We Have Move our Nest towards the East side of the Town…

 

 

 
Past few months have been extremely stressful for us. Thanks for Century One realtor group things were at an ease towards closing. Yes, it was my idea to go to Business with a bigger bank for competitive interest rates and consolidating everything to one bank not the brightest idea and matter of fact the worse idea ever. I know the economy is in such a bad state. What happened to the banking system is a big question. We were lead towards the last moment and dropped like a pancake without any further options. I would never ever encourage anyone to borrow money from a bigger bank for a mortgage loan.

However at the end we were blessed to work with some wonderful people. They were able to work with us every step of the way paying attention, and accommodating all our needs to every point. I don’t think you will ever get this kind of treatment from a bigger lender anymore. I at one point felt like we have done a crime by asking a mortgage loan from the bank. They kept us in the dark and at the last moment rejected for the condition of the house.

We are buying our second home primarily for residing. Since we moved we have been paying a large rent for a two bedroom, 2 full baths, and a loft. We can’t sell our first house due to the market conditions. In other words we are downsizing. We moved towards the downtown for many reasons we do love Mansfield, My sons has few more years in school, Love the pre- school, library, and of course downtown. The house needed some care as well as we needed a house. The moment I saw the house I knew it was the right one. The house has gone through some rough time all it needed was TLC… which we plan to give.

So here are some sneak previews of the house you will see them as we work through the projects of our beautiful old new house. This house was built in 1900’s and I love the fact it has so much colonial influence and a touch of Victorian style.

So far we have spotted a bunny family and little Nicolette and Niegel were so happy to chase them… My son and Thatha (dad) can’t wait mauve the lawn so do I…

Quote of the day “give plant food when they need it”

Enjoy!

Cucumber Salad –Sri Lankan style…

 
 
 
I love cucumber it is very refreshing especially during summer not that I don’t consume in winter. It is staple vegetable for me. I add them in my regular salad, cook, and make a salad to go with rice and curry. As some of you might know Sri Lankan food is spicy and we do eat rice and curry. Sri Lankan food is heavily influenced by India. However there are simple dishes that attract the eye and the taste buds.
I always work the best I can to offer a wide array of food to my children. They are good on trying new food but will stick to it if they are spicy guess like mom.
This is a very simple salad you can make and add as a side dish if you are serving rice.
Ingredients
I cucumber
1 red onion/shallots (2-3)
Green Chilies (I prefer the spicy but you can choose what you want I usually add short small green chilies you can buy from the specialty produce section add few if you are not consuming chilies)
½ of a lime juice
Salt to taste
½ tsp Cracked black pepper
½ tsp Cracked mustard seeds (you can buy this from a Indian grocery store or whole foods remember we are influenced b Indian food)

Directions
Wash, peel, thinly slice cucumber and place them in a bowl
Slice onions, green chilies with seeds to the cucumber bowl
Add cracked pepper, mustard, lime, salt and mix with your hands throughly to cote everything.

Serve immediately with warm rice and chicken curry.

Quote of the day “make something for someone else”

Enjoy!

Positive Approach towards Chaos…

 
 
Summer approaching around the corner my classes starts this week and with all the other things I am getting ready to take on another semester. Moving, packing, and everything in between have shape and sharpen our lives greatly.

Boxes everywhere in the apartment I can’t wait till WED to movers to come in to haul our belonging to the storage. My goal is to have clean apartment till the final day arrive for us to move out from our apartment. Some of the pictures are from the overlook from the balcony which I have enjoyed very much during our stay in the west side of the Mansfield.
We will be camping out in the living room in our sleeping bags. Nicolette will be the only person to sleep on the bed while rest of us will be sleeping in bags.

I will not be officially gardening this summer. We have so much going on I decided to let it go. However I will be responsible some yard work you will be able to see. I may have herbs for cooking and that’s it. I used a lot of basil, flat parsley, sage, chives, and coriander. But this summer we will have something very simple.

I did restock my etsy shop during my small break that was a huge accomplishment.

You will get to see what I will be working on soon…

Quote of the day “in every moment you have a choice”

Enjoy!

She is my little Miss. Confidence…

 
Past week I took little Nicolette to the park and we had a great time. This was the very first time she got to see a lot of kids surrounded her in a gigantic beach like sandbox. You can she was very contend in her little own world. She was looking at all the strangers, exploring and enjoying every little bit of her environment.

I was able to steal some pictures… I love summer for this reason…

Quote of the day “stop over scheduling”

Enjoy!

Frittata for Breakfast…

 
 
How would you get your family to eat a healthy breakfast that would help them to make smart decisions throughout day, handle the test with confidence, remember to get the study material from the memory to writing, and enjoy the rest of the day? There have been many researchers done that a healthy breakfast can do wonders to brain and to maintain active lifestyle.

I am not a big breakfast eater but I will make it for others. I am fine with a small breakfast as long as I can snack throughout the day. But in the morning I am having a difficult time getting up early and offering a health breakfast. So frittata sounds like an excellent plan for a busy morning and now with abundance of fresh produce you can make many varieties.

This is my version of Frittata with Feta Cheese.
Ingredients:
2 tbs butter
12 large eggs
1 tsp Kosher salt
½ tsp Paprika
1 5 oz bag of spinach
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 Jimmy Dean sausage meat (skillet fried)
1 onion cut and sauté
8 oz feta cheese crumbled

Method:
Heat oven to 350° F
Add butter to a 2-quart casserole and transfer to oven for 5 minutes. ( do not let it brown)
Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, and pepper. Add the spinach, tomatoes, and combine. Gently stir in the feta.
Remove casserole from oven. Add skillet fried sausage meet, sauté onion Pour the egg mixture into casserole. Bake until the frittata is browned around the edges and slightly puffed and a knife comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

You can serve this with fresh fruits or as it is.
My kids and picky dad didn’t like the tomatoes but I tried.
Breakfast done a head of time left over can go to the refrigerator for another day or with a small salad for a dinner.

Quote of the day “bring breakfast fixings over to a friend’s house and cook something together”

Enjoy!

Moving, and Packing…

 
 
This has been one of the key elements in our lives for the past few years. We have been moving from state to state. We still call VA as our home base may be due to the fact that we still owned a house. I always try to see the brighter side of moving process rather than a critique. This has allowed us to learn more about different cultures, food, etiquettes, what is native and not and many more that I can write a book.

However this moving has shaped our lives in different ways. This is my daughter’s third move and she is only two and half years. If you ask me how she is handling this I would say she is doing great it’s me having this difficult time trying to fix everything to my schedule.
My goal was today to pack at least three boxes with few other things.

My day started like this with a list

Drop Niegel at school
Do the blog post
Pictures shoot
List items in the shop ETSY
Make breakfast frittata
Cook lunch and dinner
Pick Niegel after school
Take Niegel for Swimming
Dinner
Drop at Knitting Club
Get kids to bed by 8:30 (including my -pre teen)
Get food ready for (Charity – CMN) I don’t complain for this I am happy to take part in this and thankful to have an opportunity in this event.


Not too bad for stay at home mom. Life changers in many ways with un- imaginable bumps bottom line is how I face and handle it. My motto how to handle my list is with a smile, a lot of praying, and asking strength and knowledge to face it with a smile I don’t think that’s too much to ask.

Quote of the day " complete a project"

Enjoy!

Fiddlehead/Ostrich Fern

 
 
Finally I was able to buy the fiddlehead before the season ends and learn more facts about his great food. This was one of my goals that I had set aside during winter. I found out in some parts in US 1 lbs of fiddlehead could be as pricy as $19.00. Since I live close to the fiddlehead cultivation area I paid only $ 9.99 lbs. Fiddlehead is native to Maine and New Hampshire. People resides in north eastern region pays a fairly decent price for this delicacy.

I got mine from Whole Foods there was one stand with fiddlehead. They were kept on ice all of them were in great condition. I bought one pound and washed them thoroughly before cooking. I also found out most of the time the fiddlehead grows by the river banks and the experts recommended washing it through before cooking. I let a pot of water for boiling and add the fiddleheads, brought it back to boiling, add fiddlehead, and brought the water back to boiling while timing it for 10 minutes.
Drain and soak them in an ice cube water bath to stop the process of cooking and to keep the vibrant green.

Then it was ready to add to my dish. We had spaghetti, clam, mixed with fiddlehead. Everyone liked it and enjoyed it very much. The presence of fiddlehead was very subtle. Littleneck clams were $ 4.99 lbs. this was a great combination if you want to try something new and seasonal.

Quote of the day “savor the sensual experience of eating”

Enjoy!

Spending time with Little One

 
 
 
Past week we were blessed with beautiful weather. I grab the camera and Nicolette to the petting zoo. We are lucky to have this beautiful facility in memory of the World War 1 in Attleboro, MA they built a beautiful park for children with a petting zoo. The Cool factor is it is absolutely free. We invited Nicolette’s friend to the park and a great time.

I knew Nicolette enjoyed every bit of it. After long papers and studying test I was happy to enjoy this time with her as much she wanted. Nicolette had so much feeding animals and exploring the butterfly park. I was amazed to watch her using the big slide with so much confident. She is my little miss independent. That’s exactly I wanted her to have.

Quote of the day “giggle with children”

Enjoy!

New Art in my life from my 3 D Art Class…

 
 
I took this class with hesitation because I am not good at sculpture. But I had a great time because I was blessed to have a wonderful professor. I love her work personally. She has done some great pieces and had them displayed in the greater Boston Area and was interviewed by museums and was written articles about her pieces in few art journals.

Having the opportunity work with a great artist helped me to look deep into my talents and art. I crated this mold from a computer program named Maya and cast on many pieces from grout as well as a material called ultracal.

I made this piece for our home. My hubby helped me with the backdrop. I found this wooden plank from an old warehouse which has been closed and about demolished and took it to Home Dept to cut into pieces. Talk about tools at Home Depot they have this cool wood cutter that cuts a very clean cut by guided laser beam. I loved it very much now I can understand what the industrial revolution has done to mankind. I was in ah mood then was thinking what’s happening to the job market. I guess you have to give and take what is best…

So here is the piece I crated this is 3D piece, which I adore very much from every aspect. What I like most on this piece is the naturally stressed wood back ground. I can’t wait to find the ideal place to hang this.

Quote of the day “use every moment skillfully”

Enjoy!

Spring has sprung…

 
 
I took my daughter to the club house to pick up Easter eggs. I have notice recently she seems to happy to run along the side walk until she sees the playground. Nicolette loves the playground so much I have been taking her to play ground twice a day. She loves outdoors I can’t wait to take her camping this summer. It is wonderful to see how she runs away I remembered and felt her taking her first steps few months ago. Time does fly buy fast and children grow up fast. I want to enjoy them as much as I can…

As we come home from her outside time she is ready have her lunch and takes her afternoon nap. I love spring it does adds different spin to everyday activities…

This past weekend was a special weekend for her because she gets to spend some alone time with us as her brother gets to celebrate outdoors with boys scouting camp out. They both get to have special time.
Happy spring…

Quote of the day “notice changers”

Enjoy!

Red Thread Soap Company…

 
 
I am please with Red Thread Soap Company. I ordered their new product of lavender infused coconut oil as a hair treatment. I am in love with this product. When I was little growing up Sri Lanka. I was lathered with coconut oil. Usually it was the hair that gets this kind of treatment. That was the culture I grew up. I do remember my mom making palm oil which was a very hard process. But we would make it as a joint production and use throughout the year. Best part of making this oil is the aroma that intensifies the air. I can still remember those wonderful activities I did with my mom. She is indeed a talented person with many skills.
Red Thread Soap Company has done a great job creating this product. Coconut oil can do wonders to your hair. In South East Asia and in many cultures uses oils to message the scalp. Lavender helps you to relax and adds a great aroma to this wonderful product. Great product and very safe so far I have used it couple of times.

I loved the sample soap how it looks and smell can’t wait to give it a try. I bought the soap as a gift to a person who works hard with many Medias to create. I can’t wait to offer the gift and use my thank you gift.
I stored my coconut oil in the refrigerator because I like to use it while it is in solid form and transform it into the liquid base. I have used the lavender oil on my daughter once after a bath she was happy to get into her PJ’s.

The best part of using this product is that you feel good about helping someone. Great Job!

Quote of the day “ give anonymously to charity”

Enjoy!

How is your garden taking shape this spring?

 
 
 
I know having so many interest could be a big issue. I still enjoy waking up to birds, sun on my face, over night grown leaves, buds, and the over flowing streams. I have been visiting to the local garden shop and was amazed with all the décor on sale. Some of my favorite items that I found in my local garden shop were very appealing to the eye.

This is my first time to this particular garden shop and I LOVE it very much. Last summer when we were in England I was able to visit some of the nursery in Scotland and liked it very much. I remember growing up in a tropical climate I enjoyed the annual garden exhibitions and the craft fares I attained.

I am imaging a New England Cottage type garden… it is still in the seed formation might take some time for me to really plant it. But I know what I want that’s a good start and I like to have white hydrangeas bushes, white lilacs, tulips, hosta, daffodils, impatience and many more…so far the color scheme is deep and variegated green with white.

I know eventually I do like to add some pink and blues… but I am not sure I want to do more research into this type of gardening…

Quote of the day “Keep your lawn neat and litter free”

Enjoy!

Happy Earth Day…

 
 
I participated in the 5K Trail Mix walk/run for sustainability. This was collaborated with the earth day. Yes, I did took part and had a great time with other students. Organized by the Biology club at the Bridgewater Sate University along with the center for sustainability and the office of undergraduate research...

Yes, I am into organic I wish I have the time, land, space, to invest on organic but I have loved and adore this concept in the past.

According to the year 2010 census the agriculture/farming is done by less than 2% of the US population. Sounds scary but it the impact of industrial revolution and introduction of machines towards human labor…

Are we into organic growing, amazingly there is a increase in this but is it enough… can everyone enjoy this… going to whole food feels good to your heart but it does hurt your budget in some way. Can every one afford this questionable situation? The other day I was having a conversation with a customer at the book store she has joined a farm co- op and voiced out that she is exploring alternative for proteins from grain. Grass fed, free range meet and the prices of eggs have introduce her to grains such as amaranth, Quanah, and millet, barley and many more.

I know there are many healthy vegan choices for proteins… I have read many post from web posts, magazines articles, and talk shows about sustainable living... can we do it as a family depends on your values can every one et into this boat… not sure…

Above are my thoughts let me know what you think about this concept.
I had a great EARTH DAY! How about you… Trail mix was great…

Quote of the day “help save nation’s wetlands”

Enjoy!

Spring has sprung…

  
 
In my little balcony here in Mansfield Spring is taking shape. It is beautiful to watch how nature takes its own course in fulfilling its duties. Even though we have not got much rain during this spring little leaves are taking it shape. The bulbs I planted with my daughter last fall are finally sprouting. I was wondering because this was my first time planting bulbs in a container I am thrilled with the results.

But to my surprise the chives that we planted in our hanging basket seems to be sprouting very happily so for sure I know those are perennials. I didn’t see any blossoms last summer may be this summer I will be lucky to see some blossoms I will keep things posted.

I enjoy every bit of spring and summer so I can get my hands dirty. I am looking forward to do more this summer and fall with my kids. One of my professors from school voice out having so many interests could be a bad habit… I don’t know about this but I do appreciate nature so much… balancing my interest could be a challenge at times… but I am happy to weigh life, interest, family, friends, school and everything in between. Because you live this life only once…

Quote of the day “discover your work, and then give yourself to it with all your heart”

Enjoy!

www.thesleepytimegal.com/boxes-to-ishinomaki-japan-project/

 

 
It started as a quiet thought, then it grew into a quiet word, and it grew stronger and stronger into wonderful movement. I was happy to take part in this movement and made me feel so good to help some little children who is struggling in Japan to put a smile on their faces and let them know that they are not alone. When I explain this to my son he was so ready to help. When I asked for a shirt that has been gently used for donation he was eager to go through all his clothes and get me a gently used sweater since the weather is cold and winter begins in Japan. Not only that he offered to pay part of shipping and handling. He came up with all these wonderful ideas to help and explained to me about the Google translator to write a letter to children and people in Japan. I was overwhelmed with his suggestions and very happy to hear all his feelings about people and children in Japan.

Despite that he also mention since he is a troop leader at the boys scout program in the town he would try to get the word out to his troop to help out people in Japan. Yes, I knew then he has a GREAT BIG KIND HEART to help…

I went through my daughters clothes and was able get a winter jacket, her snow boots, hat,scarf, and few more iteams... We add wipes and candy.

I happy to take part in this and I have been spreading the word with friends and family…

Quote of the Day “send aid to victims of an international disaster”

Enjoy!

Organize your Hoops…

 
 
After a long wait I have started to wear hoops. Part of the reason I simply couldn’t do it because I work with children a lot and for the safety of my own as well as for children. I have decided not to wear hoops. (work related)

Now that I am staying at home and back at school I thought I want to give it a try. I did had a couple of dangling earrings from work. Parents have given to me as gifts and I save them so I could remember the little hearts that I have touched.

So I did have a collection but not a very big one. They were all over the place sometimes ending up in the jewelry tray. They get not worn, half the time lost or buried with my jewelry.
After looking at couple of blogs and at my local bead shop I decided to make a frame to hang my earrings. Now I wear them more often, mainly due to easy access.This hoop organizer could be a piece of art in your closet for those blah walls…
This was one of my spring cleaning projects…

How did I do it, what I had used was basically a picture frame from the craft store, and some window screen… I do have a lot of  window screen left over from this project. I am looking up ways to use them around my house…

My art professor does a wonderful job with this window screening and I love what she has done with it, she is a very creative and a talented person I am glad I took a 3D art class it has come handy in so many ways past few months…

Stay tune you, I am planning to have a slide show of pictures of all the creations I have done…

Quote of the day “be creative with the time you have”

Enjoy!