Glass Frosting

This project has been on my list since I first saw the Cricut infomercial on TV. For our Relief Society craft night in November, the president wanted either a temple or a Christmas project, so I found these vinyl cutouts online. They were easy enough to stick on to the glass, then I took them out back and sprayed Glass Frosting. It comes in a spray can like spray paint. I just walked around both the mason jar and the vase. (Our committee wanted both choices.) Then I brought them in the house, carrying them from the insides, as it was getting ready to rain outside, and let them dry for over an hour. Then I peeled off the vinyl, and voila! Super easy, pretty economical. Really the possibilities are endless, and with my own vinyl and shapes on my cartridges, even more cost effective. At our committee meeting yesterday we wrapped the top of the canning jar with wire so you could hang it somewhere and it looked really cute too. Stick a candle inside, and create some ambience! Fun stuff.

Since you know LittleBuddy needs his lunch treats, I FINALLY found a chocolate chip cookie recipe that I can consistently make at this altitude! So tired of cookie fails!  I've made it two weeks in a row, gave away most of them this week, and the best part, both times they turned out just like this - perfect! Hurray! They pass the Littlebuddy good taste test too.

High Altitude Chocolate Chippers

1 cup butter
1/2 cup all natural peanut butter
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 cups white wheat flour
1 cup chocolate chips - we used semi-sweet

Bake at 375 for at least 12 minutes.

Quilting Projects

LittleBuddy is an 8th grader. Hard to believe these school years are flying by now. Only high school left after this and I'm an empty nester. . . seriously . . . flying!

Seven at the bus stop this year. We have the option of paying for the bus in our district now, either per ride or a yearly pass or driving to school. I opted for the yearly pass. Since the bus comes at 7:04, its a good time for me to exercise before getting my girl up at 8 to start the homeschooling day. Some days that's going better than others, both in regards to exercising and homeschooling, but Algebra Test 8 is ready to be sent out tomorrow. Hurrah! We've been working on it off and on all summer. Only three more Algebra tests to go. It will be a happy day for both of us when its done!

Our quilt guild's annual sale at the local high school craft show is in Oct. Turn in date for what we're contributing is next Thursday, and happily, I am done with the big table runners and am now working on some easy reversible place mats.

I think I'm keeping this one, below for me, but turning in the other three. I think I posted one I finished a month or so ago. I like star blocks, not that they're the easiest, but I just like stars. That bottom star was a challenge for me, but its done. I guess that's the biggest thing right now. I bought the fabric in 2006, left it for five years, and finally 2012 was the year it got done!

Yeah for completing UFO's!!!

Woops- - realized I took a picture of this placemat before it got quilted.  I know Christmas should probably be more red and green, but since these are patriotic Santas, and this is a military town, and I had the fabric on hand from I don't know when, I thought I'd use it up.

The next two are quilted randomly with a double seam around the edges. Loving how fast and easy these are. Felt lucky to find Easter fabric in August, but everything from here until Winter is already discounted at the craft stores. I guess Valentines will be up in a couple of weeks. . . .sheesh!

This is my favorite, summer and fall. The sunflower fabric was part of a guild giveaway earlier in the year, and this red autumn fabric I love. I'm keeping a set for using at my own table. When these are done, on to the baby blankets. They are calling my name. I don't know why, but I'm excited. May I someday have many grandchildren to wrap them up in love!

Nutritious Lunches

This is a non-photo post to be used as a reference for myself. And since I've gone to this small amount of work, I thought I'd share it with you.

School starts Tuesday. Summer was good and long. I'll be getting back to homeschooling my senior and making school lunches for my bus-riding eighth grader, which always causes some issues. What to make? How to keep it interesting all year long? He and I brainstormed today, with tasting good and being healthy the priorities (you already know who prioritized which,) and this is what we came up with. Hoping with 21 main entree items to choose from this will work well. Happily, they have a microwave he can use at his school also, giving some of our items better taste.

PRIMARILY PROTEIN

Chicken Nuggets
Chicken Salad with grapes and celery
Tuna Salad with celery
BBQ pulled chicken
Quiche with veggies (onions, peppers, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms - all options)
Black beans and rice mixed with salsa
Chicken Drumstick
Turkey nitrate-free hot dogs (bun packed in a separate bag)

SANDWICHES/WRAPS - put into Whole Wheat Bagels, Tortillas, Bread, English Muffin or Pita
               
Grilled Chicken with Lettuce and Avocado
Bean and Cheese and Salsa Burritos
Any of the Protein Salads or pulled chicken from above
Grilled Cheese with Turkey
Apple Butter and Banana on Whole Wheat Waffles (we're going to give it a try)
Egg Burritos

EASILY PORTABLE FRUITS

Cut-up Peaches, Pears, Pineapple, Grapes, Clementines, Applesauce


HOMEMADE LUNCHABLES

Theme                 Carb                               Veggie                            Fruit                      Protein

Pizza                    Mini-bagels                  Tomato Sauce                    Grapes              Mozzarella
                                                                        Mushrooms                                        Turkey Pepperoni

Mexican               Taco Chips                    Olives                                 Peaches                Black Beans
                                                                     Avocado                             Salsa                     Cheddar
                                                                     Lettuce                      (veggie I know)
                                                                     Cherry Tomatoes

Asian                     Rice Bowl                    Carrots                            Clementines      Slivered  Almonds
                                                                     Broccoli                          Plum Sauce        Grilled chicken

American                Crackers                     Carrots                             Pineapple                  Nitrate-free                                
                                                                                                                                     turkey or roast beef
                                                                                                                                          chunk cheddar

Breakfast             Breakfast Potatoes             Onions                           Peaches                  Nitrate-free ham
                               
Greek                      Pita or Pita chips            Olives                            Dates                  Grilled chicken
                                                                    Zucchini                                                Low-fat cream cheese



HOMEMADE PIZZA -
  Repeatedly on his list, I'll most likely give it to him in the above lunchable form, but occasionally I'll make ones with mini-cast iron pans, and he LOVES these. I can make six out of one crust recipe, and they freeze well and are easy to throw in his lunch on a day I know he has a lot of physical activity planned for that day.

VEGETARIAN CHILI - in a thermos, accompanied with either breakfast potatoes or rice, which he loves

SWEET TREATS - with braces we need to watch out for too crunchy, sticky, etc.

Yogurt, blueberries, granola
Graham Cracker, bananas, Nutella
Zucchini Muffins
Blueberry Muffins
Oatmeal Date Bars
Pumpkin Cookies

 I know there are some websites which say giving any treat at all in a lunch is a bad idea. My son read that, and said, "Push the X." Yep, that's not happening in this boy's lunch box. He's grown a good six inches this year. Calories aren't his enemy, we're just trying to keep it interesting, tasting good, and overall healthy. And frankly I need about as much as he eats for lunch to give him for an afterschool snack. He leaves at 7, has lunch at 11, gets home at 3,  and we don't usually eat dinner until 6:30 or 7. Gotta keep a growing boy fueled up with something besides cereal, which I should own stock in - seriously!






                 

A Little Bit of Creativity

You know that I like simplicity. And I needed a bunch of cards to thank all the people who help me with my current church assignment. I'm in charge of the compassionate service, which means I organize and help where I can, but in truth, things don't happen without the help of others - many others. So I feel the need to say "Thanks" to all those who do.

These cards are very simple. A small 3/4 inch strip of paper across the bottom. A larger 3 x 2 matted main frame, where I stamped Thankful. A small stamp on the lower right that while it isn't the same font, is cursive and it works. And a ribbon wrapped and tied around the whole thing. 

The other thing is, this is really just a postcard. I just cut these in quarters from a 8-1/2 x 11 and wrote on the back. Because the ribbon is sheer it doesn't cover the writing.  Its easy to make with any scrap patterned paper I have on hand. I'm going to be using this pattern for all my future thank you's. 

I have finished the last two table runners last week and have only the bindings to blind hem down and they're done. With all the doctor's appointments we go to, its a good project to put in a bag and bring with me while I'm waiting. I found that I enjoyed the machine quilting part more than I thought. I also don't mind hemming the binding. Something about a needle and thread is relaxing in its slow pace. The most challenging part was the tops, learning how to match points and keep it all straight. All the different patterns were good for me. I have some I definitely like more than others. Some were more successful than others, but overall its been a good project. And when I'm done - on to the baby blankets. I'm really excited about those!

The Mountain Garden, Year 2

We changed things up a bit this year. We decided the height wasn't working well, since most of our plants were low, so the steel bar came down.

We added two blueberry bushes this year. They're not thriving, but they're not dying either. I think it takes a couple or three years for them to fruit, so we're grateful we've kept them alive in the heat. MyGirl is good to be the gardener and make sure they're watered sufficiently.

We planted two zucchini plants and they've been good producers. We're eating it fresh two or three nights a week and have been for a few weeks. I expect we'll pick another today but I'm ready to make zucchini bread with at least one, so this might be the week that happens.

The beans are too thick, but MyGirl is too in love with each plant to thin them, and surprisingly they are still growing. We picked the first ones this week, and see more to come. Next to the green beans are the cucumbers, which have produced two so far.

The snap peas are lovely, and we enjoy them with our lunch regularly. I know peas are usually an early summer crop but around here everything comes later.

Last but not least, our lone strawberry plant. We're sharing with the critters who regularly come out at night for a taste or two. The first one was sour but the one I tried this week was super sweet so we're happy and excited about that. Now to plan something to keep the critters out!

This garden has been the work of many helpers. BigBuddy took down the poles, LittleBuddy carried and helped with the initial dirt mixture we put inside, which is peat moss, sand, vermiculite and manure. MyGirl waters the blueberries or weeds and picks the main garden every day. Its under her loving care that its thriving so well. I feed it every other week, a special calcium based diet, and ensure that the drip lines are in the right place, and MyGirl then waters if any spot looks needy. After last year I wasn't sure I was going to be keep up gardening in the mountains, but this year proves we can. Looking forward to a good yield in the next month or so.

A New Decade

It didn't take very long for a certain young man to turn twenty. We celebrated his birthday with his grandparents and his family on Sunday except for his oldest sister who we miss. That's strawberry cheesecake for dessert, yummo!  You gotta celebrate with some sugar on your birthday! Thanks, Mom, for making it!

But as this is a blog dedicated to creativity, let me quickly express my wishes for his next decade of life. I am working to create a new diet for all of our family, one that helps him to heal, one that works with other family member's dietary needs, and one that works for my own food idiosyncracies. Its not easy figuring it out, as we keep adding new things to the list, and I'm thinking woops - everyone can eat that but . . . , but that's what I'm working on now - creating meal plans that will work, and the last two days have been good.

My wish is that he and every member of my family will be happy and healthy, and I'm not sure how to create that for them, but healthy meals is one thing I can contribute. As his car's been in the shop too, I've been taking him wherever he wants to go. He wanted to see how things had been affected by the fire, so we grabbed Mom and Dad to join us and we were all sobered driving through the neighborhoods and the mountain roads, seeing where destruction had left its scars. As sad and humbling as it was, I knew that eventually, nature and man would create again. Structures would be rebuilt, grass would grow again, the pines, that let their seeds drop, will sprout and climb as high as before, or even higher. And so will we, if we just will. That is always the biggest choice in life - what WILL we do?

There is always new opportunities to create a better life, new things to try, new people to meet and new opportunities to serve. And, despite the pain and heartaches on certain days, that make things looks so blique, other days bring a bright glorious sunshine and a new hope that out of the ashes, with the Lord's help and direction, we can try again. Some people will move out of those fire-stricken areas, but some will stay. Everyone's path takes its own unique direction.  Its been a summer of hard things for our family. I don't know the reasons and whys for it all, or exactly all the paths that lie ahead, but I do know that with the Lord's help we can do good things. I know I will continue to try.