Happy Friday! For a 4 day week this sure felt like a long one – lots of working mama internal conflict. Some days I have it all together, and some days I just don’t. But – the weekend has finally arrived and I’m looking forward to this one. I’m getting my hair done tomorrow, aaaand I may or may not be going back to my natural color. I’m about 90% committed to doing it. If nothing else I’ll get a couple of hours to do nothing but sit in a chair reading magazines while someone makes me pretty, which is a big luxury these days. Sunday I’ll be watching the Oscars, and I’m very excited. I always love the Oscars… the dresses, the stars, the movies. Love it all. I even have some fun Oscar-themed food planned. I know, huge dork.

Anywho, here’s what I loved this week…

• World Map on Children Inspire Design – I fell instantly in love with these “My Roots Live Here” maps. You can get it as a world map, continent, country, or state and it comes with little heart stickers to place on parent or family hometowns. This would be so sweet for a kid’s room.

• The Adulting blog – Oh my god, I love this blog. It’s a hilarious take on what it means to be an adult, and how to do it effectively… I particularly love Step 156: Don’t Be a Re-runner.

• Lemon Cream Scones on One Hungry Mama – Confession: I do not like scones. They’re dry and crumbly and every time I eat one I think, “I wish you were a muffin.” Stacie at One Hungry Mama agrees with me, but swears these are different. I’m anxious to try them as soon as I can eat dairy again.

I know this combination of flavors might seem a little strange – coconut and Oreos? But I promise you, it’s delicious. This is one of the best ice creams I’ve ever made, and easily the best dairy free ice cream I’ve ever made (I’ve only made two, but the first one was pretty bleh.) If you like coconut (or if you’re a nursing mama whose baby still can’t tolerate real milk and have learned to embrace coconut), you really need to try this…

Ingredients:

• 2 14 oz. cans of Thai Kitchen full fat coconut milk (brand matters here… I’ve tried other brands and they’re not nearly as good)
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp raw honey
• Oreos (I used about 15, but I like a lot of cookie in my cookies and cream)
• ice cream maker

Directions:

Set up a double boiler by placing a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water (be sure it’s simmering and not a full rolling boil, as this will give you better control later). Add the coconut milk and vanilla extract to the bowl. Stirring fairly frequently, heat until the coconut milk is hot but not boiling.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs well in a separate bowl. Once the coconut milk is hot, add a ladleful to the eggs while you’re whisking – you want to bring the eggs up to the temperature of the coconut milk without scrambling them. Add in another ladleful of hot coconut milk to the egg mixture while whisking. Take the now hot egg mixture and whisk it into the bowl of coconut milk on the double boiler.

Now, whisk constantly until the mixture thickens to a custard. This may take several minutes. If it’s getting too hot and starting to scramble, remove from the heat immediately but keep whisking, then return it to the double boiler. Once it has thickened to a custard, remove the bowl from the heat and let it cool.

Once the custard is cool enough for you to stick your finger in it and hold it there without burning, whisk in the raw honey. Put the custard base in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight). Freeze in your ice cream machine per the manufacturer’s instructions, adding in the Oreo cookie chunks once the mixture has started to freeze a bit.

Straight out of the machine this ice cream has a creamy soft serve texture. If you store it in the freezer for later, just let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before eating to let it soften up a little bit.

Recipe adapted from Caveman Food

When Emma became mobile a couple of months ago we knew we’d have to make some changes to our living room to give her more space to play. My goal was to be able to go from living room to play room and back again in less than 2 minutes. I knew if it took any more time or effort that our living room would become a permanent playroom and five years from now we’d be one of those desperate couples on Dear Genevieve who used to have semi-decent taste but whose house has become overrun with toys and laundry and kitchy sayings over the door like “a meal without wine… is breakfast!” Oh no. We will not be one of those couples.

So, our first step was to buy a bigger rug… we opted for something relatively disposable since babies are not tidy creatures, nor is our 65 lb dog. The Havbro does the job, but I won’t be sad to see it go. So now Emma had a nice big rug to play on, but we still had the issue of the coffee table. Then it hit me… what if we sawed off the legs and replaced them with casters so we could easily roll the table out of the way during play time?? I’ve certainly had crazier ideas, and Jared was on board so we used a circular saw to cut off the legs, and replaced them with the steel casters we ordered off of Amazon. And, voila!

And here’s what it looks like during playtime…

Here’s a close up of the casters…

It’s working out surprisingly well for us, so far. And I actually kind of like the industrial feel the table now has. The only downside is that the casters don’t lock, which is a bit concerning for her tiny fingers, and for when she gets strong enough to move the table on her own. So for now we’re super careful not to let her play with the wheels (it’s not like we leave her unattended anyway, so it’s really not an issue). We didn’t want to spend a lot on pricey casters in case the experiment was a bust, but now that we know it works we’d be willing to upgrade the casters if it becomes necessary.

If you’re wondering what the coffee table looked like before, here’s a shot of it in my first “big girl” apartment in Seattle… It’s been through three moves since then. Hence all the scratches.

So where do we hide all those toys when play time is over? They all have their own little basket that fits perfectly into the console table. And they’re kept at kid height so eventually Emma can help clean up. (And she’ll be able to more easily take each and every toy out of there when she decides the one at the very bottom is the one she wants to play with. But I’m choosing not to focus on that part.)

I’m certain these aren’t the last of the living room changes… as Emma grows and becomes even more mobile, we’ll need to do more baby proofing and likely more decluttering. But for now, operation rolling coffee table has been a great success.

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t watched the season finale of Downton Abbey, stop reading and go watch it ASAP!

Holy crap. I don’t think I’ve been that emotionally wrapped up in an episode of TV since the series finale of Friday Night Lights. What a roller coaster. The Bates and Anna scenes were heart-wrenching… there’s something about a strong stoic man shedding a few tears that just slays me. And what the hell, Lord Grantham?? Shut your trap already. You’re ruining everything. You deserve whatever evil mischief Thomas throws your way now that you’ve foolishly made him your valet. (Though I’m VERY relieved that Isis didn’t freeze to death in that shelter… I was having a hard enough time composing myself during that episode without a dead dog thrown into the mix.)

And then there’s Cousin Matthew and Lady Mary. I told Jared after the Bates’ verdict that Matthew and Mary HAD to get together… they can’t kill off Bates AND continue to drag out the Matthew and Mary will-they-or-won’t-they saga. It’s just too mean. Thankfully, Julian Fellowes took pity on my poor heart and gave us all the proposal we’ve been waiting for. But, really Mary? Insisting that Matthew get down on one knee and ask you properly? You’re lucky he’s asking at all! Not only do you NOT have to marry Sir Richard and all his douchebaggery, but you get to marry the future Earl of Grantham, an all around great guy and war hero, and someone who loves you in spite of the Mr. Pamuk debacle. Count your lucky stars, say yes, and help your former parapalegic future husband up off the ground before he hurts himself. Sheesh.

I can’t believe we have to wait another year to see what unfolds at Downton. Rumor has it there will be TWO weddings next season – Matthew and Mary, but who else? Lady Edith and Anthony? Lady Edith and anyone who’ll ask her?? There will also be a guest appearance by the always amazing Shirley MacLaine as Lady Cora’s American mother. The scenes between her and the Dowager Countess are sure to be epic. (Btw, how tremendous was her “Do you promise?” zinger upon Sir Richard announcing they would never see each other again? Easily one of the best written and acted characters on TV.)

Those of you who watched – what did you think of the finale??

Rather than the usual Link Love post today, I’m taking a cue from Emily at Ever So Emily and doing this little quiz, instead. Enjoy, and happy Friday!

1. Describe your blog in 5 words
crafty, personal, quirky, honest, fun

2. Why did you start blogging?
I originally just wanted a place to share my sewing projects, but it’s evolved over the past few years to include food, DIY, and a lot more about me than I thought I’d want to share. I’m so grateful to have it as a creative outlet, and for the people who read and comment on my posts. Turns out I enjoy the interaction aspect of blogging more than any other part.

3. What’s your favorite book?
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer… I first read this book about 5 years ago and was so blown away by it. I wanted to start reading it all over again the second I finished. It was so uniquely written, so powerful. I’ve gifted this book several times over the years. (And no, I haven’t seen the movie because I’m certain it will ruin the book for me. Sorry, Tom Hanks!)

4. What were you like in high school?
Oh gosh… cynical, insecure, awkward. Sorry, Bruce – my high school years definitely weren’t my glory days! I viewed high school as the last stepping stone to getting the heck out of Northern Virginia, and couldn’t wait to graduate. Looking back, I wish I hadn’t been in such a rush to get through it… I wish I had embraced the fun and innocence of high school a bit more. But I learned a lot from those years about the kind of person I no longer wanted to be, and I’d like to think I’m a different person today.

5. Cat person or dog person?
Definitely a dog person. Come on, just look at this face…

6. What’s your favorite city in the world?
That’s so tough. For many reasons, I have to say London. I lived there the summer before my senior year of college and visited again with Jared before we started dating, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.

7. Do you think J.Crew is overrated or the most perfect example of branding ever to exist? (or somewhere in between)
I loooove J. Crew. It’s a never ending source for styling inspiration, and I think they’ve moved into a great space of being trendy and classic all at the same time. If I had an unlimited budget, I’d probably buy the majority of my clothes at J. Crew and Anthro.

8. What app do you use most often?
Facebook… runners up are Pinterest, Huff Post, PopSugar, Words With Friends, and Instagram. I use my iPhone a lot.

9. Are you a Mac or a PC?
Mac! I have to use a PC for work, and it’s okay, but I love love love our MacBook Pro.

10. What movie never fails to make you laugh?
It’s not really a movie, but Louis C.K.’s “Shameless” stand-up special is my go-to when I need a good laugh. It makes me laugh until I cry no matter how many times I watch it.

]]> http://www.madebybird.com/friday-qa/feed/ 0 http://www.madebybird.com/friday-qa/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/madebybird/~3/zZEI856wV9A/ http://www.madebybird.com/cherry-hand-pies/#comments Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:01:25 +0000 allie http://www.madebybird.com/?p=2189