A Well-Feathered Nest

February Pantry/Freezer Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:51:00 +0000

For real this time! I said I was going to do this in January, but things were all out of sorts around here with the boys traveling to Grandma and Grandpa's house and things in general gearing up for the new year.

If you're not sure what a pantry challenge is, Jessica at Good, Cheap Eats explains it well, and her blog has lots of great tips and information that just might get you motivated to try it. Basically, my plan is to plan our meals as much as possible using the foods we already have in our pantry and freezer. I haven't done a full freezer inventory, but I know that there are plenty of things in our fridge, pantry, regular freezer, and the deep freeze that need to be used up to make way for fresher items.

I don't think I have ever truly done a full-on pantry challenge, so I am hoping that putting it all out here will give me some accountability. There are a few things I hope to accomplish through this challenge:

1. Clean Out! - I am hoping this will, indeed, help us to use up some of those items that get pushed to the back in favor of our favorites. You know what I mean. It was a good deal, and you don't want it to go to waste, but you just never seem to get around to using it.

2. Save Money! - We began working through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University with a bunch of people from our church and another local church in January, and you'll be hearing more about all of that in the near future. We're trying to get gazelle intense about checking off those baby steps, so anything we can save from our usual grocery budget this month will go toward doing that.

3. Mix it Up! - Most of the things we have in our stockpile are things that we like, but they often get looked-over in the midst of a buys schedule for items that can be cooked more quickly or without as much thought and effort. I am hoping to try out some new recipes and bring back some we haven't seen in a while. I am a firm believer that the key to happily preparing meals and eating at home is keeping it fun and adventurous, so I think this will definitely help our budget in the long run.

I am usually overly hesitant to make commitments on my blog because I am totally afraid I will flake. I told someone the other day that I have a fear of commitment (when it comes to meal planning), and it's so true. That's why I'm laying it all out here. This is going to help me stay motivated and feel accountable. Each week, I will post a detailed account of how much money we have spent from our grocery budget along with what we bought.

Here is what I bought this week. February just began on Wednesday, but this is all I bought the whole week.

Aldi: $22.75
2 bags of apples
4 lbs. of strawberries
3 green peppers
1 dozen eggs
1 box of saltine crackers
bananas
2.25 lbs. of ground beef
1 bag of grapefruit
2 packets of seeds

Bread Store: $1.01
1 loaf of bread

Food Lion (not pictured): $5.84
1 carton of Breyers ice cream
1 5lb. bag of flour

Total this week: $29.60

Play Checks

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:33:00 +0000

In one of our math lessons a week or so ago, we were going over how to write checks. I thought it would be fun for Jonathan to have some pretend checks of his own, and it would be good practice for him to write a play check or two every now and then. I whipped him up a stack of printable checks, and then I made a more generic version to share with you all.

So, now you can teach those little ones how to fill them out. Maybe my next project should be a printable check register, so we can teach them how to balance these play checkbooks!

Click the image above to download the file.

How to remove a tiny object from a preschooler's nose

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:54:00 +0000

We had quite an adventure last week when Benjamin decided to stuff something in his nose while I was taking a shower. From the bathroom, I could hear him yelling, “I can’t sneeze! I can’t sneeze!” After I quickly dressed, I helped him up onto my bed and inspected his little nose.

He insisted he had put a Lego up there, yet I could barely see something that night be it. I don’t know how in the world it made its way up so high in his nasal cavity except that he had been sniffling some already that day. I attempted to have him blow his nose several times, but it didn’t seem to budge. One time he accidentally sniffed instead of blowing, and the object disappeared altogether.

Justin arrived home, and we started brainstorming any and all possible ideas to get this little thing out. Neither of us is quick to head to the emergency room, not only because of the high co-pay, but also because of the crazy germs that it’s filled with this time of year.

After many attempts to get it out and calls to several different people, including his pediatrician, Justin trekked off with him to the hospital. I knew I could survive better if I didn’t have to be there if he had to be restrained. Judging by our attempts to get him to be still while we examined his nose, we had no doubt it would never come out without him having to be restrained. Plus, we didn’t really want to expose the whole family to germs if we didn’t have to.

In the end, the visit was rather anti-climactic. They were placed on the “fast track” as soon as they arrived, so they didn’t have to wait long at all (It could have been bad around 6 in the evening.). Benjamin was met by a nurse who also happens to be a helper in his Sunday School class at our church, and he was very popular among all the workers there in the ER. Then, Justin was actually the one who removed the object by following the doctor’s suggestion.

So here’s the trick: The doctor had Benjamin lie down on the table while Justin pinched off the opposite nostril and blew into his mouth. The tiny piece (which was actually part of a Kinex set) immediately flew out, and they were back home by 7:15. In some ways we’ve felt silly because if we had Googled a bit more, we probably could have found this additional suggestion. In other ways, we were almost hoping it wouldn’t be a pleasant experience, so he wouldn’t attempt to do this again.

Benjamin arrived home with a milkshake in his hand, and he proudly proclaimed, “I got stickers!” As I looked at the six big stickers gracing the front of his shirt, I simply shook my head. Living with little boys is always an adventure.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, and this post should not be construed as medical advice. I’m just a mom who is sharing our experience in the ER.

UPDATED!! FREE $25 credit to Minted.com

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:19:00 +0000

It looks like Minted has changed their wording so that you have to have a purchase of $50 in order to use the $25 credit. It's still an ok deal if you were going to order invitations or something anyway, but it's not a great deal on Valentine's Day cards.

Are you looking for some super-cute, personalized Valentine's Day cards? Minted.com has lots of cute card options for Valentines, designs for wedding and birthday invitations, and lots of other fun stationery. Right now, they are offering a free $25 credit good on any purchase of $30 or more if you sign up through a referral link. This means you could get 55 classroom Valentines for just $6 shipped. Or you could always browse the other categories and see what you can find!

disclaimer: The links above are referral links, and I will receive compensation if you sign up and make a purchase through these links.

So Long 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 03:46:00 +0000

5 weird but kind of cool gift ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:36:00 +0000

OK, so every once in a while I come across something that I think is totally cool, but leans a little over toward the weird side. I was also thinking about how we all probably have these things that we probably wouldn't buy for ourselves, but that would make really cool gifts for just the right person.

That's when I decided to post this list. It's mostly for giggles, but I do think these are some pretty cool (even though weird) things that I've been collecting on Pinterest. Maybe you'll find the perfect gift for that unique person on your list!

Made On DIY Kit

Source: hardlotion.com

Last year I did make some hard lotion bars and lip balms for a few people, and I'm pretty sure they thought I had gone a bit off my rocker. Nevertheless, I think this would be a totally cool gift for someone who enjoys the DIY of it all. The kit makes it easy to make your own lotion bars and lip balms with all the ingredients included.

Naturo Kits

Source: naturokits.com

These natural first aid kits would be great for someone who is interested in learning about natural remedies and might want to give some basic ones a try.

A Custom Cookbook (or gift certificate to make one)

Source: memoriesoncloverlane.com

Someone who is into food and cooking might like a book of family or favorite recipes with beautiful photos. Or they might be thrilled with a gift certificate to make their own collection of favorite recipes. A couple of good sites are Blurb, Paper Coterie, and Picaboo.

A Kombucha Starter

Source: culturesforhealth.com

I'll admit that this one is pretty far out there, but it's one of those things that would be totally exciting to the right person. Kombucha is a fermented tea with fruit juice. I had to chuckle out loud a little when I saw the whole list of gift ideas at Cultures for Health where you can get a kombucha starter set, a water kefir starter set, yogurt making kit, or a 30 minute cheese making kit in addition to a bunch of other equally strange sounding items.

A Chicken Coop With A Roof Garden

Source: sunset.com

I did think this was a pretty cute idea, and it looks like the eggs would be pretty easy to collect if you filled this coop with a hen or two. It's called a Kippen House, and it's quite spendy. Maybe you could make your own!

Looking for gift ideas for boys?

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:20:00 +0000

I remember looking through toy catalogs as a kid and circling items for my wish list. My boys love to do the same thing although it seems to be a bit harder to find actual catalogs than it used to be. I think the Vision Forum catalog is their favorite because it has so many cool toys, weapons, and Christian books that they haven't seen anywhere else.

This year they were circling zip lines, crossbows, and Lego compatible building sets. I think the swords and shields in the photo were at the top of Benjamin's list--because you know we need another sword in our house. If you are looking for gift ideas for an adventurous little boy in your life, then I think you can definitely find something on the Vision Forum web site. They also have some pretty good sales going on right now.

If you're just feeling a little adventurous yourself, then you can head over to Smockity Frocks where Connie is hosting a Vision Forum giveaway! Enter to win one of 3 gift certificates.

Updated: There are several other blogs who are also offering this giveaway! Head over to any of these and enter for more chances to win a Vision Forum gift certificate.

The Modest Mom
Life in a Shoe
Raising Olives
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Generation Cedar

Oh, and my boys' favorite catalog list also includes Lego and Target.

'Tis the Season

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:44:00 +0000

Whether I am ready for it or not, the holiday season is quickly approaching. One thing that I can never seem to get done early enough is Christmas cards. This year, I have already been working long hours on holiday card designs for this project I want to share with you.

Next July a team from our church will be headed to Piatra Neamt in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania to work with Piatra Neamt Baptist Church in order to help them work toward planting churches in the surrounding villiages. We will be partnering with Romanian American Missions (RAM) to hold free medical clinics, talk with people about Christ, and work with children in the villiages.

We were blessed to be able to send a team from our church to Galati in eastern Romania in 2010 with RAM. My goal for the upcoming trip is that I will be able to trade places with "Grandma" so I can be a part of the mission work this time, and she can play with the kiddos back home.

Because this means we will have to come up with the funds to send two people to Europe rather than one, I decided to sell my photo Christmas cards to help raise a little money for the trip. Today, I am unveiling my most recent designs and asking you to help spread the word to anyone you know who may be interested in supporting our mission trip by purchasing Christmas cards.

I am hoping to have more designs available soon, but you can see the ones that are already posted in my etsy shop below! I have both printable cards which you can have printed as many times as you wish (or send as e-cards) and tangible hard copies available.

Here's a great Erin Condren deal!

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:06:00 +0000

I have to admit that I am on my second life planner from Erin Condren, and I absolutely LOVE it! I still consider them a bit of a splurge at around $25 with Groupon and Plum District deals, but it's totally worth it. This planner has everything I could ever want in it, and it's very well-designed, especially for busy moms!

I wanted to share this deal with you all because several people have looked through my planner and expressed interest in purchasing one. I promised to pass on any deals that I found out about, so here it is!

Today's Plum District Everywhere Deal is $50 worth of products at ErinCondren.com for only $25. This offer is only good through tomorrow (10/25) night, and the supplies are limited. Of course, if you purchase the deal, then you can always buy other items besides the life planner. It's just my favorite.

If you are a new Plum District customer, then you should be able to get a $5 credit by signing up through one of my links in this post. That would make your $50 voucher only $20!

Fine Print: This voucher may not be applied to taxes and shipping and cannot be combined with any other specials or offers. This voucher is NOT valid for personalized iPhone cases. There is a limit of 3 per person, and the voucher expires 1/24/2012.

{Disclaimer} If you click on one of these links to sign up with Plum District, then I will get a $5 credit.

Fun Freebie: Printable Thanks Card

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:36:00 +0000

You all have been so gracious to stick with me during a period of little posting, so I thought you deserved a little something fun. I was working on a design project this weekend, and I fell in love with one of the designs. I thought it would make a beautiful, happy card! So now I want to share this printable card with all of you.

You can download the PDF for this card by clicking the photo above.

Simply print the card onto a sheet of white cardstock and cut it along the designated lines. Then you're all prepared to send someone a happy little message!

Man-Pleasing Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:37:00 +0000

Whats that? You're looking for an easy soup recipe that doesn't get you that "where's the rest of dinner?" look from the man in your life when you dish it out? Pinterest to the rescue!

Source: bunsinmyoven.com via Crystal on Pinterest

I found this recipe on Pinterest a while back, and I've made it twice now. It gets 2 thumbs up at our house. My time-saving secret is to use frozen hashbrowns for the potatoes (the chunky kind--not the shredded kind).

Kids and Handwriting

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:00:00 +0000

We seem to have a big struggle with handwriting at our house, and there are all sorts of opinions out there on the subject. Mary at Owlhaven has written a post that covers some of her thoughts and strategies for working with children who struggle with handwriting. We are already using some of her ideas, but there are definitely a couple of them, that I think I may give a shot.

I'll probably share a bit more about some of the strategies we've put to use in our homeschool in the coming days, but you should definitely check out Mary's post if this is something you'd like to work on with your student.

Topsy Turvy

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 23:12:00 +0000

That's kind of how I feel the last several weeks have been for us.

We still have piles of trees and limbs throughout our neighborhood left over from hurricane Irene, and it seems like we've been a little off kilter ever since she blew through. Our internet was mostly out after the storm until this past Friday when someone finally came to replace some sort of port. That made keeping up with the online necessities frustrating to say the least

It's been silent here, but things have been bustling around our house. In my insanity, I think I picked the absolute worst time ever to host the twine swap. Did I mention that I'm still not quite done cutting and wrapping all those packages? I think I had 26 packages spoken for. That means cutting, wrapping, and packaging 14 bundles 26 times. Whew! And then I have a few folks on a waiting list when I get it all sorted out. I definitely bit off a bit too much with that one.

Otherwise, we've been in the midst of starting our Classical Conversations year in a facility that is undergoing renovations. Total craziness!! But it's been so much fun settling into a new community. It also seems like we've added lots of new things to our homeschool days, and I'll be sharing more about all of that soon.

Now I'm off to take a few deep breaths and tag 100 or so consignment items to be delivered tomorrow afternoon, but I'll be back soon. I have much to share, and I'm ready to settle into fall.

Anyone up for a twine Co-op?

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 21:27:00 +0000

** Update: I've had enough people commit to make this happen, and all the first round spaces are filled! I am keeping a list to see if there is enough interest to make a 2nd round.**

Don't you just love all of the cute little bundles of twine from The Twinery? Sometimes I daydream about all the cute things I would use them for.

Today I was daydreaming and browsing their shop, and I had the idea to host a co-op for some of their twine. If you're not familiar with co-ops they are basically where one person will order products in bulk and then split them into smaller packages to save money for everyone involved. So, here I am, offering to host a twine co-op (hopefully with a quick turn-around), and I first wanted to see if there was enough interest to make it happen.

Here are the details:

The ultimate twine package
$12 (plus $3 shipping)

This package would include 15 yards each of all 14 of the colors sold by The Twinery. That's a total of 210 yards of twine. The cost would be $12 per package. The regular price for this package is $25. Shipping will be $3 for the first package, and $1.50 for additional packages or $5.20 for Priority shipping for up to 4 packages.

And now, time for some inspiration!

Source: nonpareilmag.com via Crystal on Pinterest

Source: daydesigns.blogspot.com via The Twinery on Pinterest

Source: thetwineryblog.com via The Twinery on Pinterest

Third Grade

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 18:11:00 +0000

It's that time again! I'm a little sad to see summer go this year. We started school on Monday, and it just doesn't seem like it should be time. I have had to keep reminding myself how nice it will be to have a break at the end of May in order to get the motivation to jump back in.

I'm not dreading the year. Summer just seemed too short.

It's also hard to believe that Jonathan is a third grader! He's grown up so fast. Just looking at his snaggle-toothed grin reminds me of how old he's getting to be. I know this year will be an adventure, and one of my biggest goals is to keep Benjamin more engaged. I have lots to share in the coming days about what we're doing for school this year, some of the goals we have set, and ideas for managing those little ones while you're "doing school."

Grilled Chipotle Shrimp

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 14:34:00 +0000

Shrimp again? I just had to share this recipe after I tasted it. I know you all will love it as much as we did. That is, unless you overcook the shrimp, and then they will be chewy. Not that I have any experience with that.

Besides, easy peel shrimp is on sale for $4.99/lb. at Harris Teeter this week. That's pretty much my target price, and I love that they are already deveigned!

Source: tasteofhome.com via Crystal on Pinterest

This recipe originally came from a recent issue of Taste of Home Magazine.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped plus 1/4 cup adobo sauce
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 pounds uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cilantro Cream Sauce:
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons grated lime peel
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh mint

Place the brown sugar, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, garlic, water, lime juice, olive oil, and salt in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture until it's boiling. Reduce the heat and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove it from the heat, and let it cool.

Place the prepared shrimp into a plastic zipper bag along with the marinade mixture. Refrigerate up to 2 hours.

Combine the cilantro cream sauce ingredients and refrigerate to chill.

Drain the marinade and grill (on skewers) for 6-8 minutes or until shrimp turn pink (turning once).

For other great recipes check out the Tasty Tuesday post at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

Ten Years

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:55:00 +0000

Ten years ago today I was blessed to marry my best friend! As we met with a young couple for marriage counseling recently, I was reminded of the beauty of marriage as a reflection of Jesus Christ and his bride. My heart overflowed in knowing that I have been blessed to live out this life with a man who truly strives to live out that image with all that he is.

The last ten years have show us a bit of sorrow, a little pain, and much joy. I look forward to the next ten years all all that the Lord has in store for us.

Fun Kid Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 20:23:00 +0000

When Summer rolls around, I tend to have dreams of all the fun and creative things I want to do with my children in our free time. This year, the free time has been more scarce than in summers past, but that hasn't stopped me from dreaming.

I have found Pinterest to be a great source for fueling my imagination, and I thought I'd share a few of the fun kid things I've found there.

Wouldn't it be fun to make your own sprinkler?

Source: myhomespunthreads.blogspot.com via Crystal on Pinterest

I know my boys would love this glittery goop!

Source: fairydustteaching.blogspot.com via Crystal on Pinterest

There are tons of super party ideas.

Source: party.tipjunkie.com via Crystal on Pinterest

Source: hostessblog.com via Crystal on Pinterest

There are recipes for sweet treats and other fun things.

Source: iammommahearmeroar.blogspot.com via Crystal on Pinterest

Source: ashleyannphotography.com via Crystal on Pinterest

There are ideas for things to make.

Source: houseofhepworths.com via Crystal on Pinterest

Source: themagiconions.blogspot.com via Crystal on Pinterest

And there are even lists of tons more activities and projects.

Source: digitalreflections.typepad.com via Crystal on Pinterest

Source: tipjunkie.com via Crystal on Pinterest

Have you come across any great kid stuff this summer?

NC Aquarium - Roanoke Island

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 12:05:00 +0000

It's been a while since I posted a big old little boy picture post. This past week we spent a little bit of time at the Outer Banks, and we took advantage of the opportunity to visit the aquarium on Roanoke Island.

The boys always love looking at and learning about the different fish and other animals.

They like to pretend that they are wrangling alligators...

or that they actually live with the alligators.

I don't think anyone got up the nerve to touch one of the rays this time.

The turtles were posing for photos.

The boys' especially love looking at the sharks.

And they like to pose for photos sometimes, too.

Outside, there is a pit where you can dig for sharks' teeth. We got dirty, but we didn't find any teeth.

We visited the other two NC Aquariums at other times throughout the last year, and they are all very nice. We're certainly considering purchasing a family membership again because we enjoy not only the aquariums, but we love to go to the zoo any time we get the urge to take a road trip!

Edible Landscaping

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 12:33:00 +0000

I shared before about how my tomato plants gave me the urge to move my whole garden to our front yard. As I dreamed and did a bit of research, I fell in love with this book.

I don't think that I have enough time or energy to ever convert my whole yard into a garden, but some of Ros Creasy's photos make me wish I could. She's been on a mission throughout the last 20 years or so to show people that edible gardens can be beautiful.

I, on the other hand, just want to actually be able to grow a little food in my yard. I tossed around several ideas, and I really wanted to keep it on the cheap. I had already invested a bit of money in the setup that wasn't working. In the end, I decided to make 2 rectangular beds at the edge of our front yard out by the street. I was a little worried about putting it all out there for everyone to see, so I did add in some ornamental annuals for color.

I had no clue what I was doing when it comes to spacing and design, and I already see a few things that I will do differently next year. To make the beds we measured out the space and dug up the top layer of grass. I didn't want to remove too much of the existing soil, and I really didn't want to deal with turning it...so we didn't.

We dug in a little to loosen things up, and we did add a couple of bags of garden soil to the top along with some Black Kow, mushroom compost, and Black Hen. I am all about no dig methods, so I'd like to build some sort of raised beds in the same spot and add in some good, friable soil in the future. What we have seems to be working for now.

There is little method to the madness out there. Everything is pretty and green, and I have a ton of not-yet-ripe tomatoes. These photos are actually from a week or so ago, and things have already grown quite a bit more. There are even several baby peppers popping up here and there.

I planted several basil plants out there just because I had started them from seeds, so it's likely I will have way more than I would ever know what to do with. I'm even just now seeing some spicy globe basil that has finally come up between the wild tomato plants.

In my dream picture, there is a walkway from our front steps that winds its way to the front curb. That invisible path was the basis for the placement of my beds. Maybe one day that will come to be, and it will be flanked by vegetables as it meets the street.

And, while I'm sure there is a neighbor or two who is wondering what on Earth I'm thinking, there are many more who slow down when they drive by to check the progress or stop to ask about fertilizer or with some other random question. I guess that's one benefit of living in a southern small town.

A Little on the Weird Side: "Powerballs"

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:01:00 +0000

I am sure that some people out there would describe some of the things I do as being a little on the weird side (mostly members of my own family). That's OK. I kind of like being weird. Being just like everyone else would be a little boring.

One of the weird things that I've been really interested in for the past year or two is finding ways to make things for my family from scratch. Sometimes this helps to cut costs at the grocery store. Other times it is convenient because I can make lots of different things with many of the same ingredients. But I also think that a major benefit to doing this is that I know exactly what is going into things--whether they be cleaning products or foods we eat. In our foods, I can cut down on sugar, salt, and preservatives.

Lately, we have been enjoying "powerballs" made with recipes from Katie's ebook Healthy Snacks to Go. She has packed a ton of great snack recipes in this ebook, but I haven't ventured beyond the "powerballs" yet. They are meant to be an alternative to something like Larabars (which are are least $1 each at Target), and everyone at my house loves them!

Many recipes I come across use a food processor or a blender. Because I don't have either of those, I use my Ninja instead. It works just fine. When it comes to the "powerballs", I've tried Tropical, but last night I made Chocolate Peanut Butter Delight, German Chocolate, and PB&J. PB&J is one of my favorites, but my family definitely loves the Chocolate Peanut Butter Delight.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Delight "Powerballs"

from Healthy Snacks to Go by Katie Kimball

1/3 cup peanuts
2-3 Tbsp chocolate chips or dark chocolate
1/2 cup dates
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp coconut oil

Put the peanuts and chocolate chips in the food processor (or Ninja, ha!), and process until it's the consistency of a coarse meal.

Add the dates and process until well-blended. Then add the remaining ingredients and process until they are well-mixed. The coconut oil helps things to stick together, so if your mixture is sticky enough without it, then you can feel free to omit it.

I use one of those nifty little cookie scoops to easily make my balls. I take approximately 2 loose Tbsp of the mixture, and then form it into a ball with the palms of my hands. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. This usually gets me 5 balls.

If you are like me, this process can get a bit messy!

I place them in a container and then refrigerate them just to get them to firm up some. The coconut oil will be more solid at cooler temperatures, but you don't actually have to refrigerate the "powerballs."

If you think you might want to take a stroll over to the weird side and make some of your own snacks, then I highly recommend Katie's ebook. She has included recipes for different kinds of granola, muffins, biscuits, crackers, bars, and other yummy treats. She has also included lots of basic tips about healthy snacks in general. I have several more of these recipes on my "must try" list for the summer.

disclosure - If you click on one of the links above for Healthy Snacks to Go, and you decide to purchase a copy, then I will receive compensation.

A Tale of Three Tomatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Probably two months ago, I bought some patio tomatoes to set out in my garden. They came in a four pack, and I liked the idea of compact plants because I wasn't really sure where I would put them. In the beginning, there were four plants that were all around the size you see in this photo. They were tiny.

Pretty soon after I purchased the plants, I planted one in a big container to place in my front yard. I placed another one of these tomatoes in one of the 4x4 boxes by the side of the house that I made last year. I eventually planted the last two plants up by the house in my front yard for an experiment. You see how much they have grown (or not) from the current photo above.

After a while, I noticed that the tomato in the container in the front yard was outgrowing the one in the actual garden box by leaps and bounds. I had suspected that my poor yields last year were due to lazy watering and possibly poor soil, but I started to think I might be wrong.

This is what the tomato plant that is in the container in the front yard currently looks like. It is strong, very green, and it's already got several green tomatoes on its vines.

Seeing how this plant took off made me realize that the major problem with the side yard garden must be it's lack of sunlight. I knew it didn't get ideal amounts, but I had hoped it would be enough. Since I had already purchased several plants, started some from seed, and bought seeds for those that I planned to sow directly in the ground, I started to devise a plan to save my garden.

My plan was to not worry about what our neighbors would think and move a large part of the garden operation to the front yard. I agonized over just how to do this for quite some time, and I was even a little nervous to share what I was doing here lest you all think I had gone off my rocker.

Here's a little peek at the plant that I moved from the side box to the front bed. It's still small, but it's grown a lot in the couple of weeks it's been out there. It looked a lot like the first photo when it was moved.

Now that I can see a huge difference in how everything is growing and my neighbors are actually admiring my beds, I think I am brave enough to share my craziness with you all. I'll be sharing many more photos and some details soon.

Have you ever done something crazy in the name of gardening?

Silly Boys

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 19:57:00 +0000

As we were driving in the van a few days ago, the conversation turned to possible careers my almost-8-year-old might have when he grows up. He spent most of the time describing how taking martial arts lessons now (He doesn't, but he wishes he did.) would help him later in various careers where he might have to fight off bad guys.

We argued that we shouldn't ever want to hurt someone if we don't have to from many different angles as his ideas evolved. He wanted to know about situations where someone might be trying to kill him when I bluntly said that (despite what he may have seen in movies) very few people are ever in a situation where someone is actively trying to kill them.

He responded, "But it's usually the best people in the world that people are trying to kill."

"You know, like Abraham Lincoln and people like that..."

I guess he has a point.

Goal Planning

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Wed, 25 May 2011 21:16:00 +0000

My husband and I will be doing some thinking, talking, and planning over the coming days. To help me solidify some goals for my children and pinpoint things we can do to help move toward those goals, I made a simple worksheet. I know some of you all might be thinking through some of these things in the coming weeks and months, so I wanted to share my file with you. I didn't take the time to make it pretty because that seems to be something I'm running short on lately.

Here you go!

Goal planning worksheet for children 2011/2012 -

Right Now in the Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Crystal @ A Well-Feathered Nest) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 19:02:00 +0000

This year's garden doesn't look all that different from last year's at this point. I have learned that I need to work on my methods if I want seed-starting to work for me. By the time the plants are available in the stores, my little seedlings look so pathetic that I end up buying more to set out.

I worked on the soil in my boxes a bit to see if that has any impact on how well things grow. I also am trying to come up with a better watering plan because I am pretty sure that things were not watered very effectively. All in all, if things don't go very well this year, I may have to rethink it all. Even in the sunniest spot in our yard, there is a lot of dappled shade at various parts of the day which poses a pretty big challenge to growing vegetables. I am experimenting with a few crazy things this year, though.

I have been evaluating my use of containers and beds to try to get the most out of the space. The one thing that I missed over the winter was my herbs. And I did learn that anyone can grow mint. It came back with a vengeance with little effort on my part.

This year we are adding a little experimental patch. There are supposed to be beans that will grow up the bamboo sticks, and the boys helped me to plant left over flowers around it. Jonathan wanted to plant some cantaloupe, so I will be interested to see how that goes here. They also planted some wildflower seeds all around. It looks like a mess right now, but I am hoping that it will start to take shape when things begin to fill in.