Let's rock

If you’re like me*, you’re in the habit of picking up cool-looking stones every time you go to a beach because your father is a geologist and you’ve been doing it since you were a wee child. Except … I recently found out that not everyone’s dad is a geologist, and most people don’t do this.  Crazy!  But I propose you break away from looking for boring old shells and try something new next time you’re at the shore–then follow a couple of easy steps to make a lovely memento of vacations past.  Stones that looked beautiful at the edge of the waves look a little lackluster when they’re dry, but spraying on a quick clear coat will make them look polished and pretty again!

(*Are you like me? Let’s form a club!)

What you’ll need:
glass containers of various shapes/sizes
pretty beach rocks
spray acrylic or polyurethane, glossy
dust mask (optional)
printable mailing labels (optional)
price tags (also optional)

Before you begin:

You can find all kinds of interesting glass containers at your local thrift store … spice jars, old juice glasses, candle holders, mason jars, etc.  Think creatively! I found a really cool-looking old porch light for $2 that works perfectly for this craft.  You can also find a variety of small jars and bottles at an art or kitchen supply store.

the collection

1. Wash the stones to remove dirt or salt and let dry completely.  Place the stones on a flat piece of cardboard in a well-ventilated area — consider using a mask, because even outside the fumes were a bit strong!  If the rocks are flat, they can be close together, but if they’re chunky spread them apart so you can spray all sides.

Try not to overspray!

2. Spray gloss evenly across the rocks, being careful not to overspray or you’ll end up with some goopy business (official crafting term) around some of the stones. Let dry completely — mine took less than 15 minutes.

waiting to dry

3. Flip over and spray the other side — let dry again.  Once dry, examine each stone to see if you missed any spots and take care of those.

beach in a jar

5. Place in your glass containers and display!  If you’d like, you can add labels … I used a typewriter font on some regular mailing labels, then cut out and attached to some sale tags I picked up at the office supply store.  Attach with string or thin wire.  You could also use those metal-rimmed circular tags that I’m sure have a proper name and just write on them.  Or, if you don’t have small children, you can place some of your prettiest specimens right on your side table, sans container.  However you choose to display them, it’s a nice way to turn a memory into part of your decor!

The Before

Believe it or not, today marks the 10 week countdown on this bun in my oven. As such, we thought it was high time we start pulling together some kind of nest for our little one. Until yesterday the “nursery” was actually just the place where our pugs sleep. But the dogs have been relocated and we set about the transformation from empty bare room to newborn sanctuary. The first step was painting the walls. I’d been obsessing about the idea of one bold striped wall and since it was Mother’s Day weekend, Dave decided to indulge me. Little did he know how time consuming and frustrating it is to stripe walls (I knew, because I’d done it before, but I kept that little secret to myself). Here’s how it all played out.

Notice the Pregnant Chick in the Background

First, the whole family went to Home Depot to pick out paint for the baby’s room. I knew I wanted chocolate brown to play a role since my rocker is chocolate brown. We debated the other two colors for a while and finally settled on dark brown, light brown and orange. I liked the choice because it felt very different than either of the other two boys nurseries.

Tape It Up

Step two was taping the stripes onto the wall. This is a lot harder than it looks because making sure the lines are even all the way across is really tedious. It’s infinitely simpler if you work as a team and stretch one long piece of tape out before attaching it to the wall… though for the super high parts, Dave was on his own. There may or may not have been a few muttered curses during this portion of the painting process.

Taking a Break

I thought this picture was poetic… Dave is taking a break and using the baby swing to hold up his real “baby”. Let’s be honest, he never does any project without the laptop near by so he can check baseball scores.

Ready for Paint

Once all the tape was up, it was on to painting. If you’re going to try this out I suggest doing a lighter coat on bottom and a heavier second coat on top. This will prevent the paint from seeping under the tape.

View from My Seat

I’ll be honest, my main role in all of this painting was as supervisor. I mainly sat on the floor on a large pillow and instructed Dave on which color to use on which line… oh, and I also grew a human during that time period so I guess I wasn’t totally lazy.

Left Out to Dry

After Jackson and Sawyer helped daddy paint the very last stripe we left the room to dry overnight.

The Big Reveal

Dave was SO excited to remove the tape and see if our plan actually worked.

Coming Right Along

I am so happy with how the wall turned out! I think it looks awesome!

It's a Start

Dave finished up my mother’s day by putting together the crib and the changing table and re-installing my rocker into the baby’s room. We still have a lot to do… curtains, bedding, artwork, etc but I think we made pretty significant  strives towards a bedroom for this little guy.

Bite Sized Treat

I’ve had pre-made pie dough in my freezer for months and I keep meaning to use it before it succumbs completely to freezer burn. This weekend I decided it might be a fun little baking project to do with the boys and so we set out to make mini apple pies… I mean, doesn’t everything taste better in miniature? These little treats are beyond easy to achieve (everything is pre-made) and by adding a few simple touches it’ll seem like you slaved for hours to create this little slice of heaven.

The Necessary Ingredients

What You’ll Need

Pre Made Pie Crust – available in the freezer section

1 Can of Pre-Made Apple Pie Filling – you can really use any type of pie filling, apple just sounded good to me

Egg Wash – 1 Part Egg and 1 Part Water Whisked together

Cinnamon and Sugar – for garnish

On a Roll

Preheat Oven to temperature listed on pie crust box. Roll out one of the pie crusts on a hard flat surface.

Cut It Out

Use a small circular cookie cutter, biscuit cutter or even the top of a small glass to cut out circles in the crust.

So Filling

Once you remove your circle of pie crust add a small amount of pie filling to the center of your circle. Be careful not to overfill or it will spill out the sides when you try and close it up.

Close it Up

Add a second crust circle on top of your filling and use your fillings to pinch the edges around the circumference. Next use a fork to seal the edges.

Brush It On

Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and lay down each pie. Use a pastry brush to add the egg wash to each pie (this gives you that golden crust).

Almost Ready

Sprinkle the tops of each pie with a little cinnamon and a little sugar. I used a packet of Sugar in the Raw so the granules would be a little bigger.

Freshly Baked Apple Pie

Pop in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes watching closely. You want to cook them until they’re golden brown and the time will vary with each oven so keep an eye on them.

Thumbs Down

While the pies were cooling Jackson and Sawyer helped me make little gift tags (since I love packaging up my baked goods!). I created a little tag on the computer and then the boys used a red ink pad and their thumb print to add a little color to each apple tag.

Your tags can say just about anything you dream up but I thought these turned out so cute!

Look Ma, No Hands!

We packaged each pie in little cellophane bags and these little red clothes pins helped close the bag and hold the tag in place. They were so simple to make and everyone loved the end result!!

Mommy & Jackson

As most of you know, this weekend is mother’s day which has me thinking about exactly what it means to be a mother. It’s one of those jobs, much like being president or a rodeo clown, that you can’t truly comprehend until you’re in the midst of it. And while I was right about some aspects of motherhood, some parts I couldn’t even have dreamed up before I was living them. The most prominent lately… I never imagined I wouldn’t be my kids favorite.

Mommy & Sawyer

It’s sort of a hard, sad fact to type out, but it’s the truth. My boys love me completely, but I inevitably play a low, second fiddle to their dad. I’m guessing this is a boy thing (I have no other frame of reference) but I didn’t think it was possible for children to worship someone with such a zealot infused passion as they do my husband. Believe me, I get it. Dave helps them build forts and initiates bug hunts that require full camouflage. Just yesterday he spent 2 whole hours helping them catch a lizard they promptly named “Albert”. Once they caught the lizard they built him a house and tried to feed him small bugs before letting him go in a “Lizard Release Ceremony” that involved lighting small torches… I am not making this up! I guess that’s the problem too, I couldn’t even make this up. I want to bake cookies, or paint pictures, or read them stories and also, I think lizards are disgusting! I don’t think like a boy and so it doesn’t occur to me that none of mommy’s favorite activities are that enticing when placed alongside daddy who is, let’s be honest, just a really tall 10 year old.

Mommy is the one who makes them brush their teeth and take their vitamins. Mommy is the one who shuts the TV off, or refuses to let them mess with the Ipad when they should be outside playing. Mommy is the one abhors candy or sugar of any kind after 3pm. Mommy is the one who makes them do chores on Saturdays and insists on the “yes ma’ams” and “no sirs”. I’m the disciplinarian, the custodian and the nutritionist and none of those things rank anywhere near the awesomeness that is daddy.

I Love This Picture... it's the Moment I Became a Mommy

Don’t get me wrong, I am so thankful that I’m married to such a great father. I just sort of imagined the blind adoration might swing both ways. I mean, I did carry both of these children in my body for 80 weeks total and got them into the world through a combined 74 hours of labor. But I’m not bitter or anything.

With My Babies

For what it’s worth, a couple of weeks ago Dave woke me up at 2 or 3 in the morning. Unbeknownst to me, Jackson had woken up daddy because he had a bloody nose and Dave wasn’t able to make the bloody nose stop. He yelled down to me desperate for help and I could hear the utter panic in his voice. I slowly waddled my pregnant belly up the stairs and straight into the boys bathroom which now resembled a triage unit. Blood was everywhere. Jackson was bent crying over the toilet letting this blood fall into bowl because Dave couldn’t think of what else to do. “I can’t make it stop, he’s lost so much blood!!” he whined and I could tell he was on the verge of asking if we should call 911 or rush Jackson to the ER. I calmly got some tissue and asked Jackson to blow his nose really hard (which most mommys know will help close up the capillaries). Next I got a cold wash cloth and had Jackson hold it on the bridge of his nose… within a minute, all bleeding had ceased. I cleaned up the bloody bathroom and then headed back down to sleep. As I walked back to my bedroom it occurred to me, that’s why I’m here. I don’t play the coolest games or secretly slip the boys Sprite and so I’m never going to win out the parent popularity contest. But if it wasn’t for me no one would know how to stop a bloody nose or where we store Neosporin. No one would ever make dentist appointments or remember the cupcakes for the class party and dinner would come from a drive through five nights a week (the other two nights would be cereal). I realized that while I’m not most popular, but I might just be MVP. And so I’m hoping that even though they don’t appreciate it now, someday these boys, who I’m working so hard to turn into good men will look back and appreciate their mom and realize that even though I didn’t like lizards, I was pretty awesome too.

Something Fishy

I should start by pointing out that I’m not even a big salmon fan. I know it’s a great source of omega 3 etc, etc but it’s just typically a bit too pungent for my tastes. This preparation however, is out of this world! Since you marinate the fish in soy and ginger it’s got a great tang and as it cooks atop the cedar plank it’s infused with those woodsy flavors as well. It all culminates in an exceptional thing to grill at your next cookout!

Here’s What You’ll Need

1 lb salmon filet – mine had the skin on one side

1/4 Cup of Soy Sauce

1/8 Cup of White Wine Vinegar or Rice Wine Vinegar

1 Tbls of Chopped Fresh Ginger

Sea Salt

1 Cedar Plank for grilling – look for these in the grill section of your grocery store or near the seafood

Going for a Swim

First you’ll need to submerge your cedar plank in water for at least an hour prior to grilling… this will help prevent the wood from catching on fire.

Marinade

Next prepare your marinade by combining soy sauce, vinegar and ginger and mixing well in a small bowl.

Fish in a Bag

Now put your salmon in a large ziploc bag (my favorite for marinading anything!).

Pour marinade over the top of your salmon, zip the bag, then place in the refrigerator (skin side up) for at least an hour. I chill the fish skin side up because the marinade will pool on the bottom of the bag and this way it will absorb right into your fish.

Ready to Grill

When you’re ready to cook heat the grill to medium. Remove fish from marinade and place it on your soaked cedar plank skin side down. Sprinkle the fish with a little sea salt and you’re ready to go!

I'm Just Grill in the World

Place plank on grates and close the lid cooking for about 20 minutes or until fish is cooked through and opaque. Be sure and check on your fish every 5-7 minutes because it’s easy to overcook fish (disaster) and also fairly easy for the wood to start to burn (just keep a skirt bottle of water handy to douse if necessary).

Dinner is Seved

I served this fish with Red Potatoes and Fresh Dill and a Balsamic Broccoli Salad and it made for the loveliest Sunday supper we’ve had in ages. I think you’ll really enjoy this one!

Makin' Whoopie

I will admit it. I have been known to pay a pretty penny for random desserts that I dream about. There is a certain dessert company that sells it’s goods in cafe’s across town. They have a whoopie pie to die for with a splash of cinnamon and brown sugar. After paying almost $4 for one a week ago I decided that I would figure out how to make this recipe myself. When I say “figure out” I mean I have the excuse to buy a dessert and savor every bite as I determine what-the-what is in this thing. I think I have done a pretty good job with this one and made it extra easy to recreate since I started with a boxed cake mix. Get ready to have a new sweet addiction…as if you needed one.

We're Red-y

Here’s what you will need…

1 Red Velvet  Boxed Cake Mix

3 Eggs

1/2 Cup Canola Oil

1/2 Water

Cream Cheese Frosting – get the recipe by clicking HERE

Topping:

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Start by pre-heating your oven to 350 degrees. Next, beat together cake mix,oil,water and eggs until lump free per the package instructions

Scoop a Doop

On a cookie sheet with baking spray, scoop the mix out with a cookie or ice cream scoop onto the sheet.

*Mixture will double in size by the time they are baked so maybe do a little smaller than you think you should

Where My Pie?

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Oven temperatures will vary.

Where's the Cinnamon, Sugar?

While pies are cooling, in a separate bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon.

Make Cream Cheese frosting and set aside.

Stuck In the Middle

When pies have cooled,spread frosting on the bottom side of one pie.You will want to match similar sizes of the pies before you frost them.

Top it Off

Place the other pie on top of the other frosted pie.

Spoon Full of Sugar

Place a dab of Cream Cheese Frosting on top of the cookie and sprinkle the brown sugar mixture on said dab. Yes,it’s that easy.

One Just For Me

Be sure and store these in the fridge (since you’ve got cream cheese in the filling)… that’s assuming you don’t eat all of them before they even cool off. Enjoy!

Bon Appetit!

Just Enough for Me

Homemade Mac n’ Cheese was something I started perfecting a long time ago and while my favorite kind is this classic recipe it’s fun to experiment with ingredients, and see what you come up with. I mean, come on, it’s pretty hard to do noodles with butter and melted cheese the “wrong way”. For a recent dinner I tried adding green chili and bacon and it was so darn delicious it made break out in a light sweat. If you’re a fan of a little southwestern flare, I can’t recommend this highly enough!

Boil Over

What You’ll Need

3 Tbls of Salted Butter – plus more for greasing the pan

3 Tbls Flour

1 1/2 Cups of Milk – heat milk in the microwave for 30 seconds before adding to sauce

Salt

Fresh Pepper

1 Cup of Sharp Grated Cheddar – plus more for the top

1 Cup of Monterey Jack

1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

9 Oz of pasta – try macaroni, rigatoni, penne, anything that will hold a sauce well

4 Oz can of Diced Green Chili

1 Package of Bacon – Diced and Cooked

Roux La La

Boil noodles until al dente, remove from water and drain while running cold water over the top (this will cause them to stop cooking). Set to the side. Set oven to 350 and start to make your cheese sauce.

To make the cheese sauce melt the butter in a saucepan, and stir in flour and cook while stirring continuously. It will turn into a paste and start to bubble (but don’t let it brown) it should take about 2 minutes. Add in the warm milk and continue to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring to boil and add salt and pepper to taste and then reduce heat to low.

Next add cheddar and monterey jack to your sauce

You're So Cheesy

Stir well allowing cheese to melt completely.

Green With Envy

Add in green chili (juice and all) and blend well

Bacon Me

Add in 2/3 of your cooked bacon (the rest will be on top) and mix together well. Now is a great time to taste test this cheese sauce. Make sure you’ve got enough salt, pepper and cayenne before you move on.

Butter Me Up

Lower heat on your cheese sauce all the way down. Next prep your baking dish by generously coating with butter.

Almost There

Add noodles to the baking dish and pour sauce over the top, mix together with a spoon.

A Little More Cheese Please

Add more cheddar, a bit more pepper and the rest of your bacon to the dish then pop in the oven to bake until everything is melted and delicious (about 20 minutes).

Return of the Mac

I’d suggest serving this along side some Buttermilk Fried Chicken and a Ranch House Salad to get the full affect of southern comfort.

Easy Peasy Side Dish

This is one of those side dishes you can whip together in a few minutes, add it alongside some kind of protein and call it dinnertime! It’s not cuisine or rocket science, but it’s fairly healthy and everyone at our table is a big fan.

The Major Players

Here’s What You’ll Need

1 Head of Fresh Broccoli – cleaned and cut into florets

1  Package of Grape Tomatoes

1 Container of Mozzarella Balls

Italian Dressing – I prefer Kraft’s Zesty Italian

Slivered Almonds – I’m a HUGE fan of Almond Accents, for this recipe I used the garlic slivered almonds but just about any of their options will enhance the dish

Fresh Black Pepper

Adding the Ingredients

Topping It Off

Add all the ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well… when it comes to dressing and almonds the amount you use is a matter of taste but it’s pretty hard to get it wrong.

All Together Now

Once combined, keep chilled in the fridge until ready to serve… this is also a great salad you could make a big batch of at the beginning of the week and then eat it throughout the week, it keeps really well.

For Lunch or Dinner

See Food

I’ve hit a weird point in my pregnancy, for some reason chicken (my favorite protein) is really grossing me out and seafood (something I rarely use) just sounds delicious. Since I can only really be counted on for maybe one homemade dinner a week right now I usually pick some kind of seafood to play around with. Last week I tried my hand at shrimp scampi and it turned out great. Dave was a huge fan of the light sauce and I even got Jackson to try shrimp by telling him it was chicken… he called my bluff while chewing but at least he tried something new. This dish is fairly easy to pull off, and if you’ve never cooked shrimp before, don’t worry, I’ll walk you through it.

Double Checking the Shrimp

Here’s What You’ll Need

1 Pound of Shrimp – shelled and deveined

1/2 Cup of Dry White Wine – I used Sauvignon Blanc

3 Tbls of Butter – I prefer salted

2 Tbls of Minced Garlic

2 Tbls of Chopped Shallot

1 Tbls of Capers – rinsed

1/2 Lemon – just the juice

1/4 Tsp of Lemon Zest

2 Tbls of Italian Parsley – cleaned and chopped

Kosher Salt and Fresh Black Pepper

1 Package of Whole Wheat Linguine – you can use regular too, I just prefer whole wheat

Before you season your shrimp go through each one and make sure none have a shell… sometimes the seafood counter misses a few. Next put on a paper plate and use a paper towel to blot dry, this allows the seasoning to stick better. Generously season both side of the shrimp with salt and pepper.

Cooking Shrimp

Fill a pot with water and bring to boil, once it boils add salt and linguine and cook until the pasta is at your desired texture. While the pasta cooks, put a large skillet on medium heat and add 1 1/2 Tbls of Butter. Allow to melt slightly then add shrimp. Cook shrimp for exactly one minute before adding garlic and shallots and cooking for another minute or two.

Adding the Good Stuff

Shrimp will only need a few minutes to cook and you’ll know they’re done with they’re pink and firm to the touch… don’t over cook them!! Once they’re done, remove from the skillet and place into a bowl and set to the side.

In the same skillet you cooked the shrimp add the wine, the capers, the lemon juice, lemon zest and parsley and cook for a couple of minutes.

Butter Me Up

Add your last 1 1/2 Tbls of Butter to the sauce and mix well… give it a taste, it may need some salt and if it does add it now.

Add the Shrimp

Once sauce is well seasoned and mixed lower heat to low and add shrimp back in mixing all the ingredients together.

Dinners Ready

Place cooked pasta on a platter or in a bowl and pour shrimp scampi over the top. Garnish with a little more kosher salt and fresh pepper and a bit more fresh lemon zest. Enjoy!