Of Cats and Cardstock

A rare snowfall

2012-03-01T09:20:00.001-06:00

We've had an unseasonably warm and dry winter this year. I'll admit it's been nice not dealing with Arctic-like temperatures, but it seems a little strange not having a typical Iowa winter. So when we finally got some snow last week, I was almost excited.

One thing I've learned about snow is that when the temperature is near zero, the snow is light and fluffy. When it's near the freezing point as it was last week, the snow is heavy and wet. While heavy snow is much harder to shovel, it also sticks to the branches of the trees and creates beautiful winter scenes.

As expected, the snow didn't last long, so I'm glad I caught a few pictures while our yard looked like a winter wonderland!

Welcome, Let's Scrap Blog Hoppers!

2012-02-29T10:00:00.002-06:00

Please note that this is a "sticky" post which will remain at the top of my blog for the month of February. Please scroll down to see newer posts. Thanks!

Greetings from Iowa, right in the center of the United States! Welcome to your next stop (#44) in the Let's Scrap Blog Hop!

If you came here from Kim's blog, then you are in the right place! If you did not, Mindi Brown is the first stop on the hop. She also has the complete hop order to help you find your way. Although you can start at any blog along the route, you don't want to miss any of the fun!

From the name of my blog, you may have guessed that I love both crafting and kitties. My cats quite often assist me with projects, especially those involving ribbon, their specialty! :)

I am very excited to be a blog host for such a large and international blog hop. I love the idea that crafters around the world will be getting to know one another and sharing ideas! And what a privilege it is for me to be the HOP STOP between Kim and Carla, two very talented crafters from Australia and South Africa. You are sure to be inspired by their beautiful creations!

Here is the sketch I am showcasing for the hop:

This is such a versatile sketch that I know I'll be using it over and over, and I'm sure you will, too! This sketch is perfect for using up little strips of coordinating paper.

My first card was made primarily with October Afternoon products, mixed and matched from a few different lines. I started with the basic shape suggested by the sketch and built from there, choosing a soft color palette to work with the "memories" theme of my card.

Of course, I had to include a bit of twine, one of my favorite products at the moment!

My second card was created completely from scraps, something I often challenge myself to do. As I was looking around my EXTREMELY TIDY desk (ahem!), I immediately spotted the leftover "You're a hoot" text from a recent We R Memory Keepers project, so I decided to make an owl card. (I love owls even more than twine!) I grabbed a few paper scraps in fall colors -- including some of my very favorite striped paper -- and one of my many owl stamps. To make a perch for the owl, I used my Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers twig and leaf die set.

I added a button tied with a bit of natural twine, as well as a strip of cardstock punched to look like notebook paper -- a subtle nod to the notion of a "wise old owl". A bit of embossing and inking, and another card was done!

And now for the fun part! Here's the little prize package I'm offering for my random drawing -- a mix of October Afternoon goodies, including an adorable chipboard house album, rub-ons, rubber charms, an assortment of pretty ribbon, and a few other surprises, too!

It's easy to be eligible for my random drawing! Here are the 3 things you need to do:

1) Make sure you are signed up as a follower on my blog. Scroll up to the right-hand corner of this page and click on the JOIN THIS SITE link.

2) Join the Let's Scrap website. It's free, simple and quick! Click HERE to join right now!

3) Leave me a comment on this post! In your comment, please share your favorite tip for organizing crafting supplies! This will enable us all to gather some great ideas throughout the month of February!

If you would like a second chance in my random drawing, here's what you need to do:

1) Make a card from the sketch I have posted and upload it to the gallery at Let's Scrap. Please tag it like this:

5-5-11, LEAP44 Note that there is a space after the comma and LEAP is all capitals. There is no space after LEAP.

2) Leave a comment on my blog with a link to your card on Let's Scrap.

Remember: The hop ends at 11:59pm Central Standard time on February 29th, which you will be able to track using the clock on the main page of Let's Scrap, so be sure to do all of the above by the deadline! Prize winners will be posted and notified on March 3.

Thank you for visiting, and I hope you'll come back regularly! Can't wait to read your comments and see your beautiful cards!

Your next stop will be Carla's blog at Sweet Scrappins.
Have fun!

Janet

Recipe: Southwest Meatballs

2012-02-27T11:29:00.001-06:00

Today I'm sharing a recipe which I've actually made successfully a few times: Southwest Meatballs. This recipe comes from Clean Eating, a magazine I'd highly recommend if you're interested in cooking with fewer processed foods. The great thing about this recipe is that it can be made in one big skillet -- a very nice feature for someone like me who tends to make big messes when cooking.

Before you get started, you must remove all kitties from the kitchen! For some reason, kitties seem to gravitate toward ground turkey. As you can see, Tinsel was not too pleased that she had to be sequestered in the basement!

As indicated in the recipe below, you'll first need to form the meatballs. This is a gunky process, but it goes fairly quickly. The recipe creates enough meatballs to stretch over two dinners at our house.

Next you'll want to brown the meatballs so they get a nice crust.

Then you'll add the remaining ingredients -- corn, tomatoes, black beans, broth, and spices. It smells SO GOOD! I stepped outside and came back inside a couple of times just so I could smell dinner cooking! :)

Finally, you'll add cilantro for an added kick of flavor and a bit of color. Serve over brown rice for an easy one-skillet dinner!

Southwest Meatballs - Clean Eating magazine

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey breast

2 large egg whites

1/4 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp olive oil

1 cup frozen yellow or white corn

1 15-oz can low-sodium black beans, drained & rinsed

2 cups diced vine-ripened tomatoes

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:

1) In a large bowl, combine turkey, egg whites, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Shape into 16 meatballs, each about the size of a golf ball.

2) In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add meatballs and cook for 3-5 minutes, turning frequently, until browned on all sides. Add corn, beans, tomatoes, broth, lime juice, and cumin. Mix well. Reduce heat to medium, partially cover and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until meatballs are cooked through. Stir in cilantro and serve.

Feline Friday: SNOW!

2012-02-24T09:35:00.001-06:00

It's been an unusually warm winter around here, so I was (secretly) a little excited when we received a few inches of snow last night. It's a heavy, wet snow -- the kind that somehow coats each tree branch.

The kitties always look at the snow with amazement, so I scooped up a bit of it and brought it inside for inspection.

As expected, Tinsel eyed it with suspicion.

And also as expected, Lily came running immediately and stuck her nose in it.

OOO! Dat wuz COLD, Mommie!

Tinsel would have nothing more to do with the cup of snow. Instead, she decided to pose for a winter glamour shot!

Now THAT was much more pleasant!

Tabby Tuesday

2012-02-21T00:20:00.002-06:00

PURR-fection!

Feline Friday: Squirrel?

2012-02-17T09:47:00.000-06:00

Okay, Lily knows she is not supposed to be up on the kitchen table. And she is not supposed to help me make kits for classes, either. But it's not often that I catch her sitting up like a squirrel!

So for the sake of cuteness, I'll allow it just this once. :)

Super-Easy Salade Nicoise

2012-02-15T10:45:00.003-06:00

This super-easy Salade Nicoise is one of my very favorite dishes. I love "all-in-one" dishes like this because they make a great lunch or dinner all by themselves. Here's how I made this pretty and healthful salad:

Super-Easy Salade Nicoise

Mixed greens/lettuce

New potatoes

Fresh green beans

Fresh mushrooms

No-salt tuna (packed in water)

A few kalamata olives (surely one of the best things on earth!)

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Lite balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Wash and cut the potatoes in half. Wash and trim the beans. Steam the potatoes and green beans, just a handful for each salad you're making. Let them cool to room temperature.

Spread lettuce on a plate. Arrange the potatoes, green beans, mushrooms, and olives on top of the lettuce. Add a few chunks of tuna. Add salt (if needed) and freshly ground pepper to taste. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette and ENJOY!
Janet

February Happenings

2012-02-13T11:56:00.000-06:00

January was sort of a blur and February has been much the same. I am continuing to keep busy with a variety of projects, with hopes of finishing up quite a few big ones this month! I have not touched my short list of New Years' Resolutions -- and that needs to change!

During February, I'm one of 50 hosts for the Leap Around the World blog hop sponsored by Let's Scrap, an online crafting community. The response to the blog hop has been great, and it's been a lot of fun to "meet" crafters around the world.

For the past couple of months, I've also been recruiting volunteers to help with the upcoming state Academic Decathlon tournament which our local high school will be hosting on March 2 and 3. This has proven to be a big task but the community has been great in responding to our needs. We're all looking forward to a successful event!

Meanwhile, I just finished up a card set for Memory Bound using papers from the fun Kaiser Craft Bubblegum collection.

I've also been preparing for several classes and making samples for our upcoming wedding and graduation open house events at the store. There will be many inspiring ideas for both! I also just finished up the newsletter for March and April -- click here to see everything we have planned for the spring!

I've been writing for retail trade publications for a few years now, something I really enjoy. I have a regular column in Creative Retailer, which is a wonderful new publication aimed at business owners and others involved in the crafts industry. My column focuses on various aspects of teaching classes. I firmly believe that the "HOW" is just as important as the "WHAT" when teaching, so I enjoy addressing topics which can make all of us more effective in educating our customer base. I am excited that my article about class kits is listed on the cover of the next issue!

The balance of my month has been filled with working on several projects for a Halloween publication due out this summer, tending to our lovely kitties, and trying out a few new recipes...including one that failed big-time! But more on that later...for now, it's back to work!
Janet

Feline Friday - Table Decor

2012-02-10T08:30:00.000-06:00

I arrived home yesterday to THIS:

This basket WAS used to hold a baking dish!

Upon closer inspection, it appears that somebody is larger than a 2-quart casserole:

Still, it must have been a good spot for a nap. :)

Tabby Tuesday

2012-02-07T23:16:00.000-06:00

Lily has a "secret" hiding place in the back of the closet. I'm not sure why she thinks it's all that secret...she's managed to commandeer two blankets to outfit the corner just to her liking, so obviously SOMEONE knows it's there. :)

Nevertheless, it's an excellent napping place. Quiet and comfy...away from the stresses of the world.

Crock Pot Recipe: Pork & Green Chile Stew

2012-02-06T09:16:00.001-06:00

We tried a new stew recipe last week and deemed it a keeper. I found this one in a Taste of Home magazine. I cut the recipe in half (only because my crock pot wouldn't hold a full batch) and still had leftovers! If you're worried about the chilies, you could always cut back on the amount, but I made it as written and it didn't seem overly spicy at all. This is a great stew for a cold winter evening!

Pork and Green Chile Stew

Taste of Home magazine

2 lbs boneless pork shoulder butt roast, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp coarsely ground pepper

4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

3 cups water

1 can (16 oz) hominy, rinsed and drained

2 cans (4 oz each) chopped green chilies

2 T quick-cooking tapioca

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 cup minced fresh cilantro

Sour cream - optional

In a large skillet, brown pork and onion in oil in batches. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 4 quart slow cooker. Stir in the potatoes, water, hominy, chilies, tapioca, garlic, oregano, and cumin. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or until meat is tender, stirring in cilantro during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Serve with sour cream if desired.

Feline Friday: A Little More TLC, Please

2012-02-03T01:03:00.005-06:00

This time last week, I had just taken Lily to the vet with what appeared to be a urinary tract infection. She was given a two-week course of antibiotics and appeared to have fully recovered...until yesterday, that is. Her litter box woes returned, so back to the vet we went.

The first order of business was an X-ray to determine if the cause of her trouble could be bladder stones rather than a UTI, as the symptoms are similar. The X-ray showed no strong evidence of stones except for two teeny tiny spots smaller than the head of a pin. The vet recommended that she try prescription canned food for a week. It is formulated to actually help dissolve certain kinds of stones and sooth irritated bladders. Awww, poor Lily! :(

So in addition to a very groggy kitty, I brought home a case of delicious "Urinary SO". The vet instructed Lily to eat up to three cans a day! As you might imagine, Lily was thrilled with this homework!

When we got home, Lily sat and looked at her new food for the longest time. She could not believe her eyes!

Three cans every day? All for me? YIPPEE!

I guess going back to the vet wasn't so bad after all, Mom!

Coming Soon: Let's Scrap Blog Hop!

2012-01-28T00:00:00.028-06:00

I am excited to be participating for the first time as a blog hostess in the Let's Scrap Blog Hop. This international blog hop is starting on February 1 (that's next Wednesday!) and continues through the end of the month. The theme is "Leap Around the World" and that's just what we'll be doing...LEAPING from one blog to the next!

"Okay, Miss Janet, what the heck is a blog hop?"

Glad you asked! :)

A blog hop is a great way to visit new blogs and be inspired by all kinds of talented crafters at each stop along the way! In a blog hop, certain blogs are designated as host sites. For this particular hop, there are 50 such blogs hosted by talented crafters from all around the world! At each blog, you'll find a blog hop post as well as the link to the next "stop" (or blog address) on the hop. Visitors (hoppers) go from one blog to the next throughout the designated hop period -- in this case, the month of February.

Each blog hop is different, but for this particular one, each hostess will be posting a card sketch and sample(s) made with the sketch. Hoppers can participate by making their own cards based on the sketch. There will be chances for hoppers to win prizes...but you'll have to wait for details on all of that!

Watch for my post on Wednesday morning, February 1 and join us for an entire month of fun and inspiration!

Janet

Feline Friday: A Little TLC

2012-01-27T00:00:00.000-06:00

Poor Lily is recovering from a urinary tract infection, her first illness. Being an overly attentive cat mom, I noticed right away that something was off and took her to the vet immediately. She's on antibiotics now and is well on the road to recovery.

Of course, she didn't cooperate one bit for her examination and had to be sedated in order for anyone to get close to her. Unfortunately, she is always naughty at the vet which is why her chart is labeled FEISTY. While she was sedated, the vet trimmed her nails at no extra charge. We all appreciated that! :)

So while she is recovering, she is getting lots of attention -- even more than usual, if that is possible. She needs to be drinking a lot of liquids so the vet suggested giving her chicken broth in addition to water. Lucky for Lily, I happened to have a freezer full of homemade chicken stock which she has been enjoying immensely!

I hope by the time you read this post she will be feeling 100% better. In the meantime, rest assured she is getting plenty of TLC!

January Update

2012-01-23T23:17:00.003-06:00

I haven't been blogging (or visiting the blogs of my friends) as much as I had hoped to in the new year, as I've been busy with several projects. It's all good stuff and I feel very lucky to have work that I enjoy so much! Like everyone, I just wish I had a few more hours in the day!

I've been very fortunate to have picked up quite a bit of contract work for three crafting books which will be published later this year. I started working on these projects last June and expect to finish the last set by spring. I'm really pleased with the projects I've been creating and am very anxious to see the completed publications!

At the moment, I'm busy working on several projects and getting ready for a few upcoming classes. Just this past weekend, I taught another recipe album class -- always a good time. I enjoy swapping kitchen disaster stories with folks in my recipe classes! One of my goals is to get my own recipes a bit more organized this year. I recently moved my most-used recipes to a 3-ring binder and need to consolidate the rest of them.

This coming Friday evening, I'll be teaching a mini-album class. We'll be making a 4x6 album from a journaling pad -- taking it completely apart and putting it back together in a different format. Should be a fun and interesting class!

On Saturday, I'll be teaching one of my very favorite classes, Get Organized Challenge. I've updated the class with new storage ideas and many more "before and after" pictures. I will be repeating this class in March for those who can't make it this time, or anyone who wants to come again. I would love it if my own space were done by March! That might be wishful thinking...

The first week in February, I'll be teaching another in the series of mini-albums I've been doing for the past year using We R Memory Keepers 4x6 pads. This one is from the Love Struck line, which is a pretty adorable product set.

Also in February, I'll be teaching a Year of Cards class twice! We'll be making 12 all-occasion cards which I created using a single sheet of Echo Park journaling cards. This set was really fun to design and I'm excited to share it with everyone.

I just finished up another WRMK mini-album for March. This one is made using the adorable new Cotton Tail line. You can't go wrong with chocolate bunnies! You'll find lots of inking, embossing and Distress Stickles in this one.

I also just put the final touches on another mini-album, this one made with a 7 Gypsies acrylic album and some beautiful Authentique paper. This project is one of my recent favorites.

I'm really excited to teach this class in late April!

In February, I signed up to be one of 50 hosts for an international blog hop sponsored by an online crafting community. I've never done this before so am looking forward to learning about the process. I'll be posting more about the blog hop soon!

So you can see that I have much to look forward to in the coming weeks. Here's to continued productivity...and more than a few Starbucks runs! Thanks for stopping by! :)

Feline Friday: The Great Outdoors!

2012-01-20T08:30:00.000-06:00

Todai I got to go to da grate outdoorz! I pretended to be a kittie in da wild. RAWR! I am feerce! I am hyding heer to pounce on mi enimie!

Ohai, Mom! Is is tyme for lunch?

Organization: Ornaments

2012-01-19T09:56:00.004-06:00

As part of my mission to get things pared down and organized around here, I recently tackled the rather large project of re-organizing the Christmas ornaments.

After taking down the five Christmas trees, I sorted the ornaments on the dining room table. The ornaments shown in the photo below are just a fraction of the ornaments I have, so I hauled the remaining ornaments upstairs to sort them, too.

Previously, my ornaments were stored in these cardboard boxes. They're sturdy boxes with three layers, but they're really inconvenient to use: In order to reach ornaments in the bottom of the box, you have to lift out the top layers. The dividers then fall apart and the ornaments spill.

Bailey knew I was frustrated with the boxes, so she bought me several Snapware ornament containers at Target. The advantage of this design is that you can access a single layer of ornaments without disturbing the others. I liked the Snapware boxes so much that I bought lots of them!

As Bailey and I were decorating the trees this year, we decided to organize the ornaments that she will want to take with her next year to her new apartment when she has her own Christmas tree.

One thing led to another, and then I decided that this was the year to start on an ornament mini-album. Many of our ornaments have a story, and I want Bailey to know why each one is special. (You can read the post I wrote about this for Memory Bound here.)

So as I put the ornaments away, I took photos of many of them. I'll come up with a simple album format which will include a small photo and information about each one.

Bailey made this one as a child at Living History Farms.

I put her ornaments in a couple of boxes, all organized and labeled for next year.

I organized the remaining ornaments by theme or type and labeled each box. This will make it much easier to find them each year, as I like to change the decorations around to create "themed" trees.

Overall, I feel good about the progress I've made. The ornaments are now much easier to access and much less likely to break. I'll post pictures of the mini-album once it's complete!

The Power of Pattern

2012-01-16T09:52:00.005-06:00

In the past few weeks, the Dreaded Fitness Place has been undergoing a bit of a remodel. I thought it was perfectly fine to begin with but, as we all know, my fitness expectations are fairly low.

I was intrigued, however, when they began painting the walls very intense but unrelated colors. To be sure, color can affect one's mood -- and presumably one's desire to exercise -- but I wasn't sure if I could handle a color scheme with no coherent theme. A rust wall, a bright orange wall, a lime green wall...what was going on??? (Yeah, I hear you...maybe I should have been spending more time on the elliptical and less time worrying about color...)

Finally, everything came together when they installed a cool graphic which incorporates the seemingly unrelated wall colors. It's amazing how a pattern can do that! And it's a grid, too! (Do you know how much I love grids? Almost as much as I love stripes!)

Now that I understand the new color scheme, I'm just SURE that it's going to work wonders for me at the Dreaded Fitness Place!

Feline Friday: Happi Purr-Day, Bailey!

2012-01-13T00:00:00.000-06:00

Today is Bailey's 19th birthday! To honor her, Tinsel and Lily made a very special card. I had to help with the computer (because they don't have thumbs, you know), but they picked out all the pretty pictures and colors.

Once the card was done, we had to have a photo shoot.

"What's so funny, Tinsel?" Lily asked. "This is A Big Deal!"

Lily decided to do a solo shot while Tinsel regained her composure.

Purr-Day photo shoot, Take 3!

We hope you have a great day, Bailey, and get all the noms and naps you want!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T09:00:00.000-06:00

Must kill dis kitteh...

Eagle Observation

2012-01-09T16:17:00.006-06:00

For the past several weeks, a group of bald eagles has been hunting near a small pond close to where we live. You can't miss them, because nature enthusiasts have been also camped out by the pond with their binoculars and high-powered cameras. Their vehicles line the shoulder of the busy highway near the pond.

I pass by the pond frequently, but only last week did I finally have my camera with me and have time to stop. I pulled off the highway and got out of my SUV. I could tell by the strong scent in the air that this must be a good place for the eagles to fish. Whew!

I don't have a big camera, but I still managed to get a few decent shots of the eagles with my little point-and-shoot camera ...

...even though the trees where they were perched were fairly far from where I stood.

I'm old enough to remember when eagles were very much in danger of dying out, so I'm rather amazed by the fact that today there are so many of them just hanging out and doing their food chain thing almost in our own backyard.

As I stood and watched, one of the eagles must have spotted a fish in the pond. He began a long, circular spiral down toward the water.

As he got closer to the water's surface, he looped up again and headed back to the tree. No fish this time.

But later that day, I stopped again (this time without my camera) and saw another eagle spiral downward and attempt to snag a fish from the water. From where I was standing, I couldn't see the catch in his talons but I assume he was successful.

What a privilege it is to see these mighty birds at work in our midst. If you live in the Des Moines area, don't miss this amazing sight.

Feline Friday

2012-01-06T05:52:00.000-06:00

We are all sad because our girl is on her way back to

Indiana today!

No more free rides for Lily.

It will be far too quiet around the house again.

We've had a great time with her home, but now it's back to work...right after a little nap.

Wordless Wednesday: End of the Season

2012-01-04T13:16:00.000-06:00

Post-holiday weight gain?

2012-01-03T09:40:00.000-06:00

Anyone else feeling too big for their basket?

Let's step away from the cookies now and get back to healthy eating habits!

A Brand New Year

2012-01-01T22:43:00.002-06:00

In general, I'm not much for holidays. They tend to make me overly sentimental and introspective. But I managed to get through New Year's Eve this year without slumping into a deep blue funk. Maybe it was because we actually had something to do on New Year's Eve. Turns out it's much more pleasant spending the evening with friends than sitting around the kitchen table grousing about how we have failed to make New Year's Eve plans. Note to self: Repeat next year.

While I may not be one for holidays, I am definitely in favor of setting goals. New Year's Resolutions get a bad rep, in my opinion, only because people set unrealistic goals. Goals in and of themselves are not a bad thing at all. In fact, living your life without goals results in "drift" -- moving along wherever circumstances might take you, without any thought of where you'd like to land.

In giving some thought to my goals for 2012, the theme which comes to mind is SIMPLIFY.

In recent weeks, I've been feeling burdened by STUFF, material possessions that clutter my space and, more importantly, bring me down emotionally. I've always had a tendency to hang onto things for sentimental reasons. But I've also accumulated a lot of stuff which I've kept only out of guilt or obligation. These kinds of possessions do not bring me joy. In fact, they create a kind of negative, unhealthy energy. As an only child, I know that one day I'm going to take possession of even more STUFF, more than I can begin to imagine, and the thought of that is simply overwhelming.

So in 2012, I resolve to rid my space of unnecessary clutter. I will replace non-working or obsolete items. I will aggressively donate old and excess clothing and household items. I will not throw items away unless they are absolutely irreparable. I will tackle this onerous task room by room, drawer by drawer, box by box.

My hope is that by the end of 2012, I will have room to breathe. Wish me luck! I'm going to need it! :)

Feline Friday: The Great Escape

2011-12-30T00:00:00.007-06:00

Lily can open most any door, but her specialty is pocket doors. Check out her expert technique!

So many cookies, so little resistance...

2011-12-28T00:14:00.003-06:00

Two posts about cookies this week can only mean one thing: I have cookies on the brain. I'm really not sure what possessed me to make so many cookies this year. I've given away a LOT, yet they seem to be multiplying in my freezer. I'm hoping the onslaught of college kids home for break will help alleviate this problem.

I'll admit that it is nice to have cookies to pull out when people stop over. This is an unusual occurrence around here as I almost never make dessert of any kind. Why? I have NO RESISTANCE whatsoever.

In the midst of my baking frenzy last week, I happened upon a plastic pastry mat at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. My mom had one of these sheets for rolling out dough and I've been on the lookout for something similar for the past few years. I tried it out on the gingerbread men and it worked great.

It's probably a good thing that I was wrapping up my baking at that point because my new mat could have easily inspired me to make even more cookies. I guess "spend more time at the gym" will now be at the top of my resolutions list for 2012!

Date Pecan Cookies

2011-12-26T13:02:00.002-06:00

I'm not sure what came over me this Christmas, but I actually felt like baking. I made several kinds of cookies -- a fact which I've now come to regret since I'm having trouble staying away from them!

I especially like Date Pecan Cookies, which are not specifically a Christmas cookie but work well with other kinds of holiday treats. I recently found two bags of dates in the freezer and, although they keep forever when frozen, I needed to use them up because I know my dad will bring me more when he returns from wintering in Arizona! So I made a batch of these cookies and sent most of them home with him. Trust me: They are very hard to resist!

The worst part about working with dates is dealing with their extreme stickiness. You'll need to remove the pits and chop them with a sharp knife while they're still frozen.

Date Pecan Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups white sugar
3 eggs
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons water
1 1/2 cups chopped pitted dates
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves; gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Combine the water and dates; stir into the dough along with the chopped pecans. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

This is what the batter looks like. I LOVE my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I'm not sure how I could function in the kitchen without it! It's perfect for recipes like this.

And here are a few of the cookies cooling on a rack. Oh, look -- it appears that a couple of them are missing! These cookies have a tendency to disappear!

Feline Friday: Tinsel, Our Christmas Kitty

2011-12-23T00:00:00.006-06:00

This Christmas, we will be celebrating 10 years with Tinsel, so I thought it would be fitting to re-post the story my daughter wrote many years ago about how Tinsel came to live at our house. We're awfully glad that Santa chose us to give Tinsel her forever home!

The Cat Who Came for Christmas

As I tickled my cat Tinsel with a long brown feather, I thought about the way she had come to be a part of our family. It all started back in the fourth grade...

I was eight years old, and my pet fish had just recently died. I had decided that I wanted a new pet, but this time I wanted something soft and furry.

Christmas was nearing, and I was getting ready to write my annual wish list for Santa. I didn’t really know what I wanted for Christmas, but I sat down to type my letter to the jolly old fellow.

Then it hit me. I didn’t want books, toys, games, or any other sort of usual Christmas gift. No, I wanted a special companion. So throwing caution to the winds, I told Santa that I wanted a “real live kitty” for Christmas. (Clearly I had wanted to be certain I got a real cat, not a stuffed animal.) I clicked the button to send my letter, and my letter was gone. Gone to the North Pole, where Santa and his elves were in complete control of the situation. Now all I had to do was wait for Christmas.

As the days passed, I went back to my normal routine, never giving much thought to my letter. Finally Christmas Eve arrived. I went to bed, feeling nervous, but all the same, very excited.

I awoke early on Christmas Day. As soon as I remembered it was Christmas, I leapt out of bed and dashed into the hall. Immediately I peered over the balcony into our foyer. Amidst the massive green branches I saw a large gray box. After sprinting into my room again to get my glasses, I craned my neck over the railing once more. Could that gift be what I thought it was?

I raced down the stairs and over to the tree. Underneath it sat the unidentifiable box, complete with a red bow. The box gave a slight “Meow!”, and I looked into what was really an animal carrier. Inside, staring back at me was my own kitty! My wish had come true after all!

Then my mom spoke, “Why don’t you take her out and meet your new friend?” I turned to see my parents standing with the video camera, filming my reaction to Santa’s gift.

I opened the squealing door to the carrier and pulled out my own kitty. She was brown with black stripes, small, and ever so sweet. Cuddling her, I said, “She’s perfect.” I decided right then and there to name her Tinsel, because she was a “Christmas kitty”.

I now think of that Christmas as my best one yet, because I received my first furry friend. Now, as I watch her play, I am reminded of that wonderful morning.

Village Under Construction

2011-12-22T00:00:00.018-06:00

Many, many years ago, my mom started buying me houses from the Department 56 Dickens Village. I often received one or two houses for my birthday and for Christmas each year, so my collection grew very large over time (read: I've had a lot of birthdays). As the years passed, I added trees, people, and other accessories. I now have over 35 houses with no more room to expand!

As you might imagine, putting up the village takes many hours. It is such a big job that I sometimes try to talk myself into putting up only a few pieces. But as soon as I start working on it, I can't bring myself to stop until every single house is lit and every village person is perfectly placed. I guess Christmas can't come to our house until the village is up!

This year I was later than ever getting started. Luckily, I had some help from Lily! She did a quick inventory to be sure all the houses were accounted for. Yep! Weer gud to go, mommie!

Suddenly, snow began to fall! It always snows in the Dickens Village, you know.

It's probably no surprise that I am very picky about how my completed village looks. Luckily, I have a great place to display it on the shelves around our fireplace. A few years ago, Spouse drilled a hole in the back of each shelf so that the electrical cords can easily reach the outlets below.

After taking the houses out of their boxes, I first decide where each one will be placed. I use empty boxes to create a second level. Once the rough structure is in place, I position the houses, attach the cords, and plug them into a large power strip. Things look really messy at this point.

This photo shows a portion of the village with the houses and buildings in place.

Sheesh, dis is hard work, Mommie!

Next, I tear pieces of quilt batting "snow" and begin placing it over the boxes and cords, lifting up the houses as I go and using bits of batting to and add hills. Tearing (rather than cutting) the batting creates softer, more natural-looking snow. Once the snow is in place, the village begins to look more finished.

Next, we inspect all of the trees and place them strategically around the houses and buildings. Trees help cover gaps and add texture and interest to the display.

Then I add the people and small accessories to complete the scenes.

Finally, we add a few houses and accessories to the mantel. Tinsel was a big help with this part of the set-up!

Like the rest of the village, this part of the display looks much better once the snow, trees, and people are in place.

Here is another area of the village after the set-up process is complete.

A close-up shows a small ensemble playing outside of the puppet theatre.

Setting up the village is hard work, but it's well worth the effort! As you can see, it's a big part of Christmas at our house!

Wordless (actually SPEECHLESS) Wednesday

2011-12-21T00:00:00.001-06:00

I'm scared to death of frogs, so imagine my horror at running across this creepy display at Hobby Lobby. Just because they're wearing wide-brimmed hats doesn't make me feel any better about them.

Winter Break: Off to a Great Start!

2011-12-19T16:18:00.001-06:00

Our daughter arrived home on Thursday of last week, having been away at college since August. This is by far the longest time that she's ever been gone. We were very excited to welcome her home!

In the few short days she's been here, we've been pretty busy. First, she finished decorating the Christmas trees:

Next, we celebrated my grandma's 100th birthday with a big open house for friends and family. At 100, she still lives alone and is very sharp! She keeps us all in line. :)

Yesterday, Bailey baked an apple-raspberry pie! (Isn't it the MOM'S job to have wonderful baked goods ready for the child when she arrives home from college? Not in this house!)

She got reacquainted with Tinsel (who doesn't want to be held by anyone, regardless of how long she's been gone)...

...and Lily, who doesn't mind being hauled around in the least.

And she put together a gingerbread house kit meant for children but perfect for brain-weary college students.

We've watched movies and listened to performances of her college ensembles. We've cooked dinner at home and frequented our local Starbucks. We've happily tripped over her shoes and battled for who gets to sit next to her on the couch.

In short, we just love having her here and plan to enjoy every single minute until we have to send her back!

Feline Friday: A littel bit of nottie!

2011-12-16T09:30:00.003-06:00

Lily has apparently forgotten that Christmas is just around the corner, because she did something NAUGHTY: She dug the napkins out of the napkin basket and chewed the edges!

When she was a little kitten, she did this rather frequently, but it's been a very long time since she has destroyed paper napkins.

Luckily, I caught her before she got through the entire stack!

But Santa! I wuz onlie a littel bit of nottie! Pleeze mai I still haf mi Crissmas stockeen?

Okay, Lily, Santa will consider the fact that you were good MOST of the time this year!

Our Visit to IU - Part 2

2011-12-13T11:08:00.002-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, we traveled to Indiana University to visit our daughter. Most of our visit was described in my previous post, but there are a few additional photos from our trip that I'd like to share.

As it happened, our visit coincided with IU's 53rd annual production of The Nutcracker. As soon as I knew we were making the trip, I bought tickets. I love The Nutcracker and couldn't wait to see this production!

A larger-than-life nutcracker stood watch in the lobby of the Musical Arts Center...

...opposite a huge Christmas tree, reminiscent of the tree which magically "grows" during Clara's dream.

As a young girl, our daughter had small parts in a local production of The Nutcracker for three years, and for many more years we attended different area Nutcracker performances each Christmas season. I feel like I know The Nutcracker pretty well and always enjoy comparing the set, staging, and dancing from one production to another.

Of course, the dancing in this production was perfect, as the show was produced by IU's ballet school. All of the main parts were performed by ballet majors, and the children were students in IU's pre-collegiate classes. But one of the best parts about the production was the live orchestra, made up of IU students -- including a few of Bailey's friends. I had never seen a Nutcracker production with a live orchestra and (because we were sitting high enough where we could see into the pit) found it hard to watch both the orchestra and the beautiful dancing at the same time!

The weather was warm, so we took a walk around the square after the performance. The town of Bloomington does a very nice job of decorating for the holidays.

Look at these trees! The lights extend all the way to the end of each branch. The trees are amazingly beautiful!

It was a wonderful weekend, made even better by the fact that Bailey will be home very soon for Christmas!

Feline Friday: YOGURTZ!

2011-12-09T00:00:00.003-06:00

I shall waite vary quietlie on my mommie's messie desk. I haf my eye on hurr YOGURTZ! Mi favoritte!

My feets are lined up just purrfectlie, so maybe she'll gif me a sample!

I am getting tired of waiting, mommie!

Here I am FINALLIE getting a taiste! My mommie is haffing sum trubbles wif her camera. Sorrie I luk kinda blurrie!

But luk here! I do not know how she caught that string of YOGURTZ going right up into my mouf! NOM NOM NOM

YOGURTZ is a very tastie treat! And nutrishus, too! Get ur own cuz i'm not shareen!

Luv, Lily

Our Visit to IU - Part 1

2011-12-07T23:58:00.004-06:00

We had an absolutely wonderful visit to IU this past weekend. The main reason we went was to see Bailey's performance with the World Percussion Ensemble. But as it happened, it was also the weekend for IU's production of The Nutcracker. Being a huge Nutcracker fan, I was really excited to see a performance produced by a renowned ballet school! This is the first of two posts about our weekend adventures.

Incidentally, this trip was the first time out with my new Droid Razr, which I'm obviously still getting used to -- judging by the quality of these photos! Now that I have a real smart phone, it was fun being able to post photos to Facebook throughout the weekend to share with friends and family. Yes, I have just crawled out from under a rock. Yay for modern conveniences!

After we arrived in Bloomington, we took in an early dinner at Nick's while Bailey was busy hauling gear to the performance venue for the percussion concert that evening. Nick's is a legendary spot for pizza.

And for good reason: The pizza is outstanding. I even had mushrooms on my side, which is a real treat for me!

And then we headed off to the concert. Shortly after we got there, we found her! As you can tell, we were pretty happy to see her! Spouse even looks like he is wearing a party hat.

The World Percussion Ensemble is an award-winning group which features the highly rhythmic call and response music of Afro-Cuban cultures. Spouse had heard the group perform at PASIC (the Percussive Arts Society International Convention) and was excited to see them again. I had never heard anything like this group and loved every minute of it! (Click on the collage to enlarge.)

After the concert, I grabbed a couple of photos of Bailey and Neil, this one on my "real" camera since I was still learning to operate my Droid camera...

After the performance, we ran up the street to Red Mango, their favorite "weigh and pay" (hey, I just made that up!) yogurt place. It was really great! It's very similar to the new Orange Leaf yogurt shops we have around here. And even though we were paying, these two insisted on sharing a cup! They must be very cost-conscious!

Afterwards, we went back to the concert venue and caught the IU Latin Jazz Band. What a great group! People were dancing in the aisles! Not me, of course...

On Saturday morning, we had a little time to poke around in the shops on the town square while our college student slept in. We ventured into a little "mall" which connected several old buildings. It was different than anything we'd seen before and quite a good use of urban space. It was festively decorated for Christmas and full of children and families enjoying holiday crafts and music. It was a good reminder that yes, there are real people who live in Bloomington -- not just college students!

Bloomington is a lovely little college town, but of course they do have a bit of crime, as suggested by the sign on this tampon machine in the mall bathroom. Are thieves now robbing tampon machines? And do the good folks at the mall actually remove the money twice a day? Exactly how much money would be in this machine, anyway? So many unanswered questions...

After lunch at a Greek place on the square and a quick Target run, we got to hang out with Bailey for a bit while Jay worked on winterizing her window. (Seems that she didn't really like having ice on the INSIDE of the glass last winter.) During this time, I tried out my camera phone so often and with such bad results that I began to get the "enough" look. We really were having fun! Really!

I even got to help decorate her door! These are the little things that you come to appreciate when you don't see your daughter very often. :)

Later that evening, we grabbed subs at Which Wich, WHICH was kind of fun and pretty good. And I had one more opportunity to take a photo with my phone, which somehow wasn't getting any easier. Luckily my subjects put up with my steep learning curve!

Of course, the best part of the weekend was getting to see our daughter and her friends. We cherish the times -- few and far between these days -- when we get to be with her! We are so excited that she'll soon be home for Christmas!

Tabby Tuesday

2011-12-07T00:00:00.000-06:00

Tinsel, caught in the act of bathing.

Thanks for the photo, Tinsel! Now get back to work. One must have a clean tummy!

Feline Friday: Lily's Puffball Game

2011-12-02T00:00:00.002-06:00

Lily demonstrates her Puffball Prowess while Tinsel looks on. Good times at our house.

Thanksgiving in Review

2011-12-01T10:47:00.001-06:00

My poor blog has been neglected of late due to several pressing deadlines. It's all good stuff...just a lot to do at one time. And something always has to give. Actually several somethings.

In the midst of everything, we of course had to take a couple of days out for Thanksgiving -- one to prepare and one to celebrate. I'll admit that I didn't feel much like having Thanksgiving this year. I'm incredibly thankful for everything in my life, of course, but this year was the first that Bailey wasn't with us for the holiday. I was sad about that and truthfully would have preferred to skip the whole thing. She's such good company at family events. Plus she's quite handy in the kitchen.

But I somehow managed to prepare Thanksgiving dinner on my own (okay, with some help in the mashed potato department from Spouse). And no one had to be hospitalized as a result of my cooking, so I deemed the meal a success.

Tinsel spent the afternoon on high alert watching neighbors try to walk off their Thanksgiving dinners.Yep, keep on walking, she said...

Lily didn't seem to care much about that, preferring to sleep off her Thanksgiving dinner in a sunny spot.

And I couldn't help but notice how Lily's perfect meatloaf form resembled a roast turkey. (No, that is not my turkey.)

So Thanksgiving is over and done for another year. It was a different kind of holiday, probably the first of many to come. The truth is that change is an inevitable part of life. Change has always been hard for me, but I've learned that it's far easier to embrace it than to cry over it.

And if you can get at least one decent cat photo along the way, it's all the better. When fun doesn't come to you, you have to make your own fun. :)

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-30T09:05:00.000-06:00

How I love those dear little feet!

Feline Friday: Boxes!

2011-11-25T10:45:00.000-06:00

Our coffee pot cracked this week, so Spouse went out on an emergency run to buy a new one. We seem to go through coffee pots pretty quickly, so there's no use spending a lot of money on anything fancy or high-tech.

Plus, as anyone knows, the BOX is the best part of the deal anyway! And this box is the perfect size for Lily. Or Tinsel. But not both at the same time.

So to keep the peace, I rounded up a second box for Tinsel.

They can be next door neighbors.

Or enjoy the high-rise life.

Life is good with new boxes in the house.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T09:01:00.000-06:00

Re-posting a favorite Lily moment from a few years back. I used this photo on my Thanksgiving cards that year and wondered why no one wanted to come for dinner. I was just kidding, guys!

Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving!

Recipe: Spiced Cranberry Pear Sauce

2011-11-22T17:12:00.003-06:00

I love cranberry sauce, but not the disgusting, gelatinous stuff you extract from a can. I'm talking about the made-from-scratch cranberry sauce which is full of texture and just the right blend of tangy and sweet. For the past several years, I've been making an old Martha Stewart recipe for cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving, and I do believe it's the best thing ever.

In light of this, I'm not sure why I decided to try something different this year, but this recipe for Spiced Cranberry-Pear Sauce from Clean Eating magazine looked good and easy, so I thought I'd give it a try. I whipped up a batch today, since it can be made several days in advance. Click on the photo to read the recipe. (And yes, the Pear Pie recipe next to it looks pretty good, too, but is much, much more involved. And quite possibly beyond my skill level.)

The verdict on this recipe is that it is simple, healthful, and a nice change, but I still prefer my previous recipe. I'm glad I tried it, but next year I'm going back to Martha.

The recipe calls for all of 6 ingredients plus water. I can handle that.

Cranberries are surely one of the most festive foods around. They look pretty before you even do anything to them!

The combination of cranberry, pear, ginger, and honey sounded really good to me. And it is!

Add the cardamon and sea salt, and this recipe starts to take on a bit of an exotic flair. I have only used cardamon in Indian cooking, but I read on the container that it is also used in Scandinavian dishes.

Cook it until the cranberries start breaking down and the mixture begins to thicken. I got distracted (cat-related incident) and let it cook a little bit longer than it should have, so my final product isn't as lumpy as I expected it to be.

Near the end of the cooking time, I sampled the mixture and determined that the honey wasn't a strong enough sweetener, so I cheated and added a couple of teaspoons of sugar. It's no longer sugar-free, but it tastes better!

Let the sauce cool then seal in an air-tight container.

Go, me! One dish is ready to go for Thanksgiving!

Tabby Tuesday with Lily

2011-11-22T00:00:00.000-06:00

Hai, guise! Heer I am on dis stairh!

Mi mommeh tells me not to lai heer becuz I mite git stepped on in da dark. But I doo it aniways!

Now I iz gitting silly an shoween off mi tummie....

OOPS! I rolled down da stairhz!

Uh, I ment to do dat...

Feline Friday: Baked Goods, by Lily

2011-11-18T00:00:00.002-06:00

One Word Wednesday

2011-11-16T08:31:00.000-06:00

One word: AWWW!

EASY Crockpot Recipe: Cowboy Chicken Taco Bowl

2011-11-13T22:08:00.000-06:00

I recently ran across a recipe for Cowboy Chicken Taco Bowl. It appealed to me because it is one of those "dump-it-in-the-crock-pot-and-forget-it" recipes. So that's what I did. And when I got home at 5pm, the house smelled wonderful. Dinner was ready! I love those days. I just wish they would happen more often.

I'll admit that my photo of this dish does not do it justice. Yes, I got a little carried away with the cilantro. (I bought such a large bunch of it that I hated for any to go to waste! You can see that I didn't even cut off the stems!) AND the blue flower bowl hardly works with the "cowboy" theme. If you can overlook the flowers and peer past the layer of cilantro....well, just trust me, this recipe is a keeper!

Cowboy Chicken Taco Bowl

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa (your pick!)
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can sweet niblets corn (or 1 cup frozen corn)
1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilis
1 tblsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
cooked rice
shredded cheddar
chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Layer the chicken breasts along the bottom of your crock pot. Dump the salsa, black beans, corn, tomatoes and green chilis over the chicken. Sprinkle chili powder, cumin, garlic, cayenne, salt and pepper over mixture and stir. Slow cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Using two forks, shred chicken while still in the crock pot and then give everything a good stir. Turn up the heat to high and allow to continue to cook while you prepare rice.

From the Southern Food Network website: "When you are ready to serve dinner, put some rice in a bowl, ladle on some of the chicken stew and top with shredded cheddar and fresh cilantro. If you wanted to make this a tailgating recipe, simply ladle some of the chicken stew over nachos and top with cheese, cilantro or chopped green onions, and serve with sour cream on the side!"

Feline Friday: Before the FALL...

2011-11-11T00:00:00.002-06:00

Lily likes to walk on our second floor railing, but it always makes me nervous. She's not the handiest kitty in the world. Unlike Tinsel, Lily's not a great jumper and often misses her targets. That's okay most of the time, but it's quite a drop to the first floor from the railing!

So it was with some degree of alarm that I heard her running wildly through the house a few days ago, headed straight to the railing. Without slowing down whatsoever, she jumped and landed squarely on it. I'll admit I was impressed!

Looking somewhat cocky, Lily began her balancing act. So I grabbed the camera to catch a few pictures of her in full SHOW OFF mode!

Look, Mom! I can stand on dis cornur!

This is what that pose looks like from below, where I planted myself in case she fell. Not that I'd like to catch Lily and all of her sharp little claws, mind you...

Look, Mom! I can sit on dis post thingie!

Now I iz a gargoile!

Yes, it's a long way down, Miss Gargoyle. Be careful!

Ohai, Mom! I can ezen chase mi tayle whyle im on da raling! Look at mi trik......oh noez!!!

And with that fancy little trick, Lily tumbled head over paws all the way to the ground floor, landing hard on her side on the second step. She didn't land on her feet, like kitties are supposed to do. (Perhaps the quick drop didn't give her enough time to rotate properly...) I was there in an instant to see if she was ok, and of course she was.

As if to say, "Ohai, I ment to do dat!" she trotted right over to her food bowl, ready for a post-show treat.

This little fall didn't faze Lily, but I'm sure it cost me one of my nine lives!

Tabby Tuesday

2011-11-08T00:00:00.000-06:00

Lily's not much into politics, but this is one cause she truly supports!

Hasta la vista, Green Fan!

2011-11-06T15:21:00.005-06:00

I'm still working away at the significantly overdue updates in our home office/craft room. I recently revamped my craft storage (still a work in progress) and have now moved on to other aspects of the room which sorely need updating.

This shiny gold and green fan, which matches the lovely green wallpaper border, makes you think you might be dining in a Bennigan's or any of those other places with "brass and dark green" color scheme. It's still in fine shape, but it needed to find a new home. In fact, tomorrow I'm taking it (along with some other shiny gold treasures and some very fine leftover wallpaper) to the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store.

Green Fan was replaced with Brown Fan, which features a much more palatable brushed nickle finish.

The box called this a "5-Minute Fan" -- meaning that's how long it should take to install it. It seemed to take Spouse more like three hours, but I think it was well worth the effort. Since this photo was taken, we shortened the ball chains shown here. (And yes, crafting friends, I KEPT the leftover ball chain for a future project!)

What's next? Take down that wallpaper border and paint the room -- for the first time since the house was built! That will be the biggest transformation of all.

Feline Friday: Whut I Bin Doeen

2011-11-04T00:00:00.016-05:00

Todai I wuz a littel bit nottie. Mi mommie telled me I shud confess mi notties on dis blog, so I'm goeen to tell u whut I did to git in trubble.

Furst, my mommie camed home an finded me sleping on da kichen tabul. I noes I am not sposed to do dis, but who cud resist a sunnie spott? Mi mommie tinks maybe I sleped heer while day wuz gone to IU. Im not sayin if I did or not.

I also braked into my fud contayner and eated all of todai's noms befor 8 o'clok in da morning! Den I tryed to git Tinsul's noms cuz day r better den myne. Now im on restrycted noms.

Den mi mommie finded out mi secrit project! I bin takeen down da wallpapur border in da basement! I heered mommie talkeen about takeen it down an thinked it wud be a nyce surprize fur her. I guess she dint meen dis one. Oopsie!

An I had alreddie finished anudder part! I bin workeen vary hard on dis. Vary quiettlie cuz it wuz a surprize! I do not see whi mommie is upset. Whi is da border bi da floor aniwai? Seemz liek a bad plaice fur it to mee!

Den I been scracheen da wallz again. I tryed to stop but oopsie i

haz started up again. I ben doeen it in da nite to git mi mommie out of da beds. In order to gif me noms.

Pleeze do not be too upset wif me, mommie! I had lotz of tyme on mi paws whyle u wuz gone to see Baiwee!

Maybee if u let mee go to collij ill lern not to do deez notties. Pleeze?

Luv, Lily

Our Visit to IU

2011-11-03T11:51:00.005-05:00

We spent last weekend visiting Bailey at Indiana University. We hadn't seen her since dropping her off at school in August -- WAY TOO LONG! This time, we were able to leave a day earlier than usual which gave us a bit of extra time to check out the local area while she was in class.

On Friday we ventured out of Bloomington toward Lake Monroe, the largest lake/park area in Indiana. Southern Indiana is quite hilly and beautiful, especially at this time of year.

I think we missed the peak of the fall color by a week or so, but the leaves were still gorgeous.

It was nice to have a little bit of extra time to see this area. I think the 100-year old park ranger was glad to have visitors, too. He regaled us with all kinds of information about the lake and surrounding areas and provided us with a stack of maps he had carefully highlighted. It was obviously a slow time of year for him, as he had completely plastered his ranger station with Halloween cling-ons!

We stayed at the Union hotel for a couple of nights. Brightly colored mums had been planted all over the campus, adding to the already beautiful fall color.

IU's campus is really gorgeous at this time of year. This photo features the Sample Gates, one of the prettiest areas on campus.

On Friday evening, we went to the Homecoming parade to see the Marching Hundred. Since it was Halloween weekend, the band members were in costume. I've never before seen a cowgirl playing cymbals!

Todd Rundgren was back again, this time as grand marshal of the parade. (Jay thinks he's looking for gigs these days.) Last fall, the legendary rocker was a guest lecturer at IU and came out to "direct" the Marching Hundred at a football game when they played "Bang on the Drum".

We met up with Neil and Bailey after the parade. He doesn't always dress like this. :)

Bright and early the next morning (as in 6am for the drumline), the band was back at it. We got to see "Sing Sing Sing" again played in front of Assembly Hall.

And Bailey asked me to take a photo with Andrew and Evan, the other two percussion/music ed majors in drumline. (She's the daughter of a scrapbooker, you know!)

Other than the fantastic marching band, the fireworks were the best part of Saturday's game against Northwestern. IU football is in a sorry state again this year, in spite of the best efforts of the new coach.

It's a shame the football team continues to struggle. The stadium is really beautiful -- it's sad that the games are not well-attended. The "public" side of the stadium was relatively full for Saturday's game, but the student side largely emptied after halftime.

By the time of the post-game show, the student section was basically empty. Too bad they missed such a terrific performance! It was also alumni band day, and nearly 100 former band members participated in the show. They sounded great!

We got to see one last performance of "Sing Sing Sing" featuring the drumline...

... and our favorite cymbal player!

After the game, she posed for ONE MORE PICTURE for her mama.

Later, Jay and I had some additional time to walk around the campus. The colorful trees against the limestone buildings were very striking.

There is a large wooded area running through campus which adds to its character.

We stopped by to see the bronze tribute to Hoagy Carmichael, an IU graduate who wrote "Stardust" and many other old standards.

And we got to take these two very tired and hungry music ed majors to dinner one more time. Such a treat for us!

Once again, I'm nothing but thankful that Bailey is so happy and doing so well at IU. I miss her like crazy, but it's a delight to see her developing into all she is meant to be!

Feline Friday: Not again!

2011-10-28T00:00:00.007-05:00

After being shut in the dryer awhile back (read about it here), you would think that Lily would remember that the dryer is NOT a good place to nap!

But no! I was hanging up clothes when I turned around and found her in the dryer on top of wet laundry, of all things. (The door was open -- no harm done this time.) Maybe she was after that dryer sheet. She loves dryer sheets, you know.

Or maybe she thought that the dryer was really a spaceship that would zoom her off to college. No such luck, Lily! No college -- or dryers! -- for you!

Recipe: Skillet Spanish Chicken & Rice

2011-10-25T19:35:00.001-05:00

We tested another recipe from Clean Eating magazine and deemed it a success. This recipe really couldn't be easier. Just be sure to have a big enough skillet on the ready.

Click on the photo below to see the recipe. If you're looking for a simple one-skillet dinner, I'd recommend giving this recipe a try!

Feline Friday: Lily, Then & Now

2011-10-21T00:00:00.005-05:00

Lily used to fit comfortably in this basket!

But that doesn't stop her from sitting in it now!

It's not unlike someone who tries to fit in too-tight jeans. She's clearly in denial about her size!

Craft Room Storage

2011-10-20T09:46:00.003-05:00

Over the past few weeks, I've been picking away at some changes in my craft area. While my space has always been organized, it has never been inspirational to me. Rather, it was a mix of unattractive storage with no real theme.

I finally decided that it was time for a change, so I bought Target cubes and transferred many of my supplies to canvas bins which fit inside the spaces.

It has taken me some time to figure out how best to use the canvas bins. They're deep and I didn't want to just throw items into them. So I found small containers to fit inside the bins so as to use the space efficiently. I have found that I can now store a lot of supplies in a very small amount of space!

For the past few weeks, the bins haven't been labeled -- and that was driving me crazy! I finally got that done and now it's much easier to find things. I made tags in Word by creating text boxes with white text, filled with black.

I wanted the white text to show as cream, so I printed them onto cream cardstock. Then, because I am changing the metal in my craft area to brushed nickle, I decided to hang the tags with ball chains to match. I have a large stash of ball chains. One can never have too many!

After making a test set of the tags, I decided that they would need to be laminated in order to keep them from tearing over time. Then I remembered that I had a package of plastic badge holders which would be perfect for my tags. I adjusted the sizes a tiny bit, printed a final set, and slipped them into the badge holders.

This made me ridiculously excited!

Here's a peek inside the bins, so you can see how I organized the space. All of these stacking containers fit down inside the canvas bin labeled "INK".

There is plenty of room for my ink pads, Distress Inks/handles, and Cat's Eye Chalk. In my old storage system, it took 2 large drawers to hold all of these items.

All of my card making supplies fit into one canvas tote. In my old system, these same supplies were spread over 3 very large drawers.

These stacking containers snap together and hold my envelopes and card bases. A separate container fits in the bin and holds card-making embellishments.

I have a separate bin for embellishments. This is the only area I'm not completely happy with. For the past couple of years I have stored my embellishments by color in small drawers. I love the color organization, but I didn't love the drawers. I've spilled the contents more times than I can count! I wanted to find small containers that would fit into the bin and allow me to store my small tins of brads and such without spilling them.

After considerable searching, I finally settled on these small containers from Office Depot. They are deep enough to hold a lot of embellishments and fit nicely in the canvas bin. In fact, I combined some colors (red/orange/yellow) since I don't use much in that color range. Unfortunately I found that in pulling out the bins, I STILL spilled brads and buttons -- in fact, even more so than with the drawers.

So I converted BACK to this system which I used a few years ago and put all of the tins back in their containers. (I never stopped using the little tins -- I just moved them back into the metal boxes they came in.) I really do love this storage system. The only thing that bothers me is that my brads and buttons are no longer with the rest of the embellishments. But it's certainly better than spilling them all the time!

I'm very pleased with how compactly my paints and other colorants now fit into a single bin. In my old system of plastic drawers, these supplies were scattered and took up far too much space. Now everything fits neatly in one bin.

My space is a work in progress, but I'm already much, much happier with how it looks and functions!

Warm Towels on Wednesday

2011-10-19T08:52:00.001-05:00

It's cold this week, so the kitties are eager to dive into the warm towels just as soon as they come out of the dryer.

I wish I could do the same!

Christmas in October!

2011-10-17T09:02:00.001-05:00

It's not even Halloween yet, but I'm already up to my ears in Christmas! I've been working on kits for my fall Christmas card classes at Memory Bound. In fact, the first class was yesterday!

We're using the new Echo Park Season's Greetings line for this set of cards. I always enjoy seeing how the materials look all packaged up.

This year we're using quite a bit of twine on the cards. Twine is a very popular embellishment right now, and I hope it is here to stay!

Because of the twine, I did NOT put my kits together at home this time. As much as I love the kitties, I did NOT need help from Lily and Tinsel!

PODS!

2011-10-15T13:34:00.002-05:00

I love nature. I love trees. But even I am having a hard time loving our locust trees right now. Funny thing is, we had locust trees (the 100-year old variety) at our old house. The only thing better about these much younger locust trees is that they don't drop deadly 6-inch thorns that pierce your shoes.

But they're trouble enough. In dry years, the girl trees (we have two in our yard) produce an extreme number of pods. Apparently the girls go into stress and feel the need to reproduce, so as to create even MORE locust trees.

The pods are heavy to rake. But they're somehow light enough to blow everywhere. On windy days, you hear them hitting the house with a "clunk". And worse, they blow into our neighbors' yards.

Our yard looks like this. If you're unlucky enough to live next door to us, your yard looks like this, too. So my first task in Pod Clean-Up is to rake everyone else's yard, such is the extent of my POD GUILT.

Spouse prefers to wait until every last pod is down from the trees before dealing with them. Maybe he's hoping that they'll blow right on out of our yard.

It's probably not a good sign when it's easier to shovel than rake your yard.

Can I get some sympathy? Or at least some ideas for a pod craft project?

Feline Friday: Naptime Protocol

2011-10-14T00:00:00.020-05:00

It has been interesting to observe how the bond between Lily and Tinsel has evolved over the years. Lily has always adored Tinsel, but Tinsel loathed Lily from the day we brought her home. They definitely have a love-hate relationship: Lily LOVES; Tinsel HATES.

Yet over time, I've noticed Tinsel's attitude very subtly changing. Her tolerance for Lily has finally improved to the point where they can actually sleep on the bed at the same time.

Over time, I've observed Lily inching closer and closer to Tinsel. And -- amazingly -- Tinsel ALMOST allows Lily to touch her. ALMOST.

This week I saw them napping together with a Protective Blanket Barrier between them. This little arrangement seems to provide Lily with the closeness she desires while allowing Tinsel to maintain her "purr-sonal" space.

It makes me happy that they seem to have a closer relationship now...

Even though Tinsel would never admit it!

Busy Season!

2011-10-11T09:45:00.003-05:00

I've been busy working on several projects for Memory Bound as well as a full plate of freelance projects. The holiday season is fast approaching! Actually, from the looks of things around here, I think it's already here!

I'm very excited about this Kaisercraft Advent calendar. It's not done yet -- I need to add some Christmas things to the center plus cover the outside with paper. When completed, this calendar will be a store sample to give customers one idea of how to decorate this wooden keepsake.

Our annual Christmas card class is coming up soon! I'll be teaching four sessions of the class this year using the new Echo Park Season's Greetings line. Here are a few of the 20 cards we'll be making. I'm working on kits and such this week.

I'll also be teaching another We R Memory Keepers mini-album class using the new Peppermint Twist line. This is brightly colored little album which would be a fun place to keep favorite Christmas snapshots.

This reindeer and sleigh are for another class coming up in early November. These pieces were a lot of fun to make!

I'm hoping to wrap up these and several other projects soon so that I can FINALLY get my craft space under control. I started re-organizing it and haven't finished that process yet, so for the time being things are in a bit of a disarray!

That's a sign of progress...right? ;)

Feline Friday: On Mi Wai to IU!

2011-10-07T00:00:00.016-05:00

I am so exsited! Bailey invited mee to IU for dis weak end or maibee even to stai! I am all pakked an reddy to go! Her frend Katie will bee pickeen mee up!

I haz a small sootcaise an ezen a silver purrs to mach mi furs! I haz ben waiteen a long tyme fur mi invitashun!

Heer is what all I pakked:

My passpurt -- cuz we r goeen to cross da stait lynes!

Sum twine -- I choosed red an wite fur IU!

A pennant -- in case I get to go to da gaim an see da band!

Temptashuns -- but I maybe eeated dem alreddie

Mi Luckie Puffball -- to plai wif in da dorms!

Two maik-up brushes -- to luk prettie fur da boiz an also becuz day fit in my purrs!

I haf to be shur it all fitz!

An it duz! I mite even ware maikup on da trip to IU!

Uh oh, Mom can wee pakk sum moar Temptashuns?

Gud bai, Tinsul! I will miss u!!! KISS KISS

I will juss wate heer bi da door fur Katie! I cant wate to go to collij!
Luv,
Lily

Note from Lily's Mom: Lily only THINKS she is going to IU! While Bailey would love to have her there, she is not allowed in the dorms, even though Lily thinks it would be quite fun! I need to find a way to break the news to her... ;)

Gardens in October

2011-10-06T09:25:00.005-05:00

It's fall -- my favorite time of year! The trees are beautiful but, unfortunately, my flowers are not. They are suffering from three things:

1) We are nearing the end of the growing season
2) Drought-like conditions
3) NEGLECT! My lack of time in recent weeks (months) has contributed to sad-looking garden spaces.

Of course, it's the time of year when potted plants naturally start looking a bit "leggy". I've already had to discard some, but the spike plants are still going strong, so I simply moved them to empty pots where they will live out the rest of their days. I've never tried to do that before and have been pleased with how well it worked.

I attempted to do something fancy with the mums on the front step which DIDN'T work so well, as you can see in the photo with the pumpkin. After removing the pink impatiens from the pots, I squeezed two small mum plants into the space, leaving the spike plants and the sweet potato vines in place. Well, this bright idea was a "FAIL", as my daughter would say. There simply wasn't enough space for all of these plants. The spikes tipped over and the mums split apart, resulting in a very odd-looking arrangement. Since the photo was taken, I have pulled out the spikes and the sweet potato vines which allowed the mums to move closer together all by themselves. While not what I originally envisioned, it certainly looks less weird.

It will soon be time to move my strange assortment of houseplants inside, including the tall Dr. Seuss plant which Spouse threatens to put in the dumpster. I'm also thinking about keeping my herbs over the winter, since they've had such a good run and I really don't feel like I've used them enough. We'll see how that goes. Both houseplants and herbs are pictured in the collage above.

Soon it will be time for a good garden clean-up, then planning will begin for next spring's gardens, when my cycle of optimism, hard work, and hopefully LESS NEGLECT will begin all over again!

A bike ride, a snake, and a wayside station

2011-10-03T22:50:00.004-05:00

On Sunday afternoon, Spouse and I put our respective fitness levels (mine being MUCH higher than his!) to the test: We went for a bike ride out of our town and along the river. By the time we got home, we had ridden 11.5 miles. To those of you who do RAGBRAI, 11.5 miles is nothing. But for us, it is almost impressive!

It really was a perfect day for a bike ride. The leaves were beautiful. Even this view of the muddy and very low river was rather scenic. And Spouse only threatened to abandon me on the trail a handful of times, prompted by my fear of going down hills and over certain bridges.

Other than the photos Spouse took of me with Helmet Hair, the low point of the ride was when I RAN OVER A TEENY TINY GARTER SNAKE coiled at the side of the trail, possibly sleeping or (hopefully) already dead. You see, being relatively inept on my bicycle, I do not have the ability to swerve for snakes or other critters -- or even scratch my nose if it itches while I am riding, such is the Death Grip I hold on my handlebars. So over the snake I rolled, triggering immediate and prolonged screaming which no doubt terrified the small children riding the trail with their grandparents.

I finally calmed down at the point where it was time to turn around and head back home. We stopped at a small pond (a lovely but unnatural blue-green color which made me wonder if it was actually a sewage lagoon) where, tucked in the trees was a very quaint wooden structure which I determined must be a pleasant little wayside station. Actually, from a distance it looked like a giant cuckoo clock.

The closer I got, however, the more worried I became about what might be inside. Plastic plants adorned the outside of the structure, giving me a slightly creepy feeling. I pulled opened the doors, not quite sure what awaited me...

and inside found several small statues and urns of incense. This prompted me to theorize wildly that the structure might be some sort of crematorium, which of course was a ridiculous notion. The ashes around the urns were surely from the incense -- right?

After leaving the wayside station, we headed back down the trail toward home, where I had the opportunity to pass the squished snake again (and confirm that yes, he really was dead). And, even though I had a few terrified moments along the route, as I pulled into our driveway I felt very grateful to live in a place with lovely trails and that my late nights at the Dreaded Fitness Place have enabled me to ride such a distance. Maybe it was a surge of exercise-induced endorphins, but I even felt a little bit sorry for that snake and wondered, briefly, if I should go back and push him off into the grass for a proper ending to his short and slithery life.

Nawww...

New Ribbon Storage!

2011-10-01T11:27:00.005-05:00

I'm in the process of re-vamping my craft space. While functional and organized, it has never been a place which inspires me. I finally decided that I spend so much time in this space that it really needs to feel good to me.

Among many changes, I decided to change the way I store my ribbon. I'm not a huge ribbon person anyway, but the way I had it stored was making me even less likely to use it. As you can see in this photo, Lily and I had organized the ribbon onto floss spools (in rainbow-color order!). I loved how it looked and we worked very hard on that system, but I found that once the ribbon was wound, it was cumbersome to remove from the box. Then of course I had to IRON each piece of ribbon I used because of the creases!

So (I admit, with a twinge of sadness), I took all of the ribbon off the spools and pared it down to that which I will actually use. I put the ribbon and twine I wanted to keep into jars. I've been using a jar for scraps of ribbon over the past year and don't mind it at all -- it's easy to access and wrinkle-free!

I know many people who store their ribbon in jars and love how it looks. Not me. I have learned that I am definitely a "closed storage" kind of person -- seeing all of that jumbled ribbon (even though it is sorted by color) drives me completely bonkers. I cannot stand visual clutter!

So I bought a few papers to match the fabric which I'll be using in the space...

...and I covered my jars in the paper! I made labels for the jars so the contents can be easily identified.

Now I am very, very happy with my ribbon storage! It's functional AND inspirational to me!

Feline Friday: Unbearably Sweet

2011-09-30T00:00:00.001-05:00

I recently ran across this precious photo of Baby Lily. Surely there is almost nothing sweeter than a sleeping kitten!

Here's to a weekend of blissful "sleeps" for us all!

Hummingbird!

2011-09-29T00:00:00.002-05:00

Lately we've seen a few hummingbirds zipping around the patio, flitting from pink to purple flowers and back again. Spouse caught this photo last week on his cell phone. Hummingbirds don't wait for you to go find the camera! What a treat to see this amazing little creature right outside our window.

In other news, as I'm sure you've noticed, I'm playing around with the new "Dynamic Views" Blogger template. I realize this may be too dramatic a change for some (you know who you are!), but I think it's really interesting to see all of my past posts shown in photo form. You can change the way the posts are displayed by clicking on the menu across the top (choose "classic" to return to a more traditional display). Feedback is, of course, welcome!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T10:48:00.002-05:00

Studio Kitty!

A Busy Fall

2011-09-26T09:48:00.006-05:00

I've been somewhat neglecting my blog lately due to the fact that I've been up to my ears in a variety of projects since July -- all fun stuff which I'm grateful to be doing! At the same time, I hope to get things under control very soon so I can get back to some "normal" activities. I haven't scrapbooked a single page since MAY and that alone is somewhat distressing to me!

Among many other things, I've neglected my gardens which I had worked so hard on at the beginning of the summer. Fortunately, the sedum is looking beautiful right now. Hopefully those lovely bursts of color will draw the eye away from the areas of UGLY!

Last week the store where I teach held a big scrapbooking garage sale. Holy mole -- bargains galore! I participated as a vendor and took a few things to sell. In fact, I used the garage sale as an impetus to re-work some of the storage in my craft area.

Previously my space was comprised of folding tables and a variety of stacking drawers. I love stacking drawers, but the overall look was NOT pulled together. I bought a new table (actually a dorm-sized computer/gaming desk!) and two sets of Target cubbies. After I assembled them, I added canvas bins to some of the cubbies, leaving some spaces open for decorative storage containers. (Please ignore the bottle of Oxi Magic and cords all over the floor. This is a "transition" photo!)

Then I set about finding containers to fit inside the canvas bins so I could use the space as efficiently as possible. I ended up buying a variety of containers, including these "Really Useful Boxes" (that's really what they're called) at Office Depot for my ink pads.

The organization project is still underway and will be until I get a bit more time to finish it up. At that point, I'll post some photos. Meanwhile, it's back to work on those projects!

Feline Friday: They're BAAACCK!

2011-09-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

What's back?
TINSEL'S TOWEL TUNNELS!

The weather recently turned a bit colder and (I'll admit) it got a bit chilly in the house before we finally broke down and turned on the furnace. (And of course, it wouldn't start -- but that's another story.)

And with the change of seasons, we saw the re-emergence of Tinsel's most artistic, yet practical creation -- Towel Tunnels. While I've never actually seen Tinsel making one, there can be no doubt that she's the architect. As soon as the weather gets chilly, Tinsel's the first (and only) cat around here to burrow deep under the blankets. Lily doesn't go for covers unless we're having a blizzard.

You can see one of Tinsel's Towel Tunnels from last winter here.

I found the season's first Towel Tunnel in Bailey's bathroom, normally the warmest room in the house, right next to the furnace vent.

Later I was surprised to find a Blanket Tunnel (based on the same concept) in the basement. Poor Tinsel must have been really cold to have resorted to this!

You can see that the Towel Tunnel and Blanket Tunnel are somewhat loosely constructed. Last year, Tinsel's Towel Tunnels got sturdier as the winter wore on. I'm sure she'll continue to purr-fect her technique again this year.

Our Tinsel may be quiet, but she's a smart girl!

Tabby Tuesday

2011-09-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

Babushka Cat

If you're a babushka (or a cat), no offense intended. :)

Feline Friday

2011-09-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hai budderflie! Lets be frendz!

Cat Tote?

2011-09-14T09:55:00.001-05:00

I've been going through my craft supplies and pulling old tools and materials for the upcoming Memory Bound garage sale, September 23 and 24. As part of this process (and believe me, it's a MESSY one!) I've been trying to consolidate some of my storage.

I recently ran across the tote I use to store my fabric paint. I collected quite a lot of fabric paint back in the day when I was making matching seasonal sweatshirts and t-shirts for Bailey and me. I even took a set of sweatshirts to the state fair and won a blue ribbon! But I'm no longer doing fabric painting. For some strange reason, Bailey doesn't seem to want us to dress alike! Go figure!

Fabric paint can be used on paper, so I'm keeping some of it, but I I thought I'd move it to a smaller tote and sell this one. It's a nice tote but takes up too much space in the closet.

But now, it looks like the tote may have to stay here...

Lily seems to have taken it over.

It's the purr-fect size for her!

And who knows -- with Halloween coming, maybe I could make us all matching sweatshirts!

Recipe: Potato & Green Bean Salad

2011-09-13T09:31:00.010-05:00

Today I'm sharing a recipe for a Potato and Green Bean Salad which I made last week. I developed a love for this type of salad during the year I spent in France back in college. I first tried a similar recipe when some friends and I took an extended trip to the south of France where the simple style of cooking relies heavily on fresh ingredients. This is one of those recipes which (like meatloaf in Iowa) seems to vary by household. Add tuna and it becomes a version of a Salade Nicoise.

I put together this salad based on a recipe from Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard (a great read, by the way). I added a few ingredients based on what I had on hand (listed below the recipe). If you're looking for a simple one-dish meal which gets even better after a day or two in the fridge, this one's for you!

Potato and Green Bean Salad

Adapted from Lunch in Paris **

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cut extra-virgin olive oil or more to taste

1.5 pounds small red potatoes, halved or quartered

1/4 pound green beans, blanched

1 small red onion, minced

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1/2 cup tiny black Nicoise olives

Combine the first 6 ingredients for the vinaigrette in a glass jar or container. Shake to combine. You can make the vinaigrette several days in advance.

Place the potatoes in a pot of highly salted cold water, bring to boil, and cook until tender.

Trim the beans and blanch in lightly salted water for 3-4 minutes. They should remain bright green and retain their snap. Drain and rinse under cold water; pat dry with a paper towel.

Drain the potatoes. While they are still warm, place them in a large bowl with the onion, parsley, thyme, olives, and green beans. Add the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Leave in the fridge for an hour so that the flavors have a chance to blend. This salad is best served at room temperature. Serves 4-6.

** The original recipe includes pastis or anisette, a licorice flavor. I'm not a fan of licorice, so I left it out and added the following ingredients, commonly found in a Salade Nicoise, a traditional dish from the south of France:

Two packages of white tuna, drained

Cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Sun-dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil), green olives and capers -- had a half jar of each in the fridge so added them in

Serve with a loaf of crusty bread. Dinner doesn't get much better than this, in my opinion!

Monday Morning Nap

2011-09-12T09:44:00.000-05:00

Oh, to rest near a sunny spot on a nice, soft rug.

What a life! :)

Feline Friday: Something Very Naughty

2011-09-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

I was upstairs working last night when suddenly I heard a loud BAM! in the kitchen. Generally a sound of this nature can only mean one thing:

Yep, Lily knocked Tinsel's food container off the counter (again) and was enjoying her fill of tasty morsels. Lots of them.

When it hit the floor, Eukanuba Active Longevity (Hairball Formula) scattered to the ends of the earth.

And when I arrived on the scene, Lily -- bless her heart -- was doing her best to clean it all up.

Recipe: Balsamic-Glazed Chicken & Veggies

2011-09-06T10:27:00.009-05:00

I don't know about you, but I'm really enjoying this cooler weather. Summers in Iowa are much too hot for my taste, so I always welcome fall temperatures when they arrive.

With fall comes the opportunity to try out a few new "comfort food" dishes. Last week we tested a new recipe from Clean Eating magazine. I subscribed to this magazine a few months ago and it has been a wonderful source of healthful recipes. This particular recipe, Balsamic-Glazed Chicken and Veggies, came from their website. Click here for the recipe, also shown below. I'll try anything with balsamic vinegar listed as an ingredient!

I personally LOVE crock pot recipes. It's great to throw everything together and forget about it until dinner time. This particular recipe really needs a larger crock pot than the one I have. It was a tight squeeze, even without the kale. (I left it out because Spouse thinks it looks--and tastes!--like lawn mulch.)

This is what the completed dish looks like, out of the crock pot. Can you imagine how great it smelled? We enjoyed it with couscous and some crusty bread and I also froze a good portion of it for later.

This recipe is definitely a KEEPER. If you're looking for a new crock pot dish to try this fall, I'd highly recommend it!

Balsamic-Glazed Chicken and Veggies

INGREDIENTS:

Olive oil cooking spray
6 4-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dried rosemary
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp Sucanat (I substituted brown sugar for this sweetener)
2 medium zucchini, sliced
2 medium yellow squash, sliced
6 oz sliced white mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 red onion, peeled and cut into chunks
1 head garlic, peeled and separated into cloves
2 cups finely chopped kale (I omitted the kale; the recipe was great even without it.)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Remove lid from slow cooker, mist interior with cooking spray and place chicken inside.
In a medium bowl, whisk vinegar, rosemary, soy sauce and Sucanat. Add remaining ingredients, except for kale, and stir well to coat.
Pour vegetable-sauce mixture into slow cooker, over top of chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5. One hour before serving, stir in kale and replace cover. Before plating, use a fork to lightly shred chicken in the slow cooker. Serve over brown rice, quinoa or whole-wheat angel hair pasta (or couscous).

Nutrients per 1-cup serving: Calories: 144, Total Fat: 5 g, Sat. Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 13 g, Fiber: 3 g, Sugars: 4 g, Protein: 14 g, Sodium: 93 mg, Cholesterol: 37 mg

That's our girl!

2011-09-04T11:05:00.002-05:00

It's been a little over two weeks since we took Bailey back to Indiana. We've been busy with work and other projects but still...it's very quiet here. Among many other things, I miss the piles of flip flops in the laundry room, the wet towels on the bathroom floor (yes, I did just write that!), and especially hearing her sing around the house.

At the same time, we couldn't be happier and more excited about everything she's experiencing at IU! Band camp is done now and classes are in full swing. Her fall semester will be filled with marching band, two different percussion ensembles, and a nice mix of courses -- including her first conducting class.

When you don't see your daughter very often, you really start to cherish the few pictures you can get. I was pretty excited to find her in several photos from drum line rehearsals. I can tell by looking at them -- and you probably can, too -- that although we miss her like crazy, she's exactly where she belongs!

We love her to pieces and are very proud of her!

Feline Friday

2011-09-02T00:37:00.002-05:00

Hai MOM! I still fitz in dis baskit!

Meet Gary!

2011-08-31T09:08:00.008-05:00

Bailey is often mistaken for a much younger person than she really is -- it's not unusual for her to be offered Crayons and a children's menu at restaurants. Normally she's quite irritated by this but at this year's Iowa State Fair, it worked to her advantage.

We were checking out the working exhibits in the 4-H Building when we came upon a very busy table where two middle-school 4-H girls were teaching kids to make Grass Head Guys. With only a moment's hesitation, Bailey took her place in line next to much shorter children -- and their parents. :)

She was leaving for college in just a couple of days and thought a Grass Head Guy would be the perfect addition to her windowsill.

To make the Grass Head Guys, you put a small amount of grass seed in the toe of a cut-off nylon stocking. Add a bit of dirt, tie the stocking, and tuck it into a plastic drinking cup. Later at home, you fill the cup halfway up with water. The water wicks up the stocking through the dirt and to the grass seed, which will sprout in about a week's time.

The kids added facial features and patterned paper "clothes". I'm guessing that Bailey was the only one who chose paper to match her dorm room! She immediately named him Gary the Grass Head Guy.

Gary rode all the way to Indiana in a cup holder and took his position on her windowsill. She was quite certain that everyone on her dorm floor would want their OWN Grass Head Guys as soon as they saw him. (I'm not sure if this phenomenon has taken hold quite yet...)

I had almost forgotten about Gary when we Skyped with her a few days ago. So I was delighted to see that Gary now has hair! In fact, he has so much hair that she's had to give him a couple of trims, tidying up the stray pieces growing out of his nose.

Who knew a college student could have so much fun with a cup of dirt? :)

Monday, Monday

2011-08-29T10:41:00.003-05:00

It's Monday and the start of a very busy week! I have lots of projects to start (and finish) in the next few days. I'm not quite on top of things YET but I am getting there! :)

Since it was such a nice day on Saturday, we decided to take a quick trip to the local farmers' market. I'm not sure why we don't go more often -- there's really no excuse! I always enjoy the sights, sounds, and tastes. While there, we picked up fresh produce so that Spouse could make his famous salsa when we got home. That's always a good thing!

In other news, over the weekend I learned that a project I made for an upcoming class is missing from Memory Bound. I'm hoping that someone picked it up by accident and will return it to the store. I have detailed photos and instructions written, but I do not have the time to recreate the project right now. I'm completely bummed out about this situation. :(

On a brighter note, it is Bailey's first day of class at IU today! She texted me this morning that she had taken a first day of school photo. When you're the daughter of a scrapbooker, I guess you know that first day of school photos are important! :) I can hardly believe she's old enough to be in college, let alone starting her second year. It sounds like she has a fun mix of classes this semester and I am excited to see what this year brings for her!

Feline Friday: CORNS! The Movie

2011-08-25T22:50:00.003-05:00

By request, here is a brief movie of Lily enjoying CORNS!