(re)Purposeful: Buffet is FINISHED!!!

I am excited to announce that I finally got the buffet finished!!!!  The weather was truly against me, and then the plague struck.... however the planets must be aligned and G-d's in a good mood because it is GORGEOUS outside today and plenty warm for me to open up the garage and polyurethane! Okay so with out further ado, I give you THE BUFFET:

And just in case the "before" image has been forgotten, here's what I started with:

FAST FOOD: Slow-Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Everyone at my house is either sick or recovering... I feel like I should warn readers of this blog to wear respirators and/or bleach their computers when visiting this page! I'm finding myself exhausted at the thought of doing even the simplest of tasks (I can't remember when last I ate a hot meal) and dinner seems like a monumental task!  Whilst rummaging through the cupboards through swollen, gritty eyelids I discovered a can of mushrooms and another of cream of mushroom soup...inspiration hit (almost killed me but I went with it)!

Slow-Cooker Beef Stroganoff
1lb ground hamburger, browned and drained
1/2 C dried minced onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use "98% fat free")
1 can mushrooms
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 C sour cream ( I use "light")
1/2 pkg (4 oz) cream cheese (I use "1/3 less fat")

Add hamburger, soup, onion, garlic salt, and mushrooms with their juice to crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours. At the last hour of cooking add the cream cheese and sour cream.
Serve over rice or egg noodles and ENJOY!

Surely this creamy, hearty meal will banish the last of the viral beasties lurking about and warm little bellies before bedtime! <3

(re)Purposeful: Home-grown Baby Wipes!

I've decided that guilt is an unfortunate side-effect of motherhood. No matter what you do, someone always feels free to share their criticism, even about the littlest things! When I had my first child I felt AWFUL about putting her in disposable diapers, not being able to nurse her til she was 7yrs old, and don't get be started about vaccinating! My bestie from Texas was one of the wonderful moms in my life that was encouraging and supportive. She also has amazing ideas and one night, after a 90 minute phone-therapy session, we came up with this great idea: Home-made Baby Wipes!

Who has time to run to the store at 4am, when your baby has cleared their diaper and splattered the wall behind them? With just a few staples on hand, you can make your own wipes at a fraction of the cost and be eco-friendly all at the same time!

My darling Lyndy (Texas bestie) actually sews her own flannel wipes and sells them. You can throw them in the wash and re-use them til they disintegrate! http://lyndysrantsandraves.blogspot.com/    <----This is the link to her blog so you can contact her, if like me, you couldn't sew a button if your life depended on it! 

While waiting for her to sew me a batch, I used "Choose a Size" paper towels. I chose the smaller size, folded them in thirds and layered them in an empty wipe container. Once I filled the box, I made this delightful cleanser to keep the wipes wet: (Use this recipe on the re-usable wipes too)

Wipe Cleanser Recipe:
3 C Water
1/4 C Olive Oil
1 TBS Baby Shampoo or Baby Wash
*6-8 Drops Lavender Essential oil or Eucalyptus Essential Oil (sometimes I use both)

*The essential oil is important because it's a natural disinfectant so it will inhibit mold growth in the container, and Lavender oil is an anti-inflammatory so it's super soothing! You can find it at most Organic grocery stores.

**Now definitely don't start this on a newborn, as their skin is so delicate and their allergies may not be known yet. Also, if your baby does have a lot of allergies ask their pediatrician first!**

I just love the fresh smell of these wipes and one wipe cleans a lot more than the store-bought brands. They are so much softer too!  It's nice to have an easy fix to at least ONE of the many things I feel guilty about! :o)

FAST FOOD: Banana Buttons, anyone?

There are days where I feel like my house is divided in two different universes....One kid eats with gusto, the other hates everything, one cries when you look at her sternly, the other laughs when you shout a warning and proceeds with her back-flip off the couch...sigh...Snack time at our house is no different! To appease them both I would need separate gourmet kitchens complete with chef and staff, so when I had this little inspiration for a semi-healthy, super delicious snack and they BOTH liked it I knew it was something  should blog! LOL!

Banana Buttons:
Banana
Peanut Butter
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Cut the banana into little "button" slices, add a small dollop of peanut butter on each "button", then top with a semi-sweet chocolate chip (way less sugar than milk chocolate) then hype the snack way up as being "decadent" and "desserty" and serve!

I split a banana between the two and they devoured it! Both were full and satisfied and I was happy that they had some fresh fruit, a good source of protein and a little chocolate to keep them sweet! :o)

(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!