I am away on a scrapbooking retreat this weekend and I have to say it was a much needed respite! Who knew there were entire houses available for rent solely for the purpose of scrapbooking? I certainly didn't! So, here we are nestled in a cozy (just kidding...this house is 4000 sq feet!) house and I am getting lots done. Of course I miss all my crew terrible but I received this photo last night and it was water to my soul!
Don't you just love them? They are having a great time with their daddy and had plenty of things to do to keep them occupied. I've taken lots of pictures of this grand house and will post them later. For now I will leave you with a sneak peek at some of the layouts I have completed this weekend.
I rarely ever get time to sew anymore but today I decided to make it a fun sewing morning. I dragged out my machine and all my scraps and set to work to make some clothes for our Samantha doll and our Kit doll. (Still need to make an outfit for Kirsten and Felicity).
I began knitting a blanket earlier this month in which 6 scarves are knit and then sewn together. I am almost finished with the first scarf (4 sections of knitting, each with a different fiber and stitch pattern). I rolled up my knitting so the cats would not unravel it during the night and this is what I was left with when I rolled it up. I giggled when I saw it.
Sushi Anyone? It will henceforth be known as the Sushi Blanket.
Today I actually had a little free time to sew. I think the last time I hauled out my machine was when I made a bunch of dresses for Jillian so it's been quite awhile. On today's agenda was a cover for my Nook.I love the way it turned out. It makes me happy.
My supremely talented friend Berritt designed this pattern and has it available for sale as a pdf file here.
My computer is still in the shop getting a new screen, not to mention that we are hardly home thanks to the Alice production. I will resume more blogging shortly. In the meantime I have also been very busy with schooling and raising kids and have found that at times I have gone a whole day without turning on a computer. Shocking, I know. I leave you with some pics from last night's project. And soon I will get some pics up from Alice.
*pardon the icky photo quality! Good camera needed a battery charge.
About five years ago I remodeled our front bathroom. It was bright and yellow, blue, floral and rubber ducks. It lost it's appeal really quick. Much more fun for the kids with the bright colors and all but it was not a tranquil room by any means.
This week I repainted and repurposed until I have a guest worthy bathroom again. I actually like using that bathroom now!
I thought I'd make a post with a few of my favorite recipes. Some are recipes I found and tweaked and some are my own recipes. Enjoy!
Insalata Caprese
This is a super easy recipe and is perfect for a yummy snack or before a great Italian meal.
Ingredients:
Roma Tomatoes
Fresh Mozzarella cheese in water
Whole Fresh Basil
2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/4c Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pinch Kosher Salt
Pinch Sugar
Squeeze the water from the mozzarella and slice about 1/2" thick. Lay the slices on a plate. Slice the Roma tomatoes and lay them on top of the Mozzarella, place basil leaves on top of the tomato, you can use as much or as little basil as you like. I like a LOT.
Combine Vinegar, Olive Oil, sugar and salt in a small bowl and whisk until blended.
Drizzle the dressing mixture over the plate.
That't it! So simple and SO delicioso.
L'Mu's Perfect Buttermilk Biscuits
3 c Unbleached Flour (freshly ground is better!)
1 tbsp Baking Powder
1tbsp Sugar (I use a packet of Stevia)
1 tsp Salt
3/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
3/4 c Unsalted Butter
1/2 c Milk
1/2 c Buttermilk
Preheat oven to 450. Combine flour, baking powder,sugar,salt and cream of tartar. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or two knives until the butter pieces are small crumbs.
Pour in all the milk and buttermilk. Mix just enough to moisten everything.
On a floured surface knead the dough gently. Fold it over a few times kneading gently and not overdoing it. Roll the dough until it's about 3/4" thick. You can vary the thickness however much you like, just alter the baking time so as not to overbake or underbake them.
Use a biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits. If you don't have a biscuit cutter you can use a glass (that is my moms tip. ;))
Place biscuits about an inch apart on a baking sheet. OR if you are whimical like me, place them in a cast iron pan and let them all bake into one another.
Bake for 10-14 minutes depending on the thickness of your biscuits.
Albondigas
Albondigas is a Mexican meatball
soup and it is the best strength builder for sick people that I have
tried. Better even than chicken noodle especially when you have sinus
congestion. Lately I have been ladling Albondigas down the throats of
any unsuspecting person with a sniffle or a fever. Even Jillian loves
the broth, constantly demanding "more!".
I thought I would share my recipe in case anyone reading might need a Snake Oil remedy for their loved ones.
Ingredients
Stock
1 small onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2-3 Red potatoes, diced 2-3 stalks celery, chopped 2 cups diced carrots 1 Lg Can of Diced tomatoes Small handful of rice 8 cups water 1 tbsp Olive Oil Beef "Better Than Boullion" (follow directions for how much to add to water) Chopped Fresh Cilantro Salt to taste (Kosher is best) Pepper to taste
Saute
Onion and Garlic in the Olive oil in large stock pot until
transluscent. Add water and Boullion. Add the remaining ingredients
except the cilantro. Bring to a simmer.
Make the Meatballs
Combine
all the ingredients in a large bowl. Form the meatballs about the size
of a brussels sprout. Drop them into the soup one by one.
Simmer the soup for an hour or more to combine the flavors
Sausage- Potato Supper.
Ingredients One kielbasa sliced or diced (I use the lite one)
4 large potatoes sliced
1 med onion sliced
10 dill pickle chips or 2 dill pickles
Dill Pickle Juice
2-3 tbsp Sugar
Butter
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large skillet or wok saute the kielbasa and onion in 1 tbsp
butter. Remove kielbasa mixture from the skillet and set aside. Add
another tbsp butter to the skillet and saute the potatoes until soft.
Add in the kielbasa/onion mixture. Next pour in a small amount of
pickle juice, I use about 1/4 cup and also the diced pickle and
seasonings. Let simmer until potatoes are soft and yummy.
I love this recipe (which my mom invented. ;)) because it has a
delicious sweet and sour taste to it. We have started adding in
shredded cabbage when we do the potatoes and it's even more yummy.
Lentil-Kielbasa Soup
1/2 Lite Polska Kielbasa, chopped
2 cups Lentils
2 cups Fresh Spinach, Chopped
1 large can Diced Tomatoes
1 cup Carrots, chopped
1 cup Celery, Chopped
1/2 large Onion, Chopped
3 cloves Garlic minced
3 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Fresh Basil chopped, to taste
Kosher Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
2 cans Beef Broth
4 Cups Water
First boil Lentils for 10 minutes. Set aside
Saute Onion, Kielbasa and Garlic until onions are translucent.
Add all remaining ingredients and Lentils to Kielbasa mixture.
Simmer for one hour.
You can vary the water/ beef broth amount as much as you like.
My suggestions are approximate because I did not write anything down
while making it. It's so hard for me to take my recipes out of my head
and put them on paper.
Applesauce
Several pounds of apples (Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith and Pink Lady's are the best)
Water
A big pot
Food Processor or Food Mill.
If you are going to use a food processor I recommend peeling all your apples and then coring them as well before simmering. I usually peel them and then cut them with an apple cutter.
Fill a pot with water and place the apples to simmer. Enjoy the smell of warm apples on the stove. Better than any candle on the market. ;)
When the apples are soft, remove them from the water and process with the food processor adding in a little of the water until you reach the desired consistency. If using a food mill, do not peel the apples instead grind the apples through the food meal and reap the benefits of the skin without the harshness on the digestion.
Done!
Variations
Cinnamom-Apple Sauce- Throw in several cinnamon sticks while simmering.
Cranberry Apple Sauce- Instead of all water, simmer in 1/2 water and 1/2 cranberry juice.
Apple-Plum Sauce- Throw in two whole plums with the apples. Squeeze and remove plums before processing apples.
People have many valid reasons for loving Thanksgiving. For me, my favorite part is cooking with my kids. I realized today that that is my favorite part when I noticed that I had only taken pictures of us cooking and none of the actual festivities as they unfolded. Dinner was nice, everything was yummy and bellyaches ensued from over eating. Best of all there are leftovers for tomorrows lunch.
Cooking is something I enjoy very much so passing that love on to my kids is just a natural thing. I don't believe any child is too young to help cook. (Even my newborns 'helped' by hanging out in a baby carrier). Any kid can help stir and pour if you are willing to put up with a little mess. Caleb and Ginny really took an interest in helping with the meal prep, I had a ball watching them and taking pictures. The older girls did their part as well as I have mentioned in past posts. AJ was the only one left out of the cooking this time and I am not even sure how that happened. I do know that he cooked us a fabulous lunch of homemade Egg Drop Soup the other day while we were busy pie baking and so he left his little mark on our culinary hearts in that way.
The first thing the little ones made was cornbread. Cornbread must always be made in a cast iron skillet here. It's the way cornbread was MEANT to be!
Even the littlest chef was in the kitchen.
Everyone loves to get in on the pouring.
Pouring is all well and good but be very careful when you stir!
I love it when Miss Actually gets put in her place by Little Miss Bossypants.
All ready to pop in the oven. Smoke alarms at the ready!
Glorious!
What a proud boy! And I am a proud mama let me tell you!
We must have another look. I wish it were Smellernet...seriously.
Mike always loves Green Bean Casserole at Thanksgiving. It's not something I grew up with but he misses it if we don't have it. Caleb volunteered to make that as well. Ginny was done cooking at this point and ran off to demuck the splatter from her hair. Jillian was off terrorizing the cats most likely.
Dumping everything in is the most fun of all.
Over all, a great couple days of cooking with my brood. Tomorrow is our annual NO BUY day. We love Black Friday! Christmas movies, decorating and homemade cocoa. Ahhh..the good life!
Here are the pies all finished (pumpkin by Gabby and Apple by Maddy, cutouts on the Apple pie by Caleb). Also in the pic, cranberry sauce getting going.
And after it's been cooking away.
Tomorrow I make the Mashed Potaotes and the green beans and Ginny and Caleb will make the cornbread. Here is a link to last years cooking and what the finished cranberry sauce looks like.
It's always been our desire to make our Yonder Tree site (which was formerly a shop) into a Crafting blog with tutorials and patterns etc.. I finished drafting a pattern today for a peasant top with 4 sleeve options and a couple bodice options as well. As soon as I get it scanned in and edited I hope to offer it up for free on Yonder Tree. It's a simple fun blouse and I hope everyone that downloads it will enjoy it.
Lisa- The Blogger
This is me. I like to think I am complex and multi-faceted but I think much of the time I am a silly, zany, free-spirited person who really enjoys life. I like to make people happy, I like to be happy. I am a sanguine through and through. I love crafting, Pinterest, gathering ideas, computer stuff, watching movies, sleepovers and hugging on my offspring. I don't like internet haters who assume to 'know' me just by what they read here. There is a reason this is called 'Pieces' Of Us. It's just a small peek in the window. You may think you know, but you have no idea.
Mike- The Sportsman
Mike is more than just a sportsman but he does like to shoot a deer now and then. In his other spare moments which are few and far between he is taking college courses to finish his degree or tending to his pack as Cubmaster. He loves to spend time with the kids and they think he is pretty great even if he is a goofball who loves to embarrass them.
Madeline- The Free Spirited Bohemian One
This kid could be happy with just some books, a drawing pad and a pencil. She has an aptitude for art and has really excelled at drawing over the past year. She is patient and kind but has a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Maddy is dependable, if you want something done, she's your girl and she does it with a cheerful spirit.
Gabriella- The Creative Ray of Light
Gabby has sparkle, she has pizzazz, she has talent. She is the kid you never have to tell to practice the piano instead you tell her to take a break. She loves to chat with her friends on the computer (what teen doesn't?) and write stories with her twin sister. She's a practical joker and has a terrific sense of humor. Did I mention she is also a talented actress as well?
AJ- The Deep Thinker
This boy is going places! AJ is always thinking. He is a true philosopher pondering the whys of everything but he is also an inventor/engineer also determining the hows. He spends hours building and taking things apart. We worry that he will one day blow up the house but for now he is pretty darn useful at optimizing our computers and rewiring things that break around here.
Genevieve Audrey- The Spunky One
Spunky doesn't even begin to describe it. She is a social butterfly and she loves to sit and chat as long as her victim will listen. Ginny is a tiny little thing but her spirit is huge and she's smart to boot. She is proving to be an excellent big sister and is teaching Jilly the ropes.
Caleb Allen- The Littlest Man
He doesn't like it when you run your fingers through his hair so we do it all the more. Caleb is just so cute and snuggly. He is always full of enthusiasm whether it be positive or negative. He either really loves something or he doesn't like it at all. We love him regardless.
Jillian Clementine- The Boss
She may be small but she makes up for it big time. Jillian likes to let people know who is in charge and we often have to take her down a peg... or five. She says funny things so often that she has her own blog Jillyish. She loves to use huge words like intrusive and incredible or any other adjective that shouldn't come out of a three year old. She will also tell you that she is too shy to say Hi but don't believe it because she is pure drama.
Jess..ica- She hiccups
She may not be blood but we claim her as one of us. Honestly, I don't know what I'd do without her around. She makes us laugh and she can sing like a hamster. Everyone needs a friend with a hamster voice. Now she'll probably ask me to take this down but I'm not gonna. Because we love her.
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