Recipe Book - Chapter 8: Easy Meals

Chapter 8: Easy Meals

Because sometimes, you just need something fast and easy

Recipe Book - Chapter 7: Your Crockpot

Chapter 7: Your Crockpot

There is not another appliance that I love more then my crockpot.

Recipe Book - Chapter 6: Foods to impress

Chapter 6: Foods to impress

These are a few no-fail foods to bring to a gathering (or just your family) that will have everyone say WOW! 

Recipe Book Chapter 5: Cookies

Chapter 5: Cookies

There are few joys in life that can top eating a really good cookie.

Recipe Book Chapter 4: Bread

Chapter 4: Bread

Bread making and I have not always been friends.

Twas many a failed loaf before I finally had success.

I recommend starting with Ma'Kenzies no fail recipe if you are just starting

your bread making journey. It has really detailed instructions that will make it easier for you and yeast to get to know one another.

Recipe Book Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Salads

I hate eating plain lettuce salads.

 I try and get creative when I have to eat vegetables.

Recipe Book Chapter 2

Here is Chapter 2 of my recipe book.

I love soup, and I have a gift for soup making.

I don't think I have ever made a bad soup.

Hope you enjoy!

In case you missed it here are the links to the other chapters:

Recipe Book Chapter 1

Recipe Book Chapter 1

I have had a few requests for recipes.

This is handy because for school I had to create a book and I chose to make a recipe book.

I will give you a chapter at a time, these are all tried and true recipes that my family loves.

Hope you enjoy!

P.S. Please ignore type-o's, I tried to check and re-check my work, but the class I made this for was a design class, not a writing class. I was graded about how well I knew the program, not my writing/spelling skills. Also, I never took a picture of the shepherds pie that I made. I was gone that evening, my hubs had instructions to take a picture, but he forgot and I didn't have time to make it again.

Mason Jar with a Straw! - DIY

Oh look a project!

I haven't forgotten about those of us who need our daily dose of craftiness ;-)

Sometimes I can resurface from my piles of homework and laundry to do something fun.

Drill a hole in your jar lids.

I just guessed I did not center, but I should have marked the center.

If you want your hole on center then mark it. No matter how good you think you are at centering you will probably be off. I speak from experience.

Find a washer that fits around your straw.

 My hubs has a ton of washers, but it was surprisingly hard to find one that was just the right size.

And lucky for me these washers happen to be stainless steel.

I found a package of these reusable straws... somewhere.

I can't remember. But if all else fails, you can always find them on amazon!

Very carefully with a toothpick glue around the edge of your washer.

I used some food grade silicone.

Place the washer over the ragged hole made by your drill.

Let it dry for a few hours.

Wash these lids by hand! Don't put them in the dishwasher.

Enjoy your awesome mason jar sippers by making some flavored water.

I love putting cucumber, lemon and a sprig of mint in mine.

Yum!

Thanks!

Life Lately - Taken by my iphone with a trip to SeaWorld!

Things are good with the "house of noise" family.

Spring is upon us and that means I'm not in a perpetual state of freezing anymore... most of the time.

School has kept me busy, but as the title of this post alludes to we had some fun at SeaWorld Orlando during spring break.

Here's a recent project for school.

This is hand lettered type that I drew for a project in my typography class.

The finished one turned out great, but I haven't gotten it back yet,

when I do I think I will frame it and hang it in our bedroom.

Life Lately - Taken by my iphone #1

Silly boys.

New running shoes yay!

Now, if I can only make myself actually go running ;-)

Lunch date with my little man.

I'm learning how to run a printing press. So cool!

I want one, think of all the stuff I could make ;-)

This is what I printed. It's me!

Buying lumber... I'll show you what it was for later.

Valentines date with my man.

It was awesome xoxo.

Love,

Class Valentines

Hope you had a good laugh!

Drawing Until I go Crazy

So you may or may not be aware but I am going back to school full time.

That is where I have been lately.

16 credit hours this term YIKES!

So I have been absent from blog land, but I wanted to take a minute to check in and tell you how life is.

My major is graphic design which is great because I have to take about 5000 art classes and only 1 math class. I don't like math, I would rather draw.

I go to school Mon - Fri and I draw or design for 6+ hours everyday. Much of the drawing is practice and not very exciting, but learning technique is important so it's all good.

On FB a few weeks ago I complained to my friends that my wardrobe is monochromatic and boring because all I wear are variations of yoga pants, running shoes and t-shirts. Sitting on a drawing horse for 3 hours is not comfortable. I also get dirty, art is not clean. Paint, graphite and ink all factor into my days. So appearances aside I strive for comfort and economy in my clothing choices. I had one friend remind me that many women wish they could wear yoga pants every day but have to wear stilettos instead, so now I am grateful for my yoga pants and I will enjoy the comfort while I can.

I drew a lot in high school. In my senior year my classes were english, aerobics or auto-mechanics, sewing and art, art, art, art, art. So drawing this much used to be a regular thing for me and getting back into it is going pretty well.

I haven't drawn a whole lot since high school, my creative and artistic skills have been put to use raising kids and doing crafty things to keep me happy. But it's back to magnifying my talents in other areas and I must say that all in all things are going well.

I thought I'd show you a few things I've done lately and I will try to update my blog periodically, but craftiness will probably not be a key feature for a little while. Maybe I can give you a few crock-pot recipes because that is what we've been eating a lot of lately.

This is the first real sketch I did after a 13 year break.

 I think it turned out alright, the porportions could use a little work, but I am my worst critic.

I drew this orange today. I call it "The Orange of Insanity" because I had to draw it in two point perspective and that was a pain. I'm leaving the perspective lines on the drawing because I want to remember how I did it.

Anyway, thanks for sticking through that with me ;-)

I miss all of you!

Fourteen Years

So today it has been fourteen years.

Reasons why I love boys

This is a bit of a photo journal about my boys.

A lot of these photos are some of my favorites.

My boys were really darling when they were little.

And while I can't call my big boys "darling" anymore they are truly amazing.

So here are some reasons in particular why I love boys.

First of all little boys are just so cute.

I think the cuteness is a survival mechanism

Because when they pour maple syrup all over your kitchen floor and you feel like throwing them out the window you can't, because they are so stinkin cute.

Seriously, how could I ever throw one of them out the window?

I would have to stop and kiss those cheeks first, and then my anger would just be gone.

Our New Kitchen Table

I got my Christmas present early this year :-)

The hubs and I made a table.

Last Night

Last night I went out to a baby shower and as soon as I left my little guy Todd (6) walked up to Chad and said "Daaad. Mom is gone, know what that means? P-P-P-Party every day! P-P-P-Party every day! Woohoo! Tonight's gonna be a good night! Tonight's gonna be a good, good night!"

It's nice to know that I am so missed and loved when I'm gone.

The Reason for the Season - Part 2

Due to the success of my first run of "Reason for the Season"

Christmas ornaments, I've decided to expand.

These names I just cut out with my vinyl cutter and placed them on glass baubles.

Halloween 2012

Halloween 2012 was a smashing success.

Lots of fun.

Lots of candy.

Lots of darling (and scary) children.

Lots of family.

James (12) was a scarecrow and he is wearing a costume my husband made the first year we were married.

Here Chad and I are back in 1999 as Mr. and Mrs. Scarecrow

I was about 6 1/2 months pregnant with James in this picture, and now he is wearing this costume.

I feel old.

Aren't I still in my 20's? NO I'm NOT!

How did this happen!?!?!

Clint (10) was a hippie

Ben (9) was a skeleton (he has been a skeleton every year since he was 3).

And Todd (6) is a cowboy.

We are almost recovered.

Soon the candy will be gone and then I will have to muster the courage to search under all our furniture and in all the crevices to clean out candy wrappers.

Thanks!

DIY: Kids Costume - Cowboy Chaps and Vest

He is the CUTEST little cowboy I have ever seen.

You can do this too if you have medium sewing skills.

I know it looks complicated, but it isn't.

Mainly because you don't have to hem anything...

Hemming is the bane of my sewing existence.

This project took me less then a hour and a half.