Monday, February 27, 2012

hipster


My nephew, Sam
 finished a school
assignment early and was
given permission to
draw.

He went about drawing this picture
of me!

Then, he completed his
artwork with a
poem.


You are my...
cup of tea,
Mocha of joy,
My razzle frazzle coffee,
Starbuck's special,
cozy cabin,
granday (grande), funday,
small town coffee,
tea time house
and young hipster.
So will that keep
you awake?

-Samuel Joseph Kulczak
age 8-


At the moment on my frig
which features
other crayon drawings
that I love.


But this one is
extra special...

Frame-able...
inspiring a kitchen remodel...
in shades of mocha...pink...yellow.

With words that reach off
the paper and
tug at my heart.

So...
I'm a young hipster...





Not a way I would describe
myself...
but if this is how Sam sees
me
who am I to
argue?

p.s. I love you too, Sam!

Friday, February 24, 2012

this moment


Natural born yogi


Joining Soule Mama and her many friends in this Friday ritual.
A single photo. No words. A simple, extraordinary moment from
 my week. A moment I want to pause, savor, remember forever.
amen.



Thursday, February 23, 2012

angled

canning jars...
cleaned and drying


 filled with grains, nuts, dried fruits...
labelled
and looking pretty



against freshly painted walls...
america's heartland
yellow

the ninja 1000
finds its proper home
on mill springs blue
shelving


so much for close-ups...
let me try this
from another
angle
so you are able to get
the whole story




well on my way to
a place for everything...
but
everything
not quite in its place
yet

ah, well...it will happen.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

hurry

Sometimes life demands it.
Sometimes it just happens.
To think...last Tuesday was Valentine's Day.
What happened to Wednesday, Thursday, Friday...
the weekend?
A blur.
Driving in the fast lane can have that affect.

At the same time
trying to figure out how it all got done.

Emergencies cause that kind of living.
Everything put on hold...
knowing everything still needs to get done.

We do what we can
and prioritize the rest.

Let's not forget...
wonderful friends and family members who
help when you need them most.
Those times when you hate to ask...
and they are already busy doing.

When your husband
grabs hold of all the household
stuff and takes care of it all
with such ease.

Kids who step up and show
how much they have grown.

Brothers and sisters
who carry the load and worry with you 
so things don't get too
heavy.



Hurry up and wait.
The rest will take care of itself.
amen.

Friday, February 17, 2012

this moment

Joining Soule Mama and her many friends in this Friday ritual. A single photo. No words. Capturing a simple, extraordinary moment from my week. A moment I want to pause, savor, remember forever.
 amen.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

got milk?

Not your typical Love Day gift...
the Ninja 1000...
with my guys
it's all about the name...
and the power.

Well...
we got the power.


Whole Foods Kitchen
had Heather Bruggeman
whipping up
Pina Colada...Berrie Blast...and Green
Smoothies.

Not to mention a tutorial on
making your own
Almond Milk.


We'll get right to that...
but first the kids were
begging for malts.
We had been without a blender
for a long time.

How could I refuse?
We had to break it in...after all.

Oh, and yes...we do have the power.
This beast gets the job done
lickity-split!

Moving toward healthy
I turned to my handy-dandy
super organized
 (so unlike me, but I am loving it)
WFK 3-Ring Binder.



For step-by-step instructions.
Soaked those almonds overnight.
Couldn't wait to get started
in the a.m.


Showed those almonds who was boss.
The Ninja 1000 pulverized them.
Good work, Ninja!

Poured the whole shebang
into a cheese cloth lined bowl...


With very clean hands...
gathered it up
and squeezed out every
last drop.


Poured it into a canning jar
and now when the mood strikes...
I can have a malt or smoothie
with Almond Milk.

But wait!
What about the almond meal left behind?
Something new I learned...
it can be used as a base for many recipes.

Mine?
Flour-less Orange Cake
found at
allrecipes.com
The family really liked the
moist consistency.

A real winner that comes highly
recommended...
by me.

There was one mistake...
it makes 2-10" round cakes
rather than one.
More cake...
what a wonderful problem to have!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

lovely

One day
out of the year
set aside
for love.




To express your heart
in lovely ways...
with flowers...
chocolates...
homemade cards
that tell
the receiver exactly what you
love most about
them.

The many ways to say,
 "I Love You."

Happy Valentine's Day!

Monday, February 13, 2012

monday reflections

We wanted winter
and we got it!
A few inches of snow and
a whole lot of cold.


Come on in
and warm your toes
by the fire.



Our dogs
Zoe and Buddy would
normally jump to greet you...
today they are relaxing
by the rays.


Excuse the mess...
but we are in that phase
of worse before better.
Canning jars drying...


Put to work
holding miscellaneous
grains and nuts.
With labels and everything!
Heather's Whole Food Kitchen
has me yearning for organization.


It also has me marvelling
at our ever changing
pantry.
(Yes, those are Honey Nut Cheerios
in the background...
baby steps.)


Lots of dry beans.

Sesame Spinach Noodle Salad
for dinner this week...
hence,
the Japanese Udon noodles
that have never seen my pantry before now.
(Again, yes...those are Oreo
cookies on top...
I need to stage my pics better
next time :)

Did I mention...
Heather Bruggeman's
organized shelves...
I am a shade of envy green.

Why?


I could argue and say
I can find
everything I need.
But, in all honesty...
how often does one need to hold
onto pretty jars
because said person is sure to
make an Old Maid New
creation out of them?
From this angle,
my answer would be
YEARS.

Without nag...but plenty of mention...
my sweet man put the boys
to work emptying this area.
No small task.


Phase two...
going to Do It Best
for some paint with primer...
I kid you not...
a portion of our wall never saw paint
after a remodel...
wait for it...
over ten years ago!
Same can be said for the shelving
my sweet guy installed
shortly after that.


Here is the preview...
I bet your sensing a future post
coming on.

But...
you are going to have to wait for it.

I have to add...
I forgot how much fun
working on a project together
can be!

Thanks for dropping in...
stop anytime.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

WFK :: recipe review

A Whole Food Kitchen Review
Apple Cranberry (or Blueberry) Crumble
a recipe from
Heather Bruggeman
(check-out her blog beauty that moves
listed at right)


A two-part assembly process
made much faster
with helping hands.
While I was combining the crumble portion...


The boys were pealing apples
and mixing the
filling ingredients.


Then the fun part...
putting it all together in
a pretty Longaberger pie dish.


Pop in the oven and enjoy the
apple cinnamon fragrance
that fills your home.

Once it has cooled...
eat dessert.

Now for my review:
My newbie status with a Whole Foods Kitchen
has my taste buds scrambling to keep up.
I was expecting a second-cousin to
apple crisp though
suspicious since the crumble did not
call for BUTTER.
Initially a bit bland...Heather did note that
the recipe is great for breakfast or
you could "call it" a dessert.

The Save...
my sister Sue thought to serve it with
a vanilla yogurt.
I did have organic plain...mixed with a
touch of vanilla
and a drizzle of honey.

Spoon over the top...
delicious!

I made this recipe twice
this week!

Like I said...
helpers made the process
fly by...and isn't it much more fun
to work/bump into/coach/laugh
 with others while in the kitchen?

We got snow last night!
I think we will play outside...
and come in for some hot cocoa
and a dish of
Apple Blueberry Crumble.

Enjoy your weekend.


Friday, February 10, 2012

this moment

Joining Soule Mama and her many friends in this Friday ritual. A single photo. No words. A simple, extraordinary moment I want to pause, savor, remember forever.
amen.



Thursday, February 9, 2012

:: thankful ::

This morning I have a thankful heart.
Thankful for a warming fire.


Thankful for a drawer full of woolens.


 Thankful for blankets.



For the promise of a sun shiny day.


Thankful for the second story fireplace.


That first cup of hot coffee in my morning.


Warm fuzzy slippers on cold hardwood floors.


Yesterday afternoon
I was having a coffee and conversation
(we have a never-ending conversation)
with my sister Sue
when a
clankity-clank-clank
competed with our voices.
After a short search we discovered
it was coming from the furnace.
The short story...
a repairman will be visiting today.
Our temperatures have been very mild
this winter...but my, oh my, am
I thankful for flannel sheets.
It is 50 degrees in the house.
I feel like you should be able
to see my hot breath on the screen.
Those woolens we have been ignoring
are now getting used...
indoors.
Blankets...snuggling...finding a sunny spot...
oh, and of course...
sipping hot coffee
are on my agenda until
Mr. Fix-It arrives.
Until then...
I will raise a prayer of thanks
for all things
warm.