My Patchwork Quilt

I Can NOT believe it!

2008-06-07T15:08:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it! I'm a winner! I actually won something! One blog that I have been reading for quite a while (Rocks In My Dryer) was hosting a giveaway and I was actually chosen to receive one of twenty prizes! Click on over there to see what I won!

Fun Time with friends

2008-05-23T05:58:00.001-07:00

Good friends do wonders for a worn gals soul. These ladies and I have been getting together monthly without our kids and we've had a blast doing lots of fun things. We've gone duckpin bowling, painted pottery, sat in a hot tub, and enjoyed some great food together. I know I"ll miss their company when we leave. They have been just what I needed this past year.

For a little bambino

2008-05-09T11:35:00.000-07:00

An old dear friend is having a baby soon and I had wanted to make the baby a little quilt or something really crafty but then we got really busy with trying to sell the house so that was put on the back burner.

Instead of a quilt I opted to make something different. I can't take any credit for this idea because I saw it on the Martha Stewart show a while back. I zig-zagged some silhouettes of different objects or animals on some plain onesies. I made five in all, and my favorite of the five is this next one:

It's a silhouette of a wiener dog...and the body of the dog wraps around the side of the onesie to the back.

I hope the baby loves them!

Look! A NEW post!

2008-05-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

Since we have sold the house I decided that I could get my sewing machine back out again. It's been in hiding for too long. I was starting to get the itch to do something, but I couldn't put my finger on what I wanted to do. I would love to go to the fabric store and get a whole bunch of new fabric but I have this huge stash of fabric that I should probably do something with. Very frustrating! What's a girl to do? Then it hit me. I was watching the boys play on the floor and noticed that Jonah's recently patched pants had gotten yet another tear right below the patch.
I almost got upset then thought..."Hey, it will be getting a lot warmer out here and I could turn those ratty pants into some nice looking shorts!" And then I got the idea of turning these shorts into something a bit more special than just plain old shorts. So I let Jonah pick out some fabric (that I had no other use for) with which I would use to put around the bottoms.

Why stop there? I then decided to cut out his hand print using the same fabric and applique it on a plain old t-shirt to make the shorts look like a true outfit. I love how it turned out. He loves it. And it was so easy I think I could do it again, and probably will!

House for Sale!

2008-03-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

~*~UPDATED~*~ House is SOLD!!!

House For Sale

Lose your Commute!

Rare opportunity to live next to campus
2 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms
Off-street parking for two vehicles
Finished bonus room in full basement
CAC/heat, large attic storage space
Newly remodeled kitchen with granite, stainless steel appliances, and large butcher block island
New roof, new water heater
New lighting and flooring!

Across the street from campus!

1910 Orleans St.
$229,000 O.B.O

call 410-327-8862 for more information

Is this possible?

2008-03-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

Tonight the realtor comes over to give us his estimate of what we should ask for our house. I spent the majority of this day cleaning and scrubbing this house yet again before he arrives. I feel like that's all I'm ever doing now a days. It's so frustrating! Anyone who has ever moved and who has small children can testify to this I'm sure. I feel like I'm neglecting my children just so that the house can look tidy and spacious. While the house is looking quite nice I can't but help to feel a little bit sad. As I go through each room I can see all of our memories. It starts with us walking through the "not yet our house", before we even bought it. This house holds the memories of our first year of marriage, my first real job, and our life going through medical school, internship, and residency. I remember watching horrific things happen to our nation during this time, Sept. 11, the space shuttle breaking apart over Texas, and the capture of Saddam Hussein - to name a few. Another ongoing memory being built is our life with children. The birth of our boys is something I will treasure in my heart forever. Bringing them both home to this starter home of ours was special. It suited us just fine. And though I know we are outgrowing this space and that we have a fantastic new space waiting for us, I can't help but be sad. This is our home. This is where we have made so many memories that are unique to only us. I see Jonah as an only child, running up and down our hallway. I see him helping Daddy finish the basement. I see Jackson being introduced to Jonah for the first time and Jonah suddenly looking like a very big boy. I see Jackson now doing some of those things that I remember Jonah doing so clearly. Will they even remember this place we have all come to love? Will they remember the blood, sweat, and tears we have all shed while living here? Trying to sell this house is quite bittersweet for me. It's not the biggest house. It's not the most beautiful house ever built. It's not...it's not...but it is our house for now. And for some very strange reason I can't help but want to be anywhere else. I want to cling to the memories we have made and keep them alive and fresh in my heart.
It's kind of funny but Mike and I have said how us looking forward to being in our new home is somewhat like us waiting for the day when we'll be in heaven. While we don't have much space here at our house in Baltimore and we don't always feel safe, we know that there is a day in the near future when those things will be in the past and that the place we are going will be so much better than we could ever hope for. We'll have land! We'll have space to spread out! We'll be in nature and not surrounded by building equipment and Johns Hopkins! It's almost a stretch to compare us moving to being in heaven, but it's as good as I can do for now. So, while I'm sad I'm also trying to keep my eyes focused on what is in store for us. Better things are ahead!

Ten Things About Me

2008-03-14T06:15:00.000-07:00

Here's how you play. Once you've been tagged you have to write a blog of ten weird, random things, facts or habits about yourself. At the end, you choose five people to be tagged, listing their names and why you chose them to be tagged. Don't forget to leave them a comment "You're it!" and tell them to read your blog. You can't tag the person who tagged you. Since you can't tag that person back, let her know when you've posted your blog so she can read your answers.

I was tagged by my older sister, Alyssa. Most of these things won't come as a surprise to anyone but here it goes:

1. I play the violin (duh!) and right now I'm trying to teach my oldest son how to play but it's driving me crazy! He's lost some interest and I'm going bald from pulling out all my hair during practice sessions - which seem to be few and far between these days!
2. I knew pretty much from the first time I met Mike that he would be the one for me. We sat down next to each other at a dress rehearsal dinner and as I was putting my napkin in my lap it was as if God was talking to me. He said "This is the one for you, the one you'll spend your life with." I felt like a lightbulb had gone off and I felt so at peace with this! Of course I didn't tell him that God just told me he was going to marry me! He'd think I was nuts!
3. I stink at painting.
4. I love trying to sew things that are unique. I"m not the greatest but I have fun making them, and making them fast!
5. I wish I had more close friends. I know a lot of people but I wouldn't consider them all to be my close friends.
6. I'd like to think that there are some things that only I can do, or that there are things that only I can do well. But that simply isn't true.
7. I hate talking on the phone to people I don't really know. I have this thing with not being able to find the right words when I actually have to speak. I'm ok with my family and a few friends but anyone else I completely break a sweat. It's silly really.
8. Quilting is something that I would love to do more often I think. It's time consuming but I think there is something so special about pieces of fabric put together for someone else. I would love to be part of an old fashioned quilting bee and hand quilt a project. Crazy, isn't it?
9. I love, love, love to read. Currently my favorite authors are Francine Rivers, Karen Kingsbury, and Stephanie Grace Whitson.
10. I'm excited to be moving back to SD but I"m not looking forward to having to start all over finding a church and friends.

I know this was all terribly exciting to read... so I'm tagging a few others...they may not all have blogs so if they so desire they may post in the reply/comment area. Thanks for playing!

1.Erin Cosby
2.Laura Carter
3.Sylvia
4.???
5.???

Gee whiz

2008-03-14T06:07:00.001-07:00

It's been so long since I've posted anything! And unfortunately it's going to continue for a while...we are trying to put the house together so we can sell it. This means that I haven't touched my sewing machine for a while, or done anything craft related for that matter. It's really hard not doing something. At any rate the house is coming together nicely. Mike added some small pot lights to our bedroom and our closet. I'm so surprised with how large the room feels now that we have lighting in the bedroom! It's awesome. We've also touched up several bathrooms with a fresh coat of paint and we've repainted the trim in the kitchen. We've taken pictures of the house for a flyer and Mike has been on the phone with a few realtors to talk about asking prices. One will be over to size us up on Tuesday. Let's all hope for the best!
I have weighed myself for the past two weeks and nothing has really changed. I'm at a standstill right now. I've got to really buckle down if I want any kind of results!!!
That's about it for now. More will come later!

So, what will you be having tonight?

2008-02-14T11:55:00.000-08:00

Today is Valentines Day. Chances are either you love this day or you don't care for it much. I think it might come as a surprise to some people that I fall in the later group. I really don't care much about this day. I think it's a shame that people feel pressure to tell those they love that they love them by showering them with flowers and gifts that they may or may not need. I feel so horrible for the guys during this time of year - to be flooded with all those "romantic" commercials on T.V. telling them that they must get the best diamond ring for their special someone. How awkward for those who don't get those pricey presents and were kind of expecting them to show up because they fell for those commercials on TV? Bleh! I'm tired of all the hoopla and added pressure that comes with this day. That's why this year my husband and I decided to not get each other presents or cards! We know we love each other. But instead of spending our precious money on things we don't really need or care for we have decided to spend more time with each other. That is something we haven't been able to do for quite some time. I think we go on dates about 3 or 4 times a year...isn't that horrible? It's not because we don't want to date each other, it's because of our current situation. That will change soon enough. But for now what we will give each other is our time. This Saturday we'll be doing just that. Just the two of us. I really can't wait! The other thing we do to "commemorate" this day is to have a nice meal. We don't go out to eat much and when we do go out to eat we often leave feeling that we could have done a better job with the meal ourselves! So we fix ourselves a mighty fine meal. Something we wouldn't fix on a day to day basis. Something special. So tonight we'll be having a great meal (See below) with our two boys and just enjoying our time together. So, what will you be having tonight? Here's what we'll be doing:

Rosemary and Garlic Roast Leg of Lamb
with some lovely roasted vegetables. For some time I've been interested in doing something with parsnips. I don't recall that I've ever had them and I've heard they taste wonderful - so I"ll be roasting some parsnips along with sweet potatoes, onions, and some cherry tomatoes dressed with a little olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Can't wait to see how it all turns out!

For all of you out there, Happy Valentines Day!

5 new blocks!

2008-02-12T05:28:00.001-08:00

These are the newest blocks that I have finished piecing together. Jonah will either love this quilt or go crazy from all the fabrics I used! Here is a picture of all finished blocks...and what it could look like if and when I ever finish this quilt!

Gee-has it been a week already?

2008-02-12T05:14:00.000-08:00

Yay!!! Down another pound and a half!!! And how is it possible that another week has managed to fly by? I'm a little embarrassed to see that I haven't written anything with substance for a long time!!! So Sorry!

A new me - update

2008-02-04T12:41:00.001-08:00

Yes, I did weigh myself this morning and the good news is that I haven't gained any since a week ago! The bad news is that I didn't lose any from the previous week, something I attribute to getting lazy with writing down everything I've eaten and not exercising. Last week I wasn't able to go to my classes because we were dealing with pinkeye in both of Jackson's eyes! I really missed being able to work out. This week I'll try to be more mindful with keeping my food and points journal and I"ll try a little extra harder to push myself with the exercise.

More charming than meets the eye!

2008-02-04T12:24:00.000-08:00

I found some lovely fun fabric at Joanns the other week and felt compelled to do something with it. I finally had some time in which I could sit down and cut fabric out and sew. I was so excited that I just wanted to get it all over with and see the finished product. I made another "Charming Handbag" from Amy Karol's Bend the Rules Sewing book and I love, Love, LOVE how it turned out!
(And yet another use for my green velvet ribbon which I love!)
With each thing I make I can tell that I have improved which is exciting. With this bag I decided to add a few pockets since the original pattern did not call for any.

I thought I would add just a simple pocket on one side and on the other side I would add a fancy zippered pouch. I've never put a zip on the inside of a bag before so I was just making up my own rules. It didn't turn out the best but I think it will work for right now.
I love the colors - they remind me that spring is not too far away!

New quilting project

2008-01-31T06:36:00.001-08:00

A while ago Mike and I were talking about how I should make each of the boys a quilt. We discussed making a quilt using lots of various shades of red in it. I came across several pieces of fabric that looked fun and several that had a firetruck theme to them, some fire hydrants, fire, firetrucks and firemen hats and suits. Since Jonah and Jackson are so excited whenever firetrucks pass our house I thought it would be fitting to quilt about it but not to make it the main theme of the quilt.

have loved looking at newer contemporary quilts and have imagined being able to come up with something unique that wasn't too difficult. With that being said, I am in the process of designing my own version of a log cabin quilt. It will be pieced together in the traditional style of the log cabin but my added twist is making each strip a different width. I finished cutting out all my pieces and started sewing them together. So far, this is what I've finished:

I have no idea what fabric I'll be using to join all these blocks together, or what fabric I'll be using for the back side. I'm just having fun trying to piece these all together right now.

More improvements!

2008-01-17T13:19:00.000-08:00

We (when I say "we" I actually mean Mike) started to put some finishing touches on our main floor bathroom. It's not totally finished as of yet but pretty close I'd say. We picked out some hardwood laminate flooring at IKEA over the weekend and I must say that I really like the way that it looks. What do you think?

For a Friend

2008-01-17T12:27:00.000-08:00

I made this the other day for a friend...can't disclose who yet because the recipient hasn't gotten it yet! But I really love the bag. It would be perfect as a music bag, as there are three big pockets in the front. This pattern came from the book Simple Gifts to Stitch by Jocelyn Worrall. Best of all, I made it in an afternoon, kids and all! You might recognize the material from another cute "Charming Handbag" that I made a while back. I love how it looks and would definitely make it again.

Weigh-In

2008-01-14T10:24:00.000-08:00

This morning was the first weigh-in and I have to say that I absolutely love the very first week you are counting points on weight watchers because you lose quite a bit. I lost 5.5 pounds! I can't let myself get too excited about it because I know the following weeks won't see as much of a drop but it's a start and I'm excited and totally committed to seeing a change and changing my lifestyle for good.

Oh! I almost forgot!

2008-01-08T13:34:00.000-08:00

It's funny that I called this blog "My Patchwork Quilt" seeing as how I've never ever made a quilt in my life. Well, that has all changed. For Christmas my side of the family drew names and I got my older sister and her husband. I decided that I would try to make a lap quilt, so it wouldn't be a huge and difficult project. There was a similar quilt in the Bend the Rules sewing book which I really liked but I decided to put an extra twist in it so it's not identical to the books quilt. I finished it and really liked how it looked. Then I remembered that my grandfather was having a 90th birthday celebration after Christmas and I knew I had to make one for him too. I went about making his quilt and for some reason it just didn't turn out the way I had envisioned. I made it a little bit differently than my sisters and was just flying by the seat of my pants. I whole heartedly own the fact that I have NO IDEA how to make quilts, I was just guessing for most of it! I was a bit embarrassed with how his turned out. I guess it was another learning lesson for me, and that's OK. The above picture is the lap quilt for my sister and her husband and it was taken before I quilted the front and back together - but you get the idea, right? My grandfathers quilt was made out of a lot of the same material and it had a different backing to it - I have no picture of it (which is probably a good thing!)

New projects on the horizon

2008-01-08T13:15:00.001-08:00

Since we returned home from SD I just haven't been able to get my groove back. I thought that if I were to take out some of my fabrics and just look at them that I'd be able to get some of the creative juices back that have somehow disappeared with the rest of my brain. Well, looking at the fabrics has gotten me excited about getting back into the craft mode but so far nothing has happened. However, I did take a few pictures of the fabric that I know I'll be using in the near future...so here they are!

These two fabrics I do know what I'll be doing with...Remember that gorgeous pleated beauty bag that I just adored? Well, these two fabrics will make one of those. The outside will be this really cool pink fabric, and the pleats and inside will be made of the blue fabric. I'm a little nervous about making a pink bag but for some reason it just feels like the right thing to do. I plan on keeping this bag just for myself!Hmmm...I'm starting to see a strange pattern...pinks and blues... Actually I've already used these two fabrics for a small zippered pouch but I loved how it turned out and would love to use them again. They are simply dazzling together.
This is a collection of four fabrics that I found at Joanns that were drastically lowered in price. I fell in love with the red cowboy pattern and decided that I needed to make something boy-ish for one of my boys. I still have no clue what it will be. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. (They are fat quarters each.)

Happy New Year!

2008-01-08T10:46:00.000-08:00

I realize it has been way too long since I have posted over here on My Patchwork Quilt. I guess the season and traveling can do that to a blogger! We had a great time in SD over Christmas with our families. It's a new year and even though I'm not crazy about resolutions it's time for me to make some. I have been inspired by my sister in law who has lost a considerable amount of weight since March. So I have decided to get back on weight watchers, although I won't be attending any meetings, and I will be exercising (step aerobics and walking) to boost my efforts. The reason I'm writing about all of this is so that I might keep myself accountable. It is a scary thing to admit to the entire world wide web that I have a weight problem, but it needs to be done. Here are my resolutions for this new year.

Eat healthier, using the points system
Formal exercise 3 times a week
Lose a total of 25 pounds (that's my baby step goal. My ultimate goal is to lose between 45-50 pounds).

I would love to be able to lose the twenty five pounds by the end of June but realize that a more reasonable amount would be somewhere between 3-4 pounds lost in a month. We'll see how it goes.

At the very bottom of my blog I have posted a weight ticker...a way for me to track my progress and a way to keep me accountable to you!

I'm not liking this much right now but I know that if I want to be around for a long time I need to change a few poor habits of mine. I officially started yesterday and each Monday I'll have a weigh in day. I have a feeling that this isn't going to be easy for me but I know that when I reach my goal I'll feel really good about myself.

Here's to a new me!

Clutch

2007-11-24T06:15:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have to admit that I just LOVED that cute little pleated purse. I had a little bit of material left over and decided to make another artsy clutch to go along with it. I also included the embellishment on the clutch that I put on the bag itself. I love how it looks. I used a bit of red to spice it up a little...some red rick rack for the closure along with the red buttons. Love It!

Happy Birthday Sylvia!

2007-11-20T18:05:00.000-08:00

I'm not even sure if she even reads this blog or not...but how cool is it that my sister in law has the same birth date as I do? I'm telling you...November 21st was THE DAY to be born people!!! For Sylvia's birthday I made her a little girly purse. This was before I got my way cool "Bend the Rules - Sewing" book. This little purse was a design that I made myself without the aide of any pattern. After I finished sewing all the sides together I realized that I forgot to add the thicker interfacing to make the bag a bit sturdier. I"m telling you, I'm learning as I go along! I also decided to try using the already made purse handles for a different look. I liked how they looked but didn't like the clasps where they connected to the purse so I made a few fabric yo-yos's to place on top of the clasps. It looks like a very feminine purse and I like how fresh it looks. Hopefully Sylvia will like it too.

Happy Birthday Sylvia! I hope you have a really great day!

A simple tote

2007-11-20T03:21:00.000-08:00

Again, I must be pretty bad with measurements. After I made this cute bag and turned it inside out, the handles just seemed to be way too long. For one, the handles are supposed to be different sizes so that the longer handle can loop through the smaller one and act as a closure. But these handles were longer than they were supposed to be so I had to get creative and figure out how to shorten them. (It's all about the process for me. I'm learning so much every single time I make a bag that it helps me make my next things much better.) This bag is truly simple - it has a simple pocket on the inside and no other embellishments. It's also a very small bag. Perfect for holding a lunch or perhaps keys and a wallet on the run.

I've got the sewing bug...

2007-11-19T18:51:00.000-08:00

Yep, it's true. There isn't a single day that goes by when I'm not thinking about something that I could be making. I've been busy over the past week or so making something for a dear lady that has volunteered her time to watch the boys every once in a while so Mike and I could go out. She doesn't ever ask for any payment and the boys love her so. I decided that I was going to make her something. I picked out some beautiful blue paisley fabric and after I had started the project I got a little jealous because I really liked how it turned out! I wanted it! But I really wanted to give her something in appreciation...so I'm going to part with this lovely "Pleated Beauty Handbag." There were actually a few surprises to this bag when I started making it. I had a really difficult time getting the pleats to turn out just right. I sat on the floor for several nights holding the fabric and trying to pleat it every which way, and finally on the third day the lightbulb went off and I knew what I had to do. So, the front of this bag has some very unique touches to it. I hand embroidered a flower and some "loops" on the side along with using a new foot on my sewing machine made for free quilting. I had so much fun making this quirky little loopy design that I ended up making an "Artsy Clutch" in the same fabric just so that I could use that new foot again. As I was putting the bag together I thought to myself how much it looked like a cute little cheerleaders skirt...and it made me think of how much I had always wanted to be able to wear one of those...but that's another story for another day! And finally when I was ready to turn the bag inside out, I realized that the bag was extremely large. I think that I must have had my measurements off by a bit. This bag was like a large suitcase! So I trimmed off what seemed like more than half of the bag and got it down to a much more reasonable size. I love this bag. I love it, I love it, I love it! I can only hope that she will love it too.

Happy (early) Birthday to Me and More projects!

2007-11-08T13:37:00.000-08:00

First of all, here is my new sewing machine! After looking around a bit I decided upon this one, a Brother CS 6000i. So far, I love it. It has many neat features that I am still learning how to use.

Tea Towel Aprons! Two, to be exact. I found the towels at IKEA and thought they would make nice Christmas aprons.

This is called a "Charming Handbag" and making it wasn't quite so charming. In the book a few measurments were left out so I ended up making up a whole bunch of them! It turned out ok but next time I think I'll make the bag larger, with larger handles. I love the velvet ribbon!

More coasters...why in the world am I making so many is beyond my reasoning, but they are easy and don't take too much time.

Here is another small zippered pouch. I found this cute bee fabric at Joanns and lined it with a yellow-ish fabric with circles. I really like how it turned out.

This is called an "Artsy Clutch". Very simple idea - and here again I used the same bee fabric and yellow circle fabric on the inside.

Here is another "Artsy Clutch" that I made with some fabric I forgot I had, it was kind of funky but I like the end result. I ended up giving this one to a friend for her birthday.

It's a love/hate relationship

2007-10-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

Last night my beloved sewing machine started playing tricks on me. Or maybe it was just that I was tired. I have been working on a really cute little purse, complete with a velvet ribbon and am this close to finishing it. I stayed up way past my bedtime in hopes of finishing this wonderful little project. My sewing machine had other plans. I decided that in my state of being I wasn't the best person to try to fix it so I would wait until the morning to see what would need to be done. When morning came I did try to fix it by changing the needle, and the tension, and the thread...but nothing worked. In fact, the machine has started to act up even more than last night. I'm not that happy with my machine right now. In fact, if you asked me I'd probably tell you that I would like to throw it out the window...I know that with this little glitch I will be required to take it in to the repair shop...and wouldn't you know that my warranty from my last repair expired a mere two weeks ago??? Agh! I'm not a happy person. How I had wanted to finish this little purse. I even have plans for more projects...I even have the fabric for those projects. I've already decided that I'm not going to go back to the same place and have it repaired. I just can't afford it. This will be the third or fourth time of my taking it in for a repair. I could probably buy a machine for the amount I've put into fixing it. It makes me sick. I want to finish my projects! I want to finish on this machine! But at some point I have to ask myself is it worth it? It's a love/hate relationship I have with this machine. Maybe tomorrow I'll feel differently about the situation.

Busy Bee

2007-10-22T14:28:00.001-07:00

I've been having so much fun going through my new sewing book. Just in the past few days I've finished two handbags, two sets of coasters, and a cute little zippered pouch. I am by no means an expert sewer...in fact if you look close enough you'll be able to find some mistakes. But I don't mind them so much. I love what I've done so far and that's all that matters!

These are the two sets of coasters. I found this cute and playful material of dragonflies at the fabric store but only had enough fabric to make four coasters. I wanted more than that. After rummaging through my fabric stash I came across this zig zag fabric that was super close to the colors in the dragonfly material so I combined them and got eight coasters out of the two! I like how they turned out.

And this is the cute little zippered pouch I made just this afternoon. I really liked the flower fabric and the yellow checkered fabric on the inside makes it so cheery. This was my first time trying to sew a zipper on. Good night, Nancy! This little thing took me nearly (I'm almost embarrassed to say just how long it really took...) three hours!!! I guess I had a few interruptions but still...perhaps if I made a few more I'd get the timing down to a more reasonable number. Anyhoo - I really like the small details on this pouch...I used a little green velvet ribbon and made a bow in front. Pretty, ain't it?

Hooray for Bacon!

2007-10-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

Today for lunch was all about bacon. We love the stuff. So in honor of bacon, we cooked it and ate it and enjoyed ever little bit of it. A few years ago I had purchased this neat looking cookbook for Mike geared towards grilling. There were lots of great looking recipes and we even tried a few then. But ever since we tried out the first few recipes, the cookbook has been sitting in my cupboard untouched. Today we pulled it out. We found the recipes we came to love the first time around and decided that it was time to try them out again. We made a delicious Chicken with herb and ricotta stuffing and grilled some asparagus wrapped in bacon. We also enjoyed some grilled onion and some freshly baked bread along with our baked potatoes. Can you say yum? Here are the recipes. Enjoy!

Chicken with Herb and Ricotta Stuffing
4 tablespoons ricotta cheese
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 tablespoons mixed chopped fresh herbs, such as chives, parsley, and mint
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
8 chicken drumsticks
8 slices of lean smoked bacon

Combine the first four ingredients. Season well with salt and pepper. Carefully loosen the skin from each drumstick and spoon a little of the herb stuffing underneath, smoothing the skin back over firmly. Wrap a bacon slice tightly around the wide end of each drumstick to hold the skin in place over the stuffing during cooking. Cook on a medium-hot grill for 25-30 minutes, turning occasionally.

Asparagus wrapped in Bacon
1 pound of asparagus
bacon

Take four or five spears of asparagus and wrap in one slice of bacon. Continue until all asparagus spears are wrapped. Season with salt and pepper. These are good grilled and are excellent cooked in the oven when drizzled with a little EVOO.

Introducing my new line!

2007-10-18T09:11:00.000-07:00

Ever since I got my new sewing book, I've been itching to make some new things. I finally finished some very cute coasters and decided to move onto something else. Flipping through the book I came across this very cute Woodland Elf Hat. Jonah said he wanted a hat to play in so I went about making this hat. I wasn't sure it would fit him. After I had finished I had him model it for me. Rats! The ties were way to long. He looked like Little Red (and orange) Riding Jonah. So I went about trimming the ties to a more manageable length. The results? A cute little elf hat. I laughed my head off so hard trying to sew this together. It's almost hideous - I can just imagine there being a funny pom-pom on top of the pointy end. But I wouldn't do that to my son. Not me.

Front view - my son is a good sport!

Side of the hat

This is how it looks in the book. Pretty cute on girls, right? For boys you omit the little flower decal on the side. I tried to make it a little more boy-ish by using louder colors. I'm not so sure that it worked.

So...any takers? I'll be taking orders starting tomorrow. Price negotiable.

Favorite Things...

2007-10-16T11:41:00.001-07:00

...about Fall (in no particular order!)

1. The cool and crisp air you feel against your face when you walk outside in the morning.
2. Hot Apple Cider
3. Making Applesauce
4. Enjoying a pleasant walk with those I love
5. Settling back into a "schedule" after a busy yet fun summer
6. The trees changing colors
7. Drinking the first Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks when the air does turn cooler.
8. Squash. Pumpkins. Harvest Time!

What are some of your favorite things about the fall?

Sewing

2007-10-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

I am so excited. I can hardly contain my enthusiasm. I received a new book in the mail over the weekend and since then have been poring over ever little detail in it. The book is Amy Karol's Bend the Rules Sewing. (Amy Karol blogs over at Angry Chicken - don't worry, it has nothing to do with being angry or anything about chickens!) Anyway there are so many neat little projects that look all too enticing. Here are some of the projects listed in the book:

~The Zip Pouch ~ A Simple Tote ~ Heidi Headband ~ The No Cash Wallet ~ Artsy Clutch ~ Charming Handbag ~ Pleated Beauty Handbag ~ A Dog Collar ~ Cat Tuffet in a Basket ~ Clever Coasters ~ Mixy-Matchy Napkins ~ Tea Cozy ~ Table Runner ~ Place Mats ~ Easy Lap Quilt ~ Pillows Three Ways ~ Semi-simple Pillows ~ Painted Pillow Buddies ~ Sugar-sweet Curtains ~ Cafe Curtains ~ Amazing Tea Towel Apron ~ Vintage Apron ~ Apron Pockets ~ Woodland Elf Hat ~ Simple Bib ~ Scalloped Baby Blanket ~ Soft Turtle Buddy ~ Puppet Theater with Matching Case ~ Sweet Wee Jacket ~ Swing Swing Smock ~ plus all the patterns and templates!

I can not wait to get started on some of the simple and easy projects. I'm thinking I'll start with some coasters -that is, after I finish my other two projects!

Something new is coming!

2007-10-10T12:23:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to get back in the creative mood...it's not showing itself like it did in the summer. On Monday I went to JoAnn fabrics and came back with a few "fat quarters". What, oh what will I be doing with these? Only time will tell! I'll update again when I get a chance.

Button Cookies

2007-09-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

One of my absolute favorite cookies right now is this great little butter cookie with M&M candies. Give them a try!

Button Cookies

3 sticks of softened butter
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
M&M's
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a mixing bowl cream the softened butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time. Add the vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture. Roll dough into balls, the size of a tablespoon. Flatten the balls out. On each piece, place 3 M&M's. Now, put one flattened ball on top of another flattened ball, so you are stacking two pieces together. Each piece should have the M&M's on top. Put the cookies on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 17-18 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet before moving to wire racks.

Something fun from Flickr

2007-09-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

Try it out here!

Odds and Ends of every kind

2007-09-20T06:02:00.000-07:00

I've had it with the tomato plants. I threw them out a week or so ago...they just weren't doing anything. Besides, who wants to eat an itty bitty tomato the size of a dime (or in some cases, even smaller than that!)? The plants were looking a little sick and I thought that our view out the kitchen window (as if it could get any better...) would look much nicer if we had some actual flowers. With that being said, I took the boys to the Home Depot and we looked and looked and saw some very beautiful mums, but the mums that are being sold now are gigantic and wouldn't fit in my little window. The only other option at that point was to purchase some pansies. We got three - and they look so cheerful! I wasn't quite ready to announce to everyone driving by our house that I was ready for fall yet. These pansies still tell me that it's summer (or perhaps the end of summer) and that's all I need.

I've thrown in the towel with sewing. I suppose that I got out much of my need or desire to sew during the summer. I've lost a lot of my momentum coming up with ideas of what to make, how to make it, cutting and pinning the material, not to mention the actual art of sewing while wiping snotty noses, wiping a 4 year olds rear end after he poops, washing hands, drinking coffee (because we all know I'm not sleeping through the night yet and any bit of caffeine helps me so much!), stepping on toys, watching my son's planes taking off and landing on our carpet "runway", and taking him to school three times a week...gee whiz that just make my head spin! No wonder I can't come up with anything creative to do on my machine.

Speaking of trying to be creative, I have made a few new scrapbook pages but I have no desire whatsoever to try to post the end results. I guess my thinking is that why would anyone want to see my page layouts? They certainly aren't anything to write home about!!! I'm not asking for a pity party. I guess I started off with this blog posting the scrapbook pages as a means of me to get it done. It gave me a goal. But I'm just not feeling it right now. Maybe later.
WOW started back up last week and I'm looking forward to the group I'll be in this year. We'll be reading a book entitled "Every Thought Captive: Battling the Toxic Beliefs That Separate Us from the Life We Crave" and so far it looks really interesting. I think it's really good timing too. The past few days have been a little hard for me. I've been having lots and lots of thought swirling around in my head like "I'm not good enough," "I'm not that great of a friend," "I could be a better mother/wife/person and why am I not trying?" I don't want anyone worrying about me...I'm fine but just a little bit worn out. And I want to be honest and up front about my feelings and not act as if I'm always happy or upbeat all the time. That's not life.

A little over a year ago I stumbled upon a blog of a person I didn't know at all but have come to really admire her. Amy Wilhoite was diagnosed with AML or Acute Myelogenous Leukemia and was blogging about her struggle with day to day life, with treatments, living and even with her own death. She lost her fight against leukemia last week and I felt so bad all week long. She was only married for four years and had a one year old little boy. It made me want to hold onto my little ones a little bit longer. If any of you have the chance to look through her posts, I promise you it will change you. It might take a while if you start from the beginning, but well worth your time. I have to admire her. She always looked to God and was ready to meet her maker. I'm sure she had quite the homecoming last Monday. This is from her very first post:

I wholly believe my journey through leukemia began from the foundations of the earth. The Lord has had this fully written in His plan for my life. Though we will never know the exact moment a single cell of my DNA acquired a problem, the doctors feel my body has been under attack for months. As I look back, I see the many ways God has been preparing us for this -- He has truly gone before, and for that I must be grateful.

And so my day today begins...lots to do around the house - laundry, cleaning, keeping the boys entertained, outings, and whatever we can fit in! Tonight I will be going to Jonah's "Back to School Night" and I'm not sure what all I'll find out since I didn't go for the previous two years, but I'm looking forward to spending time with his teachers and finding out just what he does in class. Whenever I ask him he simply says that he played and he can't remember the other things he did in school! I laugh. I know he is having fun and making new friends.

Happy Thursday!

My Sisters Birthday Presents

2007-09-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

This tote was made for my older sister who has two kids...the pattern is nearly identical to the black and white tote I made earlier, with a few minor alterations. I didn't have any other quilted fabric so I attempted to quilt the fabric I purchased by hand. I added a pocket inside, and while it's not perfect, it turned out ok!

This purse I made for my younger sister who has no children. It's a bit funkier in design, in fact, I made the design up myself. This purse probably turned out the best out of all the totes/purses I have made thus far - I'm slowly realizing how to make each one a bit better than the last. I also tried something new with this purse - D rings. That's how I attached the strap.

Another look of the two side by side. Happy Birthday girls! I love you!

-14.50

2007-09-05T05:53:00.000-07:00

That's the total amount of inches I have lost since joining Curves in the middle of July. Don't be fooled though. I have a few little doubts that I've actually lost that many inches...for instance when I was first measured, I wasn't wearing my sports bra, like I was this morning. So really, add back a few more inches in bust category. Also for some reason when this gal was measuring my waist, the measuring tape rode up higher than I thought it should be...so I'll add another inch and a half in the waist department. The reality is that I probably lost somewhere between 10-14.50 inches in a little over a month. Yay! Go me.
I don't normally talk about my achievements like this but I am so proud of this. Ever since Jackson was born, I've needed to lose that baby weight. And it wasn't coming off. At. All. I tried putting myself back on the weight watchers program without actually rejoining but I really needed the accountability so it wasn't working. After convincing my mother to check Curves out, she did and joined. Then she told me that I would love it - so then I joined. I don't expect the following months to be quite as dramatic as this first month has been, but I'm so excited. Now, my weight hasn't really changed but I'm trying to convince myself that it's muscle that I gained so it's not really that bad. Hopefully. Inches people...think less inches!!!

Back in business

2007-08-31T12:34:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted here. My family just got back from SD earlier this week, and we had a great time seeing our family, and house hunting. It's hard to be here in Baltimore when we know what is waiting for us.
While in SD I finished reading The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers, and all I can say is WOW. I loved the first two books, and the third was pretty great too. Thanks to my mother in law for getting me hooked on Francine Rivers writing! Today I ordered two more books by the same author. I can't wait for them to arrive!
I have been pretty frustrated these past few days and I figure it's due to the lack of sleep I'm getting. Last night Jackson woke up three times again (he seems to be doing this very frequently) and sometimes he wants to nurse and other times I think he wakes up from a bad dream. I'm tired of not being able to sleep through the night. I'm tired of feeling like crap the next day. And most of all, I'm tried of being cranky with the kids and my husband! I'm sure a full night's sleep would help me quite a bit. Today I decided that I'm going to wean Jackson...and he is not happy with me one bit. I'm tired of it and ready to move on. He would say otherwise. So wish us luck. Any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.
Looking back on the summer I can't believe that it's nearly over. I mean, I didn't even take the kids swimming yet! What kind of a mother am I? Anyway, I do feel like I did some neat things to stretch my mind a little. I scrapped a few pages, and made a few purses/totes (5 so far - two I made with my very own made up pattern!), and I also made a skirt. Now I feel like I've lost some sewing momentum so I don't know when I'll get back to the machine. Besides...one of the levers came off last night. The lever that tells you how many stitches per inch, and whether you are going forwards or backwards - it just came off. I managed to put it back on but it came off again. This machine doesn't like me. Oh, how I wish it did! Anyway, I sent off two purses today for my sisters birthdays and once we get past those days, I'll post pictures of the completed items.

Skirt on a whim

2007-08-06T05:22:00.000-07:00

Saturday was our 6th wedding anniversary! We planned on going out to eat without the kids so I thought it would be the perfect occasion to sport something new. No, I didn't buy something. I decided that I'd make myself a new skirt. Without a pattern. It would be easy. I have this linen skirt that has a drawstring around the waist and just two other pieces...the front and the back. So I thought I'd just cut around the skirt and go from there. I admit that I didn't really have a clue as to what I was doing but I needed to challenge my brain. So after pinning the pieces together and making the drawstring, I began to sew. After all was said and done, I only ended up ripping out one seam. Not bad, I said to myself. When I had finished, I slipped it on, and marched downstairs to show my husband the wonderful things I can do with my sewing machine. He had to hold his tongue to keep from laughing! I turned this way and that, and after we both had a good laugh, we decided that it was just too wide. So I marched myself back upstairs to take it in on both sides. After that, I slipped it on again, and showed my husband. I asked him what he thought. His reaction still makes me laugh. He said..."Well, it looks really yellow..." The size was better this time, but the right side of the skirt was doing this funny poofy thing, so I went back to the sewing machine to try to fix it. I came back downstairs and he said "Maybe you should get somebody else's opinion on this"...so we took some pictures and I emailed them to my mother. Thank goodness for mothers who know just what to say! The end result turned out ok for my first attempt. I did end up wearing it out to eat, and I'm very proud to say that it didn't fall off or even fall apart while I wore it!

Not to be taken lightly

2007-07-31T11:20:00.000-07:00

Last night was rather exciting around our house. The weather was nice so we decided to grill for dinner. As Mike was coming and going, in and out of the house, Jonah and I started hearing sirens. This is not unusual. In fact what would be unusual is if we didn't hear any sirens during the day or night. They have become something that I rarely hear anymore. Jonah, on the other hand, will race to the kitchen window to see what kind of vehicle is driving by...every single time we hear a siren. He gets so excited to see them. It's almost a game to him I think. It's hard for him to think that there might be somebody who is hurt inside the ambulance, or that there is a fire that the firetruck is going to. He just sees lights and a fast truck and he's giddy. So last night was really quite extraordinary to say the least. And I say that with all respect to those who keep us safe here in Baltimore. I was cutting up some veggies to put on the grill when it began. Jonah raced into the kitchen when he heard the first siren. Then he ran back out to the living room where he was watching a baseball game. Not a minute later, there was a group of sirens headed our way. In this grouping were several cop cars. Another minute passed and still more sirens were heard. Jonah was in and out of the kitchen just as fast as these cars raced by our house. This spectacular show lasted for nearly ten minutes...and it seemed that with each minute, there were more cop cars, more ambulances, firetrucks, helicopters, armor trucks, you name it, and they passed by our house. I decided that I would try to count the trucks that passed by after the first ten minutes went by. Of course we had no idea what was going on, where it was happening, and the rest of the logistics. I could tell from the beginning that it was probably something very serious. I had never seen that many rescue, cop, and firetrucks zoom by as I did last night. After a slight pause in the action, it began again. This time the trucks were all moving in the opposite direction (towards the hospital.) At that point I realized that someone was hurt and I figured it was somebody in uniform, given all the activity that took place (we probably saw nearly 40-50 cars, vans, armored vehicles, firetrucks, ambulances...all within this time period). We were itching to learn what was going on because the helicopters were right above our house, hovering. I finally was able to see what happened online. Two female police officers were driving in a car, only blocks from our house, when someone opened fire on them. The driver was shot in the arm and the other officer was shot through the abdomen. From what I hear they are both fine but will be needing more surgery. (To see the complete story, click here and check out the video footage.) Pretty crazy, right? I was really starting to feel more comfortable in the city, especially the place where we live but this brings things back into perspective. I can not allow myself at any point to feel safe in my city, my neighborhood, and my home, because this is part of city life. No wonder why I've been keeping my kids inside lately. It's not the humidity, it's not that I'm lazy, it's because I fear for their safety - and mine. As I was trying to figure out what happened last night I came across something else quite scary. This truly makes me afraid. I will be more than happy to walk away from this part of life without any hesitation in less than a year.

It. Is. Done.

2007-07-19T08:28:00.001-07:00

The repair place called on Tuesday and told me my machine was ready to be picked up. I picked up the two boys and together we drove out to get it. I was glad to have it back. It wasn't until yesterday that I was able to jump back into my tote project. It wasn't easy mind you. Both of the boys were in a state of mental anguish yesterday and so there were many tears and a lot of screaming throughout the day. But I persisted. I. Had. To. Finish. My. Tote. So, without further delay...here it is (in all of it's not so perfect glory!)!!!

This is the front of the tote, otherwise known as the side I goofed up on. If you look closely at the bottom white band you'll see that it's not exactly sewn onto the black part of the bag. I decided to just make this part up. On the back side of this front are the inside pockets...so I couldn't destroy those by sewing across them. So I turned this white band into two very small, very useless pockets, unless you call a pocket specifically for two pieces of gum useful. Oh well. Sometimes gum gets lost at the bottom of a purse too...so why not have a pocket just for that purpose...to keep the gum from getting lost? I'm actually pretty brilliant.
This is the back of the tote, otherwise known as the way the front of the tote should look. I actually altered the top white band on both the front and back sides. I wanted the inside of the tote to look a bit more finished so I turned over the white band.
A picture of inside the tote. If you look closely you can see the two pockets (on the left hand side).
Another view of inside the tote- because it deserves another angle!
And lastly, a side view. So all in all I am pretty pleased with how it turned out. It's not exactly the Vera Bradley bag that I had envisioned it being, but it's a good start. The overall size of the bag was a bit larger than I had intended it to be, but it's decent. Now if I could only find some cheap and funky already quilted fabric, I'd be making a bunch more.

My tote

2007-07-11T18:03:00.000-07:00

So, the sewing project has been put on hold. I am quite upset about this, seeing as how I was smack dab in the middle of the project! For some reason unknown to me my sewing machine stopped sewing. I've checked the manual and double checked the threading...I can't figure out what happened! I had my hopes that I would have been able to finish it this evening. I guess that won't happen after all...

Anyway, I'm having quite the time making out the directions and adding a few things of my own to the bag. I think I must have stared at the first instruction for about 45 minutes...reading it normally then slowly as to make it soak into my tiny brain better...then I would think about what I read then decide that I didn't really understand it. I'm one confusing person. I fully admit that. So once I got past that first part, I thought I was on a roll! I cut out all the pieces for the pattern and couldn't wait to start putting them together. As I was assembling all the pieces I realized that this bag didn't have any pockets inside the bag. I would have to remedy that problem. So last night I thought it would be easy enough to just "put" in a pocket. Sounded easy. Looked easy. Except my thought process was probably ahead of itself, and I failed to read the instructions for putting that side of the bag together...I'm such a doofus. So, without reading the instructions, I went ahead and sewed in the pocket where I wanted it. I even divided it in half so that I would end up having two pockets. I thought I was pretty good. It was sewed in place. It wouldn't move or budge. It was a sturdy pocket. And then I hit my forehead with the palm of my head because as I was reading the instructions this morning I realized that I had a serious problem on my hands! You see, I had to sew the handles on the sides of the bags and if I were to do that, it would ruin my inside pocket people! I was sweating bullets. Plus, I forgot about the "bottom band" that needed to be sewn in as well. My entire plan of making a cute and cheap purse was starting to just vanish into thin air. Augh! I think I figured out a way to get around the pocket while sewing the handles and bottom band in...but then my sewing machine just quite working, so it seems I've lost some momentum with the whole project. It's all rather frustrating.

I have taken a few pictures of the bag in progress. I think if I can ever finish it, it will be a nice bag. Not entirely perfect by any means but it will look nice. If only I could just chill out and try to bring my blood pressure down a few notches...

This is a rough idea of what the front of the bag will look like. The main "band" is the black middle section, with two white bands on either side of it. The bag has black handles. Supposedly if I do this correctly, the inside of the bag will pretty much be in reverse of what you see. (Except for the side with the pockets)

Ok...so this is the inside of the bag, the side with the pockets. The black strip you see towards the bottom are the pockets already sewn in. (Go me!) I found a way to sew half of the handle on, but then the machine broke down so the rest of the handle is just hanging on for dear life.

Side by side view. Outside/Inside...

All in all I think this bag might turn out to be a bit larger than I would have liked. Oh well. At least I'm trying to use and improve my brain and thinking skills a little bit. I can feel it expanding as I type this post. The pressure is killing me!

Oh Look! I can grow a tomato!

2007-07-11T17:55:00.000-07:00

Or two, or three...Oh yes I can! After three failed attempts at growing a beautiful tomato, we have a success story. This evening I picked three tomatoes from my kitchen windowsill. Included in this bountiful harvest was one roma tomato, and two yellow heirloom tomatoes. There are quite a few others that are still green...but I just had to try these three out. They didn't get very big, as you can tell in the photo, but both Mike and I thought that they had a nice taste. The best part? They didn't taste one iota like a cars exhaust or downtown...and the birds didn't even try to eat them! Yay! So we split them between the two of us (woowee! what a lot of tomatoes to split!) and had them in our salad this evening.

2007-07-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

Apparently Blogger is having issues with me posting a title. Both in this and the other blog of mine I can't publish a title! Anyway...

On to something new!

Lately I have been feeling quite run down and pretty much blah. I haven't had much stimulation in any area and my mind has felt quite numb so I decided that the thing to snap me out of this...whatever it is...is a project. I'm really not so great at sewing but I thought I'd better give it a try. I have had my eye on some very gorgeous Vera Bradley quilted totes, especially the Java Blue, Capri Melon, and Petal Pink fabrics. These bags are so cute and stylish...and that says a lot coming from me because I normally don't like bags of any kind. I hate carrying around diaper bags, and purses...I hate all the stuff that goes inside of the totes...but these bags are just quite simply delicious. The only problem is the price of these great bags! So I thought that maybe I could just make one myself. I went so far as to find the exact fabric on ebay...but even that would have been a bit much. I would love to have that fabric...in fact, I had a very difficult time falling asleep last night just because I was debating in my head on how I was going to make it possible to have and make this purse! So I decided to head over to Joann fabrics and find a pattern (that was easy to follow) and some fabric. I had high hopes in finding something as cute and colorful as the Vera Bradley bags. I had no such luck. The only other option I came across was actually quite nice. Simple and elegant...black and white toile (or at least I think that's what they call it!) The pattern I found was a simplicity pattern, titled "Sewing Patterns for Dummies" and I'm sure I"ll even get some of the directions wrong here and there, but I have to at least try! I'm planning on making the smaller tote, and we'll see how it goes. Here's the fabric that I purchased for it. It's already quilted!

I also found some other scraps that I thought were really pretty, and I"m sure I"ll be able to find a good use for them, I just have to figure out what exactly. Maybe I"ll try making smaller purses with these. Not quite sure yet. But they are nice!

So, that's what's happening with me. Who knows how long it will take me to finish these projects. It seems that I can't get much done during the day, with the kids needing my attention. But I'll be sure to post updates!

Back to Scrapbooking...

2007-07-03T18:13:00.001-07:00

Product Review

2007-06-28T12:21:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was surfing the Internet and on one mommy blog I came across a "freebie" that I thought I'd try to go after. The freebie was a free Senseo coffee machine! I didn't really think it was real but today in the mail, I received one as part of the "Share Senseo" program. No kidding! Seeing as how we love coffee here, I might as well try it out. This coffee system uses pods so instead of taking your coffee beans and grinding them, then putting the ground coffee beans in the coffee machine...and waiting for the coffee to be finished brewing... you just simply put a pod or two in the holder, press a button, and 30 seconds later you have a perfectly brewed cup of coffee with a layer of froth on top. Sounded kind of interesting. But I wasn't sure it was going to meet my needs for a specific coffee taste. We have been using the French Press method for making coffee and the coffee usually has a "thick" taste to it, one that is deep and flavorful. I have grown accustomed to coffee being pressed by the French Press method and was a little hesitant to try this out. After washing the machine and flushing it with water, I had to give it a try. It was VERY easy to use. I plugged it in, pushed the on button, then the button for a small cup of coffee (four ounces), and waited. It was done in no time at all. I have to admit that with that layer of froth on top it looked scrumptious. Lip smacking good scrumptious. But would it hold up? It was hot and I took a sip. It wasn't too bad - (meaning...not too sure if Mike will like it or not). It tasted slightly bitter to my tongue, but I wasn't sure if it was just this particular coffee blend or not. After all, I'm really not a coffee aficionado. It's kind of a neat little gadget. We'll have to wait and see from Mike if it will deserve a thumbs up or not. In my humble opinion it might be nice to have around but will it be another one of those appliances that just sits and sits, begging to be used? I don't know. I appreciated the speed of the whole process and how easy it was to use. The taste was OK. But I can see how it could become expensive buying replacement pods to use. I'll have to try it out a few more times to know if it's the real deal or not!

Here are some product specs: This particular model retails for $69.99, and there are other, more expensive models that go up to $139.99. For a package of 18 pods, it would cost you about $29.99 although I did find one bag of 16 pods that is for about $16.99. Let me break it down for you - one pod will make one 4 ounce cup of coffee, and two pods will make you one 8 ounce cup. So if both Mike and I wanted just one cup of coffee, we'd use four pods...Yikes! We wouldn't even be able to make it through one week before we'd need to buy more pods. It means that we'd spend more than $120 a month on this particular kind of coffee. That is just too spendy for us folks. I mean, we aren't made of money people!!! That in itself would deter me from buying this. Even though it looks cool and trendy, I wouldn't be able to fork over the dough each week to feed my habit.

The box we received - states "With the SENSEO coffee machine by Philips you can enjoy a perfect cup of coffee - topped with a rich frothy coffee layer - whenever you feel like it. Each cup is freshly brewed so you're always sure of that pure, smooth taste. The patented SENSEO brewing system from Philips in combination with the special SENSO coffee pods makes sure you get only the very best in flavor and aroma from freshly roasted coffee."

Let the brewing begin!

Drip, Drip, Drip!

Mmmm...look at the froth.

Amanda's ratings (*=poor, *****=excellent)
Appearance - ****
Ease of use - *****
Cost - * 1/2
Taste -*** 1/2
OVERALL RATING: ~ *** 1/2

Resident Graduation

2007-06-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

Last night we hired a sitter for the boys and were able to enjoy an adult evening at the Resident Graduation dinner. Mike and the other residents toasted a fellow resident who will be moving to NYC in a short while. We had an awesome meal of steak, a crabcake, some seasonal vegetables, and of course the chocolate cheesecake...which was oh so yummy! Each table had a really pretty floral centerpiece. We were lucky enough to come home with one!

A little home spa therapy...

2007-06-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

A few years ago after I had come back from my music camp in Brevard, NC I had one desire to purchase a spa-like piece of equipment. You see, while we were in the thick of things in music camp, playing...oh...around eight to ten hours of music every day your muscles and joints would sometimes start to hurt. Yes, we all overdid the playing at one point or another. But to remedy the situation, the camp nurse offered free weekly 10 minute massages to the first fifteen people who signed up. You had to act quickly my friends. Those massages were like heaven. I still love them. I didn't go out and purchase a professional masseuse mind you. She turned me on to something else quite lovely. Something called Hot Paraffin Wax Treatment...or something like that. You might think that it sounds ridiculous sticking a body part into hot melted wax...why would anyone do that? Oh people...if you only knew! It is such a treat to the skin. When the wax has melted, you dip your hand (or it could be your elbow, foot whatever) into the hot paraffin six to seven times quickly. After taking your hand out, it is covered in waxy goodness so you must wrap them in bags. In my opinion, the bags help to lock the heat in, and seal in the moisturizing effects this has. After sitting for a few minutes, letting your mind do nothing but wander (because really, what else could you be doing while your hands are covered in wax?) you get to unwrap those bags and take the wax off and deposit it back in the crock. The whole process is so soothing...and that's why I brought it out of the closet yesterday. Yesterday was one of those crazy like days when my mind just couldn't stop the madness! The kids were constantly screaming for attention, if not screaming at each other, and there were a million things that needed to be done. My head was spinning and I was in a foul mood. Yes, it happens on occasion. Please forgive me. I needed something for myself. Something to soothe me. The answer...hot paraffin wax treatment. It's what I call a little piece of serenity in my house. You should try it!

This is the crock with the melted wax inside

The melted wax

Dipping your hand in the wax (yes, I'm odd for taping it, but a girl's gotta show you how to do it!)

Depositing the wax back in the crock

Now let it melt again!

Spice Rack pt. 2

2007-06-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

The Spice Rack is up, and we're still looking for the perfect pull. It holds so many spices and I'm loving that it's not taking up extra cabinet or counter space. We love it. Mike did an excellent job making this. Way to go!

Paint and Stainless Steel

2007-06-21T18:35:00.000-07:00

We have been slowing down in the kitchen department lately. I guess it can be difficult to paint an entire room when you have two children pulling on your pant legs! Mike has also been busy getting ready for his boards in July. So, this part has taken us a bit longer than we had anticipated. We have, however, picked out a paint color for the kitchen. It is called "Sensible Hue" from the Home Depot. I, on the other hand, prefer to call it "Masking Tape". It truly is a bit toned down and we both thought that having a lighter color in the kitchen would compliment the cabinets and counter nicely. The color is growing on me!
We have also been trying to put up the backsplash. Some of the stainless steel panels were a bit difficult to put up, seeing as how Mike needed to cut out the holes for the outlets and switch plate. But they are all up now, and the kitchen looks quite sparkly. It has a really nice modern flavor to it. Even though the entire kitchen isn't quite done yet it's looking marvelous!

Here, the flash of the camera is on but the under the cabinet lights are not on.

Let's add some pizazz! The lights under the cabinets are on!

The color - "Masking Tape" - whoops, I mean "Sensible Hue"...
It appears a bit darker in the photo than it actually is.

Sorry for the bad picture here. Just wanted to show a difference in the choice of colors. The previous yellow was a bit more mustardy than what it looks like in the picture. The white (or shall I say "masking tape" color) in the middle is the new color.

Now this picture pretty much is exactly as it looks. It's not too bad...for masking tape!

Stop right there!

2007-06-21T18:02:00.000-07:00

I saw you for the first time about two weeks ago. It was dark so I couldn't see too clearly. You ran away quickly and hid before I could catch up.
Then just the other night as the lights were being turned off, you mysteriously appeared again, going into my bathroom.
This morning as my son entered my bathroom, you were there again. You tried to run but we fought and I thought I took care of the situation.
How could you? We thought you were long gone! I was sure the words I had spoken to you would ensure us that you would never return under any circumstances.
On my way to the laundry room I saw you again. You looked my way, ran and hid under the cabinet. You dirty little cockroach! And now I'm sure it wasn't just one...

BLEH!

From now on when I go into the boys' room during the night I pray that I won't happen upon you and squish the living daylights out of you. That would just be too gross. My foot would never be the same!

Spice Rack

2007-06-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

Just to the left of our stove we had a gap in between the cabinets of a few inches. We discovered that it was the perfect size for a spice rack drawer. Unfortunately IKEA does not have any such thing to add on to the existing cabinets we already put up. What to do in a situation like this? Ask your husband to make you one! Mike was busy making the spice rack...and it's nearly finished. We just need to find the perfect pull for the front of the door and it will look like it was always meant to be there.

Installation Day!

2007-06-13T06:21:00.001-07:00

Installation Day was yesterday and boy were we ever excited! The kitchen has gone through such a transformation, and it's not even completed yet! So, there will be plenty more pictures yet! Enjoy!
Here, Tony and the gang take the first piece out of the truck

Here the sink is being fitted for the space we have

Here the corner piece is put in!

The main piece is added

Here is a more polished look at the main piece

A more polished look at the corner piece

The beautiful sink! It's huge!

A closer look of the granite. It really has a lot of depth to it.

In this picture the under the cabinet lighting is on. However, the flash from the camera makes it so that you can't really tell they are on!

Corner again

Long view. Doesn't it look great?

I'm going for it!

2007-06-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

I have finally made the decision to teach Jonah the violin. I have thought about this long and hard and after thinking about what little we have to do this summer I decided that I might as well just give it a try. I'm really nervous about it. I don't want this to be all about me wanting my son to be the best little violin player out there. I want to do this because I think he'd like it and might have fun learning something and later he might appreciate the discipline that comes from practicing an instrument. Maybe I'm looking too far ahead but I'm willing to give it a try. I approach this with much trepidation. I've thought about this for several months now...should I do it, or shouldn't I? I've made the decision to go for it! Just a little while ago I ordered a violin online. Hopefully if all goes well we'll have it by next week! Wish us luck!

A story of the Mutant Tomatoes

2007-06-07T05:19:00.000-07:00

Over a month ago I had an idea to start a small tomato garden outside of my kitchen window. It would be fun I thought to myself. We'd have delicious tomatoes that we could pick off the vine ourselves. We'd eat them every day! They would be the best tomatoes anyone has ever seen.
I purchased three different tomato plants at the Home Depot ~ Roma tomatoes, Mr. Stripey heirloom tomatoes, and Yellow Pear tomatoes. I thought the variety would be fun. And as they were growing outside I could just glance out the window and marvel at the process happening before my very eyes.
The plants grew very quickly. One plant practically quadrupled in size. I was so excited! Then, the little yellow blossoms starts showing. I thought they were really nice. I have never grown any kind of vegetable before and so anything new here was progress. I waited and waited to see any sign of tomatoes springing forth. When my inlaws were here visiting a week or so ago it finally happened. Two oblong shaped tomatoes popped out overnight. I was thrilled! I watched to see how much they would grow. I watered them. I hoped they would grow and turn out to become beautiful tomatoes, the very first tomatoes that I had ever grown myself. I was so proud of these tomatoes.
When I first decided to place my tomatoes outside of my kitchen window I had a brief thought that the tomatoes, if they chose to grow, would turn out to be some kind of mutant tomatoes, seeing as how they were being grown on the street...literally! I didn't dare plant them in my backyard, seeing as how the rats would probably get to the tomatoes before I ever could. Even thinking that the rats could touch them gives me the goosebumps. Gross! So I planted them in the window box to keep them from large city rats. Mike didn't think that we'd end up with any tomatoes. He assumed that the birds would get to them and eat them before they ripened. I didn't anything or anyone would touch or harm them.
I was wrong.
Shortly after my inlaws left I noticed my two prized tomatoes growing rather nicely. I even thought that they were starting to change colors from green to red! The bottoms of each fruit had turned a color that was like a deep purple - and I just knew that it wouldn't be long before we'd be able to enjoy them. I waited and waited to see if the color would spread to the rest of the fruit, but it didn't.

After talking with my older sister last night I realized that I had a problem on my hands. My tomatoes had blossom end rot...and I needed to get rid of them. So I'm trying something she suggested...and if it doesn't work...older sister, you know who you are!!! She suggested that I try putting banana peels and or pieces of banana in the dirt. So this morning after I took off the rotten tomatoes, I placed a banana peel around my three plants.
I'm waiting and watching carefully and hoping against all odds that my tomatoes will be fruitful!

A visit to the warehouse

2007-06-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

This morning we traveled to the Stone Warehouse to pick out our rock for the new kitchen countertop! We were both excited about the process and anxious to see how our choice would look against our new cabinets. We were able to pick out the slab we wanted and that was that! It's called Uba Tuba and is black with specks of green, yellow, and tan in it. We were glad we went seeing as how it differed slightly in the way it looked online. We are very excited to be upgrading our kitchen and can't wait for the finishing touches to be added! Tuesday is the date of installation! Stay tuned for further pictures!

New appliances

2007-06-01T11:40:00.000-07:00

Out with the old...

...and in with the new!!!

We even updated our light fixtures...it is so bright in our kitchen now, I LOVE IT!

Let the demo begin!

2007-06-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

This is just after Mike and Jack took down the top wall cabinets. They patched up a few things and moved on.

The corner before the new cabinet went in. Previously there was not a corner cabinet~just two smaller cabinets which didn't utilize the corner. We had so much wasted space in the corners that we opted to get a few corner cabinets and a lazy susan.

The very first new cabinet goes up!

A few more are added, along with one of the doors to give you an idea of what it will look like.

More cabinets on the main wall went up, along with a new corner cabinet on the right.

Family scrapbook

2007-06-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

Storybook Island, Rapid City, SD ~ August 2005
Dinosaur Park, Rapid City, August 2005

My child loves to golf with his Daddy!

LOST

2007-05-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

I haven't spoken of my obsession with the television show LOST yet but today is as good as ever. Last night was the season finale and I could hardly go to bed, I was so excited. My husband and I have been devoted watchers of the show since it started and I know I'll continue to watch it when it starts back up again...in 8 months! I can hardly stand it. The shows always leave me with a feeling of wonderment. Last night was no exception. I'm scratching my head just thinking about it! Wow. If you haven't joined in on the LOST experience, you have all summer long to catch up. I highly suggest that you do so because it will take you on a trip unlike any other!

Family Scrapbook

2007-05-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

I love the paper that I found for the above two pages. Who can pass up a clearance sign at Michaels?

Jonah loves to dress up like a cowboy.

The above to pages were taken a few summers ago. Jonah and his cousin Cooper got to ride in Grandpa Swartz's digger in SD. It was so much fun for them both!

Family Scrapbook

2007-05-21T08:03:00.000-07:00

Halloween 2005

Spring 2007

Fall 2006

Another scrapbook

2007-05-18T10:52:00.001-07:00

I'm back in business with a new computer and setup so I'm ready to add some new pictures! I've decided to start a new scrapbook, without any kind of theme or time-frame, so there are old pictures in it that I just finally got around to scrap and there are newer ones.

Why a Patchwork Quilt?

2007-05-18T05:55:00.001-07:00

I've had several people ask me why I've named this blog "My Patchwork Quilt" when it has nothing to do with quilting. I do have an interest in learning how to make quilts, but at this stage in my life I don't have the time of day to spend on quilting! (I'd rather be blogging) So the reason it's called "My Patchwork Quilt" is simply because I'd like to share my thoughts on other areas of my life, not just about my children. It's about the very fibers of my life and what they are made of. It will consist of stories that make me think thoughts other than the motherly ones I express on my other blog. And lastly I will use this blog to share my other experiments ~ my scrapbook pages and other home improvement projects. They all are different parts, or different "squares" in the quilt of my life.

Late night visitor

2007-05-08T13:43:00.000-07:00

Last night I was sitting on the couch, veggin' out with the television while Mike was downstairs studying for his test this morning. I was in the "zone" when all of a sudden someone was knocking on our kitchen door. It wasn't a subtle knock, but one of urgency. This knock scared the living daylights out of me. I jumped off the couch and ran halfway down the hallway deliberating on if I should open the door or not. It was close to 9:30 pm and nobody really uses our kitchen door, and we live downtown for petes sake...who would want anything to do with us at that hour? So I froze and yelled down to Mike to come upstairs and answer the door for me. I was just sure it was some kind of an axe murderer or something. Mike came up and looked out the kitchen window when this person knocked on the door again. So he went over to the door and peeped through that peep hole, but didn't recognize the person on the other side. He went back over to the kitchen window and opened it up ever so slightly (and much safer mind you,) and the man outside is pleading us to give him something to do. Anything. Take the trash out, clean the yard, anything to make a few bucks to get him back to the county on a bus. I've heard this line before but have only heard it in the daytime when I have felt relatively safe. Then he said, "I saw that your lights were on. I just had to come and get help. I just got out of prison and I have my papers to prove that I was just discharged..." What oh what were we to do? Mike told him that we couldn't do anything right now because we had two kids upstairs sleeping...(in other words...keep the racket down already!) and we just weren't in any kind of position to help him out at the moment. In all actuality the moment scared me to death. We could have let this man in our house and something horrible could have happened. But we could have also just given him a buck or two and let him be on his way. Being in the inner city has taught me to think twice about what it is that we do with our family and our money... but still there is another voice in my head that says and even thinks...maybe this is someone I could trust and just help out. Isn't that what Jesus would want us to do? Help the stranger, go out of your comfort zone and be a servant? It's a dilemma we often face being here in the city. Sometimes I'd like to think that we are acting like Jesus would want us to. Sometimes I think that I've missed the mark. All I can I can do is try to be better!

Still Here...

2007-05-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

I'm still here, just having a bit of a hard time finding some regular time to post and do other fun things. I promise that there are lots of pictures to share...and they will be posted as time allows.

4 Generations!

2007-04-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

I love, love, love this paper that I found. It sort of matched Nanny's blazer so I used it. Four Generations!

3 and 4 months old

2007-04-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

2 1/2 months old

2007-04-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken while JD was 2 1/2 months old. My how he's growing!

Crying and Little Man

2007-04-18T07:46:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken when JD was only a week old. He was so tiny and we were trying to take a picture of him on the quilt his grandmother made for him but he only wanted to cry!

Little Man ~ in Moms arms. That says it all!

Nana

2007-04-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken while Nana was here helping out. I just love the paper I used, found it on sale at Michaels! The colors are so pretty together.

Florida trip

2007-04-17T07:41:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken while we were in Florida this past January. We had a great time!

It is finished!

2007-04-16T07:37:00.000-07:00

It is finished! Every letter has been accounted for and I'm glad I finally got to the end. Now it's on to other scrapbooks! It was fun putting this together.

Q is for Quiet

2007-04-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

I shot this picture of Jonah and Jackson as they were taking a little rest in his bed. They looked so cute being quiet.

O is for Octopus

2007-04-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

Here Jonah was being adventurous eating octopus. The pictures are pretty funny!

I is for Ice Cream

2007-04-16T07:29:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken about two years ago when a friend was visiting here in Baltimore. We took him to the wonderful Italian pastry and dessert restaurant, Vaccaros. One word describes this fabulous place...YUM. If you click on the picture you can see just how monstrous this ice cream dish was. And yes, we did share it, it wasn't all for Jonah!

E is for Easter

2007-03-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

Updated - see below for new picture!

E is for Easter...this picture doesn't to the green paper justice. Like I said earlier...I'm Not Good At This!!! My freehand drawings are sort of sad.

I added this second Easter page after I stumbled upon these cute pictures of Jonah around Easter time...he's picking up Easter eggs and chicks and he just looks so cute. I couldn't resist!

B is for Birthday

2007-03-29T12:28:00.000-07:00

Updated - see below for new picture

Alright, B is obviously for Birthday! Here I used his actual invitation along with some fun pictures. I plan on doing one more birthday page for his third birthday...yes I know he's nearing his fourth birthday...I'm late, I'm late!

Ok...I finally got around to finishing the birthday pages...here is his third birthday page!

Y is for Yellow

2007-03-29T12:16:00.004-07:00

Y is for Yellow...and yellow is Jonah's favorite color! So in each picture there is something yellow...a yellow swimsuit, a yellow shirt, a yellow golf club, and a yellow weed whacker. What can I say? He loves yellow!

V is for Vacation

2007-03-29T12:16:00.003-07:00

V is for Vacation...and so I added a few of our Florida pictures here!

U is for Uncles

2007-03-29T12:16:00.001-07:00

Here we have the Uncle page...Starting with Uncle Jeff, then Uncle Ryan, Uncle Ben, Uncle Alex, Uncle Garry, and Uncle Aaron.

K is for Kisses

2007-03-29T12:15:00.001-07:00

This picture turned out a little dark, I didn't use a flash. Obviously, K is for Kisses. Who wouldn't want to be kissed by Jonah?

M is for Mom

2007-03-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

Updated -see below for new picture! The sides of this photo got a little cut off, but you get the idea! Jonah and his Mommy.

I decided to add another Mom page...I just love the paper that I used here, variations of red and yellow...pretty! I added a few stickers at the bottom...they read "All American Boy" and "What one loves in childhood stays in the heart forever..."

More pages for JDS

2007-03-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

First Bath Time...I used a few "crystals" to make a few bubbles, and at the bottom I included a little "letter" in the green envelope that says a little more about his first bath time experience. He hated it!

A picture of when we came home...my sisters had sent me some lovely flowers

Jackson seemed to sleep all the time so it seems important to include a page of him sleeping so soundly. As I look at the picture on the left I'm reminded of just how tiny he was! Look at those fingers!

Another baby brother page. Jonah took such good care of his baby brother when he arrived. He looked after him in such a way that it made my heart melt.

The proud Daddy page.

Sonogram photos that showed we were having a boy!

A new "do"

2007-03-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

A was in need of a new do. After much deliberation and talking between many people, this is what I had done:

I sort of feel like saying..."Hi, My name is Rachael Ray, and I make 30 minute meals..." Needless to say, I like it.

A new Scrapbook

2007-03-22T17:15:00.001-07:00

I finally got around to starting Jacksons scrapbook. I'm still not very good at this whole thing but am pleased with the results so far.

N is for Nemo

2007-03-21T11:24:00.001-07:00

For Jonah's 2nd birthday we got him a pet goldfish, which he properly named Nemo. To this page I added a few flashy fish stickers and I tried to make the letter "e" in Nemo look like a fish. Nevermind that Nemo is dead! He is still in our thoughts...

X is for "Strike!"

2007-03-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

This idea came to me after we had gone duckpin bowling. Jonah normally does very well when we go, and he has a lot of fun. Too bad I didn't have any pictures of any of his "Strikes!"

De-Baum Cookies

2007-03-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

In honor of my father's birthday today I thought I would post a yummy new recipe that I just tried today. After a few small ingredient changes and a new name (After my daddy of course) they are ready! Enjoy!

De-Baum Cookies
yields about 3 dozen cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, at room temp.
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. almond extract (I had none so I used vanilla)
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup flaked coconut (for one dozen I chose not to put the coconut in, for my husband who doesn't like it!)
1 cup almonds, chopped fine (I omitted this)
1/2 cup golden raisins (I omitted these as well...didn't have any!)
1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Use a silpat or parchment paper to drop the cookies on, otherwise lightly grease your baking sheet. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, cream the butter and two sugars. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating vigorously after each addition. Beat in the almond (vanilla) extract. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Fold in the oats, coconut, almonds, raisins, and chocolate chips. Drop the dough by spoonfuls 1 1/2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until lightly colored. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Let's all sit down to dunk a few of these yummy cookies and toast my Daddy. Enjoy!

Red Snapper Fish Recipe

2007-03-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

Last night we tried something new here. I had gone to Trader Joes yesterday morning while Jonah was in school and came across some frozen Red Snapper fish. I'd never had it but felt intrigued...Red Snapper sounds like a pretty cool fish, right? At the store they had a suggestion as how to prepare it and I took that suggestion and ran with it. Here is what I came up with:

Red Snapper

2 Red Snapper fillets
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
2 Limes sliced
A handful or two of small cherry tomatoes, sliced
A quarter or half of an onion sliced
A handful of cilantro
5 cloves of garlic

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Zest one lime to save for later. Add some olive oil to a glass pan. Season the fish with salt and pepper then place inside pan. On top of the fish add the slices of limes, then the tomatoes, and onions. Gently cut up the cilantro and scatter over the fish. Smash - but do not cut any further - the cloves of garlic and scatter around the fish. Go over the entire dish with another round of olive oil, then salt and pepper to season. Take the reserved lime zest and sprinkle that on top. Bake in the oven for about 20-25minutes, or until cooked.

We had a wonderfully zany rice dish (also from Trader Joes) that I got specifically to go with the fish...it was super yummy and everyone here loved it as well. Sorry, I'd link you to it but can't seem to find it anywhere online. It was chimi...something or other...and all I can say is...WOW. So, next time you are in the mood to make something a little fishy, but oh so wonderful, try this refreshing dish!

Countdown List

2007-03-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about the things we have loved while we have resided in Baltimore. Over the next few months I'll be contimplating those things which we will miss...

Our church
Friends
IKEA - need I say more?
Visiting relatives that come to D.C. for work and/or play
Trader Joes, especially the curry/simmer sauces like Mojito Simmer Sauce, Masala Simmer Sauce, and Green Thai Simmer Sauce, also the flat pretzel slims, frozen yellow and orange gingered carrots, edamame, to name a few.
No commute for Mike
Duckpin Bowling - yes, it's similar to regular bowling, but you just can't beat the kiddie sized balls.
Steve and Barry's - cheap, cheap, cheap, and fun clothing for the entire family.
Crabcakes from Lexington Market - mmmmmmm!
The variety of parks we can go visit.
Closeness to the ocean
Aldi - how else will I be able to cut my grocery bill in half?
The Baltimore Zoo - I know there is wildlife in SD but I'm not ready to come face to face with a mountain lion anytime soon!
Free admission to the Walters Art Gallery
Living in a city where there are major sports teams...The Orioles and The Ravens.

to be continued...

My celebrity look alikes...

2007-03-05T06:25:00.000-08:00

Ribs to die for...really, they're that good!

2007-03-04T12:20:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while Mike and I like to treat ourselves to a nice homemade meal. We both enjoy cooking, most of the time, and some days we just need to out-do ourselves. Today was one of those days. A while ago we came across a recipe (actually saw Dave Lieberman on Food Network make this and drooled the ENTIRE time he made it - we drooled, not him!) and we had to try it. I used to think that teriaki steak was my absolutely favorite steak but not anymore. No-siree. This short ribs recipe wins hands down. In fact, if I could have these ribs for every one of my birthday dinners, I would...they are THAT good. If you or someone you know loves meat then by all means make this recipe and watch the socks fall off of that special someone.

Braised Hoisin Beer Short Ribs

3 pounds beef short ribs, about 10 ribs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
10-12 garlic cloves smashed
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
12 ounces good ale (we recommend Guinness)
3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 cup hoisin sauce

Season the ribs generously with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy pot with a lit (Dutch oven) over high heat. Sear, and brown the ribs on all sides, in batches if necessary. Remove the ribs and pour off all but a couple tablespoons of the rendered fat.

Return the pot to the stove, lower the hear to medium and saute the garlic and ginger for about 3 minutes. Add the ribs back to the pot. Add the beer and the vinegar. Stir and then cover and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Pour hoisin sauce over the ribs, move the pot to the oven, and cook, uncovered for 30 minutes.

Remove ribs and ginger from sauce. Strain fat from the top of the pot so that you're left with just the good stuff. Serve with mashed potatoes and vegetables.

Honor

2007-02-28T06:27:00.000-08:00

At WOW (Women on Wednesday - at church) I have tried to get involved with a class that is reading through a book entitled"Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes...in you and your kids!". When I say that I have tried to get involved that means that I've actually only been to one class out of four. I missed the first two classes, attended the third, then was called out of the fourth class to be with my baby. Today we will also miss class because the baby is still getting over a cold. I have come to thoroughly enjoy going to WOW mainly to get out of the house and socialize with other women. So today is kind of like a blow to me...I need some other adults to talk to! Anyway, last night as I was preparing for class today, I was reading the first five chapters to get caught up. The main theme in this book is how to teach Honor to your children, not just obedience. According to the authors, Honor is defined as

"Treating people as special, doing more than what's expected, and having a good attitude."

The whole honor issue is making a lot of sense to me. But I can't help but feel guilty reading part of it. You see, this book also deals with me...the parent. It reminds me that I must honor my husband and my children by going the extra mile, and by doing that with a cheerful heart. It is also dying to self. That is hard. Especially after a night of little sleep. Obedience is defined as

"Doing what someone says, right away, without being reminded."

I can do that. I can try to teach my children to obey me. But we need to constantly model honor to them so they can see how to honor us and other people in return. Another thoughtful sentence in the book, pg. 29, states "Although obedience gets the job done, honor addresses how the job is done. Honor keeps a family running smoothly. It brings joy to the giver as well as to the receiver." This is something I clearly need to work on. When I'm cranky and tired and crave more sleep, I still need to honor my husband and children during the day. I shouldn't allow my attitude to seep into my family life. No matter how awful I feel. This book strips my emotions down to the core, for I realized after reading just a few chapters that I am the one who needs to make the change, not so much my family. If that's not raw, I don't know what is.

Z is for Zoo

2007-02-23T11:27:00.003-08:00

We have had so many fun times at the zoo here in Baltimore. I drew and colored in the pictures of the animals on both pages, which give them a whimsical feeling.

J is for July

2007-02-23T11:27:00.001-08:00

This past July we were in South Dakota for the 4th. Jonah got to help his cousins throw candy out of the Caboodle car in the Ft. Pierre parade, and that night had some fun with sparklers.

W is for Water

2007-02-23T11:26:00.001-08:00

I was able to find a font that had water splashes in the letters...so I used it! I also like some of the 3-D stickers I put on. Especially the daisy.

S is for Slide

2007-02-23T11:25:00.004-08:00

Jonah loves to slide. That's why his Daddy made him a slide for his second birthday!

R is for Roller Skating

2007-02-23T11:25:00.003-08:00

P is for Pumpkin

2007-02-23T11:25:00.001-08:00

I really liked the paper that I found for this page. The stripes give a twist on the fall, don't they? The pictures are cute too.