The Art of Homemaking

3 Quotes That Are Transforming My Thinking

2012-03-02T09:35:00.000-05:00

Last week at this time I was sitting at Blissdom. The opening speaker, Jon Acuff, kind of blew me away. I wasn't expecting that. It was the highlight of the conference for me, actually. What he said resonated deeply with where I am at both personally and professionally right now. If you haven't heard of this guy, he's pretty incredible...see for yourself.

Three things he said during the opening keynote have stuck with me all week. In fact, they are typed out, sitting on my desk and I read them often. Powerful words, indeed. I thought one (or some) of you might feel challenged by them as well.

What words are challening you lately?

A Coldplay XY Kind Of Craft Day - DIY Notepad Covers

2012-02-29T09:42:00.000-05:00

I had a crafting first yesterday. The first time I have ever used my own tutorial from a magazine. Weird. Following my own instructions in print. Crazy.
Although I made this project a dozen times while writing the tutorial, it's been months ago now and in the span of a few months I don't retain much. Yesterday, while Otto napped, I got the crafting itch. Do you get that? I had so many other things to do (laundry, deadlines, cleaning...) but some creativity was bursting to come out.
Recently I met an amazing woman and wanted to make her a little something as a thank you gift for her sweet presence in my life. I immediately thought of this project, DIY fabric covered notepad. It can be found in a back issue of International Quilt Festival magazine (Winter 2010-11)

The beauty of these fabric covered notepads is that they are not only super cute but very utilitarian. The best part? One can be made in about an hour.

Click below for the full tutorial (with pictures). Have fun!

But before you click...tell me what music gets your creative juices flowing these days?
Please share in the comments section. I'm always on the hunt for great music!
For me, its Coldplay's X&Y. I can't get enough of it in my studio space right now.

What You'll Need:

10" by 11" Piece of fabric for front cover
10" by 11" Piece of fabric for lining
4.5" by 8" Fabric for inside pocket
10" by 11" Piece of batting
3/8" wide elastic to hold notepad (1/4 yard)
Button, 3/4" to 1 1/8" diameter
Narrow Ribbon or cording for closure (1/4 yard)
4" by 8" Notepad (available in the $1 bin at Michaels)
Materials for embellishing cover (needle, thread, stamps, ink, stencils, etc...)

Directions:
I will give you the directions as I wrote them for the magazine. The * is some additional info I've added specific to this tutorial.

1. Embellish the right side of the front fabric rectangle with quilting, needlework, stamping, or any technique of your choice. Keep in mind the center forld and 1/2" seam allowence hen planning your embellishment.

2. Press the pocket fabric side and bottom edges under 1/2". Press the top edge under in a double 1/2" hem and topstitch it. Position the pocket on the right side of the lining fabric, 1 1/4" from the left edge and 2 1/2" from the top edge; pin in place. Topstitch the side and bottom edges of the pocket to the lining.

3. Cut (2) 4 1/4" long strips of elastic. Pin 1 strip across the right half of the lining. 1 1/2" from the top edge and 3/4" from the right edge. Pin the second strip 2" from the bottom edge and 3/4" from the right edge.

4. Use a wide zigzag stitch and a short stitch length to securely stitch all 4 of the elastic ends to the lining. Slide the cardboard back of the notepad through the elastic strips and make sure it fits snuggly. If not, zigzag stitch again, making the opening a bit smaller.

5. Place the embellished front right-side up on the batting. Sew the button in place through both layers, 3/4" from the right edge and 5" from the top edge.

6. Wrap the ribbon * (I used candle wicking...I love that stuff) around the button and, adding 2" to the length for overhang, cut the ribbon. Fold it in half to make a loop, then tack the ribbon together 1" from the ends.

7. Pin the lining to the front fabric with right sides together and the batting on the bottom. Measure 5" from the top of the left edge and pin the looped ribbon between the front and lining layers with the 1" ends extending outward and the loop lying between the front fabric and lining.

8. Sew the layers together, stitching around the perimeter with a 1/2" seam allowance and leaving a 2" opening for turning. Trim the corners. Turn the notepad cover right-side out and press, pressing the opening seam allowances under. Check to see if the ribbon wraps nicely around the button and adjust if needed. Topstitch around the perimeter, stitching the opening closed.

** Just turned...looking wonky. Don't worry, it will look great after ironing and topstitching.

Insert the notepad and enjoy!

Veggie Gyros on Homemade Pita with Feta

2012-02-27T09:37:00.003-05:00

As promised, I'm sharing tips for shedding those last few baby pounds. This week...its all about green tea. As I write this I am having my morning cup. Throughout the day I will have several. Green tea has tons of health benefits, including some pretty incredible weight claims. Look it up. I am seeing some really amazing results from cutting out the coffee and switching to green tea. Bottoms up!

Now onto this beauty...

I am all about a good gyro. How about you? But unless I am at the state fair or a Mediterranean restaurant (which my town has only a small handful), I never eat them. These little gems make an appearance from time to time and they hit the spot when a gyro craving comes on.

Read on for the full pita making tutorial and recipe...

Making homemade pita is pretty simple for the everyday cook. And if you are a bread maker, its really simple. I have tried many recipes over the years for pita. This one is consistently good and foolproof. Its from Pure & Yummy blog.

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

2¼ tsp. instant yeast
1 tbsp. honey
1¼ cups warm water (105˚-115˚ F), divided
1½ cups bread flour, divided
1½ cups whole wheat flour, divided
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt
Cornmeal, for sprinkling
Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer*, combine the yeast, honey and ½ cup of the water. Stir gently to blend. Whisk ¼ cup of the bread flour and ¼ cup of the whole wheat flour into the yeast mixture until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside until doubled in bulk and bubbly, about 45 minutes.
Remove the plastic wrap and return the bowl to the mixer stand, fitted with the dough hook. Add in the remaining ¾ cup of warm water, 1¼ cups bread flour, 1¼ cups whole wheat flour, olive oil and salt. Knead on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Transfer the ball of dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat, and let rise in a warm draft-free place, about 1 hour, until doubled in bulk.
Place an oven rack in the middle position. Place a baking stone in the oven (if using) and preheat to 500˚ F.
Once the dough has risen, transfer to a lightly floured work surface, punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Flatten one ball at a time into a disk, then stretch out into a 6½-7 inch circle. Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet or other work surface lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Once all the rounds have been shaped, loosely cover with clean kitchen towels. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, until slightly puffy.
Transfer 4 pitas, 1 at a time, onto the baking surface. (Note: These can be baked on a baking stone or directly on the oven racks. I use a pizza stone, but either method is fine.) Bake 2 minutes, until puffed and pale golden. Gently flip the pitas over using tongs and bake 1 minute more. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Repeat with the remaining pitas. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Once the pita dough is rising/resting you can begin making the filling.

Veggies ( Zucchini, peppers, eggplant, onions, and things of that sort work best)

Oil ( I use organic coconut oil)

3 T. Red Wine Vinegar

2 T. dried (or fresh) oregano

1/4 cup chopped fresh Parsley

Sauce:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 lemon

1/2 diced English cucumber

1/2 cup feta cheese

honey

Toppings:

Shredded lettuce

Olives

Tomatoes

Dice the veggies fairly chunky. Saute them in just a bit of oil until they soften. Add in the red wine vinegar and oregano. You can adjust the amount depending on your liking. Add salt and pepper as desired. When the veggies are done cooking (they have a nice carmalization and texture) turn off the heat and stir in the parsley. Set aside while you cook the pita.

The sauce can be made a bit in advance or while the veggies cook. Mix the yogurt, cucumber and feta in a bowl. Add a few squeezes of lemon juice to your taste preference along with any salt and pepper you may want. If it is too tart, you can add a few drizzles of honey to offset the tartness of the sauce. This is all about personal preference.

Now you are ready to go... once those beautiful pitas come out of the oven, fill them with veggies, smother them with sauce and sprinkle with toppings. I also like to serve this with brown rice and build a little Mediterranean rice bowl concoction. When I do that, the pita is served on the side with hummus.

Healthy and delicious...kind of craving one right now at 9am looking at this photo actually....

Birthdays & Blissdom

2012-02-23T08:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, sweet litte Otto turned 2 (this pic was taken fresh out of bed on the morning of his big day...favorite blanket and stuffed animals by his side- as always). And as sweet as this guy is...he is also the most rambunctious and wild of the three. Phew. Three boys with the last being the loudest and craziest?? I did not expect that. Yet it keeps us constantly entertained ~~(pulling out our hair)~~ and we know full well this time of 2 year old shenanigans will end far too quickly.

In other news...I head to Nashville today to attend Blissdom. Any of you fellow bloggers headed that way? I've been saving my pennies for the trip for a while now and am so excited to meet some new people, take some amazing classes and have some girl time with Sarah and Ami.

I'll be back on Monday with lots of great stuff to share next week. Some crafty goodies...recipes....all good stuff. Can't wait! See you then~

A "Green" Wedding

2012-02-21T13:18:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to have the chance to help plan the most amazing Kentucky wedding this fall. Its a very eco-friendly, local, "green" wedding...and I am giddy with delight that I have the opportunity to be a part in helping them pull together their day.
Head over to Vrai...her fabulous photo blog to see some recent pics she snapped at this amazing home nearby.

Bye Bye Baby Weight Hello Avacado and Goat Cheese

2012-02-20T09:51:00.000-05:00

Baby weight....its a weighty issue among us mama's sometimes. For you guy readers of mine...I'm sure you've heard the discussion before.
Sweet Otto is our last. And after 9 years of baby carrying, baby having and baby nursing it was finally time to shed the last of the pounds and get back to "normal" once again. Of course, nothing will ever be high-school-body normal again and I'm ok with that (~~kind of~~).
But nonetheless, around Christmas I knew it was time to kick things into high gear and get the ball rolling on losing the rest of those pesky pounds. My dear husband saw no need in this (he's sweet like that) but for my own sake, it needed to be done.
I have always maintained a healthy lifestyle. Workouts, eating well, watching the sweets intake, denying myself too many rich foods, etc... but when one is trying to kick things into high gear ~ more drastic measures must be taken.
I thought over the next few Mondays I would share a few things that have worked for me. Since Christmas, I did indeed lose those last few pesky pounds (which wasn't easy now that I have said hello to my 30's) and I dropped a couple of pants sizes...which was a fete in and of itself since I have been the same pant size for a decade even if I did fluctuate in weight.

(Honestly, it kind of feels weird blogging about this. I'm typically very private about these sorts of things. But I know it may help encourage some of you that have too been struggling at getting back to your optimum size so I wanted to open the dialog.)

The word of the week is avocados. These little gems are not only super yummy but are full of yummy goodness. I am no nutritionist and I won't try to convince you to go buy a truckload of them at Sam's. But for me they really have been a great way to get some protein and good fat in my diet over the past 3 months.
In high school I went through a period of non-eating. I wouldn't say I was anorexic...I don't like to label it that way, but I did quit eating for quite a period of time and that wasn't good. Thankfully I have been able to use that experience to help other girls who struggle with those same feelings of negative self-worth. It was a learning experience.
With that said, I learned my lesson back then that the way to lose weight is not to cut calories and fat out of your diet. Yes, there should be some correction in the daily diet intake, but to eliminate fats all together...that is a no-no. Avocados have lots of good things going for them and for me, half of an avocado with a sprinkling of goat cheese on a light rye Wasa Cracker is the best mid-afternoon energy boosting snack imaginable.
Occasionally it will also make an appearance at lunch (if you read my "about" section, you'll see that I have a fondness for avocados) with a bowl of soup.

I do exercise 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week (after the boys are in bed), doing this program and I keep things like flour and sugar to a minimum throughout the week. There are definitely some other tricks up my sleeve that I'll share in coming Mondays.

I'd love to hear what you think...what works for you...what doesn't. Its definitely a topic we can all learn from each other on!

Sweet Notes~

2012-02-17T09:54:00.000-05:00

There is a season in my life as a mom that is one of the most precious to me. I have experienced it once already, am in the midst of it once again, and will have this precious time once more in a few years.
The season I am referring to is this one~

It happens around age 5 (at least in my experience) and it is this small window of time when our little ones finally learn how to write real words...and the most favorite of those words are "love" and "mom". Makes my heart swoon. My sweet Ezra is in this stage now and not a day goes by that I don't come across one, two, ten or twenty little notes that say those sweet words.
I save them all, of course. And with each one I am handed, I treat it as if it were the first.
Each day he is learning more and building more words into his writing. Otto now has a love note taped above his bed~

And my computer screen is surrounded by them. A welcomed sight when I am knee deep in revising an article for the fifteenth time.

Within the past week I have received more content in my love letters, which make me both smile and giggle.

Its a great season of life...one that will be gone much too quickly~

Love is in the Air ~ Valentines Partner Projects

2012-02-14T11:05:00.000-05:00

This lovely customizable print is from HereandThere Shop on Etsy.

Whether your love is across the room, across town or across the pond ~ here's wishing you the happiest of Valentines Days ever.

And if that loved one happens to be across the room, go grab them and choose one of these fun Valentine projects to do together tonight:
Make a Batch of Cordial
Heart Shaped Themed Dinner

A Beer Tasting Party - DIY Trophy

2012-02-13T12:53:00.003-05:00

We love beer. Unfortunately (fortunately), our distinguished palate for beer is at a much higher level than our budget allows most weeks.
Along with loving a great bottle of craft beer, Mike is also a gold metal award winning brewer. Yep...he does it all. Home brewer, fence builder, Thai food maker, woodworker, bathroom cleaner, diaper changer, mall shopper and Downton Abbey watcher (I got the whole package with this guy.)
But back to the beer...

We host our fair share of gatherings here at The Smith Homestead. I love a good mingle at the house. Anytime of the day or night, in any season, there is always reason to gather friends together.
At our most recent party, the theme centered around great beer and food. In celebration of Mike's birthday I planned our first Blind Beer Tasting. Each person/couple brought their ultimate favorite beer to enter into the tasting along with a $5 entry fee. Once the entries arrived, they were brown bagged and numbered in the back bedroom and then brought out to party central (i.e. the living room/kitchen/dining room) where they were put out for tasting.

There were score cards, rules, food to munch on, a great music mix (made by yours truly), lots of candlelight and best of all....no kids. Did I mention this was a night time affair? I encouraged my girlfriends to dress up along with me and we'd dance the night away. Thankfully my girlfriends agree to these sorts of things and we did, in fact, dance the night away with our fancy clothes and heels on.

(Before we talk food: Lets talk photography. My uber talented, world traveling, photographer friend Tina, took these photos. She owns Vrai Photography...see that nifty button of her's over there on the side bar? Click it to see some amazing images. She also took that very flattering photo of me up there on the right hand side, recently.)

As for the food, we kept it pretty simple. I didn't want to get all crazy with the beer/food pairing side of things since we didn't know what people would be entering. So I kept it more with the theme of what we'd eat at a corner bar on a Friday night.

On the menu:

Country Ham & Biscuits
Build Your Own BBQ Slider Bar with slaw and Sriracha
Individual Seven Layer Dip Salads with chips
Hummus, Pita and Veggies
White Castle Casserole (brought by the amazing college chef, Josh Waddle)
Fig and Goat Cheese Dip (brought by Josh's equally amazing mom, Julie)

Brownie & Blondie bar
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

There were 15 entries, a prize pool of $75 and one fantastic trophy. 2 runners up were announced and the winning beer of the night ended up being...(drum roll please)... Bell's Two Hearted Ale. The winners, new friends of ours Michael and Jen, were the lucky recepients of the trophy and the loot.

And back to that trophy for a minute....isn't it a beauty? It reminds me of that fancy mirror ball trophy on Dancing With the Stars (hee hee).

I actually think I had more fun making this than any other craft project I can remember in recent history. Mike laughed at me as I sat like a little giggly kid at the kitchen table with my hot glue gun and stack of beer bottle caps. There is definitely something magical about using a hot glue gun on a cheesy craft project, isn't there?
If you want to make your own, (because who doesn't want their own beer trophy)?, here's how:

5 easy steps to your very own beer trophy:

1. Find the most horrendous looking vase you can at the thrift store. Mine was $1.50 at Goodwill.
2. Stop at Michael's on your way home from Goodwill and buy a Styrofoam ball to fit on top of the vase. If you don't have a hot glue gun, you'll need one of those too (just a cheapy one will do the trick). And if you don't have any old brown paint laying around your house, pick up a small bottle of craft paint before heading to the check out line.
3. Now, if you drink alot of beer and just toss the bottle caps in a drawer after popping the top, you may already have a stash ready to go. If not, your local home brew supply store or large liquor store will probably have bottle caps. They are cheap and one bag should do the trick.
4. Assemble your goodies on the kitchen table and get to work. Lay down newspaper and start painting your Styrofoam ball brown. While the Styrofoam dries, plug in the hot glue gun to get the glue stick warming up.
5. When the Styrofoam ball is dry, glue it to the vase. After that, start gluing those bottle caps to the Styrofoam. I had no rhyme or reason to mine...I'm sure you could be much more methodical about it. I was far too giddy for method.
Voila!! One ~~ugly~~ (amazing) trophy to award at your next beer tasting!

Peanut Butter Cupcakes w/ Chocolate Ganache...9 year old style

2012-02-10T09:21:00.002-05:00

Our first born is 9 today. Other years I felt somewhat sad about my little baby growing up...but this year I don't feel that as much. I feel so full of joy and pride in seeing who he is becoming as a young man that there isn't much room for much else today.
He is still our sweet boy that tries his hardest to please us (and everyone else). When we can't find him nowadays, he is usually tucked away in his room reading books like Robinson Crusoe or playing his first musical instrument, the recorder he received this year in 3rd grade music class. (I think if I hear "in the jungle" on the recorder one more time this week...it might be the end of me).
He still owns his successful marshmallow company and was featured on the Suze Orman show twice. Needless to say, this kid loves to be in the kitchen. He talks about being a paleontologist, a scientist and an archeologist someday but lately his thoughts have turned to becoming a chef.
Last Saturday he was wondering around aimlessly through the house (one of my pet peeves...aimless meandering mingled with words like "I'm bored"). I told him to find an afternoon project ~ which, no surprise, ended up being in the kitchen.

Click below for the recipe and more photos...

This cookbook, Cakes From Scratch in Half the Time by Linda West Eckhardt, has been great for him. I found it at a thrift store and knew that it would be perfect for a little guy's attention span. The great thing about teaching kids to be comfortable in the kitchen at an early age (I started all of my boys up at the counter measuring and stiring next to me at about 18 months), is that soon enough they can make anything on their own with confidence.

I love that Canaan, without prompting, always practices Mise En Place. He does it everytime, like clockwork. Ususally I leave him to bake or cook alone but this time I snuck in here and there to snap a few photos.
I was also impressed this time around with his growing sense of confidence in his skills. He even made adjustments as needed without stress...which is a great skill for kids to learn. In years before, not having an ingredient like brown sugar (we were out so he made his own) would have sent him into a mini frenzy. I was proud to see he is learning the art of problem solving.
A couple of hours later we all were devouring the most delicious pre-dinner Saturday evening snack compliments of the chef.
Yum.

Food Styling by Chef Canaan.

PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKES WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE
From: Cakes from Scratch in Half the Time by Linda West Eckhardt

1 large egg
1/2 c. smooth peanut butter
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) soft, butter
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar (Canaan made his own with sugar and molasses)
1 1/4 c. sifted cake flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
2/3 c. whole milk
1 t. vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
1/3 c. whipping cream (didn't have any on hand so he used half and half)
4 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 c. salted peanuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 400. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners and spritz with baking spray. Place unbroken egg in a bowl of hot tap water. Cream the peanut butter and butter until light, then add the sugar and continue to beat for about 3 min. Add the egg, beating. Meanwhile sift the flour, baking powder, and salt onto a sheet of wax paper. Spoon in flour mixture, in thirds, alternately with milk and vanilla. Mix just until batter is smooth. Divide batter among the muffin cups, about 1/3 c. in each. Bake until cakes are pale gold and wooden pick comes out clean, 15-20 min. (in my oven it was about 17 min.) Cool on rack. Meanwhile, place cream in 2 c. glass measuring cup and heat to boiling in microwave (about 1 min. on high). Then add chocolate and microwave on high for about 1 1/2 min. more. Let stand for a few moments, then stir until smooth and glossy. Spread onto cupcakes, using about 1 heaping teaspoon per cake. Then sprinkle with chopped peanuts.

The chaos that ensues...

Cast Iron Buttermilk Strawberry Cake

2012-02-06T16:05:00.000-05:00

I am a cake fanatic. Not those fancy fondant cakes. Decorated cakes seriously do nothing for me. Its all about the taste. I just love a big ol' slice of great cake.
Layer cakes are my favorite but when I am under a time crunch (i.e. kids are coming home from school in 20 minutes and I am wanting to greet them with the smells of something sweet from the kitchen), a basic buttermilk cake is just about the most amazing thing ever.
I see alot of these recipes floating around. I first stumbled across one of these recipes in this fabulous cookbook and since then I have seen dozens of them. Mine is pretty similar to all the rest except for a few tweaks here and there. Varying fruit depending on what's on sale at the store that week and I always bake mine in a deep cast iron skillet.
We lucked out on ours 10 years ago in someones trash pile. Yes...a huge stack of cast iron that someone threw away. Craziness. Anyhow, this deep cast iron is absolutely the workhorse of my kitchen. Everything from roasts to crumbles turn out absolutely amazing.
And don't ask me about seasoning it. I have no clue. I don't use soap on it but beyond that I don't do anything special.
Speaking of special....lets get onto this recipe...

Strawberry Buttermilk Cake
(Adapted from this book and Smitten Kitchen, which adapted it from Gourmet. There's nothing new under the sun, right?)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup well-shaken low fat buttermilk (you could use full fat but I don't notice a difference in taste...so lets just call this "healthy cake" by using low fat buttermilk).
1-2 cups fresh berries (strawberries are my all time favorite for this cake)

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter a 9-inch round cake (or cast iron) pan and cut a parchment paper round to place in the bottom of the pan.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add egg and beat well.
At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined.Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter berries evenly over the top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.
Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
Its best eaten warm...but heck, this is really good the next day too.

Hand Stitched Love Note

2012-02-03T08:42:00.000-05:00

Telling someone you love them...you miss them...or you long to be with them is something really meaningful. And stitching those words for that special someone to tuck into their pillowcase is the perfect way to make sure they know it everyday.

Valentines Day is just around the corner but this project is obviously something that can be done anytime of year, for any occasion. And it need not be only for lovers. I think stitching a special note to a child would be really amazing as well.

This tutorial is not how to embroider. If you don't know how to do basic embroidery, this website gives a great basic lesson.

Click below for the full tutorial~

Hand Stitched Love Note

What You'll Need
Pencil
Transfer Paper (only if you want to print lettering. Otherwise you can just hand write on the fabric)
Fabric (I have chosen linen because it is timeless and beautiful. You could use any solid colored cotton fabric though.)
Embroidery Hoop (a 7" hoop should work just fine)
Embroidery Thread

1. Decide what you want to say and how you want it to look. I have terrible handwriting so I chose to print what I wanted to say in a special font. My words measure 4" across and 1/2 inch tall. If you decide to print lettering, head to step #2. If you are hand write the lettering, use a pencil and write directly onto the fabric and skip to step #3.

2. Using the transfer paper, you will now copy the printed lettering to the fabric. Layer things this way:
Fabric on the bottom (right side up)
Transfer paper on top of the fabric (darker side of the paper facing down)
Printed letter paper on top of the transfer paper, lettering facing you

Using a slightly dull pencil (too sharp and it will pierce through), press ever-so-hard as you trace the lettering. You will do this several times over to ensure the transfer paper is actually transferring the lettering to the fabric. Check to be sure.

The lettering will be faint. You want that. You don't want to see heavy pencil marks in the end result. You just want it to show up enough that you can know where to stitch.

3. Stretch the fabric onto the embroidery hoop. Don't pull it super tight. Just enough for it to be firm and have a bounce if you tap your fingers on it.

4. Begin embroidering the lettering. I use 3 strands of thread for this, instead of the full 6. Again, if this is your first time, its totally doable (easy, in fact) just practice a bit first.

5. When you are finished embroidering, essentially you are done! Remove the fabric from the embroidery hoop and cut around the lettering, leaving a generous amount of room. My finished size was 5 inches by 3 inches.

6. If you wanted you could use the sewing machine (or hand stitch) around the perimeter of the fabric to ensure it won't fray over time. This isn't a necessary step, but one you are welcome to take.

7. Now go tuck this little note inside the pillowcase of someone you love.

Italian Pork & Pepper Stew ~ Crock Pot Style

2012-01-30T09:43:00.000-05:00

I will take this moment to admit; I'm not a huge fan of the crock pot. Yes, it does quite a nice job on Mexican kind of meals (shredded pork tacos, tortilla soup, etc..) but beyond that I have a hard time finding recipes that produce a final result that taste....well not like a big mess of overcooked, tomato-based craziness.
This weekend I had a big piece of pork loin staring me in the face and no desire to do much with it. So I dusted off the old crock pot and in went a few ingredients. What came out a few hours later was surprisingly...tasty. Almost like I had slaved-over-it-all-day kind of tasty. Best of all, even the littlest tyke in the house liked it (a huge fete nowadays).
I served it with pasta although the hubby insists I serve it with mashed potatoes next time~ and I agree.
Give it a try this week. I used pork but I think chicken would work just as well and with a little less cooking time, probably.
I have adapted this recipe from the cookbook my sister-in-law bought me a few Christmas' ago called "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook". This recipe is actually quite different than that one, but I wanted to give it kudos for the inspiration.

Italian Pork & Pepper Stew

1 yellow onion
1 jar roasted red peppers (a regular sized jar from the store. I have a BIG jar from Sam's Club...they are super cheap there. If you have a big jar, just use 1/4 of the jar)
2 cloves garlic (I am officially a garlic non-liker since my last pregnancy, so I never add garlic. BUT I know most Italian food has it, so I am including it here)
A splash of olive oil
2 lb. pork loin cut in cubes or chicken cut in cubes
1 large can of diced tomatoes
3/4 cup red wine
1 tsp. rosemary (fresh or dried, your choice)
A dash or two of red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup water

1. Layer the onion, roasted red peppers and garlic in the slow cooker.
2. In a large skillet over high heat, warm the splash of olive oil until very hot. Add the meat (don't overcrowd, you may want to do this in batches.) Sear the meat on all sides. Don't worry about cooking the middle, you are just trying to get some browning on the outside edges.

3. Once all of the meat is browned and removed from the pan, add in the tomatoes, peppers and wine to the skillet and bring to a gentle boil. Be sure to scrape up all of those bits of goodness from the bottom of the pan.

4. Add the spices and pour everything from the skillet into the slow cooker. Cook and cover on low until the pork is tender~ about 7 hours. (Chicken will probably take less time.)
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and water until smooth. Whisk this slurry into the slow cooker and stir to incorporate into the stew. Increase the heat to high and cook, uncovered, about 15 minutes.
6. Serve either in a bowl with some rustic, crunchy bread or on top of pasta, polenta or mashed potatoes.

I am re-inspired to use my crock pot more and am on the hunt for some tried and true recipes. Have one? Please share!

One January Afternoon~

2012-01-27T08:11:00.001-05:00

One January afternoon, 13 years ago, I was wearing white. And my 5 year old niece was putting flowers in my hair. And my mom was making a bouquet. And my mother-in-law was putting the finishing touches on the dress she made me. And a cake had just been purchased at the French bakery down the street. And candles were being lit in our tiny living room apartment where I was to be married.

That snowy January night, in front of 8 family members, 1 friend serving as our photographer and an officiant, we said "I Do".

13 years later on an icy January afternoon we celebrated that day with a trip to an art museum. The weather that day was unlike any other we have ever encountered. The fog never lifted. Even at 2pm we could barely see in front of us. Ice hung from every ledge, clung to every sidewalk, and crunched beneath every step. The streets were empty in the busy city and we had the magical day to ourselves.

DIY Hoot Owl Toms Tutorial

2012-01-24T20:00:00.001-05:00

My niece recently asked me to paint owls on her white Toms. I love the challenge of a good project but I have to say, I was a bit fearful of tackling such a fete. And messing up? I didn't even want to think about that.
So I didn't. I dove head first into the project with excitement. She had sent me a photo via camera phone of what she was envisioning and I got to work.
The tutorial I am giving looks very elementary. That's because it is. This project is seriously so ridiculously simple. No degree in Fine Art needed.
(Click below for the full tutorial)

But what you will need is:
*A pair of Toms (of course). You can get those here.
*Paint and Paintbrushes. I used just regular old cheap craft paint and brushes. You could get all fancy and use fabric paint but I do many of these types of projects and don't notice enough of a difference to pay the price hike.
*3 Different Fabrics (some pattern, some solid, whichever...its your owl ;)
*4 Circle Buttons for Eyes
*2 Triangle Buttons for the Beak
*Fusible Web (found in fabric stores. See it here)
* Hot Glue Gun or Very Heavy Duty Glue
* Needle and Thread (thread color matching the fabric)

Here's what you'll do: ( I have done each step on a flat piece of paper for an easier glimpse of what's going on.)

1. With a pencil, sketch the outline of the owl onto the Toms measuring 1" down from the top (the top being the part with the elastic "v") and 3.5 inches up each side from the center of the toe. You don't need to paint the entire part where the fabric eyes will be but you do need to make sure you don't leave any white peaking out from behind the fabric.

2. Now its time to paint. The color of your owl is totally up to you. If you like the one I did, here's what I used.

for the head

For the body

Paint atleast 2 coats of paint, allowing each coat to dry completely. Don't go too heavy on the coats of paint. That will cause the paint to crack over time. Just get a good coverage.

3. Shift your attention away from the shoes for a bit and onto the fabric. Its time to make your owls eyes. Fold your base fabric (the largest part of the eyes) in half. Cut a shape similar to what I am showing you here. Essentially you end up with a figure 8 type shape. You will need to determine how big of a figure 8 shape you want for the hoot owls eyes. Start larger than what you think you might want and snip it down to the right size for your tastes (everyone has their own preferences on these sorts of things.)

4. Once you have the right size for your owl, move onto the next shape, which is slightly smaller circles. Cut 2.

5. Next, cut the smallest of the circles, which should still be larger than the buttons you bought.

6. Now that all of that is squared away, its time to do some tricky crafting. Grab that fusible web you bought and peel back one side of the paper. You should have a sticky part facing up (it will have little bumps on it) and a parchment paper kind of thing on the back. Place the figure 8 fabric, wrong side down on the bumpy sticky part and smash it down to make it stick. Cut around the webbing as close to the edge of the fabric as possible.

7. Next, grab the large circles and do the same thing as you did with the figure 8 fabric. This time peel off the back paper and stick the circles in place onto the figure 8 fabric where you want it.

8. Either use a sewing machine or your needle and thread and do a quick stitch around the circumference of the circle to secure it in place on the figure 8 fabric for life.

9. Next, grab your smallest fabric circles and repeat steps 7-8.

10. Finally, its time to add the button eyes. Again, use the sewing machine or do this by hand.

11. Now the whole eye "set" should be complete. Peel off the paper backing and you will stick the figure 8 fabric to the shoe where you want it to go. Use a warm iron and oh-so-gently press the iron to the fabric on the shoe, which will adhere the sticky backing to the shoe. No need to go hog wild, you are just trying to get it in place. Make sure there are no bumps or lumps. Smooth as butter, people.

12. Grab that needle and thread and try your best to whip stitch around the fabric a bit. This is hard, I know, I did it. But its doable. Turn on some Downton Abbey and get to work. You can see in this picture the stitching around the eyes. This is just one more security measure to keep the fabric to the shoe long term.

13. Lastly, its time for that sweet owl beak. Its virtuously impossible to sew it on. If you can, you are a crafting rockstar. I couldn't make it work so I used some heavy duty glue to get that sucker on. My niece has worn these a ton already and the nose is still in place. I glued it on and then went in and kind of glued around the edges, just to make sure it was in place. Worst case scenario, we have to buy and glue on another nose at some point.

14. Voila! Your done! You could get super fancy with it...add in some feathers to its body or something like that. If you make them, post about it and send me a link! I'd love to see what everyone else comes up with.

Make Ahead Muffins ~ Easy Delicious Recipe

2012-01-23T09:49:00.002-05:00

Truth be told, muffins aren't really my thing. In fact, pastries in general aren't really my thing but if I had a morning pastry of choice it would be a chocolate croissant. No fancy glazes or swirls on top. Just a great, flaky croissant with dark, dark chocolate inside. But really, in the morning I prefer to have a bowl of plain yogurt, a green smoothie or a piece of cold pizza.
But back to muffins...
Mike loves muffins. I think this is the only reason I can drag him into Whole Foods some days (some seriously good muffins over there, if you weren't aware).
As much as Mike loves muffins, I dislike making them. Muffin recipes frustrate me. Most produce dry, flavorless results that are only edible within the first 5 minutes out of the oven. The rest I end up feeding the dog later on in the afternoon.
When we opened our bakery, The Homestead, I knew I needed to find a good muffin recipe. I researched for weeks trying to find a basic recipe that would allow me to change flavors with the seasonal ingredients available.
And when I found this cookbook (yes, the same one that those amazing biscuits came from), I knew I had a winner. Customers at the bakery loved the strawberry/banana muffins the most with blueberry running a close second.
Again, as with the biscuits, the beauty of this recipe is that the batter can be made ahead, frozen in the muffin liners and baked from their frozen state whenever. No need to thaw. Genius.
I have indicated the slight change I made to the recipe with an asterisk.

Anytime Muffins
(The Best Make Ahead Recipe Cookbook~Cooks Illustrated)

3 cups (15 oz) all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
10 Tbsp. (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (7 oz) sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups plain whole milk yogurt

*I use half buttermilk and half yogurt. I think the buttermilk makes it a bit tangier and fluffier. I tinkered with the ratios quite a bit at the bakery and half and half is where I ended up liking the flavor and texture the most.

1. Coat a 12 cup muffin tin with oil spray (I use liners). Set aside. Whisk together the flour, powder, soda and salt. Set aside.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and beat in half of the flour mixture, followed by one third of the yogurt (or yogurt/buttermilk mixture). Beat in half of the remaining flour mixture, followed by half of the remaining yogurt; repeat with the remaining flour mixture and yogurt.

4. * Mix in, by hand, any fruit or flavorings at this time. The amount of how much to add is always a personal preference issue for me. Start with 1 cup of blueberries, dried apricots, chocolate chips, etc... and go from there if you think it needs more.

5. Portion the batter evenly into prepared muffin tins or liners.

6. To store: Wrap the muffin tin tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours or freeze up to 1 month. (after the muffin batter is completely frozen you can pop the batter out of the tin or take the entire paper liner out of the tin and store them in freezer bags. Transfer back into a muffin pan to bake).

7. To serve: Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap the muffins and bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes if refrigerated, or 35 to 40 minutes if frozen.

* Here is another tip that I have learned along the way about getting good "height" on a muffin. Start the oven temperature up to 425 degrees and put the muffins in at that temperature for the first 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, lower the temperature back down to 375 and finish baking (it may take a little less time than what the recipe says, so keep an eye on them). The initial high heat helps boost those muffins up in height.

20 days into 2012

2012-01-19T16:28:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure how well 2012 has been treating you, but over this way, it has been a doozy. Some sickness, some stress, some heartbreak, some really heavy stuff actually.
It can't be all rainbows and sunshine all of the time, I suppose.

One bright spot in these first 20 days of the new year has been the reminder of the gentle love and comfort of good friends. Sometimes when things are going well and life has no hiccups, friends are just icing on the cake. But in times of struggle, disappointment or longing, a good friend is nourishment to the soul.

I am sure you have seen that quote above before. I love it because this has been my experience in life. I have a small handful of these friends. Friends that call me after a long day of work just to touch base and say hello. Friends that offer me chocolates everytime I walk through their door and have a pot of hot water for tea waiting. Friends that plop on my couch for an afternoon heart to heart over cups of coffee and yummy thai food. Friends that dance to Rhianna and Sean Kingston with me till the wee hours of the morning in my living room. Friends that encourage me, cry with me, inspire me and help me pull up those boot straps and keep going. I am one blessed girl indeed.

All images via Pinterest

The Cozy Hat Giveaway Winner Is...

2012-01-19T08:24:00.000-05:00

The winner of the fan-tabu-lous hat from Die Spinne Crochet is...Jennifer Legg!
Who said her favorite winter accessory are her super soft socks~

Congrats Jennifer! Contact me via email at megan@ittysmitty.com and I will make sure you
receive your cozy winter hat to match those super soft socks.

Thanks everyone for entering. Be on the lookout for another great giveaway soon.
Happy Thursday!

Scrap Fabric Wreath DIY

2012-01-18T11:17:00.000-05:00

These fabric wreaths have been around the crafting scene for a while now. No doubt why. They are super simple to make, inexpensive and a great way to use up leftover fabric from other projects.
I also love this particular project because it is a great one for taking on the road. No sewing machine or crafting tools needed. Just a bag of scrap fabric and a wire wreath frame.

In fact, I started this very wreath almost exactly two years ago (it didn't take two years to complete....it just was placed on the backburner for a while). I was due to deliver Otto anyday and we decided to take one last road trip a couple of hours away to Cincinnati. I quietly sat in the car, tying scraps of fabric to the frame and silently working my way through contractions that had started once we hit the road. A day later, Othniel Rockland made his appearance and that half done wreath sat in the corner of my studio until last week.

Want to make one of your own? Here's how:

1. Grab up all sorts of fabric. Sometimes I like to make a wreath a little more color coordinated in theme (mostly yellows or reds or something like that) or sometimes it just becomes a hodge podge of what I have at the time.

2. Using a cutting mat and rotary tool (you are more than welcome to use old fashioned scissors...that will take a gazillion hours though, so prepare yourself) cut lots and lots of 5" by 1/2" fabric strips. You are going to need alot. I usually run out and then go cut more.

3. I get my wire wreath frames at Michaels where they are relatively inexpensive ($4-$8). I'm sure places like Hobby Lobby have them too.

4. Start tying. Just a simple over and under tie works. You don't even need to double knot it. Just one tie with a little forceful tug at the end to make sure its nice and secure to the wire frame will work. Its up to you how full and snug you want your frame. You could keep things looser and less full by using less fabric scraps. I like mine pretty full so I really squeeze those fabric strips in there.

It really is as simple as that!

Outrageous Brownies Super Fudgey Recipe

2012-01-16T09:36:00.000-05:00

Ina Garten (aka, the Barefoot Contessa) is my biggest foodie inspiration. I am an avid entertainer and party planner (someday soon I'll post about the amazing party we hosted this weekend) and one of the tricks of hosting such gatherings is making food ahead. Which I love to do. And so does Ina. Her recipes are always amazing and her laid back approach to great food is equally amazing.

Ina's Outrageous Brownies have always been on of our favorites. They are outrageously rich, chocolaty and pretty downright sinful. I stick to the recipe but divert at a few points.

*The pan size. The recipe calls for a 12 by 18 pan but I have found after baking dozens and dozens of batches that I prefer the thickness of the brownie that a 9 by 11 pan offers.
*I also like the taste of using Ghiradelli Bittersweet Chocolate as opposed to the mixture of semisweet and unsweetened chocolate. But that is a total taste preference issue. To each their own on that.
*Also, the recipe calls for preparing the pan with butter and flour. This has never worked successfully for me. Parchment paper is, without a doubt, the only way I can acheive perfect results time and time again.

Ingredients:

1 pound unsalted butter

1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate

6 extra-large eggs

3 tablespoons instant coffee granules

2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour a 12 x 18 x 1-inch baking sheet (again, if you want thicker brownies, use a 9 by 11 pan and I use parchment paper instead of butter and flour.)
Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate ( I use strictly bittersweet chocolate) in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the baking sheet.

Sometimes I leave them plain & other times I'll add a little something special.

Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into 20 large squares.

Happy Monday! Maybe the day will include making a batch of these? And don't forget you have until Wednesday to enter the cozy hat giveaway.

The Cozy Hat Giveaway

2012-01-13T16:43:00.000-05:00

I have a favorite winter hat this year. In fact, it stays with me at all times. And on weekends like this, where the snow is falling and temperatures are below twenty, I have a hard time taking it off. Yes it keeps my head oh-so-warm, but beyond that, it fits like a dream and I get compliments on it everywhere I go. And to boot, a friend made it for me.

My very talented friend, owner of Die Spinne and sponsor on this blog (click on the button there to the right to visit her shop), has generously offered to custom make one of you lucky readers one of these beauties. In the color of your choosing even!

You have until Wednesday, January 18th at 9pm to enter. I will announce the winner on the following day.

You have 3 chances to enter:

1. Leave a comment and let us all know your favorite winter accessory.
2. "Like" The Art of Homemaking on Facebook. You can do that here. Let me know in a separate comment if you do so.
3. "Like" Die Spinne on Facebook. You can do that here. Let me know in yet another comment if you do so.

Inspiration Wednesday~

2012-01-11T08:37:00.000-05:00

It is raining this morning. Cold, damp, dark...just the kind of morning I long for a bit of inspiration to get me going. I keep a file on my desktop titled "creative ideas". I realize this is now a stone aged practice of grabbing photos online to put in a file. Yes...I know...Pinterest. And actually with the month break I am taking from Facebook, I finally replied to that invitation email from Pinterest and joined.
It is quite dreamy. I get what all the hullaballo is about.
Not sure what inspires you on rainy days but here are a few of mine~

**most photos were found on Pinterest. Some were not. I wish I could remember where all of these lovely inspirations came from....

On a day like today, I love walking around antique shops and thrift stores with a coffee and a friend.

Seeing photos like this remind me that color is not my enemy. (Longtime readers know this fear of mine.)

A sweet (and talented) friend has asked me to help plan her wedding. I am honored. And when I
find photos like this it inspires me to want to plan everyones wedding!

The day spent here...this is definitely doable.

I can almost hear my heart praying this on a repeating loop lately.

Make Ahead Biscuits

2012-01-09T09:26:00.000-05:00

This recipe will revolutionize your biscuit making future. Your welcome.
Well actually, we all have Cooks Illustrated to thank for this one. So thank you dear Christopher Kimball for that wonderful test kitchen of yours.

About a year ago I bought this cookbook, which has proven to be a fantastic investment. I am all about those Cooks Illustrated cookbooks (and PBS shows) and thankfully our local library keeps a nice stock of the cookbooks. But this cookbook in particular became part of my growing cookbook collection. Mostly in part to these amazing biscuits.

Actually, I am not a biscuit girl. I am more of a bagel and cream cheese kind of gal. But now that I live in what most people would consider 'the South', biscuits are a staple. And since I married one of these Southern boys we must have these carb staples on hand quite frequently. And thanks to this recipe, we do.

The beauty of it is they are ridiculously easy to make and produces great results every time. Better yet, you pop them in the freezer, unbaked, and they are ready to bake in the oven within 10-15 minutes. Genius.

I love King Arthurs square biscuit cutters. I used to have a set, which are now gone, and I am longing for another. They are very sharp and give a much better "rise" on the biscuits.

Freezer Biscuits6 cups (30 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for counter
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
4 1/2 cups heavy cream (** a big carton of heavy cream is only 4 cups. Instead of buying 2, I use the carton and then add 1/2 cup of buttermilk)

Line baking sheet with parchment paper (may need 2 baking sheets); set aside. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in the cream with a wooden spoon until a dough forms, about 30 seconds. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and gather into a ball. Knead dough briefly until smooth, about 1 minute, adding extra flour if necessary (if dough is too sticky).

(Side note: I got those black bracelets during my first trip to Papua New Guinea 17 years ago. I have never taken them off.)

Pat the dough into a 3/4-inch thick circle (or square). Cut biscuits using a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter. Lay biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 1/2 inch apart. If using a round cutter, gather scraps and re-knead them briefly to combine, then pat dough into a 3/4-inch thick circle and cut more biscuits; process can be repeated a third time. Yield: about 24 biscuits, depending on size and shape.

To bake and serve immediately: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. After cutting biscuits, spread them out over 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake biscuits one sheet at a time, 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

- OR -

To freeze: Wrap the baking sheet tightly with greased plastic wrap (or ungreased press-n-seal) and freeze until biscuits are solid, about 6 hours. Transfer frozen biscuits to a large ziplock freezer bag and freeze up to 1 month.

When ready to bake biscuits, do not thaw. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lay biscuits on parchment-lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Notes: You may bake as few or as many biscuits at a time as you wish. Regardless of how many you bake, make sure they are spaced 2 inches apart, and if using more than one baking sheet, bake only one sheet at a time.

Can I Get A Witness?

2012-01-07T22:45:00.000-05:00

Not since Lost have I found a TV show to really rally behind. In fact, I think I am still mourning the ending of that show. In fact, I refuse to let Mike erase the final 2 episodes from our DVR. Its not even up for discussion.
But since that fateful day in May 2010 when the only reason I could find to plop down on the couch with a bowl of popcorn finally ended, I haven't given much attention to following a show on TV.
Until recently.
I stumbled across it on accident really. It was Thursday night and Mike had headed to bed early. I crawled on the couch, covered up with a quilt and settled in for some channel surfing. I am an avid fan of PBS, especially any BBC broadcasts (Miss Marple, anyone?) and that night, at that appointed time of my TV surfing, a Masterpiece Classic was just starting. Let me stop here to say, I love Masterpiece Mystery; Poirot and Marple, they are common names in our house. But the Masterpiece Classics haven't really been my thing.
Again, until recently.
Until Downton Abbey.

I feel crazy even blogging about a TV Show but I have to just ask; are any of you loving this show? I thought I might be the only one but I am quickly learning I am not. This morning I was driving in the car, listening to one of my favorite Saturday morning shows, Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me and they made a witty reference to it. Then tonight my husband was watching one of his favorite shows, Chuck, (I promise we really don't watch that much TV. I am kind of squeezing all of our TV watching habits into this post) and they referenced Downton Abbey as well!

So I gotta ask. Do I have a witness? Isn't this one of the best shows to come around in a while? I am giddy with delight that there is already a Season 3 in production. And a Christmas Special I need to watch on You Tube someday. And I am lucky enough to have a fantastic husband who not only watches it with me each week, but I think secretly anticipates it as well.

A Tee Shirt Tutorial

2012-01-04T14:17:00.000-05:00

*Don't forget to enter the giveaway here*

We are still in the full swing of winter here in Lexington, Kentucky, but as I do each year, I am already gathering ideas for spring/summer shirts for the three boys running around my house. Since my oldest (who is almost 9) was a little tyke, I have been designing his tee shirts. I save the shirts in a box and when I look through those old shirts they read almost like a scrapbook, reminding me of what interests/hobbies they had at the time. Sometimes I embroider on them and add vintage fabric touches but the best way, by far, to get the detailed look I am going for is with freezer paper stencils.

This technique isn't new and I certainly can't stake claim to it, but I can say that I have nearly a decade of practice. So I am declaring myself a freezer paper stencil expert!

I'm sharing with you my process and a few of the tips and tricks I have learned over the years. I get lots of inspiration here and I find the best plain tee shirts (for boys) at Old Navy and Target.

Freezer Paper Stencil Tutorial

What You'll Need:
* Something to stencil on. The sky's the limit here.
* Freezer Paper (you can find that near the plastic wrap at the grocery store)
* X-Aacto Knife
* Small craft cutting mat or a kitchen cutting board
* Piece of Cardboard
* Paint (fabric paint is great but I have had good success with cheap craft paint too)
* An Iron and Ironing Board

1. Prewash your material. Whether a canvas tote, a pillowcase or a tee shirt, you want to make sure its a freshly laundered surface to work with and that any shrinking that will happen on its first wash is already out of its system.

2. Cut a piece of freezer paper slightly larger than the area that you plan to cover on the shirt (or bag...I'll keep saying shirt for the purpose of the tutorial but just fill in the blank with whatever you are making).

3. Draw a design or print off an image online and trace it onto the paper side (not the slick side) of the freezer paper. Pencil or pen. Doesn't matter. Feel free to get detailed. But remember, each detail will need to be cut out...so only bite off what you are willing to chew.

4. After coming up with a fun image use the X-Aacto knife to carefully cut out all the pieces. I usually start with the smallest details first and put them into a ziplock bag to keep a handle on them. Then I work my way outward to the largest piece. You can use both the inner and outer pieces to make a regular and a reverse image (2 shirts out of one design essentially), so cut carefully!

5. Now that everything is cut out, take your biggest piece first and lay it, waxy side down, on the shirt exactly where you want it. Have your iron heated to medium (no steam) and press the stencil onto the shirt all the way around, making sure every design edge is fully pressed to the shirt. Continue to add in the smaller elements of the design and heat press them into place until the design is fully stuck to the shirt in the way you want it. The beauty of freezer paper is you do have the opportunity to move it once its been heat pressed but I wouldn't make a habit of it. Don't stress if you need to move it once (maybe twice). It will still work.

6. Once the shirt cools, get out those paints and get to work. I like to use a 1/4 flat artist paint brush for this but sometimes if I am trying to cover a really large surface area with paint I will use a wide foam brush. Use the cardboard piece to sandwich inside the shirt to protect the paint from bleeding onto the back of your shirt.

7. When painting, work in layers. Don't glob a bunch of paint on your shirt the first run through. Just get enough going to put a thin layer on the fabric. Start from the freezer paper and work towards the fabric. This helps keep the paint from bleeding under the freezer paper. Once you have a good layer on, set it aside to dry completely. When dry, do a second coat.
I don't do a third coat. I think it starts getting a little thick and could crack overtime. So I keep it at 2 layers always, and have had great success.

8. Now for the fun part. After it is completely dry, start peeling off the paper. You can't reuse it (unfortunately) so don't worry about being super careful. Sometimes with the pesky detailed pieces of freezer paper that are completely covered in paint I use the tip of the X-Acto knife to snag up the edge of the paper and take it off.

9. Once all the freezer paper is off you can heat set it with a low iron. I usually take a towel and sandwich it between the shirt and iron or I turn the shirt inside out. I'm not keen on getting the iron in direct contact with the fresh paint.

10. Voila!! Onto the next one....its kind of addicting.

All Natural Lip Balm

2012-01-02T09:41:00.001-05:00

*Don't forget to enter the giveaway here*
The week leading up to the new year wasn't exactly how I had pictured it. It was the last week of the boys winter break. I had envisioned walks around downtown looking at the lights, taking down the Christmas tree together, continuing our holiday baking marathon and maybe even a little post Christmas mall browsing. But alas, none of those things happened.
The flu happened.
Or rather, what I guess must have been the flu. Whatever it was took whatever energy (and appetite) I had left to give 2011.

Thankfully, I had made a big batch of lip balm the week before Christmas to give as little handmade gifts to my girlfriends. Thankfully because....well when this girl is sick, she need the comfort of chapstick.

This recipe is super simple. The only hang up I ran across was getting the honey to mix completely into the coconut oil. And beesewax takes alot longer to melt than I had anticipated.
Otherwise it was a really fun afternoon project. I am left only to kick myself for spending so much money on drugstore lip balms all these years.

The recipe came from this blog last year and I tweaked it a bit and she grabbed it from this book where she had tweaked it a bit.

Sweet Orange Lip Balm

8 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
3 Tablespoons Beeswax
1.5 Tablespoons Raw Honey
30 drops Sweet Orange essential oil
(if you want color) 1/2 stick of natural lipstick (I like Jane Iredale and Josie Moran)

Place oil, beeswax and honey in a double boiler (or heatproof bowl resting on top of a small saucepan of simmering water). (As a side note, I picked up an extra double boiler thrifting that I use just for beeswax crafts, which really makes cleanup easier.) Heat gently until everything has melted.

Remove mixture from heat, and add peppermint oil and lipstick. Stir until blended.

Place the pan or bowl in a larger bowl full of cold water. Stir quickly until the mixture begins to change in consistency (it will become thicker).

Pour mixture into containers, place covers on, and let sit to cool and set up.

(fills approximately one dozen 1/2 oz tins)

I, for the life of me, cannot find the website for the supplier of the lip balm containers I bought. I did stumble across this one which has a nice selection. Not as cheap as what I had originally ordered but pretty reasonable.

Here's to a great 2012~ I have lots to look forward to. Maybe a little R&R to start off the first of the year is just what the doctor ordered.

In the Kitchen with Tarts and Cakes

2011-12-26T11:45:00.000-05:00

The Kitchn's Cranberry Tart

After the flurry of activites surrounding the little CEO's second appearance on this show we finally were able to get in the kitchen and bake some holiday treats. There were lots of cookies and cinnamon rolls made and eaten and these two desserts made an appearance on Christmas day.

German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Cajeta Frosting

We also are crazy blessed with some really amazing friends and have had the chance to share in a Christmas morning brunch hosted by one amazing family.

I hope you had a Christmas overflowing with gratitude, love and awe.

Dear Santa...

2011-12-21T10:49:00.000-05:00

Last year at this time, as many of you probably know, my husband lost his pharmaceutical job unexpectedly. 12 months later he is still job hunting although he certainly hasn't been "unemployed" this year. We opened a bakery, our son's company has grown and he has come to appreciate the duties of maintaining the home (and kids) at a whole new level ~smile

With the job gone, we decided to return the gifts we had bought for one another last Christmas. It was the responsible "adult" thing to do. But as I shared about here, Christmas morning was full of surprises and really I can't remember a more special Christmas than that one...which also included this amazing jewelry box from my parents.

When opened it plays "Edelweiss" from The Sound of Music. I keep the few pieces of jewelry I own ~ all things from Mike and the boys...along with a couple of sweet notes.

I come into this season with a new level of thankfulness to God, who has sustained our family of 5 this year.
I am so thankful for the friends and family that have sustained us mentally, emotionally and creatively. We have had the opportunity to glean so much wisdom and insight from them during this taxing journey.
Some sweet gifts from afar came in the mail this week, which are a perfect reminder for us of just how loved and cared for we are~

Mike's sweet aunt and uncle in Ohio sent these amazing little ornaments with the family's name on them. They go perfectly with our rustic "handmade" tree.

And my sweet sister and her family sent us a box of goodies, filled with gifts and sweet treats. I came downstairs to see that Canaan had already artfully arranged the platter and wanted to me to snap a picture. So the credits for art direction go to; Canaan Smith.

And finally; my list to Santa. It isn't too large of a request, in my book. Mike thinks otherwise.

A new chicken coop....just like this. (see, I told you...not too large of a request ;)
I saw this picture in the magazine, Where Women Cook, and had to snap a photo. Dreamy!!!!! I think if the elves put their minds to it, they could whip this up in 3 days, don't you think?

This Angora rabbit. Ok...maybe not this one in particular (I'm sure he lives with a nice family) but one of his siblings? I think a little furry monster like this would make a perfect addition to our family. Plus the beautiful angora I could spin??? Imagine! If you know of where I could get one of these furry fellow...please let Santa know ( and by the way, Mike is not Santa. Mike would say "no" to this bunny...so don't tell him about this list, thanks.)

What's on your list this year?

Catching Up...and Taco Soup

2011-12-20T09:53:00.001-05:00

Just to catch you up:

- The last one...you know that sweet nearly 2 year old with curly blonde hair? Yep..that one. He's giving us a run for our money in that whole sanity department. I am not sure Mike or I will make it out on the other side.

- The second one...you know, that other tall, blonde one wearing skateboarding clothes? Yep...that one. He carved our wooden front door with the most lovely cat scratch pattern yesterday trying to take off the pumpkin stickers he had decorated it with a couple of months ago. "A" for effort. "F" for execution.

- The first one...you know, that tall, blonde one? Yep...that one. I just bought him his first pair of shoes in the mens department. That took this mama much by surprise and I may or may not have had welled up with a tear or two when no one was looking.
**Time. Please slow down. Thank you.

- There was another Suze Orman appearance this week. See that here (at about the 38 minute mark)

- There were hundreds of more bags to ship this week thanks to that sweet follow up from Suze.

- We are now in month 12 of the layoff. Crazy. More about that in another post.

- I write...alot nowadays. Which is why this blog doesn't get nearly the attention is should. But I'm ok with that, if you are.

Now....onto Taco Soup. This is one of those elusive recipes that until recently I hadn't been able to reign in. I love taco soup! Atleast I thought I did. But recipe after recipe was letting me down and making me doubt my fondness for it. Until this easy peasy recipe from an old Gooseberry Patch cookbook jumped off the page at me.
Its perfect and easy and a nice change of pace from the standard thick chili my family likes.

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 15oz cans black beans, drained & rinsed
2 c. water
15 oz can corn, drained (I used frozen)
15 oz can tomato sauce (I used canned petite diced tomatoes)
12 oz bottle green taco sauce
4 oz can chopped green chilies
1 oz package taco seasoning mix (I used low sodium)

Brown beef, onion and garlic in large skillet. Drain. In a slow cooker, combine beef mixture and all remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on high 1 hour (I cooked on low for 4-5 hours).
Serves 8-10.

The Gift of Bread

2011-12-18T10:22:00.000-05:00

The most lovely box came in the mail on Friday from the famed Philadelphia restaurant, City Tavern.

I love "foodie" gifts this time of year ~ ok... in actuality I love foodie gifts all year long. But this time of year gifts of sweet food are even more special.

You can order a set of 3 amazing City Tavern breads here. The Pineapple bread with Jamacian Rum is scary good. Like, 'I-need-to-hide-this-from-myself-so-I-can-wear-jeans-next-week' good.

Saying Goodbye

2011-12-16T09:38:00.000-05:00

An unexpected trip back to the mountains this week to say final goodbyes to Mike's grandmother. Fess, her older brother (and who I previously shared about here) is the last remaining sibling. All five brothers and sisters; Richmond, Maxie, Fess, Lona and Dora, grew up in this holler and four of them stayed their entire lives. It tugs at my heart to see our oldest generation leaving Earth. Since I was a little girl I have had a soft spot for their wisdom and walks down memory lane.
As hard as saying goodbye is, as always, it gives me a renewed perspective for life, the legacy I hope to leave behind and the purpose in it all.

Pound Cakes and Pounding Headaches

2011-12-12T08:43:00.000-05:00

I wouldn't put this weekend on the top of the list for 'most happy', 'most peaceful', or 'fondest family moments'. Both Mike and I climbed into bed last night and said a resounding, "I'm glad that weekend is over".
Lots of sibling bickering, lots of whining, lots of 'go to your room' followed by foot stomping up the stairs followed with little ears getting many heart to heart talks from us parents....it was exhausting. And I will say again this morning, I'm glad that weekend is over~
But with all of the frustration (for all of us) there were some glimmers of holiday joy (for all of us).

I finally started in on some holiday baking~

Even Ezra took back to the kitchen after a long hiatus.

I also got pretty far along on that list of "gifts to make"

And I took a Sabbath day...(a Sabbath from housework and cooking, not parenting...the nanny called in sick - (I joke ;)

I made two loaves of pound cake this weekend. One for our family and one for our next door neighbors. The recipe comes from Gooseberry Patch and is about as simple as a pound cake recipe gets.

Genuine, Truly Old Fashioned Pound Cake

(Gooseberry Patch Vol.2, Pg 118)

3 C. Flour 3 c. powdered sugar

1 t. baking powder 2 t. vanilla

1/2 t. nutmeg 5 eggs

1/4 tsp. salt 3/4 c. half and half

1 1/2 c. butter

1. Grease and coat with granulated sugar two 8" loaf pans or a 10" fluted tube pan.

2. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

3. Cream together butter, powdered sugar and vanilla.

4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mixture should be light and fluffy.

5. Mix in half of the flour mixture until smooth. Blend in half and half. Beat in remaining dry ingredients until smooth.

6. Pour cake batter into pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 75 minutes (depending on the pan size) or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan about 10 minutes before removing.

Making A List...Checking It Twice

2011-12-08T08:38:00.001-05:00

I am a list maker by nature. Grocery lists, to-do lists, honey-do lists, lists of goals...and this time of year, Christmas gift lists. I have many floating around right now. There is the "to make" list, and the "to buy" list and the others somewhere in between.

One project was started a few weeks back. I shared this photo with you, remember?

Well that project is coming along beautifully and I am so excited about some packages that will be heading out the door in the coming days to girlfriends around the country that have encouraged, loved, challenged and held me up this year.

2011 has been a doozy at The Smith Homestead. A one year layoff (and still going). Didn't see that coming. Not only sustaining but thriving this year...didn't see that coming either. I promise to sit down someday soon, with a big mug of coffee and a slow afternoon to share with you what has happened this year. It was one for the story books.

But back to lists....here we are just a couple of weeks out from the 'big day' and I am still finding inspiration and ideas~ I'm sure you are too...

Ninja's vs. Pirates? This set has got to be one of the best things I've run across in recent memory. Of course with a house full of boys and a recent visit to a pirate museum I think something like this would knock their socks off...(and put a serious dent in the mid-layoff holiday budget...but that's besides the point ;)

Goosegrease on Etsy made this lovely set

And as for wrapping this year's gifts, I love this idea. We are all about brown kraft paper in this house and I am always looking for new ways to spiff it up.

And you better believe I will be on the hunt for some vintage globes at the thrift store this year. This family of snowmen definitely needs to make an appearance in our home next year, don't you agree?

Don't forget there is lots of holiday inspiration here at the blog. You can find some of it here and here and here. And there are loads of ideas up there in the Navigation Bar.

Enough blogging for one day...my lists await!

Happy Thursday~

All Things Merry & Bright

2011-12-05T08:30:00.001-05:00

Saturday was a very festive day here at The Smith Homestead~
We finally decorated the house...a bit late in the season for us but the trip down South threw us off a bit this year.
After the house was filled with the sounds of Frank Sinatra Christmas, smells of bacon and pancakes and all things were 'merry and bright' and we headed out to one of our favorite holiday events~ the holiday open house at this and this (they are beside each other) amazing place in Lexington.

It was our little entrepreneur's third year handing out delicious samples of his 'mallows and meeting customers. Coffee Times has been an amazing cheerleader of his company from day one~

Here are some pics from the night. These gals (owners, Teri and Kathryne) know how to pull together a store. The window and floor displays in both the coffee house and vintage shop are down right gorgeous.

And aside from giving Barney's in NYC a run for their money in the decorating department, these gals are incredible businesswomen. Teri started Coffee Times 30 years ago...when she was 19!! (Which is pretty hard to believe since she only looks 28.) Teri and Kathryne (who also looks 28, but has 2 grown sons....ummm where is this fountain of youth, ladies??) teamed up to start Street Scene, the vintage store, which carries some really incredible local handmade wares too. I love rubbing shoulders with these smart ladies ~

The day was so festive and of course we are always just continually blown away by Canaan and his business. Which, by the way, will be re-appearing on The Suze Orman Show again on December 17th. His previous segment was chosen as one of her favorites of 2011. Crazy! Amazing!!

**And without further ado...the winner of the adorable Cradle Will Rock dress (according to Random.com) is ....Angie Aflord. Congrats Angie!! Just send me an email (megan@ittysmitty.com) with your contact info and shipping info and I'll get it to you~

500th Post Giveaway!

2011-11-28T14:18:00.001-05:00

I am just back from the beach. A full week of sun, fun, turkey dinner, beach time and limited computer usage. Glorious~

Thanksgiving Day which also was Mike's 37th birthday.

This post marks a milestone for this little blog ~ #500. I remember sitting down over 5 years ago to write my first blog post. Canaan was 3 years old and Ezra was 4 months old. We lived in an 80 year old rented duplex that was blazing hot in the summer and frigid cold in the winter. Alot has changed in 5 years, yet much remains the same. I love the opportunity blogging has given me and continues to give me to record the events of our lives here at The Smith Homestead. Thanks for coming along on the ride with me~

Cradle Will Rock, one of our sponsors, is helping me celebrate this milestone by offering an amazing giveaway this week.

One lucky reader will win this gorgeous girls pillowcase dress~
(any size newborn-7 years)
This dress is super versatile and can be worn as a dress or a top.
Perfect for all seasons layered with a long-sleeved shirt and leggings
so your little girl will be able to wear it for seasons to come.

You can enter up to 3 times to win. Here's how:

1. Head over there to the right hand bar and become a friend of The Art of Homemaking with Google Friend Connect. When you do this, let me know in the comment section.

2. Follow The Art of Homemaking Facebook Page and let me know in a separate comment when you do.

3. Follow Cradle Will Rock's Facebook Page and let me know in yet another separate comment when you do.

There you go...3 chances to enter!

**The contest runs through Sunday night at 9pm. A winner will be selected at random and announced here on Monday morning. This contest is open to everyone...so start spreading the word! Even if you don't have a little girl, this would make a fantastic Christmas gift~

Also, Cradle Will Rock is offering a 35% discount until Friday to all readers. Use the code CYBER35. This company has some amazing handmade clothes and have been rocking out the industry in California for a long time now. We are lucky to have a store front here in Lexington~ and if you don't live here you can still buy their amazing clothes online....35% off....this week only.....so head on over now (after entering, of course!)

Good Luck!

Thanksgiving...Resort Style

2011-11-22T09:24:00.001-05:00

Florida...day 3. Sun, water, 80 degree temps, sunscreen, sliced limes on drink rims, lazy river....
Life is ridiculously mellow right now.

We will be sharing lots about this amazing place over on our travel site soon.
For now, we wrap up our time here and head northeast a couple of hours to St. Augustine where the grandparents live. We will be spending the holiday in the oldest city in America...
Happy Thanksgiving!

Florida, Thankfulness, Black Friday & Marshmallows...

2011-11-18T08:35:00.001-05:00

It has been a little over 3 years since we last treked to Florida. Ezra was 2 and Canaan was 5. This weekend we will make the long 13 hour journey to Grandpa and Grandma's house in St Augustinewith not just 2, but 3 boys. The verdict is still out on how Otto's first trip to the Sunshine State will turn out...and whether or not Mike and I will have any hair left when all is said and done.

I may post an update or two during our trip ~ there will many fun things to report, I'm sure~

I am thankful for so many things this year. Despite Mike's continued layoff (heading into month 12) we are sustained, happy and healthy. I have a big life update to give you all once I have time to sit down here at the computer for more than 5 minutes at a time.

One thing that I am so thankful for is YOU! For all of you that bless and encourage me each day with emails, notes and comments. Thank you for allowing me to share my heart, my life, my ideas and my inspirations here each week. Thanks so much for coming and being a part.

If you will be doing any Black Friday shopping this year, don't forget to shop with my sponsors~
Lots of handmade goodies ~ dresses, hats, scarves...and marshmallows.

Cradle Will Rock

Love this hat from newly opened Etsy shop, Die Spinne Crochet Shoppe~

The Marshmallows Company amazing marshmallows~

Incidently, Canaan (our 8 year old CEO) will be re-appearing on The Suze Orman Show in December as one of her favorite guests of 2011! Also, check out this crazy, amazing review of
his marshmallows by The Nibble in NYC.

2011-11-15T09:46:00.001-05:00

Today I will be sending out the PDF print out of this year's Thanksgiving Day Menu. Complete with a cooking timeline and the recipes that are not found online. If you want one (it is beautiful and mighty useful!) go over there to the sidebar and "sign up". Also, follow The Art of Homemaking on Twitter and Facebook (those cute little icons over there to the right). I'm always updating.

Have You Taken A Sabbath Lately?

2011-11-14T15:01:00.001-05:00

Some days…some weeks, wellheck, some months feel like Groundhog Day around here. Laundry, grocery runs,picking up the toys, making beds, cooking meals… and on it goes.
The biggest part of me lovesit, despite the monotony. But there is a small part that finds it reallydraining. And in recent months I have even been feeling a bit of…dare I say it,resentment.
Those feelings of ill willabout washing 5 peoples dishes 10 times a day or reminding a child (yet again) to not put the toothbrush behindthe sink faucet, but rather in its proper place have been creeping in andgaining a foothold in my homemaking attitude.
I occasionally catch myselfmumbling under my breath, having a quiet pity party. Its embarrassing to admitthat but I think I may not be alone in this. Am I right?

Recently I have beenchallenged to bring this situation, this attitude, under control.

Some of you reading may holdthe same belief system I do. Many do not. Whether you are a Christian or not,this post is for all of us.
For all of us that arefeeling a little worn out by the day to day demands. Those of us feeling eventhe slightest bit overwhelmed, under appreciated, spent, uninspired orfrustrated.

Mike and Canaan meandering through a Labrynth at sunset in Ohio

Have you ever taken aShabbat? A Sabbath? Growing up, a Sabbath day was just the day we went tochurch. Plain and simple, it was a church day. Over the years, I have grown inmy understanding of its Biblical and historical importance but I can’t say it has had much ofan impact on my weekly schedule.

Until recently.

A few weeks ago I was cleaningthe office upstairs. I had the radio on for background noise to drown outOtto’s constant toddler whining (gotta love this stage…is it crying, is ithappy squeels?? I may never know.)
Anyhow, the radio program wasabout working mothers and balancing a healthy schedule. My ears perked up. Asmart, well spoken mom of 6 (yes, six) was talking about balancing her joboutside the home and life inside the home. The change in her schedule that madeall the difference between sanity and insanity of juggling it all was thepractice of taking a weekly Shabbat ~ a day of rest.
She spent the next fewminutes describing how she is realistically able to do this. I thought she wasspeaking a foreign language. A whole day of rest?? No cooking? No cleaning? Nopicking up toys or sweeping up the crumbs? Was this even possible as a mom withsmall kids? I don’t feel like I usually have an hour of rest, let alone 24.
I listened and took what shesaid to heart but it didn’t go beyond that. Not believing in coincidences, Ihad to chuckle when I went to church the following week and the sermon wason…you guessed it…taking a day of rest. I think Someone was trying to tell me something.
I gave myself the next weekto prepare and get organized to take my first Shabbat. The nightbefore, I finished up all of the laundry, got out the boys school clothes, puta meal in the crockpot (I have one with an insert so I put the whole insert inthe fridge overnight and then began to cook dinner in it the next morning.) Imade sure the dishwasher was empty so we could just put dishes directly inthere. It definitely took some extra time the night before but I was eager togive this little experiment a try.
The next day I did nothing.Yep…nothing. Well nothing in terms of any “work”. No cleaning, no cooking, nowriting, no blogging, no emailing, no working out. I read magazines on thecouch while sipping tea, I played outside with the boys, we took a family walkto the park and I took an extra long bath that night.
I won’t say it was easy doingnothing. It wasn’t. By 3 or 4pm that day I was a fidgety mess. I wanted tosweep up the crumbs under the dining room table SO BADLY! I had to stop myselfon numerous occasions from carrying toys and clothes upstairs. Mentally it wasreally hard to separate myself from the tasks of the home.
I am not sure the boysnoticed much of a difference that day because in all honesty I have that multitasking thing down to an art. I can be pretty darn present with them, slip awayfor a few seconds to do a chore and be right back.
But the experiment wasn’t for them and it wasn’t for Mike.

I needed this.

The following 6 days seemedto breeze by. I felt like I cleaned a lot less (yet still had a clean house.)Dinner seemed to come together each night almost effortlessly and overall Ijust really had an amazing week. Hmmm…maybe there wassomething to this.

The following weekend we wereout of town and I was “on assignment” for an article. Part of the assignmentwas due on Monday which meant I really needed to work on it the following day.Since I had been “working” to cover the assignment on Saturday I had intendedon taking a day of rest on that Sunday. I was in a quandary. I prayed andthought about it and finally decided that I would indeed take a Shabbat, get upon Monday morning and try to get the assignment in on time. I prayed, “God, Iwant to give myself a day of rest each week honor You by taking a Sabbath,please bring everything together for me to get this article done inrecord time and to the best of my ability.”
And you know what? I finishedthat article in record time and without needing to make any revisions after thefirst draft was sent off to the editor. Crazy. Amazing.

I have learned so much aboutmyself through this process. I am astonished that a day of rest makes the other6 days so productive and easy. I feel sharper mentally, more energetic, muchhappier throughout the day and way less stressed.
It has been a big wake upcall for me to realize how frustrated I had become and really how my attitude(even though it wasn’t a day in/day out occurrence) was probably affecting theoverall vibe of the household.
I beg all of you to hop over to this link and listen. Even if you only have a few minutes, skip forward tominute 17:30 and just listen to the section about taking a day of rest. Butreally, consider taking a little longer and listen to the entire 2 part show. It was suchan encouragement for me and I have no doubt it will be for you to.

Handmade Gift Tutorial Guide

2011-11-10T10:36:00.001-05:00

Only 7 short weeks until Christmas. Usually at this point in the year I am well on my way to finishing Christmas shopping. Unfortunately, this year I have barely begun. I foresee lots of handmade gifts again this year and have turned to some of my favorite blogs for inspiration! See what amazing things I dug up? Click on the caption below each photo for the link...and have fun!

(and of course, look up top and click on the "crafts" link in my blog. Lots of past projects, tutorials and ideas over there.)

*sidenote: Yes, I am familiar with Pinterest. No, I don't use it...yet. I am sure down-the-road (or maybe soon) I will. But I have been avoiding it thus far. Not enough hours in the day, too many projects already waiting in the wings....Pinterest can wait, for now ;)

An adorable vintage inspired DIY cupcake stand from Giverslog

I have had my eye on this project over at Becoming Lola for a long time now.

I love this! Everything Marueen makes is so colorful and beautiful~

I forsee lots of these amazing book/utensil holders given this season.

I think our tree needs some funny little gingerbread this year.

The most comprehensive list, I've found (yet) for gift tutorials. I can get lost for hours on this...

Please, oh pretty please, share what lovely ideas you have found too!

A Girlie Lunch

2011-11-07T16:30:00.002-05:00

Today two of my favorite girlfriends came over for lunch. A rare treat for all three of us who were able to sneak in a couple of hours, leaving the toddlers behind with their dads (the newest, who is only weeks old, slept peacefully nearby~), and enjoy a lunch date together.
It amazing how much quality conversation us gals can cram into a lunch date, isn't it? From grocery lists to sleepless nights to insurance rates and goals for the future we covered it all and left feeling refreshed, encouraged and re-energized.

Because I took a day of rest yesterday (we'll discuss that newly acquired practice in another post soon), I didn't have as much prep time for the meal as I usually give myself. Nonetheless, after a quick trip to the store this morning I came home and whipped up a little lunch for us gals ~ which was not only simple, but really yummy. (I love what the Barefoot Contessa comes up with.)

Here's the recipe. I served it with a salad and the roasted red pepper and tomato soup we love here at the house ( you can find that recipe under the "recipes" section of the navigation bar).

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts
(from Ina Garten)
(**I have made note of the changes I made in this recipe below)

1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) puff pastry, defrosted
Good olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions)
3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 ounces shaved with a vegetable peeler
4 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese (recommended: Montrachet)
1 large tomato, cut into 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves

*I omitted the garlic. Not a huge fan of garlic or the breathe that lingers for hours afterwards.

*I didn't have dry white wine on hand but I did have some cooking Sherry.

* I used plain goat cheese and mixed in my own homemade pesto.

Unfold a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it lightly to an 11 by 11-inch square. Using a 6-inch wide saucer or other round object as a guide ( I used the bottom of the tea kettle), cut 2 circles from the sheet of puff pastry, discarding the scraps. Repeat with the second pastry sheet to make 4 circles in all. Place the pastry circles on 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat.
Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4-inch-wide border around each pastry circle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the scored border.

Place 1/4 of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. The bottom sheet pan may need an extra few minutes in the oven. Serve hot or warm.

What lovely things have you been whipping up lately? I've been a bit of a dud in the kitchen recently and could definitely use some inspiration. Send some my way, pretty please!

Oh Tenenbaum...

2011-11-04T16:29:00.000-04:00

This little 50's bungalow of ours has been a work in progress for almost 4 years now. Gutting the kitchen, tearing out walls, updating plumbing and wiring, renovating 2 bathrooms...you name it, we've done it. All of it except for the stairwell. It has been the only untouched, unpainted, unpatched area of the house. And oh, how I have longed for the day to get my hands on that little area. I think you can probably see why.

Its been an eye sore from day one. Someone befor us loved faux painting techniques just a little too much. Streaky mustard yellow paint? Wowzers.

So last week we finally tackled the stairwell. Thanks mostly to the half off Porter Paints Groupon recently. In all honesty, Porter Paints doesn't have a ton to offer in the color selection so I didn't end up with a color I was super excited about. In fact when we first painted I was really bummed.

So in an attempt to cover the sterile blue hue, I started grabbing all of the unused artwork from around the house. We have a ton of it. Vintage paint-by-numbers we've picked up at thrift stores, canvas paintings from the boys, paintings I have done over the years, and other random lovely things from here and there. I also framed some old National Geographic maps of a few of the travels we have taken (Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and Grand Turk).

Yesterday Mike became my stairwell art hanging slave (he was such a trooper) and within a couple of hours the stairwell magically came together. At first I was afraid it seemed a bit overkill. Alot of artwork in a little space. I asked Mike to which he replied, "It looks like the Royal Tenenbaum house". In that moment I knew it was perfect.

The Royal Tenenbaums, one of my top 3 favorite movies of all time, has one of the most amazing movie sets ever! That house! Dreamy. And to have my husband say that our house resembled it...made my week~

I've left plenty of space to add more photos and artwork as time goes along too...

The light fixture was in some random box I had won at an auction several years ago. It was black and rusted (a previous life as an outdoor light fixture). We spray painted it and Mike wired it for indoor use. The plate up top, which had to be big enough to cover the massive hole cut in the drywall from the previous light, was a stroke of genius. We had looked at Home Depot for a lamp plate...all of which were both too small and too expensive. I came home discouraged and headed out to the garage to find a solution.

And then I saw it...the bottom ring to the pressure canner. We had 2 of them and it happened to be the perfect size for a ceiling lamp ring. Who would have thought? Mike looked at me like I was crazy but I snatched it up, spray painted it the same color as the lamp and voila! A perfect, meant-to-be answer to the problem.

At the bottom of the stairs I hung back up our previous solution to not having a coat closet (gotta love these 50's homes with no closets), which are the 4 silver hooks. Between the hooks we hung 3 baskets, one for each of the boys, to put their hats, gloves, sunglasses, etc... in. Utter perfection for this organizing queen.

All in all our grand total was $70.

Paint - $30 (half off, thanks to Groupon)
Frames- $6.50 (thrift store)
Spray Paint - $3.50
Baskets - $30

Thanksgiving Day Menu 2011

2011-11-01T10:47:00.000-04:00

Thanksgiving Day Menu 2011
** For a free PDF print out of this years recipes and cooking timeline, sign up in the right sidebar as a subscriber. I will be sending it out in a week or so.

photo courtesy of Martha Stewart

Appetizer - I'm not one for planning for a bunch of finger foods prior to the meal. But let's be honest, its always nice to have a little plate of something to munch on and a festive drink in hand while making the final preparations! I love this idea from The Kitchn for a modern twist on the old relish try (my husband continually gets freaked out by the term "relish tray". Do you call it that? Is it just an Ohio thing?)

Modern Relish Tray

Winter Sangria (you could serve this hot or cold. I'm thinking of using dates and pears in place of the figs and raisins. It seems like a pretty easy recipe to play with.)

The Meal

Perfect Roast Turkey (This recipe from Ina Garten is my go-to turkey recipe. No messing with brining, long cooking times or special spices. This is a recipe that turns out a perfectly delicious turkey year after year.)

The Best Gravy Ever (another Barefoot Contessa recipe that is a standard at our table)

Balsamic Roasted Sweet Potatoes ~ can be found in the winter issue of Cuisine at Home

Sauteed Green Beans I love this recipe...read on down and see all of the unique flavor combinations

Corn Casserole If you are going to splurge on a buttery casserole, Paula Deen's recipes are the way to go.

Cornbread Maple Sausage Stuffing

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

Maple Oat Dinner Rolls (these puppies are delicious)

Jellied Cranberry Zinfandel Sauce ~ this too can be found in the winter issue of Cuisine at Home. A similar recipe on Epicurious could be used, substituting the water for Zinfandel.

The Dessert
Pecan Bourbon and Butterscotch Bread Pudding (my husband is crazy for bread pudding so I am winning lots of brownie points with this recipe)

Good old Pumpkin Pie

*buy a yummy, store bought ice cream to go with both. Or of course, you can always make your own. Check the recipe tab up top for my Butternut Squash Ice Cream with a Maple Swirl recipe~

Hope this helps give you some fresh ideas for your own Thanksgiving meal this year. Leave me a comment and let me know what you'll be whipping up too...

Sugarless Apple Butter

2011-10-29T18:10:00.001-04:00

*Head over to the "recipes" section at the top of the page for lots of recipes and food ideas~

Three years ago I shared my recipe for sugarless apple butter. (see post here) It has been a hugely popular post (who knew people Google searched "sugarless apple butter" so often?)
I still make the same recipe each year and I thought this year I'd re-share it, filling in some
more details and suggestions~

A Ton of Apples (this year we used a bushel)
Cinnamon
Nutmeg

Wash and core the apples, leaving the peels on. Depending on the amount of apples you have, either put them directly into a slow cooker (crock pot) or if you have too many - like I did this year- place the apples in a large stockpot. Add a thin layer of water in the bottom of the pot and turn on medium-low.

Cook the apples down, stirring and mashing as they soften. Depending on how much the apples shrink, you may be able to transfer them to a slow cooker.
*It would be ideal if you can get the apples to the slow cooker to make the apple butter. This year I just had too many apples so I finished the entire process on the stove top.

Once the apples soften, cook, covered on low heat for many, many hours (this is why the slow cooker is so handy). Stir occasionally. As the hours wear on, the water will begin evaporating from the apples and it will thicken over time.

Add cinnamon and nutmeg to taste (again, depends on the amount of apples you are using). Continue to cook down until it thickens even more and darkens in color.

Once you feel like you have an apple butter consistency, take a taste. This is what a sugarless apple butter tastes like. Very much like...an apple! Most of us have been raised on very sweet apple butter so a sugarless apple butter will taste tart. You can, at this point, add sugar (or another form of sweetener) to taste. That is up to you. If you do add a sweetener, cook the apple butter a while longer to make sure the sweetener is dissolved properly.

Also, you need to decide if you want a smooth apple butter texture or not. If you like it smooth, transfer small batches of the apple butter to a blender or use an immersion blender. I prefer a bit of chunky-ness to my apple butter so I only blend half of the apple butter and mix it into the chunky apple butter.

Water bath process the apple butter in mason jars if you want to store them in the pantry for a long period of time or just scoop the apple butter in jars and store in the refrigerator if you plan on eating it up quickly.

This morning I made a big batch of biscuits and took biscuits and a small jar of apple butter to the neighbors for a Saturday morning breakfast treat. In fact, I think I have enough jarred apple butter to feed a small army this year~

Welcome!

2011-10-27T08:56:00.000-04:00

So what do you think of this new fancy blog? I am so excited to finally get an overhaul. It was much overdue. Mike and I have been tinkering with the html for months now trying to get things the way I wanted but to no avail. So I found this miracle worker and voila, a perfectly organized blog. Hooray!

So if you haven't already, feel free to do all of those fun little blog things like
1.follow The Art of Homemaking on Facebook
2. and Twitter
3. and "Join This Site" there in the sidebar.
4. say hello
5. and of course, please help spread the word. You can even grab a (soon-to-be-appearing) button in the sidebar.

Lots of things happening (aside from the blog) over this way. Loads of freelance writing ~ yippee!
A weekend trek to a molasses stir off in the Appalachian mountains AND an amazing history lesson at a Civil War Battle Reinactment.

If you are out and about this weekend, pick up a copy of Hobby Farm Home's Popular Kitchen Series Magazine, Pies and Cakes. I have lots of articles, recipes and photos in this issue

Yep...thats my sweet Ezra eating a fruit tart. One of the perks of being the photographer~

Scenes From the Orchard...

2011-10-21T08:27:00.004-04:00

We are off to a sorghum molasses stir off this weekend. Trying to squeeze every last bit of fun and goodness out of this beautiful fall season. What will you be doing?

Weekending~

2011-10-17T09:18:00.005-04:00

Watching the leaves change at such a rapid pace (too quickly for my liking) on our big old maple tree. In a few days our entire dining room will have a gorgeous golden hue.

Pulling together an Autumn Dessert Wedding Reception at The Homestead. Mini warm apple pies were placed on each plate just moments before guests arrived.

Beginning to work on handmade Christmas gifts. This year I have something a little special up my sleeve.

Have You Seen It Out There?!

2011-10-12T15:25:00.008-04:00

*FYI...you can now find The Art of Homemaking on Facebook*

I hope you live in a part of the world that is getting the fall season right now. If you happen to be on a beach in Mexico sipping margaritas or shoveling snow in Alaska, I kind of feel bad for you.
The weather is incredible right now in Kentucky and the scenery, even better. Mike and I woke up this morning and knew we needed to make time for an Autumn day drive. We haven't had one of those in a long time.

We headed toward a small town south of here called Danville. Along the way we stopped at Marksbury Farm. I would take the time to tell you about it here but really you need to just head over to their website. This place is amazing.

Chocolate Croissant's at Marksbury...Mike and Otto ate one before we even made it out the door.
We made a quick run down to Danville for $2 chicken salad sandwiches at a local bakery and a stop at (officially) Mike's new favorite shop, V the Market.

The weather shows no sign of making a turn for the worse so we are making lots of plans to be outside in the coming weeks. I am forseeing tennis matches with my 8 year old, evening picnics under our big old maple tree and some pumpkin carving on the front steps.

Hello Autumn...feel free to stay as long as you like.

I'm A Kentucky Food Blogger

2011-10-11T08:02:00.005-04:00

Photo taken by fellow food blogger, Lori Rice

There's a new group in town.
A group with over 60 of us and growing.
We talk food, often.
We eat food, often.
And this weekend, shared an amazing meal together, marking our first official networking dinner.
Dinner at one of the finest restaurants in Kentucky, no less. Jonathan's at Gratz Park ~ oh la la, indeed! And to further add to the grandeur of the night, Alltech, a world leader in animal health and nutrition (their Angus steaks are amazing~), sponsored our amazing dinner.
I feel really lucky to live in a town with such an amazing group! I wouldn't necessarily label myself strictly a "food blogger" but my blog obviously encompasses alot of food so I am glad the group has warmly welcomed me.
And the group, of both men and women, college aged to retired, make up a generous, warm and really intelligent group of people.
We feasted on ridiculously yummy food, were given swag bags at the end of the night filled with all sorts of Kentucky Proud products, a signed copy of Jonathan Lundy's cookbook AND I won a $25 Marksbury Farm gift card at the end of the night. I know, right?!
We were also given tickets to the Incredible Food Show the following day.

A day filled with food sampling, cooking demonstrations from the Voltaggio brothers and...well more food sampling, was more than this girl could have ever hoped for.

Canaan learning about bees from a local honey producer.

We ended the weekend with food and friends (I think there is a constant theme throughout this post). After the show we met friends downtown for pizza. By total accident we found an amazing balcony open to the public, yet empty, that overlooked a festival happening below. I won't divulge the location because a girl should never give away her secrets~

A photo of my dear friend Julie dancing with Otto

The perfect weekend ended perfectly. Music serenading us below, a beautiful sunset, pizza, friends and the warmth of the autumn sun on our faces. Thank you Lord.

Sentimental...

2011-09-29T10:49:00.010-04:00

Sometimes my life feels like that Bill Murray movie...you know Groundhog Day? Wake up, make bowls of cereal, change diapers, rush kids out the door to school, laundry, play time, cleaning, cooking....

This is not a complaining post~ in fact, just the opposite. As much as these days with little ones can feel unending; I find myself wishing they were unending. I actually sometimes can feel myself missing it. Even though I am still in the midst of it. Do you ever feel that way?
I already miss the random Cheerios tucked in the couch cushions, the Matchbox cars in my kitchen drawers and the Buzz Lightyear underwear left on the stairs.
When I first became a wife and a mom (those things happened nearly 5 years apart) I tried so hard to keep a spotless home. I thought glistening wood floors and wrinkle free bedspreads meant I was doing my job well. My sweet mother-in-law has always gently reminded me that there will be years of glistening floors and crisp bedsheets down the road. Now is the time to let those things go and just savor all that this season has and is. And what this life has right now is

Soapy finger painted pictures on my bathroom mirror

A diaper and clothes hanger on the garage roof (thanks Ezra for that)

Daily obstacle courses crafted by 2 year old ingenuity

A freshly "painted" brick home, sidewalk and driveway

Just cleaned make-up brushes used to buff a 5 year olds cowboy boots during a long car ride, the new toothbrush used by a busy 2 year old to meticulously clean the fireplace ~ and later used to meticulously clean his 8 teeth. Pages of spelling word lists on the fridge, piles of elbow and knee pads mixed with bicycle helmets and roller blades...its alot going on at once~ and I welcome it with open arms knowing full well that in just a few short years I will have those glistening wood floors and pristine sheets and will long for those days of crushed Cheerios in the couch.

**Here is the winner of the City Tavern Cookbook:

Kristi said...
"I love cookbooks and Iron Chef! I'm so glad I found your post (via facebook). I'll be sure to catch Sunday's show and I'll look for the PBS show, too. It sounds great! Thank you."

Congratulations Kristi! Email me (megan@ittysmitty.com) with your home address to claim your prize!

Raspberry Cordial

2011-09-29T10:19:00.005-04:00

**Don't forget the City Tavern Cookbook giveaway ending on Sunday!** Click here to enter.

I am not much of an Internet surfer. I check my FB account, read my favorite blogs and email all in the span of 10 minutes or so a day. Unfortunately my computer time has increased a bit more lately thanks to Foodgawker. Have you been over that way yet?

A few days ago I spotted a recipe for Raspberry Cordial ( you know, that tasty drink Anne's bosom friend Diana accidentally got drunk on there in Green Gables?) Raspberries are out of season here in Lexington but that didn't keep me from buying a big container of them from Sam's Club this week.
I spent some time looking at various recipes online. Some called for macerated berries boiled down with sugar and some even called for raspberry jam. I stuck with the original recipe I had found but tweaked it based on what I had on hand. I imagine the amount of sugar, berries and liquor can be altered a bit with the same basic outcome. Here's hoping, at least!I should know in 3 months.

I am already planning to bring out the cordial on Christmas Eve after the boys have gone to bed. Sipping it slowly or maybe mixing it with a bit of champagne in front of a crackling fire? We can work out those details later. For now, its tucked away in the furthest corner of my spice cabinet awaiting its debut.

Raspberry Cordial

1 large wide mouth Mason Jar (not sure on the size, it measures 6.5 inches tall)
12 ounces Fresh Raspberries
1 cup Sugar
Vodka
Distilled Water

Place the jar and seal in a hot water bath on the stove and sterilize it that way.
Clean the berries. After the jar is sterilized layer the ingredients in the jar. Sugar first, berries second. Add vodka until the jar is 3/4 full. Top with distilled water. Do not stir.
Place the lid on the jar and store it in a cool, dark place and enjoy in three months.

A City Tavern Giveaway

2011-09-26T20:53:00.002-04:00

A few months ago...well let me go back even further. A couple of years ago I stumbled across a show one Saturday afternoon on PBS. Don't you love those weekend afternoon Public Television shows? Growing up I spent many Saturdays trying to re-create Bob Ross paintings with my dad and watching Cajun chef, Justin Wilson ("how ya'll are?"). Do you remember him?

Well back to the story at hand. I stumbled across this amazing cooking show one Saturday afternoon called "A Taste of History". I called Canaan into the room (he's my cooking show buddy) and we watched as this enthusiastic German chef cooked course after course over big hearth fire at Monticello. If you've never seen it, it really is amazing. Chef Staib steps back in time and gets to know the founders of our country through the food they ate and the recipes they prepared. Its like a great tasting History lesson!

Since that time, Canaan and I have tried to make it a point of watching A Taste of History whenever we get the chance.

A few months ago (I am finally to that point of the story...) I had the crazy privilege of interviewing Chef Staib on the phone for an article I wrote about planting a Thanksgiving Garden. You can read that here, if you are so inclined.

First of all, I was completely blown away that this award winning chef that has conceptualized over 350 restaurants and stars in an Emmy award winning show (several times over, to boot) even had (or took!) the time to talk to this freelance writing, mama of 3 from Lexington, Kentucky. He shared with such speed and enthusiasm and German flair that my head was spinning and I wanted to jump on the next plane to Philadelphia just to absorb even an ounce of that passion he has for food and history.

After the interview, his fantastic assistant Molly (who had set up that phone interview) sent me a copy of one of his cookbooks, City Tavern. How sweet, right?!
The cookbook, aptly named after Chef Staib's famous restaurant in Philadelphia, City Tavern, is heavy and thick and full of amazing photos, stories and recipes. Everything a cookbook should be. Canaan, our avid cookbook reader, has declared City Tavern as one of his favorites.

So why do I tell you all of this? Well....I am giddy with excitement for a number of reasons.

Number one; Chef Staib is going to be competing on Iron Chef this Sunday, October 2nd! He will be battling Bobby Flay, who happens to be Canaan's favorite celebrity chef. I think my sweet 8 year old will be sitting on pins and needles the entire episode!

Number two; A Taste of History won three Emmy Awards this year! I'm not even on the Staib team and I'm pretty excited about that one.

Number three; Chef Staib has generously provided a copy of City Tavern; Recipes from the Birthplace of America to be given away this week on the blog! So from now until Sunday night, October 2nd at 9pm EST (just an hour before Iron Chef airs), please leave a comment in today's post (one entry per person, please). A winner will be chosen at random and announced here Monday morning.

And the winner is...

2011-09-25T22:27:00.001-04:00

Here is the winner of the Classical Stretch Season 6 DVD Set:

Amanda Naprawa said...
"I have been having constant back and hip pain for seven years. If I could solve it with stretching....Oh, the joy! If I don't win this giveaway, I am going to have to invest in the series on my own"

Congratulations Amanda! Email me (megan@ittysmitty.com) with your home address to claim your prize!

Stay tuned...I think I may have another great giveaway up my sleeve this week.
Until then, I couldn't resist showing you one of the many faces of Othniel Rockland Smith.

Argyle & Minestrone

2011-09-22T10:48:00.001-04:00

*Don't forget to enter the giveaway. You have until Sunday!*

Its fall...finally. I am not a summer kind of gal. In fact, I count down the days until summer is over and cooler weather arrives. Its odd, I know. I actually think this time of year might be my favorite. Its is just on the cusp of fall...the anticipation is still in the air. The leaves are just beginning to turn but haven't yet. The evenings are cool and crisp and the days are warm and breezy.

I hadn't posted any family photos recently...umm...most of them turn out like this.

Our summer smoothies and salads are taking a backseat now to some fall standards. One of our favorites is a simple Italian Minestrone we make over and over again during the autumn and winter months. I tweak it occasionally (depending on what's in the fridge that day). Make a big pot of it. The leftovers taste even better on day two and three.

(forgive the absence of beautiful food photography. Dinnertime + 4 hungry boys= "in the moment" food photography ;)

Italian Minestrone

1 pkg. Lean Italian Turkey Sausage
Diced Carrots & Potatoes (the amount varies between 1/2 cup and 1 cup of each depending on the laziness factor that day)
1 lg. can of Petite Diced Tomatoes
4 cups Chicken Stock
Thinly shredded Cabbage (again...anywhere between 1-2 cups)
Salt & Pepper
1 can Great Northern Beans

Brown sausage in large stock pot. Drain fat and place in a bowl. Set aside. Saute potatoes and carrots for 10 minutes in the same stockpot. Add canned tomatoes and chicken stock. Simmer 15 minutes. Add cabbage and beans. Cook until potatoes are soft and cabbage is wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with shredded Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

A Giveaway

2011-09-19T15:39:00.002-04:00

From MSN UK

Last week I posted about my love of Classical Stretch. I love, love, love this exercise program and am reaping such amazing benefits from it ~ best of which is an almost complete healing from ongoing back pain that neither chiropractic care or physical therapy could do.
"Classical Stretch is a combination of scientific stretching, PNF, tai chi, yoga, ballet, physiotherapy and chiropractic movements. It plays with the concepts of agonist / antagonist and joint rotation to speed the rate of elongation and strengthening which results in a leaner looking body. It also focuses on spinal rotation and joint alignment, liberating the back from pain and improving posture."
I am not the only one singing the praises of this workout. Models, movie stars and professional athletes are loving the results too!
The team at Classical Stretch have been so amazingly generous to send the Complete Season 6 DVD Series with 30 workouts for me to giveaway here on the blog~ a $72 value!! So from now until Sunday night, Sept. 25th at 9pm EST, please leave a comment in today's post (one entry per person, please). A winner will be chosen at random and announced here Monday morning.

In the meantime...check out Miranda's super great blog, Esmonde White House and friend Classical Strech on Facebook here

You Say Butternut Squash...I Say Ice Cream

2011-09-12T15:19:00.001-04:00

The butternut squash from my friend Steph is the gift that keeps on giving. Day 2 of my squash experiment produced this little beauty.

Bourbon Butternut Squash Ice Cream with Maple Caramel Swirl.

Its yummy...and sweet....and spicy... and a little boozy. In other words, perfect.

1.5 cups whole milk
1.5 cups heavy cream
1 egg
3 egg yolks
1 cup roasted and pureed butternut squash
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1/4 cup bourbon (you could add a bit more...taste and judge for yourself.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice butternut squash in half lengthwise.Roast until you can pierce the squash easily with a knife. Remove from the oven and cool. Scoop out the flesh and puree in a blender or food processor. Set aside.
Heat up milk, cream, sugars and spices in a saucepan. Meanwhile, gently beat the egg and yolks in a separate bowl. Once milk begins to simmer, remove from heat. Temper the eggs by slowly pour one tablespoon of the milk mixture into the egg mixture while beating the eggs constantly. Repeat with two more tablespoons. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the milk mixture while stirring. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the custard has reached a point where it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat.
Add butternut squash puree to the custard, whisking to break up bits and incorporate evenly. Stir bourbon into the custard. Chill custard in the fridge overnight and freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Maple Caramel Swirl
adapted from www.scoopadventures.com

6 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup maple syrup

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar is a deep golden brown color. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in half of the cream until smooth (be careful, mixture will bubble). Stir in remainder of cream until combined. Stir in vanilla and maple syrup. If lumps of caramel form,return pan to low heat and stir until the lumps are dissolved. Transfer caramel to a heatproof container and allow caramel to come to room temperature. Chill in refrigerator until completely cool.

Once ice cream is finished churning, pour a layer of caramel sauce into a container.Lightly spoon a layer of ice cream on top. Continue to alternate layers of caramel and ice cream until the container is full. Do not stir. Freeze for atleast 4 hours. Scoop and enjoy!

You Say Butternut Squash...I Say Doughnut

2011-09-09T10:23:00.002-04:00

My sweet friend Stephanie came over the other night with red beans and rice for dinner and a big butternut squash from her garden. Leave it to me to find a completely unhealthy use for such a vitamin rich vegetable.

But I can definitely boast that if you were ever to have a doughnut, this would be the healthiest of them all. They are baked, not fried and loaded with gorgeous orange squash puree.
I have a couple more butternut squash recipes up my sleeve I'll share in coming days. Bring out the loose fitting sweat pants!

Butternut Squash Baked Doughnuts
adapted from Fifteen Spatulas

1 cup mashed butternut squash puree ( I baked the squash upside down, skin on, and scooped out the soft pulp)
3Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup whole milk
2 1/4 tsp. instant dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon (you could also use nutmeg in addition, or in replacement)
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 egg yolks
3.5 cups flour, more for rolling

Melt the butter, and set aside to cool.
Heat the milk to warm. Put in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl to mix by hand. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the milk and let sit for 5 minutes until bloomed. Add the sugar, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, nutmeg, and whisk to combine. Add the mashed sweet potato, butter, egg and egg yolks, and beat until well combined.

Change to the dough hook or get a good arm workout. Add the flour. Mix at medium for 2 minutes, then increase the speed up to medium high and knead until a soft dough forms and the dough pulls away from the sides about 5-7 minutes. (I enjoy kneading dough, so I did this by hand for a good 5 minutes) If it doesn’t pull together, add a little bit more flour.
Dump the dough out onto a floured countertop or into another large bowl (it will be soft and sticky), form it into a loose ball, and let it rise for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface to about 1 inch thick.

Using a circle cutter (or a mason jar ring ;), gently cut out circles and poke the middles to make holes ( I used the cover for my candy thermometer). Place the doughnuts on parchment paper lined sheet pans, and let them rise another 2 hours, covered with plastic wrap or a cloth kitchen towel.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the doughnuts for 10 minutes, until they have risen and are golden brown. Depending on the thickness of your doughnuts, this may take more or less time. Just keep an eye on them.

While the doughnuts are baking, make a basic cinnamon sugar topping by melting the butter in one bowl, and whisking the sugar and cinnamon in another. While the doughnuts are hot out of the oven, dip them in the butter, then immediately toss in the cinnamon sugar.

Additionally you can make a quick maple glaze by mixing melted butter and confectioners sugar to a thick Elmer's glue like consistency. Add a drizzle of maple syrup and mix again. Dip the warm doughnuts in the glaze.

Some Lovelies

2011-09-07T12:38:00.000-04:00

Some lovely wall art ~ source unknown

A cake from a lovely baking blog ~ Sweetapolita

A lovely craft booth...I don't think beautiful displays like this happen at craft fairs in Kentucky ~ source unknown

~source unknown

As always, I am inspired by so much I see, touch, taste and experience. One of the biggest sources of not only inspiration but health and energy I have found in the past year is The Esmonde Technique ~ Classical Stretch. As some of you know, I have had ongoing back issues for some time now. I have always been prone to back problems but an injury after a workout nearly two years ago made things take a turn for the worse...to the point of being unable to sit, for even a few minutes, and losing sleep.
About a year ago I ran across a 30 minute program on our PBS station called Classical Stretch. I DVR another great workout program and thought I'd give this one a chance. It has revolutionized my health and my life.
The science behind the technique is amazing and each workout is so educational. I sweat buckets and my legs feel like jelly by the end and amazingly I go to bed and wake up the next morning, nearly pain free. But even more so, the flexibility I am gaining, the freedom of movement, the strength in my core, legs and back surpass anything I have ever received from my intense pilates and yoga classes of the past.
The developer of this technique is a former ballerina and works with not only many professional athletes but even has a DVD series specifically for those facing breast cancer rehabilitation.
I am not usually one to promote products on the blog...but I couldn't pass up the chance to shout from the mountaintops the praise of this program.

First Born/ Second Born/ Third Born

2011-08-25T10:22:00.000-04:00

My first and second born boys started school today. The eldest, 3rd grade. Our second born, Kindergarten. The third born is home with me now...napping. It seems so strange to be in a quiet house again. I told my sister-in-law that if she needed me, she could find me out adopting a little baby today. They are all growing up much too quickly. I am not sure my heart can take it.
You may wonder why I am referring to my boys in "first, second and third". That would be because of this book. I have heard over the years mutterings about birth order but hadn't given it much thought or consideration. Last week, at a bookstore, I found this book on the clearance table and brought it home. * Additionally, Dr.Leman has a book titled, The Birth Order Book, that I imagine is just as amazing. *

Initially I bought it to dissect my own "first born/only child" tendencies. (I am an only child to my mom). I am driven, ridiculously hard on myself, critical of my own performance, etc.. Those are the not so great aspects. On the flip side, us first born children are able to accomplish a magnitude of things that generally later born children generally do not (there are always exceptions to these rules). Did you know almost every Astronaut and President was a first born?
Well as I have been diving into this book I am realizing how much it will and already has begun to transform my parenting. If you are a parent, get one of Dr. Leman's books. If you have children, one of them is inevitably a first born and more than one child means you will have a "middle child (or children) and there will probably be a "baby". The book studies each of these and has challenged my parenting on a whole new level.

I really do see the boys individuality much clearer now. I am understanding even more why it took Canaan nearly 4 years to learn to ride his bike and it took Ezra 2 days. Canaan would get on the bike and get utterly frustrated that he couldn't learn how to do it on his first or second try. He would become discouraged within 5 minutes and no amount of encouragement and support on our part could change his attitude. Finally, just last week, Canaan took his bike out of the garage, headed to the sidewalk and learned to ride his bike.

Ezra, after watching his brother, asked that his training wheels be taken off. He took his bike to the sidewalk and with a brimming smile started off. He fell...many times, but quickly said "I'm OK" and hopped back on. Within 20 minutes he was beginning to ride and by the next day he was a pro. Dr. Leman shares that second children are much more easy going, happy-go-lucky and not nearly as critical of their own failure. Ezra's only frustration was that his bike was too small for him (which it now is) and was making his riding a bit difficult...to which he said in the most melodramatic tone, "I think my bike is going to give me a heart attack". To which Mike and I laughed for hours afterwards.

This morning as we got ready for the first day of school, Canaan worried over making new friends and remembering to turn in his summer reading homework. A little pep talk that all would be OK and he would pick up right where he left off was enough to ease his mind. Ezra's only concern seemed to be his hair. He stood at the bathroom mirror brushing his hair at least 3 different times in the course of the morning. Finally he came and asked me to brush it and use hairspray. That boys definitely loves to make a good first impression.

And while we are on the topic of kids...an update on Otto. Two words; he's crazy. In the most rambunctious all-boy way, that boy is plain wild. He has a deep gruff voice and runs around jumping on his brothers, sitting on the dog's head pretending he's "riding" like a cowboy (thankfully the dog could care less), throwing whatever he can find, regularly cleaning off my pantry shelves and just an all around bulldozer. Oh how I love this age! Nothing but joy and fun and craziness.

Watching as his brothers go to school. (Gotta love the hole in the screen. Because every screen door needs a pinhole that boys can put their finger through to make bigger and bigger, right? Oh geez...)

Brotherly Love

2011-08-11T17:14:00.000-04:00

Life with three boys (ages 8,5 and 1) has its set of challenges. For a while now I have felt some frustration that playing a family board game just doesn't quite look like those great commercials on TV and car trips don't seem to be as calming and sweet as I had hoped.
The boys bicker...a lot. They so different in temperament, so different in energy levels, different sense of humor and well...you get it.
This summer has been in some ways a repeat of last ~ lots of fighting, lots of time outs and lots of mom and dad "teaching moments". Thankfully this summer has brought with it many glimmers of hope for a more peaceful future and dare I say, some brotherly love.
Canaan is learning the art of being an older brother. It comes with lots of responsibility but also doses of patience and humility. Ezra is learning to let bigger brother lead and teach too, which is a breathe of fresh air after months of clashing.

Some highlights of the summer of brotherly love have been the peaceful moments of chess playing at the kitchen table. Canaan has been a patient teacher, indeed. And the sweet moments of Ezra learning to tie his shoes from big brother are seared into this mama's memory for life.

School starts up again soon. I can't believe another summer has come and gone. I have a 3rd grader now and the middle is heading to kindergarten (*sniff, sniff*).
Next summer will present a whole new set of challenges, I'm sure. But I can't wait for another few weeks to observe and enjoy the dynamics of Smith brotherly love.

**I couldn't help but include a photo of Ezra's latest style options. I have blogged many times about his uber great style. Nowadays neckties are making a daily appearance. Clip on ties work perfectly with his Shawn White tee shirts...or so Ezra believes.

The Hair Dilema

2011-08-09T08:17:00.000-04:00

As a long haired mama not willing to give up long trusses just yet, you will usually find me sporting one of three styles:
1. The Ponytail
2. Little House on the Prairie Braids
3. An actual cute hair style (i.e. lots of blow drying, straightening, curling, etc...)

The latter happens much too infrequently, as can be imagined with 3 boys underfoot. Yet I feel most like a 'woman' and less like a 'mama' with my #3 hairstyle...which is quite necessary once in a while.

This week my hair has undergone a whole transformation thanks to this video. Someone had posted a clip on FB and Ezra and I, while lying on the couch waiting for Otto to wake up from his afternoon nap, watched as this pretty European gal completely revolutionized the future of my hair style.

And I am pretty sure if this works for my hair it will work for any hair. I have the thickest (in the back) thinnest (in the front), frizziest, half/wavy half/straight hair in the world. And it works.

This week I have been going around during the day with my hair rolled up like a 40's pin up girl (sometimes with a little flower broach clip in the front too).
*I am not too fond of my photos being taken...but I am giving in for the sake of demonstration.)

And when its time to hit the town in with Mike and the boys to the library or the grocery store (we live it up here in Lexington) or the occasional late night drinks with girlfriends, I have a slightly sexy~ very grown up hair style. With. No. Effort. At. All.
Revolutionary indeed for this ponytail mama.

...must not be too serious for these final reveal photos ;)

The Garden Goodies

2011-08-05T11:44:00.000-04:00

Here at the Smith Homestead we grew no garden this year. After three unsuccessful years of trying our hand at gardening this shady 1/3 acre city lot and three years of unwillingly sharing our meager crop with the neighborhood squirrels, raccoons and chipmunks was enough to finally throw in the towel.

Nonetheless, we have seen an abundance of produce from our customers at The Homestead. Mike and I are humored by the ongoing competition between the local old timers. Almost daily we set produce brought to us on the long farm table for customers to not only admire but to take home, if they want. Inevitably the old farmers, coming in for their daily country ham biscuit, will begin questioning us about who brought the zucchini, peppers, or beans. Then they will proceed to grumble that the zucchini was either picked too late or too early. And they certainly would never have grown the beans to that length! Within a day or two they come in with their own garden goodies to give us to prove that their bounty is far superior to what we have on the old long farm table.

And so the growing season has gone. And we have been the grateful recipients of their attempts to win the prize as "Best Pine Grove Farmer"...I guess we are supposed to give that prize?

At any rate, I have been canning lots of banana peppers, making numerous pans of roasted veggie lasagna for friends and eating grilled vegetables like they are going out of style. Well maybe not out of style, but definitely out of season before we know it.

Hello Fair

2011-08-03T08:55:00.000-04:00

I have posted many times about our favorite summer fair in Ohio. This year, despite the layoff (which is heading into month 9...ugh) we saved some money, Canaan saved some marshmallow money and my parents were so sweet to send a little "fun" money for the boys and we made the trek this year.

Although I love the Ohio State Fair dearly, this year was just really about as hot as it probably is while visiting the sun. Thankfully the fairgrounds have many buildings and lots of shady areas so the heat was only opressive while watching the boys ride down the big yellow slide.
One up side of such heat was that my calorie count for the day was much lower than most fair years!

The best part of the fair this year was definitely the draft horse competition in the Arena. We have seen many shows in the arena over the years but for some reason had missed this until now. The beautiful 8 hitch horse teams, the shiney old wagons and the little old lady playing the organ in the balcony while the team of horses paraded through was truly like a step back in time.

The Dog Bed

2011-07-24T12:25:00.001-04:00

I began sewing a quilt for a friend's baby a little over a year ago but midway through totally screwed it up and then lost steam and fortitude to try and repair and finish the gift. It has been tucked away in a drawer until this weekend when I pulled it out and decided to re-purpose the failed baby quilt into a dog bed cover for our rescued Goldendoodle, Wilson.
Wilson is doing amazing here at the Smith Homestead. He has changed alot since his arrival a couple of months ago. The sores on his back finally healed (after 2 months wearing the cone-of-shame), he has put on some much needed weight and he holds his head high instead of dragging his jowls on the ground.
We are amazed that for a dog that has spent the better part of his 2 years of life living in a barn alone on a farm, he is so well behaved (even loving his garden hose weekly bath).

Canaan and Ezra are still acclimating to life with a dog and Otto has found the experience completely exhilarating. Wilson may have just got his first dog bed but Otto has had his own "dog bed" for 2 months now ~ continually using Wilson's body as his own recliner...which Wilson seems to tolerate quite well.
On another note, being back at the sewing machine after a long 3 month hiatus felt great. The rhythmic hum was a heavenly stress reliever after a long (yet fun) week at the shop.

To Sugar or Not To Sugar...That is the Question

2011-07-11T09:22:00.000-04:00

Sweets are a part of our daily lives now. We own a bakery, if you haven't heard, so much of my day is spent mixing, kneading, melting chocolate and baking. On top of baking for the shop, I have been busy developing new cake recipes for a baking publication coming out soon. That required not just baking but taste testing.

What I have found most astonishing during this first month of bakery ownership is the fact that I just don't eat much. I am so busy in the kitchen ( where thanks to food inspector regulations I can't actually EAT anything) that by the time I make it home at 3ish I am famished. But even then I am too tired to cook and just want to hang with the boys...so I don't eat.

All this said, my metabolism has been way out of whack and I am in need of a more disciplined approach to the daily diet. For the next 2 weeks Mike and I are following a strict cleanse diet. We will be eliminating all sugar, grains, flour, alcohol, and milk. The cleanse gives us very specific times to eat, which will be great for us at this point in life.

If we can do it, I declare that we will be the the most disciplined people in the whole world! Working in a bakery yet having the ability to resist the temptation? Wish us luck.

Catching You Up...

2011-06-27T15:32:00.000-04:00

Life has certainly changed over the past month. Well, lets just be honest ~ 2011 has been one twist and turn after another. It started with the unexpected layoff in January, the national TV debut of The Marshmallows Company (which is doing fabulous, by the way), moving TMC into its commercial kitchen digs, dreaming and planning for The Homestead and finally opening The Homestead at the end of May.
Now we are nearly a month into the business and life doesn't look anything like it did 6 months ago.
Let me begin by saying, The Homestead has been received so well by the community and we are really blessed with the continual flood of customers each day.

The first week was so exhausting. EXHAUSTING! The mental anguish of opening a business is not for the faint of heart. Mike and I fell into bed each night (about 8pm) after barely keeping our eyes open enough to eat dinner and tuck the boys in. There were MANY moments where we either said out loud or said in passing glances, "why did we think this was a good idea?"

Week two and three have been much less stressful, less exhausting and more enjoyable. We have settled into a groove, learning our customers names and stories and feel each day like we can actually do this!So here we are...living out our dreams. Our visions and ideas talked through at length over 12 years of marriage are being lived out each day. We have a family business! Mike and I work together each and every day.

Our first Bluegrass jam session out at the shop.

But it isn't all peaches and cream. Mike, who is having a harder time appreciating the reached goal, is still weighed down with the daily financial obligations of a family of 5. This is one of the tricky things with our situation. Yes, we are acheiving our goals and creating a successful business and without a doubt we know that much of the path to get us here was clearly laid out for us and doors were supernaturally opened for us to walk through to get to this point. With that said, we had always envisioned having atleast some finances in reserve when the time did arrive to start a business. But that wasn't the case. A layoff (without severance) for 6 months prior to starting a business?? Not something I would recommend.

So we are torn. Mike continues to look for a "real" job to help make ends meet. As much as he wants a "real" job, I am so thrilled and encouraged each day we are out at The Homestead together. We really make an amazing team.

We have talked long into the night about things like faith, trust and reliance on God. Those key words to us Believers are tested and tried by fire during times like these.

The future is still unknown. Mike has interviewed for jobs as far away as Maine. Canaan has some potentially huge opportunites coming up with his business too. I love The Homestead dearly and hope we are still talking with our same customers over cups of coffee for years to come. I can't see the big picture though. Each day we get up and make the most of it and trust that all of the external stresses like family finances will fall into place.

A great article just came out in a local business publication here in town. I think it captures the essence of The Homestead.

Fresh Picked Mint for a batch of Mint Chip Ice Cream at The Homestead.

He's 5

2011-06-21T15:57:00.000-04:00

Life has become quite crazy with this whole new business venture. Mike heads out early to start the coffee and put the pastries in the oven and I trickle in a little later on in the morning after spending some time with the boys. Then I am off for 4-5 hours baking, making lunch for customers and helping close The Homestead each day at 2.
Both Mike and I are home by 3pm each day to spend the late afternoon and evening making dinner with the boys, playing at the pool or just lounging on the couch watching a movie from the library.
All this to say...life has not afforded much time for blogging lately.
But I couldn't pass up taking a few moments to blog about Ezra's 5th birthday this week.

Ezra keeps us on our toes. He is completely unpredictable, headstrong, much less sensitive than his older brother and much more willing to let us know what he thinks...at all times. He is goofy and stylish and just might be the next David Beckham if he had his way.

Never a dull moment with our sweet Ezra, that's for sure.
We love it.

Blog Interview

2011-06-01T18:53:00.000-04:00

I have lots to share about the opening of The Homestead this week. Its been a whirlwind. Busy, busy, busy...to say the least. We doubled our lunch crowd today and sold out before closing time at 2pm.
In the meantime...here is a link to a blog interview I was asked to do for a great local blog here in Lexington called Bourbon & Beans. They are doing some great things over there!

I Can See The Finish Line...

2011-05-25T07:54:00.000-04:00

In less than a week, The Homestead will be open. My stomach just did numerous flips typing that. I have moments of pure exhilaration and excitement as I see all that we have accomplished in such a short amount of time and on such an incredibly tight budget (if I can even say that...really there was no budget/money to begin with so its all glory to God on that one. I also have moments of total panic ~ the whole "what were we THINKING taking this on?" But those moments don't happen often and when they do they are quickly dispelled when I remember that really each step has been laid out before us to get to this point and although Mike has continued to look for work, in this economy ~ in his profession, it just hasn't happened.
So The Homestead has happened. And its great...

(our own shop sign is still to come...)
Although we started this venture only 3 months ago, it really started 12 years ago when Mike and I got married. We have always dreamed of this. We planned for this. We spent hours on long car rides discussing business plans, driving to little towns to look at abandoned building to restore for the shop but always coming up short on executing the plan.

Which in retrospect was how it was meant to be. The hours of writing business plans gave us a clear vision for what we hope will work and won't work for us as a family. The years of penny pinching and thrify-ness has allowed us to maximize everything to its fullest and get creative in making some quick money (gotta love Craigslist and Ebay) to buy what we have needed.

So this time next week Mike and I will be shop owners. The Homestead, which cannot be summed up in just one word, is a place to get baked goods and a plate lunch each day. There will be bluegrass shows (our first one is scheduled for Saturday June 4th), homesteading classes (summer ones are already enrolling) and events (a homeschool mom's breakfast is on the calendar thus far.) We will sell local artisan crafts and Kentucky Proud food products as well as grass fed beef from the farm we are located on and a few antiques here and there.

Canaan will make marshmallows from the kitchen (his business is booming!) and Ezra has hopes for a cookie company called "Ezra's Famous Cookies"...we may need to change that one. Famous Amos may not be too happy about the similarity. For now, Otto enjoys trying out his new walking ability around these beautiful hardwood floors.

**the kitchen and other side of the shop are near completion. When they are done, I'll post pics of the finished space. Here are a few more photos if you'd like to take a look.
Furthermore, we're trying to get on this whole social media bandwagon, so if you want to find us on Facebook and "like" us ~ that would be great ~ and tell your friends about us. We can use the word of mouth marketing. Here is a link for that page.
And of course our website can be found here.
Ok...the plugs are offically done.

Flourless Pizza ~ better than the original?

2011-05-16T18:06:00.000-04:00

This past month has been a crazy one for my sinuses. I have had a continual problem with them and have been pretty much miserable all day every day. At first I thought it was just the spring blooms causing me some allergies but it is beyond that.
There are many suggestions out there...neti pot - tried that, apple cider vinegar drinks - yep, tried that too. I have tried half a dozen recommendations and nothing has cleared it up.
In the midst of one of my middle-of-the-night, can't sleep because I can't breathe episodes I remembered that when Mike was first laid off and I went flour free for 40 days. During that time I had no sinus issues whatsoever. In fact, I had remarked to Mike several times during that time that my sinuses were behaving so well!
So this week, in a desperate attempt to clear up this mess I am going flour free for the next month.

I am not up on all of the gluten free terminology and to be honest, I don't want to research it too thoroughly (I love my bread and pasta and am not ready to give it up completely). But while I am riding this flour free wave I figure I'll see what recipes are out there.
Pizza is just one of my most favorite foods EVER. Oh how I love pizza. Thick, thin, loaded, just cheese...it really doesn't matter.
This weekend I was craving pizza and headed to the internet to find something that would resemble pizza without me having to go buy a bunch of crazy GF ingredients.
I landed on this recipe and as they say...the rest was history.

It was amazing. Uh-ma-zing. I didn't even miss the crust. It tasted like a thin, crispy wood fired pizza, and did I mention it has no flour...at all? The original recipe sounded divine but I was limited on ingredients. I made the crust and then adapted the toppings with what I had in the fridge; some banana peppers, corn on the cob from the previous nights dinner, mozzarella, crumbled bacon leftover from breakfast and shaved Parmesan.
Maybe not necessarily any healthier than normal pizza ~ I like to think this pizza is healing my sinuses one slice at a time.

Logos, Goldendoodles & Curry

2011-05-11T10:27:00.000-04:00

A totally random post heading your way...you've been warned.

We have a dog. Wilson is his name. We rescued him from a farm (the owner gave him to us --AKC papers and all). He was malnurished, full of matted hair and sores, and in overall sad shape. He has been with us for almost a month now and is doing remarkably well. He has the most calm, sweet and gentle disposition of any dog I have known. He still occasionally has to wear his plastic cone on his head while his sores continue to heal but he is putting on some weight and seems to be acclimating quite well to his new home and family. Whether or not the boys are acclimating to a dog is another story, but they'll come around.

The Homestead will be opening at the end of May. Can you believe it?? A family dream is coming true.

And finally...this was breakfast. My new favorite curry. I have a love/hate relationship with Indian curry. This is definitely a love. I added peas to ours and seared our chicken in the pan before browning the onions. I also omitted the garlic (not a huge fan since the last pregnancy) and the red pepper (none on hand).

Mango Chicken Curry Recipe
From Simply Recipes
3 Tbsp (or more) of vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped (1 1/2 to 2 cups)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp fresh minced ginger
2 Tbsp yellow curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 mangos, peeled and diced
2 Tbsp cider vinegar or white vinegar
1 1/4 cup water
1 1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup heavy cream (can substitute all or partially with coconut milk)
Salt and pepper
Cilantro for garnish

Method

1 Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the red bell pepper and another tablespoon of oil, cook for a couple more minutes. Add the curry powder and cumin, cook for a few more minutes. The spices will absorb some of the oil, so if anything begins to stick too much to the bottom of the pan, add a little more oil to the pan. Add the ginger and garlic, cook for one minute more.

2 Add the vinegar, water, and a 1/2 of the chopped mango to the pan. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat. Scoop the sauce into a blender. Purée the sauce, pulsing until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan.

3 Add chicken pieces and raisins to the pan. Return to a low simmer. Cover the pan and let cook for 8-10 minutes. Chicken should be just cooked through. Use a knife to cut open the largest piece to check.

4 Add remaining mango pieces to the pan. Stir in the cream. Let cook at a very low temperature for another minute or two, uncovered. Do not let boil! Or the cream may curdle. Adjust seasonings. If a little too sweet, add a little more vinegar. If not sweet enough, you can add a dash of sugar. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over rice. Garnish with cilantro. Serves 4.

Champagne Mangoes

2011-05-01T17:12:00.000-04:00

Have you ever eaten a champagne mango...or as we call them, thai mangoes? Or maybe you know them by yet another name? Well whatever the name, these little gems are amazing. Typically we find them at the Asian supermarket and eat them diced over a steaming bowl of sticky rice and sweetened coconut milk. Last week I was amazed to find them at the local Sam's Club for a little over $7.00 a box (13 or so per box). I diced them and froze most to pull out for the next thai meal but I also made a mango curd to be layered between a homemade angel food cake this week.

I found the mango curd recipe here and adjusted the sugar/acid amounts a bit to suit our taste (less sweet, more tart).

I also have been keeping mason jars in the fridge filled with cut fruits and vegetables to munch on during the week. I have a horrible habit of buying fresh produce, sticking it in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator and letting it rot. Its terrible. I always intend to get to it but it wilts or dries up or molds before I do. I find that if I immediately wash, cut and store the produce when I first return from the store, we actually eat it...imagine that. Not to mention it keeps me from munching on bad things like Easter candy and homemade cookies too.

Easter Weekend

2011-04-27T14:14:00.001-04:00

Spring has brought with it a ton of stormy weather this year. Rain was in the forecast for Easter day so on Saturday night I had the boys and their cousins put on their Easter shirts and we drove down to an old house (in the holler where Nan and Roscoe live) to go take some Easter photos.

Of couse, Olan Mills quality these photos are not. The boys wanted every photo to be a funny faced photo and Ezra had this amazing ability to find a crazy new one at every snap.