Gracious Goodness....

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (Egg-Free).....

2011-06-24T15:38:00.000-07:00

Since we found out Ean is allergic to eggs I've been trying to modify some of our favorite recipes to accommodate him. For these muffins I took our favorite chocolate chip muffin recipe, that I've tweaked over the years, and removed the egg and added in the banana for a binder. I wasn't sure how they would turn out, but all of us love them. Here's the recipe:

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (Egg-Free)

1 3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup sucanat (or sugar)

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 small banana, mashed

1 cup rice milk (or cow milk)

1/4 cup butter, melted (or oil)

handful of chocolate chips (you can omit for plain banana muffins)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 muffin cups. Mix dry ingredients in one bowl. Mash banana in another bowl. Add milk to banana and mix well. Stir banana/milk mixture into dry ingredients alternating with melted butter. Add chocolate chips and stir lightly. Fill muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes.

Look Who Is Two.....

2011-06-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

Sweet Ean is two years old! I still can't quite wrap my brain around it!!! But isn't of trying to figure it out I went ahead and made egg-free cupcakes and added some delicious chocolate buttercream (minus the cream-still not sure about an allergy there) icing. Delicious!

After cupcakes he opened a few cards and gifts.

Posed with a sweet smile.

And then played with the before mentioned gifts.

The early years are so easy with buying gifts. The older kids picked out his gifts this year and they included a bottle of bubbles, a wooden puzzle and a small firetruck (which he is holding in the above picture). It doesn't get much easier than that and he was pleased. I think kids get so easily overwhelmed when they receive tons of gifts....therefore we always try to keep it pretty simple.

Emily's birthday will be here soon. I sure hope she gives me her wish list soon.

Future Grass Cutters????

2011-06-09T13:13:00.000-07:00

The kids love sitting on the John Deere tractors when we go to the home improvements stores. I hope their enthusiasm will continue when they are the lucky ones that get to cut the grass.

Even little Ean likes the tractors!

If I could find it, I have a picture of me on a huge tractor from before we even had little kids. I've always been fascinated with big tractors....so I guess the kids come by it honestly!

Simple Joys.....

2011-06-02T14:50:00.000-07:00

I love these daylillies at my parent's house in Tennessee. That's because there is a story behind these gorgeous flowers. I lived in this house while I attended graduate school at University of Tennessee-Knoxville. My "main" professor was an incredible teacher, gardener and friend. One fall she had so many daylillies she decided to dig up a few and share them with me. I brought them home in a plastic grocery bag and stuck them in the ground in the front yard. That was almost twenty years ago. These sweet flowers continue to bloom year after year, whether anyone is around to enjoy them or not. It was such a treat to actually be at the house last weekend and witness their beauty this year. I love the little hidden surprises God has for us!

Smoky Mountains.....

2011-05-31T16:11:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Wayne, the kids and I went to the Smoky Mountains. We had such a nice and relaxing time. We took the kids to one of my favorite places in the park...the Sinks.

People enjoy swimming at the Sinks although the Park really discourages it because of previous drownings. I video taped lots of people jumping off the cliffs into the water as well as two boys that climbed a tree and jumped about 40 feet down into the water. We just enjoyed the water vicariously through them....no swimming in the Sinks for us.

We also went to Metcalf Bottoms which is a picnic area in the National Park. The picnic area runs along side this gorgeous creek. This has to be one of the most relaxing places ever! It is right up there with the beach in my mind. Love it!

For a bit of history we also toured the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was honestly impressed. It was a lot of fun and very well done. The kids had a blast....except Ean. He was in desperate need of a nap....which he did finally get half way through.

Here are three of the kids in front of the ship. The ship is huge, as you can tell, and they said that this is only 1/4 of the size of the real Titanic. Amazing!!!

We had such a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! It was most relaxing and filled with my favorite people! Not to mention in one of my most favorite places....East Tennessee!

Ean at 10 Months.....

2010-04-25T17:28:00.000-07:00

I have fallen way behind in posting pictures for our family and friends to enjoy. So....just because I have not forgotten.....here is Ean at 10 months. He is still the sweetest boy!!! He loves to be on the floor commando crawling everywhere. He still wakes up with a huge smile every time and he loves to clap his hands. And if you ask him "Ean, are you alright?" He always responds with some kind of verbal remark. It is too funny!!! Now I need to work on pictures of his siblings!

Ean......5 1/2 Months....

2009-12-02T10:48:00.000-08:00

He is still the sweetest little thing!!! Always smiling!!! Too cute and so snuggly!!! I am just saying!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

2009-11-25T21:23:00.000-08:00

Our Thanksgiving cooking has begun!!! Emily was right by my side today as well went through our list of items to prepare. We made cornbread and cut up celery and onions for the dressing. We made a fudge pie....and Emily rolled out her first ever pie crust. We made the dough for our cloverleaf rolls. We also made cupcakes and the kids made them into these cute little turkeys. They enjoyed making them so much they asked if we could make them every year.

Tomorrow our dinner menu will look like this:

Chicken and Dressing

Mashed Potatoes

Gravy

Green Beans

Carrot Souffle

Rolls

Cranberry Sauce

Pumpkin Pie

Fudge Pie

Turkey Cupcakes

Sounds yummy to me!!! We pray your day is lovely as well!!!

Homemade Applesauce.....

2009-11-08T16:31:00.000-08:00

A little over a week ago on a beautiful Sunday afternoon....we loaded up and headed to a local apple orchard. The kids enjoyed eating apple cider slushies...and I could hardly wait to get home and make applesauce! I chose Golden Delicious apples because when I use these....I never have to add any sugar. Here's the recipe....and it can be doubled.

Homemade Applesauce

4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (more if you'd like)

Bring all the ingredients to a boil in a pan. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for about 15 minutes. Stir often to make sure you are not running out of water too soon. When most of the water is gone and the apples are soft, remove from heat. Let cool a few minutes. Then process in a blender or food processor until smooth.....or mash with a potato masher if you want it chunky. Delicious!!!! It will store well in the refrigerator for a couple of days....but I doubt it will last that long!!!!

Birthday Boy.....Ethan!

2009-10-27T07:02:00.000-07:00

Turning 4 is a lot of fun...says Ethan. He had a birthday this past Saturday. We usually purchase a few gifts for the birthday child, make their favorite meal for dinner and make their choice of yummy cake. However, this year we decided to take Ethan to his favorite toy store and let him pick out his own gifts. His favorite store has scads and scads of Thomas the Tank train stuff and wooden toys. And the highlight of the store visit is the huge interactive working train set up for the kids. Ok, it's fun for the adults too!!!

So, we visited the toy shop. Had one of his favorite dinners: bean burgers and homemade french fries and fruit.

And I made him the cake that he wanted: chocolate cake with cream cheese icing (to simulate snow) with (parts of) Lofty from Bob the Builder on top. That is plastic wrap you see underneath Lofty.....so that I didn't have to spend hours cleaning him up afterwards!

So there you go...the perfect equation for a little boy's birthday::

Toy store+dinner+cake=Perfect way to welcome in a fresh new year!!!! Ethan thinks so anyway!!!

What To Do?????

2009-10-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

It seems that when any child is bored around here they quickly turn their attention toward finding a camera. Then they proceed to take pictures of whatever they find.

On this particular day Elisabeth actually did find the camera and proceeded to take pictures of Ean sitting in his swing. (side note: We have had this swing since before Emily was born....10 years!!!! I'd say it has been worth its money!!!)

Everyone needs a hobby...and I'd say Elisabeth did a pretty good job. In this picture Ean is 17 weeks and about 17 lbs. He is such a happy baby and a joy to be around.

A Visit From Flat Stanley......

2009-10-06T09:34:00.000-07:00

We have had the pleasure of hosting a "Flat Stanley" for the daughter of a friend of mine. We have had so much fun taking him around our area and snapping photos!!!

He even got to ride on this gorgeous carousel....and my little ones did too. They love this carousel and beg to ride on it all the time!!! I am going to be packing him up soon with his journal, postcards from our area, and a handful of photos documenting his visit with us. We would love to host another "Flat Stanley" if anyone is interested. Just let me know......

16 Weeks Today!!!!

2009-10-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

He looks a little green because of the reflection from his carseat.........but he sure is a cutie!!!!!

What's Missing????

2009-09-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

What's missing from this picture???? You got it....training wheels!!! We have another bike rider in the family....no training wheels required!!! Elisabeth is so proud of herself!!! And we are proud of her too!!!

12 Weeks Old.....

2009-09-13T19:48:00.000-07:00

12 weeks old and 16 pounds!!!! He's growing I'd say!!!! The kids love to help give Ean a bath......they are all such good helpers!

My Boys.....

2009-09-07T17:49:00.000-07:00

I just can't help myself when it comes to my boys. They always look so cute together that I have to run and grab my camera. Ean was 11 weeks here. And Ethan is almost 4 years old.

Ethan tells me that he "loves his baby brother so much!" I keep telling him they are going to be best buddies....Ethan tells me they already are!!! Who am I to challenge that????

Ean at Eleven Weeks....

2009-09-02T19:27:00.000-07:00

We can make him smile now. Before he only smiled when he wanted to. Nothing we could do would make him smile. But now....he smiles at us all the time. I love toothless baby smiles!!!

And Ean's three siblings still beg to hold him each and every day!!! Quite the life I say!!! And just for grins....Ean is now 15 lbs. and 2 oz......half the size of Elisabeth!!!!

Applesauce Bread......

2009-08-22T18:58:00.000-07:00

This is one of our favorite quick bread recipes.

Applesauce Bread

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 cup applesauce

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoo salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x5 loaf pan. In large bowl, beat sugar and butter until creamy. Beat in eggs. Add applesauce, milk and vanilla; blend well. In small bowl combine remaining ingredients; mix well. Add to wet mixture; stir just until everything is moistened. Pour into greased loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in pan. Remove from pan and cool completely. Wrap well and store in refrigerator.

Yields: 1 loaf

Ethan and Ean.....

2009-08-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

Ethan always has time to spend with his brother. He would probably hold him all day if he could.

Ean at Seven Weeks....

2009-08-03T18:22:00.000-07:00

Ean was sitting comfortably in his bouncy seat earlier today. I glanced at him and then ran to grab the camera. He looked so sweet just sitting there.

And I was thrilled when I came back into the room with the camera and he had this huge smile on his face. He only smiles when he wants to smile....so you have to catch them when you can. He is seven weeks old today!!!

Ean at Six Weeks.......

2009-07-29T12:18:00.000-07:00

Ean is now six weeks old and these pictures are from today. I weighed him today and he is 12 pounds and 8 ounces. He is a sweet boy.....when his belly is full and his pants are dry. He currently is working on his third chin....can you see them???

Sometimes we can get a smile out of him....and almost even a wave. It looks like he is saying "Hello to my peeps!!!"

It's always nice when big brother takes you by the hand to show a little brotherly love.

Here's that big brother now. He loves to be with Ean. They are going to be big buddies as they get older...I'm sure of it.

Ethan says he is ready to teach Ean to walk. I told him Ean isn't ready to walk yet. Ethan said that was ok....he'd just go ahead and show Ean how he walks. Ean is blessed to have Ethan for a big brother. Oh the fun they will have!!!

Sunday Afternoon Fun.....

2009-07-28T19:23:00.000-07:00

My little ones love this carousel.....but I'm not sure they will be lining up to ride in the tea cup anymore. They all got off feeling a little ill. Next time I think they'll be sticking with the horses and other animals.

2009-07-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

Ean at five weeks. 12 pounds and 3 ounces as of today.

He keeps me busy but he sure is a sweet baby!!!! And his siblings adore him!!!

Welcome Sweet Ean.....

2009-07-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

We welcomed Sweet Ean James into our family on June 15th, 2009. He is such a blessing!!!

He was born by a repeat C-section and was completely healthy...praise the Lord!!!

He weighed in at 7 pounds 9 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.

By two weeks of age, he had already gained 2 additional pounds. The pediatrician was amazed that he is gaining weight so fast.

Of course, when you nurse 24/7 I guess you are bound to gain weight quickly!!!! We are all having so much fun with him we can hardly believe it!!!

Valentine's Day Pictures.....

2009-03-04T17:36:00.000-08:00

Our computer had to be sent off to replace the mother board. As a result, I have not had access to a lot of my photos....until today. So I thought I would share the cookies the kids and I made for Valentine's Day. Every year we make some sort of spritz cookies. This year was no different. However, for an added twist....we dipped the heart shaped cookies into melted chocolate for some extra flavor. Boy were they YUMMY!!!! They reminded me of the "fudge stripe cookies" that used to be available from the grocery store...maybe they are still available...I don't know...we rarely purchase cookies at the store.

The girls even made place cards for everyone at our annual Valentine's Day tea. They were very sweet and thoughtful!!!

Spring is Coming.....

2009-02-28T18:18:00.000-08:00

Our daffodils have been blooming for almost a week now. So earlier tonight I went outside and cut a few to bring inside to decorate our kitchen table. Elisabeth decided she would color while enjoying them. She has always had an appreciation for flowers.

After we set the table for dinner, I commented to Wayne that just seeing the flowers on the table makes me feel like it's already Spring!!! I am ready and waiting!!!! I think it is just next weekend that we set our clocks forward an hour.

Ethan's Birthday......

2009-02-09T12:17:00.000-08:00

Yes, Ethan's birthday was several months back....I am just very late in posting pictures of his special day. For his birthday cake all he wanted was chocolate icing with "Lofty" from Bob the Builder on it. His wish was my command. This was by far one of the easiest cakes I have ever made for them.

He told me he wanted chocolate icing because then it would look like "mud".....makes sense to me!!!

He was mesmerized by the flames on the candles.....as well as the gifts he received from family and friends. What a blessed little boy!!! And cute too!!!! Cute never hurt!!!

Our Trip to American Girl......by Emily

2008-11-07T10:54:00.000-08:00

Last month we went to Atlanta, Georgia for the weekend. And besides going to the SAGA National Convention,we went to the American Girl place and had lunch, shopped at the store and brought home two new dolls.

This was the Julie display.

And everything in the store was well stocked and very well organized.

At the Bistro, the dolls even had their own seats that clipped onto the table and their own menus.

And as you can see, the table was even pink!

Even Ethan enjoyed lunch.

And here are Elisabeth and I with our new dolls. If the picture was zoomed in closer you could see that both dolls have their ears pierced. Our dolls also have more earrings they can wear. The American Girl place was so much fun I wish we could go there everyday!

Emily's New Solution.....

2008-10-05T19:15:00.000-07:00

Introducing Emily's new solution to dusting the hardwood floors!!! One day during quiet time she invented these fantastic towel skates to make cleaning the floor not only quick and easy...but also fun!!!! She's definitely thinking!!!

Elisabeth Has Been Busy....

2008-09-05T19:27:00.000-07:00

Elisabeth loves her baby dolls....but she loves her stuffed animals every bit as much. She saw a toy animal cage in a magazine and said she wanted it. I gave her my standard response....let's put it on your wish list. So we did. Then a few days later she took a box, markers, yarn, tape and scissors and went by herself to a corner in the kitchen. An hour or so later....this is what she emerged with. Too cute!!! And she made a door in the back to put the puppy in and out safely. She was thinking!!!

Busy Hands....

2008-08-27T18:40:00.000-07:00

Tonight when it came time to start dinner preparations I was trying to decide how to keep three little ones busy for approximately an hour. This is what I came up with....dried white rice in plastic containers. Then I added spoons, scoops, and measuring cups.

And don't forget the optional dump truck!!! Each child had their own "rice box" and I had to make them come to the dinner table an hour later!!! Definite success!!! And all I had to do to clean up......stack the boxes with lids and then a quick sweep. I love activities like this!!! And obviously, so do they!!!

The Scooter Sisters........

2008-08-16T06:49:00.000-07:00

My girls love to make things. One day they decided they wanted scooters. Break out the jumbo tinker toys and there you go.......scooters!!! What will they think of next?

New Books.....

2008-08-06T20:50:00.000-07:00

On Monday our local librarian called and asked me if I was interested in some Bobbsey Twins books that they were going to discard. (We had mentioned our interest at an earlier time and she remembered.) I, of course, told her we were and later that day we headed over to pick up the books. I paid her $10 and she came out with a huge box filled with.....39 books!!! The covers are a little worn....but who cares!?! I love books and classic books are even better!!!

Summer Corn......

2008-07-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

My friend Paige grows the most yummy corn each year. We look forward to any ears that she gives us and then we fill our freezer full!!! This is the first year that Ethan has really enjoyed eating it straight off the cob. And boy has he been enjoying it!!! With butter and salt, please!

The Guest Basket.....

2008-07-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

My niece Lisa visited us last week. Emily decided she was going to make a "guest basket" for her visit. In it she put some flowers that she made with popsicle stick stems and some crocheted bookmarks.

She also made several bookmarks with Bible verses written on them.

And she also included a sign for Lisa to place on the outside of her bedroom door.

This is the reverse side....it's of course, my favorite!!

And no "guest basket" would be complete without a welcome note.

We had such a wonderful visit. Lisa, if you're reading, we are ready for you to come back!!!

Last Week....

2008-07-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

Last week we spotted out first tiger swallowtail butterfly of the year. He was pretty shy and did not want his picture taken. I followed him all around the outside of the house and finally he landed on our butterfly bush out front. Gorgeous!!! The butterfly bush is right outside our kitchen window..so we get to enjoy the butterflies pretty regularly.

Blueberry Picking......

2008-07-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

This is one of our family's absolute favorite seasonal activities. We talk about picking blueberries year round. We get to the u-pick it farm pretty early....around 8:30...that's early to be dressed and out of the house for us!! The orchard is so beautiful and peaceful. And it's only about 10 minutes from our home which makes it very convenient.

All three of the little ones always have so much fun that we have to make them leave when we are so hot and sweaty that we can't take it anymore. See Ethan's wet head? That is all sweat...not rain. And after 1.5 hours...they still don't want to leave.

We left with about 14 pounds of berries!!! Yum!!! I bring them home and wash them. I know they say you don't have to wash them...but I do. In batches, I wash them in a colander, spread them out on a large towel and gently dry them off with another towel. Then I package them in freezer baggies and freeze them. Later on they will be used for coffee cake, smoothies, fruit salads, cobblers, etc. And this year...I want to try blueberry ice cream too. I can't wait!!!

Fourth of July Festivities.....

2008-07-06T17:18:00.000-07:00

It really doesn't take much to keep the littles ones happy around this house. For the fourth of July this year we cooked most of our yummy dinner out on the grill (bean burgers, campfire potatoes, zucchini and squash). Then we added our daily fruit salad. For a sweet treat afterwards we had these fantastic cupcakes with white homemade buttercream icing and red and blue sprinkles. A definite hit around here. My family loves cupcakes!!! And they sure don't have to be fancy....just yummy!

Our Little Family Vacation.....

2008-07-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

We've been planning a trip to the Smokies for months now. Actually we come here every year at this time and we celebrate Emily's birthday as well.

No trip to Pigeon Forge, TN is complete without multiple trips to the local putt-putt golf course. I truly think this is the only reason the kids like to come here!!! I think Wayne comes for the food and I come for the annual trip to The Cherry Pit...the quilting store!!!

The weather has been unseasonably cool the past few days!!! The past two evenings the low temperature has been 56 degrees....in July!!!! We had the heater on last night!!! And we probably will tonight as well. Notice Elisabeth's sweater in the above photo....this was 11 am in the morning!!!

All three still fit on the front seat of the antique fire truck out front of the golf course. They love pretending to drive it.

And this year we celebrated Emily's birthday with a Hello Kitty cake from the local Kroger. The best part was having cake outside by the river. Then tonight we went to the movie theater....which is a big deal for us because I haven't been to the theater since before Emily was born (over nine years ago) and the kids have never been to the movie theater. What got us to the movie theater you ask??? The new American Girl movie, of course. Today was the first day of the Kit Kittredge movie!!! We all really enjoyed it! Even Ethan!! I loved the dress designs that Kit and her friends wore. I even spotted a bishop style dress!!! I'm trying to talk Emily into letting me make her one to match!

We head home tomorrow.....it's been fun....but I'm ready to be back home and cook some healthy meals for this sweet family!!! Too much yummy food, cake and ice cream the past few days!!!

We Love Oatmeal......

2008-06-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

We are an oatmeal-loving family!!! Old-fashioned, cook on the stove oatmeal....not zap it in the microwave oatmeal. We eat it pretty regularly year-round. The other day we came up with another yummy way to serve it......a dollop of seedless raspberry jelly on top and then swirled into the oatmeal!!!

Simply Fantastic!!!!

A Typical Day at Our House.....

2008-06-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

Most days at our house find all three children creating something. We keep paper, child-friendly scissors, glue, rulers, yarn, fabric, etc....out at all times where the kids can reach them.

And reach them they do!!! It seems they always have several projects in the making. We could use an extra room just to store all of their completed projects, as well as their "in-progress" creations. After they are finished with their "art work" and they have been admired for awhile....then I carefully pack the items away in a box for storage purposes. It is amazing how fast these boxes fill up. But when they are older and I pull these items out...it will be worth it!!!

Elisabeth's New Hobby.....

2008-06-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

Lately Elisabeth has had so much fun catching ladybugs. You never know how little people will respond to creepy crawlers. She does not care for spiders....but she loves ladybugs and lightening bugs. We actually saw our first lightening bug of the season tonight!!! She'll be ready to put them in the jar next!

Ethan's Roller Skates....

2008-05-31T22:06:00.000-07:00

Since the girls both got roller skates....Ethan wanted to know where his were! Emily solved that dilemma...she made him some.

It is amazing what this girl can create from construction paper, popsicle sticks, tape, and pony tail rubber bands!

Roller Skating Girls.....

2008-05-27T17:58:00.000-07:00

Guess where we've been going every Saturday morning for the past two months???? You got it!!! Roller Skating!!! The girls have been hooked since their first visit. We have even sprung for new skates for both of them. They are so tickled. I think they would skate everyday if they could. I used to skate every Saturday afternoon growing up.....I have great memories. I think they are making great memories too!!!

Mother's Day Gift.....

2008-05-14T19:56:00.000-07:00

I had a fantastic Mother's Day that started with breakfast in bed. The day progressed and only got better. One of the highlights of the day was this precious book that Emily made me. It is a coupon book and each page in it has a "coupon" for me to use. For example, free dishwashing, free laundry, free bed making, etc. I have already cashed one in for a free 10 minute back rub. It was very relaxing!!! I don't know where she gets her ideas....but I like them!!!!

Smoothies.........

2008-05-03T14:42:00.000-07:00

Smoothies are one of our favorite drinks year round...but especially when the sun heats up. We love them. I make them pretty much the same each time while varying the fruit that we currently have on hand. The one we made today included the following:

4 oz. Yo Baby vanilla yogurt

2 bananas

2 apples

1/2 cup blueberries, frozen

3 good handfuls of ice

approx. 1 cup of cold water

Blend them all in the handy dandy Vita-Mix and then pour into cups and enjoy!!!

Spring Tulips.....

2008-04-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

Our "real" tulips have already come and gone this year. However, the kids made a row of tulips for our kitchen table today. I think they are quite cheerful. Ethan (his are in the middle) enjoyed the craft so much he carried his tulips around with him most of the day. So cute!!!

Basically I cut out a tulip shape from construction paper as a template. An older child can then trace the template and cut out their own shapes...however the younger children will probably need a little more help than this. Then glue each tulip onto a craft stick. And finally "plant" each flower into a small dollop of playdough placed in the bottom of an egg carton section. My little ones had so much fun doing this craft. They are begging to make more. Since we do not have another extra egg carton right now they are making more to put into a homemade vase (a small yogurt container). I love their creativity!

Old Fashioned Treasure Hunt.....

2008-04-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

Emily has been quite the recreational director lately. Her latest activity for her siblings was a treasure hunt.

She cut up slips of paper with clues on them leading the little ones from one location to another. She made sure to include places that would be very easy for them to identify and find.

And at the final location (under the kitchen table) the kids found a basket of goodies waiting for them. The little ones had so much fun she had to plan a second treasure hunt the following day. Isn't it great that such an easy activity can yield so much fun!!!!

The Best Seat........

2008-04-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

I think Ethan has found the best seat in the house!!!! Early each morning Emily enjoys playing the piano. Ethan quickly takes his spot on her lap and then Elisabeth sits next to her. Emily does a great job playing the songs and all three sing along. Music to this Mom's ears!!!

Newspaper Art......

2008-04-09T15:24:00.000-07:00

The other day Emily asked me if she could do an art project with the other two little ones. Sounded great to me. So all on her own she came up with a newspaper collage project. First she had them shred up old newspaper.

Then they took construction paper and glued the newspaper pieces on it in a design. I think Emily should be in charge of art projects more often. Oh, another thing she did with them was to have them work on their scissor cutting skills by cutting out comic strips and then they colored them. They all had a great time and they probably spent about one hour working together. Sounds like a success to me.

Couscous....it's what's for dinner!!!!

2008-04-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

This may seem strange...but all three of my little ones love couscous!!! Anytime you ask any of them what they want for dinner....they'll say couscous almost every time. So, since I don't think this is the norm among children...I thought I'd post the recipe and how we enjoy it.

Couscous with Beans

2 Tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced OR a healthy sprinkling of garlic powder
16 oz. can of tomato sauce
16 oz. can of navy beans or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute about 2 minutes or so. Don't let garlic brown or it may taste bitter. Add in tomato sauce, drained navy beans, and basil. Continue to let simmer for a few minutes so the sauce will reduce a little.

Next start the couscous:

1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon butter
1 cup couscous

Bring the water, salt and butter to a boil in a pot. Sprinkle in the couscous, cover and remove from heat. Let sit for 10 minutes or so. When sauce is finished, fluff the couscous with a fork and it is ready to serve.

To serve:

Put couscous on plate, top with bean sauce, and then top with shredded cheddar cheese. I usually steam zucchini and squash and serve it on the side. Actually all three of mine put the squash/zucchini on top of the bean sauce and under the cheese. Sometimes I saute the veggies with the garlic so it is part of the sauce. Another yummy variation is adding shredded fresh baby spinach right before removing the bean sauce from the heat. My little ones love all these variations too. Maybe your littles ones will too!!!

This yummy meal can be made start to finish in 30 minutes or less....and all us Moms know this can be a good thing. I should send this recipe to Rachael Ray!!! She is the queen of 30 minute cooking!!!

Lite-Bright....

2008-03-30T17:43:00.000-07:00

All three of my little ones love my vintage Lite-Bright. (I say vintage because I've had it for almost twenty years now. ) I love it too. They will work together or independently for hours making designs and then they close their eyes while I plug it in. They love the surprise of the bright design they worked so hard on. I just did a quick search to see if they are still sold and it appears there are all sorts of variations of the original Lite-Bright available. There is even an on-line option here. The Lite-Bright is one of our favorite things.

Spring Basket Cupcakes....

2008-03-25T21:04:00.001-07:00

The girls and I made these cute litte cupcakes for our Easter dinner dessert. I thought they came out really cute. Some green tinted coconut would have been the cat's meow....but I forgot to put it on the grocery list. However the girls and I were very pleased with these anyway. I used a boxed cake mix and made homemade buttercream icing (my favorite). Then we topped them with a couple of jelly beans. Elisabeth enjoyed them so much she says this is what she wants for her birthday!

I am including my recipe for the icing. I love it and I truly think it is SO much better tasting than store bought icing!

Buttercream Icing

2/3 cups butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 to 4 Tablespoons milk

In a mixing bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add in powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in vanilla and milk, adding enough milk for desired spreading consistency.

This recipe yields enough for a two-layer cake or 24 cupcakes. I usually make 1/2 of the recipe and I always store it in the refrigerator....I don't know if that is necessary or not, but I do. Also to make Chocolate Buttercream Icing just add 1/3 cup of cocoa when beating the butter.

Resurrection Rolls......

2008-03-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

Last night Wayne, the kids and I made Resurrection Rolls. I had heard of them for several years but had never made them. So after reading a book about the Easter story we proceeded with the activity. First every child was given a large marshmallow and told it represented Jesus. Then they dipped the marshmallow into melted butter to represent the oils of embalming.

And then into a cinnamon/sugar mixture that represents the spices used to anoint the body.

Then the marshmallow was tightly wrapped in a crescent roll to represent the wrapping of Jesus' body after death. Then the pan was placed in the tomb for three days (or rather the oven for 11 minutes). The kids had to guard the oven to make sure no one came to disturb the tomb.

Then the rolls were removed and allowed to cool.

Then we took a peek and were surprised to see the marshmallow (representing Jesus) was gone. He Is Risen!!! From there we read from the Bible and discussed all the details a little more thoroughly. Then the kids all enjoyed a sweet roll. It must have made an impact because while I was tucking Elisabeth in last night she said the following: "Mom, when I grow up and and am a Mom - I am going to make Resurrection Rolls with my children." Now that's saying something!!!

***To read more about Resurrection Rolls you can find additional info here***

Precious Easter Craft For The Little Ones......

2008-03-14T19:40:00.000-07:00

Round up the little ones and gather a few supplies and you can make a cross to enjoy before Easter. This sweet little craft uses 1/2 of a 2" styrofoam ball painted green, 2 popsicle sticks painted brown, three little flowers with wire stems, a scrap piece of purple fabric, and some glue.

First cut the styrofoam ball in half and paint green. Next paint two popsicle sticks brown. After the sticks dry then glue them together to form the cross shape. After everything is dry then press the cross into the rounded part of the green styrofoam. Cut some of the long stem off the flowers leaving a short piece of wire to press into the green styrofoam. Then drape a length of purple fabric over the cross. On Easter Sunday you can change the fabric out with a piece of white fabric.

I love it and my girls do too. We may keep this little cross up for quite awhile.

Snowy Days and Hot Chocolate.......

2008-03-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

One morning this past weekend we awoke to snow. So, the girls rushed through breakfast and quickly dressed so they could go outside and play in the snow. I think this was the first time there was ever enough snow for them to actually play in. They had so much fun. But they sure were cold when they came back inside. Fortunately I had warm mugs of hot chocolate ready for them. They sat at the kitchen table sipping their hot chocolate and gazing out at the new fallen snow. I am sure they will remember this day for a long time.

Here is my recipe for hot chocolate. I make up a mix and then store it in a baggie in the refrigerator.

Hot Chocolate Mix

3 cups powdered milk

3/4 cup sugar or sucanat

1/2 cup cocoa

Dash salt

Combine and store.

To prepare:

Put 4 tablespoons of mix into a mug. Pour 8 oz of boiling water into mug and stir. And of course, top it with marshmallows!!!

Educational Egg Hunt.........

2008-03-07T12:21:00.000-08:00

I mentioned in the last post that I would use these eggs for some learning moments. Well today the opportunity presented itself. Elisabeth was up first. I hid the eggs in our living room and let her have the joy of finding them. Once found we sat down together to break them open. Inside each egg I had written a word on a small piece of paper. The words were three letter words with a short vowel in the middle. Elisabeth can pretty much sound out any word of this nature. So with the first one open she proceeded to do just that. We made it through her entire basket of eggs with a 100% success rate.

Next up was Emily. I hid and she hunted. Then we sat down together to see what each egg held. She had no idea and I had not said anything about her eggs. Once again, each egg held a little slip of paper with a word on it. Much larger words because she reads almost as well as I do. She of course was able to read the words....but the next step was she had to put them all in alphabetical order....and many started with the same first two letters. She breezed through her basket so quickly that I was truly amazed. Next time I'm going to put some multiplication problems in for her. I think she'll enjoy that as well.

Finally, Ethan, who had enjoyed helping me hide the eggs up until now, was ready for his turn. I hid and he hunted. Then as we went through his basket I had him identify colors and count each egg. Needless to say....I think we ended up hiding the eggs for him about 7 times. I think he figures that if he's having fun....it should continue.

Everyone had a fun time and I was reminded how adding just a small element of fun into learning can really make a big difference.

The Decorations Are Going Up.......

2008-03-04T20:48:00.000-08:00

The girls have been hard at work decorating the house for Easter. They worked for an hour or so on this construction paper chain. Then they even managed to hang it in our living room in front of the fire place. They are so resourceful when given the opportunity. And I love how they used "Easter" colors.

And they spent another huge hunk of time strategically placing plastic eggs all around the house. Little do they know that tomorrow these eggs will be part of their school work. I have come up with lots of ideas to incorporate them into our studies. I think they will like it! And I love the fact that they have been working so well together on these projects. Nothing like teamwork to make projects more fun and exciting.

Our Favorite Apple Snack......

2008-03-01T18:02:00.000-08:00

We try to eat pretty healthy. It isn't so difficult to prepare healthy meals because you expect to be in the kitchen for a given amount of time. However, snacks can be a little more tricky. It is much easier to grab a handful of something out of a box for a quick snack....but that option is rarely healthy. So I am always on the lookout for health-conscious snack foods. Fruit is always a great choice in our house. This is one way I like to serve an apple as a snack. I cut the apple in wedges so it looks like a flower blossom and then in the center I put a dollop of natural peanut butter. I truly believe this is Emily's favorite snack!!!

Paper Punches.....

2008-02-28T17:14:00.000-08:00

My little ones can spend an entire morning using these fun paper punches. I used to do a lot of scrapbooking so I have accumulated many of these fun punches.

After they have a nice assortment punched out and ready to go.....

Then they color them and use them for confetti. I am not sure why my children are so consumed with confetti...but they are and they love it. Sometimes they also use the punches to make picture and cards. Basically it is a quick and easy activity that they all three seem to enjoy!!

Our Favorite Macaroni and Cheese....

2008-02-21T17:01:00.000-08:00

I think I mentioned I would be putting up recipes for some of our favorite and kid-friendly dishes. One of my favorite things to do is sit and read cookbooks with recipes for children. I find them fascinating. I will say up front that I make one meal and one meal only. I don't cater to individual preferences. You either eat your meal or you wait until the next one with nothing in between food-wise.

Anyway, here is our favorite mac and cheese recipe. I've been making this for so many years that I cannot remember how I came across the recipe...but it is pretty basic. Whenever I get to visit with my Mother....she usually has me make this recipe. And I love to. We all enjoy it.

Here goes:

Macaroni and Cheese

2 cups macaroni noodles, uncooked

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk (cow, rice, or whatever)

1 1/4 cups cheddar cheese, grated and divided

salt to taste

Boil water in a large pot. Add noodles and cook until tender. Once cooked, drain and set aside. In another pot, melt butter. Add flour and whisk together for a few minutes. Add milk and continue to stir until sauce thickens (usually about 5-7 minutes or so). Watch it because it can easily burn if your stove temp is too hot. Once thickened, remove from heat and add 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese. Stir to melt cheese. Add salt if desired. Pour drained noodles into sauce. Turn this mixture into a buttered 2 quart (or 9x13 pan) dish. Top with remaining 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Then before removing it from the oven change your oven setting to broil and wait about 3 more minutes until the top cheese browns. Remove from oven and enjoy. Kids love this!!! Oh, and so do Moms and Dads!!!!

Valentine's Day Tea Party.....

2008-02-15T10:50:00.000-08:00

Every year for Valentine's Day the kids and I prepare for a tea party. We make spritz cookies the day before and then eat them around 4 pm on Valentine's and drink hot herbal teas. The girls look forward to this for months.

This year I made these cute little lollipop flowers after seeing them in the recent Martha Stewart's Good Things for Kids magazine. I could not find the little lollipops called for so I improvised with these tootsie pops.

I made homemade cards for the kids. I really enjoy making cards. At one time (before the children were born) I used to make all our greeting cards. Maybe one day I'll do that again.

We each got to choose our favorite herbal tea to enjoy.

And a few days before Valentine's day we all made these sweet little heart suncatchers out of beads. We strung the beads on pipe cleaners so they were easy to shape. And I believe we used 8mm beads for the smallers ones and 12mm beads for the two larger ones. We also attached a piece of clear string so they can be hung in our windows.

All in all we had another fantastic Valentine's Day Tea Party!!! Thanks for joining us!!!

Learning About Lincoln......

2008-02-12T23:58:00.000-08:00

In honor of Abraham Lincoln's birthday today I planned a few activities. First up we made penny rubbings with crayons. It made some cute polka dot paper.

Then we talked about the penny. The picture on it, how much money it is worth, etc. Emily put a stack of them on her elbow and tried to catch them....but it isn't as easy with pennies as it is with quarters.

We also pulled out some Lincoln logs and built a cabin for our table centerpiece.

We also read some books about Lincoln. I love the older ChildCraft books. I have two sets of Childcrafts....one older and one newer. I use the older ones more than the newer ones. I find that they each have completely different information.

Fresh New Blog.......

2008-02-12T17:52:00.001-08:00

Hello happy new blog!!! I have enjoyed maintaining a mostly sewing blog for over a year now....but sometimes I want to feature fun family projects, and they just don't seem to fit with the sewing theme. This blog will feature fun activities that involve crafting, cooking and misc. homeschooling projects we do as a family. I am optimistic that everything will fall into a happy rhythm as time goes on. I do not expect to update daily, but perhaps weekly. I pray it will be inspirational to some and hopefully fun for us as a family.

*The above photo is a year old....but it is still one of my favorites!!!