Friday, July 30, 2010

A new veggie {Food Friday}

Woohoo! It's Friday, which is synonomous with weekend (not that SAHM's really get a weekend), which means, Daddy will be home for 2 days & we have no real agenda this weekend, we're not camping or going anywhere significant, so it'll be nice just to hang out at home. However, I will be going on Saturday, hopefully early in the morning, to go to some Yard Sales.

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I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but in case I haven't, or you're new to reading my blog, we try to eat something new at least once a week. Whether it's a new recipe, a new way to eat a food we already enjoy, or something new all together, we try to expose our kids & ourselves to something new.

This week we tried a new veggie, thanks to the neighbors garden: Swiss Chard. I can't say it was my most favorite vegetable ever, but it was decent. I'm not really one for cooked leafy greens though. We've decided to try it again, but I'll prepare it a little differently, still cooked down & such, but we're going to add some sauteed onions to it.


The aforementioned garden is also producing zuchinnis that apparently didn't get the memo & took steroids anyways--these things are huge--and also lots yellow squash. The other 'new' thing from this week was my favorite Zucchini Pancakes, but with a little something extra. I made up my normal batter (except I was out of cheddar cheese, so used mozzarella) & instead of all zucchini, I added in yellow squash. Yum. These are seriously one of my favorite things to make in the summer, they remind me so much of my Granny ♥.

Not everyone at our house could try the Swiss chard, but that's okay, he got something new this week too...Brody is now eating rice cereal & loving it. He needed something to make up for all that rolling & scooting he's doing now.

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So now that I've talked about all this new food, I've got the motivation to go plan out next weeks meals & search the 2 new Taste of Home magazines that came this week for another new recipe (or 2,3, maybe even 10) to try.
I think I'll also get some zucchini bread in the oven, as well as some really yummy zucchini cookies we tried out last year, and maybe some of these too. (yes we have THAT much & probably more).

Come back tomorrow for Scrap with Me Saturday--I've got a few new pages to showcase!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Class of 2011 {Specials}

Hey Class of 2011
Only 2 days left to book your session for 1/2 price!!!

SENIOR PORTRAITS
2011 Seniors schedule your Top Of The Class Session by July 31st for 1/2 price! (session must take place before October 1st)

Almost missed it {life}

If I hurry up & type this out quickly, this post will still go under Thursdays date.

I'm definitely ready for the weekend, for some fun in the sun & hitting up some yard sales. In search of new projects to add to my ever growing list, that I really need to start working on.

I know I did a 10 Things post on Tuesday, but since time is short & I haven't processed many photos for the web this week, I'm going to do another 10 things post & then showcase the last couple of fair entry photos (which is in 2 weeks-how time flies).

10 Projects on my To-Do list:
1. Finish my big quilt, the one I started over 5 years ago--I finally have everything necessary for the backing, just need to get to work.
2. Start the girls' new bedding--super cute & inspired by this. I picked up the fabric when we visited my sister Memorial weekend.

3. Wall Collage for my room with the kids' feetprints, etc. I picked up the shadow frame when I got to go shopping by myself a few weeks ago.
4. ReDesign/align my collage wall --just needs squared up.
5. Print new photos for the various little frames around the house.
6. Work on the kids' 'year' books
7. Move the girls' into 1 room & Brody into his own room (decide on his theme & work on that)
8. Start putting together ideas, collecting supplies, etc for our "Homemade Christmas"
9. Redecorate/arrange our bedroom
10. Make a new camera bag & matching strap and/or a new purse
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The last of the entries for this year's Fair




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Being Thursday, it's new release day at the Digi Chick & Nikki has this amazing kit, Back to the Farm, this week. It makes me super happy. My favorite green/yellow, tractors, pink, daisy, a sunflower..just lovely stuff. There's also a new template set (I used one on this page as well).


(linked for full credits)

Have a great Thursday for another 24 minutes. Hopefully tomorrow I won't be so late. :)

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Almost missed it {life}

Almost missed the Wednesday post that is, & today it's minimal word Wednesday. And after being gone most of the afternoon, it puts me a little behind on that list I posted yesterday, so I'm going to bed early by an hour so I can get a good portion of it done tomorrow *hopefully all of it*.

Another 2 of my fair entries for this year...can't believe it's already time for this.

Withered Crop


A Misty Morning Sunrise
Have a great Thursday!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

It's 10 T time {10 Things}

Ten things I must do tomorrow (that have carried over for a couple of days--a week--now):

1. Clean out & purge the kids' clothes/shoes
2. Finish washing laundry
3. Plan out the rest of this week
4. Work on portrait proposal
5. Make important phone calls


6. Organize desk & file papers
7. Go do bookwork at 4J's Empty Nest
8. Work out
9. Catch up house work (mopping/bathrooms/vacuuming)
10. Work on finishing big quilt--so I can work on the girls' redesign


One of our weekends out & about, we spent the day at a lake, fishing, picnic, swimming...lots of summer fun.



Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Almost Wordless {Wednesday}

So today I've been working on refreshing the website, which I finally got accomplished after 3 hours. I freshened up the photographs & added a few more lines of text on some of the pages. I still need to work on the portfolio gallery at some point and add a few more things, but that can wait until I figure out a sitter situation for the kids, because it takes entirely too much concentration to website & kid corral.

I'm hoping to get a little 'fresh' spin on the blog done by tonight. Wish me luck!

These are 2 more of the entries I have for the upcoming fair.

Enjoy the rest of today!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Post #218 {10 Things}

It's Tuesday, this is post #218 on this blog--can you believe that since January 2008 I've managed to write something, or not much of anything, 218 times; sometimes happy, sometimes sad, lots of cute babies, & lots of progress; 18 of those time have just been this month! Whew!

I'm kinda grumpy today, mainly because my hubby works really hard, long hours, is a faithful employee, is very knowledgeable at what he does (for all those who don't know--he's a truck driver & prior to June 2008 we had a trucking business--he had a trucking business for more than 13 years & driven for longer) & he is very under appreciated at his job.
Have you ever known that one kid that got picked on a lot at school & then they grow up to be someones boss & they have huge power trips & take out all those years of frustration on their workers?!? Yeah, that pretty much sums up how things are.
Don't get me wrong I'm very thankful that he has a job & a job that allows me to stay home with the kids *although putting 3 kids into daycare would pretty much deplete any and all income I would generate outside the home*, but seriously...COME ON...

Anyways--today I'm doing T's Top 10--grocery edition (yes, I went grocery shopping-kind of-today)
1. Bananas
2. Box of spring mix
3. Whole wheat lasagna noodles & Wacky Mac
4. Dried Cranberries
5. 2 kinds of milk --whole fat & 1%
6. Pomegranate Tangerine hand-soap for the kitchen
7. Biggest Loser work-out DVD
8. PEZ refill
9. Diet Cherry Pepsi
10. Light Balsamic Vinaigrette

And something to sweeten up this post...

Friday, July 16, 2010

Waffles & Cupcakes & Fun, oh my! {Foody Friday}

YUM!
Can I just say that I really love making new recipes, especially when they turn out well & taste really good. There's only one slight problem with this--I'm really, & I mean REALLY going to need to start working out & managing my diet better. The bright side, that just means more tasty GOOD, nutrient rich recipes to try. :)

Last weekend I had some bananas that were in desperate need of being used, but being so hot out (90* at 8am) I didn't really want to turn on the oven & the AC, so instead of banana bread, the over ripe bananas became Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes. I was pretty excited about the way they turned out, especially because I used NO recipe what-so-ever, just off the cuff. Bananas. Pancake mix. Cinnamon. Mini-Chocolate chips. Vanilla. YUM!

Make a pancake batter. Mash up a banana stir into batter. Add cinnamon, vanilla. Put in chocolate chips after it's on the griddle or else they just sink to the bottom.

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My nephew is spending a few nights with us on his visit down here. Yesterday was our first morning so I made up some Waffles. I used this recipe, but did some modifications. We ended up with Whole Wheat Waffles with Peach & Berry topping. YUM!

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
2 Tbls sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups warm milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp almond extract
Mix dry ingredients. Beat together wet ingredients. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry. Spoon onto waffle iron.
We had left-overs & had them this morning, reheated in the toaster to get that nice crispy waffle-y crunch.

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Shortly after breakfast there was a request to bake some chocolate cupcakes...although it took until after dinner to actually get it done, we did it. Yes I'm somewhat crazy & allowed 3 children in my somewhat little kitchen to 'help' bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes (adapted from this recipe)

Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cupcakes
(18 cupcakes)
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp instant coffe
1/2 cup boiling water
1/3 cup sour cream
3/4 tsp vanilla
12 Tbls butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chunks
Frosting (approximate measures here, I just whipped it up without measuring)
4 Tbls butter, softened
4 Tbls cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted
1 tsp vanilla
Chocolate & peanut butter chips & peanuts to garnish

Preheat oven 400* Line muffin tins with cupcake papers; spray with vegetable cooking spray. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Measure cocoa and coffee in a medium bowl. Whisk in water to form a smooth thick paste. Stir in sour cream and vanilla; set aside. (The kids wanted to taste the chocolate at this point--LOL--I don't reccommend that, it doesn't taste like chocolate is expected to taste).
Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy add in eggs, one at a time.
Starting and ending with dry ingredients, alternate adding chocolate mixture and flour, beating until each is thoroughly incorporated.
Melt the peanut butter in a medium bowl, add about 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate batter & stir until smooth. Add chocolate chunks.
Add peanut butter chips to the remaining chocolate batter.


(only 2 of the 3 kids, Grace was already kicked out of the kitchen by this time-for dumping things out on the counter/stove & trying to eat the flour mixture)

Fill each muffin cups about 1/3 full with chocolate batter. Using a two spoons, place about 1 spoonful of the peanut butter mixture into the center of each cupcake, pressing it into the center. Bake until fully cooked and golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, let cupcakes stand a couple of minutes; turn onto a wire rack to cool.

For the frosting: Beat the butter & cream cheese together until fluffy. Add in powdered sugar until desired consistency, then add in melted chocolate & vanilla. Spread over each cupcake. Garnish with extra chips & nuts.


Thursday, July 15, 2010

New! give me a T for 10 {10 Things}

The other day I was blog hopping as I often do while feeding the baby or procrastinating all the other things I need to get done & came across a post 10 for Tuesday. I thought it was a fabulous idea & will now have a T is for 10 feature weekly...either on Tuesday or Thursday. Since I don't have a whole lot to post about today, today will be the first T is for 10 Thursday.

Ten Things I want to accomplish before the end of the month:

1-Redesign this blog--making it more casual, still an extension of the business, but more 'life-ish'
2-Organize my business files (I've been a total slacker for the last 7 months)
3-File the file pile (another slacking disaster)
4-Go file the file pile, where I file files & finish QTR2 paperwork. :)
5-Get my 30 points for the SSD monthly challenges (need to get BUSY)

6-Photograph some cute babies and/or kids & families (this means if you're reading this you should book a session--if you mention this little sneak, I will give you a tremendous discount on your session fee (wink, wink)
7-Finish editing the twin newborn session & get fair photos mounted
8-Go fishing, camping & play outdoors with my family on the weekends.
9-Finish the big quilt that I have sitting out, it's been unfinished for almost 6 years & I finally have the backing for it.
10-Start the girls' new bedspreads (such cute fabric-inspired by this)

Here's another one of my fair entries for this year:


Happy Thursday enjoy the rest of the day--try to stay cool, it's currently 103* here, so we're inside having movie afternoon & hanging out. We'll be making up some homemade chocolate cupcakes in just a little while--special request from the kiddos today. ♥

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

A Ton of Tuesday {life}

Hooray! It's no longer Monday. Monday's seem to be a challenge at our house & thankfully they only last 1 day.

I think I'm going to change the name of my to-do list to try to accomplish list, it seems much more user-friendly.
Here is another fair entry for this year:


It's gymnastics day, so I'm going to keep this short & sweet, we're running out of usable hours in the pre-afternoon. Hope you have a great day & I'll have something fun to post tomorrow...at least I'm going to put it on the 'Try to Accomplish' list.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Monday...Monday..{Life}

It's definitely a Monday!

I have about as much motivation as ice thawing on a winters day.

I have 1 nerve today...and everything is getting on it.

The kids have been nit-picking each other anytime they are near one another (well the girls anyways...Brody's just been super cranky).

It is now dinner time & I don't feel like cooking...or cleaning up the kitchen after th aforementioned meal....

It's just one of those days...

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& it was so much one of those days I didn't even get to finish this post in time.... oh well, on to bigger & better days, right....



Sunday, July 11, 2010

Evening Session {Sunday Special }

Every evening session booked between now & August 15th will receive $50.00 print credit.

Evening Sessions: Tuesdays & Thursdays , after 6:30pm
Session Price: $125

Sessions are limited! Book today!

& now for a sneak from yesterdays little session with a couple really cute boys & their family. Thank you for letting me 'shoot' you, you guys were great, even if the wee-ones weren't quite into having photo day. :)


Sweet little {not so sleepy, but hungry} baby boys.

& their awesome big brother.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Slow Scrap Week {Scrap Saturday}

It's been a slow week for scrapping this week, although I do have to show you 2 layouts with 2 fabulous new kits by Nikki Epperson.

The first is using her new release Basically Basic--yummy, krafty goodness.



credits: Nikki Epperson-Basically Basic, Darcy Baldwin-DJB Tweenybopper

I really do find this situation funny, although my hubby, not so much. You see before this call was made I mentioned a couple times that maybe, just maybe we should have turned down the road that said "Eagle Lake Rd". Not to mention the fact that normally the "walking road atlas" & mighty map checker never goes to an unfamiliar place without a map (heck we even take them to familiar places).
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Next up, Nikki teamed up with Shawna Clingerman from Sweet Shoppe Designs & they put together an awesome red, white & blue kit, Independent. Seriously this kit is GOR-GE-OUS!!



credits: Nikki Epperson/Shawna Clingerman: Independent, Nikki Epperson-Basically Basic, Darcy Baldwin: Mia Script

So Happy Saturday! Head over to Nikki's Store over at the DigiChick & pick up these fabulous designs & get scrapping.

Now I'm off for a little retail therapy, visit with a BFF, & a photo session with some adorably perfect newborn baby boys!

Friday, July 9, 2010

Apple Pie {Food Friday}

I've only made 1 new recipe this week. It's been HOT & I haven't gotten everything caught up from out camping adventure (well I didn't get the menu planned & that usually helps). I did make a Farm Apple Pie, which I found at Allrecipes.com. The original recipe was to serve 20 (which would have been WAY too much for my house) so I pared it down & made a few changes. I didn't make the glaze because we ate it with Granny's Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.

Farm Apple Pie
8 apples - peeled, cored and sliced (enough for a regular pie, needed more for deep dish)
2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup shortening
1 egg yolks
2 tablespoons water, or as needed
1/8 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400* F.
Place apple in a bowl & toss with lemon juice. Mix white sugar & brown sugar with cinnamon & set aside
In a large bowl, mix flour, 2 teaspoons of sugar, salt, & baking powder; cut in shortening. Beat egg yolks in a 1 cup measuring cup, add extracts & enough water to make 1/2 cup. Stir into flour mixture to form the pastry.

Divide pastry in half; roll out bottom crust to fit your pie plate & extend over the edges. Place crust in the pan.

Alternate layers of apples & sugar mixture on the bottom crust.

Roll out the top crust slightly larger than pan & place on top of the apple filling. Turn the extended top crust under to bottom crust at the edges and pinch to seal. Make small slits in top crust to allow steam to escape.


Bake at 400, for 50 minutes or until top crust is browned. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. YUM.

Here's what I thought about this recipe: it was good, could have used more apples, which I noted above. Hubby really liked the crust (I'm not a fan of crust but it was good).

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One of the things my Granny used to make for me when I was a kid was strawberries with milk & sugar. It was a treat, especially when we spent the day out picking the berries in a field. If there weren't any berries we sometimes had peaches with milk & sugar.

This morning for breakfast I had a peach that needed to be used up & since the kids were having blueberries with their eggs & back, I thought, I would be nostalgic & have some peaches with milk for breakfast. Except I added the blueberries and instead of sugar, a swirl of honey.

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend. I'll be back in the morning with Scrap with Me Saturday & then I'll be off, kid-free to go to a photo shoot with twin newborn boys!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Catching Up {Life}

Why is it when 'Catch Up' is on the to do list, it's never really fully accomplished? Maybe it's lack of motivation to complete the list or addition of extra helpers who create additional to-dos or a multitude of other things.



It seems like catching up has been on my list for a while now and I don't think it's ever going away. Oh well, I'll stay busy that way right?!? As if I need any help in that department, the 3 little monsters take care of that for me.

Yesterday I did get a couple of things done, one of them being deciding on an ordering fair entries. I have a total of 15 image this year that I'll be entering.



I also managed to make an apple pie, which sounded so yummy, not sure it turned out quite like I had hoped, but it still tastes good, it wasn't done until way too late though, so we'll enjoy it tonight, hopefully while watching a lightning show.



Now, I must be going so I can 'Catch Up' on more of my list. Watch for more fair entry photos in a later post.