Weekly Menu Sept 30

Source: northwudzgirl

This week we have:

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (With a Surprise!)

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Slab Apple Pie

For today, Sept 30 ...

Homemade Salsa

Essential tips for making homemade salsa:

First: Wear gloves. Don't be a hero, you are slicing up jalapenos, and I don't care how tough you are, NOTHING gets jalapenos off your fingers. I tried it all, lemon, rubbing alcohol, baking soda, dish soap... Nuthin. You WILL put your finger in your eye. Or use it to put on lip balm and have spicy lips. Just wear the gloves. 

Second: If there is any possible way for you to move your food processor outside for the chopping of toxic veggies, do it! Extension cord, outdoor plug, whatever. It helps SO much!

Third: At some point you will have to cook this concoction, even if just for a few minutes. Make sure all of your doors and windows are open, all fans are on first, you are simmering tear gas. You will run from your kitchen, eyes streaming, seeking shelter from the fumes! Ventilation, people!

Fourth Keep ventilating as long as possible. All night if you can. Your whole house will smell like salsa. Which is kinda fun while you're making it, not so much when you wake up the next morning... and your pancakes taste like salsa... Took me 48 hours to get the salsa smell out of my house!

PS- Due to my laziness, I am out of recipes to post! So I'm going to take next week off, build up another pile to share and be ahead of the game. See you in a week!

Small & Wonderful Things 33

Things I Love Edition:

Acorns

Source: Pinterest

When the boys play outside in the woods for hours and hours

Iced Brown Sugar Coffee Bars

Only 40 days till we close on our house!! We may not be able to move in that day, it all depends on how fast our sellers find their new house. I must admit, as gorgeous as this apartment is, it's starting to not quite feel like home anymore. Now that we know where we're going, it's starting to feel a bit like a hotel. Is that awful of me? I can't wait to take pictures in my new kitchen, my new dining room... Having gorgeous natural light without having to go outside... I'll start taking more step-by-step pictures again!

Joe has his very first field trip today, to the zoo. He won't be home until 1:15! That's a whole 3 extra hours! I could do anything! But I'll probably end up taking a nap... :)

Lemon Banana Bread

Stephen came home from school yesterday with bandages wrapped around both hands. "What the?!" Obviously I was a little alarmed! Especially because his school tends to call me about every slightly concerning happening possible. So I asked him, "What happened? Are you okay??" He shrugs and says, "Monkey Bars."

Monkey Bars?! I unwrapped his hands when we got home, the bandages were getting pretty grimy. And let me tell you... He had blisters on his palms, popped and unpopped, bigger than any blister I've had in my whole life. They were awful!! And he was just annoyed that they hadn't let him go back on the monkey bars after wrapping them up! That's hard core for a seven-year-old! I was a bit dazed... then I asked him, "Do you remember when we watched the Olympics last year? Do you remember the gymnasts?" And his whole face LIT up. So today, I am finding this kid a gymnastics class. Because any seven-year-old that loves monkey bars enough to play through giant blisters deserves some dedication and investment! Heck, even if he only does it for a year or two, it could be SO good for him! I'm excited. Who knows, in 10 years we could be looking back at the day he knew he wanted to be a gymnast, watching him compete! 

Weekly Menu Sept 16

Source: wistfullycountry

This week we have: 

Lemon Banana Bread

Homemade Salsa

Iced Brown Sugar Coffee Bars

For today, Sept 17 ...

Peach Vanilla Bean Jam (Two Ways)

Old habits die hard. As we drove home from visiting a pick-your-own farm and produce store, where we picked about a zillion raspberries and bought enough veggies to make second batch of salsa that will last The Geologist through the winter, I was kicking myself for not taking more pictures to share! I had to remind myself that, guess what! We were going to be here a while! We've lived such a transient life for the past eight years that I am not used to being able to say, "No big deal, we'll be back next year!" And the next, and the next... we may move sometime in the future, you never know. But we should be here for a good 10 years, at least! I don't even know what that's like. I've never lived anywhere longer than 3 years in my whole life. How exciting, and comforting at the same time, to be able to look forward to years and years living in the same place! Not to mention the same house. Needless to say, I'm thrilled to finally be putting down some roots. 

So here's the story with the two different jam recipes. I made the first one, loving the idea of no pectin, because it was simple and easy and people who don't like or don't have access to pectin can make it too! The flavor was amazing, but The Geologist and I both agreed it was too sweet for us, so I started giving it away as gifts, and looking for a low-sugar version. Enter low-sugar pectin. So I have a recipe here for lots of differing jam opinions! And reviews and comparisons for both! Read on!

Small & Wonderful Things 32

Misty morning walks

The Geologist washing our wet, muddy beastie every time because her shampoo hurts my hands and he is the sweetest

Irish Soda Bread

The oddest thing has been happening to me lately. For three days in a row I have woken up, no alarm, just after 6 AM... and gotten up! Usually I have to drag myself out of bed, clinging to every last second of sleep... But  feel fine! The sun isn't even up yet. Part of me wonders if I should start taking sleeping pills again... But I think I like it! I like this little bit of time before my house wakes up. Everyone except Bracken, of course. She's parked at my feet as usual.

In other news, still raining!! We called in to a helpline last night to offer our extra bedroom to anyone who has been displaced by the floods. I kind of hope someone calls... I'd love to help! Here's hoping things get under control soon in the areas around us that are still in danger, but I (and my big black beastie) will keep reveling in the rain. She takes after her mom! :)

Lighter Fettuccine Alfredo with Spice-Rubbed Chicken

It's still raining!! I am so thrilled. I am in my element. I should live in Seattle. Or England. Unfortunately, just a little ways away, Boulder is being horribly flooded!! Roads washed out and blocked, homes flooded, schools, canceled, it's awful! Almost makes me feel bad for loving this rain so much... Keeping them in my prayers... But I still love it :) 

Berry Yogurt Breakfast Muffins

I am such a happy girl!! Nothing can destroy my mood! Not cranky kids, or absent husband, or not much left in the house for dinner, or sticky floors... It is RAINING, and life is GOOD!! I had the most beautiful walk home from school with my beastie, no one was out so I let her off her leash. It took a break long enough for me to walk home dry, and if I didn't have things to do, showers to take, and blogs to write, I could have walked for hours! I'll save the walking for hours for another morning. AH, I love rain!!

This is my first re-post! You all know I love muffins. They might be my favorite thing to bake... next to scones. Honestly, they're tied. This is my favorite breakfast-y muffin recipe. You know, some muffins are more decadent, some more snack-y, some more after-dinner-y... These are breakfast in a muffin. And almost healthy! They have good things for you in them!! My first post of this recipe ended up with purple muffins. And I talk lots about my amazing Grandma. Check it out here! This is the non-purple version.

Weekly Menu Sept 9

Source: beautifullyeternal

This week we have:

Berry Yogurt Breakfast Muffins

Lighter Fettuccine Alfredo with Spice-Rubbed Chicken

Irish Soda Bread

Peach Vanilla Bean Jam

For today, Sept 9 ...

Cinnamon Puff Cookies

We found our house!! I can't believe it happened so quickly! We looked at 6 houses in one day. The first was gorgeous on the inside, but the yard was horrible and we weren't thrilled about the street. The next four were definite no's. The last one I had been on the fence about from looking at the pictures, but we went to see it anyway... And looking past the furniture, and the lavender walls, and the hideous cabinets... it gave me butterflies!! We've looked at a few more but I am saying it: THIS is our house! The backyard... oh heavens. It's glorious. And guess what?? TWO lilac bushes!! It's a sign. Oh, I can't wait to show pictures. There is some cosmetic work to do, but that's fun stuff. Making it our own. There are two rooms in the basement that need finishing, but hey, The Geologist always need projects! We're putting in an offer this week!! Fingers crossed!!

Small & Wonderful Things 31

Finger Faces

Planning our House of Dreams

Auntie Anne's Soft Pretzels (Copycat)

I have a love-hate relationship with clothes shopping. It is so much fun to find new clothes that fit and make you feel good, but dressing rooms. Just... dressing rooms. Ugh. The mirrors are rarely flattering, and I don't know about you, but I always seem to be all hot and sweaty and frazzled and edgy by the time I'm done trying everything on. And lets not even get started on crowds! Like I said, love-hate. Anyone with me? The only thing (besides the clothes) that makes braving the mall worth it, for me, is the soft pretzels. Love those things. So does Joe. Going to get one at the mall is our favorite mommy-son date. But then there are the times when the pretzels are cold, or half-cooked (yep, I got one like that last time) and you wonder: IS this really all it's cracked up to be??

Well, guess what. I finally tried making homemade ones. And they are AMAZING. And easy!! And you can now have hot, buttery, homemade soft pretzels whenever on earth you please! You're welcome.

Banana Nutella Muffins

Things no one tells you about making homemade salsa:

*Okay, so this has nothing to do with today's recipe, I know. But I am currently sitting in "salsa house" and must share. Besides, some of you might be contemplating making some salsa soon, and you need to be warned. I'll post all my nuggets of wisdom again with the recipe, don't worry! Now, where was I?* 

Things no one tells you about making homemade salsa:

First: Wear gloves. Don't be a hero, you are slicing up jalapenos, and I don't care how tough you are, NOTHING gets jalapenos off your fingers. I tried it all, lemon, rubbing alcohol, baking soda, dish soap... Nuthin. You WILL put your finger in your eye. Or use it to put on lip balm and have spicy lips. Just wear the gloves. 

Second: At some point you will have to cook this concoction, even if just for a few minutes. Make sure all of your doors and windows are open, all fans are on, you are simmering tear gas. You will run from your kitchen, eyes streaming, seeking shelter from the fumes! Ventilation, people!

Third: Keep ventilating as long as possible. All night if you can. Your whole house will smell like salsa. Which is kinda fun while you're making it, not so much when you wake up the next morning... and your pancakes taste like salsa... I'm re-ventilating as we speak.

Trust me on these. And have a muffin. :)

Weekly Menu Sept 3

Source: prettylittleflower

This week we have:
Banana Nutella Swirl Muffins

Auntie Anne's Soft Pretzels (Copycat)
Cinnamon Puff Cookies

For today, Sept 3 ...