A Weekend Makeover

                                 
                   

            Before                                                                        After

I removed the brass doors all together.  We don't need them with our new gas logs.

I spray painted the brass vents with Rustoleum "Oil Rubbed Bronze"

I primed the brick and

painted the brick "Turkish Coffee" from Sherwin Williams

Then I painted the mantle "Dover White" from Sherwin Williams and then distressed it with coarse sandpaper.
 

 

Garden Picture of the Week

Earth Box - $25
Potting Soil - $20
2 Zucchini, 2 Cucumber, 2 Squash, and 1 Packet of Green Beans - $15
Growing fresh vegetables on the patio of your urban townhouse.....Priceless

This is my good friend Deanna and little Cato on their back patio in Charlotte.  Despite having no yard, we still put together a vegetable garden.  There is even a tomato plant in the pot by the step.

Garden Picture of the Week

Nothing better than a dirty Tarheel hard at work tearing down daddy's brick border!

Planting Strawberries

Last year we bought 8 strawberry plants and placed them in the back yard around a dogwood.  Nothing happened!  So, this year I decided to move them to an area that gets full sun.  Strawberries are a perennial (they come back every year) and they spread (they multiply).  So, with the new beds I built in the backyard, I wanted to make sure the berries received a spot that would be undisturbed each year.  I also wanted to make sure that I gave them enough room to spread.

I build a raised bed out of found cinder blocks that were "free" on Craigslist.

 

I relocated my berries....we shall see how they grow!

Strawberries require no maintance (other than keeping the birds away). If you are relocateding them, as I was, move in the early Spring or mid Fall.

 They are in and ready to grow.  I have metal pie plates hanging to try and keep the birds away.  My Pawpaw Rex use to do this.  We'll see if I can have his same luck.

Strawberries can really grown in about any container.  Here are some more ideas:

http://ucanr.org/sites/MGsSMSF/Tips/How_to_build_a_strawberry_tower/

http://www.rodale.com/growing-strawberries?cm_mmc=TheDailyFixNL-_-910396-_-05112012-_-the_nickel_pincher_grow_strawberries_the_easy_way

http://www.seedparade.co.uk/news/sowing/strawberries/

 

Want some recipe ideas?  Check out this blog post on canning strawberry preserves and freezing strawberry pie filling:

http://thesuburbanchallenge.blogspot.com/2014/05/preserving-strawberries.html

 

Our Little Cookie Monster Turned ONE!

Rex turned a year-old March 30th.  To celebrate we had a "Cookies and Milk Party." Sounds cute, right?  Well, to be honest, the second child always gets a little less 'frill' than the first.  I am so busy with work, and juggling two kids, that when I saw this idea for cookies and milk....THAT WAS IT.  Anyone can handle planning and organizing cookies and milk.  It actually turned out to be wonderful.  There was no stress because of an elaborate menu. We had some close friends and family members over, the kids played in the backyard for about 30 minutes, we let Rex open his gifts, we gave him his cupcake, and then we all just sat around the backyard and played for another thirty minutes and ACTUALLY enjoyed each other's company.  Imagine that! A party where you actually get to enjoy your guest.  Highly recommended.

Sugar Cookies: These sandwich cookies are actually part of a box set sold at Williams Sonoma.  The top cookie has the mouth cut out.  I layered white icing in the middle, did the eyes, and then colored the rest of the icing for the face and for the cupcakes.  I used chocolate chips for the eyes rather than piping more icing.

Blue plates from the dollar store that I glued two white circles to the top.  Then took a sharpie to them.  The cute spatulas were also a find at Williams Sonoma.  I am aware that you don't need a spatula to pick-up an Oreo, but it was an easy extra decoration since I already purchased them. The fancy cookies were used as favors, and all I served at the party was Oreos and cupcakes.

12 cupcakes.  I made 6 plain with a Cookie Monster topper (also a Williams Sonoma find) and then I decorated 6 with 1/2 an Oreo for the mouth and a marshmellow cut in two.  I placed baby pictures of Rex on the table for guest to look at.  Another easy decoration.  Rex got a Cookie Monster for his birthday...it made a perfect topper for the cupcake tower.

And of course.....matching t-shirts for the guest of honor and his big sister.  I bought two t-shirts from Walmart and made the appliques for them.  To make the applique, I actually traced the large Cookie Monster spatula in the second picture, ironed them on, trimmed them, and then hot glued funny eyes.  They will be able to wear these all summer!

Container Gardens....Anywhere..Any way!

An Herb Garden in old crates, on a bench, on a porch.  Read the entire article:
http://blog.stitchawishdesigns.com/2011/06/our-lil-deck-garden/

Salad Greens make a great pot.  They only grow to about 6 inches tall, they are full of color, and can be planted close to each other without being over crowded.  Just cut leaves for a salad 1 1/2 inches above the soil and the greens will continue to grow all spring, summer, and fall.  Place pot in full sun during spring and fall and find a more shaded area during the summer so that they don't burn.

Integrate your fruit and veggie garden with an area of your yard where you hang out. When the crops are close at hand, you're much more likely to pluck off an insect pest or give a thirsty plant a drink.

 

I have Kale growing in a pot on the patio wall and all my herbs lining the wall. I walk out the door and snip fresh herbs.  The only thing you can see in this photo is the large rosemary bush in the background.

 



Raised Urban Gardens

I found a new blogger to follow.  She has great articles and pictures of her garden all in raised beds!  Here are some of her pictures.  To read more :

http://www.raisedurbangardens.com/

I love how her garden is small and managable.  Similar to the garden I am trying to create.  I love these beds raised on legs.  How convienant it would be to plant and weed!!

 

I couldn’t get two boxes into the picture, there were under the roof edge. My brave daughter went on my roof for this picture – so missing is the converted picnic table of strawberries and the kale/swiss chard and carrots box.

these were hard to add in the big picture because they are under the eves of the

The Spring Garden

The garden is finally planted.  After a cold and wet February, we finally got a pretty weekend when we could till the ground and put plants in the ground.  I hope it is not too late for my broccoli, because I planted a lot of it.  I only used two 8x8 boxes.  I put two fresh bags of top soil on each box with fertilizer to maximize the growing space. 
I was able to fit:
12 broccoli
6 Cabbage
6 Red Lettuce
6 Romain
9 Spinach
6 Cauliflower
12 Onions
30 Potatoes
4 Kale
6 Brussel Sprouts

Yeah! I crammed all of that into two 8x8 boxes.  The trick, lots of lose soil so that roots run deep rather than wide.  I also put the plants that I don't need to touch until the whole plant is harvested in the middle (head cabbage and cauliflower). And....then there is the potato discussion.  I had seen lots of different ideas for planting white potatoes on Pintrest.  So, my idea..... I cut five holes directly into a bag of top soil and planted five potatoes.  My hope is that inside the bag, the potatoes will grow and the vines will just grow out the top of the bag and spread  If this works, anyone will be able to plant white potatoes, even on a driveway.  I'll keep you updated.  When we are ready to pull them, we should just be able to open the bag and pull out at least 15 potatoes in each bag.

Mommy and Me Smocking: Easy Tutorial

It all started because I found this gorgeous fabric at Hobby Lobby.  Pre-smocked fabric is at every fabric store but I had never seen one this modern and pretty.  So, I began thinking "I want this as a shirt and a dress for Camilla."  at $13.99 per yard, I went back to Hobby Lobby with a 40% off coupon and bought 2 yards.  I then googled the dimensions.  Some tutorials said measure the bust, then subtract 2 inches and others suggested 3 inches.  

So, I decided for Camilla's, in order to be large enough for her to wear two summers: 2 inches with straps to help hold it up.  

For mommy who wants it to be tight enough to stay up: 5 inches!  And I still added straps for

security.

The one step that every tutorial did not mention is that you need to sew the ends of your fabric, as soon as you buy it or it will start to "un-smock" itself.  Here is what the end of my fabric looked like after sitting in the bag for a week.  I lost a total of 5 inches of fabric.

1.  So, add a binding seam down the edge of the fabric before you cut it and after you cut it or the smocking will unravel.  Measure your fabric lengths.  Camilla measured 21 inches and I cut 19 inches of fabric.  I will not reveal how much I measured.....but do the same math.  I subtracted 3 inches at first, and then went back and made it tighter.

 

 2. Fold the fabric in half, right sides together, and stitch together with a 1/2 inch seam.  Your binding stitch should be on the outside of your seam so that it is not visible on the dress.

 

Here, you can see my seam and my binding stitches on the outside of the seam.  Also, after trying it on, you feel it is too large, seam it together closer.  It is real hard math..JK.. and very forgiving. So, you can see from the right side the binding stitch, my first seam close to it, and them my alteration to make it tighter.

3.  Fold up the bottom and hem.  I did not even cut the fabric.

4. With the dress inside out, pin some matching ribbon to the dress.  I folded the ends in to prevent it from raveling as much. The ribbon should also be inside out so that everything matches once you flip it.

5. With the dress still inside out, place it onto your sexy model.  Pull the straps around to fit and pin to dress.  I pulled the straps in a crisscross pattern.  Then remove dress and sew all four strap endings into place.

6. Repeat the whole process for your own shirt.  Now, we are all set for a cute summer Baby Shower together for our new cousin arriving in September!!  Now I need to find me an awesome yellow bubble necklace to dress it up on VeryJane.com

Total Cost: About $20. 
Supplies: 2 yards of pre-smocked fabric
               Matching Ribbon
               Thread to match.

Time to Plan Your Spring Garden

It is already that time again!!!!   Time to start planning what your going to do this year - spring garden, summer garden, fall garden, enough to can and freeze, just enough to cook a lot and share, only enough to experiment with your black thumb?????

The Spring Garden must to planted in February......so are you going to do it?

I am going to continue my garden which is big enough to freeze and can lots of surplus.  I am going to do this in 6 beds that are each 8x8.  But I am also going to help Ashleigh with her garden that is only going to be big enough along her fence to have food to cook (she is a cooking enthusiast) and give some away.  I am also going to help Deanna with her first garden mostly in pots and hanging baskets.  So here is the plan for Spring starting in February going three different ways:

                                     Bree (Me)                              Ashleigh                         Deanna (the first timer)
Cabbage                         5                                                2                                       none
Carrots                       1 pack of seeds                       2 small rows                           none
Lettuce                     1 pack of spring mix spread out over 5x2       fill 1 pot of spring mix for the patio
Peas                         1 pack                                        1/2 pack                                 none
White Potatoes            15-18 plants                             4-6                                        none
Radishes                      8                                                5
Spinach           5 plants if I can find them or 1 pack       3 plants                          1 smaller pot for patio


Start planning and get digging before the third week of February.  Pictures to follow!!!!

Beets for the Kids

I recently saw this article in Parenting Magazine with beet recipes:

http://www.parenting.com/article/beet-recipes?cid=searchresult


Well, we are going to try a few.  I have never eaten a beet in my life. I do know that they are very healthy and easy to grow.  But, I wonder if I can substitute canned beets rather than roast and puree whole beets???



We made the cupcakes first without the frosting and substituted an organic flour so that these would be OK for afternoon snacks. We also used 1/2 can of canned beets pureed with an immersion blender.

I thought about making them as mini-cupcakes, but then Camilla would not have been able to use her new Elmo Cupcake papers! I think she likes them.

 

We will have to try the pancake recipe next!

9 Months On...9 Months Off

Well, I DID IT!  Actually I did more.  Nine months ago, shortly after Rex was born I posted my most embarrassing post ever revealing pictures of myself at 176 pounds and a month later at 170 pounds. I was having the hardest time losing the weight after my second pregnancy being thirty-three years-old.  I had some pitfalls, some months I did not lose anything...but I managed to meet my pre-pregnancy weight of 150 pounds when Rex turned 7 months. Now, at 9 1/2 months-old I am 145 pounds exceeding my goal by 5 pounds.  But, lets face it, 150 pounds is too high. I made a short term goal of losing the baby fat and getting back to my pre-pregnancy weight. With that said, I can now make my next goal: The Wedding Weight. (Isn't it funny how we women can associate our body size with life milestones? Wedding Weight, High School Weight, Pre-Children Weight, Marathon Weight.....)  Wedding Weight (140 pounds) is only five pounds away and realistic for a 5'3 woman. High School Weight (135 pounds) is also realistic...but lets take it one goal at a time.

What have I been doing differently.  Well, not that much.  I stuck to my gut (pun intended) and did not go on a diet.  I did however read Dr. Oz's book You On A DIET about the harmful consequences of dieting.  It also recommended three principals in healthy eating for life:
Don't eat anything with High Fructose Corn Syrup, Enriched Flour, or Sugar listed in the first five ingredients on the labels.  The book was a great read. I borrowed a copy from my mother and I am sure you can find one at the library.  It really helped me realize why a snack of cookies was bad - not only calories, but because of the chemical reaction that sugar was playing on my mind and hormones, I was going to want more in about 45 minutes.  I still eat the same amounts of food, but I made a couple of small changes to cut out those three ingredients and VOILA!

1. I cut the coffee creamer and just use milk.
2. I eat sugar free yogurt now instead of the vanilla low fat. (I actually make my own because it is cheaper.)
3. I eat sugar free granola. (I make my own so that I know what is in it, and its cheaper.  Add this to the yogurt and delicious.)
4. I snack on all natural peanut butter with no sugar added instead of Jiff or Peter Pan - my favorites.
5. I read the cereal box label and only buy the ones with no enriched flours (usually a Kashi cereal).
6. I snack on a homemade trail mix of nuts, rice puff cereals, and dark chocolate.
7. I buy instant brown rice instead of white rice.
8. I buy whole wheat pasta instead of white pasta.
9. And I still eat lots of healthy meals from my freezer and canning jars of foods I grew over the summer. I know that my tomato basil sauce doesn't have sugar in it and that my meatballs do not have enriched flour in them.  With the concept of cooking every meal, freezing or preserving it ahead of time for time management, and providing a home cooked meal every night I was able to make some easy changes for the whole chemical balance of weight loss to click!
10. I never was a soda fan, so I kept rocking the love of water.
11. I still bake and make homemade biscuits, but I have found some organic flours at Target and Big Lots that use better substitutes.

So here are the pictures.  Rex was unavailable when I was ready to take the picture so I grabbed Camilla.  I also tried to find similar clothes....

176 Pound       1 Month Old       May 2012

 



 145 Pound      9 Months Old   January 2013

 

 

Recipes for our New Juicer!

Creating your own Superfoods and working them easily into every meal.

From Williams-Sonoma:
Orange, Celery and Carrot
Reduces cholesterol and helps prevent cancer
4 navel oranges
4 celery stalks
8 carrots
Peal and quarter the oranges. In juicer, do the oranges first followed by the celery and the carrots. Makes about 2 1/4 cups

Pear, Apple and Greens
Builds bones and strengthens the immune system
1 pear
1 apple
4 oz rainbow chard
2 oz. fresh spinach
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Halve and core the pear and apple and chop into chunks. Separate the stems and large veins for the chard leaves and coarsely chop. Put the pear, apple, chard leaves and stems, spinach and parsley in at high speed and process. Dilute with water if desired. Makes 4 cups.

Tomato-Pepper-Cucumber
Helps protect against heart disease and boost the immune system.
2 red bell peppers
1 tomato
1 cucumber
1/2 jalapeno
splash of balsamic vinegar
Half the bell peppers, remove the seeds and ribs and roughly chop. Quarter and core the tomato. Slice the cucumber. Mince the jalapeno. Put the peppers, tomato, cucumber, jalapeno, vinegar and 1/2 cup water in at high speed. makes about 2 cups.

From www.raw-foods-diet-center.com
Pineapple Goodness
1 handful of spinach
1/2 pineapple
10 strawberries
1/2 cucumber
Juice in order listed

Purple-Rific
Purple Cabbage
Red or Black Grapes
Pineapple
Pomegranate

Strawberry Field
2 apples
2 carrots
8 strawberries

Green Mean Machine
3 stalks celery
2 cups spinach
2 cucumbers
1 green apple

From www.healthygreenkitchen.com
Jalapeno Watermelon Limeade
4 cups cubed watermelon
2-3 lines
1 jalapeno chili
Peal lime.  Juice all ingredients. Add pinch of sea salt.  Optional> add splash of vodka

From www.natural-cures-and-home-remedies.com
This was a really cool website to read
For a Sinus Infection
2 carrots
1/2 cucumber
bunch of parsley
2 stalks of celery
1/2 clove garlic

For a UTI
2 apples
1/2 pound cranberries

For Yeast Infection
3 cabbage leaves
1 garlic clove
4 green beans
2 carrots
1 grapefruit

Deal Alert!!

This week juicers are on sale at Aldi for $35.  I have a lot of practice on a Breville Juicer that starts at $99 and runs to $299.  This model is very similar in function.  The plastic feels a little thinner, so we need to not force vegetables down the hatch. After our first use, I am very pleased with the product.

http://weeklyads.aldi.us/aldi/default.aspx?action=entryflash&

Next week, Williams-Sonoma will be offering a free technique class for eating "RAW" which will include recipes for the juicer.  I will update this post with some recipes after that class.

Green Waffles for Everyone

Another great way to sneak the veggies in.  I found this waffle recipe online and altered it.

Green Waffles (Great for Ketchup Dipping)
1 lb. frozen chopped spinach
1 onion
olive oil
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup organic waffle mix

1. Cook the onion over medium high heat until translucent.  Add the spinach and continue to cook. Season with salt and pepper.  Optional: After onion and spinach are cooked pass them through the food processor so that there is no vegetable textrue to be detected.

2. Combine other ingrediants and cook in a waffle maker on a dark setting.

Sloppy Joes

Last weekend we put 4 meat loaves in the freezer. This weekend we made four batches of Sloppy Joes.  The Sloppy Joe recipe was from a post on March 16, 2011:
http://thesuburbanchallenge.blogspot.com/search?q=sloppy+joe

We love this recipe (even Steve).

It is a lot more fun to help mommy when you can stir with an Elmo Spatula! I had made the cauliflower puree two days ago, so when Camilla and I made two batches at a time it only took us one hour to get all four ready for the freezer. That averages 15 minutes per meal.  Once thawed, they are ready to reheat and serve on a bun.
These spatulas are now on clearance at Williams-Sonoma along with Elmo cookie cutters we used last week to eat our meat loaf.
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sesame-street-cookie-monster-elmo-flexible-spatulas/?pkey=cview-all-sale

Hey Camilla....How do you like your green beans and corn now?

I am so tired of the nightly battle to get Camilla to eat anything other than fish sticks or chicken nuggets.  So I took her green beans and corn (one can of each that I had previously cooked on the stove with a little butter) and put them into the food processor with one egg and one cup of Belgian waffle mix.

Ha Ha....I feel so sneaky.

Sunday afternoon and a bag of Sweet Potatoes

One bag of sweet potatoes and five meals....here we go.

First, to make all of the meals we need cooked, pureed potatoes.  Wash and roast the whole bag at the same time at 400 degrees for about 1 hour.

Allow the potatoes to cool and then peal the skins off by hand or scoop the flesh out with a spoon.

 

Now they are ready to puree.  You can do this by hand (the hardest way), in a food mill, in a potato ricer, or in a food processor.

 

Recipe #1:

Slow Cooker Meatloaf.

This is a recipe that I posted on this blog February 2011.  It is easy and very tasty.  It uses 1/2 cup of sweet potato puree per meat loaf.  I want to make four and freeze them so I put 2 cups aside for the meat loaves.

*2012 revelation.  When I made this recipe, Camilla was still on a liquid diet and Mommy and Daddy loved the recipe.  Well, now I have a picky 2 1/2  year old.  So, I made this recipe per the blog.  Then I sliced off a skinny piece and let Camilla cut out an Elmo and Cookie Monster with her new cookie cutters from Williams Sonoma. Then I pan fried the face and decorated with ketchup.

It worked.  She ate Elmo and half of Cookie Monster until she hit the texture of a mushroom.  Reflection: on the next meatloaf I need to puree the entire recipe in the food processor before forming into a loaf in the slow cooker.  This will address all of the texture issues and make it more of a hamburger consistency even though it is full of sweet potato and mushrooms.

Recipe #2:
I used the remaining sweet potatoes for dinner that evening.
Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Once I pureed the potatoes, I placed them into a Crock Pot on low to reheat and added:
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt
and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Stir occasionally and keep warm.
I served this on the side of a roasted flank steak.

Sunday afternoon: Sweet potatoes and flank steak...then put four meatloaves in the freezer.( I know the grammar rule for words that end in F when they become plural change to V.  But, does Meatloaves look right to anyone?)

 



http://thesuburbanchallenge.blogspot.com/search?q=slow+cooker+meat

Merry Christmas

A brief reflection on 2012......

The year started out with a baby on the way and Steve unemployed. Steve found a job in February, but started working second shift in April, the same time Rex was born.  To say the year was hard, is an understatement.  Last December, when things seemed to be at their lowest, my coworker/friend Michelle who sells 31 Bags always sells her samples that she takes to parties to clear out patterns that are going to be discontinued or discounted bags that the monogramming was wrong.  I am a 31 junkie as it is, so to add a couple of bags to my collection at a discount is a bonus. One of the bags I really liked was a larger bag, lined with washable material, with a Carolina Blue interior and a Navy exterior.  A perfect, boy diaper bag.  It was in her $5 pile because it had been monogrammed with a bible verse. I thought, heck, a bag this nice for only $5, I don't care what is on it.  I went home and told Steve about it. We are both Christians, but I will admit that neither one of us really knew the bible or all that it empowers us. He told me I had better look that verse up before I started advertising it across town. Point taken. So, I grabbed the bible off the shelf and found Philippians 4 (to be honest I had to look in the table of contents to see where Philippians even was). The bag read "Phil. 4"  so here is what I read  aloud to Steve...

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I almost teared up.  With his loss of job and a baby on the way, stressed out was an understatement. I started turning to God more realizing that in calmness and peace there would be answers.  I realized that my life wasn't over. In fact, it is just beginning.  Call it the Christmas Spirit or a lightening of the soul, but that bag was exactly the hope and the "wink" I needed to turn to God for 2012. Steve found a job with Wells Fargo in February.  Steve and I both started listening to KLove only in the house and in the car.  We both felt that it impacted our outlook and was guiding us through hard times successfully. Then in May, doctors found a lump on Steve's bladder.  He had it removed and the verse continued to be a constant song.  Steve was cancer free and back to work after four weeks. A year later, Steve and I enjoy listening to KLove, Joel Olsteen, and we are trying to support our church through large transitions. He still works second shift, but we make it work.  All my expertise at making ahead meals has really paid off.  For most evenings, I do everything by myself. I love still being able to eat healthy, home cooked meals despite the crazy blessing of two in diapers

So, back to my bag.  I went back to school that day and bought the bag for a large $5. Not only was that bag a good deal, I feel like it was placed there to be mine.  Phil. 4 is now my favorite verse. I actually put it on a sticky note on my computer to read throughout the day. I am quite proud to advertise it across town. After all, as we have always said... "I can only do one thing at a time." Right now, stressing out is not going to get any of it done. Do not be anxious about anything....

12 Days of Christmas for your Spouse

In addition to setting up Camilla's 12 Days of Christmas activity jar, I decided to surprise my husband with the 12 days of Christmas gift.  I didn't post this earlier because I didn't want to spoil his surprise.  (That is the naive assumption that he reads my Blog.) Anyways, I started yesterday....with One Waffle Maker.  Here is a free printable pdf of labels to use.


http://todaysmama.com/2011/12/printable-12-days-of-christmas-tags/