May
9
HAPPY Mother’s Day!
May 9, 2010
HAPPY Mother’s Day!
Apr
10
Saturday.
April 10, 2010
We so enjoy our local Farmer’s Market though the season isn’t quite here and left me longing for a basketful of fresh vegetables on our visit today. Even so, we did find some beautiful flowers, I picked up a few super sized onions (for potato soup) and found a couple of new organic coffee blends.
LOVE zucchini, the recipe below is a family favorite. Enjoy!
* 2 organic eggs
* 2 cups organic sugar
* 1/2 cup organic canola oil
* 1 tablespoon Vanilla
* 3 cups of organic grated zucchini
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 tablespoon cinnamon
* 3 1/2 cups organic flour
Beat eggs until light and foamy then add sugar, oil, heaping cups of grated zucchini and vanilla. Mix lightly, but well. Combine flour, salt, soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Add to egg-zucchini mixture. Stir until well blended; pour into two loaf pans (9″x5″x3″) . Bake in preheated 350ºF oven for about 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
*We most often make small cakes using non Teflon cupcake pans. To prevent sticking we use non bleached coffee filters to wipe the pans with Earth Balance organic spread, followed by organic flour, shaking off the excess flour. When using cupcake pans we cook for about 25 minutes or or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a non-Teflon wire rack and enjoy.
I really don’t actually measure much of the recipe as I add some of this and a little of that. Sometimes I’ll add a dash of organic pumpkin spice, sometimes a handfull of walnuts and/or raisins. Whatever suits my fancy at the moment. Yummy!
Apr
7
LOL
April 7, 2010
As women we can bond over things like parenting views, politics, religion and yes, even periods . . .
A COMMERCIAL for U by Kotex, a new line from the 90-year-old feminine care brand, opens with an actress in her early 20s who says, “How do I feel about my period? I love it.”
-The New York Times
Mar
31
Paper Mache Eggs, for Easter or Spring!
March 31, 2010
The following art project is a fun share and courtesy of
ART PROJECTS FOR KIDS.
It seems to me that springtime crafts should be about nature, and pretty much anything BUT plastic. I experimented with covering plastic fillable Easter eggs with paper mache, and came up with this simple decoration.
1. I used the recipe that I posted about here, and covered a few plastic eggs with small bits of newspaper and mache. Several layers are best so that no plastic is peeking through. Let it dry completely. Note: This tested well even with kinders as their small hands could really squeeze the eggs to smooth the paper.
2. Brush the eggs with one main light acrylic color and let it dry. Then use a small amount of darker paint for texture. Brush it on so that the eggs look to have 50/50 covering and let dry.
3. Rub on some gold tempera paint by hand to give the eggs a little shine.
4. Use a natural looking, bumpy yarn and unroll it into a small round pile for the nest.
The result is a really nice centerpiece for any table!
We love the inspiration of APFK, however, we’ve changed it up some and choose to use water color paints and washable markers. A super project (supervision required) for smaller hands and though this project can create some fantastical artwork the true enjoyment is the quality time and well . . . making a mess!
Dec
25
Merry Christmas!
December 25, 2009
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Nov
5
HALLOWEEN FUN!
November 5, 2009
This year our youngest daughter, when asked what she wanted to dress up as for Halloween, responded quite simply “a bird”.
At that moment I had no idea of the many hours of work that lay ahead for me. She chose a picture of the bird she wanted to be and it was my mission to bring it to life . . . here it is! The costume is made up of two separate pieces: a lined hood and a separate jacket that has movable wings instead of arms. The feathers are sewn on by hand, which alone took approximately 7 hours. In keeping with my belief that it’s all about the details, there are even eye lashes!
above: Leaning in to get a treat!
Feb
24
SQUEEZE, POUND, SQUOOSH, TWIST.
February 24, 2009
We love play-dough and make it weekly . . . just because!
* 2 1/2 cups flour
* 1/2 cup salt
* 3 tablespoon oil
* 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
* 2 cups boiling water
* food coloring
Mix the above together and knead until smooth. Divide dough as you wish and create your own fabulous colors with food coloring. With the exception of boiling the water, this is a child friendly project. How fun that it lasts longer than store bought Play-Doh, and as a bonus, it doesn’t crumble.
Cool Links
- Etsy - your place to buy and sell all things handmade
- Hyena Cart - a collection of earth friendly shops
- The Sarut Group - Inspire ~ Educate ~ Entertain
