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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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 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.

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.

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.



:: 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.