Jan 21, 2012 | Uncategorized
OH NO!
I just found out that my favorite website
Picnik will be closing in April!
I adore Picnik (an online editing site-think photoshop) and have made some neat things with it, like my blog headers,
and these:
Not sure why they are closing, but they said they will refund my premium membership which makes me feel no better honestly…
The only good news is that they are giving
everyone Premium Membership for free until they close in April. So, if you haven’t tried
Picnik, get on over and make some fun before it’s gone forever!
(I am going to be busy! Think I’m gonna make a month collage for the past few years at least!)
Jan 13, 2012 | Uncategorized
I am not making resolutions but…
I do feel the need to make a new beginning in 2012.
What is it about the New Year that makes us feel the urge to change?
A few changes around here:
- I have four “new” chickens we inherited from a friend. They lay the biggest eggs!
(They’re picking on my sweet chicken so not sure I like them yet.
Mom is going to take a few once she has a coop to put them in, so I
think I’ll give her “Meany” or “Big Red” as the kids call her. Then
maybe my old girl will come out from under the deck.) You learn what “pecking order” means when you have chickens!
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| “Big Red”, “Spotty” and “Special” begging |
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| The Girls Pecking (Pillow is under the deck of course) |
- I’ve only gotten one parking ticket this year! (Oh, it’s only been 13 days?) Well, I’m making a pact to get a roll of quarters today so I’ll maybe avoid another (before February anyway.)
- I want to lose the baby weight. It’s only been 2 months so I’m not pushing it, but watching what I eat- doing “Lose It” again (iPhone app) and have lost one pound already. Yesterday I used practically half of my calories eating a bowl of oatmeal- did you know there are 500 calories in a cup of Scottish Steel Cut Oats? Yikes. Gave the chickens the leftover Christmas cookies to get them out of my reach. Need to go back to yoga.
- After getting the estimate to add on to this house I’ve decided to
purge. In this market I
don’t know if it’s worth adding up, and we can’t find anything we like that isn’t a fixer-upper or crazy expensive. I started on my desk area yesterday and
ended up making a much bigger mess but I figure it’s a start. If I can do one drawer or shelf each day it shouldn’t be too bad…
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| Desk (Mid way done) |
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| Yikes! All this fit on the bookshelf? |
- Going to attempt stick to a budget and menu AND use my coupons. (We’ll see how long that lasts.)
- Want to start something creative this year
What plans do you have for 2012?
Happy Friday the 13th!
Jan 4, 2012 | Green Living, Recipes, Sides & Salads, Uncategorized
In November, before the first frost hit us,
Mom decided we should pick all the peppers and tomatoes we could from her beautiful garden.
She has a beautiful garden, and I didn’t realize how many she was talking about until I went to help her pick!
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| One of many trays… |
There must have been four large baskets of tomatoes and probably two full trays like this. As for peppers we couldn’t even pick them all- habaneros, hot Chinese, jalapenos, and more.
We scoured the internet for recipes for green tomatoes and peppers, and ended up mostly just winging it anyway…
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| Pickled (Dill) Green Tomatoes! |
For the pickles we just followed a basic pickle formula (with regular vinegar, not cider) and then added fresh dill, some hot peppers, garlic, peppercorns and sliced green tomatoes then processed them.
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| Upside Down Pepperoncini! |
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She had enough banana peppers to make about five or six jars of pepperoncini (our fave.) We just pickled these too (with no dill.)
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| Green Tomato Salsa! |
We had so many tomatoes left over and wanted to make a salsa of some kind. Our favorite salsa is Herdez Tomatillo/Green salsa and we thought, “Why not make a green tomato salsa?” We only made about three jars of this and it came out so yummy! Basically it was chopped green tomatoes, jalapenos, chopped onion and garlic, cilantro, a bit of cumin and salt, some lime juice and touch of vinegar and then we cooked it. I should have written the recipe down!
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| Our Green Bounty |
Our next day we made THE HOTTEST pepper jelly from basically all habanero (aji chombo) peppers and a few jalapenos and Cayenne peppers. We had to cook it outside on the grill because it was so hot, then processed it inside. It came out a beautiful golden color with red and green flecks. I just used the pepper jelly recipe on the pectin package. I swear it’s the hottest goodness you have ever tasted.
Mom still had a ton of peppers at her house so she made aji chombo sauce (Panamanian hot sauce) basically just aji chombo (habanero) peppers chopped up, vinegar, mustard, chopped garlic, chopped onion, and salt and pepper put into a bottle to sit in the fridge. Very, very, hot so be wary.
Dec 15, 2011 | Uncategorized
Christmas always stresses me out.
Seems like our society has become so materialistic with people rushing to max out credit cards at the malls. I can’t abide shopping on a normal day, let alone the holidays!
So, if you live in central AR (or are visiting) and want to avoid crowds and the usual holiday hoo-hah, I’ve made a list of 10 local places with neat (some homemade) gifts that you might enjoy.
1. Box Turtle
This is an awesome store! Top floor is really cool clothing (albeit a bit pricey, but check out the sale rack by the front door for great bargains) Middle floor has the coolest gifts and jewelry (most of it is handmade and local.) In the basement you’ll find a cute little toy store called “Cheeky Marshmallow” which has some of the most unique candy and toys you’ll find in LR.
2. Heights Toy Center
Cool toy store with lots of unique gifts. Out of the way of the mall crowds too! Next door is another great bookstore with cool gifts (Wordsworth books.)
This weekend ride the trolley for FREE to these places:
3.
RiverMarket Books and Gifts
Run by the friends of the Central AR library system (and in the Rivermarket district) this store not only sells gently used library and donated books, but also some quite unique gifts for readers and thinkers. Also some fantastic art galleries (with some for sale.) Get a cup of coffee or a cookie at the cute counter inside.
4. Arkansas Institute Studies Art Gallery
Another gem in the Rivermarket district- you might not have realized that this is a free art gallery with much of the work being for sale (by Arkansas artists!) Stempunk Jewelry, hand turned woodwork, books, hand knitted scarves, pottery- they’ve got it!
5. Historic Arkansas Museum Gift Shop
Looking for handmade gifts or unique historical toys and gifts? This is the place! You don’t have to pay admission to the museum to go inside the store.
6. Clinton Museum Store
No matter what your political affiliation, the Clinton museum store has something for you! Tom’s Shoes, handmade jewelery, recycled presents, and more. Not actually inside the museum, but in the Rivermarket district. (More great museum gift shops in the area include- Museum of Discovery, MacArthur Military Musuem gift shop, Old Statehouse Museum gift shop, and the Arkansas Arts Center gift shop.)
7. Heifer Project Gift Shop
The Heifer project is not only a cool place to visit, but houses a wonderful gift shop. I got a fantastic book on beekeeping (for myself) and they have lovely gifts and neat things from around the world. While you are there tour the center and think about getting a gift that keeps on giving- animal donations for people in need around the world. Great organization. Our family registers online now and gives animals instead of gifts to ourselves.
8. Ten Thousand Villages
I adore this store and secretly wish they would come decorate my house. A non-profit, fair trade store with items from around the world. What more could you wish for! ALSO- ALL holiday items are 25% off on the 19th!
9. Argenta Bead Company
Across the river in North Little Rock (but also on the trolley line…)
Not just for the avid beader, Argenta Bead company also showcases work by local beaders and jewelry makers. You can special order almost anything you want made.
10. Argenta Market
This quaint local grocery store showcases many yummy gifts for foodies. Arkansas jellies and jams, as well as great cheese and meat trays.
Wishing you happy, stress-free holiday shopping!
Dec 14, 2011 | Uncategorized
Nutcracker Season 2011 is officially over.
It’s strange not having to be at rehearsals.
My 3 cuties were: J- trumpeter angel, M- cannon soldier and one of the dragon’s feet, E- lead rat and lead angel (she changed it to angel and mouse sitter because she lead the tiny mice and angels out on stage and around! They were so precious!)
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| My rat scaring Clara |
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| My little cannon soldier (photo by Paul Henry) |
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| Mine is the trumpeter on the right and E is big angel in middle |
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| My angel (behind the pretty Sugar Plum Fairy) |
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| One of the tiny feet is Max |
Dec 6, 2011 | Uncategorized
Nutcracker is in full swing this week.
Mom, Emily and I made 11 dozen cupcakes!
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| Set up in Studio (can’t see the royal mice very well but they are peeking out!) |
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| Snowflakes and Flowers |
We tried to do something from each scene in the
Nutcracker. Ended up with Gumdrops for Land of Sweets, Flowers, Snow,
Dragon (from Chinese Tea because Max is in the dragon this year,)
Soldiers, and some fondant mice and royal mice.
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| Fondant Snowflakes with Sprinkle Snow |
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| Fondant Flowers with Sugar snow |
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| Soldiers, Nutcracker, Flowers, Dragon |
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| Dragon’s Head (by Emily) |
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| Soldier with Blue Disco Dust |
