Chicken soup is good for you...

Especially if you're feeling a bit under the weather. Don't know what it is exactly that makes this soup taste so good when you're feeling crummy, but it just does. The other day, my little sous chef and I whipped up a batch of chicken noodle soup for our neighbor because she has been feeling sick with a cold. He enjoyed being able to finally cut a piece of celery on his own, and to see the smile on his face when he delivered his culinary masterpiece to her was priceless. ♥

We went off to the store, gathered up our supplies and made a batch of homemade goodness that was "just what the doctor ordered" per her comment to us later that night. :)

Here's what you need to whip up your own batch of goodness in less than 1 hour:

8 cups of chicken stock (your own, store-bought, whatever you've got)
3 chicken breasts, cooked and cooled (I grilled mine outside, and love the char developed on them from the grill outside. I did not season with salt or pepper during cooking.)
2 large or 3 medium sized carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 medium sized onion, sliced and then chopped into bite size pieces
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lemon, juiced and zested
Olive Oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh Italian Parsley coarsely chopped
2 cups whole wheat pasta, cooked and drained (whatever kind you like- I used rotini.- These are also optional, I don't put noodles in my own soup, but the kids ate theirs with noodles, and we gave them as an option to our neighbor.)

Step 1: Drizzle olive oil in bottom of stock pot over medium heat.

Step 2: Add carrots, onion and celery to pot. Stir and cook until onion becomes translucent.

Step 3: Add garlic, cook until fragrant. Approximately 1 minute.

Step 4: Add chicken stock, chicken breasts and lemon juice. Bring entire pot to a boil. Approximately 10 minutes.

Step 5: Remove chicken breasts from pot and shred with a fork. Add to pot of broth and veggies.

Step 6: Taste and season with pepper to your own liking.

Step 7: Right before serving, add lemon zest and fresh parsley.

Step 8: If using the noodles, add them to a bowl before ladling soup over the top of them.

That's it.

Now, if you're feeling a bit more adventurous, this soup can be modified into a chicken tortilla type of soup. I call it my Fiesta Chicken Soup. Very yummy too, and has a bit of a kick to it. :)

During the cooking process add the following items in Step 4.

14.5 oz can of Organic Fire roasted tomatoes
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
Lime juice instead of Lemon Juice (same amount)
Jalapeno diced, ribs and seeds removed *optional*


Step 8:
Garnish with the following:
Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
Tortilla chips

That's it!


Note: I didn't add any salt to either recipe. I don't think that it needs it, but if you think it does as you're creating your meal, then by all means add some to it. :)

Valentine Lottery Tickets

I found an idea a while back on how to make your own lottery type scratch it tickets here. I made a few for the kids and hubs for Christmas with different things to "win" just like a real lottery ticket- just without the gambling! ;)

I decided to revamp them for Valentine's Day, but use them as mail for my kids' mailboxes that I made for them. This has become such a fun night time before going to bed activity with the kids. They love how they get "mail" each day. :) I'm giving my "lottery" cards to the kids and hubs tonight complete with a "lucky" penny- ones dated with their birth year for the kids and our wedding year for the hubs. :) This project is super easy, and can be whipped up during naptime. :)

Here's what you need:

Packaging tape- I think that the original tutorial used contact paper. I improvised.
Scissors
Cardstock
Acrylic paints- I used red and gold
Paintbrush
Dish soap- I used Dawn
Pen for writing
Imagination :)

Step 1: Think of what you want to have on your "lottery" tickets and write them out. If you have horrible writing, I guess you could print them out.


Step 2: Cover your "prize" with the tape. Set aside.


Step 3: Mix your paint and soap. You need to use a 2 parts paint to 1 part soap. Stir until it is blended.


Step 4: Take your card with the "prize" from Step 2, and cover your "prize" with paint mixture. You might need 2 coats, depends on how you do it, and if you can see your "prize" still after 1 coat.

Step 5: Let dry completely. It doesn't take too long. Mine were dry in 15 minutes.

That's it! :)

Hand out some pretty cool Valentine treats to your kids, family, etc. These could even be made as a class gift if you really wanted to. It's up to you- use your imagination! :)

Ruler Artwork & Family Keepsake

I love today's project. I found the idea/inspiration on Pinterest (shock, I know) and knew that I could make it for less than the hefty price tag on it.

My kids are growing like weeds. I swear the boy has grown 4 or more inches since the summer, the girl has grown a bit too and I'm trying to capture as much of their growing as possible. We move around a lot, so the whole tradition of scratching into a doorway's trim their height and dates isn't a feasible option to keep track of their growth. Also, they are very competitive with "who's taller?" even though they are 3 years apart in age, so this project is perfect. :)

Here is the inspiration here and she found them here. So, an idea popped into my head, I can make this myself for a whole lot less- and get a piece of art for the wall with the bonus of capturing the kids' growth. :) Yay!

Here it is. My version of the previous two links. I love the way it turned out.


Ignore the dog's food bin in the picture- we have a 200# mastiff, and this is the only thing that he can't get into and eat his food! ;)

The cost for this project was about $10- but you could do it for less if you have some of the supplies on hand; which I did, so it only cost me $6.

What you will need:
1) 1" x 8" x 6' board- I bought mine at Home Depot for $6
sandpaper
stain- left over from Oregon Art project
paint
brushes for stain and paint
sealer
stencils (optional)
picture hanger- bought these at Hobby Lobby- left over from Oregon Art project


Step 1: Sand your board- if desired. Mine had some rough edges and a stamp on it from the manufacturer on the side I wanted to use for my ruler.

Step 2: Stain board to desired depth of color. I ended up doing 2 coats for mine. Let cure. Mine took a couple of days because the weather was cold/rainy/damp for a few days after I began the process.

Step 3: Since my board is 6' long (Actually measured it at this point and it was 73" instead of 72"- so measure your board in case yours is off too. You could cut off an inch or so to make it 6' or you could leave it. Either way, it works.) I decided to make my tick marks at 2" intervals.

Step 4: I began my measurement with the bottom of the board is 6". The reasoning behind this, is because I will hang the ruler 6" from the ground, so starting from 0" would be unnecessary. So, the first tick mark is 8", second 10", third 1', etc.

Step 5: Decide on length of tick marks for varying heights. I ended up making my full foot measurements 3 3/4" long, 1/2 foot was 2 3/4" long and the remaining were 1 3/4" long. If this isn't clear, check the picture. :)

Step 6: Stencil in your numbers for the full foot measurements. Or you can skip this step if you are going to just paint them free-hand.

Step 7: Paint your tick marks and numbers. Let dry.

Step 8: Seal with acrylic sealer. Do this in a well ventilated area. I ended up with a headache from this and I did it in my garage. If you can do this outside- I would recommend that. :)

Step 9: Position your wall hanger on the back of your ruler, 1" from the top of your board.

Step 10: Hang on your wall- if you are using a 6" one that is actually 73" like mine is, I put the nail in at 6'6" so it lines up correctly.

That's it! :)

Enjoy your new art piece that will capture your kids' growth throughout the years- maybe even your grandkids too. :)

Weather

Okay, they (don't remember who 'they' are- but there are several) say that when people don't know each other very well, and don't know what exactly to say to keep awkward silences at bay, discuss the weather. Really? The weather? Makes sense if you think about it. I'm not going to digress any further though on this thought process. :)

What I am going to do, is come up with some ideas for rainy day activities. My youngest one is sleeping on the couch, the 4-legged one is equally passed out on the floor next to him, and I am click-clack typing this blog post watching the rain pour down like someone is literally washing my windows with a garden hose. The sky is a very cool gray color though- almost a silver color. (Insert your favorite saying about every cloud has a silver lining.)- here - ha ha

Rainy day activity list:
1. Stamp fingerprint art with the kids.
2. Take pictures of activity.
3. Post on blog later. :)
4. Enjoy some hot chocolate with the kids too.

Sounds like a fun day- even when the weather isn't so nice out. :)

Hope you all have a great day!

Craft Hope- Project 16

I love showing my own 2 kids and Girl Scout troop, how even 1 child can make a BIG difference in the world, not just locally, but globally. I recently (when I say this, I mean within the past few months) found Craft Hope. Jade Sims runs Craft Hope with a few other people and have implemented several projects that can bring in communities from around the world - literally - to make an impact in a big way, one completed project at a time.

My Brownie Girl Scout troop decided as a group to participate in Craft Hope's Project 15- Sock Monkeys to help out kids that were either burn victims or lost everything in Texas due to the wildfires. The girls were so excited to share with a child they had never even met. It was a very heartwarming, rewarding and wonderful experience for all of us. My kids constantly asked me about how many monkeys had been collected for other kids, and when the project was finished, she had over 300 monkeys. Amazing. I can honestly say, that this project makes my heart smile (not just because I love sock monkeys either) and even as I'm writing this post, I'm thinking of how some of those monkeys put a smile on someone's face. ♥


My Girl Scout Troop showing off their sock monkeys.

So... Jade has put together another heart warming project for us to participate in. It is making beanies and bags for kids that are fighting cancer. I can't even begin to describe how much this project is screaming to me to get involved. I honestly couldn't wait to hear what she was going to tell us, she had been teasing us on Facebook for a couple of days. Now she has told us, it is for the littlest warriors, read her project page information, and then tell me you don't want to rush out to Joann's, Hancock Fabric, any other local fabric store and purchase a bunch of fleece to whip up some of these in an afternoon?


Look at this little guy... how can you resist?? I know I can't! :) Source: Craft Hope

I've got a pattern in mind, just not sure how to modify it for all the kids involved. I would love to make sure they fit, and have more than just one size. My heart and head are about to explode with all of the ideas I have for her newest project. I will be posting pictures of my beanies as I finish them up. I might even be able to figure out a way to post my pattern if I can draw it up and have it work. :)

I will sign this one off for now. :)

Lemon Bars!

So... I love to bake, cook, craft, etc. basically anything that Ms. Stewart can do, I can too, for the longest time she was my inspiration. I would buy all of her magazines, scour through her books to find something that I could replicate, literally for years- beginning in high school. Now, ah-hem, a few years later ;) ... I have taken on projects that are easy, some are difficult, and others are just plain frustrating that I can't get them to finish up. Just keepin' it real here. Those projects are the ones that I don't showcase, and because I don't, I feel like I'm cheating out or something. :/ I think that one of these days, I'm going to have to do a post simply on project fails. That might be kinda fun actually.

Now, I've rambled on for a bit there... so, since I was feeling a bit down that my latest project isn't finished up yet- weather is *so* not cooperating. :( Rain = no bueno for curing paint/stain. Just in case you didn't know. ;) So... what is the opposite of rain? Sun. Warm glorious sun. Exactly what I was wanting. Now, I knew what to do.

I went to my cookbook cabinet and began to skim my recipes to see what lemon flavored treat was going to be made. Lemon pound cake... lemon blueberry bundt cake... lemon drop cookies... white chocolate lemon truffles... I mean, c'mon, nothing says sunshine like a lemon, right? They are even bright yellow, and just the thought of a lemon makes me smile. I love lemons. I literally peel them like oranges and eat them. No joke. Okay, back to my deliciousness that I made this morning...

I ended up picking lemon bars. They are so simple, yet so perfect and whip up in about an hour from start to finish. Bonus!

Here's my recipe that I have altered from another woman that I love to try out her recipes, Paula Deen. The little guy even helped me out, he *loves* to bake with me, and these also happen to be his absolute favorite dessert. Sorry I don't have any pictures of these beauties, they are already gone. Gasp! I know. Crazy huh? I guess a mom who loves lemons & lemon bars + 2 kids that love lemon bars = no lemon bars for blog post later. :/ I guess I will have to make some more tomorrow... ha ha

Lemon Bars (adapted from Paula Deen)
Crust:
2 sticks salted butter at room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar
Zest from 1 lemon

Filling:
4 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons of all purpose flour
8 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemons (I juiced 3 lemons, they were on the smaller size) I left the pulp in the juice too, just make sure to take out the seeds! :)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the crust ingredients until crumbly. Set aside.

Take your 9" x 13" pan and grease it with some butter or a cooking spray so your lemon bars don't stick to the pan.

Press your crust mixture into the pan evenly. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Do not turn off the oven, you will need to bake the filling too!

While the crust is baking whip up the filling. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well blended. This curd will be a little runny before you bake it, but trust me, it is delicious.

When the crust is done baking, pour your filling over the top of it and place it back into the oven and back for an additional 25 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar. You can let them cool if you want, or you can break into them as soon as they are out. They are hot like lava though, if you do go that route. ;) Enjoy!

Egg-cellent project for this weekend

Sorry couldn't help myself with that comment. ;)

I am procrastinating, no wait, I'm diligently preparing my house for my out of state guests... ;)

Well, I am going to share with you another blog idea, from Char she has some really creative stuff and tutorials on her site. When you have a few minutes, or if you're just procrastinating (unlike me- lol) look around her site. Click on the picture or here to go directly to her egg project.

Her latest creation is super easy and should be fun for you to do with your kiddos this weekend in time for Easter egg hiding on Sunday. :) I love the way her eggs turned out; the contrast between the colors and white is super cool. You could probably even dye them one color, apply the rubber cement and dip them again for a two-tone/multicolored egg. So much fun! :)

Have a great day!

Library Totes! :)

My kids absolutely love going to the library. We end up with at least a dozen books by the time we leave between the three of us. Trying to manage the kids and balance the books getting to the car without dropping anything is what inspired this project. :)

This is the book I saw a similar project in, (from the library) and it was to show kids pointillism and the project was a flag. I thought what a great idea!! Plus, it could easily make other items too! :) Thus, the library tote hatched in my head and now you can make one too!



Supplies:
1 large canvas tote bag per project (I bought 3 at Jo-Anns for $3; used my 40% off coupon; they are usually $5)

80 grit sandpaper sheets (Home Depot for the project, but found some at Dollar Tree last night)

Carbon paper (this was tricky to find- I found it at Staples; only needed if you are tracing letters from a printed page)

Cookie cutters

Crayons

Scissors

Pen

Iron (not pictured)




Step 1: Trace letters for personalization on to back of sandpaper (rough side down) using carbon paper to make them exact. Note: the rough side of the sandpaper must be down for this project to work. Also, the letters will look backwards when you look at the rough side.




Step 2: Trace cookie cutter shapes on to back of sandpaper.







When you are finished tracing shapes/letters it should look like this.



Step 3: Cut sandpaper shapes out carefully.

Step 4: Arrange shapes/letters on bag to see if you need more.

Step 5: Color the rough side of the sandpaper in any way you like. Note: Make sure to color hard and thoroughly or the color will not transfer fully. :)

Step 6: Arrange colored shapes rough side down on your canvas bag.

Step 7: Iron shapes in place. Similar to when you would iron on a patch. **Note: This step should be completed by an adult to prevent child from burning themselves. **

Step 8: Carefully remove your shapes/letter to see if the color has fully transferred. Repeat this step if necessary.

That's it!!

Enjoy the tote, it could also be used for grocery bags. :)

Personalized Pillowcases!!

Alright, personalizing pillowcases is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when having something personalized for a kid. However, I made these for both of my kids about a month ago, and this is the *only* pillowcase they use since then. The flannel gets softer and softer with each wash and they just *love* them. :)

Ok, enough of how cool they are... ;) Here's how to make 'em!

Finished size is that of a standard size pillow: approximately 29” x 20”

Supplies:

1 yard fabric of your choice (preferably a print- the farm equipment)

1/3 yard coordinating fabric of your choice (preferably a solid- light blue)

1/3 yard fusible paper backed interfacing (the kind that makes your fabric into a sticker- if you're not sure what this is, ask a person who works there)

1 skein of embroidery floss (I use white usually, but you can pick any color to match fabric)

Step 1: Pre-wash all of your fabrics and dry as you would normally do your wash. Note: Do not wash/dry your fusible interfacing! :)

Step 2: Iron your fabric to get any wrinkles that may have occurred during the laundering process. Cut away any of the frayed strings on the ends of your fabric.

Step 3: Fold each fabric in half lengthwise. They should each be approximately the same length that you began with.

Step 4: Cut your main fabric color in to a 25 1/2” x 20 1/2” rectangle on the fold. Note: your actual rectangle will be: 25 1/2” x 41” if you opened it up. Keep scraps for Step 6.

Step 5: Cut your coordinating fabric in to a 9” x 20 1/2” rectangle on the fold. Note: your actual rectangle will be: 9” x 41”.

Step 6: Trace your letters of desired name on your fusible interfacing- shiny side up. Note: Do not cut them out yet. Leave them whole. It makes it easier to iron on later.

Step 7: Preheat your iron to correct setting. Note: You will have to look at the directions on your fusible interfacing; it can vary from cotton to wool setting. If you make it too hot, the interfacing will not work properly and ruin your fabric.

Step 8: Iron your fusible interfacing to the fabric; your fabric from Step 4 is used here. Put the fabric face down (you will be looking at the back of it) and iron your fusible interfacing also face down (the shiny side will be touching the back of your fabric scrap) until completely adhered to one another. This should take no more than 90 seconds per letter. Let cool completely- about a minute. If your iron is not on the cotton setting, put it on there now so it is pre-heated for Step 12.

Step 9: Cut your letters out carefully.

Step 10: Take your fabric rectangle from Step 4 and fold in half width-wise. Note: your actual rectangle will now be: 25 1/2” x 20 1/2”. This is the main body of the pillow. Place aside for use in Step 14.

Step 11: Take your fabric rectangle from Step 5 and fold in half length-wise. Note: your actual rectangle will now be: 4 1/2” x 20 1/2”. This is now the coordinating edge of your pillowcase.

Step 12: Carefully peel away the paper backing on your letters and center your letters on your pillowcase’s coordinating edge to desired positions. Iron in place. Note: I placed mine so the name faces toward the edge of the pillow.

Step 13: Use the embroidery floss to sew the letters permanently in place. You could use your machine if you wanted to; but I like the look of this better; whatever your personal preference is it will look just fine. :) Note: Be careful, you don’t want to go through both sides of this; it is easier to do this if you open the coordinating rectangle, at this point.

Step 14: Now that the name placement is completed, fold the rectangle again like in Step 11 and place on top of the fabric rectangle from Step 10 with the correct sides (pretty sides) facing each other and pin together.

Step 15: Sew together along pinned edge. Note: You should have a rectangle that is approximately 29 1/4” x 20 1/2”folded width-wise.

Step 16: Pin bottom and side of rectangle and sew. Note: Your pretty sides should still be facing each other.

Turn right-side out when complete. That’s it!! :)