Bunny Brunch

So Easter came and went and we were lucky to host a brunch for 18 - ourselves included.  Since I don't have many "old family recipes," I turned to my Google family and think the meal ended up a hit:

• Champagne brunch: I mistakenly bought a colleague white zinfandel thinking it was their favorite, just an hour before finding out it was actually Riesling..  So I was left with two bottles of wine I wouldn't drink, when I stumbled upon Barefoot's Pretty in Pink Sangria recipe- add some strawberries, pineapple juice, lemonade concentrate, ginger ale, and voila- a summery (springy) wine punch!
• Crockpot French toast: My goal was to have everything "made" when company arrived and this was easily accomplished with a 5 a.m. wake-up call to start the crockpot and a great recipe for French toast (prepared the night before).  This went over well and worked as leftovers too.
• Strawberry baked oatmeal: Along with my 5 am crockpot date, I had a minor panic that there would not be enough food. (In addition to the food I've listed, there ended up being an additional egg casseroles, a quiche, a dozen bagels, and 2 pounds of bacon.  My worrying was in vain.)  I searched my cupboards and the Internet and ended up with a strawberry baked oatmeal casserole.  I skipped the bananas and ended up eating this all week!
• Cherry and Nutella crepe bar: Better Homes and Gardens Crepes are one of our family favorites.  We prepared ahead and served warm alongside a bowl of Nutella and another of cherry pie filling, complete with a can of whipped cream.  This was a hit, with the kids especially.
• Easter deviled eggs: With 2 dozen dyed eggs on our hands, I decided to get a little Pinteresty and followed this Real Mom's recipe for Easter deviled eggs.  However, to spice them up a little, I added dried mustard and paprika to the yolk.  These got a lot of comments and were eaten much quicker than 24 hard boiled pastel lovelies would've been!
• Jake's egg surprise: A casserole my husband made up over time- this is sure to please: 
• 1 dozen eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 onion, chopped and sauteed
• red, yellow, and green sweet peppers, chopped and sauteed
• 2 zucchini, chopped and sauteed
• mushrooms, chopped and sauteed
• cheese (optional)
• any other veggies you have in the fridge (optional)
• Bake 45 mins at 350 or until cooked through the center

Grumpy gratitude

My best friend's mother has been a guru and guiding force in my life for all 17 years that I have known her.  She has given me some of the best advice on the planet, including:

• "Honey, just hold your head high and tell them all to eat shit." (when faced with nasty gossip)
• "Just remember, a dollar for college and two for therapy." (when faced with parenting woes)
• "Live with dignity." (when faced with life in general)

I sorted out some of my biggest life issues on her back porch and always loved her insight.  I remember discussing gratitude journals with her.  She said she dabbled in journaling about gratitude when it was big and told me: "One day I had a really bad day.  At the end of the day, I didn't know what to write in my journal.  Then I remembered watching Ricky Martin dance on the Today show.  It wasn't much, but I was grateful for it.  So, there's always something."

She is a wise and amazing woman.  And today, I'm taking a page out of her book.  I am a mostly positive person and try to look for the best in life, but for the past two hours I have been in a really crummy mood.  

Here are ten reasons I (and many of us!) need to shake the negativity:

1. I have two children who give my life meaning.  Has one been sick in bed all week with the stomach bug?  Yes.  Did the other cut my nose with a broken broom handle by accident (sort of) two days ago?  Yup.  Would I trade them for anything in the world?  Nope.
2. I have a husband who makes me laugh, listens to my grumbles, gives me coffee in the morning, and whom I love.  In place of a fairy tale, we have a real working relationship and we're partners in making our ever after happy.  (Added bonus: since he knows I'm grumpy, he's poured me a glass of wine, done the dishes, and loaded the washer.)
3. I have two parents and two stepparents that love me and are proud of me.  They overlook the ugly teen years and think the best of me.  In adulthood, they have become friends, confidantes, and allies.
4. I have two sisters who are among my very best friends.  Though we live far apart, we are closer than we have ever been.  They inspire me and make me proud.
5. I know the smartest, funniest, most creative, exciting, fun-loving and wonderful women in the world.  And I get to call them my friends.  Additionally, my extended family rocks.
6. I go to a job every day that I love and do work that I feel is meaningful.  
7. I come home to house every day that I love and have things that many world citizens lack - like clean, running water, heat, and a full refrigerator.
8. I am healthy. My children are healthy. My husband is healthy.  My parents are healthy.  My sisters are healthy.  My friends are healthy.  (That is enough right there.)
9. I live in a country, generation, and social class where I largely control my own destiny through choice and education.  Admittedly, I live a life of privilege.
10. I know a wise woman who is right- there is always something for which to be grateful.

DIY Collage Wall

My fabulous friend, Andrea, has been working on a collage wall in her bedroom for some time and inspired me to do the same.  However, while she is creative, crafty, and married to an artist; I am neurotic, linear, and married to an engineer.  So for every funky frame and creative finish she has on her wall, I have black wood and equal spacing.  In life, we do what works for each of us.

When I searched the Internet (my go-to resource), I found lots of great examples, but not much info on how to make it work for me.  Here are my very abbreviated DIY instructions:

1. Pick your very favorite photos.  (For me, this took an entire snow day and I still needed my husband to make the final call.)
2. If you're a parent, make sure your children are equally represented...  this was the first thing my daughter checked.
3. Pick a size prioritization and ratio.   I chose (3) 11x14s, (8) 8x10s, and (14) 5x7s.  I also accounted for (2) 8 x 10s to include the "What a difference a day makes" Pinterest craze and my favorite Beatles quote ("And in the end, the LOVE you take, is equal to the LOVE you make").
4. Order your prints.  I used Shutterfly and found a great discount code to make this a more palatable purchase for the hubby.
5. Find your frames.  Being the big spender that I am, I headed straight to Dollar Tree for the smaller frames and Dollar General for the 11x14s.  (By the way, I did this entire project for under $100.)
6. After your frames and photos are put together, measure the space you plan to take over and spread them out on the ground somewhere in an equivalent space.  Resist the urge to hang them up right away!  Take a few days to consider their spacing and order...  We're talking about lots of holes in your wall!
7. After you have chosen a layout, take pictures to remember your order and spacing.
8. When it's time to hang: start from the center!  
9. Work your way out and remember that plans can be changed and nails can be adjusted.
10. Take your time and walk away if you need to...  then, step back and admire your work.

This was a favorite project for me and a snapshot in time that I will always treasure.  While Andrea's is artsy and beautiful and cool, mine features the three people I love the most...  and is symmetrical.  At the end of the day, that's all I can ask for.  

Fun with worms... Vermicomposting at the Science Fair!

After a second grade research project on the brain and a third grade "Cookie Chemistry" experiment, we decided to roll up our sleeves for this year's science fair and do something to reduce our landfill contributions this planet we love.  Vermicomposting uses worms to help break down your food products and creates great soil for your garden in the meantime.  By vermicomposting, you avoid throwing out leftovers and old fruits/veggies, thereby reducing what goes from your kitchen to your curb to your local landfill in a non-biodegradable plastic bag.

While we've composted in the past, winter and laziness can present challenges to its success and our food still winds up in the garbage.  Now, thanks to the vermicomposting bin right in our kitchen, we can be green with our food products all year long.  It is easy to do and something we should all consider.  Below are the steps Grace created for her science fair poster:

How do I vermicompost?

STEP ONE: Get your worms!  (We ordered 200 red wigglers from Amazon.)
STEP TWO: Add ½ cup water to peat moss bag so worms don’t die.
STEP THREE: Make bedding for the worms.  (We shredded paper to fill the bin.)
STEP FOUR: Add water to bedding.  (We added 2 gallons.)
STEP FIVE: Chop up old food – anything but meat!
STEP SIX: Add worms and compost to bin.  Cover with damp newspaper.
STEP SEVEN: Drill breathing holes in bin.

The Science Fair isn't until 3/22, but we already consider this project a success.

If you're interesting in vermicomposting and want to learn more, please realize we've oversimplified the process a little and check out this great book: Worms: Eat my Garbage, which was a great resource for us!  Or, just Google and see what you can find!

I feel like chicken tonight...

Note to reader: there is nothing interesting, motivating, or exciting in what you are about to read.  However, I made a recipe tonight that is too good not to share: Cooks.com Fast & Easy Chicken and Potatoes.  Forget what your mother told you...  sometimes things that are fast and easy actually are worthwhile!

Ingredients: chicken, potatoes, flour, salt, pepper, paprika, sour cream, butter, broth or bouillon cubes

1. Cut up 2-3 lbs chicken
2. In a Ziploc, combine 1/3 cup flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp paprika
3. Shake the chicken in the Ziploc mix until coated
4. Pan fry chicken in 1/2 to 1 stick butter (worry about the gym tomorrow...  it's worth the calories)
5. Add sliced potatoes and 1 cup broth (I used 1 cup of water and 2 beef bouillon cubes because that's what I had in my cupboard)
6. When chicken is cooked through, remove from pan; keep cooking potatoes until tender
7. Remove potatoes from the pan and add 1/2 cup sour cream to drippings; stir to make delicious sauce/gravy

Serve with cooked carrots or a vegetable of your choice.

P.S. This entire process took me about thirty minutes.  

P.P.S.  The whole family liked it.  Even my exceptionally picky children.  One for the books.

Wacky Wednesday Seuss cookies

"It all began with a shoe on the wall.  A shoe on the wall shouldn't be there at all."

~Dr. Seuss

I am not a Pinterest mother.  Don't get me wrong: I admire you.  I aspire to be like you.  I just totally lack the creativity and talent.

That being said, when our beloved childcare provider Betty launched "Dr. Seuss" week at preschool AND my son, Miles, was "snack helper," I was determined to be creative.  Once again, Google prevailed where creativity lacked.  This time Souders Cookery helped me out; thank you whoever/wherever you are. My Tuesday night project: Rainbow Pinwheel Cookies.  Very fun, Seuss-like, and fairly easy to make.

• Ingredients: sugar cookie dough, food coloring, rainbow sprinkles

1. Make a batch of your favorite sugar cookie dough.  Store-bought mix works, although I used the Better Homes and Gardens recipe.
2. Chill the dough.  (I skipped this step.)
3. Divide your dough into 5 balls and dye them using food coloring and your hands.  (This is messy.  If you involve children in this process, look forward to several days of green fingers.)
4. To make one cookie: 

• Take a grape-sized ball of each color
• Roll the 5 grapes into one bigger, multi-                   colored ball
• Roll the bowl between your hands and the counter into a cylindrical shape (it will look like a psychedelic Play-Doh snake)
• Roll your cylinder/snake into a pinwheel/coil
• If desired, roll the edges of the cookie in a bowl of rainbow sprinkles

1. Repeat until you run out of dough
2. Bake 8-10 minutes at 350 on an ungreased sheet
3. Cool, serve, enjoy.  (And, if your cookies look better than mine, post them on Pinterest.)

A very vegan birthday to you!

My stepfather has been experimenting with veganism for the past eight weeks and has experienced fabulous success with weight loss, lowered cholesterol, and general good feelings.

I wanted to make him dinner for his birthday, but as a true dairy lover (aka cheese addict) and occasional meat eater, I had my doubts as to how much I'd enjoy tonight's dinner (especially dessert).  Let it be known, I was pleasantly surprised.

Thank you Google, for once again pointing me in the right direction.  Bonnie, from Going Home to Roost deserves a medal, because her Vanilla Vegan Birthday Cake was UNREAL! (Purple text below from her blog.)

ingredients

2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup organic sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup water
2 tbs earth balance butter
2 tbs coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla flavoring
1 tsp lemon juice

*this makes just enough for one layer. for the above cake, i made this recipe 2 times, once for each round cake layer (don’t try to double it!).

directions

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl (flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and powder) and mix together.

in a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients (water, earth balance, coconut oil, vanilla, lemon juice) and mix together.

slowly pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix slowly until it is well combined. a few little lumps will remain.

pour the batter into a lightly greased cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes  or until a knife can be inserted into the middle and come out clean.

remove and let cool for at least 30 minutes before icing.

icing recipe

- adapted from oh she glows:

ingredients

1/2 cup earth balance butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla flavoring
2 tbsp coconut creamer

directions

place the 1/2 cup earth balance butter in a mixing bowl, and beat on high as you gradually add in the coconut creamer, vanilla extract and salt. continue to mix for 3-4 minutes. as it continues to beat, slowly start adding your 3 cups of sifted confectioners sugar. beat on high for another 5-10 minutes to achieve a really fluffy, smooth texture.'

(x2 to cover each layer)

Dessert in review: I'll never be able to give up my cheddar, but I might be a birthday cake convert...  This was really good!

 For dinner, we had my husband Jake's classic fried rice...  easy and delicious.

• Prepare 4+ cups rice (white or brown) in a rice cooker or on stove top
• Saute chopped broccoli and carrots in vegetable oil
• When veggies start to often, add equal parts soy sauce and hot sauce, to taste
• When rice is done, add to veggie pan adding soy/hot sauce as needed
• Serve and enjoy!  Non-vegans can add some scrambled eggs to this mixture for a little protein kick

I was going to take a picture of the rice itself, but it was eaten up before I had a chance...  That should be a testament to the taste!