Quickies!

Hey everyone! It's been a busy week and will probably be an even busier weekend! My husband's parents arrive this afternoon from Scotland to spend a couple of weeks in California. We are all very excited (luckily my in-laws are super great!) but that does mean that the few odd jobs we hadn't finished when we moved in needed to get done this week.

And I cleaned the twins room. Scary!

Between the cleaning and a few touch ups that needed finishing, I also had a couple of meals to deliver (one more still this weekend to the new neighbors across the street!) and super-nutrient rich snacks to bake (so there's something in the cupboard for Mum and Dad if they wake up hungry--jet lag sucks!) and our bento boxes arrived (yay!) so I've been having fun with those.

Whew! No wonder I'm sleepy at 9:45 a.m.!

Anyway, my neighbor sent me this first recipe after I requested it when she served these "cookies" during a party at her house. These things are amazing! Trust me, if your kids like Goldfish crackers, they will LOVE these! (I'm not sure where she got this recipe but, when I find out, I'll credit the maker.)

Cheese Cookies

2 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 C. Margarine
1 C. Flour
1/4 tsp. Salt

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine the ingredients, blending together with fork or pastry blender. Roll into one inch balls. Place on a cookie sheet an inch or so apart. Bake 12-15 minutes. Makes about 50 cookies.

These were super yummy! I think that I will try to make them with butter and see what happens. I think they'd also be really great if you added 1/2 tsp. each of garlic powder and dried parsley flakes.

It's September so, for me, it's time to start making soup. Sometimes that means soup in ten minutes and I'm loathe to serve up condensed so here's a go to recipe that takes almost no time to prepare and it's a favorite in our house! I think this one came from Real Simple magazine YEARS ago but I can find the original article.

Easy French Onion Soup

Good quality beef broth
Dry sherry
French's Fried Onions
Baguette, sliced thick and toasted
One clove of garlic, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
Sliced Swiss or Gruyere cheese

Rub cut side of garlic all over the toasted baguette. Discard garlic.

Put a handful of onions in the bottom of each oven safe bowl. Fill bowls halfway with broth and add a tablespoon of sherry to each.

Top with baguettes and cheese and broil until the cheese is melted and the soup is hot.

Easy, right? I like this one with a bit of roast beef from the deli, a tomato salad and tea. It's great, too, because you can make this for yourself if you are dining alone or for a group of people. Just be sure you use good ingredients! I like the Trader Joe's beef broth but, whatever you use, make sure you like the flavor and watch that salt content.

Okay, we've had our meal, what about dessert? If you like chocolate, you're gonna love this one from Nigella Lawson!

Super Easy Pistachio Fudge

1 bag chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tbsp. butter
1 C. pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped.

Melt the chocolate chips and mix with the milk and butter. Stir in pistachios.

Pour into and 8x8 inch pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Allow to cool then refrigerate until firm.

Cut into 1 inch squares for packaging or store in the fridge.

I LOVE this recipe, especially with roasted and salted pistachios. The sweet from the chocolate and the salty from the nuts makes this fudge irresistible!


So, there you have it! Three easy, quick recipes that you can make in no time and totally impress your friends and family!

Also, no sewing this week since I am getting ready for guests but I do have a tip for you. The boxes that Capri Sun juice pouches come in are too sturdy to waste! They also happen to be the perfect size for sorting your spices or as separators in your kitchen utensil drawers! Simple empty the box and cut in half lengthwise. There is a crease in the cardboard that you can follow. Use packing tape to secure the ends that you opened to get the pouches out and, voila! perfect storage for spice bottles, medicine bottles, baking ingredients, chip bags, forks and spoons and whatever else you can think of!

I'll add more when I get the chance but...

Until tomorrow, enjoy today!

Love from Sarah

I had forgotten how much time homework can take out of the day.

I'm not talking about the normal stuff I've been used to with the kids. Spelling words, writing sentences, coloring. Oh, no. I'm talking about big time, grown up, actual work homework.

Tommy had piles of homework last night, poor kid, and secretly, I'm really glad for it. No, I'm not happy he had to stay up late and slave away but it did make him realize that school is work and you have to put in the time for the reward.

Last night's toughest homework by far was math. I don't know if any of you have a 6th grader but they're doing pre-algebra in 6th grade now. Big time stuff. Luckily for my kid, I like math but it has taken me three weeks to figure out how to help my son learn it. Last night, though, something really clicked for him and, watching him finally get it after weeks of stressing and struggling, was awe inspiring.

I'm still really pumped from it.

His homework centered around converting mixed numbers into decimals and vice versa and I could tell that he hadn't picked it up in class at all. (That's one of the toughest things about his class being big and full of boys--the teacher doesn't really have a lot of time left for one on one tutoring.) Tommy being Tommy, he just figured out a method that looked something like what the teacher had written on the board and ran with it. Unfortunately, it was the wrong method so we had to sit together and work through all of it again.

At first, he was irritated and frustrated (who wouldn't be?) that all of the work he'd put in was wrong but about an hour into doing it the right way, you could tell that he really got it. Don't tell him this but at one point, he even looked like he was enjoying it. I know, weird. :)**

We were up past his bedtime at the dining room table working on that homework but I know he's proud of the work he put in and I know he'll be proud when he gets it back and it has a big "A" on it. He's worried about his grades but I'm not, really, because he's working. He's trying and he's figuring it out. He'll get it and I'll be proud of the grades he gets on his report card because my boy is really working for them.

**I was enjoying it, too. :) If you're looking for homework help and aids, I'm adding a section to the amazon store that has some good ones!

Until tomorrow, enjoy today!

Love from Sarah

Ten years together!

DH and I at Murray Farm last weekend, in a picture taken by our daughter :)

Today is the tenth anniversary of the day my husband and I met!

What a shock! It is both funny and awesome that we can look back at a decade together. We spent a little time earlier just talking about that day and the way our relationship blossomed into the family we are now.

Then we celebrated, by taking our four kids to lunch at Burger King.

Life is good.

Until tomorrow, enjoy today!

Love from Sarah

September 11

9-11.

Isn't it amazing that sometimes it just takes three digits stop you cold.

I seem to forget, in the business of life, that just being here, under one roof with the husband and children I love, is a blessing, the biggest blessing. See, DH and I, like all couples, have had rough patches and I am so thankful that none of those rough patches ever wore through the fabric of our marriage. Thank goodness He knows my heart because I could never put into words how thankful I am to Him for blessing me with this family.

DH and I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the day we met this weekend. It is almost more that my brain can wrap around, especially considering all that has happened, all the changes we've seen. I think it's safe to say that those who knew us separately before we met would see massive changes in the people we've become and I hope that they would say they are mostly good. I know I'm a better woman because of the man my husband is and I'd never have been able to change in this way, had the Lord not decided to send DH and I on the same path.

My children. I don't know what I have done in this life that I deserve them but I thank God daily that He chose me to be their mother.

Talking about my own family reminds me of others that I don't know, families I've never met. I know that other families were shattered that day in New York, across the nation and around the world and my heart goes out to them. I will never forget. Never.

I also know that that day was the beginning of a war that we are still fighting and my thoughts and prayers are with those who have been fighting that fight and who will continue to fight it.

To those people: I want you to know that I am thankful for you. I am grateful that God gave you the courage, love and conviction to fight for America, to protect me, my children and freedom.

The anniversary of 9-11 stirred something in most people. My facebook page, for example, is full of people talking about how they heard the news, how they reacted and their opinions on the actions of the government in the years since. I know that there are plenty of bloggers out there telling their own stories, as well.

There are many opinions on how to best honor those who died that day. I don't know which one is the right one. I only know that I will honor those people, and those who've died since in this war, by living, by being grateful, by thanking God for what He's given me and by remembering.

Until tomorrow, enjoy today!

Love from Sarah

Oh, bento!

Having four school age children means that I am super busy in the morning when everyone needs help getting ready to go. I'm always working on my time management skills and have it down now.

I get up before 6:00 to make the kids' school lunches and then I spend some time with my DH, having breakfast with him before I see him off to work. Then, I wake up the girls first (they take a little longer to get moving) and then Tommy, getting them all to the table for some sort of homemade breakfast (I bake a lot and freeze half so there's always something ready with a minute of microwave time).

Then, it's the mad rush of finding school clothes (why are there never enough matching socks when you're running late?), making sure everyone has backpacks, homework and clean faces and teeth.

It's an adventure every single morning.

The lunches give me a special kind of grief because, no matter what kind of sandwich I send, there is always at least one child who brings the whole thing back. I got up early to fix that thing and she/he didn't eat it?! Ugh!

The root of the matter is that they are sick and tired of sandwiches every day and can you blame them? They go to lunch with their classmates who have a different menu every day because they eat hot lunch. Meanwhile, their only surprise is what kind of cookie or flavor of juice pouch I've sent them that day.

It's almost enough to make you feel sorry for the kids!

Recently, I've been really curious about trying out bento boxes. The Japanese do so much artfully and lunch is no exception.

In Japan, they are called obento, which refers to the packed meals (usually lunch) that are carried in boxes that have internal, sometimes removable, dividers. The base of the Japanese bento is usually rice but I wasn't sure that my kids would go for that right away.

So I cruised the fount of knowledge (ie, the internet) and found that lots of western parents are packing bentos for their kids. These boxes, some of which are pictured here, contain everything from mac and cheese to corn on the cob, dried fruit to fruit kabobs. My kids (and I) could really get into this!

I went online to a bulk retailer and bought a container of bento boxes. I got five blue, stackable bentos (these ones) for about$28.oo, after tax and shipping. Compare prices and you'll see that the costs on these gorgeous little boxes can vary widely. One of the biggest benefits having a big family is that we will use all of the boxes, one for each kid and a spare if DH decides he wants to take lunch to work. If you don't have a large family, maybe a friend or neighbor is interested in bento. Ordering the boxes in bulk is definitely the way to go for beginners!

The girls helped me pick the boxes out and are excited to start "bentoing" so, while the boxes won't arrive until next week, I have told them that I'll put together "practice" bentos with our ikea plastic storage stuff. Now I'll finally have a use for the smallest boxes that are perfect for dips for veggie sticks!

Probably the coolest part of the bento box is that it is really filled with, in many cases, leftovers or pre-homemade items. Not only are you feeding your kids a healthy meal with more variety that your typical brown bag. It's a wonderful way to save money and be environmentally conscious at the same time. I really love that we can teach our kids that little things can make a big impact, both at home and globally!


I mentioned that bento making can be a kind of an art form and I wasn't kidding. In Japan, many homemakers try to "outdo" their friends and neighbors by making a better bento. As far as competitions go, I really don't think there's a loser here. The kids get to eat like (really healthy) royalty and the moms get to express themselves creatively.

That's what I try to do every time I set out to come up with a new recipe.

Of course bento making appeals to me!

I'll be keeping you up to date on our bento making adventures but you should really check out a few blogs by people who know what they are doing: Lunch in a Box, Leo's Lunch Box and Adventures in Bento Making. That's where I found the beautiful pictures on this blog.

One more thing I noticed while cruising around the 'net: bentos can be made in those cute little snack boxes and containers we usually reserve for things like a buncha grapes or goldfish. You probably already have the perfect, snack-size bento box in your cabinet. Give it a try!

Until tomorrow, enjoy today!

Love from Sarah

I've been doing a lot of sewing lately to be ready for the craft bazaar that my children's school is having this fall, not to mention that it's helping me clear out my fabric stash! I've also found out about a craft fair at the Riverwalk being held in October and I want to have plenty of items made by then so that I can participate. Because of my love for cooking and baking, I decided to fill my booth with all kinds of things to use in the kitchen.

Here are a few of the aprons I've done so far. I haven't got the foggiest idea what to charge for them, of course, but they were fun to make and I'm looking forward to making lots more!

I was also thinking that oven mitts, moppines (that towel/potholder Rachel Ray uses on her show) and coasters would be nice additions to the booth. I think I should add other items as well but I'm not sure what.

I couldn't pass up this el Dia de los Muertos fabric. I bought it in blue, black and red!

I love the green swirls on the field of this apron and the skull fabric was a find also.

Ruffles! I love ruffles! My friend came over yesterday and saw this one. "You wear these?!" she asked. She thought they were too pretty to cook in. :)

I really like the fabric combination on this one. It's so pretty and feminine!

AMY BUTLER! I have several Amy Butler fabrics (my couch quilt is made from them) and I just love the way she puts designs and color together. I'm a huge fan!

Anyway, so that's Wednesday's blog, even though it was published on Thursday! I'll be back later today but...

Until then, enjoy today!

Love from Sarah

Attack of the giant apple pie!

So, here they are, the pictures I promised you of that giant pie. I know you've all been on pins and needles! :)

For the record, we still have tons left, even after I tried to make a dent in it with the gigantic piece I tried to eat for dessert. The recipe was pretty simple, just your average pie, tripled, but peeling 4 pounds of apples stunk. I think I'll only make this guy for special occasions, or if we go back to the farm!

the "arty" photo
the juices puddled up after I pulled off the spring form, perfect for slurping up with extra crust!

So, new news is that I have finally figured out the steps I need to take to get a temporary sellers permit so that I can be a part of the craft fair at the Riverwalk in October. I've been sewing up a storm to get ready for the fair at the kids' school but I wanted to be part of the event at the park. It just sounds like a nice day, don't you think?

I've been making a lot of aprons and I think I'll also do other sewn items, like pot holders and coasters, moppines, just things I like doing and that are useful in my favorite room of the house, the kitchen. I want to get a few more made and I'll take some pictures so you all can see what I've been up to in my cave, er, sewing corner.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll have something more interesting for you to read but...

Until tomorrow, enjoy today!

Love from Sarah