Sewing: Nursing Cover

I finally finished all my crafty baby projects in time for our little man’s arrival. Today sealed up the last, which was the nursing cover. I had been searching for fabric that suited my taste, while still being slightly boyish for a while now, and last night I hit the jackpot. I found an Amy Butler fabric that I had somehow missed before, or maybe it’s new, I don’t know. Either way, Fabric Depot was having a great sale, and I had coupons too, so I was a happy shopper.
Xander was a big help measuring the fabric and ironing the seams. He especially liked trying on the cover, which he thinks is a shirt. He then realized he could wear it as a cape and took of down the hall with it trailing behind him. I think he is going to be a really fun, loving big brother. Soon!

Here are a few pictures from today:

Cute little burp cloths

Every parent knows they are a necessity, right? Burp Cloths! Well, when looking on blogs a year or so ago I found a great how-to blog with clear instructions and pictures. I needed this type of instruction, as #1: I am not that creative unless given a little direction, and #2, I am relatively new to the world of crafty sewing.

Over the past year now, I have made several sets of these cute necessities for babies, and lets face it: If you have to be burping a baby, you want them to be spitting up on something other than your clothes, right? Why not have something handy that expresses you or your baby’s personality? I have made these mainly as gifts for friends who are expecting, and was thrilled to finally have an excuse to make some for my own little man.

If you are new to the sewing world, this is a great first project. It just takes a little patience. Here is a link to the original blog, and some pictures of my latest creations:

Home made mac ‘n cheese

This recipe has been in my family for a really long time, and after commenting on facebook about it yesterday I had some requests for the recipe. I remember my Mom and Aunt making this for church dinners, family get-togethers, and things like that. It’s incredibly easy and quick to make, and oh so yummy. A complete comfort food paradise.

Recipe:
Cook 1 box of elbow macaroni according to directions on the box, and drain well. Place in casserole dish (I use on of the old school Pyrex bowls, simply for the nostalgia). Heat 4 cups of milk in a sauce pan, and in a separate sauce pan melt 1 stick of butter. Blend 3/4 cup of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt into the melted butter. Blend the butter mixture into the heated milk and stir until thickened. Stir in grated EXTRA sharp cheddar cheese (calls for 8 oz. size pkg. but I use a little more than that) until the cheese is melted. Then, stir the sauce into the cooked/drained macaroni. Crumble one package of Ritz crackers on top of the sauce and macaroni mixture, and bake on 350 for 40 minutes.

I hope you and your family enjoy this recipe as much as I have. It’s by far in my top 10 best food memories from my childhood.

Necessary staycation

Well, here we are, thanking God there was a way we could escape the heat. After a really long day yesterday, this pregnant girl knew things were going to go south if she did not get some sleep, relief, and air conditioning. We packed up the necessities and found the most affordable place we could with air conditioning, a fridge, a laundry room, free high speed wifi, an indoor pool, and free breakfast. If you are ever in a pinch like this, www.travelportland.com is a great option to help you navigate through the vast number of choices for hotels around the area.

We walked in and the front desk staff gave me a knowing nod, as if to say, “ya, we get why you are here.” My gigantic belly and crying toddler with very red cheeks pretty much said it all. We all slept well, and had some breakfast. Tarver is off to work, and Xander and I took a swim in the pool, and are now doing laundry. This may seem like a normal day to most of you around the country, and even here in Portland, but let me tell you, with the way I was feeling yesterday: I thought I was going to have a baby at 32 weeks. Yikes! I am so thankful for today.

Thanks to those who made it possible for us to be here, you know who you are.

Now, Portland friends, we are here enjoying this cool air. Who else is in? Anyone need a swim? I hope Xander isn’t too bummed that we will be spending his 2nd birthday here. I think he’s pretty happy, but a little sad that we had to leave his train tracks and table at home. At least he got to bring the trains with him!

A Day in the Kitchen part 1

It has been way too hot here lately for this pregnant Mama, so my cooking has been pretty limited. The last thing I want to do is fire up the stove and oven when it’s 90+ degrees out, right? Well, yesterday morning I woke up early with Xander, and after a nice breakfast with Tarver, the kitchen was calling my name. At the end of last week I went out to Sauvie Island Farms for some good old quality alone time, as well as some great marionberry and raspberry picking (thanks, Tarver, I love you!).

8 lbs. of berries and a nasty sunburn later, I came  home with the vision of starting right in on this recipe for home made Marionberry Syrup. Well, I didn’t get to it until yesterday, but no matter. It is made, canned, and tasted. Let me tell you, it is good! Thanks, SI Farms for the great berries, and the wonderful recipe. Some of you reading this may just be lucky enough to get a half-pint for Christmas. Be good kids!

Since I linked the recipe in this post, I won’t give you the detailed version, but here are some pictures and play by play:

I’d never made any kind of home made syrup before, and I did not know this, but if you puree the berries in a food processor before separating the seeds out through a sieve it takes a lot less time. I found this out only after I was finished, of course.

This recipe really is so easy, and the cooking time is less than a few minutes! The longest part is the canning process.

This is the beautiful finished product, in half-pint wide-mouth kerr jars. I should have gotten a picture of us eating our Tillimook Old-Fashioned vanilla ice cream with marionberry syrup last night, but I forgot. The color is a beautiful rich purple, and looks (and tastes) great over vanilla ice cream.

For those of you who do not know, Marionberries are local to the Oregon area, and are actually a cross between two previous Oregon hybrid berries. Here is a link to the history of the Marionberry.

I look forward to enjoying this on my pancakes, waffles, ice cream, and probably anything else my little pregnant belly desires.

If you make some, let me know!

For the next blog (which will hopefully be tomorrow) it again revolves around food. But, I made two things yesterday, so therefore, you are getting two posts about it. Stay tuned for Raspberry Ribbon Cheesecake.

What a great idea.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-fonda/community-based-doulas-a_b_226678.html

Hungry? Try this…

A while ago, I decided that I didn’t like store brand salsa. While on a shopping trip I looked at the ingredients and found a comaprable recipe that I thought would be easy enough to make. Sure enough, after one try our family was hooked. I make this salsa every weekend now, and eat it with chips, as toppings for burritos, and as an addition to morning scrambled eggs and cheese. The best part is of making this salsa is knowing that all the ingredients are fresh, and there are no preservatives or additives to ruin the taste.

It really is very easy to prepare; you just need about an hour to cut up all the veggies.

Here is what you need to start:                                                                 Ingredients:

8 tomatoes                           2 limes

4 tomatillos                         cilantro

1 red chile pepper                salt

1 jalapeno pepper                crushed red chile peppers

1/2 red pepper

1/2 yellow pepper (not pictured)

1 red onion

Step one is obviously washing all your veggies really well before chopping them. The tomatoes are self explanatory and they take the largest chunk of time. However, not every one may be familiar with tomatillos. They have a flaky outer layer, similar to an onion. Simply peel the flaky outer layer off, and wash the veggie inside. When purchasing, look for one whose flaky skin is loose. After it is peeled and washed, chop as you would a tomato.

Also, for those of you not familiar with chopping chile and jalapeno peppers: the seeds and juice are can sting your skin, especially if you have any little cuts on your hands. Use caution, and don’t let the seeds get under your nails. Trust me, it’s not fun! I usually wash my hands really well when I am finished with the peppers, as well as the cutting board.

For those of you who like the spicy side of life in your food, feel free to add more than one jalapeno pepper.

Continue chopping your veggies, and when you have finished, give them a good stir. Add a little salt (around 2 teaspoons) and some crushed red chile peppers (to taste).

For the last step, slice two limes and squeeze the juice over your chopped veggies. Stir from time to time while juicing for best flavor.

Once you are done juicing, give the salsa a good stir, and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving (overnight is best). This is a great summer appetizer for guests, and it’s especially nice since it can be prepared a day in advance. If you are looking to make a smaller amount to start with, just simply cut your ingredient amount in half. The best part of this recipe is creating it and making it your own. Not a big fan of cilantro? Skip it. Like green peppers better? Add ‘em in. It’s totally up to you and your little taste buds. I hope those of you who have tried my salsa like, it, and will encourage others to give it a try.

Let me know if you try it, and what you think! Enjoy your salsa.

New news and updated blog

Hey folks. I’m not sure if there are still people out there who will read my blog, but I am once again making an attempt at keeping up with it. The good news is that there are a lot of exciting things going on in my life, and I have a que of things to discuss already. I’m actually having a hard time deciding on what to talk about first.

Mainly, the good news is that we are expecting a new baby boy in early October, and I am currently not taking classes! On the other hand, Tarver is working some pretty long days, and is taking more than a full load of classes. This leaves Xander and I with quite a lot of time on our hands. So, with that explaination, here are a few of the things that I plan on writing about.

1. Food.

My friends seem to enjoy my cooking and baking, so I’ve decided to be more proactive about taking pictures and blogging while I am in the kitchen, with the hope of inspiring those of you that may or may not be likely to get in the kitchen yourselves. Maybe I’ll just end up with people over to eat more often, and that’s okay too.

2. Baby Stuff.

There are a number of things that I feel I want/need the second time around, especially now that I realize what baby stuff  is ridiculous and what kinds of things make a Mom’s life a little more livable, especially the first few months. So, I am compiling a wish list for my readers to pick through. Tell me what you have used and loved/hated, think I am nuts for wanting, and/or just want to ask a question about or recommend.

Also, we have finally fully committed to cloth diapering, so I am sure there will be some blogging about that.

3. Books.

Thanks to no classes right now (I can not tell you how wonderful that is, especially for Xander) I have a lot of time to read. My current sci-fi/fantasy series is the Sword of Truth, by Terry Goodkind, and my “keep me sane/hopefully not screw up my kid too badly” book is Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child, by John Gottman. I’ll hopefully be writing about these in the near future.

4. Life Stuff.

So this is just a general catergory that will range from events, outings, weekend plans, theology and spiritual matters, to family stuff (and believe me, there is a lot floating around my head about that these days).

5. Crafty Things:

Right now I am making burp cloths for baby, so I’ll probably take some pictures of the process.

I am sure there will be other things thrown into the mix, but at least this time I feel like I have the time to blog, and a road map for when I feel a little bit of a drought.

However, right now, I feel as though I might not make it through the night if I do not get some chocolate peanut butter ice cream and the next 2 DVD’s of the show Felicity.

Blast From the Past

I was looking for an old book this morning and I stumbled across something I wrote in 1995 my eyes have not seen since:

My Top Favorite Songs of 1995!

I thought would post it here for your enjoyment, and my humiliation.

They don’t seem to be in any particular order:

Waterfalls by TLC

This Is How We Do It by Montell Jordan

Run-Around by Blues Traveler

I Can Love You Like That by All-4-One

Hold My Hand by Hootie & The Blowfish

I Believe by Blessid Union Of Souls

Strong Enough by Sheryl Crow

Only Wanna Be With You by Hootie & The Blowfish

You Don’t Know How It Feels by Tom Petty

The Best of What’s Around by Dave Matthews Band

What Would You Say by Dave Matthews Band

Ants Marching by Dave Matthews Band

Home Run by Geoff Moore and the Distance

Love Song for a Savior by Jars of Clay

Shine by Newsboys

In the Light by DC Talk

I Will Be Here by Stephen Curtis Chapman

The Great Divide by Point of Grace

Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Deep Blue Something

The World I Know by Collective Soul

What I am doing for Christmas 2008.

What if this year, it was about something more than money, consumerism, obligational gift-giving, and ugly sweaters?

What are you willing to give? Time, money, creativeness? Are you ready to make life about more than your small community of friends and family?

Jesus cared about the WORLD when he was here on earth, and his Father still does today. So should we.

Watch this, and be inspired this coming Christmas season.