Monarch Post

random monday

My kids and I are home sick with colds...

I layed around all day yesterday.

I couldn't do it again today.

So I sniffled and puttered around the house and made cookies...

I made oatmeal mini-chocolate chip cookies.

They are really good, and really simple.

Last night while we were laying around sick,

we watched 19 kids and counting.

 

Hooooly Mooooly.

 

They are having another baby... soon to be 20 kids and counting.

I am in awe... and just fascinated by how they manage.

It's not for me (or us) but it is amazing to see how they do it all.

So I went to their website today and decided to make their cookies.

Not sure why I went to their blog... voyeurism, I guess.

Anyway, their cookie recipe is great.

And I added a little vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. And mini-chocolate chips.

I think the recipe makes about seventy... be warned!

Saturday morning we woke up to snow. Our second snowfall already.

(So not ready ).

Today the back yard looks like this.

And the deck looks like this.

So much for all those fall leaves I said were still on the trees... geez.

The leaves falling always made my Mom upset...

I think she thought grass was carpet too ;)

And she would have vacuumed it if she could.

(I wonder if you could use a shop vac on the deck?)

I don't mind the leaves scattered all over,

and they aren't getting raked until they ALL fall...

 

So there... leaves...

 

 

Last week I went to Tai Pan home store looking for an apothecary jar for the wedding flowers.

I found the red frame there. LOVE IT.

It's in the dining room.  LOVE IT.

 

I left the wedding flowers to dry in their vases.

They looked so pretty even dried; I haven't had the heart to take them apart.

But I finally decided I needed to....

I saved the best blooms and arranged them in the jar.

The rest went in the trash.

Definately the most expensive trash bags I've ever taken out.

OOOOOOOiiiye.

It's sitting in the dining room at the moment.

The flower colors are great in there with the green walls.

I'm going to add more color to the room.

I started making more tea towels too on Saturday.

(Say that three times fast. )

To sell for Christmas at All Tucked In.

I like 'em.

 

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And  I liked the way the garland and the ornaments turned out too for the shop.

All twelve heart ornaments sold last week.

I'm making more.

Yay!

I made the ornament loops from an old pillowcase.

I serged both edges of the fabric.

Sergers are AWEsome. Seriously.

Serging makes me weirdly happy.

It's like slicing hot pie when it slices perfectly.

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I think that's it for me today.

What's up with you?!

XOK

Mondays' treats

    Made my favorite chocolate chip cookies this morning.  My kids look forward to "Mondays' treats", as they call it.  It works to bake something on Monday while I'm trying to get the house clean and laundry done.  I'm old fashioned that way.  I like to get all the laundry done and the house halfway-clean on Monday.  The rest of the week seems to go better if I can be "domestic-ish" on Monday morning.

One of my dearest friends, Norene, stopped by awhile ago.  She delivered a beautiful, homemade chicken pot pie.  Out of the blue.  She said I know how difficult things have been for you lately, with your Mom not doing well.  So I thought I'd just bring dinner over.  I almost cried.  I had a house full of Brownie scouts and no clue what dinner was going to be.  Talk about random acts of kindness.  I wish she had a blog-- I'd point you over there.  She's a professional Mom of five.  I think she's just the kind of loving Mom the world needs.  Her four daughters are all aspiring concert violinists.  They are amazingly talented and she has been amazingly devoted to developing their gifts.  She also homeschools her kids for their first several school years. I was not a fan of homeschooling until I saw how well adjusted her kids are... not to mention those chunky college scholarships they're earning.  

So today after I pick up kids from school, I'm going to return her pie plate filled with chocolate chip cookies and a card-- telling her she's wonderful...    

Rachel, from Cherry Tree Lane passed along a blog award to me last week.  She's another darling Mom.  I've followed her along this past year-- her first year of motherhood, and it's been so fun to watch her Kensington Jane grow. And I'm passing my blog award along to four other creative and sweet Moms.  The rules are to nominate six other blogs and let them know about the award.  Although I broke the rules and nominated a few less.  I think it's a little more special that way...

 

Marie  @ "make and takes"

Martha  @ "Miss Vandroo"

"Daisy Yellow"

Here's that cookie recipe too-- from one more creative, devoted Mom named Jeni.  For some reason, I'm having trouble linking her.  So  here's her site and here's her cookie recipe I'm in LOVE with...    myeverydaysparkles.blogspot.com. 

These cookies are to die for good-- light, fluffy, and non greasy.  And I don't know how that's possible with a cup of shortening in them-- might as well just slather that shortening on my thighs... but they would do you proud at that Thanksgiving dinner table.  Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE CHIP TRUFFLES 

1 cup shortening 

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

cream together first four ingredients.

add

1/3 cup buttermilk ( or add 1 tsp. vinegar to milk)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3 cups flour

1 package chocolate chips.

form in balls...bake at 375... for 12 minutes.  ENJOY!!!

Hope your all doing well.  I've got several half-finished "projects d'art" to get cracking on... so I'm off to the craft store and studio.  See you soon this week!  Yes, life is settling back down again... finally. 

Lots of love xoxo,

Kelly 

 

 

 

here kitty, kitty, kitty...

     I made several of these little kitties last year for Halloween and looking through my wool stashes, I realized I had three more cut out and ready to sew.  Got something done finally, yeah!

I've grown terribly allergic to cats, and I have to admit, I prefer need unconditional dog love.  But black cats are so aesthetically pleasing, so mysterious, and fun to sew.  So there you go, nothing too deep from this cat designer today.  I also had a black cat as a child, Classy.  She was bonkers-- always running in circles; chasing her tail, until she would bite it , and then she would jump about six feet straight in the air. I thought that was so hysterically funny and weird.  And even funnier if I happened to be in the bathroom, ahem, using the facilities, and I would suddenly see my cat schreeching and flying through the air from the high bath window.  Kid humor-- there's no explanation for it, is there? 

 Anyway, I'm sure that's probably too much information on my experiences with black cats.  So I'll just change the subject altogether here, and pass along a great cake recipe-- how's that for a really bad transition?  Hope I didn't just put you off of food altogether there...

I found this recipe on a blog somewhere last week and I'd like to give blog credit, but I haven't found where I found it yet-- but oh my, it's delish.  I made it Friday, and it's gone today.  And it doesn't get any easier than this recipe. My culinary hero is Sandra Lee of semi-homemade fame. I am really no Martha wannabee.  "Get me in and out of the kitchen fast and make me look good".  That is my motto.  And I'm sticking with it.

   

So here it is:

1 package angel food cake mix.

1 large can Libby's pumpkin-- the kind that has all the spices and is ready made to pour into a pie shell.

*** Yep, that's it.  Pour the pumpkin mix in a bowl.  Pour the cake mix over the pumpkin.   Stir it up with your mixer.  Bake in a greased Bundt pan at 350 for about 40-50 minutes.  Check with a toothpick to see if it's done. Let cool.  Eat.  Yum.  Enjoy. 

-- I think I'm going to skip past Etsy and take these three little basket toting kitties to my friend Brenda's shop.  They sold well there last year. 

 My photo shoot was tricky.  He has a sweet tooth.        

 Hope you have a really nice fallish Monday :-)

Kelly

Mondays' treats

Pancakes, pancakes, get em' while they're hot!  Here's a lazy summer breakfast item for your kids that will make them think you're a freakin' pancake genius- at least for children under twelve years of age....older than twelve and I'm not making any promises...I've found I grow less and less brilliant with my kids every year after they reach the age of twelve!

I can't  remember where I even found this recipe/idea.  I've had it for ages, made it years ago for my older two kids, and last week for the younger two... but anyway, here it is:

Make a batch of your favorite pancake mix. (I used Krusteaz buttermilk- my food critics tell me it's the fluffiest), and make sure there are no lumps in the batter. In fact, after I took this photo I ran the pancake mix through the blender, just to make sure we were lump free!
Fill a clean squirt bottle (I used an old mustard bottle) with the pancake mix.

 
Squirt letters and designs onto hot greased griddle.

NOW THE TRICK- YOU HAVE TO WRITE EVERYTHING BACKWARD, SO THAT WHEN YOU FLIP THEM, THEY'RE THE RIGHT DIRECTION!

 
And that's it. EASY PEASY LEMON SQUEEZY!  Now how does it feel to be a GENIUS? Just remember now, that genius thing only applies if you've got kids twelve and under...  But hey, I always like to take what I can get!

That's my pathetic attempt at a car and heart in the corner :-(  Hope your summer is off to a wonderful start!

Take care

Lots of love,

Kelly

 

 

 

 

 

Mondays' treats

Hooray!  First day of summer vacation.  I made these for Mondays' treat in celebration.  The're right off the Pillsbury funfetti cake mix box, but they are worthy of a post. Funfetti cookies are one of our favorite cookie recipes, or as my kids say confetti cookies, either way, they're the bomb with a glass of cold milk.  Here's the recipe. Enjoy! And I'm off to a baseball game....

• 1 Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix
• 1/3 cup oil
• 2 eggs

Heat oven to 375. F In large bowl, combine cake mix, oil and eggs; stir with spoon until thoroughly moistened. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. With bottom of glass dipped in flour, flatten to 1/4 inch thickness.

Bake at 375 F.for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

High altitude: (above 3500 ft.) Add 1/2 cup flour to dry cake mix.  Bake as directed above.

P.S.  The box recipe calls for canned frosting, but we like them better plain.

Take care, and happy June to you!

Kelly