New Year's Bread - Vasilopita

This bread is made once a year to honor St. Basil on his name day, which happens to be New Years Day.  The Vasilopita is cut on New Year's Eve.

When the clock strikes midnight, the lights are turned off and then turned on again to mark the end of the old year and the beginning of the new year.  The Vasilopita is cut into slices.  Inside the Vasilopita there is a hidden gold coin.  The custom is, whoever finds the gold coin in their slice of bread, will have good luck for the whole year.

I tried my hand at making Vasilopita this year, and was shocked at how easy it is to make.  There is quite a bit of time spent waiting for the dough to rise.  Other than that, it's pretty simple.

Here's the recipe I used from the Greek cookbook that I have:  From a Traditional Greek Kitchen:  Vegetarian Cuisine by Aphrodite Polemis.

Vasilopita

(St. Basil's Bread)

ingredients:
3 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
2 cups honey
2 TBSP mahlepi powder *
pinch of salt
2-3 pkgs dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
9 cups unbleached flour

directions:
Heat milk to scalding.  Remove pan from heat and add butter, honey, mahlepi and salt.  Let cool to Lukewarm.

Dissolve yeast in warm water and add to lukewarm milk.  Transfer to a large bowl.

Gradually stir in flour and mix until a soft elastic dough forms.  It should not be firm.

Cover with wax paper and towels and let stand in warm place for 3-4 hours or until dough doubles in bulk.   Punch down dough and knead.

Divide dough into 3 parts.  Make a braid from each part and then circle the braid until the ends touch.  Place in individual greased 9" baking pans.  Let stand again in warm place until dough rises to almost double (about 1 1/2 hours).

Brush with a little butter and bake in preheated 350F oven until top is deep chestnut color, 45-60 minutes.  Check every 15 minutes and if the color is darkening too quickly, reduce heat to 325F.

Cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then invert on a rack to finish cooling.


*can find this in a Greek grocery store.  Mine came whole and I had to grind up to a powder.

*I think I used about 7-8 cups of flour.


If you decide to make Vasilopita, let me know how yours turns out!

Happy New Year!

Year in Review - 2017

It's time to say good bye to 2017.

Let's take a look back at what we did  I did  happened this year, shall we?

I shared my Yiayia's famous Ice recipe.  Despite the easy steps, my children still have not figured out how to make it.  Maybe that can be one of their goals for 2018?

We went back in time  We travelled to the 90's  We solved the Case of the Missing Walkman.

We came up close and personal with RT's napkin hoarding.  I thought it was pretty bad when we went out to dinner and I mentioned that I could use a napkin and he pulled several out of his pocket.  We knew it was bad when he sent me a text with a picture of his desk drawer at work, full of napkins.  Let's hope he gets some help.

I received a knife sharpener as a gift and have used it a whole three times so far!  By the way, my book, "How to not use a Knife Sharpener and live your life on the edge," is available for sale now.

You learned more about my weird dog.  (I told you he was weird)  Probably a lot more than you wanted to know in the first place and, now believe he is really weird.

We also had some fun with RT's hearing.  Giving him the phone number for those who are hearing impaired.  Accidentally, of course!

You met the homeless hiker walking through the neighborhood (me).  I was later joined by my weird dog on my walks.

Oh, and how can we forget my endless number of car dealer visits?  In fact, that's where I am right now, writing this post!!

That brings us to the countless hours I spent watching golf!  I'm surprised I didn't start a golf blog!  How exciting and fun would that be!  Reading about golf!  Maybe that should be my goal in 2018?

We had a lovely summer of the zucchini...because that was the only thing that decided to grow in my garden this year.

I climbed a mountain with RT and Bella.

We learned about RT's love of doing laundry while on vacation.  By the way, he still has some dates left for the 2018 vacation season.  Better book now before those fill up!

We also learned that "It wasn't me" visits our house (quite often) and does some strange things.  In fact, if you see "It wasn't me," tell him to swing by and clean the pee that he left on the bathroom floor.  Thanks!

You joined me on my soap making adventure and my swim suit shopping excursion.

You cheered me  RT and I on our Vegan Challenge.  I still say RT cheated.

We had a couple of losses this year.  We had to say good bye to my alarm clock and the air conditioner.  May they rest in peace.

We can't forget about The Great Fruit Fly Infestation of 2017.  What a devastating time.  We thought it would never end!  And to think it started with a banana peel!  Hopefully my child we can learn from this bad experience and maybe clean our room more often?  watch where we put our banana peels.

We had our scary moment this year when RT almost got rid of, "The Shorts."  We had to have an emergency meeting to vote on whether "The Shorts" could be disposed of at that time.  The ruling stated that "The Shorts" were to be kept around.......FOREVER!

And, finally, we had a good laugh when RT accidentally bought Bean Boozled Jelly Beans instead of regular jelly beans.  We have some left, if anyone has a taste for: Stinky Socks?  Boogers?  Dog food?  Dead fish?

Wow!  We did a lot of crazy stuff this year!  I don't know about you, but, I'm looking forward to see what 2018 has in store for us.  I'm sure it's going to be strange  odd  weird  interesting  fun!

Hope you stick around for more of My Scary Journey.

We've had some frigid temperatures here this last week.  You know, where you feel like you are wearing a bikini and living in a freezer, even though you are wearing three thousand layers of clothing.  You bundle up to go out and wonder why you are going out.  You really can't see anyone's face because they are all bundled up, too.  And, of course, there is always that one crazy person that is wearing shorts.  You wonder how they are handling it or are they just doing it to show off?  And, all the while,  you are shivering and thinking that you should have put on that extra pair of underwear.

This one tastes like a booger

Recently we visited the Jelly Belly Factory.  During our visit, we purchased a variety of jelly beans.  My favorite jelly bean this time:  mango chili.  Sweet, but, with a spicy twist at the end.

RT happened to open a bag when we got back.  Popped a jelly bean in his mouth and started chewing.  "This one tastes like a booger."  Bella and I laughed.  He didn't seem phased by it.  And, we thought nothing of it.

That night, Bella happened to look at the bags of jelly beans we purchased.  On the back of one of the bags (the bag RT opened) it said, "Assorted Bean Boozled Flops."

If you know anything about Jelly Belly, you know that their  Bean Boozled game is quite popular.  That's where you spin a spinner and you eat the color of jelly bean that it lands on.  Sounds fun and easy, but, there are good tasting jelly beans and not so good tasting jelly beans.

For example:

Peach  or  barf
Tutti Frutti  or Stinky Socks
Berry Blue  or  Toothpaste
Lime  or  Lawn clippings
Chocolate pudding  or  dog food
Caramel Corn  or  Moldy Cheese
Juicy Pear  or Booger

I figure RT picked this bag without knowing anything about the Bean Boozle Challenge.  I thought we would have a little fun with him.

On our drive home, RT wanted us to break out the jelly beans.  Bella gave him a handful.  He tries one and we ask what flavor he got.  "This one tastes like cardboard."  Next one.  "I think they got the flavors mixed up on this one.  It doesn't taste right."

Bella decided to eat one and got dog food.  The entire car smelled like dog food.  We decided to tell RT about the jelly beans.

"Why would anyone want to eat jelly beans that taste like boogers?"

By the way, I think he had the stinky sock and dead fish jelly beans.  He also felt ill after eating them.

Charlie Brown Tree

We usually have an artificial tree for Christmas.

It all started when I was pregnant with Alex.  RT carried a tree into the house and the needles went everywhere.  Same thing happened when he removed it.  He cleaned up the needles both times.  The second time, when we were getting rid of the tree, he said (among other things that can't be repeated) that we were getting an artificial tree.

We had that artificial tree for a good 16-17 years.   It was looking pretty shabby the last few years and RT was bugging me to get rid of it.

Well, apparently I got rid of it last year.

We went to put up Christmas decorations and I asked why the tree wasn't brought down?  "You finally got rid of it last year."  

So, we decided to go get a real tree.  

Time went by and no tree.

We were about to run out and get one, when Alex asked if we could use his Christmas tree plant as our tree.  "You know, as a Charlie Brown tree."  I thought it was a great idea.  We could save a trees life!

The "tree" was really small when we bought it.  It was a small plant that I bought for Alex when he was little.  It was before Christmas and had little ornaments that I kept on the plant and moved them around as the plant grew.  It's a little over 2 feet tall now and is having it's big moment in the spotlight.

The Thermostat

The thermostat was invented to cause fights between married couples.  One person wants it warmer while the other likes it colder.  There's never an in between temperature that they can agree on.  Someone always suffers compromises to avoid a big fight.

In the winter, I don't mind the house to be a little cooler.  I mean, if you 're cold, throw on a sweater!  My family walks around the house in shorts and t-shirts all year long.  When it's cooler at night, it's great because you don't mind having a few blankets on your bed.

Unfortunately, I live with "someone" who likes the house to be warmer in the winter.  You know, so he "someone" can walk around in shorts (he "someone" claims it's cold at 66 or 67).  You can walk around in shorts, just throw a sweater or sweat shirt on.  Am I right?

When he "someone" adjusts the thermostat and makes the house warmer, the number of blankets on our bed is too many to count does not decrease with the adjustment.  So, one of us wakes up overheated in the middle of the night.

Normally, I fight this "someone" but, give in and let the temperature go up one degree.   I go along with the adjustment for a couple of days.  After several night sweats days, the temperature somehow magically goes back down a degree (or two).  And, no one notices everyone lives happily ever after.

Until "someone" realizes it's cold and adjusts the temperature while yelling, "Who keeps messing with the thermostat?"

I'm not sure how long I can get away with blaming it on one of the kids.

Calendar

We have the old fashioned calendar that hangs on the wall.  I write in activities, parties, work schedules, birthdays, appointments, etc.

I started using a notebook and writing the week's activities on a page and leaving it on the counter.  This way, everyone can look at it and see what is going on during the week.  I mean, walking over to where the wall calendar is hanging is a little too far.   This notebook is near the refrigerator, where there is heavy traffic.

Even though there are activities that occur every week (same time and day), "some people" forget.  I might have to include myself once in awhile.  Of course, I forget because I don't remember what day it is.

I am constantly being asked, "What's going on this week?"  To which I want to shout, "LOOK AT THE CALENDAR!"

I guess having someone tell you, or text you with the day or week's activities is a lot easier than every so often looking at the calendar.

RT has volunteered to be the basketball Coach for Bella's team.  He had to choose a day and time for practice.  Instead of looking at the calendar, he just chose a day and time.  Turns out that it's at the same time as one of Bella's dance classes.  Somehow, this is my fault.  The calendar is on the wall.  Schedule in the notebook every week on the counter.  Dance class started beginning of September.  So, yea, it's probably my fault.  I should have emailed the schedule.  Had it printed on our dinner plates and bowls and printed onto napkins.  Maybe even take out a radio and TV ad.

Dance class will be cut short for the next couple of months and I will be shuffling Bella from dance to basketball.

By the way, basketball practice has made it to the calendar.

The Deck Drop Off

We have this deck in the front of our house.  It's off the second floor.  There are two doors to it, one from our bedroom and one from the top of the stairs.  We don't usually hang out on this deck (it's too small).  RT uses it during Halloween, to lower the treat bucket (a neighborhood tradition).  You can find me out there several times a week shaking the dust mop over the side of the deck (Thanks, Pippen).

And, then there's RT...

RT likes to toss stuff over the front deck.

If anything large is being taken out of the house and is going into the garbage, RT decides that it's going over the deck.

I always wonder what the neighbors think when they see things being tossed out of our house from the deck.  Then again, maybe I don't want to know what they think of this deck dumping practice.

I think having the deck and the option of tossing things off it into the front yard is a big thrill for RT.  If we ever move, that will be a big selling feature for our house.  And, also, something we will definitely have to look for when purchasing another home.  I don't think RT will be able to live with out his Deck Drop Off.

Holiday Gifts and Crafts

It's that crazy time of year again!

I thought I would put some links up to easy Holiday Crafts and Gifts that you can make yourself, with kids or a Girl Scout Troop.

Christmas
Animal Ornaments 
Brazilian Holiday Flower  (great children's craft)
Candy Cane Sleigh 
Christmas Cards and tags
Felt Heart Ornament 
Foam Gingerbread House  (children's craft)
Foam Ornament Gift Tag 
Jingle Bell Bracelet (children's craft)
Mitten Gift Tags 
Mosaic Christmas Tree (children's craft)
Picture Frame
Snowman Ornament 
Stocking (out of construction paper) (children's craft)
Winter Scene (children's craft)
Snowman Ornament
Snowman Winter Craft (children and adult craft)

Gifts
Homemade Bubbles
Bath Bombs
Laundry Detergent (powder)
Homemade Hair Detangler
Homemade Liquid Hand Soap
Homemade Lip Balm
Homemade Lotion

Miscellaneous Crafts/Gifts
Bangle Bracelet (wrapped)
Blank Books 
Bubbles (homemade)
Book Mark
Bottle cap necklace
Cork Board using Old Picture Frame
Decorative Wrapping Paper 
Dryer Balls
Fun Scrapbooks
Gift Box
Paint Chip Monthly Calendar
Pumpkin Soap Recipe
Twine Napkin Holders 
Note cards  
Homemade Sidewalk Paint 
Sit upon (a cushion to sit on)
Wrapped Bangle Bracelet

Italian Bread

So, instead of a birthday cake this year, Nick decided he wanted Birthday Bread.   And not just any kind of bread.  It had to be homemade Italian Bread.  I told you that my kids were bread snobs. 

So, I did a practice run and made this Italian bread.  I found this recipe on The Spruce.  It's a simple recipe and makes two loaves.  

I don't think I have to tell you if the bread was tasty.  I will tell you that the bread did not last more than 24 hours.

Here's the recipe:

Italian Bread

ingredients:
1 TBSP sugar
2 tsp talt
1 TBSP (2 pkgs) active dry yeast
1 3/4 cups warm water (95-110F)
1 TBSP soft butter or margarine
5 cups bread flour (approximately)
1 egg white
1 TBSP cold water

directions:
In a large bowl, stir the sugar, salt, yeast and warm water.
Stir in soft butter.
Mix in enough flour to make a soft dough that can be kneaded by hand (3-4 cups).
Place dough on lightly floured surface and knead for 8 minutes, adding more flour if needed, until dough is soft and not sticky.
Place dough in greased bowl and flip over so that top is also lightly greased and cover with clean kitchen towel.  Let is rise for 30 minutes in a warm, draft free place.

Once dough has risen, it is time to shape the loaves.  

Grease a baking sheet and sprinkle it with cornmeal.
Remove dough from the bowl and place onto a lightly floured table.  Divide the dough into two equal parts.
Roll each half into a 15 x 9 rectangle.  Tightly roll the dough along the 15" side.  Pinch the seams and taper the ends of each loaf.
Place the loaves on the prepared baking sheet.
Cover and let rise for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425F.
Make 3 deep diagonal slashes on each loaf and bake the bread for 20 minutes.

Lightly beat the egg white and cold water in a small bowl.  Remove loaves from the oven and brush with the watered egg mixture.  Return the loaves to the oven for another 5 minutes.
Serve the bread warm or cold.

Enjoy!

A Clean Stool

That title should be great for search engine optimization.  Can't wait to see how many people come to my blog after this posts.

RT was making a peanut butter fold over.  That's when you take a slice of bread, spread peanut butter on it and then fold it over and eat it.  (RT is the inventor of the fold over.  He's most famous for the cheese fold over)  As he was folding the slice of bread in half, the bread did a flip and landed (peanut butter side) on the step stool.  RT picked the sandwich up and was ready to get the tools to clean up his peanutty mess.  The stool has a lot of little grooves on top, great for gripping so you don't slip and fall.  Not so great when you get peanut butter stuck in all of those little grooves.

Me:  Why don't you do it the easy way?

RT gave me a strange look.  How can getting peanut butter off a stool be easy?

I called Pippen over and he went to work.  

Pippen did a great job cleaning the stool.  The only problem is that the half he "cleaned" is a lot cleaner than the half that did not get any peanut butter.

So, now I have to either scrub the other half or smear peanut butter over it and let the dog clean it up.

Weird Local Laws

I was trying to get some information from Nick, which is not an easy thing to do.  I just needed a quick answer or two.  Instead of the answer I was looking for, I got an earful about some of the weird laws from a town near us.  Nick then started to compare a similar law to one from our town (our town's equivalent law isn't that weird).

After several hours minutes, I finally told him I wasn't up to discussing the weird laws of local towns and just needed a quick answer.

It's never easy.

By the way, the law was a dress code.  You can't make yourself look attractive.  So, sweatpants and a bad t-shirt?  Our town apparently has a dress code.  It isn't as strict.  It states that you have to be covered (no risqué dressing going on in this town!).

If you are interested in any other weird laws, I'm sure Nick can find a few more for you.

Vegan Diaries - Vegan Manicotti

I wanted to make something different for dinner.  I haven't made manicotti in a long time and thought tonight's the night.  Only problem?  It has dairy (ricotta cheese).  No problem for three of the family.  But, then there is the one that has dairy problems and the one (me) that has been trying to avoid dairy.

I thought I would search a vegan substitute for ricotta cheese.  My search came back with silken tofu.  I couldn't find silken tofu and decided to try firm tofu.  I placed the tofu inside a paper towel and squeezed out the excess water.  Crumbled up the tofu into a bowl, so it looked like ricotta cheese, and mixed in the rest of the ingredients.   Of course, I don't remember the website that I found the recipe  on (Sorry!).

Here's the recipe:


Vegan Manicotti
(taken from unknown website)

For the tomato sauce:
1/2 red onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped,
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt (optional)
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce

"ricotta cheese"
1 container firm tofu, crumbled
2-3 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 box manicotti shells

1 bag/box frozen chopped spinach, thawed, water squeezed out

vegan cheese (optional)


Make your sauce (using the above recipe, your own recipe or you can use a jar of spaghetti sauce).

Rinse tofu and place on paper towel and squeeze out excess water.  Crumble tofu into a bowl (so it looks like ricotta cheese).  Add the apple cider vinegar, oregano, pepper and garlic.  Mix in the spinach.  I added some of the tomato sauce so it wasn't so dry.

Start stuffing your manicotti shells and place in a baking dish.  Cover the manicotti with the sauce.  Add some water to the bottom of the dish (so it covers the bottom, plus a little more).  I use a covered baking dish so the shells don't get dried out and the water in the dish can boil a little and cook the manicotti shells.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.  Checking to make sure the shells are cooked.  And, serve.


* * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * *


*You can use your own homemade sauce or a jar of sauce.

*You can add as much garlic as you want (I like a lot of garlic).

I didn't tell anyone that these were vegan.  I was a little nervous how they would turn out.  I was lucky.  They were delicious!  And, there were not leftovers!  (and no questions!)  Success!

If you decide to make the Vegan Manicotti, let me know how it turned out!

Enjoy!

The Shorts

I'm sure you remember the infamous pair of shorts.

These are the sweatpants RT cut and made into shorts about 22 years ago.  I thought the "shorts" would be around for a month or two and then would disappear.

Here we are, twenty two years later and the shorts are still around.  

RT decided to put "the shorts" into his pile of clothes to be donated/thrown out.

These "shorts" have a HUGE history.  I mean, they have stuck around for 22 years!  So many memories!  RT wears them and the kids get embarrassed.  In fact, the kids beg me to not let RT wear these "shorts" when he picks them up from friend's houses or activities.  They are so famous, that people from all over the world come, just to get a glimpse of these shorts.

I saw "the shorts" in the pile of clothes that RT was getting rid of, and, I had to say something.  

Me:  You can't get rid of these shorts!  They are an historic treasure.

RT:  I thought you would be happy that I was getting rid of them.

Me:  Kids  Dad wants to get rid of his cut off shorts.

Kids:  The sweatpants shorts?

Me:  Yes.

Alex:  Family meeting!

All the kids came into the hall to discuss the future of "the shorts."

Bella was all for getting rid of them.  I reminded her that he has to wear them to walk her down the aisle.  She said she would rather see him wear something else.  (anything but the shorts!)

There was a vote.  Three for keeping the shorts and two (RT and Bella) for getting rid of the shorts.  (RT's vote doesn't count, thought.  He just has to go with whatever the majority decides).

I'm happy to inform you that "the shorts" are here to stay.  They are on display for all to see.  

Get your tickets today and get in line to see a part of history.

Black Friday

It's here again!  

My Black Friday post!

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving Day and is the biggest shopping day of the year.  For retailers, it marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.

For those of us working, it's a crazy, long, tiring day.  Make sure you take lots of vitamins and try to have fun.

If you are shopping, it can get a little crazy out there.  Be safe.

Also, be nice to the store employees.  

Last year's song title suggestions:

Man in Black - Johnny Cash
Paint It Black - The Rolling Stones
Back in Black - AC/DC
Black Cat - Janet Jackson
Black Magic Woman - Santana
Black or White - Michael Jackson
Black Widow - Iggy Azalea

Write in's from my fans:

Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden
Black - Pearl Jam


This year's add on suggestions:

Blackbird - The Beatles
Black Betty - Ram Jam
Black Gold - Soul Asylum


Do you have any suggestions for this year's list?

Thankful Thanksgiving Day 4

Today I am thankful for friends and family and traditions.  (I did say family on day 1, didn't I?) 

 I'm thankful for memories of friends and loved ones who can not be with us today.  I'm also thankful for family and friends who are here to share Thanksgiving with us.

In the year 1621, the Pilgrims held their first Thanksgiving feast.  They invited the great Indian Chief, Massasoit, who brought ninety of his brave Indians and a great abundance of food.  Governor William Bradford and Captain Miles Standish were honored guests.  Elder William Brewster, who was a minister, said a prayer that went something like this:  "We thank God for our homes and our food and our safety in a new land.  We thank God for the opportunity to create a new world for freedom and justice."

Linus van Pelt

Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful Thanksgiving - Day 3

After yesterdays post, I am thankful for indoor showers.  I couldn't imagine having to shower outside.  What do you do when it's freezing outside?  Not shower?  I guess we would all be wearing a large amount of perfume or cologne.

Thankful Thanksgiving Day 2

I'm thankful for modern cooking conveniences, like a stove/oven and refrigerator.  I don't think cooking over a campfire for every meal would be fun.  Well, maybe the first couple of times.  But, having to find wood and kindling before you build the fire and keep the fire going while cooking?  That might be a bit much.  Oh, and you would forever smell like a campfire.  

Thankful Thanksgiving Day 1

Thought I would reflect on something/one that I am thankful for in my life.  I know I've done this many times before on my blog (remember my list of 100 things that I am Thankful for?), but, it's Thanksgiving Week, the perfect time to reflect on all things that we are grateful to have in our lives.

So, here we go...

Today I am thankful for my family.  As weird, crazy, strange and scary they can be, I still love them and am truly thankful that they are a part of my life.  Yes, I complain about them and all of the annoying things that they do, but, without them, my life would not be complete.  And, hey, what would I write about if they weren't in my life?  This blog would be SOOO boring!  Ha ha ha.

Big Girl Panties

I'm sure you have heard that saying, "Put your Big Girl Panties on and deal with it."

I have to ask, What are Big Girl Panties?  I picture them as Granny Panties.  I don't own any of those, so, does that mean I can't deal with it?  Or, I don't have to be an adult?

Do we say that to men?

"Put your Big Boy Underwear on."  Is that similar to wearing Grandpa's Underwear?

Just thought I would provide you a little something to think about today.

Gee, Your Hair Smells Part II

I'm sure you remember my first post about hair smelling.

The other night, RT was giving Bella a hug and went in to smell her hair.  She gave him a look, waiting for his reaction.  He told her that it wasn't bad, but, at the scalp-line, it was getting bad.  He asked when she last washed her hair (a couple of days ago).  I tossed in that she had PE that day.  

RT:  Well, that explains it.

Bella argued that it couldn't be that bad.  She decided to smell RT's hair.  After smelling his hair, she declared that it was REALLY bad.  RT then said he "didn't wash it today."

Apparently I'm living with people that smell each other's hair for entertainment. 

Hoarders Anonymous

I've mentioned RT's hoarding problem in previous posts.

This past weekend, I asked everyone in the house to go through their clothes and shoes and get rid of items that don't fit (or items they do not wear).  As the seasons change, I find it's a great time for closet cleaning.  This way, we can find out what everyone needs to get through the next season.  And, it's only one trip to the store, which makes it a lot easier for me.

I asked RT to go through his clothes (he has millions of pairs of jeans) and shoes (I don't have an exact number, because I can't count that high).

Apparently, this was a success.  I got both RT and Bella to go through their things.  (Nick and Alex did go through their clothes last month, so, I wasn't too worried about them).  RT narrowed his jean collection.  He went through some coats and shirts and told me that he found some napkins.  He admits he has a problem and agrees to seek out help.

The only area that wasn't touched?  RT's shoes.  He said that he got rid of two pairs.  There are millions and millions of pairs of shoes in this collection.  I know that I should look at this as a good start.  The only problem is, it's just that.  A start.  I have a feeling that those shoes are going to be around a LONG time.  They might even need their own storage facility so we can display them.  We can build it right next to the one that will hold all of the napkins.

Easy Vanilla Frosting

Had to decorate some cupcakes for a recent birthday, and needed a quick, easy frosting recipe.  It isn't vegan, but, it's super simple.  Thought I would share.

Easy Vanilla Frosting

ingredients:
2 cups confectioners sugar
2 Tbsp butter, softened
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

directions:
Combine the above ingredients.  Mix on low until smooth and fluffy.  Spread on cupcakes or cake.


*I updated this for chocolate frosting.  I used 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar and 1/2 cup cocoa.    For a minty flavor, melt some mint chocolate chips and add to the frosting.

I'll try working on an easy vegan frosting.  Until then, this easy frosting will do.

Pumpkin Soap Recipe

It's that time of year!  All things Pumpkin!!!

I found this recipe for Pumpkin Soap and had to make a batch for myself!  Unfortunately I think it has to set for several weeks.  Let's see if I can hold on that long!

Here's the recipe....check out the link if you want pictures and more details on how to make the soap.


Pumpkin Soap Recipe

10oz olive oil
20oz coconut oil
8oz distilled water
4.73 oz lye
3 oz pumpkin puree
3 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice (optional)
15 drops each: clove essential oil and cinnamon essential oil (optional)
Safety gear: (safety goggles, long sleeve shirt, gloves and apron)
Equipment to make soap (supplies that are only used for soap making)
crockpot (used only for soap making) 

Always run recipe through a soap/lye calculator.  Especially if you decide to change oils or oil amounts.


Weigh all of the ingredients using a kitchen scale.  

Measure out the lye (making sure that you are wearing all of the safety gear)
Turn the crockpot on and place oils in.  Coconut oil must melt completely.

Gently stir lye into water.  Lye must be poured into water, otherwise there will be a bad chemical reaction.  Mixture will heat up, so, proceed with caution.  Stir until completely dissolved.  Let mixture sit for 10 minutes.  (it's great if you can leave it outside to cool off a bit)

Once the oils have melted in your crockpot, slowly mix in the lye/water mixture.  
Use your stick blender and blend for 4-5 minutes.  The mixture will become opaque and have a pudding like consistency (trace).

When the mixture has reached a light trace (thickened, but not holding shape), blend in the pumpkin puree.  

Blend until you reach trace (thick and smooth).

Put lid on slow cooker and set to low for 45-60 minutes.  Best to hang around while this is happening.  Don't disappear!

After 60 minutes, unplug the crockpot and stir in the essential oils and pumpkin spice.  The soap will start setting, so move quickly.
Spoon mixture into your mold, cover with towel and let sit for 24 hours to harden.

After 24 hours, remove from mold and cut into bars.  I let them sit another 4-5 weeks.  You can probably use after 2-3 weeks.  I like to make sure that the soap bar hardens before using it.



If you decide to make pumpkin soap, let me know how it turns out!

What to do with leftover Halloween Candy

Eat it!

Ha ha ha.

That's what my children have been doing.  Of course, only one child went trick or treating this year, but, she has enough candy for our entire family for a year.  I think RT and Alex are secretly helping her out.

If you have tons of candy like us, here are a few suggestions on what to do with the "leftovers," besides eating them...

Make cupcakes!  After pouring the batter into the cupcake liners, put an unwrapped (mini) chocolate candy bar in the center and then bake.

Open the bags of M & M's and put them in your batter when making cookies.

Unwrap small dresses Peanut butter cups and Hershey's Chocolate Kisses and put them in cookie dough balls before baking.

Bring some to a Senior Living Community.  They would love to have a piece of candy (preferably something easy to eat).

Did you eat all of your Halloween candy yet?

Vegan Diaries - Energy Bites

I mentioned that I was looking for vegan dessert options.  I'm not sure where I found this recipe.  I tried it (it's REALLY easy to make) and it was a huge hit.  And, the best part?  You don't have to bake them!  

Don't blame me if you get hooked on them.

Here's the recipe:

Energy Bites

ingredients:
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup agave
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup oats
2/3 cup toasted, shredded coconut*
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
6 TBSP mini chocolate chips 

directions:
In  a bowl, mix peanut butter, vanilla and agave.
Add the rest of the ingredients.
Chill until set.
Shape into 1 inch balls.
Store in container in the refrigerator.


*I put the shredded coconut in the food processor so it didn't have big chunks of coconut sticking out.  I also used unsweetened coconut.

**Feel free to substitute honey for the agave.  Also feel free to add less honey or agave.


If you try making the Energy Bites, let me know what you think! 

Enjoy!

Belly Ache Day

Another Halloween has passed and large  huge  enormous  a lot of candy has entered our house from hours of Trick or Treating.   I think we have enough candy for five lifetimes.  Bella and RT have already dug into the candy stash (and have not made a dent in it).  Trying to get my family to eat anything (other than candy) on Halloween has always been a challenge.

My Dad always called the day after Halloween, "Belly Ache Day."  You know....from eating too much candy on Halloween!  I always thought it was funny (because I never ate too much candy on Halloween).  But, then I had children.  Two of them with HUGE sweet tooth's (sweet teeth?).

I think those two (oh, and RT) will be floating along the rest of the week on a sugar high.

Are you suffering from a Belly Ache today from too much candy?

Mad Hatter

Bella decided to be the Mad Hatter for Halloween.  We picked up some funky duds from the thrift store.  When it came down to the hat, I thought about buying one at the store (until I realized it was $25, yikes!).

Bought a felt hat, bunny ear set (from the Dollar Store) and had the material.  With a little hot glue and some imagination.....

I'll try to get a picture of the entire costume.  Unfortunately, I won't be home when she starts trick or treating.  I'll get it....eventually.....

Special Bread

Whenever we have a special meal for a birthday, holiday, special occasion, I pick up a loaf of bread.

I should probably have started out this post with how much my family loves bread.  How I could purchase a loaf of french bread and my kids could devour it with in 12 hours.

They descend from a long line of bread lovers.  My grandfather could make a meal out of bread and cheese.  My Dad could do the same.  Growing up, I don't think we ever ate a meal without bread.

My children have become bread snobs.  They know good bread when they see it.  If there's good bread around, guarantee it won't last very long.  Currently, they prefer a sour dough bread and a healthy multi grain bread.  These are made at a local bakery.

I decided to make a special dinner for Nick's girlfriend.  I picked up a loaf of garlic bread (almost like the everything bagel, but on top of a loaf of bread).  All three of the kids noticed the bread when they got home and asked about it.

During dinner, they said we should have special dinners more often so they could get good bread.  I said, "Yeah.  All of a sudden we will be celebrating (Nick's girlfriends') birthday every week."

Long Distance Calling

RT had to make a phone call one morning for work.  He starts to punch in the number in his phone.  He stops and yells, "Where is "646" area code?"  I quickly look it up and reply, "New York."

RT:  Are we able to call that number?

I gave him an odd look.

RT:  I mean, do we have long distance?

I gave him another strange look.

Me:  We don't have the ability to call outside of the country but, we can call within the US.

He was on his cell phone.  Most cell phone plans have unlimited minutes within the US.

I finally said, "You are now leaving the 1990's.  We welcome you to the wonderful 2000's."

I think he realized what he was asking.  He then said, "Wow.  That's something my Dad would have asked."

The young  

cool  

hipster  

My husband.

Easy Halloween Costumes

I thought I would share my two easy Halloween costumes I made this year.  

Blow a Kiss Emoji

Yellow t-shirt
black and red felt
paper
pencil
scissors
fabric glue

This first costume was for work.  We were having a Halloween party at work and we all had to dress as an emoji.  I chose the Blow a Kiss emoji.  I drew out the emoji on paper first (you know me and my templates!).

Pumpkin Pie

orange t-shirt
black felt
paper
pencil
scissors
fabric glue
head band
plastic pumpkin

The second costume is to wear to work on Halloween.  Yea, I have to work Halloween (only during the day).  I thought this would be a fun and easy costume to make and wear.  Trace the Greek letter Pi onto black felt.  (That's the Pie)  Once the Pi is on your shirt, you can attach the pumpkin to your headband.  Get it?  Pumpkin Pie.  Great costume for math lovers.

Dance Recital Videos

Yea, I know.  I'm a little late in posting these Dance Recital Videos.  I've had the hardest time trying to upload them to Youtube.  Today, they finally uploaded, so, I went a little crazy and uploaded the last three years of dance recital videos.  Here they are!

2015

"Shake it Off" by Taylor Swift

 "Proud Mary" (sung by Glee).


Check out her dance moves!



Here is 2016

Grease

Red Balloon


Here is 2017

Ballet:
True Colors

Don't Stop Believin'

Jazz/Hip Hop

Still I Rise

(the video for Rhythm Nation was too blurry to put up..sorry)



I love how she sings along with the songs!

Vegan Diaries - Cajun Tofu, Sweet Potato Cilantro Rice Bowl

Made this Cajun Tofu Rice Bowl based on my delicious dining experience at Veggie Fest.  You could add cheese to the meal and make it Vegetarian.  


Here's the recipe:


Cajun Tofu, Sweet Potato Rice Bowl

ingredients:
12oz firm tofu
Cajun seasoning
olive oil

1 cup basmati rice (I used whole grain)
cilantro, chopped
1 TBSP lime juice
1/2 cup green beans (optional)*

1-2 Sweet Potatoes, chopped
garlic
olive oil

Extra ingredients chopped for your bowl:
sweet peppers
onion
tomato
avocado
cucumber
greens (spinach or lettuce?)


directions:

Oven to 350F

Place tofu in paper towel and gently squeeze a little to get off excess water then cut into 1/4" slices.

Mix Cajun seasoning with olive oil and lime juice and rub onto the tofu.  Let set for 30 minutes.

Bake seasoned tofu for 30 minutes.  

While the tofu is baking, make the cilantro rice.  Cook rice as directed, adding the lime juice and cilantro toward the end of cooking.  

While the rice is cooking, take chopped sweet potato and sauce in garlic and oil in pan.  

When rice and sweet potatoes are cooked, it's time to assemble your bowl!  I start out with the rice and build on that (sweet potatoes, tofu, chopped vegetables, etc.). 



*I had some green beans from the garden that I chopped up and threw in while the rice was cooking.  It was a great addition.

An Abundance of Pears

The sign said, "Free pears."

RT:  What can you make with pears?

Me:  Pear sauce?

We decided we would grab some on our way back home.

RT was the one who decided to hop out of the car and grab a bag of pears.  We get home and I realize that he took three bags.  I washed them and had them in a bowl on the counter.

Alex:  What's the deal with all of the pears?

Me:  That's what we will be eating this week.

I used half of the pears and made cinnamon pear sauce (similar to apple sauce).

We just finished the pear sauce and now the other half of the pears are ripe.  I'm scrambling to find something different to make with these pears.

Pear pie?

Pear soup?

Pear chili?*

*It's cooling off around here

My Life Timeline

Some people measure time with actual dates.

"That happened on July 27, 2015"

Some people measure time with history.

"I remember that it was around the same time as the Tylenol scare."

Some people measure time with politics.

"Bill Clinton was president when that happened."

And, then, there is me.. I measure time in relation to my children.

"We got our fence when Alex was born."

"The basement was finished when Bella turned one."

I think my time line is normal.  I remember events (good and bad) and associate them with how old my children were at the time (or what they were doing at that time).

RT is quite amused by my time line.  He always asks, "How do you remember that?"  Sometimes I don't know the year or the child's age, but remember the incident.  But, they always correspond to some event (our kitchen remodel, our roof, fence install, etc.)

What does your life timeline look like?

How do you measure time?

 by date?

politics?

number one hit songs?

Gee, Your Hair Smells

Remember that commercial back in the '70's?

"Gee, your hair smells terrific!"

That also happened to be the name of the shampoo.  I don't remember what the shampoo smelled like (terrific?) but I do remember how everyone seemed to compliment the person that used it.

I took the plunge and bought a new shampoo last week.  I felt like the brand I was currently using was not doing anything positive and it was time for a change.  I steer away from chemicals, after realizing that was the reason why my scalp would itch so much (same chemical in shower gels and I can't use those).  Anyway, I chose a shampoo with a lavender scent.  I washed my hair with the new shampoo.  All day I noticed how nice my hair felt.  Softer and more body.

RT comes home and I tell him about my new, exciting purchase.  He sticks his nose into my scalp and inhales and declares that my hair smells awful.  Bella starts laughing.  She walks over and smells my hair and says that it smells bad and starts laughing.

I'm thinking it's a joke.

 A little while later, RT approaches me and says that he is being honest.  He doesn't want me to walk around thinking my hair smells good, when everyone else is thinking the total opposite.

I grab the bottle and have him smell the shampoo.  I mean, some people are not lavender people.  He said, "If you stick your nose in there, that's what your hair smells like."  I said, "I don't think normal people are going to stick their nose into my scalp to smell my hair."

Oh, and Bella was going along with it because she thought it was a joke.

Just when you think my life's journey isn't scary....  Yes.  These are real conversations I have with my family.

If I happen to bump into you, go ahead and tell me that my hair smells terrific.

Passwords

No.  Not the game show.  The word that you use to get into your accounts.

Yes, we all have a billion accounts with a billion memorized passwords.  We are told not to use the same password for every account (does anyone do this?).  Don't use a real easy code, like 1234.  Don't use your name, date of birth, etc.  And, then we should change these passwords often (what??)  Half the time I can't even remember the User ID.  And then I have to remember a password?

I do have some really good passwords that I don't think RT could figure out.  Heck!  I can't even figure out half of them!

I've taken to writing them down in a notebook.  I'm now finding that it would be most helpful if the notebook had them in alphabetical order.

RT suggested putting them on my computer.  What if I forget my computer password?

Maybe having all these ID's and passwords are good for exercising our minds.  Or, maybe it has the opposite effect and makes us lose our minds quicker?

I imagine being kidnapped, having a gun held to my head and being told to type in my password.  I would probably ask, "How much time can you give me?"  and, "How many chances do I get?"

Why is it that I can spray some perfume on myself and I feel like the scent is immediately lost.  Then there is my daughter, who uses half a bottle of spray  sprays perfume on and the entire house smells wonderful?

Maybe it's my choice of spray?

Maybe I need to use half of the bottle?

Vegetarian Diaries - Vegan Brownies Dairy Free Option

I mentioned a week ago that we were looking for some dairy free options for desserts and, guess what I found!  Vegan Brownies!

Bella loves brownies and since she is the one with the dairy problems, I thought a brownie dessert recipe would be perfect to test.

There is a link for gobs of details and pictures for the recipe.  My family (the non-vegans) actually enjoyed these brownies.

Here's the recipe:


Vegan Brownies
recipe found here

ingredients:
1/4 cup almond butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup + 2 TBSP melted coconut oil
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 flax eggs*
1/4 cup + 2 TBSP white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips


directions:
Oven: 325F
Line 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside

In bowl, whisk almond butter, brown sugar, syrup and melted coconut oil until it resembles carmel.

Add cocoa powder and whisk until shiny and smooth.  Add in vanilla and salt.  Stir until mixed in.

Add flax eggs, whisking until it is well incorporated.  Whisk in flour.  You might have to switch to using a spatula at this point.  Mix until no flour clumps remain.

Add chocolate chips and pour into prepared baking dish.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Cool for an hour.



*flax eggs:  2 TBSP ground flax = 6 TBSP water whisked together and set aside for 15 minutes

I used peanut butter instead of almond butter
I used half the sugar and I didn't use that much syrup (I'm not big on sugar)
I substituted white flour, because that's all I had on hand


If you make these Vegan Brownies, let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

My Weird Dog

Didn't think I would have that many things to write about under this title, did you?

Went for an evening walk with Pippen.  He was his usual excited self.  We walked around a park and I noticed a person lying in the grass with their dog.  I was hoping the dog was on a leash.

But, alas, the dog was not on a leash and as we were walking by, the dog jumps up and runs toward us.  I pulled Pippen aside, point at the other dog and say, loudly, "No!"  The dog stops, looks at me, and then turns around and runs back to his owner.

So, yea.  I am now able to communicate in the dog world.

Move over, Cesar Millan!

Vegetarian Diaries - Dairy Free Options

So, I fell a little off the wagon after my two week Vegan Challenge.  I've pulled myself together and am back to cutting out as much dairy as possible.

A while back (a few months ago) we figured out that dairy has been giving Bella some bad stomach aches.  During the Vegan Challenge, she said that she felt really good without the dairy.  We are now looking for more dairy free recipes.  Especially sweet treats recipes.   Oh and something that is equivalent to ice cream.

If you have any suggestions, please let me know!

Happy Fall!

Wow!  Time sure flies when you're having fun!

I thought I would put some links to some of the Fall/Halloween crafts that I've blogged about in the past.

Time to get your craft on and get ready for the fall season!

Halloween Crafts

Bat Pencil Cup
Extra Crafts - using construction paper, owls, witch, ghost, foam monsters
Mosaic Pumpkin - using paint chips
Mosaic Pumpkin - using construction paper
Owl - using construction paper
Pony Tail Craft - using ribbon
Pumpkin and Ghost - using Popsicle sticks
Pumpkin Magnet - using foam
Spider - using pipe cleaners
SPIDER
Spider (under $1 craft)
Witche's Hat