3013, a personal journal in numbers

3 Ingredients + Bread Dough= Caramel Rolls

2012-02-15T19:43:00.000-08:00

Recently, I made the commitment to start baking my own bread. As a first-time bread baker, I've found the recipes and steps from the book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, to be simple and delicious. The simplicity of making bread based on the Five Minute method has inspired me to make a batch of dough every weekend for the past three weeks, and it really only takes five minutes a day to make a loaf!

I modified the book's recipe for Sticky Pecan Caramel Rolls and came up with a nut-free alternative to please my family. I use the book's Master Recipe for my bread dough, but you can also use 1.5 lbs of your favorite white bread recipe to make these rolls.

Caramel Topping Ingredients

6 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 c brown sugar

Cream together these three ingredients and spread in the bottom of an 8" x 8" brownie pan (or an 9" cake pan).

Filling Ingredients

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 c sugar

Cream together these three ingredients. Roll your bread dough out to 1/8" thick rectangle. Be sure to use enough flour to prevent your dough from sticking to your rolling surface. Spread the filling across the surface of the rectangle; then, roll it up into a log. Using a serrated knife cut the log into 1-1 1/2" inch equal pieces (approx 12); place the rolls in a 3 by 4 design in your pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for one hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

I baked these for the boys on Sunday morning; then, squirreled a few away for myself to enjoy on Monday too.

3 Valentine's Ideas: An Old Post Round-Up

2012-02-13T14:19:00.000-08:00

Watch this link to see how I used doilies to adorn these holiday treats for last Valentine's day!

Got an old sweater lying around? Make a cozy for a wine bottle; check out the how-to here.

All you need to make an easy treat for tomorrow is a sandwich bag, chocolate chips, and some lollipop sticks. Click here to make these heart-shaped delights.

P.S. I made these for sweet treats this year.

13 Spacemen

2012-02-13T13:09:00.000-08:00

This little wind-up spaceman is too cute, don't you think? He even walks on carpet. I picked up 13 of these little guys for Connor's preschool Valentine exchange cards. One for him and his twelve classmates.

Check out what he will be giving away tomorrow.

P.S. I created the card, but Connor helped unwrap the spacemen, punch holes and lace each little guy up. It may seem like a lot of work, but it was a fun morning activity that also helped develop his fine motor skills.

Let's get carried away....Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T19:35:00.000-08:00

I hope that you all had a lovely Valentine's Day. My day started off with a surprise gift from my husband, a fun-filled trip to Grandma's and ended with a delectable dessert including mascarpone cheese, dark chocolate and whipped cream.

Tomorrow my little man will be delivering these Valentine's, complete with attached red balloon, to his friends at school. I think they turned out so cute...if I do say so myself!

P.S. I apologize for the lack of posts as of late....I guess I've been in a bit of a funk. Hopefully, the nice weather this week will snap me out of it!

Great Day St. Louis: Valentine's Day Doily Crafts

2011-02-08T19:21:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow morning I will be back on Great Day St. Louis (and if you are visiting from Great Day, "Welcome!") sharing doily crafts for Valentine's Day--"these are not your Grandmother's doilies!". I'm sharing several fun ideas including this, this and this.

Stenciled: Heart Doily Chalkboard

2011-02-08T19:04:00.000-08:00

This simple craft continues the heart doily theme for this Valentine's season. I used a small heart doily as a stencil, taped it to the chalkboard ($2.99 from Michael's), and used an extra fine Sharpie paint pen to trace around the heart and fill in the spaces. The gold is subtle; so, it will not interfere with any potential chalk writing. Then, I decoupaged a small piece of festive scrapbook paper at the top and attached a piece of twine in the back with a couple of staples. That's it. Quick, easy, and toned-down; yet, it's a sweet gift or decoration for Valentine's Day.

P.S. You can find me tomorrow morning on Great Day St. Louis sharing this idea and more simple ideas for using doilies in your Valentine's Day crafts like this and this!

Sharing with...

Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog

Coconut Raspberry Surprise Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting

2011-02-02T19:43:00.000-08:00

In an effort to get out of our snow comas today, the kiddo and I made these Coconut Raspberry Surprise Cupcakes. It was great fun; after our cupcake indulgence, we ran around the house and bounced-off the walls! While the kiddo would have loved to spend the day out in the snow, I just wasn't up for it today. Mid-winter exhaustion has set in, I guess.

Coconut Raspberry Surprise Cupcakes

They are a basic white cake with coconut and a raspberry or two in the middle for a sweet surprise.

2 c all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c shortening or unsalted butter

1.5 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla

5 egg whites

1 1/3 c buttermilk

1/3 c sweetened coconut flakes

24 frozen raspberries tossed in flour

1. Grease your muffin pan or line with cupcake liners; I used Baking Joy spray. Sift dry ingredients together.

2. Mix shortening, sugar, and vanilla until well-combined into course crumbles. Add egg whites one at a time.

3. Mix in buttermilk.

4. Stir in coconut flakes.

5. Fill cupcake pan; then, push two flour-dusted raspberries into the center of each cupcake.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes.

For the icing, I actually used Pamela's Vanilla Frosting Mix and colored it pink in celebration of the upcoming romantic holiday. Typically, I would make my own icing, but I had purchased this mix on a whim and it's actually pretty tasty and extremely easy to whip up.

Sharing with...
Strut Your Stuff at Somewhat Simple
Sugar and Spice at 733-A Creative Blog
Free For All at Young and Crafty
Weekend Wrap Up at Tatertots and Jello

Happy February: A few faves from Pinterest

2011-02-01T19:41:00.000-08:00

here


here

here


here

here

P.S. Do you belong to Pinterest? If you don't, oh how you should. Leave a comment with your email or just email me directly and I will send you an invite.

One Sydney Road

2011-01-27T20:15:00.000-08:00

here

One Sydney Road is a lovely little boutique with a excellent selection of well-curated goods, both new and vintage, for you and your home.

As we are still in the throws of winter, head on over for some mood-lifting window shopping and pick something up to give you a little lift in your step.

Here are a few of my picks...

here

P.S. Piper, the shop owner, has a lovely little blog as well. Check it out here.

Valentine's Postcard Printable

2011-01-26T10:50:00.000-08:00

Recently, I made these postcards to surprise my friends with in the mail for Valentine's Day. It's no secret that real mail is a lost art anymore, am I right or am I right?

I altered a stenciled heart doily in Photoshop to give it a pink mosaic look; I love how the doily looks like a face. It does right, I'm not just seeing things???

*I've been secretly trying to discover new things to make with doilies...I'd really like to make some doily t-shirts like this fabulous one.*

Then, I printed it out at 4"x6" on regular card stock, cut it out with a paper cutter, and rounded the edges. It's a little bigger than standard postcard size, but it works.

Here's the postcard with "Happy Valentine's Day!" and without for your own sweet words. Just click, print, and mail away!

Now that I've finished my simple Valentine's, I've got to get started on the kiddos. I'm so excited because we are using balloons and glitter! I think I've figured out something that a 2.5-year-old can actually participate in! We'll see how they turn out...don't worry, I'll be sure to share them here!

Sharing with...
Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts
Penny Pinching Party at The Thrifty Home
Tute {Yourself} Tuesday at Little Eme
We did it! Wednesday at Sew Much Ado

Matchbook Magazine

2011-01-26T09:20:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the new online read, Matchbook Magazine, yet? It just launched this month and it's lovely! I've already read through once and I'm working on my second glance. I love the interviews, tid-bits, photos and ideas. Mmmm...eye candy.

Here's what they say...

"Launched in January 2011, Matchbook is an online lifestyle publication celebrating classics - shaken and stirred. Our monthly issues cover past and present fashion, decor, the arts, travel and culture. Brimming with intriguing interviews, stately homes, captivating memoirs and swoon-worthy fashion spreads, matchbook seeks to inspire women around the globe to design a life they adore. From lipstick to letterpress, gelato to grosgrain, and Paris to Peru, consider us your field guide to a charmed life."

There is a great article with on the talent behind Marais shoes. I love Haley Boyd's style and mindset behind her business.

Now, go kill some time and check it out!

P.S. If you need some more online magazines to read, check out this post.

Tortellini Soup

2011-01-24T20:27:00.000-08:00

It's been soup season here at Maison 30girl.

This is definitely one of my top 5 favorite soups. It's belly-warming, satisfying, yet light. Plus, it's quick and easy to make. Here's my recipe.

Tortellini Soup

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2lb-1lb Italian Chicken Sausage (amount depends on your meat preference....I use about 3/4lb), de-cased

1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes

5 c chicken broth

1/2 tsp dried oregano and basil

1/4 tsp powdered garlic

salt and pepper to taste

1 16 oz bag cheese tortellini

1/2 bag fresh spinach

freshly grated Parmesan

1. Saute onion and sausage in 1tssp extra virgin olive oil on medium heat. When meet is thoroughly browned, add garlic and saute one minute more.

2. Add diced tomatoes, chicken broth and spices, bring to boil.

3. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions.

4. Reduce heat to low, stir in spinach until wilted.

6. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan and crusty bread.

Mmm...good.

Sharing with...

Take a Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee-Craft Edition

Tasty Tuesdays at 33 Shades of Green

A Birdhouse for Grandma

2011-01-20T20:46:00.000-08:00

What do you do with your toddler when it snows? First play in the snow like crazy. Then, paint rocks, make a paint chip wreath, have dance parties and paint a bird house for Grandma. Although we had approximately 10" of snow last night, the kiddo and I made this birdhouse in a previous mere 4" snowfall.

We took a trip to the local Joann and I gave the kiddo free reign to pick out one $1 wooden "figure" to paint and decoupage for Grandma. He picked the heart birdhouse...little does he know that Grandma does not like birds.

We took it home and mixed some red and pearlized white paint to make a nice deep fuchsia. Then, my little guy got right to town painting his bird house. Honestly, I only pitched in to cover the "missed spots", but he tried to be very thorough. After it dried, he picked out the striped paper for the roof and we used a little Mod Podge. Then, he helped me trace the stencils for the XOXO (notice the pencil lines). I ended up painting the letters; since, we have quite reached the ability to "stay inside the lines".

I'm so proud of my little crafter and his thoughtfulness.

What do you do with the kiddos when the weather is less than stellar?

Great Day St. Louis: Paint Chip Wreaths and Sweater Bottle Cozies

2011-01-18T20:46:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow morning I will be back on Great Day St. Louis (and if you are visiting from Great Day, "Welcome!") sharing the "how-to" for making this paint chip wreath and these wine bottle sweater covers. These two crafts are quick, easy, cute and virtually free! They're perfect for Valentine's Day decor or for anytime of the year!

If you're local, tune in to KMOV at 10am or check it out online!

P.S. Tomorrow is my official 1-year anniversary on Great Day!!! Thanks to all the wonderful people at GDSTL for keeping as a regular guest and making my segments something I look forward to each month!

A Wine Bottle Sweater Cozy

2011-01-18T20:07:00.000-08:00

I believe I saw this idea in a winter 2010 issue of Country Living if my memory serves me right. During a recent trip to Good Will in search of a variety of non-essential things, I stumbled upon some sale sweaters for $1.50. When I discovered this pretty pink one, I immediately thought of the sweater cozy idea as a quick and inexpensive way to make a little "Valentine" mantel decor. You could, of course, use a sweater of any color that suites your fancy. I think these covered bottles would look great in a vignette of different shapes, sizes and with sweaters in similar colorways. I think I need to get to work on that.

Here's a brief tutorial for making a Wine Bottle Sweater Cozy.

1. First you need a empty and clean wine bottle. For this project, you wouldn't even need to remove the label since it is covered up!

2. Pull one sleeve of your sweater over the top of the wine bottle.

3. Then, cut off the sleeve at the top of the bottle.

4 and 5. Next, you need to gather the sweater at the top of the bottle and cut the extra material. Pull the extra material into a triangle and cut along side the bottle. When the fabric is removed, you will have a V-shaped gap.

6. Stitch the gap together so that the cover fits snugly around the curves of the bottle. Don't worry about making perfect stitches as you can see mine are haphazardly placed...I just put that side toward the wall!

That's it. Quick. Easy. Cheap and Cute.

P.S. Here's another way I dress up wine bottles.

Sharing with...
Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog
Trash to Treasure at Sassy Sites
Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts
Penny Pinching at The Thrifty Home

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2011-01-18T11:55:00.000-08:00

I can honestly say that during the cold months, I make at least one large pot of soup a week. A good soup is satisfying and filling, plus, you can use your favorite vegetables, proteins, and spices to make it your own. Click here and here for a couple of other soups I like to make.

Recently, I was inspired by this recipe to make Chicken Tortilla Soup; it was my first ever attempt at this soup. It turned out so great, albeit a bit spicy, that I've been yearning for another bowl ever since I ate my last spoonful!

Here's my recipe:

1 lb cooked chicken breasts, shredded

1 green pepper and 3 jalapenos, roasted (skins removed and chopped)

4-5 corn tortillas

5-6 cups chicken broth

1 28oz can whole tomatoes, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves, finely chopped

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Saute the onion in olive oil until translucent, add the garlic and saute one minute more. Add the tomatoes and their juice; cook 2 minutes over medium heat.

2. Add broth, peppers, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper (or add to your taste). Bring to a boil; then, reduce heat and simmer.

3. Crumble in the toritillas. Then, puree about 60-70% of the soup in a food processor or use an immersion blender. Return soup to pot.

4. Add shredded chicken and simmer approximately 20 minutes.

5. Serve with fresh fried corn tortilla strips, avocado slices, sour cream and shredded cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese. Enjoy!

Any soups on re-run at your house lately?

Sharing with...

Tasty Tuesdays at 33 Shades of Green

Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog

Paint Chip Wreath: Shades of a Valentine

2011-01-14T06:13:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, the unexpected snow delay forced the kiddo and I to come up with some creative ways to spend our day. We passed a bit of time by making this 100% free wreath from cardboard and Martha Stewart for Home Depot paint chips. I really like the colorways in this line and the paint chips are a perfect size for cutting 2" circles.

How we made this is super-straightforward.

First, I collected 1 paint chip for every shade of pink-red in the Martha Stewart paint (don't be too greedy on the paint chips...you don't want to alert the Home Depot folks to your crafting ambitions *wink-wink*). Then, we cut 2 2" circles from each paint chip and ended up with 2 circles per shade. Next, I cut a wreath shape from a piece of scrap cardboard; I used a decorative bowl to trace the outer circle and a pot lid for the inner circle. Now, it was only a matter of adhering (we used some kid-friendly Elmer's) the circles to the cardboard; I overlapped the circles in "rows" of two and arranged them by shade. Lastly, I punched a small whole at the top of the wreath and pulled through some red satin ribbon in order to attach my new wreath to the wreath-hanger on the front door.

Easy-peasy and it actually really looks good from the street. It's bright and festive!

I have been inspired by so many crafter's/blogger's paint chip projects to make one of my own. Paint chips are such great options for emphasizing hue, shade, tint and/or tone.

Sharing with...
Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest
Strut You Stuff at Somewhat Simple
Feature Yourself Friday at Fingerprints on the Fridge
Weekend Wrap Up at Tatertots and Jello
Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts

It's in the bag...

2011-01-13T18:54:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to the It's in the bag blog crawl organized by Ashley from A Hasty Life.

This is what is in my bag as of right now....seriously.

Pretty standard stuff, huh? Makeup...I definitely recommend the organically derived products from Physicians Formula. Anti-bacterial wipes and gel...I'm a bit of a germ-a-phobe, plus I have a 2.5 year old boy. Keys...standard. Self-made headband...just in case. Wallet...gift from my brother and sister-in-law for Christmas, a welcomed upgrade from my previous credit card holder wallet. Toddler socks...just in case. Pens and Advil.

This The Sak bag is what I'm carrying today...it's great for travel because the straps and rings allow the bag to adjust from large to small to clutch quickly and easily. Plus, the copper color is super versatile. Lastly, I've become addicted to hands-free carrying.

Thanks for taking a look inside my bag tonight, and thanks to Ashley for organizing us to all share our treasured possessions! Visit Sydney at her lovely blog, The Daybook, and check out what's in her bag!

P.S. The winner of the $50 J.Crew giftcard was #66, Helen from Helen's Corner. Congrats! Thank you so much to all who entered and for all the wonderful well-wishes on my blog-a-versary!!!

Do you like my hat?

2011-01-12T19:30:00.000-08:00

Well, I made it through the snow and arrived safely in Chicago today. Even after getting up at 3:30a, I still managed to make a quick stop at Anthropologie after work...you know because I could sans child. I even managed to make it out of the store having spent $0...that may be a first.

I enjoyed wondering the streets all bundled up. You know, I never thought I would say this, but sometimes I miss the snow and brisk cold in Chicago.

Here's what I was wearing under the coat...

Coat: Tulle

Hat and Wool Scarf: Gifts from Itatly

Silk Scarf: Talbots

Cardigan: Gap

Turtleneck Sweater and Skirt: Banana Republic

Tights: Hue

Boots: Steve Madden

P.S. I just got a hair cut and chopped off four inches...I think I look more 31.5, ugh, but that's a good thing.

Snow Delay...

2011-01-11T20:12:00.000-08:00

here

Alas, I had planned to leave the afternoon for my monthly work trip, but it seems the weather had other plans for me.


here

Instead, I spent the day watching the snow fall with the kiddo; isn't it awe-inspiring how all kids love the snow, even before they understand the concept of "snow days". We didn't make it out of pajamas until after noon, we drank hot chocolate, watched Madagascar 2, and made a fun craft with cardboard and paint chips that I can't wait to share with you.

here

The snow was a welcomed unexpected surprise. Last night I was dreading the impending snow as it was sure to ruin my travel plans, but today I embraced it and took advantage of some snuggle time before my trip. The down side is that I'm now leaving at 4am tomorrow morning...ugh. Luckily, I have a 5 hour drive to prepare myself for working in the office.

here

Wish me luck as tomorrow I'm giving an important presentation that has been in preparation for one year and Thursday I'm presenting front of 200 people for 2.5 hours. I hope they like the sound of my voice.

I'll be back tomorrow to share some of the exciting things "we've" been working on as of late.

Enjoy the calm of the snow, if you have some...and don't forget to enter to win the $50 J.Crew gift card, the giveaway ends tomorrow night!

Basic French Online

2011-01-10T21:09:00.000-08:00

I recently discovered this little shop that I'm so completely enamored with I keep going back for more. If visiting France is not on your agenda at the moment, you can bring a bit of France to you from Basic French.

For your home...

Beautiful Pitcher...I'd love to be pouring flavored water from here everyday.


Antiqued Silver Glass...aren't these cute?


Make your home, linens and clothes smell like the French countryside with this linen water.

For the kiddos...


Oh how my little guy needs to carry these Babar Suitcases.


while wearing this shirt.


and these Little Brown Bear books to help us improve our French.

For you...


I definitely need this dress and, of course, the kiddo and I will wear our Mariniere stripes together.


I would wear these Bensimons in forest with my dress...

while carrying this lovely toile de jouy umbrella.

Hearty "Rotisserie" Chicken Noodle Soup

2011-01-09T20:08:00.000-08:00

On cold winter days, nothing is better than a warm bowl of a thick and hearty soup. Chicken noodle always does the trick for me and I thoroughly enjoyed this bowl while my kiddo was taking a nap, which have been seemingly fleeting from his daily schedule.

Making this soup is seriously quick and simple, especially if you use a rotisserie chicken from your local grocer. I'll be honest...I buy one of these a few times a month, that's just one of my many secrets (wink, wink).

Hearty "Rotisserie" Chicken Noodle

2 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (approx)

1 medium onion, chopped

4 celery stalks, chopped

1.5 c chopped carrots

2 cloves chopped garlic

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

White meat from one rotisserie chicken

5 c chicken broth

1 bag frozen egg noodles

1/3 c flour mixed with 1/3 c. milk

1.5 c milk

1. Saute onion, celery and carrots in butter and olive oil until onion is translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.

2. Add spices and chicken, stir and saute 2 minutes.

3. Add broth and noodles. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 10-15 minutes until noodles are cooked through.

3. Add flour/milk mixture; then, add the rest of the milk. Bring to a boil again, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until soup has thickened.

Enjoy on a cold day while *hopefully* everyone is asleep.

P.S. Thank you for all the lovely comments on reaching my #1-year blog-a-versary! I'm so excited about the many entries to win the $50 J.Crew giveaway; if you haven't already entered, click here...

Sharing with...

Just Something I Whipped Up at The Girl Creative

Tasty Tuesdays at 33 Shades of Green

I'm Celebrating #1 Year of Blogging with a Special Giveaway!

2011-01-05T11:21:00.000-08:00


here

here

celebrate...

the30girl is 1 year old!

via jcrewaholics

I'm so excited to have reached my one year blog-a-versary!

To celebrate, I'm giving away a $50 gift card to J.CREW because I love you and because I'm so grateful to have this little space to share a little piece of me. I'm looking forward to many more years of inspired goodness, craftiness, and memories.

...plus, you know you need a new feather duster...

baseball tee

striped jersey scarf

and toothpicks,

right?

to win

1. Comment on this post with the J.Crew item(s) on your list to help you get through the winter or to start a super early spring!

2. For one extra entry, become a follower of the30girl.
3. For one extra entry, become a follower of the30girl on facebook.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry and your email address(just on one comment) so I can contact you if you win!

This giveaway is open until Wednesday, January 12th at 11:59pm CST. The winner will be selected using random.org and I will contact the winner on Thursday, January 13th.

Tell your friends and we'll have big, spectacular #1-year party!

Julbo USA

2011-01-04T12:16:00.000-08:00

You may recall this recent post where I discussed my kiddo's need for a pair of sunglasses (that were not his mother's).

After a bit of searching, I finally found the pair for him by Julbo USA, Looping 3. They're virtually indestructible, which is a MUST. They are protective and reversible. They look good. Finally, they are in a unisex color scheme, which means they will be perfect for any future kiddos we may have. All of these positives for $32 makes these sunnies a seriously good deal, especially considering the inexpensive broken-the-first-time-he-wears-them plastic pairs I've purchased are at least $10.

Gone are the days of crying over "sunny days".

I purchased my pair at Backwoods, an outdoor gear store in my area, but you can also pick up a pair here and here.

Still calendar shopping?

2011-01-03T15:03:00.000-08:00

What a great way to usher in the new year...a lovely new calendar.


Stelie Designs


Colette Paperie

Colette Paperie

Paisley Tree Press

PSPaperGoods (local-STL!!)

The Fancy Lamb (local-STL!!)

marialunete (printable)

These are a few of my picks. I've already purchased one photo calendar (that I'll share with you soon...), but I'm looking for something little and lovely for my craft room.

What's on your desk for 2011?