DIY Play Kitchen!

Sure, you could buy one, but where's the fun in that? Christmas is coming up, why not make your little one a play kitchen and encourage hours of imaginative play!?

We made P a play kitchen for his second birthday/Christmas -- I can't remember which it was now since he didn't actually get it until after both HA oops. That was almost a year ago now and it's still in perfect condition, despite P's attempts to damage it.

Anyway, we only bought a couple items for it, the rest we had laying around

We bought:
~ Stainless steel bowl for the sink
~ Wood 'project board' from Lowe's
~ $5 can of 'oops paint' from Home Depot in the perfect shade of blue

We already had lying around:
~ Wood flooring used for the cupboard doors, the shelf and the stove elements
~ The brackets for the shelf
~ The beaded board and molding
~ The giraffe pulls for the cupboards, why not? and the hinges
~ The beeswax we used on the counter top for a little water protection

P loves his play kitchen, and plays with it almost every day still, and we love that we made it just for him... and that it can stand up to his using it as a ladder without tipping over... boys.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm not American but I'll get into almost any holiday that involves eating lots of really good food! (bring on 5pm! and pie, and pudding...)

Today I am thankful for my wonderful husband, who loves me and puts up with all my crazy ideas and requirements and who works hard to provide for his family. I am thankful that we now get to celebrate holidays together; the first three or so years of our relationship was long distance, with a very large ocean (the Pacific) between us.

My beautiful little man, who, despite being a typical three year old, is the light of my life, I love him more than anything. And I know he loves us too, so we must be doing something right ;)

My family and adopted family; those in New Zealand, Bali, England, Italy, Australia and the US. We may not see each other very often, and some of us might not even get along very well (at all) but we're still family.

My health; for a moment there I thought I'd never be normal again! Today I feel completely normal.

And I am thankful for this little guy; the boys made him last night, I think he's cute! They did a great job.

They used two felt hearts, a yellow felt triangle and two little white felt circles. Oh and a bag of feathers -- keep the vacuum handy.

 

Alright, so maybe my husband did most of the work?

 

P did help vacuum. 

Make Ahead Tortillas!

December is coming and it is going to be CRAZY in our house, as I'm sure it will be in others also. With the holidays, birthdays, cooler weather arriving, it getting dark sooner and my being a bit lazy it will be so easy and tempting to just eat out but neither our wallets, nor our waistlines, can afford that. SO I'm determined to have easy to make stuff ready to go, no excuses!

We make our own tortillas and I tried freezing them once, after rolling them, and it didn't go so well, why didn't I think to freeze the balls of dough like I do pizza dough? I don't know, the concept was apparently beyond my frazzled mind at the time. So I gave it a try, and it works GREAT! I made a batch of 16 tortillas the other day, we ate 5 and froze the rest. We had fajitas last night and all we had to do was take 5 tortilla balls out of the freezer, they were thawed and ready for rolling in 2-3 hours!

The recipe can be found here, after rolling them into balls and allowing them to sit the required amount of time simply pop them on a cookie sheet and into the freezer for a few hours. Once frozen remove and store in a pyrex container or similar and you're ready to go! Love it! And them, they're really good tortillas, you really should try them!

Work In Progress

Watch this space! Finished priming it today, painting the final color over the next couple days...

Sour Cream Biscuits

My husband makes these for breakfast for us on the weekends and I love him for it. Not only are they DELICIOUS, but I don't have to do anything!

Sour Cream Biscuits

2C all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp cream of tartar (though we go without since we ran out)

1/4 tsp salt

1/2C shortening (we use butter)

1C sour cream

2T milk

~ Sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar and salt

~ Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs

~ Make a well in the center and add milk all at once

~ Stir just till dough clings together

~ Knead gently on a lightly floured surface for 10-12 strokes

~ Roll or pat to 1/2 inch thickness and use a 2 1/2 inch cutter to make circles of dough (we use a glass)

~ Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet (we use our pizza tray, preheated in the oven)

~ Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes or till golden ~ makes 10-12 biscuits

We usually eat ours with butter, jams and honey, this morning we put some leftover cinnamon/brown sugar muffin topping from yesterday on top and they were GOOD!

Postman Parker

It's crazy how easy (and free!) this activity was and it has so far provided an hour or so of entertainment.

Ingredients

A big envelope - I had one from the preschool I was going to recycle anyway

Markers, Crayons, Stickers, whatever...

'Post cards' - real or created by your little mail (wo)man

I pulled out a big white envelope this morning, showed it to P and mentioned that we should decorate it and put things in it. And we were off. He LOVED the idea. I happened to have a handful of old post cards and a card from a friend I had found so he used those to practice his envelope stuffing skills 

He put the post cards in...

...And poured them out again

And put them back in... all while yelling 'I'm a mail man!'...

...and then he wanted to make his own with a box, scissors and his markers

Then he was gone, carrying his envelope around the house singing about how he was a mailman. Gotta love it.

Updated November/December Meal Plan

I really enjoy having my meal plan on my blog; I usually have it written on pieces of paper laying around everywhere and I forget where I put it or lose it and then I don't know what's for dinner blah blah blah. So please, bare with me. Oh, and does anyone have any super easy, healthy meal ideas? I have a few blank spots...

In the freezer I have:
~ loin strip steak
~ fajita beef
~ 3lb ground beef - tacos and bolagnaise
~ 2 whole chickens
~ 22 meatballs - 2 meals + 1 lunch worth
~ 5 hotdogs
~ frozen vegetables; mixed (1), peas (2), corn (1) as well as fruits
~ 2 big pyrex containers of cooked pinto beans

Meat pick-up is 11/23 and 12/7 - need to have enough 'easy' food on hand to get us through the crazy season so we don't eat out. I have $185 for groceries until 12/1

Whole Foods trip 11/17:
1 box NZ hoki fish sticks - sustainable, wild caught New Zealand fish, free of ickies $5
3 loaves whole wheat bread - into the freezer $15
organic lunch meat? less than 4.99?
cheap fruit

Meat pick-up on 11/23:
3lbs ground pastured pork - 15.72
2lb ground beef - 12.48
2 dozen eggs (hopefully they have some now!) - $9

Central Market in December
black beans 2lbs @ $1.69/lb
grass fed hot dogs - 8 - $4.99
ham $4.99
4 x jarred tomato sauce

To make for the freezer:
Meatballs from 2lb pork, 2lb beef
Bolagnaise sauce - 1lb ground beef, 1 pork
Taco meat - 1lb ground beef, 2lb beans
40 tortillas - 8 meals worth

November 

18 fish sticks, mashed potatoes, steamed veggies - downtown

19 Homemade pizza - sauce, cheese, pepperoni, ham, pineapple, onion, bell pepper, zucchini

20 Beef fajitas – meat in the freezer, bell pepper, onions, tortillas, refried beans (freezer) – make and freeze extra tortillas

21 Grilled whole chicken - roast potatoes, carrots and peas

22 Greek meatballs, mashed potatoes, steamed veggies

23 breakfast burritos – scrambled egg, avocado, cheese, salsa, homemade tortillas (meat pick-up today)

24 chicken alfredo with whole wheat pasta

25 Thanksgiving dinner/lunch with the in-law's

26 Thanksgiving leftovers - turkey sandwiches and sides? - trip to Kroger to stalk the organic turkeys - on sale?

27 Spinach Salad w/ turkey

28 Homemade pizza - sauce, cheese, pepperoni, ham, pineapple, onion, bell pepper, spinach, zucchini

29 breakfast burritos – scrambled egg, avocado, cheese, salsa, homemade tortillas (meat pick-up today)

30 (Tues) Spinach salad

December

1 bolagnaise sauce with whole wheat pasta - freeze sauce

2 (playgroup)

3

4 Loin strip steak - what do you do with it?

5 Playgroup Christmas party, lunch? what am I bringing?

6

7

8 Greek meatballs from freezer, rice, steamed veggies

9

10 Company Christmas party

11 Packing for Dallas - sandwiches

12 Dallas for Yo Gabba Gabba show

13 Home from Dallas - hot dogs, fruit

14 rice and beans in the crockpot with tortillas

15

16 Greek meatballs from freezer, rice, steamed veggies

17 Homemade pizza - sauce, cheese, pepperoni, ham, pineapple, onion, bell pepper, zucchini

18 vegetarian guests -- I don't know!

19 P's birthday party + vegetarian guests

20

21

22 bolagnaise with whole wheat pasta

23 In law's

24  In law's

25 In law's

26 leftovers?

27 leftovers?

28

29

30

31 Anniversary

Cleaning Out the Clutter - Pantry

I'm in the mood for organizing but not for cleaning so I figured this project was worthwhile, right? RIGHT!?!

I went through J's drawers and reorganized those this morning but I still wanted more. I kept looking at things but ended up saying 'meh' and moving on... until I opened the pantry door. Aha! Inspiration! AND motivation, all in one afternoon. Impressive.

My pantry is a disaster. It doesn't stay neat even after a big clean up, this time I am determined to get it organized and keep it that way!

Step One: remove things that are either expired, not going to be used, or are plain just in the wrong place!

Step two: decide what to do with everything above...

- Mustard - got it free forever ago. It is actually expired now. Does mustard really go bad?
- Freeze dried fruits - into the freezer, keeps them fresher!
- Imitation Coconut Flavor (WHY do I have that!!?! it's even unopened!?!), artificially colored sprinkles and 'trial' size Tabasco sauce and mayonnaise (huh?) - the coconut flavor may find itself a new home, the rest is trash. I think the spices will go with the coconut flavor.
- Catnip - we no longer have a cat so that's unneeded. Will put it with the rest of the cat stuff to be freecycled or something. We also have a large bag of litter in the pantry
- Jello - and lots of it. Leftover from when my husband was actually allowed to eat it. Some is expired, the rest will find a new home.
- 3 open boxes of cereal and bunny biscuits - been open far too long and unused, not particularly yummy any more
- Agave Nectar - useful but not for us after finding out how it is actually processed! Not as 'natural' as it says. Shameful waste of $4
- Sheep basket full of plastic Easter eggs my mother-in-law bought. This is April equipment, obviously. It will be relocated to a new home for safe keeping. Why was it in the pantry? Your guess is as good as mine.

Step three: organize! More to come...

P.S. After looking over the photos again I see that there is more in there that doesn't belong. Back to Step Two!

Disposables Don't Do This

Breakdown, that is.

It is estimated that it will take a single disposable diaper 250-500 years to breakdown. That is, if any decomposing is done at all; air flow and other certain qualities are needed for anything, including diapers to breakdown and none of them are found in landfills. So the chance of a diaper *actually* breaking down in a landfill, even those that are 'biodegradable'  is pretty small in reality. A child will go through thousands of diapers during their diapered years. That means that not only is a LOT of space taken up by all the disposable diapers the world uses but they are also sitting there almost for forever, doing a whole lot of nothing besides potentially polluting ground water with not only human waste but also with nasty chemicals and plastics.

My diapers on the other hand. They break down all right.

These are the hemp prefolds I made almost 2 years ago today after being used EVERY night for those 2 years. Not particularly attractive, I know but I *love* that they are disintegrating and will quickly be gone after we throw them into the compost.

But not before being given one more go at life! I cut the scraggly bits off the sides of the prefolds and they're now three layer hemp doublers, ready for another round! The bits I removed will go into the garden. I am sure they will be gone before the new year gets going.

Make It Monday: Subway Art!

I initially came across Subway Art here and started looking through all the links and photos and decided that I love 'Subway Art'! But I don't have any stencils, I don't really enjoy painting all that much and I am not particularly artistic anyway. I found Wordle that will help you create and print your own Subway Art but it still wasn't quite what I wanted. So I opened my trusty Photoshop Elements and came up with this:

I think it goes rather nicely in our 'entryway' though maybe a bigger frame/print would be better?

What do you think? Not bad for my first try! I think I am going to make some more for P's room and the playroom. Maybe the kitchen too. I printed this one on some nice textured card stock in 'best' quality and framed it, total was about $10.50 with the frame. I bought it new using a coupon because you may as well just buy new with the prices thrift stores are asking for nice frames!

DIY Bookshelves!

Almost a year ago a friend sent me a link to rain gutter book shelves and I loved them! They're great for kids because the cover faces out, making it easier for little ones to pick their book. It is also easier on little hands during clean up time.

What's not so great about them is that rain gutters are generally vinyl or metal so they either off gas toxic chemicals or they require special care to make sure nobody gets cut on them, both no go's for my house.

But I wanted some!

So we brainstormed and ended up building something similar out of wood and painted them with no VOC paint. All it took was a saw, drill, some 1x4s, a big sheet of beaded board and wooden dowels. And a lot of patience;

~ First we decided on the measurements for the bookshelf and cut the beaded board to size.
~ The edge and bottom of the shelf are 1x4s the length and width (minus 2") of the beaded board. Screwed those together to make a U shape.
~ We measured a couple of our taller books to help us decide how tall we wanted each shelf, cut 1x4s to the width of the board minus 2" and then screwed those to the frame. At this point we have the frame and all the shelves made.
~The vertical pieces in the middle of each shelf, we'll call them dividers, were added not only for visual interest but also to support the dowels, they help prevent bending. Measure the distance between each shelf and cut 1x4s to fit.
~We decided we wanted two dowels across each shelf and evenly spaced them across roughly the bottom 1/2-2/3 of the shelves. Drill 1/2 an inch into each outside frame piece and all the way through the shelve dividers using your determined spacing using a drill bit the same width/size as your dowels
~ Determining the length of the dowels is a little trickier and requires some trial and error but it is generally the width of the shelf minus about 2 3/4-3 inches.
~ Thread the dowels through the dividers, position the dowels in either end of the shelf and THEN screw (or use a nail gun) the dividers in from the bottom and top of each shelf. If you attach them first you won't be able to get the dowels in!
~ And you should be done! Make sure all pieces are secure and paint the frame and the board separately
~ When dry attach the frame to the beaded board using screws from the back of the board through the 1x4s
~ We attached our shelves to the walls using screws straight into studs. Because we're permanent and damaging like that!

We have built two different kinds, a smaller one that was in P's room and the big one pictured above that we just put up in the playroom. I love that I can put easier to rip books up out of reach of Mr. Destructo

Come to find out you can buy something comparable in size and style to the small shelf from Pottery Barn for $99.99. We bought all the material we needed for the two shelves, and another (or leftovers for other projects) for less than $100. Win!

I Love Frontier Days!

And I don't mean the 'olden days'.

I mean the day when FedEx drops a 40lb box on my doorstep and presses the doorbell. Frontier deliveries are one of my favorites!

Now, of course, not all 40lbs of love was for me today (sadly), I order through the online co-op I run. We place an order every couple months which keeps me stocked up on all my favorites, must haves and new items to try out. Here's today's haul:

~ A bottle of Thai Crystal deodorant to try out. It has great reviews and I am always looking for alternative all natural deodorant options; sometimes I get a bit sick of there being baking soda all over my bathroom sink. Only $3.xx through Frontier. $5.18 + shipping on Amazon
~ 2 boxes of unbleached baking cups for muffin and cupcake muffin. Like I said, they're unbleached so they're free of ickies but still offer the convenience of normal liners. Sometimes I don't feel like oiling the muffin pan and other times the cups are more necessary like for if I'm baking for someone else or freezing them, I've found they freeze better in the cups?
~ 1lb of Organic Dutch processed Cocoa Powder. Fair trade, organic and delicious. I bought this to replace the Hershey's cocoa we generally use, I try to replace items as I run out or find out something especially horrendous about their ingredients. The boys are looking forward to my experimenting with our new cocoa powder! $5.xx from Frontier, $9.49 through Amazon
~ Organic Garam Masala seasoning to see if I can't get any closer to the perfect Chicken Tikka Masala for the hubby.
~ Organic pure vanilla extract. Because it just tastes awesome.
~ Tea tree Dr. Bronner's castile liquid. Another versatile, natural and thrifty product. This can be used to clean your bathroom, kitchen, your kids and yourself. I use it in the shower on my face and back. Tea tree has antibacterial/acne fighting properties.
~ 3 different organic salad dressing mixes to try out; just add your own oil, vinegar, sour cream and such. $1.12 a piece, 0.89c when they're on sale.
~ 2 sq. yards of unbleached cheese cloth to use for making yogurt (more on that later)

So there you have it. I LOVE Frontier products. They have everything from their own organic brands of beauty products to spices and seasonings to Kiss My Face and Burt's Bees products at 50% off retail. It's definitely worth checking out if you want to be 'green' but still save money!

5 Uses For Baking Soda

Baking soda has got to be one of the most versatile products ever made, next to vinegar and Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soap. We buy our baking soda in bulk at Sam's and get a HUGE bag, that I can barely lift, for next to nothing when you compare to the price of buying smaller boxes. Of course, be sure to buy Aluminum free baking soda (Aluminum has been tentatively linked to all sorts of ailments and diseases and I'm not taking any chances)! Arm & Hammer is Aluminum free by the way

My Top 5 Uses For Baking Soda
1. The obvious - keep a box of it in the fridge to absorb and neutralize odors.

2. Potty accidents on carpet - for animals, children or otherwise. After soaking up the liquid using a microfiber towel I sprinkle baking powder on the area that the accident happened. The baking soda will absorb the odor and also help remove any stains that may be left behind from said accident. I let it sit for a few hours, or even overnight and then vacuum up.

3. Vomit on the couch - follow the same steps as above but apply it to your new couch instead of the carpet. Seems to have removed the awful vomit smell pretty well!

4. Deodorant. OK, I'll admit it; I'm a sweater, and a pretty stinky person if conditions are right. Baking soda works better than any commercial deodorant I have ever tried. Just pat some on while still slightly damp after bathing. It works great, for more than 24 hours sometimes and is Aluminum free which I LOVE! It is not however an antiperspirant (it is the aluminum in deodorant that prevents perspiration, which, in and of itself, is a little creepy!) so you will still sweat, but it won't stink, the baking soda absorbs the odor. An added benefit is that it doesn't leave deodorant marks on your clothes. Any residue is easily wiped off while a washing machine is needed to remove deodorant stains.

5. Cleaning! Baking soda makes a great scouring powder for tougher messes in bathrooms and kitchens. I've used it in the bath and also on pots that needed a little extra 'grit' to remove the mess I created when I burnt dinner. It can also be used along with hot water and vinegar to clear clogged drains.

What do you use baking soda for? I'd love to hear your suggestions, I have a 20lb bag of the stuff in our pantry!

Household Chores

What's your secret to keeping your house clean, organized and all the chores done? While still leaving time for fun, crafts and sitting on your bum? Because my secret obviously isn't working

Who owns all this? Less has definitely got to be more! If only I could get somewhere with downsizing.

Tentative November Meal Plan

I will probably end up moving some things around based on sales and our moods but here it is.

Dinners 

1. Spinach salad & homemade garlic bread (using the heals of the loaf) - cucumber, tomato, egg, beetroot, carrot, avocado

2. Cottage Pie - leftover bolagnaise sauce, bag of frozen mixed vegetables, potatoes

3. Baked potato soup and salad made a loaf of french bread to go with it instead, we were out of spinach!

4. Roasted butternut squash, potatoes, carrots and sweet potatoes with caramelized onions. Salad

5. Homemade pizza - sauce, cheese, pepperoni, ham, pineapple, onion, bell pepper, spinach, zucchini

6. Grill – steak, rice and steamed veggies Smoked chicken, roasted potatoes, butternut squash and peas

7. Roast chicken, potatoes and peas

8. Chicken alfredo with brocolli and whole wheat pasta - using leftover smoked chicken

9. Concert downtown, we eat out, P – homemade mac n' cheese and steamed veggies

10. I'm in Austin for a concert – boys will eat bolagnaise with whole wheat pasta

11. breakfast burritos – scrambled egg, avocado, cheese, salsa, homemade tortillas

12. Homemade pizza - sauce, cheese, pepperoni, ham, pineapple, onion, bell pepper

13. Grill – fish, rice and steamed veggies

14. Tacos – meat from freezer, homemade tortillas, avocado, salsa, tomato, lettuce

15. Spinach salad & homemade garlic bread (using the heals of the loaf) - cucumber, tomato, egg, beetroot, carrot, avocado

16. sweet & sour chicken with brown rice and steamed veggies

17. greek meatballs, brown rice and steamed veggies – put rest of meatballs in the freezer

18. pancakes and fruit salad

19 Homemade pizza - sauce, cheese, pepperoni, ham, pineapple, onion, bell pepper, spinach, zucchini

20 homemade hamburgers – bread, tomato, lettuce, cheese

21 baked potato soup and salad

22 Bolagnaise – sauce from freezer and whole wheat pasta

23 baked potato soup and salad

24 Cottage Pie – leftover bolagnaise sauce, frozen mixed veggies and mashed potato

25 Thanksgiving – eating at the in-laws'

26 Thanksgiving leftovers

27 Homemade pizza - sauce, cheese, pepperoni, ham, pineapple, onion, bell pepper, spinach, zucchini

28 greek meatballs, mashed potato, veggies

29 Spinach salad & homemade garlic bread (using the heals of the loaf) - cucumber, tomato, egg, beetroot, carrot, avocado

30 crispy coconut chicken fingers, brown rice or couscous and veggies 

Breakfasts

Pancakes - weekend

Homemade waffles - weekend

Scrambled eggs & toast - weekend

Frozen waffles 

Cereal

Oatmeal - weekend and weekdays

Lunches 

Leftovers

Sandwiches - ham/turkey, cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato, beetroot

Salad  

Pasta with homemade marinara sauce 

----------------

Shopping list for Central Market - it's a bit of a drive from here!

5lb grass fed ground beef ordering 4lb of local grass fed beef + 1lb pastured pork from a farm

2lb 1lb ground organic turkey

1 package grass fed beef hotdogs (for weekend lunches)

2 1 boxes nitrate free pepperoni

2 packets nitrate/antibiotic free lunchmeat - kind TBD - ham or turkey

1 whole organic chicken

3 x bags organic frozen veggies - CM has an AWESOME store brand that is very competitively priced

2 x bags organic frozen peas

2 x bags organic frozen brocolli 

2 loaves of Rudi's whole wheat bread

2 jars pickled beetroot

3 jars organic tomato sauce

4 bags organic whole wheat pasta

To be purchased at Kroger as needed

3 fillets of wild caught NZ orange roughy

eggs ordering 2 doz pastured eggs from local farm

produce - spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, bananas, apples etc

milk & creamer for J's coffee