Life Love Laughter Linds

Happy Valentine’s Day!  I know that many think it’s just another big Hallmark holiday but it doesn’t have to be.  I realise that we shouldn’t limit ourselves to expressing our love once a year but honestly – who does that?  Sure it can be gimicky and a big cashgrab but if you think outside the box you can express your love (today or anyday) without spending a dime.    I mean, really, we should be thankful more than just Thanksgiving but you don’t see people boycotting the turkey!

We don’t celebrate big (maybe when we were dating, I got the token romance and wooing) and from there it’s usually been meals in, light a few candles…. but this week we’re going for dinner (as a family) or Kevin’s bringing home takeout – probably a good thing because I made it two weeks without doing a grocery shop (minus milk & fruit) although I varied from the menu quite a bit.  Kaleb says “We should go out, Mommy, so you don’t have to cook and it’s less work for you.”  Ah, sweet kid!

I made pink cupcakes (found a box of cake mix – I’m out of flour!), iced them with Nutella (because I don’t even have icing sugar in the pantry), will top them with a shot of whipped cream and I melted down some white chocolate, tinted it pink and piped it into heart shapes to top the cupcakes.  This is more an afterschool treat for the daycare crew than a dessert for the family to enjoy.   We’ll also be making candy flowers – hearts cut out of paper, hole punched near the bottom then you thread a few onto a sucker (a round one like a tootsie pop) and voila, candy flower.   The older boys will complain but it a) keeps them busy for a few minutes and b) I’ve told them they don’t get the suckers if they don’t do the craft.  I’m so mean.
On top of this it’s Monday, and Valentine’s celebrations aside, I need to think about our meal plan/menu for the upcoming week – 6 meals because I’m not cooking tonight, and of course a spare.

Week 3:

• Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells – recipe courtesy of the Haute Apple Pie blog.  I’ll probably make mine with sausage or ground turkey rather than chicken.  Served with a ceasar (salad, not the drink) and probably some garlic bread or garlic sticks.  Did I mention I made the Nutella Orange French Toast recipe from that site?!  Lemme tell ya’ – BIG hit!
• Crockpot Pot Roast
• Beef Barley Soup (using the pot roast leftovers)
• Roasted Chicken Breasts, Ranch Roasted Potatoes & a veggie side
• Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad (or maybe I’ll make it with apples and cranberries this time) – good hot or cold, it’s a nice light-tasting alternative to a red sauce pasta.
• Chicken Ceasar Pitas

and a spare:

• Chicken Fingers & Sweet Potatoe Fries

Sounds delish… now if only I could restock my fridge, freezer and pantry without having to go to the grocery store.  I dislike grocery shopping.   Ah well… the end results are good!  Happy cooking!

She finally decided to make her arrival (and she definitely deserves a post all her own!)

The wait is thankfully over (as I’m sure her mom will agree!) I’m an auntie again to a sweet little princess. Congrats to my brother, sister-in-law, and nephews (James, Krystel, Knightley and Hawksley) on the safe arrival of their baby girl, Tahlia Victoria! She was born this morning at 2:38am and weighs 7lbs 2oz.

We will make the drive to see them this weekend.  The boys and I are so excited to give her cuddles and kisses.  She’s the first little girl in our family and will be treated like the princess she is!

So today’s post is a day late…. (a buck short and now I have a song stuck in my head!)   Yesterday just got away from me and I didn’t have much time to relax.  I had a bunch of friends over for tea this morning/afternoon and I always feel obligated to give the house a more-thorough clean than my usual midweek clean for some reason.  Craziness when I look at what 6 kids managed to do in that short 1 hour post-school this afternoon… sigh!  

Anyhow, here are some of the things I’ve been wishing for when it comes to outfitting my kitchen:

1. Cuisinart Single Serve Brewing System – I want to replace my first edition Tassimo which we never use and I love the features of this system, including the My K Cup feature and the great selection of flavoured K-Cups available.
2. Hanging Pot Rack – I don’t necessarily want this particular one but the idea of a pot rack always intrigues me, especially when I’m banging around in my overfilled cupboards.  I’d like a nice pot set to replace my well-used Pampered Chef set too!  (PS:  Did you know there are entire websites like this deciated to pot racks?!?)
3. One Touch Can Opener – I had this can opener.  I loved this can opener.  I dropped this can opener one too many times and it broke.  It got stuck on a can and in my infinite wisdom I tried to wrench it off and sliced open my fingers.  Ouch!  That was a few weeks ago and everytime I have to use my old fashioned twisty opener, I want my One Touch back! (Despite my mishap above, it leaves no sharp edges anywhere – great for accident prone me!)
4. Epicure Selections Turquoise Baker – I’ve wanted this baker since I first saw it in the catalogue.  I love the colour and how practical it is.  Do I need it?  Not a chance… but the 20cm./4 cup baker is on sale so I might just cave.
5. Breadmaker – Ok, funny story, I’ve had a breadmaker on my wishlist for years.  I love the smell and taste of fresh baked, homemade bread but I suck at the whole patience and kneading thing.  Kevin bought me a breadmaker the Christmas before last.  I returned it – it was an overbudget gift and for some reason I just wasn’t all that fond of a gift that meant ‘work’ for me.  (You know they’d want fresh bread every day!) I’m kicking myself for not keeping it.  I haven’t done much research on them lately, but I liked the features of this Cuisinart model.  One day, I say, one day.

What kitchen gadgets, tools, appliances or solutions are you craving?  Everyone has to have a kitchen fave – feel free to share!

It’s the beginning of another busy week, after yet another busy weekend and who want’s to think about cooking?  Not me… which is why tonight (in between post-school chaos and pre-family-haircuts) we’ll be dining gourmet style, enjoying white cheddar mac-n-cheese (from a box!) and frozen pizza.  Yum.  (Blech!)

The second week after payday, I try to postpone the grocery expedition as long as possible and get us as close to the next payday as I can without doing a big shop.   This means my meals don’t tend to be quite as creative though.  (Or maybe they’re more creative…but not as exciting!)   Last week’s meal plan went pretty well – although we didn’t get to the Fiesta Chicken Soup.  In no particular order, here’s what’s on the current menu in the Brown household:

Week 2:

• Mac-n-Cheese with frozen Pizza
• Dutch Meatball Soup (I can never get mine to taste like Mom’s, Beppe’s or Oma’s… what’s the secret?)
• Shepherd’s Pie (this will NOT go over well with the monkeys, but I enjoy it!)
• Peanut Chicken with Coconut Basmati (I know two fabulous Epicure reps if you want to try the recipe… but storebought sauce – or your own concoction – would work just as well.
• Lasagna & Caesar Salad
• Honey Mustard Chicken, Roasted Potatoes, Salad & Fresh Cut Veggies
• Chicken Fajitas

and a spare:

• Cheesy Pasta Bake

Don’t forget to share your favourite quick and easy dinner ideas!  And if anyone knows the secret to the soup (ahem, cough, cough – Mom!) wanna let me in on it?!

Today, the boys – meaning Kaleb, Justin and the 9 year old who is spending the PA Day at our house – played board games and Wii.   This means while the 15-month old (who we also babysit) went down for his nap, I grabbed that spare hour to create this adorable wreath.  Total crafting time?  Less than an hour if you don’t include waiting for the mod-podge to dry.

This is inspired by the Kaisercraft Star Wreath I’ve blogged about earlier (here) but this one is completely my own creation.

I have boys… not big fans of pinks or reds but I wanted a pretty Valentine’s Wreath.  I decided to go with a fun and bright colour scheme and the AC Everyday papers were perfect.

Here are the steps:

1) On the reverse side of patterned paper, trace hearts (or other shape) face side down.  
2)  I’ve decided you could probably skip the painting… but that’s hindsight!)   Paint the hearts with the acrylic paint, front and sides first.  Allow to dry.
3) While paint is drying, cut out shapes from paper and set aside.
4) If paint is dry, flip hearts over and paint the reverse side.
5) When paint is completely dry, apply mod-podge to hearts and adhere patterned papers.  Seal with mod-podge if desired.
6) When mod-podge has dried, distress edges of hearts.  You could use a sanding block but I cheated and used the fluid chalk.
7)  Hot glue hearts in desired layout to wooden wreath form.
8)  Embellish as desired.  I might add some buttons or trim to mine at a later date.   We’ll see…
9) Trim ribbon to appropriate length and attach to back of wreath.   
10)  Admire your work and hang where desired.

Fun & simple but oh-so-cute.  Probably cost me less than $25 to put together.   Easy to customize for any occasion or decor using different shapes and papers – Christmas, Easter, Spring, Etc.   I love it!!!  This will definitely be one I’m adding to my easy-to-make-but-fabulous-gift file!

Time for another new feature.  I figure if I know I have to come up with an entry on regular topics with a modicum (ooh fancy word!) of variety, I might just manage to not go weeks without blogging anything.  Welcome to the new installment of “Wishlist Wednesday”. 

Today’s wishlist features built-ins, organization and decor I would love to see in my house one day:

1.  I’m craving wall to wall bookshelves in the living room.  Not quite sure how it would work as the window frame on the west wall sits under the recess of the bulkhead where the bookshelves would be.
2.  Cube display shelves.   Between the living room and so-called dining room we have a half-wall with no function whatsoever.  I would like to add cubes and possibly recessed lights to make it a display shelf of sorts.

3.  This picture doesn’t quite show what I’d like, but it gives you an idea.  The depth of the fireplace and space between the windows would be ideal to incorporate some shelves or media cabinets when we finally get around to finishing the fireplace.  We would of course add a mantle and trim and hopefully the tv will be wall mounted above.

4.  I really want an entryway bench or table with some shelving above.  I love this one from Pottery Barn but it costs a fortune!  Maybe I can thrift something and give it a paint job over the summer. 

5.  I fell in love with these decorative plates from Pier1 the very first time I saw them.   Initially I wanted them for the dark wall in the living room… but if you refer back to item #1 on the wishlist, there just wouldn’t be anywhere to hang them.  We could alter the bookcase idea to work around it though.   If that’s a no-go I have a lovely little wall in the eat-in kitchen that would be perfect for these plates.

Happy Wednesday!

I think this will be another regular feature… first you’ve got your “Five On Friday” and now you’ll get “Menu Mayhem Monday”.   I used to (at one time or another or another) actually plan our meals for the week,  flip through collected recipes, assemble a grocery list, buy the actual required groceries and be able to look at the fridge any one day and choose from multiple meal options (including a spare) – all with the confidence that I wouldn’t run out of item A or  ingredient B at any time during prep.  Then life took over and I lost one more aspect of my organization and the grocery store blitz or quick run for bread/milk/eggs became the norm, mealtime became a disaster and we often have too much of this or not enough that in the cupboards at any given time.

So… duh, duh, duh, DUH… without further ado, I present my week of meals, as planned yesterday for “Menu Mayhem Monday”,  a collection of 7+ meals to get me through the week’s meal prep sanely (although the actual consumption is another story…)

Week 1:

• Glazed Maple Chicken with Carmelized PearsThis is what we had for dinner tonight, served with white rice and a healthy side of cucumbers.  1 1/2 monkey approval rating (Kaleb loved the chicken but the pears made him gag – that kid has texture issues!)
• Mexican Baked Penne (originally from Today’s Parent but I can’t find the recipe.  Basically it’s prepared penne with ground meat, corn, black beans – which we omit because Kevin has bean issues – tossed with salsa and cheese, then baked.
• Ribs, Twice Baked Potatoes, Salad & Fresh Cut Veggies
• Easy Jambalaya
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Mini Pita Pizzas and Fiesta Chicken Soup (the soup will be a first for us… but it sounds yummy!)
• Chicken Fingers, Sweet Potato Fries and Mixed Veggies

and a spare

• Spaghetti & Meatballs

Now… the plan itself is a start but I never did make it to the grocery store.  I don’t plan on heading out tonight.  However, if everything goes as planned, I can head over with Justin tomorrow while Kaleb’s at school and we can eliminate some of this week’s mealtime mayhem – if not, we’ll have to resort to chicken fingers or the spare (neither are Mommy’s favourites!)

Happy eating 🙂

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.  I know many view it as just another over-commercialised Hallmark holiday and think we should express our love and appreciation for the important people in our lives on a regular basis (and I tend to agree in theory)… BUT it’s also an excellent excuse for some extra-special themed family time, crafting with the day care kiddos, yummy menu planning and on-my-own projects. 

As I searched for some creative inspiration, I came across a few fun projects that we’ll be trying.  I also found some fun new blog favourites that I’ve added to my reading list.  There are so many thrify/organized/talented/creative people in this world.    It makes me realise that I have a long way to go to perfect my skills and I need to take some serious time to find a place for everything (although have the battle is keeping it there!) I also need to ‘think’ more before jumping into things… planning things out, looking at alternatives, etc.    I want to start ‘thrifting’ more… but I know I’ll end up with great pieces and no real plan. 

Anyhow, here are some of the fab new blogs I’ve scoped out, linked to the projects or posts that first caught my eye:

• Hello My Name Is Heather
• Just For Rachel
• Craft Goodies
• live.life.create.art
• Haute Apple Pie

So those are some of my new inspirations… of course, the posts I linked too aren’t the only great ideas.  You can click, click, click and these ladies have great recipes, ideas and more.   Sometimes I just like the way they approach (and share about) their lives.

How do you show your loved ones that they’re – well –  loved? (or well-loved as the case may be.)  Do you have special traditions, projects, meals, etc?  Do you do a date-night, exchange cards or gifts? Or is it just another day and nothing extra special?  Share any fun ideas you have!  I’m off to tackle the reorganization (which seems to be an ongoing effort) of my craft room.  I think part of the problem is the craft room doubles as spare room with a bed that’s much too large, extra-clothes storage, misc. home/office/whatever items get dumped in here and I haven’t removed all the extra nursery tidbits (rocker, hamper, etc.) yet.  (I am attempting a wooden heart wreath – pilfering the idea from the Kaisercraft star wreath I will eventually tackle.  I was all gung-ho to get started…and once I dug out the wooden circle base realised it’s much larger than I remembered and don’t have the ‘heart’ to finish as desired.  If everything was where it belonged, and I didn’t have to wade through piles of non-craft items, I would have known this weeks ago!)

I’ve decided to add some regular installments to my blog.   The first is going to be “Five On Friday”, a quick-read Top-5 list featuring whatever strikes my fancy each week.   For our premeir Five On Friday, I’m featuring something I often dream about – read on!

Top Five Destinations I’d Like To Visit
As Influenced By Fiction

In no particular order:

1) Vienna, Austria
2) Puget Sound region, Washington State
3) Italy
4) Lake Tahoe, California & Nevada
5) Outer Banks, North Carolina

Now, who’d like to contribute to my travel fund?