Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
In which I pretend a year hasn't passed since my last post
Happy Halloween!
Wait, what's that? It is only September you say? Trust me. It is time. Once again the EJ knows exactly what she wants to be for Halloween this year. I asked her a second time and she replies with annoyance in her voice "I already told you I want to be Angelina!" More specifically Angelina Ballerina as the Rose Fairy Princess.
She wakes up in the mornings and asks where her costume is. How dare I not rush to buy fabric and instantly produce said costume immediately? I have however managed to develop a plan.
Simplicity 2506: Toddler Mouse costume- This will be my starting point. Only in all white, pink ears and no tummy patch. However the rest is where I need to get a little extra crafty. Cause my mouse needs a rose fairy princess costume! Hehehehe. I love this crap. Stay tuned for more adventures in taking on more than I need to... I made my shopping list already! Should be a fun ride.
Wait, what's that? It is only September you say? Trust me. It is time. Once again the EJ knows exactly what she wants to be for Halloween this year. I asked her a second time and she replies with annoyance in her voice "I already told you I want to be Angelina!" More specifically Angelina Ballerina as the Rose Fairy Princess.
She wakes up in the mornings and asks where her costume is. How dare I not rush to buy fabric and instantly produce said costume immediately? I have however managed to develop a plan.
Simplicity 2506: Toddler Mouse costume- This will be my starting point. Only in all white, pink ears and no tummy patch. However the rest is where I need to get a little extra crafty. Cause my mouse needs a rose fairy princess costume! Hehehehe. I love this crap. Stay tuned for more adventures in taking on more than I need to... I made my shopping list already! Should be a fun ride.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Cupcake!
It's done!
Perfect timing with school's halloween party tomorrow and my attending a friends baby shower tonight! I would like to send a special thanks to my new glue gun, I wouldn't have been able to do it without you. I will even forgive you for burning my finger that I sliced open with my rotary cutter.
Crafting is dangerous.
Perfect timing with school's halloween party tomorrow and my attending a friends baby shower tonight! I would like to send a special thanks to my new glue gun, I wouldn't have been able to do it without you. I will even forgive you for burning my finger that I sliced open with my rotary cutter.
Crafting is dangerous.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Banana muffin, with options
I might not be a cupcake person, but I love muffins. I started to make them more often after EJ was diagnosed with her soy allergy because it is an easy breakfast to send with her to school and they freeze great. Not eating them all before they cool becomes the tricky part for me.
This is a recipe I go to more often than not- and one that I came up with on my own after modifying and combining a few others that I liked to find my perfect muffin formula. I will start with the basic
Banana Oat Muffin
Preheat oven to 350
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (I rarely measure, and generally use two)
1/3 cup of milk
1/4 cup of oil (such as vegetable or canola)
1 large egg
Prepare a muffin pan, with either oil or paper liners. Combine the dry ingredients (flour-cinnamon) in a medium sized bowl. Combine the remaining wet ingredients in a separate bowl, mixing them well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold them together until moist. If desired, sprinkle some raw sugar over the tops which gives a nice crunch to the muffin tops. Otherwise, bake at 350 for 20-25 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Now for some changes, if you want to switch things up. I like to add 1 cup frozen blueberries to the above recipe for blueberry banana muffins. I also frequently use half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour to increase the healthiness factor a bit. Just today, I made them with half banana and half pumpkin puree for a fall pumpkin muffin (pictured above). Just 1/2 cup of pumpkin and one banana and switching out the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice did the trick. If you wanted a more pumpkiny muffin, go ahead and put a full cup of pumpkin in for the banana in the original recipe.
What is your favorite muffin or quick bread recipe?
This is a recipe I go to more often than not- and one that I came up with on my own after modifying and combining a few others that I liked to find my perfect muffin formula. I will start with the basic
Banana Oat Muffin
Preheat oven to 350
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (I rarely measure, and generally use two)
1/3 cup of milk
1/4 cup of oil (such as vegetable or canola)
1 large egg
Prepare a muffin pan, with either oil or paper liners. Combine the dry ingredients (flour-cinnamon) in a medium sized bowl. Combine the remaining wet ingredients in a separate bowl, mixing them well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold them together until moist. If desired, sprinkle some raw sugar over the tops which gives a nice crunch to the muffin tops. Otherwise, bake at 350 for 20-25 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Now for some changes, if you want to switch things up. I like to add 1 cup frozen blueberries to the above recipe for blueberry banana muffins. I also frequently use half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour to increase the healthiness factor a bit. Just today, I made them with half banana and half pumpkin puree for a fall pumpkin muffin (pictured above). Just 1/2 cup of pumpkin and one banana and switching out the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice did the trick. If you wanted a more pumpkiny muffin, go ahead and put a full cup of pumpkin in for the banana in the original recipe.
What is your favorite muffin or quick bread recipe?
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Ingredients!
EJ has been pretty decisive this year when it came to choosing a Halloween costume, and for the first time I was motivated to make one. It was decided she would be a cupcake way back in September. So finally I went to the fabric store and came home with the following
Pink fleece for the icing, felt squares to cut into jimmies, ribbon for shoulder straps and the brown polka-dots for the muffin paper. If time allows, that cheap chunky yarn will find itself playing the role of a cherry on top hat.
Wish me luck!
Pink fleece for the icing, felt squares to cut into jimmies, ribbon for shoulder straps and the brown polka-dots for the muffin paper. If time allows, that cheap chunky yarn will find itself playing the role of a cherry on top hat.
Wish me luck!
Monday, September 13, 2010
The incredible shrinking sweater!
Surly it is the sweater getting smaller right? EJ looks exactly the same.
Special thanks to blogless Erin for her ability to knit baby sweaters that fit toddlers as shrugs.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Balance
I think there is a fine line between super mom and crazy. I often feel like I am toeing that line and loosing my balance more than I care to admit. I can ignore chores like no other, but thanks to a very helpful husband we still manage to have clean clothes and dishes. This team work really helps me keep my cool. Nights he works late only make me appreciate it more. Having to cook dinner, entertain the child, do dishes, bath for the child, and the bedtime process all on my own could really wear a woman down pretty quickly.
I have a confession. Those of you who know me shouldn't be surprised by this. I am selfish. And have gotten more so in the past year. Let me explain. I have always taken time to knit, and to get together with my knitting friends. It is very satisfying hobby for me and time away from the child is priceless. However, since April I have been running around 3 times a week. I started with the Couch to 5k program, and once I completed it I kept up with the habit. Long enough to consider myself a runner, and stash running shorts into my vacation suitcase.
I never thought I could run and enjoy it. But something about turning 30, and being a mother made me look more closely at my health and habits. I want to be a good example for my daughter, and being active is one thing I would like her to learn from me. The time was right, and I was up for the challenge. Having friends with a similar goal made the process that much easier. Thanks for your motivation ladies!
When you are not chasing down toddlers, scrubbing toilets, or working towards a deadline for work, or trying to keep up with your wife duties (wink), what do you do for you??? My friend DrBabyMamaDrama is having a Choose You giveaway- go learn more about it and tell her what you do to help maintain balance in your life to enter!
I have a confession. Those of you who know me shouldn't be surprised by this. I am selfish. And have gotten more so in the past year. Let me explain. I have always taken time to knit, and to get together with my knitting friends. It is very satisfying hobby for me and time away from the child is priceless. However, since April I have been running around 3 times a week. I started with the Couch to 5k program, and once I completed it I kept up with the habit. Long enough to consider myself a runner, and stash running shorts into my vacation suitcase.
I never thought I could run and enjoy it. But something about turning 30, and being a mother made me look more closely at my health and habits. I want to be a good example for my daughter, and being active is one thing I would like her to learn from me. The time was right, and I was up for the challenge. Having friends with a similar goal made the process that much easier. Thanks for your motivation ladies!
When you are not chasing down toddlers, scrubbing toilets, or working towards a deadline for work, or trying to keep up with your wife duties (wink), what do you do for you??? My friend DrBabyMamaDrama is having a Choose You giveaway- go learn more about it and tell her what you do to help maintain balance in your life to enter!
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