Category Archives: Nico

Aug 13

New Light

Last week we had several bad storms… We lost our favorite tree to one of them.

The City visited us after the storm, and inspected the tree. It didn’t look so good.

I was sad to see the tree go, but thankful that everybody was safe.

They closed off the road, and brought down the biggest parts of the tree. They completely covered the road.

Agnes was so sad. We were unable to dig up the flowers planted around the tree. She loved the tree.

The City finished cleaning up the site, and they did a great job too.

 The yard looked so different with the tree gone.

The yard looks much bigger too.

The new natural light in the foyer is really lovely. Agnes’ room has pretty new natural light too. I still miss the tree when I look out the window, it has been a lovely green sight for the last eight years.

Aug 6

Finished Project: Agnes’ Pink Afghan

I started this project just before the boys were out of school, after a trip to the store with Grandma. Agnes spotted very pink yarn, and Grandma bought me three skeins to get started on an afghan for Agnes’ bed.

I couldn’t wait, I got right to work.

One day in, and it looked like a really cute pink scarf.

The big kitty kept me company while I worked.

I kept the project upstairs, and worked on it whenever I had a chance.

Agnes also snuggled in the unfinished blanket whenever she had a chance.

I made a few yarn runs, and kept going. I lost count on just how many skeins went into this project.

I used our bed to measure my progress. I never take the time to properly measure, I just eyeball it. I was hoping that this pink blanket would be about twin sized to fit Agnes’ bed.

Finally, I was almost there. I decided to add one last skein of yarn, and weave in all of the ends.

Late Sunday night, I finally had it completed.

I couldn’t wait to give the blanket to Agnes. She has been asking me every single day if it was done yet…

For the pattern I used a J 6.00 MM hook, and it was a simple one single crochet, two doubles, and repeat row after row. I used Red Heart yarn in Pretty in Pink, and I’m guessing it took around ten skeins to finish the project.

She loves it, and I love the bright pop of color. It fit her bed nicely, and it is soft and cozy too. I’m going to attempt to make one for our bed next. We have a king sized bed, so I’ll be crocheting for a long time.

 

 

 

 

Aug 2

July’s Tasty Treats

July was a fun month, but it sure did fly by fast. We had a super-fun Fourth of July, and I made lots of tasty treats throughout the month.

For the Fourth of July I made two batches of homemade Ice Cream. There was a tasty batch of vanilla.

There was also a tasty batch of chocolate too.

I made a big batch of milk chocolate ganache. Half of the ganache made its way into the triple chocolate ice cream, the other half was turned into hot fudge sauce.

The triple chocolate ice cream is crazy good. It is a chocolate base with chocolate ganache ribbons, and mini chocolate chips. Thade thought up this recipe, and I love it too.

I also made a few dozen Homemade Dinner Rolls for the Fourth of July. They became BBQ Chicken Sliders, and we had a few left for dinner too.

I made some Chocolate Chip cookies for the 4th, and my mom made a very delicious Blueberry Duff. Just how did she know her homemade blueberry duff is my favorite dessert…

I baked a Cherry Pie for the 4th too. We were too full to cut into it though.

After cleaning up the yard, and the house, and doing all of those dishes I ran and got late night snacks for my hubby and me.

A few days later, we finally cut the pie.

There was fruit left behind from the Fourth. I thought it would be enough to make a double batch of Duff.

It was Blueberry and Strawberry Duff, and I topped it off with homemade vanilla ice cream. I think I ate it for every single meal, including breakfast.

Agnes wanted me to make a batch of homemade brownies. They are her favorite.

July must have been an eat-every-sweet-in-sight month. I couldn’t resist these peanut butter m&m’s.

We also splurged and got ice cream from the ice cream truck on a hot afternoon. The kids were playing in the sprinkler, and the ice cream truck just happened to drive by.

Once I spotted Hostess cupcakes back on the store shelves, I really wanted to pick-up a box of them. I resisted though (thanks to the price), and I tried to make a batch.

The cream filled chocolate cupcakes were very rich, moist, and delicious. The kids loved them too.

I also tried making fried pickles. I love fried pickles, and this batch turned out just right. I’ve even converted James into being a fan of this fried food.

There were more Giant Chocolate Chip cookies to be made. This batch was for my hubby’s co-worker’s birthday. I then made a batch for us. I need to make one more batch for the new neighbor that has just moved in next door.

 

Aug 1

August’s Monthly Menu

I can’t believe that it is already August. The Summer is coming to a close, and the kids are almost back in school. I know they aren’t quite ready to go, but I think they’ll enjoy being back in the routine. I’ve got to get myself adjusted to the morning routine too.

I’ll be packing lunches, and baking some after-school treats for the boys. I like being busy in the kitchen though. I think August is going to be another busy month. So here we go it’s August’s monthly dinner menu.

  • 8/1/13: Chicken Burritos, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Homemade Salsa, and Re-fried Beans
  • 8/2/13: Nachos
  • 8/3/13: Panko Chicken Tenders, Hominy, and Cheesy Broccoli Rice
  • 8/4/13: Pot Roast with Potatoes and Homemade Dinner Rolls
  • 8/5/13: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, and Homemade Salsa
  • 8/6/13: Popcorn Chicken and Tater Tots
  • 8/7/13: Chicken Burritos, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Homemade Salsa, and Re-fried Beans
  • 8/8/13: Panko Chicken Cutlets, Corn, and Couscous
  • 8/9/13: Chicken Chow Mien, Rice, Broccoli, and Chow Mien Noodles
  • 8/10/13: Panko Chicken Sandwiches and Chips
  • 8/11/13: Panko Chicken Tenders, Corn, Mashed Potatoes, and Homemade Bread
  • 8/12/13: Bean & Cheese Tostadas, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, and Homemade Salsa
  • 8/13/13: Pizza Rolls and Pasta Salad
  • 8/14/13: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, and Homemade Salsa
  • 8/15/13: Spaghetti, Homemade Breadsticks, and Broccoli
  • 8/16/13: Beef Soft Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Homemade Salsa, and Re-fried Beans
  • 8/17/13: Popcorn Chicken and Tater Tots
  • 8/18/13: Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, and Dinner Rolls
  • 8/19/13: Chicken Burritos, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Homemade Salsa, and Re-fried Beans
  • 8/20/13: Spaghetti, Homemade Breadsticks, and Chocolate Bundt Cake
  • 8/21/13: Pulled Pork Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Homemade Salsa, and Re-fried Beans
  • 8/22/13: BBQ Pork Sandwiches and Chips
  • 8/23/13: Chicken Fajitas, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Homemade Salsa, and Re-fried Beans
  • 8/24/13: Panko Chicken Tenders, Spaghetti, Homemade Bread, Green Beans, and Cherry Pie
  • 8/25/13: Pot Roast with Potatoes, Homemade Rolls, and Pumpkin Pie
  • 8/26/13: Bean & Cheese Tostadas, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, and Homemade Salsa
  • 8/27/13: Chicken Chow Mien, Rice, Broccoli, and Chow Mien Noodles
  • 8/28/13: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, and Cheese Dip
  • 8/29/13: Chicken Burritos, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Homemade Salsa, and Re-fried Beans
  • 8/30/13: Panko Chicken Cutlets, Spaghetti, Green Beans, and Homemade Bread
  • 8/31/13: BBQ Chicken Sliders, Potato Chips, and Fried Pickles

 

Happy August everybody!

 

Jul 31

Happy 8th Birthday!

Today NicoStuff.com is eight years old. I started my blog after my hubby suggested it, and I’ve kept up with it. There have been many ups and downs along this journey in motherhood, and many more adventures to come.

Thank you for your kind words, friendship, and encouragement. Thanks for reading too.