Not All Recipes Are Winners

Just wanted to let you know that weird things can happen when you try to change recipes. Usually my changes work.... but then there are the other times when... well... it doesn't. It's all part of the fun.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

We've been busy this morning creating green crafts and eating yummy green topped cupcakes.

I hope you find the gold at the end of your rainbow just like Charlotte's Leprechaun.

A Great Weekend

We had weather in the upper 60's - low 70's the weekend and we took full advantage of it. We spruced up the front of our house with fresh pine straw, some pretty pansies, and a freshly swept porch. The kids played outside a lot and got good and dirty. I went to a few consignment sales and bought the kids their summer wardrobe for next to nothing. We got our taxes done. Yesterday Jon and I took turns going to the lake to exercise.

I was so excited to get a chance to go back to the lake and ride my bike again. It was a beautiful morning. I had as much fun this time as I did two weeks ago.

My favorite creek was so pretty with the morning sun shining on it.

I hiked further up the creek and found such pretty spots where the water pooled or rushed over rocks.

My 7 mile ride was much easier this time around. I've been working out each morning for 2 weeks now and it's really made a difference in my endurance. I wasn't riding for speed but it was nice not to be out of breath as much. My favorite part is still going down the hills. I even closed my eyes for just a second going down one hill. I don't like roller coasters so that was as close to a thrill ride as it gets for me.

After I got back to the parking lot, I sat on a bench and fed the ducks some plain cheerios I brought along. I love ducks. I can't wait to get some land so I can have a bunch of them.

The white ducks were my favorite. Their feathers looked so soft that I really had the fight the urge to pick one up and pet it. I knew wild ducks would probably not appreciate a stranger picking them up to pet their feathers.

Jon went to the lake after I got back and alternated between walking a mile and jogging a mile. He got a great workout. He and I both want to be in great shape by this summer so we can have a great time exploring new hiking and biking trails when we got on vacation.

It's going to be rainy and chilly the next two days so I'm really glad we made the most of our great weekend.

It's Just Like Riding A Bike

This morning I woke up to a very quiet and empty house. For the first time in a very long time, it was only me and the cats and dog. Jon is with his band students in Boone, NC for All-District Band and the kids are enjoying a sleepover at Nana and Grandpa's house. The house was strangely quiet. I found myself talking to my pets a lot more this morning. I'm used to a bustling house full of noise so the complete silence took a little getting used to. After feeding the animals, taking a shower, and watching a few episodes of "Empty Nest" (Hallmark is having a marathon today!), I was bored of relaxing.

Let me take you back a few days before I tell you what I did with the rest of my morning off....

Lately I have felt the urge to exercise. This is a pretty weird urge for me to have. You'd be surprised by how long I can be completely happy while sitting on the couch with the remote, my knitting, and carbs. Lately, though, I've felt like getting my rear off the couch and doing something active. I want to exercise for fun, not because I have to. (This is a very strange sensation for me) I've been maintaining my goal weight for 2 1/2 years (thanks to some great therapy that helped with my emotional eating) so weight loss isn't my goal for exercise. My goal is to have fun, get my heart rate up, and feel more energetic. This will also be a great way to get back in shape in time for gardening.

Thursday morning was my first day of exercise. I went for a walk around our neighborhood at 5:30am. I usually wake up at 6am but in order to fit in a walk before my day begins I have to begin it a bit earlier. It was 34* outside so I bundled up but by the end of my 1.6 mile brisk walk, I was plenty warm. Our neighborhood is so quiet at that time of morning. The only sounds I heard were a few heat pumps and the sound of the interstate in the distance. It was very peaceful and a great way to think about the day ahead. I found I had so much more energy after that walk and the energy lasted throughout the day.

Yesterday morning was raining so Jon and I did an AM yoga video tape to start the day. It was mostly stretching and relaxation but it was a nice way to wake up. Later I looked through our VHS collection looking for old workout tapes we could use on rainy mornings. I found a beginner kick-boxing tape from the 90's and a Pilates tape. I put in the kick-boxing video yesterday before dinner. It was fun and I like bouncing around on the balls of my feet. That's a strange thing to like about kick-boxing, isn't it?

So that brings us to this morning. It was going to be a beautiful day... sunny and mid-50's. I decided to get my bike out of the shed and cross my fingers that the tires were in good shape. I haven't been on this bike in over 5 years. Before that I'd only ridden it a handful of times. I was so glad to see that it was still in good shape and after I put a little more air in the tires it was ready to go.
I love this bike. I bought it shortly after buying my first house when I was 23. It was sitting outside of Kmart in line with all the other bikes. I loved everything about it. I loved the color, the super wide seat(it's much wider then the picture shows), the white walled tires... I just had to have it.

So, 9 years later, I pulled the bike out of the shed, dusted it off and put it in the van.

I am so lucky to live only 5 minutes away from Salem Lake. We went as a family last year in May. (I'm promising myself right now that we're going to spend a lot more time at the lake this year.) The lake has a wide, dirt "road" going all the way around it. I say road but it's really just a very wide path.

The road is very close to the water. The road follows the lake around curves and little tucked away places. The lake has so many little "corners" that it feels like many bodies of water instead of one lake. It looks different around every turn.

The path around the lake is 7 miles long. Yes, I've hoped on my bike for the first time in 5 years and I'm going on a 7 mile ride. Sound crazy? Well, I may not be able to walk without pain tomorrow but it was absolutely worth it. I had forgotten how good it feels to ride a bike. I love going down a hill... gliding down with the wind in my hair. It feels so free.

About a mile down the path is my favorite spot at the lake. This little bridge with it's fast flowing creek almost takes my breath away.



There were times this morning that I could have cried because I was so overwhelmed by it all. The sun shining through the trees, the sounds of a few birds calling, and the sound of this creek.... it was just so perfect. It sounds silly when I say it outloud. I don't usually consider myself an overly emotional person but there was just something about this ride at the lake this morning.


I watched people jog by with their Ipod's on and wanted to tell them that they were missing the best part. The sounds of this lake and the time to be "disconnected" from the world made those two hours I spent at the lake worth every muscle ache I'll be feeling in the next few days.

I took my time riding my bike. I stopped often to take pictures or to take a little rest. There were a few times when I rode up a hill that my legs burned like mad but then the fun of riding down that hill made it worth it.

So much of my thought usually goes to what needs to be done during the day... "When do I need to start dinner to have it ready in time?" "What day does Charlotte need to wear red to school?" "What day did Jon say he had that band thing after school?"

Not this morning. This morning I had no where that I had to be. There was no one waiting for me to hurry up and get home. My children were having a blast at Nana and Grandpa's and Jon was listening to music in mountains of North Carolina. It was just me, my bike, and the lake.

These two geese were about 10 feet away from me. They looked at each other, probably wondering why I was taking their picture.

I can't wait to go back to the lake. I would love to get a pretty basket with a lid for the front of my bike. When it gets warmer I could pack up some knitting in my basket and sit by the creek and knit for a while. It would be nice if we could get a babysitter and Jon could go on bike rides with me sometimes too. We could pack a picnic lunch and sit by the creek while we eat. I think I'm ready for Spring and longer days.

So, a 2 hour February bike ride around the lake... definitely a great way to spend a morning to yourself.

I Love Punxsutawney Phil

For the past week or two the weather has been amazing. We've had two days in the low 70's and nothing much below 55*. It's been warm, sunny, and dry... the perfect weather to sit out in the sunshine and knit. The kids and I have spent every possible moment outside. I knit. They play, run, invent, and happily yell at the top of their lungs. It's been wonderful.

This sock got finished up while I watched the kids play.

Thank you Punxsutawney Phil for not seeing your shadow this year!

The Agony of Defeat

Well, the Super Bowl didn't end as we hoped. We're still working through our stages of grief.
On the bright side, we had a fun pre-game party on Sunday. We invited over some friends to snack with us while we waited for the game to start. The party ended before kick-off so we could concentrate on the game. I made a Steelers cake. I painted the logo with food coloring.

Jon hung crepe paper and Charlotte's paper chains and Steelers signs helped to decorate the dining area.

Jon and Charlotte practiced some plays.

Mini Troy sat on the cake plate cover and watched the fun.

There was food.

There was cake.

And then there was the game. Well, we can't win them all though Jon would have you believe otherwise. Here's to the Steelers who fought the good fight. Only 7 months left until the new season starts. I'm excited already!

My Cure For Cabin Fever

Every year about this time I start to feel the walls closing in around me. My house begins to feel old, messy, and shabby. I have the strong desire to repaint every room and completely redo each room's decor. Our tight budget keeps me from acting on those redecorating whims. There is something I've found that helps and it doesn't cost me a penny....spring winter cleaning. I take a room, clean out every corner, closet, and hidey hole, throw out or donate anything we no longer use and give the whole room a thorough cleaning.

Yesterday it was the kitchen's turn for a makeover. I cleaned out the cabinets a few weeks ago so it only took 3 hours to make my kitchen feel fresh and new. So, now that the kitchen is "company clean", I thought I'd give you a bit of a kitchen tour. Don't worry, it won't take long... my kitchen is small.

Here's the view looking into the dining/living room. To the right of the sink is the "chicken bucket" where we collect food scraps to be given to my mom's chickens. To the left of the sink is my Cinderella mug with my beloved fine-point markers that NO CHILD is allowed to touch. My children love to make dots with their markers rendering them blunt. I love to use colored markers to make my many, many lists more colorful. Blunt markers drive me nuts. So, this mug is only for Momma. Brightly colored, sharp-pointed markers... another one of my cures for cabin fever.

"Rainbow Fish" the female beta lives on the half-wall above the sink. She's really Charlotte's fish but after cleaning her out one day, I set her bowl on the half-wall and Charlotte hasn't cared that I've left her there. I'm so glad she doesn't mind. I love watching her swim while I'm at the sink. She swims over to the glass and watches me. Did you know that fish know people as individuals? Once I learned this, she became more of a pet to me then just a pretty fish in a bowl. I like to think she is happy to see me each morning but it probably has to do with the food in my hand.

If you turn clockwise, you'll see the stove wall. I'm glad to have a smooth-top stove because it acts as extra counter space since it's in short supply in this kitchen. I hung up a copper gingerbread man cookie cutter I bought at Williams-Sonoma this past Christmas. I like him above the stove.

Perched on top of the cabinets, next to the applesauce, sits the Wicked Witch Of the West. My Aunt Linda gave me her cookie jar. Jon has seen the musical "Wicked" twice now and his marching band had a "Wicked" themed show a few years ago. Evan and Charlotte love the music from from the show so Elphaba makes a fun addition to our kitchen.

If you turn again clockwise, you'll see our window wall. I hope one day to put a few cabinets along this wall to allow for more storage and counter space.

I love my chick salts in their little nesting boxes.

My Aunt Linda also gave me a roller washboard that she found at a thrift store years ago. It's a Mother Hubbard Roller Washboard. They were produced until 1935 when washing machines became popular. This roller design made washing much easier apparently. I hung it with the back facing out because I love to read the instructions on the back. The first two lines read, "Place tub high enough for operator to stand erect. Back aches are unnecessary." I don't know.... Just the thought of using a washboard gives me a back ache!

If you turn once more clockwise, you'll see the final side of our kitchen. Believe it or not, this is what the fridge looks like after it's been cleaned off. I sort through the art work about once a month or so and only keep the really special things. This is what has been created in the past week or two. The countertop to the right of the fridge is where I keep my stack of printed out recipes and my cookbooks. This counter also serves as our office space.... sorting out bills, mail, Jon's "empty his pockets when he gets home" basket, etc. It's a counter that gets messy fast so I was excited to take a picture of it while you could still see the countertop.

Our pantry is the door to the right and you can't see the small closet to the left of the fridge where we keep the cat box and pet supplies.

So, that's it. That's my kitchen. It's where I spend a good portion of my day. Now I can go into the kitchen and take a deep breath. The walls of the kitchen no longer feel as though they're closing in. I feel a little lighter and it makes winter seem a little more pleasant. I had good timing too with another winter storm brewing for the South. Yikes!

Another Christmas Post

Santa brought the kids hammock chairs for Christmas this year. Luckily Grandpa could hang them for us when he came over Christmas day.

They take up a good bit of space in their rooms but they really love them. It looks so relaxing that it makes me want to hang some in the living room. Who knows, in our next house I just may do that.

For Christmas, I bought myself replacement kitchen gear that had seen better days. I'm not sure why I let my kitchen equipment get this bad. I use it almost daily but I can't usually bring myself to spend money on better stuff. So, for Christmas, I treated myself to some upgrades.

We were given the cookie sheet on the left as a wedding gift.... 7 1/2 years ago. It has quite a "patina" on it. I bought 2 half sheet pans to add to the line up. The funny thing is that I still use the old pans along with the new. They're still perfectly good pans... just not as pretty as the new ones.

I've owned the cutting board on the left for about 5 years. It should have been in the trash LONG ago. It went in the garbage as soon as I took this picture. The new cutting board is so nice and is non-slip, which I love.

I've been using the same 2 paring knives for 8 years. They're dull and sharpening them seems to do no good anymore. I've replaced them with Farberware knives.....

and this pretty green paring knife that Jon bought me from Williams-Sonoma.

Jon also bought me this egg rings. They're fun to use to make eggs the perfect shape for sandwiches.

This griddle was a present from my daycare family. I LOVE it! I didn't realize how much of a difference it would make. I can now make 6-7 pancakes at a time instead of 2-3 in a pan. It's definitely one of my favorite presents from this year.

My sister and her husband came to visit over New Year's. David is sleeping in the background of this picture. Katie made Evan and Charlotte's presents. Evan got these adorable rocket ships.

Charlotte got this beautiful crown. (the piggy bank is from Papa and Lisa)

Katie also made them rice warmer bags that I forgot to take a picture of. Katie blogged about them here. They're soft, cloth bags with rice inside. When you microwave the bags for 1 minute, they get wonderfully warm. The kids have taken them to bed with them each night. I snuck Evan's today to warm myself after running errands. I think I'll have to make one for myself.

Katie and David brought the doggies. Scooter's not in this picture but he came along too. They were very good boys.

When we were over at Mom and Mark's house, Katie went to put Mom's bird back in his cage. He didn't want to climb onto her finger so he flew onto the top of the Christmas tree. He makes a lovely tree topper, doesn't he?

The last day that Katie and David were here, I took them to Mega Thrift since they were having a 50% clothing sale. While Katie looked through tops, I found these awesome Rubbermaid storage containers for $1.99 each.. except the bowl that was $.99. I'm so excited to find large containers since I used to have to use multiple containers to store large batches of goodies. The bowl is an exact match of one I already have and love. It's the best bowl to mix large batches of bread dough in. I was so excited to find it's twin.

Cooking and baking is a lot of fun for me and these new "toys" make it even better!

Hey! Who Turned Off The Lights?!

Everyday at 6:30, I eat my breakfast while checking my email. The house is quiet and peaceful. Each morning the same, predictable routine. I like routine.

Well, yesterday's routine was interrupted by the electricity going off when I was halfway through with my cereal. The computer when black and the house was completely dark. I started to make my way to Charlotte's room by running my hands along the walls. Charlotte was already awake and reading in her bed so I knew she was going to be worried about being in the dark. I got to her as she was coming out of her room. I calmed her down and then I heard Evan calling from his room, "Mama, my lights not work!" So, with both kids in tow, we made our way slowly to the back door where they could look out and see the pre-dawn light while I searched for a working flashlight or lantern.

It should have been an easy task since we have about 20 flashlights and several camping lanterns. This task was made more difficult since it was completely dark inside. None of the flashlights that I found had working batteries in them. I finally found a small flashlight and replaced it's batteries by feeling my way around the junk drawer... a scary job. I found our camping lanterns then with the help of the flashlight and found that they were too cold to work properly since I store them in our unheated storage closet.

After finding out from the power company that they expected power to be back on in our neighborhood by 10am, I called the daycare parents and told them to go ahead and bring their kids and we'd have an adventure today. On parent offered for us to use their house if it got too cold in mine.

I helped Evan and Charlotte get dressed and ready for school by flashlight. Boy, the sun sure takes it's time rising when you need the light desperately! The lantern started to warm up and give off a little light as the sun came up. Figures.

I got Charlotte onto the bus and then the kids and I played in Evan's room because it was warmer then the playroom. When we returned home after dropping two kids off at preschool, I noticed the temperature inside. 53* inside! No wonder I was so chilly!
Did I mention that it was 15* overnight in NORTH CAROLINA?!! The high was going to be 32*. This is super cold for our part of the country. This is our second cold snap lately. The average temp. for this time of year is 53*. We've been far from average for weeks now. The sink in my bathroom only had hot water because the cold water pipes had frozen. Luckily the pipes didn't burst.

So, with two daycare kids in tow, we drove to the daycare parent's house to hang out until our electricity came back on.

Every 15 minutes I would call my house waiting to hear the answering machine that would signal that we had power again. I was never so glad to hear the answering machine working around 11:00. So, after we picked up the preschoolers at noon, we headed back home to find the lights on and heat on. Luckily the house was up to 63* which felt quite balmy compared to 53*.

After our interesting morning, I've decided that any future house of our must have an alternate heat source. A heat pump just doesn't cut it when it's this cold outside. The emergency heat has been kicking on a lot more then it should because it's just too cold. I need a wood stove. Not only would a wood stove generate heat during a power outage, it would also help supplement any other heat system during these unusually cold winter days and nights.

Santa, can you bring us a wood stove? Oh, and the chimney it would need, the hearth, the neatly stacked wood outside, and pretty kettle to set on top of it? That's not too much to ask, is it?