Break the Cycle

Stash Report - Week 5, 2012

2012-01-30T04:41:00.000-08:00

Stash Report – Week 5, 2012

January 16, 2012

Did a little sewing this week – still using scraps and whatever stash I have on hand. I’m only counting fabric after the project is finished, easier to keep track of that way. My Feb. table runner is finished - ended up steam cleaning the kitchen floor this weekend so I could get it sandwiched, then it was beautiful outside so I sent the kids out to play and had enough time to get the entire thing quilted and bound. Won't post a picture until Feb. 1st - but it is finished, so I get to count the yardage.

Used this Week: 3 yards
Used year to Date: 5 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards
Net Used for 2012: -5 yards

Finished Projects for 2012 -


Jan Table Runner		To see what others are working on check out Patchwork Times by Judy !

Fayatar with Dee's Healthy Bread - Meat Pies

2012-01-27T15:06:00.000-08:00

I am not a food photographer - I wish I were - because I could show how wonderfully these came out. I used the same recipe as yesterday for the bread dough - but this time I cut the original recipe in 1/2 - for 36 instead of the original 72 servings the recipe calls for. You'll find the dough recipe here

Dee's Health Bread

While it was rising - I sauteed 3 onions with about 3 lbs of ground beef. Also threw in some spices - sorry - I don't measure - but it was a good bit of cayenne pepper, salt and cinnamon. (Hint, if you've never tried Vietnamese Cinnamon - I highly recommend it - I get my from Penzeys spices - excellent quality !)

After the meat was browned, I threw in a couple cans of fire roasted tomatoes and a small can of tomato paste - then I just let it simmer until almost all the liquid was gone.

TAfter the bread had risen - I separated it into about a dozen balls - then flattened each ball and stretched it into a circle - some circles were much bigger than others - but they all worked ! Filled each one with some of the meat mixture and some shredded mozzarella cheese - I baked some with the seam up, and I baked some with the seam down. While the seam down looks nicer, some of them leaked - so more of a clean up. Since I don't like clean up - next time I make these, and believe me, there will be a next time - anyway, next time I'll just keep seams up. AFter they were all stuffed I let them rise again for about an hour. I'm not sure you'd have to wait that long - I just had to make a swim practice run - so it was an hour before I got them in the oven.

Afterwards - in a 350* oven I baked them for 20 minutes - I only did 1 cookie sheet at a time - wanted to make sure they got nice and brown on the top and bottom. They were wonderful. The dough is much healthier than regular white bread that I used to use ... and the kids still loved them - 2 thumbs up !

Wheat Breat -

2012-01-27T02:24:00.000-08:00

Made this recipe yesterday to go with dinner -

Dee's Health Bread

Even though I didn't have enough time to let it rise completely - it turned out wonderfully. It was great warm, then this a.m. I toasted a slice and it's still great (even though Sham never got around to covering it last night after his late night tennis match dinner)

I did have to modify the recipe a bit - I didn't have enough regular flour to make the entire recipe - so I scaled it down to 20 servings. Today I'll go out and buy some flour and make the entire recipe. Going to also try to roll some into smaller balls and see if they'll pop for pita bread - how healthy will that be if it works !

Stash Report Week 3

2012-01-16T04:56:00.000-08:00

Stash Report – Week 3, 2012

January 16, 2012

Did a little sewing this week – still using scraps and whatever stash I have on hand. I’m only counting fabric after the project is finished – so not counting what I’ve used this week. Waiting for batting to finish my Feb. table runner – once that gets here – I should finish that pretty quickly.

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 2 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards
Net Used for 2012: -2 yards

Finished Projects for 2012 -

Jan. Table Runner - snowmen

January Table Runner -

2012-01-07T12:38:00.000-08:00

I really like this - it's me - fun and bright -

Menu Plan Monday -

2012-01-03T07:27:00.000-08:00

When I planned our Menu's each week years ago - we all ate healthier, my cupboards and fridge were stocked better, and I always knew what I needed to do for dinner at night. Back to basics - for more ideas - check out what others are planning this week at

Monday - @ Franklin Institute - Pizza
Tuesday - Chicken Parmesan Rollatini

Wednesday - Fuss Free Ravioli and Cheese Bake
Thursday - Venison Stew over Egg Noodles
Friday - Tuna Fish Sandwiches or over Salad
Saturday - Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Quinoa
Sunday - Red Lobster for Mom and Dad $15 specials !!!
Leftovers or Pizza Hut for the kids :)

Chicken Parmesan Rollatini

2012-01-03T06:56:00.000-08:00

Time to get back in the kitchen. Tonight's dinner -

Chicken Parmesan Rollatini

Will leave feedback and photos after it's rated by the kids !

Happy New Year -

2012-01-03T06:55:00.000-08:00

My word for the year is Waste ... as in too much ...

too much food ....
too much stuff ....
too much time .....
too much emotion .....

In my house - we waste entirely too much of one of these items on a daily basis. While we don't usually throw food away, we waste too many of our calories on food that does little good for our bodies. We waste too much stuff - we buy things, play with them or wear them for a little while, and then into the closet they go. Time is a big one - I can sit at the computer in the morning intent on doing some paperwork, and then wham .... 3 hours later I've accomplished very little except checked to see what all my friends had accomplished. And emotion - how many of my emotions are wasted on people I really don't care much about, and how many times do I keep my emotions all bottled up around people I do care about. Why not let those people really know how much they mean to me? If you're reading this post - know that you are indeed one of those people that mean more to me than I'll ever let you know. Perhaps because I was raised not to show emotions ? Not really sure, and I'm not going to WASTE and TIME to try and figure out why I am how I am, I'm just going to change what I can - and work on being the best me I can be. Seems simple enough.

Flurry Deals at Amazon

2011-12-04T04:31:00.000-08:00

Since most know that I love shopping on the internet, I'm going to start posting super finds.

Flurry Deals

Gotta love Amazon for nearly everything from coffee (I get a monthly delivery of coffee syrups - sugar free - and they make even cheapy coffee taste great)

Torani Sugar Free Coffee Syrups

to Splenda (again, a monthly delivery assures that I won't run out, and the price is very comparable to my local Sam's Club)

Splenda

I also picked up this London Fog jacket for my husband. Our anniversary is in January - perfect gift. It's back up to $150 now, I picked it at $89 - so it'll probably go back on sale again before the holidays.

Malware, Virus - System Restore

2011-11-09T04:23:00.000-08:00

My oldest daughters' laptop got hit with some type of infection last weekend. All files gone, computer wouldn't start, and a pop up box kept telling her she needed to perform a System Restore, and it would cost $$$. Of course, I knew that System Restore should not cost anything - so figured it was some type of virus. I ran McAfee full scan, didn't find much, but found enough to get her back up and running, but didn't find the answer to where her files went.

Fast forward to yesterday - my own computer, infected with the same virus, but my computer has tons more information that can't be lost. Of course, I have a removable hard drive where I back up my info, so I wasn't so worried, but I need my computer everyday for work related stuff. I had McAfee running 24/7 - so knew it wasn't going to help. On to the net for a fix, and stumbled across Malwarebytes Anti-Malware download. Skeptical, I downloaded it. OMG - it not only found the problem, the forums took me step by step on how to "un-hide" all my files. Went to dd's laptop, unhid her files, downloaded the same Malware software, and wham, she's all good too.

Right now I'm using the free Pro edition of Malwarebytes - but when it expires in 14 days, you can be sure I will be purchasing the full edition. Thanks Tech Spot for providing help when I really needed it !

Amazon - Count Down Pages -

2011-11-04T04:18:00.000-07:00

OK - the push is on from major retailers to get your hard earned money before the Christmas season. A friend of mine just forwarded a wonderful email - talking about buying gift certificates to American run business this Christmas - a gift that can keep on giving. Some things mentioned in the email like haircuts and snow removal - really gets you thinking. But, I always like to have a few gifts in the closet for unexpected guests, or someone I forgot - so here's Amazon's Count Down to Christmas sale. Each week the sale changes, and they've had some really decent gold box items lately - so check in everyday !

Shop Amazon's Holiday Countdown Store

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

2011-09-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip
Mini Muffins from moneywisemoms.com

1 large egg
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 can of pumpkin puree
1 cup skim milk
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using an electric mixer, beat egg with brown sugar until smooth. Add pumpkin and milk, and mix. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to wet ingredients. Mix well. Slowly add in whole wheat flour, mix until well combined. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.

Spray a nonstick mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Fill muffin tins 2/3-3/4 full. Bake for 10-15 minutes until a toothpick poked into the muffin center comes out clean. Allow to cool in muffin tins for 5-10 minutes. Remove from muffin tins and completely cool.

Successful Weekend in some Ways

2011-09-26T04:39:00.000-07:00

And in some ways - not. I gave up my WW meeting to take Adam to Lowes to build a fire truck. I had promised him, and my kids know I always try very hard to keep my promises - so I had to go. DH did say he would, but after some sighs and ummmmms, I decided he probably really didn't want to - so I did. Not a great start - I've been a WW member now for 2 weeks, only made it through the initial meeting, went back the second week, got weighed in, but was called to duty immediately thereafter and didn't get to stay for the meeting, and then this week - nothing. Right back on track though!

I did find time to sew this weekend - made a pretty neat table runner entirely out of scraps - just need to make a binding and get it put on the table !

Farewell Summer 2011 - thanks for the memories

2011-09-05T06:03:00.000-07:00

Wow

- we had a blast this last weekend of summer - we spent a day with the Jessie O crew and did a little deep water fishing. The water was rough, but all the kids handled it well - good to know. We went bowling - and both Adam and Nadia did surprisingly good. Of course, they had gutter guards in and used them creatively - but their scores were impressive. Then our last trip of summer - Six Flags Great Adventure. WE usually try and go one last time during the Muslim Days which mark the end of Ramadan, but because Ramadan is now in the summer - they cannot hold Eid at the park since it's open for it's regular season. Muslim Days this year falls on a school day - and since it's not "really" the religious holiday (that was this past week) - I won't let the kids miss school to go (mean mom that I am). So, I took them yesterday. They had a blast. I even rode the Congo River Rapids with them twice (I had brought a zip lock baggie for my phone) Adam was a little sad that he didn't get soaked, but he quickly got over it .... because this is the first year he was TALL ENOUGH to ride EVERY SINGLE RIDE ! Yep, he hit that all important 54" mark. Where does time go ? Anyway - 6 Flags now sells USB drives - for $25 you buy the drive, and then can add pics on it for $6 each - sounds expensive - but not when you consider how much they want for one sheet of prints ($13!) Plus, you can use your USB drive again all year. Next year I may invest in a season pass - the kids had that much fun ...

Another School Year

2011-08-29T14:14:00.000-07:00

Wow - this year it'll just be Leenah and I at home, as Nadia has also decided to try her hand (and head) at public school. Knowing Nadia, I know she'll do great. Adam will be entering 3rd grade (YIKES - how did that happen) and Mona will be a Sophomore in High School. I don't know how my kids are getting older (and I'm staying the same)

While it'll be quiet around home with only the 2 of us here - I'm pretty sure we'll be getting lots more done, as well as having lots of free time to hit the beach (and swim practices) Speaking of swim practice - we've been off 2 weeks already, and she's more than raring to go. Luckily the coach just posted her new schedule, and with some days having a 3 hour practice, I'm sure she'll be right back in shape pretty quickly !

Mona's got her second scrimmage game tomorrow - and it's Eid - the end of Ramadan. I think I may skip all the celebrations for the day and go watch her play.

BIG FAT CHECK TIME !

2011-08-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

Oh, I love when the postman comes and leaves an envelope with Ebates as the sender. I know my BIG FAT CHECK is inside. When I first started online shopping, my BFC's were less than $20 each - nice, but nothing noteworthy. Today's BFC - $99.72. Now I can do a bit of shopping with that one. Added to the $18.47 I got back from Ace Hardware last week, and I can take the kids out fishing again - for free. Very nice.

Sign up through my link, and I get $5 for each of you. Then you can add a link on your own blog, and you'll get $5 for each of your friends that signs up. Refer 3 friends and get a $30 bonus. Refer 10 friends, and get a $100 bonus. If you have lots of friends, you can get an iPad2 for 50 new friends that become Ebates members. It's free, you get money back for the shopping that you'd do online anyway, and you can still use coupon codes and promo's as well. Nothing to lose !

My Link (and when I use my $5 bonus to get a cappuccino - I'll thank ya !)

Ramadan Mubarak

2011-08-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

First week of Ramadan has already passed us by - time goes very quickly. I've had people here in the States wonder where I get clothing for the girls and me. Yes, sometimes we do bring outfits back from Egypt, but most everything we have in Middle Eastern fashion was purchased here in the States. One of the best places online is East Essence - there is always a link on the right of my blog, as well as a link here that will take you directly to the Abayas and Jilbabs - starting well below $20 each.

Abaya & Jilbab

So Proud -

2011-07-17T05:53:00.000-07:00

Now that Sham is due back from Egypt - I'll have time to keep the blog updated. We did lots the 2 months that he was gone. The first thing that we'll share with him is that Adam came in FIRST PLACE for the Grandparents Day contest held in our county. There were over 1200 entries - and he received first place for his 2nd grade entry. Along with the award, he also got a $25 gift certificate - that he can use anywhere in the mall ! He wanted to wait and go shopping with daddy - I wonder what they'll bring home ! Great Job Adam

Summer is 1/2 over already

2011-07-14T04:56:00.000-07:00

Wow, time does fly. It's been a hard summer so far - dh left at the end of May for what was supposed to be one month overseas. If he does come home next week - it'll have been 2 months ! That's 2 months of having 4 kids involved in 2 sports, and umpteen tenants. I handled a couple of evictions, and inspection, purchased one new property, and made a few repairs here and there. I learned how to take out windows and reinstall them, as well as keeping our own grass cut, and having a wonderful veggie garden this year. We spent the 4th of July out on a boat - watching the fireworks in Atlantic City - that was awesome and certainly memorable. We're planning on taking the same boat fishing this Friday - hoping we can stock the freezer with fresh fish before hubby gets home !

Also had a great time last weekend at Princeton University. Leenah swam some awesome times, and I'm beginning to see the wonderful young lady she is going to become. So talented, and such a hard worker, very proud of her !

Adam's Birthday Cake -

2011-05-20T15:08:00.000-07:00

I have to give it to the lady at Shoprite - she did an awesome job with Adam's birthday cake. They didn't have any pirate cakes that really struck me as something I'd want - so she said she could make one up - from leftover Halloween stuff. I think she did an amazing job ... I need to drop by one day and leave her a tip!

Happy Birthday Adam -

2011-05-19T03:56:00.000-07:00

Can't believe my littlest has turned 8 ... pretty soon everyone will be in double digits .... I think I'll have a break down then.

We had a wonderful birthday at Hershey Park. The rain held off long enough that everyone got to ride every ride they wanted to - we saved the water rides until the end - knowing we would get soaked, get cold, and want to go home (and that exactly what happened !)

Of course, we also had to have birthday cake when we got home (even though he had birthday cake and singing for breakfast on the way to Hershey, as well as birthday cake and singing for dinner on the way home from Hershey) He hasn't gotten a gift yet - probably this weekend ... oh, to be young again !

Healthy Turkey Spiral Skillet

2011-05-19T03:52:00.000-07:00

This makes about 8 servings - 3 out of 4 kids loved it. The other one helped make it - so knew about the veggies ... had she not seen the veggies, she probably would have loved it too !

1 box spiral pasta (healthier if you use whole wheat)
1 lb extra lean ground turkey
1 orange pepper, chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms sliced
1 onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
14 1/2 ounce can of Italian stewed tomatoes (do not drain)
14 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce
dash of pepper
2 1/4 can of sliced olives (these you do drain)
fresh grated Parm cheese

Pretty simple really - cook the pasta, in another pot cook the turkey, orange pepper, mushrooms, onion and garlic all together until the turkey is done (no more pink). Drain. Add the tomatoes, spaghetti sauce and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered for 10-15 minutes, then add the drained pasta into the same pot along with the olives. Once it's heated through, sprinkle with cheese and serve.

1 1/2 cups is a serving - about 350 calories, 5 gm fat (only 1 gm. sat fat) 25 mg cholesterol, 542 mg sodium, 53 g carbs, 9 g fiber (if you use whole wheat pasta) and 26 g protein.

This recipe was adopted from one found in Taste of Home Healthy Cooking magazine.

Spiced Zucchini Bread

2011-05-15T08:25:00.000-07:00

Really not sure what magazine this came from - I tore out the page and have made it so many times, it's getting harder to read. This recipe makes 2 loaves, but I usually always double it.

3 large eggs
1 large zucchini, grated (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup oil (I use canola)
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 TBSP ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Beat eggs until foamy, add sugar, oil, zucchini, and vanilla. Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Mix on low until just blended. Add in walnuts by hand. Pour into greased loaf pans and bake for about an hour at 325*.

If you make each loaf into 16 servings (yeah, right) each slice will have about 145 calories, 2 g protein, 18 g carbs, 8 g total fat (only 1 sat fat) 1 g fiber, 20 mg cholesterol, and 95 mg sodium

This really is good enough for a desert !

Sahara Sam's in NJ

2011-04-30T06:36:00.000-07:00

Our second trip during Spring Break 2011 included a trip to Sahara Sam's - an indoor water park in West Berlin, NJ. Everyone had a blast. I had tickets leftover from December of 2009 - so the trip was free (I like free). I had to sign waivers so the kids could ride the "flow rider" - sorta like an indoor way to surf. Of course, since we're just at the beginning of the long course swim season, I reasoned with them that they could learn to boogie board on the flow rider, but no standing - there is no real need for broken bones this season, right?

They took quite a few spills before they figured out what they were doing. There were a couple of older dudes there that obviously spent way too much time at the water park - they were able to do all types of tricks, but each session always ended with them wiping out (the wipe outs amused me for most of the afternoon - people would get thrown up the wall of water, and stand up trying to pull their swim suits up at the same time. I saw one bloody nose, but that seemed to be the extent of injuries the entire afternoon. I'm happy to say that except for a bump on the head that my oldest received - on a tube ride, not the flow rider - everyone remained injury free!)

Adam goes first - of course

Wayyy to easy mom!

He wipes out about 2 seconds after this picture was taken

Nadia goes next

She wiped out numerous times

She kept trying and trying
And finally she got it right !

Leenah goes last - luckily she had a regular suit under this two piece - two piece suits are NOT good when you are boogie boarding at very high speeds.

Leenah was quicker than the other two to get up on her board

Leenah was even graceful when she wiped out, making sure her hair stayed in place.

She actually got it first, and was able to move the board where she wanted it to go. I'm sure she could have stood on the board with no problem - but I didn't think it was a good idea !

Trip to the Zoo

2011-04-30T06:23:00.000-07:00

Spring Break used to mean nothing to us home schoolers. If we wanted to take a day off to visit the zoo, we could. Now with 2 of my 4 in public school - Spring Break took on a whole new meaning. We crammed lots in during this week, including lots of tennis practices and swim practices. We also took 2 road trips - one to the local zoo in Cape May County, NJ. Love the zoo !

Wonderful weather for a trip to the zoo !

Best of Friends

These goats had the prettiest eyes.

Wonderful opportunity for them to see a real bald eagle.

We've discussed getting grandma a monkey as a companion - this would work!

This bear was swimming laps - the girls' coaches would be proud !

New Life -

2011-04-30T06:16:00.000-07:00

I've had this plant since we moved into our house 5+ years ago. It was a bit more than I usually pay for a hanging plant - but it was an unusual color, and it flowered. It has survived winters in my laundry room, where I was lucky to water it once or twice during the entire season. Every spring it would come back as full as when I got it. This year I put it outside, watered it, and watched it come back to life .... but then .... a friendly bird decided that our front porch was just the spot for her nest. Being the home school mom that I am, I figured it'd be a great opportunity for the kids to watch how a bird intricately weaves a nest. Of course, we helped out by putting out hair from our brushes for the nest, and bird seed to give her strength. She worked hard on that nest, and then - she sat in the nest. She flies away when we open our front door - but comes right back as soon as we leave the porch area. So I held my camera up high to see what was going on in the nest ...

Looks like we'll be adding 3 new birds to our backyard collection !

2010-2011 Winter Swim Banquet

2011-04-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

What a Beautiful Family

DD #1 and her best friend

DD #3 and my sister

Adam is very proud of his award

Not just a trophy, but also best attendance !

DD #2 with her coach, his son, and her sister

Kids had a wonderful time at the swim banquet this weekend. My sister Gige from Phila. drove straight down after a long day in the O.R along with her friend Peggy (another favorite Aunt of the girls') just to see the girls and Adam get their trophies. Since this was Adam's first full year, and his first big banquet - it was extra special.

How blessed am I ?

Design Wall Monday

2011-04-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

www.

Actually found time to sew again this weekend, and made my decision - I'm going to put 2 borders around the outside of the stars, and then add the garden maze blocks. I don't think it's going to end up as large as I wanted, but I don't know about adding more borders .... waiting now for more of the 1895 Hoffman black that I ordered from ebay ... then I can start on the borders.

I do like how it looks without borders around the stars, so glad there were so many that suggested that last week! To see what others are working on, check out Patchwork Times !

Design Wall Monday

2011-04-11T04:05:00.000-07:00

I am so happy to have something to share this week. About a month ago, I received some inspiration from another blogger on Design Wall Monday - hosted by Judy at Patchwork Times. I immediately fell in love with the star quilt that Kate from Life in Pieces had put together using the pattern from Country Junktion. I knew immediately that I could use it as the center of a quilt, and finally use those garden maze blocks that were sitting in my UFO pile. What do you think ?

This is the quilt made from the BOM pattern alone

This is that same quilt surrounded by my garden maze blocks

I started sewing the garden maze blocks together to see how big of a border I will be needing around the star blocks. Now to figure out if I should border around each block, or just around the outside of the stars - what do you think?

Art Show

2011-04-11T03:57:00.000-07:00

I've attended a couple of Adam's art shows now. Last year he did an amazing drawing of a teapot - I had it matted and framed and it is the only thing gracing the dining room walls.

This year I'm not sure what artist they were imitating, but he drew himself, cut it apart, and pasted it back together every which way. I can see him in the picture, but I sure would have loved to see it before he cut it apart. He's proud of it, so I am too !

He also participated in a class project - this was done with bingo dabbers !

Exciting News

2011-04-08T05:03:00.000-07:00

Some excitement going on here in Jerzyland - there is a chance that MIL may come for a visit, and if I have my way, she'll stay.

I know, some of you may thing "oh, I would die if my MIL came to live with me" - but my MIL is an awesome woman. One - even though we don't speak the same language, we have always managed to get along. Two - even though we don't speak the same language, she always manages to side with me when dh and I disagree, which is amazing, because she has no idea of what I'm saying, so she has no idea if I'm right or not (of course, I'm always right.... she's super intelligent and just knows that LOL) Three - when dh and I do argue, she'll take herself somewhere else, she has never, ever gotten in-between us, she really does mind her own business, and FOUR - most important - she loves to cook, and is pretty good at it. Here's my favorite story - about the first trip to Egypt, when we took some legs of lamb and a huge turkey with us. After a 12 hour flight, and a 4 hour car trip, everything was still frozen solid. A few hours later I knew I smelled the turkey cooking. Wondering how she managed to do that .... I asked dh. She's making it into soup ! Great ! I love turkey soup ... but how did she managed to get the bag of insides and the plastic stuff that holds the legs together out of the inside of the bird? Hmmmm .... she didn't know about those things. Me to dh "I'm wondering if the plastic will melt. Perhaps we better show her?" dh to me "I'm too tired to walk downstairs, you go tell her" Me to dh "She doesn't speak English" dh to me "figure it out" OK - so I go downstairs where this wonderful woman is preparing an entire meal for 20 over a propane flame. So I grab to huge wooden spoons, and proceed to take the turkey out of the boiling broth. She looks at me (having just met me for the first time a couple hours previously) but doesn't say anything, just jumps in to help me take the turkey out and put it in a nearby pan. I reach inside the bird - which is still cold inside, but not frozen, and pull out the neck, as well as the bag of insides. I have never seen someone truely laugh at themselves as she laughed at herself that night. Each year when we go back, I take a turkey. Each year as soon as she unwraps that turkey we laugh and laugh. Then she'll cook it halfway, then take out the bag of stuff, then finish cooking it. It has never dawned on her to let it sit a couple days to thaw ... probably because it's too big for her fridge. Doesn't matter - she's about the greatest MIL a girl could have asked for - and I'm excited she's coming !

MIL with 2 nieces washing potatoes

MIL with Adam - learning how to paint

MIL with Mona - reading

MIL with his "eeeia"

Mama Fawkia and her special fly

Moma eeia and Adam, sorting rice or beans

This summer we may also have dh's brother, his wife, and their 3 kids as well - so we'll have a houseful - but it'll be full of laughter. I miss having my own family around like that, but we've never been close. I'm hoping that surrounding my own children with family and friendships, that they'll learn why it's so important to always stay close to your own kin.

So that's the news from the Jerzy shore. We've already figured out sleeping arrangements, 3 of mine will share one room, the oldest will get to keep her own room, one bedroom will go for 2 of BIL's kids, the 2nd master bedroom will go for BIL, wife and remaining child, and we'll screen off 1/2 of the dining room downstairs for MIL - and if she decides she'll stay, we'll put in a more permanent wall. I've already run cable so she can have her own TV, so it'll all work out well.

Oh, and one more great thing - with someone else cooking ... I'll be free to sew !

Deb

Quick Tilapia in Parchment

2011-04-08T04:50:00.000-07:00

Rachael Ray April 2011
Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups frozen corn

2 ounces sugar snap peas, halved

3/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Four 4-ounce tilapia fillets

1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

1.Preheat the oven to 425°. Cut out four 12-by-15-inch pieces of parchment. In a bowl, combine the corn, sugar snap peas and lemon peel; season with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture among the parchment pieces and top with the fish. Season the fish with the Old Bay, then the olive oil and lemon juice.

2.Bring together the long sides of the parchment and fold over twice, then tuck the short sides under to form a pouch. Transfer the pouches to a baking sheet and bake until the fish is just opaque, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Indian Pizza

2011-04-08T04:49:00.000-07:00

Rachael Ray April 2011

Ingredients:

1 pound store-bought whole wheat pizza dough, at room temperature

1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 large jalapeño chile, seeds discarded, chopped

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 pound ground dark-meat turkey

1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick

1/4 large red onion, sliced

Directions:

1.Invert a 13-by-18-inch baking sheet onto the bottom of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500°. Oil a second baking sheet and stretch the pizza dough to fit the pan.

2.In a mini food processor, pulse the cilantro, jalapeño and 2 tablespoons olive oil until a paste forms; season with salt. Spread the paste on the dough, then sprinkle with the cheese.

3.In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the turkey, season with salt and cook, breaking up the meat, until just barely cooked, about 2 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and onion. Top the pizza with the meat mixture. Place the baking sheet on the preheated baking sheet in the oven and bake until the crust is golden, about 20 minutes.

Chocolate Zucchini Snack Cake

2011-04-08T04:47:00.000-07:00

Rachael Ray April 2011 Best if Served Warm

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

2 eggs plus 2 egg whites

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups shredded zucchini

Two 6-ounce containers low-fat vanilla yogurt

A hit of espresso powder deepens the chocolaty taste without adding more calories.

Heart-healthy extra-virgin olive oil maximizes moistness.

A tangy yogurt topping makes the cake taste sweeter and replaces sugary frosting.

Directions:

1.Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9-inch square metal baking pan and line the bottom with parchment; grease the parchment.

2.In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, espresso powder and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, eggs and egg whites at medium-high speed until pale in color, about 3 minutes; whisk in the olive oil. Stir in the zucchini. Stir in the flour mixture and 1 container yogurt alternately in 2 batches. Transfer to the prepared pan.

3.Bake until springy to the touch and a cake tester comes out with moist crumbs, about 35 minutes; let cool slightly. Serve warm with the remaining yogurt.

Pineapple Upside Down Corn Cake

2011-04-08T04:46:00.000-07:00

This is from Rachael Ray Magazine - April 2011 edition This is one magazine I'll be keeping a subscription to, as usually get a few recipes I want to try each edition.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/2 fresh pineapple—peeled, quartered lengthwise, cored and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup stone-ground whole grain cornmeal

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 eggs

Directions:

1.Preheat the oven to 350°. In a 9-inch cast-iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 3 tablespoons brown sugar over medium heat, stirring, until melted. Add the pineapple and cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Arrange the pineapple decoratively in the pan.

2.In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar. In a small bowl, combine the applesauce and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Beat in the eggs. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the applesauce mixture and stir just until incorporated. Spread the batter gently and evenly on top of the pineapple in the skillet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly, loosen the cake from the pan and invert onto a platter.

How Quickly Time Passes

2011-03-30T04:04:00.000-07:00

A girlfriend of mine posted some old pictures on FB the other day. She was my best friend growing up, and we lost touch over the years, but thanks to FB we are slowly catching up again. Amazing how different our lives turned out. Even back then I liked to cook and bake - although I wasn't allowed to in my kitchen at home ! This was taken at a friends house where we spent lots of time during the summer months and after school.

This is Jodi and me standing in front of my very first car, a 1976 Buick LaSabre. I paid $1,000 for that car way back then, but it was a trooper. It took me back and forth to the Jersey shore every weekend during my Senior Year. It may have averaged one flat tire a week, and it did once go completely underwater, but it always ran again (after the water incident, sometimes it wouldn't start up right away when it rained ... I think it developed a fear of water)

Jodi and I worked together on a couple summer projects. We made way more money then the average girls did our ages. We both had cars by then, so we were buying gas to get to the mall and back and forth to school.

They were some very happy times back then. She was a very good friend, and I'm glad she's back in my life. If you have an old friend from High School or College that you haven't spoken to in a while, pick up that phone and catch up. If you don't know where to find them - check the internet - it's amazing what you can do these days !

Design Wall Monday

2011-03-28T02:27:00.000-07:00

Another week flew by, wish time would slow down ! I did get some sewing in this weekend - not much, but a few more star blocks for my black/batik quilt. I think only 6 more to go before I can start figuring out the layout using the garden maze blocks I made last year ... should be interesting. I love the colors, so it can't be all that bad !

To see what others are working on this week - Check out Patchwork Times

And the fish made it through another winter - all 10 of them. They are getting a tad bit too big for our backyard pond - I think pretty soon we'll have to dig out a new pond for them ... I love how they come to the door step the minute they hear my footsteps ~

Design Wall Monday

2011-03-20T13:22:00.000-07:00

Finally - something to share again. For those that follow me on facebook - you'll know I finally got this old 1930's machine up and running (it's only been sitting in my office for 5+ years) The best part - it sews much better than any of my newer machines. Yes, I still want an embriodery machine ... but for now - this is really making my life easier ! It handles like a dream - and I was able to put binding on this 92" X 108" quilt with very little trouble. Now to see if I can get the back side hand sewn sometime during this week ! To see what others are working on - Check out Patchwork Times

Beware of the Ides of March ....

2011-03-20T13:13:00.000-07:00

Or St. Paddy's day, or my birthday - they all seem to always roll together into one big holiday. This year's birthday was pretty quiet .... the kids all made me gifts (coupons that I WILL redeem!) and cards, and dh purchased a gift certificate for a massage (that he later used because I really don't like massages!) The kids and I shared a small cake because he was playing tennis that night. He promised me lunch over the weekend ... we'll see.

The best part of the 3 day weekend - I finally got this old White Sewing Machine to run. I picked this thing up maybe 5 years ago ... and never really opened it because I really loved the cabinet. After finding out that the technician wanted $65 just to clean my newer machine, I decided to see how this thing sews. Luckily it came with a manual - and was able to take it apart, clean it, get it back together again, and - after searching online to see what was wrong, got it running again. Now this machine that was built in the 1930's is running smoother than any of my other machines ! Amazing how much better things were made back then !

Time To Quilt

2011-02-26T03:41:00.000-08:00

No, not yet - but this weekend for sure. I was "supposed" to have the taxes ready to go by last night so I could get them to the accountant by Monday .... I'm going to try like heck to finish them today - so that at least tomorrow will be all mine -

Need to Hang a GREAT BIG DO NOT DISTURB SIGN - only problem - my office does NOT have a door. VBS

Did watch the most recent Survivor last night (good thing we have On Demand or I'd miss most of my fav's). It's going to be a hysterical season .... just loved when his team started spoofing on "Special Agent Sheppard" while he was hunting crabs in the Jungle, "The fine specimen is creeping up on his prey .... in his pink undies!"

ROFLOL - poor dh was on a business call when that part aired, I literally had to bury my face in a pillow to smother the laughter ! I've really been enjoying this years episodes so far. Much better then what has happened to Biggest Loser - seems like every week they are simply trying to sell something - and it's not health!

OK - off to work - if you haven't watch Survivor Redemption Island yet - catch up on the first two episodes - it'll brighten your day for sure !

Happy Day After

2011-02-15T09:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Valentines Day. I could show you pictures of the wonderful box of chocolates my husband bought me, or the beautiful sentiment in the handmade card my husband made for me, or even the dozen roses he picked up for me last minute on the way home ....

but I can't ....

because he didn't do any of those things. Very rarely will he remember a special day - no birthdays, no holidays, and no anniversaries. I'm not sure why - especially because he does know they mean something to me .... that's just how he is.

My kids though, they make sure to let me know I am loved. From the handmade cards, to sharing their chocolate (which I really didn't need !) to the book of coupons I can redeem (ahhhh, how nice it will be not to have to make my own bed for a week!) - my kids are the best.

So, the next time they get under my skin, instead of getting angry and wondering why in the heck I had children to start with - I'll just pour myself another cup of coffee, sit back and relax, and remember that I have raised some really decent human beings - and I love each and every one of them !

Chicken Enchilada's

2011-02-08T03:49:00.000-08:00

Wow - found this recipe online here -

Chicken Enchiladas

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

and it was wonderful. I used the smaller tortillas that my local grocery store had, used most of a rotissere chicken that was leftover (someone had eaten one leg and thigh) and I had one piece of leftover boneless, skinless chicken thigh from 2 nights ago. I chopped up the chicken instead of cooking fresh and pulling it - but otherwise pretty much followed the directions to a T (ok, ok, I did NOT seed my own green chilis - if your grocery store has a Mexican section - they sell them already seeded and chopped in little cans. Of course, the little cans only hold 3 chilis, so I had to use 2 cans - but since I probably used more chicken then was called for, and definately more enchilada sauce ... no worries)

Every single person in my household like this - even Shammy (dh) which is saying something !

The Recipe (copied from the site linked above)

Chicken Enchiladas

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

.Prep Time:1 hr 0 minInactive Prep Time:--Cook Time:15 minLevel:

IntermediateServes:

16 enchiladas, 8 servings. Ingredients

•3 tablespoons vegetable oil

•1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast

•Salt and pepper

•2 teaspoons cumin powder

•2 teaspoons garlic powder

•1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend

•1 red onion, chopped

•2 cloves garlic, minced

•1 cup frozen corn, thawed

•5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped

•4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced

•1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes

•1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour

•16 corn tortillas

•1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, canned

•1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses

•Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Directions

Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.

Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.

Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.

Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans.

.**** I served mine with chicken fried rice in case someone didn't like the enchilada's, they would have another choice. Next time I'll just make either rice and beans, or plain rice. Also had a pot of cous cous on the side - and that too went over well.

Design Wall Monday

2011-02-07T04:07:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, Judy from Patchwork Times told her readers that there is NO EXCUSE not to learn how to make socks - with You Tube and the internet, it's almost like having someone sitting next to you teaching you. I've tried socks before - no luck. Maybe because I started with sock weight yarn, and it was too fine for my extra large hands?

Either way, my daughter asked me for a pair of warm sock slippers. Why not? Should be easy. I checked what I hand I on hand, found a pattern that seemed doable, and made these -

Now of course, pinks/blues are definately not her colors, so after proving to myself that I could do it, I bought a more "her" color (as close to black as I could find) and whipped up these, in just two nights !

So, don't ever give up - cause if I can figure it out, anyone can ! Next week - back to quilting ! To see what others are working on, check out Judy's blog at Patchwork Times !

Design Wall Monday

2011-01-31T04:04:00.000-08:00

Wow - the last day of Jan, 2011. Time is certainly flying by ! This week, I've got plenty to show for my DWM - while dh is still stuck in Egypt, I've been keeping my hands occupied so that my mind doesn't wander to places it shouldn't go. Last I spoke to him, he had made it safely to the airport, and is expecting to fly out today - praying that everything works out that way !

Anyway - on my design wall this week are some of the stars I've been working on. Last week, one of the other bloggers that posted on the DWM hosted by Judy at Patchwork Times posted a link to the quilt that was on her design wall - and I immediately knew I'd make that quilt and surround it with my maze blocks that I posted last week. So, thanks to Kate and her blog Life in Pieces - I've gotten the first 2 stars done !

The pattern can be found at the Coun'try Junk'tion web page.

I also used the scraps from my SIL's quilt that I completed last year, to make 2 pillows for the sofa. They look much better stuffed. And the big news is ...

Ah well, you'll just have to wait until next Monday - but I'll give you a hint ...

SOCKS !

Banana Bread with Applesauce, WW Points Plus - 5

2011-01-20T10:21:00.000-08:00

I love, love, love banana bread. Very hard to find a good one out there that is moist, and gives you a nice serving size (have you ever cut a loaf of banana bread into 14 slices? Get real!) This recipe makes a nice, large loaf, and I ran it using 9 servings. If you make a dozen muffins instead, they are 4 points each.

First Attempt today turned out pretty well. I used

4 Bananas
1 large egg
1/2 cup egg beaters
1 1/2 cup flour
Tbsp Vanilla extract
cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup Splenda brown sugar
1/3 cup Splenda
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce.

I mixed the bananas, egg beaters, egg, applesauce, and vanilla until the bananas were pretty well smashed. Added the dry ingredients - until everything is moist - dump it into a sprayed loaf pan (I just LOVE the Pam spray for baking !) and bake at *350 for about 40 minutes. It turned out awesome. So good that the first loaf disappeared before I could get a photo, so I made another, and added just a small handful of chocolate chips. The 5 points are for the bread WITHOUT the chocolate chips - add another point if you use them ! Of course, they cut into this one before it cooled off as well, but I still managed to snap a photo. Now to go back and see if they left me any !

Morrocan Lamb with Sweet Potatoes - Weight Watchers PointsPlus - 14

2011-01-20T10:14:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm back to WW again, and since they've changed they way you figure points, I'm going to have to start making new recipes again. Yesterday I found a 4 lb boneless roast of lamb on sale (it was actually 4.5 lbs, but I cut off at least 1/2 a pound of fat!)

Since I already had sweet potatoes and onions, I figured a stew would be good.

I could have used my crockery from Egypt to make it more authentic - but since I wanted to brown the meat first, and I didn't exactly want to wash dishes all morning ... I did everything in my iron skillet !

The Ingredients

3 or 4 lbs of lamb (the points are for 4 pounds)
1 large onion
8 cloves of garlic
4 TBS of tomato paste
6 tsp olive oil
3 large sweet potatoes

and the spices

cumin
corriander
paprika
salt and pepper

Those were the amounts that I ran through WW to get the points, but I don't really measure anything when I'm cooking. First I used the olive oil to brown the meat. I had cut it into about 12-14 chunks, but you could make them smaller if you'd like, and brown in small batches so that everything gets a nice, even color, removing each batch as it's done to a bowl. AFter the last batch is done, remove the meat, and add in the sliced onion and crushed garlic. I used more garlic, and 2 small onions, because that's what I had. AFter that sautes for 5 minutes or so, add the meat back in, and then your spices. I used a small handful of cumin and corriander - probably at least a tablespoon, and about 1/2 a tablespoon of paprika. I guess it all depends on how spicy you like it. Add half your spices, stir it around a bit, then add the other half and stir well. Add some water - I used 1 1/4 cup, and some tomato paste, again, I didn't measure, but I used maybe 3 heaping tablespoons. Stir that all together, bring to a boil and cover and throw it in the oven. My oven was already on (baking banana bread - recipe to follow) so I just left it at 350* for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes - take it out to add the potatoes. This is what it looks like so far - it smells heavenly. I've added the potatoes, cut into thick slices, stirred, covered and put back into the oven. Should take maybe 40 minutes before the potatoes get soft and the meat is cooked. I'll garnish with Cilantro, because that's what I have, although parsley would work as well. I'll post a photo of the final product over brown rice later, as well as feedback from the all important family !

Design Floor Monday

2011-01-16T17:30:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Judy at Patchwork Times, I'm encouraged each week to have something new to show on my design floor (most people have a design wall ..... one day when I grow up, I'll have one too !)

This week I'm taking out some UFO's from 2 years ago - I love these blocks, I made plenty of them for a wall hanging, but then I just kept making more and more, until I knew I wanted a bed size quilt.

I was going to lay them out in a 5 by 7 blocks, but since these are 9" blocks - and since the blocks I want to make as a border block are 13" blocks - I thought maybe it'd be easier to do 6 by 6 - so I need to make one more of these. Gotta figure out how to get this block into my EQ program, because this is the block I want to use as a border

I was going to make a bunch of these, all with blue star middles, but with different batiks on the outside color. Of course, I could do THESE blocks for the main part of the quilt and use the others as a border .... either way, I'm going to have to order more of the black fabric ... luckily I know the name! If you have an opinion as to what would look better as a border, please leave a comment !!

Oh, and this was my "photo op" this week (this year I've vowed to take time to admire the things around me) The kids had left my watering can out in the yard last time they were playing. When the snow started to melt, it dripped and dripped off the roof - leaving me this -

Week 3 Stash Report

2011-01-16T03:56:00.000-08:00

In keeping with my New Years Goal to not buy much new fabric, I'm keeping track of exactly how much of my stash I'm using. This past week I haven't gotten much sewing done, matter of fact, yesterday was the first day I even took out my fabrics. I did get one block cut out, and strips cut for a few more, so I'll count that all as 1 yard used this week. Definately will be using more next week - right?

Used this Week: 1 yards

Used year to Date: 8 yards

Added this Week: 0

Added Year to Date: 5
Net Used for 2011: 3 yards

Those 5 yards that were added in the beginning of the year is backing fabric for a UFO top. I found an awesome sale on this pink/brown fabric while doing the Quilting Is Murder Mystery, and I figured what were the chances that the exact same color scheme I needed would be on sale again? So, I bought some. But I'll use it - and when I do, it'll get subtracted right back out of that New Used number.

To see how others are doing using their stash - check out Patchwork Times by Judy !

Successful first week

2011-01-11T16:57:00.000-08:00

www.Well, my first week back on Weight Watchers was a success - down 2.2 lbs! I kept to my goals, went to the gym, tried to eat healthy (yes, I did have pizza and chocolate cake, but I had much smaller servings then I normally would have) Still drinking my diet Zero's though ....

No sewing this week - but I do have a plan. I've been watching my favorite blog - Patchwork Times - and she gets so much accomplished each day, and I think it's because she creates lists. So I'm going to try that with my crafting - I know this week I want to work on something in yellow (a monthly challenge at that same blog). So that will head the list. Also need to go buy some more elastic - everyone has decided they need yet another pair of pj's .... and since I have plenty of flannel and fleece leftover - might as well !
Oh, and I had to share these pictures - Judy at Patchwork Times was sharing a picture of her son using a drill to open coconuts on her kitchen countertops. This is what happened to my kitchen table that was a gift from my mother - when my husband decided he and my son would make a rack for him to hang stuff on ....

When Judy's son used the drill - he finished with the countertops intact, and 12 meals to take back to school. My my husband and son were finished .... I was left with this

Of course, I'm not replacing the table until everyone is grown and out of the house !

I did finish the 2nd two pair of pj's - and now everyone wants just one more pair - so the serger will have to come out again ... but I think I ran out of elastic ... so I may just have to quilt until I can get out to buy more .... life is so tough !

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T12:10:00.000-08:00

It's going to be a great year. My first resolution - was to spend more "me time" so today - I've actually gotten out fabric and sewed ! First - fabric for a monochrome quilt challenge that Judy at Patchwork Times is hosting. This months color is yellow - I'm mixing mine with orange - not sure what to make yet, but everything will be stash for her challenges this year, so it definately will be a challenge !

This past week - lots of time was spent at swim practice - it's getting hard to see small needlework - so I decided to make a pair of fingerless gloves. Couldn't find a pattern big enough for my hands - plus I wanted to use yarn I had on hand (stash busting) so I ended up using sock yarn. Glove #1 turned out a bit tight - but already dd#2 is laying claim to it ... so it's all good.

This morning I decided it was finally time to make those pj's I've been promising the kids - 2 pairs down, 2 to go ! The Sponge Bob fabric on the back on #4's pj's is old .... really old .... from a fleece jacket that was first made to fit #1 when she was his age ! There wasn't enough for an entire pair of pj's - but he just loves the different fronts and backs - so again, it's all good.

Next on the list - not real sure. There are still 2 more pair of pj's to make, but I'm not sure how much elastic I have in my sewing kit. If not enough, I guess I'll search for a pattern for the yellow monochrome and get started on that. Another day to sew tomorrow - whaoooooohooooooo

After the Holiday Deals -

2010-12-26T06:33:00.000-08:00

Best deals of the year are usually found right after the holidays. This morning I've already stocked up on enough hand soap to last through next year (Bath and Body works has some of their foaming hand soaps on sale for $1.25 - usually $5. Others are half priced at $2.50. Plus, spend $40 and get $10 off with coupon code YELLOW10. Even with shipping, this is a great deal. I will continue to update great deals as I find them - yesterday I stocked up on Yankee Candles - almost all of their large candles are at least 50% off, plus free shipping if you spend $100.

Revvin' in 2011

2010-12-22T08:03:00.000-08:00

That's revvin - as in revvin your engine? Yep - that's going to be my new motto. I'm only focusing on a few things for 2011 - the major one is to get healthy again. Can't believe it took me 3 years to lose 60 lbs, and less than 1 year to put it ALL back on. Yep, it ALL came back - but it's only here for a short visit - cause it's really got to go.

I did make 4 New Years Resolutions - but I know I'll be able to keep them -

#1 - Eat HEALTHY everyday. Simple right?
#2 - Get to the gym 3 times a week - NO EXCUSES HERE
#3 - Sew, at least 2 times a week. More on that later
#4 - Clean, 30 minutes each day

Eating healthy is pretty self explainatory. I wear a Body Bugg, and I know I usually burn about 3,000 calories. If I were just eating healthy foods 100% of the time, I'd be at goal weight already. But those slices of apple pies, or chocolate cake, or slices of banana breads - they add up - so in 2011, I'll be seriously restricting them - and if I can't control myself - then I'll have to cut them off altogether, because I'm worth it!

Gym - I love the gym. I loved going 6 times a week - even if I had to go at 4 a.m. I know what stopped me from going (foot surgery) but now I've gotten lazy, and it's winter, and it's cold in the mornings, and, and, and .... too many excuses - right?

Sewing - Everyone in my family has an entry on the calendar. The kids schedule the school activities, and of course there is the daily swim practices, and the monthly or more often swim meets. DH schedules his tennis matches - 2 or 3 times a week. Me, I schedule everyone's dentist appts, dr.'s appts, ect. You get the idea. I do schedule a monthly visit to the hair dresser - but everyone benefits from that LOL. So, yep, I'm going to schedule some sewing time for me - and just me. I can watch a movie in my office without worrying about the language the kids my overhear. It's going to be my time, just like everyone else.

Cleaning - My house is pretty neat, but it's not spotless. Then on the weekends, when I should have free time, I spend hours scrubbing floors, vacuuming, doing laundry, changing sheets, cutting grass, raking leaves.... If I just scheduled 30 minutes a day to keep things in order, I would have more free time on the weekends (for Sewing!)

To me, it all comes back to a schedule. If I want to get things done, I'm going to need a schedule. If I want my family to eat healthier, I'm going to need a menu. If I want to spend less time and money at the grocery store, I'm going to need a list. If I'm going to find time to go to the gym, I need to schedule it. So - I'm off to either create an Excel sheet that is breaks down my day in 15 minute intervals - or maybe head off to Staples to buy a new one just for me. This is going to be the year of lists and schedules ! Stay tuned !

Swim Meets and Birthdays

2010-12-16T07:34:00.000-08:00

Can't believe that in only a few more years, there will be another driver in our house. December brings with it a birthday for my oldest. This year she didn't show much interest in what type of cake she wanted, so we let little brother pick .... obviously LOL

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONA !

A week or so later, it was time to take my second oldest to a swim meet in Lancaster, PA. I was thrilled, I'd have plenty of time to visit all those quilt shops that I never seem to get to because we usually have that younger brother pictured above with us (and combining him with a quilt shop would NOT be a good idea). Overall I think I got maybe 15 minutes in one shop .... maybe next year.

But - Leenah did have a wonderful swim meet. This was a qualifying meet, so only 20 of her teammates were attending, and more than half of those were older and swimming in the morning session. She didn't have to swim until noontime, so we spent the night in my childhood home, and visited with family.

Her team did great, and with 4 girls in the same age group, they were even able to swim relays - which they did very well, dropping lots of time.

Funny how she's the youngest of the group, but easily the tallest - the other three girls are 12 turning 13 in the next few months, while she still has another year and a half before she gets to her teenage years.

She really likes swimming for "Coach Steve". He never seems to have too much to say, but what he does have to say seems to inspire her to do well, and that's all that matters. Steve's a nice guy.

They all did really well in both relays. The lost huge chunks of time from their entry time, and the coaches were pleased with their performance as a team. I also finally managed to get a couple shots of her swimming - hard to do when they swim so darn fast !

Here she is doing her favorite - Butterfly (well, favorite if it's a 100, not if it's a 200!)

And here she is doing Backstroke, her least favorite, but she must do it well, because the coaches keep putting her in it !

Great job Leenah.

And a picture of another finish for 2010 - my Brothers Quilt. I've been working on this one for a couple years off and on. Not my style of fabric at all - but it's finished, I'm very happy with it - and I hope he likes it too.

Happy Holidays Guys !

Finished !

2010-12-05T12:12:00.000-08:00

Yes, I finished my first EQ quilt. I couldn't finish it the way I wanted - didn't order enough fabric - and was too impatient to order more and wait for it to come in, so I changed the borders a bit, and it finished at a nice 110" by 92" size. Perfect. Now, to order some backing fabric, and ship it off to the quilters.

Design Wall Monday

2010-11-29T04:44:00.000-08:00

Seems like the only regular posts I make these days are thanks to Judy at Patchwork Times. Check it out every Monday to see what everyone is working on.

This is my first ever EQ quilt - it's coming along pretty quickly. The top already covers the top of my KIing Size Bed. Since I took this picture (last night) I've also sewn on the first border (the rust fabric) Next border is pieced, so today I'll figure out measurements and perhaps do a test piece. Then it's a solid black border, then a search online for backing fabric, and all will be complete. Actually, since today is Cyber Monday (already have placed my Staples order and will be doing Target and Buy.com later today) I'll check out some of the online quilt stores to see what they are offering.

Since I didn't post a Thanksgiving Day photo - here's one from Thanksgiving Morning. We had a wonderful breakfast of poached eggs over asparagus and english muffins. A couple of the kids liked the sauce (Hollandaise) some didn't - so it was served on the side.

Design Wall Monday

2010-11-22T03:03:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Judy over at Patchwork Times, I get inspired to sew SOMETHING each weekend, or else I won't have anything to share on my design wall (floor) I really enjoy sewing, it calms me, it makes my mind work, and I can watch MY shows on MY tv in MY office. Amazing really, and I wonder why I don't put more time aside for ME everyday? Ah well, one day my little brats will be all grown up and moved away (but not too far I hope) and I'll have all the time in the world to sew - right?

On the design wall this week - I finally started on the 9 patch blocks - the others are finished. I whipped up four 9 patches, and luckily before I cut the fabric for the rest of them, I decided to put together a row .... good thing - because I didn't realize the patch in the middle of the block needed to be about 1.5 inches bigger then the outside rows. Bit of additional math, and was able to cut out the remaining blocks. Didn't get a chance to get them all sewed, but I did get enough to complete one row, and start on another. I really, really like the soft blue fabric, it has a shimmer to it - I think it's by Michael Miller? Need to go find more of that for the backing .... when it's time.

Design Wall (floor) Monday

2010-11-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

Did finally get some time to sit and stitch this weekend. I know it's early on Sunday - but chances are I won't get anymore time today - it's beautiful outside - and with all 4 kids home, it's a great time for some outdoor fun, as well as raking up the leaves and getting the yard "winterized". I finished 11 of these blocks. I need 15. I probably could finish these tonight ... maybe I will take them back out. Next weekend is another swim meet weekend - so no time to sew then. Really amazing how quickly a self-designed quilt can come together - especially when you love all the fabrics you're working with.

If you want to see what others are working on - check out Patchwork Times by Judy - I've gotten lots of inspiration from her readers - I always look forward to seeing what everyone is working on!

How To Replace the Pump on your Front Load Washer

2010-11-02T08:44:00.000-07:00

My washer went out last Friday. I did some online research - just for the Sears dude to come out - $169 - and that didn't include the cost of the part. Further research showed that I could buy the part online - but shipping charges were outrageous. Luckily - dh knows a guy, who knows a guy, who owns an appliance store, and was able to pick me up one the very next day. Took me all of about 1 hour to change it out, and run a test load. Figured I'd share some photos - in case some other DIY'er wanted to save some $$$. Oh, and how did I know the pump wasn't running - it started leaving my laundry wet a few weeks ago, not soaking wet, but wet enough I'd run the spin cycle again. Then on Friday my laundry was dripping wet, and there was still water left in the tub. Simple fix - make sure to unplug the washer first !

Step 1 - assemble your tools. My toolbox is hidden in a shoebox. If you are married, and you own your own tools - do not share with your husband - or you will never, ever find your tools again. Hide them, and hide them well, and never, ever let anyone share them.

Step 2 - when draining the broken pump, you're going to unscrew that white cap. MAKE SURE TO HAVE PLENTY OF TOWELS ON HAND. This is going to get messy. Trust me. I used extra large cookie sheets under the washer, and kept emptying them into a bucket, but still managed to soak a dozen or so towels (which was ok, cause I needed to run a test load when I was finished anyway)

This is the old pump

Remove the old pump by unclipping the hoses that attach to both the drum (big black hose) and the pump itself (thinner white hose) These just have clamps on them that you squeeze together. I'm pretty strong, but I needed to use a pair of pliers to get that job done.

The new pump looked nearly the same, but I noticed the "feet" were red instead of black, so figured I'd better read the directions.

This is the new pump

NOTICE - it does say slight modification is needed. Good thing I decided to read the directions - it would have caused problems later.

This is the doohickey that needed to be modified. See the little mohawk looking piece on the top - easy enough to remove with an exacto knife (which was in my shoebox, right where it belonged!)

These are the two pipes that you'll need to disconnect and reconnect. The black one goes to the back of the pump and connects to the tube itself, the white one goes off the right side of the pump and takes the water out of the machine. The directions said to access the black one you'd have to take off the back of the machine - I did that, but didn't find it necessary. I was able to also take the entire black tube off to make sure it was clear (there is a ball in there - it's supposed to be there, but make sure the socks that have been missing for the past 2 years aren't stuck in that tube!)

See these feet - I had to change them out with the feet on the floor. Just make sure that the feet match what ever you took out and you'll be golden. Oh, and that red thing? Had to take that out as well - and replace it with that screw. Now, here's a kicker. The screw didn't take a flat head screwdriver. It didn't take a Phillips head screwdriver. It needed some special screwdriver - which I didn't have, and wasn't about to go get - so I used an itty bitty screwdriver that I use when fixing my computer - probably ruined that, but it costs less than $1 to buy a new one !

There are wires connected to your machine on both the right and left sides of where you'll be working - easy enough to pop them out and move them out of your way, just make sure to pop them back in again. Oh, see that metal tube? There are 4 of them - they hold up the tub and let it spin around and bounce without shaking the entire floor. One of mine had popped out (I noticed it when I had the back of the washer off - so I guess it was a good thing I took it off). My 13yo daughter was able to slide it right back on while I held up the tub from the inside - and now my washer doesn't shake one little bit.)

By doing everything in reverse - putting the new pump back into the machine is a snap. Reattach the two hoses - use a flashlight to make sure they are secure. Reattached the little plastic piece (which provides power to the pump) - if you didn't make the adjustment earlier - it won't fit in. Make sure everything is tight - put the wires back where they belong, and run a test load. I kept the front of my kick plate off for that first load in case of leaks. Wasn't any - and I was quickly able to catch up on all the laundry....

Here is the finished project. Looking at this picture, I see my next project. See that ugly floor tile? One of the few "improvements" dh did when we bought the house. I hate it. Pink tile with black mortar. What was he thinking? I have a piece of carpeting in my laundry room that covers most of it ... but it still is yucky !

Happy Birthday Nadia

2010-11-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

My baby girl fiinally hit the double digits.

She wanted to make her own cake for her birthday - an interesting, 3 layer checkerboard cake with both vanilla and chocolate mousse filling.

She also wanted mashi (stuffed grape leaves) for dinner - which took me about 3 hours to make, and took them about 15 minutes to polish off (and there were over 100 stuffed rolls ....)

But all that work was worth it - she loved every minute of her birthday !

Happy Birthday Little Girl.

Design Wall Monday

2010-10-17T18:21:00.000-07:00

Didn't get much time to sew this weekend, but knowing that Design Wall Monday was right around the corner, and I didn't contribute anything to Patchwork Times last week - I found enough time to work through the first block of my EQ quilt. Made the first one up in scraps, to make sure I had measurements right. Then had to change a few pieces so I wouldn't have set in seams to work with. Seams didn't line up 100% right, but I knew what needed to be changed, so I went right to the real fabric -

And I am very happy with the results. It went together quicker than I thought, and since the other blocks are 9 patches, this entire quilt should go together pretty quickly - at least until I get to the borders ! And in case you forgot what the finished quilt WILL look like .... (God willing)

First 2010-2011 Swim Meet

2010-10-11T04:39:00.000-07:00

The girls turned in some awesome times over the weekend. My oldest had an exceptional meet - dropping times in every event, and dropping 5 or more seconds in over half her events. Really proud of all 3 girls - they handled themselves well, they took getting up at 5 a.m. in stride, and still were a pleasure to be around in the evenings. Looking forward to the next swim meet which is much, much closer to home !

Design Wall Monday

2010-10-04T04:53:00.000-07:00

Nearly Finished ! Didn't get much time to sew this weekend, but did get all 5 rows together - the borders are cut, 5" on the top/bottom and 3" on each side. I might just try and get those on today as well. Finished size of the quilt will be 84" by 100 ", a nice size, I think. Backing has been ordered, so as soon as that shows up - it'll be off to the quilters. I'll have the binding already made, so by the time it returns to me, it'll be a quick finish, and ready to gift. I can't wait to get my hands on the fabrics that I ordered for my first ever EQ6 design ! I've posted a photo of that as well. Of course, the kiddo's have a swim meet this weekend, so no sewing going on ..... very BIG SIGH. To see what others are working on, check out Judy's Patchwork Times.

Design Wall Monday

2010-09-27T03:29:00.000-07:00

It's that time again, to show what we've accomplished during the week, to check out what others are working at, check out Judy's site at Patchwork Times. For me, this week was more about exploring EQ6, and designing my first quilt. But then I realized that before I could begin actually sewing on this project, I would need to finish SIL's quilt. So I got 3 rows set, I do like how the rows will join, so 2 more rows to go, 1 plain border, then off to the quilters it goes. Here are the 3 rows I finished this weekend.

The picture actually posted sideways, and the colors are way off, but that's because I forgot to take a picture yesterday when the sun was out, and at 6 a.m. on the Jerzy shore - the sky is still very dark, and so is my office ! Anyway, you get the basic idea of what the rows will look like - hopefully next week I'll have a finish pic to post ! And since you're here, I'd love any/all critical feedback on my first ever self-designed quilt from scratch using EQ6. I did already order fabrics, but plenty of each color so feel free to suggest a change that you think would make this quilt better ! Thanks :)

Great Sale on Women's Clothing

2010-09-24T04:54:00.000-07:00

If you wear a size XL or above - check out Junonia.com - click on the button on the far right that has "Juno's Closet CLEARANCE" - and have fun. Shipping is $7 up to $25 order, and then $9 up to $50. Oh, and the best part - use this code - on the Billing Information page‚ go to the section labeled “Offer or Catalog Key Code” (right side below Shipping Options) and manually enter the Promotion Code 78SBE in the space provided, and you'll get an ADDITIONAL 75% off everything in clearance ! I got tons of tops and cover ups for $1.24. I got even more tops for $2.49. I even splurged and got myself 2 batik tops for $10 each. In total I got 10 tops, 2 pants, and 3 hoodie coverups for less than $50 (with shipping it was $58.09) - that's less than $4 each item !

Have fun !

The final drawing -

2010-09-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

Fabrics are ordered - now to finish what I'm working on so I can jump right in. I guess I should figure out the measurements of the borders so I can cut them before I start cutting out pieces for the quilt itself. This should be fun .... right?

Fabric is Ordered -

2010-09-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

Stuck with brands I knew - Moda Marbles (love them) as well as a couple Michael Miller's. Ordered some black thread as well. Used the 15% off mentioned below - 18 yards of fabric added to my stash ..... VBS

Design is Finished -

2010-09-23T07:38:00.000-07:00

and I'm pretty happy with it. Printed out the yardage necessary from EQ6 to finish this 128 X 112 inch quilt - which is also the largest I've ever attempted. Online fabric store is having a sale - so I'll pick up some good, but cheaper fabrics, so that when I finish SIL's quilt - I can jump right in. Now to find a line of fabrics that I know is good quality, at a cheaper price - if you ever want to check it out -

Take 15% off any purchase of $40 or more sitewide at Fabric.com with code "DOD910"! Valid through 9/26/10

New Project Taking Shape

2010-09-22T07:08:00.000-07:00

Oh, I really love this new EQ6. When I first started quilting - I started with some books, and some JoAnn's BOM's which were precut. They were safe - fabrics were chosen for me. Then I branched out and started buying patterns and getting my own fabrics (but always closely matching what the pattern looked like). Then I joined an online group and went a little outside the box, using patterns from the net, and sticking to color schemes. Most of my work now is done from patterns and my own fabrics, but always someone else's designs. Years ago, I took a picture of a bank in Alexandria, Egypt. They had the most beautiful stained glass ceilings - don't ask me how they kept them clean. I vowed that one day I would make them into a quilt. With this EQ6 - I can see that happening (but no time soon) Yesterday I started working on my first design, today I added some borders - what do you think - all constructive criticism is appreciated !

EQ6

2010-09-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

FINALLY - I cracked open the EQ6 manual and downloaded the CD, and actually worked through the first lesson. My promise to myself is that in 2011, I will design and piece my very own quilt. My design, my choice of colors, simply mine, with nothing like it anywhere else. This is what I have so far -

Design Wall Monday

2010-09-20T04:53:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Judy at Patchwork Times for inspiring me to keep quilting - even if I only get 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there - at least I have SOMETHING to show for it by the next Monday ! Check out her site to see what others are working on, and find inspiration for your next project !

This is my SIL's quilt. I love the block, I don't like the colors. But, she will like them, and that's all that matters. I have dark red fabric for setting the blocks - so they won't be butted up against eachother - just not sure how to work it yet. Here they are just all laid out so I could get a picture and show that I finished all 23 blocks !

Design Wall Monday

2010-08-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

Finally have something to contribute to Design Wall Monday hosted by Judy at Patchwork Times. I started this quilt last year - its for my brother and sister-in-law .... their decor is very country - and these fabrics will go nicely .... but I like working with brights .... so I keep putting this away. Finally decided to get it done - I need 23 of these 16 inch blocks - I started the weekend with 8, now I have 12, so I'm halfway there. Still not sure of the setting .... will work on that after I get the blocks done .....

Date Nut bread Banana Nut Chocolate Chip bread

2010-08-28T07:26:00.000-07:00

Finally the weather has cooled off enough to bake again. Can't wait until it's cool enough to make pita bread (it really heats up the kitchen) but yesterday I managed to make 5 loaves of Date Nut Bread, and 5 loaves of Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Bread - the Banana Bread recipe is my own, but I found the Date Nut Bread recipe HERE on the Joy of Baking website. I forgot to take photos - but I'm making more today - so definately will get a few photos to share. The Banana Recipe freezes quite well - I usually always have a few loaves in the freezer in case of unexpected guests for coffee. Only takes a few minutes to thaw and it's delicious - here's the recipe -

Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Bread

(this makes 2 large loaves, if you only have enough bananas for one loaf - it can be halved. You can also make it without the chocolate chips and nuts ..... but if you use the nuts - toast them first - it makes a world of difference)

3 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon (I usually use more)
2 eggs
2 cups smashed bananas (I use 6-7 medium - the riper the better)
1 1/2 cup sugar (I use 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 cup Splenda)
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans, either should be toasted first)
1 cup chocolate chips (or just use the entire bag)

Spray 2 bread pans (the big ones 8 x 4 x 2) with baking spray (the one with flour right in the spray). Throw the peeled bananas in the kitchen aid, after they get smashed a little bit - add the eggs, sugar, and oil. Keep the mixer running while you add the baking powder and baking soda, and cinnamon. Add the flour in at the end - 1 cup at a time. Do not overmix. Scrape the sides of the bowl at least once while mixing. Stir in the nuts and chocolate by hand. Bake @ 350* for about 50-55 minutes. You can also make 4 mini loaves, or a couple dozen muffins with this recipe, but cut the baking time down to about 30 minutes. You can tell when they are done - they will be browned on top, and firm when you touch the tops of the breads (or muffins)

ENJOY !

Dad's Birthday Quilt - finished !

2010-08-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

My father's 80th birthday is tomorrow - and I finished his quilt on time ! I'l be hand delivering this one - as well as a birthday cake and dinner ! I really liked how this one came out ... now on to the next project !

Crockpot Hawaiian Ribs

2010-08-19T05:09:00.000-07:00

This recipe was posted on Stephanie’s A Year of Slow Cooking blog earlier this week. The same day I read it, I was in the grocery store, and beef ribs were on sale - that NEVER happens. So I scooped up all 3 packages, and made these Hawaiian Ribs. ALL 4 of my kids liked 'em. My husband liked 'em. Even I thought they were excellent. This recipe definately gets printed out and stored in the master recipe box (only the best recipes make it there) I thought about taking photos of the finished product, but my hands were sticky, and I knew if I left the table long enough to wash and get my camera, my share of the remaining ribs would be long gone by the time I returned - so no photos, also no leftovers. Today, Judy from Patchwork Times posted that the very same recipe caught her eye - so it's fated that of the very few blogs I do subscribe to, brought up Hawaiian Ribs (I think those 2, Pioneer Woman, and 1 or 2 Homeschooling blogs are the sum of what I keep track of)

Anyway, give those ribs a try - you won't be sorry ! On the quilting front, my fathers 80th birthday quilt is nearing completion, which is a good thing since his birthday is next week ! It ended up being larger than I planned, but I guess that's a good thing. Photos of that will definately follow - hopefully by this weekend when I can post it as finished !

Happy Ramadan

2010-08-11T08:18:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of Ramadan - the kids and I will fast from 4:46 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Adam will probably have something to eat and drink before his tennis lesson at 4 this afternoon, Nadia too if she feels she needs it, but the rest will break their fast in the Mosque this evening. Today they were allowed to sleep in, but most days when we get up to eat a small breakfast at 4:30, we will stay up, do school for the day, and probably nap in the afternoon. Ramadan in the summer is certainly hard, but that gnawing feeling inside that will come later in the day, reminds us of those that have that feeling everyday of every month, and hopefully makes us more mindful of those that aren't as blessed as we are and share with them our worldly goods.

If you are interested in locating the exact times of Fajr (when the sky first begins to lighten) and Maghrib (when the sun sets below the horizon - these are the fasting times) - you can find your exact times at IslamicFinder.org

While catching up on my emails this morning, I came acrossed a wonderful post - Leaner is Better I encourage everyone who is trying to lose weight and become fitter, to read this post. It's short, to the point, and makes a ton of sense.

Summer JO's - 2010

2010-08-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time at Penn State this weekend. Leenah just aged up 2 weeks before the meet - so I was really proud she even had the qualifying times to go. We arrived on Wed., late afternoon, and had an early dinner at Olive Garden. She didn't have to swim until 4ish on Thursday, so we stayed up late, checked out the hotel pool and hot tub (and it was HOT!!!), and watch movies. There was only one other swimmer from her team that was swimming on Thursday, so they both warmed up together with a coach from another team (thanks Coach Mark!)

They both had excellent times - Leenah dropped a few seconds, and Mark dropped enough to make Zone times (he would make more Zone times over the weekend, so the next stop for him is Delaware) Leenah had made the Zone team last year, and we are looking forward to trying again next year when she is at the top of her age group.

Overall we had a wonderful time. All the kids swam well, we had some great laughs, saw my first ever 3D movie at the theater, and got to see my brother and his family on the drive home. Wonderful trip.

Exactly WHAT is Normal?

2010-07-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

In our home, everyone helps out. My kitchen has white cabinets (I hate them). So lots of time is spent wiping them down. My oldest has turned into an excellent helper - both in the kitchen, and other general household duties.

My second oldest thinks she's lots of help in the kitchen..... its debatable.

And Adam is a champion boxer - one of these days, I'm afraid he's going to put that little fist right through the TV !

For me right now - normal means cooking, cleaning, laundry, more laundry, a quick dip in the swimming pool while clearing/cutting/trimming/picking up the yard and taxiing kids back and forth from swim practices, tennis lessons, and swim meets. I'm anxiously waiting for August to come - so that my days will be filled with nothing more then the waves hitting the beach.....

Leenah Turns 11

2010-07-16T06:57:00.000-07:00

One nice thing about a blog - it'll help me remember what I did for each child's birthday - so one doesn't get "more" than another ..... because they certainly never forget. We kept things very subdued for this birthday, since the 2 of us will be spending a few days at Penn State University together in a few weeks.

She got a few little gifts - she mainly wanted spending money for Penn State - so that made life easy. She liked the ring her sister picked out, but really loved the necklace.

We did got bowling ... too bad I forgot the camera - but Leenah won game #1 and I won game #2 - so it was a perfect day (oh, and Adam and Leenah got the claw machine stuck while working, so we also ended up with an entire bag of plastic animals, as well as a bowling trophey that Adam talked the owner into giving him.... so it was really a great day)

July Independence Swim Meet

2010-07-13T04:50:00.000-07:00

Leenah had another great weekend swimming. All the kids who qualified and came did really well.

Leenah set 2 new meet records - the 200 IM and the 100 Fly. Really proud of her. She also made 6 more 11-12 yo JO times. We are both very excited about going back to Penn State - and NOT just to visit the creamery again !

We had a very long talk over the weekend about nutrition. Since she is moving up to the 11-12 yo age group, it's time she began to take her swimming a bit more serious (even though she does very well, it's been all fun and games up until now).

We've decided that we both are going to go 3 weeks with no junkfood and eating better nutritional foods. We will finish up the birthday cake that's in the fridge, but nothing else. I know I will lose weight, but I'm hoping better nutrition also gives her more energy to swim faster times, and she continues on with a healthier lifestyle.

My New Camera

2010-07-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

One of the blogs I faithfully follow inspired me to buy a new camera. No way I could afford a fancy one - so I picked up a used Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 on ebay. I only had one night to quickly read through the directions - much different then my normal point and shoot - but wow - what a difference in picture quality!

This is Adam's second swim meet - he's all pro now.

My oldest has become a very good long distance swimmer.

The only bad part about dual meets - no long distance - so she's content swimming 50's and 100's like everyone else. She's made some pretty good friends on the swimteam - they are a really nice bunch of kids.

This is her swimming fly at the bottom of the picture. I really love how high she can get up out of the water. Amazing.

This is Adam waiting for his first race to start. He's flanked on one side by the teams head coach, and the other by his big sister. He's concentrating on the race ahead - gotta love the intense expression !

Now, no worries, I won't be sharing all 158 pictures I took at last nights swim meet - but I am happy to say that 35 are good enough to make me order some prints. This one isn't so great - but I wanted to show Adam how many people were cheering him on. Mostly our team sits on the bleachers waiting for their own events. Very rarely does anyone get up and cheer, but he had his very own cheering squad (and I think they were ALL GIRLS and not just his sisters!)

Now to spend more time figuring out all the different settings, and I'll have many more photos to share.

Vitamin Sale

2010-06-25T03:58:00.000-07:00

This Sale is now live - perfect time to stock up on vitamins. I get a years supply - costs me well over $200, but with the coupon code TAPDT10, I save an additional 10% (and the years supply is for 4 adults, and 4 children - with BUY ONE GET TWO FREE - you can't beat it. Click on the link below, and use the coupon code for 10% off TAPDT10 !!

Summer Savings - Buy 1 Get 2 Free at Puritan's Pride! Offer Begins: 6.23.10

Congrats to my new Second Grader

2010-06-23T05:04:00.000-07:00

Little man is finishing up first grade. Never thought this little 1 pound 3 ounce 23 weeker would turn into this strong, healthy young man. I thank God for him each and every day.

This first picture is of one of his classmates - it was her dad that took such excellent photos and emailed them to me - both her mom and dad were very involved all year, which as a homeroom mom, I really appreciated!

The "graduation party" started off with a show for the parents - they all were flowers ... and they were surprisingly loud flowers .

They also did a song on money - each child was some denomination of money - Adam was the dime !

My second oldest daughter loves being in his classroom, and the kids all love her. Adam's teacher, Ms. Ludgate, gave all the kids beach buckets filled with nifty gifts - including way cool sun glasses !

I usually take all the kids with me when I go to Adam's parties, as homeroom mom, it was my job to make sure everyone had a good time - and it was much easier with 3 extra set of hands - plus the kids loved them, because they were more their size !

Great Job Adam - and I know you'll do really well in second grade. Both Daddy and I are proud of everything you have accomplished !

Design Wall Monday

2010-06-21T03:48:00.000-07:00

Spent the weekend camping with all 4 kids. Really nice time - I blew up 2 king size beds for them to share, I took the cushions off my pool lounger, brought out a TV and DVD player, and all were asleep before the movie was 1/2 over both Friday and Saturday night. Actually, Saturday I feel asleep before they did ! Anyway, beautiful weather, beautiful weekend, so when we weren't camping, we were swimming in the pool. Did take a few minutes to work on another set of swap blocks for my online group - but that was the only sewing I got done - so not much to sew this Design Wall Monday - for inspirational ideas, check out what others are working on at Patchwork Times !

Vitamin Sale

2010-06-17T14:09:00.001-07:00

Summer Savings - Buy 1 Get 2 Free at Puritan's Pride! Offer Begins: 6.23.10

I wait for this one each year, then stock up. Right now they are running the buy 2 and get 3 free - but the above is a better deal - so wait until June 23rd !!

Design Wall Monday

2010-06-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

Finally - another finished project (well, the top is finished, I'll quilt it next weekend) I really like how the watermelon table runner turned out. I will never make another - so if you'd like the pattern - drop me a note and I'll shoot it off in the mail to ya !

Also found time to whip out the latest online exchange block my group is doing. I love batiks, and have plenty in my stash - so didn't even have to spend a penny on this one.

To see what others have on their design wall - check out Judy @ Patchwork Times

June Happenings -

2010-06-11T03:36:00.000-07:00

Wow - time is going by so quickly !! I never thought it would, I always thought I'd have all the time in the world to accomplish the things I wanted to try, but now I find myself picking and choosing what's most important - and right now - that's my kids !

#1 - She has decided to skip 8th grade and go right into High School. I'm not really worried, we have been using the Calvert Curriculum, and it seems to be a much higher grade per level then public school. She really didn't have too many free choices for her freshman year, but luckily our swim team's head coaches wife is a guidance counselor, and even though we aren't officially assigned to her, she's taking care of everything for us. I do think #1 was a bit overwhelmed when we are at the school and the bell rung and she saw masses of kids rushing in the hallways, but I also think she's more excited than ever to give it a try !

#2 - Had an awesome swim meet this past weekend. She made two Junior Olympic times for the next age group UP, so even after her birthday, she'll be able to go to the Junior Olympics. I'm not sure if we'll be here or not, but if we are, I'll certainly take her, because she earned it. We've been talking more and more about nutrition. She must be going through a growing spurt, because she's been eating everything in sight lately. Since she works out so hard, it doesn't show as much, but I still want her to learn control now, instead of trying to work it all off later !

#3 - My baby girl is growing up. I caught her yesterday, when she wasn't looking, and she is really beautiful. She does have this wicked head of hair, very, very curly - almost to the point of a frizz head. One day she'll love all that hair, but for now, it does give mom's arms a workout ! She is also swimming, and reading up a storm. I'm glad she has developed the love of reading - it makes homeschooling so much easier.

#4 - My baby boy is my heart. Although he is almost getting to big to sit on my lap and give hugs first thing in the morning (note - I said ALMOST - I'll probably still try and hug him when he's a teenager LOL) He also made the swim team this year (YEAH!) and is also playing tennis. He qualified for summer school again this year, but the teacher told me I might want to think about sending him. Since he is doing so well, and moving ahead, she doesn't want to surround him with kids that are beneath his learning level and allow him to go backwards. He does like summer school, they make all types of crafts and things - so not too sure what I'll be doing. I know he will have swim practice 2 or 3 mornings a week, so I'm thinking of only sending him part time. We'll see.

As for me .... sad to say but my weight is almost back to where it was when I first went to WW - about 8 or 9 years ago. Part of the reason was that darn foot surgery .... something is wrong for sure, dh wants me to go to a different doctor, but I never seem to have the time. Very painful to walk most of the time, and it stays swollen 24/7. I am getting to the gym 3-4 days a week, but I need to try for 5. I also need to rethink my eating plan - it's definately time to make that "life change" everyone always talks about. Just need to get my head on straight first.

I guess that's the updates here at the shore. No pictures to share today - but I've found this is the easiest way to keep our extended family from around the world updated on our comings and goings. It's supposed to be a beautiful day - get out there and enjoy it !

Design Wall Monday

2010-05-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

It's not Monday yet - but I figured I'd start my post now - because I finished yet another quilt ! This one is large (95 x 95) so it will get sent out to the long arm. I consider it finished because I actually enjoy the binding process, and it doesn't take but a few hours - so when I get the quilt back - it'll quickly be finished an on it's way to the giftee (my dad). His birthday is in August - so it'll be the perfect gift.

Now - what to do for the rest of this holiday weekend?

Too see what everyone else has been working on - check out Judy at Patchwork Times

Summer Swim Team

2010-05-28T11:02:00.000-07:00

Yahoooo - Adam made the summer swim team. His freestyle is actually getting better, not sure if he can complete a legal 25 yet, but perhaps by the time the first meet rolls around ! He's really good at floating on his back, only problem is there are no events that call for "floating"

Of course, this means more swim suits - the girls are doing their first open water swim meet next month - should be interesting. Long course season has already begun, with the two older girls turning in some great times. It should be a good season.

Swim Outlet has some awesome prices on suits - this is just about the only place I'll even think about buying a suit these days - definately cheaper than bricks and mortar stores, and usually the cheapest place online.

Extra Wide Batik Backing

2010-05-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

With all the sewing I've been able to do, now I'm starting to run out of backing. I wanted something special for my dad's quilt - and I didn't want to have to piece it - and I wanted batik. There is simply only one place I will go for an extra wide batik backing - Fabric.com

Instead of paying $15 yard for extra wide backing, I can usually find what I want for less than $8 yard - which really isn't bad since their extra wide fabric is 108 - 110 " wide - so usually only need 3 yards for a queen size quilt.

Right now you can take 30% off - 30% off clearance Fabric Store Coupon: Memorial525 exp 5/31

Off to swim practice and softball games.

Deb

Design Wall Monday

2010-05-24T05:39:00.000-07:00

If it weren't for Judy at Patchwork Times hosting this Design Wall Monday - I doubt if I'd ever get to my sewing machine ! But, since it rained all weekend, since my house was clean and my laundry was done (well, until Sunday night when all 4 kids decided to change the sheets on their beds and bring down their dirty clothes baskets.....) I spent the entire weekend .... sewing ! It was amazing. The Fred Flinstone quilt cannot be shown because it's going to my favorite "sisters" niece - and she reads my blog. I also started working on finishing a batik quilt I started last year. I'm really loving the colors. I was going to keep this one - but dh and I decided it would really fit my Dad, and since he only has one of my first attempts at quilting in his home, it'll be good to show him how far I've come ! I am going to work with blue and green batiks for sashing/borders/binding. Now to find an extra wide quilt back so I can finish this one off !

Deb

Ladder Ribbon Necklaces

2010-05-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

While we were in Texas - we had a "class" on making ribbon necklaces. I made both a necklace and a matching bracelet .... both of which were claimed upon my arrival in Phila ! So, off to ebay to buy new ladder ribbon - and boy - can it get expensive. I ended up with 11 rolls - only problem is they are more fall colors, and it's spring here - so I need to get some more.

Waiting for this book to come in to the library. I want to read the entire trilogy - I figured by the time I get through with the first and second, the newness of the third should be over and I won't have to wait 3 months to read it !

bodybugg® system

2010-05-21T09:28:00.000-07:00

bodybugg® system

DESIGN WALL MONDAY

2010-05-17T04:44:00.000-07:00

Yes Indeed - I can finally participate in DWM again, hosted by Judy at Patchwork Times

Almost a month ago (wow, does time fly) I finally graduated college after nearly 9 years (ok, ok, in reality I started in the 1980's, but we won't go there !). To celebrate, I spent a weekend in Texas with some quilty friends. We took up a challenge - to take some die cut fabric flowers, and use them on some type of project before the end of June. Well, I can proudly say mine are nearly finished.

POTHOLDERS - and all out of stash (OK, the one in the upper right hand corner is a pita bread warmer, and it was made from fabric purchased in Texas, but since I didn't add that to my stash count, I can't subtract it either !)

OOOOPS - where's the flowers?

On the flip side - of course !

Excuse the one in the middle on the bottom. I still hand sew my bindings - and I could only do so many in one sitting. Will finish it today !

Happy Birthday Adam

2010-05-17T04:35:00.000-07:00

Only a 2 day celebration this year. We started the day before his birthday with a trip to the waterpark. Not nearly as nice as Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos - but it was a fun way to spend the afternoon - even if he was still too young for the Flow Rider (an indoor way to surf)

He decided that he did want a tatoo to mark this wonderous occasion - and of course, I said "yes".

The next day we took party supplies, gifts for everyone, limbo stick, cupcakes, and all types of snacks as well as crafts for his classroom. It was a great time - even found out that his teacher is a star limbo'er.

She gave him his first clue, which led him on an afternoon long treasure hunt for his gifts.

Each and every gift was loved - which is remarkable. Definately a great birthday - I just can't believe how fast he's growing up !