Lost Button Studio

Fun with Golf Tees & Cardboard Boxes

2011-11-09T10:45:00.004-07:00

My sister-in-law gave me a fun idea and we tried it out today. You just need an empty cardboard box, golf tees, and a hammer for an easy homemade pounding bench. I had to get the golf tees started for my little guy (probably because the hammer I gave him was pretty wimpy, even for a toy). We'll use all six sides of the box and then when it's filled with holes, throw it in the recycle bin.

12-drawer Kids Activity & Storage Table Plans

2011-10-26T14:28:00.004-06:00

We've had a lot of people interested in purchasing the activity/play table featured in the playroom makeover post, but it's massive and super expensive to ship. Now there are plans for sale in the Iron Timber shop for you DIYers. :)

Chicken Coop Storage Bin Plans

2011-10-07T13:02:00.006-06:00

The most popular post on my blog is about the playroom makeover (which happened waaay back in '08). Since then I've had quite a few emails about the storage bins and the play table for Legos that we made for the room.

I finally talked my husband into creating plans for the Chicken Coop Storage Bins (been trying since waaay back in '08) and they are for sale in the Iron Timber shop on Etsy. The play table plans will be available in the near future as well...

Handmade for Hope

2011-06-17T10:04:00.005-06:00

I'm participating in the Handmade for Hope fundraiser for Joplin, Missouri. Brittany from Display Your He{ART} graciously put together 31 baskets of items from crafters all over the globe. You can enter to win a basket for $1 per entry (and can enter to win as many baskets as many times as you want). My pair of earrings are in basket #20. The event runs until July 1, 2011.

Earrings for Japan

2011-03-25T08:04:00.007-06:00

Update: I have made the donation to AmeriCares (more than $200 thanks to several people who donated more than $20 per pair of earrings). Thanks again to those who participated!

I am selling 10 pair of earrings for $20 each with free shipping and donating all proceeds ($200) to AmeriCares to help with the disaster relief effort in Japan. I chose AmeriCares because over 98% of the donation money goes to humanitarian services and it has a four-star rating on Charity Navigator. If you would like to participate, here's how:

* Choose any pair of earrings from my shop.

* Send me an email at jess-at-lostbuttonstudio-dot-com with your choice of earrings and your Etsy username.

* I will create a custom listing for you for $20 (free shipping).

After all 10 pair are sold, I will make the donation to AmeriCares. If you are not interested in a pair of earrings but can help spread the word, that would be awesome too! Thank you!

Baby C

2011-03-21T18:01:00.004-06:00

We welcomed Baby C into our home about a week ago...she has lots of dark hair and chubby cheeks. We are so grateful for her. She is sweet and calm and has us all wrapped around her little finger.

I am so saddened by what has happened in Japan and although I'm a late in responding, I will be hosting a little fundraiser in the next few days.

Our Favorite Multigrain Pancake Recipe

2011-03-04T13:51:00.005-07:00

Lately we've been eating a lot of pancakes and after trying quite a few recipes, I'm really liking this one (slightly adapted from this recipe)...

Multigrain Pancakes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour

1/4 cup quick-cooking oats

2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal or oat bran

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon orange juice (optional, a tip I read at KAF to mellow the bitterness of whole wheat)

1 large egg

I make up mixes of the first 7 ingredients; stirring everything well to incorporate the brown sugar so it doesn't clump.

Pour the mix into a bowl and add the remaining ingredients; stirring until mixed. Let it sit while you preheat the griddle and it will thicken slightly. Pour by 1/4 cupfuls onto a 350 degree griddle and turn when the tops are covered with bubbles.

Makes one dozen pancakes.

While I was searching for a healthy berry syrup recipe to go with these pancakes one morning, Mr. M helped himself to a package of NikLNips for breakfast. I guess you win some, and you lose some. :)

A Baby Girl and a Vintage Upholstery Quilt

2011-02-26T10:10:00.009-07:00

I have good news I've been planning to share for a while...we are expecting a little girl in a couple of weeks! We are getting so excited to welcome her into our family. She'll be in our room for awhile, and since Mr. M (now 2) is still in the crib, I haven't gotten a room ready for her yet, but when I do it will all be inspired by this wonderful quilt that my husband's grandma made out of upholstery samples...

I love, love, love all the different colors, patterns, and textures and it will be so fun to use it in her room.

Candy Cane Popcorn Recipe and Labels

2010-12-23T11:02:00.008-07:00

This year we made a bunch of candy cane popcorn to give as gifts. We covered a folding banquet table with freezer paper, set up an assembly line, and went through 15 pounds of almond bark and 120 candy canes. We used this recipe but added extra almond bark.

Candy Cane Popcorn

24 oz. vanilla almond bark

12 peppermint candy canes, crushed in a food processor

1/2 cup popcorn kernels, popped

Follow package directions to melt almond bark in the microwave, oven, or on the stovetop. Stir 1/2 cup of the crushed candy canes into the melted bark and pour over the popcorn (you need a very large bowl). Stir to coat popcorn while sprinkling with remaining crushed candy canes.

We packaged the popcorn in red Chinese take out containers and added a label. Here is a pdf of the labels (cut with a 2" circle punch).

Caramel-y Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-12-16T08:03:00.006-07:00

A few years ago I posted about a recipe for Caramel Apple Dip and since that time I found out that if you reduce the sugar a bit it makes a an easy caramel-y cream cheese frosting for cakes (so far I've used it on an applesauce cake I make quite a bit but I think it would be good on any spicy cake, especially a carrot cake).

Caramel-y Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Whip cream cheese until fluffy, then add brown sugar and vanilla and whip some more until smooth.

Etsy Stocking Stuffers

2010-12-09T12:20:00.004-07:00

Here are a few things I bought from Etsy for stocking stuffers this year for the boys. Wanted to share since it's always fun to promote handmade gifts.

For Mr. M (age 2)

{crayon roll from KateWDesigns}

{mini i spy bag from thosegreathousewomen}

For Mr. B (age 11)

{guitar pick necklace from JCGrafixDesignStudio}

{secret decoder ring from 14th Place Trading}

{a few different kinds of cool rocks from earthlightgems}

Handmade Advent Calendars

2010-12-02T19:41:00.003-07:00

Just popping in to show the advent calendars we are posting for sale in the Iron Timber shop. My husband made the pegboards and I'm stamping the muslin bags with antique rubber stamps. They can be used two ways...either starting December 13 to countdown the days until Christmas (order by December 7 to receive it by December 13), or by reversing the order of the bags and using it for the twelve days of Christmas which traditionally begins on December 25 (order by December 20 to receive it by December 25).

I also have jewelry back up in the Lost Button Studio shop after a long break. Ordering by December 18 will ensure delivery by Christmas.

Happy holidays!

Sundaes with Mexican Hot Fudge Sauce and Coconut

2010-05-14T08:49:00.006-06:00

We are in the middle of updating our kitchen (I'll post before and after photos here when we're done) and I had friends over last night so I was looking for a quick dessert that didn't require lots of pots and pans, the oven, etc.

I made this recipe (but didn't bother making the ice cream balls, I just scooped the ice cream). I made the toasted cinnamon coconut in the microwave--I just cooked it on high a minute at a time, stirring in between, until it was toasted)....

...then I drizzled with this recipe for hot fudge sauce also made in the microwave. I substituted 8 ounces of chopped Ibarra chocolate for the semisweet chocolate and I let the sauce cool to thicken it. They were very yummy.

No-roll Sugar Cookie Recipe

2010-04-24T08:50:00.004-06:00

Lately I've thought about closing this blog because I haven't been making the time to post (or to read other blogs very often), but for now I've decided to keep it and just pop-in now and then. So here's something I wanted to share: this recipe for no-roll sugar cookies.

I've made several batches of these since Easter. I like the recipe because they are so simple...no chilling and no rolling. They are as easy and quick as a drop cookie.

I've been using this recipe for buttercream frosting. Because it uses a 1 pound package of powdered sugar and 1 cube of butter, that is two things in the recipe that don't have to be measured. I like that in a recipe. :)

Haiti Donation

2010-02-10T15:40:00.004-07:00

I submitted the donation to Doctors Without Borders today and wanted to thank those who ordered earrings and made it possible. It was very fun for me to turn some materials and a little time into $150. Thoughts and prayers to those in Haiti and in other difficult situations around the world.

Our Pet Ladybug

2010-01-25T13:54:00.004-07:00

This is Junior (not sure if Junior is a him or her but for the purpose of this post we'll say "her"). We found her inside our house so we made her a little terrarium with a plant and some river rocks. Since the plant does not seem to have aphids, we are feeding her soaked raisins, small bits of apple, and homemade ladybug food (1 part yeast and 1 part sugar mixed with water to make a paste). She really likes the raisins. For a water dish we are using a folded up and soaked paper napkin. We found the info on caring for ladybugs here and here and here.

My husband thinks I'm nuts but what else can you do when you find a ladybug inside your house in January? I don't think I could ever squish or flush a ladybug and it's too cold outside to let her go.

I'm hoping we can keep her alive until the weather is warm enough and then we'll have a Free Willy moment. Maybe she will appreciate the hospitality and invite some friends over to my garden this summer.

Earrings for Haiti

2010-01-20T09:11:00.006-07:00

Update: The 10 pair of earrings are sold. Thanks so much to everyone who participated and helped me with the donation!

I would like to sell 10 pair of earrings for $15 each and donate the proceeds ($150) to Doctors Without Borders to help with the relief effort in Haiti. If you would like to participate, here's how:

* Choose any pair of earrings from my shop.

* Send me an email to me at jess at lostbuttonstudio dot com with your choice of earrings and your Etsy username. This is good for the first 10 emails I receive.

* I will create a custom listing for you for $15 (the shipping is on me).

Current prices on my earrings are $16-22 so you'll get a deal on a pair of handmade earrings and help out at the same time!

Thank you!

Storage for Snowy Boots

2010-01-14T09:01:00.004-07:00

I bought some winter car mats and have been using them for snowy boots this year. They work well because they have deep treads that hold the melted snow. Martha Stewart has an idea to use a cooling rack on a cookie sheet. I like that idea too.

These red boots were a prop just to have some color in the photo...the are much too small for B and much too big for the baby. But when he saw me taking pictures of them he had to try them on. He is growing so fast...

New in the Shop

2010-01-12T15:56:00.007-07:00

Here are the new items I added last week. 5 down and 15 more to meet my goal of 20 new items this month...

Baby Sweets

2010-01-11T13:52:00.008-07:00

Have you noticed all the cute things that can be made with baby supplies...like cakes made of diapers and stuff like that? I decided to make some "candies" made of burp cloths for a neighbor friend who just had a baby.

I bought some thin terry cloth burp cloths (Gerber). I folded them a few different ways until I found the thickness that I wanted and then rolled them up.

Then I pinned them closed and packaged them in clear cellophane and tied the ends shut with some thick string. Ribbons would be cute too.

One of these would make a fun present topper or a bag or basketful of them as a gift on their own. Or a baby shower decoration that the mom-to-be could take home after the party.

Easy Remedy for Dry Skin

2010-01-09T13:25:00.002-07:00

Maybe everyone already knows this trick, but when I was a middle-schooler my mom taught me to pop a vitamin E capsule open with a pin and use it for dry skin. I like to mix a capsule with a dollop of lotion in my hands...great after a shower on dry winter skin. I also sometimes mix a few drops with facial cream and put it on at night. Bottles of 100 capsules are only around $5-6 so it's an inexpensive little moisturizing boost.

Shop Re-opening

2010-01-01T14:09:00.004-07:00

My "little" vacation turned out to be over a year but I've been making jewelry again and have re-opened my Etsy shop!

I'm happy to have the shop open again and am hoping it will be a fun 2010. I have a few of the items I used to sell, some new items, and am challenging myself to add 20 more new items in January. I'm posting it here so I will have to do it. :)

Here are some of the items I added today...

Leftover Candy Cane Recipes

2009-12-31T09:49:00.004-07:00

I have a lot of leftover candy canes this year so I've been searching this morning for recipes to use them up. Here are a few that sound yummy...

Candy Cane Popcorn
Candy Cane Cocoa
Peppermint Meringues
Peppermint Brittle
Candy Cane Fudge
Chocolate-Peppermint Sauce
Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
Candy Cane Cake
Candy Cane Biscotti
Peppermint Ice Cream

Wishing you a very happy 2010!

5 Year Diary

2009-12-28T16:04:00.003-07:00

I just bought this 5 Year Diary to use starting in 2010. I'm excited to use it because it's small and simple and you can see previous years on the same page. I took off the dust jacket so the cover is just plain red stripes and I like it better that way.

I haven't been a good journal writer so having just six lines per day is perfect. I'm hoping to write down the things I'm grateful for, snippets about the day, and little memories I have that pop into my mind.

Birdseed Ornaments

2009-12-23T10:51:00.008-07:00

This year for our little neighborhood gifts we made birdseed ornaments and packaged them in a paper bag printed with a hand carved stamp (designed and mostly carved by B). The bags were sewn shut with red thread.

We used this recipe but after making about eight batches of these, here are some tips:

* I made a couple of batches in mini muffin tins and mini bundt pans but couldn't get them out of the pans for the life of me. I used a silicone snowflake candy mold (I have a 24-cup one) for the rest and they were much easier to remove.

* If you use a silicone mold, place it on a cookie sheet before you start filling it because it's flimsy and hard to place in the refrigerator without something underneath it.

* I used slightly less birdseed (a few tablespoons is all) than the recipe called for because the first batch was very dry and crumbly. When you take them out of the molds there might be some cloudy gelatin on the fronts but it dries clear and shiny.

* I put twine hangers in the middle of the ornaments by filling the molds halfway full, placing the loop of twine in the middle (a long piece that goes to almost the other side of the mold so it won't easily slip out), and then filling it the rest of the way. The birdseed is hard to compress but it helps to use the back of a spoon. Hold the back of the spoon over the area with the twine loop so you don't pull the loop out as you remove your fingers.

{B's hand carved "Sweet Tweets" and bird stamps}

{the finished birdseed ornaments}

Advent Calendar Goodies

2009-12-07T09:15:00.003-07:00

We just posted an advent calendar in the Iron Timber shop. It is a handmade red pegboard with drawstring bags printed with numbers from antique rubber stamps.

Here are the treats I'm going to put in our advent calendar. I tried to think of a few things that are holiday traditions for our family and things that could be used year after year.

12 A scroll with the Christmas story from the scriptures and a small candle. We'll read the story by candlelight to remind us to keep the Christ in Christmas.

11 First clue for a treasure hunt to find new ornaments for the year. This year I'm going to start marking the new ornaments with the kids' names and year. I haven't done that in the past and I really wish I would have.

10 A bag of spices (cinnamon and cloves) for making apple cider.

9 A single Christmas light bulb. This will be our reminder to take a drive around town to look at the Christmas lights.

8 Mini candy canes with $1 wrapped around the stems and tied with a ribbon. My great-grandma used to give all of her great-grandkids one of these each Christmas and that is one of my favorite holiday memories.

7 A tiny jar of red and green sprinkles. My friend gave us a big jar one year with a note to use the sprinkles on everything from cookies to ice cream to oatmeal.

6 Glass hearts--one for each person in our family. Each person can do a service for someone else in the family and leave the glass heart behind (for instance, make someone else's bed and leave a glass heart on the pillow).

5 A piece from a board game to play together that night. Might be a new game or something we already have.

4 A harmonica. My grandpa always used to play us Christmas songs on the harmonica. Might need to get this book.

3 Chocolate!

2 A miniature apple. Make Grandma C's recipe for baked apple pudding.

1 Christmas Eve! An antique skeleton key hanging from a silver ribbon. This will be hung on our front door knob for Santa to use to get in our house since we don't have a chimney.

A New Tradition: You Are Special

2009-12-05T10:36:00.004-07:00

You know the "red plate" tradition where the person of honor gets to eat on the red plate?

I've wanted to get one and start that tradition in our family for a while. Then I saw these awesome cupcake stands from vesselsandwares and decided to get one instead of the red plate.

Jeanette has some very cute cupcake stands with scalloped and ruffled edges, but since I have three boys she made one for me with a plain edge in sunny yellow. It has "You Are Special" stamped around the edge.

So now this cupcake stand will be on our table for the person who is having a birthday, who got a good grade on a test, who did something nice for someone else, or who just needs some cheering up.

It will look great with a homemade cupcake on top, but it will make a rice krispie treat or a stack of Oreos feel like a special treat as well.

What "You Are Special" traditions do you have?

Twig Pencils

2009-12-03T16:36:00.002-07:00

Just bought these cute twig pencils from alliebeans on Etsy. I'm planning to keep them with my Christmas things for my kids to use for writing wish lists and the thank you note to Santa (the one that is left with his cookies and milk on Christmas Eve). These would also be a great addition to the treasure box...

Our New Etsy Shop

2009-11-28T21:06:00.007-07:00

Hello there! So I'm still taking my "little" break on my jewelry shop (it was seriously supposed to be a six-week maternity leave, but the last year has been a whirlwind), but my husband and I are collaborating on a new furniture and housewares shop on Etsy called Iron Timber.

I've listed some hanging jewelry organizers like the ones pictured below and we're working on some chicken coop storage cubbies and play tables like we made for our playroom a while back. We'll also be adding some other storage solutions and decorative items soon.

Seeds: Saving and Soaking

2009-07-21T17:38:00.006-06:00

This year I planted some flower seeds that were saved from my grandma's garden and some rattlesnake bean seeds I saved from my garden. This is what they look like now...

I also tried soaking all of my seeds in water for 24 hours before planting them (a tip I read about here) and I really think it helped them germinate and grow faster. Will definitely do this again next year (and will try saving even more seeds from my garden).

High Crown Muffins

2009-07-17T08:31:00.004-06:00

{muffins with chopped apples and cinnamon}

King Arthur Flour has a recipe for basic muffins that I'm experimenting with (I really like my recipe for banana and pumpkin muffins, but was looking for a basic recipe where I could use things like berries, apples, peaches, etc.).

There's a tip in the KAF recipe for getting high crowns on your muffins like you see in bakeries. You start with your oven at 500°F and then drop the temperature to 400°F as soon as you put the muffin batter in the oven. It works!

Dairy-free Cream of Broccoli Soup

2009-07-13T13:18:00.003-06:00

I made this recipe over the weekend and we liked it. It uses a potato to thicken the soup instead of a roux made with butter, flour, and milk (like another recipe I have) so it's dairy-free. I saved half of the broccoli florets, steamed them separately, and added them into the pureed soup because I like chunks of broccoli in there. Because of that, next time I will probably add more potato (I used a Yukon Gold) or less water or both for a thicker soup. It was good with toasted onion bagels.

Freezing Raspberries and Home Food Preservation

2009-07-10T08:41:00.004-06:00

{image from raspberry lovers}

This morning we picked a bunch of our raspberries and I wanted to freeze some since they won't last long fresh. I was going to freeze them just like I froze the strawberries last year but I wondered if that was best...so I decided to Google it and found a cool resource, the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Never knew there was such a thing.

There's a ton of info on the site for freezing, drying, canning, etc. Just glancing around I found some things that sound interesting like Cranberry Marmalade, Pumpkin Leather, Sweet Cherry Topping, and even info on how to freeze avocados.

Oh, and on the question I had about freezing raspberries I found out it will work just fine to wash, drain, freeze on cookie sheets, and transfer to freezer containers.

The Cutest Homemade Vanilla Extract

2009-07-08T21:22:00.007-06:00

I've been wanting to make my own vanilla extract for a while and the other day I decided to look for a "recipe" and found the Coco&Me blog and the cutest ever bottles of homemade vanilla extract...clear glass bottles with lettering and designs made with a white paint pen which stands out against the dark vanilla. I am totally going to have to copy cat this.

After seeing these bottles I had to look through the rest of the Coco&Me blog and found it is written by Tamami, a mom of two who sells handmade chocolate, cakes, and tarts at a London market on Saturdays. OK, I can tell by her blog that she works hard, but how cool of a job is that? And the best part is she generously shares her recipes for things like Lemon Drizzle Cake with Lemon Icing, Crème Patissière, Pâte Sucrée, Luxury Brownies, and Ganache Truffles. So nice!

Here are a few more photos to drool over...

A Yummy Life Photography

2009-07-07T09:21:00.003-06:00

My friend Jodi just launched a new web site for her Salt Lake City photography business, A Yummy Life. She specializes in candid portraits of children and I love her style. Here are some of my recent favorites...

She also offers Polaroids with any of her packages which is so cool. I love the colors in this one...

Birthday Treasure Box

2009-07-03T15:44:00.003-06:00

I have 24 nieces and nephews, can you believe that? Shopping for individual and thoughtful birthday gifts could be really time consuming, so this year I decided to fill a wooden "treasure box" with inexpensive small gifts and treats and let the younger kids (up to about age 10 or 11) choose five things out of the box for their birthday. The older kids get gift cards they can use to buy something they'd like or put towards a bigger item. So far the kids seem to really enjoy this so maybe it will become a tradition.

Here are some of the things I have in the box, have had in the box, or think would be fun to put in the box:

$1 coins * small notebooks * unique pens and pencils
hair barrettes and clips * candy and gum * bubbles
matchbox cars * foreign coins * stickers
mini puzzles * fingernail polish * disposable cameras
$2 bills * art supplies * magnets
lipgloss * sidewalk chalk * yo-yos
cool rocks and shells * small travel games or cards
costume jewelry * glow sticks * small flashlights
post-it notes * bookmarks * garden seeds
pencil toppers * patterned or colored shoelaces
magic towels (the ones you soak in water to expand)
Pez machines * shark teeth * small books
pocket mirrors * finger puppets * rubber stamps
fun band-aids * Japanese erasers * silly putty

I would love to add more handmade items (I need to search Etsy to see if I can find items around this price range). If you have ideas to add, please comment!

Strawberry Agua Fresca

2009-05-13T13:12:00.003-06:00

{image from Sunset Magazine}

Last night we made Strawberry Agua Fresca using this recipe. It's like all-natural Kool-Aid. I used four cups of strawberries instead of five and I added a little more of the water into the blender so it pureed easier. We also just squirted a wedge of lime into each glass instead of adding the lime juice. Here's the updated recipe:

Strawberry Agua Fresca

4 cups hulled, rinsed strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
Lime wedges

In a blender, whirl strawberries, sugar, and 2 cups water until very smooth. Press blended strawberry mixture through a fine strainer into a pitcher. Add an additional 6 cups water, and more sugar to taste. Serve over ice with a lime wedge.

I'm going to try this same basic recipe with other fruits.

Found a Heart Today

2009-05-07T21:24:00.004-06:00

Today I was on the floor playing with my baby and I looked up and saw a heart in the wood grain of an antique chair I've had for years. I never noticed it before...isn't it cool?

Self Portraits

2009-05-05T21:11:00.004-06:00

Here is a shot of my baby and me. Even though it is blurry and our heads are cut off, it was my favorite one of the bunch that I took that day. I love how he's sticking out his tongue and you can see his little arm in motion trying to get the camera.

Small Notebook had a post a few months ago that inspired me to try taking self portraits more often. Read it for some great tips.

Wire Heart Bookmarks

2009-05-02T16:18:00.004-06:00

Last week I made some hearts out of copper wire to use as bookmarks (inspired by these Martha Stewart paper clip charms I've been wanting to make for years). I just followed these directions:

Cut a 5" length of 20 gauge wire (I used copper from the hardware store)
Bend in the middle at a 90 degree angle
Grip each end of the wire with round nose pliers and roll towards the center to form a heart

I rough hammered mine and aged them with a torch, then packaged them up to give to some friends.

Healthier Graham Cracker Crust (and a recipe for Chocolate Coconut Bars)

2009-04-26T18:40:00.005-06:00

{image from Martha Stewart}

I love Chocolate Coconut Bars (also called Magic Bars or Hello Dollies), but the recipe I use calls for 1 1/2 sticks of butter in the crust. I looked around for a healthier graham cracker crust and found this recipe from the Iowa State Food Science and Human Nutrition department which uses a little oil and honey instead of butter. It has a different flavor than the butter version but it's still yummy and it's actually more chewy which I like.

A Little Bit Healthier Chocolate Coconut Bars
(Okay, I know the rest of the bars have chocolate, coconut, and sweetened condensed milk which doesn't make them healthy by any means, but cutting out all the butter is a little improvement...)

3 cups graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat the oven to 350F. Pulse the graham cracker crumbs, honey, and oil in a food processor until well mixed. Sprinkle in the bottom of a 13 x 9" pan coated with cooking spray and press together with the bottom of a glass cup. Top with chocolate chips and coconut and then drizzle the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top (keep it away from the sides to make the removal from the pan easier). Bake about 20 minutes and let cool completely before cutting.

Rice and Black Bean Burritos

2009-02-24T21:13:00.003-07:00

{image from Gourmet}

So I'm not making jewelry or crafting much right now, but I'm still cooking for my family so here's another recipe I thought I'd share. :o)

Make a batch of Cumin Rice and Beans (substitute black beans for the kidney beans and use 2 cups of water instead of 1 1/2...it needs it).

Wrap the beans and rice in warm flour tortillas and top with shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream, cilantro, tomatoes or pico di gallo, finely chopped red onions, and a squirt of fresh lime.

Maple Pecan Pork Chops

2009-02-23T12:10:00.004-07:00

We had these Maple Pecan Pork Chops last night for dinner along with mashed sweet potatoes and broccoli. Simmering the pork chops in apple juice made them nice and tender and the juice carmelizes into a yummy sauce. Very good.

Make Your Own Flubber Kit

2009-02-19T17:02:00.006-07:00

Here is a recipe for a slimy, putty-like substance that is fun for kids to make and play with. At Christmastime we made a bunch of kits with all the ingredients and instructions for inexpensive and easy friend gifts. The flubber will stay soft and pliable if you store it in a plastic container. You could add plastic bugs or reptiles to the kits as well so there are creatures to hide in the flubber.

For each kit you need:

1 4 oz. bottle of white glue
1/2 teaspoon of Borax in a small envelope or container
2 plastic spoons
plastic cup
printed instructions, below
plastic container large enough to hold all of the above items

Make Your Own Flubber (or Slime or whatever you want to call it)

Step 1
Take everything out of the container. Pour the glue into the bottom of the container. Fill the empty glue container with warm water, put the lid back on, and shake. Pour into the container with the glue and stir with a spoon to mix. Add food coloring if you wish.

Step 2
Pour the packet of Borax (1/2 teaspoon) into the plastic cup. Add 1/4 cup of warm water to the plastic cup and stir with the other spoon.

Step 3
Slowly pour the Borax water into the glue mixture while stirring. A big glob will form. Keep stirring until you’ve added all the water and then knead the mixture with your hands. Discard any remaining water in the container. Dry out the container and use it to store your flubber.

Peach Crisp for One

2009-02-09T21:10:00.006-07:00

Wow...has it been three months? I'm thoroughly enjoying our sweet little one but am completely exhausted at the same time! I'm planning to keep blogging, but it will still be sporadic for a little while. :o)

I wanted to share a recipe for individual peach crisps that I came up with recently. I love warm fruit desserts, especially in the winter. I've even been eating this for breakfast lately. This isn't quite the same as a crisp baked in the oven, but it's close enough for me and I like that you can quickly make a small serving.

Crisp Topping

Mix this up and store it in the refrigerator. I'm assuming you can keep it until the butter expires...mine hasn't been lasting more than a week or so.

1 cup uncooked oats, quick or old fashioned
1/4 to 1/3 cup (depending on how sweet you want it) packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, optional
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Individual Peach Crisps

Note: This isn't an exact recipe and you will need to adjust this for your microwave and the amount of fruit and topping you use.

Place peach slices or halves (I've been using home bottled peaches but you could use canned or maybe even frozen...I haven't tried frozen yet) in the bottom of a microwaveable bowl equal to 1 to 2 peaches. Put about 1/2 cup or so of the crisp topping in a separate bowl and microwave on high until bubbly...I usually microwave it for about a minute. This pre-cooks the topping a little bit so it stays more crunchy. Stir the topping and sprinkle it on top of the peaches, then microwave the peaches and topping another minute or so until heated through. Let it cool enough that you won't burn your mouth (learned this the hard way).

I think this would be yummy with other fresh or frozen fruits but I've been on a peach kick. Let me know if you experiment with this and have good results with something else!

P.S. You could also use fresh peaches, of course. I forgot to mention that in the instructions because we do not have good fresh peaches around here in February!

Taking a break...

2008-12-02T09:45:00.002-07:00

{the best things in life aren't things}

Taking a break from blogging and from the shop to enjoy the new little one in our family. Wishing you a great holiday season!

Bread Machine Focaccia (or Everything Bread)

2008-10-30T16:53:00.006-06:00

Focaccia is one of our family favorites. We love cutting it in squares and then slicing each square horizontally for sandwiches. Or just dipping chunks of it in olive oil, vinegar, and fresh ground pepper. Yum.

I used to make this in my KitchenAid with a slightly different recipe, but it's so nice to be able to throw everything in the bread machine so that is usually how I make it now. Just like my muffins, I make mixes for this so it's faster to put together.

Bread Machine Focaccia

For each mix, you'll need:
3 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt

For each batch of focaccia, you'll need:
1 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 focaccia mix
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Place the water, olive oil, mix, and yeast in your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the dough cycle. When it's complete, pour the dough in a greased 9x13" pan. Using your fingers pat it to the edges and then push your fingertips straight down all over the dough to create dimples.

Topping:
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Dried rosemary

Brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and more rosemary to taste. Bake at 425 degrees for around 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from the pan and place on a cooling rack for a few minutes before cutting.

Everything Bread

Another way we like this bread is to leave the dried rosemary out of the dough and topping and instead top it generously with poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, salt, dried chopped garlic, and sesame seeds.

Giveaway at My Favorite Things

2008-10-24T13:31:00.003-06:00

Pop over to My Favorite Things before Tuesday, October 28 at midnight (CST) to enter a Lost Button Studio giveaway (TWO $25 gift certificates are up for grabs). And check out the rest of Molly's blog...lots of great finds and ideas.

Lost Button Banners

2008-10-22T16:36:00.003-06:00

Here are a few banners I made to promote the Lost Button Studio shop. If you want to use one on your blog or site, I would LOVE it (let me know if you do and I'll send you a little "thank you"). Please link the banners to lostbuttonstudio.etsy.com.

If you'd like a different size or if you have questions on how to use the banners, please let me know...

Freezer French Toast

2008-10-20T14:33:00.003-06:00

When B was allergic to dairy I made French toast without any milk...just eggs and vanilla...and that is still the way I like it. The inside doesn't get as soggy and the outside is crispier.

I just whisk together 1 egg and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla for every two slices of bread (you might need to change the proportions depending on the size of your bread slices), quickly dip the bread slices on both sides, and fry on a lightly buttered griddle until golden.

I usually make big batches, let the slices cool on wire racks, place them on cookie sheets and freeze until solid, then pack in a freezer safe container. They reheat nicely in the microwave and/or toaster. More economical than the store-bought frozen French toast and you can make them a lot more healthy by using whole grain bread.

What's New

2008-10-17T16:07:00.002-06:00

New earrings in the Lost Button Studio shop...

Have a great weekend!

Light Minestrone

2008-10-09T14:36:00.004-06:00

Blogging is taking a backseat to baby preparations lately. I have about five weeks left until my due date and it's been nine years since my last baby so it's definitely like starting over! We're rearranging bedrooms and trying to finish up projects before we have a new little guy in our home.
In the meantime, here's another recipe for you. I modified a Martha Stewart recipe for vegetable soup one night and came up with a recipe for minestrone that we loved. I like it because it's more broth-y and less tomato sauce-y if you know what I mean...

Light Minestrone

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
coarse salt and black pepper
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) chicken broth
2 large zucchini, halved and sliced
8 ounces fresh green beans, cut into bite sized pieces
1 can (14.5 ounces) kidney beans
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil (or other Italian-flavored tomatoes), pureed
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup dried whole wheat or whole grain pasta

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and add the onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook 3 to 5 minutes. Add the broth and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the vegetables, beans, tomatoes, pasta, and Italian seasoning. Cook about 15 minutes until pasta is tender. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Simple Cashew Chicken

2008-09-27T12:39:00.004-06:00

Move over Chinese takeout. I tried this recipe last night and we loved it. I added three stalks of sliced celery and an 8 ounce can of water chestnuts (chopped) along with the green onions for some extra veggies. And I only used a couple of cloves of garlic rather than six. Next time I make it I think I'll double the hoisin sauce/water mixture to make it a little saucier but I ran out of hoisin last night. I love it when an uncomplicated recipe is so yummy.

Muffin Mix

2008-09-22T13:17:00.003-06:00

{pumpkin chocolate chip muffins}

Here is a recipe for muffins I make a lot. I created it from a simple banana bread recipe and made it a little healthier by adding some whole wheat flour, substituting some of the oil with applesauce, and reducing the sugar. It makes two dozen banana or pumpkin muffins. We eat some when they are freshly baked and then store the rest in the freezer.

Muffin Mix

To save a little time and a few dishes, measure the dry ingredients and store in reusable containers. For each mix, you'll need:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Banana Muffins

4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups mashed overripe bananas
1 cup chopped walnuts (or other nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips, optional)
1 muffin mix

Mix the eggs, sugar, oil, applesauce, and vanilla until smooth. Add the bananas and mix well again. Mix in the muffin mix just until blended, being careful not to over mix. Fold in the walnuts (if using) with a spatula. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners and use a 1/4 cup scoop to fill each liner.

Bake at 350 F. for 15-18 minutes.

When cool, freeze muffins in the muffin tins and then repackage into freezer containers when frozen solid. Store up to one month (ours never last that long). Warm individual muffins in the microwave for 30-40 seconds on high.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Substitute a 15 oz. can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) for the bananas and add two teaspoons of cinnamon to the dry ingredients. Fold in 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of the walnuts.

Tips

If you like sweeter muffins, use up to 1 1/2 cups of sugar.
The snack-size applesauce cups are usually 1/2 cup so those are a good deal if you won't eat the rest of the can of applesauce.
I like using the mini chocolate chips in muffins because they give a lot of chocolate flavor without actually using a ton of chocolate chips.
If you have overripe bananas and you're not ready to make muffins you can mash and freeze them. Just add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice per cup of mashed bananas to prevent discoloration and freeze them up to 3 months. You can also freeze bananas whole and the skins will go black but they will still be usable.
You could use the recipe above and experiment with other flavors, you would just need to substitute something for the banana or pumpkin that has about the same consistency.

New Jewelry

2008-09-19T14:38:00.002-06:00

A few new items in my Etsy shop...

Pao de Queijo

2008-09-19T08:53:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I visited with my neighbor and friend Rose who is from Brazil. She made some yummy bread cheese (or cheese bread as we would say here) for me to try right out of the oven. The rolls were so good I could have eaten the whole basketful. She even had a packet of mix for me to take home. It's the Yoki brand pictured above and it looks like you can buy it online so I may have to order more or find a good recipe. Since I can't read the "modo de preparo" on the back of the package she gave me the instructions in English with her twist...the mix already has cheese in it, but she adds lots of extra Parmesan.

Pao de Queijo

Add 1/2 cup water, two eggs, and 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese to the mix. Knead for about 3 minutes. Roll into golf-sized balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 360 F. for as long as it takes for the rolls to get light golden brown on the bottom. Rose said it might be 20 minutes or it could be 30 minutes or more, depending on the oven. Serve the rolls warm. She told me they are not as good after you reheat them, but if you must, put them back in the oven and never, ever use a microwave.

Roasted Rattlesnake Beans

2008-09-17T13:13:00.003-06:00

Last year I planted some Rattlesnake Beans (do you, like me, ever pick seeds just because they have a cool name?) from Pinetree Garden Seeds and didn't clean off my bean trellis last fall. This spring I got some volunteer plants. I also planted another variety of pole beans this spring but the volunteer Rattlesnake Beans actually did better. This article says that saving seeds from your garden year to year makes them do better in your microclimate, so I'm going to try to purposefully save some more this year.

Here's one of our favorite ways to eat them...

Roasted Green Beans

Fresh green beans, de-stringed (not sure if that's a word) if needed
Olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Place the beans on a cookie sheet and drizzle them with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Toss them with a spatula so they are evenly coated with oil and shake the pan so they are on one layer. Roast at 450 F for about 15 minutes or so. These are so yummy to me that I think even people that don't usually like green beans would like these...

Wax & Watercolor

2008-09-16T14:15:00.003-06:00

I was going through a box recently and found this bookmark that I made from one of B's wax and watercolor drawings a long time ago. Maybe you already know about this technique, but if not it's a fun one:

Wax & Watercolor Resist

Start with watercolor paper or a heavier art paper that is suitable for watercolors
Draw on the paper with crayons
Watercolor over the top of the crayons...the wax will resist the watercolor

These drawings are super colorful and make fun bookmarks, cards, etc. You can also sprinkle the wet watercolors with Kosher salt, let the paper fully dry, and then brush off the salt for another cool effect.

Homemade Laundry Soap

2008-09-09T17:27:00.004-06:00

I've been wanting to make my own laundry soap for awhile (partly to save money and packaging and partly because it's fun to feel like a mad scientist). I was a little worried about trying it because we have an LG HE washer and dryer that we just bought last year and I wasn't sure about using something other than store-bought HE detergent in the washer. But I read through the comments here and there were some from people with HE machines so I decided to give it a shot.

The Recipe

I basically used recipe #4 from tipnut.com.

1 bar Fels Naptha
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda

I made two batches. The first time I grated the Fels Naptha bar finely and then mixed it with the borax and washing soda. Even though the soap bar was grated finely I decided to throw it in the food processor for a few seconds. It made a nice, fine powder.

On the second batch I decided to just chop the soap bar and put it in the food processor with the other ingredients. Didn't work so well...there were semi-large chunks left over so I had to keep sifting those out and reprocessing them. Grating the soap bar first is definitely the way to go.

I mixed the two batches together and have them in a glass crock with a lid. I've been using one to two tablespoons per load along with filling the fabric softener compartment with vinegar (another tip from the comments section).

The Results

So far it seems to be working well although I have had a couple of shirts that have still had stains on them out of the wash, but I'm not positive they would have came out with the HE detergent either.

I didn't actually take the time to do the math to see how much money we're saving per load, but I might do that after this batch is gone to see if I want to keep making it or go back to store-bought.

Little Brown Pen

2008-09-06T09:44:00.003-06:00

Just found a sweet shop on Etsy, Little Brown Pen. Nichole sells templates so you can print your own stationery from your home printer. You can even use the designs for scrapbooking and other crafts! I love everything, the concept, the designs, and the business name. And she has two great blogs here and here!

Don't Break the Chain

2008-09-05T13:55:00.004-06:00

I read about a productivity technique on Lifehacker that is used by Jerry Seinfeld. You just X off a day on the calendar every time you meet your goal. If you X off each day week after week, they connect together and make a chain. We've all crossed off days on a calendar before but the real secret to this, I think, is the little mantra "don't break the chain."

I've been using this with B the last few weeks. We keep a calendar in the car and he crosses off each day he is on time for school. It's more fun to remind him to hurry in the morning so we "don't break the chain" instead of telling him we're going to be late. And it seems to be working!

I found a little tool that lets you print out a simple calendar on one page. It's at pdfcalendar.com. I made a 12 week calendar so the days were square boxes. You can even make a calendar that has 52 weeks or more on a single page, but obviously the boxes are much smaller.

Changes...and Some New Things Too

2008-09-03T17:06:00.006-06:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about my time and balancing my responsibilities. I feel stretched a little thin most days and with a new baby on the way it will change things even more. I want to be able to enjoy the time with our newborn and the rest of my family and not be stressed so I've decided to make a little change to Lost Button Studio.

Starting today I'm going to sell exclusively on Etsy. In a way it's an odd choice since I sell way more from my personal site, but with Etsy I'll be able to just list what I've already made instead of making things as I get orders. And I'll be able to decide how much time I can (or want) to devote to it. It will also simplify things because Etsy is so much faster to update than my own site. Hopefully things will work out well...wish me luck!

I've also been working on some new things for the last few months...metal charms that are hand decorated and aged. It took a lot of experimenting to get things how I wanted them, but I've got a process down now and I'm excited about the results. Here are a few things I've added to Etsy so far...

{also available in pink and aqua}

It's so fun having Lost Button Studio and this blog. I appreciate all the support and friendship I've received...thanks so much!

Antique Key Necklace Winner

2008-09-02T08:26:00.003-06:00

The winner of the Antique Key Necklace Auction is Debra. I'm so thrilled...thank you so much! I'll send you an email. And a huge thanks to the other bidders! I really appreciate your generosity.

Antique Key Necklace Auction

2008-08-29T09:15:00.004-06:00

I am hosting an online auction for Stephanie Neilson (Nie Nie and her husband were in a plane crash and are now in a burn center). The proceeds will be donated to their PayPal Fund to help with medical bills and other expenses.

The auction is for an Antique Key Necklace which retails for $40.

Here are the rules:

Please comment with your bid (you can start at any amount).
I need to be able to contact you so if you don't have a blog please include your email address.
This auction will stay open until midnight MST (Mountain Standard Time) Monday, September 1st.
I will contact the winning bidder on Tuesday, September 2.
Payment should be made directly to the Stephanie and Christian Nielsen Recovery Fund. Forward the payment receipt to me at jess at lostbuttonstudio dot com and I'll send the package to you (no shipping charges).

Many more auctions are listed here.

The Slip Method

2008-08-27T08:34:00.003-06:00

I ran across this magnet board on Flickr and started reading about the Slip Method...I love organization systems and I also love magnet boards so this was right up my alley. Judy of the Woods is developing the Slip Method which is one list item or idea on one slip of paper, rearranged as needed into new layout, graph or list on a magnet board.

I did something similar once with a chore chart for our family (I cut business card magnets in half and made a magnet for each chore so they could be moved to different days or swapped out), but I love the idea of using it for my to-do and projects lists because I seem to re-write things a lot.

You can get more details about the Slip Method and see more of Judy's annotated photos here.

Sunbutter

2008-08-26T08:55:00.004-06:00

I don't know where I've been but I just discovered Sunbutter. It's like peanut butter but it's made from sunflower seeds in a peanut- and tree nut-free facility. I'm so excited to have another school lunch option for B. And to try it in recipes that call for peanut butter. It's even fun to say the word "sunbutter", don't you think?

Saving Seeds

2008-08-25T15:33:00.005-06:00

{seed pods}

This summer I told my grandma I loved the double-petaled orange wildflowers growing in her yard (I think they are calendula but I'm not positive). When the flowers dried out she saved some pods for me. I followed the instructions here to save them and hopefully I can plant them next year.

I'm sure I could have just bought the seeds somewhere, but it seems so cool to have starts and seeds from other gardens. I have wild violets growing by our front steps that are also from my grandma's yard and our raspberry patch came from some raspberry starts a cute guy brought to me on our second date (he's now my husband).

{drying and separating seeds from chaff}

{seeds packaged in a mini glassine envelope, ready for storing}

I also think it would be fun to make seed tape.

Front Page on Etsy

2008-08-20T17:27:00.004-06:00

My Little Pearl Earrings were on the Etsy front page! So exciting...thanks to Efratom who put the page together!

miSPA Sale

2008-08-14T17:10:00.003-06:00

Mimie at miSPA sent me an email about a sale she is having...buy one lotion or dry perfume roll-on and get one half off (until September 1)! The Coconut Lemongrass roll-on perfume sounds right up my alley...

Niobium Earrings

2008-08-14T14:48:00.003-06:00

When I started making jewelry I had a few people tell me they were allergic to different kinds of metals. I decided to offer niobium as an option on my earrings since it's supposed to be very hypoallergenic. I've had good feedback...so far they have worked well for everyone who has purchased them. And niobium has a natural matte grey color that I love.

I offer several kinds of handmade niobium hoops and can also replace the earwires on any of my sterling silver earrings with niobium by request (just make a note in the comments field during check out).

Bath Luve

2008-08-13T09:08:00.003-06:00

Sweet...I won this cute duck Bath Luve from a giveaway on Sherbet Blossom Studio. Perfect for keeping the new little one we're expecting in three months warm and cozy during bath time. Thanks, Hannah!

P.S. Hannah is having a lot of great giveaways this month so check out her blog!

Kiwi Slush

2008-08-12T16:42:00.003-06:00

I just made a kiwi slush in the blender and it's icy and refreshing...and a little on the tart side (which I like). I just modified the Kiwi Margarita recipe at the bottom of this page. Here's the recipe:

Kiwi Slush

2 kiwis, peeled
juice of 1/2 a lime
8 ice cubes
1 tablespoon sugar (more if it's too tart for you)
1/2 cup water

Whirl in a blender until super smooth.

Coconut Shaving Cream

2008-08-04T08:22:00.004-06:00

I ran out of shaving cream for my legs over the weekend and I had read in a magazine somewhere that you could use hair conditioner instead of shaving cream so I gave it a try. I don't think I'll ever buy shaving cream again! The only downside is that you can't really tell where you have already shaved because you don't see a "path" like when you use a foam, but I got a smooth shave and it kind of moisturizes your skin at the same time. I got a bottle of Suave Tropical Coconut conditioner for $1 to just use on my legs and I'm thinking it will last for quite a while. Another good thing is that the Suave container is recyclable but our recycling company doesn't take shaving cream cans (that may be different for other recycling companies, though).

Pizza on the Grill

2008-08-01T14:06:00.004-06:00

We make homemade pizza quite a bit...it saves a lot of money and it's kind of fun for everyone to make an individual pizza.

My husband and I ate at California Pizza Kitchen a few weeks ago and it was around $40 for two pizzas, lemonades, tax, and tip. I haven't added up all the costs down to the flour and spices, but just a rough estimate I can make six 8 to 9" homemade pizzas for under $10 (the biggest cost being the cheese).

You know I've been trying to not to heat up my house to make dinner and make my central air work overtime, so I definitely don't want to set the oven to 500 F for pizza. The solution is that we make it on the grill. If you haven't tried grilling pizza, it's yummy. Thought I'd share the dough and sauce recipes I use and a few grilling tips.

The Dough

I use this recipe from Country Living magazine. I tried quite a few recipes before I found this one and I love it. I've started making it on the dough setting on my bread machine so it's easy-peasy. And I make mixes so all I have to add is water and yeast.

For each package of mix:

3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (I usually just use one teaspoon)

Package in individual bags or containers.

In my bread machine I add:

1 1/2 cups warm water
the dough mix
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) of active dry yeast

1 1/2 hours later the dough is ready to roll! The recipe says it makes one 16" pizza crust but I make four 10" pizzas for the oven (I cook them on pizza screens I bought from a restaurant supply company) or six 8-9" pizzas for the grill (for a thinner, quicker cooking crust) from one batch.

The Sauce

My favorite sauce (again, after trying lots of recipes) is this one. I like it because it tastes good, it's no cook, and it makes just the right amount for one batch of dough. Also, it doesn't waste any ingredients since it uses a whole can of tomato sauce. I'm sure there are more gourmet recipes out there but I love this one.

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil

The recipe says to mix these in a medium bowl, but here's a secret. If you stir gently you can mix the spices right in the can of tomato sauce with the teaspoon you used to measure the spices and you save washing a few dishes!

Grilling Tips

Because grills vary widely, do what works best for your grill, but here's what works for me:

Have all of your ingredients ready to go. Thinly sliced, quick cooking toppings are best. I wouldn't use raw meats (like sausage) or any veggies that take a while to cook...they just won't get done.
Have the table set and everyone assembled so they can eat the pizzas when they come off the grill.
I turn on my three-burner grill and set one side to low and the other two burners to medium high.
I grill one pizza at a time (I'm not coordinated enough to do more than one at a time..they cook quickly and you have to watch them closely).
I place one piece of dough over the medium high side and close the lid for 30-45 seconds until the bottom is golden brown and there are grill marks. I flip the dough so the grilled side is up and move it to the low side. I spread the grilled side with a little sauce, a sprinkle of cheese, and a few toppings and move back to the medium high side and close the lid to finish cooking.
I move each finished pizza up to the second rack while I'm preparing the next pizza if it looks like it needs a little extra time to cook.

If you like to grill pizza and have tips or ideas to add, please do!

P.S. If you want to cook this recipe inside the oven, split the dough into fourths and roll out to fit 10" pizza screens (or you can make whatever size/thickness you'd like...this is just how I do it). I bake mine in a 500 F. oven for 8-10 minutes, but the time will really depend on the size you make your pizzas, how many toppings you have, etc.

Handmade Headpins

2008-07-31T18:14:00.003-06:00

{handmade unpolished sterling silver headpins}

So, I bought a torch back in February with the intent of making my own headpins but I never got around to trying it. This post inspired me to go for it and now I'm hooked (thanks, Stephanie). It is so satisfying watching the metal get red hot and curl up into a ball (my husband built a forge a few years ago and it's fun watching that process too...this is kind of a mini version).

See how mine are kind of bumpy and not totally uniform? I suppose that's not the perfect way to make them, but I like the organic look. I also think I'll leave them unpolished since I oxidize my sterling silver pieces anyway for an antique look.

I will definitely be using these in my earrings from now on...

The Creative Family Giveaway

2008-07-29T18:46:00.002-06:00

I've been wanting to read this book since I've noticed it around the blogosphere, but now that I've started my effort to organize my books I've been trying not to acquire any new ones. Fortunately Simple Mom is giving away a few copies of this book. Maybe I will win one of them (or maybe you will)!

Farmer's Market Squash Saute

2008-07-28T16:10:00.003-06:00

{image from kraft foods}

I made Farmer's Market Squash Saute last night for dinner (with some rotisserie chicken and rice pilaf) with zucchini and yellow summer squash from our little garden. Quick and yummy...I think we'll have it again tonight with hamburgers. I cooked the squash a little longer than the six minutes called for in the recipe, so my only change to the recipe tonight will be to add the garlic about a minute before the squash are done. That way it won't get too brown and toasty.

The Winner

2008-07-26T14:55:00.003-06:00

Congrats to Sarah who was lucky #17 and won the giveaway for a pair of earrings!

Thanks to everyone who commented...I had good intentions of replying to everyone, but I know I missed some people. Just want you to know I appreciate your visits!

Felted Flowers

2008-07-25T13:51:00.004-06:00

I got these cute natural wool felted flowers from Vermont Fairies on Etsy. Emily (who is sixteen) also makes darling little felted hummingbirds in nests, fairies, and beads...and the wool comes from their family farm...how cool is that?

I haven't decided for sure what I'll do with my flowers, but I think they would make cute barrettes for my little nieces.

Blackberries & Ice Cream

2008-07-25T13:36:00.004-06:00

Earlier this week at a family party, we had some great homemade raspberry ice cream. Our aunt that made it told me it had sweetened condensed milk in it so last night we tried this recipe for Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream. It's super simple, (just 1 quart half and half, 1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk, and 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla). It doesn't have the smoothest texture, but the flavor is so good you'll still want to lick the bowl. We topped ours with blackberries that were tossed with a little sugar and left to sit until they were soft and syrup-y. Yum.

Just a side note if you try this recipe: I poured the whole recipe into my Cuisinart ice cream maker and it was a little too much...it was coming out the top when it started freezing so I had to remove some and put it in the freezer to let the rest finish churning. Next time I'll probably just make it in two batches.

A Few Dairy-Free Recipes

2008-07-24T16:24:00.005-06:00

{image from martha stewart}

B had an appointment this week with an allergist to have some updated testing and it seems he is no longer allergic to milk. He was on cloud nine! The Dr. said to just introduce things to him and if he tolerates them we can just work them into his diet. He was talking all the way home about trying cheese, yogurt, etc. This will be quite a change for us, especially as far as making meals is concerned!

The bad news is that his peanut allergy is more severe (he is also still allergic to walnuts and cashews but they are not as bad as the peanut allergy). I will need to make sure we always have an EpiPen. It's scary knowing that something he eats could be life threatening.

Over the years I've collected some good dairy-free recipes and I thought I would share a few that are quick and easy...these are "keepers" even if you can have dairy!

Blender Lemonade

3 large lemons
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Scrub lemons and cut into eighths. Put lemons, sugar, and water in a blender and pulse a few times until the lemons are coarsely chopped. Strain through a fine sieve and add an additional 6 to 7 cups of water.

I like to add crushed raspberries or strawberries to taste to this lemonade (I add the fruit after straining the lemon mixture because I don't mind chunks of fruit and seeds in my lemonade, but you could add them to the blender with the lemons and strain).

Mexican Black Bean Dip
This has been a home lunch staple for B along with corn chips and carrot sticks.

1 15.5-ounce can black beans
1/3 cup medium-hot salsa
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, plus extra for garnish (optional)
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (I use lime)
l small garlic clove, minced

Drain and rinse the black beans. Combine the black beans, salsa, cilantro leaves, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor. Blend until smooth.

Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing
Yummy with fruit (my favorites are strawberries, pomegranate seeds, craisins, or apples) and green or red leaf lettuce. Add red onion slices if you like them, shredded swiss or mozzarella if you can have dairy, and almonds, pecans, or walnuts if you can have nuts!

3/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons poppy seed

In small bowl, mix all ingredients with wire whisk. Store covered in refrigerator.

Coconut Macaroons

1 14 oz. package coconut
2/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoons salt
4 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 teaspoons almond extract (I use vanilla)
1 package (8 squares) Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate (skip this step or use your favorite chocolate for the dip...I don't think I've ever used Baker's so I don't know the ingredients)

Heat oven to 325°F. Combine coconut, sugar, flour and salt. Add egg whites and extract; mix well. Drop by tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto greased and floured baking sheets.

Bake 20 min. or until edges are golden brown. Transfer to wire racks. Cool.

Melt chocolate. Dip cookies halfway into chocolate. Let stand until chocolate is firm.

New Banners & A Mini Giveaway

2008-07-21T17:42:00.004-06:00

Wahoo! On Saturday I updated my etsy, site, and blog banners to match my business cards and boxes.

And I just noticed it's my 200th post so I think I should give away a free pair of earrings (any pair you'd like from the shop).

* To enter, just make a comment on this post by Friday, July 25
* I'll draw a winner on Saturday, July 26
* No anonymous comments...I need to be able to contact you if you win

Cookies 'n' Creme S'mores

2008-07-21T17:30:00.003-06:00

On the 4th of July my brother-in-law made Cookies 'n' Creme s'mores over a campfire. We made some last night in the toaster oven...

line your graham crackers with Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme squares (or milk or semisweet chocolate if you want the regular kind of s'mores) and mini marshmallows

broil until the marshmallows are puffed and golden

and the chocolate is melty

press together and enjoy

Just a fair warning...these are super sweet. And check out Caroline's yummy sounding s'mores combo on her blog.

Homemade Carpet Spot Cleaner

2008-07-18T13:50:00.003-06:00

Years ago a friend shared a "recipe" with me for homemade carpet spot cleaner. I don't know where she got it, so I'm not sure who to credit, but it really works and I use it all the time. I say "recipe" because it's simply a mixture of warm water, vinegar, and baking soda and my friend didn't give me any proportions. So, I usually don't measure anything when I make it, but last time I mixed up a batch I measured it just to give you a starting point.

Homemade Carpet Spot Cleaner

4 cups warm water
1/2 cup vinegar
2-3 Tablespoons baking soda

Add the vinegar and baking soda to the warm water in a large bowl. Stir slightly and watch it fizz and foam. Dip a scrub brush into the mixture and scrub those spots in your carpet away. Let dry and then vacuum.

Notes:

* I have even used this on the carpet and upholstery in my car and it's fab.

* I haven't tried adding essential oils to the mixture, but it might be a fun experiment.

* This works for my carpet, but I don't want someone to try this and end up with problems, so please do a spot test first!

Rachel has a recipe for a stain remover for clothes that I want to try. If you have a homemade cleaning product you love, feel free to share it here...

Favorite Things from Liz

2008-07-14T14:54:00.002-06:00

I received such a pretty package of goodies from my swap partner, Liz. Thanks so much, Liz, I love everything! It was truly Christmas in July for me!

{everything was so beautifully packaged...love the green, brown, and grey together}

{yummy rosebud salve}

{vintage image postcards}

{can't wait to read this book}

{there are so many things to do with a Moleskine sketchbook...I love them!}

{all the goodies}

See other swap packages here.

Cassie's Mini Books

2008-07-08T08:31:00.004-06:00

I had to show you these photos of mini books made by Cassie of Gifts for Nonnie using some ideas from the mini book downloads on my site.

{Thoreau mini book}

{inspiration mini book}

{a mini book page of favorite things}

Thanks for sharing these, Cassie!

Goodies in the Mail

2008-07-08T08:18:00.002-06:00

I won a Love Boxes giveaway and got this sweet handpainted angel doll, the book Better Than Beauty: A Guide to Charm, a flower pin, and some lovely greeting cards and postcards in the mail. Thanks, Tiffany! I love everything!

No Cook Recipes

2008-07-07T14:56:00.003-06:00

{image from Cooking Light}

It's been in the high 90s here and will be that way throughout July, so I'm trying to make no cook, stove top, or grilled recipes to avoid heating up the house. I'm realizing I don't have a lot of no cook dinner options, so I put together a list of links for when I'm looking for some new ideas.

These are searches for no cook recipes that you can refine by course, cuisine type, etc. on the left or at the top of the page:

My Recipes

Epicurious

Real Simple

These are lists of no cook recipes:

Mayo Clinic

Domino Magazine

Food Network

Martha Stewart

Food & Wine

A Little News

2008-07-04T09:49:00.002-06:00

I'm very excited to announce that we're expecting in November and...

{image from Anja Boretzki}

That makes three boys for us, each nine years apart (really I never planned to have children so far apart, but it's just the way things have worked out, and we're so grateful to have this one on the way).

I would love to hear your favorite names for boys...we need suggestions!

Garlic Spray for Gardens

2008-07-02T15:10:00.002-06:00

{image from Martha Stewart}

I planted flower and vegetable seeds in May and something was munching on them as soon as they sprouted...not good for tiny little plants. I found some guilty-looking snails nearby. Although I think snails are cute (really, I do) I didn't want my garden destroyed so I decided to try some garlic spray which is supposed to work as a snail and slug repellent. I made some garlic spray years ago to get rid of aphids on some house plants (it worked well), but I no longer had the recipe so I decided to try this one. So far, so good...the plants are doing quite well now.

Here are some garlic spray tips I found from various articles:

Test on sensitive plants first...spray one or two and wait a few days to spray the rest so you can make sure there's no damage
Don't spray in the heat of the day, try early morning or late evening
It looks like this could be harmful to smaller beneficial insects, so I wouldn't use this if you can see ladybugs or other helper bugs on your plants
Mix a new batch every time you want to spray since the garlic spray has no preservatives

Hopefully I can work on attracting birds and toads to my garden since they natural enemies to snails (I guess snakes are too but I'll pass on those). I would feel better about an animal having a little escargot snack than trying to get rid of the snails in other ways.

Etsy Finds

2008-07-01T12:03:00.003-06:00

My Little Pearl Earrings were featured in today's Etsy Finds email by Elizabeth Williams (who has a gorgeous shop). Thanks so much, Elizabeth!

A Sweet Hello

2008-06-30T14:03:00.003-06:00

Today the doorbell rang and no one was there when I opened the door (this happens occasionally at our house), but I looked down and found this on the rug...

Flowers, a leaf, and bark chips from our yard arranged into a pretty little greeting. Totally made me smile.

Reading Nook

2008-06-30T08:46:00.003-06:00

I keep looking at this beautiful reading nook on stephmodo. I relax just looking at the photo. Further inspiration for me to finish my book organization project.

Tooth Fairy Jar

2008-06-27T14:20:00.004-06:00

Last night B lost a tooth so I thought it would be fun to share our Tooth Fairy tradition that a friend shared with me a few years ago. Previous to this new tradition I just had my kids put their tooth under their pillow and in the morning the tooth was replaced with money (that's how I did it growing up). Well, I woke up my kids more than once while trying to do the "exchange" and it would go something like this:

Scene 1: [Mom is kneeling next to the bed with a hand or two under the pillow, trying to search for the darn tooth.]

Son (eyes all of a sudden wide open): What are you doing?

Mom: Um, just checking to see if the tooth fairy made it here yet.

Son (picking up pillow and still seeing the tooth there): Nope.

Mom: Oh...well...go back to sleep, I'm sure she'll be here soon. [Mom wonders how long she will need to wait to try again].

Our new tradition is the Tooth Fairy Jar. Just fill up a jar with water, place it on your child's nightstand, and have your child drop the tooth inside before bed. The next morning, the tooth is replaced with coins and the water is blue (food coloring). So much easier! Well, as long as the mouth of the jar is wide enough for your hand to reach inside and grab the tooth, and you don't overfill the jar with water, that could cause issues.

Last night I also sprinkled some silver glitter in the jar and that was a fun addition. And the presidential $1 coins make a great prize (like pirate booty).

Lost Button Studio Magnets

2008-06-27T09:02:00.003-06:00

I just bought a button machine and I'm so excited about it...I've wanted one for a long time. I'm going to use it to make little thank you magnets (that match my business cards and packaging) to send with my orders. You can't tell from the photo but they are just 1-inch, so little and cute.

Twenty for Twenty Menu

2008-06-26T09:27:00.004-06:00

{image from allrecipes}

Cool idea on Allrecipes...twenty recipes you can make from just twenty ingredients (plus a few staples). I would love to come up with a list like this using some of my favorite recipes. That way, I would have a list of things I could make if I always had certain ingredients "in stock" in my fridge, freezer, and pantry.

And wouldn't it be fun to swap lists like this (with maybe ten recipes instead of twenty to make it easier)? If anyone is interested in doing something like this, let me know...

Books, Books, Books

2008-06-25T15:29:00.004-06:00

Over the weekend we had a mini flood in our basement. Luckily it was in an unfinished area, we caught it early, and most of our stuff is in Rubbermaid containers, so there were only a few things that were ruined. But moving things around and cleaning up helped me realize I still have too much stuff (even after a few recent de-junking sprees). I definitely still have too many books. Boxes and boxes and bookshelves full. And I love books so it's so hard to part with them.

I've been searching around for ideas to help spur me on. Here are some great articles:

Bringing Your Bookshelves Back to Order and
Cookbook Organization Tips at unclutterer

5 Ways To Limit Book Clutter at simple productivity blog

20 Ways to Get Free or Cheap Books, and Give Away Your Old Ones at zenhabits

Bookshelf Makeover at Real Simple

So, after reading these articles, I've decided I'm going to:

be honest with myself and get rid of books I really don't plan on reading (or reading again) by selling or donating them
only keep what will nicely fit on the bookshelf space I have (including the cupboard I have for cookbooks that is too full)
organize the shelves by category and separate what I've read from what I haven't read (and maybe use some of the tips in the Real Simple article to make things look pretty)

Then, before future book purchases, I will:

make sure I check at the library for a book before I buy it
get rid of one book for each new book I buy, so I don't start storing them in boxes again

I hope I can do it! I am going to help my kids do this as well...

Org Junkie

2008-06-24T20:37:00.001-06:00

Our Lego table from the playroom makeover was featured on orgjunkie.com. Thanks, Laura!

Waste Not, Want Not

2008-06-24T08:38:00.004-06:00

{image from Cafe Johnsonia}

I watched a little bit of the Today Show this morning and they had a segment on how much food we waste in America. The suggestions for combating this waste were to go shopping more often so we only buy what we need (I'm not really sold on that strategy) and, obviously, use our leftovers. I sat in my kitchen for a little while and pondered what we do in our family that helps eliminate waste and what we could do better. Here are some ideas:

Use It Up - I love when I find recipes that use whole cans or packages of food so I'm not throwing away a little here and a little there. For instance, the Strawberry Pina Colada Smoothies recipe uses a can of coconut milk and two small cans of pineapple juice. I'm going to focus more on finding recipes like this or modifying my recipes so there's no waste.

One thing I tend to throw away is produce that is past its prime. In addition to things like making banana bread with overripe bananas or shredding un-crunchy apples to put in muffins, one thing that has really helped me are the Rubbermaid Produce Savers. I was a skeptic but they really work. I can chop a whole head of lettuce, wash it, and store it in the container for a whole week without brown edges or wilt. This has not only helped us eliminate some waste, but has helped us have more salads, lettuce on sandwiches, etc. I've also used these containers with other chopped and washed veggies like carrots and celery.

Fridge the Leftovers - We don't mind eating leftovers. Well, unless they are in the fridge more than three days...I don't like taking chances with food poisoning. This Mayo Clinic article on leftovers says I can increase that to four days (my husband will be happy about that). We also organized our fridge so there one shelf dedicated to leftovers and we've been fairly good at keeping it that way. This way the leftovers are easy to spot.

Freeze the Leftovers - Lots of leftovers will freeze well. Just remember to always add a label to identify what's in the container and also list an expiration date. A guide to freezing prepared foods is handy.

Take Inventory - I usually just make a menu based on what "sounds good" that week, but I'm going to start checking the freezer and pantry before I go grocery shopping so we can use what foods we already have before they expire.

Underfill Your Plate - We remind our kids frequently that it's better to put less on their plates and have seconds if they are still hungry.

Share - My husband and I are getting pretty good at sharing a meal when we go out to eat. Restaurants usually serve way huge portions.

What do you do that helps eliminate waste or what ideas have you heard about that you want to try?

A Gathering of Giveaways

2008-06-20T13:23:00.004-06:00

Seems like there have been a lot of great giveaways lately. You never know when you might win something (like when I won the cutest handmade felt cat purse). Here are a few fun giveaways I found this week on some of the blogs I read...

keepsake journal at according to kelly

lifetime subscription to Pear Budget at simplemom

The Host by Stephanie Meyer at petit elefant (and some other cute giveaways like a PoppySeeds tee and a Shea Terra Organics gift set)

handpainted angel doll (and other goodies) at Love Boxes

Any others you know of?