In the Kitchen

With the snow and cold I thought it would be a great day to spend in the kitchen.


I started out by making everything nice and tidy.


I found a spot for the new sign that mom gifted me. Then it was now time to get down to business. Megan helped me mix up a batch of granola.


The recipe is from Fresh From The Farm. I doubled the recipe and added raisins.


Oh my is this delicious! It smelled like I was baking oatmeal raisin cookies. I am thinking of adding some m&m's and nuts to make this into a snack. By far my favorite granola.

The cookie jar was filled.


Some banana muffins for the freezer.


The little guy I watch loves muffins for snack. I enjoyed my nice, cozy day in the kitchen, but I am ready for some warm air and sunshine!

I hope you are taking time to enjoy the simple moments!

Pizza Party!

This week is spring break and yesterday I received a call from my nieces asking to come over. It is always a pleasure to have them over. It was close to lunch when they called so I suggested that they join us for pizza.



With the late notice there wasn't time to put together homemade pizza. Ordering out was the next best thing.



After lunch we put together ice pops.



I read somewhere that you could put a slice of banana in the bottom to place the stick in. I didn't have much luck with it though. The banana keep floating. If you have any ideas of how to keep the stick centered without plastic wrap please share.

It wouldn't be a party with a craft.



Simple butterflies. I thought the day went really well considering I pulled it together much time to plan!

I hope you are taking time to enjoy the simple moments!

Baby Chicks

One day last week my parents picked Megan up from school and took her to the farm store. They went to see the baby chicks. I was a little worried that they might come home with a chick or two. From the look on Megan's face I don't think she would have minded. My parents said that bringing some home crossed their mind. Thankfully they didn't since I am not ready. Maybe someday... I hope you are taking time to enjoy the simple moments!

One Thing Leads To Another

Spring cleaning has begun. The plan was to start my cleaning the first week of April. The little man had an accident at lunch time. (Oh, how I love potty training!)

I had to take the booster seat apart to clean it. The sink was full of warm soapy water and since I had to clean one chair why not clean them all. One thing lead to another and the kitchen started to get a deep clean.

After the table and chairs were clean Megan came in from her quiet time. As I took things down she washed them for me. She had a blast! Today I will clean the oven and finish this room. Although this wasn't the plan it feels good to know it is almost done.

Have you started your spring cleaning?

I hope you are taking time to enjoy the simple moments!

Surounded by Beauty

The last few days have been fantastic! The days have been sunny and warm. I have been in awe of the beauty around me.

Last night a thunderstorm rolled through and left a beautiful rainbow behind.

I can never look at rainbow without thinking about Genesis 9:8-16.

I am finding new life everywhere. This lilac is from my grandparents old farm and means so much to me.

Soon I will smell their sweet fragrance and see that beautiful purple.

Megan can't get enough of the warm, fresh air.

She grabbed a bucket and went on a nature hunt. She brought back sticks, leaves and pine cones.

While at Lowes over the weekend I couldn't resist picking up a couple of things. A few pansies for my potting bench.

A new bird feeder. Currently it is hanging off of the back porch. This won't be the permanent home.

Until I find a permanent home I am enjoying watching the squirrels from my kitchen window. It is certainly entertaining!

Unfortunately our warm days are over for a while. The forecast for the next week is only in the 40's. I am so grateful for the last few days. It is amazing how a little sun and warmth will lift a girls spirit!

I hope you are taking time to enjoy the simple moments!

Weekend Stuff

Saturday we enjoyed a nice day. It was sunny and just a little chilly. Exactly what you expect during early spring in Indiana. The raised beds were leveled and filled up. One box was planted with cabbage and lettuce.

It is expected to cool down this week. There is rain and possible frost in the forecast. The plantings were covered with jars for protection. The back box was covered to warm up the soil and to hopefully keep the soil from getting water logged. Soon peas and carrots will be planted there.

My sister found a new dining room table and I took her old one. The third bedroom was re-arranged to make room for it.

I am so excited to have a place to keep my sewing. The table has seen lots of wear and will eventually receive a makeover. I have some ideas for this space, but for the moment the priority is to clear out the clutter.

This room is the jack of all trades. The computer is housed here. Food storage is in the closet. The little man naps in here. Now it has space for sewing and such. My home is small so I try to make the most of my space. There is still lots of work to be done in here. Once it is complete I will be sure to give you the grand tour.

It was a great weekend. Plenty of things accomplished, but also time for rest and fellowship. Have a great Monday!

I hope you are taking time to enjoy the simple moments!

Joy

This week was not one of the better ones. There was kiddie sickness, ink pen on the kitchen wall and not much went as planned. I have tried hard to find joy in the mist of everything.

Don't postpone joy until you have learned all of your lessons. Joy is your lesson.
~Alan Cohen


It really is the little things that count. That is where true joy lies.

The boys I watch were out one morning due to illness and it gave Megan and I some time to bake. She is learning to crack an egg and was full of joy when she succeeded.

The little man feeling better and playing with kindness. Something that we are working on.

Taking some time to get out and enjoy the spring like weather.

Watching Megan wanting to be just like Daddy.

Enjoying the beauty of night.

Enjoy yourself. These are the good old days you're going to miss in the years ahead.

~Author Unknown

I hope you are taking time to enjoy the simple moments!

Signs of Spring!

Yesterday it was 60* and sunny! A great day to take a walk and see some signs of spring. Early spring flowers are blooming in my beds.



There are always plenty of sticks to pick up in the spring. This year we had some limbs to pick up lost during the ice storm.


While out and about pricing fencing a few weeks ago we found these on clearance.


Last night they were assembled. I hope that we can get them placed tonight and filled with soil very soon.

I have always wanted to try raised bed gardening. These will be a great place to plant early season veggies. I am thinking peas, carrots, lettuce and cabbage to start with.

The forecast for today is sunny and 70*! I am looking forward to hanging bedding on the line, taking the kids on a long walk and opening up a window or two. It feels great to finally head outside again. I hope you are taking time to enjoy the simple moments!

Once A Month Shopping

Several times I have mentioned that I do the bulk of my shopping once a month. I have had some questions about how I do that.

I keep a running list on my frig of things that I have run out of or am about to run out of. Toward the end of the month I will use that list and look through my pantry and any recipes I have clipped to try. That is how I make my initial list. I also look through my coupons for those that are about to expire and the most recent sale fliers.

I go to the store with a detailed list. Marking items I have coupons for and items that I am price matching.

At one time I was shopping weekly at drugstores and chasing grocery deals. It became overwhelming and I felt like I was on the go all the time. I didn't feel like it was a good use of my time. That is when I made the decision to do my main shopping once a month at W*l-Mart.

Main pantry in the kitchen.

I buy enough milk and fresh fruits and produce to last two weeks. The things like bananas I know need to be eaten first and things like apples keep fresh longer.

Cabinet next to the stove that housing baking and spice related items.

I do have to make stops for milk and such during the month. Many times I will have Chuck stop and do that on his way home from work. If there is an exceptional deal and room in the budget I will do some stocking up during the month. I am one of those weird people that love to grocery shop! I find that the less trips I make to the store the less money that I spend.

This week with sales and coupons I was able to get cereal for less then $1.40 a box so I thought it was worth it to make a trip out for that.

With the unstable economy I have been trying to stock up each month. I will buy a few extra canned goods and watch for the great deals (like the cereal this week). In our third bedroom there is a closet that ended up being a catch all. It has been cleaned out and Chuck searched for some wood from the shed and this is what became of the closet.

Now I have a nice area to store my home canned goods and for additional food storage. I love having the extra food stored because you never know when you might need to skip a shopping trip or two. Each week I am able look through the pantry and freezer to plan my meals. I hope this was helpful and I answered all of your questions.

I hope you are taking time to enjoy the simple moments!

Daily Hum

There is something comforting about the daily hum of life. Nothing out of the ordinary happens, but there is joy and contentment found in the ordinary.

Monday is the day that I give my kitchen a good clean.

Of course you all know that when three meals come out of the kitchen it needs constant attention! This is just the day it gets a little extra love.

A co-worker of Chucks' lives on a farm and we have been getting some wonderful farm fresh eggs. She only charges $1 a dozen!


They taste super yummy and you don't get the unique shells from the store cartons.

The company Chuck works for has a reward program. If you get caught going above and beyond they will give you a gift card. There is a website where you go to exchange it for a gift. We have gotten a large cooler and recently an ice cream maker.

Megan was fascinated watching it. She asked for some whipped cream to top her ice cream. I didn't have any on hand so I added some whipping cream and sugar to a jar and let her go at it.

She had fun and next time we will take it a step further and make butter.

The boys are still coming four days a week. As you can imagine they keep me very busy.


Eli is 5 months and just a joy! He is very content and rarely cries. Abe is 18 months and he makes up for his brothers calm. He is my handful. Always pushing the limits and he just started potty training. We all know how fun that can be!

Quiet time is must for me. I need that little bit of time to unwind and recharge for the rest of the day. Miss Megan is never tired but I often find her like this. :)

Not all of my days run smooth but I try hard to find satisfaction with the daily hum. I hope you are taking time to enjoy the simple moments!