Bean Bags…..

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So, I’m trying to get ready for next week…I want to stock my Etsy store with lots of things!  I have done some bean bags in the past, but I’ve never put them in my Etsy shop.  So, I thought now would be the perfect time!  They are ten really cute numbered bean bags.  The numbers are one one side and then a color coordinated picture is on the other side.

Don’t forget to check out the EtsyclothDiaper site for all the information!

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I had a little bit of material left over…so River decided she wanted a bean bag…though she already has a complete set…but none that she has drawn herself.

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She loved the fact that she got to use “special” markers…meaning permanent. She took a long time to draw her picture!

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Then she got to “help” me sew the bean bag.  She did a great job…..

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Next the bean bag had to be turned outside right and then filled with beans! Then the bean bag had to be sewed shut!  And then it was ready for fun!

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Who knew dry milk has an expiration date…..

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So yesterday I decided to be a wonderful mother and bake a wonderful and delicious homemade cake.  I found a great recipe…..Praline Turtle Cake…I know my kids don’t like pralines..so I figure I would just omit the pralines….

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The recipe called for sweetened condensed milk…well, I didn’t have any..but I think no problem..I have a recipe for a “substitute”  for sweetened condensed milk…which calls for instant dry milk. So, I get out my instant dry milk and whip it up…..I had to melt the “sweetened condensed milk”, butter and brown sugar in a pot……no problem..though I do notice a strange smell….

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Then I proceed to make the actual batter..which smells and looks delicious.  River is eager to help me out.  I do notice that many many dishes are getting dirty..but I know it will be worth it when my children see this wonderful cake that I made for them…

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The next thing is to pour the batter into the cake pans, on top of the melted carmelized goo….interesting…….so, that is what I do and pop it into the oven….umm..still a strange little smell…..

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Well, in a few minutes I start to notice a smell…. and I mean a horrid smell…..a smell liked burned milk that has gone bad….a long time ago…..so I walk into the kitchen and it is filling with smoke…..(believe me, I tried to get photos, but they just didn’t turn out!)…well, the cake is bubbling over…all over the oven..and is smoking and smoking and carmelizing and smelling..but I must finish this cake..so I have to keep the oven on until the cake is done!  I just keep thinking how happy my children will be when they see this delicious cake……

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Well, the timer goes off and the cake is done….. it’s not pretty!  And the smell is horrid….At this point, I’m getting worried that something went horribly wrong…..of course by now, I have had to open every window in the house and I’m trying to fan all the smoke detectors!  The recipe says to wait ten minutes and then get the cakes out of the pans..(Yes, I am still holding out for hope!)  So, I wait the ten minutes and then take the dumb things out of their pans…and if the smell wasn’t bad already…it now hits me in the face like a piece of wet bologna (and I’m a vegetarian)!

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Okay.. so the cake ended up in the sink..along with all the dirty dishes….I then turned to the box of nonfat instant dry milk…..I mean, I didn’t know it could go bad…….the expiration date….1993!!!!

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Giveaways….

 

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I’m going to be involved in several giveaways in February.

The first one is sponsored by The Etsy Cloth Diaper Team.   They are starting a new series called “Fluff-a-rump on hump day!” Every Wednesday in February a team shop will be featured, introducing themselves and giving some background on their shop. Along with their feature, the shop will be offering an item for a giveaway! The blog giveaway winner will be announced the following Wednesday.  My giveaway starts February 2nd!  So, check it out for your chance to win a custom woolie.

I’m also going to be featured in a blog review giveaway.  Over at LuvsJurn , Patricia is featuring a Cloth Diapers Expose.   She is featuring a huge cloth diaper review/giveaway event starting in February.  I will be one of the featured shops and there will be a chance to win a custom woolie by me!  You can go to her blog and check out all the information.

And finally, Megan over at Newly Wed, Newly Bred is going to be doing a review of my woolies also.   Included in the review will be a giveaway for a custom woolie.  I will let you know when “my” review goes up on her site.

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Split Pea and Barley Soup….

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So yesterday I decided to make split pea and barley soup.  I haven’t made this soup in about twelve years.  I used to love making many types of soup when I was a vegan.  They were inexpensive, easy and hardly ever contained any dairy, so I didn’t have to worry about dairy substitutes.  I knew the kids would be a bit hesitant about this soup, so, I decided to get River involved.  I figured if she helped cook it and got all excited about it..she would love eating it!  So, we went to the store and got all the ingredients and got started!

I decided to make it in the crock pot, so that I wouldn’t have to worry about it on the stove all day.  River loved helping…she helped cut and dice and get everything ready!  She loved putting all the ingredients into the big pot.  She said everything looked and smelled delicious!

This particular soup is incredibly hardy and so easy to make.  The best part is that the barley and split peas don’t have to be soaked the night before….you just throw it all into a pot and wait about two hours!

So, did everybody love it!  I wish I could say yes…..but the answer is no!  River took one look at it and said, “Yuck!”  Same with Tuesday.  The only one who ate the whole bowl was Quinn…and that was only after I promised to take him to the bookstore that evening if he ate the whole bowl!  Oh well, I enjoyed it!

Curried Tofu with Vegetables and Rice….

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One of my favorite recipes is curried tofu with vegetables and rice.  I learned how to make this recipe when I was in college.  I worked for an elderly couple in Princeton, NJ.  Part of the job required cooking.  I had never cooked in my life..I still lived in the dorms at the time and so the whole cooking thing was new to me!   One day, the woman told me she wanted curried chicken for dinner.  Well, I had no idea how to make it, so I quickly asked the woman who worked before me if she could show me how to make the recipe….It turned out deliciously….

I have found other recipes like it…but never one exactly like it..and I don’t even know if I ever made it correctly..but I love it!

When I became a vegetarian, I started making it with tofu and I think it is even better without the chicken.  But…. I haven’t had chicken in about 21 years..so what do I know….so if you eat chicken…and don’t like tofu..use chicken.

Then, when I was living in a small studio apartment in Lawrenceville, NJ….I had a great downstairs neighbor named GiGi…she taught me how to make a delicious rice dish..which I always thought went great with the curried tofu.

So, I wanted to include the recipe with this post..but I never have written down the recipe before….it has always been in my head…so don’t be afraid to tweak anything a bit if you think you need more or less….

Curried Tofu with Vegetables and Rice

2 Tablespoons Olive oil

1 Onion finely chopped

3 Fresh tomatoes or canned (15 oz.)

Yogurt low or non fat plain (I buy 32 oz, but only use about 20 oz)

1 green pepper finely chopped

5 greenish bananas sliced

2 teaspoons curry

2 blocks of extra firm tofu

Put olive oil in pan and add onion. Cook til slightly softened. Add pepper. Continue to cook. Add tomatoes. Then add yogurt and blend well. Add curry (if you like more curry, add more.)

Drain tofu and cube. Make sure you don’t make the cubes too small because then they will crumble while cooking. Add tofu to mixture. Carefully stir, making sure not to crush tofu.

Let simmer for about 20 minutes. Add sliced bananas. The bananas should be a little green, otherwise they will fall apart and be too sweet!. Simmer for 10 more minutes.

Brown Long Grain Rice with pine nuts

In a saucepan, put 2 teaspoons butter. Add a shot glass full of pine nuts. (Don’t ask me why, but I’ve always measured pine nuts with a shot glass!). Add ½ cup orzo. Cook until browned.

When browned, add 1 cup brown long grain rice and 3 cups vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Cook for about 30-45 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.  I was always told never to disturb the rice while it is cooking!  It needs no stirring until it is all done and ready to serve!

Serve curried tofu over rice! Yum!

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Haiti…

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When certain things happen in the world…things seem so overwhelming….it makes me feel helpless…somehow giving a little bit of money doesn’t seem enough..it makes me grateful for all the wonderful things I have…for being able to go to my kitchen and get a glass of clean water….and being able to feed my children…..

Starry Night Still Continues….

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For a little over a year now, I’ve been working on a mural that goes up our stairs.  I am trying to finish it by the end of this month.  Getting up to the higher parts of the mural is a bit difficult.  It takes a bit of creativity to reach all the spots.  I took these photos myself using the timer…but I really should have someone take some more of me….climbing along the wall as best I can with my paint brushes taped together for extra length!

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10 years ago today…..

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Ten years ago today, Quinn was born.  It was a Saturday.  I remember because we had gone to my parents house that Friday night and I ate way too much pizza and I had a ring ding for dessert..It was my first ring ding in years….I regretted that later.

It’s been a great ten years.  He is a great child…incredibly thoughtful, creative, though incredibly sensitive.  I think he has a lot of my personality.  Funny, that Tuesday seems to be more like Christopher and Quinn seems to be more like me….

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