Lemon Tart

Lemon Tart by Josi Kilpack was a fun and easy culinary mystery. It combines two of my favorite things - a good read, and good recipes. It is the story of 56 year old Sadie who loves to cook and loves to keep busy. As she is busy making applesauce, she soon becomes entangled in solving her neighbor's (Anne's) mysterious murder that started with a lemon tart left in her oven.
This was a great book with a totally unexpected ending. I even bought the ingredients to make the lemon tart recipe. Hopefully mine does not turn out as disastrous as Anne's :)

You Made That in a Crock Pot?

Sorry for all of the slow cooker recipes lately...but I love them. They just fit my lifestyle and make cooking so much easier. I have two more today. These were surprising...I never imagined that I could make these things in a slow cooker but they turned out great! These come from my favorite slow cooker resource...none other than 365 Days of Slow Cooking.

Here are two great recipes...one on the no guilt, healthy side and the other on the little indulgent, sweet side.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Makes 4 servings

• 1 cup steel-cut oats (these are a lot different from regular oatmeal. They have a more nutty taste and chewy texture. I found them in the bulk food bins at the grocery store.)
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Sliced apple

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.  Add steel-cut oats and stir for about 2 mintues.  Transfer to the slow cooker.  Add in the water, raisins (I just topped my cooked oatmeal with Craisins...I'm not a big fan of raisins) , brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours.  Serve with milk and sliced apple on the top. 

I doubled this recipe thinking that 1 cup of oats didn't sound like a lot....mistake! It made a TON. When I make it again, I will stick with the recipe...unless I am cooking for an army.

Slow Cooker Peach Crisp

Serves 4-5

• 3 large fresh peaches, peeled and sliced (if fresh aren't in season, use frozen not canned...I used a 2 cup bag of sliced peaches and just put them in frozen)
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup quick oats
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg
• 1/4 cup butter

Place sliced peaches in bottom of a greased 3 quart slow cooker.  In a medium bowl combine the flour, oatmeal, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Cut the butter in with a pastry blender or a fork.  Mixture should be crumbly.  Sprinkle over the peaches.  Cover the slow cooker with a paper towel.  Then put the lid over the paper towel and seal the crockpot.  Cook on HIGH for 2 hours.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.  

No more dutch oven peach crisp for me...this was so easy and SO GOOD! My kids couldn't get enough...they were licking their plates clean (ok, and so was I).

Enjoy!

Losing My Marbles

I have started something that has grown out of control. It occupies Nathan's every thought. He wants to do this ALL THE TIME but he can only play while Travis is sleeping so that he doesn't choke on the marbles...good enough reason right? Not for Nathan. It is a huge ordeal when it is time to put the marbles away. Why oh why did I start this? I keep hoping that he will forget about them...out of sight, out of mind. Not for Nathan. He even wants to sleep with his marbles. I'm about to loose my marbles with this "thrilling" activity!

So here it is...don't get too excited. It is not much but it is everything to Nathan. We made up a game together called Marble Jail. Here's how to play:

• Each person selects 1 Police Marble
• Spread the rest of the marbles out on the floor - these are the Bad Guys
• Make a line about 3 feet away from the marbles
• Sit behind that line and each person takes turns rolling his/her Police Marble at the Bad Guys
• Whatever Bad Guys the Police Marble hits during its roll get captured and put in jail (a pile at the side of each player...or if you are Nathan...inside your slipper)
• Keep playing until all of the Bad Guys are gone
• The player with the most captured Bad Guys wins

 I must admit that I really had fun playing this with Nathan...for the first 50 times. It is now getting a little old. You have been forewarned. Don't blame me if you start something that you can't stop and causes you to loose your marbles as well!

Another version that we made up was Break Through the Fence:

• Divide marbles in half between 2 players
• Each player puts his/her marbles in a line (fence) about 3-4 feet apart from the other players' fence
• Take turns rolling one marble at the other player's fence
• If your marble touches any of your opponent's marbles you take them away from his fence
• The first person to get all of the other player's fence wins

Motherhood Matters!

Motherhood matters to me. I am so grateful for all of the influential mothers in my life. I am SO grateful to be a mother! In today's Wednesday's Words I have included several quotes about mothers, a link to the Motherhood Matters blog where you will find more inspiring quotes and great Mother's Day ideas, and a funny little extra link to an article about the regrets we have as new mothers.

"Few of us will reach our potential without the nurturing of both the mother who bore us and the mothers who bear with us." – Sheri L. Dew

“We should no longer allow a mother to be defined as ‘just a mom.’ It is on her back that great nations are built. We should no longer allow any woman’s voice to be drowned out or disregarded. As we affirm other women, and as we teach our sons, husbands and friends to hold them in the highest regard, we honor both the mothers whose shoulders we’ve stood on and the daughters who will one day stand tall on ours.” (Oprah) 

 

Motherhood Matters is a campaign to inspire, encourage, and remind ourselves why motherhood matters. More than just a stage of life marked by the presence of children, we are celebrating motherhood as a way of life that empowers our best selves. The dictionary defines a mother as a female parent, yet we all know female parents who are not mothers and we know mothers who are not parents. The true definition of a mother is a woman who teaches, inspires, nurtures and loves those she comes into contact with.


Need a laugh, here is a funny article 

Now, all you moms, grandmas, aunts, and friends out there, pat yourselves on the back. We may not be perfect. We may have stretch marks and weak bladders. We may have a few regrets. But...we are not "just moms". What we do matters!

Getting To The Bottom of Things

Today I've gotten to the bottom of something.
No, I haven't gotten to the bottom of how to keep my kids from fighting or tattling or hitting or kicking or whining.
No, I haven't gotten to the bottom of how to keep my house clean and organized.
No, I haven't figured out how to get rid of my always present muffin top.
No, I haven't gotten to the bottom of how to make Nathan and Travis take longer naps so that I can have one as well.
No, I haven't gotten to the bottom of how to make the cuddles, compliments, and melt-your-heart motherhood moments last longer and happen more frequently.
And no, I still haven't gotten to the bottom of how to keep my kids motivated with their chores.
But I did get to the bottom of something today....

I know this is a pretty lame excuse for a Tuesday's Triumph...but a triumph it is. I haven't seen the bottom of the laundry basket in a very long time. As soon as I get the laundry caught up there is another dirty batch waiting to be done. So I had to document this momentous occasion. I will get to the bottom of those other things another day.
This is one small triumph for mother-kind. One giant stretch for my blog!

Mr. T is for....

Travis has a nickname of Mr. T and lately it fits him very well...this is why:

T is for Travis

T is for Two

T is for Teeth

T is for Terrible

T is for Trouble

He is cutting his Two front Teeth. It has been Terrible for him...complete with all the Trouble - drooling, diaper rash, fever, swollen gums, not sleeping well, and very fussy.

Poor Mr. T. Your Terrible disposition from the Troubles with these Two front Teeth could not end Too soon!

Humility is Like Underwear

"Humility is like underwear - necessary but indecent if exposed." 

Matthew 23:12 - And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Doctrine and Covenants 112:10 - Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers.