some.spring.cleaning

Ok, so I didn't get my spring cleaning done last week...not all of it anyway. I had poison ivy which was a blessing and a curse. Poison ivy: bad. Prednisone: good. I had lots of energy! :)

I did get a little spring cleaning done, but more importantly, I finished up an apron...pictures after she gets it....and made birthday presents! And I spent a TON of time with my kids.

Honestly, I'm kind of starting to dislike my computer. So, I'm definitely going to try to blog less (especially during the day) and says lots of yeses to my kiddos when they want to play. Hey, I'm a poet and didn't know it. (And some of you are wondering why you're still reading my blog!) :)

Ok, so here's a little spring cleaning action...this is my catch-all drawer that has the can opener/ice cream scoop/garlic press/chip clips/pot holders/oven mitts/pizza cutter/pretty much anything that doesn't go in any other drawer. You get the picture.

I hate this drawer. There seems to be a major lack of organization in there. And it's not even so much the disorganization that I hate...it's that I can't get it closed sometimes AND there's a ton of stuff that I don't use for 11.5 months out of the year (see the turkey baster way back there??? I've never even made a turkey in my oven.)

So here are the before and after pictures:

So, Jackie, what did you do with half of the stuff that was in there??? Drum roll please.....I give you the kitchen box that has stuff that I really do use just not very often:

I did this at our other house, and I'm not quite sure why it didn't make the transition over here. What happened to that box? It wasn't labeled...that was the problem!

I took out all of the medicine droppers that really should be with the medicine. I took out the tongs that I never use unless we're having a party. I took out the heart shaped cookie cutters (most of them!) because we really only need a couple to cut heart shapes out of pancakes or bologna. We don't need our corn on the cob handles in the middle of winter, nor do I need that turkey baster just taking up room.

These things were cluttering up my drawer! I DO use them, so I didn't want to get rid of them, but for cryin' out loud...how have they been living in my drawer for this long?

Ok, I'm all better. And you'll find my extra kitchen utensils under my bed. Labeled. In a box. Yes, I said under my bed....it's accessible and I'll remember and I can't think of a better place for them for the time being.

I've also cleaned my refrigerator, the coffee pot, the microwave (although I noticed that it's dirty again), my front entryway, and 1/2 of the main bathroom. I'm getting there, but we're having fun again this week.

One of my other new mottos? "A clean house is the sign of a wasted life." :) Well...just kind of...it can't be disgusting!

b.15days

b.2wks

m.5yrs

h.2yrs

k.3yrs

So, I know I said I wasn't going to blog this week...and I'm not! Right now, it's last week, and I'm blogging ahead. One of my goals this year was to get to know my camera really well and to take some pictures of my kids. Thankfully, a few of our friends have wanted a few pictures as well. So, I thought that this week, I'd show a few of the pics that I've been taking!

oven.roasted.potatoes

These potatoes are so tasty! The are a perfect match with chicken or beef. They can be a bit spicy (but my kids like them!), so adjust the spices if you think it might be too much for your family. They are so easy, too. You know me, always up for the easy recipe!

Oven Roasted Potatoes

1/8 cup olive oil

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. ground black pepper

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. paprika

4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

1.  Preheat oven to 475 degrees.  Cover baking sheet with foil and spray it with cooking spray.

2.  In a large bowl, combine everything except potatoes.  Stir in potatoes until evenly coated.

3.  Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes, turning occasionally (3-4 times during cooking), to brown on all sides.

organizing.your.stuff

Simple Mom has a great article today about organizing your stuff!!

Check it out here!

I'm still spring cleaning, and I want to get finished, so I'm taking a blogging/computer vacation for the next week to put myself in high gear and finish up!  No blogging/facebook/browsing sites unless necessary for cooking or school.  I'll still check my email...minimally. 

So, I hope you have a great week!!  I will have my spring cleaning finished by the time I get back (or you might not see me for 2 weeks!). 

Quit laughing, Josh! :)  I know he's doubting my willpower...and rightfully so.  This will be good motivation.  I'll start Monday morning!!

the.great.outdoors

This girl can't get enough of the great outdoors. She brings me her shoes at least 5 times a day to inform me that she would like to go outside. She doesn't like it when I tell her to put them back. And when we do go outside, she completely falls apart when it's time to come in....for a nap. She leads such a rough life.

dragon.flies

The girls made some "dragon flies" (is that 1 word or 2? the more I look at it, I think it's 1, but I'm not going to change it) the other day out of a cookbook for kids. Super cute.

Dragon Flies or Dragonflies...however you want to write it:)

6 pretzel rods

12 large pretzels (we used 24 mini prezels because we couldn't find the big ones)

6 squares of almond bark

Optional: food coloring and sprinkles

1.  Cover a cookie sheet with foil.  Spray with cooking spray.  Line preztels on cookie sheet.

2.  Put almond bark in a bowl.  Microwave on high for 30 seconds at a time (stirring along the way) until melted.

3.  Add food coloring if you'd like.

4.  Cover pretzel rods with melted almond bark.  Dunk regular or mini-pretzels into the melted almond bark and stick to the top of the pretzel rods.  Add sprinkles.

5.  Put pretzels in the freezer for 15 minutes and enjoy!

dr.seuss

Claire has been reading several Dr. Seuss stories.  I found this really fun "One Fish Two Fish" project over at Deep Space Sparkle Art.  The girls really enjoyed it!  Meredith's fish are on the left; Claire's are on the right.  They LOVE to paint!

spring.cleaning.day.3

It should be days 3, 4, and 5, but I'm pretending that I got it all done in 1 day.  Having 3 kids in the house and home schooling doesn't make for a lot of time in my day that I feel like spring cleaning!

But, I do have a renewed spirit because I'm seeing progress!  Here are before and afters of my kitchen counters!

Main area:

Stove and area to the left of the stove (which is a catch-all location of the kitchen...1 of 3 hot spots):

And the mail/phone/calendar area (one of the hot spots).  And how crazy is it that my wall colors look so different??!!!  Lighting, lighting, lighting:

So I pretty much did the following:

1.  I put everything AWAY that didn't belong on the counter.  That took care of a ton of it! 

2.  The mail holder needed to move, so it crossed the kitchen to the other side of the counter.  I hate having it in the kitchen, and Josh tells me that we can move it to the office once the office is in workable condition!  Yay! 

3.  Our keys, phones, and Josh's knives/wallet/watches always collect on my calendar.  It drives me crazy that it's all sitting out there.  So, I headed to the local dollar store and found that cute little blue container (2 for $1!) so those items have a place to land.  It will be Mod Podged to coordinate with my box soon!

The kitchen feels soooo much better these days!

question.of.the.day

From Meredith:  Mom, do you know where my white sparkle shirt is?

Me:  I don't know which shirt you're talking about.

Meredith:  Weeeeelllllll......it's white.....and it has sparkles on it.

Oh, that one. 

Ok, I still don't know.

easy.chicken

When I say that this is easy chicken, what I really mean is this: this is the easiest chicken you will ever make.  And it's soooo buget-friendly (one of my favorite parts).  I buy these typically for 88 cents a pound...there were some on sale at the beginning of the week for 65 cents per pound.  Are you kidding me???  I bought 4.  I only needed 1. 

Jackie Chicken (adapted from this oven-roasted chicken at Tammy's recipes)

1 whole chicken (any size)

optional: spice of your choice (we typically use rosemary or garlic)

1. Take chicken out of package. Pull out innards if your chicken has them.

2. Rinse and pat dry.

3. Place, breast side down, in a rosting dish. (I don't have one, so I use my 8-quart Pampered Chef stock pot with some balled-up foil in the bottom to hold it up.)

4. Optional (not in our house): sprinkle with rosemary or garlic.

5. Bake in the oven at 325 degrees for 30 minutes per pound of chicken.

6. Let rest for a few minutes out of the oven...maybe 15?

7. Pull it apart (it will probably fall apart) and try not to be a pig.

my.box.rocks

We'll get back to spring cleaning soon!  Don't worry.  In the meantime, check out this litte project that I did a couple of weeks ago. 

Josh and I needed a box for our kitchen counter to hold some stuff that we didn't want sitting out.  He says (as he does almost anytime we need anything like this), "I can make one."  That's all nice, honey, but I really want a pretty one.  And again, not that he doesn't make pretty things, but I wanted something that wasn't wood.  There is wood stuff everywhere in my kitchen. 

So, I told him that I would take care of it.  I just knew Hobby Lobby would come to my rescue. 

So, I loaded up the kiddos, and we headed to Hobby Lobby to find a box.  I knew that I had some Mod Podge at home, but I've never decoupaged anything!  Are you surprised?  I actually am. 

I thought we could find a simple wood box, and I would pick out some scrapbook paper or fabric or something. 

I typically gravitate toward the clearance aisle in every store (but I thought I'd look in the regular aisles first...I had a 40% off coupon, you know).  However, I just ended up in a clearance aisle (on accident...I promise).  It wasn't the normal clearance section...it was BETTER...90% off!  And there was a box.  Right size, right shape, lots of dings.  Originally $30 (ha!)...I bought it for $3. 

Add 3 pieces of scrapbook paper, and you get a grand total of $4.85.  Check it out...

Love it.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.   Isaiah 53:5

amelia.2

My sweet baby girl is 2. Oh my goodness, I can't even believe it! I bought a kitty costume for her at the resale (in the picture), and she is in love with it! Not only does she love to wear it around the house, but she makes the cutest little kitty that I've ever seen.

At age two Amelia loves...
doing anything that her big sisters do.
Daddy.
playing outside.
listening to music.
eating fruit.
eating bread.
eating cookies (who doesn't?).
wrestling with Daddy, Claire, and Meredith.
dogs...as long as they aren't touching her.
babbling on and on and on and on (and no one knows what she's saying).
baths.

At age two Amelia doesn't like....
sitting in her high chair.
coming inside after playing outside.
going to the nursery at church and co-op.
when people don't want to dance with her.
most of the main dishes that I cook.
getting out of the bathtub.

Amelia Kate, you have no idea how much you are loved in this house. Your big sisters adore you (as do your Mommy and Daddy). As much as we wish you would start using words that we understand, we know that your babbling is only temporary and we find it extremely sweet! It is especially cute when you're upset about something and you are crying and babbling on and on and on. We can't help but laugh. We love you so much Little Miss!

april.menu

Welcome April! Here is our monthly menu plan for April. We're trying lots of new recipes this month! I make a lot more soups, stews, and casseroles in the winter. So when spring comes, I'm really ready to try some new things. Here we go...

April 1-3
4/1: homemade pizza
4/2: chicken and noodles
4/3: wedding (no cooking!)
4/4: Easter menu (monkey bread, strawberry lemonade bars, rolls)

April 5-10
4/5: slow cooker enchiladas (didn't get to it last month)
4/6: stir-fry (josh)
4/7: deer steaks (josh)
4/8: skillet penne and sausage supper (new)
4/9: santa fe chicken salad (like applebee's)
4/10: family Easter (orange salad and greens)

April 12-17
4/12: stroganoff (crock pot)
4/13: honey-glazed chicken stir fry (new)
4/14: grilled sage pork tenderloin with cranberry-apple relish (new/america's test kitchen)
4/15: angel chicken pasta
4/16: homemade hamburger helper
4/17: eden's baptism (no cooking!)

April 19-24
4/19: charley's slow cooker mexican style meat (new)
4/20: baked chicken breasts with parmesan-garlic crust (new/america's test kitchen)
4/21: peanut and sesame noodles (new)
4/22: breakfast casserole w/ blueberry muffins
4/23: galloping horses
4/24: chicken patty sandwiches

April 26-30
4/26: spaghetti
4/27: almond chicken and rice
4/28: homemade pizza
4/29: dinner plans out
4/30: super burritos (better homes and gardens)

Happy cooking!