Friday, January 30, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Makit Plates
The girls got in the mood for a big drawing session so we decided to bust out the Makit plates they had received for Christmas from Grandma. The girls each got a certain number of papers to fill with their creations and then they picked their "best" one. I put their selections in an included envelope, each with a check for $3.00 for the return shipping, and in 4-5 weeks we will have their art forever etched in a plate! Ta-da!
We had many bumps in the road during this night of marker fun. There was a grumpy Madelyn after a threat of "SHE'S COPYING!" directed towards Lana, Sophia created her 5 pictures in under 5 minutes and then decided to wreak havoc on her sisters, Isabella interrupted with a stinky diaper and her twin Gracie followed, borderline hysterical, in need a nursing session.
But.. we did it, folks. We did it. Another crafting experience survived. :)
The Makit company has oodles of products! Check them out! Besides the plates they have mugs, keychains, coasters and more! They also have products that require no processing and can just be "snapped" into place. There are so many ideas for preserving the endless art kids create on an everyday basis!
We had many bumps in the road during this night of marker fun. There was a grumpy Madelyn after a threat of "SHE'S COPYING!" directed towards Lana, Sophia created her 5 pictures in under 5 minutes and then decided to wreak havoc on her sisters, Isabella interrupted with a stinky diaper and her twin Gracie followed, borderline hysterical, in need a nursing session.
But.. we did it, folks. We did it. Another crafting experience survived. :)
The Makit company has oodles of products! Check them out! Besides the plates they have mugs, keychains, coasters and more! They also have products that require no processing and can just be "snapped" into place. There are so many ideas for preserving the endless art kids create on an everyday basis!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Pasta E Fagioli
So I decided to do a step-by-step tutorial on this great bowl of comfort soup I made yesterday, Pasta e Fagioli. Now be patient with me, I haven’t had to do a tutorial on anything since my elementary school days when I taught the class how to make an origami frog.
First, gather together all the ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces pancetta, chopped
2 sprigs rosemary, left intact
1-2 sprigs of thyme, left intact
2 dried bay leaves or 1 fresh bay leaf
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 (15 ounce) cans of cannellini beans
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
1 (32 ounce) chicken stock
1 1/2 cups ditalini
Grated parmesan cheese, for garnish
Next, chop all the vegetables and garlic ahead of time.
Heat a deep pot over medium high heat and add about 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Add pancetta bits and brown lightly.
Next, add the herb stems and bay leaf.
Then, add all your pre-chopped veggies and garlic.
Season the vegetables with some salt and pepper.
Next, add the beans, tomato sauce, water and stock to pot. Raise the heat to high and bring to a rapid boil.
Add the pasta.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 6-8 minutes or until the pasta is cooked al dente. The herbs will separate from the stems as the soup cooks. Remove the stems and the bay leaf as well.
After the pasta is cooked al dente, turn off the stove and remove the pot from the heat. Let soup rest and cool slightly before serving. Ladle soup into bowls and top with grated parmesan cheese if you so desire! ENJOY!
First, gather together all the ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces pancetta, chopped
2 sprigs rosemary, left intact
1-2 sprigs of thyme, left intact
2 dried bay leaves or 1 fresh bay leaf
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 (15 ounce) cans of cannellini beans
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
1 (32 ounce) chicken stock
1 1/2 cups ditalini
Grated parmesan cheese, for garnish
Next, chop all the vegetables and garlic ahead of time.
Heat a deep pot over medium high heat and add about 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Add pancetta bits and brown lightly.
Next, add the herb stems and bay leaf.
Then, add all your pre-chopped veggies and garlic.
Season the vegetables with some salt and pepper.
Next, add the beans, tomato sauce, water and stock to pot. Raise the heat to high and bring to a rapid boil.
Add the pasta.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 6-8 minutes or until the pasta is cooked al dente. The herbs will separate from the stems as the soup cooks. Remove the stems and the bay leaf as well.
After the pasta is cooked al dente, turn off the stove and remove the pot from the heat. Let soup rest and cool slightly before serving. Ladle soup into bowls and top with grated parmesan cheese if you so desire! ENJOY!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Baking Bread with the Chance of Flurries
One of my babes, Isabella, is a cranky teething monster but she managed to take a nap long enough for me to bake some bread before my oldest, Madelyn, came home from school today.
I made this easy peasy recipe from Paula Deen's My First Cookbook, which is a cookbook of simple recipes to make with children. I have to sadly admit that I didn’t have any of the girls help me make this bread. Well, my Kindergartener, Lana, put in the yeast and watched it bubble. Does that count? ;)
We toasted it up for an after school snack and put some honey butter on it. It was super yummy bread, y’all!
I made this easy peasy recipe from Paula Deen's My First Cookbook, which is a cookbook of simple recipes to make with children. I have to sadly admit that I didn’t have any of the girls help me make this bread. Well, my Kindergartener, Lana, put in the yeast and watched it bubble. Does that count? ;)
We toasted it up for an after school snack and put some honey butter on it. It was super yummy bread, y’all!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Happy New Year.. 2 weeks late.
It's been quite a messy beginning to the New Year. We were all sick with some nasty flu and are just getting back to normal. There are still plenty of runny noses and coughs but the achiness and fevers and other unmentionable symptoms have gone away for now.
Lots of fluids, sleep, and Great grandma's chicken soup won over those pesky germs as they always seem to manage to do. We thank our healthy immune systems that battled and triumphed once again!
So back on track, I've decided to create a glorious Valentine's Day wreath for my front door. I hope no one gets too jealous of the array of hearts and glitter they will soon be greeted with as they enter my home. It's going to be wonderful. Just you wait and see.
Lots of fluids, sleep, and Great grandma's chicken soup won over those pesky germs as they always seem to manage to do. We thank our healthy immune systems that battled and triumphed once again!
So back on track, I've decided to create a glorious Valentine's Day wreath for my front door. I hope no one gets too jealous of the array of hearts and glitter they will soon be greeted with as they enter my home. It's going to be wonderful. Just you wait and see.
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