Much To Be Grateful For

I have so many things to be Grateful for this Thanksgiving. These are just a few that I have been reminded of this month.



1. Happy Thoughts, 2. Just the Girls, 3. Tchotchkes, 4. Time and Tolerance, 5. Wisdom, 6. Intervention, 7. The Beauty of Dance, 8. Reading, 9. Time Together, 10. A Helping Hand, 11. Sweet Girl of Mine, 12. Family History, 13. Going Green, 14. Slow Cooker, 15. It's Time to Decorate, 16. Glitter, 17. A Taste of the World, 18. A Table for Two, 19. Friends and their Babes, 20. Health and Well Being

(click on the links for more details)

Enjoy your day, however you choose to celebrate. We'll be letting someone else do the cooking this year and heading out to the Arizona Biltmore for a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. I guess that means I can get started decorating for Christmas NOW, since I won't be working in the kitchen.

Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!

A Little Bit of Bento

I had to laugh when Sheri at Happy Little Bento tagged me to post about what I do with the little bits and pieces leftover from making Bento.

Truth be told, I most often make lunch fairly late at night, when I'm tired. For some reason I think eating helps me stay awake, so the Bento Scraps usually end up in my tummy. That's not to say I don't have "plans" on what I think I should do with all the scraps, so I guess that's what I'll post about.

Depending on what I'm packing, and how decorative it is, the bits and pieces can vary a lot. This is a pictures I took of what my kitchen counter looked like one night after making Little K's Bento.



I called it "Bento Remains" - or as my Flickr friend gamene calls it "Bento Carnage".

But not all days are like that. When I'm packing leftovers, and whole pieces of fruit and vegetables, the leftovers are pretty minimal.

This is today's lunch. Leftover Potstickers with strawberries, blackberries, tangerine, tomatoes and cucumber flowers. The box I used is just a sandwich box found at the grocery store. I love the peek a boo heart.



And this is the only mess that remained.



So if you are thinking about getting started with a Bento Lunch (you know who you are) - give it a try. They don't always take a long time to assemble - my husband even said last night how fast this one came together. You don't have to have any special Bento boxes, and if you don't want to re-use or re-cycle your scraps - feel better knowing that mine often end up in the trash.

No pressure - go ahead - give it a whirl.

Since this all started with a tag - here are my thoughts on making use of Bento Leftovers:

1) Bread - I love feeding the birds outside my kitchen window, and it seems the bird feeders are always empty, so I break up the crusts into bits and toss them into a dish that gets put out for the birds in the morning. I don't throw it directly on the ground (gets too mushy and attracts ants).

2) Nori Seaweed - I keep 2 bags in the fridge. One for full sheets that I use for cut outs and punches, and the Other for smaller bits (or cutting mistakes). I love the peppery flavor of Nori and the little bits can be sprinkled on rice or veggies for a little contrast.

3) Cheese - This is one thing I don't usually eat up on the spot, probably because little K likes Swiss, which is not my favorite. I love the idea of keeping the bits in the fridge to use on eggs, or grilled sandwiches. We have a Hermit Crab that loves cheese, so he usually gets a treat from what's left.

4) Cold Cuts/Lunch Meat - Chop up into small pieces and keep in the freezer. Add to eggs, fried rice or Soup Stock.

5) Fruits - If I don't use the entire fruit (plum, apple etc), I usually make up a snack box (nothing fancy, just sliced or chunked). It either gets eaten after school, or in the car on the way to an activity. I'll add some cheese or crackers to the snack box just before we leave.

6) Vegetable or fruit peels - Veggie peels can also be kept in the freezer to be used in Soup Stock. I wish I had a compost pile, but it's still on the "to do" list, so these usually get tossed, or given to our pet crab or parrot.


I'm going to tag MandLmom at Pigs do Fly next and ask her to share what she does with her bento leftovers!

Once you accept the tag, the rules are simple:

1) Please link back to the person who tagged you and add your name to the "tagged list" below.

2) When you have answered the question (which can be in any style/format you like), nominate another (one will do) fellow blogger (who is not already on the list) and pass the tag to your nominee.

If you (the selected nominee) has already answered this question in an earlier post (well done), then your job is very easy - just link the tag to your earlier post and pass the tag on as per item nos. 1 and 2 above. Alternatively you can update it (if you wish). Have fun :)

Tagged:

1. javapot
2. susanyuen
3. sherimiya
4. Karina
5. MandLmom

[Ps. No cute picture with this tag unless someone can generously suggest one which would be most appreciated! Hint, hint…anyone wanna sponsor or is just creative? All credits will be given.]

Butternut Curry Soup

I've really been missing my East Coast Roots this Fall. Wishing I could see the leaves change colors and waiting for the temperatures to cool down enough to be able to wear a scarf, or even long sleeves.

If it doesn't feel like fall outside, at least I can make it smell like fall inside - so I roasted up some veggies and made this delicious soup.



I was inspired by this recipe by Ina Garten, but I made a few changes. Not because I think I can improve in any way on what the Contessa has created, but mostly because I didn't have all the required ingredients on hand, plus I had a few more I wanted to include.



The vegetables were gathered up from the the fridge, peeled, cubed, tossed with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Then roasted in a 425 degree oven about 45 minutes or until tender.

After roasting, I pureed the vegetables with a stick blender (one of my favorite tools) along with some spices (curry powder, toasted onion powder, and garlic salt) adding chicken stock and a little heavy cream.



I get most of my spices from Penzeys. I used to order them on-line, or from their catalog, but now I live in a city where they actually have a retail store - I'm like a kid in a candy store. I never knew there were so many versions of even the basic spices, and they do a fantastic job navigating you through what could be an overwhelming spice journey. Not to mention they have wonderful recipes in their catalog.



When the soup was done, we added a few condiments - chopped peanuts, cilantro and toasted coconut.

I'm definitely feeling a bit more like Fall now.

Roasted Butternut Curry Soup

2 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes

1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes

1 head cauliflower, cut into cubes

2 apples (your choice) peeled, cored and cut into cubes

1 red onion, peeled and cut into cubes

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon toasted onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

olive oil, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper

Toss vegetables in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread vegetable on a sheet pan and roast in a 425 degree oven for 45 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool slightly. Place roasted vegetables in a soup pot and add part of the chicken stock. Puree with a stick blender, adding the rest of the chicken stock until desired consistency. Add curry, onion and garlic powder/salt and continue to blend. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Add heavy cream and stir until combined. Served with your choice of chopped condiments (coconut, green onions, cilantro, cashews, peanuts).

Disclaimer: I don't usually measure or keep track when I cook, so quantities are approximate to the best of my recollection. Go with your instincts and toss in what you like - including a little love!

Family Love

I'm so happy to have had my Mum come and stay with us for the past few weeks. We've had loads of fun together. Our closets are bulging, and so are our waistlines...and I can't wait to do it all again!

Friendship

There is a cozy corner, in my heart,
All tucked away,

Warmed by the light of friendship's smile, and song
And laughter, gay.

A secret nook I keep, just for a favorite few,
And there is always Open House
Within that place for you.

Happy Halloween

It's almost Halloween....and believe it or not, I'm feeling somewhat prepared. I'm sure it's because my mother is here with me, and has been helping me bring to life all those crazy ideas that swim around in my head (what would I do without you Mum...Thanks!)

We've been busy:

Halloween Costume Made....CHECK

Boo Bags Delivered....CHECK

Fall Teachers Gift Created...CHECK

Class Treats Completed....CHECK

House Decorated Inside and Out...CHECK

Little K dressed in something Cute and Haloweeny for the week...CHECK

Creepy Bento Lunches Made...CHECK

Haunted Gingerbread House Baked....OOPS, didn't quite get to that one!

Here are Little K's lunches from the past few days to get you into the Halloween Spirit!

I've had so much fun not only making these...but being completely inspired by what other have done. Check out these cool Halloween Themed Bento Lunches. Now do you see why I just can't stop.

My Flickr Friend Texasmomof4 started the group on Flickr and I'm blown away with what everyone has come up with. I have a feeling there may be more Holiday Themed Bentos in the works.

Have a Fantastic Safe Weekend. Save a Peanut Butter Cup for Me!

Parent Teacher Conference - Survival Basket

It's Conference Week at Little K's Elementary School.

With budget cuts and staffing changes, many of the teachers have over 30 kids in their class (compared to under 20 just a few years ago). I've never been a teacher, but as a Retail Manager, I remember what it was like to give Employee Reviews to 30+ employees. It's draining, taxing and tiring - even when you're discussing positive topics. I can only imagine how it must be for the teachers who have to meet with 30+ families in just a few days.

With this in mind, we put together this little basket of goodies for Mrs. Simpson to get her through the week.

It's filled with Water to keep her hydrated - Tac Mints to keep her fresh - Fruits (apple, banana, asian pear) to keep her healthy - as well as some Raspberry Candies and Almond Poppy Muffins...because sometimes you just need something sweet.

Little K is just thriving in Mrs. Simpson's Class, and we can't thank her enough. Hats off to all the teachers out there who give of themselves selflessly to make our children the best little people they can be.

Over The Top Award

I recently received this Cool award from two friends. Susan at Hawaii's Bento Box Cookbook and MandLMom at Pigs Do Fly.

Whoo Hoo….my First Blog Award. Thanks so much Ladies!

The rules of this award are simple:

1) Answer the questions with only one worded answers (questions are below)
2) Thank the blogger who gave it to you over and over and over (that’s exaggerated a bit)
3) Pass it on to your favorite blogs

I hereby grant this award to:

Make Life Sweet

Magpie Ethel

Lucky Number 13

Our Crazy Fun Life

Now the questions:

1. Where is your cell phone? Kitchen
2. Your hair? Messy

3. Your mother? Here
4. Your father? Gone
5. Your favorite food? Asian
6. Your dream last night? Incomplete

7. Your favorite drink? Propel
8. Your dream/goal? Happiness
9. What room are you in? Office
10. Your hobby? Crafting
11. Your fear? Nothing
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Improved
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. Something you aren’t? Minimal
15. Muffins? Carrot
16. Wish list item? Tripod
17. Where did you grow up? Allover
18. Last thing you did? Slept
19. What are you wearing? Jammies
20. Your TV? Off
21. Your pets? Strays
22. Your friends? Loyal
23. Your life? Fantastic!
24. Your mood? Happy
25. Missing someone? Many
26. Vehicle? German
27. Something you’re not wearing? Bra
28. Your favorite store? Vintage
29. Your favorite color? Green
30. When was the last time you laughed? Now
31. Last time you cried? Friday
32. Your best friend? Gary
33. One place that I go over and over? Michaels
34. One person who emails me regularly? JoEllen
35. Favorite place to eat? Cheesecake Factory (not my fault it’s more than one word)

Fast Fix It

Before my Mum arrived, we did a little sprucing up around the house. Nothing like a visitor to get you to work on your household "To Do" list - right?

Nothing major, but lots of little things that no-one will ever notice like:

• Scraping the old caulk from around the tub
• Adding fresh white new caulk...ahhh it looks so clean
• Cleaning off the mineral deposits from the faucets
• Sealing the Granite counter tops so the water marks don't show
• Repairing the silicone seal around the sinks

I feel better having done them - because I get to cross something off my list. Even if I'm the only one who knows.

One thing hubby and I did do - that is a little More noticeable (or actually, to make them Less noticeable) - was to paint the recessed lighting in our kitchen.

Our house is over 20 years old and has these lovely recessed fluorescent panels in the ceiling.

The lighting is the least of our worries when it comes to updating the kitchen, so having an electrician come in and replace them with pot lights is not going to happen any time soon.

Our solution?

Paint them white to blend in with the ceiling so they (hopefully) fade away, instead of drawing your attention to them with the dark oak frame.

I know - my father is probably rolling over in his grave at the thought of me painting over real Oak! In this case - I think it was necessary.

We also replaced the plastic diffuser panels. I didn't realize how yellow they had gotten over the years - and of course, they were a lovely bubble rain texture (Sorry, I hated them so much I forgot to take the picture before we smashed them into itty bitty pieces).

The hardest thing about this project was cutting the plastic panels down to size..apparently standard fluorescent lighting has changed over time and we had a bear of a time cutting them.

Did you like how I said "we". That implied that I actually did something on this project. Dear Hubby was the one standing on the stool on the kitchen counter painting the wood. I tried to cut the panels, but just didn't have the oomph (and I consider myself pretty strong), so he had to do that too. Does it count that it was my idea?

The kitchen is so much brighter now and I'm happy with the temporary fix results.

Blame it on the Book Fair

I'm so sorry - I have been derelict in my blogging duties. I have lots of excuses why I've been absent lately, but today I'll choose just one to take the blame (because taking responsibility myself would be just too grown up of a thing to do, and it's always easier to blame it on something else).

I've been volunteering at Little K's school helping to decorate and set up for our Bi-annual Book Fair with my friend Marni. We were just talking the other day about how we got roped into this...errr I mean how we ended up volunteering for this job? The truth is, it's fun to do, we love working with the Media Staff (Hi Stacey) and it's a creative outlet. But it is a lot of work, and I'm happy to say, we are on track for a fantastic Grand Opening on Friday.

This years theme is "Destination: Book Fair. Read Around the World".



This is a close up of the main bulletin board inside the Media Center where the Book Fair is set up. Those red balls are Giant Push Pins marking the cities on our World Tour.

We can't take credit for all the clever decorations. Scholastic puts out a fantastic "How To" kit and even includes on-line templates and patterns for many of the ideas. Although, I have to admit, we often don't use them...because being the perfectionists that Marni and I both are...we think we can do better on our own, and so we sometimes try.



We made invitations for the Staff that looked like Passports. We try to keep the materials as low cost as possible, so the invites were made simply from construction paper and a few scrapbooking tools (punches and corner rounder). The "visa" stamps were created using MS Word.



The main entrance was decorated with images of children from various nations, with their countries flag and native greeting.



The Teachers Wish board is for families to purchase books to donate to the classroom libraries. Teachers fill out "request" of books they would like at the Staff Preview, so for the Book Fair opening, the suitcase pockets will be filled with wish list cards.

Scholastic provided a template for the suitcase pockets, but we chose to use a similar die cut from the scrapbook store. Much faster than cutting them all out by hand.



The tables are decorated with globes already owned by the school.

For several weeks the students have been coming in during free time and coloring Flags from all Nations. They were strung in banners above the book display tables.

Our attempt at a Hot Air Balloon behind the cashier table. Take another look - can you see it now?



Bulletin board borders were added to the cases and embellished with flags (found on a free clip art site and printed on cardstock).

Kids activities include Guessing Jars filled with Italian Pasta, Chinese Fortune Cookies and Mexican Tortilla Chips.

Hopefully you'll understand what I've been keeping busy with lately. My mom has also recently arrived for a visit, and we'll soon be off on a little road trip. But I have lots of projects lined up for Mum and I to do while she's here, so we'll be back to posting with a vengeance soon.

Little Clothespin Cutie

I'm afraid my Bento Lunch creations are at Risk. I've discovered a new obsession that seems to be monopolizing my time lately.



Isn't she adorable (if I do say so myself)? Now can you see why I'm obsessed with making these little cuties. This one was completely "styled" by Little K. She chose the fabric and colors (hair and eye colors are the same as hers)...she even painted the legs/tights and stripes herself.



I love how the stripes on her tights are all wonky.

This one was actually just a trial run. We have a friend who celebrated her 6th Birthday this weekend, and I wanted to make a little Clothespin Doll Scene for her present.



This is what we made for her. The colors are coordinated to her Birthday invitation (shown in the background). The little dolls hair and eye colors match the Birthday Girl.

Her theme was "Birds in the Garden", so we had to add some flowers and a little bluebird singing away.






I've been admiring the work of several Flickr artists that make fantastic clothespin dolls. Some of my faves are Jenny at be cheery, Susan at Sweetimaginations and Carol at Wee Cute Treasures. Their creations inspired me to give this craft a try. They give their dolls such personality and each artist has their own unique style. It's been fun watching their work.

I remember making clothespin dolls as a child. I think it was a kit that had all the pins and sheets of felt with itty bitty pattern pieces that you cut into clothes and then glued to the clothespin. I worked for hours on those little creations. I guess I was a bit obsessive even back then. The thrill has come rushing back, and I still have lots of supplies, so I'm sure you'll be seeing more of these cuties to come.

But first - I think I better go pack Little K a bento box for school tomorrow.

Arizona Night Sky

Taking a moment to appreciate the Sunset.

The sky lights up like this nearly every night here in Arizona, but I rarely get to see it. Cleaning Up from dinner, Packing Lunch, Snuggling with Little K, they all keep me occupied inside while the day comes to an beautiful end outside.

Maybe tomorrow we'll sit outside together and watch the sun go down. The dishes can always wait until after dark!

Pasta for Everyone

Little K and I had the great idea to make pasta - from scratch! I'm not quite sure why, since you can buy a box of pasta in any flavor, or shape you want for just around a dollar. I guess it was the thought of playing around in the messy dough that appealed to both of us. Besides, isn't anything home made Better than store bought?

So with that thought in mind - we got started.

The ingredients are simple. Just Eggs, Flour, Olive Oil and Salt. I'm sure a real Italian cook would just mix it all together until it felt right. But we needed to at least start with a recipe.

Homemade Pasta

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Mound flour in the center of a large board. Make a well in the flour and break the eggs into the center. Sprinkle on the salt and add the oil. With your fingertips, mix the eggs into the flour gradually incorporating the walls of the well. When all the eggs are mixed with the flour, knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. It will be very firm and should be quite smooth, the kneading process will take about 10 minutes.

Roll the dough into long strips. Dry the strips slightly (we use a long handled wooden spoon). After the dough is slightly dry, (don't wait too long or the dough will be too brittle to cut), cut the strips into desired shapes (long thin strips). Dry on a rack until ready to use.

Incorporating the flour into the eggs was a lot of fun. That's Little K doing all the work. Look at that beautiful golden color. I swear it's from the brown eggs I use.



Two huge jars of olives I keep on my kitchen counter worked perfect as a drying station for the pasta. We used a long wooden spoon across the top, and hung the cut pasta strips over the spoon.

As we were cutting the strips, I was really wishing I had bought that pasta machine I wanted for making Skulpy Clay creations. I'm not sure why, but the the shape, and thickness of the pasta effects the taste, and it's pretty difficult to get the pasta thin enough when you are rolling by hand (at least for us it was).

I won't say it was the best tasting pasta we have ever had. I think if we were able to make the strips narrower and thinner, they would have tasted better. But we had loads of fun making our noodles, and I'm sure we'll do it again soon.

While we were waiting for the pasta to dry, we whipped up some home made vanilla ice cream to eat with these delicious white nectarines. The Pasta may not have been perfect...but the ice cream was pretty close, and definitely better than last time....I think we finally have it figured out.

So come on over for dinner. We always have the ingredients on hand for Homemade Pasta and Vanilla Ice Cream.

Fun Find

I got these adorable green Ramekin Dishes some time ago at the Dollar Store. I didn't expect them to hold up very well (you get what you pay for), but there were the best shade of Green and I just couldn't resist.

I've had them for a few months, and used them over and over again. Much to my surprise, there is not a single chip or crack. I've even baked in them. They are great for Dips and Salsas, I grab one when I need to Scramble an Egg, and last night we used them for Taco Toppings.

I could have used a few more (for the Salsa, Sour Cream and Lettuce), but for some reason I only purchased 3?

Now I'm off to the Dollar Store to see if I can find any more. Hope I get there before you do, because I might just buy them All Up.

Family Card Challenge - HBCC #2

I spent some time organizing my Craft Room over the weekend (which is also the Guest Bed Room). I haven't been doing any paper crafting lately, frankly...because I couldn't find anything. I'm happy to say, I'm feeling much more creative now that things are a bit tidy and I'm ready to Get My Craft On!

After seeing all the new goodies I was putting away, Little K decided she wanted to to another Family Card Making Challenge (probably because she won the last one). This time, she wanted Daddy to play along. Being the good sport that he is, he agreed. Although he did make us promise that next weekend we have a "who can change the oil in the car fastest" Challenge. Little does he know, I'm actually pretty good at that.

So here are our submissions for your review and consideration.

We followed the Hannah Bug Color Challenge #2 - Use Dark Grey, Dark Orange and Light Orange.

It's a new Challenge Blog designed for Kids Submissions. Hannah (Lori's daughter from The Pink Elephant) just started the site, so spread the word to all your Crafty Kids - how fun that they can play along with their peers in their own challenges.

Submission #1 - Best Friends

Submission #2 - Smile

Submission #3 - Hello Friend

We also added our own twist. Since we couldn't all fit into the craft room - we pulled a limited few supplies (cardstock, buttons, brads, ribbon, stamps and punches). We brought them to the kitchen table and that's ALL we were allowed to use. No one could go into the craft room and dig for the perfect button, or get just one more bling. We had to share the supplies and use only what was on the table.

Considering those limitations, I think they turned out pretty good - and very different.

Feel free to leave a comment on which one you like the best. The winner gets Braggin' Rights (but beware, there may be a re-match in the works already).

New Blog Header

So what do you think? I was playing around with some of my photos to see if I could come up with a Blog Header.

If only I had a Graphics Program (and the brains to use one), I would love to make a Colorful Graphic Logo. But alas, I'll have to use what I have available (AKA - the Free stuff).

For now, this will have to do. You Likey?

Thanks to my brother Keith for being my Computer Tutor this summer. I wouldn't have been able to figure this out without his help.