A Fur Baby Birthday Party

Today's blog is for all my dog lovin' people out there!  January 28th is always a bittersweet day for me.  It is my sweet Gracie's birthday and this year she turns 10! We rescued each other on November 19, 2003. It was love at first sight!

I was living in Muncie, IN and needed a companion.  I needed a dog.  I spent most of my life with a dog and living all alone was hard but without a dog seemed down right depressing.  I had searched all of the local shelters but none of them felt like my soul mate.  I was ready to give up until my mom called me at work and said she had found my dog at my hometown shelter and I needed to come home that day and see her.  I did and we both knew right away.  She was 10 months old and just skin and bones.  The picture to the above makes her look pretty good but she was pretty sad.  She had been kept outside, tied to a deck with a 6 foot rope.  She didn't know how to play, she was unsure of being inside, and she did not understand love.  I spent all of my non-working time with her just sitting on the floor loving on her.  She began to trust me and love me.  And I fell so deeply in love with her.  She has been there through everything.  (Like in the picture to the below.  I had broken my wrist on New Years Day 2010.  She didn't want to leave my side.)

Those who love dogs like I love dogs, you know how unconditional their love is.  How deeply they understand your pain, sickness, and love. 
I am going to admit something many will think is crazy.  I was so worried before my son was born that I would either not love my child like I did my dog, or that I would not be able to give my Gracie the love she deserved.  Thankfully, I do love my son so very much and get plenty of good cuddles with my girl.  There are days I feel like she is looking at me like, "Lady, why did you ever bring that crazy, noisy thing in here?"  But I also know she is very protective of him and loves him too.  And he adores her.  He looks for her first thing when he wakes up!
So bittersweet another birthday, because I know these angels are called home much too soon for my heart.  Every year we celebrate because she is just as special as any other member of the family.  But every year I cry a little bit more knowing our days together are getting fewer and fewer. 
She may not be born from my body, or even a human being, but she is my first baby and she always will be.  So today my son and I made her doggie cupcakes and we sang Happy Birthday to her at least half a million times! 


10 years old today and that kid makes me feel all of it!




Doggie Cupcakes without "icing"

Iced with peanut butter!

Are you sure that is for me?

Adapted from an e-mail from DogAge^® Tip of the Week

Cheesy Carrot Cupcakes - 12 mini cupcakes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated carrot
1 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/8 cup vegetable oil
Peanut butter or plain yogurt to "ice" them

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin tin or line it with paper baking cups. I like mini cupcakes but if you wanted to double the recipe you can do 12 regular cupcakes.

Combine all of the ingredients just until moistened.
Fill the cups full with the mixture. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the muffins feel springy. Be sure to let the muffins cool about 5 minutes and then "ice" them.  Let them cool completely before serving to your sweet fur baby!

        Recipe from: DOGS: The Ultimate Care Guide, edited by Matthew Hoffman.

So do something a little special for your furry friend for my Gracie!

 

 

I may not always be kind, but I will always be honest

So this post is completely not what I had planned to write about next.  This just kinda happened and well, I needed to put it out there.  Remember I said this is sort of my therapy (especially since the new year started and I am still paying off our medical bills from last year - stupid high deductible insurance).  Well, today, though this post may seem like a rant, I ask that you don't throw in the towel with me at least until you read through the end. Fair enough?  And just to keep you interested I will post random picture that may or may not have anything to do with the topic! Okay, let us begin.
This post is actually coming from a rant of mine on my personal Facebook page (no I will not friend everyone chomping at the bit to see what crazy stuff I post - it is private for a reason - you have to know me to get that level of crazy!) So here it is - some is edited to keep other's comments private.


Chopped butternut squash kinda looks like Velvetta.

 

"No one asked but I am going to voice my opinion anyway. I HATE THE CIRCUS! It is a terrible, disgusting example to show to anyone about how to treat animals. How would we like to be caged up, made to travel all over in said cages, trained by unspeakable means, and then made to endure people climbing all over them. We are outraged by what Michael Vick and other do to animals but pay money for this filth? And to add to it, area police provided lighted/sirens blaring escort for schools to and from. Are you kidding me? I will be complaining about that to someone. And please DO NOT EVER take my child to the circus! -Yes, I said it - feel free to unfriend me now!"

***Okay background info for those who do not know:  Fort Wayne, Indiana - my home sweet home, hosts the Mizpah Shrine Circus every year about this time. 

 http://mizpahshrinecircus.com/

Yes, some of the money from this mess does go to Shriner's charities.  Here is a direct quote from the site regarding this, "The Mizpah Shrine Circus is a fraternal fundraiser in which proceeds benefit the Mizpah Shrine. Payments are not deductible as a charitable contribution."

I would also like to note that I wrote and shared these comments only after re-researching circus practices.  I wanted to make sure I was correct in my understanding of treatment and legality of circus animals - I reviewed several sources - My daddy didn't raise no researching fool! - A fool perhaps.***

Okay game on.

Someone then posted about the money going to their charities - a worthy cause no doubt. Here is my response,
"Oh I love the fact that the Shriners raise money for all that they do. They do great work! However, how can we raise money to care for one while hurting another? I would ask that you send that money you would spend on tickets directly to area of the Shriner's organization you would like to help. - Then 100% goes there and not to animal cruelty!"

https://secure2.convio.net/shfc/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=3381&3381.donation=form1

"In fact I posted above for anyone who would like to take a stand with me! I am going to donate the $10 ticket price for me. Oh and I did e-mail the {Police Department} about the escort - I am very unhappy that they would spend my tax dollars on this. Don't worry school systems are next! Mama is on a rampage - lookout!"
 

What is that?

 

I also noted to those reading,  "I was taken as a small child by my grandmother and will never forget it. I did not really enjoy it and when I was older and could understand how the animals were treated I was so upset that I ever went."
Comments were then made about me being upset about the police escort and kids going to the circus and this was my response,
"I am complaining about the schools taking kids. I am all for educational experiences about animals but would much rather the kids go to the zoo, museums, humane farms, etc to get a closer and better interaction with animals. If they want to give the kids a show take them to Cirque du Soleil.  Sorry kids."                                                                                              
                                                                                                        Why yes that is jewelry I made!

So what is the moral of this "rampage" that I tell?  To prove I am nuts?  No, but I am sure it helps.  To help out "my cause"?  No, though I do hope it at least makes you think about animal rights a bit. 
My real reason for today's post is to remind all of us that we are a huge influence on our children.  I hope that is not news to anyone.  I know you are thinking, "Oh good, she is trying to make her kid into a ranting lunatic like her."  Nope, though I am pretty sure it is already in his genes based on some of his OCD behaviors that look all to familiar. 
I am hoping that he embraces who he is and learns that when you believe in something you should find your "voice" to speak up for it. 
Something my mom has always said about me, and I think it is with pride, is that I am not always kind but I am always honest.  I do try to be kind about things and to others but I am also very sensitive and passionate about things that are important to me.  So will I yell at you in front of your kids that you are a jerk for taking them to see animal cruelty?  No, I might be thinking it.  I would ask you one on one if you ever thought about how those animals were treated.  I have rarely been one to "push" my agenda or opinions on anyone - I say rarely because I cannot be sure that I haven't (me, a liberal arts college education, and alcohol don't always mix well).    And I must once again state that I do not believe that I am in any way perfect.  I will even admit I still have a long way to go in my personal journey of ending animal cruelty for example.  I do eat some meat and probably do many other things but I am working on it too.

Here are a few other things about me that I want my child to know about his mom, hopefully be proud of, and maybe even choose to be in his life.

I may not always be right or kind, but I am always honest.
I do wear my emotions on my sleeve, and I will not apologize for it.
I do choose to live my life as a pretty open book, I do not expect others to do the same, I just hope they respect my choices as mine.
I am not always comfortable with myself but I accept that I am still growing.
I expect no more from anyone else than I do for myself.
I choose love above all things and ultimately refuse to put one being above another.

-Yes, that is a Praying Mantis - see I love them too! (Okay spiders, not so much, but I am trying not to kill them.)

So for those who have already dealt with these various characterics of me and chose to stick with me, thank you!

For everyone else still here, I hope that you were inspired (re-inspired) to be an example to your children, family, friends, and others of who you are and what is important to you.  Maybe it is even time to make your own list!  I have to say for me it turned out to be a Brightener!

It also inspired me to add a tagline to my posts, so from here on out, my words at this Round Table will end with this:

Today, choose love!               
Kristin







P.S. I chose this picture because I believe this is one of the greatest ways I have ever experienced unconditional love.

Also as always the opinions and information shared are solely my own and I always suggest you do your own research before you sit down to the table with this or any other nut!

Easy DIY Highchair Cover

So you remember taking precious time picking out the perfect highchair?  And if you were like me after 6 months of breastfeeding you loved the idea of some meals not seated at the cafe de Mama!  This sweet picture below is the first bite of rice cereal my son ate.  Look at how sweet he is and how cute that chair is.  So what's the problem here?  That stupid set of chair covers and straps are not washing machine washable.  WHERE were my brain cells when I picked this out and why didn't they read that?  Oh yeah I was growing a human being and so my brain was way more needed in that area, so for at least 18 months I was as close to brain dead on many levels.  Some call it pregnancy brain, some call it mommy brain.  I personally call it unfair and just another blow you don't really know you have coming from the miracle of growing/raising a child!  But I digress, I will have to do another post about all the stuff I had no idea was going to happen to me cuz nobody had the balls to tell me (yeah you know who you are and I will pay you back for it).



Look at how pristine this chair is!

Anyway, after many attempts to keep this sucker clean without being able to put it in my magnificent washing machine (I have a serious crush on my washer and dryer - they are so special to me - we might need a moment here) I had to come up with another option and here it is. My T-shirt Highchair Cover! It is so awesome to me because I have about 5 of them so when one is gross off it goes and into the washer!  It is wonderful because it covers more than just the cloth areas but some of the hard to clean parts as well.  It is saving me time and money!  Two things this penny pincher loves!

Can you imagine the amount of cleaning it would have taken!
 

Here is one of my covers - not cute but does the job and keeps things much cleaner!

 

It may be dirty but better the cover than the chair!


So here is the how to.  First, I find that an extra large T-shirt works best for pretty much any chair.  You know you or your significant other (there has to be a better term - lets make one - your Siggy - yep I like it - you may use it - I am good at sharing!) have about 10 T-shirt you got in some event, sport, school, or buying disaster that needs a new use - here it is!

Put the T-shirt on the chair like shown below - no it will not fit without a few modifications.





 

Go to the back of the chair and find the middle of the bottom of the shirt.

 

 

Cut up the shirt like shown leaving about 6 inches from the collar. (That is my Gracie - she likes to hide from the kid and seems to think the highchair can save her!)

 

Now you can see how the shirt can cover most all of the fabric ( if you wanted to get fancy and really cover it you could cut some of the extra off the back or side to "patch" the head hole but it generally stays pretty clean - your call). 

Yes, this is the hubs college shirt from his freshman year in soccer and yes he was good, but more importantly he was a hottie!

 

 

Okay now where the straps are you will pinch the fabric. If you want to make this all symmetrical you could measure and all that jazz but come on it is going to be covered in all sorts of pureed mess so go easy on yourself!

 

 

Cut a hole large enough to get the strap through but not too large so that much food can get thru.

 

 

See so easy! Repeat for all straps, including if you have a 5 point harness.

 

 

Finished product! Now you can turn it inside out or whatever but why not enjoy those charity walk t-shirts a little more before you have to make them into rags.

 

 

This is what the kid was doing while I was finishing this. What you cannot see is the poor dog running away because said kid came at her outta nowhere with a headbutt. My kid loves to headbutt - so proud.

 

P.S.  That is a PVC free clear shower curtain that we use under the highchair to keep the floor clean.  It works like a dream!  We have 2 so when one is gross we throw it in the washer and put the other down.  Otherwise you can just spot clean it!  It is great for food messes as well as crafts!

Happy making parenting life easier crafting!

Can a Mama Get a Minute?

There are things in life you have to be able to do no matter what.  Then there are just times you need a Mama Minute - which might just equal enough time to stuff a whole Twinkie (that you have stowed away just for you and only you) in your mouth fast enough so that the kids or significant other do not see it and want some!  Here are a few ways to buy yourself a few that yes indeed I have used them and I am not ashamed! Sanity is priceless!

Lunch/shower! I LOVE to get my kiddo in his highchair in our tiny bathroom and give him his lunch and jump in the shower and actually get a full shower.  We put on some music and I sing out in the shower and he enjoys his lunch.  There might be some mess to clean up but you know what that is why I chose washable paint and easy to clean flooring!  Today he was even content enough that I got to pluck my eyebrows! That hadn't happened in a week! I know what you are thinking, "How is that getting time to yourself?"  Well since this kid seems to have some sort of radar that detects when I am going to shower and that is the exact time when he wakes up from a nap - how does he do that - I have to find a way.  I tried waking up before he does and everytime he wakes up while I am in the shower!  I tried showering at night but dang it, I need a daytime shower to feel human! So thus the Lunch (or breakfast in come occasions)/shower was born!

Yes, that is a banana on the toilet!

Let's face it, when you have small children you never get to go to the bathroom on your own.  So in order to get through a bathroom break without too much of an issue I have a basket of his bath toys he can play with anytime.  In fact I have read that kid a book when my intestinal tract was not feeling so kind!  He thought it was great fun to read in the bathroom.  Bonus - your kid gets that much more comfortable with what happens in the bathroom.  My crazy 18 month old now loves to sit on his potty when Mommy goes potty.  Oh the bonding!

 

I have at least a couple of "toys" in every single room of my house.  This way no matter where I am I can distract him with something.  In the kitchen he has kitchen stuff.  He likes to cook while I cook.  He will stir in his pots or pour with his milk jug.  Toys don't always have to be real toys.  In my bedroom he loves to play with the latches on an old trunk.  He can be distracted for several minutes by an unattended open drawer of clothes.  Yes, I then have to refold and put them away but you know what sometimes I need to just sit down.  The good news is that as kid age they seem to think helping is fun too so you might just get help putting it back away.

 

That item they want to play with but you never let them, yet you know it won't hurt them - do it.  I let my kid have our house phone, remote, rearrange the spice rack, etc.  He loves it.  I am paying attention but he thinks he is getting away with murder.  The funny thing is that they are actually learning while they do it.  He now knows how to turn on the TV.  He knows which button on the phone makes the ringer go off.  He will line the spices up in various patterns.  So it is kinda a win-win.

 Busted but its cool!

Put a toy away - take a new or old hidden toy out.  I love this so much.  First, it keeps my house from looking like I hoard kid's stuff.  Second, he acts like it is the best toy ever for at least 10 minutes!  I have noticed when I put away a toy he has played with for quite awhile and then bring it back out, he will play with it in new ways.  They learn so much so fast that everything changes and evolves for them.  For example, my son had a tool bench that he would only do a few of the musical things when he had it from 6 month to 12 months but when I got it back out at 15 months he was able to use the hammer with it and actually "pound" the nails down.  How cool is that!  He played with that sucker for about 45 minutes and I was able to clean the kitchen in peace!

Okay, I do not only use tricks for my kid.  Oh sweet husband of mine please do not use these against me!

Let's just say it here and now - men take serious bathroom time too.  How many women read in the bathroom? Well I wanna read too! So on occasion I may have some "faux" stomach issues - this is how a read a magazine once in a while.  I realized that I could just stash a magazine in there and sit on the bathroom rug for a few.  Sweet peace - oh I could light a candle too - "don't go in there for a few!" HA!

I may or may not hide sweets around the house.  I might value chocolate more than diamonds so I gotta keep some safe for Mom when times get rough.  Super mom to mom tip - no one wants to look in boxes of feminine products.

I have set up the majority of my house so that I can let my kid be free range. Now does that mean that he won't make a mega mess that I have to clean up or maybe get hurt? Nope. It means I have some freedom and so does he. He is free to explore but he keeps an eye on me too. This does mean that I have had to put away some of my pretty things but those are just that - things. Not having to worry about stuff getting broken or child proofing every little thing has allow both of us to be a little more free.  Besides dance parties can break out anywhere and we don't want to be worried about breakables!

When you are parenting you have to be creative and flexible. TV can only and should only do so much!

Did I hear the word "Muffins"?

So I never used to eat breakfast at breakfast.  I was the kid - into adulthood who lived through the morning on nothing but liquids.  My mom would get some nutrition in me with good ol' Carnation Instant Breakfast.  Every great once in awhile I would eat more - if donuts or some other sweet treat was involved.  Then even into my early twenties I would have a yogurt smoothie and coffee.  Don't get me wrong I LOVE breakfast foods.  I just hated to eat in the early a.m.   This all changed when I learned how blood sugar dips and without a steady supply of healthy food energy you get that "crash" feeling and then you eat more than you would and chances are worse than you would have -if only you would have had breakfast.  I became a breakfast fanatic!  I love trying out new healthy recipes for breakfast and all the better if they stretch for several breakfasts!  So today I bring you a combo post of Pinterest success and what came out of it - a recipe of mine.

See I took this woman's idea of a base recipe and then came up with this amazing muffin recipe that my son cannot get enough of and my husband asked to share at a work meeting!

Source: compwalla.wordpress.com via Kristin on Pinterest

 

Source: compwalla.wordpress.com via Kristin on Pinterest

Her basic Muffin Mix is a great way to start experimenting with ingredients.  I did a first version that was pretty good with apples and cinnamon but these are what I would like to think of as coffeehouse good!

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

For 2 dozen

Preheat oven to 400 and spray muffin tins with non stick flour spray.

2 cups of whole wheat flour

2 cups of quick cooking oatmeal

2 Tbsp of baking powder

scant 1/2 tsp of salt

1 cup of skim milk

1 cup of vanilla Greek yogurt

2 eggs

1/3 cup of applesauce

1/3 cup of vegetable oil

2-3 mashed bananas

2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips

2/3 cup of packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp of honey

Mix dry, add wet, add the rest. Mix until just moistened. Fill muffin cups nearly full.

Sprinkle with brown sugar. (This gives it a great slightly sweet crunchy top!)

Bake for 18 minutes.

Let cool for at least 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

If you wanted to go healthier (sad for you - just kidding - I should be healthier too!) you could substitute raisins for the chocolate chips, egg substitute for the eggs, and Splenda for the brown sugar.

 

It wasn't me - it was one of the other Tired Mom Personalities!

So just to make sure we are all clear that I am no kinda perfect mom, today I will be sharing some of the madness that has been taking place.  Just an FYI there will be some personal information about me that may be disturbing to some readers.  Judge me all you want.  I don't care.  I prefer to live my life in a very honest and open manner.  This means I like to share - a lot, pretty much what most people think is too much.  But you know what?  I have always found that it relates to someone.  I have gotten more thank yous for things I have had the balls to say (yep I wrote balls - it happens to be my go to word and I say it doesn't have to be a dirty word - it might just be balls!). Alright enough on with my crazy show.
So my kid has been on a sleep protest for what seems like forever.  Naps are less than an hour, wakes up every night for at least a half an hour, whatnot.  I cannot remember the last night I got a decent night's sleep.  Oh wait, yes I do.  It was November 10, 2012 11pm- 10am Las Vegas, NV. That's right.  I went to Vegas and I got sleep!  Anyway, the lack of sleep gets to you and sometimes you get well I would like to say a little bit of multiple personalities. So lets visit some of mine shall we?

1. Meanie Mom - oh she's as mad as hell and she's not gonna take it anymore (movie reference - if you know it shout it out!)!!!!!  You better either help her out NOW or get the $%#@ outta her way.  This mom has been known to yell at others (including her sweet child), throw things (if I step on that car, dog toy, pile of newspapers, etc one more time, it is getting chucked straight at someone's shins - mom's don't hit heads -causes too much potential work later), and probably more stuff I have blocked out in anger.
2. Bargaining Mom - I will just let him sleep in my bed just this once (for the 5th night in a row) so we can all get some sleep - all the while getting kicked in the head and sucker punched in the back, why yes you may play with my tampons so I can pluck my chin hair (okay if any men are reading this - and quite frankly I hope some are. I have plenty of goodness to share with you too, I hope this and many other facts about ladies does not shock you too much), lunch in your highchair in the bathroom so I can take a shower and cry in a little bit of peace - yep done it, and the ever popular - cookies for a meal just so you eat something - you bet (I believe it was the great Billy Cosby who said something about chocolate cake being okay for breakfast because it has eggs and milk in it- ha good stuff!).
3. Pretty much comatose Mom - this mom has zoned out so she has no idea that you have managed to get the remote and somehow locked up the TV (NOOOO!  Now how will I keep you occupied while sitting here barely holding it together?), put stuff in the dryer only to find later that there was still a large piece of broccoli wedged in somewhere that made it thru but strangely looks like it shrunk (who knew the dryer could even shrink food!), or stares at her child playing with something for several moments only to realize that what they are playing with happens to be a 50 Cent CD (no, not the price for those of you know do not know who that is) and is trying to see if it bends - go ahead kid - not like I can ever let you know that I listen to gangsta rap with explicit (man is that a hard word to spell -especially with little sleep) lyrics but for everyone else - yes, yes I do - when that kid is not around this mama needs some inappropriateness loud and proud!
4. Just plain at her wits end Mom - this is the sitting in the corner rocking and sobbing mom, the mom that is pretty sure she has ruined this sweet child that God blessed her with, has let the exhaustion take over and the thoughts that she is doing everything wrong (you should never have let him sleep in your bed, you shouldn't rock him to sleep, you aren't doing it right - other moms just let them work it out themselves - I am not judging how anyone else gets their kids to sleep either - we all find what works for us and our individual kids), and you can't sleep when sleep is an actual option because you are too worried about - work, bills, your health, the housework, exercise, the dog, what other people think, and maybe a little about some of the things you would like to do for yourself.  This mom is just holding it together as long as she can.  

Today I am a little bit of all four plus probably more. I set my alarm for 6:30am so maybe today I could shower in peace, exercise, or get some work done before I am in 100% Mommymode, but this kid woke up at 6:28am. I cried in the shower as my son ate his lunch and threw food on the bathroom floor.  I let him happily run off with my tampons.  I stood in the bathroom not moving, not really sure what to do next and not sure where he was or what he was doing.  I should be napping, working, or paying bills right now but instead I am writing this post. 

I know you are saying, "Hey nut job, why aren't you doing one of those "more important things"?  You don't get anything for doing this."  At least that is what I have inferred from some comments I have gotten.  But the truth is, this is making me feel better.  All that stuff will be there when I am done but some of my feelings I have now been able to let go of.  See this stay at home, work from home, crafter, perfectionist mom; whom seems to be very outgoing; has actually become a little introverted.  Becoming a mom somehow made me think I needed to do it all and do it all more or less alone.  Now let me say I am by no means alone.  I have a wonderful husband, family, and friends but I have that uncanny knack for...well I'm not even sure how to describe it but if you are anything like me, you just know what I am talking about.

So now that I have gotten that out I suppose I shall (no one says shall much anymore - oh another tired mom personality - lack of focus - only half of the dishe...oh an M&M on the floor...oh crap don't put that on the dog - she doesn't like that!) go do something more important!  But hey if you see any of those moms today help them out or give them a hug!  They were probably your mom at one time or maybe you someday!  And oh, let's not forget the dads and other caregivers - they have those days and personalities too!


*** Little extra - if you like this post please share, consider following via means to your right-->, or comment.  Also if you are on Pinterest (ah my sweet love) I have added a board on my page to let others pin items they would like to see me attempt!  Please join in or let me know if you would like to join us!



(this will happen again right?)

Pinterest successes and maybe a little failure



Okay by now you have probably figured out that I am fairly obsessed with Pinterest.  I probably spend way too much time pinning things I will more than likely never do but hey we can all dream right? Well today in honor of the fact that my kid is sleeping like it is only a suggestion, I thought I would share a few easy recipes and other items you can do with little to no sleep with success!

Okay, lets get this out of the way.  Yes, I give my kid sugar.  Yes, I give him sugar at breakfast sometimes.  I enjoyed sugar as a kid and grew up fine.  Moderation is the key with anything in life and we should all get to enjoy sweets now and then!  Phew I feel better. On with the show! 

Cinnamon Roll Waffles rock my face off!

Source: healthymealpins.com via Kristin on Pinterest

    So here is how mine turned out:

So good I could lick my monitor a little! They are crispy on the outside but not hard like they are from the oven, and so soft and good on the inside!  I obviously put 4 in at time because I used the generic original ones.

 

And here is my son enjoying them! He ate two of the four!

 

Next up Quinoa! Okay if you are like me you were saying, "what is this quin-oo-wa stuff and why do I want to eat it?"  Well first let me help you with how it is said, because it took me forever to get it right.  It is pronounced "keen-wah"  and it is stupid easy to work with and delicious.  With that said be careful when measuring and pouring - these little suckers want to run everywhere and if you spill them you will be finding them for potentially years.

So I thought I would start out simple and found this recipe on Pinterest (have I mentioned my love affair yet) but adapted it just a smidge.



Source: whatsfordinner-momwhatsfordinner.blogspot.com via Kristin on Pinterest

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa - adapted from Mom What's for Dinner

1 cup quinoa, well rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped
2 cups  shredded cheddar cheese

Add quinoa, broth and broccoli to a large pot.

Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until the quinoa is tender (tiny taste test).  Add the cheese - in my world I do not ever measure cheese - I add until I am happy about the cheesiness! Let it melt into the other goodness and enjoy!

The hubs was very skeptical about quinoa but liked this so much he finished what was left in the pot!  Just think of the possibilities with this recipe!  I am thinking next time quinoa, diced onions, and chicken broth - then add diced Italian style tomatoes and mozzarella (by the way I was so sure there was a "t" in mozzarella - dang it spelling is hard!).

Okay and for one non food item - DIY bows

 

Source: bhg.com via Kristin on Pinterest

Used this to make a nice bow for my Christmas wreath and it turned out great! I used pens instead of dowels - on hand - no cost!!!
Finished product:

And just for fun one Pinterest item I tried and failed.
I made this and it was not addicting and the caramel topping got really watery and pretty gross. This was what someone else said,  "Also known as Apple Crack Dip because it's THAT addicting!"  It was however, not too shabby when I went at it with the immersion blender and then it was pretty decent but looked NOTHING like this!

Source: fakeitfrugal.blogspot.com via Kristin on Pinterest

So that is a little taste of my Pinterest trials.
Please post your Pinterest success and failures!
Oh and if you have any good quinoa recipes please share with the class!