Raspberry Butter

WARNING!  This butter is so incredibly good, you'll find it hard not to eat spoonfuls of it.  Seriously.

It definitely looks good, don't you think?

We put it on biscuits, but here are a few more ideas to put your raspberry butter on:

Pancakes, bagels, english muffins, toast... the possibilities are endless!

Raspberry Butter

1 stick of butter
1/4 cup of raspberry preserves
2 Tbsp powdered sugar

I think I want to try making this with other preserve flavors.  Blueberry?  Strawberry?  Yes, please!


This yummy recipe came from One More Moore.  

The Taggy Blanket

This is C's little Taggies Blankie, the fancy, expensive "name brand" that we bought when she was a baby.  You know, the days when we had extra money to throw around.  (Let's just say we're much more thrifty these days!  )

B LOVES cuddling with it.  The only problem is, it's very girly.  Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with a boy playing with "girly" things, it's just I thought it would be nice for him to have his own.

And so it begins... double the amount of stuff because you need both the girl AND boy version.  By the way, this is one of the first things I thought of when I first found out we were having a boy.  OH MY, we're going to have twice the amount of toys, clothing, STUFF, etc....


But I digress.

Here's how I made this Daddy-approved taggy blanket.  Go Phillies!

Materials:
-2 pieces of coordinating fabric (I used 1 fleece and 1 flannel)
-matching ribbon, cut into small strips
-straight pins
-thread
-sewing machine

This blanket is not very big.  It's just enough for your little one to snuggle up with.  Cut 2 pieces of coordinating fabric about a square foot in size.  Place pieces right side together.

Take a piece of ribbon and fold it in half.  Place the folded side inside the two layers (so the cut ends go slightly past the edge of the fabric.)  Do this around all 4 edges.

Here's what it will look like when the blanket gets turned right side out....

Sew all around the edges, leaving a small opening to turn right side out.

Turn it right side out, and top stitch around the whole blanket, closing the hole.

And here's your finished blanket!

And now both kiddos can cuddle with their own blankies!

Girl's Night!

My girlfriends and I get together every month.  We used to go out to eat, but now we each take turns hosting in our homes, which is way more fun!

March was my month to host.  Of course I took the opportunity to try out some new recipes!

Don't they look yummy?

I made grilled eggplant with Italian style tomatoes, tortellini skewers with pesto dipping sauce, and pizza monkey bread.  These were all new recipes I found via pinterest.  (Follow me here!)

Each recipe was slightly adjusted from the original, and here's what I did:

Grilled Eggplant
(Idea from Laylita's Recipes)

Slice up your eggplant and toss with some oil, salt and pepper.  Then I used my trusty old George Foreman grill to grill the eggplant slices.  (Shhhhh, don't tell anyone- I used canned diced tomatoes that were already seasoned with garlic, oregano, and basil.)  There's nothing wrong with shortcuts in my book!  ;)  Then I sprinkled each appetizer with Parmesan cheese.

Pizza Monkey Bread

(Idea from Confections of a Foodie Bride)

I pretty much followed her directions, except I left out the pepperoni.  (Did you notice all of my recipes are meatless?  One of my besties is vegetarian!)

This turned out SO WELL!  I highly recommend it.

This is before it went in the oven....

And this is after it came out of the oven....

After I flipped it onto the plate... ta da!

Tortellini Skewers

This was the simplest of my recipes, but made a great presentation.  And who doesn't love cheese-filled tortellini?

I boiled the tortellini, stuck them on some skewers, and cracked open a jar of pesto sauce.  (You didn't think I actually made the pesto sauce, did you?)

Baby Food

Baby B is just about 6 months old, which means it's time to make some baby food!

Mmmmmm.... squash!

And finally, the verdict is in!

He likes it!

Fun With Sight Words!

When I was in college and student teaching first grade, my mentor teacher used a very simple activity that has stuck with me over the years.  When I first learned about it, I remember thinking to myself, "What a great idea!  I'm going to do this when my own kids are old enough!" 

Well, that day has finally arrived.  (Time flies, doesn't it?!) 

C is almost 3 1/2 years old and is becoming very interested in letters and writing.  A very simple way to help introduce common sight words is to put labels on various items around your home.  Things that are looked at and used every day. 

I dug out these homemade, reusable flashcards I made during college (just laminate regular index cards).  Using a dry erase marker, write the words onto the cards, and tape them around your house.  C thought it was fun that she could "read" the words!  Over time, you can add or change them to different objects.

Before you know it, they'll be recognizing and reading those words for real!

Photo Key Chain

Need a gift idea?

Why not put together one of these cute little key chains?

Supplies:
-Plain Dog Tag (found in the jewelry making section of any craft store)
-Diamond Glaze
-Paint brush
-Key ring
-ruler

Measure your dog tag.  This is a must so you know how big to print your picture.  I inserted my image into a word document, and you can easily re-size it there.

Print the image on white card stock.

Cut out the image(s).  I decided that I wanted to put a photo on both sides of the dog tag.

Paint a thin layer of diamond glaze over one side of the dog tag.  Carefully place your photo on top, smoothing it out with your finger.  Paint another thin layer of diamond glaze over top of the photo.  Allow to dry completely.   Repeat steps on the other side if you want another picture on it.

Add key ring.  And there you have it- a personalized photo key chain!  Perfect for gift giving!

A Few Too Many

I'm not the only one who keeps a stash of plastic grocery bags, right?  I know my mom does anyway - like mother, like daughter, I guess!  Anyway, I keep them after a shopping trip because I use them as little trash can liners throughout the house. 

But c'mon, this is way too many!  They're taking over our closet, for crying out loud!!

I'm sure you've all seen those holders that dispense the bags at the bottom, haven't you?  Well, here's my take on it.  I was eager to create something quickly, and it was late, and I was tired, so I didn't measure.  I just eyeballed everything.  So I'll do my best to explain how I did it.  But first, I better include this little disclaimer-

I have no formal sewing training (shocking, isn't it?!  Well, besides those few years of Home Ec. in middle school, anyway).  So, when I explain the way I do something, it may not always be the "correct" way, and you can bet I won't be using the proper sewing jargon. 

OK, so now that we got that out of the way.  Let's begin!

I picked an old fabric I had stashed away that I knew I wasn't going to use for anything special.  And this little contraption is going to be hidden away in the closet anyway, so who cares what it looks like, right?

I cut a big rectangle approximately 30 x 18 inches, so when folded in half it's about 15 x 9 inches.  And like I said, I didn't measure first, I just cut a big piece out and then checked the measurements for the sake of this tutorial.  (Now that it's all said and done though, I wish I had cut a larger piece.  So if you're trying this, go bigger!)

Next I folded and ironed the bottom up twice to make an elastic casing.

Now you want to turn your rectangle into a tube, so fold in half lengthwise with right sides together, and sew closed.  Turn right side out.

To make the strap, I cut a long narrow piece and folded it into itself and sewed down the edges, and attached it to the tube.

Stuff the holder with plastic bags, one at a time.

The closet is no longer being attacked by a plastic bag invasion.