The Thinking Blonde

Recipe: Golden Oatmeal Pancakes

2012-01-22T21:30:00.000-08:00

These tasty oatmeal pancakes may sound heavy, simply by knowing oatmeal is a main ingredient, but in fact, their texture is actually fluffy with a nice crisp on the edges. Easy to make and healthy eating friendly, try a batch this week with fresh fruit.

Golden Oatmeal Pancakes
(adapted from Cooking Light)

What you need:
1/4 c. flour
1 c. quick cooking oats
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 c. nonfat milk
1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar
1 large egg
2 tbsp butter, melted
cooking spray

What to do:
1. Measure the milk and add the lemon juice or vinegar and allow to sit. (You can use non-fat buttermilk also, but I found it nearly impossible to find, and this works just as well)
2. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Add the egg to the milk mixture and stir with a fork. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter while stirring.
4. Add the milk mixture to the dry mixture and stir until combined.
5. Heat a non-stick griddle to medium heat, spray with cooking spray. Drop batter by scant 1/4 cupfulls.
6. Allow 1-2 minutes, then flip, cook for 1-2 more minutes.
7. Serve hot with fresh fruit or butter and syrup.

*For me, this recipe makes 11-12 smaller pancakes, you may wish to double depending on your family's size.

Weekend DIY: Striped Entry Wall

2012-01-09T00:10:00.000-08:00

After being inspired by photos of walls with wide stripes in neutral colors on Pinterest, I decided to try my hand at painting stripes in my own home on the wall that goes along the entry from our front door.
I'm pleased with the end result, and the project was a relatively easy undertaking, so I thought I'd share with you my step-by-step process in case you're lusting after the striped look as well.

If your wall is not already one of the stripe colors you are wanting, you'll want to paint the entire wall one of the desired shades first, and allow at least a day for that paint to thoroughly dry.

To begin the striping process, you'll want to make markings that will help you tape off the borders of your stripes. For my wall, I decided to make stripes that were one foot wide. Using a ruler (or in my case, a foot long piece of cardboard, because for the life of me, I couldn't find our ruler) beginning at the ceiling, and working your way across the wall, make small, LIGHT pencil marks one foot below where the ceiling meets the wall every foot or so.

Next, using a wide painter's tape, beginning at one side of the wall, lightly place a strip of tape across the wall, keeping the marks all at the top edge of the strip of tape. Check to ensure the tape is level a few times as you're placing it. Once the tape is level, press it firmly onto the wall, going over it a few times with your hand or a flat object (such as a book or the edge of your ruler) to ensure your painted lines will have crisp edges and not appear drippy.

Repeat this process again, this time measuring from your previously placed piece of tape rather than the ceiling. Repeat until all of the wall is taped off for striping as desired.

Using a roller, paint two coats of paint between the taped lines (allowing the paint to dry to the touch between coats one and two). Paint only every other section that you've taped off. You may wish to label the ones to paint lightly in pencil before you begin painting so you don't accidentally forget to skip sections. Use a brush to paint along the ceiling and near wall edges.

Allow paint to dry to the touch before removing tape. This is the hardest part if you're impatient like I am! I was dying to see the end result. Complete the project by gently erasing any visible pencil marks.

Here is my entry wall before:

And after:

Supplies used:
-Paint (Behr Swiss Coffee)
-Angled paint brush
-Paint roller
-Paint tray
-Wide painter's tape
-Ruler (or 12 inch piece of cardboard!)
-Pencil
-Level
-White eraser
Total hands-on time required:
2.5 hours

Idea inspired by this pin:

Found here

This post has been linked up at Mrs Priss' Pinterest Partayy!

Five Faves: Winter Beauty Edition

2012-01-05T10:35:00.000-08:00

Ah, winter. That lovely time of year in which our skin becomes dry, our hair static filled and our warm weather complexion is replaced with a ghostly pallor. Assuming I'm not the only one plagued by the winter beauty blahs, I have for you Five Faves sure to perk up your pretty face.

Fave #1: Two-Faced Cosmetics Absolutely Invisible Candlelight Highlighter
This gorgeous pale gold-pink powder promises to bring the look of flattering candlelight to the face, and in my opinion, it delivers. Looking at photos from before I started using Candlelight and then after, my skin appears to be glowing and even, without looking pale or cakey. There is a slight shimmer to this highlighter, but it's SO subtle it's completely wearable as an everyday product. Though it retails for $27.00, I was able to purchase it on Ebay for about half the price and with free shipping- so it's definitely worth searching there first.

Fave #2: Freeman's Pineapple Facial Enzyme Mask
This budget friendly mask does wonders for the face. Concerned with some clogged pores and an overall tired look, I set out to find a gentle but exfoliating mask at a fair price and was very pleased with this super inexpensive powerhouse. For less than $2 (trial size, good for at least 3 uses) I was able to slough off the old and reveal the new skin beneath and everything I put on my face seemed to go on smoother after using this product even after just one use. Available at Wal-Mart ($1.87) in the cosmetics department or online, full sized for just $3.99 here.

Fave #3: Bath and Body Works Body Wash in Dark Kiss
Ok, so I know I said faves for your face, but I couldn't resist including this one body product, mainly because the smell is SO nice, that even my husband, who rarely comments on fragrances, came into the bathroom after I'd showered and said "Wow, what smells so good?" Since I already liked Bath & Body Works shower gels (despite having sensitive skin, their fragranced shower gels don't typically seem to irritate me) but this was a new scent to me, AND husband approved, I figured it was worth a share. The shower gel runs $10.50 at retail price, but with frequent in store sales, it's pretty rare to have to pay full price.

Fave #4: MAC Cosmetics Paint Pot in Bare Study
Ok, now I'm going to make a comment here, and I'm just going to say it ONE time, but for the record- I HATE that MAC is "MAC Cosmetics" because it's like saying you're going to the "ATM Machine"- the M stands for MACHINE so you don't have to say MACHINE twice. The C stands for COSMETICS- but anyway, I digress. Despite my dislike of their full company name (and website name!) I LOVE their products, and I'm sure this will not be the last you see of MAC products in my posts (Hi, I'm Natali, and I'm a MAC-a-holic). The MAC product I'm loving this winter is their Paint Pot (a creamy eyeshadow that doubles as a color enhancing eye shadow base) in the shade "Bare Study" - a shimmery pale pink that goes well under most lighter shadows, especially those with a little frost to them, or can be worn by itself. The great thing about Paint Pots (in any shade) is that when worn under eyeshadow, they really lock your pigment in place and your look stays all day. MAC Paint Pots run $17.50 (but will last a VERY long time) and are available at MAC stores/counters or online, here.

Fave #5: Urban Decay's NAKED2 Eyeshadow Palette
What can I say, I saved the best for last. This palette, the sequel to Urban Decay's extremely popular original NAKED palette, like it's predecessor, is filled with absolutely gorgeous, wearable colors that are truly universally flattering. Honestly, you can not go wrong with this palette- all of the colors compliment one another, are long wearing and highly pigmented. It's $50 price tag may seem a bit hefty, however, the NAKED palettes include 12 full-sized shadows, a full-sized dual ended brush with natural fibers, an eyeliner and trial sized lipgloss. If sold separately, at Urban Decay's regular retail prices, you're actually looking at a total of over $250! (Individual eye shadows alone retail for $17) After having owned the original NAKED palette for a year now, and having not even made much of a dent in the product, despite near daily use (thanks to the high level of pigmentation, you don't have to dig into the shadow to get a lot of color output), I feel confident I will get YEARS of use out of the two palettes and I think they are a GREAT buy. They're worth it. Honest. NAKED2 is currently out of stock, and at this time is only available directly through Urban Decay's website. To sign up for an email alert when additional product becomes available (this happened with the first palette as well, don't worry, they'll become available again soon) click here.

A fresh year with new goals.

2012-01-02T16:54:00.000-08:00

That's right, I said goals. Not resolutions. Nope. Not me, I am not making those things this year! Committing to something for an entire year is HARD. Really hard. And last year taught me, kind of unrealistic.

My resolutions from last year:

1. Lose weight, get healthy: Well, I did do pretty well in this area for the first half of the year, but after the car accident in August, and being banned from exercise, well, it got ugly and wallow-y quick. FAIL.

2. Improve my home: I guess I succeeded? We up and moved to a home that suits our needs and lifestyle 1,000 times better after I improved 1.5 rooms. Hmmm, success, with a little dash of fail ;-)

3. Improve my blog content: I'd like to think that in fact, I did succeed in this area. The increase in traffic appears to prove I must be at least a little bit right. I don't claim to be the best blogger by any means, but I'm proud of the work I've put into this lil' site over the past year especially and feel I was able to branch out beyond the typical fodder of previous years. Win.

This year:

Wait, were you expecting my resolutions here? I told you, no resolutions! Ah, but GOALS, goals yes.

Last year, social media guru, DJ Waldow, launched a web-wide challenge to commit to exercise (specifically push ups and sit ups or some other simple routine of your choosing) for 28 days. He did this as a personal challenge to himself as well, and said the words "28 days? I can do anything for 28 days." I nodded in silent agreement while reading that statement, and jumped on board his challenge, and successfully completed it too. So based on that success, and my full agreement with the statement "I can do anything for 28 days" and the simple knowledge that in general, most of us are more successful when we break goals down into manageable chunks, I've decided to set goals 28 days at a time. Or rather, one month at a time, because it's a little easier to track and transition that way.

So, without further adieu, my goals for the month of January are:

Welcome 2012!

2012-01-01T11:59:00.000-08:00

Hello dear reader! I hope that you've enjoyed a wonderful holiday season with family and friends and furry friends too! I am so grateful to have had 11 days off of work to recharge and enjoy the holidays with my favorite people, so I hope you don't mind it having been a bit slow here.

As we move into this bright, fresh new year, here are a few photos of my favorite holiday season moments:

Making Spiderman cookies

Bowling with munchkins

Cowboy Christmas with the fam

Friendsmus!

Friendsmus gift exchange

Wishing you a wonderful, healthy and prosperous 2012!

My favorite new holiday tradition: synced light tour!

2011-12-19T22:13:00.000-08:00

Last year, the FresnoBeehive posted about several houses that locally did a full synced lights and music holiday display, simply for others to enjoy and we set out to check it out. So glad that we did! What a cool thing to take in! We have a couple of lighted streets in which hundred of cars come through on a nightly basis throughout the month of December to see the elaborate light displays, but the traffic in those areas can be horrible, and stomp out your holiday joy if you're not feeling like sucking exhaust and idling for at least an hour. But the synced light house tour, as dubbed by the Beehive's Mike Oz is just pure awesomeness. No lines, no waiting, just park, dial in your radio and enjoy.

For those of you in the area, check out the tour for yourself- (it's not really a "tour" per se, but if you drive to each house, it becomes one). This year we hit three of the houses, one of them was a new one this year, and they did a darn good job too. Unfortunately, the warm cozy car and the little distance between house two and three knocked kiddo right out and he missed the third house. But he sure enjoyed the first two!

Post tour garage photo: Can you spot the sleeping child?

Click here for locations along the "synced-light DIY tour".

For a sneak peek at one of the houses, check out the video we took below (forgive the video quality, we used to have an actual video camera, but it decided functioning was difficult and stopped doing that) the videos were taken with my regular camera.

Recipe: Warm up with a bowl of Tortellini Soup

2011-12-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

This recipe, inspired by the amazing Gina of SkinnyTaste.com (the BEST Weight Watcher friendly recipe site I've found, filled with delicious meal ideas that will satisfy everyone in your family whether they're needing to watch their weight or not) was wonderful on a very chilly day. The hubs even had three servings, which is pretty much his highest approval rating. Make some this week and kick Jack Frost out of your kitchen!

Tortellini Soup (serves 4)
(modified from Spinach Tortellini en Brodo)

What you need:
2 tsp butter
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled & chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 small Parmigiano Reggiano Rind (optional)
9 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini (I used Buitoni)
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper (add more to taste)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
salt to taste
Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the celery, onion and carrot. Continue to cook until vegetable begin to soften, stirring occasionally (8-10 minutes).

2. Add the chicken broth, water and rind (if using) and bring to a boil. When broth boils, add seasonings and stir. Add tortellini, then lower heat to medium-low. Simmer until tortellini is tender and cooked.

3. Once cooked, remove the rind, ladle into bowls and top with cheese and pepper (if desired) to serve.
Enjoy!

21 Questions with Keegan Part II

2011-12-13T14:59:00.000-08:00

In case you missed part one of this post, Keegan talks about (and sometimes smack on) Mommy here.

Keegan answers 21 questions about Daddy:

1. What does Daddy always say to you?
K: Eat your food.

2. What makes Daddy happy?
K: When I make up funny names.

3. What makes Daddy sad?
K: When I don’t do things right.

4. How does Daddy make you laugh?
K: When we play fight.

5. What was Daddy like as a child?
K: Like me!

6. How old is Daddy?
K: 30.

7. How tall is Daddy?
K: 65 feet.

8. What is Daddy's favorite thing to do?
K: Play with me of course!

9. What does Daddy do when you're not around?
K: He just waits, and waits, and waits.

10. If Daddy becomes famous what would it be for?
K: Oooh! The dinosaurs! The T-Rex.

11. What is Daddy really good at?
K: Building stuff.

12. What is Daddy not good at?
K: Building cars.

13. What does Daddy do for his job?
K: Plays around on a computer.

14. What is Daddy's favorite food?
K: Pizza. Enchiladas.

15. What makes you proud of Daddy?
K: When he gets me new Spiderman toys.

16. If Daddy were a cartoon character, who would he be?
K: Spiderman!

17. What do you and Daddy do together?
K: Play with cars. Duh.

18. How are you and Daddy the same?
K: Daddy has spiked hair, and I had spiked hair before.

19. How are you and Daddy different?
K: Daddy’s bigger and I’m shorter. Look. Standup!

20. How do you know Daddy loves you?
K: Cause he has a heart!!

21. Where is Daddy's favorite place to go?
K: Dutch Brothers.

21 Questions with Keegan

2011-12-12T21:25:00.000-08:00

I saw a this list of questions on Pinterest and figured Keegan's answers might be at least mildly entertaining. Thanks to Hey, ho KellyGo for the list of questions and he entertainment! (Below are Keegan's responses about Mommy. Tomorrow I'll post his responses about Daddy- try these with your own little ones and see what they really think!)

1. What does Mommy always say to you?
K: I love you.

2. What makes Mommy happy?
K: When I make good choices.

3. What makes Mommy sad?
K: When I don't do what you ask me to.

4. How does Mommy make you laugh?
K: When you make silly faces!

5. What was Mommy like as a child?
K: She used to play with dolls all day long!

6. How old is Mommy?
K: 16! No. 30. And a half.

7. How tall is Mommy?
K: Seven.

8. What is Mommy's favorite thing to do?
K: Just hang around.

9. What does Mommy do when you're not around?
K: She does her work all the time.

10. If Mommy becomes famous what would it be for?
K: Flowers. And butterflies. And dolls. Girl stuff.

11. What is Mommy really good at?
K: Saying she's gonna spank my bottom. (Liar! Kids been spanked MAYBE four times ever, little rascal!)

12. What is Mommy not good at?
K: Spanking my face. She doesn't do that at all. (Uh, nope. Don't plan to! lol)

13. What does Mommy do for her job?
K: I don't know.

14. What is Mommy's favorite food?
K: Every food she makes. And enchiladas.

15. What makes you proud of Mommy?
K: When she does what I say. (!!!)

16. If Mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be?
K: Spiderwoman!

17. What do you and Mommy do together?
K: Splash each other in the pool sometimes. (Interesting answer, since we've only had a pool since Sept 18, and swam together all of one time before it got cold!)

18. How are you and Mommy the same?
K: We're not the same.

19. How are you and Mommy different?
K: I have flat hair and you have crazy hair!

20. How do you know Mommy loves you?
K: Cause I love her!

21. Where is Mommy's favorite place to go?
K: Pizza shopping! Wait, I'm just kidding. It's Target. Duh.

Cell Phone Camera Vomit Time!

2011-12-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

It's time again for me to share with you a few ridiculous or hopefully somewhat amusing photos taken with my trusty friend, phone.

This first photo was taken at Joann's when I was looking for Halloween decor. Now I know some people tend to attempt to speak "Spanglish" by adding an 'o' to the end of words and pretending it's Spanish (I assure you, 99% of the time it's not, sorry! ;-)) but I'm pretty sure the word they needed here was Bienvenido. Or, you know, Welcome.

Yes, I did totally take a bathroom self portrait. Why? Because it was haircut day, which means my awesome hair girl cut really nice layers into my hair and styled it nice. Annnnnd I knew darn well my ability to duplicate said style after washing my hair myself would be nonexistent. (I was right. But now you know what my hair is supposed to look like!)

This photo. Oh this photo just makes my stomach knot up. I believe I'd worked a 15 hour day the night that picture was taken. It was part of a week filled with insanely long and stressful workdays. And then, as I got up to finally try to get some sleep, I managed to spill my coffee (decaf) on my stack of finally organized and perfectly complete papers. Thank God for the manila envelope! Sigh.

Now THIS is particularly awesome, because you see, this warning label is attached to the cord of my professional quality curling iron. The one I bought because it heats up to 410 degrees. I'm pretty sure it could burn ANY freaking body part it unfortunately comes in contact with! But hey, I know for sure it'd burn my EYE.

After Thanksgiving, the hubby and I had a very unfortunately conversation that including googling such things as "What is my BMI" and utilizing calculators. People. Do NOT do this the day after Thanksgiving! I mean seriously! BAD idea. So, when I went to meal plan for the upcoming week, hubs brought me my meal board and explained he'd taken care of it and his meals were in line with our necessary dieting. Anyone hungry for Wednesday's meal? Mmmmmmmmmnotsomuch.

This final picture is of a sign I saw at the local Childrens' Hospital, in the parking lot, placed just ahead of a curb. And while I appreciate a conscientious warning I've certainly never seen such a sign warning me of a curb before, so I had to kind of laugh to myself about it. And of course, snap a pic. But then, upon further reflection, I realize to properly prepare me for everything my klutzy self is like to trip over, there'd need to be a sign anywhere the ground is not entirely flat and potentially one simply at the toes of my shoes. It's not easy being a klutz I tell ya!

The BEST White Chicken Enchiladas Ever. (Lightened up)

2011-11-30T17:27:00.001-08:00

A long time ago, prior to meeting my dear hubby, I dated a nice guy for a few years. His mom was a wonderful cook. In fact, I really think I learned a lot about cooking from her and her family. One of the things his mother used to make for us, were white chicken enchiladas, and they were one of the BEST things I ever ate. Obviously, as time went on, and the boyfriend and I eventually went our separate ways, I no longer got to enjoy his mom's enchiladas, but let me tell you I have been trying to duplicate the recipe ever since! Well, last night, I tried a recipe I found on Pinterest pinned from Joyful Momma's Kitchen and oh my goodness it is EXACTLY what I was looking for! In fact, they were so good, the hubs even had three helpings and he is NOT really an enchilada fan! (Score!!! I happen to love enchiladas.)

And so, I feel I must share with you, the recipe I will gladly call the "Best White Chicken Enchiladas Ever" courtesy of the lovely Joyful Momma. Please stop by her site and check out some of her other recipes! Below is the recipe, as I made it, slightly lightened up (fat-content wise) and utilizing the crock pot to prep the chicken.

The Best White Chicken Enchiladas Ever
(as adapted from Joyful Momma's recipe)

What you need:
1 lb chicken breasts
1 c. chicken broth
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
---
10 soft taco size flour tortillas
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
2 c. chicken broth
1 can (4 oz. size) of diced green chiles
2 c. reduced fat cheddar & jack cheese, shredded
1 c. light sour cream

What to do:
1. Around lunch time, place the chicken, broth and spices in the crockpot on low. Cook until 40 minutes prior to the time you want to eat dinner. Shred the chicken with two forks.
2. Combine 1/2 of the cheese with the chicken, and roll into the ten tortillas, placing in a 13 by 9 inch pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Melt the butter over medium heat, then add the flour, whisking constantly, cooking for one minute. Then, add the broth and stir until a well blended, thickened sauce forms.
4. Heat the sauce until it begins to bubble, then add the green chiles.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream. Once melted and well mixed, pour sour cream sauce over rolled tortillas.
6. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the enchiladas and bake for 22 minutes. Broil three additional minutes to melt and bubble the cheese.

Enjoy!

My Favorite Pancake Recipe

2011-11-27T08:11:00.001-08:00

These pancakes are so tasty! Tender, not too fluffy, and melt in your mouth delicious.

My Favorite Pancakes
(Adapted from the pancake recipe from Martha Stewart's Bacon Pancakes)

What you need:
1 1/4 c. butter milk (or just add 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 1/4 c. milk)
2 tbsp melted butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (I love the paste!)
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar

What to do:
1. If using the "make your own buttermilk" method, do that step first, and allow to set while you combine all dry ingredients in one bowl.
2. Once dry ingredients are combined, add all liquid ingredients to the buttermilk (I like to make the buttermilk in a 2 cup measuring cup to make this step easy) and whisk until smooth.
3. Add liquid ingredients to dry and whisk until smooth.
4. Butter a large skillet or griddle and heat to medium heat.
5. Pour pancake batter onto grill 1/4 cup at a time. When the pancakes bubble (about 2 minutes) flip and cook for 2 more minutes or until done.
6. Top with butter and syrup and enjoy! Serve hot.

Thanksgiving 2011 Recap

2011-11-25T16:58:00.001-08:00

Still stuffed today from all the amazing food! (Ok, and I may have eaten leftovers today, but it'd be wrong not to, right?) I spend most of Wednesday afternoon and evening cooking away for Thursday's feast, and the ahead of time prep was definitely essential to the success of my dishes. I was so happy with how everything came out, even the stuffing (I'd never before eaten or made stuffing, weird, I know). I love cooking so much! It's so fun to take ingredients, intermingle them just so, and make something entirely new- it's kind of a form of magic if you ask me.

Here's a little photo re-cap of our Thanksgiving day, I hope yours was lovely!

My 2011 Thanksgiving Menu

2011-11-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

Confession: I am insanely excited about the food I'm going to be enjoying with some of my favorite people this Thanksgiving. I'm pretty sure I'm going to drool just writing this post, so I'm going to lean back from the keyboard, for safety's sake.

Here's what I'm planning on cooking up for this year's family feast:

The Humble Gourmand's Bacon-Wrapped Turkey (version 2) That's right, I said BACON wrapped turkey.

The Pioneer Woman's "Fancy Macaroni" Sweet mercy- bacon, 4 kinds of cheese and pasta- I really could eat JUST this. (I made this for the first time last Thanksgiving, and it was a smashing hit with the fam, so it's back for this year's menu)

Dave Lieberman's Sourdough Stuffing (though I'm subbing marinated artichoke hearts in place of the mushrooms, because there just can't be a fungus among us) This will be my first time every making stuffing, so we'll see...

My own tweaked mashed potato recipe (6 lbs potatoes, 2 cups chicken broth, 6 cloves roasted garlic, 1 bar cream cheese, 1/2 c. butter, 1 cup sour cream, salt, pepper and seasoned salt to taste)

Green bean casserole, because to me, it's just not Thanksgiving without it. Be sure if you make it, please use the recipe that has a bit of soy sauce in it. Some versions don't. Trust me on this one.

Demon Cookies! (Our family's favorite cookie- we call them "demon cookies" because they are SO good, they're darn right evil and we can never stop eating them!) Please promise me you'll try this recipe, the flavor combination and the creamy butterscotch chips are just amazing together.

I can't wait to see what our family brings to the table either. As a kid, I never appreciated Thanksgiving. "Big whoop. I don't even like turkey. People just sit around and eat, and that's it." Clearly, I was crazy. We get to SIT AROUND. And EAT! (And be with family, and count our blessings, I mean really, it's a pretty sweet day, dontcha think?)

Last year, the "Fancy Macaroni" was such a big hit, people served themselves simultaneously. ;-)

DIY: Upcycled sweater becomes throw pillow

2011-11-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

Every other Wednesday, some friends of mine and I get together for "girls' night". Usually, we just go grab coffee and relax or grab frozen yogurt, but every now and again we get crafty and make something, which is what we did this past week.

I'd seen this idea of taking cable knit sweaters found for cheap at a thrift store and sewn into pillows on Centsational Girl's blog a little over a week ago. I just had to find some sweaters and give it a whirl myself, so I spent a lunch break from work scouring two thrift stores and easily found 5 sweaters that would do the trick perfectly!

I shared the idea with my friends, and three of us spend Wednesday night making our own versions of the cable knit pillows. We added some embellishments courtesy of felt flower tutorials from the lovely Mrs. Priss.

This was a really fun project and easy to do. I highly recommend giving it a whirl- the knit pillows look so cute and wintery on the couch!

Getting Crafty: Dollar Store Fall Decor

2011-11-18T22:18:00.001-08:00

As my desire to decorate the heck out of the new house exceeds my wallet's ongoing support of such behavior, I've gotten continually more creative in my ways to stretch a dollar. So, today, I present to you, THREE Thanksgiving Wreaths for $10.

Supplies purchased (All from Dollar Tree):
2 large wreath bases
1 medium wreath base
3 spools of ribbon (two brown, one maroon)
2 pkgs gourd decor
2 pkgs pinecones (one gold, one regular)

Tools used from home:
Hot glue, glue sticks
Scissors
Fall leaves (I had leftover from last year)

Time Taken: 25 minutes

End result? Happy, entertained kiddo and mom, decorated kiddo bedroom door and dual front door wreaths to greet the feast day guests. Woot woot!

Future blogger? Camera in HAND! hehe

Thrifted: Upcycled Wall Hangings

2011-11-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

I love a good before and after! Maybe that's why I love thrifting. When I shop, I'm learning to see things for their potential rather than what they are. Wanted to share my latest find with you.

Came across a set of 3 of these outdated wall hangings. Cute, but they were cuter most likely in '78, don't you think? But, with just a little spray paint, they found new life in our new home.

Frame before

After first coat of paint

My empty wall isn't sad and empty anymore!

My Top 10 Holiday Traditions

2011-11-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again- holiday time! You know how I know this? ~~Because all of the retail stores have been shoving it in my face since November 1st!~~ I know this because the fam and I have been discussing who's bringing what to Thanksgiving, and thinking about all that amazing food and hanging out with family just pushes me right on down the slippery slope into holiday mode! But, you know, I'm just going to totally embrace it. Why? Well, one reason I LOVE the holidays and I love traditions and there is no time a year that is more tradition filled than holiday season 'round here and the second reason? Well, quite frankly after the scary summer I had (being hit by red light runners at 54 mph and being hospitalized with a major post op infection), I'm pretty dang excited to have survived to see another holiday season. Morbid? Maybe a little, but am I genuinely grateful? Um, heck yes! So this year, I'm going to celebrate and enjoy every. single. minute of the holidays.

Here are my Top 10 Favorite Holiday Traditions (in no particular order):
1. Hosting Thanksgiving and cooking for my extended family (for a person who loves to cook, Thanksgiving is like our Superbowl people!) Oh and hosting means DESSERT LEFTOVERS!
2. Taking family pictures preferably around some fall leaves, in hopes of getting one decent shot to put on Christmas cards.
3. Black Friday. My mom and I usually hit the stores around 9, after the 4am crazies have already shopped until they've dropped, we pick up the remaining deals, fully caffeinated and perky. It's great.
4. Walking Christmas Tree Lane at night, in the cold, with friends while drinking hot drinks and complaining about how "less decorations are up this year", or "they're not as cool as they used to be". (I really do like this, it's tradition!)
5. Getting all psyched up to make "really cool handmade gifts!" then staying up until 3am one night to finish them because hello, I work full time and don't have enough TIME to make a million really cool handmade gifts!
6. Getting together for early Christmas with our cousins from "over the hill". (They live over Tioga pass, and if we don't have early Christmas snow makes "on time" Christmas a non-option)
7. Picking out and decorating the Christmas tree (no brainer).
8. Making a Christmas music playlist for my Zune and listening to nothing else from December 1-25th. (And hearingthat perfectly sung version of Holy Night and crying like a blubbering baby, because that's how I roll)
9. Friendsmus! Christmas with FRIENDS! Potlucking, gift grab (whatever you call it with the drawing of the numbers and the mystery gifts and the swiping of the best gift) and taking a big goofy group picture in our holiday gear.
10. Christmas morning with our kiddo and our parents at their respective houses, in pjs the whole time. Like the olden days. Good times.

Successfully completed "Really cool handmade gifts!" of 2010

Yarn wreath, idea courtesy of the lovely Mrs. Priss

Handprint snowman ornaments (Keegan's hand) idea courtesy of Little Bit Funky

Photo ornaments (idea also courtesy of Little Bit Funky)

Shhh! Our family's most treasured holiday recipe!

2011-11-09T22:58:00.000-08:00

Because I love you, and because this treat gets requested more than any other in our family around the holidays, as my gift to you, to kick off the holiday season, I give you, our "secret" Peanut Butter Fudge recipe. Now mind you, this is a LITTLE like that Friends episode where Pheobe thinks her mom made a super secret custom chocolate chip recipe, but it turned out to be the recipe from the Nestle Tollhouse morsel bag... (because it is an adaptation of Kraft's Fantasy Fudge) BUT still, trust me you NEED to make this. Really.

Peanut Butter Fudge (which has far surpassed chocolate fudge in popularity in our family)
What you need:
3 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter
2/3 c. evaporated milk
1 7 oz jar of marshmallow cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 c. creamy peanut butter

What to do:
1. Place sugar, butter, milk in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Heat to a full rolling boil. Stir frequently. Once boiling you must stir CONSTANTLY for 5 full minutes. (That part is super important!)
2. Remove the mixture from heat, and stir in the peanut butterm, marshmallow cream and vanilla until well blended.
3. Pour into a buttered 9 by 9 or 9 by 13 inch pan (depending on how thick of squares you want to cut).
4. Allow to cool, fudge will be firm enough to cut when cool. Cover with saran wrap to keep from drying out.
5. Give to your family and watch them say yes to anything you ask.

image credit: zazzle.com

I'm a loyal customer.

2011-11-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

When it comes to my money, I'm pretty cautious. I think long and hard before I spend it, usually try to talk myself out of it, and when I do part with it, I like to feel as though my money was well spent and is supporting good companies and people.

Over the years, there are a few companies that I've encountered that continue to impress me with their level of service, exceptional products and going above and beyond. So often you hear about bad customer experiences, that I really wanted to take a time out, and write about some of the best customer experiences I've had, because quite frankly, some kudos are overdue.

My Five Favorite Businesses (in no particular order):
Please note none of these companies have any idea I am writing this- these are strictly my own personal opinions, based on my experiences and satisfaction.

1. 21st Century Auto Insurance (National)
The hubs and I have been customers of 21st Century since the first year we were married. (Almost 10 years now!) About once every six months, out of my desire to be a good steward of our money, I hunt around and compare prices on auto policies, and for the coverage we receive, I've never been able to beat 21st. Though they've been bought and sold a few times (AG? Farmers?) their customer service has always been exceptional. Minimal wait times to reach a live person, live people available at a wide range of hours, and fast, friendly and efficient service. They pretty much meet every expectation I could have for an auto insurance company. Check them out for yourself, I highly recommend them! Get your own quote here.

2. Fresh and Easy Neighborhood Markets (National)
If you follow me on Twitter, or have read my blog for awhile, you're probably not surprised to see Fresh and Easy on this list- but honestly, I am just so impressed with them! They care. Like they ACTUALLY care. What do they care about?

Their customers: By keeping operating costs low (using energy efficient building methods, not over-staffing, self-check outs, simple and basic store layouts) they keep prices low. Simple touches like adding family parking spaces for parents carting around their munchkins and their groceries, hybrid parking help customers feel welcome. Additionally, Fresh and Easy offers fresh, healthy foods at prices regular people making regular wages can afford to buy. Even with their fair prices, they also offer tons of mail and grocery ad coupons, emailed coupons and their new "Friends of Fresh and Easy" rewards card that earns points for dollars spent that can be exchanged for store credit. On average, with coupons and rewards, I can save $10-$20 off of my initial grocery total. The stores also offer specialty foods like an increasing range of gluten-free products and healthful, low-fat prepared meals. Fresh and Easy's store branded products do not contain artificial colors, sweeteners or additives and only utilize preservatives when absolutely necessary. Their eggs are cage-free and a wide variety of their meats are free-range, organic and/or grass fed.
The environment: All of the stores are built to be very green, packaging is minimal and made of recycled materials.
Their communities: Fresh and Easy hires their teams from within the communities in which their stores are built, creating local jobs in tough economic times. They offer a variety of health, retirement and other benefits at 20 hours per week. Additionally, when Fresh and Easy builds a store, though their store layout is fairly standard the building itself is adapted to the surrounding neighborhood. For example, our downtown store, is brick built with a tile mural on front and looks quite nice amongst downtown's mix of older, classic buildings and new construction. Fresh and Easy stores also offer schools generous donations through their "Shop for Schools" program, and every time a new store is opening, a donation of $1,000 is contributed to a nominated neighborhood organization. I got to be there during the presentation of one of these checks locally, it was quite enjoyable.

3. Educational Employees Credit Union (Local)
I have done my banking with EECU since I was 18 and had my very first job in education, and I've never looked back at a retail bank once. EECU offers hands down the BEST, most consistent customer service experience I've received anywhere. The credit union is constantly taking in information from it's members and the community to serve people better and in new ways and continually improving their offerings. Though they are a local credit union, they have many branches and also a multitude of free standing ATMs in smaller nearby areas as well (which is really helpful when I'm on the road for work). I've never once had EECU make an error on my account. There's been a couple of times where I've made an error, accidentally, but definitely my fault- and they've gone to bat and fixed it for me and given me the benefit of the doubt. I've used so many financial products offered by EECU (everything from day to day banking, to auto loans, to setting up an IRA and doing future financial planning) and been very please every time. Their interest rates on loan products are exceptional, they do not charge for checking accounts, and for the month of November, they are waiving their minimum $5 deposit to open a new account as more and more folks are joining the movement to move their money from large retail banks to local credit unions.

4. Dutch Brothers Coffee (multi-state, locally at Bullard/West and Ashlan/Winery)
Like the other companies listed here, Dutch Brothers is all about it's customers. They offer delicious coffee (and non-coffee!) drinks in flavors I couldn't have dreamt up if I tried. They also offer those drinks at a lower price than many of the "other coffee places" (not naming names here ;-)) and give you FREE drinks after you purchase 10. Even if 5 of those 10 are reasonably priced kids' drinks at $1.25 a pop! (Which half of my orders usually are, since I go with munchkin in tow) Dutch Brothers doesn't charge for syrups/flavors, they offer lots of sugar free drink options as well as non-fat and soy milk too. Beyond the great drinks though, the baristas in Dutch Brothers' coffee stands are super nice people! They get to know you and your favorite drinks and often have them ready and waiting when you pull up. They ask about your day, give your four legged pals dog treats, your kiddos comic books and you, sweet Dutch Bros stickers to decorate with. Icing on the cake? Dutch Brothers donates sales multiple times a year to very worth causes including ALS research and awareness, the MDA and more.

5. Jason Farris- FresYes Realty (locally based)
Ok, where do I even begin here... Jason pretty much is the most kick booty realtor I've ever met. The current housing market, well, I don't think I have to tell you- it is a crazy, crazy thing. If you don't have a complete handle on what's happening and how, it's easy to find yourself overwhelmed and confused in the home buying/selling process. If you want someone who is genuinely going to CARE about you, your family, your needs AND your wants when it comes to buying or selling a home (um, kind of a HUGE thing) and who KNOWS what he's doing every step of the way and can walk you through it all- you want to work with Jason. Jason went so far above and beyond to help our family, and I can not possibly recommend him highly enough.

Five Faves for Fall

2011-11-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

(Disclaimer: this is a girly post, sorry gentleman- but hey, could give you some good gift ideas for your lady!)

I LOVE fall. It's my favorite season by far. I love cozy clothes (but not shivering), hot drinks, food with pumpkin and cinnamon... Plus, Thanksgiving is coming- which is the holiday we host every year for the family, and though it's a lot of work, it's so much fun! Perfect holiday to host for a person who's favorite hobby is cooking.

Without further adieu, I present to you my Five Faves for Fall (girly faves that is):

Fave #1:
MAC's Mineralize Skin Finish in "Soft and Gentle"
This pale golden highlighting powder is perfect for fall. Not really a bronzer, but more a highlighter, it gives skin a healthy glow. You just need a little on the apples of the cheeks or right above the cheekbone, but it really makes skin look alive, healthy and refreshed.

Fave #2:
OPI Nail Lacquer in "Cosmo-Not Tonight Honey"
This nail polish is almost the nail version of the MAC compact. A gilded neutral gold perfect for fall, but polished enough for work.

Fave #3:
SCARVES! I LOVE scarves! The great thing about scarves is they can really update a look (add a scarf to a plain tee and cute jeans and you have an OUTFIT, yes!) and don't have to cost a lot.

Recently came across a great YouTube video from Wendy's Look Book that teaches you new ways to wrap scarves as well, check it out- it's really great!

Fave #4:
MAC eyeshadow in "Nocturnelle"
A perfectly pretty plum that looks great as an accent in the corners or crease and adds a bit of drama to your fall face without being over the top or outlandish.

Fave #5:
Bath and Body Works' "Twilight Woods" fragrance
This smell just screams fall to me. Woodsy and spicy but warm and inviting at the same time. I love this fragrance and am excited to start wearing it again!

Recipe: Risotto with Peas and Parmesan

2011-11-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

This risotto is so far, my favorite that I've made at home. Unlike other risotto recipes, it contains no butter, but olive oil and white wine make it a flavorful and delicious dish.

Risotto with Peas and Parmesan
What you need:
3 tbsp olive oil
2 medium shallots, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1.5 cups arborio rice
2 cans Swanson chicken broth (or 29 total ounces of your favorite broth)
1 cup frozen petite peas
3/4 cup shaved or grated parmesan cheese
freshly ground pepper to taste

What to do:
1. Heat olive oil over medium heat, add shallots and heat until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Do not allow the shallots to brown.
2. Add wine to the pan, cook one minute. Add rice, stir and continue cooking 3-4 minutes (rice may start to appear more opaque).
3. Place a pot on the stove and add the broth, warm over medium heat.
4. Pour 1/4 of the broth into the rice mixture (don't worry if it hasn't heated up yet) and stir, then cover.
5. Repeat the broth additions, stirring each time, waiting for the liquid to absorb between each addition. Keep an eye on the heat, you may need to lower to medium low after the second addition of broth. You don't want the rice to brown. On the fourth and final addition, add the peas as well. Cover, and allow all liquid to absorb and peas to warm thoroughly. Rice will continue to cook and plump.
6. Once all liquid has absorbed and rice in tender (you want to rice to be cooked through but al dente, not mushy) stir in the parmesan and add ground pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

My lil' spidey.

2011-11-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

And now for a few gratuitous Halloween family photos. Hope you and yours had a fun Halloween (or Halloween weekend) this year. (Have to admit Monday night holidays? Kind of a drag, but, what can ya do?) *Thank you to Ashley for our FREE and easy costume idea!

Halloween party with friends- we were "Black Eyed Peas", the Gables were themselves, and our friends Roque and Heather are Iron Man and a ZomBee.

At "Trunk or Treat"

Just hunting more candy like a pro

We ran into Spider Woman! What luck!

Conquered an over sized inflatable, three times.

The Family Room: In Progress...

2011-10-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy to have made some decent progress on our family room over the weekend. (For background on the family room project, click here) After searching for a full month on Craiglist for a desk I liked (for a fair price) and kids' sized chairs, I came across the items through Target online on sale (and clearance for the chairs, woot woot!) and decided new would be the way to go in this case.

I purchased the chairs, which took me only about 15-20 minutes to put together, they're Target's kids brand, Circo, and seem quite sturdy and well made. I'm very pleased with them! The only bummer is, I'd noticed they were available in store, so I purchased them locally, and the local store price was not clearance priced (bummer!) but after shipping costs, it would have almost evened out anyway, so I guess it's mostly a wash.

The desk I ordered, was on sale AND offered free shipping, but it hasn't arrived yet, so pictures to come soon. Seeing as the desk in on its way, I figured a chair would be important. I started yet another multi-day Craigslist hunt but was coming up with nothing that inspired me. I didn't really want a typical desk chair (boring, black, mesh, blah) but something kind of pretty and maybe vintage looking? And then it hit me- call the person who keeps EVERYTHING from eras past -my Noni! Sure enough, she had the perfect chair for me to spruce up! I was so excited!

Since I was already planning to spray paint Keegan's thrifted table, I figured why not paint the chair too, (sorry, I started painting THEN remembered to take a before pic, whoops!) I used Krylon paint in Celery for the table, and Rustoleum Protective Gloss enamel on the chair, in just good ole' white. I used Krylon's spray clear coat on the table afterwards, and I kind of wish I hadn't. Even though I used long, even strokes for coat one, and an even, circling motion for coat two, it didn't come out very even. Oh well, it's not horrible, and I'm sure being a kids' craft table, it will take worse beatings anyway!

Chair "before"

Table and chair in progress

Finished chair!

Love this fabric! I had it leftover from making pillow covers.

Freshly painted table and new chairs for kiddo!

That's the room update for now, I'll post more once the desk arrives and I put it together. I can't wait to be able to sit at a desk and blog. Sitting on the bed with a laptop kills the neck after awhile!

Hi Friends!

2011-10-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take a moment to say hello to you, kind reader. Thank you for stopping by! I know there are a lot of places on the web you could be right now, and for whatever reason that you've ended up here, please know I am happy you made it!

If you're a new-ish visitor to the site, here's what you should know:
The Thinking Blonde is a blog about a lot of different things. A little about my hometown of Fresno (or Fres-YES as I prefer) a lot about food and recipes, snippets of family like with my hubby and crazy-awesome-zany-4-year-old, ideas on how to save money or do things yourself (DIY), house projects, product reviews and occasionally tales of how spiders try to ruin my life.

I try to keep it interesting around here, so hopefully everyone can find some useful or entertaining info. I also am BIG on authenticity. I don't set a perfectly posh, coordinated table for every holiday. I live on a budget. Our house gets messy. I get crazy busy at work sometimes, and miss posting for a few days. But this blog, like life, is something I enjoy very much, and I hope you do too.

For those of you that have been stopping by for awhile, thanks! Thanks a bunch! Also, I am going to be updating my blogroll in the next week- so if you'd like to be included, please leave me a comment or shoot me a quick email- I'd be happy to help make this awesome circle that is the blogosphere a more connected giant family :-)

Finally, if you're a long time reader, but we haven't had the chance to interact please say hello- I'd love to say hi back.

Have a great weekend everyone!

image credit: Oliver Ding