All it needs is

bunnies!

Tiff sent these pictures today with this message:

"This is what I've been working on the last week! We transformed our boring weed infested corner (I should have taken a before picture) to a little sitting/firepit area. The kids have had so much fun hanging out back there!  The nice thing is that by about 3 p.m. it is nice and shaded from the surrounding trees. Now we just need to get a few resin bunnies to make it like grandma's garden."

I am very impressed by her garden spot!  I have a feeling her rocks were not as hard earned as Misty's were last year's (see Ill Fated Creek Experience if you've forgotten that fun experience).  

 I was going to send Tiffany money for her birthday, but now I feel inspired to send her some bunnies.   But I will do one better than resin ones, I'll send the real thing!  Then it will be perfect.

I laughed to

myself when Tiffany commented about not disowning her for making her cupcakes from a mix. 

First of all, until I began my cupcake obsession, I never used anything but a mix when I made cakes.  I don't know why, but somehow in my old age, I am wanting to prove to myself that I can make things from "scratch."   I felt that way last year when I was doing my crock-pot challenge.  I really tried to avoid using cans of soup for the sauces.

I was thinking about that the other day when I was making scalloped potatoes for our neighbor, Jerry Fisher's, funeral.  Funeral potatoes made with frozen hashbrowns, cream of mushroom soup, and cheese, are a standard for funerals (around here, anyway).  I actually love them.  And they are so easy.   But I didn't want to make them.  I wanted to make authentic scalloped potatoes.

Once, many years ago, Garth Fisher (Jerry's husband) spoke to a group of us on Healthy eating and ways to cut calories in cooking.   Honestly, until then, I didn't even know there was a way to make a sauce without "cream of something" soup.  But someone asked him how to make a sauce more healthy than using canned soups, and he said to just make a little white sauce and season it how you like.  Very simple, but I had never really heard of that or done it.  I just thought you added creamed soup to anything you wanted to make a sauce with.  Anyway, I thought making scalloped potatoes with a white sauce was appropriate for Garth's wifes funeral

So, I have no guilt about using mixes, or cans, or prepackaged foods.  I've done it most my life.  I'm not a food snob at all.  In fact, anything that makes meal preparation easier is fine by me.   I think it is just kind of fun to challenge myself by making things from scratch. 

Unmotivated

I've felt very unmotivated to blog or write lately. The last few weeks I've been feeling very tired and kind of sick. I've had moments of inspiration and motivation (like when Gary took me out to get the flowers for the yard and turned the soil so I could plant them). That motivated me to get them planted.

But, I don't like to write when I don't have a happy attitude. I don't like to dwell on negative feelings or things that bring me or others sadness.   But, I've also been reflecting on that tendency.

 I went to hear my sister-in-law, Lynn, give a presentation at Women's conference.  She spoke on the importance of reaching out to each other as women and about what a difference we can make by the small things we do.  She did a wonderful job, and it was hard to contain the tears as she spoke of people who had reached out to her and her family. 

One point she made has really stayed with me.  She said to ask ourselves if we are able "to be real." She said that if we are able to "be real," and share with others our struggles, then they will know they are not alone when they deal with the same things.

I can easily share my faults and laugh at myself and the silly or dumb things I do.  But I am also very proud, and it is very hard for me to express things that really hurt or give me sadness.  I have friends that can be open about very painful things, and I marvel at and appreciate that ability. But really allowing yourself to feel pain, let alone share it, is very hard.  It makes me cry, and I don't like to cry.

But lately, when I haven't been feeling that well, everything makes me cry.  I think I just feel vulnerable or something.  Thinking make me cry. Seeing loss makes me cry.  Witnessing kindness makes me cry.  Feeling kindness makes me cry.  (Gary has been looking at me sideways with concern as I have been crying as I write this)   Which just makes me cry more because I can't explain why I'm crying.  So, please, while I am in this crying state,  do not be kind to me. It would just make me cry, and I hate to cry. 

Ok, enough of this.  I'm really uncomfortable being real. 

I love

this cookbook and website.  http://www.ourbestbites.com/

Misty and Tiffany love it, too. They've made more of the recipes than I have, but I'm always looking through it to try new things. 

Today I wanted to make some breads to our neighbor, and I tried this one.  It is a keeper.  I 3x the recipe and it made 10 dozen of these muffin sized loaves. They cooking time was about 18 minutes (for 1 ice-cream scoop of batter).

Almond Poppyseed Bread

3 c. all-purpose flour
2 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/8 c. canola oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. butter flavoring
1 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring

 GLAZE
3/4 c. white granulated sugar
1/4 c. orange juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. butter flavoring
1/2 tsp. almond flavoring


Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, oil, sugar, and flavorings and beat for 2 minutes. Alternate adding in flour mixture and milk and then mix until just combined. Add poppyseeds and mix until just combined. Pour into prepared pans (5 mini pans or 2 regular loaf pans) and bake (35-40 minutes for mini pans, 1 hour for large pans; keep an eye on them). When done, place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.  and then remove from pans and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. While cooling, prepare glaze by combining all glaze ingredients. Drizzle over loaves and allow to harden.

This project was seriously

so easy. 

I saw it (where else?) on "Studio 5."

This apron made from a 99 cent vinyl shopping bag,

and took about 15 minutes to make.

It makes a fun little favor or gift.

(modeled by my friend)

You can put the apron (and a treat)

in the matching shopping bag

for a fun little gift. 

Which is what I did.

So Fun and Easy!

Here are the link to instructions from the Studio 5

Shopping Bag Apron

Yesterday's

activities.

Dig a hole.

Dig a bigger hole. 

 Dig such a big hole that you can't get out of it.

 Go to Costco and have a picnic under a tree.

 Walk blindly behind the tree.

 Load the tree in the car.

Come home and plant the tree.

Keep repositioning the tree,

with the criteria being that it is

what you see when you walk  in the front door

instead of the chicken coop.

Well, it may take a few years.

Natalie's 28th Birthday

.

on April 25th

Isn't she beautiful?

We really enjoyed our dinner at Carrabas with Nat, Trent, Gary and Lynn, and us.  It seems appropriate to be celebrating with Gary and Lynn, as it was Gary who flew her in at 1 day old 28 years ago.  That was a truly blessed day in our lives, and she has blessed our lives every since.