whatchabuildin

spring housekeeping

Yes, it is that time of year. The snow is slowly melting, the air smells sweet with spring renewal and the days are - finally - longer. I long to open the windows and clean the cobwebs from corners and start fresh, start new.

I started this blog about 5 months ago not really knowing what I was doing, I just knew I wanted to have a blog. Well, it was (and still is) a huge learning curve for me. With the little time I do have, I started out really basic, just getting information on here and moving on to other things. Spring is almost here and I always like to start each new season with a purpose, a mission if you will. So my mission this spring is to spruce up this blog, a new banner, nicer looking sidebars, more interesting things to look at and be inspired by, and even a shop update.

So, stay tuned in the next couple weeks and see what spring brings!

Have a good week friends!

some card art

Hello! These are a few cards that I painted recently. One for a friend whose dog died, and the other was given to my sweetie for Valentines Day. I really should paint more. I really like to paint. Note to self: paint more!

Click on these and they will pop up bigger.

friday night is pizza night

Friday night is pizza night around here! One of our family traditions we started years ago. Gathered in the kitchen, we discuss our plans for the weekend while I start a batch of homemade pizza dough. Oh, wait! Back up. First I pour myself a glass of wine, then I start the pizza dough. Better. Yes, much better.

Ok. So, pizza night around here has turned into quite an event now that I have a little helper. He loves pizza dough. Not just the eewy gooey-ness of it, but he actually eats it. Raw. I know, I know. Yuck-o! 

Anyway, pizza night with an almost three year old is well, yes exciting and fun! This is how it we do it.

The recipe that I use is from the Martha Stewart's "Comfort Food" cookbook. You can find a similar one on her website, here. The main thing I do differently is that I just make it up in a bowl by hand and not in the food processor. Saves washing the food processor, and lugging it out of it's place in the bottom cabinet, way in back. I also just let it rise once for 30 minutes, not twice.

So, as I am making up the dough along comes Colin...

"Mommy I want to help too! Get my apron, pease (please) I want to tir (stir), I want to tir! Pease, pease mommy...mommy can I pat it up? Pat it up mommy! Should I tir it now? Can I pease? I want to pat it too, pat it up mama, mommy whasdat? Is that your grape juice? Can I have grape juice too? Oooh, Mommy das ticky (sticky), das ticky mama. Can I cut too? Mama what are you doing? Whasdat?..." he says with demanding excitement.

Yes, that was one continuous dialog from Colin. In between I interjected a few "Yes, honey", "no, not yet, not yet. Wait. Wait. Wait honey, ok now you can do it. Wait. OK. Now you can. OK." **sip** "No, that is wine. It is adult grape juice. No, but can have some of your grape juice."

Phew!! Are you exhausted yet? Were not done yet! So tonight we made our basic cheese, spinach and sauce pizza.

The easy way to wilt spinach is to put a bunch in a bowl with a tablespoon of water and put it in the microwave for a minute on high. But if you get weirded out sometimes like I do about putting things in the microwave, you can just steam it for about a minute on the stovetop.

So after I pat the dough into the pan, put the sauce, spinach, and oregano on, Colin's job is to put the cheese on. And, what a good job he does! We stick that baby (the pizza, not the child) in the oven for 22 minutes, exactly. Yes. Then sip a little more wine and wait for pizza goodness.

Notes:  We used sharp cheddar for this recipe. The Greek Oregano was harvested from my garden last summer, it is so nice to have this time of year! I highly recommend having an oregano plant in your yard or garden. One plant dried and harvested will last all winter.

There you go! This is how our pizza night goes. Good pizza, good family time. Yes, always good family times!

morning time

Our weekday mornings are quite busy before we head to work and school, but we always make time for a good breakfast. One of our favorites is fast, yummy and healthy oatmeal with peanut butter and maple syrup. Add a glass of orange juice and you have a wholesome easy breakfast to help start your day right.

This is my recipe for the oatmeal:

3/4 c. whole oats (not instant)

1 1/2 c. water

Place water and oats in large bowl together. Cook on stove top or in the microwave, following box directions. When done cooking stir in one large dollop (a healthy tablespoon) of peanut butter and drizzle maple syrup on top. I love the "B grade" maple syrup on my oatmeal. It is becoming more common these days and should be easy to find.

There you go! Have a great day!

++ yes, that is an icecube in Colin's oatmeal! He likes to cool his down that way!

snow day : craft day

Today we are home from school and work because of the ice and snowstorm we had last night. So, stuck inside all day, we decided to make art. We went to the recycle bin and pulled out a few of the hundreds of magazines that arrive at our house weekly. (I swear, even though I am on that "take me off your #%@*&^@!!! list" I am still on somebody's list!) Anyway, back in the recycle bin we pull out magazines and some cardboard.

I dig out my scissors and glue and we get down to business. I do the cutting and Colin does the gluing and positioning of the shapes I cut out.

"More shapes mama more shapes pease mama so I can glue them and put them dere and you can cut more for me and I will put dem down on the brown paper."

Oh, the sweetness of my babe having fun making art and talking in run-on sentences. *sigh*