Dinner = EPIC FAIL

If you know me, you know I LOVE trying new recipes.  It has been several years since we have had something fail this miserably...it was a HUGE disappointment too.  Like we had to THROW IT AWAY!

To be nice, I will not post where I obtained said recipe.  All I will say is it was "supposed" to be a Greek Mac n Cheese.  I know it wasn't a cook error, it came out "right", I went through the recipe a few times to check...it was just BLAND.  Now Bela liked it.  She is 19 months so bland macaroni is awesome.  Fortunately, I had given Leonard several fruit and veggie options (he is being picky as of late), so he had a vegetarian dinner.

It reminds me of a conversation a few friends of mine were having a couple months back about hot dogs.  I think they were talking about hot dogs on sale or something.  They said something to the effect of, "well Erin can cook so they probably don't eat hot dogs for dinner".  That kind of made me laugh, so I hope they read these and laugh at my total fail because we totally should have just had hot dogs for dinner! 

So that is all, we all have epic fail moments in the kitchen.  I guess it was about time for one :)

Making Things Springy!

Spring (or rather summer if you are in Florida) is in full swing and something about summer makes me want to change everything in my house around.  Spring also means the end of spring semester and I am in the thick of it and really needed a break from housework and school work.

I have been meaning to organize my scrap fabric...

 This is not even all of it...

I found the tutorial for this wreath a LOOONG time ago and I lost the link when my computer was stolen so I cannot give proper credit.  I made this for my crafting corner in my room.  It's totally random and has no rhyme or reason.  You just take your foam wreath, square scraps (3 inches or so, doesn't have to be perfect, I just cut them randomly with scissors), wrap the scrap around the pointy end of a dull pencil, add a drop of glue to the end and stab it in.  4 TiVo'd episodes of 19 Kids and Counting later, you have this pretty thing.  It didn't make the dent in my stash I was hoping to make...so I guess I still have to organize it....

As a child, my favorite part of Easter was going to get our Easter dresses.  I love doing the same with my kids and I happened upon a great sale at The Children's Place a couple weeks ago and snatched up the kids Easter outfits.  I have been wanting to try out A Lemon Squeezy Home's Bowtie Tutorial and the adorable blue chambray button down I got my son was perfect for it AND the awesome Tanya Whelan Lilly fabric from her Dolce collection that I have been in love with lately.  Wow, what a great run-on sentence!  

It turned out ADORABLE and I cannot wait to take pics of them in their Easter get-up.  This tute was super easy and it came out as perfect as the photos.  I might add these to my store :)  A hairpiece for my Bela in the same fabric is in the works :)

So for more spring fun I decided to spruce up my table arrangement.  I have had this really amazing, but tall orchid arrangement that my friend made for me a few years ago on the table, but I wanted something shorter so I can see my son across the table.  I came up with this little number.

I gave the old flowers (excellent quality by the way, still in perfect condition) a cleaning and they now live in a tall vase on my mantle.  I love re-purposing!  The only thing I bought was the blue flowers.  I reused the moss and the floral dec foam.  

I am still not 100% on the arrangement I made...but it works for now.  I think it will have a new home as I have since decided that I want to put a tray with my salt/pepper shakers and napkin holder and other table essentials on a tray and mod podge it...I can't make up my mind for anything!

Hope everyone else is getting their homes bright and springy!  Remember to think outside the box and find creative ways to reuse what you already have :)

Children and Nutrition

As parents I think that what our children eat is always a major concern.  I know that it is for us.  I have two toddlers.  My son can be picky at times and my daughter will pretty much eat anything.  I definitely don't have it all figured out as far as nutrition goes, but these things have really helped us. 

One of the cool things about majoring in Early Childhood Education is that there is a big focus on nutrition, since you have to prepare meals in many childcare facilities.  I have actually learned a TON about what kids should eat at certain ages so I thought I would share.  Many times we are overwhelmed by what we should feed our kids, how much etc...these guidelines make things VERY simple and you may be surprised (as I was) that your child is eating just what they need to eat.  You can print out guidelines for ages 1-12 here

It is also important to remember that children like simple but they also enjoy variety.  My son will be nuts for strawberries for a week and then refuse them the next.  Try them in another couple days or a week.  Here is an example of lunch:

1/2 slice bread with peanut butter

Yogurt cup

1/2 cup grapes

1/2 cup steamed carrots (or canned with low sodium)

Tips for Healthy Eating Habits

Don't be afraid to offer your child something you think they won't like.  It is important not to give off negative vibes about certain foods, especially veggies.  Your kids will always surprise you.

Start a small garden.  Children need to learn where food comes from and are more apt to try things they had a hand in making.  Even if its just a couple things in pots, it makes a positive impact.

Take a break from junk.  It is difficult to tell a toddler "no cookies" when they know the jar is sitting on the counter.  I keep all unhealthy foods out of reach and out of sight.  Try offering only healthy snack food options.  For example instead of saying "What snack would you like?", ask "Would you like grapes or a cheese stick for snack".

Set a good example.  Kids are the best imitators and it is likely they are imitating you.  I have been working on sitting with my kids for lunch instead of running around cleaning.  I try to prepare a similar lunch to theirs'.  I might add something healthy like a salad that they do not have on their plate.  They will almost always ask for a bite of mine.

If all else fails...hide veggies in your food.  There are several really great cookbooks on this topic.  Try adding shredded carrots and zucchini in sauces, they will never know!  If you look up "Picky eater" on Amazon books, you will get a ton of great book options (then just go pick one up at the library).  The Turkey Bolognese Rollover Dinner I posted a while ago is a great way to get veggies and lean meat in your child's diet.  If you check out the link for the actual recipe you will see how to take the leftovers to make a flavorful, veggie-packed chili.

Anyways, I hope some of this helps and make sure to print out the guidelines at the link and keep on your fridge to reference.  Like I said, I am not claiming to be a pro, but I can at least offer a "real mom" perspective :)

Have a great, healthy day!
 

Patchwork Peasant Dress and Crafty Books

Yay!  A post that isn't about cleaning!  I have been doing a little crafting here and there.  It is warm and wonderful here in Florida so I have been making some fun little dresses for my Bela.  Apparently I am one of those mothers who always puts their little girls in dresses... even for playing.  I kinda figured I would turn out that way, especially when cute little dresses are so easy to make!

I had some random chunks of this awesome fabric collection that I didn't really end up using the way I thought I would.  It's so pretty but I didn't have enough to make anything.  So I cut it all into 4x4 squares, sewed a big piece of fabric with them and made a fun little peasant dress with them :)  This is a great way to work on basic sewing skills, take up a couple lazy afternoons (those would be nice to have), and use up some larger fabric remnants.

And this is my fave so far, haha!  You will have to pardon the really bad lighting on this one.  I caught this one in the nick of time, right before I had to tell her to back away from the TV...again...

This was my first time lining a dress and who knows if I did it right, but I know there has to be an easier way...It turned out pretty well though!

So something else I am really stoked about is the two books that I ordered that came in :)

The first is One-Yard Wonders by Rebecca Yaker.  It is basically 101 projects you can do with just one yard of fabric.  How fun!  There are a ton of great projects,  I think I might have to make every single one!  I will be making some curtains and other things for the kids room over the next few weeks and there is a bird mobile that will go perfectly with our theme for her side of the room which I am using MoMo's It's a Hoot by Moda fabric :)

J'adore!  My mom got me some of the bottom fabric, which has this amazing whimsical scene on it.  The rest is on the way (weee!).  Lenny's side's theme will be some Michael Miller fabric called Dig It.

I am excited, It's going to be really cute.  Quickly! Let's get back on topic.  So the other book is Making Children's Clothes by Emma Hardy.  If you need a book that has all of the best, basic, wonderful children's clothing with the patterns all in one place, this is the books to get.  It has some stuff I have made before, but the helpful hints and tips are totally worth it. And having it all in one place and not in a thousand bookmarks on my computer is really handy.

Hopefully the next couple of weeks will be full of fun new projects!

Defining "Your Clean"

Okay, I know I have been talking a lot of about housecleaning lately, but let's be honest.  If there is no housecleaning, there is no crafting (that's just my rule).  So let's get the cleaning out of the way first.  I will actually be able to CRAFT today because I am ON TRACK this week.  So that brings me to an interesting topic.  How do you define clean in your own home?

I have two children under the age of three.  So there is no way on earth that my house will look like a magazine or be perfect at all times.  For me, following the Flylady plan is about being organized and not living in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome).  I know that at any given time if someone pops by I won't be completely embarrassed by my house.  BUT this doesn't mean my house will be perfect by any means.

This was my house as of about 9:30 this morning

 One area I really don't stress in is my kid's room.  We do ONE clean up in this room a day and that is at the end of the day.  I make sure sheets are clean, surfaces wiped and floors clean.  This is actually a good day...

 My kitchen table looks like this 24/7 but it would take me 30 seconds to clear it and put things where they go (cause it all has a home)

I don't know how my living room looks this good at 9:30.  It's another area that I have just said "it is what it is, there will be toys in here".  One thing I do is put toys back in the kid's bedroom throughout the day.  It feels like a losing battle most of the time, but it does help.

 The kitchen is really one area where I feel like I have won the battle!  The Flylady has transformed this kitchen.  Just putting all dirty dishes in the dishwasher and keeping my sink clean has made a 100% difference. The dishes on the counter are clean, btw :)

I have the crazy clean gene from my grandmother and it has taken me some time to realize that my house doesn't have to be perfect at all times in order for me to be a good housekeeper.  What it is really about is my house being organized, things having a place and not letting dust and grime get out of control.  There will be toys on the floor the majority of the time, things will look a little disheveled!  BUT, the point of all of this is to find balance in your life so your house doesn't overwhelm you and if you do get that last minute call from a friend, you don't have a complete freakout and stuff everything in a closet (including the dirty dishes).

So is your house driving you insane?  Do you want to spend less time cleaning and more time crafting (hehe)?  Then I highly recommend getting on Flylady and starting with those baby steps.  It takes a little effort in the beginning, but the rewards are awesome!  Like today I am already done with my chores so I am going to sew! Yay! And later I get to take my kiddos to the park :)  So find something that works, work it, and if you need help, just ask!

What's for Dinner Wednesday? Perfect Roast Chicken

So my Wednesday dinner posts are lagging in popularity (according to my stats) so I might pull the plug on these (unless there is serious protest) I definitely will continue doing recipes and cooking posts, just a bit more randomly.  So here is one last go for WFDW.

Disclaimer: This is NOT a 30 minute meal...I made this Sunday actually at my hubby's request, but you could do this during the week easily by starting in the afternoon with the chicken.  It's not a lot of prep time, it's mostly in the oven time.

Scoff if you will at Martha Stewart, but the woman can cook and I haven't come across a recipe of her's that doesn't come out perfect everytime.  I was once terrified of cooking a whole chicken, but seriously, how can someone as obsessed with saving as I am really pass up .99/lb chickens!  So I looked up a recipe and did it and this comes out great everytime!  The instructions are lengthy, so go to the link and print it out, this is one you will want to keep anyways.  Here are the ingredients:

1 six lb roasting chicken

1 tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and Pepper

2 onions, sliced

1 lemon

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 cup of chicken broth

I wish I were awesome and made my own stock...but let's not get crazy now...

 Onions lined up and ready to go!

Yes, you have to touch the raw bird...I was my hands like a million times during this whole process...

This makes a perfect bird every time with an amazing crispy skin.  So Good!

I made roasted potatoes and carrots with this.  I take my gorgeous potatoes from the Farmers Market :) and my carrots and I cut them into nice little chunks.  Then I get some salted water boiling with my potatoes (leave the carrots out) and let them boil for 5 minutes.  This makes them soft on the inside but crispy on the outside. I tried something different as a variation on another Martha recipe. 

Remove any blacked bits from the pans and pour some chicken broth in the pan. Combine the drippings and broth from the chicken with the potatoes and carrots  and roast in the oven at 400 for an hour. 

Mine didn't come out as crispy as I wanted, but I will use this method again, just go easy on the broth.  Just enough so the potatoes and carrots do not stick.  Either way they tasted INSANELY good and while I cannot vouch for how healthy it is...oh well.  I will post my healthier version of roasted potatoes in another post.  They go great with anything (yep, I do more than rice pilaf!)

Dinner turned out great! 

Weekend Breakfast - French Toast

One of my favorite things about the weekend is having everyone together to make breakfast.  We love pancakes around here but my favorite bread to make french toast with was on BOGO so we made French Toast.

 I think oatmeal bread works best for french toast.  It is also REALLY good just toasted with Nutella...just saying...

I use the basic french toast recipe from The Joy of Cooking which everyone should have because it has so much great information in it.  French toast is great because you almost always have the ingredients right on hand.

Basic French Toast

2/3 cup of whole milk or heavy cream or half and half 

4 large eggs

2 tblsp sugar or pure maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

Cinnamon

You just mix everything up and dip your bread in the mixture and place on a hot griddle.  Melt a few pats of butter on it first so it doesn't stick.  While you are waiting for the first side to cook take the cinnamon and sprinkle on the uncooked side.  This way when you flip it over the cinnamon-y goodness gets all baked in.  Serve hot from the griddle with whatever you like.

Cooking a nice breakfast always makes me feel like super-mom-suzy-homemaker :)  Try it this weekend and make an extra batch from the freezer to enjoy during the week.