Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

It's blueberry season!!!! 

(Imagine in opera style, of course!)

 I love this time of year! I just bought one of those huge cartons of fresh blueberries from Costco for just 5.99! I LOVE that! :) This is the time of year when my kids have to endure my blueberry madness! We listen to "Blueberry Hill" by Lois Armstrong ( click the link and listen to the song while reading... you know for that blueberry season ambiance, hehe) and read the classic 

Blueberries for Sal maybe a little more then they might like...

 but something about it just screams happiness to me. My mom used to read this book and I just love it. It's about a cute little girl and her mom going to blueberry hill. It follows Sal and her mother as they pick berries to bottle and store and a baby bear and his mother as they are filling up for the winter. It is fun to read, and although it is sort of long compared to other children's picture books, my kids are completely enthralled.... 

It's amazing how our mothers have such an influence on us. My mom always seemed to have blueberries in the fridge when I was in high school. I remember coming home from school and picking a peach off of our tree, slicing it up with some blueberries and it was better then chocolate to me back then. Or I would wash some berries, put them in a bowl and pour milk over them and eat the blueberries like it was captain crunch!

 I love blueberries!

In celebration of "blueberry season" I thought I would post one of my many favorite blueberry recipes. I figure following a recipe isn't hard, it's just finding the ones that are tried and true and worth taking the time to make! :)

About 5 or 6 years ago, I came across this delicious recipe by Tyler Florence from foodnetwork.com and it became an instant favorite :)  It is simple, yet totally restaurant quality. I'm not exaggerating, they really are that good.

Tyler Florence's Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

Recipe straight from foodnetwork.com (other then my "tip" and pictures)

Blueberry Scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut in chunks
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing the scones

Lemon Glaze:

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 lemon, zest finely grated

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sift together the dry ingredients; the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using 2 forks or a pastry blender, cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. 

 Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream. Fold everything together just to incorporate; do not overwork the dough.

HINT! :) I didn't have any heavy cream, so I  searched for an alternative and it worked FABULOUSLY! You really wouldn't know the difference. 

In place of 1 cup heavy cream - mix 3/4 c milk and 1/3 c of melted butter. Wisk together and use like heavy cream! :) I can't tell you how many times I have avoided recipes because I haven't had heavy cream on hand! Not any more! :) 

Fold the blueberries into the batter. Take care not to mash or bruise the blueberries because their strong color will bleed into the dough.

Press the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 12 by 3 by 1 1/4 inches. Cut the rectangle in 1/2 then cut the pieces in 1/2 again, giving you 4 (3-inch) squares. Cut the squares in 1/2 on a diagonal to give you the classic triangle shape. 

Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with a little heavy cream. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until beautiful and brown. Let the scones cool a bit before you apply the glaze.

You can make the lemon glaze in a double boiler, or for a simpler alternative, you can zap it in the microwave. Mix the lemon juice with the confectioners' until dissolved in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water for the double-boiler method, or in a microwave-safe bowl. Whisk in the butter and lemon zest. 

Either nuke the glaze for 30 seconds or continue whisking in the double boiler. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps, then drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let it set a minute before serving

How do you like that for a presentation? :) Keepin' it real, right? Ha! When you are cooking with these two crazies:

That's all they need! :) I have loved having them help me!...... most of the time (wink) ...... It makes it so I can spend time with them and work on this blog - They are having so much fun helping out :)

I hope you enjoy this recipe! 

Ps. If you LOVE this type of scone, you'll have to try my sister's recipe at

 http://buttersinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/06/blackberry-scones.html

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/blueberry-scones-with-lemon-glaze-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Mercy Amidst the Storms

Last year at the end of June, the mountain behind my home caught fire.

I remember calling my husband and basically.. well freaking out, and he didn't seem to think it was that big of a deal... So, I sent him pictures. He still didn't seem to worried. He was working late and I was pregnant and I was afraid to fall asleep. Through the night the "contained" fire spread down the mountain.

The next morning, the fire looked better, Mike got ready for work and about 15 minutes later, the fire had spread rapidly down our mountain and was dangerously close.

 We had huge tankers flying close to our homes back and forth from the lake to the mountain. 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4227519974442&set=vb.1478589441&type=2&theater

(I couldn't figure out how to get the video to post on the blog, it's worth a look. This is a video a friend in the neighborhood took.) you'll have to copy paste the URL

It was out of control. Thankfully, I was concerned enough the day before where I had put together all of our pictures, important files, my wedding dress and had started packing a bag. I was grateful for this as we were leaving and the evacuation order came in. "Get your family and GET OUT OF HERE". As we were driving off we heard and saw a lot of commotion. Later we found out it was because as we drove down our street, the wind picked up and brought the fire here:

My house is the 3rd house in.

and here:

This is just the street behind me.

We were evacuated for almost 3 days and when we went back we were all in a bit of shock. We were SO grateful the firefighters were able to stop it. That was a little too close for me.

Red Cross set up at the highschool and we were all told that there was going to be a meeting with an official update on the fire. The evac order had been lifted. I stood there when our Mayor, Mia Love, came to talk to the person I was standing with. She firmly mentioned that we needed to put up sand bags quick.

This next part of my post was something I wrote in my journal on Sunday. As I wrote, I decided I wanted to post it here on this blog. I'm going to just type what I wrote, so bear with the "journal" feel :)

It's Sunday and the kids were just put down for their naps. I have a few thoughts running through my mind. Impressions that I can feel the Lord trying to get through to me. It's been a year since the big fire and a few months shy of a year since the mudslide/flood. It's been a particularly rainy week and the flood victims have been on my mind a lot. I remember that day like it was yesterday. -- Our little family had such a great day. We had just finished our own personal pizzas

notice claire's face... that girl loves a mess.

and dishing out peach crisp made from the peaches from my mom's peach tree. The rain was POURING down. We opened up our windows to hear it all come crashing down. - We sat in our front room giggling at all of the excitment.

THEN CAME THE HAIL.

HUGE hail. 

As soon as it clamed down, Mike ran out so he could take a picture of it. 

As you can see, his hands aren't small and those hail stones are pretty darn big. Little did I know how precious that hail was. -- I was pregnant with Ben and the rushing rain reminded me that I needed to .. well...go to the bathroom. (well!)  ....... 

POUND! POUND!!

Mike started pounding on the door saying that our neighbor had stopped by saying our friends' homes at the bottom of the hill was flooding. - I knew he needed to go help but I didn't take it too seriously as we live in a developing area and it is easy for rain to build up in the window wells because many of the homes hadn't put their yard it yet and there was just nothing to hold it back sometimes. ... But Mike sounded frantic when he said "Marji (our neighbor) was in tears, I need to go right now."  I still wasn't thinking it was a big deal, but said "Ok". He left and I started getting the kids ready for bed.. After a few minutes Mike came back in the house, pale as a ghost. He said the homes were being destroyed- that it could be a total loss, then went right back outside. I was a little scared, but trying to be calm as the kids were really scared. -- It got dark and I was getting really worried, so I decided to drive down and see if everyone was okay. Mike had parked in the middle of the drive way and taken his keys, so we were stuck. Finally after more time had passed, I pulled out of garage by driving on our grass-- I started heading down the hill, my heart sunk. A flood of this magnitude didn't even cross my mind. I had never seen anything like it before. Even just remembering it now brings sobs to my heart. -- Flood was an understatement. There was a CAR floating in the retention park and the park was full and overflowing. The water rushed like a rapid river through our friends' homes. Crashing through their back basement windows and then quickly breaking through their front basement windows and spewing out like several broken fire hydrants. Their basements were filled to the ceilings. This home is our good friends house the next day:

 During the flash flood, the mountain couldn't hold it and ash, mud, dead animals.. all came rushing down the burn scar of the mountain. 

This is our friend at the opening of our neighborhood. This is next door to the video above.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=M7JnV0dcxB0

I couldn't get the video on the blog for some reason, but to get the full feel of what happened, you have to watch this. You'll have to copy paste the url 

I was floored. There wasn't anything anyone could do.- I drove around making sure everyone was safe and notified our block captain. As I was driving home, I saw a woman who was visiting our neighbor sopping wet and walking. She said the only way home from Redwood (the main road near our home) was to walk.  She said multiple homes on the other side of the park had been severely flooded and that one was a total loss.(Thankfully it worked out for that home) 

My heart sunk deeper as I went to my across the street neighbor's house who was housing our friends whose home was flooding (the one who took the video of it actually happening above). Their sweet children had faces and eyes that were blood shot from tears and screaming with fear. -- It was something I will never forget.

I took Sam and Claire home and started to pray. Mike didn't get home until 4:30 am and was covered from head to toe with toxic sludge. Then he went right back out there later that morning.

Church was called off the next day and literally thousands of people came from all over the state to our rescue. THIS was a travesty.

The next week was fast and testimony meeting. One my one the people in our ward came to the podium, speaking not of grief, but of miracles. I was overwhelmed with one particular testimony that could have been titled, "The Miracle of the Hailstorm".   (whew, I'm getting emotional just going back in my mind).  Of the 13-15 homes that were effected in our ward, many of the homes had finished basements with entertainment rooms, kitchens and their children's rooms down there. It was a Saturday night. Some of the kids were out playing in the rain (We were seriously tempted to go play in it too) ....... and then the hail came. The enormous hail stones brought everyone inside and upstairs before the crashing water tore through their homes.

Not one person was hurt. The children were upstairs and inside because of this hailstorm. This flood took out iron fences, pushed cars to the middle of parks and wiped out trees... but no children.

This story brings humbling tears to my soul. The Lord's mercy was found in a hail storm.

What are the "hailstorms" in our lives? The hail on that day was big, loud and could've been painful if you were in it. Do we ever feel like there are big, possibly dangerous things going on in our lives? Are they "loud" or all encompassing? - Do we get scared or irritated? Impatient? Perhaps it would help if we would take a step back and have faith.  

"God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of sea; Though the waters thereof be troubled.......God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her... 

Be still and know that I am God." Psalms 46.

What miracles will come forth from our "hailstorms?" What paths are they leading us to and why? Could it be that the very storms that overwhelm us are actually the very thing protecting us from our destruction?

I have an overwhelming faith that God is in the details of every one of our lives.-- The things we can see before our eyes and the countless miracles that are continually happening with out us even being aware of it. I have a stronger desire to trust in God and do my best. Because a combination of those things will land me where right where God wants me to be.  Whether that be in a period of drought or plenty - it is all in His hands and there is a purpose. His ways are higher then our ways and we just may not understand, but I do know that it is HIS work and GLORY to bring to pass our Eternal life (Moses 1:39) and happiness. It is all apart of our earthly curriculum. 

This realization has brought so much comfort to me. I honestly feel "still". I see the troubled waters, I see that things aren't going perfectly - But I know I am doing my best to do my best :). And with that come promises that I hold tightly to. This brings a very real peace to my soul

I know that this is sort of a "deep" post. But reflecting on these past experiences had such a enlightening effect on me that I really wanted to share that it may possibly have the same for you.:) If we look, we WILL find God's mercy, even in the storms. 

Apricot Chicken Recipe

As promised... here is my favorite main dish apricot recipe! :) I love this for so many reasons! :) - It is delicious, I don't have to threaten I mean convince my kids to eat it because they gobble it up so fast! AND my FAVORITE part is that it seriously takes less then 5 minutes before it's ready for the oven. This is one of my "go to" recipes when I want to give up and go out to eat. :)
I've seen other apricot chicken recipes with a lot of other ingredients, but don't let the simplicity of this make you skeptical~ It is So good :).

Apricot Chicken

4-6 Chicken Breasts (must be thawed)
1 18 oz Jar of Apricot Jam
1 Packet of Onion Soup Seasoning

Yup! That's all!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Place chicken in baking dish
In a separate bowl, mix the apricot jam and onion soup mix together and microwave for 1 minute.
Pour over the chicken

Bake for 45 minutes, or until chicken is completely cooked. Periodically (at least once) while cooking, baste or spoon the sauce from the pan back on to the chicken.

Serve over rice (spoon sauce from your baking dish over it) with broccoli as a side! :)

So EASY, so FAST and so YUMMY!

My whole family LOVES this dish- I hope you do to! :)

My Apricot Tree Moment: In the jar.

So, as some of you know, Mike and I are trying to be extra frugal. We have medical bills overflowing our mailbox right now and we want to pay them off as soon as possible. 

A few nights ago, Mike was mentioning that was going to be getting paid in the next few days-
 I said, "Cool, I'm going to run to the store tomorrow and get a few things, we need eggs, milk and some other stuff." 

Then, he stopped and looking up from the dishes he was doing (such a good guy) he skeptically said "By other stuff.... do you mean a peach tree?"

Ha! .... Let me explain. After moving back into our house, we noticed spiders EVERYWHERE. We also had weeds growing in our grass and a few dead spots where we had fertilized, but didn't know the sprinklers weren't working properly as we weren't living there- (fried, yellow grass.. blah) anyway - So, I went to IFA to get some supplies.... but not just any IFA, or the one that is less than 15 minutes from my house... but I had to drive more than double the distance to go to 'Lindon Nursury' .... aka tree and plant HEAVEN. :)... what? I knew I wasn't going to buy anything.... I was merely going to get a few ideas for next year... ehem. I bought the fertilizer, bug spray and weed killing stuff.....packed it in my car and was about to go for a walk around the nursery when Sammy spotted and ran towards a big, cool cart.

Well, "Why not?" I asked myself, I was just planning on walking around real quick, but it was 104 degrees outside, so it may be nice for the kids to just sit there instead of getting more hot by walking around. I wasn't going to buy anything, it was going to be just a quick stroll around the plant and tree heaven. .....

Then something happened..... all of a sudden I was in Fruit Tree Forest. I don't know if it was the 104 degree weather or being tired from hauling 3 kids around all day  - but all seemed right in the world. The birds were chirping.. Sam was sneaking fruit s from the trees...... and I weaved in and out of all of the possibilities... I mean trees..... Cherry! Peach! Apple! Plum! ... and all of the exact type that I wanted........  And THEN I spotted it!..... The perfect apricot tree. :)  It was big, it was beautiful and already had fruit on it that was almost ripe!

You see... 3 years ago when we moved in, we bought these silly trees.....

A Pink Lady apple and a pear tree..... along with a peach and apricot tree that died... (may they RIP)

As you can see.... they basically just sit there looking silly. - This year we  have a few pears growing! Hooray! ... but I was feeling a little robbed. 

Last year, Mike spent months on a retaining wall around the back of our yard and creating this beauty for me....

It will one day be overflowing with fruits and veggies... that is a big garden.
 We moved during the planting month, so... here it remains... :)

I only say this to tell you that this is the only thing I can look back and assume I was thinking when I plopped a huge, beautiful apricot tree in the cart next to Sam. ... I'm lucky that Claire and Ben were in the cart too, otherwise I may have put more in there! I was seriously in a state of pure innocence and excitement.. I felt completely justified in my actions.

 "This isn't like a new purse or piece of decor for my home.. it's a fruit tree!" I said to myself... as if I was actually being frugal by buying it... as if I was really going to spend $70. on apricots this year, so this really was a steal of a deal.... right? :)

Well.... 

Wam. Purchased.

I was so excited... almost giddy! I sang "Popcorn Popping" to my kids and drove off....

Then came the guilt..... What just happened? I can't afford a tree right now! I just spent all day the day before making baby food to save a few bucks... and I just bought a tree???

Needless to say, I felt bad. I sent the picture to Mike and waited...and waited.. and waited for a call back... nothing! So I called him with an "I'm so sorry" response as he said "Hello" ... turns out he was in a meeting and hadn't seen the picture yet. I was hoping he'd laugh with me and be excited for a new tree...but he was clearly in his right mind.... "A tree,hu?" He said in sweet tone.... he wasn't acting mad at me or disappointed, just sort of... well .. blah. He was still sweet and kind, just not helping me feel better about the situation.

I got home, pulled it out of the van and in one hand, I wanted to hug i!.. It looked so beautiful! On the other hand, I wish I could've just taken back... but, I'd only get 50% back on it.... so.. I went inside.

I started making dinner and felt kind of dumb. How did that just happen? I have never been one to make purchases without talking to Mike, and  am usually REALLY good at not spending money...Although we totally had the 70 bucks, it could've been just that much extra on those medical bills. 

I wanted to put all of these feelings into a jar so I could open it up every time from here out IfI get swept off my feet again like I did in the 'forest of fruit trees.' -

It wasn't an overly "guilty" feeling... just sort of surprised at how easy it was for me to slip away from my common sense. 

Isn't it beautiful? 

Do you have any Apricot Tree moments?
 I have to say that I am grateful now that I did buy the tree... only because I never could understand why it is so easy for people to spend money they didn't really have on silly things- it was good for me to feel what it felt like to be swept away like that... whether it be a new electronic device, purse, outfit, tree... it happens! We are just simply not perfect. - I guess we just have to look at the good in the situation and do what we can to remedy it. Return it? Adjust our budget for the week or month (beans and tortillas for a week?:) hehe) ... I don't know. This isn't a post on how to avoid these things or to fix a mistake that has been made... It's just my attempt to put the feelings I had into that jar I was talking about... guilt and all. I'll leave it all here. I will do this to stop feeling guilty for something that is already done. What's done is done.. and also to have something to remind me... I'll seal it tight and pull it out and open it the next time I'm tempted to do something that could thwart my progress toward the grander goal. :)
So no, Mike. I won't be buying that peach tree today!

Soon I will post my favorite apricot recipe... super simple and SO yummy. Keep an eye out for it!

I hope you have a great day :)

Cara

Pillowcases and Cans of Food

Since our most recent move and then move back episode, along with our lives being turned upside down... I have found myself feeling like this:

A LOT

And especially THIS:

Anyone with me? Last week was the worst! I found myself losing my temper so easily... My kids were OUT of control! I felt so frustrated and irritated at what was going on here. I felt panicky .... "HOW did this happen?" I kept asking myself. I was so grateful to have stumbled upon this quote on pinterest:

(http://muchlove-anna.blogspot.com)

Apparently Miss Jeanette Winterson is a British writer... I'm not sure about the content of her books - but this particular quote has had a great impact on me.

Unselttledness..  this word described my family to a "T".  I felt that among the absolute chaos, I had turned into my children's slave. They seemed to have no respect for me and would fight to the death if I asked them to do anything to help. - This quote made me calm down and stop worrying that I had raised monsters and to realize that they are human just like me. They truly are entitled to their own feelings and I needed to recognize that. I knew that of course, but this is what made it real to me. They were feeling unsettled and unsafe as they were unsure of the expectations and boundaries we have for them. (and so were we) 

One night, I was talking to my husband. I was sobbing on the couch thinking that this was all a reflection of my parenting... and I had obviously failed (I become somewhat irrational past 9:00 pm after a hard day).  Mike kept telling me, "I am so sorry honey, that has to be so hard" ... when I said "Sorry doesn't fix it, I NEED advice, WHAT should I do??" ... (poor guy.. really.. some days I don't want him to just fix it, other days I don't want sympathy, just a fix to the problem.... any one else super grateful their husbands put up with them? :) ) We talked and talked and came up with "The Plan." ... it is simple and won't fix everything, but I really feel like it's a start. And let's be real, you can't get anywhere without first starting. 

Wake up before the kids .. they wake up SO early and after a night of beeping oximetors and a screaming baby... I have sunk into the habit of letting them rummage around the kitchen for cheese sticks, apples and gogurts while watching Bubble Guppies as I tried to get in a few extra winks before Ben would wake up.

Get as ready as possible (if possible) and make breakfast.

Now, here is the kicker:

Wake up the kids at 7:00 am. Say Wah???? Did I just say wake up the kids???? Crazy, I know.. but hear me out... I wake them up together at 7:00 am. Before they can have breakfast, they have to say their prayers, make their bed, go potty, and wash their hands and face. Okay- I know it sounds like a LOT. Especially at 7:00 am.... but it really doesn't take that long and it really is a great habit for them to be in.... and to be honest... te hehehe, for some horrible reason it gives me pleasure to wake them up when they are asleep... it's like payback. Mwa ah ah ah ah..... (don't tell them I told you that...wink... and the fact that it makes for an earlier bedtime doesn't hurt either! :))

Along with these decisions, we decided that the kids needed to have some responsibility and asking them do help on a whim here and there during the day just wasn't working.... and looking back, I don't blame them! When I'm really in the middle of something and they are constantly asking me to do things unexpectedly, I get bugged too!

Well, a few weeks ago, I ran across this great idea from http://www.lemonsqueezyhome.com/2012/08/chore-charts-diy.html

Isn't it beautiful? I loved the idea of having a "to do" and "done" area for them to visualize what they have to do and what they have accomplished.. and to have it posted for everyone to see how hard they have worked.. I loved how simple it would be to change up the chores to keep them from getting sick of one or the other....
So! I started thinking of how I could make this work for my family. I knew I needed to have pictures instead of words. As much as I love the magnets and beautiful frames... I knew I only had a certain amount of time. This is where I struggle. Sometimes I get this perfect picture in my mind and can't get it off my mind until it's done... so... to be real in my circumstances right now... it turned out like this....

(mind you, they are the ones moving them around all day :))

It's not quite how I had planned it, and it certainly isn't the trendiest of decor to have right in the dining area of our home... but! My kids have loved it! I simplified down from cute painted wooden nickles with magnets to clipart, construction paper, lamination and tape.... I've had to bring myself to reality to see that my kids don't need their chore chart to look fancy. They just need to know what they are expected to do. I don't say this to belittle all of the beautiful creations you can find on pinterest- it's just where I'm at in life right now.  The point is: They know what is expected. They know from the moment they wake up and come into the kitchen for breakfast. They each have their specific "chores" that they do every day: prayers, make bed, brush teethe, hair, get dressed.. etc.. Then I have general chores (the yellow cards) that rotate. I only give them a few a day to keep it from being overwhelming,but they do have to be done before the tv gets turned on and the toys get pulled out.

Some examples of chores are:

Dusting

Vacuuming (they love this)

Setting the table

Washing the table after meals

Straightening the bookshelf

Making sure the dog has enough food and water (Claire's favorite)

Laundry duty: Switching out laundry when asked, but especially making sure all dirty laundry is in laundry bins

Garbage patrol: This person is in charge of keeping our house free from garbage other then in the garbage cans. My kids are too young to bring the garbage bags to the garbage bins outside, so it's just a matter of keeping the garbage off of the ground.

Helping me make dinner

Putting toys away (the both get this one every day)

I also have a picture of a bucket of cleaning supplies... this is basically what ever I ask them to do like cleaning the baseboards in a room, or sanitizing door handles and light switches.

You know what your kids can handle. I especially like how easy it is to change them out every day. They may hate washing the table after meals, but, it's just for the day. like I said, I only give them 2 or 3 other then their personal chores (getting ready for the day)

(If you are at all interested, I'd be happy to email you the document that I have the images that I used, but I just used google images and can't cite every single image.. so I don't feel comfortable posting it here.)

But how do you actually get them to do the chores? You might ask..... well... this is where the pillowcases and cans of food come into play..... I got this great idea from Parenting in the Latter Days at http://thegoldenseven.blogspot.com/2010/01/work-i-can-do-my-part-fhe-lesson.html 

Before introducing the chore chart to my kids, I took all of the little cards I had made and taped them onto cans of food. There were quite a few of them. We all gathered our pillow cases and I had the kids take turns identifying which chore each can represented to be sure they knew what each picture meant. Then I had Sammy come up with his superhero pillowcase and gave him "his chores" for the day... which ended up being every single chore. With each request, I placed the can in his pillowcase. When it was all the way full, I told him to go and do his chores! Surprisingly he was really excited about it and said "where should I start?!" .. I was really surprised. - But then he tried to lift it all up. 

He couldn't get it to budge.

 I let him try and try and try. Finally, we discussed how difficult it is for one person to do all of the work around the house. We talked about how much time it would take to do each chore and asked when in the world he would have time to color, read books or play with his super heroes! ....... 

We then emptied all of the "chores" onto the fireplace and split them up between us and the kids. Each of us were able to easily carry our bags. I went through Claire's pillow case and talked about how after each can or "chore" we do, the load gets lighter and soon we would have time to do the fun things. I talked to them about wanting to spend more time playing with them and that if we all did our part, we'd have much more time to do just that!

I couldn't believe how well it worked. I could see it click in their minds! It was a really good experience for all of us and has really helped our family out. Obviously, they are little and most of the work they are doing is just to show them that they are a part of the family and that families need to work together. They are no longer bribed to do anything... they just get the satisfaction of moving everything to the "done" side. 

We are still at the beginning and I am positive the novelty will wear off and they will start to dislike it for a while, but I'm determined to be consistent.  It is so much more then just a list of chores...... the whole "Plan" is to get them into healthy habits: waking up early, keeping their room tidy, taking care of their bodies, and being contributors but most importantly - giving them the expectations and boundaries that they crave to feel confident and secure. Giving them the experience of satisfaction that can be found through hard work and consistency. Giving them responsibilities without material gain because in REAL life, there are things that we do just because it's the right thing to do, not because there is something in it for us.. even though they will see the real prize that will be found in discovering their amazing capabilities. 

Easy Patriotic Fruit Salad

Patriotic Fruit Salad

I found this beautiful fruit salad last year on "Wit and Whistle" via pinterest http://witandwhistle.com/2011/07/05/cookie-cutter-fruit-salad/    

and have been dying to make it ever since! Last year it didn't happen..... but look how beautiful!

My family is having a BBQ tonight and I happily was assigned to bring watermelon! THIS was my chance!!! .. I pulled out my big ol' watermelon... pulled out the star cookie cutter .. and wam.. the most beautiful red star.... then the baby started screaming.... and then... well.. look at these cute kiddos-

Well....... to avoid this:

Cute Claire hiding in my bathroom... she dumped  out all of my makeup, had my dress shoes on and was according to her:  "just getting ready, mom" .... so cute... buttt.... Too much of my makeup has been ruined this way and I didn't want another lipstick to bite the dust. The dust from my powder that is :)./


And as to not miss cute things like this:

Claire using her Easter basket and chop sticks for drums

 Or this: ........ (Sigh...:) :) )

Clark Kent turning into superman.. (imagine the cutest 4 year old voice  singing to the Superman theme "dun da da dunnnnn "... got to love the glasses, right? And yes.. that is my messy home.. I thought about cropping it out... buuut.. I'm  just keepin' it real!

So... I just ended up with this:

I still think it's beautiful :) And it still dresses up the ol' American favorite: Watermelon! :) Maybe on a 4th of July in the future I'll have pretty star shaped watermelon... but in the meantime - this is good enough for me! :)

Happy Independence Day!! :)

Cara! :)

DIY: BABY FOOD :)

So true, right?

After buying about 20 dollars worth of jars and plastic containers of food for my daughter a few years ago... it dawned on me! I could do this... why had I never thought of it before? I looked to the label ... "prunes, water" ... "bananas, water, citric acid"  "pears" ... etc.... 

Wait, wait ,wait!

 why was I spending $.65- $1.15 on what was probably a 1/2 of a banana? ... I could buy a whole bunch of bananas.. or a whole bag of carrots and peas for the price of one measly jar!

 I searched the web for baby food recipes and found a great site called:

"Momtastic Wholesome Baby Food' 

http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/index.htm#.UdHy7jsslEI 

It seriously the best site I found. - it goes through the different stages and has great recipes. It even goes through a big list of fruits and vegetables and  what nutrients are in each of them. It also has a guide as to when is a good time to start feeding it to your baby

. - If you are really wanting to do this, explore this site, it has so much good information! :)

My first encounter, I had the site up on my counter and followed it to a "T" .... then I realized that I could make what ever I wanted for her! .... Today, I just made Stage 1 foods. Stage 2 recipes can be found on the above website.... and your imagination :).

Today I made:
Mixed veggies
Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes with corn
Prunes and banaas
Apple Banana oatmeal
Peaches and oats
Pears
Pears and oats
Carrots
Peas

It all took me just a few hours!! (and would've been much quicker if I wasn't trying to entertain and take care of 3 kids 4 and under :) )

 I get a kick out of all of the fancy baby making food kits there are out there....

you certainly don't need this....

Or this

They do realize those are ice cube trays right? ...  
I mean... you can buy them at the dollar store! I'm not trying to mock the product..... some people need kits to get themselves motivated, but let me spare you a few bucks...

It is so easy and you probably have everything you need on hand ..

• A blender or food processor
• Ice cube trays
• A freezer
• Gallon baggies, or something to store the finished product in.
• And of course the food you will be making! :)

Simple enough right? 

Gather and prepare your food... (I ended up not using the avacodos, and I added a few other things... buuut.. here's a visual for ya anyway :).......)  

I guess the point is to see how much baby food can be made with so little....

First I started with the sweet potatoes... peal, chop, boil or steam.....

  While that starts softening up.......

 I play with this little Sweet Potato

(first time in his high chair today! :) ...)

 Okay! Now! Time for business! The sweet potatoes were boiling, so I started on another food...

I plopped an entire carton of prunes and 2 ripe bananas in my Cuisinart - then blended those suckers!

 Blend, Blend, Blend! 

Prunes have a tough skin, so you need to blend them a lot - Then, you add water while blending until you find the consistency you want for your baby.

I chose to add bananas with the prunes to kind of counteract the extremes... bananas cause constipation and prunes .. well... you can imagine..... so! 

Blend them together and what do you get?? 

Bibbity, Bobbity BOO! 

Baby food with lots of great vitamins and nutrients!

Taste test!

I think it's safe to say, it was a hit! ..... Can you believe how easy that was?

You will soon get a feel for what the prep will be for each item. 

Whether or not you need to peel them... if you need to steam or boil them... you get what I  mean.. 

This is pretty common sense and some if it is just up to you. For instance, the website I posted above suggests to peel and steam the pears - I peeled mine, only because Ben's still pretty little... but I definitely didn't need to cook them down. Some moms to this to help break it down to make it easier to digest... it's up to you... I didn't think it was necessary.

Now on to the sweet potatoes...... I decided to boil them rather than steam them for sake of time. What's great about steaming or boiling, is that you can use the water to thin out your pure'. This helps put back the nutrients you lost while it was cooking.

It's that simple... pure'... add water to the right consistency.. and wammo! Baby food!

I blended half of the sweet potatoes plain, then added cooked corn to the other half. "Sweet Potatoes and Sweet Corn" is one of Ben's favorites!

Carrots and peas I steam..... pure' and add water to correct consistency ... (seeing a pattern here? :))

For the apple banana oatmeal, I just pure'd bananas and applesauce, then added baby oatmeal to it. (You can make your own baby oatmeal by putting regular oats in a blender or food processor).

Bananas and pears loose their color.. you could chose to put in lemon juice to avoid this.. but it really is just for looks.

I used a few jars of peaches that I bottled last fall to make the peach pure'. I hadn't done that before, and man! Even though I had drained them, it was still really runny, so I added oats to make it thicker.. and a more filling breakfast. You could even add a little cinnamon or cardamom for a peach crisp flavor.

The mixed veggies was a last minute decision... I was looking in my freezer for something and noticed a bag of mixed veggies.. so! I steamed them, pure'd them.. yada yada... SO EASY.

Seriously... I can't believe how much money I wasted buying baby food.

NOW to store it! :) There are a few ways you can store your baby food. Some people like to put serving sizes in snack size baggies, then flatten and freeze them...  My favorite is with ice cube trays. You can freeze them, break them out in their cubes and store each food in a big gallon or quart bag. Then, you can easily take a serving out and warm it up (or have your baby's meals out the night before to thaw). What is nice about this is you can mix easily... just throw peas in with carrots, and wallah! Mixed veggies! Bananas and peaches? ... Boom! :) - 

When I first started making baby food I would try to drop just enough in each little compartment to make sure the cubes would break out nicely... not necessary! :) I just glob it on there and use a rubber spatula to drag it across the tray, it all drops in and then you can scrape the sides when you are done... it definitely does not need to be perfect :) The cubes break out just fine :)

*Prunes are gummy and don't come out of the ice cube trays well, you can choose to use the snack size baggy system or just freeze them in their little jars. I still used ice cube trays, it's just sort of a pain to get them out.

I like to use these little containers when I feed him:

You can get them at Dollar Tree and they come in packs of 6! I LOVE these things :) - I use them for snacks for my kids all of the time! And they come with little lids, so you can take them wherever you go :)

Seriously! The longest part about this process was waiting for it to freeze! (Prunes are a little gummy so you need to freeze them longer... even over night) - 

See that bag of peas up there? Imagine that times 10 in just one afternoon and for only a few bucks! 

Can't beat that! :)

I hope this post was helpful! Have a fabulous night and don't forget to hit the "follow" button :) I'd love to have you around :)

Cara!