Lemon Pound Cake…

I have always liked Bundt cakes and was fascinated with my mom’s Bundt cake pan when I was a kid. I would ask all sorts of questions… of course it was not fancy as what you can find now but if I can get hold of it I am sure it will has some vintage value to it… Sometimes I really like to get hold of things that belonged to mom…

Anyway I wanted to celebrate the first week of school and I did bake a lemon pound cake in a Bundt cake pan, it was so dense and delicious at the same time… I did found it from another blog of course… and gave it a try… so worth gathering ingredients and going all the nine yards… we all loved it and ate the whole thing and shared with my little ones best friend’s family… (Only a little bit)

So without any dues here is the link to the Lemon Pound cake… http://marzipanmom.blogspot.com/2009/07/lemon-pound-cake.html

I am planning to bake it for the teachers this year for my sons 7th grade
I really enjoy baking for them last year… because I think all the teachers deserve more for what they are doing…

Quote of the day “be a shepherd – lead from behind”

Enjoy!

Eye Hand Coordination… and Everyday Activities…

My little one is 21 months… she is like a sponge… loves to be an adult but trapped in a miniature body… She is a great observer, explorer, with full of determination. How do I keep her content… still aid her to develop to her full potential as I write this blog entry I can hear her humming to fall asleep… She is a hard worker and loves to rest normality in human development…

As we bake I have accumulated egg shells I hate to throw it away these instead; I love to add it to someone’s compost pile or to a garden… I collect them as they get dried up I used the mortar and pastel to crushed and grind it so it can added to dirt directly for growing. I have heard it aid for root growth in tomato plants…

My daughter has seen and observed me very close when performing this chore in the house and she was determined to perform it on her own… I gave the tools… took the camera and sat in the background to capture some images… she did surprised me… she was very independent in performing this task I was amazed… she was able to hold the pastel from one hand and add the shells to the mortar… that was very impressive both hands working to perform two different tasks… yes, some egg shells were scattered but she was very coordinated while attending to this task and very focused…

Yes, we did grind up all the egg shells someone is going to get some nicely grounded egg shells… this spring…

What do you do with your little one to keep him/her busy…?

Quote of the day “let your child learn through play it’s much… much… more fun”

Enjoy!

Wicked winter and pretty scarf for a Little Girl…

I did my very first scarf edging with a crochet hook… it came out really cool… I can wait to try it on my little girl during this winter she is going to be one fashion icon.

I bought the yarn for a $ 1.00 at the local yarn shop from the clearance rack and was not quite sure what to do with it… I finally came up with the idea to make a small scarf for my little one.

What I ran into was when laid flat it will curl up so some of the experience knitter’s advice for me to crochet it around the edge. It did work however the yarn is a little bit bulky it still curls up a little but not that bad… another knitter suggested to BLOCK I have no idea what is this but determined to give it a try…

What have you been working lately with your hands to create… like to share or leave a comment…

Quote of the day “go back to school”

Enjoy!

He is progressing…

I am proud of him… he has come a long way to be here… I am proud of his leadership skills, taking initiative to be a candidate for the Student Council. When asked from him why you want to be a member in the student council his immediate reply was “I get to be part of an organization for the students and I think it’s pretty cool.”

He has worked hard for rank advancement in his Boys Scout also he is working to be a Star Scout and there is plenty of activities to be done during this school year. One includes public speaking… I am impressed by him; yes… and I will do the best to help him in his speech…

As researches say one of the biggest fears when asked from people they say is public speaking it out ranks the fears to snakes… A person would prefer to be in the coffin rather delivering the eulogy at a funeral…
What I am proud of him is the enthusiasm he carries; hope to see that matures with him as he matures…

I am simply elated with his work ethics this school year hope he will keep it up, it is a lot work but manageable and doable…

Quote of the day “mail a card to your child even if you have not gone away”

Enjoy!

Rosemary Chicken with a KICK…

I thought that I have shared this recipe but I have not. We love this so much and it taste so good. I don’t think I should write about all the good qualities in rosemary the scientist and many culinary artists have done that job better than me. I am very fond of this herb and use it very often. I know it has a very strong flavor but works GREAT with meat and fish and add a nice aroma as well as it enhances the flavor of meat you cook.

Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs
1 lemon Juice (4 table spoons of lemon juice)
1-3 garlic cloves
1-2 teaspoons of dried crushed pepper (if you like yours spicy you can add more)
2 tablespoons of snipped rosemary leaves (if you don’t like your chicken to be too rosemary cut down a little bit)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
Coarse Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Skin the chicken thighs and take the bones out. Add salt and pepper on both sides and leave it a side. In another bowl mix in the minced garlic, lemon zest,crushed red pepper, snipped rosemary, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and rub mixture all over on the chicken thighs cover and chill overnight to maximum effects.

With the left over lemon juice and olive oil you can mix them together and add some snipped rosemary.
Once you have grilled your chicken thighs you can drizzle this over your chicken and on the plate to give that gourmet touch… serve it with some salad and bread yummy!

Quote of the day “live life right now”

Enjoy!

Arranging Flowers…

I took my little one to the playground she is restless and winy. It’s always good to see her playmate. We walked around the buildings and ran into a lavender bush. We plucked some flowers it’s nice to smell lavender I always loved this plant.

Kids had a great time with a little bit of wining but it was manageable… the weather was gorgeous… we walked home and I gave my little one a charger and already cut flowers , with a empty small ketchup bottle and she had a blast arranging this tiny lavender bouquet…

We both walked to her room and placed it on the window sill and she had a blast and was ready to take a nap… I enjoyed the lavender aroma that was released to the air by handling it stems… by my little ones tiny fingers…
I enjoyed every bit of it… and quiet happy and pleased with her aesthetic creativity…

Quote of the day “give your children both roots and wings”

Enjoy!

Organized, Cleaned, & Donated…

Yesterday, I decided to clean out my daughters ‘closet. We had so many clothes from fall, winter and spring to donate and clean. So I know what she need for this winter to buy. Also I wanted giveaway some books and clothes for donation. We had some books that I had to tape but still was in good condition… someone to read. There were broken toys to put away.

I was happy that I finally was able to clean out her closet and get it organized. There is more to do but I have clean out the most. I got a bag of clothes from a friend and we can use this coming winter (I love hand me downs) and I am planning to make some clothes for her too this winter… I know it’s going to be interesting to see what I make.

I was able to get two bags from her closet for donation with a small bag of shoes that was a lot…

I loved to see all the quilts that I have made to her are sitting neatly on the shelf. Two more to go then I am done with that project. She is already using the quilts and I enjoy tucking her to bed in the nights…
Thanks for stopping by to take a look to see what’s going on in my world…

Quote of the day “give things away”

Enjoy!

Rosemary, Basil, Tomatoes, Chives, Petunia’s & fading Garden…

Summer is fading… Fall is around the corner yesterday I went to the park with kids I felt the cool air. It was too cold to be out their but soccer is in full swing and all the other sports…

My little container garden is wilting and fading today I was able to harvest two vine ripe tomatoes they are great for salads… My basil is doing well I have some recipes that I have tucked away to make so we can celebrate the first week of school.

I love rosemary with chicken it adds and brings out all the flavors… come back to see these recipes I will be posting them soon…
Hope all MOTHER”S survived the FIRST week of school we had a great time… can’t wait to CELEBRATE!

Quote of the day “delight someone”

Enjoy!

Coloring Outside…

Make a photo collage

I let kids enjoy outside weather and let them use their imagination to color. My goal this year was to offer them plenty of opportunities for coloring using all different medias… watercolors, crayons, pencil colors… anything I can think of…

It’s all about creating the time and helping them on daily basis… I love to watch their paintings… strokes they make… how they mix colors… it’s wonderful to watch the little mental abstractions they create on paper… they are very courage’s to make bold statements mixing colors they do it spontaneously with no hesitation… I love the quality in each child and embraces it with so much gratitude…

Quote of the day “take one day each month to visit local art galleries”

Enjoy!

Art to go… for a Boy…

Yes. I love projects like these… I did finish my second pouch of Art to go for my son. He did help me to select the buttons for his cover; that was cool. He loved it so much I decide to get him some cool color pencils because I have not seen him using much color pencils… this will be great for him to start using color pencils. I wish I knew some embroidery stitches so I can decorate these covers…

I really love how this turned out and there are so many varieties of color pads out there and they often go on sale. May be next time when they go on sale I need to stock up; some for kids. Because I did notice I do not have much color pencils or crayons at home in stock…

I can’t wait to see them using this newly made art to go cases…

Quote of the day “don’t play favorites”

Enjoy!

Art Supplies on the go…

Free photo collage created with Smilebox

We love exploring and traveling alot and that’s the best gift you can offer to your kids. When they are growing up. I do remember the limited vacations I have enjoyed with my parents and family friends those are the good memories I cherish every moment when I think of my childhood.

But, I do remember the boring long rides we did when we visit family out of town. I see my kids falling into deep naps which are OK, sometimes but I do want them to take note of the beautiful trees, streams, lakes and beaches and record them as much as they can. I was browsing through the blogs and came to know about this cool project from sleepytimegal.blogspot.com, I couldn’t wait to try it. So I got my hands busy and it was the correct timing because I have had enough practice from bias cutting and attaching edging. This was a one more project to incorporate my newly acquired talent ha… ha… thanks to BETH.

This was a real cool gift for your kids on any occasion. I am planning to do some for my friends and family this coming holiday season. My little one has already fell in love with this and I am working on another for my older one… you can visit the above blog to get all step by step instructions…

All you need is felt fabric, your choice of printed fabric, bias, buttons, and ribbons I did add some changers’ and add my personality to it but kept her original idea… Thank you very much for sharing it with everyone.

Quote of the Day “when you stop blaming others, you regain your sense of personal power”

Enjoy!

Big brother & Little Sister…

Being stuck inside and watching rain and wind from the storm everyone was feeling tired and bored. Big brother and sister was having fun performing shooting games and following each other after while they didn’t want to do anything.

Since I always find projects to keep my mind and hand busy… I can always find something to do under any kind of weather. Only thing I have to worry is that I am getting their food on time. I am kidding…

I suggested how about water colors the possibilities are endless… is it messy …yes, was it FUN absolutely. I would not change to another medium of color over water colors. I can see and hear my older child getting very frustrated with my daughter but it was fun to watch them share and paint to make something very creative.

Express their feeling through art is AMAZING…

Quote of the day “replace some of the processed foods you eat with simpler, fresher, more natural food”

Enjoy!

Blanket # 6

This is once again I piece blanket with a thicker batting and a very BOLD print with a lot of PINK. Yes this material calls and possessed all the GIRLY genies. Bought it from the local fabric store and quilted around the flowers. I loved how it turned out.

Fun part with this fabric was it has a companion material. This was the very first time I have worked with companion materials. This is not a very heavy blanket but it will keep our little one warm this winter.

I did use a heavy batting for this to get a more quilted look. I have quilted almost every flower in this blanket. Since I am getting good at creating these blankets I might make some for holiday season as GIFTS.
I think it would be great to pair up a book and blanket with a toy. Would be a great gift for a budding toddler… I hope I will have enough time to make some this winter as GIFTS.

Quote of the day “learn the art of being silly”

Enjoy!

Get your little munchkin to open up for VEGETABLES…

I love cooking… let me word it this way I enjoy cooking for my family. I take time and put every effort to get them a wholesome and a healthy meal. I think in generally all of us try to do the best we can.

My older one is shedding his bad habits and incorporating good habits. Because we all make mistakes in aiding our kids to grow, making good decisions at one point or other. I do admit I have done a lot with my older one. So I take these lessons seriously and try to correct and improve. I use to feed my older child, let him sleep with us, let him watch TV while feeding you name it Yes, I have done all.

But good thing is I know BETTER now. I am happy little one is independent. Some time just having a sibling can influence so much in so many ways. I have seen this many times. Some occasions blueberries were grouse to my older one but not anymore. His little sister can have ½ pint for LUCH so he wants to GIVE a try… I like that WORD and he did now he enjoys them as much as she does.

But sometimes she can have her own personality and will not get anything close to her mouth if it is green. I have no idea how this happen… but I am pushing every single day to get her to try green vegetables.

She loves rice so I made this simple recipe out of leftover rice. I steamed rice, broccoli, and corn together when you steamed cooked rice it becomes very soft. Then I cut up 1 bell pepper (into small bit size pieces), and onions. At this point if your little one is eating eggs you can break 1-2 eggs to the pan and scramble it with onions and pepper.
I cut up some cooked sausage or any kind of meat and set aside. Sautéed the onions and bell pepper until soft add steamed corn and broccoli cut broccoli into real small pieces but still can figure out its broccoli. I like to keep the natural shape. Add meat at this point.

Finally add rice and mix thoroughly, add salt and pepper to taste top it off with grated cheese add a little texture. I did used butter to sautéed vegetables.

Did she like it? Yes, She loved it...

Quote of the day “make your own holiday cards”

Enjoy!

Make Routines and Stick to Them…

I wanted to blog on this I couldn’t resist watching my little ones play time in the bath. I bought these stacking cups from IKEA last year when she turned a year they were really cool different in colors and dimensions… she would drink out of these cups put them on her head goof around…

Recently I noticed she is placing them on the edge of the bath tub randomly not in any particular order. Fun part was watching her prices movements placing them on the edge some time she misses it and it lands on floor but continues to place them on. I enjoy watching this every day. Our routine is brushing teeth by herself in the tub then shampooing hair and playing with toys.

She does not have many toys but she does enjoy her simple toys very much… and I love to watch her play in the tub…
Now does she get upset without the routines: Yes, sometime but she moves on… that’s GREAT thing about KIDS. I personally love our bath time routine it relaxes everyone.

Quote of the day “talk with a lonely child”

Enjoy!

Blanket # 5

This is a very cozy and a toasty blanket. I bought the fleece from the remnant section so it was 50% off of the regular price. It was a good bargain I didn’t want to miss… and flannel was 40% off I bought 1 ¼ yard of printed fabric I wish I bought 1 ½ yard instead because when you wash them they tend to shrink. Well what was cut was cut and worked with what I had. Made a note not to buy a 1 ¼ yard again because it’s too small for a blanket for a toddler who is hitting very often in her growth spurs…

This was real simple and easy blanket… to assemble cut the fabric into squares or rectangles and place the wrong sides together. Use yarn with a tapestry needle and tie both fabrics randomly or follow the fabric pattern cut yarn leaving 1 inch.

Cut bias and sew the edge’s; I used broad cloth and it came out really cute. I did explore some other colors and used blue since she has too many pink blankets. It reminds me of English roses I wish I had some extra fabric to make a pillow case or a cute pillow to go with it that’s going to be another set of projects…

I had so much fun creating these blankets… I hope my little one enjoys them as much as I did…

If you are up to make a bunch of blankets go for it… it will sew up in no time… worth the effort.

Quote of the day “allow children to take risks and get dirty”

Enjoy!

Blanket # 4

I bought this fabric because I wanted to make this quilt without joining any fabrics and use only 1 piece. I choose a fabric with big flowers on so I can quilt around the flowers. I got this idea from a book I wish I can remember but unfortunately I cannot.

I do want to write a little about this fabric while we were in vacation in England, Liverpool. I wanted to go to a fabric store to look around and I bought this fabric over there. It was a very small shop not much choices as in a local fabric store. I want to bring something to remember the trip. With their metric system I bought 1 meter instead of a yard and it worked great for a small blanket for my little one.

Fun factor is this not going to be a winter blanket it’s almost like a spring/summer blanket it is very light in weight but works great with my intentions. Loved the big flowers it was great for quilting but it was a lot of quilting very easy blanket to make.
In total for less than $15.00 it was great blanket.

Quote of the day “impose deadlines for every project you do”

Enjoy!