My Very Educated Mother

Recipe: Cottage Cheese & Coconut Cookies

2012-05-23T03:58:00.000-05:00

When I first found this recipe I was instantly smitten with it. We always end up with a cup of cottage cheese at the bottom of the container that no one eats. Usually it’d get tossed down the garbage disposal, but now I’m making cookies with it!

You know me, I can’t just follow a recipe so the first couple of batches I played around with ingredients. The first run through resulted in a cakey cookie with a clean-cut flavor. The second time around I added coconut which seemed to give it more pizazz. I like that word…pizazz, it’s fun to say and not said nearly enough in my opinion. On to the recipe!

Redecorated Magazine Rack

2012-05-20T14:59:00.001-05:00

On top of yet another medical drama (it’s okay, I’ve been told I won’t miss my gallbladder), these past few weeks we’ve been busy turning our thrift store finds into bona-fide treasures. One very practical piece has already found a home in our living room and I wanted to share it with you.

Emily, a bloggy friend, just featured a post on how to store and organize your favorite magazine articles and clippings. But, before I get to a point, where I’m comfortable taking a pair of scissors to those glossy pages, I covet them in a sewing basket by my bedside, under the couch, and hidden in my notebook, purse, and library bag.

I get many magazines and yes, I know the ecological nightmare to which I am contributing. But see, their articles cater to my short attention span, they have pretty pictures depicting images far outside my realm of reality, and they offer me advice and shopping tips for both a lifestyle and pocketbook I don’t have. They are fairy tales for the modern housewife…what’s not to love?

Back to the project…We found this dowel rod magazine rack at Good Samaritan for $5, slapped on a coat of paint, added a graphic from The Graphics Fairy, and viola. Now, instead of being strewn across the house, all of my magazines are in one place and looking rather snazzy if I do say so myself. Here’s more pictures and a few tips on adding the graphic.

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Chocolate Chip & Sweet Potato Scones

2012-05-16T23:07:00.001-05:00

So, how do you like the new logo and header? I know, I know, it’s still a little blurry, off centered, and God bless me, I went and absent-mindedly changed the template so now I have these darn borders that I don’t remember how I got rid of the first time. Any suggestions?

Well, after messing with pictures, codes, and layouts I was in desperate need of something made with all-purpose flour. I tried to make cottage cheese cookies. They weren’t bad but I want to tweak the recipe a bit before I share it here. So, what else is a girl to do but go to her old standby and for me, that’s scones.

This time I wanted to incorporate leftover sweet potatoes and I gotta say, the results are delectable!

Refurbishing a Thrift Store China Hutch

2012-05-09T15:31:00.002-05:00

It didn’t take anytime at all to turn this crazy awesome find into a piece of furniture I’m absolutely in love with!

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Orange Rolls

2012-05-07T04:30:00.000-05:00

Don’t reach for the cinnamon, grab an orange instead and roll up these deliciously light treats! (Previously shared on PB&J Stories)
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Book Review: You Have No Idea

2012-05-03T09:06:00.001-05:00

Sometimes, I like to visit sites like Go Fug Yourself, read Cosmo between sips of wine, and, *suppress your gasps of surprise* watch one of the many shows from the family who shall not be named. I’m not proud of this but it happens. So when the opportunity to review You Have No Idea, a mother-daughter autobiography from Vanessa and Helen Williams, presented itself I gladly accepted.

Cake Decorating with Marshmallow Flowers

2012-04-29T22:16:00.001-05:00

This weekend was Essie’s 5th birthday party! As always, I was pressed for time but wanted to make a special cake for her. Flipping through the most recent Better Homes and Gardens I found a quick and easy idea that worked beautifully!

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Desktop Terrariums - Teacher Appreciation Week

2012-04-26T09:03:00.001-05:00

Terrariums, of all sizes, are seriously trending right now and while I normally try to stay off the bandwagon the gift possibilities with this one were just too much to ignore.

For the past month or so the kids have been attending art, music, and P.E. classes at a local center. Unlike previous semesters, the classes this go around are much smaller, much, much, much smaller. Still, the lessons go on, thanks to three dedicated teachers. In an effort to show my appreciation, I threw together these quick and cute terrariums.

Oversaturation Is Okay

2012-04-25T19:42:00.001-05:00

There comes a time in every blogger’s life when we decide to ‘do’ something with this awesome platform we’ve been given. With limited resources and background, we trudge through conversations about SEO, authorship, coding, and other topics outside the layman’s comprehension. We work hard at making our blog an extension of our unique voice. We really start putting ourselves out there only to be hit with the realization that we are not soloists; instead we are one, in a choir of voices, all singing the same song.

Top 10 Things I Learned From #BBCSTL

2012-04-22T22:35:00.000-05:00

Conferences are so much fun! Tonight I’m visiting the various social media sites of the great bloggers I met at The Bloggy Boot Camp St. Louis and working on a my own to-do list.

However, I have so much great information running through my head it wouldn’t be right not to share. So, I jotted down a quick list of the top 10 things on my mind following #BBCSTL!

*Note – I started with the most important so pay attention fellow bloggers!

Book Review–The Book of Jonas

2012-04-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Writer Stephen Dau’s debut novel, The Book of Jonas, is a prudently written story that tackles very contentious repercussions of battle. Like a juror, readers are given the stark facts of terrible choices made before deliberating the fine line between guilt and innocence in times of war.

*Update: I just realized I failed to give a brief synopsis of The Book of Jonas. It is the story of Younis, a refugee of war who ends up in America. While he credits Christopher, a missing in action U.S. Soldier with saving his life, he is reluctant to discuss the details of their interactions. As luck would have it, he comes into contact with Rose, Christopher's mother. Their meeting should have given Rose clarity and Younis an opportunity to release this burden he's been carrying. Instead, it hassens Younis' spiral down a self-destructive path.

I was drawn into the story of Younis (Jonas) almost immediately because of the focused writing style. You’re given the information you need and nothing more than what is necessary to move the characters along. In addition, these little insights are presented in a kind of dance between the present and the past, similar to the tragic relationship between Christopher and Younis. When the truth of what had happened between the two men comes to light, thanks to the slow lead-up, it’s impossible to pass judgment on either of them.

While I understand her presence was the catalyst for bringing out the truth, I could have done without Rose. The story of the person left behind with no real knowledge of what happened to their loved one is a touching story but it didn’t fit into this book. Rose’s personal plight added nothing to the real theme of The Book of Jonas. She felt like a token character and I just didn’t like that.

Rose aside, I would recommend The Book of Jonas for a thought-provoking read. Weeks after setting it aside, I’m still contemplating how the beauty of the simplistic writing added so much to the seriousness of the book and the topics it challenges.

In case you were wondering,yes, I was compensated for this BlogHer Book Club review BUT all opinions expressed are my own.

NaBloPoMo–Mr. Nobody

2012-04-13T17:07:00.001-05:00

I’m trying to do more on my tumblr page so I’ve moved the NaBloPoMo posting over there (I’m working on a button for the sidebar).

But for now, just because it’s adorable and funny, here are the kids reciting Mr. Nobody. It’s a poem they’ve been memorizing for Language.

The Ultimate Blog Party 2012

2012-04-13T09:30:00.001-05:00

Today is the kick-off of the 2012 Ultimate Blog Party hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom. There are so many great blogs to visit I’m going to get right to it!
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NaBloPoMo–Frustration

2012-04-11T22:30:00.001-05:00

I’m trying to find a poem about Anne Sexton, I’d wrote it some time ago, along with 25 other pages of poetry that I cannot find. I’m thoroughly upset, because this was the one packet of poetry I really liked, the timeless stuff I’d proudly share. It’s been bothering me for some time now. I think it’s on a floppy…ugh. Advances in technology suck.

Maybe I’ll have more luck tomorrow.

NaBloPoMo–Blackberry Haiku

2012-04-10T16:35:00.001-05:00

Berries blossom

branches heavy

bending in the breeze

Haikus, like most simple things, are more complex than they seem. I didn’t stick with the 7-5-7 set-up but still came in under the 17 syllable mark. I also took advantage of alliteration.

NaBloPoMo–Renascence

2012-04-09T16:25:00.001-05:00

This is one of my favorite poems…and it’s a long one. I’m only sharing the later page and a half. The poem begins with the narrator’s account of witnessing a shipwreck and being unable to help. Continuing along that path of sadness, the narrator becomes overwhelmed by the sheer ugliness of the world and wished for death. Her wish is answered, she’s in the ground, and then the rain comes. Here’s the rest of the poem…yes…it has a happy ending.

Renascence

by Edna St. Vincent Millay

…Before the wild wind’s whistling lash

The startled storm-clouds reared on high

And plunged in terror down the sky,

And the big rain in one black wave

Fell from the sky and struck my grave.

NaBloPoMo – The Night Before Easter

2012-04-07T22:52:00.000-05:00

The Night Before Easter

‘Twas the night before Easter and all through the house,

not a creature was stirring,

not even that mouse.

The baskets were lined on the table with care

In hopes that the Easter bunny would soon be there.

NaBloPoMo–This Must Be Growing Up

2012-04-06T23:11:00.001-05:00

When I started doing this NaBloPoMo – Poem thing, I thought, man I could just tap into all my old poetry. And then I read my old poetry. Sure it got high marks in college, but, well, you can tell it’s written by a twenty something, single mother, trying to work a 40 hour week while still carrying 18 credit hours a semester. How can you tell? Well let’s think about that.

Turning a Tin Into a Work of Art

2012-04-06T05:00:00.000-05:00

So remember about a week ago when I posted my craft quickie and hinted at the fact my original idea went way past the 15 minutes time limit? In actuality it went about 3 hours past that deadline but I was so smitten with the way it was turning out I couldn’t stop myself.

My original goal was to turn stacks of tissue paper, carefully smoothed out and saved, along with a handful of Christmas tins, into miniature odes to Van Gogh. I thought if I twisted the paper, rolled it into swirls, and glueing them to the tins I could create a kind of Starry Night effect.

Making swirls proved more difficult that I thought, so I stuck with circles and though the color palette doesn’t bring to mind the classic Van Gogh the effect was still achieved…at least in my humble opinion. The only thing I’m rethinking is the glossy Mod Podge.

Here are more notes and photos about the entire process. It was much more time consuming than I imagined but after I had a twisting technique down it went by much quicker.

NaBloPoMo–I’ll Make This Quick

2012-04-05T22:18:00.001-05:00

Today I found out a friend’s health situation has gone from really bad to really f’ing scary bad. Since I’m saying a prayer for her tonight I thought I’d share one of her favorites.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

NaBloPoMo – I Hate Robert Frost

2012-04-04T12:59:00.001-05:00

I’ve been going through my old poetry assignments and I came across this page. My tastes haven’t really changed but I have grown to appreciate Robert Frost…in moderation.

NaBloPoMo–A Dog’s Nap

2012-04-03T13:00:00.001-05:00

A Dog’s Nap

Her ribs sway with each step

back and forth gracefully.

She’s trying to find that spot.

The best way to approach it.

Smelling the air for a sign.

Pioneer Woman Inspired - Get Goin’ Scones

2012-04-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite recipes from The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook is Iny’s Prune Cake. I know, prunes? Yes prunes!

That cake is so delish and I’d make it all the time, but I’m more of a scone/cookie/cupcake kinda gal. So I played around with recipes and viola…Get Goin’ Scones!

A spicy, cinnamon roll-like scone perfect for a quick breakfast or afternoon snack. They’re sure to get you going and not to the restroom.

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NaBloPoMo–Brotherhood of Man

2012-04-02T16:22:00.001-05:00

Brotherhood of Man

All day, since your haircut in the morning,
you have looked like a painting, even more than usual.
We are in the wind, planting the maples.
We meet an older man who seems to know
I miss my dad.
And he smiles through the limbs.
We talk easily with him
until the rain begins.
This is the brotherhood of man.
Waiting at the airport on my suitcase,
a girl traveling from Spain became my sudden friend,
though I did not learn her name.
And when the subway dimmed
a stranger lit my way.
This is the brotherhood of man.
I never can say what I mean
but you will understand,
coming through clouds on the way.
This is the brotherhood of man.

by the The Innocence Mission

Technorati Tags: Brotherhood of Man,Innocence Mission

Finding My Voice…Again

2012-04-01T22:37:00.001-05:00

It’s the first of the month, a time when I would normally be revisiting my resolutions and sharing my ~~lack of~~ progress with you, except there is a problem. Lately I’ve been feeling disillusioned about the direction I’m taking this blog.

It doesn’t feel like me anymore.

So this month I’m doing something different.

Sure I’ll still be sharing recipes, crafts, and whatever, but because it’s National Poetry Month and the topic for the BlogHer NaBloPoMo is Poem, I’ll also be sharing a poem a day.

They may be written by me, they may be written by someone else, or they may be song lyrics that I love. That part doesn’t really matter, what does is that they are words that mean something to me, they define me and my experiences…so without further ado.