Sometime last year, Dave and I started planning meals for each week together and kept to it for a while. It saved *so* much money at the grocery store because we were buying things with purpose rather than just choosing chicken, chili pepper, triscuits, and red solo cups. What the heck are we supposed to do with that combination? Nothing, that's what.
Then there was a hurricane, we lost everything in the fridge, and had to buy all the staples again which somehow threw us off-course money-wise and we got out of the habit of planning meals. That's not an excuse, because it's not logical, but it's just what happened.
So we need to get back in the routine - and I feel like publishing the plan each week will help keep me accountable to planning the work/working the plan, as the great Franklin Roberts would say. So all 3 2 of you who read this, please hold me to this!
Here's the plan for this week:
All four of these recipes came from my Pinterest recipe board, so we're trying all new things this week! Also, I was apparently hungry for chicken and/or broccoli while picking out recipes! :)
Painted some tongue depressors with chalkboard paint:
Filled the jars with potting soil and seeds - and placed them on the window sill and watered them almost-daily:
I started out watering them daily, but sine there's nowhere for the water to drain out of the jar, I started waiting until all that water had soaked in before watering them again. Perhaps that was my mistake. Or maybe this spot doesn't get as much sun as I thought - or at least, doesn't get enough sun to start the herbs from seeds? Who knows.
It's been 9 weeks, and all I got were a couple oregano sprouts and 1 long cilantro sprig - but neither continued to grow or thrive. RIP herbs.
Another project for our most recent BFF day was to start a batch of vanilla extract. Robin, of Our Semi-Organic Life, prompted my interest in doing this and to be honest, before I read her first post about it I had no idea that vanilla extract is just vanilla beans soaked in alcohol. Did you know that?
Have I been living under a rock?
Bonnie had been thinking about the same thing after seeing some posts on Pinterest where people were making cute bottles for theirs and going them out as gifts:
So we decided to tackle this - it seems (still) too easy to work, but the internets has never been wrong before, right?
We'll see.
All you need to make the extract are some whole vanilla beans and a bottle of vodka. The ratio of beans to vodka is where the confusion starts. When I started doing research to determine how much alcohol we'd need, I found that every website had a different ratio, and when I finally settled on one ratio that I saw more than once (2 beans for every 12 ounces of alcohol), Dave and I headed to the liquor store to pick up some vodka.
The problem? Every bottle of vodka was measured/labeled in milliliters instead of ounces. Wop wop. So I was the nerd in the liquor store looked up a measurement conversion calculator on my phone, blocking half the aisle. The verdict: 750 mL = ~24 ounces. Perfect!
We got our vanilla beans from Penzeys in Carytown - 3 beans for $9.35, and they come in this awesome test tube:
Yes, I'm on Facebook at work :)
We also picked up 4 amber bottles from Elwood Thompson's to hold our vanilla once it's ready!
Cost breakdown:
$12.47 for 4 vanilla beans
$5.84 for 4 amber bottles
$15 for a 24oz./750mL bottle of Smirnoff
Total: $33.31 or $1.39 per ounce
That's pretty awesome compared to what we pay at the grocery store for a 2oz. bottle! Penzeys sells 8oz. for $21.39!
We sliced the vanilla beans in half lengthwise and just dropped them in the bottle:
Within minutes we could already see specks of vanilla floating around!
And here's how it looks on day 7:
I'm going to shake it up every few days, and smell it after 30 to see if it's already starting to smell like vanilla extract - for now it still smells more like vodka than vanilla :)! After 90 days it should be ready to strain and bottle! FUN!
Bonnie came down last weekend for another BFF day, and among many other things, we tackled a DIY bird feeder. We initially wrote it off as a fail, but I think things are looking up!
I recognized the plates immediately because I had seen them at Target in the garden section, and after perusing the tutorial and supply list, it seemed easy enough.
Carriage bolt - I got 10 inches long and 3/8 in diameter
Washers (4) and nuts (2) to fit the size bolt you buy
2 feet of nylon string (not pictured)
**make sure you have a drill bit the same size as your carriage bolt
You'll notice I bought way more washers and nuts than I needed, because:
I didn't read the directions in detail before buying them
There was a limited selection of 3/8 in. of both - it was either buy 10 or only 1, which wouldn't have been enough
We planned on making 2 bird feeders
Good news - both of these bags only cost like $1.57 or some insanely low amount like it! So add that to the melamine bowl+plate and this is a <$10 project!
First, drill a whole through the center of the plate and bowl. This is where the fail started - I bought 2 plate/bowl sets, and the drill went through one like butter [I realize the holes aren't centered, but they're close enough for me :)]:
...but the other one was not nearly as cooperative - they're made of the same material, are the same thickness, and I used the same drill bit, but for some reason we just couldn't make it work:
Once you have your holes drilled, it's time to assemble it. I'm not even going to try to explain how we did it - I'll let Erin explain it, since she's the source of the project!
Here's the finished product - we had an issue with the bowl being wobbly, but it was nothing another coat of Gorilla Glue couldn't cure, and now it's solid as a rock:
In early June, just after we delivered our final global citizenship presentations (my group did a scathing review of the Wikileaks/Bank of America case), some classmates came over for an end of the school year cookout! We are officially halfway through our curriculum, and college seniors! Who thought I'd be proud to be a college senior at 33 years old? Not this girl. But I'll take it.
Dave and I supplied the burgers, dogs, and condiments, and I asked everyone to bring either a side dish or dessert to share with the group. We ended up with a good spread! :) But the dish that earned the most accolades, by far, was the banana pudding Lisa brought!
The hilarious name of this recipe is Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding. I wonder whether Paula Deen came up with that or it's the reaction people most often have after tasting it?
I love this pudding so much that I decided to make it for a cookout we had with some friends a few weekends later - and it was a hit!
Here's what you'll need:
2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
6-8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 5oz. box of French Vanilla instant pudding
1 9oz. package of cream cheese
1 14oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1 12oz. container of Cool Whip or equal amount of actual whipped cream
Now let's assemble! First, line the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish or cake pan with Chessmen cookies:
Then a layer of sliced bananas - I sliced them chunky and really packed them in there, but you can do as you please based on your level of love for the banana :):
Now it's time to mix up the liquids:
In a bowl, combine the milk andpuddingmix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended.
I may have fudged the liquid part a bit - I don't have the patience to fold anything into anything else, so I just sorta dumped it. Lisa's was much fluffier, but the taste is the same!
Pour it on top of the bananas:
Once you have an even layer of pudding mix, add another round of Chessmen, and you're done!
With 8 people eating this, it didn't last long, and I brought none home! It is SO tasty! Sure, you could substitute just about everything in the ingredient list with low-fat, low-sugar stuff, but I chose not to.
My parents recently moved back to Virginia! They moved to Florida about 11 years ago after they retired, but now that they have a grand-baby they wanted to come back to be closer to him. Although they'll pretend it's to be closer to me and my brother. :)
To welcome them back, I put together a gift full of products that were either made in or representative of Virginia:
I originally planned on including some maps, a list of my favorite places, and some funny news stories, but since my mom was good about keeping up with their old stomping grounds from Florida, and had lived here for decades, I figured that was overkill. Plus it takes the fun out of them exploring new roads and stores, right?
A postcard, featuring our state flower and bird, to write a welcome home message
Virginia is for Lovers pen
Virginia garden flag
...and a little something for their cat, Tigger:
I tried to fit these things neatly into a basket, and thought about trying to find some Virginia fabric to line it, but the awkward shapes of the items didn't really fit into that plan. So I DIY'ed my own Virginia packaging.
I am no artiste, but I did a Google image search to find a simple map of Virginia, and then just tried to draw something that sort of resembled what I was looking at. You can probably see some dots within the outline of the state - I made marks for the major twists and turns so I didn't go all wonky...it'll do. :)
Last weekend, Dave and I decided to tackle one of our bucket list items - picking peaches!
We go to Carter Mountain every summer and fall (sometimes multiple times) and it is the cutest place! You can walk into the orchard and pick peaches in the summer and apples in the winter, plus they have the Apple Barn, which houses an ice cream shop, wine shop, a store with crafts and peach/apple-reated grocery items, and already-picked bins of fruit.
Usually we leave with a bottle of wine, some apple cider donuts, and some other stuff depending on the season.
Unfortunately, I checked Facebook on the way to Charlottesville, and saw this:
Apparently the peaches had been over picked by visitors, and they wanted to allow the new fruit on the trees a few more days before letting people back into the orchard. Sooooo, no picking for us.
Whatever, we're counting it! :) We picked up a 1/2 peck of peaches (=~20 peaches), some donuts, and a bottle of peach bbq sauce which we plan to use to marinate some grilled chicken breasts. The donuts didn't make it home - they're lucky they made it to the car!
Fast forward a few days, I finally got my act together to use those peaches - turning them into a peach pie! I used about 10 peaches, and the first step was to blanch them to get the skins off:
To blanch them, I boiled a pot of water and had a big bowl of ice water right next to the pot (both need to be deep enough to fully immerse the peach). Before dropping them in the boiling water, I used a paring knife to cut an X at one end to score the skin - this just makes it easier to start the peeling process once they're blanched.
Leave them in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes and then immediately put them in the ice bath to stop the cooking process. I did 3 or 4 peaches at a time so I wouldn't get ahead of myself, and once they had cooled in the ice bath, the skin just peeled off - awesome!
Then I chopped them all up - 10 peaches yielded about 5 cups after they were sliced.
To turn the peaches into peach pie filling, I added sugar, flour, and cinnamon, per this recipe.
Time for the bottom crust! Remember last summer when I make some "perfect pie crusts" based on Jo's recipe from Miller Farms? I put those babies in the freezer, and then we had a hurricane that spoiled everything in our fridge/freezer...so we'll never know how those really turned out. Since I didn't have any pie crusts waiting in the freezer and I was too lazy to make more, I used refrigerated crusts. And I'm not ashamed - Pillsbury makes a lot of money doing what they do, so who am I to take it upon myself to outdo them? I won't. :)
I always use my rolling pin to help me get the bottom crust into the pan - just use it to fold the crust in half so it doesn't break in your hands during transfer. Then I poured in the filling - the recipe called for pats of butter on top of the filling, but I left that out:
The top crust took a little more effort :) I like the look of lattice, so I wanted to try it again. Previous attempts have not been so successful - read: failed. This time I used a straight edge to help me create the strips with the pastry wheel, rather than eyeballing it - so I didn't end up with 1 4-inch wide strip and 1 2-inch wide strip. Yep, I screwed it up that bad! :)
Once my strips were cut I started layering them, lifting up strips as necessary to create the lattice:
Then trim off the pieces hanging over, and seal the edges:
Then sprinkled some sugar on top of the crust - the recipe called for 2 tbsp. of sugar, but I did less than half. That's a lot of sugar! I put my trusty Pampered Chef pie crust shield on top, to prevent the crust from cooking too quickly, and threw it in the 425 degree oven:
Cook it for 30 minutes, take the pie ring off, then cook it for another 15 minutes or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling!
Let's see if we can make this next list of goals actually happen! Here's my bucket list for this summer:
Dave and I have been talking about going to Chicago for a few years - I even bought a moss-colored scrapbook specifically to document the trip, because for some reason the color screamed at me - but we have just gotten our heads above water financially and are finally going to go! I started a Pinterest board, Second City, to pin places to go, things to do, recommended restaurants, etc., so we can start planning the trip! We're shooting for end of August, so it will have cooled off a little...
After I finished Hunger Games trilogy, several people recommended the Matched trilogy as a similar dystopian, big government drama, only instead of your name being called to fight to the death with 23 other teenagers, a photo of your mate is displayed on the big screen rather than
I saw this DIY bird feeder on Pinterest, and Bonnie and I will be tackling it next weekend! It's so simple - made using only screws, nuts, and washers from the hardware store and melamine plate/bowl set from Target - and the birdies will love you!
We go to the Outer Banks every summer. Some trips are longer than others, but even a weekend there is long enough to recharge. We'll probably just take a long weekend, or maybe a regular old weekend (gotta save those vacation days for Chicago!)...but we'll get there!
We used to go to concerts at Innsbrook all the time! Then we got out of the habit, and I think the last time I've been there was when Bonnie got Gretchen Wilson/Sons of Bill tickets and we sat in the gold circle! It is awesome to see such great bands at cheap prices, so we will see at least one show this summer.
Carter Mountain Orchard is becoming a new favorite of mine. The views are so awesome from the top of the mountain, and picking peaches and apples from an orchard is so Virginia that I must partake!
Also from Pinterest, Bonnie and I will be making our own vanilla extract - I had no idea how easy it was to make it, and there's no possible way to screw it up! Well, don't tempt me, because I'll try! :)
ROAD TRIP! We love to go to Ikea and the Container Store a few times a year to pick up whatever latest and greatest organizational tool or gadget they've come up with! Two of my favorite stores that I wish were so much closer - but I feel like the novelty and excitement would wear off if i could go to either all the time, right?
My craft room is slowly becoming a junk room. Everything that's in the closet is organized, but there are some random items that have never been/will never be used, so it's time to go through every basket and bin and really think about what I need to keep. I have a grand plan to makeover the room, too, but that will have to wait.
The master bathroom is the last room in the house to get any attention. Besides the stairwell, every room has been painted, organized, rearranged, etc., but this room has always been an awkward space that has no style. I hope to change that - I have a preliminary plan, but there are some kinks I still need to work out.
So there it is - I know I'm already a week or so into summer, but we've already completed one item! Wahoo! And hopefully two will be knocked out next weekend...good progress!
So remember when I posted my Winter Inspiration list, and explained that I didn't call it a bucket list so I wouldn't feel pressure to actually finish it? Well, it worked. I fell off the productivity wagon a bit. I was productive and work and school, but when I got home I fell asleep on the couch most nights, or just generally didn't feel like working on anything else.
It's been 9 long, stressful months since I started the Weekend College program, but now I have a nice healthy break - unless I decide to take that Tricking the Light Fantastic class that starts next week!
ENGL 398U ST: TRICKING LIGHT FANTASTIC
What do Bart Simpson, Q, Prometheus
and the serpent of Genesis have in common? All might be considered tricksters –
boundary-breaking characters who some-
times play the harmless idiot, sometimes
play the malevolent jokester, and almost
always teach us something about our-
selves. We’ll seek out tricksters throughout
literary history and apply our understanding of the archetype to identifying con-
temporary tricksters in unexpected places.
I'm still on the fence.
Here's how I did on the Winter Inspiration checklist:
I drank several Caramel Apple Spices from Starbucks :)
Did you watch the Hatfields & McCoys mini-series that aired on History channel this week? We sure did, and I loved it! I am a nerd for historical non-fiction, and this was just that! I'm sure they changed some details to make it (can you image) more dramatic than the actual story, and left out some characters or situations to save time, but it was fantastic!
The only drawback of the mini-series was its two leading men: Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton. Both are famous actors, who have made a good living and never have to work another day in their lives, etc., but I'm not a fan of their acting styles. Well, style. The style that consists of dry delivery no matter the situation, and little to no emotion.
When Kevin Costner discovered he had a half-brother in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and then further discovered that his half-brother had been helping him all along and was now in immediate danger of being killed by the I'll-cut-your-heart-out-with-a-spoon Sheriff of Nottingham? That's a pretty life-changing series of events, yet you can't even squeak out a tear?
And you, Bill Paxton - although I loved you in Big Love as Bill Henrickson, husband times three who is tasked with solving all the problems that have plagued the FLDS for a century, you rarely impress me.
I expressed these feelings on Facebook the other night, and received this heartfelt plea from a coworker to reconsider my hatred for all things Paxton. I thought I'd share - this is quality, my friends. Enjoy:
Happy Friday Kristen!
I couldn't help but notice
that you were very condescending of Bill Paxton (Paxton in Hopwellion means
"He needs McRib"). I am sure you are aware that Bill Paxton and
myself share several similarities…we were both born on days that end in
"y", we have shared the same haircut, we both saw the movie
"Twister", and in a situation where all hope seems lost we both love
to yell "Game over man!".
To change your opinion of Sir
Bill Pax-ton (Paxton in Ewoknese means "He with blender.") I have
compiled for you some of Bills greatest moments.
The first thing you have to
know about Bill Paxton is that he comes prepared. Look at this pic…this isn't
make up…Bill came to work dressed like this after his wedding! Look at that
hair…Bill Paxton (Paxton is Swahili for "Please pass the nachos")
knows good hair.
Bill Paxton knows how to look
"blank"…like no thoughts are traveling through his head. Obviously
this method of acting was stolen from Bill Paxton by other acting greats like
Robert DeNero, Pauly Shore, and Yahoo Serious.
Bill Paxton (Paxton is Greek
for "Not Orko".) knows that when all else fails, look crazy. We are
12 movies into the Alien series and Sigourney Weaver still has not fixed the
issue. Bill Paxton could of fixed it in 30 seconds cause he just can…he is Bill
Paxton.
Long before Jay-Z, DJ
Jazzy Jeff or Zack Attack, Bill Paxton knew about popping the collar. You go Bill
Paxton!
Bill Paxton knows his
place…he knows that when someone is about to tell a Billy Zane (Zane is
Kansasian for "Zane") story, you listen!
Bill Paxton doesn’t like
Wilford Brimley either. (Bill Paxton loves a good running joke.)
Finally Bill Paxton (Paxton
is Wingding for "Fear
has no place in the Kobra-Kai DoJo does it? NO SEN-SAI!") knows that sometimes you just have to hide in a
cornfield.
In conclusion Kristen, I just
wanted you to see how some of the works of Sir William of the Paxton has made
the world a better place and hopefully you will enjoy his acting abilities more
in the future! Have a great weekend!
