7.29.2011

Produce at My Front Door



While we have some things growing in our garden, we still need fruits and other variety of veggies. So, every other week, we get a box of organic produce delivered to our home.  It is an AWESOME service. There are options to substitute and there is always a nice variety of local produce. Here's what was in our box this week:




Cherries
Apricots
Plums
Suga' Snap Peas
Bananas
Cucumber
Lettuce
Green Peppers
Fava Beans
Green Onions
Potatoes
Spring Onions (onion with top)
Zucchini


I'm not affiliated with Organics To You and was not compensated for this post. I just think it's an awesome service. If you are interested in a CSA, farmer's market, farm or a similar home delivery service in your area check here. If you live in the Portland area, you should definitely check out Organics To You.


Have a great weekend!

7.28.2011

Pretzel Rolo Turtles


I've seen these done so many different ways, but this...THIS is soooo good! SALTY. SWEET. GOOEY. CHEWY. CRUNCHY. And the best part...there are only 3 ingredients and it requires no mixing, stirring or cooking. It's a great recipe for the kids to help with too! Here are your 3 ingredients:


Pretzels
Rolo Candies
Pecans (you can really use whatever kind of nut you like, but I think the pecans give them that "turtle" look)


Grab your Rolos and start unwrapping. This is a great activity for the kids to help with.


Lay out the pretzels on a baking sheet. Place the unwrapped Rolo candies on top of the pretzels. You'll get 55-60 candies per 12 oz. bag


Place them in a preheated 350 degree oven for 3-5 minutes, or until the tops of the candy get shiny. Don't leave them in too long. The candies should be soft, but not melted.


Immediately, press the nut into the top of candy


These are sooooo good when they are warm, but they do get a little gooey. There is no way I can just eat one of these babies!

Thank you to my good friend, Kaitlin, for sharing these with me years ago. It has become a family favorite.

7.26.2011

In the Garden...

Here's what we have sprouting up in our garden...

Lettuce


Bell Peppers


Zucchini


Strawberries


Jalapenos


Beans


and Tomatoes


I'm ready for some color! I love all the green, but some pops of color will be nice.

7.25.2011

Beach Day

Last week we were in the car and the kids were bickering back and forth.

The Boy said to Sweet Pea..."no more questions after this one!"
Sweet Pea to me and the hubby: "when are we going to the beach?"
The Boy: "Now THAT was a gooood question!"

So, Saturday afternoon, we set out for the beach (or "the coast", as we call it in the NW).

You never know what you're going to get at the coast, but it was a beautiful day! Clear & warm.




Apparently, LOTS of other people thought it was a good idea to head to the beach too.






Pizza and homemade ice cream topped off the day. I love spontaneous family trips like this!

7.22.2011

Christmas in July: Mixed Berry Jam


The other day Sweet Pea (3 years old) said she wished it was Christmas time. She was ready to get out all the decorations and start celebrating Christmas in July. I started thinking....what could I be doing now to get a head start?

Back in November, I made a batch of jam. We've gone through a few jars ourselves, but still have quite a few  jars left. So I thought I'd package some up for Christmas! I added some fabric to the top (with a little hot glue) and attached some cute labels (found here) with some raffia.


It's an easy, frugal and tasty gift!

7.21.2011

Do You Pin?


I'm loving Pinterest! A place where you can bookmark or "pin" any photo from the web to an online board. It's a great place to get inspired and look at lots of eye-candy. There is so much out there. Recently, I took many of my bookmarks and placed them on Pinterest. And since I'm a visual person, it's so much easier for me to find things on Pinterest than it is to look for a certain bookmark.

I'm also getting lots of great ideas for an upcoming bedroom redo. More on that in the coming weeks :)

You can check out my Pinterest boards by clicking on the link on the right. Have fun browsing, pinning and getting inspired!

7.19.2011

Fresh Berry Pie with No-Fail Crust


This pie just screams summer (and I'm screaming as loud as possible because I think the Northwest missed the memo of what season we're in)! We've had rain and I'm ready for summer to start already!
Anywho...back to the pie. This recipe has an easy, no-fail crust and a delicious glaze. My mom gave me this recipe which was passed down to her by our family friend, Ginny, who is an amazing baker! It's excellent with any kind of berry. This particular day, I made it with strawberries. Here's what you'll need:


Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. milk

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a small bowl, mix flour, salt & sugar.
  3. In another small bowl or container, mix oil & milk together and stir into flour mixture until all is moistened.
  4. Reserve 2-3 Tbsp. dough for crumb topping.
  5. Using fingertips, pat the remaining dough in a 9" tart pan (I used a pie pan, which is fine too, however the dough does not make an attractive rim, so the tart pan will make it prettier)
  6. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until browned. 
  7. Toast reserved crumb topping for 5-10  minutes.
  8. Remove from oven and cool.


Ingredients:

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
2 Tbsp. berry gelatin
1 1/4 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
4 c. berries (blackberries, strawberries, boysenberries, blueberries, etc)

Directions:
  1. Combine sugar, water and cornstarch in saucepan and heat until thickened.
  2. Boil for 1 minute over medium heat.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin and lemon juice until gelatin is dissolved. 
  4. Cool slightly.
  5. Add berries to a bowl and pour glaze over berries. Toss gently.
  6. Pour entire mixture into baked and cooled pie shell.
  7. Top with toasted crust crumbs.
  8. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours before serving (THIS IS KEY!)

Fresh pies should be served the day they are made. It is beautiful, delicious and the perfect way to use up all of your yummy summer berries! Enjoy!

UPDATE:
For my birthday, my mom made this same recipe, only with blueberries and in a tart pan. She also drizzled the glaze over the berries, instead of tossing it all together. Another variation to try :)


7.18.2011

Raindrops on Roses & Whiskers on Kittens

One of Sweet Pea's favorite songs to sing before bedtime is My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music. It was part of my childhood and I loved it.

So, today I have a printable for you...when you're sad, think of your favorite things and then you'll be glad!

Happy Monday & Be Glad!

Favorite Things

7.14.2011

Homemade Play Kitchen Needs a Friend

For sweet pea's first birthday (two years ago!), my hubby and I made her a play kitchen.


She love, love, loves it and plays with it almost daily! Plus, it doesn't take up a lot of space.

This was our inspiration...


You can find it here, complete with instructions.

And now that we've added more toys over the past few years, including a cash register and shopping cart with food, I'm thinking we should add a little matching market stall. Here's some inspiration...

via
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I don't know when we will get around to this project, but it's good to start thinking about it.

What projects are you planning?

7.13.2011

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe


Everyone has their own favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. This is mine (adapted from Nestle's Toll House recipe). These cookies are soft, chewy and buttery! A lot of other recipes I have tried get hard, crunchy or flat after they cool, but these STAY soft and chewy even 2 days later...if they last that long! 

Yes...that is a VERY LARGE bag of chocolate chips. 72 ounces to be exact!


INGREDIENTS:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 c. chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  3. In an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, mix butter and sugar until smooth.
  4. Add egg and vanilla and beat until batter is well mixed.
  5. Add dry ingredients and beat until cookie dough is well mixed with no lumps.
  6. Remove paddle attachment and mix in chocolate chips by hand.
  7. Spoon 1"-2" cookie dough rounds onto cookie sheet.
  8. Bake for 10-12 minutes.


Serve with a big, cold glass of milk and ENJOY!


7.12.2011

3 Months Old

We officially have a 3 month old on our hands! The time is flying by. She is such a sweet and easy baby. I love the smiles she gives and that she interested in everything...even folding laundry is interesting to her!  Happy 3 Month Birthday, my sweet baby girl!



argh!

so serious!
She really does smile (a lot) these days, but she's not quite sure what to think about my camera in her face all the time :)

7.11.2011

Fun Weekend

We had a fantastic weekend!

On Friday night, we BBQ'd burgers for dinner and my hubby made a new creation...The Pineapple Bacon Cheeseburger! It was very yummy!


Then, we did s'mores.


And we experimented a bit. We tried some different grahams...


as well as granola bars...


They were gooood! But my favorite experimentation...

There's still nothing quite like the original, but when it comes right down to it, I think I'll just take the chocolate :)

On Saturday, we went to my husband's work picnic, then home for some yardwork. And Sunday was a restful family day. I chased our little sweet pea around the yard...she didn't want me taking any pictures and then it became a game. I was able to snap a few...





How was your weekend?