yes, yes, you can comment...

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Oh, and, if you don't want to be so anonymous, you can put your name right in there with the rest of your comment! :-)

P.S. If these instructions don't work -- please send me an email so I can correct them.

what to do on another...

...snow(y) day. It is not an official school snow day -- but I was not liking the condition of the roads this morning -- so, we are kind of "playing hooky" together. Shhh... don't tell!



We made homemade pizza crust and topped it off with leftover meatballs and sauce. Sofia made sure that the amount of mozzarella cheese was exactly right.

I had myself happily selfishly preoccupied (from the snow) with a crafty kind of project, so when I realized it was time to make lunch, poor Sofia was sooo hungry she would have eaten anything. I offered her some broccoli and she declined, so motherly instinct told me I still had a bit of time. I looked across the counter and there was the yeast "made especially for pizza crust". So, I offered this, and she was more than happy to have a cooking lesson AND a delicious lunch.

Here's the yeast I used for the pizza crust. It works great! I feel empowered. It takes 30 minutes to make and cook the pizza -- start to finish. Don't forget to pick some up next time you are at the supermarket.




The recipe on the back of the package made a 12" rectangular pie -- just enough for the three of us. It tasted great too! And, yes. I ate that last piece right after it posed for this picture. :-)

cleaning instructions...

Even I have my limit when it comes to how far from "her spot" Sofia's mess should travel. Do you think she's overstepping her boundary here? This is what I found on the kitchen counter this morning -- AFTER I came back from walking her to the bus stop.



Big question -- WHY is it necessary for the pen to remain in that particular spot? Guess I'll have to wait until she gets home to find out.

comfort food...

...and a new toy! :-) Well, not really a new toy -- a new ginsu knife. And, it works great! For this dinner, I sliced through the veggies and beef like --buttah! :-) We picked up a set of 2 of these at Sears this weekend -- on sale for $17.99 and we got a $10 discount for applying for their store credit card -- so my 2 knives cost us $7.99 (plus tax). Wee hoo! Go get yourself a couple -- and then make your favorite comfort dinner. Here's the recipe for mine:

1 pound bottom round cut into small 1" pieces

1 small onion

1 carrot

4 medium sized russet potatoes

1 can low sodium beef broth (14.5 oz)

1 small can tomato paste (6 oz.)

pinch of dried basil

pinch of dried oregano

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons extra light olive oil

Slice onion and brown in olive oil. Add dried basil and oregano to onion while it is browning. Just as onions are beginning to caramelize, add bottom round. Brown beef on at least two sides. Add beef broth. Lower heat to a simmer. Peel and wash carrots and potatoes. Chop them into the same size pieces as the beef. Set aside. Fill empty beef broth can with warm water and mix together with tomato paste in a measuring cup or bowl until the tomato paste is liquifed. Add tomato paste mixture to simmering pot. Add carrots and potatoes to simmering pot. Your pot should be narrow enough so liquid covers all the meat and vegetables. Add teaspoon of sugar and stir gently. Cover and simmer until you can pierce the potatoes with a fork. About 45 minutes. Enjoy with crusty italian bread.

super talent...

Remember these waifs and strays?




They're new home is almost complete! Okay, so you're scratching your head and thinking -- what am I looking at? I'll explain. The unpainted wood that is nailed to the wall is the base for the new bench located by the back door. That is the easy part. What I am loving is the half wall that my super talented husband constructed (as per my design request). This was an item on our "list of things to do" before our house was even built. The builder was not flexible regarding such things at that point in history -- before the great economic collapse -- and shook his head to this alteration in the house blueprint. So... instead of focusing on the negative -- I am happy to show you the positive. Oh, and while I'm at it -- don't forget that the closet behind the new bench area was also constructed by my super talented husband (see pic below taken during my 2008 flu episode).

Let's see... What's missing in this picture? Closet, half wall, hardwood floor (to the right of Tahu), upper curtains in kitchen, curtain on back door, area rug under kitchen table. Sofia is so little -- and she has bangs!

I know what you might be thinking. But even "super talent" has its limits. So hold those requests, and, then, maybe, after he gets through some framing, sheetrock, taping, spackling, etc. in the basement, and then, some well-deserved golfing... Keep in mind that this particular "magical transformation" has taken 3 years. I'm sure you get the idea. :-)

hey, yo, yo...

...100 days is what I'm sayin'



80 more...and then we're playin'
In the pool
Not in school
Hey...
...yo!

drumroll please...

I have had a request to post a picture of the finished powder room project. I am more than happy to fulfill this request. I am pleased that while my blog may be lacking in the "comments" area -- it excels in the email/telephone feedback area. Because we live further than a 20 minute drive from close family & friends, this was the original purpose of my blog -- to connect with all of you. I feel that I have been successful in this endeavor thus far and hope to enjoy the fruits of this continuing labor of love... :-)


So, now without further delay, I give to you...


the finished powder room!





The walls are a cheery kind of yellow -- with a hint of green. We now have a lovely glass shelf and a mirror that fits. The oversized builder's grade non-powder room towel bar has been replaced with a lovely towel ring (located behind the door that I can actually fully open now). The builder's grade toilet paper holder (which was screwed into the wall and through the duct work behind the wall) has been replaced with one that is properly installed and coordinates with everything else.


But -- oh no -- wait...


What's this...




Sigh... I'm off to find the spackle... again. Hopefully it will dry and I can get it painted BEFORE Sofia has another chance to pick it out of the wall again.

olympic size...

...icicle!

Just to give some perspective -- each window pane is 12" high -- so the icicle is about 3 feet long! The icicle is right over the window in Sofia's room that has the bad draft. Is it possible that heat is escaping from the house at this point and where the draft is coming in? Any experts out there know the answer?

she can't spell...

...but she's great in math! :-)



And, since when is "playing with dolls" a chore? I think she's been reading too much about government spending and decided she would get in on the action! The only item on the list that has been fulfilled is #4 -- take note that this comes with the highest price tag. And, why am I paying weekly for things that are done only once a month??? Perhaps we do have a future politician in our midst after all!

and, the winner is...

Here are our snow predictions for yesterday's storm.




According to my 14" ruler -- looks like Mr. Rick is the winner!

And, his prize is -- he gets to shovel all that snow! :-)

this snow is making me...

...silly!

pretty, pretty, shiny, shiny...

I finally have a chance to take my Cricut machine out of the box! It is a bit more involved than I expected -- I LOVE it! I've been playing for almost 2 hours now -- time to take a mental break.

Current outside weather update: We have heavy, wet snow on the ground. Rick went out a little while ago and cleared the driveway and sidewalks. Right now there is a mix of rain and snow falling.

Current inside weather update: Sunshine and 70 degrees :-)

suzy snowflake looks mad...

Here's our weather forecast as of this writing:

We're in a clearing right now, so it's looking pretty nice out there -- just the snow from last night looking pretty. I'll post an update as the morning goes on.

cabin fever...

No matter where I turn today, it looks like this...



Okay, so I'm not telling the whole truth. This area seems to be neat compared to the other "piles" in the house today. They're not going to move themselves -- so I had better get off my duff and get going. We're under another winter storm warning -- so the troops will probably be here all day tomorrow...and perhaps the next. Now that I am thinking about it, that means 6 more hands to help me straighten up. Okay, it's time for "mommy sergeant" to appear! :-)

they're gone...

Out the door went 3 smiling faces this morning. It can keep snowing as long as I keep seeing those results! :-) I'm off to the food store -- to "stock" up -- just in case Wednesday's forecast gives us a few more inches than anticipated.

We're almost done with the powder room and kitchen painting projects -- the moulding is all that's left to do. So, onto some February sewing -- I have the fabric right here for my new curtain project. Looks like I'm all set for the week!

be careful out there...

I just poked my head out the back door for a quick second. Now, how pretty are those droplets from the melting snow, and, the cloud formation to the right? Then as soon as I snapped this picture...



...SMASH! That snow came down almost on my head. Maybe I'll just stay inside.

hey, when are you comin' outside...

...to play in the snow! :-)

the calm before...

As of this writing, the National Weather Service has our area under a winter storm warning. The kids are at school, the hubby is at work, the puppy is at rest...for now.

weather update...

According to the extra light olive oil thermometer, it's cold enough for snow! Disclaimer: This experiment was performed by an expert in the field of "store purchases do not have to be brought into the house from the car unless absolutely necessary". Do not attempt this experiment unless you are so qualifed.

A tight squeeze...

This is where I spent the morning.



I can't reach way up high -- and I can't move the ladder around. If only I had been born tall, instead of short and beautiful! :-)

Watch out...

...it's coming your way!

And, there's more headed for us this weekend. Guess that groundhog was right after all!

come on phil...

Sofia was not happy this morning when the weather channel's coverage of the results of the groundhog's shadow was announced -- What? Six more weeks of winter! It has also come to her attention that her birthday is not in the springtime. The weather was not her friend this morning.

For me -- Puxatawny Phil's (not surprise) announcement makes me realize that it is not long before we must go outdoors and pick up projects that have been dormant during the winter months. La, la, la... I'm feeling the happiness... La, la, la...

Okay -- back to today. Here is the important decision of the day...

Should I file some paperwork? Looks like I have a helper for that.



or,



Should I watch the spackle dry?