Sunday, May 29, 2011

A hands-on weekend

We are spending time together as a family and enjoying some hands-on activities.
Cooking with Em and Ro

Crocheting a new hat (pattern available for free from Rheatheylia)

Coconutting up my original marshmallow recipe that I hope to have up next week

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Seeing what you eat

I remember many date nights with my now-hubby, being at restaurants where french fries were served.

One particular night, I noticed Rob watching me look at each french fry I picked up-- I like choosing my fries.  He laughed and thought it was a funny quirk.  Years later, I still do this with fries, salads and anything where you pick one bite over another.

This morning, my wee one was eating a bowl of blueberries.  He was very mindful of which berry he picked out of his bowl.  I saw him pick up certain berries, look at them, and then put them back in the bowl.  When he was finished, he came to me:

"Mom!  You need to put this blueberry back in the refrigerator... I want to show it to Dad, okay?"
He held out his little hand to reveal a very big blueberry.  "This Mommy, this blueberry is perfeckt!  (yes, that's how he says it)  I wanna show Daddy before I eat it."

Funny quirk passed on!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Tweaking a new recipe

Aaahhh, the heady aroma of vanilla beans!


Happy Wednesday Friends!  I have been working on a new recipe-- one that Em and Ro love taste testing and offering opinions and suggestions on.  A new ice cream recipe!  In the past, all my homemade ice creams contained unpasteurized eggs that had to be cooked to avoid that nasty bacteria known as Salmonella.  While it was nice not to worry about my children getting sick, it meant my custard bases always had to chill for hours in the fridge before becoming a cool confection.

At Camp Blogaway a few weeks ago, my eyes were opened to the U.S.'s only pasteurized eggs, Davidson's Safest Choice Eggs.  These eggs can be eaten completely raw without fear of becoming ill which is spiffy for impatient ice cream eaters!  So, I've been working and reworking a fast and easy ice cream base that is perfect alone and even better with add-ins!!  Hopefully, I will have this recipe up in the next day or so after one or two more batch tests.  :-)

What is your favorite ice cream?


Friday, May 13, 2011

Birthday Crafting

What to make for Daddy they wondered...
What's in the house to make with they asked...
A cuppa salt, a cuppa warm water and two cups of flour...
Simple dough to sit with a sibling and shape and share and celebrate...
Bake at 225 'til firm... Is it ready yet Mommy?
Giggle and paint.  Laugh and paint.  Fingers and paint.

Happy Birthday Daddy, we love you!

Monday, May 2, 2011

Avocado Face Mask

I spent this past weekend at Camp Blogaway in the beautiful San Bernardino Mountains connecting with some pretty fabulous bloggers (which I will highlight in the coming weeks), and left Camp with some amazing new food knowledge and many new food-loving friends.  It was great!!  But, and of course it's a small but, my skin was not great.  The dusty trails and higher elevation left my skin dry and in need of moisture.  Since I have sensitive skin to begin with, I am loathe to try chemical-laden products and prefer looking to mother nature instead.

California Avocados to the rescue!!  Did you know that California Avocados are rich in vitamin E, a vitamin that does wonders for your skin?  Instead of heading to a local drugstore for a moisturizing mask, I went to my kitchen instead and grabbed an avocado.  Here's the fast way to make an avocado face mask to perk your skin up! 


Grab a ripe avocado from the fridge and bring to room temperature.
While the avocado is warming up, warm up your face by placing a warm, wet washcloth on your face for a few minutes.  Take care not to scrub your skin-- we just want to open up the pores.
Cut avocado in half.  Peel half and place in a bowl, preserving other half for later.  Mash for a few minutes.  Optionally, at this point you may add 1 tablespoon of ground oatmeal for more of an exfoliant effect (see Calming Bath Soak for more info).
Smooth avocado on face (and neck and upper chest if you want) avoiding the skin surrounding your eyes.  The mashed avocado is also great for the tops of dry hands.


Sit and relax, trying not to lick your face for 10 minutes while the avocado does its' magic.
Gently wipe clean with a warm, wet washcloth and you're set!!

The whole time I've been typing this post, I keep touching my skin to feel how soft and smooth it is-- mother nature magic!

Celebrate your rejuvenated skin with the other half of the avocado and slice for your favorite sandwich, salad or omelet.