

Miscellaneous
-great list of ten reasons for contentment
-helpful guide to when it is appropriate to correct someone
-at-home spa treatments you can make in your kitchen


Have a great weekend!  I'll be posting again tomorrow with Vera's six month photos!

Pink Milk

Growing up, Valentine's Day was always a big deal in our family.  Sometimes we'd have pink pancakes or heart-shaped sandwiches (sometimes with pink tuna fish!), as well as other special treats and little gifts.  I want Vera and future children to really enjoy Valentine's Day as much as I did growing up!  Vera won't remember this year, but we had a fun, special day anyway.  Tad, Vera, and I all walked down to the neighborhood bakery (it's so dangerous having a bakery within walking distance) and he and I got a treat.  It was a gorgeous day and we loved the sunshine!

I thoroughly enjoyed my cupcake and pink milk! (The fab red and white straw is from Garnish.)

Tad made a delicious shrimp scampi for us for dinner. 

Vera was our little kitchen helper!

We had a great day together as a family.  How did you celebrate Valentine's Day?

Roasted Garlic Hummus

I made this awesome (easy to make!) hummus last weekend, and I'm so happy with how it turned out!  I combined a couple of recipes to get this one, and I think it's a keeper.  I will definitely be making this often, especially since there is no tahini in it, so it's pretty affordable to make.  It's perfect served with fresh veggies, tortilla chips, or pita bread.  I can't vouch for this personally, but I hear that hummus is really good as a sandwich spread.  Anyone want to share any creative ways to eat hummus?

Roasted Garlic Hummus

1 small head of garlic (about 8 cloves)
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained (liquid reserved)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
a few grinds of black pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Slice off the top (pointed end) of the head of garlic.  Place a square of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and set the garlic head on it.  Wrap the foil around the garlic, leaving an opening at the top.  Drizzle with 1 tsp. olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt.  Close foil around garlic head, and place in preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until garlic is soft and fragrant.

Into the bowl of a food processor, dump drained chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and cumin.  Add roasted garlic by squeezing out each clove from the head.  Pulse everything in the food processor until well blended, stopping to stir as needed.  If not thin enough, add reserved bean liquid (or water), 1 Tbsp. at a time, until desired consistency has been achieved. (We like ours a little chunkier, but you can make it smoother if you want.)

Enjoy!

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Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
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Tatertots & Jello

Happy Valentine's Day!

"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, 

if you have love for one another."

John 13:35

Freezer Cooking: Baby Food Edition

Vera will be starting solids soon (I've been waiting until she is at least 6 months to start, since the gut is still permeable until that point), so I whipped up some baby food for her to be prepared for when she starts chewing!  She's been exclusively breastfed up to this point, so she has already been exposed to different flavors, as what I eat affects how my milk tastes (we had one rather unfortunate incident with jalapeno peppers, but other than that, I've been able to eat anything).

I'm all about baby-led weaning, self-feeding, and mashed food rather than purees, so the food I made is definitely on the chunky side of things (as opposed to being completely liquefied).  I don't know how things will go at first and what foods will go over well, so I didn't make a whole bunch to start with.  I can always add more to my freezer stash!  I also expect that Vera will enjoy eating what we eat (if we're having broccoli, she can have some that has been mashed up, etc.), so I may not need to make "baby food" for very long.  (Also, because she is still breastfeeding, she will not be relying upon solid foods for her primary nutrition yet, so this time is about experimenting, learning, and trying new things.)

I like this perspective on what you make to feed your baby:
"I can control what my baby is taking in, and tailor her tastes to what our family actually eats, rather than giving her a huge sweet tooth for apricots, blueberries, and strawberries, when our family is more of a broccoli, rice, and corn sort of family." (from Making Home's great post on DIY baby food)


There is some great information about baby food and introducing solids on Wholesome Babyfood, and there are some good tips and gorgeous pictures of homemade baby food on Styleberry.

Anyway, back to what I did.  Here's what I made (so far) and how.

4 servings carrots (I steamed 2 carrots until tender and whirred them in my food processor for a bit)
6 servings sweet potatoes (I baked a sweet potato, scooped out the insides, and mashed it a little with a fork)
8 servings mango (I peeled and chopped 1 mango and whirred it in my food processor)
10 servings yellow squash (I steamed 2 squash until tender and whirred them briefly in my food processor)
12 servings pears (I peeled, cored, and chopped 4 pears and whirred them in my food processor - they were super ripe so didn't need to be cooked)

I filled ice cube trays with my mashed-up food and froze them for a few hours.  After they were frozen, I popped them out, separated them into bags, labeled them, and stuck them back in the freezer.

For just a little money and a few minutes of my time (seriously, less than 45 minutes), I now have 40 little cubes of baby food in my freezer.  I'm so excited about introducing Vera to solids!  Can you believe she'll be 6 months in about a week?

Have you ever made baby food? Any tips to share?

Perfect Buttermilk Cornbread

I love this cornbread recipe.  Forget Jiffy Mix - this is the cornbread you'll want to make from here on out!  It's moist (not dry or crumbly) and has just the perfect amount of sweetness.  Please note: I did not start by advertising this as a super-healthy recipe.  Sure, you shouldn't eat it every week (oh, but you'll want to...), but every now and then won't kill you.  I like serving it with a big bowl of chili!  (Original recipe here; directions and pictures my own.)

Perfect Buttermilk Cornbread

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2/3 cup sugar (or less, if you prefer a less-sweet cornbread)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp. lemon juice, plus enough milk to make 1 cup (or use 1 cup buttermilk)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour (whole-wheat also works)
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish (I like my glass Pyrex).  In a large skillet, melt a stick of butter. Remove from heat. Add sugar, stirring to combine.  Quickly add eggs, stirring to combine.  Combine baking soda with soured milk (or buttermilk) and add to mixture in skillet.  Add cornmeal, flour, and salt.  Mix thoroughly to get rid of lumps.  Pour mixture into prepared dish.  Bake for 30-40 minutes (30 worked for me) until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cornbread comes out clean.  Cut into nine hearty pieces.


*Note: this recipe freezes well, so feel free to make a double-batch and freeze one after baking and cooling!

Enjoy!
 
(when made with buttermilk)  Calories: 284 | Total Fat: 12.2g | Cholesterol: 67mg

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Wordless Wednesday: One Fish, Two Fish

 

 

Houndstooth Felt Hair Bow Tutorial

I have a thing for houndstooth.  When I saw this black and white houndstooth felt at Hobby Lobby (for only $.50!) I knew I had to get it and make something fun with it.  This project is super easy and fast to complete, and it will only cost you pennies for each hair bow!

 

You can also glue the bows onto headbands or bobby pins.  And, of course, you can use any color of felt for this project!

Happy crafting!

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