dreaming in color

Deconstructed Pepper Bruschetta

2011-02-02T20:33:00.002-06:00

This recipe is a new favorite in our house. By coincidence twice now when I've taken leftovers to work they have been serving mash potatoes in the cafeteria. I mix the two together into a potato, pepper and bread pile and enjoy every bite.

Deconstructed Pepper Bruschetta
You could easily substitute the red pepper for tomato, but my husband doesn’t eat tomato so …

Ingredients:
1 sweet yellow pepper, seeded and cut into ½ inch chunks
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and cut into ½ inch chunks
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
½ cup fresh chopped basil
1 small loaf of thick, crusty bread (I like the small cheddar loaf from Walmart)
Aged white cheddar or parmesan shavings to top (optional)

Directions:
Mix yellow pepper, red pepper, onion, olive oil, mustard, Italian seasoning and pepper in bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Cut bread into 1 inch cubes. Toss with small amount of olive oil to coat and toast at 400 degree for 12 minutes, stirring midway through. Mix toasted bread and pepper mixture. Top with basil and cheese if desired.

wishing you a sweet (and healthy) Valentine's Day

2011-02-01T21:27:00.005-06:00

I ran across these super cute stickers at Twig and Thistle. I am absolutely going to use them for Emma's daycare valentines. So much better than a pile of candy. I mean have you SEEN a toddler on sugar?

portobello and basil burgers

2011-01-24T18:41:00.003-06:00

The skies parted, the snow cleared and just for an instant our family was transported from the frozen tundra into a little piece of heaven... Then Jon proclaimed, "This is the best sandwich I can remember having."

Portobello and Basil Burgers
Adapted from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients
½ cups Light Mayonnaise
16 whole Basil Leaves
4 whole Large Portobello Mushrooms
Olive Oil For Brushing
Salt And Pepper, to taste
4 slices Provolone Cheese
4 whole Light Buns, Split

Instructions
Rinse mushrooms thoroughly.
Combine mayonnaise and basil in a food processor or blender. Pulse until basil is totally mixed in with the mayonnaise. Set aside.
Grill mushrooms in a grill pan or on a charcoal grill, brushing lightly with olive oil and sprinkling with salt and pepper. Melt provolone cheese over the mushrooms.
Drizzle griddle with olive oil. Toast buns over medium-low heat until very crispy and toasted.
Spread basil mayonnaise generously on both the top and bottom halves of the kaiser roll. Place provolone topped mushroom on the bun. Press lightly so some of the juices from the mushrooms will run into the bottom half of the roll.
Serve immediately. Yum!

custom mugs

2011-01-17T18:32:00.007-06:00

When I saw the tutorial on Design Mom for custom monogram mugs I immediately knew this was something I had to do. I mean look at these. How cute are they!

So I went online and ordered some of the pens from Dick Blick. Then over Christmas we decorated our own mugs. Here's Emma's ...

Now it's Jon's favorite mug to use. The best part is once you bake the mug, it is totally safe to use. (I even throw it in the dishwasher on occasion.)

Sunday football pineapple chili

2011-01-09T14:14:00.004-06:00

Are you ready for some football?! We are (almost) thanks to this recipe for pineapple chili. Simple and wonderful. Jon told me the white kidney bean threw him off a little and I could stand to make it hotter (we differ on our tastes for spiciness). But none-the-less it was a touchdown. Now, "Go Pack." If only I can get me rabbit ears to pick up Fox! This is one of the few days I really wish we had cable.

Pineapple Chili

1 lb. ground beef
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 jar pineapple salsa (we like Newmans, but Target's Archer Farms has a good pineapple salsa as well)
1 can kidney beans
1/2 cup extra fresh pineapple diced (makes the pineapple taste more distinct; plus more the garnish if you like)
chili powder to taste (or whatever you like to up the spice)

Directions:

Brown beef in large saucepan and drain off excess fat. Add tomato sauce, pineapple salsa, rinsed and drained kidney beans, diced pineapple and chili powder to pan. Let simmer, uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes and enjoy.

I've put the extra on low in my crock pot to keep it warm for munching through the game.

Saturday afternoon pizza

2011-01-08T13:13:00.005-06:00

I really like making homemade pizza. The only problem is that you have to let the dough sit for two hours. That's not really conducive with a toddler's weeknight ritual. So this dough made Tuesday night became a Saturday afternoon treat. To keep the dough tasting fresh, I let it rise for two hours Tuesday night, kneaded the air out and put in the fridge covered until we were about ready to eat it. Then I re-sprayed the bowl with nonstick cooking spray and let it warm and rise again (covered) for about an hour, dusted my pan with some cornmeal, spread out the dough, topped it with some pesto, provolone and turkey pepperoni, and into the oven. Yum!

Really Simple Pizza Dough (from Smitten Kitchen)

Makes enough for one small, thin crust pizza. Double it if you like your pizza thick and bready.

1 1/2 cups flour (can replace up to half of this with whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water (may need up to 1 or 2 tablespoons more)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Stir dry ingredients, including yeast, in a large bowl. Add water and olive oil, stirring mixture into as close to a ball as you can. Dump all clumps and floury bits onto a lightly floured surface and knead everything into a homogeneous ball.

If you are finding this step difficult, one of the best tricks I picked up from my bread-making class is to simply pause. Leave the dough in a lightly-floured spot, put the empty bowl upside-down on top of it and come back in 2 to 5 minutes, at which point you will find the dough a lot more lovable.

Knead it for just a minute or two. Lightly oil the bowl (a spritz of cooking spray perfectly does the trick) where you had mixed it — one-bowl recipe! — dump the dough in, turn it over so all sides are coated, cover it in plastic wrap and leave it undisturbed for an hour or two, until it has doubled in size.

Dump it back on the floured counter (yup, I leave mine messy), and gently press the air out of the dough with the palm of your hands. Fold the piece into an approximate ball shape, and let it sit under that plastic wrap for 20 more minutes.

Sprinkle a pizza stone or baking sheet with cornmeal and preheat your oven to its top temperature. Roll out the pizza, toss on whatever topping and seasonings you like.

Bake it for about 10 minutes until it’s lightly blistered and impossible to resist.

confessions

2011-01-05T18:46:00.003-06:00

I figure 2011 is as good of a time as any to start a clean slate/plate (right Emma). So here we go:

My daughter's favorite shirt is says 2008 on it, which bothers me quite a bit.
Emma won't let me sing. Even at two she knows good singing from my singing.
I'm going to keep considering my extra 20 pounds baby weight. I don't care how old Emma gets. I didn't weight this before Emma, so it's baby weight.
I feel a certain amount of righteousness when people say they are busy. Secretly I am thinking, "You don't know busy." And when I don't feel like Jon and I can act that way we add something like a master's degree so we can again revel in our multi-tasking skills.
I don't make my daughter brush her teeth very often; I justify it by thinking they will fall out eventually.
I am secretly lusting and seriously considering buying a $428 purse. I have looked at it almost every day online for about six months.
My dog still pees on one of our rugs about once a week. I am deep cleaning them all the time but every time she does it we still act shocked.

reincarnated as a toddler's room

2011-01-01T14:07:00.005-06:00

Remember this room? Well long gone is the crib at my house, so it was time to update Emma's room accordingly. It was pretty easy to do with a $40 second-hand toddler bed, $35 toddler Disney princess sheets (yup, my daughter picked them out), a canopy and a little rearranging. Yes, maybe the crown molding that was intended for this room is still hanging out on the floor of our guest bedroom, but it is still a palace to my princess obsessed little girl.

cookie exchange

2010-12-05T14:18:00.003-06:00

My good friend Beth had the wonderful idea to host a cookie exchange party yesterday. In addition to some killer mimosas and a lovely lunch, everyone got six packs of a half dozen cookies in exchange for their own cookies.

I brought my new favorite cookies, caramel sandwich cookies, from the October issue of Better Homes & Gardens. Emma helped me through the entire process (and I tell you, they are a process!).

Caramel Sandwich Cookies

ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. flakey sea salt or a rounded 1/4 tsp. fine salt
2/3 cup pecan pieces
16 Tbsp. (8 oz.) unsalted butter, slightly softened
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 recipe Shortcut Caramel Filling (recipe below)
6 oz. white chocolate baking squares with cocoa butter or white baking pieces

directions
1. Pulse sugar and salt in the dry bowl of a food processor until fine and powdery. Add pecans; and pulse until finely ground. Add butter in large chunks and the vanilla. Pulse until the butter is smooth. Add flour; pulse until soft dough begins to form around the blade. Transfer to bowl; knead briefly to evenly mix.

2. Form a rectangular log about 12 inches long and 2-1/2x 1-1/2- inches. Wrap the in waxed paper. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.

3. Position rack in center of oven. Preheat to 350 degrees F. Cut log into slices less than 1/4 inch thick. Place at least one inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown, rotating pan from front to back about halfway through baking. cool on pan for 1 to 2 minutes. using a metal spatula, transfer to cooling rack. Cool completely before filling or storing. Store unfilled cookies up to 5 days in airtight container.

4. To assemble, carefully sandwich the tender cookies with a generous dab of the Shortcut Caramel Filling. In a microwave-safe, 2-cup glass measuring cup place white chocolate. Microwave on 100 percent power (high) for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes or until melted, stirring every 30 seconds.

5. Dip ends of sandwiches into melted chocolate as desired. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheet until set. Makes 25 sandwich cookies.

Shortcut Caramel Filling: In a small saucepan combine 24 purchased caramels and 1/4 cup whipping cream; cook and stir over low heat until just melted.

nutrition facts
Calories221, Total Fat (g)13, Saturated Fat (g)7, Monounsaturated Fat (g)4, Polyunsaturated Fat (g)1, Cholesterol (mg)25, Sodium (mg)81, Carbohydrate (g)22, Total Sugar (g)14, Fiber (g)1, Protein (g)3, Calcium (DV%)6, Iron (DV%)3, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

happy thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T11:47:00.001-06:00

lemon curd bars

2010-11-21T20:48:00.003-06:00

Confession ... I never should have made these!

You see Jon and I promised ourselves that for our fifth wedding anniversary we would return to the place of our honeymoon, Puerto Vallarta. Well our fifth anniversary is approaching next September. As we scouted out fares it occurred to us that neither of us are too thrilled about being seen in a bathing suit. So we decided to do something about it ... and not just THREE months before the event, per typical American dieting.

Well we enlisted the help of our friend who is a personal trainer. After some tattoo for training bartering and some of the craziest/hardest workouts of my life, it looks like we're on track.

We signed ourselves up for the YMCA, (They have Child Watch, which Emma love and was an absolute must for us) and I've been a Zumba going fool ever since.

You may ask, "But Amber, haven't you been running for like years." Well yes. And I also haven't lost, and kept off a pound in that time. My body just got used to it. I never changed it up, and therefore didn't keep seeing results.

But ... back to the lemon bars. What can I say? It was a very stressful week and as a release I like to bake with Emma. So I thought why not make something I can not eat, hide, then bring to Thanksgiving festivities for others to eat. Yeah! Lemon bar holiday/diet success!

Lemon Curd Bars
Courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 10 to 12 ounce jar lemon curd
2/3 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds or coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line a 13x9x2 inch baking pan with foil, leaving about 1 inch of foil extending over the ends of the pan. Grease foil; set pan aside.
2. In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to hight for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add flour and baking powder; beat until just combined and mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 2/3 cup of the crumb mixture; set aside. Press the remaining crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until top is golden. Remove from oven. Spread lemon curd over hot crust to within 1/2 inch of the edges of the pan. In a medium bowl stir together reserved crumb mixture, the coconut, and almonds. Sprinkle crumb mixture over lemon curd.
4. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes more or until edges are golden and topping is brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Remove bars from pan using the foil to lift bars. Place on cutting board; cut into bars. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.

PER BAR: 156 cal., 9 g total fat, 1 g fiber

photo recap

2010-11-09T08:38:00.006-06:00

I'm home sick ... bleck ... but I guess this is as good of a time as any to catch up.

Emma has been having a blast at Kindermusik every week. I love this class. We go every Thursday night for an hour. The total cost is about $150 for 15 weeks. I think it's money well spent. However, after this season passes I think we'll move on to a new activity. Maybe swimming lessons.

And a recap of Halloween. Emma was so much fun. She was a bit of a diva and had two costumes. One was a bunny, and warmer, for trick-or-treating. The other was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz for daycare. She didn't have any ruby slippers because she's going through a major princess stage. And she had pink princess slippers ... that she wears everywhere! She did have a Toto ... or Cassie ... that she had to dress up with a Halloween crown. I truly came into the room to find them like that.

enjoying fall

2010-10-10T19:50:00.004-05:00

camera bag

2010-10-03T21:10:00.003-05:00

As I've mentioned before, I've been on the search for a nice camera bag. Well Saturday Emma and I got to have a girls' lunch with my buddy Beth at the new Bread Poets sandwich shop, Sonnets. And low-and-behold Beth was sporting a extremely stylish camera bag. Here she picked it up at our local Target. Got to love Target!

Golla camera bag.

I'm back ...

2010-10-01T21:35:00.004-05:00

... At least for this weekend. I just finished my first online course. Took my final this evening. It feels wonderful! Now the next class starts Monday.

So the updates:

The lock - and the controversy. I'm glad we did it. There was no other solution. But now I'm happy to report that Emma is back to a happy bedtime, complete with a kiss and a hug. Granted bedtime is now 8:30 instead of 7:30, but I'll take what I can get. And for all of you doubter out there, I'll have you know some friends told us they did the same thing to their toddler - upon the recommendation of their pediatrician!

The toddler bed - and because Emma was climbing/falling out of the crib, the day the lock was installed her crib was replaced with a toddler bed. Not an issue at all.

New daycare - Emma's daycare lady officially closed her doors today. Sad that the woman who has taken care of Emma weekdays since she was six weeks old will no longer be a part of her life ... but it was time. Now Emma will start Monday at a new daycare that has two three-year-old girls and a four-year-old girl. I'm hoping that will get her talking more and support her potty training. Plus the new daycare does preschool.

The house - gosh. New shed built, dead tree removed, front steps finished (and we hired that all out!) Now we're focused on finishing the basement after it was half torn apart from flooding.

Kindermusik - Emma and I started back at Kindermusik a few weeks ago. Emma loves it! This week my mom even joined in the fun.

That's all for now. Don't want to overdue it all in one shot.

picks of the week

2010-09-08T21:03:00.011-05:00

A few things we can't do without this week (besides a lock) ...

Emma's movie choice of the week, Enchanted. Actually she'd put this movie in about every day for two weeks. She loves it ... and I love Amy Adams so it works out well.

Emma loves Goldfish crackers. Somehow whenever we're in the grocery store she always manages to find a bag and make me buy it. She calls them fishes.

The Bissell Little Green spot cleaner. Emma's daycare lady borrowed this little guy to me and it was seriously a piece of heaven. My rug looks brand new again. I would absolutely buy one of these if we had a bit more carpet in the house. It would be invaluable with a dog and a toddler. Awesome!

locking her in

2010-09-05T19:25:00.004-05:00

I know, I know. My blog has been a desert, void of information since I started graduate classes two weeks ago. The truth is I have been MIA not because of my higher-learning endeavors, but because Emma has suddenly decided bedtime does not apply to her.

Yes, my daughter was a perfect angel with a 7:30 p.m. bed time just a few weeks ago. I'll tell her it was time for bed, take her upstairs, tuck her in with a hug and a kiss. It could have been a picture on a greeting card for goodness sake.

Now she will not stay in bed. WILL NOT! She has been able to climb out of her crib for a long time, but Sunday she decided to put it to good use. The day my paper was due and I had a test to take. I'd put her in, she'd climb right back out and open the door. I coddled and coxed. She hadn't had a nap so I knew she was exhausted. We did car rides. Nothing worked! Finally she went to bed in Jon's arms.

The next day I vented to many coworkers. I was not ready to enter a new stage in parenting where my child sleeps in my bed (I realized a lot of parents have that situation.) Finally I realized I needed to let her cry it out like we'd done when she was just a baby. So I sent her to bed and held her door shut till she finally climbed back into the crib and went to sleep.

Now my daughter is a clever little thing. After a night of holding the door shut, she realized that if she climbed out of bed a little while later and tried the door again I might be gone. And so the battle continued. Not wanting to be a soldier standing guard outside my daughter's door all night, I decided it was time for a lock. A lock to lock her in!

I know, I know ... it seems harsh. But you just gotta do what you gotta do when your in the trenches of raising a happy, well-adjusted, not-sleeping-in-mom-and-dad's-bed little girl.

school supplies for mommy

2010-08-24T22:03:00.010-05:00

Yesterday I was checking out at Target and watched the mom in front of me lay down $200 on dorm supplies for her daughter. And I got to thinking, now that I've officially gone back to school (albeit online) why don't I get some rocking new school supplies? Yeah, a fresh box of crayons is nice .. even better is a fresh $30 box of Prismacolor colored pencils (I started an art minor during my undergraduate studies).

Then I was brought back to reality by my mortgage and MDU bill.

But because it's fun to window shop, here's my mom's-going-back-to-school-supply-list ...

The iMac. Aughhhhh. I've got this one! Yeah!!!!

Highlighers from See Jane Work.

And if you're feeling really splurgy, check out this gorgeous pink leather Dictionary from See Jane Work. Only $180.

I like to use stylish coffee mugs to hold my pens and highlighters. As a matter of fact, I have this mug sitting next to me on my desk right now.

Lastly, I know I don't need a lunch box when I don't leave my home for class, but how could I resist?

back to school

2010-08-18T21:24:00.002-05:00

It's official. Monday I start my master's degree classes online through University of Mary. I'm completely nervous. School has always been a breeze for me, but I haven't taken a class in eight years. Now I'm taking graduate-level classes, online, while I'm working (a real job where sometimes I have to take work home at night and have a glass of wine to take away the sting of the day, not just waitressing) and I've got a two year old in the next room.

What am I thinking!

But I am also excited to learn something new and expand myself in a new way. And Jon's supportive. And as crazy as it seems, we both realize this is as good of time as I'm going to get in our crazy lives ... before we have a store-front tattoo shop ... or Emma has gymnastics and activities ... or my work gets more demanding ... or if God has a different plan then our own for our family.

So I'm diving in head first and hoping Emma sticks to her bed time.

my perfect day

2010-08-11T20:23:00.004-05:00

I was at a session recently where the speaker had all of the attendees write out their perfect workday. The point of the exercise was to discover what is most important to you, and to try to take a not-so-perfect day and change it into your ideal day by adding those all important activities.

So here it is,
my perfect workday:
6:30 a.m. - Get up and get ready for work
7 a.m. - Emma gets up, have breakfast ... not at my desk
7:30 a.m. - Leave for work
8 to 12 p.m. - Kick butt
12 to 12:30 p.m. - Eat a healthy lunch (I so never get a lunch time)
12:30 to 4:30 p.m. - Kick some more butt (I am however getting much better about leaving on time ... and not bring work home!)
4:30 to 5 p.m. - Stop home or run errands and regroup
5 p.m. - Pick Emma up from daycare
5:30 to 7:30 p.m. - Eat dinner as a family (including Jon), play and laugh with my baby
7:30 p.m. - Put Emma to bed
7:45 to 8:30 p.m. - Run
8:30 to 9 p.m. - Shower
9 to 10 p.m. - School work or fun reading (bring on the grad school)
10 to 11 p.m. - Hang out and snuggle with my hubby or hang out with Grey's Anatomy and a glass of wine ... both equally great

So today was a not-so-perfect day, but Emma went to bed at 7:30 and I decided to get my butt on the treadmill and turn it around to a more perfect day. Ooh, 8:39 ... looks like it's time to shower. Good thing you can't smell me through the computer ; )

Now tell me, what does your perfect day include? Morning coffee? A trip to Target? A 10 mile run?

duckies, otters and puppets ... oh my!

2010-08-06T20:55:00.003-05:00

Augh, the Dakota Zoo ... where to begin. Wednesday night my mom and I loaded up Emma and headed off to the Dakota Zoo for the puppet show. I was impressed. Of course Emma loves the zoo, but then she loves anything with a playground so I guess she's easy to please. When I did finally pry her away from the slide she discovered another love ... ducks!

She loved the ducks so much that we arrived late to the puppet show. But the puppet show was wonderful and entertaining and well worth the visit.

But the ducks. Oh the ducks. The next morning the first word out of Emma's mouth wasn't "hi," it wasn't "mommy," it was ducky.

Looks like I've been replaced.

emma and grandpa

2010-08-02T20:50:00.003-05:00

I just had to share this precious picture of Emma with her grandpa Larson at our campsite at Sakakawea a few weeks ago. As many of you remember, Al suffered a sudden brain injury more than a year ago. He is still immobile and speaks very little. But, Jon and I have learned mountains from watching the love and compassion Joanne, Jon's stepmom, still shows as she cares for Al's every need. I was at a conference last week and the speaker asked us to write down our dreams. Then she asked us to write down our hero. Joanne is mine.

mark your calendar

2010-07-27T22:09:00.002-05:00

Family Puppet Show at the Dakota Zoo
When: Wednesday, August 4
Times: 7:00 and 7:30 p.m.
Where: Bismarck Dakota Zoo

Sesame Street Live
When: Saturday, August 7 and Sunday, August 8
Times: Various
Where: Bismarck Civic Center

Gateway to Science Bubble Bliss
When: Saturday, August 14
Time: 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Where: High Prairie Arts and Science Complex-1810 Schafer Street

Swimming at the Elks Pool

2010-07-23T17:41:00.004-05:00

For many parents in Bis/Man with a young child, the Elks Aquatic Center is the pool of choice. So last Friday Emma and I decided it was time to check out the pool for ourselves … and we loved it.

This pool is great for small children. They have lots of shallow area, plus sprinklers the little ones can play in during rest period. They have a snack bar that sells ice cream (yum) and plenty of shade. And, at $3.50 per person (yes, they charged me for Emma) it’s one of the most affordable kid-friendly outings I’ve found.

If you’re trying to go in the evening, I suggest stopping over Monday through Thursday. On those days they close at 4 p.m. and open again at 4:30 p.m. and stay open until 8 p.m.

When we went on Friday they didn’t have that closed period and stayed open until 6:30 p.m. So when we arrived at 5 p.m. it was one in one out. We didn’t have to wait long but still, we’ll stick with the weekdays.

photography arsenal for mothers

2010-07-19T17:48:00.002-05:00

One of the favorite investments I've made is my camera, the Canon Rebel XSI. It's just the base model as far as nice camera's go, but with a $650 price tag for camera and lens it ain't cheap. I picked mine up locally at Bob's Photo just because I really like those guys.

Now I'm not an amateur photographer; I know my way around an ISO and f-stop, but if that all was Greek to you this camera is still worth getting. The color a good camera can capture is astounding and soon you'll find yourself taking such nice photos you might just wonder why you ever settled for the JC Penny set up.

But moving on.

I have the camera. Now my wish list to make it mommy friendly.

I have been looking for a stylish camera bag/purse. You see I don't want to carry another bag, plus showing up at Kindermusik with my camera bag seems somehow over the top. But I spent $650 on this camera, plus I have extra lenses. I'm not just going to stick this baby in my purse! Enter Epiphanie's red purse. Ahh lust. But at $164 it still ain't cheap.

For a slightly more affordable purse/camera bag, check out Jo Totes.

And last but absolutely not least, you've got the gear but don't know how to use the camera. Sign yourself up for the photographer mama workshop by rialee photography in Fargo. $329 and I'm dying to go because it looks like it's worth every penny.

first trip to the movies

2010-07-15T19:29:00.003-05:00

At only two years old, my daughter loves movies. I try not to indulge her obsession too much, but it’s getting harder and harder. It started with Little Einsteins, moved to Nemo and now the flavor of the month is Aladdin.

(My disclaimer here, so everyone doesn’t think I’m some awful mom, is that she is also obsessed with Jeep rides, playgrounds, walking the dog and swimming.)

So since she enjoys movies, Jon and I thought it might be fun to take her to the big silver screen for Shrek 4. I’m happy to report it was a huge success.

Emma sat in my lap for an hour straight. She could hardly take her eyes off the screen. She’d hum to the music; she’d gasp and smile as Shrek and Donkey went on their latest adventure. She enjoyed some Reese’s Pieces and Jon used the time to enjoy a nap. I can already see this is going to be par for the course for our family movie outings.

After the first hour of the movie it was getting close to her bedtime and she started to lose interested so we left.

I don’t think we’ll make trips to the movies a regular activity anytime soon, but it was fun and worth the money for an occasional outing.

blog love :: enjoying the small things

2010-07-14T21:52:00.004-05:00

Okay, if you haven't read Kelly Hampton's blog yet, Enjoying the Small Things, you are seriously missing out. I mean SERIOUSLY missing out! I stumbled across her blog months ago at like 4 a.m. for some reason and sat at my computer desk bawling. BAWLING.

Kelly's second child was born with Down Syndrome. She shares her full birth story in such a naked way that I feel like a little piece of myself is in it, because often you only find that level of honesty with yourself.

And this recent post, man she did it again. Just as I've been thinking about the state of motherhood and wondering why people keep asking when the next one's coming. Like stopping at one means something is missing from my wonderful family unit. And today when I delivered a card to a women who'd lost her just-born baby. She dropped a little piece of wisdom down with her bright, beautiful photos.

I love it. Check her out.

lemon cake winner!

2010-07-12T19:03:00.002-05:00

Well, thanks for all the responses to my post about the book. Unfortunately I don't have enough for everyone, so I put the numbers into random.org and Katrina, you are the winner! Drop me a line at aluckyk@hotmail.com telling me what address to send the book to and I'll be happy to pass it along after I'm done (probably next week).

As for Amy and Sam, if you're interested in reading the book I'd still be more than happy to host a book club at my house sometime next month. I think I could wrangle up some other participants as well. We have to do it next month though. I start my master's degree in September and then all bets are off.

seven toddlers and one float :: parade recap

2010-07-09T16:58:00.004-05:00

Do you know any two-year-olds who stay focused on one task for five hours? … Didn’t think so. But none-the-less that is exactly what we attempted to do during last Sunday’s 4th of July parade.

Again this year Jon and I tried to prove family and tattoos go together by putting seven young children (and one very little baby) in our 4th of July float. It proved a little tougher the second time around.

Last year, when we participated in the parade, the start time was two hours earlier (darn Sunday church) and most of the kids couldn’t walk. The difference this year meant that by the time we left the park to start the parade it was all of kids’ nap time, and they didn’t ride in their custom wagons that Jon and I spent a week solid toiling over.

But despite those negatives, it was still a great time!

It’s fun to get out and show that our family-owned business is just that, family owned and family focused. It is amazing how many hours these dads put into building personalize wagons for their kids. And, it’s fun to take something as alternative as a tattoo shop and show its softer (though still cool) side. After all, most tattoos are about family and very personal.

the particular sadness of lemon cake

2010-07-06T22:52:00.004-05:00

I have a proposal. I'm deep into the pages of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and absolutely loving this book. Not just because it has the sour tang of lemon in the title, making my senses soar every time I look at the lovely yellow and chocolate cover; but also because the last time I was involved in a book club, ages ago in my pre-baby life, we read For Water Like Chocolate.

So here's my thought. I can either pay-it-forward like usual and pass this book along to another stimulation-deprived mom like myself. Or I can host a mini book club about this novel. You decide. Leave me your comment and let me know. Do you want the book next or do you want to buy the book yourself and enjoy some adult conversation amongst lemon and chocolate goodies?

And speaking of lemon, here is my pasta salad recipe which seems to be the hit of several gathering as of late.

Tortellini and Spinach Salad with Vinegarette

Best served at room temperature

Ingredients:

1 package Bartolli Tortellini
1/2 bag spinach or about 4 cups
1 chicken breast, cooked and cubed
1/2 lemon
1/2 bottle of Giada's Parmesan and Garlic Vinegarette (found at Target)
2 Tablespoons fresh grated parmesan

Directions:

Cook tortellini according to package
Drain and rinse with cold water
Add tortellini, fresh spinach leaves and chicken breast together in large bowl
Cover with juice from 1/2 lemon and add vest of the lemon if desired
Cover with vinegarette and toss
Sprinkle with parmesan and serve

toy story 3

2010-06-29T22:07:00.004-05:00

Dear Bismarck Theaters,

I'm confused ...

Though I understand the mass adult appeal, last time I checked I thought Toy Story 3 was a kid's movie. I was hoping to mark a milestone in my life, my first movie theater outing, by taking a trip to view this fine movie.

But alas, it's only playing in 3D.

Since I haven't threw up since my formula days, I'm going to have to pass on the over-priced motion sickness goggles. Even Robert Ebert has tweeted, "Watch Toy Story 3 in 2D. Save money, enjoy a brighter picture. 3D is completely unnecessary."

Come on ... get Toy Story 3 in 2D!

Cordially,

Emma Larson

packing the diaper bag for summer

2010-06-27T14:23:00.003-05:00

Every smart girl needs to change thing up for summer, for me that means highlights in the summer and a dark brown hair color in the winter. Emma is still working on growing hair, but that doesn't mean she can't change things up in the summer too. As we celebrate the warm golden rays of summer, the contents of her diaper bag have changed accordingly.

Here's what were packing these days to stay prepared (clockwise from top):

Her Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag. I love, love, love this bag!
The spare strap for her bag. I can convert it from a long strap to short strap and completely change the look.
Small plastic bags. We use these for dirty diapers or packing up wet clothes.
A baseball cap that stays in the bag in case we need some extra protection for her sensitive scalp.
Changing pad.
Travel utensils.
Pull-ups, because she's a big girl now ... or at least is trying to be one.
Travel Shout wipes.
Sunscreen.
Diaper Cream.
Spare shoes.
Spare socks.
Wipes.

Now here's the few things we're missing. Normally I would also carry a swimsuit and swimmer diaper in case they decide to swim at daycare. I'm a little behind on that. I've also had insect spray in her bag. I thought I did have insect spay in her bag. Looks like it was taken out last weekend while we were camping. Good to know. Note to self, buy more bug spray.

sesame street in bismarck

2010-06-22T21:01:00.003-05:00

Did you realize Elmo and all his friends are coming to Bismarck? August 7 and 8, "Imagine 1-2-3, Elmo and Friends" is coming to the Bismarck Civic Center. I'm a little nervous about taking my two-year-old to sit through a whole production, but the reviews said it's perfect for this age group. Let's hope so since I bought three tickets for the fam. Right now you can get presale tickets by signing up for the Ticketmaster e-mail. (Or the code is sewp)

Man, I hope they sing the Rubber Duck song!

Camping Lake Sakakawea

2010-06-20T21:43:00.010-05:00

During our engagement, Jon and I went through marriage classes at our church. In our classes, the church had couples in different stages of life talk to the group about what marriage was like for them. We listened to advice from newlyweds, empty nesters and a couple with young children.

It was that last couple that really struck a nerve with Jon and me. We both distinctly remember them talking about how even with two small children, they keep a date night for themselves every week. The couple stressed how this time away from the kids to focus on the relationship between the two of them not only kept their marriage stronger, but also kept their family stronger, to the benefit of the children.

Keeping that advice at heart, we try to have Emma be an extension of our family and not necessarily always the center of it. We try to continue to do the things we enjoyed as a couple before the baby, but in a kid friendly way.

And here's where I bring this soliloquy around to camping.

We love to camp, hike, bike ... basically anything that gets us away and outdoors. So recently we invested in a little pop-up camper to help make camping a little more comfortable, and dare I say a whole lot easier when a two-year-old is involved.

So this weekend we loaded up the crew and headed out to Lake Sakakawea with some friends.

Check out this view!

We camped on the Garrison Dam side in the state park. It was a wonderful place to camp with kids. And if you do bring the kids along ...

They can help walk the dog.

And bring a pool for some fun.

Just make sure to bring plenty of sunscreen.

And movies to help the little ones take a nap.

what to get the toddler that has everything

2010-06-17T21:31:00.004-05:00

Somehow we have found our family's schedule full of toddler birthdays. And, having a toddler myself, I've found by the second birthday you've just got to be a bit creative.

Emma has lots of toys, but just a few she'll pay with. Plus, I'm finding all these toys really don't mesh with my decor. I tried a present of new Little Einstein movies after about three months of watching the same one on repeat, but just as I got her five new DVDs she was over them.

So here are a few summer toddler birthday present suggestions in case you find yourself like me, shopping for the toddler that has everything ...

A family membership to the local zoo
A pass to Raging Rivers water park
Or, a backyard pool
Swimsuit
Books or a gift card to Barnes & Noble
A cute hat or sunglasses to beat the summer sun (I haven't found any stylish ones locally, but Gap has great sunglasses and hats online)

I went for the swimsuit and pool present for Emma's second birthday. Both were from Target. I also gave the same giraffe pool to another child this summer. A huge success.

a little change

2010-06-15T23:02:00.005-05:00

Okay. I admit it. I'm bored with my blog. Or more honestly, I'm completely over my blog. I like to follow other people's blogs and I like to update the blog for our family business - because there's a purpose.

I follow blogs with content I'm interested in or blogs of friends to see how their families are. I enjoy updating our business blog because the content is well defined. But here sits my own little personal blog, languishing.

I've dipped my toe into the waters of several topics, such as: home improvement, cool finds, decorating, family life, recipes, running, etc. As a publication editor by day, I can easily see that this little blog needs some focus. And focus I have decided to give it.

I mentioned a while back how jealous I am of Fargo's On the Minds of Moms magazine. A nice little guide to being a mom in the FM area. Well as homage to my sad, but none-the-less existing link on the Tribune's Dakota Moms website, I decided to do my own little guide to getting out in Bismarck/Mandan ... mommy-style.

I figure it's time to try to do my part to live up to that feeble link's worth and to create some content that if nothing else at least I'm interested in reading. More to come.

the amusement park

2010-06-05T21:32:00.003-05:00

With perfect weather and the carnival in town, we decided to put the top back, load into the Jeep and head to the Civic Center for some rides and fun. Well we weren't the only ones with that idea; the line to get in stretched down an entire block. We quickly nixed that idea and instead headed over to a tired-and-true place for some rides and fun, the amusement park in Sertoma. We only spent $10 on tickets, no admission charge and got a hot dog for a buck. Don't forget about this little gem. It's a great destination for the kids.

blog love :: the bright side project

2010-06-02T20:23:00.003-05:00

Are you a blogging purist, who thinks any item promotion or advertising on a blog tarnishes the space? Or does the Maguire in you say, "Show me the giveaways"? If you lean more towards the later then I have a blog for you, The Bright Side Project. This blog has a giveaway very day. But it's not just the usual, here are my sponsors and here's a taste of their wares. No. This site gives away beautiful items like a turquoise Kitchaide mixer and a Clara French Ceramique cake stand. (If you haven't seen the beauty of these cake stands your missing out. Too bad I can't afford one ... hopefully I win!)

recipe :: pasta for one

2010-06-01T22:00:00.001-05:00

The baby's in bed. Jon's asleep on the couch. This is a wonderful and rare occasion. It's time for a quite, relaxed dinner for one. Augh, I can feel the tension release from my shoulders as I prepare my favorite dish, just for me. Pasta. Five minute pasta to be exact, because who knows how long a flash in the pan moment like this will last. (CLICK HERE TO READ MORE)

Five Minute Pasta
To get flavor without much hands on time, I opted for store bought pesto and canned Italian diced tomatoes, rather then fresh.

1 1/2 Tablespoon pesto
1/2 cup of canned Italian flavored diced tomatoes
About 10 frozen cheese ravioli
1 Tablespoon ricatta cheese
1/2 Tablespoon olive oil

Bring water to boil and cook ravioli. Drain water and mix remaining ingredients with ravioli over low heat.

memorial day vacation

2010-05-31T21:48:00.006-05:00

Well last weekend I finished my first 10k, in the rain. After months of training and months of craziness at work, it was time for a little R&R. So we loaded up the whole family, hooked up the new camper and headed out to Medora the start of a five-day family vacation. (CLICK HERE FOR MORE)

The pop-up was a huge success. Emma spent hours walking Cassie, or was Cassie walking Emma ... hard to say. We rented bikes from Dakota Cyclery (Man, I miss having those guys in Bismarck) and rode through the park with Emma in our new bike trailer. Obviously that was hard work for her.

We had planned for the next leg of our vacation to be some camping at Fort Stevenson, but the weather had other plans. Instead we ended up in Minot for two days, visiting family and preparing Jon's old Jeep to come home with us.

Such a nice vacation.

don't fence me in

2010-05-26T16:59:00.002-05:00

I love HGTV. I miss HGTV. Jon and I have no television stations at our house and are mostly better off for it. I still watch every episode of Grey’s Anatomy online, but that is the full extent of my TV fix. So when I was staying at my sister’s house for the Fargo run, I was understandable sucked in to old episodes of “Dear Genevieve” on her DVR. (CLICK HERE TO READ MORE)

I was watching an episode of Genevieve redoing a kitchen and quickly my house seemed less and less appealing. I sat on the couch at 2 a.m., unable to sleep thanks to my post-run nap and two cans of Mountain Dew, and mentally compiled a list of all my next home improvement projects.

The next day Jon and I found ourselves in a deep discussion about all the money that has been flying out of our pockets. When we bought our house, Jon and I compiled a list of improvements we wanted to do that first summer. We soon discovered that one summer list was really about a five-year list thanks to the time and money factor.

In the three years we have lived in our house, we have put about a fourth of the full purchase price of the house into home improvements. We’ve done a lot, but it is sad to think our 30 year mortgage could have been a fourth of the way paid for it we would have been a bit more complacent.

Don’t get me wrong. I will always have the urge to make my house HGTV worthy and I’m very proud of the work we’ve put in. But, I’m also tired and sick of spending money.

For this summer, we have money tucked away to tear down our chain link fence and put up a nice, wooden privacy fence. But we don’t have enough money to cover the whole project.

I can honestly say I’ve finally gotten to the point where I’m ready to scale back all the redecorating and redoing. We have a fence. Is it ideal? No. But I’m finally realizing the new mantra of my family should be: simplify, work hard and then relax.

So it looks like the new fence is taking a back burner to camping and saving. But don’t worry, I think we’re still going to take some of the fence nest egg and fix the post-flood basement. I’ll still have before and after photos to share. Just maybe a bit more low key.

family photos

2010-05-23T21:50:00.003-05:00

The proofs are in from our family photos with Otis & James! I'm so excited. Here's a sneak peek ...

emma's two

2010-05-18T22:11:00.006-05:00

We had a whirlwind birthday weekend. It was a wonderful time to celebrate Emma's second birthday with family and friends. My intention was to keep it low-key, and that is was not, but we enjoyed it all. Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes. (CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS OF THE FUN)

let the festivities begin

2010-05-13T22:44:00.003-05:00

I'm officially kicking off the celebrations of Emma's second-birthday weekend. Tonight I baked a mini cake for the daycare kids to enjoy tomorrow. Emma's on a huge Nemo kick now (Little Einsteins are so last month, thank-you-very-much) so I had to put a cute little fish and whale candle holder on the top. Happy birthday baby girl.

happy mother's day ... to me

2010-05-09T18:22:00.004-05:00

Jon got me such a nice present for Mother's Day ... this pop-up camper. I'm so excited for some family time together - biking, hiking, smores and fires. But most importantly of all, away from everything, including the shop!

haircut and interval training

2010-05-07T19:34:00.005-05:00

Thursday was a big day. At work, We had the first of many events this month. Event days are always exhausting for me, but after work the real craziness began. Emma and I attended our last session of Kindermusik until the fall. Then after a quick bite to eat, we shared a special date at the salon. Emma and I both had appointments to get our hair cut by my long-time stylist. This was Emma's first real haircut and first salon experience. She was a great sport. So cute. (CLICK HERE FOR MORE)

Finally I got home, tired but still a little stressed from the full day. I decided to get on the treadmill and do a quick run to burn off some steam.

I've recently been enlightened with the concept of interval training. This is where you run a short distance at a high intensity, then you recover for a short distance at a low intensity. So basically I ran my butt off for a quarter mile, then took the next quarter mile at a lower, recovery pace.

I loved it. So much more interesting than trying to zone out for an hour and run at the same pace. And wouldn't you know it, I made it to five mile!!! Watch out Fargo here I come!

sunday projects

2010-05-03T21:00:00.006-05:00

This is how Jon and Emma spent Sunday. (CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE)

And since one of us has to carry the load for the family, I spent my time assembling my new buffet while they lounged in various locations at various times. They were so cute, I just couldn't hold their inactivity against them. Plus I was pretty pumped about this new buffet.

... Okay, okay. You got me. It's not really a buffet table. It is a bookcase.

I just didn't want a hutch. So I've looked far and wide for a buffet. Finally I found one at Furniture Row for $200. And it was the exact same thing as my $60 Target bookcase except it had glass doors on the front. Obviously the Target bookcase won that battle.

Now if only I could get Emma and Jon to quit drooling over it.

Get it ... drooling. Hehe. ... Okay, I'm done now.

squeaky clean

2010-05-02T18:59:00.003-05:00

Jon and I were always firm do-it-yourself-ers. (Why else would be buy a 100-year-old house?) But somewhere between a small business and small child, we have become worn out. Jon has discovered the merits of bartering, i.e. trading tattoos for labor. I have become the patron saint of "let's hire someone." So I am very excited to announce that, as of this Tuesday, we will have a housecleaner! I always thought cleaners are only for women who wear pearls and dress their kids in white. Well our household doesn't even have cable, so that's not us. The truth, I've discovered, is housecleaners are for the overstressed. And that is so us! Bring on the light fixture dusting. Crazy what excites you when you become an adult.

the road to the 10k

2010-04-27T12:46:00.003-05:00

I am a runner, and I never thought I'd be able to confidently say that. Up until a year ago I never had any interest in being a runner. But as a baby arrived, and the baby weight stayed, and the chance to leave my house for anything including the gym lessened, the simple appeal of a treadmill and pair of tennis shoes heightened my interest. (CLICK HERE FOR MORE)

My first run was at the Fargo Marathon last May. For our first mother's day as mothers, my sister and I finished the 5k race together holding hands. It was a very special moment. Now fast-forward a year later. My sister has lost all her baby weight (way to go!); I've burnt out one treadmill and am on to a newer, nicer version; I've finished a couple races; and the baby weight is very, very slowly vanishing off my frame.

Next month my sister and I agreed to face the challenge of the Fargo Marathon again. This time we are taking the distance up to 10k (6.4 miles). I've had fun seeing how easily the 5k distance is for me now. Three miles is a simple training run. But the 10k distance is still looking a little daunting to me. I still haven't ran farther than four miles straight though. Plus I've been battling a cold this week, which has killed a week of my training. In the end I know I'll make it though. I'm so proud of the progress I've made with my training. I love the runs. They brighten my mood and create a great stress relief during my stress packed days.

As a past passionate opponent to running, I'm urging you to give it a shot if your new-mommy-body is begging for some activity and attention. Just remember to go into it with no expectations. Every mile is a success and every moment you give yourself is a moment well deserved.

recipe :: lemon pasta

2010-04-24T12:04:00.005-05:00

Spring is in the air. My tulips are just about blooming and my rhubarb is well along the way to its first harvest. This time of year brings morning walks to our local coffee shop and evening BBQs while Emma plays on her swing. What a relief after a long winter. Somehow everything seems lighter, including my appetite. (CLICK HERE FOR MORE )

I have a few flavors I love that scream summer - coconut and lemon being at the top. Plus I'll take a good pasta dish over a big hunk of meat any day of the week. So when I came across this recipe on Weight Watchers, it sang to my tastebuds. So simple to make with my favorite Barilla pasta and my left over chunk of expensive Pecorino Romano from this dish. Emma approved.

POINTS® Value: 6
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 11 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
8 oz uncooked whole-wheat spaghetti
2/3 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup(s) canned chicken broth, or less as needed
1 large egg(s), beaten
1/3 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste
2 1/2 tsp lemon zest, or to taste
1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup(s) parsley, fresh, minced

Instructions
Cook pasta according to directions; drain and set aside.

Add butter and oil to pasta pot; melt over medium-low heat. Add broth; stir and heat through about 1 minute.

Remove pot from heat and add pasta, egg and cheese; toss well so egg coats pasta. Add lemon juice and zest; toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper; sprinkle with parsley. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

Notes
You’ll need 1 medium lemon for the zest and juice.

ucky

2010-04-20T21:22:00.004-05:00

I leasurely wrote my pervious post last night as Emma lay in the room next to me, singing herself to sleep. Only she didn't go to sleep. She kept fussing until finally I decided to investigate. As I opened her door I was met by a wall of stink! There sat my precious little girl, in her crib, naked from the waist down. Her pajama bottoms were in a ball in her crib and her poop filled diaper was on the floor. (CLICK HERE TO READ MORE)

Emma hates to be dirty. Anytime her diaper is wet or filled she calls it "Ucky" and takes it off. Unfortunately, she is not in a stage in potty training where she uses words to communicate she has to go. She just communicates she's dirty after the fact. And, as evident last night, if we don't act quick enough she will take care of the dirtiness herself. What a treat.

an evolution of style

2010-04-20T19:50:00.006-05:00

We moved into our house three years ago. At the time we closed, I was really just concerned with how we were going to pay the mortgage. Two jobs and a good $30,000 in home improvements later, we finally are getting close having our house reflect our family's style and taste. This has been accomplished with a lot of craftsmanship from Jon's side, and a lot of decorating vision from my side. Now, there are plenty of times when Jon and I wonder aloud why we didn't just save our time, energy and money and buy something newer and more expensive, but in the end we still enjoy the satisfaction from knowing we built this home. (CLICK HERE TO READ MORE)

The best part is as these large projects get done we finally get to focus on the finer points. Case in point, this summer we are taking down our chain link fence and building a new privacy fence around the whole yard. But the part I look forward to the most is putting a nice swing set in the back and sitting on my porch, enjoying a glass of wine, while I watch my daughter and dog play in the yard.

Our house has been a constant evolution. See here is our living room just a year ago, and this every evening.

Or even crazier yet, TWO years ago, and this evening.

And a photo of Emma enjoying the living room for good measure.

kindermusik!!!

2010-04-15T19:12:00.005-05:00

Jon and I visited Fargo last week and I picked up the new issue of the "on the minds of moms" magazine. First off, I was already jealous that Fargo moms have the advantage of Baby Gap and Pout Boutique. But this magazine really made my ugly green mommy monster rear it's jealous head. It wasn't enough that Fargo has something as cool as a free publication dedicated to moms, but inside I found Fargo also had Donuts with Dads Saturday mornings at the Moorhead Public Library and a DROP IN ACTIVITY CENTER for when you just want an hour to buy groceries without a tantrum in the fruit snack aisle. (READ ABOUT KINDERMUSIK)

But before I completely wrote off my home town, I decided to give one of the few toddler friendly activities in the area a try. I logged onto the Kindermusik website, downloaded myself a free pass, and tonight Emma and I crashed our first Kindermusik class. It was so great!

The class keeps the short attention span of a toddler by changing activities every few minutes. They dance, sing, listen to books and much more. But really you just have to go give it a try. This class made Emma look like the most well-behaved toddler ever. (And she's not!) The tasks just kept the kids' interests and taught them manners and listening skills, at toddler level.

I was planning to get a photo of all the fun, but we were just to busy, well, having fun. We are going back for the last three classes of this session. Then we've got to wait until fall for the next session to start. Bummer.

And, PS, loved Michelle the instructor. She had an adorable note on the wall from one of the students. It read, "I love you. Thanks for loving me too." Melt my heart!

good dog

2010-04-12T19:53:00.005-05:00

Just about a year ago we welcomed Cassie into our home. Boy what a difference a year makes! Cassie was rescued from a puppy mill. She was four-years-old, but had never lived outside of a cage. She faced terrible neglect and cruelty. We got her from the humane society in a rough state. She wouldn't walk on a leash. She wouldn't get off the couch to eat. She sure wasn't potty trained. And, if she got the chance, she would run away from us and never return. (CLICK HERE FOR MORE)

But we picked her anyway because she is a timid and scared creature. Both good qualities when you have a helpless one-year-old at home. Plus she had the saddest eyes, just begging for someone to love her.

Now a year later, our helpless one-year-old is a wild two-year-old who loves to ride Cassie like a horse and kiss the dog goodnight. And our timid dog is ... well, still timid ... but making great progress. Slowly she is filling the hole Lexus left behind. And though Lexus's picture still sits on the shelf, I thought it was time to mark Cassie's territory.

And in case you have a lovely little cocker of your own at home, here is the picture.

pregnancy photos

2010-04-09T20:34:00.000-05:00

NOPE! Totally no plans to get pregnant. But I did just stumble across Walk to 40 Weeks photography series and I think these is the BEST pregnancy photos I have ever seen. I might have to try this idea our with Emma for her second birthday. Time to crack open the Photoshop again!

entry remodel

2010-04-07T20:14:00.004-05:00

There are two types of people in this world, wood purists and wood painters. Having bought an old home whose only consistent feature was all white woodwork, Jon and I fall into the wood painters category. However, Jon's dad without a doubt falls into the wood purist category. So I'm sure if Jon's dad saw these pictures with the newly bought, $50 a piece, freshly painted, OAK railings he would have reamed our @$$es. But as it is, with him still recovering from the brain injury he suffered over a year ago (man, and it still feels like a shock every time we see him) we instead spent our time laughing and desperately wishing for that ear-full. But none-the-less, the wood is painted and the entry, that sat in the "before" look from our second day in the house until just about three months ago, is almost finished. All that is left is a light fixture, a door repair and a chair rail between the two textures.

easter baskets

2010-03-30T20:44:00.002-05:00

As a little girl, I was obsessed with bunnies. I remember hounding my mother relentlessly for a live bunny. I was so persistent that one Easter I figured I'd worn her down to the point of submission. I remember how I bawled when I found my Easter gift consisted of a large stuffed animal rather than a live bunny. Oh the horror. The things we put our parents through, huh. Now as an adult I can say I still like to see a live bunny running around the neighborhood, but there is absolutely no way I am inviting one into my house as a pet. And yet, after all of that trauma, I still enjoy a tradition of Easter. Not the egg dying ... the Easter baskets! I love Easter baskets. And the Easter bunny was very talented in our house. One Easter he made our whole basement into a Cabbage Patch with Cabbage Patch Kids. It was awesome. And man, could he hide the baskets. Sometimes one of us kids would just have to give up looking. I'm so excited to start some of these memories with my own daughter. Holidays are so much better with the innocents of children wrapped in them.

cutie

2010-03-25T22:23:00.003-05:00

In case you don't check our business site, I had to share this cute picture of Emma again. This is how we spent last weekend and will be spending this weekend, at a car show. Really Emma only sat still for maybe five minutes of last weekend's show. It was exhasting. But I guess that's part of being a small business owner.

otis and james

2010-03-22T19:45:00.002-05:00

This is not Otis and James. This is Ryan and Sandy. Otis and James are my FAVORITE photography studio. They have a space oozing with coolness in downtown Minot. (I know coolness and Minot seems like an oxymoron, right.) Ryan and Sandy are good friends of ours from Minot (they're cool too, despite Minot) who have been fortunate enough to befriend the Otis and James crew and get their photos taken there ... twice. My jealousy cup runs over! That is until I booked my own family photos with the O&J crew. Our photos aren't until May, but I'm already so excited. Like a typical girl I'm already stressing about what we should wear.

baby einstein

2010-03-18T19:07:00.002-05:00

Emma is obsessed with Baby Einstein. We have one of the Baby Einstein cartoons, "Our Huge Adventure," where the Einstein kids help a caterpillar turn into a butterfly (that's call metamorphosis!) and then migrate (all the way to Angangeo, Mexico!). She has to have it on constantly. She pulls me to the TV to turn on her video first thing in the morning, and again first thing when she gets home. I don't know what the draw of this video is. Nothing else glues her to the TV like these little Einstein kids, but at least she is listening to Beethoven and looking at Monets.

recipe :: chicken pasta salad with poppyseed dressing

2010-03-15T18:45:00.003-05:00

Our weekdays are hectic. Most often dinners consist of me eating alone after I've fed Emma and put her to bed. So there is really no point of going to too much work. However since I prefer not to have cereal every night, I try to have some simple stand-byes on hand. My new favorite mom supper is Chicken Pasta Salad with Poppyseed Dressing. I found it in my American Heart Association cookbook and simplified (and added fat to the recipe) by using Brianne's Poppyseed Dressing instead of making my own. (CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE)

Chicken Pasta Salad with Poppyseed Dressing
(makes 3 servings)
2 cups whole wheat penne pasta
2 cups spinach, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 fully cooked chicken breast, cut into strips
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/8 cup chopped red onion
Briannes Poppyseed Dressing to coat

anatomy of a friday night

2010-03-12T19:23:00.002-06:00

taxes : (
the mark order I just placed
old faithful, a glass of wine
phone and cash for my Pizza Ranch chicken wrap delivery. Yes, I have it delivered even though Pizza Ranch is literally just across the street
Grey Anatomy from last night, because we have no TV so I have to watch it online and they don't post it on ABC until the next day
sleeping baby
husband at hockey game

our new life change

2010-03-08T20:52:00.002-06:00

While the top personal question I get asked these days by well-meaning strangers is when we are having another child, I have a slightly different life change in mind. One that requires me to regress to my lifestyle before Emma, almost even before Jon. After years of toying with the idea, I think I am finally taking the plunge ... the plunge of going back to school. Grad school that is. Evening and online classes while I continue to work full time, be a mom and a small business owner. Thank god school is easy for me. I have a fantastic memory ... at least I did before I had a kid and so many responsibilities. So you may ask, with so much going on why did you decide to add one more thing now? And the truth is I have to be challenged intellectually or I'll go insane. I can handle Emma right now, and feel I can add more. Jon and I know we do not want another kid soon, so I want this done before we add another and start the cycle of craziness all over. And I want to add a degree that will take me to another level professionally. I've always been an overachiever and so the saga continues. University of Mary, Masters of Strategic Leadership here I come. And alas, it looks like some more student loans are headed our way. Bummer!

recipe :: mediterranean chicken salad

2010-03-03T19:07:00.006-06:00

Emma went to bed tonight at 5:30 p.m. She is such a little girly, girl. I guess she found some mascara in the room during nap time (no one knows how) and decided to pretty up rather than take a nap. The result was a black face and socks and a mom with a lot of time on her hands this evening. It's the perfect time to make another batch of Mediterranean Chicken Salad for supper. (CLICK HERE TO READ MORE)

I first had this at our Love Your Heart Luncheon as St. A's. Our chef made it and it was yummy. Later I got the list of ingrediants and made my own batch at home. Jon ate the whole thing in one evening, leaving me only a taste. So tonight I made another batch, refining the amounts and adding cilantro. I would have added some nuts too but I was all out.

So good ... and heart healthy.

Mediterranean Chicken Salad

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

2 cubed, fully cooked chicken breast
1/2 can chopped black olives
6 chopped scallions
1 chopped red pepper
1 cup mayo
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 cup chopped cilantro

recipe :: angel hair with cheese and pepper

2010-02-28T13:11:00.004-06:00

It's a lazy Sunday morning at our house. The whole family went swimming last night with friends. I think we are all still trying to recover from our overdose of chlorine and Emma is sleeping off her brush with death after Jon thought it would be a good idea to take her down the massive water slide. I'll sum up the experience by saying Emma came out looking like she'd been shot out of a canon at the circus, but we still couldn't drag her out of the water. (CLICK HERE TO READ MORE)

So we're resting, trying to get the chlorine-burn out of our eyes and making a little comfort food for lunch. It's a new favorite; a goody I picked up from Smitten Kitchen. Hers is spaghetti with cheese and pepper, or spaghetti cacio e pepe if we're getting fancy. And it is a little fancy since the hunk of cheese cost me $8, but it's worth the extra pennies for what turns out to be a simple but flavorful dish. I like to use the Barilla angel hair instead of spaghetti. It's one of the few extra protein, wheat pastas I like. Emma loves this dish. She grabs the noodles by the fist full and shoves them in her mouth. I end up picking strands of angel hair off the floor, but so is life. I've also tried with with a cheaper hunk of parmesan reggiano; it was okay but not as good.

Smitten Kitchen recipe. Hope you like it as much as I do.

house numbers

2010-02-24T16:07:00.006-06:00

Last night we ordered pizza; nothing special about that. But as I was taking Emma upstairs what I presumed to be our delivery guy did a slow drive-by our house and continued on to M&H. He turned around and did another stalker like drive-by. Finally I had to signal to him that we were indeed his destination. (CLICK HERE TO READ MORE)

You see we repainted the house this summer and never did put the house numbers back up. Normally it isn't a huge deal that we don't have a house number. The old house with a gas station for a neighbor is kind of hard to miss. But as in the case last night or when we direct CUSTOMERS to our home-based business, house numbers can be majorly important.

But not to worry, today the new vinyl house numbers are installed. I got glass-etched vinyl cut at Signs and Wonders for the steal of $8. Now our glass screen door looks like it has been custom etched just for us. And our pizza will hopefully find us without any more delays.

Oh, and don't you love this idea for house numbers from Etsy. Maybe it is just all the greenery I'm lusting after.

a budding artist

2010-02-23T05:25:00.002-06:00

As a household with two artist, we like to let Emma's creative juices flow. But as a person interested in making things look nice, I prefer not to have my house look like a play land exploded all over. I've though about painting chalkboard paint on the wall (nicely framed of course) so Emma could draw but didn't want to encourage writing on my walls. So this weekend I found a solution at TJ Maxx. I found one of those chalkboard easels like the ones coffee houses use to promote their specials. Now I have a nice looking outlet for Emma's creativity.

happy birthday mom

2010-02-22T19:44:00.004-06:00

office remodel

2010-02-17T12:32:00.005-06:00

My house is always a work in project, and my latest side project is to pull together my home office. This room has some great potential, but has been sorely neglected in favor of bigger, more pressing projects. I inherited the room with beat-up wallpaper that has a heavy leaf embossing in it. The walls have since been painted a funky lime green. So now every time you enter the room your hit with a bright, cheery tropical feel. I've had a picture of an office I pulled from Design Sponge as inspiration for a long time, but hadn't made any progress until recently. The secret to my new found motivation is my new bright and sparkly iMac. A big splurge, but now that I don't have one at work it seemed like a well deserved treat. Nothing like an expensive computer to take a room up a notch. I'll keep you all updated on my progress.

what a difference a day makes

2010-02-11T18:21:00.002-06:00

What a difference going back to the crib made. My sweet, happy daughter was finally back this morning; and after a good night of sleep, her mother was back as well. Emma even woke up this morning with a completely dry diaper. I then put her on her potty chair and there we go. A full night keeping herself dry and holding her bladder. Who knew a set-back could help facilitate a new milestone?

what i've learned this week

2010-02-10T21:17:00.003-06:00

Last night as part of my job I sat in on a talk discussing how to deal with the stress of managing diabetes. I though the night wouldn't entail many take-away points for me; after all I don't have diabetes. Boy was I wrong. I have been under a tremendous amount of stress this past week. Emma is testing her boundaries by throwing temper tantrums very regularly. In addition, after our first couple night of success our toddler bed transition wasn't going so well. Here's what the talk showed me ...

Change is a process and cycle, not a straight line. The speaker stressed that making a change can take several tries. So after several nights in a row of Emma sleeping with us, and me not getting much sleep, at 5 a.m. this morning I took down Emma's new toddler bed and put her crib back up. She might have been ready with some more effort from us, but I wasn't ready to push it or put myself through the stress right now for no foreseeable reason.
I need my time to myself and non-mommy time. That's something I learned long ago, but this past week and a night away at work just reaffirmed that. I was starting to get edgy and resent my child. I am use to having her go to bed at 7 p.m. and getting some unwind time to myself. Finally I had to spend a night at work to relieve my stress. Another reason to set back up the crib. Now tonight Emma went to bed like normal. I got in a run and a good glass of wine. I can feel my sanity creeping back already.
My husband is as proud and support of me as I am of him. When you own a small business there is no off duty. Typically in our house that means we make a lot of sacrifices for the shop and Jon's work often comes first. But lately I've seen how supportive my husband can be. My new job has demanded more of me, leaving me with less to give to Jon and more to expect from him. Last night I was so impressed to see how easily he took over the duty of watching Emma when my job called. I have also seen how much he brags about me by how many friend and family members of his ask me about some event I'm working on or some project I have at work. This is really a surprise and unexpected change after so many years of putting his work first.

So there are my long ramblings. Hopefully there are some take-aways for you in this as well.

your body is a wonderland

2010-02-09T16:51:00.004-06:00

John Mayer is slated to come to Fargo on April 8th. I just found out they are running a special Valentine's week sale. This week only, $23.50 a ticket. Jon and I got our pair. Happy Valentine's to us! Auhh, Bryan in two weeks and then John in a few months. Gotta love grown up treats.

lemon cake with curd and blueberries :: recipe

2010-02-07T12:07:00.007-06:00

Saturdays are typically my baking days. During the week the Larsons can easily end up with grilled cheese or cereal for supper, but on Saturdays I try to atone by filling the house with the smells of freshly baked bread ... or cake ... or whatever mood I've been struck with. I have favorite stand-byes as well. Most recipes that call for bananas, cinnamon, coconut or lemon catch my eye. One particular recipe I've had bookmarked for months was for a Martha Stewart Lemon Cake with Curd and Blueberries. And low and behold blueberries are on sale this week. So I had my groceries delivered Friday night (Thanks Dan's!) and Saturday afternoon during Emma's nap went to work on this recipe. (CLICK HERE TO READ MORE AND RECIPE)

Now this isn't the easiest thing to make. There are several steps and plenty of bowls to dirty. I knew right away I'd hit a snag when my egg whites wouldn't beat into firm peaks. Then my batter only filled about half of my round cake pans. This wasn't looking good. But I sampled my batter and it was tasty so I decided to proceed.

Below is a picture of Martha's example cake and how my cakes looked pulled out of the oven. But it was delicious. So when life gives you lemons you turn your lemon cake into a lemon crumble. Even Jon loved it. Success!

LEMON CAKE WITH CURD AND BLUEBERRIES
Ingredients
Serves 10
FOR THE CAKE
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup skim milk1/3 cup canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

FOR THE LEMON CURD
4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon, plus 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract1 1/3 cups blueberries, lightly crushed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cake: Coat two 8-by-1 1/2-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms with parchment. Spray parchment; set aside.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk together 1/4 cup sugar, the milk, oil, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a large bowl; set aside.
Put egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until foamy. Raise speed to medium-high. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.
Add half of the flour mixture to the milk mixture; whisk until smooth. Fold in remaining flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the egg white mixture. Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn out cakes onto rack. Remove parchment; reinvert. Let cool completely.
Make the lemon curd: Put egg yolks into a medium heatproof bowl; set aside. Whisk together lemon zest, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Add 1 1/2 cups water and the lemon juice; whisk until sugar and cornstarch have dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Cook 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; gradually whisk one-third of the lemon mixture into the reserved egg yolks. Pour mixture into pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 1/2 minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Pour into a bowl; place plastic wrap directly on surface. Refrigerate until firm and cold, at least 1 hour (up to 1 day).
Fold blueberries into curd; set aside. Trim top and bottom of one cake to be flat. Cut each cake in half horizontally. Set untrimmed bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with 1 cup curd. Repeat with trimmed halves for second and third layers. Top with untrimmed top layer. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

10k in 2010

2010-02-06T10:38:00.003-06:00

The goal has been set, and the registration fee has been paid. Looks like I'm running the 10K during the Fargo Marathon in May. My sister and I had talked about training for the half marathon, but I convinced her to go for the six mile run instead. I wanted to train for a race knowing I could run the whole distance (with some training of course). My goal is to finish under an hour. Let the running begin.

big girl bed

2010-02-04T20:05:00.002-06:00

This week I took on the ambitious task of switching Emma into a toddler bed. She's to the point where she's able to crawl out of her crib and playpen. She wouldn't crawl out of the crib often, but she could. She also showed a lot of interest in our friends' son's toddler bed. So I found myself a nice used bed and made the switch. I brought it home a few nights ago and had Emma watch as I put it together. Then I let her play on the bed as I took apart her crib. I even had her help me move a few of the smaller pieces of the crib out of her room. I wanted to make sure it was a fun change for her and nothing traumatic. That first night she went to bed in no problem. She did wake up at about 1 a.m. and I had to let her sleep with me. I wasn't in the mood to test this bed thing in the middle of the night. Last night she had a babysitter, but went to bed with just a small amount of drama and slept through the night. Finally tonight we got a bit more resistance to bedtime, but finally she settled down in her new bed and went to sleep. All in all I'd say the bed is a hit. Emma seems to like to snuggle in it and enjoys that it's sized for her. We have put a baby gate in her bedroom doorway. That way if she gets out of bed we can still keep tabs on where she is and know she's safe.

i'm seeing red

2010-02-01T20:16:00.003-06:00

I'm seeing red, and so should you. This Friday, February 5th is national Wear Red Day. The day when the American Heart Association urges women, and men, to wear red to raise awareness of the threat of heart disease. Did you know one in three women in North Dakota will die from heart disease or stroke? Well at work we did our part to try to bring awareness to the issue. Today we had our luncheon for women's heart disease. And I saw a lot of red. Nice work ladies.

it's going to be ok

2010-01-28T21:48:00.003-06:00

Today was one of those days for me. I've been working my butt off planning an event on a crazy short deadline. Now Jon and I have discovered one of our pipes is leaking... behind our plaster walls. I had to give myself a little retail therapy to calm down. Thanks etsy! I bought the print above. And $5 of my purchase is going to the people in Haiti. A good cause and a calming piece of art all in one stop.

banana oatmeal bread :: recipe

2010-01-24T12:56:00.003-06:00

This is one of my favorite recipes. I type as I savor the thick, warm, buttered slice my hubby just delivered to me. Oh wait ... augh, only crumbs left. (CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE)

POINTS® Value: 4
Servings: 10
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 50 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 tsp canola oil
1 large egg(s), beaten
2 medium egg white(s), beaten
3 large banana(s), ripe
1 cup uncooked old fashioned oats

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Add oil and eggs; mix thoroughly.

In a smaller bowl, mash bananas with a potato masher or fork. Add bananas and oatmeal to batter.

Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan and bake until top of loaf is firm to touch, 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Flip out and cool on a wire rack for another 10 minutes.

if these walls could talk

2010-01-23T21:41:00.002-06:00

Yesterday Jon and I finally closed on our home refinancing that we started back in JULY. Thank goodness that is done. Now it looks like the big old house is gonna have us for at least the next five years. Which is fine since I am already making plans for the house's 100th year celebration. And with our title freshly pulled out from the refinancing (note to self to get that back in the safe ASAP) I continued my preparations by researching the owner history. I sure most people's titles start out way back in time with the plot of land owned by the railroad. Ours does... on paper worn thin and ink faded over time. But ours continues quickly into a property, in 1912 to be exact. And it looks like the home hasn't been owned by too many families. The first couple to own the house lived in it for 43 years, until they both passed away. Then in the 50s, through public auction, their daughter and her husband bought the house for $12,500. They lived in it until 1975 when it was sold for only $20,000. It's so cool to learn the history of this place. All these families connected to this structure that is something so much bigger than a house... it's a home.

the secret

2010-01-15T20:42:00.005-06:00

If you're one of my five loyal blog readers (and I love all five of you) then you may have noticed that my photos have as of late went from nice-with-potential to sharp-color-rich-images. My favorite subject, Emma (here playing with my lens cap), could tell you the secret on the other side of the photo. It's this! I'm in love!!!

new carpet doesn't magically appear

2010-01-12T19:22:00.007-06:00

I love the before and after of home improvement projects. I shared my before and after photos of our carpet just a few posts ago. The before and after is the whole reason to do the project. It tells the world, look at how bad it was and how great we made it look. But the truth is there is a during. The during is where you have to pay for the project, do the work and live in a house that is a royal mess. The during is what kills half of the home improvement projects I have in my head. But to be fair to all of you out there considering getting new carpet to have a beautiful after like ours, here is my account of our during. (CLICK HERE TO READ MORE)

Our carpet was a nasty, stained green carpet. We inherited it with the house. It had to go. But we figured before we put something new in we might as well get the wallpaper removal in our entryway finished, texture the bare plaster left behind and then paint the whole thing. We're nothing if not overly ambitious. So Jon got a friend to do the wallpaper removal and texturing for tattoos and we painted. I'm so glad we did all the messy work before the new carpet came in. It gave us a tight deadline, but we got to move quickly because we had no concern about splatters. All in all the plaster, paint and supplies cost us about $400.

Next we had to remove the carpet and pad from our bedroom, hallway and stairs. It was gross, but only took about two hours to tear up. Well, it only took two hours but it still is sitting on our trailer in front of our house waiting to be hauled out to the dump. Then we had to remove all the staples and vacuum the whole thing. Let's just say this job is best done with some company and a bottle of beer. But no cost and all in all not that hard to do.

Lastly came the new carpet. We had a sample from Lowes from a year ago for $.99 per square foot. When we got there we found their quality was nothing like our old sample and to get something comparable would now cost $1.35 per square foot. This came to about $1,000 with pad to carpet our bedroom, hall and stairs. Not satisfied, we went to Menards (and it takes a lot to get me to Menards). There we found a nice carpet on sale for $.99 per square foot. So our total price for the carpet and pad was $650. Then my ever bartering husband got a friend to install our new carpet over New Year's weekend in exchange for ... what else, tattoos!

So total price of our before and after, $1,050.

We do have hardwoods under all this carpet but we are crazy blessed with hardwoods in our house. This area is the only carpet that exists in the whole place. Plus going from the experience of having it torn out, the house was so much louder without the carpet that I would never have considered just refinishing the floors. But if that is your bag of tea, as a cost comparison, our bedroom cost us about $200 for carpet and pad whereas refinishing the hardwood floor in just Emma's bedroom cost us about $500 in supplies and sander rental.

philosophy sweet creamy frosting :: recipe

2010-01-04T19:33:00.005-06:00

What are you? Do you like your sugar cookies frosted or unfrosted? I've discovered there is not much middle ground on this topic. I think it is a trait inbred from birth. Like this one will have blue eyes, brown hair and frosted sugar cookies. This one get brown hair, green eyes and unfrosted sugar cookies. I also discovered over Christmas that most of my family, and probably most of our sugar worshiping population, falls into the frosted sugar cookie variety of people. So where did that leave me? With about 30 unfrosted sugar cookies sitting among the Christmas spread being passed over for Hersey Kiss Blossoms and Peanut Butter Cups. Doomed to dry out and get hard. (CLICK HERE FOR MORE AND RECIPE)

I had to step in.

Luckily I had been given a Christmas gift of some philosophy bath gel. The Red Velevet Cake and Sweet Creamy Frosting gels to be exact. Each with their own handy dandy recipe and recipe card included.

And behold, sweet creamy frosted sugar cookies were born ... and quickly devoured.

Sweet Creamy Frosting
Recipe from philosophy. I only made 1/2 the recipe, which yielded about 1 cup of frosting.
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 to 2 tbsp. whipped cream

In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes. Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.

a happy holiday

2010-01-03T18:50:00.004-06:00

What a change from last year's Christmas. As we've passed the New Year and freshly embarked on 2010, I must say I am happy to have the past year behind us. Jon and I shared some major challenges over the past year. Most of them have made us stronger people and for that I am grateful. Jon's dad finally seems to really have bits of his old self back. And though his body isn't cooperating, it is such a relief to see him remember who we are and to have him take pleasure in watching his granddaughter play. Oh and Emma, my little hot pot. Full of fire, personality and wit. She is giving her parents a run for their money. Potty training, climbing out of the crib, brushing her teeth, brushing her hair, the dog's hair, riding the dog like a pony... Our days are always a joy when we get to share them with such a ball of life.

new carpet!

2010-01-03T10:28:00.003-06:00

visions of fairies danced through their heads

2009-12-25T07:48:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas!

the gingerbread house

2009-12-21T21:14:00.005-06:00

good night, friday ... auhhh

2009-12-18T19:22:00.008-06:00

good morning, friday

2009-12-18T19:21:00.003-06:00

recipe :: cinnamon honey butter

2009-12-16T07:04:00.009-06:00

I have a few things I've been gravitating towards as of late: scarfs, good photography, coconut and cinnamon. I indulge my scarf love daily with our crazy cold weather. And my love of photography, now that I'm not tied to making visual creativity all day for money; I'm lusting hard after a REAL camera. I envy blogs with beautiful photographs and pour over them like some women worship a good hunk of dark chocolate. (CLICK HERE FOR MORE)

This week I came across the blog fly through our window. The way this mom captures her children and daily life ... ahh, lust. But one thing I could easily bring from her blog to mine in simple homage is her cinnamon honey butter recipe. And there I've tied in cinnamon. It's a good morning.

Cinnamon Honey Butter
From fly through our window. This recipe is so easy it's hard to even call it a recipe, but the result is like cinnamon toast for grown-ups.

Ingredients:
2 sticks of butter at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup honey
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Make sure butter is at room temperature. Mix all ingredients in electric mixer with mixing attachment. Mix well. Scrape sides, and mix again.

dressing up

2009-12-12T17:04:00.002-06:00

And while I'm on the subject of shoes...

just in time for christmas

2009-12-10T20:25:00.004-06:00

Emma's in love with shoes. I mean so in love. She is constantly bring her shoes over to me to put on her. Plus, she likes to take out my shoes and try them on as well. She'll tromp around in my slippers or pose in my best high heels. But my personal favorites on her are her little pink Chucks. But saddly, she recently outgrew her pair and trying to tie shoelaces on a toddler is not fun. Target, oh you felt my pain. Pink Converse with VELCRO! ON SALE! Hurry, they'll stay on sale until Sunday.

christmas time is here

2009-12-10T07:00:00.006-06:00

Christmas time is here, and what is my present? After over two years of living in a house with a torn up entryway (Thanks mom, hehe) my bartering husband is finally having it finished! He convinced a guy to do the plaster work in exchange for a tattoo. New plastered texture on the walls. No more wallpaper. And as if that wasn't enough, next I get new carpet! I married such a good man. (CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE)

hanging out with emma

2009-12-01T19:42:00.002-06:00

recipe :: chicken corn chowder

2009-11-29T15:12:00.005-06:00

Cold weather is finally setting over North Dakota. Though I've loved not having to pull out my snowboots and gloves, I admit I can't find the same joy in a Christmas that isn't white. With the cold, also brings soup season. (CLICK HERE FOR MORE AND RECIPE)

I found a simple recipe for chicken corn chowder in one of my Better Homes and Gardens magazines in August and have been saving it for the perfect chilly day. That day was this weekend. Emma enjoyed it!

Chicken Corn Chowder
1/2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast or chicken thighs
2 cups sweet corn
1 32 oz. container reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 scallions chopped
1 1/4 cups instant mashed popato flakes
salt and ground black pepper
crushed red pepper

1. In Dutch oven combine chicken, corn and broth. Cover; bring to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat. Simmer 12 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken to cutting board.
2. Add half the scallions to broth in Dutch oven. Stir in milk and potato flakes. Shred chicken using two forks. Return chicken to Dutch oven. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle each serving with remaining scallions and crushed red pepper.

emma's christmas present

2009-11-23T22:27:00.002-06:00

Oops. We couldn't wait. It was just too cute to leave in a box for another month. Emma loves it. She already likes to pull her toys around in the trailer.

the best sugar cookies ... ever!

2009-11-18T21:37:00.005-06:00

Before my brother Nathan was even a glimmer and dad was still a long-suffering man with three daughters, I had a babysitter named Margaret. She became a staple in my childhood. Her daughter was my best friend all through my youth - and when my little brother finally did come around, Margaret and her husband became his godparents. (CLICK HERE FOR MORE AND RECIPE)

I often hate when people use the term "second mother" because I would never dare say anyone could come close to the mother my own mother has been to me, but that said, Margaret was something along that vein.

For my wedding shower, Margaret gave me a wonderful gift ... a batch of heart-shaped sugar cookies and all the supplies to make my own, including the recipe. The gift made me tear up in the middle of my party.

See I grew up on these cookies. And pre-pregnancy Amber didn't really even eat sweets. I've always been a cheese girl. But man, these sugar cookies do it to me every time. Give me a big glass of milk and a few of these cutout treats and I'm transported right back to my childhood.

I can't wait to pass this tradition on to Emma. I've even got over a fifty different cookie cutters waiting for the occasion. But until then, I'll share the recipe - a little pre-Christmas gift from my childhood to you.

Cutout Sugar Cookies
I've never been much of a sweet eater, so I love these because they rock without frosting.

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup Crisco
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
2 1/2 cup flour, plus more for rolling
2 Tablespoon sour cream

Mix thoroughly first five ingredients. Then add remaining ingredients. Chill dough for 15 minutes. Roll out dough and cut shapes, chilling extra dough as you work. Place cutout dough on ungreased cookie sheet. Decorate dough with M&Ms and sprinkles. Bake at 400 degrees until slightly brown. Enjoy with a big glass of milk.

here's what i helped make on week two of my new job

2009-11-14T11:28:00.001-06:00

homemade stocking

2009-11-10T22:04:00.004-06:00

Every now and then I like a good craft project to use as a creative outlet. Three years ago my bright idea was to sew stockings for Jon and me. I even made a bone shaped stocking for the dog and an extra stocking for any future children (Emma). Then, I got really ambitious and decided to make another set for my friend Beth and her husband for their first Christmas as a married couple. If you're keeping count, that's a whopping six homemade stocking for one Christmas. Needless to say I got pretty good at sewing stockings. Well now Beth has added to her family this Christmas season. Happy first Christmas Ben, a bit early. I hope you enjoy your stocking.

poopee on the potty

2009-11-10T21:50:00.003-06:00

I was afraid to join the mommy club. It seemed like an alien experience where otherwise intellegent women were left with nothing to talk about besides Kindermusic and potty training. I remember one particularly frightening experience many years ago. I had a coworker who drove her own Harley and seemed like a very cool girl. But her stock with me plummeted when she broadcast through the office that her son had gone "poopee on the potty." (CLICK TO READ MORE)

I came home and swore to Jon I never wanted to be one of those women.

Emma has been thrilled to potty train. At only a year-and-a-half old, she is a natural and I'm so happy not to have to put any effort into this right of passage. But what to say about it? I'm so proud of my little girl, but I just can't become a poopee in the potty woman. Oh the internal struggle!

earaches and ERs, oh my!

2009-11-02T19:27:00.003-06:00

Yes, I love my new job. I really am excited to go to work. But going into work at midnight because my workplace is a hospital and my daughter has been crying for six hours straight is not my cup of tea. (CLICK HERE TO READ MORE)

To make a long story short, we took Emma to the ER and discovered she has a massive earache last night. And by long story I mean I feel like I aged another two years last night. Nothing is more frustrating and heartbreaking than listening to your child cry for hours when nothing you do helps.