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Quick Fall Craft

I was trying to decide what I wanted to do for a centerpiece for my table this fall (I know it's a little late in the year). You know me, I like things simple and clean looking.This is what I came up with. I apologize for the not-so-great lighting in the pictures. It was late at night so I couldn't use natural lighting. I grabbed an inexpensive cylinder glass vase at Michaels, a 99 cent piece of paper and my trusty ole Mod Podge. I glued the paper to the vase and then threw in some flower-type leaves I got from Pier 1 last year. Done! I got the green bowl from Anthropologie a couple of months back and haven't found a use for it yet, until now. I don't have it pictured yet but I will be putting some pine cones in there. Easy peasy!

Everything pumpkin day!

Today I was very much in a "pumpkin" mood. I get like that this time of year. I crave pumpkin. So, for M's school today I wanted to incorporate things that related to pumpkins. First, we made pumpkin smoothies. They were delicious and quite simple. I used 1-2 cups of homemade almond milk (you can use whatever milk base you prefer), 3/4 tsp. of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. of cloves, dash of nutmeg, 1/8 tsp. of ginger, 1 tsp. of vanilla, frozen banana and a big dollop of pumpkin (from the can). Tomorrow we will try using fresh cut up pumpkin. I threw it all in the blender and blended it up. It was so good. I then made pumpkin muffins to go along with the smoothie. As we enjoyed our delicious smoothie and muffin we read a book that was all about pumpkins. Simply delightful! And to think this was all part of our homeschooling day. I love it!

My first attemp with Mod Podge

For those of you that don't know, Mod Podge is a type of glue that is used for many things in the craft world. It is extremely versatile in that it bonds well and dries clear. I have spent hours and hours browsing different internet sites that show crafty projects using this wonderful bonding agent. I thought it was time I tried my hand at it. I also had a little help from "M".

First, we took an artist's canvas that we purchased from the craft store. I think I paid about $4. We then painted the canvas a light pink color. You have to make sure you let it dry completely before moving on to the next step.



We then cut a bird shape out of wrapping paper and put Mod Podge on the back of it and placed it onto the canvas. It's really important that you smooth out the paper with a ruler, or something of that nature, to get out any air bubbles. I was really disappointed because I ended up having air pockets and wrinkling that I couldn't get out. I won't be too hard on myself, though, given this was my first attempt. After the bird dries, you take the Mod Podge and brush it over the whole piece to give a polished, solid look. It's actually pretty simple.


We hung it up in "M's" room above her bookcase. I really like how it looks in her room and you can't really see the wrinkling now that it's up on the wall.


I have TONS of other ideas swirling in my head now that I have found a new love for this wonderful glue called Mod Podge. I will be sure to post my future projects!

Salad People

Want a fun and easy way to get the kiddos to eat fruits and vegetables? Make salad people. We found a great book called Salad People by Mollie Katzen. It has lots of simple and tasty recipes that your kids can make and it's vegetarian. Here is one of our salad people:

We used an apple for the body, yogurt for the head, carrots for the ears and arms and hair, parsley for the hands, grapes for the legs, halved bing cherry for the mouth and cranberries for the eyes and nose. We got a little creative and made a border out of pumpkin seeds. Maleah ate every bit of it and it was a lot of fun making it. You can use any variation of fruit and vegetables you want. Just have fun with it!

Patty Pan Squash

Thanks to my CSA, I learned about a new squash, Patty Pans. Let me tell you, they are delicious. I wasn't sure how to cook them so I jumped on youtube and found a recipe. I have made this recipe three times in the last week. It is so good. Here is the recipe:

You slice off each end of the patty pan (top and bottom, just slightly) and then cut the squash in half so that it forms two uniform disc shapes. Spray the bottom of a pan with olive oil spray (or use regular olive oil to coat) and then place the squash in pan face up. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Then you carve out a shallow well in the middle of the squash. I use a melon baller. Fill the well with crumbled goat cheese. On top of the cheese put either bruschetta, which is what I used, or you can use salsa or some type of sweet pepper relish. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top of that and then lightly drizzle everything with olive oil. Place in oven (I used my toaster oven) on 400 degrees and bake until tender but not mushy, around 15 minutes or so. That's it. Easy peasy.

Oh so tasty and good for you too. And remember, buy organic and local when you can!

Sunday morning breakfast

I normally don't eat a big breakfast but we have been getting in the habit of going out for breakfast after church on Sunday mornings. Today we decided to sleep in and not go to church. When I woke up I was craving a big breakfast. So I made one. I have been loving getting my CSA every week. I have been getting some pretty exotic (well, exotic to me) vegetables that I haven't seen before. One of them was purple potatoes. I didn't know they even existed. So, I was eager to use them. The good thing about joining a CSA is that it makes you eat healthier because you are getting lots of vegetables that you don't want to go to waste. I decided to make a skillet. You know, the like the ones you get in a restaurant. I fried up my purple potatoes, and then put scrambles eggs on top of them. I then sprinkled fresh basil (from my garen) on top along with cut up homegrown tomatoes (from my CSA) and some feta. It was delish!