The Way it Really Turns Out

I love Valentine's Day, you guys.
I also love Pinterest.
There are so many great ideas to be found, right?

I printed off these cute tiny valentine's.

Source: sisterssuitcaseblog.com via Erin on Pinterest

I set them out on each dinner plate.
I think the kids thought they were okay.
But, I forgot to read them aloud to each of them.
And, they can't read.  So, I don't think they were particularly touched.



How about these gorgeous little pink pasta bows?

Source: warmhotchocolate.com via Erin on Pinterest

Perfect.
So, I made those for the kid's special dinner.
Only, they never pinked up.
The just got super chubby and soggy from the 1.5 hour soak.

I made a cream sauce with peas that I thought was tasty and kid-friendly.
My kids did not agree.
They kept asking, "What is this?!!"  They claimed the smell was too hard to bear.
I suggested they try at least one noodle while I watch.
Our boy put one in his mouth, and then almost exploded.
He ran to the trash and spit it out.  Unbearable!
Gillian wondered why I planned such a joke, of making everyone throw up.

I quickly cut some salami slices into hearts to make up for the fail dinner.


Kids off to bed, and my man and I got our living room picnic together.
Fabulous cheeses and toasts and fig preserves,
asparagus bundles wrapped and roasted with prosciutto,
spinach puff pastry rolls
and our favorite champagne.

I had the idea to make a spectacular canopy of lights in the living,
with paper doilies added on,
like I saw on Pinterest.

Source: superbarbs.tumblr.com via Erin on Pinterest

Gillian and I worked for a good portion of the afternoon on this project, earlier this week.
We had fun.  We were both excited about our progress.  But, we still weren't done.
The kids and I left the house for an hour or two.
Once we got back, all of the lights had fallen down.
I just left them there.

So, we had our living room picnic with lights and doilies scattered all over the floor.
The way it all really turned out?
Lots of laughing & loving.  It was actually quite lovely.

Not very Beautiful Beans & stuff

Source: honeyandjam.com via Erin on Pinterest

I am thinking about this cake.
I would make it, but I can't.
Lent and all.
I'll plan to make this for Easter, I think.  I can't imagine any better ideas coming.
Can you?  the perfect party cake + lemon syrup + black tea frosting.
(My tea will be Earl Grey with lavender)

But let's not talk about cake right now.
Let's talk about beans, right?
We've are on day 7 of our simple eating.
I had told the kids no fancy food during our 40 days.
Peyton then renamed it as- no beautiful food allowed.
He'll ask, Mom, is milk beautiful? etc.

I was feeling rather proud of myself for how well we were doing.
Baking our bread, boiling our beans & thinking it all tasted good,
spending $15 dollars at the grocery store for vegetables & tortillas.
And then came yesterday.
Aunt Flo came for her monthly visit.
It wasn't exactly a surprise.
But it was a bit surprising how much more painful the lack of treats became.
I have a huge box of girl scout cookies that didn't get delivered until Lent had already begun.
(huge bummer.  I usually eat one whole box on the day I get my order.)
Boy, did I want a glass of wine.
And my husband was tempted to give me one.  (He is ultra safe.)
We did put Biore strips on our faces & watched 3 episodes on Downton Abbey.
He is a good friend to me.  

And with all that I forgot, for the first time this week, to put my pot of beans on to soak.
Bummer.
I had to do the quick soak/boil version.  I always get nervous about this.
I like to be traditional on the soaking of beans.  It feels safer.
I have had more than a couple nights in my married life
when I have had to declare last minute that dinner was inedible,
due to beans not cooking all the way.
(I also have had a Sunday meal in singlehood when I served up
hard as rock while bean chili to my whole family, plus another entire family, plus Scott.
When he & I were "just friends".
In a effort to prove his devotion, he ate 2 full bowls &
told me it was delicious.  And got quite sick.)
White beans usually seem to be the ones I struggle with.
And wouldn't you know it, white beans are on the menu tonight.

Emergency "quick" version for dried beans -
Rinse dried beans in cold water.
Put in pot & cover with cold water + a few inches on water above beans.
Bring almost to a boil.  Cover pot & remove from heat & allow to sit for 1 hour.
Now you can carry on with cooking, which will still take a few hours.
I start my beans before lunch usually & then turn them of & let them sit.
I like to be on the safe side.
Especially right now.  No treats.  No take out dinner to the rescue.
I've got to get these white beans cooked through.

A big no-no for dried bean cooking, that I think has been the death of me
on those times when they just would not soften, is don't add the salt until the very end.
Salt will keep your beans from softening!
Make sure they are already soft before you put it in the pot.


Okay, so here's the lowdown on cooking beans.
Plan a day ahead.
Rinse your dried beans under cold water & put in your pot to soak overnight.
Water should be a couple inches above the beans.
In the morning, rinse your beans again & fill pot with water again,
to cover beans by about an inch.
Chop an onion & toss it in.  Smash a couple garlic cloves & toss them in.  Splash olive oil in.
A sprig or two of fresh thyme can be lovely &/or a chopped jalapeno.
Bring your pot to a boil then lower the heat & keep pot partially covered.
Keep your pot going at a gentle simmer & add water if needed, to keep the beans covered.
I cook my beans gently for about 3 hours.
See if they are soft before adding salt to taste, and fresh pepper, too, of course.

Branch Impressions - Quick, Inexpensive & Lovely

We made these fabulous little ornaments this weekend.

they are budget friendly, preschooler friendly, last minute DIYer friendly & look great!

I bought a 1.75 lbs. box of white Sculpey for under $10.

A box that size can make about 50 ornaments.

I did this project with my 5 yr old & 3 yr old.  

they were able to be very involved. 

Many project attempts here do not go very smoothly.

But this one was enjoyable for them both!

Items you will need:

Sculpey Clay - White

Rolling Pin

Evergreen branches 

toothpick

knife &/or cookie cutters

twine or embroidery floss

small beads

the sculpey has to be kneaded.
this is really fun for the kids.  But give them small enough pieces so they can work it.
Once it is soft, roll it to about 1/4 inch thickness.
Set branches all over clay.
Lightly roll them into the clay.

If you place them with the ends hanging off the clay, they will be easier to remove.
If you need help getting then back out, use a toothpick to carefully lift them.
Now you can cut out the ornaments.
We used circle cutters, a star cutter & a heart.
I tried free hand cutting with a butter knife to make an oval & a tear drop shape.
those ones turned out decent, but the cutter did a better job than me & a butter knife.

Poke a hole in the top of your shape with your toothpick.
Bake as directed on your Sculpey box.

Once they are baked & cooled, thread your string/floss/twine
through the hole to make a hanger.
We knotted the floss & threaded a bead onto each one.
But, that part can be skipped, if you don't have any beads on hand.

Now you have a lot of last minute gifts for neighbors, teachers & friends.
You could also tie them on top of your gift package for a beautiful addition.






* Inspired by a pin floating around from Garden Mama's blog.

I dreamed, I blogged, I pinned, I made

It was my man's birthday a couple weeks ago.  
I planned on living my dream of making a mille crepe cake for his birthday.  
He was barfing & sick on his day, and for a whole week.  
I would not be thwarted.  I would make it finally.
We a had a family birthday dinner for the end of the year birthday folk.  
Perfect second chance.

Make regular crepes.  Crepe after crepe after crepe.  I think I made 30ish.

Make a custard.

Layer them.  

Walla!

I used these recipes for French Crepes & Custard filling.

the cool thing about the "cake" is you don't have to do it all at one time.

Crepe batter can be mixed & put in the fridge for a day.  

Make the crepes & put them in the fridge for a day.

Make the custard & keep that in the fridge for a day or two.

then the fun part - stack & layer!

Make a chocolate ganache glaze & pour over the top.
Store in your fridge before serving.
We thought it would be tricky to slice this big guy.
It was not.  It served up beautifully.


Next time I may try to cut through the stack with a glass to get mini versions like this.

Source: en.petitchef.com via Erin on Pinterest

Or I may try something more like Martha's dark version someday.

Source: marthastewart.com via Erin on Pinterest

Or maybe a savory one for breakfast?


One thing is for sure - I making a crepe cake again.  
Crepe cakes are lovely.

counting blessings {all together now}

the kids just made these little hand-print turkeys

I asked them what they are thankful for - 

Gillian - 

"I am thankful that God loves us & for how beautiful leaves are in winter. (love Gillian)"

Peyton - 

"I am thankful for the trees & everything & I love God."

Moira - 

"I am thankful for God for He made animals."

Have a happy thanksgiving!

************I must update with Peyton's thankful list today - 

"I'm thankful for the sun, bees, girls & elephants."************

Super Hero Halloween

You may not have known this.  

But, Captain "Amerin" & Word Girl & are pretty good friends.

this pose was his brilliant idea.  I love it.  He had many others, but I'll spare you.

I love felt.  I used felt for everything for these two costumes.

We invented Bird Girl because I wanted a reason to make this.  

Source: llevoelinvierno.blogspot.com via Erin on Pinterest

Super baby passed out candy at our door with me.  She was super.

Don't Just Pin it, Do it {Jello Play dough, Microdermabrasion & Crock Pot Cooking}

I like Pinterest, more & more every time I go on.  
I am especially liking it as a place to gather schooling ideas.
Don't waste all the great ideas shared on the web. 
If you see a great idea, pin it.
Now it is easy for others to search for & find all that free goodness.
Idea sharing is what Pinterest is about.


But don't just let all the good ideas just sit there. 
Use all that inspiration!


My friend Sarah is hosting a Pinerest Challange link up party.
If you are a pinner, go over to Emerging Mummy & take part!


We've done a few of the ideas this week I found for preschool.


Jello Playdough was a winner.
Fabulous colors &  the dough is scented!

Source: playdoughrecipe.org via Erin on Pinterest

We made a Very Blue Berry jello dough 
& a Green Lime jello dough;
and we made topographic maps of 
our Monterey Bay.

Also?  I gave myself a full body microdermabrasion treatment for pennies.
Yes!  Pennies!
Baking Soda was the magic ingredient.  
Back when I was single & more frivolous with my dollars, 
I had a real microdermabrasion facial.  
What do they cost?  Something like $100 I think?
Forget about it!  Baking Soda works just as well!


And, a pinned dinner from my crock pot...

Source: sweetvoyage.blogspot.com via Erin on Pinterest

Asian Pork over Soba Noodles

adapted from Real Simple

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
• 1/2 cup  Brown Sugar
• 2 tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon toasted Sesame Oil
• 1 1-inch piece fresh Ginger, peeled and sliced
• 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 teaspoon crushed Red Pepper
• 2 1/2 pounds Pork Shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• (buy pork stew meat to make this fast!)
• 
  
• 12 ounces soba noodles
• 
  
• 1 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed
• 2 cups chopped Bok Choy
•  
• 1/4 cup Peanut Butter
• chopped roasted peanuts, for serving 
• chopped Cilantro, for serving
• 
  
• Directions

1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, stir together the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, oil, ginger, and crushed red pepper. Add the pork and toss to combine. Cover and cook until the pork is tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours (this will shorten total cooking time).
2. Fifteen minutes before serving, cook the soba noodles according to the package directions.
3. Saute veggies in a pan over medium-high with approx 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil, cooking just until tender, about 5-8 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, transfer the pork to a medium bowl; set aside. Pour the cooking liquid into a large skillet, add Peanut Butter and cook until slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the pork and toss to combine. Serve the pork over the noodles and vegetables; sprinkle with the peanuts & cilantro.

What I am Into Right Now - August 2011

Stuff I am into right now, as summer moves into the school year.

On My Nightstand 

Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew - by Sherrie Eldridge

Are Women Human? by Dorothy Sayer

Playful Parenting by Lawrence Cohen

Yet to crack open - 

Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry - free audio download, until the end of the month!

Spiritual Parenting by Michelle Anthony

Educating the Wholehearted Child by Clay Clarkson

On My TV

We are watching Star Trek Enterprise.  

As often as possible.

My husband is not a trekkie.  But he is.  

I am turning into one.  But I'm not.

In the Movie Theater

Captain America - love it.  
I wish I could see The Help, too.  But I'll wait for DVD, I suppose.

In My Ears

NPR Tiny Desk Concerts

On My Stove

Red Chile Sauce - I won't tell you exactly how I make this.  

I don't follow this recipe really.  It was my original springboard. 

What I actually make I will publish in a cookbook someday.

On My Laptop

Pinterest - gathering school ideas.

Here is a good groups of school boards I discovered. 
Oh, and another one! 

Source: modernparentsmessykids.com via Erin on Pinterest

{In the plan for tomorrow!  Isn't that cool?!!  M is for Magic Milk Paintings}


Do you other Pinsters have links to good early ed home school pin boards?  

Do share.

Here's my kid food board I've been working on.
Do you have any fun food ideas to share with us?

**  I am linking up with Megan - Sorta Crunchy. **

Loosing It

Warning:  I am using a faulty keyboard.  A key is out of order.  I found a way to type that letter, If I use the copy & paste function, like I just did.  Bu, ha is edious.  I don' feel like doing ha righ now.  Forgive my laziness.  Or don'.  Don' read on, if you prefer ha.  I is your choice.


I've been losing hings.
1 1/2 weeks ago, I los my car key.  
I had aken he kids swimming & we needed o now ge home for naps.
Couldn' find he key anywhere.  Searched & searched.  Car, ground, bags...
Called Daddy.  He came & helped.  Nowhere.  He drove home for a spare key.  


I found ha key oday.  In a handy nook in he dashboard, direcly nex o he seering wheel.
Oops.


Las week, I ook he kids on a bike ride/walk o buy some groceries.
I pu my phone & debi card in my pocke & walked away, sans purse.  Easier his way.
 Once we were checking ou our groceries, we found my card was no working.
Expired.  As of 2 days ago...


Following day, Sco & I have a movie dae planned.  
We have arranged for 2 nice gals o care for our brood.
I had made cupcakes for he kids & homemade pizzas.
Our house was in clean order, so people could funcion in i.
We leave he house & Sco asks me if I have a $20.  I say, yes, I hink so.
Bu, ayway, we have hese movie passes o use, so we don' need he cash.
We arrive 2 miues early.  2 for Capain America, please! & hand over our passes.
Sorry, hese are no valid here.  
I mumble o Sco abou how hey used o be & look in my purse for cash.
7 dollars.
I walk up o he AM.  Oops.  No debi card.  
(And my husbands doesn' carry one, cuz he can' remember he pin number, ever.)
NOOOOO!
My bank is across he sree.  I do have a check, so I wrie myself a check.  And wai in a LONG line.
We made i ino he movie wihou missing a massive amoun.  (And we loved i, by he way.)


his morning (when I was searching for my misplaced phone...) 
I found he new, waiing o be acivaed debi card, righ here in my purse.
Could've used i a he grocery sore.  Could've used i a he movie eaher.
hankfully, I los my phone his morning, which caused me o search my purse so horoughly.


Boy.  And he fac ha I am missing he leer t is making his pos really hard o read.
And compleely no worh reading.
I was going o share somehing super funny wih you all.  I don' recall wha i was now.


Sorry guys.  If you read his far, i was so no worh i.


UPDATE: Something I did forget  - Not super funny.  But, neat, nonetheless.


Do you all Pinterest?  I love it.  If you don't love it, fine, have it your way.
But, if you want an invite, I'll send you one.


We tried this silly idea last nigh.  My kids loved 'em!

Source: None via Tom Katie on Pinterest

We called 'em Squid.  Kids asked for more & more.