I Miss You!

Dear Blog,
It’s been over a week since we talked….uh I mean since I talked and you let me use you as an outlet. I know that many not be long for other blogs but you and I are special, we like to visit often. I have pictures and post ideas all ready to go but things are just a little busy right now.

I’ve been working on this:

and this

oh and this

Yes, and this too! 

and this
 

this too
  

Oh and we can’t forget him

Oh and I almost forgot this little cutie.
 

We also added 2 new family members that acquire A LOT of TLC! They sure are cute though!

Meet
Momo or Mo-Mo

   

and Ninja

  

Like I said, things have been a little busy but I wanted to let you know dear sweet blog that I miss you! I want to share my sweet thrifty finds, and my new tray redo, oh and I want to tell you all about veggie co-op. See what I’m saying……we have a lot to catch up on. Please be patient with me things are starting to slow down and I will soon have time to share. I miss you!

Sincerely,
One blog author missing her blog!

It all Started with an Altoids Tin

A few months ago I transformed a room in our home in to craft room. Click HERE to see pictures of the transformation. I’m loving the space but funny enough I’m crafting wayyyy less than I did before, go figure!
It’s warming up outside and I’m starting to come out of my crafting hibernation. I have some ideas swimming around in my head and I’m ready to get my craft back on and put my craft room to good use. I finally took my Altiods tin (which was the inspiration for my craft room) and used it for a little décor project.
I bought this shadow frame a few years ago. I LOVED it and knew that I would find something to do with it………one day. Well it’s been awhile but I found just the right project for it.



Using things I already had on hand I put together a little inspiration board/shadow box using items that reflect the space. I put the original Altiods container inside (you can see the dent in the container from me carrying it around in my purse for so long), a piece of fabric I used throughout the room, a flower I made at a craft event I hosted, and a quote from James Russell Lowell.

You can truly find inspiration anywhere! I should show you my inspiration for our living room. It was something I bought at an Asian supermarket when I was in high school. I loved the colors and knew I wanted a room decorated around it someday! Humm…….maybe that will be a future post.

  I found this quote online and thought it was perfect for my project! I wanted it to look a little worn so I crumpled it up, poured a little coffee over it and let it dry.

  I like how it turned out and any project that calls for a cup of coffee is a good project in my book!

 
Click HERE to see the before and after transformations of the thrift store goodies I used to decorate the space.

I’m Linking up With:
The Shabby Chic Cottage
Just a Girl
The Girl Creative
Tea Rose Home
Room to Inspire

One of these Eggs is NOT Like the Others

A few weeks ago I told you that my Mom welcomed chickens into our family. Well, what started out as 4 chickens has turned into 12! I know, that’s a LOT of chickens.

Last week I brought home dozen eggs and was floored by the difference between a store bought egg and a farm fresh egg, really it was crazy!
Let’s see if you can tell which eggs in the bowl are store bought cage free eggs and which are straight off the farm. (Answer: The bottom 2 yellow yolks on the left side.)
Did you get it right? It’s pretty crazy huh? Not only is there a big difference in the color of the yolk, the shell of a FF egg is harder and they have rich creamier taste to them. It’s even a different experience scrambling them. With store bought eggs you can whisk them right up before pouring them into the pan. With FF eggs the yolks are so creamy and dense that you have to whisk a bit longer to break them up. So far we’ve baked, poached, scrambled, and fried our FF eggs. I could tell a difference in each way that I’ve eaten them.
Here's a picture from our breakfast last weekend. Farm Fresh scrambled eggs, French toast dredged in FF eggs, fresh squeezed Orange Juice, fresh strawberries, turkey bacon, and a little powder sugar to sprinkle over the French toast. When I put the powder sugar in a coffee cup my youngest niece asked if I was going to drink it. Ha, I do love me some sugar but I haven't resorted to drinking it straight out of the cup……yet! 

I'm linking up with:
The Girl Creative

Homemade Biscotti

As some of you know I’m a coffee fanatic! I love the taste, smell, and activities that go along with a cup of Joe (chatting with friend, reading good a book, the start of a new day, snuggling up to watch a movie).
What goes better with a cup of coffee than a little homemade biscotti…..right! I found a wonderful biscotti recipe that’s delish and super easy! Thought you might baking some biscotti as well.  

Chocolate Nut Biscotti

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for baking
2 cups of all-purpose flour, plus more for baking sheet
1/2 cup unsweetened coca powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup of nuts (I’ve made this recipe a few time and have used hazelnuts, walnuts, and pistachios)
1/2 cup of chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a baking sheet; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (note: you can also blend with a hand mixer). Add the eggs; beat until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Add flour mixture, and stir to form a stiff dough. Stir in the nuts and chocolate chips.

3. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet; form into a slightly flattened log, 12 by 4 inches. Bake until firm about 35 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Reduce oven to 300 degrees F.

4. On a cutting board use a sharp serrated knife to cut the biscotti diagonally into 1-inch think slices. Arrange the biscotti on the baking sheet and bake until crisp about 18min.

Note: The last time I whipped up a batch of these bad boys I got a little fancy and melted some dark chocolate. I dipped the ends of each slice of biscotti into the melted chocolate. I placed them in the fridge to let the chocolate harden a bit before I served them. It was rich but oh so good!  

 

Finding Places to Store Items

Our lower level lacks storage space. Not really sure what the builder was thinking when he/she designed a family home without a coat closet on the lower level. Not having storage put me in a pickle through the years as we’ve grown into our home. What does a gal do when she’s running low on space to store things? She makes the best of what she has and thinks outside the box…..right? Well in this case we’re going to think INSIDE the box.




This sits next to our fireplace in our living room. I use the basket to store extra blankets and the to trunk store our karaoke equipment. Not only are these two items great storage pieces they add a little color to my living room and tie in decor patterns I use throughout our home. Don't mind the nosey dog in the background. :o)




This chest sits on a shelf in our living room. I use it to store Kent’s Play Station bit and pieces. I want to give this little guy a face lift but I haven't decided what I want to do with it yet.




   A little nook in our living room that received a makeover a few months ago (click HERE to see the makeover). I use the basket next to the chair to store magazines that are waiting to be read or placed in my magazine organizer (click HERE to see how I organize magazine clippings).





We still need to install a cabinet in our 1/2 bathroom on our lower level. It would definitely come in handy but for now I use this basket I bought at Goodwill to store our extra toilet paper. This little basket has been a lifesaver! 






  This basket sits on top of our refrigerator. We store bread, baked goods, chips, and tortillas in it. We’ve had this guy forever! I bought it at World Market years ago. I loved the open weave and the large size. It’s great for storing and the open weave makes it easy to see what’s inside.






   This chest is in our kitchen as well. I use it to store our electric mixer and the mixer attachments. It’s easy for me to get to and it’s tucked away so no one can see it!





I’m an avid coffee and tea drinker. It’s one of my guilty pleasures. I found the cake pedestal at Goodwill last summer and turned it into a little coffee/tea station. I use the coffee canister to store my Keurig coffee pods and the smaller canister for my Keurig tea pods.






I use this apothecary jar to store my non diary/low fat creamer. I love me some creamer but a gals got to watch her calorie intake. Storing it next to our Keurig makes that much easier for me to have a cup of joe. Hummm, maybe that's not a good thing.

I want to hear from you:
What are some ways you store everyday items throughout your home?

I'm linking up with:
Reinvented
Just a Girl
Room to Inspire

A Litter Easter Love

Meeting the Easter Bunny by Rowena Bennett

On Easter morn at early dawn
before the cocks were crowing
I met a bob-tail bunnykin
and asked where he was going.

"Tis in the house and out the house
a-tispy, tipsy-toeing,
Tis round the house
and 'bout the house a-lighlty I am going."

"But what is that of every hue
you carry in your basket?"
"Tis eggs of gold and eggs of blue;
I wonder that you ask it.

"Tis chocolate eggs and bonbon eggs
and eggs of red and gray,
For every child in every house
on bonny Easter day.

He perked his ears
and winked his eye and twitched his little nose;
He shook his tail -- what tail he had --
and stood up on his toes.

"I must be gone before the sun;
the east is growing gray;
Tis almost time for bells to chime."
-- So he hippety-hopped away.

*********************************************************************** I thought that poem was cute. A bit of a tongue twister but sweet. Hope you have a wonderful Easter. If you do not celebrate Easter I hope that you enjoy your weekend with some rest and relaxation!

Here’s a little something to make you laugh….at least it cracked me up! Make sure your volume is up on your computer before you play the clip.

Fancy Greek Yogurt

I love a breakfast that’s healthy, filing, and delish. This Greek yogurt parfait fits all the right criteria! I usually eat this during the week days for breakfast and I’m good to go until lunch time.
      The thing I love about this is that you can throw whatever you have on hand in it. Today I added……..
-Roasted Almonds
-Cranberries
-Apple and Cinnamon Granola
-Fresh Strawberries
-Spenda to neutralize the tanginess in the Greek yogurt.
In past parfaits I’ve added a few semisweet chocolate chips, walnuts, and honey or bananas and tad-bit of peanut butter. See what I’m saying…….you can have fun with it and add whatever tickles your fancy.
I love the creaminess of Greek yogurt. I always feel like I’m eating something bad but it’s actually really good for you. I recently switched to Yoplait’s Fat Free Greek yogurt. It’s my favorite brand so far…..no, they’re not paying me to say that; I really do like it!