Rock Stew

Converting to a Low Carb Diet Slowly

2012-01-27T11:00:00.000-08:00

Awhile back, scientist found that eating sugar is just like snorting cocaine, at least to your brain. It sparks up the same receptors and so going from a freewheeling American diet to a low carb diet is incredibly difficult. Which brings me to my New Year's resolution of losing some weight by going low carb. Going from a carb diet to a low carb diet is incredibly difficult. I do well with

DIY Fancy Lip Balm or Wood Butter

2012-01-25T11:00:00.000-08:00

Before I found this amazing recipe for Wood Butter by Creative Culinary & Bon Appetit Hon made from pure beeswax and mineral oil. I've added Walnut butter to the recipe which allows a natural sheen to cover scratches. Just a bit leery, I made sure this recipe was food safe and yes wood butter is okay. It's also safe on humans and you can just as easily use this as a lip balm (think Burt's

Handwritten Letters from the 90's

2012-01-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

I am obsessed with books and while cleaning out the garage, forcing myself to sell unread & untouched books back to a local second hand book store, I stumbled upon on old box which held all my old notes and letters from the early 90's and earlier. This is almost embarassing. I used to handwrite on paper these letters to people. People used to write me handwritten letters back and send them in

Wedding Cake Designs for my NY Resolutions

2012-01-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

For my New Years Resolutions, I decided that I was going to bake a wedding cake. I've been scouring the Internet and found 21 cakes that I like and I've posted on Pinterest. Below are my favorite seven that I'll eventually be choosing from. ONE Miche Baker Sacred Sweets Large Peony Photo Credit: Miche Baker TWO Martha Stewart Devil's Food Cake w/ Old Fashioned Chocolate Frosting

DIY Monogram Swarovski Pearls in a Frame

2012-01-18T11:03:00.000-08:00

I've been obsessed by Pinterest and also monograms for the past month. So I decided to make baby girl a lovely monogram using Swarovski pearls. I chose the pearls instead of crystals because baby girl was born in June and pearls just happens to be her birth stone. This year, my resolution is to use only things I have in the house or material that is upcycled. Because of my jewelry company

Wear2Learn T-Shirts by Melissa Curtin

2012-01-16T11:00:00.000-08:00

Wear2Learn for adults Melissa Curtin, founder of Wear2Learn is a complex person. She is inspirational as a teacher, friend, and founder of her own business. I met her many many years ago in DC, and found her to be a fun & incredibly positive person with fashion flair. She hasn't lost any of her amazing traits! She ended up moving to LA and is now a part of the Hollywood scene,

Mosaic Greeting Cards in a Frame

2012-01-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

I hate throwing out my greeting cards. Someone actually took the time to find me a sentimental or funny message perfect for a birthday, wedding shower, or baby shower. They get a small reaction, a thank you, and that's pretty much it. If I really like the card, I'll display it for awhile, but then it's in the recycling. I couldn't bear to throw away the cards after my shower, so I made a

Almost Annabelle

2012-01-10T15:30:00.000-08:00

Dear Annabelle, The word "almost" was said in this household approximately 12,842 times along with, "C'mon baby, you can do it!" You are on the cusp of being able to do things like a proper crawl and your feet touching the ground from your jumper. Luckily, we still have time in the "feeding self" category. I am not ready for this yet. Psychologically, it feels like you are already

Post Holiday Green Cleanup Tips

2012-01-06T11:30:00.000-08:00

The hubbub of Christmas and New Years Eve are a fading memory. Throughout the week, I've been slowly getting the kitchen back to a state of cleanliness. The last few years, I've changed my cleaning habits towards the greener side. While I'm no tree hugger, I do love trees! Seriously though, I think it's in our best interest to limit one's exposure to harsh chemicals and use products easier

The Babe's First Real Food

2012-01-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

More Sweet Potatoes Momma Annabelle is growing up so fast already! Last week, my parents were in town for Christmas and I let my Mom be the first one to feed baby her first solid food. The process we used to determine what and how to feed her "first food" was based on her pediatrician and a website Wholesome Homemade Baby Food. In order to make this "doable" for me, it had to be simple

Happy Happy New Years Resolutions 2012

2012-01-02T22:46:00.000-08:00

Resolutions for a new year should be about doing the things you want to do. Accomplishing those things does not mean its always easy though, but in the end worth it. This year, 2012, could be our last according to the Mayan calender which begs the question: If not now then when? I'm a big believer in making dreams come true and accomplishing whatever it is you want to do - no matter how

My Imagined Christmas Dinner

2011-12-28T14:33:00.000-08:00

My Christmas Dinner was planned out in my head weeks in advance. I had gorgeous imagery of a lush cornucopia of traditional delights and some new recipes to try out. Alas, sometimes life does not work out the way we imagine. The first inkling that I would have to give up the dashing dream of a magazine like spread on my dining room table came the night before Christmas. When I put the little

Magazine Christmas Trees

2011-12-21T08:21:00.000-08:00

Christmas is almost here and this craft is incredibly fast and easy! The directions can be found on the Martha Stewart website. Suggested Tips: If you want a full 360 degree tree, use a thick magazine. If you want a half 180 degree tree, which is great for putting on the mantle, or other smaller spaces, use a thinner Catalog.

Martha's Apple Pie

2011-12-19T14:30:00.000-08:00

If you want an easy and delish Apple Pie, this is the recipe. Truth is, I've never been able to make a good pie. The recipes that I've tried were difficult and always yielded crappy & soggy dessert. There was a wistful feeling during the holidays when I'd see others with a great pie crust and a delicious pie. Well, truthfully, I was only a little wistful because I never bothered to ask my

The Decked Halls

2011-12-16T16:12:00.000-08:00

A week before Christmas, I completed all the decorating and cookie baking. Wait just a minute here, those kind of women drive me nutty! The irony here is that I will forget my diaper bag, but somehow I've managed to finish all this crafty crap and baking. It's a good thing because I was getting tired and about to quit. To see pictures --> click The Good Embroidery Hoop Card

Bavarian Christmas Cheer in Washington

2011-12-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

My cousin's son Thomas is in 8th grade chorale group and they were invited to sing holiday songs in Leavenworth, WA. I've been wanting to get up to Leavenworth for some time now, having heard about it's kitschy charm as a Bavarian wonderland where the main street signs all have curly cue font and storefronts are lined with spray painted gingerbread. Saturday morning, I awoke at 5am for no

Feature Crafter: Suzanne Kujat & Dreadlocks Knit Hat

2011-12-12T14:38:00.000-08:00

It was a plain and dreary day in Redmond, WA. I went out to get the mail and there was a package from my Mom. I opened it up to find the most darling Dreadlocks knit hat for Annabelle. The hat is a spray of bright pink and green 'dreadlocks' and Annabelle loves to pull the dreads down to try and eat them in her spare time when listening to Bob Marley with her Mom. Momma Susie bought the

Freaky Holiday! This Christmas I'm possessed by Martha!

2011-12-07T21:39:00.000-08:00

What the hell has happened to me? Did having a baby change my genetic structure and now I love to cook and craft? Actually, I do like making things and even started a jewelry company, made a few mosaics, and I did finish the blocks for my wedding quilt. On the other hand, when I was single, my friend Kevin D was (and still is) a foodie so he was having the fabulous dinner parties and I

Annabelle My Funny Valentine

2011-12-05T10:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Annabelle, On December 2nd, you turned 24 weeks old. What a journey we've had so far filled with lots of life changing realities. Some of the changes have been both physically and mentally difficult indeed, as Baby Makes 3, but watching you grow into who you are is newly exciting and yet uncannily familiar. The first personality trait I noticed was your desire to see the world. A few

Thanksgiving: The Nostalgia of DC

2011-12-02T10:30:00.000-08:00

Every single time I fly into National Airport, I get the biggest smile when I see the Capital building and the Washington Monument in the cityscape that is DC. This town is where I came of age, as Bill says. As we are getting off the plane and I have Annabelle in my arms, I flashback to some old memories. I'm in my late 20's and flying back from NYC after a long workweek. I was a helluva lot

Thanksgiving: Start Your Holiday Engines

2011-11-30T09:16:00.001-08:00

Turkey Faces This year, we spent our Thanksgiving in Washington DC with Bill's sister Melanie and her hubby Bill along with her 3 fantastic kids Wade, Dale, and Anson. She was a wonderful host and made, ahem, some delish Turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. I helped this year by making some sweet potatoes and apple pie. I gained at least 3 pounds that day but since I'm wearing mommy stretch

Brussel Sprouts Roasted in Coconut Oil

2011-11-28T17:44:00.000-08:00

Brussel Sprouts Roasted in Coconut Oil Every two weeks, a box of fresh, local, and organic vegetables arrives on my doorstep from Full Circle Farms. Inside, I found Brussels Sprouts. I've always thought they were disgusting. Boiled, they taste like glue. Bill on the other hand, lets his southern roots shine with his love of sprouts. So began my quest to find a way to make them palatable.

Flank Steak Roll w/ Spinich

2011-11-18T21:36:00.001-08:00

On a quest to eat better, or I should say "cleaner", I've been digging through recipes I found on this awesome website - Clean Eating Magazine. Although Bill usually goes back for seconds, he went back raving this was a gourmet meal and it was so good that I had to make it again. I paired this with Brussels Sprouts Roasted in Coconut Oil. For those of you who can't stand Brussels Sprouts (

Ponderosa Pine Cone Wreath

2011-11-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

This is a gorgeous wreath I found in the Great American Wreaths: The Best of Martha Stewart Living collection based on the Montana Ponderosa Pine Cone wreath. This wreath is an easy project that took about 3 hours. In the book, she recommended reshaping the wire wreath into teardrop shape - these directions don't have that added step. I would recommend this for older kids maybe

Christening the Babe

2011-11-11T13:27:00.001-08:00

I don't know if you are anything like me when it comes to the topic of religion. It's complicated. I wish it could be easy and for some people it seems very easy - at least they make it look easy. Not so for me. I'm having trouble even knowing where to begin with this post. When we decided to have Annabelle christened, I made the decision with a full bouquet of my personal doubt of