summer harms: March 2010

March 30, 2010

Brioche

what put brioche on the brain? not really sure. out of the blue, i found myself envisioning the french toast i would make with it. and i had to have it.

apparently this gourmet bread carries a reputation of being a somewhat demanding operation, but i didn't know that going into it. and you would never know it from the method i used! a little lengthy, yes. difficult, no. and the results were marvelous-- all those eggs pay off in a major way. it's filthy rich, with a hint of sweetness. i loved it from the first bite. certainly a new staple in the splurge category, and on the docket for easter sunday.

Brioche

recipe faintly adapted and halved from artisan bread in five minutes

procedure adapted from la tartine gourmande

3/4 c. lukewarm water

2 1/4 tsp. yeast (1 pkg.)

2 tsp. salt

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 c. honey

3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted

3 and 3/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

extra flour for work surface & handling

egg wash for brushing on top

1. mix the yeast, salt, eggs, honey, and melted butter with the water in a large bowl.

2. mix in the flour, using a spoon, until all the flour is incorporated. dough will be very loose and wet.

3. cover and allow to sit at room temp for 2 hours. after 2 hours, transfer to fridge to chill for 30 min. to 1 hour. (keep covered) it's easier to work with after it's been chilled.

4. remove from fridge, and dump dough onto a well-floured surface, working flour into the dough until it's easy to handle, and making 8 equal-sized balls.

5. place 4 dough balls into 2 greased loaf pans or make into traditional style brioche rolls and let rest for 1 hour and 20 min. (i watched this cute li'l video to learn how to shape my rolls.)

7. preheat oven to 400 degrees. brush dough with egg wash, if desired. with a pair of clean scissors, make small cuts at the top of each ball. place pans in oven to bake for 10 minutes, then reduce to 350 degrees and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes.

please eat it hot out of the oven and be sure to make french toast for dinner the next day. yu-hum.

meanwhile, i'm super excited because..

1. i still have half a loaf in the freezer for more amazing french toast.

2. i'm bringing brioche to the harms family easter dinner!

3. and my copy of artisan bread in five minutes a day is in at the library! woohoo.

categories:housewifery,recipes | 11 comments

March 29, 2010

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i'm convinced that nice weather brings out the best in a weekend. this weekend, i began to sew.

ta-da! my new skirt! hopefully the first of many. for this pin-stripey number, i cut up and trimmed down an old dress that i'd picked up at old navy for $1.50. i'm counting it as a full-on sewing project because it involved taking it in, lots of measuring, hemming on both top and bottom, and elastic. happily for me, there is grant, who helped me troubleshoot the whole pattern-free job. i hope to start wearing my new skirt asap.. come on, sun!

well, now that i have my first sewing task under my belt, i feel equal parts addicted, empowered, and incompetent. there are still moments when it feels like i have no sewing common sense, but i hope that will come in time. honestly, i can't wait to start something new.

not only was there sewing over the weekend, there was also baking (orange yogurt bread for sunday school), filling of an empty closet, thrifting, yard work, going to the car wash, and other warm weather niceties. i even made my father-in-law's baked beans, which of course, felt like the perfect way to celebrate. is there anything better than nice weather + something grilled + baked beans? and on that note, is there anything better the leftover baked beans that get super cold and stiff in the fridge? nope.

it seems the whole neighborhood has broken out of it's winter shell. everybody was outside vaccuuming the cars and walking the dogs. we even met our new neighbors and borrowed a broom from one of them! funny, we've lived here 4 months already, but everything still feels brand new. before i go, i have big news. it's supposed to be 70 and sunny this week. i can't wait to sit on our front steps and eat ice cream with grant.

categories:housewifery,sewing,show and tell | 11 comments

March 26, 2010

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it's been way too long since i posted some things from the list.

the list | number eleven

711. orange juice squeezed right in front of me

211. gingham fabric

343. the idea of having a robe

297. doughnut holes in white bakery bags

709. going to weddings

698. watching grant play drums at church

438. 'out to lunch'

618. remaking the bed with clean sheets

572. having a full fridge

365. getting new sunglasses

654. severe weather

663. easter baskets (with the grass that gets everywhere)

so it's friday again! the sun is shining and our tax refund is in. and hey! this show starts tonight. i'm excited. other excitement: i put this book and this one on hold at the library. i love the library.

the orange brigade is in full swing here. orange pancakes, orange yogurt bread, orange juice.. ohh, the juice. i've never had anything like it. sidenote: i picked up this handy citrus peeler ring the other day. you can get it at the grocery store for under $2. it's fun, but pulling works just as well.

am kicking myself out of the kitchen today. absolutely no baking. must learn to sew. this pattern has me all jumpy with excitement and nerves. i'm nearly sweating. but first: something with straight lines and no elastic. wish me luck.

and in the soontime.. brioche! brioche. by my own hands! and do you know what? it's not even hard. you'll see. next week--be there. happy weekend!

categories:listing,show and tell,the list,the lowdown | 12 comments

March 24, 2010

Buttermilk Oatmeal Pancakes

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as you might remember, pancakes are not my weakness.

but guess what.. i found the pancakes of my dreams. and i can't keep it to myself. thanks to my brother-in-law's recipe, i now look forward to flipping pancakes at least once a week. oatmeal. in a pancake. well, i never. it is the yummiest thing. i'm hooked. and bonus! these don't leave you with that typical 'ball of dough' feeling in your gut, as grant and i like to say about most pancakes. they are simple, simple and truly wholesome.

Buttermilk Oatmeal Pancakes

adapted from my brother-in-law Isaac's recipe

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp. honey or sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 cups buttermilk

2 beaten eggs

1. sift together dry ingredients. add buttermilk and beaten eggs, mix until combined.

2. pour approx. 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto hot, greased griddle (about 375 degrees). flip after bubbles appear. makes about 16 medium sized pancakes.

our last batch, we stirred in a heaping teaspoon of orange zest and a handful of chocolate chips. yumm. the orange is super subtle, but fun. you could also add a smidge of vanilla or a scoop of berries. i have big plans to try them with homemade blueberry syrup someday.

wait, hold on! two more important things.

a. i used rachel's tip. so handy. seriously, why not do this?

b. isaac introduced me to the beauty of toaster pancakes. stack your leftover pancakes in a freezer bag (wax paper between them), and pop them in the toaster for a quick breakfast on weekday mornings. they are maybe even better than fresh pancakes. believe me? try it. they get a slight crisp on the outside (awesome) and those cute crimpy edges, too.

categories:favorite things,housewifery,recipes | 8 comments

March 23, 2010

Peanut Butter Cookies Two Ways

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welcome to my experiment.

flourless peanut butter cookies and flourless peanut butter cookies.

i've had both recipes bookmarked for some time and so, naturally, when we had company over last friday, i saw this as a window of opportunity. i was going to serve peanut butter cookies two ways, and find out just how different they are.

cookie no. 1 (via joy the baker)

was killer straight out of the oven. it's the quintessential peanut butter cookie. very classic look and taste. a bit fall-apart, but nobody complained while they were cradling warm cookie fragments in their hands. it's ridiculous how good they are from only 4 ingredients. i'm a believer: less is more.

day two: they were crisp and crumbly, but nothing could taint their excellent taste. perfect for dunking in milk.

cookie no. 2 (via sheena)

now this is a cookie. i'm plain crazy about these, and a bit upset that i've gone all these years without them. the hint of oatmeal behind the bite.. it gets me every time. who needs flour? the pb, oats, chocolate chip coalition is perfect as can be in this recipe. after they came out, i stood by the sink 'doing dishes' and devouring a handful of them off the cooling rack. i can't remember the last time i let myself eat cookies until i was full. it was totally worth it.

day two: still marvelous. still soft. maybe a little bit of a deeper chewiness, but that made the delicious effect even stronger.

overall, this was a seriously successful experiment. i have two new keepers for my stash. and i do love to collect good cookies. i'm sure you guys are with me on this. my sincere thanks to joy the baker and sheena for sharing the goodness!

update: here is the recipe for sheena's cookies. it has become my go-to recipe, so i must share.

flourless peanut butter cookies
(thank you, sheena!)

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup chocolate chips

mix peanut butter and brown sugar in mixer on medium speed until well blended (around 3 minutes). add eggs, mix well. mix in oats and soda and stir in chocolate chips. dough will be super gooey! spoon onto parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

ps. you guys. wow. thank you, thank you for the shower of sewing ideas yesterday! i read each and every one and love the way you think. i'm in much better shape now. you're the best.

categories:housewifery,recipes,show and tell | 17 comments

March 22, 2010

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it has sprung!

i laid down to take a nap on saturday afternoon, and i heard birds chirping! and as i look out my window now, the snow sits in scattered patches, only where the shade touches, instead of in mountains on every street corner. i can see the grass and the sidewalk. it's a miracle!

amidst the coming of spring this weekend, i shopped for fabric. a first. as i expected, the sewing section made me feel a fish out of water. but thanks to grant, i came away with a few yards to play with and my nerves still intact. i have yet to pick out my first project, so that made the shopping difficult, but at least i really like these colors. any ideas for an ultra simple starter project? am taking all suggestions.

this is one of those days where i cannot fathom being bored. i will surely never be done thinking through the thousandsome thoughts in my head. there are just too many good things to do. too many things to be better at. too many recipes to try. and too many pursuits to fit in one afternoon. all at once i want to be baking brioche and going for a run outside in the sunshine and phoning my mom and reading my camera manual and folding bleached whites and brainstorming for a big event and picking out a sewing pattern and writing up our menu. which, by the way, is going to be a whopper. grant agreed to my indulgent scheme of doing variations on breakfast for dinner all week long! i'm so pumped.

must go. the day is too nice. and there are nice things to be done.

categories:housewifery,show and tell | 20 comments

March 19, 2010

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everyday during playtime, our li'l students take turns at the computer. they love pbskids.org. if you wanted to know what's hip in the world of 4-year-olds, their favorites are curious george and martha speaks, but they've also recently discovered the mister rogers section of the site. i'm super excited about this! i love hearing all the familiar sounds as they click around. you can even explore the neighborhood of make-believe and hear the trolley tune! the kids don't know how cool this is, but i do.

did you grow up watching mister rogers' neighborhood, too? and did you know that march 20th is won't you be my neighbor day? the preschoolers keep me in the loop on things like this. so tomorrow the all-time favorite episode is going to be announced. you can still go to the voting page and check out full episodes.. like the one where they show how people make crayons! hop over and take a trip down memory lane.

in other news, happy friday! grant and i are meeting the hub club tonight for burgers, then smoothies and a game of acquire at our house. woohoo. thanks to acquire, i can honestly say i have a favorite board game. i see tiny flecks of snow on the air this morning. but i'm hoping this is just a brief relapse. spring tomorrow! and we have appointments with the eye doctor and plans to shop for fabric and seed packets to celebrate.

categories:show and tell,the lowdown | 9 comments

March 18, 2010

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making me really happy today..

01. preschoolers who play with my hair. plus puppies coming to visit us in class today!

02. 2 corinthians 12.9| as for His failing you, never dream of it. spurgeon.

03. these. videos. my goodness.

cute couples + songs that i could listen to all the livelong day.

04. the hub is officially open for the 2010 season! (our local burgers 'n' shakes diner.)

05. gray skirts for little girls. {one} and gray skirts for me? {two & three}

perhaps i will live in a gray skirt at camp this summer. elias & grace found via simplesong.

categories:favorite things,listing,show and tell | 5 comments

March 17, 2010

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this is what my mind did today. today i made the jump from winter to everything beyond. i had a scarf around my neck this morning but now all seems sunny and bright. (the oranges were too perfect, i had to post them twice. please tell me you snapped up that scone recipe.) and i realized: it's almost spring for real and i haven't made notes on what's going on lately. time to record some real life stuff. like the temp hitting 50 degrees today. whoa, where did that come from? i got the mail without my coat on. the sun shone. and these icicles are gone. finally. another minnesota winter under my belt. and i am happy, happy. these days..

1. breakfast is toast. hands-down. cereal has been out of circulation for about a month.

2. i don't do the dishes on tues nights. i hang out with g. and pack him two brown bag meals for wed.

3. grant is a diligent grad school student, but still manages to keep an eye on things like water in the basement, the stock market, and the well-being of his wife.

4. sometimes after reading in his textbook, grant will come find me and have a discussion about what he read and why he does/does not agree. i love seeing his discerning mind at work.

5. i am training for my first 5k. woohoo.

6. i am baking bread weekly. an ambition that has dwelled in me for years.

7. day in and day out, i dream about growing a garden.

7.5 i am researching how to plant things. it seems daunting. but i make things harder than they are.

8. we are stretching together after we brush our teeth at night. no, not kidding. i don't know how we got started, but it's super fun. we're getting pretty flexible.

9. i am actually beating grant in 'the amount of peanut butter consumed daily' contest.

10. grant is shopping for a lawn mower. (because we have a yard now!)

11. we buy bananas every time we go to the store. seriously.

12. i am reading this book by e. elliot. it's one of those that'll be overrun with my underlines.

13. snow is no longer glittering hard. it looks soft and tired. and muddied.

14. grant, on the other hand, looks very dashing with a smart haircut and tailored shirts.

15. me? i could use a trim. need to figure out what to do about bangs.

16. i bought a candy bar at the check-out last weekend. can't remember the last time i did that.

17. grant is picking words for the spelling bee. and i help him make up sentences to use them in.

18. today is the first day we've seen the sun in over a week.

19. i changed my mind about pancakes. soon, i'll show you why.

20. we talk. a lot. about everything. i'm glad to be truly close to this guy i married.

21. am still loving everything about my job.

so, 5:30 pm.

sun still shining, thank you daylight savings time.

grant is at class tonight. toast for dinner.

categories:listing | 7 comments

March 16, 2010

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i got an email from grant while he was at work yesterday. it said,

'are you ready to eat oranges for the rest of your life?'

we splurged this year and bought the giant crate of oranges from the 4-H kids. (one reason why i love being married to grant: he gets excited about fruit.) so. you know what this means. it's smoothie season. strawberry orange banana smoothies are our specialty. we're stocking up on yogurt and i'm going to give the blender a home on the counter somewhere. it also means that it's orange scone season. ohhhh yeah. orange scones everyday!

remember my days with the orange baking counter?

categories:a day in the life,listing,show and tell | 7 comments

March 15, 2010

Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Glaze

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i baked these because grant had snack duty for his saturday am class.

and because i have been dying to make them ever since i saw this. shamefully, all of my baking seems to end in selfish logic. i had to have them. and have them i did. i held back 3 from the batch i sent to grant's classmates, and they are long gone. the first day, they were so yummy. but by day 2, after sitting in the fridge, they were phenomenal. after downing two in a row, (you can't eat just one) they took rank in my current top 5 cookies, along with this recent discovery.

Carrot Cake Cookies with cream cheese glaze

adapted from gourmet & abby

3/4 c. plus 1 T. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. plus 1 T. whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/3 c. plus 2 T. packed brown sugar

1/3 c. plus 2 T. granulated sugar

1 large egg

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup coarsely grated carrots (2 medium)

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

4 T. powdered sugar, plus extra if needed

2 T. milk, plus extra if needed to thin glaze

1/4-1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees. sift together flours, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

2. beat together butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla until pale and fluffy, about 2 min.

3. mix in carrot at low speed, then add flour mixture and beat until just combined. chill dough in freezer for 15 minutes.

4. drop 2 T. batter per cookie on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches between cookies. bake until cookies are lightly browned and springy to the touch, 12-16 minutes total. cool on sheets for 1 minute, then transfer to wire racks.

5. spoon glaze onto warm cookies and dust with cinnamon if desired. or use glaze to sandwich 2 cookies together for whoopie pies. store in airtight container in the fridge. makes 18 large iced cookies, or 9 jumbo whoopie pies.

this is one of my favorite things: a true cakey cookie. super soft and light. then add the fridge element and you've taken it to a whole new level. each bite is cool and spongy, with a terrific deepened flavor. the texture reminded me of little debbie oatmeal cream pies, but even better, of course.

in all respects, carrot cake cookies included, our weekend was super nice. mostly spent at home, hanging out. there was a lot of nestling on the couch, since it's still cold, gray and gloomy outside. bread was baked and tacos eaten and bathrooms scrubbed and we saw this movie, which i sometimes loved and sometimes let me down. and i even played two video games with grant (i don't play video games). but the biggest news from the weekend is that i got my first taste of the new sewing machine! we worked on tailoring some of grant's dress shirts, which was a nice beginner project. and now my trim guy has more shirts that actually fit him. boy, does he look sharp. and now is my mind stuck on sewing. i've got the urge to do something creative.

am headed out into blogland to hunt for potential sewing projects. see you tues. happy laundry day!

categories:housewifery,recipes,show and tell | 13 comments

March 12, 2010

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it's your birthday, bec! here we are years ago, doing something almost no one will remember or understand. but i think that's why our friendship is sort of remarkable. it was built on a small circle of girls, with a certainly sometimes silly, and rather unconventional, but first-rate idea of fun. i don't remember buying new outfits together or whispering about boys. or hanging out at the mall or going to basketball games. or even chatting on the phone. the things i reminisce about are mostly 'inside memories' of us just being ourselves, in one of our basements, laughing. no one else would really get why we we laughed, but we get each other.

without trying, we had so much good fun in growing up.

from sparks to piano lessons. from birthday parties to the bible quiz. from pretzel rods and apple juice to miss bonnie's cake class. from the laughing game to sleepovers and pancakes. from pajama pageants to lock-ins. from hickory hill to papio pool. from dutch blitz to myst. from sunday school to mission trips. from alfred hitchcock to jane austen to tolkien. from blue man group to worlds of fun. from high school french class to high school musical. from bible studies to shapes mac & cheese. from 2 o'clock syndrome to deep discussion. from ming's to panera. from soar to summer nights at sonic. from graduation to facebook. from toast parties to basement pow-wows. from lemony snicket to lost. from midwest allergy clinic to my wedding day. from mali to minnesota. from little girls to grown up.

been there, done that. together.

happy birthday, rebecca!

categories:family,listing,show and tell | 4 comments

March 10, 2010

Classic Zucchini Bread

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as a child, zucchini bread mystified me. i had no idea what the zucchini part actually was. it seemed more like cinnamon bread if you asked me. (apparently i missed the green specks. good thing.) i loved it. and smeared with butter, it was 50 times better. zucchini sounded like a very grown up word, and i was thrilled to have acquired a taste for such a sophisticated thing. it was an exciting day whenever mom made it.

even today, it is still exciting. i was so happy when i remembered that my freezer was stocked with zucchini from the farmers' market. yay! the next step was obvious: tesa's zucchini bread. it was my friend tesa who introduced me to the best banana bread, so i knew i could trust her completely when it came to my childhood favorite.

Classic Zucchini Bread from tesa

1 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. ground cinnamon (i think i did closer to 2 tsp.)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 c. sugar

1 c. shredded, unpeeled zucchini

1/4 c. oil

1 egg

1/4 tsp. grated lemon zest

1/4 c. chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

1. grease a loaf pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees. sift together first 6 ingredients; set aside.

2. combine sugar, zucchini, oil, egg, and lemon zest; mix well.

3. add dry mixture to zucchini mixture and stir just until moistened. batter should be lumpy.

4. spoon batter into prepared pan and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

5. cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan to cool on wire rack. wrap in foil to store. freezes well.

note: i substituted 1/4 of the all-purpose flour for wheat flour, and added a tablespoon of milled flax, to make it a tad healthier.

what you get: a completely definitive, satisfying version of my fave. it is perfect in its simplicity. moist, sweet, and spicey. and i just have to say: how happy it is that we can make something so good from an ordinary vegetable. cool.

categories:recipes | 5 comments

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good news for people who fancy some luscious zucchini bread.

when i get home from preschool, i'm going to share the recipe.

see you this afternoon!

categories:show and tell | 5 comments

March 9, 2010

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i had to make one more movie mention this month. i had to. i owe it to my twin sister. the parent trap is on today! this opening song is full of nostalgia for me.. it makes me homesick for my sisters. when we were little, this movie seemed magical. and it was one of our top 5 standards on the library vhs shelf. we used to watch miss hayley relentlessly. i'm guessing we still have most of the movie memorized, and can probably still do a decent rendition of let's get together.

{haley, remember the haircut scene? and the popsicle line? i don't know if i ever told you this, but in the back of my mind i always knew you were susan, and i was sharon. knowing us, you were probably thinking the same thing.}

my old favorite is showing at 4:45 this afternoon on tcm.

synchronize your dvrs, everyone.

meanwhile, i'm off to scrub saucepans and bake zucchini bread. i love starting the business of baking with clean counters and an empty sink. have i told you my idea to make tuesday 'baking day'? i am intent on it. today the sky is perfectly white and gloomy, and it's raining. i can't imagine a better place to be than in my kitchen.

categories:movies,the lowdown | 11 comments

March 8, 2010

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re-reading the laura ingalls wilder books has opened my eyes. today i'm thankful that the age of trudging out to a cold clothesline is over. i don't have to put on my snowpants and boots and clear a path to this line in our yard. (but i still think it's cute to have a snow-dipped clothesline in my backyard.) i don't have to bring in the frozen clothes and let them thaw in front of the stove before i fold them. thank you Lord, for electric dryers. in a minute i will go downstairs in my slippers and grab an armful of hot towels. what a life.

and now, a little pause from real life. please indulge me a starstruck moment. after all, the oscars only come once a year!

2010 oscar business.

a. basically, i really enjoyed the show last night. i always do. it feels a little like seeing old friends.

b. best hair: kate winslet, and the winning miss sandra bullock both rocked the sleek side-part look. i was totally down with the wearing it down. shiny-smooth with some minor curls on the side.. perfect.

c. the best dressed prize must go to cameron diaz. when i saw the simple shape of her sparkly oscar de la renta, i cheered. i'm a sucker for completely classic. she looked stunning. and i must give honorable mention to demi moore, who looked elegant in a ribbons and ruffles versace. so sweet and swishy.

d. grant says steve martin should host every year. i'm not opposed to the idea either.

e. cameron gets my vote for best presenter, with steve carrell, of course.

f. the nominees for best original score were fantastic. i'm mad about movie soundtracks. i have a good collection going in itunes. think i'll have to add up and the fantastic mr. fox.

g. a big thank you to grant, who stayed up with me until the very end, letting me get my annual hollywood fix. i'm glad i don't have to wait until morning for mom to tell me who won best picture anymore.

categories:a day in the life,listing,show and tell | 6 comments

March 5, 2010

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i'm not here to rave about powerade, but i do like the sound of their new commercial. you know that i broke out my rock the planet: dance 80's album after i heard it. and now i find myself treadmill-trotting with nu shooz and the go-go's.

what are you working out to nowadays?

ps. the song in the commercial is 'i can't wait' by nu shooz.

categories:show and tell,the lowdown | 6 comments

March 3, 2010

Soft Homemade Granola Bars

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my mother-in-law has done it again.

homemade granola bars!

perfectly soft and chewy, corn-syrup free, all natural,

full of protein, and best of all.. outrageously yummy.

this is groundbreaking.

this winter, grant's mom created a healthy, homemade granola bar as a substitute for the pricey health food store bars she'd been buying, and our family hasn't been the same since. for about two weeks now i've been popping these guilt-free treats out of the freezer and into grant's lunch sack in the morning. (one batch has lasted us this long!) we love love love them. grant will even email over his lunch break and remind me how much he loves them. so judy, we owe you. big time.

mom judy's homemade granola bars.

2 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 c. flax seed, milled

3/4 c. shelled sunflower seeds

1 c. chopped nuts (any kind or combination)

1 c. shredded coconut

1/2 to 1 tsp. cinnamon (desired amount)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. brown sugar or your favorite natural sweetener

1/2 c. honey

2 tsp. molasses

4 T. butter

2 tsp. vanilla

4 T. peanut butter

1 c. dried, chopped fruit (optional)

1. mix first 8 ingredients together and place on a rimmed baking sheet. toast in a 400 degree oven for 12 minutes. stir and let cool at least 15 minutes.

2. bring next 4 ingredients to a simmer, stirring continuously. stir in the vanilla and peanut butter and cool for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. put the toasted ingredients and dried fruit in a large bowl and pour the liquid ingredients over it. mix very well.

4. place parchment or wax paper in the rimmed baking sheet and butter the top side, then place the granola bar mixture in the pan. put another butter sheet of paper, buttered side down, on top of the mixture and press down. roll with a rolling pin to make it very tight, smooth, and even.

5. let set for 2-3 hours and cut into desired bar size. makes about 20-24 bars. package in snack size bags or an airtight container. if not using within next few days, store in freezer. they keep very well, and thaw quickly. (really yummy frozen, too!)

categories:favorite things,housewifery,recipes | 32 comments

March 2, 2010

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how about this for the march classic movie of the month? this oscar-winning film could be the ultimate musical. for those who've seen it, tell me you didn't pick out your favorite brother and bride. admit it, you wanted to be that girl.. you dreamt of wearing her gingham dress and being swept around a barnfloor in his arms. and if you haven't seen it, watch and pick your favorite couple tonight on tcm!

truly, seven brides is right up there with the music man and singin' in the rain. among the greats, and maybe even my favorite. grant and i both grew up singing along with it (one of us camped out on the carpet of her cousins' basement, because she didn't own the movie herself), and now we refer to it as the movie that brought us together. it holds a special place in our lives.

after all, it was during the annual camp shetek staff

showing of seven brides for seven brothers

that grant first asked me on a date.

categories:movies,show and tell,the lowdown | 10 comments

March 1, 2010

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here's where we started.. (note the green grass. this was months ago.. before snow.)

and here's where we are now! over the weekend grant put the finishing touches on our newly rebuilt + restyled table, the one we picked up for free from my sweet inlaws. together we lugged it up from the basement-cum-woodshop.. which is when i realized that heavy lifting projects always make me feel like wow, this is a real husband-wife moment. it was fun, and hard. and really good for my arms.

it even has leaves. that's what i'm talkin about.

so here it sits in the blue room (i like naming rooms by color, i think it has something to do with memories of my grandma's house). this room is the next one up for painting.. but what color? hmm. am taking suggestions. but back to the table. it will serve as a sewing|workstation|whatever-we-need-it-to-be table. i'm over the moon about this. there is nothing so promising as a piece of furniture with endless possibilities. and if it has a silky, unfinished wood surface with which to labor upon, all the better! i couldn't be more excited right now. i need to go and look at it again to make sure it's real.. have a happy march morning!

ps. don't forget to sit in on the workshop at marta's. if you look closely, you just might see me!

pps. i explored a couple centerpiece options, for the sake of my own amusement and taking a pretty picture for you guys. the vintage jars were inspired by sheena, and i'm using them everywhere these days. and the baby white vase is one of my recent thrifts. (50 cents!)

categories:housewifery,refurbished,show and tell | 10 comments

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Buttermilk Oatmeal Pancakes

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Classic Zucchini Bread

Soft Homemade Granola Bars

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