(re) Purposeful: Hospital Whiteboard

My dear husband is not prone to bringing home strays so when he called Saturday afternoon and asked if he could swing by his work to pick something up, my interest was definitely piqued! The hospital he works at is remodeling some of their rooms and they had a whole stash of homeless dry-erase boards headed for the dump, free for the picking!

Once he brought it home we got right to work cleaning the front and using adhesive remover to get the tape remnants off. I found WASHABLE dry erase markers....yes washable....and a cute little eraser at Walmart. We hung it at "kid level" in the kitchen on bulldog hooks for extra stability. Now, how to keep the markers convenient to use but out of the way? I found an old dishwasher basket that holds the markers, the eraser and hangs off the frame of the whiteboard. 

 

The kids LOVE it and haven't watched TV since we put it up!

SNOW SURVIVAL TIP #3: Snow Ice Cream

I am really disappointed that I even have to write this post at the end of February but alas, Kansas can never seem to make up it's mind when to change seasons.  We entertained a few days in the upper seventies only to wake up to a yard full of snow and ice... what a TEASE!
So if you're stuck inside all day you might as well eat right? Here's the recipe we use for snow ice cream! The kids love to watch the snow accumulate in the bowl (kind of takes your mind off of how much is stacking up in the driveway) and you get a nice sweet treat for your troubles!

Snow Ice Cream:
Needed:
A large clean bowl
Milk
Vanilla Extract
Sugar

Collect a large sized bowl full of CLEAN fresh snow,
 add around 1c. of milk to desired consistency,
stir in 1 c. sugar and 1/2-1 tsp. of vanilla extract.
ENJOY!

I actually look forward to snow (with in reason) now and the ice cream stays fresh in the freezer for the day although it's MUCH tastier right after it's prepared!

Beads and Things

Since it's such a gloomy, rainy, and overall NASTY day, I thought it would be fun to post a few of my favorite lampworked beads. I rarely have time to get on the torch anymore... hot, molten glass and toddlers just don't seem to mix well! 

I started as a "stringer", someone who strings beads and charms into jewelry, but the obsession quickly escalated and unique beads were harder and harder to find. My birth mom finally decided to get her own little Hot Head torch and began making her own beads. The first time she sat me down in her studio I was hooked! Truly love at first burn...HA!

I've since graduated to a Bobcat that runs on an oxygen concentrator and propane. It's hard to find glass rods in KC...Moon Marble has a pretty good selection of Vetrofond but for Moretti, I order from Frantz.

There really is no other feeling quite like running downstairs to peek at the treasures I've created in the kiln the next day...maybe Christmas morning? As the kids grow and can entertain themselves safely, (they can literally set themselves on fire in the time it takes to change the laundry over) I hope to reconnect with this amazing art form and medium!

(re)Purposeful: Buffet

I'd been scouring Craig's List for months looking for the perfect hutch to tear apart and re-purpose in my kitchen. I just need more and more storage (sound familiar) and got this fantastic idea from HGTV to use the top part of a hutch as a cabinet. I will definitely blog about that project because it's coming along swimmingly but isn't quite finished yet.

SO back to my story... I found this interesting '50's vintage hutch in pretty good condition and brought it home to hang. I had no idea what I was going to do with the bottom half. It was deeply scratched and shabby and had no place to be useful in my home. It's hard to appreciate just how ugly it was in this picture because it already had a good sanding before my brain kicked in and I whipped out my camera.

I've now decided that it deserves a second chance at life and a good home! A place to fulfil it's purpose which has gone from "second half of hutch" to "buffet"... has a nice ring to it, no? 

Lucky for me (and my bank account), my mother-in-law just gave me her old orbital sander. It made sanding the top, quick work! I love the top now so much that I'm going to stain it and poly it to keep it's rich "woodiness". I hand-sanded the rest of the whole buffet and decided it needed to be painted.

The body of the piece definitely needed some updating.... I bought some sweet, little, wooden appliques at Hobby Lobby and glued them (with wood glue) to the middle drawer. Then I used spray primer and gave everything (but the top) and nice coat.

Now to paint.... I opted out of glossy black latex and went instead for "coalmine" (yes there IS a difference) which has a soft, dark, grey-brown hue in a satin finish.  I'm really hoping I don't regret this but I would like to distress it and I think the glossy black would look "fakey". So here's where I'm at now...

Now this orphaned buffet just needs a second coat of paint, all it's "bit and pieces" reassembled and possibly a little distressing.... Can't wait to share the end results!!!

FAST FOOD: Honey-Curry Chicken

The Hanukka before last, our Rabbi and his wife invited us over for a delightful dinner. The chicken was so fragrant and delicious it made the mouth water just smelling it! With two small children and a house full of chaos, I was afraid to even ask for the recipe because I was most certain it would be ridiculously hard.... full of vague ingredients that must be purchased at ethnic markets and directions that only a chemist could decipher. When I timidly asked the dear Rabbi's wife how long she slaved in the kitchen over the wonderful meal, she laughed and handed me this recipe.

IT'S SO EASY!!!!

The strangest ingredient on the list is Curry which is easy to find anywhere now a days! This has become one of my families favourite Shabbat meals! Bon Appetite!

Honey-Curry Chicken

3lbs Cut up Chicken (I use chicken thighs with bones and skin)

1/3C Honey

2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

1 Tsp Dried Parsley

1 Tsp Curry Powder

      

              Preheat oven to 350 and arrange the chicken pieces in a shallow baking dish. Combine the mustard and honey in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 40 seconds. Stir in curry and parsley and pour the whole mixture over the chicken. Bake in the oven for 1 1/4 hours until done, remember to baste occasionally.

Kitchen Project: Stove Hood

In my kitchen some of the appliances are white, some are black (which they all will be someday soon) but NONE are bisque except for the lonely little hood over the stove. It really bothered me, especially after spending two weekends painting the kitchen (the first color was too orange and the second was too pink but mixed together they are just right) and I knew we didn't want to spend the dough on a new one.
Well as my husband finished washing the brushes and I finished my second beer (never paint without it) I had a light bulb moment! I took the hood out, barely missing electrocuting myself in the process, and lightly sanded it all over. Then it received two coats of Rustoleom's Hammered Bronze spray paint and was left to dry.  Here's my thinking on it....it's already an eyesore, we're probably going to replace it anyway if this doesn't work and I've been DYING to try out my new spray paint!  Also it will match the oil-rubbed bronze hardware I previously installed so it's not such a stretch of the imagination to think it might actually work...right?
Here's the final result:

I LOVE IT!  I think the spray paint cost me under $4.00 and my husband's relief at not having to work overtime to buy a new hood was priceless!

Kitchen Project: Bowl Decor

When we bought this house, I knew the kitchen was going to require some attention.... Honestly, it's where the 70's went to die! The countertops are a dark brown, "butcher block" laminate and the cuphoards have these Gothic cut-outs that boggle the mind on how to update without completely replacing! Since we are down to one income, I've been taking little bites and doing one or two projects at a time to save us the giant one time expense of a gut job. 
The first order of business was to paint! The cabinets are a really toasty warm wood and I think their "Gothic" look could be interpreted as "old world"... and even if it's a stretch it's what the budget demands! I chose a warm orangey-tan color which took two trips to Walmart's paint center to find and then after a few beers I just mixed both "Oops" colors together and went for it!  It actually worked!

I also changed the painted-plastic hardware out for some oil-rubbed bronze handles that came in packs of 8 at Home Depot. What about the hinges, you ask? One great thing about a 70's kitchen is the hinges are so old and dingey, they actually matched the oil-rubbed bronze look!
So now that it's painted and has some "jewelry" on, I really need to dress up the walls! I found some black iron wall appliques at Hobby Lobby (50% off) and those look great but the walls still seem a bit bare. I've been biding my time, scouring the stores and once again Hobby Lobby has come to the rescue! They had these beautiful bowls marked down 80%!!!

Now I have no idea if they make those metal and wire plate holders for bowls...I searched Walmart and Hobby Lobby to no avail BUT did find these adhesive plate hangers and hope they hold as well as they claim!

Now they must cure for the day but I will definitely post the end results! I plan on putting them on either side or the iron appliques over the sink and two more over the stove.

END RESULT:

I really love it and so far none of the bowls have thrown themselves from the wall!

FAST FOOD: Shabbat Edition!

Shabbat is to be a time of rest and I like to think that the meal shouldn't be a huge source of stress as well! I wish I could spend my whole morning elbow-deep in fragrant Challah dough, baking and making sauces but the reality is I might not have had time to even shower! After four hours of sleep last night (and that's stretching it a bit) I decided to give myself a break but still provide my family with a delicious Shabbat meal. Here's the plan:

Shabbat Dinner Menu-
Barbecue Chicken
Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Challah Bread
Corn on the Cob

Ok so the first thing I did was order Challah bread from the local Panera... they make the most delicious breads and it's always ready to go when I come pick it up! (Let them destroy their own kitchen and clean it up!)
Second task is to get the chicken in the crock pot. I throw in frozen, boneless, skinless chicken thighs and smother them with honey barbecue sauce. Cook on high til the chicken is no longer pink and then let it simmer on low til meal time. The longer it cooks the more tender and tasty the chicken becomes, not to mention the whole house smells mah-velous!
Third step is start the boiling water... one large pot for the corn and one for the potatoes. While waiting for them to bubble, clean and peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. I cook both the corn and the potatoes for around 20 min.
Once the potatoes are done I add a heaping spoonful of margarine, a splash of milk and beat until clumpy but not mashed. I then, "semi-melt" a 8oz package of cream cheese in the microwave and add it to the potato mixture and keep beating until they are smooth and creamy. I season with fresh cracked pepper and garlic salt til I like the flavor.

Seriously that's it! Super easy and tasty chicken with sides that are minimal work!  Shabbat Shalom my friends!

FAST FOOD: Crock Pot Lasagna

Let's face it, my family would starve if we didn't have a crock pot... I don't know how you all feel about them but I think whoever invented the mah-velous pot of crockery should have won a Nobel Peace Prize!!! What other kitchen appliance can make you look so much like Martha Stewart with such little effort? So to kick off the recipe portion of this blog, I'm going to share with you the KING of all Slow-Cooker recipes: The Crock Pot Lasagna... It's fast, easy, and makes me feel like a rock-star mom!  Bon Appetite!

Crock Pot Lasagna
12 Lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 lb Ground beef, browned and drained
1 jar Spaghetti sauce (I used Cascones Original)
1/4 C. Water16 oz Cottage cheese
2 C. Mozzarella cheese, grated

1 tsp Italian seasoning

Break noodles in half and place half of the noodles in the bottom of a greased crock pot. Stir Italian seasoning into meat and spread half over noodles already in crock pot. Then layer half of the sauce and water, half of cottage cheese and half mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours, NO MORE than 5 hours! (sv 6-8)

* Just a note: I add a LOT more cheese and Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle makes a delicious Italian seasoning for the beef! Also this is not a picture of my lasagna...I'm too lazy to run to the kitchen and make it, wait 5 hours for it to bake and then snap a pic of it....but this gives you a great idea of what it will look like! :o)

(re) Purposeful: Cake Stand or Plant Stand

We escaped our snowy abode this past weekend and made a little trip up north to visit my birth dad's family in Iowa...yes we went NORTH...even though it was a bit colder up there, we were kept warm by all the love and hugs we got when we arrived! It's hard to stay chilled when the house is filled with three sisters, my brother, his girlfriend, my sweet little nephew, a passel of  grandparents and assorted flavors of aunts and uncles coming and going. We had a wonderful time and the kids were thoroughly spoiled! ;o)
It was there that I was reminded of a fun craft that my step mom got me started on last year. She loves to garden and has tons of pots all overflowing with plants sprouting all over their property. It's so whimsical! During a phone conversation she told me about how she found all these sweet, vintage, orphaned plates that could be glued on candlesticks as plant holders! Well I scoured the local thrift stores and tried my hand in it!  Once I made a few I realized that plants are just the beginning...they would make adorable cake stands, candle-scapes, cupcake holders...you could even stack them for tiered dessert serving!  EEK! Here's what I came up with:

If you decide to try your hand at making these, check out your local thrift stores!  They have TONS of candlesticks and in all different sizes! I like the ones with a wide top so there's plenty of surface for glue. Also, don't count out the ugly candlesticks! The dark plant stand was once a glaring shade of blue...after a light coat of spray paint, it's perfect! For glue, I definitely recommend E6000....be careful though, it's strong!!! Happy crafting!

SNOW SURVIVAL TIP #2

Ok there's STILL a ton of snow everywhere and the kids are getting restless....What do you do? I have two kidlets ages 4 and almost 2 so options for something they can BOTH do are getting slim. They've watched every animated movie in the house, fought over every toy and been in time out so much there's a butt imprint in the chair....EEEK! Inspiration hit (finally) when I remembered something my bestie from TX did with her rambuncious tot on a bad weather day. She used food coloring, whipped up a fresh batch of vanilla instant pudding and made edible finger paints!!!

  I spread to giant sheets of paper out on the table and made my pudding red, yellow and blue because I thought it'd be fun to talk about what colors they can make when they mix together. It was an instant hit! Lulu (almost 2yrs old) tried to eat it immediately but caught on to the magic as soon as her fingers hit the paper. Maybug (4yrs old) had a lot of fun mixing all the colors. It kept them busy for about 10 minutes which gave me time to whip up a light lunch....SUCCESS in my book! :o)

SNOW DAY SURVIVAL TIP #1

We can all breathe a sigh of relief that we survived the "Blizzard of 2011" but at what cost? My kids have been couped up for THREE WHOLE DAYS and my husband has been working marathon shifts at the hospital...AND I'm down to the last 8oz of wine in the fridge!!!  Well never fear, imagination is here! I've been wracking my brains on what Maybug (4yrs old) can take to preschool for Valentines Day to give her sweet friends and the solution has revealed itself. We made crayons today out of all the broken bits in her craft box. (Good thing for me she threw a tantrum 2 weeks ago and broke several handfuls before I snatched her....G-d works in mysterious ways, no?) So if you are searching for something to keep your little darling from climbing the walls AND need a fun gift please consider trying this!
1. Peel all the broken crayons so they are free from paper...great thing for kids to do since they love destruction!
2. Have child put crayon pieces in the wells of a muffin tin...1/4 full at least
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees
4. Pop the crayon-filled muffin tin and and watch them melt!
5. Take out before the melted mess starts to bubble (if it already has then allow to cool, and re-melt)
6. Allow to FULLY cool (an hour or more) and they should pull away from the sides and pop right out, if not coming out, put the whole mess in the freezer and forget about them for 15 min and then try again! :o)
7. ENJOY!

Getting Started

Now that blogging has been around for a million years, I finally feel comfortable starting one! My goal is to share my journey as I transition from having a job outside the home to having my home BE my job... One thing I've realized is I still have a burning desire to create and imagine new possibilities. I MUST be busy crafting, repurposing, or decorating something or I just get nutty. Another reality is that there are a million other moms going through the same thing! So I've decided to share my ideas, recipes, epiphanies and projects with you all to help inspire or just stay connected...please enjoy!