Jen's Lists

Cloud Dough

2012-01-25T10:22:00.001-08:00

*update: huge hit - at least one hour of entertainment*

4 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of oil (I like the idea of mixing it in a larger tupperware so that Lucy has room to play)

From TinkerLab

Christmas Gifts

2012-01-25T10:06:00.001-08:00

Love this plan from August Fields:

Every child gets four gifts

1. want

2. need

3. wear

4. read

Human nature

2012-01-25T10:04:00.000-08:00

"You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back."

William D. Tammeus

Children's Book With Parenting Varieties

2012-01-25T08:53:00.001-08:00

I was reading this book to Lucywhen I realized that this cute girl probably had a single mother and they didn't have a washer and dryer because the clothes were drying in the bathroom over the shower curtain and the rode bikes everywhere instead of a car and it got me thinking about the books we read. Lucy is lucky to be able to find herself in a lot of the books for kids because they feature two parents that have enough money for cute outings and probably have one parent who stays at home because of the dominance of domestic settings. But I don't want that to be all Lucy sees. And I don't want it to be obvious when it is a different situation - books purposefully created around the idea of displaying some "different" situation (divorce, gay parents, grandparents as caregivers). I really want Lucy to be aware but not hyper-concious that there are a lot of different situations and her peers' experiences will not always be her experiences.

Recommendations please?! Books with subtle use of untraditional situations?

Portland Dining Desires

2012-01-25T08:49:00.000-08:00

Tasty N Sons (try Auntie Paula’s French Toast with peach-maple & whipped cream)

Waffle Window

Cafe Broder (try Abel skivers with lemon curd and lignonberry jam)

Glorias Secret Cafe

(Ideas from Your Homebased Mom)

The Wanderer By Sharon Creech

2012-01-20T12:45:00.000-08:00

I thought this short and simple story was lovely. I enjoyed the voices (one young girl and one young boy) and I thought the author proved herself to be a masterful storyteller. It was simple was perfect for a middle-school aged reader. I would recommend it to a youth interested in nautical information, a youth struggling to fit in, a youth who feels displaced, or a youth interested in keeping stories/journals.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

2012-01-10T12:42:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed reading this, although when I was finished I felt like something was lacking. I think it didn't end in a very natural way and for being such a slow paced, quite naturalistic look at England and formality and families, the ending felt like it was borrowed from a incongruent hollywood film.

Matched

2012-01-10T12:36:00.000-08:00

I love a good young adult dystopian read. In a world that seems quite lovely, the main character is moved through a series of events that leave a previously upright citizen rebellious. Classic dystopian protagonist. Really, nothing horribly original but fun none the less. Hard to recommend to Mike because there is no fighting and for a dystopian novel he would find that just unreadable.

2011 Books

2012-01-10T12:28:00.000-08:00

Favorites Highlighted

1. Viola in Reel Life

2. Till We Have Faces

3. A Red Herring Without Mustard

4. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

5. When Zachary Beaver Came to Town

6. The Graveyard Book

7. Before We Were Free

8. Forged By Fire

9. Changeless

10. What Alice Forgot

11. Sarah's Key

12. Cutting for Stone

13. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime

14. Dead Until Dark

15. History of Love

16. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

17. Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me

18. Year of Wonders

19. Soulless

20. Apehouse

21. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

22. Heartbeat

23. Joy Luck Club

24. Moloka'i

Viola In Reel Life

2011-12-06T12:23:00.000-08:00

Now that I have Lucy, when I read young adult books I often think about whether I would be excited to have her read the book. This is one of those books that I would hope finds its way in to Lucy's hands. It was real and cute and clean. I think this is a great book for a teenage girl to find herself in for a couple of days.

Decorating with Empty Frames

2011-11-29T13:28:00.000-08:00

bakowbabble.blogspot.com

alifeofblue.blogspot.com

Sunday Fashion

2011-11-29T12:49:00.001-08:00

Posing Ideas for Couples

2011-11-29T12:48:00.001-08:00

Posing Ideas for Family of 6 to 7

2011-11-29T12:44:00.001-08:00

Design Mom

71 toes blog

http://ryanarrowsmith.com/index2.php#/home/

Bluelilly

How Romantic

2011-11-19T21:04:00.000-08:00

"Sometimes I think I have a slight problem. Then I remember most of my friends are also readingly obsessed. It's a struggle for our kind to send flowers on Valentine's Day instead of a book. We think all librarians are hot. When we read one of those newspaper articles about some mad old coot found dead in his apartment, crushed by thousands of books, we think to ourselves, How romantic." Matt Groening in the intro to The Best Nonrequired Reading

Theme of the Week: Fall

2011-11-18T21:06:00.001-08:00

http://www.oneshetwoshe.com

http://designdazzle.blogspot.com

Find sticks (Marta Writes)

caramel in a can

remove the paper label off your can of sweetened condensed milk.

line your crockpot with foil (to prevent a rust ring).

place your can (unopened) in the crockpot.

fill with water till just above the top of the can.

cover with crockpot lid.

cook on low for 6 hours (or overnight).

use tongs to place can in a cool water bath until comfortable to touch.

open can and enjoy!

http://barefootinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/10/caramel-apples.html

Theme of the Week: Wheels and Circles

2011-11-18T21:00:00.000-08:00

The week after Thanksgiving is "wheels" at school. Any ideas out there for celebrating wheel week?

http://www.kidspot.com.au/best-recipes/Chocolate+34/Tiny-Teddy-cars-recipe+3772.htm#

Bird Cages

2011-11-17T07:59:00.000-08:00

I struggle with the symbolism of a bird cage but I like they way they look at they remind me of one of the better parts of my mission. My first area was isolated and only a handful of people in town had a car. Every one rode bikes. Family of 6 on one bike. And they would take their birds for bike rides to keep them happy. It was charming in the purest sense of the word.

You'll Stop Asking

2011-11-16T08:18:00.000-08:00

I think about this quote when I think about parenting with an awareness of motivation.

"He died in a tree from which he wouldn't come down. "Come down!" they cried to him. "Come down! Come down!" Silence filled the night, and the night filled the silence, while they waited for Kafka to speak. "I can't," he finally said, with a note of wistfulness. "Why?" they cried. Starts spilled across the black sky. "Because then you'll stop asking for me."

Quote from Franz Kafka is Dead

Image from Sweet Pea and Fawn

Jackets

2011-11-15T09:31:00.000-08:00

It is that time of year - shopping for a coat! Favorite!

A Student of the Scriptures

2011-11-15T09:02:00.000-08:00

A Student of the Scriptures

(I wrote this for the Relief Society newsletter)

“The difference between good and poor learners is not the sheer quantity of what the good learner learns, but rather the good learner's ability to organize and use information." Frank Smith

It was my first year teaching the Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, and we were well in to the book and had already gone through class period after class period trying to move beyond summary and even identification of themes in to discovering how the author uses language and images to create an intended effect. It was at this point when a quiet student in the back slowly raised his hand, then put his hand back on his lap, only to raise it again with a little more courage the second time. He had noticed that the end table next to one of the characters’ bed was made of drift wood and wondered if it connected to the death earlier in the book which happened on the shore of the ocean. All the other hands in the room went down as every student looked back at their book with silent respect, wondering both why they hadn’t noticed it and what this could mean about the character. After a fascinating and rather lengthy discussion on the motif of the ocean, another student, more brazen than the first, raised her hand and challenged the entire discussion. “Did Amy Tan really do all of this on purpose or are we simply overanalyzing?”

We discussed that question that day but I still think about it frequently and the conclusion that I have comfortably settled on is that finding connections between things is important as readers and even if Amy Tan, or any good writer, did not intentionally create the connection, because of the nature of being a good thinker she had been unconsciously creating connections between everything in her life and mind as a matter of routine and this manifested itself in her writing. I have also settled on the importance of our own efforts to create connections between the things that are important in our life. How does the lesson in Sunday School connect to the difficulties I am having with a teenage child? How does a scripture I just read inform my ability to achieve a goal I just set? What do the instructions in the temple have to do with the areas my marriage needs improving? How does a conversation with a stranger connect to a prayer recently offered?

To get the most out of our experiences with the gospel texts and religious practices we should be fostering an intellectual process in which we can connect those things with the experiences in our day to day life. When we find these connections we will find answers, solutions, and richness to many of the things that had previously left a feeling of isolation. Heavenly Father will help us to see more and be more as we turn to him for guidance putting the pieces of our experiences together to create something that teaches and enriches, not unlike a good book.

Toddler Treats

2011-11-15T08:54:00.000-08:00

http://www.ontobaby.com/2011/11/matryoshka-doll-birthday-party/

http://almostunschoolers.blogspot.com/2011/05/orange-slice-butterflies.html

Print @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/61965781/Mason-Jar-Lunch-Printable

Faith, Hope, Charity

2011-11-15T08:27:00.000-08:00

From a post by C. Jane Enjoy It

There is faith, hope and charity.

There is past, future and present.

Faith is believing that everything in my past has a purpose. Every misjudgment, jealousy and hurt. Every joy, indulgence and success. All my wrong choices, all my right choices pushed me forward to right now. My rejoicing, my repentance, my realignments, all of it, has brought me here. Faith is believing that I have been on an upwards progression all my life, guided by the very angels of heaven. There have been no mistakes so grave, no depression so dark, no wind so strong that I've been knocked off course. Faith is believing that the past has accumulated for my good. And though it still makes up my soul, the past is over.

Hope is believing that the future will come. A future of better things, stronger convictions and securer sense of self. It is having the confidence that everything I don't have today, everything I want, will come because I am worthy of it. Hope says, I am weak today, but tomorrow I will be a little bit stronger. Hope can promise all the hurt, all the fear, anxiety, the lacking will slowly leave, vanish, melt away. Hope is okay that today isn't perfect. Hope holds all the mysteries yet to unfold. Hope is never-ending because the future is always ahead.

Charity is all we have in the present. Our past is gone, our future is yet and there is no sense living in those two spaces. We remember, we project, but for now we love. We love all that we have presently, all that our eyes can see and bodies can touch. We love the people who are in our rooms, our spaces our dreams. We love with intelligence and understanding. We may not have the money we want, the body we crave the things that occupy our desires, but we can love the salary we do make, the body we have cultivated, the things that fulfill our needs. We love the meals we eat, the shoes we wear, the woman at the grocery store. Charity is the now we own, the present we can manipulate. It's all we have and it's all we have to give.

So be kind to yourself, I heard the Spirit say to me at the end of this watershed moment.

And I've been trying.

Since then the train in my chest huffed and puffed and finally pulled off into the distance

Overnight Chicken

2011-11-14T09:15:00.000-08:00

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon curry powder

4 Tablespoons soy sauce

4 chicken breasts

Marinade overnight. 350 for one hour covered with foil. Uncover, baste, and cook for 15 minutes.

From http://bakedbree.com/kellys-overnight-chicken

Cute Birthday Traditions

2011-11-13T19:57:00.000-08:00

{A Book from Mom}

{Breakfast in Bed}

{Balloons to Fill Room when Wake Up}

Old Windows

2011-11-12T14:30:00.001-08:00

I have a real thing for old windows.

http://www.younghouselove.com/2010/10/house-crashing-inspired-inexpensive/

Mike's Wish List

2011-11-12T13:57:00.000-08:00

While there is no shortage of "things" that I want, it was painful to get Mike to come up with a list. Here is where we are starting...

Global Knives

Sawzall

Gift card for good food

Px90

Piano

New Watch

Decorating with Stripes

2011-11-11T21:10:00.001-08:00

Again, I love stripes.

Tents and Forts

2011-11-10T15:49:00.000-08:00

I love having my own spaces around the house and at work. I have always liked boundaries around my areas. I suspect that because of this I will enjoy the years ahead of creating these same kinds of spaces for Lucy. I love these ideas.

Announcing A New Addition

2011-11-10T15:38:00.000-08:00

This is not an announcement. But if I were to have an announcement, these would be fun ways to do it...

http://bowtieandbustle.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/bun-in-the-oven/

http://www.joyshope.com/2011/03/babys-got-some-brand-new-shoes.html

http://ryanarrowsmith.com

Dress in Stripes

2011-11-09T21:40:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I go in to a store and just scan for blue stripes. That seems to be all I want to buy these days.

madewell.com

http://zipit.onsugar.com/home?page=6#h

http://caitlinmcgauley.com/

eberjey

Chalkboard Looks That Work

2011-11-09T21:34:00.001-08:00

Chalkboard paint is an essential to keep around.

http://poppytalk.blogspot.com/2010/06/renew-chalkboard-wall.html

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/dc/roundup-textural-bedding-127843?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+apartmenttherapy%2Fdc+%2

http://www.momtastic.com/home-and-living/home/110981-diy-holiday-gift-chalkboard-block-puzzleashelyannphotography.comhttp://blog.hannamac.com/2010/12/26/mias-nursery/

Moving through the impossible to the possible

2011-11-08T09:33:00.000-08:00

"The demands upon an English course are not small. It must develop both heart and mind; it must quicken the perception and broaden the sympathy; it must liven the powers of observation and emphasize the good in human nature; it must quicken the imagination and strengthen a love of honesty; it must awaken appreciation and give balance to judgment; it must give ease, force, sincerity to expression; in short, if it does not create the philanthropist, the genius, it must at least be a valuable asset in the evolution of such, from the Clara Bartons and Tennysons and Thhackerays down, or up, to the Edisons. By concentrated thought the scholar thinks his way through the impossible to the possible." Alta L. Stanton in Toward Cultivating Concentration

Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

2011-11-06T12:05:00.000-08:00

I read this for a book club and I didn't love the first half but felt obliged to finish and it did indeed pick up and turn out to be an interesting read. I find the symbolism a little simplistic and far-fetched but interesting concepts about the self-imposed distance we place between ourselves and God and the idea of understanding God only when you, yourself, are complete (or have a face).

Master the Technique

2011-11-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don't set goals in our lives and learn how to master the technique of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When you learn to master the principle of setting a goal, you will then be able to make a great difference in the results you attain in this life.

M. Russell Ballard

For the couple who just found out what they are expecting

2011-11-02T08:13:00.000-07:00

Write notes on an inflated balloon. Deflate. Mail. Inflate. Read.

Idea and Image from The City Cradle

For a Mom with a New Addition

2011-11-02T08:12:00.001-07:00

idea and image from Kiki Creates

Portland Casual Dining

2011-11-02T08:08:00.001-07:00

Por Que No is solidly one of my favorite places to eat in Portland. It is located next to Apizza Scholls, making it a difficult decision every time, but you can't go wrong with either. The Grilled Cheese Grill is a lovely throwback to earlier days, but its just hard to each slabs of cheese and not feel a little guilty.

Images from Your Homebased Mom

Learning

2011-11-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

Quote from Design Crush. Image from Majali Design

Halloween Decor

2011-10-31T09:04:00.000-07:00

I do not love the colors of Halloween and for that reason resist Halloween decorations. But here are some looks I could get behind.

Curiosity

2011-10-30T13:48:00.001-07:00

"I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity."
Eleanor Roosevelt

Ideas for Lucy's Christmas/Birthday

2011-10-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

Wooden Play Kitchen

Blocks

Bento box style lunch box + cute sandwich cutters + reusable snack bags

lunchskins

Cute Prints for Bedroom

http://www.avintageposter.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sugarfresh?order=price_asc&page=1

Long-legged dolls

from Blabla

http://www.etsy.com/shop/goodbyebluemonday

http://www.etsy.com/shop/mikodesign

Clothes (2T or larger)

outofprintclothing.com

Passes to Classes and Activities: Portland Children's Museum, Mommy and Me Yoga

Anything that fits in a big purse and will help get us through one hour of church

Anything Little People by Fisher Price!

Nesting Dolls

Flash cards (she loves them)

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

2011-10-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

In a word, delightful.

Mom's Pumpkin Muffins

2011-10-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

3/4 oil

1 1/2 flour

1 t powder

1 t soda

1/2 t salt

1/2 t nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon

1 c pumpkin

sprinkle top with cinnamon and sugar

350 for 11 minutes

Creativity

2011-10-21T09:03:00.000-07:00

"Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they've had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people." Steve Job

photography from http://www.julieblackmon.com/

How to Talk to Little Girls by Lisa Bloom of The Huffington Post

2011-10-20T15:11:00.001-07:00

I went to a dinner party at a friend's home last weekend, and met her five-year-old daughter for the first time.
Little Maya was all curly brown hair, doe-like dark eyes, and adorable in her shiny pink nightgown. I wanted to squeal, "Maya, you're so cute! Look at you! Turn around and model that pretty ruffled gown, you gorgeous thing!"
But I didn't. I squelched myself. As I always bite my tongue when I meet little girls, restraining myself from my first impulse, which is to tell them how darn cute/ pretty/ beautiful/ well-dressed/ well-manicured/ well-coiffed they are.
What's wrong with that? It's our culture's standard talking-to-little-girls icebreaker, isn't it? And why not give them a sincere compliment to boost their self-esteem? Because they are so darling I just want to burst when I meet them, honestly.
Hold that thought for just a moment.
This week ABC News reported that nearly half of all three- to six-year-old girls worry about being fat. In my book, Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed-Down World, I reveal that 15 to 18 percent of girls under 12 now wear mascara, eyeliner and lipstick regularly; eating disorders are up and self-esteem is down; and 25 percent of young American women would rather win America's Next Top Model than the Nobel Peace Prize. Even bright, successful college women say they'd rather be hot than smart. A Miami mom just died from cosmetic surgery, leaving behind two teenagers. This keeps happening, and it breaks my heart.
Teaching girls that their appearance is the first thing you notice tells them that looks are more important than anything. It sets them up for dieting at age 5 and foundation at age 11 and boob jobs at 17 and Botox at 23. As our cultural imperative for girls to be hot 24/7 has become the new normal, American women have become increasingly unhappy. What's missing? A life of meaning, a life of ideas and reading books and being valued for our thoughts and accomplishments.
That's why I force myself to talk to little girls as follows.
"Maya," I said, crouching down at her level, looking into her eyes, "very nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," she said, in that trained, polite, talking-to-adults good girl voice.
"Hey, what are you reading?" I asked, a twinkle in my eyes. I love books. I'm nuts for them. I let that show.
Her eyes got bigger, and the practiced, polite facial expression gave way to genuine excitement over this topic. She paused, though, a little shy of me, a stranger.
"I LOVE books," I said. "Do you?"
Most kids do.
"YES," she said. "And I can read them all by myself now!"
"Wow, amazing!" I said. And it is, for a five-year-old. You go on with your bad self, Maya.
"What's your favorite book?" I asked.
"I'll go get it! Can I read it to you?"
Purplicious was Maya's pick and a new one to me, as Maya snuggled next to me on the sofa and proudly read aloud every word, about our heroine who loves pink but is tormented by a group of girls at school who only wear black. Alas, it was about girls and what they wore, and how their wardrobe choices defined their identities. But after Maya closed the final page, I steered the conversation to the deeper issues in the book: mean girls and peer pressure and not going along with the group. I told her my favorite color in the world is green, because I love nature, and she was down with that.
Not once did we discuss clothes or hair or bodies or who was pretty. It's surprising how hard it is to stay away from those topics with little girls, but I'm stubborn.
I told her that I'd just written a book, and that I hoped she'd write one too one day. She was fairly psyched about that idea. We were both sad when Maya had to go to bed, but I told her next time to choose another book and we'd read it and talk about it. Oops. That got her too amped up to sleep, and she came down from her bedroom a few times, all jazzed up.
So, one tiny bit of opposition to a culture that sends all the wrong messages to our girls. One tiny nudge towards valuing female brains. One brief moment of intentional role modeling. Will my few minutes with Maya change our multibillion dollar beauty industry, reality shows that demean women, our celebrity-manic culture? No. But I did change Maya's perspective for at least that evening.
Try this the next time you meet a little girl. She may be surprised and unsure at first, because few ask her about her mind, but be patient and stick with it. Ask her what she's reading. What does she like and dislike, and why? There are no wrong answers. You're just generating an intelligent conversation that respects her brain. For older girls, ask her about current events issues: pollution, wars, school budgets slashed. What bothers her out there in the world? How would she fix it if she had a magic wand? You may get some intriguing answers. Tell her about your ideas and accomplishments and your favorite books. Model for her what a thinking woman says and does.

Cute Catch Phrase-y Quotes

2011-10-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

http://www.jessicahische.is/lettering/afancypantsjournal

Galison

Secondsister

Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

2011-10-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

2 cups butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups flour
5 cups oatmeal
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 (12 oz) packages chocolate chips

optional: 2-3 cups chopped nuts

In a very large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well. Add chocolate chips and nuts (if desired). Stir gently to mix. Roll into 1 and 1/2 inch balls or drop by heaping tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake at 400 F for 7-9 minutes.

From Vanessa Davis

Listen Carefully

2011-10-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

"To help another...you have to know what the other person needs, and the only way to find out what the other needs is for him to tell you. And he won't tell you unless he thinks you will listen...carefully. And the way to convince him that you will listen carefully is to listen carefully." Nyberg

Balance between Recklessness and Control

2011-10-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

"I was ready, however-or maybe I should say I was ready to be ready-for Woolf's sentences. I had not only never seen language like that; nothing I'd read had prepared me for the fact that a human being could do what she had done, line by line, using the same ink and paper available to anybody. I had neither read nor conceived of sentences that complex and muscular and precise and beautiful. It may, preversely, have helped that I didn't quite understand what the sentences actually meant. It may have helped free me to better appreciate their tones and variations, the sheer virtuosity of their structures and sounds. I remember thinking, Hey, she was doing with language something like what Jimi Hendrix does with a guitar. Riffing, that is, as only a genius can; finding over and over again an exquisite balance between recklessness and control, between chaos and pattern."

-Michael Cunningham, on reading Virginia Woolf for the first time at 15. From Mentors, Muses, and Monsters:30 writers and the people who changed their lives.

Move

2011-10-13T08:20:00.001-07:00

Organize Information

2011-10-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

"The difference between good and poor learners is not the sheer quantity of what the good learner learns, but rather the good learner's ability to organize and use information." Frank Smith

Photographs by Ursus Wehrll (Author of Tidying Up Art)

Strawberry corn avocado salad

2011-10-12T22:04:00.000-07:00

Strawberry, Roasted Corn and Avocado Salsa From Your Homebased Mom

3 ears of corn, husked. 3/4 C diced red onion. 1 1/2 C strawberries, sliced. 1/2 to 1 whole jalapeno pepper. 1 avocado, diced. 1 lemon, juiced splash or two of red wine vinegar. Salt and garlic powder to taste

After husking corn boil it for about half the normal time. Then lightly coat with olive oil and grill until nice grill marks form. Also lightly coat the whole jalapeno and grill it to until lightly browned. Allow corn to cool a bit and then slice kernels off of cob. Bring corn to room temperature. Seed the jalapeno and then dice. Use 1/2 to the whole depending on how hot you want the salsa.

Combine corn, strawberries, avocado, red onion and coat in lemon juice. Add a spash or two of red wine vinegar and seasonings to taste.

2011-10-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

“When He talks of their losing their selves, He only means abandoning the clamor of self-will; once they have done that, He really gives them back all their personality, and boasts that when they are wholly His they will be more themselves than ever.” C.S. Lewis

2011-10-11T21:13:00.000-07:00

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new.” ~Rajneesh

Dress up box for the future

2011-10-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

"This is a dress up box for the future and its filled with stuff like courage and love and play because they're the only things that are any use at all when you get right down to it."

Story People

Jen's Birthday/Christmas List

2011-09-30T20:57:00.000-07:00

Globes (new and used)

Some of these picture frames (http://theorganicbloom.com/)

A wreath for our front door + Anything with sailor stripes

A new iphone cover (http://www.etsy.com/listing/71112916/leather-iphoneitouchhtc-desiremozart or http://store.apple.com/us/product/H6078ZM/A/kate_spade_new_york_Case_for_iPhone%204?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY)

http://society6.com/cassiabeck/Penguin-Books_iPhone-Case

Cute paper supplies and washi tape (http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/giftwrap/decorative-ribbon.html)

A cute pillowcase for a king size pillow (http://www.etsy.com/listing/76017294/good-night-sheep-pillowcase-white-cotton)

TOMS pink glitter + a pair for Lu too

Nike Zoom Vomero+6

Bags and purses

http://www.moopshop.com/

http://www.etsy.com/listing/74817879/kallia-in-striped-canvas-and-lime-yellow

http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/handbags/fabricbags/PRDOVR~23302/99102509451/ENE~1+2+3+22+4294967294+20~~~0~15~all~mode+matchallany~~~~~overnight%20bag/23302.jsp

A striped backpack for school (http://poketo.com/shop/accessories?product_id=1316)

A purse that holds my big camera (kellymoorebag.com or jototes.com or www.epiphaniebags.com or http://shop.petunia.com)

I Heart Pajamas

2011-09-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

Planning a Wedding

2011-09-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Katie and Brittany,

When you get married will one of you please use green apples or limes along the entrance to your reception?

And announce your marriage with this?

And wear a large collection of pearls around your neck?
And put your nieces in playful skirts with casual shirts and little tiny TOMS?
And be sure it is the middle of winter?
And definitely wear one of these dresses? And Hunter Boots?

And use this as your guest book?
And take photos in this?
And carry a bouquet of old broaches?
And use scrabble tiles to decorate the tables?

Wedding Shots

2011-09-30T19:53:00.001-07:00

Some day I will have the skills to take on a wedding assignment and I would love to capture moments like these...

Cupcake Ideas

2011-09-30T19:45:00.000-07:00

1. mix cupcake batter & fill cups about 1/3 full with batter. bake. once done & cooled, put the tray in the freezer. (I did this overnight) cupcake will be nice & firm & not soak up any of the ice cream.

2. make ice cream. (or soften store bought ice cream) top each cupcake with enough ice cream to round out the top nicely. return to freezer.

3. top with frosting. I made a beautiful chocolate ganache that ended up nice & crunchy after some time in the freezer. My choc-o-holic hubby RAVED about this part. I mean who wouldn’t with those ingredients. But really, it was the perfect topping. I added the sprinkles before I put it back in the freezer.

4. store cupcakes in freezer until ready to serve!

Educated Women

2011-09-30T19:39:00.000-07:00

Quote from Styleberry

Saving Memory Items

2011-09-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

Keep one box of items per year per kid. Idea from Ali Edwards. Boxes from Paper Coterie

Theme of the Week: Pets

2011-09-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

The Best Buttercream Frosting

2011-09-30T07:52:00.000-07:00

This frosting and cake from I Am Baker turned out beautiful. Easy, attractive, and delicious.

THE BEST BUTTERCREAM

2 cups shortening

8 cups confectioner's sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon clear imitation vanilla extract

6 fluid ounces heavy cream

In a large bowl, cream shortening with mixer until fluffy. Add confectioners sugar (2 cups at a time) until well blended. If the frosting gets to thick at any time you can add some of your heavy cream.

Add salt, vanilla, and heavy cream and blend until combined, then blend on high until frosting is light and fluffy. If you need to add additional cream you can. (up to 2 tablespoons)

President Uchtdorf

2011-09-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

Theme of the Week: All About Me: Book Edition

2011-09-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

Our favorite library book finds from the week's theme...

In full disclosure, I am trying to include only books both Lucy and I loved so that we review just the cream of a sometimes very large crop, but this last book was loved by only me. Lucy didn't finish it once. I read it several times, all by myself.

Keep Trying

2011-09-23T22:04:00.000-07:00

Second Sister Suavology

Marta Writes

Crock-pot Season

2011-09-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

STEP 1: Add everything (chicken, salsa, black beans drained, frozen corn, cumin, garlic, oregano, salt) except the rice, cheese, and cilantro to the slow cooker along with 1/4 cup of water (for good measure). Give everything a good stir and make sure the chicken is covered in the mixture.

STEP 2: Secure the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hrs.

STEP 3: Near the end of the cooking time, cook the two cups of rice according to the package directions (Bring the rice and 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot with a lid in place, as soon as it reaches a boil, reduced the heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving).

STEP 4: After 8 hours of cooking, carefully remove the lid of the slow cooker. Stir with a fork to shred the chicken (it should be super tender and will shred easily). Build the taco bowls by placing rice on the bottom, then the taco chicken mix, shredded cheese and fresh cilantro.

Bag of frozen chicken in the crock pot. Put the cream cheese, corn, rotel and black beans on top and let it go for 6-8 hours on low. You can shred when done or leave the chicken whole.

1 c. steel cut oats

1 1/2 c. water

2 c. unsweetened almond milk

1 1/2 T. granulated erythritol

1 1/2 T. butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. ground flax seed (a.k.a. flax meal)

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. grated apple

1 tsp. cinnamon

optional add-ins: almonds, sugar-free maple syrup, flavored unsweetened almond milk, etc…

Coat crock pot with spray or spritz with oil to prevent ingredients from sticking to the edges, pour all ingredients into crock pot, cook on a low setting for appx. 7 hours. I like to sprinkle a little bit of ground flax seed on the steel cut oats along with some berries. Add additional almond milk to taste.

Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup

2 15oz cans dice tomatoes
1 15-¼ oz can Corn with juice
1 15oz can Black beans with juice
1 15 ½ oz can Red Kidney beans with juice
1 15 ½ oz can Pinto beans with juice
1 envelope dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 envelope dry Taco Seasoning
½ cup Salsa
¼ cup Green Pepper (optional)
1 tsp Lime Juice
2 large cans (13oz) chicken with juice. (Break apart pieces)

Chicken Marrakesh

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)

2 large carrots, peeled and diced (I didn’t use carrots)

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

DIRECTIONS

Place onion, minced garlic, carrots, sweet potato, garbanzo beans, chicken and tomatoes into the slow cooker. Then, in a separate bowl, mix the spices so they are evenly spread throughout. Pour spices over the ingredients in the slow cooker and stir. Cook for about 4 hours on low, or until chicken is cooked thoroughly and the sweet potatoes are soft.

Add all ingredients into crock-pot, stir. Cook low for 4-6 hours

Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken

5-6 FROZEN chicken breasts

1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks, drained

1 (16oz) bottle BBQ sauce

Spray crockpot with cooking spray and place frozen chicken inside. Cover with BBQ sauce, then dump pineapple over top. Place lid on and cook on HIGH for 3 hours. Shred chicken with a couple of forks and stir so the sauce covers the chicken. Serve over rice.

Creamy Salsa Crockpot Chicken

I lb chicken

I can cream of ___

I cup salsa

I package taco seasoning

Cook for 6 hours

1 cup sour cream

1 can black beans

Zesty Crockpot Chicken

2-4 chicken breasts

8 oz cream cheese

1 can cream chicken

1 packet Italian Seasoning

Crockpot Beef Sandwiches

4 lb beef roast

1 can beef broth

1 package ranch dressing mix

1 package Italian dressing mix

Personalized ABC Book

2011-09-23T21:47:00.001-07:00

I would love to do this with Lucy!

Idea and photography from http://juliepaisleyphotography.blogspot.com/

Five Blessings of Reading

2011-09-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

1. In reading, we experience one of the greatest pleasures human life can afford us; books sweeten, nourish, brighten, and enrich our lives.

2. Books enable us to live more lives than the one allotted and allow us to experience impossible adventures.

3. Books help us process, order, and understand our personal experience and gain perspectives on others' lives.

4. Books enable us to see outcomes where we presently see only possibilities; solutions where we presently see only dilemmas; direction where we presently see only impasse.

5. Books allow us an opportunity to learn how to discern the Holy Spirit and respond to its promptings.

From BYU Magazine

Image from mara-roszak

Yet More Book to Read

2011-09-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

State of Wonder by Ann Patchet

The Year my Son and I Were Born

Your Home-based Mom Recommends:
Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith

The Paris Wife

Viola in the Spotlight

A Year on Ladybug Farm

Atlantic Recommended:

Swamplandia by Karen Russell

The Widower's Tale by Julia Glass

To the End of the Land by David Grossman

Dracula in Love by Karen Essex

The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart

Lucy by Laurence Gonzales

Teacher recommended:

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Book Clubs:

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Marta Write Recommended:

What Now by Anne Patchet

About Alice

Your Happily Ever After

If You Want to Write By Brenda Uland

Linda Eyre Recommended:

A Joyful Mother of Children

Teaching Your Children Joy

A Mother's Book of Secrets

How to Talk so Your Children Will Listen and Home to Listen so you Children will Talk

Young Adult Books

2011-09-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

Because I am teaching a class for struggling readers this year and I want to be able to recommend books, I have been reading some young adult novels. Young adult novels are so hit and miss for me. I like the pace but I hate the formulas they frequently follow. That said, I really enjoyed the books I have finished.

When Zachary Beaver Cam to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt

Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez

Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Forged By Fire by Sharon M. Draper

Honey Balsamic Chicken

2011-09-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

This recipe from Bakedbree and found on The Creative Mama was a success.

Theme of the Week: All About Me

2011-09-07T16:55:00.000-07:00

Each week at Tiny Tigers they have a theme. I've decided that I am going to try to extend the theme with additional activities at home. I'll try to keep a log of my ideas here so that I can use them again some day and please, if you have any ideas, let me know. This week is "All About Me" and here are some of the plans...

To explore favorites: everyone needs a favorite ice cream: lets find which it is at Salt and Straw downtown (Reviewed and photographed by Your Homebased Mom).

To learn about our bodies: paper dolls: these by Lily and Thistle are ideal but for an older age group

Learn more about body parts: fingerpainting ideas from Meet the Dubiens

More about body parts: oreo eyes from Disney Family: Did you know the white part of your eye is called the sclera?

100 Years of Syle

2011-09-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

Favortie Desktops

2011-09-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

From Secondsister

For an out-of-state houseguest

2011-09-03T14:06:00.000-07:00

The Creative Mama (Above photo credit)

Leave a box full of midnight snacks from local Oregon brands

2011-09-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

"What is straight? A line can be straight, or a street, but the human heart, oh, no, it's curved like a road through mountains."
Tennesse Williams

Music To Download

2011-09-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

Ezza Rose

Joshua James

Saydi Price

We Are the Tide by Blind Pilot

The Waking Sleep by Katie Herzig (Oh My Darlin')

Peppermind Radio by Kate Walsh (When Love Breaks Down)

Band of Horses

Jewel's The Merry Goes Round

Jack and White
Kate Graves
Fictionist
Imagine Dragons
Neon Trees
Th Mollies
Sarah Sample
<a href="http://stephaniemabey.bandcamp.com/track/wake-up-dreaming">Wake Up Dreaming by Stephanie Mabey</a>

For a new baby

2011-09-03T13:53:00.000-07:00

Aden+Anais Bamboo Swaddling Blankets

DIY Initial Onesie (onesie, fabric, heat'n'bond, letter templates, scissors, pencil, iron)

homemade burbclothes

For a mom sending kids to school

2011-09-03T13:50:00.000-07:00

Kate Spade notebook

Washi Masking Tape

Ziplock baggies

Sharpies

Sticky notes

Decoupaged clothing pins (diy cover one side with paper)

August Sun

2011-09-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

"Remember to be gentle with yourself and others. We are all children of chance and none can say why some fields will blossom while others lay brown beneath the August sun." Kent Nerburn

You are my

2011-08-26T18:38:00.001-07:00

Free printable here.

Books I read while traveling

2011-08-12T01:59:00.000-07:00

Finished Changeless by Gail Carriger on the plane ride to Malaysia. Perfect airplane book - fun, fast, uncomplicated plot, good writing.

Read What Alice Forgot in Bali. Again, perfect choice for setting. Quick beach type book. But also more thought provoking than I originally perceived when I finished. I keep thinking about what my life would look like in the same situation as Alice. She hits her head and thinks she is ten years younger than she is. A lot has changed since she was 29 but 39 year old Alice doesn't understand how she and her life shifted so significantly.

Read Sarah's Key on the way home. Good fast read. Not brilliant but interesting.

Motherhood and Seasons

2011-07-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

Organized and Cute Bathroom

2011-07-25T17:41:00.000-07:00

Brilliant Ways to Use the Walls

2011-07-25T17:39:00.000-07:00

2011-07-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

Great idea for a crafted gift from Sally J Shim

MATERIALS

1. freezer paper [You can find it at your local market next to the aluminum foil or here.]

2. prewashed cotton t-shirt

3. exacto knife

4. cutting mat

5. foam paintbrush

6. design for your t-shirt [scaled to size]

7. fabric paint [Jacquard textile paint is my favorite. You can find this at your local craft store or here.]

8. piece of cardboard [to slide inside t-shirt]

9. iron

10. ironing board

NSTRUCTIONS

1. Tape the design on to the matte side of the freezer paper. Trace design. OR Draw your design directly on to the matte side of the freezer paper. OR Cut your freezer paper down to 8.5"x11" and print design directly on to the matte side of the freezer paper by feeding the paper through your printer. [This is my preferred method.]

2. Place the freezer paper design on a cutting mat and cut out the design with the exacto knife. The portions of the design you cut out will be what is painted. [For this particular design I punched out little hearts using a paper punch.]

3. Iron your freezer paper stencil on to the shirt [use a med-high setting].

4. Place cardboard inside t-shirt. [This will prevent the paint from leaking through to the back side of the t-shirt.]

5. Paint a layer of paint over design. If you want more coverage, repeat with another layer.

6. Let the paint dry for 12 hours. [The paint manufacturer recommends a 24-hour drying period. To be honest though I let it dry for about 2 hours and I've never had a problem, but you probably want to err on the safe side and wait a little longer.]

7. Carefully peel off the freezer paper stencil from the t-shirt.

8. Using an iron on medium-setting, iron over the painted design to "set" the paint.

9. Pat yourself on the back for making a cute + fun t-shirt!

2011-07-25T17:32:00.000-07:00

When I finish having all my babies I really want one of these in my house. Done by http://lepapierstudio.com

Ideal Bookshelf

2011-07-25T17:25:00.000-07:00

I love these painting over at http://idealbookshelf.typepad.com/ I can't stop thinking about what my ideal bookshelf would look like. And Lucy's ideal bookshelf. She already has favorite books. I love that.

My Lucy Friend Who Smells Like Corn by Sandra Cisnero

2011-07-25T17:22:00.000-07:00

Lucy Anguiano, Texas girl who smells like corn, like Frito Bandito chips, like tortillas, something like that warm smell of nixtamal or bread the way her head smells when she’s leaning close to you over a paper cut-out doll or on the porch when we are squatting over marbles trading the pretty crystal that leaves a blue star on your hand for that giant cat-eye with a grasshopper green spiral in the center like the juice of bugs on the windshield when you drive to the border, like the yellow blood of butterflies.

Have you ever eated dog food? I have. After crunching like ice, she opens her big mouth prove it, only a pink tongue rolling around in there like a blind worm, and Janey looking in because she said, Show me. But me I like that Lucy, corn-smell hair and aqua flip-flops just like mine that we bought at the K-mart for only 79 cents same time.

I’m going to sit in the sun, don’t care if it’s a million trillion degrees outside, so my skin can get so dark it’s blue where it bends like Lucy’s. Her whole family like that. Eyes like knife slits. Lucy and her sisters. Norma, Margarita, Ofelia, Herminia, Nancy, Olivia, Cheli, y la Amber Sue.

Screen door with no screen. BANG! Little black dog biting his fur. Fat couch on the porch. Some of the windows painted blue, some pink because her daddy got tired that day or forgot. Mama in the kitchen feeding clothes into the wringer washer and clothes rolling out all stiff and twisted and flat like paper. Lucy got her arm stuck once and had to yell Maaa! and her mama had to put the machine in reverse and then her hand rolled back, the finger black and later, her nail fell off. But did your arm get flat like the clothes? What happened to your arm? Did they have to pump it with air? No, only the finger, and she didn’t cry neither.

Lean across the porch rail and pin the pink sock of the baby Amber Sue on top of Cheli’s flowered T-shirt, and the blue jeans of la Ofelia over the inside seam of Olivia’s blouse, over the flannel nightgown of Margarita so it don’t stretch out, and then you take the work shirts of their daddy and hang them upside down like this, and this way all the clothes don’t get so wrinkled and take up less space and you don’t waste pins. The girls all wear each other’s

clothes, except Olivia, who is stingy. There ain’t no boys here. Only girls and one father who is never home hardly and one mother who says, Ay! I’m real tired and so many sisters there’s no time to count them.

I’m sitting in the sun even though it’s the hottest part of the day, the part that makes the streets dizzy, when the heat makes a little hat on the top of your head and bakes the dust and weed grass and sweat up good, all steamy and smelling like sweet corn.

I want to rub heads and sleep in a bed with little sisters, some at the top and some at the feets. I think it would be fun to sleep with sisters you could yell at one at a time or all together, instead of alone on the fold-out chair in the living room.

When I get home Abuelita will say, Didn’t I tell you? and I’ll get it because I was supposed to wear this dress again tomorrow. But first I’m going to jump off an old pissy mattress in the Anguiano yard. I’m going to scratch your mosquito bites, Lucy, so they’ll itch you, then put Mercurochrome smiley faces on them. We’re going to trade shoes and wear them on our hands. We’re going to walk over to Janey Ortiz’s house and say, We’re never ever going to be your friend again forever! We’re going to run home backwards and we’re going to run home frontwards, look twice under the house where the rats hide and I’ll stick one foot in there because you dared me, sky so blue and heaven inside those white clouds. I’m going to peel a scab from my knee and eat it, sneeze on the cat, give you three M & M’s I’ve been saving for you since yesterday, comb your hair with my fingers and braid it into teeny-tiny braids real pretty. We’re going to wave to a lady we don’t know on the bus. Hello! I’m going to somersault on the rail of the front porch even though my chones show. And cut paper dolls we draw ourselves, and color in their clothes with crayons, my arm around your neck.

And when we look at each other, our arms gummy from an orange Popsicle we split, we could be sisters, right? We could be, you and me waiting for our teeths to fall and money. You laughing something into my ear that tickles, and me going Ha Ha Ha Ha. Her and me, my Lucy friend who smells like corn.

-Sandra Cisneros

Woman Hollering Creek

Lucy Burns

2011-07-25T17:14:00.001-07:00

I'm proud that Lucy's name has a rich heritage of strong women. Lucy Burns was one of the women who fought for women's right to vote and was imprisoned because of it.

Braised Balsamic Chicken

2011-07-25T17:08:00.001-07:00

My sister-in-law cooked this a few months ago and I still think about it...
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

Season chicken breasts with ground black pepper and garlic salt. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet, and brown the onion and seasoned chicken breasts.
Pour tomatoes and balsamic vinegar over chicken, and season with basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes.

Books Read

2011-07-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

Cutting for Stone: Loved it at times, bored at other times.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime: interesting concept but kind of a plain read

Cookies

2011-06-08T17:18:00.000-07:00

Caramel, Pretzel, Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 C butter flavored shortening or butter

3/4 C white sugar

3/4 C brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 C flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 C milk chocolate chips

1 C caramel bits

1/2 C broken pretzel pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In your mixer cream together shortening/butter with brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and beat until combine. Add in vanilla. Add flour, baking soda and salt and stir until combined. Do not over mix. Add in chocolate chips, caramel bits and pretzels.

Drop by spoonful onto a prepared cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until light brown. Cool on sheet for five minutes and then move to a wire rack.

Makes 3 dozen.

I have been eating really healthy of late and with the end of the school year pending I am planning my celebration treat. And I love cookies...

Malted Milk Ball Chewies by Your Homebased Mom

3/4 C butter, softenend

3/4 C brown sugar, packed

3/4 C granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 vanilla extract

2 C flour

1 C quick cooking oats

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

2 C malted milk balls, coarsely chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In your mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add in eggs and vanilla and mix. In another bowl combine your dry ingredients – flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Add into the butter mixture and combine well. Add in malted milk balls. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 8-12 minutes, depending on the level of crispness you would like. Cool for a few minutes and then move to a wire rack.

Twix Bar Cookies by Your Homebased Mom

2 C plus 2 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

12 Tbsp unsalted butter,melted and cooled until warm

1 C packed brown sugar

1/2 C sugar

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla

2 C coarsely chopped Twix Bars

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Chop your Twix bar into 1/4 inch chunks. Cut each bar in half lengthwise and then chop into 1/4 inch pieces width wise. In a bowl combine flour, soda and salt. Set aside. In your mixer blend butter and sugars together until combined. Beat in egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Add in dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Fold in Twix Bar chunks. Bake for 13-16 minutes until light golden brown and edges start to harden but center is soft. Do not overbake.

Because of the caramel in the Twix they may stick a bit to the cookie sheet so use a spatula to remove.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal & Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe by Everyday Occasions

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

-In a mixer, combine butter, sugar and brown sugar until creamy. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Add egg and mix until creamy.

-In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, soda, powder, and cinnamon. Whisk together. Add to butter mixture, stir until just combined.

-Add oats. Stir until just combined (do not over mix).

-Add chocolate chips. Stir until just combined.

-Scoop out with ice cream scoop onto baking sheets lined with silpat sheets.

-Bake for 9-12 minutes.

Baby Blue Monster Cookies byI am Baker

Ingredients:

1 bag Betty Crocker Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie (Or you can use the plain Oatmeal Cookie)

1 bag Peanut Butter Cookie

Any additional sweets of choice. In the past I have added caramel bits, heath, more peanut butter, gourmet chocolate, cranberries, etc. The sky is the limit! (The link also goes to a 'from scratch' recipe if you are opposed to the semi homemade version)

For these cookies I added:

1 container blue M&M's (For our baby boy!)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup white chocolate chips

Library Finds

2011-06-08T16:32:00.000-07:00

I though Goodnight Moon was the end all be all of night-time books, but I really like this one. I think Goodnight Moon has even been usurped.

Other books Lucy loved from our last library trip: In My Pond and My First Signs. It is funny what she does not like. There are certain books she will close the second I open them. She doesn't like Sandra Boynton books (Moo Baa Lalala), which kids normally love and she will have nothing of Doreen Cronin who wrote Click Clack Moo. She is neutral on Eric Carle but give her anything with a peek-a-boo flap element and she is hooked.

Lucy's Favorite YouTube Clips

2011-05-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty careful about the amount of television Lucy watches, but whenever I need just a few minutes to compose myself, these are my go to videos. Lucy loves them.

I'm a little embarrassed

2011-05-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be admitting to reading and enjoying the first Sookie Stackhouse novel except that this is my space to keep track of my reading. So don't judge (and mom, don't read it). But it was fun and light and sexy and who doesn't need those attributes in a novel every now and again? So, Dead Until Dark was a fast pleasant read. I will probably be reading a few more in the series by the pool this summer!

I'm far less embarrassed about the other novels I have been reading/rereading. Finished The History of Love for the 3rd time and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet for the 2nd time, both for book club purposes.