Monthly Archives: April 2013

Apr 18

This Week

Last week, and this week have flown by… I have been on the phone non-stop.We have been cleaning up after the hail storm, and meeting with adjusters too. It has been stressful, but it is good to get it all started.

The boys are out of school tomorrow, and tonight Thade has a Spring Musical Program. He his excited too, he has a speaking role. He has been practicing often, Agnes and Dylan make a pretty good audience.

Last night Dylan lost his second tooth. He was so excited!

He also has school pictures today. I think they are going to be extra cute.

Agnes has been keeping me busy. She has been trashing every room in the house, and having some major three year old tantrums too. It has just been one of those weeks.

I think I’ll try to kick-back a bit tomorrow… Here’s to a relaxing and non-busy weekend.

Apr 17

Mother’s Day Trivets

This year I wanted to make my Mom a handmade gift for Mother’s Day.

Since I was in granny square making mode, I thought some trivets would be fun to make. First I needed to learn how to add on to my squares though. Once I got the hang of it, I made two, and stitched them together.

I liked the way that it looked, but it needed a bit more color.

I used the yarn that I had on hand.

I picked out lots of different colors, and I worked on the squares during the evening.

The project went fast, and before I knew it, I had five trivets made.

I was hoping that they would look like stained glass.

They looked so cute in the window, I might need to make a set for my house.

Just in case you were wondering… I gave them to my Mom on Easter, I just couldn’t wait.

Apr 15

Let’s Give It A Try: Puppy Grooming

Miss Mia was getting a bit shaggy…

She had her full Winter coat, and she was in need of a bath, and claw trim too.

I thought about scheduling her for a full groom, and the I thought about the cost. I wondered if I could do it on my own. I have been bathing her, and trimming her claws since she was a little pup, but I had never attempted a hair cut.

I made some homemade Dog Shampoo, and prepped the bathroom for Miss Mia. I brought her leash upstairs, and secured if safely to the towel rack. I clipped her claws as usual, and then I put her on her leash for the haircut. I selected a 5 on the clipper set that I have, and it worked out well. I started at her shoulders, and worked my way back. I used scissors to trim some unruly leg hair, and fur around her ears.

She wasn’t too happy about having the clippers any where near her head, so I used the scissors only. Once we were all a mess, and covered in fur, I ran her bath. She got a double scrub, and a towel dry too.

It isn’t perfect, but I think she feels better after the haircut and bath.

I think I did pretty good too for my first doggy haircut.

We even took the pup along to pick-up the kiddos after school. She liked the car ride.

It did take a bit of time, but I bet a few more puppy grooming sessions, and I’ll have the hang of it. It was a good savings too. It would have cost me $30-$40 to have Mia fully groomed, and Agnes thought it was funny that Mia needed a haircut too. I’ll be keeping up on the at home puppy grooming, but I don’t know that Mia will be happy about it.

Apr 11

March’s Tasty Treats

March was busy, busy, busy. I think I went through twenty-five pounds of flour and sugar. I was in the kitchen all the time, but I learned a new tasty skill too. Here are some of our favorite treats from March.

I’ve been making brownies from scratch, and this recipe is really good.

I made a few Bundt cakes during March.

I also got to make many cookies for a cookie catering gig.

I made a batch of Ham & Cheese rolls for the boys. They liked them, and they are quick to throw into lunch boxes too.

I made a batch of Cinnamon & Raisin biscuits. I think next time I need to make buttermilk biscuits instead of baking powder biscuits. The kids kinda liked them, they all gave them a try.

Chocolate Snack Cake is one of my favorite week-night desserts.

I made a Pumpkin Pie for St. Patrick’s Day. Pumpkin Pie is James and Dylan’s favorite.

His & her’s late night snacks.

During Spring Break we got out the Ice Cream maker. This was our first attempt at making homemade Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. It was pretty tasty, even though it was a bit more like a milkshake.

On the first day of Spring we made Banana Muffins for afternoon snacks, and a coconut cake for dessert.

I turned the coconut cake into a Raspberry Zinger cake. It is one of my favorites.

We had a few more ice cream making ingredients hanging out in the fridge. We made a cake, and tested out a batch of Vanilla.

We celebrated Dylan’s 6th birthday. He wanted a Chocolate Bundt Cake.

We also made another bath of homemade Mint Chocolate Ice Cream for the birthday party. This batch was just right.

Before we knew it, the month was almost over. It was time for Easter, and we celebrated with our family.We celebrated Dylan’s birthday with more cake and homemade ice cream. I made a Peach Pie and a Cherry Pie to go with the homemade vanilla ice cream too.

It was a tasty month! April hasn’t been quite as busy in the kitchen.